CHINESE Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan held talks with Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe on Friday on the third leg of a tour to consolidate relations with African countries. Tang said after the one-hour meeting that he and Mugabe had discussed “many international issues”, including the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Zimbabwe has some 11000 […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Sunday 5.00pm. GOLD mining tycoon Brett Kebble, kingpin of the powerful JCI group, has been ousted after being implicated in a multi-million rand share dealing scandal, it was reported on Sunday. Kebble admitted using company funds without permission from fellow directors to fight off a hostile bid that threatened his R7-billion […]

PRESIDENT Thabo Mbeki, Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Nkosazana Zuma and Home Affairs Minister Mangosuthu Buthelezi will pay a two-day visit to Mozambique this weekend, the president’s office said. They will attend the inauguration of Mozambican President Joachim Chissano in Maputo on Saturday. Mbeki also plans to attend Sunday’s meeting of Southern African Development Community heads […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Sunday 11.00am. IN yet another twist to the Benni McCarthy saga, the striker has been included by coach Trott Moloto in the African Nations Cup squad. McCarthy, who plays for Celta Viga in the Spanish league, was included — along with Ajax Amsterdam’s Aaron Mokoena — as ”standy players”. This face-saving […]

TELFORD VICE, Centurion | Saturday 6.00pm. The third day was rained out SOUTH African cricket is facing up to the prospect of Allan Donald and Daryll Cullinan playing a reduced part in the future. As rain washed out the second day of the fifth and final Test against England on Saturday, fast bowler Donald announced […]

ALISTER BULL, Johannesburg | Friday 2.00pm. THE country’s four major banks, Nedcor, First National Bank, ABSA Bank and Stanbic said on Friday they would cut prime lending rates by one percentage point to 14,5%, with effect from January 19. The cuts were in swift answer to calls from the Reserve Bank on Thursday for lower […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, London | Friday 2.45pm. BOBBY Charlton, a representative of England’s 2006 World Cup bid, said choosing South Africa to host the event would be the wrong decision. The Manchester United legend was quoted in Friday’s Daily Express newspaper as saying: “It’s been our policy not to criticise others because once the inspection teams […]

ANDY CAPOSTAGNO, Houghton | Friday 8.00pm. NAMIBIA’S Trevor Dodds leads the Alfred Dunhill Challenge half way through the second round at waterlogged Houghton. Dodds played 32 holes on the second day after only completing four before the light closed in on Thursday night. He shot a three under par 69 in his opening round and […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Durban | Saturday 6.30pm. ZULU king Goodwill Zwelithini is seeking a meeting with President Thabo Mbeki over controversial plans by the South African government to incorporate tribal land into municipal areas. Zwelithini on Saturday added his voice to protests by the Amakhosi (Zulu chiefs) in KwaZulu-Natal on proposals by the national demarcation board […]

SOUTH Africa’s Wayne Ferreira, fresh from a Hopman Cup triumph, was brought down to earth in stunning fashion when he was blasted in straight sets by Andre Agassi in the Kooyong Classic. Last year’s No.1 blasted the South African 6-2, 6-4 in just 57 minutes, thriving on the super-fast hardcourt conditions juiced up by sticky […]