SHARES in De Beers slipped on Tuesday as investors took profits from the diamond giant’s strong recent gains and as news of an impending review of the South African government diamond regulator nagged sentiment. De Beers closed 620 cents or 3,16% down at R190,20 after reaching a morning low of R189,41 as the market mulled […]

PRESIDENT Nelson Mandela officially declared on Wednesday the tornado-stricken Eastern Cape districts of Umtata, Libode and Ngqeleni as disaster areas, the Welfare Department said on Thursday. Those affected by a tornado which killed 18 people and injured 162 on December 15 can apply for relief, the departmental said. Applications will be considered by the board […]

The Pretoria High Court on Thursday ruled in favour of the head of Wheels of Africa, Billy Rautenbach, and ordered the government to return documents and data on Rautenbach’s companies seized during a raid last month. The Directorate of Serious Economic Offences had confiscated truck loads of documents from Rautenbach’s offices and home. Last week, […]

THE National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, representing 400 workers at Anglo American Platinum’s (Amplats) base metals refinery in Rustenburg on Wednesday declared a dispute with the company over wages. Numsa said it is ready for a battle with management after contract talks on Tuesday stalled over the wage issue. Numsa said it is […]

CANADIAN mining firm, First Quantum, has offered to buy the remaining Zambian copper mine assets of the cash-strapped Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM).First Quantum chairman, Philip Pascall said in a statement released to Nkana and Mufulira divisions but the deal is subject to further negotiations with the Zambian government. The company has formed a consortium […]

PHILLIP Ndou has moved up to the number-five spot in the WBA ratings after successfully defending his WBA Continental featherweight title for the first time. Ndou, nicknamed “Time Bomb”, stopped Laureano Ramirez of the Dominican Republic inside three rounds of their scheduled 12-rounder at Johannesburg’s Wembley Arena last Wednesday. Promoter Branco Milenkovic received a letter […]

ANGOLAN soldiers have captured an island occupied by Unita rebels along the border with Namibia. Namibia said Angolan soldiers found 50 mortar bombs, 200 landmines, two cannons and other military equipment on the small island, situated on the narrow Kavango River, about 200km east of Rundu. It was being used by Unita to “position its […]

THE Foreign Affairs Ministry said on Wednesday that the department’s former chief spokesman has begun legal action against Foreign Minister Nkosazana Zuma. Media relations chief Marco Boni, who quit his post at the end of last month, wants R805000 in severance pay. He says he was sidelined by the minister when she arrived from the […]

ALL staff at Mpumalanga’s Tourism Authority (MTA) have lost their jobs and will have to re-apply for positions when the organisation is restructured early next year. A group of 17 staff members have already consulted with attorneys in an attempt to fight the move but declined to comment for fear of prejudicing their legal claims. […]

A NEW wine range called “Winds of Change” has been launched in London by a group of Paarl farm workers. The wine, a pinotage cabernet blend, is unique in the sense that it was produced on the Sonop farm in Paarl, near Cape Town, of which nine farm worker households earlier in the year acquired […]