The historic town of Weimar has played a pivotal role in shaping the German identity. John Matshikiza recently spent some time there Another week, another airport. I was staring at an empty carousel revolving before me at Frankfurt International. My luggage wasn’t there, and I was beginning to do the now-familiar trot around every baggage […]

THE death toll in the ongoing carnage on South African roads since December 1 had reached the 500 mark by Wednesday afternoon, Arrive Alive said. In a statement it said 500 people have died in 335 accidents. Of those killed 229 were passengers, 136 were drivers and 135 pedestrians. KwaZulu-Natal still has the highest death […]

ARCHBISHOP Desmond Tutu, who is currently in resident in the United States, is to be honoured by the New York Stock Exchange by ringing the closing bell of trading on December 23. The ringing of the bell forms part of the stock exchange’s Bridging the Millennium programme, a series honouring distinguished leaders of this century […]

HOLIDAY traffic to Cape Town has been diverted to Rawsonville after a mudslide caused by heavy rain blocked the tunnel on the N1 just outside the city. Traffic officials said on Wednesday night that they were unsure when the tunnel will be re-opened. No-one was injured in the mudslide.

SOUTH Africa signed the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings in New York on Tuesday. The convention was signed by South Africa’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Kumalo. The purpose of the convention is to criminalise acts of terrorist bombings in the hope of strengthening the international legal framework for combating […]

THE Finance Department said on Friday that R15,87-billion was requested from the exchequer in November by government departments and agencies, compared to October’s R14,86-billion. This brings exchequer issues for the first eight months of the financial year (April to November) to R140,72-billion,the department said in a statement. The total was 5,1% up on the R133,91-billion […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Tuesday 7.30am A GOVERNMENT-appointed team investigating the South African diamond industry urged Monday a thorough overhaul of the country’s diamond controls and its gem valuating system. A report released here by a task team appointed by the Cabinet earlier this year also called for a review of the composition, role and […]

A SENIOR Northern Province policeman was denied bail on Tuesday when he appeared for allegedly raping and indecently assaulting under-aged girls. Senior Superintendent Shimanyana Frans Lebese, 49, of Lebowakgomo, was not asked to plead in the Potgietersrus District Court on Tuesday on three charges of rape, and three of indecent assault. He was denied bail […]

THREE barges carrying a floating power station arrived in the Nigerian capital Lagos this week, under a deal reached earlier this year to boost chronic power supplies in the city. United States group Enron in September signed a deal with the Lagos State government to supply a 90 megawatt floating power station to be moored […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Tuesday 3.40pm. TRANSPORT minister Dullah Omar on Tuesday blamed reckless, speeding drivers for hundreds of deaths on the roads as the festive season gets into full swing. The holiday carnage has claimed 459 lives since December 1 and is expected to get worse this week as South Africans and foreign tourists […]