SWAZILAND’S government Broadcasting and Information Services (SBIS) has banned the kingdom’s largest labour union organisation, the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions, from broadcasting any announcements or other information unless they have been approved by the police, African Eye News Service reports. SBIS director Tars Makama told the roughly 200000 strong union federation at the weekend […]

THE Congress of South African Trade Unions on Monday launched a campaign to rally South Africa to “buy local”. Cosatu said in a statement that the country needs policies that encourage the use of locally manufactured raw materials, and grant preferences for companies who are expanding production for the domestic and the export market. It […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Tuesday 10.00pm. THE Dalai Lama on Tuesday said South Africa should use it’s economic links with Beijing to work towards changing the Chinese government’s attitude towards human rights. “It is important to have good relations with China but in the meantime on certain issues such as civil rights and democracy […]

SOUTH Africa are happy they won’t have to travel far for their first World Cup qualifying tie and are counting on some home support from the away fans. “It’s a fair draw, Lesotho is a good team, but you want to get to the finals, you have to play anybody,” said Raymond Hack, chief executive […]

SOUTH Africa is reviewing a request from Ethiopia to extradite former dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam, the department of foreign affairs said on Monday. The South African government received a formal request on Friday night, foreign affairs spokesman Dan Ngwepe said. “The relevant government departments and agencies will review this request in the coming days.” The […]

DEBT-strapped Ghanaian gold producer Ashanti Goldfields said Friday it had submitted a financial restructuring plan to its creditor banks, which have extended it another two weeks’ grace. In a statement issued at the London stock exchange, Ashanti said that while the banks are preparing their response, it will attempt to reach an agreement with the […]

SOUTH Africa’s economy will rebound next year after posting a modest increase in 1999, while both consumer and core inflation rates are expected to edge lower, according to Reuters’ latest monthly economic poll. The monthly survey of 20 South African and London-based analysts published on Thursday also forecasts the rand to depreciate by only 5% […]

ARRIVE Alive road safety campaign said on tuesday that at least 61 road deaths have been reported on South African roads since the start of the holidays on December 1. Figures indicate that the highest death toll was reported in the North West, where 23 people have died in road accidents. The Free State reported […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Tuesday 3.20pm PUBLIC Enterprises Minister Jeff Radebe said on Tuesday the government wants to speed up the restructuring of state assets and will first focus its attention on the biggest state-owned companies to that end. ”We agreed that while the restructuring and disposal of non-core entities will proceed apace, we will […]

MIKE COLLETT, Tokyo | Tuesday 1.00pm. CRICITCS of South Africa’s bid to stage the 2006 World Cup are making too much fuss over the country’s crime statistics, campaign officials said on Tuesday. Danny Jordaan, chief executive of the South African bid, told reporters: ”Our opponents are clutching at straws in their efforts to undermine our […]