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% […]

THE Post Office posted operating losses of R224-million for the 1999 financial year on Friday, but said that it hopes to break even by 2001. Announcing the results chairman Max Maisela, announced said that the loss takes into account a loss of R158-million for the former TBVC states Post Offices, which were incorporated into the […]

SOUTH Africa’s Metropolitan life (Metlife), a financial services group targeting mainly black customers, on Tuesday reported a strong jump in headline earnings and predicted strong future annual earnings growth. In the year to September 30, 1999, Metlife lifted its headline earnings 37% to 75,82 cents a share. The dividend was increased to 25,50 cents from […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Washington | Tuesday 10.00pm. DEFENCE Minister Mosiuoa Lekota warned on Tuesday that a peace agreement in the Democratic Republic of Congo cannot be successfully implemented unless the United Nations plays a larger, more effective role. Lekota discussed the volatile situation in the DRC with US Defense Secretary William Cohen, who gave a tepid […]

THE Heath Special Investigating Unit has summonsed eight senior magistrates to account for alleged corruption totalling R38-million. Heath unit spokesman Guy Rich said on Sunday the magistrates from Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, the North West and the Eastern Cape, were summonsed on Friday. A further 30 chief magistrates will receive summonses in the new year, he said.

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 […]