THE presidents of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania took another key step towards establishing a regional common market when they launched the East African Community on Tuesday. The East African Community treaty aims to create a free trade area in East Africa and to allow freedom of movement across borders for nationals of the three countries. […]

Transport Minister Dullah Omar is hosting a big Aids Awareness Concert at the Johannesburg Park Station on World Aids Day on Wednesday. The event is being organised by the South African Rail Commuter Corporation in conjunction with Intersite. Omar will sign the “Long Life Love Train”, which will be parked at one of the station’s […]

GOVERNMENT is due to present its draft wage policy for public servants to Cabinet on Wednesday, Public Service and Administration Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi said on Monday. She said that employer and labour unions are in general agreement on the major issues contained in the draft, although no formal talks have yet taken place. Plans to […]

THE National Union Metal Workers declared a dispute against Highveld Steel on Tuesday after 2000 union members were disciplined for protesting against the death of a colleague. Numsa said workers protested about safety standards after a colleague was killed in an explosion at Highveld Steel’s Middelburg plant in Mpumalanga two weeks ago. It said management […]

SOUTH Africa’s selectors have given Allan Donald a week off prior to the Port Elizabeth Test, starting next Thursday. Donald’s pace bowling, 11 for 127, destroyed England in the first Test at the Wanderers, but the Free Stater was struggling with injury before taking part. The selectors have also withdrawn the KwaZula-Natal trio of Shaun […]

ZIMBABWE human rights organisations have launched a Supreme court application to force President Robert Mugabe to make public the findings of a commission of inquiry into the deaths of about 8000 civilians in the western provinces of Matebeleland in the 1980s. “The government has not apologised for the actions of the Korean-trained 5th Brigade that […]

A NEW draft constitution for Zimbabwe was adopted by a government-appointed commission amid strong objections on Monday, leaving the contentious issue of President Robert Mugabe’s future unresolved. Cries of “No” rang out around the Harare conference centre as the chairman of the 400-member commission, judge Godfrey Chidyausiku, declared the draft adopted by acclamation. The new […]

SOUTH African maize futures contracts traded mixed on Tuesday, mirroring diverse views in the market on the extent and impact of recent rainfall in key growing areas. “The rains are very late. Although there is still time to plant, farmers are slowly getting concerned,” Giel van Zyl, general manager of the National Maize Producers Organisation […]

VIRGIN Atlantic said it stands to loose around R60-million in the first year of operating once-a-week flights from London to Cape Town. Richard Branson told a media conference in Cape Town that although the flights are 65% booked, Virgin will lose money because of the once-a-week restriction. He said four flights a week are necessary […]