Aaron Nicodemus Another Mpumalanga farm worker is planning to sue members of the Wakkerstroom Commando after he was kidnapped in a South African National Defence Force (SANDF) helicopter. Alfred Hlatshwayo (34) said in 1998 he was forced into an army helicopter by police dogs, then beaten and kicked, and later forced to pay a fine […]

Any firm believer in the theory that sport moves in cycles will be delighted, if that is the right word, to see the return of the kicking game in rugby. Thirty years ago there was only one way to move the leaden, greasy leather ball down a sodden bog of a pitch, and that was […]

THREE Americans jailed in Zimbabwe for one year for illegal possession of arms of war will be released on Saturday, the weekly Financial Gazette reported. Their freedom effectively renders Attorney General Patrick Chinamasa’s appeal to the Surpreme Court against their “lenient” sentences an academic exercise. The paper quotes unnamed sources saying that the cabinet discussed […]

Minister of Public Enterprises Jeff Radebe plans to sell R170-million in state assets by 2004. Donna Block and Mungo Soggot report In a move aimed at speeding up the privatisation and restructuring of state assets, the Department of Public Enterprises is not renewing its contract with the banking group HSBC Simpson McKie, the government’s adviser […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Wednesday 9.00am. ONLY a couple of extraordinary scorelines can prevent Esperance of Tunisia reaching the African Champions League final on Saturday. Esperance are three points ahead of ASEC of Cote d’Ivoire entering the last round of mini-league action and boast a plus-11 goal difference compared to the plus-one of the […]

Fiona Macleod Sugar gliders, the latest fad in the exotic pet market, are tiny marsupials from Australia and Indonesia, about the size of a large rat with a long tail. In the United States, sugar gliders are big business. Many books and websites are dedicated to them. Now South African conservation officials, who have received […]

Not quite movie of the week Daniel, Frank and Laurence are three long- time chums, though it’s hard to see what they have in common except that they all seem to be having a permanent bad-hair day. Daniel is a high-flying record executive, Frank is a struggling actor, and Laurence gives bridge lessons to middle-aged […]

FRENCH captain Raphael Ibanez believes his team’s unpredictability can help conjure up a victory over favourites Australia in Saturday’s World Cup final at the Millennium Stadium. “I think we are just challengers, not favourites for this final,” hooker Ibanez said. “Australia are much better than us, but we are unpredictable – and I think that […]

stakes Mungo Soggot Two ministers are investigating the conflict of interest arising from the chair of Eskom’s material stake in a company contracted to South Africa’s nuclear programme. The Mail & Guardian reported last week that Eskom’s chair, Reuel Khoza, is also the founding chair of an investment holding company that has a 29% stake […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cardiff | Friday 4.00pm. AUSTRALIAN fullback Matt Burke has jumped to the defence of much-maligned northern hemisphere rugby. Australia, New Zealand and South Africa have done their utmost to make World Cup 1999 an exclusive Tri Nations affair, and will fill three of the top four places. France are shock finalists, courtesy of […]