THE Heath Special Investigations Unit is widening its probe of the Reserve Bank’s 1990 R1,4-billion rescue package for the now-defunct Bankorp group to include tobacco giant Rembrandt and insurance conglomerate Sanlam — both major shareholders in Basa banking group, which is already under scrutiny over the lifeboat deal. The Sunday Independent reports that the lifeboat […]
A MAN was shot dead when his faith in a bullet-proof charm proved unfounded in the east Nigeria town of Ohafia, a Nigerian paper reported on Monday. The unindentified man boasted to his neighbours that he would not be harmed if fired at after wearing the charm. The man asked a relative to shoot him […]
FOUR people died, several were injured and property was wrecked in a explosion at a gas site near Port Harcourt in eastern Nigeria, the contractor at the site said on Monday. The blast occurred at the Obite plant construction site on Saturday when a welding gas cylinder exploded. The gas site is a major facility […]
TELECOMS parastatal Telkom and Internet service provider Intelsat will take part in a three-day conference in Pretoria from Tuesday, focusing on new technologies in the provision of Internet services. Intelsat spokesperson Diana Jacobs said the conference, to be held at Telkom’s headquarters in Pretoria, will examine current and future market trends in Africa, as well […]
AUDITOR-GENERAL Henri Kluever has appointed three top auditing firms to investigate the books of six cash-strapped universities. Business Day reports that Kluever appointed the auditors, KPMG, Deloitte & Touche and PriceWaterCoopers, at the request of Education Minister Sibisiso Bengu. Kluever said that KPMG will audit Fort Hare and Medunsa, Deloitte & Touche will audit the […]
NIGERIA has yet to respond to an offer made by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to co-host the 2000 African Nations Cup with Ghana, an official of the Nigerian football Association (NFA) said Friday. The official, who asked not to be named, said the NFA would consult with the government before making its decision. […]
THE Health Department and cellular telephone network operators are to meet soon to discuss whether health warning are necessary on cellphones, following a European Union ruling that cellphones must carry health warnings. The Sunday Times reports that Health Director General Dr Ayanda Ntsaluba said the cellphone operators have requested a meeting with the minister on […]
THE descendants of Saartjie Baartman, the Khoikhoi woman known as the Hottentot Venus, have given a French museum until July to return her remains to South Africa, SABC TV news reported. Baartman was displayed as a freak in Europe at the turn of the century until she died in Paris at the age of 25. […]
BALLOONISTS Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones made a picture perfect landing in the desert sands of Egypt on Sunday, ending their record-setting 20 day dash around the world in the Breitling Orbiter hot-air balloon. The pair touched down near the remote town of Mut, some 700km south-west of Cairo. Swiss Piccard (41) and Briton Jones […]
LAWYERS representing three Americans suspected of being mercenaries have said they were denied access to medical reports that might show their clients were tortured, a Sunday paper reported. The Standard quoted a statement released to it by the lawyer, Jeremy Callow, saying he had been unable to gain access to the reports by two government […]