GAMING giant Tsogo Sun began construction on its first permanent Mpumalanga casino this week despite High Court litigation aimed at overturning its casino licence in Nelspruit. The move follows Moven Pic’s takeover of the rival Karos Hotel Group in October 1998. Karos lodged one of two separate High Court challenges against Tsogo in 1997 after […]

ACT BRUMBIES coach Eddie Jones has included forward Troy Jaques at blindside flanker for this Friday night’s Super 12 clash against the Stormers. Jones says Jaques will help build his team’s forward momentum. The coach has also bracketed centres James Holbeck and Rod Kafer. “Both of them will play, but as to who will start…I […]

TAXI drivers at Apel village, 80km from Pietersburg, have prevented teachers from going to school in their own cars for three days. Regional Police Commissioner Erwin Dorfling said 17 primary schools and eight high schools have been paralysed since Monday. One teacher, who insisted on remaining anonymous because of threats from taxi drivers, said they […]

MPUMALANGA housing deputy director-general Steve Ngwenya has resigned to take up a post with the Independent Electoral Commission, MEC Craig Padayachee said on Tuesday. Addressing the provincial portfolio committee on housing and local government, Padayachee said Ngwenya will join the IEC as Mpumalanga’s electoral officer. Housing department spokesman Leon Mbangwa also resigned from the department […]

DEMOCRATIC Republic of Congo President Laurent Kabila on Tuesday proposed a debate with his opponents — including rebels fighting his regime — on “the legitimacy of power”. The DRC leader gave no date for any proposed meeting, but suggested that it could take place in Italy if the rebels “feel threatened” in coming to the […]

THE Constitutional Court on Tuesday reserved judgment in its hearing on the New National Party’s challenge to the government ruling that only voters with bar-coded identity books can vote in the June election. The judgment is pending the presentation of supporting documents. The NNP, which took its case to the Constitutional Court after losing its […]

THE AUDITOR-GENERAL has slammed the public enterprises department in a recent report, citing R350000 in unauthorised expenditure in the year to March. Failure to follow proper tender procedures for employing consultants in a privatisation plan led to the overrun. Auditor-General Henri Kluever said the department failed to turn over official documentation on the sale of […]

SIX countries — Republic of Congo (Brazzaville), Kenya, Lesotho, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia — on Wednesday formally empowered an international Task Force to fight wildlife crime in Africa. Referred to by many as “African Interpol” for wildlife and the first of its kind in the world, the Task Force will have its headquarters at the […]

President Nelson Mandela will meet Libyan leader Moammar Gadaffi in the capital Tripoli on Friday.

IRELAND will donate R45-million in development aid to Lesotho this year, Irish consul-general to Lesotho Tom Wright announced in the capital Maseru on Wednesday. Addressing a reception to mark Saint Patrick’s Day, Ireland’s national day, Wright said poverty alleviation is at the heart of Ireland’s development programme to Lesotho. He added that the Irish aid […]