SOUTH Africa’s third opponent in the pool stages of the Rugby World Cup in Wales this year is undecided despite reports that it will be Tonga or Georgia, Sarfu spokesperson Alex Broun said on Wednesday. South Africa play Scotland on October 3 followed by Spain on October 10, both in Edinburgh. Their third opponent, whom […]

THE National Assembly on Wednesday unanimously approved the constitutional amendment that will enable President Nelson Mandela to immediately formally proclaim June 2 as the date for this year’s election. The amendment was necessary as currently Mandela may not proclaim the election date until after the end of the sitting of Parliament at which the proposed […]

THE department of correctional services has reversed an earlier decision to allow convicted assassin Janusz Walus to marry gospel singer Berril Roy in Pretoria Maximum Security Prison. Walus is serving time for the murder of Communist Party leader Chris Hani in 1993, plotted with fellow prisoner and former Conservative Party MP Clive Derby-Lewis. Prison authorities […]

AFRICAN National Congress stalwart Walter Sisulu (86) was admitted to hospital on Monday evening suffering from hypertension after complaining of chest pains. Marlene Parsons, spokesperson for the Lesedi clinic, said Sisulu is in a satisfactory condition under the care of a cardiologist. Pasons said it is suspected Sisulu has an infection. Sisulu was hospitalised with […]

MINERAL and Energy Affairs Minister Penuell Maduna said on Wednesday that he expects state oil firm Mossgas to generate a cash surplus of R730-million in the current financial year. Maduna said that Mossgas saves the country “in excess of a billion rand per year in foreign exchange” despite flagging oil prices. He added that the […]

FIVE Namibian asylum seekers were voluntarily repatriated to their country on Tuesday ahead of Namibian President Sam Nujoma’s two-day state visit to Botswana which begins Wednesday, officials confirmed on Tuesday. The five people, airlifted to the Namibian capital Windhoek, were the first people to declare their intention to go back home since the visit of […]

President Nelson Mandela, first lady Graa Machel and Foreign Minister Alfred Nzo left for state visit to the Netherlands.

POSTS and Telecoms Minister Jay Naidoo said on Wednesday that South Africa is on track to launch a satellite programme that will see it own and operate its own regional communications satellite. He said that South Africa — through the various users of satellite facilities, such as Telkom, Sentech, Transtel and Orbicom — spends between […]

WORLD Cup hero Hennie le Roux will appear before a Golden Lions Rugby Union (GLRU) disciplinary committee on Tuesday next week for snubbing a call-up from Cats coach Andre Markgraaff. This was decided after a meeting between Le Roux, GLRU president Jomo King, CEO Johan Prinsloo and Lions coach Laurie Mains. When Le Roux declined […]

THE government is to enlist the help of spies and private detectives to help track down “missing” state buildings and clandestine apartheid-era property deals. The department of public works said on Wednesday that it is also thinking of advertising in local and foreign media for help in identifying these properties. The elusive building are those […]