THE Lesotho consultative forum convened by the country’s Interim Political Authority has agreed on the need to replace the tiny country’s “first-past-the-post” Westminster-style political system, and proportional representation is the likely alternative. A new electoral system will be chosen for “political stability, inclusiveness and manageability”. The IPA represents all political parties and was set up […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Thursday 6.30pm. EXPELLED Inkatha Freedom Party member and former correctional services minister Sipo Mzimela announced he is joining the United Democratic Movement on Thursday, saying the party is well placed to lead South Africa into the new millennium. UDM president, Bantu Holomisa, said a leadership position for Mzimela in the […]

FORMER correctional services minister Sipo Mzimela was on Wednesday expelled from the Inkatha Freedom Party, which means he also loses his seat in Parliament. A party disciplinary hearing in Cape Town found him guilty of bringing the party into disrepute. The hearing follows several clashes between Mzimela and party leadership, some of them over his […]

ABOUT 2000 children between the ages of five and 14 have gone missing since junta rebels invaded the Sierra Leonean capital, Freetown, on January 6, the social welfare ministry said on Thursday. “Based on statistics, we believe that many of the children have been abducted by the rebels when they were chased out by [the […]

THE South African Human Rights Commission, who is conducting an inquiry into allegations of racism in the media, called for written submissions from interested parties on Thursday. The commission said that all submissions should be in writing and must be handed in to the commission’s office by March 30, 1999. If a submission relies on […]

PRESIDENT Cassam Uteem threatened on Wednesday to impose a curfew on Mauritius after three people were killed in three days of riots sparked by the suspicious death of a popular singer. Reggae musician Kaya died on Sunday while in police custody, sparking violence in the poor Roche Bois area of the capital, Port Louis. The […]

GHANAIAN President Jerry Rawlings offered citizenship in the West African nation to African American descendants of African slaves on Wednesday while on a state visit to the US. “My continent is the mother, not of all continents, but humanity today,” Rawlings said at a news conference. “There is no reason why I would deny my […]

A ZIMBABWEAN high court has ordered Defence Minister Moven Mahachi on Wednesday to appear on Friday to face charges of contempt of court after he ignored three court orders to release Standard editor, Mark Chavunduka, from detention. Chavunduka and a senior reporter, Ray Choto, are facing charges of contravening section 50 of the colonial Law […]

GERMANY’S bid to host the soccer World Cup in 2006 received a boost on Tuesday in Bonn when the finance ministry declared it would not tax revenue from tournament. Finance Minister Oskar Lafontaine said the decision to surrender potential tax income was “very, very painful. But we wanted to give our footballing friends an equal […]

ZIMBABWE’S food manufacturers, choking from galloping production costs, have warned that they will ignore the gentleman’s agreement with the government not to hike prices of their products without government’s approval. They said their decision to take unilateral action stems from the tripartite negotiating forum grouping labour, business and the government to discuss price increases taking […]