The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) has set up a special court to arbitrate disputes related to economic development and market integration. Comesa secretariat member Onyango Matata said the Comesa Court of Justice, launched in September last year, the Lusaka-based court will be empowered to place sanctions on countries reneging on agreement […]

EMBATTLED South African soccer chief Joe Ndhlela refused to confirm on Tuesday suggestions that he could be relegated to the role of a clerk in the Premier Soccer League administration. The City Press newspaper reported the PSL chief executive faced the sack if he refused to accept a six-month contract, which restricts his powers of […]

SOUTH African golf star Ernie Els, ranked world number five in the latest rankings, heads the European Tour money list after the Heineken Classic in Australia. Els has earned 169045. over the past year. FIFA WARNING COUNTRIES bidding to host the 2006 World Cup have been warned by FIFA that they will be struck off […]

OLD Mutual Fund Managers — UK-based unit trust arm of Old Mutual International — was last week fined 20000 by an investment regulatory body for failing to correctly price the assets of four unit trusts under its management. Business Report reports that the British Investment Management Regulatory Organisation said the breaches occurred between July 1 […]

SOUTH African Breweries announced to retailers on Monday that it is to increase the price of its wholesale beer by up to 10%. The rise could see the consumer paying considerably more for a beer after accounting for VAT and varying mark-ups. According to SAB the price of cans — both 340ml and long-toms — […]

DEPUTY President Thabo Mbeki and visiting Chinese Vice President Hu Jintao signed several agreements on Monday to boost bilateral trade between the two countries. The bilateral agreements target air services, trade, economic and technical co-operation, and a joint economic and trade commission. Trade between the two countries stood at $1,8-billion last year.

TANZANIA’S Dar es Salaam port will soon be on the Internet after commissioning an electronic transmission system for shipping manifests. This Advanced Cargo Information System connecting the port to others in neighbouring countries will facilitate internal and transit business. By co-ordinating and routing cargoes based on manifests, costs will be reduced and there will be […]

RONNIE ELLIOTT, Pretoria | Wednesday 8.30pm “PEOPLE’s poet” Mzwakhe Mbuli denied on Wednesday that he was involved in a robbery at the First National Bank in Waverley in Pretoria on October 28 1997, implying he was framed. Mbuli, Happy Shikwambane and Ben Masiso are on trial in the Pretoria Regional Court in connection with the […]

THE number of companies and close corporations liquidated last year rose to 3351, a 12,4% rise from 1997, Statistics South Africa announced on Tuesday. Stats SA said that the increase was mainly due to a 38,5% increase in the total number of voluntary liquidations. Voluntary liquidations by companies jumped by 46,5% and those of close […]

THE N1 highway south of Warmbaths in Northern Province was closed on Wednesday morning after 800 bags of highly explosive, powdered Xanthnate fell on to the road. Police spokesperson Captain Blackie Swart said waste disposal experts were called into remove the powder before it rained. People within a one-kilometre radius were evacuated. The powder — […]