IN BRIEF US MINESWEEPER FOR NAMIBIA THE United States is to deliver a vehicle designed to scoop landmines out of piles of dirt to Namibia — one of 15 countries receiving US demining assistance in early 1998 — the Pentagon said on Tuesday. A special forces team, scheduled to arrive in Namibia on Thursday, will […]
MONDAY, 3.00PM: ON January 1, it became illegal for any vehicle to be sold without SABS-approved headlightslights and bulbs, when the Compulsory Motor Vehicle Specification Act took effect. AutoNews’s latest issue estimates the legislation could raise the cost of lights and bulbs as much as tenfold, and industry sources estimate the cost to motorists and […]
WEDNESDAY, 12.30PM: WESTERN Cape attorney-general Frank Kahn said on Wednesday that he will prosecute former apartheid president PW Botha for disobeying a subpoena to testify before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Botha has ignored three subpoenas to appear before the commission, which wants to question him about the activities of the erstwhile State Security Council, […]
IN BRIEF MYSTERY DISEASE IDENTIFIED MEDICAL experts on Tuesday said the mysterious illness that has killed hundreds of people in flood-hit East Africa is Rift Valley fever. The fever is spread by mosquitoes, sand flies and during the slaughter of infected animals, said Dr. Douglas Klaucke, acting World Health Organisation representative in Kenya. However, it […]
TUESDAY, 1.00PM: THE United States government is dropping hints that it may be interested in entering a free trade agreement with South Africa, Business Day reports. With the threat of losing export market share to European exporters of explicit concern, a report to Congress and the White House warns: “Should the current negotiations between South […]
TUESDAY, 11.00AM: EASTERN Province held Boland to a fine six-wicket away victory in just 38.5 overs on Monday in a Standard Bank League fixture. The two teams meet in Paarl again on Saturday in the quarterfinal of the cup competition, with EP now favourites to make it to the semifinals. Boland won the toss and […]
MONDAY, 11.00AM: AUSTRALIA’s match-winning legspinner Shane Warne claimed 6/34 to bowl his side to a crushing innings and 21-run victory over South Africa in the second Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Monday. And Warne’s bowling figures were an appropriate backdrop to his taking his 300th Test wicket with Jacques Kallis. Rain limited Monday’s […]
MONDAY, 4.30PM: THE Reserve Bank on Monday announced that provisional gross gold and foreign exchange reserves amounted to R28,5-billion as at 31 December 1997, compared to R26,5-billion the previous month. Foreign credit lines in use at the end of December 1997 amounted to R9,8-billion — a R100-million decline. BUSINESS BRIEFS ANGOLAN OIL STRIKE FRENCH oil […]
FRIDAY, 11.00AM: SOUTH Africa’s top-order batsmen once again failed to take advantage of arun-friendly pitch, with only middle-order Herschelle Gibbs (54) and captain Hansie Cronje (56) keeping the flag flying as South Africa ended the first day of the second Test against Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground on 197 for five wickets. Having won the […]
IN BRIEF NEW MPUMALANGA HEIST AN armed gang of four men and four women escaped with cash and jewellery to the value of about R400 000 in a heist at Aventura holiday resort at Blyde Rivierspoort in the Pilgrims Rest district of Mpumalanga on Thursday morning. The gang arrived in a minibus at about 7am […]