TUESDAY, 10.30AM: THE Bank of Lesotho fired its entire top management on Monday and replaced them with a team of consultants who will run the financial institution for the next six months. Finance Minister Lkete Kete Ketso said the government of Lesotho — as sole shareholder of the bank — had decided to embark on […]

MORE FARMERS MURDERED The bodies of a farming couple from Potgietersrus were found in their house by a neighbour on Monday. Ben van Wyk, 67, and his wife Rosa, 43, were stabbed dead. Their disabled children, aged 21 and 10, spent two days with the bodies, unable to call for help. They are being treated […]

TUESDAY, 10.30AM: THE World Gold Council on Monday predicted that the recent slump in the bullion price is about to hit the brakes and bottom out. “The market is reacting to rumours but the fundamentals are good,” said Rolf Schneebeli, WGC CEO for the Middle East and India. “Gold prices are overshooting and I expect […]

MONDAY, 12.00NOON: THE South African men’s hockey team lost 4-3 to Argentina in the final Test in Buenos Aires on Saturday after a controversial goal with the score on 3-3. South African coach Giles Bonnett after the match called for an FIH panel of neutral umpires to referee in future. This was after umpire Guillermo […]

MONDAY 12.30PM: ZAMBIAN President Frederick Chiluba has turned down an appeal from President Nelson Mandela to pardon former Zambian president Kenneth Kaunda and to guarantee his safe return home. The Sunday Times of Zambia reported that Mandela telephoned Chiluba asking him to forgive any offences that Kaunda may have committed, and to allow him back […]

FRIDAY, 12.00NOON: SOUTH African golf star and US Open champion Ernie Els is still in contention for the Johnnie Walker Super Tour and is currently placed third, behind Nick Faldo and Jasper Parnevik after the second round, played in Bangkok, on Thursday. Els, the defending champion, joined Faldo and Parnevik in scoring 1-under 71s to […]

Social worker Tshengesiwe Mthembu was walking to work last Saturday morning when she found herself caught up in a modern-day pass raid. Yeoville police were cruising the street in search of “illegal immigrants”. They were stopping individuals – all black – asking them to speak their home language, questioning them on key words and making […]

Charl Blignaut : Theatre It’s quarter past 11 on Friday morning and South Africa’s best- known actor, Sello Maake ka-Ncube, is late for our interview. While I wait I read the reviews of his new play Koze Kuse Bash (all-night party) stuck to a pin-board in the atmospheric old foyer of Johannesburg’s Market Theatre. The […]

worst enemy The Truth and Reconciliation Commission is hesitating over a decision whether to subpoena members of the judiciary to appear before it following their failure to do so voluntarily. The hesitation apparently results from indications by the Bench that such a move would represent a constitutional challenge to the independence of the judiciary and […]

Andrew Spencer : Golf So, Nick Price has another million dollars. He earned it, as he said after his one-shot win at Sun City last weekend, “the hard way”. Price may not have the fanatical support Ernie Els enjoys among the South African public but, despite the Zimbabwean colours he flies, his roots are sunk […]