Ministers and deputy ministers of eight Southern African Development Community countries have committed themselves to working towards a ”uni-visa” for the region by 2010. ”We need much more free movement of people,” said South African Environment and Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk.
Debt relief to the world’s poorest nations must be accompanied by increased development assistance, which in turn requires greater transparency, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said on Monday. Manuel welcomed a decision of the Group of Eight industrialised nations to write off the multilateral debt of 18 poor countries.
The Modjadji Royal Council confirmed on Monday the death of Rain Queen Makobo Modjadji of the Balobedu people in Limpopo. Modjadji was admitted to the Medi-Clinic in Polokwane on Friday, and died on Sunday. Council spokesperson Clement Modjadji would not reveal the cause of death, saying: ”We are not yet in the know”.
They might not be camping on the peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro, but Ghana’s Black Stars have simulated altitude conditions in Kenya not unlike those that will confront them at Johannesburg’s FNB Stadium for the crunch World Cup qualifying game against Bafana Bafana on Saturday.
Sasol and the leaders of three major South African labour unions on Monday signed a ”groundbreaking” charter in Johannesburg to improve safety within the company. According to Philip Buys, general secretary of Solidarity, 14 people have been killed and more than 300 injured at Sasol plants over the past 18 months.
Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown on Sunday night called on the rich countries of the West to match words with action as he hailed pledges by the G7 on debt, aid and trade as a major breakthrough in Britain’s campaign for Africa.
Anglo Zimele, Anglo American’s empowerment initiative, has acquired a 10% stake in Specialised Rubber and Industrial worth R2,5-million, Anglo Zimele said on Monday. The company manufactures a diverse range of rubber and industrial products, including flexible metallic hoses, for the mining, industrial and materials handling sectors.
Ethiopian police have arrested more than 3Â 000 opposition supporters in a crackdown following deadly clashes last week during protests over alleged election fraud, a human rights group said on Monday. An official at the capital’s only morgue said the death toll from election-related violence now stands at 36.
With 12 months to go until the 2006 World Cup, football fans will have an early taste of what to expect when the Confederations Cup starts in Germany on Wednesday. For Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s team and the World Cup organising committee the competition serves as a dress rehearsal for the main event.
Patricia de Lille’s Independent Democrats (ID) party announced on Monday that Democratic Alliance (DA) councillor Mervyn Cirota had resigned from the official opposition to join the ID. Cirota said the DA had created the perception that its policies were ”separate and contrary to the ideals of the majority of South Africans”.