Saddam Hussein’s defence team, which has not yet been allowed to enter Iraq, on Thursday again slammed as ”illegal” the Iraqi special tribunal trying the deposed dictator. ”This court is illegal since it was designated by an illegal authority, created by the occupation,” one of the lawyers said.
The death toll from Typhoom Mindulle’s rampage through the Philippines rose to 16 with 17 other people still missing and feared dead, civil defence officials said on Thursday. The typhoon has displaced nearly 180 000 people from 48 towns and three cities and destroyed or damaged more than 6 000 houses.
The Western Cape public works and education departments may sell off some state and school properties to raise money for a school-building initiative that could cost R500-million. The provincial government is looking at alternative means of generating funds to build new schools.
South African gold mining giant Anglogold Ashanti on Thursday took its first steps into Russia, saying it would buy a 29,9% stake in London-listed Trans-Siberian Gold in a multi-million dollar deal. Anglogold Ashanti president Sam Jonah said the projects in Russia opened new horizons for the company.
A boilermaker died in an explosion near a production shaft of Sasol’s Middelbult Colliery in Secunda on Thursday morning, the petroleum giant said. Ryno Olivier (20), who was employed by Ukhozi Mining, died on the scene of the accident when a container used for storage of oxygen and acetylene bottles exploded on the surface.
In a country notorious for poor service, it is refreshing to see a company like Liberty Life actually doing something proactive to remedy the problem. It’s never easy admitting that one is not perfect, but the life assurer has done just that with its recently launched "We’re working on it" media campaign.
C-Max Investments was named on Thursday as the preferred bidder for a combined retail, commercial and residential development in Newtown, Johannesburg. The construction would be part of a new development zone called Central Place, Newtown, and the Gauteng Tourism Authority has already signed a lease.
Political parties should be funded equitably by the state and private companies, Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille said on Wednesday. ”Fifty percent of the funds should be allocated on an equal basis to all political parties,” De Lille said in a speech prepared for delivery at a meeting on party funding in Cape Town.
Metorex, the midtier multicommodity mining group, has taken advantage of the recent strength in the rand/dollar exchange rate. At the time of its acquisition of the Barberton gold operation, Metorex entered into forward gold sale contracts to provide security for the repayment of a six-year loan raised from a consortium of bankers.
The finalists of the 2004 Businesswoman of the Year Award were announced by the Businesswomen’s Association late on Wednesday night. This year’s candidates represent the hospitality, financial services, IT and advertising industries. The winner of the award will be announced on August 25.