South Africa recorded a trade deficit of R76,4-million for its trade with non-Southern African Customs Union trading partners in May from a surprise R3,121-billion deficit in April following a R2,085-billion surplus in March, according to the latest customs and excise figures released on Wednesday.
Talks between world number-five gold miner Harmony and the group’s unions, including the National Union of Mineworkers, regarding the closure of shafts has reached a deadlock, the NUM said in a statement on Wednesday. The parties have failed to make any significant progress since the agreement of a framework in May.
Twenty-seven people, including children, were injured on Wednesday in two explosions that rocked a city in eastern Afghanistan, officials said. The bombs hit shortly after 1pm local time in the eastern city of Jalalabad.”There were two explosions, both at security posts,” provincial military corps official Agha Jan said.
Heated debate erupted in Zimbabwe’s Parliament on Tuesday when the ruling party said opposition lawmakers should be probed for treason for allegedly working with Britain, the former colonial power. A ruling party lawmaker accused the Movement for Democratic Change of working ”in concert with foreign and dangerous powers — [including] Britain”.
The chairperson of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad) secretariat, Professor Wiseman Nkuhlu, and African-American celebrity Bill Cosby recently made statements that have serious implications for black people everywhere. Quite clearly, both statements are profound and contain an element of truth. However, no matter how well-intentioned, they repeat worrying accusations that have been directed at black people throughout history.
Canadian aluminium giant Alcan, which had been expected to announce its decision on the aluminium smelter project at Coega this month, said it would complete its review by the end of the year. Meanwhile it is continuing to examine the best value-creating alternatives the scheme offered.
Municipality workers, supported by tenants of flats owned by the North West Housing Corporation (NWHC), will strike on Wednesday to oppose the privatisation of services, the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) said on Tuesday. It was recently reported that the NWHC was to close because it was operating on a deficit of almost R1-million a month.
The JSE Securities Exchange South Africa was in positive territory in noon trade on Wednesday, propelled by a firmer close on Wall Street overnight and a slightly softer rand. However, volumes were very light as players took to the sidelines ahead of the US Federal Open Market Committee decision on interest rates due in the evening.
Standard Bank has introduced another first in South Africa, a prepaid foreign-exchange travel card known as TravelWallet. It has the advantage of allowing travellers to spend on their entire trip at the exchange rate at which they bought their foreign currency.
There can be no solution to the Middle East conflict without the involvement of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, President Thabo Mbeki said on Tuesday. Mbeki was speaking at the United Nations African Meeting in Support of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.
‘Peace and prosperity for both’