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/ 29 October 2007

White and black in green

Sport in South Africa is not just about fun and games. It is, to misquote the great Liverpool manager Bill Shankly, "more important than that". Those who continue with their misguided view that religion is the opiate of the oppressed will have us believe that sport is to modern societies what religion was before the age of enlightenment.

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/ 29 October 2007

Cellphone operators plan $50bn investment in Africa

The cellphone industry plans to invest more than $50-billion in sub-Saharan Africa over the next five years to provide more than 90% of the population with coverage, the GSM Association announced on Monday. The investment will be used to extend the reach of GSM mobile networks and to provide a rich suite of mobile multimedia services, including internet access.

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/ 29 October 2007

ANC: Which ANC?

<a href="http://www.mg.co.za/specialreport.aspx?area=ancconference_home"><img src="http://www.mg.co.za/ContentImages/321750/Icon_ANCconference.gif" align=left border=0></a>The mood ahead of the African National Congress (ANC) national conference in December is similar to that in the winter of 2005 when the ANC membership surprised the leadership and hijacked the policy discussion forum. Now, as then, the leadership appeared incapacitated by internal wrangling.

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/ 29 October 2007

Last BA flight from a grounded economy

The last flight out taxied from the sparkling new Harare airport, lifted over the city and dipped its wings in farewell. With that, at 9am on Sunday, British Airways (BA) said goodbye to Zimbabwe. Though symbolic, it’s not the first time BA has been forced out of Zimbabwe in the 75 years since the first flying boats opened up the aerial link with Southern Africa.

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/ 29 October 2007

Merrill Lynch board weighs fate of CEO

As Merrill Lynch’s board deliberates the fate of chairperson and chief executive Stan O’Neal, a leading contender for the job on Sunday said he is not aware of being a candidate. Meanwhile, Merrill’s board has reached a broad consensus to remove O’Neal as chairperson and CEO, the New York Times reported on Sunday.

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/ 29 October 2007

Zimbabwean singer packs protest punch

Viomak’s velvety voice drifts through the air like a lullaby on a gentle breeze. But her protest songs pack a punch which could mean jail for anyone caught listening to them in her native Zimbabwe. The tunes bluntly demand an end to President Robert Mugabe’s rule and belong to Zimbabwe’s tradition of protest music that her fans say give hope and comfort.