There has been great change in Africa in the years since Nelson Mandela walked out of prison. Ever since 1999, the year he left office, we have seen considerable progress on a number of fronts: progress in peace and security, where the number of civil wars and inter-state conflicts continues to decline; in development, where we see a rise in direct investment, trade and aid.
The unusual sight of a minibus carrying 23 goats led to the arrest of three suspected stock thieves in KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday, police said. Spokesperson Captain Charmaine Streuwig said officers from the Ladysmith stock-theft unit were following up a lead on the theft of goats when they made the arrest.
The high court trial of two men accused of manufacturing and exporting components that may be used in the manufacturing of nuclear weapons has been delayed because of one of the accused’s poor health. Prosecutor Chris Macadam told Judge Joop Labuschagne that the state was ready to proceed with the trial.
Formula One’s governing body cast fresh doubt over McLaren’s title hopes on Tuesday by sending to appeal a controversial ruling in a ”spy saga” involving that team and Ferrari. Max Mosley, president of the International Automobile Federation, agreed in a letter to the head of the Italian Automobile Club’s motorsport commission that the matter should go to the Appeal Court.
Failure to ”saturate” a patient, causing another to suffer ”importance” by not referring him to a urologist, and a fractured ”fumer” are among the reasons given by Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang for public hospitals being sued for more than R26-million last year.
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has called off its planned strike at diamond producer De Beers after reaching an agreement on wages in negotiations on Tuesday afternoon. The union’s 3 350 members at De Beers’ six mines in South Africa were to have downed tools just hours later, from the start of the 9pm night shift.
Conservationists in Uganda have asked the government to intervene to prevent further killing of animals by herdsmen living in the country’s second-largest game park. The Basongora cattle herders are believed to have poisoned 80% of hyenas in the area and at least 15 lions.
Firefighters continued to battle dozens of fires on Tuesday in north-western Greece that have been raging for a ninth consecutive day as scorching temperatures hit the country. Meanwhile, Spain was on Tuesday sending more firefighters and helicopters to combat huge wildfires on the Canary Islands.
Malagasy authorities have destroyed 137 houses and expect to knock down more ahead of next month’s Indian Ocean Games, an official said on Tuesday. The structures were built illegally on land set aside for the August 9 to 19 competition, said Elyse Razafimahefa, a senior official in the capital, Antananarivo’s, city council.
Zimbabweans were reminded on Tuesday that there is only one certainty in their lives. Prices are running wild and there is nothing they can do about it. The latest bad news came from Mozambique, where an International Monetary Fund official projected the Southern African country’s year-on-year inflation could reach over 100Â 000% by year end.