No image available
/ 6 September 2007
A dissident Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) general called for African mediation to broker a ceasefire in eastern DRC as fighting between his forces and government troops neared the provincial capital on Thursday. New clashes broke out before dawn around Karuba, a village about 30km west of Goma, the capital of troubled North Kivu province.
No image available
/ 6 September 2007
Zimbabwe Finance Minister Samuel Mumbengegwi on Thursday massively devalued the local dollar in a bid to attract scarce foreign currency to the official market. In a supplementary budget speech broadcast live on state radio, Mumbengegwi said the Zimbabwe dollar would now trade at 30Â 000 to the United States dollar, down from 250.
No image available
/ 6 September 2007
Preparation for the 2010 soccer World Cup in South Africa has entered its ”operational phase”, chief executive officer of the local organising committee Danny Jordaan said on Thursday. ”The 1 000-days countdown signals to us now the beginning of the operational phase”, he told a press conference ahead.
No image available
/ 6 September 2007
Sudan and Darfur rebels will hold talks on October 27 in Libya to push for peace ahead of the expected deployment of a 26 000-strong peace force in Darfur, a United Nations-Sudanese government statement said on Thursday. The statement said the UN ”expresses the hope that parties will cooperate fully” with UN and African Union mediators.
No image available
/ 6 September 2007
The African National Congress Youth League has vowed to stick by Jacob Zuma as its candidate for president of the country, even if new criminal charges were brought against him. ”He is innocent until proven guilty … until such time we will continue to support the deputy president,” league president Fikile Mbalula said on Thursday.
No image available
/ 6 September 2007
Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Mike Waters has been suspended from Parliament following his outburst in the National Assembly on Wednesday. At the start of proceedings in the House on Thursday afternoon, speaker Baleka Mbete described his conduct of the day before as ”outrageous, disrespectful and grossly disorderly”.
No image available
/ 6 September 2007
Former leader of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Juan Uys has thrown his weight behind the newly created National People’s Party (NPP). He said on Thursday that he had also taken up a post as personal assistant to controversial Cape Town city councillor Badhi Chaaban. He said that the NPP appointed him as its media liaison officer this week.
No image available
/ 6 September 2007
South Africa’s automobile industry was a leader in the government’s radical expansion of the manufacturing sector, President Thabo Mbeki said on Wednesday in stressing that it be encouraged and supported. It was self-evident that the automobile sector would play a significant role in ensuring the country achieved the higher rates of economic growth it needed.
No image available
/ 6 September 2007
Finance Minister Trevor Manuel told Parliament on Thursday that total spending by all three spheres of government in the financial year to March was R5,3-billion rand less than had been appropriated. Much of the underspending was blamed on lack of capacity.
No image available
/ 6 September 2007
After years of waiting, thousands of people who lodged a claim to have their land at Wallmansthal, north of Pretoria, returned to them will on Saturday receive the deeds of their stands. The land set to be restored measures 4 186ha. Approximately 4 270 people will benefit from the settlement, the Land Claims Commission said on Thursday.