Six foreign medics convicted of infecting hundreds of Libyan children with HIV have left Libya for Bulgaria aboard a French presidential jet, France said on Tuesday. Libya lifted death sentences against the medics last week and commuted them to terms of life imprisonment.
Wage negotiations in the gold sector of the Chamber of Mines resumed at a slow pace on Monday, trade union Solidarity said. Solidarity mining spokesperson Reint Dykema said the Chamber of Mines had increased its salary offer from 7% to a ”disappointing” 7,25%.
A decision to appoint a mediator to facilitate a resolution to the impasse between Vodacom and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) has been agreed to by both parties. The South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union has threatened to call for a boycott of Vodacom unless it extended organisational rights to the CWU.
The Johannesburg High Court has granted the African National Congress (ANC) leave to defend itself against efforts to force the party to return Brett Kebble’s donations. Trustees of the slain mining magnate’s estate have been trying to force the party to return R3,5-million as well as R875 000 given to the party’s Youth League.
Egyptian police opened fire on two Sudanese migrants trying to sneak across the border into Israel, injuring one, security sources said on Tuesday. A security source told Reuters the men, accompanied by traffickers smuggling them across the border, were trying to cross the border south of the Rafah crossing on Monday when they were spotted by border guards.
The United States on Monday signed an aid pact with Lesotho in which the impoverished African country would receive -million to stem poverty. United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Lesotho’s Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili witnessed the signing of the agreement.
The booming economy in South Africa has resulted in greater demand for products and workers from other African countries and added to the revenues already being enjoyed as a result of the high price of commodities. Ian Marsberg, senior economist at Absa, says in 1998 13,6% of South Africa’s merchandise exports went to the rest of Africa and this rose to 14,1% in 2005.
South Africa exports goods and services to about 53 African countries. Last year this amounted to R53,1billion. Steven Matthews, CEO of FNB International Banking, says the 2006 exports represent a 16% increase on the value of exports in 2005 (R45billion). “Zambia was the top African destination for our exports last year, up from third place the previous year," says Matthews.
South African companies have been accessing markets throughout the African continent since the country regained admission into the world trading community. While there have been some less than stellar ventures into Africa, most companies have developed successful African business models that allow them to expand into these new markets and deliver profits to their shareholders.
A Middle Eastern businessman spent over 000 in a five-hour, champagne- and vodka-fuelled spending spree in a London nightclub on the weekend. Fraser Donaldson, a representative of Crystal, a club favoured by Prince Harry, said in 20 years working in the industry it was the biggest bill he’d seen from one customer.