Fernando Joaquim points to corrugated iron shacks at the feet of one of Angola’s new neighbourhoods and despairs: ”Look at the misery that the government has forced on us!” Joaquim’s was one of nearly 400 families who were left destitute when their homes were demolished to make way for upmarket housing.
Western and emerging Asian powers so keen to diversify oil supply sources to feed growing needs have recast their attention to West Africa following the latest discovery of new potential reserves. British oil and gas company Tullow Oil last week annonced that it had discovered up to 600-million barrels of oil on the West Cape Three Points block off Ghana’s coast.
Four foreign hostages employed by oil services giant Schlumberger were released unharmed on Saturday after more than three weeks in captivity, security sources said. The men, from Britain, France, The Netherlands and Pakistan, were abducted on June 1 from the company’s residential compound in Nigeria’s oil capital Port Harcourt by kidnappers disguised as riot police.
Captain Richie McCaw and wing Joe Rokocoko scored late tries to snatch a 26-21 win for New Zealand over South Africa in their Tri-Nations match in Durban on Saturday. South Africa ruled the opening quarter by kicking much of their possession downfield and using their superior lineout to continue the attack..
Arsenal announced on Saturday they had reached an agreement with Barcelona for the transfer of France striker and club captain Thierry Henry. Barcelona vice-president Ferran Soriano said: ”We’re optimistic we’ll conclude the negotiations on Monday and we’ve told the player that too.”
Judgement has been reserved on a Treatment Action Campaign application for the reinstatement of 41 dismissed Khayelitsha health workers. Cape High Court’s Justice Siraj Desai said at the end of an afternoon of legal argument on Friday that he would give a ruling ”with or without reasons” at 10am on Tuesday.
The five cricket officials — including South Africa’s Rudi Koertzen — who caused the final overs of the Cricket World Cup final in Barbados to be played in near darkness have been banned from officiating in the World Twenty20 tournament in South Africa in September.
Barclays English Premiership club Tottenham Hotspur will have it all to play for when they take on Orlando Pirates and defending champions Kaizer Chiefs in the Vodacom Challenge to be held in South Africa, from July 21 to 28, says former Spurs goalkeeper Milija Aleksic.
The Wallabies have yet to find a replacement kicking coach with time running out before September’s Rugby World Cup in France. Coach John Connolly has been forced to operate this season without a kicking coach after Ben Perkins resigned in protest at a contract offered to him by the Australian Rugby Union.
The government of the Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe still has the support of the country’s people, the information minister said on Saturday, dismissing predictions by the United States ambassador to Harare that regime change is imminent.