A motorist’s trip to the filling station is likely to be a complex business soon if the green marketing promises at the Geneva Motor Show, which opens on Thursday, are anything to go by. Petrol, diesel and its bio versions; ethanol, either pure or in differing blends with petrol; possibly liquid hydrogen; and an electric socket are all candidate fuel sources.
A proposed fuel levy in the Western Cape of 10 cents a litre will not have the Inkatha Freedom Party’s (IFP) support, unless there is clarity on where the money will go, party spokesperson Eric Lucas said on Wednesday. ”For the IFP there are a lot of questions surrounding this proposed fuel increase,” he said.
At least two people will share a -million (R2,7-billion) lottery jackpot in the United States, officials said on Wednesday after the record prize drew in millions of players across the country. ”Right now we know there are two winning tickets: one in the state of New Jersey, one in the state of Georgia,” an Ohio Lottery Commission spokesperson said.
A Potchefstroom councillor has opened a case of harassment after receiving a barrage of insulting and derogatory text messages following a radio interview on renaming the city. Police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Piet Du Plessis on Wednesday confirmed that a case of harassment had been opened by African National Congress councillor Ina Stoltz.
Investigators are looking at a host of factors that could have led to Tuesday’s bus-train collision in Zimbabwe that killed 35 people. The bus had been speeding, carrying double its passenger capacity, and the driver was underage.
The government’s proposed elephant-management regulations could hobble South Africa’s ”notorious” elephant-back tourism industry, the International Fund for Animal Welfare said on Wednesday. The draft rules propose stopping the capture from the wild of anything other than genuine orphan elephant calves.
The British Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday it would investigate claims of racist behaviour towards black Commonwealth soldiers serving in the British Army. The move comes as Belize-born Marlon Clancy announced he was setting up an independent union for 6 000 Commonwealth soldiers in the army to help them deal with racism.
Investment management firm Allan Gray has sold off just under 19% of its shareholding in a black economic empowerment (BEE) deal, the company announced on Wednesday. It also said the firm’s founder, Allan Gray, had donated R1,1-billion from the sale to support initiatives that include comprehensive funding for university students wanting to become entrepreneurs.
Fifty out of 85 construction employers were found to be violating workplace safety regulations during an on-site crackdown by labour inspectors in the Eastern Cape, the Labour Department said on Wednesday. Department spokesperson Zolisa Sigabi said seven construction sites had been shut down and an additional 48 contravention notices were served.
Gold production in South Africa slumped by 7,5% last year, hitting its lowest level since 1922, according to figures released by the Chamber of Mines on Wednesday. Total production in 2006 was put at 275Â 119kg, the lowest level since a strike 84 years ago reduced production to 218Â 031kg, the chamber said in a statement.