South Africa’s largest retail bank, Absa, on Monday announced a new fee structure that will offer its more than 7-million customers greater levels of choice and value for money in their banking activities. The new fee structure is effective from April 1 2006.
Will our grandchildren spend their vacations on the moon, or their honeymoons in a hotel orbiting Mars? A few dreamers at the International Tourism Fair say space tours for average travellers could come sooner than we think. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are rumored to have booked tickets on Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic Spaceship, which is due for lift-off in 2010.
The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has asked the Cape High Court to dismiss with costs an application forcing the government to spell out what it intends doing about prison overcrowding. A prisoner and an NGO want the court to rule that prison overcrowding is unlawful and a violation of constitutional rights.
African Diamonds on Monday announced further results from its joint venture with De Beers at the AK6 diamond discovery in the Orapa province in Botswana. From the LDD016 drill-hole a total of 2 258 diamonds weighing 122,1-carats were recovered from 316-tonnes from one 23-inch large-diamond drill hole.
United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan arrived in South Africa on Monday morning for a three-day visit that will include talks with President Thabo Mbeki on the global body’s reform. Annan’s visit is his first official one to South Africa since assuming leadership of the UN in 1997, the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
South Africa will increase petrochemical imports as well as non-oil products from Saudi Arabia, the two countries said on Sunday following a bilateral meeting in Riyadh. The South African delegation said the country would ”substantially” increase its exports of products including those related to mining and capital equipment, financial services, agricultural products and automotive components.
The Dolphins took a massive 19,86 points from their Supersport Series cricket match against the Warriors with an innings and 29-run win on the fourth day of the game in East London on Sunday. The Eagles kept their hopes alive of reaching the series final when they beat the Lions by 129 runs in Bloemfontein.
Taliban rebels determined to keep southern Afghanistan in chaos have teamed up with drug barons against the government and its opium eradication campaign launched last week. The campaign to destroy opium poppy fields kicked off on March 8 in southern Helmand, the producer of most of Afghanistan’s opium crop — which makes up nearly 90% of the world total.
Economists have warned that the economy will suffer because of the Transnet strike and intermittent power outages in major cities, media reports said on Monday. These factors would keep the country’s growth rate for the first quarter below 3%, economists said at the weekend.
A 10-man PJ Stars shocked Jomo Cosmos when they beat the Premier Soccer League (PSL) team 3-2 on penalties in their Absa Cup soccer match played at the Orlando Stadium on Sunday. In other matches, Moroka Swallows beat Dynamos 2-1, and Witbank Spurs put out PSL team Bush Bucks 1-0.