As pressure mounts in the United States for ethically produced chocolate, Cote d’Ivoire, the world’s top cocoa producer, is working hard to roll back the use of child labour in its family-owned plantations. Just days before the world’s chocolate industry outlines a global plan to combat child labour on July 1.
Lance Armstrong has shaken off a crash in his preparation for this Saturday’s first stage of the Tour de France, a 19km time trial, and appears ready for his bid to win a seventh consecutive yellow jersey on what will be his retirement race. His main rivals, however, have declared however that they don’t plan on giving him an easy time of it.
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The DA’s alternative ”People’s Assembly” held at Parliament on Monday appears to have highlighted growing resentment against the ANC in some sections of the coloured community. The DA, and most other opposition parties, boycotted the official 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Freedom Charter at Kliptown.
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Former head of the Special Investigation Unit, Judge Willem Heath announced that he will act as a legal advisor to former deputy president Jacob Zuma in his corruption trial. The former judge was previously tasked with investigating corruption into the government’s controversial R43-billion arms deal.
It has emerged that Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang held a private one-on-one meeting with controversial vitamin entrepreneur Mathias Rath earlier this year. In reply to a Democratic Alliance question in Parliament, Tshabalala-Msimang also refused to distance herself from Rath’s claims about his vitamins curing Aids.
The International Monetary Fund on Monday urged Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s authoritarian government to change policy tack and come in from the international cold to avert economic disaster. The IMF stressed that Zimbabwe needs ”decisive action” to lower its fiscal deficit, tighten monetary policy and set up a market-based currency system.
Thousands of workers protested against unemployment and poverty around South Africa on Monday in a nationwide strike that business says was poorly attended and unnecessary. The SA Chamber of Business said that only 10% of workers took part in the strike, which cost the economy an estimated R500-million.
After what was described as ”a cordial and constructive meeting” with the South African Rugby Union CEO, Springbok coach Jake White seemed set on Monday to stay on as coach for the foreseeable future. White had threatened to quit on the eve of the second French Test, protesting interference with his team selections.
Critics judge it boring, but some in the Middle East consider Get Out of Here, Curse You!, the latest novel by Saddam Hussein, dangerous. The former Iraqi dictator is behind bars and stripped of power but Jordan was anxious enough to ban his tale on Sunday, claiming it could damage regional relations.