Former Zimbabwe information minister Jonathan Moyo says claims by the opposition MDC that the ruling Zanu-PF rigged the elections are credible.
A Namibian opposition party said on Thursday it has asked a court to order a rerun of last year’s parliamentary elections, just one month after a ballot recount confirmed the victory of the ruling Swapo party. ”This time we have asked for new elections because we are dissatisfied with the results of the recount last month,” said Henk Mudge, president of the Republican Party.
About 2 500 pygmies emerged from their forest homes in northeast Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday to demand equal rights in the vast Central African nation. ”We also exist, the pygmies,” ”Justice, equality and rights for the pygmies in the DRC,” read signs carried by demonstrators.
The share price of gaming and hospitality group Peermont Global jumped 4,26% or 30 cents in early trade on Friday after the group revealed it had made it to the next stage in the process of selecting a successful candidate to introduce and operate the first casinos in Singapore.
South Africa’s March 2005 producer price index (PPI) is expected to rise to a 1,7% year-on-year (y/y) increase, from only 1,2% y/y in February. Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) will release the March producer price data at 11.30am on Thursday April 28. According to a survey of economists, the range is from 1,4% y/y to 2,5% y/y.
Insurgents in Iraq shot down a commercial helicopter chartered by the United States defence department on Thursday, killing all 11 people on board, including six American military contractors. A rocket-propelled grenade hit the Russian-built Mi-8 helicopter near the town of Tarmiya, 40km north of Baghdad, just before 2pm local time.
The official opposition Democratic Alliance on Friday threw its support behind "the pyjama protest" action taken by South African nurses over their uniform allowances. DA spokesperson Diane Kohler Barnard said that the allowances in all provinces are far too low to actually buy uniforms.
African and Asian leaders, representing two-thirds of the global population, met in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Friday to discuss ways of achieving ”a new world order”. The talks were part of the Asia-Africa Summit co-hosted by Indonesia and South Africa. In his address, Mbeki urged leaders to use the summit to build and strengthen cooperation.
The political temperature is rising in KwaZulu-Natal after the Inkatha Freedom Party withdrew from constitutional talks in the province, claiming that the African National Congress had reneged on its legal obligations. The withdrawal follows a rash of killings of IFP and ANC councillors, which some analysts link to the upcoming local government elections.
Chelsea played Arsenal on Wednesday and accepted the transfer of footballing power from last season’s champions. Unless they lose all their remaing matches, Chelsea look certain to become England’s top club. The west London Blues are also preparing to join Europe’s elite, with a semifinal of the European Champions League next week against Liverpool.