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/ 26 January 2005
About 300 people took part on Wednesday in a second day of protest in Swaziland, heeding a call by trade unions pushing for democratic reforms in Africa’s last absolute monarchy. The protesters marched through the streets of Manzini, Swaziland’s economic capital, closely watched by the police, who surrounded the crowd.
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/ 26 January 2005
The Zimbabwean government has warned the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) not to undertake a mission to Zimbabwe on the same terms as its previous visit. At the end of last year, a Cosatu delegation was summarily ordered out of Zimbabwe. ”If they try to do what they did last time [at the end of last year], they should be prepared to face the consequences,” Minister of Home Affairs Kembo Mohadi said.
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/ 26 January 2005
In contrast to most other economists, Standard Bank expects the rand to firm to an average of R5,77 per dollar this year from R6,45 last year, according to Standard Bank group economist Goolam Ballim. The strong rand and strong consumer demand will put only minor pressure on the current account.
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/ 26 January 2005
A prolonged drought in Rwanda and Tanzania has significantly lowered water levels on Lake Victoria, affecting hydropower generation in Uganda, the Ugandan minister of energy said on Tuesday. As a result, Energy Minister Syda Bumba said, load shedding had been increased across the country.
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/ 26 January 2005
BMW has announced that Wolfgang Stadler will succeed Ian Robertson as managing director of BMW South Africa on February 1 2005. As reported late last year, Robertson will be leaving South Africa to assume the post of chairperson and CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, in Goodwood in the United Kingdom.
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/ 26 January 2005
China has ordered education authorities and schools across the country to ban beauty contests in schools, state media reported on Tuesday. "The ministry of education explicitly opposes holding beauty contests in primary and high schools," a ministry spokesperson was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.
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/ 26 January 2005
Just more than a month after an epic tsunami ravaged southern Asia, children and teachers in Indonesia’s worst-hit Aceh province on Wednesday made an emotional return to school, where thousands of desks of classmates and colleagues sat empty. "I don’t think he’s coming," whispered one boy when his best friend did not show up.
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/ 26 January 2005
The Cape High Court on Wednesday ruled in favour of environmental group Earthlife Africa when it set aside the Director General of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Dr Chippy Olver’s authorisation of construction of a pebble bed modular reactor.
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/ 26 January 2005
South Africa’s official opposition has welcomed the step taken by one of its backbench MPs, Craig Morkel, in taking voluntary suspension. ”[Morkel’s] attorneys were informed yesterday [Tuesday] that he is among the 40 MPs the Scorpions intend to prosecute,” Democratic Alliance chief whip Douglas Gibson said.
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/ 26 January 2005
A Swedish man suffering from claustrophobia has been allowed to avoid jail time for perjury, prompting media speculation that his illness convinced the government to give him a pardon. The government refused to give a reason for pardoning Thomas Lundberg, who had been sentenced last year to four months behind bars for perjury.