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/ 16 December 2004
The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is under pressure from its youth wing to rescind its decision to boycott Zimbabwe’s parliamentary elections scheduled for March next year. ”We will be giving the dictatorship a blank cheque to run Zimbabwe the way they like for the next five years,” said former student leader and MDC MP Job Sikhala.
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/ 15 December 2004
Shoddy service at the Yeoville police station in Johannesburg — experienced first-hand by a Gauteng provincial minister last month — is being attended to, the department of community safety heard on Wednesday. The minister had to intervene personally before a nine-year-old rape victim was helped, and her rapist arrested.
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/ 15 December 2004
The Sudanese government has agreed to stop a military offensive in Darfur province in a move that could prompt the two main rebel groups to end their boycott of African Union-sponsored peace talks, the chief AU mediator said on Wednesday. The rebel groups on Monday walked out of the latest bid in Abuja to resolve the Darfur conflict.
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/ 15 December 2004
Sales in Denmark of the anti-impotence drug Viagra and similar products are predicted to soar during the festive season, according to sex advisers and drug company spokespersons. In 2003, sales of such drugs increased 17% in December on the November figures, the group Danish Drug Information was quoted as saying in a newspaper.
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/ 15 December 2004
Mozambique’s ruling party and its presidential candidate, Armando Guebuza, have secured a landslide victory in polls to choose a successor to veteran leader Joaquim Chissano amid opposition outrage and demands for new elections. Opposition party Renamo and 20 smaller parties on Tuesday demanded fresh elections.
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/ 15 December 2004
New measures aimed at preventing the dumping of low-quality condoms in Uganda have resulted in shortages across the country. "After getting a batch of Engabu brand condoms recently with a bad smell, the process of allowing into the country consignments was lengthened," said Elizabeth Madra, National Aids Programme manager.
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/ 15 December 2004
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said it has been excluded from the investigation into the deaths of seven miners at the Hernic Ferrochrome mine at Brits on Tuesday. The company is unwilling to engage with the union on details of the disaster, NUM spokesperson Moferefere Lekorotsoana said in a statement on Wednesday.
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/ 15 December 2004
A large majority of European parliamentarians on Wednesday voted for Turkey’s entry into the European Union, setting the scene for the bloc’s expected decision on December 16 and 17 to fix a date for opening entry talks with Ankara. A total of 407 EU lawmakers voted in favour of Turkey’s membership of the union.
Turkey won’t join EU on conditions
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/ 15 December 2004
The government signed an aviation deal with European aircraft manufacturer Airbus in Pretoria on Wednesday, which could benefit the economy by between R6-billion and R15-billion. The deal, which sees local aviation companies become global partners in the building and design of the new A400M military aircraft, will also allow South Africa to purchase between eight and 14 craft at a later stage.