South African Trade Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa says nearly 290 000 pirated DVDs were seized by the South African Police Service and customs officials between January and July this year. "This figure is double the number seized in 2003," he added. .
The wage offer made by world number one platinum miner Anglo Platinum to the National Union of Mineworkers last week was final and the group called on the union to reconsider its stance regarding its strike, AngloPlat spokesperson Mike Mtataki said on Monday.
South African new vehicle sales in September 2004 increased by 22,7% year-on-year (y/y), or 7 971 units, to 43 145 units after rising in August 2004 by 18,8% y/y and in July 2004 by 15% y/y, figures released by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa on Monday showed.
The cross examination of former SA Airways (SAA) chief executive Andre Viljoen in a competition tribunal hearing was postponed on Monday in Pretoria when he failed to appear. Competition Tribunal chairperson David Lewis was informed by SAA’s advocate, advocate Rafik Bhana, that he was ”stucked” in Mozambique.
South African Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has confirmed that he will be consulted before quotas for professional categories and occupational classes of immigrants are set in terms of the Immigration Act. "Regarding criteria for the attraction of skilled immigrants, the Immigration Act uses quotas that are now to be prescribed according to specific professional categories and occupational classes," the minister said.
Authorities in Greece are laying on bus trips to countries that might solve the plight of lovelorn farmers desperate for wives. The startling shortage of available females in the country’s remote rural areas has spurred the ”love tours” by men who once mocked the likes of Shirley Valentine.
The United Nations organisers of Afghanistan’s first democratic presidential election admitted at the weekend that they expect next Saturday’s polling to be be marred by fraud, intimidation and violence. David Avery, chief of operations for the joint electoral management body, predicted that with more than 100Â 000 staff who had not seen an election before, it ”will not look pretty”.
Foreign interest in South Africa’s plans to develop a small, safe, clean and cheap nuclear pebble bed modular reactor (PBMR) is high, says Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin. ”There are constant requests for information from different governments, utilities and research institutions on the PBMR technology,” he said in a written reply, tabled on Monday, to a parliamentary question.
Sudanese President Omer Hassan al-Bashir has opposed calls by United Nations personnel to grant autonomy to the war-torn Darfur region. "I will "strongly oppose any idea by outsiders at implementing the self-rule model in Darfur," al-Bashir warned in a meeting organised by the Sudanese Women General Union on Sunday.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?cg=BreakingNews-Africa&ao=123017">PAP to send mission to Darfur</a>
A former in-house Enron accountant who signed off on a year-end 1999 alleged sham sale of several barges to Merrill Lynch told prosecutors he thought the deal was wrong from the beginning. Now he awaits questioning from the lawyer representing his former boss, Sheila Kahanek, who is one of six defendants on trial for fraud and conspiracy stemming from the deal.