Sixty-seven of the 70 suspected mercenaries allegedly involved in plotting a coup in oil-rich Equatorial Guinea pleaded guilty to some of the charges on Tuesday in Harare, Zimbabwe, and the judge accepted their plea. They pleaded guilty to violating immigration and aviation laws.
SA, E Guinea agree on fair trial
A San Bushman who defied a state order to move out of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve told the Botswana High Court on Tuesday that the land had been given to him by God. The court is hearing a case brought by 243 San Bushmen challenging their relocation from the game reserve.
Every morning, residents of Malawi’s sprawling commercial hub, Blantyre, wake up to deafening noises as hundreds of thousands of people pour into the city to try to make a living. According to a new study, Malawi has emerged as the fastest-urbanising country in the world with an urban population growth of 6,3%.
Zimbabwe’s central bank announced on Tuesday a new measure to attract much-needed foreign investment: a guarantee to pay back the entire capital within three months if investors decide to leave. ”We have opened this limited window to new foreign direct investors,” Central Bank Governor Gideon Gono said.
The CEO of world number-one platinum miner Anglo Platinum (AngloPlat), Ralph Havenstein, on Tuesday warned that the strength of the rand, at about R6 to the dollar, is threatening AngloPlat’s expansion plans and jobs. AngloPlat is currently in the process of expanding its platinum output to meet the strong global demand for the metal.
The former main rebel group in Burundi said on Tuesday it will resume participation in the transitional government of the central African country, after suspending its membership early in May. The Forces for the Defence of Democracy said the move comes because progress has been made towards peace.
About 2 000 firefighters, soldiers and volunteers were on Tuesday battling nearly 30 wildfires around Portugal, where most of the blazes remained out of control, firefighters said. Winds and rising temperatures revived flames in the mountainous Arrabida region south of Lisbon.
Although the economic powerhouse of Gauteng has only 1,4% of South Africa’s land area of 1,219-million square kilometres, it has 24% of the population aged between 25 and 59 years, Statistics South Africa said on Tuesday. It also announced that the life expectancy at birth in South Africa is forecast to be only 50,7 years next year.
As complaints against the state-owned broadcast signal distributor Sentech gathered steam this week, the company has announced some measures that it hopes will improve the service on its MyWireless product range. The MyWireless — described as high-speed broadband wireless services — roll-out got under way in January, but since then the distributor has come under fire because of the service’s speed and tariffs.
Doctors will continue negotiating with the Department of Health in a bid to resolve differences over doctors requiring licences to dispense medicine. The South African Medical Association (Sama) is currently in communication with the department and has received a ”positive response”, Sama chairperson Kgosi Letlape said on Tuesday.