There were great benefits to be had for African countries that opened up their economies for more trade among themselves, Trade and Industry Minister Alec Erwin said on Tuesday. He said for Africa’s economy to improve, countries had to start producing more goods and trading these within the continent.
The growing popularity of camera handphones will be the major driver behind the resurgence of the global mobile phone sector, Japanese-Swedish joint venture Sony Ericsson said on Tuesday. ”Consumers are flocking to purchase new phones. This is the beginning of a new replacement cycle,” a company vice-president said.
<img src="http://www.mg.co.za/ContentImages/41909/10-X-Logo.gif" align=left>The African National Congress in KwaZulu-Natal is to lay charges of intimidation against the Inkatha Freedom Party and complain to the Independent Electoral Commission following two alleged incidents in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands on Tuesday.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3_fl2.asp?o=40922">Special Report: Elections 2004</a>
The Democratic Alliance has criticised apparent government plans to do away with visa requirements for about 2,9-billion people, mainly from poorer countries around the world. ”This opens up the serious prospect of millions of people flooding into South Africa to compete for jobs and social grants,” the DA said.
Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa has had an uneasy relationship with civil society from the beginning of his term in office. However, matters worsened recently when he accused Aids activists of monopolising the funds provided by donors to fight the pandemic.
The mystery aircraft impounded at Harare’s airport left South African air space illegally, en route for Burundi, aviation sources said on Tuesday. The aircraft, a Boeing 727-100 that once belonged to the United States Air Force, was scheduled to fly from Wonderboom airport outside Pretoria to Polokwane International airport and from there to Bujumbura, in Burundi.
Mercenaries on a mission
The mystery surrounding the ownership of a Boeing 717-100 cargo plane impounded at Harare’s airport deepened on Tuesday with various reports citing different sources contradicting each other. There are allegations that South Africans were among the 64 men on board.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/pd.asp?ao=32393">Mystery plane ‘left SA illegally'</a>
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/pd.asp?ao=32381">Mercenaries on a mission</a>
Kagiso Trust is to acquire a 27% stakeholding in Bytes Technology Group’s (BTG) South African operations, it was announced on Tuesday. BTG said it had for some time stated its intention to introduce a black economic empowerment partner and had held discussions with various partners.
The United States military is about to add a new weapon to its already impressive arsenal in Iraq. But in contrast to other armaments, this one does not shoot or explode. It screams and hollers. The weapon can deliver a shrill 145-decibel tone over a distance of more than 300 metres, causing splitting headaches, pain, panic and, in some cases, even hearing loss.
South African Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel says the challenge nations face today is to translate the potential benefits of globalisation into real gains for the poorest in the world. On Monday, Manuel delivered the Oxford University Inaugural Global Economic Governance Lecture in the United Kingdom.