The key witness in the treason trial of Zimbabwe’s main opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, Thursday made an emotional plea to the judge to be dismissed from the case, saying he was being ”abused” by both state and defence lawyers.
Bridgette Radebe, a mining magnate and the wife of Minister of Public Enterprises Jeff Radebe, is embroiled in a mining rights dispute in Mmakau village in the North West province.
The JSE Securities Exchange South Africa drifted weaker at the start on Friday, taking its cue from world markets. Volumes remained subdued as belligerent comments by US President George Bush regarding Iraq saw many players take to the sidelines.
South African Reserve Bank governor Tito Mboweni said that the SARB’s inflation targeting policy was compatible with growth in his inaugural lecture as Extraordinary Professor at the University of Stellenbosch.
The president of Burundi has ordered private radio stations not to broadcast statements by opposition rebel groups, media reports said on Thursday.
The main rebel group in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is backed by Rwanda, rejoined a final plenary session of peace talks in Pretoria late on Thursday after walking out earlier in the day.
Justice minister Penuell Maduna distanced himself on Thursday from an attack on the region’s judiciary by a senior ANC MPL and pledged to protect the rights of South African judges to express their views.
President George Bush last night indicated that war was very close in an address to the American people on prime time television. In response to questions after a brief address he said that ”we are days away from resolving this issue at the security council”.
Two prisoners who died while being held for interrogation at the US military base in Afghanistan had apparently been beaten, according to a military pathologist’s report.
The international development secretary, Clare Short, has attacked African ministers for spending most of their time away from their homes attending conferences, and not focusing on problems in their own countries.