SPECIALIST banking group Investec has acquired Merrill Lynch South Africa’s private client operation in Cape Town. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Said CEO Stephen Koseff on Tuesday: “Investec has sought to offer its clients the best in products and services, including advice, structured lending, stock […]

AMINU ABUBAKAR, Kano | Tuesday LYING on a stretcher covered in his own excrement, a young man pleaded on Monday for help from exhausted hospital workers and volunteers, overwhelmed by a cholera outbreak here. The young mechanical apprentice, surrounded by hundreds of other cholera sufferers in Kano’s Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH), pleaded in vain. There […]

Rand detectives and crime prevention units have arrested 144 wanted suspects on a widespread raid that began at 10pm on Sunday night and ended at 6am on Monday morning. Superintendent Andy Pieke said those arrested in the swoop were suspected of crimes ranging from murder, attempted murder, rape, robbery to housebreaking. One suspect was arrested […]

AFRICAN National Congress MP Ruth Bhengu has called on government to introduce mandatory Aids tests to determine the true extent of HIV/Aids in the country, according to the Sunday Independent. Bhengu said laws should be passed to make testing mandatory. Consitutional provisions for the right to privacy — used by some not to take Aids […]

A leopard was injured after it was caught in a trap that was set by a farmer in Baviaanskloof in the Eastern Cape, SABC radio news reported on Friday. The farmer set a small gin trap to catch what he thought was a karakul which had been killing his livestock. The animal was not seriously […]

A SOWETO secondary school would be renamed after anti-apartheid activist Dr Beyers Naude on Tuesday, Gauteng education department said on Monday.Education MEC Ignatius Jacobs would rename Phuti Junior Secondary School in Dube Soweto as Dr Beyers Naude Secondary School. Representative Lebelo Maloka said that was in recognition and appreciation of the contribution and invaluable service […]

RICHARD THOMPSON, Johannesburg | Monday The decline in the value of the rand — combined with free trade agreements and increased competitiveness of sectors of local industry — offered a great opportunity for South African exports, the government’s trade promotion agency said on Monday. Portia Molefe, chief operating officer of Trade and Industry South Africa […]

Centurion | Tuesday SHORTLY before his death from cancer on Monday, Johannes (Joe) Modise, the country’s first post-apartheid defence minister received the Order of the Star of South Africa for meritorious service. President Thabo Mbeki and most members of his Cabinet travelled to Modise’s home in Centurion to bestow their ailing comrade with the award. […]

EMPLOYMENT and tourism are set to receive a major boost in Lesotho in June next year when a new state-of-the-art ski resort opens in the country’s Highlands. With the rand devaluing to record lows against the US dollar and the lack of skiing opportunities during the northern hemisphere summer, the resort expects an influx of […]

Pretoria | Monday THE government’s endeavour to stimulate SME (small and micro enterprise) development is not achieving the desired results, according to a Unisa study. SMEs are still constrained by various factors ranging from a lack of access to information, capital, training and other types of enterprise development resources and facilities to poor regulation and […]