THE South African Revenue Service (SARS) and the country’s largest electronic goods retailer and furniture group, Profurn Ltd, have agreed that the group will pay R26m to settle a tax dispute. Profurn’s chief financial officer said the group had expected to pay ”much less”. The settlement arises from a meeting last year which SARS held […]

SOUTH Africa is starting to prepare for a 2002 flotation of a stake in domestic airliner South African Airways (SAA). Public Enterprises deputy director general Leslie Maasdorp said no decision had been taken on the size of the initial public offering and when in 2002 it would take place. Analysts reckon 20-30% will be floated, […]

MEDICAL Research Council president Malegapuru Makgoba has condemned what he called the exploitation of young Aids activist Nkosi Johnson in efforts to demonise President Thabo Mbeki. He said people chose to sow doubt on the government’s commitment to fighting HIV/Aids, and when Mbeki tried to clarify his position, they either did not want or chose […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Friday THE Jukskei River running through the Alexandra township in Johannesburg has tested positive for cholera, threatening the millions of people in townships next to the river who are dependent on it for their daily water. Water Affairs and Forestry Minister Ronnie Kasrils this week confirmed that the river tested positive. […]

A 41-year-old unemployed man who was caught having sex with his dog has appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court. The case against Petrus Moleta was postponed to next week for further investigation. He is to remain in custody until then. Moleta was arrested after passersby reported seeing a man having sex with a greyhound under […]

AN outbreak of lumpy skin disease (LSD) has killed 100 cattle in the past week in Malawi’s central district of Ntcheu, a veterinary official said. Bernett Lurwa said the cows had died of the acute viral disease, which swells knee joints and other parts of the infected beasts. Lurwa said the disease threatens 25_000 other […]

VILLAGERS in northeastern Algeria reported rocks and smoke spewing from craters in an area rocked by an earthquake two months ago, the official Algerian news agency APS reported. Local officials said the previously inactive craters erupted for more than four hours late Wednesday in Ras Aichet, near Djellal in the Khenchela region 500km southeast of […]

A Sudanese court has jailed an editor-in-chief until her newspaper publishes an apology for a ”defamatory” article alleging financial mismanagement in the courts, her newspaper, Al-Rai Al-Akher, reported on Thursday. The independent daily said Amal Abbas had been transferred to Omdurman prison for women, near Khartoum. The judiciary recently filed a lawsuit against the newspaper […]

LIBERIA has recalled its ambassador from Guinea, accusing its neighbour of backing rebel attacks on its territory during months of border fighting and mistreating its diplomats. A foreign ministry statement noted four recent rebel incursions into Liberia’s northern Lofa county. The statement also referred to the alleged rape of Liberian refugees in Guinea, the beating […]