James Hall The people of Galile, Swaziland, have a randy baboon problem, and political opportunists want to use this as a means to weaken a highly effective anti-poaching act. Galile residents say the baboons speak English, not SiSwati. ”Don’t you hear them at night, conspiring among themselves to go after what they want?” Heather Shongwe […]

Sechaba ka’Nkosi The SABC could be in for another restructuring drive following the appointment of The Star’s deputy editor Mathata Tsedu as the broadcaster’s deputy head of news this week. Tsedu was officially appointed to the position on Tuesday, and Robin Nicolson, was appointed chief financial officer. SABC insiders this week interpreted the appointment as […]

South Africa’s largest journalist union believes its members should not be forced to testify in court cases Pule waga Mabe The South African Union of Journalists (SAUJ) has slammed the South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) for signing a record of understanding with the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions and the ministers of safety and […]

By David McKay The appointment of mining entrepreneur Tokyo Sexwale to the board of Absa, South Africa’s third-largest bank, is another step in the former politician’s climb up the South African business ladder. It is further evidence of Absa’s resource-banking ambitions. The bank is reputed to be heavily under-lent by between R6-billion and R13-billion, and […]

Paul Kirk Following a Mail & Guardian expos of claims of cruelty, sadism and sexual assault at the Pretoria Police Dog School last week, one of the most senior female police officers in South Africa has been tasked with investigating allegations against the school. Until this week the investigation into brutality against female and black […]

THE South African bourse started weaker on Friday pressured by gold stocks on a retreating bullion price, but IT shares provided support, dealers said. By 0730 GMT, the benchmark all share index had lost 0.43% or 40.2 points to 9,411.9, weighed by the world’s largest gold miner AngloGold and parent company Anglo American. AngloGold fell […]

PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin said Russia had no plans to sell gold to raise funds to help victims of floods in Siberia’s Yakutiya region. Russian news agencies on Thursday quoted Putin as saying he intended to sign a decree on gold and diamond sales if a clear scheme was presented to him ”to help people now […]

A PYTHON swallowed a baby minutes after it was born near the central Zambian town of Serenje, state television reported. Heavily pregnant Joyce Mibenge was on her way to plough fields one mile from her home when she went into labor, ZNBC reported. Halfway home, she was overwhelmed by labour pains and retreated into a […]

AN orphan kidnapped in June 2000 by Angola’s main rebel group has escaped and managed to make his way to the town of Kuito, the aid agency that was caring for him said this week. ”We can confirm that the child has arrived in Kuito, but we have not yet had any contact with him,” […]