THE Namibian government and the De Beers corporation are to set up a new company to mine diamonds offshore. The new company, De Beers Marine Namibia, would immediately acquire four South African ships, the government and De Beers said in a joint statement. The new company would be owned 70% by De Beers and 30% […]

THE Angolan parliament has overwhelmingly approved a general amnesty law embracing both the activities of the rebel UNITA movement and petty crime, official sources reported. The amnesty follows a declaration by Angolan leader President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos on November 10 of a nationwide pardon to mark 25 years of the country’s independence. The leaders […]

DUMISANE LUBISI, LUNGA MASUKU and KHANYISILE MAEPA, Mbabane | Thursday THE blockade of Swaziland’s international borders by pro-democracy and union activists this week has failed to disrupt the small kingdom’s economy or cross-border traffic. The protestors, from Swaziland, South African and Mozambique, have threatened to block all commercial traffic into landlocked Swaziland for three days […]

CHOLERA infections in an epidemic sweeping through eastern South Africa have topped the 6000 mark as authorities reported more rivers bearing the disease following heavy rains. The toll, in KwaZulu-Natal, hit 6078 this week, with 35 deaths. Rural communities not already infected are at risk because of their dependence on river water and poor sanitation. […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Thursday SOUTH Africa’s judiciary gets its first chance to address the constitutionality of hate speech in a case that went before the Johannesburg High Court this week. The Islamic Unity Convention (IUC) lodged an application with the court to set aside a decision by the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) after complaints […]

BELGIUM’S regional Flanders government has handed over a donation of R1m to former president Nelson Mandela to help South Africa’s Aids orphans. Mandela, in a statement, said the money would be used for Project Goelama (Tswana for nurturing and protecting the young), a Nelson Mandela Childrens’ Fund HIV/AIDS programme for orphans. The visiting Minister-President of […]

A FULL bench of the Cape High Court has reserved judgment in the application for amnesty launched this week by Clive Derby-Lewis and Janusz Walus, for the assassination seven years ago of South African Communist Party leader Chris Hani. Judge president John Hlophe said judgment would be given within the next couple of weeks. Earlier, […]

THE Kenyan parliament has approved a bill capping interest rates commercial banks can charge, which until this week were as high as 30%. Once signed into law by President Daniel arap Moi, the bill, tabled by opposition MP Joe Akech Donde, will cap interest rates at three points above that of the central bank’s 90-day […]

TWENTY-ONE embassies and the European Commission in Kenya have expressed concern over an increase in political violence in Kenya in recent weeks. In a statement released through the Canadian High Commission, the foreign envoys made reference to several incidents of violence at recent political rallies in various parts of the country. The disruptions came after […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Lobito | Thursday ANGOLA is to seek backers in Houston next week for its proposed $3.3bn oil refinery in the southern coastal town of Lobito, a senior state oil company official said. ”We have arranged a meeting with potential technical and financial partners for December 5 in Houston,” said Amadeu Correia de Azevedo, […]