THE Ghanaian government has announced its intention to almost double the price of petrol in stages, from Cedi 6 400 (91 US cents) to 12 000 ($1.71). The increase will be made periodically to make its effect bearable to Ghanaians, says Owusu Agyapong, Minister of Transport and Communications. The minister said the increase would not […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Wednesday PRESENTING the 2001/02 Budget in Parliament, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said taxpayers would begin to taste the fruit of sacrifices, as the government shifted its focus to encourage growth and investment. “This Budget tells the story of the choices and decisions we have made and which have advanced the […]

THE University of Malawi has launched an investigation into how 500 students at its agricultural college were fed meat contaminated with Bovine Tuberculosis (TB). Agricultural college principal Kanyama Phiri said the students were fed infected meat after a regular meat supplier sold the university nine cattle carcasses last week. Internal testing by the college had, […]

LESOTHOS tribal chiefs have warned the country’s senate that their subjects might take up arms to stop gangs from Kwazulu-Natal crossing their border and stealing cattle. Chief Mathealira Seeiso called on the senate to declare a state of emergency in Mokhotlong because, they said, the situation was so dire that fighting might break out in […]

MILITARY police at Uganda’s main airport violently arrested a parliamentarian working with the election campaign of a main rival to President Yoweri Museveni. Witnesses said after security officials failed to pursuade the MP, Major Okwir Rabwoni, to accompany them to the offices of the head of military intelligence – who happens to be Rabwoni’s brother […]

SOUTH African Finance Minister Trevor Manuel is likely to announce further tax cuts, increased government spending and new employment subsidies to get the economy on a strong growth path when he presents the budget midweek, predict economists. The Bureau for Economic Research said the country’s deficit has been brought under control to the point where […]

BRIAN LIGOMEKA, Blantyre | Wednesday MILLIONAIRE Malawi politician James Makhumula has quit the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) and launched a scathing attack on corrupt and inefficient former colleagues, including President Bakili Muluzi. The outspoken parliamentarian, who once served as the UDF’s treasurer general and helped fund its early election campaigns, accused President Muluzi of […]

EIGHTEEN more people have died in a meningitis epidemic in the north of Benin. Officials said the deaths, in the Atacora region 570km northwest of the capital Cotonou, took the total number of known fatalities in the outbreak to 36. Officials in the west African state said medical teams had been dispatched to the affected […]

POLICE in Tanzania have arrested two people in connection with a laboratory allegedly producing mandrax and heroin in a beachside house on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam. The police found processed tablets, a weighing scale, 18 types of raw materials such as starch, galalin and lactone, packed in polythene bags and in large paper […]