OWN CORRESPONDENT, Pretoria | Tuesday A FORMER British spy is refusing to come to South Africa to give evidence in the trial of apartheid chemical warfare expert Dr Wouter Basson because he fears the security forces and intelligence community may threaten his life. Senior state advocate Anton Ackermann told the Pretoria High Court that he […]

BRIAN LIGOMEKA, Blantyre | Tuesday THE Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has launched a probe into Malawi’s finance ministry following indications that the country sold 5000 metric tonnes of donated rice to a private export company. JICA resident representative in Malawi, Hiroshi Murakami, said he had formally asked Malawi’s government to explain why food earmarked […]

MALAWI has implemented a home-care system for tuberculosis (TB) patients in an attempt to free up hospital beds for non-HIV/Aids patients. The new programme will see all non-critical TB patients sent home for care by relatives, visiting nurses and doctors who have been trained to treat opportunistic diseases, such as TB, that target HIV/Aids sufferers. […]

CRAIG BISHOP, Durban | Tuesday THE 23 giraffe and three white rhinos which spent the past 40 days at sea after being turned away by foot-and-mouth fearing Spaniards will be back in the bush this week. The animals arrived at Durban harbour on Monday and immediately left for Brits in North West Province under orders […]

AT least 13 people being held in a police station in western Congo died of asphyxiation at the weekend because of extreme heat. Police said 13 people had died of asphyxiation at a police station in the southern oil city Pointe-Noire on Sunday, while a Congolese human rights association said 15 lives were lost. – […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Libreville | Tuesday FRANCE’S Cooperation Minister Charles Josselin has warned African countries that they risk falling out of the loop of international trade and investment, calling for rapid democratisation to retain a share of foreign markets. “The difficulties that some countries are having in building legal and tax mechanisms likely to secure investment […]

DESPITE charging only R20 a month for school fees, Sundra High School near Secunda has managed establish a computer centre with 13 computers and a tuck-shop run by parents in just three years. This is due, says Mpumalanga education MEC Craig Padayachee, to the leadership of principal Sylvia Nomvula Motloung, who is the first black […]

KWAZULU-Natal’s stricken farmers are waiting with “bated breath” for the government’s response to their financial predicament as the province’s multi-billion rand agricultural industry faces ruin following the extension of the foot-and-mouth disease zone. Pork, beef and diary farmers in the 20 000 square kilometre zone have been locked in meetings with government officials to try […]

CAPE Town hockey player Graeme Eadie has been found guilty of murder after he beat to death motorist Kevin Duncan in a fit of road rage. Eadie, 35, the father of two young children, was also found guilty of an attempt to defeat the ends of justice. His hearing followed an attack on the Kommetjie […]

UNITED Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa was forced to go door-to-door with his election message in rural Nelspruit at the weekend because of the poor turnout at two planned rallies. A UDM ward candidate blamed the poor turnout on African National Congress supporters whom, he claimed, intimidated UDM supporters. Holomisa heard residents’ complaints that low-cost […]