SOUTH African financial services group Alexander Forbes unveiled strong interim earnings growth this week and said it planned further overseas acquisitions, providing scope for a near-term rise in its share. The financial risk services company, which gets half of its revenue from abroad, reported a 33% increase in headline earnings to 68.5 cents a share […]

THE government of Democratic Congo has decided to defer the introduction of new rules requiring certain government fees and taxes to be paid in foreign currency, state radio reported this week. The new regulations, covering import taxes amongst other payments, had threatened to paralyse the Congolese economy and had sent the black market rate for […]

A MALARIA epidemic in Burundi has killed over 500 people and infected nearly half the country’s six million strong population so far this year, the health minister said. ”I must say this is the biggest epidemic we have ever had, first because of the number of cases and also because of the number of provinces […]

NIGERIA Airways will resume commercial flights to the United States this month following the resolution of a dispute between it and South African Airways. The service, which will relaunch direct flights between Nigeria and the United States after a six-year break, was initially billed to start in October. But the Nigerian carrier said a disagreement […]

BUCHIZYA MSETEKA, Johannesburg | Tuesday A SENIOR defence analyst has warned that initiatives by South African President Thabo Mbeki and leaders from six other African states to end the civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo are doomed until all rebel groups are consulted. Mbeki, Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano, Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, Uganda’s Yoweri […]

THE trial of four Muslim vigilantes for the murder of local gang leader Rashaad Staggie four years ago has been postponed to allow arguments for a further delay. People Against Gangsterism and Drugs (PAGAD) head Abdus-Salaam Ebrahim, his security chief Salie Abader and two other members have been charged with the murder in August 1996 […]

STEVEN SWINDELLS, Johannesburg | Tuesday SOUTH African regulators have started laying the groundwork for a massive multi-agency probe into the country’s controversial multi-billion rand arms deal with European defence contractors. The investigation aims to get to the bottom of allegations of corruption involving government officials, which could turn out to be the most serious cases […]

ZAMBIAN copper production fell sharply during the first seven months of 2000 due to delays in the arrival of spare parts and equipment for the main mines, the Treasury said this week. Finished copper production fell to 137 554 tonnes in the January-July 2000 period against 167 185 in 1999. In the first eight months […]

SIX men kidnapped two Libyan diplomats in Pretoria at the weekend and demanded a R50 000 ransom, but police arrested all six and the hostages were released unharmed, SABC radio reported. The arrests came after a meeting was arranged to exchange the diplomats for cash, it said, adding that the police also seized four firearms […]