OWN CORRESPONDENT and AFP, Cape Town | Wednesday SOUTH African Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has provided the government’s clearest statement yet on its policy on anti-retroviral drugs during a fiery debate in parliament, saying it “simply cannot afford” the drugs. Government has in the past it has cited toxicity and possible long-term side effects as […]

THE Nigerian government expects an inflow of foreign investment of over $100bn over the next 12 months, says President Olusegun Obasanjo’s office. Since Nigeria returned to civilian rule last year, more than $20bn has been invested in the oil and gas sector, and it is expected that foreign direct investment in the next 12 months […]

THE owner of a Pretoria demolition company is to appear in court in connection with a massive blast at a Villieria house that left three people – including his wife – dead and eight injured. The man is the owner of the house where a stockpile of commercial explosives detonated at about 11.30am on Tuesday. […]

A TROUBLED east African regional airline, Alliance Air, has suspended its operations pending a shareholders meeting. Alliance Air, a joint venturen between Uganda, Tanzania and South African Airways, has in the recent past accumulated a $50m debt. It was established in 1994 under the African Joint Air Services (AJAS) agreement signed in Dar es Salaam. […]

POLICE are continuing their search for a group of Northern Province army commando members who allegedly forced a teenager they suspected of housebreaking, to eat his own faeces. The group are said to be known to the police, and is believed to include a senior policeman. Police said they allegedly apprehended the youth, 17, while […]

THIRTEEN amateur diamond prospectors have been killed in a landslide in northeastern Angola, state radio reported. Four other diamond-seekers were seriously injured in the tragedy, which occurred at a mine in Chassuala, near the city of Saurimo. Police managed to pull the four out of the debris from the landslide. The government recently launched a […]

SIX of 14 Chachma baboons saved from being used in French nuclear weapon testing have been released into new enclosures with natural vegetation. Karen Pilling, a representative for the Centre for Animal Rehabilitation and Education (Care), said the baboons were doing well and were being fed better. Care forcibly removed the emaciated baboons with police […]

ZENZELE KUHLASE, Nelspruit | Wednesday THREE former Security Force members who operated under notorious Vlakplaas commander Eugene de Kock have applied for amnesty for several crimes, including burning houses in search of alleged activists. Police officers Izak Bosch and Willie Nortjie and former soldier Eugene Fourie applied for amnesty for political crimes committed between 1986 […]

STELLA MAPENZAUSWA and OWN CORRESPONDENT, Harare | Wednesday ZIMBABWE President Robert Mugabe has been slammed by Britain and opposition party leaders for granting a blanket amnesty to anyone guilty of crimes in the run-up to the country’s elections earlier this year. Speaking after being questioned and released by police for allegedly treasonous statements, Movement for […]

A MALAWI newspaper editor has been demoted for not using a story about President Bakili Muluzi opening a plastic factory as his newspaper’s front page lead. The editor used a story headlined ”Malawi Police to Serve in Kosovo” as its main article instead of an account of Muluzi’s visit to the plastic factory. The Media […]