KENYANS have celebrated 22 years of President Daniel arap Moi’s rule with a close eye on the country’s worst economic crisis since independence from Britain in 1963. ”The new century has not brought the blessings that Kenyans had expected,” the 76-year-old president said at celebrations to mark Moi Day, a public holiday dedicated to the […]

ANGLO-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto Plc/Ltd says it will not try to match De Beers’ A$745m bid for diamond group Ashton Mining Ltd. ”Rio Tinto notes that the De Beers offer remains conditional on a number of matters, including Foreign Investment Review Board approval, and thus intends to leave its current offer of A$1.85 and/or […]

THE South African Chamber of Business (Sacob)’s business confidence index (BCI) edged up to 101.3 in September from 100.1 in August, but the overall mood remains wary. ”Although more stable than for a long time, there seems to be a cautionary element preventing the BCI from moving forward progressively,” Sacob said. Factors which negatively influenced […]

SOUTH Africa’s manufacturing output rose by a seasonally adjusted 1.1% in August, versus a fall of 4.0% in July, Statistics South Africa reported. On an unadjusted basis, output climbed by 4.1% in the year to August, it added. In the three months to August, the rate climbed by 2.6% versus the previous quarter, with output […]

THE Volta Aluminium Company (Valco) in Ghana is ready to buy substantial quantities of gas from the West African Gas Pipeline project once it is completed, a source at Valco said. Valco’s interest will be a boost to the stakeholders in the $400m project, who are due to take a decision by the end of […]

MANOAH ESIPISU AND OWN CORRESPONDENT, Lusaka | Wednesday ZAMBIA has launched a concerted effort to reassure mine investors nervous about the growth of conflicts in the region fuelled by mineral wealth. Vice-President Christon Tembo told delegates at a mining conference that despite a huge natural heritage, Africa attracted limited direct foreign investment as it was […]

MARIAM ISA AND OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Tuesday SOUTH African banks are unlikely to be badly hit by the impending collapse of LeisureNet, the country’s biggest health club operator, but a Cape Town black empowerment company has shed 44% of its share price after five directors resigned. The share price of Sekunjalo Investments dropped 8c […]

A CONVICTED rapist who rejected a legal aid defence to represent him before a judge, saying the counsel was not present when the rape happened, has been jailed for life for raping a 10-year-old girl last year. Justice R Smit said court records showed Harry Ngcobo, 38, of Barberton lured the girl into his house […]

BRYAN PEARSON, Port Elizabeth | Tuesday SOUTH African President Thabo Mbeki’s refusal to provide anti-retroviral drugs to pregnant women is tantamount to sanctioning genocide of babies, an exasperated public health doctor has claimed. The view is growing, Costa Gazi said, that Mbeki and his government would rather babies of HIV-positive mothers are born infected with […]

THE public works ministry has drafted a policy document for the Cabinet promoting the sale or co-use of military bases around the country starting from next year, Business Report said. Gugu Mazibuko, the chief director of state property holdings, said it was unclear how many bases would be sold or co-used, but the government could […]