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 […]

CUMULATIVE infections of HIV/Aids skyrocketed between 1986 and June this year from four to 75 383 cases, says Namibian Health and Social Services Minister Libertine Amathila. Speaking at a three-day workshop on the impact of HIV/Aids on tertiary institutions in Namibia, Amathila said some of these people had died already, some were dying and others […]

LEGISLATORS have increased pressure on the head of the Nigerian lower house of parliament and his deputy to resign following their indictment by a corruption probe panel. Umar Ghali Na’Abba and his deputy, Chibudom Nwuche, should immediately step aside or resign their positions to allow an investigation into various allegations of corruption levelled at them, […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Bisho | Tuesday A DATE for South Africa’s much-postponed municipal elections could be announced by the end of the week after a committee reviewing the concerns of traditional leaders over new municipal boundaries finalised a report for President Thabo Mbeki. “We’re almost there,” said Provincial and Local Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi. The announcement […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Tuesday THE Truth and Reconciliation Commission has reserved judgment in a former military intelligence operative’s application for amnesty for planning the bomb attack which maimed Constitutional Court Judge Albie Sachs. Henri van der Westhuizen, 40, said that prior to the hearing he approached Sachs – who as an African National Congress […]