Charlotte Denny Aid agency Oxfam has described the debt- relief package which the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) are offering Zambia as a “fraud”. Confidential papers from the IMF obtained by Oxfam show that Zambia’s interest payments are set to rise from $136-million (about R952-million) in 1999 to $235-million (about R1E645-million) in 2002, […]
Gilingwe Mayende crossfire The article by Prof Ben Cousins last week (“Didiza’s recipe for disaster”), attacking Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs Thoko Didiza on a range of issues, cannot go unchallenged. Cousins essentially argues that Didiza is undoing a lot of good achieved in the Department of Land Affairs during the tenure of her […]
Iden Wetherell South Africa is being asked to firm up its support for Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s beleaguered regime by putting in place credit lines and trade incentives to help revive its northern neighbour’s ailing economy. But realities on the ground across the Limpopo could put paid to the best of intentions by Pretoria’s planners. […]
Neal Collins cricket First England beat the West Indies in three days at Lord’s after taking a three-day beating at Edgbaston. Then they needed just two days to go 2-1 up in the series at Headingley. That’s nothing. Based on this trend towards shorter, more exciting Tests, my team of researchers have revealed that, by […]
Evidence wa ka Ngobeni While the police have chalked up several important victories against the drug industry in recent months, they admit they are yet to make significant progress in stemming the proliferation of drugs in schools. Since February this year law enforcement agencies have been targeting various drug transit points and have seized more […]
Sechaba ka’Nkosi and Thuli Nhlapo Evening Post editor Lakela Kaunda is set to join the government to help drive a major shake-up of the presidency’s communications department. Sources said Kaunda has been approached by Deputy President Jacob Zuma’s office to fill the vacant post of a communications director in that department. However, it is believed […]
South Africa’s economic strategy should concentrate on stimulating the domestic market rather than on foreign direct investment Xolela Mangcu South Africa’s macro-economic growth, employment and redistribution (Gear) strategy is underpinned by a three-part syllogism. It proceeds as follows: the government should implement a set of structural-adjustment policies (low budget deficits, privatisation of state assets, relaxation […]
MINING group Avgold Ltd plans to raise about R500m through a rights issue. It said in a statement that the money would be used to fund the final stage of the Target Mine development and to repay a short-term loan of R300m from Anglovaal Mining Ltd. Avgold is 60.1% owned by Anglovaal. Shareholders will vote […]
MARK BENDEICH, London | Friday MINING group Billiton Plc announced an agreed C$1.7bn (US$1.2bn) cash bid for Canadian copper miner Rio Algom Ltd, trumping a hostile offer by Noranda Inc and Chile’s Codelco. Billiton, seeking to diversify its portfolio into base metals, said Rio Algom’s board had recommended its offer of C$27 per share, giving […]
THE state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation said its northern Kaduna oil refinery would be back on stream by the middle of September instead of the earlier target of end August. The 110000 barrels per day (bpd) refinery was shut down early this month after its five boilers, which had shown signs of wear for some […]