ANGOLAN army officers have warned President Jose Eduardo dos Santos of serious discontent as troops go starving and even naked while allocated funds are missing. Young soldiers “are hungry, going naked or have no boots … and are being driven to quit their units,” according to a letter to Dos Santos signed by several dozen […]

TWO of the world’s leading medical and emergency assistance companies have merged operations in Africa to address the needs of corporate clients there. International SOS (SOS) and Medical Rescue International of Africa (MRI) said the “multi-million dollar” merger would allow them to provide better medical care and emergency aid to local and multinational clients operating […]

ENGINEERING and contracting firm, Murray & Roberts, said it had won a R1bn five-year contract to supply castings for Ford’s new 1.3 and 1.6 litre RoCam engines. In the first phase of the contract, the foundries in Port Elizabeth, Brits and Cape Town will supply components for 55000 engines, rising to 180000 a year. The […]

FASHION retailer Foschini Ltd said it expected to incur higher-than-forecast costs in the restructuring of its sports apparel unit Totalsports, adding that it was upbeat about long-term growth of the group amid an expected pick-up in domestic spending. ”We will incur greater costs than anticipated in turning Totalsports around, but we’re pleased with the progress,” […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT and BUCHIZYA MSETEKA, United Nations | Wednesday UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has given Zimbabwe conditional support for its controversial land reform programme, saying Harare must settle differences over the issue with former colonial power Britain. Annan met Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and three other African leaders – Bakili Muluzi of Malawi, Sam Nujoma […]

NIGERIA has voted to launch a wide-ranging inquiry into the activities of state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corp (NNPC). Lawmakers said a probe of the NNPC, which oversees Nigeria’s mainstay oil industry and produces crude oil in joint venture with major multinationals, could be a first step towards a wider investigation of President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government. […]

DAVID LUHNOW, London | Wednesday DESPITE a busy first six months, Anglo-South African insurer Old Mutual is still eyeing opportunities in the US, UK and emerging markets, company officials said. It had lost its bid for Edinburgh-based mutual assurer, Scottish Provident, which industry sources say has agreed to 2bn deal with the UK’s Abbey National […]

WARDERS in Kenya have shot and killed six naked death row inmates during an attempted escape from a maximum security prison. Police spokesman Peter Kimanthi said two other death row convicts had managed to escape from King’ong’o Maximum Security Prison in the town of Nyeri, 200km north of the capital Nairobi. He said warders opened […]

THE United Nations is moving to stem a humanitarian disaster unfolding in the isolated Angolan town of Luau, where about 10 people a day are reported to be starving to death. The UN plans to dispatch this coming week an inter-agency assessment mission including an initial load of food, medical and other assistance. The UN […]

THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched a massive vaccination campaign against yellow fever in Liberia, and has sent 30 000 vaccine doses to prevent a deadly outbreak in Sierra Leone. The United Nations health agency said the mosquito-borne disease has spread to six of Liberia’s 14 counties, including the outskirts of Monrovia, a capital […]