ANANTHARAMAN MURALIKUMAR, Bombay | Saturday 2.00pm WICKETKEEPER Mark Boucher’s nuggety 27 not out saw South Africa to a spectacular four wicket victory over India with two days to spare in the first Test, despite a four wicket slump. The touring team, needing 163 to win, were shaken when they subsided from 107 for two to […]

HEAVILY armed ex-rebel forces in Sierra Leone forced a contingent of United Nations peacekeeping troops to back off from deployment into an eastern region, the UN mission UNAMSIL said on Friday. The troops involved in Thursday’s standoff were heading from Kenema and Daru, 240 and 270 kilometres east of Freetown, for Koidu in the diamond […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Pretoria | Saturday 11.30am SOUTH Africa’s mines still hold big and profitable deposits, but the embattled industry needs to open up to black and small businessmen, a summit on the future of mining heard on Friday. Minerals and Energy Minister Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka told delegates: “The 21st century African is not going to allow […]

SOUTH African Airways has recommended US-based Boeing as the supplier of 20 to 25 new planes in a possible deal worth R4,3-billion, a senior government official said on Friday. The official said the recommendation is, however, still subject to final approval by South Africa’s transport utility Transnet which owns 80% of SAA. SAA Chairman Mafika […]

THE SA Revenue Service plans to recruit about 100 additional full-time auditors and about 30 forensic auditors in the coming months in order to deliver on its undertaking to collect R210,4-billion in taxes in 2000-2001. Business Day reports that this would be 7,2% higher than this year’s achievement. It reports that SARS commissioner Pravin Gordhan […]

THE much-debated video-ref made his first appearance in the Super 12 when referee Andre Watson called for assistance in determining a try in the Auckland Blues shock 18-15 win over the ACT Brumbies on Friday. The controversial new ability to check decision as is done in cricket allowed Watson to disallow the try when neither […]

TWO tries by rugby league convert Andrew Walker failed to prevent competition favourites ACT Brumbies falling to a shock 18-15 defeat by Auckland in their opening Super 12 match on Friday. Walker’s performance was one of the few highlights of an error-laden Brumbies performance. Auckland, who had three players sent to the sin-bin by South […]

A FOUNDING member of the rebel Congolese Rally for Democracy, Roger Lumbala, resigned on Friday from its leadership, saying the movement is guilty of human rights violations and corrupt. He accused officials in the Rwandan-backed wing of the RCD, the main rebel force which has been fighting President Laurent Kabila’s government in the Democratic Republic […]

HOWARD BARRELL, Johannesburg | Friday 12.00am. HUMAN Rights Commission chair Barney Pityana co-authored a newspaper article three years ago in which he effectively prejudged the central issue into which he has now called a commission of inquiry — whether there is racism in the South African media. The terms of reference of the HRC’s controversial […]

DOCKERS with army protection have resumed work at Cte d’Ivoire’s main port of Abidjan, undermining an unofficial strike there, port and union sources said on Thursday. The dockers called the strike on Wednesday, expressing frustration with both the employers and their unions. They said a deal on pay and conditions struck after a stoppage in […]