SHARES in steel giant Iscor extended early losses on Thursday on news that recent floods will impact negatively on its production. The counter, which was down almost 3%, slid further to be 3,19% lower at R22,75 on the news. The company said that floods are expected to result in a loss of 500000 tons of […]

ITALIAN Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini said in Cairo Wednesday that the first Euro-African summit will be a chance for his country to look into alleviating the debts of Africa’s poorest countries. However, “executive decisions (on debt cancellation) are not on the agenda of the summit,” scheduled for April 3-4 in Cairo, he said. Dini said […]

SARAH BULLEN, Cape Town | Friday 5.30pm THE Johannesburg Stock Exchange ran out of steam on Friday afternoon, after climbing marginally higher earlier in a day dominated by futures trade. The major indices closed mixed, with only the industrial and IT counters ending in positive territory. Boosting the IT sector was news that Prism rose […]

AFRICA’S largest single energy sector industrial plant, Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas, will be officially opened in April by President Olusegun Obasanjo, the company said. The plant has been operating since last October and the second of its two units was completed this week. The official opening had been planned for November but was delayed after […]

A TEAM from French car manufacturer Peugeot arrived in Gabarone, Botswana on Thursday for talks about bailing out Hyundai’s bankrupt car assembly plant. The 193-million pula ($41-million) plant, Botswana’s biggest manufacturing enterprise, was placed under temporary liquidation last month after it could not service loans of about $127-million. The talks with Peugeot follow similar ones […]

A NORTHERN Province taxi owner has been acquitted of attempting to murder Orlando Pirates defender Gerald Raphahlela. Raphahlela narrowly escaped injury when the vehicle he was driving was sprayed with bullets in Seshego township on December 21 1998. Kobedi Kubushi, 40, a taxi owner from Seshego, was discharged in the Pietersburg High Court on Wednesday. […]

JUDGES in Angola warned on Thursday that they will take action if their working conditions are not improved and their salaries boosted. The average wage for a magistrate has stayed at $80 for several years now, despite sharp rises in the cost of living. The judges claim they submitted a wage proposal to the government […]

FOOD and fashion retailer Woolworths Holdings Ltd unveiled an 11% drop in interim headline earnings on Thursday, blaming stunted consumer spending despite a recent raft of interest rate cuts. Woolworths, which this week unveiled a restructuring plan to help refocus its businesses to try and allay market woes, reported headline earnings falling 16 cents in […]

Peter Dickson Simmering tensions between the African National Congress and the United Democratic Movement over the strike at Volkswagen’s Uitenhage plant exploded in the provincial legislature this week as the ANC accused the UDM of fomenting the labour dispute. Introducing a snap debate on the strike on Monday, Eastern Cape MEC for Finance and former […]

Brenda Atkinson MIXED MEDIA It’s been a good month for eye-catching advertising and provocative media commentary. Andersen Consulting’s recently launched electronic commerce ad campaign hits where it hurts. Featuring a sheep in wolf’s clothing trying to blend in with a pack of the real yellow-eyed beasts, the advert poses the rather chilling question: “Trying to […]