DEMOCRATIC Republic of Congo President Laurent Kabila said that a transitional parliament will be inaugurated on July 1. Speaking to members of civil society and politicians, Kabila said a 300-member constituent assembly will be set up under his long-stalled democratization program. He said in the speech, which was broadcast over state radio, that he will […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Harare | Friday 6.00pm. GOVERNMENT, farmers and militant war veterans agreed at talks in Harare on Friday to set up a land commission to oversee the peaceful transfer of white-owned land in Zimbabwe to landless blacks. David Hasluck, director of the Commercial Farmers Union, said the proposal has been agreed at a three-hour […]

COMPANY liquidations slowed to 326 in March, down 1,8% on the same month a year ago, figures released by Statistics SA showed on Thursday. In the first three months of 2000 there were 748 liquidations, a drop of nearly 30 percent on the same period a year ago, Stats SA said. Insolvencies have also decreased […]

NEW Zealand’s High Commission in violence-torn Zimbabwe is fending off demands from some 400 people a day for free air tickets to New Zealand because of what Immigration Minister Lianne Dalziel says is misinformation. “Some information being reported in Zimbabwe by media there is not correct…It has been reported that New Zealand is offering free […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Friday 4.30pm. THE rand remained weak by late afternoon, after testing the key resistance level of R7,03 to the dollar in early trade on Friday. Dealers said the dollar and negative overseas sentiment continues to weigh on the market. By 4pm the local currency was trading at R7,04 to the dollar. […]

SOUTH African Monique Strydom, held by Muslim rebels in the Philippines for more than two weeks along with 20 other people, is pregnant, according to a Filipino abducted by the same group. Strydom, whose husband Carel is also being held by members of the Abu Sayyaf group, is two months pregnant, the Filipino hostage, Andy […]

MILITANT youths in Nigeria’s volatile oil-producing Niger Delta abducted five Royal Dutch/Shell workers and released them 24 hours later, company officials said on Thursday. The workers were abducted on Wednesday along with two navy escorts from Shell’s Opuama flow station in southern Delta State, the officials said. “All the hostages were released this [Thursday] morning,” […]

UGANDAN coffee exports were down 45% year in April to 94953 60-kg bags due to a poor harvest and slower deliveries as farmers held out for better prices, officials said on Thursday. “Trading activities were extremely low during the month largely due to temporary suspension of operations by some volume movers,” the Ugandan Coffee Development […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Friday 1.30pm BUSH Bucks were on the receiving end on Thursday night when they were hammered 3-1 by Kaizer Chiefs who kept up their title drive in a BobSave semi-final clash at Johannesburg Stadium. Chiefs scored two goals in extra-time (one in each half), after Thabang Lebese drew first blood […]

ROB DAVIES, Cape Town | Friday 11.30am. CATS fullback Thinus Delport, fresh from a solo demolition of the Blues last week, will be looking for another big performance against the Chiefs in Bloemfontein on Saturday. Delport is currently one of the hot favourites to be selected for the Springboks against Canada and England, and another […]