SOUTH African restaurant chain Spur is ending its multi-million rand advertising contract with disgraced cricket captain Hansie Cronje. Spur executive chairman Allen Ambor said he was saddened by Cronje. “We are going to have to end our relationship and probably end it permanently, and end it with great sadness and in the hope that he […]

THE quarterfinal draw for the Vodacom Cup was announced by Sarfu on Monday following the final group matches over the weekend. Griquas, despite suffering a surprise 17-27 loss to the Leopards in Potchefstroom on Saturday, still hold on to top spot in the North section with an impressive six wins from seven matches. Griquas will […]

UN World Food Programme director Catherine Bertini on Wednesday began an eight-day tour of the Horn of Africa to assess emergency food needs for the drought-stricken region. Bertini, named by United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan as a special envoy to the region, is set to arrive on Wednesday in Gode in southeastern Ethiopia, the […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Harare | Wednesday 10.00am. MORE political violence on Zimbabwe’s farms and in the cities was reported on Wednesday as the countdown to elections began after parliament was dissolved at midnight. A spokesman for the Commercial Farmers Union said two violent attacks were reported overnight amidst the ongoing occupation of some 1000 white-owned farms […]

NIGERIAN trade unions will oppose the sale of a third Nigerian cement company to Britain’s Blue Circle. The proposed sale of remaining government shares in Benue Cement Company plc will give Blue Circle an effective monopoly of cement production in Nigeria, Adams Oshiomhole, president of the Nigeria Labour Congress said. Blue Circle has in recent […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Wednesday 3.00pm. CONSORTIUM bidding for the country’s third cellular licence, NextCom, has won its high court application, with costs, to stop the awarding of the licence on Friday. The Pretoria High Court ruled on Wednesday that the South African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority must inform NextCom of its decision. Nextcom will then […]

MALAWI have included four foreign-based players in their 21-man squad for Saturday’s Cosafa Castle Cup first round match against Mozambique in Blantyre. Coach Young Chimodzi has kept the bulk of the players that beat Kenya 2-0 in Malawi’s first-round World Cup qualifier last Saturday. Malawi squad: Goalkeepers: Valence Kamzere (Telecom Wanderers), Swadic Sanudi (Bata Bullets) […]

THE Australian Cricket Board expressed its shock at the sacking of Proteas skipper Hansie Cronje. “We have certainly heard the news and like everyone else we’re shocked,” ACB public affairs general manager Brendan McClements said. “It poses no threat to the (Australian one-day) series in South Africa. “And we’re confident the ICC and the United […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Tuesday 5.30pm. ORGANISATION of African Unity Secretary General Salim Ahmed Salim, has appealed to world football’s governing body, Fifa, to let Africa host the 2006 World Cup. “The case for Africa is overwhelming,” Salim told a meeting of African ambassadors in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa on Monday night. […]

HANSIE Cronje’s sacking on the eve the first one-day game against Australia has ruined the three-match series before it has even started, the Australian team’s manager said on Tuesday. Steve Bernard said that Cronje’s sacking and the ongoing matchfixing enquiries have effectively reduced the three-match series to a sideshow. Bernard said: “People aren’t talking about […]