TWO South African men who tried to rescue their daughters in big surf west of Auckland drowned on Monday, police said. The incident happened at Piha beach, an area infamous for drownings. Police Senior Sergeant Ross Bielby identified the dead men as Peter Mavakua, 42, and Michael Valcarel, 40, recent immigrants from South Africa. “My […]

TWO former associates of alleged heist kingpin Colin Chauke were recaptured on Tuesday following their escape from the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Friday. Sipho Nkuna and Lassie Sibiya were arrested in the Johannesburg city centre early in the morning. A third man, Oupa Gareko, who escaped with them on Friday, is still at large. Police […]

TUNISIAN President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was re-elected to a third five-year term with over 99% of the vote in Sunday’s election, according to first results published early Monday. The results issued by the interior ministry at 5am showed Ben Ali, 63, winning between 99,95 and 99,35% of the vote in each of the […]

THE Truth Commission’s amnesty committee has reserved a decision on re-opening the case of the seven policemen who admitted to murdering the ‘Cradock Four’ in 1985. George Bizos, representing their families at a special one-day sitting of the committee, lodged an application for the re-opening of the case on the basis of new evidence in […]

ALAN FINLAY, Johannesburg | Tuesday 8.00pm. AT least three people drowned and one person is missing after being washed away by floods caused by torrential rains along the KwaZulu-Natal coast on Tuesday. Hundreds have been left homeless. Police spokesman Director Bala Naidoo said a man died and seven people had to be rescued from floodwaters […]

NEW Zealand fly-half Andrew Mehrtens is racing against time to be fit for Sunday’s World Cup semi-final against France at Twickenham. Goal-kicking ace Mehrtens underwent a scan on Tuesday to establish the seriousness of an injury to his left knee and the All Blacks were relieved that the scan showed no structural damage. “There is […]

SARAH BULLEN, Cape Town | Tuesday 4.30pm THE Johannesburg Stock Exchange picked up after a slow start to end the day in positive territory, despite an overnight tumble on Wall Street and a rocky gold price. After early losses, the JSE was trading even by midday and had pulled itself into the black to end […]

THE Commonwealth will help Lesotho prepare its upcoming general election, which could be postponed to ensure it is well organised, an official said on Sunday after talks with political leaders. Commonwealth political affairs director Moses Anafu said that a formal agreement about the organisation’s role in the election, set for April, will be signed next […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, London | Tuesday 3.10pm. AUSTRALIAN fly-half Steve Larkham — regarded by many experts as the key to the Wallabies’ World Cup armoury — believes he is ready produce his best form against the man who destroyed England: Jannie de Beer. Australia face defending champions South Africa in the first semi-final at Twickenham on […]