FRIDAY, 5.00PM: A GUNFIGHT between villagers and an army patrol left four dead and eight wounded in northern KwaZulu-Natal this morning. Villagers in a house in Nkandla in the Nkombe area suddenly opened fire on a patrol soldiers searching for firearms in an area with a long history of factional clashes. A seven-minute battle ensued, […]

his sleeve? The Most Reverend Njongonkulu Ndungane writes that Sipo Mzimela’s actions reflect a cavalier attitude to democratic government It is common cause that South Africa has some of the most overcrowded prisons in the world. It is also common cause that this country earned a name for itself, pre-1994, as having a prison system […]

THURSDAY, 4:00PM: Medicines Control Council officials on Wednesday raided the Pretoria office and home of ‘Virodene’ researcher Olga Visser for evidence that patients are still being treated with the controversial anti-Aids drug that Visser helped develop. The medicines council placed a ban on the drug several months ago, after Visser and her colleagues asked the […]

THURSDAY, 3:30PM: Nigerian lawyer Tunji Braithwaite has boldly announced he will stand for election as civilian head of state next year. On Wednesday he became the first politician to take seriously the promise of strongman General Sani Achaba to hand over to a civilian government next year. Braithwaite, former leader of the now-defunct Nigerian Advance […]

THURSDAY, 5.30PM: THE Johannesburg Stock Exchange today made up Wednesday’s losses, with the all share index rising 31 points to 6423, the industrial index climbing 35 points to 7950 and the financial index 90 points stronger at 9917. The all gold index shed 6 points to 785. The all gold index shed 6 points to […]

THURSDAY, 11.00AM: The emigration tide seems to have turned, according to latest Central Statistical Service fgures. Immigration and emigration figures released on Wednesday show that less people are leaving, and more people are entering the country. The figures show a 24% decline in the number of self-declared emigrants from South Africa during July 1997 compared […]

THURSDAY, 5.30PM: AN American telecommunications company has announced that Africa — and South Africa in particular — will be first in the world to have access to a satellite service beamed down to portable receivers no bigger than a small radio. The US company, WorldSpace, announced on Thursday that it has raised R4,14 billion for […]

THURSDAY, 9.20AM: The two giants of South African football meet this weekend when Orlando Pirates hosts Kaizer Chiefs in a game that has all the the ingredients for a thriller. Pirates, who were booted out of the Rothmans Cup by Mamelodi Sundowns have vowed to redeem their dignity by beating Chiefs. Meanwhile, Chiefs, who have […]

THURSDAY, 11:00AM: THE National Union of Mineworkers has blamed Harmony mine management for a strike by an unofficial faction of the union which has formed its own structures and forced ‘official’ shaft stewards from their offices. The union says mine management ‘could have been more proactive” in dealing with grievances in the spirit of agreements […]

THURSDAY, 3:30PM: A subpoena was served by the truth commission on former state president PW Botha on Thursday, although at some remove. The five-page subpoena and 700 pages of supporting documentation were handed to a member of Botha’s staff, although the former president was apparently at home at the time. Mike Barnardo of the truth […]