TUESDAY, 11.30PM: INTERNATIONAL car rental company Hertz on Tuesday officially returned to the South African market after a 10-year absence. Launching Hertz Car Rentals at the Johannesburg International Airport, Hertz International president Antoine Cau said the South African operations are poised to become the group’s third largest franchise — behind Greece and Ireland — by […]

TUESDAY, 1.00PM: DESPITE the crime problems in South Africa, a recent survey of the world’s cities found Cape Town and Johannesburg to be the best African cities in which to live, and Brazzaville, Congo, the worst city in the world. The Corporate Resources Group conducted a survey of major world cities, looking at factors like […]

TUESDAY, 5.40PM: NO-ONE can be held criminally liable for the so-called “Shell House killings”, concluded Judge Bob Nugent on the final day of a six-month long inquest (see below). Nugent said that while no individual member of the police, the African National Congress or the Inkatha Freedom Party — or the three organisations as a […]

TUESDAY, 10.00AM: A SOUTH African delegation will meet European Union representatives at EU headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday in a bid to head off threats to local ostrich meat exports to the European market. The delegation, led by Land and Agriculture Minister Derek Hanekom and including several government veterinarians, will try to persuade veterinary authorities […]

TUESDAY, 5.00PM: CENTRAL government spending in the year to March 1996 was up 13,5% over the previous year, according to figures released by Central Statistical Services on Tuesday. Expenditure from the State Revenue Account amounted to R167 269,4-million in the 1995/96 financial year, ending March 31, 1996. This is 13,5% higher than the R147 329,2-million […]

TUESDAY, 10.00AM: A TRADE and industry department study has shown the local milling and baking induxtry to be uncompetitive by international standards. The industry study, conducted by a government committee and representatives of the private sector concluded that millers should not bank indefinitely on the 50% imported flour tariff. The study also found that volume-driven […]

WEDNESDAY, 7.00AM: HOURS after facing Harare’s biggest-ever demonstrations, the Zimbabwe government climbed down on a special levy to raise money for war veterans’ pensions. But other aspects of the tax package remain in place. TUESDAY, 6.00PM: A MASSIVE nationwide strike in Zimbabwe was marred by violence on Tuesday as heavily armed riot police fired tear […]

TUESDAY, 11.00PM: SHARES on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange failed to find direction in thin trade on Tuesday, ending the day little changed. At the close the all gold index had dropped 5,8 points to 676,5, and the industrial index had slipped 2,7 points to 7 435,6. However, the all share index ended 2,8 points better […]

TUESDAY, 11.30PM: IN a statement issued on Tues evening, Johanesburg Consolidated Investments chairman Mzi Khumalo confirmed that JCI has received an approach from Lonrho in regard to a merger, and that discussions on the issue are under way in earnest. The statement was issued after a meeting of the JCI board, in the wake of […]