THURSDAY, 9.20AM: THE Italian national rugby coach George Coste believes that Springbok line-out giants Krynauw Otto and Mark Andrews will be the match winners on Saturday when Italy host South Africa in Bologna. “We have always had problems at lock. In Italy we don’t have the same height or bulk as South Africa,” said the […]

THURSDAY, 8.40AM: VAAL Professionals beat Mamelodi Sundowns in their Premiership match at Iscor Stadium on Wednesday night. Pros were 2-0 up at half time. New Bafana Bafana midfielder Jabu Mnguni was inspirational in midfield and took the game to the visitors. Joseph Chikoti scored the opening goal in the 29th minute and Neil Jansen increased […]

THURSDAY, 3:30PM: SWAPO has found itself in a legal row with Namibia’s Electoral Commission — because it has lost the local elections in Rundu by failing to submit its candidates list in time. Swapo has asked for a court interdict tomorrow (Friday) preventing the Electoral Commission from eliminating the party from the final list of […]

THURSDAY, 9.30AM: CONSTRUCTION has begun on Richards Bay Minerals’ massive new titanium plant. The project, budgeted to cost more than R900-million, forms the major part of a five-year, R1,3-billion upgrade of RBM operations. The new mine, situated in the Zulti North lease area, is intended to enable RBM to maintain existing production levels and keep […]

THURSDAY, 10.30AM: The business sector cannot afford Telkom’s proposed 25% rate increase on local telephone calls, according to the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Chief executive Marius de Jager said yesterday the JCCI had serious concerns about the effect the cost increases could have on business, particularly those which relied heavily on telephones. The […]

THURSDAY, 9.00AM: A CONFIDENTIAL meeting between ministers and provincial premiers in Cape Town on Wednesday (see below) was told that KwaZulu-Natal only managed to pay pensions after persuading the bank not to bounce all the cheques. The combined overspending by the provinces for the year was over R6 billion, with KwaZulu-Natal the worst offender with […]

THURSDAY, 9.45AM: FIRST NATIONAL has announced strong growth in treasury operations, domestic retail and commercial banking, resulting in 21,5% growth in headline earnings to R1,22 bilion for the year to September. The group was particularly pleased at the growth in non-interest income, which now makes up 48% of income and is expected to increase. Tighter […]

PRIVATE JAILS PARLIAMENT has unanimously approved a bill which allows for ‘privatised’ prisons, which are built and run by the private sector at a set fee per prisoner. Correctional Services Minister Dr Sipo Mzimela said Cabinet had approved four pilot projects, which were in the process of being put to tender. The Bill also provides […]

THURSDAY, 11:30AM: EDUCATION minister for Gauteng, Mary Metcalfe, admitted on Wednesday the leak of Monday’s matric accounting examination paper happened within her department. She gave no details of how the theft took place, but did reveal the breach did not happen in the maximum security building where the papers are stored – dubbed ‘Alcatraz’. ”The […]

WEDNESDAY, 2:30PM: SOME of South Africa’s numerous army bases may soon be converted to schools, prisons and hospitals. On Tuesday the cabinet approved plans to rationalise the defence force’s assets. Vast tracts of land acquired by the SA Defence Force during the apartheid era will be released for public use, and the military will reduce […]