WEDNESDAY 4.00PM: COURT cases around the country will be delayed from Thursday morning as prosecutors in magistrates courts refuse to work overtime in protest against the justice department’s suspension of overtime pay. And the Society of State Advocates said that advocates in the office of the attorney general in Pretoria will join the overtime ban. […]

WEDNESDAY 8.30AM: THE school year began in four provinces on Tuesday, with primary schools turning away Grade 1 pupils who failed to register on time, or whose parents were attempting to register them in schools outside their home districts. But while schools in mainly white suburbs were overcrowded, principals of township schools reported a large […]

TUESDAY, 11.45AM: THE price of white maize futures on the SA Futures Exchange last week continued the slide that began in December following the late start of summer rains. Safex agricultural markets GM Rod Gravel-Blondin said on Monday that maize futures contract prices fell a further R50 last week and, with the exception of December […]

TUESDAY, 5.30PM: WITHIN seven minutes of opening on Tuesday, the JSE all share index had gained almost 120 points, but subsided somewhat as investors sold into the rally. At the day’s close the financial index was up 208,3 points at 9 550,9 and the industrial index was 142,4 points higher at 6 857,5. The all […]

TUESDAY, 11.00AM: THE Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa has begun a restructuring programme that will see several of its divisions merged, to leave the body with four divisions. The four divisions to remain will be: trade, customs and monetary affairs; investment promotion and private sector development; infrastructure development; and information. Comesa acting secretary-general […]

TUESDAY, 3.30PM: JONATHAN OPPENHEIMER will captain the Nicky Oppenheimer XI to face Pakistan in their opening tour match of South Africa, starting January 29. Pakistan’s tour of more than a month will include three Tests against the South African national squad. The opening match of the tour will be played at Oppenheimer’s Randjesfontein Oval, where […]

MONDAY, 11.30AM: AFTER playing well during their follow-on innings in the first Test against Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe were decisively beaten on the final day in Asgiriya on Sunday Zimbabwe started the day at 289/7, still needing 40 runs to make Sri Lanka bat again. Paul Strang ensured that Sri Lanka bat again after he cut […]

Robert Kirby : Loose cannon The Christmas hols done with, it’s time once again to reflect on how we did as a nation honouring this fine occasion. As of going to press, South Africa’s extermination road network was doing quite well in its disciplined attempt to outstrip last year’s carnage. With but a day or […]

FRIDAY, 2.30PM: A SIX-member International Monetary Fund delegation arrives in Zimbabwe on Tuesday for its second visit since November, to launch a US$183-million stand-by credit arrangement to prop up the country’s fast-deteriorating balance of payments position. It is expected that the funds will be disbursed in two tranches, with a first payment available immediately after […]

FRIDAY, 4.30PM: THE Johannesburg Stock Exchange ended Friday 1% down amid continuing fears that Asian markets have not yet seen the end of their financial crisis. Dealers said sentiment was bearish, not only in South Africa, but on around the world, as investors are getting to grips with the impact on corporate earnings of the […]