Listed sugar, aluminium and property development group Tongaat-Hulett is expected to accelerate its earnings growth in 2005 through both incremental growth and investment opportunities, after posting a turnaround in 2004.
A South African shark expert has condemned as ”sensational” foreign media coverage of a recent attack by a great white shark during a shark-diving excursion. ”One must not lose track of the fact that shark diving is an adrenaline sport,” said Mariette Hopley, chairperson of the Great White Shark Protection Foundation.
At first it appears as though the seriously ill Zimbabwean is speaking about someone else’s ordeal at the hands of the notorious Central Intelligence Organisation. Propped up in a hospital bed in South Africa two weeks after her release from Chikurubi Maximum Prison, it becomes apparent that the woman who wants to be known only as ”Itaai” is expressing her own traumatic experience.
The murder of a Free State government official and ANC member should be solved as a matter of urgency, the ANC in the province said on Tuesday. Noby Ngombane, an official in the premier’s office, was shot dead at his home in Bloemfontein last week.
No written complaint has been laid against a South African police officer accused of sexually harassing another officer in Sudan, a spokesperson said on Tuesday. She was responding to media reports that a complaint has been laid against a South African police officer by a female officer, while stationed at El Fashir in Darfur.
Three nurses were hijacked with their mobile clinic between Tsolo and Maclear on Tuesday, the Eastern Cape health department said. Their assailants crashed the vehicle shortly after they hijacked it at about 4pm, health department spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said.
The price of petrol will rise by 38 cents next week, bringing the Gauteng price to R5 a litre — its highest to date. The Department of Minerals and Energy said on Tuesday the price of all categories of fuel will rise. Departmental spokesperson Yvonne Mfolo said the announced prices are projections, which will be finalised on Friday or Monday.
Domestic employers, seasonal employers, farmers and their workers contributed R40,9-million to the Unemployment Insurance Fund during the 2003/04 financial year, according to Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana. This figure has already jumped to R68-million for the categories of employers and workers in the period from April 1 2004 to January 31 2005.
When a small piece of South African history was made recently in the coastal city of Cape Town, it looked as if the boys would have the last laugh. ”Girls can’t play! Girls can’t play!” several onlookers roared after every goal. But by the end of the game on Rocklands sports field the smirks were gone.
Free State Premier Beatrice Marshoff distanced herself on Tuesday from allegations that the murder of provincial official Noby Ngombane was politically motivated. Nokwanda Ngombane, speaking at her husband’s funeral on Monday, said the murder was political and that her husband’s enemies were present at the service.
The South African cricket team to play the West Indies has improved by about 40% since the series against Sri Lanka in August last year, says Mike Haysman. The SuperSport commentator and presenter expects Graeme Smith’s side to do well in the West Indies.
Emphatic victories by Australia and India saw them to the top of the league table after the fourth round of matches in the Women’s Cricket World Cup on Monday. Tournament favourites and four-times world champions Australia head the table after their 97-run win over South Africa at the LC de Villiers Oval.
Allan Gray Limited, one of South Africa’s top unlisted asset-management groups, has announced a series of transactions and initiatives that will result in a 25% black empowerment (BEE) shareholding in the company, the launch of a focused effort to encourage black entrepreneurship and the acceleration of the internal transformation of the company.
A shark-attack victim is recovering well in the Constantiaberg Medi-Clinic after four hours of surgery to his right leg and foot. Chris Sullivan (32), a British tourist on holiday in Cape Town, was attacked, presumably by a great white shark, at Noordhoek beach on Monday.
The South African Towing and Recovery Association (Satra) launched a probe on Monday into allegations that a man, who has been arrested, was disconnecting traffic lights to drum up business for West Rand tow-truck drivers. Satra chairperson Andre van der Merwe said the man was part of an information network used by towers.
An African National Congress branch chairperson in KwaZulu-Natal was shot and wounded on Thursday night, the party said. ANC provincial spokesperson Mtholephi Mthimkhulu said Nqobizwe Magwaza, chairperson of one of the Ulundi branches, ”miraculously escaped death” when he was attacked by two gunmen.
The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) on Thursday condemned the unilateral decision by its employers to terminate the union’s ”organisational rights”.
The decision by the South African Local Government Association (Salga) affects the right of the union to meet with members during working hours, among others.
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Zimbabwe’s ageing President Robert Mugabe presented a startling sight as he launched his party’s election campaign with a woman’s scarf tied around his head. The campaign for a parliamentary election has seen a flurry of measures aimed at uplifting women in Zimbabwe’s fiercely patriarchal society.
Diesel and 95-octane petrol users will feel the pinch when new fuel specifications come into operation next year, eliminating leaded petrol from the market. Diesel users will fork out more for a new, low sulphur version of the fuel, while motorists insisting on using 95-octane petrol rather than 93- or 91-octane will pay a special levy, the Department of Minerals and Energy said on Thursday.
For one week, a historic university town in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province reverberated with some unlikely noises: the sound of rockets igniting, robots chirping and home-made cars racing. Most of all, though, it was the voices of thousands of pupils racing between venues that reminded Grahamstown locals that Sasol SciFest was under way.
Cracks have opened in a broad front of organisations formed to protest against human rights abuses and electoral skulduggery in Zimbabwe. The bone of contention is Zimbabwe’s land-reform programme, which the Landless People’s Movement — one of the social movements involved in the front — supports.
The funeral service of slain Free State government official Noby Ngombane will be held in Bloemfontein on Monday, a statement from Premier Beatrice Marshoff’s office announced on Friday. The funeral will start at 9pm at the Boet Troskie Hall at the Central University of Technology.
A teacher was found stabbed to death on the grounds of Swayimane High School in Wartburg on Wednesday, apparently after an argument over school fees, KwaZulu-Natal Midlands police said on Thursday. The 47-year-old teacher had been stabbed in the neck, said police spokesperson Superintendent Joshua Gwala.
As Zimbabwe heads for key elections on March 31, South Africa continues to be a destination of choice for illegal migrants from Zimbabwe, who now number as many as two million, according to unofficial estimates. The government of President Thabo Mbeki openly admits that it is fighting a losing battle against the influx of Zimbabweans.
The murder of Free State Premier Beatrice Marshoff’s right-hand man, Noby Ngombane, is likely to deepen the long-running crisis in an already unstable and fractured province. Ngombane was murdered on Tuesday night by unknown gunmen who drew up in a car outside his home, shot him five times and disappeared.
One full day’s production has been lost as a result of a strike by 21Â 000 workers at Harmony gold mines in the Free State. Although one official statement from Harmony says the strike has to do with unresolved issues, chief executive Bernard Swanepoel acknowledged that retrenchment notices triggered the strike.
South African Airways (SAA) has cancelled its scheduled Thursday flight to and from Mauritius because of a tropical cyclone. The airline said the flight has fallen foul of precautions being taken in Mauritius in advance of the expected arrival there of Cyclone Hennie. SAA said the island’s international airport has been closed for the day.
The acting CEO of the Border Cricket Board, Greg Hayes, and Warriors coach Mickey Arthur dropped a bombshell when they announced on Wednesday that Protea express bowler Monde Zondeki has decided to pursue his career with the Western Province-Boland franchise from next summer. ”He goes with our blessing,” Hayes said.
Manning Rangers’ woes continued when they were beaten 1-0 by a 10-man Supersport United in their Castle Premiership encounter played at Chatsworth Stadium on Wednesday night. Supersport finished the game a man down following a red card given to Edward Williams after his second bookable offence in the 50th minute.
Global banking group Barclays is expecting the rand to strengthen again to below R6 per dollar in the coming months and bond yields to recover on the back of continued strong commodity prices, low inflation and lower interest rates in 2005, according to a recent research report by Barclays Capital.
Companies guilty of corrupt practices will in future be blacklisted under resolutions adopted at the second anti-corruption conference in Pretoria on Wednesday. The conference also resolved to strengthen legislation to protect whistle-blowers and the capacity of law-enforcement agencies to seize assets obtained through elicit or corrupt means.
The board of directors of Natal Sharks and the South African Rugby Union have asked Kevin Putt to step down as head coach of the Sharks Super 12 regional team with immediate effect. Past home-grown Sharks and Springbok great Dick Muir has been asked to step into the breach and take over the reins as head coach.