Staff Reporter

LEADING Tanzanian opposition politician Ibrahim Lipumba has been arrested after the government claimed to have discovered plans by his party to “wreak havoc” across the country. Lipumba, chairman of Tanzania’s leading opposition party, the Civic United Front (CUF), was arrested with at least 50 other members of the party. The CUF is planning nationwide demonstrations […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Kinshasa | Saturday THE Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) new president, Joseph Kabila, has boosted hopes for an end to his country’s complex civil war, vowing in his inaugural address to work for peace – after which, he said, democratic elections would take place. General Kabila took the oath of office on Friday, […]

SOUTH Africa’s top two communications officials – Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri and Department of Communications director-general Andile Ngcaba – are expected to elaborate on government’s plans for the telecommunications and e-commerce industries for the coming year at online industry forum First Tuesday’s events in Cape Town and Johannesburg on Tuesday 6 February. Ngcaba will discuss government’s […]

The Mbeki government’s compulsion not to be proved wrong is becoming the stamp of his administration.

THE French overseas development agency and a private subsidiary have pledged some $43.5m in aid to the southern African region. The French Development Agency (AFD) said it had approved a loan of 20m euros ($18.5m) for projects at South Africa’s higher education institutions and technical colleges. The loan will also be used for an AIDS […]

SOUTH African information technology (IT) firm Datatec has sold its 76% stake in Internet Service Provider UUNET SA to US company WorldCom for $138.5m (about R1.05bn) in cash. The disposal remains subject to the approval of South Africa’s Competition Commission and the posting of a circular to shareholders. The proceeds will be used to reduce […]

FACING a threat of sanctions, Liberian President Charles Taylor has told the UN he will resign if it can prove that he profited from sales of blood diamonds by rebels in Sierra Leone. In a letter to Secretary General Kofi Annan, Taylor asked the UN to set up “a blue ribbon panel” to investigate allegations […]

AN Mpumalanga man who apparently murdered his common-law wife and cut off her genitals has appeared briefly in the Nelspruit District Court. Simon Norman Mbewe, 31, was not asked to plead on a charge murdering Lebohang Sekaneng, 25, at their house at Bhamjee squatter camp near Nelspruit, in December. Mbewe was arrested after people going […]

NIGERIA?S foreign reserves rose to around $10bn last month, says acting junior finance minister Martins Jibril-Kuye. Reserves rose in December because of high oil sale revenues which were channelled into the reserves account. The Central Bank of Nigeria, which has yet to confirm the figures, said earlier this month that foreign reserves fell by a […]

<strong>Peter Canavan</strong>, a cynical observer of the passing show, speculates on the president’s motives for South Africa’s newest tax.

Dieting: Kate Winslet isn’t fat; she just isn’t ridiculously thin.

ESKOM Enterprises, the business unit of South African power utility Eskom, and transport parastatal Transnet are considering acquiring an equity stake in newly licensed Nigerian mobile consortium Econet Wireless Nigeria. Furthermore, an agreement with National Electric Power Authority (Nepa), the Nigerian electricity monopoly, for the possible supply of telecommunication facilities, has been put in place […]

The Department of Public Works has ­installed a voice system in Parliament’s lifts, which announces the floor being ­approached.

Instead of confronting ethical issues, the press has preferred to speculate about the censure that awaits Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.

Old Mutual Asset Managers (Omam) has announced its ­official ­expectations for local markets this year.

Religions in South Africa face make-or-break decisions in the next two months.

SOUTH African boxing promoter Joe Manyathi says he has received the go-ahead from world heavyweight boxing champion Lennox Lewis to stage a title fight between him and former champion Mike Tyson in Johannesburg on July 21. Early indications are the fight will take place at the MTN Sundome in Randburg. – AFP 25

MORE than 100 Northern Province health officials, who were irregularly promoted and given a salary increase before the 1994 elections, have yet to repay R10m of overpayments owed to government. The officials, who worked for the former Lebowa homeland and were promoted in 1993, are part of more than 600 civil servants in the province […]

MOZAMBIQUES rebel chief-turned-opposition leader Afonso Dhlakama has demanded an urgent political agreement with President Joaquim Chissano to restore stability in the southern African state. Dhlakama said the president could allow the opposition Renamo to appoint governors in the six central and northern provinces where it won the most votes in the 1999 elections. – AFP

Forms of greeting at social gatherings were, he rationalised, a fashion and thus, like the mini-skirt, of limited duration.

There are two major issues to emerge from the morass of the arms deal investigation that require immediate and careful attention.

<em>Wake up! You Need to Sweep the Courtyard</em> is a vibrant arts event taking place in Mabhogo, Mpumalanga, two hours north of Johannesburg.

THE AIDS virus is striking hardest in New York City today among young black men, a new survey has found, with 33% of gay or bisexual black men ages 23 to 29 testing positive for HIV. The study conducted by the city’s Health Department found that young black New Yorkers are experiencing a larger burden […]

SAM OLUKOYA, Port Harcourt | Thursday MINORITY rights campaigners in Nigeria have accused global oil giants Royal Dutch/Shell of years of systematic human rights abuses, saying the company had frequently used police and the military to defend its operations and crush local opposition. Ledum Mitee, the president of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni […]

AT least seven people in southern Nigeria’s Benin City have been killed and others seriously burnt after cooking fuel that had been mixed with petrol exploded. The majority of those burnt were women and children, NTA television said in its evening bulletin, showing some of the victims recovering in hospital. Those injured said they suspected […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Abidjan | Thursday HUNDREDS of people have taken to the streets in Abidjan to protest against Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade’s comments this week about the harsh treatment of Burkina Faso nationals in Ivory Coast. About 500 demonstrators gathered in front of Senegal’s embassy in Abidjan, yelling “Senegalese get out” and carrying banners which […]

POLICE have seized more than 3 000kg of dagga, estimated to be worth more than R2m, in the Vaal Triangle. The drug was found at Orange Farm, Sebokeng and Evaton. Another 17 people were arrested in connection with crimes ranging from dealing dagga and burglary to assault and possession of suspected stolen property.

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Thursday PRESIDENT Thabo Mbeki has reached across party political lines in his first cabinet shuffle since taking office with the appointment of Azapo leader Mosibudi Mangena and IFP MP Musa Zondi – but the opposition says he missed a golden opportunity to clear out some dead wood. Mangena, a highly regarded […]

THE IMF has urged authorities in Malawi to tighten monetary policy and curb government spending to combat sluggish growth and the prevalence of poverty. But International Monetary Fund executive directors also pledged financial support for a poverty reduction and growth strategy drafted by Malawi authorities. The IMF-backed program calls for growth of three percent this […]

CAPE Town will host an international conference on conservation of the southern hemisphere’s threatened seabirds at the end of January, environmental affairs and tourism ministry officials said. Over 50 delegates and observers from 17 countries are expected to attend the seven-day gathering which will be sponsored by the governments of South Africa, Australia, New Zealand […]

THE Nigerian army is not considering a pardon for 25 wounded soldiers recently jailed for mutiny and disobedience, says army chief Victor Malu. The soldiers, who were wounded while fighting under the west African peacekeeping force ECOMOG in Liberia and Sierra Leone, were last month jailed for life for protesting against conditions surrounding their medical […]