PATRIOTIC Army of Rwanda and Tusker of Kenya had contrasting passages to the East and Central Africa club championship final in Kigali this weekend. While the Rwandans battled to overcome SC Villa of Uganda 2-1 in the first semi-final at a packed Amahoro Stadium, Tusker coasted to a 3-1 victory over Mukura Victory of Rwanda. […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Monday 12.00pm. LIAM Botham, son of former England Test cricketer Ian Botham, will make his first appearance for an England rugby union side in a tour match in South Africa on Tuesday. Botham will play on the right wing against North West in Potchefstroom in a side named on Sunday […]
DINGAAN Thobela, the Rose of Soweto, will miss out on the chance to claim a third world-title after a freak accident forced him out of his WBF middleweight title challenge in London on Friday. Thobela’s trainer Thinus Strydom said Thobela injured his hand during a sparring session during the week and after consulating a doctor […]
ROB DAVIES AND MARIANNE MERTEN, Cape Town | Monday 5.40pm. UNITED Cricket Board chief Dr Ali Bacher sensationally blew the lid on international match-fixing at the King Commission of inquiry on Monday, widening the focus to a problem that has had worldwide repurcussions, and alleged that two 1999 World Cup matches were rigged. Bacher told […]
THE Swazi royal family has formed an association to look after its aged, ailing and unemployed members. The association will also promote unity amongst royal ranks. There are hundreds of royals and all are the offspring of the late King Sobhuza II who died in 1982. It is believed Sobhuza II had over 80 wives […]
SOUTH African police have launched an operation in Mozambique to find and destroy weapons left over from its civil war, which have often fallen into the hands of rebels and criminals in the region. The operation, which began on Monday, involves 17 members of the South African Police Service. It’s the sixth of its kind […]
SOUTH Africa’s eleventh-seeded Mariaan de Swardt and David Adams won their second mixed doubles Grand Slam title when they captured the French Open crown at Roland Garros on Friday. The South Africans beat top seeds Rennae Stubbs and Todd Woodbridge of Australia 6-3 3-6 6-3 in the final. This is the second successive year that […]
RWANDA on Sunday announced the “unilateral withdrawal” of its troops from the northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) city of Kisangani, where they have been fighting Ugandan troops for the last six days, a foreign ministry statement said. The announcement came after Rwanda claimed on Saturday to have driven Ugandan forces out of the diamond-rich […]
THE Nigerian government and labour leaders expect to reach an accord later on Monday on ending a five-day-old crippling general strike over sharp increases in gasoline prices. Local media quoted Information Minister Jerry Gana as saying labour chiefs had held intense talks with government leaders on Sunday, including one session each with President Olusegun Obasanjo […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Monday 12.00pm. NEDCOR said on Monday that if its proposed bid to merge with banking rival Stanbic goes ahead, the merged group will be hiring 7000 people in its first three years. This is in stark contrast to a statement by the South African Society of Bank Officials that the merger […]
RURAL Aids victims and HIV positive residents who declare their status in Mpumalanga are treated like sexual perverts and are in danger of being stoned to death, the provincial Youth Commission warned on Monday. Commission chief executive Paulos Mnisi and a panel of commissioners said the province was so conservative that not even they were […]
A FIRE has gutted a disused mill in Newtown, where the Market Theatre, jazz bar Kippies and other cultural initiatives are also situated, in central Johannesburg. It is not known if any of the buildings surrounding the deserted Friedlanders Mill have been damaged. The fire was first reported at about 7am. At least seven fire […]
FORMER West Indies captain Brian Lara returned to form in spectacular fashion on Saturday when he scored 176 runs in a three-day match against Zimbabwe at Arundel on Saturday. The West Indies reached 364 for six by the close as Zimbabwe struggled to cope with the left-hander’s impressive batting. Lara reached his century off 93 […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Nairobi | Sunday 3.00pm. ERITREA claimed on Sunday that it foiled a large-scale Ethiopian offensive on the Assab front, inflicting huge losses on the Ethiopian army which was forced to retreat to its original positions. In a statement, the Eritrean foreign ministry said the Ethiopian offensive on the Assab front involving more than […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Saturday 1.45pm. AN offer of immunity by South African prosecutors to sacked cricket captain Hansie Cronje does not extend to legal proceedings currently under way against him in India, an official said on Sunday. Cronje, opening batsman Herschelle Gibbs and bowler Henry Williams have all been offered immunity from prosecution […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Saturday 8.00pm. SUNDOWNS failed to live up to their favourites tag when they were beaten 1-0 by Kaizer Chiefs in the Bob Save Superbowl final, losing out on an historic treble. The 80000 strong FNB Stadium crowd were captivated by the match, which was not a classic by any stretch of […]
BRITISH soldiers are due for a beating in Sierra Leone … on the football pitch at least, army officials admitted on Saturday. A scratch side from 42nd Marine Commando, the unit which has been patrolling Freetown and manning checkpoints for the past few weeks, are to take on the Sierra Leonean national team in a […]
KHEIREDDINE Ameyar, director of one of the most influential French-language Algerian dailies, La Tribune, committed suicide this week, the paper announced on Saturday. The sudden death of Ameyar, 54, who killed himself early on Friday, left the Algerian press in shock, with papers unanimously paying tribute on Saturday. Ameyar worked for the government newspaper El […]
ZIMBABWE will use traditional wooden ballot boxes in parliamentary elections on June 24-25 because they are still credible and readily available, Registrar General Tobaiwa Mudede said on Saturday. He said the use of transparent ballot boxes used in other countries to guard against fraud would be a burden to taxpayers. “Our wooden ballot box is […]
ZAMBIA have called up Bayern Munich midfielder Andrew Sinkala for their Castle Cup Southern Africa championship quarter-final against Lesotho on Sunday. The Germany-based star is one of three players from outside the country included in a 22-man squad. Defender Hilary Makasa and striker Dennis Lota line up with South African clubs. Sinkala returns to the […]
ZIMBABWE recovered from a disastrous start to cruise home by five wickets against Ireland on Thursday. It was their second limited overs win in two days against an Irish team bolstered by guest plauer Mark Waugh. Seamer Paul Mooney ripped out Trevor Gripper, Andy and Grant Flower and Paul Strang to leave Zimbabwe reeling at […]
ZAMBIAN squad for a Castle Cup Southern Africa championship quarter-final against Lesotho in Maseru on Sunday: Squad: Goalkeepers: Kennedy Kalale (Nkana), Collins Mbulo (Green Buffaloes), Fred Mwale (Roan Utd) Defenders: Mannase Mwanza, Jones Mwewa (Power Dynamos), Laughter Chilembi, Elijah Tana (Nchanga Rangers), Hilary Makasa (Ajax Cape Town/Rsa), Ennex Masiya (Kabwe Warriors), Kingsley Musabula (Zanaco) Midfielders: […]
PROTEAS seamer Henry Williams will face a United Cricket Board disciplinary hearing following his admission that he accepted an offer of $15000 from former skipper Hansie Cronje to bowl badly during a one-day international match against India at Nagpur. United Cricket Board chief Dr Ali Bacher said that the inquiry would be set up as […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Friday 1.40pm. THE Transport and General Workers’ Union has called an urgent meeting to decide if it is safe for the Golden Arrow bus company to operate in Cape Town’s townships. Bus services to Khayelitsha have been suspended after a Golden Arrow bus driver was shot at and wounded, and […]
RUDOLF Straeuli, a member of South Africa’s 1995 World Cup winning squad, was named on Wednesday as the new coach of the Natal Sharks. Straeuli replaces Hugh Reece-Edwards who was sacked after the Sharks finished bottom of the Super 12 standings this year. The Sharks reached the semifinals of the competition in three of its […]
RWANDAN and Ugandan troops resumed fighting for the fifth consecutive day on Friday in Kisangani in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, despite orders from both sides for troops to cease hostilities. The sides have been exchanging artillery fire steadily from 8am. There were heavy gun battles late on Thursday several hours after a ceasefire […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Lagos | Friday 3.45pm. AT least six people have been killed and 16 arrested as a strike over the fuel price in Nigeria’s economic capital Lagos entered its second day, paralysing businesses and international air traffic. Business was brought to a standstill on Friday in Lagos, Abuja and other major cities, as shops […]
NORTHERN PROVINCE Premier Ngoako Ramatlhodi’s office was still without telephones on Friday, a week after they were cut because various departments owe Telkom a total of R39-million for outstanding bills. Officials have been forced to use their cell phones, or run to other departments whose lines are working to fax and email. Government spokesman Jack […]
PRESIDENT Thabo Mbeki signed the Skagen Declaration with Nordic prime ministers in Denmark on Thursday. The Nordic countries – Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden – have “noted the enormous challenges the African continent continues to face at the dawn of the 21st century”. Officials said it was agreed that the continent’s challenges call for […]
ELECTIONS set for next March in Lesotho will be delayed because proper preparations have not been done. Deputy Prime Minister Kelebone Maope said on Friday that if preparations had started in May, the elections could have been held in March or April next year but the present problems will delay the process. Maope said there […]
PROTEAS offspinner Nicky Boje says he has “no idea” why he is mentioned in the tapes in possession of New Delhi police — which upon their release in April triggered off one of cricket’s worst match-fixing scandals. Boje told the King Commission probing alleged match-fixing in cricket on Friday that disgraced former Proteas skipper Hansie […]
EGYPTIAN customs officer Gamal El-Ghandour will make history when he officiates at the Spain-Norway match in Rotterdam on June 13 becoming the first non-European to referee a Euro 2000 tie. El-Ghandour’s participation follows an agreement between football’s governing bodies in Europe and Africa to exchange referees for their top competitions. French referee Alain Sars took […]