SOUTH Africa’s 2006 World Cup Bid has received a welcome boost from Brazil — also in the running to host the showpiece. The Brazilians may hand over their support to South Africa, with the South Africans returning the favour should Brazil bid for the 2010 Cup, said bid ambassador, Zico. The former Brazilian international wants […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Thursday 1.00pm. DISGRACED former Premier Soccer League chief Joe Ndhlela is facing more trouble as the PSL is laying fraud charges against him for allegedly unlawful use of a PSL credit card after he was axed by the organisation. The Star reported on Thursday that that it is in posession […]
THE United Democratic Movement said on Thursday that the R74-million earmarked for a special government drive against HIV/Aids is inadequate. UDM health spokesman Manna Naidoo said that while the funds are welcome, the amount is not sufficient in the light of the endemic proportions of the problem in South Africa. He is also concerned about […]
THE Fairhead trial in Port Alfred has been postponed until Monday after the prosecution concluded its evidence. It is expected that the three accused will testify when the court resumes next week. On Thursday one of the accused, a 17-year-old, admitted to being present at the abduction of the the Fairheads but not at the […]
JULIAN GUYER, Nottingham | Thursday 6.30pm. ENGLAND were 94 without loss after 37 overs at tea on the first day of the second and final Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge on Thursday. Mike Atherton was 46 not out off 115 balls with nine fours and Mark Ramprakash 40 not out off 109 with six […]
JIM SLATER, Potomac | Thursday 12.00pm. TWO-time US Open champion Ernie Els and 1997 British Open winner Justin Leonard will be trying to regain their winning form when the PGA Kemper Open gets under way in Potomac on Thursday. Disabled golfer Casey Martin is just trying to keep carting his way through the PGA, knowing […]
ZIMBABWE will begin a phased withdrawal of troops from the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the end of the month, the privately-owned weekly Financial Gazette said on Thursday. The paper quoted military sources as saying under a preliminary plan, 5000 troops will be withdrawn at the end of June while the remainder will pull […]
THE Nelspruit Regional Court chastised state prosecutors for withholding vital evidence from suspended Mpumalanga Parks Board chief Alan Gray and his three co-accused on Thursday. Gray is currently fighting 77 fraud and theft charges after allegedly using a network of secret front companies to siphon over R2,3-million out of the MPB for political allies and […]
KERRY Bee scored a stinging equaliser in the dying minutes to give South Africa’s hockey women a 2-2 draw against Argentina at the Champions Trophy at Amstelveen in Amsterdam on Wednesday. The Pumas led 2-0 at the break in a fast-paced game that the Argentines dominated in the first half. Laura Maiztegui opened the scoring […]
SOKOTO state in northern Nigeria has introduced the Sharia, the Islamic legal code, becoming the second state in the country to introduce the controversial law. Unlike in Zamfara State, which blazed the trail in introducing Sharia with many fanfares earlier in the year, there was no ceremony to mark the one in the predominantly-Muslim Sokoto […]
A HIGHER-than-permitted amount of radioactive liquid material was pumped into a South African river last year, the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation has admitted. The liquid was released from the corporation’s Pelindaba facility, 30 kilometres west of the capital Pretoria, into the Crocodile River, the corporation said in a statement. The incident was the result […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Tuesday 11.20am. CELLULAR service provider MTN will no longer sponsor the Charity Spectacular football tournamnt following a decision by Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates not play in the event. The two clubs — who landed a R120-million sponsorship deal with rival cellular company Vodacom last week — have contract clauses […]
PRESIDENT Thabo Mbeki departs for Germany on Thursday, where he will officially open the South African stand at the Hanover Expo 2000 on Friday. Mbeki will then attend the Conference on Progressive Governance for the 21st Century with other world leaders in Berlin. After the conference, he will pay an official visit to Denmark from […]
PRESIDENT Thabo Mbeki is to officially open the Hannover Expo 2000, which runs from June 1 to October 31 and will focus on technological progress and advancement. South Africa’s contribution to the expo is the largest yet. The display will include a presentation on the exploration at prehistoric sites such as Sterkfontein as well as […]
A FOOTBALL qualifier between Malawi and South Africa to be played in February has become embroiled in controversy surrounding the television screening rights to the game. Gilton Chiwaula, director of Malawi’s corrupt practices watchdog, the Anti-Corruption Bureau, said that the body launched an investigation into the awarding of the screening rights following a complaint filed […]
THE last of some 250 South African and Botswana soldiers stationed in Lesotho for a year to help rebuild the country’s fractured army left the country on Tuesday. The military instructors — known as the Southern African Development Community Training Team in Lesotho — started withdrawing from Lesotho at the weekend. They were sent to […]
SUSAN NJANJI, Harare | Wednesday 5.15pm. THE Zimbabwe government has denied claims by war veterans’ leader Chenjerai Hitler Hunzvi that the authorities have begun distributing 187 farms from whites to landless blacks. Presidential spokesman George Charamba said that war veterans, who have been leading a campaign of white farm occupations in Zimbabwe, have merely identified […]
PRESIDENT Laurent Kabila’s government said it would not attend a meeting in Benin called by Africa’s envoy overseeing preparations for national dialogue in Democratic Republic of the Congo, as foreseen in a 1999 peace deal. Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Yerodia told state radio that rebels who took up arms in 1998 first had to “denounce the […]
JULIAN GUYER, Nottingham | Wednesday 5.30pm. ZIMBABWE may have won two tour matches ahead of the second and final Test which starts here at Trent Bridge on Thursday but they still face real difficulties. After a comprehensive defeat by an innings and 209 runs at Lord’s, England’s most crushing Test victory for 26 years, the […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Tuesday 2.00pm. JEFFREY’S Bay will host the first R1-million surfing event in South Africa when the Billabong MSF Pro starts in the Eastern Cape town on June 29. The event, sanctioned by the Association of Surfing Professionals, forms part of the 13-event World Championship Tour that crowns the annual men’s […]
A CLASSIC Cup Winners Cup showdown between African club giants Zamalek of Egypt and Canon Yaounde of Cameroon looms after the quarter-finals draw in Cairo. Zamalek have been paired paired with giantkillers Ndiambour of Senegal and Canon meet the other surprise packets, Etoile of Congo, in home-and-away clashes during August. Success will keep the former […]
AN electronics, electrical engineering and information technology export council has been set up to promote international sales of South African electrotechnical goods and services. Membership has so far been extended to 38 companies.
MINISTERS of twenty of the world’s poorest countries will meet in Geneva on June 7 to discuss how to implement debt reduction initiatives by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. The Swiss state secretariat for the economy, SeCo, said on Wednesday ministers of the countries would talk with representatives of the IMF […]
FORCES allied to Democratic Republic of Congo President Laurent Kabila said on Wednesday they repulsed an attack on their positions by the Uganda-backed rebels, killing 49 of them. Last week, the United Nations observer mission in the DRC accused the rebels of violating a ceasefire signed by the warring parties last year. The UN Security […]
AUSSIE Test leg-spinner Shane Warne, whose debut season in English county cricket was marked by four consecutive ducks at one stage, bounced back by hitting the top score of 34 for Hampshire on Tuesday. However, Warne’s effort could not prevent his county losing by seven wickets to Surrey Lions in a National League 45 overs […]
OIL giant Royal Dutch Shell said on Wednesday it has agreed to sell its Australian-based coal business to Anglo American for between $850-million and $900-million in cash. The final price is dependent on balance sheet adjustments on completion of the deal, Shell said in a statement, adding that it expects to finalise the agreement by […]
THE US government has pledged R7-million to boost law enforcement in South Africa. The announcement follows a 10-day visit to the United States by Justice Minister Penuell Maduna and Safety and Security Minister Steve Tshwete to coincide with the state visit by President Thabo Mbeki. The US officials have pledged to help their South African […]
A CHEWABLE African shrub used by Somali gunmen fighting US troops in Mogadishu is posing concerns for US East Coast federal officials who believe it may offer the latest cheap amphetamine high. Khat — also known as “qat” — is traditionally used as a mild stimulant in African and some Middle Eastern countries. But US […]
BRITISH soldiers backing the government in conflict-ridden Sierra Leone handed out leaflets in Freetown on Wednesday warning they would soon leave. “As UNAMSIL reinforces and assumes the role of defending Lungi airport (near Freetown) there will be a withdrawal of British troops,” the leaflet said, without giving any dates. The British government has said on […]
THE Tanzanian government has sold a 51% stake in its airport services company to Swissport, a subsidiary of Swissair, for $4,8-million dollars. The state privatization agency said Swissport signed the sale agreement on Tuesday with the Tanzanian government and former foreign shareholders of the Dar es Salaam Airport Handling Company.
SOUTH Africa’s rugby talent is leaking through to Wellington, New Zealand with Stormers prop Morne van der Merwe staking a claim to play in the National Provincial Championships. Wellington already have eight props in their ranks, including England prop Kevin Yates, Hurricane Mike Edwards, Samoa test players Kepi Faivaii, Kas Lealamanua and Malaga Leota, ex-Chief […]
THE country’s leading internet marketing specialists have announced the formation of the South African branch of the US-based Internet Advertising Bureau. Ronan Langford, MD of Real Media Africa, says that IAB SA will act as a collective voice representing companies engaged in selling advertising in internet-based media in South Africa and internationally. It aims to […]