MPUMALANGA fired controversial local government director James Nkambule for the fourth time on Monday, without waiting for the outcome of disciplinary action against him. All three earlier attempts to axe Nkambule had to be withdrawn after the government admitted that it failed to follow established labour procedures. The latest dismissal was announced in a terse […]
THE environmental affairs department has spent more than R500000 on investigating allegations that the process of allocating fishing quotas was riddled with corruption, but had not uncovered any material evidence implicating its officials. The probe’s other findings were still being evaluated, but in the interim, the department’s marine inspectorate was upgraded, Environmental Affairs Minister Valli […]
ANGOLAN rebel group Unita said on Tuesday that it has freed five Russian pilots captured in Angola. In a statement released in Lisbon, Unita said the pilots were freed on February 5 in response to appeals from family members and diplomats. Unita said the pilots had been handed over on May 22 to authorities in […]
LIFE assurance group Metropolitan Life has announced an increase in headline earnings of 83%, from from R192-million to R352-million for the six months to the end of March. “I am delighted to be able to report that sustained growth in all areas of our business has considerably enhanced our competitive position,” Group finance director Preston […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Wednesday 1.50pm. THE National Union of Mineworkers faces financial ruin if Eskom is successful in suing it for some R6,1-million for damage to property caused by its members during strike action. In a similar case Telkom is claiming R285000 from the Communication Workers’ Union, The Star reports. According to the paper […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Wednesday 4.00pm. THE Johannesburg Stock Exchange ended on a sour note on Wednesday following the release of worse-than-expected producer price index figures, and a weaker US Nasdaq overnight. The overall finished 1,59% or 114 points down. Industrials were 2,24% or 179 points off, while financials ended down 1,56% or 137 points. […]
THE United Cricket Board of South Africa announced on Tuesday that it will back Bangladesh’s bid for Test status. The International Cricket Council will consider the application at their meeting in London next month. Acting UCBSA president Percy Sonn said in a statement: “We decided Bangladesh’s application is consistent with the ICC’s global (cricket development) […]
JAPAN has announced plans to send Asian experts to Africa to upgrade skills and help lift the continent out of poverty. Tokyo will help the United Nations develop a program for skills development in Africa, said Yasuaki Nogawa, deputy director general of the foreign ministry’s Middle East and Africa bureau. Nogawa said the world body […]
GARY Teichmann, former Springbok and Natal skipper, will return to South Africa next week to lead his Welsh side Newport against the Sharks as part of his benefit year celebrations. The celebrations kick off on Saturday when Newoport will play a warm-up match against Teichman’s old club College Rovers. Apart from Teichmann, the side also […]
MULTINATIONAL banking and investment group, Investec, will seek to enhance its critical mass in the UK, where it has already bought and integrated merchant banking and asset management businesses, with “one or two acquisitions”, according to the Business Report. Stephen Koseff, the bank’s chief executive, said these will be in the fund management, banking and […]
SWAZILAND’S government has retained the death penalty by hanging for capital crimes in the face of condemnation from human rights groups and neighbouring countries that have abolished the ultimate penalty. This year, the number of death row prisoners has doubled, from six to 12. But, or condemned men and women, all that stands in the […]
FORMER IBF junior featherweight world champion Vuyani Bungu has ended months of speculation by saying that he will resume his boxing career. There was a lot of speculation regarding Bungu’s future after his dismal performance against Naseem Hamed in March. He was stopped in four rounds by the WBO featherweight world champion in a fight […]
SUSAN NJANJI, Harare | Tuesday 2.00pm. A SENIOR member of Zimbabwe’s ruling party has admitted it could be trounced by the new opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in next month’s elections. At the same time the government of President Robert Mugabe on Tuesday gazetted legislation empowering the government to acquire 841 white-owned farms for […]
ESKOM, the state owned electricity supplier, plans to invest more than R7 billion in projects in other African countries over the next five years. More than R4.2 billion of this would be in new projects, R1,8 billion in equity investments and R1 billion in the rehabilitation of existing projects, Public Enterprises Minister Jeff Radebe said […]
ANDRE Watson will referee Saturday’s Super 12 rugby final between the ACT Brumbies and the Crusaders in Canberra. Watson will lead a trio of South African officials, assisted on the touch lines by Jonathan Kaplan and Tappe Henning. Watson, South Africa’s top ref, blew last year’s Rugby World Cup final.
THE main rebel group in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday denied reports from a Rome-based missionary news agency that its forces took part in an alleged massacre of around 300 civilians. Misna, the news agency, “has always falsely accused the Congolese Rally for Democracy. There was no massacre,” the movement’s military leader and […]
FIVE players from the 1999 title-winning squad make their return to the South African Under-21 rugby squad that will travel to New Zealand in June to defend the SANZAR/UAR crown. Blue Bulls prop Eduard Coetzee, Free State winger Wylie Human and flanker Hendro Scholtz, Natal flyhalf Butch James and Border lock Bandile Ncunyana were amongst […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Tuessday 1.00pm. THE President of the South African Hockey Association, Claire Digby, has left for Rio de Janeiro to assist the embattled South African men’s hockey team to find a berth at the Sydney Olympics. The team’s plight will be heard on Wednesday when the International Olympic Committee meets to […]
A NEW survey of the hotel industry shows that hotel occupancy rates declined throughout South Africa last year, with only Mpumalanga showing a growth of 2,7%. The South African edition of the annual Arthur Andersen Hotel Industry Benchmark Survey covers 185 hotels nationwide. Hotel occupancy in the Western Cape was down 4,7% for the year […]
LUKE BAKER, Johannesburg | Tuesday 3.30pm. DIMENSION Data, the country’s leading IT group, is expected to win government approval for a primary London listing “imminently”, its chairman said on Tuesday.
RETIRING ACT Brumbies skipper Brett Robinson will lead his team into Saturday’s Super 12 rugby final against the Canterbury Crusaders provided his body stands up to the rigours of contact training this week, the Brumbies coach said. Robinson, 30, was one of the form openside flankers of the competition before being sidelined by a torn […]
South African top seed Amanda Coetzer beat Spain’s Cristina Torrens-Valero 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 Sunday to win the 140,000-dollar WTA tennis event in Antwerp. Coetzer, the world number 11, beat an opponent way below her in the rankings at 80th in a match interrupted by rain. On clay made slower by the moisture, the first set […]
PUBLIC sector unions and government begin their second round of wage talks on Tuesday. At the top of the agenda at the Pretoria meeting, is a new wage proposal after the 12 unions rejected a five percent salary increase offer. Unions are demanding 10%, which they say is in line with inflation. It is hoped […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Tuesday 11.50am. TWO of the greatest rivals in South African soccer Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs have been united under the same sponsorship banner. Cellular network provider Vodacom has announced a “multi-million rand” three-year sponsorship the two clubs who hold two of the top-three spots on the Premier Soccer League […]
ERIK DE CASTRO, Jolo | Tuesday 2.30pm. DECLARING they wanted peace, about 100 armed Islamic rebels descended from their mountain hideout in the southern Philippines on Tuesday to negotiate on the fate of 21 mostly foreign hostages. The unexpected meeting between the Abu Sayyaf guerrillas and Moslem provincial governor Abdusakur Tan in a local town […]
SOUTH Africa’s Oscar Chalupsky won the 10km Kala Kukea memorial race at Hawaii Kai at the weekend. With the World Ocean Kayak Championships on May 28, it sets the Duzi star up well. “This was a very good warm up race for next week’s world champs and it gave a good indication of my speed,” […]
FORMER Ghanaian football captain Abedi Pele and fellow ex-international Tony Yeboah have rejected an invitation to re-join the national team. The Ghana Football Association invited the two to strenghten the Black Stars in their preparation for the 2002 World Cup qualifying series which will begin in June. In separate radio interviews in Accra on Monday, […]
A REPORT by national automobile group Naamsa, says that the sales of passenger cars in South Africa increased by 27,1% to 55385 units in first quarter of this year. Commercial vehicle sales for the same period increased by 10,2% to 27894 units over the first quarter of 1999. Heavy commercials were six percent down on […]
A TEAM of Egyptian archaeologists working in the Valley of the Mummies on the outskirts of Cairo, has discovered 100 more gold-encased bodies. Team leader Zahi Hawass said the mummies have been found intact in seven newly uncovered tombs at the ancient necropolis where 200 mummies were found last year and which is expected to […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Tuesday 4.15pm. SPORTS Minister Ngconde Balfour has sided with the South African men’s hockey team in its battle against the National Olympic Committee of South Africa to get to the Sydney Games. Balfour spoke in Parliament on the eve of the decision by the International Olympic Committee whether to uphold […]
ALAN FINLAY & Reuters, Johannesburg | Monday 4.00pm. THE JSE slipped lower on Monday on the back of weaker Asian markets, worse-than-expected first quarter gross domestic product data, and Friday’s dip in US markets. The all-share finished 0,60% or 43 points lower. Industrials closed down 1,28% or 104 points and financials ended 0,74% or 65 […]
A BAN on women’s boxing in South Africa will be overturned by legislation to be introduced later this year, Sports Minister Ngconde Balfour said on Tuesday. The ban, effected by a 1954 law, was contrary to South Africa’s post-apartheid constitution which rules against discrimination in all spheres of life, Balfour said in parliament. “Our constitution […]