Barry Streek The South African Human Rights Commission (HRC) has strongly criticised the government for not taking it seriously, accusing some ministers of regarding it as a nuisance and condemning Parliament for not giving its reports meaningful attention. The 1999 HRC report, which has been tabled in Parliament, says the commission believes there is “a […]
THE West Indies have named an unchanged 13-man squad for the second and final test against Zimbabwe starting in Kingston, Jamaica, on Friday. On Monday, the Windies dragged themselves off the floor to score a remarkable 35-run victory in the inaugural test between the two sides. Zimbabwe, chasing a target of 99, were bowled out […]
Paul Kirk Chris MacAdam, the head of KwaZulu- Natal’s investigating directorate (organised crime and public safety), is facing a multimillion-rand lawsuit from soldiers who claim he wrongly arrested them for a massacre that followed the assassination of Sifiso Nkabinde. Within hours of Nkabinde being gunned down in Richmond, a family of 11 African National Congress […]
Is normal service resumed? Markets surge as the blue chips bite back – and dot.coms dwindle Heather Connon It is a corporate remake of The Empire Strikes Back. Just 10 days ago a clutch of new technology stars soared into the elite of the FTSE 100 index. Since then, the shares of Freeserve, Psion and […]
SOUTH Africa’s Bradford Vaughan, a two-time winner on the Vodacom Tour, has a one shot lead after the first round of the Zambian Open at the Lusaka Golf Club. Vaughan, the elder of two brothers competing for the R500000 on offer this week, shot a magnificent six under-par 67, to lead by a stroke from […]
Cameron Duodu LETTER FROM THE NORTH ‘We have told everyone we will shave our heads to be like Mr [Abdoulaye] Wade. After that, we are going to stand naked in front of the presidential palace – to proclaim that we are like new-born babies and that a new Senegal is born.” With these words, the […]
Peter Dickson Costa Gazi, the outspoken Eastern Cape state doctor, has offered to personally fund the introduction of Nevirapine, an anti-retroviral drug used to combat Aids, in community clinics if the Department of Health fails to provide the drug. Gazi, the health secretary of the Pan Africanist Congress, said this week he is prepared to […]
TELECOMS firm Ikwezi has pulled out of a consortium that won a bid to buy a majority stake in state-owned Uganda Telecommunications Limited (UTL), government officials said on Friday. They did not say why Ikwezi pulled out of the consortium and company officials were not immediately available for comment. But the head of Uganda’s privatisation […]
Donna Block SHAREWORLD I’ve just returned from holiday in Plettenberg Bay, during which time my family and I decided to take a tour boat. We spotted lots of sea creatures but the waves were throwing us around quite a bit, causing my six-year-old to say, “Mommy looks just like a robot – red, yellow and […]
NET WATCH Ever been frustrated by Junk Mail’s insistence on obscuring phone numbers in their online edition? Well, now you can advertise free online at consumer.co.za, and read the ads free as well. It’s a new service from online store etenga, and you can leave your ad up as long as you like. Those who […]
UGANDAN security officials have exhumed at least 40 bodies from two graves in a compound of the doomsday cult of which hundreds of members burnt to death last week. Security officials in the area found one grave in which they discovered 20 bodies, mainly women and children. They then found a second bigger grave in […]
Rodney Victor Jewish leaders are scrambling to avoid involvement in a row over the food given to Jews in prisons after an awaiting-trial inmate at Pretoria Central Prison complained that Jewish prisoners are offered halaal food prepared for Muslims instead of kosher fare. Rabbi Michael Katz of Chabad House in Johannesburg said he is aware […]
John Matshikiza With the Lid Off Lusaka looks sadly dilapidated these days. You can tell that no one really comes here because the huge, pompous international airport that was built in Kaunda’s heyday, shortly after independence in the 1960s, stands gaunt, faded and out of step with the times. The car park is the same […]
PRESIDENT Thabo Mbeki’s office has denied that Mbeki has gone soft on Aids, insisting that he is committed to help curb the spread of the disease. But Mbeki’s spokesman Parks Mankahlana said the president will continue to seek views on the problem from any sector of society. The comment follows widespread criticism of Mbeki after […]
Jaspreet Kindra The government’s plan to privatise municipal services countrywide has created a gruelling test for the ruling alliance of the African National Congress, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the South African Communist Party as they gear up for November’s local government elections. Cash-strapped municipalities will now have the option of […]
De Beers has recently declared that its Central Selling Organisation (CSO) can guarantee, from March 26, that no diamonds from rebel-held zones will contaminate its sales. This is laudable, if late, but the diamond giant also seems to be trying to airbrush history and tell us that it has no idea how it is that […]
FOREIGN minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma is due to meet Chinese President Jiang Zemin on Friday to discuss his upcoming visit to South Africa. Dlamini-Zuma is currently in Beijing for bilateral talks. The four day visit begins on April 24th and is the first to South Africa by a Chinese head of state. It is part of […]
THE SA Weather Bureau is to be turned into a statutory body that will charge fees for certain non-core services, Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister Valli Moosa said on Thursday. Speaking at a function to celebrate World Meteorological Day 2000, Moosa said the objective is to enable the Weather Bureau to generate its own income. […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Thursday 5.00pm. THE JSE continued its gains on Thursday, with a strong showing in the IT, financial and industrial sectors, finishing the day 0,71% or 57 points up. Dimension Data, which posted the most active shares by value on the day, had added R2,30 to its share price by midday. At […]
GRIQUAS will sport the talents of Leon van den Heever at fullback when they meet the Mpumalanga Pumas in a vital Vodacom Cup match in Witbank on Saturday. Eighthman Bok Markram and prop Henno van Tonder are also back in the side. There are also a new replacement in George Binekos, while Darren Uys has […]
GOLD producer Durban Roodepoort Deep said on Thursday it is closely monitoring a cyanide spill in Papua New Guinea that involved its Australian takeover target Dome Resources. Johannesburg-based DRD owns 19,9% of Dome and is currently bidding for the remaining 80,1% it does not already own. A crate of deadly sodium cyanide pellets, suspended below […]
TELKOM announced on Wednesay that is has suspended 17 employees allegedly linked to inappropriate conduct involving outside contractors. Telkom’s managing executive of network operations said that that the suspensions follow an extensive investigation, which uncovered evidence of inappropriate business relationships and transactions with certain contractors –a violation of Telkom’s code of conduct. No further details […]
DIMENSION Data Holding (Didata) on Thursday announced that it is set to capture at least 15% of the networking market in the New England region of the United States. The deal sees Dimension Data take control of Data Comm Systems (DCS) Incorporated, a Boston-based company with an annual turnover of R200-million. This follows its acquisition […]
LIBERIA has lifted with “immediate effect” the suspension of the Roman Catholic radio station Veritas for posing a security threat, the information ministry said on Wednesday. The ministry said the suspension was lifted following talks between the ministers of justice, information and postal affairs and the board of Radio Veritas headed by its chairman Archbishop […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Wednesday 7.00pm STATE arms manufacturer Denel announced on Wednesday it has signed a tri-party agreement to become a strategic supply partner to BAE Systems — one of the world’s largest aerospace and defence companies — and Saab, northern Europe’s leading high-technology company. The agreement has the potential to generate more than […]
RELIEF efforts in flood-ravaged Mozambique have cost the SA government R10,2-million so far, Deputy President Jacob Zuma told Parliament on Thursday. Zuma said the necessary funds will be made available through the departments of foreign affairs and defence. Military deployment so far has consisted of 88 personnel, five Oryx helicopters, 2 BK117 helicopters, 1 Casa […]
CONGO-BRAZZVILLE’S state-owned oil refinery (CORAF) has resumed production after a halt of almost four years due to delayed repairs, officials said on Thursday. The plant in the Central African country’s oil centre of Pointe-Noire is now refining 75 tons of crude an hour. The plant has a capacity of one million tons a year, but […]
RWANDA President Pasteur Bizimungu resigned on Thursday, just days after accusing parliament and a newly sworn-in Cabinet of disobedience. Bizimungu submitted his resignation in a letter to the president of the Supreme Court. Bizimungu, a Hutu, was embroiled in conflict with the Tutsi-led Rwandan Patriotic Front – a former rebel organization and now a major […]
ENGLISH Premiership side Chelsea have agreed to release Nigerian international Celestine Babayaro Thursday for a crucial Olympic qualifier at the weekend, Nigerian sports officials said. The London club have been in a tussle with the Nigerian Football Association over the release of Babayaro after he overstayed in Nigeria at the end of the African Cup […]
SOUTH Africa has unveiled a collector’s gold coin depicting “Little Foot,” a hominid who lived 3.3 million years ago. The coin, nominally worth R2, contains a quarter of an ounce of 24 carat gold, and will sell for R800. Only 1000 are being produced. Little Foot, one of South Africa’s greatest palaeontological discoveries, lived in […]
THE SA Telecommunications Regulatory Authority on Thursday opened the 072 and 073 telephone subscriber number ranges to Vodacom and MTN. Announcing its decision, Satra said that the new lines will alleviate a desperate need for additional cellular subscriber numbers. Initially only the 0721 and 0722 access codes will be open to Vodacom and the 0731 […]
SARAH BULLEN and Reuters, Cape Town | Wednesday 5.00pm SHARES on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange ended the day largely firmer on Wednesday as players filtered back into the market after a public holiday. Giving an early boost to the market was news that market bellwether Anglo American Plc’s annual results showed a 13% rise in […]