Staff Reporter

Investors always make the most noise about the latest budget. What will they be saying about this one? Belinda Beresford and David Le Page Was this an investor’s budget? Analysts are likely to be chewing over the reams of documentation provided by the Department of Finance for some time, trying to answer this question. Adults […]

THE first round draw for the Super 12 series which starts on Friday. Feb 25: ACT Brumbies (Aus) v Auckland Blues (Nzl) at Canberra Wellington Hurricanes (Nzl) v Natal Sharks (Rsa) Wellington Feb 26: Otago Highlanders (Nzl) v Queensland Reds (Aus) Dunedin Northern Transvaal Bulls (Rsa) v Transvaal Cats (Rsa) Pretoria Western Province Stormers (Rsa) […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Thursday 1.10pm. THE Sharks can expect a warm welcome from the Wellington Hurricanes when they clash in a Super 12 match at the new WestpacTrust Stadium in Wellington on Friday night. The home-side is expecting a sell-out 34500 crowd for the match, and the Hurricanes also sport two new coaches […]

DEON POTGIETER, Cape Town | Wednesday 11.35am. HENRY Akinwande, the number one contender for the World Boxing Association heavyweight world title, knocked out unknown Kenyan heavyweight Chris Serengo in just over two minutes on in a virtually secret bout Tuesday night. But, hot on the heels of this weekend’s controversial points decision against Baby Jake […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Thursday 12.30pm. AT least 84 people have died this month in Mozambique’s worst natural disasters in nearly 50 years, but government officials said on Thursday the final death toll is likely to be much higher. Flooded roads, smashed bridges, collapsed power lines and severed telephone links have made it impossible to […]

FIVE black editors have decided to attend the SA Human Rights Commission’s hearings into racism in the media with or without being subpoenaed. Business Day reports that the editors are Kaizer Nyatsumba of Durban-based Daily News; Mike Siluma of the Sowetan; Charles Mogale of Sunday World; Cyril Madlala of The Independent on Saturday; and Lakela […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Harare | Wednesday 7.20pm. ENGLAND cricket skipper Nasser Hussain said on Wednesday that he is convinced his country can become a force in international cricket once again. England have just concluded a four month tour of southern Africa with mixed results. Hussain recognized that a 2-1 Test series defeat by South Africa, plus […]

AN EgyptAir airliner slid off the runway while landing at Harare airport on Wednesday, injuring some of the 86 passengers aboard. They said the Boeing 767 had skidded into sand as it landed in heavy rain in the early hours. The incident is the latest in a string of misfortunes to hit the airline. An […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Oklahoma City | Thursday 9.30am. THIRD-seeded Amanda Coetzer stopped Anastasia Myskina of Russia 7-5 6-2 on Wednesday in the $170000 IGA Superthrift Tennis Classic. But the biggest loss came off the court when top-seeded Julie Halard-Decugis of France was forced to withdraw from the tournament because of an abdominal strain sustained while practicing […]

MANOAH ESIPISU, Harare | Wednesday 6.00pm. TWO journalists and a newspaper executive appeared in court in Harare on Wednesday on charges of criminal defamation over a report on a controversial draft constitution. Former acting editor of the Standard newspaper, Andy Moyse, managing director Clive Wilson and reporter Chengetai Zvauya were granted bail by magistrate Remigias […]

THE switch will be flicked on the rugby video referee as the Super 12 rugby series kicks off in New Zealand on Friday night. The video referee will make his rugby debut when Steve Walsh senior adjudicates all three Super 12 matches in New Zealand this weekend, starting with Jonah Lomu’s Wellington Hurricanes against the […]

SHARES in Spicer Holdings tumbled at the start of trade on Tuesday after the technology company said that its shaky merger talks with the IQ Business Group had finally been called off. Spicer’s shares lost 22,64% or 12 cents to 41 cents in brisk early trade of nearly half a million shares, in the wake […]

SHARES in gambling and hotel group Sun International (South Africa) (Sisa) tumbled on Tuesday as the market reacted negatively to expected, poor interim results and a gloomy earnings outlook for the full year. The share was down almost 5% after the company said late on Monday that its interim earnings per share before exceptionals had […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Wednesday 2.30pm SMOKERS and drinkers are going to be paying more on most alcohol and tobacco products and the increases are effective immediately, Finance Minister Manuel announced in his Budget. From today, smokers will pay 38 cents more on a packet of 20 cigarettes while drinkers will be charged two […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Abuja | Wednesday 3.30pm. NIGERIAN parliamentarians on Wednesday urged President Olusegun Obasanjo to end the religious riots over the strict Islamic Sharia code in the northern city of Kaduna, which have left at least 100 dead this week. “The (federal) government should step in as a matter of urgency to assist the Kaduna […]

NEW York palladium prices streaked to a fresh high over $800 an ounce in a record one-day gain on Tuesday, the rally snowballing as speculators increasingly displace stockpiled automakers as the main source of demand, analysts said. Panic over shortages has arisen because top-producer, Russia, has not shipped enough metal to supply to the West’s […]

FORMER German national soccer coach Berti Vogts will not replace Bafana coach Trott Moloto, Safa said on Tuesday. Safa denied German reports saying that it is close to concluding a deal with Vogts to replace Moloto, who is not expected to stay on as Bafana coach when his contract expires in March.

FARMERS in the Northern Cape province are fighting to eradicate swarms of locusts threatening maize and grape vines, an agricultural spokesman said on Tuesday. “In some places there are swarms up to 10 km long, but we have started spraying to get the situation under control,” said Hoffie Joubert, a spokesman for the Northern Cape […]

SARAH BULLEN, Cape Town | Wednesday 5.00pm LOCAL markets responded positively to the Budget on Wednesday, with a strong boost for the currency coming in Finance Minister Trevor Manuel’s conservative approach to raising offshore asset swap limits. By 4.320pm the rand was under R6,30 to the dollar. Barnard Jacob Mellett dealer Kevin Brady said that […]

A GREAT White shark tore a chunk of flesh and bone from the foot of a man in shallow water at Struisbaai, about 150km southeast of Cape Town,Die Burger newspaper reported on Tuesday. The 2,5m shark attacked 29-year-old Hellmuth Weich in water scarcely a meter deep. Shark attacks on humans in South African waters have […]

THE fourth one-day international between Zimbabwe and England was called off on Wednesday because of heavy rain. After a brief inspection, the umpires abandoned the game without a ball being bowled. England won the limited overs series 3-0.

AT least 20 people have died in clashes between Christians and Muslims that continued overnight in the northern Nigerian city of Kaduna. The unrest began early on Monday during a protest by tens of thousands of Christians against demands for the imposition of Islamic Sharia law in the city. Nigeria’s northern Niger State on Monday […]

ZAMBIA have axed national soccer coach Ben Bamfuchile as the traditional post-African Nations Cup hiring and firing gets into full swing. Bamfuchile pays the penalty for the Chipolopolo (Copper Bullets) failing to win a match or get beyond the first round at the biennial continental showpiece in Ghana and Nigeria this month. A 2-0 loss […]

BRITISH aero-engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce said on Tuesday that state arms manufacturer Denel is to become the sole supplier of the Rolls-Royce Tay engine gearbox. The agreement is aimed at strengthening SA’s manufacturing industry under the R21,3-billion defence package approved the government last year. Under the agreement, Denel Aviation, a division of Denel, becomes the sole […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Wednesday 12.45pm THE all-commodities producer price index rose an annualised 8,2% in January after December’s 7,2% rise, figures released by Statistics South Africa reveal. Monthly PPI rose 1,2% in January from December after rising 0,5% in December. A Reuters consensus poll of economists forecast PPI would rise a monthly 0,6% and […]

SARAH BULLEN, Cape Town | Wednesday 9.00am POPULAR Finance Minister Trevor Manuel is sitting on a tight ship. His ministry has reached its stated objectives in building economic policy credibility, it has enforced strict fiscal discipline, reigned in government spending to under 27% of GDP from nearly 29%, brought the Budget deficit to 2,6% of […]

DARYLL Cullinan wil only know on Wednesday morning whether he will be able to take his place in the South African team for their first Test against India on Thursday. Cullinan left the field with a groin strain in the warm-up match against an Indian Board President’s XI, and will be given a fitness test […]

THE truckers strike by the Transport and General Workers’ Union came to an end on Tuesday afternoon when union representives signed an agreement with officials of the Road Freight Employers’ Association. Management and the unions agreed on a 7,1% raise on the average, and one-and-a-half times normal pay for overtime — in line with the […]

CORRIE van Zyl, who has opened the bowling for South Africa and Free State, has been appointed as assistant coach to the Proteas national cricketers. Van Zyl, 39, has been Free State’s cricket manager and is en route join the Proteas in India.

ANDREW MUCHINERIPI, Pretoria | Wednesday 4.30pm. SUNDOWNS moved six points clear of Kaizer Chiefs at the top of the Castle Premiership standings on Tuesday night with an unimpressive 2-1 victory over mid-table Free State Stars at Loftus Versfeld. Bennett Mnguni was the unlikely hero, slamming a quickly-taken free kick by Roger Feutmba past goalkeeper Mathew […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Tuesday 1.35pm. ORLANDO Pirates coach Ted Dumitru has quit. Dumitru, former Kaizer Chiefs and Sundowns coach, is in Namibia to conduct a coaching course en route to New York where he will be attending a sports conference. Romanian-born Dumitru told The Sowetan that “it’s over between Pirates and me, ” apparently […]

THE 3000 South Africans suing British-based Cape for asbestos poisoning will appeal to Britain’s House of Lords on June 19 for their case to be heard in the UK, their South African legal representative Richard Spoor said on Monday. The victims, most of whom worked on Cape mines in Prieska in the Northern Cape and […]