SARAH BULLEN, Cape Town | Monday 6.30pm THE government on Monday stood by its decision to draft new legislation that will see nine out of ten licensed firearms outlawed. Responding to a wave of criticism from gun-owners lobbyists, the Department of Safety and Security said that most illegal guns are lost by or stolen from […]
THE second of two men critically injured in last week’s blast at a factory in Brits in the North West province died in hospital on Monday morning. Michael Rathopo, (42) died in the Pretoria East Hospital’s intensive care unit at about 7.00am. The first victim, Michael Moagi, (54) died at about midnight on Friday. Both […]
BRONWEN ROBERTS, Johannesburg | Monday 2.35pm. MORE than 200000 unused small arms and light weapons are going to be destroyed as part of the government’s drive to stamp out illegal weapons, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Aziz Pahad said on Monday. Speaking in Algiers at an Organisation for African Unity summit, Pahad said the exercise will […]
DAVID SHAPSHAK, Wellington | Sunday 5.30pm. THE Springboks — fresh from Saturday’s humiliating 28-0 defeat, their worst ever – and suffering without key injured players were dealt another cruel blow with news that captain Gary Teichmann will miss two to six weeks of rugby with another knee injury. After the disastrous Tri-Nation’s opener against the […]
THE Standard editor, Mark Chavunduka, and chief writer, Ray Choto, have lodged an application with the Supreme Court challenging the validity of the Law and Order Maintenance Act (Loma) under which the two are being charged for allegedly causing “alarm and despondency”. Chavunduka and Choto were arrested, illegally detained, and tortured in January this year […]
NIGERIAN authorities have made two arrests amid government concern at student cult killings after seven died at a university in southern Nigeria over the weekend, officials said on Monday. Police Commissioner Johnson Nwoye said two suspected cult members, Adeolu Fagbere and Melody Okuwata, were arrested following the killings at the Obafemi Awolowo University. Five students […]
SARAH BULLEN, Cape Town | Monday 3.45pm Public Enterprises Jeff Radebe on Monday dismissed reports of large scale layoffs at rail parastatal Spoornet as premature and speculative. Radebe said that Spoornet has not yet been formally identified as a candidate for restructuring under the National Framework Agreement — an agreement governing the privatisation of parastatals. […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Gabarone | Monday 12.30am. TRADE officals from the 14 member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) meet in Gabarone Monday to thrash out a regional free trade plan in advance of a trade ministers’ meeting on Wednesday. SADC chief economist Chingo Mwila said Monday’s meeting in the Botswana capital will focus […]
JUSTIN ARENSTEIN, Nelspruit | Sunday 7.00pm PUBLIC Protector Selby Baqwa’s investigation into Mpumalanga Premier Ndaweni Mahlangu is in danger of being scuppered by the refusal of the SABC to release its audio and television tapes of Mahlangu’s notorious defence of liars. Baqwa formally requested copies of the unedited tapes from SABC chairman, Reverend Hawu Mbatha […]
BRYAN PEARSON, Johannesburg | Monday 3.20pm THE government has postponed until later this week the visit of a high-level team to persuade European countries, particularly Britain, to halt the sale of their gold reserves, officials said. The delegation, headed by Mineral and Energy Minister Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, was to have left for London on Sunday night […]
SOUTH AFRICA’S population has grown by 2,47 million since October 1996, according to the latest estimate of Statistics SA. The current total stands at 43,05 million, up from 40,58 million about three years ago, according to a statement released in Pretoria. Stats SA estimates that the economically active population rose from 14,9 million to 15,8 […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Durban | Sunday 10.00am. ORLANDO Pirates won the inaugural Vodacom African Challenge by beating Tunisian champions Esperance 4-1 at Kings Park Stadium in Durban on Saturday. The Buccaneers walked off with the elaborate, pointed trophy and the R500000 first prize, while countrymen Kaizer Chiefs beat Asec Mimosa 2-1 to clinch third place. Playing […]
NIGERIA’S public sector wages panel has proposed a pay cut for the president, from 70000 naira to 23500 naira per month for the president, officials said on Monday. The proposal made last week by the National Salary and Income Commission, was rejected by the Senate, and sent back to the presidency, commission officials said. It […]
MOHLOLI MAHLALA of Pretoria, four-time gold medallist in the Comrades and Russian’s Viktor Zhdanov who finished runner-up in the marathon were named by Athletics South Africa on Wednesday as testing positive for the use of banned substances in the KwaZulu Natal classic from Pietermaritzburg to Durban on June 16. Athletics Gauteng North’s Mahlala, who finished […]
ZIMBABWE’S Supreme Court on Friday ordered an end to solitary confinement for three US citizens held in a maximum security prison on gun charges, with other improvements in their conditions. The three detained Americans earlier this week complained of inhuman treatment at Chikurubi prison on the outskirts of the capital. John Lamonte Dixon, Gary George […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Harare | Sunday 7.30pm ZIMBABWE plans to compensate victims of atrocities committed by its troops who crushed a rebellion in western Matabeleland province in the 1980s, a cabinet minister has said. Home Affairs Minister Dumiso Dabengwa told the state-owned Sunday Mail that the government has made an undertaking to compensate the victims in […]
ISRAEL’S new Prime Minister Ehud Barak arrived for summit talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Friday facing the first Arab test of his pledge to revive the Middle East peace process. The meeting, the first leg of a diplomatic tour to consult key players in the peace process, is designed to “re-establish a climate […]
THE World Cup-bound United States rugby team has canceled one of three matches on its upcoming tour of Australia. The Eagles were supposed to open the tour against the ACT President’s XV, featuring former Wallaby hero David Campese, on July 18. ACT rugby union general manager Mark Sinderberry said the Americans pulled out because of […]
THE South African men’s hockey side begin their build-up campaign for the All Africa Games in September when they face Zimbabwe in the first of two internationals matches at the Parktown Boys High in Johannesburg on Thursday at 3.30pm. While the Amastokke occupy a higher world ranking than Zimbabwe, they can ill afford to take […]
SPOORNET is mulling thousands of jobs cuts — up to 27000 according to rail unions — as part of a massive restructuring effort, the company said on Thursday. Unions said they would fight the job cuts by launching strike action from Friday. “Rolling mass action” by some 40000 rail employees is aimed at stopping the […]
THE life expectancy of the average South African is expected to drop from 60 to 40 years by 2008 as a result of Aids mortality, the Department of Welfare and Population Development said on Friday. It said that a total of 3,6 million South Africans were already infected with HIV, and it is estimated that […]
LAWRENCE BARTLETT, Lusaka | Sunday 11.30am. SIX nations involved in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo signed a ceasefire pact in Lusaka on Saturday, but not rebels trying to topple President Laurent Kabila. Zambian President Frederick Chiluba said the rebels will sign later, after he has decided on the validity of conflicting leadership […]
AFRICAN foreign ministers worked into the small hours of Sunday to hammer out draft proposals on conflict management, terrorism and economic development to be debated at this week’s Organization of African Unity summit. Some 40 heads of state and government are expected in Algiers for the 35th OAU summit from Monday to Wednesday. Draft documents […]
THE United States has appointed Sue Ford Patrick as its new consul-general in Johannesburg, the US embassy in South Africa announced on Thursday. Patrick, formerly political counsellor at the US embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, is a career member of the US foreign service and has served in numerous overseas postings, including Rwanda, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya […]
PRESIDENT Thabo Mbeki will begin a week-long holiday on Thursday after the annual Organisation of African Unity summit in Algiers, his aide Ronnie Mamoepa said on Friday. Mbeki would return home on July 22 in time for the African National Congress’ national executive committee meeting that weekend. It is Mbeki’s first vacation since a gruelling […]
Italy winger Massimo Mascioletti will take over as national team coach with immediate effect, the Italian Rugby Federation said on Wednesday. Mascioletti was named on Sunday as successor to Frenchman Georges Coste but had been expected to take charge only after the World Cup in Britain in October. However, the federation said Coste had since […]
SIX youths were remanded in custody after a brief court appearance in the Johannesburg Regional Court on Friday in connection with the gang rape of a Brazilian journalist at Bruma Lake. The youths were described by the court as “destitute children” who lived in a derelict flat in downtown Johannesburg. The accused — aged mostly […]
THE All Blacks and Springboks may square off twice in Dunedin this weekend — at rugby on Saturday, and on the golf course on Sunday. All Black coach John Hart said tonight he was keen to continue the relationship built in Durban last year, when the teams played golf the day after the Springboks 24-23 […]
A MAN who allegedly drove the getaway car used after the murder of the ex-wife of a former Mpumalanga MEC was arrested on Friday. Police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Phuti Setati said the 28-year-old man was arrested during the early hours of Friday morning in connection with the murder of Aletta Rose Mnisi, former wife of […]
THE Grahamstown fire department is fighting a fire that started on Saturday night when a fireworks display at the set alight the hill below the 1820 Settler monument. The fireworks had been planned as one of the highlights of the final weekend of the festival — which ends on Sunday.A spokesman for the local fire […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Sunday 5.00pm HEAVY congestion at South African ports – coupled with alleged cartel behaviour by shipping companies – is putting importers and exporters in a stranglehold which could result in pressure on the country’s foreign reserves and balance of trade. The Business Times reports on Sunday that 12 of the shipping […]
SCHUTTE BEKKER may be able to play first-class rugby after his mild heart attack seven weeks ago. Bekker has begun walking on the treadmill, and must still be cautious while building up his strength. He hopes to be back for the Blue Bulls by the end of the season. Bekker has a single Springbok cap […]