GAUTENG daily,The Star, on Wednesday endorsed the African National Congress for the June 2 election but called on Gauteng voters to back the Democratic Party in the provincial poll. In its editorial, the newspaper said the ANC has an imperfect record in Gauteng where the majority of its readers reside. Newspapers that have publicly backed […]
MORE than 200 students at a teachers’ college in Mpumalanga have gone on hunger strike – because they say they are not getting enough food. Boarders at Mgwenya College of Education near Nelspruit complained when only half of them were given breakfast on Tuesday morning. And when only the boarders received lunch, all students decided […]
PRESIDENT Nelson Mandela on Wednesday conferred the Order of Good Hope on visiting Saudi Arabian crown prince Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, and chose the occasion to highlight South Africa’s hopes of a resumption in the Middle East peace process. The crown prince arrived in South Africa on Wednesday on a six-day official visit during which […]
AN inspector stationed at the Hout Bay police station was on Wednesday arrested by the Independent Complaints Directorate and will face charges of murder, defeating the ends of justice and perjury, according to ICD regional director Riaz Saloojee. Saloojee said the policeman allegedly shot and killed a man said to have been involved in a […]
CLARE LOVELL, London | Thursday 11.50am. THE top box-office clash of the World Cup’s first round pits bookmaker’s choice South Africa against home favourites England at The Oval on Saturday, the same day that London also hosts soccer’s F.A. Cup final. Both already look likely to progress further but Saturday’s contest has an extra significance. […]
A DEVASTATING fire at Zambia’s only fuel refinery at Indeni, in Ndola, the provincial capital of the copperbelt region, has threatened fuel supplies to the country’s copper mines and to the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo. Presidential affairs minister Eric Silwamba said: “The damage is quite extensive. We estimate that the plant will be […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cairo | Thursday 2.00pm AN Egyptian archaeologist announced on Thursday that he has discovered an ancient desert route which Moses might have taken to lead the Jewish people out of Pharaonic Egypt more than 3500 years ago. A series of dried up wells revealed an ancient route of around 200km from the Nile […]
PHILLIP NKOSI, Machadodorp | Thursday 2.15pm. A POLICEMAN from Diepkloof in Soweto was arrested on Wednesday after he and a gang of men allegedly tried to hijack a car on the N4 highway in Mpumalanga. Police spokesman Captain Izak van Zyl said the policeman was arrested when two other police officers drove by and saw […]
THE European Union has given Swaziland an estimated US $1,3-million as part of a regional initiative to help the country deal with the economic impact of a South Africa-EU trade agreement signed earlier this year. Economist Pierre Bide of the EU in Swaziland said on Wednesday: “The idea is help Swaziland cope with any fall […]
MANAGEMENT at a Billiton’s Richards Bay Aluminium smelter plant in KwaZulu-Natal barred Trade and Industry Minister Alec Erwin from addressing 1200 workers, SABC radio news said on Wednesday. Erwin was invited to visit the plant by the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa. Numsa spokesperson Dumisa Ntuli said the company refused a request from […]
JAPAN has given both the Zambian and Zimbabwean governments 1,7-billion to facilitate the construction of a modern bridge at Chirundu border post. Zambian daily The Post reports that finance and economic development minister Edith Nawakwi, signing on behalf of the Zambian government, hailed the funding as it will help improve the vital link to Southern […]
BOTH government and rebel forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been accused of extreme human rights abuse. Revolutionary United Front rebels have committed “scores of atrocities” against civilians, according to a press release sent out on Monday by Human Rights Watch. The international human rights organisation based its charge on the testimonies of […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Thursday 9.30am. SUNDOWNS kept their hopes very much alive of retaining the Castle Premier League title when they outplayed AmaZulu 3-1 at the King’s Park Rugby Stadium in Durban on Wednesday night. Kaizer Chiefs must play Dynamos, and Sundowns have two games in hand to make up the six points separating […]
Braam van Straaten has concluded a contract with the Western Province Rugby Football Union. His contract will commence on 1 June 1999 and terminate on 31 October 2001. Fedsure WP are delighted that Braam has shown such a keen interest to further his rugby career in Cape Town. Rob Wager, MD of Western Province Rugby […]
GLOBAL demand for platinum in 1998 grew by 220000 ounces to 5,35-million ounces, driven by a 70% increase in fabrication of jewellery in China, according to Johnson Matthey in Platinum 1999, published in London on Monday. Demand in China, insignificant five years ago, rose to 620 000 ounces, taking total jewellery demand to 2,37-million ounces. […]
THE second in command in Nigeria’s military regime, Vice Admiral Mike Akhigbe, has threatened to sue publishers of a Lagos magazine which last week accused him of shady business dealings. Lawyers for the Nigerian chief of general staff sent a letter to the publishers of The News magazine, demanding an immediate retraction of the article, […]
A PARIS prosecutor on Tuesday called for a 12- to 15-year sentence against notorious “dog of war” Bob Denard for his role in the 1989 assassination of Comoran president Ahmed Abdallah. Prosecutor Paul Bilger told a court on the penultimate day of Denard’s two-week trial that both the 70-year-old mercenary leader and one of his […]
THE organisation Muslims Against Illegitimate Leaders will launch a campaign to discourage people from voting in the June 2 election, according to Mail spokesman Abdurahman Khan. Organisations affiliated to the Islamic Unity Convention decided at the weekend to encourage people not to vote, Business Day reported in its Tuesday edition. The IUC claims to represent […]
AN American citizen wanted on two charges in the United States was traced to Cape Town via the internet, police said on Tuesday. The Federal Investigation Bureau in was looking for Steven Nelson Delit on charges of theft of $1,2-million and of flight to avoid prosecution. A member of the public who was surfing the […]
PANASONIC Systems Company announced on Monday it has appointed its first empowerment franchise called OSEC (Office Solutions Empowerment Company. The firm said OSEC is a private black owned operational company dealing in office automation with the majority shareholding of 70% owned by the managing director, Mthandeni Bengane, and the remainder owned by the other director, […]
AN increase in motor vehicle theft last year left many motor insurers making significant underwriting losses last year, the South African Insurance Association said on Monday. SAIA chief executive Barry Scott said in a 1988/99 annual report that the relentless increase in crime in the mid-1990s apparently tapered off in 1996 and 1997. “However, during […]
JUBILEE 2000, the British-based group campaigning for the cancellation of the unpayable debts of the world’s poorest countries by next year, supports Nigeria’s calls for debt relief, director Ann Pettifor said on Tuesday. Speaking after a two-hour meeting with president-elect Olusegun Obasanjo, the director of the high-profile group said: “We in Jubilee 2000 would be […]
NIGERIA’S outgoing military ruler General Abdulsalami Abubakar said on Monday his country and Cameroon have agreed to resolve their long-running dispute over the Bakassi peninsula “in brotherly fashion.” Speaking after talks with Cameroon’s President Paul Biya Monday, Abubakar said his one-day visit had been a great success, while Biya called it “very useful.” The Cameroon […]
THE referees for both semifinals of the Winfield Super 12 and Vodacom Cup this weekend have been announced. In the Super 12 on Saturday night in Cape Town the second place Stormers play third place Otago Highlanders. The officials for this match will be Peter Marshall (Aus), referee, and Andrew Cole (Aus) and Wayne Erickson […]
SACHIN Tendulkar has flown back to India from the cricket World Cup following the death of his father but team officials said on Wednesday they were confident he will rejoin the team. Brijesh Patel from the Indian squad said: “He was in a state of shock. Our thoughts are with him and his family.” He […]
THE United Nations has set July 31 2000 as the date for a referendum on the future of Western Sahara, according to a UN report released on Tuesday. The referendum to decide the future of the former Spanish colony annexed by Morocco in 1975 will cap a year of identification and appeal processes approved by […]
THE Independent Electoral Commission announced on Tuesday that it has scrapped a total of 428 candidates from its final list for the elections. Deputy chief electoral officer Norman du Plessis said that some candidates lost their place on the lists because they failed to sign the relevant documents accepting their nomination, while on other applications […]
PRESIDENT Nelson Mandela has invited Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II to visit South Africa in November, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday. The visit is set to start on November 9 and precede the Commonwealth heads of government meeting due to take place in Durban from November 12 to 15, the ministry said. The queen, who […]
THE director of Jubilee 2000, a British-based coalition of non-governmental organisations campaigning to cancel the unpayable debt of the world’s poorest countries, on Monday began a five-day study visit to Nigeria. Ann Pettifor is expected to meet Nigeria’s president-elect Olusegun Obasanjo to raise questions about Britain’s recent offer of debt relief for Nigeria. British Chancellor […]
DEPUTY President Thabo Mbeki on Tuesday congratulated the Israeli Labour Party leader Ehud Barak on his election as Israeli Premier. Barak replaces Benjamin Netanyahu of the Likud Party. Mbeki said he believed the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians would now move rapidly forward in a spirit consistent with the principles for which former Premier […]
CONTRIBUTIONS to the job creation fund by business, workers and government are nearing R10-million, National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa president Mtutuzeli Tom said on Monday. Tom was speaking after receiving a cheque for R193887 — one day’s salary from 3500 workers — from Daimler-Chrysler at East London in the Eastern Cape. The country’s […]
ONE West African giant advanced and another fell by the wayside in African club championship second-round, second-leg matches this weekend. Champions League holders Asec lost 2-1 in Algeria to Al-Harrach, but were comfortable winners on aggregate having triumphed 4-0 in Cote d’Ivoire two weeks ago. The Asec bank balance swelled by $150000 for reaching the […]