THE Receiver of Revenue’s employees will, subject to approval of the Auditor General, be given almost six months (48%) salary as a bonus this year, as a reward for their success in collecting tax for the treasury. Christo Henning, national spokesperson of the South African Revenue Service (SARS), said on Tuesday that the AG is […]
Andy Capostagno Rugby The statisticians will protest otherwise, but there are only four teams who can win the Super 12 this year: the Stormers (short-priced favourites even in New Zealand), the Otago Highlanders, the Queensland Reds and the Canterbury Crusaders. In theory another six teams can still qualify for the semi-finals, but in practice the […]
Mungo Soggot and Evidence wa ka Ngobeni Mbhazima Shilowa, the cigar-puffing trade union supremo in line to steer Gauteng into the 21st century, has clocked up a string of debt judgments while sustaining a luxurious lifestyle. Local credit agencies list four judgments in favour of banks against Shilowa for amounts ranging between R18 000 and […]
Friday night Matthew van der Want `I have numerous talents, but bringing back life to the dead is not one of them”. That’s what Professor Sherman no doubt still says to his Wits English students and it’s what I’m left thinking about the audience we play to in the middle of Friday afternoon on a […]
THE Johannesburg Stock Exchange is to close for business on December 30 and 31 to avoid any possible glitches caused by the Y2K bug, the JSE said in a statement Wednesday. It said key personnel would be at work on those two days to assist in the orderly transition of JSE systems to the year […]
THE International Monetary Fund and Ghana on Monday signed a $209-million dollar-year loan program, with a first tranche of $30-million available immediately, the Fund said. The 1999-2001 program aims to reach economic growth of 6% from 5,6% in 1998, and to beat down inflation to 5% by 2001 from 19,3% last year, the Fund said […]
ESKOM and the operators of Mozambique’s Cahora Bassa hydroelectric dam are seeking international arbitration over a tariff dispute, a spokesman for the operating company said Tuesday. Portugal’s Hidroelectrica de Cahora Bassa (HCB), wants to increase a 1988 tariff of two US cents per watt, but Eskom does not agree. HCB insists that the tariff is […]
Jon Henderson Rugby Fritz van Heerden, Leicester’s Springbok lock, has taken to English life. He starts each working day with the 10km drive in from Little Stretton, a tiny village to the east of London where he is a regular church-goer. “I like it there very much,” he says. “It’s so quiet and peaceful.” Having […]
Name: Kary Mullis Institution: Independent Field: Invented polymerase chain reaction Only rarely can you say of a scientist that, without him or her, the world would be a different place. But it is true of Kary Mullis, who is an integral part of the history of the genetic revolution. Mullis is an unlikely member of […]
Neil Manthorp Cricket As far as rankings tell us anything, South African cricket lovers will find it very hard to keep a self- satisfied grin off their faces when they see the latest list of the world’s top 10 all-rounders in one-day cricket. Four of the top six are South African, including Hansie Cronje who […]
THURSDAY, 7.15PM: HESITANT international markets battered an already weak Johannesburg Stock Exchange on Thursday, forcing most indices to close softer. The all gold index lost more than 2,5% of its value as bullion plunged through the $300 an ounce level, trading at $298,25 at 4.00pm. Accordingly the all gold index fell 25,6 points to a […]
HEAVY machinegun and light arms fire resumed in Bissau on Friday morning near the presidential palace and other areas.Weapons had fallen silent overnight after government and rebel forces in Guinea Bissau traded heavy artillery and light arms fire for three hours on Thursday evening breaking a truce of more than three months and endangering a […]
Matthew Simpson Attempting to confine the effect of being at a THC gig to words is much like attempting to explain the Aurora Borealis to a blind person. But I suppose it can be found somewhere in the wild, bemused grins plastered on the faces of the audience, in the intricate tap and thump of […]
ocean’ Ann Eveleth The sale of up to 10-million ounces of International Monetary Fund (IMF) gold reserves will do little to break the 30-year cycle of debt that has trapped Africa in poverty for decades. The R9-billion to R18- billion such a sale could generate is a mere drop in the ocean of developing-world debt. […]
THURSDAY, 11.30AM: BAFANA Bafana will play fellow World Cup qualifiers Romania in Bucharest in their final warm-up game in preparation for their opening World Cup match against France on June 12. The South Africans were scheduled to play Slovakia in their final warm-up, but South African Football Association CEO Danny Jordaan said the change was […]
Krisjan Lemmer Jnr:FRIDAY DISPATCHED The world was shocked this week by the disclosures made by the distinguished political scientist, Professor Schalk Lourens, visiting professor at the Pofadder campus of Naboomspruit University, that World War IV will break out in the Groot Marico at 9.05am on Friday July 1 1999. Prof Lourens made his chilling disclosure […]
Marianne Merten Uniondale, Oudtshoorn, Calitzdorp. Tiny towns representing the Western Cape hinterland, and for the PAC, a potential heartland of support. Pan Africanist Congress president Reverend Stanley Mogoba – “the bishop”, or more informally to those close to him, “bra Stan” – visited tiny rural towns this week before focusing his election campaign in urban […]
Something very odd is happening on Wall Street. As the Dow Jones powered towards the 11 000 landmark this week, applauded enthusiastically at the closing bell, Nasdaq, home of the glamorous technology and Internet stocks, has been moving in the opposite direction. The two markets are increasingly being decoupled. On some 40% of trading days […]
PAUL RICHARDSON, Johannesburg | Thursday 4.00pm. SOUTH Africa will post higher growth this year as interest rates fall with inflation, the rand declines more gently than last year and the country’s balance of payments improves, according to a survey of economists. A quarterly poll of 23 analysts showed the economy, which grew by just 0,1% […]
WEDNESDAY, 12.30PM: BLACK-owned telecoms group Vula Communications, currently bidding for South Africa’s third cellular licence, on Tuesday announced it has bought a 12% stake in global satellite communications system Mobile Communications Holdings. Vula’s R170-million share places it alongside Boeing as an equity partner in the the $1,4-billion company, and positions it as the first South […]
STEVEN SWINDELLS, Johannesburg | Thursday 8.45pm DE BEERS said on Thursday that it expects to resume diamond exports that have been blocked because of a pricing dispute with a government appointed valuator shortly. “We’re still not exporting. The dispute has not been settled yet but we hope to start exports again very soon … as […]
WEDNESDAY, 12.30PM: BARELY a week after New Africa Investments Limited withdrew its bid for Johnnies Industrial Corporation, fast-moving media group Primedia has reportedly approached Johnnic management with a possible deal. Business Day reports that Primedia chief executive officer William Kirsh has approached Johnnic’s major shareholder, the National Empowerment Consortium, to invite it to discuss a […]
THE International Monetary Fund and Ghana on Monday signed a $209-million dollar-year loan program, with a first tranche of $30-million available immediately, the Fund said. The 1999-2001 program aims to reach economic growth of 6% from 5,6% in 1998, and to beat down inflation to 5% by 2001 from 19,3% last year, the Fund said […]
ANGOLA, one of the world’s most heavily mined countries, on Thursday finally joined the Maputo conference of parties to the Ottawa Convention banning landmines. A delegation headed by deputy minister of external relations Toko Serao arrived in the Mozambican capital amid speculation that its failure to turn up was connected to its continued violation of […]
THE National Medical Alliance has affiliated to the South African Medical Association after nearly five years of negotiations, SAMA announced on Tuesday. The NMA, representing the SA Medical and Dental Practitioners, Society of Dispensing Family Practitioners, Family Practioners’ Association, Dispensing Family Practitioners Association, and the Eastern Cape Medical Guild, took up seats on SAMA’s board […]
THE South African Football Association (Safa) overruled Bafana Bafan coach Trott Moloto’s wish to play an African Cup of Nations qualifier against Mauritius in Soccer City, returning the game to King’s Park in Durban. The park has been double booked, however, since a rugby match between Western Province and Border is also scheduled for that […]
SOUTH African James Kingston scored an improbable victory in the Maekyung Daks Open on Sunday after beating Myanmar’s Kyi Hla Han in a sudden-death play-off. Kingston, who also won the Thailand Open last year in extra time, holed a 12-foot birdie putt to defeat Han on the fourth play-off hole, after the diminutive Myanmar golfer […]
THERE are now four bidders for South Africa’s third cellular network licence with the bid of Khoroni Telecommunications Consortium, made up of smaller newcomers to the industry. The bid is sketchy, lacking discussions of which technologies it will use, no hint of competitive strategy, and not naming any technology partners. Khoroni is led by SA […]
MENINGITIS has claimed at least 1467 lives in Sudan, with a total of 20119 cases reported since December, the Akhbar al Youm daily reported on Wednesday.Health Minister Mahdi Babu Nimir, speaking to a National Assembly committee here on Tuesday, said that no reports are being received from outlying regions and warned that the epidemic will […]
MICHAEL METELITS, Johannesburg | Wednesday 3.00pm. MANNING RANGERS’ coach Gordon Igesund, himself the subject of speculation about switching teams, has put 12 Rangers players on the transfer list, saying he wants to change the Durban-based club’s style next season. Igesund will not name the players on the list, although in consultation with the club’s directors […]
WEDNESDAY, 1.00PM: CRITICISM of the South African Reserve Bank has been rejected by its governor, Chris Stals, who pointed out that any “attacks on its independence” are likely to provoke a negative response from international investors. Speaking to Reuters, Stals said: “Very serious attacks have been made on the Reserve Bank … that transactions entered […]
THE Tsogo Sun group withdrew its application against KwaZulu-Natal premier Lionel Mtshali regarding casino licences in Durban. The group will pay all court costs. No reason was given for the withdrawal. The move comes while opposition parties in the province are complaining about the Inkatha Freedom Party’s Gambling Amendment Bill and what the call the […]