The great bar-coded ID saga has finally ended. Kortbroek and Tony got a klap. And we can all (if we have our bar-coded ID) go and vote on June 2. The lawyers made a fortune and political parties have been taught that disputes of a political nature are best dealt with politically and not legally. […]
Niki Barker The already cash-strapped KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Service faces further financial stress, with the disclosure this week that a considerable sum of money deposited with the embattled New Republic Bank (NRB) in Durban has been frozen as a result of NRB being placed under receivership. It is claimed that the conservation service deposited R48- […]
Michael Finch Athletics If Elana Meyer was looking for a sympathetic ear after her disappointing London Marathon performance last Sunday, she’d better not look to Gwen Griffiths. The newly crowned South African marathon champion was far from impressed by the performance of Meyer and believes the star needs a major rethink of her strategies. Meyer, […]
Jack Schofield Three of the world’s best-known companies – Microsoft, America OnLine (AOL) and Yahoo! – are locked in a billion-dollar battle to give you something for nothing: a “portal”, or gateway to the Internet, where Web wanderers can start when they go online. Portals attract millions of users, and consequently lots of advertising. With […]
SOUTH Africans living in London are to mount a placard protest outside the South African High Commission in London on Saturday in support of a growing campaign to allow expats to both register and vote abroad. The New National Party has rejected a scheme introduced by the Independent Electoral Commission last month in terms of […]
David Shapshak Product: COMPAQ TFT8000 18-inch flat screen monitor Price: R27 000 `It’s like going to the drive-in,” a colleague said when he saw the 18-inch flat screen monitor. Except it’s a flat drive-in with precise, pin-point clarity and takes up less space that the clunky 15-inch monitor I’ve been using for years. Flat screen […]
Wally Mbhele and Makhosini Nkosi There was stunned silence at an African National Congress national working committee meeting this week when Deputy President Thabo Mbeki announced his decision to axe both the Gauteng and Mpumalanga premiers. Gauteng Premier Mathole Motshekga was summoned to Mbeki’s Johannesburg office this week where he was told of his fate. […]
Hunting’s ethical custodians caused unethical carnage in Mozambique, reports Dave Larsen Top officials of Safari Club International (SCI), the United States-based international hunting organisation which sets ethical standards for the industry, are being investigated after they allegedly took part in an illegal elephant hunt in northern Mozambique. The hunt took place in contravention of a […]
Deon Potgieter Boxing South African boxing administration, suffering from allegations of favouritism and vested interests, is failing to transform itself as ordered by the government – which stepped in to solve the infighting. Minister of Sport Steve Tshwete set up an interim boxing commission to restructure the sport’s administration when the South African National Boxing […]
THURSDAY, 11.30AM: KAIZER Chiefs beat Qwa-Qwa Stars 2-0 in a ho-hum performance at the Johannesburg Stadium on Wednesday night. Chiefs were far from impressive, but still won the match in their usual display of mediocre but effective soccer. Chiefs looked far from the club most likely to snatch the Castle Premiership victory from Mamelodi Sundowns […]
THE United Democratic Movement won its first by-election on Wednesday. The UDM’s Frederick Konstabel beat the African National Congress’s candidate by 258 votes to 148 in a by-election in Zoar in the Western Cape, UDM spokesman Dr Johna Steenkamp said on Thursday. The by-election was the third contested by the UDM. The New National Party […]
THE Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, which runs Nigeria’s airports, was on Thursday awarded the contract to build a $33-million new domestic terminal at Lagos to French group Bouygues. FAAN MD Peter Igbinedion said that the work on the 30-billion naira project is due to start next month and the contract is scheduled for completion […]
SA EXPRESS pilots are considering a strike to support a female colleague who was grounded for allegedly referring to a ground crew member as a kaffir, the Johannesburg daily, Beeld, reported on Thursday. The female pilot was suspended when a flight crew member heard the alleged remark and lodged a complaint.
ANGLO American Platinum Corp (Amplats) said late on Wednesday that strike action at its Rustenburg and Union sections will have no immediate impact on its output. Amplats, the world’s biggest platinum producer, said some 18000 workers were affected by the strike action at the two operations which account for some 40% of the company’s platinum […]
THE Health Department said on Thursday that there is no proof that the drug AZT could prevent the transmission of HIV to rape victims. The department said in a statement it has done an extensive survey of all published scientific data on the relationship between rape, HIV, and AZT. “We have not come across a […]
PAUL EJIME, Lagos | Thursday 9.00am. FORMER South African national coach Phillipe Troussier guided Japan to the final of the World Youth Championship against Spain on Saturday, after beating Uruguay 2-1 in a thrilling late night match here Wednesday. The Japanese youth team, trained by Troussier after he coached Bafana Bafana into the first World […]
THE Nigerian government is preparing to dismiss tens of thousands of “dead wood” civil servants before it hands over to the incoming civilian regimes, a senior minister said on Wednesday. “There are plans for a clearout of the dead wood. We cannot afford to keep people on who do not work and cannot hand on […]
THE American Universities Admission Program, which has surveyed foreign students at US universities, reported on Wednesday that 1851 South Africans were registered as students in the US during the 1997 academic year, of whom 39,5% were doing post-graduate studies. There were then also 288 South African professors working in the US. Among the undergraduates, 25,8% […]
SABC TV news on Wednesday night reported that one of the suspects beaten by police in January, in front of BBC cameras, later died in hospital. The cause of his death has not yet been determined, but the incident is being investigated by the Independent Complaints Directorate.
THE South African Broadcasting Corporation on Wednesday said it will not be re-hiring Special Assignment presenter Max du Preez despite the public support the renowned journalist enjoys, and a possibility of legal action against the corporation. TV news head Phil Molefe told du Preez on Wednesday that the decision to drop his contract remains unchanged. […]
WEDNESDAY, 12.15PM: THE National Home Builders’ Registration Council Bill, which will make a five-year warranty standard for all new houses, will soon be tabled in Parliament. Builders will have to be registered with the council if they want access to bank mortgages. The council will become a statutory body, and all houses built will be […]
THE Swaziland Electricity Board plans to cut ties with South African power supplier Eskom once the 400kv power line to Mozambique is complete. SEB has been importing additional electric power from ESCOM The Swaziland Environmental Authority Action Plan revealed that SEB is making arrangements to purchase electric power from Mozambique because hydro-power prices are lower […]
TALKS in Antananarivo, Madagascar to reconcile rival factions in the Indian Ocean Comoro Islands inched forward on Wednesday after secessionists said they will drop a formal reference to their claim for independence in any peace deal. The two smaller islands in the Comoros chain, Anjouan and Moheli, declared independence from the main island, Grand Comore, […]
WEDNESDAY, 3.30PM: SOUTH Africa is to be the only African member of a new grouping of nations — the G-22 — established in the United States last week, according to Finance Minister Trevor Manuel. The grouping, established by the US Federal Reserve, consists of the G-10 (most powerful economies) and 12 other economically important countries. […]
THE Egyptian parliament has unanimously scrapped a century-old law that exempted a rapist from punishment if he married his victim, a parliamentary source said on Tuesday. Parliament adopted the change on Monday evening. The move came amid a media campaign that followed outrage from women’s groups over the freeing in December of three rape suspects […]
RUBEN Kruger ius likely to start for the Northern Bulls when they face defending Super 12 champions, the Canterbury Crusaders on Saturday. The veteran Springbok flank should provide a much-needed boost for the ailing side, who have not won any of their eight games. Another seasoned Bok campaigner, wing Jacques Olivier, will play centre as […]
AN 18-year-old youth was shot dead on the Cape Flats on Tuesday in what is thought to be a gang-related killing. Police spokesman Captain Jacques Wiese on Wednesday said Craig Martin of Westridge was shot in the back during a fight between the Jakkies and School Boys gangs. He died at the scene. On Monday, […]
Frank Pooe and Abner Chipu finished third and fourth in the Boston marathon on Monday — in their first marathon outside of South Africa. The event was won by Joseph Chebet in 2hrs9mins52secs, the ninth straight time the race has been won by a Kenyan. In the women’s race, Fatuma Roba of Ethiopa became the […]
MPUMALANGA’S safety and security MEC Jacques Modipane has finally coughed up a portion of the R3000 he owes for ten months of outstanding child maintenance. The payment for his two-year-old illegitimate child came too late, however, to prevent the Mbibane magistrate’s court from issuing a second warrant for his arrest on contempt of court charges […]
THIRTEEN South African fishermen were presumed drowned off the country’s Eastern Cape coast on Tuesday after rescue services called off a two-day air and sea search for their sunken trawler. During the intensive search, the bodies of three of the 16 crew were fished out of the rough seas Monday off the small port of […]
BRETT Liddle ended a two-year win drought with his one-shot victory in the Vodacom Tour’s Lombard Tyres Classic at the Krugersdorp Golf Club on Saturday. A final round 69 saw him finish the 72-hole tournament on 19-under-par 269. Hennie Otto took second place a shot back after his 67, while Roger Wessels finished third on […]
THE Reserve Bank said on Tuesday that it will lower its punitive marginal lending facility rate to 15 percentage points above the daily repo rate from a 20 percentage point spread previously. Reserve Bank officials were not immediately available for comment on the move, but the reduction in the rate follows a rapid improvement in […]