A PUBLIC sector strike launched in 24 of Nigeria’s 36 states was picking up support as it entered its third day, union officials said Thursday. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) ordered the strike to begin Tuesday to press state governments to start paying all workers a monthly minimum wage agreed last month of 3000 naira […]
NORTHERN Province’s provincial government sacked seven board members on its cash-strapped Agricultural Rural Development Corporation (ARDC) on Wednesday after accusing them of being incompetent. Provincial agriculture MEC, Dean Simon Farisani, said on Wednesday that the board members had been axed for failing to implement cost cutting policies and for repeatedly failing to submit audited financial […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Wednesday 2.00pm. THE New National Party and the Federal Alliance on Wednesday vowed to press ahead with their court actions, despite IEC rulings that registered South Africans living abroad can vote in the June 2 elections. The IEC regulations — which have yet to be officially made public — are expected […]
ALL commissions paid on arms transfers will in future as a matter of routine be disclosed to the Cabinet committee overseeing arms deals, Water Affairs Minister Kader Asmal, who heads the committee, announced on Wednesday. Commission amounts will now be included in normal applications to government to transfer or sell arms, according to Asmal. The […]
ALLEGED dealer Gavin Carolus won his case against the state on Thursday when the Cape High Court set aside a court order authorising the seizure of his fixed and loose property. Judge AP Blignaut ruled that the Prevention of Organised Crime Act did not have retrospective effect and could therefore only be applied to crimes […]
FOUR illegal Mozambican immigrants who escaped from Skukuza police cells in the Kruger National Park this week were still at large on Thursday, bringing the total of escaped prisoners in the province since January to 151, with only 42 rearrested. Sergeant Thabisile Gama said the men escaped at 6pm on Tuesday, as police prepared to […]
SOUTH Africa has imposed a R181 a ton import levy on wheat and a R272 a ton duty on imported flour, the National Chamber of Milling said on Wednesday. The milling industry representative body welcomed the introduction of tariff protection for SA’s wheat farmers in the face of continuing state support for producers in leading […]
ZAMBIA has reduced trade tariffs on goods produced by the Common Market for East and Southern African (Comesa) member states by 60%. Comesa general secretary Erastus Mwenchamade the announcement in a speech read on his behalf by Comesa’s director of trade, customs and monetary issues division Charles Chanthonya, at a week-long Automated System for Customs […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Kampala | Thursday 2.30pm. REBELS in western Uganda killed at least 10 people during an attack on a trading centre, press reports said on Thursday. The independent Monitor newspaper said the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels early on Wednesday attacked Nyakigumba Trading Centre in the Kabarole district. Among the dead were a Ugandan […]
NIGER’s new ruler, Major Daouda Mallam Wanke, has reappointed Prime Minister Ibrahim Mayaki and taken other steps to return the country to civilian rule, national radio announced on Tuesday. Wanke (49) who took over after President Ibrahim Bare Mainassara was assassinated last Friday, “reappointed, for the transitional period, Prime Minister Ibrahim Mayaki,” it said. The […]
A SOUTH African man appeared in a London court on Monday charged with endangering the safety of an aircraft and its passengers following an incident in which he allegedly went on a rampage during a flight between Johannesburg and London in January, causing more than R300000 worth of damage. Ian Bottomley (36), allegedly flew into […]
DEPUTY President Thabo Mbeki on Tuesday called on African police chiefs to unite against crime groups on the continent. Speaking at meeting of the African region of the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol), Mbeki said the international syndicates have the money to finance sophisticated and successful criminal activities. He said African police forces have to […]
AN economic watch group says the delay in tabling Namibia’s 1999-2000 budget could be an indication that policymakers found it difficult to reconcile conflicting demands and fund allocation issues. The Namibian Economic Policy Research Unit (Nepru) said in a statement yesterday that this is most apparent in the announcement of a ‘Peace Project’ for ex-combatants. […]
KAIZER Chiefs took a double whammy on Monday when coach Paul Dolezar announced that strikers Doctor Khumalo and Marc Batchelor will not play in Wednesday’s table-topping Castle Premiership clash against Manning Rangers, and Saturday’s match against SuperSport United. Both games will be played at Johannesburg stadium. The star players were ruled out after both received […]
SOUTH Africa retained the African junior tennis championship title for the sixth consecutive year on Sunday after the finals of the 22nd MTN African Junior Championships at Groenkloof in Pretoria. South Africa added one more singles title to their impressive total of six titles already won when Capetonian Aniela Mojzis, seeded two, upset top seed […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Wednesday 11.00am. NATAL coach Graham Ford finally confirmed on Tuesday that he will not be entering the race to become the new SA national cricket coach. Ford’s decision means that there is now a two-horse race for the national coach’s post – between Northerns coach Peter Kirsten, a former SA captain […]
ETHIOPIANS are making yet another effort to repatriate national treasures looted as war booty by victorious Europeans. The effort this time is directed at “priceless” religious manuscripts and artifacts including a 17th-century icon depicting Jesus with the crown of thorns, looted by the British more than 130 years ago. An association for the Return of […]
FOLLOWING an announcement of a 22% rise in Pick ‘n Pay’s earnings, the firm made an executive shake-up, naming Sean Summers the chief executive officer. Summers, formerly managing director, will replace Raymond Ackerman, the founder of the chain over 30 years ago. Curiously, Ackerman will remain “full-time hands-on chairman”, indicating a degree of day-to day […]
AFTER leading the field on the first day of the US Masters this weekend Ernie Els crashed to 27th place. His third round on Sunday started well, with him tied for 5th. But four successive bogeys from hole 3 put paid to him, as he shot a 40 on the first nine then another 40 […]
THE Heath Unit has issued a statement intended to clarify media reports that the Auditor-General will be “probing” the unit. Unit spokesman Guy Rich says the A-G will simply be auditing the unit’s records in a bid to resolve the dispute between the unit and the Department of Finance over the unit’s achivements in recoveries, […]
THE west African intervention force Ecomog needs another 5000 troops to enable it to “solve the problem” in Sierra Leone, the force’s new commander has told reporters in Lagos on Tuesday. Major-General Felix Mujakperuo, who was appointed commander of the 15000-strong Nigerian-led force last month, said the extra troops are needed to “flush out” the […]
SPRINGBOK and Sharks flyhalf Henry Honiball may finally be given chance to recharge his batteries. An overworked Honiball failed to impress in the Super 12 rugby match against the Stormers at Newlands last Saturday – as was the case with Andre Joubert and Gary Teichmann. Coach Ian McIntosh admitted afterwards that he made a mistake […]
THE Zambian government has recalled Jack Kalala, its Consul-General in Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo, for conduct unbcoming with his diplomatic status. Zambian Foreign Affairs minister Keli Walubita confirmed in Lusaka on Tuesday that: “The Consul-General is on immediate recall and the last communication to remind him to return home was sent to […]
NIGERIAN fans and riot police clashed overnight in the commercial capital of this soccer crazy country as protests erupted following Nigeria’s 2-1 loss to Paraguay in the under-20 World Youth Soccer Championship. News reports said police, many on horseback and using whips or bamboo-type canes, waded in against fans who hurled bottles and cans at […]
THERE is to be no inquiry into the circumstances of the assassination of Niger’s president Ibrahim Bare Mainassara of Niger, the junta which took over at the weekend said.”We cannot talk of an enquiry into the accidental demise of president Mainassara,” junta spokesman Captain Djibrila Hima Hamidou told a press conference Tuesday.According to numerous witnesses, […]
ANGOLAN government forces on Tuesday announced they have captured from Unita rebels the town of Kune in the central Bie province. Over the weekend, the army pushed back rebels in the area and took control of a bridge on the Kune river. Its objective is to recapture the Kunyinga area from Unita.According to a military […]
THE New National Party in Mpumalanga expects more white people to defect from its ranks after its chairman defected, the party’s provincial leader, David Malatsi, said on Tuesday. NNP chairman and leader of the opposition in the provincial legislature, Dr Lucas Nel, crossed the floor to Louis Luyt’s Federal Alliance on Tuesday, along with his […]
LABOUR Minister Membathisi Mdladlana launched the National Skills Authority on Monday, saying it will promote training for school leavers and the unemployed, as well as improving the relationship between the education system and the job market. The authority replaces the National Training Board in terms of the Skills Development Act. Another new law, the Skills […]
President Nelson Mandela will formally proclaim June 2 as the election date by the end of the week.
STEEL giant Iscor said on Monday it would close its 96-year-old Durnacol coal mine in 2000 because continued production there is no longer economically viable. Iscor chairman Hans Smith said in a statement that massive cutbacks in domestic steel production had resulted in a dramatic drop in demand for coal from Durnacol. Iscor mining division […]
TWENTY people have died in a cholera outbreak in Kano, northern Nigeria, in the past three weeks, health workers said in Lagos on Monday. The humanitarian organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres, which has set up a treatment centre in the city, has seen some 350 cases of cholera since March 24 around Kano, one of the […]
CONSTRUCTION of the 400-kilovolt powerline between Windhoek and Namibia’s border with South Africa is well on course and should be completed before the end of this year. NamPower on Monday reported progress on the 735km single-circuit powerline which has already reached Gibeon while the new Kokerboom substation 15km east of Keetmanshoop is nearing completion. The […]