THE Joint Bilateral Commission of South Africa and Iran will meet in Tehran on April 10 and 11 1999, to be attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs Alfred Nzo and delegations from the Departments of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Industry and the Credit Guarantee Insurance Corporation of Africa. Nzo will meet Iranian President Mohammad Khatami […]
POLICE said on Wednesday that Western Cape United Democratic Movement provincial secretary Malizdo Diko survived an attack on his life on Monday night when several shots were fired at him near his Nyanga home. Police spokesman Captain Neville Malila on Wednesday said detectives are investigating a possible link between the attack on Diko and attacks […]
AMANDA COETZER, seeded fifth in the $520000Bausch and Lomb women’s tennis tournament on Amelia Island in Florida, took her second-round match against Lilia Osterlich of the US in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2 to advance into the third round. In other results, 4th seeded Mary Pierce of France’s match against Catalina Cristea of Romania was a […]
THE South African Rugby Football Union on Wednesday said they will investigate allegations that members of the under-19 squad returning from the FIRA Junior World Championship in Wales misbehaved on the flight. “We view these allegations in a very serious light,” Sarfu CEO, Rian Oberholzer said in a statement. “We cannot allow any behaviour that […]
SOME 80% of staff at the Agricultural and Rural Development Corporation in Northern Province face the axe after the agriculture department severely cut the corporation’s budget this year. ARDC Managing Director Dr Alidzulwi Naledzani said on Wednesday that the corporation’s financial woes began last year when its budget was cut from R74-million to R48-million. This […]
PRESIDENT Nelson Mandela ended his visit to Oman on Thursday by saying he is keen to see an institute for Gulf studies created in his country, the sultanate’s official ONA news agency said. The institute “is needed to promote a better understanding, not only in the political and economic fields, but also cultural,” he told […]
THE Stormers side was named on Wednesday afternoon, with Corne Krige continuing as vice-captain. Stormers: Percy Montgomery, Breyton Paulse, Robbie Fleck, Andy Marinos, Pieter Rossouw, Braam van Straaten, Dan van Zyl, Bobby Skinstad (captain), Robbie Brink, Corne Krige, Johnny Trytsman, Selborne Boome, Cobus Visagie, Charl Marais, Robbie Kempson. Reserves: Manie du Toit, Louis Koen, Joggie […]
THE voting rights of South African citizens abroad during elections, and of prisoners, will be considered by Cabinet in its Thursday afternoon meeting, according to Ronnie Mamoepa, spokesman for Deputy President Thabo Mbeki. Opposition parties have united to demand that citizens abroad be allowed to vote, following a Constitutional Court decision last week that prisoners […]
NIGERIA has agreed to co-host the 2000 African Cup of Nations with Ghana. Chief of General Staff Vice Admiral Mike Akhigbe said before the start of a World Youth Championship match in Ibadan late on Sunday that Nigeria is looking forward to hosting the competition with Ghana in January and February next year. The Confederation […]
NATIONAL carrier Libyan Arab Airlines (LAA) said on Wednesday it is examining steps to resume international flights after the United Nations suspended a seven-year air embargo on Tripoli. “Technical committees will be set up to examine putting Libyan planes back into service,” LAA president Mohammad Abssim told reporters in Cairo, where two of LAA’s 12 […]
LAVA from the Mount Cameroon volcano is inching inexorably towards two villages, whose combined population of 1500 residents are preparing to evacuate, national radio said. Local authorities said they are “prepared at any time” to carry out the evacuation of Bakinguili and Batoke, some 350 kilometers (215 miles) west of Yaounde, adding that four army […]
MICHAEL METELITS, Johannesburg | Tuesday 3.00pm. THE Reserve Bank reported on Tuesday that its provisional gross gold and foreign exchange reserves to the end of last month were up marginally on the February figure. In a statement issued in Pretoria, the Bank said the provisional gross gold and foreign exchange reserves amounted to R32,9-billion at […]
PLATINUM futures prices fell sharply on Tuesday on the New York Mercantile Exchange amid a perception that South African production is rising and will offset a four-month delay in shipments of the metal from Russia. Platinum tumbled as the dollar strengthened against the rand. Since platinum is sold for dollars, there is an incentive to […]
DR WOUTER Basson, head of SA’s chemical and biological warfare programme, will be suspended from his position at the Number One Military Hospital in Pretoria, reprts the Sowetan. Following Basson’s indictment in Pretoria High Court, SANDF Chief of Staff Siphiwe Nyanda has ordered the suspension. Basson is expected to formally receive notification in the next […]
OMAN and South Africa are looking for ways to step up their cooperation, the official ONA news agency said on Tuesday, reporting on talks between Sultan Qaboos ibn Said of Oman and President Nelson Mandela. The two leaders reportedly discussed greater bilateral cooperation and the political situation in the Arab world. Mandela’s trip with Foreign […]
KWAZULU-NATAL’S ruling Inkatha Freedom Party on Tuesday voted in favour of removing the African National Congress’ Bheki Cele from the chairmanship of the provincial portfolio committee on safety and security. In a statement the IFP defended its decision saying: “In the interests of good governance and better relations between parliament (the legislature) and the executive, […]
ISRAEL is to recall its ambassador to South Africa to question him about reports of a relationship with a South African army officer. Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon ordered the ambassador, Uri Oren, to return home after receiving a detailed report on the case, said ministry spokesman Aviv Shiron. A South African National Defence Force inquiry […]
SOUTH African Airways on Tuesday announced the sale of its in-flight sales business to tourism and travel services company Tourvest for R100-million plus stock. The agreement will give Tourvest the rights to the business for up to 20 years, and include the payment of an annual royalty to SAA for the duration of the contract. […]
A GROUP of protesting youths have seized oil facilities in Nigeria’s Niger delta, disrupting production in the area. It is not certain how many barrels of crude are lost to the disruption reported on Wednesday. The youths from 61 communities on Monday night stormed oil installations belonging to Anglo-dutch oil group Shell and Italy’s Agip, […]
THE state closed its case on Wednesday in the rape trial of national cricketer Mkhaya Ntini, SABC radio news reports. Ntini testified that he did give the complainant a lift, because she was walking in the rain. He admitted that after he picked her up he drove to Buffalo Park cricket ground to give West […]
KWAZULU-NATAL’S ruling Inkatha Freedom Party on Tuesday voted in favour of removing the African National Congress’ Bheki Cele from the chairmanship of the provincial portfolio committee on safety and security. In a statement the IFP defended its decision saying: “In the interests of good governance and better relations between parliament (the legislature) and the executive, […]
AGREEMENTS worth R635-million in European Union funding for South Africa were signed on Tuesday. Deputy Finance Minister Gill Marcus and EU Ambassador Michael Laidler, Head of the Delegation of the European Commission in South Africa, took part in the signing ceremony at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. The agreements focus on capacity-building in the areas […]
POLITICAL parties have called for an explanation about allegations of reckless driving against the three-car convoy of Safety and Security Minister Sydney Mufamadi. Mufamadi’s convoy was stopped twice within five kilometres on the N1 Highway north of Pretoria on Monday afternoon, The Citizen reports on Wednesday. Police said traffic officials pulled off two vehicles in […]
STEEL and mining firm Iscor said on Wednesday that it has sold its international exploration activities to Australia’s Africawest Gold. Iscor’s gold exploration licences in Tanzania, Uganda, Kazakhstan and South Pacific will be exchanged for over 50% of the issued share capital of Africawest. In return, Iscor will receive right of first refusal on participation […]
FRANCE will provide FF2-million to assist in Operation Blue Crane, the Southern African Development Community peacekeeping exercise which begins on Wednesday. The contribution will consist of equipment and staff for the exercise, including a C160 military transport aircraft and a P400 French Navy ship, a patrol boat based in Reunion. Additionally, six French officers specialising […]
PRESIDENT Nelson Mandela announced on Monday he had been asked by Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to intervene in the crisis in Yugoslavia, but that he had declined. “I am not keen to intervene in another issue,” Mandela told reporters in Pretoria. “It engages your full time and attention, and the problems in South Africa are […]
THE Wellington Hurricanes blew away the Sharks 34-18 in their Super 12 encounter in East London on Saturday. The Hurricanes led 24-15 at the break. The Sharks were convincingly outplayed by the visitors, obviously smarting from their 43-27 thrashing by the Cats last weekend. The South Africans, playing at the Basil Kenyon Stadium rather than […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Pretoria | Tuesday 11.30am THE Easter weekend road death toll had reached 184 in 106 motor accidents by Monday night, the Arrive Alive campaign said on Tuesday. The Arrive Alive figures, which will be finalised on Wednesday, show that the dead comprised 101 passengers, 49 pedestrians and 34 drivers. The highest toll was […]
JUDGE WILLIAM Heath has confirmed that he will meet Finance Minister Trevor Manuel to clear up a dispute over money his anti-corruption unit has recovered. Manuel began a row with Heath a month ago when he told Parliament that he had no record of the huge sums Heath claimed to have recovered, and accused the […]
FIREFIGHTERS continued on Tuesday to battle a fire which has been raging in the Drakenstein mountain range above Franschhoek in the Western Cape Boland for the past two weeks. Firefighters are trying to protect buildings against flare-ups which are possible in the warm, windy conditions.
MORE and more businesses in South Africa are going bust. Data supplied by Statistics South Africa in Pretoria Thursday reveal that in the three months to end February 1005 companies went out of business — 58% more than the corresponding period last year when there 636 liquidations. Statistics SA remarked that this was part of […]
POLAND won their first water polo test 4-1 in a series of three against South Africa at the King’s Park Pool in Durban on Sunday.The visitors, who are in the top half of the European Pool B, dominated most of the exchanges giving the relatively experienced South African side few openings in offence. South Africa […]