Staff Reporter

THE Lesotho consultative forum convened by the country’s Interim Political Authority has agreed on the need to replace the tiny country’s “first-past-the-post” Westminster-style political system, and proportional representation is the likely alternative. A new electoral system will be chosen for “political stability, inclusiveness and manageability”. The IPA represents all political parties and was set up […]

GERMANY’S bid to host the soccer World Cup in 2006 received a boost on Tuesday in Bonn when the finance ministry declared it would not tax revenue from tournament. Finance Minister Oskar Lafontaine said the decision to surrender potential tax income was “very, very painful. But we wanted to give our footballing friends an equal […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Thursday 6.30pm. EXPELLED Inkatha Freedom Party member and former correctional services minister Sipo Mzimela announced he is joining the United Democratic Movement on Thursday, saying the party is well placed to lead South Africa into the new millennium. UDM president, Bantu Holomisa, said a leadership position for Mzimela in the […]

SWEDISH aerospace and defence group Saab AB swung to profit in 1998 as the effects of scrapping production of its loss-making regional aircraft bore fruit, it said on Tuesday. Saab, partly owned by British Aerospace , posted a 1998 profit after financial items of 1,22-billion crowns (about R939000) compared to a loss of 4,85-billion crowns(about […]

PRESIDENT Cassam Uteem threatened on Wednesday to impose a curfew on Mauritius after three people were killed in three days of riots sparked by the suspicious death of a popular singer. Reggae musician Kaya died on Sunday while in police custody, sparking violence in the poor Roche Bois area of the capital, Port Louis. The […]

ZIMBABWE’S food manufacturers, choking from galloping production costs, have warned that they will ignore the gentleman’s agreement with the government not to hike prices of their products without government’s approval. They said their decision to take unilateral action stems from the tripartite negotiating forum grouping labour, business and the government to discuss price increases taking […]

POLICE on Wednesday fired teargas to disperse rioting students at the University of Durban-Westville in KwaZulu-Natal. The police were called in when campus security staff found themselves unable to handle aggrieved former students demanding they be allowed to re-register for studies this year. The university said it will not re-admit students who have displayed a […]

ABOUT 2000 children between the ages of five and 14 have gone missing since junta rebels invaded the Sierra Leonean capital, Freetown, on January 6, the social welfare ministry said on Thursday. “Based on statistics, we believe that many of the children have been abducted by the rebels when they were chased out by [the […]

SPRINGBOK hooker James Dalton could be playing Super 12 rugby in a few weeks after overcoming an injury. “Bullet,” as he is known, has joined the Golden Cats at their Vanderbijl Park training camp. “He is over his injury and it is a matter of fitness. He won’t play next weekend but might be ready […]

THE Unibank National Netball Team lost its first Test match against England while en route to Jamaica for a three-Test series later this week. South Africa led until the third quarter when heightened pressure by England forced them to lose their composure. Coach Bennie Saayman blamed erratic passing for his team losing the quarter 47-42. […]

SHARES in South Africa’s Anglovaal Mining fell on Thursday after warning on Wednesday it will struggle to maintain core earnings in the second half of the year due to weak metal prices and a dismal diamond market. Anglovaal stock was off 20 cents at R24,30 in early trade. The company said on Wednesday that its […]

A ZIMBABWEAN high court has ordered Defence Minister Moven Mahachi on Wednesday to appear on Friday to face charges of contempt of court after he ignored three court orders to release Standard editor, Mark Chavunduka, from detention. Chavunduka and a senior reporter, Ray Choto, are facing charges of contravening section 50 of the colonial Law […]

FOLLOWING a meeting with Ghana’s President Jerry Rawlings on Wednesday, United States President Bill Clinton restated his support for closer ties between the US and an emerging Africa. In a bid to foster that partnership, the White House unveiled plans for a US-Africa conference in the US next month that will bring together foreign affairs, […]

GHANAIAN President Jerry Rawlings offered citizenship in the West African nation to African American descendants of African slaves on Wednesday while on a state visit to the US. “My continent is the mother, not of all continents, but humanity today,” Rawlings said at a news conference. “There is no reason why I would deny my […]

THE South African Human Rights Commission, who is conducting an inquiry into allegations of racism in the media, called for written submissions from interested parties on Thursday. The commission said that all submissions should be in writing and must be handed in to the commission’s office by March 30, 1999. If a submission relies on […]

THE Mozambican Justice Ministry has confirmed that at least 25 inmates of the main prison in the northern city of Nampula died last year because they were not provided with speedy medical care. Citing the assistant national director of prisons, Joao Ajuda, the Maputo-based Noticias newspaper said that after an enquiry the Nampula prison director, […]

AN AVERAGE of two people a day allegedly died at the hands of police in South Africa in the year leading up to last March, parliament heard on Thursday. The Independent Complaints Directorate said between April 1997 and March 1998 it received 739 complaints about deaths in police custody or as a result of police […]

FORMER correctional services minister Sipo Mzimela was on Wednesday expelled from the Inkatha Freedom Party, which means he also loses his seat in Parliament. A party disciplinary hearing in Cape Town found him guilty of bringing the party into disrepute. The hearing follows several clashes between Mzimela and party leadership, some of them over his […]

ERITREAN troops shot down an Ethiopian helicopter gunship and destroyed 31 tanks on Wednesday, radio Eritrea announced just before 5pm.The Eritrean troops also captured three tanks on Wednesday, the radio said. Eritrea and Ethiopia resumed battle in earnest 10 days ago, in a six-month-old border dispute.

THE South African National Defence Force has launched a top-level investigation into allegations that its fighter planes and helicopters regularly violate Mozambican air space. SANDF army chief Siphiwe Nyanda said in Maputo on Wednesday that the inquiry has been launched at the request of his Mozambican counterparts. A Mozambican military spokesperson said earlier that SANDF […]

ALGERIA was the biggest buyer of South African arms in 1998, followed by Thailand and Switzerland, according to figures released on Thursday by the arms export control body. Algeria snapped up arms classified as “sensitive major significant equipment” worth R83,3-million and non-sensitive arms worth R1,5-million, according to a statement by Kader Asmal, the chair of […]

GHANA became the first country to qualify for the world football U-20 youth tournament on Wednesday when it trounced Angola 5-0 in the Africa U-20 youth football tournament in Accra. The result means Ghana, in group A, qualifies for the semi-finals with a maximum six points. Four teams from the tournament besides Nigeria, who are […]

THE Gauteng provincial government is budgeting for a surplus of R187-million, or 1.2%, for the 1999/2000 fiscal year, Finance MEC Jabu Moleketi announced on Tuesday. Moleketi said the provincial government is budgeting for a total expenditure of R15,709-billion. Revenue from all sources was expected to total R15,895-billion. The surplus will go towards redeeming the provincial […]

ERNIE ELS surged up to fourth in the world rankings on Monday after capturing the Nissan Open on the US PGA Tour on Sunday which he won by two strokes. The ‘Big Easy’ regained his position in the top five following a temporary demotion to number seven after last weekend’s Dubai Desert Classic won by […]

THE final of the one-day international triangular series between England, Zimbabwe and hosts South Africa next year has been put back three days to Saturday, February 12, 2000. The dates of three round-robin matches have also been changed, the United Cricket Board of South Africa said on Tuesday in Cape Town. South Africa meet Zimbabwe […]

PRESIDENT Sam Nujoma has appointed Zimbabwean-born Judge Simpson Mtambanengwe as chairperson of Namibia’s Electoral Commission. Prime Minister Hage Geingob informed the National Assembly on Tuesday that Mtambanengwe would be chairperson for an interim period of six months. The National Assembly will be asked to approve the appointment today. Mtambanengwe will take over from Judge Fonnie […]

AFRICAN youth championship results for the first round held in Ghana: Group A matches held in Accra saw hosts Ghana down Mali 1-0, and Cameroon top Angola also 1-0. Cameroon will face Mali in the Second round, while Ghana will square off against Angola on February 24. Group B matches were held in Kumasi. First-round […]

EASTERN Cape transport and public works MEC Thobile Mhlahlo was on Tuesday arrested by Umtata High Court Judge Stefaans Visser, for contempt of court. Mhlahlo and his secretary were ordered in November 1998 to explain to the court why 35 former civil servants were not paid voluntary severance packages. Visser said then that the former […]

DAVID SHAPSHAK, Johannesburg | Wednesday 12.30pm. CATS’ coach Andre Markgraaff named his Super 12 squad of 22 on Tuesday, instead of his starting 15 despite warnings from rugby administrators to name the squad 48 hours before the clash with ACT Brumbies on Friday. Rian Oberholzer, chief executive of the South African Rugby Football Union (Sarfu), […]

PRESIDENT Sam Nujoma is to meet his South African counterpart Nelson Mandela in Pretoria on Wednesday. Neither the Namibian State House nor the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would say what the meeting was about. “We are all in the dark about this day trip,” a foreign affairs official said. However, a well-placed source indicated that […]

SOUTH African cricket manager Goolam Rajah was released from a New Zealand hospital on Tuesday having been given a clean bill of health. Rajah was admitted to Hamilton hospital in the early hours of Monday morning after feeling unwell during the night. Rajah said tests had revealed nothing serious. He rejoined the South African team […]

NELSPRUIT’S council began a R3-million upgrade of rural water treatment plants in surrounding villages on Wednesday after almost two years of complaints about water quality. The cash-strapped council was initially unable to fund the upgrade for rural settlements 40km from the town’s CBD but approved the project earlier this year following a R3-million donation from […]