Staff Reporter

POLITICAL parties in Parliament have yet to agree on an amendment to the Constitution that will allow President Nelson Mandela to set a date by proclamation for the general election. The amendment will allow the president to set a poll date before the end of the National Assembly’s sitting on April 30. Opposition parties say […]

AN appeal court judgment allowing Automakers, builders on Nissan cars in South Africa, tax exemption on export incentives does not apply to other car makers, the South African Revenue Service said on Monday. The Nissan case involved interpretation of a section of the Income Tax Act, and the court ruled that some R116-million in incentives […]

PAY television provider M-Net has signed a multimillion-rand deal with Warner Brothers International for movie output. Warner is the largest distributor of programming content in the world. The deal is claimed to reaffirm M-Net’s status as one of only three broadcasters in the world with exclusive movie output deals with the major studios, including Disney, […]

HORSE Chestnut’s trainer, Mike de Kock, says the three-year old colt may not run in the Rothman’s July. “He may be handicapped out of it”, says de Kock. This is bad news for betters trying to make a sure, if slim win, since bookmakers are sure to try to cover themselves against the kind of […]

THE Rhino and Elephant Foundation is involved in discussions over the possibility of shipping some of the Tuli elephants to zoos and parks in China and Japan. In a statement on Sunday, the foundation said it held a meeting recently with interested parties, including the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism and the Convention for […]

EXPORT rumours flooded South Africa’s white maize market on Monday, driving prices higher. Dealers scrambled to cover short positions as the rumours of high export demand drove spot prices higher than futures rates. Traders said there was talk of exporting 400000 tons of maize to Mexico. The Tanzanian government also invited bids on Monday to […]

GLOBALSTAR, the global satellite communication group, has completed an earth station worth R150-million in North-West province ahead of the launch of its 48 satellites designed to provide global telecommunication coverage. The firm plans to begin offering services later this year in partnership with Vodacom. The service will be only the second global telecommunications service available […]

NIGERIAN police have seized 80000 copies of a Nigerian magazine that promised revelations on corruption under the last military regime, and have arrested a company official, the magazine said in a statement on Sunday. Police on Saturday night seized the entire print run for the western and southern region of the weekly magazine The News, […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Monday 4.50pm. LAWYERS on Monday launched what is expected to be a lengthy defence in the Cape Town High Court of disgraced anti-apartheid cleric Allan Boesak, who is facing 27 charges of fraud and theft. When the trial, which began in August, adjourned for the summer break on December 18, […]

GERMAN billionaire Jurgen Harksen, who has fought a running battle to avoid extradition to in Germany, lost his bid to remain in South Africa on Monday and was taken into custody. Harksen faces criminal tax evasion charges in Germany. Cape Town Magistrate Michael Wagner ordered that Harksen be committed to prison pending his extradition. Harksen […]

THE treason trial of the 77 Zambia army men accused of attempting to overthrow President Frederick Chiluba’s government on October 28 in 1997 resumes on Monday after a three-week recess. Defence lawyers are expected to begin oral submissions for a “no case to answer”. After the defence close their case, the prosecution will also submit […]

President Nelson Mandela has paid homage to King Hussein of Jordan.

AN Organisation of African Unity mission to the Comoros islands began consultations in Moroni on Monday aimed at ending the breaking the deadlock over the secessionist movement on Anjouan island. Headed by South Africa, the mission includes representatives from Mauritius, Madagascar, Mozambique, Kenya, Tanzania and the OAU Secretariat.

STANDARD Bank Investment Corporation announced on Tuesday afternoon that it has acquired a further 50% shareholding in Liberty Life Controlling Corporation (LCC) for R5,595-billion. The announcement comes after both parties issued cautionaries and amid widespread speculation that the deal was on the cards. LCC which owns 54,8% of Liberty Holdings is the ultimate holding company […]

FORMER South African and New York marathon champion Willie Mtolo accidentally shot himself in the foot while hunting last week and will not race in the Old Mutual South African Marathon Championships later this month, KwaZulu-Natal Athletics said on Monday. Spokesperson Tim Whitfield said Mtolo was hunting on his KwaZulu-Natal midlands farm last Thursday when […]

UGANDA will on Monday begin the first HIV vaccine trials in Africa, the state-owned Sunday Vision newspaper reports. Ugandan health director general Kihumoro Apuuli said that 40 low-risk volunteers aged between 18 and 40 will be involved in the first two-year phase of the study. The volunteers will be used to test the efficacy of […]

THE handling of local election results in Niger contravenes the West African country’s electoral code, a supreme court judge said on Monday, as reports of criminal irregularities also emerged. Attorney-General Soly Abdourahamane said centralisation of the weekend poll results and their gradual release by the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) “did not conform with the […]

THE King and Queen of Spain, Juan Carlos I and Sofia, are to visit South Africa from February 15 to 18, according to foreign affairs. The king will participate in a Spanish/South African business conference planned for Johannesburg on February 17.

THE Congress of South African Trade Unions on Monday expressed its shock at Local Government and Constitutional Affairs Minister Valli Moosa’s approval last week for the privatisation of water delivery on the KwaZulu- Natal Dolphin Coast. Spokesman Mukoni Ratshitanga said in a statement Cosatu is considering seeking legal advice on the deal. “Cosatu views the […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Monday 10.45am. AVENGING their earlier loss at the hands of Kaizer Chiefs, Bush Bucks stole the show in Umtata 1-0 on Sunday. The match provided a few close calls. Bucks’ William Mugeyi gave Brain Baloyi some work to do with a crisp free kick in the 12th minute. Then Chiefs’ Pollen […]

JUDGE Jack Chulu, a judge of the Mmabatho High Court in North-West province, was killed in a car accident near Lichtenburg on Saturday, the provincial premier’s office announced on Monday. Premier Popo Molefe’s spokesperson David Van Wyk said: “Judge Chulu was a man of substance who played a central role in the reconstruction of the […]

FORMER Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar has been forced to stop coaching Cape Town club Seven Stars after just two matches owing to work permit problems. Grobbelaar, one of the most colourful characters in English football during the 1980s, cannot work in the land of his birth because he is no longer a citizen. The star, […]

ORGANISATION of African Unity secretary general Salim Ahmed Salim on Monday called on Ethiopia and Eritrea “to immediately put an end to the current fighting” and accept an OAU peace plan. Salim stressed his “deep concern” over new clashes in the conflict between the two Horn of Africa countries, which first broke out on May […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Harare | Sunday 1.30pm. THE first of two five day matches between the Zimbabwe and England ‘A’ teams was called off in Harare on Saturday when further rain soaked the outfield and affected the bowlers’ run-up areas. Only 10 hours out of a scheduled 30 hours was played over the five days with […]

INTERNET Cricket information service CricInfo has awarded South Africa its One Day International (ODI) World Title for 1998. Rather than rely on a ratings system for ODIs, CricInfo simply awards the title to the team which beats the previous holder. It has tracked this title backward to the first ODI, England vs. Australia in 1971. […]

TRAFFIC on the main road from Mozambique’s capital Maputo to neighbouring Swaziland could be cut by floods soon, Mozambican officials warned on Monday. Water management officials said a bridge over the Umbeluzi river, which burst its banks at the weekend, is already under several centimetres of water. The situation is likely to worsen as the […]

SPAIN took the Meridian Cup junior soccer tournament in Cape Town on Sunday, defeating Ghana 2-1 in the final. The battle for third place between Portugal and Egypt ended in a scoreless draw, and was decided on penalties. Portugal’s nerves outlasted the Egyptians, and putting the young Portuguese in third place.

THE Sage Group is expecting a high rating at the end of the month from US insurance rating agency AM Best. Sage is the only South African financial services firm to hold a life insurance subsidiary in the US, Sage Life of America. The rating will be a cue to open the American firm for […]

SOUTH African Telemedical Resources (TMR) today opened SA’s first telemedicine site with a dual site launch shared by the Western and Eastern Cape regions. Tygerburg hospital is now linked to Groote Schuur Hospital to provide radiology and pathology expertise, with links to Frere Provincial Hospital in East London for pathology and haematology cases. The pilot […]

THE Absa Group has won the bid to buy the majority shareholding of Tanzanian bank NBC Ltd. Reliable sources said at the weekend that the Tanzanian cabinet met in Dodoma on Friday and approved a presidential parastatal sector reform commission recommendation to accept the Absa Group tender. “This is not the go ahead for ABSA […]

OIL group Engen has acquired British Petroleum and Fina subsidiaries in Rwanda, taking control of 25% of Rwanda’s petrol distribution, an Engen official said on Monday. “The entire Rwandan market represents the equivalent of one European highway petrol station. But Rwanda is interesting because of its geographic position, it is a bridge to other countries,” […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Sun City | Monday 1.20pm. SCOTT DUNLAP’S errors were insignificant as he swept to a five-stroke victory and the first prize of R316_ 000 in the Dimension Data Pro-Am at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City on Sunday, which is more than can be said for his caddie. Dunlap was initially […]