Staff Reporter

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, […]

NIGERIA’s military government set up a 16-man committee on Monday to organise the formal arrangements for hand-over of power to a civilian ruler, a top official said. Vice Admiral Mike Akhigbe, the chief of general staff and number two man in the Nigerian regime, said the committee — part military and part civilian — will […]

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.

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, […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 Southern African Development Community (SADC) is considering the possibility of brokering talks on the Zambia-Angola conflict over the former’s alleged supply of arms to Unita rebels in Angola. SADC executive secretary Kaire Mbuende, speaking at a press briefing last Friday ahead of the Council of ministers meeting and the 1999 SADC consultative conference, said […]

PRESIDENT Nelson Mandela’s spokesperson Parks Mankahlana faces arrest for failing to pay child maintenance for his eight-year-old daughter, The Sunday Times reports. The mother of his daughter claimed that he only paid once for the upkeep of their child and is seeking R40000 in back payments. Mankahlana confirmed that he was contacted at home in […]

NORTHERN Province police, who believe they have cracked a major cocaine smuggling ring, expect to make additional arrests in Johannesburg soon. Police spokesperson Ronel Otto said on Sunday investigators will follow leads in Johannesburg this week. The investigation follows the arrest of a Nigerian, Augustine Zukora (41), who is believed to be the biggest crack […]

POLLS opened in Niger on Sunday for the election of 2053 local, municipal and regional officials, the last phase of the West African country’s process of restoration democratic insitutions. President Ibrahim Bare Mainassara and his government voted at Niamey town hall when polling stations opened. The government has warned against troublemaking and cautioned foreign oberservers […]

AUSTRALIA’s women’s cricket team beat South Africa by 100 runs in a one-day women’s limited overs cricket match in Brisbane on Sunday. Scores: Australia 220/9 (Karen Rolton 50, Belinda Clark 40, Levona Lewis 3/50, Kerri Laing 1/47). South Africa 120/7 (Kerri Laing 31, Anina Burger 25no, Cindy Eksteen 18, Fitzpatrick 4/12).

THREE veterinary officials in Mpumalanga have contracted Rift Valley fever after doing autopsies on infected animals in the Kruger National Park and adjoining game reserves, the Mpumalanga health department said on Tuesday. Communicable disease control consultant Dr David Durrheim said the rainfall in the province and growth of the mosquito population has caused the outbreak, […]

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. […]

THE future of provisionally liquidated Namibian copper mining company Tsumeb Corporation Limited has to be resolved this week, says liquidator Des Mathews. Mathews said on Sunday he is expecting to finalise what will happen to TCL this week. The company has been in provisional liquidation since April 29 and its closure threw some 2000 employees […]

UNITED States Defence Secretary William Cohen is due to arrive in Cape Town on Tuesday morning for talks with Defence Minister Joe Modise and Deputy President Thabo Mbeki. Defence ministry spokesperson Puso Tladi said Cohen will sign a military co-operation agreement. Cohen, on his first visit to South Africa, is also expected to discuss US […]

NIGERIA’S fuel refinery at Kaduna in the north has resumed operations, pumping some 1,5- million litres of fuel a day to a depot in the region, the plant’s manager said on Friday. The restoration of the refinery, under a $214-million contract awarded to French oil giant Total, is a key step in ending the chronic […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Monday 12.30pm. DONALD GORDON, founder and chairman of Liberty Life, announced his retirement this weekend, clearing the way for a proposed merger between the firm and Standard Bank Investment Corporation (Stanbic). Business Day reports that the retirement will herald shifts in Gordon’s control of the Liberty Group, and may allow a […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

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.

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 […]

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 […]

THE New Zealand connection at Ellis Park strengthened on Thursday when it was announced that former Otago tighthead prop Nick Moore will pack down for the Gauteng Lions pack this year. The 28-year-old player, who has 80 games for Otago and two seasons with the Super 12 Highlanders behind him, will joining his compatriot, former […]

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.

A LEADING logistics practitioner will visit South Africa in April to keynote the local roundtable of the Council of Logistics Management (CLM). John Gattorna, author of The Gower Handbook of Logistics and Distribution Management, will keynote South Africa’s first Logistics Safari Series of conferences in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Mpumalanga. The roundtable is intended to […]

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 […]