Staff Reporter

The family of Scottish immigrants who set up jiu-jitsu in Brazil still dominate the world’s toughest fighting art, writes Alex Bellos >From Robert the Bruce to Trainspotting’s Frank Begbie, the Scots have earned a reputation for their terrier-like fierceness. So it comes as a comforting proof of the stereotype that the man who created the […]

THE DAVID GLEASON COLUMN My word, some bunk has been written in recent weeks about the so-called sins of insider trading, ever since the new Act (no 135 of 1998) became effective – and by commentators who should know better. It seems everyone is in agreement with the general premise that once the phrase “insider […]

PRESIDENT Nelson Mandela’s wife, Graa Machel, received an award on Thursday from the Council of Europe’s North-South Centre in recognition of the role she has played in protecting human rights and democracy. The 1998 North-South Prize was to be handed over at a ceremony in Strasbourg, France, during the Council of Europe’s parliamentary session. Machel […]

SWAZILAND’S former member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), David Sibandze, has resigned from his post as head of Swaziland’s Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association (SOCGA). In a statement released on Wednesday, Sibandze said: “Pursuant to my resignation from the IOC, I felt that it would not be in the best interest of SOCGA to […]

President Nelson Mandela arrived in Baden Baden, Germany.

PRICES of some basic foodstuffs in Zimbabwe are set to go up yet again by an average 20% from mid-February, the second such increase in four months. This follows domestic food manufacturers petitioning the government for the price hikes. They say their companies are threatened with collapse unless they pass on to consumers production costs […]

MINISTERIAL delegations from 11 African countries will meet in Pretoria on Thursday to search for a political solution to the secessionist crisis on the Comoros Islands, foreign ministry spokesman Marco Boni said on Wednesday. Boni said that South Africa called the meeting, which is to be chaired by Foreign Minister Alfred Nzo, at the request […]

ZAMBIAN legislators have called for a serious government probe into reports alleging top state officials are supplying arms to Unita rebels in Angola. Two members of the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy have asked President Frederick Chiluba to tell the truth about these allegations. One of the lawmakers, Jerry Muloji, said any delay in carrying […]

A HUGE fire broke out on Thursday in an oil pipeline running to Cairo in a desert area south of the Egyptian capital, police said. The fire was started by a blast in an underground section of the Mostorod pipeline at 2.30pm in the Zahraa al-Maadi area. The cause of the blast is not certain, […]

FORMER security policeman Michael Bellingan on Wednesday told the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s amnesty committee that he doubts former president FW de Klerk would have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize had he not murdered his wife, Janine Bellingnan. The Star reports that Bellingan told the committee he believes if he had not murdered Janine, […]

THE WORLD Bank is expected on Thursday to release a $170-million credit to Zambia for various programmes. Finance minister Edith Nawakwi revealed on Wednesday that the World Bank agreed to extend to Zambia the credit worth $170-million. Nawakwi said the Private Sector Reform and Export Promotion (PSREP) credit will be released in three tranches, the […]

A FORMER East Londoner, Rhodes scholar and teacher, Gill Taylor has been elected to the executive of the National Sports Council in Cape Town with a portfolio giving special attention to the development of hockey in underprivileged areas. As Gill Sperinck, Taylor gained colours for Border, Rhodes University, and Western Province. In Cape Town Taylor […]

AT least 10 new recruits in the Mozambican customs service have been fired for alleged corruption. The move follows the discovery of malpractice at Namaacha border post on the Mozambique-Swaziland frontier. The Mozambican government has employed Brisitsh customs officials to recruit and train personnel in an effort to improve the customs service. The customs department […]

THE Border Vodacom rugby tour to Australia is off as not enough funds have been raised through lottery sales. However, the prizes still hold and the draw for them will still take place. Border coach Gert Smal said on Wednesday that ticket sales had not gone as well as expected forcing the cancellation.

THE Nigerian government has ordered all civil servants over age 60 to retire in a first move aimed at cutting back on the vast public service sector, officials said on Wednesday. In a directive sent out to all ministries, secretary to the government Gidado Idriss ordered officials to require all over 60s to retire “voluntarily” […]

THE ARBITRATION ruling in the dispute between Govin Reddy and the SABC has been delayed for over one month, The Star reports on Thursday. Closing arguments from both parties are due on March 5. Paul Pretorius, the arbitrator in the case was expected to rule February 1, but will now only do so on March […]

TANZANIA’S national carrier Air Tanzania Corporation (ATC) said on Wednesday it plans to resume flights to Burundi next month after regional leaders lifted economic sanctions against the country. Meanwhile, ATC is also set to dry-lease a Boeing 737-300 aircraft from Australia’s Ansett Worldwide in February to boost its present fleet of two Boeing 737-200 and […]

MORE than 400 members of the Paper, Print, Wood and Allied Workers Union have been locked out at National Magazine Printers in Cape Town after the union staged a go-slow. The go-slow was in response to what the union calls futile wage negotiations and began on Wednesday afternoon, SABC Radio reported on Thursday. A spokesperson […]

MALAWIAN women have been urged to take part in parliamentary politics by the first deputy speaker of the national assembly. Lilian Kapanda called for more female representation in the legislature in order to have a strong say on national issues. Kapanda says only nine women are members of parliament, while women make up 52% of […]

JUDGE Willem Heath’s special anti-corruption unit should probe the unlawful and improper use of public funds by former Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) councillors, Public Protector Selby Baqwa said in a statement on Wednesday. The recommendation is contained in Baqwa’s Special Report on the Affairs of the IBA, which will be tabled in Parliament soon. His […]

MINISTERS from 11 African countries met in Pretoria on Thursday to seek a solution to the separatist crisis in the Comoros. The South African foreign ministry said the meeting, chaired by Organisation of African Unity Secretary General Salim Ahmed Salim, was called at the request of Comoran Prime Minister Abass Djoussouf. It is aimed at […]

ANGLO American Corporation announced on Tuesday that the British-based company it is to form with its offshore arm, Minorco, will post its listing particulars to shareholders at the end of April — two and half months later than planned. When it announced the formation of the new company Anglo American (AA) in October, Anglo had […]

KENYAN International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Charles Mukora quit the IOC on Wednesday in the wake of the votes-for-favours scandal. However, Mukora said he was an “innocent victim” and that he would retain his other positions. He is first vice-chairman of the Commonwealth Games Federation, a post to which he was elected in Kuala Lumpur […]

ARMY units have arrested over 103 illegal Mozambican immigrants hundreds of kilometres from the border near the small farming towns of Piet Retief and Delmas in Mpumalanga over the past week. South African National Defence Force spokesperson Lize Pienaar said on Wednesday that the arrests formed part of a concerted anti-crime campaign in the region […]

SENIOR public service managers will have to work for pay rises in future, according to Public Service and Administration Minister Zola Skweyiya. Signing a performance agreement with his director general, Paseka Ncholo, on Tuesday, Skweyiya said he believes the new regime will improve relations between directors general and ministers and reduce the temptation for ministers […]

FRENCH oil company Total has taken control of Forzando coal mine in South Africa by purchasing shares in the mine from South Africa’s Anglovaal Minerals (Avmin), Total announced on Tuesday. Total previously had a 50% stake in Forzando. The mine has been operational since 1996, last year producing some 1,1-million tons of coal. Output is […]

THE sale of Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines’ (ZCCM) remaining mines is expected to effectively end a crisis period in the Zambian economy, Barclays Bank said on Tuesday. According to a bank newsletter, the sale of Nkana and Nchanga mines — previous to the sale they were a key obstacle to donor aid — has now […]

THE Cameroonian national football championship began in various parts of the country on Saturday. In Douala, Union Sportive de Douala beat Bamenda Free Boys 4-0 and Port FC won 2-0 against Badjoun Stadium, while in Yaounde, hosts Tonnerre Kalara Club (TKC) drew with Baham (2-2). In Ngaoundere, Canon de Yaounde, which will play in this […]

SCOTLAND captain Bryan Redpath has warned his team’s Five Nations rivals to expect a much improved performance from the Scots this season. Redpath, who joined Wales captain Rob Howley, England’s Lawrence Dallaglio, France’s Raphael Ibanez and Ireland’s Paddy Johns for a sponsorship launch in London on Monday, spelled out to each of them what they […]

TANZANIA’s foreign reserves reached $586-2-million at the end of last November, an equivalent of 23,4 weeks of the country’s import requirement, the central bank reported. In a monetary policy statement presented to parliament on Tuesday, the Bank of Tanzania said gross foreign reserves improved from $502,5-million, the equivalent of 16,7 weeks of imports, recorded in […]

COMOROS interim President Tadjidine Ben Said Massonde has postponed the election for the successor to Mohamed Taki Abdoulkarim who died last November. Tadjidine said on Wednesday: “My interim period was to last for three months and enable the organisation of the presidential vote,” he said. “But … it is impossible to organise elections in which […]

President Nelson Mandela left Pretoria late on Wednesday for a brief visit to Germany and Switzerland.