Staff Reporter

The security industry is pressing for some policing powers, writes Ann Eveleth The burgeoning private security industry which employs about one in every 200 South Africans, many former police officers and paramilitary members wants the government to give its members arrest and search-and- seizure powers. It also wants the power to demand a name and […]

Mama has been exiled to the Transkei, but one night she wakes and exclaims, Hes dead! She means the Old President, and this is her chance to seize power. Astory by Achmat Dangor, from his new book Mama had them shot in the afternoon. They were lined up facing westwards, so that the only blindfold […]

Robert Kirby: Loose cannon FOR SALE OR HIRE: One slightly-used sentimental Candle in the Wind ballad for use as musical grief/tribute/time- filler. Only used twice before, but both previous deceased in whose honour it was written were very well-known and deeply loved blondes. For a reasonable extra fee, the mutton- throated composer of this poignant […]

Gilbert Grandguillaume, an anthropologist and expert on Arab issues, discusses the recent massacres in Algeria with Jean- Pierre Tuquoi Are the reasons for the mounting violence in Algeria to be found in the countrys recent history? There is a historical link, but it has nothing to do with a culturalist approach that sees Algerians primarily […]

THURSDAY, 12.30PM: NORTHERN Transvaal rugby selectors have named an unchanged squad to face Eastern Province in a Bankfin Currie Cup match at Loftus Versveld Stadium on Friday night. Injured hooker Jannie Brooks and Springbok tighthead Marius Hurter have been rested. NORTHERN TRANSVAAL SQUAD: Thys Potgieter; Archer Dames, Grant Esterhuizen, Johan Schutte, Casper Steyn; Roland de […]

THURSDAY, 12.30PM: WHEN Bafana Bafana take on France in a friendly match in Lens on October 11, Ajax Amsterdam’s striker Benedict “Cellular” McCarthy is likely to spearhead the national soccer team’s attack. National coach Clive Barker said he will be pinning his hopes on the youngster to score the winning goals. “He is brilliant and […]

THURSDAY, 11.00AM: The gloomy sentiment that his beset local markets this week continued on Wednesday as weak international markets added to the general gloom to push major indices on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange lower. Turnover, at R1-billion was higher than it has been this week and producer inflation figures released on Tuesday were positive, but […]

WEDNESDAY, 12.30PM: UNITED Cricket Board managing director Ali Bacher on Tuesday said the sponsorship row surrounding cricket and golf will be resolved within the next three days. “We have reached a stage where there are only a couple of issues that need to be ironed out,” he said. Bacher said he and former PGA Tour […]

WEDNESDAY, 11.00AM: PESSIMISM about the softening SA economy and gloomy sentiment on international markets kept investors away from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange on Tuesday, giving industrial shares a sharp knock. The thin volumes and bullion’s doldrums dragged the gold index to its lowest level in two months, losing 12 points to close at 981. Industrial […]

TUESDAY, 11.00AM: THE Zimbabwean government is pressuring pension funds with more than R10-million in assets to invest 10% of them in African Resources Investment, a new company formed by the cabinet indigenisation committee. Some fund managers have alleged government officials said they would use persuasion followed by force to get the funds to comply with […]

TUESDAY, 10.30AM: TRADE on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange was subdued on Monday, with the only action the result of investors dumping “Olympic” stocks in the wake of Cape Town’s failed bid for the 2004 Games. The thin trade brought all shares lower, with the all gold index slipping 2,9 points to 992,5, industrials shedding 34,7 […]

TUESDAY, 12.30PM: NATIONAL soccer coach Clive Barker has demanded R200 000 a month to guide Bafana Bafana to the World Cup finals in France next June. On Monday, Barker accepted the coaching job on a full-time basis for the next 15 months. South African Football Association (Safa) president Molefe Oliphant confirmed that Barker had requested […]

TUESDAY, 11.00AM: GOVERNMENT’s R1,74-billion infrastructure plans for the Western Cape will go ahead in spite of Cape Town’s failure to host the 2004 Olympic Games. Olympic Bid Company project management director Mbali Swana told a press conference that the projects will proceed “because they are in accordance with central government’s development objectives”. Swana said the […]

TUESDAY, 2.00PM THE National Party’s electoral college has selected party executive director Marthinus van Schalkwyk as the party’s new leader, the eighth NP leader since 1914. Van Schalkwyk, the youngest candidate at 38, had the backing of three provincial leaders, the black caucus, and former leader FW De Klerk. He said that he favours “coalition […]

TUESDAY, 12.30PM: GAUTENG Lions coach Dawie Snyman has refused to name the starting XV, and instead kept his options open by naming a 21-man squad ahead of the Bankfin Currie Cup match against South Western Districts in George on Saturday. There is only one change to the team that did duty against Natal Sharks last […]

TUESDAY, 12.30PM: WORLD number three golfer, South African Ernie Els will play only two tournaments in the Vodacom Golf Tour this season. He said he will only play in the South African Open and Alfred Dunhill PGA and will try to win the Nedbank Million Dollar at Sun City in December. “I’d love to play […]

TUESDAY, 11.00AM: BUSINESS confidence in South Africa took a further dive in August, with the SA Chamber of Business business confidence index falling a further 0,3% after a 0,2% drop in July. Sacob said the results reflect the continuing slowdown of the economy and disappointment following the Reserve Bank’s reluctance to cut the interest rates. […]

TUESDAY, 12.30PM: FORMER Wimbledon champion Pat Cash has been named as the replacement for Frenchman Yannick Noah in the field for the MTN championships senior tennis tournament to be held at Sandton Gardens later this month. Reigning champion Noah withdrew from the tournament, citing prior commitments. Tournament promoter Franco Barocas welcomed the inclusion of Cash. […]

MONDAY, 9.40AM: KAIZER CHIEFS went down 2-1 to Bush Bucks in a Premier Soccer League match at Johannesburg Stadium on Saturday, in an entertaining game in which both teams played attacking football from the first whistle. Bucks opened the score in the 40th minute through striker Vincent Skhosana after capitalising on a defensive mistake by […]

MONDAY, 1.30PM The leader of the Anjouan separatists in the Comoros announced that he will hold a “cabinet” meeting today to decide what to do next. Local businessman Ahmed “Charlie” Charikane held a candle-light press conference in a local hotel and said his first priority would be to re-establish phone links to the outside world […]

MONDAY, 11.35AM: NAMIBIA’S Frankie Fredericks criticised the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for Friday’s decision not to award Cape Town the 2004 Olympic Games.”I’m very disappointed and sad,” he said after beating Donovan Bailey of Canada in a Grand Prix 100m final in Tokyo on Saturday. He said: “I can’t see any other African countries comming […]

MONDAY, 10.30AM: AMERICAN energy expert Amory Lovins, currently visiting South Africa, says Eskom is making a mistake “running wires out to people who can’t pay”. He suggests that Eskom “leap-frog” to looking at the potential of solar energy, which would cut infrastructure costs and help consumers pay their energy bills. Lovins, who runs the Rocky […]

MONDAY, 8.00AM THE National Olympic Committee of South Africa is gearing up for another bid attempt for 2008, starting with an analysis of what Athens offered that swayed the International Olympics Committee. But South Africa’s first problem will be to address its failure to capture the African vote — half the 20 African countries voted […]

MONDAY, 5.00PM A SINGLE brief radio announcement informed the people of DR-Congo that the dictator who had ruled them for 31 years was dead (see below). “In the African tradition, you don’t say anything bad about someone who has died,” the state-run radio said, explaining the subdued public reaction to the death in Morocco of […]

MONDAY, 11.00AM KENYA’S President Daniel Arap Moi has renewed his attacks on foreigners and refugees, calling on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to move out all Somali refugees in Kenya. “We are being treated like fools by being so generous in every thing”, the president told a fund raising meeting in aid […]

MONDAY, 1.00PM: The new UK-listed arm of Gencor, Billiton, will merge with the Australian nickel mining group QNI to produce the world’s fourth-largest nickel mining group, with a capacity to produce 60 000 tons next year. The deal gives Billiton 52,4% of an enlarged QNI, the rest held by existing QNI shareholders, who will enjog […]

MONDAY, 11.00AM: SOUTH AFRICA has adopted a new set of aviation safety rules based on those in several other countries, which bring SA in line with global aviation rules. The new regulations make passenger safety the responsibility of cabin staff, who are now required to be licenced and to undergo regular medical check-ups. Other changes […]

MONDAY, 11.05AM: NORTHERN TRANSVAAL beat bottom-of-the-table Mpumalanga Pumas 36-16 in a Bankfin Currie Cup match at Johann van Riebeeck Stadium on Saturday. Northerns led 21-6 at half time. The teaming of Joost van der Westhuizen, Archer Dames and Casper Steyn, proved effective for the Northerns. Van der Westhuizen made some decisive breaks around the fringes […]

BARNARD AMNESTY? FERDIE BARNARD, charged with the murder of David Webster, has had a change of heart about amnesty. Barnard, who has repeatedly said he will not apply for amnesty, now says he is considering it. He added that everything he had done, had been on behalf of his country, and carried out under orders. […]

MONDAY, 10.15AM: NATAL and former Springbok coach Ian McIntosh had no comment on speculation that he might apply for the job as a succesor to fired Springbok coach Carel du Plessis. Du Plessis was fired by the South African Rugby Football Union (Sarfu) after he refused to step down when asked to do so in […]

FRIDAY, 10.30AM: TRADE on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange was subdued on Thursday amid caution following a weak opening on Wall Street. Traders mostly selectively picked up blue chips, pushing the industrial index up, while financials continued their recent recovery. The industrial index recorded a 14-point rise to 9 032, helped by renewed expectations of an […]

FRIDAY, 5.00PM ZIMBABWE’S Supreme Court delivered a stunning blow to President Robert Mugabe’s ruling Zanu(PF) party today, by preventing the party from taking an entire state subsidy intended to encourage multi-party democracy. For the past five years, the Zanu(PF) dominated parliament has voted a sum of Z$225-million (about R94 million) to itself, on the grounds […]