THURSDAY, 5.00PM SIERRA Leone coup leader Major Johnny Paul Koroma said on Wednesday his military junta will not hand over power to a civilian government before 2001, effectively torpedoing peace talks in Abidjan. Regional foreign ministers who have been negotiating with Koroma’s envoys in Abidjan for a return to civilian rule slammed the announcement and […]
THURSDAY, 11.00AM RESERVE Bank governor Chris Stals’s positive statement on an interest rate cut on Wednesday deterred further selling on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, but investors were not buying either, leading to a quiet day, with investors waiting for a rate cut to materialise. With few sellers in evidence, the industrial index traded weaker for […]
THURSDAY, 11.00AM INVESTEC Securities said on Wednesday that the rand had been among the weakest currencies in the Southern African Development Community over the past 18 months. Between January last year and the end of last week, the rand lost 20% against he Malawi kwacha, 11% against the Mauritian rupiah, 17% against the Mozambican metical […]
WEDNESDAY, 5.00PM AN APPLE laptop is the star of a Botswana technology and education conference — because it is powered by a clockwork generator. Trevor Baylis, British inventor of a clockwork radio manufactured in Cape Town, connected his radio to a low-powered Apple E-mate 300 computer on show at the conference. The radio, which includes […]
THURSDAY, 8.00AM RESERVE BANK governor Chris Stals said yesterday that he hoped to relax monetary policy before the year end, but refused to be drawn on a date. ” The influence of last year’s depreciation (of the rand) is working itself out from the inflation now, so I think all the indicators tell us that […]
THURSDAY, 5.00PM SIX Burundians convicted of taking part in ethnic massacres in the tiny central African country’s civil war were executed by hanging Thursday, officials said. They were the first executions in Burundi since the early 1980s, and observers said they were designed to underscore the government’s determination to bring war criminals to justice. The […]
THURSDAY, 1.00PM: US OPEN champion Ernie Els won the $200 000 International leg of the Andersen Consulting World Championship of golf in Kohler, USA on Wednesday . He finished two holes ahead of Australian Steve Elkington to qualify to play in the four-man world finals at Scottsdale, Arizona in January. Els will play against his […]
THURSDAY, 3.30PM SOUTH Africa is the 33rd most corrupt country out of 52 nations surveyed by Transparency International this year. Transparency International’s corruption perception index is based on seven international surveys of businesspeople, political analysts and the general public, and ranks countries out of 10, with the least corrupt gaining the most points. No country […]
THURSDAY, 1.00PM: MOROKA SWALLOWS on Thursday announced their three sponsors for the season — Nike, Elephant Beer and Independent Newspapers. Swallows have signed a three-year contract with Nike as their technical sponsor and have renewed their contract with Elephant Beer. The sponsorship means that Swallows will have constant contact with other Nike-sponsored clubs — Brazil’s […]
THURSDAY, 1.00PM: SOUTH AFRICAN national junior welterweight champion Lawrence Ngobeni will meet Uraguayan Wilson Enrique Galli over 10 rounds at Morula Sun in Mabopane on Sunday. At Thursday’s pre-fight medical meeting at Nasrec Galli looked relaxed. An amazed Ngobeni said: “He sure looks a sleek mover and a hard puncher. But you’ve got to beat […]
THURSDAY, 2.00PM The special investigation team tracking the killers of five African National Congress members, including two newly elected councillors, in Richmond in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands have narrowed down their suspect list. Police spokesman Superintendent Henry Budhram said the investigators, headed by Director Bushy Engelbrecht, are now concentrating on finding only three suspects: Patrick “Bob” […]
THURSDAY, 4.30PM The haemorrhage of members from the National Party continued on Thursday when nine black Nats from North-West province defected to Roelf Meyer’s New Movement Process. Making thwe announcement, leader of the group Stoffel Masebo claimed that a number senior local African National Congress figures might follow suit. Masebo said ANC members are disillusioned […]
THURSDAY, 5.30PM The two envoys dispatched to SA by Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha to smoothe the diplomatic rumpus caused when information minister Walter Ofanagoro descibed SA as a “white country with a black head” were arrested on arrival at Wonderboom airport near Pretoria on Thursday. Mandela denied the meeting with Nigerian envoys Rabu Dagari and […]
THURSDAY, 1.00PM: SOUTH AFRICA’S Peter Malinga beat Alessandro Duran in the third round, to be crowned as the new World Boxing Union (WBU) welterweight champion in Sicily on Wednesday night. Malinga dropped Duran with an overarm in the second round. Duran tried to survive and came back for the third round where Malinga dropped him […]
THURSDAY, 5.00PM THE Malawi Supreme Court on Thursday threw out an appeal by the state in its attempt to reopen murder and conspiracy charges against former president-for-life Hastings Kamuzu Banda. The ruling ended a three-year-long judicial process that chief state prosecutor Kamudoni Nyasulu described as “a catharsis” for a young democratic nation that suffered three […]
ANOTHER MEGA-HEIST FIFTEEN armed robbers ambushed a security van on the N4 highway near Bronkhorstspruit, killed two security guards and stole R8-million in cash on Thursday morning. A massive manhunt has been launched to track down the culprits. Pretoria deputy fire chief Gordon Kuhn was shot while driving past the scene of the robbery and […]
THURSDAY, 11.30AM THE Congress of SA Trade Unions is to go ahead with its threatened rolling mass action in support of demands on the Basic Conditions of Employment Bill, starting with a one-hour national work stoppage on Monday, but has opened the way for a resumption of talks between itself, government and business on the […]
WEDNESDAY, 1.30PM: SOUTH AFRICA’S Wayne Ferreira advanced to the second round of the $2,3-million Canadian Open after beating Daniel Vacek 7-6 (7/5) 6-1 on Wednesday. Ferreira failed to convert three set points when he led 5-4 40-love in the opening set. He took a tiebreaker and after that he outclassed Vacek. The match was delayed […]
WEDNESDAY, 8.00AM SAFETY and Security minister Sydney Mufamadi is to ask police chief George Fivaz to defuse tensions in Richmond, scene of multiple political murders last week, by redeploying local policemen elsewhere. Mufamadi met with Richmond’s mayor and councillors yesterday to discuss the recent murders of six ANC members in the area, including three councillors. […]
WEDNESDAY, 11.00AM NEW private sector credit extension figures released by the Reserve Bank on Monday evening hit the markets on Tuesday, with industrial shares, bonds and currency losing out as hopes for an early interest rate cut were dashed. However, the losses could have been worse, but were saved by better than expected money supply […]
WEDNESDAY, 1.30PM: THE Springbok selectors have named Dawie Theron as the only change in the team to face Australia in the Tri-Nations match on Saturday, after coach Carel du Plessis decided to keep rest of the squad that played against the All Blacks two weeks ago. Theron replaces injured Marius Hurter. Hooker James Dalton, who […]
OLYMPICS SUPPORT THE American-based Corporate Council on Africa, devoted to promoting US trade with Africa has come out in support of the Cape Town Olympics bid. Kase Lawal, a director of the council and CEO of a Texas energy company, made the announcement on Wednesday at a Washngton luncheon given in honour of a South […]
WEDNESDAY, 11.00AM SOUTH Africa’s trade surplus last month hit a record R4,1-billion from May’s R1,8-billion as exports experienced strong growth while import demand slowed, according to the customs and excise department. Between the first and second quarters, exports increased by 20%, while imports were up only 6% over the same period. Total exports in June […]
WEDNESDAY, 1.30PM: SANZAR has agreed to consider two more teams in rugby’s Super 12 competition in 2000, but agreed that the format should stay the same. A feasibility study, which will be conducted for 2000 and beyond, was announced on Wednesday. South Africa suggested inclusion of an extra team for the 1998 competition, and Australia […]
WEDNESDAY, 1.30PM: ITALIAN boxing trainer Roberto Agostini has tipped South Africa’s Peter Malinga to win his title fight against the WBU welterweight champion Alessandro Duran in Sicily on Wednesday night. Malinga has been working out at Agostini’s gymnasium during the week. “This Malinga is good, very good,” said Agostini. “He throws good short punches and […]
TUESDAY, 2.30PM CONSUMER inflation fell again in June, with latest Central Statistical Service figures showing the annualised inflation rate for June at 8,8%, or 0,7 percentage points lower than May (9,5%), and its lowest since the 8,4% recorded last September. The month-on-month increase in the consumer price index from May to June stood at 0,3%, […]
WEDNESDAY, 11.00AM MEDIA and communications group Primedia has snapped up most of the operation of Interleisure in a R1,5-billion deal. Primedia CEO William Kirsh said his group bought 80% of Ster-Kinekor Theatres, Ster-Moribo, Ster-Kinekor Pictures and Cinemark, as well as 85,4% of Ster-Kinekor Home Entertainment and 30% of Ster-Kinekor Jersey, giving Primedia instant dominance of […]
WEDNESDAY, 5.30PM ZAMBIAN riot police fired teargas at demonstators in Lusaka, and arrested 18 supporters of former president Kenneth Kaunda, including some senior members of his United National Independence Party (UNIP). Unip members had assembled outside their party headquarters for a march on the offices of two state-controlled newspapers, which they accuse of biased reporting. […]
WEDNESDAY, 1.30PM: SOUTH AFRICA’S US Open champion Ernie Els advanced to the final of the Andersen Consulting World Championships of golf after beating Zimbabwean Nick Price 3 and 2 in Kohler on Wednseday. Els will play against Steve Elkington, who beat defending champion Greg Norman 2 and 1 on Wednesday. The winner will pocket $200 […]
PORTUGUESE president Jorge Sampaio met Nelson Mandela in South Africa on Wednesday, and thanked him for his role as mediator in the East Timor controversy.
WEDNESDAY, 1.30PM: THE Premier Soccer League (PSL) on Wednesday released its congested fixture list for the 1997/98 season and apparently left no space for the annual Four Nations Cup tournament. PSL’s representative Andrew Dipela said the league will not change the fixture list to accommodate the Four Nations Cup. Meanwhile, South African Football Association general […]
WEDNESDAY, 11.00AM The initial share in SA Airways to be sold to an equity partner is likely to be 49%, Transport Minister Mac Maharaj said yesterday, up from the 25% first proposed. Maharaj also added that full privatisation is on the cards at a later stage. Maharaj said government is about to present its vision […]