Ferial Haffajee JUST before dawn on August 1, Kaya FM will take to Gauteng’s airwaves and promises to tackle the contested radio terrain head-on. This station wants to be the voice and preferred listening zone of black economic empowerment. “We’re not a Metro or a five,” says Kaya’s managing director Pat Dambe, referring to its […]
COMMUNITY radio broadcasting is battling to keep its head above water. The bulk of community radio stations operate at a loss, with sky-high debt; staff lack financial training; and infighting and power struggles further undercut the stations’ potential for growth. This is according to a detailed industry review of community radio compiled by the monitoring […]
Gustav Thiel In the face of strong opposition from old Transvaalers, Afrikaner leaders met behind closed doors this month to reconsider a plan to launch an organisation to protect their language. The who’s who of Afrikaner intellect and business had thrown their considerable weight behind the initiative, and agreed at their first public meeting in […]
GWEN ANSELL took some top SA jazzmen to watch Kansas City THE first jazz shot in Robert Altman’s Kansas City is of James Carter, natty in a sharp suit, legs crossed insouciantly, sax gleaming, wreathed in cigarette smoke, looking for all the world like a Herman Leonard photograph come to life. Visually, the whole movie […]
Claudia McElroy in Monrovia MONROVIA’S shantytown of Westport, one of the poorest and most congested areas in Liberia’s capital, has suddenly become the scene of some excitement. Braving monsoon rains, bemused residents throng the narrow streets to witness the unusual spectacle of a 14-car motorcade in which presidential candidate Ellen Johnson- Sirleaf and her entourage […]
THURSDAY, 11.00AM: The next three weeks have been described by boxing promoter Rodney Berman as the “golden weeks of South African boxing”, with several big-name fights on the cards. Baby Jake Matlala, former WBO junior flyweight champion, will fight Michael Carbajal in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 18. IBF bantamweight title holder Mbulelo Botile will […]
THURSDAY, 4.30PM THE Truth and Reconciliation Commission have tracked down Katiza Cebekhulu, who fled the country in 1992 while on trial as Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s co-accused on kidnapping and assault charges related to the murder of teen activist Stompie Seipei. Commissioner Yasmin Sooka, who is in charge of the TRC’s investigation into the Madela United football […]
WEDNESDAY, 2.00PM The annualised inflation rate in May fell to 9,5% from April’s 9,9%, according to latest figures from the Central Statistical Service. Reserve Bank governor Dr Chris Stals said he was “very encouraged” by the inflation figure. The drop in inflation over the month came despite a relatively large increase in food inflation. From […]
THURSDAY, 11.00AM: A BACKLOG of unplayed matches could delay the progress of second-round matches at Wimbledon in London, after rain held up play on Wednesday. The bad weather delayed South African Wayne Ferreira’s scheduled singles match against Rudolphe Gilbert of France. Doubles matches were also held up. South Africans waiting to take the court include […]
THURSDAY, 8.30AM: The biggest surprise among the three new faces in the injury-hit Springbok team is the inclusion of the relatively inexperienced Western Province back Percy Montgomery to replace Japie Mulder at centre. Montgomery’s Province colleague Pieter Rousow comes in on the wing to fill the gap left by James Small’s injury. Northern Transvaal’s Danie […]
THURSDAY, 4.30PM HEAVY weapons fire was reported in the Central African Republic capital of Bangui on Thursday, in spite of a pledge by mutinous soldiers to surrender their weapons. In a press release on Wednesday, the mutineers had said they would surrender their heavy weapons to an international peacekeeping force and try to settle their […]
THURSDAY, 12.00NOON FORMER US president Jimmy Carter arrives in Monrovia, Liberia, on Thursday for a three-day visit to assess preparations for Liberia’s elections on July 19. Carter’s visit comes just days after Liberians started registering for the polls to restore democracy to Africa’s first republic, ravaged by a civil war from 1989 to 1996. Carter […]
THURSDAY, 2.00PM GAUTNEG Premier Tokyo Sexwale, who recently confoiremd his intention to quit politics, on Thursday said he will resign as premier in 1998. Sexwale said his resignation becomes effective in January next year He added that he will remain chairman of the African National Congress in Gauteng until the end of 1998. ANC provincial […]
THURSDAY, 4.30PM TWO ministers in Lesotho’s controversial government of Prime Minister Ntsu Mokhehle were ejected on Thursday from a meeting with a visiting United Nations envoy after opposition leaders objected to their presence. Information and Broadcasting Minister Monyane, deputy secretary general of Mokhehle’s new political party, the Lesotho Congress for Democracy, and LCD executive Notshi […]
THURSDAY, 5.30PM MOZAMBICAN defence chief Lieutenant-General Lagos Lidimo has promised an investigation into allegations, first published by the Mail & Guardian last week, that weapons are being smuggled to Angola’s Unita movement via the northern Mozambican port of Nacala. “We have no information of arms being shipped to Unita through the Nacala port,” Lidimo told […]
THURSDAY, 11.00AM BLACK empowerment group New Africa Investments Limited on Wednesday announced a R1-billion rights issue to finance a further equity purchase in Metropolitan Life, and to recapitalise the African Merchant Bank, which is soon to be listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Nail will also acquire part of SCS Communications’ 15,5% stake in cellphone […]
THURSDAY, 2.30PM A GROUP of five members of the Cape Flats-based vigilante group People Against Gangsterism and Drugs handing out anti-drug pamphlets in Johannesburg’s upmarket Rosebank were set upon by a large group of nightclub bouncers and beaten up on Wednesday night. Pagad Gauteng leader Ayob Mungalee and four scarf-wrapped colleagues had targeted Rosebank’s night-owls […]
TALK IS CHEAPER TELKOM announced cuts in rates of between 20% and 12% off international telephone calls to 29 destinations from July 1. The countries that it will be cheaper to call in future include United States, Australia, Canada, Israel, New Zealand, Kenya and Taiwan. IRANIAN OIL SCHEME STALLED PLANS to import Iranian oil to […]
THURSDAY, 11.30AM THE Johannesburg Stock Exchange’s all gold index has not yet found the bottom in its current free fall, hitting a new four-year low on Wednesday for the 18th time in two months. The gold index shed another 11,2 points, or 1,2%, to 1 007,4, on the back of a continuing weak gold price […]
WEDNESDAY, 2.00PM AFRICA’S internal and external trade declined in 1996 due to weaker external demand and high tariffs. Africa Export and Import (Afrexim) Bank President Christopher Edordu said in Harare that total African trade fell by about 2% to $235-billion, and intra-African trade declined by 5% to $20,7-billion. He attributed the fall in exports to […]
THURSDAY, 2.30PM MILITARY forces behind former Congolese dictator Denis Sassou Nguesso said on Thursday they had taken control of Brazzaville international airport. The rebels, in a radio broadcast, said the had been “forced to occupy” the strategic site because it had not been “demilitarised”. Demilitarisation of the airport was one of the key aspects of […]
WEDNESDAY, 11.00AM: THE Iwisa Charity Spectacular will kick-off at the FNB Stadium in Soweto, outside Johannesburg on July 19, and the organisers are hoping to raise R1,8-million for charity. Chairman of the National Soccer League/Iwisa Trust Alistair Wheatley said on Tuesday: “We want to make this the biggest and most spectacular event in the history […]
TUESDAY, 4.00PM GENCOR’s plans to build a new aluminium smelter in the Mozambican capital Moputo are to go ahead, the company announced on Tuesday. The R5-billion project known as Mozal, which aims to produce 245 000 tons of aluminium a year, will be the largest single private-sector investment in Mozambique, Gencor claimed. The South African […]
WEDNESDAY, 8.00AM GAUTENG’S MEC for housing, Dan Mofokeng, tried to bribe a policeman who found an AK-47 rifle in a cupboard in his house, a magistrate heard on Tuesday. Mofokeng pleaded not guilty to charges of possession of an unlawful AK-47 rifle and ammunition, and for failing to safeguard his licenced pistol, which was left […]
WEDNESDAY, 10.00AM: TUESDAY was a good day for South Africa at Wimbledon with three out of the four singles players winning their first-round matches. When rain stalled play on Monday, sixth-seed Amanda Coetzer was locked 6-6 with Alexandra Fusai in their first-round bout, but on Tuesday, she resolved the tiebreak and won the second set […]
WEDNESDAY, 3.00PM SOME 300 angry former Swapo guerrillas have been camped in the grounds of Namibia’s parliament since Monday, demanding an audience with President Sam Nujoma to complain that they have been unemployed since independence seven years ago. “I decided to come here to ask for a job,” one ex-guerrilla, Benjamin Gerwiseb, said. “The President […]
WEDNESDAY, 11.30AM: THE British Lions played to another big win on Tuesday night, when they beat Free State 52-30 in their match in Bloemfontein. The victory was marred by injury, when Lions centre Will Greenwood was carried off the field on a stretcher with a concussion. The Lions triumphed with seven tries to Free State’s […]
WEDNESDAY, 5.30PM The finance department on Wednesday made its long-awaited announcement on individual investments abroad, in which it said SA taxpayers will be allowed to invest R200 000 abroad without restriction from July 1. “The amount may be dealt with in any manner that the investor deems fit,” the department said in a statement. The […]
WEDNESDAY, 3.30PM ANGOLAN rebel movement Unita is preparing to launch a fresh war, according to claims made on Tuesday by a senior Unita deserter. Colonel Rafael Kasanja claimed that Unita leader Jonas Savimbi is reorganising and strengthening his forces in the north and centre of the country. Fighting has already been reported between Unita and […]
WEDNESDAY, 10.30AM FINANCIAL shares on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange were much in demand on Tuesday as the rand held its head up against the dollar, pushing the financial and all share indeices to new record highs, ignoring Monday’s huge losses on Wall Street. The all share index ended the day 0,65% or 47,3 points up […]
WEDNESDAY, 3.15PM FORMER Zimbabwean president Canaan Banana, in an interview with the Zimbabwe Independent, denied he is a homosexual and described allegations he repeatedly raped an aide as “pathological lies” and part of a “malicious vendetta” against him. “How many times am I going to repeat that I am not a homosexual?” the Methodist minister […]
TUESDAY, 4.00PM ANGLOVAAL is to invest $7-million in Uganda to exploit mining concessions, following a joint venture agreement with Canadian company Pacific Vangold Mines, which holds mining concessions in Uganda. The venture was confirmed on Monday by the Ugandan Minister of Natural Resources, Gerald Ssendaula, who said he met the companies’ leaders during a recent […]