WEDNESDAY, 3.00PM SOME 1 200 soldiers were on standby during the 1994 Zulu march on Johannesburg, but police chose not to use them because soldiers are trained to fight, not to control crowds. Police Senior-Superintendent Kobus Peche told the Shell House inquest in Johannesburg on Wednesday, “Soldiers use live ammunition and not rubber bullets and […]
WEDNESDAY, 3.00PM ZAMBIA has switched sides on the ivory trade ban, announcing that it will support the continued ban to prevent opening the “floodgates of senseless elephant slaughter”. For the past eight years, Zambia has urged a lifting of the ban, along with Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana, which are all vociferous proponents of a renewed […]
TUESDAY, 8.30AM THE European Union will today launch an information technology programme designed to encourage partnerships between European and South African technology businesses, to draw university expertise into business and to assist small technology businesses. Called Esprit, the programme provides EU money to fund European members participating in joint projects. BUSINESS BRIEFS SA FINANCIAL OVERVIEW […]
WEDNESDAY, 9.30AM: INJURY has taken its toll on the Northern Transvaal side, facing a key Super 12 match against Free State at Loftus Versfeld on Friday night. Scrumhalf Joost van der Westhuizen will stand in as captain in place of Ruben Kruger, and Jannie Brooks will replace Adriaan Richter, who was injured at last weekend’s […]
WEDNESDAY, 9.00AM: UNITED Cricket Board MD Ali Bacher announced yesterday the UCB will donate 20% of all ticket sales last summer to disadvantaged sports. The sum, over R4-million, will be divided between the board’s development programme, the Sports Trust, and towards improving cricket facillities in disadvantaged areas. Bacher said over a million people had bought […]
HUGE FINNISH AID DEAL FINNISH President Maarti Ahtisaari signed a R50 million aid and development co-operation agreement with President Nelson Mandela at Tuynhuys today. Ahtisaari, who lavished praise on Mandela for his role as an African peace broker, is known to South Africans as the UN mediator who overaw the transition to independence of Namibia. […]
WEDNESDAY, 6.00PM: VIOLENCE erupted again in the Groblersdal area on Tuesday night, as demonstrators set fire to a truck and to the local ANC offices, in continued protests demanding that the area to be included in Mpumalanga Province. Despite the tesnions, Constitutional Affairs Minister Valli Moosa failed to arrive to address a crowd of 15 […]
TUESDAY, 5.00PM A LEVEL two nuclear incident at the Koeberg nuclear power station on Friday, exposing Eskom workers to excessive doses of radiation, was caused by an instrument malfunction, the Council for Nuclear Safety said today which added that it was the second such incident in two months, and that “we will closely monitor Eskom’s […]
TUESDAY, 8.30AM SA EXPRESS, jointly owned by SAA and Thebe Investments, has bought six new 50-seater jets from the Canadian company Bombardier, in an R600 milion deal that includes selling six old turboprop planes back to the Canadians. The company, which has annual turnover of R240 million and is said to operate at a profit, […]
TUESDAY, 12.00NOON: THE SA squad for the May 24 friendly against England at Old Trafford was named yesterday, and Leeds United central defender Lucas Radebe is in the captain’s shoes. Radebe, who led Bafana Bafana in the World Cup qualifier against Zaire last month, is likely to lead the team in the World Cup finals […]
TUESDAY, 8.30AM GOLD climbed out of its three week trough in overnight trade, thanks to the weaker dollar, the gains by silver, platiunum and palladium — and the discovery that a rich new Indonesian gold seam was a hoax. The JSE all gold index was up 2,5% or 30 points to 1 268; and gold […]
TUESDAY, 3.00PM ANC deputy president Thabo Mbeki acknowledged today that “thing had gone wrong” when township self defence units were given arms from ANC caches in the early nineties. Mbeki, leading Truth Commission evidence for the ANC for the second day, had been challenged by commissioner Hanif Vally on whether the ANC had been irresponsible […]
TUESDAY, 3.00PM MOST South Africans believe that women have no role in combat and should be accompanied by men in dangerous areas, a poll of 2 200 people by the Human Sciences Research Council and the Institute for Security Studies has revealed. Almost two thirds of respondents said women should not be allowed to join […]
TUESDAY, 11.00AM: THE Federation of Unions of SA (Fedusa) voiced its support yesterday of the move by the Airline Pilots Association of SA and South African Airways to increase air safety over African skies. SAA said over the weekend several African countries will be forced to upgrade their air safety standards or forfeit the overflight […]
‘ARE YOU A JEW?’ DISCIPLINARY action may be taken against National Party MP, Willem Odendaal, who offended members of parliament yesterday when he asked ANC MP Andrew Feinstein: “Are you a Jew?” Odendaal asked the question after Feinstein was questioned on whether he is a communist during his speech on the SA Revenue Services budget […]
TUESDAY, 12.00NOON: GAUTENG’S Malcolm Lange was in 10th position at the end of the second day of the Tour of Japan cycle race in Suzuka yesterday. Lange, 24, is riding for the Nippon Hado Italian Invitation team, made up of three Italian and two Japanese cyclists. After the 147km circuit race, Lange said yesterday, “It […]
MONDAY, 1.00PM: CLOSE to 8 000 applications for amnesty poured into the Truth and Reconciliation Commission before the final deadline struck at midnight on Saturday. Among last-minute applications was a hefty 1 000-page submission from jailed former Vlakplaas commander, Eugene de Kock, which arrived 20 minutes before the cut-off time, and 280 applications from the […]
MONDAY, 1.00PM: A FURIOUS Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Assocation has threatened legal action and accused Health Minister Nkosasana Zuma of “nationalising the industry” in a new Bill designed to lower the price of medicine. The Medicines and Related Substances Control Amendment Bill, introduced last week in Parliament, would encourage the use of generic drugs, allow parallel importation […]
MONDAY, 4.30PM FIRST National Bank will launch an online banking service, to be called First Online, at this week’s Computer Faire in Johannesburg. Sevices including account balances and statements, account payments, inter-account transfers and cheque book requests will be available, protected with 128 bit encryption technology. “First Online uses the most secure encryption technology that […]
MONDAY, 8.00AM: The rightwing Afrikaans Sunday paper Rapport caused a storm yesterday by quoting a forensic expert, Leendert Jansen, who said the infamous Markgraaff rugby tape had been tampered with, “as a result, no part of the recording can be trusted”. Springbok coach Andre Markgraaff was forced to resign earlier this year after a former […]
MONDAY, 9.00AM: Moroka Swallows thumped Michau Warriors 2-0 at Rand Stadium in Johannesburg on Sunday, giving them a three point boost in the league log. The first goal came just before half-time, when Joseph Rapelago passed the ball to defender Mark Byrne, who promptly netted it. The next goal came after much tense playing in […]
MONDAY, 8.00AM: ZAIRE’S rebels resumed their march on Kinshasa at the weekend, despite promising President Nelson Mandela that they would pause to allow negotiations to continue. The rebels suspect that Mobutu is using the lull in fighting to reinforce hs defences. They are also enraged by an agreement between Mobutu and Central African presidents — […]
MONDAY, 11.00AM: SOUTH AFRICAN heavyweight Franscois Botha had a 10th round knockout win over James Stanton of Philadelphia on Sunday, to bag the World Boxing association North American heavyweight title. Stanton looked good in the third and fourth rounds, but in the tenth Botha finished him off. “I took my time. I wanted to work […]
MONDAY, 1.30PM THE ANC’s submission to the Truth Commission today was the first by a political party to make actual revelations about past transgressions, including the murder of ‘spies’ in its ranks, and bomb attacks on commercial targets. Among today’s revelations: Bartholomew Hlapane, a member of the ANC national executive and of the SA Communist […]
MONDAY, 1.00PM RUMOURS of a forthcoming National Party split grew stronger today with the rescheduling for tonight of a meeting between Roelf Meyer and the Gauteng NP executive. The meeting was originally planned for Friday, one day before a crucial meeting of the province’s party caucus. Meyer is expected to resign from the party at […]
In a novel empowerment deal, an investment company will double your shares provided you meet a few criteria. Ferial Haffajee reports IT’S an offer you can’t refuse … if you’re a bona fide woman, and you can prove it by affidavit. Women Investment Portfolio Holdings (Wiphold) is offering to double the shares bought by women […]
Despite criticism, Cuban doctors work in places where South African doctors refuse to go, reports Dawn Blalock THE child on his mother’s lap is breathing in short quick breaths. The mother describes his symptoms in Setswana. “How many days with the fever?” the doctor asks in English. Although neither English nor Setswana is his native […]
FRIDAY, 2.30PM AS the state presented its closing argument in the Mxenge trial, state advocate Chris de Klerk conceded there is insufficient evidence to prove beyond reasonable doubt that ex-security cops Johan van der Hoven and Andy Taylor were involved in the 1981 murder of human rights lawyer Griffiths Mxenge. Van der Hoven, Taylor, former […]
Trout may be the favourite fish of South African anglers, but they are dangerous interlopers who wreak havoc on our ecosystems, argues Jim Cambray BETWEEN 1850 and 1950, there was a dramatic increase in the rate of animal extinctions, which coincided with European colonial expansion. Many alien plants and creatures were introduced to colonised territories, […]
The government plans to release psychiatric patients from state hospitals into the community, writes Stuart Hess THE government is planning to shunt thousands of mental patients out of state- run institutions and into the care of their families and friends. The Health Department said this week its fledgling, community-care programme involved closing hospitals and wards, […]
Stuart Hess and Mungo Soggot report on a case that takes the failure of the courts to protect the public to a new extreme MAMOKGETHI MALEBANA is missing. Lots of children go missing in South Africa. But the disappearance of this seven-year-old child from Katlehong is a shocking indictment of the country’s criminal justice system. […]
Kader Asmal has quietly lifted South Africa’s embargo on arms to Turkey, which has killed thousands and displaced millions of Kurds. Marion Edmunds reports SOUTH AFRICA has quietly lifted its embargo on arms sales to Turkey. Minister of Water and Forestry Affairs, Kader Asmal, who presides over regulation of government arms sales, said this week […]