Search Results for: South Africa

BY RICHARD HURST
SOUTH African mining company AngloGold recently announced that it was seeking to divest from some of its Australian gold fields to continue other diversification efforts outside South Africa. AngloGold Australia ‘s general manager, Barrie Parker, said that the company’s current properties in the central Australian Tanami Desert, particularly the Coyote deposit, had been earmarked for sale in to raise money for AngloGold’s recent explorations in Ghana, Mongolia, Canada and South America.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
A WORLD Health Organisation agency has concluded that chewing betel quid causes cancer, whether or not tobacco is included in the ‘pan’ mix especially popular with ethnic south Asians. It came to the same conclusion regarding another popular chewing ingredient, the areca nut.…

BY SWINEETHA DIAS WICKRAMANAYAKE
NORWAY’S TGS Nopec and Sweden’s Petroscan AB are exploring the seas off Sri Lanka for submarine oil deposits, helping the island’s government. Initial results revealed evidence of petroleum and gas deposits in the Palk Straits, the Gulf of Mannar and south of the island.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
A WORLD Health Organisation (WHO) agency has concluded that chewing betel quid causes oral cancer, whether or not tobacco is included in ‘pan’ mixes especially popular with ethnic south Asians. The problem is of particular concern in the UK, which imports more betel than any country outside of Asia, (imports have doubled since the early 80’s).…

BY RICHARD HURST, in Johannesburg
THE AIRPORTS Company South Africa (ACSA) has announced that it will spend Rand 3.8-billion on various airport upgrades between 2004 and 2008 at most of its airports across the country. Its five-year plan has been accepted in principle by the airports’ airlines, which will face increased fees.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE NEED for greater openness in the management of scarce water resources in Europe, north Africa, the Middle East and central Asia is required, to better highlight the growing costs of ensuring reliable supplies and persuade the public that more investment is needed to guarantee them.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THERE has been a lot of talk about water in international meetings and organisations this year. Report after report has spelt out a gloomy message: we are all using too much water and if reforms do not make systems more sustainable, then a thirsty future beckons.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
DETAILS of the money demanded by four west African countries seeking compensation for subsidies paid to cotton producers in the developed world and China have been released at the World Trade Organisation. Speaking on behalf of its proposal partners Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali, the government of Benin has claimed that developing countries lose exports worth US$25 million because of the rich world supports, rising to US$1 billion considering losses incurred by people living indirectly from cotton production.…

BY RICHARD HURST
THE SOUTH African tobacco sector is surviving despite the unfavourable conditions imposed by its government and an increasingly hostile marketing environment. Nonetheless, the industry contributes Rand 5.5 billion in excise and tax to the government exchequer, equivalent to a quarter of the nation’s health care expenditure.…

BY RICHARD HURST
THE SOUTH African Competition Commission has given the green light to the proposed merger between Harmony Gold and African Rainbow Minerals Gold (ARMgold). The deal includes the acquisition of all the issued share capital of ARMgold by Harmony; once finalised, the merged business will be the largest gold producing company in South Africa.…