South Africa

China's billion-dollar Africa investment fund opens local office

China's billion-dollar Africa investment fund opens local office Johannesburg  - The billion-dollar China-Africa Development Fund opened its first Africa office in Johannesburg on Monday.

Chinese President Hu Jintao announced the creation of the 5-billion-dollar fund in 2006 to support Chinese investment in Africa, which supplies China with oil and other commodities.

South Africa's leading candidate for president in April elections, Jacob Zuma, attended the opening, together with Chen Yuan, the chairman of the Chinese Development Bank, and other Chinese officials.

Lee should get his place back in the team: Oz coach Nielsen

 Lee should get his place back in the team: Oz coach NielsenCape Town, Mar. 16 : Australian cricket coach Tim Nielsen has said that Brett Lee would be included in the squad once he is declared fully fit to take the field.

"To have Binga (Lee) back in the mix bowling 150km/h outswingers, any team is going to take that. It''''s exciting to hear him being so positive about it and just looking forward to getting back into it and being the leader of the attack," Fox Sports quoted Nielsen, as saying.

Proteas cricket team gradually taking on a migrant hue

Cape Town (South Africa), Mar. 16 : Four of South Africa''s top six batsmen in the forthcoming Test match have brown skins, and had tall left-arm fast bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe recovered from knee surgery, most of Graeme Smith's team would have included players from previously repressed communities.

We are talking about Ashwell Prince, who blasted 254 of the best at the weekend to remind the selectors about what they had been missing in the two-nil series defeat against Australia.

Another brown-skinned star in the making is Imraan Khan, who stroked a stylish 145 for KwaZulu-Natal at the Pietermaritzburg''s cricket ground.

Oz, South Africa to play each other annually

Cape Town (South Africa), Mar. 16 : Australia will play South Africa every summer under plans being negotiated by the two cricket boards, but in future the visitors will never be seen at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Boxing Day.

The teams will play a three-Test series in one country one year and a one-day series in the alternate country the next, the Daily Telegraph reports.

South Africa''s desire to host cricket on Boxing Day every second year has been an issue in the discussions and means it will almost be impossible to schedule four Test series.

Oz leg-spinner McGain could debut in Cape Town, but he is not sure

Oz leg-spinner McGain could debut in Cape Town, but he is not sureCape Town (South Africa), Mar.16 : Victorian leg spinner Bryce McGain could make his Test match debut in South Africa in Cape Town on Thursday.

The Newlands pitch is traditionally flat and turns, the series is in the bag and there is talk the side needs to see how McGain bowls before the Ashes.

However, McGain, who turns 37 next week, is not confident about finding a place in the side.

"I think with a winning team at the moment and clinching a series win (it is not likely)" McGain said.

South African intelligence minister's wife probed in drug mule case

Siyabonga CweleJohannesburg  - The wife of South Africa's newly appointed Intelligence Minister Siyabonga Cwele is being investigated for international drug trafficking following the arrest of an alleged South African drug mule in Brazil, a Johannesburg-based newspaper reported Sunday.

The Sunday Times newspaper said Sheryl Cwele has been linked directly to the unemployed 31-year-old mother who was arrested in Sao Paulo in June 13, 2008 when a
9-kilo block of raw cocaine was found in her suitcase while en route to Johannesburg.

She is being held in Brazil's Penitenciaria Feminina Da Capital prison, awaiting charges.

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