Zimbabwe bans import of fresh fruit, veggies
Zimbabwe had banned imports of fresh fruit and vegetables with immediate effect, the agriculture ministry said yesterday, saying increased local production would meet domestic demand. The ban would affect tomatoes, potatoes, mangoes, grapes and apples from South Africa, it said. Zimbabwe’s farming output has slumped by over 60 percent since 2000, following seizures of white-owned farms by President Robert Mugabe’s controversial government. – Reuters
Unpaid e-toll fees reach R543m
Gauteng motorists had run up more than half a billion rand in overdue fees since the e-tolling system started on December 3, Transport Minister Dipuo Peters said. Less than 10 percent had been paid. “At March 1, invoices worth R543 544 574 were transferred to the violations processing centre,” she said in written reply to a parliamentary question. SA National Roads Agency spokesman Vusi Mona said the amount included motorists with e-tags who had overdue accounts, and unregistered drivers picked up by the system. – Sapa