Baby killer gets life term, and other brief reports

* The Department of Trade and Industry says the total effective black economic empowerment value of transactions in 2003 was worth R28.4bn. – Finance24 * The government has delayed to next year legislation that introduces royalties for mining companies. Anglo American tax chief, Paul de Mare, said the government needed more time to study the responses to the planned Bill. – Business Report * The Durban Commercial Crime Court has jailed panel beater Thayallen Ramurthy (40) for four years for defrauding Santam insurance company of almost R450 000. – Daily News * The Johannesburg High Court has jailed bank consultant Juanita Coetzee to life in jail for the murder of her husband. Judge Joop Labuschagne said that Coetzee was not a battered wife, as claimed, but a manipulative woman who had her former husband killed to inherit over R1m. She was sentenced to an additional 14 years for attempted murder and for making false statements. – IoL * Parliamentary travel scam accused Sorayah Beukes is to apply afresh for bail after it was withdrawn when Scorpions investigators found she had lied about her reasons for wanting to leave the country on a business trip. Beukes appeared in the Cape Town Magistrates\' Court along with six other accused yesterday. Their cases were postponed to February 18. – News24