Shoprite ..... what goes on ???

This is curious .... first I hear a rumour from a normally impeccable source, and then I check out on this BB what might be cooking, and I find an erudite discussion about a Hebridean pharmaceutical company whose very existence seems to depend on approval for a drug in the pipeline. Fortunately I did manage to avoid being too tempted at the time when British Biotech were all the rage ~ and judging by some snippet I read a day or two back I suspect that fortunately must be very fortunately, as the continued existence of Scotia appears to be in considerable doubt.

However, why I should find painful memories of biotechs when I was trying to find if there was anything in persistent rumours about Shoprite is beyond me. I say persistent advisedly, for no sooner had I tried to ascertain whether there was any truth in the rumour that Tesco are in the process of taking Shoprite out I was told, non-attributably, but from an equally sound source, that Safeway are in the midst of taking Shoprite over.

Has anyone any firm information on this one? I should not be surprised if it turns out to be Sainsbury who are the real bidder, but in the meantime before a cut-throat three-way bidding battle commences I thought I should enquire in these columns as to what might actually be going on.