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/ 12 April 2008

Mozambique, SA hold economic meeting

Mozambique and South Africa on Friday agreed to speed up work on new energy-production projects to benefit both countries, South African Trade and Industry Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa said. This was among several issues discussed at a one-day binational commission in Maputo, also attended by President Thabo Mbeki.

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/ 18 February 2008

New fund to combat poverty among women

The newly established Isivande Women’s Fund is a step towards reducing poverty among women, Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said on Monday. Unveiling the fund logo to business and media at the presidential guest house in Pretoria, the deputy president said it will help mainly black woman entrepreneurs.

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/ 13 February 2008

Consumers still seen driving SA growth

South Africa’s consumers will continue to fuel economic growth as their incomes increase, a government minister said on Wednesday. Trade and Industry Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa told Parliament on Wednesday the economy had gone through structural changes and consumer spending will be resilient.

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/ 22 January 2008

Zuma takes trip to Davos

African National Congress (ANC) president Jacob Zuma will be spending the rest of this week at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. ”He has been invited there in his capacity as president of the ANC,” party spokesperson Tiyani Rikhotso said on Tuesday.

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/ 5 December 2007

How do SA Cabinet members unwind?

What does President Thabo Mbeki like to do in his spare time? Ballroom dancing? Playing the piano? No, the man likes to work during leisure hours, says his spokesperson. As the ruling party’s national conference in Polokwane approaches members of the South African Cabinet certainly need ways to unwind.

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/ 4 October 2007

Former operator to live with new lottery

Former National Lottery operator Uthingo has no intention of contesting the awarding of the lottery licence to Gidani, company chairperson Barney Pityana said on Thursday. ”We do not agree, but we do not intend to subject the licensing process to further scrutiny by the courts,” Pityana told reporters at Midrand.

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/ 28 September 2007

Lotto is back with a R15-million bang

After an absence of six months, the National Lottery would make its comeback with a jackpot prize of R15-million, newly appointed Lotto operator Gidani announced on Friday. Tickets for the first draw which would take place on October 13, would go on sale at 7 000 retailers across the country from October 5.

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/ 22 September 2007

Lottery ticket in your pocket within two weeks

South Africans will be able to start buying lottery tickets in the next two weeks, newly appointed National Lottery operator Gidani said on Friday. To make the transition easier for lottery players, the games will initially remain the same, namely the Lotto, Lotto Plus, Wina Manja scratch-card games and the Sportstake games.

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/ 19 September 2007

Minister asked to explain Lotto ‘confusion’

Trade and Industry Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa needs to explain the ”confusion” between his department and the National Lotteries Board (NLB), the Democratic Alliance said on Wednesday. While the department denied involvement in the 42,4% increase in performance bonuses at the NLB, board spokesperson Sershan Naidoo had contended Mpahlwa authorised the bonuses himself.

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/ 18 September 2007

SA, Mozambique aim to boost cross-border trade

South African President Thabo Mbeki and his Mozambican counterpart Armando Guebuza reached agreement Tuesday on moves aimed at increasing access and levels of trade across their common border. In a briefing to reporters after the meeting in Pretoria, senior ministers said the main crossing between the neighbours would soon undergo a major revamp.

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/ 17 September 2007

DA wants probe into Lotto bonuses

The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Monday lodged a complaint with the Public Services Commission over what it said were ”unjustified” performance bonuses being paid to National Lotteries Board (NLB) officials. Staff performance bonuses at the NLB soared by R42 4% to more than R1,3-million for the past financial year

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/ 2 September 2007

Gloomy numbers cloud SA economic optimism

A string of gloomy data has clouded some of the optimism surrounding the South African economy, raising fears of another interest-rate hike and casting doubt on government growth forecasts. Figures released on Tuesday showed that growth had slowed by 0,2 percentage points to 4,5% in the second quarter of 2007.

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/ 29 August 2007

Minister ducks Lotto questions

Want to know when you can play the Lotto again? Don’t ask Trade and Industry Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa — apparently you are not allowed to. A senior government communications official on Wednesday told reporters they could not ask any questions about the suspended National Lottery when Mpahlwa appeared at a briefing.