Gustav Thiel THE tobacco industry has been unanimous in its condemnation of the 52% increase in excise duty on cigarettes, saying it “is yet another punitive increase which discriminates against a third of the country’s adults”. In his address to Parliament on Wednesday, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said “substantial increases in the excise duties on […]
Ali Phosa is being investigated in connection with the disappearance of about R500 000 of RDP funds. Ann Eveleth reports STATE-OWNED port operator Portnet is investigating alleged mismanagement of Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) funds by the brother of Mpumalanga Premier Matthew Phosa. The parastatal said this week it wanted Ali Phosa to provide receipts […]
Lynda Loxton FINANCE MINISTER Trevor Manuel this week took the bit between his teeth and announced a sweeping relaxation of exchange controls, much to the delight of the markets. “The changes in the exchange control regime … are profound,” Manuel said in his Budget address on Wednesday. In a joint statement with Reserve Bank governor […]
tangible benefits Lynda Loxton IT could take 10 to 15 years for the government’s strategy to promote small and medium-sized enterprises to start paying off in tangible terms, Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said this week. Replying to the debate on the parliamentary trade and industry committee’s special report on small business finance, […]
Marion Edmunds THE Presidential Review Commission, created a year ago to help in the reform of the public service, was set up for failure and should be abolished, one of its own members says. Professor Fanie Cloete, of the School of Public Management at the University of Stellenbosch, has accused the government of manipulating the […]
Jacquie Golding-Duffy THE Daily Dispatch’s circulation has grown in leaps and bounds, thrusting this small East London-based player into the ring with some of the big boys of print media. Gavin Stewart (54), who took over the newspaper’s helm three years ago, has stealthily changed its format and content into an explosive formula which has […]
The hunt is on for informants in the ANC, report Ann Eveleth, Rehana Rossouw and Peta Thornycroft THE African National Congress is sitting on information linking one of its prominent provincial members of Parliament in KwaZulu-Natal to the former South African Security Police. The allegations about the MPP first surfaced in 1994 following the death […]
Chris Taylor THERE was a time when clubs in Rio de Janeiro needed look no further than the nearest side street, car park, beach or backyard for the next crop of football talent. Young players seemed to sprout like the weeds in the wasteground where they would hone their skills until it was too dark […]
Would this year’s Bandslam follow the triumphs of last year? MALU VAN LEEUWEN was at the River Club concert APOLOGISTS for the so-called South African Music Explosion are probably going to hate me for this, but it’s so corny it’s worthy of a Leon Shuster gag – except the man has more taste than to […]
Hazel Friedman A MILESTONE in educational programming on television and radio has been reached with the SABC’s new Learn `N Live initiative, giving independent producers an unprecendented opportunity to make their mark by replacing the SABC’s traditionally stodgy fare. Learn `N Live, a joint initiative between the SABC and the Department of Education, not only […]