PUBLIC Service & Administration Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi said on Sunday that government is willing to negotiate employee benefits with public service unions but will not budge from its 6% salary increase across the board. “The 6% offer on the salary increase is final, but we are open to discussion on areas related to benefits.” Most […]
GLENDA DANIELS, Johannesburg. The Mineworkers Development Agency, the job-creation wing of the National Union of Mines, is one of the few financially sustainable organisations in South Africa. In the face of massive job losses in the mining industry, about 300 000 over the past decade, the agency has developed a programme of support for enterprise […]
EXPECTED mergers and acquisitions in a number of gold mining companies could be one of the reasons for the current rally in the gold price. Gold Fields recently announced a $1.83m merger with Franco-Nevada. Barrick Gold, the world’s fourth producer after Gold Fields, has agreed to buy Tanzania’s Pangea Goldfields for R938M. Gold prices have […]
THE Commission on Restitution of Land Rights says over 110000 people have already benefited from the land restitution programme with a further 3.9m set to receive land or compensation before the process runs its course. Having cost R272m so far, the cost is set to escalate substantially over the next few years, chief land claims […]
NATIONAL water and forestry affairs minister, Ronnie Kasrils, may be called to testify before the Truth Commission’s amnesty committee in Northern Province. This is despite his being struck from the committee’s roll of amnesty applicants on Monday. On Tuesday, a landmine victim asked that Kasrils be subpoenaed in his capacity as a former senior member […]
THE government is considering using expropriation to make land available for restitution, new Land Affairs director-general Gilingwe Mayende said on Tuesday. Addressing the Pretoria Press Club, Mayende also announced an imminent crackdown on those who illegally evicted people from their land. Mayende said an over-reliance on market forces and the willing buyer-willing seller principle had […]
IN an attempt to spread its influence further into Southern Africa, the Development Bank of Southern Africa has signed a US$10m loan with Zambia’s Copperbelt Energy Corporation. This is the first loan to a private power company. The 12-year loan will finance the extension of the company’s electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure in the mineral […]
THE world’s largest diamond company, De Beers, has decided to follow a strategic review in marketing and planned acquisitions. It wants to boast its own gems and run more foreign mines. Hence the $175m hostile bid for Canadian miner, Winspear. Although De Beers controls up to 70% of the world trade in rough gems and […]
BELGIAN Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt arrived at Waterkloof air force base in Pretoria on Thursday morning for his first visit to South Africa. The Department of Foreign Affairs earlier said Verhofstadt would hold discussions with President Thabo Mbeki on the situation in central Africa and the Great Lakes region during his two-day visit. Verhofstadt was […]
FORMER National Party cabinet minister Abe Williams has been denied leave to appeal against his convictions on corruption and theft charges involving more than R500000. He was present during when his application was argued in the Cape High Court on Tuesday, but took ill during the lunch hour and was not in court for the […]