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/ 26 October 2006
Consumer spending is showing signs of faltering in some major economies — but no one has told the cellphone industry, which is now flying without wings. In the quarter ending September sales volume rose by 21% compared with a year ago, with ”smart” phones — which have music, video and other functions — rising by well over 50%.
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/ 26 October 2006
Trevor Manuel is spoilt for choice. Booming tax revenues, aggressive debt repayments and 10 years of fiscal prudence have set him up with an unprecedented range of options. On the 10th anniversary of his first medium-term budget policy statement he reminded journalists of what he said then: ”To govern is to choose.”
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/ 26 October 2006
South Africa has lost too many irreplaceable stars, mourners said at a memorial service for singer Lebo Mathosa on Thursday. ”I just think we’re losing too many stars, and for pointless reasons,” said South African music veteran PJ ”Thandeka” Powers at the service, held at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.
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/ 26 October 2006
South African Airways (SAA) is to add extra flights to certain of its domestic routes over the holiday season due to huge demand from customers. The airline experienced its busiest month in September, having carried a record total of 704 000 passengers on its domestic, regional and international flights.
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/ 26 October 2006
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The South African government is setting ”an appalling precedent” by paying former deputy president Jacob Zuma’s legal fees, said the official opposition Democratic Alliance (DA). DA justice spokesperson Sheila Camerer said on Thursday: ” … the government has finally admitted that the taxpayer will have to fork out R10-million to pay for Zuma’s highly publicised trials.”
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/ 26 October 2006
Two Nigerian stowaways who survived an eight-day voyage from the Côte d’Ivoire on the outside of a car-carrier ship arrived in Port Elizabeth with about a cupful of water left. The National Sea Rescue Institute said on Thursday one was clutching a bottle with about 300ml of water left in it, which had to be prised from his hand.
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/ 26 October 2006
South Africa’s Minister of Health Manto Tshabalala-Msimang’s condition is ”not too serious”, government spokesperson Themba Maseko said on Thursday. He said the minister’s condition is improving and it is expected she will be released from hospital in the next ”couple of days”. Asked what she is suffering from, Maseko said it was up to the minister to communicate the details of her condition.
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/ 26 October 2006
Cabinet on Thursday expressed its deep concern about the spate of attacks on, and killings of, Somalis in some parts of South Africa, as well as the impressions this creates. Briefing the media at Parliament after Wednesday’s fortnightly Cabinet meeting, government communications head Themba Maseko said these attacks had fuelled impressions that South Africans were xenophobic.
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/ 26 October 2006
South Africa’s producer price index (PPI) rose by 9% year-on-year (y/y) in September from a 9,2% y/y increase in August, Statistics South Africa said on Thursday. The PPI declined -0,7%% on a monthly basis after August’s monthly rise of 1,5%.
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/ 26 October 2006
The Dubai World and London & Regional Properties consortium on Thursday announced plans to invest more than $1-billion in the V&A Waterfront over the next four years, following its successful purchase of the development last month. The bulk of the new developments could be completed before 2010, when South Africa hosts the Soccer World Cup.