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/ 11 May 2007

From altruism to ‘SA Inc’

Democratic South Africa is an important actor on the world stage. This growing international and continental role requires thoughtful and constant consideration of policies and strategies to be pursued. Yet the ANC policy discussion document on international relations, <i>A Just World and a Better Africa is a Possibility</i>, released in preparation for the party’s June policy conference and its national conference in December, falls short of addressing these considerations.

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/ 11 May 2007

Opposition must get positive

We may all be preoccupied with the race for the presidency of the ANC, but the volume and tone of the reaction to Helen Zille’s election as DA leader suggests an interest far beyond the party’s electoral base in the future of opposition politics. Even President Thabo Mbeki has been conciliatory, inviting Tony Leon to the Union Buildings at long last.

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/ 11 May 2007

The little car that won’t run

Fiat has been showing off its cool new Uno in different parts of the country. Made in Brazil, the Fiat Flex can run on both petrol and ethanol. So clever is the technology that the car has a single tank. You sommer throw either petrol or ethanol into it and the engine is smart enough to work out what it is using and adjust accordingly.

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/ 11 May 2007

Sundowns’ failure a worrying sign

Mamelodi Sundowns may have cruised to the Castle Premiership title this season, but they were taught a footballing lesson by Egyptian side Al-Ahly in the CAF Champions League recently. That should have provided a wake-up call to South Africans who believe that the Castle Premiership sets the benchmark in terms of African league competition.

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/ 11 May 2007

Simpler form, not simpler tax

The South African Revenue Service is hoping that by reducing a normal salaried taxpayer’s tax return from 10 pages to two, more people will submit returns and less will require a tax consultant. However, as one tax consultant puts it, "a simpler tax return form does not simplify tax".