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/ 13 September 2004
Thursday’s public sector strike could cost the economy between R200-million and R1-billion, said Dawie Roodt, the chief economist of the Efficient Group. ”The country’s economy generates about R4-billion a day. The state comprises about a quarter of that. The public servants, however, are not exactly wealth producers, more like facilitators and so this should lessen the negative impact,” said Roodt.
Cosas says exams should be postponed
Ululations, hugs from friends and strangers, and a gutsy rendition of Shosholoza greeted South Africa’s Olympic team on their arrival in Johannesburg on Tuesday from the Athens Olympic Games. ”The experience was beyond words,” said Ramon di Clemente who, with Donovan Cech, clinched bronze in the rowing.
Cloete’s coach ‘angry’ with the media
Eugene Terre’Blanche has been advised not to pursue legal action against prison officials who incorrectly arrested him for violating his parole conditions, his lawyer said on Tuesday. Terre’Blanche, who is on parole after serving three of a five year sentence for the attempted murder of security guard Paul Motshabi, was arrested on Sunday for going to the Pretoria High Court to get permission to travel out of his magisterial district.
Allegations of racism and unfair discrimination may lead to class boycotts and protest rallies at the University of Pretoria, the South African Student Congress (Sasco) warned on Monday. ”We will be calling on students to boycott classes and join marches on campus,” said Sasco branch secretary Joe Heshu.
The prime interest rate is to drop to 11% after the Reserve Bank opted on Thursday to lower the repo rate, at which it lends money to commercial banks, to 7,5%. The decision, which caught the market by surprise, was prompted by an improved inflation outlook says Reserve Bank Governor Tito Mboweni.
While some disgruntled customers would probably like to see South African telecommunications giant Telkom burn in hell, the parastatal this week took exception to the popular website Hellkom and threatened the creator with a R5-million lawsuit for copyright infringement.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/pd.asp?ao=120223">Telkom sues website owner for R5m</a>
The interests of the country will be central to any decision on the strength of the rand, South African Reserve Bank Governor Tito Mboweni said on Wednesday.
He was addressing mine and textile workers protesting in Pretoria against job losses resulting from the currency’s strength.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=120185">Union asks for urgent rand summit</a>
Describing murderer, rapist and kidnapper William Kekana as ”Satan incarnate”, Judge Monica Leeuw in the Temba Circuit High Court on Tuesday sentenced him to six life sentences plus 60 years. ”He is the real reincarnation of the devil himself. I would say he is the devil personified,” Leeuw said, staring at Kekana in the dock.
Killer rapist blames apartheid
Convicted murderer and rapist William Kekana told the Temba Circuit High Court on Tuesday he had murdered members of a Pretoria family because they were white. Kekana’s remark elicited a gasp from the presiding judge and the public gallery. "I found it very easy and simple to commit the crimes," Kekana said.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=119316">Kekana is guilty</a>