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/ 6 December 2007

Inflation expectations tick up slightly

After a substantial increase during the third quarter, inflation expectations only ticked up slightly during the fourth quarter, according to the latest <i>BER Inflation Expectation Survey</i>. CPIX inflation expectations are now expected to average 6% (previously 5,9%) during 2007, 5,9% (5,8%) during 2008 and 5,6% (unchanged) during 2009.

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/ 6 December 2007

Is this the end of rising rates?

South African markets were expecting slightly more hawkish rhetoric by the South African Reserve Bank than transpired on Thursday and now feel inflation is fairly close to its peak. The bond market, especially at the previously sold-off short end, has reacted favourably.

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/ 6 December 2007

ANC ‘will be more divided’ after Polokwane

The African National Congress will remain divided after its Polokwane conference, South African Communist Party chairperson Gwede Mantashe on Thursday. He was speaking at a public seminar about the future and challenges of the ANC. ”The ANC will come out more divided after Limpopo. Divisions will last longer if any of the main competing groups win.

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/ 6 December 2007

Crime stats: The good, bad and ugly

House robbery, business robbery and truck hijacking increased between April and September this year, the police announced in Pretoria on Thursday. House robbery rose by 7%, business robbery by 29,3%, and truck hijacking by 53,3%. There were 6 711 house robberies in the six months from April to September, up from 6 271 over the same period last year.

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/ 6 December 2007

Cops swoop on R100m-worth of counterfeit cigarettes

About R100-million-worth of counterfeit cigarettes were seized by police and port security at the Durban harbour on Thursday. Head of Durban harbour security and protection services Superintendent Thembakazi Mase said about 4 400 boxes of Chelsea cigarettes were found in four containers and 2 100 boxes of Chicago cigarettes were found in two other containers.

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/ 6 December 2007

Angolan soldiers accused of ‘systematic’ rape

Medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières said this week that Angolan soldiers have raped, beaten and tortured illegal Congolese migrant workers before deporting them across the border. The French humanitarian group said the rights abuses were occurring in the diamond-rich northern Angolan province of Luanda Norte.

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/ 6 December 2007

Miner killed at Kloof gold mine

A miner was killed on Thursday when a rock fell on him at Kloof gold mine near Westonaria, Gold Fields spokesperson Andrew Davidson said. ”The accident, the result of a rockfall, occurred in a stope at number three shaft 2 936m below ground at 11am,” said Davidson. Another miner who was working in the stope was injured during the rockfall.

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/ 6 December 2007

Uganda Ebola: At least 22 dead, 93 infected

A new strain of the deadly Ebola virus is thought to have infected 93 people and killed at least 22 in Uganda, including a doctor and three other medical staff looking after patients, a health official said on Thursday. Dr Sam Zaramba, the government’s director of health services, said the doctor had died after looking after a patient in an isolation ward.