The future is green — or that is the plan. All over the globe answers are being sought and many have been found already that will reduce carbon emissions, reduce the use of toxic substances and promote overall environmental safety while meeting the increasing needs of growing populations in the developing world.
Many people are familiar with the concept of distance education, which has evolved from the centuries-old correspondence courses where one simply received one’s study matter through the mail and sent back assignments the same way. Then the computer age arrived and threw in a few extras — primarily, however, a far faster, more convenient and more secure way of communicating with one’s distance university.
The Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies based in Mtubatuba, KwaZulu-Natal, has received a major funding boost of £15-million over a five-year period from the Wellcome Trust in the United Kingdom to undertake cutting-edge research in HIV/Aids. The Africa Centre is a joint initiative of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and the Medical Research Council of South Africa.
When is a company empowered? For me, this goes beyond a mere stamp of verification. It is when there is a sustained sense that there are no unfair obstacles preventing you from realising your potential. As this is a sustained state, there is no need to celebrate occasional events of affirmation, writes Nkosinathi Chonco
People’s assumptions about post-school studies may lead to recommendations that are not necessarily in a school-leaver’s best interests. For too long, a matric exemption has been hailed as the be-all and end-all, giving rise to expectations that, while well-intended, could end up pushing people into university who should never be there. Matric is a milestone, but any milestone is only one point on a journey.
Rural areas — in any country — have always presented a challenge to both the inhabitants and local government in terms of infrastructure and services. This makes economic viability of these areas difficult to achieve. But in South Africa no one is Âsitting still when it comes to Âfinding alternatives to conventional Âinfrastructural delivery — whether in the area of telephony, internet access or power Âgeneration.
South Africa’s department of trade and industry said last week that it was concerned the Employee Share Ownership Scheme (Esop), proposed under Sasol’s R17,9-billion BEE deal, "falls short of the level of empowerment envisioned in the codes". "The BEE Act and its accom-panying Codes of Good Practice were specifically intended for the benefit of black South African citizens," the department said.
Forestry is a topic that doesn’t often make headlines — except when runaway fires destroy thousands of trees, as happened recently across the country on a large scale, in what was described as the worst forest fires in South African history. More than 50 000ha of commercial plantations were destroyed (and another 18 000ha in Swaziland). The cost to timber companies ran into hundreds of millions of rands.
Addressing the skills shortage in the South African ICT sector should be the role of the vendors within the industry who must pull together to find a solution for what is a common problem. The ICT sector in South Africa is in the midst of a growing skills shortage. Projections in this regard paint a bleak picture for the industry. Government has called on local role players within the sector to formulate a solution to this problem and meet local needs.
The word fibre immediately conjures up an image of something one should ingest in sufficient quantities to keep the digestive system healthy — and perhaps it brings to mind advertising messages with shrinking images showing the positive effects of getting it right. But fibre — or fibrous materials — are present in every step of a person’s day. From the pillow and bedding on the bed, to curtains and the carpet fibres underfoot.