The growing unhappiness about the ”buy South Africa campaign”, run by Proudly South Africa (PSA), has led to the formation of a new initiative, South Africa First (SA First). Although the PSA, supported by labour and organised black business groups, believes the SA First initiative will cause confusion in the market, the government has thrown its weight behind the project
”From the outset the UDM opposed the concept in a proportional representation electoral system because there are no wards that public representatives could return to and face by-elections to consult the voters about their proposed defection,” says UDM leader Bantu Holomisa about the partye’s opposition to floor crossing.
Fighting sleaze is no easy task in a country such as Afghanistan, as anti-corruption tsar Izzatullah Wasifi can testify. The economy is awash with opium money, and bribery and backhanders are rife, as confirmed by this week’s alarming United Nations report. Then again, Wasifi is unusually well acquainted with the perilous lure of easy drug money.
The village of Korosigna in northern Central African Republic is barely recognisable to those who once lived there. Every house is either demolished, abandoned or burned to the ground. Weeds and bushes have taken hold. Many homes are barely visible as the forest has moved in and engulfed the ruins.
A new economic scourge is stalking markets internationally. It has helped force up interest rates in South Africa already and is likely to bring more rate increases. The scourge is runÂaway mealie prices. Store-bought mealie-meal in metropolitan areas is up 22% since last year, according to the National Agriculture Marketing Council.
The Johannesburg High Court has ordered the Sunday Times to return Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang’s medical records and copies thereof to the Cape Town Medi-Clinic. However, Judge Mahomed Jaj-bhay ruled on Thursday that personal notes of Sunday Times journalists are not affected by his order and the newspaper can continue to comment on the matter.
Click on image for full-size view.
Renegade troops killed several regular army troops and wounded 30 others in five hours of heavy fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) eastern Nord-Kivu province early on Thursday, military and United Nations officials said. Soldiers serving General Laurent Nkunda attacked an army post, killed an undisclosed number and wounded 30 at Katale.
After meting out a severe tongue-lashing over the behaviour of the state attorney and director general of justice’s offices on Thursday, the Constitutional Court said it wanted to issue an order making them accountable for their work. ”I have a deep intolerance for state officials who are paid to do their work and don’t do it,” said Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke.
Johannesburg Hospital closed seven theatres in July but is treating the same number of cases with a focus on complex medical care, the hospital’s CEO said on Thursday. ”The allegations that cases are being cancelled are not true for the tertiary cases. What is true is that those cases which are inappropriate are being referred elsewhere,” said Sagie Pillay.