A man died and 11 others were seriously injured in an explosion at a scrapyard in the Bon Accord area of Pretoria on Wednesday, the Tshwane metro said. ”Preliminary indications show that there were explosives in the metals with which the men were working at the time of the explosion,” spokesperson William Baloyi said.
Western Cape police are still searching for the gang which gunned strip-club owner Yuri Ulianitski and his young daughter in Milnerton on Tuesday night. Ulianitski’s wife Irina survived the attack and is in a stable condition in the Milnerton Medi-Clinic.
The Cabinet has dismissed suggestions the government is insensitive to the plight of its employees and called for ”responsible leadership” during protest actions. ”We reject any insinuation that government is insensitive to the plight of its employees,” government communications head Themba Maseko said.
JK Rowling, who became the world’s first billion dollar author on the back of Harry Potter’s success, has given the go-ahead for the creation of a Florida theme park dedicated to the schoolboy wizard. ”The plans I have seen look incredibly exciting and I don’t think fans of the books or films will be disappointed,” Rowling said.
The JSE was higher at noon on Thursday, boosted by heavyweight miners which were buoyed by better metals prices, but banks came under a bit of selling pressure due to inflation worries. At noon, the all-share index was up 0,94%. Resources added 1,54%, the platinum mining index gained 1,03%, but the gold mining index fell 0,14%.
When Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka visited the Hay Cartagena festival in Colombia earlier this year, in a walled Spanish colonial town on the Caribbean coast, children in the streets instantly thought they recognised the black man with leonine grey hair. But they couldn’t decide whether he was Kofi Annan or Don King.
Santam policyholders will not be hit by blanket premium increases this year as South Africa’s largest short-term insurer has been tackling the majority of its policyholders’ individual increases as and when policy renewals arise. Instead, increases will be focused on those with bad claims track records, among others.
The Financial Services Board (FSB) has issued a warning to consumers to be cautious when doing financial services business with Blue Pointer and/or Lodewyk Petrus Baartman. The warning was issued in terms of section 10(1)(a) of the Inspection of Financial Institutions Act.
The life industry will be extending a lifeline to over-indebted public servants from next month when the National Credit Act comes into full force. From June 1, public servants drowning in debt repayments will be given free access to debt counsellors approved by the National Credit Regulator.
Talks in the public service will continue in the shadow of the strike on the basis of a working document adopted by the bargaining council on Wednesday. Earlier this week, a joint technical team developed the document, which outlines areas of agreement and disagreement. The proposals are not concrete offers or demands because they were not mandated.