Workers in the metal and engineering industry would strike on Monday, a trade union said. ”The metal and engineering industry must brace itself for a crippling strike from Monday, with a possible far-reaching effect on the country’s economy,” said Tim Kruger, spokesman for the United Association of South Africa.
The JSE was looking strong at midday, which was once again more resource driven. At 12.01pm the all-share index was up 0,52%. Resources strengthened 0,83%, while the gold index added 0,15% and platinum index lost 0,56%. Industrials climbed 0,30% and financials lifted 0,23%. Banks ascended 0,18%.
European parliamentarians said on Wednesday that Sudan’s troubled Darfur region had become no safer since a peace treaty was signed a year ago. Insecurity in the remote Western region was preventing any development there, the delegation from the European Parliament’s development committee said.
Despite the massive growth in broadband connectivity, the number of South Africans with access to the internet will grow by little more than 3% in 2007. A report shows that 3,85-million people in South Africa — a mere 8% of the population — will have access to the internet by the end of 2007.
The South African Chamber of Business’s (Sacob) business confidence index (BCI) has declined further to 99,1 in June from 100,2 in May and 101,9 in April, Sacob data on Thursday showed. The index had edged up to 101,9 in April after declining to 99,5 in March, and this came after it had dipped to 101,5 in January.
An investigation is under way to establish how a section of the Department of Transport’s controversial eNatis vehicle registration system was hacked into, a spokesperson said on Thursday. ”We are going to find out who did it and be more vigilant,” said Collen Msibi.
Small groups of radical students trickled out from Islamabad’s besieged Red Mosque on Thursday, despite warning blasts overnight, raising fears hardcore militants were keeping some children as human shields. The captured leader of the mosque’s Taliban-style student movement said there were 850 students inside.
Shares in integrated media group Primedia jumped more than 5% in mid-morning session on Thursday following a buyout offer. At 10:01am, Primedia’s N shares were up 5,30%, or R1,25, to R24,85 and Primedia’s ordinary shares soared 5,77%, or R1,40, to R25,65.
An innovative concept and the backing of Russian President Vladimir Putin were key factors in the surprise decision to award the 2014 Winter Games to Russia’s Sochi. Sochi, on the shores of the Black Sea with a palm tree-lined coast, built a bid around the city’s mild climate and the nearby Krasnaya Polyana snow-capped mountain range.
Surging demand for African coffee is a unique opportunity for producers, but they must not let quality slip or assume processing is the best way to capitalise on it, a coffee official said on Thursday. East African Fine Coffees Association director Philip Gitao told Reuters Africa’s market has come of age.