The National Union of Metalworkers has criticised the Congress of South African Trade Union for ignoring issues confronting the country’s working class and waging a war against South Africa’s democratic state instead of ”dismantling the stronghold of white monopoly capital”. The latter charge is a clear reference to Cosatu’s attacks on President Thabo Mbeki’s government.
There were fears within the African National Congress that big business could take over the ANC, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel told the Mail & Guardian this week. Manuel said this was a key reason for the ANC’s national executive committee pushing for a code of conduct on wealth acquisition binding ANC members.
Five members of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC) will compete for the ailing party’s top job at this year’s national conference in Qwa Qwa between September 22 and 25. Current president Motsoko Pheko, his deputy Themba Godi, secretary general Mofihli Likotsi and former Azanian People’s Liberation Army commander Letlapa Mphahlele have all indicated an interest in the party’s presidency.
Roll up, roll up for a spot of that old favourite: feminist-bashing. Trot out that figure of the dungaree-clad, hairy and humourless female activist. It’s just as insulting as the slights of ”noisy virago” and ”shrieking sisterhood” hurled at founder of the Fawcett Society, Millicent Fawcett, when she campaigned for the women’s vote in Britain more than 100 years ago.
Two Yfm women DJs suspended after refusing to work on Women’s Day should be reinstated, the African National Congress Youth League said on Thursday. DJs Unathi Nkayi and Cleo Meshoro were reportedly suspended on Monday for refusing to work on Wednesday. They now face a disciplinary hearing.
Airports Company South Africa’s (Acsa) network of airports is well on track to cater for the influx of tourists and visitors expected to arrive in the country for the 2010 Soccer World Cup, MD Monhla Hlahla said on Thursday. Key projects at Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban International airports are in full swing.
A South African anti-mercenary Bill under discussion in Parliament is discriminatory, the Freedom Front Plus said on Thursday. The new Bill would require citizens seeking to enlist in foreign military services to obtain permission from the national conventional arms-control committee.
National Treasury figures showing that KwaZulu-Natal’s education department had only spent 1% of its capital budget did not take into account work done by the public works department, the province’s education chief said on Thursday. He said the department had spent R75-million of its annual infrastructure budget of R807,2-million.
A windfall fuel tax won’t benefit motorists — or Sasol, according to the petrochemicals group in its submission to the National Treasury task team appointed to assess possible reforms to the fiscal regime applicable to windfall profits in South Africa’s liquid-fuel energy sector.
British suicide bombers were within days of blowing up 12 passenger jets above five United States cities in an unprecedented terrorist attack designed to commit ”mass murder on an unimaginable scale”, counterterrorism sources claimed on Thursday night. Anti-terrorist agents said they had uncovered the plot from surveillance of a group of young British Muslims.