Some time ago, in mid-2004, there was a glimmer of hope that the national Treasury might be gearing up to finally take on the issue of excessive market power in South Africa’s banking sector. There are numerous manifestations of this problem, but it is painfully obvious to most of us in the area of banking charges.
A report on progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) shows that the sub-Sahara is not fairing well in overall reduced child mortality, increased school enrolment and lower poverty levels. Major MDGs are the halving of the number of people living on less than a dollar a day and reducing child mortality and the incidence of HIV/Aids — all by 2015.
We’re glad to see the manne in the visdorpie haven’t lost their sense of humour, despite rat-tailed maggots in the water supply, the prospect of a bitter winter looming and an erratic electricity supply. In the interests of sustainable energy use the Independent Armchair Theatre has introduced what it calls The Eskom Sessions, which are unplugged and acoustic.
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Click on image for full-size view.
The Kempton Park regional court will decide on Friday whether bail will be granted to nine people on trial for the multi-million dollar heist at Johannesburg International airport last month. Nazir Ismail, Magdalena Moonsamy, Ebrahim and Sean Soobramoney, Mzikise Maqwaza, Vusimuzi Ichumelo, Phutsitsi and Annanius Nepfumbe, and Danisa Nee Tsuma face charges of conspiracy to commit robbery.
The Independent Democrats (ID) in Cape Town have vowed to abstain in any vote that would hand control of the city council to the African National Congress, the Cape Argus reported on Thursday. Its website quoted ID caucus leader Simon Grindrod as saying: ”We have told the ANC: ‘Don’t count on us’.”
A five-cent slot machine in Atlantic City disgorged a -million windfall for an 84-year-old United States grandmother who promptly received four marriage proposals, according to reports on Thursday. Josephine Crawford had lost in the machine and was down to the last of her modest stake-money when she hit the jackpot on Tuesday evening at Harrah’s casino in the New Jersey gambling hotspot.
A series of strikes are to hit the country next month in protest against the World Trade Organisation’s Non-Agricultural Market Access (Nama) proposals, Cosatu said on Thursday. Spokesperson Patrick Craven said the Congress of South African Trade Unions is planning strikes in different sectors in May.
Police fired rubber bullets at 600 striking security guards at the Kaalfontein station between Pretoria and Johannesburg on Thursday morning. ”These people were on a train to go to the illegal security march in Johannesburg, but they started harassing and intimidating other passengers, so police fired rubber bullets at them,” said North Rand policing-area spokesperson Superintendent Eugene Opperman.