The moral and political imperatives underpinning transformation, affirmative action and black empowerment are eroded by those who use these as smokescreens to pursue their selfish interests, writes Mike van Graan.
Saxophonist Robbie Jansen is as close as one gets to being a specialist and he has been nicknamed the Cape Doctor because he blows like Cape Town’s wretched southeaster, writes Julian Jonker.
United States President George Bush claimed on Thursday that at least 10 al-Qaeda attacks had been thwarted since September 11, including three inside the US, during an impassioned speech in which he defended the war in Iraq and the wider fight against terrorism.
New details have emerged of an abortive Angolan diamond deal involving Brett Kebble and Dali Tambo that has left some of their Angolan partners high and dry — including a powerful former head of Angolan military intelligence. The saga around the bid for a potentially lucrative alluvial mining licence provides an example of how Kebble accumulated powerful enemies.
Tropical Storm Stan left a trail of devastation across Central America and Mexico, killing at least 225 people and forcing 225Â 000 others from their homes after unleashing five days of relentless downpours, authorities said on Thursday. The death toll in Guatemala surged late on Thursday to 134 after a mudslide killed 55 farmers.
Maybe the Pathfinder weighs as much as a Sherman tank, maybe it could drink a Kuwaiti oil well dry, and maybe it’s a bit of a bitch to park, but I actually don’t give a toss. I love it. I love the feeling of security you get from being able to see over all the cars in a traffic jam.
The National Intelligence Agency’s counsel at the Khampepe commission, George Bizos, struck the right note this week on the question of oversight of the specialised crime-fighting unit, the Scorpions. If there were problems with controls over the Scorpions, Bizos argued, these could be specifically addressed, without the police having to swallow the unit — head, body and sting.
Telkom’s billing structure allows for profit margins of up to 1 500% on some calls, according to a report asking for telecommunications reform. The report, titled <i>Reforming Tele-communications in South Africa: Twelve Steps for Lowering Costs and Improving Access</i>, states that cellphone operators charge Telkom an interconnection fee to terminate a call on its network.
The oil industry in South Africa is doing more than nicely thank-you from government-controlled fuel margins that appear extremely generous compared with those in markets Australia and the United States. All three — South Africa, Australia and the US — have a high reliance on private transport. Fuel prices this week topped R6 a litre in Gauteng for the first time.
Recently the Pension Funds Adjudicator (PFA), Vuyani Ngalwana issued rulings on a further 22 retirement annuities (RAs). Life companies have chosen to settle 15 of these rather than face the negative publicity. This brings to 54 the total number of RA rulings since March. The life companies are appealing seven of these in the High Court.