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/ 23 September 2005
The party the South African banks have enjoyed over the past three years may have reached heady heights, but looks to be far from over. Figures released by FirstRand last week, and the boundless optimism expressed by the likes of Investec, suggest that good times lie ahead for a while yet.
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/ 23 September 2005
When the government considers the merits of giving debt amnesty as part of its deliberations on the National Credit Bill, it needs to distinguish between people who are victims of unscrupulous lending practices and lack financial knowledge, and those who are repeat offenders, warns T-Sec economist Mike Schussler.
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/ 23 September 2005
In a surprise announcement, the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) says it will pay R1,67-billion for the 20% stake in Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) previously held by international airports company ADR. Acsa’s annual results released last week showed profits before tax up 22% to R593,2-million.
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/ 23 September 2005
Details of how three senior Saambou officials set up elaborate operations involving a string of companies that received payments and loans to buy shares and improve Saambou’s capital position are contained in the charge sheet against the three. These transactions were initiated after Saambou was unable to secure funding in the marketplace to cover bad debts.
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/ 23 September 2005
The long-predicted disaster has happened — yet the government and officials now feign shock and horror while expressing sympathy for the typhoid victims and pointing fingers at others ("System failures lead to typhoid outbreak", September 16). The government has known for a long time that there are serious problems with the quality of our water.
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/ 23 September 2005
How frightened is the government about the <i>Mail & Guardian</i>’s revelations of the abuse of state funds in the Oilgate affair? Frightened enough for the police to launch an investigation into the <i>M&G</i>, rather than the main actors in the drama? To formulate flimsy contempt of court charges against us in a bid to gather information that might assist Imvume?
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/ 23 September 2005
Spurned in its bid to acquire Celtel, which has licences in 13 African countries, MTN has set its sights on the Middle East. First prize would be a stake in the Irancell consortium, now potentially up for grabs after the Iranian government baulked at handing over 70% of the licence to Turkish operator Turkcell.
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/ 23 September 2005
He is in his early 30s but looks much younger with a ”smooth, boyish face” and a height of a little more than one-and-a-half metres. He is soft-spoken, well-mannered, and often dresses in jeans and track shoes, Nike being his brand of choice. He has hated the United States with a ”passion bordering on insanity” ever since spending time with al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Sudan.
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/ 23 September 2005
Civil society in Zimbabwe is ”taking lessons from history” to chart a mass mobilisation campaign for a new Constitution that will target ruling party Zanu-PF’s traditional strongholds in the rural areas. The National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) has been tasked by labour, churches, students and human-rights groups with spearheading the drive.
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/ 23 September 2005
President George W Bush’s multibillion-dollar reconstruction plans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina are being used as ”a vast laboratory” for conservative social polices, administration critics claim. The White House strategy involves the suspension of a series of regulations guaranteeing the going local wage and affirmative action for minorities.