Edgars Consolidated Stores, one of South Africa’s largest retailers, says it has no response to Thursday’s call by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) for investors to disinvest from Edcon shares. "We can’t comment on what drives fund managers’ investment decisions," said Edcon’s executive manager for investor relations Tessa Christelis on Friday.
The 4,2% move in the rand from a best level of 6,3650 per US dollar on May 20 to a worst level of 6,6350 on May 26 has spurred net foreign purchases of South African assets. In the past four trading days, foreigners bought a R1,897-billion worth of South African bonds and a net R355-million worth of South African equities.
A group of animal welfare organisations on Friday expressed concern about the Johannesburg Metro Council’s proposed by-laws on cats and dogs, saying this may cause suffering for animals. Vivienne Tothill, spokesperson for the group, said the proposed by-laws could result in pets being abandoned or unnecessarily killed.
Moby’s new album <i>Hotel</i> is a many-roomed building with a range of guests from the quiet-as-a-mouse businessman to the raucous newly weds in the honeymoon suite, writes Riaan Wolmarans.
The success of South Africa’s film industy will hinge on managing expectations, writes Matthew Krouse.
A football era has come to an end with the relegation of Wits University from the Premier Soccer League (PSL) — a first in the club’s history. Wits narrowly escaped the drop in the 1996/97 season when they beat Jomo Cosmos in their last game. They are renowned as a breeding ground by the glamorous PSL teams.
He promised his dying mother he would be an artist. Today he is one of South Africa’s most promising cartoonists. Bethuel Mangena ignored high school teachers who told him to look for a ”respectable” job — and has not looked back. Choosing to study fine art, Magena — at 26 — is one of the youngest practitioners of this most difficult journalistic art.
Cape Town’s political leaders remained largely invisible this week during the city’s spreading protests over housing shortages which, particularly in Langa and Guguletu townships, set ”Cape-borners” against amaKwaduka (rural newcomers). Monday saw crisis meetings at the metro council’s head offices, but an encounter with community leaders scheduled for Tuesday was postponed.
Rural schooling is in crisis — and rural education should be resourced and organised differently from that in urban schools. ”The state’s commitment to social justice in all matters and especially to universal access to education … remains unfulfilled for large numbers of children, youths and adults living in rural areas,” says a ministerial committee report on rural education, due for release next week.
The Zimbabwean government has deployed 3Â 000 paramilitary police as it begins an operation to demolish illegal settlements around Harare, state television reported on Thursday. The television news showed a parade of hundreds of officers in full riot gear preparing to be deployed to demolish 25 illegal settlements in and around the capital.