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/ 10 December 2004
”What about the MPs?” was the question on Monday when the seven travel agents arrested in connection with the R16-million Travelgate — Parliament’s travel voucher scam — appeared in court. Almost six months after the travel agents’ arrests, Travelgate remains a tangle of legal proceedings — from liquidations of the four implicated agencies, to high court action by Parliament to reclaim owed monies.
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/ 10 December 2004
South Africa ranks low in the bribery stakes, according to an international survey published by Transparency International — but it joins the majority of surveyed countries in the consensus that political parties are most affected by corruption. The survey was conducted among 50 000 respondents from 62 countries.
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/ 10 December 2004
Zimbabwe’s beleaguered Information Minister, Jonathan Moyo, is facing yet another blow to his faltering career at a time when he is battling for his political life. Having failed to secure election to the central committee of the ruling Zanu-PF last week, Moyo is now likely to be barred from taking part in the forthcoming primary elections.
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/ 10 December 2004
For those not keen on the fa-la-la-la school of Christmas music, a slew of albums this holiday season offers every conceivable take on Yuletide themes, from rap to reggae and Christ Child’s Lullaby to Santa Was a Black Man. For the record companies, the Christmas market offers a short sales window with the possibility of a long-term payoff.
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/ 10 December 2004
The stabilisation of the rand during October and November 2004 can be attributed to expectations of significant future foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows, a possible improved international credit rating of the country by international ratings agencies and US dollar weakness, the South African Reserve Bank said in its December quarterly bulletin, released on Friday.
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/ 10 December 2004
A group of high-profile South Africans, including former president Nelson Mandela, have condemned attempts to force United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan to resign. Mandela, Graca Machel — a member of the Board of the United Nations Foundation and chairperson of the Board of the Vaccine Fund — Bishop Desmond Tutu, author Nadine Gordimer and human rights lawyer George Bizos signed an open letter sent on Thursday.
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/ 10 December 2004
A letter from Sasol chief executive Pieter Cox to two senior government ministers over the nomination of a black female director to the liquid fuel giant’s board illustrates how fearful the company is of the presidency. Cox wrote to Minister of Minerals and Energy Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel last week to "clarify matters" about his company’s clash with the Public Investment Commission.
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/ 10 December 2004
There are cities in South Africa where the traffic lights work, electricity flows steadily, jobs are created and finances are in order. Business is attracted to them and contributes to tax revenues, which are used to improve delivery and create long-term economic growth. These cities are Durban and Port Elizabeth.
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/ 10 December 2004
The Human Rights and Democracy Awards returned on Friday night after a one-year hiatus. Last year’s awards were cancelled as the Independent Electoral Commission — which co-sponsors the awards with the Human Rights Commission and the Commission on Gender Equality — was preparing for the elections.
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/ 10 December 2004
Did Thebe Tourism Group (TTG) attempt to steal a lucrative joint venture from a partner or is the company simply defending its rights against a jilted collaborator? This appears to be one of the questions before the Cape High Court in the liquidation of Thebe Retail, a company founded in 2002 by TTG, and Charlotte Steere, a Johannesburg businessperson, to develop a series of tourist shops.