Durban-based jazz legend Sipho Gumede died in Durban on Monday after a short illness, SABC news reported. The managing director of Sheer Sounds, Don Gaile, has confirmed his death. Speaking on UKHOZI FM earlier, Gaile said Gumede’s death was a great loss to the nation.
The health care industry is increasingly coming under the beady eye of the Competition Commission and Competition Tribunal. The Council for Medical Schemes recently referred a commercial venture involving doctors in the Netcare group to the commission, believing it might not be in medical scheme members’ best interests.
I am asked, sometimes, where I get my ideas from. I always say that I just keep an eye on the news; it provides all the craziness and insanity I need. So here is a selection of sites and news items to show you that the world isn’t as safe, stable and reliable as you might believe …
The 10-year season is over. It was not all party time. A rhythmic pattern of celebration and scholarship emerged, spawning a mini industry of endeavour and entrepreneurship. What is striking about the five main studies of the past 10 years that sit on the table is the conspicuous absence of a consensus about the full range of challenges that will confront democracy over the next 10 years.
Researchers are claiming a breakthrough in the battle against leishmaniasis, a potentially fatal disease affecting millions, many of them in Africa. The Centers for Disease Control in the United States includes Southern Africa in its list of regions affected by the lethal illness, which produces fever, anaemia, and swelling of the spleen and liver. But the real fight has been against the severe lack of resources and facilities.
South Africa is running into an energy crunch — and is likely to fall back largely on ”Old King Coal” to deal with it. Eskom officials indicate that the likely source of new capacity will be conventional coal, with possibly some gas and conventional hydro-electricity from the region. The controversial nuclear option — the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor — has not yet been built to commercial scale.
The South African Football Association’s (Safa) chief operation officer, Albert Mokoena, has justified a massive payout to the organisation’s president, Molefi Oliphant. Safa, which is in the red, will pay Irvin Khoza, Danny Jordaan and Oliphant a whopping R7,4-million each after tax for their role in the Soccer World Cup 2010 bid.
The Wallabies are failing to capitalise on their home ground advantage by playing rugby union tests in Perth, says South Africa coach Jake White. ”It’s not a home fixture for a lot of [Australia’s] players, it’s a four hour flight away,” said White ahead of Saturday’s Tri-Nations match in Perth. ”At this stage it’s probably a little bit better for us.”
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson wants Portugal’s Rui Costa to add midfield sparkle to his English Premiership challenge. Ferguson is offering to take the Portugal midfielder on loan from AC Milan and pick up his £55 000-a-week salary. Costa is considering the offer, The Sun reported.
Born baseliner Andre Agassi broke the mold with a sustained attack at the net to post a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 comeback win on Monday night in a grudge match against Tommy Haas at the ,56-million Masters Series. Just 10 days earlier, Germany’s Haas had mowed down the 34-year-old American Idol in a Los Angeles quarterfinal.