Still reeling from being found guilty by the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of invading a woman’s privacy, the SABC will now have to answer to the Commission on Gender Equality — and possibly the police. The complaints commission last week fined the public broadcaster R20 000 for airing a live SABC3 programme, <i>3 Talk</i>.
<img src="http://www.mg.co.za/ContentImages/41909/10-X-Logo.gif" align=left>To win the election the African National Congress ruthlessly used its greatest competitive advantage over the other political parties in this election — massive, organised membership.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=40922">Special Report: Elections 2004</a>
"The farmer always carries a gun and sometimes, if a worker makes a mistake, he points the gun at the worker," says a worker on a farm near Grahamstown. "The relationship between us and the farmer is bad," he adds. "The farmer swears at us and calls us names like kaffir," says a worker on another farm. "There are times when he beats us."
Pity the African National Congress activist who goes to the door of Epainette Mbeki — deep in the rural Eastern Cape — looking for an easy vote for the organisation. Despite being the mother of the president and a successful local businesswoman, she chooses to live in an area with no running water, no toilets, dirt roads and no nearby hospital.
Minister of Trade and Industry Alec Erwin’s recent statement that Canadian aluminum producer Alcan will shortly announce its decision on whether it will build a R2,2-billion aluminum smelter in the Coega Industrial Development Zone (IDZ) in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, failed to inspire confidence.
<img src="http://www.mg.co.za/ContentImages/41909/10-X-Logo.gif" align=left>The outcome of the election in most provinces may be a foregone conclusion. But in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape — where opinion polls show that there might be no clear winner — parties are playing their cards carefully, in case they have to cut a deal with the opposition to hang on to power.
<img src="http://www.mg.co.za/ContentImages/41909/10-X-Logo.gif" align=left>If Thabo Mbeki wants to live to see his third term, he should reconsider the tactic of pressing the flesh at traffic intersections. Popping one’s head through the windows of SUVs is fine in New Hampshire, but in Gauteng you’re asking to be blown away by a twitchy motorist who’s been hijacked once too often.
In debating empowerment charters and black economic empowerment legislation, a distinction should be drawn between transformation and development. The transformation of large established organisations has taken centre stage in the empowerment arena. The size of the institution tends to raise its importance in public forums. Typically, also, empowerment initiatives centre on ownership.
<img src="http://www.mg.co.za/ContentImages/41909/10-X-Logo.gif" align=left>If you are looking to find out more about your favourite political party, the Internet can be a great resource. The ACDP does an admirable job with its website, while the ANC has by far the most extensive site. The ID website is striking and takes advantage, like JohnKerry.com, of the Internet as a forum for campaigning.
Easter. It’s not just about bunny rabbits and funny-shaped chocolate, you know. It’s about football. In Britain, this is the weekend when we finally make our overpaid, badly behaved professionals earn their money. Most of the poor lambs will have to play twice over the Easter weekend. Scandalous.