Zimbabwe’s blood-soaked parliamentary by-election last weekend, won by President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF amid accusations of violence and bribery, could be a harbinger of things to come during next year’s general election. Analysts said the election, which was also marred by coercion and the inducement of people to vote through "gifts" or "donations", proved Mugabe’s regime was still rigidly determined to cling to power by fair means or foul.
The government’s proposed Risk Equalisation Fund (REF) for medical schemes can only work if it is introduced with a mandatory medical scheme membership, a senior medical scheme official believes. The idea of the REF is to spread the medical schemes’ risk factors across all schemes, with low-risk schemes in effect subsidising high-risk ones.
Admiration for South African wines was on full display at the Cape Town International Convention Centre last week, but the country will have tough competition in an increasingly difficult world market. Internationally renowned oenologist Michel Rolland said "South Africa’s vineyard terroir has great potential and can even still improve."
"Given that the idea of introducing a land tax, or property rates on farm land, originated from the unpopular previous minister of agriculture, Derek Hanekom, farmers have always been sceptical about its real intent and political motivation."
John Pienaar outlines the arguments for farmers’ resistance to the principle of such a tax.
<img src="http://www.mg.co.za/ContentImages/41909/10-X-Logo.gif" align=left>With South Africa’s poor constituting a large portion of potential voters — and a significant component of disillusioned voters — it is surprising that no party has come out with a political manifesto clearly aimed at providing for the immediate needs of people living in poverty.
Pass it on. It spread first across the city and then the country, multiplying itself through cellphones, e-mails and the Internet. You have one new message. "Today at 6pm, Genova Street, to find out the truth. Pass it on." And they did, in their thousands. The protests were organised in just a few hours, via SMS and e-mail, by a disillusioned electorate that had decided to take matters into their own hands.
When President Thabo Mbeki visited the Eastern Cape recently, he was offered a cow and an ox as gifts by King Maxhoba Sandile at Mngqesha place. During the presentation, women journalists were barred from attending because their presence was said to be taboo. But, Lemmer has to ask, what about all those uncircumcised male journalists?
If Bafana Bafana’s new head coach, Stuart Baxter, is to realise his vision, he will need the complete backing of the national soccer governing body — something his predecessors did not enjoy. The eloquent Englishman was officially introduced to local media on Wednesday.
The sound of knives being sharpened could be heard ominously in Madrid on Wednesday, following Real’s shock Champions Cup elimination at the hands of modest Monaco. Coach Carlos Queiroz is the predictable target in a season that promised so much but has gone sour so quickly.
The people of Africa face a painful conundrum: ”They clearly see that political democratisation has delivered a tangible basket of political goods which they appreciate; yet they are keenly aware that economic liberalisation has left them worse off, resulting in a decline (in their human security) rather than progress,” says the latest Afrobarometer survey.