Sipho Seepe no blows barred Kader Asmal’s first public pronouncement when he took up his education portfolio was a breath of fresh air. With characteristic boldness, he declared that the education system was in crisis. This unprecedented admission endeared the triumphant minister to the public. After five years of democratic governance, conditions in black schools […]
Stewart Bailey Harmony Gold, South Africa’s third-largest gold producer, is to shed more than 10% about 300 000 ounces of unprofitable annual gold production. The move hints at a turbulent round of March quarter production and financial results for South Africa’s gold miners. The largely unhedged Harmony Gold is renowned for making ends meet in […]
Ufrieda Ho The number of animal experiments in South Africa is anybody’s guess. South African vivisectors are left to police themselves and are governed by a voluntary code of ethics. Despite calls by anti-vivisection lobbyists and some scientists for the government to produce transparent monitoring of the industry, the government is still to act. “It’s […]
Nearly 90 years after its birth Alexandra township, renowned for its squalor, is to undergo a revamp Ntuthuko Maphumulo As you enter Alexandra township you are greeted by the smell of rubbish and toilets. It comes from shacks on the pavements. Women wash and rinse their clothes on the road, which is also a playground […]
Mboniso Sigonyela Stubborn inflation figures continue to threaten the Reserve Bank’s inflation targeting measures, but the hard-pressed retail sector may breathe a sigh of relief after March’s broad-based price increases. The uninspiring inflation release confirmed the market’s fears as the bank’s inflation targeting measure, consumer price inflation excluding interests on mortgages (CPIX), posted a 7,5% […]
Jubie Matlou Adifficult choice confronts the South African Revenue Service (Sars) regarding the taxation of intangible digital goods purchased over the Internet. This includes digital messages, software, multimedia files and film and audio recordings. A tax void exists for both local and international transactions of such goods. Electronic commerce business transactions operating in cyberspace create […]
The government has won its fight with pharmaceutical companies over parallel importation and other methods to reduce drug costs Belinda Beresford At the 13th hour the pharmaceutical industry backed down. The law it fought for three years to prevent being enacted will go ahead, unchanged. And the ramifications go far beyond South Africa’s borders. By […]
Justin Arenstein The Dolphin Group has closed its South African head office and is fighting to save two of its local flagship hotels after mismanagement plunged the leisure group into financial crisis. Dolphin officials confirmed that the Dubai-based corporation retrenched its head office staff in January after failing to pay rent at its plush Sandton […]
Ntuthuko Maphumulo cycling The Vodacom Ride for Victory cycling competition will showcase some of the top cyclists in the country. The May 6 cycling challenge is a 115km route through the picturesque Suikerbosrand nature reserve. The morning race will be for the top cyclists, followed by amateur cyclists and enthusiasts. The professional cyclists will gain […]
Bruce Whitfield Illovo is facing political opposition to the sale of its stake in a local sugar and hotels group in Mauritius. Illovo’s sale of its 80% stake in Mauritius-based sugar and hotels group Mon Tresor Mon Desert (MTMD) could be reversed due to pressure from that country’s official opposition party and trade unions. They […]