THREE small towns along the R2bn Maputo Corridor toll road in Mpumalanga are blaming high toll fees for a 60% drop in tourism revenue. The Machadodorp toll gate, which charges R30,60 per car, is bleeding the towns of Machadodorp, Waterval Boven and Belfast dry, says African Christian Democratic Party candidate in Belfast, Daniel Maseko. The […]

EVELYN LEOPOLD, United Nations | Saturday SOUTH Africa, the world’s largest diamond producer, has persuaded the 189-member UN General Assembly to call for a global certification system aimed at stamping out the gems-for-guns trade fuelling civil wars in Africa. The resolution, adopted by consensus, asks members to give ”urgent” consideration to creating a ”simple and […]

HILARY GUSH, Johannesburg | Friday SOUTH African media group Naspers has reported wider headline losses for the six months to end-September 2000 after heavy investments in Internet and technology development. The losses were expected, and Naspers forecast more hefty spending on its tech businesses in the period ahead. It realised exceptional profits of R3.5bn – […]

EMSIE FERREIRA, Cape Town | Friday PRESIDENT Thabo Mbeki’s African National Congress (ANC) is pulling out all the stops in a bid to win the closely-contested race for mayor of greater Cape Town in next week’s municipal elections, which will consolidate local government throughout the country. Control of the city and the Western Cape province […]

Robert Kirby CHANNELVISION The best of the rash of humorous comments made about the United States presidential election fiasco was by an American television comic, at a stage last week when the public farce was proceeding apace in the Florida Supreme Court. He commented: “The good news is that neither George Bush nor Al Gore […]

The South African Revenue Service is arming itself to eliminate tax loop-holes in Internet commerce, reports Sherilee Bridge E-commerce is fast becoming e-conmerce. Once the taxes and duties have been slapped on, where’s the bargain? And it’s about to get worse. Commissioner of the South African Revenue Service (Sars) Pravin Gordhan says formal Internet taxation […]

Barry Streek A campaign to popularise the use of bicycles in South Africa, including the construction of cycle paths in urban areas, is to be launched next year by the Department of Transport despite the dangers to cyclists on the country’s roads. Minister of Transport Abdullah Omar says the National Bicycle Transport Demonstration Programme would […]

Dividend payments to offshore headquarters are draining funds from the local economy Howard Barrell South Africa is experiencing a huge net outflow running into billions of rands as a result of the decision by several of the country’s biggest companies to list offshore. Growth and job creation are being undermined by the steady drain of […]