There might be method in the madness going on in Harare — reports suggest the government is considering slashing the salaries of public-sector workers by 50% in line with the price cuts that have rocked the retail industry. Business, the government and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe are behind this latest move to control money supply, says the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions.
South Africa’s mobile operators are stretched to capacity trying to meet the rapidly increasing demand for voice and data services and are laying their own fibre-optic networks. Until now, MTN and Vodacom have relied on Telkom to provide their fibre network needs but, with Telkom unable to meet the increasing demand quickly enough, the mobile giants are taking matters into their own hands.
The world’s carbon dioxide emissions did not plummet to zero after Live Earth and rock stars did not rise as one to trade their private jets for bicycles. Yet the scandalous possibility presented itself that Al Gore’s seven-continent, 24-hour concert series had been rather impressive and might yet prove important.
Driving alone on Gauteng’s highways might soon be unaffordable. Tolls, big brother cameras for traffic offenders and electronic devices attached to cars are to become the rage if the provincial government has its way. This is one of government’s strategies to force Gauteng residents to make use of public transport.
Protestant churches reacted with dismay to a new declaration approved by Pope Benedict XVI insisting they are mere ”ecclesial communities” and their ministers effectively phonies with no right to give communion. Coming just days after the reinstatement of the Latin mass, the document left no doubt about Benedict’s eagerness to back traditional Roman Catholic practices and attitudes.
SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande definitely does not lead the life of a ”horny-handed son of toil”. The Mail & Guardian understands that his salary is equivalent to that of deputy ministers, who earn between R700 000 and R800 000 a year. Nzimande lives in a large home in the upmarket Johannesburg suburb of Emmarentia and has been known to have up to four luxury vehicles in his garage.
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Ah, the gutter. There’s plenty of mud down there — which is what it being used in the unseemly spat between Ekurhuleni metro police chief Robert McBride and some of his officers.
The old jokes may be the best, but according to a psychological study conducted in the United States, our ability even to spot a one-liner deteriorates as we age. Researchers asked one group of people aged from 65 to their late 80s and another in their early 20s to pick one of four endings to the opening lines of a series of jokes.
Pele and Samuel Eto’o headed the list of international stars on Thursday when Fifa announced the line-ups for a match to honour Nelson Mandela’s 89th birthday. More than 50 players have confirmed their participation in the ”90 Minutes for Mandela” match on July 18 at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town.