A post template

No image available
/ 24 October 2006

Zimbabwe not typical of Southern Africa trade bloc

Southern African countries hope plans to boost their economies will not be hurt by negative sentiment towards Zimbabwe, the head of a regional bloc said on Monday. Lesotho Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili, chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), said it was developing programmes that would offset any spill-over from Zimbabwe’s economic crisis.

No image available
/ 24 October 2006

Envoy leaves Sudan, UN says he has full support

Top United Nations envoy Jan Pronk left Khartoum on Monday after the government raised the stakes in a dispute with the world body by ordering him out of the country. Khartoum was already on a collision course with the international community over its rejection of a UN Security Council resolution to send 22 500 UN troops and police to its violent western Darfur region.

No image available
/ 24 October 2006

Google becomes a political player

Last month Washington’s political set, always ready for a good gossip, were sent into a flurry of chattering by news that Google had registered a political action committee (PAC) with the United States federal election commission. The creation of Google NetPAC is a first step towards making corporate donations to support candidates seeking elected office.

No image available
/ 24 October 2006

Small fry often the biggest catch

There is no doubt that the public sees corruption as one of the most serious problems facing our country, and one that directly affects service delivery. The focus is often on high-value actions by officials. Often little attention is paid to the many thousands of smaller acts of corruption, writes special investigating unit head Willie Hofmeyr.

No image available
/ 24 October 2006

Shop till the consumer drops

Poorly written legislation has historically allowed telecoms operators to play the competition authorities off against the communications regulator, creating a regulation void that gives rise to a phenomenon known as forum shopping. The recently promulgated Electronic Communications Act has made the problem worse.