FRIDAY, 1.00PM MALAYSIAN and Indian steel producers who avoid paying import duties by bringing in low-value welded pipe under the guise of specialised seamless pipe are threatening the health of South Africa’s steel industry, officials say. “This is direct customs fraud that could wipe out sectors of the industry,” said Tony Heher, chief director of […]

Sarafina II Minister of Housing Sankie Mthembi- Mahanyele blithely claimed this week that the auditor generals report on the Motheo housing project scam cleared both her and her department of any wrongdoing. Her interpretation suggests that either she didnt actually read the report or she chose to overlook its salient features. The auditor general found […]

Cosatus battle with government over economic policy reached a head this week. Compromise seems unlikely, writes Sechaba kaNkosi.

FRIDAY, 1.00PM STATE farms sold for tens of thousands of rands below their market value by the Agricultural Credit Board (ACB) in the early 1990s should be reviewed by the national treasury to see if permission ”ex post facto” should be granted for the sales, according to the sixth report of the De Meyer commission […]

Justin Arenstein In a clear attempt to be seen to be acting decisively, Mpumulanga Premier Mathews Phosa has appointed an independent private- sector commission of inquiry into the Motheo housing controversy. The commission, headed by Deloitte & Touche managing partner Hugh Dreyer, will use a team of experts from Deloitte & Touche and from auditing […]

THURSDAY, 10.30AM MPUMALANGA Premier Mathews Phosa has reacted swiftly to auditor-general Henri Kluever’s call for a commission of inqiry into the Motheo Rural Housing Scheme, announcing on Wednesday the appointment of a commission to be chaired by Deloitte & Touche MD Hugh Dreyer. Dreyer will assemble a team to investigate any possible misrepresentation made during […]

THURSDAY, 1.30PM THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) has put a question mark next to South Africa’s economic growth prospects in its latest World Economic Outlook report. The IMF is sticking to its May projection that SA’s gross domestic product growth will fall to 2,2% this financial year. The latest report was released at the opening […]

THURSDAY, 1.15PM: SPRINGBOKS Andre Joubert, Bary Teichmann, Henry Honniball and Mark Andrews have been included in the Natal rugby squad to face Eastern Province in the Bankfin Currie Cup match in Port Elizabeth on Sunday. Andrews and Honiball have recovered from injury and will replace John Slade and David Knox respectively. Springbok centre FA Meiring, […]

THURSDAY, 1.30PM TELKOM stands to lose more than a bilion rand in telecommunications infrastructure and equipment if doubts about its choice of wireless network technology for under-serviced areas are correct, industry experts say. Analysts estimate the telecoms parastatal could lose R1,4-billion if it chooses digital enhanced cordless telecommunications (DECT) over code division multiple access technology […]