FRIDAY, 8.30AM TELKOM took its spat with the SA Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (Satra) to a new level on Thursday, announcing that it had no intention of cancelling increases in the costs of calls to cellphones, because Satra’s objections had not arrived on time. Telkom said it had informed Satra of the proposed increases (see below) […]

Brett Davidson : In your ear Faced with a rash of new radio stations as competition, 5fm has once again spruced up its image and its line-up. The major change, it claims, is that for the first time in the station’s 22-year history, all the DJs are African. No – the station hasn’t abandoned its […]

Robert Kirby : Loose cannon I want to begin by repeating a truly dreadful politically correct word and see where it takes us. I understand this particularly bumsquint coinage has been lying around in PC wordbins for a few years now, but that doesn’t excuse it. The word is “draughtspersonship”. Think about “draughtspersonship”. Try to […]

Andrew Wilson spoke to actor/playwright Greig Coetzee, winner of six Vita awards The extent of playwright and actor Greig Coetzee’s dominance in this year’s FNB Vita Awards, where his play White Men with Weapons blew away some heavyweight theatrical talent, astounds even him. “I thought maybe one award for all the hard work, but six? […]

lost their souls Contrary to the widely held belief, there are honest, hard-working Nigerians living in South Africa, but many of them are too scared to own up to their nationality Emeka Nwandiko Despite his neatly coiffured hair and delicate pencil moustache, Sammi’s serenity is betrayed by the violent gesticulations of his arms towards the […]

FRIDAY, 11.00AM: THE Sowetan reports on Friday morning that Mpumalanga Premier Mathews Phosa is considering quitting politics after being asked by President Nelson Mandela to step down as a candidate for the African National Congress deputy presidency in favour of ANC KwaZulu-Natal leader Jacob Zuma. Phosa met Mandela on Monday, where he was apparently ordered […]

Two German drug companies are selling a painkiller, banned in their own country, to South Africans, reports Ann Eveleth One of the world’s leading pharmaceutical manufacturers continues to sell substantial quantities of a painkiller in South Africa which has been banned in its home country – and which some critics estimate could kill up to […]

Julian Drew : Athletics Hendrick Ramaala is on a roll at the moment. He followed up his fourth place at the world half marathon championships and victories in the Great North Run and South African half marathon championships with a win in the Rennes 10km in France at the weekend. But while he appears to […]

Micro-lenders accuse government of ignoring recommendations for regulating the industry, writes Sechaba ka’Nkosi A row is brewing between a coalition of small-scale development lenders and the government for ignoring proposals that could save millions of consumers from rampant exploitation by money lenders. The Alliance of Micro-Enterprise Development Practitioners singles out the departments of trade and […]

Ann Eveleth The Johannesburg High Court battle over Transnet’s suspension of Joe Ndhlela ended this week in defeat for the executive director. Ndhlela’s bid to overturn his suspension was dismissed with costs. He faces an inquiry into charges of bugging, weapons possession and corruption. Ndhlela’s court bid made public the disciplinary charges Transnet had refused […]