Listed cement producer Pretoria Portland Cement Company (PPC) has reported a 4% increase in its fully diluted headline earnings per share (Heps) for the six months to the end of March 2005, from 585 cents in the year-earlier period. The company declared an interim dividend of 260 cents per share.
State-owned diamond company Alexkor as recently as four years ago wanted to mine the Ramsar wetlands site at the mouth of the Orange River, it emerged on Thursday. The revelation is contained in a confidential memorandum produced at the Richtersveld land-claim hearing in Cape Town, now in its second week.
South Africa will pay dearly for global industrialisation and other activities that generate greenhouse gases, a new study revealed on Thursday. A report by the South African National Biodiversity Institute, released in Cape Town, warns that rising temperatures will change the face of the country by 2050.
A transformation plan for the judiciary — to make it more representative of women and black people — is scheduled to be put to the Cabinet by August this year, Minister of Safety and Security Charles Nqakula and Deputy Minister of Correctional Services Cheryl Gillwald said on Thursday.
The South African government has reported that 90 000 people confessed to welfare grant fraud under an amnesty offer that ended in March. This figure emerges from a report delivered by Minister of Health Manto Tshabalala-Msimang — chairperson of the social cluster of ministers — on Thursday.
Minister of Health Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said on Thursday she does not remember endorsing Aids dissident Matthias Rath’s Dr Rath Health Foundation — but said that the foundation’s focus on nutrition in fighting the disease complements the government’s programme to fight Aids.
The decision to press a land claim was taken by the whole Richtersveld community and not just a section of it, an anthropologist told the Land Claims Court on Wednesday. She was testifying in support of the Richtersvelders’ demand for the return of 85 000ha of diamond-rich land and compensation that could total R2,5-billion.
President Thabo Mbeki will pay a courtesy call on newly installed Roman Catholic Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to Italy on Friday and Saturday, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday. Mbeki is also scheduled to hold discussions with his Italian counterpart, President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
Jazz musician Robbie Jansen has made a ”miraculous” recovery from a near-comatose condition and is sitting up demanding fruit salad, his relieved record-company executive said on Wednesday. Jansen was admitted to the Tygerberg hospital almost a month ago following his collapse at his home in Elsies River.
Orlando Pirates increased their lead in the Premier Soccer League by three points when they beat Ajax Cape Town 1-0 at Newlands on Tuesday. Pirates can thank their goalkeeper Francis Chansa for maximum points, as he brought off several excellent saves.
The Zimbabwe government has "little in reserve" to fight off the country’s domestic economic problems and President Robert Mugabe is effectively a rugby fullback facing a front line of opposition, said the Movement for Democratic Change on Tuesday in a post-mortem of the March 31 parliamentary election.
The convener of the Springbok selection panel, Peter Jooste, has confirmed that the panel will announce the national squad for the upcoming tours on Saturday May 14. Jooste said the panel will not change the principles of its selection policy, which resulted in nine out of 13 Test wins for the Springboks in 2004.
A Cape Town-based housing innovator who propagates using hemp to curb South Africa’s growing housing problem has not ruled out Constitutional Court litigation to compel the government to revise its dagga legislation. ”There is a strong possibility we will initiate litigation, hopefully within this year,” said Andre du Plessis.
Differing concerns by organised labour and business over a new draft law aimed at controlling the development of cooperatives in South Africa has once again highlighted the opposed economic philosophies of the two groupings. Business sees the future of such enterprises as being characterised by the dictates of a free market.
The South African Navy submarine SAS Assegaai, decommissioned almost two years ago, will continue serving her country as the main attraction at a planned museum of submarine technology. ”We want to preserve the proud submarine heritage of South Africa,” said Rear-Admiral Arne Söderlund.
The share price of global pulp and paper producer Sappi fell by 4,3% or R2,89 in early trade on Friday after the company said in its second-quarter results that it does not expect its 2005 full-year earnings to match those of 2004. At 9.50am, Sappi’s shares were quoted on the JSE Securities Exchange at R64,50.
Environmentalists questioned on Thursday a multimillion-rand contract to build South Africa’s first pebble-bed modular reactor (PBMR) fuel plant, saying the PBMR company has no legal basis to continue development. The R102-million contract has been awarded to a German company.
The government signed a contract with Airbus Military on Thursday, under which South Africa will become a partner in the A400M airlifter programme and acquire at least eight of the transport aircraft. The Democratic Alliance opposed the deal on Thursday, saying it ”looks set to be another costly mistake”.
The retail price of petrol in South Africa is set to rise by 20 cents per litre (c/l) across all grades of petrol from Wednesday May 4, the Department of Minerals and Energy said on Thursday. The increase means that the price of inland 93 grade petrol will rise from R5,02 to R5,22, and to R5,11 a litre at the coast.
The share price of industrial and construction company Concor jumped 12,5% or R2,50 in early trade on Thursday after it emerged late on Tuesday that two rival construction groups — Murray & Roberts and Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon are interested in taking over Concor.
The Western Cape’s education budget has risen by 10% to R6,5-billion, with the extra money to go to ”human capital”, provincial education minister Cameron Dugmore said on Tuesday. Cameron, addressing the provincial legislature during his budget speech, reflected on past achievements and future challenges.
South Africa are the first of eight challengers for sailing’s most prestigious trophy, the America’s Cup, to build a new boat. Team Shosholoza’s RSA-83 hull, unveiled in Cape Town, is the first America’s Cup boat to be designed and built in South Africa, the America’s Cup website announced.
A Richtersveld elder on Tuesday told how as a young man he laboured for less than 40c a day on the state diamond diggings that his community is now reclaiming. The community is claiming 85 000ha of land and compensation of up to R2,5-billion, including R1,5-billion for diamonds extracted from the ground.
Springbok coach Jake White on Tuesday asked the rugby public to view South African Vodacom Rugby Super 12 teams’ performances over the past few weeks in context, because, he said, there are other elements critics are not taking into account. White said despite recent losses, the future is not all doom and gloom.
Listed retailer and distributor Massmart has added yet more popular retail chains to its already wide array of brands, announcing the acquisition on Tuesday of a controlling stake in sports specialist Moresport for R403,8-million in cash. Moresport owns Sportsmans Warehouse, Sport Shoe World and Outdoor Warehouse.
The Land Claims Court has the power to override the new Minerals Act, an advocate presenting the Richtersveld community’s multibillion-rand claim argued in Cape Town on Monday. The 2002 Act makes mineral resources the common heritage of all the people of South Africa, and does away with the notion of mineral rights.
Reports that up to nine elephants in Zimbabwe were killed and used as meat for Zimbabwe’s recent independence celebrations should serve as a wake-up call to Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk, says the South African official opposition Democratic Alliance.
Pam Golding Properties, the residential company within the Pam Golding Property group, South Africa’s largest independent real estate group, has reported record turnover of R12,9-billion for the financial year to end-February 2005, up an impressive 36% compared with R9,5-billion the previous year.
The Stormers disintegrated in spectacular manner for the second week running when they blew a 24-0 lead to go down 37-24 to the Blues in their Super 12 match at Newlands on Saturday evening. What made the defeat extraordinary was that the Stormers played champagne rugby in the first 20 minutes.
Though President Thabo Mbeki had one orchid named after him in Singapore this week, there are already about 200 Zuma orchids on the International Orchid Register. Unfortunately for the deputy president, most of them seem to be named for California’s Zuma Valley, an orchid-growing centre.
Satirist Pieter-Dirk Uys has launched a biting attack on President Thabo Mbeki’s stand on Aids and nutrition. ”Most of the black people who have died of Aids in South Africa were too poor to even phone for help, let alone pizza delivery,” Uys said in a statement on Friday.
Limpopo economic development, environment and tourism minister Collins Chabane says small business is to receive special attention in his province. In a report by the government news agency, BuaNews, on Friday, he is quoted as telling the provincial legislature that small businesses has a high potential for job creation.