The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is focusing on the achievement of an umbrella customs union for the 14-member states by 2010, and the matter of monetary regional integration has received "a high level of attention" at its most recent meeting, South Africa’s Minister of Trade and Industry Mandisi Mpahlwa said on Friday.
The Film and Publications Amendment Bill, which this week received the nod from the South African Cabinet, has crucial long-term implications for the future of the free exchange of ideas in South Africa, says official opposition Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon. He said the Bill "is a proposed amendment to the Film and Publications Act — always an arena of controversy in a country with a .. history of censorship".
The public protector’s report on the investigation into allegations of unethical and improper conduct by Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, which cleared her of any of any improper behaviour regarding her Christmas holiday trip to the United Arab Emirates, said she is free to take leave and travel to any destination in terms of the government’s policy guidelines.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) held a closed meeting of heads of State and foreign ministers over the economic troubles in member state Zimbabwe, South African Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Aziz Pahad said on Thursday. He was addressing a media briefing at Parliament — beamed to Pretoria — and said simply: "The fact that they met is important."
The South African Cabinet has given the nod to the Civil Unions Bill — which effectively allows recognition of same-sex marriages. Government spokesperson Themba Maseko on Thursday said the Bill takes into account the Constitutional Court judgement that found the common-law definition of marriage in the Marriage Act of 1961 was unconstitutional.
South Africa’s players in the manufacturing or sale of petroleum products have until September 17 — but effectively Friday September 15 — to lodge licence applications with the Department of Minerals and Energy Affairs, the chief director of hydrocarbons Nhlanhla Gumede said on Wednesday.
There is no certainty that if South Africa’s petrol price is deregulated that it will stay down, a senior official of the Department of Minerals and Energy Affairs told MPs on Wednesday. Addressing the National Assembly minerals and energy committee, the chief director of hydrocarbons, Nhlanhla Gumede, asked the question whether, indeed, the consequence of deregulation would be that the price would go up.
The South African government has been told that progress has been very slow in achieving black economic empowerment (BEE) in South African business, with government itself contributing little in terms of procurement from black business. This emerged in a meeting between President Thabo Mbeki and his economic cluster ministers on Tuesday.
South Africa’s President Thabo Mbeki cannot demand a new positive image of Africa while continuing to condone the flagrant abuse of office and squandering of public money that typifies so much of the continent, says official opposition Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon.
Israel’s action in the Middle East has triggered "unprecedented anti-Americanism" and restiveness on the streets, South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Aziz Pahad said on Thursday. Noting that the international community now needs to resolve the situation, he said: "I want to warn that the potential for increased terrorism is greater today than it has ever been."
There is no evidence of any organised group of any sort being the agent of an act of sabotage at Koeberg — which led to the shutdown of the nuclear plant earlier this year — South Africa’s Minister of Public Enterprises Alec Erwin told Parliament on Thursday. Erwin was speaking after months of controversy over remarks he made the day before the local government elections on March 1.
The economic collapse of South Africa’s neighbouring state, Zimbabwe, is stripping South Africa of economic growth of about 2% per year, yet South African President Thabo Mbeki has "handed over the baton" to others to resolve the political impasse in that country, Zimbabwe opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) policy adviser Eddie Cross said on Thursday.
South Africans are heading to the point where the country will be as wealthy as it was in 1981 — a 25-year gap of economic decline and claw-back — with a per capita income per head of about R24Â 000 a year, futures trend analyst JP Landman told the Cape Town Press Club on Wednesday.
South Africa’s National Assembly has given the nod to an ad hoc committee recommendation that Terrence Mncedisi Nombembe, the current Deputy Auditor General, be approved as the new auditor general. The current Auditor General, Shauket Fakie, retires at the end of November.
This week’s Southern African Development Community (SADC) heads of state summit will have to look at how to revitalise the implementation of the economic-integration agenda of the region, South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Aziz Pahad said on Tuesday. South Africa’s predominant position in intra-regional trade will also have to be a matter of discussion, he said.
South African economic relations with Iran were "on the increase", but peace and stability in the Middle East was key to the relationship, South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Aziz Pahad said on Tuesday. Addressing a media conference in Cape Town, he said that a joint commission would be held in Pretoria on Monday and Tuesday next week.
The South African government has no plans to change its policy of allowing the market to determine the level of the exchange rate, Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said on Monday. She said that currency volatility "tends to occur when inflows and outflows are large and one-way".
South African President Thabo Mbeki should publicly acknowledge the challenge by former deputy president Jacob Zuma for power and object to it as a Zuma presidency would march South African backwards, official opposition leader Tony Leon said on Friday.
Minister of Housing Lindiwe Sisulu had a penchant for the "phantom openings" of non-existent projects and for ignoring the fundamental problems facing housing in the Western Cape, said official opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Tony Leon at the Delft settlement on Thursday.
South Africa’s Parliament said on Wednesday that it would be unwise and "incorrect" to comment on the court processes concerning MPs charged in the Travelgate scam. In a statement Parliament said: "Parliament … notes the Democratic Alliance’s concerns in their recently published media release."
As the South African Communist Party (SACP) gears up for its 85th anniversary celebration this weekend, the ruling African National Congress has said that it values the relationship it has with its alliance partner. In a statement on Thursday ANC spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama said: "This is a relationship that has stood the test of time."
Public funds for national roads will almost triple to R3,5-billion in the 2008/09 financial year from the R1,2-billion allocation of 2002/03, Minister of Transport Jeff Radebe has divulged. In reply to a question on Monday from Democratic Alliance MP Stuart Farrow, the minister said that provincial roads’ allocations will grow from R5,2-billion rand to R11,8-billion in the same period.
The Airports Company South Africa has reviewed the infrastructure and service requirements that the 2010 Soccer World Cup will place on smaller airports and was satisfied that these airports will be prepared — but there will be an R80-million expansion and refurbishment programme at four of these airports.
The grim state of public education in South Africa highlights the fact that — in spite of "pretentious rhetoric" about a national-democratic revolution and transformation — the African National Congress has failed to facilitate access to opportunity for most South Africans, says official opposition Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon.
The insurance and investment giant Old Mutual has raised a Chinese wall over the bidding process associated with what could be Africa’s largest commercial property sale — the V&A Waterfront — for which multibillion-rand bids close on Monday for the parastatal Transnet’s property in Cape Town.
The government’s plan to establish a seventh regional electricity distributor (RED) to take care of the power-supply distribution for all non-metro municipalities may end up "fixing" non-existent problems, says the official opposition Democratic Alliance.
South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has ruled out reopening the case of the 1993 assassination of then South African Communist Party leader Chris Hani. NPA spokesperson Makhosini Nkosi said it had received a request from the Young Communist League that the case relating to Martin Thembisile "Chris" Hani be reopened.
Official opposition Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon was being a "party pooper" by selling South Africa short through his negative comments about the country’s ability to host the 2010 Soccer World Cup, says opposition Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille.
South Africa’s official opposition Democratic Alliance has announced a reshuffle of four key posts in its shadow cabinet, including the shifting of fiery health spokesperson Dianne Kohler-Barnard to the safety and security portfolio. Kohler-Barnard takes over from Free State MP Roy Jankielsohn.
South Africa’s Commission for Employment Equity — which monitors transformation in the South African workplace — has come out with all guns firing against a Solidarity trade union employment-equity plan that proposes a code of good practice for affirmative action, which promotes the commitment of a non-designated group (whites).
South Africa’s Department of Health was "not considering" paying compensation to the families of four deceased children who died at the Cecilia Makiwane hospital in East London recently, as it was "not a deliberate action or a result of negligence", said Minister of Health Manto Tshabalala-Msimang this week.
Security has been beefed up on South African trains to deal with possible incidents of violence following the ending of the nationwide security workers’ strike, Minister of Labour Membathisi Mdladlana said on Friday. Speaking to the media in Cape Town, the minister said that government is concerned that many security workers "are armed".