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/ 23 September 2003

5,3m South Africans are jobless

About 5,3-million people in South Africa, or 31,2% of those economically active, were officially unemployed in March this year, Statistics South Africa said on Tuesday. The corresponding figures for September and March last year, which Stats South Africa provided earlier, were 30,5% and 29,4% respectively.

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/ 22 September 2003

Southern Africa to produce 7% of world aluminium

Southern Africa is set to increase its annual output of aluminium from 1,1-million tons to 1,384-million tons, or 7% of global output, once the expansion of the Hillside and Mozal smelters is complete in 2004, BHP Billiton Aluminium South Africa president Mahomed Seedat said on Monday. At present, Southern Africa has three aluminium smelters — […]

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/ 19 September 2003

Kooky goings-on

A story doing the rounds seeks to explain the inexplicable: how could Mbeki appoint Manto as acting prez while he and Zuma were out of the country? Apparently it was feared that if any more capable person was appointed, the people wouldn’t want Mbeki and Zuma back, Oom Krisjan muses.

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/ 17 September 2003

Small farms could yield rich harvest

I was chatting to Oom Krisjan Lemmer in the Dorstbult Bar the other day. ”Subsistence farming? Jy trek my been, man!” he exclaimed. ”It will take our farming backwards. ”Modern boerdery is about the market, including exports. It needs capital and skills. Only plaas-yuppies can win in this business.”