Three South African names appear on this year’s Forbes World Billionaires list, released late on Wednesday. The names include Nicky Oppenheimer, Anton Rupert and mining magnate Patrice Motsepe — this country’s first black billionaire. Nicholas Oppenheimer is placed 173rd on the list, while Rupert is in 284th place and Motsepe is at number 503.
It must count among the world’s most genial rivalries. Two of the planet’s richest men regularly play epic games of online bridge and collaborate over handing out their billions. But Warren Buffett has unseated his friend, Bill Gates, to become the wealthiest individual on the globe.
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/ 25 February 2008
No life could be ”sacrificed” in the name of profits, mining magnate and businessman Patrice Motsepe told protesting workers at a ferromanganese smelter near Durban on Monday. He was speaking to workers who on Monday staged a protest at the Assmang smelter following Sunday’s blast, which claimed the lives of five people.
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/ 25 February 2008
Mamelodi Sundowns announced on Sunday night that coach Gordon Igesund and the club will be parting ways. Recently appointed media and communications manager Mahlatse Mphahlele announced ”the club and coach will be parting company on an amicable basis with immediate effect”.
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/ 13 February 2008
Attempts to reach an out-of-court settlement between a KwaZulu-Natal ferromanganese factory and its workers over compensation for manganese poisoning foundered on Wednesday. The workers’ trade union and attorney accused the company, Assmang, of negotiating in bad faith.
Graham Briggs has been appointed CEO of Harmony Gold Mining with effect from January 1 2008, the company said on Wednesday. Harmony — the world’s fifth biggest gold producer — appointed a selection panel at the end of October 2007, made up of four non-executive board members, to oversee the selection process for the position of CEO.
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/ 23 December 2007
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Gordon Igesund appeared as ebullient as a schoolboy who had raided the cookie jar after his team’s hard-earned 1-0 Premier league victory over Free State Stars at a sultry Goble Stadium in Bethlehem on Saturday afternoon.
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/ 7 December 2007
Problem-plagued Mamelodi Sundowns on Friday announced that executive director Afzal Khan will be leaving the club in the wake of the protracted dispute in which Venezuelan international striker Jose Torrelaba alleged his signature had been forged on a document confirming the renewal of his contract with the club.
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/ 12 November 2007
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Gordon Igesund faces arguably the toughest test of all Premier Soccer League (PSL) coaches as he guides his team towards a third consecutive league title as well as a third cup final this year. ”The better the team becomes, the more challenges you face and have to accept,” Igesund said on Monday.
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/ 26 October 2007
Hardly a month after Finance Minister Trevor Manuel cast aspersions on the integrity of local football administrators, the Premier Soccer League (PSL) has suffered another setback with the finding that Mamelodi Sundowns were guilty of forging the signature of Jose Torrealba to extend the striker’s contract.
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/ 16 October 2007
Barriers affecting trade between countries in the southern hemisphere were much greater than those in the northern hemisphere, Minister of Trade and Industry Mandisi Mpahlwa said in Johannesburg on Tuesday. In addition, reducing trade tariffs in countries where industrial development was still under way ran the risk of exacerbating unemployment, he said.
The last miner among about 3 200 trapped two kilometres underground for over 30 hours at Harmony Gold’s Elandsrand mine near Carletonville was rescued on Thursday night. He was welcomed by Harmony chairperson Patrice Motsepe and by Minerals and Energy Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica.
Harmony Gold’s Elandsrand mine near Carletonville has been shut down for up to six weeks after the mine’s main exit was blocked, trapping 3 200 miners underground, the Minerals and Energy Department said on Thursday. About 800 miners remained trapped more than 2,2km underground by 4pm on Thursday.
About 1 250 miners remained trapped more than 2,2km underground in Harmony Gold’s Elandsrand mine near Carletonville on Thursday after an all-night rescue mission. The mine’s general manager, Stan Bierschenk, said the morale of workers still stuck below ground was ”fairly brittle”.
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/ 14 September 2007
Orlando Pirates coach Bibey Mutombo says he is not the first Pirates coach to be put under pressure from the fans. Duh! Given that this is the club’s 70th anniversary and that it boasts millions of passionate and opinionated fans, it stands to reason there must have been one or two other coaches before Mutombo, whose governance of the team did not meet the supporters’ expectations.
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/ 3 September 2007
Mamelodi Sundowns lost ground in their challenge for an African Confederation Cup final place this weekend after losing 1-0 to Astres Douala in Cameroon. A softly awarded penalty midway through the second half settled the Group A clash with Roland Ndjam sending Calvin Marlin the wrong way from the spot kick.