No image available
/ 16 September 2004
Jazz legend Dolly Rathebe (74) died at the Ga-Rankuwa hospital outside Pretoria on Thursday. Rathebe was admitted to hospital on Sunday after suffering a mild stroke and is survived by two daughters and a son. Former president Nelson Mandela was among many who paid tribute to Rathebe on Thursday.
No image available
/ 16 September 2004
A Vanderbijlpark engineering company director has turned state witness in the case of two men accused of possessing uranium-enrichment equipment in the Vanderbijlpark Regional Court on Thursday, South African Broadcasting Corporation radio news reported.
No image available
/ 16 September 2004
The Department of Correctional Services has promised to crack down on smoking at Cape Town’s Pollsmoor prison following a Labour Court challenge by a warder. The department and Minister of Correctional Services Ngconde Balfour have agreed to do ”whatever is required” to ensure that the law is ”strictly observed and complied with”.
No image available
/ 16 September 2004
The jury was out on the effectiveness of Thursday’s public-service strike in the Western Cape as unions claimed a massive turnout while the provincial government sought to downplay its impact. In Cape Town, police estimated about 17 000 strikers snaked their way through the city.
No image available
/ 16 September 2004
More than 700Â 000 public service workers were on strike on Thursday, making this the biggest strike in South Africa’s history, the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union claimed. Schools appeared to have been the hardest hit. Health services were mostly functioning without disruptions.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?cg=BreakingNews-Business&ao=122284">Strikers told to stay home next week</a>
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?cg=BreakingNews-Business&ao=122301">Jury out on strike impact in W Cape</a>
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?cg=BreakingNews-Business&ao=122277">Blow the vuvuzela: Strikers are ‘gatvol'</a>
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?cg=BreakingNews-Business&ao=122266">How strike will impact on economy</a>
No image available
/ 16 September 2004
It is illegal to caricature the Carling Black Label trademark for commercial gain, the Supreme Court of Appeal found on Thursday. Laugh It Off had been selling T-shirts emblazoned with the trademark but substituting the words ”Black Labour, White Guilt” for ”Black Label, Carling”. This was detrimental to the value of the trademark, the court held.
No image available
/ 16 September 2004
Briefing the media at Parliament on Thursday, the Democratic Alliance accused the African National Congress of using opportunistic enticements to lure municipal councillors during the 15-day floor crossing period, and vowed to look into the possibility of amending the relevant legislation.
No image available
/ 16 September 2004
Africans look to the Pan African Parliament (PAP) to help them escape from poverty and underdevelopment, South African President Thabo Mbeki on Thursday told the opening of the PAP’s second sitting at Gallagher Estate in Midrand. Earlier,
about 300 protesters arrived to press for democratic reform in Zimbabwe.
No image available
/ 16 September 2004
Hundreds of guests and delegates gathered for the opening of the Pan African Parliament’s (PAP) second sitting at the Gallagher Estate conference centre in Midrand on Thursday morning. Delegates from 46 countries that have ratified the PAP protocol are to take part in deliberations from this Friday until October 7.
No image available
/ 16 September 2004
SABMiller, the world’s second-largest brewer by volume, has declined to comment on Thursday on media reports that the group is in talks regarding a possible joint acquisition of Canada’s Molson. SABMiller spokesperson Nigel Fairbrass said the group couldn’t comment on Thursday’s report in the <i>Wall Street Journal Europe</i>,
No image available
/ 16 September 2004
Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel has spoken out against the trend of exorbitantly high salaries and greed among professionals, and has called instead for them to give something back to help to reduce the growing levels of inequality and poverty in the country.
No image available
/ 15 September 2004
Citizens of Chiawelo in Soweto protested on Wednesday against the installation of prepaid water meters, the Anti-Privatisation Forum said. However, Jameel Chand, spokesperson for Johannesburg Water, said the protest was not about the installation of prepaid meters, but about local labourers not being used to do the work.
No image available
/ 15 September 2004
Black economic empowerment company Akani Leisure Investments has taken over the Halcyon Hotels Group — which includes in its portfolio the prestigious Bay hotel and Blues restaurant in Camps Bay. The acquisition represents the first major empowerment transaction at the top end of the Western Cape hospitality industry.
No image available
/ 15 September 2004
Two more cycad species have become extinct in the past two years, data from the South African National Biodiversity Institute showed on Wednesday. This means at least three, and possibly more, of these fascinating plant species have been lost to South Africa, said John Donaldson, director of research at the institute.
No image available
/ 15 September 2004
Ten people were admitted to Pretoria’s Unitas hospital for observation on Wednesday after coming into contact with a substance feared to be anthrax at a government department’s city-centre offices. A departmental registry clerk apparently found a dusting of powder on a bursary application received through the mail.
No image available
/ 15 September 2004
The number of commercial farming units in South Africa decreased from about 58 000 to about 46 000 between 1993 and 2002, Statistics South Africa said on Wednesday. Paid employment in the sector dropped from 1 093 265 to 940 815 over the same period.
No image available
/ 15 September 2004
Public-sector unions threatened on Wednesday to increase their pay demand to 12% if the government withdraws its R28-billion package. "The minister wants to open Pandora’s box. Labour can also play this game," the Congress of South African Trade Unions said.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/pd.asp?cg=BreakingNews-Business&ao=122224">Unions expect 800 000 to march</a>
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/pd.asp?cg=BreakingNews-Business&ao=122182">Cosatu throws weight behind strike</a>
No image available
/ 15 September 2004
Debate about the role played by mercenaries in Africa has been revived in recent months, following the arrest and subsequent sentencing of 68 men accused of plotting to overthrow Teodoro Obiang Nguema: president of the tiny, oil-rich state of Equatorial Guinea. But prison terms — even death sentences — are unlikely to deter mercenaries from operating in Africa, say analysts.
No image available
/ 14 September 2004
Anglo American plans to invest about R26-billion in South Africa, demonstrating its confidence in the country, the company said on Tuesday following a weekend spat with President Thabo Mbeki. ”Anglo … has reinvested over R100-billion in this country since January 1999,” said Anglo spokesperson Michael Spicer in a statement.
No image available
/ 14 September 2004
A new draft Bill, which will govern the tobacco industry, will grant the minister of health the power to issue regulations on the performance standard that all cigarettes sold in South Africa will have to meet, a top official told MPs on Tuesday. A cigarette will be required to ”self-extinguish after a few minutes if it is not puffed upon”.
No image available
/ 14 September 2004
Another victim of the September 1 blast at Sasol’s Secunda plant has died, bringing the death toll to nine, a company spokesperson said on Tuesday. The man died in hospital earlier in the day after two weeks in intensive care, Johan van Rheede said. His name will be withheld until his family had been informed.
No image available
/ 14 September 2004
Strikes of public-service employees will go ahead on Thursday, unions have said. Meanwhile, the Congress of South African Trade Unions has proposed to extend the strike to include Monday and Tuesday next week, and police officers, traffic officials and correctional services officials will join Thursday’s strike.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/pd.asp?cg=BreakingNews-Business&ao=122151&t=1">Govt works to avoid massive strike</a>
No image available
/ 14 September 2004
Twenty-nine trees considered rare or facing over-exploitation have been added to a national list of protected species, the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry said on Tuesday. ”The new list of protected tree species heralds a milestone in the history of tree protection in this country,” the department said.
No image available
/ 14 September 2004
Three trade unions at Telkom maintained on Tuesday that there is no reason for job cuts at the telecommunications monopoly. A union negotiator told reporters in Johannesburg the unions signed an agreement with Telkom on Monday so they can have some control over the retrenchment process.
No image available
/ 14 September 2004
The government, led by Minister of Public Service and Administration Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, is set to carry on negotiations with public-sector unions on Tuesday evening, following a failure to reach agreement over Thursday’s threatened public-sector strike. The minister said the government is doing everything in its power to avert a strike.
No image available
/ 14 September 2004
The bail application of two men charged under laws against the proliferation of nuclear weapons was delayed in Vanderbijlpark on Tuesday to give lawyers time to study new documents. Randburg engineering company directors Gerhard Wisser and Daniel Geiges were arrested last Wednesday.
No image available
/ 14 September 2004
South African furniture, electronic goods and appliances retailer Lewis Group has opened the book building process for its initial public offering and listing on the JSE Securities Exchange South Africa, in which it plans to offer to the public 40-million ordinary shares of one cent each.
No image available
/ 8 September 2004
Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon’s remarks about Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel during the 2004 election campaign did not constitute hate speech, the South African Human Rights Commission said on Wednesday. ”Mr Leon did not suggest in anyway that certain people or segments of the population be subjected to hatred.”
No image available
/ 8 September 2004
South Africans appear to be a nation of givers — in an average month, a massive 93% of people part with time, money or goods to assist a cause or an individual. According to a national survey almost R930-million was mobilised during October and November 2003 for development and anti-poverty work.
No image available
/ 8 September 2004
Thousands of municipal workers will go on strike across Gauteng on Thursday, the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) said on Wednesday. Members of Samwu, the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union and the Anti-Privatisation Forum plan to stage marches.
No image available
/ 8 September 2004
South Africa’s state-owned arms manufacturing and marketing company, Denel, "is practically at the doorstep of bankruptcy", CEO Victor Moche told MPs on Wednesday. However, he said there is light at the end of the tunnel if the entity focuses on research and development and balancing its budget.
No image available
/ 8 September 2004
The Department of Health hit out on Wednesday at pharmacies charging medical schemes an across-the-board administration fee rather than billing them for services actually rendered. Some pharmacies charge a fee of 10% upwards of the cost of medicines prescribed, departmental spokesperson Sibani Mngadi said.
Healthcare Funders settle dispute