South Africa exceeded its tax-revenue target by more than R800-million in the 2007/08 financial year due to strong economic growth and efficient collections. The Treasury said the South African Revenue Service (Sars) revenue service collected ,807-billion in taxes.
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African National Congress president Jacob Zuma’s allies have rallied to his defence in the wake of University of South Africa rector Barney Pityana’s indictment of his character on Monday. The Young Communist League said it had noted the ”disrespectful and dastardly remarks made by the deplorable” rector.
South African average house prices fell for the first time in eight years, pushing the March year-on-year inflation to a negative 5,2%, new data showed on Tuesday. The negative growth recorded for the month follows three straight months of flat growth and pushed the average house price to R550 000 from R570 000 last month.
Black South Africans are still optimistic about the country and its future, according to research conducted by TNS Research Surveys, which was released on Tuesday. TNS — which has conducted surveys since 2004 — also said that people in metro areas had reached the lowest point in terms of their optimism in the recent survey.
You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time. Bleary-eyed readers of the <i>Mail & Guardian Online</i> on Tuesday April 1 could be forgiven for falling for Eskom’s bold new "sector-sharing plan" to save electricity. We round up some of the day’s best pranks.
Rugby body Sanzar will investigate an official Queensland Reds complaint that the Sharks fielded an extra man for more than two minutes in their Super 14 clash in Durban last weekend. But Sanzar’s Peter Rowles does not expect Queensland to receive a bonus point if a teleconference on Wednesday confirms the Sharks used a 16th man.
The JSE was looking lifeless at midday on Tuesday, as there was no real driver to push the market in either direction, traders said. By 11.59am, the JSE’s broader all-share index had shed 0,1%. The gold mining index dropped 3,14%, resources fell 1,48% and the platinum mining index declined 0,55%.
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The African National Congress (ANC) has come out in defence of its president, Jacob Zuma, after scathing criticism of him by University of South Africa rector Barney Pityana on Monday. ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe described Pityana’s statements as ”spurious” and a reflection of ”intellectual bankruptcy”.
The establishment of a media appeals tribunal as proposed by the ruling African National Congress (ANC) threatens the right to press freedom, the press ombudsman said in Durban on Monday. Ombudsman Joe Thloloe warned that ”once media freedom is threatened, it is an individual’s freedom of expression that is threatened”.
In the latest blow to South Africans already reeling from scheduled load-shedding, entire cities will now be plunged into darkness as Eskom institutes even more extreme power cuts. The shock development, which will be known as sector-sharing, will see the country divided into four vertical zones, each spanning many thousands of square kilometres.
Zimbabwe’s opposition claimed a clear lead over President Robert Mugabe and his party as pressure mounted on Monday evening for the swift announcement of full results from presidential and parliamentary polls. Earlier on Monday, the United Kingdom-based Institute for War and Peace Reporting said that Mugabe was to announce victory.
The person allegedly responsible for sending a letter suspected to be laced with poison to the office of National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) acting head Mokotedi Mpshe has been identified. NPA spokesperson Tlali Tlali said on Monday that the authority’s security and risk unit had made ”significant headway” relating to the letter.
Four boys died after they were rescued from initiation schools in the Eastern Cape, the provincial health department said on Monday. Spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said that in a joint ongoing operation, which started on Friday, 87 boys were rescued from illegal initiation schools.
South Africans will be able to watch the 2010 Soccer World Cup for free on South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) television or at public viewing events, Fifa announced on Monday. Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke said the SABC did not need a licence to broadcast the Fifa Confederations Cup in 2009 or the 2010 World Cup.
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African National Congress president Jacob Zuma has failed to inspire confidence during his first few months at the party’s helm, says University of South Africa rector Barney Pityana. ”We now enter a new era. It is a time shrouded in anxiety and uncertainty with the looming presidency of Jacob Zuma and a new assertive leadership of the ANC,” he said on Monday.
Siyabonga Nqakula was on Monday effectively given a sentence of a R10Â 000 fine or six months in prison on a charge of drunken driving. Nqakula’s father is Minister of Safety and Security Charles Nqakula and his mother Minister of Home Affairs Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.
The Department of Education is to investigate the extent of racism and other forms of discrimination in higher education, it said on Monday. A ministerial committee is expected to look into discrimination based on gender, ethnicity and disability, with a particular focus on university residences, said spokesperson Lunga Ngqengelele in a statement.
The African National Congress (ANC) Youth League on Monday called for the immediate closure of Johannesburg’s Noord Street taxi rank after a second woman was assaulted. Spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said the continued abuse and harassment of women by taxi operators at the rank undermined the dignity and freedom of women.
South Africa’s monthly trade deficit narrowed to R5,8-billion in February, compared with January’s R10,2-billion shortfall, the South African Revenue Service said on Monday. Compared with the previous month, exports rose by 19,28%, largely due to a sharp rise in vehicle exports, while imports increased by 6,44%.
Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille on Monday again asked African National Congress president Jacob Zuma for a meeting to discuss the Scorpions’ future. ”In a press interview published on the weekend, Jacob Zuma declared that he is willing to ‘debate anything’ — even the future of the Scorpions,” said Zille.
Gold Fields chief executive officer Ian Cockerill is to step down from his position, the company’s board said on Monday. Cockerill will be succeeded by Nick Holland who has been the chief financial officer of the company. Terence Goodlace, executive vice-president and head of South African operations, will be appointed to the new position of chief operating officer.
South Africa plans to boost livestock and crop production by up to 15% in the next two to five years and help tame soaring food inflation, an agriculture official said on Monday. Priscilla Sehoole, chief communication officer at the Department of Agriculture said the government was ”confident” it would achieve its expansion targets.
The Western Cape’s economy remains extremely healthy, although some factors are hampering accelerated growth. This is one of the key findings of the new Sake24 Western Cape Barometer (WCB) launched in Cape Town on Monday. The WCB is a unique statistical index that measures business activity in the province.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Monday called for a constitutional amendment to grant school principals the power to appoint teachers. Presenting proposals on education, party spokesperson George Boinamo said school principals could only be held accountable for the performance of their schools if they were given the power to hire and fire teachers.
Four bouncers accused of kidnapping and assaulting two men appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday, police said. Spokesperson Captain Bhekizizwe Mavundla said two of the suspects were released because they could not be directly linked to the case.
Hikes in the petrol price will impact negatively on motorists’ and commuters’ disposable income, the Automobile Association (AA) of South Africa warned on Monday. ”The impact of the highest fuel prices ever in the history of transport in South Africa will without doubt be felt on the supermarket shelves,” the AA said in a statement.
Neil McKenzie and Hashim Amla moved up the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test rankings on Monday after outstanding performances in the drawn match against India. McKenzie, who made 94 and 155 not out, made his first appearance in the top 40 in four years and is ranked 36th in the world, while Amla’s 159 and 81 saw him shoot up 10 places to 24th position.
Siyabonga Nqakula, son of the Minister of Safety and Security, was on Monday found guilty in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol. The charge stemmed from a late night head-on collision in the Cape Town CBD in March last year.
Telkom said it has rejected an approach from Oger Telecoms and will not consider the sale of the group or any of its units or joint ventures without a strategic rationale. Telkom said in a statement on Monday it had turned down the approach from United Arab Emirates-based Oger as it was not in the interest of shareholders.
After all the endless mediocre, soulless PSL games played in front of near-empty stadiums, Mamelodi Sundowns’ penalty shoot-out victory over rivals Kaizer Chiefs in the Nedbank Cup at King’s Park in Durban on Sunday evening provided high drama and exceptional entertainment.
Operation Juggernaut netted 39 road offenders with outstanding traffic fines and 27 illegal immigrants, Ekurhuleni metro police said on Sunday. Spokesperson Superintendent Vusi Mabanga said the arrests were carried out between 7am and 11am on Sunday.
Bamuza Sono, son of Jomo Sono and owner and coach of Jomo Cosmos FC, missed a penalty and Nathi Lions Luyanda Nxumalo scored the final spot kick to book a place in the quarterfinals of the Nedbank Cup for the national first division outfit. Lions won 5-3 in the shoot-out after the game ended goalless after 120 minutes.