Staff Reporter

The latest economic releases from the United States point to the growing twin threats of slowing economic growth and rising inflation. Some analysts are beginning to pencil in a US recession in the near future. The problem at home is similar: consumer inflation is above the South African Reserve Bank’s target range still, but the growth trends of leading economic indicators, like vehicle and retail sales, are declining.

Just three listed companies — Sasol, BHP Billiton, and Anglo American — were responsible for 83% of disclosed emissions from JSE Top 40 companies. But the state-owned Eskom, an unlisted company, was the biggest single polluter, according to a survey on carbon emissions.

Corporate South Africa is fast realising the benefit and importance of utilising sick-leave management as the basis for its integrated risk-management strategies. Sick-leave management is today being integrated with medical aid and insurance information to provide a holistic view of employee absenteeism.

I hope the people of Polokwane are getting ready for the ANC national conference with the same zest that the country is preparing for the 2010 World Cup. I don’t recall there ever being so much hype about anything up there, but it would be unkind to suggest that nothing ever happens in Limpopo. Stop smirking, writes comedian David Kau.

Human civilisation is based on the value of responsibility. Without it, the very enterprise of building a society is in danger. At Polokwane next month, the ANC will debate ideas for the future. One idea, in particular, has the potential to transform and uplift our country: a Bill of Responsibilities for our schools.

Low-cost airline Kulula will no longer carry <i>Maverick</i> magazine on its flights, cutting the business monthly’s total circulation by about 66 percent. Kulula marketing manager Nadine Damen said their research showed passengers preferred to read their in-flight magazine Comic Life.

Not every former coal miner and farmer dreams of taking on Citibank, but maybe they will after hearing the story of Jiang Jianqing. Jiang’s name first appeared in the local press as a result of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China’s (ICBC) purchase of a 20% stake in Standard Bank for R36,7-billion. This is not incidental; Jiang is ICBC’s president and chairman. But despite his power relatively little is known about him locally.

In September 2006 I sought to prevent the <i>Mail & Guardian</i> from publishing a story detailing allegations of possible fraud, violations of tender rules and contraventions of the Public Finance Management Act that took place while I was head of the South African Post Office, writes Maanda Manyatshe.