Why should we Africans tolerate standards that are less than the best? To accept anything less than the best is to play into the damning stereotypes employed by Afro-pessimists everywhere. So why should Nigerians and those interested in the sustainability of democracy in Africa’s giant accept less than the best X on the ballot paper?
Gugulethu Moyo speaks to human rights lawyer George Bizos, who defended Nelson Mandela, Govan Mbeki and Walter Sisulu at the Rivonia treason trial of 1963/64. His family came to South Africa from Greece as refugees from Nazi occupation, and he was involved in the formation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission after apartheid.
President Robert Mugabe stepped out of the Zanu-PF politburo meeting on March 30 with a triumphant look, defiantly waving his clenched fist in the air. He had secured his position as the ruling party’s 2008 presidential candidate. But his triumph was a facade, hiding the reality of a party on the verge of implosion.
"We live in an undeclared state of emergency where our basic freedoms and liberties of assembly, speech, movement and association are heavily curtailed. Political rallies, marches and demonstrations are banned. Political activists are abducted, tortured and killed with impunity," writes Arthur Mutambara, president of the Movement for Democratic Change.
Recent events in Zimbabwe have shown how politics has become militarised and how the military has become politicised. At policy level, the Joint Operational Command, comprising the police, intelligence and military, has found that the internal security situation was unstable and imposed a three-month ban on all political activity.
Tobacco sales delayed over a pricing stalemate between farmers and buyers in Zimbabwe were nearly called off again as a dispute with the government over foreign exchange rates flared on Tuesday. Sales were initially set to start at 7.30am local time at the main auction house in Harare, but the first bale was only sold at 3pm.
Listed telecoms giant Telkom on Tuesday said it has launched Do Broadband — a new broadband bundle that "will revolutionise broadband in South Africa". "The bundle, which combines DSL access and the internet service provider account, also offers consumers huge savings and a host of other value-added services …," Steven Hayward, managing executive of retail marketing, said.
Investors who are seeking a secure investment with a high yield but who feel unsure about the future direction of interest rates would be well advised to consider participation bonds. Once the preserve of retired people only, the modern version of the investment appeals to individuals of all ages, trusts, charities, schools and many others.
Shortages of highly skilled professionals within South Africa’s financial services sector mean that more corporates are using joining bonuses — or "happy hellos", as they are also known — as a way of coaxing the best employees into the fold.
Joining bonuses are becoming a commonly used tool with bigger corporates.
The official opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) says that President Thabo Mbeki is quite right to criticise ruling party African National Congress (ANC) councillors for not doing their jobs — but it argues that words must be turned into action. On Tuesday, DA local government spokesperson Willem Doman said: "A year after the local elections it is clear that many councillors are not effective."
While business activity levels in Gauteng slowed down in March, overall performance remains at a high level and businesses in virtually every sector should experience healthy activity, according to the latest Gauteng Business Barometer.
A man stormed into a London restaurant and hacked off his own penis in front of horrifed diners, an Italian restaurant said on Tuesday. The man charged into a branch of a pizza and pasta chain Zizzi in a tourist area of central London on Sunday.
Retailer Pick ‘n Pay Stores on Tuesday reported an 11% increase in diluted headline earnings per share to 160,79 cents for the year ended February from 144,92 cents a year ago — an 11% increase. Headline earnings per share before the reversal of a deferred tax asset of R46,4-million in relation to previous years’ Score operating losses was up 18% at 180,55 cents.
The United States Defence Secretary, Robert Gates, received a cool reception in Moscow on Monday when he attempted to reassure the Russian Federation over the US’s controversial missile defence plans in eastern Europe. Gates met the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, and Russia’s Defence Minister, Anatoly Serdyukov.
After nine years with the South African Broadcasting Corporation, seasoned radio journalist John Perlman resigned when he found himself at odds with the board of the national broadcaster. In this exclusive interview, <i>The Media</i> asks him whether being a champion of media integrity is a mantle he wears with ease.
Former SAfm host John Perlman’s resignation came as several other fine journalists and producers were leaving the SABC. With them goes a young and vibrant tradition that will no doubt be replaced by Snuki Zikalala’s model, writes Ferial Haffajee.
Freelance journalist Chris Barron recently won a court victory for press freedom following his "unlikeable" profile on Ronald Suresh Roberts in the <i>Sunday Times</i>. The Media puts a few questions to the man respected for his hard-hitting interviews.
The Media last month introduced a new regular feature for media planners. Every month, a different media agency will be asked to draw up an advertising plan based on a fictitious brief provided by The Media team. In this issue, Ebony & Ivory’s Neil van Schalkwyk tells us how to get your product at the top of mom’s shopping list.
A skills shortage in South Africa has been identified as one of the critical constraints to economic growth and employment creation. In its effort to address the problem, the government established the sector education and training authorities in 2000 with the aim to assist in fighting poverty, boosting job creation and fulfilling equity employment targets.
Business Unity South Africa has voiced grave concerns about the delays in passing the Immigration Bill, warning that this could derail government’s multimillion-rand infrastructure programmes. Changes to the Immigration Amendment Bill, aimed at easing obstacles in the importation of scarce skills to deal with the increasing demand on the country’s infrastructure development, were approved by the National Assembly in November last year.
Commitment to principles like freedom of expression will always be tested by
your tolerance for views that run counter to your own, writes Ferial Haffajee.
The department of labour is considering new amendments to the Skills Development Act, which could see the department taking over the running of sector education and training authorities (Setas). The current model allows for labour and business to run Setas. The training authorities have been under criticism since they were established in 2000.
A skills shortage in South Africa has been identified as one of the critical constraints to economic growth and employment creation. In its effort to address the problem, the government established the sector education and training authorities in 2000 with the aim to assist in fighting poverty, boosting job creation and fulfilling equity employment targets.
Clashes between Ethiopian troops and Islamist insurgents on Monday killed at least 37 people and raised the death toll to 256 from six days of fighting, a rights group said. Mutilated bodies lay rotting in the streets under the blistering sun, said witnesses.
A pump failure at a water-treatment plant discharged tens of millions of litres of raw sewage into the estuary waters of the Scottish capital, Edinburgh, before it was repaired on Monday, officials said. The major leak over the weekend sparked health concerns among city residents who were warned to stay away from the Firth of Forth shoreline.
First National Bank (FNB) is strengthening its competitive position on the African continent with the launch of its cellphone-banking offering in Namibia on Monday set to herald a new era in the country’s electronic banking system. Namibia is the second country outside South Africa to launch FNB’s innovative and cost-effective cellphone banking channel.
The plan to spring Timothy Rouse from jail must have seemed like a long shot. The 19-year-old had been assessed by the United States authorities as highly dangerous. It was therefore the optimist among Rouse’s associates who had the simple idea of faxing the authorities from a grocery store with instructions that "demanded" he be released.
Paul Nkuna takes honey with his coffee. It’s a quirky detail I cannot help noticing, perhaps because of its almost-ordinariness. Usually, honey goes with tea, right?But then Paul Nkuna is almost- ordinary himself. Almost. Starting out as a teacher, he ended up as treasurer of the National Union of Mineworkers, before switching tack to the NUM’s investment company, the Mineworkers’ Investment Company.
Virgin Atlantic chairperson Richard Branson has been airbrushed out of the James Bond film <i>Casino Royale</i> in edits of the movie screened on rival airline British Airways (BA), a newspaper reported on Saturday. The <i>Daily Telegraph</i> said the entrepreneur, and all references to his airline, had been airbrushed out by BA.
Nigeria’s chaotic presidential and parliamentary elections began on Saturday with a failed attempt to blow up the country’s election headquarters using a petrol tanker as a bomb, and then descended into farce with the stuffing of ballot boxes on behalf of the ruling party. There was also a severe shortage of voting papers in some opposition strongholds.
I refer to the letter by David Rubenstein ("Genocide the right word", April 5), executive director of the Save Darfur Coalition, on how to name and end the horrific and deplorable violence against civilians in Darfur. In my piece ("Darfur: the politics of naming", March 16), I contrasted two naming strategies, one by the coalition, the other by the United Nations Commission on Darfur.
Embattled World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz pledged on Friday to abide by recommendations of the lender’s executive board investigating a pay scandal, but left his future course of action unclear. In a brief statement issued after a late-night announcement by directors, the embattled World Bank chief said he "welcomes the decision of the board …".