21 May 2013

Government

Cloaks without daggers?

Minister of State Security Siyabonga Cwele says that a solid case is being built against South Africans suspected of having links with terrorist groups such as Al-Shabaab; arrests can be expected soon. In passing, however, he also mentioned that the government wants to recruit more spies. That begs the question for some: what for? It also makes some people wonder... given the fact that we have an air force that cannot fly many of its aircraft, and an army that ... well ... hasn't fared too well recently, and a navy that has its subs up on blocks, will our budding 007s be properly trained and equipped to do the job? Or will it be a case of cloaks without daggers.

Durban says, "Yes, we iCANN!" and the city's exclusive internet namespace .durban is on its way after passing its first ICANN hurdle.

One wedding and a whitewash? Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Jeff Radebe has said that the probe into the Waterkloof incident is to continue. However, a number of commentators believe that the so-called "probe" is little more than a whitewash to protect Jacob Zuma and an assortment of cabinet ministers, with officials taking the heat in their stead.

There's nothing like trying to get the message across... the WWF and TRAFFIC are targeting rhino horn consumers, particularly in Vietnam, as part of their global campaign against illegal wildlife trade. The bodies have developed a series of advertisements to discourage Vietnamese citizens from buying or consuming rhino horn.

Well, good luck and we hope it works, but in the meantime, efforts to stop the poaching must be stepped up, the kingpins be arrested and sentenced to rot in jail, and perhaps local communities around our game reserves be involved in some sort of system that rewards them for reporting suspect activities and people in their areas.

Rod Baker, Content Director

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Weekly top stories

Probe into Waterkloof incident to continue
The probe into the landing of a commercial airliner at Waterkloof Air Force Base has revealed a number of transgressions made by officials, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Jeff Radebe, said yesterday, adding that investigations would continue. Read more >>


Editorial news

Government
Ekurhuleni mayor apologises for illegal metro strike
PRETORIA: Ekurhuleni mayor Mondli Gungubele has apologised to the public for the inconvenience caused by the illegal strike by metro police officers in the city. Read more >>


Administration
Innovative 2013 Indaba in numbers
[Bhekisisa Mncube] A total of 850 direct jobs (including 600 students from the Durban University of Technology) and 5,000 indirect jobs were created due to Indaba over 11 days. Read more >>

Visas for British tourists will hurt SA
Requiring British tourists to obtain visas to visit South Africa could negatively affect the country's economy, Beeld reported on Tuesday. Read more >>

Obama to visit SA
United States President Barack Obama will visit South Africa as part of his Africa tour next month. The visit, which will also take him to Senegal and Tanzania, is scheduled from 26 June to 3 July. Read more >>

SAX says it might make money this year
[Nicky Smith] State-owned regional carrier South African Express (SAX), which has made headlines over the past two years because of its chaotic finances, expects to break even this year after losing R187m in 2010 - the last audited accounts the troubled airline has been able to publish. Read more >>

Netcare moans about competition probe
[Tamar Kahn] Private hospital group Netcare's chief executive Richard Friedland says he is disappointed that the Competition Commission's planned enquiry into the private healthcare sector will exclude the pharmaceutical sector. Read more >>

Get off the roads, use trains
South Africa needs to increase its use of rail freight to boost economic growth and preserve the country's roads, deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe said in Phalaborwa, Limpopo, on Monday (20 May). Read more >>

Probe into Waterkloof incident to continue
The probe into the landing of a commercial airliner at Waterkloof Air Force Base has revealed a number of transgressions made by officials, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Jeff Radebe, said yesterday, adding that investigations would continue. Read more >>

Government leases not too risky
Investors may still be wary of exposure to government-tenanted buildings after a number of public works leasing scandals struck the department last year. Read more >>

Sanral's notice "not legal" court hears
[Emsie Ferreira] Sanral's public notice on the winelands tolling project was unlawful because the national roads agency never took a proper board decision committing to the project, the Western Cape High Court heard last week. Read more >>

Poor won't be hurt by tolls says Sanral
A proposed toll system in the winelands in the Western Cape will not impact on the poor people of South Africa, the SA National Road Agency Limited (Sanral) said on Sunday (19 May). Read more >>

Lesotho Highlands scheme gets the nod
[Linda Ensor] The R12bn phase two of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP), which will secure a continued supply of water for SA and hydroelectric power for Lesotho, was approved in principle by the two countries this week. Read more >>

SA's epilepsy-related deaths double
Epilepsy South Africa says the number of epilepsy-related deaths has doubled since 2004 and accuses the Department of Health of not taking the condition seriously. Read more >>

Rats, rats as big as bloomin' cats
City of Johannesburg spokesman Nthatisi Modingoane said the environmental directorate conducts rodent control blitzes regularly. Read more >>

Mohamed appointed as NCC Commissioner
Ebrahim Mohamed has been appointed as the Commissioner of the National Consumer Commission (NCC), Cabinet said on Thursday. Read more >>

ICASA review in the pipeline
[Amukelani Chauke] Cabinet has approved a proposal to review some of the Independent Communications Authority of SA's functions to make it more transparent and accountable. Read more >>

Cape Town wants toll road report
The City of Cape Town wants access to the complete feasibility report for the South African Road Agency Limited's (Sanral) proposed winelands tolling project, the Western Cape High Court heard on Thursday (16 May). Read more >>

Coface report highlights strain on SA's growth
The Coface Group, a worldwide leader in credit insurance, has released its latest report on South African growth prospects, taking into account the mining and export slumps. Overall, economic activity remains generally sluggish while upside risks to inflation have increased due to a weaker rand. Coface believes that this will persuade the Monetary Policy Committee to keep policy neutral over an extended period, with interest rates remaining unchanged for most of 2013. A reversal in policy easing is likely only late in the year or even in 2014. Read more >>

Probe into medical costs welcomed
[Tamar Kahn] The chief executive of private hospital group Life Healthcare, Michael Flemming on Tuesday (14 May) gave a cautious welcome to the Competition Commission's looming investigation into private healthcare prices‚ saying his company would co-operate with the authorities. Read more >>

NHI is a reality says Motsoaledi
South Africans should stop wasting time opposing National Health Insurance (NHI)‚ Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said on Wednesday (15 May). Read more >>

Magashula findings likely next week
A probe into allegations of misconduct and impropriety against South African Revenue Service (SARS) commissioner Oupa Magashula is in its final stages. Read more >>

No cold frosties for Motsoaledi
A beer maker's plans to boost the sale of its product in Africa has left a sour taste in Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi's mouth. Read more >>

SOEs exploring set-asides for small firms, black industrialists
Minister of Public Enterprises Malusi Gigaba is considering putting in place set-asides from the growing procurement spend of state-owned enterprises for small businesses and black industrialists to help transform the economy. Read more >>

Inflow of migrants pushes population to 53 million - Stats SA
South Africa's population is estimated to have grown to just under 53 million by the middle of this year, with an inflow of migrants behind much of the 1.2 million population increase since the 2011 Census, Statistician General Pali Lehohla said earlier this week. Read more >>

Gupta wedding probe concluded
[Amukelani Chauke] The investigation into the landing of a plane carrying Gupta wedding guests at the Waterkloof Air Force Base has been concluded. Read more >>

Wild Coast toll fees to be scrapped
The SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) has scrapped plans to construct a toll road on the N2 Wild Coast Highway, it said on Tuesday (14 May). Read more >>

Guptagag
[Rod Baker] NEWSWATCH: The Gupta family isn't going to talk to the media until the report on its guests landing at Waterkloof is finalised, reports Mail & Guardian, and BD Live reports the DA is urging Zuma not to sign the secrecy bill. The ConCourt has reserved judgment on media's access to the Krejcir hearing, reports Mail & Guardian, and IOL reports that a Sun reporter has been charged in the UK hacking probe. Read more >>

Pondo people allow extension of N2 highway
PRETORIA: The South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) has welcomed the decision by the Pondo people and their traditional leaders to allow for the extension of the N2 coastal highway between East London and Durban. Read more >>

Assurance complaints reach record level
The Office of the Ombudsman for Long-term Insurance received 9‚592 complaints against assurance companies in 2012‚ the highest ever and 4% more than in 2011‚ according to its latest annual report. Read more >>


Law Enforcement
SA to maintain relations with UAE
The South African government says it respects the independence and judiciary of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), despite the challenges that emerged during Professor Cyril Karabus' ordeal. Read more >>

New tax act may attract litigation
It may take a long time to bed down what the new Tax Administration Act means because there are a host of sections which could be subject to litigation, according to high court judge and government tax review head Dennis Davis. Read more >>

Sasol plastic prices "too high" says Lebi
[Amanda Visser] An exponential increase in imports of household plastic products over the past few years and the high domestic prices of polypropylene have been hampering the competitiveness of one of SA's larger manufacturers, Usabco‚ which owns the Addis brand. Read more >>

SA terror suspects expected to be arrested soon
[Dennis Cruywagen] A solid case is being built against South Africans suspected of having links with terrorist groups such as Al-Shabaab terrorist groups, Minister of State Security Siyabonga Cwele said yesterday. Read more >>

Fines, payments choke Stefanutti Stocks
[Alistair Anderson] Construction company Stefanutti Stocks said on Tuesday (14 May) that late payments by debtors and a provision for a hefty fine for anti-competitive behaviour were to blame for the company reporting a record R162m loss for the year to February. Read more >>


International
Obama's itinerary for his Africa trip
WASHINGTON USA: President Barack Obama will leave on a first African tour next month, visiting Senegal, Tanzania and South Africa, but his itinerary released on Monday (20 May) bypasses Kenya, an ancestral homeland. Read more >>

More International...


Government
Off to school for public servants
The 1.6 million people who will belong to the soon-to-be-created single public service will all need to be retrained, Public Service Minister Lindiwe Sisulu said in Sandton on Monday (20 May). Read more >>

Zuma appoints 10 new judges
President Jacob Zuma has appointed 10 judges to courts around the country, the presidency said on Thursday (16 May). Read more >>

Hydrogen fuel cells to be made in SA
Government is aiming to drive up demand for platinum by developing hydrogen fuel cell technology, Science and Technology Minister Derek Hanekom said on Thursday (16 May). Read more >>

Public Enterprises wins Treasury battle
[Nicky Smith] A six-month battle between the Treasury and the Department of Public Enterprises over the empowerment and local content weighting in Transnet's R35bn acquisition of new locomotives has ended with the Treasury agreeing to let the tender go unchanged. Read more >>

More Government news...


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2013 Biz Trends Report

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