Agri SA says that the
choices on labour unrest will be decisive for South Africa. It says in a statement that it is evident that the wage and related challenges are not exclusively, but mainly that of seasonal workers who have to earn their annual income over a period of a few months.
On the education front, something really needs to be done to jack up our education system after the latest results show that
maths and science skills remain poor, with grade nine pupils recording a dismal average score of 12.7% in mathematics and 35% in first additional language in the Department of Basic Education's second annual national assessments of pupils' mathematics and literacy abilities.
Such results will have a massive impact on school-leavers' ability to find employment.
On the tourism front, Chris Moerdyk asks:
Is SA being priced out of the tourist market? As comments on the article seem to have it, the answer could be a big "Yes!" and remember, once tourists have been ripped off - or feel they have been ripped off - they will never come back, and they will tell everyone they know.
Finally, Amelia Jones reckons that the
proposed BEE amendments are nonsensical, immoral and counter-productive and will hamper social development efforts in the Western Cape and elsewhere.
Rod Baker: Content Director
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High level discussions held today trying to resolve the labour unrest situation in the Western Cape confirmed that dissatisfaction involves much more than minimum wages only. Various social concerns also need to be addressed. Furthermore, it became evident that the wage and related challenges are not exclusively, but mainly that of seasonal workers who have to earn their annual income over a period of a few months. 
According to TimesLIVE, a representative of the UN Environmental Programme said at the UN climate change talks in Doha, Qatar, Wednesday morning, 28 November 2012, that the world has the know-how to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases linked to the rise in global temperatures. 
The SA fruit industry has introduced a programme named 'the Sustainability Initiative of South Africa', aims to improve working conditions on farms and avoid an international boycott of SA produce, BDLive reports. 
Despite falling fish catches since 2009, South Africa was one of three African countries that retained their positions as major marine producers, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) State of World Aquaculture and Fisheries 2012 report. 
Sugar companies Illovo and Tongaat Hulett rebounded from last season's drought-depressed performance by posting better profits for the six months to September, primarily driven by sugar production. 
Murders and attacks on farm owners across South Africa should be regarded as a national crisis, the Solidarity Research Institute (SRI) said on Tuesday (27 November). 
