29 Jan 2013

Legal

 



Beware the angry jobless...

We're all aware of the unemployment problem in this country, but other than thousands and thousands of words, the issue has not seen any great change, but now a warning has been sounded... Evan Pickworth, addressing an economic conference last week pointed out a stark warning on the potential threat we face in the form of rebellion by a jobless youth, desperate and frustrated.

We need to sit up and take notice - and then actually do what is needed to defuse what could be a very explosive situation.

On the mobile front, Mark Schefermann looks at the future of the mobile voice.

So why were they closed in the first place? After years of calls from various quarters to re-open the teacher training colleges, which the government closed soon after taking power, the Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande has now announced that teacher training colleges are to re-open. Many might say, about time, but too late... the education system is already a shambles.

Don't you wish you were a consultant to a government department? Well, perhaps you are...if so, you should be happy with your share of the R24.6bn spent on consultants in a three-year period - yes, that's R24,600,000,000. Now the Office of the Auditor General has called for stricter controls on the use of consultants by government. To put this into perspective: if you spent R10,000 a day, every day, to spend this amount of cash would take you 2,460,000 days - or six thousand, seven hundred and fifty eight years and three months. Happy spending!

Onto some good news...Kruger has reopened roads, camps and picnic spots.

Rod Baker: Content Director

Submit your company news to legalnews@bizcommunity.com. Exclusive contributions may be sent to contributors-legal@bizcommunity.com.

Top stories


Editorial news

Legal

[2013 trends] Media and advertising regulation in 2013
[Gail Schimmel] So here we are in 2013 - the Mayan trend predictions for 2012 having spectacularly failed to materialise, leaving some of us with hangovers and debt that we had secretly hoped would be wiped clean in a Mayan-flavoured apocalypse. Now is the time for us to look into our crystal balls, and see if we can get our predictions for media and advertising regulation a bit more spot-on than the poor Mayans did. Read more >>


Commercial Law

Mass protests promised by Cosatu
The Congress of SA Trade Unions in Gauteng said on Monday (28 January) it was planning renewed protests against e-tolling. The protests will start in February. Read more >>

Renewable energy and land claims conflict
The introduction of independent power producers in South Africa is essential for the government to be able to "keep the lights on" and avoid the rolling blackouts of a few years ago. Read more >>

Airlines object to Fastjet's bid for 1time
[Nicky Smith] Almost all of SA's large airlines are formally objecting to the threat posed by UK-based Fastjet's attempts to enter the local market by taking over the operations of 1time Airline‚ which is in provisional liquidation‚ Business Day reports. Read more >>

Gay couples need "proof" to benefit from pension fund
[Mpho Sibanyoni] The office of the Pension Funds Adjudicator has ruled that people in same-sex relationships need to be able to prove that they were in a relationship to benefit from their spouse's pension fund when they die. Read more >>

Competition Appeal Court prefers narrow interpretation of Competition Tribunal's powers
[Albert Aukema and Andries le Grange] The scope of the competition authorities' powers has been the subject of various decisions of the courts in recent times. Read more >>

Credit providers - the consequences of failing to register
[Jennifer Stolp] We are often asked by credit providers whether they are required to register as such with the National Credit Regulator. The answer is not as straightforward as one might imagine. Read more >>

Macca's: I'm kinda loving it!
[Gaelyn Scott] McDonald's recently announced that it would be rebranding a number of its Australian outlets as Macca's. Why? Well, because that's apparently how many Australians refer to the fast food chain - a survey shows that some 55% of Australians use the name Macca's instead of McDonald's. Read more >>


Criminal Law

Carstens disputes blood test results
The blood tests of local musician Arno Carstens are being disputed in his drunk driving trial in Cape Town, it was reported on Thursday (24 Janaury). Read more >>

Baloyi says "no-one was cajoled" at Seriti Commission
No member of the Seriti commission of inquiry received instructions or was cajoled into producing a particular outcome, commission spokesman William Baloyi said on Tuesday (22 January). Read more >>


Labour Law

Amplats may still save some jobs
Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) is discussing "with concerned parties" its planned retrenchment of nearly 14,000 mineworkers at its mines. Read more >>

Jobs suffer if farm workers wages go up
Raising the minimum wage of farm workers in the Western Cape will reduce employment‚ Solidarity said on Tuesday (22 January). Read more >>

Businesses should plan for extra public holidays in 2013
[Faan Coetzee] Employers are urged to consider the impact of public holidays on their staffing requirements in the coming year. During 2013, the only public holiday that falls on a Sunday is Youth Day, 16 June. Monday, 17 June becomes an additional public holiday in terms of the Public Holidays Act. Employees working on both days (Sunday, 16 and Monday, 17 June) are entitled to double payment for both the days worked. Read more >>

To broke or go broke
[Douglas Golan is MD of Black Pencil HR & IR.] Much is being spoken about the practice of labour broking. The left claiming it is exploitation of workers' rights and business seeing it as a necessary form of employment across all business sectors. Read more >>


International
WhatsApp breached privacy laws
OTTAWA, CANADA: WhatsApp's mobile messaging service used by hundreds of millions of people worldwide breached privacy laws in at least two countries, a joint Canadian-Dutch probe concluded on Monday (28 January). Read more >>

Anonymous briefly disables US government site
WASHINGTON, USA: Hacker group Anonymous said it disabled the US Sentencing Commission's website over the weekend in revenge for the death of Internet freedom activist Aaron Swartz. Read more >>

Cybercrimes rise but Internet speeds fall
WASHINGTON, USA: Global Internet connection speeds around the world slowed in late 2012, according to a survey released on Wednesday (22 January) that suggested a temporary stall in broadband gains. Read more >>

More International...


Government
Aircraft parts for Zimbabwe justified - SANDF
The SA National Defence Force (SANDF) has defended the disposal of military helicopter airframes and spares to Zimbabwe amid threats of legal action to stop the move. Read more >>

More Government news...


All industry news

Marketing & Media


Medical


Retail


Government


Mining


CSI


Finance & Insurance


Agriculture, Horticulture & Forestry


Arts & Entertainment


Building & Construction


Environment & Conservation


Human Resources & Recruitment


Manufacturing


Property & Real Estate


Security & Military


Education & Training


Tourism, Travel & Hospitality


IT & Telecommunications


Maritime & Fishing


Sport


Logistics


Science & Technology


Lifestyle


Automotive


Print - Print any item in this newsletter.
Email - Email any item in this newsletter.
Comment - Comment on any item in this newsletter.


Today's weather

Cpt

33°C
18°C
Jhb

26°C
17°C
PE

26°C
20°C
Dur

27°C
20°C
Bloem

29°C
18°C

Click here to customise weather


New people on biz

Joshua Barger
Owner at Foundation Tax Services
Melodi Harmon
PRIMP AND BLOW
Prasheen Singh
Attorney
Lauren Grout
Candidate Attorney at Edelstein Bosman Incorporated
Nathi Khumalo
Head of Business Development at Braw Transformation Outsourcing

Industry sectors



Follow us

       
Press releases: Distribute your news professionally to over 170 000 subscribers across various industries. Read more about our press offices.

Editorial: We welcome your news, views and comments! Email press releases, invitations, interview requests, and proposals to legalnews@bizcommunity.com and exclusive opinion pieces to contributors-legal@bizcommunity.com.

Advertising: We welcome your sales enquiries! Email sales@bizcommunity.com and read more about our advertising rates.

Location: Cape Town (head office): tel +27 (0)21 680 3500 | 24 On Main, Main Street, Rosebank, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa. Johannesburg: tel +27 (0)11 612 3003 | Sutton Square, The Business Centre, 8 Gemsbok Road, corner 12th Avenue, Rivonia, Gauteng.

Subscribe/unsubscribe: Invite your friends, colleagues, suppliers, customers and partners to subscribe!


© 2013 Bizcommunity.com. All rights reserved.
Bizcommunity.com, its sponsors, contributors and advertisers disclaim all liability for any loss, damage, injury or expense that might arise from the use of, or reliance upon, the services contained herein.

Unsubscribe, Manage subscriptions. Subscribe. Change email address. Change frequency to DAILY.