Business Day (South Africa) articles from February 2008

Business Day (South Africa) archives from February 2008

Fair deal impossible with Mugabe.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Julian Denny Fair deal impossible with Mugabe In your leader (Go on Morgan, do it, December 1) you recommend, to all intents and purposes, that Morgan Tsvangirai accedes to Robert Mugabe's ploy and accepts what is a rotten deal....

African sales are Xerox's bright spot.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Lesley Stones African sales are Xerox's bright spot Trade grows at home, dips overseas Information Technology Editor TOUGH times that have seen shares in the global printing company Xerox plunge more than 50% during the past year...

Summer Cup joy for Rattray's Lammerskraal.
February 12, 2008... Byline: David Mollett Summer Cup joy for Rattray's Lammerskraal Racing Editor LAMMERSKRAAL Stud were yesterday celebrating a notable big race achievement with two horses they bred, Rudra and Senor Versace, taking first and third places...

Bidvest feels adverse conditions but eyes cheap assets.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Artwell Dlamini Bidvest feels adverse conditions but eyes cheap assets ANALYSTS expect Bidvest to keep feeling the effects of the global economic downturn, but they say the group is ready to make acquisitions because it is a...

JD chairman likely to be the only one smiling.
February 12, 2008... JD chairman likely to be the only one smiling JD GROUP, the furniture retailer, released its latest annual report yesterday. It wasn't a good report for shareholders. While the financial results were dismal profit, margins, earnings, return...

It is time to cut rates.
February 12, 2008... It is time to cut rates ANYONE who thought SA might escape the worst fallout of the global recession can think again. Manufacturing looks set to be one of the most serious casualties, after news yesterday that the sector's main health gauge...

BEE's changing face.
February 12, 2008... BEE's changing face BEE has been a feature of the ANC government, but seldom has its direction and content been more confused. Some leading ANC members now speak openly about a sunset provision even while calling BEE non-negotiable. Some...

Stenson has the game to win on third attempt.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Colin Anthony Stenson has the game to win on third attempt FLYING into SA buoyed by a sensational victory at the golf World Cup in China at the weekend, the two Swedes Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson will have differing...

Clover seeks protection for ailing dairy industry.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Mathabo le Roux Clover seeks protection for ailing dairy industry Trade and Industry Editor MILK processor Clover has applied to the trade and industry minister for protection of the dairy sector from competition rules because...

Two key elements in the evaluation process.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Michel Pireu: Two key elements in the evaluation process IT IS possible to sail a boat to any destination, simply by adjusting the sails to the prevailing wind. No forecast is required except a very weak belief that the direction...

Factories hit historic low as recession bites.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Mariam Isa Factories hit historic low as recession bites Dismal PMI figures seen as likely to put pressure on Bank to cut interest rates Economics Editor SA's factories have put in their worst performance in nine years, hammered...

THE INSIDER.
February 12, 2008... THE INSIDER Telecoms in a disastrous league of its own with Ivy COMMUNICATIONS Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri came in for a well-deserved verbal mauling at a conference staged by MyBroadband, an online telecoms industry forum, last week. ...

How do I cope with office life when there's no work.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Lucy Kellaway WHAT's THE STORY? How do I cope with office life when there's no work As you hate emptiness, I suggest you write a plan to get through the days. Allocate time for looking busy, time for picking up the gossip and...

Politics and the poor.
February 12, 2008... Politics and the poor THE news that in close to half our rural towns more than 50% of households are indigent is both alarming and unsurprising. What it means is that vast numbers of mainly rural people have no visible form of support and are...

Compounding disgrace.
February 12, 2008... Compounding disgrace IT IS hard to know whether to laugh or to weep in response to talk from the trade and industry department of possible changes to SA's black empowerment scorecard. Just as the ruling party is finally emphasising that...

We have Confederations Cup, now let us fill the seats.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Mninawa Ntloko We have Confederations Cup, now let us fill the seats Sports Editor FACED with the daunting prospect of ensuring that all 800000 tickets that are available for next year's Confederations Cup are sold out by May,...

Cricket wary of violence, world slump.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Mark Smit Cricket wary of violence, world slump 'Cooling off' possible after Mumbai Chief Sports Correspondent THE South African Cricketers' Association (Saca) warned yesterday that cricket had perhaps not yet felt the worst of...

Arts&Leisure.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Tammy Ballantyne Arts& Leisure THEATRE ON AN initial viewing, you might be misled into thinking that DOES YOUR BUM WOBBLE?, showing at the Old Mutual Theatre on the Square, has the narrative line and dimensionality of a gossip...

SA must not dither through downturn.
February 12, 2008... Byline: HILARY JOFFE SA must not dither through downturn REALISM is good. Indecision is bad. And though there's welcome realism creeping into the rhetoric of senior African National Congress politicians, who clearly are starting to...

Real battle for change lies within the ANC itself.
February 12, 2008... Byline: KARIMA BROWN Real battle for change lies within the ANC itself AS THE year draws to a close, the political calendar is only getting busier, with the African National Congress (ANC) hitting the campaign trail and its splinter...

ANC poll promise 'will not bankrupt treasury'.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Amy Musgrave. ANC poll promise 'will not bankrupt treasury' THE African National Congress (ANC) has dismissed concerns that it will bankrupt the state in its efforts to increase delivery of services to the poor, writes ANC policy...

Broadcaster warns on new digital channels.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Jocelyn Newmarch Broadcaster warns on new digital channels Icasa's proposal would flood market at a time when it is not ready for the introduction of new players, claims free-to-air e.tv Media Correspondent FREE-to-air...

Mining racks brains to save jobs.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Charlotte Mathews Mining racks brains to save jobs Resources Editor THE government, business and labour agreed after a marathon discussion yesterday to convene a task team to look for ways to avoid almost 10000 pending job losses...

Government to 'sharpen crime laws'.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Chantelle Benjamin Government to 'sharpen crime laws' Mthethwa says more should be done to win back communities' confidence and inspire fear in criminals Chief Reporter DEPUTY President Baleka Mbete said yesterday that the...

Global engine of growth broken, says Manuel.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Linda Ensor Global engine of growth broken, says Manuel Political Correspondent CAPE TOWN The financial crisis was spilling over into the real economy at unprecedented speed with productive sectors deprived of working capital and...

Gospel according to Zuma could backfire.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Sibongakonke Shoba Gospel according to Zuma could backfire Despite analysts' concern, ANC increasingly uses Christian rhetoric which it says is a 'figure of speech' Staff Writer ACCORDING to African National Congress (ANC)...

ANC vows to budget for what it promises.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Amy Musgrave ANC vows to budget for what it promises Political Correspondent THE African National Congress (ANC) has dismissed concerns that in order for it to deliver to the poor it will bankrupt the state. ANC policy head...

Appeal court declares WiniKhaya competition an unlawful lottery.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Ernest Mabuza Appeal court declares WiniKhaya competition an unlawful lottery Children's charity trust heads for Constitutional Court to defend its TV fundraising show Legal Affairs Correspondent THE National Lotteries Board...

Community activist Motlana blazed trail for black business.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Jim Jones Community activist Motlana blazed trail for black business HAD Nthato Motlana stuck to politics and medicine, he would have been less of an enigma than he became in his later years. Was this superficially mild-mannered...

SA wins high international rating for its tax reforms.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Sanchia Temkin SA wins high international rating for its tax reforms Professional Services Editor SA HAS been rated as the fourth global reformer among 181 economies for paying taxes in an international study released by the...

Microsoft backs schemefor technology training.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Lesley Stones Microsoft backs schemefor technology training Information Technology Editor AN INITIATIVE to take technologies to people in underserved communities to improve their skills and raise their employment prospects has...

2010 stadiums R3,2bn over budget.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Wyndham Hartley 2010 stadiums R3,2bn over budget Government promises to contribute R1,4bn to overrun but host cities must cough up balance Parliamentary Editor CAPE TOWN Budget overruns across the 10 stadiums being built or...

Schools body rejects maths paper complaint.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Sue Blaine Schools body rejects maths paper complaint Education Correspondent THE Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa (Isasa) is not supporting an official complaint laid by one of its members, a top Johannesburg...

Quarter of senior manager jobs held by blacks.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Sanchia Temkin Quarter of senior manager jobs held by blacks Professional Services Editor THE penetration of black South Africans into senior management, middle management and supervisory positions has picked up this year but is...

OUT: SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande.
February 12, 2008... SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande. It's a little bit rich to make (unfounded) claims about political snouts in the Telkom trough only now that it is COPE, not ANC, snouts.

MADE IT: New Eastern Province Rugby Union president Cheeky Watson.
February 12, 2008... New Eastern Province Rugby Union president Cheeky Watson. Now he can share collective responsibility for the state of South African rugby, instead of merely pointing fingers.

OUT; Serial political turncoat and former Western Cape premier Peter Marais.
February 12, 2008... Serial political turncoat and former Western Cape premier Peter Marais has joined COPE and seems, strangely, to think he'll be a draw card for voters. The real question is: will he still be a member come next year's polls?

What gag on Turton brings to surface.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Mike Muller. What gag on Turton brings to surface FLOOD and drought, typhoid and cholera are essential tools for water engineers to get attention from their societies, writes So the declaration of a water crisis by the Council...

CIC Energy picks Shanghai Electric for Botswana power station.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Siseko Njobeni CIC Energy picks Shanghai Electric for Botswana power station Energy Affairs Editor CIC Energy has selected Shanghai Electric as the preferred engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the planned...

Xstrata-Merafe closes more furnaces due to weak prices.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Charlotte Mathews Xstrata-Merafe closes more furnaces due to weak prices Resources Editor THE Xstrata-Merafe Chrome Venture, the world's biggest producer of ferrochrome, is temporarily closing more furnaces to bring its total...

Schools, parents use new website.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Lesley Stones Schools, parents use new website Information Technology Editor TECHNOLOGY company Internet Solutions is putting its brains behind a new social website designed to let parents, teachers and pupils communicate online....

True colours.
February 12, 2008... Byline: James McWilliams True colours Former president Thabo Mbeki wrote to the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) informing it that it sides with western powers in looking for support from them rather than African neighbours. He says...

Unfair spotlight.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Tshifhiwa Mahosi Unfair spotlight One can only speculate as to why the deaths of fewer than 200 people in India dominated local and international newspaper headlines, but the deaths of more than 400 people in an African country,...

Just a blatant lie.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Morgan Phaahla Just a blatant lie The leadership of the African National Congress (ANC) must be applauded for acting wisely to protect the party's distinctive heritage and its values against opportunists who want to piggyback on...

Tsvangirai's loss.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Paul Whelan Tsvangirai's loss The only thing Morgan Tsvangirai could do to betray every man and woman who was tortured or murdered for joining him, to cover his name in infamy and to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, would...

Best intentions.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Penny Vinjevold Best intentions The article (Complaint over lookalike maths exam, November 29) refers. This year, grade 12 learners write the first National Senior Certificate examinations. This means that the 592000...

Learning success.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Henry Watermeyer Learning success Steuart Pennington's letter on adopting schools Adopting schools yields results (December 1), certainly highlights one solution to the educational problem but has the disadvantage of being...

Rising costs eat into Pioneer Foods' profit.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Edward West Rising costs eat into Pioneer Foods' profit Boost from lower wheat prices seen in coming months Senior Business Writer PIONEER Foods, one of SA's leading producers of staple foods, said yesterday it had continued to...

Paying tax in SA is getting easier World Bank.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Sanchia Temkin Paying tax in SA is getting easier World Bank Most recent international comparative ranking puts SA in 23rd place, up from 61st in last year's survey Professional Services Editor FOR Kah, the owner of a management...

The piggy-bank strategy.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Ben Temkin PRIVATE INVESTOR/ The piggy-bank strategy BY FRIDAY's close of the market, the Private Investor portfolio's paper loss was about R25000. This is less painful than the R30000 it had recorded earlier, but it still hurts....

Corporate AIDS battle 'must be extended'.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Stephen Gunnion Corporate AIDS battle 'must be extended' Report is aimed at providing investors with guidance on the risks the pandemic poses to South African companies Markets Editor THE mining and banking sectors have the most...

Vote of confidence in emerging markets.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Andrew Gillingham Vote of confidence in emerging markets The Actis AEM3 global private-equity fund is almost twice the size of the company's previous fund, writes ANDREW GILLINGHAM INTERNATIONAL investors have sent a clear signal...

Company's on-the-ground model is effective.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Andrew Gillingham Company's on-the-ground model is effective EMERGING market private equity player Actis has its roots in the Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC). It was formed when CDC split off its private equity and...

Private equity's two worlds.
February 12, 2008... Byline: Andrew Gillingham Private equity's two worlds PRIVATE equity deals in developed markets have all but ground to a halt because of the global credit crisis. Fungai Ruwende, partner at Actis, says private equity is a tale of...