Business Day (South Africa) articles from June 2009, page 4

Business Day (South Africa) archives from June 2009

No sinister agenda in transformation of judiciary, Radebe assures MPs.
June 25, 2009... Byline: WYNDHAM HARTLEY No sinister agenda in transformation of judiciary, Radebe assures MPs Parliamentary Editor IN THE face of intense opposition suspicion about the government's intentions over the transformation of the judiciary,...

Members want SABC board dissolved.
June 25, 2009... Byline: LINDA ENSOR Members want SABC board dissolved Appeal made to Parliament's communications committee to set up interim board Political Correspondent PARLIAMENT's communications committee is expected to decide tomorrow to dissolve...

Alliance unity is a charade, says race relations.
June 25, 2009... Byline: JULIUS BAUMANN Alliance unity is a charade, says race relations THE African National Congress (ANC) was in a strong position to dump its alliance partners, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the South African...

A lesson from Libint on the gearing risk.
June 25, 2009... Byline: BEN TEMKIN PRIVATE INVESTOR A lesson from Libint on the gearing risk I READ many annual reports of listed companies and much of the reading is wasted time. The often voluminous annual reports seldom provide more useful investment...

OUT: Former SABC chairwoman Kanyi Mkonza.
June 25, 2009... Former SABC chairwoman Kanyi Mkonza. It's pretty obvious now that her leadership abilities suck, to use her own word. We just can't understand why, knowing that, she'd take on a senior leadership position.

OUT: National Taxi Alliance secretary-general Alpheus Mlalazi.
June 25, 2009... National Taxi Alliance secretary-general Alpheus Mlalazi. The taxi industry may be the backbone of the economy, but it's silly to suggest that it owns the intellectual property rights to the routes that it covers.

IN: Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Sicelo Shiceka.
June 25, 2009... Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Sicelo Shiceka admits that his ministry, to which he is new, has failed for 15 years. We like his honesty. Let's not just hear it again in another 15 years.

Lions tour a rare experience you must not miss.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Zeena Isaacs Lions tour a rare experience you must not miss AS A rugby journalist I have had the privilege of experiencing many memorable occasions. These include the Springboks' Tri-Nations victory in 2004, the proudly South...

Lions are confident of doing better in scrums.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Zeena Isaacs Lions are confident of doing better in scrums ZEENA ISAACS Rugby Correspondent BRITISH and Irish Lions scrummaging coach Graham Rowntree was confident yesterday that his team's scrummaging woes would be history when...

AME sees challenges ahead as advertising revenue falls.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Jocelyn Newmarch AME sees challenges ahead as advertising revenue falls JOCELYN NEWMARCH Media Correspondent RADIO broadcasting group African Media Entertainment (AME) said conditions for the next 12 months would remain...

International auditing board's new standards soon available to SA auditors.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Sanchia Temkin International auditing board's new standards soon available to SA auditors SANCHIA TEMKIN Professional Services Editor SOUTH African auditors will soon have access to a new set of updated and clarified...

Pirates hold back Seacom cable.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Lesley Stones Pirates hold back Seacom cable LESLEY STONES Information Technology Editor PIRATES off the coast of Somalia have scuttled plans for the long-awaited Seacom cable to be switched on this month because a cable-laying...

Sentula rolls over debt to grow capital.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Charlotte Mathews Sentula rolls over debt to grow capital Banks agree to postponement of six months for loan repayments CHARLOTTE MATHEWS Resources Editor COAL mining and services company Sentula has rescheduled about R1,6bn of...

Dark Fibre on mission to fix bandwidth congestion.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Lesley Stones Dark Fibre on mission to fix bandwidth congestion LESLEY STONES Information Technology Editor TELECOMS infrastructure company Dark Fibre Africa officially launched its network on Tuesday after laying 800km of...

Gigajoule applies to supply natural gas to Cape west coast from 2014.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Siseko Njobeni Gigajoule applies to supply natural gas to Cape west coast from 2014 SISEKO NJOBENI Energy Affairs Editor ENERGY company Gigajoule Africa planned to supply natural gas to the Cape west coast from 2014, MD Johan de...

Hilton keen to expand brand in SA.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Julius Baumann Hilton keen to expand brand in SA JULIUS BAUMANN Aviation and Tourism Editor HILTON Hotels is eager to expand its presence in SA and is in discussions with several hotel groups and developers about potential hotel...

LonZim dismisses call to fire directors.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Sure Kamhunga LonZim dismisses call to fire directors SURE KAMHUNGA Companies Editor SA-BASED financial institution AMB Capital has formally called for an extraordinary general meeting where shareholders will be asked to oust...

Use a good dictionary.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Raymond Silson Use a good dictionary Further to MJ Hennessy's letter (Goodbye to grammar, Letters, June 19) on the grammatical sin of starting sentences with but in your editorials, a sin because but is a conjunction, I would...

Democracy has failed.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Andy Clay Democracy has failed The world is in a mess as a result of the failure of the current system of democracy and the election of government officials by the people. When will we all admit that it is really stupid to...

I refer to Gavin Heath.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Doug Blackmur Ideas are not bound by geography I refer to Gavin Heath's criticism of Prof Gill Straker (Hypocritical opinions, Letters, June 24). Heath embraces a strange geographic determinism whereby ideas and opinions about...

Parastatals, beware.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Kalim Rajab Parastatals, beware Eusebius McKaiser's article (Airy ideological debates miss clear failures on the ground, June 23) raises several pertinent issues but rather misses the point of where Public Enterprises Minister...

Truth must be told.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Ivor Davis Truth must be told Hundreds of thousands of Iranian protesters many are university students are daily on the streets of Tehran, braving tear gas, water cannon and live ammunition, trying to bring a democratic process...

Possible turnaround.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Michael Bagraim Possible turnaround As an attorney specialising in labour legislation, I have been involved in the retrenchment of staff over the past 25 years. About eight months ago, I noticed an incredible increase in the...

This mess is the ANC's.
June 25, 2009... Byline: RV Stone This mess is the ANC's It is sad that after 15 years, Neva Makgetla still finds it necessary to fall back on the perennial excuse of apartheid's legacy, as unjust as it was, for the African National Congress's failure to...

Mickey, just ask Ernie.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Harry Hyams Mickey, just ask Ernie Proteas coach Mickey Arthur says he is fed up with suggestions that the team are chokers. But if he would study the past history of semifinals and study the batting performance of each...

Linguistic cleansing.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Dan Roodt Linguistic cleansing The government's appeal to the Constitutional Court to force Hoerskool Ermelo, the last remaining Afrikaans high school in Mpumalanga, to change its classes to English is tantamount to ethnic...

Guilty at provincial level only baker.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Kgomotso Mathe Guilty at provincial level only baker KGOMOTSO MATHE Staff Writer DESPITE all the evidence brought before the Competition Tribunal highlighting Sasko's involvement in bread price-fixing in 2006, Pioneer Foods is...

Advisers, investors differ on economic outlook.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Edward West Advisers, investors differ on economic outlook EDWARD WEST Finance Editor THE recent pull back in equity markets and renewed uncertainty regarding the pace of economic recovery has started to hurt local investor...

Transnet keeps close eye on pay talks.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Artwell Dlamini Transnet keeps close eye on pay talks Retrenchments are a last resort for acting CEO Chris Wells, writes CHRIS Wells is keeping a close eye on the current round of Transnet wage talks. Any percentage increase in...

Fight against torture set back by 9/11, says UN.
June 25, 2009... Byline: HOPEWELL RADEBE Fight against torture set back by 9/11, says UN Diplomatic Editor THE United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights yesterday condemned the continued use of torture in countries across the world,...

Transnet volumes hit by recession.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Artwell Dlamini Transnet volumes hit by recession Cash generated from operations increases 2,6% to R13,5bn ARTWELL DLAMINI Transport Correspondent TRANSNET, the transport parastatal, announced yesterday that the economic...

Nuclear power coming back on the boil in SA.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Siseko Njobeni Nuclear power coming back on the boil in SA Industry insiders take heart from budget speech by new Energy Minister Dipuo Peters , writes AS ONE energy analyst has observed, Dipuo Peters's maiden budget vote speech...

Deals of the week.
June 25, 2009... BUYING Deals of the week MOTOR NEWS REPORTER THE market is starting to show some signs of a slight recovery but there is still plenty of time if you want to negotiate on the great deals that are out there. Remember that terms and conditions...

Better choice, used market boost revenue.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Mark Smyth INTERVIEW Better choice, used market boost revenue talks to Justin Divaris of Dayton Group about the issues facing the luxury car market JUSTIN Divaris is in a rather enviable position within the local motor industry....

Chaos ensues as Formula 1 talks stall.
June 25, 2009... Byline: John Floyd FORMULA 1 Chaos ensues as Formula 1 talks stall tries to make some sense of the debacle that is threatening the future of the sport TO SAY that F1 is in a state of chaos is putting it mildly; never before has its...

No gold star for new E-Class.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Mark Smyth LAUNCH NEWS No gold star for new E-Class We travelled to Durban to see if the newest Mercedes-Benz E-Class can score an A APPARENTLY the Mercedes-Benz E-Class has been around for more than 60 years, which is quite some...

Land Rover takes a bullet for passenger safety.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Lerato Matebese LAUNCH NEWS Land Rover takes a bullet for passenger safety put the new Land Rover armoured vehicle range through its paces at a recent launch MERCEDES-Benz SA was first to fire its salvo of armoured vehicles into...

Half-ton market shows way forward.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Roger Houghton INDUSTRY COMMENT Half-ton market shows way forward looks at some of the success stories of the local LCV market THE outstanding success of the Opel Corsa Utility in the SA light commercial vehicle market underlines...

In what might seem to be a strange comparison, Mark Smyth looks at the Mercedes-Benz S500L and the diminutive Smart Fortwo MHD.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Mark Smyth ROAD TEST Finding the quick commute In what might seem to be a strange comparison, looks at the Mercedes-Benz S500L and the diminutive Smart Fortwo MHD IN THE retail market, there is a place for the large Woolworths...

Motor Spares.
June 25, 2009... MOTOR SPARES Nissan bids to join electric car market GREEN MACHINESNissan is planning to enter the electric car market, according to CEO Carlos Ghosn. Addressing the annual shareholders meeting in Yokohama, Japan, Ghosn said that the company...

New tail for Scooby.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Lerato Matebese LAUNCH NEWS New tail for Scooby Subaru may have got it wrong with the Impreza hatchback, so has launched a sedan version to appease fans, writes IT IS certainly a relief for aficionados when a manufacturer takes...

Nothing soft about this soft top.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Dandre Steenkamp USED CAR TEST Nothing soft about this soft top DANDRE STEENKAMP OUR used test vehicle this week might look familiar, but our BMW 135i convertible has seen a huge depreciation since we featured the car new. The...

A wolf in Volkswagen clothing.
June 25, 2009... FUTURE MODELS A wolf in Volkswagen clothing Volkswagen is going to call its new bakkie, due out next year, the Amarok MOTOR NEWS REPORTER FOLLOWING the attendance by Motor News of the exclusive unveiling of the new Volkswagen bakkie at last...

Racing to keep winter at bay.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Lerato Matebese TECHNOLOGY Racing to keep winter at bay spent some time indoors with Microsoft's Xbox 360 wireless steering THE world of gaming has come a long way from the days of eight-bit consoles. In recent times a raft of...

As tough as it gets.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Mark Smyth LOCAL MOTORSPORT As tough as it gets spent a weekend following the extraordinary events on the Toyota 1000 Desert race in Botswana THIS past weekend I was invited to head up to Botswana to follow the Toyota 1000 Desert...

Believe it, policies are what you make of them.
June 25, 2009... THE BOTTOM LINE COLUMN Believe it, policies are what you make of them IT's about time that the state got its act together to harness the billions of rands it spends yearly on procurement to give impetus to state strategies, advancing...

Questions over R1bn state offer to doctors.
June 25, 2009... Byline: LUPHERT CHILWANE Questions over R1bn state offer to doctors General Reporter HEALTH Minister Aaron Motsoaledi offered state doctors a R1bn pay increase yesterday, but the South African Registrars Association (Sara) said the offer...

Another rate cut looms as inflation dips again.
June 25, 2009... Byline: MARIAM ISA Another rate cut looms as inflation dips again OECD sees deeper recession for SA, predicting 2% fall this year Economics Editor INFLATION slowed less than expected last month, but this is unlikely to stop the Reserve...

No retrenchments, promises Xstrata.
June 25, 2009... Byline: CHARLOTTE MATHEWS No retrenchments, promises Xstrata Resources Editor XSTRATA's proposed merger with Anglo American would not result in any retrenchments in SA, which would benefit from the transaction, the group said yesterday....

Zuma defends structural overhaul of state.
June 25, 2009... Byline: WYNDHAM HARTLEY Zuma defends structural overhaul of state Parliamentary Editor CAPE TOWN President Jacob Zuma yesterday defended structural changes in government, including name changes and new departments, saying they were...

Taxis have no rights to routes, say law experts.
June 25, 2009... Byline: SANCHIA TEMKIN Taxis have no rights to routes, say law experts Lawyers sceptical about alliance's claim to ownership of state's planned bus rapid transport system Professional Services Editor THE taxi industry had no claim to...

High inflation bodes ill for targeting policy.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Mariam Isa High inflation bodes ill for targeting policy Bank is expected to cut interest rates today, perhaps for last time this cycle, writes STUBBORNLY high inflation is giving more weight to critics' calls to adjust SA's...

Icasa will not get involved in disputes over copyright.
June 25, 2009... Byline: JOCELYN NEWMARCH Icasa will not get involved in disputes over copyright Media Correspondent THE Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) will not intervene in copyright laws in favour of the independent TV production...

Tax experts object to provisional payments proposals.
June 25, 2009... Byline: LINDA ENSOR Tax experts object to provisional payments proposals Political Correspondent TAX experts joined forces yesterday to object to the uncertainty introduced into the provisional tax system by proposals to give the...

ANC faces uphill task in North West unity attempt.
June 25, 2009... Byline: WILSON JOHWA ANC faces uphill task in North West unity attempt Political Correspondent THE African National Congress leadership in the North West says it is working to unify the fractious province, and aims to push membership to...

New board for Eastern Cape agency.
June 25, 2009... Byline: THABANG MOKOPANELE New board for Eastern Cape agency Busa founding CEO Bheki Sibiya to head development corporation after mass sackings in March Property Correspondent THE beleaguered Eastern Cape Development Corporation has...

SOUTH African CITIZENS who experience poor service delivery from the government and those who witness corrupt activities in the public service will soon be able to alert the president directly if all other avenues have been exhausted.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Sibongakonke Shoba Presidency hotline 'just more of the same' Critics ask why new complaints channel would work if old ones failed, writes CITIZENS who experience poor service delivery from the government and those who witness...

Training scheme to cash in on animation boom.
June 25, 2009... Byline: SUE BLAINE Training scheme to cash in on animation boom Education Correspondent SA's award-winning animation industry had missed out on $70m- $100m worth of work in the past 18 months as the country had too few trained animators,...

Human rights body wants stronger interaction with Parliament.
June 25, 2009... Byline: WILSON JOHWA Human rights body wants stronger interaction with Parliament THE South African Human Rights Commission is preparing for stronger interaction with Parliament which is establishing a unit to support the work of...

Lodges welcome five-star train to Hoedspruit.
June 25, 2009... Byline: JULIUS BAUMANN Lodges welcome five-star train to Hoedspruit Aviation and Tourism Editor SA's TOP game lodges have welcomed the launch next month of a Premier Classe train service between Johannesburg and Hoedspruit, providing an...

Telkom will have to diversify or go into decline.
June 24, 2009... Byline: Colin Anthony THE BOTTOM LINE COLUMN Telkom will have to diversify or go into decline TELKOM's annual results contain some fascinating figures. Chief among them are those documenting the decline of its voice telephony business,...

The Insider.
June 24, 2009... There are things in life you don't want to have to prove A COLLEAGUE of the Insider's had to submit recently to the torturous (or tortuous) process known as applying for a tourist visa to the UK. Because of various exemptions and travel...

Miners' dance.
June 24, 2009... Miners' dance What would an Xstrata-Anglo merger mean? IT DIDN'T take long for Anglo American to rebuff Xstrata's proposed merger of equals. The 91-year-old Anglo made it quite clear it didn't see seven-year-old Xstrata as an equal at all:...

Home affairs' visa challenge.
June 24, 2009... Home affairs' visa challenge Still much work to do to make SA passports safe WHILE British Airways' decision to lobby the UK Home Office to reverse the visa regime imposed on all South African travellers is most welcome, it is unlikely that...

Effective networks can lead to useful innovation.
June 24, 2009... Byline: Stefan Stern Effective networks can lead to useful innovation WHY aren't businesses and organisations more innovative? Are they filled with dull people? Are they lacking crucial core competencies? Or are their people just not...

Human resource management in treacherous times.
June 24, 2009... Byline: Margie Sutherland Human resource management in treacherous times HR departments can play a pivotal role in helping organisations survive the challenges of recession, writes A KEY challenge for human resource (HR) practitioners...

Barker urges Bafana to be more offensive.
June 24, 2009... Byline: Mninawa Ntloko Barker urges Bafana to be more offensive MNINAWA NTLOKO Sports Editor FORMER Bafana Bafana coach Clive Barker warned yesterday that much criticised incumbent Joel Natalino Santana would have to come out of his...

Fans enjoy game through black and white lenses.
June 24, 2009... Byline: Mninawa Ntloko Fans enjoy game through black and white lenses WHILE I was standing outside Free State Stadium with Sunday Times colleague Bareng-Batho Kortjaas before the start of the Confederations Cup tie between Bafana and...

Wine.
June 24, 2009... Byline: MICHAEL FRIDJHON Wine THERE is no more obvious sign of Britain's spiralling decline from serious power status than the way it is handling the mandatory visas it is imposing on South Africans. Once the Brit authorities decided...

Time we pulled government out of the bureaucratic age.
June 24, 2009... Byline: Sean Phillips Managing the state Time we pulled government out of the bureaucratic age PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma has talked about the need to improve the performance of the government and service delivery on several occasions since...

Check list for a new Iranian revolution.
June 24, 2009... Byline: Gideon Rachman Check list for a new Iranian revolution THIRTY years after the Iranian revolution, could we be witnessing an Iranian counter-revolution? In the short term, events in Iran are depressing. In the long term, there is...

Apartheid's rural legacy and potential seeds of development.
June 24, 2009... Byline: Neva Makgetla Apartheid's rural legacy and potential seeds of development Data paint a stark picture of the difficulties facing citizens living in rural areas, especially those in former bantustans RURAL development is moving up...

Hogan pushes hard for Eskom tariff hike.
June 24, 2009... Byline: LINDA ENSOR Hogan pushes hard for Eskom tariff hike CAPE TOWN Public Enterprises Minister Barbara Hogan came out strongly yesterday in favour of the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) granting Eskom a 34% tariff increase,...

SA loses 179000 jobs in one quarter as slump hits hard.
June 24, 2009... Byline: MARIAM ISA SA loses 179000 jobs in one quarter as slump hits hard Economics Editor THE formal economy shed 179000 jobs in the first quarter as fallout from SA's first recession in 17 years took its toll, official figures showed...

Gordhan warns state to cut costs as revenue falls short.
June 24, 2009... Byline: LINDA ENSOR Gordhan warns state to cut costs as revenue falls short Budget forecasts 'likely to be reduced' in medium-term expenditure programme Political Correspondent CAPE TOWN With tax revenue already running R10bn below...

Ministers plan to shake up energy, minerals institutions.
June 24, 2009... Byline: SISEKO NJOBENIand CHARLOTTE MATHEWS Ministers plan to shake up energy, minerals institutions THE newly separated Departments of Energy and Mineral Resources tabled plans in Parliament yesterday to shake up some of their...

Procurement to focus on broad-based BEE and local products.
June 24, 2009... Byline: MATHABO LE ROUX Procurement to focus on broad-based BEE and local products Trade and Industry Editor THE government is set to change rules governing the procurement of goods and services by the state to give more emphasis to...

SARS to reduce tax estimate shortfall penalties.
June 24, 2009... Byline: SANCHIA TEMKIN SARS to reduce tax estimate shortfall penalties Professional Services Editor THE South African Revenue Service (SARS) is proposing to reduce the penalties payable by provisional taxpayers whose actual income is...

Gauteng MEC tweaks budget for department rejig.
June 24, 2009... Byline: SIBONGAKONKE SHOBA Gauteng MEC tweaks budget for department rejig Staff Writer GAUTENG finance MEC Mandla Nkomfe yesterday made minor changes to the budget he presented earlier this year to accommodate the provincial departments...

ANC handling of local government 'a failure'.
June 24, 2009... Byline: WYNDHAM HARTLEY ANC handling of local government 'a failure' CAPE TOWN Despite some successes, the ANC government's management of provincial and local government in the past 15 years had been a failure, Co-operative Governance...

SABC board not keen for MPs' inquiry.
June 24, 2009... Byline: LINDA ENSOR SABC board not keen for MPs' inquiry Communication breakdown and intense personal animosity cited for finance woes Political Correspondent MOST SABC board members were reluctant to participate in yesterday's inquiry...

Big rise in number of deaths at hands of police, says watchdog.
June 24, 2009... Byline: WYNDHAM HARTLEY Big rise in number of deaths at hands of police, says watchdog Parliamentary Editor CAPE TOWN Deaths at the hands of the police or in custody have shown a significant increase for the second year in a row, the...

New law to ensure SABC is not left to 'mercy of markets'.
June 24, 2009... Byline: LINDA ENSOR New law to ensure SABC is not left to 'mercy of markets' THE Broadcasting Act would be amended to introduce an appropriate funding model for the SABC to ensure that the public broadcaster is not left to the vagaries...

Language policy 'discriminates'.
June 24, 2009... Byline: ERNEST MABUZA Language policy 'discriminates' Department says governing body wants to preserve Ermelo school for Afrikaners Legal Affairs Correspondent THE governing body's preservation of the Afrikaans language policy at...