Business Day (South Africa) articles from June 2009, page 6

Business Day (South Africa) archives from June 2009

BEE still seen as aid to business, survey shows.
June 23, 2009... Byline: Sanchia Temkin BEE still seen as aid to business, survey shows SANCHIA TEMKIN Professional Services Editor BLACK economic empowerment (BEE) is still regarded as important for winning business across all regions of SA by 63% of...

Sasko boss denies knowing of cartel.
June 23, 2009... Byline: SISEKO NJOBENI Sasko boss denies knowing of cartel SASKO's GM for the baking division, Andries Goosen, yesterday pleaded ignorance to the group's alleged participation in violations of competition law through price- fixing and...

Steel group's profits slightly up in tough year.
June 23, 2009... Byline: Thabang Mokopanele Steel group's profits slightly up in tough year BSI says demand was 'very strong' in first half of year but dried up in the second half as financial markets collapsed THABANG MOKOPANELE ALTX-listed steel group...

Cullinan hard hit by slump in travelling.
June 22, 2009... Byline: Julius Baumann Cullinan hard hit by slump in travelling JULIUS BAUMANN Aviation and Tourism Editor LEISURE and travel group Cullinan Holdings has been hard hit by a volatile rand and a slump in the travel market in the six months...

HP identifies three candidates for job as SA manager.
June 22, 2009... Byline: Lesley Stones HP identifies three candidates for job as SA manager LESLEY STONES TECHNOLOGY company HP has drawn up a short list of three potential candidates as its new country manager in SA, featuring both internal and external...

Ravalomanana leaves Sadc summit empty-handed.
June 22, 2009... Byline: HOPEWELL RADEBE Ravalomanana leaves Sadc summit empty-handed Diplomatic Editor OUSTED Madagascar president Marc Ravalomanana left the extraordinary Southern African Development Community (Sadc) summit in Sandton in disappointment...

Confusing report.
June 22, 2009... Byline: Simon Roberts Confusing report It was with no small degree of concern that we read your report, Companies exploiting competition law (June 18), in which a competition lawyer was quoted saying: For example, in the investigations...

Imperfect criticism.
June 22, 2009... Byline: Martin Williams Imperfect criticism MJ Hennessy finds no less than 11 instances of conjunctions at the beginning of sentences (Goodbye to grammar, Letters, June 19). The correct form is no fewer than. Craighall Park

Own goals spoil the spectacle.
June 22, 2009... Byline: Nic Craig Own goals spoil the spectacle It was great to be at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium on Wednesday evening to watch Bafana Bafana wallop the Kiwis. It was a tremendous spectacle and the atmosphere was (eventually) electric....

Labour aristocracy.
June 22, 2009... Byline: Gavin Lewis Labour aristocracy Thami Mazwai is quite right to repeat the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development findings that an over-concentrated economy is a key obstacle to small business development (The...

A long way to go.
June 22, 2009... Byline: D Martin A long way to go Perhaps I am missing something, but I fail to see what is so astounding about the Transnet turnaround (Revamped state transport enterprises are on the mend, June 18). Transnet is a state-owned monopoly...

MAN, Volkswagen to merge local truck and bus business.
June 22, 2009... Byline: Artwell Dlamini MAN, Volkswagen to merge local truck and bus business ARTWELL DLAMINI Transport Correspondent VEHICLE producer MAN Truck & Bus Africa has announced that it will merge its local assembly plant and commercial...

Support for struggling PBMR plan.
June 22, 2009... Byline: Siseko Njobeni Support for struggling PBMR plan SISEKO NJOBENI US ENERGY group Westinghouse is still fully behind the pebble bed modular reactor (PBMR) project, a senior official said last week. The PBMR, a high temperature...

Sasol earnings could fall by half.
June 22, 2009... Byline: Siseko Njobeni Sasol earnings could fall by half Lower crude oil and chemical prices come on top of two hefty fines for cartels SISEKO NJOBENI Energy Affairs Editor PETROCHEMICALS group Sasol's earnings for the year to June 30...

New solvency rules loom for insurers.
June 22, 2009... Byline: Sanchia Temkin New solvency rules loom for insurers 'High likelihood' that SA will follow European lead on revised regime SANCHIA TEMKIN Professional Services Editor NEW regulations for the insurance sector will have a huge...

Tongaat to consolidate in Zimbabwe.
June 22, 2009... Byline: Thabang Mokopanele Tongaat to consolidate in Zimbabwe Effect on company's financial results expected to be sizable THABANG MOKOPANELE AGRICULTURAL processing and land management group Tongaat Hulett planned to consolidate its...

Transnet warns on funding red tape.
June 22, 2009... Byline: Artwell Dlamini Transnet warns on funding red tape ARTWELL DLAMINI Transport Correspondent TRANSNET has warned that regulations are not conducive to investment in huge infrastructure projects, posing a risk in fund-raising...

Leaders needed in tough times.
June 22, 2009... Leaders needed in tough times FROM THE FRONT If you are a business leader get on with leading. Philip Perkins, CEO of office automation company Itec SA, says there are two things to remember when the economy shrinks. The first is that, like...

Blue-collar blues as debts pile up.
June 22, 2009... Blue-collar blues as debts pile up FINANCIAL CRISIS Companies struggling to remain profitable during the economic downturn will understand only too well the difficulties posed by the credit crunch. But while the headlines, both global and...

PwC establishes business school.
June 22, 2009... PwC establishes business school TRAINING Suresh Kana, CEO-elect for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Southern Africa, has established the PwC Business School, which has the mandate to oversee the development, delivery and market positioning of...

Virtualisation realities.
June 22, 2009... Virtualisation realities BE SMART Virtualisation should not be approached in an all-or-nothing fashion, says Herman van Heerden, MD of technology company Starship Systems. Instead companies should think about what they want to use the...

UCT launches new course for change.
June 22, 2009... UCT launches new course for change SURVIVAL The UCT Graduate School of Business has teamed up with Christophe Gillet, a renowned organisational change expert and former head of business innovation for Sony Europe, to launch a new course to...

Rising from mediocrity to superiority.
June 22, 2009... Byline: ROBERT SHAW Rising from mediocrity to superiority Marketing and finance departments must work together to have the best chance of achieving strong results MARKETING budgets and departments are under severe pressure in the...

BEE addles luck with entitlement.
June 22, 2009... Byline: JONATHAN YUDELOWITZ BEE addles luck with entitlement With policies characterised by mediocrity, only meritocracy will ensure success BLACK Economic Empowerment (BEE) remains at the core of SA's socioeconomic difficulties, and is...

India, China like Africa with reason.
June 22, 2009... Byline: TIM COHEN MONDAY COMMENT India, China like Africa with reason HOW is the global economic crisis affecting Africa? This is a strangely difficult question to answer. The economic make-up of African countries is so different it's...

Activist shareholder Cevian is supportive of Old Mutual for now.
June 22, 2009... Byline: TIM COHEN Activist shareholder Cevian is supportive of Old Mutual for now EARLIER this month, Old Mutual got a bit of a boost from investment firm Cevian Capital, which revealed it had accumulated a 4,1% stake in the company. The...

Sanctioned leak good as a telegram.
June 22, 2009... Byline: TIM COHEN Sanctioned leak good as a telegram XSTRATA has come out of its shell slightly, acknowledging it is interested in a merger with Anglo. It leaked a story to the Sunday Telegraph, in which no one is quoted. Everybody knows...

Downturn offers opportunity to pay off one's debts quicker.
June 22, 2009... Byline: BRYAN HIRSCH Downturn offers opportunity to pay off one's debts quicker THOUGH the economy is in a poor condition and the word recession is being bandied about, there is great relief for some as, since the start of the downward...

The best team may have won, but coaches lost.
June 22, 2009... Byline: MARK KEOBANE The best team may have won, but coaches lost THE experienced Lions coaching trio got their initial starting XV selections wrong, but the most damning selections were the inexplicable second-half substitutions made by...

Why we need to target inflation.
June 22, 2009... Why we need to target inflation A certain air of unreality to the debate in SA INFLATION targeting is being debated everywhere these days, but not in quite the way it is in SA. Here, the accusation by critics is that the focus on...

WITHIN the next 18 months numerous companies face the unpleasant and costly task of overhauling their data centres, as the current technology is no longer keeping pace with business demands.
June 22, 2009... Byline: Lesley Stones Data centres due for overhaul Technologies not meeting business demands, writes Lesley Stones WITHIN the next 18 months numerous companies face the unpleasant and costly task of overhauling their data centres, as...

FROM THE DESK OF TREVOR WALKER.
June 22, 2009... TO: audit@auditorgeneral.gov.za FROM: T-win@smithmos.gov.za SUBJECT: Re: Tannenbaum DATE: Monday, June 15 Hi Terence, Thanks for your thoughtful e-mail. Look, I've got to admit I didn't really think too deeply before authorising the...

Around the corner with a tough-minded comedy star.
June 22, 2009... Byline: Doug Gordon Around the corner with a tough-minded comedy star Desmond Dube's latest television role has rocketed him to international fame, writes DESMOND Dube rose from the streets of Jo'burg to build a business career with a...

Crucial CD Collection.
June 22, 2009... Byline: RICHARD HASLOP Crucial CD Collection richardh@woodhead.co.za BROADLY speaking, TOM WAITS's career divides conveniently into two parts. There was the barroom balladeer whose songs were populated by lowlife individuals whose faults...

Vulnerable community feels the law from the top down.
June 22, 2009... Byline: Sandra Liebenberg Joe Slovo eviction Vulnerable community feels the law from the top down OVER a period of 10 months commencing on August 17, the largest judicially sanctioned eviction of a community in SA's post-apartheid period...

Little new thinking in African responses.
June 22, 2009... Byline: DIANA GAMES Little new thinking in African responses RWANDAN President Paul Kagame has an interesting take on Africa's position in the current financial crisis. He maintains that while Africans pride themselves on the fact that...

SA groaning under the weight of patronage and corruption.
June 22, 2009... Byline: ANTHONY BUTLET SA groaning under the weight of patronage and corruption Visionary leadership will be needed to bring the corrupt tendering system and milking of state assets under control SA's political elites increasingly...

SA will only score own-goal if it tries to fool World Cup visitors.
June 22, 2009... Byline: BRYAN ROSTRON SA will only score own-goal if it tries to fool World Cup visitors IN ONE year, the Soccer World Cup will kick off in SA. There has been much sniping in the lead up, as often from within the country as from without,...

Icasa to hold postmortem on ill-fated Vodacom 'mistake'.
June 22, 2009... Byline: LESLEY STONES Icasa to hold postmortem on ill-fated Vodacom 'mistake' Information Technology Editor THE Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) would hold a full postmortem after the regulator admitted in Parliament it...

Shortfall of R4,2bn the worst scenario, says SABC.
June 22, 2009... Byline: JOCELYN NEWMARCH Shortfall of R4,2bn the worst scenario, says SABC Media Correspondent THE SABC has strongly denied reports that it will face a R4,2bn funding shortfall by 2014, saying this was only one of several scenarios...

Far-reaching legal changes for franchises.
June 22, 2009... Byline: LUPHERT CHILWANE Far-reaching legal changes for franchises New act will bring franchises under Consumer Protection Act, significantly changing way businesses are run General Reporter OWNERS of franchise businesses who failed to...

Cape Town rail station gets R400m makeover for 2010.
June 22, 2009... Byline: ARTWELL DLAMINI Cape Town rail station gets R400m makeover for 2010 Transport Correspondent PASSENGER Rail Agency of SA (Prasa), a commuter rail parastatal, has invested R400m in revamping Cape Town's central station ahead of the...

Zille throws her weight behind child protection.
June 22, 2009... Byline: WYNDHAM HARTLEY Zille throws her weight behind child protection Parliamentary Editor WESTERN Cape Premier Helen Zille says she will set up a post in her office of commissioner for the protection of children, with the province...

State takes a 'progressive' line on jobs.
June 22, 2009... Byline: LINDA ENSOR State takes a 'progressive' line on jobs Way to decent work will not exclude low-paid, short-term posts Patel Political Correspondent THE government's policy of promoting decent work would be achieved progressively as...

Cosatu finds doctors' strike 'tricky'.
June 22, 2009... Byline: LUPHERT CHILWANE Cosatu finds doctors' strike 'tricky' General Reporter THE Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) would not throw its weight behind the public service strike expected to start today as wage negotiations...

New model for land reform at Riemvasmaak.
June 22, 2009... Byline: Stephan Hofstatter New model for land reform at Riemvasmaak A joint venture safeguards investors from risk of community-based farming, writes THE launch of a R200m citrus project at Riemvasmaak in the Northern Cape provides a case...

Concern over willing buyer, seller change.
June 22, 2009... Byline: STEPHAN HOFSTATTER Concern over willing buyer, seller change Investment plans 'threatened' by fears of expropriation of famrs Contributing Editor AGRICULTURAL unions warned that calls made last week by Rural Development and Land...

Personal narratives of apartheid could help heal wounds.
June 22, 2009... Byline: Sibongakonke Shoba Personal narratives of apartheid could help heal wounds International study focuses on continuing effects of SA's racist past, writes LIKE most white people, Gill Straker grew up in a family that employed black...

Malema's message on AIDS welcomed.
June 22, 2009... Byline: WILSON JOHWA Malema's message on AIDS welcomed Political Correspondent AIDS lobby groups have welcomed African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) president Julius Malema's call on the youth to avoid having multiple sexual...

Look out for valuable buys as market dips.
June 22, 2009... Byline: JEAN TEMKIN TECHNICAL PREVIEW Look out for valuable buys as market dips AFTER last week's dip, are we sure that the market has seen its worst? The answer is a simple no share markets give no guarantees. The hope engendered by...

THE THICK END OF THE WEDGE.
June 22, 2009... Byline: PETER BRUCE THE THICK END OF THE WEDGE THE EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK ONE OF the few remaining reasons to take the Sunday papers these days is to read up on the Saturday sports. I have never been able to quite work out why the Sunday...

Next Test will be tougher, warns Smit.
June 22, 2009... Byline: ZEENA ISAACS Next Test will be tougher, warns Smit Lions not likely to lie down, but will come back twice as hard Rugby Correspondent SPRINGBOK captain John Smit admitted at the weekend that although his team was one up on the...

Vuvuzela is too much for European ears.
June 20, 2009... Byline: Mninawa Ntloko Vuvuzela is too much for European ears PERHAPS it hasn't come to Europe's attention that they're no longer our colonial masters. Or perhaps it hasn't dawned on some of these arrogant supremacists that it's been a...

Cape Flats kids dancing their way to strength.
June 20, 2009... Byline: NATHALIE ROSA BUCHER Cape Flats kids dancing their way to strength HUNGRY for more, the young capoeirista clears her parents' lounge of furniture after class. Sometimes we break something during home prac, says Bronwyn Heynes,...

System designed to reject unwanted learners.
June 20, 2009... Byline: Bryan Rostron System designed to reject unwanted learners IT's the time of year when matric students begin applying for further education. This, with some tertiary institutions, appears to be designed like a military assault...

Zimbabwe court decision a lesson for us all.
June 20, 2009... Byline: Carmel Rickard Zimbabwe court decision a lesson for us all NO MORE closet stuff; it's out in the open now. The judge president has thrown his hat into the ring. He wants a seat on the Constitutional Court and he wants to be chief...

Maybe sport was a better bet than education.
June 20, 2009... Byline: Xolela Mangcu Maybe sport was a better bet than education I HAVE always been good at sport. Had my parents not foisted an academic education on me I might be living large as a sportsman. I confess to not having found the time to...

An 'interesting' take on Darfur.
June 20, 2009... Byline: Xolela Mangcu An 'interesting' take on Darfur MY good friend Mahmood Mamdani gave an interesting talk on Friday at the University of Johannesburg on his new book, Saviors and Survivors. I use the word interesting advisedly....

Soccer can help us create an identity .
June 20, 2009... Byline: Xolela Mangcu Soccer can help us create an identity AND politics? Oh, yes, I was a politician as well as a sportsman. It wasn't much fun, though. At least not as much fun as the sport. Anything that gets you arrested cannot be...

P.S.
June 20, 2009... Byline: Xolela Mangcu A CABINET minister once called me in a fit of temper. Didn't I know, he said, that punting his name for a possible appointment into Thabo Mbeki's Cabinet was a poisoned chalice? I advised the honourable minister...

Seeing the bigger picture in Sudan.
June 20, 2009... Byline: Xolela Mangcu Seeing the bigger picture in Sudan I HAD to leave Mahmood Mamdani's talk on Friday evening to come and write this column. See how diligent I am? Here are the issues I would have raised had I stayed. While Mamdani...

Some mistakes are hard to rectify.
June 20, 2009... Byline: Paul Theron Some mistakes are hard to rectify Another sign of the times In yet another sign of these trying times, BHP Billiton just closed its exploration office in Mongolia. Still, at least Mongolia produced some big...

Best ads fight it out for Cannes award glory.
June 20, 2009... Byline: Ian Franks Best ads fight it out for Cannes award glory IT's that time of the year when I get to see how many, if any, of the ads I've smiled at during the year have made it to the Cannes hopeful list. Without further ado I'd...

Hero-rated. Terence Nombembe.
June 20, 2009... HERO-RATED Terence Nombembe IN HIS state of the nation address, President Jacob Zuma vowed to fight corruption in the public service and pay particular attention to combating corruption and fraud in procurement and tender processes. Now he...

Unable to come to terms with shocking rape statistics.
June 20, 2009... Byline: Jacob Dlamini Unable to come to terms with shocking rape statistics I SHOULD know more HIV-positive South Africans than I believe I do; I should know more people living with AIDS in SA than I think is the case. But that is only...

Media desires new puppet in Iran.
June 20, 2009... Byline: Iqbal Jassat Media desires new puppet in Iran Has President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election by an overwhelming majority of Iran's voters jeopardised the Islamic Revolution? This seems to be the assessment of sectors of the...

Black people in SA have lost their identity.
June 20, 2009... Byline: Phillimon Mnisi Black people in SA have lost their identity Youth Day is celebrated on June 16 in commemoration and remembrance of the youth, people such as Onkgopotse Tiro and Tsietsi Mashinini, who participated in a tragic...

The public has reason to be angry with Sasol.
June 20, 2009... Byline: Sydney Modiba The public has reason to be angry with Sasol Sasol CEO Pat Davies should stop pleading ignorance of the causes of the negative publicity the company has been getting for its anti-competitive behaviour. Sasol has...

Experienced professionals in public service deserve higher pay.
June 20, 2009... Experienced professionals in public service deserve higher pay Doctors, nurses and teachers who have been in the trenches for 15 years are better than the newly-qualified AN ANAESTHETIST at a public hospital, who has 15 years of experience in...

Construction upgraded.
June 20, 2009... Byline: Bheki Mpofu Construction upgraded Bank of America urges clients to buy into SA's 'overweight' sector following stimulus package, writes BHEKI MPOFU BANK of America has upgraded SA's construction sector, urging its clients to buy...

Tracking online campaigns.
June 20, 2009... Byline: Jocelyn Newmarch Tracking online campaigns Various factors determine the results of digital advertising, writes JOCELYN NEWMARCH THE correct use of benchmarks in measuring the success of digital campaigns is of great importance...

Uniting the soccer fans of SA through advertising.
June 20, 2009... Uniting the soccer fans of SA through advertising WEEKENDER REPORTER NOW that the Confederations Cup is in full swing, some prominent advertising campaigns will be supporting the action. Absa has teamed up with The Jupiter Drawing Room to...

Pakistan prove just too good for Proteas.
June 20, 2009... Byline: Neil Manthorp Pakistan prove just too good for Proteas Smith is adamant SA did not choke and that Pakistan were the better team on the day, writes NEIL MANTHORP in Nottingham PERHAPS the most impressive aspect of SA's painful,...

Thought of the week.
June 20, 2009... THOUGHT OF THE WEEK The appointment of principals has nothing to do with you. Teachers must be worried about preparations for the examinations. Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane on teachers disrupting schooling in Soweto.

Young doctors prepare to go AWOL over poor salaries.
June 20, 2009... Byline: LUPHERT CHILWANE Young doctors prepare to go AWOL over poor salaries State doctors plan wildcat strike THE only person who can stop us from going on strike on Monday is Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, who should come out and...

SABC's bizarre budget.
June 20, 2009... Byline: JOCELYN NEWMARCH and LINDA ENSOR SABC's bizarre budget The public broadcaster is planning for losses until 2014, write THE South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has presented a bizarre budget to Parliament which shows it...

The city of gold's Statue of Liberty.
June 20, 2009... Byline: Alex Dodd The city of gold's Statue of Liberty The Fire Walker will be a truly Joburg sculpture, always changing and in constant fear of vandals, writes ALEX DODD THE internationally acclaimed artist William Kentridge is adding,...

Design changes affect matric class.
June 20, 2009... Byline: SARAH HUDLESTON Design changes affect matric class THE 360000 matriculants from the class of 2008 will have to wait longer than expected to receive certified proof of their success. Mafu Rakometsi, CEO of Umalusi the...

Minister acts on job losses.
June 20, 2009... Byline: EMSIE FERREIRA Minister acts on job losses LABOUR Minister Membathisi Mdladlana promised on Friday to increase unemployment benefits and to extend the period for which the jobless receive payments to one year. Mdladlana said...

State is upbeat on public projects.
June 20, 2009... Byline: BHEKI MPOFU State is upbeat on public projects But questions are being asked whether the government can raise money overseas, writes THE government remains upbeat about its R787bn infrastructure spending programme, despite...

Retail trade volumes sink.
June 20, 2009... Byline: Mariam Isa Retail trade volumes sink Research survey indicates more job losses in retail, wholesale and motor trade as sector shrinks for fourth quarter, writes MARIAM ISA SA's retailers suffered badly in the second quarter of...

Tales of antiquity from the relics of print.
June 20, 2009... Byline: Patrick Bulger Tales of antiquity from the relics of print BILL Keller is editor of The New York Times, a relic famed for its accuracy, objectivity and attention to detail. Like many of the genus Printosaurus Rex it's also deeply...

Helping them find their way home.
June 20, 2009... Byline: Sue Grant-Marshall Helping them find their way home The Homecoming Revolution has been a resounding success, but this is just the beginning, writes SUE GRANT-MARSHALL ANGEL JONES ANGEL Jones has lost her wings, but the flap she...

Sports, patriotism and panty shots.
June 20, 2009... Byline: Rehana Rossouw Sports, patriotism and panty shots THE link between sport and patriotism escapes me completely. I understand that soccer fans are excited about hosting the world's best players in the Confederations Cup and the...