Business Day (South Africa) articles from June 2010

Business Day (South Africa) archives from June 2010

Naspers shows media houses the way ahead.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Nick Wilson THE BOTTOM LINE COLUMN Naspers shows media houses the way ahead FOR media companies battling with dwindling advertising and circulation figures, the answer is diversification. Many are looking at expanding online revenue...

The Insider.
June 30, 2010... The big and the small of a thinking foundation THINGS being relative and with everything about the Oppenheimer diamond dynasty being big, the audience at the Fortune-Time-CNN Global Forum was in doubt about what to think when De Beers executive...

Fixing banks will need more finesse.
June 30, 2010... Fixing banks will need more finesse AS HE headed off to the G-20 summit in Toronto last week, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan suggested that some of the new regulations that were being proposed in forums such as the G-20 and the Basel committee...

In defence of media freedom.
June 30, 2010... In defence of media freedom THE silence that has greeted the persecution of veteran Zambian journalist Fred M'membe for daring to speak out on behalf the poor borders on the criminal. The Zambian government earlier this month dragged out a...

The ingredients of artistic success.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Katy Chance The ingredients of artistic success Restaurateur and marketing man Gianni Mariano understands why branding plus art equals good business, says KATY CHANCE GIANNI Mariano, CEO of Mastrantonio Holdings, is very clear about...

SA fans should be as unforgiving as those in England.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Mninawa Ntloko SA fans should be as unforgiving as those in England PITY we're not as demanding as the English. They couldn't give a flying toss that Fabio Capello took an overrated England squad to the last-16 stage of the World Cup...

Japan heartbroken as Paraguay triumph.
June 30, 2010... Byline: MNINAWA NTLOKO Japan heartbroken as Paraguay triumph Sports Editor PRETORIA South America's dominance of the World Cup continued when Paraguay knocked Japan out of the global showpiece after a nerve-racking penalty shootout at Loftus...

Crab shells could be used to treat wounds.
June 30, 2010... Byline: TAMAR KAHN Crab shells could be used to treat wounds Science and Health Editor CAPE TOWN The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is investigating the prospects of turning a derivative of crab shells into nanofibre...

NUM spurns Eskom offer, warns of strike.
June 30, 2010... Byline: LUPHERT CHILWANE NUM spurns Eskom offer, warns of strike General Reporter THE National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said yesterday that its members would go on a strike next week over Eskom's failure to meet workers' demand for a 9%...

Transnet fires suspended Freight Rail CEO Gama.
June 30, 2010... Byline: JULIUS BAUMANN Transnet fires suspended Freight Rail CEO Gama Transport and Tourism Editor TRANSNET yesterday announced the immediate dismissal of Siyabonga Gama, the suspended CEO of Transnet Freight Rail. This enables the...

With Business Day today Investors Monthly.
June 30, 2010... With Business Day today Investors Monthly DEAL makers are back in town. Whether it's a big bank or retail chain, or any of a number of potential delistings at the smaller end of the market, investors could score a take-out bonanza. Business...

Industry backs state move on compulsory vehicle insurance.
June 30, 2010... Byline: LINDA ENSOR Industry backs state move on compulsory vehicle insurance Political Correspondent CAPE TOWN The short-term insurance industry has welcomed a government initiative to explore the introduction of a compulsory motor vehicle...

Training park to boost skills in car sector.
June 30, 2010... Byline: BETH SHIRLEY Training park to boost skills in car sector Industry Correspondent BLUE IQ, the Gauteng provincial government's infrastructure investment arm, injected R100m into training and skills development for the vehicle...

Builders let down by government battling to keep head above water.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Beth Shirley Builders let down by government battling to keep head above water Cancellations and delays hit small operations harder, writes SMALLER construction companies and contractors have been hardest hit by the government's...

Rio 'could step up Africa investment'.
June 30, 2010... Byline: SIMON MUNDY Rio 'could step up Africa investment' Contributing Writer AUSTRALIA's proposed mining tax could prompt Rio Tinto to invest more elsewhere, including Africa, CEO Tom Albanese told Business Day yesterday. The controversy...

Visa data show surge in World Cup spending.
June 30, 2010... Byline: JULIUS BAUMANN Visa data show surge in World Cup spending Transport and Tourism Editor THE latest data from card group Visa shows there is a significant surge in spending from foreigners in SA for the Soccer World Cup. Data from the...

Elective congress in danger due to 'nasty' infighting.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Sibongakonke Shoba Elective congress in danger due to 'nasty' infighting THE Inkatha Freedom Party's (IFP) elective congress scheduled to take place next month hangs in the balance after party president Mangosuthu Buthelezi warned...

'Plot' against Malema adversary alleged.
June 30, 2010... Byline: FRANNY RABKIN 'Plot' against Malema adversary alleged Law and Constitution Writer AN AFRICAN National Congress (ANC) Youth League national executive committee (NEC) member says in papers to be filed in court that the league's...

Buthelezi sounds that familiar warning.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Sibongakonke Shoba Buthelezi sounds that familiar warning Is the IFP leader's alarm genuine or intimidating, asks IF YOU warn a person when you cross the street that there is a snake, that there is a mamba there, that does not mean...

New attempt by Basson to stop medical council inquiry collapses.
June 30, 2010... Byline: FRANNY RABKIN New attempt by Basson to stop medical council inquiry collapses Law and Constitution Writer A FURTHER attempt by Wouter Basson to stop a disciplinary inquiry by the Health Professions Council of SA failed yesterday, when...

Groups on high alert for post-Cup xenophobia.
June 30, 2010... Byline: LUPHERT CHILWANE Groups on high alert for post-Cup xenophobia General Reporter THE South African Human Rights Commission is gearing up to detect threats of xenophobic violence with the launch yesterday of a project that would assist...

SA a focal point in Australia's African drive.
June 30, 2010... Byline: LOYISO LANGENI SA a focal point in Australia's African drive Trade and Diplomatic Correspondent SA IS to be highlighted as a leading investment destination in sub-Saharan Africa when Australia hosts a three-day Africa Down Under...

Half of arms exports dodgy, says Ceasefire.
June 30, 2010... Byline: WILSON JOHWA Half of arms exports dodgy, says Ceasefire Political Correspondent HALF of SA's arms exports in the past decade went to 58 countries that failed to meet at least one of the criteria required by the National Conventional...

Cable thieves stay a step ahead of pursuers.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Julius Baumann Cable thieves stay a step ahead of pursuers After some success with anti-cable theft campaigns, cases are up again, writes Julius Baumann CABLE theft is proving to be a problem that will not go away. It remains one of...

Law Society welcomes judgment on Road Accident Fund Act.
June 30, 2010... Byline: ERNEST MABUZA Law Society welcomes judgment on Road Accident Fund Act Legal Affairs Correspondent THE Law Society of SA yesterday welcomed the judgment by the Western Cape High Court declaring section 18 of the Road Accident Fund...

Cable theft a 'major' contributor to rail accidents.
June 30, 2010... Byline: JULIUS BAUMANN Cable theft a 'major' contributor to rail accidents CABLE theft plays a major role in rail safety in SA and has contributed to several accidents in recent years, the Rail Safety Regulator said yesterday. Lawrence...

Municipalities 'would do well to adopt King 3'.
June 30, 2010... Byline: SANCHIA TEMKIN Municipalities 'would do well to adopt King 3' Professional Services Editor MUNICIPALITIES should adopt the principles contained in the King 3 code on corporate governance, to curb the increasing difficulties they faced...

Rifts in customs union in centenary year.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Loyiso Langeni Rifts in customs union in centenary year Heads of state meet in Pretoria next month to resolve impasse, writes THE Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) is facing one of its biggest tests, as the world's oldest common...

Wits academics set for historic strike over pay.
June 30, 2010... Byline: SUE BLAINE Wits academics set for historic strike over pay Education Editor ACADEMICS at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) have obtained a certificate of dispute, allowing them to strike, the heads of two Wits labour unions...

The Third Umpire. Out: President Jacob Zuma. Despite Pravin Gordhan's call not to splurge on World Cup tickets, government entities have spent a whopping R50m on them. The captain needs to take responsibility.
June 30, 2010... President Jacob Zuma. Despite Pravin Gordhan's call not to splurge on World Cup tickets, government entities have spent a whopping R50m on them. The captain needs to take responsibility.

The Third Umpire. In: Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica. Reducing phosphates in washing powders would be a small but important step towards protecting the nation's scarce water resources.
June 30, 2010... Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica. Reducing phosphates in washing powders would be a small but important step towards protecting the nation's scarce water resources.

The Third Umpire. In: The longest-serving senator in US history, Robert Byrd, died on Monday aged 92. His journey from segregationist to civil rights champion was a testament to his capacity for reflection and change.
June 30, 2010... The longest-serving senator in US history, Robert Byrd, died on Monday aged 92. His journey from segregationist to civil rights champion was a testament to his capacity for reflection and change.

Western Province to rely on pack.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Zeena Isaacs Western Province to rely on pack ZEENA ISAACS Rugby Correspondent WESTERN Province will rely mainly on their pack to lay a solid platform for them in the Currie Cup after losing virtually their entire backline to the...

Cloud over Afdawn darkens.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Edward West Cloud over Afdawn darkens EDWARD WEST GRANT Thornton, auditor of African Dawn (Afdawn), said that it and the previous auditor of the ailing microfinancier had reported certain unlawful actions or omissions by Afdawn's...

Security spend falls in recession Amecor.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Beth Shirley Security spend falls in recession Amecor BETH SHIRLEY Industry Correspondent JSE-listed security technology company Amalgamated Electronic Corporation (Amecor) yesterday posted a drop in profit to R26,8m for the year to...

Eqstra expects to report loss after slow sales in construction and mining sectors.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Beth Shirley Eqstra expects to report loss after slow sales in construction and mining sectors BETH SHIRLEY Industry Correspondent JSE-listed capital equipment supplier Eqstra Holdings said yesterday it would not achieve growth in...

In brief. Properties.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Thabang Mokopanele IN BRIEF Property valuations to be had by cellphone MOBILE A new service called Evaluate provides instant property value estimates to any cellphone via SMS. A fraction of the price of a traditional home valuation,...

Gold Fields expects 13% increase in production.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Simon Mundy Gold Fields expects 13% increase in production SIMON MUNDY Contributing Writer GOLD Fields said yesterday that it expected attributable gold production for the June quarter to be about 895000oz, a 13% increase from the...

All eyes on environmentally sustainable design.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Thabang Mokopanele All eyes on environmentally sustainable design WITH global warming a constant threat, environmentally sustainable design will be a vital topic at the third annual Green Building Council of SA (GBCSA) Convention...

Demand will keep oil companies drilling in deep waters.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Siseko Njobeni Demand will keep oil companies drilling in deep waters Gulf of Mexico spill tests integrity of an industry that opposes the offshore moratorium, writes DESPITE the battering that its image has taken from the deep-water...

A nose for the bizarre.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Frans Cronje A nose for the bizarre The person who type-sets the pages of your newspaper has a sense of the bizarre. The bottom of page four (June 29) features a half-page advertisement in which Cosatu-affiliated trade unions condemn...

Botswana is not a shining example.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Ross Harvey Botswana is not a shining example Botswana is popularly painted as the shining African example of the possibilities available when resources are well utilised and democracy is practised as it should be. If Botswana is...

Disruptive play-acting.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Lars E Kruger Disruptive play-acting Brazil and The Beautiful Game what utter nonsense. I find my tolerance levels sinking rapidly every time I watch Brazil play these days. Centre forward Fabiano had my blood boiling when he helped...

Fix decay at high court.
June 30, 2010... Byline: SC Weiss Fix decay at high court The World Cup has been fun and the spirit has been wonderful. Whether it's been at a game, at a fan park, in a pub or just chatting to people in the street, it has been fabulous. Soon it will be over...

Criticise the poor too.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Nkosinathi Mzelemu Criticise the poor too Reading Eusebius McKaiser's column (Fight poverty while promoting sense of agency, June 25) stimulated three questions. The first question: why are teenage mothers, not only in Grahamstown,...

Steel industry a mess.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Mike Samson Steel industry a mess The steel industry in SA is a mess and reflects exactly why SA fails. If SA was run by the Koreans, Japanese or Chinese then our iron-ore deposits would translate into powerful vertically integrated...

Comparison misleads.
June 30, 2010... Byline: E Qasim Comparison misleads In response to Rhoda Kadalie's column (Tolerance for death in the bush shames SA, July 29). The comparison of the circumcision tragedy in the Eastern Cape to what is happening in occupied Palestine is...

Levy defaults 'hold owners to ransom'.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Thabang Mokopanele Levy defaults 'hold owners to ransom' INNOVATIVE thinking and a practical approach to breaking the brutal rotation of inadequate maintenance funding can potentially provide rehabilitation to declining sectional...

Overhaul to take Metcash upmarket.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Michael Bleby Overhaul to take Metcash upmarket MICHAEL BLEBY Retail Industries Editor WHOLESALER Metcash yesterday announced a raft of fundamental changes that will see it cut more than R600m of debt, recapitalise and take on a new...

Phase in one termination rate MTN.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Thabiso Mochiko Phase in one termination rate MTN THABISO MOCHIKO Information Technology Editor MTN has called on the regulator not to introduce a single cellphone termination rate for peak and offpeak periods but to phase it in, as...

'Luck' comes from choosing recession-free markets.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Chantelle Benjamin 'Luck' comes from choosing recession-free markets Media company's success comes despite new competition at home and rest of Africa, writes NASPERS CEO Koos Bekker recently attributed the success of Africa's largest...

Naspers growth led by pay-TV operations, internet.
June 30, 2010... Byline: CHANTELLE BENJAMIN Naspers growth led by pay-TV operations, internet Media Editor MEDIA group Naspers continued to grow last year despite the recession affecting its print operations and the strong rand reducing offshore...

Redefine sells off property as part of group strategy.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Thabang Mokopanele Redefine sells off property as part of group strategy THABANG MOKOPANELE Property Editor SA's second-largest listed property company, Redefine Properties, with a market capitalisation of R21,1bn, said yesterday it...

Simmers 'still some way from breaking even'.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Simon Mundy Simmers 'still some way from breaking even' SIMON MUNDY Contributing Writer SIMMER & Jack CEO Nico Schoeman reflected yesterday on a dreadful quarter in the three months to March as the junior gold miner reported lower...

Imperial denies wrongdoing in Sishen rights bid.
June 30, 2010... Byline: TIM COHEN Imperial denies wrongdoing in Sishen rights bid Contributing Editor IMPERIAL Crown Trading has strongly denied there was any malfeasance involved in its acquisition of iron ore prospecting rights at Sishen. Imperial CEO...

Vukile waits for lagging property sector to catch up with recovery.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Thabang Mokopanele Vukile waits for lagging property sector to catch up with recovery THABANG MOKOPANELE Property Editor LISTED property loan stock company Vukile said yesterday it expected to see only a slight improvement in its...

Commercial sector will not score.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Thabang Mokopanele Commercial sector will not score THE excitement of the World Cup and the increase in foreign tourism is not expected to have much effect on commercial property prices. Commercial Investment Properties of SA MD...

Time for a new look at feelings.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Katy Chance NEUROLOGY Time for a new look at feelings New evidence shows that feelings emotions are as much about dopamine as serotonin, and that cortisol may be the key. speaks to Johannesburg-based neurosurgeon Dr Ian Weinberg about...

Make a date with a happier, healthier you.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Ronald Abvajee VIRTUALLY FIT Make a date with a happier, healthier you Statistics show that two thirds of adults are not physically active on a regular basis, and a quarter get virtually no exercise at all. There is lots of...

True leaders will read the signs and venture in the right direction.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Erica Webster True leaders will read the signs and venture in the right direction THE complexities and particularities of the 21st century require leaders not only to have multiple insights, but also to act wisely on those insights,...

Communication and delegation are critical.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Erica Webster Communication and delegation are critical Modern leadership is about teamwork, goals, and walking the talk, writes ERICA WEBSTER MODERN leaders have to strike a balance between leading, motivating and encouraging. ...

Learn the vital skills by taking the heat.
June 30, 2010... Byline: Erica Webster Learn the vital skills by taking the heat THE attributes, personalities and experiences of great leaders may vary widely, but one thing they have in common is that they either went in search of extraordinary situations...

How do I make a big-headed, sexist slacker do his job?
June 29, 2010... Byline: Lucy Kellaway WHAT'S THE STORY? How do I make a big-headed, sexist slacker do his job? You say that the company doesn't punish slackers, which leaves you with only two options: to try to make him slack less or to leave him alone,...

India could have been more frank about India.
June 29, 2010... Byline: Nick Wilson THE BOTTOM LINE COLUMN India could have been more frank about India EVERY time there is any merger and acquisition activity in India's cellphone sector, MTN's name seems to crop up obviously due to its much-publicised...

Some stuff that may or may not make sense and some advice.
June 29, 2010... Byline: Michel Pireu StreetDogs Some stuff that may or may not make sense and some advice THE following pithy principles are offered by Richard Friesen in their raw form. Some may make sense, he says, others may not. We are who we are and we...

Inside for subscribers today.
June 29, 2010... Inside for subscribers today AS PROGRESSIVELY more voices question the value of broad-based black economic empowerment, and fewer and fewer people feel they have benefited in the way promised, Business Day brings you Empowerment Worth Knowing....

The Insider.
June 29, 2010... MK and Apla now chase perlemoen poachers AGRICULTURE, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson has told Democratic Alliance MP Gareth Morgan that the special antipoaching unit set up to combat abalone poaching consists of some 57...

SA has to guard its fiscal credibility.
June 29, 2010... SA has to guard its fiscal credibility SA IS not Greece. But neither is it Germany. And as the world's rich countries fight it out over how far and how fast they should cut their fiscal deficits, and how to balance growth and fiscal...

Single bourse a pipe dream?
June 29, 2010... Single bourse a pipe dream? IS A single African stock market a pipe dream or just a fantastic goal that needs time and effort to create? The idea was raised at the weekend by Absa CEO Maria Ramos at the Fortune, Time and CNN Global Forum in Cape...

Festival.
June 29, 2010... Byline: MARY JORDAN Festival marynjordan@yahoo.com THE best festivals combine experience and tradition with youthful energy and ambition. Grahamstown has always seemed an unlikely venue for a noble, idealistic, artistic venture yet, year...

Unstoppable strike force, immovable defence.
June 29, 2010... Byline: GARY LEMKE Unstoppable strike force, immovable defence Cape Town THE last time Portugal set foot in the Cape Town Stadium they lit up a dark, wet Monday with a 7-0 drubbing of North Korea, with Cristiano Ronaldo showing why Real...

Our social contours trod in gumboots.
June 29, 2010... Byline: Katy Chance Our social contours trod in gumboots Anthony Prangley believes in sober dialogue, says KATY CHANCE ANTHONY Prangley, manager of the Gordon Institute of Business Science (Gibs) Dialogue Circle which will be known as the...

Quantum leap for Moses Mabhida Stadium.
June 29, 2010... Byline: SARAH WILD Quantum leap for Moses Mabhida Stadium WHAT do quantum mechanics and the World Cup have in common? Although it is a well-established science, quantum physics is recognised by the people who know it best as being completely...

Seize right currency option to boost long-term growth.
June 29, 2010... Byline: Peter Montalto Economic strategy Seize right currency option to boost long-term growth POLICY makers should seize on the euphoria of the Fifa World Cup to redouble reform efforts. Ultimately, next year's local elections may be a...

Agency serves ANC at youth's expense.
June 29, 2010... Byline: ATHOL TROLLIP Agency serves ANC at youth's expense THE National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) was always likely to be a problem child. Established in June last year to increase youth participation in the country's economy, the...

Tolerance for death in the bush shames SA.
June 29, 2010... Byline: Rhoda Kadalie Tolerance for death in the bush shames SA BENEATH the glitz of the World Cup, black South Africans are dying in squalid health conditions that are completely avoidable. City Press's shocking report of the multiple deaths...

Rising to the game of emerging-market rivals.
June 29, 2010... Byline: Hilary Joffe Rising to the game of emerging-market rivals ONE should know better than to try to talk to a bunch of Latin American professors about economics while there's a soccer match going on especially a match that proves to be as...

Not only big wheels get watchdog scrutiny.
June 29, 2010... Byline: MICHAEL BLEBY Not only big wheels get watchdog scrutiny Retail Industries Editor IT WAS not Sasol and chemical products, or Tiger Brands and bread, but yesterday the Competition Commission waded into another murky pool of alleged...

Botswana's Khama faces rare dissent.
June 29, 2010... Byline: SELLO MOTSETA Botswana's Khama faces rare dissent Gaborone UNCOMFORTABLE with what it calls the increasingly unilateral behaviour of President Ian Khama, disgruntled members of his ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) have launched...

Vodacom digs in heels on cutting 'switch' fees.
June 29, 2010... Byline: THABISO MOCHIKO Vodacom digs in heels on cutting 'switch' fees Operator warns of 'devastation' Information Technology Editor LISTED mobile network operator Vodacom yesterday pleaded with the telecoms regulator to delay the second...

Zuma calls for G-20 to initiate IMF reforms.
June 29, 2010... Byline: KARIMA BROWN Zuma calls for G-20 to initiate IMF reforms Political Editor PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma has reiterated SA's long-held view and called for international financial institutions to be overhauled to give developing economies a...

Fifa partnership worth every cent Emirates.
June 29, 2010... Byline: JULIUS BAUMANN Fifa partnership worth every cent Emirates Transport and Tourism Editor DESPITE the $100m price tag to become one of six official partners to soccer federation Fifa, Emirates Airline believes the exposure of being...

Liquidations show strain on private sector.
June 29, 2010... Byline: MARIAM ISA Liquidations show strain on private sector Economics Editor THE pace of company failures surged last month, showing the private sector was still under strain, official data showed yesterday. However, personal...

Price-fixing spoke in cycling wheel.
June 29, 2010... Byline: Michael Bleby Price-fixing spoke in cycling wheel Document on internet leads to strenuous denials, writes HOW much should you sell a bicycle for? More than you are allowed to now, says Andrew McLean, one of the owners of Cycle Lab, a...