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Mbeki takes aim at white economy New measures to put the government in direct charge of an aggressive new black economic empowerment drive are imminent as President Thabo Mbeki's administration takes the first major steps towards rescuing the ailing policy. Until now black economic empowerment has largely been a voluntary process driven by big business and a handful of black entrepreneurs whose own success has been mixed. Growing government frustration with the programme's slow and limited inroads into white-owned business - described by Mbeki as "snail's pace" - has prompted an acceptance of new steps, which could include legislation. The re-think is part of a shift in government policy, which includes it accepting the principle of legislated black ownership targets, backed by punitive measures to ensure they are reached. The need for measurable targets was outlined in a report of the Black Economic Empowerment Commission headed by Cyril Ramaphosa, and which was handed to Mbeki earlier this year. Among the measures being considered are a black economic empowerment act and a statutory black economic empowerment commission. While the cabinet is divided on legislation as opposed to a voluntary programme, the critical mass is moving in the direction of direct intervention, well-placed sources said. There is growing consensus in both business and political circles that empowerment policies have yielded dismal results in the seven years since the ANC-led government came to power and the first black company, New Africa Investments Limited (Nail), was listed on the JSE in 1994. The failure of several high-profile corporate empowerment initiatives, the widespread evidence of fronting by blacks for white companies tendering for state contracts, the failure of the government's small business policies and even the recent land invasions appear to have prompted the government to re-think its approach. The solution, many in the government now believe, is to embark on a more aggressive empowerment drive to tighten the loopholes and ensure increased compliance from the public and private sectors. Last week, Mbeki and his cabinet paid special attention to the issue at a three-day cabinet lekgotla. The lekgotla - which followed months of debates within the highest ANC structures and government departments - decided that a new structure would be set up in the president's office to drive the empowerment process. Ramaphosa's commission would regard the new developments as a victory, a psychological boost after months of hard lobbying for a statutory commission to direct black empowerment from the president's office. Recently, there has been a souring of relations between the government and the Black Business Council, an umbrella body comprising 13 black business organisations which co-ordinated the black economic empowerment report handed to Mbeki in April at a meeting that included most of the cabinet ministers in economic-related ministries, including Jeff Radebe, the public enterprises minister, Trevor Manuel, the finance minister, and Alec Erwin, the trade and industry minister. Then, the government promised the council a comprehensive response to its report within three months. However, the government has postponed the meeting twice, resulting in a bitter attack on it and on Erwin from David Moshapalo, the chair of the council. Moshapalo questioned the government's commitment to economic empowerment and accused Erwin of not co-ordinating a government response. Ramaphosa was upbeat this week after hearing of the lekgotla decision. "This is a reaffirmation of the government's commitment to speed up the process. This is one of the main objectives that we sought to achieve. We are looking to engage the government in setting up the mechanisms to implement the recommendations of the report," he said. * Estelle Randall reports that the draft response discussed at the lekgotla and which forms the basis of government's new proposals, does not determine what the final targets would be for black empowerment in companies that receive state contracts, receive development loans, or benefit from privatisation. The commission also proposed that at least 50 percent of borrowers (by value) on the loan books of national development finance institutions such as the Industrial Development Corporation should be black-owned companies, that at least 30 percent of the equity from the restructuring of state-owned enterprises should go to black companies and that at least 50 percent of state procurement should go to black companies of which 30 percent should be small businesses. But there have already been indications that the government intends exercising greater supervision over the pace of black economic empowerment and small business development. The cabinet plans to hold a special meeting to discuss job creation in September. After its three-day mid-term review a week ago the cabinet said it had decided to create capacity in the presidency to improve supervision of the implementation of black economic empowerment and small business programmes. This supervision was likely to fall under Mbeki's economics adviser, Wiseman Nkuhlu, although Mbeki himself was likely to play a role, sources said. Another indication of the government's aim to achieve greater uniformity in government empowerment programmes is a proposal to make it mandatory for state institutions to implement preferential procurement within a framework set out in national legislation. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ]  Kytie Koekblik ColumnKytie Koekblik Washington D.C. - Gisteraand het ek die boksie uit my kas gehaal. ‘n Boksie vol fotos. Kytie‘n paar pond ligter toe sy hier aankom; Kytie met ligte blonde hare in Grahamstad; Kytie met swart hare in Kaapstad. Dit was asof dit nie ek was nie. Toe ek die boekie oopmaak met ‘n foto voorop van my liewe Tafelberg, toe begin ek sulke funny geluide maak, so ‘n kruising tussen lag en huil, ek lag oor al die stupid goed wat ons op university aangevang het deur 28 uur oor ‘n naweek agter musiekfeeste en bands aan te ry en ek huil oor al die gesigte van wie ek lanklaas gehoor het en wie ek lanklaas gesien het. Ek moes nooit deur die fotos gaan blaai het nie. Maar ek het net daai need gehad om ‘n reality check te doen, om te onthou dat ek wel ‘n realiteit op ‘n ander kontinent gehad het eens op ‘n tyd. Dinsdag-aand was ek in ‘n donker, obskure klub in DC om ‘n band uit te check. Die klub het my aan 206 in die Kaap laat dink, waar almal in retro klere uithang, gedress sonder om gedress te lyk. Dis so anders as die steriele crisp white shirts en die swart nommertjies waarin die DC crowd uithang in trendy lounges. Hier in DC verwys ons na die tools van society. Almal lyk net te cleancutcool. Die white hats, of die crisp white shirts brigade. En die girls in dun swart outfits. Op die verhoog was daar hierdie lang lat, ene Brian Olive, wat kitaar speel vir sy band die Greenhornes. So heel rustige laidback ou met ‘n retro haircut en retro klere en hy laat waai met blues riffs wat jou tone laat krul. En my hart trek toe sommer so terug varsity toe. Sien, in my tyd - by the way nie eers lank terug nie - maar daai goeie ou dae in SA, was ons die retro generation so op ‘n manier. Ons het rondgeloop in crimplene klere en shirts met groot krae en skirts en hempies in die allerbruinste en oranjeste kleure en bellbotom corduroys en jou pa se army pants en sy dofbruin cardigans en zip-up sweetpaktoppies ens. En daai Mr Olive laat my toe dink aan gesigte en mense met wie ek lanklaas gepraat het en ek onthou nagte voor klein verhogies met blues riwwe en Tassenberg. Ek stap toe na Brain Olive toe en se, “Man you made me miss my country. The boererocker-blues…”(en dit by the way is glad nie soos sakkie-sakkie nie) Dis meer soos Boland punk… En Mr. Olive, ‘n lat uit Cincinatti Ohio, se, “Where you’re from?” Ek pause toe vir ‘n oomblik. “n Mens verwag mos die een of ander vreemde reaksie van mense uit daai geweste just south of the bible belt. Dalk se ene Mr Olive iets soos “You have white people in South Africa?” Maar Mr Olive se, “ South Africa. I know people from South Africa? Have you ever heard of a band BOO!?” Toe wil ek sommer Mr Olive om die hals val en ‘n druk gee. As jy in Suid-Afrika was oor die laaste paar jaar, sedert 1997, sou jy wel van BOO! gehoor het. Of as jy destyds die Roxette konsert in 1990/1 gaan kyk het, sou jy dalk die band Blue Chameleon onthou het. BOO! Is Blue Chameleon revamped en opgespice. BOO! is like die supercoolste mees obskure performance act in Suid-Afrika, en vir ‘n lat uit Ohio om iets van BOO! af te weet? Dit wil gedoen wees. Boo!nop is Boo! se lead vocalist Chris Chameleon, een van Kytie Koekblik se goeie vriende. In fact, die eerste keer toe ek vir Chris huis toe bring om die fam te ontmoet, toe ken ons nie eers mekaar se regte name of vanne nie… Brian Olive van die Greenhornes was in ‘n kleine donker klub in Georgia iewers toe hy die band BOO! sien speel het. Mr Olive het natuurlik op die een of ander manier by die after party beland en hy en Chameleon het aan die praat geraak oor politiek en musiek. Brian ken van Cincinatti riots en hoe die media hulle as racists probeer portray. Die Afrikaner wat Chris is, ken ook die ou storie van die chips op jou skouers. Die twee het laatnag gesit en drienks en praatjies uitruil oor die paralelle tussen Suid-Afrika en Cincinatti Ohio. Ek was baie happy. Ek kon nie glo hoe klein my wereldjie begin raak nie. Wanneer jy Americans in die States raakloop wat mense van die home af ken… Dis die dat ek die boksie fotos loop uithaal het. Ek het geweet daar is fotos van BOO! by Oppikoppi en BOO! by die Breede Rivier, en toe ek eers down the memory lane begin loop toe huil ek sommer oor als wat was en nie meer is nie, including my Prinses Di plakboeke wat ek en my ma gemaak het toe ek 4 was. Dis soms makliker om te vergeet as om te dink waar ‘n mens vandaan kom… Van die os op die jas.,. Die ambassade het offisieel vir my Baas, die onofisiele ambassadeur van SA, gevra hoeveel Suid-Afirkaners daar in die VSA woon. Ons was baie impressed dat hulle nie weet nie. Hulle balpark estimate is 250 000. Volgens die INS data en census statistiek, is dit meer soos 70 000. Dus ‘n handjievol as jy in ag neem hoe groot hierdie magtige kontinent van Noord -Amerika is. In elk geval, ons het nou ‘n baie ernstige saak op die hande. Hierdie naweek speel Suid-Afrika se top kwaito band “Bongo Maffin” by die Zanzibar aan die DC Waterfront wat by the way glad nie soos Kaapstad Waterfront is nie…. Ons het besluit om ‘n official commission of inquiry te launch. Die SA ambassade het ‘n lys van SA’ners in DC gebruik en aan ons almal flyers gestuur, netjies gedrukte poskaartjies met die details oor die konsert. Nerens word die Ambassade se naam op die poskaart aangedui nie, maar toevallig is die return adres dieselfde as die Ambassade se adres, 3051 Massachusestts Avenue. Nou wie vir die klomp poskaartjies betaal? ‘n Zoovy design is mos free advertising vir die Zanzibar en die band? Het die Suid-Afrikaanse taxpayers daarvoor opgedok? Zanzibar is een van die mees profitable bars in D.C., ‘n profitable organisation en geen van die profits gaan na SA toe nie… Tussen ons klein kantoortjie en my huis en die baas se huis het ons sewe verskillende poskaarte ontvang. Drie is aan die baas geadresseer. Twee is aan my geadresseer. Dit beteken die ambassade gebruik verskillende lyste van SA’s in die area en soms is jou naam op ‘n hele klomp lyste. Vir elke 23c posgeld is dit al amper R1,50 posgeld, m.a.w. tussen my huis en die baas se huis is daar R8 gespandeer. Ek vermoed dat die Ambassade verskillende lyste iewers in die hande kry, en dit als bymekaar tel om so te probeer bepaal hoeveel Suid-Afrikaners daar in die VSA is. Daarom dink hulle ek is sewe verskillende mense., en daarom kry hulle ‘n somtotaal van 250 000… Die onoffisiele ambassadeur van SA, het die volgende vrae om aan die offisiele persone te stel… 1) Wie het vir die poskaartjie betaal? 2) Het Bongo Maffin die lys van SA’s gehuur en waarom het hulle nie eerder my baas se foolproof lys van SA’s in die States gehuur nie? 3) Hou iemand in die Ambassade baie van Bongo Maffin of watse konneksies het hulle wat ander SA bands nie het nie? 4) Waarom word Bongo Maffin geadverteer en nie die res van die SA bands nie? Ek weet die arme BOO! sit in die middel van nerens sonder geld in north carolina en al wat hulle wil doen is om ‘n gig in DC te speel. 5) Waarom bied die Ambassade nooit aan om non-profits te help nie, soos Boystown wat met lang lippe huis toe gestuur is? 6) Volgens die protocol van die Ambassade raak die ambassade NIE betrokke in “commercial ventures” nie. In hierdie spesifieke geval betaal jy $20 dollar om na die venue te gaan; Bongo Maffin se naam sowel as die klubs se naam word geadverteer en wie maak die geld? Definitief nie die Ambassade nie..en ook nie SA nie. Ons sal terug rapporteer wanneer ons die antwoorde het. Kytie K. Kytie Koekblik would like you to respond to her tongue-in-cheek running commentary on suburban life in America in this editorial. Fresh off the boat, she is ready to explore and experiment with American bath plugs and to drive on the other side of the road. You can contact her here. © RSA-Overseas & Matheson Communications [ Top ] Mandela jokes about his cancer Nelson Mandela joked on Thursday that if his prostate cancer beat him he would become an African National Congress member in the next world and would seek out billionaires to build schools and clinics. "So either way I have an important role to play," the former president quipped. Speaking to journalists after meeting new Springbok rugby hero Conrad Jantjes at his Johannesburg office, the 83-year-old said he would overcome the disease. "I want to make it clear that I am going to be on top of this little development (the cancer)," said Mandela. The Nelson Mandela Foundation announced late in July that Mandela had the disease. "The cancer is not of a high grade and should not decrease Mr Mandela's life span. Many men of the former president's age have this condition," said the foundation at the time. "Nevertheless, based on current knowledge about this tumour and how it should best be treated, a decision has been made by Mr Mandela's team of doctors to commence treatment." Shortly after receiving the first treatment of his seven week radiotherapy course, Mandela's assistant, Zelda La Grange said he was "really exhausted". She said medical specialists had told Mandela that he would initially be tired, but once accustomed to the treatment he would begin to feel better. However, Mandela said on Thursday that he would be unable to address the week-long World Conference Against Racism in Durban at the end of August, because he had to see a doctor "about five times a week". Jantjes, meanwhile, said Mandela was his role model. Mandela also noted that it hurt when the public condemned the Springboks for losing a match, but added that "this was normal in sport". He also congratulated the national rugby squad for the high standard displayed in their games. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ] More than R3,5-bn shares remain unclaimed South Africa's two largest financial services groups, Old Mutual and Sanlam, are searching for the owners of shares worth well over R3,5-billion. The shares were granted to policyholders when Old Mutual demutualised and listed on July 12 1999 and when Sanlam did the same on October 22 1998. Sanlam said after its listing, about 240 million shares allocated to 552 000 beneficiaries were unclaimed, a figure that had since been reduced to 77 million shares for 182 000 beneficiaries. Old Mutual had been successful in finding more than 200 000 of its unclaimed shareholders, but more than 375 000 people entitled to millions of shares worth over R2,7-billion needed to be found before July 2004, said Martin Minaar, communications manager of Old Mutual Shareholder Services. The Unclaimed Shares Trust is holding the Old Mutual shares, while at Sanlam the unclaimed shares are being held in Sanlam Demutualisation Trust. "The problem is that by July 2004 the trust comes to an end and the shares left in the trust revert to Old Mutual," said Minaar. In Sanlam's case, the shares fall back to the group in 2008. Minaar said Old Mutual would embark on a campaign to make people aware of their unclaimed shares. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ]  Nel's KitchenRagel Nel Ragel Nel Washington D.C. - The Americans have never recovered from the Boston Tea Party, that rebellious 18th Century act in which members of the Sons of Liberty boarded three ships in Boston Harbour and threw 9,659 Pounds Sterling worth Darjeeling tea into the sea to protest British tax policies. Because if there is ONE thing Americans can't do - and they readily admit it too - it's making hot tea. Those of us who grew up in former, more recent British colonies, are used to everything from tea cozies, teapots (which are also foreign concepts in most parts of America. I finally managed to buy a real teapot at Ikea, a Swedish home store.), preheated cups, milk and sugar. At best, most Americans dunk a teabag in a mug (forget about cups and saucers), pour hot-but-not-boiled water over it and voila! Tea ala America! It's enough to cause the Queen to abdicate. If you REALLY want to throw an American waitress off course, be daring and ask for hot tea with milk. They don't seem to be able to quite grasp the concept. But don't despair. All is not lost on the hot beverage front in the States. Enter that delightful (if slightly potent) brew called coffee to save the American day and people like me, who can be accurately summed up by the following witty slogan nabbed from a mug: "Instant Human. Just Add Coffee." Let it be said early on that I'm not exactly what you'd call a coffee connoisseur. Sure, I would like to THINK that I am, but the fact that I even like airport and airline coffee would be a dead giveaway to my indiscriminate nature (and desperation. But never mind that now.). My friends know that they can serve me almost anything, as long as you can't see through it. Oh, and it should at least smell like coffee. For "No coffee can be good in the mouth that does not first send a sweet offering of odour to the nostrils." - Henry Ward Beecher. With milk and sugar, please. Because my coffee should be like my favourite kind of guy: strong, but sweet. Back to America, where coffeehouses like Starbucks have become all the rage (there is possibly one on every block in Washington D.C.). Where they serve up the Java Juice in every possible flavour, size and form you can think of: from frothy cappuccinos, lattés, mochas and Au Laits, to jolting little espressos that will keep you awake until NEXT Thursday. But honestly, as much as I love the coffee shops and cafés, you need a complimentary cup of coffee just to be able to navigate your way through the exasperating array of decisions to be made: choice of size (which in Starbucks, ironically, is in Italian. I ASK you! In this country where they - according to Henry Higgins - hardly speak English, let alone know that a country called Italy exists! I've since come to realize that it's a clever ploy to make more money, because most people are only able to pronounce Grande, so that's what they end up ordering.), choice of coffee, flavour, milk (the choices of milk takes up an entire aisle at the supermarket.), method of sweetening. I think you deserve another complimentary cup after you've successfully managed your way through that tongue-twisting list. Simply writing about it has worn me out. Think I'll go and have a cup while I leave you with some quotes in defense and defiance of the brew. "Coffee is not as necessary to ministers of the reformed faith as to Catholic priests. The latter are not allowed to marry, and coffee is said to induce chastity." - Duchess Charlotte-Elisabeth of Orleans (1652 - 1722). "Coffee: Black as the devil, Hot as hell, Pure as an angel, Sweet as love." - Charles Maurice de Talleyrand (1754 - 1838). "Sarah Shute 1803 - 1840 Here lies, cut down like an unripe fruit, The wife of Deacon Amos Shute. She died of drinking too much coffee, Anno Dominy eighteen forty." - Tombstone located in Canaan, New Hampshire (1840). "The best proof that tea or coffee are favourable to the intellectual expression is that all nations use on or the other as aids to conversation." - Philip G. Hamerton, The Intellectual Life (1862). "I have measured out my life with coffee spoons." - T.S. Eliot, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock (1915). "If you can make a good cup of coffee, you can make any man glad he has left his mother." - Mrs. W.T. Hayes, Kentucky Cook Book (1912). "The coffee was so strong it snarled as it lurched out of the pot." - Betty MacDonald, The Egg and I (1945). And lastly, "A real art student wears coloured socks, has a fringe and a beard, wears dirty jeans and an equally dirty seaman's pullover, carries a sketch-book, is despised by the rest of society, and loafs in a coffee bar." - John Bratby, Breakdown (1960). © RSA-Overseas [ Top ] Two airlifted to safety from Marion Island Two ill members of the South African weather team were airlifted to the SAS Outeniqua off Marion Island on Sunday morning, the SA Navy said. Captain Sonica van Rooyen said the helicopter managed to fly to the island after they found a "window in the wind" around 9am. Earlier it was believed that the men would only be rescued on Monday due to severe weather conditions. "The weather is still bad but it stopped raining and they found a window in the wind which made it possible for the helicopter to fly," Van Rooyen said. She said the two patients were examined and both were in stable conditions. They are the weather station's senior meteorologist, Pieter Pretorius, and diesel mechanic Bheki Majola. Pretorius has developed a heart problem, while Majola is suffering from a bleeding ulcer. Van Rooyen said the SAS Outeniqua would wait for the work group to repair two more faulty systems and then they would return home. "The doctor gave them the go-ahead to stay because the patients' conditions are not life threatening. There is also a fully equipped hospital and a full surgical team on the ship." She said the ship would hopefully leave the island on Monday or Tuesday. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ] |
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