23 Maart 2017

Mynbou

• Harmony’s Kusasalethu workers embark on illegal strike action

No employees reported for their day shifts at Harmony Gold’s Kusasalethu mine, near Carletonville, on Thursday, with the gold miner saying this is in retaliation for the suspension of Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) branch leadership who had encouraged an earlier go-slow at the mine.

Politiek

• Disgraced former SABC executive in line for top job

Disgraced former SABC chief financial officer Gugu Malaza (formerly Duda) has been recommended for a plum job with the Ekurhuleni municipality, the only ANC-controlled metro in Gauteng.Malaza was dismissed by the public broadcaster in March 2014 for procurement and financial irregularities. The dismissal, which was confirmed by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration, came two years after she had been placed on suspension.

• Zille faces expulsion from DA over colonialism tweets as probe looms

Helen Zille’s days in the DA seem to be numbered as the probe into her comments on colonialism starts on Saturday. Senior party leaders who spoke to Business Day said her latest social media comments and subsequent writings about them had placed her on a collision course with the party and she would face the harshest possible sanction: expulsion. Zille’s perceived defiance after her successor, Mmusi Maimane, censured her for the tweets pits the current and former leaders against each other.

Besigheid, Sake en Ekonomie

• Diamond group De Beers buys out retail partner LVMH

Anglo American's diamond specialist De Beers has bought the 50% stake held by French luxury goods group LVMH in De Beers Diamond Jewellers for an undisclosed sum, taking full ownership of the retail operation. Analysts said the joint venture no longer fitted LVMH's strategy, while Anglo American, which has long dominated global rough diamond sales, has been developing its presence on the high-margin diamond retail market.

• EIUG supports Eskom plan for new pricing deals with power-intensive firms

The Energy Intensive User Group of Southern Africa (EIUG) believes there is policy, legislative and regulatory space to introduce new electricity pricing arrangements to help restart of idle mining and process-industry activities, as well as encourage new investments to absorb Eskom’s surplus, which it sees persisting for a number of years yet.

• Coal transporters take Eskom, government to court

The Coal Transporters Forum (CTF) has approached the high court, seeking an interdict to bar Eskom from entering into contracts with renewable energy independent power producers (IPPs) as envisaged by government. At a press briefing in Pretoria on Thursday, CTF spokesperson Mary Phadi however refused to give further details of the court processes, insisting the matter is sub judice at this stage.

Omgewing

• Veldbrande neem toe in Tafelberg Nasionale Park

Veldbrande in die Tafelberg Nasionale Park het in Februarie en Maart meer dikwels voorgekom en was erger as die vorige jaar. Sanparke het Woensdag gesê 24 veldbrande is in dié tydperk aangemeld, teenoor 11 brande in Februarie en Maart 2016. Minstens 1 817 ha van die park is in hierdie tydperk deur brande verwoes.

Nuuskommentaar op die Solidariteit Wêreld

• Universiteite sal soos Prasa, SAL opeindig as hulle genasionaliseer word

Die bykans irrelevante ANC Jeugliga soek nou goedkoop publisiteit en probeer verlore aansien by die EFF terugwen met sy nuwe idee dat universiteite genasionaliseer moet word. Dit is egter ondeurdag, vol blinde kolle en in wese onwerkbaar.