President Jacob Zuma, who is already in Brazil, will join leaders from Brazil, Russia, India and China, which make up the BRICS grouping, for their...

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The country’s economy has battled to fully recover from the impact of the 2009 recession due to low productivity in the mining and manufacturing sectors.

The sluggish growth has mainly been attributed to the bruising strikes in both sectors that have led to contractions in the first quarter.

This is according to Statistician-General Pali Lehohla, when briefing journalists at Tshedimosetso House, in Pretoria, on the impact of the losses in production in manufacturing and mining on the economy.

The briefing was also a microscopic view of data that Lehohla released when he announced the Growth Domestic Product (GDP) for the first quarter of 2014 in June.

“After the 2009 recession, the economy has battled to get out of recession and there has been a negative impact both on mining and manufacturing.

“Strikes also have shown that they have got a negative impact, particularly in terms of motoring production in September 2013,” he said on Monday.

Lehohla was referring to industrial action in the automotive sector, late last year, where work stoppages cost the country’s auto makers 50 000 in loss of production, which resulted in exports declining by 75% year-on-year.

Lehohla said between September 2006 and March this year, 188 000 jobs were lost in the manufacturing sector, which was a decrease of 14%.

He said the mining sector shed 48 000 jobs between June 2012 and March 2014, which was a decrease of 9%.

The mining sector took several knocks to production, Lehohla said, citing the Marikana strike in August 2012 and the AMCU platinum strike in January 2014 -- a strike that recently ended after dragging out for more than five months.

He said, however, that it was too soon to indicate the impact that the ongoing two-week strike by the National Union of Metalworkers SA (NUMSA) would have on the economy.

During the first quarter of 2014, the annualised GDP slowed to -0.6%, forcing the Reserve Bank and other forecasters to revise the country’s growth downwards.

The manufacturing and mining sectors experienced a contraction of -4.4% and -24.7% respectively.

“A number of commentators are asking a question after the first negative growth in the GDP of -0.6%. They are asking [if] we are likely to see more losses in jobs?

“Well, on the 26th of August we are releasing our GDP and we will see then if there has been losses of jobs,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za

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Children in schools around Gauteng will be able to share the rich story of former President Nelson Mandela, thanks to a book drive by the provincial Education Department. Launched on Friday by the department, in partnership with Lead SA, the book drive aims to get South Africans to donate books about Madiba as part of […]Mandela book drive is a post from: BooknSpire


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Officials from the Department of Arts and Culture rolled up their sleeves on Friday to pay tribute to South Africa’s liberation icon.

In partnership with the City of Tshwane, representatives from the department took their cleaning campaign to the vicinity of the Mediclinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria, where former President Nelson Mandela spent three months receiving treatment for a recurring lung infection.

The campaign did not just stop there – officials picked up litter around Sunnyside as well as in Steve Biko, Troye, Hamilton, Cilliers, Leyds, Bourke and Wessels Streets.

Speaking to SAnews at the hospital entrance, Director General at the department, Sibusiso Xaba, said: “One of the values that [Mandela] introduced not only to South Africans but to the world, was the value of service; serving other people and not expecting anything in return.

“We thought it would be important for us to begin to do those things that demonstrate his values through cleaning up the streets of Tshwane [and] the hospital to demonstrate what we are going to be doing next week Friday in the various communities.

“I want to believe that through what we’ve established today, we are going to see South Africa becoming cleaner.”

Xaba said they chose the hospital because it held a special place in the collective memory of South Africa and the world.

“Remember this is the health facility where our late President spent his last days. To us, this hospital is crucial in terms of a build up towards the Nelson Mandela Day, hence we are here to commemorate his legacy through cleaning.”

Hospital manager James Breedt said they were moved by the gesture.

“As the hospital, we are inspired by the department’s clean-up campaign. This will encourage the whole community towards a cleaner South Africa. We are very excited and we strongly believe that going forward, this should be a way of living.

“As staff and the doctors, we are strongly influenced by the Mandela slogan, ‘Take Action. Inspire change. Make Every Day a Mandela Day’.”

Every year on 18 July, South Africans, together with the international community, honour the former President through embracing his values. This is done through honouring his legacy through humanitarian acts and initiatives that acknowledge his never-ending quest to change the world for the better.

The theme for this year’s Mandela Day is ‘Dedicate 67 minutes To Clean South Africa’. This year's Nelson Mandela International Day is particularly symbolic for South Africans, as it is the first one since his passing.

It offers South Africans and the world, an occasion to honour the ethos of Mandela in the year that also marks South Africa's 20 Years of Freedom.

In his State of the Nation Address, President Jacob Zuma encouraged all South Africans to dedicate 67 minutes of their time to cleaning up South Africa. – SAnews.gov.za

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Electricity parastatal, Eskom, on Friday reported a net profit of R7.1 billion for the year ended 31 March 2014 – up from R5.2 billion in the previous year. The utility reported a R2.1 billion gain on derivatives. The surplus will be reinvested in the company in full, to support its capacity expansion programme and to [...]Eskom net profit rises is a post from: South Africa Business


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North West MEC for Rural, Environmental and Agricultural Development, Manketsi Tlhape, says her department will give specialised support to restore the health of the surviving animals from the Modderfontein farm.

The animals were found abandoned on a farm belonging to National Council of Provinces (NCOP) chairperson, Thandi Modise, over the weekend in Modderfontein.

Modise has since said she will cooperate fully with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), which is investigating the neglect of the animals.


The former North West premier said she had been under the impression that the farm was being run under the supervision of a replacement manager after her farm manager had requested leave to attend an urgent family matter.

She said it came as a shock to learn from the SPCA that the replacement manager had deserted the farm.

On Tuesday, MEC Tlhape said veterinary scientists from her department will give the necessary support to over 100 pigs, sheep, chickens and goats that had allegedly been without water and food for about a week at the North West farm.

“This disturbing situation calls for immediate specialised support. Our pledge in this regard is guided by the responsibility bestowed on us as the department,” said MEC Tlhape.

The MEC said her department has sent veterinarians to the farm to take brain samples from the sheep that showed signs of neural disruption.

The samples have been taken to the department’s veterinary lab in Potchefstroom for diagnosis. Lab results are expected later this week.

MEC Tlhape said her department will improve “the quality of animal health by preventing and controlling animal diseases through vaccination programmes, rendering of clinical diagnosis, veterinary public health service and provision of animal feed”.

The MEC said farmers should regularly seek agricultural support and advice from state veterinarians and animal health technicians at various departmental offices throughout the province. – SAnews.gov.za

Telkom has moved to clarify allegations by labour unions around the restructuring process at the telecommunications operator.

“Telkom would like to place on record the facts surrounding its restructuring process to dismiss the baseless allegations by labour unions regarding the process and criteria under consideration.

“The company rejects allegations that race is being considered as the only criteria for the placement of employees in Telkom’s new structure,” said Telkom on Tuesday.

According to media reports, the South African Communications Unions (Sacu) said that the operator could be planning to dismiss 9 500 workers, while Solidarity has said that the company is targeting whites in its restructuring plans.

“The fact is that Telkom’s focus is on retaining the right skills for its turnaround strategy and will consider several criteria throughout its restructuring process,” said the operator in Tuesday.

It further said that prior to and throughout the restructuring process, it has consulted all stakeholders, including representative labour unions, to ensure that facts are communicated.

In addition, it stated that the allegation that it will target 9 500 workers was unfounded.

“The fact is that Telkom’s focus is on retaining the right skills for its turnaround strategy and will consider several criteria throughout its restructuring process.”

Qualifications and experience, the employees’ potential, the last in-first out principle when more than one employee qualified for appointment into the same position and employment equity form part of the criteria that the company looks at.

“It is important to note that employment equity is only one of the four criteria applied to this process and that Telkom, as any South African company, is required in terms of the Employment Equity Act to comply accordingly.”

Telkom said the entire management pool, which it seeks to reduce from the consultative process currently underway, is made up of 2 650 managerial staff.

The company is not targeting specific numbers of individuals and is aiming to reduce the number of management layers and achieve employee cost: revenue ratio of 25% over the next five years.

“Employee costs currently make up 30% of revenue,” it added.

The objective is to bring leadership closer to customers by removing unnecessary layers of management, which will improve customer service and experience.

Alternatives such as outsourcing and joint ventures may also be explored as part of the business and organisational restructure in the future, said Telkom.

The restructuring process was seen as an imperative for the survival of the business into the future and its success.

Telkom has underperformed for several years, as its share of market in fixed voice and data continues to decline and fixed-to-mobile substitution has intensified competition.

The fixed voice market makes up more than half of Telkom’s revenues, and is in decline. – SAnews.gov.za