I was just reading that the rate of inflation in South Africa is now 13%. Oh my gosh!! We may still be a far way off the 11 million percent in Zimbabwe but boy aren’t we going in the wrong direction! The price of everything seems to be going up and many are unable to cope now. I was actually speaking to someone who is saying they have just had to cancel their DSTV subscription because they can no longer afford it and it has turned into a luxury they can do without. They say that the price of fuel will be coming down by about R1 a litre next month, maybe then we will smile again for a short time before the price starts going back up again. I don’t know if it is only me but do you tend to pay much more attention to the business news at 7pm when your are watching the news? In the past we hardly cared too much about where the rand was trading, let alone what the world oil price is, but now you find yourself making sure you do not miss that news. Read the rest of this entry »
The Olympics game in Beijing are almost over and South Africa still only has one medal to show for their efforts. Most of us had expected Team South Africa to return with much more than one silver medal especially with our swimming team. Firstly, credit is due to Khotso Mokoena for winning a silver medal in the mens long jump event. You have spared the nations blushes. However what I have not liked hearing over the last couple of days is the comparison between South Africa and Zimbabwe in the Olympics. Zimbabweans are right to come out and say that they have won 4 medals at the Olympics. Yes, all four were won by Kirsty Coventry in the swimming pool but so what? It may only be one person but Team Zimbabwe has four medals and South Africa only has one. I have come across many South African’s this weeks who have said that Coventry has four medals and not Zimbabwe. I find this to be very wrong! Read the rest of this entry »
Zambian president Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, the 59-year-old Zambian leader passed away yesterday (19 August) in a Paris hospital, after suffering a stroke during an African Union (AU) summit in Egypt, in June this year. At that time, reports had surfaced that Mwanawasa had actually passed away but that was not true. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed his sadness on the death of Mwanawasa. In a statement released by his office, the Secretary-General says Mwanawasa was at the forefront of Zambian politics at a time of exceptional challenge and change in his country. He also noted Mwanawasa’s key role in the struggle to end apartheid in South Africa as well as his firm stance as Southern African Development Community (SADC) chairperson on the post-election crisis in Zimbabwe.
Mwanawasa was one of the first African leaders to openly criticise Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe in the period after the election results in Zimbabwe were delayed from being announced. For now, Zambia’s Vice President, Rupiah Banda, is expected to take over as acting president.
The InTheNews.co.za team would like to passes on its condolences to the Mwanawasa family. Our prayers are with you. We have lost a great leader.
After Saturday’s embarrassing defeat to New Zealand, the Springboks have to bounce back against Australia in Durban on Saturday (23 August). Winning the Tri-Nations for South Africa may be out of the question now but still the team has to go out and show the whole world why they are World Champions. I am getting sick and tired of hearing people saying that the Springboks are not worthy of being World Champions after being beaten by Australia in Australia and Saturdays drubbing at the hands of the All Blacks just solidified those ‘haters’ claim that the Springboks are not the best team in the world. Read the rest of this entry »
The news most of South Africa had been waiting to hear today; Interest rates will not be changing, this after the Reserve Bank decided to keep the repo rate at 12%. Most of us were waiting with baited breath this afternoon, fearing that interest rates will be increased again. An increase in interest rates would have plunged the majority of South Africans into even more debt. Can you imagine having to pay a couple Rand extras every month on your mortgage or car? But now, we will not have to pay extras due to the interest rates remaining where they are. What I can hope for now is that instead of waiting for the next MPC meeting and waiting to find out if rates are going to go up or remain where they are, we can be in a position of hearing the possibility of interest rates going down. I may be dreaming about the possibility of interest rates going down anytime soon but we are all allowed to dream aren’t we?
Some analysts are predicting that interest may only start to come down in the middle of 2010 so for now we just have to hope that they remain where they are as opposed to rising. There is also the possibility that the price of fuel could be coming down next month which is cause for celebration.
And after all of it, still there is no resolution in the crisis in Zimbabwe. The political parties in Zimbabwe were meant to sit down and reach an agreement with South Africa’s President, Thabo Mbeki, mediating the talks. They sat, they talked, they took a break and then talked some more, and after all that, there was still no agreement! So what actually were they talking about and why have they not signed an agreement? Well, your guess is as good as mine as no one has officially come out and said what the ’sticky’ points are. So all we can do now is speculate on what actually did take place over the last couple of days at the Rainbow Towers in Harare where the talks were being held. Read the rest of this entry »
The Tri-Nations resumes this weekend (Saturday 16 August) with arguably the most important game of the series being played this weekend at Newlands in Cape Town between South Africa and New Zealand. This is going to be one heck of a game in a capacity stadium where tickets were sold out within hours of becoming available. The Springboks seem not to be taking any chances in the game and have called up Percy Montgomery and Fourie du Preez into the starting lineup. Montgomery will earn his 100th Test cap at Newlands in a back three that won the World Cup and one that started when they broke a 10-year losing streak at Dunedin earlier in the tournament. Read the rest of this entry »
Today (11 August) marks Heroes’ Day in Zimbabwe. A day where the whole country holds in memory for those who died in the country’s liberation war. One has to ask if this is what they fought for? A country crippled by a political crisis, a country with the worlds highest inflation, a country with very little food and power. I certainly do not think this is what the heroe’s had envisioned for the future of the country when they gained Independence. But all may not be doom and gloom as there seems to be a potential agreement between the political parties in Zimbabwe on the horizon. Read the rest of this entry »
InTheNews.co.za would like to wish all women in South Africa a very happy Women’s Day. Women play such an important part in the world today. Not only in homes but in the office space and the political arena. The day is marked to respecting and acknowledging women. In the past women were not taken seriously and for once women are acknowledged as equals - certainly in the business world and now in the home environment too.
Happy Women’s Day.
Springbok coach, Peter de Villiers, has named his team to take on Argentina in a once off test at Coca Cola Park (formerly Ellis Park) in Johannesburg this coming weekend (Saturday 9 August). De Villiers’ team sees a first start in the ‘Green and Gold’ for Cheetahs winger, Jongi Nokwe. Nokwe will make his Springbok debut in place of the injured Brian Habana who will be rested after his shoulder injury. Adrian Jacobs comes back into the team at number 13 having missed the previous match due to injury. Lions centre, Jaque Fourie will start on the bench having only come back into the Springbok scene after a long lay off from injury. Some are thinking that Fourie’s inclusion in the Springbok squad has come a bit too early as he has not even played for his province since returning from injury. Read the rest of this entry »
