AfricaTimesNews » Republic of South Africa

Looming South African maize shortage

AfricaTimes — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:20:16 +0000

The government supported plan to export a large amount of maize surplus might lead to local silos drained by the end of April.

The increases in grain price in combination with the forecast of maize shortage in 2012 will pressure the commodity industry and South Africa is, for the first time in two years, forced to import yellow maize. The assistant general manager for Grainlink grain marketing at Senwes, Christo Booyens, argued that by the 30th of April the silo grain stock might be exhausted.

However, each month 500 000 tons of white maize is consumed meaning that if there is no channel of supply the stock may be exhausted much sooner. Maize has already been withdrawn from silos making the stock lower than normal.

The price increase has been affecting consumers since last year, since March maize prices have increased with 60 percent. This year Grain SA has estimated a shortfall of some where between 200 000 and 500 000 tons, which can be compared to last year’s surplus of more than 2 million tons.

The chief executive of Astral Foods, Chris Schutte, argued that the high prices are due to record exports, “we believe that exporters were irresponsible and didn’t check the situation… In hindsight we exported too much maize, now we have to import”. In addition, maize had been exported for approximately R1 600/ton, whereas now the grain is being imported for R2 800/ton. Chris Shutte continued by arguing that the price increase will hit the part of the market that can afford it the least. The ones affected include the animal feed industry, consumers, storage companies and the poor.

The development comes as South Africa struggles with huge gaps between rich and poor, according to the World Bank South Africa is the most unequal of a surveyed 67 countries and furthermore approximately 25 percent of its population is unemployed.

As food security is becoming the new global objective. Andre Louw, professor of Agribusiness at the University of Pretoria, argued that Africa has become a major opportunity for foreign direct investment, research and development and new technology. While the development of food availability since 1990 has increased with 30 percent in Asia and 20 percent in Latin America, it has decreased in Africa with 3 percent.

Peet van der Walt at Pannar Seed argued that agriculture has a huge impact on social and economic security in Africa, with an increased maize farming efficiency the food production will increase, which will contribute to economic development. For many of Africa’s countries agriculture is the backbone of the economic development and South Africa is an important maize producer with 2,5 – 2,75 million hectares of hybrid maize planted each year on its soil.

(Source: Business Report)

South Africa: “Education, education, education”-

AfricaTimes — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:15:19 +0000

By: Christine Petré

As President Jacob Zuma’s State of the Nation address is scheduled on Thursday the expectations are low. The opposition political parties and analysts do not have much hope for groundbreaking news. The speech, which is delivered in the year that celebrates ANC’s 100th anniversary and in the year of the internal election of ANC, is by some even argued to be in front of deaf ears as some have difficulty taking the words of the President serious due to the uncertainty of his future.

At the same time fresh reports in Mail & Guardian reveal that 70% of the country’s public schools are still without workbooks due to a “patchy” delivery process, leaving some schools with neither workbooks nor textbooks. Other schools have received an insufficient number of books, leaving them incapable of using them since you cannot provide some students and leave others out. However, the “patchy” delivery process is nothing new, it also occurred last year and teachers are now worried it might affect the annual national assessment again this year. The department has admitted the delay, which is now halting the school start and affecting the already poorly equipped and managed public schools.

The education system in South Africa is heavily screwed between public and private schools, the public schools lack equipment, teachers and are over crowded with pupils while the private schools are small classes of high quality, but very expensive. The current education system is dividing the already divided South African people between rich and poor, benefitting the already rich and heavily burdening the poor.

Thus, imagine listening to Zuma’s State of the Nation speech addressing the importance of education in the same fashion as Tony Blair did a few years back when declaring his country’s priorities as “Education, education, education”.

However, this is very unlikely. Zuma is self-taught and unlike Thabo Mbeki who, together with Nelson Mandela, symbolised academic excellence, Zuma is instead undermining the importance of education, symbolising the pointlessness of education.

Therefore the speech is likely to be talk without substance and mildness rather than boldness, however, until Thursday we can envision how great it would be to listen to the South African president addressing the importance of education.

Malema suspended with immediate effect

AfricaTimes — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:53:29 +0000

In Johannesburg, on Saturday the 4th of February, after a few hours of delay, the ANC’s National Disciplinary Committee of Appeals dismissed the appeal of ANC’s Youth League leader Julius Malema. The committee supported the organisation’s disciplinary committee’s decision to suspend Malema for five years, the committee’s chairperson Cyril Ramaohosa announced.

All charges were dismissed besides the one which including barging into a meeting.

Defending the policy and integrity of ANC Ramaphosa was quoted from the oath “I will defend…the integrity of the organisation and its principals and combat any tendency towards disruption and factionalism”.

Malema was found guilty last year of provoking severe divisions within the party and bringing disgrace over ANC. Malema was then suspended for five years and informed to vacate his position as president of the youth league.

Ramaphosa declared that the ANC constitution was clear, “The duty on ANC members…as set out in Rule 5.2G is a duty to carry out lawful and reasonable instructions of the ANC … this is the undertaking of the ANC constitution.”

“Consequently, the appellants arguments that the NDC ruling violates the principals of organisational discipline…must fail “, Ramaphosa continued.

Malema has the possibility to challenge the suspension in court but the suspension is with immediate effect.

(Source: News24)

ANC mine study rejects S.Africa mine grab: report

AfricaTimes — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:59:02 +0000

A study commissioned by South Africa’s ruling ANC has rejected calls for mine nationalisation and come out in favour of higher taxes and royalties, the Business Day newspaper reported on Thursday.

The report is expected to be adopted as policy by the African National Congress and will be raised this weekend at a meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee, the newspaper said, without saying where it got the information.

The report warns against “asset grabs” by the state because such a policy would be unconstitutional and because the government could also not afford to buy mining stakes, the newspaper said.

But the government will also recommend higher royalties and taxes, as well as policies to encourage the processing of raw minerals to add value, the paper said.

Talk of nationalising mines and banks by radical elements in the ANC has unnerved investors.

The policy drive for mine nationalisation lost political momentum after an ANC disciplinary committee found its biggest advocate, ANC youth league leader Julius Malema, guilty of sowing discord in the party.

The committee handed down a five-year suspension which Malema has appealed.

The ANC study on mine nationalisation was first submitted to the party leadership last year but had been sent back for redrafting to improve its presentation.

Reuters.

ANC distributed condoms are being recalled

AfricaTimes — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:21:02 +0000

By Christine Petré

The Free State Health Department has recalled more than a million condoms, which were delivered for the ANC anniversary celebrations in January.

The provincial Health Department Jabu Mbalula declared that the condoms have been reported to be sub-standard and need to be tested in a laboratory, thus the department has decided to withdraw them. Mbalula continued by saying that the condoms were ordered from the national Health Department.

Sello Mokhalipi, an employee of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and Free State HIV/AIDS, declared that people had claimed that the condoms bursts and argued that the condoms were porous.

The condoms were delivered to guesthouses, hotels, restaurants and bars and wore the SA Bureau of Standards stamp.

(Source: SABC)

South African petrol prices to increase from next week

AfricaTimes — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

The Department of Energy announced that the retail price of all grades of petrol is set to increase by 34 cents per litre by Wednesday the 1 of February.

The average international product prices of diesel, petrol and illuminating paraffin have increased the department announced.

The increase of price appears even though the average rand/dollar exchange rate has strengthened to R8.0841/$, which can be compared to the prior value of 8.2122/$.

In Gauteng the price for Petrol 95 ULP will now be R10.95/litre, which is an increase with R0.34/litre.

(Source: fin24)

Zuma push for the African agenda at the WEF

AfricaTimes — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:00:56 +0000

As President Jacob Zuma landed on Swiss ground on Wednesday night to attend the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos the aim was to push for the African agenda.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel opened the meeting on Wednesday by convincing the world’s delegates that Europe will overcome its Euro crisis. In addition, the founder of WEF Klaus Schwab declared that the aim of the meeting was for delegates to connect and explore constructive new long-term solutions and establish shared values.

However, despite the downgrading of South Africa’s outlook to 2.5% by the International Monetary Fund, President Zuma took on Davos with a business and government delegation with the aim to bolster growth and encourage new investments.

The Finance minister Pravin Gordhan emphasised that South Africa has many strengths and that businesses ought to unite and that unions, government and society must take advantage of all available opportunities.

Zuma critisised the European leaders for innumerable meetings without adequate results and emphasised that cohesive leadership is necessary. Calling for a strengthened south –south cooperation and adding, “we need to move Africa to convince Africa that working together, as the continent, as this one billion people, is in fact more advantageous than working as one single country across the seas.”

(Source: SABC)

Nothing but silence over Malema’s defining appeal hearing

AfricaTimes — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:40:28 +0000

When the appeal hearing of ANC Youth League president Julius Malema begun on Monday morning there was not much heard but silence. Oral arguments were reported to be underway at the hearing, which takes place at Luthuli House in Johannesburg.

Media is strictly kept out of the proceedings and ANC members have been instructed by ANC spokesperson Keith Khoza to remain silent until the hearing is completed.

Malema was suspended in November 2011 as he was found guilty of creating divisions within the ANC as well as and disregarding the party. In addition, Malema’s controversial comments regarding regime change in Botswana fuelled the tensions.

As the panel meet again on Tuesday morning the technical arguments have been dealt with during late Monday night. In Malema’s next presentation on Tuesday it seems advocate Patrick Mtshaulana will argue that the disciplinary committee members, with chairperson Derek Hanekom and Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu, should be recused from the disciplinary committee due to their earlier disagreement with ANCYL’s stand on nationalisation of mines and land reform.

At the time of writing not much has yet been revealed regarding the proceedings besides reports that the disciplinary appeals committee seem to face marathon proceedings, the hearing might be dragged out for a considerable period of time.

(Source: SABC)

Google project to boost South African businesses

AfricaTimes — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 12:24:59 +0000

On the 20th of January Google announced the launch of Woza Online, which aims at bringing South African entrepreneurship to the net. Google’s project will make it easier for South African entrepreneurs to showcase small businesses on Internet.

By entering www.wozaonline.co.za entrepreneurs have the possibility to create their own website in under an hour, free of charge. The initiative is in partnership with the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI), Vodacom and the Human Resources Development Council (HRDC) and supported by Lead SA, the Primedia Broadcasting and Independent Group of Newspapers.

The project went public on the Innovation Hub in Tshwane where businesses were allowed access to the service and established their businesses online. The aim of the project is to boost the business sector and encourage entrepreneurs to bring their companies online. There is a strong correlation between staying online and being competitive, profitable and sustainable. Approximately 79 percent of the SMEs online reported profitability, while only 59 percent without a website reported the same (World Wide Worx January 2012).

The Deputy Minister for the Department of Trade and Industry, Elizabeth Thabethe said, “The more small businesses are online the more customers they will be able to reach. We often hear entrepreneurs or business owners describing the challenges of building an online presence. With Woza Online removing those obstacles, SMEs are empowered to take that first bold step towards getting online.” With a high unemployment rate this initiative hopes to change the SME landscape and create job opportunities for the South African market.

Over the last two years Google has brought 400 000 business online in 23 other countries from Great Britain to Indonesia. In Africa Kenya and Nigeria are already taking part of the project.

Source: business.iafrica.com

Afrique du Sud: pour une présidence de la Commission de l’UA

AfricaTimes — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:53:11 +0000

on le savait depuis un moment, l’Afrique du Sud vise la présidence de la Commission de l’Union africaine. Le 18 janvier, Pretoria a lancé la campagne de sa candidate pour succéder au Gabonais Jean Ping, en poste depuis 2008 et qui postule lui-même pour un second mandat. Le nom du prochain président de la commission sera dévoilé lors du sommet de l’UA à Addis Abeba les 29 et 30 janvier. Le gouvernement sud-africain a donné une conférence de presse pour mettre en avant la candidature de son actuelle ministre de l’Intérieur, Kosazana-Dlamini-Zuma, l’ex-épouse du président sud-africain Jacob Zuma.

Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma se montre réservée, un peu en retrait par rapport à l’équipe gouvernementale qui a porté la candidature sud-africaine sur tout le continent Elle ne prend la parole que pour énoncer ses priorités pour l’Union Africaine : développement du continent, et notamment des infrastructures. Renforcement de l’organisation.
Et pour souligner que l’élection d’une femme, elle, aurait son importance :

« Je travaillerai comme n’importe quel homme politique, mais sans oublier que les femmes ne sont toujours pas libres ».

Mais pour l’essentiel, c’est la chef de la diplomatie, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane qui a pris la parole pendant cette conférence de presse. Pour expliquer le travail accompli : des délégations ministérielles envoyées dans les 53 pays membres de l’organisation, une implication personnelle du président Jacob Zuma. Aujourd’hui les Sud-Africains se disent confiants. Le ministre-adjoint à la présidence sud-africaine, Oped Bapela pense que le travail a payé. Même en Afrique de l’Ouest :

« Dans le travail que nous avons fait jusqu’à présent, après avoir parlé à certains dirigeants dans certains pays ouest-africains, je peux dire qu’il y en a qui soutiennent notre candidate. C’est pourquoi, en décembre, au sommet des chefs d’Etat de la Cédéao, qui devait discuter de la question, ils n’ont pas pu se mettre d’accord, à cause du travail accompli ».

A ceux qui pourraient s’inquiéter de voir l’Afrique du Sud, qui fait partie des poids lourds du continent, briguer la tête de la commission de l’Union africaine, la chef de la diplomatie dit et répète que l’Afrique du Sud s’est toujours comportée avec humilité dans les enceintes internationales.

RFI.