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News & Views by Terry Bell
Browsing All Posts published on »October, 2010«
WHY MURK STILL SURROUNDS MADISHA’S AXING (28.02.2008)
The axing of Cosatu president Willie Madisha this week. raises many more questions than answers. Confusion still reigns. Which is scarcely surprising since the entire affair has been clouded by conspiracy theories in an atmosphere thick with allegations of financial impropriety, lies and innuendo, The knives have been out for Madisha for nearly two years. […]
CLASS DIVISIONS ON THE SA ECONOMIC TRAIN (21.02.2008)
October 2, 2010
Finance minister Trevor Manuel’s insistence in his budget speech that “we are all in it together” in “this shared future” rang rather hollow for a number of trade unionists. Some members of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) regard it as particularly ironic. These are the NUM members at mine services group, Teba Limited, where […]
A DANGEROUS AND DAMAGING FUNDAMENTALISM (14.02.2008)
October 2, 2010
Forget the protestations of unity, the stress on solidarity within Cosatu and the governing, ANC-led alliance. Knives are still out and mud is being thrown as attempts continue to be made to settle political scores. There is more than a hint of Biblical orthodoxy about the whole exercise. To paraphrase a verse from the Book […]
THE RETAIL FINANCIAL SERVICES RIP-OFF (07.02.2008)
October 2, 2010
Retailers, especially in the furniture and electronics goods sectors are continuing to exploit the lack of financial literacy among many consumers. Cases of maintenance contracts being sold along with lounge suites, policies against retrenchment being sold to retirees and a plethora of other charges are now legion. Lower and middle income earners, who form the […]
JACOB ZUMA AND THE REALITY OF DAVOS (31.01.2008)
October 2, 2010
That Jacob Zuma used the opportunity of the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) — described by Zuma as “fabulous” — to underline yet again that there would be no change in the government’s economic policy orientation, has caused considerable consternation in the ranks of his supporters in Cosatu. For the WEF was the forum at […]
CAMPAIGNING FOR BREAD IN THE BROADEST SENSE (25.01.08)
October 2, 2010
The Bread Coalition was launched in Cape Town last Sunday on the pavement outside parliament. But although the price of bread was the issue that brought out representatives from community groups and trade unions, it soon became obvious that the complaints were about “bread” in the broadest sense. However, the millers and bakers — often […]
A NEW YEAR OF ACTION (17.01.2008)
October 2, 2010
A new year of action seems to be dawning, especially for Cosatu, the South African Communist Party and the new leadership of the ANC, all of which overlap. They are gearing themselves up for mass mobilisation to demand the implementation of “pro-poor” policies, with the immediate focus being on the price of bread. Ironically, perhaps […]
SASOL rakes in profits while SA feels the pinch
October 2, 2010
It would be quite laughable were it not so serious, that government ministers such as the department of energy’s Buyelwa Sonjica say that they and the administration have their “hands tied” regarding fuel price fluctuations and increases. The same argument is put forward by Eskom, backed by the government, regarding the need to make consumers […]
Terry Bell Writes 
October 2, 2010
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