SA: Mbeki`s power shedding

21 April, 2008 in South Africa

source: IOL

April 20 2008 at 05:44PM

By Chiara Carter

Rather than being a lame duck president, Thabo Mbeki increasingly resembles yesterday’s man.

This week it became clearer than ever that whatever the spin on a good relationship between the ANC and the Mbeki government, the reality is that the lines from ANC Head Quaters Luthuli House and the Union Buildings diverge on several key issues.

And it is not over the vexing situation in Zimbabwe alone that the post-Polokwane ANC leadership is speaking out – often in ways that tap into popular sentiment – leaving the government scrabbling to regain ground.

There’s the electricity crisis, spiralling food prices and crime.

ANC leaders this week also [continue reading]

Scarce skills allowance won`t kill private sector

21 April, 2008 in Botswana

source: Sunday Standard
by Philimon Molaodi
20.04.2008 10:10:07 A

The recent introduction of the ‘attraction and retention policy’ for the public service by government would not crowd out the private sector in the labour market, analysts have concurred.
This is a rare conclusion, in view of the fact that in the past, government, through annual wage adjustments and Debswana’s high entry salary scales, were bashed for pushing wages higher in other sectors of the economy and in the process rendering them uncompetitive – a thing that was seen as countering private sector nurturing.

“We must understand that this is not salary restructuring – the scarce skills do not affect basic salary. Again, the arrangement is cyclical. Government has said it is temporary, so it means that [continue reading]

Southern Africa: SADC Poverty Conference Runs Into Snags

21 April, 2008 in SADC

source: allAfrica
Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (Maputo)

20 April 2008
Posted to the web 20 April 2008

Port Louis, Mauritius

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Consultative Conference on development and poverty, under way in the Mauritian capital of Port Louis, ran into snags on Saturday afternoon, with a four hour delay in producing the expected final communique and press briefing.

This conference is at ministerial level, and precedes the gathering of SADC heads of state and government scheduled for Sunday.

Explaining the delay to reporters, the SADC Executive Secretary, Tomas Salomao, claimed it was due to the change in format of this year’s consultative conference. At the last such conference, held in Windhoek in 2006, there were just two groups present – SADC governments, and foreign donors (now referred to as “international cooperating partners”).

But this time representatives of [continue reading]

BOCCIM endorses new liquor regulations

21 April, 2008 in Botswana

source: Sunday Standard
by Bashi Letsididi
20.04.2008 10:40:16 A

The Executive Director of BOCCIM, Maria Machailo-Ellis, has endorsed the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s liquor trade regulations stating that the government is “only carrying out the responsibility that any government would take given the current irresponsible use of liquor which results in car accidents and, in some instances, breaking down of families. What government wants to achieve is in line with the tenets of Vision 2016.”

In response to the question of whether the regulations make good business sense, Machailo-Ellis said that the decision to introduce them was taken “from a moral point of view to address social challenges brought about by irresponsible consumption of alcohol.”

Owing to the fact that the new regulations would affect their bottom line, the resuscitated Liquor Traders Association (LTA) which has [continue reading]