In 2011, a wrong turn only 12 kilometres from the finish cost Nedbank 360Life's Kevin Evans and David George victory in the Sani2c mountain bike race. They made no mistake in 2012, smashing the course record as they claimed victory in Scottburgh on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast on Saturday morning.

They took the overall lead after winning the opening stage between Underberg and McKenzie Club near Ixopo, KwaZulu-Natal, on Thursday and did not relinquish it.

On the third and final day, Evans and George rolled across the finishing line registering a time of 2:21:08, five seconds behind stage winners and team-mates James Reid and Charles Keey, who rode in the colours of Nedbank 360Life-Blend Properties.

Defending champion Max Knox and his new partner Mannie Heymans of Ormin finished in 2:23:59 to take third place on the day.

Overall classification

Evans, from Plettenberg Bay, and George, from Cape Town, topped the general classification with an overall time of 8:31:33.

The stage victory saw Reid and Keey cement their runner-up spot overall in 8:36:25, with Darren Lill and Brandon Stewart of FedGroup-Itec Connect-Bonitas rounding out the podium in 8:45:18.

"For us it wasn't important to win every stage; the overall was," said Evans, who notched up his fifth victory in six outings, two of which were with George.

"I love this race and I'll keep coming back. The course gets better and better every year."

No mistake

After his near-perfect record was marred last year when he and George overshot a turn on the final day, the pair made no mistake on the fast 72km final stage from Jolivet Farm near Highflats to Scottburgh High School.

By the first water point after 21km, Evans and George, riding with Reid and Keey, had opened up a lead of a minute on their pursuers, which included Knox and Heymans, Stewart and Lill, and Nico Bell and Gawie Combrinck of Bell Cycling-Columbia.

Evans said he expected more of a fight from their competition as they went up the first climb. "So we took a chance pacing with our junior team, basically consolidating our lead and making sure we had no hassles coming up to the finish.

They've been riding well

"It's great that James and Charles could win today. They've been riding really well and deserve it," he added.

Evans and George have been in superb form this season. They claimed the African jersey at the Absa Cape Epic in April and then captured the Old Mutual joBerg2c two weeks ago.

The two will also likely be contenders at next month's Trans Germany stage race, which is a solo event.

Women's race

In the women's race, early overall leaders Karien van Jaarsveld and Theresa Ralph of DisChem-Britehouse-MTN took their second stage win in 2:46:47, but it was not enough to secure the overall title after they lost almost an hour the previous day with mechanical problems. That left them in third place in the general classification in 11:07:36.

The overall honours went the way of stage two winners Ischen Stopforth and Catherine Williamson of bizhub-FCF, who came home in 2:54:08 for a combined time of 10:24:11.

Next in were the second bizhub-FCF pairing of Leana de Jager and Nicci Grobler in 3:02:24. They also claimed the runner-up spot in the overall standings in 10:57:52.

"It would have been nice to have beaten them fair and square," said Williamson, who hails from Britain. "We put so much effort into yesterday, going for the stage win because we didn’t know what the time gap was, and paid for it today."

Mixed category

Mixed category overall leaders Erik and Ariane Kleinhans of Contego-28E crashed 10km from the finish to gift bride-to-be Cherise Taylor and her future brother-in-law Dwane Stander - brother of Burry Stander - the final stage honours in 2:45:06.

The Kleinhans couple, who finished second on the day in 2:50:42, had enough of a margin to retain their title in 10:08:40. Taylor and Stander were second in 10:23:00.

Ivor Jones and Bridgitte Stewart of Crusader Logistics crossed the line in third place in 2:52:30 to claim the same position overall in 10:47:36.

SAinfo reporter

For the country to overcome inequality, South Africans must reach consensus on both workers' wages and executive pay rates, and speeding up the creation of new jobs, says Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel.

Speaking at the Next Economy National Dialogue on income inequality in Parliament, Cape Town on Thursday, Patel singled out figures in the 2010 household survey that revealed that the top 10% of earners in South Africa took home salaries that were 101 times higher than the bottom 10% of earners.

"When what one person takes away is so disproportionally larger than what another takes away, the social glue that holds society together weakens," he said, adding that income inequality also suppressed the market, as fewer people were able to buy goods and services.

Effective partnerships needed

What was needed were more effective partnerships between all sections of society.

"If partnership can do what it did to the Japanese economy after the end of the Second World War, or the German economy, or to a number of other successful economies, partnership needs a sense of being in something together," Patel said.

He highlighted the progress that Brazil had made in overcoming inequality since the mid-1990s, even though, between 2000 and 2008, Brazil and South Africa had grown at nearly the same rate - Brazil at 3.5%, South Africa at 3.6%.

The government was addressing inequality largely through social grants, the country's regressive tax system, and free or subsidised basic services.

New job opportunities key

However, this wasn't enough, Patel said, adding that the government alone would never be able to overcome inequality in South Africa.

"We have got to build, to a greater and greater extent, opportunities for employment, for jobs, for decent work, as the principle means out of poverty."

While over 300 000 new jobs had been added over the last 12 months, just over 400 000 new jobs had been added since the adoption of the New Growth Path 18 months ago - compared to the previous 18 months preceding the adoption of the new policy, when the country lost over 600 000 jobs.

"But not withstanding that jobs growth, we are hardly making a dent in jobs growth, we are hardly making a dent in unemployment levels," Patel said.

CEOs must disclose pay packages: Vavi

Also addressing the debate in Parliament, Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) secretary-general Zwelinzima Vavi said that at a youth wage subsidy - an idea first mooted by the National Treasury - would only address unemployment in the short term.

Vavi acknowledged that unemployment was the biggest problem the country faced, but said that at the same time, one couldn't look away from the issue of high pay, adding that the country needed a mechanism to get chief executives to disclose the level of their pay packages.

He agreed with the 2011 report and findings of the UK High Pay Commission, that shareholders should be given more power to vote on the pay packages and bonuses of top executives.

He said top South African executives wanted to measure their packages with those of other developed countries, while at the same time arguing that workers had to be paid on par with other developing countries.

Vavi pointed out that top executives in South Africa earned 1 728 times the average worker in their respective companies, while this gap was only at 319 times in the US.

Business sector 'unfairly demonised'

Bobby Godsell, chairman of Business Leadership South Africa, who backed the idea of setting up a commission to examine corporate pay as the UK had done, said the business sector was often unfairly demonised.

Business owners and business leaders were not only after money when running a company, but also wanted to build good companies and make a contribution to society.

Top executives had to be remunerated accordingly, he said.

In response to Vavi's assertion that inequality was increasingly dividing the country along class lines, Nazmeera Moola, head of macro-strategy at Macquarie First South, stressed that the country needed to create more jobs, no matter the scale of remuneration.

"There is class warfare, and the warfare is between those who have formal sector jobs and those that don't," Moola said.

What would relieve unemployment and narrow the gap between the rich and poor, she said, was if the country helped smaller firms to hire more workers.

UK High Pay Commission chairperson joins debate

Joining the debate in Cape Town on Thursday, Deborah Hargreaves, chairperson of the UK High Pay Commission, said the commission had developed a 12-point plan which had subsequently been adopted by the Labour party.

Hargreaves said the plan included a call to give shareholders a binding vote on chief executives' pay or exist bonuses.

She said the UK government was currently drafting regulations around executive pay which included making allowances for more diversity on companies' remuneration committees, and the calculation of a single figure around which executive pay could be structured.

However, she said the UK government had not turned down a more controversial idea to have employee representative on remuneration committees.

She said massive distortions in pay destabilised economic growth as it drew many of the brightest minds to the financial sector, away from the industrial sector. It also demoralised those in the workforce who felt that pay rates were unfair.

There was also evidence that more equal societies attracted more entrepreneurship.

She said the top 0.1% of income earners in the UK (earning more than £500 000 and consisting of 36 000 people) saw their pay rise by 64% between 1997 and 2008, while the income of middle-income earners rose only by seven percent over the same period.

In a recent British survey that asked how much top executives should be paid, most people polled said top executives should be paid between £500 000 and £700 000 pounds - a massive contrast to the average top pay of £4.2-million, she said.

Source: BuaNews

18 May 2012

After two years out of South Africa's national team, striker Siyabonga Nomvethe has forced his way back into the Bafana Bafana squad, thanks to his superb form in the PSL, where he has scored 20 goals this season, eight more than the next highest scorer.

With Nomvethe to the fore, Moroka Swallows are the PSL's leading scorers, and it's between them and Orlando Pirates for title honours with one match remaining in the season.

He has been capped 79 times and netted 16 goals. Bafana's biggest problem has for a long time been its goal scoring, so it makes sense to restore Nomvethe to the national team, even at the age of 34.

Fixtures

He is part of a 27-man line-up that was named on Thursday in Johannesburg for South Africa's upcoming 2014 World Cup qualifiers against Ethiopia and Botswana, and a friendly international against Gabon.

Bafana face the Ethiopians on 3 June in Rustenburg. On 9 June, they play Botswana in Gabarone, while the friendly against Gabon takes place on 15 June in Johannesburg.

The league's second highest goal scorer, Eleazar Rodgers of Santos, is one of four new caps in the 27-man squad, which once again underlines the search for a consistent goal scorer for the national team.

Nomvethe and Rodgers are joined up front by new cap Tokelo Rantie of Orlando Pirates and the incumbent Katlego Mphela, who have netted seven and 10 goals respectively this season.

Winger called up

On the back of a strong season by Free State Stars, which will see the team finish no lower than sixth in the league, Stars' winger Mzikakiyise Mashaba has also been called up.

There was good news for the experience of the team and for its midfield strength when Kaizer Chiefs' Siphiwe Tshabalala and Reneilwe Letsholonyane were named in the squad after previously having been sidelined by injury.

The squad includes eight overseas-based players: captain Steven Pienaar, goalkeeper Darren Keet, defenders Bongani Khumalo, Tsepo Masilela, Anele Ngcongca, and midfielders May Mahlangu and Thulani Serero.

"It is important to keep the balance of youth and experience in the team because we are also preparing the team beyond 2014. We have also acknowledged and rewarded most of the players who have done well in the PSL this season," coach Pitso Mosimane told the media at the announcement of the squad.

'Very stubborn'

Looking ahead to Bafana's first match, he said: "Ethiopia is a very and stubborn team that doesn't give up and give in to pressure.

"They have a very quick team up front and a very compact in defence, but we think we have the ammunition and the players to unlock this ultra-defensive approach.

"We have played against such defences against the Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone recently, and we managed to unlock them at particular times. We hope the experience of those two matches will help to us unlock the Ethiopian defence.

"It is important to win the game at all costs. At this point in time the key is to win the game and not focus on playing very well. The country deserves a win," he concluded.

Bafana is ranked 67th in the latest Fifa world rankings, while Ethiopia is in 138th place.

BAFANA BAFANA SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Itumeleng Khune (Kaizer Chiefs), Moeneeb Josephs (Orlando Pirates), Wayne Sandilands (Mamelodi Sundowns), Darren Keet (KV Kortrijk FC)

Defenders: Punch Masenamela (Mamelodi Sundowns), Tsepo Masilela (Getafe), Eric Mathoho (Bloemfontein Celtic), Siboniso Gaxa (Kaizer Chiefs), Morgan Gould (SuperSport United), Siyabonga Sangweni (Orlando Pirates), Bongani Khumalo (Tottenham Hotspur) Anele Ngcongca (Racing Genk)

Midfielders: Andile Jali (Orlando Pirates), May Mahlangu (Helsingsborg), Thulani Serero (Ajax Cape Town), Steven Pienaar (Everton, captain), Oupa Manyisa (Orlando Pirates), Reneilwe Letsholonyane (Kaizer Chiefs), Mzikayise Mashaba (Free State Stars), Siphiwe Tshabalala (Kaizer Chiefs), Thanduyise Khuboni (Golden Arrows), Teko Modise (Mamelodi Sundowns), Lebohang Mokoena (Mamelodi Sundowns)

Strikers: Katlego Mphela (Mamelodi Sundowns), Siyabonga Nomvethe (Moroka Swallows), Tokelo Rantie (Orlando Pirates), Eleazor Rodgers (Santos)

It is time to move past diagnosis of why African countries do not trade with each other nearly as much as they should, World Trade Organization director-general Pascal Lamy told participants at the World Economic Forum on Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Thursday.

The issue was not about diagnosis of what needed to be done, but on how to do it, Lamy said a conference session on intra-African trade.

"We know that the necessary initiatives have to happen at the regional level. Regional organizations have to address these problems one by one. The key to removing these bottlenecks lies in the political energy of regional leaders to do it."

Obstacles to intra-African trade, delegates were told, include inadequate or non-existent infrastructure, complex bureaucratic procedures, inefficient border administrations, regulatory discrepancies that hamper trade and economies of scale - and, more recently, the tightening up of trade finance.

"Trade finance is the oil of trade, and there is a potential problem given new financial regulations that have been developed worldwide since the [2008-09 global] financial crisis," Lamy said.

Regulatory environment 'must be harmonized'

Africa's trade landscape is characterized by a patchwork of trade rules and regulations that make cross-border trade cumbersome and, at times, impossible, delegates heard. The regulatory environment across the continent would have to be harmonized before Africa could realize its potential as a global trade powerhouse.

If national governments could get their priorities clear on this, Lamy said, they would find there was plenty of funding available to help them achieve it.

"African countries and regions need to set up a list of priorities of what needs to be done, and do it. It is not a problem of resources - we have the resources. The Aid for Trade lesson is that once countries have their priorities clear, money is not a problem."

African companies would not become global players until they captured regional markets, warned Jaidev Shroff, chief executive of United Phosphorus of India.

"There is a lot of talk about Africa becoming a global supplier of food, energy, minerals, etc," Shroff said. "But until governments make the business environment more competitive, it is going to be very difficult to achieve."

Increasing, diversifying productive capacity

For Ethiopian Industry Minister Mekonnen Manyazewal, infrastructure and the capacity to manage and facilitate trade was "a basic", but the need to reduce costs and diversify countries' economic base was also paramount.

"The issue of increasing our productive capacity and diversifying our products are key for trading," Manyazewal said. African countries also needed to diversify their economic bases, he said.

"It is time to look for quick wins by analysing the value chains from production to the markets and find the constraints that can be overcome through better coordination, better administration and efficiency."

Manyazewal called on the private sector to invest in Africa's productive capacity, echoing calls by both Lamy and Jean-Louis Ekra, president of the African Export-Import Bank, for the private sector to mobilize and create "bottom-up pressure" on politicians to address the issues of trade openness and competitiveness.

Call for private sector to engage

"A few African entrepreneurs understand trade issues," said Ekra. "It is important that they build capacity on these issues so they can put pressure on the government to negotiate in their favour."

In the wake of the global financial crisis, many national banks are cautious, which is why one of the roles of the African Export-Import Bank was to allow banks to feel more secure about instrument issued by other banks, Ekra said. The private sector needed to engage in this issue.

"Once the African private sector talks to itself and speaks with one voice, there are grounds to improve and increase the level of transactions among them."

Mahmoud Eisa, Egypt's minister of industry and foreign trade, pointed out that Africa should have a target to increase its percentage of global trade from 4%, and should set a target for intra-African trade.

But trade without infrastructure "will always be an intention rather than an accomplishment", Eisa added. Transport and communications were critical, but so was infrastructure such as laboratories, regulation and trade policies.

Eisa pointed to the European Union, where trade regulations are harmonized, as a model. He also called for stronger standardization in the light of a "weak" African Regional Organization for Standardization.

Source: World Economic Forum

Open for business

First-world infrastructure plus a vibrant emerging market equals huge investment potential!

African agriculture is undergoing a transformation, creating a new era of opportunity for both farmers and investors, according to African and global leaders at the World Economic Forum on Africa.

The Grow Africa Investment Forum, convened jointly by the African Union, Nepad and the World Economic Forum (WEF), engaged over 270 leaders at the gathering in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Thursday.

These included heads of state and government from Ethiopia, Rwanda and Tanzania, as well as leaders of African and global business, international and donor agencies and farmer organizations.

Huge investment potential

Forum participants noted that African agriculture offers tremendous growth potential to investors, which in turn promised to strengthen food security and economic opportunity on the continent.

Greater private-sector investment and improvements to the business enabling environment were needed to capture this potential, delegates were told.

The leaders noted that much of the continent's agricultural potential remains untapped. "We have scratched the surface, but we haven't yet broken the mould," said Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. "When we do that, you will see the explosion of development in Africa."

During Thurday's session, seven countries showcased specific investment and partnership opportunities aligned to their national priorities for agricultural transformation.

'We are ready to do business'

"We are ready to do business; that's why we came to this meeting," said Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, noting that Tanzania's agriculture investment strategy prioritized groups that could most benefit from new market opportunities.

"When we bring in the private sector, it is to benefit the smallholder farmers," Kikwete said. "We need to modernize agriculture and make it more attractive to youth."

President Kikwete added that governments had an important role to play in providing support in areas of irrigation, inputs and building commodity markets. However, private sector investment was also essential in order to avoid over-dependence on subsidies.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame said that African countries could "mobilize farmers into an entrepreneurial mindset and create new opportunities for women, youth and rural entrepreneurs."

'New ways of leveraging the agriculture sector'

The Grow Africa partnership has developed significant momentum since it was launched at the 2011 World Economic Forum on Africa in Cape Town, South Africa.

A total of 116 companies participated in the Grow Africa Investment Forum, including 49 African and 47 multinational companies, plus 20 from other regions such as Asia and the Middle East.

"Much of the investment in Africa can come from Africa if we provide the right financing mechanisms and policy environment," said African Export-Import Bank president Jean-Louis Ekra.

According to Unilever executive vice-president Frank Braeken, African leaders "are defining new ways to leverage the agriculture sector as a driver of inclusive and sustainable growth. This offers new agribusiness opportunities that are increasingly attractive to investors."

Empowering African farmers 'crucial'

Participants agreed that empowering African farmers would be central to the future of agriculture on the continent.

"Smallholder farmers are a sleeping giant in Africa," said Dyborn Chibonga, CEO of the National Smallholder Farmers' Association of Malawi. "That sleeping giant needs to be mobilized into collective action groups."

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said the way to realize this was through increasing the productivity of small farmers and having them well organized and collaborative in order to take advantage of supply chains and investments

Ethiopia has achieved significant gains in agricultural productivity using this model in recent years, setting aside 16% of its national budget for agriculture - well above the 10% to which all African governments have committed themselves.

The Grow Africa partnership, coordinated by the African Union, Nepad and the WEF, aims to "galvanize sustainable investment into African agriculture based on country-led priorities," the WEF said on Thursday.

According to the WEF, Grow Africa builds upon the CAADP, which works to boost African agricultural productivity through sector development plans. Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Mozambique, Ghana, Kenya and Ethiopia are the first countries to engage with Grow Africa.

"The Grow Africa platform is open to all countries, and can accelerate the implementation of national investment plans developed through the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme," said African Union chairperson Jean Ping.

The potential seen in African agriculture presents a transformational opportunity, according to WEF vice-chairman Josette Sheeran. "Working together, we can ensure that when we meet in 10 years, it will be in an Africa that is not only feeding itself, but helping to feed the world."

SAinfo reporter and World Economic Forum

Open for business

First-world infrastructure plus a vibrant emerging market equals huge investment potential!

Port operator Transnet Port Terminals will spend R33-billion (US$4.3-billion) over the next seven years on upgrading and expanding South Africa's ports, as part of a massive state-led infrastructure drive aimed at boosting the country's economic growth.

The R33-billion capital expenditure will form part of state-owned Transnet Group's R300-billion (US$39.1-billion) expenditure on port and rail capital projects until 2018/19.

Unveiling details of the expenditure in Durban on Thursday, Transnet Port Terminals CEO Karl Socikwa said Transnet's new market demand strategy "has major implications for our division's responsibility to facilitate unconstrained growth, unlock demand and create world-class port operations through improved efficiencies.

Boosting port competitiveness, efficiency

"It entails an acceleration of our capacity creation programmes at all our major terminals, to ensure that we are able to grow the economy and make the ports as competitive and efficient as possible," Socikwa said in a statement.

Seventy-one percent of the R33-billion spend will be on port expansion projects, while the remaining 29% will go towards "capital sustaining projects", including the replacement and refurbishment of equipment, Socikwa said.

The expansion projects will see major increases in the container handling capacity of the ports in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal and Ngqura outside Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape.

Container handling capacity

Durban Continer Terminal's Pier 1 will see its capacity grow from 700 000 to 1.2-million TEUs by 2016/17, while its Pier 2 capacity will expand from 2.1-million to 3.3-million TEUs by 2017/18.

The Ngqura Container Terminal, which has been earmarked as a transshipment hub, will be expanded from 800 000 to 2-million TEUs by 2018/19.

Container capacity is also being created in other terminals, such as the Durban Ro-Ro and Maydon Wharf Terminal, through the acquisition of new equipment, including as mobile cranes, and various infrastructure upgrades.

Bulk handling capacity

The bulk handling capacity at Ngqura, Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal, and Saldanha in the Western Cape will also come in for major expansion.

R3.7-billion has been set aside for the ageing Richards Bay Terminal, with investments in mobile equipment, quayside equipment and weighbridges fast-tracked for 2012/13, and safety-critical, environmental and legal compliance projects also in the pipeline.

R1.2-billion will be spent on creating new capacity, including new storage areas, at Richards Bay, while Transnet also pursues the reengineering of the port to create additional capacity for bulk products at the terminal.

Saldanha's iron ore bulk facility, which has undergone significant expansion in recent years, will be further expanded, taking its capacity from 60 to 82 million tons per annum.

Additional manganese capacity will be created by relocating the existing, 5.5mtpa export facility in Port Elizabeth to a new two-berth manganese facility at the Port of Ngqura, boosting capacity to 12 million tons per annum from 2016/17.

SAinfo reporter

First-world infrastructure plus a vibrant emerging market equals huge investment potential!

The South African government has formally invited local and international manufacturers to submit bids to build 7 224 commuter rail coaches worth an estimated R123-billion, as the country pushes for a complete overhaul of its passenger rail service.

The 20-year fleet renewal programme of the state-owned Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) is expected to create around 65 000 jobs as a new generation of South African railway artisans and engineers come to the fore.

Speaking to journalists in Johannesburg on Thursday, Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele said these would be modern trains "defined by greater passenger mobility, automatic train protection and a high quality of crashworthiness ... carrying capacity is high, they are energy-efficient and very light, largely based on aluminum rather than heavy steel."

Comprehensive passenger rail programme

The investment would, over time, achieve significant economic benefits for the country as well as the benefits of an efficient transport system, while serving as the catalyst for a comprehensive passenger rail programme over the next 30 years.

Over the next decade, the government would be implementing "a number of rail interventions aimed at making rail the backbone of our passenger transport system".

The revitalisation of passenger rail travel in the country will run parallel with a massive push to shift the transport of freight in the country from road to rail.

Earlier this month, state company Transnet announced details of a R300-billion investment in infrastructure aimed at creating over half-a-million new jobs while making its freight rail division the fifth-largest in the world.

Both programmes are in line with South Africa's new multi-billion rand infrastructure drive, announced by President Jacob Zuma in his State of the Nation address in February.

65% localisation target

Piet Sebola, head of Prasa's rolling stock acquisition, told Business Day on Thursday that the fleet renewal programme came with a 65% localisation target, requiring manufacturers to invest in production and skills transfer in South Africa and to establish a manufacturing base in the country by at least 2016.

In addition, Prasa will be spending around R15.5-billion on new rail signaling and train depots.

According to Business Day, Prasa has also begun work on a parallel, three-year, R25.9-billion investment in high-density commuter stations.

Prasa is the operator of commuter rail service Metrorail.

SAinfo reporter and BuaNews

20 April 2012

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe has assured Ghana of South Africa's loyal support, saying he hopes the two countries can work together in tackling the challenges facing the continent.

Motlanthe is in Ghana for a working visit which could see the two countries cooperating in the energy sector, among others.

Relations between South Africa and Ghana, one of the most stable multi-party democracies in West Africa, are very good, with both countries maintaining residential diplomatic missions in each other's capitals.

'Shining example of democracy'

Speaking at a gala dinner held on his behalf in Accra on Thursday, Motlanthe congratulated Ghana on celebrating its 55th anniversary of independence in March.

"As one of the African countries holding elections this year, we look up to your excellent track record and good governance in holding free and fair elections. We hope your country will once again serve as a shining example of democratic change."

Motlanthe added that he was pleased that Ghana, like South Africa, continued to play a critical role in peacekeeping and upholding good governance in Africa.

While in Ghana, Motlanthe will hold talks with his counterpart, Dramani Mahama, as well as pay a courtesy call on President John Evans Atta Mills.

On the agenda, according to the Presidency, will be cooperation in areas such as energy and energy-related technology, security, and environmental issues, including the management of national parks.

Trade volumes on the increase

According to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Ghana represents a the biggest export market for South African goods in West Africa after Nigeria.

In recent years, trade between the two countries has grown significantly, with South African exports increasing from less than R1-billion in 1998 to over R3-billion in 2009, while imports from Ghana have increased over the same period.

Exports have included vehicles, machinery, mechanical appliances, electrical equipment, base metals, aircraft, vessels and associated products.

"While total trade volumes are still relatively low in global terms, it is expected that these figures will grow," the department said.

There are more than 80 South African companies registered in Ghana.

Motlanthe is being accompanied on his trip by Energy Minister Dipuo Peters, Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba, and Deputy International Relations Minister Ebrahim Ebrahim.

BuaNews

20 April 2012

The e-tolling system on Gauteng province's main highways will become operational on 30 April as planned, despite opposition from motorists, business, unions and a pending court challenge, says South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) CEO Nazir Alli.

Addressing journalists in Pretoria on Thursday, Alli said there was no chance that the implementation of the e-tolling system would be delayed, as this would only result in additional costs.

He said the number of motorists who had registered for the system had increased to 500 000.

Last week, the agency gazetted that motorists who did not register for e-tags would end up paying more per kilometre.

No arrests or impounding of vehicles

Alli said it would be a criminal offence for a motorist to use the toll roads and not pay the tariffs, adding that South Africans could not pick and choose which laws they wished to obey and which they did not.

However, Alli dismissed media reports that there would be "Sanral police" serving unregistered motorist with tickets. He said Sanral did not have the power to arrest anyone or to impound anyone's vehicles.

Instead, he said, Sanral would use the current law enforcement agencies to warn motorists of the implications of their non-compliance.

Full consultation 'well in advance'

Alli said the issue of tolling some of Gauteng's main highways was not new, but had been part of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project from the time the plan was introduced in 2007.

The matter had been approved by Cabinet. Sanral had also had to get permission from all the relevant local authorities, and public consultations had been held, and this had happened long before construction started, Alli said.

He said Sanral had documents to prove that extensive consultation on the project was undertaken within government, with business and labour, and with the public, and that presentations on the project were made when it was announced.

'Nothing to do with Public Investment Cooperation'

He rejected allegations that the government was pushing ahead with the system despite opposition because the state-owned Public Investment Cooperation (PIC) had acquired bonds in Sanral.

The PIC manages investment funds on behalf of public sector entities. Among its clients is the Government Employees Pension Fund.

Alli said the PIC did not buy Sanral-issued bonds only. "It invests in other state-owned entities, which have a mandate to bring about development in the country."

'How else fund the road maintenance backlog?'

He said the question South Africans should be asking was how the country was going to fund its lagging infrastructure and transport system, adding that there was a R149-billion backlog on maintenance of the country's roads.

He said the e-tolling system worked and provided at least one solution to the country's fiscal and infrastructure development and environmental challenges.

Quoting statistics, Alli said that out of the 606 000 kilometres of public road in the country, 3 120 kilometres were tolled.

He added that the most fundamental contribution of the e-tolling system had been job creation, as at least 20 000 jobs had been created in the construction phase of the project.

Now the project had created 1 200 permanent jobs in toll revenue collection and other areas.

Also speaking at the briefing, Cabinet spokesperson Jimmy Manyi said the government had done a lot to accommodate the public, especially the poor, in that taxis and buses were excluded from paying the tolls, while the middle class had also been considered because there was a R550 cap for regular road users.

Source: BuaNews

South Africans have been urged to get out the six-coloured flags, pull on the green and gold t-shirts, and show their support for the country's Olympic and Paralympic athletes on Team SA Fridays.

At a special event to mark the 100-day countdown to the 2012 Olympics at Gold Reef City in Johannesburg on Wednesday, the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) called on South Africans to get behind the men and women who would be representing them in London in July and August.

The new campaign is in line with Magnificent Fridays, a Department of Sport and Recreation-led drive to unite the country behind its national football, cricket, rugby, netball and other sporting teams and competitors.

Magnificent Fridays is modelled on the concept of Football Fridays, the highly successful Brand South Africa initiative that saw South Africans rally as never before behind the national football team, Bafana Bafana, and the country's 2010 Fifa World Cup effort.

Track and field athletes and members of the national men's hockey team, which will be leaving for an Olympic Qualifier tournament in Japan on Thursday, were among those in attendance at Wednesday's launch event, where a number of Team South Africa Ambassadors were announced.

These include Springbok Sevens' star Cecil Africa, former Bafana Bafana captain Lucas Radebe, World Golf Hall of Famer Ernie Els, cricket great Makhaya Ntini, and Cynthia Tshaka, founder of the Sports Hero's walk against HIV/Aids.

"The role of the Team SA Ambassador is to inspire and mentor the Team SA athletes competing at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, while encouraging young and old people worldwide to become more active in sport," said Sascoc CEO Tubby Reddy explained.

Team SA mascot Chukuru also showed off his moves at Wednesday's launch, where he proved to be a big hit.

SAinfo reporter