Is there a cure for Aids?If you answer yes, then you can count yourself amongst the almost 40% of South African civil servants who believe there is a cure.Perhaps one should expect it from that province in the east that has not had such a proud history of tackling the HIV/Aids problem, but when almost 50% of civil servants in Gauteng said “yes” there is a cure, then one has to worry!Perhaps they know something we don’t!
Cannibalism in DRC!The rebel movement led by one of the 33 presidential candidates, Pierre Bemba, is known for eating people. In the East side of DRC, there is a tribe called the Ituris. There is a belief that when you eat them, you become clever. We wonder how many can be eaten, if he succeeds in becoming the President of the country. Just imagine every parliamentary sitting, a President eats an Ituri? How many Ituris will be alive after the Presidential term? Those who thought sleeping with a child could cure Aids will find like-minded people like Bemba in the DRC!
Just what is black economic empowerment (BEE)?When Seifsa’s economist reported to a Numsa BEE workshop earlier this year he put this question to the delegates:”What is black economic empowerment? A black woman with an office in Sandton who employs a few administrative workers and imports taps and plumbing accessories from China OR Cobra Watertech that employs more than 100 workers and is now threatening to retrench workers because of the cheap Chinese imports?”
Are companies transforming?If Numsa’s recent commissioned study on BEE is anything to go by, then we think not. Of 147 companies approached to be interviewed, only 25 responded leaving us with suspicions that the other 122 companies didn’t want their lack of transformation exposed! Even the achievements of those that did respond leave much to be desired.
And still on BEETo all those employers that think they can score BEE brownie points for the amounts they have paid to Numsa for their workers’ union subscriptions – be warned, it won’t work! We have advised your BEE/empowerment rater what the income was for and you’ll have to look elsewhere for those points!