Features

Johannesburg Park Station will soon not only be a place to start your journey, but a destination to meet, shop and dine, writes Nthambeleni Gabara.

The government’s intention to impose a total control on the advertising of alcohol products has sparked a lot of commentary, with the liquor industry preaching a rhetoric that seems to suggest that the government’s plan is not in the best interest of the economy and jobs.

As is a case for most middle-class families, to enjoy their hard-earned Madibas, they will eat out two to three times a week, take their children to watch a 3D animation movie at least once a week and maybe go away on a mini-get away once every three months.

While global economies felt the pinch in recent years of serious recessions and other economic setbacks - South Africa can be thankful to have ridden the wave – due to strict management of the country’s fiscus.

After spending almost 20 years as a domestic worker, Nompumelelo Mchunu* from Tembisa was looking forward to retiring at the age of 60.

Pretoria - For now, it may be seen as an inconvenience for commuters trying to make it to work on time, but authorities maintain the introduction of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in Pretoria will usher in a new chapter in the city’s public transport network.

Those who think that working for government and being a public servant is an 8am to 4pm job should think again. It is now 8:15pm on a cold and wet Tuesday night in Cape Town, but work has not stopped, and the day is far from over for Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini and her team. After being in back-to-back meetings well into the evening, Minister Dlamini is finally able to speak to me.

Cape Town – The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Tina Joemat-Pettersson, has described as “historic” a new amendment bill which will give small-scale fishers collective fishing rights for the first time, and help root out poverty and poaching in the country’s 150 fishing communities.

The release of the annual South African Police Service (SAPS) crime statistics is always followed by a national debate on crime in South Africa, and rightly so. Crime should concern all of us as it affects everyone.

It is a well-known fact that a country where corruption reigns will fail in its endeavours to create a just and prosperous dispensation for its people. Corruption is not only bad for a government and reputation of the country but it is also detrimental to the growth of the economy, job creation and the country's overall development.

Nthambeleni Gabara still remembers Gauteng before the dawn of democracy in 1994 as a province that lacked a convenient, safe and reliable public transport system.

“I started playing football in the dusty streets of Soweto”, is often what most soccer players say when they are asked about where they grew up – often with a sense of pride.

It goes without saying that South Africans are flying the flag high when it comes to doing business abroad and the 2013 South African Expos held in China last week was indicative of this.

Johannesburg – As the elevator took off from the upper ground level of Africa’s tallest building, the security officer looked at me and said: “It only takes 45 seconds for this lift to reach the top floor.” What a thrill - I was inside the Carlton Centre or “The roof of Africa” as it is popularly known.

Leslie Sedibe is a proud South African and speaks passionately about his country whenever he gets a chance to do so.