Friday, 17 May 2013 09:36

Business Report writes that economists have put the government’s relative inertia over the bubbling mining troubles in the platinum belt down to a lack of leadership skill and a failure to understand the new political dynamics operating in the mining sector. The government’s dilly-dallying over how to handle the crisis – including issuing a statement only yesterday calling for “unions to resolve their dispute amicably”, days after violence flared and most workers had gone back to work – has been ascribed to political paralysis because it is unable to understand the new dynamics of an angry, anti-ANC and anti-Cosatu union which has turned platinum mining into a political minefield. Pan African Capital economist Iraj Abedian said the government had underestimated “the order of magnitude that is involved”, while Meganomics economist Colen Garrow said that in the run-up to national elections due to be held next year, the governing party was wary of putting the wrong foot forward.

• Read this article at Business Report

Friday, 17 May 2013 09:07

The New Age reports that the SA Military Ombudsman is planning to establish a call centre to make his unit more accessible. Ombudsman, retired Lt-General, Themba Matanzima, said this would make communication easier for people on the ground to report wrongdoing by military staff and would help reduce walk-in complaints. The year-old ombudsman’s office has already registered more than 300 grievances from SA National Defence Force members since its establishment. The office has 11 staff members with a start-up budget of R10m, which has grown to R20m. Matanzima said his office was not replacing existing structures, but was creating room for amicable solutions to all grievances brought forward without favour or victimization of junior staff.

• Read this report on page 6 of Friday’s The New Age