Killer python

Wildlife South Africa, python

 

Please find our Email Disclaimer here-->: http://www.ukzn.ac.za/disclaimer

Lions of South Africa

Lions in South Africa.

 

 

OUTsurance offers you low premiums and a cash OUTbonus. Click here for a free no obligation quote.

Please find our Email Disclaimer here-->: http://www.ukzn.ac.za/disclaimer

Why is SA crime so violent?

National Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa on Thursday urged researchers to contribute towards reducing violent crime in South Africa. Speaking at an Institute for Security Studies Conference in Muldersdrift, Mthethwa said researchers could play a critical role in researching the reasons behind violent crime.

“There are many developing nations with economies bigger or smaller than South Africa which do not have the level of violence that exists in South Africa. We would expect researchers to probe this aspect,” he said.
He said that police also needed to communicate their arrests to the public.The failure of police to communicate their successes did them no favours and contributed to a poor public perception.

He said the confidence of new recruits needed to be inspired by their commanding officers. Too often recruits' enthusiasm for a career in the police was destroyed.

“We want young people to want to become police officers, we do not want their spirits dampened by corrupt police officers.”

He said police still needed to address the issue of policing in rural areas. Police stations tended to be located in cities and towns, leaving rural residents at the mercy of criminals. He said that a major challenge was to rid the country of illegal firearms. In the fight against drugs, he said that there needed to be more focus on transnational crimes. - Sapa

Walmart’s $4 billion (about R28 billion) bid for South African retailer Massmart

LAGOS/JOHANNESBURG — Giant U.S. retailer Walmart’s $4 billion (about R28 billion) bid for South African retailer Massmart could be just the first step by global retailers who are currently jockeying for a strong position in Africa.

The move by Walmart to buy Massmart turns the spotlight on local competitors Shoprite and Pick n Pay.
Walmart and rivals Carrefour, Tesco and Metro are likely to look beyond South Africa to establish a presence across the continent.

“Africa has been the big missing component of every major retailer’s emerging market strategy,” said Bryan Roberts, an analyst at UK-based Planet Retail.

Growth rates of seven percent or more in many frontier African countries put South Africa’s relatively pedestrian projected expansion of two to three percent in the shade.

Coupled with the gradual emergence of a middle-class after a decade of robust growth and relative political stability, the logic of a “scramble for Africa” by major international retailers becomes compelling.
Walmart regional executive Andy Bond admitted such thinking existed in the Massmart deal, telling Reuters that South Africa was “very much a gateway” to the rest of southern Africa.

Beyond its 232 outlets in South Africa, Massmart’s Game and Makro low-margin, high-turnover operations are represented by 24 stores in 13 African countries. — Reuters.

Vuvuzelas are on sale in New Delhi,

NEW DELHI — The Commonwealth Games could end up sounding an awful lot like the football World Cup. Vuvuzelas are on sale in New Delhi, and they have been selling steadily ahead of the October 3-14 games. “There is a lot of demand for the vuvuzela. A lot of demand,” said Suresh Kumar, the chairperson of Premier Brands, the Indian company in charge of merchandising at the Commonwealth Games. “We have sold more than 12 000 pieces.”

Loved by some and despised by others, the vuvuzela was a constant topic of conversation in South Africa. While the South African football fans embraced the atmosphere it helped create at games across the country, many broadcasters and viewers from abroad complained that the drone disrupted the enjoyment of watching games on television.

The debate hasn’t deterred Commonwealth Games organisers in the Indian capital, where 50 000 vuvuzelas were imported from China for the event. There is no plan at this stage to bring in more, even though they are the second best-selling product behind T-shirts, Kumar said.

The vuvuzelas are selling for 250 rupees (about R39) and will be available at all competition venues and in some areas of the city, including the airport and train stations. They can also be bought online and from mobile stores that will visit schools and major residential areas.

SA's first black porn movie

Piet Rampedi

Johannesburg - The creators of South Africa’s first locally produced, all-black porno movie say their members are hungry for local content.

Speaking ahead of the launch of the movie, Mapona Volume 1, in Johannesburg on September 30, Sondeza.com, a locally created website for sexually explicit material, said the project was a response to the frustration expressed by about 30 000 members of the group who had registered on Sondeza’s website since it started operating in 2008.

Tau Morena, one of the brains behind Sondeza.com, said the hour-long movie was shot over three days earlier this year: “It has been shot in a manner which gives the viewer an opportunity to feel as if they are part of the action.

“The DVD was brought about by lack of content in terms of adult ­entertainment movies.”

All of the cast members responded to an audition call over the website.

Sondeza paid them, even though they had volunteered their services.

They were screened for HIV/Aids and other sexually transmitted diseases and the men had to use condoms.

There were breaks of up to four hours during shooting to ­allow cast members to “relax”.

The inexperienced actors were initially a bit nervous, but not overly concerned about their naked bodies appearing on screen.

Morena would not say how much it had cost to produce the movie, but he insisted it was not “cheap”.

Sondeza was started two years ago as a network of former university friends who wanted to share sexual experiences.

They posted pictures and videos of their sexual exploits on the website.

Now, Morena said, Sondeza’s members were spread across the SADC and even the UK and US.

He said public perceptions of immorality remained a challenge, but Sondeza had not created adult entertainment – it merely ­localised something that even the elders were “consuming” behind closed doors.

- City Press

Mercedes-Benz SA (MBSA) is bidding for a R2bn contract to produce the new C-Class in South Africa

Johannesburg - Mercedes-Benz SA (MBSA) is bidding for a R2bn contract to produce the new C-Class in South Africa, the company said on Thursday.

The company on Thursday informed Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies of its bid to secure the contract which could result in 2 000 new jobs. MBSA president Hansgeorg Niefer told Davies it was "sharpening its pencil" to get a fair chance at the production which is due to commence in about four years' time.

"Our discussion with Minister Davies today was very positive. He has promised support and co-operation on the part of government through the Automotive Investment Scheme."

"We welcome this support in our effort to secure this contract for South Africa. We expect the outcome of the bid by year-end," said Niefer.

Please find our Email Disclaimer here: http://www.ukzn.ac.za/disclaimer/

Sri Radhastami - Hare Krishna Temple - Durban.

Pictures from yesterday's Sri Radhastami Celebrations at the Hare Krishna Temple in Durban.

The Hare Krishna Temple is an official place to visit on Durban's Tourism circuit.

--
ISKCON Pietermaritzburg [Communications]
Web: www.iskconpmb.za.org
Email: info@iskconpmb.za.org
SMS service: 083 787 5454
Facebook: Iskcon Pietermaritzburg

Please chant:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

To subscribe: send email to iskconpmb+subscribe@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to iskconpmb+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.

Please find our Email Disclaimer here: http://www.ukzn.ac.za/disclaimer/

Taxi burning after a crash on the N2 highway in Cape Town

News24 user Shaun Hamman took this photo, on her cellphone, of a minibus taxi burning after a crash on the N2 highway in Cape Town where 20 people were injured.

Please find our Email Disclaimer here: http://www.ukzn.ac.za/disclaimer/

Muhammad Ali's advice to his daughter

An incident transpired when Muhammad Ali's daughters arrived at his home wearing clothes that were quite revealing.

Here is the story as told by one of his daughters:
"When we finally arrived, the chauffeur escorted my younger sister, Laila, and me up to my father's suite. As usual, he was hiding behind the door waiting to scare us. We exchanged many hugs and kisses as we could
possibly give in one day. My father took a good look at us. Then he sat me down on his lap and said something that I will never forget. He looked me straight in the eyes and said, "Hana, everything that God made valuable in the world is covered and hard to get to. Where do you find diamonds? Deep down in
the ground, covered and protected. Where do you find pearls? Deep down at the bottom of the ocean, covered up and protected in a beautiful shell.Where do you find gold? Way down in the mine, covered over with layers and layers of rock. You've got to work hard to get to them." He looked at me with
serious eyes. "Your body is sacred. You're far more precious than diamonds and pearls, and you should be covered too."

Kya Sands informal settlement near

A schoolboy tries to make his way past a burnt shack after a fire destroyed it, and fifty others, at the Kya Sands informal settlement near Bloubosrand, north of Johannesburg. Photo: Boxer Ngwenya, The Star

Please find our Email Disclaimer here: http://www.ukzn.ac.za/disclaimer/

One Man One Wife

South Africa Vacation Guide

For the golf enthusiast, South Africa is a wonderful destination –
and that's an understatement. The country boasts an ideal climate for
spending time out on the fairways under the bright African sun, and
golfers here are blessed for choice.

If you enjoy the challenge of a coastal course, there is a stunning
selection available; if you prefer playing at altitude, where the ball
flies that much further, the selection is just as good.

Probably the most famous golf course in South Africa is the Gary Player
Country Club at Sun City, home to the Nedbank Golf Challenge that offers
the largest first prize of any tournament in the world. However, there
are many other world-class courses that have featured on both the
European PGA Tour as well as the local Sunshine Tour, not to mention a
wealth of excellent courses besides.

This golf destination guide to South Africa has been designed to
provide you with information that is pertinent to the golf traveller who
is on their way to the South Africa. Comprised of a complete golf course
guide, links to full course reviews, regional golf overviews, city
capsules, and vacation package information, WorldGolf.com's guide is the
perfect place to start planning your next South Africa golf holiday!

Please find our Email Disclaimer here: http://www.ukzn.ac.za/disclaimer/

Beer and Tax Economics: This somehow makes sense

Suppose that every evening, 10 men go out for beer and the bill for all
ten comes to R100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it
would go something like this:
The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay R1.
The sixth would pay R3.
The seventh would pay R7.
The eighth would pay R12.
The ninth would pay R18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay R59.
So, that's what they decided to do....... The 10 men drank in the bar
every evening and were quite happy with the arrangement, until one day,
the owner said, "Since you are all such good customers, I'm going to
reduce the cost of your daily beer by R20".
Drinks for the 10 men would now cost just R80.
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes. So
the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But
what about the other six men, the paying customers - how could they
divide the R20 windfall so that everyone would get his fair share? They
realised that R20 divided by six is R3.33. But if they subtracted that
from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each
end up being paid to drink his beer.
So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's
bill by a higher percentage the poorer he was, to follow the principle
of the tax system they had been using, and he proceeded to work out the
amounts he suggested that each should now pay.
Therefore, the fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing.
The sixth now paid R2 instead of R3 (33% saving).
The seventh now paid R5 instead of R7 (28% saving).
The eighth now paid R9 instead of R12 (25% saving).
The ninth now paid R14 instead of R18 (22% saving).
The tenth now paid R49 instead of R59 (16% saving).
Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued
to drink for free. But, once outside the bar, the men began to compare
their savings.
"I only got a rand out of the R20 saving," declared the sixth man. He
pointed to the tenth man, "but he got R10!"
"Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a rand too.
It's unfair - he got 10 times more benefit than me!"
"That's true!" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get R10 back,
when I got only R2? The wealthy always win!"
"Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison, "we didn't get
anything at all. This new tax system exploits the poor!"
The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.
The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat
down and had their beers without him. But when it came time to pay the
bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money
between all of them for even half of the bill!
And that, boys and girls, journalists, labour unions and government
ministers, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest
taxes will naturally get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them
too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up
anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas, where the
atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.
This message and any attached files may contain information that is
confidential and/or subject of legal privilege intended only for use by
the intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient or the
person responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient,
be advised that you have received this message in error and that any
dissemination, copying or use of this message or attachment is strictly
forbidden, as is the disclosure of the information therein. If you have
received this message in error please notify the sender immediately and
delete the message.

********************
Nedbank Limited Reg No 1951/000009/06. The following link displays
the names of the Nedbank Board of Directors and Company Secretary.
[ http://www.nedbank.co.za/terms/DirectorsNedbank.htm ]
This email is confidential and is intended for the addressee only.
The following link will take you to Nedbank's legal notice.
[ http://www.nedbank.co.za/terms/EmailDisclaimer.htm ]
********************
Please find our Email Disclaimer here: http://www.ukzn.ac.za/disclaimer/

The Ongoing strike

The public servants strike in South Africa