Current Edition >> Archives Section >> Spot Coverage >> 1 February 2006
It is reported that the Goldfields Casino, situated in Stateway in the CBD of Welkom, has been granted a permanent licence. At the same time approval has been given for the upgrading of the casino at a cost of almost R30 million, doubling it in size.
The Checkers Centre, adjacent to the casino, bought by new owners, is also to be upgraded into an ultra-modern shopping centre.
What is notable about the Goldfields Casino, is that whilst the general pattern elsewhere is that casino’s are built just outside normal business and residential areas on the outskirts of cities or towns, the casino at Welkom is receiving permanent status within the CBD. Originally a site at Flamingo Pan was earmarked for the local casino.
'n Egpaar van Fourways, Johannesburg, het in die Nedbank Eyethu-aandeleskema aandele bekom deur bloot op die aansoekvorm aan te dui dat hulle “Afrikane” is. Die skema bepaal uitdruklik dat slegs Afrikane, ingesluit bruinmense en Indiërs, aan die skema mag deelneem waardeur geprobeer word om Nedbank se aandeelhouding kragtens bemagtigingskriteria te verbreed.
Mnr. Hendrik en me. Anna Wentzel van Fourways, 'n afgetrede egpaar wat reeds 40 jaar lank Nedbank-kliënte is, het egter daarin geslaag om elk R5 000 se aandele te bekom aangesien die Handves vir die Finansiële Sektor se riglyne bepaal dat Afrikane vir aandele in bemagtigingskemas in aanmerking mag kom. Geen riglyne vir wat 'n Afrikaan is, word verskaf nie.
Mnr. Kallie Kriel van Solidariteit het gesê die Wentzels beskou hulself as Afrikane “hoewel hulle bleek van gelaatskleur is”. Volgens Kriel het pres. Thabo Mbeki met sy “I am an African”-toespraak gesê dat die tyd is verby dat ras as maatstaf gebruik word om te bepaal wie 'n Afrikaan is en wie nie.
Kriel sê Solidariteit is ten gunste van die uitwissing van armoede en ongelykhede en in die lig daarvan word inkomstevlak beskou as 'n beter maatstaf as ras. “Dit sou dus gehelp het indien die Eyethu-skema aan almal aangebied is wat bv. minder as R3 000 per maand verdien.”
Die Grondwet van Suid-Afrika bevat geen rassedefinisie nie en derhalwe is enige sodanige definisie, met in- of uitsluiting, ongrondwetlik.
The long-awaited draft BEE codes for small businesses have been released by the dti end of 2005 and comments are now being invited.
Most business owners understand that you cannot do business without at least some broad understanding of the latest government thinking on BEE and will now be looking for ways to come to grips with the small business BEE codes.
But the effort required to understand them should not be underestimated. In order to understand the specific code that deals with small business and BEE, Code 1000, you will have to have a good grasp of the entire Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act, as well as the first set of codes that came out last year, called the First Phase. If you have the time and inclination, go to www.dti.gov.za, download the codes and read them.
If that is impractical, keep your eyes open for the numerous seminars and workshops that business consultants and advisors will be presenting in the coming months about the codes. But make very sure that their discussions will specifically include Code 1000, the one that deals with small businesses. There are already many "Understanding-BEE" workshops, but by far most of them are aimed at corporates, who of course are not interested in Code 1000.
Meanwhile, in very broad terms, Code 1000 stipulates that a "Qualifying Small Business" may choose to measure its BEE credentials according to the "Qualifying Small Business Scorecard", as opposed to the "Generic Small Business Scorecard". The scorecards are more or less the same, except that on the "Qualifying Small Business Scorecard", a business may choose to be measured by only five out of the seven measurements on the scorecard. A "Qualifying Small Business" may therefore choose to leave out black ownership, or procurement from black-owned companies, for example.
And what is a "Qualifying Small Business"? It depends on the industry, but for most, it is a business with fewer than 50 workers and less than R10 million turnover a year.
It is being reported that water consumption in the areas of Freedom Square, Batho, Bochabela and Heidedal has been reduced from an average of 20 kl to 12 kl per month, translating in monetary terms to a saving of R 3,4 million.
Said acting executive mayor of Mangaung Municipality, Eva Moilwa : “This achievement results from the Water Leakage Awareness and Repairs Project (WLARP) launched in February 2005 as a pilot project aimed at repairing all site water leaks within the project area. We utilised local community members and trained them as community plumbers who perform basic plumbing repairs and maintenance work. To date in excess of 120 residents have been trained. Following this success the municipality has now set aside R8 million to extend the project to all areas of Mangaung where water consumption and outstanding debts are comparatively high.”
The annual Round-the-Island-Race (RTIR) held Saturday, 4 February 2006, at Deneysville on the Vaal Dam, reputed to be the largest inland event of its kind in Africa, drew record entries with almost 500 yachts, 1 700 sailors and more than 4 000 supporters and visitors. On the photo below the keelboats assembled just before the start of this year's main event. Other events provided for inter alia for vessels ranging from catamarans to smaller dinghies of all sorts. Sailing conditions were ideal with the Vaal Dam full at 100,5%. Results on www.ldyc.co.za.
Groot belangstelling heers vir die 2006 Medihelp Nasionale Besigheidsuitdaag-aflos wat op 18 Maart 2006 in Bloemfontein gehou word. Die aflos dek 'n afstand van slegs 7 km per deelnemer vir hardloop- en stapspanne. 'n Hardloopspan bestaan uit ses lede en moet 'n afstand van 42,2 km voltooi terwyl 'n stapspan drie lede het en 21,1 km moet aflê. Dames-, mans- of gemengde spanne kan inskryf en elke deelnemer ontvang 'n medalje.
Die aflos begin om 08:00 af by Pellisierpark op die kampus van die Universiteit van die Vrystaat. Daar is uitstekende pryse te wen asook 'n gelukkige trekking.
Inskrywingsvorms is beskikbaar by Medihelp se streekkantoor by The Office Park, Eenheid 6 of by een van die webtuistes www.medihelp.co.za, www.sportvendo.co.za of www.sa-active.com, of ook in Bloemfontein by Sportman's Warehouse in die Game Value Centre, Supersport Health & Adventure Club by die Waterfront en Totalsports Mimosa Mall. Inskrywings sluit op 11 Maart.
Die besigheidsaflos is 'n jaarlikse instelling en is besig om onder klein en groot besighede en maatskappye asook staatsinstelling in gewildheid toe te neem. Dit word veral gesien as 'n uitstekende spanbougeleentheid.
Verdere inligting by Leon Rademeyer 082 385 3002 of Hank Bezuidenhout 083 256 0241.
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