Gauteng toll fees will hit pockets of the poor
The report was commissioned by the Road Freight Association and AfriForum, to present to the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) e-toll steering committee which is looking into the price of toll fees.
“Though the total consumer price inflation impact will only be around 0,4%, the impact on the poor will be much larger — as the toll fees will effect disproportionately large increases in a number of items consumed by the poorest consumers,” according to the report prepared by economist Mike Schussler.
The report looked at specific cost increases in prices of three items — a litre of milk, a loaf of bread and a litre of petrol.
“The item to experience the largest cost increase is a cheap loaf of bread, the price of which will increase by 2%,” the report read.
The report assumes that transport firms, which have relatively low profit margins, will pass all their increasing costs to consumers.
This could lead to a 0,1% increase in a litre of petrol and a 0,9% increase in a litre of milk.
Food costs
“The high weighting of transport costs in total costs is likely to be seen in other staple food products, such as maize meal, which are bulky and of low value.
“The impact on the cost of food is therefore likely to be largest in the simplest and cheapest foodstuffs.”
CONTINUES BELOW
These foods comprise a proportionately larger part of poor households’ consumption compared to other income groups.
“Inflation weights based on spending patterns in 2008 indicate that, for the poorest 20% of South African households, more than 39% of the household budget is expended on food, whereas the richest 20% of South Africans spend only about 11% on food,” according to the report.
The Gauteng toll fees were set at 66 cents per kilometre before a public outcry led to them being put on hold and a committee formed to reassess the pricing.
The tolls form part of the GFIP, which includes widening roads, easing congestion at bottlenecks and improving lighting. – Sapa
Related Posts:
Fast internet for schools
Shuttleworth has an agreement in principle with state-owned enterprise Broadband Infraco to acquire bandwidth from the West African Cable System (WACS), the Cape Times reported.
“Essentially, it would allow the WCED (Western Cape Education Department) to buy internet access wholesale in a very large global market,” he was quoted as saying.
However, the department would have to acquire bandwidth in the UK as well as build its own network to link schools.
“Nevertheless, I’m delighted that the proposal has been well-received and am confident that the end goal is achievable.”
Connecting children to peers and experts will give them the ability to be top in their field, the billionaire said.
The West African Cable System links the UK to Africa and is expected to cause a major drop in the price of international bandwidth. The cable system is scheduled to go live in the second half of 2011.
Related Posts:
Return Of The Bunny
April cover of Playboy SA
Empty ad slot (#1)!
Editor Peter Piegl opted to divert from what could be regarded as the modern Playboy formula, producing a magazine that is less flamboyant and slightly more serious. It’s a luxury afforded to him by Playboy, which maintains a hands-off approach to most of the 28 versions that appear across the world. As Hugh Hefner himself says in the opening pages, the local edition is “imbued with South African sensibility and style and reflecting the values that Playboy represents worldwide with special brio and energy.”
There it goes, dressed in white and pink and with a local stunner dangling from its masthead. Playboy, the must-have guide to all things for discerning well-to-do men, has returned to South Africa after more than a decade in absence. But this new Playboy has nothing to do with the first incarnation and seems to cast its net wider than the traditional audience.
A Touch Of Modesty
But browsing through the premier April issue, graced on the cover by Tracy McGregor, the famed nude pictorials appear to be much more demure than what one would expect, sticking above the belt. It is part of the design – a new approach by Peter and his collaborator, publisher Jeremy Lawrence.
“When I was discussing my position, I said categorically that I wouldn’t be involved if there was full-on nudity,” explains Peter, whose considerable media experience includes picture editor and managing editor of FHM South Africa, the popular local “lads mag”. This newer breed of magazines has cozied up to the average guy on the street with its raunchy (but generally non-nude) pictorials, lewd jokes and plenty of guffaws over anything involving sex, sport or boozing. Magazines like Playboy, Arena, Esquire and GQ position themselves above this formulaic – but lively – bunch.
Peter fittingly describes lads mags as “your buddy with jokes and entertainment, et cetera – it’s a distraction from your life” and stresses the point that this is not what Playboy is about. He takes the responsibility to heart with a sincere intensity and smartly defends some of the choices made for the launch issue. It is certainly a controversial one – both the magazine content and its very existence. One current affairs website highlighted the opinions of several media experts, each questioning if this is a good time for a new magazine. Especially one at a costly R45. Yes, Playboy does not come cheap, though it has to be said that the first issue’s production quality shines – only the best paper for Heff’s true mistress.
No Cheap Date
So what do you get for nearly fifty rands? No hyper-sexed nudity and certainly no ditzy interview questions to reveal the model’s strangest sex moment. You still get to see some naughty bits, but there is a definite lean towards the artistic. Tracy McGregor’s pictorial feels slightly too close to high-street fashion advertising, but it is certainly worth scrutiny, while European glamour girl Maria Eriksson gets the opening spot with a selection that conjures reminders of the first few pictures in a Playboy Lingerie shoot. The first new Playmate, Amy Bridger, takes the main pictorial, including the immortal centerfold. Though she does get a chance to tell us about her turn-ons and turn-offs, its all class.
Jeremy agrees with maintaining a sense of taste: “Our models have a lot of input in what we do. We don’t want to do anything that they don’t feel comfortable with.” Recruited to the team by Peter, who met him at FHM, he is a media veteran with fifteen years of newspaper and magazine experience. After FHM he needed something different.
“For me it was a conscious choice [to leave lads mags]. I’ve outgrown the market, I’ve got nothing left to offer.” He was also attracted to the article legacy: “It’s a no-brainer: you’ve got a sixty year history of top writing.” Good writing is a pillar of the Playboy world, its credibility to place alongside the pin-up girls, and it was the main attraction to both men. So naturally they take this part of the gig seriously.
“I get it for the articles”
In between the tasteful nude pictorials are all kinds of things to read. Here the difference between the local and U.S. editions (which also doubles as the International version) is striking. The U.S. edition is politicized, indulges in moments of crassness and invariably tells a few dirty jokes. In contrast, the Playboy SA has a slightly higher brow. The main feature is a seven page journey on traditional monarchies – a surprisingly interesting read and definitely worthy of the claim on memorable authoring.
Still, the thought of it does force you to stifle a bit of a yawn. The other articles are significantly lighter in tone and topic. Perhaps a tad nepotistic, but still fun is the Hugh Hefner interview. A bit less so is the Twenty Questions with Steve Hoffmeyer, but there is consolation with a write-up on top chefs using offal – the bits of the animal you usually don’t want to know about – and a brief nudge-nudge-wink-wink read on oral sex (and, inevitably, how to get the good kind). A look at future technologies satiates the engineer in you, while a look at 60 albums you should own gets your playlist sorted.
Peter frowns slightly when I point out the lack of dirty jokes and dirtier cartoons, both Playboy mainstays. He is clearly not keen on peddling smut and (while tapping on in the U.S. edition a cartoon with a few can-can dancers sans their undergarments) considers such things to lower the tone. This is partially a matter of principle, since he handles the topic of pornography with slight disdain. But there is a practical side to this as well. Everyone knows someone who had to forego his stack of beloved FHM and Maxim mags because his better half banished them from the house. Lads Mags are proof that you don’t need nudity to invite the disapproval of women – something both Peter and Andrew saw first hand at FHM.
Playboy
Amy Bridges, Playboy’s April playmate
The Ladies, they love it
But Playboy South Africa opts to err on the side of art: it’s not nudity that offends, but how it is presented. As Peter explains it, he believes the market prefers fewer naughty bits and would shun Plaboy if it went a bit too far: “They’re not going to have this magazine on their coffee table. It would be associated with pornography and I don’t think that is the right thing for Playboy South Africa.” Especially not with the launch issue: “You can always push the boundaries later, but if you start with a gynaecological study of your models, you can’t step back from that.”
What appeals to him is a magazine that has a sense of style, a dash of artistic license and the holy grail of magazine sales: cross-over potential between males and females. Miss McGregor reflects on that in her pictorial profile, saying that the shoot was “going to be more like art”.Who knows if the tactic will work, but unofficial polling at the launch and amongst friends didn’t result in spontaneous violence (or worse, steely looks of disapproval) from the fairer gender. Peter is also pretty set on not venturing too far into the pornographic: “You will get nudity in this magazine, but if you want anything harder, go online.” He sums up his defence for the artistic nude as such: “We don’t need to be as edgy as the other magazines. We don’t need to go down that road. You can have nudity, but if it’s beautiful, if your readers are happy, if your advertisers are happy and you get the rubberstamp from the girlfriends and the wives – that’s exactly what I want.”
It’s a valid point, especially in the age where pornography is easily accessible. This makes Playboy that much more reliant on the rest of its content – it’s unlikely most readers will fork out so much money just to see the models being a tad familiar. Here a different kind of controversy has reared its head. In the months before the launch Playboy SA proclaimed it wanted a 45% black male reader chunk in its demographic pie. So it was a bit strange to find no pictorial with a black model and no article that would specifically appeal to black readers. Even the opening columns (every issue rotated to different authors) were penned by comedian Chris Forrest and columnist David Bullard. Was David Kau not available?
“The first issue was difficult in terms of timing,” Jeremy explains, “We have approached different people on this. But timing was a problem. The way it turned out was purely… I don’t want to it sound as if we didn’t plan our magazine – we don’t want to apologize for our content. But how it turned out wasn’t entirely intentional.” The Playboy offices certainly don’t appear to be a front or bastion for some form of race propaganda machine, and it is true that launch issues tend to take on a life of their own Amongst assurances that they have more writers and wider cultural liaisons lined up in the future, Peter and Andrew lament how much they want to bring Playmates of other colours to Playboy’s pages. But it’s not been easy so far and they have found it hard to sell the idea to black femme fatales. But they keep trying, pointing to the nude black model used in the casting-call ad. Hopefully South Africa will soon have Playmates of every colour.
House Bunny
Speaking of which, what do the guys look for in a Playmate?
“It’s not about boob size!” Jeremy says with a grin, “We look for the girl next door – the idea of that is to give her a face and a voice and an opportunity to celebrate beautiful women. It’s the showcase the women of our country. We look for that more than anything else.” It’s is also a matter of being the brand ambassador – Playboy is an empire built on the bunny logo and spearheaded by the magazine and the temptations of the Playboy Mansion. This has played a big role in Playboy’s future, expanding into luxury goods, night clubs and other things that appeal to the man of means. The Playmate is a figurehead to that and as the local franchise expands into online and entertainment ventures, you can expect to see more of Miss April and her future monthly compatriots.
Will it work? That is for the the market to decide – the magazine business is as buoyant as the stock market, but with far fewer guarantees and slightly grimmer outlooks. But Peter and Andrew certainly believe in their vision and are certain that readers and advertisers will agree with them.
Related Posts:
Pinky Moholi is new Telkom CEO
The Board of Telkom SA Limited has announced the appointment of Ms Nombulelo (Pinky) Moholi as Chief Executive Officer of the telecommunications company with effect from 1 April 2011.
Moholi is an experienced telecoms executive of 23 years in the ICT sector, of which 15 years were in executive management.
After a formative career as an engineer at GEC and Siemens, she joined Telkom in 1994. She spent eleven years at Telkom SA during which she was promoted to several senior positions, including Group Executive: Regulatory Affairs, Managing Executive: International and Wholesale Business, and Chief Sales and Marketing Officer and a member of the Telkom Executive Committee (Exco).
Moholi left Telkom in 2005 to join the Nedbank Group, where she served as the Chief Strategy and Corporate Affairs Officer, and a member of their Executive Committee for just over three years. She rejoined Telkom as the MD of Telkom South Africa in May 2009.
After obtaining her Electrical Engineering degree from the University of Cape Town in 1984, Moholi completed Executive Management Programmes at Stanford and Harvard Universities. She has served as a non-executive director on a number of private and publicly listed companies.
“In appointing the Chief Executive Officer, the Board followed a rigorous evaluation process including international benchmarking and consultation with the Department of Communications, the latter a requirement specified by the company’s articles of association before the expiry of the Class A and B shareholders’ rights on 4 March 2011,” the Telkom board said in a statement.
It added: “The contract of the acting Chief Executive Officer, Mr Jeffrey Hedberg, expires at the end of March 2011. The Board of Directors have requested Mr Hedberg to remain at Telkom in an advisory capacity until the release of the Group’s annual results in June.
“On behalf of shareholders, management and staff, the Board congratulates Ms Moholi on her appointment and wishes her every success in the creation of value for all Telkom stakeholders.”
Related Posts:
‘Voters roll closed’
This Friday, the Independent Electoral Commission will be certifying the voters roll, making all the details final and official.
The voting roll stands at 23.6 million people registered, a 1.9 percent increase on the number of voters from previous years.
With two months to go to municipal elections, a detailed election timetable has been published with all the important dates and information for voters and election officials.
IEC spokesperson Kate Bapela said: “This means the voters roll is closed and everyone who did not register before the closing date will not be on the official list.
“Registered voters will be able to check all their details on this roll and confirm that they are registered and which area they must vote in.”
The following dates are important for participants and voters:
- March 25: Political parties have to notify the IEC about their participation in the municipal elections. By 5pm, parties also have to nominate their ward candidates, make nominations of independent candidates, submissions of party lists and payment of deposits for all nominated candidates.
- April 4: The IEC will notify political parties whether there are any non-compliance issues with documents relating to their ward candidate nominations.
- April 12: The IEC will compile a list of the parties contesting the elections and certify all party candidate lists. The list of candidates contesting each ward will also be compiled.
- April 15: This is the start date for voters to apply for special votes, which close on May 3. Details of how to qualify for special votes are available on the IEC website.
- April 21: Copies of the list of voting stations with their addresses will be available at municipal offices. The IEC will also announce the routes for mobile voting stations, the locations and times of stopping. Mobile voting stations will use facilities in areas where there are not many voters and stay for an allocated period before moving to another mobile station in the area.
- April 29: The IEC will issue certificates to persons whose names appear on a party list as well as to each ward candidate.
- May: 16 from 8am to 5pm: Casting of special votes by registered voters who qualify. These voters must vote at the voting station, where they are registered.
- May 17: Home visits to people who have registered and qualified for special votes.
- May 18: Election day.
For more information and to confirm registration details, voters can call the IEC toll free line at 080 011 8000 or visit the IEC website at www.elections.org.za. Voters who want to know where they are registered and where they should vote can send an SMS with their ID number to 32810. – Cape Times
Related Posts:
Petrol going up 43c a litre
This means that the retail price of petrol 93 ULP (unleaded petrol) and LRP (lead replacement petrol) as well as Petrol 95 ULP & LRP would increase by 43 cents a litre.
A litre of petrol 95 ULP (unleaded petrol) in Gauteng would now cost R9.42.
Petrol 93 ULP & LRP (lead-replacement petrol) in Gauteng would now cost R9.27 a litre.
The price of diesel with a 0.05 percent sulphur content would increase by 64 cents a litre.
The price of diesel with a 0.005 percent sulphur content would increase by 63 cents a litre.
The wholesale price of illuminating paraffin would increase by 70 cents a litre.
The single maximum national retail price for illuminating paraffin would increase by 94 cents a litre.
The department said the “sharp” fuel price increases were a result of the sharp increase in international crude oil prices.
During the review period, from January 28 to February 24, the price of Brent crude oil increased by US14 per barrel to US110.0 per barrel.
“This increase in international crude oil prices mainly culminates from the current political turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa which has a severe impact on crude oil supplies,” the department said.
The increase in the prices of diesel and illuminating paraffin was due to the high demand for heating fuels in America and Europe.
This had led to substantially higher anticipated increases in the prices of diesel and illuminating paraffin compared to that of petrol.
The value of the rand had deteriorated sharply against the US dollar, which had also contributed to the fuel price increase.
“This weakening of the value of the rand against the US dollar contributed to about 26.0 cents per litre in the anticipated fuel price increases.”
Related Posts:
Sanlam sells Shoprite
The Shoprite Group is the largest fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) retailer in Africa – selling food, liquor, general merchandise and furniture. Its various chains operate 1166 corporate stores and 328 franchise stores across 16 countries, giving it the biggest retail footprint across the continent.
The Group’s primary business, the corporate supermarket division, operates under three different brands; namely Shoprite, Checkers and Usave, each serving a different end of the market. This allows it to service consumers of all income levels with an offering distinctively tailored to meet their specific needs and requirements.
It is also the best positioned of all the South African food retailers in the middle to bottom end of the food retail market – the fastest growing end of the SA market. It is therefore well placed to take advantage of the growing middle class and the formalisation of the informal market.
What we like
The company was one of the first retailers to move to a centrally distributed replenishment system, which has allowed it to better manage its inventory and improve its in-store stock availability and the consistency of its offerings to the consumer.
Shoprite has first-mover advantage in developing a retail footprint in the rest of Africa, which has better growth prospects and a far less formalised retail market than South Africa. Its presence on the continent is therefore likely to serve the group well during the years ahead.
For all of these reasons, we have been big shareholders of Shoprite over the last few years – but even good companies have a price above which we feel the valuation would be stretched.
The share is currently trading at a 22.6 times price-to-earnings (PE) ratio compared with its historic average PE of 15.3 times over the last 10 years.
What we don’t like
The current market price is implying that the company can grow and sustain its operating profit margin at levels in excess of its present historically high operating profit margins, which we already view as peak margins for the business.
Competitors like Pick n Pay and Massmart are also actively targeting the middle to bottom end of the food retail market as an area of future growth. This is the heartland of the Shoprite group, which it has largely had to itself but where it will face increased competition in the future.
All the big competitors have already set up, or are in the process of setting up, central distribution centres in an attempt to catch up with Shoprite.
These developments should increase competition in its primary markets and should start putting pressure on Shoprite’s margins.
Although we do like the business economics of this business, as value investors we believe the counter is currently pricing in too much blue sky for us to remain invested.
Bottom line
Shoprite is the best-positioned food retailer in South Africa but, at R104 and trading at a 22.6 times price-to-earnings (PE) ratio, the stock has become expensive.
Article published courtesy of Sanlam Investment Management.
Related Posts:
Two Joburg malls up for grabs
Going once….twice….and…..
Two major Johannesburg shopping malls, previously valued at R700-million, will fall under the auctioneer’s gavel following the high-profile liquidation of various entities controlled by property moguls, the Theodosiou brothers.
“The brothers Tony, Dimitri and Sedrick, achieved notoriety for building shopping malls without the required council permission,” said Auction Alliance.
In April 2007, the City of Johannesburg was granted two court orders, which the brothers ignored, to stop extensions of the well-known Lonehill Shopping Mall without council permission.
In a landmark decision in the Johannesburg High Court in 2007, Judge Ivor Schwartzmann handed the brothers a three-month suspended sentence, R20 000 in fines and warned them they would be jailed if they did not “immediately cease” with the unapproved construction of the Lonehill Mall.
“At the time, irate Lonehill residents and the Johannesburg City Council hailed the court order as a victory to stop unlawful commercial property development in prime residential suburbs,” said Auction Alliance.
The Johannesburg-born brothers, who traded under the name Universal Property Professionals, were involved in retail and commercial property development for more than three decades, but incurred massive debt when they developed and renovated two regional shopping malls and other developments around the country.
In October 2008, Absa Bank brought an application to liquidate Immobili Retail Investments, which owns the 30 000m² Lonehill Shopping Centre, and also applied to liquidate Bel Air Mall, which owns a 20 000m² mall on Malibongwe Drive in North Riding.
According to Auction Alliance, the bank, which was owed more than R900-million and accruing interest at R11-million per month, brought a 4000 page liquidation application in the Pretoria High Court.
A lengthy two-year legal spat between the bank and the developers ensued after the provisional liquidation order was granted. The brothers then brought an application to have Absa’s applications set aside.
With outstanding debt at more than R1-billion, the liquidation of the group of companies is among the largest liquidations in South African corporate history, matched only by the R900-million Macmed liquidation in 1999, the R1-billion collapse of the Retail Apparel Group in 2002 and the LeisureNet liquidation with debts of R1-billion, Auction Alliance said.
“In terms of failed property developments, it is the largest outstanding debt owed to a single bank and is larger than Philken Commercial Property Developments, which owed banks more than R700-million.”
According to auctioneers, there has been significant interest in the two cash-generating centres, and since the liquidation application the centres have in fact appreciated in value due, in part, to lower interest rates and the liquidators, who have taken control of tenants and rental income.
“The Bel Air Mall, which was constructed for more than R300-million, lost tenants, particularly on its upper floor, but it is a modern and attractive centre on a busy corner intersection and is anchored by a large Superspar, a Clicks and other national tenants,” said Auction Alliance director Shaie Zindel.
It has also been rumoured that Virgin Active, which rents a site in the Lonehill Mall, will be opening in the newly built North Riding centre, but that has been neither denied nor confirmed by the liquidators.
“The Lonehill Mall is well let and enjoys massive local demand with many national tenants including Pick n Pay, Woolworths, CNA and Virgin Active — and the centre has been extensively renovated since 1999 and may include an adjacent office block complex,” Zindel added.
The auction would take place on 30 March at The Hilton Hotel and bidders from around the world were expected to attend, said Auction Alliance.
Inet
Related Posts:
Nelson Mandela: Media vigil outside hospital
Local and international news media gathered outside the entrance of the Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg on Wednesday night as they waited for news about former president Nelson Mandela’s health.
Journalists who were inside the hospital earlier were moved out by security guards. A number of journalists on the nearby Emmarentia bridge were also sent packing by metro police officers.
Mandela was admitted to Milpark Hospital on Wednesday afternoon for what were described as routine tests.
By the evening, a veil of silence was drawn over his condition.
Staff at Milpark Hospital declined to speak to journalists who descended on the premises for news on the elder statesman.
By 19:30, the only formal word on the condition of 92-year-old Mandela remained a short statement issued by the Nelson Mandela Foundation spokesperson Sello Hatang around 16:15.
Good spirits
It stated: “We can confirm that Mr Mandela is at Milpark Hospital undergoing routine tests. He is in no danger and is in good spirits.”
Hatang did not answer his cellphone for follow-up questions.
Mandela’s daughter Makaziwi from his first wife Evelyn said: “You got the statement? No further comment.”
Members of the Mandela family were seen coming and going at the hospital by reporters.
A staffer from the French news agency AFP saw Mandela’s wife, Graca Machel, leaving the hospital around 17:30, with four other family members departing shortly after.
Another report said she returned later in the evening.
Makeshift barrier
At a far corner of the hospital, a makeshift barrier of green mesh was erected. Inside the area were VIP cars, presumably belonging to family members.
As night fell, journalists, photographers and cameramen lined a nearby bridge outside the hospital that gave them a full view of the barricaded area.
Later in the evening, metro police told them to move off the bridge. Some then took up position in the hospital parking lot.
One of Mandela’s grandsons was seen buying magazines and refreshments at the hospital eatery. Ndaba Mandela and his youngest brother were also seen near the barricaded area.
High alert
Mandela’s long-time aide, Zelda la Grange, flanked by a bodyguard entered the barricaded area.
Hospital security remained on high alert.
By 22:30, the immediate vicinity of the hospital had grown quiet, including the area around the barricade.
Some journalists sat inside the hospital waiting area, blending with hospital visitors and patients. One journalist carrying a brown paper bag, was seen limping in an attempt to blend in with the ill.
A hospital nurse standing outside the main entrance was overheard saying: “I saw him being flown in (by helicopter) at 14:00.”
Frail
Mandela’s “routine tests” came a day after Archbishop Desmond Tutu told Sapa that Mandela was “frail”.
“I saw him last week,” Tutu said in Cape Town on Tuesday.
“He was all right, I mean he’s 92, man, you know. And he’s frail.”
Twitter was abuzz on Wednesday evening with news of Mandela being admitted to hospital.
Tweets
Sandiso Ngubane, @Sandiso_N, tweeted: “My thing is; why would family members from Qunu come to check Madiba out during his “routine check-up”? Sometimes spin is just that… Spin!”
Other tweets speculating about Mandela’s health included Siphojanuary who tweeted: ” why would the family and high profile people be visiting #Madiba in hospital if he just went for a routine check-up???!”
RanjeniM tweeted “having dinner at Nelson Mandela Square cos only place I can feel close to him now. That statue is somehow comforting #Madiba”.
“Hope Mr Nelson Mandela is okay n it really is a routine check up!! I’m really woRried **praying hard**,” wrote another twitter user Purplemooky.
Twitter user Norwin tweeted: “#Madiba not in ICU; family and friends seen chatting and laughing. Hospital security stepped up”.
“If something happens to Nelson Mandela tonight or in a day or so, do I close shop and let my staff off for the day? 80 employees nationwide?” user WarrenRSmith said.
Report
Earlier this month, a report circulated on the social network that the elder statesman had died.
It was condemned as malicious and insensitive by the African National Congress.
Afrikaans Sunday newspaper Rapport said though the rumours were false, reliable sources had confirmed that Mandela’s health had deteriorated.
In mid-January, a Nelson Mandela Foundation spokesman said Mandela was well and on holiday with his wife.
Zuma
President Jacob Zuma does not intend returning from the World Economic Forum in Davos in view of Mandela being admitted to hospital.
“The President is in Davos and will be there until January 28,” presidential spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said.
Local and international news media gathered outside the entrance of the Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg on Wednesday night as they waited for news about former president Nelson Mandela’s health.
Journalists who were inside the hospital earlier were moved out by security guards. A number of journalists on the nearby Emmarentia bridge were also sent packing by metro police officers.
Mandela was admitted to Milpark Hospital on Wednesday afternoon for what were described as routine tests.
By the evening, a veil of silence was drawn over his condition.
Staff at Milpark Hospital declined to speak to journalists who descended on the premises for news on the elder statesman.
By 19:30, the only formal word on the condition of 92-year-old Mandela remained a short statement issued by the Nelson Mandela Foundation spokesperson Sello Hatang around 16:15.
Good spirits
It stated: “We can confirm that Mr Mandela is at Milpark Hospital undergoing routine tests. He is in no danger and is in good spirits.”
Hatang did not answer his cellphone for follow-up questions.
Mandela’s daughter Makaziwi from his first wife Evelyn said: “You got the statement? No further comment.”
Members of the Mandela family were seen coming and going at the hospital by reporters.
A staffer from the French news agency AFP saw Mandela’s wife, Graca Machel, leaving the hospital around 17:30, with four other family members departing shortly after.
Another report said she returned later in the evening.
Makeshift barrier
At a far corner of the hospital, a makeshift barrier of green mesh was erected. Inside the area were VIP cars, presumably belonging to family members.
As night fell, journalists, photographers and cameramen lined a nearby bridge outside the hospital that gave them a full view of the barricaded area.
Later in the evening, metro police told them to move off the bridge. Some then took up position in the hospital parking lot.
One of Mandela’s grandsons was seen buying magazines and refreshments at the hospital eatery. Ndaba Mandela and his youngest brother were also seen near the barricaded area.
High alert
Mandela’s long-time aide, Zelda la Grange, flanked by a bodyguard entered the barricaded area.
Hospital security remained on high alert.
By 22:30, the immediate vicinity of the hospital had grown quiet, including the area around the barricade.
Some journalists sat inside the hospital waiting area, blending with hospital visitors and patients. One journalist carrying a brown paper bag, was seen limping in an attempt to blend in with the ill.
A hospital nurse standing outside the main entrance was overheard saying: “I saw him being flown in (by helicopter) at 14:00.”
Frail
Mandela’s “routine tests” came a day after Archbishop Desmond Tutu told Sapa that Mandela was “frail”.
“I saw him last week,” Tutu said in Cape Town on Tuesday.
“He was all right, I mean he’s 92, man, you know. And he’s frail.”
Twitter was abuzz on Wednesday evening with news of Mandela being admitted to hospital.
Tweets
Sandiso Ngubane, @Sandiso_N, tweeted: “My thing is; why would family members from Qunu come to check Madiba out during his “routine check-up”? Sometimes spin is just that… Spin!”
Other tweets speculating about Mandela’s health included Siphojanuary who tweeted: ” why would the family and high profile people be visiting #Madiba in hospital if he just went for a routine check-up???!”
RanjeniM tweeted “having dinner at Nelson Mandela Square cos only place I can feel close to him now. That statue is somehow comforting #Madiba”.
“Hope Mr Nelson Mandela is okay n it really is a routine check up!! I’m really woRried **praying hard**,” wrote another twitter user Purplemooky.
Twitter user Norwin tweeted: “#Madiba not in ICU; family and friends seen chatting and laughing. Hospital security stepped up”.
“If something happens to Nelson Mandela tonight or in a day or so, do I close shop and let my staff off for the day? 80 employees nationwide?” user WarrenRSmith said.
Report
Earlier this month, a report circulated on the social network that the elder statesman had died.
It was condemned as malicious and insensitive by the African National Congress.
Afrikaans Sunday newspaper Rapport said though the rumours were false, reliable sources had confirmed that Mandela’s health had deteriorated.
In mid-January, a Nelson Mandela Foundation spokesman said Mandela was well and on holiday with his wife.
Zuma
President Jacob Zuma does not intend returning from the World Economic Forum in Davos in view of Mandela being admitted to hospital.
“The President is in Davos and will be there until January 28,” presidential spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said.
“From there, he is flying to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia to attend the African Union Summit. The programme has not changed.”
Related Posts:
Flood warning: Pretoria
Tshwane emergency services spokesman Johan Pieterse said while his department was not involved in any rescues and there were no immediate reports of flooding, his department was on high alert on Wednesday.
“With the heavy rains in the city we are expecting problems. People must take the necessary precautions and prepare for lots of rain. I hope they are prepared.”
He urged the municipality’s residents to stay away from rivers and low-lying areas.
The South African Weather Service earlier on Wednesday issued a warning for possible flash-flooding. The city was forecast to have 10mm of rain on Wednesday, but between 6AM and 9AMm the service reported that 8.8mm had already fallen in Pretoria East.
Rain figures for the rest of the Tshwane metro area were not immediately available.
