January 31 2004
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January 31 2004 |
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Quick update - I am busy re-vamping the gallery section and a complete site change is also being planned. With the space available (generously sponsored by CMC Networks) I can now post full size photos for those with fast links. CMC (by the way) are the same guys taking care of Radio 5's web streaming internationally. You will also notice a new banner. I can honestly say that we have our own Amazon.com They're called Kalahari.net, and with the Rand where it is international users might just benefit buying goods locally.
Good news we've received is government's plans to start regulating drug prices. About time and something that the health minister must see through. Simple example - folic acid will cost you about R3 for 30 tablets (depends where you buy) where if you charge it to medical aid, it can cost as much as R15. Zy-ban costs R280 at a wholesale chemist but can cost over R300 at your friendly neighborhood chemist. Manto Tshabalala-Msimang reckons certain medicines can drop in price by up to 70%. Now won't that be nice! Medical aid tariffs keep going up every year with a very basic package for a young (re. healthy) single person costing anything from R500 to R1000. Let's see if this is a pre-election ploy to win votes or not.
One Jonathan Moyo (remember him of Jo'burg shopping fame whilst his people in Zim is starving?) is experiencing the turning wheel. His upmarket house in Saxonwold has been repossessed due to R1 million debt. He owes the council a R115 thousand for services and rates. The seven bedroom house has been severely neglected and although it's worth R1.5 million, the bugger still owes R1.2 million on his bond! Nothing there for all his creditors hoping to re-cap some of the money he owes all over!
And then there's the man who was selling nuclear triggers to the Pakistanis. US agents arrested this South African after a tip off that Karni was importing these devices for "medical" purposes in the treatment of kidney stones. At present he's in jail in Denver, Colorado after being arrested while holidaying with his family.
Going to the movies has become a bit of a luxury. If you're not a member of Discovery Health (one of SA's top medical aids) going to the movies is expensive. A movie ticket, a Coke and a large box of popcorn will set you back at least R53.00. Add a family of four and you end up with quite an expensive outing. A box of popcorn will cost you R12 with a 500g packet at the shop costing R5. The R12 box at the movies contain a fifth of what you pay R5 for. With the Rand that recovered so nicely against the US Dollar, one would expect movie ticket prices to drop. Not so. Even Mercedes Benz have dropped the prices of their top models with at least R75 grand! Way to go, just a pity most of us moan about the cost of a night out at the movies, never mind buying a couple hundred grand Mercedes!
And for those who think that this country sucks, have a look at the amount of illegal's trying to enter South Africa. Since 1994 more than 1.4 million people have been repatriated. Home Affairs spent over R70 million last year alone sending people home. According to stats published in the Sunday Times, a 114 416 people were deported between January and September last year. The top countries are Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Malawi, Swaziland, Tanzania, Pakistan, Nigeria, India and Turkey (in that order). At an average of R58 a head (for transport alone) it's costing a fortune.
