Professional Documents
Culture Documents
.
O
G
I
L
V
Y
C
A
P
E
T
O
W
N
4
3
4
4
0
/
E
sahel africa
FRIDAY - 9 SEPTEMBER 2011
focus shifts to sahel as libyan
endgame plays out
In Arabic, the word Sahel means coast, or
shore. Its an ironic, perhaps wishful title for
the long strip of land which marks the southern
end of the Sahara desert, stretching all across
Africa from the Red Sea in the east to the
Atlantic in the west, where water is hard to
fnd and survival is only for the fttest. Its a
harsh, forbidding environment that every year
Media attention might still be focussed on the hunt for Gaddaf, but in the corridors of power
hes yesterdays man. Countries are already jostling for position in North Africas new geopolitical
landscape, which is unusually sandy and flled with terrorists, smugglers and dangerous levels of
heavy weaponry. By SIMON ALLISON
Photo: REUTERS
gets harsher as the Sahara creeps further and
further south.
But desertifcation isnt the regions only
problem. A major conference called by Algeria
this week discussed the Sahels two greatest
man-made threats, and what to do about them.
sahel africa
FRIDAY - 9 SEPTEMBER 2011
Billed as an anti-terrorism forum, foreign
ministers gathered in Algiers to discuss the
growing threat of al-Qaeda in the Islamic
Maghreb (AQIM), the al-Qaeda-linked group
behind a string of attacks in Sahel countries.
But with Gaddafs fall, delegates had
something else to talk about. The repercussion
of the Libyan crisis on the Sahel region have
become palpable, particularly with the arrival of
large amounts of weapons and four-wheel drive
vehicles and the return of armed individuals
involved in the Libyan crisis, said Nigers
foreign minister Mohamed Bazoum. Tuesdays
large, high-profle convoy of vehicles into Niger
was reportedly one of a few that have made
their escape there from Libya. While knowledge
of who and what exactly was on the convoys
is still unconfrmed, its thought that they
contained hundreds of pro-Gaddaf soldiers,
many of them ethnic Tuaregs, and enough
weapons and money for a small army.
The Sahellian countries specifcally
Algeria, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger are
understandably worried: theyve got enough
issues to deal with without a sudden infux
of armed and dangerous men with nowhere
else to go. Theres AQIM, which recently
asserted its strength with a vicious attack on a
military academy in Algiers, and is rumoured
to be expanding its infuence by linking with
Nigerias Islamist group Boko Haram. Theres
the prevalence of smugglers, also heavily
armed, who see their wilful defance of borders
as a symbol of autonomy and control. Then
theres the institutional corruption which
mars the bureacracies of almost all the Sahel
countries, which themselves are exceptionally
weak and unable to exert much infuence on
the vast desert area. Their powerlessness is
exemplifed by Nigers inability to prevent pro-
Gaddaf convoys or even Gaddaf himself from
entering the country: We have no means to
close the border...It is too big and we have very,
very small means for that.
The Sahel is certainly big, but, according
to Professor Cedric Jourde of the University
of Ottowa, a specialist in Sahel politics, this
doesnt mean its some kind of desolate no
the repercussion of the libyan crisis on the sahel
region have become palpable, particularly with
the arrival of large amounts of weapons and four-
wheel drive vehicles and the return of armed
individuals involved in the libyan crisis, said
nigers foreign minister mohamed bazoum.
sahel africa
FRIDAY - 9 SEPTEMBER 2011
mans land: Though the desert is vast, the
actual areas used by humans are much more
limited. All human activitywhether it is
tourism, nomadism, trafcking, or terrorism
relies on the regions key land routes and
converges at water points and fuel stops.
That local communities, armed Islamists,
smugglers, and other groups involved in illegal
activities sometimes interact at these nodes,
then, is no surprise.
The challenge for governments will be
to better monitor and police these nodes.
Algeria, in particular, is pushing for greater
control of its border area and surrounds, which
it sees as a major source of instability within the
country. With the countrys hosting of the anti-
terrorism forum and their bullish talk about
confronting al-Qaeda in the region, they look
to be positioning themselves as the last North
African bastion against terrorism; a stance
that might just be popular in Washington DC.
But they cant do it on their own, and a serious
efort to address the problems posed by AQIM,
smuggling and the infux of Libyan fghters into
the Sahel region can only be addressed by all
the Sahel countries working together.
There is already an institution in place to
manage just this kind of regional cooperation.
Cen-Sad, the Community of Sahel-Saharan
states, was established to facilitate cross-border
integration on regional issues. But its woefully
unsuited to handle the post-Gaddaf world,
seeing as it was inspired and established by
him, and continues to recognise him as the
legitimate leader of Libya.
So the Sahel states are going to have to
fgure out how to solve their problems without
the help of their regional body. Its not going to
be easy, given the regions historic lawlessness,
porous boundaries, widespread poverty and
lack of respect for authority; but for the regions
governments, its a battle that must be won, or
theyll risk losing that authority completely.
the challenge for
governments will be
to better monitor and
police these nodes.
algeria, in particular,
is pushing for greater
control of its border
area and surrounds,
which it sees as
a major source of
instability within the
country.
read more:
1. Algeria, neighbours searching solutions to Libya war fallout,
al-Qaeda in the Washington Post
2. Sifting through the layers of insecurity in the Sahel
from the Africa Center for Strategic Studies
friDAY 9 september 2011
WORLD
briefs world
friday - 9 september 2011
Joe Biden and Barak Obama (Reuters)
libYA
An audio recording report-
edly by Gaddaf surfaced on
Thursday, urging his loyalists
to keep fghting. As with so
much about the Libyan situa-
tion, its authenticity is uncer-
tain. In it, Gaddaf said: "we
will not leave our ancestral
land", by way of dismissing
rumours that he had fed into
Niger. He also predicted that
"Nato will be defeated because
its fnancial resources are not
sufcient to continue bomb-
ing Libya". Sorry, Muammar,
but we reckon they could
probably scrape together the
necessary bucks.
UsA
Obama gives his long-awaited
jobs speech on Thursday night
to the joint session of Con-
gress. They're expecting an-
nouncements on an extension
of pay-roll cuts, an extension of
unemployment benefts, new
infrastructure spending and
aid for state and local govern-
ments. CBS estimated that the
total package could amount to
$400 billion. We eagerly await
the Republicans' response.
GreeCe
Seems like the whole of Eu-
rope is on strike at the mo-
ment. Greeks have joined
their Spanish and Italian
counterparts in a new round
of anti-austerity protests. Bad
news for anyone in Greece
needing a root canal or a lift
anywhere: taxi drivers and
dentists are on strike this time
round. Rubbish collectors and
primary school teachers are
scheduled for the next strikes.
The taxi drivers' specifc beef
is the government's refusal to
open up their profession to
more competition.
UsA
Wendy Sherman, Obama's
pick for a top State Department
post, confrmed to senators on
Wednesday that the US would
veto Palestine's bid for state-
hood at the UN this month. She
repeated the US's favoured line
that they are committed to urg-
ing the parties into negotiations
again, even though the parties
in question have indicated they
have no interest in this idea. On
Thursday Palestine ofcially
launched its bid for recogni-
tion with the frst of a series of
planned rallies.
briefs world
friday - 9 september 2011
Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda. (Reuters)
libYA
Gaddaf isn't the only thing
missing from Libya at the mo-
ment. Investigators have been
unable to turn up any trace
of heat-seeking missiles that
they know were sold to Gad-
daf. The weapons can be used
by terrorists to shoot down
civilian airliners. They assume
they have been stolen by reb-
els, criminals or smugglers.
But the major fear is that they
may have fallen into the hands
of al-Qaeda's North African
branch. There's a thought to
make you sleep easy.
CHiNA
A militant Islamic group has
claimed responsibility for re-
cent attacks in China's Xinji-
ang region, which left over 30
people dead. A video released
by the Turkistan Islamic
Party claims that the attacks
were revenge against the Bei-
jing government. Around half
the residents of the region at
Turkic-speaking Muslims who
complain that the migration
of Chinese workers from the
east has cost them jobs. Two
hundred people died in the last
fare-up of ethnic violence two
years ago.
JAPAN
Japan's new Prime Minister Yo-
shihiko Noda has paid his frst
visit to the site of the Fukushi-
ma nuclear disaster. Noda vis-
ited the J-Village sports facility,
which has been turned into a
camp for emergency workers,
and paid tribute to them and
the troops dispatched to the
area. Noda knows that how he
is seen to manage the earth-
quake reconstruction efort will
largely determine his popu-
larity, after the botched job
performed by his predecessor
Naoto Kan.
CHiNA
China has renewed Google's in-
ternet content provider license,
allowing the search company
to operate for another year.
This will also give the site the
opportunity to expand some of
its services for Chinese users.
Google China currently only
provides entertainment and
product search functions after
a fght between the two entities
last year, when Google accused
the Chinese government of
being behind a cyber attack on
the company. Weird how that
can sour a friendship.
UsA
A White House scientist will
serve 13 years in jail for selling
top-secret military intelligence
to an FBI agent posing as an
Israeli spy. The court heard
on Wednesday how Stew-
art Nozette received around
briefs world
friday - 9 september 2011
$225,000 monthly for answer-
ing questions posed to him by
a state-owned Israeli company.
Nozette is one of the highest-
ranking American scientists to
ever be charged with spying on
a foreign power. Wait, didn't
we tell you earlier this week
that the US had been caught
spying on the Israeli embassy?
For such close allies, they're
remarkably suspicious.
UsA
New York Mayor Michael
Bloomberg will not have many
friends left in the Muslim
community after saying on
Wednesday that the NYPD's
habit of subjecting predomi-
nantly Muslim neighbour-
hoods to greater surveillance
was the same thing as screen-
ing children for measles. Say
what? Bloomberg's point (we
think) was that he sent cops
into areas he knew to have high
crime rates, just as the measles
rate is higher among young
people. That still doesn't make
a lot of sense, Michael.
GerMANY
Two men have been arrested
in Berlin on suspicion of
planning a terrorist attack.
A 24-year-old German and a
28-year-old Gazan were de-
tained after police tracked
their purchases of materials
which could be used to make
bombs. Speculation was rife
that they intended some at-
tack linked to either the 9/11
anniversary or the visit of the
Pope later in the month, but
the police denied that there
was any evidence for either.
UK
An inquiry into abuses com-
mitted by the British army
in Iraq has found evidence
of an "appalling episode of
serious gratuitous violence".
The case they are referring
to there is the death of Iraqi
hotel worker Baha Mousa,
who died from 93 injuries in-
ficted on him by UK soldiers
after he had been taken in for
questioning in 2003. The in-
quiry found that senior com-
manders were "ignorant" of a
ban on the use of fve inter-
rogation techniques, includ-
ing sleep deprivation. David
Cameron called the fndings
"shocking and appalling".
Brother Leader (Reuters)
FRIDAY - 9 SEPTEMBER 2011
world abortion debate
UK votes on abortion law
Abortion has been legal in the UK since 1967,
making it one of the European pro-choice pio-
neers. But a Conservative MP called Nadine
Dorries aims to signifcantly amend the process
in a way which would give strength to pro-
life groups. Dorries' amendment seeks to stop
non-state afliated abortion providers like Ma-
rie Stopes clinics from ofering counselling to
women seeking abortion. The purported moti-
vation for this is to provide greater opportuni-
ties for independent counsellors. What con-
cerns reproductive rights activists, however, is
that many of these independent counsellors are
infuenced by pro-life groups.
Dorries insists she is pro-life, but the sub-
text of her proposal is that she feels groups like
Marie Stopes encourage undecided women to
pursue an abortion because they have a fnancial
The UK pro-abortion lobby won the day on Wednesday, when the British parliament shot down a bill
which proposed to strip abortion counselling from the abortion process. But the "spirit" of the proposal
is being retained in a consultation which will necessitate a further MP vote. By REBECCA DAVIS.
motivation to do so in terms of their funding.
"If an organisation is paid that much for abor-
tions, where is the incentive to reduce them?" she
asked The Guardian.
Dorries won support for her bill from some
infuential corners, including Iain Duncan Smith,
the work and pensions secretary, and Liam Fox,
the defence secretary. In the end the bill was
outvoted by 368 to 118, but the UK health minis-
ter, Anne Milton, gave a boost to Dorries' case by
announcing that the "spirit" of her plans would
be embodied in a consultation on the issue. MPs
will be presented with the fndings of this con-
sultation and vote on it again before the next
general election. Dorries told the BBC: We lost
the battle but we have won the war.
read more:
1. Dorries abortion amendment defeated in House
of Commons, in The Guardian Photo: REUTERS
FRIDAY - 9 SEPTEMBER 2011
world new york
MusliM racial profiling is like treating
Measles nyc Mayor
The NYC mayor has taken a turn to the dark
side, and he seems quite okay with it. He de-
fended an Associated Press revelation that in
the years following September 11, undercover
cops had spied on more than 250 mosques and
Islamic groupings within the Big Apple.
The AP last month unearthed informa-
tion on a mysterious Demographics Unit in-
side the NYPD that, under the guidance of a
CIA operative, installed clandestine cops in
Muslim-majority neighborhoods to infltrate
the community and identify factors that could
signal an eventual terror attack, the Washing-
ton Post said.
Bloombergs response to AP was: As the world
gets more dangerous, people are willing to have
infringements on their personal freedoms that
they would not before. If there is a community
New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg has defended the New York City Police Department against
allegations of racial profling. The Associated Press conducted an investigation which showed that the
NYPD specifcally targeted and spied on Muslim communities. By SIPHO HLONGWANE
where the crime rate is very high, to not put
more cops in that community is ridiculous, the
mayor said. If you want to look for cases of mea-
sles, youll fnd a lot more of them among young
people. Thats not targeting young people to go
see whether they have measles or not.
Several Muslim civil rights groups and a
New York congresswoman have urged the
Department of Justice to investigate the de-
partment for racial profling, according to the
Washington Post.
Hindsight has shown that the activities of
Muslim terrorists never really took of from
within the US, a fact Bloomberg might take
into consideration when defending the NYPDs
odious practice.
read More:
1. Bloomberg defends secret surveillance of Muslims
in RT.com
Photo: REUTERS
FRIDAY - 9 SEPTEMBER 2011
world iceland
where have all the good glaciers gone?
The Petermann Glacier is a large glacier in the
north-west of Greenland, accounting for about
6% of the Greenland ice sheet. It is 300 kilo-
metres long and measures up to 1 kilometre in
height at some places. And it is melting at an
incredible rate.
Dr Alun Hubbard of the Glaciology Centre at
the Aberystwyth University took photos of the
glacier last month and compared them to photos
taken by other scientists at exactly the same spot
two years ago. Over that period, at that spot, the
glacier has almost completely melted away.
Hubbard said, Although I knew what to ex-
pect in terms of ice loss from satellite imagery,
I was still completely unprepared for the gob-
smacking scale of the break-up, which rendered
me speechless.
The Petermann Glacier is in Iceland. Or at least, it was two years ago. A Welsh scientist has taken
photos which have shown an incredible amount of the glacier has melted away. Cause for alarm? Not
until the Al Gores of this world get their hands on the photos. By SIPHO HLONGWANE.
Scientists had been expecting a big break in
the glacier since 2009. With support from the
US National Science Foundation and the Natu-
ral Environment Research Council in the UK,
Dr Hubbard travelled by helicopter to the gla-
cier to gather data from time lapse cameras and
GPS sensors set up in July and August 2009,
with the help of Greenpeace, BBC said. The
GPS sensors were set in anticipation of a large
break-up of ice that eventually occurred by on 3
August, 2010.
The break formed a 220 square kilometre ice
island. The Petermann Glacier is far from shipping
lanes, in case youre concerned about that.
read more:
1. Gob-smacking scale of Petermann Glacier breakup
in BBC News
2. Dramatic shrinking of Greenland glacier
in Sydney Morning Herald Photo: The Skaftafellsjokull glacier, Iceland (Reuters)
FRIDAY - 9 SEPTEMBER 2011
world us 2012
Perry on toP after rePublican tV debate
This was Perry's frst major showing since en-
tering the presidential race last month and he
came out all guns blazing. He took advantage
of the platform to carry out some character as-
sassination of President Obama - at one stage
calling him an "abject liar" - but saved most of
his ammunition for his Republican competi-
tors. Jobs are likely to be the issue over which
the next election is won or lost, and Perry lost
no time in criticising opponent Mitt Romney's
record on jobs growth. "Michael Dukakis cre-
ated jobs three times faster than you did, Mitt,"
Perry said.
Romney rebutted by repeating his claim that
he is the man for the job because of his private
sector experience rather than being simply a
"career politician". Utah governor Jon Hunts-
man argued forcefully that his own jobs record
The Republican presidential battle kicked off in earnest on Wednesday night with a televised candidates'
debate held, fttingly, in Ronald Reagan's library. Most commentators agreed that this round was won by
Texan Rick Perry. By REBECCA DAVIS.
was better than either Perry's or Romney's, but
this was a two-man match. Michele Bachmann
was given almost no opportunity to speak, with
one of her campaign aides saying afterwards
that the network was trying to make it a Rom-
ney-Perry show.
Perry was grilled about his climate change
scepticism, and responded with: "The science is
not settled about this - Galileo got out-voted for
a spell." Jon Huntsman took the extraordinary
step of defending his claim that science is use-
ful, which explains why he doesnt have a hope in
hell of getting voted in. It was a sign of the mood
of the GOPs voting base that the biggest cheers
of the night were reserved for mention of the 234
executions Perry has signed of in Texas.
read more:
1. Rick Perry's white-hot debate debut, on Salon
Photo: REUTERS
us 2012 world
friDAY - 9 september 2011
View from middle AmericA: iowA mAy be
losing thAt loVing feeling, mr President
In December 1846, fourteen years after the
Sauk and Meskwaki had been pushed out of
the Mississippi valley and three years past
the removal of these selfsame tribes from
the Iowa River valley, Iowa became the 29th
state in the Union. From that date until 1969,
refecting a Republican tradition typical of the
American heartland, the state elected only
three Democrats to the United States Senate.
Since inception the people of Iowa had been
The central place of Iowa in US national politics was cemented in the 1988 presidential elections, when
Iowans, reeling from the farm crisis and the decimation of the local economy, voted Democrat for the
frst time. After two elections that saw extremely close calls in the state, in 2008 Iowa voted Obama by a
landslide. Is the love affair now over? By KEVIN BLOOM.
Photo: President Obama in Iowa. (Reuters)
farmers, the introduction of the railroads in the
1850s transforming it into a major agricultural
producer, and it was to a large extent the farm
crisis of the 1980s that frst caused Iowans to
question their political afliations.
The 1988 presidential elections at the end
of Ronald Reagans fnal term of ofce saw the
state vote 55.1% Democrat for the frst time
us 2012 world
friDAY - 9 september 2011
ever. What was on voters minds, presumably,
was the mass depopulation that had occurred
during the last few years due to the closure of
farms, not to mention the high increase in the
rates of farmer suicides, alcoholism, divorce,
and child abuse. Iowans may have been right
to blame the Republicans the tailspin began
in 1980, when record production collided with
the loss of export markets due to the White
House-imposed Soviet grain embargo, causing
commodity prices and land values to plummet
(by 1982, net farm income adjusted for infation
was lower than during the Great Depression).
Iowas reputation as a major swing state in
presidential elections has since been cemented.
The state voted heavily Democrat in 1992, at
43.35% versus 37.33%, and even more heavily
Democrat in 1996, at 50.31% versus 39.92%,
but 2000 and 2004 saw diferences at the
polls of less than a percentage point, with the
Republicans taking it after Bush Jr.s frst term
at 49.92% versus 49.28%. In 2008, landing a key
victory for the Obama campaign, Iowans swung
Democrat again by a wide margin 54.04%
versus 44.74%.
No wonder the president comes here as
often as he can. Last March he was in Iowa
City, delivering a speech on health-care at the
university, and afterwards as the people who
work in that fne store never tire of telling you
he visited the Prairie Lights bookshop, to buy
books for his daughters. The event was covered
in detail in all the local papers, of course, but
The Washington Post saw ft to report on it too.
Well, this used to be my favorite place,
Obama told the owner of Prairie Lights,
observed the Post. He had mentioned the
shop in his speech, noting that it has been
ofering health-insurance benefts to full-time
employees for the last 20 years, only to see
premiums shoot up 35 percent last year, making
it harder to aford the same coverage.
By August this year, during a two-day tour
of the state that was efectively a pre-campaign
move against Republican candidates Rick Perry
and Michele Bachmann, Obamas hopes of
health-care reform were lying in tatters. His
speeches now were about partisan gridlock in
congress, and the message was clear it was
the Tea Partyers fault that the USs credit-
rating had been downgraded, sending markets
plummeting and the fnancial world into fear.
To be fair, Obama had been in Iowa in
June talking about job creation, but the
his speeches now were about partisan gridlock
in congress, and the message was clear it was the
tea Partyers fault that the uss credit-rating had been
downgraded, sending markets plummeting and the
fnancial world into fear
us 2012 world
friDAY - 9 september 2011
reAd more:
1. Maxine Waters to Obama on unemployment: Iowans
or blacks? in Politico
2. Obama picks up books for his girls at Iowa City's Prairie
Lights, in the Washington Post
blame-game theme appears to sum up what
progressive Iowans now think of the incumbent
hes become an inefective evader. During a
discussion on the subject after a reading at the
abovementioned Prairie Lights, a prominent
local attorney told me of his disappointment.
Clinton wouldnt have stood for this, he said.
He would have used the force of his personality
to get congress on his side. Obama is too
damned polite.
And as if to prove he really cant win, in
Washington DC on Thursday 8 September,
just hours before he addressed a joint sitting
of congress on his jobs plan, the president was
getting it in the neck for being too interested
in Iowa. The source of the attack was the
Democrat congresswoman Maxine Waters, who
demanded that the USs frst African-American
president show he cares as much about
unemployed blacks as he does about Iowas
swing voters.
As Waters told the online news site Politico:
There are roughly three million African-
Americans out of work today, a number nearly
equal to the entire population of Iowa. I would
suggest that if the entire population of Iowa, a
key state on the electoral map and a place that
served as a stop on the presidents jobs bus tour
were unemployed, they would be mentioned in
the presidents speech and be the benefciary
of targeted public policy. So, one question to be
answered this evening is, are the unemployed
in the African-American community, including
almost 45 percent of its youth, as important as
the people of Iowa?
What Waters surely does know but isnt
saying is this the answer to her last question
is yes. If Obama loses Iowa he may well lose
his presidency, which will make any hope of
a targeted jobs plan for African-Americans a
distant memory. What will a loss in Iowa mean
for the rest of the world? With Rick Perry in the
White House, the answer here is almost too
ghastly to contemplate.
... if obama loses iowa he may well lose his
presidency, which will make any hope
of a targeted jobs plan for African-Americans
a distant memory....
Makes light of any load.
Makes for 7,9 litres per 100km.
Makes the toughest jobs seem easy.
Introducing the Amarok Single Cab.
* Fuel consumption figures of 7.9l/100km drawn from combined urban and extra urban cycles. Amarok Single Cab available in: 2.0 BiTDI
120kW 4Motion
Trendline; 2.0 TDI 90kW Basic 4Motion
, 2.0 TDI 90kW Trendline and 2.0 TDI 90kW Basic. The fuel consumption values are determined using the prescribed methods of measurement (EC Regulation 80/1268/EEC).
Work hard. Work smart. Amarok Single Cab.
The Amarok Single Cab is here. Its tremendous off-road capabilities ensure that even the toughest
tasks in the hardest to reach places are childs play. With 400Nm of torque, a fuel consumption
of 7.9l/100km*, a loading bay that allows for 2 Euro-sized pallets crossways and the ability to climb
a 45 incline with a full load, it really is the superior choice if you want a hard-working single cab.
Now there are more than enough reasons to put the old workhorse to rest.
Commercial
Vehicles
www.vwcommercial.co.za
O
G
I
L
V
Y
C
A
P
E
T
O
W
N
4
3
2
2
1
/
A
G
R
I
V
W
S
A
friDAY 9 september 2011
BUSINESS
briefs business
friday - 9 september 2011
SAB Miller (Reuters)
south AfricA
The JSE All Share Index had
another positive day ending up
1.3% to close at 30,918. RMB
Holdings rose 3.8% with par-
ent company First Rand Hold-
ings also gaining 3.5% on the
back of a trading update that
it expects earnings per share
to raise by over 100%. Other
fnancial stocks also gained on
the back of the update.
Bell Equipment, the machinery
company, fell 4.8% as industri-
als and resources took a knock
in trading. Combined Motor
Holdings, the automotive deal-
er fell 4.6%.
Standard Bank deputy CEO,
Sim Tshabalala expressed
concerns that Basel 3 liquid-
ity standards would be overly
onerous, retarding the ability
of banks to lend while increas-
ing the cost of borrowing.
South African Airways made a
net proft of R782m in the 2011
fnancial year, the national carri-
er announced on Thursday. This
represents a 77% increase from
last year's net proft of R442m.
SAB Millers hostile takeover
attempt of Fosters looks set
to proceed as the brewers ap-
peal to the Australian regulator
of misleading claims by Fos-
ters was rejected. SAB Miller
doubted statements made
about Fosters proft forecasts
at its annual results. The rul-
ing was however favourable for
SAB as it meant the Australian
brewer had to clarify its net
debt position. A bid document
is expected next week for a cash
ofer of AUD $4.90 per share.
emerging mArkets
THE MSCI Index climbed
0.2% as Brazils Bovespa In-
dex gained 1.5%. The Brazilian
central bank said it might cut
interest rates further, while
Turkeys index rose 1% after
Citigroup recommended a buy
on the nations equities.
uk
The FTSE 100 ended slightly up
0.4% to close at 5,340. Com-
modities trader, Glencore
briefs business
friday - 9 september 2011
HTC smartphones (Reuters)
International gained 7.6%,
recouping the previous days
losses with Tullow Oil follow-
ing the oil price rise, up 4.8%.
Financial Services provider
Admiral fell 2.3% as fnancial
shares fell on Bank of England
announcements.
The Bank of England com-
mented that it would not
engage in further stimulus
activities, while the European
Central Bank expressed con-
cerns that continent-wide eco-
nomic threats had intensifed.
us
Gold futures gained in New
York trading as the jobless
claims showed and unexpected
increase. UBS, the Swiss invest-
ment bank, expects gold to av-
erage $2,075 next year in a re-
search report released yesterday.
ESPN and the NFL have
reached an agreement that will
keep Monday Night Football
on American televisions until
at least 2021. The deal is worth
$1.9 billion per year or $15.2 bil-
lion over the period.
europe
Greek credit default swaps on
the nations sovereign debt
surged to record levels, signal-
ling a 91% chance it will fail to
honour its debt commitments.
Data showed the economy
shrank 7.3% prompting the
German Finance Minister to
describe the situation as being
on knifes edge.
The euro fell the most in a
month, versus the dollar, as the
ECB president said downside
risks to the regions economy
have intensifed. The euro,
adopted by 17 nations in the
region, weakened against most
major currencies after the ECB
decided to keep interest rates
on hold at 1.5%.
Lufthansa is toying with enter-
ing the 21st century as it con-
siders expanding the number
of routes it currently ofers
one-way tickets on. Not to rush
in too quickly, the Germans
want to establish which routes
and under which conditions
the move would make sense.
AsiA
HTC, the regions second larg-
est smartphone manufacturer,
is using nine patents pur-
chased from Google last week
to up its lawsuit claims against
Apple Inc. as the two exchange
patent infringement accusa-
tions. Apple is suing HTC and
other manufacturers running
the Android operating system,
claiming it copies the iPhone.
Google has been criticised for
sitting on the sidelines while
its manufacturing partners are
being sued.
FRIDAY - 9 SEPTEMBER 2011
business google
google acquires restaurant rating site Zagat
Google bought Zagat, a popular restaurant rat-
ing site, for an undisclosed amount. Moving
forward, Zagat will be a cornerstone of our local
oferingdelighting people with their impres-
sive array of reviews, ratings and insights, while
enabling people everywhere to fnd extraor-
dinary (and ordinary) experiences around the
corner and around the world, wrote Marissa
Mayer, Googles vice president for Local, Maps
and Location Services on Googles ofcial blog.
Zagat was founded more than 30 years ago
as a way to collate diner experiences into one
platform, and then provide a single rating. It
is driven by diner experience. Zagats surveys
could be one of the worlds earliest examples of
user-generated content.
Googles decision is in marked contrast to the
Google have announced the acquisition of restaurant rating site Zagat. It is like they looked at the deal-
buying site frenzy and chose to do the exact opposite. By SIPHO HLONGWANE
new fad in tech, the group-buying site. Started
by Groupon, the craze has seen the deal-buying
site spawn hundreds of thousands of copycats
throughout the world. The business model always
looked like benefting the company peddling the
deals rather than the merchants whose establish-
ments were looking to attract customers. Even
Facebook, which had got onto the group-buying
bandwagon, admitted that it wasnt such a good
idea, and shut their deals site down.
Unlike Groupon, Zagat doesnt really focus
on the bottom-line-shaking cuts to prices. Good
customer service, ambience and dining is what
gets you a high Zagat rating.
read more:
1. Google buys Zagat, crushes OpenTable
in Wall Street Journal
2. Offcially just got Zagat rated in Google Blog Photo: REUTERS
FRIDAY - 9 SEPTEMBER 2011
business beer market
beer oclock in congo as Heineken
invests millions
Heineken, the worlds third largest brewing com-
pany, has just announced a massive 400 million
euro (R4 billion) investment in its breweries in
the Democratic Republic of Congo. The invest-
ment, which is one of the largest in the country
that isnt linked in some way to the extraction of
precious natural resources, is a huge boost to the
beleagured Congolese economy, which has been
in the drink for quite some time.
Heineken is confdent in the scope for ex-
pansion. Even if they fght a war in parts of
Congo, the economy keeps going, said Hans
van Mameren, boss of Heinekens Congolese
subsidiary which brews Primus, the countrys
most popular beer. Everyone can see if you put
a minimum of infrastructure in this country, it
immediately opens up markets, it's all about ac-
cess.
The DRCs consumption of Primus and its
competitors is small beer in comparison to oth-
er countries. Whereas the DRC consumes an av-
erage of three litres of beer per person per year,
Four hundred million euros is a lot of money for anyone to invest in the Democratic Republic of Congo,
especially when theres no gold or diamonds involved. But Heineken think they have an even more
valuable product: beer. Were inclined to agree. By SIMON ALLISON
in neighbouring Congo Brazzaville its 30 litres,
and in South Africa its 60 although perhaps
thats not something to aspire to. Heineken be-
lieves that demand is huge in the country, and
the only factor hindering a massive increase in
consumption is distribution. The DRC is a huge
country with few roads, so transport is expen-
sive and sometimes impossible. But the govern-
ment has a few massive infrastructure projects
in the pipeline, and Heineken is betting that
these will open up the market.
Its a brave time for Heineken to announce its
planned investment, just before the DRCs na-
tional elections in November and amid increasing
political unrest. But Van Mameren is confdent
politicians are too clever to mess with the coun-
trys beer supply: "We're producing the cheapest
luxury in this country; if there was a situation
where there was no beer, the population would be
very surprised to say the least, he said.
read more:
1. Heineken to invest 400 million euros in Congo over
fve years on Reuters Africa Photo: REUTERS
FRIDAY - 9 SEPTEMBER 2011
business facebook
Judge rules in favour of five employees
fired for whining on facebook
Its a landmark decision for the often murky
waters of Facebook use and the law: a national
labour relations board judge in the US has ruled
that a New York NGO must re-hire fve workers
given the boot for criticising their working con-
ditions on Facebook.
In October 2010, the fve employees of His-
panics United of Bufalo participated in a Face-
book discussion about the nature of their job,
including complaining about their workload.
Within days they had been fred. This week a
judge ruled that the fve should be reinstated
immediately. His justifcation was that the em-
ployees were protected because what happened
on Facebook constituted a private conversation
among co-workers. Its the frst ruling of its kind,
so it may set a valuable precedent.
In the brave new world of Facebook and Twitter, South African companies are scrambling to put together
social media policies for staff. They may want to look at the US judgment which has just ordered the
reinstatement of fve employees fred for dissing their workplace on Facebook. By REBECCA DAVIS.
South African organisations have wised up to
the power of social media and are increasingly
introducing fairly draconian use policies, some-
times banning the mention of the employer at
all. Individuals personal profles on network-
ing sites are now often taken as representing the
organisation, even if there is no explicit link be-
tween the two.
It was a sign of the times in June of this year
when the Mail & Guardian fred an intern for an
anti-Semitic rant on Facebook. Of course, hate-
speech is a diferent kettle of fsh to criticising
your job, and so is defamation. Ofine defama-
tion laws apply equally to Facebook - as a Durban
man found out in 2009 after using Facebook to
describe his boss as a "serial masturbator".
read more:
1. Judge Orders Re-Hiring of Workers Fired for
Facebook Complaints, on Inc Photo: REUTERS
friDAY 9 september 2011
LIFE, ETC
briefs life, etc
friday - 9 september 2011
Celine Dion (Reuters)
cANADA
Celine Dion had an unwelcome
visitor on Monday night when
a man broke into her Mon-
treal home, helped himself to
pastries from the kitchen and
prepared for a nice hot bath.
When police arrived, he report-
edly said: "Hey guys, what are
you doing here?" Celine Dion
was unharmed because she
wasn't at home at the time,
currently holidaying with her
hubby in Florida. So don't wor-
ry, her art will go on.
AUstriA
Archaeologists in Austria have
found a large school which
seems to have been a training
ground for Roman gladiators
about 1,700 years ago. The com-
pound contained 40 small cells
for the fghters, most of whom
were criminals, prisoners-of-
war or slaves. The area also
housed a training area and a
large bathing area. Outside the
compound walls, there also ap-
pears to be a cemetery for those
killed during training. Tough
gig, gladiatoring.
itAlY
Madonna has become the
latest victim of the old in-
sulting-aside-picked-up-by-
microphone syndrome. At the
Venice Film Festival this week,
an adoring fan presented
her with a bunch of fowers.
Madonna smilingly received
them, but then promptly
shoved them under the table
while saying to the man next
to her "I absolutely loathe hy-
drangeas". The comment was
broadcast to the room at large
due to the fact that her press
conference mic was still on.
You've been warned: don't give
Madge hydrangeas.
sWeDeN
We've all been there: you have
a bit too much to drink, and
you get stuck in an apple tree.
That's what happened to an
elk in Sweden this week, who
chomped his way through
enough fermented apples to
get him pretty sozzled. Greed-
ily reaching for more apples
(it's never "just one apple for
the road", is it?) he managed
to get his antlers tangled in
the tree and had to be rescued
by a special team. He is now
in elk rehab.
UK
If you're going to get a tattoo,
forget the Chinese symbols and
make it something functional.
That's the thinking of 81-year-
old UK grandmother Joy Tom-
kins. Tomkins is pro-euthana-
sia, and decided to make sure
that nobody would submit her
to a lingering death like that
sufered by her husband Mal-
colm. Accordingly, she has had
the words "Do not resuscitate"
inked on her chest and, just in
briefs life, etc
friday - 9 september 2011
Reese Witherspoon (Reuters)
case, "P.T.O." (with an arrow)
tattooed on her back. Let's
hope doctors don't assume it's
a rap lyric.
UsA
Jury selection has begun in the
Michael Jackson manslaughter
trial in Los Angeles. Attorneys
on Thursday began selecting
the 12 people who will decide
whether Jackson's doctor, Con-
rad Murray, killed him by ad-
ministering a drug overdose. It's
said that they will go through
480 potential jurors before se-
lecting the fnal 12. This has
reality show written all over it.
Come on, Simon Cowell.
UsA
Actress Reese Witherspoon
was hit by a car while jogging
in Santa Monica on Thursday
morning. The driver was some
crazed old bat (84 years old)
who failed to stop for the Le-
gally Blonde actress, who was
taken to hospital but released
shortly afterwards. That gives
us a chance to make the fol-
lowing joke: "Did you hear that
actress Reese Whatsername
was hit?" "Witherspoon?" "No,
with a car."
NeW ZeAlAND
Bad news for people who love
rugby and vuvuzelas: they
have been banned from the
Rugby World Cup. They are
on the forbidden list together
with whistles (noisy), um-
brellas (impede vision), roller
blades (irritating), gang in-
signia (dangerous), furniture
(um) and auto parts (no
idea. No idea at all).
irelAND
There's just no delicate way
to put this: Sinead O'Connor
is trawling the internet for
sex. In a post on her website,
the Irish singer says she is "so
desperate for sex" that she
might do something desper-
ate. O'Connor is quite fexible
about her must-haves for her
potential sexual partners, al-
though she does stipulate that
they "must not be named Brian
or Nigel". Women are also al-
lowed to apply. You must ab-
solutely not apply, however, if
you are not a fan of anal sex.
Apparently, nothing compares.
UK
Inadvertent victim of the day:
the editor of the UK's Gay
Times, who happens to be
called cough Darren Scott.
As a result, he has been on the
receiving end of a torrent of
Twitter abuse from South Afri-
cans bent on expressing their
outrage with South Africa's rac-
ist DJ Darren Scott all Thurs-
day. "I am not the Darren Scott
that is trending on Twitter.
There is more than one in the
world", he told South African
tweeters, adding: "The only K
word I fing about ends in Mi-
nogue". He sounds much nicer
than our one.
FRIDAY - 9 SEPTEMBER 2011
life, etc galliano
galliano and Scott: Separated at birth?
Galliano was fned the equivalent of around
R60 000 for going on two racist and anti-Semitic
rants in October 2010 and February 2011. In the
February incident, Galliano directed 30 anti-Se-
mitic insults at a fellow customer in 45 minutes,
before moving on to racially attack her South
Asian companion. Galliano's case was lodged by
several French anti-racism groups, as well as the
people he insulted. During the hearing the state
prosecutor told the judges his behaviour was an
example of "everyday anti-Semitism and racism"
which was "pitiful and dreadful".
Pitiful and dreadful is a pretty good descrip-
tion of how Darren Scott must be feeling today
after Beeld broke the news yesterday about his
use of the k-word to a colleague like Galliano,
in a bar. Scott has since resigned from his radio
gig and taken an indefnite leave of absence from
On Wedensday, British designer John Galliano was found guilty by a Paris court of making racist
statements in a bar. Et tu, Darren Scott? By REBECCA DAVIS.
Supersport. Scott yesterday released a statement
to Beeld saying they had been factually inaccu-
rate in their reporting of the incident and that
"once those facts are known it emerges that Scott
had been generous and patient to a fault". Scott
describes in detail his fnancial history with the
object of his racial slur, seemingly as a tacit justi-
fcation for his insult.
The statement concluded by noting that Scott
"regrets" the incident and has "conveyed his apol-
ogies". In person on 702 yesterday morning Scott
was more efusive in expressing his shame and
regret. But then again, so was Galliano, who said,
"I know that I must face up to my own failures
and that I must work hard to gain people's un-
derstanding and compassion."
read more:
1. JJohn Galliano found guilty of racist and anti-Semitic
abuse, in The Guardian
2. Darren Scotts side of the story, on IOL Photo: John Galliano arrives to Paris court. (Reuters)
FRIDAY - 9 SEPTEMBER 2011
life, etc bmw
laser headlights for future bmws
Future BMWs will use lasers instead of LEDs in
headlights. The new technology will save power
and fuel for the cars, the company said.
What wont happen is BMWs driving about
with burning red lights in the front, setting fre
to other road users. Instead, the laser beam will
be converted by a fuorescent phosphor material
inside the headlamp into a bright, white light.
The resultant light wont pose a risk to anybody.
The tiny size of the lasers open up a lot of
possibilities, CNet said. Instead of a large,
round piece of glass, a laser headlight could
shine through the cross pieces of the car's grille,
and so remain hidden when not in use. The tra-
We know about light emitting diode (LED) lights being used in the headlights of cars, but have a gurn at
this: future BMWs will have power-saving lasers in their headlights. By SIPHO HLONGWANE
ditional dual-headlight confguration would also
no longer be necessary, as a row of laser diodes
could peek out from the front edge of the hood.
As laser light is a coherent beam, it can be pre-
cisely shaped, and also changed at will. Instead
of a separate high-beam lamp, lasers can be
computer controlled to form a low-beam or high-
beam pattern.
The frst car to have the laser headlight
technology will be the upcoming i8, a plug-in
hybrid sports coup.
read more:
1. BMW to ft cars with lasers in CNet
2. BMW to introduce laser headlights in GizMag Photo: REUTERS
friDAY 9 september 2011
SPORT
briefs sport
friday - 9 september 2011
Andy Robinson (Reuters)
south AfricA
The Sharks have made
three changes and a posi-
tional switch for Saturday's
Currie Cup clash against the
Pumas in Durban. Conrad
Hofmann replaces the injured
Charl McLeod at scrum-half
in the only change amongst
the backs. Up front, Alistair
Hargreaves replaces Jan Andre
Marais at lock, while Wiehan
Herbst comes in for Eugene
van Staden at tighthead prop
and in the back row, captain
Keegan Daniel swaps places
with Jean Deysel
The Blue Bulls have made
two changes to their side for
Saturday's Currie Cup clash
against the Cheetahs in Bloem-
fontein. Coach Pine Pienaar has
made one positional change,
with Zane Kirchner moving
from centre to his more accus-
tomed position at full-back.
Francois Venter has been pro-
moted to the starting line-up at
inside centre for Jurgen Visser,
who drops to the bench.
The MTN8 fnal has been
sold out ahead of the eagerly-
awaited contest featuring Or-
lando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs
at Soccer City on Saturday. Pre-
mier Soccer League CEO Zola
Majavu revealed his delight at
the news after fans purchased
the last of the tickets on Thurs-
day afternoon.
New ZeAlANd
Ireland prop Cian Healy has
been ruled out of his side's
Rugby World Cup opener
against the USA in New Plym-
outh on Sunday. The Leinster
front-rower sufered an eye
injury against England in their
fnal warm-up clash two weeks
ago and was always in doubt.
Scotland coach Andy Rob-
inson has named his side to
open their Rugby World Cup
account against Romania in In-
vercargill on Saturday. Glasgow
lock Alastair Kellock will lead
the team that includes eight
players with previous Rugby
World Cup experience. Veteran
full-back Chris Paterson will
be playing in his fourth RWC
tournament - unprecedented
for a Scot.
Fiji have named former sol-
dier Leone Nakarawa in their
team to face Namibia in Sat-
urday's match at Rotorua Inter-
national Stadium. The 23-year-
old lock was at the centre of a
visa row targeting the country's
military government. Nakarawa
was forced to resign his army
commission to even play at the
World Cup after New Zealand
refused to relax a ban on visits
from anyone connected with
Suva's military government.
briefs sport
friday - 9 september 2011
Roberto Mancini (Reuters)
The vuvuzelas which provided
the droning soundtrack to last
year's soccer World Cup in
South Africa are unlikely to
make a big noise at the Rug-
by version in New Zealand.
The ubiquitous plastic trumpets
are among several items banned
from World Cup venues. Also
included on an eclectic list
are whistles, umbrellas, roller
blades, gang insignia, furniture
and - remarkably - auto parts.
Leave your carburettor at home.
uK
QPR boss Neil Warnock has
refused to rule out a bid for
David Beckham. New Rang-
ers owner Tony Fernandes re-
vealed his interest in signing
the former Manchester United
and England star on Twitter
this week. And Warnock was
quoted in the Daily Telegraph
as saying: "About three weeks
ago I would not have dreamed
to sign Joey Barton so I will
never write anything of.
Manchester City boss Roberto
Mancini admits Owen Harg-
reaves' signing was largely
infuenced by UEFA's fnan-
cial fair play regulations.
Mancini coveted Roma's Dan-
iele de Rossi and Real Madrid's
Fernando Gago, but opted for
out-of-contract Hargreaves
as he couldn't spend heavily.
Mancini told The Independent:
"Gago is a player we liked a lot.
We couldn't spend any more
money also for the question of
fnancial fair play. What a con-
fdence booster.
us
Novak Djokovic has urged
the US Open organisers to
considering putting a roof
over Arthur Ashe stadium
after rain caused havoc for the
second day running. Following
Tuesday's wash-out, organis-
ers were desperate to get play
underway on Wednesday. Both
the Australian Open and Wim-
bledon already have the capac-
ity to play matches when it is
raining with roofs on their big-
gest courts, while the French
Open has already confrmed
plans to have a roof over Court
Philippe Chatrier by 2016.
europe
f1
Bruno Senna feels he will
be more self-assured at this
weekend's Italian GP after
blowing the cobwebs away at
Spa a fortnight ago. After star-
ring during the Belgian GP
qualifying which saw him start
P7, the Brazilian was involved
in frst-lap accident and even-
tually had to settle for 13th
place.
Golf
Ian Poulter has confrmed
he will return to Hong Kong
GC to defend his UBS Hong
Kong Open title from 1 - 4
December. Poulter, who shot
a stunning second-round 60
last year to win the title, will
be joined by rising Italian star
Matteo Manassero, and both
are excited about the prospect.
rwc sport
FRIDAY - 9 SEPTEMBER 2011
the time has come:
crouch, touch, pause engage!
In the politically correct world of modern day
media relations, its not often that opposing
teams take the opportunity to talk up their own
chances. The usual mantra is one of fghting
for the underdog status and hoping to lure the
15 players on the other side of the pitch into
complacency. But not Warren Gatland and his
team of Cymru lads.
The Welsh management stopped just short
of bad mouthing the Boks and in particular
If Test match rugby was played in press conference rooms and quotes were the equivalent of fve-
pointers, Wales would have already won the opening encounter against the Springboks. STYLI
CHARALAMBOUS previews Sundays big match.
Photo: South Africa Springboks captain John Smit (front C) trains with the
team at a practice session in Wellington September 6, 2011. REUTERS
their style of play. Gatland, a former Waikato
and New Zealand B team hooker, has not
been afraid to mince his words ahead of this
mouth-watering Pool D encounter. Showing
little respect for the current World Champions,
Gatland said the Boks played no rugby and
that the Welsh knew just what to expect from
the World Champions.
rwc sport
FRIDAY - 9 SEPTEMBER 2011
By efectively calling the Boks predictable
and exponents of boring rugby, Gatland can
only be hoping to get the players backs up
before the game that will result in overzealous
and foolish behaviour on the pitch. The
Springboks have lost many Tests due to
dangerous and illegal practices that resulted in
sin-binned players. Just think back to last years
ill-fated Tri-Nations campaign, where the Boks
earned three yellow cards in as many matches,
and how the disadvantage of playing with a
man short for 10 minutes efectively ended any
hope of victory.
Gatlands strategy is as transparent as it is
underhanded, going on to call Wayne Barnes, the
referee ofciating Sundays Test match, the best
in the world. Not too many of his countrymen
would agree, after Barnes failed to pick up the
blatant forward pass at the last World Cup that
ended New Zealands tournament.
No doubt, Gatland had Bakkies Botha in
mind, who more often than not has been the
recipient of those pesky yellow cards. And in
a twist of fate, the big man from Pretoria has
been ruled out through injury, to be replaced by
teammate Danie Roussouw, himself no stranger
to the sin-bin.
Mind games aside, the Boks will be
preparing for a tough test from their northern
hemisphere rivals. In their RWC warm-up
campaign Wales exchanged victories with
England and then went on to disarm Argentina
with relative ease in a 28-13 victory at the
Millennium Stadium. The Welsh have proven
to be tough opponents to put away for the Boks,
running the South Africans close the last three
times the two sides met, coming within one
score of the Boks each time.
The Boks will know their strength lies in
the set-pieces of the scrum and the line-out,
Photo: Wales' training session in Wellington, ahead of their Rugby World Cup opening match against South Africa on Sunday, September 6, 2011. (Reuters)
rwc sport
FRIDAY - 9 SEPTEMBER 2011
where the experienced and formidable pack
of forwards will look to lay the platform and
secure possession. With Bakkies Botha out
of the mix, Victor Matfeld will lead the line-
out eforts with the incredibly good Heinrich
Brssow the go-to man for turnover possession.
The expected wet conditions will also nudge
the Boks into playing a tight game with much
territorial kicking. Fourie du Preez will need to
up his own kicking game since the last outing
against the All Blacks, where he only succeeded
in handing over possession. Another of day like
that on Sunday could see the exciting Welsh
backline attacking the Boks defensive line at
will, and the Bok management considering the
option of Francois Hougaard at scrumhalf.
Where the Boks will be looking to their
forwards to set-up the win, the Welsh will
be wanting to spread the ball as wide, and as
quickly as possible to get their potent backline
into the game. George North, Jamie Roberts
and veteran Shane Williams have all caused
problems for the Bok defence in the past,
whether it be in the red jerseys of Wales or the
British Lions. North and Roberts are big men
able to break over the gain line at pace, while
the unpredictable Williams, even at the ripe old
age of 34 can still dance his way to the try-line.
It is likely to be a nervous start to the
match as both teams excitement over the
start of the tournament results in early nerves
for the players. South Africa, with the more
experienced team and likely to feld many of
the players that started the World Cup fnal in
2007, should be in a better position to deal with
the big occasion. On paper, the Boks look 10-14
points better than Wales, but as we all know, no
Test match is ever played on paper.
previous results
2010: South Africa won 29 -26 in Cardif
2010: South Africa won 34 -31 in Cardif
2008: South Africa won 20 -15 in Cardif
Prediction: Expect a close game, with Welsh
fnishing strongly as they usually do against
the Boks, but only after the game has been lost.
Boks by 12 points.
the teams
South Africa: 15 Frans Steyn, 14 JP Pietersen,
13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Jean de Villers, 11 Bryan
Habana, 10 Morn Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez,
8 Pierre Spies, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Heinrich
Brssow, 5 Victor Matfeld, 4 Danie Rossouw,
3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 John Smit, 1 Tendai
Mtawarira.
Wales: 15 James Hook, 14 George North, 13
Jonathan Davies, 12 Jamie Roberts, 11 Shane
Williams, 10 Rhys Priestland, 9 Mike Phillips;
8 Toby Faletau, 7 Sam Warburton (c), 6 Dan
Lydiate, 5 Alun Wyn Jones, 4 Luke Charteris, 3
Adam Jones, 2 Huw Bennett, 1 Paul James
Date: Sunday, September 11
Kick-of: 20.30 (10.30 CAT)
Venue: Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Weather: Chance of rain, with strong
winds. Day time high: 15C;
Evening low: 9C
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant referees: George Clancy
(Ireland)), Vinny Munro (New Zealand)
Television match ofcial: Matt Goddard
(Australia)
RWC spoRt
FRIDAY - 9 SEPTEMBER 2011
RWC 2011: pRevieW
New ZealaNd vs ToNga
It's the moment we've all been waiting for.
The World Cup fnally kicks of and the All
Blacks get a chance to make amends for the
disappointment of four years ago.
While the hosts are under massive pressure
to keep the Webb Ellis Cup in New Zealand for
four years (not just six weeks), they won't be
having sleepless nights about Friday's result.
Tonga will not win - of that there is no
doubt. The Islanders have never beaten the All
The question is not who will win Friday's 2011 Rugby World Cup opener in Auckland, but rather in what
state New Zealand will be left after 80 minutes. By ROSS HASTIE.
Photo: REUTERS
Blacks. In fact, they have not even come within
80 points of the Kiwis in the last decade.
But the team in red will not go down
lightly, and it's their reputation for thundering
big hits that will have All Blacks coach
Graham Henry worried.
Indeed the Tongans have promised to bring
their standard physical approach to what is sure
RWC spoRt
FRIDAY - 9 SEPTEMBER 2011
to be a bruising encounter. The Ikale Tahi have
a habit of picking up cards (they've seen red and
yellow more than any other team in World Cup
history) and will still be ruing the fnal game of
this year's Pacifc Nations Cup where they lost the
title in the last minute to Japan, due largely to the
fact that they were down a man for an hour.
As a result, don't be surprised if Dan Carter
and Richie McCaw don't play to the fnal
whistle. Henry will want to make sure of the
result before pulling out the ol' shepherd's
crook and getting his stars out of harm's way.
Speaking of stars, Ma'a Nonu will wear
number 13 as Sonny Bill Williams is given a
chance at inside centre. It's incredibly tough to
leave a player as classy as Conrad Smith out,
but we fancy the Nonu-SBW combination will
wreak havoc. Picture it: an of-load out the back
of Williams's hand into the path of a charging
110kg Nonu... ouch.
Of course, it would be wrong to assume
Tonga will be thrashed by a cricket score. They
beat Fiji 32-20 in their last warm-up game and
have bolstered that winning team with a couple
of European-based players.
The visitors are also sure to have plenty of
support after they arrived at Auckland Airport
to an awaiting crowd of at least 4,000 - more
than any other side.
Interestingly, Tonga will kick-of the World
Cup's haka showdowns. They will start their
traditional pre-match war dance before the hosts,
who will then have the choice to try to out-shout
their rivals or wait until they have fnished.
After two consecutive losses, a big win is just
what the doctor ordered for the All Blacks as
they begin their quest to appease an expectant
nation. There should be tries aplenty.
We can't wait.
Photo: Tonga (Reuters)
RWC spoRt
FRIDAY - 9 SEPTEMBER 2011
playeRs to WatCh
For New Zealand: He's set to be one of
the stars of the World Cup... as long as he can
make his team's frst XV, Sonny Bill Williams
has been given a rare opportunity to start and
show us all what he is capable of. He foats like a
butterfy, of-loads like a magician and hits like
a lumberjack. If SBW is given enough space,
we're likely to be treated to a real spectacle. But
will it be enough to earn a place in the team to
face France in two weeks?
For Tonga: Tongan-born but New Zealand-
educated Soane Tonga'uiha is a star of the
English Premiership where the Northampton
Saints charger is a try-scoring phenomenon,
ending the last two seasons as the league's
top-scoring prop. In what is set to be a high-
scoring game, the 126kg man-mountain
is bound to get a chance to show of his
impressive turn of speed.
Head-to-head: Competition for places in the
All Blacks back-row is red hot at the moment
and Jerome Kaino will be out to cement his
berth while Adam Thomson is sidelined with
an elbow injury. He'll be up against Tonga
captain Finau Maka, who could be a little rusty
since hes now plying his trade in France's third
division. But the former Toulouse back-rower's
reputation for big hits and barnstorming runs
is well earned so his tussle with Kaino is sure to
be exciting to watch.
pRevious Results
2003: New Zealand won 91 -7 in Brisbane
2000: New Zealand won 102-0 in North Shore City
1999: New Zealand won 45 - 9 in Bristol
Prediction: No mystery here. The crowd
should get plenty in return for forking out for
the tickets to the opening game. New Zealand
by 45 points
the teams
New Zealand
15 Israel Dagg, 14 Richard Kahui, 13 Ma'a
Nonu, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 11 Isaia Toeava,
10 Daniel Carter, 9 Jimmy Cowan, 8 Victor
Vito, 7 Richie McCaw (capt), 6 Jerome Kaino, 5
Ali Williams, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Owen Franks, 2
Andrew Hore, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements: 16 Corey Flynn, 17 Ben Franks,
18 Anthony Boric, 19 Sam Whitelock, 20 Piri
Weepu, 21 Colin Slade, 22 Cory Jane.
Tonga
15 Vunga Lilo, 14 Viliame Iongi, 13 Suka
Hufanga, 12 Andrew Ma'ilei, 11 Siale Piutau, 10
Kurt Morath, 9 Taniela Moa, 8 Viliami Ma'afu,
7 Finau Maka (c), 6 Sione Kalamafoni, 5 Joe
Tu'ineau, 4 Paino Hehea, 3 Taufa'ao Filise, 2
Aleki Lutui, 1 Soane Tonga'uiha.
Replacements: 16 Ephraim Taukafa, 17 Alisona
Taumalolo, 18 Kisi Pulu, 19 Sione Timani, 20 Samiu
Vahafolau, 21 Samisoni Fisilau, 22 Alipate Fatafehi.
Date: Friday, 9 September
Kick-of: 06.30 SAST (08.30 GMT)
Venue: Eden Park Stadium, Auckland
Weather: Dry. Day time high: 18C;
Evening low: 7C
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Craig Joubert (South
Africa), Stuart Terheege (England)
Television match ofcial: Giulio De
Santis (Italy)
FRIDAY - 9 SEPTEMBER 2011
sport Formula one
preview: italian Grand prix
With this years dominance by Red Bull Racing
and judging from the noise from the paddock,
Mark Webber seems to be the only driver in-
terested in racing. He writes in his BBC column
that a Red Bull victory at Monza would mean
more to the team than the points on ofer; it
would deal a psychological blow to Ferrari and
McLaren. The Australian though has been out-
classed most of this year by his team-mate Se-
bastian Vettel, and a victory for Vettel at Monza
would deal the same psychological blow to all,
including Webber. Despite the fghting words,
question marks still hang over Webbers grid-
leading credentials.
A Monza victory wont be easy for Red Bull.
The team has never won at the circuit. The
toughest competition will come from home-
team Ferrari who have always been competitive
here. The Tifosi wouldnt have it any other way.
Fernando Alonso has asked for perfect support
from the team and Filipe Massa has blamed the
The historic 5.8 kilometre Monza circuit, just north of Milan, plays host to this weekends Italian Grand
Prix. It has only six corners, which means the drivers spend most of their time on full throttle. Success
will depend on straight-line speed, stability under braking and making best use of the two DRS zones.
OSIAME MOLEFE previews the 13th round of the Formula One world championship.
teams lacklustre performance of late on cold
temperatures, which should not be a problem
with the forecast predicting high 20s.
Monza is also tyre supplier Pirellis home
grand prix. Following last weekends drama
with blistering tyres, Pirelli has given the team
new camber settings, which they say should
prevent overheating on the straights and pro-
vide grip in high-speed corners.
Lewis Hamilton meanwhile has denied that
his lifestyle which sees him hobnobbing with
celebrities and doing the TV talk show circuit
distracts him from the racing. In his defence, he
has seemed all-in behind the wheel excessive-
ly so at times. But McLaren have said they wont
ask him to change his driving style, so expect
him to be as aggressive as ever at Monza.
Prediction: Hes had some bad luck and rac-
es where he simply didnt show up, but watch
Felipe Massa. He probably wont win. Vettel
will do that. But expect Massa to duke it out
with his team-mate Alonso for the second step
on the podium.
Photo: REUTERS
Support the team that saves lives.
O
G
I
L
V
Y
C
A
P
E
T
O
W
N
4
2
5
1
1
42511 NSRI Percy Print_285x210.indd 1 2011/05/09 12:32 PM