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1 July 2002 to present:

2003:

Employment Equity Under the Spotlight [South Africa; refers to racial & gender discrimination] (South African Press Association, 13 May 2003)

S. African gold firm faces $7 billion suit - Workers at South Africa's second-largest gold mining company [Gold Fields] were tortured, enslaved and poisoned with uranium, according to a $7.4-billion lawsuit filed late on Tuesday in a New York court...In the suit, Mtwesi alleged he and others were "tortured, enslaved, subjected to unfair and discriminatory Slave or Forced Labor practices (and) exposed to toxic and dangerous chemicals, fumes, substances and radioactive materials." (Jeanne King, Reuters, 7 May 2003)

• Archbishop steps into mining case [South Africa] - In a strange twist mining company Gold Fields yesterday confirmed it had been approached to meet Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town Njongonkulu Ndungane to try to resolve the claims brought against it for alleged prejudice during the apartheid years. The archbishop was said to be approaching all the mining companies named in the apartheid suits, which have total possible claims of $15 billion against them, to try to resolve the matter before it reached the courts. (Sherilee Bridge, Business Report, 7 May 2003)

• Workers file $7bn uranium lawsuit - South African mining group Gold Fields faces a $7bn (£4.4bn) legal challenge [in a New York court] from former workers, who claim they were contaminated by uranium and have now fallen ill. (BBC News, 5 May 2003)

• Gold Fields faces uranium exposure lawsuit -...Gold Fields said - just as AngloAmerican did last month - that it did not recognise the jurisdiction of the US courts...Under the US Alien Tort Claims Act, foreign citizens can file claims regarding human rights abuses against companies that do business in the US. (Nicol Degli Innocenti, Financial Times, 5 May 2003)

• Gold Fields, the second-largest gold producer in South Africa, will vigorously defend a lawsuit brought against to it by the company's former employees, said company officials on Monday. (South African Press Association, 5 May 2003)

Gold Fields faces $7bn uranium exposure suit - Lawyers acting on behalf of more than 500 former employees of Gold Fields, South Africa's second largest gold producer, will file a suit on Monday in New York seeking damages of up to $7bn. (Nicol Degli Innocenti, Financial Times, 4 May 2003)

• Gold Fields is facing lawsuit for subhuman' working conditions - The apartheid claims task force says it will file a lawsuit for billions of dollars in New York against SA [South African] gold mining company Gold Fields for making blacks work under "subhuman" conditions. (Business Day [South Africa], 2 May 2003)

• Class action suit filed against Gold Fields (South African Broadcasting Corporation, 2 May 2003)

• Gold Fields dismisses lawsuit threats - Bullion producer Gold Fields Ltd said on Friday it would "strenuously defend" itself against a threatened lawsuit seeking damages of up to $7-billion for workers who say they were unfairly treated. (Hilary Gush, Reuters, 2 May 2003) 

Eskom Pledges R5m to Provide HIV Training to Medics [South Africa] -...The product of a collaboration between Eskom, the Foundation for Professional Development, the Southern African HIV Clinicians Society and the United States-based Development Communication Associates, the initiative focuses on training for health carers in rural communities and the public sector. (Cape Argus [South Africa], 1 May 2003)

Shell feels heat at AGM -...Shell’s managers were also given a tough time by environmental activists who had flown in from around the world to raise issues at the AGM. They criticised the company for not doing enough and providing spin over substance in key areas of environmental and social performance. Activists from the US, South Africa and the Philippines made varied accusations (Tobias Webb, Ethical Corporation Magazine, 25 Apr. 2003)

Shell meetings hit by protests over pay, ethics -...Environmental group Friends of the Earth Netherlands urged Royal Dutch Petroleum to have an independent investigation into the quality of its oil pipelines in the South African city of Durban. Friends of the Earth activist Paul de Clerck said millions of litres of gasoline had leaked from the pipelines in a series of incidents over the past two years...Royal Dutch Petroleum president Jeroen van der Veer acknowledged there had been oil leaks and Shell Chairman Watts urged communities which felt they had suffered health problems due to Shell pipelines to get in touch with the group. (Sudip Kar-Gupta and Otti Thomas, Reuters, 25 Apr. 2003)

• Environmentalists unite against [refers to South Africa & Nigeria] - The African campaigners who travelled to London argue that Shell is guilty of environmental racism. They say stricter legislation enforced by the European Union has led to a cleaner plant operating in Denmark and they want to know why the same rules do not apply around the world. (South African Broadcasting Corporation, 24 Apr. 2003)

• Shell Goes into Shell over its Promises - The oil giant Shell is failing to protect communities living around its installations, says a new report from Friends of the Earth. Emissions from Shell oil refineries and depots are behind high incidence of cancer, asthma and skin conditions, according to environmental activists. (Sanjay Suri, Inter Press Service, 23 Apr. 2003)

Shell faces international protest at AGM - Oil giant Shell is still putting short-term profit before people and the environment, despite its public commitment to a "green" future, according to a shocking new report launched today to coincide with the company's London AGM.  Failing the challenge: The Other Shell Report...contains first hand testimonies from communities living next door to Shell in the US, the Philippines, South Africa, Nigeria, Argentina and China and catalogues the environmental damage, the health problems and the impacts of accident these communities face.  But the report also shows how inadequate current UK company law is in protecting local people and the environment from UK companies who profit at the expense of people's health and the natural world. (Friends of the Earth, 23 Apr. 2003)

• full report: Failing the challenge: The Other Shell Report 2002 (Friends of the Earth, Refinery Reform Campaign, groundWork South Africa, South Durban Community Environmental Alliance, South African Exchange Program on Environmental Justice, Fundacion Ala Plastica, Global Community Monitor and FreeTibet Campaign, Apr. 2003)

• Shell faces attack on bonuses -...Friends of the Earth is holding an alternative meeting ahead of the AGM [the Shell annual general meeting in London] with representatives from South Africa, the Philippines, Nigeria and US who claim their health is suffering as a result of living next to Shell's refineries. (Steve Hawkes, Evening Standard [UK], 23 Apr. 2003)

In the green dock: corporate targets [sub-section of article entitled "Asda 'exploiting loophole' for store space"] - FoE [Friends of the Earth] is also targeting some of Britain's largest listed firms, which it claims are putting profits before people and the environment; it has bought shares in 18 publicly quoted firms and has been questioning boards about the impact their businesses are having on the environment. The campaign, to run through the summer, started this week when FoE accused Rio Tinto of human rights abuses and environmental destruction in Indonesia at its AGM. FoE is also pushing for UK law changes requiring firms to take account of their wider responsibilities and offer affected communities redress or compensation when they fail to do so. The 18 firms targeted...: British American Tobacco (Activities in Burma and use of pesticides in Brazil); Associated British Ports; Rio Tinto (Destructive mining activities in Indonesia); Shell (Environmental damage in the Philippines; South Africa, Nigeria and US); Barclays (Rainforest destruction in Indonesia); BP (Impact of the Baku to Ceyan Russian pipeline); Anglo American (Mining in South America and Africa); BAE Systems; Amec (Subsidiary Spie has a construction contract for BP's Baku-Ceyan pipeline); Premier Oil; Balfour Beatty; P&O; HSBC (Oil industry involvement in Sudan); Tesco; British Airways; Sainsbury; Safeway; BAA. (Julia Finch & Neil Hume, Guardian [UK], 19 Apr. 2003)

Low Levels of Lead Damage Children - It can reduce IQ, delay puberty, new research says...The main exposure to lead [in USA] now occurs in housing built before 1950, where paints with high levels of lead are more common. (Ed Edelson, HealthScoutNews, 16 Apr. 2003)

• Low lead levels damage kids -...In South Africa, the threat of elevated childhood blood lead levels is not expected to decline in the foreseeable future as very few local consumers are currently using unleaded petrol. (Health24 [South Africa], 16 Apr. 2003)

S.Africa Plans Payment to Apartheid Victims - South African President Thabo Mbeki said on Tuesday his government would make a one-time payment of $3,890 each to more than 19,000 victims of apartheid identified by the country's truth commission.  But Mbeki said the government would not follow a recommendation by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to levy a wealth tax on South African business to help pay for reparations...He also signaled the government's opposition to a slew of class-action lawsuits filed in U.S. courts by lawyers acting on behalf of apartheid victims seeking billions of dollars in compensation from foreign and South African corporations accused of propping up or benefiting from nearly half a century of white-minority rule. (Gershwin Wanneburg, Reuters, 15 Apr. 2003)

• Mbeki opposes corporate apartheid lawsuits - South Africa President Thabo Mbeki says the government has not been and will not be party to litigation [in U.S. courts] against corporations that benefited from the apartheid system. (Donwald Pressly, Business Day [South Africa], 15 Apr. 2003)

• Pressure On Mbeki to Lift Burden On Business [South Africa] - President Thabo Mbeki is due to give government's official position today on the issue of reparations for victims of apartheid, amid growing corporate and investor unease about the mounting hidden costs of investing in SA. (Julie Bain, Rob Rose And Xolani Xundu, Business Day [South Africa], 15 Apr. 2003)

{···français} Apartheid: des firmes sommées de réparer - Des plaignants sud-africains réclament des milliards de dollars ( Sabine Cessou, Libération, 12 avril 2003)

Environmentalists set sights on Sasol - A website has been established to keep an eye on the environmental impact South African oil and chemicals group Sasol's operations has on communities in South Africa and the US. (Justin Brown, Sunday Times [South Africa], 10 Apr. 2003)

• Sasol May See Red Over Greens' Guerrilla Tactics - On the same day Sasol listed on the New York Stock Exchange, environmental groups launched a website warning investors about its "environmentally destructive industrial operations". (Larry Claasen, Business Day [South Africa], 10 Apr. 2003)

• SasolWatch: Welcome to SasolWatch.com a website dedicated to tracking the environmental, public health and labor infractions resulting from the operations of Sasol Ltd. and its international subsidiaries

• SASOL: A global leader or a major polluter - South African and African American Communities on the Fencelines of Sasol Facilities Warn Investors of Sasol's Liabilities for Environmental Destruction & Health Threats (SasolWatch, South African Exchange Program on Environmental Justice, Mossville Environmental Action Now, 8 Apr. 2003)

• company website: Sasol

US firm faces $1bn claim for complicity [South Africa] - Fluor, the biggest US publicly traded engineering and construction company, faces a $1 billion claim by black former workers who allege they were discriminated against under apartheid. Anglo American, the world's second-biggest mining company, and diamond producer De Beers also face a lawsuit by former employees who say they were enslaved, beaten and tortured under apartheid. Lawyer Ed Fagan said a lawsuit would be filed today in California federal courts. The suit will argue that Fluor paid blacks less than whites and that the company helped repress workers during a 1987 strike in which two were killed. (Jonathan Rosenthal and Antony Sguazzin, Business Report [South Africa], 7 Apr. 2003)

• Anglo stock hit by class action suit [South Africa] - Shares in Anglo American and Sasol fell sharply on Friday after it was disclosed that US lawyer Ed Fagan and local representative John Ngcebethsa were planning to file a class action suit for damages against Anglo and Fluor, a US company that worked with Sasol, for their role in human rights abuses during apartheid. (Max Gebhardt, Business Report [South Africa], 7 Apr. 2003)

• Lawsuits Force Anglo, Sasol Shares Lower [South Africa] - Government does not back the multibillion-dollar lawsuits [in U.S. courts] for apartheid reparations being brought against SA corporate giants, but will also not intervene to stop them, says Justice Minister Penuell Maduna. (Rob Rose & Julie Bain, Business Day [South Africa], 7 Apr. 2003)

• Anglo case to start in New York - The apartheid reparations class action lawsuit, which includes commodity giant Anglo American (Anglo) as a respondent, is set to start May 19 in a New York court...Anglo, along with the world's largest diamond miner De Beers which is 45% held by Anglo, faces a $3.1 to $6.1bn apartheid lawsuit...US construction and engineering group US Fluor Corporation is also facing a claim of between $900m and $1.4bn. (Justin Brown, News24.com [South Africa], 7 Apr. 2003)

• Sasol slumps on apartheid claim [South Africa] (AFP, 7 Apr. 2003)

• Ed Fagan, SA lawyers take aim at Fluor [South Africa] (South African Press Association, in Mail & Guardian [South Africa], 6 Apr. 2003)

• Diamond industry hit by £3bn suit - The maverick lawyer who forced Swiss banks to pay out huge reparations to Holocaust victims yesterday took on the diamond industry, demanding billions of dollars be paid to South African workers "exploited" during the apartheid era. (Fred Bridgland, The Scotsman, 5 Apr. 2003)

• Ed Fagan meets local lawyers and claimants [South Africa] - Local lawyers and US class action lawyer Ed Fagan have announced in Johannesburg that they would be suing US company, Fluor International, for more than $700 million in damages for discriminatory wages paid to the company's employees in South Africa in the 70s and 80s. (SAPA, 5 Apr. 2003)

• Lawyers say to file apartheid suit against Fluor (Reuters, 5 Apr. 2003)

• Anglo Rejects $6bn Reparations Claim [South Africa] - Anglo American has swept aside pressure from a US lawyer that it must provide between $3 and $6 billion in reparations for apartheid-related damages. The group claims that questions of reparations to individuals is a matter for South Africa and its courts, if necessary. In a strongly worded statement issued on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange on Friday, the UK-listed mining group said it had already made "extensive contributions" to reconciliation and reconstruction in South Africa. (David Mckay, Mineweb [South Africa], 4 Apr. 2003)

Apartheid suit hits shares in Anglo American - Shares in dual-listed mining group Anglo American fell in London and Johannesburg on Friday as news broke of a lawsuit brought against the company on behalf of victims of the apartheid regime. (Rebecca Bream & Nicol Degli Innocenti, Financial Times, 4 Apr. 2003)

Taxi industry next in government's drive to protect vulnerable workers [South Africa] - More statutory minimum wage and working conditions loom for industries that fall outside the scope of bargaining councils, a labour analyst predicts. (Business Day [South Africa], 3 Apr. 2003)

Business is On Its Own With HIV/Aids: Labour Specialists [South Africa] - The entire private sector must create plans similar to that of the mining industry to combat HIV/Aids because the government has not totally committed itself to fight the pandemic, labour consultants said on Wednesday...Last year, mining houses AngloGold, De Beers, Harmony and Anglo Platinum committed themselves to create programmes that seek to reduce the impact of HIV/Aids to their workforce. De Beers and AngloGold went further, and declared that they would start HIV/Aids treatment programmes for all their employees. (South African Press Association, 2 Apr. 2003)

Water: Is Privatisation the Answer? Privatisation of public water utilities came under intense fire at the week-long Third World Water Forum that ended in Japan last Sunday. The World Bank and a handful of European corporations want poor governments to put their water utilities in private hands, ostensibly to improve the management of an ever-scarcer resource...Many of the representatives [of civil society at the forum] say they fear that water will remain inaccessible to the poor if the utilities fall in the hands of the private sector. In many developing countries like South Africa the poor cannot afford current tariffs, which usually rise when a private company takes on water distribution. (Raphael Mweninguwe, Mail & Guardian [South Africa], 2 Apr. 2003)

Gold Fields to extend anti-retroviral programme [South Africa] - Gold mining group Gold Fields Limited (GFI) intends extending its existing Wellness Management Programme to include Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) as a treatment option for all employees living with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Gold Fields previously provided Antiretroviral Therapy on a limited basis to prevent mother to child transmission (MTCT), and as post exposure prophylaxis to rape victims and employees with occupational exposure to HIV. (Business Day [South Africa], 1 Apr. 2003)

Anglo American, SAf Govt Launch ZAR40M Empowerment Fund [South Africa] - Diversified global mining giant Anglo American PLC and Khula Enterprise Finance Ltd., a Department of Trade and Industry initiative, has launched a 40 million rand fund to promote black economic empowerment in South Africa's junior mining sector. (Dow Jones, 31 Mar. 2003)

Keller Rohrback Announces International Law Suit Filed on Behalf of Apartheid Victims--Makhetha, et al. v. Credit Commercial De France, et al. - The law firm of Keller Rohrback, L.L.P. and other firms in the United States, filed a complaint that seeks to hold French and Swiss banks and other financial institutions responsible for allegedly aiding and abetting the apartheid regime in South Africa...The suit alleges that these banks provided the funding that enabled South Africa to expand its police and security apparatus. (Keller Rohrback L.L.P., 30 Mar. 2003)

Anglo in 'slaves' charge [South Africa] - Mining group Anglo American is facing a multi-billion dollar lawsuit claiming that it profited from collaborating with apartheid-era South Africa. Lawyers representing thousands of victims of the racist regime are to file a legal action this week alleging that the UK-listed Anglo American exploited black workers, seized property and stripped the country of natural resources during the Seventies and Eighties. The legal claim follows a report by South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission earlier this month, which singled out Anglo American as a beneficiary of apartheid and urged corporations to compensate victims. Anglo American denies wrongdoing...The lawyers...plan to lodge a complaint in the US courts by Friday. (Conal Walsh, Observer [UK], 30 Mar. 2003)

Bushmen to share royalties on anti-obesity drug [South Africa] - A group of South African hunter-gatherers is to receive six per cent of all royalties received by South Africa's leading research organisation from a potential anti-obesity drug derived from the local hoodia plant. Under the deal, the South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) will also pay the San community eight per cent of all milestone payments received from Phytopharm, its UK-based licencee for the drug. The money will be used for the "general upliftment, development and training of the San community". (Tamar Kahn, SciDev.Net, 26 Mar. 2003)

Firms Cautious On Calls for Apartheid Reparations [South Africa] - Stunned silence from large parts of the business sector greeted the news that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission has recommended to government that SA's businesses be made to pay reparations to victims of apartheid unless they offer to play a more substantial role in reconstructing the country. The commission's suggestions included a wealth tax or a one off levy on corporate or private income. The commission singled out three business sectors that benefited particularly from apartheid policies: parastatals like Eskom, mining companies like Anglo American and international institutions like the Swiss banks. (Nicola Jenvey, Lesley Stones, Julie Bain, Carli Lourens & Charlotte Mathews, Business Day [South Africa], 26 Mar. 2003)

• Business responds to reparations call [South Africa] - Business leaders are not happy about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s call for apartheid reparations. [refers to Anglo American, Grindrod, McCarthy] (iafrica.com, 26 Mar. 2003)

HIV/AIDS Could Cause Major Economic Crisis in 'Emerging Markets'; Some Companies Providing Prevention, Treatment to Workforce - Not only is the HIV/AIDS pandemic a "humanitarian disaster," but the disease could also cause an "economic crisis" in "emerging markets" such as South Africa, China and the former Soviet Union...A number of banks, including Deutsche Bank and Dresdner Bank, have said that HIV/AIDS statistics will have to be included in financial forecasting, stock selection, asset allocation and risk underwriting. [refers to Gold Fields and Anglo American] (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 25 Mar. 2003)

Labour Dept campaign finds 700 alleged workers compensation violations [South Africa] - More than 700 workers in Gauteng reported to the Department of Labour on Saturday how they had received no compensation for injuries they suffered while at work and how some of them had been fired after they were injured. (South African Press Association, 16 Mar. 2003)

Less money for mining victims - Cape plc’s South African asbestos victims will get only one-third of the £21-million originally promised them by the British-based multinational. (Justin Arenstein, Mail & Guardian [South Africa], 14 Mar. 2003)

Gold Mines Could Face Gencor-Type Lawsuits [South Africa] - Spoor said far more workers had silicosis than asbestosis (Business Day [South Africa], 14 Mar. 2003)

Black workers to receive £45m asbestos settlement [South Africa] - Thousands of black South African workers suffering from asbestos-related diseases yesterday secured multi-million pound compensation deals from two leading mining companies, after six years of legal wrangling in London and Johannesburg. British company Cape has agreed to pay £7.5m in compensation to 7,500 workers, and Gencor, a South African company which took over many Cape operations in 1979, has agreed to set up a trust fund for its workers, worth 448 million rand (£37.5m). Gencor will pay an additional £3.21m to the Cape claimants, who were also exposed to Gencor's operations. (David Black, Guardian, 14 Mar. 2003)

• SA mineworkers win asbestos payout -...the largest settlement in the country's history. [South Africa] (BBC News, 14 Mar. 2003)

• Asbestos deal won't bring back the dead [South Africa] - Various organisations said on Thursday nothing would reverse the loss of life and damage suffered by victims of asbestos-related diseases but they welcomed the settlement agreements with Cape plc and Gencor with a mixture of anger and relief. (South African Press Association, in Mail & Guardian [South Africa], 14 Mar. 2003)

Mining Fatalities Unacceptably High [South Africa] - Some improvement in the safety record, but this has not been substantive - At the end of January Gold Fields, SA's second biggest gold producer, said four of its miners had died in a fire at the company's Driefontein mine. Last month AngloGold reported that two of its miners had died at its Great Noligwa mine in a rock slide. Fatalities in the gold industry still make up more than double that recorded in any other area of the mining industry. (Julie Bain, Business Day [South Africa], 10 Mar. 2003)

HIV/AIDS Reporting Framework Released - Key performance indicators for HIV/AIDS management were set out for public feedback today...The resulting draft document, “Reporting Guidance on HIV/AIDS: A GRI Resource Document”, was released today in an effort to elicit extensive global feedback that will shape the final report. In parallel, a broad range of South African manufacturing, mining, banking, and government organisations have agreed to evaluate the HIV resource document. All public feedback should be submitted by 21 April 2003 to the South African contacts listed below. (Global Reporting Initiative, 4 Mar. 2003)

DaimlerChrysler widens HIV drive [South Africa] - Car maker DaimlerChrysler SA said yesterday that it would extend its existing treatment programme to employees made redundant as well as to their dependants. (Business Day [South Africa], 28 Feb. 2003)

Spotlight interview with Jaffa Mummy (South Africa – COSATU) [refers to issue of HIV/AIDS discrimination in workplace] (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 21 Feb. 2003)

Labour Dept Conducts Inspection Blitz in the Free State [South Africa] - Labour department inspectors in the Free State yesterday issued 14 contravention notices, one improvement notice and the recommended prosecution of at least one employer. (Mantshele Wa Ga Tau, BuaNews [South Africa], 11 Feb. 2003)

Clampdown on child labour [South Africa] - The department of labour is investigating claims that children as young as nine are being employed on a farm in the Leeuwehoek district in the Western Cape. (South African Press Association, 11 Feb. 2003)

Multinationals Ride Wave of Water Privatization, Investigation Finds -...The report, which is being released in 10 parts between now and February 14, follows a year-long investigation by the Center's International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, which focused on corporate activities in the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia, Colombia, Asia, and Europe. It documents how privatization has cut off millions of people from safe water supplies, resulting, for example, in South Africa's worst ever cholera outbreak, which killed nearly 300 people and infected more than 250,000. [article refers to France's Suez and Vivendi Environnement; Thames Water, owned by Germany's RWE AG; Saur of France; United Utilities of England; United States firm Bechtel] (Marty Logan, OneWorld US, 4 Feb. 2003)

• SOUTH AFRICA - Metered to Death: How a Water Experiment Caused Riots and a Cholera Epidemic - The biggest problem in this country ravaged by AIDS, tuberculosis and malnourishment, is water. Few can afford it. But with World Bank blessing, the government is trying to end water subsidies, forcing millions of South Africans to seek their water from polluted rivers and lakes. The result: one of the largest outbreaks of cholera. (International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Centre for Public Integrity, 5 Feb. 2003)

Asbestos Claimants Accept Gencor Offer [South Africa] - Lawyers representing asbestos victims approved a settlement offer from Gencor yesterday...Part of the R460m settlement offer would be set aside for claims against Cape plc (Chantelle Benjamin, Business Day [South Africa], 4 Feb. 2003)

Asbestos kills, judgment awaits [South Africa] - Herman Kubari is dead...He was the first of 1 600 applicants in a motion in the Johannesburg high court late last year to interdict Gencor, the investment holding company, from unbundling its stake in Impala Platinum and distributing the proceeds to shareholders until sufficient provision had been made for damages actions brought for asbestos-related diseases. (Ronnie Morris, Business Report [South Africa], 30 Jan. 2003)

Anti-Child Labour Laws Are Toothless [South Africa] -...Anti-child labour lobbyists say that a lack of awareness about the Basic Conditions of Employment Act [BCEA] by police, employers and the public was contributing to the use of children under 15 years on commercial farms, the taxi industry, as well as the manufacturing and trading sectors. (African Eye News Service [South Africa], 28 Jan. 2003)

Labour inspection blitz unearths rot [South Africa] - Employers would no longer get away with flouting the law, labour minister Membathisi Mdladlana said yesterday. "It is unacceptable in a human rights-based democracy for workers to be killed or injured while at work because of their employers' refusal to ensure their safety as prescribed by the law," he said during an inspection blitz in Gauteng...At one of the sites, Nigel Textile Works on the East Rand, inspectors found working conditions to be appalling, and recommended the prosecution of the employers. (SAPA, 28 Jan. 2003)

Harmony to offer HIV/AIDS drugs [South Africa] - Harmony Gold Mining would offer its HIV-positive employees antiretroviral drugs and was looking at rolling out a "workable and sustainable" antiretroviral programme, it said yesterday. (Sherilee Bridge, Business Report [South Africa], 28 Jan. 2003)

Child labour shock for SA [South Africa] - About 36 percent of minors in South Africa are engaged in child labour, according to a fresh survey commissioned by the department of labour. (Mokgadi Pela, Business Report [South Africa], 27 Jan. 2003)

Big Brother Employers Outlawed [South Africa] - Companies that read their employees' e-mail or monitor their telephone conversations face fines of up to R2 million if they fail to get employee consent to do so. (ITWeb, 24 Jan. 2003)

Davos, Shell - Can industries be trusted? [South Africa] -...Shell's contradictory record in south Durban, South Africa, speaks volumes for its "commitment". Here Shell continues its usual practice of dumping pollution on communities due to poor operational systems, misrepresenting information to the public, withholding information from the public and suffering worker injuries...FoE [Friends of the Earth] South Africa raises concerns at the Public Eye on Davos about the reality that multi-nationals like Shell are not being held accountable for their environmental and human rights abuses in the South. (Friends of the Earth South Africa, 24 Jan. 2003)

• company website: Shell in Southern Africa (Shell)

World Legacy Awards Honor Ecotourism - Three tourism agencies were honored Wednesday with the first ever World Legacy Awards for their emphasis on environmental responsibility and respecting cultural heritage [Wilderness Safaris, for its work in South Africa; ATG Oxford, for its work in Italy; REST - the Responsible Ecological Social Tours Project, for its work in Thailand] (Cat Lazaroff, Environment News Service, 23 Jan. 2003)

2002:

Strict International Patent Laws Hurt Developing Countries - What was the South African lawsuit about, and what does it tell us about globalization? [regarding lawsuit filed in 1998 by 39 pharmaceutical companies against South Africa, seeking to stop the government from producing generic drugs to make treatment affordable for the country's AIDS victims; after an international public outcry the companies dropped the lawsuit] (Amy Kapczynski, YaleGlobal, 16 Dec. 2002)

EYESIGHT: Deals Could Bring 10 Million Pairs Of "Adaptive Glasses" To Africa -...Silver [Oxford physics professor Joshua Silver] plans to sell up to 400,000 adaptive glasses in Ghana through his company, Adaptive Eyecare, in a deal with the WHO and World Bank. Another deal, for 9.3 million pairs for South Africa, is in the works. (UN Wire, 16 Dec. 2002)

Lingering relics of the apartheid era will be shafted [South Africa] - South Africa's migrant labour system and single-sex hostels are among the few remaining relics of the apartheid era...The socioeconomic focus of the mining charter forces mining companies to tackle employee living conditions head on by making it a condition of awarding or renewing licences under the new regime. (Sherilee Bridge, Business Report [South Africa], 6 Dec. 2002)

Farmers complying with inspections [South Africa] - Only a few South African farmers are preventing labour department inspectors from accessing their farms...He [Minister of Labour Membathisi Mdladlana] emphasised that the government would ensure that all farmers implemented and were compliant with the relevant labour legislation. (Business Day [South Africa], 6 Dec. 2002)

• Labour officials denied access to farms - Cosatu [South Africa] - Labour inspections on most farms were often difficult to carry out as farmers denied government officials access to their properties, the inquiry into human rights violations on farming communities heard on Wednesday. (Mail & Guardian [South Africa], 4 Dec. 2002)

Mandela launches new South African AIDS drug campaign -...The programme will seek to negotiate cheaper drug prices from big pharmaceutical firms. (Andrew Quinn, Reuters, 6 Dec. 2002)

Declaration by unions challenges state, business [South Africa] - Three of South Africa’s largest union federations have drafted a declaration to challenge government and private employers to do more to fight HIV/Aids, and to refrain from discriminating against HIV-positive employees. (Herald [South Africa], 2 Dec. 2002)

• Labour unions demand access to HIV/AIDS treatment [South Africa] (SAPA, 1 Dec. 2002)

South Africa to introduce minimum wages for farm workers - The government announced Monday that it would set minimum wages for farm laborers as from next year, saying the measure was necessary to protect one of the country's most exploited groups of workers...A recent study into working conditions on farms found that laborers had the lowest literacy rates in the country and that women were usually paid less and enjoyed fewer benefits than men. (Associated Press, 2 Dec. 2002)

Workers' safety to be boosted [South Africa] - Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has resolved to increase the protection of workers through advocacy and rigorous enforcement of occupational health and safety regulations...This follows the closing down of several firms and the issuing of prohibition orders to others after raids by labour department inspectors revealed widespread contravention of health and safety regulations. (Business Day [South Africa], 2 Dec. 2002)

Factory fire: Labour dept also to blame [South Africa] - The labour department also had to share the blame for the tragic loss of 11 lives in a factory fire in Lenasia two years ago, a Johannesburg magistrate said on Monday. Lenasia regional court magistrate Caren Nienaber imposed fines on the owner of ESS Chemicals, Suleman Lachporia (45) and his manager Nezahuddin Ahmod (32). (South African Press Association, 2 Dec. 2002)

• R10 000...That is what this mother's life is worth to the man responsible for her death [South Africa] - Francis Bok, 32, was one of 11 workers who burned to death when the chemical factory in which she was working caught fire on November 17 2000. (Nashira Davids, Sunday Times [South Africa], 1 Dec. 2002)

South Africa: Stigma in the workplace - South African law protects the rights of employees living with HIV/AIDS on paper, but the reality is that discrimination and denial still prevails in the workplace (U.N. Integrated Regional Information Networks, 29 Nov. 2002)

S Africa shuns apartheid lawsuits: Country needs investment, say ministers, not compensation - The South African government has refused to support a lawsuit against foreign multinationals and banks which allegedly propped up apartheid because it fears deterring investors. (Rory Carroll, Guardian [UK], 27 Nov. 2002)

Gencor denies it employed asbestos claimants [South Africa] (Ronnie Morris, Business Report, 25 Nov. 2002)

Gencor opposes class action as 37 seek payment for asbestos-related diseases [South Africa] - SA MINING company, Gencor, has contested the basis for a class action in SA. (Business Day [South Africa], 22 Nov. 2002)

• Gencor's asbestos liability could be huge, court told [South Africa] - Thousands of mineworkers were exposed to the hazards of asbestos dust and as a result thousands of cases could come before the courts (Ronnie Morris, Business Report [South Africa], 21 Nov. 2002)

Worker who was sucked into conveyor belt dies [South Africa] - A worker sucked into a conveyor belt on Tuesday at an Epping factory [South African Metal] in Cape Town has lost an overnight battle for life. (Judy Damon, Cape Times, 21 Nov. 2002)

Shell green record holds lessons for Big Oil - book - All big oil companies have their share of environmental record blemishes, but examining the way Royal Dutch Shell has dealt with its problems may lead the industry to a greener future, according to a new book. In "Riding The Dragon: Royal Dutch Shell and the Fossil Fire," Jack Doyle chronicles a sampling of 300 incidents of fires, leaks and explosions throughout the petroleum infrastructure of the world's second-largest oil firm, including in the United States, Nigeria and South Africa. (Timothy Gardner, Reuters, 18 Nov. 2002)

Asbestos victims seek court nod for class action against Gencor [South Africa] - The Johannesburg high court will be asked tomorrow to recognise the right of people suffering from asbestos-related diseases to bring a class action for damages against Gencor, the investment holding company. [refers also to Cape plc] (Ronnie Morris, Business Report [South Africa], 18 Nov. 2002)

Gold mines account for 64% of SA [South Africa] mine deaths (SAPA, 14 Nov. 2002)

Claimants set to pursue Gencor in UK [UK/South Africa] -...Lawyers for the claimants are apparently re-opening the case because Cape plc failed to pay the first tranche of the settlement on the due date. Gencor has denied any liability arising from claims by asbestos miners (Business Day [South Africa], 14 Nov. 2002)

Economists again call for safety inspection of ammunition factories [South Africa] - Economists Allied for Arms Reduction (ECAAR-SA) on Wednesday again called for a thorough safety and health inspection of factories owned by weapons manufacturer Denel. (SAPA, 13 Nov. 2002)

• Workers 'don't live very long' [South Africa] - Arms manufacturer Denel has been accused of "total disregard for the health and welfare of employees". (Die Burger [South Africa], 22 Oct. 2002)

• Tea break blast rocks Denel [South Africa] - An explosion occurred at Denel's Swartklip ammunition factory near Cape Town...One employee was injured (SAPA, 13 Nov. 2002)

NGO Launches US Apartheid Reparations Law Suit [lawsuit in U.S. court against companies for past conduct in South Africa] - A non-governmental organisation has filed a lawsuit against 21 multinational corporations and leading international banks for helping prop up the apartheid state...The companies and banks named in the lawsuit are: Citigroup, JP Morgan Chase, Exxon Mobil, Caltex Petroleum, Fluor Corporation, Ford, General Motors and IBM in the United States; German-based Commerzbank, Deutsche Bank, Dresdner Bank, DaimlerChrysler, and Rheinmetall; Credit Suisse and UBS in Switzerland; Barclays Bank; British Petroleum, Rio Tinto and Fujitsu ICL in the United Kingdom; Total-Fina-Elf from France and Royal Dutch Shell from the Netherlands.  The list was expected to grow by at least 100 names. (South African Press Association, 12 Nov. 2002)

• Global Firms in Court for Supporting' Apartheid - A lawsuit has been lodged in a US court against 21 global business giants alleged to have earned billions through propping up apartheid. (Rob Rose, Business Day [South Africa], 13 Nov. 2002)

• Apartheid victims file lawsuit in US (AFP, 12 Nov. 2002)

• International Law Suit Filed on Behalf of Apartheid Victims - Khulumani et al. v. Barclays et al. - Today the law firm of Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll, P.L.L.C. along with other firms in the United States, joins with the South African firm, Abrahams Kiewitz, in filing a complaint that seeks to hold businesses responsible for aiding and abetting the apartheid regime in South Africa in furtherance of the commission of the crimes of apartheid, forced labor, genocide, extrajudicial killing, torture, sexual assault, and unlawful detention...For example: IBM and ICL provided the computers that enabled South Africa to create the hated “pass book system” and to control the black South African population. Car manufacturers provided the armored vehicles that were used to patrol the townships. Arms manufacturers violated the embargoes on sales to South Africa, as did the oil companies. The banks provided the funding that enabled South Africa to expand its police and security apparatus. (law firm of Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll, 12 Nov. 2002)

• Summary of the Complaint - Khulumani et al. v. Barclays et al. (law firm of Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll, 12 Nov. 2002)

What can corporate responsibility do in the fight against poverty in Africa? Maya Forstater looks at what business can be realistically expected to contribute to African development and outlines some specific examples of corporate engagement to date...DaimlerChrysler: making cars out of Sisal [South Africa, Brazil]...Divine Chocolate: Bringing farmers to market [Day Chocolate Company; The Body Shop; Ghana]...The Woodlands 2000 Trust [tree farming in Kenya]...South African Breweries...Coca-Cola: measuring the business contribution to economic development [Morocco, South Africa]...Supporting SME development: Richards Bay Minerals [South Africa] (Maya Forstater, in Ethical Corporation Magazine, 11 Nov. 2002)

Investing in Africa, challenges and initiatives - Alex Blyth looks at the principal issues around western business investment in Africa and some of the companies that are attempting to improve their impact on the landscape and people of the continent [refers to Environment: TotalFinaElf in Nigeria; Palabora Mining Company (49% owned by Rio Tinto) in South Africa; Anglo American; DeBeers; Water & sanitation: Suez in Morocco & South Africa; Thames Water in Tanzania & South Africa; Education: ChevronTexaco in Nigeria; Old Mutual in South Africa; Barclays Africa; Economic development: Richards Bay Minerals (50% owned by Rio Tinto) in South Africa; HIV/AIDS:  Bristol-Myers Squibb Company in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland; DaimlerChrysler in South Africa; Coca-Cola]  (Alex Blyth, in Ethical Corporation Magazine, 11 Nov. 2002)

chapter 7: The Adventure Capitalist [Niko Shefer] [refers to South Africa, Liberia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, mining industry, diamond industry, arms industry] (Center for Public Integrity’s International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, 11 Nov. 2002)

Anglo American to foot bulk of mining Aids bill [South Africa] - Anglo American...had effectively agreed to foot the lion's share of the local industry's bill to investigate the efficacy of antiretroviral drugs given to miners with HIV/Aids, it emerged yesterday. (Sherilee Bridge, Business Report, 6 Nov. 2002)

[U.N.] Security Council discusses report of illegal exploitation of DR of Congo's resources -...It also recommends that financial restrictions be placed on 29 companies based in the DRC, Belgium, Rwanda, Uganda, Zimbabwe and South Africa [includes link to pdf version of full report by U.N. expert panel] (UN News Service, 5 Nov. 2002)

Labour inspectors shut down factory [South Africa] - Labour inspectors stopped operations at a plastics manufacturer in Ga-Rankhuwa, north-west of Pretoria, on Tuesday because of unsafe working conditions. (South African Press Association, 5 Nov. 2002)

Rand Water pours R20m into Aids fight [South Africa] - Rand Water, the country's largest water utility, is spending about R20 million this year to fight the HIV/Aids epidemic among its workforce. (Khulu Phasiwe, Business Report [South Africa], 5 Nov. 2002)

Government and business join in tackling poverty in South Africa -...The summit marked the first time the private sector has become a partner in dealing with poverty. Business has previously participated in social responsibility projects, but with this initiative it is working with government on designing a strategy that aims to quicken poverty reduction and action against HIV/AIDS. (U.N. Development Programme, 30 Oct. 2002)

Former gold miners show high level of lung disease [South Africa] (Ronnie Morris, Business Report [South Africa], 29 Oct. 2002)

Asbestos victims' lawyers carry costs - UK-based company Cape plc reneged on more than just the settlement agreement it had with 7500 SA [South Africa] victims suffering from asbestos-related disease, says London lawyer for the claimants Richard Meeran. Cape plc failed to pay more than £50000, being the costs of a medical review of the claimants, until forced to do after a judgment was obtained against the company. The £20000 in expenses incurred in setting up a trust fund in SA are still outstanding. (Business Day [South Africa], 28 Oct. 2002)

SOUTH AFRICA: Mining giants puzzled by UN allegations - Two of the worlds largest gem and mining firms [Anglo American and De Beers] have denied any involvement in unethical activity in the war-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). (IRIN - U.N. Integrated Regional Information Networks, 22 Oct. 2002)

Equity at work must be tackled - Omam [Old Mutual Asset Managers] [South Africa] - Eight years after the end of apartheid rule, the economy is still dominated by whites and the government is pushing companies to do more to increase their proportion of black shareholders and managers. (Reuters, 23 Oct. 2002)

Harrowing tales prompt probe by dept: Lost limbs, depleted lungs and lifetime illnesses lead to visit to Denel plants [South Africa] - Harrowing reports of lost limbs, depleted lungs and lifetime illnesses from workers at two of the government-owned arms company Denel's plants near Cape Town have prompted Parliament's portfolio committee on Defence to visit the plants "within a week" and to demand a probe by the Department of Labour. (Sue Segar, Natal Witness, 23 Oct. 2002) 

Mining diseases 'too high' [South Africa] - The burden of disease resulting from working in mines is unacceptably high in South Africa, Health Minister Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said on Tuesday...she said about 25 000 compensation applications were made each year for occupational lung diseases resulting from working in mines. (SAPA, 22 Oct. 2002)

COSATU welcomes crackdown [South Africa] - The Congress of SA Trade Unions on Monday welcomed the order by the Department of Labour to close part of the Bresmen factory in Durban and the inspection of the Foskor fertiliser company in Richard's Bay. Spokesman Vukani Mde said that a spate of recent incidents in which workers had been injured confirmed Cosatu's view that many employers regarded workers' health, safety and even lives as expendable. (SAPA, 21 Oct. 2002)

Mine deaths [at the Loxton Exploration diamond mine] shock rescuers [South Africa] (Jeanne-Marié Versluis, Volksblad, 18 Oct. 2002) 

Gencor mum on asbestos case [South Africa] - Gencor, the mining holding company, said that until it had papers served upon it in South Africa, it had no comment on the decision by the English High Court to include Gencor as a co-defendant in the asbestos case of Cape plc, the UK building materials company. (Justin Brown, Business Day [South Africa], 16 Oct. 2002)

• Miners take Cape Plc back to court [South Africa/UK] - Lawyers for sick South African miners said on Monday they would return to court in London on Tuesday in a bid to get building materials firm Cape Plc to honour a settlement it reached with former employees. (Reuters, 14 Oct. 2002)

Mining sector should extend worker care' [South Africa]: Health committee hears submissions - Mining houses could soon be forced to accept financial responsibility for the health costs of workers for up to two years after they leave their employment as opposed to the current six months if they have contracted a disease for which compensation can be claimed, a parliamentary committee heard yesterday. (Business Day [South Africa], 16 Oct. 2002)

Cape avoids justice again - ACTSA [Action for Southern Africa] campaigners protested today outside the Royal Courts of Justice to express their outrage and disappointment at the collapse of the out-of-court settlement between Cape Plc and the 7,500 South African asbestos claimants, which was made last December. (ACTSA - Action for Southern Africa, 15 Oct. 2002) 

South Africa: ICFTU condemns killings of two mineworkers - In a letter to South African President Thabo Mbeki, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) has vigorously condemned the killing last Monday of two mineworkers at a prominent goldmine following shots fired by the Security guards of the East Rand Proprietary Mines (ERPM). (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 9 Oct. 2002)

• Letter of Protest [from ICFTU to South African President Thabo Mbeki]: South Africa: Killing of striking miners (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 9 Oct. 2002)

• {···español} Sudáfrica: La CIOSL condena los asesinatos de dos mineros (Confederación Internacional de Organizaciones Sindicales Libres, 11 octubre 2002)

• {···français} Afrique du Sud : La CISL condamne la mort par balle de deux mineurs (Confédération internationale des syndicats libres, 9 octobre 2002)

• Mine guards in court on murder charges [South Africa] - Two East Rand Proprietary Mines (ERPM) security guards are expected to appear in court on Tuesday on murder and attempted murder charges. (SAPA, 8 Oct. 2002)

• Labour Minister Orders Probe After ERPM Strikers Shot Dead [South Africa] - Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has ordered an investigation into the causes of the strike at East Rand Proprietary Mines' (ERPM) after two striking workers were shot dead by security guards at the Boksburg mine on Monday. (South African Press Association, 7 Oct. 2002)

• Violence rocks mine: two men killed [South Africa] - Two gold miners were killed and at least seven were injured on Monday when shots were fired on striking miners at a South African gold mine, a union official said. (SAPA, Mail & Guardian [South Africa], 7 Oct. 2002)

• Things Fall Apart At Erpm [South Africa] (Stewart Bailey, Miningweb, 7 Oct. 2002)

SA asbestos lawyers could face dilemma: Gencor may seek redress from Cape [South Africa] - Lawyers for the 7500 SA victims suffering from asbestos-related diseases will ask the British High Court next week to make Gencor a co-defendant in proceedings against UK-based company Cape plc. (Business Day [South Africa], 8 Oct. 2002)

Iscor faces court action on pollution - A South African High Court has begun hearing an application by families seeking a court order to stop giant steel producer Iscor from allegedly polluting their underground water sources. (Reuters, 2 Oct. 2002)

Asbestos claim case takes new twist with Gencor: Workers to challenge company's unbundling [South Africa] - The case brought by 7500 SA mineworkers against UK multinational Cape plc took a new twist last Friday when London lawyers joined forces with SA lawyers to challenge the terms of Gencor's proposed unbundling.  Gencor's shareholders are scheduled to meet on Wednesday on whether or not to approve the proposal which provides R409m for the costs of defending asbestos claims, but no provision to compensate victims. (Business Day [South Africa], 30 Sep. 2002)

Aids lobbyists tackle drug giants [South Africa] -...AIDS activists lodged complaints against two pharmaceutical giants yesterday, accusing them of over-pricing their medicines and causing thousands of deaths. The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) AIDS lobby group and others lodged the complaints against GlaxoSmithKline, which has its headquarters in Britain, and Boehringer Ingelheim, of Germany, with South Africa's Competition Commission.  (AFP, in Business Day [South Africa], 20 Sep. 2002)

• Drug companies come under fire - Complaint to commission may leave drug companies open to public scrutiny Science and Education Correspondent -...The complaint, brought by AIDS activists, trade unionists, health care professionals and individuals living with HIV/AIDS, alleges that Glaxo and Boehringer are currently charging prices in excess of the economic value of their drugs. (Business Day [South Africa], 20 Sep. 2002)

Harmony, labour sign Aids pact - Harmony, the South African gold miner, yesterday signed an agreement with its labour organisations on measures to reduce the number of HIV/Aids infections among employees, their families and communities. (Justin Brown, Business Day [South Africa], 20 Sep. 2002)

Taking on the drug giants [South Africa] - Nontsikelelo Zwedala, an HIV-positive squatter from Philippi in the Western Cape, has joined the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) in a move to force two pharmaceutical giants to cut the cost of their Aids drugs. They have filed papers with the Competition Commission, alleging monopolistic abuse of patent power. (Nawaal Deane, Mail & Guardian [South Africa], 19 Sep. 2002)

South Africa: Gagging order lifted - Pollution row goes to open court -...The residents of Vanderbijlpark's Steel Valley say the giant Iscor steel producer - Africa's largest - has polluted their water, degraded their environment and brought sickness to their families for forty years - and they want compensation for their plight. (Index on Censorship, 19 Sep. 2002)

Cape Plc fails to pay asbestos claimants [South Africa] - The lawyers of thousands of South Africans suffering from asbestos-related diseases said on Monday they would return to the United Kingdom High Court in an effort to force mining company Cape Plc to pay overdue settlement claims. (South African Press Association, in Business Report [South Africa], 16 Sep. 2002)  

• Cape plc's P5.6m goes to banks, not victims [South Africa] - Poor South Africans, thousands of them ill and dying, are unlikely to see a cent from the sale of the manufacturing division of Cape plc, the British multinational they hold responsible for their asbestos-related diseases. (Ronnie Morris, Business Report [South Africa], 16 Sep. 2002)

AngloGold signs Global Labour Agreement - In a historic first for the global mining industry, the world's leading gold producer, Anglogold and the 20-million strong international trade union federation, ICEM signed an agreement on the promotion and implementation of good human and industrial relations...The promotion and respect for human and trade union rights, health and safety, environmental protection and the promotion of good relationships with local mine communities are pivotal to the agreement. (ICEM - International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions, 13 Sep. 2002)

• AngloGold, Unions Sign Global Agreement - AngloGold and an international federation of trade unions signed an agreement on Friday on human and industrial relations in AngloGold's operations worldwide. (South African Press Association, 13 Sep. 2002)

Helping to reunite families while slowing AIDS [South Africa] -...Faced with post-apartheid laws that no longer favour migrant labour and with HIV infection rates estimated at 25% to 30% of their workers, many SA mining companies are working to replace crowded, all-male hostels with low-cost family housing. (Business Day [South Africa], 13 Sep. 2002)

Old Mutual to provide anti-Aids drugs to staff [South Africa] - Old Mutual would provide life-prolonging anti-Aids drugs to its HIV-positive staff who needed the treatment, the financial services group said yesterday. (Reuters, 11 Sep. 2002)

Asbestos case: Bankers could be held liable [South Africa] - The bankers of Cape plc, the company that reached an out-of-court settlement with South African asbestosis victims last year, would be held personally responsible if it was proved they were responsible for reneging on the agreement, the victims' legal counsel said on Tuesday. The directors of the company and its bankers, Barclays and the Royal Bank of Scotland, were formally notified of this on Tuesday (South African Press Association, 10 Sep. 2002)

Farm workers' employment charter to be unveiled soon [South Africa] (Mokgadi Pela, Business Report [South Africa], 6 Sep. 2002)

Sustainable Development: R.I.P.: The Earth Summit's Deathblow to Sustainable Development -...With the world's most powerful governments fully behind the corporate globalization agenda, it was agreed even before the Summit that there would no new mandatory agreements. Rather the focus was to be on implementation of old agreements, mainly through partnerships with the private sector. In other words, those aspects of sustainability that are convenient for private sector would be implemented...At issue is the fact that the UN is unabashedly -- anxiously -- partnering with corporations that define sustainability to suit themselves...the phrase "corporate accountability," is included elsewhere in the Action Plan, though it's located in an ambiguous paragraph that will require several more years of campaigning by Friends of the Earth and allies to see any legal instrument on corporate accountability born at the UN. [refers to Shell's conduct in Nigeria; refers to Shell, Caltex and BP's conduct in South Africa] (Kenny Bruno, CorpWatch, 4 Sep. 2002)

Employment equity is not reverse racism: Labour minister [South Africa] (SAPA, 4 Sep. 2002)

Asbestos Lawyers Hand Cape a Final Ultimatum to Pay [South Africa] - Lawyers acting on behalf of victims of Cape plc's asbestos operations on Monday handed the multi-national an ultimatum to comply with an out-of-court settlement. (South African Press Association, 2 Sep. 2002)

Business and UN team up to recognise sustainable partnerships at Earth Summit - The United Nations and ICC: the world business organization today named ten business partnership programmes from around the world which are making an outstanding contribution to sustainable development [refers to Alcan Inc; Shell; Axel Springer Verlag; Kesko; E7 Network; ForesTrade; BioRe and Coop; Migros; Business Trust South Africa] (International Chamber of Commerce, 30 Aug. 2002)

Chemical industry committed to implement action plan on safe chemicals management in developing countries -...As part of its preparation for the Summit and as a basis of the action plan, the ICCA has undertaken national case studies in South Africa and Brazil in partnership with government and other groups. (ICCA - International Council of Chemical Associations, 30 Aug. 2002)

UN to focus on corporate help to fight Aids - The United Nations has abandoned its policy of relying on governments to tackle the HIV/Aids crisis in the developing world, saying it would now help fund corporate initiatives to provide anti-retroviral drugs to sufferers...Richard Holbrooke, president of the Global Business Coalition on Aids, a grouping of 75 international companies, and former US ambassador to the UN, said the policy change was "an important step in the right direction". He said: "If Anglo American and De Beers take leadership, it will pressure other companies to take similar steps. It will finally get corporations to take up their role in the process [to fight HIV/Aids]. Up to now, business has been doing less than 10 per cent of what they should have done." (James Lamont, Financial Times, 29 Aug. 2002)

Big business and labour sign deal at the World Summit for Sustainable Development [South Africa] - The union-inspired South African declaration for achieving sustainable environmental conservation targets within realistic economic and production strategies is now set to go international. South African signatories include Sasol (synfuels and chemicals), Iscor (steel production), Columbus Stainless, Eskom (power generation), Telkom (telecommunications) mineral resources companies Assmang Chrome, De Beers, Goldfields, Impala Platinum (Implats) and Ingwe Coal and industrial groups, Barloworld, Dorbyl Engineering and Rotek Engineering, and unions MWU-Solidarity and the National Union of Mine Workers. Among the companies locally who have firmly said they will not sign for the present are Highveld Steel, the country second largest producer, and multinational operators Dow Chemicals and Sappi (pulp and paper). (Lawrence Bedford, EyeforChem, in Ethical Corporation Magazine, 28 Aug. 2002)

Lenasia fire: Trial postponed [South Africa] - The trial of ESS Chemicals factory owner Suleman "Solly" Lachporia and his manager was on Tuesday postponed to November in the Lenasia regional court. They face a main charge of culpable homicide relating to the death of 11 employees including the supervisor who were killed while on night shift in Lachporia's factory in Lenasia, south of Johannesburg, in November 2000 when a fire swept through the premises in which they were locked. (South African Press Association, 20 Aug. 2002)

Minister launches code of practice on employment of people with disabilities [South Africa] (Mokgadi Pela, Business Report, 20 Aug. 2002)

Spotlight on corporates reveals need for global rules - Some corporations continue to abuse the rights of people, destroy the livelihoods of communities, and pollute water and forest resources for future generations, according to a new report by Friends of the Earth International published today. The report graphically illustrates the need for governments to agree to introduce tighter rules for multinationals at the Earth Summit in Johannesburg. (Friends of the Earth, 16 Aug. 2002)

• Call for 'global enviro rules' - The environmental group, Friends of the Earth, on Friday called on world leaders meeting at the upcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg to introduce global rules for business....In the report the environmental group mentions the mining giant, Rio Tinto that is prospecting for gold in the Poboya protected forest in Indonesia despite opposition from local people. South Africa's chemical company Sasol also comes under fire. (South African Press Association, 16 Aug. 2002)

• full report: Clashes with Corporate Giants: 22 campaigns for biodiversity and community (Friends of the Earth, Aug. 2002) 

includes section entitled "Towards binding corporate accountability"

also includes the following case studies:

3. South Africa: Sasol, Total, Dow Chemicals (pollution of poor communities)

HIV/AIDS: South African Exchange May Require Company Infection Rate Lists - Responding to investor concern about the potential impact of HIV/AIDS on South Africa's economy during the next 10 to 15 years, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange is considering a proposal that would require its listed companies to report infection rates among their employees and detail their efforts to fight the disease, the Financial Times reports today. (UN Wire, 15 Aug. 2002)

• S African companies face Aids reporting requirement (James Lamont, Financial Times, 15 Aug. 2002)

Clampdown on exploitative employers [South Africa]: There is concern that the labour department cannot sustain blitz campaign Labour Correspondent - Three months after signing an occupational safety and health accord with business and labour, government has undertaken an aggressive drive to clamp down on businesses and factories that do not comply with the legislation (Business Day [South Africa], 15 Aug. 2002)

• Labour DG leads factory raids [South Africa] - The Department of Labour has closed down two factories and issued eight prohibition notices in a series of blitz inspections led by Labour Department Director Rams Ramashia in Johannesburg...The two companies that were closed were Arro Trading (for non compliance with fire regulations, electrical installations and inadequate entrance/exits) and Medal Paints (for hazardous and toxic chemicals not stored according to the requirements of the legislation). Protective clothing for workers was also not provided to workers as required by law...in some cases, workers had been working for 16 hours a day for 20 rand (Thabang Mokopanele, Business Day [South Africa], 15 Aug. 2002)

Gold Fields urges workers to test for HIV [South Africa] - Gold Fields chief executive Ian Cockerill turned guinea pig yesterday when he and several union leaders volunteered for an HIV/Aids test at the company's Driefontein mine. Cockerill's test...was the curtain-raiser to the launch of Gold Fields' Informed, Consented, Voluntary Counselling and Testing and wellness management programme for employees. (Andrew Davidson, Business Report [South Africa], 14 Aug. 2002)

Workers, Farmers Criticise SAHRC [South African Human Rights Commission] Hearings - Mpumalanga farmers will boycott human rights hearings into the regional crisis on farms this week...Even rural and land rights activists, who represent farm workers, are critical of the hearings. (Sizwe Samayende, African Eye News Service, 13 Aug. 2002)

Maritime workers' rights will no longer be lost at sea [South Africa] (Mokgadi Pela, Business Report [South Africa], 13 Aug. 2002)

HIV/AIDS: De Beers Announces Plan To Provide Access To Treatment - De Beers will provide access to anti-retroviral treatment worldwide for employees and their spouses or partners as part of anti-HIV/AIDS efforts, the company said today. (UN Wire, 12 Aug. 2002)

• De Beers to provide access to HIV/AIDS anti-retroviral drug treatment (De Beers, 12 Aug. 2002)

Why Donor Funds Don't Reach NGO Coffers [South Africa] [refers to Tshikululu Social Investment (TSI) Fund, one of the biggest corporate social investment programmes in South Africa, which manages social investment portfolios for AngloGold, De Beers, Anglo American and the First Rand Foundation] (Fazila Farouk, AllAfrica, 8 Aug. 2002)

TAC urges corporates to follow Anglo's lead [South Africa] - The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) yesterday urged the rest of corporate South Africa to follow Anglo American's lead and pay for the antiretroviral treatment of their HIV-positive employees. (Sherilee Bridge, Business Report [South Africa], 8 Aug. 2002)

• NUM urges mines to form a united front [South Africa] - It was about time the mining industry adopted a common strategy to fighting HIV/Aids, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said yesterday. (Mokgadi Pela, Business Report [South Africa], 7 Aug. 2002)

• Mining industry hesitates over drugs [South Africa] - The mining industry remained reluctant to rush into providing free anti-retrovirals to their employees despite Anglo American's announcement yesterday it would pay for the HIV/Aids drugs. (Sherilee Bridge, Business Report [South Africa], 7 Aug. 2002)

• BP provides care for HIV employees, dependents [South Africa] - British Petroleum (BP) Southern Africa realised back in 1996 that HIV/Aids was affecting its strategy of growing its businesses in southern Africa. So it developed a policy to supply antiretrovirals and medical care to all employees, their spouses and dependents, if they required it. (Edward West, Business Report [South Africa], 8 Aug. 2002)

Factories face prosecutions after raids [South Africa] - The Department of Labour will recommend prosecutions of certain factories in Johannesburg after raids carried out this week found contravention of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)...Zikalala said the department closed a Johannesburg textile factory last night after inspectors found that there were no emergency exits..."In another late night raid, labour inspectors discovered that the owners of Snaktaque, a peanut butter and ground corn chips manufacturer, had defied an earlier prohibition order shutting the factory down." (Thabang Mokopanele, Business Day [South Africa], 8 Aug. 2002)

Labour dept to swoop on sweatshops [South Africa] - Factory owners in KwaZulu-Natal were given a stern warning by the department of Labour on Wednesday to ensure that safe working conditions exist on their premises, or face departmental wrath...The warning follows a raid two months ago on sweatshops in several northern KwaZulu-Natal towns, including Newcastle and Ladysmith. (Natal Witness, 8 Aug. 2002)

Asbestos victims' wait drags on [South Africa] - UK company Cape plc is expected to make payment of its first £11m to the 7500 SA victims of asbestos-related disease on August 20, according to lawyers for the victims. Late last week, however, Cape plc was unable to give a date for payment of the first instalment. The company was originally due to make the payment at the end of June, but this was delayed due to a major financial restructuring exercise. (Business Day [South Africa], 8 Aug. 2002)

South Africa's Nedbank launches green unit trust -...The Nedbank Sustainable Investment Index Fund would weight South Africa's top 40 companies with a sustainability score reflecting compliance with international best practice (Reuters, 8 Aug. 2002) 

Cosatu angry at 'slave' shops [South Africa] - The Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the SA Communist Party (SACP) expressed outrage on Wednesday at the appalling working conditions some employees are facing at some Fordsburg, Johannesburg, factories. (South African Press Association, 7 Aug. 2002)

Mining Company to Offer H.I.V. Drugs to Employees - After more than a year of mixed signals, the mining company Anglo American P.L.C., which is confronted with a crushing AIDS burden in Africa, said today that it would begin supplying life-prolonging drugs to all its employees who are H.I.V. positive...The rates of H.I.V. infection among adults in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe — countries where Anglo operates — are among the highest in the world. (Henri E. Cauvin, New York Times, 7 Aug. 2002)

• Anglo tackles HIV/Aids threat - South Africa's biggest company, diversified miner Anglo American, said on Tuesday it planned to start distributing anti-Aids drugs to its HIV-positive staff. (Hilary Gush, Reuters, 6 Aug. 2002)

Shell denies supported SAfrica's apartheid regime - Shell Petroleum Co denied allegations it was supportive of the apartheid regime, responding to news that the oil company is now included in a multi-billion class action lawsuit brought by US lawyers on behalf of the victims of South Africa's former regime. (AFX News, 6 Aug. 2002)

More inspections coming - labour dept [South Africa] - The labour department warned factory owners on Tuesday it would continue to conduct searches of premises to check that conditions were safe for workers. (South African Press Association, 6 Aug. 2002)

'Farmworkers paid as little as R216 a month' [South Africa] - Some farm workers in South Africa are being paid as little as R216 per month - and then farmers make deductions for food rations, a chief inspector of the department of labour has told an inquiry into abuse in farming communities. Being hosted by the South African Human Rights Commission, the inquiry...heard that exploitation of farm workers was rife. (Mbongeni Zondi, Mercury [South Africa], 5 Aug. 2002)

Asbestosis victims wait for their millions [South Africa] - Mining company Cape plc is still unable to give a date for the payout of £11-million (about R175-million) in damages due to the 7 500 victims of asbestosis contracted from the company's mines in the Northern Cape. (Peter Fabricius, The Star [South Africa], 5 Aug. 2002)

Two Jo'burg factories shut down [South Africa] - Labour inspectors shut down two factories in Fordsburg, Johannesburg, on Monday because of unsafe working conditions and temporarily stopped operations at 10 other businesses in the area. The raid followed the screening of an investigative television programme (South African Press Association, 5 Aug. 2002)

US holocaust lawyer to aid apartheid reparation -...Meanwhile the class action lawsuit against various banks and corporations that "profiteered" from apartheid will start in New York on August 9, the leader of the legal team leader, US attorney Ed Fagan, announced on Saturday. (SAPA, in Mail & Guardian [South Africa], 5 Aug. 2002)

Marais 'pinklisted' as gays name and shame - South African individuals, institutions and companies who are alleged to be homophobic will be targeted by gay activists from Tuesday when a website goes on line aimed at, among other things, naming and shaming...A life insurance company which allegedly refused to pay out benefits to a lesbian's partner...are among those who have been "pinklisted". (Independent [South Africa], 3 Aug. 2002)

Shell faces South Africa apartheid lawsuits - Royal Dutch/Shell, the oil company, is to be cited in a multi-billion-dollar class action lawsuit brought by a team of lawyers on behalf of the victims of South Africa's apartheid regime, a lawyer said on Friday...Shell, which is accused of supplying the white minority regime with oil in violation of an anti-apartheid embargo, will be added to the list, which already includes IBM, the computer company, Deutsche Bank, Dresdner Bank, CommerzBank, UBS, Credit Suisse and Citicorp. (Nicol Degli Innocenti, Financial Times, 2 Aug. 2002)

Rio + 10 Series: The Sustainability of the World Summit on Sustainable Development - Organizers are working to reduce the environmental impacts of the Johannesburg Summit...The Johannesburg Climate Legacy (JCL), initiated by South African businesses in conjunction with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), seeks to “neutralize” carbon emissions associated with the summit. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 2 Aug. 2002)

South Africa's Aids apartheid -...People who are HIV positive are therefore beginning to raise demands far beyond the question of medical treatment: the rebuilding of public services, access to an unconditional basic income of 100 rand (10 euros) a month, workers' rights...Too expensive for the poorest countries, these drugs [antiretrovirals] are at the heart of the debate on globalisation. Can patents take precedence over the right to life? (Philippe Rivière, Le Monde diplomatique, Aug. 2002)

Kalahari cactus boosts UK drug firm - An anti-obesity drug made from a Kalahari desert cactus is a step closer to reality after its developer, UK drug company Phytopharm, signed a fresh deal with US giant Pfizer...In the hope of staving off the anger that sometimes surrounds companies which exploit traditional medicines without rewarding their original discoverers, the company signed a deal in 1997 with the South African government for a cut of the royalties. (BBC News, 30 July 2002)

South African sugar farmers ease environmental impact -...The key contentious issue between farmers and nearby towns is the burning of cane during harvesting season. (Allan Seccombe, Reuters, 30 July 2002)

Sasol capitulates in dispute with ill worker [South Africa] - Sasol, the synthetic fuel producer faced with contempt of court proceedings tomorrow for refusing to reinstate a worker who was dismissed when he became ill from exposure to toxic chemicals, has capitulated and agreed to rehire the man. (Ronnie Morris, Business Report [South Africa], 22 July 2002)

Business Urged to Take Part in Summit - Failure by business to be present in significant numbers at the World Summit on Sustainable Development would render the private sector ineffective and leave it isolated while others took crucial decisions at the summit, Business Co-ordinating Forum chairman Tokyo Sexwale said yesterday. (Ernest Mabuza, Business Day [South Africa], 18 July 2002)

South African Community Growth Fund Celebrates Tenth Anniversary - The Community Growth Fund invests in South African companies committed to sustainable development and triple bottom line reporting [refers to companies that went through protracted process before qualifying for CGF investment: South African Breweries, Rand Water, Naspers Group; companies removed from the CGF: Western Deep Level mine, Hoskens Consolidated Investments, Liberty Life; companies that refused to submit to CGF's social audit: Aspen Pharmacare, Sun International, Vanadium Corp. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 17 July 2002) 

Investment Partnership Has SRI Mandate: The Global Environment Fund Group manages four funds and is a majority owner of a South Africa-based forestry company -...GEF holds a controlling interest in Global Forest Products (GFP), a South Africa-based forestry company. GFP is exemplary in terms of the sustainability of its operations. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 11 July 2002) 

The Private Sector - White Gold [South Africa] - Right in their backyard - Just down the road from the wealthy Johannesburg suburb of Sandton, home to the World Summit on Susutainable Development 2002 venue, a human and environmental tragedy is being played out that has nothing to do with sustainability and everything to do with big business’ push for profits at any cost...since the city’s water services were sold off to French-based multinational Suez (formerly Suez Lyonnaise) the bills have tripled and many people [in community of Alexandra, a shanty-town in Johannesburg] can no longer afford to keep the water flowing. (Corporate Watch [UK], 9 July 2002)

• company website: Suez

Mine deaths '88% human error' [South Africa] - Gold Fields, the country's second-largest gold producer, yesterday lashed out at the blame culture that had developed around local mining safety, saying 88 percent of local mine deaths were the result of human error. "It's become too easy to blame management," said Ian Cockerill, the chief executive of Gold Fields. (Sherilee Bridge, Business Report [South Africa], 9 July 2002)

South Africa 'must provide Aids drug' - South Africa's constitutional court has ordered the government to provide a key anti-Aids drug at all public hospitals. The drug helps prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV-Aids. (BBC News, 5 July 2002)

Local mines blasted over safety [South Africa]  - As the government's chief adviser on mine safety was berating local mines for their safety standards yesterday, miners were battling to rescue two of their colleagues trapped more than 2km underground at a West Rand gold mine...The same Gold Fields mine reported one fatality and injuries last week after a similar event. (Sherilee Bridge, Business Report [South Africa], 5 July 2002)

• Miner killed at Driefontein Gold Mine [South Africa] - A miner was killed and two others seriously injured at a Gold Fields mine at Carletonville after an earth tremor yesterday. (SAPA, in Business Day [South Africa], 5 July 2002)

South African auditors urge Aids reviews - South Africa's main accounting body is urging companies to disclose the impact of Aids on their balance sheets...The accounting body also hopes that greater disclosure will compel firms to take more action to help employees. (BBC News, 3 July 2002)

Banks and Human Rights: Should Swiss Banks Be Liable For Lending To South Africa's Apartheid Government? (Anita Ramasastry, Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Washington School of Law, in FindLaw, 3 July 2002)

Farm probe to focus on conditions for workers [South Africa] - The SA [South Africa] Human Rights Commission is launching its national inquiry into human rights abuses in farming communities after receiving several complaints from the public. The commission will hold hearings into all aspects of farming. These include farm killings, working conditions, child labour, education, land rights and tenure rights. (Business Day, 2 July 2002)

SAHRC holds its first public hearings on farming communities in the Western Cape [South Africa] - As part of its effort to promote the culture of human rights in farming communities, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) will conduct provincial hearings on human rights in farming communities. (South African Human Rights Commission, 1 July 2002)

Labour department focuses on mining [South Africa] - The mining industry has become the focus of the labour department, which plans to use the benchmarking and safety standards of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to fine-tune new national safety laws. In the background is the disturbing increase in mining accidents this year, particularly the deaths at Impala Platinum, and calls for widespread safety reforms in the industry. (Sherilee Bridge, Business Report [South Africa], 1 July 2002)

• Fatalities will continue while life is still cheap [South Africa] - Recovering precious metals and energy resources from the earth had already claimed 150 lives in the first five months of this year and if the trend continued, this figure could more than double to 359 this year, according to the minerals and energy department. (Mokgadi Pela, Business Report [South Africa], 1 July 2002)