Blog – LONDON

Has Corporate SA Been Infected by ANC Corruption, Greed & Negligence? Dimension Data NTT Case Study

The Untouchables in a Gangster's Paradise? Is it reasonable or ethical to make use of companies that do not consider themselves to be held accountable, for their actions in any private or public enterprise? While Big Tech like Facebook, Twitter, Google, Youtube and Instagram has become seemingly untouchable, even from the US Supreme Court or Whitehouse, the same culture of supremacy, greed, lack of accountability, lack of transparency, and lack of responsibility seems to have created and sustained an environment in South Africa where IT negligence is acceptable, and lack of accountability is the norm, even when it comes to government institutions, contracts and tenders. Just a few of the institutions in South Africa that have had their systems breached just over the last few weeks include: Transnet, Department of Justice, SA Space Agency, African Bank to name but a few, so the situation in South Africa has really gotten serious, yet no one is talking about it, especially not…

ANC’s Outdated Ideology on Land Expropriation without Compensation Represents Unworkable & Unrealistic Factional Thinking

The Ad Hoc Group for the Protection of Property Rights has taken note of ANC Secretary-General Jessie Duarte's remarks on Monday, on Expropriation without Compensation at a media conference. During the interview, she elaborated on the ideological fiction that expropriation without compensation (EWC) is at the heart of economic development. This position flies directly in the face of a finding by the Institute of Race Relations that expropriation threatens "the property rights of all South Africans: from the 9.5 million people with homeownership to the approximately 18 million with customary law plots and the estimated 17 million who are members of pension funds. It would also harm all business owners, large and small. At the same time, the economic consequences of the Bill would further harm the 11 million individuals who are currently unemployed, by reducing investment, limiting growth and hampering post-lockdown recovery." How out of step Jessie Duarte's outd…

Decolonised Zimbabwe Begging Neighbours for Electricity to Stop Daily 12 Hour Blackouts!

Like in South Africa, where the simple maintenance and upkeep of a fully functioning infrastructure seems to be a challenge to African regimes, Zimbabwe who was once a powerhouse in Southern Africa, has been reduced to asking its neighbours to commission new power plants to supply Zimbabwe, as it seems it cannot even commission its own power plants anymore. (more…)

Did Tobacco Giant BAT Give Mugabe Up to $500,000 to Release Their Private Spies in 2012? – Leaked Documents

According to documents seen by the BBC program 'Panorama', British American Tobacco's (BAT) private spies were caught spying on Savanna Tobacco's factory, in Zimbabwe in 2012. After paying for talks with high-ranking Zanu PF members, about a donation of up to half a million dollars, the 3 spies were released. BAT is the manufacturer of Lucky Strike cigarettes and is one of the largest companies in the UK, where the multinational tobacco monopoly is headquartered in London. (more…)

Weekend travel information for 24 May 2019

Here is our weekly travel update to help you get around London this Bank Holiday weekend, and the following week. Most of the network will be open with services running as normal so you’ll be able to get wherever you need to go. Please check if any of the following affect you. London Underground Piccadilly line From about 00:01 on Saturday 25 until Bank Holiday Monday 27 May, there will be no service between Hammersmith and Heathrow / Uxbridge. This is due to track replacement work. Customers for Heathrow airport should use non-stop coaches running between Hammersmith and Heathrow airport. These have porters and extra space for luggage and buggies but are not wheelchair accessible. Customers for stations between Acton Town and Heathrow should use the Central line to Ealing Broadway or the District line via Gunnersbury and follow purple signs for bus A, which runs every 7 to 10 minutes. Customers for stations between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge should use the…

Weekend travel information for 10 May 2019

Here is our weekly travel update to help you get around London this weekend, 11 and 12 May, and the following week. Most of the network will be open with services running as normal so you’ll be able to get wherever you need to go, but please check if any of the following affect you. London Underground Circle line On Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 May, there will be no service on the entire line. This is due to line modernization work. Use alternative Tube and local bus routes. Rail replacement buses will run. District line On Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 May, there will be no service between South Kensington and East Ham. This is due to line modernization work. Use alternative Tube and local bus routes. Rail replacement buses will run. Hammersmith & City line On Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 May, there will be no service between Baker Street and Barking. This is due to line modernization work. Use alternative Tube and local bus routes. Rail replacement buses will run.…

It is wonderful to see the South Africans in London take to the voting polls!

Thousands of South Africans from all over the United Kingdom rallied together at Trafalgar Square on Saturday to make their mark! London, United Kingdom – A patriotic buzz filled the chilly London air around the South African High Commission at South Africa House in Trafalgar Square; On the 27th April 2019 South Africans from across the United Kingdom traveled to London to have their say and cast a special vote in SA’s 2019 National Elections. “How privileged we are to be able to cast our vote abroad, and how utterly fitting that it fell on such an iconic day – Freedom Day… well played IEC!” In an iconic setting between the High Commission, St Martin-in-the-Fields and with the National Gallery and Trafalgar square in sight, the passionate South Africans braved nearly 50 kilometers per hour winds that Storm Hannah brought in. Along with the wind brought bursts of tiny hair-like seeds from the easily recognizable London Plane trees that grow in abundance across the city. Much…

Weekend travel information for 26 April 2019

Here is our weekly travel update to help you get around London this weekend, 27 and 28 April, and the following week. Most of the network will be open with services running as normal so you’ll be able to get wherever you need to go, but please check if any of the following affect you. London Underground Circle line On Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 April, there will be no service on the entire line. This is due to line modernisation work. Use alternative Tube and local bus routes. District line On Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 April, there will be no service between Edgware Road and High Street Kensington. This is due to line modernisation work. Use alternative Tube and local bus routes. Metropolitan line On Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 April, there will be no service between Aldgate and Wembley Park. This is due to line modernisation work. Use alternative Tube and local bus routes. Hammersmith & City line On Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 April, there will be no service …

Weekend travel information for 22 March 2019

Here is our weekly travel update to help you get around London this weekend, 23 and 24 March, and the following week. Most of the network will be open with services running as normal so you’ll be able to get wherever you need to go, but please check if any of the following affect you. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium On Sunday 24 March at 15:00, a test event is taking place at the new Tottenham Hotspur stadium. Victoria line, London Overground, rail and bus services in the area are expected to be very busy before and after the event. Northbound London Overground services prior to the event are expected to be full upon arrival at Seven Sisters station between 12:00 and 14:00. Customers looking to board these services may be asked to exit the station and use an alternative entrance via Birstall Road to prevent overcrowding. If you are traveling to the match there is a signed walking route to the stadium from Seven Sisters, Tottenham Hale and White Hart Lane stations. nati…

The UK Government announces that they are now reforming the Immigration route

In its latest Statement of changes, published on 7 March 2019, the UK Government has made it very clear that it is moving away from the Points-Based Immigration system (PBS). Both the Tier 1 Entrepreneur and Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur route are falling away shortly. These routes will be replaced with an Innovator and Start-up Visa routes. Both the new routes fall outside the PBS and do not have a point-scoring system. Breytenbachs welcome the announcements on the newly formed immigration routes, and believe it will open up more opportunities for those looking to live and work in the UK. Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) closing The Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) immigration route will close for all new applicants on 6 July 2019. The last day a person can thus apply under this route is 5 July 2019. Persons already in the UK under this route, do not need to worry, as there are transitional arrangements in place to switch to the new routes. Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) closing The Ti…