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No room for melanistically disadvantage... Syrian debacle shows up incoherent forei...
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BRIEFCASEJUMPING ON THE REAL GRAVY TRAIN It has not taken members of the National Empowerment Consortium long to taste the real life of luxury that corporate SA has to offer. Certainly the gravy is a lot thicker than the watered-down stuff served up by the civil service. Now that they own Johnnic, NEC members, which include current and former trade union leaders, have access to one of South Africa's poshest trout farms - Whisky Creek near Lydenburg - and to the luxurious Steenberg estate in Cape Town at which the NEC gathered this week for a strategy bosberaad. Both were built, one would suspect, to provide JCI directors with a lifelong modest abode when visiting those towns. And here we journalists had hoped that the new grassroots government would put a bit of a check on corporate perks - if you can't beat them join them. TRANSPARENCY OBSCURED While on the treasured principles previously espoused by members of the NEC, transparency is also no longer part of their dictionary. The opening sermon at this week's Steenberg session by Johnnic and NEC chairman Cyril Ramaphosa included an expression of concern about media leaks and a commitment to secrecy in future. Needless to say the story was all over the place the next day, accompanied by the usual denials and no comments. "We now have shareholders to report to," is how Ramaphosa explains his sudden coyness. TRITE PHRASES ABOUND Business newspapers, more so than economic reports, are a catechism of economic clichés. When we wax lyrical about markets and the economy, trite phrases generally abound. Here, with the help of Fortune magazine, is a selection of a few of them to help you through the muddle: How many economists agree with the journalist? Most economists. What kind of economists agree with the journalists? Mainstream economists. What words often precede a journalist's main thesis? "No one is suggesting that . . " or "It is, perhaps, . . " What's wrong with consumers? Consumers are strapped. How do companies get money? They rake in money. Into what do they rake it? Into their coffers. PUNCTURED HEADLINE Richard Branson's in-house airline magazine is rather unfortunately titled "Hot Air" with the sub-heading "Virgin Atlantic's high-flying magazine". Something will clearly have to change. A number of suggestions have been made by the UK media: Either the title should be changed to "Helium Falling" or the sub-head should change to "Down to earth with a bump". RECORDED INSULT Standard Bank's latest in-house magazine reveals that one of the most common complaints received by its Hotline consultants is that the "Toni lady" is very rude because she does not listen. First of all, it is virtually impossible to get through using the bank's Toni Bank-by-Phone and then you get insulted, admittedly by a pre-recorded voice.
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