Perlemoen arrests have made headlines again this week with another five people being arrested after a raid on a house in Kuilsriver.  Three Chinese nationals and two Zimbabweans were arrested at the scene where wet and dry perlemoen to the value of R3.2 million was discovered.  The five appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.

Managing director of Maersk Line South Africa, Jonathan Horn’s comments with regard to South Africa no longer being the only gateway into Africa have also made headlines this week.

At the group’s global results report in Durban, Horn pointed out that ports in both east and west Africa were catching up with South African ports.

“If you look at the emerging markets of West and East Africa, they are slightly smaller, but their growth rates there are increasing significantly and on a much higher level.  South Africa is certainly not the only gateway to Africa anymore,” said Horn.

Also making the news is the strike by Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) members at two crayfish packaging companies in Hout Bay and Saldanha.  The strike is due to a dispute over the manner in which worker-related negotiations should be conducted.

The factories are Inkosi Keta Marine in Hout Bay and the Live Fish Tanks on the West Coast. Fawu national fishing sector organiser, Zolani Mbanjwa said, “We, as Fawu, are pushing for collective negotiations with the two companies.  The dispute started when we tried to consolidate the recognition agreement for both companies under one agreement.  But the companies refused to enter into the agreement.”

Keta marine’s labourer relations manager, Frederi Steyn-Visser said the issue had been referred to the CCMA for a resolution.