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Leadership Intelligence Bulletin
25 May 2010
WC security
WC securityPlenty of smoke and mirrors around

By its very multinational nature, the World Cup and its security is a matter of interest to governments and security agencies around the globe. For South Africa, too much is staked on its success. However, it does appear that there is a level of concern over South Africa’s ability to provide adequate security. At the same time, it seems many differing agendas have entered into the picture and fact is not always discernable from fiction. Furthermore, it seems some major intelligence agencies are loath to co-operate too closely with South Africa for fear of compromising their own intelligence and abilities.

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Freedom of speech
Freedom of speechHas Zapiro overstepped the line?

Does the freedom of speech include the right to deliberately offend a section of the community and knowingly ride rough shot over highly sensitive issues in an extremely diverse society such as South Africa? Do members of the offended community have the right to issue threats in response if they think the line which represents the acceptable has been overstepped? Should media professionals such as cartoonists take into account the wider national interest and security when deciding the subject matter with which they are dealing?

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Synthetic life
Synthetic lifeHas man finally crossed the line of playing God?

Does the announcement of the successful synthetic creation of a living cell represent “the quintessential Pandora’s box moment - like the splitting of the atom or the cloning of Dolly the sheep,” a turning point in the history of our species and our planet in our fight against climate by 'growing' cleaner biofuels  and feeding the globe’s ever expanding population? Or does it represent the point at which man finally crosses the line of playing God?

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Worth a read?
Worth a read?Turning traditional economic theory on its head

“Worth a read?” is not your ordinary book review; it is a meta-review. In other words, it provides an overview of the opinions contained in a variety of book reviews published in the media at large. This week we look at “Priceless: The Myth of Fair Value (and How to Take Advantage of It)”, written by William Poundstone and released in South Africa in May 2010.

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Labour unrest
Labour unrestHeading for a winter of discontent?

Barely two weeks before South Africa’s 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup (WC) tournament kicks off, the country is facing another bleak winter of discontent on the labour front, with ongoing and looming labour actions that could cripple the country. It is turning out to be the greatest potential threat to the successful hosting of the WC. It could also threaten the country’s post-recession recovery and increase the strain on relationships in the ANC-led governing Alliance.

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Scramble for resources
Scramble for resources Africa's rivers of troubled waters

Not too long ago, anyone predicting that there might come a day when countries might be prepared to go to war over natural resources such as water, energy or food were considered alarmists or even worse, lunatics - and more often than not, ridiculed. The idea was considered excellent for sci-fi literature, and the older among us will probably still remember the legendary Charlton Heston in the futuristic movie Soylent Green; and Kevin Costner in Waterworld, arguably one of the biggest Hollywood flops ever. In Africa and elsewhere, the picture is fast changing.

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Malema
MalemaUnsettling Zimbabwe's domestic politics

That the recent antics of ANC Youth League (ANCYL) leader Julius Malema are not only impacting South Africa was well illustrated by a report last week from Zimbabwe, highlighting how it has even caused tensions within President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party. Ironically, Malema's taking sides with Zanu-PF in the ongoing Zimbabwean political/constitutional dispute is what landed him in trouble at home.

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Sovereign debt
Sovereign debtHow safe are my (foreign) investments?

"The Budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance," legend has Cicero saying in 55 BC.
The debt problems of Greece are only the tip of the iceberg into which the global financial Titanic could crash, writes Hein Kruger.

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Leadership development - Issue 25
Leadership development - Issue 25Learning from the worlds best

With the co-operation of the The LR Management Group, we can now bring you the leadership training tool 50 Lessons, which is a powerful force in the world of corporate learning. 50 Lessons is the worlds premier multimedia business resource, offering more than 1 000 personal and authentic video lessons from internationally respected business leaders. It can assist you to increase the utilisation and return on investment of your learning programmes immediately!

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Super 14 watch
Super 14 watchScoring for nation-building

Is the superpower of southern hemisphere rugby on the wane, and the Springboks marching to another Tri-Nations crown? It is way too early to predict, but on the evidence of the Super 14 competition, there must be a few worries in Christchurch, and a few broad smiles in the boardroom of South African rugby at Newlands.

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WC watch
WC watchHas Bafana Bafana forgotten how to lose yet?

“Believe me, we are going to cause surprises at the World Cup,” has been the mantra of Carlos Alberto Parreira, coach of Bafana Bafana, but not many South African fans are as optimistic. However, Bafana Bafana did silence a few doubters with a five-star performance to draw against the 39th world-ranked Bulgaria in a friendly international played at Orlando Stadium on Monday night.

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