Flash Briefing: Anglo American sued in SA for Zambia poison scandal; Durban oil spill; UK dividends plummet; gold; rand

Loading player...
* A group of Zambian women and children are suing Anglo American, alleging the mining company caused widespread lead poisoning from a mine it owned until 1974 in the northern city of Kabwe. The case, which is demanding compensation and a clean-up of the area, was filed in a Johannesburg court on Wednesday by 13 plaintiffs on behalf of an estimated 100,000 people.
* The US and Europe are heading for a clash over their preferred candidates to lead the World Trade Organization as the selection of the first woman to run the referee of global commerce enters a pivotal phase. The European Union is inclined to support Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala - the favourite among the 55 members of the African Union.
* South Africa’s state-owned pipeline operator Transnet said it’s cleaning up a crude oil spill in the eastern city of Durban that was caused by attempted fuel theft.
* UK companies' Q3 dividend payouts were the lowest for ten years and almost half the level seen in Q3 2019, according to the Link Dividend Monitor.
* Gold advanced to a one-week high Wednesday as the dollar weakened amid optimism that US lawmakers may clinch a pre-election spending deal to bolster the economy. Anglo American sued in SA for Zambia poison scandal; Durban oil spill; UK dividends plummet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
21 Oct 2020 8AM English South Africa Investing · Business News

Other recent episodes

BizNews Edge: Stranger than fiction - Jooste's consigliere meets ET-type end

Today's BizNews Edge covers three stories that cut to the heart of South African business and politics. John Steenhuisen has broken publicly with the DA, naming Geordin Hill-Lewis and Tony Leon in allegations that threaten serious damage to the party just months before the 2026 municipals. Prosus, once a byword…
29 Jun 5AM 24 min

Criminalising corporate silence with Wendy Addison

South Africa's first high-profile whistleblower Wendy Addison is done talking shop. She's raised a criminal docket against a corporation and its directors for silencing two financial industry whistleblowers — and she thinks it could be a watershed moment. Can personal criminal accountability finally give whistleblower protection real teeth?
29 Jun 3AM 23 min

BN Daybreak: Strait of Hormuz showdown as US and Iran head back to Doha

Vessels are still threading the Strait of Hormuz, but a Bloomberg analyst calls it Schrodinger's Strait: you never know if it's open until you try to get through. With traffic down to a fraction of normal and ships taking hits, owners are weighing whether the world's most vital oil route…
28 Jun 9PM 15 min