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This paper aims to explain the design of a novel leg mechanism for SLEGS robot. SLEGS means both “S”-shaped for the legged robot and “O”-shaped for the wheeled robot. It is a reconfigurable/transformable mobile robot.

First, a novel robot leg is designed by inspiration from previous studies. Second, the SLEGS robot’s leg is modeled using 3D computer model, and kinematics analysis performed on the leg mechanism. Finally, the prototype of the novel leg was developed for the SLEGS robot.

The robot leg mechanism has both flexible and self-reconfigurable modular features. All legs automatically take the form of both a rotating wheel and a walking leg with a self-reconfigurable modular feature.

The modeled leg is original in terms of its novel locomotion mechanism in both the walking and wheeled configurations.

This study investigated the investor relations activities on the Internet of companies that are listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange (JSE). For this purpose, the home pages of the JSE Top 40 companies were searched and screened for investor relations items. A three‐stage model was used. The results of the study indicate that companies use more advanced features of the Internet for investor relations in comparison with previous studies undertaken in other countries. Most companies in SA appear to be in the second stage of Internet investor relations. The leading companies in SA are ready to enter the third stage of Internet investor relations.

Over the past few years, electronic commerce has gradually grown into what has arguably become the most daunting challenge to date for taxsystems. Income tax principles have traditionally been based on the existence of some form of physical presence (either residency, source of income or a permanent establishment) in an area of jurisdiction before tax may be levied. The fact that the Internet can provide substantial economic activity in an area of jurisdiction without having a physical presence, requires an interpretation of and/or amendment to international tax principles. South Africa has adopted the residence principle of taxation with effect from 1 January 2001. The residence principle is more suited to dealing with Internet transactions than is the source principle. The residence principle does, however, require interpretation and/or amendment in the Internet environment. It is in particular the term “place of effective management” that requires interpretation. Internet transactions are borderless and therefore subject to doubletaxation agreements. The Fiscal Committee of the OECD plays a leading and co‐ordinating role in the examination of the effect of electronic commerce on taxation. Therefore the challenge with which South Africa is faced, is to develop a taxation policy that is not isolated from its ecommerce partners.

Collective Investment Schemes in Securities (‘CISS’) and Collective Investment Schemes in Property (CISP’) are common business vehicles in the South African economy. Nevertheless, there is still some uncertainty with regard to the tax treatment of these business structures, as the application of the specific income tax and capital gains tax provisions applicable to CISS and CISP results in several anomalies. The purpose of this article is to identify and highlight these anomalies by discussing the specific income tax and capital gains tax provisions applicable to CISS and CISP, and to suggest how some of these anomalies should be treated for tax purposes. It is submitted that the legislator did not consider the legal nature and practical operation of a CISS when the tax provisions for CISS were drafted. The tax treatment of CISP is also not without difficulties, especially where the CISP is constituted as an open‐ended investment company (OEIC’).

The implementation of the principles of corporate governance by South African companies has increased considerably since the release of the King Report in 1994. This report exerted a great influence, especially regarding the disclosure of information on corporate governance in the annual financial statements of companies. Several research projects have been undertaken to determine to what extent companies abide by these principles in their annual financial statements. This article reflects the results of a research project in which the annual financial statements of certain listed South African companies, which were published during 2000, were analysed with regard to the above‐mentioned matter. The results of the project are also compared with those of a similar project undertaken in 1999. The matters addressed in this article deal with inter alia directors and directors’ remuneration, remuneration committees, audit committees, codes of conduct, adherence to the King Report and employees’ involvement.

The amendement of the carriculum for the so‐called four‐year LLB degree that has been presented at universities since 1998 put great pressure on faculties of law at that time, because they had to reflect on the curriculum for the degree over a relatively short period. Legal Accounting was one of the courses that were probably included by most universities as optional subjects in the curriculum and no longer as a compulsory subject as the situation used to be for the BProc degree. However, the admission examination for attorneys still includes an examination paper on Legal Accounting. Therefore an increasing number of students have to sit for this examination without having attended a course in Legal Accounting. In the light of this situation, two research projects were undertaken in 1997 to determine the views of attorneys and prospective attorneys on accounting training for the two groups. As three years have passed and persons with the four‐year LLB degree are entering the legal profession, it was decided to repeat the project to determine whether the views of the two groups of respondents had changed since the previous project. In this article, the views of the practising attorneys and prospective attorneys are discussed and compared with the results of the 1997 project.

The purpose of this study was to determine the requirements and guidelines for the disclosure of taxation information in the financial reports of South African companies in order to determine the extent to which leading South African companies comply with these requirements and guidelines. It was determined that there are comprehensive requirements and guidelines in respect of the disclosure of taxation information in the financial reports of South African companies. These requirements and guidelines are regulated by the Companies Act, No. 61 of 1973, as well as the statements of Generally Accepted Accounting Practice that are issued by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants. The analyses undertaken of the financial statements of the selected companies indicate that leading companies in South Africa comply to a large extent with the requirements and guidelines for the disclosure of taxation information in financial reports.

The progressive importance of the small business sector to the facilitation of economic growth that is necessary for the creation of job opportunities in South Africa, cannot be overemphasised. The role which tax reform plays in the encouragement of the small business sector is of the utmost importance in providing an enabling environment. The purpose of this article is to address the less advantageous treatment of, especially, assessed losses in the corporate form as opposed to the non‐corporate form. In the course thereof an alternative tax proposal, based on the working of the S Corporation in the United States of America, is put forward, which could improve neutrality between the various enterprise forms. The tax treatment and functioning of the S Corporation is investigated to determine the applicability and practicality of such a treatment of assessed losses and profits for the corporate form in South Africa. Such an application is necessary because of the assumed influence that the treatment of assessed losses have in the choice of an enterprise form. This choice should, however, be based on economic considerations rather than on tax considerations. A neutral tax system should not influence people to choose one course of action above another mainly or solely because their position is more favourable under one of the options.

This paper reports on an investigation into the possibility of implementing activity‐based costing and activity‐based management in the Fuel Purchases Department of Eskom. This Department purchases coal from various mines on behalf of ten power stations. The problem is that power stations are charged by the Fuel Purchases Department in accordance with the quantity of coal that is purchased on their behalf and in not accordance with the quantity of work done. Activity‐based costing resolves this problem by using seven cost pools and seven cost drivers to allocate the cost of the Fuel Purchases Department to the power stations. This leads to a more accurate cost allocation and cross‐subsidising between power stations is also eliminated. Activity‐based costing also provides information on activities in the Department. This clears the way for activity‐based management.

In the light of the acceleration in the international and local information and knowledge revolution, the University of Stellenbosch (US) has introduced an e‐learning strategy to gain maximum benefit from the developments in information technology. In support of this strategy, the US has implemented WebCT as an electronic course management system. Subsequent consultations have revealed doubt among accounting lecturers and students about the effectiveness of WebCT assessment of tests in Financial Accounting. The purpose of the study was therefore to investigate this perception on the basis of the available literature, our own experience, categories of student learning and feedback from students. The WebCT assessment function was also contrasted with traditional assessment methods. It was concluded that although WebCT is not a quick fix, it could be implemented successfully in bigger classes, provided that innovative lecturers are responsible for these classes.