Table of contents for SW-2021-04-21 in Star

Sechaba KA’Nkosi sechaba.nkosi@inl.co.za OUTGOING Absa chief executive Daniel Mminele was forced out of his position after he disagreed with the board, chairperson Wendy Lucas-Bull in particular. Business Report can today reveal that Mminele was not given an option but had to leave over the differences on the strategic direction that he wanted the bank to take. Insiders claim that Mminele and Lucas-Bull clashed over the strategy that was already there when he joined in January last year. One claimed that the former SA Reserve Bank deputy governor wanted to adopt a more cautious and phased approach, given the impact of Covid-19 on its bottom line. He is also said to have preferred the consolidation of the bank’s market share in South Africa after it took a hit following a 5-year…

ITUMELENG MAFISA RAND Water has reassured its customers that water supply will not be disrupted by today’s worker strike that will see hundreds of employees downing tools. The government entity has described the strike as unprotected and illegal. It accused the union of acting in haste as the dispute is due for conciliation on April 28. The SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) is upset over a lack of consultation to amendments done to employees’ contacts; this includes the lack of consultation over the withdrawal of performance bonuses. The union has also accused Rand Water of threatening workers who go on strike with dismissals. Rand Water spokesperson Justice Mohale confirmed that the strike was illegal and said the dispute between the unions and Rand Water was still at mediation phase.…

Samkelo Mtshali samkelo.thulasizwe@inl.co.za CHANGES that could see the country’s national airline, SAA, back in the skies are under way with the national carrier set to begin a process of retraining its pilots and reviewing its air safety compliance. Following his appointment as interim chief executive of SAA last week Tuesday, Thomas Kgoloko said plans to kick-start SAA’s journey back to the air are afoot with one of the the first tasks being to begin training for the airline’s pilots as they have not flown for an extended period of time. In a television interview, Kgoloko said the business rescue process that the airline had undergone, for a period of 15 months, had identified the operational and financial challenges that the airliner was seized with. “From a compliance perspective, we need…

Shannon Morreira WHEN news broke that the Jagger Library was burning, scholars across my social media feeds responded with a visceral sense of horror and loss. It is not clear what has been lost as a result of the fire. But the burning of any part of a library – an archive – is such a terrible thing because you lose voices from the past that might carry alternative histories. This has particularly significant implications for countries like South Africa with fraught and contested histories. And whose histories have, for centuries, been told from a particular vantage point. It’s this that has driven attempts to decolonise the curricula at various higher education institutions. Decolonising is a hard term to define as it relates to knowledge and curricula. But a core…

Chad’s President Idriss Deby Itno died yesterday from wounds sustained in battle, after three decades in power, the army said, opening a period of uncertainty in a country that is a key strategic ally of the West. His son, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, 37, a four-star general, was immediately named transitional leader as head of a military council, and both the government and parliament were dissolved, but the army vowed “free and democratic” elections after an 18-month transitional period. The army also announced a curfew and border closures. The shock news of Deby’s death came only the day after the 68-year-old career military man was proclaimed the winner of a presidential election that had given him a sixth term in office. Deby had ruled Chad with an iron fist since…

Manila: A search is under way for 20 crew members missing in the Philippines after their cargo ship ran aground while seeking shelter from rough waters churned up by a typhoon, the coast guard said. The crew abandoned the vessel laden with nickel ore on Monday after it hit the shore at Malimono town on the island of Mindanao. Eighteen of them were in a life raft when contact was lost yesterday, the coast guard said. The whereabouts of the other two are not known nor was there a report on the condition of the Philippine-registered Cebu Great Ocean, carrying 2 000 litres of diesel fuel. At least two people have died in the central Philippines as Typhoon Surigae skirts the country, forcing 160 000 people to seek emergency shelter…

Mumbai: A railway worker has been hailed a “superhero” after he sprinted more than 30 metres along a track to grab a boy from the path of an express train. CCTV images of Mayur Shelke’s incredible rescue have gone viral. The 6-year-old boy was with his partially sighted mother on Saturday at Vangani station 70km east of Mumbai when he fell on to the track. Shelke, 30, was alerted by cries for help from the mother. He grabs the boy, throws him back on to the platform and climbs up himself two seconds before the Udyan Express thunders through. | AFP…

Sechaba KA’Nkosi sechaba.nkosi@inl.co.za In his own words: The group has delivered respectable progress over the last two-and-ahalf years against the strategy journey adopted in 2018, seeing significant traction gains in parts of the business. He explains: As agreed with the board when I joined, and given critical contextual matters, including the amount of time that had elapsed since we launched our strategy, the rapid evolution of our operating environment, and the impact of Covid-19, it was vital that we review our strategy to ensure that it remains relevant; and to make the necessary changes. The strategy review process investigated changes in the market, our performance gaps, and what was needed to thrive post-crisis. This group-wide and collaborative effort leveraged our internal resources and external thought leadership regarding seven specific focus…

Sandile Mchunu sandile.mchunu@inl.co.za PSG GROUP said yesterday that its investee companies produced a resilient performance as they weathered the Covid-19 storm in the year to end February. The group’s sum-of-the-parts (SOTP) a share marginally declined by 0.2 percent to R94.24 a share, and net asset value per share increased by 4.9 percent to R91.76 during the period. However, by April 16 and after the reporting period, its SOTP had risen to R102.39. PSG is an investment holding company that consists of underlying investments in industries such as financial services, banking, education and food, as well as early-stage investments in select growth sectors. Its shareholders approved the unbundling of 30.5 million shares, or 26.4 percent, in Capitec Bank, which unlocked more than R12 billion in value for its…

BONGANI NKOSI bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za THE TABLES are turning against the government in a court case pursued on behalf of 13 former farmworkers evicted with their families and belongings from a farm in Ventersdorp. The Department of Rural Development and Land Reform and the JB Marks Local Municipality face being slapped with costly court orders after the Blesbokfontein farm evictions. The two government entities have been ordered to be present at the Land Claims Court today to explain how farmworkers were evicted without alternative accommodation. Tsakane Julius Moeketsi and fellow former Blesbokfontein workers spent two nights with their children and belongings in the open last week following the eviction. They were evicted by company Bau-La-Mont Landgoed, Natasja Roodt, Daniel Joubert and Elizabeth Pretorius. The company and individuals had links to the farm’s…

THE Cape Town-based Ndifuna Ukwazi (NU), an activist organisation and law centre for the poor, spearheaded a petition campaign with 28 civil society organisations for rental relief. The petition called on Minister of Human Settlements Lindiwe Sisulu to honour her commitment for rental relief (“Why hasn’t promised R600m for tenant rental relief been paid out”, Daily News, April 6, 2021). Last week, NU ramped up the campaign after the Sisulu’s spokesperson, Steve Motale, told GroundUp that during the budget vote, Sisulu “did not promise” but was merely detailing plans to submit to the Treasury and National Command Council. Was it merely a plan intended for Treasury and the National Command Council or did the minister make such a promise, or did NU and other organisations misinterpret her good intentions? On…

More studies under way after medicine institutes say it’s not recommended for Covid-19 Gordon Dent AS the search continues for treatments for Covid-19, the results from several studies have led to changes in the advice on which drugs to give people who are suffering from the disease. The European Medicines Agency and the US National Institutes of Health have recently stated that one previously promising treatment – the antiparasitic drug, ivermectin – is not recommended for use in routine management of Covid-19 patients. Despite the decisions, support for ivermectin has been circulating on social media and in WhatsApp groups, with rumours abounding that the drug is being blocked on purpose. Some have dubbed it the “new hydroxycholoroquine”, after a treatment that received a significant amount of online support but…

SUNDAY’s fire along the slopes of Table Mountain reminded us once again that nature can be beautiful, yet devastating when its power is unleashed. What started as a small fire, next to Rhodes Memorial on Sunday morning, soon became a raging inferno, fanned by strong south-easterly winds, razing all that stood in its path. Most of us woke up to the shock, and social media images and video of the destruction of the Rhodes Memorial Restaurant and Tea Room. Despite the efforts of firefighters, the fire snaked down to parts of the University of Cape Town’s Upper Campus, forcing hundreds of students who lived in residences on campus to be evacuated. But instead of the residences, the fire razed Jagger Library which served as the reading room for the African…

French prosecutors have announced an international arrest warrant for a leading figure in conspiracy circles, suspected of helping to organise the kidnapping of an 8-year-old girl that gripped the country last week. Police found the girl, identified as Mia, with her mother Lola Montemaggi, 28, on Sunday in Switzerland, following an intense five-day search after she was taken from her grandmother’s home in Poulieres, eastern France. Five men as well as Montemaggi have been detained over the abduction, which saw three of the men pose as child welfare officials to convince the grandmother to hand Mia over. Prosecutors say the plot was code-named “Operation Lima”, and that they had walkie-talkies, camping gear, fake licence plates and a budget of €3 000 (R51 581) to cover expenses. They said the…

JERUSALEM: Israel and Britain are exploring the possibility of opening a “green travel corridor” between them, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said yesterday, citing the success of the two countries’ vaccination drives. The issue was discussed at a meeting between Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi and British Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove in Jerusalem, an Israeli statement said. “We will promote, together with the UK, mutual recognition of vaccines in order to allow tourists and business people from both countries to safely return to their routines,” the statement quoted Ashkenazi as saying. Israel and Britain had made “great progress” in their vaccination campaigns, opening the “possibility of creating a green travel corridor”, the ministry said. | Reuters…

Los Angeles: Singer Morrissey has accused The Simpsons of “hatred” and “ignorance” after the show’s latest episode featured a parody of a moody British singer inspired by the former Smiths frontman. In the episode, Lisa Simpson makes a new imaginary friend: a charismatic indie rocker from 1980s Britain. The character, named Quilloughby, is a vegan who inspires her with his music and social commentary. But when Lisa attends a concert by Quilloughby’s band The Snuffs, she is disappointed to see that he is an overweight, grumpy and anti-immigrant meat-eater. | AFP…

DURING the Royal Challengers Bangalore’s IPL opener against Mumbai Indians on April 9, I was surprised to see AB de Villiers donning the wicket-keeper gloves again. “It hurts, just a little bit, when I see AB de Villiers playing as a wicket-keeper” was part of a tweet I posted at the time, with reference to the days when the former Proteas captain was reluctant to stand behind the stumps due to his back issues. We also all know the problems he had with time away from his family, which played a role in him deciding to retire from international cricket in 2018. He has been continuing his great form for RCB in recent seasons, and scored 48 off 27 balls against Mumbai. After missing out with one against Sunrisers Hyderabad,…

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said a European Super League in which 15 clubs cannot be relegated was not sport and has called on those behind the project to explain themselves. City, along with Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, are the six Premier League clubs signed up for the new 20-club league announced on Sunday. Fifteen clubs would be permanent, rather than have to qualify on merit like for the Champions League. Widespread condemnation has followed from within the game and beyond, but Guardiola said the lack of information has left him, and other managers of the six clubs, in an uncomfortable situation. Without criticising his own club, Guardiola made it clear that Europe's biggest football teams should not be protected from failure on the pitch. "If…

EDWARD WEST edward.west@inl.co.za FINANCIAL institutions with a culture so unique that senior black professions are unable to transition into it suffer from a lack of commitment to change, rather than being “stuck” with a culture that cannot adapt, Association of Black Securities and Investment Professionals (Absip) president Polo Radebe said yesterday. “When institutions fail to adapt, it creates a corporate cliff for black executives that, sadly, accelerates their exits,” she said. Radebe was responding to questions about the growing number of senior black executives in financial services who have stepped down early, sometimes not amicably, such as Peter Moyo at Old Mutual, the resignation of Basani Maluleke as chief executive of African Bank, and yesterday’s shock step-down of Absa chief executive Daniel Mminele, of which he said there had been…

TV star Kim Kardashian West is “a lot happier” after splitting from rapper Kanye West. The 40-year-old star officially filed for a divorce from Kanye West earlier this year, and a source close to the brunette beauty has revealed she now “feels free and is a lot happier”. The insider told E! News: “Kim is having a lot of fun right now. “It’s a new era for Kim. She has been loving going out with friends, meeting new people and being out and about again.” Kim – who has kids North, 7, Saint, 5, Chicago, 3, and Psalm, 23 months, with Kanye – recently enjoyed a night out in Miami, where she celebrated the opening of Pharrell Williams’ Goodtime Hotel. She’s not looking for a serious relationship for the time…

The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) has won a case of unfair dismissal of its members at the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI). Trouble started when the department failed to renew the workers’ contacts, as had been the case in previous years. The workers were long-time employees of the department. “In January 2020, these workers had a reasonable expectation that they would receive letters confirming further extensions of the contract as per practice. However, they were told that there would not be any contract renewals and this was notwithstanding the fact that they had not been served with notices for termination,” Nehawu general-secretary Zola Saphetha said. It is still not clear when the workers will be back at work and how many were affected by…

Zintle Mahlati zintle.mahlati@inl.co.za The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has nominated six candidates to fill vacancies at the Gauteng High Court division – one of the busiest divisions in the country. The JSC has for the past week interviewed candidates to fill crucial judicial vacancies in the country’s courts. On Tuesday it concluded interviews with eight candidates for Gauteng. The commission has chosen the following candidates: Judge Nelisa Phiwokazi, who is transferring from Mpumalanga; advocate Petrus Malindi SC; Norman Manoim; Mandla Mbongwe; advocate Portia Phahlane; and magistrate Mashudu Munzhelele. During the interviews, candidates were questioned on reserved judgments – it’s a general rule that judges should do their best to deliver judgments within three months of hearing a court matter. A delayed judgment may be deemed justice denied. Munzhelele, a regional…

Thabile Mange | Joburg OUR education system is bad. It focuses on Grade 12s and ignores the foundation phase. Yet the foundation phase prepares pupils for higher grades. Once the foundation phase is shaky, other grades are also affected. Our high schools in the townships are obsessed with a 100% matric pass rate. Consequently they compromise the rest period of pupils. The Department of Education needs to intervene as a matter of urgency. In the townships, Grade 12s go to school from Monday to Sunday. This is wrong. They are putting unnecessary pressure on our kids. In the process, schools compromise their health, and that of teachers. During the week, Grade 12s attend classes from 7am to 5pm. That’s 10 hours. As a result, they no longer do…

BONGANI NKOSI bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za AT A time DA politicians were hogging the headlines for qualification debacles, higher education institutions have been urged to move toward issuing “hard-to-forge” digital certificates. Printed hard copies of higher certificates, degrees and diplomas look set to become obsolete in the near future, according to the Council on Higher Education (CHE). The quality council for higher education has released its newly recommended norms of certification for the higher education sector. “The digital revolution is changing the delivery of higher education globally,” said the document detailing the norms. “Support services responsible for certification are also affected. “In fact, there are already indications that some institutions are looking forward to shifting from issuing printed hard copies of certificates to digital ones in future.” Institutions, employers and graduates stood to…

Iqbal Jassat AS GLOBAL solidarity movements in support of Palestine’s freedom struggle begin preparations for the annual Quds Day commemoration, the US new administration under President Joe Biden remains stuck in the mud. Each year, during the month of Ramadaan, the last Friday is dedicated to raising awareness on the illegal dispossession, occupation and ongoing atrocities perpetrated by the apartheid regime. Quds Day, as it was called by the leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini, has galvanised civil rights movements across the world to support and sustain action programmes to free Palestine from the yoke of Zionist colonialism. This year promises to see an intensification of activities and events. Given Israel’s belligerence, arrogant display of bigotry and intolerance of civilised values, it is doubtful that support for its racist…

In the international system, no single state is likely to be positioned to dominate across all regions or domains, and a broader range of actors will compete to advance their ideologies, goals and interests. The forecast has been published in the seventh edition of the US National Intelligence Council’s Global Trends report. The document, published every four years since 1997, assesses the key trends and uncertainties that will shape the strategic environment for the US during the next two decades. In the next 20 years, the intensity of competition for global influence is likely to reach its highest level since the Cold War, the US Intelligence Council has forewarned. “Countries and other actors are likely to compete over food, mineral, water, and energy sources made more accessible, more valuable, or…

ISLAMABAD: A banned Pakistani Islamist group called an end to violent nationwide anti-France protests yesterday, after the government called a parliamentary vote on whether to expel the French ambassador and said it would halt criminal cases against the group’s members. Pakistan arrested the leader of the group Tehrik-e-Labaik Pakistan on April 12 and banned the group last week after its members blocked main highways, railways and access routes to major cities, assaulting police and burning public property. The group has demanded that Pakistan expel the French ambassador in retaliation for the publication in France of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed. Four police officers were killed, 11 taken hostage and 800 hurt. | Reuters…

THE HAGUE: Lawyers for the Democratic Republic of Congo yesterday told the International Court of Justice that they were seeking $4.3 billion (R61.4bn) in reparations payments from neighbouring Uganda for its role in the conflicts in the country’s mineral-rich Ituri province. The UN court, known as the World Court, is holding hearings this week in the long-running dispute between Congo and Uganda over damages caused from 1998 to 2003. Congo’s representative before the court, Paul-Crispin Kakhozi Bin-Bulongo, told the judges that the damage done over the five-year conflict in Ituri was of “incommensurate magnitude” and said Uganda had not negotiated in good faith during reparations talks. The case was first brought before the court in 1999. | Reuters…

Eshlin Vedan eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za AmaZulu can prove that they are truly now among the elite clubs by recording a home victory over runaway league leaders Mamelodi Sundowns at Jonsson Kings Park in Durban today. Second placed Usuthu head into the top-of-the-table contest against the Brazilians in terrific form, having recorded six straight victories in the Premiership. Augustine Mulenga, one of AmaZulu’s star attackers this season, has emphasised that his teammates are working hard ahead of today’s match. “I can see that everyone has been pushing and looking forward to this game against Sundowns. I’m also looking forward to the game as it’s a big game. If we get three points, it will get us closer to them as they are the league leaders,” said Mulenga. Sundowns who lead AmaZulu by six…

HERMAN GIBBS Orlando Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer said his team are buoyed by their recent win ahead of their Confederation Cup Group A clash against Algerian visitors ES Setif at Orlando Stadium in Soweto today (3pm kick-off). At the weekend, Pirates bagged a much needed 2-0 Premiership win thanks to an inspired performance by substitute Vincent Pule, who scored twice against Maritzburg United. Zinnbauer shared his thoughts about the upcoming Setif clash at a media conference yesterday. "We had a difficult time after the Sundowns game," said German Zinnbauer, referring to their 4-1 Nedbank Cup loss to Mamelodi Sundowns, three days before the Maritzburg match. “There is confidence in the team after that result, and it has placed us in a good position. There is a good spirit now.…