Table of contents for 2021-07-27 in Star

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za TIGER Brands, the company whose polony factories were responsible for the highest listeriosis outbreaks four years ago, yesterday recalled 20 million canned vegetable products due to “an extremely small number of defective cans” from a packaging supplier. The recall was as a result of a weld defect that could lead to a leak and would likely be concluded in 120 days, the group said. It also estimated that the impact would be up to R650 million, including the cost of the potentially affected stock that may be written off, transport and storage costs, and the loss of margin on the returned stock. “Tiger Brands has product recall insurance for the logistics of recalling the products. The company’s claim under the contract with the third-party supplier…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za THE RAND FELL to a four-month low yesterday as investors continued to worry about the global economic recovery amid the ongoing waves of Covid-19. The rand galloped to the psychologically significant mark of R15 to the dollar, continuing last week’s slippery slope, in spite of the easing of the lockdown restrictions, before recovering by 0.8 percent to R14.82 by just after 5pm. The rand also ignored recent factors positive for the currency, such as the SA Reserve Bank (SARB) keeping interest rates on hold last week, as well as the ramping up of the vaccine roll-out by the government. Analysts said dovish comments from the SARB last week continued to weigh on the rand, while President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement of the move to level 3 failed…

THE case against four accused, including SANDF member Sakhele Nkabi, has been postponed for bail applications. Nkabi, Simphiwe Matwa, Lwandiso Lento and Masixole Dolomba appeared in the Oudtshoorn Magistrate’s Court yesterday. They were arrested last week for allegedly being involved in a cash-in-transit heist at a petrol station. Matwa, Lento and Dolomba were arrested by the Hawks minutes after the heist. Nkabi was arrested on Friday. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said the case against Matwa, Lento and Dolomba was postponed to July 28 for bail profiles. Ntabazalila said Nkabi was included in the case yesterday. He said the remand date remained the same. However, a tentative date for bail application was arranged for August 3. He said the four accused were charged with robbery with…

SONRI NAIDOO sonri.naidoo@inl.co.za MENTAL health experts say the world has been ravaged by Covid-19, causing many in vulnerable communities to suffer. Experts also raised alarm bells around the lack of access to mental health care. In a Zoom interview hosted by the African Institute of Mind, a non-profit organisation, concerns were raised over the looming mental health crisis caused by the daunting issues the country and the world faced. Among the guests were Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter Ndileka Mandela, who said the key to maintaining good spiritual health was meditation, which helps one take a step back from what is happening in the world around us. “Covid-19 has stayed in our presence longer than most diseases and global issues. We need to be mindful about what we allow to consume our…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za A MEDICAL FIRST for South Africa using internal radiation therapy has saved the eyesight of a 9-month-old baby. Erica Croxford from KwaZulu-Natal said she felt a strong motherly instinct about a small mark she noticed on her son Anthony – known as AJ to his family – two days after he was born. “I had a feeling there was something not quite right about it. The doctors I spoke to couldn’t tell me what it was but did not seem too concerned, so I tried to put it out of my mind,” she said. She said that in December last year she noticed another mark on the baby’s armpit but the family did not know that AJ had juvenile xanthogranuloma, a rare skin condition which resulted in…

Thabile Mange | Krugersdorp LAST week, the former deputy chief justice Dikgang Moseneke delivered the much awaited report about the feasibility of the country holding local government elections, amid the Covid-19 challenge. Moseneke said the environment is not conducive for the country to hold the municipal elections in October this year. He recommended they be postponed. But he also emphasised they should be held within 90 days. After Moseneke delivered his report, the IEC deliberated on it. A few days later, the electoral body reported it has accepted the former deputy chief justice’s recommendation. So, it is taking the matter to court to apply for the postponement of elections. The recommendation of Moseneke, regarding the feasibility of holding elections, is not binding on the IEC. It is interesting…

Morgan Phaahla | Ekurhuleni THE stand-off seemingly at the top found expression on the ground, resulting in riots of a tragic scale. No one should dare blame it on “ethnic mobilisation”. The rot lies within. Some castigate President Cyril Ramaphosa as a rags to riches elitist patronised by unscrupulous capitalists who masquerade as secret donors. While others harbour a grudge that these donors pledged half a billion rand to his CR17 campaign, but they couldn’t aid poor students protesting to gain admission at higher education institutions. So it should come as no surprise that the incarceration of former president Jacob Zuma set the stage for looting as a means of vengeance. However, the Constitutional Court cannot be absolved for gambling with justice to risk a legitimacy crisis. It…

Kay-Dee Mashile SOUTH Africa is exhausted. With high unemployment and few prospects, the youth are hopeless. Perhaps we need to regroup and dare to dream again. If there is no motivation for us to fight for a better tomorrow, we will see nothing wrong with burning down what we have today. If it wasn’t the Zuma issue, some other frustration would have fuelled the current outrage. Do we wait for the next issue and react to that again or sit down and look for a long-term treatment option for our national pain? During #FeesMustFall, the young people of South Africa had a shared dream. We all had a hope for the future of South Africa – one where young people played an active role in the economy and prosperity…

STREET clashes erupted yesterday outside Tunisia’s army-barricaded parliament, a day after President Kais Saied ousted the prime minister and suspended the legislature, plunging the young democracy into a constitutional crisis. Saied sacked Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and ordered parliament closed for 30 days, a move the biggest political party Ennahdha decried as a “coup”, following a day of angry street protests against the government’s handling of the Covid pandemic. Soldiers from early yesterday blockaded the assembly in Tunis while, outside, the president’s backers hurled stones, bottles and insults at supporters of the Islamist-inspired Ennahdha, whose leader was barred from entering the complex. Troops also surrounded the office of Mechichi who was yet to officially react to the events rocking the country. Saied’s dramatic move – a decade on from Tunisia’s…

LONDON: Officials have already issued five flood warnings across southern England and 19 alerts. A major incident has been declared at two London hospitals, Whipps Cross Hospital and Newham Hospital, as officials urged people to seek care at other health facilities after the region was hit by floods. Thunderstorms and heavy rain hit the south of England on Sunday. As three double-decker buses were stuck under a railway bridge in south-west London, police had to reportedly close a road in the area, prompting passengers to get off. Other reports also suggested that emergency services were called to rescue some residents who were in waist-high water in their homes. According to the London Fire Brigade, there had been more than 600 flood-related calls. | Sputnik…

Malabo: Equatorial Guinea said yesterday that it was closing its embassy in London after Britain imposed sanctions against the son of its veteran president over corruption allegations, citing foreign interference. Last week, Britain slapped sanctions on Teodorin Nguema Obiang – Equatorial Guinea’s vice-president and son of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema – for allegedly syphoning state assets into his own bank accounts. The British Foreign Office said that the younger Obiang had solicited bribes to support his lifestyle. It alleged he had splurged $500 million (about R7.4 billion) on mansions around the world, luxury cars and a collection of Michael Jackson memorabilia. | AFP…

Ashfak Mohamed ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za WHILE the Blue Bulls used injured captain Duane Vermeulen in a water-boy role in their 40-21 victory over the Sigma Lions on Sunday, it was new No 8 Elrigh Louw who caught the eye of coach Jake White. Vermeulen has been out with a serious knee injury that saw him miss the Springboks’ 22-17 defeat to the British & Irish Lions at the weekend, and even though he is unlikely to play any part in those Tests, White said the Bulls captain’s rehabilitation was “coming on”. “I hope in the next week or two, he can get back on the field with his playing kit on. I don’t know about the time-frame in terms of the Lions series, but as soon as we can get him on…

Zaahier Adams zaahier.adams@inl.co.za Proteas Women’s captain Dane van Niekerk is set to make her much-anticipated return to the national team for the proposed tour of the West Indies next month. Independent Media understands that the Proteas are due to face the Windies in three T20Is and a five-match one-day international series in Antigua. Van Niekerk has not played for the Proteas since the epic T20 World Cup semi-final defeat to eventual winners Australia at the SCG back in March 2020 due to a lower back injury sustained in September last year. All-rounder Sune Luus led the Proteas in Van Niekerk’s absence, leading the team to a 3-0 ODI whitewash and 2-1 T20I series victory over Pakistan, while also creating history by beating a powerful India side 4-1 in the ODIs…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za THE BUSINESS sector has welcomed the government’s support package to get the economy moving again following the destruction left by civil unrest and the lockdown restrictions. President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday announced a range of measures to support economic recovery and provide relief to the poor. These include the reinstatement of the R350 a month Social Relief of Distress Grant until March next year, and R400 million for the Humanitarian Crisis Relief Fund to assist communities affected by the unrest. “This has been made possible by the slight improvement we have seen in our revenue collection,” Ramaphosa said. South Africa, one of the world’s largest exporters of commodities, has enjoyed a healthy trade balance this year on a tide of rallying commodity prices buoyed by rising global…

ITUMELENG MAFISA SAA chief executive Thomas Kgokolo says the sale of the airline to a private equity partner will not restrict plans to ensure that its flights are back in the skies before the end of the year. Kgokolo said the company’s return to the skies had been held up by a number of issues, including a labour dispute with the pilots. He said the matter had been settled and some pilots were preparing to start flying again. The Star understands that about 200 pilots took voluntary severance packages. The pilots had been without salaries for a number of months. Kgokolo confirmed that 80 pilots would be part of the relaunch. “There was the issue of us settling with the pilots, and we did indicate that we would be…

With the South African Weather Service (SAWS) warning about sub-polar weather conditions affecting most parts of the country recently, many families turned to gas heaters to keep warm. ASP Fire chief executive Michael van Niekerk gives us his top tips on what to do when you switch your appliance on for the first time after it has been in storage, as well as some of the safety factors to be on the lookout for. When connecting a gas appliance to the gas cylinder, always ensure that the connection is correct and gas-tight – a smell of gas will occur if the connection is not tight. All gas appliances have rubber or fibre washers to prevent gas escaping at the point of connection to the gas cylinder. It is important to…

ITUMELENG MAFISA THE RETURN of the R350 grant for the unemployed has left the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) with a bitter taste in the mouth and it’s calling the grant an “insult to the poor”. This comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday announced several measures to boost the economy, which has taken a blow due to a number of lockdown restrictions related to a surge in Covid-19 cases. The grant of R350, administered by the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa), will also be extended to unemployed caregivers who currently receive child support grants. The R350 grant, titled the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) Grant, will be reinstated until March next year. Saftu spokesperson Trevor Shaku said the trade union federation proposed a R1 200 grant…

NORMAN V MAHLANGU | Siyabuswa Many people in our country are either waiting to find a job or seeking employment. One of the biggest mistakes some unemployed people make is to do nothing to help themselves. While waiting for someone to employ you, you can be self-employed by using your talents and skills to earn some sort of income. To be able to do this, there is a syndrome that must be dealt with: the state of mind that says you can’t earn any cash unless someone else employs you. The twin sister to this mentality is feeling inferior when using your skills to earn a living. The truth is that talent, if used well, can earn you cash.…

Covid-19 pandemic has exposed weaknesses in business continuity and contingency plans COVID-19 has laid bare many uncomfortable truths regarding society’s overall preparedness for low-probability but high-impact events, especially global ones. These range from issues pertaining exclusively to pandemic readiness (like our domestic capacity to produce personal protective equipment, ventilators, sanitiser and vaccines) to matters that are considerably less esoteric, like the ability of global supply chains to operate regardless of the various stressors put upon them. The latter goes far beyond the toilet paper supply issue experienced early in the pandemic. It expands to include a whole range of products like lumber and other building materials, tools, foodstuffs, seeds, furniture, cleaning supplies, aluminium cans, jars, pools and pool equipment, chemicals, bicycles, camping gear, household appliances and replacement parts of all…

NEW DELHI: India is proud of its pluralistic traditions and happy to discuss the issue with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his visit beginning today, foreign ministry sources said after Washington said he planned to raise New Delhi’s human rights record. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has faced allegations that it has suppressed dissent, pursued divisive policies to appeal to its Hindu nationalist base and alienated Muslims, the country’s biggest minority. Rights activists say there is a growing climate of intolerance in India and the US must lean on the Modi government to uphold democratic values. | Reuters…

Moscow: Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin yesterday visited the disputed Kuril Islands and said authorities wanted to establish a free economic zone there, sparking a protest from Japan. The Kurils, which lie north of Japan’s Hokkaido island, have been controlled by Moscow since they were seized by Soviet troops in the dying days of World War II. The territorial dispute has kept the two countries from signing a peace accord that would formally end their wartime hostilities. The Japanese foreign ministry issued a protest over Mishustin’s visit to the Northern Territories, as they are known in Japan, and summoned the Russian ambassador. In a post on Facebook, ambassador Mikhail Galuzin called the protest “unacceptable”. | AFP…

A three-day meeting of agriculture ministers, policy makers and others began yesterday in Rome, before a September UN summit intended to improve the world’s food systems amid rising hunger. Even before the emergence of the coronavirus, the UN acknowledged the world would not meet a goal of eliminating global hunger and malnutrition by the end of 2030. That has made the transformation of the world’s food systems even more crucial, says the UN, which has a summit dedicated to the topic in New York set for September. This preparatory meeting in Rome includes policy makers, members of civil society, farmers and researchers. Pope Francis, in a letter to summit attendees, called for “radical change” to confront hunger. A statement from Agnes Kalibata, the UN Secretary-General’s special envoy for the summit,…

Loose forward Evan Roos has been the best feature in Western Province’s Currie Cup campaign so far. As far as performances go, Province have been satisfactory at times, but there have also been disappointing displays from John Dobson’s charges. They have won just three of their six games, a stat that can never be considered good enough for a union with the talent pool and rich Currie Cup history Province has. And while there have been some issues, one thing that has been impossible to miss is Roos. The big No 8 has wreaked havoc since touching down in Cape Town from Durban. The 21-year-old made his Currie Cup debut for the Sharks back in 2019, and while he was a standout in the Sharks’ SuperHero Sunday fixture last year…

Flyhalf Quade Cooper is happy to be back helping the Wallabies prepare for a tough series against the All Blacks, even after being snubbed for Australian citizenship. The New Zealand-born 33-year-old, capped 70 times for Australia, earned a surprise recall to the Wallabies squad on Sunday for the first time in four years, less than two weeks after bemoaning another rejected citizenship application. He will head to New Zealand with the squad this week to prepare for the Bledisloe Cup opener against the All Blacks at Eden Park, 10 years after suffering a horror ending to the 2011 World Cup at the venue. He said he was looking forward to working with young flyhalf Noah Lolesio, who played a key role in the recent 2-1 home series win over France,…

World Rugby considers Japan to be at “rugby’s top table” and are hoping for news later this year on which tournament the top Asian nation will slot into after the 2023 World Cup, according to chief executive Alan Gilpin. Japan have shown interest in being included in the Rugby Championship, the southern hemisphere’s tier one tournament that features world champions South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina and Australia. But the Covid-19 pandemic that hit after the 2019 World Cup hosted by Japan has not helped accelerate any concrete decision, at least in public. “There’s no doubt Japan is at rugby’s top table,” Gilpin said at the Olympic men’s rugby Sevens tournament. Japan reached the quarter-finals of the 2019 World Cup, going unbeaten in pool play with victories over Ireland, Scotland, Samoa…

Ashfak Mohamed ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za IT was a story of near misses for Team South Africa in the triathlon and mountain bike finals at the Tokyo Olympics yesterday, with Henri Schoeman and Alan Hatherly missing out on their respective podiums. Rio Games bronze medallist Schoeman was a real medal prospect going into his event at the Odaiba Marine Park, provided he could shake off some injury problems to his knees and ankles that had affected his running over the last few weeks. He told the Team SA website before the race that his injuries “have been responding to vigorous treatment”, but that he would only really know the state of his left knee and right ankle once he got going yesterday. Initially, he was well on course to push for a medal.…

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za South Africa's premier tech stocks, Naspers and Prosus, took a broadside on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) yesterday as China’s clampdown regulations filtered down, resulting in the portfolios losing up to 7.5 percent of value in intraday trade. “It started in April and the Chinese government has given the companies more than 100 items of compliance requirements covering many aspects, antitrust, data, advertisement, pricing, and lots of things,” a legal analyst who declined to be named said yesterday. Naspers, a global internet and entertainment group and technology investor operating in more than 120 countries and markets with long-term growth potential lost up to 7.3 percent to R2 748.01, while Prosus, a consumer internet group operating across a variety of platforms and geographies, primarily in China,…

Chulumanco Mahamba IF YOU have KOO or Hugo’s canned vegetable products at home that were produced from May 1, 2019, to May 5, 2021, return your product to the nearest supermarket or outlet for a refund. Tiger Brands, SA’s biggest food manufacturer, announced yesterday that it was immediately recalling about 20 million KOO and Hugo’s canned vegetables due to a number of defective cans supplied by a packaging supplier. The manufacturer said the cans that needed to be recalled may have a defective side seam weld that caused the can to leak. “The company identified the issue as part of its internal quality assurance processes,” Tiger Brands said. The canned products forming part of this recall include the KOO and Hugo’s canned vegetable range, including baked beans, flavoured baked beans,…

Mpiletso Motumi mpiletso.motumi@inl.co.za HEAD chef at Signature Restaurant, Mpho Kolokoto, has spent most of his life in the kitchen. The 40-year-old is shy around people but is popular when it comes to food. “I used to stay with my brother and that is where I started cooking. I would cook a lot of traditional foods and after watching several cooking shows, my interest was really piqued.” His first big food influence was his brother-in-law who worked in the military and cooked for his colleagues. Kolokoto would learn from him by going with him to different events and functions. Hailing from Mmametlhake in Hammanskraal, Kolokoto went on to hone his skill at the Ga-Rankuwa Hotel School. After completing his training, he started working at Bakgatla Game Reserve. “They took me in…

NOW IN its second year, the Imperial Lions and Central Gauteng Lions are once again partnering with the NPO, FeedSA, to provide relief and assistance to those communities affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Such relief comes during the Mandela Month of July, with the end goal of raising enough funds to pack and provide 5 000 personal hygiene/sanitation hampers to schools and vulnerable communities in the informal settlements. FeedSA’s Roxy Priebatsch said: “Covid-19 is crippling thousands of children and people daily as they attend school and work without the necessary means to protect themselves against the pandemic, with many who also do not have access to basic sanitary essentials.” Themed “Give the gift of human dignity this Mandela Month”, hampers cost R100 and include a sanitiser, mask, body wash, antibacterial…

Venecia Valentine A Hanover Park singer was one of a lucky few to score a Golden Ticket to Idols SA Theatre Week on Sunday. Daylin Sass had auditioned twice before but believes this could be his lucky year. For judges Randall Abrahams, Somizi Mhlongo and Unathi Nkayi, along with the guest judge, musician Ringo Madlingozi, the day brought pleasant surprises as they dished out 24 Golden Tickets. It was a proud moment for Cape Town when 23-year-old Daylin also received his ticket to stardom, after blowing the judges away with his rendition of Musa’s hit, I Still Feel It. “From auditioning twice before and not getting through to Theatre Week to finally making it is such a huge and proud moment for myself and my community. “Idols SA is a…

SOUTH Africans have been tantalised by the question: Was the unrest really a coup or an insurrection? Or was it an unimaginably damaging looting spree by the poor and many in the middle class using the fig-leaf of the jailing of Jacob Zuma as an excuse? Clearly, there are thousands of our citizens, mostly poor and unemployed, who are dishonest criminals who think looting, theft, arson, murder and the damaging and destruction of other people’s property is acceptable conduct. The example set for the children of our nation is a chilling reality that seems not to have occurred to them; indeed, many of them took their children along on the looting spree. Was this economic, political and social disaster planned by a mysterious group of 12 masterminds? Were they planning…

WE ARE back to a lighter level of lockdown as the country’s third wave of Covid-19 shows signs of waning. While the move is positive, it does not mean South Africa is out of the woods. It is important we do not drop our guard. There is still a fourth wave on the horizon, expected towards the end of the year. It is imperative we continue with the non-pharmaceutical practices of wearing masks when in public, physical distancing and washing or sanitising of hands as often as possible. Speaking during the national Health Department’s weekly briefing last week, acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said indications were that South Africa had passed the peak of the third wave. However, she warned that the gatherings during the previous week’s unrest in Gauteng…

ANWAR ADAMS THE US may have replaced Donald Trump but Trumpism continues to reign in the country. Last week, the world witnessed the acrimonious exchange between Republican senator Rand Paul and one of the leading US scientists, Dr Anthony Fauci, who has been at the forefront of the fight against Covid-19. As has come to characterise the Republicans these days, it was a direct attack on the science. And at one stage of the exchange, Dr Fauci, in the presence of Paul’s senate colleagues, had to say publicly: “Senator Paul, you do not know what you are talking about, quite frankly.” The exchange between Paul and Fauci continues on the trajectory that has come to haunt the fight against Covid-19 globally. As the rest of the world tries to…

Beirut: Lebanese MPs yesterday tasked ex-premier and billionaire Najib Mikati with forming a government and ending one year of political deadlock that has crippled the economy. Mikati, seen by many as a symbol of Lebanon’s corrupt oligarchy, will pick up where Saad Hariri left off after failing to broker a deal. A new government would have to steer Lebanon through one of the worst phases in its history. Forming a government is conditional to receiving international aid. “I can’t make miracles happen,” said Mikati. “Whomever has solutions should bring them to the table.” | AFP…

SEOUL: A mixed vaccination of first AstraZeneca and then a Pfizer Covid-19 shot boosted neutralising antibody levels by six times compared with two AstraZeneca doses, a new South Korea study shows. The study involved 499 medical workers –100 receiving mixed doses, 200 taking two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech shot and the remainder getting two AstraZeneca shots. All showed neutralising antibodies, and the result of the mixed schedule of vaccines showed similar amounts of neutralising antibodies found from the group that received two Pfizer shots. The data provides further support for the decision of several countries to offer alternatives to AstraZeneca as a second shot after the vaccine was linked to rare blood clots. | Reuters…

The UN warned yesterday that Afghanistan could see the highest number of civilian deaths in more than a decade if the Taliban’s offensives across the country are not halted. Violence has surged since early May when the insurgents cranked up operations to coincide with a final withdrawal of US-led foreign forces. In a report released on Monday documenting civilian casualties for the first half of 2021, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (Unama) said it expected the figures to touch their highest single-year levels since the mission began reporting more than a decade ago. It also warned that Afghan troops and pro-government forces were responsible for a quarter of all civilian casualties. During the first half of the year, 1 659 civilians were killed and another 3 254…

Wynona Louw wynona.louw@inl.co.za Springbok assistant coach Deon Davids says injury was the reason for the starting front-row’s half-time substitution at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday. The Boks suffered a 22-17 defeat in the first game of the three-Test series against the British & Irish Lions, piling on the pressure as they now have to win both remaining games to take the series. One of the big talking points after Saturday’s first Test has been not only the performance of the starting front row of Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi and Trevor Nyakane (it was a surprising selection considering first-choice props Steven Kitshoff and Frans Malherbe were available), but their substitution at half-time despite producing a top first-half performance. It naturally led some to question the decision and whether it was pre-planned.…

Matshelane Mamabolo Comment ANOTHER major football tournament, another first-round exit for South Africa! What’s new as our national teams continue to make a mockery of our assertion we are a footballing nation? Nothing new really, for even the reaction is what one has come to expect. Praise for failures. And then we wonder why we just don’t achieve much on the big stage. The general feeling among most soccer followers after the SA Under-23s’ 4-3 defeat by France at the Tokyo Olympics was that “the boys tried” and many called for the team to be “kept together for the future”. David Notoane’s players were praised for their “great effort” and some described them as being “unlucky”. That the team thought by most to be “the best group of players we…

Ashfak Mohamed ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za IT became a bit of a “dog-fight” against Kenya, but now that the Blitzboks have made it through to the quarter-finals of the Tokyo Olympics, they will feel much more confident of their medal chances. Assistant coach Renfred Dazel said following the 14-5 victory over Kenya yesterday that the players were “really disappointed” with their performance in the second match of the day, after beating Ireland 33-14 earlier. After running up a 14-0 lead through tries by Selvyn Davids and captain Siviwe Soyizwapi, a flurry of sloppy tackles, poor handling and line-out errors allowed the east Africans back into the game, and Kenya took full advantage through a try by Collins Injera. The Springbok Sevens side had to scramble in the second half to keep the marauding…

It all started so well for the South African women’s hockey team but ultimately they went down 4-1 to a rampant Great Britain in their Pool A clash at the Tokyo Olympics yesterday. Early pressure from the South Africans on the Great Britain goal resulted in three penalty corners. It was third time lucky for the women in green and gold when Nicole Walraven swept the ball home to give her team an early lead. This was easily the best period of the game for the South Africans as they forced the Brits into making plenty of mistakes in the first half. However, the British team have loads of experience and started to settle into their more natural passing game. They also started slowing the pace of the game by…