Table of contents for 2021-10-26 in Star

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za JSE-LISTED tech group Altron’s share price slid 1.8 percent to R10.82 per share yesterday in intraday trading, despite it pointing to its 2.0 Strategy as starting to bear fruit for the business. Altron’s 2.0 Strategy, introduced last year, is anchored on organic growth supplemented by carefully selected acquisitions in local and international geographies. The group reported a 71 percent jump in operating profit to R173 million for the six months ending August 31. Altron’s headline earnings per share also rose by a significant 238 percent to 11 cents per share for the period. The IT services management company said cash generated from operations rose 79 percent to R527m, with revenue for the six months rising by 2 percent to R3.5…

Subrat Patnaik, Sanjana Shivdas and David Shepardson TESLA YESTERDAY neared $1 trillion (nearly R15 trillion) in market capitalisation as the company founded by Elon Musk received its biggest order of 100 000 electric rental cars for Hertz. Tesla shares were up 7.5 percent at $978, hitting a new record yesterday, following the order. Shares were also buoyed by news of the company’s Model 3 becoming the first electric vehicle to top monthly sales of new cars in Europe. The news from Hertz comes as Tesla is coping with a backlog of unfulfilled orders for its vehicles and continuing supply chain disruptions, but it does solidify the mainstream appeal of electric cars. Interim Hertz chief executive Mark Fields said the order would primarily be Model 3 vehicles.…

Viwe Ndongeni-Ntlebi viwe.ndongeni@inl.co.za Actor and TV personality, Siv Ngesi spots an incredible physique, and he credits his “crazy diet” for the body image. The Still Breathing actor lost 11kgs in 11 weeks and doesn’t keep his mouth shut. He constantly tells his social media followers: “I sacrificed too much not to show off my hard work!” Ngesi’s objective was to take part in a bodybuilding competition and the hard work and determination has paid off, as the 35-year-old came first in the Men’s Fitness Model category and second in Mr Fitness (pole and body) at Fitness South Africa 2021 in September. “I worked really hard, committed to the plan and sacrificed for it. “I always wanted to do a body competition. The Covid-19 lockdown gave me the opportunity. I started…

Lehlohonolo Mashigo lehlohonolo.mashigo@inl.co.za JOHANNESBURG residents will not be spared from load shedding. City Power has made a U-turn following its announcement that it would not be load shedding its customers. Power utility Eskom has agreed to work with City Power on load shedding after this weekend, when mayor Mpho Moerane announced that the latest planned load reduction was an “unwarranted decision that cannot be left unchallenged” on behalf of the people of Joburg. “It looks like Eskom has no intention of serving the people of Johannesburg better after we, as a municipality, have done everything within our reach to ensure security of power supply,” the mayor said on Saturday. City Power had requested exclusion from load shedding stages 1 and 2 over the weekend. Moerane said that when the…

JOHN Whitlock | Germiston I AM not sure whether Peter Bachtis in his letter, “Sub-standard Unisa handing out degrees like sweets”, has based his comments on substantiated facts, or even personal knowledge, or just from hearsay. The university has also distanced itself from the allegations that appeared in the local press. However, South African universities are not highly ranked on the world stage. Although number 1 in Africa, UCT is ranked 155, Wits (2) is ranked 201 – 250 and Stellenbosch (3) is ranked 251 – 300. It is essential that students in South Africa insist on Higher Education Quality Committees (HEQC) accredited programmes that are registered on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). Most countries will assess South African qualifications in the NQF against a qualification on…

Shannon Ebrahim shannon.ebrahim@inl.co.za One of the greatest legal giants in South African history – Denis Kuny – passed away yesterday in his Johannesburg home. During the dark decades of the apartheid state’s repression, Kuny was the people’s lawyer, defending political detainees across the country in the most difficult circumstances. The fact that most South Africans do not know the name Denis Kuny is a testament to the greatness of the man, especially if the first test of a truly great man is humility. Kuny worked alongside George Bizos, Joel Joffe, Arthur Chaskalson, and Bram Fischer. “Denis was one of the greatest defence lawyers in the apartheid era, quietly getting on with long, gruelling cases far from the limelight in hostile dorpies throughout the country. “He was the epitome of the…

A Munich court yesterday sentenced a German woman who joined the Islamic State group to 10 years in prison over the war crime of letting a 5-year-old Yazidi “slave” girl die of thirst. The court handed down the verdict to Jennifer Wenisch, 30, in one of the first convictions in the world related to the IS jihadists’ persecution of the Yazidi community. Wenisch was found guilty of crimes against humanity in the form of enslavement, and aiding and abetting killing and membership of a terrorist organisation. | AFP…

Unvaccinated players will be allowed to compete in the Australian Open but must stay in quarantine for 14 days, according to a leaked WTA email yesterday, although a government official insisted the matter was “not settled”. The rules would also likely apply to the men’s tour, leaving the door open for world No 1 Novak Djokovic to defend his title at Melbourne Park in January. The email to players from the women’s governing body was leaked to New York Times tennis writer Ben Rothenberg, who posted it on Twitter, and contradicts officials’ earlier statements implying unvaccinated players would not be granted visas. The email said that players fully inoculated against coronavirus would not have to quarantine or remain in bio-secure bubbles, enjoying “complete freedom of movement”. Unvaccinated players can come…

HERMAN GIBBS Comment South African football quietly expanded its continental footprint over the weekend when SA coaches performed giant-killing acts against insurmountable odds in hostile Tanzania and DR Congo in the top two tiers of Caf club competitions. In stark contrast to its continental fortunes over the past decades, SA teams enjoyed a full house of Caf wins in the Champions League and Confederation Cup at the weekend. In the wake of these results, for the first time, no less than four SA coaches will be plying their trade in the upcoming Champions League. In the past, it has always been a matter of SA teams competing against conditions in African countries rather than African teams. There was also the ever-present gamesmanship that hamstrung SA teams’ efforts to conquer opponents,…

Stuart Hess stuart.hess@inl.co.za The head of Cricket South Africa’s anti-corruption unit (ACU) said it was “very unfortunate” that the Social Justice and Nation-Building (SJN) hearings were used as a platform to claim that the investigation into match-fixing in a domestic T20 tournament in 2016 was racist. Louis Cole testified before the Transformation Ombudsman, Advo Dumisa Ntsebeza yesterday, providing a detailed account of the inquiry headed up by him and David Becker from 2015 through to 2016 and which led to the sanctioning of seven players, who are banned from the sport for periods ranging from two to 20 years. Alviro Petersen, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Thami Tsolekile and Ethy Mbhalati all testified that they had suffered varying degrees of unfair treatment during the investigation, with the latter three saying they were targeted…

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za ESKOM’S largest coal suppliers Exxaro and Seriti Resources have agreed to invest in renewable energy projects at Eskom operations, marking progress in the race to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the production and generation of electricity. The parties said the first phase of the envisaged project pipeline was expected to see the construction of a number of solar photovoltaic facilities both on mine and at Eskom sites. They said these might be behind-the-meter solutions, that was, off-grid or wheeled solutions, or combinations of the two. The parties said they had signed a memorandum of agreement in line with enabling a just energy transition in South Africa by participating in these renewable energy projects at the mines and related Eskom sites, with the aim of creating employment and…

Philippa Larkin philippa.larkin@inl.co.za SISA NGEBULANA, the founder and chief executive of Rebosis Property Fund, said yesterday that his work was done in sorting out the financial crises at the company and he was retiring with Otis Tshabalala selected as his successor to “steer the firm’s greater future”. Ngebulana founded Rebosis in 2010, which became the first black-owned and managed property fund to list on the JSE. The announcement comes hot on the heels of the company saying last week that it would dispose of its portfolio of office assets worth R6.3 billion, which would bring down the company loan-to-value (LTV) level and optimise its balance sheet to real estate investment trust standards, closing the curtain for Ngebulana’s three-year stint since the board brought him to stabilise the company. In…

Kelly-Jane Turner ALMOST 50 000 teenagers in the 12-17 age group have been vaccinated against Covid-19 since the rollout extended to that age cohort last Wednesday. The Department of Health on Sunday revealed that the country reached a milestone as 11.5 million people were fully vaccinated, inching closer to 30% of the population being vaccinated. Health Minister Joe Phaahla says the country is on track to reaching the target of vaccinating 70% of people by the end of the year. Teenagers are able to get their shots from any official vaccination site and they don’t need their parents’ permission. Parents, caregivers and legal guardians are encouraged to educate and assist eligible young people to register and vaccinate, said the Health Department. “The Children's Act 38 of 2005 stipulates that children…

Itumeleng Mafisa and Nomonde Zondi LAWYERS for the family of slain soccer star Senzo Meyiwa say they believe more accused should be added to the list of people accused of killing the former Bafana Bafana captain. This follows the appearance of five men accused of murdering Meyiwa in cold blood on October 26 seven years ago. Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Ntanzi, Mthobisi Mncube, Mthokozisi Maphisa and Fisokuhle Ntuli appeared in the high court sitting at the Palmridge Magistrate’s Court yesterday, where a trial date was set for April 11, 2022. Ntuli was recently convicted of the murders of councillor Thami Goodwill Nyembe and Butiza Sandisa Mahlobo, Sphamandla Zungu and brothers Phiwayinkosi Zulu, Mcebisi Zulu and Sibusiso Zulu at the Esikhaleni Regional Court. The Star spoke to the Meyiwa family’s legal…

MOHAMED SAEED | Pietermaritzburg WITH a few days to Election Day on November 1, I extend my appreciation and best wishes to all candidates who have put their names forward to represent and serve their communities. Service to others is a moral and righteous duty. Governance is about ethical management and the most effective leaders are those who are servant leaders. I hope all registered voters exercise their democratic right and civic duty by voting in this election. Participation in the electoral process by voting is the most basic act of citizenship and responsibility as it supports democratic principles and functioning. Voting empowers citizens to elect new councillors and it brings about the change needed to improve service delivery of municipal services. Voting gives citizens an opportunity to…

BY next week, millions of South Africans will have voted. Millions won’t have bothered or will have stayed away on purpose. Local government leaders for the next five years will be settling into office, either tackling the myriad problems and improving the lives of our citizens or else, in many cases, neglecting their duties and getting their fingers in the till. In deciding how to vote, informed voters will take with a pinch of salt much of what they hear. They will prefer facts rather than puff-pieces, promises, inflated claims and outright lies. To quote a good example, President Ramaphosa appeared in Cape Town recently, looking for votes. Nearly everyone in this country must be aware that while that city is not perfect, it is the best run Metro in…

The Washington Post SUTTON Foster understands the power of time-consuming hobbies, especially those that yield tactile results. In her charming memoir, she shows how projects involving coloured pencils, epoxy glue and – chiefly – yarn helped her cope with heartbreak and stress, including backstage spitefulness, tabloid voyeurism and a painful relationship with her agoraphobic mother. “My crafts helped hold me together and have given me a place to pour all of my love or sadness into,” she writes in Hooked, a book that comes with a subtitle that will seem less hyperbolic by the time you turn the last page: “How Crafting Saved My Life.” Foster structures her memoir around projects that reflect chapters in her life. Drawings of fertility gods, recall her struggle to get pregnant before she and…

South Africa’s basic education system and the grading standard produce poor academic outcomes which leads to matriculants not qualifying to study further at university level. On top of this, the Bachelor, diploma and certificate passes at matric level create false hopes for learners, because they believe they automatically qualify to study at any university. I wrote a paper that looked at the mismatch between the weak education outcomes of the basic education system, including the grading practice for learners in their final year of school, and what’s required of them to transition to higher education. I argue that the basic education system and the grading standard produce poor quality learners, most of whom do not qualify to study at university level. In addition, the Bachelor pass, diploma pass and certificate…

Millions of Afghans, including children, could die of starvation unless urgent action is taken to pull Afghanistan back from the brink of collapse, the UN warned, calling for frozen funds to be freed for humanitarian efforts. The UN said that 22.8 million people – more than half of Afghanistan’s 39 million population – were “marching to starvation” compared to 14 million two months ago. In August, Taliban fighters drove out a Western-backed government, prompting donors to hold back aid. | Reuters…

OVER the next few weeks, South Africa will host a slew of high-profile tennis events which add impetus to burgeoning growth of the game on different levels countrywide. Tennis South Africa (TSA), the governing body of tennis in South Africa, are hosting an International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior boys event, which started yesterday. The tennis treat continues well into the new year with the world-class Rafa Nadal Academy camps in Gauteng, Cape Town and KwaZulu-Natal. The ITF Junior Grade A tournament underway in Cape Town is one of only six Junior Grade A tournaments every year. These tournaments are one notch below the Junior Grand Slams, the most prestigious events for juniors. Together with the Junior Grand Slams, it is the traditional launchpad for the finest talents to go on…

Afghanistan appeared unperturbed by their uncertain future in international cricket as Mohammad Nabi’s men dished out a 130-run shellacking to Scotland in Group II at the T20 World Cup yesterday. The governing International Cricket Council (ICC) will meet next month to determine the game’s future in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime. Cricket Australia (CA) has already threatened to scrap next month’s one-off Test against Afghanistan if the government in Kabul does not allow women to play the sport. None of that controversy seemed to affect Afghanistan as their muscular top order fired them to an imposing 190/4 in their opening Super 12 stage match. Spin duo Mujeeb Ur Rahman (5/20) and Rashid Khan (4/9) then combined to demolish Scotland for 60 in 10.2 overs to maintain Afghanistan’s 100% victory record…

Viwe Ndongeni-Ntlebi viwe.ndongeni@inl.co.za The pandemic has changed how many people do life, and it also has placed self-care as a priority not just for women but for men as well. Now, men are normalising self-care and moving away from the conventional association of self-care with women. It’s acknowledged self-care knows no gender because it is the art and act of putting yourself first. While the idea of self-care may differ from person to person, in general, it refers to the practice of taking care of oneself by participating in behaviours that promote personal health and well-being. Paul Tran, founder and chief executive of MANSCAPED, a company that specialises in male grooming, said: “Since there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to self-care, it’s up to the individual to determine what type…

Sonri Naidoo sonri.naidoo@inl.co.za A WITNESS in the Nathaniel Julies murder case said on the day of his fatal shooting, one of the accused had assured his mother that her son was still alive, and she was hugely relieved. The witness, Maygen Brownley who was testifying yesterday in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court, said she was in bed when she heard a gunshot. She told the court a friend in the house told her to check what was happening outside and that her “lockies was geskiet” (Nathaniel has been shot). Brownley said they then walked towards the crowd at the scene, of people from the neighbourhood. “A green Polo Classic arrived at the scene later in front of me. The door behind the passenger seat opened and accused number three, Vorster…

Plans to trace concealed assets and income for use by courts to grant maintenance orders mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za JUSTICE and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola said his department is considering developing a framework to trace the concealment of income and assets gained in the informal economy for use by courts to grant maintenance orders. Lamola revealed this when he was responding to parliamentary questions from IFP MP Themba Msimang, who asked about the number of maintenance defaulters. In his response, the minister said there were a total of 16 435 maintenance defaulters that the courts have dealt with between April and July this year. “Of the 16 435 cases, enforcement orders in the form of emolument attachment orders and warrant of attachment of debts were issued in respect of 2 555 cases,”…

Luxolo Mafumana | Johannesburg AT THIS point, I do not want to focus my attention much on whether Acting Judge Tembeka Ngcukaitobi and Judge Nyameko Gqamana delivered an appropriate judgment in overturning the rape conviction in the Grahamstown High Court. Legal pundits and civil society at large have done enough of that and are still at it. I want to focus my attention on the person who is often forgotten in these circumstances – the victim. The poor woman’s life is being thrown around for public dissection. Amid the competing thoughts and opinions, no one concerns themselves about the young woman whose life has taken an irreversible turn. I believe she is in desperate need of psychological restoration and support. We forget that there is a young woman…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za THE DEPARTMENT of Basic Education said it was ready to administer credible 2021 matric exams as candidates write their first paper tomorrow. The National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams will kick off tomorrow with 124 065 candidates writing English home language, 609 830 writing English first additional language and four candidates writing English second additional language. The NSC exams will conclude on December 7. According to the Department of Basic Education (DBE), a total of 897 786 candidates will sit for this year’s NSC exams, comprising 735 677 full-time candidates and 162 109 part-time candidates. The Class of 2021 will be sitting for the exams at 6 326 public exam centres, 526 independent centres and 326 designated centres. “The national examination…

Nigerian security forces recaptured 446 inmates who escaped from prison in a mass jailbreak over the weekend with nearly 400 others still at large yesterday, officials said. Heavily armed men used grenades to storm the Abolongo prison in south-west state Oyo at the weekend, in the third mass prison outbreak this year in Africa’s most populous nation. In addition to fighting jihadists, Nigerian troops are also facing violent criminal gangs across the country and separatist agitation in the southeast. | Reuters…

Facebook was well aware that hate speech was spreading on its site in India which could exacerbate ethnic violence, and did not deploy resources to curb the phenomenon, US media have reported, citing internal documents. The so-called Facebook Papers, leaked by whistle-blower Frances Haugen, have already revealed the impact of Facebook – as well as of WhatsApp and Instagram, both of which it owns – on the deep polarisation of politics in the US and on the mental health of some teenagers. But there have long been concerns over the social network’s impact in spreading hate speech fuelling violence in the developing world, such as the massacre targeting the Rohingya minority in Myanmar. The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and the Washington Post focused on Facebook’s presence in…

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer faced intense criticism and speculation over his future after his team’s humiliating 5-0 defeat at home by Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday. United’s worst defeat at home to their arch-rivals killed in 90 minutes the short-lived hype that surrounded Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to the club and the hopes of a title challenge that it raised. But it also brought into the spotlight the Norwegian’s management and coaching of the team as he approaches three years in charge of the side. While United were booed off the field at half-time, as they trailed 4-0 at the break for the first time in the Premier League era, there were no chants for Solskjaer to be fired. But social media was much less forgiving and…

Zaahier Adams zaahier.adams@inl.co.za Throughout the history of the World Twenty20, no team have become champions without losing a match. This is good news and bad news for Temba Bavuma’s Proteas as they prepare to take on the West Indies at the Dubai International Stadium today. It means that stumbling over the first hurdle is not unique to the Proteas, but it is also a fact that a further defeat today could result in elimination with the tournament proper hardly five days old. Any wiggle room that might have existed was vanquished by Australia holding their nerve in the opener on Saturday in Abu Dhabi. It is imperative that they learn quickly from their woeful batting effort at the Sheikh Zayd Stadium for they do possess one of the more lethal…

Zaahier Adams and AFP zaahier.adams@inl.co.za West Indies coach Phil Simmons is backing his team to bounce back in their crunch T20 World Cup clash against South Africa in Dubai today (12 noon SA time start). The defending champions were skittled out for a record low 55 in their opener against England on Saturday, but instead of retreating, the former West Indies all-rounder has backed his charges to hit back with a vengeance. “For me, Saturday was just about bad shot selection,” Simmons said. “The bowling wasn’t, as we would say, extraordinary. All the guys have played against these guys (England) before, so I just put it down to bad shot selection. “Well, the style in which we play our cricket has always been in the style in which we play…