Table of contents for 2023-01-16 in Star

Increase to pay for utility’s debt, huge wage bill, defaulting municipalities South Africa’s energy crisis has deepened further as public anger grows over lack of power supply amid rising electricity costs for consumers, business and industry. This comes after Eskom was given the green light to hike electricity tariffs by a cumulative 31.4% over the next two consecutive years, beginning on April 1, in spite of the worst ongoing power cuts to date. The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) last week granted Eskom a 18.65% electricity tariff increase for the 2023/24 financial year and 12.74% for the 2024/2025 financial year, in a bid to recoup an allowable revenue of more than R318 billion and R352bn for both years, respectively. Nersa said its decision reconsidered capital-related costs for…

THE Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has issued a massive GHS8.2 billion (about R13bn) assessment including a penalty and interest, on Scancom (MTN Ghana), which the telecoms group has “strongly” disputed. MTN Group – has 285 million subscribers in Africa and the Middle East – and said a third party review of the assessment did not support the GRA’s assessment. MTN Ghana is one of the biggest taxpayers in that country. MTN is not a stranger to hefty fines in Africa, having agreed in 2020 to pay a $53m (R890m) fine to Nigerian authorities who were reportedly unfairly shaking down foreign companies at the time because the country’s oil-reliant economy was ailing due to the falling oil price. MTN also received an initial fine of $5.2bn – later reduced to…

One-quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions result from food and agriculture. The energy in food production can be broken down into four parts: agriculture, transportation, processing, and handling. Electricity is a key agricultural input. According to Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development statistics, agriculture spent about R9 billion on electricity in 2021. This is more than 7% of the sector’s expenditure on intermediate goods and services. A reliable power supply is especially critical for the sector’s irrigation and water treatment. Food production finds itself in a perfect storm. The Ukrainian war has directly led to energy shortages with sanctions imposed by the US and all Nato-affiliated countries importing gas and oil from Russia. On top of that came the initial blockage of Ukraine’s grain export port…

■ Scramble to fill 1 700 key vacancies Under-fire power utility Eskom is in a race to fill 1 700 crucial vacancies by September, with most of the posts in the critical distribution, transmission and generation units. The utility last week introduced indefinite Stage 6 load shedding to offset capacity constraints due to breakdowns at its power units. While frustration mounts over the power crisis, there was more public outrage after it was announced by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) that it had approved an 18.65% electricity tariff increase for 2023/24, while Eskom had requested a 32% hike. Amid these challenges, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan has revealed in response to a parliamentary question from the EFF that Eskom wants to fill 1 700 vacancies…

THE FAMILIES of apartheid victims and survivors have welcomed the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA’s) progress in pursuing post-Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) prosecutions, saying it was long overdue. The NPA announced on Friday that it had taken steps to enhance its efforts to deal with and prosecute cases stemming from the TRC hearings. The NPA has appointed advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza SC to review the measures adopted to deal with and prosecute TRC matters and to provide recommendations as needed. NPA spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga said: “Over the last couple of years, the NPA has focused on reopening and pursuing priority cases and enhancing its internal capacity and processes both to ensure effective handling of these cases and to prevent any undue political influence.” Mhaga said a detailed overview of these measures…

Miss SA 2022 Ndavi Nokeri says she is looking forward to returning to South Africa to complete her reign and her advocacy campaign after making it to the top 16 at the 71st edition of the Miss Universe pageant. The 23-year-old, who hails from Gabaza in Tzaneen, Limpopo, faced contestants from 84 other countries in the competition. Nokeri was one of the frontrunners throughout the build-up to the finale. Nokeri has also paid tribute to Miss Universe winner R’Bonney Gabriel from the US, and offered her congratulations to runner-up Miss Venezuela Amanda Dudamel and second runner-up Miss Dominican Republic Andreina Martinez. Nokeri was brimming with pride after making it to the top 16 in the contest. Nokeri said: “I would like to congratulate R’Bonney, who is a worthy winner and…

FEAR not the white man, for his time has passed. This deplorable statement by a president who should be ashamed of himself. This is the old ANC narrative reinvented, to unite his insipid party, in preparation for the 2024 elections. What we had a taste of over the weekend is the “real” Cyril Ramaphosa. He will be merciless against the “white man”, and anyone left of centre. It will be the culmination of 100 years of retribution by the ANC, making 2024 a political watershed year. This was a hate-filled salvo, against elderly white men, branding all of us as racists. We will, no doubt, see a spike in farm attacks – Rhodesia revisited. Shame on you and your utterances, Mr President. We all know that you and your…

Is it a lack of visionary leadership or are we led by dunderheads, who can hardly think beyond buying for themselves huge purchases of Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry, and Armani fashion items or purchasing or selling buffaloes or other exotic-type animals, indulging themselves with their guaranteed income, regardless of whether they perform or not with their guaranteed income – a beautiful headspace to find oneself in? Is it possible that people with these character qualities would be able to think for people who are forced to live in shacks for the greater part of their lives, with no hope of ever living in a brick house? Would any of them spend only a day and a night in a shack just for the experience of it? Their…

Iran said at the weekend it had executed a British-Iranian dual national sentenced to death for spying for the UK, drawing strong condemnation from Western governments and international rights groups. Alireza Akbari, 61, was hanged after being convicted of “corruption on earth and harming the country’s internal and external security by passing on intelligence”, the judiciary’s Mizan Online website said. It did not say when or where the execution took place. Mizan said Akbari, who had been arrested more than two years ago, had been a spy for Britain’s MI6 secret intelligence agency and had received around $2 million (roughly R33.6m) for his services. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was “appalled” by the execution. “This was a callous and cowardly act, carried out by a barbaric regime with…

HARARE: Zimbabwean police on Saturday fired tear gas at an opposition party gathering in Harare and arrested 25 of its members, including two members of parliament, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) said. The arrests come after a wave of politically motivated violence against opposition supporters in rural Zimbabwe, raising fears of repression ahead of the presidential election this year. Police confirmed the arrests of members of the CCC, Zimbabwe’s main opposition political party, and said a detailed statement would be released following investigations. | Reuters…

Orlando Pirates’ losing streak in the Premiership might have come to an end at home on Saturday, but they shouldn’t get carried away, believing all is well. Pirates were arguably one of the best teams in the first half of the season, winning the MTN8 – to set themselves up nicely for challenging for a local treble. But after enduring a poor start to the second half of the league, with losses to Mamelodi Sundowns and Cape Town City, their title hopes went up in smoke. Granted they bounced back to winning ways at home on Saturday to snap a three-game losing run, but that didn’t mean they are suddenly home and dry. In fact, this 3-1 win over Golden Arrows proved that they have problems that need to addressed…

The Transvaal Agricultural Union (TLU SA) is calling on the government to exempt farmers from load shedding as the latest extended stages wreak havoc on farming operations, tipping food security to the edge of the precipice. In a statement before a meeting on the invitation of Agriculture Minister Thoko Didiza, where different parties will discuss the energy crisis, TLU SA said the government should consider agriculture as an essential service for the sake of food surety, where no load shedding was applied. It said cold chain farmers and farmers dependent on irrigation should be released from load shedding or load shedding should be applied to them out of peak times. “The government has to realise that the current energy crisis puts food security in question,” Bennie van Zyl, general…

CES 2023, formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show, was presented in Las Vegas from January 5 to 8, 2023 and is the world’s biggest and most influential technology event as well as the proving ground for breakthrough technologies. It is here that many of the big companies announced or launched their new products for 2023, although it seemed to be less than previous years due to high inflation, the economic downswing, less spending on non-necessities and supply chain constraints. More than 3 200 exhibiting companies (60% Fortune 500 companies), including 1 000 start-ups, featured the latest technologies and next era innovations. CES 2023 was attended by more than 115 000 industry professionals, of which over 40 000 were international attendees from 140 countries. Certain current…

Media personality and dancer Robot Boii (Mzwakhe Mbuli Junior), has firmly established himself as a multi-talented star since he burst onto the music scene with his hit single Salary Salary last year. The Lockdown House Party presenter is a jack of all trades as a voice-over artist, rapper, actor, dancer, comedian, drummer, MC, television host, editor and photographer. His song Salary Salary had TikTokers busting a move, especially a Pretoria teacher who trended for the challenge and was dubbed “the best teacher in the world”. It also hit over a million views on YouTube, making this a career highlight for the entertainer. The star was also a part of South Africa’s biggest music night when he hosted the 28th South African Music Awards (SAMAs) alongside seasoned comedian and actor Mpho…

A JOHANNESBURG resident who asked the court to overturn a judgment against him, as he said he had never received the summons because it had been delivered to the security guard at the gate of the complex where he had lived, was turned down. The South Gauteng High Court in Joburg said there was an obligation on a person who changed address to ensure that the new address was updated in accordance with the requirements of amending the agreement, in this case, the bank. Simply phoning and stating that one’s address cited on the agreement or contract had changed, would not suffice, Judge Alyson Crutchfield said in her judgment. Sipho Sibeko turned to court after he fell in arrears with his car payments to WesBank. Summons were issued against him…

Over the festive season, I met an officer travelling in a police van. I whined about the prevalence of illegal drugs at a shopping centre. A restaurant and pub, where Community Police Forum meetings are held on Mondays, is a notorious drug-peddling area. As our conversation proceeded, four men passed by, holding partly drunk alcohol bottles. He remarked that although it was illegal to drink in public, there was little to nothing he could do. “The thugs insult and even beat us up. I am alone without adequate back-up,” he said. That’s how lawless our country has become. A haven for lawbreakers and frustration for law-abiders. We consume alcohol like fish to water. This brings me to the BMW vehicle spun by Lyton Chikandiwa in Salvokop, Pretoria, on January 7.…

In theory, there appears to be nothing wrong with setting up private foundations by powerful public figures, especially politicians. This is because, ostensibly, the funds they solicit for the work of their foundations is philanthropic and assist those who are vulnerable. But there is something disturbing about the operations of the foundations. This is especially so if they are founded by active politicians in powerful positions, such as an incumbent president. Most critically, why should such private foundations solicit money from entities that are publicly funded, for example state-owned entities? The questions that arise: Why should an incumbent president who wields so much power be asking for donations from SOEs? Is this not some form of indirect coercion of the SOEs to fund people who are…

South African cricket holds a very delicate place in the fabric of sport in this country. It does not have the gravitas of the World Cup-winning Springboks but neither is it an anomaly in the way Bafana Bafana has plunged to. People still care about the Proteas, but the lack of success at major tournaments in addition to the regular administrators scandals have left the game in a precarious position. This has filtered down to domestic cricket where spectator support has virtually vanished at venues all across South Africa. Cricket in South Africa was in desperate need of rejuvenation. Fans needed a reminder that the game was played on the outfield and not in the boardroom. There have been previous attempts at launching a T20 – globally the most popular…

Lima: Peru’s government on Saturday declared a state of emergency in the capital, Lima, and three other regions due to protests against President Dina Boluarte that have claimed at least 42 lives. The measure, in force for 30 days, authorises the army to intervene to maintain order and suspends several constitutional rights such as freedom of movement and assembly, according to a decree published in the official gazette. Supporters of ousted president Pedro Castillo have marched and barricaded streets across the South American country since December, demanding new elections and the removal of Boluarte. | AFP…

BEIJING: China successfully orbited 14 research satellites atop a Long March-2D carrier rocket, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) said yesterday. The launch was conducted at 11.14am from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in Shanxi Province in northern China. CASC said the 14 satellites include Qilu-2 and Qilu-3 that will be mainly used for remote sensing of Earth to prevent natural disasters, environmental monitoring and emergency management.It is the 462th such mission | Sputnik…

The Lions fell into old habits and reverted to type in the second half of their EPCR Challenge Cup clash against Stade Francais, and it was all the more the pity as they could have, should have, and would have won if not for themselves. In a scrappy match in Paris that did not inspire, the Joburgers finally succumbed to a 17-7 defeat. They led 7-0 at half-time, battling foreign conditions and unfamiliar surroundings. They should have had more. Gianni Lombard missed two easy penalties, while during the first half they controlled possession and territory but failed to convert that into meaningful points. They could also not take advantage of the yellow card sanction to Alex Arrate. Throughout the game, from both sides, there were just too many fumbles, errors…

Putting one or two new faces on Eskom’s board will not change the severe corruption at Eskom that has filtered down to project level at the utility and a task team needs to be sent in to clean the utility out, energy analyst Ted Blom said on Jacaranda FM online this weekend. Blom, a well known energy industry specialist and commentator, said his estimates were that more than R500 billion has been lost at Eskom due to corruption over the past decade. He said for instance, that in 2008, a crime syndicate in Eskom’s coal operations involving 54 people and a senior government minister “not far from the top” had syphoned off some R8 billion of Eskom in “emergency” spending where there had been no tender. He did not wish…

TRANSNET and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) have reached an agreement with Liebherr, the German-Swiss multinational heavy equipment-maker to pay R54 million for irregularities in the award of two tenders in 2013 and 2014. In a statement, state-owned Transnet said the two tenders were for supplying cranes to Transnet. Liebherr had supplied all the cranes under the contracts, which are in use and would continue to be used by Transnet Port Terminals, Transnet said. “The SIU found that the decision to award the tenders was irregular. Transnet, the SIU, and Liebherr accordingly agreed that the decision to award the tenders should be reviewed and set aside,” Transnet said. According to Transnet, investigations also found that Liebherr had paid $3.2m (about R54m) to Accurate Investments Limited, a sales agent appointed…

The country’s electricity problem continues to rile South Africans with ordinary citizens calling for a national shutdown march to Union Buildings while the country’s main opposition party, the DA, has confirmed its own march to Luthuli House next week. The DA has confirmed it plans to march to the ANC’s headquarters in Joburg over the Eskom crisis. This comes after South Africans have been seething and demanding answers from the ANC over the Eskom electricity crisis, which has seen the country plunged into Stage 6 load shedding. On Friday, DA leader John Steenhuisen confirmed the party’s intention to march on Luthuli House on January 25. “We invite all South Africans to join us to voice their anger at the ANC’s destruction of our country’s energy infrastructure and economy and to…

ASSASSINATED Mpumalanga ANC councillor Sabelo Nhleko predicted that he would soon be killed for standing up against corrupt politicians in his municipal area. Nhleko, 36, a councillor at Mkhondo Local Municipality, was ambushed and gunned down with his friend and a car mechanic at Longhomes Township near Piet Retief. The shooting took place at about 8pm on Friday. Nhleko’s killing followed the hit on Mkhondo PR councillor Muzi Manyathi, 41, at a petrol station in Piet Retief in November last year. Manyathi’s murder caused an uproar in the Mkhondo Municipality, prompting ANC members to protest against MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison Vusi Shongwe, accused of not taking action against the known mastermind behind the hit. After the November incident, Nhleko posted a live video on social media accusing…

The Gauteng Basic Education Department has remained upbeat even though more than 500 learners remain unplaced and without schools. Last week, scores of parents voiced their frustration with the department’s online registration system after they were forced to wait more than three days to have their children placed at their preferred schools. On Friday, the department said it had managed to reduce the number of unplaced learners from more than 2 000 to 571. This came after Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga defended the Gauteng online registration system, saying even though the system was not perfect, it was very necessary as it gave a clear indication of the enrolment issues. According to the latest statistics, the department has only a backlog of 571 Grade 1 and 8 learners yet…

After a shortage of international entertainment over the last few years, international songstress and actress Pratibha Singh Baghel, will be in South Africa for two unique public performances this month. Known worldwide for their creative East-West music collaborations, Inner Circle Entertainment has once again developed a musical masterpiece that will appeal to our nation’s broad and diverse audience. Inner Circle Sessions with Pratibha Singh Baghel will take place at the Lyric Theatre in Gold Reef City on Sunday, January 29. According to Nisaar Pangarker, founder of Inner Circle Entertainment, audiences can expect “an intimate, unplugged and thoroughly enjoyable musical journey through Bollywood hits, movie favourites and classic numbers … I am confident that it will appeal to those who are already fans of what we do, as well as those…

We are all collectively guilty of overt and covert racism. Our rainbow nation is swamped with rainbow racists of every colour and hue. I have fought against every form of racism for the past 55 years, a painful struggle which continues to this day. Many of us paid a hefty price for fearlessly opposing any form of racism across the racial divide. Civility demands that we respect our fellow citizens, with the dignity they deserve. In my many years in journalism, I have rejected any notion of prejudice. We must understand that racist thoughts, like all other forms of hatred and prejudice, are essentially a corruption of the human spirit that no law can eradicate. We cannot rely on the instruments of the law to codify every thought and idea.…

Keeping track of the world’s wildlife populations is fundamental to conservation efforts in the face of the continued deterioration of global biodiversity. But some species are harder to study than others. Some aquatic species, for instance, elude detection because they are extremely rare and sparsely distributed. One especially elusive example is the estuarine pipefish (Syngnathus watermeyeri). It is the only critically endangered syngnathid (the family of fishes that includes seahorses, pipefish and seadragons) in the world. It is only found on the African continent and is endemic to just a few estuaries on the Eastern Cape of South Africa. It has long been apparent that the estuarine pipefish is threatened. The species was classified as extinct in 1994 before being rediscovered in 1996. There are an estimated 100-250 remaining globally,…

Kathmandu: At least 67 people were confirmed dead yesterday when a plane with 72 on board crashed in Nepal, police said, in the Himalayan country’s deadliest aviation disaster in three decades. “Thirty-one (bodies) have been taken to hospitals,” police official AK Chhetri told AFP, adding that 36 other bodies were still in the 300-metre gorge the aircraft plunged into. This was partially confirmed by the army, which said that 29 bodies had been retrieved and that there were 33 more at the site in Pokhara in central Nepal. Academy director Bahadur Khatri said that the procedure to identify the bodies is on.” A total of 68 passengers and four crew members were on board the aircraft that crashed between the old airport and the Pokhara International Airport, Yeti Airlines spokesperson…

Seoul: More than 100 traffic accidents have been reported amid heavy snowfall in South Korea’s Gangwon province yesterday, officials said. No death or serious injuries has been reported. Many parts of Gangwon province had heavy snow at the weekend, including 55.9cm of snowfall in the Misiryeong mountain ridge and 52.3cm of snow in the Hyangrobong hill. Heavy snow blanketed a section of highway in the coastal county of Goseong, stranding about 10 vehicles. Several sections of roads in Sokcho and Yangyang were temporarily blocked as authorities deployed snowplow trucks. | IANS…

Shukri Conrad and Rob Walter are set to be named the Proteas’ Men’s Test and limited-overs coaches respectively today, succeeding Mark Boucher. Conrad, Walter, Malibongwe Maketa, Adrian Birrell, Richard Pybus and Lance Klusener, who withdrew from the process, were on the shortlist. South Africa have only once before split the national team coaching roles when Gary Kirsten (Tests) and Russell Domingo (ODI and T20I) shared the position. Domingo, though, took on the all-format role within six months. Unlike Boucher, neither Conrad nor Walter did not play international cricket, but are vastly experienced domestic coaches. Conrad was a highly-talented all-rounder in his playing days, having represented SA Schools in 1984 along with Daryll Cullinan and Clive Eksteen, with Allan Donald as 12th man. The 55-year-old, though, returned to the South African…

SuperSport United have been a breeding ground for Mamelodi Sundowns in recent years, but such is the form that both sides are in, they are each eyeing the Premiership title. Having won three championships in a row from 2008 and 2010, SuperSport fell from grace after the departure of coach Gavin Hunt to Bidvest Wits. That opened a new era at crosstown rivals Sundowns, with SuperSport’s former coach Pitso Mosimane awakening the sleeping giant in Chloorkop. The Brazilians haven’t looked back since with Mosimane’s successors, Rhulani Mokwena and Manqoba Mngqithi, picking up from where he left off. However, Sundowns’ dominance has been under threat this season as Hunt’s return to Matsatsantsa has worked wonders for the cash-strapped outfit. The Brazilians are top of the league pile, 11 points ahead of…