Table of contents for 2024-03-25 in Star

Masts and towers business Swiftnet is sold to equity investors TELKOM SA has sold its masts and towers business Swiftnet to a consortium that includes global private equity investor Actis and Royal Bafokeng Holdings for R6.75 billion. “Swiftnet is a strategic acquisition for Actis that will see it acquire more than 4 000 sites across the country. The platform is underpinned by a strong relationship with Telkom and other existing anchor tenants, and long-term contractual revenue,” Actis directors said on Friday. Actis is in the process of being acquired by US global growth equity investor General Atlantic. Swiftnet’s taxed profit for the 12 months to March 31, 2023, was R584 million, while for the six months to September 30 it was R321m. ICT, media and telecoms analyst…

Reflecting on the Black Industrialists and Exporters Conference hosted by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (Dtic) last week, one is left with the mixed feeling that while the aspirations of the Black Industrialist Programme are noble, not enough is being done to push the boundaries and realise its full potential. One of the fundamental flaws limiting this programme’s success is the lack of a clear and well-articulated description, coupled with a broader vision of what the notion of a black industrialist actually entails. Lewis Carroll’s old adage, that if you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there, rings true here. There is a growing sense that the term “black industrialist” is beginning to take on a “catch-all” phrase to blanket everyone – from…

South Africa’s food security is at risk due to climate shocks that are signifi- cantly disrupting the production of grains and oilseeds, the National Agricultural Marketing Council (Namc) warned on Friday in their Market Intelligence Report for February this year. Last month, local agricultural service Grain SA said the recent weather conditions that prevailed in the winter grain regions and current conditions in the summer grain regions had a significant economic impact on grain producers. It said the winter grain production season faced several challenges with excessive rain in certain areas resulting in losses in yields and placing financial pressure on producers in the affected areas. In Namc’s grains and oilseeds section, Namc’s Thulani Ningi, Naledi Radebe and Thabile Nkunjana say those regions that have historically produced relatively little in…

Grammy award-winning musician Tyla has finally released her self- titled debut album, which features her chart-topping singles as well as collaborations with local and international artists. The South African-born singer and songwriter, whose full name is Tyla Laura Seethal, dropped her self-titled debut album on Friday. Apart from Water, which won the inaugural Golden Gramophone for Best African Music Performance at the 2024 Grammys award show, Tyla includes the song’s remix with Travis Scott as well as Truth or Dare, which has been climbing up the music charts. Her 14-track offering also includes new songs such as Intro, which features fellow award-winning amapiano South African artist Kelvin Momo. She has also worked with American singer Becky G on the track On My Body as well as Jump, which features Gunna…

Parliament has appointed Deputy Speaker Lechesa Tsenoli as acting Speaker after Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula took special leave following an investigation into allegations of corruption. The Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, was today expected to set a date to hear Mapisa-Nqakula’s application to interdict her pending arrest related to the corruption allegations. The controversy surrounding the allegations is becoming a public relations disaster for the ANC as it campaigns ahead of the May 29 elections. Mapisa-Nqakula is accused of receiving bribes amounting to R2.3 million from a service provider in the Department of Defence when she was then minister of defence. Her home was searched by the Hawks on behalf of the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Investigating Directorate (ID) last Tuesday. Through her office, Mapisa-Nqakula has declared her innocence and said she will…

MAN’S best friend is not just there for cuddles, but can also be the eyes of those who are visually impaired, as second year law student Laylaa Jacobs and her guide dog, Jedi, can attest to. Pet Insurance company Dotsure has now featured Jacobs of Centurion, and Jedi, in its pet insurance television advertising campaign. It highlights the important role guide dogs play in changing the life of a blind person through mobility, independence and freedom. The Guide-Dogs Association’s story is one of compassion and dedication. The impact of these dogs goes beyond individual partnerships; it extends to the broader community. As a non-profit organisation the association depends on the public to fund veterinary care, training programmes, to continue its mission of changing lives. Dotsure has now taken on a…

Ingredients Crust: 1 packet (100g) raw almonds 1 packet (100g) peeled pistachios, plus extra for serving 200g Tennis biscuits ¾ cup butter, melted Filling: 3 tubs (250g each) full-fat cream cheese ¾ cup sour cream 1 cup castor sugar ½ cup honey 3 large eggs 1 egg yolk 2 tsp vanilla essence Method Preheat oven to 160°C. Blitz nuts in a food processor until very fine (or chop finely by hand). Add biscuits and blitz until fine, then stir in melted butter. Press crust mix into a lined 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin. Blend filling ingredients in a food processor or with a stick blender until smooth. Pour filling into the prepared crust in cake tin. Bake for 80–90 minutes, or until the outer edges of the cake are set…

Boland Rocks coach Justin Ontong breathed a major sigh of relief when his team finally managed to break their Cricket SA T20 Challenge duck at St George’s Park in Gqeberha yesterday. It has been a baptism of fire for Ontong in his first season as head coach of the Rocks. The Boland team struggled in both the CSA 1-Day and 4-Day competitions, and were winless after five matches in the shortest format. With the equally helpless Tuskers winning their first game on Saturday evening when they surprised the high-flying Lions at the Wanderers, all the pressure was on the Rocks to get off the bottom of the table against the Dolphins yesterday. They found their inspiration in the form of veterans Christiaan Jonker and Shaun von Berg, who took the…

THREE-TIME world champion Max Verstappen said it felt like driving “with the handbrake on” after he retired from the Australian Grand Prix yesterday with smoke billowing from his Red Bull car. The Dutchman started from pole, and was heavily favoured to win for a third time this season after emphatic victories in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. But it went horribly wrong almost immediately when he was passed by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz – who claimed victory in the end – on lap two, before his brakes seized up and his race was over. “What we can see so far from the data is that as soon as the lights went off, the right rear brake just stuck on,” he said. “It just caused the damage and it kept on increasing, so…

Pramac Racing’s Jorge Martin won the Portuguese Grand Prix at the Algarve International Circuit yesterday to take the MotoGP championship lead, while rookie Pedro Acosta earned his first premier class podium with a blistering charge after starting seventh. The 19-year-old Acosta finished third behind pole-sitter Enea Bastianini, after Saturday’s sprint winner Maverick Vinales, who was in second place, crashed on the final lap due to what appeared to be a technical problem with the gearbox. Martin, last year’s title runner-up, took the championship lead from reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia, who crashed out of the race following a collision with six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez on the Gresini Ducati. Martin has 60 points after two races, while South Africa’s Brad Binder is second, 18 points behind. Bagnaia was pushed down to…

Sharks coach John Plumtree was only half-joking when he said the best thing about his team’s defeat of Ulster was not having to suffer a blue Monday for a change. The 22-12 win ended a five-game losing streak for the Sharks, and has lifted them from 16th to 14th in the United Rugby Championship. Loose forward Phepsi Buthelezi opened the scoring, with further tries by wing Eduan Keyter and hooker Bongi Mbonambi, with flyhalf Siya Masuku slotting two conversions and a penalty. “We can come to training on Monday and it won’t be about picking up the pieces,” he said. “For a change, we have positive work-ons, and we start the week of a big game against Edinburgh with a spring in our step.” The Scottish team is coached by…

INTEREST rates are likely to remain unchanged, at best, with the repo rate steady at 8.25% at this week’s meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the SA Reserve Bank (SARB), because inflation risks had escalated, economists said over the weekend. “We expect the MPC to leave interest rates unchanged … as inflation’s descent towards the 4.5% target stalled over the past two months,” the Nedbank Group’s Economic Unit said in a note on Friday. FNB’s economists concurred: “While we expect interest rates to remain unchanged, the messaging at that meeting remains key as many spectators of monetary policy around the globe seek indications of when interest rate cuts may be implemented. The middle of the year appears to be the expected turning point … However, with inflation…

The KREMLIN on Friday warned of “cata- strophic consequences” should the EU proceed with plans to confiscate Russian assets held in Western banks. Some Western banks are lobbying against EU proposals to redistribute billions of euros in interest earned on frozen Russian assets, senior industry sources said, fearing it could lead to costly litigation. European Union leaders on Thursday agreed to move ahead with work on a plan to use up to €3 billion (R61.35bn) a year to supply arms to Ukraine as they try to bolster Kyiv’s fight against Russia, which would still own the underlying frozen assets. EU leaders said the proceeds could be used within a few months. “We have heard statements from Brussels that the proceeds of our assets don’t belong to anyone,” Kremlin spokesman…

GLOBAL warming and heatwaves are expected to further increase food prices and overall inflation across the world in future, according to new research from scientists and the European Central Bank. The impact will vary, but will be felt everywhere, especially in developing nations, said the paper published in the journal Communications Earth and Environment last week. Extreme weather – including heatwaves, droughts and floods – is becoming increasingly frequent as the climate heats up, taking a toll on key sectors of the economy, including farming and food production. For this new study, researchers from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and the European Central Bank drew on historical price and weather data from 121 countries between 1996 and 2021. They found that rising temperatures due to climate change…

POACHING in the world-renowned Kruger National Park could spell the end of its existence if it is not curbed, says Richard Sowry, a regional ranger at the KNP’s Pafuri camp. Sowry, speaking to The Star during a media excursion in the park last week, said this could have devastating economic, social and ecological implications. “Humans seem to think that there would not be adverse problems from it … We all see the problems because we are all connected ecologically. “The system is very connected to us as humans; it affects water and clean air ... the amount of people the KNP directly employs will be affected. “Even those that live outside the park work here and they go buy their food and clothes at shopping centres out there, but without…

THE national government and the Gauteng provincial government have abandoned their promise to scrap the e-tolls gantries. This comes after Gauteng this week said Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s promise to switch off the e-tolls was guided by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana during his medium-term budget policy statement in October 2022. Godongwana announced the end of e-tolls, saying an alternative funding mechanism would be implemented to address the financing of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project debt, which involved state-allocated funds. The announcement sparked hope among those who have endured the frustration of the e-tolling system for over a decade. Following the announcement, Lesufi said that R6.9 billion would be refunded to those who had paid e-tolls. The medium-term budget policy statement also provided R27.476bn for Sanral. This could have seen R3.740bn allocated…

The “drastic step” taken by the City of Joburg to suspend the activities of wastepreneurs and the Wastepreneur Pirates’ sites has been labelled as a short-sighted move that could exacerbate the unwelcome scenes at many public facilities. Non-profit organisations (NPO) working within the sector said the recent decision by the municipality would ultimately risk pushing waste pickers to resort to sorting their waste in public spaces such as parks, and compounding existing waste challenges much to the dismay of many. Steve Jourdan, chairperson of Adopt-a-Project Foundation, said the city had informed them that wastepreneurs activities were to be suspended from Friday, with informal traders warned not to utilise the area to sort out their haul. The Wastepreneurs NPO initiative was opened eight years ago at the Pirates Club in Greenside,…

Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has placed his side’s hopes for a rip-roaring second half of the 2023/2024 season in his developing attacking firepower up front. The Buccaneers have not lived up to their pre-season billing, with Spanish-born coach expected to challenge to Mamelodi Sundowns’ dominance in the league in his second season. Although the Sea Robbers have collected three major trophies in the past season-and-a-half, they have fallen short of stringing together a good enough run to win their first league title in 12 years, their last one coming under Augusto Palacios in 2012. Pirates have kicked off 2024 in impressive style by winning four of their six fixtures across all competitions, while drawing the other two. Riveiro’s men have also scored 15 goals in that period, signs of…

ALGERIA are a football nation on their knees, striving to get back on their feet. Humiliated once again at the Africa Cup of Nations, where they were eliminated in the first round – just as they were two years ago – the north African nation are now without representation in the CAF Champions League, after CR Belouizdad were knocked out. They do at least have USM Alger still in line to defend their CAF Confederation Cup title, with the holders through to the quarter-final, where they will come up against Rivers United of Nigeria. At national level, new coach Vladimir Petkovic is rebuilding the team, and had a promising start with a late winner in a 3-2 victory over Bolivia on Friday in the current Fifa Series. There could be…

Jake White would have been delighted with the character shown by his Bulls team to snatch a late bonus point when Johan Grobbelaar scored the fourth try against the Dragons. But the struggles endured by the Pretoria side in Newport on Saturday night made for ideal preparation for Friday’s blockbuster clash against Leinster in Dublin (9.35pm kick-off, SA time). The Bulls are sitting pretty in second position on the United Rugby Championship log on 45 points, four behind Leinster – who beat Zebre 31-7 in Parma on Saturday – which sets up a much-anticipated clash between the South African and Irish giants at the RDS Arena in Dublin this week. White and his Bulls would have felt great relief in clinching that four-try bonus point as they battled to…

They could have scored more than the seven tries, but the Stormers won’t look a gift horse in the mouth after collecting a full house of five points against Edinburgh. Arguably for the first time this season, the Stormers looked like title contenders after completely dominating their opponents from the get-go to complete a 43-21 victory at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday evening as they secured the bonus point in the first half already. With the win, the former United Rugby Championship champions jumped from ninth to fifth on the log, leapfrogging their Scottish opponents and Irish clubs Ulster and Connacht, whom they must still face, among others. The victory over Edinburgh, who were stripped of their Scotland internationals, showed again how formidable the Cape side are in front of…

Last week again I commented that when the world economy (US) sneezes, the South African economy and financial markets catch a cold. The news the previous week that US inflation rate data were higher than expected was followed up last week by the US Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee (FOMC) decision to keep interest rates unchanged. Fed chairperson Jerome Powell also announced at the press conference last Wednesday: “We continue to make good progress in bringing inflation down, but it has become evident there are some persistent price pressures in housing and the services sector.” He also stressed that: “We’ve got nine months of 2.5% inflation, now we’ve had two months of kind of bumpy inflation and the question is, are they more than bumps? And we can’t know, that’s…

Transaction Capital said on Friday its subsidiary Nutun planned to sell its stake in Nutun Australia Holdings to an Allegro Funds subsidiary for A$58.3 million (R721m). The disposal comes at a time when Transaction Capital has been forced to change strategy, due to losses at its SA Taxi subsidiary, which has been impacted by structural problems in the minibus taxi industry. Part of this change to maximise shareholder value involves listing Transaction Capital’s other strong subsidiary, WeBuyCars. Nutun Australia Holdings is mainly involved in debt collection and rehabilitation services and other Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) services via its subsidiary, Recoveries Corporation Holdings (RCH), and it offers customer solutions from Nutun's South African facilities. In the year to September 30, 2023, Nutun’s attributable earnings – which includes the Australian business…

South African actress Cindy Swanepoel is proof that everything that you go through prepares you for what’s next in life. After featuring on the hit Afrikaans soapie Binnelanders for almost a decade, she is now the star of the Showmax crime comedy, “Koek”. The Showmax Original centres on a Cape Town housewife who, after suspecting her husband of having an affair with a stripper named Candi Floss, leads a drunken investigation into a strip club. Only a few episodes in, streamers are already glued to the series as Swanepoel’s character, Christelle Smit, comically attempts to balance her double life. But this world is far from the utopia the suburban housewife is accustomed to and her rage over her husband’s alleged affair sets off a series of incidents. The consequences of…

Award-winning South African rock band Prime Circle are giving fans a taste of what’s to come with their new single, Better Days. The song is their first release from their highly anticipated upcoming EP, A World We Know, and is their first offering since 2019. It is also the first track which features the group’s new frontman, Gavin Edwards, who joined Prime Circle after Ross Learmonth’s exit. He left the band late last year due to “creative differences”, with Edwards stepping in as his replacement in January. Prime Circle said in a statement that the former The Voice SA season 1 runner-up brings a dynamic presence to the band. They added that he has seamlessly blended in with the remaining members, Marco Gomes (founder and bass), Dale Schnettler (drums), Neil…

Allegations of corruption, intimidation and trumped-up charges are the order of the day with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and its specialised and multidisciplinary unit, the Investigating Directorate (ID). Recently complaints have been raised about the units being used to fight and target all those who have opposing political principals. A case in point is that of former ANC secretary-general and Free State premier Ace Magashule who has criticised the law enforcement agencies for being used to settle political scores. Magashule revealed that his corruption case was politically connected; he was later charged with a poor oversight of the Free State Human Settlements Department, which issued a tender during his time as premier, he said. There was no legal basis for the corruption charges brought against him, he said. Now…

City of Joburg’s Transport and Public Safety MMCs, Kenny Kunene and Dr Mgcini Tshwaku, have sent out a stern Easter road safety warning to drivers. The two launched the city’s Easter Holiday safety campaign during an operation on the M2 highway near the Cleveland off-ramp on Friday. Tshwaku said no unroadworthy vehicles will be tolerated, saying police will strictly ensure safety regulations. “We will be strict on unroadworthy vehicles and we are ready to impound vehicles that are unsafe. For those driving drunk and with expired vehicles and licences, we have a truck on standby to help motorists with their permits and licences. They must pay because the city needs money to pay for services and guns which some of our officers do not have,” he said. Acting chief…

SOUTH Africa, endowed with a diverse range of natural attractions and world-famous destinations, continues to be a favourite choice for international tourists seeking a unique, unparalleled African experience. Last year, South Africa was voted the best country to visit by 27 000 passionate readers of the UK’s Telegraph travel publication. Britons also voted Cape Town their favourite city in the newspaper’s 2023 Travel Awards. Department of Tourism spokesperson Zara Nicholson said South Africa continues to be rated as a prime tourist destination and the government is continually working “hard” to diversify and improve the country’s tourism offering “so that we can continue to attract more visitors”. Earlier this month, another UK publication, The Times, reported that South Africa’s high crime rates are one of the factors that have been putting…

LEADING South African singer and songwriter Thandiswa Mazwai is set to make yet another iconic return to the centre of the local music industry with a new musical offering. Sankofa is the music legend’s latest offering, which is set to celebrate the former Bongo Maffin singer’s 20 years of yet another iconic record, Zabalaza. Zabalaza, the singer’s first solo album, was released in 2004 following a hugely successful career with Bongo Maffin. Mazwai, who has enjoyed almost a three-decade music career, said she was amazed by the passage of time. “I cannot believe it’s been 20 years. And what an incredible 20 years. Zabalaza became my magnum opus and ended up inspiring an entire generation to look within, engage with their culture, and seek an affirming aesthetic that represents their…

DESPITE assurances by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) that the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Bill will improve education and cohesion within the sector, civil rights organisations have blasted it as nothing more than a ruse to hide the department’s shortcomings. The bill has in recent months been in the spotlight as public hearings were being held over its implementation. According to numerous reports, the bill proposes significant amendments to the SA Schools Act of 1996 and the Educators Employment Act of 1998, changes which have come under immense criticism from various quarters. AfriForum, the latest to criticise the bill, said it would not serve to improve education or assist with cohesion, but instead undermine quality education and alienate communities in the country from each other. Head of cultural…

IT IS an open secret that Gauteng, the economic hub of the country, has a water problem. The scorching heat is not helping. Water evaporates quickly from the dams. This results in the province having water shortages. The recent water crisis affected a vast area, including most parts of Johannesburg and the West Rand. The problem had nothing to do with the weather or Vaal Dam running dry. It also had nothing to do with the ageing infrastructure or burst pipe. The pertinent question is: what caused the water problem in parts of Gauteng? We were given different answers. Eikenhof was hit by lightning, we were told. Next we were told that a valve was closed. Does somebody know what’s going on? I don’t think so. According to experts, this…

Investment into funding missing middle students who want to pursue university degrees in Occupations in High Demand (OHD) is a key step towards economic growth in South Africa. We need the private sector to grow its investment into our country’s future by funding missing middle students who are eligible to pursue university degrees to turn the tide towards growth and prosperity in years to come. Economic stagnation and high unemployment rates are cause for serious concern as South Africa seems to be struggling to shake off sluggish economic performance. Across the board, South Africans are feeling the pressure of a strained economy. Despite worrying indicators pointing to how bad things have become in our country, South Africa still has the potential to develop a thriving, and inclusive economy. However, if…

The Lions’ fighting win in Galway on Saturday night underpinned their top-eight credentials in the United Rugby Championship (URC) as they toppled Connacht to grab a play-off spot. Playing with 14 men for most of the match, the Ivan van Rooyen-coached side broke the duck of South African teams in the Irish province by beating the home side 38-14 against expectations. The six-try drubbing pushed them into eighth position on the overall URC table, and with one more away fixture against the Ospreys in Swansea this Saturday (5.05pm kick-off, SA time) and a handful of home games, a first play-off spot for the Ellis Park side suddenly does not look out of reach. They produced a commanding display with their maul, even though burly prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye was sent off…

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz surged to victory at the Australian Grand Prix yesterday to snap Red Bull’s winning start to the season after three-time world champion Max Verstappen sensationally failed to finish. The Spaniard, who had appendicitis surgery two weeks ago, took the chequered flag 2.3 seconds ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc, with McLaren’s Lando Norris a bold third. It was his third grand prix win and first since Singapore last year. “I’m happy to be in a one-two with Charles here. It shows that hard work pays off,” said Sainz, who missed the last race in Saudi Arabia and was bed-ridden for a week afterwards. “It’s not only the last two weeks. It’s the whole start to the year in general, how the year started with the news of the…