Table of contents for SW-2021-04-23 in Star

Sandile Mchunu sandile.mchunu@inl.co.za THE CLICKS Group restored its interim dividend after suspending it last year over Covid-19 uncertainties on its operations. The retail-led healthcare group yesterday declared an interim dividend of 142.5 cents a share in the six months to end February. Last year, Clicks declared a dividend of 450c after it reported a double-digit growth in earnings during the period. Chief executive Vikesh Ramsunder said the board approved the interim dividend as the group reported strong cash generation during the period. Clicks reported a 11.5 percent increase in cash generated by operating activities to R1.3 billion. “Last year we decided to suspend the interim dividend payment because of the uncertainty created by the Covid-19 outbreak,” Ramsunder said. “However, following an improvement in trading conditions we decided to restore…

JURASSIC WORLD M-NET CITY, DSTV CHANNEL 115, 9.10PM Steven Spielberg returns to produce the next instalment of the ground-breaking franchise, that takes place 22 years later where a new theme park holds a new threat. THE BACHELOR S25 1MAGIC, DSTV CHANNEL 103, 8.30PM The 24 women who survived the rose ceremony on arrival night discover that dating Matt is intoxicating although the atmosphere among the women is plain toxic. DIEPCITY MZANSI MAGIC, DSTV CHANNEL 161, 8.30PM Charleston needs time to think. Asanda chases after him, but he tells her to leave him alone. She lied to him for two.…

Bidders Choice, together with Ndila Auctioneers, will be hosting the online auction of a luxury aircraft and motor yacht in Pretoria and Cape Town. Bids open on May 7 at 8am and close on May 13 at 11am. The plane is a Cessna T337HZS-PKL and the motor yacht a 40 foot Carver 396. Viewing is by appointment only. The yacht viewing is on May 10 from 9am to 4pm and the aircraft can be viewed on May 11 from 9am to 4pm. For more information about the auction, or to make an appointment to view the lots, contact Refaegen Lutchman at 072 616 8119 or go to www.bidderschoice.co.za. Visit www.bidderschoice.co.za to register and bid online. | Auctions Writer…

THE homeless Dunkeld West squatters, who were evicted earlier this month from a private property in Bompas Road, have settled back onto the property. They were evicted on April 6 by the Red Ant security relocation and eviction services, with the supervision of the sheriff, who illegally evicted dozens of residents from their homes, leaving them homeless and destitute. According to the Socio-Economic Rights Institute (Seri) the court order was not legal as it was only against preventing further people entering the property to squat. It was not an eviction order, so the previous occupiers were restored on April 9. “The residents are hard-working members of the community who earn a meagre living in the affluent northern suburbs of Johannesburg. “Many of them make a living as waste recyclers, car…

Anna Cox anna.cox@inl.co.za RIVERLEA extension 2 residents have a new pastime – having community braais next to their substation to guard it against illegal connections from a nearby informal illegal mining settlement. They are desperate as they have had frequent, day-long power cuts because of the illegal connections which also cause fires in the substation. The community has also resorted to the dangerous practice of removing the illegal cables themselves as City Power fails to respond. The problem, they claim, lies with the zama zamas, or illegal miners, who need power for their work. Many street lights across the area also being illegally connected to. None of the residents that MetroWatch spoke to would agree to have their names revealed because of ongoing battles between the illegal mining camp settlers…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za COCA-COLA Beverages SA has committed itself to supporting the education of youth from previously disadvantaged communities in Gauteng, after 33 students were selected as scholarship beneficiaries. The Gauteng wing of the company hosted the virtual launch of the 2021 student funding, with about 33 students from Eldorado Park, Freedom Park and Tembisa receiving a scholarship to the value of R639 000 yesterday. The company partnered with non-profit organisations Gold Rush in Eldorado Park, Phakamani Young Minds and Abahlali Baahi in Freedom Park as well as Bophelong-Empilweni New Life Community Project in Tembisa to select the beneficiaries. Coca-Cola West Rand district manager Robin Scherpenhuyzen said such an opportunity was more than just money. “It’s about a better future for people and their communities everywhere on the African continent,”…

T Markandan | Kloof WHEN the coronavirus pandemic broke out and wreaked havoc around the world, a weird notion entered my head. Is the virus all that bad as it is made out to be? The virus posed a serious challenge to medical science and governments. Scientists and laboratory technicians, all over the world, worked feverishly night and day to find a vaccine to stop the virus. And to everyone’s surprise, in a short space of time, scientists came up with not one, but several vaccines to combat the virus. But there’s a flip side to it, one which could have dire consequences for the health of the planet. World human population is currently close to 8 billion and is expected to reach almost 10bn by 2050. Birth…

Alexis Karteron, Jeannine Bell, Rashad Shabazz and Ric Simmons The trial wasn’t about race – Alexis Karteron DEREK Chauvin’s criminal trial is over, but the work to ensure that no one endures a tragic death like George Floyd’s is just getting started. It is fair to say that race was on the minds of millions of protesters who took to the streets last year to express their outrage and pain in response to the killing. Many felt it was impossible for someone who wasn’t black to imagine Chauvin’s brutal treatment of George Floyd. But race went practically unmentioned during the Chauvin trial. This should not be surprising, because the criminal legal system writes race out at virtually every turn. When I led a lawsuit as a civil rights attorney…

THE South African Football Association must be one of the most consistent organisations when it comes to the firing of coaches who’ve failed to deliver on the mandate to qualify for major tournaments. But perhaps it’s time for introspection, given that Safa is responsible for either end: hiring and firing. Safa will hire their record eighth Bafana Bafana coach in the last 10 years by the end of tomorrow after sacking Molefi Ntseki. Ntseki was shown the exit door after failing to guide the senior men’s national team to the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon early next year, missing out on the qualification after a humbling defeat to Sudan in the last game of the qualifiers. Since firing Ntseki, the technical committee has been working around the clock to…

Bongani Hans bongani.hans@inl.co.za OCEANA Empowerment Trust (OET) beneficiary Sfiso Buthelezi was left disheartened and enraged with the Trust after his payout after vesting this year turned out to be a lot less than what he had expected. The 47-year-old Durban resident, who no longer works for one of the biggest fishing companies in the country, said when he was given the 10-year shareholding status in 2007, the Trust had initially promised that he would receive about R500 000 cash in 2017. However, after the company had extended the lock-in period to 2021 it paid him less than R200 000, which was far less than the expected R500 000. When the company entered into a deal with employees, some of them were given up to 6 000…

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za PRODUCTION at Kumba Iron Ore, South Africa’s biggest iron ore producer, was rocked by rail constraints, as well as lower domestic offtake, in the first quarter to the end of March. Kumba, a unit of Anglo American plc, said in a production report for the first quarter that total sales had fallen by 4 percent to 10.3 million tons and export sales were down 2 percent to 10.2 million tons on the decrease in iron ore railed to port, as well as suboptimal levels of finished stock at Saldanha Port. “Rail performance deteriorated significantly during the period due to a series of operational challenges and train delays caused by severe weather conditions and a locust outbreak,” said the group. It said as a…

Jamal Grootboom jamald.grootboom@inl.co.za Following the funeral of Anele “Nellie” Tembe last week, radio personality Sizwe Dhlomo has asked that people keep praying for AKA and the Tembe family. The Fela in Versace rapper’s fiancée died earlier this month after an incident at the Pepper Club hotel in Cape Town. The funeral was streamed on YouTube on Friday and his fans showed their support for AKA online. Taking to Twitter earlier this week, Dhlomo said: “Guys … just a reminder to please continue to keep Kiernan and the Tembe family in your prayers.” Palesa “Pali” Tembe paid tribute to her sister on Instagram at the weekend, sharing photos of family outings with Nellie, along with a video of the funeral programme. The caption read: “Yesterday we said goodbye, but this morning…

incriminating whatsapps BOITUMELO METSING boitumelo.metsing@inl.co.za WHATSAPP messages between Ntuthuko Shoba and slain Tshegofatso Pule were extensively debated in Shoba’s hearing at the Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Shoba, who is the alleged mastermind behind the murder of eight months pregnant Pule, appeared in court for his second bail application based on the defence’s new facts. In Shoba’s affidavit, he argues that Pule was allegedly in a relationship with Mzikayise Malephane, who pleaded guilty to killing her, and took a plea deal with the State, implicating Shoba as the mastermind. Shoba said this information was shared with him by a cellmate who Malephane had allegedly confided in. But the State dismissed Shoba’s new facts and said theyhave messages he wasn’t the concerned father he proclaimed to be in his previous statement. State…

Covid-19 lockdown restrictions have led to an unprecedented migration to online auctions. New companies emerging using social media marketing to encourage buyers to bid or make offers on goods and buyers can be duped into participating in a sale that is not legal or safe. The SA Institute of Auctioneers (SAIA) has noticed an uptick in complaints levelled at fly-by-night auctioneers who do not fulfil their obligations to deliver goods or provide goods that are not what the customer bid for. There have also been reports of problems with refunding deposits. “Unfortunately, it is only when problems arise that the bidder realises they are dealing with unprofessional sellers,” says SAIA chairman John Cowing. “This should send a clear signal to the public to deal with only professional, registered auctioneers who…

SONRI NAIDOO sonri.naidoo@inl.co.za TV personality, entrepreneur and rapper Boitumelo “Boity” Thulo has shown her support for victims of gender-based violence (GBV) by donating her winnings from a TV game show to a centre for abused victims in Nellmapius, east of Pretoria. Together with her mother, Modiehi Thulo, Boity donated R50 000 to the Vhathu Vhothe Abuse Centre yesterday, in partnership with Sanlam. Boity said the Vhathu Vhothe Abuse Centre was among the charities she supported, and because the centre was run by a woman, she felt it was more of a reason to donate her winnings from the Sanlam Moola-Money Family Game Show. “I guess it’s safe to say that pretty much every woman experiences abuse, whether it’s physical, emotional or mental abuse. It’s so vile and I…

Dear City of Joburg mayor, Geoff Makhubo. I refer to the article in MetroWatch, Friday, April 16, by Anna Cox concerning the renaming of William Nicol Drive after Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. I find it unbelievable you can consider spending money on this – when you and your councillors have committed to repairing roads, fixing potholes, fixing non-functioning street lights, fixing traffic lights that constantly are non-functional. There are pavements where no weed control is applied, city parks which takes five days to cut the grass and excavating pavements for new water pipes, but destroying the pavements and irrigation systems installed by proud residents. In a year where frivolous expenditure is meant to be curtailed and where you are applying increases in rates to render services, you choose to spend money on…

The official date of this year’s local government elections has been set. Voters across the country are expected to cast their ballots at different voting stations on October 27. But it won’t be business as usual. These municipal elections come amid a global pandemic which has changed the manner in which we conduct events of this magnitude. In his announcement on Wednesday evening, President Cyril Ramaphosa made no mention of how the elections are expected to unfold in compliance with Covid-19 protocols .As we wait for the Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, to officially proclaim the date, Ramaphosa’s announcement is likely to be the green light that political parties have been waiting for to intensify their campaigns. It will be interesting to see if the…

Hugh Corder By October, South Africa’s Chief Justice, Mogoeng Mogoeng, will have finished his 12-year term at the helm of the Constitutional Court. How will his successor be selected, and what qualities are needed by the holder of this high office? To answer these questions we need to understand the context. This is because the country’s judiciary has been increasingly drawn into party political wrangling and contestation. Any form of constitutional democracy which allows judicial review of the exercise of public power thrusts the courts into the political limelight. Inevitably, acts and decisions of Parliament, the president and Cabinet will be challenged against the constitutional framework. The superior courts of the country provide the forum in which this plays out. If there is no rule of law, brute force,…

HERMAN GIBBS Comment What exactly is the problem at Kaizer Chiefs at the moment? Is it coach Gavin Hunt, or is he being muzzled by the club? The glamour club suffered yet another disappointment on Wednesday night, this time going down 2-1 to Cape Time City at home. Chiefs fans are not a happy bunch, and the loss to City will only increase the pressure on Hunt. However, the coach is becoming increasingly vague about why the team is performing so poorly. When some of his comments are placed under the microscope, it raises suspicions of internal strife at the club. There is nothing strange about Hunt looking crestfallen after Chiefs were defeated by City. But it is alarming when he says he cannot divulge his thoughts on the team's…

MIHLALI BALEKA Comment MAMELODI Sundowns co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi made a sombre admission following his team’s draw with AmaZulu in the DStv Premiership on Wednesday, saying their players showed signs of fatigue due to their heavy schedule. But that shouldn't by any means be taken as admission of weakness or vulnerability by their opponents who are also chasing the league title. After all, they’ll know that Sundowns are well capable of upping the tempo during championship time. The Brazilians have won the league title for three seasons in a row. They juggled domestic and continental football where they had reached the knockout stage under the astute guidance of former coach Pitso Mosimane. Of course, fellow title hopefuls Golden Arrows and AmaZulu who are second and third on the log standings and…

DELTA Property Fund’s re-issued and corrected audited annual financial state- ments for the year to February 29, 2020, reflected a 48.7 percent decline in distributable earnings to 34.6 cents per share (2019: 67.4c), primarily due to rental reversions on leases renewed, increased vacancies and corporate tax payable on earnings retained, a state- ment said yesterday. Net asset value per share fell 22.3 percent to R5.54 (R7.13) and was mainly negatively affected by a fair value adjustment to investment properties. The company went through significant changes post the 2020 financial year including appointment of a new board to drive a better performance. Forensic reports last year also found irregular practices such as previous executives who had “in the execution of their duties, undermined the company's governance practices, which resulted in…

AT THIS STAGE the Trustees are not aware of any legal action against the Trust. Should this arise, it will be dealt with through the appropriate legal channels. The cash payout was not subsequently converted to a loan. It was a cash payout paid to all employee beneficiaries. It was funded by a capital contribution to the Trust by Oceana. The capital contribution was referred to as a loan for ease of understanding, as the Trust had to pay it back. This is standard in trusts of this nature. The 2013/14 amendment did not result in a dilution of shares. Employee beneficiaries were fully informed about the amendment to the Trust deed. From 2013 to 2014, there was a material amendment to the Trust deed to provide for the extension…

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za SIBANYE-STILLWATER, the world’s leading platinum group metals (PGM) producer, employs 13.3 percent female employees as at the end of December 2021, up marginally from 12.71 percent a year earlier, according to its 2020 integrated annual report released yesterday. Sibanye, which has more than 84 775 permanent and contract em- ployees, said it aimed to improve women representation to 30 percent by 2025 and had launched the “Women-in-Mining” programme last year with the aim to facilitate gender diversity. The group said it had made progress in the diversity of its board after female board members increased to 30 percent in January this year from 25 percent in 2020 and 18 percent in 2019. The board’s diversity was boosted following the…

Youn Yuh-jung says her Oscar nomination is “stressful” because she feels as though she’s “competing for (her) country”. The Minari star will become the first South Korean actress in history to win the best supporting actress at the Academy Awards if she takes home the trophy for her role in the drama at the ceremony on Sunday. Yuh-jung has said she’s nervous about the big day because it feels “like the Olympics”. She told People magazine: “It’s stressful. I feel like I’m competing for my country. It’s like the Olympics. I don’t believe in competition, especially comparing acting to one to another. So being nominated to me, means I already got the award.” The movie tells the story of a Korean-American family who move to an Arkansas farm in search…

ITUMELENG MAFISA ANC MP Bongani Bongo says he is not involved in party factional battles but wants to see justice. This comes after Bongo confirmed to the media yesterday that a party member would be laying a charge of fraud and corruption against the Chief Whip Pemmy Majodina today. He said he was waiting to see how other cases against ANC members would be dealt with. “I want to see justice being done and if the law is the way to get justice, then we must use it,” said Bongo. Bongo said the problem with the ANC was not factionalism but that some members were protected when they do wrong, while others were left to hang and be embarrassed in the public. “We must all be treated fairly, how…

Boitumelo Metsing TRIBUTES continued to pour in for former Metro FM veteran broadcaster Grant Shakoane, who died yesterday after being hospitalised. This news was confirmed by his friend, journalist and TV personality Tim Modise, who, just a week ago, had tweeted – asking South Africans to pray for Shakoane, who was in hospital. In the tweet, Modise revealed that Shakoane was “in a serious condition” at a Joburg hospital, for an unknown condition. Shakoane was affectionately known as “Shebabadoo Shebaboo” and his rise to fame came when he hosted a popular Sunday Soul and R&B show on Metro FM in the 1980s. Many South Africans and industry colleagues took to Twitter and other social media platforms to share condolences and pay tribute to the veteran. His former radio station Metro…

We had our water incorrectly disconnected and the meter removed. So far, in all my dealings with Joburg Water and with the City of Joburg Ombudsman, I have not found anyone who can get anything done, or get any action out of the municipality. The details are horrendous. Briefly they are: On December 5, 2016, we purchased the building for use as a storage for books. It has been locked since then. There is no one there, and there is no water consumption, nor any leaks. The water is required just for the fire sprinklers as we store books, which is a major fire hazard in the absence of water to fight any fire. We took transfer successfully, but on February 23, 2017, we started getting accounts, which we paid.…

Jean Michel Bouvier | Bryanston AS WE approach another anniversary this month, that the current administration took over from apartheid, we see the results of what has happened because of the excesses of fraud and corruption, and the clueless governing ANC in charge, that they have looted the country on an industrial scale, to its current moribund state. May I suggest they change their name from African National Congress to Association of Nepotism and Cronyism. Their main purpose, motivation, desire, and goal is not to advance its people, but the plundering pillaging, looting, and ransacking of the country and its resources.…

State and black-owned lenders won’t succeed without radical economic transformation THE resignation of Daniel Mminele as Absa chief executive just 16 months after taking the reins has brought the faultlines in our economy and transformation trajectory into sharp focus. The fact that there’s almost zero outrage from virtually all black business and professional organisations, including the governing party, speaks volumes about the overwhelming white dominance of our economy and public discourse. Even the best among us aren’t spared of dispensing by the powers-that-be should their vision be incongruent with those of the owners of capital. The simple message is: tow the line or be done away with. What this highlights is that black people need to establish their own financial and corporate institutions rooted in their own vision of…

This week, we will be taking a closer look at football’s latest boots. So this week the entire football world had a big shake-up with the European Super League announcement. Some of the world’s major clubs were prepared to join it but Fifa have since had the last say and it does not look like the league will be going ahead. The exclusion of players and clubs from domestic and international competitions also got fans and players highly worked up. It was a good wake-up call for Fifa though and will make them get out of their comfort zone. Let’s take a look at what the football brands have installed for the business end of the season as Nike, Adidas and Puma have launched new ranges of footwear. Nike has…