Table of contents for 2021-04-28 in Star

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za SOUTH African stocks closed in the green on Monday buoyed by broad-based gains in banks and grocery stores on the resumption of the Covid-19 vaccination programme. The JSE All Share Index rose 0.41 percent to 67 573 index points, remaining high throughout the day after the government set the date to lift the ban on vaccines. The Sisonke implementation study was suspended earlier this month after some patients in the US developed a unique blood clot, but recent studies have shown this is a one in a million occurrence. Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize said that South Africa would resume using the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine today following recommendations from the Cabinet and the health products regulator. Mkhize said that vaccination sites would be…

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za ANGLO American said on Monday that spinning off its South African thermal coal assets was part of a journey to reduce its Scope 3 emissions. Chief executive Mark Cutifani said Anglo had come a long way, delivering its 2020 target to reduce its emissions by 22 percent a year earlier. Cutifani said the group’s securing of 100 percent renewable electricity supply across operations in Brazil, Chile and Peru marked another major step, cutting CO2 emissions from those operations by about 70 percent. He said that Anglo’s development of a hydrogen-powered mine haul truck had the potential to remove another major emission source from its footprint. “At the same time, we continue working on reducing our Scope 3 emissions,” Cuttifani said. “Our planned demerger of…

Chloe Zhao’s Nomadland, a drama about a woman living out of a van, won the Oscar for best picture at the Academy Awards. Frances McDormand, who has the leading role in the film, playing a widow named Fern, won the best actress award at the ceremony on Sunday night. This is McDormand’s third win in the category. The best actor Oscar went to Anthony Hopkins for his role as a man with dementia in The Father. At 83, Hopkins became the oldest winner of an acting Oscar (his second one, after The Silence of the Lambs in 1991). The 93rd Academy Awards were broadcast live from Los Angeles. There was limited attendance because of coronavirus restrictions. Earlier, Chloe Zhao was awarded the best director Oscar for Nomadland. Another Round, by…

THE DA is fast becoming irrelevant, as perceptions grow among voters that it no longer have the political will to stand up to the now blemished ANC. John Steenhuisen, who was thrust into the position of DA leadership, is simply not harnessing the voting imagination, in order to decapitate the ANC political menace. Creating jobs is the single most important message that a political party can send out to the country at this time but, unlike the ANC who pays lip service to job creation, the opposition should be telling us exactly how, and what financing assistance will become available to create new businesses. The exploding black middle class, with their aspirations for a better life, are sick and tired of the ANC. The DA needs to catch a wake…

Malusi Gigaba has, since he entered the national political spotlight as ANC Youth League president in the mid-1990s, carefully cultivated the image of an urbane intellectual, and a natty dresser who could mix it up with revolutionaries. But beneath the surface, Gigaba was just another materialistic and crass individual, who vacillated between the ANC factions if it meant his political survival and his continued seat on the gravy train. While initially seen as a protégé of Thabo Mbeki, once Mbeki’s political fortunes were dealt a knock-out punch by Jacob Zuma in December 2007, Gigaba made a handbrake turn. Zuma made him Public Enterprises minister, then Home Affairs minister, and finally Finance minister (after the “Great Purge” of March 30, 2017). When Gigaba's estranged wife Nomachule Gigaba testified at the…

Buenos Aires: Diego Maradona died because he did not receive proper medical care, TN Clarin reports citing people with access to a report written by the medical board investigating the athlete’s death. The final report will be published on May 3. Although the commission confirmed the results of the autopsy, which said Maradona died due to pre-existing heart disease, it emphasised that his personal doctors and nurses did not give due attention to the athlete having suffered from cirrhosis and heart problems, sources told the media. Maradona reportedly did not follow any diet or nutritional plan drawn up by professionals and was not given any medications that would have addressed the said health issues. “It was recklessness and inexperience”, sources told Todo Noticias.…

New Delhi: a top gold smuggling syndicate, using specially designed bras and panties to smuggle gold paste in the country, has been bust. It had hired women couriers, wearing these special undergarments to smuggle gold in the form of paste. One of the key couriers, a 39-year-old woman, was arrested at Lucknow airport with 1 259g of yellow paste hidden in specially designed bra and panties. Customs of Lucknow said a young woman, originally hailing from Turkman gate, Delhi, travelling from Dubai, landed on a flight on Monday. “When the ladies staff searched her, yellow paste was recovered from the bra and panty worn by the courier. The yellow paste, packed in black polythene and stitched in her bra was recovered,” a Customs source said.…

Ashfak Mohamed ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za ONLY four men have won the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay at the same Olympic Games – Jesse Owens in 1936, Bobby Morrow (1956), Carl Lewis (1984) and Usain Bolt (2008, 2012 and 2016). But there is a South African who could join that illustrious group at the Tokyo Olympics later this year: Akani Simbine. The 27-year-old sprinter is one of the main medal contenders for the 100m, where he will look to go a few steps further than at Rio 2016, where he ended fifth in 9.94 seconds. His recent wind-assisted time of 9.82 at the national championships may not have gone into the record books, but he said at the time that it has given him extra confidence as the “time is in the legs”.…

HERMAN GIBBS Maritzburg United eased their relegation woes with a fortuitous 1-0 win over Stellenbosch FC in a Premiership encounter at the Danie Craven Stadium yesterday. In injury time, referee Abongile Tom awarded Maritzburg a dubious penalty after blowing up a player whose hands was behind his back in a goalmouth frenzy. Maritzburg striker Thabiso Kutumela made no mistake from the spot to salvage three valuable match points for the visitors. There was every prospect of a top-eight berth for Stellenbosch in the event of a victory. Instead, they remained in 12th place on the latest standings, one point ahead of 13th-placed Maritzburg. There was no shortage of goalscoring opportunities in a goalless first half and most of them were fashioned by Stellies, who ironically enjoyed only 40% possession.…

THE V-SHAPED recovery in the US is surprising on the upside, but the recovery, together with massive monetary and fiscal stimulus, is causing concern that inflation is likely to overshoot on the upside. The housing market is particularly worrying. The fall in mortgage rates and the massive turnaround in employment due to the US moving out of the Covid-19 crisis have led to a feeding frenzy in the US housing market. Over the weekend, the New York Times reported that homes are selling in record time and the median sale price of existing homes is up by more than 17 percent, while sales of new single-family houses are at the highest levels since March 2006. Although the unemployment rate dropped sharply to 6 percent from 14 percent…

EDWARD WEST edward.west@inl.co.za HUSQVARNA South Africa, a subsidiary of one of the world’s leading manufacturers of forest, park, garden and construction products, plans to contribute to the revitalisation of the economy by appointing local original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for selected products. The company also plans to diversify into quality, affordable products for emerging farmers, newly appointed managing director Pieter Smuts said on Monday. These plans come following signifi- cant growth over the past three years, as well as a few “silver linings” during the coronavirus pandemic. He said while there had been a possibility that business could come to a standstill during the March and April pandemic lockdown last year, Husqvarna benefited from a significant sell-out of its manual and petrol sprayers, which were used for sanitisation and saw…

| Bang Showbiz Chloe Zhao made history when she won the best director Oscar at the Academy Awards. The Chinese filmmaker became the first woman of colour and only the second woman ever to take home the Oscar on Sunday thanks to her work on Nomadland. After paying tribute to her fellow nominees – David Fincher (Mank), Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman), Lee Isaac Chung (Minari), and Thomas Vinterberg (Another Round), she thanked everyone who worked on the movie. She said: “Oh man. Thank you to the Academy, to my brilliant, brilliant fellow nominees. My entire Nomadland company, what a crazy once-in-a-lifetime journey we went on together, thank you so much, I’m so grateful to you.” Zhao also reflected on a lesson she learnt in childhood that had stayed…

THE FAMILY of a well-known Eldorado Park businessman and gang leader Farouk Meyer is demanding justice, after he was shot dead on Monday. According to witnesses, Meyer and another person, believed to be Markus Ryan, were seen reversing out of a driveway at a local store, when people pulled up behind them and started firing shots. Ryan was declared dead on the scene and Meyer died later in hospital. Meyer’s younger sister, who asked to remain unidentified, said the family was still in shock. “We have lost a king, a brother, father, and grandfather. Farouk was the breadwinner and his children are still as young as 5 years old,” she said. “Many people might have bad things to say about our brother, but he was a good person and he…

As President Cyril Ramaphosa takes the hot seat today at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, his role as ANC NEC member and ANC deputy president during the period of state capture will come into sharp focus. It is believed Ramaphosa, who previously spoke of nine wasted years, will be asked to unpack that loaded statement in the context of state capture. IFP national spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa yesterday said the party believed Ramaphosa’s appearance will be a watershed moment for the nation. “Ramaphosa owes South Africans answers about his action or inaction, when our country and its assets were being sold to the highest bidder.” Ramaphosa will be compelled to answer about his oversight role and alleged participation in state capture while serving as former president Jacob Zuma’s deputy…

ANGOLA can show South Africa a thing or two when it comes to holding politicians to account. The 38-year-long presidency of Jose Eduardo dos Santos led to some of his children becoming exceedingly wealthy. The former president lives in exile in Spain. His daughter, Isabel, was often described as the “richest woman in Africa”. A large portion of her assets was confiscated and it seems she has by no means finished with corruption trials from her home in exile. Her brother, Jose Filomeno “Zenu” dos Santos, was sentenced to 5 years’ imprisonment for fraud, money laundering and influence peddling. Former cabinet ministers in Angola are also not above the law. Former minister of communications, Manuel Rabelais, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for a €98 million corruption case. Former…

Mpiletso Motumi mpiletso.motumi@inl.co.za LOVE is in the air in celebville as weddings and engagements take over trending topics online. At the weekend, the traditional marriage of Babes Wodumo and Mampintsha made waves on social media. This week it was the luxurious surprise engagement celebration of the controversial Jabulani “Mr Cashflow” Ngcobo and his long-time partner Tumi Links. The all-white affair took place at the Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff in Joburg under the guise of a celebration lunch for Ngcobo. The event was a star-studded affair with guests that included Connie Ferguson, Sophie Lichaba, Minister of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu, Lasizwe Dambuza, Ayanda Ncwane and Shauwn Mkhize. Friends and family were all in on the surprise that included a plane flying over the venue with a banner to pop the…

China has clear path mapped ahead to reduce emissions and articulates 6-point initiative On April 22 President Xi Jinping was invited to attend the Leaders Summit on Climate and he delivered an important speech. He called on the international community to address together the challenges in global environmental governance with unprecedented ambition and action, and to jointly foster a community of life for man and Nature. This has provided a clear direction for advancing global climate governance. China has proposed a systemic solution to address global climate change. President Xi put forward at the summit a six-point initiative: u We must be committed to harmony between man and Nature. It is important to respect and protect Nature and follow its laws and to foster a new relationship where man and…

Civilians caught between pro-government and opposition forces in the Somali capital Mogadishu fled their homes yesterday as heavily armed rivals reinforced their positions following clashes that left three dead. Government forces also raided an independent radio station and confiscated equipment. Forces loyal to the opposition hold parts of the city and the two sides clashed over the weekend, raising fears that al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab insurgents could exploit a security vacuum as state forces turn on each other. Earlier this month, Somalia’s lower house of parliament voted to extend President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed’s four-year term in office but the Senate rejected the move, provoking the crisis. Mogadishu is witnessing its worst political violence in years after elections were delayed and the president extended his mandate despite warnings that doing so risked instability…

WASHINGTON: Just over a week after it lost out on a high-profile and lucrative contract to build the next spacecraft that would land astronauts on the moon, Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin filed a protest over Nasa’s decision, saying it was flawed. Nasa awarded Elon Musk’s SpaceX a $2.9 billion (R 41.67bn) contract to build the lunar lander. Blue Origin had vigorously pursued the contract, building what it called a “national team,” including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Draper, to compete. Bezos and Musk have battled over government resources before. In 2013, Blue Origin protested Nasa’s decision to allow SpaceX to use launchpad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Given the fact that Blue Origin didn’t have a rocket capable of getting to orbit or flying people, Musk said the…

CANBERRA: Australia’s prime minister has agreed to fund half the infrastructure for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics bid. Scott Morrison recently agreed to a 50-50 funding split between the Queensland and federal governments. “Backing the Queensland bid means more jobs, better infrastructure and more tourism dollars. Just like the Sydney 2000 Games, the Queensland bid has the opportunity to reshape our country,” Morrison said. In February, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) revealed that Brisbane was its preferred candidate to host the 2032 Olympic Games. Morrison said in exchange for the funding commitment, the government expected an equal say in planning the Brisbane games.…

Eshlin Vedan eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za Although AmaZulu are on a hot streak with seven wins from eight games, attacking midfielder Siyethemba Sithebe knows Cape Town City will be a real handful on their home turf today. “We will have to be at our best because we know that it won’t be easy,” said Sithebe. “We are at that point of the season where we can’t afford to drop points. All the games we are playing at are like finals. “We need to work hard and know that Cape Town City like to play football and they are a strong team.” City enter the game in sixth place on the standings and they are certainly not a team any side can afford to underestimate as they are capable of beating anyone on their…

Julian Kiewietz julian.kiewietz@inl.co.za UFC president Dana White has given African fans and fighters a splash of joy. Following a successful UFC 261 in Jacksonville, Florida, where Nigeria-born Kamaru Usman defended his welterweight title in fine style by knocking out Jorge Masvidal in the second round of the main event, the Ultimate Fighting Championship boss confirmed that the billion-dollar mixed martial arts machine plans on making its way to Africa next year. When asked if UFC Africa is a strong possibility now, the UFC president responded: “22 (2022), yeah,” during the UFC 261 post-fight press conference. Calls for a first UFC Africa event have increased over time and fighters from different countries have shown their support. With the UFC having three African champions – Nigeria-born Israel Adesanya (middleweight), Cameroon’s Francis Ngannou…

Sandile Mchunu sandile.mchunu@inl.co.za THE BIDVEST Group has signed an agreement with National Aviation Services (NAS), Colossal Africa and a consortium consisting of the current executive team to acquire its business BidAir Services for an undisclosed amount. BidAir is the country’s largest ground handling company and its acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals, as well as permission from the Airports Company of South Africa (Acsa), which manages South African airports. NAS chief executive Hassan El-Houry said NAS prides itself on its global expertise and local knowledge. “We believe that the success of the aviation industry in Africa is tied to its economic prosperity and have made significant investments into the industry across the continent. “We look forward to adding BidAir Services, the largest South African ground handling company to our expanding…

ORDINARY working people in South Africa had nothing to celebrate on Freedom Day, the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) said yesterday. Yesterday, the country celebrated Freedom Day which is the commemoration of South Africa’s first democratic elections on April 27, 1994. These were the first post-apartheid national elections to be held in South African where anyone could vote regardless of race. Saftu said on Monday that the advent of democracy in 1994 brought hopes for the previously disadvantaged people and 27 years on, the Bill of Rights still existed. “Despite this, ordinary people who rely on government still receive poor amenities, have their political freedoms curtailed by arrests and killings during protests, continue to live in squalor and poverty, cannot defend themselves in courts of law against rich people…

THE NATIONAL Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (Numsa) and the SA Cabin Crew Association (Sacca) have written to Parliament, seeking to address the standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) about recent developments at SA Airways. The struggling airline has been under business rescue for the past 16 months and its news chief executive has made positive announcements, such as the retraining of pilots and changes in the airline’s business strategy. But Numsa and Sacca seem not to be convinced. The unions have also asked Parliament to investigate the reason behind the transfer of SAA to Treasury, including the justification to transfer it back to the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE). In a letter dated April 15, 2021, seen by The Star, the unions complain about…

AS WE approach another anniversary this month – that the current administration took over from apartheid – we see the results of what has happened to the country because of the excesses of the clueless ANC in charge. It has metamorphosed from the shining light of the Oliver Tambo years, to its current sorry state – that its main motivation, desire and goal is no longer to advance its people, but ransacking the country and its resources by the few who hold the levers of power. Not a day goes by without the revelations of yet more blatant theft, lying, graft, embezzlement and corruption, conducted by the lowest to the highest in the ranks of the so-called “civil service”, who have found “liberation” to be another term for “help yourself…

ITUMELENG MAFISA THE SA Reserve Bank (Sarb) and National Treasury have dismissed an invitation to go on a “fact-finding mission” in Singapore, concerning the existence of the controversial Heritage Fund. The Sarb and the Treasury confirmed receipt of the letter, which they have described as part of a scam because of mistakes in the letter and the absence of a logo. Sarb said the letter demonstrated lack of understanding in terms of the functions of the Reserve Bank. It also raised questions about the different font sizes. In the letter seen by The Star, Leon Chark Boey, a Singapore-based trustee, writes to all relevant South African stakeholders, including the security cluster, inviting them on an “all-expenses paid trip to Singapore in which a verification process” of the funds will…

“FREEDOM cannot be achieved unless women have been emancipated from all form of oppression… Our endeavours must be about the liberation of the woman, the emancipation of the man, and the liberty of the child,” said President Nelson Mandela. Our first democratically-elected leader was correct. What does freedom mean if women are not free? If women and girls cannot walk the streets of our country, free of fear? What does freedom mean if women have to downplay their potential to be accepted, if they have to assimilate to a world that remains foreign to them? What does freedom mean if the fruit of their toil is credited to others, if the men they birthed turn against them and, indeed, kill them? It’s been 27 years since we gained political freedom.…

Kazakhstan sentenced dozens of people for lethal ethnic clashes last year, with 19 defendants jailed, a community leader said. The clashes in the south of the oil-rich country in February 2020 saw Kazakhs attack villages inhabited by a Chinese-speaking minority known locally as Dungans. The fighting killed people and put under scrutiny boasts by the authoritarian regime of inter-ethnic harmony in the former Soviet nation. A court in the Jambyl region yesterday sentenced 19 people to five to 20 years over the violence, with 31 others given suspended sentences or correctional work, a Dungan community leader Khusei Daurov told AFP. Dungan representatives had complained in the build up to sentencing that Dungan defendants were being punished for protecting their community and homes, dozens of which were damaged or destroyed…

A woman was killed by demonstrators in the Chadian capital yesterdayy as crowds protested the newly-installed junta, despite the military’s call to ban the gatherings. Police were out in the streets of N’Djamena Tuesday to break up planned demonstrations against the so-called Transitional Military Council (TMC), which took control of the government after the shock death of president Idriss Deby Itno. His 37-year-old son Mahamat now leads the council, and has pledged to hold elections in 18 months. A woman died yesterday when anti-junta protesters attacked a bus in N’Djamena, a prosecutor told AFP. “Some passengers fled but a woman was killed,” a N’Djamena prosecutor said.…

MIHLALI BALEKA @Mihlalibaleka KAIZER Chiefs ended Mamelodi Sundowns’ 21-game unbeaten run this season during their 50th meeting in the Premiership on Sunday, but both teams will be equally desperate for wins when they clash with Chippa United and Golden Arrows respectively today. After smashing Chiefs’ record of 20 games unbeaten in a league season, Sundowns looked invincible heading into the last nine games of the season. But that was before they welcomed Chiefs to Pretoria on Sunday. Not only did they choke in the last 20 minutes of the game, after Gaston Sirino’s strike late in the first half had put them ahead, but they also lost for the first time in the league game this season, keeping the lead between them and second-placed AmaZulu to three points. Sundowns will…

HERMAN GIBBS The great football rivalry between South Africa and Nigeria will come to the fore again this evening when two-time CAF Champions League winners Enyimba FC host Orlando Pirates in a crucial CAF Confederations Cup Group A match at the Enyimba International Stadium, Aba, Nigeria. All four Group A teams will be in action today, and mathematically all four teams have a realistic chance of progressing to the knockout rounds. Pirates are the only unbeaten Group A side and head the log with nine points. A win or a draw will secure passage to the next round. A defeat for third-placed Enyimba will spell the end of the road for them. Al Ahly Benghazi of Libya are in second place with seven points. They are up against Entente…