Índex per 2021-08-24 a Star

DINEO FAKU dineo.faku@inl.co.za SHOPRITE is planning to withdraw from the Uganda and Madagascar markets, it said yesterday after announcing an 8.1 percent increase in total merchandise sales from continuing operations to R168 billion for the 53 weeks ended July 2021. Shoprite, Africa’s retail giant, is adding to its list of exits after selling its Nigerian business of 15 years and closing Kenyan stores in March. “In line with the group’s non-RSA review process, our operations in Madagascar and Uganda have been classified as discontinued,” said Shoprite. The group operates 10 stores in Madagascar and has five branches in Uganda, employing 300 Ugandans. Commenting on the exit, Peter Hirst, senior analyst at Euromonitor International, said Shoprite was leaving Uganda in line with the company’s review of its long-term ventures…

GIVEN MAJOLA given.majola@inl.co.za A WHOPPING 81.5 percent of professionals in the accounting, data analysis, human resources and IT fields are considering resigning from their jobs to go freelance, according to a survey by the online talent platform Outsized. The survey, conducted by the provider of on-demand freelancers and independent consultants to the financial services and management consulting industries in South Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, found that a quarter of its 200 respondents said that they were already in the process of taking that leap. Of these, 37 percent saw it happening in the next few weeks or months, and only 10 percent admitted it was more of a long-term fantasy. The survey respondents were well-qualified to succeed independently, with every respondent holding a university degree and 64 percent having…

LAST WEEK, Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu published a green paper on Comprehensive Social Security and Retirement Reform, which proposes the creation of a National Social Security Fund (NSSF). If accepted, the reform will require that salary-earners pay between 8 and 12 percent of their earnings into a state-run fund. The fund will provide retirement, disability and unemployment benefits to formal, informal and self-employed workers. The government proposes subsidising the contribution of lower-income earners – those earning below R22 320 a year – in order to “lift the poor out of poverty”. In addition, the green paper proposes a universal grant instead of the current South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) system of payment. Those who don’t require the grant will have these funds recouped via the South African…

Rudolph Nkgadima Rudolph.Nkgadima@africannewsagency.com SOUTH Africans are urged to report any side effects they may experience after receiving the Covid-19 jab on the Med Safety App (which can be downloaded from App Stores for Android and iOS phones), or by calling the Covid-19 hotline on 0800 029 999. The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) which oversees vaccine safety monitoring, launched a micro-site on Friday, where more information on adverse events can be accessed. According to Sahpra chief executive Dr Boitumelo Semete, the aim of the website is to provide the information the regulator has to the public to inform them about vaccine safety and risks. “People are hesitant about certain health products, such as the vaccines, when they do not have sufficient details and do not know enough,” Semete…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za A NEW Covid-19 public education campaign has been launched in support of the national drive to bring the pandemic under control. Covid Comms, a civil society network of communications volunteers, has launched the “Prevent the Fourth Wave” campaign focusing on three key areas: prevention, vaccination and information. “Our vaccination message is simple and is a direct call to all eligible groups to get vaccinated as soon as possible. “It’s clear that the initial spark of interest by the vaccine early adopters has diminished quite quickly, and we hope our messaging will inspire both vaccine hesitant and vaccine resisters to register and get their jab as soon as possible. It’s the right thing to do,” said Covid Comms secretariat member Tessa Dooms. Dooms said the campaign’s information messaging…

Thabo Makwakwa and Gcwalisile Khanyile STARVING armed military forces deployed last month to defuse tensions in the wake of the recent civil unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng are crying out for help. Sources within the army in KZN, who spoke to The Star’s sister paper, the Daily News on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, said they desperately needed help to pressure the state to meet its obligations and feed the hungry soldiers who have been hard at work assisting the police to restore order over the past two months. One source alleged that more than 220 soldiers based at Estcourt Secondary School have so far received only R600 for meals since being deployed on July 15. “We are paid between R16 000 and R18 000 before…

Listen to Your Footsteps Reflections and Essays Kojo Baffoe MacMillan I had never heard of Kojo Baffoe before (my loss), and what a pleasure it was to read his sensitively written memoir which is as much a tribute to his father as a journey of exploration. Baffoe is of Ghanaian/German heritage, was raised in Lesotho, and is based in Johannesburg. He said: “I’m the proverbial ‘jack of all trades’. Over the years, I’ve worn many hats – writer, magazine editor, radio talk show host … at heart, I am a storyteller.” In this collection of essays, thoughts and poems, Baffoe offers reflections on his life , “ Who I am today was heavily shaped by my father, who raised me.” Baffoe is a true wordsmith. His recollections show a man…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za A PRETORIA resident who is the complainant in a R1 million theft case, had to turn to the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, in a bid to ensure the case against the alleged culprit was being investigated and ready for trial. Jacobus Kleinhans told Judge Elizabeth Kubushi he had no alternative but to turn to the courts to enforce his rights as a citizen. The trial of the alleged thief, only identified as Ms Wright, was due to start in May this year. It, however, had to be postponed as the prosecution was not ready to proceed. This followed the Prosecution Authority in December giving several instructions to the police to investigate certain aspects of the case further. The prosecution authority said it needed added information in…

NORMAN V MAHLANGU | Siyabuswa South Africa’s high rate of baby mamas and baby daddies is an issue of concern. One major factor for this phenomenon is that lovers quit relationships which they never started with a good purpose. If people who enter into a relationship understood that love and commitment were interlinked, we could be having less break-ups and divorces. There’s a thin line between love and lust. The true character of a person is tested by their commitment, or lack of it, when it matters the most. Commitment goes further than feelings. Only men and women of integrity can continue loving regardless of feelings. The painful truth is that the culture of commitment in relationships cannot be developed overnight. One has to practically discipline themselves and…

AFRO-PESSIMISTS ask the question: “Where are the successful democracies in Africa?” The list is not long, but one cannot deny Zambia has set the democratic bar high. The recent presidential and parliamentary elections have again – for the third time since independence from Britain in 1964 – resulted in a ruling party being replaced by the opposition. Kenneth Kaunda first led the way many years ago when he graciously vacated office after being rejected by the voters. President Edgar Lungu at first tried to stay on, saying the election was not free and fair. He went so far as to demand the vote-counting should stop when it became clear he was losing. The Electoral Commission ignored his demand and Lungu was beaten by opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema by a landslide.…

Western security forces exchanged fire with unidentified gunmen yesterday at Kabul airport, as US President Joe Biden sought to speed up the chaotic evacuation of tens of thousands of people from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. One Afghan was killed and three others were injured in a dawn firefight that the German military had said erupted between Afghan guards and unknown assailants. German and American troops “participated in further exchange of fire”, the German army said. This was the latest episode in a chaotic operation overseen by the US army that has seen about 30 000 people evacuated from Afghanistan since the Taliban marched into Kabul on August 15, taking effective control of the country. The Taliban, infamous for an ultra-strict interpretation of sharia law during their initial 1996-2001 rule, have repeatedly vowed…

Vietnam deployed soldiers to the streets of Ho Chi Minh City yesterday to help enforce a strict lockdown in the country’s biggest urban area and the current epicentre of its worst Covid-19 outbreak to date. After managing to contain Covid-19 for much of last year, Vietnam has recorded 348 000 infections and at least 8 277 fatalities. The tighter lockdown bars people from leaving home, even for food. Soldiers delivered food yesterday. Just 1.8% of Vietnam’s 98 million people have been fully vaccinated. | Reuters…

| Reuters THE All Whites nickname used by New Zealand’s national football team could be ditched as part of a review New Zealand Football (NZF) has launched into cultural diversity. The nickname refers to the national team’s all white strip, first used during New Zealand’s successful qualifying campaign for the 1982 Fifa World Cup finals. The national rugby team, which plays in a black strip, is called the All Blacks. Reports in New Zealand claimed the nickname for the football team is among a number of aspects of the game that are currently being evaluated by the nation’s governing body.…

Ashfak Mohamed ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za KGOTHATSO Montjane and Charl du Toit “embody the Paralympic values of excellence, friendship and respect, and are fully deserving of the honour”, says Sascoc president Barry Hendricks about the duo being named as flag-bearers for Team South Africa at the Tokyo Paralympics. Team SA announced yesterday that wheelchair tennis star Montjane and athletics ace Du Toit will hold Mzansi’s flag aloft at the opening ceremony today. The duo are both taking part in their third Paralympics, following on from London 2012 and Rio 2016. Montjane made it all the way to the Wimbledon final this year, and athletics sprinter Du Toit clinched two gold medals in Rio in the T37 category in the 100m and 400m events. “I am really honoured to be a South African flag-bearer.…

Cricket’s short Twenty20 format is tailor-made for the Olympics, but the sport’s administrators will consider any format which would ensure the sport’s inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Games, USA Cricket chief Paraag Marathe has said. The International Cricket Council (ICC) is preparing a bid for the game’s return to the Olympics, having last featured in the 1900 Paris Games. Marathe is part of the ICC Olympic Working Group, which is chaired by English board chief Ian Watmore and includes, among others, former PepsiCo Inc chief executive Indra Nooyi. “I am hopeful that it is very likely. For the first time ever, 106 member nations of the ICC are supportive of getting cricket into the Olympics,” Marathe told the Sport Unlocked podcast. T20 cricket – which lasts about three hours…

EDWARD WEST edward.west@inl.co.za THE FINANCIAL Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) yesterday suspended the exchange licence of ZAR X, effective from late Friday afternoon, due to the exchange not meeting liquidity and capital adequacy requirements. ZAR X trades the listed stocks of Agribel group, Dale Capital Group, Orion Real Estate, Runway Property Group, Senwes, Transformational Investment Portfolio One, and TWK Investments, its website showed. Etienne Nel, co-founder and chief executive of the exchange said that the timing of the suspension was unfortunate. However, the exchange considered the suspension to be temporary and it posed no risk to issuers or investors who held their assets in their own name directly at Strate. He said ZAR X had lodged an appeal against the FSCA decision. FSCA commissioner Unathi Kamlana said in a…

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za WORKFORCE Holdings, a provider of employment, training and wellness services, said yesterday that it expects a pick up in the demand for labour contracting as it swung back to profitability during the six months ended June 2021 in line with the rebounding economy. Chief executive Ronny Katz said the level 4 lockdown and the current level 3 of the Covid-19 pandemic had affected the economy and the business, and had created a stop-start situation, which inevitably would affect the results of their investments. “Workforce believes that the third wave is being contained and as a result business activity will reach levels higher than the 2020 financial year. “We foresee a reinvigoration of the permanent placement industry, coupled with a change in emphasis in the areas in which…

MIKE GREENAWAY SA director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus steps into the World Rugby dock today to answer charges of misconduct and bringing the game into disrepute in a case that has split opinion across the rugby world. There are many who feel the maverick Erasmus is a law unto his own and deserves a heavy censure, while others have applauded him for using the public domain to take on World Rugby’s allegedly ineffectual refereeing department. Before the court is Erasmus’s 62-minute video dissection of the refereeing performances of Australian Nic Berry and his supporting match officials in the first Test between the Springboks and British and Irish Lions on July 24. Erasmus was incensed by a litany of discrepancies and inconsistencies, not to mention a perceived lack of respect shown…

| Staff Reporter KARPOWERSHIP Ghana has been adjudged the Best Company in Mentorship Programmes and Initiatives at the Women in Mining and Energy Awards. As South Africa grapples with licensing in the power generation industry, the company tipped to win the tender, Karpowership, is winning hearts and power plants in Ghana. The award recognised the power-producing company for the numerous initiatives it has rolled out to mentor young people into great adults, and programmes aimed at helping resolve challenges that local communities face. The award ceremony recognised the outstanding achievements, contributions and value additions of women in mining and energy sectors. It also celebrated the role and achievements of women who have made significant contributions to the two sectors. The award ceremony also sought to create awareness of the…

NIGERIA’S Esther Chukwuemeka, who was denied admission to study law at Abia State University due to her young age, has at 20 years old become Africa’s youngest barrister (advocate) to be called to the Nigerian Bar as a solicitor and advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Barristers, according to the Lawyer Portal.com, are qualified legal professionals who offer specialist advice while representing, advocating and defending their clients in court or at a tribunal. Chukwuemeka was 13 when she wrote her Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination. She completed her studies in India in record time. | African News Agency (ANA)…

THABILE MANGE | Krugersdorp IS PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa fit for purpose? Is Ramaphosa the kind of leader that South Africa needs right now? Is he a change agent? There are no easy answers. Two weeks ago, Ramaphosa appeared before the Zondo Commission. The president was expected to answer many questions that the nation had about the ANC and government. He did not answer a single question. The truth is that Ramaphosa appeared before the Zondo Commission because he had to. His appearance didn’t help the commission and nation to get the answers they have been waiting for for years. When asked about the minutes of the deployment committee, he said the committee did not keep the minutes. So, in other words, it operated like mafias. And we as…

Afghans who manage to make the weeks-long journey through Iran on foot to the Turkish border face a 3m-high wall, ditches or barbed wire as Turkish authorities step up efforts to block any refugee influx into the country. The beefed up border measures in Turkey, which already hosts nearly 4 million Syrian refugees and is a staging post for many migrants trying to reach Europe, began as the Taliban started advancing in Afghanistan and took over Kabul last week. Authorities plan to add another 64km by the end of the year to a border wall started in 2017. Ditches, wire and security patrols around the clock will cover the rest of the 560km frontier. “We want to show the whole world that our borders are unpassable,” said Mehmet Emin Bilmez,…

SCIENTISTS from the University of Arizona and the University of Iceland have been using the island’s unique terrain in the Geldingadalir Valley, where 30 000 earthquakes occurred in March alone, to test a drone aimed for a Mars flight. Nasa is developing a drone that will fly on Mars called Raven, which stands for Rover Aerial Vehicle Exploration Network. The Raven will explore previously inaccessible areas on Mars and work with a rover by flying ahead of it and sending back data to generate 3D maps. | Sputnik…

ROD Pampling’s final-round six-under-par 66 was enough to earn him a one-stroke victory at the Boeing Classic at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge in Washington on Sunday. The Australian finished at 12-under 204, one better than Jim Furyk, Billy Mayfair and Tim Herron, for his first Champions Tour title. “You look at all the Hall of Famers are just phenomenal out here,” said Pampling, 51. “There’s so many and they still play really good golf, which people think they don’t, but I’ll tell you what, they play so good ... To get a win, you’ve got to play good, and thankfully I did today.”…

Manchester United coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said the Premier League might start to resemble rugby regarding fouls if referees continue to show leniency after his side drew 1-1 at Southampton on Sunday. Solskjaer claimed Bruno Fernandes was fouled by Saints’ Jack Stephens in the build-up to the home side’s goal in the first half, which was given as an own-goal by Fred. Mason Greenwood levelled for United after the break, although Southampton had the best opportunities to win. “It’s a foul, he (Stephens) goes straight through Bruno, with his arm and his hip across him. We can’t go from one extreme of volleyball or basketball last season to rugby now,” Solskjaer said. “I like the more lenient way – it’s more men’s football – but still, that’s a foul.”…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za THE TOURISM industry in June continued making gains from last year’s Covid-19-induced lockdown effects, but the momentum of the recovery slightly slowed due to restrictions. Data from Statistics SA (StatsSA) yesterday showed that income for tourist accommodation increased by 1 012.4 percent in June. This was a significant rise compared with the same month a year ago when the country was on a complete lockdown level 5, enabling low statistical base effects to boost the June reading. In June, all accommodation types recorded large positive year-on-year growth in income from accommodation. The largest increases were reported by caravan parks and camping sites and guest houses and guest farms. Hotel occupancy rates, which make up the largest portion of the tourist accommodation sector, fell to 21.7…

Kedibone Modise kedibone.modise@inl.co.za Award-winning theatre practitioner and newly-appointed artistic director at Sibikwa Arts Centre, Napo Masheane, is hosting and curating a three-day international festival in honour of Charlotte Maxeke. The Seriti Sa Basadi International Festival promises audiences a not-to- be-missed hybrid experience. Under the theme “Her-story Re-birthed, Re-told, Re-lived”, the hybrid boosts a series of drama, poetry, music, dance and literature. The festival also aims to provide world-class performances by women creatives from South Africa, Brazil, Nigeria, Ghana, the UK, Canada, Haiti, the US and Sweden. “This year South Africa is commemorating 150 years of Charlotte Mokgomo Mannya (Maxeke), who was born in Botlokwa Ga-Ramokgoba, now Polokwane. In 1891, Maxeke, at the age of 20, joined the African Jubilee Choir, which toured the UK, USA and Canada from 1891-1893. “And…

ITUMELENG MAFISA THE NATIONAL Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (Numsa) says its members at Implats mine in Rustenburg are under threat, following the assassination of a union recruiter Malibongwe Mdazo last week. Mdazo was shot dead outside the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) offices while verification of Numsa membership of workers at Newrak, a mining services company, was under way. Implats is one the world’s biggest producers of platinum and associated platinum group metals. Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola says Mdazo was killed while taking a break from the CCMA proceedings. The union suspects the recruiter was shot because he was a mass mobiliser. His death has shaken workers at Implats. “Tensions have been caused by contract companies at Implats. There are five contract companies which…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za KRUGERSDORP community radio station Westside FM has been forced to rebuild again after the station was robbed of all computers and a presenter was held at gunpoint on Sunday. This robbery happened as the station was still recovering from the looting and disruption that occurred during the civil unrest last month. In the early hours on Tuesday, July 13, Westside FM, based at Kagiso Mall, was ransacked. It was one of numerous community stations that were destroyed in the unrest, For the founder of the station, Goodhope Ledwaba, this was a devastating blow for the mouthpiece of the West Rand community since 2013. “It was terribly sad to see how our studios were looted and vital broadcast equipment either stolen or destroyed. “It robbed our community of…

NOKWANDA NCWANE nokwanda.ncwane@inl.co.za AS SHE turned 100 years-old on Friday, after indulging in a celebration to celebrate the milestone, Catherine Elizabeth Conrad Schlebush said she remembered clearly – and fondly - memories of her mother, who died when she was only 6 years old. Speaking from Danville on Saturday, the centenarian said her mother taught her so much, and those lessons were her secret to longevity. “I can still recall the happy times we spent with my mother: learning music, singing and dancing! Her death dramatically impacted my life, but my determination and belief in God carried me through.” Cathy, as she is affectionately known, lives at the Ons Tuis: Van Rensburg home in Danville, where an extravagant high tea was hosted in her honour, on Friday. She was born…

Cometh Dube-Makholwa | Midrand This must be a bad joke. On which planet does Lindiwe Zulu reside? Because if she lived in South Africa she would never dream of subjecting citizens to more financial pain than they have already suffered, with tax increases, VAT, unemployment, crumbling economy, rampant government corruption, ever increasing fuel hikes, high electricity rates, water and property rates and a lot more. Many people have lost their properties, cars, businesses, jobs and others have even lost their families as a result of broken marriages due to financial strain. And we are yet to see and reap the fruit of our freedom; instead all we witness is suffering and severe exploitation. Enough is enough. If they need money for whatever reason, she knows where to go…

Gauteng Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi recently stated that “between April 2020 and March 2021, the province recorded 23 226 teenage pregnancies, with 934 girls being between the ages of 10 and 14 years giving birth”. Moreover, a UN Population Fund (UNFPA) study released in 2015 found that “the life of a girl who falls pregnant at an early age changes negatively, and is less likely to change for the better, because her health and that of the baby are compromised, her educational and future employment prospects become blurred and her vulnerability to poverty multiplies”. Bearing this in mind, the statistics are incredibly alarming because under the South African law, children under the age of 12 can’t legally consent to sex. A person who engages in sexual activity with a…

The death toll in the major earthquake that struck Haiti on August 14 has risen to 2 207, authorities have said, as attacks on aid convoys have complicated efforts to bring relief to survivors. “New bodies have been found in the south,” said the country’s civil protection office, adding that 344 people remain missing and 12 268 have been listed as injured. The previously reported toll was 2 189 dead. Search-and-rescue workers are continuing to pick through the jumbled mounds of debris left by the powerful 7.2-magnitude quake, but hopes of finding survivors were fading by the hour. Haitian authorities said nearly 600 000 people were directly affected by the disaster and are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. But efforts to deliver food, water and medical supplies to quake…