Índex per 2021-08-25 a Star

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za RICHARDS Bay Minerals, a Rio Tinto subsidiary, is restarting operations following the stabilisation of security around the mine, an agreement with host communities and traditional authorities, as well as government support. Rio Tinto Minerals’s chief executive Sinead Kaufman said yesterday: “The safety and security of our people has been our priority throughout, and we recognise the collaboration and constructive dialogue we have had with all stakeholders to get us into a position where we can restart operations and resume contributing to the host communities, KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa.” The company said operations would be ramped up to capacity as soon as possible. The overall impact of the suspension of operations, including the shutdown of furnace number 4 as announced on July 21, was still to be assessed.…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za The RATE OF unemployment in South Africa could threaten the expected economic rebound this year after it worsened to a new record high in the second quarter of 2021 due to more than 500 days of the national lockdown. Data from Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) yesterday, showed that the jobless rate increased by 1.8 percentage points to 34.4 percent in the second quarter, from to 32.6 percent in the first quarter. This is the highest unemployment rate recorded since the start of the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) in 2008. Economist Mike Schüssler said he did not expect the jobless rate to be this high, because economic recovery had started showing signs of improvement. Schüssler said the fiscus would struggle to collect personal income tax…

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za STATE arms manufacturer Denel has instituted several legal challenges against former clients and employees to recover funds from deals gone sour and is pursuing criminal investigations for the theft of intellectual property (IP) taken at the height of state capture of the parastatal. Acting chief executive William Hlakoane and board chairperson Gloria Serobe were at pains to emphasise before Parliament’s standing committee on public accounts (Scopa), chaired by Mkhuleko Hlengwa, that all means to recoup assets were being pursued. However, they said Denel needed “urgent recapitalisation” from the government to continue operations while it implemented a five-year turnaround plan to raise at least R1.5 billion to boost liquidity. Hlakoane said among legal initiatives, some being pursued by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) along with the Hawks,…

UNEFA MZANSI MAGIC, DSTV CHANNEL 161, 8PM Host Motlatsi Mafatshe visits six children who’re sleeping with broken hearts because their superhero grandmother passed away. Her presence is still felt by her eldest, Nomfundo, who must take care of her siblings. but how will she do it? DIEPCITY MZANSI MAGIC, DSTV CHANNEL 161, 8.30PM Sne returns home and Mary is happy, Mgedeza shares with Danger that Zola’s getting out of hand, and Ntswaki expects Mgedeza to reward her romantically for her favour. Maureen can’t stop raving about Zola and it drives Mgedeza crazy, and Charleston apologises to Asanda for grouping her with Sne’s issues. LAW OF THE HEART 2 TELEMUNDO, DSTV CHANNEL 118, 9PM Maria Cristina advises Julia to give Valentin a chance. Meanwhile, Lucia continues to feel jealous…

Nehawu MTHUTHUZELI NTSEKU mthuthuzeli.ntseku@inl.co.za THE National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) held a protest outside the Western Cape legislature and across the country over what they labelled a well-coordinated onslaught directed at collective bargaining and workers’ rights by the government and state entities through the non-implementation of the PSCBC Resolution 1 of 2018. Nehawu National Day of Action in Defence of Collective Bargaining and Workers’ Rights was directed at the Constitutional Court, National Treasury, Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) and the nine premiers’ offices. Nehawu demanded that the provincial government abolish salary level 1 to 3, permanent absorption of Community Health Care Workers (CHW) by the provincial health department and implementation of the 12% risk allowance for front line workers during the pandemic. Nehawu provincial secretary…

Siphokazi Vuso FORMER Social Development minister Bathabile Dlamini has remained mum on a decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in Gauteng to prosecute her for perjury following statements to the Constitutional Court and before a section 38 inquiry. Meanwhile, the ANC yesterday revealed that the National Executive Committee member and Women’s League president had tested positive for Covid-19 and had been hospitalised. The Centre for Applied Legal Studies (Cals) noted that Dlamini had been summoned to appear in the Johannesburg Regional Court on September 21, after the DPP decided to move ahead with perjury charges. They said in a statement that the charges related to her testimony during an inquiry instituted by the Constitutional Court into Dlamini’s role in the social grants crisis. Judge Bernard Ngoepe, in 2018,…

DEPUTY Minister in the Presidency Thembi Siweya has urged people heading to vaccination sites across the country not to drink alcohol to avoid experiencing adverse side effects. Siweya was speaking at the Bosman Taxi Rank pop-up vaccination station yesterday. With her were Tshwane MMC for Roads and Transport Dikeledi Selowa and Gauteng MEC for Public Transport and Roads Infrastructure Jacob Mamabolo. She said the Presidency, through the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, had decided to support the Transport Department’s initiative to encourage people to vaccinate, especially the men, taking into consideration their reported hesitancy. Siweya said as taxi drivers were busy on the road and had indicated that they did not have the time to make it to vaccination sites, an initiative such as this would aid the government…

Nomalanga Tshuma nomalanga.tshuma@inl.co.za Almost two years after the rape and murder of then first-year UCT student Uyinene Mrwetyana, friends, acquaintances and anti-gender-based violence (GBV) activists yesterday gathered outside the Clareinch Post Office in Claremont where she was murdered, to remember her life and pay tribute to other slain GBV victims. The event, organised by the area’s sector chairperson Kate Christie, saw a number of young men and women show up in support of the anti-GBV cause and to pay tribute to Uyinene and many other young women who have lost their lives at the hands of violent perpetrators over the years. Mrwetyana’s murder made headlines in August 2019, when after her disappearance, her last known location was traced back to the seemingly quaint post office, where employee Luyanda Botha…

DURING August, women and girls from all walks of life become the centre of attention, slogans and themes are bandied about with all and sundry having something to say about the plight of women in the country. It’s not surprising that these themes come and go with Women’s Month, and are only remembered and rehashed again the following year. Women are often praised for their strength and resilience in overcoming obstacles and, during this month, many of their struggles are highlighted with little to no resolution. One must applaud the new generation of women for taking a different approach to the struggles faced by women in all facets of life. The #Imnotimbokodo sends a telling message to all that women are vulnerable and they are hurting, therefore can’t be equated…

ASHFAK MOHAMED SOME people don’t like the concept of change. It’s often sudden, throws you out of your comfort zone, and it is the fear of the unknown that is most concerning. When an 18-year-old Caster Semenya lined up for the 800 metres at the 2009 world championships in Berlin, she had already set the world lead time of 1:56.72 in winning the African junior championship title, and duly went on to become world champion in Germany with another SA record of 1:55.45. Those performances resulted in controversial gender verification tests requested by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) – which is now World Athletics – due to Semenya’s dramatic improvement that led to suspicions of drug use. The young lady from Limpopo was eventually cleared and went on…

Zaahier Adams zaahier.adams@inl.co.za EMBATTLED Proteas coach Mark Boucher has called on Cricket South Africa to be more transparent with their transformation policies to avoid speculation over national team selection. The current CSA policy requires the national team to field six players of colour, including three Black Africans, on average over the course of the season. Boucher, in his submission to CSA’s Social Justice and Nation Building hearings, has called for greater clarity in order to avoid “player insecurities”. “The players, media and public need to understand why these selection decisions are made so that there is no room for player insecurities, which leads to added anxiety amongst players, as well as unnecessary speculations in the media and social media,” Boucher said. “The transformation committee, in my opinion, needs to have…

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za MINERAL Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe and the Department of Energy yesterday told Parliament’s portfolio committee on mineral resources and energy that coal was still an important part of South Africa’s energy mix. Mantashe said coal was currently one of the best-performing com- modities in South African mining, and rail and ports were its obstacle. “Therefore, we are not going to be in the process of aborting the coal economy, because it is not desired in the future. “We cannot say Day Zero of 2050 is coming, so we must kill coal now. We are not going to be part of that strategy. It is a dangerous strategy to the economy,” the minister said. Coal exporters have complained that vandalism, theft and train derailment at Transnet’s…

Buhle Mbonambi buhle.mbonambi@inl.co.za Disgusted. That was my first reaction when I heard that celebrated writer Thando Mgqolozana had been accused of repeatedly assaulting the mother of his child, Thabisa. In tweets, Thabisa revealed she had been a victim of assault by the celebrated author, even sharing an image of her bruised body. My heart broke when, after she had revealed her trauma, she deleted her tweets. The only sign of them was about their child. “I’m ok. The focus is on co-parenting now.” I am never surprised when I hear that a man has been accused of assaulting a woman. It really shouldn’t be surprising, especially in South Africa, where gender-based violence and violence against women has been, for lack of a better term, normalised. I wasn’t surprised because statistics have…

NHLANHLA MBATHA GAUTENG police were yesterday not able to link the killing of a senior provincial health official to the ongoing personal protection equipment scandal probe. The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) yesterday revealed that Babita Deokaran, the chief director of financial accounting at the Gauteng Department of Health, was one of 300 witnesses in one of the SIU’s investigations into corruption in the awarding of tenders for PPE. Deokaran was shot several times outside her Joburg-south, Mondeor, home after dropping off her child at school on Monday morning. The department said Deokaran died in hospital several hours after the shooting. However, her family believes her killing was a hit. “Someone tried to silence her because she was someone who always did things the right way,” said Bishop Tony Haripersadh,…

Staff Reporter A Cape Town short film that deals with topical issues has won its fourth international prize since it debuted on the festival circuit in January. Lead actress, co-director and writer of Two Hues, Weaam Williams, won the prize for Best Actress in a Short Film at the West Europe International Film Festival (Brussels Edition). The film festival, held virtually, is one of four annual festivals presented by Fusion International Film Festivals, with UK directors Dan Hickford and Steve Grossmith at the helm. Two Hues is about a bipolar woman who deals with post-traumatic stress and her life navigating the patriarchy in her family and the workplace. Williams said: “Women are always quite sexualised, and I knew the first role I play on screen would be one I wrote…

MATCHDAY revenues across the five major European football leagues took a nearly €2billion hit last season after spectators were largely barred from attending matches due to the pandemic, a report by consultancy KPMG said yesterday. The projected revenue losses dwarf the €500m that clubs in the leagues suffered in the 2019-20 season, when the virus first affected Europe and led to sport being suspended in March 2020, only resuming months later without spectators. The continent's top five leagues are England’s Premier League, Italy’s Serie A, Spain’s La Liga, Germany’s Bundesliga and the French Ligue 1. “It is expected that clubs in the big five leagues will make little-to-no income from this source in 2020-21, potentially losing out on over €2bn of matchday revenues combined,” the report said. For the 2019-20…

HERMAN GIBBS BAFANA Bafana coach Hugo Broos raised eyebrows at yesterday’s media conference after overlooking defender Njabulo Ngcobo in his 23-man squad for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe and Ghana next month. The highly-rated Kaizer Chiefs fullback, who already boasts four Bafana caps, won last season’s PSL Defender of the Season award. After Ngcobo was named in the preliminary 31-man squad last week, his inclusion seemed a foregone conclusion. However, there is something about the 27-year-old Ngcobo’s style that failed to impress Broos. He cautioned, though, that Ngcobo might get a look-in next time around. “It is not to say he won’t be there the next time, but I have to choose 23 players,” said Broos. “I had 31 players, and I had to choose. You have…

Mihlali Baleka mihlali.baleka@inl.co.za Champions Mamelodi Sundowns dropped points for the first time this season in a 0-0 draw with Chippa United in the Premiership at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium yesterday. The Brazilians will now turn their attention to the MTN8 as they’ll be away to Golden Arrows in the first leg of the semi-finals on Saturday. Having been far from their best in Gqeberha, Sundowns will be content with the clean sheet. The MTN8 is the only piece of silverware that’s been missing from Sundowns’ illustrious trophy cabinet in the last few years. Co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi insists that they can win it this season after they had a full pre-season. Sundowns were playing in their third match this season, following clashes against Kaizer Chiefs in the MTN8 quarter-finals and AmaZulu…

HERMAN GIBBS GOALKEEPER Bruce Bvuma, Kaizer Chiefs’ Caf Champions League hero, upped the ante by calling on his teammates to turn FNB Stadium into a slaughterhouse ahead of today’s clash against Baroka FC. Chiefs will be at home for the first time this Premiership season, and Bvuma, the chosen goalmouth custodian for the match, wants opposition teams to come to grief at FNB Stadium. “We need to dominate home games and make FNB Stadium like a slaughterhouse for visiting teams. They must be scared to come and play there,” Bvuma said. “We will welcome them but will show them that this is our home ground. It should be a lesson to visiting teams that it will not be easy to get a win against us at FNB. “It is…

THE GOVERNMENT’S proposed land expropriation without compensation initiative threatens to jeopardise food security, dissuade investment and will have a profoundly negative impact on South Africa’s economy. Earlier this year Agri SA published the results of a research study which considered the likely impact of a policy of land expropriation without compensation (EWC) via econometric modelling, based on capital formation and gross domestic product (GDP) ratios gleaned from relevant country case studies. The study found that South Africa will face an imminent socio-economic disaster if EWC is pursued. The reason for this, says the report, is that “politicians and bureaucrats cannot repeal the fundamental laws of economics, try as they might”. The report adds: “Economic capital, which is an indispensable prerequisite for economic development, job creation and growth, needs to be…

BOOK: When the Village Sleeps AUTHOR: Sindiwe Magona REVIEWER: Lizzy Attree PRICE: R215 on Loot.co.za WHEN the Village Sleeps spans three generations of women in one family and the central role of ancestral belief and ancient custom – or a lack of it – in their lives. It first focuses on Busi, a promising young student who benefits from an education at a good school due to the hard work and friendship of her grandmother with her former white employer. It reveals the devastating motivation behind Busi’s teenage pregnancy – orchestrated to produce a financial reward in the form of a child support grant from the state. The shocking story at the centre of Magona’s latest novel is as heartbreaking as it is cruel – and yet the character of…

Vittoria Ceretti has returned as the face of Chanel’s fall 2021 make-up collection. The 23-year-old Italian model – according to Vogue Italia, the most searched model of 2018 – smoulders in the striking new promo shots with a sultry smokey eye. The campaign showcases the Khaki Harmony, Silver-Grey Harmony, Red-Brown Harmony, and Champagne Harmony palletes, with a focus on “matte or shiny, warm” contrasting looks. Chanel said: “Contour and light. Chanel is reinventing the rules of make-up with an ultra-sensorial two-step technique for contrasting eye looks.” Meanwhile, in other Chanel-related news, Pharrell Williams launched a new mentorship programme with the French fashion house this summer. The music star’s Black Ambition – which offers prizes to “fund bold ideas and companies led by black and Latinx entrepreneurs” – and Chanel joined…

Baldwin Ndaba baldwin.ndaba@inl.co.za The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) says more candidates will be eligible to contest for upcoming local government elections if the Constitutional Court rules in their favour to postpone the polls until February. IEC chief executive Sy Mamabolo was reacting to media questions on whether the electoral body was ready for the October 27 elections if the apex court rules against it. In his reply, Mamabolo said the IEC was ready but expressed concern that the October 27 elections would not meet the constitutional standards due to the impact of the pandemic. Despite expressing hope of a positive Concourt ruling, yesterday Mamabolo revealed that there were potentially 59 272 candidates to contest 10 285 seats in different municipal councils including the metropolitan councils in…

Chulumanco Mahamba WITS University dental students have claimed that they are learning and working under “inhumane” conditions, with sewage spilling from the ceiling and poor infrastructure. Last week, Wits University dental students embarked on a virtual protest “Save Wits Dental”, calling on the university to address issues regarding claims that the students are working and learning in unsafe conditions, and an alleged looming threat of the university shutting the dental school. The complaints include a constant smell of gas in the lab, infrastructure being worn out and damaged, sewage spills from the ceiling, shortages of chairs and tables, clustering due to lack of space and no ventilation or emergency exits. “We’re in a state of uncertainty and, as a student, it is disheartening to find yourself in a position where…

Sibusiso Mboto sibusiso.mboto@inl.co.za Women of South Africa are far more savings savvy than men, with many of them having at least a month’s salary put aside, a survey has found. According to a recent study by First National Bank’s (FNB) retail customer base, women are better able deal with financial emergencies because they save for them. FNB’s money management product head, Ester Ochse, said it was encouraging to see women making an effort to develop a cushion that would assist in times of difficulty. “Data shows that 10.27% of women have at least a month’s worth of income or take-home pay available as emergency savings, compared with 8.75% of men,” Ochse said. She added that the habit of having money set aside to deal with unforeseen circumstances meant people were…

CHULUMANCO MAHAMBA chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za A GRADE 10 learner from Boksburg has launched an open access financial literacy platform to educate his high school peers on how to manage their money. Woodlands International College learner Ronan Vaz used his skills in IT and web design to build Finnclu, a website that aims to educate young people about investing, stocks, bonds, and assets – at no cost to the user. “Knowledge on investing and asset management is quite limited among young people, we only learn about investing in Grade 12 Business Studies. I’ve been privileged to have access to information about financial literacy and wanted to create a platform where I could share my passion. Many people can benefit from creating passive income streams, they just need to know where to start,” said…

Luxolo Mafumana | Johannesburg I’M AMONG the many citizens who are concerned about what happened in the Eastern Cape with the gruesome killing of the young woman. This is not the first such incident in our country, it is among the many incidents that have made headlines before and the reactions are just the same as before. The problem is exactly that we are a reactionary nation and our reaction is usually temporary until something else grabs our attention. It is the case with all other societal ills. There are serious questions that we need to ask ourselves such as, are we raising our children? If we are, what is wrong with the way we are raising them? If we are not, who is raising these kids? We…

THE Tokyo Paralympics got underway yesterday after a year’s pandemic delay. AFP Sport picks out five athletes hoping to make an impact: Markus Rehm (GER) Known as the “Blade Jumper”, three-time Paralympic champion Rehm is aiming to push the boundaries even further after demolishing the T64 long jump world record in June. The German, who turned 33 on Sunday, leapt 8.62m at the European Championships in Poland - beating the previous record by a full 14cm.That jump would have been enough to win gold at every Olympics since 1992, and was only 33cm short of Mike Powell’s non-disabled world record. Rehm has spoken of his desire to compete at the Olympics, but for the moment he is focused on adding more Paralympic gold to his collection in Tokyo. Beatrice Vio…

Mike Greenaway mike.greenaway@inl.co.za WHEN the All Blacks and the Springboks first did battle in Dunedin in 1921, nobody could have predicted in their wildest dreams that the centenary clash between the old foes would one day be played in Townsville, at the home ground of the North Queensland Cowboys, the local rugby league team. Given the famous stadiums of South Africa and New Zealand, the venue is an exotic one indeed, and reflective of the very strange times we inhabit in 2021. Just last week, this big match on September 25 looked headed for Twickenham or even Stade de France, while South Africa was also back in the picture. But in the end, Sanzaar calmed the warring parties of Australia and New Zealand and settled on Queensland to host all…

Zaahier Adams zaahier.adams@inl.co.za PROTEAS limited-overs captain Temba Bavuma believes his team can “dominate” their hosts on the upcoming tour to Sri Lanka. Bavuma and his team will depart for the island today for three one-day internationals and as many T20s, which will all be played at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, starting next week. South Africa are arguably best equipped for a tour of the subcontinent in their history, with a plethora of spinning options, led by World No 1 T20 bowler Tabraiz Shamsi. The latter has been nothing short of sensational on the recent tours of the West Indies and Ireland across both limited-overs formats. Shamsi will be equally well-supported by fellow left-armer Keshav Maharaj, who has transferred his red-ball skills to white-ball cricket, while George Linde and…

Stuart Hess stuart.hess@inl.co.za THE Social Justice and Nation Building project has raised awareness among players and coaches at the Central Gauteng Lions about the importance of inclusivity ahead of the new season. “We have to give credit,” said Lions head coach Wandile Gwavu. “The SJN has unlocked a lot of awareness for people. At the Lions, it is safe to say we have a good environment, but there is always room for improvement.” Among the provincial unions that have been mentioned at the hearings, the Lions have emerged relatively unscathed, with many mentioning a culture of inclusivity, which in particular had been fostered by former coach Geoffrey Toyana. Gwavu, who was Coach of the Year in 2020, said the testimony at the SJN hearings had made a strong impression on…