Índex per 2021-10-14 a Star

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za EQUITES Property Fund and Eskom Pension and Provident Fund (EPPF) have formed a joint venture to acquire a R2.05 billion DSV distribution centre in Gauteng, the first of what the partners believe will become a world-class logistics property portfolio. Equities said yesterday it would hold 51 percent of the shares in the joint venture company and EPPF would hold the remaining 49 percent. Equites’ total equity contribution to the joint venture would be R732 million, which it would fund from its own cash and debt facilities. The deal would increase the company’s loan-to-value ratio by 3.1 percent to 31.7 percent. The joint venture company will acquire the 38-hectare DSV Campus in Gauteng for R2.05bn, on the basis that the property will…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za THE DEPARTMENT of Trade, Industry and Competition has, so far, contributed R2.5 billion towards the development of the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone (TASEZ), and 70 percent of the construction was complete Trade, Industry and Competition Deputy Minister Fikile Majola said yesterday. The money helped to unlock a R16bn investment by Ford Motor Company and a further R4.3bn from automotive components suppliers, which would occupy facilities within the 162.6 hectare SEZ, he said in a statement. SEZs are geographically designated areas that hold incentives to attract certain business sectors. Majola described as “unprecedented in South Africa”, the speed with which the TASEZ was being built. “We are informed by Ford that up to 6 000 jobs have been created. This is great news,”…

AMERICAN RUST M-NET, DSTV CHANNEL 101, 9.30PM Isaac befriends someone who teaches him the rules of the road. The sheriff searches for evidence in Billy and Grace's trailer. Billy tells Lee what happened in the steel mill. SISTAS S3B BET, DSTV CHANNEL 129, 10.30PM Tyler Perry’s comedy series explores the lives of single black women from all walks of life whose bonds of friendship keep them together. The action picks up directly after the events of the mid-season finale, with Andi breaking off their engagement after walking in on Gary’s sex therapy session and kissing Robin. LAW OF THE HEART 2 TELEMUNDO, DSTV CHANNEL 118, 9PM Catalina takes on the case of a new client, Johnathan Rodriguez, who wants a divorce from his unfaithful wife. Julia is worried…

DAVID Bowie’s estate is to release a posthumous album and more to mark the late music legend’s 75th birthday next year. The Suffragette City hitmaker died two days after his 69th birthday in 2016, following a private battle with cancer, and would have been turning 75 on January 8. According to papers filed by the estate of the Heroes star’s firm, Jones/Tintoretto Entertainment Company, there are various releases in the pipeline. As well as music and videos, Bowie’s widow Iman and children Alexandria and Duncan, are looking at releasing merchandise and other items of memorabilia to mark the milestone. What’s more, a new logo with the Starman musician’s iconic lighting bolt and Bowie 75 was submitted for trademarking and copyright approval. A source told the newspaper: “David’s 75th birthday would…

Bongani Nkosi bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za A NEW judgment looks set to raise questions about whether foreplay that includes extensive French kissing, undressing and engaging in oral sex constitutes tacit consent for penetrative sex. Acting Judge Tembeka Ngcukaitobi has ruled in favour of an appeal by Loyiso Coko, who argued that the foreplay he had with his ex-girlfriend indicated she had tacitly consented to sex. Judge Nyameko Wellman Gqamana concurred with the judgment. Coko was convicted last year of raping his then 23-year-old virgin girlfriend and sentenced to seven years behind bars. The woman was a Rhodes University master’s student. Coko turned to the Grahamstown High Court to appeal both conviction and sentence. His appeal strategy attacked the trial court’s findings that he had penetrated his ex-lover while knowing fully well that she…

Sonri Naidoo sonri.naidoo@inl.co.za A WITNESS in the Nathaniel Julies murder trial described seeing blood belonging to the teenager with Down syndrome on the grass and blood-stained fingerprints on the sand after his death. “I saw his blood on parts of the grass and his blood-stained finger prints on the truck and in the sand,” said Tahirah Kaldine, a State witness in the trial of three police officers for the murder of the Eldorado Park teen. After failing to appear before the court on October 4, Kaldine took to the stand yesterday to testify at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court. A warrant of arrest was issued for Kaldine because of her failure to appear in court; she had handed herself over on October 8. “I was standing outside one of the…

Rapula Moatshe rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za THE R15.8 billion project to upgrade a Silverton-based Ford vehicle manufacturing plant is on track, and it is anticipated to be completed in September next year. So said the Gauteng MEC for Economic Development, Parks Tau, when he accompanied the Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Fikile Majola, to evaluate the construction work under way at the site on Tuesday. Known as the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone, the project was launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2019, with a R15.8bn investment injected into South Africa from the Ford Motor Company and a further R4.3bn investment from automotive components suppliers located at the project. On the envisaged date to complete the project, Tau said: “Firstly, it is anticipated that it will be at full production by…

Motoring correspondent THE Toyota Corolla needs no introduction to South Africans. Since its first apperance in 1966, it has become a household name and a firm favourite with expected sales of 50 million by the end of this year, making it the world’s best selling car. The 10 million mark was reached in 1983 with sales doubling to 20 million by 1994. Thirty million was achieved by 2005 with the 40 million milestone reached in 2012. It was Toyota's first mainstream compact car and a little known fact is that the name is derived from the ring of petals on the central part of a flower. South Africa was introduced to the Corolla in 1975 with the third generation E30; it was also the first model produced locally adding…

Zaahier Adams zaahier.adams@inl.co.za LEE Langeveldt grew up in the shadows of the Drakenstein Mountains, and in the even bigger shadow of his cousin, former Proteas seam bowler Charl. “Chicco (Charl) was my hero. I wanted to be like him. I bowled out-swingers just like him. I wasn’t too bad either. I made the Boland Under-15 team that played in the PG Bison week with guys like Stiaan van Zyl, who went on to become a Proteas batsman,” Lee said. A different path awaited Lee, though. A very winding one for someone who was equally talented as a goalkeeper, but hailed from Idas Valley, where traditionally cricket, and particularly rugby, are the primary sports. The oval ball very much dominates conversations in this majestic part of South Africa where vineyards…

A BIENNIAL World Cup will not dilute the “magic” of the tournament as its frequency would have no bearing on its quality and prestige, Fifa president Gianni Infantino said on Tuesday. Fifa are conducting a feasibility study into the practicalities of staging a World Cup every two years, a move that has been met with fierce criticism from various confederations, clubs, players and fan groups. “A World Cup with 48 teams (from 2026) has already been decided. Whether it will take place every two years or four years, that is under consultation,” Infantino told media in Israel. “Definitely believe in having more prestigious events, whether the World Cup or anything else ... Precisely because it is a magic tournament is perhaps why it should happen more often. “The prestige of…

Mihlali Baleka @Mihlalibaleka BAFANA Bafana’s 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifying campaign may be far from perfect, but coach Hugo Broos lauded his charges’ impressive defence following their 1-0 victory over Ethiopia at FNB Stadium on Tuesday night. Bafana had a decent start to the qualifiers, bagging four points in their first two matches thanks to a draw with Zimbabwe and a win against Ghana. Ethiopia, though, were expected to be a different kettle of fish in the back-to-back matches. Bafana had not defeated the east Africans in their last two meetings in the qualifiers, drawing at home and losing away. But the new-look Bafana team beat Ethiopia 3-1 away from home, which sent them top of African qualifying Group G with seven points. And they proved that the victory in…

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za THE INDEPENDENT Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) yesterday confirmed plans to oppose Telkom’s legal bid to prevent the expiry of the temporary Covid-19 spectrum allocation. Icasa allocated the temporary spectrum licences at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic last year to help maintain good quality broadband services as people began working from home. Icasa said it believed that the circumstances and considerations that informed the issuing of the radio frequency spectrum at the onset of the pandemic never contemplated that the spectrum would be licensed on a long-term or semi-permanent basis. “The authority will, therefore, be derelict in its duty if it were, by default, to perpetuate what is now becoming an anti-competitive, unfair, and unjust spectrum licensing regime under the guise of pandemic relief,” the…

ALL OVER THE world Covid-19 has crudely interrupted centuries-old teaching and learning practices resulting in about 1.3 billion children and students studying at home. As a result, education has changed radically, with online and remote learning on digital platforms becoming the norm during the pandemic. Unfortunately, institutions in developing countries experienced some serious challenges. Students without reliable and affordable internet access and/or technology struggled to participate in digital learning. Therefore, certain universities launched massive drives to provide laptops and data to students in need. An innovative online solution However, a Brazilian EdTech company, Descomplica (Portuguese for “uncomplicate”) made studying incredibly easy and affordable and their 100 percent online model services about 30 million students. As Brazil’s go-to online learning platform, Descomplica supports students along their entire learning…

Marchelle Abrahams marchelle.abrahams@inl.co.za It’s crazy how childhood games have a macabre ring to them now that we’ve watched the new Netflix sensation Squid Game. The South Korean survival drama has become an overnight hit, earning it the accolade of being one of the most-watched shows in Netflix history. The premise is simple. It focuses on a group of desperately indebted people who are tricked into a deadly tournament of children’s games. The only way to win 38 million is to survive until the last man standing. According to The Wall Street Journal, creator Hwang Dong-hyuk came up with the idea for the show more than a decade ago when he was living with his mother and grandmother. The reason for Netflix signing it on was because they “thought the class…

Sihle Mavuso FORMER president Jacob Zuma’s attendance of today’s welcome home rally in Durban is in doubt after he was reportedly advised to stay at home and nurse his “fragile health”. Two months into his 15-month sentence for contempt of the Constitutional Court, he was granted medical parole to serve the rest of his sentence at home. His parole, sanctioned by former correctional services boss Arthur Fraser, is now being challenged in court by the likes of the DA, AfriForum and the Helen Suzman Foundation. They all want the decision by Fraser to be set aside as they claim he overstepped the mark and abused powers to grant parole. After it, Zuma supporters started preparing for a welcome home rally, which will be staged today. Among those expected…

Staff Reporter MISS South Africa organisers have released an enticing live show line-up set to perform this Saturday, for this year’s Miss SA finale. Only two days remain before the Miss SA top 10, comprising Bianca Bezuidenhout, Catherine Groenewald, Cheneil Hartzenberg, Jeanni Mulder, Kaylan Matthews, Kgothatso Dithebe, Lalela Mswane, Moratwe Masima, Zimi Mabunzi and Tiffany Francis, strut their stuff for a prize package worth more than R4 million. Popular artists Zakes Bantwini, the Ndlovu Youth Choir and Ntokozo Mbambo will be taking to the stage to serenade a live audience this year, owing to the relaxation in the Covid-19 regulations. Ndlovu Youth Choir manager Josh Georgiou said: “The choir will be performing three songs at the Miss South Africa pageant, two originals and a cover version of a song…

“Welcome back,” speakers blasted from the entrance of South Africa’s main sports stadium in Soweto as excited football fans – vaccination cards in hand – arrived for the first time in 18 months. “Please make sure you sanitise your hands,” the metallic voice reminded the 2 000 spectators lucky enough to get their hands on the first tickets sold since Covid-19 hit. The match, a 2022 World Cup qualifier between South Africa and Ethiopia, sold out in two hours. “It has been a long journey, we have all been waiting for this for a long time,” said Bafana Bafana supporter Paul Nkosi, 49, in an blue hard hat mounted with a crown of metallic multi-coloured SA miniature flags. “When I managed to grab a ticket, I thought: ‘Jesus, I’m so…

Ashfak Mohamed and Morgan Bolton FOLLOWING the return of fans at Bafana Bafana’s win over Ethiopia at FNB Stadium on Tuesday night, rugby fans who have received the Covid-19 vaccine will be allowed to attend rugby matches in South Africa. SA Rugby announced yesterday that 2 000 spectators would be able to attend professional and club rugby matches if they are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, in line with the new regulations gazetted by Minister of Sport Nathi Mthethwa this week. However, schools games are still a no-go area, as they fall under the auspices of the Department of Basic Education. The first senior rugby match that will have spectators is likely to be the exhibition Carling Champion Match between a team selected by fans and Kenya on November 6…

Alexander Zverev won the clash of the two most recent Olympic gold medallists at the ATP Indian Wells tournament on Tuesday, holding off a fierce challenge from Andy Murray despite an equipment malfunction. The 24-year-old German advanced to the fourth round, coming from behind in both sets to beat two-time Olympic champion Murray 6-4, 7-6(4) in the combined women’s and men’s tournament in the California desert. “I’m happy about the match, how everything went,” said Zverev. “I think it was a very entertaining match. It was pretty high level.” Zverev won Olympic gold at the recent Tokyo Games and former world No 1 Murray won gold at both the 2012 London Olympics and in 2016 in Rio. Third seed Zverev moved on to play Gael Monfils of France, who rolled…

Mike Greenaway mike.greenaway@inl.co.za VIEWERS of the Sharks’ matches of late couldn’t help but have noticed a grizzled old rugby warhorse sitting next to head coach Sean Everitt in the coaching boxes. They might also have noticed that the Sharks’ scrumming has improved incrementally during their United Rugby Championship tour, and it is fact that these two observations are inextricably linked ... The gnarled front-row veteran accompanying Everitt and the Sharks on their venture into the northern hemisphere is Akvsenti Giorgadze, the former Georgia hooker who has made an impressive career as a specialist scrumming coach. It s no secret that over the last 18 months or so, the Sharks’ set scrum has creaked and groaned, engaged reverse gear too many times, and has often been penalised. So it was not…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za RETAIL trade sales surprised on the downside in August due to lingering effects of the July unrest, pointing to the unevenness of the recovery in the South African economy in the third quarter. Data from Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) yesterday showed that retail trade shrank 1.3 percent from a year earlier in August, dragged lower mainly by general dealers and retailers specialising in hardware, paint and glass. This followed an upwardly revised 1.2 percent fall in July, and defied market estimates of a 2.6 percent rise in August. This was also the second consecutive decline in retail activity since March, partly due to the lingering effects of recent violent events across the country and the protracted lockdown restrictions. Nedbank senior economist Nicky Weimar said…

THE 2020 MEDICAL schemes industry solvency ratio continues to exceed the minimum required ratio of 25 percent, as it stood at 44.55 percent last year up from 35.61 percent in 2019, even though the industry saw Covid-19 claims to the overall value of R10.1 billion in the same period, according to the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) 2020/21 Industry Report. The CMS Industry Report reveals the impact the Covid-19 pandemic had on the medical schemes industry. According to it, 422 894 members of medical schemes were infected with Covid-19 in 2020 and, out of that number, 383 585 recovered. This represented a mortality rate of 3.02 percent. These numbers were based on data from 73 schemes, representing 99.84 percent of medical scheme…

Liam Karabo Joyce Known as the lead singer of the award-winning indie rock band, The Parlotones, Kahn Morbee needs no introduction. The musician has released multiple albums with his former band, been a judge on The Voice South Africa and created a solo career. Now he’s released his third solo album, A World at Suicide. “The album was actually ready in March 2020, so the plan was to release and tour it in June/July 2020 and then the Covid-19 pandemic struck and I decided to park the album. While ’parking’ the album, and with time on my hands, I began to tinker: add parts and subtract parts. “While ’fiddling’ I realised that the album lacked a cohesive thread, something that glued it all together so that the listener would know…

Marchelle Abrahams marchelle.abrahams@inl.co.za Oh, the joys of spring. The flowers are in full bloom. The grass is a brilliant green. It’s time to unpack the garden furniture and make the most of the warm days. It’s no wonder Garden Day is celebrated every year in October. Sunday, October 17, is a chance to dig in the dirt and feel the cool soil between your hands. It’s a celebration of gardens throughout South Africa, no matter how big or small. Every year, Garden Day enlists local ambassadors. And one of them is celebrity home chef and amateur gardener Mogau Seshoene. As a way of inspiring others, Seshoene will be pulling out all the stops for a family celebration. “We’ll be wearing homemade flower crowns, and I will prepare a herb rainbow…

Scheme issued its members list of ‘strategically blacklisted’ health-care providers Bongani Hans bongani.hans@inl.co.za | Investigations Unit investigations@inl.co.za THE STATE-owned Government Employees Medical Scheme (Gems) has all but collapsed a number of black-owned private medical practitioners by refusing to pay for medical service rendered to members of the scheme. Gems in 2018 issued its members with an 18-page list of “strategically blacklisted” health-care providers whose claims were not paid by the scheme saying “should you (members) wish to consult any of these providers, you will have to pay the provider directly and then submit the claim to the scheme for refund”. The names of practitioners in the list seemed to be mainly African, Indian and coloured people and none could be easily linked to white-owned businesses. A case in point…

Thabile Mange | Mogale City ANC has been in power for 27 years. Its performance has been nothing but dismal. Local government is in total disarray. In North West, local government exists in name only. There is a municipal council that has two mayors, two municipal managers and two chief financial officers. They are all getting paid. In my township, Kagiso, there is a big pothole in Mehlomakhulu Street, a ward under the governing party. It has been there for more than two years. A few weeks ago, President Cyril Ramaphosa visited Tembisa. Residents told the president that they have been without electricity for more than six months. In KZN, residents told the president that they had applied for government houses many moons ago. And they are yet to get…

FAROUK ARAIE | Benoni Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng has retired. A brilliant chief justice, who will be remembered for his statements on Israel and the Palestinians. Justice Mogoeng could have elaborated on the international aspects of securing a honourable peace accord and the right of co-existence. Instead he exercised political brinkmanship of biblical proportions. He created a political firestorm. Never before in our judicial history has a political speech been so partisan and polarising. Justice Mogoeng should at a time of crisis and peril in the Holy Land provide impartial stewardship that could play a crucial role in international affairs and governance. Instead of spitting toxic religious fire, he should have concentrated on expounding Isaiah’s invocation of “beating swords into ploughshares”. The trouble with leaders using biblical quotations…

WE HAVE spoken about the value of a functional independent and objective adjudication body. The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has held its head up high over the many years since its inception. The CCMA took over from the old industrial court in the early days of our democracy. Their rules and systems have been incredibly functional and to a large degree can be attributed with much of the labour peace that we have today. In the beginning there were some teething problems with regard to the administration and small problems that arose with regard to the training of the arbitrators and conciliators. The system has matured and has certainly come into its own. Approximately 18 months ago the government required enormous funding for some of the state-owned…

Willem van de Putte As the new-generation Ford Ranger is edges closer to production, the carmaker is clearly having some fun teasing us with “spy” pictures of camoflaged prototypes. Following last month’s teaser, which hinted at an F-150-inspired face for the new Ranger, Ford has released a more thinly disguised image of the rear end, which almost reveals it in full. Although the basic design appears somewhat evolutionary at first, the tailgate is more shapely and the new taillights resemble those of the smaller Maverick that was revealed earlier this year. The new Ford Ranger is expected to be built on a modified version of the current T6 platform and there are rumours of a V6 diesel engine joining the current 2-litre single- and twin-turbo options that will carry over.…

Five years after losing a heart-stopping T20 World Cup final to the West Indies, Eoin Morgan’s England start as narrow favourites in their bid to become double world champions despite the absence of Ben Stokes. Not far behind though are Virat Kohli’s India, an ever-lethal West Indies and World Test champions New Zealand – not to mention the Proteas, Australia, former winners Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and fairytale outsiders Afghanistan. Postponed and moved twice because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the tournament’s seventh edition starts on Sunday, with Oman – joint hosts with the United Arab Emirates – taking on Papua New Guinea in a first qualifying round. The top nations will join the event – played in stadiums 70% full – next Saturday with Australia and the Proteas playing the…

Herman Gibbs Comment THE historical pessimism around Bafana Bafana has been swept away by the team’s winning streak and has created a groundswell of optimism, which makes it easier to envision that a 2022 World Cup berth is no longer a pipe dream. After four qualifying matches, remarkably, Bafana are undefeated, with three clean sheets. The team head the Group G standings, and with two rounds of matches remaining, they are in realistic contention to win the group. Belgian coach Hugo Broos has transformed the mentality in the squad, and it has given rise to mounting self-esteem. He has created a new generation, mainly with young players who will form the nucleus of future teams. Defender Rushine De Reuck is a greenhorn who Broos has identified as a player for…

Ashfak Mohamed ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za CORNAL Hendricks has been around the world playing for the Springboks, Blitzboks, Cheetahs and Bulls, but he doesn’t have fond memories of Scotland. Hendricks is enjoying a ‘second career’ after his heart ailment kept him off the pitch for a few years. He has shown his versatility by moving from right wing to inside centre for the Bulls when Jake White arrived at Loftus Versfeld, and in recent months he has shifted back to No 14 as the coach brought in former Lions duo Harold Vorster and Lionel Mapoe in midfield. But Hendricks featured in his original position from his Boland days, outside centre, in last Saturday’s 29-19 United Rugby Championship victory over Cardiff. He put in his customary big hits in defence, although he didn’t get…