Índex per 2021-10-15 a Star

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za THE PRICE of petrol in South Africa could surge to its highest again as the international crude oil price yesterday breached a more than three-year high amid rising concerns about supply tightness. The price of Brent crude rose more than 1 percent yesterday of $84 (R1 248) per barrel as shortages of natural gas in Europe and Asia boosted demand for oil. The Department of Mineral Re- sources and Energy warned earlier this month that the natural gas crunch in Europe would spill over to other countries and lead to higher oil prices. Oil prices have increased over the past year as a result of steady draws on global oil inventories. Brent crude oil spot prices averaged $74 per barrel in September, up $4…

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za LOCAL POULTRY producers are celebrating the banishing of the mixing of chicken portions in the same bag from different countries, or sources of origin, which will ensure that chicken imports will now be traceable in the event of the break out of diseases. Speaking to Business Report yesterday, Fairplay Founder and chief executive Francois Baird said the banishment, part of the South African Poultry Masterplan, was a breakthrough for consumers and industry as importers tended to source from different countries, including Germany, Ireland, Poland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Brazil and then package in the same bags as availability allowed. “If you get sick from eating that chicken where do yo go. The thing now is that it has to be policed. If regulators ignore that there we…

Reuters and Philippa Larkin SOUTH Africa’s biggest engineering union has rejected a new wage offer as a strike that has already hit output at carmaker BMW enters its second week, employer body Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) said yesterday. The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, which has around 155 000 members in the sector, has been on strike since October 5 to press for higher wages, an action that could hit supplies of parts for new cars and accessories. Luxury car maker BMW said on Monday that it had lost production of around 700 vehicles at its main assembly plant in South Africa when a number of suppliers were affected. Lucio Trentini, the chief executive at industry body Seifsa, said the two…

Jamal Grootboom NICKI Minaj has become a barb herself and continues to dig her own grave, all because of the people she chooses to associate with. In case you missed it, the Starships hitmaker is fighting for her life in TikTok comments after her Instagram Live with former Little Mix member and Boyz collaborator Jesy Nelson was dragged all across Beyoncé’s internet. When the music video for Jesy’s debut solo single Boyz dropped, the conversation quickly shifted from the British singer’s first track since leaving Little Mix to her being accused of blackfishing – when white women adopt black features through surgery, excessive tanning and hairstyles to appear black or to have black ancestry. TikTokers, tweeps and people on Instagram (IG) stayed on Jesy’s neck, leading her to cancel two…

Given Majola given.majola@inl.co.za THE SPIKE in insurance claims last year highlighted the importance of income protection, said life insurer FMI, a division of Bidvest Life. According to FMI, last year brought the highest number of claims in its 26-year history, with claim volumes increasing by 17 percent compared to the previous year owing to a sharp increase in temporary income protection claims related to Covid-19. Presenting FMI’s 2020 Claims Report this week, FMI’s chief product actuary, Leza Wells, said minor infections were the leading reasons for the claims, accounting for 31.2 percent of income protection claims paid in 2020. “Most of these were due to Covid-19 infections and complications. Mental health claims, largely due to anxiety, burnout and depression, accounted for 3.5 percent of all claims and was the…

Debashine Thangevelo debashine.thangevelo@inl.co.za BEST known for her role as Lady Sybil Crawley in the critically-acclaimed period drama Downton Abbey, Jessica Brown Findlay has been gravitating towards voiceover work. Aside from Netflix’s Castlevania, where she voices Lenore, the actress is back as Fay Wishbone in Monster Family 2. The computer-animated horror- comedy first released in 2017. Unfortunately, critics lambasted it for everything from its animation and voice acting to its writing and humour. But the sequel was given the green light so perhaps it will redeem itself, especially with its star-studded cast. While Holger Tapper returns to the director’s seat, David Safier is joined by Abraham Katz on the writing side. The storyline picks up a year from where the first film ended. After grappling with their various struggles, the Wishbone…

Thobile Mazibuko thobile.mazibuko@inl.co.za The festive season is almost here, and while some are planning to go on holiday, others want to relax at home with their loved ones. If you plan on hosting a small party or a get-together with friends, these are some of the cocktails you can make for your guests. VSOP Courvoisier French Twist For Cognac lovers who prefer their drink with a twist, instead of having it on the rocks, this one is for you. Ingredients 50ml Courvoisier VSOP 15ml Orange Curaçao or quality Triple Sec 22ml Sirop de Gomme (or honey) 15ml fresh lemon juice 89ml soda water Method Build all ingredients into a tin, except the soda. Add one hand-cracked 1x1 ice cube and shake until melted. Pour into a glass half full of…

Thobile Mazibuko thobile.mazibuko@inl.co.za FNB Art Joburg, one of the leading art fairs in the City of Gold, is bringing the best artists under one roof at Open City. Open City, a new initiative launched by FNB Art Joburg, is a four-day gallery weekend across the Rosebank precinct, from October 28-31. During the gallery weekend, guests will take a tour through the exhibitions of Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt; a group exhibition co-curated by Anelisa Mangcu of Under The Aegis and Jana Terblanche of African Artist Foundation (AAF). The exhibition explores black portraiture in the practice of painters from southern and west Africa. The Zone @ Rosebank will be showcasing Of blood, sweat and data, an exhibition co-curated by Studio Nxumalo and Through the Lens Collective. Their series of documentary…

Sonri Naidoo A STATE witness in the Nathaniel Julies murder has described the acts of the police officers who are accused of the murder as insubordinate. Colonel James Chauke from the Eldorado Park police station, gave evidence yesterday for the second time at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court. Chauke, who has been in the SAPS for 29 years, said the events which took place after Julies was shot were something he had never seen before. On Wednesday, Chauke testified that he was at home when an officer called to speak to him about the incident. He said after going to see the deceased at the hospital, he went to the police station and met accused number two Simon “Scorpion” Ndyalvane, who handed to him a shotgun which allegedly fired…

Staff Reporter GROOTE Schuur Hospital on Wednesday became the first public sector hospital in Africa able to perform robotic surgery for use in the treatment of a wide range of conditions, with the launch of the Da Vinci Xi fourth generation robot. The System represents four generations and nearly 20 years of learning how to enhance surgical performance by creating a natural extension of the surgeon’s eyes and hands. The Da Vinci Xi can be used across a wide spectrum of minimally invasive surgical procedures and has been optimised for complex, multi-quadrant surgeries. The new technology allows for minimally invasive surgery for complex diseases and conditions in gynaecology, urology, cardiothoracic, colorectal and general surgery. Groote Schuur Hospital chief executive Dr Bhavna Patel said the facility was proud to continue innovating…

Peter Bachtis | Benoni Yet another cyclist was recently killed by a drunk taxi driver. Blinded by the booze, the fool dragged the innocent cyclist for 500 metres, before eventually stopping. The various taxi associations need to impose harsh rules and regulations on their drivers and should be more visible and vigilant at taxi ranks ... doing breathalyser tests continuously. Cyclists too, need to be alert at all times, avoiding situations where they could be placing themselves in harms way. Cycling is an awesome fitness sport, but the sceptre of dangerous drivers is a constant threat to their well being.…

Herman Gibbs herman.gibbs@gmail.com THE Federation Internationale de Football Association (Fifa), football’s world governing body, is at a crossroads since the World Cup has become an object of heated debate among the member confederations. Fifa have proposed to convert football’s most prestigious competition, the World Cup tournament, from a quadrennial to a biennial event. It has caused an outcry from the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) and the powerful Union of European Football Associations (Uefa), whose member countries have won the World Cup more times than any other confederation. The rest of the World Cup conquests have been racked up by Conmebol members. On the opposite of this debate is the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf), Confederation of African Football (CAF) and Asian Football Confederation (AFC).…

Herman Gibbs herman.gibbs@gmail.com KAIZER Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter says it will be business as usual tomorrow when they host Gavin Hunt’s Chippa United in the Premiership – “except that the knife will be closer to the throat”. Baxter also said that Hunt would not have an adverse agenda on his return to FNB Stadium, where last season he guided the fortunes of Chiefs. Baxter said that both he and Hunt would be under pressure, but that has become the daily lot of professional coaches. “Hunt’s position as a former Chiefs coach will not influence the contest,” said Baxter. “It is business as usual, except that the knife will be closer to the throat.” Baxter used the knife reference to illustrate that coaches are under daily pressure to retain their jobs.…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za PROMINENT entrepreneur Brian Joffe would step down as chief executive of Long4Life, a company he founded five years ago, to become its chairperson. Long4Life’s share price surged 15.7 percent to R5.15 on the JSE yesterday afternoon after the group also announced in its interim results for the six months to August 31 that it had received an offer from a party, which it did not name, to buy all its shares. The current chairperson, Graham Dempster, will assume the role of deputy-chairperson. Long4Life delivered “particularly pleasing” results in the six-month period with headline earnings per share increasing by multiple times to 22.5 cents compared with 0.8c in the same period in 2020, and by 55 percent compared with the interim period in 2019, which…

Philippa Larkin philippa.larkin@inl.co.za STEINHOFF subsidiary, Pepco, the fast-growing pan-European variety discount retailer, yesterday forecast revenue growth up 19.4 percent for the year to September as it expanded its store portfolio by 17.3 percent and as it opened its first stores in Austria, Serbia and Spain. Pepco, the owner of the Pepco and Dealz brands in Europe and Poundland in the UK and which listed on the Warsaw stock market in May with a €5 billion (R86bn) valuation, said revenue was at €4.1bn), led by Pepco with 29.2 percent growth. Like-for-like sales were up 6.5 percent. Underlying earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation, was anticipated to be within a range of €640 million to €655m, at the upper-end of analyst expectations, and representing…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za MTN IS IN the money seat as its 29 percent stake in IHS Towers is set to rake in billions, after it announced yesterday that the pricing had been set for the initial public offering (IPO) at $21 (R312) per share, which an analyst said was “was a good offering, but probably under-priced to attract investors”. Nigerian-based tower operator IHS Towers placed an IPO of 18 million ordinary shares at a public offering price of $21 per share on the New York Stock Exchange, which would raise $378 million. After the IPO, MTN will hold 85 176 719 ordinary shares from IHS Towers. MTN last month alerted the market to the upcoming IPO, punted as Africa’s biggest IPO. MTN said…

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za SOUTH African business is throwing its weight behind the transitioning power generation from fossil fuel reliance to net-zero emissions requiring the deployment of 150 gigawatt hours (GW/h) of wind and solar capacity by 2050. This is almost four times the total capacity of South Africa’s coal power plants today, needing an investment of R3 trillion within the next 30 years. In an ongoing study aimed at clarifying the pathway, the National Business Initiative, Business Unity South Africa and the Boston Consulting Group this week said business would support an enhanced level of ambition in the nationally determined contribution that would see the country committing to a range of 440 to 350/370 metric tons clean emissions by 2030. The research initiative has the support of captains…

CHILD’S PLAY M-NET CITY, DSTV CHANNEL 115, 8.50PM Killer doll Chucky pursues unfinished business in this epic sequel. With his body restored, he guns for his old target, Andy, to transfer his troubled spirit once and for all. YOU S3 NETFLIX Now married with a young baby, Love and Joe try to forge a normal life in the affluent suburb of Madre Linda. But old habits die hard. ANGELIENA NETFLIX After a string of life-changing revelations, a beloved parking attendant pieces a new plan together and chases her dream of traveling the world.…

Thobile Mazibuko thobile.mazibuko@inl.co.za SOUTH Africa commemorated Heritage Day on September 24. Although people wear traditional garb and eat African cuisine to celebrate their different traditions on the day, many still don’t know much about South African heritage. Some traditions are dying and if they are not preserved, the next generation may not even know they existed. South African film-maker Lebogang Rasethaba partnered with Castle Milk Stout to produce a short film titled Last Stories of Culture. The film follows the stories of matriarchs Latozi Mpahleni, well-known as Madosini, an acclaimed and award-winning musical legend, and Ouma Katrina Esau, the last person in the world who can fluently speak the endangered N|uu language. Nluu is a South African language that is 25 000 years old. Rasethaba went on a journey to…

RYNCOR is selling a soya oil plant on a farm outside Winterton in KwaZulu-Natal on tender sale from Monday to Friday. The 101 419-hectare property is made up of predominantly arable land. Of the 70.3ha of arable land area, 22ha are under pivot irrigation. The farm also has a 9ha section where there is a functioning oil mill, used for extracting oil from soybean meal (pictured), and other buildings. The plant is easily accessible via a dirt road. This links up to the R74 which goes through Winterton, about 3km away. The town is 225km north-west of the Durban harbour and 390km west of Richards Bay harbour. Viewing is by appointment only. For more information about the property or to book a viewing, contact Werner Rynners at 082 578 5324…

Bongani Nkosi bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za ALLEGED serial killer, ex-cop Rosemary Ndlovu, insured her relatives and boyfriend, whose mysterious and callous deaths brought her to the dock, out of sheer love. Her counsel, advocate Vincent Soko, made this submission yesterday at the South Gauteng High Court, sitting at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court. Judge Ramarumo Monama heard closing arguments in the drawn-out trial. This was a final hearing ahead of a verdict and it presented an opportunity for the State and defence to argue the strengths of their cases. Ndlovu stands accused of ordering hits on relatives and a boyfriend for insurance payouts. She faces charges of five murders, conspiracy to commit murders, being an obstruction to justice and attempted murders. The relatives she allegedly ordered hits onwere her sister Audrey…

Lehlohonolo Mashigo lehlohonolo.mashigo@inl.co.za RESIDENTS of Evaton West Extension 7, Vereeniging, say they halted the pothole repair of a massive pothole on Tuesday due to their councillor and the Emfuleni Municipality being aloof to their pleas for many years about the deteriorating road. A massive pothole in Evaton West sent shock waves across social media after children and a few adults were captured on social media swimming in it at the weekend. Resident Mbuso Mabaso said that as a community they are well aware that the biggest problem is water from faulty pipes beneath the roads. “We are well aware that water is what is creating this damage. It's not even one pothole. There are many potholes around the area. We've been pleading with the councillor to do something about this…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za WITS University has launched a new advanced surgical skills laboratory, worth R22 million, to train surgical specialists and sub-specialists in South Africa. The institution said there was a critical shortage of expert medical specialists in South Africa, including surgeons, and it is estimated that there is a need to double the current number of surgeons to fully meet the country’s needs. Wits said in addition South Africa has been losing a number of surgical experts to overseas markets due to the lack of sufficient specialised facilities. “Wits trains more doctors, surgeons, specialists and sub-specialists than any other university in Southern Africa. “The new R22m Wits advanced surgical skills lab will help to enhance the training of surgeons, across disciplines, in a state-of-the-art environment, with the best equipment…

By his own admission, Devon Conway was struggling in South Africa before a bold move to New Zealand turned around his cricketing fortunes in spectacular fashion. The left-handed batsman now finds himself a key part of a Black Caps squad intent on continuing their winning ways at the T20 World Cup starting this week, after claiming the inaugural World Test Championship. Just over four years ago, Conway was a journeyman domestic cricketer in his South African homeland, regarded as capable, but not on the radar for the Proteas. Former teammate Omphile Ramela said the powers-that-be in South African cricket referred to Conway as an “amateur bully” who could dominate domestic attacks, but was not good enough for international cricket. With his career at a standstill, the Johannesburg-born batsman headed overseas…

Morgan Bolton morgan.bolton@inl.co.za EW Viljoen will continue his efforts from the flyhalf position, Emirates Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen disclosed yesterday, for today’s United Rugby Championship clash against Ulster (8.35pm SA time kick-off). In recent weeks, the Lions have had something of a crisis in the No 10 spot after first losing Jordan Hendrikse and then Eddie Fouché, both within a week. Enter Viljoen – usually preferred in the fullback position – who stepped up for the team to play at pivot in the narrow 13-9 loss to Glasgow last weekend. Viljoen had a decent game in the position, making all his shots at goal, while taking on the gain-line with purpose. He was not 100% solid in defence and perhaps could have distributed the ball a bit more, although…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za THE SOUTH32 $2.05 billion (R30.47bn) cash acquisition of 45 percent of Chile mine Sierra Gorda represented another step in the group’s pivot to extract resources for the accelerating global energy transition, chief executive Graham Kerr said yesterday. The strategy at the Australia-based international resources group has been to move away from the likes of coal and manganese toward base metals. Earlier this year, South32 sold its South African thermal coal business to black-owned Seriti Resources and it was reportedly considering selling its stake in the Eagle Downs coal project in Australia as well. Last month, South32 acquired an additional 25 percent stake in Mozambique’s Mozal aluminium smelter – aluminium is widely used in low-carbon energy supply such as solar-panel frames. In 2018, the…

EARLIER this month South Africans were shocked when news reports surfaced that media personality Boity Thulo and radio DJ Bujy Bikwa were involved in a physical altercation at a hotel in Johannesburg. As quickly as the news broke, the internet started a discourse on whether or not this altercation should be considered gender based-violence (GBV)or not – across Twitter, it became clear that the vast majority of users were on Boity’s side. More details from the incident surfaced, including statements from both parties, along with several audio clips, giving more details about how things went left so quickly. Various members of the LGBTQI+ community were vocal about how this incident should be classified as a GBV scenario, since Bujy being gay had nothing to do with why he felt emboldened…

SOUTH Africa’s September economic transactions indicated a further slowdown in economic growth, which meant that the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) data for the third quarter of 2021 was likely to be far weaker than that of the second quarter, according to the BankservAfrica Economic Transaction Index (Beti). The index, a fast indicator of underlying economic trends in the South African economy, fell by 6 percent last month. This as the International Monetery Fund, in its latest World Economic Outlook this week, said South Africa’s GDP would now grow by 5 percent this year, up from 4 percent previously forecast in July. BankservAfrica’s head of stakeholder engagements, Shergeran Naidoo, said this week that the headline Beti weakened from 13.5 percent in August to 6.5 percent last month. “On a quarterly…

Debashine Thangevelo debashine.thangevelo@inl.co.za This year’s European Film Festival will also be held virtually from October 14 to 24. Of the 18 films selected from all over Europe, most are directed by women. This year’s theme is “Healing Journeys”, and the films explore hope and humanity in a thought-provoking light. Peter Rorvik, who is the co-director and curator of the European Film Festival, explained why they had decided to keep it online despite the country being placed on level 1. “Live events within the arts and culture sector have been very hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, and resulted in the closure of activities and venues across the country. However, moving the European Film Festival online in 2020 proved to be a highly successful response to the situation, allowing people to…

Sihle Mavuso AN UNREPENTANT former president Jacob Zuma is still on the warpath, as he yesterday lambasted the Constitutional Court for “unlawfully” sending him to jail based on an allegedly defective application by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, who refused to recuse himself when he asked him to do so. Zuma yesterday addressed his supporters via a live Facebook feed from his home in Nkandla. Despite growing expectations, the former ANC leader did not show up in person at a rally held at the People's Park near Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. Addressing his supporters, Zuma said the Constitutional Court’s “majority judgment is bad in law”, and that he was “unconstitutionally” jailed. Giving reasons why he had not attended the rally, he cited “known reasons”, which included ill-health, which…

Itumeleng Mafisa ALMOST five years after the first black principal of Sandown High School in Joburg was found naked and dead in Soweto there are still no answers. Principal Pule Kgaratsi was found dead in his Audi TT in White City in 2017. He had four bullet wounds and was found with his pants down. He was appointed principal at Sandown High in 2015 and had received a number of awards as an educator. Kgaratsi’s family said they were struggling to get closure because the police had not yet solved Pule’s murder case. A private investigator had been hired by the family to try and get to the bottom of the murder. It was suspected that Kgaratsi could have been killed in a gay love triangle gone wrong. Queen…

FOLLOWING the recent launch of the Alexandra Safe Hub last month, the City of Joburg has announced the hub will be a haven for growth, opportunity, and an overall safety net in the community. Located at 26 and 2nd avenues in Alexandra, the hub aims to significantly reduce crime and violence, improve educational results for its participants, as well as create a jobs pipeline for young people. The project is a partnership between the city and the SA Football Association Development Agency (SDA). In addition, through sports retailer Totalsports’ R8.5 million investment, the SDA could build an artificial football field in Alex. Totalsports has also committed a further R5.4m a year over the next five years, which will be used for training coaches, referees, and administrators. The city donated the…

The present incarnation of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) moves the goalposts so often that candidates for appointment to the bench sometimes appear to find themselves with a football on a golf fairway. During the rerun of interviews last week for positions at the Constitutional Court, senior counsel Dali Mpofu questioned the candidature of two white men – advocate Alan Dodson SC and Gauteng high court judge David Unterhalter – and suggested their appointment would hinder transformation. This was despite the court, for the first time in its history, not having any white men on its bench. Consequently, the constitutional requirement that the court “broadly” reflects the demographics of South Africa did not exclude either of them. On paper, the candidates’ careers as public interest lawyers (and experience in other…

Phil Mickelson has slammed a new directive on club length designed to curb driving distances, saying players had not been consulted over a policy he described as “stupid”. Golf’s governing bodies, the Royal & Ancient, and the US Golf Association (USGA), on Tuesday said top-level tournaments will now be given the option of imposing a 46-inch limit on club length. That could impact players like Mickelson, who used a 49.9-inch driver when he won the US PGA Championship earlier this year, as well as big-hitters like 2020 US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, who has experimented with a 48-inch driver. “It is extremely disappointing to find out that the PGA Tour adopted the new USGA rule through the media,” Mickelson wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. “I don’t know of any player…

Zaahier Adams zaahier.adams@inl.co.za TEMBA Bavuma may be an inexperienced international captain, but he is showing early signs that he is a fast learner heading into the T20 World Cup. The fast-paced nature of T20 cricket places plenty of pressure on any captain, who has to stay abreast with tactics, bowling changes and field placings while the ball is often flying off the bat to the boundary. This causes many captains to lose track of the clock, which is an integral part of the shortest format, as the 20 overs need to be delivered in a specific time period. It may seem like an indifferent technicality, but Proteas teams of the past have struggled to maintain their over-rate at previous T20 World Cups, particularly when the pressure is at its most…

Quinton de Kock IN addition to the value the likes of Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortjé provided to their respective IPL franchises during the UAE leg of the competition, they, along with Aiden Markram and Tabriaz Shamsi, were also tasked with intelligence gathering on venues and pitches ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup. But finding confidence and form were important as well. Stuart Hess looks at how the Proteas fared in the IPL’s stint in the UAE. Five matches, 142 runs, Average 28.4, Strike-rate 114.51 De Kock did okay, but Mumbai probably needed more from him as they missed out on a play-off spot. The brainstrust at the franchise seemed to get irritated with the fact that De Kock got starts, used up a lot of…