Índex per 2022-02-03 a Star

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za SOUTH Africa’s power utility has dimmed a flicker of hope for the expected economic recovery, as it began rolling out rotational power cuts that could hamper industrial activity and business confidence. Eskom yesterday announced five days of scheduled power cuts until Monday morning, after “numerous generating unit breakdowns” since the weekend at several of its power stations. Eskom CEO André de Ruyter said the power utility was battling challenges mainly at four power stations. He said the Duvha and Tutuka power stations were running at half capa- city, as three of the six generation units at each station were off-line due to breakdowns. Total breakdowns amounted to 14 994MW, while planned mainten- ance was 4 435MW of capacity, as Eskom continued with reliability maintenance. De…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za ASCENDIS Health, which has narrowly averted going into business rescue, should be free of debt, with some cash to spare to rebuild, following the planned sale of three subsidiaries. The company, which has a new board after shareholders opposed the restructuring plans of the previous management that had included a rights issue, said late on Monday that it would be left with only its consumer brands business after the planned disposals. This business comprises seven main vitamin and supplement brands such as Solal, Vitaforce and Bettaway, as well as manufacturing capacity. The share price closed 2.44 percent lower at R0.80 on the JSE yesterday, an indication of how badly the company has performed, considering that it was trading at R22.75 five years ago. The board, now…

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za AS COVID-19 restrictions are being eased in South Africa this week and word is awaited from the state on procedural issues regarding the “old normal”, the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has backed petro-giant Sasol’s suspension of an employee who did not want to be vaccinated. Gideon Kok, a security officer at Ndaka Security Services, which provides security for Sasol in Sasolburg, was suspended after he refused to be vaccinated on religious grounds, despite the mandatory vaccination policies in the workplace. It is the second such case the CCMA has ruled on. However, legal practitioners said yesterday that the CCMA’s decision was more than justified, paving the way for vaccine compliance as employers ponder the best way to resume normal business practices as level 1…

Lehlohonolo Mashigo lehlohonolo.mashigo@inl.co.za CONSTITUTIONAL Court Chief Justice candidate, Judge President of the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) Mandisa Maya, said she does have a close relationship with the Judge President of the Western Cape Division of the High Court of SA, Judge John Hlophe. She said that in instances where she had to preside over those in the fraternity she had to pass judgment on she would recuse herself. She was being quizzed on the difficulty of disciplining colleagues when the need arose as a Chief Justice, especially when dealing with colleagues in the judiciary. “Judge President Hlophe is not even my friend. I was laughing to myself when I heard before the tribunal that other colleagues were invited to his wedding. I was not invited to his wedding. We…

KEDIBONE MODISE kedibone.modise@inl.co.za OSCAR-winning playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney's captivating play The Brothers Size is back at the Market Theatre as part of the Black History Month celebration. The play made its debut at the Market in 2012, starring an American cast. With artistic director James Ngcobo at the helm, the South African edition of The Brothers Size is being staged at the Market for a limited season. The play follows the story of two brothers, Ogun Size, played by Nhlakanipho Manqele, and Oshoosi Size, played by Katlego Chale. The duo is joined by Elegba (Marlo Minnaar), a friend who comes to stir the pot and sow discord between the siblings. “What also drew me to the play was Tarell’s poetic writing and his ability to link the plight of a…

Stuart Hess stuart.hess@inl.co.za Dean Elgar has described Keegan Petersen’s absence from the Proteas’ tour to New Zealand as “unfortunate”. The 28-year-old right-hander was ruled out of the two-match Test series against the world champions after contracting Covid-19. According to a statement by Cricket South Africa, Petersen is “well and asymptomatic”, and will be assisted by the federation’s medical team to ensure his medical and mental well-being. Petersen’s place in the squad will be taken by Western Province’s Zubayr Hamza. “It’s just another curve ball that the Proteas have to deal with; we’ve become pretty good at dealing with curve balls of late,” said SA captain Elgar. “It’s unfortunate that KP’s going to miss out on this trip. I was excited to see what he would do to build on what…

STRIKER Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang said he regretted the circumstances of his departure from Arsenal and was sad at being unable to say good-bye to his teammates ahead of a move to Barcelona. Arsenal confirmed late on Tuesday that the Gabon international had left the London club by mutual consent, ending speculation around his future after manager Mikel Arteta stripped him of the captaincy due to a “disciplinary breach” in December. In January, Aubameyang was part of the Gabon squad at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, but missed the first two games with coronavirus before being sent home after team medical staff said they had detected “cardiac lesions”. “I have always been 100% focused and committed on doing everything I can for this club which is why leaving without a…

Morgan Bolton morgan.bolton@inl.co.za THE Emirates Lions might be victims of tempest winds, their general form seemingly blustering in any of the four directions week-to-week, but the one area where they have undoubtedly been consistent is at scrum time. Indeed, of the 44 scrums they have packed down for in the seven games they have played in the United Rugby Championship (URC), they have lost only two. They are a side that pride themselves on the art of the scrum and much of their success in that department is no doubt down to a powerful front row, which includes tighthead prop Carlu Sadie. The monstrous 24-year-old has scrummed against the best in South Africa and Europe in recent months and has not only held his own, but in some cases has…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za ASTRAL Foods’ share price shot up 8.6 percent yesterday morning, after it announced that earnings and headline earnings were expected to increase by at least 100 percent in the six months to March 31, 2022. The integrated poultry producer said in a trading update that headline earnings per share would be at least 1 194 cents for the interim period, compared with 597c for the comparative period in 2021. Earnings a share would be at least 1 184c compared with 592c in the comparative period in 2021. The share price traded at R184.77. The positive update also generated chatter on Twitter with, for instance, @fintasticdata saying the company had a few red flags in 2021, including return on assets down 20…

Dieketseng Maleke dieketseng.maleke@inl.co.za WHILE the Covid-19 pandemic re- mained challenging in Glencore’s ferrochrome, nickel, and oil operating environment in 2021, its operations largely performed in line with guidance expectations, chief executive Gary Nagle said yesterday. The share rose by 2.55 percent to close at R82.82 on the JSE yesterday. Of note, the diversified mining firm yesterday reported 43 percent higher ferrochrome production in its full-year 2021 production report. However, the outputs of all other commodities were down, including overall coal being 3 percent lower, copper declined by 5 percent, zinc dropped 4 percent, lead decreased by 14 percent, nickel down 7 percent, gold showed a 12 percent decline, while silver was down 4 percent. Oil output increased by 34 percent…

Sonri Naidoo AFRICA Cares Women’s Tennis in partnership with Mercedes-Benz Sandton and other organisations held a power breakfast at Mercedes-Benz Sandton to put a spotlight on gender-based violence (GBV) and how to end it through sports, arts and culture. The event focused on driving the conversation under the theme “How industry leaders can play their part in the fight against GBV”. One of the speakers was Yolanda Sibeko, a GBV survivor who encouraged women who are in abusive relationships to seek help. “A leopard will never change its spots. Once he puts his hands on you, he will do it again. So leave,” said Sibeko. In a panel discussion industry leaders shared advice on how to contribute to ending GBV in each respective industry. The panel included broadcaster Penny Lebyane,…

BONGANI NKOSI bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za PROCEEDINGS of the murder trial of Ntuthuko Shoba, the man accused of ordering his pregnant girlfriend’s brutal killing on June 4, 2020, have left question marks about whether calls made via WhatsApp were traceable for forensic reasons. The State’s telecommunication forensics witness, Warrant Officer Andries van Tonder, testified yesterday at the South Gauteng High Court in Joburg that the cellphone of Tshegofatso Pule, Shoba’s slain lover, was last active at around 6.44pm the day she was killed. But Pule’s cousin Palesa Senokoane testified last week that she last spoke to her on the phone at around 9pm. The State’s evidence was that Pule was killed after 10pm. Muzikayise Malephane has confessed that he killed the 28-year-old from Soweto. Shoba was arrested and charged following Malephane’s plea bargain…

Party fails to act against chief whip, whose son was awarded Parly tender Itumeleng Mafisa THE ANC’s integrity commission has turned a blind eye to the party’s Chief Whip Pemmy Majodina. Majodina said she would voluntarily subject herself to the commission after her son Mkhonto Wesizwe Majodina was exposed for secretly getting a tender to procure thermometers for Parliament’s ANC constituency offices, an office that receives money from Parliament in order to do its work. Majodina’s son also did work as a graphic designer at Parliament. The Star is informed that although a complaint against Majodina was laid with the public protector, the ANC has taken no action against its chief whip, and has not sought an explanation from her. Majodina jr is the sole director of King Mzimshe…

Ingredients 400g boerewors ½ can (200g) lentils 2 tbs (30ml) fresh parsley, chopped 1 carrot, grated 2 tbs (30ml) chutney 1 clove garlic, crushed Sunflower oil 4 potatoes, peeled and cooked ¼ cup (60ml) olive oil 2 tbs (30ml) lemon juice 2 tbs (30ml) fresh basil, chopped Grated peel of 1 lemon ½ tsp (3ml) sugar Salt and milled pepper Method Squeeze boerewors meat out of its casing and mix with lentils, parsley, carrot, chutney and ½ the garlic. Roll into small balls. Fry meatballs in a glug of sunflower oil for 2–3 minutes a side, or until cooked through. Dice potatoes into 1cm cubes. Mix olive oil, lemon juice, basil, remaining garlic, lemon peel, sugar, salt, pepper. Pour the dressing over the potatoes and combine thoroughly. Serve meatballs with…

MENTION Ford GT40 and immediately the discussion turns to the legendary Le Mans 24-hour race of the 1960s when Henry Ford made it his mission to topple Ferrari from the podium. His conduit was Carroll Shelby and his name and the car were forever immortalised with a clean sweep in 1966 and going on to win the race in 1967, 1968 and 1969. Later the Cobra Daytona Coupe, considered by many to be one of the most beautifully designed cars ever, took aerodynamics and speed to a new level, which earned it many victories and speed records around the world in a wide range of events. It stands to reason then that being able to own one of these classic heritage cars would be the cherry on…

Stuart Hess stuart.hess@inl.co.za ALTHOUGH disappointed at the outcome in the second one-day international against the West Indies, the Proteas women’s team feel they are on track as far as the build-up to the World Cup is concerned. In just over a month, South Africa start their campaign in that tournament by facing Bangladesh in Dunedin, New Zealand, and the current series against a motivated West Indies side has helped to reacquaint the players with the demands of international cricket after months without playing and an extended period of training. Stafanie Taylor’s team have played with a level of intensity that surprised the South Africans, while Deandra Dottin’s explosive knocks at the top of the innings have put the home team under pressure. However, that is exactly what the Proteas would…

Michael Sherman SHAUN Norris will lead the charge of 11 South Africans in the field at the Ras al Khaimah Championship at Al Hamra Golf Club in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from today. At 73rd in the world rankings, Norris is the top-ranked SA player in the field. The 39-year-old will be making his first start on the DP World Tour (formerly European Tour) of the 2022 season, after playing last week in the Sunshine Tour’s Vodacom Origins of Golf Final at Sun City. Norris, though, missed the cut at Sun City by four shots after rounds of 75 and 73 left him on four-over-par. In the higher quality field this week, Norris will be hoping to making a much faster start as one of the marquee players on…

Ashfak Mohamed ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za SPRINT legend Michael Johnson has lauded Elaine Thompson-Herah for getting close to the 100 metres world record last year, after the Jamaican speedster was nominated for the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award yesterday. The 29-year-old defended her 100 and 200m Olympic titles in Tokyo last year, and added gold in the 4x100m relay to grow her tally to six medals. If that wasn’t impressive enough, Thompson-Herah ran even quicker in the Diamond League at the end of the season, and got close to Florence Griffith-Joyner’s world record of 10.49 seconds. Her quickest time of 10.54 was the second-fastest of all time and was produced in August in Eugene, Oregon, which will be the venue for the 2022 world championships. In the 200m Olympic final, Thompson-Herah’s…

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za TRANSNET said yesterday that more time was needed to unpack the recommendations of Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo’s report regarding the large-scale looting of the logistics group’s financial resources and assess where the state-owned firm was on its governance journey to recovery after years of state capture bled it dry. Transnet, under new management in the past few years, has tried to turn the tide on its governance practices and recover billions of rand fleeced from the firm by individuals and companies. Justice Zondo, in a report released this week, made strong recommendations of law enforcement and judicial action against former executives, including former chief executives Siyabonga Gama and Brian Molefe and Gupta associates, who were instrumental in carving off pieces of the entity responsible for…

Dieketseng Maleke dieketseng.maleke@inl.co.za DE BEERS, a unit of Anglo American, recorded a robust sales cycle as consumer demand for diamond jewellery increased during the festive season. Anglo American owns 85 percent in De Beers and holds 10 sales meetings with selected buyers annually, referred to as cycles. The sales for the first cycle amounted to $663 million (R10.14 billion) and were higher than the $336m of diamonds sold during the 10th and final sales cycle of last year. “Owing to the restrictions on the movement of people and products in various jurisdictions around the globe, De Beers Group has continued to implement a more flexible approach to rough diamond sales during the first sales cycle of 2022, with the Sight event extended beyond its normal week-long duration.…

CONSUMERS are now facing a perfect storm of rising interest rates and growing inflation, warned DebtBusters. DebtBusters’ Q4 2021 Debt Index was published this week as part of its National Debt Awareness Month campaign, aimed to better inform consumers about managing debt and the effect of rising interest rates. This year’s theme is: Know what’s in your best interest. DebtBusters head Benay Sager said the impact of rising fuel prices, higher inflation and lack of growth in incomes had resulted in elevated levels of unsecured debt. “When you factor in the rise in interest rates, which has already started and will probably continue during 2021, we expect that higher debt levels and interest pressures will result in more consumers seeking debt counselling – we have already observed this in January…

Bang Showbiz Prince Andrew’s lawyers plan to interview Virginia Giuffre’s husband and therapist, while her team want to speak with the Duke of York’s former assistant. Virginia has accused convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein – who took his own life in August 2019 – and his one-time girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell of arranging and forcing her into having sex with Andrew in 2001 when she was 17 and as part of the civil case, the 61-year-old royal’s legal team are to speak to her spouse, Robert, under oath in Australia. Judge Lewis Kaplan has written to the country’s attorney general asking for help to arrange the interview, either in person or via video link, and explained Andrew is keen to have him questioned about their living arrangements in Australia, any discussion…

Motorists are now paying substantially more for fuel – 53c more per litre for petrol and up to 80c more for diesel. The good news is that, through a few relatively simple and practical changes to the way they drive and maintain their cars, they can save around R20 000 a year. “A few minor changes could lead to big savings. R100 here and R50 there eventually add up to substantial savings over a year,” says Susan Steward from Budget Insurance. With a few minor adjustments to your driving habits and with regular car maintenance, you can boost the fuel efficiency of your car by as much as 40%. So, if you fill up four times a month, or 48 times a year at roughly R1 000 per tank, a…

Larry Crisp | Department of Water and Sanitation Free State FOLLOWING this year’s matric results, South Africa prides itself on a pass rate of 76.4%. With this exciting news comes another important stage for the former pupils to craft their career paths. They will now enter another important chapter of learning and growth in their lives, and this calls for a well-informed decision they have to make. With an unprecedented number of distinctions across the country, it is clear that South Africa is moving in the right direction. As the Department of Water and Sanitation, we hope that these young people will choose wisely and calculate their next steps wisely. It is also our wish for many of these high-school graduates to join the water sector in its respective…

Jason Woosey jason.woosey@inl.co.za Mixing business and pleasure is not always such a good thing, but this new “space age” entrant from South Korea could certainly be an exception. The new Hyundai Staria Multicab has been launched in South Africa and it elevates the usually humble “commercial van” to new heights of comfort and refinement. The idea of a panel van with a second row of seats is nothing new, and it usually hits the sweet spot for businesses that need to haul personnel and cargo. But the ones we’ve seen so far have been rather basic, and reluctant to shrug off their commercial van vibes. This is where the Hyundai Staria Multicab stands apart and with its impressive spec and refinement, it’s perhaps as much a leisure vehicle as it…

MIHLALI BALEKA mihlali.baleka@inl.co.za KAIZER Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter says he hopes the decision that will be made by the independent arbitrator will allow the team to play the matches they forfeited due to a Covid-19 outbreak at their base in Naturena in early December. After failing to honour two of their five league matches in December amid the outbreak at the Village, Amakhosi were found guilty by the Premier Soccer League’s Disciplinary Committee. But they appealed, pleading for the case to go to arbitration. The DC complied, with the league and Amakhosi asked to find an arbitrator on Monday. Reports emerged that they both nominated Nassir Cassim, the advocate who handled the arbitration of the Tendai Ndoro saga in 2018. But in the meantime, there are more chance that the…

FORGET Mohamed Salah or Sadio Mane, because the most prolific strikers at this Africa Cup of Nations are the two players leading the attack for hosts Cameroon as they face Egypt in the semi-finals tonight. Cameroon captain Vincent Aboubakar is the tournament’s top marksman with six goals, while Karl Toko-Ekambi scored both goals for the Indomitable Lions in their 2-0 quarter-final win over Gambia to move to five altogether. Between them they have scored every one of Cameroon’s 11 goals so far at the Cup of Nations, the duo emerging as the key men five years after playing bit-part roles in the side that won the title in Gabon. In 2017 both were used almost exclusively from the bench, although Aboubakar came on as a substitute to score the winner…