Índex per 2022-03-22 a Star

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za THE SOUTH African Reserve Bank (SARB) could tighten monetary policy this week as inflation continues to head towards the top end of its 3 to 6 percent target range. Global producer price and food price inflation continues to rise higher on fears of supply chain disruption, with the Russian war in Ukraine pushing oil prices to a 14-year high. Global agriculture and other commodity prices have also risen strongly. Electricity and other administered prices also continue to present short- and medium-term price risks, as Eskom will get a 9.6 percent tariff increase from April 1. It is in these contexts that SARB’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will meet from today until Thursday. The MPC meeting occurs in a highly fluid global environment, characterised by heightened…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za THE INVESTEC Group would review its provision overlays nearer the release of its annual results in May as there were still market risks from the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK and South Africa and an as yet unknown impact of higher inflation associated with the invasion by Russia of Ukraine. This was according to Investec chief executive Fanie Titi, who spoke on Friday in an online event at the release of a pre-close trading update for the year to March 31. He said that there had so far been clear improvement in the group, but the possible impact of, for example, higher energy costs in South Africa and the UK from the high oil prices on the group’s generally high net worth clients and corporate clients,…

Firm won’t fork out after woman hit when guard dropped rifle Sifiso Mahlangu sifiso.mahlangu@inl.co.za MARGARET Adams was in for a disappointing engagement with security giant Fidelity Security, after one of their security guards shot her on January 4. Adams was in a queue inside the Reiger Park Post Office to collect her pension when a security guard dropped his rifle and a shot went off, hitting her in the leg. After she was rushed to Tambo Memorial Hospital, a government hospital in Ekurhuleni, and stabilised, the doctors informed her she needed arthroplasty surgery on her knee to treat the extensive damage caused by the bullet. Fearing that she may lose her leg, Adams wanted to go to a private hospital to have the operation and further medical assessment done…

My Station Street Kitchen Mynhardt Joubert Loot.co.za (R270) Struik CHEF Mynhardt Joubert has been cooking from his Station Street Kitchen in Paarl in the Western Cape for the past five years, hosting dinners for paying guests, hosting media launches and using his home as a creative space and photographic studio. The book, My Station Street Kitchen, is a reflection of his kitchen and the dinners that he hosts there. Mynhardt infuses everything he does with his enthusiasm, exuberance and love of food that incorporates his life experiences, from his childhood on a farm in the eastern Free State to his travels around the world and throughout South Africa. Join him at his Station Street Kitchen and create your own culinary delights. | Staff Reporter…

Anita Nkonki anita.nkonki@inl.co.za MONTHS after its premiere, the Showmax hit telenovela The Wife is still experiencing smooth sailing, despite being faced with scrutiny at times. It has become traditional for viewers to initiate deep debates about the show. If it is not talk about the storyline, it is about the cast, and it becomes more intriguing as more characters are brought to the screen. For those who have read Dudu Busani-Dube’s best-selling novels, Showmax reveals they are nearly impossible to please as they always imagine every bit of scenery according to their reading experience. The introduction of Gaisang K Noge, who plays Naledi, was no different from others who have attracted a spark of debate from viewers. According to viewers she was supposed to be a size bigger than she…

Farouk Araie | Joburg ACCORDING to confirmed reports, the numerous military conflicts raging around Ukraine, the Middle East and Africa have resulted in massive deaths of non-combatants, including women and children. Why is the International Criminal Court deathly silent when the major powers, and their allies, commit crimes against humanity? Military force and gunboat diplomacy are the tools of geographical expansion of the five military powers in the UN Security Council. They have since the advent of the UN collectively killed over 50 million people in an orgy of mindless slaughter. Due to their nuclear posture, they have become immune to international prosecution. Rest assured that one day they will be held accountable. The grave situation in these blood- soaked and devastated areas is spiralling out of…

Earlier this year, the Azanian People’s Organisation (Azapo), in conjunction with the Abu Asvat Institute for Nation Building, commemorated the 33rd anniversary of the death of Abu Baker Asvat, a medical doctor and political activist. Asvat was murdered in his clinic in Soweto in January 1989. Since President Cyril Ramaphosa posthumously conferred the Order of Luthuli in Silver on Asvat late last year, this inspiring radical activist has re-emerged in our national conversation, although not to the same extent as other important political figures outside the ANC, such as Neil Aggett and Rick Turner. Nonetheless, the re-emergence of Asvat as a significant figure in our political memory is a hopeful sign. His modest lifestyle and selfless commitment to working with the oppressed has many lessons for contemporary South Africans. This…

Ukraine rejected a Russian ultimatum to surrender the besieged southern city of Mariupol yesterday, as renewed shelling killed at least eight people at a shopping mall in the capital Kyiv. Almost 350 000 people are trapped without water and electricity in the port city of Mariupol, which has been bombarded by Russian troops for almost a month. Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said an agreement had been reached with Russia on creating eight humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians from besieged towns and cities but Mariupol was not among them. Yesterday, the EU was to approve a new defence strategy designed to increase the bloc’s capacity to act, including setting up a 5 000-strong rapid reaction force. “It’s not the answer to the Ukrainian war, but it is part of the…

SMISO MSOMI smiso.msomi@inl.co.za ORLANDO Pirates shrugged off their domestic woes and booked their spot in the quarter-finals of the Confederation Cup on Sunday night with a 2-0 victory over Saoura of Algeria. Pirates coach Mandla Ncikazi applauded his side’s performances at the Stade du 5 Juillet in Algiers. Ncikazi also disclosed that they took advantage of their opponents’ inability to field a full strength line-up. “Saoura were very unlucky that they were missing a number of their important players, including their captain,” the Buccaneers coach said. “But I also think we played very well and we exerted ourselves very well,” he added. The Buccaneers put in a character-defining performance in north Africa, withstanding pressure the entire match and managing to hurt their opponents when it mattered most. Ncikazi’s men usually…

RAINE Group, a United States bank overseeing the sale of Premier League club Chelsea, plans to narrow down the shortlist of bidders to three this week, sources close to the deal said. Chelsea were initially put up for sale by owner Roman Abramovich following Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine and before sanctions were imposed on the oligarch by the British government, effectively giving it control of the club. Raine set a deadline of 11pm last Friday for bids to be made, with several being made public, while sources close to the deal said many more had been submitted privately. Some are only just being made public now, with London-based global investment firm Centricus confirming yesterday that they had offered to buy Chelsea in a bid driven by co-founder Nizar Al-Bassam…

Kedibone Modise kedibone.modise@inl.co.za Fans and industry pals including Boity Thulo, Thapelo Mokoena, Legend Manqele are all celebrating Katlego Maboe’s return to the limelight. Maboe, who was silenced in 2020, is finding his feet again. In his latest Instagram post, the media personality and musician revealed his latest venture, podcasting, with The Wellness Plug, he also tagged The Wife actor Linda Majola and wellness specialist Dr Tshidi Gule. “Someone’s dad is walking into a new space and really excited for this next chapter!” wrote Maboe. “Grateful for everyone who has opened a door, said a prayer and helped me to keep believing. Taking to Instagram Dr Gule expressed her excitement about her new adventure. In her Insta Stories, she also shared snippets of their behind-the-scenes as the trio recorded their first…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za GAUTENG Public Transport and Roads Infrastructure MEC Jacob Mamabolo has called an urgent meeting with e-hailing drivers in Gauteng following their call for a three-day national strike. Mamabolo has called on public transport operators to make use of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to resolve any disputes they may have. “The department through its Growing Gauteng Together Through Smart Mobility Vision is prioritising a seamless, integrated public transport system to make travelling safe and convenient for commuters. Therefore, it is imperative that all public transport operators follow the principle of negotiations when trying to resolve problems,” said the MEC. This comes after e-hailing driver partners issued a notice of their intention to go on a planned march to highlight their grievances against e-hailing companies. E-hailing drivers from platforms…

Kamogelo Moichela kamogelo.moichela@inl.co.za EFF leader Julius Malema yesterday said Human Rights Day should be renamed “Sharpeville Day”, to honour those killed on that day in 1960 while protesting against apartheid pass laws. The Sharpeville protest was organised by the PAC, and Malema said children should know the truth and their history. Addressing EFF supporters at a Sharpeville Commemoration Day event, Malema said the ANC was intent on hiding the truth from the upcoming generation. He said the ANC wanted to be the only organisation to lead the commemorations. “The ANC was not alone in the Struggle, they just want to be celebrated,” he added. Malema questioned how March 21 could be referred to as Human Rights Day, yet the safety of young girls in South Africa was not guaranteed, children…

| Julian Richfield SHACKLETON Ranulph Fiennes Loot.co.za (R280) MICHAEL JOSEPH IF EVER there was a right time to read a particular book, that time is right now, and the book is Shackleton by British explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes. “In 1915, Shackleton’s attempt to traverse the Antarctic was cut short when his ship, Endurance, became trapped in ice,” he writes. It eventually succumbed to its harsh environment and sank to the bottom of the Weddell Sea … and it was announced earlier this month that it had been found in extraordinary good condition in its maritime resting place – surely one of the special maritime archaeological finds of all time. Astonishingly, all 27 members of Shackleton’s crew survived. Shackleton fought for his own survival and that of his crew. And…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za STELLENBOSCH University (SU) has launched an online learning platform focusing on supporting high school pupils and teachers in Grades 10, 11 and 12. The university launched the platform, SU Advantage, last week. It can be accessed from any smart device, and combines short learning content with live interactive educational support, focused on the most important topics that pupils need to understand. The subjects are offered in English and comprise short-form video lessons, topic-based assessments and quizzes, consolidated workbooks, memo-based reconciliation and in-depth live lessons. “Recognising the challenges that the country’s education system is facing and the economic impact Covid-19 has had on many families, SU decided to create this accessible online solution,” said Professor Wim de Villiers, SU rector and vice-chancellor. The person pioneering the initiative, Dr…

T Markandan | Kloof WHAT’S the truth about Ukraine? Does anyone know? While Ukraine is being razed to the ground, there’s debate raging across the world on who’s to blame for the Ukraine war. Did Russia feel threatened by Ukraine? I find it absurd. Russia, not Ukraine was the aggressor. It was an unprovoked, deliberate violation of international law. Those who support Russia cannot be that blind. The war between Ukraine and Russia is like a David and Goliath fight. How could Ukraine with its small, ill-equipped army pose any threat to a super power bristling with deadly conventional and nuclear weapons? Was the West in any way responsible for the war? Some argue that Russia was indeed feeling threatened and vulnerable because Nato was massing…

I could not ignore Kenneth Mokgatlhe’s latest of many pieces to delegitimise the Palestinians’ right to exist in his piece titled: “World events ignored as ANC fixates on Israel” (March 14). He starts by being critical of the ANC’s support for the Palestinian cause, accusing them of trying to deflect attention from the Ukraine conflict. While he has a right to question their motives, and I could possibly agree with him, considering the ANC’s inconsistent and often lacklustre stance on the Palestinian issue, his piece degenerates into an attack on the Palestinians’ fight for justice. He asks why the ANC never talks about the Palestinians’ suffering at the hands of the Lebanese in Lebanon. Surely he must know that the Palestinians are in Lebanon as refugees after they were driven…

A head-on collision between two passenger trains injured 95 people yesterday in the south of the Tunisian capital, emergency services said. There were no deaths. Many passengers were in shock, and about 15 ambulances had been dispatched to treat the wounded or take them to hospital. The collision happened in the Jbel Jelloud area, on the approach to a terminus in central Tunis. The cause of the accident was not clear. Tunisia’s ageing railway system has seen several fatal crashes in recent years. | AFP…

Stuart Hess stuart.hess@inl.co.za DO the Proteas continue with a bouncer barrage for the final one-day international against Bangladesh at SuperSport Park tomorrow? The obvious answer is “yes”. It worked a treat in Sunday’s second match at the Wanderers, reducing Bangladesh to 34/5 in 13 overs and then making life difficult for the remaining batters, who struggled for the most part to score. Continuing with that tactic is dependent on conditions in Centurion, however. Kagiso Rabada, who took 5/39 at his home ground, made the point that even though both SuperSport Park and the Wanderers had good bounce, the crucial difference was that at ‘The Bullring’ the pace off the surface was much quicker. As a result, the Bangladesh batters didn’t have time to play at the Wanderers. However, South Africa,…

HERMAN GIBBS Comment JOHN Comitis, who serves on the Premier Soccer League (PSL) executive committee, which is manifestly conflicted, has cried foul after South African Football Association (Safa) arbitrator Nazeer Cassim SC ruled that the matches Kaizer Chiefs missed because of a massive Covid-19 outbreak in the club should be replayed. “It was a dark day for South African football,” Cape Town City chairman Comitis stated. Comitis shared his thoughts on the arbitration outcome on the latest offering of the Marawa Sports Worldwide podcast. It is a travesty that it has taken Comitis so long to realise that club chairmen on the executive committee that attend to the PSL’s day-to-day affairs are inherently conflicted. Independent people who have no vested interest in the clubs should be tasked with the day-to-day…

THIS should be Evan Roos’ year. The loose forward has been a revelation for the Stormers and Western Province since moving to Cape Town from the Sharks in 2020. He has consistently been one of the Cape unit’s standout performers, so much so that a Springbok call-up should almost be seen as a certainty. The 22-year-old was a part of the Bok-bolter talks last year already after his Currie Cup displays. And at this point his omission from the Springbok camp would feel almost unnatural. Scratch “almost”, it would simply be bizarre. In one of those Currie Cup games - ironically against his former team - Roos scored a try so good that it should make every highlights reel featuring the word ‘power’. With Jaden Hendriks on his back after…

Bongani Hans bongani.hans@inl.co.za LAWYERS for Russian-born multinational mining magnate, Lyudmyla Roytblat, have expressed shock at the level of bullying she has received from First National Bank (FNB), in deterring her from taking legal action against the bank. Roytblat’s planned action against FNB stemmed from an abrupt notice to terminate her bank accounts without being given reasons why. Her lawyer, Udell Hammond-Smith, is taking instruction from Roytblat for the best option to deal with the termination of her accounts and those of her company, where she also holds the position of chief executive, Transasia Minerals and its subsidiary Transasia Minerals SA. The termination was set to be effected on May 9, 2022. Roytblat is an Australian citizen with a business visa in South Africa for mining contracts. Since opening the account…

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za ESKOM has dispelled speculation that an incident at the scheduled maintenance of Koeberg Nuclear Reactor Unit 2 could have been a far worse disaster than what occurred. “Those reports are based on an internal Eskom newsletter to staff at Koeberg. “We always have the newsletter to communicate on as part of discussion of safety issues. “It is true the technicians picked up on the wrong cables, but that was rectified before it could be a problem, before there was any damage. “That particular unit (Unit 1) has been online for 141 days since its last outage and is doing well. “This was simply an internal update to staff to remind them of safety concerns,” Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Matshantsha said yesterday. Reports last week said that…

Bang Showbiz Jared Leto believes that Marvel movies such as Spider-Man: No Way Home have helped keep cinemas alive during the coronavirus pandemic. The Morbius actor – who describes himself as “a bit of a snob when it comes to film” – admits that he is concerned about the industry’s reliance on superhero blockbusters, particularly amid the pandemic. Jared told Variety: “If it wasn’t for Marvel films, I don’t even know if theatres would even exist. It doesn’t seem like there’s room for everyone, and that starts to become a little heartbreaking.” Pictures such as Spider-Man: No Way Home and “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” have proved to be successful releases during the pandemic and Jared is grateful that they are keeping cinemas going in the age of streaming services.…

Itumeleng Mafisa itumeleng.mafisa@inl.co.za THE Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment has refused to respond to questions by The Star regarding the 2021/2022 Fishing Rights Allocation Process. Billions of rand worth of fishing rights were awarded to South African companies on February 28. A whistle- blower claims several companies nominated a South African-registered trawler, Elke M, as the vessel they would use to catch their quota of fish, should they be awarded the licences. The Star reached out to the department and to Eyethu Fishing, who the whistle-blower revealed as one of entities that had nominated Elke M as their vessel of choice. The whistle-blower also alleged that Eyethu was a front for Spanish fishing giant Iberconsa, controlling Eyethu through loan accounts it has in Eyethu. But whistle-blowers shouldn’t simply be…

| Julian Richfield Will Will Smith with Mark Manson Loot.co.za (R350) Century Globally famous, Will Smith is an actor, producer and rapper. Eight of his films have grossed more than $100 million and his rap albums have reached multiplatinum status. He can currently be seen playing the tennis Williams sisters’ father in King Richard and he is also one of the most popular and frequent guests on The Graham Norton Show. His role in the television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air launched his phenomenally successful movie career, which has included Bad Boys, Men in Black, Independence Day and the title role in the biopic Ali. Together with best-selling author Mark Manson, Smith has co-authored his autobiography, Will. It was his warm, enthusiastic and dynamic Graham Norton Show appearances…

I WAS flabbergasted by the unpalatable surmise by the Ministry of Defence and Military Veterans (DMV) (verification committee) that the ANC’s Carl Niehaus was not qualified to be a veteran. Consequently, he is vilified because of his internal party political stance. This is not an endeavour to defend or support an individual in the form of Niehaus; this article will solely dwell on the holistic challenges faced by many deserving veterans. The appalling, yet expected, decision might be a blessing in disguise for a flood of military veterans who have been overlooked since the integration process began in the early 1990s. This means the issue will receive notable public attention that might result in many overlooked struggling veterans duly benefiting from state grants. The controversial decision was expected because Niehaus…

Nearly 200 nations gathered yesterday to discuss how a world addicted to fossil fuels can prevent carbon pollution from making Earth unliveable? A partial answer is set for April 4, in the form of a 3 000-page report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, due to be approved after two weeks of closed-door, virtual meetings. The assessment will detail options for drawing down greenhouse gases and extracting them from the air, in an urgent effort to stop global warming. | AFP…