Índex per 2022-05-12 a Star

SOUTH Africa is facing a sugar shortage, the new “white gold” with local mills unable to meet the local demand, Chris Engelbrecht, the chairperson of the Association of Southern Africa Sugar Importers (Asasi) warned yesterday. This is a further blow to South Africans, who are facing soaring food prices, exacerbated by supply chain woes due to the war in Ukraine, which has seen countries banning the export of key crops such as palm oil in the face of rampant inflation. Engelbrecht said sugar was like white gold, adding: “White sugar is now selling at R16 500 per ton (excluding VAT). The usual price is R11 500 per ton (excluding VAT).” He said the current sugar import duty was R4 148 per ton, which was adjusted on March…

IN A BID to reposition itself for growth, Net 1 UEPS Technologies, a financial technology company, while releasing its results yesterday, announced that it had launched its new brand identity and named itself Lesaka. The JSE-listed company that provides fintech products and services in South Africa and internationally said the branding was effective from May 18. “The word Lesaka means kraal in Setswana and Sesotho, which aptly represents our new group and its vision,” the company said. It said it was important for it to have a new identity to express its commitment to the local communities it serves authentically. “Our ambition is to drive financial inclusion by giving ordinary people and small businesses access to essential financial services,” the company said. Lesaka Group chief executive Chris Meyer said: “We…

WHILE the pandemic has brought great devastation in the global economy, many franchise brands said they had surprised themselves with how quickly they and their franchisees had adapted to the new normal, were able to pivot quickly and give the necessary cushioning and support to overcome the obstacles. This was revealed when the Franchise Association of South Africa (Fasa) asked some of its members from various sectors to share how they were faring in the current situation of load-shedding and economic uncertainty. Cash Converters managing director Richard Mukheibir said the continual load shedding was unsustainable, increased costs and reduced profits, resulting in job losses and reduced opportunities. “If living through a pandemic for over two years has taught us anything, it is that it’s imperative to have a recession-proof business,…

In a bid to develop and promote South Africa’s growing film industry, the local films of two women filmmakers will be screened at the Cannes Film Festival, the largest film festival in the world. The festival takes place from May 17 to 26 in France, and the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission’s (KZNFC) participation will be at the Pavilion Afriques, one of the coveted white tents at the festival, which creates a unique venue for movie and trade promotion while outlining the diversity of African cinema. The Valley of a Thousand Hills by Bonita Sithebe and God’s Work by Sithabile Mkhize will form part of the KZNFC delegation. Jackie Motsepe, the KZN Film Commission’s chief operations officer, said the goal was to empower youth and women in the industry to tell their…

Former minister threatens legal action MEDIA personality Dr JJ Tabane is not budging on his utterances and claims made against Trevor Manuel and other current and former leaders of the ANC whom he has accused of having had a hand in the formation of the Congress of the People (Cope). This comes after the former minister had written to Tabane asking him to “unreservedly withdraw the false, wrongful and unlawful statements” that have sought to put him at the centre of the formation of Cope. Tabane, known for his penchant for “speaking truth to power”, told this newspaper that he stood by his utterances which he made on a podcast The Hustlers Corner by DJ Sbu on YouTube over three weeks ago. “Dear Trevor. I received your letter of May…

IT IS more than a decade since former crime intelligence boss Richard Mdluli was arrested on charges of fraud, corruption and theft relating to an SAPS secret slush fund. Yet the trial has yet to get under way, and Mdluli is, according to the State, mostly to blame for the delay. The investigative directorate said in an affidavit before the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, that his constant failure to appear in court and his numerous interlocutory applications were resulting in the matter dragging on. It was also unfair for his co-accused, Heine Barnard and Solomon Lazarus, who had appeared in court numerous times only to have the matter postponed time and again. The trio appeared in court yet again yesterday, where Judge Papi Mosopa was due to hear two…

FORMER minister Zweli Mkhize’s lobbyists believe reports of his imminent arrest are part of an elaborate scheme to influence public opinion and to hide a political plot to abuse law enforcement agencies to get him arrested and charged to eliminating him from the ANC presidential race. Recent media reports suggested that an arrest related to the Digital Vibes scandal was imminent, saying that law enforcement authorities were in the late stages of an investigation and there was a possibility this could lead to criminal charges. Mkhize, who is now an ordinary MP, in his bid to become president of the ANC at the national elective conference in December has significant support in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, say his supporters, with branches in support of him coming from eThekwini and…

An alert off-duty cop saved the day when he stopped a minibus taxi driver from fleeing after he had been stopped by JMPD officers in Sandton. JMPD officers used sirens to stop the taxi in Sandton’s Grayston Drive, to which the taxi driver quickly decided to make a run for it and leave passengers stranded with the police officers. Had it not been for an alert off-duty cop wearing a SAPS jacket, the taxi driver would have likely succeeded, but not before the officer got ahold of him before handing him over to the JMPD officers. The JMPD confirmed the incident and said they were aware of the viral video. The incident took place on Sunday, when JMPD officers were conducting a roadblock at William Nicol Drive and Sandton Drive…

After Kim Kardashian shared the details of the extreme three-week 7kg16 weight-loss regimen she undertook to squeeze into an iconic Marilyn Monroe gown for this month’s Met Gala, the result was hardly the admiration she likely expected. The reality TV star was excoriated on social media not only for publicising her potentially harmful crash diet, but also for advocating unhealthy slimming strategies in the past – including endorsing and selling a popular shapewear product that persists against the best medical advice: the waist trainer. “Kim Kardashian looked beautiful at the Met Gala, but she has promoted unrealistic body standards for years (diet teas, waist trainers, $$$ procedures, etc) and her talking about losing 16lbs in three weeks to fit into Marilyn’s dress (which no one should get to wear) is…

ONE of the best grill houses in Joburg – The Grill Jichana Rosebank – is ideally located at the stylish Southern Sun Rosebank and offers guests a memorable culinary experience, where dishes are created with flair, flavoured with fragrant, heady spices, and prepared using the freshest ingredients. This vibrant restaurant pairs the robust flavours of the African east coast spice route with succulent cuts of meat, chicken and fish creating the essence of eating good or jichana in Swahili slang. One of two Grill Jichanas in South Africa, the restaurant has developed a well-earned reputation for its signature dishes, which combine a unique blend of spices to flavour the meat and specially “bafana” potatoes, that are twice cooked into the perfect chip. The food is tastefully complemented by Southern Sun’s…

HIGH blood pressure, also referred to as hypertension, has been dubbed the “silent killer” because there are usually no warning signs or symptoms. Blood pressure normally rises and falls throughout the day; however, if it remains high for extended periods of time, it can lead to serious health issues such as stroke, heart disease, and kidney disease. Research has shown certain kinds of foods can help lower blood pressure, right away as well as in the long run. Let’s look at some of the good foods that help reduce high blood pressure. Milk There is a common myth that people with cardiovascular problems and hypertension should consume a lesser amount of milk and milk products. In fact, milk helps in maintaining your heart health and also manages your blood pressure…

Without going into the merits and demerits on the issues swirling around the murder of Hillary Gardee, there are disturbing statements being made about this case which are irresponsible and which, if we are not careful, will result in chaos and disaster. We can never claim we feel the pain that those who loved the victim are feeling. But we should be very cautious in reacting to this matter. Emotions are understandable, but rationality cannot be thrown out of the window. The most recent and very dangerous comment is one made by Veronica Mente of the EFF, after the appearance of the men accused of Gardee’s murder. Mente is reported to have responded to the complaints by the accused that they been assaulted in custody that so what if they…

THE Suzuki Swift Sport has slayed the mythical Simola Hill with unexpectedly fast times and a place on the class podium. The two Swift Sport models – a manual and an automatic – ended the class final race on Sunday afternoon with times of 54.913 seconds (Reuben van Niekerk, automatic) and 54.580 (Wesley Greybe, manual). The time set by Greybe was enough to earn him a spot on the class podium. It was a mere six seconds slower than the class winner, Jared Yeo, in a Porsche Cayman 718 S. “We came to Simola to show that you don’t need to break the bank to have a truly competitive sports car, or great fun, on the hill climb,” said Brendon Carpenter, brand marketing manager of Suzuki Auto South Africa. Suzuki…

SOUTH Africa’s economic outlook has weakened on the back of protracted rotational power cuts, expected high interest rates and disrupted industrial activity due to floods in KwaZulu-Natal. This comes as power utility Eskom yesterday warned that the national electricity grid remained constrained, with an elevated risk of load shedding over the winter period, particularly during the morning and evening peaks. Eskom has implemented load shedding for 32 days from January 1 to May 10 this year due to low plant availability. This is six days more than the 26 days of load shedding during the same period last year, with the grid sitting at more than 15 000 megawatts of total unplanned outages. “The onset of winter has seen increased demand and this will lead to capacity…

GREEN mining is the industry’s new frontier, and there are significant financial pressures driving the change apart from climate change, mining in- dustry speakers and conference dele- gates said at the Mining Indaba in Cape Town. “Developments in the renewable energy sector will run parallel to and intersect with technological and social developments in mining. “It is imperative that the industry plays a critical role in the transition to cleaner energy and serves as one of its major driving forces,” said Mazars audit partner and National Head: Mining, Thinus de Vries. Mark Dickson, the global head of Energy and Decarbonisation at the mining safety, operations and energy transition consultancy firm DSS+, said in an interview that the key take-out for him from the conference was the need for mining companies…

FOR insurers to sustain profitable growth, they needed to find new customers and address unmet, new and evolving needs, while retaining ample margin, says PwC Actuarial, Risk and Quants partner Renasha Govender. She said while in the past they had been able to generate value from their investment strategies, regulatory costs and constraints had meant that innovation with regard to products, integrated services and partnerships had proven to be key necessary drivers for continued financial success within the industry globally. Key indicators for the past decade demonstrated that growth in profitability was muted even before the pandemic. Combined IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) earnings grew in line with inflation and Value of New Business (VNB) margins trended slightly downwards. The industry had achieved VNB margins of between 2.7 percent and…

Independent activist and feminist Rosie Motene said very little has been done in South Africa to fight the scourge of gender-based violence (GBV). Motene’s comments come after hundreds of women in the country have fallen victim to GBV and some have died at the hands of men, including Hillary Garder, 28, who was brutally murdered last week. “Companies, broadcasters and those who have powers are happy to push regurgitated PR campaigns on GBV but when actual action is needed a blind eye is turned. “We see how convicted sexual offenders are celebrated and sanitised on our television screens. “Activists and those that speak out are punished for speaking their truths. These killings have been happening for centuries. “The sex trade industry is alive and well and run by powerful entities…

Firefighter Emile Conrad flew the South African flag high at the 14th edition of this year’s World Firefighters Games (WFG) in Lisbon, Portugal, clinching a second place in his age category globally (age 35-37) for the Toughest Firefighter Alive (TFA) competition. Conrad, from the Garden Route District Municipality, finished 10th in the world in the international sporting event that welcomed all full-time, part-time, volunteer, retired, structural and bush firefighters, fire service support personnel, aviation fire services, and military emergency response personnel from across the globe. The games were held from April 30 to May 7. Staged every two years in a different country, the games offer more than 50 sports and challenges, including archery, rugby Sevens, windsurfing, poker, swimming, athletics and softball with the “Toughest Firefighter Alive” being the main…

Eighty-four years after the Brickles family’s Elfindale land in Diep River was dispossessed by Punt farmers in 1938, the family have successfully reclaimed it. On Tuesday, the family was joined by human settlements mayco member Malusi Booi to celebrate the land restitution following a process that the family said took them 25 years after their initial claim. One of the oldest living members of the family and a claimant, Eric Brickles, said in 1971 when the three houses on the property were demolished and the family evicted, the family scattered all over. “We came from a decent family and some of us drifted apart and ended up not knowing each other. It is sad that this has happened and getting the land back is a big issue for us. We…

YOU can’t help but admire Toyota for offering niche vehicles like the new Lexus ES to South African buyers. That’s because when it comes to luxurious sedans like this, there aren’t many buyers to speak of in the first place. Lexus has only sold an average of 17 of these a month since the beginning of 2022. A recent facelift brought a sharper-looking grille, new LED headlamps and fresh 17” and 18” wheel designs and, priced from R741 500, the Lexus ES is a luxurious sedan that offers 5 Series size for 3 Series money, albeit with front-wheel propulsion. On the road, it’s quiet, smooth and rides very comfortably. Sure, the steering isn’t exactly communicative, but thanks to its low centre of gravity and a long-wheelbase design that sees the…

LAST month’s tragic floods in KwaZulu-Natal left a trail of destruction that’s set to affect the local motor industry for quite some time. Apart from port disruptions, the flooding forced Toyota to temporarily shut its plant in Prospecton, south of Durban, following extensive damage. And while Toyota SA still managed to sell 8 952 vehicles in April, sales and marketing vice president Leon Theron has warned of stock shortages. “We are anticipating stock challenges with regard to our locally built models such as Hilux, Fortuner, Corolla Cross and Quest, Hiace Ses’fikile and some Hino models,” Theron said. The carmaker hoped to confirm reopening dates soon. According to Moneyweb, the recommencing of production will need to take place in phases, which include cleaning up, establishing temporary utilities and powering up…

THE sound of hip hop mixes with the dull thud of fists walloping heavy bags as a group of Ukrainian boxers unleash combinations, burning off weeks of pent up stress. “With the curfew in the city and restrictions on movement, we needed some place to blow off steam and discharge emotional tension,” said Oleksandr, a 38-year-old employee of the International Red Cross in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv who did not give his family name. “Naturally, this helps a lot,” he added after wrapping up a workout involving pad work, running and several rounds hammering away at a punching bag. Weeks after Russian forces retreated from Kyiv’s suburbs, the city is slowly returning to life, where nearly two-thirds of the capital’s residents have returned following the outbreak of the war. Restaurants…

MANCHESTER City are still licking their wounds from another Champions League exit, but by winning the race to sign Erling Haaland, they have established themselves as a go-to destination for Europe’s top talent. The 21-year-old goal-scoring phenomenon had his choice of the continent’s top clubs thanks to a reported buyout clause of €60-million (about R1.019bn) that will see him leave Borussia Dortmund well below his market value. Real Madrid wanted to pair the Norwegian with Kylian Mbappe at the Bernabeu next season, while Barcelona sought him as a successor to Lionel Messi, and Bayern Munich again aimed to swoop on their Bundesliga rivals. Haaland, however, will instead line up in City blue next season, just as his father Alf-Inge did from 2000-2003. The arrival of petro-dollars from Abu Dhabi has…

SOUTH African motorists could see fuel prices increasing by nearly R2 per litre in June due to elevated global oil prices if the rand remains at the current weak level against the dollar. This would be a blow for struggling consumers after the government announced in April a two-month reprieve in the form of a R1.50 decrease per litre in the general fuel levy. FNB Agri-Business senior agricultural economist Paul Makube said yes- terday that a fuel price hike would be a blow for consumers if relief measures were not implemented. Makube said farmers were facing a hefty fuel bill next month as the general fuel levy intervention lapsed. “The R1.50c/litre will be back in the fuel calculation … considering the exchange rate depreciation of 9 percent month-on-month and…

WITH more than 300 million paper records dating from the 1800s, the South African Department of Home Affairs (DHA) is ripe for digitisation. In the 2022 State of the Nation address, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the DHA intended to appoint 10 000 young IT workers to accelerate the process of digitisation over the next few years. As part of an extension of the Presidential Employment Stimulus programme, a significant number of unemployed young people would be put to work digitising paper records while enhancing their skills and contributing to the modernisation of citizen services. Addressing unemployment is critical in rebuilding the economy, and assistance from reputable outsourcing organisations will be essential to ensuring that the intended outcome of job creation is achievable and sustainable. A starting point for digitisation…

Jennifer Aniston will appear on the last episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The former Friends star coming on the finale on May 26 will bring her time on the show full circle, as she was interviewed on the debut episode of the week day talk show hosted by DeGeneres in 2003, nearly 20 years ago. The 53-year-old actress will be joined by pop singer Pink, who penned the series’ Emmy-winning theme song, one of 61 won throughout its 19 seasons. In the run up to their appearances, a star-studded list of people is expected to grace the legendary daytime sofa, they include Zac Efron, Kate McKinnon, Justin Timberlake, Keith Urban, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Luke Bryan, Kerry Washington, Brad Paisley, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Oprah Winfrey, Mila Kunis, and Bruno Mars. The…

Windhoek, Namibia: All four tourists that were reported missing in the Fish River Canyon have been accounted for, Namibia’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism executive director The Nghitila said on Tuesday. According to Nghitila, the tourists were never missing but could not be reached due to no network in the area. He said the tourists were also senior citizens, who move at a slower pace, and were only delayed. AFP reported earlier in the week that the missing tourists were South African citizens, who were part of a group of 10, who sent out a distress call on Saturday when they could not find their way out of the canyon, prompting a helicopter and ground search-and-rescue operation. Six managed to get out on their own, but four remained missing…

Being online can provide many wonderful opportunities to interact, learn and exchange what could matter to you, but it also has disadvantages. If you have ever felt pressured, jealous or unhappy because of social media or the internet, or maybe you once had some low self-esteem or even rocketing social anxiety, you’re not alone. A love-hate relationship with social media is not unusual. We don’t realise how much time we spend looking through our feeds, considering social media has become such a huge part of our daily lives. Many of us start and end our day scrolling through Twitter, Instagram, TikTok or Facebook. But can it harm our mental health? Here are tips on how to look after your mental health and be kinder to yourself and others online. Use…

The Hlophe family in Coffee Farm, Kwandengezi, near Pinetown are desperate to find seven missing family members who were washed away by the devastating floods last month. Six of the missing were children under the age of 10 and the seventh was a 67-year-old. Initially, eight members of the family went missing, but the body of 49-year-old Zanele Hlophe was recovered some days after the floods. Among the missing is 1-year-old Hlelokuhle, who celebrated her first birthday just three days before she disappeared. The missing toddler’s mother, Sinenhlanhla Hlophe, said on the night of the incident she had gone out to help relatives when she suddenly saw a high wave of water swallow the house that her child and seven other relatives were in. “We had a party to celebrate…

THE third-generation Range Rover Sport has been revealed to the world and it’s set to reach South Africa before the end of this year. Like its recently redesigned larger sibling, its new exterior design redefines the art of smoothness. No dramatic creases, no big grilles, just pure understated elegance. Land Rover hasn’t gone into huge detail about the engines, but we are told that the South African line-up will include a six-cylinder plug-in hybrid variant that offers an all-electric range of up to 113km. JLR’s conventional six-cylinder petrol and diesel Ingenium engines are also on the menu, and at the top of the range is a new BMW-sourced V8 twin-turbo petrol motor that produces 390kW. Expect the latter to sprint from 0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds with Dynamic Launch engaged. For…

IF YOU have a stack of cash, a nearby desert and the burning desire to be a Dakar Rally driver, you might want to check out the new Brabus 900 Crawler. As you can see, this is no ordinary Mercedes-AMG G-Class, and it’s also not street legal for that matter. Designed as an “uncompromising fun car for use far off paved roads”, the Brabus 900 Crawler boasts a high-strength tubular frame and four-seater exposed-carbon body. But what really does the hard work is its heavy-duty off-road chassis. Thanks to portal axles, this off-roading supercar boasts a ground clearance of 530mm. The German tuner also developed special height-adjustable struts, which provide up to 160mm of spring travel. The Brabus 900 Crawler rolls on 20-inch Brabus Monoblock forged wheels with off-road tyres.…

THE pre-election theatrics at the South African Football Association (Safa) continued as former Safa CEO Dennis Mumble blasted incumbent president Danny Jordaan for his consistent use of the organisation’s legal unit to derail other candidates’ campaigns for the position of presidency. Safa vice president Ria Ledwaba had to put a halt to her proposed Safa presidency campaign launch after receiving threats of expulsion or suspension from Safa, a month before the elections are set to take place. Civil Society had invited South African football greats like Doctor Khumalo and Portia Modise along with members of the media to attend a press conference intended to honour Ledwaba’s campaign for the next Safa presidency seat. However, a circular was issued to all members by the Safa CEO prohibiting all nominees from making…

IT was the doyen of South African rugby Danie Craven who said his most valuable player was his tighthead prop and that his second most valuable player was his substitute tighthead, so much did the good doctor value the importance of the man who anchors the forward effort. The Sharks clearly have similar thinking in signing arguably the strongest prop in the South African game in Carlu Sadie, who joins on a two-year deal in what is the Sharks’ latest raiding of the Lions’ den, and he and Thomas du Toit will keep each other honest in a fight for the No 3 jersey. Just days ago, Vincent Tshituka was announced as a Shark for the next three years, and the on-fire flank will considerably boost the loose forward stocks…