Índex per 2022-05-13 a Star

SOUTH Africa’s economy ended the first quarter on a sour note as the effects of rotational power cuts and geopolitical tension took a toll on manufacturing and mining activity. Data from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) yesterday showed that both mining and manufacturing production contracted significantly in March as the war in Ukraine constrained global supply chains. Stats SA said mining production contracted for the second month in a row and fell by 9.3 percent in March from a year ago following a downwardly revised 5.8 percent fall in February. This was the steepest decline in mining activity since November 2020 when production volumes declined by 9.8 percent. Stats SA principal survey statistician Juan-Pierre Terblanche said mining output was dragged down by lower output levels from gold, iron…

SOUTH African Breweries (SAB) has committed to the beer market that it will bring its Prospecton brewery back to full production capacity within two months in a bid to meet the high demand. Production at SAB’s Prospecton plant came to a halt last month after the brewery was submerged in 1-metre deep water during the devastating floods that hit KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). SAB chief executive Richard Rivett- Carnac yesterday admitted that supply of certain beer brands had been constrained in and around Durban due to slow production. Rivett-Carnac said they had to bring in the group’s other six breweries across the country to continue to plug in the supply gap created by the temporary stoppage at Prospecton. “Supply in the areas that are typically supplied by the Prospecton brewery had some…

COMPANIES in Zimbabwe have started to withdraw declared dividend payouts and halting advance payments to suppliers as the fallout from President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s directive that banks stop lending ripples across the economy. Amid much criticism, the government of Zimbabwe is pressing ahead with its temporary suspension of lending services by banks. The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) further tightened the noose on banks, asking banks to “disclose suspense and other internal accounts” in a directive dated May 11. “Some banks may be using suspense and other internal accounts for purposes of purchasing foreign currency on the parallel market. “Every bank is required to furnish to the FIU a list of all the suspense and other internal accounts,” Oliver Chiperesa, a director general of the Zimbabwean FIU wrote in the letter. The…

Honestly, I was a bit sceptical about the movie Indemnity, a local action film about an ex-fireman suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who, unable to return to work, turns to alcohol. The story sees Theo Abrahams (Jarrid Geduld) dealing with a series of unprecedented events that rock his world and forces him to fight for survival. While Indemnity does take its time getting to the essence, once it got there, any doubts I had were eased. The execution of the film is very much to Hollywood standards. Cape Town serves as the perfect backdrop for the film. Theo finds himself on the run after his journalist wife Angela (Nicole Fortuin) is murdered and he becomes the prime suspect. He then has to try to figure out who killed…

The parents of one of the five men who escaped from police holding cells in Zeerust, handed him to the police. The parents of Tshepiso Kwenampe of Dinokana, near Zeerust, brought him back to the police on Tuesday night. North West police spokesperson Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone, said Kwenampe, 22, appeared in the Zeerust Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, facing a charge of escaping from lawful custody. He escaped with Joshua Sibanda, 39, Amogelang Motsiane, 36, Bengu Hlanganane, 31, and Enoch Lebeloane, 46, after they allegedly overpowered a police officer on Sunday, took cell keys from the officer and escaped. “At the time of escape, the detainees were, among others, facing charges of house robbery, rape, attempted murder, business robbery, and aggravated robbery,” said Brigadier Mokgwabone. He appealed to the members of…

Low staff morale and lack of infrastructure and equipment are some of the issues affecting the City of Joburg’s emergency services department. The department has in recent times recorded some of the country’s worst levels of incapacity. This was revealed by Public Safety MMC David Tembe, who this week conducted a series of inspection visits of the city's 31 fire stations. The team visited five on the list of the MMC as he continued on his fact-finding mission across the city. On Tuesday, he said the city had gone from having more than 100 fire engines to just 10, which continues to hinder City of Johannesburg’s capacity to fight fire and respond to emergencies in a satisfactory way. The city’s infrastructure continues to show signs of decay and negligence resulting…

INTERNATIONAL Nurses Day, celebrated on May 12, is an opportunity to give a well-deserved thank you to all the nurses who sacrifice so much to ensure our city has quality health-care services, Joburg Health and Social Development MMC Ashley Sauls said yesterday. He said Nurses Day was a day nurses could get together and reflect on their profession and consider their contributions to the well-being of the communities within Johannesburg and the country. “To all the nurses, this is your special day. I passionately believe that nursing is not a profession that you can go into without being called to it. It’s a profession where such care that is required can only be a calling,” Sauls said. “Care is an acronym we in the Health Department use frequently and is…

SBU Nkosi is still recovering from a recent ankle operation, but don’t be fooled by that – he means serious business at the Bulls. The Springbok wing was unveiled by the Pretoria-based team yesterday as their big signing for next season, and he will join the squad from the Sharks on July 1. But he might not be ready to play by then, stating yesterday that he doesn’t want to put a timeline on his comeback – although he did add that “the recovery is ahead of schedule”. The 26-year-old stated that he wants to begin a “complete reset” at the Bulls under director of rugby Jake White, who also signed him for the Sharks in 2014. “I don’t think injuries are kind to anyone – this just happens to…

FOUR-TIME major winner Naomi Osaka is breaking away from IMG to launch her own sports agency with longtime agent Stuart Duguid. Duguid and Osaka began discussing the venture at the Tokyo Olympics last year, Duguid told Reuters via email, adding that the firm, called Evolve, will operate as a “small boutique and bespoke agency.” “We were discussing the business models of some of her mentors like Kobe (Bryant) and Lebron (James). We thought – why has no transcendent female athlete done that yet,” he said. “It’s athlete driven and focused on big picture brand building rather than quick checks with a commission attached.” Duguid said he could not share much about the identities of the initial clients but added, “it would be only athletes who transcend their sports; or…

THE United States will have to “engage new eyes” to ensure that the 2031 and 2033 Rugby World Cups are successes. That was the word from Victoria Folayan, the USA Rugby board of directors athlete representative and former US sevens star yesterday after America were named as hosts of the men’s and women’s tournaments. It’s the first time that the showpiece 15s event will venture into North America, after sevens rugby’s significant inroads over the last decade. World Rugby confirmed England as the hosts of the 2025 women’s edition, and Australia for both in 2027 and 2029, as well as the US for 2031 and 2033 following their annual general meeting in Dublin yesterday. “Never ever (thought the US would host two World Cups). The United States has a massive…

AS TAKATSO Consortium yesterday welcomed Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s recent public support for its acquisition of a 51 percent interest in SAA, labour unions are wanting answers from the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa), saying the deal clearly violates the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA). This as South Africa is reeling from the revelations contained in the Zondo Commission with state capture leaving state-owned enterprises on their knees. Takatso said yesterday: “With the support of the National Treasury and the Department of Public Enterprises, this brings us a step closer to reaching financial close of this milestone transaction in the aviation sector. We remain committed to a strong partnership with the government and to see this transaction concluded successfully. “The proposed transaction has been structured in a manner…

ILLEGAL mining is a critical challenge in the South African mining and minerals industry. In response to this challenge, earlier this year Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe published the Artisanal and Small Scale-Mining Policy 2022. The policy seeks to formalise the largely informal artisanal and small-scale mining industry. It recognises, among others, the challenges posed by illegal mining activities, also commonly known as “zama zamas”, which have resulted in more than R70 billion per annum of the national revenue being lost due to illegal mining in the gold sector alone. These incidences of illegal mining are reportedly on the rise throughout the country. Communities are directly affected by the illegal mining in terms of environmental degradation, health risks and gang violence emanating from rival illegal miners.…

Producer and actress Minnie Dlamini has responded to recent cheating allegations. This follows rampant speculation on Twitter around the reason for her divorce from Quinton Jones. Dlamini has been dragged for being romantically linked to notorious businessman Edwin Sodi on social media. Controversial celebrity blogger Musa Khwawula stoked the rumour mill, when he tweeted: “Rumour has it Edwin Sodi and Minnie Dlamini kept their spark alight while Dlamini Jones was married. “It is also said that his private jet was put to good use entertaining Minnie Dlamini and her friends.” Trolls wasted little time weighing in, some pulling receipts from Sodi’s past. “We have been made aware of various allegations regarding our divorce circulating on social media since yesterday. Without saying much more, all the allegations made are false, damaging,…

Omniland will be auctioning a game and lucerne farm on the Crocodile River on May 28 at noon onsite at Portion 13 of the farm Boschkop near Northam and Thabazimbi. The 167 hectare property has a lodge, which sleeps about 100 people, and conference rooms. The accommodation includes 20 double rooms with en suite bathrooms and a kitchenette and 13 separate chalets that sleep between three and eight people. There is also a wedding/conference facility, swimming pools, caravan stands and ablution blocks. There are hiking trails in the vicinity and fishing. In addition, there is staff accommodation; five large storerooms; a 4 500m² greenhouse with four 5 000 litre water tanks and a pressure pump for irrigation; a milking parlour and chicken coops. The property has Eskom transformers and a…

RAFA Nadal said Carlos Alcaraz’s rise in tennis is good for the sport but people must stop comparing the two Spaniards and let his teenaged compatriot enjoy his career without the pressure of having to live up to their expectations. Alcaraz, 19, emerged as the next big grand slam contender after he beat his idol Nadal and Novak Djokovic en route to the Madrid title last week, his second Masters title after winning the Miami Open in March. “The only thing that we can do is enjoy the career of an amazing player like Carlos. Will be better, even if it’s interesting, you stop comparing him to me,” Nadal told reporters in Rome. “If he’s able to win 25 grand slams, it’s going to be amazing for him and…

RAMAHLWE Mphahlele, Kaizer Chiefs’ two-time Premiership winner, has warned his teammates of the threat posed by seasoned Zimbabwean defender Willard Katsande ahead of tomorrow’s clash against Sekhukhune United at Ellis Park. Katsande, during his 10-year career at Chiefs, played well over 300 games and was for many seasons a fan favourite. He earned the nickname “Salt and Vinegar” because of his potent displays, and his first name was a reminder of a brand of potato crisps (Willards). Mphahlele himself has become a stalwart after more than 100 games for Amakhosi, and he has seen how well Katsande has fitted into the line-up of Premiership debutants Sekhukhune. Chiefs beat Sekhukhune in their first-round meeting last December although the result could be undone because of an upcoming disciplinary hearing. “Obviously, they have…

ERIK ten Hag says he looks back at his four years with Ajax with “great satisfaction” after winning a third successive Dutch league title and wants to take those winning ways to Manchester United next season. Ajax were crowned champions again on Wednesday with one game to spare, setting off extensive overnight celebrations in the city after they beat Heerenveen 5-0. “I have enjoyed this great journey, it was a beautiful era. I look back with great satisfaction,” he said during the celebrations. Ten Hag leaves for United after the season, and he wants to turn things around in the same way he turned around Ajax’s fortunes. It had not been easy at Ajax. “Social media makes it very easy to express an opinion. Ajax is an A-brand, the banner…

MAMELODI Sundowns co-coach Rulani Mokwena says the team gave it their best this season, hence they are on course to win a domestic treble. After announcing their tenure by winning their fourth league title in a row and 11th overall, coaching trio Mokwena, Manqoba Mngqithi and Steve Komphela are on course for a clean sweep as far as the local trophies are concerned. Earlier this season, they bagged the elusive MTN8, while they wrapped up the championship with four games to spare last month. The Brazilians are also in the Nedbank Cup final where they face defending champions Marumo Gallants on May 28. Last month, Sundowns were nigh to winning an unprecedented quadruple but that didn’t come to fruition as they crashed out of the CAF Champions League quarter-final for…

THE MINERAL and precious metals boom lost lustre yesterday after a brace of indices on the JSE fell sharply as they moved in sympathy with stock markets globally that had been driven lower on fears of lower growth. The declines, which saw the share prices of some of South Africa’s leading miners slump, was mirrored in the international price of copper, which fell to a more than seven-month low – the price is often seen as a benchmark for metals price trends and global industrial activity. The US had reported stronger- than-expected inflation a day before, forcing the Nasdaq index down 3 percent, while the S&P 500 marked a fourth decline in five sessions. The JSE All Share Index was down 3.01 percent early yesterday afternoon. The price…

WOODFIBRE products group Sappi produced its highest-ever earnings before interest, tax depreciation, and amortisation (Ebitda), despite the damage caused to its South Africa operations by the floods in KwaZulu-Natal and the global impact of Covid-19. Chief executive Steve Binnie said in a telephone interview yesterday that the “remarkable bounce-back” since the lows of the Covid-19 pandemic two years before, coupled with the prospect of strong profitability for the rest of the year, attested to the resilience of the group. Sappi’s share price increased 2.2 percent to R61.61 on the JSE yesterday afternoon, on a day when the share prices of other commodity companies fell heavily. A $28 million (R450m) special expense was expected to be reported in the third quarter to end-June arising out of damages from the…

Apparently, he was texting the traditional PM alerting him about Prince Thulani Zulu blocking him from attending a meeting The low-intensity and behind-the-scenes feud between King Misuzulu’s loyalists within the Zulu royal family court is escalating, with recently fired Prince Africa Zulu allegedly hurling a “f**k u” expletive at Inkosi Mangosuthu Buthelezi. Apparently, the prince was texting Buthelezi alerting him about Prince Thulani Zulu blocking him from attending some meeting. He alleged that the instruction was coming from Buthelezi and signed off by firing the expletive which was screen-grabbed and was being circulated among royals. This adds another dimension to the growing feud among those who supported the king while he was fighting to ascend to the throne against his half-brother, Prince Simakade, the first-born son of the late…

After months of grief and loss, Maggie Mashiloane finally received some comfort yesterday when she was presented with the keys to a brand-new house by Gauteng Human Settlements MEC Lebogang Maile. Mashiloane’s life story touched many South Africans after she lost four children and their nanny in a horrific fire last year. She had also lost her husband to Covid-19. Her old house was in Pretoria West but she will now settle with her family at her new Soshanguve home. Maile presented Mashiloane, who was accompanied by her surviving son, with the keys to the house yesterday. This was a follow-up to the promise the Gauteng government made to assist Mashiloane. She told The Star that she was humbled by the support she had received and that God was…

LEAH the police dog that died while trying to rescue Sergeant Busisiwe Mjwara during search and rescue in the KwaZulu-Natal floods in the Msunduzi River, was laid to rest after a private funeral at Virginia Airport on Wednesday. Mjwara and Leah died in the incident on April 17. A number of SAPS members, including K9 officers, gathered to pay tribute to Leah on Wednesday. Lindy Swales, from Brenda’s Canine Fund NPC who held the funeral service for Leah, said her family understood the importance of search and rescue teams and K9 units. “In 2016 our mother went missing in the floods in Durban and we spent two weeks with search and rescue. Although she was never found, we understood the importance of the search and rescue teams. “My two sisters…

CHIEF Justice Raymond Zondo handed part one of his report, which contains his explicit remarks on the banks’ conduct, to President Cyril Ramaphosa in January, followed by part two on February 1, the third volume on March 1, and the fourth was delivered on April 29. The fifth, expected to be the final volume, is due next month. However, there seems to be a lack of appetite to implement Zondo’s recommendations that two of South Africa’s major banks should be investigated for participating in dubious business dealings linked to the Gupta family and state capture. Nedbank and Standard Bank have been implicated in the State Capture Commission report, as having corruptly benefited from their business dealing with Gupta-linked Regiments Capital. This corrupt dealing cost state-owned SAA, Airports Company SA (Acsa),…

THE JOBURG Development Agency (JDA) has terminated service provider contracts valued at about R244 million. The agency said the decision was prompted by project delays and poor workmanship. About R88.5m of the R244m had already been spent by the contractors in question, it said. The process of appointing replacement contractors for the projects was under way, with most projects expected to resume in this financial year. Development Planning MMC Belinda Echeozonjoku said she was concerned at the project delays and poor quality of work from some of the JDA contractors, lamenting the impact this has had on communities. “Non-performing contractors not only cause unnecessary delays to much-needed community projects but also hinder people the opportunity to enjoy basic services,” she said. “I have been consistent in calling for contractors that…

May is Africa Month in which the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the precursor to the AU, in 1963 is commemorated. Africa Month also allows us to reflect on the continent’s progress and the common challenges that it faces. The aspirations of Africa are many and the sustainability of food and nutrition is high on the agenda. The AU has appropriately themed this year’s celebration “2022: The Year of Nutrition.” Here are five things to look out for this Africa Month. Kenya A few Kenyan artistes and content creators are set to share the stage with British actor Idris Elba in Nigeria for the YouTube Africa Day Concert this month, writes online Kenyan news publication The Star. Returning for the third year in a row, the YouTube…

THE killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh by Israeli forces in Jenin is an act of savagery the so-called civilised world must stringently condemn, as they have denounced the fighting in Ukraine. The disgusting display of raw firepower in Gaza and the West Bank makes the conflict in Europe pale into insignificance. Killing in such a manner is premeditated murder. Anyone who disagrees must have their heads read. The twisted media in the West are as guilty as the Israeli security killing machine. Tainted reporting aids and abets the aggressor. International diplomacy to resolve the crisis is non-existent, as the momentum to achieve peaceful dialogue diminishes by the hour. More than 2 500 journalists have been killed since 1990. Murdering a journalist is the ultimate form of censorship.…

DESPITE their sterling efforts to secure a grandstand finish to the Premiership season on May 21, trailblazing Orlando Pirates have forced the Premier Soccer League’s hand. Unpredictably Pirates have reached the semi-finals of the CAF Confederation Cup and while they keep their challenge alive over the two legs, the PSL have postponed their Premiership fixtures so that they can concentrate on the continental competition. The first of Pirates’ outstanding three Premiership fixtures was postponed earlier this week. They were meant to play high-riding Royal AM, who are chasing the remaining CAF Champions League slot after Mamelodi Sundowns automatically clinched one spot after winning the Premiership. On Sunday, Pirates will be playing Al Ahli Tripoli of Libya in Johannesburg in the second leg after winning the first-leg clash 2-0 in Benghazi…

TAZMIN Brits may have missed out on going to the Olympics, but she will now have the opportunity to show off her sporting prowess at the Commonwealth Games later this year in Birmingham. In a previous life, the 31-year-old Brits was a junior world champion javelin thrower. However, a car accident on the day she qualified for the London 2012 Olympics killed off that dream. The accident changed Brits’ course, and after recovering from severe internal injuries, she found a new passion: cricket. The powerfully built athlete has since forged a new sporting career, where she performs the role of a hard-hitting top-order batter for North West and the Proteas Women’s team. She fulfilled a lifelong dream earlier this year when she was part of the Proteas’ team that reached…

EDDIE Howe admitted yesterday that Newcastle United will not be able to spend wildly in the upcoming transfer window after securing their Premier League status. The Magpies’ presence in next season’s English top flight was confirmed on Wednesday by Leeds’ 3-0 defeat to Chelsea, meaning Howe and the club’s Saudi-backed owners can now begin planning in earnest. However, after investing about £85-million (about R-1,67billion) in January to bring in Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood, Dan Burn and Bruno Guimaraes, as well as loan signing Matt Targett, Howe has warned fans not to expect a major splurge. The 44-year-old said there was an “element of truth” in reports that his budget could be more modest in the summer transfer window, referring to financial regulations. “With financial fair play, we have restraints and…