Índex per 2022-06-08 a Star

Experts warn economic ills, energy crisis and KZN floods could pose downside SOUTH Africa’s economic recovery from the depths of the pandemic-induced lockdowns has generally been faster than anticipated, but industry experts have warned that the country’s socio-economic ills, ongoing energy crisis and the devastating floods in KwaZulu-Natal could very well pose a downside risk to the potential overall growth for 2022. Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) said yesterday that the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 1.9 percent in the first quarter of 2022, representing a second consecutive quarter of upward growth following an upwardly revised 1.4 percent increase in the fourth quarter of 2021. As a result, the size of the economy is now at pre-pandemic levels with real GDP slightly higher than what it was…

COMAIR, which suspended its flights last week, would most likely not be able to pay its workers salaries for June as pressure mounts for the airline to find an investor in the next few weeks or go belly up, Business Rescue Practitioner (BRP) Richard Ferguson told organised labour yesterday. In a brief statement on social media platforms last week, Comair, which operates British Airways and kulula.com, advised the public that its flights had been voluntarily suspended from June 1 pending securing funding to resume operations. The airline’s management along with the BRP told the unions – including the National Union of Metal Workers (Numsa), Solidarity and the Pilots Association of South Africa – that it would not divulge the amount necessary to keep Comair afloat under non-disclosure agreements, but that…

This month marks the 46th anniversary of the Soweto Uprising, a historical event which took place on June 16, 1976, when in 10 days of rioting, the official death toll was 176, according to sahistory.org.za, though many say it was higher. The youth of 1976 took to the streets of Soweto, united to oppose the introduction of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in local schools. Nearly five decades later, we continue to salute and honour these students who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of South Africa from the apartheid regime. From dance showcases to musicals and thrilling stage productions, theatre houses across the country are jam-packed with exciting shows to commemorate the Youth Month. Imbilini...my friend! This is a new play, written and performed by Bulelani Mabutyana along…

LearnerS from Madibatlou Middle School in Tembisa were filled with gratitude after being bestowed with pairs of shoes, revealing that their self-confidence has been ignited. The handover of school shoes displayed how a simple item can be much more meaningful to someone who is less privileged. Shoes are identified as one of the things that play a huge role in how children perceive themselves in a social space. The lack of proper school wear itself has in many cases resulted in children opting to drop out of school. Founder of Kasi Angels Foundation, Gerald Nomlala, said spending three years of his school life without shoes made the situation relatable to him. “I spent three years of my youth life without school shoes. “I can relate to a kid who now…

Ingredients 400g tin Lucky Star pilchards in tomato sauce 2 tbs canola oil 1 medium onion, sliced 1 vegetable stock cube 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp crushed garlic 1 tsp mild curry powder 2-3 tomatoes, chopped ½ tsp paprika 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced 250ml (1 cup) frozen peas and carrots ½ tsp white pepper ½ tsp cayenne pepper 2-3 tbs parsley, chopped Salt to taste Magwinya ingredients: 5½C cake wheat flour plus extra for dusting 2 tsp salt 2 tbs sugar ½ packet instant dry yeast 500ml (2 cups) lukewarm water Method In a large pan, add the oil, onions, garlic, ginger, curry and paprika. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and continue cooking for 3 minutes. Add the potatoes and stock cube, cayenne…

Leinster have won the last four titles, when the United Rugby Championship (URC) was the PRO14, and they have been overall European champions four times – and lost in the final in 2019 and two weeks ago. That is the size of the mountain facing the Bulls in Friday night’s URC semi-final at the RDS Arena in Dublin (8.35pm SA time kick-off), but it’s not one that is daunting for the Pretoria side’s captain Marcell Coetzee. The openside flank has had a taste of the Leinster brigade when he was at Ulster, and he insists that his Bulls team are ready to square off with Johnny Sexton’s side. “There are a lot of factors that come into account. Semi-final play-offs, there is always going to be high pressure, building up…

PARIS Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe is the most valuable footballer in the world, according to Swiss research group CIES Football Observatory, followed by Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr and new Manchester City recruit Erling Haaland. Mbappe, who turned down Real and signed a new three-year deal with PSG last month, topped the list with an estimated transfer value of €205.6-million, beating Vinicius (€185.3m) and Haaland (€152.6m). Mbappe’s PSG teammate Neymar holds the current transfer record. The French champions paid Barcelona €222m for his signature in 2017. The top five was rounded off by Barca youngster Pedri (€135.1m) and Borussia Dortmund’s English midfielder Jude Bellingham (€133.7m). The CIES Football Observatory uses such indicators as player age, performance, career progression and contract duration to arrive at a transfer value. The latest list was…

Marumo Gallants had a fairly decent season in light of their poor start to the campaign. They started the season badly under Sebastien Migne, who was clearly not in tune with South African football and whose tactics were all over the place. With Gallants seemingly in trouble, the club underwent a strong rejuvenation with the appointment of experienced tactician Dan Malesela in November. In the end, Gallants not only avoided relegation comfortably, but earned a 10th place finish, falling just six points short of the top eight. They also reached the Nedbank Cup final, where Mamelodi Sundowns required extra time to beat them. Player of the Season: Miguel Timm It is hardly surprising that the defensive midfielder is being linked with a move to Orlando Pirates amidst his solid performances…

The Stormers are the one team that never have to back down when it comes to the set-piece battle, but it’s one area where they know Ulster can test them. The Cape side secured their United Rugby Championship (URC) semi-final against the Irish outfit after defeating Edinburgh 28-17 at Cape Town Stadium last weekend, while Ulster produced a dominant display to beat Munster 36-17. While the Stormers, of course, have no shortage of threats around the park, their pack – and their front row in particular – is one of their most dangerous units. Forwards coach Rito Hlungwani emphasised yesterday that they want to keep building on what they’ve got right up until now at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday (3pm kick-off). “It is quite a big occasion, and…

SOUTH Africa’s decade-long electricity woes could soon be alleviated as the energy regulator has given the green light for additional generation capacity by independent power producers (IPPs). The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) yesterday approved the registration of a further 16 distri- buted generation projects, mainly solar power, with a combined capacity of 211MW and a collective investment value of R3.65 billion. Nersa said 11 generation facilities would be generating electricity for their own use, while five would be generating for commercial purposes. Cas Coovadia, Business Unity SA chief executive, said yesterday the fact that registration processes for the 16 new generation facilities were processed within 19 days was very encouraging for businesses ready to generate energy. “This amendment goes a long way to unlocking embedded generation…

ANGLO Platinum (Angloplat), Impala Platinum (Implats) and Sibanye-Stillwater have struck an agreement for guaranteed power supplies in Zimbabwe in return for hard currency to settle foreign currency obligations accrued by the country’s state power utility. Power outages and foreign currency woes are among the major headwinds for platinum and other miners in Zimbabwe. Electricity shortages have been disruptive to productivity for the three platinum miners and they have had to scramble for a solution to get guaranteed and uninterrupted power supply. “We have had to push for this deal for a sustainable solution to power outages that have been affecting production, with the risk that production was going to be affected,” said one executive with a platinum mining company. He added: “We have previously had to pay for all our…

There aren’t many artists who’ve announced their arrival into the music industry more impressively than Lady Zamar. Her 2017 sprawling debut album, King Zamar, dominated airwaves and award shows, thrusting her firmly into the spotlight as one of the country’s hottest stars. Although Zamar won the best dance album award for it at the South African Music Awards (Samas) the following year, she lost out to songstress Shekhinah for the Female Artist of the Year and Album of the Year awards. While her sophomore album, 2019’s Monarch, didn’t quite meet the lofty heights of its predecessor in sound and in scale, Zamar was able to stay relevant through the lasting impact of King Zamar. She’s released just a handful of lacklustre singles, solo and features, over the past three years,…

A GAUTENG businessman who won a R48 million fraud and corruption case brought against him by Old Mutual eight years ago is now preparing to sue for damages, including the loss of more than R100m worth of properties and personal income. The fraud, theft, money laundering, and racketeering charges against Tuwani Matthews Mulaudzi were withdrawn on May 6 by the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crime Court. The case had been dragging on since 2014. Immediately after the verdict, Mulaudzi issued a firm statement: “As I said in 2014, to those who connived and ganged up in destroying me, and my family, you must just be ready to pay. We are now headed to the apex court in the land on the civil dispute.” Before the trouble started, Mulaudzi was the successful…

IN AN attempt to prevent white rhinos from becoming extinct, a comprehensive proposal to annually re-wild about 100 southern white rhinoceros to their natural habitat in southern Africa is to be implemented. Rhinos for this rewilding will be sourced from the 2 004 on 8 400ha of grassland in the North West. The process forms part of a private conservation initiative that can reduce the pressure on shrinking populations of this iconic species. John Hume is the owner of the largest rhino herd in South Africa, and his dedication through successfully breeding the species away from extinction for three decades to protect the rhinos is one of the most remarkable conservation success stories in the private sector. About 30 years ago, his concern about the future survival of the species…

RISING talent Pascal Kubayi, known as DJ Pasca, speaks candidly about his music journey, his life highlights and his latest music offering. After working tirelessly to ensure that his new EP Nwana Mhani came into being, DJ Pasca could not stop beaming with pride while unpacking interesting details about it. Having released it successfully, he revealed he has never been more eager to do more music. Kubayi shared that he has always wanted to use his love for music as a vessel to carry content that is thought-provoking and inspiring. Growing up in an environment where music was among many things respected by his loved ones played a significant role in becoming the artist he is today. Speaking with The Star, the rising star said his music was inspired by…

South Africans woke up three Saturdays ago to the grim news of another horrific, multiple-vehicle pile-up on our roads. A fully laden taxi had ploughed into a truck on the N3 on the notorious Town Hill in Pietermaritzburg in the early hours of the morning, bursting into flames. All 16 passengers except for one little boy died in a fiery blaze, burnt beyond recognition. Though emergency personnel were on the scene they could do nothing but watch in horror the passengers being burnt alive. What a horrible way to die. Our public transport is a shambles. Our trains which were once the chief means of mass transport for the poor, don’t run anymore. The ubiquitous taxis are the only means of transport for the poor. So often they hurtle along…

Netball South Africa (NSA) made a historic announcement yesterday when they promulgated that they had contracted players to the national team, the SPAR Proteas – the first time such an agreement has been reached in the country. With the 2023 Netball World Cup looming, NSA has made huge strides in recent months to move away from its amateur roots towards a more semi-professional organisation, with the view of becoming a fully professional sport in South Africa in the near future. The latest move in that push was announced in Rosebank, Johannesburg, yesterday when NSA disclosed that 24 players had been signed to the national association with national contracts, which commenced on April 1. “Over the past three years,” NSA president Cecilia Molokwane said via a statement, “I have been speaking…

The University of Pretoria and Cape Town All Stars will meet for the fourth time this season this afternoon, with this specific encounter being the most important of them all. The sides will kick off match-day three of the Premier Soccer League (PSL) play-offs when they meet at the Tuks Stadium in Pretoria (3pm kick-off). ‘Igugu leKapa’ cut a defeated figure on the opening day of the promotion-relegation play-offs as Tuks quickly established a two-goal lead and found a third later to win 3-0. There is little doubt that the result of that match will have an influence on how the sides set up in today’s clash. However, another important element to consider is the performance on that day in Cape Town. All Stars recorded a 67% possession statistic and…

Premiership new boys Sekhukhune United’s inaugural season in the top flight saw them finish in 11th position in the league. Player of the Season: Toaster Nsabata Although cases could be made for influential captain Yusuf Maart and goal-getter Chibuike Ohizo, it was Zambian international goalkeeper Toaster Nsabata that had a standout year between the posts. The 28-year-old shot-stopper played his first season in South Africa and quickly established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the league. He stood tall in the face of adversity for Babina Noko, and notched up 11 clean sheets on his way to a Goalkeeper of the Season award nomination. Goal of the Season: Justin Shonga v Stellenbosch FC Surprisingly enough, this magical overhead strike missed out on a nomination for the Premiership Goal…

American two-time Major champion Dustin Johnson said yesterday he had resigned from the PGA Tour to compete in the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational that kicks off this week. By doing so, Johnson has probably made himself ineligible for the American Ryder Cup team, and could potentially jeopardise his chances of playing in golf’s Majors. “It’s hard to speak on what the consequences might be, but I’ve resigned my membership of the Tour, and that’s the plan for now,” Johnson said at the Centurion Club north of London which hosts the first of eight tournaments. Johnson is the second golfer to resign from the PGA Tour to join the contentious new event, which is bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and offers a total prize pot of $255-million. Fellow…

CELL C WAS the only remaining successful bidder among the six that bought various units of spectrum slots that has not fully serviced its part of the fees, Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) chairperson Keabetswe Modimoeng told Parliament yesterday. This as Cell C is technically insolvent and needs a crucial recapitalisation deal struck to recapitalise the company, which is taking place on June 20. Briefing Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Communications on the recent auction, which raised R14.4 billion, Modimoeng said the regulator had issued Radio Frequency Spectrum licences to successful bidders by May 10 after receiving proportionate auction fees. “One successful bidder has only serviced part of the auction fee. The authority is taking advice on the matter,” he said. He clarified to parliamentarians later that the…

SAFARI Investments RSA’s board said yesterday Heriot Properties had firmed its intention to acquire Safari “unilaterally” after “unsolicited” terms were handed to Safari’s board. Heriot Properties acquired 32.2 percent of Safari Investments last year, and had indicated subsequently that it wished to acquire more shares over time. The parties had jointly also obtained Competition Commission approval for such a merger. On Friday Heriot said it intended to make a general offer to Safari shareholders of R5.60 cash for every Safari share. Safari’s shares gained 2.50 percent to close at R5.74 on the JSE yesterday. The rarely traded share has risen more than 10 percent from the close on Thursday, prior to Heriot’s announcement on Friday of its firm intentions. Heriot owns a retail, industrial, commercial and specialised…

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has voluntarily subjected himself to appear before the ANC integrity commission, saying he had nothing to hide following former State Security Agency director-general Arthur Fraser’s assertions that he tried to conceal a crime at his Phala Phala farm. The crime involves the farm being robbed of an alleged $4 million (more than R60m). Ramaphosa further denied any involvement in “criminal conduct”, saying the money stolen were the proceeds of the “business transaction of selling animals”, because he was a game farmer. In a statement, his party’s National Working Committee (NWC), after meeting on Monday, welcomed and commended the decision by the president to voluntarily present himself to the ANC Integrity Commission, led by veteran politician George Mashamba, in line with ANC policy. The statement read in part:…

THE cross-examination of forensic officer Sergeant Thabo Johannes Mosia in the Senzo Meyiwa murder case hit a snag in the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, yesterday. The court was forced to adjourn as the machine that records proceedings was reportedly not recording properly. Later, Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela, the State and both defence counsel agreed to adjourn the matter to today, for the machine to be repaired. Mosia, testifying as the first forensic officer on the scene the night Meyiwa was shot, was questioned by advocate Zandile Mshololo, the defence counsel for the fifth accused, Sifisokuhle Ntuli. She continued to challenge the officer’s competence, while tending to the scene at Kelly Khumalo’s family home in Vosloorus. Previously, Mshololo queried why the officer had neglected to collect some evidence, failed to…

AS COVID-19 fears recede among tourists and other travellers, the latest Statistics South Africa release for the tourist accommodation industry shows it continues to gradually recover. The sector was one of those hardest hit by the pandemic shock as lockdown restrictions and loss of confidence drove down business and leisure travel sharply. The statistics showed that income from accommodation increased by 83.3% in the first quarter of 2022 compared with the first quarter of 2021, and the main contributors to this were hotels and other accommodation, including Airbnb stays. Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke said that measured at current prices, the income for the sector increased by 110.6% in March 2022 when compared with March 2021. “Income from accommodation increased by 87.6% year-on-year in March 2022, the result of…

Best spinners from across the country will go head-to-head and showcase their extraordinary skills behind the wheels on the Red Bull Shay’iMoto tournament on September 3. “The Hollywood of Spinning”, as it is dubbed, will be returning for the fourth year. It is also set to bring back the thrills of live-action after the Covid-19 hiatus. In this competition, the judges and the audience present decide who takes the title home. Last year’s winner and current champion, Nelspruit’s Samkeliso “Sam Sam” Thubane, will be returning to defend his title. Sam Sam spun circles around his competition last year and secured victory, defeating Cape Town’s charismatic Chadwin “Boksie” Hadjie in a final battle that had the judges on the edge of their seats. “I’m looking forward to defending my title. I’ve…

From the outside, it seemed a gamble. But it seems David Miller always knew the rewards potentially outweighed the risks. He had the skill. He just needed to find a more consistent way of exhibiting it. At the time, Miller averaged 36.97 in one-day internationals and 28.62 in T20s. So he quit Test cricket in September 2018 “to make sure that I am in a position to give myself the best opportunity to play for the Proteas”. He has since averaged 57.18 in ODIs and 39 at a strike-rate of 143.55 in T20s. Much of this is due to learnings gained at Kings XI Punjab, Rajasthan Royals, Glamorgan, Durham, Jamaica Tallawahs, St Lucia Zouks, Hobart Hurricanes, Peshawar Zalmi, Bengal Tigers, Uthura Rudras and, of course, Gujarat Titans over the past…

Former Fifa president Sepp Blatter and former Uefa president Michel Platini are due to appear in a Swiss court today to face corruption charges which triggered their downfall from the summit of global football. Swiss prosecutors accuse the pair, once among the game’s most powerful figures, of unlawfully arranging a payment of two million Swiss francs in 2011 from Fifa to Platini. The case meant that Blatter ended his 17-year reign as Fifa president in disgrace and torpedoed hopes by former France midfielder Platini of succeeding him. It is one of 25 investigations by the Swiss Office of the Attorney General (OAG) into corruption in the game, with some 12 still pending. Following a six-year investigation, the OAG accused the now 86-year-old Blatter of “fraud, in the alternative of misappropriation,…

Injured Liverpool star Mohamed Salah defied his club and captained Egypt to a 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying victory over Guinea in Cairo at the weekend, according to national coach Ehab Galal. “Salah was hit by an injury, but played through it,” said Galal following his debut after Portuguese Carlos Queiroz – a former Bafana Bafana coach – quit because he could not agree terms for a new contract. Galal said that Salah rejected a Liverpool request to have a pre-match scan on the undisclosed injury, but “that will be done now”. Egypt face Ethiopia tomorrow in Malawi capital Lilongwe because their opponents do not have any international-standard stadiums. Two-time African Footballer of the Year Salah has experienced two major disappointments with record seven-time Afcon winners Egypt this year.…

Veteran England seamer Stuart Broad has dismissed speculation of a rift with former Test captain Joe Root, saying that it would be “pathetic” if he were to fall out with him over being dropped for the tour of West Indies earlier this year. Broad and fellow paceman James Anderson, England’s top two wicket-takers in Tests, were left out of the three-Test series in the Caribbean, which ended in a 1-0 defeat and led to Root resigning as skipper. Both returned to the team for the opening Test against New Zealand at Lord’s last week and were instrumental in helping the hosts to a five-wicket win in Ben Stokes’ first match as captain. “Joe and I spoke at length when he stood down as captain, and I said to him how…