Índex per 2022-07-11 a Star

BRAIT, the investment holding group, said the profit margins of leading food product maker Premier, which it intends to list, have proven resilient through cycles of rising soft commodities. Brait’s latest annual report, released on Friday, said the trend highlighted the effective “pass-through” of the higher commodity costs without affecting Premier’s volumes. Plans to list Premier have been put on ice until equity market conditions improve. The report showed some interesting insights how these rising costs filter through to consumer prices. Wheat, along with other globally traded grain prices, have risen sharply this year due to the Ukraine crisis, while fuel and energy prices have also trended substantially higher. Premier is South Africa’s third-biggest maker of bread, and bread makes up 82 percent of the revenue of its Millbake…

SOUTH African markets ended the week on a mixed note on Friday, as stocks edged higher but the rand continued weakening to a 22-month low before pairing gains. The rand weakened to R16.89 against the US dollar, the lowest since September 2020, amid persistent worries about the national power grid. The domestic currency lost nearly 3 percent over the trading week, having twice touched a 21-month weakest level of R16.85 to the dollar. There is widespread concern that the current round of power cuts could have long-term effects on South Africa’s economic growth. Struggling state-owned power utility Eskom said these were set to continue over the weekend, but could be at lower stages. The rand was also pressured by the dollar’s strength amid the US Federal Reserve’s (Fed’s) firm…

The countdown is on for the premiere of one the hottest talent search shows, Idols SA season 18. Idols SA is set to make its return to Mzansi Magic on July 17, with some new faces. The theme for this season is “Singing a Different Tune” and it starts with a new panel of judges, which features two prominent and respected newcomers, as well as a long-time fan favourite. Triple threat pop culture’s Thembi Seete and rapper-producer JR Bogopa join the multi-talented choreographer and TV star Somizi Mhlongo. The three will be nurturing and ushering in new talent with judging styles as unique as each of their personalities, skill sets and illustrious careers. Judging from the promo video, the trio are more than ready for the tough task of finding…

MORE Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant applicants may now be eligible to qualify as Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu has proposed adjusting the income threshold from R350 to R624. This change is contained in a government gazette published on Friday with comments open until July 29. In the gazette, Zulu indicated that from time to time, with the agreement of the Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, the income threshold would be amended. Zulu’s proposal follows intense public pressure from civil society organisations that have, among other things, demanded that she lifts the income eligibility threshold from R350 to R624, the food poverty line, and lifting of the budget cap of R44 billion to cater to all those that qualify for the grant. They also demanded the removal of the…

The 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) opened in Morocco with several storylines that include challenges to perennial giants, broadcast to a global audience, increased monetary payout to the winner and an expanded number of finalists. There are 12 teams left standing. The competition is the biggest women’s football tournament on the continent and it has brought excitement before sizeable stadium crowds and those watching via television all over the world. Morocco is one of the teams expected to challenge for the title Nigeria has dominated since winning the debut edition of the tournament in 1991. It’s the biggest and most talked-about Wafcon yet, but the 2022 competition in Morocco is also going to be remembered for the introduction of the enforcement of testosterone tests for players. Testosterone testing…

The renowned Miss Global Heritage beauty pageant which focuses on promoting global diverse heritage is set to take place on September 24 – a day that South Africa celebrates Heritage Day. With South Africa chosen as host this year, women from different parts of the world will travel to the culturally-rich Limpopo, where this prestigious event will be hosted at the Kalahari Waterfront Nandoni. Miss Global Heritage creates culture ambassadors out of beauty queens from the ages of 18 to 28 from different cultures and backgrounds, bringing them together to learn about the culture of the host country. Miss Heritage SA Zabelo Hlabisa shared her excitement about being the host queen. Hlabisa said that she was looking forward to teaching the rest of the queens about South Africa’s…

YESTERDAY marked two months since at least 70 victims of xenophobic attacks set up camp outside the UN refugee office in Brooklyn, Pretoria, seeking alternative and safer homes outside of South Africa. The Star’s sister newspaper, Pretoria News visited the women, men and children who have survived the cold days and nights of the winter to show resolve that there was absolutely no interest to reconcile with the communities that attacked and disrupted their lives in 2019. Elize Andom spoke for the group, sitting on a bucket and putting her out-of-school daughter just outside their tent, while another two children fought to charge her phone with small hand-held solar panels. Other women in the community were washing clothes, while others made fires and cooked meals in various kinds of metal…

BORIS Johnson’s resignation as the British prime minister raises an interesting issue. His enemies, with whom I agree, are revelling in the development. I’m glad to see his back for no other reason than his lousy attitude towards Africa, as seen in his latest shameful policy of dumping refugees, unwanted by his country, in Rwanda in exchange for money. But the reality that we should face, without venerating Johnson and the UK system, is that there is accountability in some democracies where leaders take responsibility for their actions. Consider the many developing democracies where such actions are unheard of. Bitter as it is, we must face the brutal truth: if we are going to consolidate our democracies, especially on this continent, when leaders are no longer needed, they should…

EBEN Etzebeth is set to win his 100th cap for South Africa in front of his home crowd in Cape Town in the series decider against Wales on Saturday and while he was in good form at the weekend in Bloemfontein, he will know he has to set a better example after his disciplinary implosion in the last quarter. The Boks were up 12-3 and on course to wrap up the series when their discipline failed them and allowed Wales to mount a comeback, and three of the infringements they made were by the most experienced Bok on the pitch. Etzebeth was the only player retained in the starting XV from the first Test and should have been a pillar of composure. Until then, he had been at his robust…

Gavin Hunt’s sojourn in the footballing wilderness has ended abruptly with his appointment at SuperSport United, whose “DNA” was a major factor in his decision to accept the position of head coach at the Pretoria-based team. Since his departure from Chippa United last December, Hunt’s name had been linked to several clubs. However, seven months later, he has finally settled for a club “with a DNA that I liked” and there he will build on his tried-and-tested philosophy of “no youth, no future”. Hunt had an enviable record as SuperSport coach during his first stint there several years ago. He won the Premiership three seasons on the trot (2007/08, 2008/09 and 2009/10). Since his departure, Matsatsantsa (The Swanky Boys) have failed to win the league. While at SuperSport, Hunt also…

MORE AND MORE experts are of the opinion that Eskom has reached the end of the road. Not only does Eskom struggle with neglected maintenance over many years, ageing infrastructure, increasing unscheduled breakdowns, non-compliance with air pollution laws, a lack of long-term planning, the slow acquisition of alternative energy sources, a debt of billions of rand, but it also grapples with the eradication of endemic corruption and internal sabotage. Add to this a bloated workforce overstaffed by about 66 percent, which is also one of the highest-paid in the country, and even a non-expert can determine the slim chances of the long-term survival of Eskom in its current form. Salaries at Eskom are more than double the norm in 35 other African countries, while the staff count increased exponentially,…

Actor Chris Hemsworth felt the need to up his game in Thor: Love and Thunder, especially with the bar raised in Thor: Ragnarok. Hemsworth, who plays the lead character, Thor, God of Thunder, also wears the hat of executive producer. The film opened in cinemas on Friday and has already had a cracker of an opening weekend. “There was a huge amount of pressure coming into this. There was a big expectation of what we’ll do next, so I wanted to do something different. I want to always do better with this character and to have had the opportunity to do another film was just awesome,” said Hemsworth. Going into filming he was adamant about hanging on to a new version of Thor, which he had the opportunity to explore…

AFRICAN People's Convention (APC) leader Themba Godi has placed his support behind Wits students who demanded the resignation of Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan. Last week, Gordhan was heckled by Wits students during a public lecture which saw an exchange between Gordhan and the students who were in conversation about issues affecting the country's state-owned enterprises (SOEs). The students questioned the minister on his decisions at SAA and Denel, as well as the latest issues at Eskom. Gordhan was also told to admit his role in the state capture project. Gordhan accused the students of ganging up against him and plotting to disrupt his presentation. Godi said: “Pravin (Gordhan) never takes responsibility for anything; he is always pointing fingers at others. What the students at Wits did was very…

In the midst of the fear there were definitely lighter moments that were shared on social media. Here are some of the pictures that went viral. 1. The cake eater A video of a man biting into a whole cake at a supermarket during a looting spree went viral on social media. The man, seen wearing a yellow T-shirt, does not appear concerned that he is being recorded. A number of memes were made after the incident. It is unclear if the man was ever identified and charged. 2. The flat screen TV that just wouldn’t fit in a Toyota Dubbed the worst looter by social media users, the person trying to fit a flat-screen television into the back seat of his Toyota Corolla had South Africans shaking their heads.…

THE trial of the five men accused of killing Senzo Meyiwa will resume in the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, tomorrow against the backdrop of sensational claims by singer Kelly Khumalo, the soccer star’s girlfriend at the time of his death. These included comments about him being a “cash cow” for his family, and an unknown entity until he became involved with her. The trial has been marked by repeated arguments and delays relating to the existence of a second docket in the matter, which apparently implicates Khumalo and others who were in the house on the night of the Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana skipper’s death eight years ago. The indictment in the second docket lists the suspects as Longwe Twala, Kelly Khumalo, Gladness Khumalo, Zandi Khumalo, Tumelo…

We are a nation in a crisis. We are on a perilous path. South Africans are losing hope in democracy. This must be the primary concern and cause for deep reflection for all of society. Things can still get even worse. We could even topple over into a political and social abyss, a point of no return. We can avoid this. Much of what we see is social, economic, political and moral destruction. Over the past decade society has witnessed spectacular failure of leadership. We have endured years of a leadership culture that is bereft of moral and ethical content. We have been subjected to profound levels of moral depravity by those we entrusted with the responsibility to take the baton and lead us. They are the beneficiaries of an…

Novak Djokovic stayed serene amid a frenzied atmosphere to tame fiery Australian Nick Kyrgios in an engrossing final yesterday, lifting a seventh Wimbledon title and taking his Grand Slam count to 21. Rallying from a set down, Djokovic exhibited ice-cool nerves in sweltering conditions to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(3) for his fourth consecutive trophy at the grasscourt major to close in on Rafa Nadal’s record 22 major crowns. Competing in a men’s record 32nd Slam final on a sun-bathed Centre Court, the 35-year-old was facing an unseeded opponent who had never been beyond the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam before. In their only two previous meetings, both in 2017, Djokovic did not win a set, did not once break the Kyrgios serve and had only a single break point…

Elena Rybakina’s modest celebrations after winning Wimbledon on Saturday was mostly due to her impassive personality but there was possibly also an air of inevitability about her triumph that made her react the way she did. Rybakina was only 20 when her career graph went on an upward trajectory around the start of the 2020 season as she lifted a second WTA title in Hobart and also reached the finals in Shenzhen, St Petersburg and Dubai. She broke into the Top 20 of the women’s world rankings in February 2020, but saw her progress stymied due to a thigh injury before the Covid-19 pandemic forced the suspension of the tennis season. The Moscow-born player, who shifted allegiance to Kazakhstan four years back, reached her maiden Grand Slam quarter-finals at the…

THE SOUTH African government has called for wide-ranging reforms to the UN in a bid to enable emerging economies to have an effective voice in the global community. Minister of International Relations and Co-operation Dr Naledi Pandor on Friday said that the UN must be strengthened to play the development support role expected of it, and promote its collaboration with continental and regional bodies. Pandor said the key to the success of the UN and all international law would be an even playing field in which there were no double standards and where rules and principles apply to all and protect all equally. “South Africa also calls for dedicated attention to reform of the UN to make it fit for the 21st century and beyond,” Pandor said. “The privilege that…

Bethenny Frankel has insisted she did not leave The Real Housewives of New York City because of the money. The 51-year-old businesswoman had been a regular cast member on the Bravo reality show for several years when she made a swift exit in 2019 and took to social media to explain to fans that the move was not financial. She said: “People thought that I left because of the money. If I stayed, it would have been because of the money. I left because I wanted to leave. I was ready to leave, and I used a technicality deal point as my excuse.” The former reality star, who has been engaged to real estate investor Paul Bernon since 2018, added that at the time she quit, she had just lost…

HOUSE fires are increasing as a result of extended load shedding and South Africans need to be extra careful, Fidelity ADT has warned. “We have been made aware of several instances where fires have broken out in homes because of power cuts,” said Charnel Hattingh, head of marketing and communication at Fidelity ADT. Hattingh said that in one instance, a resident was cooking when the power went off. She then went to the shops and while she was out the power came back on. She had accidentally left the stove on and a fire broke out as a result of the food burning. In another instance, a resident was running a generator in an outside shed. Because the generator was running for an extended period, heat built up in the…

CLOSE to 600 medical students have graduated from Cuban universities as part of the Nelson Mandela/Fidel Castro Medical Collaboration Programme this year. The objective of the programme is to alleviate the shortage of doctors in South Africa, especially in historically disadvantaged communities. Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla on Friday presided over a graduation ceremony of the 594 medical doctors trained through Cuban universities, held at the University of Pretoria. Phaahla was joined by Deputy Minister Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, Deputy Minister of Health in the Republic of Cuba Dr Luis Fernando LF Navarro, acting vice-chancellor and principal of the University of Pretoria Prof BT Maharaj, as well as provincial MECs for Health and representatives from the University of Havana in Cuba. From 1997 to-date, the collaboration has produced 2 556 doctors,…

With load shedding in South Africa having escalated to a severe stage 6 over the past weeks, power grids from countries across the globe are also facing their biggest test due to increasing power demands. Agri SA director Christo van der Rheede said the power crisis has left small-scale farmers the most vulnerable, as pumping stations, irrigation and other systems all depend on power supply. Added to that, the blackouts have caused waste and financial losses due to the impact on food storage. Last week, Eskom said the reason for Stage 6 load shedding was routine planned maintenance while at the same time, employees were absent in protest over stalled wage negotiations. Abroad, electricity generation is strangling some of the world’s largest economies as the sweltering heat boosts the power…

ACADEMICS, scientists and education stakeholders from across the African continent are hedging their hopes for a better tomorrow for the continent on the success of collaborative efforts such as the Science Diplomacy Capital for Africa initiative (SDCfA). The initiative, a brainchild of the Department of Science and Innovation, was launched at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on Friday, bringing together diplomats, academics, scientists, business and civil society members, in order to promote scientific collaboration across Africa and beyond. At the same time it spoke of using, leveraging and connecting technology innovation with humanity. Deputy Director-General for International Co-operation and Resources at the Department of Science and Innovation, Daan Du Toit, speaking on behalf of Minister Blade Nzimande, said the minister believed that such a project could make…

HISTORY has vindicated former president Thabo Mbeki regarding his suitability as successor to Nelson Mandela and his statesmanship credentials. ‘ Yet, it was always Mbeki's fault when things went south. It has become the custom in media commentary to place a “but” and “what about HIV/Aids and Zimbabwe” every time an opportunity to praise and recognise the good in Mbeki presents itself. Added to these is the tendency to attribute the problems of Zimbabwe to Mbeki’s quiet diplomacy. One begins to wonder whether the stubborn stance is due to the dislike of Mbeki’s personality or the lack of loud diplomacy as the universal protocol in political diplomacy. The Zimbabwe issue was based on the Global Political Agreement, which was by and from the Zimbabweans themselves, with only the assistance of…

Sune Luus has admitted that Lizelle Lee’s retirement from international cricket last week came as a shock to everyone in the Proteas Women’s squad. Lee made the announcement on Friday morning, just days before the South Africans starts a three-match one-day international series against England, and a few weeks before the Commonwealth Games, where the Proteas will be one of eight teams in a T20 competition. “It came as a shock to all of us, she’s given eight good years to her country and we all respected her decision,” said Luus. She added that Lee, 30, did not provide any reasons to her teammates for her choice. “It is a personal decision, and we respect her decision, she’s obviously got her reasons,” Luus said. In the statement announcing that decision,…

Enoch Nkwe wants to utilise the expertise of former Proteas players, including former captain Graeme Smith, who held the position of Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) director of cricket immediately before him. Nkwe, who will be conducting a series of seminars and a ‘road show’ to introduce himself formally to the provincial union officials and coaches over the next few weeks, said the involvement of former players would be beneficial to him and more broadly SA cricket. Smith did not renew his contract at the end of March and took up a stint as a commentator at the Indian Premier League recently. He was exonerated by an arbitration panel after CSA’s Social Justice and Nation Building (SJN) report had made damning findings about him, which included that he overlooked Nkwe for…

Charles Leclerc survived a late throttle scare to win the Austrian Grand Prix for Ferrari yesterday and move back up as Formula One world championship leader Max Verstappen’s closest rival. Red Bull Racing’s Verstappen had to settle for second place, with a comfortable 38-point lead over Monegasque Leclerc after 11 of 22 races. Mercedes’ seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton completed the podium for the third race in a row. “I was scared. I was really scared,” said a relieved Leclerc over the team radio after taking the chequered flag at the Red Bull Ring with Verstappen in his mirrors, one and half seconds behind. He overtook the Dutch driver three times in the race but feared the win might still slip away as he battled a throttle problem over the…

Raheem Sterling looks set to be the first major signing of the Todd Boehly era at Chelsea, as according to media reports yesterday, they have agreed a fee with Manchester City. Sky says the England international forward will cost £47.5-million (about R964m) while the BBC believe it is worth up to £50m, including add-ons. New Chelsea chairman Boehly has thrust himself to the fore of transfer negotiations with the American also acting as interim sporting director in the post Roman Abramovich era. Sterling’s signing will endorse Boehly’s high-profile involvement as both Barcelona and Real Madrid were believed to be keen to buy him. Sterling, 27, has already reportedly agreed personal terms and subject to a medical will sign a five-year contract with the option of a further year. Chelsea hope…