Índex per 2022-07-12 a Star

CAPITAL & Regional’s Walthamstow residential development has been sold to Long Harbour for £21.65 million (R438.12m), so that construction of the development can commence. Capital & Regional, the UK convenience and community-focused shopping centre real estate investment trust (Reit) with a secondary listing on the JSE, yesterday said the sale of the residential development project at its 17&Central community shopping centre in Walthamstow, London, to specialist residential developer Long Harbour, had been concluded. The deal was in line with its strategy to create value from its portfolio through reconfiguring or repurposing underutilised space for other uses, which also help to drive footfall and operational performance. Capital & Regional plans to use most of the proceeds to reduce its loan facility within The Mall Limited Partnership. Its share price rose…

GOLD FIELDS said yesterday it plans to increase its dividend policy and will apply to list on the Toronto Stock Exchange in an effort to sweeten shareholders’ sentiments around its Yamana Gold acquisition. The JSE and New York-listed miner said it was planning to increase its dividend payout policy to between 30 and 45 percent of normalised profit, an increase compared to its standing policy of between 24 to 35 percent. Gold Fields’ share price on the JSE nevertheless fell by 0.82 percent to close at R157.25 yesterday following the announcement. Yamana Gold operates gold, silver, and copper mines in Canada, Chile, Brazil, and Argentina. In May, Gold Fields said it planned to acquire Yamana in a deal valued at about R10 billion and shareholders expressed…

Tributes are pouring in for radio pioneer Kevin Savage, who died of cancer on Saturday, July 9. He was 69. The Joburg station Hot102.7FM, where Savage hosted the Classic Countdown show on Sundays, released a statement on social media, confirming that Savage “died peacefully with his family by his side”. “It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of a Hot 102.7 radio legend. “A few hours ago, Kevin Savage lost his battle to cancer. Kevin was diagnosed with terminal cancer over four years ago and fought heroically till the very end,” read the statement. “His request since his diagnosis was to continue doing his radio shows until he couldn’t any more. Over the past few weeks, Kevin’s condition deteriorated rapidly and he requested that we…

President Cyril Ramaphosa said South Africa should not have to endure a shortage of electricity given the skills and resources at the country’s disposal. This is in contradiction to Eskom CEO André de Ruyter’s recent assertion that the utility had a skills shortage. Ramaphosa made the remarks in his weekly letter yesterday, as the rolling blackouts continued. “There is no reason why a country like ours with the skills, capabilities and resources we have at our disposal, should have to endure a shortage of electricity,” Ramaphosa said. Two weeks ago, Eskom for the second time in history implemented stage 6 load shedding, which has affected the economy and lives of South Africans negatively. The utility blamed industrial action by Eskom workers for the plunging the country into stage…

SASOL and Masterdrive have discouraged the use of “fuel pills” to save fuel amid rising costs of petrol. Last week, the petrol price increased to record levels with an increase of R2.57 for 95 unleaded petrol (ULP) in Gauteng, which pushed the cost to R26.74. The R2.37 increase for 93 ULP pushed the fuel price to R26.31. The increases have left motorists looking at potential ways to save fuel. Social media has been abuzz about fuel tablets being used to save fuel. Some of the posts regarding the fuel pill say if motorists want to save fuel and make it last longer, the fuel pill is the solution. The product promised to save at least 15 to 25% on fuel. Adrian Velaers, senior mechanical engineer: technical marketing research service…

IT seems catching a break on social media is something celebrities hardly see, especially being trolled or given despicable names daily. When a video of DJ Zinhle and AKA celebrating the birthday of their daughter Kairo Forbes, 7, landed on social media, it caused a stir that went on for days with many trolls accusing Zinhle of still having a “thing” for AKA. With Twitter being a hub of toxicity, DJ Zinhle had a string of celebrities defending her. “It’s about getting a reaction. No matter what it takes, no matter who it hurts … ” said Zinhle. Popular actor Sello Maake kaNcube said he respects her. “@Zinhle is doing what many of us wished for. For our babymamas to put aside our differences as parents, and allow us…

Late in December 2019, I was embarking on a new challenge after deciding to leave my comfort zone. I was aware that it would have a significant influence on my personal and professional life. However, before I dived into the challenge fully, I decided to take a short break and rejuvenate. Little did I know that during my summer sojourn something monstrous was lurking without our knowledge. Something which would affect society significantly in the immediate future and change many of us forever. The Covid-19 pandemic was real, scary and evil! It just crashed into our lives all of a sudden and out of nowhere. It was both mystifying and blinding. Unlike many other epidemics that have engulfed us in the past, it came to stay, and compel us to…

Sri Lanka’s president and the cabinet will make way for a unity government, the prime minister’s office said yesterday, after tens of thousands stormed the official residences of both men, enraged by the island’s worst economic crisis in decades. The parliamentary speaker said President Gotabaya Rajapaksa would resign tomorrow, parliament would reconvene on July 15 and a new president would be elected on July 20. There has been no direct word from Rajapaksa, whose brothers and nephew earlier quit as ministers as the country began running out of fuel, food and other essentials in the worst crisis since independence from Britain in 1948. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, whose private home was set alight by protesters, has said he will step down. His office said Rajapaksa had confirmed his resignation plans…

Sydney: Australia’s black, red and yellow Aboriginal flag began flying permanently above Sydney’s Harbour Bridge yesterday, a symbolic victory for indigenous communities after a years-long fight. More than 177 000 people signed an online petition asking for the flag to be flown 365 days a year. The bridge had been festooned with the Australian and New South Wales state flags. Authorities agreed to erect a third flagpole, but said it would cost $17 million (R195m)and take years to complete. After a public outcry, that plan was scrapped and the Aboriginal flag will fly instead of the New South Wales flag. | AFP…

Eoin Morgan could easily lay claim to be the most-loved Irishman in all of the UK. Dublin-born Morgan is almost a messiah-like figure in English cricket. He is revered not only for bringing home the World Cup to Lord’s in 2019, but even more so for radically transforming England’s approach to white-ball cricket. He allowed his players to enjoy the game and play with great freedom and a real sense of joie de vivre. It was ‘Bazball’ before ‘Bazball’ became a thing. Morgan has, though, relinquished his throne after retiring from international cricket last month, but his legacy lives on in the players who remain and in his successor Jos Buttler. With England’s defence of their World Cup crown just under a year away now, all eyes will be on…

NEW “politically motivated” EU regulations could see R654 million of South African citrus destroyed, the Citrus Growers Association of South Africa (CGA) said yesterday. Deon Joubert, CGA special envoy for Market Access and EU Matters, said last month the EU’s standing committee on plant, animal food and feed published what he called drastic and arguably misinformed new regulations requiring the cold treatment for oranges heading to the EU, as a means to address false codling moth interceptions from Southern African orange exports. Joubert said if enforced this month, these new regulations could result in millions of cartons of citrus headed for the EU being destroyed. “Despite objections from a number of countries, including European markets that import South African oranges, these new regulations were published in the Official Journal…

ORION Minerals’s share price surged nearly 5 percent yesterday, after it announced excellent results from the recently completed in-fill drilling at its Prieska copper-zinc project in the Northern Cape. The shares traded at 23 cents intra-day on the JSE after the group said it had received highly encouraging initial assay results from an in-fill drilling programme designed to upgrade the existing shallow inferred resource, in the +105-level crown pillar area at its project. According to the group, 14 in-fill holes were completed for 917.87 metres of drilling, designed to upgrade the existing inferred supergene resource of 630 000 tons at 2.2 percent copper and 1.8 percent zinc to the higher-confidence indicated category, as part of ongoing feasibility studies on the early production strategy. “Final…

SABC2 music game show Noot vir Noot returns for season 46 boasting a few exciting additions. The longest-running game show on the channel will hit screens on Thursday at 7pm and is hosted by the multitalented entertainer and funnyman Emo Adams, with Rochelle de Bruyn, aka DJ Shelly, on the decks. Every week, the contestants will battle it out against one another by putting their music knowledge to the test in trying to be the first to answer the game questions and to name the music clues, performed by DJ Shelly. The new series features fan- favourite classic games “Noot Assosiasie and Laslappie” and introduces new games such as “Wie se wysie” and “The backtrack game”, each with their own fast-paced play styles. Viewers will also have musical appearances…

AT LEAST nine deaths have occurred since the opening of the winter initiation season, which has sparked outrage among civil justice organisations. The youngest victim recorded during this season was a six-year-old in Limpopo. Sikelela Zokufa, spokesperson for initiation association, Somagwaza Institute, said they condemned the deaths of initiates. “What we have found is that the boys die mainly due to dehydration. During the traditional initiation procedure, nobody should lose their lives but we have worked with authorities in our province to ensure we have a track record where no lives have been lost this year,” said Zokufa. “We also condemn the carelessness of the traditional surgeons and carers of the initiates. “We encourage any institutions who want to come on-board and ensure the safety of boys during the initiation…

A GAUTENG educator who was accused of racism has won a case brought against her at the Education Labour Relations Council. The arbitration ruled yesterday that Anneke Smith, who had since been fired from her job as an educator at a Pretoria school, was falsely accused of racism, suspended and unfairly dismissed in September 2021. The arbitration also ruled that Smith should receive 10-month compensation and she may return to the school in her position as a teacher at Hoerskool Montana in Pretoria North on August 1. Speaking to The Star’s sister newspaper Pretoria News yesterday, Solidarity, representing Smith, accused Gauteng MEC for Education Panyaza Lesufi of personally rejecting her application to appeal. Solidarity spokesperson Anlia Archer said: “During the hearing, it was also found that the charges against her,…

THE new ANC Gauteng provincial leadership said during its 14th conference that they have reflected on the various challenges which their people face, and challenges they face as an organisation. The conference, which concluded in the early hours of yesterday in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni, was marred with a number of delays but successfully elected additional provincial executive committee members most of which came from the “Adiwele” – the slate of Lebogang Maile, who lost to Panyaza Lesufi in the position of provincial chairperson. “We have recharged ourselves and we are more united. We leave this conference confident that we are stronger than we were before we arrived,” said Lesufi in a statement. The conference was also addressed by the ANC’s national chairperson Gwede Mantashe. Mantashe emphasised the need for the…

The trailer for the eagerly-awaited American film The Woman King trailer has set social media buzzing with some terrific scenes. Announced last year, the movie sparked excitement, particularly for its skilful cast. Adding to the enthusiasm is the appearance of South African actors alongside US actress Viola Davis. This includes the internationally-acclaimed actress Thuso Mbedu, renowned actor Siv Ngesi, former Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi, Seputla Sebogodi, Thando Dlomo, Masali Baduza, Makgotso Monyemorathoe and Cebelihle Mbambo. The movie also stars Lashana Lynch and John Boyega. Inspired by true events, the story follows Nanisca (Davis), a general of an all-women military unit, and Nawi (Mbedu), an ambitious recruit. The duo take on their enemies who violated their honour, enslaved their people and threatened to destroy everything they’ve lived for. Boyega stars…

The ANC story has run its course. Almost every aspect of the government has failed or is grinding to a halt. We hear that the 2024 election will be a disaster for the ANC. While continuing to refer to itself as a “glorious movement”, it will lose the election, votes, with less than 50% of the vote. Our country desperately needs leadership. The kindest viewers concede that the president is failing. He has receded into the background. His party is riven with factional disputes and conflicted personalities. Many ministers are ill-equipped to be Cabinet ministers, some because of lapses of integrity and others because of a lack of skills. Some suffer from both deficiencies. South Africa is not an easy country to govern. But the crises seem to have overwhelmed…

I take strong exception to Farouk Araie’s tirade about the slaughter of Muslims by “heathens”, presumably Americans (“Pray for the many Muslim victims of genocide”, The Star, Thursday, July 7). Adherents of Islam and Christianity have been at one another’s throats since medieval times, so fanning religious flames is dangerous. Words like “heathens”, “infidels” and “k******” originated in Islam to designate Christians and non-Muslims. Araie seems to forget that America’s war on terror, disproportionate and indiscriminate as it may be, was precipitated by the carnage in New York City on September 11, 2001 when about 3 000 Americans lost their lives, some by jumping from the buildings to their death. Every action has a reaction, even if it is not equal and proportionate, as per Sir Isaac Newton’s law. Araie…

President Cyril Ramaphosa was meant to be the salvation of the ANC. His history in business and billionaire status created a public perception that painted him as an individual who could potentially abstain from the dirty politics of the ANC. However, the Phala Phala incident, arguably, has caused immense reputational damage to Cyril Ramaphosa. This reputational damage could contribute to major implications for the ANC. However, this reputational damage, arguably also has the potential to transcend borders by influencing investor confidence. South Africa has been historically shaped by corruption throughout its history, and a few noted accounts include the state capture in Apartheid South Africa and the vehement expropriation of funds which transpired during the stewardship of Jacob Zuma. When the country went in the direction of Ramaphosa, a lot…

Beijing: Members of a “gang” accused of taking control of banks have been arrested in China after rare protests over alleged financial corruption sparked violent clashes between customers and authorities. China’s rural banking sector has been hit hard by Beijing’s efforts to rein in a property bubble and spiralling debt. The slowdown forced four banks in Henan province to freeze all cash withdrawals since mid-April, leaving thousands without funds. The gang made illegal transfers through fictitious loans and used their shareholdings to take over several local banks starting in 2011, police said. | AFP…

Madrid: An autopsy has been carried out in Spain on former Angolan president Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who died last week in Barcelona, at the request of one of his daughters who suspects foul play. A court authorised the post-mortem on Friday, the day of his death. Dos Santos, 79, who ruled Angola between 1979 and 2017, had lived in Barcelona since April 2019. He was in intensive care after suffering a cardiac arrest on June 23. His daughter, Tchize dos Santos, said “signs” showed he died under “suspicious circumstances” . She has filed a lawsuit against his widow, Ana Paula, and his personal physician for “attempted murder”. | AFP…

There has been a lot said about the Springboks’ historic loss to Wales at the weekend. If you’ve heard a bit of what the South African coaches have been saying following the Bloemfontein disappointment, you would have no doubt got the message: It was experimental and they have learned a lot about the players who did duty in the new-look side. Nothing wrong there (with ringing the changes, that is). It’s the year before a World Cup and if a player is in the Bok brains trust’s plans for the showpiece in France, they have to get game time somewhere before then. It’s unlikely that such chances will be taken against New Zealand when they touch down in South Africa for two Rugby Championship meetings in August. One thing that…

THE RAND yesterday breached the psychological R17-mark to the US dollar for the first time in 22 months on fears of a global recession as the markets brace for another hawkish US Federal Reserve’s stance on interest rates. The domestic currency had weakened by more than 1 percent to R17.08 by 4pm yesterday after opening trade at the JSE at R16.92 to the greenback at 9am, also pressured by the dollar strength following Friday’s strong US jobs data. This was the weakest the rand has been since September 2020 after demand spiked following the easing of Covid-19 restrictions. Unemployment in the US remained unchanged at 3.6 percent in spite of the world’s largest economy adding another 372 000 jobs in June. This has left a confusing picture…

THE HUMAN, social and economic impact of the July 2021 unrest have been significant in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). Adding to the complexity has been the April 2022 floods in the province which exacerbated the challenges of repairing infrastructure and getting KZN fully operational. And then there has been the rise of the so-called “construction mafia” that has seen a criminal element holding construction sites to ransom and demanding builders use only their people to cover a portion of the local procurement requirement. It hardly comes as a surprise then that recovery has been slow, with individuals, local companies and multinationals opting not to rebuild their damaged properties in Durban. Furthermore, it has become more expensive over the past 12 months to put up new buildings in the province. This can be…

In another untimely tragedy to strike the South African music industry, rapper Tumi Tladi died on Sunday morning. The family of hip hop artist Itumeleng George Tladi confirmed with profound sadness and loss, his untimely passing on Monday. “Known by his stage name Tumi Tladi, he was deeply loved by his family, friends and the entertainment industry as a whole. “He leaves behind his parents, five siblings, his niece and nephews,” read a press release. Seemingly a few hours before his death, Tladi took to Twitter to send out a few cryptic tweets. “You only truly appreciate your loved ones when there’s a countdown, the small things don’t matter anymore.” “Love like they are leaving tomorrow.” He then went on to share that he had new music on the way.…

A 43-YEAR-OLD man was arrested after he was found in possession of 21 sheep bundled into a minibus taxi on the N14 in North West. The vehicle had reportedly run out of petrol when the police found it early on Saturday. Police said the Vryburg K9 Unit were conducting a patrol on the N14 between Vryburg and Kuruman at about 1 am when they spotted a suspicious and stationary minibus. “On approaching the vehicle, police saw two people fleeing leaving the 43-year-old man behind. A search led to the discovery of 21 sheep in the minibus. The suspect was arrested after failing to account for the possession and the vehicle was impounded,” said spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Amanda Funani. “Investigation showed that the sheep were allegedly stolen at Tsineng village,” Funani…

THE Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) is being urged to urgently intervene amid a spike in abalone and crayfish poaching in Western Cape coastal communities. Responding to a parliamentary question from the DA recently, Police Minster Bheki Cele said almost half a million abalone and crayfish have been poached in the Overstrand region. He said 441 847 abalone, 15 089 crayfish tails and 8 301 whole crayfish have been confiscated during police operations in Gansbaai, Hangklip, Pringle Bay, Hawston, Kleinmond and Hermanus over the past five years. DA committee member for DEFF, Dave Bryant, said the statistics only scratched the surface of the real numbers of poached abalone and crayfish. “The DEFF is not doing enough to manage and monitor the poaching of these two species, and the…

Are countries faced with economic depression affecting every government, and unions rising up, demanding more accountability from their governments? With the outbreak of war against Ukraine by Russia, many concerns were raised that it would soon affect every country in the world. At first, this seemed a bit far-fetched as we all hoped that Russia would not continue with the war for this long, but now we are all feeling the heat. I was alarmed by an article in The Star (July 7) London, “New finance minister, Zahawi inherits cost-of-living crisis”. On the same day Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned not only as Prime minister but also as leader of the Conservative party. UK inflation was said to be at a 40-year peak of 9.1%, with soaring food and energy…

I have all the respect for Panyaza Lesufi, who has just been elected as Gauteng leader of the ANC. But I was shocked by his recent comment that Chief Justice Zondo is a product of cadre development. His logic is ANC members in the JSC are there to see to it they deploy the “right cadres”, which is why they influenced the elevation of Zondo to Chief Justice. Not only is this tarnishing Justice Zondo’s integrity, but it calls into question the legitimacy of the judiciary and all the branches of the state, that every critical person in such positions is there because of cadre deployment. The initial idea behind cadre deployment was noble. The ANC wanted to re-purpose the oppressive apartheid state to make it democratic. But today we…

THE killing of 21 tavern patrons in Soweto, Katlehong and Pietermaritzburg over the past weekend is deeply worrying, especially because it comes so soon after the Enyobeni, Eastern Cape tragedy a fortnight ago. The common thread in all in these killings is that alcohol and guns were involved – bar the Enyobeni deaths. In terms of alcohol abuse, it is a well-known fact that social events among black people are not complete without alcohol. Thus, even young people have easy access to alcohol. In addition, the prevalence of guns, especially unlicensed or stolen ones, is a major problem. The prevalence of alcohol and the easy access to guns is a deadly combination. Some people are beginning to ask whether South Africa is entering the era of mass shootings like…

Paris: About 40 migrants in an inflatable boat headed for Britain yesterday after departing from the French coast – a sign that attempted crossings continue despite attempts by both countries to crack down. The new departures come despite joint French and British efforts to disrupt people-smuggling gangs. Last month, French police swooped on suspects involved in a November 2021 mass drowning of migrants crossing to Britain. Ten suspects face charges, including manslaughter, over the 27 deaths. French figures recorded 777 attempted crossings from January 1 to June 13, involving more than 20 000 people. | AFP…

Banyana Banyana produced yet another sluggish performance to finish their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Group C assignments in Morocco on Sunday night. They ran out slender 1-0 winners against Botswana in a southern African derby, and for the first time in Wafcon history, the South Africans completed the group stage without defeat. It was an extraordinary feat since their victims included 11-time winners Nigeria. Ahead of Sunday’s match, Banyana ran out 3-1 winners against Burundi in a match they dominated from start to finish, but the final scoreline bears no resemblance to that statistic. On Sunday night it was much the same; and it was only in the 80th minute that substitute, 18-year-old Nthabiseng Majiya, scored the lone goal in the match. By this time, Banyana had enjoyed 69%…

Ineos Grenadiers leader Geraint Thomas hailed his rival Tadej Pogacar as a “level above” the rest yesterday, but swore to fight until the bitter end for at least a spot on the Tour de France podium. The 2018 champion Thomas trails Pogacar by one minute and 15 seconds in the overall standings after nine days that, on paper at least, favoured the Welshman. But on his 12th Tour de France, the 36-year-old spoke yestersay of all that can happen on the long road to Paris, where the winner’s podium remains an ambition rather than a pipe dream. “I want to leave here with no regrets, I want to try everything for me or someone from the team to win,” Thomas said at his team hotel on the Tour de France…