Índex per 2022-07-26 a Star

SASOL said yesterday crude oil supply had been partially restored at its Natref refinery in Secunda and it was on track to reach full production by the end of this month. The group said, however, in a production update for the year to June 30 that there may be demand contraction for its products in the year ahead, as higher inflation and interest rates will continue to impact consumers. On July 15, Sasol declared force majeure on the supply of petroleum products to its customers following delays in crude oil shipments to Natref, due to a force majeure at the loading port in West Africa. The other oil refineries in South Africa – Mossgas, Astron, Engen and Sapref – have all closed for various reasons, including for reasons of financial…

Through its waste management fleet handover campaign, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE) has literally taken the fight against litter to the road. The Department has used R42.4 million of its own budget to provide 22 vehicles to 19 municipalities that are battling unsightly litter across the country. The vehicles include skip loader trucks, front end loaders, compactor trucks and other trucks required to transport waste within the municipal area. “Our municipalities are struggling to provide regular and consistent waste collection services. Once dumpsites develop, these are not regularly cleared and a number of our landfills do not meet regulatory compliance standards,” says Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment Minister, Ms Barbara Creecy. The National Waste Management Strategy was revised in 2020 and focuses on: improving household waste…

Every year, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) funds hundreds of academically deserving and previously disadvantaged young South Africans through the Department’s bursary and internship programmes. Since then, the bursary and internship initiative offers bursary funding of up to R40 000.00 per annum for each recipient to pursue full-time studies in various environmental sector related fields. Upon completion of their studies, the DFFE further offers the bursary recipients practical training for up to two years. The initiative is one of the ways the DFFE endeavours to bridge the gap between academic study and competent performance in the workplace. The Department has awarded a total number of 380 bursaries since 2010. Let’s hear what the journey has been like from some of our bursars. Mr Nthite completed his…

Two years after the show was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, Scorpion Kings (DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small) held their Scorpion Kings Live concert at Pretoria’s SunBet Arena, Times Square. The media scrutiny around DJ Maphorisa and his relationship with Kabza, which had been portrayed as strained in recent weeks, couldn’t stop the Scorpion Kings machine from rolling on as the duo sold out the 8 500-capacity arena. “Scorpion Kings Live Sun Arena 🕯❤️ Sold Out‼️ Thank you to everyone who was a part of making our show a success, we couldn’t do it without every single one of you! Aluta Amapiano ✊🏾 @KabzaDeSmall_,” shared Maphorisa on his Twitter. The show, held on Friday night, featured performances from the likes of fellow amapianos Daliwonga, Kamo Mphela,…

Businessman accused of building without permit says he’s victim of witch-hunt BUSINESSMAN and founder of Thami Ndlala Holdings, Thami Ndlala, says there is a witch-hunt against him and his business endeavours following accusations that his development of a Northcliff property into a hotel was operating without a permit from the City of Joburg. This comes as concerned residents and neighbours of his boutique hotel in the upmarket Johannesburg northern suburb have accused Ndlala of building a hotel in a residential area, with no permit. Some of the neighbours feared the development would devalue the suburb and the value of their homes. The flamboyant businessman recently bought a B&B which he has upgraded into the luxury boutique hotel called 12 on Hill El Villa and Spa in Northcliff. This hotel,…

SA HEALTH Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) chief executive Dr Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela clinched a management award at the recent “Science Oscars”. Semete-Makokotlela was recognised with a management award at the 24th National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) Awards ceremony on Thursday last week. The finalists and awardees were honoured and celebrated at award ceremonies held simultaneously in Joburg and Cape Town, via live broadcast on the NSTF YouTube channel. The NSTF Awards, known as the “Science Oscars”, recognise outstanding contributions to science, engineering and technology (SET), and innovation. The awards showcase the research and development capacity of South Africa and the winners support South Africa’s advancement, economic growth and the social upliftment of the country’s people. “As the head of Sahpra, Dr Semete-Makokotlela successfully led the authorisation of a number of…

Mamelodi Sundowns’ strategy of appointing co-coaches will only work for the club and not the rest of the league. That is the view of renowned coach Muhsin Ertugral, who lamented the rest of the clubs that are trying to copy the coaching model of the 12-time league champions. In the 2005/06 season, the Brazilians appointed Neil Tovey and Miguel Angel Gamodi as co-coaches. The duo went on to win the league title that season. Fourteen-years later, Sundowns returned to the same philosophy, appointing Manqoba Mngqithi and Rulani Mokwena as co-coaches, after the departure of Pitso Mosimane. The duo – with the help of senior coach Steve Komphela – didn’t disappoint, winning four trophies in two seasons, including back-to-back titles. However, some of their counterparts in local football have tried to…

Ferrari searched for silver linings after Sunday’s French Grand Prix left them licking self-inflicted wounds, with fans fearing Formula One’s oldest and most glamorous team had blown their title chances yet again. Charles Leclerc remained Max Verstappen’s closest challenger, but the Ferrari driver is now 63 points behind his Red Bull rival, with 10 races remaining, as a result of him crashing out of the race. Should Verstappen triumph in Hungary next weekend, he will go into the August break at least 70 points clear – meaning that even winning every remaining race may not be enough for Leclerc. It would take a turnaround of seismic proportions, and Ferrari have a record in recent years of flattering to deceive, but team boss Mattia Binotto was defiant rather than downhearted. “It…

S&P GLOBAL Ratings has warned that Transnet could lose its market share to competing logistics groups due to prevailing operational challenges. The State-owned logistics company has a dominant position in rail freight and monopoly positions in regulated port and pipeline activities. However, Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) – the group’s largest operating division – lost more than 15 million tons of freight volumes in the year ending March 31, 2022, after it declared a force majeure due to irregular locomotive acquisitions, maintenance problems and massive cable theft on its coal lines. S&P yesterday said the operational challenges at TFR, compounded by the potential impact of rising inflation on operational costs, had led to expectations of its earnings margin to decline to 35 to 40 percent in 2022-2024. This would…

MR PRICE Group lifted retail sales and other income by only 7 percent to R6.9 billion in the 13 weeks to July 2, a figure that barely exceeds the average inflation rate. South Africa’s annual inflation for April, May and June averages 6.6 percent. The share price closed 0.02 percent lower at R178.04 on the JSE yesterday, but the price has fallen 20.6 percent over the quarter starting April 2022. Value retailer Mr Price’s total retail sales of R6.6bn for the period grew 6.4 percent, while other income increased 25.5 percent to R270 million, the group said in a trading update yesterday. The apparel segment, which made up 74.3 percent of retail turnover in the 13 weeks in 2021, increased…

Climate change is a threat to human well-being and the health of the planet. Any further delay in concerted global action will miss the brief, rapidly closing window to secure a liveable future. Now more than ever, we need to gear up and take a firm stand against climate change because it might be a global phenomenon but the impacts and effects are experienced locally where people’s lives and livelihoods are directly affected. Communities around the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal have in the recent months experienced first-hand the destructive impact of our changing climate with localised flooding and severe storms, bringing home to all of us the fact that climate change related disasters are now part of our lives. Now is not the time to turn a blind eye to…

SUSPENDED Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s lawyer advocate Dali Mpofu, SC, has told the Western Cape High Court that President Cyril Ramaphosa’s suspension of his client was unconstitutional. Mkhwebane is in court in a bid to overturn her suspension, which Mpofu said was triggered by a letter written by National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula in March this year. The letter from the Speaker informed the president that the committee on the Section 194 inquiry to consider her removal would be resuming its proceedings. After hearing from the Speaker, Ramaphosa issued Mkhwebane with a 10-day notice in which to explain why he should not suspend her in terms of Section 194 of the Constitution. Mpofu argued before a Full Bench of the high court comprised of judges Lister Nuku, Matthew Francis, and…

FORMER president Thabo Mbeki has come out, guns blazing, taking President Cyril Ramaphosa to task about his non-performance. However, reflecting on his own presidential tenure. Mbeki forgets that his presidency was, at best, insipid. At that time, he did not instil confidence, as the country was on the crest of its imminent demise into ANC political oblivion. Being intellectually inclined and a thorough gentleman, he did not like confrontations, as he had to contend with the then-emerging “bully” cabal, led by Jacob Zuma. Mbeki didn’t even put up a fight, choosing to ride off into the political wilderness instead. The questions now are: Which faction within the ANC is he batting for? Are his utterances relevant? Or is he going to attempt a political comeback? Worrying developments indeed!…

Andile Dlamini has paid tribute to her defensive teammates following Banyana Banyana’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) success. The goalkeeper was one of the stars for Desiree Ellis’s side, making several crucial saves during the tournament. She conceded just three goals in the the tournament and was named Goalkeeper of the Tournament. “I would like to thank all the goalkeeper coaches that I have worked with, the technical team and all South Africans who have been positive towards me throughout my career,” Dlamini said during an interview on 5FM. “Me keeping clean sheets was not only my work. “It was everyone: Bambanani Mbane, Noko Matlou, Janine van Wyk, Lebogang Ramalepe, Karabo Dhlamini, Bongeka Gamede and everyone. “I would like to give credit to my teammates as well. They did…

It is difficult to keep up with the ICC staging a global tournament almost every year, but the T20 World Cup is almost upon us once again. It was only a few months ago that the Proteas came within a whisker of qualifying for the semi-finals in the United Arab Emirates for the first time since 2014. They are now just five games away from heading down to Australia to have another crack at it in October. Three of those matches will be played against England this week, starting tomorrow in Bristol, then on Wednesday in Cardiff and Southampton on Sunday. And before the Proteas even have time to rub their eyes, they would have already completed the remaining two matches against Ireland in Bristol next week. Such a tightly-squeezed…

The MARKETS began the week on the backfoot as the commodity-linked stocks traded weaker after gold prices fell more than 9 percent, dipping below $1 720 (R28 888) an ounce amid renewed fears of a potential recession. The JSE All Share Index eased 0.5 percent to 67 749 points yesterday as investors continued to digest corporate earnings while the expected interest rate hike in the US later this week fuelled caution. US Federal Reserve chairperson Jerome Powell is expected to provide clues for what will be the Fed’s stance in the weeks ahead. The JSE Metals and Mining Index eased 3.1 percent to 44 507 points, with Gold Fields falling the most by 6.9 percent to R145.03 per share. Harmony Gold and…

ANGLO American Platinum (Amplats) yesterday declared a gross interim dividend of R21.5 billion despite its interim earnings nearly halving due to operational headwinds and social and geopolitical complexities. This is coming from the prior period of record results. The share closed 2.18 percent lower at R1 184.61 on the JSE yesterday, with the share down 29.26 percent in the past year. In the six months ended in June, headline earnings slid to R26.7bn, 43 percent lower, compared with R46.4bn in the first half of the 2021 financial year. Amplats chief executive Natascha Viljoen said: “The first half of 2022 has seen us largely mitigate the operational headwinds of Covid-19, global supply chain disruptions, managing electricity disruptions, as well as social and geopolitical complexities to deliver…

Trees, more especially forests play a significant role in climate change as both of these are inexplicably linked together. Research by the Nature Climate Change found that the world’s forests provide a “carbon sink” that absorbs 7.6 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. These trees are able to absorb carbon dioxide when standing or regrowing and thus help reduce greenhouse gases. However, when the trees are cut down or deforestation happens, all of this carbon is released back into the atmosphere. This is why historic plantation transfers back to the community that the Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment led on 30 June 2022 in the Eastern Cape are so important. Working with communities ensures that deforestation does not happen as they are taught to harvest…

NHLANHLA Lux Dlamini has stepped down as the leader of Operation Dudula Movement and reverted to being head of the Soweto Parliament. Dlamini, Operation Dudula’s Dan Radebe and Put South Africa First’s Faith Mabusela were among those who gathered at the Booysens Conference Centre after an internal memo that resulted in Dlamini stepping down from his position as the face of the movement following public spats between members and leaders. It is believed that recent public spats between the leaders and members of these two movements are at the centre of the decision, as Nhlanhla Lux reverts to his initial position of being the leader of Soweto Parliament. Another issue of contention that has resulted in the cold relations between the leaders is the unclear stance on foreigners and illegal…

SPORTS, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa has again provoked negative sentiments around his intentions to erect a 100m, R22 million flag monument, which he says is aimed at fostering social cohesion in South Africa. In a video that went viral on social media in May, President Cyril Ramaphosa told Black Business Council mem- bers he had instructed Mthethwa to “cancel that thing” following a backlash from civil society and political parties. This forced Mthethwa to put the project on hold, a move that received widespread praise. But the DA said it was dismayed after finding out Mthethwa was still considering the project. “Despite the public uproar and a direct order from Ramaphosa, Mthethwa has once again put his R22m flag on the table. In answer to a DA parliamentary…

The day after All Black coach Ian Foster survived the chop at the expense of two of his assistants, he fronted up on live New Zealand TV to explain the series defeat to Ireland and to also promise that the Springboks are in for a torrid time. Foster had been (happily) gagged by his employers from the final whistle of his team’s third Test defeat to Ireland, failing even to attend the post-match press conference, and two weeks later — at the announcement that forwards coach John Plumtree and attack coach Brad Mooar had been fired — the silence was broken. Foster appeared on the prime-time rugby show The Breakdown, where he was grilled by former All Blacks Jeff Wilson and Mils Muliaina; and he promised the nation that the…

Bandile Shandu is relatively pleased with his first season at Orlando Pirates, but has conceded there’s still room for improvement for him and the club. Signed from Maritzburg United at the end of the 2020/21 season, Shandu made the right wing-back position his own at Pirates last season, so much so that he scored and created a handful of goals that also saw him get a Bafana Bafana call-up from coach Hugo Broos. Although his individual exploits caught the eye, including that of The Ghost, the Sea Robbers still endured a barren season. The Soweto giants lost out on all their trophy opportunities, including the CAF Confederation Cup after losing to RS Berkane in the final. They also finished sixth in the DStv Premiership. The commencement of the new season…