Índex per 2022-08-04 a Star

Group says it has received the necessary regulatory approvals for the plan IT IS PROMISING to be a humdinger of a general meeting for PSG on Wednesday when a large number of disgruntled shareholders vote on the group’s unbundling scheme. PSG, the investment group, said yesterday it had received the necessary regulatory approvals for the scheme and was proceeding with its meeting of shareholders next Wednesday, to vote and approve the deal. Southern Cross Capital portfolio manager Louis Potgieter said on a CNBC Africa television programme on Tuesday that he believed most minority shareholders were opposed to the scheme, but PSG’s “gun-to-the-head, take-it-or-leave-it approach” meant they would likely approve the unbundling, rather than stay with an increasingly “rent-seeking” management who seemed intent on diluting minority shareholders’ interests. PSG has consistently…

BUSINESS confidence in South Africa ticked up to a three-month high in July, in spite of constrained capacity due to crippling power cuts and considerable pressure from cost rises. S&P Global Ratings said yesterday that around 38 percent of firms had expressed a positive outlook for the next 12 months on hopes of improving demand and a moderation of price pressures. However, expectations remained lower than those seen at the beginning of the year. This comes as the S&P Global Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) picked up for a third successive month in July, helped by improving new orders, output and employment numbers. The PMI rose to a 14-month high of 52.7 points in July, up slightly from 52.5 points in June, to signal a solid improvement in…

THE ANC has called on the SA National Defence Force, the community at large, all political parties and people of colour to join it in the fight against crime, especially by illegal immigrants. Yesterday, the party staged pickets outside the Krugersdorp Magistrate’s Court, where a group of about 80 men appeared in connection with the brutal rape of eight women who were shooting a music video at a mining dump on West Village in Krugersdorp last week. The party said the picket also formed part of the ANC’s campaign against gender-based violence and femicide. “We need to start to see the visibility of the army. We need all law enforcement agencies to be united. It can’t just be organisations, ANC, EFF, IFP, DA, ActionSA, who take to the streets. We…

Approximately 15 life-size wax and bronze statues of former president Nelson Mandela are on display at the Radisson Blu Hotel in uMhlanga. World renowned Durban based-artist Lungelo Gumede has masterfully created each line and curve in the statues. Gumede said it was intended that the exhibition of the statues would take place on Nelson Mandela International Day, but the exhibition coincided with the launch of a book by Durban author and photographer Kevin Joseph, titled Mandela in Focus. He said the exhibition was to be removed at the end of July but the reception from the public motivated him to leave it in place until the end of August. Gumede explained that there are bronze statues and wax models. “People are overwhelmed with the statues and are taking selfies and…

YOU can’t really miss the P Series should you approach it from the front, that enormous front grille and logo certainly is a talking point. The rest of the double cab also has a large presence being longer, taller and higher than any other double cab we have become accustomed to from the traditional stables of Ford, Toyota, Nissan and Isuzu. The P Series has been around for almost 18 months and while it’s still not a real threat to the big guns it’s moving along nicely, selling 650-700 units a month. Its biggest selling point is its price coupled to a very impressive list of standard features that provide everything from heated seats to four cameras that provide a 360-degree view onto the touchscreen and at R620 900 that’s…

Fernando Alonso’s switch from Renault-owned Alpine to Formula One rival Aston Martin for the 2023 season came as a surprise announcement but it also makes sense. The speed of the deal was perhaps the biggest shock, with Aston Martin wasting no time in replacing one of the sport's greats, four-times world champion Sebastian Vettel, with another. Vettel had announced his retirement at the end of the season last Thursday, triggering speculation about his replacement. Double world champion Alonso figured highly on that list, given that he had yet to agree to continue with Alpine, despite being the oldest driver on the grid at 41. Alpine has 21-year-old Australian reserve Oscar Piastri, a driver who has won a string of junior titles at the first attempt including last year’s Formula…

OF the four coaches who will make their Premiership debut this weekend, the spotlight will fall on little-known Spaniard Jose Riveiro, who will spearhead Orlando Pirates’ drive to reclaim lost pride this season. The other three new coaches – Frenchman Romain Folz of Marumo Gallants, Daine Klate (Chippa United) and Sifiso Dladla (Richards Bay) – will be flying under the radar for a while unless they are shown the exit door soon. It is not unusual for Premiership clubs to sack coaches at the start of the season. Last August, Josef Zinnbauer was fired after Pirates lost an MTN8 quarter-final match which was played ahead of the start of the league season. Pirates are one of the richest and most followed clubs in South Africa, and fans are crying out…

Springbok warhorse Franco Mostert has rubbished claims that the All Blacks will be underdogs against South Africa at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday in the opening match of the Rugby Championship. It seldom happens that bookmakers tip the New Zealanders to lose, but that is the case this week as the Kiwis visit South Africa for the first time in four years and on the back of four defeats out of their last five games. “I don’t think there is a favourite for this game,” Mostert said. “I don’t see how there can be. Yes, the All Blacks have their backs against the wall, but we are also not exactly coming from a great series (against Wales). “It is not like we are on a roll of 11 matches or something……

STAR Bayern Munich forward Sadio Mane has wasted no time fitting in with his new teammates, revealing that he brought his own lederhosen with him to the Bavarian capital this summer. Speaking with Bayern Munich’s Member magazine 51 in an interview published on Tuesday, Mane said he had held onto a pair of traditional leather trousers given to him in his time at Red Bull Salzburg in the hope of one day wearing them at Munich’s famous Oktoberfest. “Unfortunately not yet, but I’m really looking forward to it,” Mane said when asked if he had ever made an appearance at the 222-year old festival. “I even have lederhosen at home from my time in Salzburg. I kept them because I always liked wearing them and I’m generally very interested in…

THE doom and gloom over the All Blacks has spread into the unlikely realm of the world’s sports bookies, who for just the fourth time in the professional rugby era have made the Kiwis underdogs for a Test match. And perhaps fittingly as the All Blacks prepare to name their side for Saturday’s Rugby Championship opener in Nelspruit, the three other times they have been tipped to lose were also against the Springboks, and that was for back-to-back games in South Africa in 2009 and a Tri-Nations game in Durban in 1998. The Boks duly won all three of those games and their fans will be hoping the bookies have again got it right. The bookies are part of all the other “noise” – as skipper Sam Cane put it…

WITH nothing but pride at stake, the Proteas Women will look to end their England tour on a high note in their final Commonwealth Games group clash against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston today. It’s been a dreadful tour both on and off the field, where just about the only positives have been the exposure some players have gotten to playing the game in the spotlight at the elite level. What have they, the coaching staff and Cricket South Africa learned? That answer to that will become apparent in the coming months. There is no doubt however, that the team has to improve, in terms of mindset, style of play and attitude. The Proteas can ill-afford to rest on their laurels. The T20 World Cup will be held in South Africa…

“WHEN WILL THE South African government do the same for our people?” renowned whistle-blower Athol Williams said yesterday as pressure mounts on the South African government to act on Bain & Company’s role in State capture in South Africa. This as the UK government on Tuesday suspended the consultancy group from public sector work after it tainted its hands with dodgy deals involving the South African Revenue Service (Sars) among others. Williams, who pointed out that the UK decision was the death knell for the global group, said the issue “is a case study of the cost of corruption”. “The UK is Bain’s second largest market. The US their largest. The financial impact in the UK will be significant, because UK companies will not want to work with a company…

OLD MUTUAL has joined a growing list of financial services groups planning to provide finance to the SMME market after it yesterday announced the R350 million acquisition of a minori- ty stake in Preference Capital – a leading local provider of SME finance solutions. The deal also carries the option to purchase a controlling stake, pending the Competition Commission’s approval. African Bank, Tymebank and Standard Bank have all recently announced initiatives to gain a greater share of the SMME financing market. The R350m investment in Preference Capital would enable Old Mutual to partner with a growing base of SME customers, alternative distribution channels, and a diverse range of lending products enabled through innovation and…

DIGITAL bank TymeBank is firing on all cylinders to grow its customer base as it announced yesterday that it was acquiring Retail Capital, a fintech firm that provides funding to small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in South Africa, and launched TymeTrybe, a world-class financial community platform. The deal with Retail Capital, of which the value was not disclosed, will see the fintech’s lending expertise being combined with TymeBank’s deposit base and operations to serve a broader customer base. Retail Capital has already provided more than 43 000 business owners in South Africa with more than R5.5 billion in working capital, making it the largest SME funder of its kind in the sector. The proposed transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals, will see Retail Capital become a division…

Season three of S3’s The Estate has seen quite the change when it comes to its cast. While new characters are being introduced, some are exiting the show. Actor Sparky Xulu took to his social media platforms to announce that he is leaving the popular daily drama. S3 and Clive Morris Productions confirmed that Xulu would be leaving, along with legendary actress Clementine Mosimane, who played Mmatshepo Mokobane. In a statement, it was revealed that the characters are exiting as principal leads and would be making appearances as cameos in the future. Xulu played Siya Phakathwayo and in his post he thanked viewers. “As I approach my final week on The Estate, I just want to say thank you to everyone who watched and enjoy the work I put in…

GAUTENG MEC for Human Settlements, Urban Planning and Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Lebogang Maile has committed to work with the Ekurhuleni municipality despite it being DA-led, in resolving the Tembisa unrest. Maile was speaking to the media at Tembisa police station yesterday after his meeting with Ekurhuleni mayor Tania Campbell and the leadership of the Tembisa Community Forum. He dismissed assertions by Campbell on Monday night that there was a third hand fuelling the protest in order to destabilise the coalition-led municipality. The meeting was sparked by a two-day fiery protest that left a trail of destruction in the township. Four people died, hundreds were injured, millions of rand in damages to public infrastructure was inflicted, and most of the Ekurhuleni township was left without power. Calm had been…

OUTSPOKEN poet and activist Ntsiki Mazwai has apologised, or sort of, for her recent comments about gay men which she posted on Twitter on Tuesday. On Twitter she said gay men were still men and should behave as such because God made only a male and a female. “Being a gay man does not qualify you to be a woman. You’re a gay man. That’s that. Please stop trying to erase us,” she tweeted. However, many on social media did not agree with her “careless” comments as they did not sit well with members of the LGBTQI, who on social media called out Mazwai for homophobic comments. She later added fuel to the fire: “Gay men competing with women is part of toxic masculinity,” she tweeted. “Gay men have not…

“Pressure is a Privilege”. “Dream Big”. “Consistency Creates the Extraordinary”. “TEAM is very important because Together Everyone Achieves More”. It’s like a scene from the movie Any Given Sunday as Lions Cricket staff chant these mantras as a matter of course in meetings at the Imperial Wanderers Stadium, with the union’s chief executive officer, Jono Leaf-Wright, in the Al Pacino role as the inspirational taskmaster giving the “Inches” speech. There’s clearly something special in the air at The Wanderers; the team culture and positivity is unmistakable. Leaf-Wright was just 37 when he took over the reins at Lions Cricket on October 1, 2019, a young modern manager taking over South Africa’s only tier one cricket stadium and the largest cricket union in the country. But like many sporting codes…

First launched in 2010, Ford’s Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) programme recently celebrated a milestone, with 5 000 South African drivers having been trained to date. This free driver training initiative was developed to make our roads safer by equipping drivers with essential skills. The DSFL campaigns cover many facets, from hijack extraction to distracted driving, child car seat safety, Euro NCAP performance and the dangers of drunk driving. Interestingly, the latter is facilitated by Ford’s ‘Drunk Goggles’ which allow drivers to simulate the effects of impaired judgement and vision in a safe environment. The five primary driving skills that the programme focuses on are: hazard recognition, vehicle handling, managing the space around your vehicle, speed management and distracted and impaired driving. Apart from the aforementioned booze goggles, the programme…

Chelsea Desperate to close the gap on Manchester City and Liverpool at the top of the Premier League, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Manchester United have spent the close season aggressively pursuing new recruits with varying degrees of success. All four have little margin for error if they are to have any hope of rivalling champions City and perennial contenders Liverpool in the title race. But even if the top two pull away once more, another tight race is expected for the final two lucrative places in the Uefa Champions League. Here, we look at how the battle for the top four is shaping up… Charged with ensuring Chelsea’s new era gets off to a flying start, Blues boss Thomas Tuchel has showed signs of feeling the heat during his…

FORMER Mamelodi Sundowns and Bafana Bafana midfielder Hlompho Kekana called time on his career as he penned a farewell letter to the football fraternity on Monday. The Zebediela, Limpopo-born midfielder is one of the most successful players in the PSL era and arguably the most decorated Sundowns captain of all time. ‘KK’, as he was affectionately known by the Brazilians faithful, departed the Pretoria giants last November after he and the club agreed to the termination of his contract with one year left to run, both parties separating amicably after a decade together. The 37-year-old played a total of 709 minutes across all competitions in his final season with Sundowns, a stark contrast to his 3 867 minutes in the 2019/20 campaign under coach Pitso Mosimane. Kekana may have been…

The Springboks always get flak for it, while for some reason, everyone believes the All Blacks don’t ever do it. Yes, we are talking about kicks out of hand, specifically the box-kick. Here, Morgan Bolton looks at five scenarios when, theoretically, the box-kick will be employed on Saturday at Mbombela Stadium by the Springboks and All Blacks. WE SEE YOU, KURT-LEE: Aaron Smith Smith started all three Tests against Ireland, so in all likelihood he will be the No 9 come Saturday. In our thought-experiment, it doesn’t really matter, as we expect – at least for the first 20 minutes – the tactic will be the same regardless of who is at scrumhalf: Bomb right wing Kurt-Lee Arendse. The 26-year-old is no mug when it comes to fielding kicks, but…

MTN HAS EMERGED as the Most Valuable Brand in South Africa for 2022 in the Kantar BrandZ ranking, after increasing its brand value by 85 percent to $3.7 billion (R61.5bn) year-on-year. The statement yesterday came as Charles Molapisi, MTN SA’s chief execu- tive, speaking to journalists ahead of the company releasing its results next week, said MTN was working hard at transforming the business from being a telecommunications business to a technology company. “We are very proud of our performance, which highlights the hard work undertaken over the past year. “Not only are we embarking on a future-ready transformation and ex- pansion into a platform business under our Ambition 2025 strategy, but we have also been investing heavily in disruptive technologies to transform our brand from a telco…

Three women who survived the horrific gang rape in Krugersdorp said they had been hurt by Police Minister Bheki Cele questioning how they had managed to escape the attack. The women, who spoke to The Star on condition of anonymity, said that they were afraid to leave their homes because of the suggestion that they could have been involved in the attacks on the eight women who were raped at a mine dump last week. The women told The Star that the police had been unsympathetic and questioned how they had managed to avoid being raped, while eight other women were raped. A 20-year-old white woman who was part of the crew that was shooting the music video said she had thought that she would be among those to be…

RESIDENTS of townships around the Kusile Power Station in eMalahleni, Mpumalanga, say they are sick and tired of Eskom officials using the name of Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan to deny them jobs at the power station. The residents of communities surrounding the power station said they were sick and tired of being unemployed when Eskom was employing people from other provinces. Community members blocked Eskom staff from entering the grounds of the power station. Police had to be called in to bring the situation under control. The Star spoke to community representative Nqobile Mazibuko, who said the community was looking for business opportunities and a chance to make a living through the activities of the power station. “When we approach Eskom, we are told that the Minister of Public…

She was bruised, battered, silenced and endured pain and all forms of abuse since 2018 at the hands of her boyfriend, but has come out as a survivor. This is a story of a domestic violence survivor, Janelle Laattoe, who related her story this week about how she endured abuse at the hands of her former partner. With Women’s Month in full swing, two civil society organisations, Action Society and Philisa Abafazi Bethu, are shining a light on the country’s criminal justice system which they said failed to support victims of gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide, and they gave Laattoe a platform to tell her story. Laattoe told of enduring gruesome abuse from her boyfriend since 2018, and said when she finally dared open a case against him…

A Soweto-based women’s pool champion’s hopes of representing South Africa in Morocco may be dashed if she does not raise enough money. Forty-one-year-old Beatrice Monyake qualified to represent South Africa at the World Blackball Championship in Tangier, Morocco, from October 8 – 15. However, she does not have the money, sponsorships or government support to enable her to travel to North Africa. Monyake started playing pool as a hobby in Orlando East in 2007 and it stuck. Since then she has won many competitions around Soweto and Johannesburg. She is the reigning Soweto Ladies Champion. “It’s always an honour when I am called to represent my country at international pool events. But it’s a struggle as the game is not properly recognised and sponsored to enable those taking part to…

A KwaZulu-Natal mother of three has penned a children’s book aimed at raising awareness around rhino poaching and preserving the environment. Roslynne Toerien, a teacher from Durban, has written two children’s books which she showcased on Monday at the Durban International Book Fair. The Rumbling Rhino and Under the Baobab Tree were inspired by her daily reading sessions with her three children, Toerien explained. She partnered with the Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary in Mpumalanga, one of the largest facilities designated to caring for rhinos in the world. A portion of the proceeds from the book sales will go to Care for Wild. IOL spoke to Toerien at the launch of the Durban International Book Fair at the Sibaya Casino and Entertainment world on Monday night. When IOL asked her…

THE Toyota Fortuner Challenge sounds like it’s a lot of fun centred around the Fortuner, but it’s a lot more than that. It’s heaps of fun on the day, probably more so for the spectators than the participants as they sweat it out to earn the right to drive off with a Fortuner that evening. Each competitor gets teamed up with a “hero/celebrity” by means of a draw out of a hat on the morning of the event, and the two of them spend the rest of the day trying to outwit and outcompete each other via a strict points system. When all the challenges have been completed, the points are added up and audited before the winner of the Fortuner is announced. Entrants need to be active in the…

Nissan South Africa is set to give its mid-size SUV game a reboot with the introduction of new-generation Qashqai and X-Trail models later this year. Nissan Africa’s marketing director Stefan Haasbroek told IOL during a recent interview that the new Nissan Qashqai was expected to reach local shores around the third quarter of 2022, with the new X-Trail following in the fourth quarter. Not too long ago Nissan was a big player in this mid-size SUV space and the new models, which have made some significant technological strides, could see that status quo restored. When asked about the Nissan Kicks, which is a compact SUV that would likely slot between the Magnite and Qashqai, Haasbroek said that the company was studying that space as there was growth potential there, but…

KAIZER Chiefs assistant coach Dillon Sheppard has indicated that his club could be set to make even more signings before the transfer window closes. Amakhosi have made wholesale changes to their squad during the close season, as they look to rebuild themselves into a giant of South African football following several years of underachievement. “We reinforced in areas where we found it important and where we needed to move forward. I’m sure that by the end of the transfer window, we could reinforce in one or two other areas,” said Sheppard during the most recent episode of Kaizer Chiefs TV. One exciting attacker brought to Naturena is Ashley Du Preez. The 25-year-old delivered a series of impressive performances for Stellenbosch FC last season, scoring nine Premiership goals and helping Steve…

ERIK ten Hag says it was “unacceptable” for Cristiano Ronaldo and other Manchester United players to leave Old Trafford before the end of Sunday’s friendly against Rayo Vallecano. After taking a strong team to Oslo to face Atletico Madrid on Saturday, the Red Devils wrapped up the pre-season preparations against another Spanish side the following day. United drew 1-1 with Rayo at Old Trafford as star man Ronaldo made his first appearance of pre-season, playing the first 45 minutes. The 37-year-old missed the pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia due to a family issue, and the wantaway forward was pictured with Diogo Dalot leaving Sunday’s game before full-time. Ten Hag did not speak to the media after the match but has now laid bare his annoyance to broadcaster Viaplay. “There…

IF ever the Springboks need to ensure that their ‘suffocate and strangle’ approach operates optimally, it has to be in Saturday’s Rugby Championship showdown against the All Blacks at Mbombela Stadium (5.05pm kick-off). The All Blacks are not just battling on the scoreboard at the moment, having lost a home series 2-1 to Ireland last month. The All Blacks struggled to contain a rampant Irish pack in the scrums and driving mauls, where the outstanding front row of Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong set the tone. And they were backed up by grizzled veterans Cian Healy, Rob Herring and Finlay Bealham off the bench. The All Blacks simply don’t have the big names that used to stand up to the Boks in the recent past, such as Owen…

When Lara van Niekerk touched the wall at the end of the 100m breaststroke final at the Commonwealth Games on Tuesday night, the first thing she did was to look for Tatjana Schoenmaker. “I really thought it would come down to a touch, so I’m quite surprised touching the wall. I looked and thought, ‘Where’s Tatjana?’ I thought it would come down to the last touch and that is what I was preparing myself for,” the 19-year-old Van Niekerk said as she held off the defending champion to clinch the gold medal at the Sandwell Aquatic Centre in Birmingham. The 25-year-old Schoenmaker made the better start, but in the second 25 metres, Van Niekerk turned up the heat and scorched into a lead of nearly seven-tenths of a second at…