Índex per 2022-09-06 a Star

TRELLIDOR Holdings’s revenue fell by 1 percent to R513 million in the year to June 30, and headline earnings per share plunged by 99 percent to 0.4 cents, the company’s results showed yesterday. Included in the results was a provision for the Labour Court judgment of R32m. The group said household budgets were stretched and consumers traded down, resulting in lower demand for its higher-priced and premium pro- ducts. In addition, the subdued residential property market and increasing trend in estate living had a negative impact on sales of Trellidor’s traditional product. Trellidor’s distribution was predominantly through a national network of 51 franchise owners, essentially small businesses. The government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic had a disproportionate negative impact on small businesses. The franchise network had…

Battle for soul of Joburg hots up with no-confidence motion on cards THE battle for the soul of the City of Joburg has become messier with opposition parties planning the removal of mayor Mpho Phalatse. The Star understands a motion of no confidence against Phalatse has been planned for this week. This follows the ousting of the council speaker Vasco da Gama last week. Several members of the multiparty coalition also voted against Da Gama in last week’s council sitting. This included Congress of the People’s councillor Colleen Makhubela who was also the municipal chair of chairs. The DA has threatened Makhubela with legal action should she continue as acting speaker. Some in the coalition were concerned the DA was centralising power within its ranks and trying to control the…

THE police have spent more than R5.7 million on safety and security measures at political events such as conferences and rallies since April 2019. This was revealed by Police Minister Bheki Cele while responding to DA MP Andrew Whitfield’s question on whether the SAPS rendered security services to conferences and political party events, and if so, what the full costs were. Cele said: “It must be noted that the SAPS did not render security services per se, but rather their involvement was to ensure the safety and security of the events, ie policing services.” He provided a list of events per province and specified the costs incurred. KwaZulu-Natal did not feature on the list, while IFP events were not listed either, including those held in Gauteng and Mpumalanga. The expenditure,…

The police ministry yesterday said it was encouraged by the strides made in improving the safety and security of residents in Krugersdorp, west of Joburg, since the deployment of specialised SAPS units to the area. The West Rand is the hot spot for illegal mining activities in Gauteng and has seen a spike in crimes associated with illegal mining. In July, eight women were gang raped allegedly by armed illegal miners or “zama zamas“ operating in the mining town of West Village. On Sunday, the ministry and SAPS management led by Police Minister General Bheki Cele and National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola went on a walkabout in West Village and Rietvallei interacting with residents to assess police’s effectiveness in addressing safety concerns in the area. “Police have arrested 14…

Not long ago, Minister of Police Bheki Cele released the crime statistics. The pertinent question is: Are these statistics a true reflection of the level of crime in our country? I don’t think so. Many a crime is not reported because citizens have lost confidence in the police. In other words, police are not doing what they are employed to do – protect the citizens. Instead, they are also involved in crime. The former acting police Commissioner Kgomotso Phahlane's assets were frozen recently. Phahlane is living a life of luxury allegedly through the proceeds of crime. His cars are valued at R75 million. He also has properties all over the show. Last week, a cousin, Zanele Mvulane, was shot dead by intruders in her house in Krugersdorp. Her sister was…

Miss SA 2022 Ndavi Nokeri has begun getting her hands full with duties and being part of initiatives structured around making a difference. The beauty queen was a guest of honour at GrandWest, where she gave early childhood development a boost at the launch of centres that cater for children with special needs. The four GrandWest supported centres are Breadline Africa’s Little Angels Educare Centre in Wallacedene, WaterSprites Nursery School in Kensington, Autism Connect Learning Centre in Strandfontein and Friends Day Centre in Maitland. This happened a week after Nokeri, in her homecoming, spoke about the need for resources and infrastructure to ensure that all children receive the education they need. Speaking at Breadline Africa’s Little Angels Educare, the beauty queen said: “It is such an honour to be a…

Countries in southern Africa are under a crushing burden brought about by a confluence of factors. These include the unprecedented growth in the number of young people, the remarkable speed of urbanisation and the rise of informal settlements in urban centres. The physical infrastructure needed to meet these challenges requires exceptional solutions. But these call for alternative approaches. These include deep collaboration between member states and the private sector. And the development of a robust relationship between economic and social infrastructure, on the one hand, and the underlying policy framework that drives decisions on the other. Research by the South African Institute of International Affairs highlights scenario options for the future of infrastructure in the region. And issues guidance on how to avoid undesired options. Infrastructure projects take a long…

Lagos: The death toll in a building collapse in Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos rose to five yesterday after three more bodies were pulled out from the debris, the emergency service said. Two people were found on Sunday while more were trapped after the seven-storey structure under construction crumbled. The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency said its operatives had been working with other rescue officials “for over 24 hours” at the site of the tragedy. It was not exactly clear how many people were trapped at the time of the collapse in an upscale commercial district. No reason was given for the collapse. | AFP…

FOR THE YEAR ended June 30, 2022, the group said its headline earnings per share increased by 6.1 percent to 530.6 cents compared to 499.9c last year. Group revenue increased by 4.3 percent and was supported by a combination of improved sales volumes in key categories and price increases to ameliorate significant cost pressures. The board declared a final ordinary dividend of 292c per share, resulting in a full-year ordinary dividend of 462c, which was 6.2 percent higher than last year, and in line with the growth in headline earnings, the group said. “The group’s performance in the first semester was disrupted by the civil unrest in July 2021, with all of our facilities and retail stores closed to safeguard our staff. “Direct losses amounted…

Business conditions at South African firms continued to improve in August, the latest PMI data showed, although the rate of growth eased amid signs of a slowdown in customer demand. This comes after consumers were hit by steep price increases in July, with headline annual inflation rising to a 13-year high of 7.8 percent due to elevated fuel and food costs. The S&P Global South Africa Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) edged lower to 51.7 points in August from a 14-month high of 52.7 points in July. This reading signalled a modest improvement in business conditions in three months. S&P Global said both output and new orders grew for the fourth consecutive month, albeit at a slower pace, as customer demand appeared to ease. The rate of expansion…

Eight people had to be treated by the Tshwane Emergency Services for smoke inhalation after a group of five attempted to set fire to the Legal Practice Council (LPC) building behind the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria yesterday. Emergency services spokesperson Charles Mabaso said the fire broke out at the ProcForum Building, housing he LPC offices, at about 8.20am. Mabaso said firefighters arrived to find part of the building alight, with heavy smoke coming out of multiple floors and occupants trapped between the first and third floors. According to Mabaso, six offices, two on each floor of the ground, first and third floors of the building, were found to be on fire. However, firefighters managed to get the blaze under control and extinguish it while ensuring all occupants…

GAUTENG ANC spokesperson Lesego Makhubela has dismissed reports claiming that 27 branches should have been disqualified for failing to meet the 10% manual scanning quota and suggestions that the issue of quarantined votes could turn the tables on the outcome of its Ekurhuleni regional conference. “That story about the Ekurhuleni conference is the same as the David Makhura story… It is not true, and that document was not authored by Jeff Radebe as the chairperson of the task team. It is being peddled by people who do not want to accept the legitimacy of the conference and the outcome of the conference. Please do not believe it, as it is an old story,” Makhubela said. He said the scanning process employed by the party at its conference was automated, “so…

THE Gauteng Health Department says it is yet to receive a forensic report into the cause of fire at the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital. This comes after a Daily Maverick report on Sunday indicated the cause of fire was arson. Last year, the hospital was severely damaged by a fire that has remained a mystery. Gauteng Health spokesperson Motaletale Modiba said the department has been inundated with media enquiries after the article in the Maverick, which said it was in possession of a forensic report into the fire. “We unfortunately have not seen the so-called forensic report and, as such, are not in a position to comment on it. Maybe you should check with the SAPS (to establish) whether they have indeed completed their report and with which…

Well done, Springboks. The revitalised team out-muscled, out-gunned and out-smarted a Wallaby side. The Wallabies got hit with a third-dimensional force and never recovered. At long last, the Springboks played with flair, initiative and some innovation, letting the ball do the work. Damien Willemse and Jaden Hendrickse combined well, and although Willemse was awarded “Player of the Match”, I felt the outstanding players were Franco Mostert and Willie le Roux. Willemse needs a lot more goal-kicking practice. Mostert was an absolute powerhouse, popping up here, there and everywhere and tackling like a demon. His work-rate unbelievable. Le Roux brings magic to the side, always planning, scheming and talking to his team-mates. He even got them to calm down at one hectic stage. His numerous forays into the back-line also paid…

Pâte Sucré/Sweet Pastry: 250g all-purpose flour 100g icing sugar 1ml salt 100g butter 1 large egg, whisked Semi-Poached Pears: 30g butter 30ml water 3g rosemary, dried 360g pears, cut into slices Crème Pâtissière: 500ml milk 4 egg yolks 62g sugar 45g custard powder METHOD Pâte Sucrée/Sweet Pastry: Place the flour, icing sugar and salt in a food processor. Add the butter and blend until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg and blend through until it forms a ball. Cover with clingfilm and allow to rest for 1 hour. Roll out the dough, shape as desired and blind-bake at 180˚C for 10 minutes. Semi-Poached Pears: In a pan, heat the butter, water and rosemary. Poach the pears, until soft, and remove from the pan. Crème Pâtissière: Bring the milk…

Last Friday marked the end of an era in the tennis world. Serena Williams bowed out of the US Open tournament after losing to Ajla Tomljanovi. But the loss in the third round of the US Open paled into insignificance compared to what she has achieved in a career spanning over three decades. Considered one of the best tennis players, Williams has a highly impressive record: 23 Grand Slam singles titles (second only to Margaret Court’s 24), ranked number 1 in singles by the Women’s Tennis Association for 319 weeks, winner of 14 major doubles titles with her sister Venus and the highest-earning woman athlete of all time. Her athleticism proved that excellence is not based on race. Yet, she still had to overcome racial barriers and prove her mettle…

Kenya’s Supreme Court yesterday upheld William Ruto’s victory in the August 9 presidential election, capping weeks of uncertainty as weary citizens voiced relief over a peaceful conclusion to the prolonged political process. “This is a unanimous decision. The petitions are hereby dismissed, as a consequence we declare the first respondent (Ruto) as president-elect,” Chief Justice Martha Koome said. The verdict dealt a blow to challenger Raila Odinga who had alleged fraud and filed a petition against the poll outcome, which saw Deputy President Ruto scrape to victory by a margin of less than two percentage points in a tightly-fought race. Although voting day passed off peacefully, observers feared the disputed outcome could fuel violence in a country with a history of post-poll unrest. Ruto struck a conciliatory note, promising to…

OTTAWA: Canadian police said 10 people were killed and at least 15 injured and rushed to hospitals after stabbings in multiple locations in Saskatchewan, Canada. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said they found 13 incident locations in James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon in central Canada and are hunting for two suspects. A province-wide dangerous persons alert issued for the suspects in the random stabbings has been expanded to two neighbouring provinces. Police checkpoints have been set up throughout Saskatchewan. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the attacks were “horrific and heartbreaking”. | Xinhua…

Cape Town City’s almost non-stop conveyor belt of fixtures continues today when they host Sekhukhune United in the Premiership at Athlone Stadium (kick-off 7.30pm). City’s hectic schedule is due to their maiden participation in the CAF Champions League, with their campaign set to begin against Congolese outfit AS Otoho in a first leg preliminary round clash on Saturday. However, before coach Eric Tinkler’s side can focus on their African adventures, they need to take care of their business at home against the Babina Noko. Fortunately for City, the upshot about playing a string of fixtures in close proximity, especially when in-form, is that as a team you are able to build up a bit of momentum. And’s exactly what City have done over the past four league matches. Bar the…

Early season surprise package Royal AM will be looking to cement top spot on the Premiership standings as they host KwaZulu-Natal rivals Richards Bay at Chatsworth Stadium today (5pm kick-off). Thwihli Thwahla went to the top of the league following their 2-1 win over Sekhukhune United last weekend, combined with Orlando Pirates’ surprise 1-0 defeat to Maritzburg United on Sunday. The win for Royal against Sekhukhune was their second league victory on the trot as they recorded a win over Maritzburg two weeks ago. There’s no doubt that Dan Malesela’s Royalside have exceeded the expectations of most people so far this season. The team impressed last term by finishing third. However, they had a close season filled with trouble as they lost last season’s top scorer Victor Letsoalo, as well…

The Springboks’ attitude against the Wallabies was one of their best traits on Saturday. They were fired up. They were determined. And they stood back for nothing. That is the kind of roar we need to see from Jacques Nienaber’s team every week. Springbok behemoth Eben Etzebeth and Wallaby prop Allan Alaalatoa’s ‘coming together’ was one of the biggest talking points to emerge from the Boks’ Rugby Championship victory Down Under, which saw them break a nine-year losing streak in Australia. That moment, and there refusal to stand back throughout the game, showed attitude in bucketloads. Following that altercation between the two on-pitch captains, reaction came from all over the rugby world, and outside of it. Memes of the Bok lock’s “angry eyes” were all round, so were the “don't…

Kelly Bensimon wants her own reality show. The 54-year-old former model and ex-Elle editor – who was married to fashion photographer Gilles Bensimon from 1997 until 2007 and has daughters Sea, 24, and Thadeus, 24, with him – now works as a luxury real estate agent but found fame appearing on Bravo hit The Real Housewives of New York City and would now love to front a show about her own busy life. She said: “I’d love to celebrate any show that highlights the world of real estate. I’m a multi-hyphenate – mama-bear of two girls, queen of clean, hunter for the chicest new interiors … “I’m a real estate broker. My life is a reality show. You can’t make this up!” | Bang Showbiz…

ADVOCATE Zandile Mshololo, for the fifth accused in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, yesterday said the ongoing proceedings in the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, were irregular and not according to the law. Mshololo who represents Sifisokuhle Ntuli, kicked off proceedings yesterday by stating the letter by the National Prosecuting Authority in which docket 375 was said to be dealt with only once the proceedings in docket 636 were completed was not communicated to the defence, which was irregular and unlawful. The State had indicated it did not intend to hand this document to the court because it viewed it as irrelevant, she said, but her team would plead for it to be submitted to the court as it contained evidence which pertained to the violation of the accused’s constitutional…

People who care about Parliament are ashamed of the way in which it ducked its constitutional duty, exactly as Chief Justice Raymond Zondo predicted recently on the subject of future state capture. It failed to hold the president to account regarding the Phala Phala scandal. Speaker Mapisa-Nqakula is out of her depth in her role. She seems unable to control the House or the hooligans in the EFF, those deliberate underminers of democratic debate who each earn more than R1 million a year as MPs, paid by the taxpayers. Worse, she permitted the president to get away with what can only be described as contempt for Parliament and the Constitution. He had the gall to state he had been given advice not to make a statement about the scandal in…

Last week, we saw the beginning of a robust, eye-opening national discourse on health care where we got to learn a few interesting things. I found it interesting that in Botswana, foreigners are not allowed to use public hospitals. They have to use private hospital, which means they have to pay for the services. In other words, no one is denied health care but it can’t be provided free of charge. We all know how costly hospitalisation is and medication, let alone the cost of all kinds of surgical procedures, diagnostic and curative. While payment by African countries might ease the financial burden, it should not be seen as the best solution to the problem, as it might exacerbate overcrowding in health facilities and be a huge burden to the…

More than two decades ago the South African government put in place a policy designed to redress racial imbalances in the country’s economy. But the policy – broad-based black economic empowerment – has been hijacked and repurposed by individuals and factions in the governing ANC for corruption and self-enrichment. This was particularly noticeable during the Covid pandemic. The government’s Special Investigating Unit (SIU) found that corruption or fraud accounted for 66% of all national funding set aside for the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE). I argue that the empowerment policy has been corrupted by officials appointed by the ANC and has been used to perpetrate economic crime – and repurposed for self-enrichment. The repurposed policy benefits only a tiny group, amid widespread unemployment, economic stagnation and poverty. The original…

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities are struggling to prevent the country’s biggest lake from bursting its banks and inundating nearby towns after unprecedented flooding. Pakistan’s disaster management agency yesterday raised its toll of flood deaths by another 24. Record monsoon rains and melting glaciers in Pakistan’s northern mountains have brought floods that have affected 33 million people and killed at least 1 314, including 458 children. The floods have followed record-breaking temperatures and the government and the UN have both blamed climate change for the extreme weather. | Reuters…

Kabul: Two staffers of the Russian Embassy in Kabul were killed yesterday following a blast near the mission’s premises, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow has confirmed. Kabul’s security department said that the suicide bomber was trying to blow himself up among the people who were gathered in front of the Russian embassy, but he was identified by security and targeted, which caused the blast. Ten people were also injured. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that an unknown militant set off an explosive device near the entrance to the consular section of the embassy. The UN condemned the blast. | IANS | Reuters…

Arthur Zwane is relatively pleased with the quality and quantity of the personnel at his disposal, saying Kaizer Chiefs will consider new signings in January. After another trophy-less season last term, Chiefs opted to press the reset button, appointing club legend Zwane as the new coach. The Amakhosi higher-ups then broke the bank to sign 10 new players, while also promoting youngster Mduduzi Shabalala from the reserves. The new recruits included Yusuf Maart and Edmilson Dove, while they let go of former senior players, such as captains Bernard Parker and Ramahlwe Mphahlele. Despite the new arrivals and release of the veterans, Chiefs have had a lukewarm start to the season and they are in the bottom half of the League standings with seven points. That start has evoked mixed reactions…

Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro is confident his troops will get their scoring touches right after missing chances away to Maritzburg United. After winning back-to-back matches in the Premiership and MTN8, Pirates were expected to take that form to the Harry Gwala Stadium on Sunday, but they choked as a late penalty from Amadou Soukouna sealed three points for Maritzburg, moving them up to seventh on the league standings. Pirates, who remain third, were their own worst enemy on the day. They created ample scoring chances, but weren’t clinical enough. That feat means that frontmen Zakhele Lepasa, Bienvenu Eva Nga and Kwame Peprah have a lot to work this week. But Riveiro, who was disappointed to lose for a second time this season, says it’s only a matter of time…

There are promising signs that Mamelodi Sundowns will not be running away with the Premiership title this time around, as has been the case in previous years. Last season, it was a one-horse race from the word go and Sundowns claimed their fifth straight Premiership title with four matches to spare. They finished 16 points clear of second-placed Cape Town City. This season, after six rounds, Sundowns have already suffered two defeats and a draw. They are in sixth position and have been upstaged by AmaZulu and Royal AM, who occupied the upper rungs of the elite league ladder. It is still early in the season, and the chances are that Sundowns will recover, given the enormous resources at their disposal. All Sundowns need to do is to establish why…