Índex per 2022-11-28 a Star

COAL EXPORTING companies will be counting at least R20 billion in opportunity cost as the two-and-a-half week disruption in Transnet Freight Rail’s (TFR) North Corridor has significantly hampered the smooth transportation of their product to international markets. This comes as TFR on Friday lifted the force majeure imposed on its North Corridor export coal line in KwaZulu- Natal, following the derailment of a train pulling 97 fully laden wagons en route to Richards Bay earlier this month. The derailment – which occurred between Bloubank and Nhlazatshe stations, near Ulundi – caused massive damage to infrastructure and rolling stock, necessitating closure of both lines. The recovery operation was also derailed when Transnet withdrew its operational teams from site because of threats to their safety as a result of violent extortion…

For the past several years, Martin Clunes has been tickling the funnybone in the comedy-drama, Doc Martin. If you haven’t caught the series, it is set in a quaint seaside town called Portwenn. In fact, it is filmed in the village of Port Isaac, Cornwall, in the UK. Cast as Dr Martin Ellingham, his bedside manners leaves a lot to be desired. But his idiosyncrasies and awkwardness are what propel the story arcs. That the show is now entering its 10th and final season is a testament to its success. Of course, all good things have to come to an end and Doc Martin is no different. In closing the chapter, Clunes said: “It just felt right for everyone involved. We would love to come to…

THE Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has assured parents and guardians that all learners will be placed in time for the 2023 academic year. Yesterday, the department provided an update on placements for Grade 1 and 8 learners who applied during the 2023 Online Admissions application period. The GDE received 332 477 applications for Grade 1 and Grade 8, of which 157 697 were for Grade 1 and 174 780 for Grade 8. Education MEC Matome Chiloane said the department has placed 87.71% (256 248) of those learners, leaving 35 897 (12.29%) unplaced. “Parents will be worried now, but we are working around the clock to ensure that we get all the learners placed,” the MEC said. Chiloane said the department has 5…

SOUTH African children under the age 17 are suffering from mental illness and neglect, mostly attributed to exposure to domestic violence and overprotection. The SA Society of Psychiatrist (Sasop) said the problem has one of the most hazardous effects on children. Due to mental illness children are likely to bear invisible scars, Sasop said. Survivors of domestic violence may take longer to recover from emotional abuse than physical abuse, it said. Spokesperson Dr Eugene Allers said: “It relates to the development of self-esteem; praise for what is achieved.” Children needed to be rewarded for their achievements or for doing something to boost their self-esteem. “When children are neglected or overprotected they focus on avoiding abuse or dealing with the anxiety that goes with it, instead of achieving, and that makes…

In an opinion article “SA must stand up for the women of Iran” (IOL, November 21), Kenneth Mokgatlhe criticises what he claims are South Africa’s double standards in international affairs. He points to Minister Naledi Pandor’s statements with regard to Israel’s apartheid and falsely claims that women under Israel’s rule enjoy rights and equality. Mokgatlhe is wrong. I am a Palestinian living under Israel’s rule and I campaign for human rights. I have worked with renowned human rights organisations, documenting and reporting on Israel’s oppression in Palestine for more than 15 years. Most recently, I helped produce Amnesty International’s report “Israel’s Apartheid Against Palestinians: Cruel System of Domination and Crime Against Humanity” which includes case studies illustrating how Palestinian women are treated as a less and inferior to Jewish Israeli…

Luis Fernando Suarez said his Costa Rica team were “still very much alive" at the World Cup after a 1-0 win over Japan yesterday blew Group E wide open and handed a potential lifeline to Germany. Japan, who shocked four-time champions Germany 2-1 in their opener in Qatar, would have taken a giant stride towards the last 16 with a win. Instead, they laboured in the first half against a Costa Rica team who were hammered 7-0 by Spain, then defender Keysher Fuller scored in the 81st minute with a deflected strike on the counterattack. It was Costa Rica’s first shot on target at this World Cup and left them and Japan on three points. “These players did amazing things (yesterday). I will not talk about technique or tactics. (Yesterday)…

Country’s gross domestic product is predicted to grow by a mere 1% in 2023 FORECASTERS and analysts Oxford Economics Africa warn South Africa is likely to record the slowest growth among major African economies next year. According to their Africa 2023 Outlook, released on Friday, South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) will grow by a mere 1% next year, while Senegal is anticipated to be the continent's fastest-growing economy with 7% GDP. Senegal is expected to see a marked improvement in growth next year, with the commencement of hydrocarbon exports coinciding with a period of still-elevated international natural gas prices. South African and Angolan economic output was projected to increase by less than 1% over the four-year period between 2019 and 2023, while growth will be more than a fifth…

ACCORDING to historical records, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) was allowed to introduce a television service in 1971. Officially the State broadcaster launched the service in 1976. In November 2022, the SABC took another major step by launching its streaming service. One seasoned broadcaster said: “it was long overdue”. It comes at a time when the video content space is occupied by private streaming entities. For a very long time, SABC has relied on privately owned platforms to publish its video and audio content. In doing this, SABC has lost a significant amount of revenue in terms of opportunity cost. This technological development at SABC marks a very important transition that will change how South Africans access multimedia content. The public broadcaster has officially joined the streaming club,…

Rapper AKA has dropped his second single from his upcoming album Mass Country. Paradise, released on November 24, is a feel good hip hop love song that sees AKA sing about how he “took her to paradise”, gave her “diamonds and gold”, bought her “roses for Valentine’s” but she “still wants more”. AKA explained: “Paradise is a song I wrote after a fight with my girlfriend on Valentine’s Day. “It’s about pressing the reset button with your partner when you argue, just saying you’ve held me down, let's wipe the slate clean and make things right.” The new song features amapiano star Musa Keys, who shares the same management company as him, along with Ghanaian songbird Gyakie. The Fela In Versace hitmaker said he wanted to make music with Keys…

A JOBURG central Seventh Day Adventist Church was robbed at gunpoint on Saturday afternoon. According to reports on social media, six armed men entered the church as visitors, and when the preacher was at the podium, the men got up, ordered him to lie down, and took all cellphones, wallets and other valuables from the congregation and stomped out. Speaking to The Star, church deacon Prince Thebe said: “We were just in the middle of the service, and six guys came in, pointed guns at us, and started asking money for offerings and cellphones. “When the first guy came in, he went to the front seat, and while sitting there, he kept looking around and moving seats. “The other deacon went to him and asked him what he wanted. He…

November is recognised as International Men’s Month, focusing on men’s health – physically and mentally. Men are perceived as often not sharing emotions and issues affecting their health as it is deemed “unmanly”. Yet testicular cancer is prevalent – and is increasing in young men under 30. Devon Hunter, 25, was recently diagnosed with testicular cancer. Due to his condition, his fiancée, Jordan Lishman, spoke on his behalf. “Jordan was diagnosed with testicular cancer two months ago. The signs were visible, but he had to wait a month for medical aid to activate. “The anticipation and waiting has been tiresome and he is glad the operation is happening this week. “Financially, it’s taxing as medical aid doesn’t cover everything. He was required to pay for check-ups. If there is…

As THE South African Style Awards mark their 25th anniversary, people who have, in their respective fields, made an indelible mark and are powerful vehicles of notable style across the country have also been honoured. A dinner hosted at the Zebra Square Gallery in the Hyde Park Corner saw local style icons show up to celebrate those whose names stood out. All winners and guests were toasted with Valdo by Vinitalia and received luxurious gifts from Panier des Sens, a brand of French origin that embraces eco-friendly values and is passionate about sustainability. The dinner was a prelude to the much-anticipated and highly acclaimed SA Style Awards ceremony to be held on February 12 next year, with a nod to the international awards season. From Most Innovative Style to Style…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has itchy feet. He can't stay in South Africa for long, even when there are serious issues to attend to at home. From COP 27 in the Egyptian desert to the G20 conference in tropical Bali and then, across the Indian Ocean to the London metropolis, he’s jetting across the world like a playboy, impressing dignitaries and world leaders with his eloquent speeches. In London, he had the honour of being the first dignitary to be hosted by the new British monarch and his queen consort. King Charles III welcomed the South African president to a glittering banquet at Buckingham Palace. And while he wined and dined with the royalty under the bright lights of the palace, all thoughts of home where millions…

QUANTAM Food Holdings’ headline earnings per share decreased 73% to 14.1 cents in the year to September 30, despite an 11.5% rise in revenue after the poultry, animal feed and South Africa’s biggest egg producer faced a year of challenges. Revenue rose to R6.02 billion, but operating profit sagged 74% to R37 million. No final dividend was declared. Other listed competitors in the poultry sector have not performed as badly, with RCL Foods’ poultry division reporting a similar rise in revenue, but its earnings before interest tax depreciation and amortisation increased 214% to R348.6m in the year to June 30. Astral Foods, the largest integrated poultry group in South Africa, lifted revenue 22% and earnings per share by 127% in the year to September 30. Quantum’s revenue…

A FEW WEEKS ago I discussed the powerful advancement in artificial intelligence (AI) that enables it to create intricate works of art when a user provides a description in normal English. These instructions can also include a particular style of a well-known artist. The AI will then design the required artwork in the typical style of the stated artist. Obviously artists all over the world were concerned since the creation of remarkable art was now within the reach of any person with a computer and access to the necessary software. Now a group of Google Researchers developed a new AI system that can create natural-sounding speech and music after being prompted with a few seconds of audio. The framework for high-quality audio generation with long-term consistency, called AudioLM, generates true-to-life…

South African-produced TV series My Better World walked away with the coveted International Emmy Award in the Kids: Factual & Entertainment category at the award ceremony in New York earlier this week. My Better World is a new animated series that follows six African teenagers, as they navigate the challenges of school, family and friendship. Along the way, these youngsters discover their strengths and learn how to support each other. At each episode’s core are inspiring mini-documentaries where real-life heroes tell personal stories of courage and resilience. The 55-episode African TV series is produced by South Africa’s Fundi Films in collaboration with Joburg-based Maan Creative. Speaking to IOL Entertainment, show producer Chris Morgan complimented his creative team for delivering a world-class production. “The award is a great recognition for a…

THE families of the Cradock Four have been informed that they will only know in January whether the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) will go ahead with the prosecution over the deaths of their loved ones. The families recently criticised the NPA for stonewalling them on whether they will institute proceedings against those responsible for the murders of Cradock Four activists Ford Calata, Matthew Goniwe, Sparrow Mkonto and Sicelo Mhlauli . The four were kidnapped and murdered by the apartheid security police. Speaking to The Star’s sister paper, the Cape Argus, Lukhanyo Calata, Ford’s son, confirmed the NPA’s submission on Friday in Parliament that it had met the families on November 4. Though MPs weren’t afforded details about the meeting, Calata said they were given a date early in the new…

Recent South African crime statistics have revealed that violence against women and children is on the rise and that female-headed households appear to be prone to crimes such as assault or housebreaking. Here are some important safety tips for women: “As we prepare for the annual ‘16 Days of Activism’ campaign, it is clear we need to do much more to keep our women and children safe,” says Charnel Hattingh, head of Group Marketing and Communications, Fidelity Services Group. Hattingh says crimes against our women and children should be rooted out. However, focus should be year-round. “We can do this by following basic safety tips and making sure we share these tips with our loved ones and talk about safe personal habits throughout the year,” says Hattingh. Of utmost importance…

STUDENTS at Tshwane North TVET College were excited to be among the recipients of a donation of an engine unit set valued at over R2 million by Nissan South Africa during a ceremony hosted at their Rosslyn campus on Friday. The vehicle manufacturing company handed over unit sets of engines, gearboxes and differentials to another four TVET colleges based in Gauteng, Limpopo, and North West, including the University of Johannesburg (UJ). The other colleges were Tshwane South, Waterberg, Vuselela and Central Johannesburg. Tshwane North College principal Thembi Tsibogo said: “The engines will provide experiential training to students who are studying automotive programmes in the engineering faculty, and this will enable lecturers to enhance learning by providing practical demonstrations and application of the subject content.” The donation was made possible through…

While Dean Elgar was happy to have time at the crease in the Cricket South Africa 4-Day Series to solve some technical issues, he is concerned about the limited number of first-class matches being played in SA and the effect it is having on the country’s seam bowling. The Proteas captain hit the winning runs in a 10-wicket victory for the Titans over the Lions at the Wanderers yesterday morning, and declared himself happy with his own form ahead of the tour to Australia. The 16-man SA squad departs for the three-match Test series on Thursday. “It’s been a nice three weeks of prep and getting the confidence back, while working on some technical stuff,” said Elgar. “There have been little moments, where I could work on what I wanted…

Lions (19) 33 Tries: Straeuli, Hendrikse, JP Smith Conversions: Hendrikse (2), Lombard Penalties: Hendrikse (3) Drop Goal: Hendrikse Yellow Cards: Tshituka, Van Wyk Dragons (6) 25 Tries: Tomkinson, Benjamin, Hope; Conversions: Hanrahan (2) Penalties: Davies (2) Yellow card: Moriarty The URC was welcomed back to Ellis Park in a scrappy affair that had moments of entertainment, but which was more a frustrating stop-start exercise between the Lions and Dragons yesterday. Nevertheless, the Joburgers will be relieved that they finally secured a home victory in the URC this season, however untidy it might have been. It was a bit of an arm-wrestle in the first 30 minutes, Jordan Hendrikse and Sam Davies trading penalties for a narrow 9-6 lead to the hosts. The Dragons should have made something more of their…