Índex per 2022-12-02 a Star

IN THE 2021/2022 financial year, Ayo Technology Solutions (AYO) contributed almost R95 million to the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) in the form of dividends. AYO, the country’s single largest most transformed ICT investment company, announced its results earlier this week, and despite posting a loss made the decision to pay out dividends. This, of course, has been greeted with some scepticism by the armchair traders who are vocally outspoken on everything AYO. However, if we look beyond the obvious and remove the disparaging external chatter, there are sound reasons for the technology giant to dip into its reserves to bolster its shareholders’ pockets, especially those of the pensioners whose hard-earned money it is, through the GEPF, which is managed by the Public Investment Corporation (PIC). The PIC is…

The Western Cape’s biggest festival is back for another instalment and it promises to be a bigger and more exciting way to kick off December. Three days of non-stop family entertainment awaits the community when the Mitchells Plain Festival kicks off today. Patrons can look forward to a host of events, including a Cutest Baby contest, Miss and Mr Festival award, Glamorous Granny contest, comedy shows, local artists, DJs, competitions and a My Community Connects talent section. There will also be loads of entertainment for the kids, including an amusement park, jumping castles, face painting and open-air dance parties. The festival boasts big names including Robin Pieters, Salome, Vicky Sampson, The Temple Boys, The Rocketts, Jarrad Ricketts, and Vuvu Khumalo. Festival founder Rozario Brown, said: “This year’s DStv Kyknet &…

The Section 89 panel that ruled there were grounds to impeach President Cyril Ramaphosa over Phala Phala Farmgate found the evidence given by Ramaphosa was “hearsay”. This is after he claimed to “not have personal knowledge of the theft”, but was instead “told of the theft”. Retired Justice Sandile Ngcobo found that in response to one of the charges relating to the stolen currency at Phala Phala, Ramaphosa relied on Sylvester Ndlovu’s evidence. “On this source of the foreign currency, we only have the statement by the president, which is based on what he was told by Mr Ndlovu, who didn’t confirm this information. “It is true the president’s version is supported by the acknowledgement of receipt. Admittedly, on its face, the acknowledgement of receipt states that Mr Sylvester Ndlovu…

For as long as Lucia Gomez has been the police chief in the city of Highland Isle, near Kindle County, she has known that any woman in law enforcement must walk a precarious line between authority and camaraderie to gain respect. She has maintained a spotless reputation – until now. Three male police officers have accused her of soliciting sex in exchange for promotions to higher ranks. With few people left who she can trust, Chief Gomez turns to an old friend, Rik Dudek, to act as her attorney in the federal grand jury investigation, insisting to Rik that the accusations against her are part of an ugly smear campaign designed to destroy her career and empower her enemies – both outside the police force and within. Clarice “Pinky” Granum…

AT the top of the list of things people say are “unimaginable” is the tragedy of one’s child dying. People don’t mean they can’t imagine it, of course, but that they will not; it would be too sad, too much. Not 10 pages into Rob Delaney’s A Heart That Works, a memoir of his son Henry’s life and death from brain cancer at 2-and-a-half, he insists that you should imagine it. “If you have more than one child, it’s critical you pick one for this exercise,” he writes. “If you’re reading this, and you have a child, do it now.” Delaney’s urge to have the world around him gain fluency in his pain is familiar to any griever. How can we express what it means to lose the ones we…

The FIFA World Cup is an emotive affair where soccer fans shed tears of either joy or dejection. What the soccer-loving nations fail to do after the competition is look beyond the spectacular and learn things from other countries, such as economic discipline, resilience, patience, service delivery and frugality. South Africa could take a leaf out of the books of Brazil, England, Germany and the Netherlands. The English are known for the “stiff upper lip” – their perseverance against all odds. The Germans are very strong-willed and stubborn. Once a decision is made, one can count on them to see it through. We live in a weak economic climate and South Africa is poor at conserving limited resources. We recently saw a video clip on Facebook where parents read the…

Spotify announced the arrival of South Africa’s Wrapped 2022, the platform’s overall report into the music that dominated and defined the year for users locally, with the renowned amapiano artist DJ Kabza De Small leading the pack. This year, amapiano became South Africa’s hottest genre, and this year’s Spotify Wrapped. As part of Wrapped 2022, Spotify users get a detailed snapshot of their most loved artists, creators and songs. Wrapped 2022 will also feature messages from artists to their listeners, and because sharing is caring, users will be able to share their Wrapped cards via WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Fans can also unlock a personalised Snapchat lens that reflects their listening personality, and those active in the Roblox universe can head to Spotify Island for even more fun and…

SEX workers could soon go about their business without sweating about prosecution as the Cabinet moved to approve a bill seeking to decriminalise sex services. Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele announced the proposal to decriminalise sex work when he presented the Wednesday Cabinet meeting’s outcome yesterday. The announcement went largely unnoticed and was overshadowed by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala scandal. The Cabinet approved the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Bill of 2022. The bill rescinds the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act, 2007 (Act 32 of 2007) to decriminalise the sale and purchase of adult sexual services. Gungubele said: “The proposals of this bill respond to the list of interventions proposed in Pillar 3 (Protection, Safety and Justice) of the National Strategic…

ALL in all, it’s been a sad week for South Africa. The findings by the Section 89 Independent Panel – that President Cyril Ramaphosa has cases of serious misconduct and violation of the Constitution to answer for – have all but confirmed our worst suspicions: the much-vaunted “new dawn” was nothing but a false dawn. We never got to see the major clean-up of the ANC, and eradication of corruption in government, that was promised. And now we know why. At the very least, Ramaphosa is guilty of not taking South Africans into his confidence about what really happened on his game farm, and the chain reaction of scandalous events it set off. Then again, he wasn’t exactly forthcoming with details of the rampant state capture taking place under his…

AMMAN: Islamic State militant leader Abu al-Hassan al-Hashemi al-Quraishi, who was killed in mid-October in Syria, blew himself up after he and his aides were surrounded by local fighters in the town of Jasem, said fighters involved in the clash. The US military said he was killed in an operation carried out by the rebel Free Syrian Army in the southern Deraa province. The province was brought under the control of the Syrian army following Russian-brokered reconciliation agreements in 2018. Quraishi and his aides had been discovered in a secret hideout in a house, said the sources. | Reuters…

IF Mohammed Kudus’ exploits in the World Cup are anything to go by, then he should lead Ghana’s quest for vengeance against Uruguay tonight. It’s been more than 12 years since that night in Soweto after Asamoah Gyan missed a penalty kick following Luis Suarez’s handball in extra time. And yet Africa is still agonising over what could have been – given that Ghana were denied a spot in the World Cup semi-final on African soil. But with the two nations set to meet in a highly-anticipated group stage finale with a spot in the last-16 up for grabs, a lot is at stake. The two teams have deployed relatively new teams for the finals in Qatar compared to 2010 but the villain of Ghana’s loss, Suarez, is still in…

THE first half of the PSL season was not short of talking points. And yet there’s a buzzing feeling all round that the second half will be more controversial. Since being branded the PSL 26 years ago, the country’s top-flight division had never resumed for the second half of the campaign on New Year’s Eve. But thanks to the ongoing Fifa World Cup, which prematurely suspended the league for the Christmas break, history is on the horizon for local football. That change has forced teams to return early for training – auguring well for coaches who want their players to be sharp during the festive period. And judging from the first half of the term, the 16 teams will be in for a treat in the second half, looking at…

NEW details have emerged that ANC Ekurhuleni regional treasurer Sello Sekhokho scored more than R80 million in tenders from other hospitals in Gauteng despite no valid certificate to sell medical products. This damning evidence was revealed by the Gauteng Health and Wellness MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko in her written reply to questions from the DA’s Gauteng health spokesperson Jack Bloom. In the past months, Nkomo-Ralehoko revealed that Sekhokho’s three companies, Kaizen Projects, Nokhokhoko Medical Supplies and Bollanoto Security, had received R14.5m in 55 contracts from Tembisa Hospital alone, in the past years. The latest replies were related to other hospitals in Gauteng, in which Nkomo-Ralehoko confirmed that Sekhokho had also benefited and the amounts were higher compared with Tembisa Hospital. Nkomo-Ralehoko said a total of 225 contracts were awarded in the…

A Pocketful of Happiness Richard E Grant Loot.co.za (R149) Gallery Books UK Swaziland-born Richard E Grant is perhaps best known for his role in Withnail & I and Oscar nomination for Can You Ever Forgive Me?. “Lockdown turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because my wife and I spent nine months, after 38 years together, with each other every single minute of the day and night, and then … had eight months together for the last months of her life. And she said to me just before she died, ‘You’re going to be all right – try to find a pocketful of happiness in every single day.’” In his new memoir Grant tells of their time together and how he is now trying to fill his pockets with…

The brutal killing of civilians in Europe, Iran, Palestine, Asia and Africa continues unabated as 2022 draws to a close. The psychology of killing and witnessing of such raw violence will affect humanity for decades to come. These bloody horrors will never recede from their collective memories. These brutal massacres are directed against civilians and is executed with inhuman beastliness. As the sword of Damocles hangs over the people, the so-called civilised world watches on. The world is shocked to see images of unimaginable horror. The graphic pictures reveal unspeakable brutality and atrocity. The genocidal campaign against warring parties is a crime against humanity. There are moral imperatives to stop the slaughter. The grim situation in Africa and Asia is a new Holocaust, a brutal form of ethnic cleansing, the…

In RESPONSE to the letter by Saleh Hijazi, “I’m Palestine – my voice matters” in The Star on November 29, I would like to go in to bat for the truth. First, thank you for your passion to a cause one can only assume is of great conviction to yourself, however, your title “I’m Palestine – my voice matters” is sadly reminiscent Dr Tony Fauci’s “I am Science”, arrogant and wrong. I am neither Jewish nor Israeli, just a good old South African who tries to be a little more non-partisan, because of our history, in what is a very complicated and volatile issue. Once again, hatred is proven to wear blinkers and shouts the loudest while carrying knives, missiles and using cars as vehicles of death to get its…

The Zulu Brothers, who are popular for their on-screen characters on Showmax’s hit telenovela The Wife, have partnered with Castle Milk Stout’s Black Conversations campaign, aimed at redefining blackness. Lead actors Wiseman Mncube, Kwenzokuhle Ngcobo, Thulane Shange, Sipho Ndlovu and Mondli Makhoba are to showcase the streetwear pieces that Castle Milk Stout created with Butan. With their compelling stories, the modern traditionalists formed part of the Don't Fear Black, Savour It Campaign. Redefining blackness in a modern society speaks to dissembling the structure without necessarily losing the essence of black culture. Makhoba said his legacy lives on through stories passed down to him. “The stories of my father and grandfather that I narrate to myself whenever they cross my mind. “My mother’s and grandmother’s teachings that I still live by…

TWO men who took part in a daring shopping centre robbery when they posed as Eskom workers and cut the electricity supply to the mall so the alarms did not go off, are unhappy with their 20-year jail sentences. According to them, they expected a lesser sentence. Kenneth Walters and David Middel- kop turned to the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria to appeal against their sentences following a conviction of murder and robbery. A security guard was killed by the pair’s accomplices during the attack. Both Walters and Middelkop pleaded guilty earlier to the charges on the doctrine of common purpose. But they said they would never have done so if they knew that the charges against them fell under the sentencing regime in which they faced a life…

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an HIV prevention medication. It is taken by people who are HIV negative, so that if they are unknowingly exposed to HIV, the drug will prevent the virus from infecting them. The development of this method is important for South Africa because the country has a high rate of HIV infection. About 7.5 million people in South Africa live with HIV – about a fifth of the global population of people living with HIV. The current standard-of-care PrEP is a combination antiretroviral drug called tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) that must be taken orally. This tablet has be taken daily for it to be effective, as research has shown. It has been available in South Africa since 2016 as part of demonstration projects and implementation studies. Since…

US President Joe Biden greeted President Emmanuel Macron at the White House yesterday with full-scale military honours and a pledge to uphold the “unwavering” US-French alliance ahead of talks on Ukraine, China and a looming trade dispute. Service members from the marines, army, air force and even a detachment of soldiers in 18th century Revolutionary War garb paraded in front of the White House. Artillery fired off a 21-gun salute, sending puffs of white smoke into the clear, chilly December sky. Standing on a red-carpeted podium with Macron, Biden said “France is our oldest ally, our unwavering partner in freedom’s cause”. Like Biden, Macron noted that the two countries had stood side by side through many wars. Referring to the Western alliance helping Ukraine to confront the Russian invasion, Macron…

Jakarta: A dozen Indonesian families whose relatives died or were injured after consuming tainted cough syrups have sued the government and companies accused of supplying the products, according to a lawsuit. The Southeast Asian country has seen a spike in cases of acute kidney injury since August, with the deaths of at least 199 people, mostly children, prompting a probe and ban on some liquid medicine sales. The World Health Organization has said it found an “unacceptable amount” of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol in four Indian-made cough syrups and warned they could be linked to the deaths. | AFP…

BRAZIL coach Tite is set to follow the lead of France and rest key players for their final World Cup group game against Cameroon tonight, with their place in the last 16 in Qatar already secure. The World Cup favourites meet Cameroon at the Lusail Stadium needing just a draw to secure top spot in Group G after starting their campaign with wins over Serbia and Switzerland. Even a defeat would not stop them topping the section so long as the Swiss fail to win at the same time against Serbia, but France have already shown that changing most of your starting line-up does not necessarily work out. The holders made nine changes for their final group game against Tunisia on Wednesday and put in a disjointed performance in a…

MOROCCO powered into the last 16 of the World Cup for the first time in 36 years yesterday with a 2-1 victory over eliminated Canada. Goals from Hakim Ziyech and Youssef En-Nesyri ensured the North Africans finished top of Group F ahead of 2018 World Cup runners-up Croatia. In another Group F match played at the same time, Romelu Lukaku missed a string of late chances as Belgium crashed out of the World Cup in the group stage after a 0-0 draw with Croatia which sent the 2018 runners-up into the knockout phase. Croatia had a penalty award controversially cancelled by VAR early in a largely uneventful first half. Morocco, who last reached the knockout stages of the World Cup in 1986, will face the runners-up from Group E in…

AFRICAN Equity Empowerment Investments’ (AEEI) headline loss per share (Heps) widened 68.36% to 37.16 cents from 22.07c a share for the year to August 31 as the weakening global economic environment and resulting disruptions impacted the operations and valuations of the group’s diversified investments. Net asset value per share fell 9.9% to 993.32c per share from 1 102.54c per share. The board did not declare a dividend. The group’s directors said revenue fell slightly by 0.24% due to a challenging global economic environment characterised by increasing pressure on prices, resulting in lower margins and this, coupled with accounting adjustments on investments, led to an overall loss of R330 million. The basic loss per share increased to 45.78c from a loss of 26.48c a share in 2021, mainly…

THE publishing of the Code of Good Practice on the Prevention and Elimination of Harassment in the Workplace by the Minister of Employment and Labour, Thulas Nxesi, could not have come at a better time as studies show an increase in sexual harassment in the workplace. Nxesi published the code in March, and it became effective from March 18. At the same time, the minister repealed the Amended Code of Good Practice on the Handling of Sexual Harassment Cases in the Workplace. According to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), the introduction of the harassment code was important particularly for employers to assess their policies and procedures in place to address harassment in the workplace, and ensure they meet the requirements. The changes will hopefully stem the tide…

A CHIEF director in the Mpumalanga Education Department has been suspended over a series of financial violations that resulted in students enrolled at Russian universities facing expulsion and eviction from their accommodation facilities. The suspension follows a provincial delegation’s visit to the Russian Federation led by Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane, tasked with looking into the long-standing matter. Provincial Education spokesperson Gerald Sambo said the chief director was placed on precautionary suspension while the government investigated what went wrong. “The premier’s visit to Russia uncovered a lot of questions that still need to be answered. For this reason, the chief director responsible for the student exchange programme had to be placed on suspension so that there is no interference or any sense of meddling. “Once the investigation is concluded, the premier or…

Connie and Preston Whittier raised their six children in a once-grand Manhattan mansion. The children are now adults, but the house remains the heart of the family and somewhere they all love to return to, particularly in times of stress. But on Connie and Peter’s annual skiing holiday in Europe, an avalanche hits their resort, resulting in their deaths. Lyle is successful but has an unhappy marriage. Gloria is a genius on Wall Street but lonely. Twins Caroline and Charlie work all hours on their growing fashion brand, but have no time to enjoy life and discover who they really are. Benjie has personal challenges and requires additional support. And rebellious Annabelle has fallen in with a bad crowd. The future of the family – and also their home –…

Following the butler’s death and the cook’s retirement, the ever-gullible Lady Lavinia replaces them with a power couple who are determined to thrust the crumbling estate into the 21st century. The dowager countess reluctantly agrees to hold a big-ticket Christmas gala and silent auction with a mystery celebrity flying in from Monaco as the guest of honour. Needless to say the newcomers make a few enemies in their quest to change the status quo and when one body is discovered in the Victorian stumpery and a second in the ha-ha, it seems that their high-flying past is catching up with them. Meanwhile, Kat is dealing with the theft of a valuable doll that had been earmarked for the auction. When it turns out that all the ticket money has vanished…

Israel prides itself as the only democracy in the Middle East. But how “democratically” does this state behave, specifically in its conflict with Palestinians? There is ample evidence it does not live up to this self-declared status. The most recent example is the killing of the Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in May. She was shot when covering a fight between Palestinians and the Israeli military in the West Bank. Most accounts have blamed the Israelis for this killing and its own report has conceded it is possible the army killed the journalist by mistake. But this admission rings hollow in light of how Israel is responding to independent efforts to investigate. A US congressperson has called for an investigation, as Abu Akleh was an American. Any responsible state…

DISGRUNTLED staff at Kalafong Academic Hospital in Atteridgeville yesterday celebrated the news that their CEO, Dr Sello Matjila, has been placed on special leave. The staff, including nurses and general workers, have been protesting at the hospital since Wednesday against the “disrespectful” conduct of Matjila, whom they accused of maladministration and corruption. Workers went on the rampage on Wednesday, emptying dustbins, spilling and scattering rubbish on the stairs, including inside the CEO’s office. Some staff members told the Pretoria News that the protest was due to a dispute over payments related to annual performance bonuses. They accused Matjila of unfairly excluding a large number of workers from getting performance bonuses, saying the criteria used for selecting those qualifying for bonuses was never transparent and had not been explained to them.…

Medical experts have said they were seeing indications of a spike in Covid-19 infections and warned the public against complacency. This comes as the SA Medical Research Council (SAMRC) said it observed an increase in Covid-19 traces in several wastewater treatment plants in the Western Cape in October. Solidarity Doctors Network Advisory board member Dr Angelique Coetzee urged the public to test if they experienced any Covid-19 symptoms. “We are seeing patients coming in with a normal cold, typical sore throat and running nose, a bit of tiredness. “If patients are checked there’s a 50% chance that could be Covid. “We saw a lot of patients in the past few weeks with Covid symptoms. “It is important that people do Covid testing if they think they have a flu or…

South Africa has notoriously high levels of violence against women. The latest police figures show that 10 818 rape cases were reported in the first quarter this year. The country has among the highest number of rapes in the world. How can gender-based violence (GBV) be reduced in South Africa? It’s important to understand the causes of GBV – with a focus on sexual violence – globally and in South Africa There are many contested theories. Louise du Toit, a Stellenbosch University philosopher, analysed these: Past-perpetrator violence. Social and economic exclusion. Injured masculinity or patriarchal politics (reaction to women gaining rights. Violence that is a condition of human existence (ontological violence). She showed that each theory on its own could not explain sexual violence. Many men were involved…

Dakar: MPs exchanged blows and hurled a chair in Senegal’s parliament yesterday over a perceived insult towards a pro-opposition religious leader. An opposition MP slapped legislator Amy Ndiaye over her remarks. She responded by throwing a chair at him and then fell to the ground. A fistfight then erupted among MPs before the speaker suspended the session during a vote on the justice ministry’s budget for 2023. It was sparked by remarks Ndiaye made about Serigne Moustapha Sy, a Muslim leader who supports the opposition. She accused him of disrespecting President Macky Sall. | AFP…

Beirut: MPs in crisis-hit Lebanon failed to elect a new president yesterday for an eighth time, despite the deepening impact of the political deadlock on the country’s economic woes. Lebanon has been without a head of state for a month after president Michel Aoun left office at the end of October with no successor. Parliament is split between supporters of the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement and its opponents. Lebanon is grappling with a financial crisis with a currency in free fall, severe electricity shortages and soaring poverty rates. | AFP…

IT was lekker to see the drop goal back in vogue, even if it was just for a weekend. First it was Springbok Damian Willemse who coolly slotted two droppies against England, and a day later Jordan Hendrikse of the Emirates Lions did the same. The significance of those scores regarding importance can obviously be argued, but both were important nonetheless. Much like Willemse’s strikes, Hendrikse’s drop goal created some much needed scoreboard pressure, helping grind down the Dragons in the Lions’ United Rugby Championship (URC) clash against the Welsh franchise last weekend. Yesterday, the 21-year-old admitted that he has been practising them this week as well. “Of course, of course ... you have to,” he said with a chuckle in an interview with Independent Media. “It was all about…

AUSTRALIA’S series loss to the Proteas in 2018 and all the drama associated with it may have been a chastening experience for the ‘Baggy Green’ brigade, but Dean Elgar doesn’t expect it to make the current Australian team a ‘soft touch’ in their three-match Test series. The ‘Sandpaper affair’, which caused ructions across the sport, led Australian cricket to undertake serious introspection. From pre-match handshakes to ‘elite honesty’, to Pat Cummins’s toothy grin, Australia have sought to sell themselves as a less boorish team. However, Elgar isn’t buying a new friendly approach from the Australians. “Purely because we are playing there, I think it will still be pretty feisty,” Elgar said. The first Test starts on December 17 at the Gabba, with the series then heading to Melbourne for the…