Índex per 2022-12-20 a Star

WOOLWORTHS (Woolies) yesterday finally sold off its problematic David Jones Australian subsidiary, in a loss-making deal, but which will remove R17 billion in liabilities from its balance sheet. Woolies announced plans yesterday to sell David Jones to an Australian private-equity firm, Anchorage Capital Partners, but its CEO Roy Bagattini, in a call to journalists, did not disclose how much the subsidiary would be sold for. Bloomberg reported the deal to be worth around A$130 million (about R1.5 billion). Woolies bought David Jones for R21.5bn in 2014, making the buy its biggest acquisition through which it aimed to create one of the leading retailers in the Southern hemisphere. Bagattini said the investment over the past eight years had been painful for Woolies and he was excited about the sale. Investors…

The biggest challenge will be to keep the lights on. Eskom may collapse totally. This may push the economy in energy, as crime and looting like the KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng saga of last year may re-appear. De Wet: Looking back on the highs and lows on the economic front during 2022, what stands out for you? Harmse: On the positive side: The better-than-expected economic growth rate of 1.6% in quarter three (Q3), lower unemployment over each quarter namely 34.9% a year ago, coming down to 33.9% in Q1 to 32.9% in Q3. Few are aware that the economy in fact created more than 1 million jobs over the past year, as employment increased from 1.4 million from 14.282m in September 2021 to 15.765m at the end of September. Although the…

As of January 16, viewers can look forward to Gqeberha: The Empire which boasts an impressive cast and gripping storylines. A stylish telenovela set in the Friendly City, Gqeberha: The Empire is about a man who seemingly has it all: family, love, money, power, glory and respect. Produced by the multi-award- winning Tshedza Pictures (The River, The Republic, Legacy), this is the first Mzansi Magic telenovela filmed entirely in the Eastern Cape. Gqeberha: The Empire’s star-studded cast includes Zikhona Sodlaka (The Wife, Blood Psalms); Zandile Msutwana (Grootboom & Sons, The Queen); Mbulelo Grootboom (Wounds, Suid- ooster); Kay Bikitsha (The Queen); Phila Madlingozi (Isikizi, The Queen); Anele Matoti (Recipes for Love and Murder, Wounds); and Akhenime Mfenyana. “Mzansi Magic is excited to premiere a new telenovela, which is one of…

THE “Woman on top” ANC mantra has finally been realised after the 55th ANC National Conference announced its top seven leaders. Three women were elected to the ANC’s top seven positions, taking the ANC’s female representation at the top structure to 42% from 16% previously. Gauteng MEC for Public Safety Faith Mazibuko celebrated the move following the announcement on Monday. Nomvula Mokonyane was named first deputy secretary-general, with Maropele Ramakgopa taking the second deputy secretary-general position, while ANC veteran Gwen Ramokgopa emerged as treasurer-general. Mokonyane beat another female contender, Tina Joemat-Pettersson, to the position of first deputy secretary-general. With 2 178 votes, Paul Mashatile was announced as ANC deputy president ahead of Oscar Mabuyane’s 315 and Ronald Lamola’s 1 858. Gwede Mantashe retained his position as ANC chairperson.…

THE killer of Bond University student Leigh Matthews has succeeded in his application to the South Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, to have the decision to deny him parole overturned. Judge Stuart Wilson on Thursday ordered the parole board to hold a new hearing for Donovan Moodley by no later than March 31. It was also ordered that all reports and other documentation necessary for the parole hearing be completed by February 28. Moodley was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2005 for the gruesome killing of Matthews and the extortion of her parents, Rob and Sharon Matthews. They were opposed to Moodley’s application for parole as they felt he was not yet ready to be released. While the parents refused to hold a victim and offender dialogue ahead of Moodley’s failed…

PARENTS of a newborn baby who cannot physically be with their little one who has to remain in hospital can now digitally connect to their baby during times when they are apart. For the first time in the country, a secure, digital visual diary service is helping parents of newborns in the neonatal intensive care unit to see the progress of their baby for themselves, without being physically there. Dr Ricky Dippenaar, a neonatologist at the Netcare Blaauwberg Hospital in Cape Town, said he implemented the UK-based vCreate Diaries service at the facility to alleviate the emotional strain parents suffer when separated from their babies. “The vCreate Diaries service has proven its value as a communications tool to help minimise separation anxiety for parents and support family-centred care,” he…

In the wake of another batting collapse by the Proteas, the last thing supporters want to hear is excuses, but in the case of the defeat at the Gabba, it’s worth considering what Australians have said about the pitch used for the first Test at the historic venue. Ricky Ponting: “These are very, very good bowling teams, no doubt, but I don’t think that the batting teams are that bad.” Matthew Hayden, who played his domestic cricket for Queensland at the Gabba said: “In my opinion, it started too green. And that’s from someone who has seen this (pitch) from a very young age. There is no need to make it so full of grass, such heavy grass content because it seamed too much.” Steve Smith, who scored 36 and…

And then there was one! Argentina duly confirmed their tag as one of the favourites when they won the World Cup on Sunday for the third time. After 63 matches of scintillating action in Qatar, the curtain finally came down on Sunday as Argentina faced defending champions France in the final. It was La Albiceleste that reigned supreme, winning 4-2 on penalties after a spectacular encounter ended 3-3 after extra time. Having been billed as the Lionel Messi versus Kylian Mbappe show, the Paris Saint-Germain teammates lived up to expectations, scoring five goals between them. For years, Messi has been dragged into the debate of who is the greatest footballer of all time between him and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal. But after Sunday’s victory, Messi may well have put the…

However, analysts cautioned that this was just the first hurdle he has to clear THE RAND rallied to a one-week high yesterday as investors cheered the re-election of Cyril Ramaphosa as the president of the governing ANC. However, analysts cautioned that this was just the first hurdle Ramaphosa has to clear to secure support for his economic policies from the majority of conference delegates. Ramaphosa comfortably won re-election with 2 436 votes against 1 897 votes garnered by his former health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize, following a fiercely contested campaign yesterday. To the investor community this signalled a continuation of policy reforms that Ramaphosa’s administration in government had already embarked on, such as allowing private sector participation in state-owned enterprises. As a result, the rand strengthened from R17.64 against the…

Despite the global economic environment deteriorating considerably this year and a number of macroeconomic trends already pointing to the global economy being in technical recession, the metals and engineering sector continues to show remarkable resilience and tenacity, according to Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) CEO Lucio Trentini. In an interview with Business Report, Trentini said South Africa’s economy – despite being battered by floods, strikes, record load shedding, soaring inflation and interest rates – was still set to grow by 1.9% this year and the metals and engineering sector by 1.1% (measured on a production basis). However, this was not nearly enough to tackle the many current challenges and those that 2023 will present. “A key achievement this year was Seifsa working closely with other employer…

LOBBYISTS for former health minister Zweli Mkhize said the support given by delegates from KwaZulu-Natal was not reciprocated by those campaigning in other provinces. Cyril Ramaphosa was re-elected president of the ANC yesterday with 2 476 votes compared with Mkhize’s 1 897. KwaZulu-Natal had close to 900 delegates or 20% of the voters at the conference out of the 4 436 eligible voters. Mkhize’s supporters said this was a considerable voting group and while others in his slate were elected to the Top Seven – Paul Mashatile was elected deputy president and Nomvula Mokonyane first deputy secretary general – Mkhize did not get the required support from other provinces. On Saturday, Mkhize appeared to be leading, with ANC leaders in the North West, Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Limpopo…

TWO hopefuls to the ANC top seven positions, Pule Mabe and Ronald Lamola, have taken on the chin their failed attempts to secure election. The pair are now looking forward to being elected to the national executive committee (NEC) as additional members, which was expected last night. Mabe, who was vying for the treasurer-general position, lost to Gwen Ramokgoba, while Lamola lost to Paul Mashatile in the contest for the deputy president position. Mabe said he had never taken the question of standing for a position of responsibility in the ANC personally. “I don’t invest in emotions in campaigns. Leadership of the ANC will come and go,” he said when addressing the media after the Top Seven results were announced. Mabe did not make the cut despite fellow contestant Mzwandile…

This year alone, there have been 14 incidents where health officials in Gauteng were attacked and robbed while performing their duties. On Sunday, the Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, said she was concerned about the continuous attacks and robberies of health officials in the province in the line of duty. “Over the weekend, members of the Gauteng Emergency Medical Services (EMS) from Odi Base and patients were robbed of their belongings, including medical equipment,” said Nkomo-Ralehoko as she labelled the incidents as totally unacceptable. According to the Gauteng Department of Health, in one incident, two EMS personnel were robbed at gunpoint while responding to a case of difficulty breathing at Lebanon in Winterveld just after midnight last Friday. The department said the crew was robbed of cellphones…

Anyone with a modicum of self respect and intelligence, would frown upon the shenanigans that were allowed to engulf the ANC elective conference. The noisy Zulu contingent, headed by none other than wannabe Shaka – Zuma himself – was embarrassing. The technical fiasco that almost scuppered the conference was inexcusable. The protagonists, seeking to ingratiate themselves with the “crowd”, should be placed under a microscope. The president’s speech well, what could he say? Except to acknowledge that for well over a decade, the ANC political vehicle suffered a flat tyre which could not be repaired as there was no spare in addition to facing some rather nasty politically inspired potholes. Onwards to 2024 with promises that have been made before, and never realised. The chaotic scenes at the conference are…

South Africa is heading towards a national coalition government that will be triggered by the decline of support for the governing party, and pro-poor policies championed by rival opposition political parties. Amid the deteriorating state of governance coupled with the deep-seated triple challenges, of poverty, inequality, and unemployment, the issue of immigration has regained significance on the South African political landscape. It is arguably a campaigning tool that will shape the voting patterns in the 2024 general elections. The post-2007 period in South Africa saw the recurrence of xenophobic attacks in 2008 and 2015, allegedly sparked by competition over resources with South African black people claiming that their African counterparts were taking their jobs and depriving them from benefiting from the limited public services. At that time, the attacks received…

Under-fire Australian opener David Warner appeared to have the backing of Australia’s selectors yesterday despite failing in the first Test against South Africa and going nearly three years without a century. Warner has not scored a Test ton since January 2020 and a string of low scores, including a golden duck and three against the Proteas on an unforgiving Brisbane pitch, has intensified the pressure on Australia’s top-order talisman. But chairman of selectors George Bailey said the 36-year-old should not be judged on his performance against South Africa. “I don’t know how much to read into this wicket or this match itself and say that any batsmen on either side is in good or bad touch,” Bailey said. “I personally think there’s runs around the corner for him.” The powerful…

THE SOUTH African government could receive less tax revenue in the next financial year as a result of economic stagnation due to heightened power cuts. This was a warning from a tax expert at CMS South Africa yesterday, an international law firm and tax consultants, as Eskom ramped up its rotational load shedding to Stage 6 over the weekend due to a number of unplanned breakdowns. CMS South Africa head of tax, Bernard Mofokeng, and senior tax consultant, Nico Alberts, in a note said it was shocking that the government did not regard the now regular power blackouts lasting four hours at a time as the single biggest risk to economic growth. Economists estimate the damage to the economy at more than R4 billion a day and that…

“WE will approach the year with caution, hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst,” says Aaron Munetsi, CEO of the Airlines Association of Southern Africa (Aasa). Aasa represents most of the airlines based in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, and addresses issues affecting their ability to do business. It acts on behalf of members with regard to engagements with airport and air navigation service operators, meteorological services and their respective tariff regulators. They also liaise with airworthiness authorities, transport policymakers, legislators and departmental officials. In an interview with Business Report on 2022 and the outlook for 2023, Munetsi said that as South Africa was so brutally reminded with Covid-19 and then Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, “we’re not always good at accurately reading the tea-leaves”. Going into…

Hollywood star Tom Cruise has once again jumped out of a plane but, this time, to deliver a thank you to fans of Top Gun: Maverick. “Hey everyone! Here we are over stunning South Africa, and we’re filming Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Parts One and Two,” Cruise yells to a camera over the blaring ambient sound of an aircraft whirring, reports Variety. “I didn’t want the year to end without thanking you all for coming out to the theatres, and thank you for supporting Top Gun: Maverick.” A little over 20 seconds in, the camera pans to reveal Christopher McQuarrie, who returns to the Mission: Impossible series to helm Dead Reckoning. McQuarrie also wrote Top Gun: Maverick and produced the action feature, alongside Cruise and David Ellison. McQuarrie also…

There has been some uncertainty around whether two out of the three women elected to the ANC’s Top 7 positions are related. Yesterday, former Gauteng health MEC, Dr Gwen Ramokgopa, was announced the governing party’s new treasurer-general at the ANC’s elective conference held in Nasrec, Johannesburg. Maropene Ramokgopa was voted second deputy secretary-general. While many are left wondering if the two women are siblings or share relations, according to their close associates they are not related. Shortly after Gwen Ramokgopa was announced treasurer-general, the two women could be seen hugging and chuckling, with Maropene wearing a sweater with her surname on it. Gwen is, however, related to another ANC member. She is the sister of former Tshwane mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa who currently serves as head of the infrastructure and investment…

ONE OF South Africa’s biggest and most-loved cultural gatherings, Cotton Fest, has announced the launch of the Cotton Fest Creative Programme, aimed at giving back to students in the community while creating outlets to empower young creatives to succeed in their studies and careers. Having recently kicked off, the programme selected three leading AFDA students from Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, for bursaries funded by Cotton Fest and its longstanding partner, Puma, to cover the shortfall of their tuition fees. The team decided to further build on the late rapper Riky Rick’s legacy by creating a platform to support creative students in year one. “We’re extremely excited to have the privilege to assist young people achieve this huge milestone in their educational journey,” said Rick’s widow, Bianca Naidoo. “When we…

some political parties have called on government leaders to send outgoing Eskom chief executive André de Ruyter packing immediately before he plunges the country into severe darkness. African People’s Convention leader Themba Godi said the announcement of De Ruyter’s resignation meant nothing when he still had more than three months at the helm of providing electricity to South Africa. The Eskom boss is expected to leave at the end of March 2023, while Stage 6 rolling blackouts continue. Godi said it was strange as the man was understood to have resigned due to his failure to turn the utility around. “While we accept his long-overdue resignation because he is a dismal failure, it should have been with immediate effect. He is giving himself an extra few months to finish off…

THE driver of a getaway car involved in a late-night chase from Pretoria East to Sunnyside has sued the City of Tshwane for R2 million in damages, for the “shock” and “pain” he endured. The events of August 26, 2017, as explained to the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, by Rodney Ramahala and the officers who gave chase that night, resembled a scene from an action movie. Ramahala proudly told the court that his BMW had outstripped the metro police’s Ford Focus. Fifteen shots were fired during the chase. On the night, Ramahala’s girlfriend, identified only as Amanda, phoned at around midnight, asking him to fetch her from Menlyn Park Shopping Centre. At first, Ramahala had ignored the call as he was in bed with another woman, identified only…

THE people of South Africa are facing a bleak Christmas because of the ongoing rolling blackouts caused by the Eskom power generation crisis. The country has had to deal with constant darkness, the lack of power for their all-round household needs, the economic downturn because of the rolling blackouts, and many other problems caused by this disaster. The recent resignation of Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter has confirmed, if anything, the utility’s unending rolling blackout problems that have plagued South Africa for 15 years now. When the blackouts began in 2007, it was a surprise for nearly everyone – but the people in charge at Eskom, energy and the government at the time had no excuse for their ignorance about the power challenges. Many blamed poor management and incompetence within…

England have named former captain Steve Borthwick as head coach to replace Eddie Jones, who was dismissed earlier this month, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) said yesterday, with the build-up to next year’s World Cup top of his agenda. The 43-year-old, who worked under Jones with Japan and later England, was the strong favourite for the position after the Australian’s sacking and leaves his role as head coach of Premiership club Leicester Tigers. “I’m deeply honoured to be appointed England head coach and I am very excited by the challenge,” said Borthwick, who has signed a five-year contract with the RFU. “The English game is full of talent and I want to build a winning team which makes the most of our huge potential and inspires young people to fall…

Is it worth going over the numbers regarding South Africa’s batters, again? Is it worth repeating what has been said about the batting, over and over again? Is it worth going over the fact that the problem regarding the Proteas’ Test batting is systemic? No, no and no. Everyone seemingly knows the problems. They all have worked, to use Dean Elgar’s words, “bloody well” in the build-up to the first Test against Australia, and in the build-up to other Tests in the last three years, but they just can’t seem to find the answer about how to score runs on anything approaching a consistent basis. South Africa is a bad batting team, and listening to Kyle Verreynne speak after the first day’s play in Brisbane when he had top scored…