Índex per 2023-01-13 a Star

THE number of exchange-traded products (ETPs) listed on the JSE is growing, particularly now that actively-managed portfolios are also accommodated, and industry players are predicting further expansion in the number and variety of products available in South Africa. The number of ETPs listed on the JSE rose from 168 at the end of 2021 to 183 at the end of 2022, according to etfsa.co.za statistics. Part of the growth was the introduction by the JSE of two new categories in October last year. These include actively-managed exchange traded funds (AMETFs) and actively-managed certificates (AMCs). The former allowed issuers and portfolio managers to use actively-managed strategies to provide a return for the investor, instead of passively tracking an index, or other type of asset. The latter are non-interest-paying debt instruments –…

In what appears to be a merry-go-round between the Patriotic Alliance (PA) and the ANC in the Ditsobotla Local Municipality, reports indicate that PA member and mayor of the local municipality, Itumeleng Elizabeth Lethoko, has withdrawn her resignation. On Tuesday, she resigned as mayor a few hours after the council had elected her. This, after the ANC and the PA formed a coalition that saw them take control of the municipality. According to the Daily Maverick, Lethoko has withdrawn her controversial resignation after meetings between ANC and PA leaders. Her resignation had not been processed by councillor Fikile Alfred Jakeni, who has now accepted her withdrawal. On Wednesday, PA leader Kenny Kunene said the party had an issue with the handling of a matter and a proposal to appoint a…

Gauteng Police Commissioner Elias Mawela has vowed to leave no stone unturned in pursuit of justice for the families of the 40 victims of the Boksburg tanker explosion. Mawela, who was accompanied by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, addressed a media briefing at Sci Bono offices in Newtown, Johannesburg, yesterday. A week after the explosion, the 32-year-old driver was released after the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court found that there wasn’t enough evidence to prosecute him. This was also confirmed by the police in a statement. However, Mawela said it would have been futile for the police to pursue a narrow and minor case against the driver and the gas company on scant evidence and lose out on ensuring real justice is served. Mawela said since the explosion, the police have secured more…

Quarter to midnight Karen Rose Loot.co.za (R207) Headline Book Publishing The truth of what happened that night lies with a secret witness. Quarter to Midnight is the first thrilling novel in a brand-new series by Karen Rose, set in New Orleans. Rocky Hebert walks into his death at quarter to midnight one New Orleans night. His son Gabe cannot accept the official verdict of suicide and enlists the help of the Burke Broussard Private Investigation Agency to discover the real cause of death. PI Molly Sutton knows what it’s like to lose a father in tragic circumstances and will go to any lengths to crack the investigation, as she tries to fight off her growing feelings for Gabe. They soon realise Rocky was working on an investigation of his own,…

Religion is big business. While it’s true that the church has played a valuable role over the ages in ministering to the spiritual, emotional and even physical needs of its congregants, there are also many greedy, unscrupulous pastors who have amassed a fortune living on the gullible masses. They live a life of luxury and opulence and even unashamedly proclaim to the world that Jesus made them rich. Many of the evangelists in the US are millionaires. Appropriately named, Creflo Dollar is worth $27 million, while the richest of them all is Kenneth Copeland, who has a staggering net worth of $760 million and lives in a $7 million tax-free estate. It’s heaven on earth for him. No wonder the Americans celebrate Thanksgiving. In South Africa, too, the church has…

The reshuffle of the deck chairs on the SS ANC is really a joke; nothing that the ANC does or can do is going to fix what they have broken and stolen over the last couple of decades. Nothing. El Presidente is more concerned with fixing the ANC in the Free State than fixing the Free State. Do you reckon Ramaphosa has a tenth of the number of South Africa Inc. emblazoned wearing apparel as he does of ANC branded clothing? Never! He is a living, breathing automaton of the ANC and South Africa is only a sideline. His only concern is the ANC which keeps him in power and South Africa, all of us are just the fodder; the means to the end. It is common cause among everyone,…

With the country now stuck on stage 6 load shedding, South Africans, including celebrities such as radio DJ T-bo Touch and fashion designer Thula Sindi, have decried the impact rolling blackouts have on their businesses. Many have taken to social media to voice their frustrations. On Wednesday, Metro FM’s afternoon drive host took to Twitter to lament how small businesses were being made to suffer because of the energy crisis engulfing the country. “I don’t see my company functioning under stage 6; it’s a serious struggle for SMMEs. I can’t keep up at all! What must happen now? We are headed for even more job losses. Sad reality, and I’m the last person to lose hope, but I can’t see us surviving this one,” the man born Thabo Mofokeng tweeted.…

It’s a grim and all too common sight for rangers at some of Africa’s nature reserves: the bullet-riddled carcass of an elephant, its tusks removed by poachers. African elephant populations have fallen by about 30% since 2006. Poaching has driven the decline. Some reserves, like Garamba in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Selous in Tanzania, have lost hundreds of elephants to poachers over the last decade. But others, like Etosha National Park in Namibia, have been targeted far less. What might explain this difference? That’s what we set out to explore in our new paper. We investigated why poaching rates vary so widely across Africa and what this might reveal about what drives, motivates and facilitates poaching. To do this, we used a statistical model to relate poaching levels…

Steinhoff International’s European discount retailer Pepco Group said yesterday that first-quarter revenue had increased after a successful Christmas trading period, and that the opening of new stores would be accelerated. In its first-quarter trading announcement, Pepco Group, owner of the Pepco and Dealz brands in Europe and Poundland in the UK, said group revenue for the first quarter increased by 27% to €1.65 billion (R30.1 billion) on a constant currency basis, up 24% on an actual basis. Pepco said group like-for-like sales climbed by 13% on a constant currency basis, with all brands delivering strong growth. This included like-for-like increases of 4.4% and 19.7% respectively for Poundland and Pepco. According to the group, of which Steinhoff owns 79%, it opened 105 new stores in the quarter and remains on track…

Nersa slammed for bringing more pain to SA consumers Opposition parties yesterday said the 18.65% Eskom tariff increase approved by the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) would place a tremendous financial burden on South Africans. Eskom had initially asked for a 32% hike, despite South Africans having been faced with above-inflation tariff increases for the past five years. Nersa yesterday said it had approved an 18.65% tariff increase for 2023/24. “Nersa has approved a total revenue of R300 billion for the 2023/24 financial year, which translates to a tariff of 173.80c/kWh. The percentage increase is 18.65% based on Nersa’s approved tariff of 146.48c/kWh in the 2022/23 financial year.” The DA’s Ghaleb Cachalia described the increase as absurd, especially as the country was grappling with stage 6 power cuts. “We…

ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba said he was shocked at the arrest of a South African woman who exposed a hijacked building in Primrose and reported the matter. Patricia Khoza was arrested on Wednesday for reporting the landlord of a hijacked building to the police. The Star understands that after the landlord, who is an undocumented foreign national, was arrested, he opened a case of damage to property against Khoza, who was also arrested. Mashaba said that through the intervention of ActionSA, the case against Khoza was thrown out of court while the landlord remained in custody. He said he was disappointed with the manner in which the police had handled the matter. “ActionSA is now consulting its lawyers to possibly open a civil case against police for Patricia’s unlawful arrest,…

Terra Nova Henriette Lazaridis Loot.co.za (R522) Pegasus A haunting story of art, and betrayal, set against the backdrop of Antarctic exploration – from the author of The Clover House. The year is 1910, and two Antarctic explorers, Watts and Heywoud, are racing to the South Pole. Back in London, Viola, a photo-journalist, harbours love for them both. In Terra Nova, Henriette Lazaridis seamlessly ushers the reader back and forth between the austere, forbidding, yet intoxicating polar landscape of Antarctica to the bustle of early 20th century London. Hunger takes many forms. While Viola becomes fascinated with London’s suffragette hunger strikers, her husband, Edward, and her lover, James, come closer to starvation with each mile in their journey to the South Pole. She is capturing on camera the hunger strikers in…

THIS month, Exclusive Books is celebrating “Reading as a Superpower” and books as a supercharged device to help people handle anything that comes their way. “In years gone by, we would begin the new year with a sparkle in our eyes and a certain gung-ho spring in the step. This year, 2023, marks a return to that, with a healthy dose of ‘cautious optimism’ – assessing and auditing what we have, galvanising energies and building on strengths to make us strong and battle-ready for whatever comes our way, curved balls and all,” said Exclusive Books marketing, loyalty and procurement general manager Batya Bricker. Exclusive Books said books, stories and words are some of the most empowering tools to hand and reading really can be a superpower for kids and adults…

It is a rarity for a country’s prime minister or head of state to peruse a scientific journal with a view to imbibing knowledge. General Jan Smuts was a statesman who believed in self-empowerment. He set time aside during his busy schedule to read scientific journals and he wrote books. During his perusal, he discovered that Dr Hendrik van der Bijl had a natural appetite for development and scientific research. His research work was a palpable testimony that he had Solomonic wisdom and prophetic foresight. Smuts was aware that Van der Bijl was an asset to this country and he thought it fit to convince him to come back. He appointed him as a scientific and industrial adviser in the Department of a Mines and Industries. He was given professional…

The countdown to the latest iteration of the Big Brother franchise, Big Brother Titans, has officially begun. The reality series will see participants from African giants Nigeria and South Africa under one roof. Hosted by seasoned Biggie incumbents, Nigeria’s Ebuka Obi-Uchendu and South Africa’s Lawrence Maleka, the grand landing of this social reality experiment is likely to break the internet. While loyal natives in the Big Brother Stan Club are already excited about several things in the loading era, Big Brother Titans will be unlike anything they have seen before. Because of the pioneering format of the looming season of the beloved reality show, fans can expect the unexpected. “It promises an abundance of South African and Nigerian swag, banter, romance, and everything in between,” said executive head of programming…

Miss SA 2022 Ndavi Nokeri jetted off to the US to represent South Africa at the 71st edition of the Miss Universe pageant, where she is set to face more than 80 rivals from across the globe. The coronation night is set to take place on Saturday at the New Orleans Morial Convention Centre in Louisiana, where Harnaaz Sandhu of India will crown her successor at the end of the event. As some of the activities leading up to the finale kicked off earlier this week, the pageant has seen a twist in the format of the national gift auction. Instead of bringing a national gift from their country, the beauty queens were required to customise a blank cape that they received from the Miss Universe organisers, taking inspiration from…

Ingredients 1.2 kg boneless lamb pieces 3 large onions, chopped 2 large red tomatoes, chopped 1 tbs tomato paste 1 tbs garlic paste 1 heaped tsp ginger paste 1 tbs ground cumin 1 tbs ground coriander 2 tbs leaf or roasted masala 3 stick cinnamons 5 cardamom seeds 1 tsp chilli powder 1 tsp turmeric 3 green chillies, chopped (you can add more or less) salt or to taste ¼ cup cooking oil or less 6-8 medium potatoes, halved Chopped green dhanya for garnish Method: Heat oil in a large pot, add the cinnamon and cardamom. Cook for 1 minute. Add the chopped onions, braise until light brown, and the onions are translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and chillies. Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Add spices…

WHAT stage of load shedding is it today? Does it even matter anymore to long-suffering South Africans who have become insulated to the new normal of being powerless? This week, Eskom once again switched to Stage 6 load shedding – meaning three to four outages for up to eight hours a day. Nothing new, we went through it in 2022, so it’s more of the same in 2023. “Seven units tripped ... of which three have returned to service. In addition, the return to service of three other units has been delayed. Unit 1 of Matla Power Station will be shut down to repair a boiler tube leak,” Eskom said. By now, the explanations have become abstract and inconsequential. Once again, all we can do is sigh and resign ourselves…

Teboho Mokoena struggled with intensity in his first season at Mamelodi Sundowns, but thanks to a trip to Dubai, he’s relishing life at the club. Having been an elite player at SuperSport United, forming a link between defence and attack, Mokoena was expected to fit perfectly at Sundowns. But it wasn’t to be. The 25-year-old struggled in the engine room last season, mostly being used as a cover for captain Andile Jali, who was on form. But this pre-season Mokoena decided to take a short trip to Dubai, to unwind following a taxing, treble winning campaign. While in the hot and dry desert conditions Mokoena worked on his endurance. And that extra work has made Mokoena the regular in the No 6 at Downs since the start of the season,…

SOUTH African consumers will be paying a cumulative 33.8% more for electricity consumption over the next 2 years, after the energy regulator granted Eskom its tariff hike application, in spite of the floundering energy supply. The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) yesterday granted Eskom a 18.65% electricity tariff increase for the 2023/24 financial year, starting on April 1, and 12.74% for the 2024/25 financial year. Nersa announced its decision on Eskom’s Fifth Multi-Year Price Determination (MYPD5) allowable revenue application for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years. Eskom’s application for the 2023/24 financial year’s revenue was R351 billion, including Regulatory Clearing Accounts (RCAs) and court orders. However, the regulator approved allowable revenue of R318bn after considering adjustments for inefficiencies and prudency reviews. For the 2023/24 financial year, Nersa approved…

NEWLY unemployed Goldman Sachs workers are tapping head-hunters after losing their jobs in its biggest restructuring since the 2008/9 financial crisis, with a sluggish global economy set to make finding comparable roles a challenge, sources said. Goldman stepped up laying off staff on Wednesday in a sweeping cost-cutting drive, with around a third of those affected coming from the investment banking and the global markets division, a source familiar with the matter said. The Wall Street titan’s rivals have also started to cut jobs as global banks prepare for recession and broader, deeper cuts are expected across the industry if deal-making activity remains weak. At least 5 000 people are at risk of layoffs from various banks. In addition to around 3 200 from Goldman, Morgan Stanley has cut about…

Reigning Miss South Africa Ndavi Nokeri will be walking the Miss Universe stage at New Orleans Ernest N Morial Convention Centre tomorrow, her goal to bring home the crown. The 71st Miss Universe will be hosted by former title holder Olivia Frances Culpo (2012) and television host Jeannie Mai Jenkins. Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray and American TV personality Zuri Hall will be the backstage commentators. Recently, the Miss South Africa organisation asked locals to send messages for Nokeri ahead of the competition, and this is what they said. “Always remember your roots, be yourself, and have fun while at it,” said @tshepo_mei. @wonderfulkuvonda said: “You were born for such a time as this! Esther 4:14. May God’s outstanding favour walk beside you and within you for you!” People from…

THE EFF has filed court papers in the Constitutional Court opposing President Cyril Ramaphosa’s bid to review Parliament’s section 89 panel report, which found there was prima facie evidence of “serious misconduct and gross violation of the Constitution” with regard to the president’s alleged involvement in the stashing of millions in undeclared foreign currency on his Phala Phala farm in Limpopo. The panel, consisting of former chief justice Sandile Ngcobo, Thokozile Masipa and Mahlape Sello, was sanctioned by the National Assembly. However, it was later overruled by MPs when the ANC used its majority in Parliament to avoid adopting the report, which could have paved the way for impeachment hearings against Ramaphosa. In early December, Ramaphosa applied to the Constitutional Court for the review of the panel’s report shortly before…

Small World Laura Zigman Loot.co.za (R561) Ecco Reviewer: Meredith Maran Laura Zigman once tried to write her family story as a memoir, but she didn’t think it had enough drama. “There’s only so much you can say about growing up in the shadows of your parents’ grief,” she tells me. It’s no surprise, then, that the drama at the heart of Small World also happened in real life. Zigman’s oldest sister, born with a rare bone disease, died at age 7. In Zigman’s fictional rendition, the middle Mellishman daughter dies of cerebral palsy at age 10, triggering an estrangement between Joyce and Lydia, the surviving two. Decades later, after 30 years on opposite coasts, Lydia moves into Joyce’s Cambridge, Massachusetts, apartment. Both women are newly divorced. Each hopes the other…

The Department of Basic Education has dismissed concerns that the release of the 2022 matric results has been delayed. The concerns were raised after Umalusi requested to extend the release to January 23, while the department had initially planned to release the results on January 19. Currently, the department plans to release the results on January 20. The EFF has lambasted the department for the move. “(We) condemn the unprecedented delay in the release of final matric results for 2022. “Inexplicably, the results are set to be released on January 20, 2023, a delay that has a ripple effect on the transition of learners to the post-secondary education,” said EFF spokesperson Sinawo Thambo. The party said that the delay affected families’ planning. “The delay has an added impact on already…

Photography is a powerful tool in storytelling and scientific communication. But it can also cause harm when used unethically. We started to realise how photographs can send the wrong message when we were approached, as a group of infectious disease specialists, to develop a presentation on resistance to antibiotics. Our audience was a clinical group in east Africa. The global health organisation that asked us to do this wanted to use its own branding on our teaching slides. But when we got our slides back, we found the organisation had used an image of black African women in traditional outfits looking like they were dancing and holding white candles. Confused, we pointed out that the photograph wasn’t relevant to our work. We were told this was standard imaging verified for…

Orlando Pirates defender Tapelo Xoki says they are working hard to turn the tide after leaking four goals in two games since the resumption of the season. Pirates were arguably one of the best teams in the first half of the season, having won the MTN8 crown while being inconsistent in the league. But with the DStv Premiership having taken a long hiatus due to the World Cup, Pirates were expected to work on their frailties before the restart of the campaign. It wasn’t to be. They lost to log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns in their last game of 2022 and started 2023 on a low, losing 2-1 to Cape Town City. Those two defeats have seen the Sea Robbers sail down the log as they are eighth with 19 points,…