Índex per 2023-02-02 a Star

SLOWING demand and heightened load shedding has seen manufacturing activity in South Africa remaining largely flat albeit at a seven-month high at the beginning of 2023. However, manufacturers are expecting business conditions in six months’ time to improve significantly as the global economy looks set to weather the storm of a deep recession. The seasonally adjusted Absa Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), released yesterday, came in at 53 index points in January, virtually unchanged from 53.1 points in December 2022. The PMI – conducted by the Bureau for Economic Research (BER) on behalf of Absa – was ahead of consensus expectations of 52.1 points. It was the third successive month of modest expansion in manufacturing activity, despite rolling power cuts. In January, Eskom implemented load shedding right through the month, sometimes…

PRESIDENTS of Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal are to join Infrastructure development stakeholders at the Dakar Financing Summit. Four presidents have confirmed their attendance at the Dakar Financing Summit this week. These are his excellency Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea-Bissau, his excellency William Ruto of Kenya, his excellency Paul Kagame of Rwanda and host President, his excellency Macky Sall of Senegal. The 2nd Dakar Financing Summit for Africa’s Infrastructure Development (DFS-2) will be held in Dakar, Senegal, at the Abdou Diouf International Conference Centre (Cicad) from February 1 to 3. Under the theme, “Maintaining the momentum towards world-class infrastructure in Africa,” the summit seeks to catalyse public, private and blended funding for identified priority infrastructure projects. Specifically, it aims to generate and galvanise private sector interest in specific regional infrastructure…

SA CANE GROWERS lambasted the National Treasury last Thursday after it missed the deadline to respond to a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) application submitted the organisation to provide information relating to the Health Promotion Levy (HPL), or the sugar tax, and decisions to increase it. In his Budget speech in February 2022 Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced an increase in the levy, which was postponed to April 1, 2023. Andrew Russell, the chairperson of SA Canegrowers, said that in the absence of any proof that the levy had been effective, and in light of the demonstrated economic destruction of the levy, SA Canegrowers called on Godongwana to not only reverse the decision to increase the levy, but to scrap the levy entirely. “This is a matter of…

The utilities urged consumers to use water and electricity sparingly, a plea that left many people and businesses frustrated South Africans are dealing with a double blow of a lack of water and electricity since power utility Eskom implemented load shedding stage 5 and 6 this week. The utilities urged consumers to use the resources (water and electricity) sparingly, a plea that left many people and businesses frustrated. Rand Water said it was battling to maintain supply to certain parts of Johannesburg during the power cuts. Johannesburg Water spokesperson Puleng Mopeli said it was making substantial headway towards restoring water supply in areas affected by the power failure on Sunday. She said by yesterday morning, the water level of the Rand Water system was at 39%, which is 8% higher…

Alleged child sex ringleader Gerhard Ackerman’s bail has been revoked by the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg. The court cancelled Ackerman’s bail after he failed to honour a court appearance, with the NPA subsequently approaching the high court for Ackerman’s warrant of arrest. He was re-arrested on Sunday after he went AWOL, thus violating his bail conditions. Ackerman had failed to appear in court last Thursday, citing ill health. He also failed to produce a medical certificate to prove that he had fallen ill on the day he was meant to appear in court. An inquiry into his non-appearance was first heard on Monday, and the second part continued yesterday. It has been reported that Ackerman, who faces 740 charges, including rape, attempted murder, the production and distribution of…

The INTERNATIONAL Pentecost Holiness Church (IPHC)’s Jerusalem division has rubbished reports alleging that it was at the core of a new political party, the United Africans Transformation (UAT) led by Abel Tau, former ActionSA Gauteng provincial secretary, also former acting mayor of the City of Tshwane. At a joint media briefing in Tshwane, Priest Vusi Ndala, spokesperson for “Successor” Michael Sandlana and Tau rubbished the reports, claiming that there was a misinformation campaign. Ndala addressed fears that the church, which boasts of millions of followers in South Africa and neighbouring countries, becomes entangled with a single political formation. As claimed in the media, members would be coerced or influenced to vote for that party, ahead of the hotly contested 2024 general elections. Ndala told reporters that the church has a…

With more than 36 000 patients still on various waiting lists for their medical surgeries, the DA has called on the Gauteng premier and the Health Department to resolve the crisis. DA’s spokesperson on Health, Bloom said: “An astounding 36 237 patients are on the waiting lists for operations in Gauteng public hospitals, with a waiting period of five years for some types of surgery.” Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital is the hospital badly affected by the waiting list, with 10 900 patients still waiting to be operated on. Bloom said this was told to him by the Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko in a written reply to his questions in the Gauteng Legislature. “(At) Chris Hani Baragwanath 1 777 patients will wait four years and five months for hip…

A man burnt to death in his car following an accident in Pretoria. Shawn Herbst, from Netcare 911, said paramedics responded to a crash on West Avenue, close to Lenchen Avenue, in Centurion, Pretoria. “When medics arrived at the scene, they found a light motor vehicle crushed against a large concrete block. “The vehicle had burst into flames on impact. “The Tshwane Fire and Rescue Services managed to extinguish the fire. “Sadly, on closer inspection, it was found that the driver of the car, an adult male, had burnt to death in the inferno.” Herbst said an adult male passenger sustained serious injuries. “He was treated on scene and rushed by private ambulance to hospital for further care.” Herbst said the circumstances leading up to the incident would be investigated…

The slogan “A reading child becomes a thinking adult” formed one of the key motivators behind this year’s World Read Aloud Day at Lotus River Primary School in Cape Town. The day is commemorated annually on February 1 since being established by non-profit organisation LitWorld in 2010. Soft giggles erupted, with hands quickly moving to cover their faces, as Grade 1 learners followed with awe and interest the reading and enactment of the The Mouse Who Ate The Moon by a human-sized mouse mascot inside the school’s Adventure Reading Room. The initiative was facilitated by literacy organisation Living Through Learning (LTL) and partner Coronation, actively involved in promoting literacy at the school for the past eight years. LTL managing director Natalie Roos said: “We are the literacy partners of the…

As Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov was visiting South Africa, US treasury secretary Janet Yellen was on a tour of Senegal, Zambia and South Africa, highlighting the interest of major powers in bolstering their relations with the African continent. However, Lavrov’s visit attracted much attention, with many analysts criticising the government of South Africa for hosting the Kremlin’s most senior diplomat on the back of raging conflict in Ukraine. The conflict in Ukraine has widened international polarisation between the West and other countries, casting a shadow over international diplomacy characterised by Western isolation of Russia. However, it is the expectation that other countries should copy and paste Western policy leads in spite of their interests, policy choices and political-cultural experiences that is problematic. There is a general tendency to overlook…

THE move to electric cars is going to be a long and slow process, for reasons too numerous to mention here, but the country’s charging infrastructure is growing at a steady pace thanks to efforts from the private sector. The latest milestone on that road comes in the form of 43 new charging stations installed by Audi in partnership with Rubicon, and it includes the country’s first 200kW DC charger. In the past two years the German carmaker has contributed 127 AC and DC charging connections to the country’s network, and the stations are also available to owners of other brands of vehicle. The new 200kW DC charger has been installed at the Mall of Africa in Midrand, and according to Audi it can charge the battery of an e-tron…

The EFF has decided to end its co-operation with the IFP in hung municipalities after just 14 months. In a press statement read by its leader, Julius Malema, the EFF has announced that it is asking its leaders that were appointed deputy mayors as a result of the agreements in November 2021 to resign from their positions. Its councillors will vote in favour of motions of no-confidence in IFP mayors. The municipalities to be affected by this are: Zululand, Amajuba, Uthukela, Umkhanyakude and King Cetshwayo district municipalities; as well as the Ulundi, Nongoma, Mtubatuba, uMhlathuze, Jozini, Dannhauser, Alfred Duma, Nkosi Langalibalele, Abaqulusi, Uphongolo and Umhlabuyalingana local municipalities. The partnership between the two designed to diminish the power of the ANC began in 2016. They worked together, buoyed by their shared…

NOVAK Djokovic played with a three-centimetre tear in his hamstring during his run to a record-extending 10th Australian Open title, tournament director Craig Tiley said yesterday. The Serbian, who suffered the injury en route to winning the warm-up title in Adelaide, won the season-opening Grand Slam after beating Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas in Sunday’s final for a men’s record 22nd Grand Slam title to match Rafael Nadal’s haul. “This guy I did see, he had a three-centimetre tear in his hammy,” Tiley told SEN Sportsday. “Absolutely (I saw the scans), the doctors are going to tell you the truth. “There was a lot of speculation about whether it was true or not, it’s hard to believe that they can do what they do with those kinds of injuries. “He’s remarkable, to…

LOW COST AIRLINE FlySafair is adding to its capacity as it aims to add three new aircraft in the next two months and hire more crew. FlySafair spokesperson Kirby Gordon told Business Report in an interview this week that the airline’s purchase of new aircraft would allow it to offer additional options to customers and keep fares lower. FlySafair is rapidly growing its market share after the collapse of airline Comair and as budget airline Mango’s business rescue process appears to have stalled, leaving it out of the market. “Another highlight for us heading into 2023 is the fact that we’ve been awarded the rights to start operating a number of regional routes to neighbouring countries. We already operate a service to Mauritius and we’re busy working on a few…

FNB, WITH ITS $1.5 billion (about R26bn) brand value, is the strongest bank brand in the world, with Capitec Bank in second place, according to a matrix of factors including value, financial and environmental, social and governance factors, brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance said yesterday. According to Brand Finance’s brand strength index (BSI), FNB was the strongest bank brand with a score of 93 out of 100 and a corresponding AAA+ rating. “FNB has a strong presence in South Africa, with branches and ATMs in many cities and towns across the country. FNB has also been recognised for its sustainable practices, receiving awards for its environmental, social and governance performance. “The bank has also been consistently ranked among the top banks on the continent in terms of innovation, customer…

MTN’S NIGERIA market yesterday rang in robust annual results as it increased its mobile subscribers by an impressive 10.5%. In its results released for the year ended December 31, 2022, it said its mobile subscribers increased by 10.5% to 75.6 million, adding 7.2 million subscribers in the year, while active data users grew by 15.3% to 39.5 million, an addition of 5.2 million active users. Nigeria is the group’s biggest and most lucrative market. MTN Nigeria reported that earnings per share increased by 21.3% to N17.79 kobo (R0.67), while capital expenditure increased by 23.5% to N504.3 billion, an 18.6% increase to N361bn, excluding the right-of-use assets. The South African-based, but Pan Africa-focused telco, said earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation, increased by 22%…

Alec Baldwin has been officially charged with involuntary manslaughter over the death of Halyna Hutchins. The cinematographer was killed when a prop gun went off during rehearsals on the set of the upcoming Western movie in October 2021 and now the 64-year-old actor has been formally charged, with TMZ claiming the district attorney “listed a litany of safety lapses” that led to the incident. The outlet obtained a copy of the court documents and reported that “Baldwin knew the drill ... that the armourer should have been present, checking the gun to make sure it was safe, and Baldwin knew that” before concluding the star had “relied” on the assistant director who had no authority to clear the weapon for use. It was also claimed the DA had “failed” to…

Despite receiving a record number of applications for the 2023 academic year, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is confident it will be able to tackle the task of providing funding to students from working- class and poor backgrounds. This year alone, thanks to the extended application period of four months, the national aid scheme announced it had received a historic number of more than 1.6 million applications for funding. Despite this large number, board chairperson, Ernest Khoza, said the scheme was up to the task, and had already implemented a number of mechanisms to enable the full provision of its mandate. This was because, for the first time, they had “budget certainty”, unlike in previous years. Khoza said the scheme was already hard at work reviewing all…

Ingredients For the Cake: 120g polenta 225g organic coconut sugar Simple Truth Refined Coconut Oil Spray, for greasing 1 orange 1 cup olive oil 200g ground almonds 1 tsp baking powder 3 eggs Pinch of salt For the rosemary honey drizzle: ¼ cup (60ml) raw honey ½ an orange; juiced ½ a lemon; juiced 2 sprigs thyme 2 sprigs rosemary Method Bring a pot of water to the boil. Place the whole orange in the pot and simmer gently for about 30 minutes, or until soft. Remove the orange from the water and allow to cool. Slice the orange in half and remove any pips. Place the orange halves into a blender and blend until smooth. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Lightly spray a 23cm cake tin with Simple Truth…

Even though the Congress of the South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) supports the ANC’s declaration of the country’s energy crisis, the federation says it’s concerned about the rising cost of living. “The federation is happy that the president and the lekgotla have moved to endorse and adopt the federation’s proposal for the declaration of the state of disaster to manage the electricity crisis crippling the economy. “The state of disaster will send the message to society that the government is treating this crisis with the urgency it requires,” Cosatu spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said in a statement. However, while Cosatu welcomed the declaration following the ANC lekgotla, African Transformation Movement leader Vuyo Zungula said it was not the solution. “Declaring a state of disaster for energy is not a solution. The…

Gauteng education authorities have suspended a Grade 10 boy pupil who was involved in the violent attack on a schoolgirl in Krugers- dorp. The incident was captured on video and went viral on social media. The video shows a 25-second clip in which two male pupils in Grade 10 can be seen confronting the Grade 10 girl at the Nic Diederichs Technical High School in Krugersdorp. The female pupil is filmed sitting between two other pupils. During the confrontation, she stands up and a few seconds later, one of the boys hands something to the pupil next to him before he violently pushes the girl down and begins to slap her. The girl pupil is seen fighting back, while other pupils intervene shortly afterwards. In a statement yesterday, Gauteng Department…

IT’S no secret that Mazda is swimming upstream with its new rear-biased all-wheel drive architecture that will underpin a full range of luxury SUVs. We’ve seen the new CX-60 and, now, the Japanese carmaker has pulled the covers off the pinnacle of its line-up, in terms of size and price. Meet the Mazda CX-90. Primarily created for markets such as the US, the CX-90 is a seven-seat wide-bodied model, and it isn’t on the radar for South Africa. However, we do have it on good authority that the CX-60 is under consideration for our market and, if it gets the go-ahead, will probably arrive this year. In addition to the new architecture for the new Mazda CX-90 are straight-six engines. In most markets, Mazda will be offering a 3.3-litre six-cylinder…

AFTER a few months of relief, South African fuel prices are moving in the wrong direction once again, but thankfully a decrease in the Slate Levy has softened the blow for February. The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy announced that from Wednesday, February 1, the price of both grades of petrol would increase by 28 cents per litre. It said 500ppm diesel, the dirtier grade, would increase by 9c per litre, while 50ppm low-sulphur diesel would decrease by 1c. A litre of 95 Unleaded petrol now costs R21.03 at the coast and R21.68 in the inland regions, where 93 Unleaded now retails at R21.38. The wholesale price of 50ppm diesel is now R20.77 at the coast and R21.41 inland, while 500ppm costs R20.67 and R21.32 in the respective regions,…

The incidents of pupils bullying each other across the school spectrum have become a cause for concern for South Africa society, as they have resulted in some of the bullied pupils taking their own lives. In a recent incident, a Grade 9 pupil at a KZN school died by suicide because she was reportedly being bullied by other pupils, who teased her about the shape of her head. Incidents of name calling, teasing, even assault have become rampant in schools, and the results have been grave. This has caused many organisations to call on the authorities to embark on awareness programmes in schools and within society, to conscientise communities and pupils about the dangers of this practice, which is fast becoming a pandemic. Bullying takes place in many forms,…

A FinTech company, iKhokha, has become the new official sleeve sponsor of SuperSport United. After a few years of underachievement, Matsatsantsa are looking to rebuild themselves as a major force to be reckoned with in South African football. At the start of the season, they reappointed Gavin Hunt as coach. In his first stint with the club, Hunt led them to three consecutive league titles between 2007-10. The club also announced a sponsorship deal with Jonsson workwear in late 2022. “The partnership between iKhokha and SuperSport United represents a perfect match of shared values. We are thrilled to support a football team known for its drive and ambition – qualities we live and breathe every day in our quest to help entrepreneurs to start, grow and manage their businesses,” said…

ENGLAND have the perfect opportunity to get their new era under coach Steve Borthwick off to an uplifting start when they host Scotland on Saturday, the first match of a Six Nations draw that has fallen perfectly to begin the revival. England follow up with a home game against Italy next week and then a trip to Wales. Should they get three wins under their belt, they will host holders France with a level of confidence palpably missing from the last two wretched campaigns, before signing off away in Ireland. An improvement on third and fifth-placed finishes in the last two seasons already looks likely, and with the players at Borthwick’s disposal and a new, positive atmosphere in the camp, talk of the title no longer looks fanciful. After decades…

Aggregate domestic new vehicle sales in January reflected an increase of 4.8% SOUTH Africa’s automotive industry has lamented the prolonged energy crisis for slowing the momentum in new vehicle sales in January as the crippling power cuts have put brakes on economic activity. The Automotive Business Council (Naamsa) yesterday said that the destructive higher stages of load shedding had amplified the negative impact on vehicle production and component manufacturing in South Africa. This comes as struggling power utility Eskom intensified its rotational power cuts last month, making January 2023 the worst month in terms of the cumulative amount of load shedding the country has ever experienced in a period of a month by far. Naamsa chief executive Mikel Mabaso said that load shedding had severely impacted not only car…

DIAMOND miner De Beers said consumer demand for diamond jewellery over the 2022 end-of-year holiday season performed well, as it sold $450 million (R7.84 billion) of rough diamonds in the first of ten sales cycles this year.This compares with the $660m of rough diamonds sold in the first sales cycle of 2022 and the $417m of rough diamonds sold in the tenth sales cycle of 2022. De Beers Group chief executive Bruce Cleaver said: “Consumer demand for diamond jewellery over the 2022 end-of-year holiday season performed well. As expected, given the macroeconomic outlook at the time, sightholders took a cautious approach in late 2022 in planning their 2023 allocation schedule, with a greater weighting of goods to be purchased as the year progresses. “While there is still some…

Officials at the ministry of tourism have labelled a Daily Maverick article suggesting that the ministry’s marketing agency, SA Tourism (SAT), is preparing to enter into a deal to sponsor English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur to the tune of R910 million as nothing but a revival of the publication’s campaign against the minister. According to Minister Lindiwe Sisulu’s chief of staff, Bomanye Ntshona, this deal was proposed long before Sisulu joined the ministry, and hasn’t seen the light of day. The publication claims to have seen documents and a PowerPoint presentation detailing the workings of this multimillion-dollar sponsorship that would see the department partner with the English football team for a period of 36 months. The publication reports that in a document marked “Company Confidential”, this first presentation was…

Patriotic Alliance (PA) president Kenny Kunene has announced that he will be appealing an Equality Court ruling that found him guilty of hate speech in a matter between himself and EFF leader Julius Malema. On Tuesday, the court found Kunene guilty of hate speech after referring to Malema as a “cockroach” during a media interview. Kunene said he was convinced that a different court would come to a different conclusion on the matter. Malema and Kunene have been engaged in endless media spats, which are now playing themselves out through the courts. “I respect the courts in South Africa, but I have strong grounds to feel the judgment handed down by Honourable Makume J was wrong in law and will be overturned on appeal. My lawyers will be advising the…

It is pathetic the situation that now prevails n Zimbabwe. The country is fast shrinking financially, socially, economically and morally as the fabric of society is being torn apart daily. The government of Zimbabwe is pretending not to notice the drug abuse on the streets of all local towns. The youth are frustrated to the extent that they indulge in drug abuse, with Histalix cough syrup and crystal meth now the order of the day. This has been caused by the unemployment rate that the youths have no hope of it being fixed in their own country. Ninety percent of Zimbabwean youths don’t know what a payslip looks like and it proves that the government can’t help the nation. If one cannot afford to fly off to greener pastures, surely…

As the music industry prepares for the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, local music icon Zakes Bantwini has jetted off to the ceremony, which will air live from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday. The Osama hitmaker got a nod for a Grammy in the category of Best Global Music Performance, a nomination he shares with Nomcebo Zikode and Wouter Kellerman for their single, Bayethe. The award is presented to recording artists who have demonstrated excellence in the burgeoning field of global music. “I’m delighted – and very proud – to have been nominated for this award, especially as it recognises music that has its roots in indigenous traditions,” says Bantwini. Sibo Mhlungu, a long-time friend and local music executive, spoke fondly about Bantwini. “I’m humbled by the…

THE social media habit of rushing to circulate visuals and messages about public figures who have just died, before their families were informed, needs to stop. This message was driven by the aunt of popular musician, Vusi Ma R5, who was fatally shot near the M17 road in Soshanguve in the early hours of Monday. Family members and relatives said they were stunned by visuals circulating on Monday morning, with social media hashtags about the death of the musician, born Vusi Mosoeu, before they were informed formally. The Bacardi musician, 35, was reported to have been killed while at popular hangout spot Legentsheng. Yesterday, the family said they did not appreciate learning about his death from social media. In video footage taken from his home in Boekenhout, Mabopane, they said…

FOR the first-time, the Toyota Crown will be introduced to the local market, but Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) says only a limited number of units will retail, later this year. The Crown forms part of TSAM’s continued New Energy Vehicle (NEV) product rollout. It will be available with a 2.5-litre E-Four Hybrid powertrain, benefiting from a total system output of 176kW and an impressive claimed fuel consumption figure of 4.4L/100km. The Toyota Crown’s exterior design boasts a striking and unique appearance. A simple yet refined majestic look is achieved thanks to the headlamps and tail lamps connected from left to right in a single straight line, along with the side profile which Toyota says expresses sophistication through surface variation without relying on character lines. Body colours on offer include…

A new study of Africa’s 54 countries provides grim reading. It found that much of the continent is less safe and less democratic than it was a decade ago, a marker of worrying political trends that accelerated over the course of the pandemic. A surge in military coups and the spread of armed conflicts now threaten to stall, and even reverse, years of political progress across the region. The index, which is put out every two years by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, compiles a ranking of quality of overall governance across Africa based on scores allocated to a range of criteria, including development, economic opportunity and political inclusion. According to the analysis, its subcategories measuring democratic participation and “security and rule of law” both deteriorated, with the “pace of decline…

IRELAND winning the Six Nations title will not have a direct impact on their hopes of finally reaching at least the Rugby World Cup semi-finals, but the key to both is Johnny Sexton remaining fit, according to former Irish fullback Hugo MacNeill. Sexton will be 38 come the World Cup in France in September, but the Ireland skipper is as pivotal to his team’s fortunes as he was in the 2015 and 2019 editions. When Sexton took over at flyhalf from Ronan O’Gara, he had earned it and it was a natural succession. When not injured, he has retained his world class form – he was World Player of the Year in 2018 – and those who were tried in his absence have failed to dislodge him. Sexton inspired the…

THE Springboks will kick off a bumper 2023 season against Eddie Jones’ Wallabies in Pretoria in July in a shortened Rugby Championship and will face Argentina in Johannesburg in their final match on home soil before the build-up to the World Cup. In August, the Boks will travel to Argentina to take on the Pumas before facing Wales and the All Blacks in World Cup warm-up matches in Cardiff and London in the final build-up to the global showpiece in France, which kicks off on September 8. The Boks kick off their season on July 8 against Australia at Loftus Versfeld before travelling to New Zealand to face the All Blacks on July 17. They will return to South Africa to wrap up their Rugby Championship campaign against the Pumas…

MISSING out on the national Under-18 rugby week would have been a difficult situation to handle for Canan Moodie. A few years later, though, he was not only signed by the Bulls after matriculating from the Boland Agricultural School, but scored a try on Test debut for the Springboks against the Wallabies in Sydney – and just this week, he was named as the 2022 SA Rugby Young Player of the Year. And while all his coaches have helped him along the way, one of his biggest influencers was closer to home in Amstelhof, Paarl. “From the perspective of moving to the Bulls, my high school coach, Oloff Bergh – he was the one that put me in touch with coach Nollis (Marais) and directing all that stuff,” Moodie said…