Índex per 2023-02-08 a Star

THE GOVERNMENT needs to urgently work on taking the red tape out of individuals and companies being able to supply electricity to the grid, now that companies no longer need a licence to produce their own energy needs, said Gold Fields’ interim chief executive, Martin Preece. Leaders of some of South Africa’s biggest mining groups yesterday discussed their renewable energy projects at the Mining Indaba in Cape Town. The Minerals Council, for example, has said that at least 89 mining companies have embarked on projects to generate their own electricity in this country. Preece said the government should also make it worthwhile for the private sector to invest in renewable energy, without having to make the supply of electricity to the grid a chief profit motive for the investor.…

THE OMBUDSMAN for Short-Term Insurance said yesterday there could be no intervention in insurers changing their position on covering load shedding or grid collapse events because of the contractual nature of the deals. Financial platform Moneyweb reported on Monday that as South Africans contended with the worst load shedding on record, the insurance industry faces a dilemma that has triggered the introduction of exclusionary clauses exempting insurers from paying out claims arising from an electri- city grid failure. Unlisted insurance giant Hollard had informed its clients that it won’t be covering any losses caused by the collapse of the national grid, with Santam due to implement a similar exclusion in April, it reported. Business Report spoke to Senior Assistant Ombudsman, Peter Nkhuna, who said the Ombuds jurisdiction was limited to…

CASH-STRAPPED taxpayers will have to fork out more money to finance Eskom’s additional purchases for diesel for it to keep the lights on until the end of this financial year. Eskom’s outgoing chief executive André de Ruyter yesterday told Parliament that the struggling power utility would need a lot more money if the country hoped to ease power cuts. Eskom has paid between R1.3 billion and R1.5bn each for three tranches of 50 million litres of diesel since November after blowing R14.7bn for diesel in the previous fiscal year, more than double its annual budget. Briefing Parliament on measures to end load shedding, De Ruyter reiterated that Eskom’s medium- to long-term plans included planned maintenance to boost generation capacity, but using open-cycle gas turbines to their maximum capacity…

Chris Brown raged “Who the f*** is Robert Glasper?” after he lost a Grammy award to the pianist. The rapper, 33, was not at the 65th Grammys on Sunday night in Los Angeles but when jazz artist Robert, 44, won in the Best R&B Album category, Brown vented his fury online. He said about four-time Grammy winner Glasper in one of a series of now-deleted Instagram Stories posts: “Y’all playing. Who da f*** is this? Who the f*** is Robert Glasper. “I’m a keep kicking y’all a** respectfully. “I gotta get my skills up … Ima start playing the harmonica.” Brown then uploaded an edited photo of himself showing him playing the harmonica, which he captioned: “New Level Unlocked! Harmonica Breezy.” Brown had been nominated for his tenth studio album,…

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde, Social Development MEC Sharna Fernandez and participants of the Famsa and Fatherhood Programme in Khayelitsha launched a campaign last week aimed at breaking the silence of abuse. The campaign will be addressing the root causes of gender-based violence (GBV). The campaign will be showcased on multiple platforms including radio, television and social media and is based on the story of a man who was exposed to violence and abuse throughout his life. Recognising that he is about to repeat the cycle with his own family, he seeks help. After being exposed to radio and television adverts linked to this idea, Khayelitsha participants shared how the story and characters resonated with them by reflecting their own experiences. Xolani Mcoyana, 48, said the video reflected society, emphasising…

The DA says there is only one way to honour former National Assembly Speaker Frene Ginwala, and that is to rebuild Parliament, a section of which was gutted in an alleged arson incident in January 2022. This is according to DA chief whip Siviwe Gwarube, who delivered a fitting tribute to Ginwala during a special joint sitting of legislators held in Parliament on Monday. Ginwala was the first Speaker of South Africa’s first post-apartheid democratic Parliament. She passed away last month at the age of 90 after suffering a stroke. She was a constitutional expert, feminist and former journalist. “On behalf of the DA, I would like to formally extend our deepest condolences to the friends and family of Dr Frene Ginwala; her political party, the African National Congress (ANC);…

Parliament is the only platform where the president can account to the people. The people will now have the opportunity to finally hear and see him account. President Cyril Ramaphosa has been running the country like it is a business. He has been calling family meetings on TV like a chairperson of a company calls a shareholders’ meeting. This is new to South African politics. Former presidents rarely addressed people on TV. Former president Thabo Mbeki only addressed people on TV once: when he was recalled and wanted to explain his decision to pursue the arms deal prosecution against Jacob Zuma and clarify the Nicholson judgment that withdrew the prosecution. Zuma addressed people twice: when he apologised for being mistaken about Thuli Madonsela’s remedial action in the Nkandla report and…

South Africans have voiced their expectations and making requests to President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is set to deliver the State of the Nation Address (Sona) tomorrow. The Sona, which sets out the government’s key policy goals and deliverables for the year ahead, will again inform the public of the government’s work and further create transparency and accountability on the government’s side. It also serves as one of the crucial annual occasions for outlining interventions to unlock development interventions for the financial year. With the country bearing the brunt of multiple challenges, such as unemployment, load shedding, service delivery, safety, land reform, state capture and governance, the public can only hope for interventions. Different political parties and organisations have been vocal about what needs to be done to better the state…

EQUAL Education (EE) and the Equal Education Law Centre (EELC) have condemned Operation Dudula’s campaign targeting migrant children at schools in South Africa. This comes after reports of an Operation Dudula campaign spearheaded by its Diepsloot branch sharing xenophobic messages online, calling for the removal of migrant children from schools in the area in order to free up space for South African children. “Adults marching through the streets, entering school premises and classrooms, and asking for innocent children to be removed from school based on their nationality is an all-time low for our country,” reads an EE and EELC joint statement. “Actions of this nature not only pit nationals against migrant children, and foster othering, but they also amount to bullying and intimidation. We strongly condemn this thinking and behaviour,…

Four-time Nedbank Cup champions SuperSport United face Mamelodi-based amateur side Dondol Stars this evening in a clash that has all the ingredients of a David v Goliath giant-killing. United, you see, have never lost to lower league opposition in the opening last-32 round, while Stars are flying high in the ABC Motsepe League Gauteng Steam A. There is so much on the line for coach Gavin Hunt, who has won the Cup twice – with Moroka Swallows in 2004 and SuperSport in 2016 – and finished runners-up on three occasions. Stuart Baxter and Pitso Mosimane head the list of most successful coaches in the history of the Cup, having each won it three times. Hunt insisted he will respect the Mamelodi outfit by putting out a “competitive” team. “You will…

Maritzburg United head coach Fadlu Davids said that he expects fireworks when his side welcomes Kaizer Chiefs to the Harry Gwala Stadium for their Nedbank Cup last-32 clash on Friday (7.30pm kick-off). The Team of Choice are heading into this encounter on the back of a couple of decent results that have seen them slowly climb their way up the DStv Premiership standings. Davids was a part of the Team of Choice of the past that terrorised opposition teams when playing on a Friday night and now back for his second stint at the club, he hopes to rediscover that aura and expects Kaizer Chiefs to contribute to a great spectacle. “We had a good record when playing on Friday nights the last time I was here,” he said. “We…

Minerals Council of South Africa calls for action, saying the time for talking has long passed THE MINERALS Council of South Africa yesterday welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address to the Mining Indaba, but stressed the urgency of action, after he said the government was working as fast as it could to remove impediments to investment in the sector, including on its energy and rail problems. Ramaphosa said South Africa was a long way from realising the full potential of its mining sector. The R1.8 trillion record turnover generated by mining last year was despite a 9% drop in production due to load shedding and logistics challenges, while illegal mining and security of infrastructure, and the pace of structural reforms, were other concerns that investors had expressed about investing in…

Music and theatre lovers are in for a treat as the enchanting musical, Calling Us Home, premières its all-new international version in Cape Town for a limited time before hitting international stages. The play will run for one week only at Artscape Theatre from February 15 to 19. Composer and producer Alice Gillham joined forces with acclaimed New York director Peter Flynn to bring to life this universal story of courage and love. Calling Us Home, is about Grace, an African princess, fleeing a devastating war in her country. She arrives penniless in the freezing, grimy docklands of an American city. The underworld of the city is ruled by evil gang lord Ivan, who has set his sights on Grace. But has another man captured her heart? The street-smart Rafael,…

The IFP has come out guns blazing, dismissing explosive allegations by the EFF, which alleged that there is a political plot to kill its secretary-general, Marshall Dlamini. Yesterday, the EFF alleged that it was approached by SAPS intelligence, which informed it that there were IFP senior leaders planning a political assassination of Dlamini amid a breakdown of the coalition between the two parties. IFP national spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa said the EFF believed it could force the IFP to hand over municipalities. “The IFP was unwilling to betray the trust of the communities that voted for us,” Hlengwa said. KwaZulu-Natal has been known in the past for bloodbaths due to political killings; this has alarmed the EFF, which said it had received the SAPS intelligence report unprovoked. EFF national spokesperson Sinawo…

Ingredients 2 tbs olive oil Salt and milled pepper 1 packet skinless chicken breasts, each cut into 3 pieces 1 punnet cherry tomatoes ½ cup white wine 3 cups chicken stock 3 cloves garlic, crushed 1 cup (250ml) pasta rice (risoni or orzo) Basil pesto and fresh basil, for serving Method Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Season chicken and brown all over. Remove and set aside. Add tomatoes, wine, stock, garlic, pasta rice, season and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 8 minutes. Return chicken to pan and cook for 5-8 minutes more, until pasta and chicken are done. Serve from the pan with dollops of basil pesto and garnished with fresh basil. |…

Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter’s post is up for grabs. Apart from having to report to the chairman of the board, serve as a member of the group executive committee and executive director of the utility giant, you will also have to put up with constant scrutiny from the media and public (and experts who graduated “summa cum laude” from the University of Facebook), and there’s also the odd death threat, sabotage and that pesky load shedding. De Ruyter resigned in December. Eskom board chairperson Mpho Makwana said: “De Ruyter has agreed to stay for an additional period beyond the stipulated 30 days’ notice to ensure continuity while we urgently embark on a search for his successor. His last day at Eskom will be March 31, 2023.” The announcement was…

SOUTH Africa is falling apart and President Cyril Ramaphosa must equally take the blame for plunging the country into darkness and spiralling unemployment. These were the sentiments of DA leader John Steenhuisen when he delivered his “True State of the Nation Address” in Cape Town yesterday. Steenhuisen said the country’s worsening hardship was brought about by the government’s decision not to condemn the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, saying it had contributed to the food and fuel crises in the country. He also claimed that Ramaphosa, like former president Jacob Zuma, had continued to lead the country into a downward spiral during his five-year team in office, and compared it to Zuma’s “nine wasted years”. “If Thursday is truly about setting out the State of our Nation, we’re going to…

School anxiety is a common concern among children and their parents. Health-care service provider Affinity Health said school anxiety could manifest in several ways, such as difficulty sleeping, stomach aches, and avoidance of school. “Left unchecked, school anxiety can lead to poor academic performance, social isolation, and even physical illness,” Affinity Health said. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, school anxiety is caused by a combination of genetic, environmental, and developmental factors. Children with a family history of anxiety or who have experienced trauma may be more prone to developing school anxiety. Here are 10 tips to help children cope with school anxiety: 1. Talk to your child about their concerns and validate their feelings It’s crucial to establish a welcoming and accepting environment where your child can…

As the transition to renewable energy gains momentum post COP27, closer co-operation among developing countries will be the game-changer in stemming dependence on fossil sources of energy. Given that developing countries as a collective rely heavily on coal for the production of electricity, they should consider a sequenced process of energy transition. Instead of abandoning coal abruptly, the transition to renewable energy sources should be gradual, starting with expanded investment in more energy sources with closer co-operation among developing countries. This may reduce the socio-economic costs of such transition by broadening the sources of much-needed new investment capital, sharing of technological and knowledge resources. While there is growing consensus on the impacts of climate change, developed countries have vacillated in terms of either meeting their commitments to cutting emissions or…

While one can admire the unprecedented optimism of Kaizer Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane, most fans will say he is living in la-la land when he talks about winning the Nedbank Cup this season. Chiefs have been dreadful this campaign and have failed to lift the league title in the last seven years. They have also come short in all the domestic competitions such as the MTN8, Telkom Knockout and Nedbank Cup during that time. Chiefs kick off their Nedbank Cup campaign on Friday evening against Maritzburg United at the Harry Gwala Stadium, in Pietermaritzburg. Much to his credit, Zwane has admitted that the DStv Premiership is out of reach for Chiefs and he has now turned his focus on South Africa’s premier knockout competition. “When it comes to the cup,…

Sarah Glenn says England will head into the Women’s T20 World Cup determined to emulate the aggressive approach that has proved so successful for their male counterparts as they try to break Australia’s stranglehold on the global game. England are one of the leading nations in the women’s game, but they have not won the tournament since 2009. To do so in South Africa this year they will probably need to get past an Australia side who have not lost in the format for nearly two years. India, who beat England in the semi-finals of last year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, are set to provide leg-spinner Glenn and her teammates with their biggest challenge in the group stage. Former men’s international Jon Lewis, appointed as England women’s coach in November,…

A French Cup trip to bitter rivals Marseille today is the start of seven days that could define this season for Paris Saint-Germain, with a Champions League showdown against Bayern Munich approaching. The Bundesliga giants visit the French capital for the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday, but there will be no easy build-up to that game for PSG. Marseille await them in the bear pit of the Velodrome for a French Cup last-16 tie as the Parisians aim to reclaim a trophy they missed out on last season after winning it six times in the previous seven years. Then they go to in-form Monaco on Saturday. A match that could be one of the biggest obstacles remaining to their title bid in Ligue 1. They…

SASOL’S share price fell by nearly 9% yesterday after it said it expected its interim profit to double for the six months ended December 31, 2022, which analysts said was “well below market expectations”. The group’s share price on the JSE dropped to an intraday low of R278.01 in early morning trade, but closed the day 6.92% down at R283.95. In a trading statement, Sasol said it expected to report earnings per share (Eps) of between R21.55 and R23.98 for the six months under review, a decrease of 0% to 10% on the Eps of R23.98 reported for the prior comparable period. Headline earnings per share (Heps) were expected to improve by more than 95% to between R29.84 and R31.36, compared with the Heps of R15.21 reported for the prior…

THE GOVERNMENT’S proposal to declare a national state of disaster on Eskom due to the ongoing energy crisis is like putting a square peg in a round hole. This is the view of North West University public administration professor Kedibone Phago who yesterday said it would be difficult for the government to declare a disaster on a public institution. Phago said it was unthinkable that the government could declare Eskom a disaster because, in terms of legislation and governance, a disaster was managed by a Disaster Management Act, which focuses on mitigation and preparedness for the disaster through national, provincial and municipal centres. On the other hand, Phago said the government could consider the option of a business rescue process for Eskom, which would mean temporary supervision and managing its…

UK-based, Nigerian-born singer and songwriter Jacob Banks is coming to South Africa next month to headline a show at 1 Fox in Newtown. Concert organiser Sonic Cities has announced that the award-winning artist is set to perform in the country for the first time in a one-night-only show in Johannesburg on Friday, March 3. The singer-songwriter crafts his songs around his rich baritone voice. He is best known for his hit single Chainsmoking, which has amassed over 25 million views on YouTube and more than 51 million streams on Spotify. Unknown (To You) has been a huge success across the globe and is sitting on over 55 million streams. Banks is also known for his critically acclaimed 2022 album Lies About The War. It followed his first two albums, Village…

The Constitutional Court has upheld an appeal against a divorce and cost judgment ordering a man to pay R500 000 to his ex-wife for rental income from a Mozambique property. David and Rochelle Riley were married in Zimbabwe in 1989, out of community of property, with an accrual system. They relocated to South Africa in 2015 and their divorce was granted in February 2018. In the divorce, both parties were to remain joint owners of a property in Maputo and would be equally entitled to whatever rental income the property generated. The divorce agreement also said David would transfer 40% of his shareholding in his businesses in Mozambique, and in his South African business to Rochelle within 60 days. In January 2019, Rochelle launched a contempt application in the High…

A man has been arrested for selling a tortoise for R200 at the Bloemfontein Showgrounds. The Bloemfontein SPCA said it had received multiple reports of a man selling a tortoise. “The man eluded the SPCA for a couple of days but was arrested on Monday,” the organisation said. According to the SPCA, the tortoise found at the showgrounds was placed in a bag and showed indication of dehydration after being held in the sun for an extended amount of time. The man faces charges for contravening the Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962 and the Free State Nature Conservation Ordinances 8 of 1969. In another incident, two men were arrested for trying to sell steenbok to businesses in the south of Bloemfontein. “The two men were arrested and charged under…

PARLIAMENT has set aside R8m for the State Of the Nation Address (Sona) and related events, including the national Budget Speech and the debates. The Sona takes place tomorrow, while the Budget and debates are expected to follow later in the month. Addressing the media yesterday, Secretary to Parliament, Xolile George, said: “We have budgeted around R8m-plus, and that takes into account a number of logistics that are related to putting together an event of this magnitude and scale.” Parliament’s spokesperson, Moloto Mothapo, followed George’s statement with a caveat on the R8m figure, saying Parliament still had to consolidate the final figure. He said the major cost drivers were broadcasting and holding the event outside of the traditional Parliament venue. Mothapo said last year Parliament had an R8m budget,…

The Public Servants Association (PSA) said it is “extremely concerned” about the safety of pupils and educators at most public schools where security is non-existent or inadequate. This comes after the recent chaos at Kagiso Secondary School, which resulted in an educator shooting and killing a knife-wielding attacker, while in another incident, a pupil was killed at Geluksdal Secondary School in Brakpan after an argument between pupils during school hours. In the Kagiso Secondary School incident, the attacker found his way to the school’s principal, where he attempted to stab the principal. The attacker is said to have been accompanied by others who fled after hearing the gunshot. The PSA said it raises concerns about efficiency of security, when armed strangers can easily enter a school yard without being detected.…

The acute energy crisis in South Africa has adversely affected all aspects of society. Regular and lengthy power outages – which started in 2007 – are also contributing to an escalation in criminal activity, especially street crime. The most recent quarterly crime statistics have undermined an ailing economy and food security, as well as health and educational outcomes. It has become evident that power cuts added to a significant increase in all robbery categories – for July to September 2022 – compared with the same period in 2021. This corresponded with the most severe power cuts the country had ever experienced. In addition, SAPS annual crime data for the period 2012/13-2021/22 shows a spike in robberies in 2015. This was a year of more power cuts (35 days) than in…

The World Cup may only get underway officially at Newlands on Friday, but for the Proteas Women’s team their journey to immortality has begun. Captain Sune Luus’s side were given an official send-off from the Stellenbosch residence yesterday morning, and now the countdown to the first ball under the watch of Table Mountain is fully underway. The expectation is reaching fever pitch with the hosts expected to at least match their last appearance at the T20 Women’s World Cup when they agonisingly lost a cliffhanger semi-final to eventual champions Australia in Sydney. They will, of course, have to do it without their former talismanic leader Dane van Niekerk this time after Cricket South Africa opted not to select the star all-rounder after she failed the regulation fitness tests in the…

The Sharks and the Lions will have to set their focus on the United Rugby Championship (URC) to fight for play-off spots, or run the risk of totally missing out in the competition this season. Currently, the Durban side occupy eighth spot on 33 points, while the Lions are nine points adrift of them with the two sides still set to tussle it out for a possible full house of points when they meet each other in Johannesburg in just over a week. Both teams are still in the hunt for a place in the URC’s play-offs, albeit the Lions with a slimmer chance, but it’s probably time for their coaches to make the call of putting any Heineken or Challenge Cup ambitions on the back burner. Any more losses…

Manchester City were the ultra-rich “noisy neighbours” who became the Premier League’s dominant force. But they now face an uncertain future that includes the ultimate threat of relegation. Abu Dhabi-backed City were charged by the English top flight on Monday with more than 100 alleged breaches of financial rules between 2009 and 2018, and referred to an independent commission. The reigning champions have also been accused of failing to cooperate with investigations by the Premier League. The club faces a range of possible punishments, including a reprimand, points deduction or even expulsion from the Premier League. City, who last month topped the Deloitte money league of the world’s richest clubs, appear to be confident they can ride out the storm, insisting there is “irrefutable” evidence that supports their case. It…