Índex per 2023-04-26 a Star

WITH Freedom Day approaching, many will be tightening up the locks on their wallets and spending impulses as the cost of living crisis in South Africa, coupled with Eskom’s load shedding, makes South African consumers feeling the pressure. It could get worse as the South African Poultry Association (Sapa) has warned that the prices of eggs could be sky-rocketing soon as well. Sapa’s general manager: Egg Organisation, Dr Abongile Balarane, said yesterday that while eggs remained one of the most affordable animal protein sources, it was becoming increasingly more expensive for farmers to produce this highly versatile and nutritious protein source. “From April 1, 2023, the Eskom tariff increase of 18.5% kicked in, adding more pressure to the egg producers. It is estimated that the variable costs to produce an…

HAMMERSON, the UK- and JSE-listed owner of premium retail centres in the UK said yesterday that it had successfully focused on executing its strategy in the first three months to March 31. Rita-Rose Gagne, Hammerson’s CEO, said in a trading statement ahead of its planned annual general meeting on May 4, that “we have a strong operational grip that is delivering top line growth, with continued momentum in leasing and a strong pipeline. “We have further reduced costs, with more to come as we create a sustainable and agile platform.” The meeting may be lively – shareholder advisers have told Hammerson’s investors to vote against resolutions tabled by Lighthouse Properties, to install two new board members, according to the EG News online publication yesterday. Lighthouse, which owns nearly 23% of…

EXPORT sales for Kumba Iron Ore flattened out in the quarter to the end of March, hampered by below expected rail performance by Transnet, the JSE-listed firm said yesterday, pinning its production outlook for the remainder of the year on the performance of the freight rail operator. Export sales of 9.5 million tons for the quarter period under review remained unchanged compared to the previous year’s corresponding quarter. However, compared to the December 2022 quarter, which was hammered by “the industrial strike action and annual maintenance shutdown” by Transnet, Kumba Iron Ore’s export sales are 38% higher. Rail performance for the quarter to end March 2023, “was below planned levels required to drawdown stock held at the mines” with closing finished stock increasing to 8 million tons compared…

Tony de Zorzi will lead a 15-man SA “A” touring squad to Sri Lanka, Cricket South Africa (CSA) said in a statement yesterday morning as part of the association’s “overall strategy to increase the depth of players within its pipeline”. The team will play three one-day and two four-day matches against their island nation’s counterparts, starting with a limited-overs encounter on June 4. Proteas Test coach Shukri Conrad will provide guidance from the dug-out. Players that have been selected include the exciting Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs, both of whom have been touted as future mega-stars of the game. A handful of Test players will also travel along to Sri Lanka, including Keegan Petersen, Kyle Verreynne and Gerald Coetzee. “The squad reflects the next crop of players that are emerging…

John Moss and his wife, Amy, who live outside Cape Town, decided to become Eskom independent earlier this year after constant load shedding at their home began causing a bigger problem on their property. It was a “no-brainer”, they say about making their spot Eskom free. However, it wasn’t an overnight decision and they thought long and hard about going solar. “A two-day outage after a rain storm was the final decider,” says Moss. “We then spoke to other people in our area who were using solar and came across a reliable installer who had put in systems in our area. There were many good reports. “They came in, analysed our usage and made recommendations, with quotes. Although they recommended a 8Kwh inverter, with two lithium batteries and a 12…

Ever wondered why people stay in toxic relationships? Do they hope their partner will change, is it low self- esteem or the fear of being alone? The new dark comedy Cat & Monkey answers some of these questions, while shining the spotlight on toxicity and co-dependency in relationships. Following the production’s successful debut at the 2022 National Arts Festival in Makhanda, Cat & Monkey is headed to Theatre on the Square, in Sandton for a limited season. Directed by Karin Retief, Cat & Monkey is “very loosely” based on Le Chat et le Singe by Charlotte Court. Starring Danielle Retief and Rowlen von Gericke, it tells the story of Jessica and Martin, a couple who have discovered the darkest parts of each other’s personalities. At first it seems like…

Inequality, unemployment, violent protests and random shootings are among the factors putting the nation’s mental health at risk, says Dr Olive Shisana, an honorary professor at UCT. She said the 2021 Mental State of the World report identified South Africa as the lowest-ranked country for mental well-being. Despite the absence of recent national and research data on mental health, the drivers of poor mental health is evident. “South Africans live in a country with factors conducive to developing poor mental health. Social and structural drivers are contributing to the observed declines in mental health.” Poverty harms mental health and often manifests as psychological distress, inability to concentrate, depression, anxiety, and suicide. Shisana added that inequality, a close associate of poverty, also contributes to deteriorating psychological well-being. Unemployment is also associated…

Last week, the governing party’s deputy president Paul Mashatile said people must stop saying the ANC is corrupt. Why? “Because the ANC is against corruption. So, we must deal with corrupt individuals instead.” What Mashatile said is nothing new. ANC leaders and members have repeatedly preached this gospel, especially during the Jacob Zuma-era. Therefore, the deputy president’s utterance came as no surprise. When Cyril Ramaphosa served under Zuma as deputy president, he defended Msholozi when he was accused of corruption. But when Ramaphosa became president, he labelled Zuma’s term in office as “nine wasted years”. Mashatile said nothing. It is an open secret the ANC brand is in tatters. And the very members trying to defend this big brand are the very ones who have brought it down. Now they…

A SOUTH African medical team has successfully performed Africa’s first endoscopic lung volume reduction (ELVR) procedures using endobronchial valves. The procedures, which give hope of improved quality of life to certain patients living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), were performed at Netcare Kuils River Hospital in Cape Town by pulmonologists Professor Coenie Koegelenberg and Dr Dante Plekker. A few days after becoming the first patient in Africa to undergo the ELVR, 66-year-old Charmaine Henning, who was diagnosed with severe COPD in 2019, said she had noticed a significant improvement in her condition. “I cannot believe it but the very next day, the same afternoon after the procedure, I could feel a difference. “Before my procedure, I was terribly tired. I could not walk the few steps from my room…

goitsemang.matlhabe@inl.co.za THE five refugees who appeared in court after they were evicted from outside the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Brooklyn, Pretoria, where they were camping, will have to wait one more week – behind bars – to find out if they are to be charged. The five refugees are among a group of more than 100 who had been camping outside the UNHCR offices since 2019, following the outbreak of xenophobic attacks in parts of Johannesburg, pleading for assistance or repatriation to another Third World country. Eight refugees were set to appear before the Hatfield Magistrate’s Court on Monday after they voluntarily left with the police following their eviction from the UNHCR offices on Friday, but only five were detained. The group, most of them from South…

After going down to Sekhukhune United last Sunday, Kaizer Chiefs slipped up in the race to finish second in the Premiership. The setback allowed Orlando Pirates and SuperSport United to strengthen their efforts to finish runners-up to Mamelodi Sundowns, who have already won the league title. Fourth place seems to be the mostly likely finish for Chiefs, and to stay on course, they will need a beat relegation-doomed Chippa United tomorrow at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. Chippa find themselves at the other end of the table, so their focus is on survival. They are in 15th place and the relegation axe looms large. They have 26 points, one point above bottom side Maritzburg United. In their last outing, Chippa played one of their better matches the season, but it was…

Some critics are already moving onto the next stage of the Siya Kolisi injury saga: Who should be the next Springbok captain? And who should wear the No 6 jersey at the Rugby World Cup (RWC)? But we should not be ready to give up on Kolisi making an appearance at France 2023 just yet … Independent Media his week reported that the Bok skipper was seeking a third specialist opinion yesterday, having received two others which recommended surgery on his right knee that is sure to rule him out of the World Cup, which starts in September. The more conservative route is to avoid going under the knife and do rehabilitation on the knee ligament injury, which could see him be ready in time – although the problem may…

It remains intact in spite of the country having been greylisted, he says DANIEL Mminele, the chairperson- designate at Nedbank and outgoing chairperson of Alexforbes, has backed the credibility of South Africa’s financial institutions, saying that it remains intact in spite of the country being greylisted. Speaking at the PSG Konsult webinar yesterday, Mminele said the greylisting was a call to action – one that required a firm resolution by public and private sector leaders to implement fast, targeted solutions. Earlier this year, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) put South Africa on its greylist for not fully complying with international standards around the prevention of money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing. The greylisting raised concerns about the state of the country’s financial institutions, its policies on financial crimes…

STEINHOFF International Holdings’ share price gained 20% yesterday after shareholders drew some comfort from plans to further firm up the restructuring plan of the group in their favour. The debt-laden international retail group said yesterday its creditors were prepared to accept contractual contingent value rights (CVRs) for shareholders, as part of a Dutch restructuring plan for the group. The share price closed 20% higher at 24 cents on the JSE yesterday, but it is still well below R2.90 that the share traded at a year ago, before it become apparent shareholders were likely lose much of the value of their stakes in a restructuring that favours the creditors. CVRs rights typically ensure shareholders get certain benefits when a specific event occurs, usually within a specified time. Steinhoff’s board did…

NEDBANK said it is ready to defend any litigation against it arising from the Zondo Commission’s reports on state capture, as there was no evidence of wrongdoing, collusion or corruption on the part of the bank. This was according to Nedbank’s latest annual report released last week. While the commission made no findings against the bank, it found some transactions involving Nedbank where Regiments acted as a financial adviser to Acsa and Transnet should be subject to further investigation. “These transactions, as well as transactions concluded by Nedbank with third parties where Regiments played an financial advisory role, have already been the subject of internal and external legal and forensic reviews and, as previously reported, Nedbank’s board and management took comfort that there is no evidence of any wrongdoing,…

Liverpool still have room for improvement despite a resurgence in recent Premier League games, manager Jurgen Klopp said yesterday as they look to secure a European qualifying spot after a poor season. Liverpool, who are seventh, have struggled with consistency this season, and were not at their clinical best in their 3-2 victory over bottom side Nottingham Forest over the weekend, and Klopp highlighted issues they needed to resolve. The Reds are unbeaten in their last four matches, and next play West Ham United, who are fresh off the back of a 4-0 win at Bournemouth as David Moyes’s side moved up to 13th. “We have to still improve ourselves. We can’t talk about consistency after winning two games, especially when you win a game like the last one,” Klopp…

Family and friends of slain rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes are still awaiting answers, two months after his death. The rapper and music producer was shot and killed outside a Durban restaurant on February 10, along with his friend, Tebello Motsoane. AKA’s mother Lynn Forbes has been sharing her feelings of grief on her social media posts and recently told eNCA she wants justice. The local broadcaster reported that Forbes said she was patient with the police investigations and was receiving regular updates. She explained that his fans were asking for justice in what she believed was also justice for the whole country. “There’s an investigation and because it’s ongoing, and even – if they have information – they can’t share information that will jeopardise the investigations. But we are updated…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has confirmed that the ANC has decided that South Africa should pull out of the International Criminal Court. This is the second time that the governing party has taken this decision after the initial one in 2016. This was after the ANC government had come under fire from the opposition for failing to arrest the former president of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir, in 2015. But at the party’s conference in Nasrec in December last year, it decided to withdraw the decision to pull out of the ICC. After the ANC National Executive Committee meeting at the weekend, the party decided to leave the ICC. Ramaphosa, who was hosting his counterpart from Finland, Sauli Niinisto, yesterday, said the ANC has decided to withdraw from the ICC for a number…

DA Gauteng health spokesperson Jack Bloom says five years ago, 189 million male condoms and 7.3 million female condoms were distributed in Gauteng, but this has fallen drastically, with only 14.7 million male condoms and 1.2 million female condoms distributed from January to March this year. Bloom says this amounts to an annual total of 58.8 million male con- doms and 5 million female condoms. He says that this information was revealed in a written reply by Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Rale- hoko to his questions in the Legislature. She revealed that contract RT75_condom suppliers didn’t have stock to deliver to the province from the inception of the new contract in February 2022, because suppliers were awaiting SABS sample approval prior to ordering bulk…

Ingredients: 4½ cups bread flour 1 packet of yeast (7g) ½ cup sugar 2 tsp fine cinnamon 2 tsp fine all spice 1 tsp fine aniseed 1 tsp naartjie peel or the rind of an unwaxed lemon 1½ cups warm milk, not hot 4 tbs melted butter 1 egg 1½ cups sultanas or raisins 1 tbs apricot jam 2 tsp hot water Method: In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the flour, yeast, sugar and spices. In a jug, add the milk and butter. Microwave for 40 seconds, or until the better has melted. Pour in the milk and butter mixture. Using the hook attachment, start to knead. Crack in the egg and add the sultanas or raisins. Knead until all the ingredients are combined and the dough is…

THE dramatic eviction of refugees over the past few days outside the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Brooklyn, Pretoria, was marked by some tense stand-offs between the police and the foreign nationals. However, in the middle of all this chaos was a brave camp fighter for the marginalised, who stood her ground. She is Deborah Raduba, an attorney at the Land and Housing Programme at Lawyers for Human Rights in Pretoria. Small in stature but with the heart of a lion, Raduba fought for the rights and dignity of those who have camped on the pavement since 2019. They were removed on Friday following a court order obtained by resident associations in the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria. According to the court order, they had arranged for them…

When the new-generation Ford Everest arrived in South Africa late last year, the initial line-up had just two models, with pricing starting just shy of the R1 million mark. This was a big step upmarket for the new SUV, which is somewhat more sophisticated than its predecessor and now available with V6 turbodiesel power. But now Ford SA is expanding the new Everest line-up to a range of six. These start with a new 2.0-litre bi-turbo XLT model, priced at R823 400 in 4x2 form and R896 300 as a 4x4. Ford is also offering a 4x2 version of the Everest 2.0 BiT Sport, priced at R918 500. For the sake of comparison, the Toyota Fortuner 2.8-litre models, which are comparable to the Everest BiT, are priced between R794 600…

Mamelodi Sundowns returned to winning ways in the domestic arena with a 1-0 win over gallant Richards Bay in a Premiership clash at Loftus Versfeld yesterday. The victory was long overdue for Sundowns, who failed to win their last three Premiership matches and were forced to settle for stalemates after winning the title for the sixth successive time a few weeks ago. The result is a blow for Richards Bay’s top-eight aspirations, and they will have to do better in their remaining matches if they are to reach their goal. The Natal Rich Boyz remain in 10th place on the table. The outcome also means that Sundowns completed a league double over the KZN side, who suffered a 2-0 defeat in the first round. “This is very, very tough ……

The South African Football Association (Safa) cannot afford to drop the ball now that their bid for the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup hosting rights has passed the first hurdle. Hours after world football body Fifa acknowledged South Africa’s expression of interest to host the event, Safa took possession of the bidding agreement. This is a document from Fifa that sets out the key principles of the bidding process, and which must be observed by the interested member associations. Apart from South Africa, there are three other bids – from the Brazilian Football Association, a joint expression of interest from the Royal Belgian Football Association, the Royal Netherlands Football Association and the German Football Association, as well as another joint effort from the US Soccer Federation and the Mexican Football…

SHARES in Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) slumped by 2.57% to close at R1 071.99 on the JSE yesterday after the precious metals miner said production for the 2023 first quarter to March had dropped by 6% although there was some respite from firmer recoveries and higher grades at its Zimbabwe mine. Anglo Platinum’s stock shed 2.31% on the JSE in afternoon trade, as investors weighed the lower production volumes against possible escalation in load shedding in the next few months. Analysts say South Africa would likely undergo severe load shedding, “with the resultant impact harder on smelting by platinum group metal (PGM) companies” that are already taking strain. During the quarter under review, load shedding resulted in the metal in inventory creeping up for Amplats. “Eskom load-curtailment impacted 13…

THE ECONOMIC outlook in South Africa deteriorated further in February as sentiment among businesses turned sour about the prospects over the next six months on the back of disruptive power cuts. The composite leading business cycle indicator, a measure of early signals of turning points in business cycles, fell by 0.7% month-on-month in February 2023, slipping further from an upwardly revised 0.2% fall in January. The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) said this was the third consecutive month of decline as eight out of the 10 available component time series decreased. This means that the leading indicator reading for the first two months of the first quarter of 2023 fell by 2.4% versus the first two months of the fourth quarter of 2022, indicating a further slowdown in the business…

The much anticipated Telkom Netball League will get under way tomorrow with players looking to find some form ahead of the World Cup later this year. The Proteas contenders will be keen to catch the eye of selectors to secure a place in the squad before the World Cup in Cape Town. It won’t be an easy feat, though, as Netball South Africa have 22 contracted players who will make up the core of the national team. The Telkom Netball League has certainly grown since it began in 2014, where the Free State Crinums were the inaugural winners. They went on to dominate the league, and won the title three years in a row. It was then the turn of the Gauteng Jaguars, who upstaged the Crinums and went one…

More South Africans are considering going off the grid, with unreliable electricity and water supplies. However, the costs are usually the deterring factor. For instance, if you are thinking of a partial off-grid system, it could set you back at least R100 000. To start, experts say, the key to knowing what you need and your reasons for wanting to be independent of Eskom will help guide you to the type of home system you need. Stage 1: First things first The first thing to do, says Christiaan Hattingh, the managing director of AWPower, is define what the term “off-grid” means to you. Does it mean reducing your monthly electricity bill to a minimum or does it mean not having a grid connection at all? “If it means reducing your…

THE Bala Family hit screens on April 20 and viewers have had an inside look into the lives of the musical family. Siblings Pinky, Zwai, Loyiso and Phelo have a strong yet often-tested bond, they love their mother Veronica but her recent marriage to “Mr Jaftha”, who is their late father’s friend, has thrown a spanner in the works. The first episode saw the family coming together for thanksgiving, at the family home, hosted by Veronica. This plays as an introduction to everyone and acts as a teaser to the tension in the relationships. Phelo, the youngest, spilled the tea on his ex-husband, media personality Moshe Ndiki, who he hasn’t seen in over a year. Giving an update about his divorce, Phelo said after being advised what documents needed, he…

Businessman Louis Liebenberg complained that he was being targeted for his association with former president Jacob Zuma after the sheriff of the court raided his business premises yesterday in Rhodesfield, Kempton Park, during an alleged unprocedural liquidation process. Liebenberg said an interim liquidation order that had provisionally been granted, only for final execution in September, for one of his companies, Tariomix, was illegally executed on Tuesday morning to try to attach office furniture and computers belonging to a totally different company that was not under threat of liquidation at all. He has called on the government to protect him against relentless attacks from unruly law-enforcement agencies, the media and bogus liquidators who, without following proper processes, attached assets belonging to the wrong entity. Liebenberg, who has been described as Zuma’s…

Ingredients 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 Tbsp butter 1 onion, finely chopped 1 celery stick with leaves, chopped 3 cloves garlic, crushed ¼ green cabbage, shredded 1 can chopped tomatoes 12 slices bread of your choice 1 cup white cheddar, grated 4 cups chicken stock Method Melt olive oil and butter. Fry onion for two minutes, or until soft. Add celery, garlic, cabbage and tomatoes. Cook for a few minutes until cabbage has wilted. Toast bread and layer 6 slices at the bottom of an ovenproof dish. Pour over half the cabbage mixture and sprinkle over ½ cup (125ml) cheddar. Top layer with remaining filling and bread, then pour over chicken stock. Sprinkle over remaining cheese. Bake at 180°C for 30 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Serve…

After building on the massive success of its first season, the widely acclaimed reality series The Coolest OG’s returns with season 2, promising an exhilarating blend of competition. The Coolest OG’s is set to reach millions of viewers across Africa as the thrilling South African season 2 arrives on Netflix on April 26. Hosted by the witty social media sensation and comedian TaFire, the new season features a new cast of senior citizens aged 60 to 80 competing in a series of fun and unexpected challenges with the help of the Gen Z crowd. Founder of Rebelintown Productions, Jimmy Muteba, said: “We’re thrilled to bring The Coolest OG’s to Netflix, reaffirming our commitment to delivering entertaining formats and embracing digital platforms. As we continue to innovate and expand our offerings,…

Ingredients 3 cups (450g) flour 1 tbs (15ml) baking powder ¼ cup (50g) sugar 1 can (440ml) beer ½ cup (125g) butter, melted Softened butter, for serving (optional) Method Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 25cm x 10cm loaf tin with baking paper. Combine flour, baking powder and sugar in a large bowl. Add beer and melted butter. Whisk until smooth and well combined. Pour batter into loaf tin and smooth out the top. Bake for 1 hour, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Cool in loaf tin for about 15 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. Slice bread into thick slices and serve with softened butter, if you like. | Pick n Pay…

The focus on geo-politics since the rise of China and the recalibration of Western foreign interest towards Africa, risk obscuring the changing face of development co-operation and its impact in Africa. Amid the rushed return by the US and the West to locate Africa at the centre of development co-operation and foreign relations, there are concerns that the continent will be once again be plunged into the theatre of geo-political rivalry. The West has singularly dominated global, and historical relations with Africa, but there is evident shifts in development partnerships spurred by the immense role China has played since the turn of the millennium. Since the 1990s, the Washington Consensus anchored Western development co-operation with African countries. However, the rise of China, and its growing development co-operation with Africa…

Inflation has been hitting South Africans from all angles in the past two years, and petrol prices have been particularly stubborn, thanks to a persistently weak rand and steep international oil prices. Thankfully, the petrol price equation has turned positive in the past week, with the latest daily reports from the Central Energy Fund (CEF) showing a small over-recovery. This, over a month would lead to a price decrease, but given that a state of under-recovery existed for most of the month, an increase remains on the cards for May. The daily snapshot from the CEF is pointing to increases of 60 cents for 95 Unleaded petrol and 65 cents for 93 Unleaded, but the over-recovery situation is eating away at this. Should the trends persist until the end of…

The Blue Bulls are facing a ‘damned if you do and damned if you don’t’ scenario ahead of Saturday’s Currie Cup clash against Western Province in Cape Town (6.30pm kick-off). The Pretoria outfit are now on a three-match winning streak across all competitions, having hammered Griquas 40-3, Zebre 78-12 and a weakened Leinster 62-7, so they are flying high ahead of their United Rugby Championship (URC) quarter-final against the Stormers in Cape Town on May 6. But considering their poor start to the Currie Cup season, they need to gain every log point possible to reach the semi-finals. They are currently in fifth place on 17 points, two adrift of fourth-place Griquas (19) and one ahead of WP heading into this weekend’s Cape Town Stadium clash. So, should coach Jake…

Pep Guardiola has urged Manchester City not to let the destiny of the Premier League title slip out of their hands in a potentially decisive clash at the top of the table against Arsenal tonight. City trail the Gunners by five points, but have two games in hand and home advantage when the sides meet at the Etihad as they aim for a third consecutive title. Guardiola questioned his side’s hunger to continue dominating English football earlier this season, but they are now closing in on a treble of trophies. City face Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals next month, and will take on local rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup final on June 3. “When we started this season, first game, second game, third game, after (winning)…