Índex per 2023-06-12 a Star

THE FOSCHINI Group (TFG) lowered its final dividend 54.5% to 150 cents per share for the year to March 31, and spending and capital expenditure plans have been pushed back for the year ahead. “The year ahead is expected to remain challenging, especially for the South African business where load shedding and increased consumer pressures are expected to deteriorate,” the group said on Friday. Trade since the year-end had been muted across all three of the group’s trading territories. For the two months to May 2023, TFG Africa had retail turnover growth of 15.4% (5.8% excluding the Tapestry Home Brands acquisition), TFG London retail turnover fell 10.8% in pounds, while TFG Australia’s declined 4.9% in Australian dollars, “Both TFG London and TFG Australia are up against a very high…

WHEN WE WERE at high school, the joke of the moment was when you asked for money from your parents, to always tell them that the school principal wanted you to go and buy photosynthesis. We knew that trees absorbed carbon dioxide and released oxygen. Oxygen is good for our lives. But there is also a whole bunch of artificial green. I always found it ridiculous that we have to buy artificial greens in order to pretend to be green. I enjoy real green. Solar panels are considered green, however, they do not like trees, which block sunlight, so they are enemies to natural green energy. Especially, in case you have to cut green to give way to green. And while having a leafy environment is beneficial to the environment,…

The series has ended, the answer is here, and its caustic absurdity shimmers. After all the sturm and drang, an outsider takes over: Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgard), the blood-brick-mailing CEO of GoJo, offers the job of being his frontman and “pain sponge” to Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen), the clownish but plausible sad-eyed Midwesterner whom the Roys – including the one he married – all held in mild contempt. The promotion is not a recognition of his qualities. Or maybe it is: Tom “wins” because of his servility. His ability to follow orders. His high tolerance for pain. The verbose and witty Roys finish the series in silence. Having declared they’re all “nothing”, Roman (Kieran Culkin) ends the series at a bar, a hint of a smile on his cut-up face.…

As you get older, you are able to start making your own decisions about a lot of things that matter most to you. You may choose your own clothes, music and friends. You also may be ready to make decisions about your body and health. Making healthy decisions about what you eat and drink, how active you are, and how much sleep you get is a great place to start. Whether indulging in sugary food while out with friends or grabbing an extra slice of pizza while Netflix- and-chilling, you need to know the impact a bad diet will have on you. To grow and be healthy, you need to be active and eat the right foods. But why is this important? Health and wellness expert Vanessa Ascencao says nutrition,…

Energy provider Eskom says that their security contract with Fidelity Services was in line with Eskom’s procurement procedure and the National Treasury directives for emergency procurement of services. Eskom, in a statement, said that the placement of the security contract was necessitated by information received by management indicating that there was a potential serious security risk to Eskom’s operations and assets. “The contract was established for the period July 2022 to September 2022 with an estimated budget of R500 million. It was placed under emergency procurement to avert potential threats and safeguard critical sites at Eskom,” said Eskom. The entity said that prior to placing the contract, Eskom assessed the quotation from the supplier in response to Eskom’s request and was satisfied with proceeding with their offering, including the prices…

The DA in Gauteng condemned school governing bodies in the province for not vetting vendors who sell outside schools after eight high school pupils were hospitalised after eating space cookies. The incident happened at the Emfundisweni Primary School in Alexandra, where the eight pupils, who had eaten space cookies sold to them by a vendor stationed outside their school, had to receive urgent medical attention. The pupils were admitted to Edenvale Hospital. DA Gauteng education spokesperson Khume Ramulifho said: “We believe that it is the responsibility of the school to vet all the vendors trading outside their school premises to protect their learners from food poisoning and drug dealers.” The party has called on the Gauteng Education MEC, Matome Chiloane, to urgently establish a functional vetting system for vendors in…

The Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) has recovered a stolen Toyota Hilux bakkie, and arrested a 42-year-old man who was driving the vehicle. EMPD spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Kelebogile Thepa said that during the arrest, police discovered that the driver was armed with an unlicensed CZ75 pistol loaded with 15 live rounds. “On Monday, May 5, between 9am and 1pm, the EMPD Bronberg precinct officers recovered a stolen (bakkie) and an unlicensed firearm, arrested a 42-year-old male suspect, and demolished an illegal structure during a by-laws operation,” Thepa said. “The officers received information about a stolen white Toyota Hilux bakkie that was suspected to be driving around the Crystal Park area ... The vehicle was spotted driving in Pretoria Road in the Petit area, travelling towards Benoni. “The vehicle was tactically…

A COMRADES Marathon day like the one that played out yesterday is unlikely to happen again any time soon. The 96th running of the ultra marathon popularly referred to as ‘The Ultimate Human Race’ saw the “records” of both the men’s and women’s races smashed to smithereens. And the winners could not have been more delightful individuals, Tete Dijana and Gerda Steyn having established themselves as the darlings of South Africa’s road running scene. Dijana only just held on to the title he won last year by smashing David Gatebe’s previous down run best time of 5hr 18min 19sec with his 5:13:58, just three seconds ahead of surprise package Piet Wiersman from the Netherlands. Steyn was again in a class of her own as she added the down run best…

PEP Guardiola’s long struggle to win the Champions League again came to an end on Saturday night as Manchester City finally conquered Europe. The last time Guardiola lifted the European Cup 12 years ago, his Barcelona side put in an era-defining performance to dismantle Manchester United 3-1 at Wembley Stadium in London. By contrast, a nervy 1-0 win over Inter Milan in Istanbul will not go down as one of City’s most stylish in seven golden years since the Catalan coach arrived in Manchester. But it was the most significant as a club that for so long lived in the shadow of United has now matched the Red Devils’ class of 1998-99 by winning the treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in the same season. “(To) win…

HIS experience at a World Cup with Ireland and the fact that he has a handful of Tests behind his name is what swayed the Springboks to pick Irish international Jean Kleyn ahead of other locks for the squad that will prepare for the Rugby Championship from today in Pretoria. Bok coach Jacques Nienaber and his assistants will start preparing their troops for the first Test of the 2023 season against Australia on July 8, with the South Africa-born Kleyn’s inclusion the only surprise in the 41-man squad. But the Boks have to wait for approval from World Rugby regarding the Irish lock’s availability after they applied for him to switch allegiances under Regulation 8 of World Rugby’s rules and on natural birthright. The regulation states: The player must stand…

State-run Electricity of Vietnam has also been implementing rolling power cuts nationwide MINISTER of Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has decided to look East and will embark on a “study tour” to Vietnam later this week to get lessons that could help Eskom end load shedding. Vietnam has successfully multiplied its installed electricity capacity 10-fold in two decades, from 5 000MW in the year 2000 to 55 000MW in 2020, and now 69 000MW through gradually opening up the electricity market to competition. However, State-run utility company Electricity of Vietnam has been implementing rolling power cuts nationwide since last month due to increased electricity consumption on the back of extremely hot weather. Ramokgopa on Friday announced that he would be leading a team to learn how Vietnam had successfully…

THERE was a time when the path to success was predictable. A time when we used to recite “education is the key to success”, because indeed education was a clear path to success. A better life was clearly linked to getting good grades and an opportunity to be accepted at a university, along with the means to fund studies. The path was clear: get good grades, apply and be accepted at a university, raise funds to pay university fees, pass all modules and finish your degree and then you would have achieved your ticket out of poverty. This was a path for many of us who were gifted academically. Access to higher education was the biggest hurdle to pass, followed by the ability to fund your studies. Thanks to policies…

AFRICAN Rainbow Capital Investments (Arci) said the performance of several of its portfolio companies has been resilient in the third quarter and further attractive investment opportunities are being sought. The three months to end April 2023 have been characterised by a challenging macro-economic environment featuring currency weakness, high inflation, rising interest rates and load shedding. GDP growth is sluggish, business and consumer sentiment remain low. The ARC Fund continued to buy Arci shares during periods of price weakness. On the investment in rain, Arci said the telecoms company had expanded its 4G network after acquiring spectrum in the 2022 government auction. This saw it become a full mobile network operator, offering national voice, SMS and data coverage. A new product, rainOne, combines mobile and fixed-wireless, unlimited data, free monthly calls…

The Kardashians bosses have joked that the show will keep going until North West’s marriage. The Hulu reality show is currently airing season three, but executive producers Danielle King and Ben Winston have revealed that filming for season four is already under way and going “great”. Winston added during a Hulu FYC event: “We feel very fortunate that Disney picked us up for season five and season six. We feel great about that.” And referring to Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s 9-year-old daughter, King quipped that they planned to keep going until North’s marriage. But Winston admitted he worries about the unpredictable nature of making a reality show, joking that he has moments of panic that the famous family will want to “just watch TV”. Asked how he envisages the…

Suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has threatened to spill the beans on allegations of bribery and extortion attempts against her and her husband, Mandla Skosana. Tomorrow, she and her husband are expected to shock the nation and set the record straight in a bid to make public for the first time the audio recordings, which will confirm that three ANC MPs tried to extort a R600 000 bribe from Skosana. A source close to the situation told The Star that Skosana is expected to release the audio recording of the first meeting he had with Tina Joemat-Pettersson at Ocean Basket restaurant at the airport on March 21 this year. It is reported that it was during this meeting that the late minister told him that the chairperson of the…

The idea of preparing your CV for prospective employers or recruitment companies can be daunting. What do you include and what do you leave out? Where do you start? Should your CV be all about business or can you show a little of your wicked sense of humour? We’ve got you! Dr Rufaro Mavunga, head of programme: Law Faculty at The Independent Institute of Education, said there are resources available to help. Mavunga said it is also crucial to read job descriptions carefully to identify the required skills and experience so you can ensure your CV and application aligns with these. It is important to highlight your skills and competencies tailored to what the advertised jobs require. It may be necessary to tweak your CV for each job application. “It’s…

AFTER almost four years without lights, the Winterveld Library is once again able to offer its full services to the community, thanks to a welcome donation of power supply. Nestle Bar One has ensured that the library will have an uninterrupted power supply during load shedding. The library opened in 2006 and serves the community of Winterveld in Tshwane. Most of the users are learners. Since December 2019 the library had been operating without electricity for unknown reasons. The matter was reported but it was never resolved until now, workers at the library said. They expressed their gratitude to Nestle Bar One for solving their electricity problem. Learners will now have access to computers, internet and photocopy machines. The Winterveld library is part of the chocolate manufacturer’s “Light up…

CITY of Tshwane MMC for Human Settlements, Ofentse Madzebatela, has distanced himself from rumours that he promised people land parcels in Kameeldrift, resulting in some people recently illegally occupying the property. Madzebatela said he was alerted that the portion 178 and 179 of Kameeldrift had been promised to people and that he sanctioned such promises. “I want to state that I have not allowed such and call on all residents to report any person who is seen illegally occupying or encouraging such occupation,” he said. He said that such activities were illegal and would be dealt with accordingly. “Land invasion creates a lot of urban development challenges and services problems. We have in the last council passed a report to start with township development on that very land, thus any…

Four people have been killed in a horrific collision on the N12 between Phola and Emalahleni. Mpumalanga spokesperson for the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison Moeti Mmusi said the crash occurred on Saturday. “This happened during a collision between a light delivery vehicle and a sedan. Eight more (people) sustained injuries and were transported by the emergency personnel to the nearby hospital for treatment. “The details of the crash are sketchy at the moment. It is, however, believed that one of the vehicles involved lost control, veered off its lane, and rolled several times before colliding with a vehicle that came from the opposite direction,” he said. Mmusi said travellers were ejected out of the two vehicles and their bodies strewn on the road. “It is therefore unknown…

BakwEna, the toll concessionaire, said it remained committed to supporting socio-economic development in the country. Not only does Bakwena provide world-class infrastructure on the Bakwena N1-N4 route, it also strives to have a positive, sustainable, and meaningful impact on the lives of people in vulnerable communities along this route. In line with this commitment, Bakwena introduces Patrick Netshiungani, a remarkable individual who has embarked on a transformative journey with the company, starting from high school and progressing to university. Hailing from Hammanskraal, Netshiungani comes from a community grappling with multiple challenges such as HIV, unemployment, crime, drugs, and teenage pregnancy. Through Bakwena’s Ultimate Challenges project, which focuses on providing life and study skills in schools, Patrick found the support to overcome his hardships and successfully complete his high school education.…

After an indelible experience in 2019, US award-winning musician Chris Walker returns to South Africa more thrilled to serenade his music lovers. Walker is counting down the months before he graces the shores to reconnect with his SA entourage. He said he loves performing in South Africa because there’s a mutual love that ignites his heart. The Giving You All My Love hitmaker will perform with Regina Belle in a tour that will kick off at the Durban ICC on December 1 and move to the Sun City Super Bowl on December 3. Chris said that his last visit was dear to his heart, and the energy he received from his followers was something to talk about. “My last visit was truly amazing on so many levels. Having the opportunity…

HUGO Broos says he is tired of trying to set up a meeting with his PSL counterparts after his request was turned down on four occasions. After taking over the Bafana Bafana coaching job two years ago, Broos stressed the importance of forming a bridge between the national team and domestic clubs. One of his priorities was setting up a meeting with club coaches, which would solve the club-versus-country squabbles of the past. However, the Belgian hasn’t succeeded in that regard – with the clubs turning down his request not once but on four occasions. Broos, though, seems to have thrown in the towel on having that meeting, stressing that he is no fool and that it will be improbable to meet all 16 Premiership coaches individually. “Again, I am…

HOLDER Iga Swiatek endured an up-and-down final at Roland Garros on Saturday to claim her third French Open title in four years and said she was happy to survive a testing claycourt swing as the emotions reached their peak at the finish line. Polish 22-year-old Swiatek crouched down on the clay and shed tears at the end of a fierce battle with unseeded Czech Karolina Muchova in which she dropped her first set in two weeks in Paris before sealing a 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 victory. The world number one said she was left almost surprised that she closed out the victory as Muchova, who beat second seed Aryna Sabalenka with a late fightback in the semi-finals, double faulted on match point to bow out. “I saw all these matches of…

OVER time many football scribes hailed Clive Barker’s great motivational skills, which many thought were his biggest assets as a successful coach. Barker felt he was being sold short and reminded the media that he offered much more than basic motivation. As a result, he did not take too kindly to these comments and reminded the media whenever the opportunity arose. Adoring fans nicknamed him ‘The Dog’ because they saw a connection between Barker and dog. In the end, it would have taken some writers perhaps four decades to discover that Barker was indeed the full package. In the wake of his passing at the age of 78 on Saturday, many of his proteges have come forward with wide-ranging accounts of his tenure as a coach of note. Barker, they…

THE GOVERNMENT has committed to moving ahead and implementing revised Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) legislation, in spite of pushback from some quarters. This comes as trade union Solidarity published an “Impact Study” detailing what would need to happen in South Africa’s economy to make the government’s new BEE targets a reality. Minister of Women, Youth and Per- sons with Disabilities Nkosazana Dla-mini-Zuma last week said B-BBEE laws needed to be transformational instead of transactional. Dlamini-Zuma noted the importance of economic empowerment of black South Africans and encouraged large organisations to participate in sustainable B-BBEE initiatives. “Until the para-dox of rich Africa, poor Africans is resolved, there will be more, not less, broad-based black economic empowerment,” she said. “The relatively peaceful transition to democracy is generally lauded as a major…

THE RAND recovered sharply last week against the dollar, pound and euro, thanks to reduced load shedding in the country and more and more evidence that the US Federal Reserve (Fed) will probably keep its bank rate unchanged at their meeting this week. The rand had strengthened against the dollar by 70 cents last week, trading at R18.71 against the dollar on Friday, by 71c against the euro to R20.14 and by 82c against the pound to R23.54. On the JSE, share prices moved sideways and in a very narrow range. The All Share index ended the week down by a mere 0.2%. The Industrial 25 index lost 2.0%, the Financial 15 index – as expected due to the stronger rand – gained 7.1%, while the Resources 10 lost…

CHINA is South Africa’s largest trading partner, both overall and within the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) grouping. In 2022, China accounted for 9.4% of South Africa’s exports and 20.2% of South Africa’s imports, according to the South African Revenue Service (Sars). In rand terms, exports to China totalled R188.4 billion, while South Africa imported R367.4bn, resulting in a trade surplus in favour of China worth R179bn. South Africa’s exports to China are dominated by two categories, namely mineral products, as well as products of iron and steel. Mineral products are raw materials. In the case of exports to China, this is dominated by iron ore, but also includes coal, manganese and chrome ores, as China is the world’s largest producer of steel, accounting for 57.4%…

Tupac Shakur has been posthumously honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was attended by several family and friends of Shakur and MC’d by rapper Big Boy. His sister Sekyiwa Shakur, known as Set, accepted the award and delivered a speech in which she shared her pride in being his sister. She also spoke on how her brother always believed in himself from a very young age. “As the proud sister of Tupac Amaru Shakur, the daughter of Metilu and Afeni Shakur. It fills my heart with honour to stand here today and represent the Shakur family. Tupac knew deep down that he was always meant for something great. “And as his little sister, I had the privilege to watch that…

Father’s Day is around the corner. And if you haven’t decided what to get for your father, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Remember that Father’s Day is a special day to honour present and loving fathers, so if your mother is a single parent, then Father’s Day is not about her. Stop wishing mothers on Father’s Day, that’s what Mother’s Day is for. Nonetheless, depending on what your father likes, these are some gifts you can get for him. Fashion Dad If your dad is a fashionista who likes looking dapper, you may want to get him new accessories for his suit. You can get him ties, tie clips, cufflinks, and tie sets from Azazie to upgrade his look. Alternatively, you can get him the FitFlop Rally X Suede…

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has revealed that 19 teachers were fired for sexual abuse and other offences against learners. She said one case of sexual abuse had resulted in a learner getting pregnant. She said some of those who were found guilty of sexual abuse had had sexual relationships with learners as young as 12 years old. Out of the 19 teachers fired, nine cases did not relate to sexual abuse. The SA Council for Education (SACE) had held disciplinary hearings against the teachers for sexual abuse of learners and other offences. “It should be noted that when the organisation submitted 19 names of teachers who were removed from the roll of educators, nine of the offences were not sexual harassment, but other offences as indicated. “One case resulted…

Disgraced former Tshwane mayor Murunwa Makwarela on Friday succeeded in having his bail conditions relaxed by the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Pretoria. Makwarela appeared after his newly appointed legal counsel approached the courts on June 2 to have some of his bail conditions eased. His legal representative, Neville Gawula, said they had lodged the application to have the bail conditions imposed on Makwarela at the time of his arrest amended in terms of Section 63. Gawula said the two issues Makwarela wanted to be addressed related to the former mayor having to seek permission from the investigating officer regarding his movement outside the province within 48 hours. Secondly, Gawula said they wanted the court to do away with the condition that Makwarela not be in contact directly or indirectly…

For the first time in over a century, the commanding roars of one of Africa’s most iconic big cats ripples over the lush, green landscapes of Babanango. Lions are roaming the spectacular rolling valleys and bushveld of Babanango Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal again. In this historic move, two male lions have been reintroduced into the 20 000-hectare game reserve, as part of the reserve’s ambitious and successful rewilding journey. The lions were translocated from Nambiti Private Game Reserve in April under the vet Dr Ryan van Deventer and Babanango partner, Chris Galliers of Conservation Outcomes. During the pre-release phase, the two young males were held in the Babanango predator boma for monitoring before being released onto the reserve. Before the release, both lions were fitted with tracking collars to assist…

BEREAVED families of people who died in the wake of cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal have come forward to join a class action lawsuit against the government. The deceased's relatives gathered at Shammah Urban Church in the township, where they met with legal representatives who expressed the intention to institute a medical lawsuit against the implicated spheres of government and departments. One of their legal representatives, advocate Moafrika Wa Maila, said he was part of at least 12 lawyers ready to take up a legal fight on behalf of the bereaved families in a bid to get compensation from the government. One of the grieving families from Kanana said that their daughter Johanna Phengwa was survived by her four children and would like the government to assume the responsibilities of…

A Former company secretary of the Oppenheimer Partners Africa Advisors (OPAA) has lodged a court case in the Equality Court against Jonathan Oppenheimer’s company and its partners for a “brutal dismissal turned retrenchment to cover up sexual harassment, victimisation, bullying, and racism”. Janine Haribhai, who was the executive assistant to Oppenheimer and the company partners from December 1, 2016 to June 8, 2020, claimed to have suffered abuse at the hands of her seniors which led to her dismissal after she had lodged a complaint. She said the company director, Jacob Hinson, sexually harassed her to the point where she felt scared to go to work. “At work, I used to hide under the reception desk at times when he arrived at the office, including asking one staff member to…

Disappointed. That was how a woman reacted on Facebook when she shared her story of a missing parcel that was sent 13 years ago. Sanja Hanekom took to her Facebook page on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, to share information about the case of the missing parcel. Hanekom said they were left without words after receiving two shabby printouts in their barely used post box, now inhabited by a pair of local geckos. “The printouts apparently originated from the local post office, one stating that there is an inbound parcel for us to uplift at the post office and the other stating that this is now the final notice for the same parcel,” Hanekom said. She said that barely legible documents (obviously not aware that the printer comes with a cartridge)…

The National Commissioner of the SAPS has paid tribute to the general secretary of the National Community Policing Consultative Forum (NCPCF), Kevin Pillay. According to Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, Pillay died earlier this week following a short illness. Mathe said he joined the police as a reservist in 2007, and in 2014 he joined the Community Police Forum (CPF) in Mbombela, where he served for two terms as the provincial CPF board chairperson. “He was later appointed as the secretary of the NCPCF, a position that he held until his untimely death. “General Masemola has praised Pillay for his passion and unwavering dedication to serving the people of Mpumalanga and the nation at large,” said Mathe. National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola also added that Pillay had played a pivotal role…

MARITZBURG United and Cape Town Spurs’ top-flight fate will be decided on Wednesday when the two teams meet in the final match of the PSL promotion/relegation play-offs. After winning their first three games in the mini league, Spurs looked all set to be guaranteed promotion to the Premiership as they led second-placed Maritzburg by six points before Saturday. However, the Team of Choice revived their chances of retaining their top-flight status as they beat the already eliminated Casric Stars 2-0 to go three points behind Spurs. Maritzburg’s goals were scored by Rowan Human and Mogamad de Goede in either half as they ensured that Casric ended the play-offs without a single point. While they trail Spurs by three points ahead of the final game, coach Fadlu Davids’ team will be…

IT was more than three decades ago that South Africa produced a winner at the French Open, but on Saturday, star wheelchair players Donald Ramphadi and Kgothatso ‘KG’ Montjane were both crowned Grand Slam champions. Unseeded Ramphadi and his British partner Andy Lapthorne won the men’s quad doubles final. They pulled off back-to-back giant-killing acts against the top two seeded teams. On Saturday, they defeated the top seeds, Australian Heath Davidson and Canada’s Robert Shaw 1-6, 6-2 (9-3), in the final just 24 hours after they eliminated the second seeds. Ramphadi’s Grand Slam breakthrough was extra special, as he celebrated his 30th birthday on Saturday. The last time a South African man won at the French Open was in 1972 when Bob Hewitt and Frew McMillan won the men’s doubles…