Índex per 2023-09-26 a Star

Agoa has helped to promote the export of African goods to the US . . . and there is scope to deepen its impact, says Patel SOUTH Africa’s government has moved to strengthen its trade relations with the United States as both countries have confirmed the date of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa). This comes after trade relations between South Africa and the US nearly broke down, with the US threatening to remove South Africa from Agoa after the US Embassy to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, accused the government of selling arms to Russia. However, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Ebrahim Patel on Friday announced that South Africa will host the 20th US-sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Co-operation Forum (Agoa Forum)…

STATISTICIAN-General (SG) Risenga Maluleke had his back against the ropes in Parliament last week on the definition of races as classified by Statistics South Africa (StatsSA), which was described as not compatible with line departments, leading to misunderstanding in the reading of data such as unemployment and poverty landscapes. Economic Freedom Fighters MP Mzwanele Manyi took umbrage with the StatsSA definition of Black as Black, Coloured and Indian whereas the employment equity Act and Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) legislation defined all three as one category. Manyi called an alignment of the definition as used by the government line departments and that used by StatsSA so the categories were clear instead of having Blacks and Africans as a separate category. “I am African, I reject the notion of Black African, I…

GEMFIELDS, the precious stone miner and owner of Fabergé, said on Friday that it had not declared an interim divi- dend due to a decline in production and revenue. In its interim results for the six months ended June 30, 2023, the supplier of coloured gemstones reported that headline earnings per share (Heps) was down 78.4% to 0.8 US cents (R0.15) while profit slid 68% to $18.1 million. Gemfields CEO Sean Gilbertson said recent production at Gemfield’s Kagem emerald mine had been lower than they would have hoped, both in quality and quantity. “This resulted in our decision to withdraw November’s higher-quality emerald auction from this year’s schedule and bring the available production to market in 2024. “This is understandably disappointing, but such periods have been…

ZAPIRO makes a meal of the census. In 2001 he was excited by the question of where one slept on the night of October 9, waking into the morning of October 10. He could not wait to dramatise it through his illustrious cartoons. It was in the 2001 Census of South Africa that I was reminded of the Census of Bophuthatswana of 1985, where during the processing of the data I could not help but recognise the details of a university colleague that related to where the colleague spent the census night of the 4th waking up into the morning of March 5, 1985. The census does not process names of people and the records are pulped after a legislatively stipulated time. Eleven years later I met the colleague at…

A woman has accused Russell Brand of pinning her down in his locked dressing room. The 48-year-old comedian – who has been accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional and physical abuse by six women, including one who said she was 16 at the time – is now facing another claims from another woman who first met him when she was 21, at London’s Soho Theatre in 2008. She went to another of his shows in Chelsea a few weeks later, when she and a friend were invited “for drinks” in an upstairs bar. Speaking to The Sun newspaper, the woman – who has remained anonymous – said: “As I went in, I stumbled, spilling my entire drink on to Russell’s leather trousers. I was so embarrassed but he leaned…

Residents across parts of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal have expressed anger amid their taps remaining dry for several weeks and, in some cases, for two months. Tsakane, KwaThema, Brakpan, Duduza and Palm Ridge in Ekurhuleni are some of the areas hardest hit by the ongoing water shortages. Residents there have been without water for two months. Other areas include Germiston, Kempton Park, Nigel, Bedfordview, Edenvale, Midstream, Tembisa and more. Under the City of Johannesburg, areas such as Midrand, Auckland Park and more are affected. Under the eThekwini municipality, areas include Durban North, Effingham, Parkhill and uMhlanga. They have been without running water since last week on Monday. The municipality said it suspected pipeline sabotage, which police have confirmed. Given this, Rand Water seemed to some to be peddling lies in a…

The well-known, entertaining adult-themed exhibition, The Sex Expo, returns to the Gallagher Convention Centre from October 26 to 29 for the first time in 10 years. With remarkable stage shows, enlightening workshops and a hall full of exhibitor stands showcasing a range of enticing products, The Sex Expo is bringing tasteful titillation back to premium South African venues. The organisers said Jonty Searll, who has been practising and teaching in the healing world for over 25 years, will be presenting Theatre of Erotica, an intimate theatre setting focusing on how to give and receive pleasure. This year, the four-day exhibition has taken things up a notch, introducing new activities. Theatre of Erotica – Jonty Searll presents workshops in an intimate theatre setting focusing on how to give and receive pleasure.…

A TEARY Manehe Medupi, who Iis from Lesotho, was among dwellers of Cemetery View informal settlement near Woodland shopping centre, who were left displaced when close to 500 shacks were razed to the ground on Saturday night. At least two men and a child estimated to be 7 years old were reported dead and some residents were rushed to hospitals for treatment of burns. Like many other fire victims Medupi threw her hands in the air after her desperate efforts to salvage some of her belongings amounted to nothing. Medupi spent Heritage Day on Sunday seeking help from good Samaritans. Smouldering embers and flames from the rubble could still be seen on Sunday morning when the Pretoria News visited the scene. More than two vehicles were also burnt to ashes.…

A storeroom had to be unpacked for about an hour-and-a-half in order that a snake catcher could remove a black mamba on theSouth Coast of KwaZulu-Natal. Snake catcher Sarel van der Merwe said he and his wife Emma had a call-out for two mambas in a storeroom in Mtwalume on Friday night, September 8. The caller said they saw two black mambas, one big, the other small. Van der Merwe told the caller he would be there the next morning. When he was shown the storeroom the next day, he told the caller he would need help, but first they had to close all openings with newspaper so the snake would not escape. “There was heavy stuff that needed to be carried out. I couldn’t do much lifting because I…

One of the outcomes of the 15th BRICS bloc summit, in Johannesburg from August 22 to 24, was the agreement to expand the bloc to include Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, strengthening binding ties among emerging economies in the Global South. The additions highlight its appeal and the bloc’s potential agency in transforming skewed global governance and geo-political relations. The BRICS, formed in 2009 with Brazil, Russia, India and China, was first expanded to admit South Africa into the group of top emerging economies in 2010. Before the summit in South Africa, more than 40 countries had expressed interest in joining the bloc, with 23 countries applying to be members and six countries joining from January 1 this year. The BRICS seeks to grow a stronger…

Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro is fast becoming a victim of his own success as the club’s poor run continues, despite reaching a third cup final in 15 months. The Buccaneers narrowly lost to Stellenbosch FC in their MTN8 semi-final second leg on Sunday, but went through on away goals to face Mamelodi Sundowns in the final next month. For the first time since his arrival at the beginning of last season, Riveiro has suffered three consecutive defeats, and has also not seen his team score in that period. Pirates began their torrid run with a loss to Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy in a Caf Champions League preliminary-round first-leg encounter before going down to Sundowns in the Premiership. Although in celebration, the loss to Stellenbosch has also created feelings of anxiety…

When the Stellenbosch FC technical staff research their opponents Mamelodi Sundowns, it will be clear what they can expect tomorrow in their Premiership clash at the Lucas ‘Masterpieces’ Moripe Stadium. The statistics from their most recent matches show that fouls have been an integral part of Sundowns’ armoury in their quest for victory, which come as regular as clockwork. Stellenbosch will find that Sundowns commit a high number of fouls in matches, and the resultant free-kicks do not come back to bite them. As they run up their foul count, they incur the wrath of referees, who respond by issuing yellow cards. This also does not impact on Sundowns’ ability to close out matches on a victorious note. Despite this tasteless trend, the Brazilians are on a marvellous run of…

Tonga showed the best and worst of their uber-physical approach on Sunday when they rattled Scotland with some fearsome tackling, but also missed 45 attempts and suffered a red and a yellow card during their 45-17 World Cup defeat. Scotland wing Duhan van der Merwe, one of the most physical players in Europe, said “I’ve never been hit like that before”, after being relentlessly smashed, mostly legally. That was a stark warning to South Africa, who face Tonga on Sunday. However, Tonga No 8 Vaea Fifita was shown a late bunker-upgraded red card for a wild assault on Finn Russell at a ruck in the closing minutes. And wing Afusipa Taumoepeau looked extremely lucky not to have his yellow upgraded after his shoulder charge into the head of Jamie Ritchie,…

The dust had barely settled on the Springboks’ 13-8 loss to Ireland when Rassie Erasmus released a statement regarding the goal-kicking issue in his team but introducing Handré Pollard this week against Tonga potentially solves only part of the problem. A bigger issue is the Boks’ ongoing inability to convert attacking opportunities in the opposition’s 22 into points. As well as they have played this year, they keep leaving tries on the table and this will sink them in the World Cup if they do not get more accurate. “The negatives are that we were building nice momentum,” Erasmus said of the loss. “There were 11 points out there which we couldn’t kick and quite a few tries we did not take. “I don’t know how many teams have kept…

THE MARITIME Business Chamber (MBC) has sounded the alarm that South African Revenue Service’s (Sars) impounding of five vessels providing bunkering services offshore of Gqeberha may lead to ships no longer refuelling at South Africa and an entire industry that is also providing opportunities for small, medium and micro-enterprises (SMME) may be lost. MBC chairperson Nathi Sonti said in a letter to the government on Friday that to support their concern, “as things stand between today September 13, 2023, and September 24, there are about 31 vessels lined up for bunkers that cannot be supplied by a single operator at South African ports for bunkering”. Despite a meeting with Sars on August 23, Sars had apparently “not noted the impact of its actions which talks to business’ left unsustainable with…

NICHE bank and wealth management group Investec on Friday said its underlying franchises performed well in the five months to August 31, in spite of the challenging economic environment. The positive trading update saw its share price tick up 2.27% to R110.11 on Friday, that was also a substantial increase on the price a year ago of R74.47. “Our ongoing strategic execution and strong balance sheet, position us well to support our clients and achieve our financial targets,” the JSE and London-listed lender said. Headline earnings per share was expected to increase between 6% and 12% for the first half of the 2024 financial year, at between 33.8 pence (R7.76) and 35.8p, which includes the cost of strategic actions. Adjusted pre-tax operating profit was expected to be between…

QUANTUM Foods informed its shareholders on Friday it had detected a bird flu outbreak on the company’s farms in Gauteng and the North-West province, but its full financial effect on the company was not yet known. The South African poultry industry is currently being ravaged by an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (bird flu), an airborne disease. The group said the highly patho- genic avian influenza outbreak to date had affected 1.5 million of the company’s layer and breeding stock. “Shareholders are reminded that an HPAI outbreak also affected approximately 420 000 layer birds at the Lemoenkloof layer farm in the Western Cape in April 2023,” it said. Quantum Foods said the overall impact of the HPAI outbreak on the South African poultry industry, and its…

South African financial markets expected that both the US Federal Reserve’s Open Market Commission (FOMC) and the South African Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) would keep their bank (repo) rates on hold, and they did. However, there was negative sentiment on most global equity markets, as well as on the JSE, as a result of the hawkish stance of both the committees. Both announced that the upside risks to inflation remained strong and that the next move in interest rate might rather be up. In the US, consumer inflation has dropped from a year-over-year peak of 9.1% in June 2022 to 3.7% in August 2023. It is, however, well above the Fed’s 2%, and the majority of the FOMC members voted that the bank rate stayed the same. The…

Media personality Zwai Bala and his sister Thomzama “Pinky” Bala recently announced their partnership on a new music programme that will invest in young South African artists. Bala Voices, the brainchild of the sibling duo, is described as a vocal solution project focused on providing opportunities for aspiring singers from South Africa’s diverse communities. Kwaito legend and television personality Zwai announced the new initiative following the success of his family reality show, The Bala Family. Zwai, who has also recently been announced as a judge on Clash of the Choirs SA season four, said he is embarking on the project that aims to blend their distinct Afro sound with contemporary influence, fused with gospel. In a statement, Zwai said: “This partnership will provide a strong foundation for Bala Voices, a…

It was an eventful weekend across the country as South Africans marked Heritage Day, celebrating their culture and the diversity of their beliefs and traditions in exceptional ways. To also mark the day, on September 24, The Star invited some of its readers to Sakhumzi Restaurant in Soweto, where they enjoyed a traditional buffet paired with fine music and drinks. The streets were buzzing with activities, while many donned their ensembles, making the day more colourful and meaningful. Sakhumzi Restaurant is on Vilakazi Street, known to have a rich history, with two Nobel laureates as residents – the late Nelson Mandela and late Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu. This well-known restaurant was started by Sakhumzi Maqubela and has grown to be one of the local tourist attractions. In conversation with The…

Ingredients 30ml olive oil 1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped 4 cloves of garlic, minced 10ml Robertson’s thyme 500g button mushrooms, chopped 1 medium eggplant, cubed 30ml tomato paste 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes 250ml water 43g Knorr roasted vegetables veggie bake 2 x 400g tinned brown lentils, drained and rinsed 1.5ml black pepper 38g Knorr Classic white sauce, made according to packet instructions 8 dried lasagne sheets 200g grated cheddar cheese Method Preheat oven to 180°C. Heat olive oil in a pot over a medium heat. Add onion, garlic and thyme. Sauté for five to seven minutes, or until soft. Add mushrooms and brinjal and cook until golden and liquid has evaporated. Add tomato paste, tinned tomatoes, 250ml water, and the contents of the sachet of Knorr Roasted Veggie…

South Africa is facing a crisis. State-owned entities will never overcome the problems they face, given what surrounds how they are managed. The latest case is that of Eskom. Nine months after the resignation of its CEO André de Ruyter, the board, charged with the responsibility of filling the position, and Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan are at loggerheads. Apparently, the board completed the exercise and recommended a candidate to the minister. The minister rejected this on the basis that regulations require that he should be supplied with three names from which he must make a choice. It is disturbing that the board and minister cannot agree on a mundane issue. For if Gordhan is right, does it mean that the board was not aware of this? Or, as…

JUST looking at a soothing waterfall or breathtaking countryside can do more than enrich your Instagram feed, it can cause feelings of wonder that provide several mental health benefits. Nature is a source of comfort for all difficulties. Our oldest, most basic bond is to Mother Earth, full of majestic beauty that captivates, fascinates and inspires our thinking. In recent decades, our societies have become more industrialised, urban and digital. We have grown accustomed to spending our time indoors in front of screens. Have we been neglecting the beneficial effects that nature has, the ability to nurture our mental health? The World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that from 1990 to 2013 there was a 50% increase in all mental illness worldwide, from 416 million to 615 million people. One…

Two defeats in two matches, five goals conceded, none scored. On the face of it, Banyana Banyana’s two-match tour of the United States was a disaster, right? The reality, though, is that even after their impressive showing at the recent World Cup – where they made the knockout stages – South Africa’s senior women’s national football team are still a bit far off in class when compared to the world’s best teams. The US, their early departure from France 2023 notwithstanding, are global giants of the game – the leaders in the sport as evidenced by them having won the most World Cups, with four. Thus, when looked at from that point of view, it was understandable that coach Desiree Ellis was pretty chuffed by her team’s performances in the…

AmaZulu and Polokwane City played out a dull goalless draw at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium yesterday as Usuthu kept their fifth clean sheet in the first seven matches of their Premiership campaign, while City have now gone three games without a win AmaZulu arrived on the back of consecutive victories, while ‘Rise and Shine’ were looking to avoid yet another defeat, having gone down to Golden Arrows and Mamelodi Sundowns recently. The visitors made three changes to the team that secured a memorable win over Cape Town City last time out as new arrival Taariq Fielies made his debut in the back-three, while Victor Letsoalo and Veluyeke Zulu replaced Mbongena Gumede and Celimpilo Ngema. Home coach Lehlohonolo Seema would have been pleased with his team’s first 20 minutes as…

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou joked he will have to develop “armless defenders” after Cristian Romero’s hand-ball conceded a controversial penalty in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with north London rivals Arsenal. Postecoglou was frustrated to see Romero penalised for blocking Ben White’s shot with his hand early in the second half of a thrilling derby at the Emirates Stadium. Romero had little time to get his hand out of the way as White was close to the Tottenham defender when he unleashed his shot in the six-yard box. The spot-kick was not given initially, but referee Robert Jones changed his decision after VAR advised him to consult the pitch-side monitor. Bukayo Saka converted the penalty to put Arsenal 2-1 up, but Son Heung-min bagged his second goal of the game to…

SuperSport United and Chippa United are looking to get one over each other for the first time in three years when the Chilli Boys host Matsatsantsa at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium tonight (kick-off 7.30pm). The two sides have drawn their last six games against each other, the last win in the fixture coming for Kaitano Tembo’s SuperSport back in 2020. Since then, the two teams have been inseparable, with neither managing to find the edge over the other – but still delivering entertainment and goals. In their six meetings, only one has seen a goalless outcome, with 12 scored across the other five clashes, the most memorable battle coming in the first round of last season when Ronaldo Pfumbidzai scored early to give Chippa the lead, which was cancelled…

Bleary-eyed Ireland fans returned to work yesterday after a weekend celebrating their 13-8 win over the Springboks like they had won the World Cup, but those with longer memories recognised it was a little early to start planning the Dublin bus parade. Hovering in the background is Ireland’s quarter-final curse: Their spectacular failure to have ever won a knockout game in the history of the tournament, even when going into that phase on the back of massive pool wins. “We’ve been there, done it, topped the pool and then lost,” wing Tommy Bowe, who played in the 2011 and 2015 quarter-final defeats, told the BBC. “And to be honest, those two quarter-finals were probably more ‘winnable’ than this time.” In 2011, Ireland surprised Australia 15-6 at Eden Park to top…

As South Africa’s national carrier, South African Airways (SAA), celebrates a two-year milestone after returning to the skies in September 2021, the airline said it was intent on regaining its position as a leading African airline. This after it emerged from bankruptcy proceedings after a decade of financial losses, with Covid-19 and national lockdowns the final straw. In August, the Competition Tribunal of South Africa approved the proposed merger between SAA and Takatso Aviation, with divestiture and employment conditions, however so far it has been mum on sharing more details of this controversial deal. Reflecting on the occasion, interim CEO Professor John Lamola said that in the world of aviation, resilience played a major factor in the success of airlines, particularly as many continued to weather the storms of the…

THERE are several projects in the pipeline at the Coega Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in various sectors, including logistics, agro-processing, chemical, and general manufacturing clusters, Coega Development Corporation management said last week in an interview. This as the Coega SEZ recently hit the 120 000-jobs milestone since inception in 1999 with 15 222 jobs created in the last financial year as it counts on bigger opportunities rolling in with the announcement of the global carmaker Stellantis’s R3 billion coming on stream in 2026. Coega said in an interview last week with Business Report it also antici- pated to benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area, which aims to create a single market for goods and services across Africa. In the first quarter of this financial year,…

Karl Marx is said to have predicted that: “In the information age it would be meaning that matters more than profit; and community more than company.” As we venture deeper and deeper into the information age today, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and mega trends abound, it may be worthwhile to reflect on heritage and our inheri- tance. South Africans from all walks of life are consciously aware of the habit of celebrating Heritage Day which falls on the September 24 and is also loosely known as National Braai Day. So significant is this date that it is now a public holiday. But when we celebrate Heritage Day, what exactly are we doing and why? What is our heritage anyway? What exactly have we inherited? Designated in 1996, Nelson Mandela once…

IN AN EVER-EVOLVING world, where technology continues to reshape our lives, Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making significant inroads into the field of architecture, offering architects innovative solutions in the planning, designing, and creation of structures. Generative AI refers to a class of algorithms that can autonomously produce designs or solutions based on a set of input parameters. In the context of architecture, generative AI uses these inputs to create a multitude of design possibilities, taking into account factors such as site constraints, user preferences, environmental conditions, and building standards and codes. This technology can rapidly generate design alternatives, optimise designs according to specific criteria, and even learn from past projects to improve future designs. One of the main advantages of generative AI in architecture is its ability to handle…

If you’ve never seen The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan, you missed out. The British-Sri Lankan actor is known for his deadpan, self-deprecating humour. And he can hold his own on the airwaves, too. The 45-year-old comedian, who received the Bafta TV Award for best features for The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan in 2020 and, in 2021, the Bafta TV Award for best entertainment performance for The Ranganation, is also credited as a writer and actor on BritBox’s new dramedy, Avoidance, where he is cast opposite Mandeep Dhillon. Fans of CSI: Vegas will remember her as Allie Rajan. In the six-part series, she plays Danielle, the sister of the protagonist, Jonathan (Ranganathan). When his partner Claire (Jessica Knappett) throws him out, Jonathan takes their son Spencer (Kieran Logendra) and moves in…

Emma Roberts has apologised to Angelica Ross after her comments towards her were deemed to be “transphobic”. The 32-year-old actress was at the centre of a social media storm recently when her former American Horror Story co-star Angelica Ross – who was born male – claimed that Roberts had been transphobic towards her, but took to X less than 24 hours later to reveal that Roberts had contacted her. She wrote: “Thank you @RobertsEmma for calling and apologising, recognising your behaviour was not that of an ally. “I will leave the line open to follow up on your desire to do better and support social justice causes with your platform.” Just a day earlier, Ross, 42, had started up an Instagram Live for her followers where she claimed that the…

A blessing in disguise. That is how Springbok fans should feel about their team’s 13-8 defeat to Ireland, because coming from behind to win the World Cup perfectly suits the South African rugby psyche. As wonderful an occasion as it was in Paris, the reality is that this game was no more than a dress rehearsal for the quarter-finals – and both teams had the comfort of knowing that whatever the outcome, they would live to fight another day. The difference is that the Springboks no longer have any leeway in Pool B and simply have to beat Tonga in Marseille on Sunday (kick-off 9pm) to go through to the last eight, while Ireland finish with a tricky encounter against their Celtic rivals from Scotland. It is not impossible for…

Comparisons may be odious but unfortunately for the Proteas, they are also inevitable when it comes to World Cups and their chequered history in global events. When it relates to fast bowlers and injuries, the throwback is impossible to avoid. Those blessed with an elephant’s memory will remember Proteas legend Allan Donald being helped off the Wanderers in tears during a 2003 World Cup clash against New Zealand due to an injury. But we don’t need to go as far back as 20 years. It was only four years ago when the rigours of delivering thunderbolts caused Dale Steyn – Donald’s successor to the throne as South Africa’s greatest fast bowler ever – to return home without delivering a ball in anger. That was after Anrich Nortjé was ruled out…

Alvaro Morata struck twice for Atletico Madrid as they inflicted rivals Real Madrid’s first La Liga defeat of the season with a 3-1 derby triumph on Sunday. Champions Barcelona sit top of the league as Los Blancos lost their 100% record, with Antoine Griezmann also on target for fifth-placed Atletico at their raucous Metropolitano stadium. Real are third, a point behind Barcelona and high-flying Girona in second place, after they failed to match Atletico’s level of intensity in an enthralling clash. Morata netted an early header and Griezmann doubled Atletico’s lead, before Toni Kroos pulled Real into the game with a stinging drive. Morata headed home again at the start of the second half, and Real could not find a way back against an Atletico side bouncing back from what…

Runaway championship leader Max Verstappen got back on track at Suzuka on Sunday, when Red Bull clinched the constructors’ championship. Here, we look at three talking points from the Japanese Grand Prix ... Verstappen back on top Max Verstappen arrived in Suzuka with the hint of a question mark hanging over him after a fifth-place finish at the previous week’s Singapore Grand Prix. His response was to blow the doubters clean out of the water with a performance that proved he is truly in a class of his own. Verstappen made a statement of intent by finishing fastest in all three practice sessions, and he then laid down a qualifying lap for the ages to take pole for Sunday’s race. The result was never in doubt once he had beaten…

Australia head coach Eddie Jones apologised for the Wallabies’ record defeat to Wales but insisted he was “committed” to the job. “I would like to apologise to all Australia supporters,” said Jones after the 40-6 Rugby World Cup thrashing in Lyon on Sunday night. Australian media reports claimed Jones has been interviewed by the Japanese rugby federation about taking over their team after the tournament. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, mate,” said Jones when probed about the alleged interview, before later adding he took “umbrage” with those questioning his commitment. “One hundred percent,” he said when asked if he was committed. “I came back to Australia to try to help. At the moment, I’m not getting much help, am I? “But that doesn’t mean my commitment to help…

For many years the, Proteas Women’s team revolved around former captain Dané van Niekerk. The all-rounder was the force that drove the team, and for a long time, that was the right way. Van Niekerk was inspirational, fearless, single-minded in her obsession to raise the level of the Proteas, and crucially had the ability and talent to spearhead such a process. It was hard to imagine a Proteas team without Van Niekerk. But due to a string of extenuating circumstances, the Proteas had to find a way without their talismanic leader for a period of time. And eventually, she was gone entirely. Who was going to replace Van Niekerk, though? It could not just be a player with a similar skill-set. That same stubbornness, never-give-up attitude and ability to drag…