Índex per 2023-11-22 a Star

As the WORLD shifts to renewable energy options and companies target zero carbon goals, closer to home in South Africa, Zero Carbon Charge has started construction on a national network of 100% renewable energy-powered electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. This week, at a ceremony in Wolmaransstad in the North West province, Zero Carbon Charge broke ground on its first 100% renewable energy charging station in what the company says will become South Africa’s first national network of 120 solar-powered charging facilities spaced out at 150km intervals. This is a significant milestone in South Africa’s transition to EVs. “Unlike other charging stations that connect to Eskom’s grid (and thus use coal as their primary energy source), Zero Carbon Charge’s charging stations are powered by South Africa’s abundant and renewable supply of…

Proud parents Andile and Tamia Mpisane took to Instagram to share the news of the arrival of their second child. The baby girl, who was born two months ago has been named after her grandmother, Shauwn Mkhize, a South African reality star, businesswoman and socialite. The Royal AM chairperson and his wife, who also share daughter Miaandy, wrote in a joint Instagram post: “It is with immense joy and gratitude that we announce the arrival of a precious blessing in our lives, Messiah Shauwn Junior Mpisane, who made a surprise arrival on the 20th of September 2023.” They wrote that the little girl had filled their hearts with love and happiness, before explaining the meaning of her name. “The name ‘Messiah’ holds a profound meaning, resonating deeply with the hopes…

Gert-Johan Coetzee, known for his innovative designs and creations, has once again taken fashion to a whole new level. This time, the celebrated designer has created one of the world’s first 3D dresses using 3D printing technology. His latest creation, which embodies the essence of a formidable warrior, symbolising the unwavering strength and resilience of women worldwide, was worn by reigning Miss Universe Bonney Gabriel. Embracing the spirit of powerful women who stand as guardians and defenders, the dress honours the courage and fortitude exemplified by women in protecting their communities and fostering a better world for all, he said. Coetzee’s innovative approach marries tradition with the future, showcasing strength and femininity intertwine seamlessly in this contemporary piece. It took an astonishing 530 hours to meticulously craft this ethereal…

THE rate of mental health issues among South African men is high, as is suicide, and November is the time attention is given to their well-being. Also known as Movember, November has, in South Africa, been marked as the year during which men – young and old – are given much-needed attention, and everyone focuses on their health issues. The one major way is by encouraging them to grow their moustaches as a way of indicating that they are aware of their vulnerability as a sector of society. “The traditional male gender roles include stoicism in the face of pain, and a reluctance to talk about or even acknowledge medical issues or concerns for fear of seeming unmasculine,” clinical coach at Kena Health Dr Schalk Burger said. He said men…

TSHWANE Metro Police Department (TMPD) officers have been applauded for their swift response which led to the arrest of 12 men in Soshanguve for tampering with a municipal power cables. The men, according to the metro police, were found digging a trench in search of an underground electric cable which was damaged. The officers from the cable theft unit were dispatched to the scene following a complaint about a cable theft in progress at a trench in Soshanguve Extension 4 in the north of Pretoria. TMPD spokesperson Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba said: “Upon arrival, they found four men busy digging the trench. “When they saw the officers, they started shooting at them and the officers returned fire. “The officers managed to apprehend the four culprits and no one was injured…

The ineffective UN Security Council recently approved a resolution calling for urgent and extended humanitarian pauses and corridors throughout the Gaza Strip. More than five weeks into the war, calls for a ceasefire for the sake of humanity have grown louder. Historically, terms like “cessation of hostilities”, “de-escalation”, “pauses”, “safe zones” and truce have been used to halt fighting across the globe. Regrettably, in international humanitarian law and organisations, such as the UN General Assembly and UN Security Council, there is no effective and binding provision or structure for “ceasefire”. Hence, the UN, like the International Criminal Court (ICC), is a toothless tiger, two-faced body and has done nothing to resolve conflicts. For example, why is apartheid Israel allowed to relentlessly bomb civilian locations across the Gaza Strip and the…

Now more than ever, South Africans are calling for a State Bank. About 28 banks are implicated in the manipulation of the South African rand. This has led to several citizens calling for private banks to be closed as most of them generated trillions by manipulating the rand. Private banks have closed the accounts of people and businesses without valid reasons. Some people lost their houses and vehicles while others were rejected because of their skin colour. Some private banks have admitted to misconduct and corruption. Last week, it was reported that UK-based Standard Chartered Bank (SCB), one of more than 20 financial entities to be prosecuted by the Competition Commission of South Africa for manipulating the USD/ZAR currency pairing, has admitted guilt and agreed to pay a R42.7 million…

SENTIMENT in the business sector re- mained firmly in the contractionary terri- tory in the third quarter, as the majority of senior executives were dissatisfied with prevailing business conditions, especially the logistical nightmare caused by the congestion at the Port of Durban. The RMB/BER business confidence index, released yesterday eased to 31 points in the fourth quarter, down from 33 points in the previous three-month period, moving further into pessimistic territory below 50 points which separates expansion from contraction. The survey, which was conducted by the Bureau for Economic Research (BER) on behalf of Rand Merchant Bank (RMB), covered 1 050 senior executives in the building, manufacturing, retail, wholesale, and motor trade sectors between October 25 and November 13. The main drag on the…

CORONATION Fund Managers’ fund management earnings fell sharply by 57% to 165.2 cents per share in its 2023 year, mainly due to the impact of a write-down relating to a tax dispute with the SA Revenue Service (Sars). When adjusted for the tax matter, fund management earnings per share were down 4%. Fund management earnings are used by Coronation’s management to measure operating financial performance. The group’s directors said yesterday that the Constitutional Court had agreed to hear its case and an outcome might be only expected in the second half of the 2024 calendar year. “This dispute has no material impact on our long-term sustainability, and we remain a well-capitalised and successful business,” they said. The R716 million tax matter related to a dispute with Sars in…

SUSPENSION for 10 days with or without remuneration in February 2024, has been recommended as a sanction against EFF leader Julius Malema and five of his party MPs for disrupting the State of the Nation Address earlier this year. The initiator of the hearing, advocate Anton Katz, said this would be the appropriate sanction for the finding of guilt against the members of the Red Berets. This took place on the second day of the hearing, which proceeded despite Malema and his colleagues walking out on Monday, likening the proceedings to a “kangaroo court”, and the EFF leader saying he would not be persecuted by a “white man”. Their application for postponement and a request for appointment of an independent person to preside over the hearing were refused. However,…

The ongoing surge in criminal activity has raised serious questions regarding the safety of South Africa’s population. Social media videos going viral are painting a vivid picture of what it means to be a South African citizen, complete with all the dangers that come with living your life, no matter who you are. A dire picture of safety has also been painted by the most recent crime statistics, prompting various organisations to call for government action. “The weapon matters. Guns are the leading cause of murder in South Africa. Thirty-four people were shot dead every day, up from 31 a day in previous quarters, yet there was no outrage or urgency from police or MPs at the crime statistics briefing.” This is a response from Gun Free SA (GFSA) to…

From Page 1 “We have an instruction to make submission on evidence that was led yesterday and we ask the committee to consider those submissions prior to make its determination on merits. “We will serve our written representation by close of business today,” read the EFF letter. Katz said the committee should not grant the indulgence to the members. “It would seem the request to make written representation by close of business undermines the chair’s directions and the committee decision to refuse postponement, and is inconsistent with affected members’ walkout yesterday,” he said. “We submit that we should get on with closing submissions and the committee makes a decision on merits without granting indulgence, which amounts to undermining this very committee and chair’s decision.” After some discussion by the committee,…

THE ANGRY community of Ga-Rankuwa has launched a crusade against illegal operations of spaza shops in the township, calling on the authorities to deport their owners and shut down their establishments before Saturday. This is detailed in a petition sent to various government departments, which include Home Affairs, Labour, Health as well as the SAPS and the City of Tshwane. Campaign leaders Nonkululeko Qhotsokoane and Thabiso Maringa said the community was concerned about the spread and continued operation of tuck shops by non-South Africans who are illegal in the country. They said operators of illegal spaza shops were notorious for selling fake goods, illegal contraband and expired foodstuff. “In the recent past, sporadic reports have been circulating in the media of persons, especially children, who fell ill after consuming…

CYBERCRIME was, once again, the topic under the spotlight when the court found that there was a duty on a financial service provider to protect its clients against cyberfraud which, in the case of the Rotary Club of Rosebank, was the victim of the crime. The organisation lost R3.1 million when cybercriminals, purporting to act on instructions from the club, withdrew the millions. The money has vanished into the hands of the fraudsters. The good news for the Rotary Club, however, is that the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, ordered that the financial service provider had to reimburse the club in full. Judge Motsamai Makume found that the service provider and its officials who handled the club’s finances, were grossly negligent in not verifying the “instructions” by the club to transfer…

Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga said the Road Accident Fund (RAF) had undertaken careful consideration when it cancelled post-retirement medical aid benefits for its employees. Chikunga said the post-retirement medical aid benefit was a historical condition of service benefit provided to employees who were permanently employed at the RAF prior to May 1998. In terms of the benefit, the RAF would subsidise 50% towards the medical aid contributions on and throughout the retirement of such employees until the death of the retired employee or voluntary termination by the employee, she said. “The post-retirement medical aid benefit was discontinued due to not only the dire financial status of the fund, but also the long-term unsustainable financial liability that such a benefit would have on the RAF,” she said. Chikunga said the total…

Once more, the world will be observing 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children Campaign between November 25 and December 10. The dates, November 25, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and December 10, International Human Rights Day, were chosen as “bookends” of the 16 days, to emphasise that gender-based violence is a violation of human rights. Violence against women and girls is a serious global problem. With severe impact on their physical, psychological, social and spiritual well-being – it is one of the most widespread abuses of human rights. Abusive practices against women and girls are being justified in the context of cultural norms, religious beliefs, and unfounded scientific theories and assumptions. In one of its statements, the Bahá’í International Community says:…

On November 16, the revolutionary movement of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) introduced a motion to the Speaker of Parliament. This motion sought the termination of all diplomatic relations with the apartheid State of Israel and, in particular, the removal of its embassy from South Africa. A draft resolution was subsequently tabled with the understanding that when the full plenary of Parliament sits, at a date that is yet to be set, the house will hopefully vote in favour of the EFF and set the correct tone for dealing with the Zionist mass murderers. The motion was also propelled by the brutal and inhuman violence that the apartheid State of Israel has unleashed on the people of Palestine over the past several weeks. This violence has seen more than 11 000…

The Soweto derby between Moroka Swallows and Kaizer Chiefs could pre-determine where the two teams will finish on the standings at the end of the year. Sure, a derby is all about dividing allegiances – be it a in community, family or relationship – as the bragging rights are up for grabs, but there’ll be more at stake in Dobsonville this Sunday. Old friends will also become enemies and there’s still the matter of three points that could have a telling impact on where the two clubs could finish before the festive break. Coach Steve Komphela will meet his former club Chiefs for the first time since he broke loose of Mamelodi Sundowns’ co-coaching role, with the added aim of proving how much he’s grown since then. It’s well documented…

Multi-award-winning Afropop artist Vusi Nova is celebrating his decade- long anniversary in the industry in a big way. Nova recently launched his new music record label, Nova Sounds. His launch comes after he parted ways with his long-time label, Mutha- land Entertainment. The move is a significant one for Nova, who has always been committed to fostering creativity and amplifying the voices of talented artists across genres. The label will focus on multiple music genres to provide a platform where artists can flourish, express their unique musical identities, and connect with audiences on a global scale, he says. Nova Sounds has already signed up a few emerging and established artists like 047, an Afropop trio from the Eastern Cape, who are popularly known for their single Ubuhle, and former Idols…

SUSPENSION for 10 days with or without remuneration in February 2024, has been recommended as a sanction against EFF leader Julius Malema and five of his party MPs for disrupting the State of the Nation Address earlier this year. The initiator of the hearing, advocate Anton Katz, said this would be the appropriate sanction for the finding of guilt against the members of the Red Berets. This took place on the second day of the hearing, which proceeded despite Malema and his colleagues walking out on Monday, likening the proceedings to a “kangaroo court”, and the EFF leader saying he would not be persecuted by a “white man”. Their application for postponement and a request for appointment of an independent person to preside over the hearing were refused. However,…

THE National Prosecuting Authority says there is significant progress in dealing with state capture and corruption. Briefing the justice and correctional services portfolio committee on implementation of the Zondo Commission’s recommendations, Deputy National Director of Public Prosecutions Rodney de Kock said the commission work opened a gateway to prosecute matters. “The narrative that the NPA is doing nothing is both wrong and dangerous. Prosecution of high-profile government and private sector actors, impunity no longer prevails.” He said the Independent Directorate has declared 99 investigations and enrolled 34 cases involving 205 accused. The special commercial crime unit and the deputy directors of public prosecutions in the regions have enrolled 78 cases from the anti-corruption task team or the priority case list. The Asset Forfeiture Unit have secured freezing orders valued at…

THE government is yet to decide whether to challenge the Labour Court’s judgment declaring the law rendering ordinary municipal workers ineligible to hold office in political parties unconstitutional and invalid. Labour Court Judge Andre van Niekerk on Friday ruled in favour of the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu), which had challenged the Municipal Systems Amendment Act of 2022 signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa in August last year. In terms of the act, now amended by Judge Van Niekerk, a staff member was not allowed to hold political office in a political party, whether in a permanent, temporary or acting capacity. Judge Van Niekerk found that the act’s prohibition extended to all municipal employees, whatever their status. “In consequence, technicians, secretaries, receptionists, clerks, gardeners, drivers, cashiers, plumbers and other…

TOWNSHIP residents have rejected the decision by the City of Tshwane to escalate its plan to issue more accurate service bills to customers. Community members, who are mostly from the townships in the west of Pretoria, such as Lotus Gardens, Saulsville and Atteridgeville, called out finance MMC Peter Sutton, accusing him of “targeting” them with the new system. They are also accusing the cash-strapped municipality of trying to raise money for the metro by charging them ridiculous amounts for services such as electricity through estimated bills. During the first week of this month, Sutton made public his intentions to issue more accurate bills after the metro turned to estimating the bills following residents’ refusal for municipal officials to enter their homes for meter readings. Sutton said the metro had been…

TWO of the country’s giant food retailers, Checkers and Pick n Pay, are at loggerheads over “similar” luxury food ranges, with Checkers turning to court in a bid to prevent its competitor from passing off its Crafted Collection products as those of Checkers. The dispute relates to Checkers’ signature Forage and Feast brand and Pick n Pay’s competing Crafted Collection range of products. Checkers complained to the Western Cape High Court that Pick n Pay was infringing upon its common law rights in the form of goodwill and reputation associated with its well-known Forest and Feast range, through its manufacturing and/or offering for sale its competing Crafted Collection range of products. Pick n Pay rejected the alleged infringements and contended that its products, while in competition with those of Checkers,…

It was a blue day for India, not a spectacular finale in cricket’s six-and-half-week-long showpiece event. Though a capacity crowd of 130 000 cricket fanatics dressed all in blue packed the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the world’s largest cricket stadium, they could not inspire their team against a fired up, determined Aussie side and slumped to a low score of 240 all out. Like South Africa, they seemed to be overawed by the occasion and became easy victims for the relentless, fierce Aussie attack. India had performed splendidly all along, having not lost a single match, but seemed to have run out of steam at the crucial stage in the competition. In all three aspects – bowling, batting and fielding – they performed poorly and could not lift themselves…

Woolworths is quivering in its retail boots as unknown people have threatened to attack their infrastructures, should they not remove Israeli products from their shelves. These vitriolic and aggressive threats could only come from the Islamist pro-Hamas cells, that are quietly operating within South African borders. Our security branch, incapable of pinpointing where these “credible” threats are coming from, should be of concern to all intelligent South Africans. Islamists are operational in Mozambique, our porous border problem has allowed undocumented, unchecked people from the likes of Bangladesh and Pakistan to flood our country; their political affiliations, questionable. If our inept government do not arrest this influx, we will not be able to control it into the future. Would you allow some toxic third force into your home or business,…

In contemporary days, many nations’ attempt to drive their respective developmental activities, planning, strategies and policies as single and independent political- economic entities; however, experiences across various geographic regions have shown that the most powerful and effective driver of social and economic growth, development and advancement for nation states tends to be realised through forging regional- or continental-level alliances, treaties and solidarities. Through creating regional and continental politico-economic blocs, nations have increasingly become aware of the limits and disadvantages of operating as isolated government systems. One of the primary ways social and economic developments and advancements can be accelerated and expanded is through allowing free inter-migrations of persons across traditional political borders. When treaties allowing for the free movement of persons and goods are implemented among many nations, interpenetration of…