Índex per 2024-03-06 a Star

And the economy of the country is only likely to see a growth rate of about 1% this year GROSS domestic product (GDP) increased only 0.1% in the fourth quarter of 2023 over the previous three months, only narrowly avoiding technical recession after six out of 10 industries kept the economy growing, data from Statistics SA showed yesterday. After the data was released the rand weakened to R19 to the dollar. The 0.1% growth was “lower than our and the market’s forecast of 0.3%. For the year as a whole, the economy expanded by 0.6%, down significantly from 1.9% in 2022,” Nedbank Group’s Economic Unit said in a note yesterday. “‘The good news is that South Africa has, after all, narrowly avoided a ‘technical recession’ (two successive quarters of negative…

A TASK team inclusive of private sector energy players has been set up to strategise over gas supply as well as its availability in efforts to avert the “gas cliff”, which poses a threat of job culling. This was the assurance that Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe made to investors in his keynote address at the 16th edition of Africa Energy Indaba (AEI) yesterday. He also used his keynote address to tell business leaders to stop being “cry babies” and assist with inputs to find solutions. His remarks follow public concern over the looming natural gas cliff. Sasol, South Africa’s monopoly supplier of large-scale natural gas, decided to suspend the supply of gas to industrial users by June 2026. “We have noted concerns regarding the current and future…

TRANSPORT Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga said yesterday that the five-year tariff permissions for Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) approved by the government were aimed at raising more than R20 billion for aviation infrastructure until 2028, as the industry encroached on 16% below pre-Covid 19 capacity. To mild consternation, the Minister also announced that the Domestic and International Air Licensing Councils would now be under the administration of the South African Civil Aviation Authority, while another innovation was the introduction of a smart card to identify licensed pilots that was empowered with state-of-the-art security features. This is along with the eServices portal launched last year, where operators could submit their certificate renewal applications online and also pay online. “These final tariff permissions presented herein have been determined in the aftermath of…

POWER plants have no time limit. This was the most interesting, yet under- reported, finding in the European- based vision generation benefit (VGBE) consortium’s report. The life of a plant can be extended nearly indefinitely, except for circumstantial changes and considerations in the technical financial and socio-economic political climate, which may prevail at the time of considering such decisions, on whether to downscale and shut down units or decommission a power plant completely. But a baseload power plant can run indefinitely, it notes. According to proper engineering science a power plant can go on in perpetuity if it is well managed and maintained. So on that note alone the report totally dispels the much created hype and fear tactic that says power stations must be shut down, because they reached…

A R37.4 BILLION loss capped a challenging and troubled 2023 full year period for Sibanye-Stillwater, which has now embarked on cost saving initiatives on the back of lower platinum and nickel prices. Market displeasure saw shares in Sibanye-Stillwater close 5.69% lower at R18.22 on the JSE yesterday. After revenues for the full year period to end December 2023 narrowed by 18% to R113.6 billion, Sibanye-Stillwater sank to a R37.4bn loss, resultantly skipping dividends for the second half of the period under review. In the previous year, Sibanye-Stillwater made a profit of about R19bn. “2023 was a challenging year for Sibanye-Stillwater due to lower metal prices. The company is taking steps to reduce costs, preserve capital, and invest in future growth opportunities,” said market analyst Marco Olevano. The dip…

Ever since GroundUp first broke the news that the convicted murderer and rapist Thabo Bester did not burn to death in Cell 35 after all and was instead shopping at Woolworths in Sandton City, South Africans have been calling for the drama to be brought on screens. Showmax has finally answered the call and released the trailer for the true-crime documentary Tracking Thabo Bester. Bester was the most searched person in South Africa on Google in 2023, with his co-accused, Dr Nandipha Magudumana, in fourth place. The country obsessed over Bestermania and the stormy tale of love, murder, deception and corruption. The larger-than-life story of South Africa’s most famous prison break is in safe hands: Tracking Thabo Bester is produced by local true-crime pioneers IdeaCandy. The production company was behind…

Ambassador Chen Xiaodong and his wife, Madame Zhang Bin, bid farewell to their “comrades” and colleagues at a glamorous event held at the Chinese Embassy in Pretoria yesterday. A multitude of political leaders and ministers from both China and South Africa attended in large numbers to extend their good wishes to the ambassador as he concludes his term. Among those who had come to say their goodbyes were former president Kgalema Motlanthe and the Russian ambassador IIya Rogachev. Chen is the sixth Ambassador from China, who arrived during the peak of Covid, in September 2020. During his farewell speech, he said his stay in South Africa for the last three years had been “sweet”. The SACP secretary-general Solly Mapaila described the outgoing ambassador as an activist who “did…

The Namibian Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has upheld a ruling by the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court that two senior counsels, including former president Jacob Zuma’s former lawyer, had violated the country’s immigration laws five years ago. Advocate Mike Hellens and advocate Dawie Joubert were convicted for entering the country to represent high-profile clients in court with visitor’s permits, instead of the required worker’s permits. Hellens once represented former president Jacob Zuma in the arms deal matter in around 2018. He also represented the Gupta brothers in the Vrede Dairy Project matter, and Zuma’s son, Duduzane, during his culpable homicide trial. He was acquitted in that case. In Namibia, Hellens and Joubert were representing six people, including two former Namibia ministers, Bernard Esau and Sack Shanghala, who are facing charges relating…

On Monday, food health organisations marked World Obesity Day but raised concerns about the increase of child obesity in South Africa, which puts children at risk of being diagnosed with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes and high blood pressure at tender ages. Health Living Alliance (Heala) warned there has been a surge in deaths from NCDs globally, and within the perimeters of the country: from 1997 to 2018, 60% of deaths were related to NCDs. This calls for urgency in providing solutions and prevention methods to deter an increase in childhood high blood pressure and diabetes. Heala called for a package of bold interventions with a systemic overview of the issue of obesity, as NCDs cannot be battled with isolated, small interventions in lifestyles. The African Centre for Obesity…

AFRICA’S biggest grocer Shoprite’s continued market dominance and growth as well as stronger earnings performance after it raised sales and operating profits for the December 2023 interim period is bad news for rival operator Pick n Pay, which plans to spin off its top-performing chain, Boxer, under an IPO. Shoprite has performed strongly in the South African retail industry, which is battling depressed consumer spend. It grew sales for the half-year to December by 13.9% to R121.1 billion, sharply contrasting Pick n Pay’s negative growth in retail sales for the 47 weeks trading period to January 21, 2024, further to the R570-million post-tax loss for the half-year period ended August 2023. For Shoprite, there was strong performance in all of its supermarket brands, which include…

THE SOUTHERN African Power Pool (SAPP) yesterday said that it had appointed finance fund manager Climate Fund Managers (CFM) to manage a new $1.3 billion (R25bn) fund to facilitate cross-border energy transmission in southern Africa. This comes as several countries in Africa face load shedding, including South Africa. SAPP, in partnership with the Southern African Development Community (SADC), said in a joint statement that the Regional Transmission Infrastructure Financing Facility (RTIFF) would have a fund life of up to 20 to 25 years. The facility, which launches with $20 million in commitments from SAPP, targets a first close of $500m in 2025 to be raised from public and private sector investors locally and internationally and a final close of $1.3bn within 24 months. SAPP is a co-operation of…

FOR MORE THAN a century, Eskom has held a monopoly on electricity supply in South Africa. However, the severe blackouts that have notably escalated to historical highs during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s term in office, has prompted various South African municipalities to explore alternative power solutions towards liberating themselves from Eskom’s and the Department of Minerals and Energy’s (DMRE) grip on main power supply. Cape Town has notably initiated a rooftop solar scheme with a feed-in tariff to alleviate daytime load shedding, while the capital city, Pretoria, is pursuing a unique strategy under Mayor Cilliers Brink’s leadership, that includes leasing out the Rooiwal and Pretoria West Power Stations, which were built almost 70 years ago. Brink aims to secure 1 000MW, almost half of the Tshwane’s Muni- cipality’s 2200MW electricity…

HEADLINE earnings per share in private education provider Curro Holdings increased by 19.2% to 73.2 cents for the full year to December, propelled by solid growth in the quality of middle and secondary school pupils on the company’s books and whose ability to pay tuition fees had solidified. Full-year revenue for Curro Holdings soared by 14.6% to R4.7 billion, with earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) rising by 24.7% to R1.1bn. “This is the fourth reporting period where we have seen improving underlying operating results not just regarding margin but regarding growth in headline earnings per share. There remain challenges; the economy is very constrained and learner growth in private education has been quite slow,” Anthony Clark, independent analyst at Smalltalkdaily Research, said yesterday. Earnings per…

THE EFF’s member of the National Assembly, Naledi Chirwa, has penned a heartfelt public apology for failing to attend the Budget Speech in Parliament last month. In a letter that has sparked debate on social media platforms, Chirwa expressed regret for failing to attend Parliament because she had to be with her sick 4-month-old baby. Chirwa’s apology reads: “My daughter is currently with my mother until post-elections; this is to allow me the opportunity to be completely engaged in organisational activities during this period and to form part of the collective that will usher in an EFF government post-May 29, 2024.” Chirwa said she had reported her absence from the organisational duties of the organisation, but had not informed the designated whip of their caucus in Parliament, and was regretful…

Former public protector and EFF MP, advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane has taken the battle for her R10 million gratuity to the courts. On Friday, Mkhwebane who was impeached through a vote in Parliament just weeks before her term was set to expire, lodged an urgent application in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, to declare aspects of the refusal by her former office to pay her R10 million pension declared unconstitutional and invalid. In September, following a parliamentary inquiry into her fitness to hold office, Mkhwebane was impeached through a vote by ANC and DA MPs who voted for her removal from office. The EFF and the ATM were among the parties that voted against the motion, with a total of 318 MPs voting in favour of her removal. Mkhwebane insists that…

Following the gas tanker explosion under a low bridge in Boksburg on December 24, 2022, the Republic of Mozambique Pipeline Investments Company (Rompco) stepped in to prioritise the hospital’s restoration as part of its Corporate Social Investment (CSI) programme. The explosion claimed 41 lives, including those of 12 nurses from Tambo Memorial Hospital, and damaged the hospital. The company said a special handing-over ceremony was held on March 1 to celebrate the successful completion of the project. One of the oldest hospitals in Gauteng, Tambo Memorial Hospital serves the communities of Benoni, Boksburg and part of Germiston, catering to a population of more than a million. It offers essential services to inpatients and outpatients. “Recognising the immediate need for support to restore the hospital’s infrastructure following the tragic incident, Rompco…

IN THE heart of Pretoria East, on the evocative evening of March 4, 2024, the Rotary Club hosted a significant event that resonated deeply with the themes of peace, conflict resolution, and human rights. The gathering, held at the Filos Restaurant near the Greek Church on Roper Street, became a platform for a profound conversation led by Antonis Mandritis, the High Commissioner of Cyprus to South Africa. This dialogue was especially poignant, as March is recognised as Human Rights Month in South Africa, commemorating the Sharpeville Massacre and reflecting the nation’s journey towards identifying and upholding human rights. The high commissioner used the backdrop of Human Rights Month to delve into the lessons from Cyprus, illustrating how the island’s complex history of conflict and division has informed its pursuit of…

THIS year coincides with several historic milestones in the nation’s fight for fundamental human rights and freedoms, said Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Zizi Kodwa. “South Africans from all walks of life will be participating in the seventh general election since the dawn of democracy and the country, in April, will be celebrating 30 years of democracy in South Africa,” the minister said on Monday in Pretoria. He was addressing the launch of Human Rights Month under the theme: “Three Decades of Respect For and Promotion of Human Rights.” Human Rights Month is observed to remind South Africans about the sacrifices that accompanied the Struggle for the attainment of democracy. “Overall, Human Rights Month serves as a reminder of the ongoing work needed to uphold and protect human rights…

TRIBUTES have poured in for soccer legend and former TV analyst Siphiwe Mkhonza, 44, who died yesterday. Mkhonza played football for Golden Arrows and Kaizer Chiefs as a defender. Mkhonza, affectionately known as “Dr Mnandi” by his current employer, the SABC, was fighting a kidney infection for a long time. A statement by his family said Mkhonza had been admitted to Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital a month ago and was discharged after showing signs of recovery. Mkhonza, of Roodepoort, had three children. His family thanked his colleagues at the SABC, fellow football legends from the stable he belonged to and friends for their support during his illness. Mkhonza started his career at Bloemfontein Celtic before moving to Ria Stars and KZN team Golden Arrows, spending two seasons with the club.…

At the beginning of the Kempton Park talks in the late ’80s and early ’90s, the winds of change were blowing all over South Africa and the world. The fact that the winds were blowing at an unusual velocity reminded me of Miriam Makeba’s lamentation song, West Winds. The winds were blowing fast from the West and across South Africa all the way to Eastern Europe, sweeping clean the land where the Berlin Wall stood since World War II, breaking families into East and West Berlin. Ironically, in her song, Makeba warns the west winds not to “divide us” and it seemed at the time, that the west winds were bringing unity not only in Germany but in South Africa. The language used in South Africa was “truth…

WHILE South Africa’s agricultural sector faced several challenges last year, it was not expected that the sector’s overall annual performance would drop sharply, the Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz) said after the release of data for gross domestic product (GDP) fourth quarter 2023. But the figures released yesterday by Statistics South Africa show that the gross value added for agriculture fell notably by 12.2% year-on-year, Agbiz chief economist Wandile Sihlobo said. This comes as South Africa’s GDP increased by a mere 0.1% in the last quarter of last year. Headwinds in the livestock and poultry industry weighed on the sector more intensely than anticipated. This showed that unfortunately the agriculture, forestry and fishing industry decreased by 9.7% in the fourth quarter of 2023, contributing -0.2% of a percentage point to GDP…

THE COMPETITION Commission has insisted that its application to the Constitutional Court for leave to appeal the decision by the Competition Appeal Court (CAC) dismantling its case against 18 major banks was to seek clarity in the litigation of similar cases in future. This is as Commissioner Doris Tshepe came under a barrage of questions from DA MP Dean Macpherson on the competency of the Competition Commission in handling the litigation of the banks, which he said went as far as indicting people not working in organisations they were cited as being involved with. “There is a saying that when you are in a hole you should stop digging. Why is the Commission appealing the CAC judgment when every legal advice points to it not going ahead with the appeal?”…

AT THE END of October last year, the National Assembly swiftly passed the Climate Change Bill and referred it to the National Council of Provinces for concurrence, paving the way for its race against time for passage into law during this electoral term. The bill is South Africa’s first comprehensive legislation to encourage the development of an effective climate change response and states as its purpose: “To enable the development of an effective climate change response and a long-term, just transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy and society for South Africa in the context of sustainable development.” We must domesticate international law through local action. We are entering a new phase of climate action – and the Climate Change Bill, once promulgated, “will foster institutional coherence and enhance climate…

NEDBANK Group met all its targets in the 2023 financial year, in spite of increasing pressure on consumers’ finances and lower business confidence and investment in most sectors of the economy, CEO Mike Brown said yesterday. Ending the year with a strong balance sheet saw the final dividend raised by 18% to1 022 cents per share, at a payout ratio of 57%, the annual results showed. The share price reacted well, climbing by 3.34% to close at R223.74 on the JSE yesterday, at a time when the JSE’s banking index was down slightly by 0.38%. “Looking forward, although geopolitical uncertainties increase forecast risk, we expect the economic environment in SA to remain challenging, but improve off a low 2023 base,” Brown said in connection with the outlook for…

Theatregoers can choose between a powerful musical or new dramas starting this week. This is what’s coming up and what’s on now. Expelled On the back of the critically acclaimed The Beauty Queen of Leenane, How Now Brown Cow is back with another stirring offering, Expelled. The show has enjoyed a good run at The Baxter Theatre and will be staged at The Mannie Manim Theatre at The Market Theatre from March 7 to 31. This family drama homes in on the powerful world of social media. Alex, in matric at a private school, finds himself ensnared in a viral scandal, and suspended. The decision has far-reaching consequences for his family as well as him. Directed by Craig Freimond, this production, written by Rosalind Butler, was born from the production…

A 27-year-old Pietermaritzburg man has detailed how, under the instruction of an awaiting-trial prisoner, he killed a woman who was a witness in a murder trial. Nkosinathi Mathobela pleaded guilty to four counts of murder in the Pietermaritzburg High Court recently. The deceased are Lusanda Minenhle Zimu, 23; Nontando Ndlovu, 43; Thobelani Nduduzo Miya, 23; and Zamkuhle Siyabonga Phungula, 31. Mathobela said on October 1, 2022, he was at his place in Imbali drinking with a friend. A prisoner awaiting trial for murder, Mongezi Emmanuel Nyathi, called him and asked him to kill an eyewitness in his case, named Nontando Ndlovu. They friends were driven to the victim’s house. They entered the house, “and shot four people” before they fled in a getaway car, taking the victims’ four cellphones which…

At least 10 000 children have been killed in Gaza from the Israel-Hamas war according to UN estimates. With over 30 000 people dead, those who survive are said to be on the brink of starvation. One child has taken to social media to chronicle the harrowing situation in the Gaza Strip. Going by the username Ramdan Jazar, he wants the world to know how dire the situation is. In a recent video, standing in a pile of rubble of destroyed buildings, the youngster spoke about how people around the world are getting ready to celebrate Ramadaan, but there is no such jubilation in Gaza. “Children from across the world, they wake up to the sound of the Mesaharati (a person who wakes others before dawn to eat before their…

Many businesses and residents in Pretoria were plunged into darkness yesterday when City of Tshwane officials intensified the aggressive Tshwane Ya Tima campaign to cut off electricity and water over non-payment of municipal accounts. Tshwane targeted at least the top 1 500 defaulting consumers who collectively owe the municipality a total of R6.2 billion. Shoppers at Suncardia Shopping Centre, which houses Shoprite and other retail stores in Sunnyside, were left in darkness after the business property’s lights were switched off. The company is saddled with a R4 million debt of unpaid bills. Two student accommodations in town found themselves in hot water after they were disconnected for unpaid accounts, with one of them owing at least R2.7 million. Finance MMC Jacqui Uys said the campaign was aimed at recouping a…

Driving more safely is one of the best methods to cut petrol costs since it lowers some of the major expenses associated with fuel bills, particularly in light of the impending increase in fuel prices in South Africa. According to reports, the downward trend in petrol prices will stop in March, despite drops of R3.20 and R4.40 in diesel prices between November and January. Predictions were that the fuel price would increase by approximately R1.20 a litre from today. The CEO of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, says the only significant risk to soaring prices was expected to be geopolitical occurrences. “While this is welcome news, a petrol price over R20 a litre still presents challenges for fleets under immense financial pressure. Now, in the third month of the year, a significant…

Kevin Lerena can almost taste that heavyweight champion belt, and having recently sparred with Tyson Fury, he will take the next big step in Saudi Arabia on Friday night. The 31-year-old South African southpaw will face unbeaten Australian Justis Huni in a 10-round bout at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, which will be on the undercard of the big Anthony Joshua v Francis Ngannou heavyweight fight. Lerena is the current World Boxing Council interim bridgerweight champion, but has set his sights on the heavyweight division once more, having previously fought Daniel Dubois for the World Boxing Association (regular) heavyweight title in London in late 2022. His performance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium that December night gave him the belief that he can be a true heavyweight contender, after enjoying great…