Índex per 2024-07-12 a Star

Watch Professor Terrence Kommal conduct an interview with Dr Pali Lehohla, former statistician-general of South Africa, about the impact of education on society. Lehohla discusses the challenges in South Africa’s education system, especially considering historical evolution and the ongoing industrial revolution. The conversation emphasised the role of education in societal progress, with specific focus on the significance of statistics and data analysis in decision-making processes. Kommal shared insights on the importance of resources and access to education, and emphasised the need for continuous learning and improvement in community support systems. Kommal highlighted the importance of providing resources and access to educational tools for all individuals in the community. He also stressed the significance of continuous learning and education as a means of driving societal progress and addressing challenges effectively.…

PwC has warned that the majority of South African consumers are expecting the biggest spending hike to be on groceries in the next six months, as a result of elevated food inflation. According to the PwC South Africa’s Voice of the Consumer Survey 2024 released yesterday, more than three-quarters (77%) of 1 009 surveyed South Africans are feeling the pinch of high food prices. At the same time, the report showed that 75% of local consumers ranked inflation as the number one risk they believed could impact the country over the next year, followed by macro-economic volatility (55%) and social inequality (40%). Anton Hugo, PwC Africa retail industry leader, said while consumers largely accepted the price increases of the Covid-19 era, they were showing little tolerance for continued rises, especially…

The financial services industry is one of the most tightly regulated industries in South Africa, and with good reason: your money is at stake. Regulations evolve as the industry evolves, and consumers of financial products and services need to keep up-to-date with the changes. Recently, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) outlined where it would focus its enforcement actions in the year ahead and its regulatory plans for the next three years, while the Ombud Council published new rules on complaints to the Ombud for Financial Services Providers, widely known as the Fais Ombud. Enforcement focus In its FSCA Regulatory Actions Report 2023/24, the authority identified several focus points in the coming year, including the following: ● Assisted online trading and signalling. The FSCA says it has seen an increase…

SIBANYE-STILLWATER has become the latest victim of cybercriminals after its IT systems were affected globally, it said yesterday. The dual-listed mining company experienced the hack four days ago, and alerted shareholders and the Information Regulator yesterday. Sibanye-Stillwater, which has operations on five continents and mines, among others, in platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold, said yesterday that it had contained its systems and was bringing them back up slowly in a controlled environment. The miner added that it was working towards fully mitigating the effects of the cyberattack. “While the investigation into the incident is ongoing, there has been limited disruption to the group’s operations globally,” the miner told shareholders. Sibanye-Stillwater’s spokesperson ,James Wellsted, told Business Report that the miner had yet to determine what sort of breach occurred, but the…

w Industrial Gas Users Association of Southern Africa (IGUA-SA) was establishing a gas-aggregator company GasCo, to stave off “natural gas Day Zero” for industrial users and ensure security of supply, it said yesterday. Sasol announced last year that it would be halting the supply of natural gas to downstream consumers in June, 2026, which would have a major impact on several industries Jaco Human IGUA-SA CEO said, “Gas aggregation paves the way for a more mature, transparent and equitable gas market in South Africa. “We anticipate that GasCo will be a platform to enable inclusive, effective, long-term participation alongside the government, Sasol, international oil companies, gas suppliers, transporters and financial institutions, all of whom would play a critical role in the process moving forward.” “South African industrial users of…

2024 has emerged as a year of groundbreaking innovation, cultural fusion, and heightened sustainability consciousness. From global kitchen influences making their mark on local menus to ecocentric food practices gaining traction, this year has set a smorgasbord of tantalising trends on our plates. As we savour the flavours and explore the new gastronomic frontiers, we cannot help but highlight the yuzu fruit. Yuzu is the fragrant and sour citrus fruit that is currently taking the culinary world by storm. It is making a name for itself, popping up on restaurant menus and in a growing number of product launches. Yuzu’s profile was raised considerably in the early 2000s when Ferran Adrià, renowned head chef of the Michelin three-star restaurant El Bulli in northern Spain, began championing the fruit. In recent…

The Nelspruit Specialised Commercial Crimes Court has convicted 50-year-old Nomthandazo Matsane and sentenced her on charges of fraud. In 2016, Matsane pretended to be an employee of the Kabokweni Nursing College, responsible for learner registration. Mpumalanga spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks), Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi, said Matsane swindled young people who wanted to train as nurses. “She recruited unsuspecting unemployed youth who submitted their application forms for registration at the college to be trained as nurses. “After receiving applications, Matsane informed the victims that they had to pay R12 500 each to the college for registration, uniforms and accommodation,” said Sekgotodi. “Matsane provided bank account (details) alleged to be of the college, where money should be paid into. Seventeen victims paid money into the account…

Several women across South Africa have in recent years fallen victim to elaborate romantic scams where they are hoodwinked into love relationships by strangers, and end up investing in fictitious schemes where they lose everything in the end. The scammers vanish after stealing the women’s money, leaving the women, who are often breadwinners in their families, out of employment, in huge financial debts, psychologically traumatised and unwilling to continue with life. IOL is running the #Scammed series, where dozens of South African women have frantically been knocking on doors for help, after being knocked in romantic relationships by men who are not easily traceable. In a desperate bid to speak out, the scammed women from different parts of South Africa have regrouped, holding hands in their bid to raise awareness…

THE decisive introduction of Cole Palmer and Ollie Watkins as 80th-minute substitutes in Wednesday’s Euros victory over the Netherlands showed that, even after 101 games in charge, Gareth Southgate’s claim that he is “always learning” is spot-on. Southgate was pilloried for his touchline inertia in earlier games, most notably after he waited until the 95th minute to bring on Ivan Toney as England were trailing to Slovakia in the round of 16. It had been a theme of his entire eight-year tenure that continued at the Euros and the more “outside noise” that developed the more he seemed to dig his heels in. However, on Wednesday he introduced Luke Shaw for Kieran Trippier at half-time, and though that, if anything, seemed to take the steam out of England’s all-action first…

IT is that time of the year when football clubs reveal their new kits for the coming season but the message from the Premier Soccer League’s (PSL’s) Parktown office is “hold your horses”. The PSL, the trading name of the National Soccer League (NSL), sent a circular to Premier Division clubs asking them “to put on hold the process of finalising their kit …” The Premier Division has been sponsored by DStv since September 2020 when it concluded a five-year deal to become the new title sponsor of the Premiership. Therefore, this deal will run for another season. DStv is owned by MultiChoice, a television company that is in partnership with the PSL to sponsor the reserve league, known as the MultiChoice Diski Challenge. The company also has an existing…

BHP will be suspending operations at its Australian nickel assets as a result of lower prices and an oversupply of the base metal. It said the decision to put production at Nickel West and West Musgrave on hold would be reviewed in 2027. The decision, announced by BHP yesterday, could result in job losses at the two operations, although some affected employees would be offered the option of placement across the group’s other operations. The West Musgrave nickel mine was in the early stages of execution after BHP acquired it last year as part of the OZ Minerals acquisition. It had been earmarked to be a feed source to the Nickel West smelting and refining assets. BHP said yesterday it was suspending operations at the two Australian nickel assets. “The…

The SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) has dismissed as “unfounded fallacies and misrepresentation” allegations that it intended to use the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) policy in its registration assessments and licensing processes. This comes after business federation Sakeliga, formerly Afribusiness, last week rejected Sahpra’s proposed BEE conditions for the manufacture, import, prescribing and trading of health products and medical equipment. Sakeliga said Sahpra was planning to make B-BBEE a prerequisite in the medical industry. In effect, Sakeliga said Sahpra intended to prohibit the supply of health products and medical equipment that do not meet B-BBEE requirements. “Such actions offer an alarming preview of the drastic consequences of an NHI system in which the state would have the entire medical supply chain under its control,” it said. “The B-BBEE…

Automotive components manufacturers missed about R30 billion in sales in 2023 due to missed local content targets, and are set to miss 60% by the 2035 target as well. This as the manufacturing sector in general faces policy, raw material, intellectual property (IP), skills shortfalls and funding challenges, participants at Nedbank’s roundtable discussion on the sector observed. The roundtable’s theme was aimed at highlighting the importance of promoting localisation efforts and empowering businesses to foster a thriving manufacturing industry. The National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers head of policy and regulatory affairs, Beth Dealtry, said while the sector had a very clear target of 60% local content by 2035 enshrined in the Automotive Masterplan, it had in the past 15 years been hovering around the 38% to 40%…

Gold is glittering on the JSE, especially in the past year, brightened by the allure of the precious metal whose price has remained elevated as a haven investment on the back of high interest rates and currency volatility. Gold stocks on the JSE include Harmony, Pan African, DRDGold, AngloGold Ashanti and Sibanye-Stillwater. According to Saqib Iqbal, a financial analyst at Tradequotex, the gold price has “increased by more than 15% this year” while the “bullish momentum can continue due to geopolitical tensions and anticipated US rate cuts”. There is stronger sentiment that gold can rise above $2 400 (R43 138) per ounce by the end of the year. Yesterday, gold rose 0.3% to $2 380 per ounce. This gold momentum has been providing support for JSE gold stocks that…

A sequel to The Devil Wears Prada is in the works at Disney, almost two decades after the original hit movie was released. The comedy, with its fresh dose of high fashion and hilarious one-liners, remains an all-time favourite for many across the globe, despite being released about 18 years ago. It focuses on aspiring journalist Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) as she navigates the cut-throat world of fashion journalism as the assistant to the formidable Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), editor-in-chief of Runway magazine. The movie was adapted by Aline Brosh McKenna from the novel of the same name by Lauren Weisberger, a former assistant to Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. A musical version of the original film, with an original score by Elton John, opened in London’s West End last October,…

In a groundbreaking move, e.tv has decided to broadcast its flagship soap, Scandal! all week long. The telenovela, which has been on air since 2005 and has kept viewers on the edge of their seats, will now air episodes on weekends, starting from July 13. For nearly two decades, the series has captivated audiences with its compelling storytelling and characters, which have over the years included award-winning actors such as Jerry Mofokeng, Natasha Sutherland, Kgomotso Christopher, Bongile Mantsai, Joyce Skefu and Sello Maake KaNcube. The channel promises that viewers can expect even more with the addition of weekend episodes. Here are some of the exciting new storylines set to unfold: Paternity and pregnancy drama: Tension escalates as Taps, Mdala and Tlhogi face unexpected twists in their journey to uncover the…

The Patriotic Alliance (PA) is not backing down on the call for mass deportation of illegal immigrants. The PA’s deputy president Kenny Kunene told the media yesterday in Johannesburg that the deportation was their top priority. “The PA is not doing anything out of the ordinary. Our call for mass deportation is born out of the provisions of the Constitution. So we want it to be implemented. “The Constitution does not say you must legalise the illegal immigrants, there is nothing in the Constitution,” he said. “Mabahambe.” Kunene said they were going to continue with the deportation of illegal and undocumented immigrants due to severe employment challenges facing the country. Crime, jobs and safety are some of the reasons that Kunene cited as challenges exacerbated by undocumented foreign nationals. “Any…

South Africa’s industry has to adapt to the requirements of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBMA) and reduce greenhouse gas emissions or lose the more than 550 000 units of exports market to the EU. This was a warning issued by Rudi Dicks, head of the project management office (PMO) in the Private Office of the President, on Wednesday. CBMA is a carbon tariff on carbon-intensive products such as steel, cement and some electricity imported to the EU and legislated as part of the European Green Deal, and it takes effect in 2026 with reporting starting last year. Dicks said the line had been drawn in the sand on the standards for the EU exports market, which should also serve as a benchmark for production for the domestic market.…

HISTORY was made yesterday in Hammanskraal at Babelegi industrial site when Harvest Group became the only company in South Africa to launch a non-woven fabric machine used for manufacturing raw materials for making baby nappies. Company marketing director Deon van Wyk said: “We are the only company in South Africa that has got this unique machine that can manufacture the five-layer non-woven material. It is called the SSMMS. That is very technical but it means it has five layers. One strand of the material is 1.6 denier.” To give a comparison, he said, the silk from a silkworm is one denier, making the product very unique to the market. “We have got an older machine that does three layers. But, this new machine is imported specifically for baby diapers, which…

ZANDILE Ndhlovu, South Africa’s first black female free-diving instructor and founder of the Black Mermaid Foundation, hopes to inspire many as she joins Discovery Shark Week 2024, set to premiere across Africa on Monday. Returning on Discovery Channel Africa (DStv channel 121), the programme promises more groundbreaking findings, exciting interactions, and a focus on shark experts in South Africa. Some of the most exciting episodes of the week will include Ndhlovu, Leigh de Necker, and Dr Alison Towner, pioneers at the forefront of shark research. By sharing her story, she says she wants to encourage people, particularly young girls from marginalised communities, to connect with the ocean and work to protecting it. “Joining Monster Hammerheads: Species X was an incredible opportunity to combine my passion for freediving and showcasing the…

Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie is on a mission to make the broadcast of live Springbok Test matches free to poor South African rugby fans, and will be tackling the matter at a special lekgotla next week. This comes after the SABC announced that it would not be airing the two-Test series against Ireland on the morning of the first match, played in Pretoria last Saturday. The Springboks are playing the second Test at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in Durban tomorrow. McKenzie, leader of the Patriotic Alliance, was in attendance at the packed Loftus Versfeld Stadium where the Springboks beat the Irish visitors 27-20. Posting on X on Sunday, the minister said that millions of underprivileged South Africans could not afford to watch the games on pay channel SuperSport.…

NORWEGIAN world record holders Karsten Warholm and Jakob Ingebrigtsen will headline today’s Diamond League meet in Monaco in the absence of American sprinter Noah Lyles, a late withdrawal from a stellar line-up. After two world records in Paris last week, Monaco is the penultimate meet before the Paris Olympics, the perfect opportunity for athletes to finetune preparations for the Games. Lyles, however, will not be there. The reigning world 100m and 200m champion and star of the Netflix series “Sprint” was meant to be running the longer sprint, but he opted to remain at his training camp in Florida for extra work as he builds towards the Olympics. “My coach, my entire team and I are very pleased with what we were able to achieve at the US Olympic Trials…

With the further decommissioning of Eskom’s fleet of power stations on hold, the power utility needs to start developing its fleet of renewable energy generation sources, Eskom CEO Dan Marokane said yesterday. Speaking at the Standard Bank’s Unlocking Africa Conference in Cape Town, he said that having to deal with load shedding had forced Eskom to look at restoring its operations, while “everybody else was taking advantage in the market while we weren’t looking”. Marokane said Eskom was over- coming its operational issues. It had land adjacent to its power stations available for the development of renewable energy, it was open to partnerships, and it had direct access to the grid system. He said that while coal-fired power stations were needed to maintain base load electricity capacity to meet industrial…

South Africa’s economic growth for the second quarter could stagnate with the productive sectors such as manufacturing and mining failing to grow in May due to slow demand, in spite of a consistent supply of electricity. Data from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) yesterday showed that manufacturing production fell by 0.6% in May compared to the same month a year ago, following a downwards revised 4.9% rise in April. Stats SA’s director of industry statistics Nicolai Claassen said six of the 10 manufacturing divisions recorded a decline in production, with the metals and machinery and automotive divisions the biggest drag on growth. “Manufacturers in metals and machinery products recorded a decrease of 8.1% year-on-year and the automotive division registered a year-on-year decline of 11.8%,” he said. “On the upside, four…

Residential property prices softened slightly in June on declining demand as the high interest rates continue making it difficult to sell houses. The FNB Residential Property Barometer released yesterday showed the House Price Index grew by 0.5% year-on-year in June, a slight improvement from 0.3% recorded in May. FNB senior economist Siphamandla Mkhwanazi said the low house price growth trajectory aligned with expectations given the persistent high cost of living and borrowing costs. “Notably, lower-priced segments and non-metro regions continue to perform better. Market strength indicators suggest a potential stabilisation in supply and demand dynamics, following a period of decline,” he said. “We maintain a cautiously optimistic outlook for the remainder of the year.” Mkhwanazi added that slower price increases and the possibility of interest rate cuts supported the bottoming…

In many instances trustees abdicate their responsibilities to their accountants or tax practitioners, leaving them to manage the trust’s tax affairs. A number of accountants/tax practitioners not specialising in trusts treat them similarly to legal entities such as companies, ignoring their unique tax rules. That may get their clients (and even themselves) into trouble. With the ever-increasing focus of the South African Revenue Service (Sars) on trusts, as is evident from the extent of information requested on the respective tax returns (eg the trust, beneficiaries, donor, and funder), taxpayers should heed the warning of Sars on their website that “While voluntary compliance is our first preference, Sars is refining its capability to detect and make it hard and costly for non-compliant taxpayers.” With trustees being the representative taxpayers of trusts,…

Troubled retailer Pick n Pay yesterday laid down terms for its R4 billion capital raise, offering 252.2 million new shares at a 32% discount, with the company’s stock dipping 3% in early trade on the JSE before overturning its losses for the day into a 0.91% gain, just before day-end. The company’s rights offer, announced earlier this year as part of a restructuring exercise to turnaround its plummeting fortunes, and losses will consist of an offer of 252 206 809 renounceable rights to subscribe for new Pick n Pay ordinary shares. Pick n Pay has set a subscription price of R15.86 per share for the rights offer share. Wayne McCurrie, wealth and investments analyst at FNB, said the financially struggling grocer was offering the shares at a 32%…

Ellen DeGeneres will be “done” with entertaining after her Netflix special. The former talk show host has confirmed her impending retirement after Ellen’s Last Stand … Up Tour hits screens later this year and her latest stand-up stint. Speaking to the audience at her show in Santa Rosa, California recently, she said when asked where fans can see her next: “Um, no. “This is the last time you’re going to see me. After my Netflix special, I’m done. “Let me catch you up on what’s been going on with me since you last saw me. I got chickens.” The 66-year-old star discussed the end of her long-running programme, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which ran for almost a decade from 2003 until 2022, but was marred by accusations of toxic behaviour…

The 90-page document with 3 962 beneficiaries, detailing all the artists and creatives who received funding from the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture (DSAC) during the Covid-19 pandemic, was revealed this week at the request of Minister Gayton McKenzie. The document publicly named the individuals and the amounts they received as part of the department's Covid-19 relief. The beneficiaries applied for the funding and their applications were vetted by a panel comprised of officials from the department. The funds were a once-off payment meant to assist the artists, creatives and sports people during the lockdown as no events were allowed. Payments ranged between R2 000 and R75 000. The document showed there were 166 payments of exactly R53 000 and eight payments of R75 000. Most payments were of…

The daughter of the former president Jacob Zuma could soon tie the knot with Eswatini monarch, King Mswati III. Nomcebo Zuma, 21, has been asked for her hand in marriage by the monarch. She is the daughter of Zuma with a businesswoman identified only as MaMhlongo. The Star’s sister paper, The Mercury, understands she will be introduced to the King Mswati’s mother in the coming weeks and unveiled to the nation during the Reed Dance in Eswatini. Public reports state that the tentative date for the Reed Dance this year is September 2. A delegation made up of senior members of Eswatini and Zulu Royal families visited Zuma’s homestead in Nkandla last week to present 10 cattle as part of kucela customary practice. The Mercury was able to confirm the…

I find it remarkable that so-called intelligent people and lawmakers cannot see that US President Joe Biden is showing all the signs of cognitive degeneration. Even Dr Sanjay Gupta, of CNN, has recommended that Biden take cognitive tests, which Biden has refused to do. A few examples: his jerky, stiff walking gait, with arms straight down the side. His slow movements such as the left hand to the face when talking. At times, he seems to be completely disoriented. The blank stare with the open mouth. His incoherent speech and voice that drifts off into a whisper. The wide-open eyes when making a point. He apparently closes his eyes for so long in meetings that people wonder if he has fallen asleep. The New York Times states that he “rants”…

ARTIFICIAL intelligence (AI) has swept the board in terms of technology usage to acquire, accumulate and use knowledge in practical and theoretical ways – which is why it’s vital that African languages be integrated into the development of AI technology in a bid to preserve cultural and linguistic heritage. This is according to Professor Kwesi Kwaa Prah, a sociology professor and the founder and Director of the Centre for Advanced Studies of African Society, who delivered a presentation at a recent meeting at the Pretoria Design Justice AI Institute hosted by the University of Pretoria (UP). The Design Justice AI Institute is a global humanities institute sponsored by a consortium of humanities centres and institutes and the Mellon Foundation. The institute explores “community-centred, humanistic and interdisciplinary engagement of generative AI”…

A Tembisa, Ekurhuleni, man who sold his land and later returned to claim the property after an RDP house was built, is fighting to convince the court that he is the rightful owner of the property. The Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, said that there was no evidence which proved that the seller, Lawrence Mashamaite, owned the sold land to Thobedi Collins Mohlala. According to court papers, Mohlala purchased the land from Mashamaite for R8 000 in June 2001. The first instalment, apparently paid on signing the agreement, was R4 000, and the balance was to be settled in monthly instalments of R500, with the final instalment paid in February 2002. After completing the payment, Mohlala improved the property by constructing seven rooms, which he rented out to tenants.…

Seventy years ago, China launched “Five Principles of Peaceful coexistence” aimed at ameliorating the dangers and threats posed by growing unilateralism in the international world order. With a greater emphasis on mutuality and equality, the principles provide a set of basic norms for peaceful coexistence among countries across political, security, economic and diplomatic domains. The five principles, which are consistent with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the UN, have become the cornerstone of China’s foreign policy. A “peaceful coexistence” is a formula for a “shared future” and “win-win” international relations architecture that the founding fathers and mothers of modern China have chosen as the fundamental building blocks in the country’s meteoric development through the latter part of the 21st century. No wonder, therefore, that in the end,…

THE partnership between DStv Premiership side Richards Bay and energy tycoons Phakwe Gas sent a ripple through the division after their R100 million sponsorship announcement. As part of their plans to progress from relegation candidates every season, the Natal Rich Boyz have tapped into one of the biggest businesses in the country by getting Phakwe Group on board. The CEO of the multifaceted group, Thabiso Tenyane, a global leader, investor and entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in managing multibillion- rand global businesses in industries that include information and communication technology (ICT), energy, aviation and engineering, graced the unveiling of the partnership in Richards Bay on Wednesday. He provided detailed information on how the R100 million deal, signed for three years, would be allocated, with R20 million per season…