Tabla de contenidos para 2021-12-03 en Star

Willem van de Putte willem.vdputte@inl.co.za HARD ON THE heels of the announcement of the new Ford Ranger, Ford Motor Company have invested a further R600 million into the Struandale Engine Plant in Gqeberha as part of an upgrade to produce the new V6 turbo-diesel engine and upgrades to the existing assembly line for the 2-litre single turbo and 2-litre bi-turbo diesel engines for the next-generation Ranger. In February, Ford invested R15.8 billion in their Silverton, Pretoria, plant to upgrade the facility in order to manufacture the new Ranger for both local consumption and the export market. The changes to the assembly line will enable the Struandale plant to run a flexible format, as it will produce the new 3-litre V6 turbo-diesel engine alongside the Duratorq TDCi engines. There…

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za EXXARO Resources, Eskom’s biggest coal supplier, expects an 8 percent de- cline in both total coal production and sales volumes mainly due to Transnet Freight Rail’s poor locomotive performance. Riaan Koppeschaar, the finance director of Exxaro, said in his pre-close statement published yesterday: “Total coal production and sales volumes are both expected to decrease by 8 percent, mainly due to logistical constraints and the disposal of Exxaro Coal Central (ECC) operations on September 3, 2021, being earlier than anticipated”. Poor locomotive availability, increased incidences of cable theft as well as increased vandalism of rail infrastructure have been some of the biggest headwinds for Transnet. According to the 2021 Mine Survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) released in October, chronic difficulties, particularly on Transnet’s coal rail line…

THE demand for commercial polli- nation services in South Africa has reached “colossal” levels. Farmers are worried that beekeepers won’t keep up, but honeybee advocates have another concern: the honey bees, which will be pushed to the brink to meet farmer needs. With an overdemand for and undersupply of pollination services, the operators could triple their annual output to take advantage of the burgeoning demand – but that doesn’t bode well for the bees. “The demand for the pollination industry is colossal,” says John Thornton, who operates Garden Route Honey Producers, a honeybee queen rearing business in Port Elizabeth. Orders for Thornton’s queen-right colonies have been increasing at an astonishing rate, as commercial polli- nators expand their apiaries to keep up. Thornton says that, due to shifts in the global…

SOUTH Africa’s Thriston Lawrence became R2.8 million richer on Saturday after winning his first DP World Tour title, The Joburg Open, at the Randpark Golf Club in Johannesburg. Lawrence was crowned the winner by four strokes after the tournament was first reduced to 54 holes because of the Covid-19 red travel list announced on Friday, then further reduced to 36 holes on Saturday because of bad weather. “It’s the best feeling in the world,” said Lawrence, who won on 12 under par, with fellow countryman Zander Lombard taking second on eight under and England’s Ashley Chesters and South Africa’s Shaun Norris sharing third on seven under par. “I played unbelievable golf over the past two days. I would’ve liked to have finished with a winning putt on 18, but it…

Anita Nkonki anita.nkonki@inl.co.za MEDIA personality Lerato Kganyago was left beside herself with happiness after revealing that she made her first billboard appearance for her beauty label, Flutter by LKG. The Metro FM host launched her own range of sanitary pads earlier this year with the aim of empowering women across South Africa and eradicating “period poverty”. The 37-year-old has been working on her self-funded sanitary pad line for a while. This is driven by the fact that some women and girls struggle to buy themselves sanitary pads and that is why some are not sold but given out free of charge. The star took to social media with a photo of the billboard with excitement. “Our very first billboard as Flutter by LKG. As a black female entrepreneur this is…

James Mahlokwane james.mahlokwane@inl.co.za AT LEAST 20 young people braved yesterday’s rain and walked from Joburg to Pretoria to raise awareness about drug abuse in Pretoria townships. The group of youth from Soshanguve and surrounding townships said they wanted people to know that more needed to be done to curtail the growing use of crystal meth by young people in their communities. Activist and Clean Up Hub founder Khutsi Malala was leading the walk for the fifth consecutive year since the days when he highlighted the wrath that nyaope was wreaking on the lives of young people. The walk will continue today and end at Mabopane railway station, where the drug users will be engaged and enticed to accept help, after sharing a cake with the activists. Malala and his team…

Thabo Makwakwa thabo.makwakwa@inl.co.za South Africa is known for its horrific fatalities from road crashes during the festive season as many holiday makers criss-cross the country. Between December 1, 2020 and January 11, 2021, 1 448 people died on the roads in 1 210 fatal crashes over the 2020/2021 festive season, compared to 1 616 people being killed over the same period in 2019/2020. Richard Benson from the Road Safety Action Campaign has warned of catastrophic road crashes and the deaths of at least 2 000 people as we enter the festive season. He said road laws were not adhered to. Benson said thousands of people were expected to die on the road from now until the end of January. “Nearly 90% of all our road deaths would be avoided if…

Siyabonga Mkhwanazi siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za The Supreme Court of Appeal has referred back the decision of the Speaker for consideration on the motion of no confidence in President Cyril Ramaphosa by the African Transformation Movement (ATM). This comes after an appeal of the High Court decision by ATM. The then-Speaker, Thandi Modise, turned down ATM’s request for a secret ballot on the motion of no confidence against Ramaphosa on two occasions. When the party tabled the motion it was before the country went into lockdown, but the matter has been dragging on in court. Modise has since left the national legislature after she was appointed to the Cabinet in August. She swopped positions with former defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula. The matter will now be looked into by Mapisa-Nqakula after the SCA referred…

Eshlin Vedan eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za AMAZULU’S first ever Durban derby against Premiership newcomers Royal AM at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday afternoon promises to be filled with entertainment off the field. Two of the PSL’s most animated figures in Usuthu coach Benni McCarthy and Royal AM owner Shauwn Mkhize (MaMkhize) will be on the sidelines cheering on their teams. KwaZulu-Natal derbies have lacked sparkle in recent years, especially with the clubs lacking the same level of fan base as their Gauteng counterparts. However, with Royal AM and AmaZulu having lofty ambitions, this clash promises to be one of the most lively Durban derbies in several years. While Usuthu should be favourites on paper, that will not be the case in reality. Royal AM have been one of the league’s surprise packages…

ZAAHIER ADAMS zaahier.adams@inl.co.za KAIZER Chiefs will look to continue their new-found momentum when they host Cape Town City in a Premiership showdown at FNB Stadium tomorrow. Chiefs have been a revitalised team in recent weeks, having finally been able to transfer coach Stuart Baxter’s training-ground instructions to their matches. An indifferent start to the season has been put behind them and Amakhosi have now won four of their last five matches. This upsurge in results has seen Chiefs skyrocket up the Premiership standings into second place. However, the stumble out of the blocks has left them with plenty of work if they harbour any ambitions of chasing down league-leaders Mamelodi Sundowns. The four-time defending champions have an eight-point advantage, with a game in hand, over their nearest rivals. Sundowns can…

Morgan Bolton morgan.bolton@inl.co.za WHIP out the clapperboard, scribble in scene United Rugby Championship (URC); Take: 2; Roll: Stormers v Lions, and tomorrow (5pm kick-off), as a frustrating fortnight and 2021 for domestic rugby comes to a potentially exciting close this weekend. The Lions will travel to Cape Town with a virtually unchanged side which was selected for the abandoned encounter against Cardiff Rugby last weekend, making only one change to the side selected for that match. Springbok Ruan Dreyer drops out of the match-day 23, replaced by another Springbok prop in Jannie du Plessis, who returns from his family responsibility leave. It will also be ‘Take 2’ for Edwill van der Merwe, who was supposed to make his debut for the Joburgers last Sunday, but will now have the opportunity…

MIKE GREENAWAY mike.greenaway@inl.co.za THE Sharks have been rocked by a long list of unavailable players ahead of their United Rugby Championship match against the Bulls in Durban today, but have nonetheless put together a formidable team including Springbok captain and vice-captain in Siya Kolisi and Lukhanyo Am. Before coach Sean Everitt announced his team yesterday, it was stated that a host of players – many of them first-choice Boks such as Aphelele Fassi and Ox Nche – could not be selected and that details could not be given because of the protection of privacy act. The list includes some serious talent in Nche, Dylan Richardson, Fassi, Yaw Penxe, Grant Williams, Ben Tapui (former Wallaby centre), OJ Noah (former Samoa flank), Eduan Keyter (former Griquas wing), Jaden Hendrikse, Sikhumbuzo Notshe and…

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za CASH FLUSH Tharisa Minerals paid its highest-ever full year dividend during the financial year ended September 2021 as profits doubled, buoyed by the strong metal price environment. Tharisa, which operates the Tharisa Mine in the North West, declared a 5 cents a share final dividend bringing the total dividend for the year to 9c a share, up 157 percent from 3.5c a share declared a year earlier. The 9c a share dividend represents a payout ratio of 18.5 percent and is higher than the group’s policy of paying at least 15 percent of net operating profit after tax. The JSE-listed chrome concentrate and platinum group metals (PGMs) producer ended the year with a net cash position of $46.6 million (R740m) and…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za MURRAY & Roberts Holdings (M&R), the South Africa-based multinational construction and engineering group, has built a robust project pipeline in a world where substantial infrastructure investment is likely in the post-Covid environment. The pipeline includes projects being negotiated on a sole-source basis, and it is anticipated the largest of these projects, worth about R20 billion, will be awarded to the group’s energy, resources and infrastructure platform during the current financial year, the group said in a business update yesterday. At the end of the year to June 30, M&R had an order book of R60.7bn, which included several multi-year projects. M&R said yesterday it was currently generating between R2bn to R2.5bn a month in revenue from its order book. It was maintaining the book value at…

Debashine Thangevelo debashine.thangevelo@inl.co.za Fans of Legacy aren’t surprised by the telenovela being canned by Multi- Choice after two seasons as rumours have been rife about plummeting viewer- ship figures. It’s sad, though, as Legacy has bagged the crème de la crème of South Africa’s actors – Kgomotso Christopher, Mary Ann Barlow, Michelle Botes, Dawid Minaar, Lunga Shabalala and Neil McCarthy – and notable guests. In recent weeks, Terrence Bridgett made his entry as Gordon’s long-lost love, Ramon, Lalla Hirayama joined as Akari Nakamura, Vignette Ebrahim sauntered on to screens as Marie Fortune, Camilla Waldman made her debut as Dimitra and even Nico Panagio made a welcome return to acting as Detective Marco Andino. At the 15th South African Film and Television Awards ceremony earlier this year, Legacy bagged 12 nominations…

Given Majola given.majola@inl.co.za FUEL retailers are appealing to the government to support their sector citing that the lack of its assistance hindered all attempts to transform the sector. The fuel retail business management services partner PetroConnect’s co-founder and director, Mark Harper, said this week that new retailers had to go through too much already, and on top of it all had to deal with other challenges exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. “We offer mentorship to the retailers and we experience this pressure from them in the light of these challenges,“ Harper said. He told Business Report that fuel retailers were still suffering with the effects of dropped fuel sales due to the pandemic, coupled with the effects and the after-effects of the July unrest that hit KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. Sales…

Thobile Mazibuko thobile.mazibuko@inl.co.za Much-loved South African gospel artists Sbu Noah, Ayanda Ntanzi, Hle and Thinah Zungu are headlining one of South Africa’s biggest Gospel and soul concerts, Soul Inspired. Presented by Kay 959 and SPAR, the virtual concert will take place on Sunday, and is free of charge. The aim of Soul Inspired has always been to uplift many hearts via music. However, this year, they will be giving back to the community. “This year, the platform will be used for much more than that. It will be used to support the Leratong Joy for One Foundation. The orphanage, in Alexandra, Joburg, will benefit as viewers are encouraged to make financial donations to the foundation. “The monies will be used to provide the children with better learning opportunities, a…

Bongani Nkosi bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za AS more than 580 000 learners across the country this week remained unplaced in public schools for next year, education insiders say provision of quality education across the provinces will solve this recurrent problem. In a presentation prepared for Parliament’s portfolio committee on basic education, the Department of Basic Education revealed that Gauteng had more than 276 000 unplaced learners by this week. It was followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 226 142, the Western Cape had 29 550 yet to be allocated a classroom, and the Eastern Cape had 28 219 unplaced. The Free State, Northern Cape and North West had fewer than 12 000 pupils yet to be placed. Mpumalanga reported that it had placed all who applied for schooling. In its presentation, the department…

Sonri Naidoo sonri.naidoo@inl.co.za AS PART of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign, the Gauteng MEC for community safety, Faith Mazibuko, has unveiled a safe Green Door in Duduza, Ekhurhuleni. The unveiling is part of the Gauteng provincial government’s response to the fight against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). The Green Door is expected to provide women with a sense of security and medical assistance they may need. Mazibuko said the Green Door is within 5km of the local police station, and offers victims of GBV services such as emotional containment, trauma debriefing and referral to the nearest police station to open a case. “The existence of Green Door acts as a halfway house to the police station. We need to ensure that women…

Mthuthuzeli Ntseku mthuthuzeli.ntseku@inl.co.za FIVE youngsters from the Isakhono se Sizwe Arts Project in Gugulethu have scored an opportunity to showcase their cultural dance and music skills at the Choregies Festival in France next year June. For Bophelo Molelle, 10, Ntlantla Thafeni, 12, Mlungisi Xhayimpi, 10, Namhla Tyheli, 12, and Sanelisiwe Fokotho, 13, the prospect of travelling to France still feels surreal. They are preparing for the moment of their lifetime and are determined to outwit the competition with their African inspired traditional and contemporary township dances and songs. Isakhono se Sizwe Project co-founder Bantu Ndika said they were made aware of the opportunity following the return of their sister organisation from a competition in Sweden. “The kids are excited, as to them, this will potentially be the first time they…

Sonri Naidoo ZULU King MisuZulu kaZwelithini has joined the fight against gender-based violence (GBV) by partnering with private entities and government to launch South Africa’s first GBV app known as Eyerus. Speaking at the app launch, MisuZulu said GBV was a generational curse that had to end and that the new Eyerus app is the solution that’s been long-awaited. “It gives me great encouragement and support being one of the leaders in the country who is part of the biggest tribal grouping in the Southern Hemisphere, which is the Zulu people. “Today I thank Eyerus for allowing me to pledge my support and give advice on where we stand as traditional leadership when it comes to what they are doing for us as a country. “It is a great…

Jonisayi Maromo jonisayi.maromo@africannewsagency.com President Cyril Ramaphosa is in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, where he is leading a South Africa delegation undertaking a two-day state visit. Ivory Coast is the second country Ramaphosa is visiting as part of his four-nation tour to West African countries. “The visit to Ivory Coast follows a successful state visit to the Federal Republic of Nigeria on November 30, which was marked by the 10th session of the Bi-National Commission (BNC) between Nigeria and South Africa,” said acting Presidency spokesperson Tyrone Seale. “Accompanied by a strong ministerial delegation and business leaders, President Ramaphosa is undertaking visits to four West African states – Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Senegal – as part of strengthening bilateral relations, co-operation on the continental and global level and leveraging for mutual benefit…

Orielle Berry orielle.berry@inl.co.za Curious Notions Reflections of an Imaginer Mike Bruton Footprint Press AS AN adult, he is one of our foremost science writers, offering innovative essays on a slew of subjects from the dodo to the coelacanth. He is also equally au fait with delving into technology, arts, creativity and innovation. But unlike many adults, Bruton is forever the wide-eyed child, displaying an innate curiosity about how things work, where they came from and why certain phenomena occur, along with wondrous excitement when he makes a new discovery. His books are fascinating, whether it’s The Annotated Fourlegs: The Updated Story of the Coelacanth, his tale about an amazing couple who take deep dives into all matters related to the sea in The Fishy Smiths: A Biography of JLB…

| AFP LIONEL Messi showed off his latest Ballon d’Or to Paris Saint-Germain supporters on Wednesday, but the Argentinian had a quiet night as the Ligue 1 leaders were held to a 0-0 draw by Nice at the Parc des Princes. The 34-year-old had been a pre-match doubt having reportedly picked up a stomach bug after going out to celebrate being named the best player in the world for the seventh time at a ceremony in Paris on Monday. However, he started against Nice in a PSG side missing Neymar, who is expected to be sidelined for up to eight weeks with an ankle injury, the latest setback in the Brazilian’s time in the French capital. Angel Di Maria and Kylian Mbappe came closest to finding the net after…

Stuart Hess stuart.hess@inl.co.za CRICKET South Africa (CSA) continues to play a waiting game with its Indian counterpart, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), over India’s tour to this country, with Virat Kohli’s men scheduled to arrive next Friday. CSA has had daily engagements with the BCCI since last Friday as it awaits word on the critical tour, which will comprise three Tests, three one-day internationals and four T20 matches. The first Test is scheduled to start at the Wanderers on December 17. CSA’s acting chief executive Pholetsi Moseki described the wait as a “fluid situation”. “Making sure the tour goes on is what concerns us here and now,” Moseki said. He had noted reports in India that the BCCI had written to CSA about delaying the start…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za SOUTH Africa’s economic hub, Gau- teng, will be opening up more vaccination sites in a bid to avoid the looming fourth wave following the resurgence in Covid-19 cases driven by the new Omicron variant. A fourth wave of Covid-19 infections in Gauteng could spread countrywide, resulting in stricter restrictions and derail the much-needed recovery after the economy was decimated by the recent civil unrest. The significance of rising infections in Gauteng is due to the third wave of Covid-19 that began in the province, the most populous in South Africa and which is vital to the country’s economic functioning. Gauteng accounts for roughly 34 percent of gross domestic product in South Africa. Covid-19 statistics in Gauteng show that 6 168 new cases were reported on…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za REBOSIS Property Fund had sold 32 office properties for R6.2 billion in the past three months, the proceeds of which would be used to deleverage the company, outgoing chief executive Dr Sisa Ngebulana said yesterday. He said at the release of the results for the year to August 31 that the successful disposals would reduce loan-to-value from 71 percent to about 42 percent, in line with acceptable loan-to-value levels for real estate investment trusts (Reits). “The transaction will restructure the business as a retail-focused fund. On conclusion of the deal, we expect to resume dividend payments to shareholders, provided that a stable macro- economic environment is maintained with no material tenant failures or prolonged economic lockdown periods,” Rebosis’s new chief executive, Otis Tshabalala,…

THE PURSUIT OF LOVE SHOWMAX Set in Europe between the two World Wars, it follows the adventures and misadventures of the fearless Linda Radlett and her best friend and cousin, Fanny Logan, as they seek out the ideal husband. RED NOTICE NETFLIX An FBI profiler pursuing the world’s most wanted art thief becomes his reluctant partner in crime to catch an elusive crook who’s always one step ahead. HIGH ROAD TO CHINA KIX, DSTV CHANNEL 114, 7PM In this classic 1983 adventure film set in the 1920s, spoilt heiress Evie Tozer (Bess Armstrong) hires drunk, roguish biplane pilot Patrick O'Malley (Tom Selleck) and his sidekick to find her missing father in China, before she loses her fortune to Daddy’s scheming business partner, Bentik (Robert Morley).…

Jamal Grootboom jamald.grootboom@inl.co.za THE film House of Gucci is an entertaining take of the Gucci family with some phenomenal acting performances and some not so phenomenal, but still offering an interesting story overall. Directed by Ridley Scott, House of Gucci is inspired by the shocking true story of the family behind the Italian fashion empire. When Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga), an outsider from humble start, marries into the Gucci family, her unbridled ambition begins to unravel the family legacy and triggers a reckless spiral of betrayal, decadence, revenge and ultimately … murder. By now I’m sure we’ve all seen Lady Gaga on the relentless press tour for this movie, including all her zany comments about how she stayed in character during the entire filming process and other wacky statements. And…

Thobile Mazibuko thobile.mazibuko@inl.co.za DURBANITES will be spoilt for choice this festive season as Samro Foundation/Concerts SA, and the Norwegian Embassy are hosting a series of Sundowners concerts at the BAT Centre. The first concert kicks off on Sunday. Durban pianist and recording artist Mthobisi Mthalane will be playing a 90-minute repertoire with his band which comprises Mzamo Zungu (drums), Andile Ndlovu (bass) and Vusi Mkhize (guitar). Sanele Mnguni and Bongani Mlambo will be performing vocals and Nhlanhla Moletsane, Luyanda Mchunu, Thembinkosi Khumalo and Manelisi Khumalo will feature on the horn section. Mthalane is from Impendle, Pietermaritzburg. The University of KwaZulu-Natal graduate (2007), who has a diploma in jazz and popular music, has worked with some of South Africa’s iconic musicians. These include Dorothy Masuku, Madala Kunene, Rebecca Malope and…

Nhlanhla Mbatha HE is most hated by men who cheat on their partners, and loved by women whose partners cheat on them. Molemo Katleho Maarohanye was born on June 29, 1980. Host of popular shows such as Uyajola 9/9, You Promised to Marry Me and Uthando Noxolo which air on Moja Love DStv Channel 157, Jub Jub was a child star discovered in 1991 when he partook in a popular Coca-Cola TV advert. Before he was convicted of culpable homicide for the death of four Soweto school children in December 2012, he was one of the highest-selling rappers in South Africa, having achieved platinum status. He and his friend Themba Tshabalala caused a serious accident when they were drag racing under the influence of hard drugs on a public road…

Anita Nkonki anita.nkonki@inl.co.za WITH all the devastation and disturbance that the coronavirus pandemic has brought to the lives of so many people, it’s thrilling to uncover that there were entertainers who kept people occupied on YouTube. On Wednesday, YouTube released news that at the top of their most-watched videos for 2021 were local media personalities such as comedian Lasizwe, the podcast by MacG, as well Rams Comics, who had people glued to their screens. These content creators dominated the top 10 trending videos category on YouTube. This is based on factors such as shares and likes on their content. The appearance on the list of Thulasizwe Siphiwe Dambuza, known professionally as Lasizwe, as driven by his humorous content, which keeps people going back to his channel for more of his…

THE SIXTH annual Showbiz Entertainment Africa (SEAfrica) conference, dedicated to showbiz, entertainment and the arts, took place in a hybrid format. It was aired live to the South African and Botswana creative markets from the AMPD Studio in Joburg’s Newtown Junction mall. “We’re excited for the comeback of the SEAfrica Conference with the critical theme of ‘Digital Audience Development’, as the entertainment industry navigates the world of Covid-19 and the immense challenges it brings, particularly for the creative industry,” said Peter Sibeko, founder and chairperson of SEAfrica. The conference, now in its sixth year, sought to assist, enhance, and promote arts marketing and audience engagement abilities among industry experts. It featured ways of growing and retaining audiences by staying current with internet trends and innovative techniques. Speakers included Relebogile Mabotja…

LB ANGOMA | Kelvin IT DEFIES comprehension how this government can authorise seismic operations along our most precious Wild Coast. The Shell company has a reckless and avaricious track record of decimating environments in other countries. The example of Nigeria’s Niger Delta comes to mind as a true and gruesome example. I find it most thoughtless and reprehensible for this government to give authority for this project by Shell to go ahead. One is tempted to think that, here we go again embarking on an insidious transaction that is going to profit some officials for the their own personal financial aggrandisement. Again, should oil and gas be found on a scale that is viable, how will this benefit the citizens? I want to believe we will benefit nothing…

AFTER escaping from Watford with three barely merited points on Wednesday night, Premier League leaders Chelsea face another tough test tomorrow in their London derby against West Ham United. Thomas Tuchel conceded that his side had been lucky to win at Vicarage Road but was keen to move on and focus on the task at hand against David Moyes’ team at the London Stadium. “It was a very unusual performance for us. I will not focus long on this match because we play on Saturday again,” he said. Chelsea, who have dropped points recently at home against Burnley and Manchester United, lacked their usual intensity and sharpness but Tuchel sees little merit in dwelling on that dip in form. “I see this totally as an exception from the rule. I…

ZAAHIER ADAMS zaahier.adams@inl.co.za MAMELODI Sundowns are gearing up for what on the surface looks like a fixture programme from hell. The Premiership champions travel to Stellenbosch FC tomorrow before hosting Royal AM in midweek, after which they have a Tshwane derby encounter against SuperSport United before facing Baroka FC, Orlando Pirates, AmaZulu FC and Marumo Gallants ahead of a seven-week break until February. “One must look at our programme very closely to see the challenges we are facing,” said Sundowns co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi. These challenges have been compounded with the champions suffering a “flu bug” within the team ruling out a few players, including midfielder Sphelele Mkhulise. However, Mngqithi is more concerned with a Stellenbosch team who have shown great improvement this season. Although the home team have just lost…

Ashfak Mohamed ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za CAN the Bulls forwards secure enough ball for Morne Steyn to dictate terms against the Springbok-laden Sharks pack? That is arguably the biggest challenge awaiting the men from Pretoria in their United Rugby Championship encounter at Jonsson Kings Park in Durban today. Sharks coach Sean Everitt was able to bring back a whole horde of players who had been on tour with the Boks in Europe in November, including centre Lukhanyo Am, wings Makazole Mapimpi and Sbu Nkosi, and flank Siya Kolisi. But perhaps the biggest impact will be felt in the front row, where Bongi Mbonambi will wear the No 2 jersey after his move from the Stormers, while Thomas du Toit will resume at tighthead prop. Ox Nche was not chosen, presumably due to Covid-19-related…