Star -julkaisun 2023-06-08 -irtonumeron sisällysluettelo

BUSINESS confidence in South Africa has deteriorated to a three-year low due to persistent load shedding and challenging economic conditions amid rising interest rates and cost pressures. The RMB/BER Business Confidence Index (BCI), released yesterday, declined for a fifth consecutive quarter to reach 27 index points in the second quarter of 2023, down by 9 points from 36 points in the first quarter. This was the lowest level of confidence since 2020 and suggested that only roughly a quarter of respondents were satisfied with prevailing business conditions. The second quarter survey, conducted by the Bureau for Economic Research (BER) between May 10 and May 30, covered 1 050 senior executives in the building, manufacturing, retail, wholesale and motor trade sector. Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) said the decline…

Former DG says there is ‘irrefutable evidence of corruption through State Capture’ FIRED Director-General of the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) Kgathatso Tlhakudi yesterday asked that Parliament halt the Takatso Consortium’s 51% takeover of South African Airways (SAA), while calling for an independent investigation. He alleged there was “irrefutable evidence of corruption through State capture“ and said the Special Investigations Unit proclamation on SAA should be extended to cover the Takatso transaction, DPE Minister and officials’ roles. In a submission before Parliament’s Portfolio on Public Enterprises, Tlhakudi said the restructuring of the airline, which had this far cost R37.5 billion, with R243 million in consultancy costs alone, was fraught with fault-lines: from the DPE not performing the due diligence on Takatso by May 22 when he was suspended,…

FINANCE Minister Enoch Godongwana has made a final determination that Eskom not be granted a partial exemption from disclosing irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure and material losses from criminal conduct in its annual financial statements, the National Treasury said yesterday. This comes after Godongwana in April withdrew the controversial exemption granted to Eskom following a public outcry, also in a bid to allow for a period of further engagement and written technical input from all relevant stakeholders on the matter. In a statement, the Treasury said it had engaged with the auditor-general and considered all 56 public comments received covering a broad spectrum of accounting and reporting, auditing, governance, legal principles, and public interest issues. The Treasury also engaged with audit firms, professional auditing and accounting bodies, a rating agency,…

UJ Arts & Culture’s Hlakanyana: The Musical emerged as this year’s big winner of the Naledi Theatre Awards scooping eight awards including Best Ensemble In a Musical Theatre Production. It also won Best Director of a Musical Theatre Production (Janice Honeyman), Best Supporting Actress In a Musical Theatre Production (Momo Matsunyane) and Best Supporting Actor In a Musical Theatre Production (Sibusiso Mxosana). Hlakanyana: The Musical, commissioned for the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (Fada) Interdisciplinary Theatre Programme, was conceived, written, and scored online during the Covid-19 lockdown. The musical is a collaboration project of Madevu Entertainment, headed by the talented duo Zolani Shangase and Michael William Wallace and UJ Arts & Culture, with Momo Matsunyane as head writer and performer, along with Honeyman as the director. The Naledi Theatre…

l Principal accused of purging critics A sexual misconduct probe against the recently suspended Unisa registrar points to an alleged smear campaign orchestrated by Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Puleng LenkaBula. These allegations against the embattled Unisa VC, accused of purging those she does not like, are contained in a letter by suspended registrar Professor Steward Mothata, who on Tuesday appointed former Unisa head of legal services, advocate Modidima Mannya, to represent him against what he calls an “unlawful suspension”. This week, Mothata was slapped with a 90-day suspension by the university following allegations of “serious breaches of policy and acts of misconduct” levelled against him. The letter of suspension, signed off by LenkaBula, further accuses Mothata of “usurping powers” that do not belong to him as well as abusing his…

The Jacob Zuma Foundation will not take the Pietermaritzburg High Court judgment setting aside former President Jacob Zuma’s matter lying down. The foundation confirmed that they were going to appeal the ruling and pledged to urgently appeal it. Yesterday, the court dismissed Zuma’s private prosecution application against journalist Karyn Maughan and the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA’s) Billy Downer, with costs. Zuma accused Downer of sanctioning the leak of his medical records to Maughan. The foundation’s spokesperson, Mzwanele Manyi, said they were appalled by the “bizarre judgment”. “From where the foundation sits, the law is very clear on this matter: Section 41 of the NPA Act has been transgressed, and we don’t understand why the court made such a judgment. “Zuma is going to appeal. We see this as a travesty…

Following rampant shootings, reports of gunfights and several murders, Gauteng police commissioner Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela has led an overnight raid at the infamous Ehlanzeni hostel in Tembisa. Speaking to Newzroom Afrika during the operation, Mawela said the crime and fighting at the hostel emanates from rival gangs from KwaZulu-Natal, battling it out in Gauteng. “Within a short time, we have five incidents of murders and also five (other) people were nearly killed. Firearms were used. We drilled down to get the details as to what is the issue. We found that it is rival groups all the way from KwaZulu-Natal,” he said. “They are fighting for their own things from KZN, and now they bring their fight here, in this hostel. So, we felt there is lots of firearms in…

The gruesome Odisha train disaster in India reminds all of humanity of life’s fragility. Disasters continue to rock the world. A few months ago, the earthquakes in Türkiye graphically revealed mankind’s vulnerability to catastrophic events that changed the course of history in 30 seconds. One is the obvious, but profound disruptive nature of natural and man-made disasters, like the conflicts in Ukraine and The Middle East. Over the past 100 years, we lived under the illusion of being immune to the suffering and severe loss that accompany these monumental disasters. Many of us live in denia. As graphic events unfold before us, we witness the changing course of global history in the comfort of our insulated homes, ignoring the reality of life – altering changes that are impacting on humanity…

Around 10 000 Zimbabwean nationals living in South Africa have applied for assistance from their government to return home and resettle as the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) expires at the end of the month. Fewer than 200 000 Zimbabwean nationals living in South Africa on the basis of the ZEP might be forced to leave South Africa if the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria rules in favour of the South African government. Zimbabwe’s ambassador to South Africa, David Hamadziripi, said about 10 000 had heeded his office’s call for Zimbabweans seeking to relocate by end of June to register and be helped. “The government (of Zimbabwe) has indicated that it will facilitate the smooth return of those who wish to return home, and we will offer assistance to those who indicate…

ALARMING figures have spurred an international group of experts into action, including Professor Soraya Seedat, head of the Department of Psychiatry at Stellenbosch University. Seedat is part of a 40-strong team of global researchers who have published a groundbreaking article in the highly regarded journal Lancet Psychiatry. The paper maps out the risk factors associated with early death among individuals with mental health problems and presents solutions to tackle these issues. The extensive study takes into account a wide array of interrelated factors, such as poverty, social isolation, addiction and neglect, to create a comprehensive roadmap for mental health care reform. The data presented in the study highlights the urgent need for radical changes in mental health care policies. Mental health services worldwide have been notorious for neglecting and even…

Viewers have expressed indifference to Somizi Mhlongo and Mohale Motaung’s tale as the new season of his show, Living the Dream With Somizi, was announced. In a trailer that has received mixed reactions on social media, it was revealed that Mhlongo would be telling his side of the story after their acrimonious split. “The tea is about to be served hot and with an all-new season of #LivingTheDreamWithSomizi, where he changes the narrative and gives South Africans his side of the story,” says the trailer. Mohale told his side of the story on Showmax’s Somizi & Mohale: End of the Road, an unauthorised documentary that premiered last August. It gave a glimpse into their relationship, its public breakdown amid the leaked audio of Mohale accusing Somizi of abuse, and what…

AS THE Electoral Commission (IEC) continued its recruitment process for fixed-term contract staff, the public have been cautioned about fake job ads circulating online. IEC provincial electoral officer, Michael Hendrickse, warned applicants “not to fall victim to scams and fake job advertisements circulating online”. “The Electoral Commission is aware that social media platforms are used by scammers to take advantage of job seekers. “Applicants must be cautious before sharing their personal details online – double check the website address to make sure it is the official website address of the IEC,” he said. The IEC said it did not use recruitment agencies or political parties to recruit on its behalf. There was also no admin fee or any cost when applying to work for the IEC. Emailed, faxed or hand-delivered…

THE new Lexus LBX is the Japanese brand’s smallest vehicle to date, and it takes the fight into the premium end of B-segment SUV space. Revealed to the world on Monday, the Lexus LBX joins the Yaris Cross on Toyota’s GA-B global small car platform. The LBX is 4 190mm long and 1 825mm wide, making slightly larger than the Opel Mokka and marginally smaller than Volkswagen’s T-Roc. It also ushers in a new design philosophy in which the spindle grille is deconstructed into segments. Overall, we reckon it looks somewhat neater than the brand’s current designs. Inside the cabin, designers aimed for a simple and smooth digital instrument panel and a centre console with a commanding presence. Customers can choose from a wide variety of interior upholsteries and trimmings,…

BRAZIL are still intent on making Carlo Ancelotti their new coach and federation (CBF) president Ednaldo Rodrigues said he would use the national team’s friendlies in Europe to talk to the Real Madrid boss. Rodrigues said he would also approach the Spanish club’s president Florentino Perez and described Ancelotti as their first choice to replace Tite, who left the Brazil team after their quarter-final exit at the World Cup in Qatar in November. “He remains the Plan A and in this trip with the selection in Europe we can have greater clarity,” Rodrigues said on Tuesday in a media event at CBF headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil will play Guinea in Spain next Saturday and Senegal in Lisbon, Portugal on June 20. “The trip will be very significant for…

SPRINGBOK veteran Duane Vermeulen believes he can still make a difference for the national team on and off the field. Vermeulen, 37 next month, is without a team, with reports that he is likely to hang up his boots after the World Cup if selected, with a possible coaching role at the Stormers rumoured. To display his commitment to go the extra mile to be selected for the World Cup squad, the veteran loose forward wants to register with a local club in Cape Town in order to be eligible for the Boks, having ended his two-year stint with Ulster recently. “I believe you need to be affiliated with a club to play in the World Cup, and I’ve asked the Springbok management if I could be affiliated with…

AFRICAN Bank, at its 2023 half-year stage, is markedly different from a year ago as it pivots from an unsecured lending business to a fully-fledged consumer and business banking group. The bank now services 4.2 million customers, up 193% from 1.4 million customers a year ago. It has a strong balance sheet and cash reserves, after reporting a small taxed loss in the six-month period. Its consumer banking customers came under pressure from rising food prices, transport inflation and load shedding during the six months, and a consequent rise in the credit impairment charge saw it report an interim R44 million net taxed loss, compared with R372m profit at the same time last year. The Consumer Banking division’s credit impairment charge increase resulted in a sharp rise…

THE CENTRE for Development and Enterprise (CDE) has slammed the government for making poor policy decisions and failing to implement effective governance, which has led to sluggish South African economic growth over the past 15 years. In a report released yesterday, in CDE’s Growth Agenda series, the public policy research and advocacy thinktank argued that slow economic growth was overwhelmingly the result of bad policy choices and a catastrophic decline in governance, coupled with a devastating lack of leadership. CDE executive director Ann Bernstein said South Africa’s political leadership had been disappointing when it came to making policy decisions that could encourage investment and boost growth. Bernstein said one of the most important examples of where poor policy choices and bad governance had become a drag on growth was fiscal…

Prince Harry feared he would be “ousted” from the British royal family over rumours Major James Hewitt was his real dad. The 38-year-old prince made the claim during his ongoing phone hacking trial against Mirror Group newspapers at the High Court in London on Tuesday. His admissions as he gave evidence all morning included his claims he struggled at school, was afraid he would be kicked out of Eton and felt his relationship with ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy was “doomed”. He told how he had not realised Hewitt met his mom Princess Diana – who was killed in a 1997 Paris car smash aged 36 – only after Harry was born. “At the time, I wasn’t actually aware that my mother hadn’t met Major Hewitt until after I was born. This…

Ingredients Dumplings: 250g flour 2ml baking powder 2ml salt 60g margarine 50ml cold water Stew: 1kg stewing steak, cubed 25ml sunflower oil 2large onions, chopped 4 carrots, peeled & thinly sliced 1 packet Royco Beef & Vegetable Soup 600ml water Vegetarian Replace the beef in this recipe with cubes of aubergine and the suggested soup with Royco Minestrone Soup. Serve your veggie stew with the soft dumplings. Dumpling instructions: Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Rub in the margarine, add the water and mix into a soft dough. Stew instructions: Heat oil, brown onions, then add the stewing steak and brown. Add the soup powder mixed with 600ml water. Cover and simmer gently for 1 hour. Uncover and add the carrots. Carefully drop the dumpling batter…

A Durban man was attacked by armed robbers while watching television in his home. According to an incident report, at around 6.30pm, the victim heard a loud bang on the door. When the victim went to check, he found one armed suspect who told him to keep quiet as he drew his firearm. Three other males are alleged to have entered the home thereafter. The victim was allegedly forced into the bedroom, where he was covered with a plastic bag. The robbers allegedly locked the bedroom door while they ransacked the home. The suspects allegedly stole a 52cm television, a rechargeable electric light, a pair of Nike takkies, two cellphones, various items of clothing and 5kg of boerewors. It is further alleged they found the victim’s bank card and demanded…

Dr NANDIPHA Magudumana’s legal team is preparing to appeal the Bloemfontein High Court’s decision that dismissed her urgent application to declare her arrest in Tanzania unlawful. This is after the high court in Bloemfontein on Monday ruled that Magudumana had to remain in custody. The court found Magudumana was in fact extradited to South Africa, and not deported, but deemed this to be lawful as she had consented, telling officials she wanted to be with her kids. Speaking to SABC News, Magudumana’s lawyer, Machini Motloung, said Magudumana has given instructions that they should appeal the ruling. “After zooming into the reasons given by the judge in his judgment, we took instructions and we are of the view that the next process is to appeal the judgment,” he said. Motloung said…

UNISA Press, the University of South Africa publishing house, in collaboration with Freedom Park, will be hosting a walk as part of the institution’s 150-anniversary celebration. This memorable walk revolves around The Road to Democracy book series published by Unisa Press.the walk to Freedom Park Heritage Museum will start at the Unisa Main Campus on June 17. “This event is a unique opportunity for us to honour the legacy of those who have fought for justice and freedom in South Africa and to celebrate the power of literature to inspire positive change,” said Unisa Press director Dr Meiya Nthoesane. The Road to Democracy book series is a collection of books that tell the stories of people who have fought for human rights and social justice in South Africa. “These books…

SOUTH Africa is not unique when it comes to how we view what our cars look like and what it says about us. Think VW R Line, Kia GT Line, Audi S Line, Peugeot GT Line and Mercedes AMG Line. Hyundai comes to the party with their N-Line branding and in this case the new Tucson N Line. Based on the popular Tucson they have tweaked the exterior and interior to give it a sportier appeal as well as changing the drivetrain, placing it above the Elite 2.0D as the flagship of the range. Till now the four variations were only available in front wheel drive but the N Line has Hyundai’s HTRAC all-wheel drive system providing a welcome addition to the family. It uses the same Hyundai 2.0-litre turbo…

WHILE South African fuel prices remain stubbornly high in historical terms, motorists can at least look forward to lower petrol and diesel costs from this week. After the adjustments take effect you’ll pay R21.91 for a litre of 95 unleaded petrol at the coast and R22.63 in the inland regions, where the cheaper 93 unleaded will retail at R22.30. The wholesale price of 50ppm diesel, meanwhile, will drop to R18.99 at the coast and R19.70 inland, although retail prices, which vary between outlets, will be a few rands higher. How much will we save per tank? Refuelling a compact car like a Suzuki Swift or Toyota Starlet, assuming you’re putting 32 litres into its 37 litre tank, will now cost R701 at the coast and R714 inland (93 ULP), a…

PERCY Tau’s scintillating form for Al Ahly in recent weeks augurs well for Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos. Popularly known as ‘The Lion of Judah’, it is safe to say that Tau is roaring again, having led Al Ahly to the cusp of a record-extending 11th Caf Champions Champions League title last week. Tau scored in Ahly’s 2-1 win over Wydad AC in the first leg of the Champions League final – a feat that gave them the advantage ahead of the return leg in Casablanca on Saturday. And while his fifth goal in the competition this season appeased the Red Devils and their ultras, there is no doubt that Broos was beaming from ear to ear as well. On his arrival in South Africa, one of the Belgian’s priorities…

BORUSSIA Dortmund have agreed to sell England midfieder Jude Bellingham to Spanish giants Real Madrid for an initial fee of €103 million, the Bundesliga club said in a statement yesterday. The 19-year-old, who had been linked with several major European clubs, joined Dortmund from Birmingham City in 2020 for €25m, becoming the most expensive 17-year-old in football history. He quickly became a regular in the Dortmund side, anchoring the midfield and starting more than 30 Bundesliga games in each of his past two seasons in Germany. England manager Gareth Southgate made Bellingham the youngest English player to represent his country at a major tournament during the 2021 European Championship. He soon became a permanent fixture in England’s midfield, playing all five games at the World Cup in Qatar where they…

HEADING into the series decider in Kandy, South Africa A coach Shukri Conrad has faith in captain Tony de Zorzi’s leadership and his young squad’s natural ability to play an aggressive brand of cricket. The series is level one-all with one match remaining in Kandy. The tourists earned a four-wicket victory last Sunday, but the hosts bounced back with a seven-wicket victory earlier in the week. There were promising signs from captain De Zorzi and his troops in the first unofficial ODI with Dewald Brevis smashing an unbeaten 98, but the second match was a contrasting story. They were blown away by the hosts and could only put on 175 runs on the board. Despite the dismal batting performance from the top order batters, Gerald Coetzee (77) and Tristan Stubbs…

YOU can’t entirely rule out the possibility of Marcell Coetzee “doing a Stephen Donald” and making an appearance at the Rugby World Cup in France later this year. The 32-year-old is capable of playing in all three loose-forward positions equally well, and has been building a good head of steam over the last few weeks for the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup. But the franchise captain himself doesn’t hold out much hope of being part of the 33-player Springbok World Cup squad that will be announced by coach Jacques Nienaber on August 8. Coetzee featured for the national team last year – for the first time since before the 2019 World Cup – in the second Test against Wales in Bloemfontein, where a number of fringe players were given…

CARLOS Alcaraz predicted “the sky’s the limit” at the Madrid Open last year when he became the first player to defeat Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal at the same clay-court tournament. Alcaraz’s semi-final victory over Djokovic was their first and so far only meeting. Ahead of their blockbuster semi-final clash at the French Open tomorrow, we look back at the significance of that meeting in the Spanish capital in May 2022. The build-up In the quarter-final, Alcaraz achieved a milestone 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 victory over Rafael Nadal, having lost his two previous matches against his compatriot. In an eventful quarter-final at the Caja Magica, the then 19-year-old celebrated his 26th victory of the season. “It means a lot to me, all the hard work that I put in every day…

ENERGY transition, exploration and coal remaining the dominant mineral will characterise the global mining industry in the next few years, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) said yesterday as it released its Mine 2023 and Top 40 resource companies reports that include South African groups Anglo American, Impala Platinum and Gold Fields, among others. Transition to cleaner energies is dominating the global mining industry, although coal has remained the dominant mined fossil, especially in developing countries such as South Africa that are facing power deficits. Standard Bank has been defending its exposure to fossils to meet the continent’s energy requirements, with its exposure to oil and gas, coal and other fossils rising a massive 21% to R120 billion in 2022. Coal stocks in South Africa, such as Thungela Resources, have top performed owing…

IF ONE SPEAKS to entrepreneurs that have scaled their businesses amid the challenges they faced when starting, one of the biggest stumbling blocks most will mention will be lack of access to capital. In-depth research has also shown that many businesses fail due to little or no access to capital and effective capacity building programmes. Capacity building for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) basically means putting together measures that will assist them to grow their business, which could include, but not limited to, operational soundness, financial management, talent management and building a strong management team. Through capacity building, SMEs are more prepared to access various markets that they would not have necessarily accessed and also enjoy the support to access the financial capital that they may need to stabilise and…

VANS, ONE OF South Africans’ most beloved fashion brands, will be distri- buted by Ares Holdings in the country. Having launched in South Africa more than 20 years ago, Vans has a strong history in the country, with 11 retail stores in three major urban centres, an online store and distribution within multiple doors in key sport and lifestyle partners across the country. Ares Holdings will begin distributing the shoe brand on January 1, 2024. Ares Holdings SA will be the exclusive licence holders to distribute the brand within southern Africa. According to Lucio Simonazzi, a director of sales for Central East Europe and Distributors, the new partnership is a move that aligns with the brand’s future global strategy of elevation, segmentation and omni-operations. Ares Holdings was formed in Cape…

When there is a lot of expectation to follow up an Oscar-winning animation film, you either sink or swim, but not often do you get to thrive. Thankfully, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is fantastic. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse manages to deftly tell a sprawling story across multiverses that remain rooted in themes of family, identity and responsibility that the first film told impeccably. The second chapter in the Spider-Verse saga sees Miles Morales coping with the balance of responsibility that comes from dealing with Spider-Man but also how that affects his actions and the consequences. The film has Miles reuniting with Gwen Stacy and involves him being catapulted across the multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. However, when the heroes clash on…

PARLIAMENT’S Section 194 inquiry committee into suspended public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s fitness for office resumed yesterday, and immediately became embroiled in a heated row over whether the committee’s chairperson should recuse himself. At the same time, Mkhwebane was again without her chosen legal representation at the inquiry following the sudden hospitalisation of her recently appointed attorney, Hope Chaane. The renewed demand for recusal came in a letter from Mkhwebane to inquiry chairperson Qubudile Dyantyi dated Tuesday, June 6, in which she said she wanted the inquiry postponed until her attorney had recovered and could brief her counsel of choice. Mkhwebane said if the inquiry could not be postponed, she wanted arrangements made for Dyantyi’s recusal to be heard pending the investigation into an alleged bribery scandal that involved him, ANC…

After many years of ducking, diving and avoiding the courts, the multi- crime accused Michael Sandlana will finally have his day in court at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Monday. The Star provided an in-depth investigation into Sandlana and revealed a criminal syndicate allegedly manned by the leader of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC) Jerusalem faction. While it took years to bring Sandlana to book, and a plethora of allegations are still unaccounted for, the controversial leader of MG Modise’s breakaway church will finally face the music. Non-governmental organisation Right to Justice will apply to be a friend of the court in a bid to detail Sandlana’s deeds. This time Sandlana is in the box for alleged fraud, after his estranged wife was declared dead while she was still…

The KwaZulu-Natal Regional Court has sentenced a 29-year-old self-proclaimed prophet to two life terms after he raped two young girls during an apparent “cleansing ritual” in Kokstad in November 2017. Lucky Eric Thulani Sipho Khumalo lured the girls, 15 and 16 years old, to his house after he “prophesied” over them. Provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Robert Netshiunda, said Khumalo told the girls they were bewitched and they went to his house where he gave one of the girls a potion to drink. “The other girl was taken by his assistant to a nearby river for a supposed cleansing. Khumalo proceeded to rape the first girl. When the assistant and the second girl returned, he sent the girl he had just raped to the river while he raped the second girl,”…

MANY bus commuters in Tshwane were left stranded since Tuesday afternoon after Tshwane Bus Services drivers affiliated to the South African Municipal Union (Samwu) went on an unprotected strike due to disputes over overtime payments. Commuters, who were forced to make alternative transport arrangements at short notice, took to social media to express their disappointment at the unreliable transport service by the metro. Rethabile Pholo said buying a monthly bus ticket was just a waste of time and money because one, “won’t even finish a month using them (because) every week it’s a strike”. A commuter from Olievenhoutbosch was concerned that on Tuesday afternoon children were kept at a police station because there were no buses to ferry them home after school. “Why should they come in the morning to…

THE SAPS said it would not be dictated to on the pace of the investigation regarding the alleged involvement of an Eskom executive in acts of sabotaging the beleaguered power utility. Widespread media reports suggest that an unnamed Eskom executive is central to staging and carrying out breakdowns at targeted power stations. The breakdowns ultimately lead to load shedding. According to City Press, the Eskom executive, who has top-secret security clearance, is accused of appointing specific engineers to help ensure that breakdowns happen at certain power stations. The City Press reports suggests that the engineers and the Eskom executive then profit from the money availed to fix the staged breakdowns. However, when contacted, SAPS national spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said their investigation “will follow its own logical conclusion” despite the…

THE Transformation Alliance (TTA) has expressed concern about the rising incidents of gender-based violence in Soshanguve after the organisation learnt about a case of a 22-year-old woman who was raped, allegedly by her boyfriend’s uncle, on Monday. TTA leader Abel Tau said his party was informed that the rape incident took place on Monday, a kilometre away from where the body of murdered 17-year-old Palesa Malatji was found. Malatji, a learner at Ntsako Secondary School in Soshanguve, was raped and murdered on her way home after attending extra classes last month. Her body was discovered near the Echibini Secondary School in the township. The latest victim told TTA that the incident happened on June 5, in the morning, according to Tau. “She has since opened a case with a local…

Connie Ferguson shares a heartfelt tribute to her daughter, Ali Ferguson, on Wednesday, June 7, as her youngest child celebrates her 21st birthday. Taking her followers down memory lane, the Kings of Jo’Burg star, recounted moments leading to Ali’s most anticipated arrival, over two decades ago. “This time 21 years ago, I had checked into Parklane Clinic, getting ready to deliver one of the best gifts God has ever given me,” recalled the The Queen star. “As I sit here typing this, that morning is replaying in my head. The anxiety, the excitement, the anticipation! I couldn’t wait to hold you in my arms!” In her heartfelt Instagram post, Connie also hailed her late husband, actor and filmmaker, Shona Ferguson, for his roles as supportive partner and loving father. “Your…

The death of Rikhado Makhado, known as Riky Rick, has been a devastating loss, not only to his loved ones and family but to the entire creative industry. His mother, Louisa Zondo, spoke candidly about her grief and how she is healing through it all, and revealed that she charts her healing in her book, Dearest MaRiky (Jacana). In an emotionally charged sit-down on DJ Sbu’s podcast, The Hustler’s Corner, Zondo spoke about the struggles mothers go through. The Cotton King’s mother said the loss of a loved one is devastating and sad on its own, but worse when a loved one dies of suicide. “There’s something about a mother, because as mothers, we carry with us this beautiful tag of being the carriers and nurturers of children who come…

THE Ford Ranger has emerged as overall winner of the 2023 South African Car of the Year competition, sponsored by Old Mutual Insure. This is the first time in the 37-year history of the competition that a bakkie has won, and while the idea might seem strange to some, it fits the ethos of the contest down to a tee. Car of the Year is all about excellence and innovation, and celebrating vehicles that push the boundaries in their segments, and in many ways the Ranger has done that within the one-tonne segment. Watch the live reveal below: Ford also managed to scoop second place in the competition with its latest Everest, essentially an SUV version of the Ranger, while the Mercedes S-Class took third place overall. But it wasn’t…

BANYANA Banyana’s World Cup-bound goalkeeper Andile Dlamini is living the dream both on and off the field. Dlamini had an outstanding campaign during Banyana’s triumph in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations last year, winning the Goalkeeper of the Tournament award. Winning Wafcon saw Banyana qualify for the global showpiece which will take place in Australia and New Zealand starting in July, and Dlamini is expected to make coach Desiree Ellis’ final squad later this month. The 30-year-old struggled with injuries in recent weeks, but she remains the toast of South African sport at large, having recently won the SA Sports Star of the Year award. Dlamini, though, is also thriving off the field with her music career. One of her songs was recently used for background music in e.tv’s…

I never thought this day would come, as the PGA Tour sheepishly held out its hat and grovelled at the feet of the Saudi-funded LIV Golf tour. By now you will have heard the shocking news that the PGA Tour and LIV Golf on Tuesday announced a massive merger deal. How much money changed hands has not been revealed, nor do I suspect will we ever find out those astronomical numbers. I personally didn’t have a problem with the format of LIV Golf, though a tad gimmicky, but of course the tour’s source of money is much more problematic. The Saudi regime is reprehensible with its human rights abuses. The state monarchy’s involvement in LIV, through the funding of the series via its Public Investment Fund, has also been largely…

“TOUGH times never last! Only tough people do.” That was how Wayde van Niekerk captioned his latest Instagram post after winning his 400m race in Jamaica at the weekend, and those words couldn’t be truer for the 30-year-old track star at the moment. The 2016 Rio Olympics champion and world record holder has had such a torrid time in recent years that one wondered whether he would be really competitive again, never mind challenging his own personal best of 43.03 seconds. But after hard work following a 2017 knee injury, it seems as if Van Niekerk is back on the road to the top. He ran a time of 44.17 at the South African championships in Potchefstroom in April, which was his quickest time since 2017. Van Niekerk then decided…