Table of contents for 2023-02-10 in Star

IT IS VERY difficult to find evidence supporting the conclusion that André de Ruyter’s three-year tenure as Eskom chief executive has stabilised and improved the power utility. In fact, De Ruyter’s tenure has seen Eskom deteriorating further into the abyss despite a number of opportunities he was presented with to salvage the crisis. So, in order to measure his performance at the helm of Eskom, let us go down the rabbit hole and look at how De Ruyter fared in 10 key metrics, in no particular order. 1. Leadership Though he was punted as a “turn-around strategist” due to a career spanning more than 30 years in senior management roles, it quickly became evident that he was out of his depth at Eskom. Apathetic behaviour by some management has exacerbated…

THE SHARES of British American Tobacco (BAT), a favoured stock among South African asset managers, closed 2.42% lower at R645 on the JSE yesterday, even though the stock market in London, where it is also listed, rose to just shy of its all-time highs. BAT reported a 7.7% rise in revenue to £27.6 billion (R587.2bn) for the year to December 31, 2022, while operating profit was up 2.8% to £10.5bn, but diluted earnings per share fell 1.3% to 291.9 pence. The group forecast a 3% to 5% organic constant currency growth in revenue for 2023, a year during which global tobacco industry volumes were expected to decline 2%. Management said the push to sell more “New Category” tobacco pro- ducts, such as vapes and electronic cigarettes, boosted revenue for…

ARCELORMITTAL South Africa (Amsa) yesterday reported its earnings for the full year ended December 2022 dropped 62% due to higher input costs, load shedding and Transnet’s rail network challenges. In its group financial results for the six months ended December 31, 2022, the largest steel producer said headline earnings dropped by 62% to R2.6 billion. Amsa said crude steel production decreased by 20%, or 618 000 tons, from 3 million tons in 2021 to 2.4 million tons in 2022. There was a 20% drop in crude steel production and the cost of its basket of raw materials increased by 38%, driven by a more than doubling of the cost of imported coking coal. The group said globally, steel prices had declined at a faster rate than raw…

Van’s Auctioneers will be offering a host of high-value mixed-use properties in Johannesburg in an online auction on March 8 and 9. The agri and commercial properties, with development potential, will be offered as packages in various lots, and, in some cases, together. The first group of properties, measuring about 62 hectares in total, comprises retail buildings, offices, a warehouse, a lapa, other outbuildings, training facilities and a partially built packing store. It also has a fodder shed, covered roof for cattle, broiler house for chickens, various houses, garages and workshops. The second lot, of about 45ha, consists of natural grazing and wastelands, as well as two pigsties, a large shed, a house and various other buildings and roads. The farm portions have a water licence that allows for 51…

Emotions ran high as Bulelani Qolani, who was dragged out of his shack naked by Cape Town’s Anti-Land Invasion Unit, recounted the morning of July 1, 2020. The Anti-Land Invasion Unit was at the time carrying out evictions in the area during the lockdown, without a court order. Qolani launched his damages claim against the city on Wednesday. He said the officers violated him in full view of his community He is suing the city for R1.426 million for damages he suffered during what he said were unlawful evictions. At the time of the lockdown, Qolani said he was renting as a backyard dweller, with his family in Makhaza. In April 2020, when he lost his job as a taxi driver, they occupied vacant land in Empolweni, Makhaza. The piece…

South African-born, US-certified life mastery coach, author and global HR leader, Thuleleni “Thule” Gcanga, tomorrow launches her book, emPOWERed: Transmuting Limiting Beliefs into Stepping Stones to Build the Life I Love. Her belief is that within each one of us is the same seed of greatness that grows from an acorn into a massive oak. She is passionate about elevating others’ success, which is evident from the book. With this read, Gcanga aims to inspire and empower humanity to disentangle itself from its past and focus on bettering itself and being intentional in creating the life it wants. The book emanates from her life mastery coaching principles and uses her own life experiences to demonstrate how these can typically shape the trajectory of one’s life. She provides tools that empower…

POLITICAL and human rights activist Mary de Haas has accused Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola of being appointed irregularly, saying he never received “the proper security clearance”. De Haas further accuses Masemola of appointing General Dumisani Khumalo to the head of crime intelligence post without a security clearance, and has asked Parliament to pay urgent attention to the security threat posed by these grossly irregular appointments to the “crisis-ridden” police service. This has emerged in a letter written to National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, the intelligence oversight and police portfolio committees and the inspector-general of intelligence, and sent last week. Masemola has been at the helm since the end of March 2022, while Khumalo was appointed last year. In the letter, De Haas wrote about “the grossly irregular SAPS management appointments”.…

The memorial service of murdered Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) student Ntokozo Xaba yesterday was a sombre affair, with mourners making renewed commitments to fight gender-based violence (GBV) at all costs. The university hosted a special memorial service for the third-year integrated communication student at the Soshanguve Campus, after the 21-year-old was stabbed to death at Ekhaya Junction campus residence on February 2. SRC president Sizwe Nyambi said students, like the rest of the country, were concerned that GBV was spiralling out of control, despite the country having a stellar Constitution in place. Nyambi said it was for this reason that they wanted drastic steps to be taken to ensure perpetrators were dealt with harshly. The government, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, and the university had invested in students…

Ronwen Williams is in tune with the task of playing in the Champions League, as that was one of his primary objectives when he joined Mamelodi Sundowns. Williams joined Sundowns during the close season, ending a long stay with rivals SuperSport United, where he had played since a youth player. The 31-year-old has adapted seamlessly at his new club, ascending as the club’s No 1 where he has kept 16 clean sheets in 22 matches across all competitions. Of those were 19 in the Premiership as Sundowns put plenty of distance between them and the chasing pack to lead the league by 23 points. But Williams doesn’t want to take sole credit for their impressive defensive record as he has conceded just six goals, saying that it has been a…

WHILE trying to defend his title at the Phoenix Open this weekend, Scottie Scheffler also has an eye on getting back to the top of the world rankings. Scheffler, who is at No 2, has a chance to reclaim top spot this week at TPC Scottsdale, and even though he’s aware the rankings sometimes don’t correlate to who is playing the best golf at a specific point in time, Scheffler would still like to improve his positioning. “It’s just kind of one of those funny things. Right now I’m ranked No 2, but I would say I’m not playing the second best golf in the world; I think Rory (McIlroy) and Jon (Rahm) are pretty much neck-and-neck for playing the best golf in the world right now, so the rankings…

THE return to fitness of former Blitzboks star Werner Kok could be just the tonic the Sharks need as they shrug off the disappointment of their heavy loss to the Stormers last week and turn their attention to the Lions at Ellis Park. The Durbanites have a welcome break this week after their marathon block of Champions Cup and United Rugby Championship games ended with a URC humiliation in Durban at the hands of their arch rivals from the Cape. The Sharks had been overseas for some time and had enjoyed a spectacular win over Edinburgh in the Scottish capital but when they returned home, they were completely flat against the Capetonians, who comfortably won 46-19. A frustrated man in the stands at Hollywoodbets Kings Park was Kok, the effervescent…

SPUR CORPORATION said yesterday it had managed to achieve a strong performance for its half year, despite the impact of load shedding and higher inflation. In its trading statement for the six months ended December 31, 2022, the group said franchised restaurant sales for the period were 31.5% higher than the already improved sales base achieved in the six months to December 2021. Sales for the period were 21.1% higher than the six months from January 2022 to June 2022. “This is evidence that the group’s strategic direction is gaining momentum,” it said. South African market conditions remained challenging, with higher inflation and a dramatic increase in the level of load-shedding hours, which directly affected the supply chain. “Despite the mounting pressure on disposable income, the group continued to…

SOUTH African theatre and TV legend Louis van Niekerk, 87, has died. The veteran actor succumbed to a short illness on February 7 at the Netcare Milpark Hospital, Johannesburg. The industry stalwart was best known for his roles in TV series like Egoli: Place of Gold, and, more recently, Getroud Met Rugby, as well as in movies like Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom and The Fourth Reich. He also acted in classical theatre stage productions by Shakespeare. Sandi Schultz, a close family friend, said: “A short while ago he became ill, but was well taken care off by his doctor at Netcare Milpark Hospital. He spent a further two weeks there before he passed away peacefully.” She said unlike the rest of his friends and industry colleagues, she knew Van…

NUMEROUS Metrobus passengers and the driver have been injured in a multiple vehicle crash. On Wednesday, a City of Johannesburg (CoJ) Metrobus was involved in a crash on Edenvale Road, off the N12 East, at about 5.22pm while it was en route to Johannesburg’s inner city from Isando. The Ekurhuleni Disaster & Emergency Management Services (DEMS) said it was believed that a truck from N12 west was off-ramping to Edenvale when its brakes failed and it collided with several vehicles before crashing into a fully loaded bus and pushing it across the road. Four critically injured passengers were airlifted and two were transported by ambulance. DEMS confirmed that 53 people were treated on the scene, while 30 with moderate injuries and 17 with minor injuries were transported to several…

What a pathetic comment by our acting chief executive of SA Tourism. It clearly indicates, once again, that the ANC is incapable of governing this country. This huge amount of money could be utilised in areas of government needing urgent remedial attention. It’s not going to fix our problems at Eskom but it will certainly help in other areas of government. If there are minor ministries with funds not utilised, these funds should be redirected to the more urgent matters this country needs to attend to at this moment in time. I just wonder what kick-backs there are for an investment of this nature and whose gravy train will be running more smoothly.…

There is no Cabinet reshuffle, no matter how sweeping, nor any presidential address, no matter how polished, that can shine up and restore the state of the nation right now. To ring-fence a state of disaster around the nation’s energy crisis is simply not enough, for there is a state of disaster around the entire ANC government, and its President Cyril Ramaphosa. Until this is addressed, we will continue to experience the wholesale disintegration, depletion and distress of a once precious democracy. The ruin in the governing party, long in the making, is now so deeply ingrained that the once dazzling promise of the ANC may have forever lost its lustre. There has been little restoration or renewal of the ANC under the Ramaphosa years, rather the party’s timber has…

JOSE Riveiro will lead Orlando Pirates in the Nedbank Cup with the same goal of winning the competition after already securing the MTN8. After winning the first silverware of the season, expectations were on Pirates to challenge for the rest of the competitions – the Premiership title and Nedbank Cup. But Pirates have blown hot and cold in the league and now their only realistic target is the runners-up spot as they trail log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns by 27 points. Pirates’ pursuit for that coveted second position on the log, which guarantees automatic qualification for the Caf Champions League, will be on hold this weekend though. They will turn their focus to the Nedbank Cup, where a triumphant run will guarantee them a spot in the Confederation Cup. With…

IRELAND going into tomorrow’s Six Nations blockbuster against France as favourites is a testament to head coach Andy Farrell having allowed the players the freedom to express themselves, Irish rugby great Tony Ward said. Ireland rugby icon Johnny Sexton may have been the on the field general who has inspired them to top the world rankings. However, Ward insists Farrell has been a revelation since he took over after the 2019 Rugby World Cup. The former English rugby league superstar succeeded Joe Schmidt, the man he had served as an assistant for several years and together had brought the Irish a 2018 Six Nations Grand Slam. He had to pick up the pieces after another disappointing World Cup and when results failed to improve in his first year in charge…

TEAM South Africa will look to build on the momentum gained at last year’s Youth World Championships when they touch down in Belgrade, Serbia, for the International Mixed Martial Arts World Championships this weekend. South Africa will send 11 athletes (eight seniors and three juniors) to the biggest MMA tournament in Europe. Forming part of the BRAVE Serbia International Combat Week, the IMMAF World Championships kick off tomorrow. The eight-day festival of fighting will include IMMAF certification courses and the amateur MMA awards, before BRAVE Combat Federation’s 69th MMA event closes out activities in the Stark Arena with a nine-fight card that includes a unification bout between interim BRAVE CF lightweight champion Abdisalam Kubanychbek and Kamil Magomedov next Saturday. Team SA will be one of 63 teams from around the…

An emotional Steve Barker showed remarkable restraint when delivering a moving tribute to fallen star Oshwin Andries in Cape Town on Wednesday. Stellenbosch FC head coach Barker shared his thoughts on Andries’ burgeoning career that was tragically cut short a few days ago. From the time Andries played for the club’s reserve side in the Diski Challenge to when he graduated to Stellies’ Premiership side, he was a shining star. His progress did not go unnoticed and the 19-year-old midfield prodigy was named captain of the South African Under-20 team last year. Andries was a member of the Stellenbosch team that won the Diski Challenge last year, and part of their prize was a trip to England to play in a Premier League Next Generation Cup competition. Andries had an…

Ramaphosa last night said that restoring energy security was the government’s most immediate priority THE SOUTH African government has taken the bold but controversial step to declare the ongoing energy crisis as a National State of Disaster and will be appointing a new Minister of Electricity dedicated to ending load shedding. These were the most prominent measures announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his State of the Nation Address (Sona) in Parliament in Cape Town last night. South Africa is currently in the grip of an enduring electricity crisis which has crippled economic activity and stunted growth forecasts as a result of breakdowns of Eskom’s coal fleet. Ramaphosa yesterday said that restoring energy security was the government’s most immediate priority in this Sona, adding that the energy crisis was an…

KAAP AGRI, the agricultural retail services group, increased revenue 73.8% in the first quarter of its 2023 financial year, chief executive Sean Walsh said in a voluntary update released yesterday at its annual meeting. The share price closed 3.09% higher at R41.75 on the JSE yesterday. On a like-for-like basis, excluding newly acquired PEG Retail Holdings, revenue increased 17.8% compared to the first three months of the prior year, due to slow retail and agri performance, while inflation was at 26%, and at 12.5% when excluding the impact of fuel price inflation. Transaction growth was at 6.3% and increased by 193.6% when including PEG. Gross profit growth was below turnover growth, largely due to fuel price inflation and lower fuel price opportunity profits realised, said Walsh. Total group fuel litres…

AKA is one of South African music’s most prolific producers. But is he the GOAT? Rapper and record producer AKA shared a thread of tweets in which he proposed that he has a case for being the greatest SA hip hop producer of all time. While AKA is a household name in South Africa for his talent as a rapper, not many know that he’s also a prolific producer in his own right. “Statistically speaking … since I’ve produced 90% of all my music … surely I am the greatest SA Hip Hop producer of all time. Statistically,” he tweeted. “Surely as a producer I have put up more number 1’s than any producer in the history of SA Hip Hop.” Seemingly in awe of this realisation, he added: “Oh…

President announces R1.5 trillion energy plan and new electricity minister The Minister of Electricity will focus full-time and work with the Eskom board and management on ending load shedding and ensuring that the Energy Action Plan is implemented without delay. Through the Just Energy Transition Investment Plan, R1.5 trillion will be invested in the South African economy over the next five years in new frontiers such as renewable energy, green hydrogen and electric vehicles, said President Cyril Ramaphosa in his State of the Nation Address (Sona) last night. He also clarified that the Minister of Public Enterprises would remain the shareholder representative of Eskom and steer the restructuring of Eskom, ensure the establishment of the transmission company, oversee the implementation of the just energy transition programme, and oversee the establishment…

MARITZBURG United are savouring the prospects of dumping Kaizer Chiefs out of the Nedbank Cup tonight when they clash at the Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg (kick-off 7.30pm) Chiefs have had a rough ride this season and the Nedbank Cup represents their last hope of salvaging silverware for the first time in six years. But Maritzburg coach Fadlu Davids was warned: “We are playing to win.” The Maritzburg and Chiefs showdown is one of three all-DStv Premiership ties in the Nedbank Cup last-32 round, and these games all hold out the prospect of being 'cupsets' this weekend. The other two all-Premiership ties are Stellenbosch FC v Swallows FC and Cape Town City v Royal AM. Davids is banking on home-ground advantage and feels Chiefs' desperation may derail their hopes of…

LIFE as Everton coach could not have got off to a better start for Sean Dyche but all eyes will be on Anfield in the latest round of Premier League fixtures as Liverpool host their Merseyside rivals looking to bring them back down to earth. Hoping to build on their 1-0 victory over league leaders Arsenal last weekend on Dyche’s first outing in the Everton hotseat, it does not get easier for the new boss with Liverpool up next. The only consolation for Dyche is that this version of Liverpool is a shadow of the side that went so close to an unprecedented quadruple of trophies last term. Most experts tipped Liverpool to be Manchester City’s nearest challengers for the title this season, but Jurgen Klopp’s side are languishing in…

RILEE Rossouw finally found his groove with the bat in the first SA20 semi-final and chipped in with the big wicket of Eoin Morgan to push the Pretoria Capitals through to the final of the inaugural edition of the tournament. Rossouw is known for his heroics with the bat, but not so much for his bowling skills. But the 33-year-old rolled-up his sleeves on Wednesday and got the ball to do the talking. He grabbed the all-important wicket of former England captain Morgan and conceded only three runs in his solitary over. “Theunis (de Bruyn) asked if I wanted to bowl and I said put me in I’m ready because I knew David Miller would not want to go out to me,” said Rossouw. “We spoke a bit at practice,…

AS the Women’s T20 World Cup starts in South Africa today, we pick five cricketers to watch. Shafali Verma: India At the end of January, Verma led India to victory in the Under-19 World Cup. Barely two weeks later, the 19-year-old batter is back in South Africa to help India in their bid to win the women’s T20. As a child she disguised herself as a boy in order to play, but after breaking into the senior women’s game, there has been no stopping her. Youngest international, youngest to score 50, which she did against the West Indies in her first series, and the youngest to play in all three formats for India. Her aggressive batting style has resulted in the nickname ‘Lady Sehwag’, after explosive Indian men’s opener Virender…

ROYAL AM coach John Maduka says he feels no pressure to prove himself after his return to the club earlier this month. The 52-year-old departed ‘Thwihli Thwahla’ at the beginning of the season in a shock move to neighbours Maritzburg United. His stint at Maritzburg was short-lived as he was let go in early November, following a string of poor results . Now back at Royal AM, Maduka has waved away suggestions of his need to remind the football fraternity of his abilities as a coach. “I don’t think I have anything to prove to anyone, it’s football. Things don’t always go the way you want them to,” Maduka said. “I was at Bloemfontein Celtic and I did well there regardless of all the challenges that Celtic had, but I…