Table of contents for 2023-05-25 in Star

The fast pace of growth in cellphone apps is catching the attention of cybercriminals, leading to greater risks of fraud. While many smartphones have built-in fraud-prevention technology, the reality is that criminals are constantly on the lookout for ways to take over identities, spam or infiltrate smart devices, and steal and defraud from unknowing victims. Demand for online retail is a key driver of growth and the trend is set to continue, which is why vigilance in needed at all times when online. According to a study by World Wide Worx with Mastercard, online retail in South Africa passed the R50 billion milestone in 2022, driven by a boom in demand for home deliveries. Total growth for online retail in 2022 came to 30%, bringing the total of online retail…

NAMPAK’S share price increased 9.09% on the JSE yesterday after it pitched a much reduced R1 billion rights offer proposal to shareholders, from R1.5bn previously. The share price closed at 72 cents yesterday and was also in spite of the debt-burdened, biggest packaging group in Africa reporting a R342 million headline loss for the six months to March 31. A meeting is scheduled for May 31, 2023 for shareholders to vote on the rights offer proposal. Shareholders typically don’t favour rights issues, because it can dilute a company’s earnings and dividend payouts. “The rights offer will enable management to further reduce the company’s debt resulting in a more appropriate capital structure,” interim CEO Phildon Roux said in a statement yesterday. The results generated comment on Twitter with for…

THE JSE SAID yesterday it had imposed a censure and a R50 000 fine on Dipula Income Fund non-executive director Brian Azizollahoff, who had traded the company’s shares during a closed period. “Azizollahoff was a seasoned director and served on the boards of multiple listed entities for about 30 years and is, therefore, well versed on the provisions of the listings requirements and the obligations placed on him in terms thereof,” the JSE said. “The JSE finds it unacceptable that Mr Azizollahoff failed to comply with the listings requirements when he traded in the company’s securities because he required liquidity for his business,” the local bourse added. Azizollahoff had traded in the shares on October 19, 2022, selling 28 116 securities to a value of R108 352.81.…

The Real Housewives of Johannesburg are finally back on screens for their third season after a few false starts. Viewers were last entertained by RHOJ in 2019 and they have been patiently waiting for its screen return. Sonia Mbele, the producer and the one who brought the NBC Universal licence to Africa, could not contain her excitement at the show being finally on screens at The Real Housewives of Johannesburg season three watch party. She kicked the watch party off with praise to God, as the show experienced its fair share of challenges before returning. The delay behind the flagship show’s return was due to the pandemic and in April 2021 a physical altercation between Christall Kay and Brinnette Seopela brought production to a halt. OG (original) housewives Lethabo “LeJoy”…

MAY Measurement Month (MMM) is an annual global campaign, spearheaded by the International Society of Hypertension (ISH), to raise awareness about the increasing prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The campaign focuses on screening individuals worldwide for hypertension and providing education on the importance of maintaining healthy blood pressure levels. The initiative, run by the ISH, has since its launch in 2017 screened over 1.5 million individuals globally One of the goals of MMM is to create awareness about the increased risk of CVDs in pregnant women, with a focus on pregnancy complications and preeclampsia. Preeclampsia Day is observed on May 22 as part of the MMM campaign to raise awareness about the importance of regular health check-ups for pregnant women, the signs and symptoms of preeclampsia, and the dangers…

Joburg Water has confirmed that its drinking water is safe for consumption. This follows a deadly cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal, Pretoria, that has so far claimed 17 lives. Six cases have also been confirmed in the Free State. The city said it was taking precautionary measures amid cholera cases. “One of the key mandates of Johannesburg Water is the provision of clean and safe drinking water, and the entity can confirm that the water in the city meets the high-quality requirements of the drinking water quality standard (SANS 241-2015 Drinking Water Quality),” it said. To maintain high-quality water for human consumption, Johannesburg Water said it would continue to monitor and test for microbiological, physical, aesthetic and chemical determinants in the water. It maintained that tests on cholera and E coli…

THE student leadership at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) have vowed to keep true to their promise to take matters into their own hands should junior Blue Bulls player Ngcebo Thusi be granted bail. Thusi, 23, was left to fend for himself in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court yesterday after his legal counsel was a no-show for his scheduled bail application. Through the assistance of an interpreter, he informed the court that it had been a few weeks since he had heard from his legal counsel. This was not the first time that Thusi’s hopes to be released on bail were dashed, as he appeared earlier this month but had to be turned back after the court experienced trouble with its recording machines. During his appearance yesterday, the court informed…

Washing your hands can prevent contracting diseases, health-care professionals say. Sister Daisy Mndebele from Vryheid Hospital said keeping one’s hands clean could play a role in keeping away mumps and diphtheria. The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) confirmed the outbreak of mumps, with the majority of cases reported in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Gauteng. The NICD said mumps was an acute viral infection caused by the rubella virus rubulavirus, also known as mumps virus. It was sometimes called infectious parotitis, as it caused painful swelling of the parotid and or salivary glands. The NICD said mumps was generally a mild childhood disease that mostly affected children aged from 5 to 9. However, younger and older children as well as adults could become infected. It said people who have had mumps…

Police have arrested a 53-year-old man who allegedly trafficked a 15-year-old girl from Mozambique to South Africa and kept her as a sex slave. It is alleged the man brought the teenager to South Africa after telling her parents he had a job for her at his tuckshop in Alexandra in Gauteng. “The victim and her family were reportedly told that the suspect’s wife was partially blind and she needed help to run the business,” provincial police spokesperson Colonel Philani Nkwalase said. “The suspect took the young lady from her parents in Mozambique promising that he will send them money every month.” When they arrived in Gauteng, the girl found out that there was no spaza shop and the man threatened her. Nkwalase said the suspect allegedly raped the girl…

THE City of Tshwane’s special council sitting for tabling a budget for the 2023/24 financial year was yesterday marred by chaos, walkouts and delays that caused the meeting to start five hours late. The meeting was scheduled for 10am at Tshwane House council chambers, but it got off to a dramatic start with EFF councillors demanding that mayor Cilliers Brink must drink dirty water “from Hammanskraal” they had brought in a 2-litre bottle. Many people in the township have since May 15 been admitted to Jubilee District Hospital after they fell ill due to diarrhoeal disease or gastrointestinal infection, said to be caused by the consumption of contaminated water. According to the Gauteng Department of Health and Wellness, by yesterday at least 17 people had died from the disease. The…

SICK children at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria can now breathe a sigh of relief after a new paediatric ward was donated yesterday. The state-of-the-art ward, dubbed the “dream room”, is equipped with reading books, toys that include PlayStations and a virtual reality system to distract the children from the pain and agony they are going through. The ward that was renovated and turned into the dream room was donated by non-profit organisation Reach for a Dream in partnership with network carrier Cell C. Speaking at the special handover event, attended by Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, in the hospital’s paediatric wing, Reach for a Dream Foundation CEO Julia Sotirianakos said the room was an oasis. “These children are undergoing a lot of treatments … so this is…

South Africans were looking set for significant petrol and diesel price cuts of well over R1 a litre next month, but a weak rand has put a damper on the prospects. However, thanks to weaker international oil prices this month, the prices of petrol and diesel look set to come down in June, albeit by less than R1. The latest daily snapshot from the Central Energy Fund shows an average over-recovery of 97 cents a litre for the month, for both grades of petrol. However, due to the weak currency, the number is descending daily. If circumstances persist between now and month-end, the decrease will probably fall somewhere around the 70c mark. It’s a similar story with diesel prices which, earlier this month, looked poised for a R1.50 reduction. However,…

The new load shedding schedule expected to hit the residents of eThekwini has left many people with sleepless nights. After the impact of last year’s April floods on Durban and the surrounding areas, which left a trail of destruction, eThekwini has had a reprieve from Eskom’s usual national load shedding. Many have lost jobs because of the power cuts that have impacted many industries, facilities such as hospitals, schools, universities and the commercial and the manufacturing sectors. People’s houses have burnt down, appliances destroyed, and children and other family members injured when power surges cause damage to their homes. South Africans feel their lives have been turned upside down by the government’s failure to do proper projections for power supply. Government authorities hide behind the ageing infrastructure. A million-dollar question,…

EVERTON go into their final-day fixture at home to Bournemouth on Sunday with their proud 69-year presence in the top flight of English football depending on a repeat of the two last-day escapes of the 1990s that are part of the club’s folklore. Victory at Goodison Park will ensure a 121st top-flight season – a record unmatched anywhere in the world – while a draw or even defeat will see Everton safe if Leicester City and Leeds United fail to beat West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur respectively in the simultaneous kick-offs (5.30pm). Everton are on 33 points to the 31 of their relegation rivals. The previous lowest total to avoid the drop was the 34 of West Bromwich Albion in 2005, but Everton fans won’t care a jot about…

KAMOHELO Mokotjo and Sekhukhune United might have recently joined forces, but they seem to be a match made in heaven as they can both relate to being the ‘underdog’ heading into the Nedbank Cup final. After captaining the SA Under-12 team to the title in the Danone Nations finals in France two decades ago, Mokotjo was tipped to become one of South Africa’s finest exports. It was a terrific start to his footballing career as Mokotjo received plaudits from greats such as Zinedine Zidane. Mokotjo lived up to that lofty billing when he left SuperSport United to play in the Netherlands, England and the US. After 11 years of carving his name in the history books of clubs such as Feyenoord (Netherlands), Brentford (England) and Cincinnati (US), Mokotjo heeded the…

Cost of living in South Africa could ease slightly in the next few months THE COST OF living in South Africa could start easing slightly in the next few months as consumer prices moderated to a 11-month low in April driven by easing but elevated prices for food, non-alcoholic beverages and fuel. However, the cost of borrowing might remain elevated for longer as heightened levels of load shedding could force retailers to increase prices again, in spite of the expected fuel price cut in June. Data from Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) yesterday showed that the annual consumer price inflation softened to 6.8% in April from 7.1% in March. This April inflation reading was the lowest since May 2022, when the rate was 6.5%. It was also below market forecasts of…

RFG HOLDINGS, which owns brands such as Rhodes, Bull Brand, Magpie, Squish, Bisto, Hinds, and Pakco, said yesterday that its interims profits increased, boosted by the fruit juice, despite load shedding continuing to impact production output and costs. In its results for the six months ended April 2, 2023, the group said profit rose by 36.7% year-on-year to R218 million after group revenue improved by 10.2% to R3.8 billion, driven partly by price inflation of 14.8%. RFG said growth was driven by price inflation of 14.8% and strong trading performances by both the regional and, in particular, the international business in March. “Slower consumer spending and a competitive environment resulted in volume pressure in certain product categories, with total group volumes declining by 8.5% and negative mix changes…

Africa Day is the annual commemoration of the foundation of the Organisation of African Unity founded on May 25, 1963. Since then countries around the continent have celebrated the day that unites Africans. One of the most common ways is music. No matter which part of Africa a person comes from, the power of music allows us to connect, from amapiano, afrobeats, kizomba and Gnawa. In celebration of Africa Day, IOL Entertainment spoke to a few artists about what makes Africa special. Nathi Mankayi The South African singer-songwriter and artist burst onto the music scene with his smash hit Nomvula off his triple-platinum debut album Buyelekhaya. The Mthatha-born talent has always been proud of his roots, showcasing it in his music. What’s your take on African culture having an impact…

Winter is often regarded as a time when most fresh foods are scarce. However, there are a lot of delicious fruits and vegetables on offer during the colder months. As much as it may become colder, many crops endure the cool nights to produce some of your favourite vegetables and fruits of the year. These fruits and vegetables have their own set of properties that keep our bodies healthy during the season. They help us not just survive but thrive in any given season and are packed with natural remedies for seasonal health problems. The team at Life is a Garden said vegetables that are available now include the brassica family, which needs cold conditions to bear fruit mass, as well as shorter days. “Brassica family consists of the following:…

The ANC would welcome the Russian president ‘here even tomorrow’ ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has acknowledged that South Africa could become a failed state should the leaders continue to fail to resolve load shedding and other challenges in the country. In a wide-ranging interview with the BBC’s HardTalk host, Stephen Sackur, he conceded that the country was also battling high levels of corruption in the midst of unprecedented power cuts, which had contributed to the country’s challenges. “If certain things are not resolved, we will become a failed state, but we are not journeying in that direction,” Mbalula said in the exclusive interview. He said these challenges, which the ANC government was trying to resolve through a myriad interventions, including the state capture inquiry and the work being done by…

Uber has released its 2023 Lost & Found Index, which reveals the most forgotten items on rides and among some of the more alarming items are a fridge, vacuum cleaner and a carpet. “Thanks to load shedding, riders across the country forgot alternative portable light sources such as solar light, a candle and a lamp. “On the shopping front, looking at the amount of Woolies grocery bags often left behind, riders are most certainly thankful for Woolworth’s ‘Bring a Bag, Take a Bag’ initiative,” Uber said. The company further said riders in Cape Town tend to lose valuable items. Wedding rings, handbags and house keys made the list of the most common and weird items, giving Cape Town the title of the most forgetful city, closely followed by Johannesburg. “And,…

THE fight for the insourcing of workers in the City of Tshwane was intensified yesterday during a march aimed at pressuring the metro to hire security guards as part of a council resolution that was taken in 2018. In terms of the resolution, the city must abolish the hiring of private security companies and employ 4 000 guards as part of a new directorate called the Asset Protection Unit under the auspices of the Tshwane metro police department. Marchers gathered at Princess Park in the morning before dispatching to Tshwane House, where they sharply raised their disappointment with regard to the slow pace of insourcing them. Traffic in the inner city of Pretoria was negatively affected as a result of the march, with motorists using WF Nkomo Street Street,…

“She is my mother and my brother’s, but I think she really is a mother to all children in the world who deserve the best possible life ever.” This is how Dominic Skelton, son of Professor Ann Skelton, described his mother in a recent Facebook post sent on Mother’s Day earlier this month. Skelton, a well-known champion for children’s rights and who is part of the University of Pretoria’s faculty of law, was elected to chair the UN committee on the rights of the child. This is the foremost children’s protection body in the world. Skelton’s new role will see her actively participating in holding states accountable for failures to protect the rights of children globally. Speaking to the Pretoria News from Geneva, where she lives at the moment,…

TIME to get back to basics with our recently delivered long-term Ford Ranger XL 4x2 manual double cab bakkie. I say basic, but it’s still got a lot of gizmos and add-ons not always available on entry-level bakkies and at R540 500 it’s got to be the popular choice in the range and possibly the best value for money in that segment of the double cab market. It’s also refreshing to drive a bakkie that doesn’t have every possible tech or option that does everything for you except make coffee in the mornings. There are no fancy decals, go-fast stripes or specific branding that pegs it as the XL and neither does it have a V6 or twin turbo, but rather a single turbo 2.0-litre diesel engine. There have been…

ORLANDO Pirates right-back Thabiso Monyane doesn’t believe in shortcuts or privileges and he has had to work hard to get his chance in the team. Monyane was once regarded as the best right-back in South Africa by then Pirates coach Rulani Mokwena following a stellar debut campaign during the 2019/20 season. Instead of his career growing in leaps and bounds, though, Monyane’s light dimmed so much that he didn’t even play top-flight football last season as he was demoted back to the reserve team. Enter current coach Jose Riveiro and a clean slate for all the players. Monyane seemed to grab that opportunity with both hands at first, playing a key role in Pirates’ first few matches as they won the MTN8 knockout title earlier this season. But the 23-year-old…

AUSTRALIA’S head coach Andrew McDonald yesterday backed under-pressure David Warner to play “a really significant part” in the Ashes starting next month in England. The 36-year-old opening batsman has been a mainstay of the Australian team since making his debut against New Zealand in 2011. But the left-hander approaches the Ashes and World Test Championship final against India at The Oval with one century in his past 32 innings and a mediocre record in England. “We’re optimistic with what Dave’s got left,” McDonald told SEN radio yesterday, addressing doubts about Warner’s immediate future in the side. “We’ve picked him in the squad and we feel that he’s going to play a really significant part in the Ashes and the World Test Championship final, and that’s why he’s on the plane.…

MS DHONI is looking to bow out in style by winning the Indian Premier League with Chennai Super Kings for the fifth time – unless the 41-year-old cricket superstar stuns everyone and keeps going. On Tuesday, skipper Dhoni’s tactical nous – at times controversial – again sealed the deal as CSK overcame the fancied Gujarat Titans by 15 runs to book a slot in Sunday’s final at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad. With his finishing skills on the wane, a dodgy knee and his place in the batting order increasingly hard to justify, Dhoni has suggested on several occasions his retirement is imminent. He again kept fans guessing, saying on Tuesday he would take until the auctions for the 2024 IPL in December to make his final decision.…

LIKE the quintessential Apollo Creed, a team always needs a veteran with that world weary experience – a player or players who have seen it all, been there, done that, seen it and lived to tell the tale – in their corner. The Spar Proteas have several such players to call on in this Rocky story, including Izette Griesel, who will be expected to boss centre court in attack and becalm the nerves of her less experienced teammates during the upcoming Netball World Cup. There are, after all, Clubber Lang-esque opponents to conquer if they are to push deep into the tournament, including Australia, New Zealand, England and Jamaica, the latter of whom are also in the Proteas’ preliminary group. It will be Griesel’s third World Cup, and coupled with…

THE RAND WAS relatively stable and remained unchanged at R19.20 against the US dollar yesterday after touching a new record low of R19.52 on Friday, supported by expectations of further interest rate increases in spite of slowing inflation. The domestic currency has weakened significantly over the course of this month due to geopolitical tension and intensified power cuts, breaching the R19-mark to the greenback, R20.70 and R23.80 to the euro and the pound, respectively. TreasuryONE currency strategist Andre Cilliers said: “The rand firmed in early trade this morning despite the dollar holding on to yesterday’s stronger levels against the majors.” “Markets remain edgy as US lawmakers struggle to come to an agreement on raising the US debt ceiling.” Headline consumer inflation eased to its slowest in 11 months in April,…

Investment markets came down substantially last year as soaring inflation drove central banks into a sharp interest rate hiking cycle. However, although inflation appears to have slowed in the US – from 9% to 5% – financial analysts are not sure the worst is over and we may still be in for a recession of sorts by the end of the year. In an Allan Gray investment update in Cape Town this week, Tim Acker, portfolio manager and director at Allan Gray, made a comparison with the high-inflation era of the 1960s and ’70s. He said there are two things one can draw from this period. The first is that it took quite a long time for inflation to subside. “We’re talking 10 or 15 years for inflation to properly…

INDLUPLACE Properties, the subject of an acquisition offer by SA Corporate Real Estate, said yesterday targets its board had set to stabilise distributions in 2022 and to show inflation related growth in 2023 had been met. The targets had followed the property management function being internalised in 2021, the group that has a portfolio of 9 282 residential units worth R3.4 billion mainly in Gauteng, said in its results for the six months to March 31, 2023. “The portfolio has recovered substantially over the last few months as we were able to attract well over 350 new tenants per month over the six months, with February recording a record number of 472 new leases and significantly improved occupancies in the student portfolio. The occupancy improvement continued post March,”…

Over the past couple of years, we have seen avocados put in everything from smoothies to beauty products. Now they are showing up in all sorts of cocktails, and what is more, they taste great! The South African Avocado Growers’ Association team say that whether on the side, on top, or inside – green-skinned or dark-skinned – it’s easy to add an avo to your craft cocktail and share recipes you can try at home. Frozen avocado and pink grapefruit margarita Serves: 2 Ingredients 2-3 tbs salt flakes 1 lemon, cut into wedges 1 large ripe avocado, peeled and stoned 25ml tequila 25ml Triple Sec 2 tbs agave syrup 1 cup pink grapefruit juice 2 cups ice 2 wheels of pink grapefruit Method To salt-rim the glasses, place the salt…

DR Nandipha Magudumana, the girlfriend of convicted murderer and rapist Thabo Bester, will have her day today at the Free State High Court for her urgent application in which she wants her arrest in Tanzania and deportation to South Africa declared unlawful. Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi this week said the department wanted to be a respondent in the matter. The Star has seen court papers filed by Magudumana, the director of public prosecutions in the Free State, who is listed as the first respondent, the police minister as the second respondent, and Captain Flyman as the third respondent. In the court paper, Magudumana said she was advised that the magistrate’s court had no authority to grant the orders that she sought herein, so she applied to the high court…

Snake handler Jason Arnold and a friend, Silvano Cassarà rescued and relocated a black mamba that fled a construction site and hid near a car’s engine in Verulam. Recently Arnold was called out to Oaklands Drive in Oaklands for a large snake in a vehicle. The snake was inside the engine bay of the car. While heading to the house, Arnold was concerned that the people had not interfered too much with the snake because he did not want to extract an injured snake – a snake that is angry or a snake that has been tormented. It was Cassarà’s last call-out and Arnold hoped it would be a big and exciting mamba. When they arrived on the property, Arnold asked if the snake was not a spitting cobra and…

AIR Force Base Swartkop, the oldest base in South Africa, has ceased to exist, the SA Air Force (SAAF) has said. The facility, which also held the status of being the oldest operational base in the world, has for years hosted the SAAF Museum Airshow. The last edition of the event took place early this month. A national heritage site, the land was donated to the country by the then-queen of England 130 years ago. It will now be a mobile deployment wing. This was revealed by director for command and control systems at the SAAF, Brigadier-General Jacobus Eduard Crous, also the officer in command of Swartkop. Narrating the history of the facility to Pretoria News at the SAAF headquarters this week, Crous said the changes were necessary because the…

TOP tavern chefs from the inland provinces of Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North West got a chance to test their culinary skills on Tuesday in the regional final of the Mzansi Tavern Chef Cook-off. The competition took place at the Chefs Training and Innovation Academy in Centurion. It is designed to promote food serving in taverns and combat binge drinking. The chefs battled it out to claim the regional title and a prize of R30 000 towards food serving in their outlets. Two winners were be chosen on the day from among the contestants competing in separate pools, from the central and northern provinces, respectively. Regional winners also have the opportunity to compete in the national Grand Final and win a makeover of their outlet worth R100 000. A partnership…

Businesswomen in Johannesburg and surrounding areas are invited to connect, network, celebrate, grow their networks and businesses, and support other women in business at the upcoming CWIB EXPO. Confident Women in Business (CWIB) is a community of businesswomen who are passionate about their faith and business, and is a forum to inspire, encourage and support women in business. The founder of CWIB, Cerita Nagy, believes that the CWIB Expos bring women together with the intention of connecting, collaborating and supporting one another in their business and faith journeys. Christian businesswomen at any stage of their career or business can showcase their products and services, support each other and build heartfelt business relationships. The CWIB Expo will be hosted on Friday, June 9, 2023, at the Maslow Hotel in Sandton from…

Stakeholders in the country’s biodiversity sector are making headway in implementing the national response strategy and action plan to address escalating levels in the illegal harvesting of and trading in unique plants from across the country. But the entities continue to face challenges. The targeted plants are in the Succulent Karoo biome, which is subject to very limited socio-economic opportunities, high levels of poverty, unemployment and poor service delivery that leave locals vulnerable to the invitation of international traders and collectors to become involved in the collection of wild plants. The involvement of these locals in poaching syndicates is what is suspected to have driven the trade rapidly in recent years. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Cape Nature and the South African National Biodiversity Institute (Sanbi) are leading…

Herman Mashaba – politically savvy, smart, erudite, seemingly a strong leader – has now made “groot droog” with the publication of an unauthorised ... authorised ... biography. It’s all very confusing. The book, which has been pulled off the shelves, will probably read like a James Bond novel, placing our hero (Mashaba) in a number of dangerous and “mission: impossible” type situations, as he fends off nasty political villains who see him as a traitor, and want to see his demise. Mashaba is, however, a fox, and a smart one at that. In his time he has survived many boardroom tussles and built a cosmetic empire from scratch, so getting out of this fiasco, unscathed, should be a piece of cake for the Action man. He will no doubt…

THE vehicle options when you have a look at Volkswagen South Africa’s website are almost endless, ranging from an entry-level Polo through to the luxury Caravelle and Touareg with a couple of bakkies and performance cars thrown in for good measure. There’s virtually something to suit everyone’s taste, including the SUV space where the company has every base covered with the T-Cross, T-Roc, Tiguan, Tiguan Allspace and the Touareg. The Tiguan remains a popular choice having overtaken the Golf as the company’s most popular vehicle worldwide. With the world discarding their fondness for sedans and hatchbacks quicker than Eskom changes blackout stages, it’s not difficult to see why it’s such a popular option, providing a sophisticated, practical and attractive everyday vehicle, especially for families. It helps that quality has always…

IGA Swiatek can become the first back-to-back women’s champion at the French Open in 16 years if she can shake off a worrying injury. Elsewhere, rivals battle inconsistent form and bruised confidence ahead of the season’s second Grand Slam tournament which gets underway in Paris on Sunday. Here, we look at three talking points in the women’s singles: Title back-up systems failure World No 1 Swiatek is already a three-time major winner after capturing the 2020 and 2022 French Opens as well as the 2022 US Open. Now the 21-year-old Pole attempts to become the first back-to-back women’s champion at Roland Garros since Justine Henin won three on the bounce from 2005. It is a challenge which has defied some of the greats. Maria Sharapova was champion in 2012 but…

SHOULD the Blue Bulls pick their strongest possible team in the Currie Cup? It has been an ongoing debate since last season, when director of rugby Jake White often picked the same team in the domestic competition for a week-day match, and for the weekend’s United Rugby Championship encounter. There has been a bit more breathing room this season, with the Currie Cup only becoming a factor later in the campaign, but White has again chosen to select several URC players when possible. Since the Bulls were knocked out of the URC in the quarter-finals by the Stormers, the Pretoria side have continued fielding full-strength teams. In contrast, teams like the Sharks and Western Province have largely stuck to their regular Currie Cup players, while the Lions have mixed and…