Indice dei contenuti per 2022-06-06 in Star

Financially stricken Tongaat Hulett’s (THL) future will likely rest with either its lenders converting debt into equity or with a recapitalisation by a major stakeholder, sources said on Friday. This was after plans for a R5 billion right issue were dented on Friday. The rights issue was to have been underwritten by Mauritius based Magister, which is owned by the controversial Rudland family of Zimbabwe, but a Takeover Regulation Panel (TRP) investigation ruled against a key shareholder resolution necessary for the deal, THL said in a statement on Friday. THL is in dire financial straits and said in April already that the rights issue may need to have been increased to R5bn from R4bn as its debt had risen to R6.8bn from R5.8bn a year before, owing to cash flow…

By the time Heartboxing hitmaker Jimmy Nevis got to high school, he’d already performed at the Baxter Theatre and was well on his way to forging a lane for himself as a muso. Then, suddenly, he was gripped by fear and anxiety. “When I got to high school, I realised that maybe singing isn’t the coolest thing. I became quite shy, which turned me into a loner and saw me withdraw into a shell,” says Nevis. “I just didn’t want to sing anymore, my voice was breaking, and it became an awkward time overall.” Somewhere along the way, the singer decided to break out of his shell and no longer keep his voice a secret by auditioning for a cabaret group and singing in front of the school. This is…

THE NOTE accompanied by a bullet sent to Presidency director-general Phindile Baleni is a veiled threat to whistle-blowers and by extension accountability and transparency. On Saturday, the Presidency issued a statement saying that security agencies had been asked to investigate after Baleni received an anonymous threat aimed at the Presidency’s processing of the findings of the state capture inquiry into allegations of fraud and corruption in the public sector, including organs of state. Among the threats was a reference to slain whistle-blower and senior official with the Gauteng Department of Health, Babita Deokaran, who was gunned down outside her home in south Joburg in August last year. KwaZulu-Natal-based violence monitor Mary de Haas said all the odds were stacked against whistle-blowers and the content of the letter sent to Baleni…

FIVE Limpopo MECs have been dumped out of the ANC provincial executive committee (PEC), in a move which makes them vulnerable to a potential Cabinet reshuffle. In a surprise decision which may have far-reaching political implications, Public Works MEC Dr Dickson Masemola, Treasury MEC Seaparo Sekoati, Agriculture MEC Nandi Ndalane, Education MEC Polly Boshielo and Sports MEC Thandi Moraka were voted out of the governing party’s provincial executive by delegates to the Limpopo ANC provincial conference, which ended yesterday. Although former provincial secretary Soviet Lekganyane slipped in as number 26 of the 30 member PEC, the five have been marginalised by re-elected provincial chairperson and Premier Stan Mathabatha’s victorious faction. Masemola lost the chairperson position to Mathabatha in a clean sweep on Saturday. Former PEC spokesperson Donald Selamolela was…

THIRTEEN years ago this month, Air France Flight 447 carrying 216 passengers and a crew of 12 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all on board. The final report, published in 2012, concluded that the aircraft, an Airbus 330, entered a stall due to pilot input, from which it never recovered. The plane was one of the most sophisticated in operation and manned by three highly trained pilots. For years commentators have speculated on why this plane had simply fallen out of the sky. In his book Antifragile, Nassim Taleb writes: “Every plane crash brings us closer to safety, improves the system and makes the next flight safer.” The final report on Flight 447 contained a number of recommendations that have since been incorporated into aircraft systems and pilot training.…

As black people, we should begin to take a close interest in the behaviour and intentions of the DA and see it as the problem it aspires to be. The signs are there that this party is becoming the moral reason for racist attitudes and non-repentance over apartheid. This became clear when I observed how the DA hosted an “Afrikaans rally” in Paarl. In doing this, the DA rented a group of black and coloured folks to front for Afrikaans and project a false love relationship between the majority of black people and Afrikaans. Perhaps the black faces who were there wanted to be there, but that does not override the reality of history. Today, we cannot be represented by a few charmed blacks and coloureds, as far as our…

Gunmen with explosives stormed a Catholic church in south-west Nigeria’s Ondo state yesterday, killing “many” worshippers and wounding others, the government and police said. The violence at St Francis Catholic Church in Owo town happened during the morning service in a rare attack in the south-west of Nigeria, where jihadists and criminal gangs operate in other parts of the country. The motives and the death toll were not immediately clear, but President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the “heinous killing of worshippers”. Ondo state governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu said in a statement it was a “vile and satanic attack” and appealed to the security forces to track down the assailants. State police spokesperson Ibukun Odunlami said “there was an incident today at the Saint Francis Catholic Church in Owo” and police would issue…

WASHINGTON: Streets were flooded in Miami amid a heavy storm that hit Florida, local authorities reported. The storm, dubbed Potential Tropical Cyclone One by the National Hurricane Center, brought over 254mm of rain to Miami over a 72-hour span, AccuWeather said. The City of Miami released videos of flooded streets on social media, warning of extremely dangerous road conditions and advising people to “Stay home” and not to attempt to retrieve stranded vehicles. The city authorities said that the storm is “a dangerous and life-threatening situation”.…

LOS ANGELES: Singer Mariah Carey is being sued over her yuletide earworm, All I Want for Christmas Is You, by a songwriter who alleges it infringes the copyright of his song with the same title, which was released five years before her 1994 smash hit. Andy Stonepart of the band Vince Vance & the Valiants, filed a lawsuit against Carey, 53, on Friday in a New Orleans federal court. He is seeking at least $20 million (roughly R311m) in damages and alleging copyright infringement and unjust enrichment, among other claims. Carey is named in the suit along with her co-writer Walter Afanasieff and the music company, Sony. The court documents describe Vance as a self-employed artist who in 1989 co-wrote a song titled All I Want for Christmas is You…

Swallows FC failed to gain more ground in their quest to remain in the DStv Premiership by playing to a goalless draw against the University of Pretoria at the Tuks Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The result left Dylan Kerr’s side level on points with Tuks, who lead the standings by virtue of having a superior goal difference at this stage. The race for the final spot in the top-flight now looks to be a two way race between the Dube Birds and the University of Pretoria. Cape Town All Stars have lost both of their games to date and are yet to score their first point. The University of Pretoria have a chance to further pile on the pressure on Swallows on Wednesday afternoon as they prepare to host struggling…

RECENTLY there have been several articles and reports, across the media, decrying banks’ practices and behaviour. Society’s disquiet about banks is not new, but appears to be on the increase, yet has received little or no attention from authorities. Tito Mboweni’s recent revelations, carried in the local media, blaming banks for the collapse of the government’s Covid-19 Loan Guarantee Scheme, added to the already negative perceptions about banks. Such news isn’t shocking to most citizens, perhaps only to President Cyril Ramaphosa who is said to have joined one of the meetings, only to have his plea for more lending rejected. His own organ of state, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), party to this guarantee scheme, is said to have instructed banks to lend as usual despite the once-in-a-century crisis.…

KykNET viewers can look forward to a new variety news show that will be broadcast from July 21. Wie’s Nuus? is a 26-episode offering covering big current newsmakers. Hosted by award-winning reporter, newsreader, presenter and producer Mia Spies, it dives into the story behind the big stories and news events with the help of journalists from reliable publications and news services. “I’m really excited about Wie’s Nuus? because there hasn’t been anything like this in Afrikaans. I’ll invite viewers into my living room where I’ll put the spotlight on major newsmakers in conversation with other journalists and experts. “Together, we’ll analyse and discuss the person who had everybody talking that week,” Spies says. The show is said to be fresh, modern and informal but with gravitas and credibility. “I believe…

■ Farm ransackers went to town in CT THE men accused of stealing millions of unexplained US dollars kept in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Limpopo farm went on a shopping spree in Cape Town, spending their loot in high performance luxury vehicles, according to former State Security Agency (SSA) director-general Arthur Fraser’s affidavit. Fraser lodged a criminal complaint against Ramaphosa at the Rosebank police station last week over the money allegedly stolen by five Namibians who conspired with his domestic worker in February 2020. Ramaphosa allegedly kept large sums of money in foreign currency, estimated to be between $4 million and $8m (R62m and R120m), “concealed” under a mattress and couches at his farm in Bela-Bela, Limpopo. Fraser in his affidavit said: “The mere fact that President Ramaphosa had large…

PRIMARY school learners from an Alexandra school made the disturbing discovery of a body under a mobile classroom last week. The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) announced on Friday that learners from the MC Weiler Primary School in Alexandra discovered what was thought to be a human body underneath a mobile classroom on the school premises on Thursday. “This unsettling discovery was made during school break between 11am and 11.30am, when learners allegedly went to fetch a soccer ball underneath the Grade 5A mobile classroom. “The learners reportedly identified their discovery as a human skeleton and immediately informed their educators,” GDE spokesperson Steve Mabona said. The school’s management subsequently contacted the police and released the learners early at 1pm to allow police officials to conduct the necessary investigation. “Police officials…

BASIC Education Minister Angie Motshekga has blamed the floods disaster for what she claims is lack of funds to build more classrooms in the country. EFF MP Mathapelo Siwisa asked Motshekga via written questions what the department planned to do about Finetown Secondary School, located south of Joburg. The school, which has over 1 800 learners, was shut down by parents last month. They protested about overcrowding. Finetown Secondary School has no brick and mortar classrooms. It is wholly made up of 63 prefabricated classrooms put up in 2011. Many schools across Gauteng had prefab structures added due to increased enrolment. Siwisa asked Motshekga for a date when her department planned to address the matter. But Motshekga would not provide such details. “Finetown Secondary School was only closed for two…

LEARNERS from Madibatlou Middle School in Tembisa were filled with gratitude after being bestowed with pairs of shoes revealing that their self-confidence has been ignited. The handover of school shoes displayed how a simple item can be much more meaningful to someone who is less privileged. Shoes play a huge role in how children perceive themselves in a social space. The lack of proper school uniform itself has in many cases resulted in children opting to drop out of school. Founder of Kasi Angels Foundation, Gerald Nomlala said spending three years of his school life without shoes made the situation relatable to him. “I spent three years of my youth life without school shoes. I can relate to a kid now who does not have school shoes. Kids who have…

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa was able to turn the tables on the Marikana Massacre in which 34 miners were gunned down by members of the police service who were, alleged to have been influenced by the ANC leader who was on the board of the Lonmin (mining company) at the time. He was the country’s deputy president in the past five years of the so-called “nine wasted years”, and his role is not adequately narrated. The only thing we know or hear from him is that he spoke out against corruption that was taking place at that time.Whom did he tell? This was the second-most powerful person in control of the government’s businesses, yet he failed to save all the state-owned enterprises that are on their knees. South Africans knew that…

As climate change worsens and populations rise worldwide, water shortages are the main threat to human development and security. One in four people on Earth face shortages of water for drinking, sanitation, agriculture and economic development. Water scarcity is expected to intensify in regions like the Middle East and North Africa, which has 6% of the global population but only 1% of the world’s freshwater resources. Conventional water sources – which rely on snowfall, rainfall and rivers – are not enough to meet growing freshwater demand in water-scarce areas. Fortunately, the Earth has other sources of water: millions of cubic kilometres of water in aquifers, in fog and icebergs, in the ballast holds of thousands of ships, and elsewhere. Our book, Unconventional Water Resources, based on the most up-to-date information,…

BEIRUT: Lebanon warned Israel yesterday against any “aggressive action” in disputed waters where both states hope to develop offshore energy, after a ship arrived off the coast to produce gas for Israel. President Michel Aoun said any activity in the disputed area would amount to an act of aggression and a provocation, after the arrival of the natural gas storage and production ship operated by London-based Energean ENOG.L. Israel says the field in question – about 80km west of the city of Haifa is within its exclusive economic zone, not in disputed waters.…

KABUL: The Taliban-run caretaker administration said Washington’s report on deteriorating religious freedom in Afghanistan was incorrect. The administration’s chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Twitter yesterday: “The religious and civil rights of all minorities in Afghanistan are protected. In this regard, the State Department’s report is incomplete and based on false information. All our Sunnis, Shiites, Sikhs and Hindus practise their religion freely. We reject the State Dept report.”…

NEWLY-elected ANC Greater Johannesburg region chairperson Dada Morero has vowed to root out any form of corruption in his region. Morero said all those who have been misbehaving have no place in the ANC and he will personally make sure he cleans up the party which is currently the main opposition in the City of Joburg council. Morero was speaking after being elected as regional chairperson in the ANC’s 15th conference which took place in the past three days at Idle Winds Lodge and Conference Centre in Centurion, Tshwane. “We will be deeply involved in the renewal project of the ANC which includes those who have done wrong to compromise the ANC because of their conduct and behaviour for having contributed to corruption that the ANC will clean ourselves of…

THE North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria’s, hope for no further delays in the murder trial of former Orlando Pirates goal keeper Senzo Meyiwa may be dashed, as advocate Malesela Teffo is expected to be bringing a formal application for a trial-within-a-trial today. Teffo, the defence counsel of accused one to four, informed the court on Friday, mid-way through the cross-examination of forensic officer Sergeant Thabo Johannes Mosia, that he was uncomfortable continuing with the trial. He said he believed continuing with the cross-examination of Mosia was a futile exercise given the new information his team had been alerted to. Teffo told the court he was of the view that his clients’ constitutional rights had been violated following their appearance in the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court on March 27, 2020, and as…

Plett Tourism is thrilled to have been nominated, for the 13th year, as Africa’s leading beach destination in the World Travel Awards. Every year the World Travel Awards covers the globe with a series of regional gala ceremonies to celebrate the achievements and strengths of the travel industry within each key geographical region. The town of Plettenberg Bay, on the Garden Route, had its first win in the awards in 2020. It also boasts six international Blue Flag beaches, as well as two international Blue Flag status boats and is a recognised Mission Blue Hope Spot. Bitou Municipality spokesperson Andile Namntu said: “To us, our beaches are our unique selling points to attract tourists from around the world. It plays a crucial role in the growth of our economy. This…

WITH JUNE known to be a historic youth month, a new academy, Muholi Art Institute which provides young artists mostly from disadvantaged communities with opportunities, will host its first exhibition, Imizuzu “Moments”. The institute in Roeland Street was established in February this year with the aim of creating a space for young upcoming and established artists to produce art that addresses issues affecting them on a personal and societal level. Muholi Art Institute also has a residence where it accommodates young people from other provinces, and gives them a space to paint. It is the brainchild of well-known visual artist, activist and photographer Zanele Muholi. “One thing that Professor Muholi always says is that ‘once somebody gave me a golden opportunity,’ hence Muholi awarded about 20 students with scholarships to…

SHE has decided to use all her tumultuous experiences and turn them into beautiful music art. Local music sensation Nanette Mbili – fondly known as Nanette – has delivered a heartfelt R&B album titled Bad Weather, in which she speaks candidly about her ordeals throughout her life. Going through some bumpy phases in her life not only gave birth to this album, but made her see that the storm was not permanent. In our conversation, she spoke about the inspiration behind the album. “The album was inspired by the feeling of being in a thunderstorm alone, a fear that I had when I was a child. I wanted to take that fear and attach it to everything else that I was scared of at that time, and that I have…

LIVERPOOL quadruple hopes have been dashed. They couldn’t get their hands on this season’s most prized ones – the Premier League and the Champions League. Anyway, it was better than ending the season empty- handed. And so 90 000 fans turned up in the streets of Liverpool to celebrate their team’s Carabao Cup and the FA cup trophies. It was heartbreak again for Liverpool in the Premier League. They had come within a whisker of winning the Premier League title for the second time in 30 years only to be pipped by Manchester City by just one point. After this disappointment, they pinned their hopes on lifting the Champions League trophy for the seventh time in Paris. If they could win Europe’s most prestigious soccer tournament it would more than…

The cost of living that keeps on gaining momentum is designed to frustrate and keep us away from putting our heads together to find the actual root of all this mess. This should be a wake-up call for all Africans to think out of the box as we are always the victims of inflation. For so long, we have been accustomed to fighting each other for political matters and positions, while the worst exploiters of our continent’s resources are accelerating in their looting and unjust policies against us. A lot of resources that keep the world active today are found in Africa, yet the same continent is the most expensive to live in. We are not destitute of resources. Neither are we destitute of finances to restore Africa to where…

ECONOMISTS are growing increasingly concerned about South Africa’s economy. This is because the country’s three major macroeconomic problems – lacklustre economic growth, growing inflation and very high unemployment – have been exacerbated by a series of major disruptions. These include the Covid-19 pandemic; millions of people lost their jobs as economic activity came to a halt under lockdown. In the middle of the pandemic, violence that lasted for eight days erupted in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. Further pressure has been piled on by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which is pushing up food prices. The most recent blow has been devastating floods that caused a loss of life and massive destruction of infrastructure, including to the country’s biggest port in Durban. The South African economy has been on the receiving end since…

CHISINAU: Turkey detained a Moldovan passenger plane at Antalya airport, Air Moldova said. The detention of its plane was “Turkish provider referred to alleged contractual debts”, however the debt has already been settled. “Accounting data show all invoices to the supplier were paid. Air Moldova has no debts to the Turkish provider,” the airline said on social media. It apologised to the passengers, who spent nine to 14 hours at Antalya airport. The online schedule at Chisinau International Airport website said five Air Moldova flights from Antalya have been cancelled.…

Islamabad: Two audio leaks have revealed that Farah Gogi, a close friend of Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, allegedly demanded a diamond gift for the ex-first lady from Malik Riaz’s daughter Amber Riaz in return for “removing locks” on a construction site and withdrawing a report against tycoon Malik Riaz. The audiotapes, purportedly the recordings of phone conversations between Malik and Amber Riaz, were aired yesterday. They show that Gogi rejected a three-carat diamond sent by Amber, asking for a five-carat diamond as an alleged bribe for de-sealing a construction site.…