Indice dei contenuti per 2023-08-15 in Star

4SIGHT Holding’s shares leapt as much as 21% yesterday after it delivered a maiden dividend of at 2.5 cents per share for the six months ended June 30, 2023. The share closed at 39c, 18.18% higher on the JSE yesterday. The company said in a statement: “The go-to-market strategy implemented by 4Sight Holdings Ltd (4SI) continues to deliver strong business per- formance, with the company maintaining its momentum from the previous financial year, again reporting double-digit growth in revenue and profit.” Revenue increased by 37.1% to R451.3 million with revenue growth experienced from all business clusters. Basic earnings per share in- creased from 1.287c to 3.828c per share, while headline earnings per share rose from 1.288c to 3.828c. Tertius Zitzke, the group CEO at 4Sight Holdings, said:…

The countdown is on for the premiere of Nkalakatha: the Life of Mandoza, which looks at the life of late Kwaito musician Mduduzi Edmond Tshabala, affectionately known as Mandoza. The six-part biopic delves into his emotional and personal struggles in a way that gives the viewers a sense of his “human” side. It is the rise of the star, the resilience of a young boy from Soweto. The role of Mandoza is portrayed by the exceptional Wiseman Mncube, whose captivating performance brings the essence and spirit of the beloved musician to life. “The weight of portraying an icon was heavy on my shoulders. I felt a deep responsibility to honour his memory and pay homage to his legacy and I am honoured to have been chosen for the role. “I…

l Home Affairs officials accused of aiding illegal immigration While many applauded Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi and his team for intercepting 67 Pakistani nationals who wanted to enter the country, some sources alleged that foreign nationals are working with Department of Home Affairs (DHA) officials in top positions. It does not end there. According to sources, DHA officials work closely with crime intelligence personnel from OR Tambo International Airport (Ortia). The sources furnished The Star with names and images of people believed to be agents and kingpins accused of bringing Pakistani nationals to South Africa illegally. Among those they have accused is a female DHA official (known to The Star, but name withheld) attached to head office and dealing with eVisas for Asian countries, including Pakistan and Bangladesh, who…

On Sunday evening, all roads led to Sun International’s flagship venue, the SunBet Arena at Time Square, where Natasha Joubert was crowned Miss SA 2023. Joubert was the first to wear the new crown dubbed Mowana, the “Tree of Life”. Apart from the crowning moment, red carpet looks are always a major highlight of the event as many marvel at the fashion South Africans deliver. This year was no different. Blue Mbombo made an appearance as Barbie, dazzling in pink despite her name. Former Miss SA Tamaryn Green showed up looking ravishing in her black and white maxi dress. Miss SA 2022, Ndavi Nokeri, who was to hand over the crown to Joubert, made an appearance in a beautiful garment. Hollywood star Thuso Mbedu also graced the affair, joining the…

The Cape Town taxi strike is finally over. The destruction and loss of lives must be condemned by all law abiding South Africans. Our rainbow nation suffers from a raft of lawlessness that is eroding social cohesion and democratic ideals. Our democracy is in a serious crisis, unruly elements ride roughshod over all of us. South Africans, regardless of political party backgrounds, demand that anarchy in our land be stopped and elite lawlessness in our institutions do not go unchecked. Brazenly defying the law will make us slide into a dysfunctional state of terrifying anger, resentment and mutual loathing. Accountability is essential to maintaining our democracy. The scenes of utter lawlessness in Cape Town are an affront to the democratic ideals of our nation. Such ruthless behaviour is an affront…

A business acquaintance has just been scammed by official-looking individuals, posing as representatives of the Labour Department. The individuals insisted she buy and display the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, Employment Equity Act and Tobacco Products Control Act or face a fine and possible imprisonment. R1 850 later, it dawned on her that she had been scammed by the intimidating, professional thugs who took her cash and disappeared into thin air. The invoice and receipt were false, the cell numbers non-existent. Never allow yourself to be intimidated by the opportunist trash who walk the streets, seeking out small business owners. Rather call the Labour Department and confirm the bona fides of these people.…

A Tshwane water and sanitation employee was shot and wounded in an incident believed to be linked to strike action. Tshwane staffers affiliated with the SA Municipal Workers Union have been on strike for more than three weeks, demanding salary increases. The Pretoria News understands that the employee ignored threats to stop responding to call-outs from the metro by fellow employees. According to city spokesperson Selby Bokaba, the worker was with a team from his department when they were attacked in Montana on Saturday evening. Bokaba confirmed that the attack was linked to the strike action. The city was recently granted an interdict by the Labour Court to declare the strike unlawful. Bokaba said: “The unlawful and unprotected strike by employees affiliated to labour union Samwu has degenerated into thuggery…

This year marks the 10th anniversary of President Xi Jinping’s first visit to Africa as Chinese President and his proposal of the principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith, and of pursuing the greater good and shared interests for China’s relations with Africa. Over the past decade, with the joint guidance and commitment of Chinese and African leaders, China-Africa relations have made historic achievements that impressed the whole world, and the flower of China-Africa friendship blossoms with new brilliance. To draw a new blueprint for China- Africa relations, over the past decade, President Xi Jinping paid four visits to Africa, chaired Johannesburg and Beijing Summits of the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation (Focac), hosted online the Extraordinary China- Africa Summit on Solidarity Against Covid-19, attended the Eighth Ministerial Conference…

The Ukrainian military yesterday said it had pushed Russian forces out of pockets of territory along front lines in the east and south of the country, building on a gruelling counter- offensive launched two months ago. The gains – announced by Ukraine’s deputy defence minister – came as Russia claimed its forces had progressed in the eastern Kharkiv region, undermining Kyiv’s highly anticipated campaign. Ukraine kicked off its counter- offensive against Russian forces in June after building up assault battalions and stockpiling Western-donated weapons. But Kyiv has acknowledged that movement against heavily fortified Russian positions has been slow and said it had gained only a clutch of land around the war-battered city of Bakhmut last week. Progress has been hampered by widespread Russian-laid minefields and strong fortifications, Deputy Defence Minister…

rome: The airport at Catania in Sicily, a top Italian tourist destination, has halted all flights after a new eruption at nearby Mount Etna, its operator said. “Because of an eruption at Etna and falling ash, flights are suspended until 8pm,” the airport said yesterday. Catania’s Mayor Enrico Trantino has also prohibited the use of motorcycles and bicycles for the next 48 hours, “because several areas are covered with a layer of volcanic ash”, city hall said on its website. Around 10 million passengers last year transited through the airport, which serves the eastern part of Sicily. | AFP…

ORLANDO Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has urged his players to guard against complacency when they visit Chippa United in the Premiership today. Tipped to be a dominant force this season, the Sea Robbers are living up to that lofty billing having scored nine goals and conceded just two in their last two games. They thumped Royal AM 4-2 to register their first win in the league last Tuesday, redeeming themselves for their shock 1-0 loss to Stellenbosch FC in their opening match. But that’s not all. They showed the teams who are competing with them for the MTN8 title, that they won’t give up on their crown easily as they hammered Sekhukhune United 5-0 in the quarter-final at home on Saturday. It was a top performance from the team. Striker…

ASHLEY du Preez’s debut season at Kaizer Chiefs only gave credence to the myth that Cape Town-born players struggle to adapt to life in Johannesburg’s fast lane. Nine goals and five assists in 32 appearances was not entirely disappointing, but so much more was expected from the flying Idas Valley winger after his high-profile move from Stellenbosch FC. When he suffered a horrific ankle injury after a shocking tackle from Cape Town City’s Taariq Fielies, who saw sent off, in the final game of last season it seemed like Du Preez would be starting on the backfoot in his second season at Naturena. But despite a limited pre-season and still not entirely entirely match-fit, the 26-year-old has raced out of the blocks with two goals in successive matches against Mamelodi…

Be careful what you wish for! That is Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker’s message to Orlando Pirates after the two rivals were paired up for the upcoming MTN8 semi-finals. The competition organisers were dealt a dream run of results over the weekend with both Soweto giants Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs along with perennial league champions Mamelodi Sundowns all advancing to the last four. That left relative minnows Stellenbosch as the remaining team after the Cape winelands side edged out SuperSport United 1-0 after extra-time. However, Barker’s charges have already shown they will not be standing back for anyone, particularly not Pirates, after the Buccaneers fell to a season-opening defeat at the Danie Craven Stadium. “Everybody was hoping to draw Stellenbosch and sometimes you must be careful what you wish for,”…

The African Transformation Movement (ATM) says it is weighing its options regarding attempts to get the party de-registered by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). This comes after ANC leader in the Western Cape, advocate Winston Erasmus, in his letter to ANC Western Cape provincial secretary Neville Delport, relayed his suspicions of an elaborate plot by certain ANC leaders, including Richard Dyantyi, to get the ATM de-registered from the IEC. Dyantyi has come under fire for his role as chairperson of the Section 194 inquiry into advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office. Early this month, Erasmus filed an application for Dyantyi to recuse himself following revelations that he was part of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s CR7 team. He has also been accused of soliciting a bribe from Mkhwebane’s husband,…

Standard Bank and the other big banks of South Africa have collectively driven the point of reputational risk as the key reason for closing their clients’ bank accounts and have put this on the shoulders of their clients. According to logicmanager.com, reputational risk in banking and financial services is associated with an institution losing consumer or stakeholder trust. It’s the risk that those consumers and stakeholders will take on a negative perception of the bank after a particular event. The banks have cleverly used the reputational risk narrative to close the accounts of those entities that they are in disagreement with while shielding their own actions that add to their reputational risk issues. The banks arbitrarily closing bank accounts is, on its own, a cause for their reputational risk, particularly…

As the world celebrates the progression of breaking, South Africa honours local dancers who have spent the past few years breaking boundaries in the world of dance. South African break dancer and entertainer Courtnae Paul, fondly known as b-girl Courtnae, is vying to qualify for the Olympics in the break-dancing category. “The first Red Bull BC One South Africa was in 2007, and the b-girl category was introduced in 2019. Now that we are going to the Olympics, that just shows that the sport is progressing. Being in the Olympics is also taking our culture and our dance to another level where there is a huge appetite on a global scale,” commented b-girl Courtnae. “Breaking was the highest-watched sport at this year’s Youth Olympics, and that shows that there is…

The political arena in South Africa is plagued by the ongoing feuds and divisions within the ANC. It is facing a tough challenge in the 2024 elections, with its support base dwindling by the day. The Zuma faction has had a significant impact on Ramaphosa’s presidency. The narrative that Zuma is a victim and that he is being forced out of the ANC by Ramaphosa deepened the divisions within the party. Zuma was incarcerated on 7 July 2021 on contempt of court charges. This was soon followed by unprecedented rioting and looting. Despite this he was released on medical parole, a move that was shown to be illegal. It is essential to note that the prison sentence Zuma faces is unrelated to his state capture allegations. Instead, it is related…

I am not very knowledgeable on how the banking system and credit rating scores work, other than reading the analysis, news and reports in newspapers. I understand banking from a traditional point of view. Banks accept deposits from depositors, make loans available at exorbitant interest rates to borrowers, make a huge profit and pay shareholders a lucrative dividend. Recently, Moody’s Investors Service downgraded the credit ratings of 10 US regional banks and put six other lenders on notice that they are under review for a possible downgrade after Fitch downgraded US credit rating. As usual, with all American issues and crimes, the world hardly blinks and just moves on. Had this been South Africa, the downgrade would have been a serious blow to the rand and the economy, as evidenced…

THREE court applications later and nearly two months after a man died, he can now finally be laid to rest following a legal tussle about where his final resting place should be. The family – not identified as it is a sensitive issue – wanted the resident of Midrand buried in a small village in Limpopo, arguing that this is where he came from originally and where the family can do their rituals. But the man’s only son said he and his father had been living in Midrand until his father’s death in June – and this is where he should be laid to rest. The family initially turned to the Limpopo High Court, sitting in Polokwane, on an extremely urgent basis. They asked that a Gauteng funeral parlour hand…

Health financing is a challenge any country has to deal with to provide good health-care services. It’s especially important for developing countries such as Ghana, where ability to pay is a hindrance to accessing the health- care services that people might need. The “cash and carry” system, where sick people have to pay out of pocket to obtain care, has adverse implications. People who can’t pay won’t be attended to. This could lead to irreversible consequences, even death. Health insurance has come up as a means to provide subscribers with at least basic health care even if they are unable to pay. Ghana’s public health insurance programme, the National Health Insurance Scheme, was introduced in 2004. In principle, it is mandatory but in practice, it is voluntary. The active enrolment…

A heatwave and worsening power cuts in Gaza have left some of those living in the overcrowded Palestinian enclave struggling to breathe. Ismail Nashwan, who suffers from pulmonary fibrosis, has had to shuttle between his home and hospital since temperatures rose over 38ºC, because he could not run his ventilator, or even just a fan, at home. “I go to the hospital, and when I come back home the electricity goes off again so I go back into the hospital,” Nashwan, 65, said through an oxygen mask, with bags of medicines on a table next to breathing equipment in his room. “This is how my life has become.” More than 2.3 million people live in a narrow strip of land squeezed between Egypt and Israel. Power cuts, which are unpredictable…

AMSTERDAM: Dutch Justice Minister Dilan Yesilgoz will lead outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s conservative VVD party in elections this November, the party announced yesterday. Yesilgoz, 46, is the first woman to lead the VVD party in national elections and if successful, would be the first female Dutch PM. She has Kurdish roots and immigrated to the Netherlands from Turkey when she was 8 years old. Rutte, the longest-serving Dutch prime minister, said in July he would leave politics following the collapse of his government over asylum policy. | Reuters…

WHEN Mamelodi Sundowns began stuttering after they had secured their sixth successive Premiership title last season, Golden Arrows were one of the teams that stole a point from the Brazilians. Abafana Be’sthende secured a 1-1 draw back in April, a result that soured what coach Rhulani Mokwena and his men would have loved to be a winning conclusion to a fantastic season. It was the last match of the Premiership season and Sundowns were keen to bring an end to a spate of draws that served to undermine their impressive march to yet another title as they set all sorts of record. If revenge is a dish best served cold, then Arrows could well be in for it today when they visit the Brazilians at the Lucas Moripe Stadium (5pm…

Convicted rapist, child sex abuser and porn ringleader Gerhard Ackerman was slapped with a sentence of 12 life terms in jail by the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, yesterday. Ackerman, who faced more than 700 counts of rape, child pornography and human trafficking, indicated that he wants to file a motion for retrial after the judgment was handed down by Judge Mohamed Ismail. A defensive Ackerman, who dismissed inquiries from the media on his state of mind and emotion, said he believed he is innocent on most, if not all, of the charges he has been found guilty on. This is despite Ackerman being fingered as a ringleader who orchestrated, actively organised and was paid to lure young boys to his so-called massage parlour. Evidence presented throughout the trial indicated that…

From Page 1 The committee had given Mkhwebane to respond to the draft report by August 21. Based on her reaction, it would reconsider the draft before adopting a final report for Parliament. At the weekend, Mkhwebane took to X (formerly Twitter), saying the committee had swept certain facts under the carpet. “The so-called draft report was adopted at a time when the committee was fully aware that my attorneys had withdrawn on August 3 due to their ill treatment by the chairperson and the committee.” When the committee “unceremoniously” stopped her evidence on March 31, she was never excused by committee chairperson Qubudile Dyantyi, she said, and as such considered herself to still be on the stand. Mkhwebane said the ANC and DA had partnered to rubber-stamp Dyantyi’s…

AWARD-WINNING media mogul and businesswoman Bonang Matheba, has again reminded South Africans why she is not only the queen of television but an esteemed icon of fashion as well. Matheba sparked excitement when she revealed that she was to host the prestigious Miss SA pageant after being on the judging panel in 2014, first hosting the pageant in 2018, and again in 2019. On the night that saw thousands of viewers immerse themselves in the pageant, the esteemed host modelled four different ensembles that emphasised her status as a fashion icon. Boity Thulo was among the prominent personalities who hailed Matheba for her style, while thousands of their followers also echoed her sentiments, taking Matheba’s name to the top of trends. In all of her appearances, Matheba, who is renowned…

It has been said that in a world of propaganda, truth is always a conspiracy. In the light of unfolding developments, the extent to which the doctrine, known as “the narrative”, has been exposed as propaganda should inspire fear and alarm. In recent years, challenges to prescribed narratives have been censored, denigrated or dismissed as “conspiracies”. Acceptance of the dogma has been premised on repetition by institutions and the mainstream media. If coerced narratives of the recent past are subjected to revision and review, their integrity leaves much to be desired. Covid was declared a pandemic, yet 99% of those infected survived. Reputable scientists at Harvard, Oxford and Stanford rejected lockdowns and masks as unscientific and counter-productive, a reality now accepted as having caused much unnecessary socio-economic distress. Covid vaccines…

TWO primary schools in Winterveldt were at the weekend burgled and vandalised by criminals who made off with laptops, printing machines and many other electronic materials. It is alleged that the security guards working at both schools, Dikago Dintle and Mlokotwa Dube, were tied up by the robbers during the burglaries. President of the Progressive Student Movement, Kabelo Nthekiso, said the matter has been reported to police, who had come to make an assessment at the schools. Tshwane district SAPS spokesperson, Warrant Officer Johan van Dyk, didn’t respond to a request for comment at the time of publication. Nthekiso said the student movement has repeatedly pleaded with the SAPS, without success, to patrol around school vicinities. “We have been making this call from 2016, primarily because we could see the…

A CELLPHONE cost a miner his job after he was fired for entering an underground area where he worked despite the fact that cellphones were forbidden past that point as they posed a risk of explosion. Neo Motswadi was fired from the Sibanye Platinum Mine as he transgressed the rules regarding cellphones. While he did admit that he had his phone with him, he felt that he was dealt with unfairly by being fired. He took the issue on arbitration to the CCMA, but the arbitrator upheld his dismissal on a charge of misconduct in the form of breaching a workplace rule against the possession of contraband in a demarcated non-contraband area. Aggrieved by this, he turned to the Labour Court in Joburg to have the arbitration award set aside.…

THE SACP in Tshwane has expressed support for the ongoing unlawful strike by municipal workers affiliated to the SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) amid threats by the City of Tshwane to fire more workers striking over salary increases. Since the strike began two weeks ago, the municipality has dismissed at least 93 employees. However, city manager Johan Mettler, who condemned an incident where an employee was shot and hijacked shortly after completing a shift on Saturday evening in Montana, said: “We will not cower in the face of intimidation by thugs. If the perpetrators are found to be our employees, they will be booted out of the employ of the City.” SACP district spokesperson Mpho Mogakane said: “The district unequivocally stands in solidarity with the striking workers of Samwu and…

Convicted sex trafficker and child rapist Gerhard Ackerman, described as a “plainly evil man”, has been handed 12 life sentences for crimes related to the sex abuse ring he ran in Johannesburg. Judge Mohamed Ismail sentenced him for the more than 700 charges he had been found guilty of in the Gauteng High Court yesterday. The life sentences were imposed for each of the rape and human trafficking counts, including the rape of minors. Ismail described Ackerman as a “plainly evil man“ who lured children and opened them up to abuse from other men for his own benefit. The sentences sent out a message in a country with some of the worst violence statistics against women and children that there are serious consequences for these vile crimes. However, questions remain…

LONDON: The president of Madagascar’s chief of staff and an “associate” have been charged with bribery offences in Britain, the UK’s National Crime Agency said. Romy Andrianarisoa, 46, the top aide to Madagascan President Andry Rajoelina, and Philippe Tabuteau, 54, are accused of seeking a bribe from a British mining company to secure licences to operate in Madagascar. The pair were arrested “at a meeting after having attempted to solicit a bribe”. Mining firm, Gemfields, which mines gemstones, “raised concerns” after the pair were seeking £225 000 (R5.4 million) in “upfront charges”, and a 5% equity stake in a proposed licence deal. | AFP…

BUENOS AIRES: A far-right Argentine presidential candidate, libertarian economist Javier Milei, has surprised many by winning the primaries, with his opponents close behind, voting results showed yesterday. Argentina’s presidential election is scheduled for October 22. The main contenders for the presidency are Sergio Massa, the incumbent economy minister, and opposition politicians including former security minister Patricia Bullrich, Buenos Aires mayor Horacio Larreta and Milei. Milei received 30.38%, while Bullrich and Larreta, together, received 28.23%. | Sputnik…

Brazil forward Neymar is headed for Saudi Arabia after Pro League side Al Hilal agreed a two-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain, Saudi state media reported yesterday. There was no immediate comment from the Ligue 1 champions, owned by Qatar Sports Investments, but French newspaper L’Equipe said the deal could net 31-year-old Neymar €160-million (about R3.3-billion). The transfer fee was reported to be about €90m plus add-ons and subject to completing a medical. Sources close to the operation revealed that Neymar had a medical in Paris yesterday and was expected to arrive in Riyadh tomorrow to be presented to fans at King Fahd Stadium. Al Hilal, managed by Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus, play Al Fayha on Saturday with Neymar expected to wear the No 10 shirt. Neymar, who joined PSG in…

SUPERSPORT United have to turn their impressive performances into results in the Premiership this week if they are to challenge for the title. SuperSport crashed out of the MTN8 on Sunday after losing 1-0 to Stellenbosch FC in the quarter-finals at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium. On paper, and according to coach Gavin Hunt, they should have won and sealed therir passage to the semi-finals. Instead, they were let down by their finishing. “It was a dominant performance” Hunt said. “I thought we were very good – should have won. We had more opportunities and we totally dominated. “But yeah, that’s what happens in a game of football – if you don’t score from your opportunities then you don’t win football matches.” While Hunt alluded that they didn’t set targets…