Starの 2022-06-29 の目次

PUBLIC Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan called a surprise media briefing late yesterday to reassure South Africans that the power will remain on as the country headed to Stage 6 load shedding. A total blackout is where the transmission grid completely collapses and he said the country was not in any danger of that. He said that he expected Eskom’s illegal wage strike to end today, and this was the main cause of power deficit amid winter. Gordhan largely blamed the worsening energy situation on the strike, which had started on June 22 by some Eskom workers. He spent a long time detailing incidents of intimidation to staff, which had led to 90 percent of the staff not being able to attend their duties at the power stations and staying…

COMMUNITY services, manufacturing and mining industries in South Africa managed to create thousands of jobs in the first quarter of 2022, amid a gloomy labour market as the country’s unemployment rate remains the highest in the world. Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) yesterday said 42 000 jobs were created in the formal non-agricultural sector between January and March compared with the previous three months. According to the Quarterly Em- ployment Statistics survey, total employment increased by 42 000, or 0.4 percent, quarter-on-quarter, bringing the level of total employment to about 10.1 million people. StatsSA said the increase in jobs was largely due to increases in the community services with 69 000 jobs, manufacturing with 8 000 jobs and mining with 2 000. Growth in…

AS THE grey-listing looms for a country whose promised new dawn seems to be setting before reaching midday, we wonder if there are ways in which we can recalibrate and change the potential outcomes of this trajectory. Even the seismic paradigm shift necessitated by multi-stakeholder capitalism that is now embraced by governments in other jurisdictions, which defines good corporate governance, whether private or public, does not seem capable of breaking old habits. Then again, it would appear that the president has “broken down reality into concepts he never can reconstruct in its wholeness”, as philosopher William James once asserted. If Dr Susan Liautaud, who is an expert on ethics internationally, is right that, as individuals and organisations, we should consistently ask ourselves: who we are and what we stand for,…

Money Heist (also known as La Casa de Papel) thrived on Netflix after a short-lived stint on Spanish TV, and the platform quickly capitalised on the hype with a documentary titled Money Heist: The Phenomenon. When the show ended its five-season run last year, Netflix put out another documentary, Money Heist: From Tokyo to Berlin, featuring the actors and crew discussing the end of the series. But that was not truly the end of Money Heist, which takes on new life with the newly released Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area. Money Heist: Korea is more cross-over than spin-off. The series stays true to the original plot, in which a mysterious criminal mastermind recruits a band of thieves to help him pull off a daring heist at Spain’s National…

THE LACK of holding cells at Lyttelton police station for the past seven years continues to pose the risk of detainees escaping from custody. This is according to MEC of Community Safety, Faith Mazibuko, replying to an enquiry from DA Gauteng MPL Crezane Bosch regarding the impact on the ability of the station to perform its duties owing to no holding cells. Mazibuko said the situation at the station had forced police officers to transport detainees to Sunnyside SAPS holding cells. There was an increased risk for detainees to escape from lawful custody while being transported to Sunnyside, she said. She also alluded to the fact that transporting detainees was costly to the station because Sunnyside SAPS was located 20km away from Lyttelton. “Service delivery is hampered, as members are…

MUSIC and other art forms have often been regarded as secondary to education when it comes to schooling, especially in communities where access to resources is severely limited. Yet, research has shown that not only does music have a positive impact on a variety of skills but it supports educational processes and the development of children as well. Therefore, shouldn’t the argument be made that the most vulnerable children in our communities be overwhelmed with an abundance of resources placing them on a competitive footing with their peers in more affluent communities? That’s exactly the question that struck musician and composer Roland Moses. He was dropping off his daughter at her upper-middle class school when he noticed a taxi full of schoolchildren disembarking at the nearby state-run high school. The…

Day 2 of 4 South Africa first innings 284 all out England first innings 328/6 England lead by 44 runs with four wickets in hand The Proteas were made to learn a harsh lesson about Test cricket in the final session of play, where they let slip an advantage that may prove costly in the outcome of the match. In the build-up to the one-off match in Taunton, head coach Hilton Moreeng had talked about heeding the lessons from South Africa’s last Test, eight years ago in India, where he cited one session as proving costly. It’s too early to say if that is the case again, but what is certain is that any chances of winning were significantly damaged by a record-breaking sixth-wicket partnership between Nat Sciver…

There will be two of the best packs in world rugby on display Saturday at Loftus Versfeld, the general consensus seeping through the zeitgeist insists, and both of them will be in the Springbok match-day 23. Wales, then, reportedly have it all to do up front if they are to overcome the Boks on their home turf at a full Loftus (kick-off 5pm). That became even more evident after Bok mentor Jacques Nienaber opted for a 6-2 split on the bench yesterday for the first Test, selecting Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi and Frans Malherbe in the starting XV, and Malcolm Marx, Steven Kitshoff and Vincent Koch on the bench. “They are one of the best packs in the world,” said Wales hooker Ryan Elias earlier this week. “They are big…

GRINDROD’S share price increased by 6.3 percent to R9.40 yesterday morning, after it flagged a strong performance in the first five months of 2022. The share closed at R9.11 on the JSE yesterday. The group said in a pre-close update yesterday that it expects headline earnings per share to improve by at least 100 percent in the year to June 30, compared with 0.7 cents for the previous corresponding period. Earnings and operational performance in port and terminals, and logistics businesses had been pleasing, underpinned by “signifi- cant volume growth”, the group said. The bank, which is being sold to Afri- can Bank for R1.5 billion, also healthy earnings’ growth. Proceeds of R150 million from non-core asset disposals were applied to settle private equity debt.…

SHARES in Impala Platinum (Implats) rose after it landed a “historic” five-year wage deal with the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), which secures stability at its Rustenburg and Marula Platinum operations. The shares of the producer of platinum group metals increased 2.9 percent to R183.61 in midday trade yesterday, having risen 155.81 percent over the past three years. It closed at R181 on the JSE yesterday. The settlement was effective from July 1, and marked the first time Implats has secured and signed a wage agreement before it expires. Amcu is the majority union at Impala Rustenburg and Marula, and Implats’s recognition agreement with Amcu dates back to when it was signed…

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education said a team had been sent to the family of a pupil from Nombika High School in iLembe District, who died by suicide, to establish the circumstances surrounding her death. The department said in a statement yesterday that it was saddened by the news of the death of a pupil, who was said to have taken her own life. “The deceased was in the news because of the problem she had with the school regarding traditional rituals. “The department intervened in the matter and the learner was back at the school being taught like all other learners,” said the statement. The iLembe District director has sent a team to her family to establish the circumstances around her death, it said. “We send our condolences to…

A SOWETO family say they are devastated following the death of their 7-year-old child Sinikizwe Ndlovu, who was run over by a school bus on the Hector Peterson Primary School’s premises in Dobsonville last month. It was reported that the learner was inside the school premises on May 17 playing with her school friends while they were waiting for their transport to fetch them. A driver of one of the scholar transport vehicles, who was said to have been playing loud music in his vehicle while on a cellphone, knocked the child over – dragging her more than five metres before stopping. Sinikizwe was injured during the incident and suffered extensive damage to her ribs and eye as brain matter came out of her eye socket. The family…

LOBBY group Friends of Table Mountain has raised the alarm regarding the steady destruction of Table Mountain’s (TMNP) limited and treasured indigenous forests. The group said two areas of concern included the Newlands Forest which it said was slowly but steadily being decimated due to bark stripping and the afro-montane indigenous forests above Kalk Bay in Echo Valley. Friends of Table Mountain chairperson Andy Davies said the bark was stripped off indigenous trees by poachers and sold to traditional healers “Unfortunately, entire trees are being ring barked which leads to their demise. While some poachers have been caught the bark stripping is continuing and serious concerns are being raised by local activists about the permanent and significant damage being done to Newlands Forest. “We were alerted to the issue and…

Lesufi has made it … Just! Will he be the conduit to take the party he serves from the depths of degradation to a new path of morality? The ANC have proved over the past 28 years that they lack some intangibles like honesty, loyalty, generosity of spirit, and faithfulness, as had been prescribed by their founding fathers. Instead they immersed themselves in accumulating personal wealth at the expense of their poor compatriots… The promises made to the nation by Mandela in 1994, trashed by bloated gluttons… The Zondo Commission has thankfully named and shamed many of these perpetrators. The old ANC stalwarts sought political utopia, as their Struggle translated into a time of incarceration and personal upheaval. But the new generation of ANC miscreants have treated the country like…

ONLY 0.3% of people with mental health issues are able to receive help at public and private mental health care facilities. The National Department of Health, in response to questions in Parliament by the DA, said 6.5 million people needed professional help for common mental disorders. Of these 1.3m of those aged 15 and older needed care for severe psychiatric conditions. The department said South Africa had 19 750 beds available in public and private mental health care facilities (14 060 beds in the public sector and 5 690 in the private sector). DA health spokesperson Michele Clarke said only 0.3% of people with mental health issues were able to receive help. She said the country had a massive shortage of psychologists and psychiatrists in the public health sector. According…

The Emirates Lions have a huge task ahead of them when they enter the EPCR Challenge Cup next season after being drawn against the illustrious Stade Francais in the pool stage. The Lions – along with the invited Free State Cheetahs – will compete in the competition from December onwards, having qualified through this season’s United Rugby Championship (URC). Although the Challenge Cup is the second-tier competition, the Lions will have a tough assignment to overcome one of world rugby’s greatest clubs in SF Paris, while also battling against a highly dangerous and competitive Worcester Warriors in the pool stages. “We are really excited to be a part of the Challenge Cup,” said coach Ivan van Rooyen after the draw yesterday. “It is a great opportunity, not only for players,…

Feisty Australian Nick Kyrgios came through a five-set first-round thriller against British wild-card Paul Jubb at Wimbledon yesterday as his fearsome serve, including 30 aces, eventually overpowered the 22-year-old 3-6, 6-1, 7-5, 6-7(3), 7-5. It was an unexpectedly testing examination for Kyrgios as the British outsider kept his cool in the face of the Australian’s usual verbal antics, but fell just short. “It was tough, he had nothing to lose and he played exceptional tennis at times,” Kyrgios said. “He’s going to be a good player for sure, I’m just happy to get through. “Playing here is a lot of fun. I talk a lot on the court, but off the court I’m not too bad.” Kyrgios looked pretty flat in losing the opening set to a player whose career…

MARKET sentiment took a turn for the worse yesterday afternoon as South Africa’s energy crisis deepened with the electricity supply outlook falling to its weakest in two-and-a-half years. Eskom yesterday said that the national energy supply in South Africa had deteriorated further due to (several) unplanned breakdowns, and an ongoing industrial action, forcing it to cut power supply for many more hours a day. The struggling utility implemented Stage 6 load shedding from 4pm until 10pm last night, returning to Stage 4 load shedding from 10pm until midnight and reduced to Stage 2 until 5am this morning. The unstable electricity supply schedule would then be repeated for the rest of today but the risk of a higher stage of load shedding remains high, Eskom warned. This…

ACCELERATE Property Fund declared a final distribution of 21.98 cents per share for the year to March 31 compared with nothing the year before, as the company continues with its strategy to sell non-core assets to strengthen its financial position. The company, which includes Fourways Mall, Cedar Square Shopping Centre and the Portside offices in Cape Town among its prominent and diversified assets, said revenue from continuing and discontinued operations came to R993.3 million in the year from R1 billion the previous year. Rental assistance granted was well down to R35.13m from R182.52m. The diluted gain per share came to 6.44c from a loss of 72.85c previously, following a consistent, if staggered improvement in trading and performance post-Covid-19. Accelerate has sold R3.2bn of assets since 2018, the…

Chris Hemsworth said it was a dream come true to show his bare behind in Thor: Love and Thunder. The 38-year-old actor reprises his role as the God of Thunder in the new Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) blockbuster and his nude bottom can be seen in the movie, much to his delight. Speaking to Variety at the Hollywood premiere of the movie, Hemsworth said: “It was 10 years in the making that scene – kind of a dream of mine.” He added: “The first time I played Thor, I took my shirt off and I thought, ‘You know what’s gonna sweeten this… A decade from now it’s all gonna come off.” He explained that he had to bare all on screen in the movie Rush, and wasn’t surprised by his…

HOME Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has lashed out at the Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF) for instituting a court action against the department. The minister’s open letter to the foundation comes after the foundation on June 15 launched legal action to challenge Motsoaledi’s decision to terminate the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP). The ZEP, which ended on December 31, will not be extended. This decision by the minister was said to have the backing of the Cabinet when in November last year the Cabinet made the decision not to renew the ZEP. However, the foundation and many others have since blamed the minister for xenophobia, with civil rights groups arguing that it would be impossible for current permit holders to successfully apply for other permits. Zimbabweans living in South Africa have in…

It has been said that thousands of South Africans yearly develop a condition known as varicose veins, which are twisted and enlarged veins. The condition is common among the population as any vein close to the surface of the skin (superficial) can become varicosed. Leading South African vascular surgeon Dr Vinesh Padayachy said varicose veins most commonly affect the veins in the legs because standing increases the pressure in the veins of the lower limb. For many people, there are no symptoms, and varicose veins are simply a cosmetic concern, but in some cases, they cause aching pain and discomfort or signal an underlying circulatory problem. “Varicose veins can present in a multitude of ways,” Padayachy said. “The common signs and symptoms a patient can experience would be obviously visible…

The Russia/Ukraine war has brought into sharp focus the necessity of a Newer World Order in the world today. The Nato alliance’s actions call for a change in world affairs, led by arrogant imperial powers. The current world system is flawed. It has run out of currency, and it needs to be uprooted. The arrogant imperial Western powers have used the old new world order to benefit the West led by the US. They give loans to those who belong to their group, and use the system to punish those who do not toe the line. The world should rally behind Russian President Vladimir Putin, the first leader of a superpower to challenge the US and its Nato alliance partners in the EU. African countries need to support a complete…

NEW research has shown that the Australopithecus fossil deposit in the famous Sterkfontein caves is now estimated to be a million years older than researchers had first thought. Most of the Australopithecus fossils at Sterkfontein were excavated through the ancient cave infill called “Member 4”, which houses the richest deposit of Australopithecus fossils in the world. For many years, research at the cave had led many to believe that the age of “Member 4” at Sterkfontein remained contested. They believed that the Australopithecus’s age dated back to 2 millions years ago, making it younger than the first appearance of our own genus, Homo, which dates back 3 million years. Dominic Stratford, an associate professor at Wits University, director of research at Sterkfontein and one of the authors of the research…

INGREDIENTS 2 (55g each) Nestlé Bar·One chocolate bars 100g margarine, melted ¼ cup cocoa powder 1 cup castor sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla essence ½ cup cake flour ¼ tsp salt METHOD Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a 20x20cm square baking dish with baking paper hanging slightly over the sides. Chop the Nestlé Bar·One chocolate bars into small, bite-sized pieces and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the margarine, Nestlé Cocoa Powder and sugar and mix with a spoon until combined and the sugar is dissolved. Add in the eggs one at a time and once incorporated, add the vanilla essence, flour and salt. Carefully add half of the Bar·One chocolate bar pieces and fold the mixture together. Pour the batter into the baking dish…

Probably the biggest surprise in Jacques Nienaber’s Springbok team to play Wales on Saturday is Damian Willemse at fullback ahead of Willie le Roux, but the Bok coach says the Stormers player is being groomed as the next Frans Steyn. The veteran Steyn is currently injured and over the course of the series against Wales Nienaber wants Willemse to have game time at fullback, centre and flyhalf, the positions Steyn covers. “Damian is a similar project to Frans in that he can play No 10, 12, 15 and even wing,” Nienaber explained. “He is in that mould and we had a plan for him on last year’s November tour, but he got concussed early in the tour. Hopefully, it works out better now and he gets extended exposure at this…