Inhoudsopgave van 2021-07-20 - Star

Amsa declares a force majeure over violent protests in KZN and Gauteng Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za ARCELORMITTAL South Africa (Amsa), the country’s primary steel producer, has declared a force majeure with its customers following the violent protests and looting in Kwazulu-Natal and Gauteng last week. The mayhem that began when former presi- dent Jacob Zuma began serving his 15-month jail sentence morphed into civil unrest that saw the torching of trucks, the looting of shopping centres and the destruction of property. The company said that last week’s unrest had affected major highways and transport routes with roads being blocked, widespread vandalism and vehicles, especially the trucks of transport companies, being petrol-bombed and stoned. Amsa said the KwaZulu-Natal rail corridor to and from Newcastle was also affected, with flows coming to a…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za South Africa’s tourism industry recorded a strong recovery in May as lockdown restrictions were eased ahead of the third wave of Covid-19 infections, but the recent unrest in the country could put this in jeopardy. Data from the Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) yesterday showed that the total income for the tourist accommodation industry increased by 2 027 percent in May from a year ago. StatsSA said income from accommodation increased by 2 383 percent year-on-year in May, the result of a 2 098 percent increase in the number of stay unit nights sold and a 13 percent increase in the average income per stay unit night sold. Hotels alone recorded an occupancy rate of 24.2 percent in May,…

Bongani Nkosi bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za COVID-19 has knocked South Africa’s life expectancy down much in the same pattern that HIV/Aids did before it was brought under control through the massive roll-out of antiretroviral therapy. Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) revealed yesterday that life expectancy in the country had dropped to 59.3 years for men and 64.6 years for women, largely due to the coronavirus. The national statistics body released the mid-year population estimates report. It estimated that the country now had 60.14 million people, increasing slightly from the 59.62 million estimated in 2020. While it was growing, the population faced a deadly virus that was to blame for an estimated 85% of about 180 000 excess deaths recorded over the past year. Ahead of the outbreak of the novel virus, life…

Itumeleng Mafisa THE CONGRESS of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) has expressed sadness at the death of Inkosi Sipho Mahlangu, the former chairperson of the National House of Traditional Leaders (NHTL). In a statement Contralesa general secretary Zolani Mkiva said Mahlangu was the best national chairperson that the organisation had had in a long time. He praised Mahlangu for his innovative ideas in integrating traditional leadership with modern society. “His business acumen and ethical leadership made it possible to harmonise the work of the National House and Contralesa. He was a uniting figure par excellence. It is him and him alone who introduced the active participation of Contralesa leadership in the official activities and ceremonies of the NHTL. “These activities include, the official opening of the NHTL, debate…

Tapiwa Muskwe | United Kingdom IT IS traumatising and shocking that the UK has been falsely convinced by Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa that the human rights situation in Zimbabwe has dramatically improved and therefore asylum seekers can be deported to Zimbabwe. The merciless and cruel Zimbabwean movement has been arresting activists and members of the opposition party Movement for Democratic Change Alliance in record numbers. There is superabundant evidence in the media the Zimbabwean government and its agents are abducting, torturing, ill-treating, degrading, killing, harassing and arresting members of the opposition and activists. Britain should continue to offer sanctuary to Zimbabweans who have fled the Zanu-PF regime. The world should put pressure on Mnangagwa to transform Zimbabwe democratically or resign.…

Mpiletso Motumi mpiletso.motumi@inl.co.za RUDY Chalmers is introducing his sound to the world with a mixtape of emotions. The 20-year-old muso has released his debut musical project Fears & Fantasies, which explores the life he has lived. It was only a matter of time before the rapper, the son of late media veteran Vuyo Mbuli and Savita Mbuli, paved his own path in the industry. “My inspiration for writing music and growing that skill started when I was about eight. My older cousin, Zolani, used to write rap lyrics and whenever I would go to my grandparents’ house in Pimville, he and I would spend Sunday afternoons together and he would freestyle for me. Everything he did seemed so cool and I definitely wanted to do it too,” said the rapper,…

Itumeleng Mafisa itumeleng.mafisa@inl.co.za THE Jacob Zuma Foundation has called for the establishment of a commission of inquiry into the deaths of over 200 people in the country during days of unrest and looting of businesses. Spokesperson of the foundation, Mzwanele Manyi, said the deaths during the unrest were a serious indictment on the government and the country. Investigating the reason for these deaths would help bring closure for the victims’ families, he said. “Lives were lost, there must be a proper investigation into this and the ineptness of our security cluster must come into focus. Did they not anticipate this? Why did they wake up after the fact? South Africa is in a mess, the whole thing is a mess,” Manyi said. The foundation also wanted President Cyril Ramaphosa investigated…

AS WE embark on a healing process and count the costs following days of ugly scenes of the unprecedented destruction of property, wanton looting, mayhem and unnecessary loss of lives, we should not let the recent developments deter us from rebuilding our country. It is tragic that such planned and orchestrated attacks have added more pain to the fight against the coronavirus pandemic wreaking havoc worldwide while we are experiencing a depressed economy. Many excuses have been invented and various arguments advanced about the root cause of such barbaric cowardice and backward acts of violence. These were no ordinary protests. They were well orchestrated to destabilise the country. The events of the past week have left a trail of destruction, human suffering and pain in our fledgling democracy. As we…

Zodwa Shongwe In what some have termed Eswatini’s “winter of discontent” the world is being treated to a spectacle of violence and anarchy in a country hitherto touted as the most peaceful and friendly in the whole of Africa. Having grown up in Eswatini, I can attest to this. The scars on the economy and people’s well-being will linger for many years to come as the death toll is more than 50 protestors and residents, with more than 100 injured, some critically. The damage to property and businesses is estimated to be more than R3 billion and counting. At the end of June 2021, the kingdom erupted into explosive chaos, as decades of contention over democratic change and economic reforms between the government and political activists reached an inevitably nasty…

The software Pegasus, developed by Israel’s NSO Group and used by government agencies to track criminals and terrorists, was deployed by state services to hack private phones of activists, journalists, and opposition figures around the world, according to an investigation by The Washington Post and 16 other media outlets. Paris-based non-profit Forbidden Stories and Amnesty International shared with the media partners in the investigation a list of over 50 000 phone numbers whose owners might have potentially targeted by NSO’s government clients for surveillance, the newspaper said. When analysing the list dated 2016, journalists managed to identify at least 1 000 number holders from over 50 countries, including several members of Arab royal families, 85 human rights defenders, 189 reporters, and over 600 politicians and government officials. It even included…

MOSCOW: Over half a million Chinese citizens have signed a joint letter to the World Health Organization (WHO) calling for a probe into US Fort Detrick Lab to “prevent” future epidemics, the Global Times reported. The US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick, Maryland, was briefly shut down in 2019 after an inspection by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The lab said the reason for its shutdown was “ongoing infrastructure issues with wastewater decontamination”, The Chinese newspaper doubted the explanation and said that a June study by the National Institute of Health’s All of Us Research Program suggested that Covid-19 may have been in the US as early as December 2019.…

Herman Gibbs During Sunday’s victory speech at the Hall of Fame Open in Newport, Rhode Island, South Africa’s former world No 5 Kevin Anderson called on his compatriots to be united during the challenging times the country is experiencing. Anderson defeated American Jenson Brooksby 7-6(8), 6-4 after two hours and 11 minutes to win his seventh ATP Tour title. It was his first title since January 2019 when he won in Pune, India. He is the first South African to triumph in Rhode Island since Johannesburg-born Neville Godwin in 2001. “I want to say there have been a lot of difficulties happening around the world and South Africa is going through a very difficult time,” said Anderson during the trophy ceremony. “I want to say to everybody back home…

Ashfak Mohamed ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za THE British & Irish Lions have won about 37% of all their Test matches against the Springboks. So, when the 1997 squad landed in South Africa, they had it all to do. Martin Johnson was an inspired choice as captain for the 1997 trip down south, as he was not even England or Leicester skipper at the time. But Lions coach Ian McGeechan had other ideas, having been impressed by the No 4 lock’s leadership skills at his club, where he had stood in for the injured Dean Richards. Lions team manager for the 1997 tour Fran Cotton told the team’s official website that the deciding factor in the decision was a chat he had had with Johnson’s mother Hilary. “Johnno was a fantastic, world-class lock, we…

SANDILE mCHUNU sandile.mchunu@inl.co.za THE LEWIS Group said 58 of its stores were looted and damaged last week through the widespread violence and looting in KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng. The events had a significant impact on its store operations, the group said in a statement yesterday. “A total of 58 stores were looted and damaged and are currently not able to trade, including 54 stores in the ‘traditional’ segment across the Lewis, Beares and Best Home & Electric brands and four UFO stores.” At the height of the unrest last week more than 260 stores across the group were closed as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of staff and customers, and to minimise losses. “Management is assessing the extent of the vandalism and it is too early to…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za The INVESTMENT community has shot down as unfeasible the proposed multibillion-rand basic income grant scheme as the government mulls introducing it to curb poverty. President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday gave the biggest hint that the government was investigating the feasibility of introducing a basic income grant in South Africa. Investors have said they would await more clarity on the full cost to the fiscus that this new grant would entail as more than a third of the South African population was unemployed. Anchor Capital investment analyst Casey Delport said yesterday that as it currently stands, they had a mixed view on the implementation of a basic wage. Delport said from a socio-political perspective, there was indeed a strong argument to be made for its implementation. “However, from…

Kailene Pillay and Sihle Mavuso FORMER president Jacob Zuma was seen – although virtually – for the first time since his incarceration when the Pietermaritzburg High Court heard his application to postpone his arms deal corruption trial yesterday. Dressed in a dark suit, white shirt and red tie, he seemed in good spirits as he waved into the camera and smiled before proceedings started. Zuma – recently incarcerated at the Escort Correctional Facility – faces 18 charges and 783 counts related to the case, including fraud, corruption, money laundering and racketeering and is charged along with French arms manufacturer Thales. The charges are in connection with the 1999 purchase of fighter jets and other military equipment from five international arms companies. Nine of his charges are for allegedly filing…

CHARL VAN WYK | Cape Town MANY have voiced their concerns and presented their views on the proposed changes to the Firearms Control Amendment Bill. The biggest issue of contention is the proposal to scrap self-defence as a reason for applying for a firearm licence. Police Minister Bheki Cele said arming citizens will not solve the country’s high crime rate. Firearms make it easier to kill, but firearms also make it easier for citizens to defend themselves, or other innocent victims. Photographs and videos on social media have shown armed citizens resisting looters busy with their latest “shopping sprees”. Private businesses stepped in to donate ammunition to the police and private security companies during the latest riots. As a missionary, I work with some of the poorest people…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za IN A first for Gauteng, a baby – who was born with his organs compressing his lungs – has survived against enormous odds and the “little soldier” is finally home. Nadia Greyling gave birth to her second son, Ignus, on April 15, at Netcare Clinton Hospital in Alberton, Ekurhuleni. However, the mother and her husband, Phillip, had not discovered that baby Ignus had a life-threatening internal birth defect. “The first cry of your newborn baby is the most beautiful sound ever ... We had no idea what was waiting for us,” Greyling said. Almost immediately after the baby boy was born, the treating paediatrician in theatre found that Ignus was not breathing as he should. The tiny baby was then intubated and put on a ventilator to…

Jacobson is a foreign policy expert at the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, served in Afghanistan as a reserve officer in 2006 and then returned in a civilian role, working as a foreign policy adviser to General Stanley McChrystal and later as the deputy Nato senior civilian representative in Afghanistan. AS AN Afghanistan veteran, what do you think of this turning point as the US withdraws from the country? I’m saddened by the policy decision to completely withdraw. I think it’s a poor choice and I believe that both President Trump’s and President Biden’s assessment of the issue was based on their belief in a false choice between a so-called “endless war” and full withdrawal. But I can live with lousy policy decisions. I’m more concerned about my former…

CHALCHUAPA, El Salvador: Neighbours knew something was wrong in that squat green house when a young woman’s screams pierced the quiet of their small town about 80km from San Salvador, this nation’s capital. Jacquelinne Palomo Lima, 26, and her mother had been lured to the windowless dwelling by the man who lived there, 51-year-old former policeman Hugo Osorio, who had promised them information about Palomo’s missing brother, Alexis. Neighbours called police when they heard Palomo’s screams on the night of May 7 as she fled the home only to be overtaken by Osorio, who allegedly hit her in the head with a metal pipe and dragged her back inside. By the time authorities arrived, the bodies of Palomo, her brother and her mother were found, along with another 14 corpses…

TOKYO: A health adviser for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Covid-19 countermeasures reassured yesterday that the Olympic village is safe despite more positive cases reported among the Olympics-and-Para Olympics related personnel. Brian McCloskey said with all the countermeasures in place, particularly robust testing and quick response of isolation, the infections will not pose risks to others. The Olympic Village will house 6 700 athletes and officials when the Games get under way on Friday. Games organisers said 58 positive cases related to the Games, including four athletes, have been reported as of yesterday since July 1. McCloskey gave a firm “yes” when asked if the Olympic village is still safe with rising infections.…

WASHINGTON: Claude Joseph, who has nominally led Haiti as acting prime minister since the assassination of president Jovenel Moise, said in a Washington Post interview published yesterday that he has agreed to step down, handing power to a challenger backed by the international community. The announcement appears to end a power struggle between Joseph and Ariel Henry, the 71-year-old neurosurgeon who was appointed prime minister by Moise two days before the killing but has yet to be sworn in. Moise was fatally shot when assassins armed with assault rifles stormed his private residence in the hills above Port-au-Prince on July 7. The assassination has pitched the already troubled nation into chaos.…

Woolworths reports 9.7 percent sales growth in 2021 financial year Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za FOOD, fashion and beauty giant Woolworths (Woolies), said the third wave had been a setback for the group’s recovery in South Africa as it announced a 9.7 percent growth in sales for the year ended June 2021 compared to a year earlier. Woolies, whose stores are spread across South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, said its food business continued to be the star performer with a 6.9 percent growth in sales and a 5.7 percent in comparable stores and online sales surged. The price movement was 5.2 percent and underlying product inflation was 4.9 percent. The food business grew in both market share and volumes, despite the high base a year earlier…

EDWARD WEST edward.west@inl.co.za Courier companies are not yet operating in affected areas in KwaZulu- Natal and Gauteng following last week’s violence, and nationally customers were warned that some deliveries might be late. PostNet, for instance, warned on its website that shipments destined to and from Durban, Ladysmith, Richards Bay and Pietermaritzburg were severely delayed as a result of last week’s unrest. Dawn Wing said on its website that it had closed operations from July 15 across KwaZulu-Natal, and in the central business district of Johannesburg and Alexandra, where clean-ups were under way, and in Vosloorus, Katlehong, Jeppe, Denver, Mayfair and Braamfontein. High risk areas were Wynberg, Lombardy East, Marlborough Gardens and Soweto, where some malls were still closed. The Courier Guy said disruptions had caused delays of up to 24…

Britney Spears, in a furious Instagram post, said she has “quit” doing live performances and slammed her father’s control over her affairs. For weeks the pop superstar has been pleading with a Los Angeles judge to free her from the years-long conservatorship largely governed by her father, Jamie. Late Saturday, in a new, public demonstration of her anger, she posted on Instagram: “I’m not gonna be performing on any stages anytime soon with my dad handling what I wear, say, do, or think,” she wrote. “I quit !!!!” she wrote. Spears suffered a highly public 2007 breakdown – when the shaven-headed star attacked a paparazzo’s car. In 2008, a California court placed her under her dad’s legal guardianship. Spears swiftly returned to performing after that, released three albums, appeared on…

chulumanco Mahamba JOBURG residents should prepare to bundle up as bitterly cold conditions are expected across the country from today going into the weekend. The SA Weather Service issued an alert yesterday stating that a week of very cold temperatures was expected across most of South Africa from today lasting well into the coming weekend. “The cold temperatures will be due to a succession of cold fronts that are expected to sweep across the southern half of the country. The first cold front was expected to arrive over the south-western parts of the country yesterday afternoon, followed by another more intense cold front on Wednesday. The latter system will be supported by a well-defined upper-air trough, thus enhancing the overall intensity of the weather system,” the national forecaster said. The…

Thabile Mange | Krugersdorp SINCE he assumed power, President Cyril Ramaphosa is yet to reshuffle his Cabinet. Even when the opportunity presents itself for him to reshuffle, he doesn’t. What’s holding him back? There is no easy answer. As things stand, there are two vacant Cabinet positions. They are that of the minister in the Presidency and minister of health. The former became vacant because the then minister has passed on. The latter has been suspended for alleged corruption. The strong indication is he is guilty. Since the above positions are vacant, there are two ministers (minister of small business and minister of tourism) acting in them. So demanding are these positions the acting ministers are overstretched. As a result, they are compromising their own portfolios. The…

Celebrated annually, Mandela Day is held on July 18 in honour of Nelson Mandela. On this day, as South Africa and countries around the world join hands to build, there is a greater sadness as we reflect on the great man’s legacy now that he is no longer with us in person, just in spirit. As we remember his life, his leadership, the sacrifices he made to achieve our freedom and a better future as citizens of this country, and his passion for furthering humanitarian causes, we are encouraged to follow his example and make a difference in the world. As Mandela said: “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is the difference we have made to the lives of others that will…

Itumeleng Mafisa itumeleng.mafisa@inl.co.za THE chief operations officer of Numolux, the company tasked with bringing the Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine into South Africa, says the manufacturers were ready to supply 10 million vaccine doses. Anton Arendse told The Star the vaccines could be made available as soon as the state gave the go-ahead. CoronaVac was approved on condition by the South African Health Regulatory Products Authority (Sahpra) earlier this month. Sahpra had approved 2.5 million doses of Sinovac-CoronaVac for emergency use but the suppliers say they can supply an additional 7.5 million. “There has been a total commitment of 10 million. Since the approval we have started putting logistics in place in anticipation of the acquisition for the state,” Arendse said. For now, only the government could acquire the vaccine. “From our side…

THE booming Chinese economy is sucking in massive amounts of South African exports as it needs our mineral exports such as coal and iron ore to fuel its economy. According to the latest data from the General Administration of Customs of China, South African exports to China showed an 83.2% year-on-year (y/y) surge in the first half of 2021 to $15.89 billion (about R230bn), while South African imports from China grew by 52.4% y/y to $9.43bn, resulting in a trade surplus in South Africa’s favour of $6.46bn. China’s economy sustained a steady recovery in the first half of the year, with the production and demand booming, while employment and prices remained stable, the National Bureau of Statistics said. It added, however, that there were concerns about the global spread of…

More than a dozen diplomatic missions in Afghanistan yesterday called for “an urgent end” to the Taliban’s ruthless military offensive, saying it was at odds with claims they wanted to secure a political deal to end the conflict. The statement – signed by the US, EU, and more than a dozen other missions in Kabul – follows another round of inconclusive talks in Doha over the weekend between the Afghan government and the Taliban that many hoped would kick-start the ailing peace process. “The Taliban’s offensive is in direct contradiction to their claim to support a negotiated settlement,” it read. “It has resulted in the loss of innocent Afghan lives, including through continued targeted killings, displacement of the civilian population, looting and burning of buildings, destruction of vital infrastructure,…

ABUJA: Intense fire from bandits caused a Nigerian attack jet to crash in north-western Zamfara State, but the pilot survived by ejecting from the aircraft, the Nigerian air force said yesterday. Zamfara and neighbouring Kaduna are among the states worst-affected by a surge in criminality including mass abductions of schoolchildren and armed robberies, often carried out by large gangs of outlaws, locally known as bandits, who operate from remote hideouts. The air force said the crash occurred on Sunday as the Alpha jet, a light attack aircraft, was returning to base from a mission on the Zamfara-Kaduna border. The jet “came under intense enemy fire,” an air force statement said, but pilot Abayomi Dairo succesfully ejected.…

Sparring partners Rassie Erasmus and Warren Gatland couldn’t be in more contrasting positions as they finalise their teams for the first Test. The British & Irish Lions coach is scratching his head over who to leave out of his multi-talented squad, while for the Springboks it is a simple task of confirming which of the World Cup winning matchday 23 are cleared of Covid-19 and fit to play. Barring two players from that starting line-up in Japan in Tendai Mtawarira (retired) and Duane Vermeulen (injured), plus two bomb squaders in Francois Louw (retired), RG Snyman (burned), it is the usual suspects for the Boks. The million-dollar question is which camp is in the better position after a build-up fraught with Covid-19. The Boks are a settled team but they have…

Mike Greenaway mike.greenaway@inl.co.za IN yet another blow for the struggling Currie Cup, tomorrow’s match between the Sharks and the Bulls at Jonsson Kings Park in Durban has been called off because of ongoing security concerns in KwaZulu-Natal. It is the second match in a row in Durban to be cancelled because of the ongoing unrest. The Sharks’ scheduled game against the Johannesburg Lions last week met a similar fate, as did the Lions’ home match against the Cheetahs, with the latter team declining to travel to Joburg. The cancellation of matches is not helping an ailing domestic competition which is already playing a very distant second fiddle to the ongoing British & Irish Lions tour. SA Rugby has said that a decision on the result of the Sharks v Bulls…

Tokyo’s Olympic Village was hit by a fourth Covid-19 case yesterday and major sponsor Toyota said it would not run any Games-related TV ads as the event struggled for support just days before the opening ceremony. A Czech beach volleyball player became the fourth case and the third infected athlete in the athletes’ village, where thousands of competitors are living in a ‘bio-bubble’. Elsewhere, a teenage female gymnast became the first American athlete to test positive at the Games, with a teammate also isolating as a result. Neither was named. The delayed 2020 Games will officially get under way on Friday in a near-empty Olympic Stadium, with Tokyo under a Covid-19 state of emergency after a spike in cases. The latest Asahi Shimbun newspaper poll found a majority of respondents,…

Lewis Hamilton was subjected to racist abuse online after winning the British Grand Prix, with social media firm Facebook saying yesterday that it had removed a number of comments on Instagram. The seven-time world champion celebrated a record eighth British Grand Prix victory on Sunday at Silverstone after fighting back from a 10-second penalty for a first-lap collision that ended up with title rival Max Verstappen in hospital. Hamilton, 36, was targeted online hours after the victory, with racist messages including monkey emojis sent as replies to a post by his Mercedes team on Instagram. “The racist abuse directed at Hamilton during and after the British Grand Prix is unacceptable and we’ve removed a number of comments from Instagram,” said a spokesperson for Facebook, which owns Instagram. “In addition to…