Inhoudsopgave van 2021-10-13 - Star

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za The INTERNATIONAL Monetary Fund (IMF) has revised upwards by 1 percent South Africa’s growth forecast for 2021, even as it lowered the global growth forecasts. In its latest World Economic Outlook, the IMF yesterday said South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) will now grow by 5 percent this year, up from 4 percent previously forecast in July. The IMF’s forecast is in line with the SA Reserve Bank (SARB) which also revised upwards the 2021 GDP forecast to 5.3 percent from a previous forecast of 4.2 percent. For 2022, the IMF said the South African economy will grow by 2.2 percent as the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic stabilises. The IMF said the economic and fiscal policy assumptions underlying…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za MANUFACTURING production in South Africa could be on a recovery mode if the country could avoid the fourth wave of Covid-19 infections, as output surprised on the upside in August despite remaining below pre-pandemic levels. Data from Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) yesterday showed that manufacturing production rebounded in August, rising by 1.8 percent from a year ago following an upwardly revised 4.8 percent fall in July. StatsSA said the largest positive growth rates were recorded by the furniture and other manufacturing division, as well as the automotive division. On a month-to-month basis, StatsSA said manufacturing production increased by 7.6 percent in August, reversing an 8.4 percent slump in July and a 0.5 percent decrease in June. StatsSA’s director of industry statistics, Nicolai…

nomalanga.tshuma@inl.co.za nomalanga.tshuma@inl.co.za FOOTAGE recorded on a body camera worn by a Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID) public safety official has led to the arrest of three men believed to have murdered a man in the CBD last week. The CCID Public Safety Office said it was celebrating the recent win that led to the arrest of the suspects who violently assaulted a motorist, who later died in hospital on October 5. The incident occurred shortly after a car crash near the Castle of Good Hope last week, according to the CCID. CCID safety and security manager Mo Hendricks said while responding to the incident CCID public safety officer Ivan Lakay recorded footage of the assault as it was occurring. “One of our officials was patrolling near the accident…

Gerry Cupido geraldine.cupido@inl.co.za From K-pop bands to Korean dramas on Netflix and 10-step Korean skincare regimens, Korean culture has caused a major stir throughout many industries. Hallyu, the Korean wave, has now washed over the fashion industry bringing mega music and movie stars to the front of some of the world’s most luxurious high-end fashion houses. This month Louis Vuitton announced South Korean actress Ho Yeon Jung as their new global Maison Ambassador. If you don’t know who Jung is then you obviously haven’t seen one of the most popular and talked about TV-series right now, Squid Game. However her role in the thriller series isn’t what bagged her the title of Maison Ambassador. Having first graced the runway for Louis Vuitton for Spring-Summer 2017, she continued to embody the…

Temporary employment opportunities are on the rise in South Africa, and with many global enterprises seeking to outsource certain business processes, the South African labour market is becoming increasingly attractive. While many local businesses also have a need for certain skills, that need is not ‘full time’. As a result, temporary employment is being utilised to meet global needs and plug local skill gaps. This type of working relationship is beneficial to both the enterprise and the individual; and multi-skilled workers have a competitive advantage if they can perform more than one function at a company. Organisations benefit from being able to fill multiple posts with one multi-skilled individual, while the worker stands to earn significantly more than someone who can only fill a single temporary post. Where can businesses…

Kevin Govender | Shallcross It’s pucker time for political parties as the much-debated and controversial local government elections takes place on November 1 – the harbinger of the 2024 national elections. The ANC are in big trouble for corruption in municipalities, non-existent service delivery and the recent unrest and failed police action. The opposition have smelt blood in the water and are circling in a feeding frenzy in the full knowledge that they can bite off huge chunks of the ruling party. The ANC must blame themselves for their purdah – a maelstrom of their own creation. The dance is over and now it's time to pay the piper – to face their own demons of of ignominy, dishonesty and indolence. The tremors have been around for some…

Samsung conglomerate chief Jay Y. Lee admitted in a Seoul court yesterday to unlawful use of a controlled substance, as the executive’s legal troubles continued despite his release on parole in August after a bribery conviction. Lee said he received propofol, a sedative used in anaesthesia, 41 times from 2015 to 2020. His release in August had raised expectations of major decisions being taken at the company. Prosecutors said that Lee had been given propofol under the guise of a skin treatment. | Reuters…

Two days after Iraq’s legislative election, pro-Iranian Shia Muslim parties and armed groups yesterday denounced early poll results suggesting waning support as “manipulation” and a “scam”. Sunday’s parliamentary election – the fifth in the war-scarred country since the US-led invasion and overthrow of dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003 – was marked by a record low turnout of 41%. Parties representing Iraq’s Shia Muslim majority have dominated Iraqi politics since the aftermath of the invasion, but early results from this week’s vote deepened a rift between powerful factions within that camp. According to preliminary results from the electoral commission, the biggest winner appeared to be the movement of populist Shia cleric and political maverick Moqtada Sadr – who opposes all foreign interference – which increased its lead to 73 of the…

Officially, the Cape Town Cycle Tour was not allowed to have any spectators at the world’s largest timed cycle race on Sunday. Unofficially, it was the biggest party Cape Town had seen in almost 18 months. Capetonians came out in their droves and celebrated the opportunity to be part of an institution that has been running for 43 years. And before I get crucified for not being sensitive to the impact of Covid-19 and the possible spread of the virus at large social gatherings, the route was 109km long and the “spectators” were all socially distanced along the race. The infamous fickle Cape Town weather certainly played its part as it almost knew that the moment to show off had dawned. With the race stretching through beautiful pockets along the…

Eshlin Vedan eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za A stunning goal from Thomas Partey made the difference as Ghana secured a vital 1-0 away win over Zimbabwe in their Group G World Cup qualifier at the Zimbabwe National Sports Stadium in Harare yesterday. Captain Partey gave Ghana the lead with a wonderfully struck free-kick in the 31st minute. The goal would have been a relief for the Black Stars as it came amidst Zimbabwe starting to threaten their goal and exert a bit of domination. Zimbabwe had their first good opportunity after 10 minutes as Kaizer Chiefs player Khama Billiat attempted to link up with Jordan Zemura, but ended up putting his ball behind before Ghana recovered well. After taking the lead, Ghana nearly doubled their lead on the stroke of halftime as Daniel Amartey…

McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo has given a thumbs-up to new flame-resistant gloves, developed by Formula One’s governing body after Romain Grosjean’s fiery crash in Bahrain last year, following trials at the Turkish Grand Prix last weekend. Grosjean made a miraculous escape from a fireball crash in November, but suffered burns to the back of his hands as he clambered free of the wreckage. The Frenchman’s Haas car speared through the protective barriers lining the track in a 53G impact that split it in half and burst into flames. The governing FIA has been working on improving protection from fire and last week announced that selected drivers would be testing new gloves for comfort and dexterity during Turkish GP practice. “I used them ... I didn’t notice the difference,” said Australian Ricciardo,…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za ERIS PROPERTY Group has raised an additional R365 million investment into its social impact student accommodation company, SA Student Accommodation Impact Investments (Sasaii), as it plans to help alleviate the student accommodation shortage in the country. The investment was from a consortium of domestic and international investors including Momentum Metropolitan Life, Eskom Pension & Provident Fund, International Finance Corporation and the Danish Sustainable Development Goals Investment Fund (DSDG). DSDG had committed R215m initially, and indicated a willingness to deploy more in time, Eris Student Accommodation executive head Johan van Vuuren said in a statement yesterday. The Sasaii platform aimed to be converted into a real estate investment trust when it listed or when regulations allowed. “This liquidity event releases any capital these investors would have…

ITUMELENG MAFISA RESIDENTS of New Canada in Soweto say they fear for their lives among mining gangs who often terrorise nearby communities. This comes after four people were shot dead last week while allegedly returning from a tavern in the area. The community has accused the amaRussia gang of being behind the killings. The Star visited the area yesterday and found that many community members were fearful of talking to the media. Those who did speak said they could describe the situation but didn't want their names to appear in the newspaper. “There are many things that happen in this informal settlement and if we tell you we will be targeted but the mining gangs are not to be played with,” one resident said. The Star could not enter the…

BONGANI NKOSI bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za THE National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has enjoyed some victory in its bid to increase a 12-year jail sentence handed to a high-flying crime kingpin convicted of a string of house robberies and hijackings. Thapelo Eugene Lebona, a 42-year-old with matric, was found guilty on 15 counts at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court in 2019 and sentenced to a 104-year jail term. This included 12 years for housebreaking with intent to commit robbery, 30 years for three counts of unlawful possession of firearm and six years for theft of a vehicle. But the court ordered that the sentences for the counts should run concurrently. This resulted in Lebona’s effective sentence being just 12 years. Unhappy with this, the NPA launched an appeal at the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria.…

Zelda Venter THE assault trial of Alexis Bizos, son of human rights stalwart advocate George Bizos, who died last year, will now only resume next year in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court. The trial of Bizos Jnr was due to start yesterday but it was postponed to February 23 after he opted to obtain a new legal team. Bizos is facing a charge of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm following allegations that he had assaulted his estranged wife, Monique van Oosterhout. AfriForum’s private prosecution unit is prosecuting the case after the National Prosecuting Authority earlier declined to prosecute Bizos. Advocate Phyllis Vorster, prosecutor at the unit, will lead evidence in the case on behalf of Van Oosterhout. The private prosecution unit said yesterday that while they were ready…

Peter Bachtis | Benoni Anyone observing the president as he goes about his business of campaigning for his party will notice how masterful he is at saying absolutely nothing of real value. He remains calm … never allowing difficult questions to fluster him. He bobs and weaves as he embellishes on that which we already know … that he needs to save his job and the jobs of all the tjommies who prop up his presidency. He has an amazing ability to take serious issues and make them sound trivial. “We will do better … give us another chance” – this is his mantra. Unfortunately there are many sheep out there who will follow our erudite and glib president, clearly a cum laude graduate of the questionable…

Libyan security forces used unnecessary force to detain African migrants, shooting dead some of those trying to escape, the UN human rights office said yesterday as it demanded an inquiry into the violence. Hundreds of migrants and refugees have waited outside a UN centre in Tripol to seek help in escaping Libya after what aid groups called a violent crackdown in which thousands were arrested and several shot. This year, more than 23 000 migrants have been intercepted by the Libyan coastguard. | Reuters…

The Ethiopian government has launched a “staggering” ground offensive against rebel Tigrayan forces, according to a spokesperson for the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), reigniting a devastating civil war that international humanitarian groups say imperils hundreds of thousands. TPLF spokesperson Getachew Reda said that there was active fighting this week on at least three fronts in the Amhara region against the troops of the Ethiopian army and Amhara regional militias, involving a combination of soldiers, drones, tanks and airstrikes. The fighting marked an escalation in Ethiopia’s nearly year-long civil war as the international community has ratcheted up calls for an end to the violence. Months earlier, the Tigrayan rebels had pushed the government forces out of their province and taken up positions in the neighbouring Amhara region. Billene Seyoum,…

Morgan Bolton morgan.bolton@inl.co.za Scrum coach Julian Redelinghuys and loosehead prop Sti Sithole of the Emirates Lions spoke yesterday to the media with a welcoming smile, a hearty laugh and joke or two, ribbing each other and the Zoom party involved, but come Friday one can be assured that the Joburg side’s scrum will be raring to go. The set-piece has been one of the standout areas where the Lions have dominated and exerted a measure of control in their three United Rugby Championship matches so far, and on Friday they will come up against their sternest test yet when they face Ulster in Belfast (kick-off 8.35pm). So far, the Lions have won all of their 19 scrums in the tournament. Ulster, meanwhile, have lost only two and have won 93%…

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za The NEWLY-resumed SAA airline management got a shake-up from organised labour yesterday with the presentation of grievances, which included salary cuts, lacklustre conditions of service and staff retention. The South African Cabin Crew Association (Sacca) and the National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (Numsa) picketed at SAA's offices in Kempton Park, Joburg. This as the airline resumed business late September, which according to analysts had seen a surprisingly good uptake with a load factor, or the passenger numbers, surpassing the target of 60 percent to 75 percent across all routes. However, yesterday Sacca and Numsa said they were deeply aggrieved about the fact that so many of the old SAA’s problems had been carried over into the new airline. Sacca organiser Zazi Sibanyoni said…

Gerry Cupido geraldine.cupido@inl.co.za HOW many skincare products do you use a day? How often do you buy new skincare products? From serums to sheet masks, cleansers to moisturisers, we are constantly updating our skin routines in a bid to keep the ageing of skin at bay. We’re all aware of the effect fast fashion has had on the environment, but how many of us in fact stop to think about the impact our ever-changing beauty routines and many products have? There are two major environmental and ethical issues the beauty industry faces. One is non-recyclable packaging. I’m sure that when you bought your sunscreen you paid way more attention to the SPF factor than the plastic container it’s in. Or the fact that the serum, which comes in a glass…

LEHLOHONOLO MASHIGO THE SA National Space Agency (Sansa) and Air Traffic Navigation Services (ATNS) have solidified their six-year partnership with the signing of another memorandum of understanding (MoU). According to business development and stakeholder practitioner Jean van Zyl, the MoU commits to a closer partnership between the entities in five key areas. These include magnetic variations and world magnetic models, global navigation satellite system signal monitoring, including receiver integrity monitoring , high frequency propagations and the impact of space weather on aviation. “Collaboration between Sansa and ATNS began in 2013 and the first MoU was signed in 2016. This partnership has grown substantially since then; evidently this MoU is not the beginning of a partnership, but rather fuel for more intensive collaborative efforts to make the skies a safer…

R5.5m funnelled by official into dead person’s buyer’s card used in ‘first-of its-kind’ swindle LEHLOHONOLO MASHIGO lehlohonolo.mashigo@inl.co.za A SENIOR Joburg Fresh Produce Market official Lindo Ababio appeared at the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court yesterday on charges of fraud totalling R5.5 million. Ababio’s accomplices, a colleague and a male suspect, are on the run. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwana said Ababio was released on R10 000 bail and would be back in court on December 1 as the investigation was still ongoing. City of Joburg’s strategic stakeholder management Group Forensic and Investigation Service director Lucky Sindane said the trio are all Zimbabweans. The other two are suspected to be on the run, having fled the country. “This is the first of its kind but we…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za THE WITS University Students’ Representative Council (SRC) has rejected the institution’s proposal to make vaccination against Covid-19 mandatory. The Wits SRC issued a statement on Monday night rejecting forced vaccination, after the institution’s senior executive team released a proposed mandatory vaccination framework on Friday. The framework was shared with staff, students, senior managers, organised labour and other constituencies for comment by Monday, Wits University spokesperson Shirona Patel said. “Wits is a contact teaching university and the mandatory vaccination of staff and students will enable optimal access, the holistic delivery of the teaching and learning programme, and research to continue. A mandatory vaccination policy protects the health and safety of the university community, members of the public, and advances the public good,” the university said in the framework.…

Leo Tuttelberg | Northriding THE new mayor Mpho Moerane and MMC for Finance Matshidiso Mfikoe are making every effort to gain votes. Hopefully they will not disappoint like the previous ANC cadre Parks Tau. Every month, ratepayers would enter the water and electricity readings into the system. The system would do a reasonability check and if the reading was suspect it would apply the average. Wonderful system and then about every three months a meter reader would do a reading and there would be an adjustment (if necessary). Then Parks Tau arrived (head of Finance) and implemented some changes. Typical ANC cadre with no understanding of IT systems, the system has never worked properly since. As expected, Parks was promoted to mayor and enjoyed a huge salary as…

Last Wednesday the women of South Africa across diverse industries and sectors came together to launch the inaugural Women Economic Assembly (Wecona). This historic seating took place as the country celebrated the 150th birthday anniversary of Charlotte Makgomo Mannya Maxeke, a woman of many firsts. The assembly was launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa. Wecona aims to advance and advocate for the equal economic participation of women, to build inclusive economies. The assembly convened industries, government role-players and larger society to facilitate transformation for an inclusive economy. These engagements highlighted the need for making supply chain-specific commitments through direct market facilitation and procurement, and, in addition, integrating a gendered analysis in policy development, government plans and finance instruments, and developing capacity building for women. All these are critical for realising women’s…

The world’s oldest white rhino, has died at the age of 54 in a zoo in northern Italy, an official said yesterday. Nonno Toby collapsed on the floor on the way back to his night shelter. The rhino will be embalmed and put on display at the MuSe science museum in Trento. White rhinos normally live up to 40 years when held in captivity, and up to 30 years in the wild. Toby was a southern white rhino, only one of five rhino species that are not endangered, with a population of around 18 000, according to the WWF. | AFP…

Ireland’s Amy Hunter celebrated her 16th birthday by becoming the youngest player to score an international century, as she guided her team to an 85-run victory over Zimbabwe in their women’s one-day game in Harare. Ireland reached 312/3 in their 50 overs on Monday thanks to Hunter’s unbeaten 121 off 127 deliveries, a knock that included eight fours. Zimbabwe managed 227/8 in reply as the visitors claimed a 3-1 series victory. Belfast schoolgirl Hunter eclipsed India’s Mithali Raj, who held the record after her unbeaten 114 against Ireland in a One-Day International in June 1999 at the age of 16 years and 205 days, according to ESPNCricinfo. Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi is the youngest man to score an international century. He had hit 102 runs against Sri Lanka in an ODI…

Ashfak Mohamed ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za THE Western Province Rugby Football Union (WPRFU) had “failed the test” to conduct their business affairs appropriately, says SA Rugby, who took the decision to place the the union under administration with a “heavy heart”. The rugby governing body appointed their former chief executive Rian Oberholzer as the administrator for WPRFU. Like most other SA provincial rugby unions, WPRFU have been battling to stay afloat over a number of years due to dwindling crowd numbers, smaller sponsorships and the major effect of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has seen fans prevented from attending matches. But the conflict between WPRFU (union) and the professional side of the Pty Ltd (board) has made matters worse, with union president Zelt Marais and board chairperson Ebrahim Rasool at loggerheads over governance matters,…