Inhoudsopgave van 2022-02-17 - Star

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za MINERAL Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe yesterday faced criticism that registration as an embedded generation facility to produce up to 100MW of electricity is taking almost as long as the licensing, but he said it should take no longer than two months. Mantashe said, however, that his department had “not seen a single one registered up till now”, this is in spite of the fact that the government had opened the process up to 100MW from 50MW, specifically because it had already received applications from mining companies to produce more than 50MW of electricity. Mantashe was responding to questions from the audience at the Solar Power Africa 2022 conference held in the Cape Town’s International Convention Centre yesterday. It emerged from questions in the audience that…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za TIGER Brands, South Africa’s biggest food products producer, had got off to a slow start in its new financial year, and revenue from continuing operations increased by only 1 percent in the four months to January 31, a trading statement said yesterday. The group, which is also facing a class action case from listeriosis victims, said yesterday that industrial action had cost it R120 million over the three months to December 31. The Snacks & Treats business was impacted by supply challenges due to an eight-week labour disruption in November and December, compounded by low opening stocks of finished products, because of the civil unrest in July 2021. Although the Snacks & Treats business had made “significant progress” in restoring supply, it was anticipated that…

Alyssia Birjalal alyssia.birjalal@inl.co.za South African Sci-fi feature film, Glasshouse will be available for millions of people to watch now that it’s been picked up by various streaming platforms in UK. The film, filmed during the Covid-19 pandemic will be featured on Sky, iTunes, Amazon, Google, Xbox and other digital platforms in the UK. It tells the story of an airborne dementia known as The Shred which leaves humanity roaming like lost and dangerous animals, unable to remember who they are. Confined to their airtight glasshouse, a family does what they must to survive – until the sisters are seduced by a stranger who upsets the family’s rituals, unearthing a past they have tried to bury. This sensual and savage, post-pandemic love triangle is directed by Kelsey Egan, who co-wrote the…

Lehlohonolo Mashigo and Ntombi Nkosi NATIONAL police commissioner General Khehla Sithole has reacted with shock and dismay to claims by Police Minister Bheki Cele about an alleged plot that involved Sithole and EFF leader Julius Malema trying to get rid of Cele. Sitole confirmed in a statement that he had met Malema at a meeting initiated by the Police Ministry, saying the meeting was held at the behest of Police Deputy Minister Cassel Mathale. “The deputy minister requested General Sitole to meet with Mr Julius Malema to address potential threats against him (Malema). Mr Malema met with the National Commissioner and the Head of Protection and Security Services, Lieutenant-General Sam Shitlabane in 2020 at the Tshwane Training Academy. “The meeting was solely about the alleged threats against Mr Malema and…

Staff Reporter THE National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) described the poaching of rhinos for their horn as “barbaric and groundless”. The NSPCA was reacting to the increase in rhino poaching in South Africa in 2021 as compared to 2020 and recent years. The NSPCA said international trade in rhino horn was banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites). “An increasing insatiable demand for rhino horn in the last decade has resulted in unprecedented levels of poaching that is plunging rhino populations into crisis. “South Africa holds the majority of the world’s rhinos and bears the brunt of the continent’s rhino poaching, with more than 1 000 rhinos killed each year between 2013 and 2017,” the NSPCA said. Citing its own statistics,…

Thobani Dlamini Thobani.Dlamini@inl.co.za The Human Sciences Research Council has launched the sixth South African HIV Prevalence, Incidence, Behaviour and Communication Survey to gather information about the trends in HIV prevalence in KwaZulu-Natal. It was launched in collaboration with the Department of Science and Innovation, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases of South Africa, the KZN Department of Health and the US Consulate General. Experts in the field of HIV/Aids studies pledged their support for it and said it would make the fight against the epidemic more effective. Professor Khangelani Zuma, the study’s principal investigator, said the aim of the survey was to help scientists understand factors driving the HIV epidemic and its dynamics, in order to formulate policies and strategies to tackle the disease. Zuma said the study would take…

The new Renault Clio is being launched in South Africa this week and while the fifth-generation model doesn’t look radically different on the outside, it is totally new beneath the skin as it now sits on the updated CMF-B platform. The new Clio comes in three flavours with the Life trim grade kicking things off at R309 900. The mid-range Zen comes in at R324 900, while the flagship Intens is yours for R349 900, or R364 900 if you want the option pack. All models are powered by the new-generation 1.0-litre direct injection turbopetrol engine, which produces 74kW and 160Nm. Curiously, when many motorists are going the auto route, the only gearbox option at launch is a five-speed manual unit. In terms of standard spec, the entry-level Life model…

ESHLIN VEDAN eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za AL Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane is proud of the progress that South African referees Victor Gomes and Zakhele Siwela have made. The duo officiated the final of the Africa Cup of Nations between Senegal and Egypt in Cameroon earlier this month. Mosimane feels that Gomes wis now the best referee on the continent and he also feels that it would be unfortunate if the South African duo are not involved in the Fifa World Cup in Qatar later this year. “When I lose, I’m not a nice guy to be around and they (officials) understand that,” Mosimane told the SA Football Journalists Association (SAFJA) yesterday. “I hear people saying Pitso is a bad loser. Who is a good loser? I’ve come far with Victor (Gomes) and we…

Ashfak Mohamed ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za EARLY last year, David Meihuizen was on Scotland’s ‘South African watch’, as he was already qualified through his mother and grandfather. He would’ve joined a lengthening list of local players who would make their way to Edinburgh and play Test rugby, but he opted to remain at Western Province. It was a real pity, then, when an ankle injury against Griquas in Kimberley last August kept him out of action until recently – and Province lost 46-25 on that day, too. So, Meihuizen hopes for a different outcome on his return to the Northern Cape capital for tomorrow’s Currie Cup encounter (7pm kick-off). “You always know when they’re playing the Stormers (or WP), they give 50 to 60% extra. My last game before my injury was against…

THE Book of Esther, the Jew and wife of King Xerxes, is relevant in the humanitarian crisis of those excluded in the stakes of prospects for a better life – be they local or foreign. Our present-day defiance wailing at the gates of power is not Mordecai, the Jew, that commander of the armed forces of King Xerxes, Haman, despised so much that he prepared a guillotine for him to be beheaded. But Mordecai represents poverty, inequality and unemployment that stands at the doorstep of a Parliament in ashes, and at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. Twenty-five days ago, in an article in Business Report, titled “SA has sunk to a new low as the march against foreign nationals begins”, I argued that the absence of the government in this…

Virginia Giuffre’s lawyer is “very pleased” with the outcome of her sexual assault claim against Prince Andrew after it was announced a settlement has been agreed. It was confirmed in a letter from both parties’ legal teams submitted to the US district court on Tuesday that the pair had “reached a settlement in principle”, with the Duke of York agreeing to make a “substantial donation to Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights” and one of Virginia’s attorneys has now spoken out about the agreement. Sigrid McCawley, a partner at Boies Schiller Flexner, said: “As a managing partner at a firm that has from its beginning acted upon the belief that the law should be marshalled to bring justice to the most vulnerable, I can say, without hesitation, that our…

THE City of Tshwane has collected up to R300 million in revenue since the beginning of the week as part of its aggressive disconnection of services of those whose accounts are in arrears. Spokesperson Selby Bokaba said numerous defaulters were making urgent payments and sending proof of payment. Meanwhile, the city yesterday continued disconnecting services, and in certain instances distributing final letters of demand to defaulters. Among them was China Mall, which is R20m in arrears. The city has set a goal to continue the aggressive campaign until it makes a significant dent in the R17 billion debt owed by customers. Mayor Randall Williams said the city was pushing ahead with its revenue collection campaign. “Increased revenue collection is critically important to any municipality to effectively run its operations,” he…

Baldwin Ndaba baldwin.ndaba@inl.co.za EFF leader Julius Malema has offered an explanation of why he decided to sing Kiss the Boer, kiss the farmer instead of the original Kill the Boer, kill the farmer. Malema was yesterday defending a court application by AfriForum which is asking the Equality Court to rule that he should be criminally prosecuted for singing the revised song. AfriForum contends that even the singing of the new version had led to the murder of farmers in the country. During apartheid, former South African Youth Congress (Sayco) leader and later ANC Youth League leader Peter Mokaba popularised the original “Kill the Boer, kill the farmer” at many public rallies of the Mass Democratic Movement while the ANC and other political parties were banned. However, the song became the…

Sonri Naidoo sonri.naidoo@inl.co.za THE SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) on Tuesday, following allegations of environmental pollution and raw sewage pouring into the lake, inspected Joburg’s Wemmer Pan recreational lake. SAHRC commissioner Buang Jones said the smell was unbearable and the environmental degradation was visible and posed a health hazard to the community surrounding the lake. “This is an environmental catastrophe, the water is black and the animals have died. The remaining ducks are on the lake banks instead of in the water. Stakeholders and relevant role-players need to come on board immediately to start the process of saving the lake to avoid it from continuing violating human rights,” said Jones. He added hazardous materials had been discharged into the lake and the businesses responsible for this would face the might…

The apportioning of blame on the SABC by the ANC for its losses in the 2021 local elections is cause for concern. Most disconcerting is that these accusations were followed by threats to the lives of SABC news journalists in the Free State. A burglar subsequently broke into the SABC Bloemfontein offices and attacked armed security guards, who shot him. A chilling message was written on the wall of the burgled offices, indicating that “Next time it will be boom”, possibly implying next time there would be an explosion. If one thought these were empty threats, one needs to look no further than the recent demise of the SABC’s editor-in-chief and group executive: News and Current Affairs Phathiswa Magopeni, who was blamed by the ANC head of elections for election…

ANITA NKONKI anita.nkonki@inl.co.za It was a day filled with emotions and memories as family and close friends gathered to celebrate the vibrant life of Nomakula “Kuli” Roberts in a memorial service held in Boksburg. The media personality died last week Wednesday at age 49. The Mboya and Roberts family confirmed her death in a statement on Thursday. Roberts leaves two children, Tembela and Laeun, her grandchild, her three siblings, including actress Hlubi Mboya Arnold, as well as her parents. Roberts was remembered for her selflessness and for being a giving person. She was prominent in the media industry, winning the hearts of many with her talent and energetic self. She was best known for co-presenting What Not To Wear, The Real Goboza and TrendingSA with Nina Hastie, Musa Mthombeni and…

With Toyota South Africa having invested heavily in producing the new Corolla Cross at its assembly plant in Prospecton, it makes sense that the company would eliminate internal competition from imported models. And that’s exactly what it has done with the Toyota Rav4. Toyota SA has quietly dropped the Rav4 GX base models from the line-up, which means that the entry-point for the Rav4 range is now the 2.0 GX-R all-wheel drive model at R606 600. Until recently, you could buy a Toyota Rav4 2.0 GX manual base model for R494 500 or its auto equivalent for R507 600, but the models have been discontinued, along with the 2.5 Hybrid FWD GX model for R560 900. In addition to the GX-R, Rav4 buyers can also opt for the more luxurious…

ZAAHIER ADAMS zaahier.adams@inl.co.za TABRAIZ Shamsi’s disappointment of not being snapped up at last weekend’s Indian Premier League (IPL) auction has been softened with his return to the top of the ICC T20 bowling rankings yesterday. Left-arm spin bowler Shamsi, who is currently playing for the Titans in the CSA T20 Challenge in Gqeberha, replaced Wanindu Hasaranga at the summit. The Sri Lankan all-rounder, who was signed up by the IPL’s Royal Challengers Bangalore for a massive Rs10.75-crore, has slipped down to third place. In the recent series against Australia, Hasaranga took five wickets in the first two matches, but, having missed the final match due to testing positive for Covid-19, it wasn’t enough for him to continue in top spot. The biggest mover on the rankings, though, is Australian seam…

Dieketseng Maleke dieketseng.maleke@inl.co.za DRDGOLD, which mines gold dumps around Johannesburg, said yesterday it had opted to upgrade its Driefontein 2 mine instead of building a R1bn tailing facility as part of the expansion of its Far West Gold Recoveries (FWGR) near Carletonville. It made this decision to upgrade its existing infrastructure after the Department of Water and Sanitation rejected its technical proposal for tailings facilities without composite linings. DRDGold chief executive Nïel Pretorius said: “We are reluctant to build a tailings storage facility (TSF) of this magnitude on a composite liner, for reasons based both on safety and efficiency, and have started a regulatory process to amend the licence conditions of the existing design. “Pending this, we are now investigating the feasibility of an interim phase at considerably reduced capital…

Bongani Nkosi bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za NTUTHUKO Shoba, accused of masterminding the killing of Tshegofatso Pule, his pregnant girlfriend, has attempted to distance himself from this particular cellphone number. The State, on the other hand, sought to prove that he knew the number and used it many times to communicate with Muzikayise Malephane. Malephane, the man police positively linked to the slaying, confessed to fatally shooting and hanging her. He testified that he acted on Shoba’s orders. Shoba was arrested and charged following Malephane’s confession and subsequent 20-year imprisonment. Shoba’s murder trial continued at the South Gauteng High Court, Joburg, yesterday. The cross-examination proceedings were dominated by questions from prosecutor Faghre Mohamed about the locations of the disputed phone number and the pattern of its calls. Mohamed also sought to demonstrate Shoba’s possible…

Willem van de Putte willem.vdputte@inl.co.za The Dakar rally. It’s the place where legends are made, reputations destroyed, where heart-wrenching tales of dreams shattered are told, stories of success and jubilation and a roller-coaster of emotions that evoke tears of joy or disappointment. It’s also a race that has millions of followers around the globe, many of them not motorsport enthusiasts or petrol heads at all, glued to their screens and social media. But when 430 cars, motorcycles and trucks of various shapes and sizes line up, it’s time to engross yourself and drive with the toughest of the tough. When the invitation came from Toyota South Africa to be part of a media contingent to experience the last three stages of the race in Saudi Arabia, it took as long…

TALK, as they say, is cheap but money buys the whiskey. Which is exactly what Ford did when they put together an adventure into Lesotho with their Ranger Raptor that would cover some very treacherous and difficult terrain. Manufacturers often trumpet their 4x4 ability, but on a track under controlled conditions with instructors to hold your hand around every corner and obstacle is very different to going “freestyle” over a level five route. And no, this would not be Sani Pass, I’ve driven that many times and apart from the final bend towards the lodge it’s really not that difficult. Leaving the Silverton plant early, six Raptors including my driving partner and I in our long-term SE crossed the border at Caledonspoort, drove towards Katze Dam and…

SMISO MSOMI smiso.msomi@inl.co.za A wounded Banyana Banyana have stepped up their preparations for their crucial African Women Cup of Nations (Awcon) first leg qualifier against Algeria tomorrow. Coach Desiree Ellis feels her side will have to bounce back from the defeat to Zambia and allow no room for error when they face their north African opponents. “We have played Algeria before in a match of high importance, so this is not foreign territory to us,” Ellis said. “We have to allow no room for error because an away performance might be the deciding factor in matches of this nature. “We have done our thorough research on them and know exactly what to expect from them tactically and technically. “I do also believe we are better with our overseas-based players around.”.…

Kylian Mbappe’s importance to Paris Saint-Germain was all too evident long before his stoppage-time strike gave them a narrow win over Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League showdown on Tuesday night and left them on course for a place in the quarter-finals. It is understood that PSG rejected an offer worth up to €180-million (about R3-billion) from Real in August for Mbappe, despite the France World Cup-winning striker being in the final year of his contract. They wanted at least one more season with Mbappe at Parc des Princes knowing that, even with Lionel Messi and Neymar there too, he is the man they need if they are finally to win a first Champions League title since the Qatari takeover of 2011. Mbappe is still expected…

Ashfak Mohamed Comment SANZAAR chairman Marcelo Rodriguez acknowledged the fact that there “has been much speculation about the future” of the Rugby Championship, and expressed his delight that the tournament has been confirmed until at least 2025. That is when the current broadcasting cycle will end, which has seen lots of conjecture about the Springboks joining the Six Nations – either as a replacement for the perennially under-performing Italy, or as an additional team to make it the Seven Nations. But what is the best outcome for the Boks and SA Rugby going forward? Should they remain in the Rugby Championship, or move over to the Six/Seven Nations? Well, on the surface, it’s clear that SA Rugby want to move into Europe, boots and all. The four main South African…

Stuart Hess stuart.hess@inl.co.za For which team is winning this series more important? New Zealand, because they’ve only won four Tests in 90 years against South Africa, and never a Test series? Or SA, to reinforce this upward trajectory the Proteas are on while attempting to solidify a new identity that is removed from the days of ‘Protea Fire’? The Black Caps are marginal favourites because they are playing at home. They have a very good home record in recent years, which provided the foundation for their ascend to the World Test Championship title last year. However their success at home in recent years has come against everyone else, except SA and Australia - the last two teams to win Test series in New Zealand. At the start of the summer…