Inhoudsopgave van 2022-02-23 - Star

Dieketseng Maleke dieketseng.maleke@inl.co.za Mining giant Kumba Iron Ore yesterday reported a stellar performance as it delivered record earnings of R64 billion for the year ended December 31 on the back of higher iron ore prices and cost-cutting measures. Kumba, majority owned by Anglo American, yesterday declared a R30.50 per share final dividend bringing the total dividend for its 2021 financial year to R103.20 per share representing 100 percent of its headline earnings − 46 percent higher year-on-year. Its headline earnings per share was R103.65 for the year ended December 31, from R71.07 in 2020. Kumba’s new chief executive, Mpumi Zikalala, said yesterday that 2021 was an exceptional year of delivery across the business. Zikalala is the former De Beers Consolidated Mines CEO and was appointed Kumba…

Alyssia Birjalal alyssia.birjalal@inl.co.za Shauwn Mkhize, aka MamMkhize, is leading the pack to become the mother of the year after she flew all the way to Missouri in the US to cheer on her son Andile Mpisane who opened a hip hop concert for rap legends Rick Ross, Nelly and Gucci Mane, among others. MamMkhize, who has always been her son’s biggest supporter, was extremely proud of Andile, who made his first live international stage appearance over the weekend in St Louis, Missouri. At the Legendz of the Streetz Tour, MamKhize made the most of the opportunity and rubbed shoulders with some of the world’s biggest music icons like rappers Nelly and Rick Ross. She also seized the moment and posted it on Instagram for all her fans and followers to…

ZELDA VENTER zelda.venter@inl.co.za THE Sekunjalo Group will urgently approach the Competition Tribunal in a bid to prove that the banks are abusing their dominance in the sector. The move is to ensure empowerment and transformation, and stop abuse by South Africa’s all-powerful banking fraternity of socio-economic inequity. Sekunjalo and its chairman, Dr Iqbal Survé, have embarked on a number of legal actions against the country’s biggest banks, most of which have severed ties with the group. In the latest of a series of legal challenges, the group will ask the tribunal to issue interim orders to the effect that those banks which had closed the company’s bank accounts must restore them. The banks, including Nedbank, which is in the process of closing the accounts, must be stopped, the group said.…

THE ANC-led government has renewed its pledge of solidarity with Palestine by adding a new phrase: “direct action”. The fresh commitment by Minister of International Relations Naledi Pandor has been welcomed by the country’s solidarity movements backing Palestine’s freedom struggle. Though Pandor did not elaborate on the type of “direct action” being envisaged, she referred to recent human rights reports on Israel which she described as “well-documented apartheid practices of Israel”. Pandor made her remarks in Parliament during the State of the Nation address. Her condemnation of apartheid Israel following a controversy generated by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent acceptance of “credence” by Israel’s new envoy to Pretoria, may be construed as an attempt to clear the air. It also follows a stinging rebuke by the AU chair Moussa Faki Mahamat…

MOHAMED SAEED | Pietermaritzburg US PRESIDENT Joe Biden signed an executive order to release about $7 billion (about R110bn) of Afghan funds held in US banks. He directed half the money to the family members of the September 11 victims and the other half to a trust fund to aid Afghans. Together with signing the unjust bill and creating a crisis in the banking system of Afghanistan, Biden renewed sanctions. More than 20 years have passed since September 11 and the men arrested are waiting for the trial to start. The 9/11 commission that investigated the attacks lists Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, born in Kuwait, as the “principal architect” or mastermind of 9/11 and the nexus to al-Qaeda. So why punish the Afghanistan people or even the Taliban? The…

Sonri Naidoo AN ELDORADO Park woman has turned her sorrow into joy by launching her own clothing business online. Crystal Jacobs, 36, known as “Lady J”, battled with depression after she went through a divorce in 2019. She said although the divorce left her heartbroken and jobless, she remained determined to provide for her children. “Food on my table for my children is more important than drowning in depression. My children have always been my motivation. Hearing their voices in the morning is what motivates me to keep trying,” said Jacobs. In 2020, at the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, Jacobs saw the opportunity to launch an online clothing store, Lady J Clothing, to generate an income. She said she’s always had a passion for fashion and dreamt about starting…

Sonri Naidoo sonri.naidoo@inl.co.za The Graça Machel Trust’s Women’s Economic and Social Advancement (WESA) programme is aimed at promoting women and their contributions towards economic and social development in Africa. The programme recently conducted a Covid-19 economic response survey, aimed at supporting women entrepreneurs, establishing a baseline for women entrepreneurs, and identifying key recommendations for inclusive business financing practices. According to WESA programme officer Neo Mofokeng, the survey concluded several women were dependent on government grants to start businesses. They described the experience as tedious, very tough, a scam because of the red tape, and of having a negative impact on small businesses. “In the context of South Africa, the data collection review showed that 55% of the women entrepreneurs surveyed apply for government grants or aid, while 40% of them…

Nearly 600 migrants packed into overcrowded fishing boats in bad weather were rescued and one body was found off the coast of Calabria, Italy’s coastguard said yesterday. The 573 migrants were found aboard “two overloaded fishing boats and left at the mercy of waves with unfavourable weather conditions,” it said. A large ship and three patrol boats aided in the rescue about 110km off the southern tip of Calabria. The group included 59 minors. So far this year, 10 570 migrants have reached Europe by sea. | AFP…

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za Serious allegations of corruption, tenders benefit facilitation, corporate self-gratification and shifting board room chairs are playing out at the South African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) as the entity remains silent on the progress of a forensic investigation it launched last year. Samsa said in November it had hired independent firm of forensic investigators, Morar Incorporated, to probe allegations of misconduct and whistle-blowing reports. This as three senior executives were suspended since April last on full pay, while the Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula remains mum. The three ejected executives, chief executive Sobantu Tilayi, company secretary Moyahabo Raphadu, and chief human capital officer Lesego Mashishi, were placed on precautionary suspension with pay from April 26, 2021 amid allegations of misconduct. Samsa and the Department of Transport have repeatedly…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za THE SA Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag) has reached out with critical trauma counselling for Ivory Park residents affected by flash flooding over the weekend. In an already poverty-stricken community, residents of an informal settlement in Ivory Park were severely affected by flash floods on Friday evening. According to the City of Johannesburg MMC for Public Safety, David Tembe, parts of the area experienced flooding and high water levels resulting in loss of life, damage to property and displacement. The event left 187 people displaced and homeless and also claimed the life of one person. Fifty shacks were washed away, while four people were reportedly swept away, as well as belongings, leaving many with little or nothing at all. Following the incident, disaster relief teams, which included…

Eight die, 10 nabbed as police begin to turn tables on heartless gunmen Brenda Masilela, Nhlanhla Mbatha and Staff Reporter THE INDEPENDENT Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) says two police officers are allegedly on the run after a deadly attempted heist in Joburg on Monday. In the shoot-out between the police and the suspects – believed to be 25 in total – eight of the robbers died and 10 were nabbed in a safe house in Rosettenville, south Joburg. One of 10 – a Botswana national – arrested in the shooting was believed to be linked to several cash-in-transit (CIT) heists across the country. Ipid spokesperson Grace Langa yesterday said that it was alleged two police officers were involved and were among the suspects on the run. Langa said a Botswana…

T Markandan | Kloof ALCOHOL abuse is a major social problem worldwide. It has become a headache for loved ones, families and social welfare organisations. Consumed in moderate amounts alcohol can uplift your spirit, albeit for a while, and liven up a party. But so many of us don’t know when to stop and say, “I’ve had enough”. The one for the road often leads to tragedy. The effects of alcohol on society were clearly seen during the lockdown. When the sale of alcohol was banned, hospitals breathed a sigh of relief. Trauma patients from road accidents and violent crime and sexual assaults had declined sharply. But as soon as the ban was lifted doctors and nurses were run off their feet attending to the spike in the…

Morgan Phaahla | Ekurhuleni THE “New Dawn” project assumed a new-found liberalism to job creation despite the private sector holding employment equity in contempt, with impunity. Needless to say employment efforts are hampered by retrenchments and cheap labour, leaving the masses as slaves of a false hope. The truth is there are more poor and unemployed people than before. Some died in vain. It’s an indictment that can be attributed to weak leadership catapulted into public office through factional slates influenced by the overbearing power of an elite group and white monopoly capital. The riots that plunged the country to fall into ruins ensued from intra-party disputes which swallowed up an inept Cabinet to the point of dereliction of duty. A factional influence was telling when President Cyril…

Anita Nkonki anita.nkonki@inl.co.za HE PRIDES himself in telling local stories and also furnishes a chance for local performers to present themselves to a broader public. Safta award-winning director Vusi Africa is set to deliver a fascinating and star-studded eVOD Original movie, Surviving Gaza, tomorrow. The film is packed with an intriguing storyline set against the very vibrant kwaito period in South Africa and also delves deep into the hardships weathered by young people. Africa directs films that are known to highlight essential issues, and Surviving Gaza is no different as it also tells a story of the struggles that take place in Gaza. He shared with The Star the essence of the film and how it resonates with viewers. “We are all fighting against something we are trying to survive.…

As South Africa is approaching almost three decades of democracy, no sector has generated public outrage, such as local government. The 22-year history of local government – with its transformative agenda underpinned by a developmental and democratic approach – has been a challenging journey. Understanding how local government institutions and actors respond to challenges is central to achieving lasting solutions. There have been dozens of books and articles written about municipalities. Many of these publications focused on governance and service delivery issues. They view municipalities as failing to respond to persisting challenges while acknowledging pockets of excellence in some areas such as Saldanha Bay, Gamagara, Overstrand, Mossel Bay and George. In short, though, municipalities remain a dysfunctional mess. Just as municipal performances have been under public purview, the same has…

The UN warned that authorities and aid workers were racing against the clock to protect people as Madagascar braces for its fourth tropical storm in as many weeks. Cyclone Emnati was expected to make landfall on southern Madagascar just weeks after the island was lashed by Cyclone Batsirai, affecting 270 000 people and claiming 120 lives. The UN’s World Meteorological Organization said Emnati was likely to cause considerable damage. Winds of 200km/h, flooding and landslides were expected. | AFP…

Oluthando Keteyi oluthando.keteyi@inl.co.za Local rapper Riky Rick has had his marriage thrust into the spotlight after he innocently shared a video on Instagram of himself and his wife, Bianca Naidoo. Unlike the rapper, Naidoo is not active on social media and is rarely seen in pictures or videos. This is something the Boss Zonke hitmaker seems to understand, but in celebration of Valentine’s Day he had decided to show off his leading lady. He was certainly not prepared for the responses his video received. In the clip, Rick and Naidoo are dancing to the rapper’s latest song, Sondela. He is seen calling his wife to come closer and after a while she joins him in the video’s main frame. In the video, Naidoo, we must admit, seems uninterested in her partner’s…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za THERE are not enough cases of enteric fever – known as typhoid fever – in Gauteng for an outbreak to be declared in the province, says the Gauteng Department of Health. It confirmed reported cases of enteric fever in the province, but stressed that the sporadic cases are not regarded as cluster outbreaks. Enteric fever is a potentially life-threatening infection, usually spread through contaminated food or water, occurring predominantly in association with poor sanitation and a lack of clean drinking water. “Between January 1 to date, a number of enteric fever cases have been diagnosed in the province. However, these are not enough for an outbreak of enteric fever to be declared in the province,” department spokesperson Motalatale Modiba told The Star. About 20 cases had been…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za THE Department of Justice and Correctional Services must pay a woman who fractured her arm after she slipped and fell on a veranda at the Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre in Pretoria. The incident happened as the machine with which an inmate was cleaning the floor squirted soapy water in her path. Judge Norman Davis, sitting at the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, ordered the department was 80% liable for the damages Sandra Kleinhans could prove she had suffered. She was 20% liable for her fall, he said, because she saw the inmate was cleaning the floor. While she realised it may be slippery, she did not ask her son-in-law, who was with her, for assistance, nor did she hold on to something while she negotiated the…

Henry Lerm and Ethelwynn Stellenberg In November, the South African Medico-Legal Association (Samla) joined other leading health-care organisations in urging the government to review the culpable homicide law and its application in health-care settings. Samla represents medical and legal practitioners, many of whom also belong to the other health-care bodies involved in this matter. They wrote to the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, suggesting that the South Africa Law Reform Commission should review this complex area of law. Such a review would benefit health-care professionals and patients. The current law in South Africa to prove that health-care practitioners are guilty of culpable homicide is set out in the common law and the National Health Act No 61 of 2003. It must be shown that they deviated from their duty…

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov brushed off the threat of sanctions yesterday, saying the West would impose them regardless of events and describing the response to Russia’s recognition of two breakaway Ukrainian regions as predictable. “Our European, American, British colleagues will not stop and will not calm down until they have exhausted all their possibilities for the so-called ‘punishment of Russia’. They are already threatening us with all manner of sanctions or, as they say now, ‘the mother of all sanctions’,” Lavrov said. “Well, we’re used to it. We know that sanctions will be imposed anyway, in any case. With or without reason.” Russia’s Foreign Ministry called on other countries to “follow” it in recognising east Ukraine’s separatist republics, a day after President Vladimir Putin did so and ordered the…

EBEN Etzebeth’s return to domestic rugby next season was announced with much glee by the Sharks last week, and understandably so. The big No 4 is a born-and-bred Capetonian who made his name for Western Province and the Stormers, so for the Durbanites to secure his signature is a great coup for them. But is it the right move for someone like Etzebeth, and by extension, the Springboks? There have also been media reports that two more top Boks, lock Lood de Jager and flank Pieter-Steph du Toit, may be heading back to Mzansi in the near future, with the Stormers the possible beneficiaries in both cases. I am not so sure about leading internationals coming back to SA rugby in the prime stages of their careers. Sure, some may…

Zaahier Adams zaahier.adams@inl.co.za HEINRICH Klaasen issued a timely reminder to the Proteas selectors with a high-quality half-century to propel the Titans to the top of the Cricket SA T20 Challenge table in Gqeberha yesterday. Klaasen was part of the Proteas T20 World Cup squad that just missed out on semi-final qualification in the United Arab Emirates last year. However, he has seemingly slipped off the national radar after being omitted for the ODI series against India at the beginning of the new year. But the hard-hitting right-hander has found good form at St George’s Park over the past fortnight, with his unbeaten 59 yesterday lifting his aggregate to 226 runs at average of 75.33, which placed the former Proteas T20 captain third on the tournament’s run-scorers list. This bodes well…