Inhoudsopgave van 2022-04-06 - Star

BUSINESS yesterday welcomed the immediate end of the National State of Disaster after 750 days, which also averted a possible court battle against the government. However, concerns have remained over the proposed amendments to National Health Act regulations and some aspects that could hinder tourism in the country. President Cyril Ramaphosa late on Monday announced the end of the National State of Disaster, with some regulations only lapsing after 30 days to assist in limiting the spread of Covid-19. These include the compulsory wearing of masks indoors, restrictions on the number of people at gatherings, and provisions relating to international travellers. Business Unity South Africa (Busa) chief executive Cas Coovadia said yesterday that the lifting of the State of Disaster and the passing of the 30-day transition period would give…

THE OUTLOOK for private sector activity for the year ahead in South Africa has worsened markedly over inflation and supply risks in the wake of increased global uncertainty due to the war in Ukraine. Despite this, private sector activity rose to a four-month high in March, marking the third consecutive month of expansion amid renewed increase in employment. The S&P Global IHS Markit Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) accelerated to 51.4 points in March, from 50.9 points in February and above the 50 point no-change threshold. S&P Global said yesterday that new order volumes rose in March, albeit the rate of growth was down fractionally from February and marginal. In addition, while export orders fell over the month, the rate of decline was the softest seen since September last…

THE AFRICAN Rail Industry Association (Aria) yesterday questioned the feasibility of Transnet’s recent announcement to sell time slots on its rail network to third parties and whether is was worth it for the private sector. Investment of up to R54 billion is required by the mining, forestry and agriculture industry to take advantage of the slot sales, announced by the state-owned logistics firm on Friday as it liberalises the rail sector. Aria chief executive Mesela Nhlapo said yesterday: “It has been widely reported that slots will be sold for a two-year period. “While Aria recognises this is a pilot project, this is perhaps the biggest challenge to effective third-party access. Every 50-wagon trainset costs up to R200 million, and Aria estimates each operator will need three trainsets…

PEOPLE are often unsure about ways in which assets can be moved into trusts as part of their estate plans. Assets can be transferred into a trust by sale (via a loan granted to the trust), donation, or on death in terms of a will. Assets can also be purchased directly in the trust, with the trust using its own funds. Each of these options has to be carefully considered, and professional advice from a practitioner specialising in trusts should be sought, when considering moving assets into a trust. The considerations applicable to donations to trusts are discussed in this article. Assets can be donated to a trust in the form of money or goods, including property. Do the trustees have the power to enter into the transaction? Before the…

FINANCIAL investigations consultant Emerald van Zyl has said the matter of discrimination at a banking level was not a new one and South Africa’s banks have only one purpose, and that is to increase their profits. Van Zyl, who has been looking into banks and their business for at least 30 years, said for example at some point nobody knew what interest rates they were paying, even though the law states that if the interest rate is increased, clients need to be informed within a period of 90 days. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Independent Media’s investigations unit, Van Zyl revealed that he’d had clients who were paying up to 40% more on their mortgages due to the banks’ discrimination tactics. “I was informed by an employee of Wesbank,…

A 17-year-old teenage serial rapist has been jailed to an effective 30 years behind bars. Police said the teenager was believed to be the youngest recorded serial rapist in the history of South Africa. The minor was sentenced in the Gauteng Regional Court sitting in Palm Ridge, police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Sello said. “The teenage serial rapist was 15 years old at the time when he raped three boys, aged between 8 and 10 years, on three different occasions around Katlehong during the year of 2020.” Sello said the case was assigned to Sergeant Renny Matshavha, a detective at the Katlehong Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offence unit, who pieced all the available evidence together. “Her quality investigation resulted in a solid case brought against the accused.” SAPS Acting…

Public trust in the police is at its lowest in the Western Cape, trailing the national average by 7%. A recently released report by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) found in the 2010-2021 period, the public in the Western Cape, Limpopo and Gauteng consistently reported figures below the national average. The survey, conducted in the last quarter of each year, found public trust in the police dipped to a low of 27%, from 34% in 2020. The largest decline in police confidence was in the Western Cape, from 43% in 2020 to 22% in 2021. Manenberg CPF chairperson Vanessa Adriaanse said the police were reversing the hard work done by the policing forums in ensuring good relations with the community, which she said took “forever” to build. “You have…

THE increasing reliance on courts instead of the collective wisdom of our membership needs to be strongly discouraged. The ANC has a right to regulate its own internal affairs, including deciding when to host conferences. The judicial means of addressing internal political matters is like a wildfire that is leaving a trail of destruction. There are many ANC leaders and cadres of the movement who have unashamedly acted in a manner that has opened the organisation to bad publicity. Comrades, you have the power to stop this behaviour. The ANC is a broad-church with different views I wish to point out that in the ANC, there will always be different views. Matters need to be discussed thoroughly to allow for the best point of view and the most logical position…

DEAN Elgar will be demanding greater intensity from the Proteas batters ahead of the second Test against Bangladesh which starts in Gqeberha on Friday. While there were a whole lot more positives to take from the 220-run victory at Kingsmead in Durban on Monday, the Proteas captain wants his batting unit to take lessons from the second-innings collapse. With the exception of the absent Rassie van der Dussen, the group which played in Durban is likely to be the one South Africa will want to start with in the long term. However, those batters were victims of the same sort of collapse that has occurred with the Proteas on an all too regular basis in the last few years. From 115/1 in the second innings, the Proteas were bowled out…

SUPERSPORT United needed a Gamphani Lungu penalty in the 89th minute to rescue a point against Chippa United as the two sides drew 1-1 in a Premiership contest at the Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium last night. Lungu stepped up after substitute Jesse Donn was recklessly taken down in the box, with the Zambian international keeping his cool and slotting the ball past goalkeeper Lloyd Kazapua to save the home side’s blushes. Diminutive winger Azola Matrose gave Chippa the lead five minutes before half-time with a smart strike from the edge of the box. The 19-year-old received the ball out wide and beat Onismor Bhasera, before firing a rocket that caught goalkeeper Ronwen Williams off guard and put Chippa 1-0 up. The relegation-threatened Chilli Boys and top eight chasing Matsatsantsa were…

Daniel Ricciardo thinks he might once have taken the Australian Grand Prix for granted, but three years without any Formula One action at Albert Park has left him hankering for a race on home soil. The 32-year-old will get his wish this weekend when the world championship circuit returns to Melbourne for the first time since the 2020 race was called off at the 11th hour as the Covid-19 pandemic first took a grip on Australia. The eight-time Grand Prix winner’s last race in Melbourne, his first for Renault, was effectively ended in the first few seconds when he lost his front end in the trackside grass, leaving him with even more of a sense of longing. “In a way, it’s kind of like, ‘You don’t know what you’ve got…

RUGBY is constantly evolving, but there are certain elements that will never change, and one of them is the war visiting teams to Kimberley can expect when they step onto the granite surface of Griqua Park. Sharks coach Etienne Fynn knows this from his days as a player, and as a coach he understands that nothing will be different when his team does Currie Cup duty against Griquas in the Northern Cape tonight. “This will be a traditional Currie Cup visit to one of the toughest places to win,” Fynn said after naming his team yesterday. “The guys will be getting stuck into each other from the first whistle to the last, just as it always is. “Griquas have traditionally been tough and uncompromising in Kimberley. They always have a…

THE ATOMIC Energy Agency (IAEA) yesterday announced a clean bill of health for Eskom’s Koeberg Nuclear Plant for the next 20 years, subject to unpublicised recommendations, which had the anti-nuclear movement screaming for the “devil in the detail”. The Koeberg nuclear plant comes to the end of its design life in July 2024, but Eskom wants to keep operating it for an extra 20 years. The positive report comes just two weeks after Eskom was forced to dispel speculation that an incident at the scheduled maintenance of Koeberg Nuclear Reactor Unit 2 could have led to a major disaster. The IAEA peer review mission, with experts from eight countries, which undertook an assessment of the Koeberg plant in late March, said yesterday that it had observed that despite many challenges…

THERE is a profoundly important bill before Parliament. Introduced by the EFF, it lapsed, revived and is now silently dying. It is the South African Reserve Bank Amendment Bill. It is a bill with the potential to change democracy, disrupt policy and regulatory capture, as well as arrest South Africa’s economic decline. The bill seeks to change the current private ownership of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) to democratic ownership under government custodianship (nationalisation). There is widespread opposition to nationalisation among the local elite, their foreign allies, beneficiaries of pro-rich monetary policies and their representative institutions. Their objections are understandable, given their interests. Paradoxically, even the Treasury and the SARB, supposedly serving national interests, object. For these two, it is extraordinarily odd, but absolutely consistent with their well-known ideological…

STANDARD Bank said this week it had reached the one million customer mark on its low-cost banking solution MyMo. Kabelo Makeke, the head of consumer and High Net Worth Clients at Standard Bank said: “The introduction of MyMo, our low-cost banking solution, has enabled more people to access our brand for the first time because of the extraordinary value offered. “The account, which has no minimum income requirements costs just R4.95 monthly and all other costs customers pay as they transact on their account making it a true ”pay as you use“. Thus, the power to control bank fees is placed into the hands of the customer, who has choices of how to bank.” Alongside the MyMo account, Standard Bank launched the MyMo Plus Account in 2020, which caters…

The start-up bridges the gap between South African enterprises and their front-line employees INNOVATIVE Human Resource and communications technology start-up SmartWage, has raised $2 million (R29m) to bridge the gap between South African enterprises and their front-line employees. The start-up provides enterprises a simple yet effective way to digitise their most time-consuming HR processes, helping them save time and money in order to focus on people. The product gives employees without email the ability to receive company-wide communication, access their payslips, request leave and get access to financial wellness products, all via WhatsApp. Clients of SmartWage, founded in May 2020 by Simon Ellis and Caroline van der Merwe, include companies that employ front-line employees, typically in retail, quick service restaurants, manufacturing, construction and hospitality. The start-up has grown their monthly…

Kanye West will no longer headline Coachella after he pulled out to protect the privacy of his ex, Kim Kardashian, and her new man, Pete Davidson, according to sources. The Jesus Walks rapper has pulled out of performing in the top spot at the music festival in the California desert alongside Billie Eilish, Harry Styles and Swedish House Mafia. According to Page Six, the 44-year-old rapper – who legally changed his name to Ye in November last year – will be replaced by The Weeknd as it will be “virtually impossible” for him to do a good show, which was supposed to include fellow rapper Travis Scott. The source told the outlet: “Kanye has definitely pulled out of Coachella. “He hasn’t been rehearsing or putting on a production. Travis…

CO-OPERATIVE Government and Tradi- tional Affairs Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma said the disaster had passed but the pandemic remained, so it was in people’s own hands to take care. She said the regulations should be respected. “It is in your hands, because we can manage with our resources, we can wash hands, we can put on masks, we can attend gatherings according to rules. We need to respect these regulations individually and collectively. It really is in our hands, but all we can say is, if there is a situation that escalates to a point of a disaster, a disaster management act will come back, a classification will come back as a disaster, and a declaration of a National State of Disaster will come back again,” said Dlamini Zuma.…

Industry experts and political analysts have said South Africa had now been reduced to a nation of “beggars” as the government and the private sector were failing in the fight against unemployment. Asked what plan the government had in fighting unemployment, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Tyrone Seale, said Ramaphosa had previously said the government was committed to creating programmes aimed at creating job opportunities. “The central pillar of government’s programme to grow the economy and create employment are far-reaching measures to unleash the potential of our economy, but focusing particularly on small businesses, micro-businesses and informal businesses. “This includes reducing the cost of doing business and removing barriers to entry for small businesses. We have abundant talent, energy and creativity, and many entrepreneurs who are ready and willing to start…

IN AUGUST last year, Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula announced that driving licences that expired between March 26, 2020 and August 31 last year wouldl be valid until March 31 this year. In February, Mbalula indicated that there was a backlog of 2.1 million licences nationally that would have expired by March 31 this year. The government has since extended the deadline to April 15. It is laughable to even consider that this incompetent government will clear the backlog by this middle of this month. The driving licence fiasco reads like a bad soap opera; problems with the production of driving licence cards, issues around Driving Licence Testing Centres, online booking systems and, of course, corruption. All this has direct implications, one of which is that insurance claims…

WHILE Caster Semenya and Akani Simbine will be the headline acts, the return of Carina Horn to the big stage will also be one to watch at the Athletics South Africa Grand Prix 3 in Potchefstroom tonight. Semenya will line up in the 2000m as part of her build-up to the national championships later this month, when she will contest the 5000m and possibly the 10000m. The two-time Olympic 800m champion will hope to qualify for the world championships in the 5000m, but is keeping the door open on the longer distance as well. Semenya ran a new 3000m personal best of eight minutes, 54.97 seconds at the second Grand Prix meeting in Cape Town a few weeks ago, which indicates she is on course to breach the 15:10 qualifying…

Tiger Woods plans to play the 86th Masters starting tomorrow at Augusta National, making an incredible return to competition 14 months after suffering severe right leg injuries in a car crash. “As of right now, I am going to play,” Woods said. The 15-time Major champion planned to play a nine-hole practice round yesterday, and will make a final decision after seeing how his body recovers from that effort. “It’s a matter of how my body is going to recover and what my body is able to do the next day,” said Woods, who has played nine-hole practice rounds the past two days. Woods said he feels that he can win a sixth Masters title this week to match the all-time record held by Jack Nicklaus, despite not having played…

THE domestic season ends with the ‘Jukskei Derby’ in the CSA One-Day Cup final this afternoon. The Lions travel up the M1 to Centurion to try and prevent the Titans from claiming a second title this season. It was the Titans who pipped the Lions to the post to win the Four-Day Series earlier this term. The ‘Sky Blues’ have quickly asserted themselves as the top provincial team in the newly structured domestic system. From a runners-up spot in the T20 Challenge to champions in the Four-Day competition and now to hosting the One-Day final, Mandla Mashimbyi’s team have transferred the dominance which they exerted for most of the franchise era into the current 15-team structure. The Titans won five out of seven league matches, losing just one, by batting…

DETERIORATING road infrastructure was creating operational challenges for South African farmers and a threat to food security, agricultural organisation Agri SA said yesterday, as it called on the government to address the issue. Agri SA, announcing the findings of a survey from participants in the agricultural sector determining the impact of deteriorating road infrastructure on the sector, found that there were dire consequences to South Africa’s poor road maintenance for the proper functioning and growth of the sector. Kulani Siweya, an economist at Agri SA, said the deteriorating road infrastructure constrained the local sector’s potential to contribute more to South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) and employment. While the sector had already contributed R128 billion to GDP, this could be even higher, he said. “This potential is illustrated…

ZIMBABWE is to experiment with a liberalised foreign currency exchange rate after allowing corporates and individuals holding US dollars in their accounts to sell the hard currency to banks on a willing-seller, willing-buyer basis. Exchange rate distortions have blighted Zimbabwe’s economy, which continues to struggle to attract foreign direct investment. Exchange rate disparities have also driven up year-on-year inflation to 72 percent for the month of March, according to data from Zimstats. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, under pressure from industry and international finance institutions to fix the exchange rate regime, has now set a US$1 000 (R14 610) limit for the amount that companies and individuals can trade on a willing-seller, willing- buyer basis with banks. At a meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) this…

ACTOR Sthembiso “SK” Khoza is trending on social media as a video of him losing his cool has gone viral on social media platforms. In the 30 second video, the former The Queen star is seen barefoot, and he is heard hurling insults at a white man. Khoza can be heard asking if the white man knows who he is. He sounds very agitated as the white man and another black man try to calm him down. The clip is said to have been shot at Zebula Lodge in Mpumalanga. Khoza shared on his Instagram stories what seemingly is a response to him trending. “Maybe some of us were meant to live and be great in another lifetime, and this one is just not for us,” he wrote. The clip…

Jared Leto has suggested there will be more than one Morbius movie. The 50-year-old actor stars as Dr Michael Morbius in the Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbuster, and he teased “we’re just getting to know each other” when asked about future Morbius films. “This is us kind of at that first step forward and I just think if you look at Wolverine, you look at Batman, you look at a lot of these films and they evolve over time,” Leto said. “You know, there’s a relationship that develops there and who knows. “But the Sinister Six head to head with Spider-Man, we’ll see what the future holds.” In the interview with IMDb.com, the House of Gucci star – transformed into Paolo Gucci with prosthetics – also revealed why he “fought for…

Alleged to have solicited funds from tender bidder DEPARTMENT of Minerals and Energy director-general Thabo Mokoena will be vacating his position at the end of this month. Mokoena faces pressure from the controversial Independent Power Production tender that saw a bidder, DNG Power, accusing him of allegedly soliciting a bribe from DNG Power’s Aldworth Mbalati. Mbalati accused Mokoena and two other gentlemen said to be close to Minerals and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe of inviting him to Kream restaurant in Pretoria, where in the private lounge Mokoena allegedly told Mbalati that in order to win the tender “he needed to be in the system”. Mokoena did not deny meeting Mbalati, an act already an infringement of the Public Finance Management Act. Mokoena’s sudden departure from the top post is said…

Conveniently located in Benoni, Ekurhuleni, aha Kopanong Hotel & Conference Centre is ideally central, very close to OR Tambo International Airport and the perfect middle ground between Johannesburg and Pretoria. The hotel is universally recognised as a leading conference and event venue in Gauteng, with flexible venue spaces, cinema-style seating for up to 420 guests, school room-style seating for 300 and a banquet-style setting for up to 260. The entire venue is equipped with the latest in cutting-edge conferencing technology, free unthrottled Wi-Fi and uninterrupted interconnectivity throughout. aha Kopanong Hotel & Conference Centre is a home away from home and a fully functioning office. Guests at the hotel remain connected to the world while they relax in a comfortable, welcoming environment with unparalleled service and world-class luxury on tap. The…

IN AN attempt to reduce the unemployment rate, the Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (Chieta) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the SA Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) to collaborate on skills development programmes for the youth in the country. The signing ceremony, involving Yershen Pillay, CEO of Chieta and Necsa Group CEO Loyiso Tyabashe, took place on March 31. Tyabashe said they were delighted to be part of the initiative that aimed to contribute to the economic growth of the country through skills development. “We are looking forward to having all the trainees, especially the unemployed youth at our state-of-the-art Necsa Learning Academy that is accredited by Chieta and other Setas. “Our programmes will equip the youth with requisite skills for the chemical industry in South Africa and…

THERE is a striking resemblance to the last six Premiership results of Swallows FC and Mamelodi Sundowns, but the latter should have little difficulty in extending their lead at the top of the standings when they clash at Dobsonville Stadium tonight. In their last six matches, Sundowns suffered two defeats (against AmaZulu FC and Maritzburg United), two draws and two wins. Over the same period, relegation-doomed Swallows suffered three defeats, two draws and a lone win (against Sekhukhune United). Despite these statistics, Sundowns are runaway log-leaders by 11 points, whereas Swallows are in 14th place on the log and are only point above Baroka FC, who are rock-bottom. Sundowns signed off their Caf Champions League group-phase assignments undefeated over the weekend and rested several key players. Some of their key…

Carlo Ancelotti knows better than anyone how quickly things can change at Real Madrid. After the sensational comeback against Paris Saint-Germain, Madrid were euphoric. They had defeated one of Europe’s elite, humiliated an economic rival, neutralised Lionel Messi and, many believed, convinced Kylian Mbappe. They were about to win La Liga and suddenly looked contenders in the Champions League too. Three weeks later, the advantage in the league is still intact thanks to a scruffy, albeit morale-boosting win over Celta Vigo on Saturday. But Ancelotti’s credit has all but evaporated. Real were waiting until yesterday to decide if their coach will be able to travel to the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Chelsea tonight after he tested positive for Covid-19 last week. The outcome of the tie…

AT first glance, Bulls head coach Gert Smal, with the blessing of Jake White no doubt, has selected what many would consider their ‘B team’ for their midweek Currie Cup match at Loftus Versfeld (8pm kick-off). That statement, however, is rather disingenuous as the Bulls’ match-day 23 that will face Province has a quite pleasing mix of experience, power, pace, skill and youthful exuberance to it. The Bulls have, however, seemingly dropped any pretence of which encounter against the Capetonians this week is their focal point by arguably not fielding their “strongest” squad for their clash against the WP. Instead, they have opted to hold back their big guns for the season defining United Rugby Championship encounter against the Stormers at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday. Nevertheless, the Pretoria side…