Inhoudsopgave van 2022-10-27 - Star

FINANCE Minister Enoch Godongwana will be throwing more money into law enforcement agencies next year to shore up their financial crimes-busting capabilities in a bid to stave off the potential greylisting of South Africa in February 2023. South Africa has a noose around its neck waiting for the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to decide whether or not to greylist the country following the completion of a year-long observation period. This follows a year-long observation period after the FATF identified serious weaknesses in South Africa’s anti-money laundering (AML) and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) framework in which the country scored a very poor ratings assessment on technical compliance, failing 20 of the 40 FATF recommendations. Tabling his Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) in Parliament yesterday, Godongwana said the government…

THE MEDIUM-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) revealed an improved budget deficit for the first half of the 2022/23 financial year as a result of better-than-expected personal tax collections, lower levels of revenue refunds and higher commodity prices. According to the National Treasury’s In-Year Revenue Outlook, tax collections were 9% higher than the same period last year, and the gross tax revenue estimate based on corporate tax recovery improves the near-term revenue outlook. Tax is estimated to go up by R83.5 billion, with corporate tax income making up almost R62.8bn of that amount, with customs tax coming in at R11.5bn, despite imports statistics showing a decline of 17% during the same period. Personal income taxes came in as the third biggest contributor at R8.2bn. Income from VAT was 4.8% lower…

FINANCE Minister Enoch Godongwana said yesterday that the government has done everything it could in negotiations to avoid the pending strike among public sector employees, which is set to start next week. In a press conference with journalists ahead of his 2022 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement, Godongwana said talks between the government and trade unions reached a deadlock as the government offered a 3% wage hike while the unions are seeking 8%. The Public Servants Association, which represents more than 235 000 public sector employees, and National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union are preparing for a strike after some of their members rejected the government’s latest salary offer. Public service members wish to down tools in protest against a lower- than-inflation proposed wage increase by the government. “Any…

2022’S MEDIUM-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) has seen the expected improvement in government’s debt to gross domestic product (GDP) and fiscal deficit projections. Over the medium term, gross debt is projected to now peak at 71.4% of GDP in 2022/23, more quickly now than the previous peak estimated at 75.1% of GDP in 2024/25. The declining ratios are due to some drop in borrowings, but key is the upwards revisions to its GDP forecast by National Treasury in order to account for higher inflation, with both the gross loan debt and deficit ratios lower as a percent of GDP. The 2022/23 budget deficit is now projected at -4.9% of GDP versus the -6.0% of GDP estimated for this fiscal year in February. The following three medium-term years, of 2023/24 to…

SA-born teen music sensation Justin-Lee Schultz, who is now based in Los Angeles, is headed back to home soil after seven years for a music concert. The 15-year-old musical prodigy will be joining his talented drummer sister, Jamie-Lee Schultz, 19, and guitarist father Julius Schultz, as well as South African bass player Carlo Jooste on a tour around the country this summer – for the first time since the family emigrated to the US in 2015. Justin-Lee told IOL Entertainment he was excited to be joining the line-up on a few local shows. “Feels good to be performing in SA. I’m excited to play!” The teen says he can’t wait to sink his teeth into his favourite SA treats, including a steak and kidney pie, sausage rolls, bunny chows and…

Joburg mayor Mpho Phalatse’s former bodyguard has accused the mayor of mistreating her and reducing her duties to babysitting and looking after the mayor’s relatives. The protector, who asked not to be named, told The Star there were trust issues between her and the mayor, which led to her duties being reduced to babysitting. “She saw me as a Barbie doll and thought she could not trust me because she assumed I was associated with the ANC,” she said. The protector said she was not the only one who had been abused by the politicians they protected. She said another member of the mayoral committee would get into frequent fights with his protectors because of trust issues. It apparently got so bad that the MMC ended up driving himself. “These…

The DA has faced another defeat after the party’s mayor in Ekurhuleni, Tania Campbell, was removed from the position during a motion of no confidence yesterday. Campbell faced a motion of no confidence from the minority party caucus, which consists of the parties AIC, ICM, PAC, UDM, ATM, NFP and Cope. However, the motion was brought by the ANC. A total of 100 councillors supported her removal, while 93 voted against it. Meanwhile, EFF councillors ab- stained from voting. EFF Gauteng leader Nkululeko Dunga said the party was concerned about the racialised approach concerning service delivery in Ekurhuleni. Dunga accused the DA of neglecting townships and informal settlements. After criticising the DA, Dunga also lashed out at the ANC, saying it was a dead organisation. Both the ANC and DA…

A family has shared its frustration at having had to wait more than three years for Standard Bank to sort out their late father’s estate worth millions, despite him having passed away in August 2019. Martin de Oliveira, whose father Jacob was a client of Standard Bank’s Standard Trust Limited (STL), the division of the Standard Bank Group which handles deceased estates, said as far as he and his sister were concerned STL was “in complete disarray”. In a letter he wrote to Independent Media, De Oliveira, who is from Johannesburg and works in Qatar, said: “My father, Jacob Marthinus de Oliveira passed away on August 28, 2019. STL confirmed receipt of the notification of passing on September 6, 2019. “At the date of writing, it is 1 093 days…

The R800 000 Allied Steelrode On A Mission Charity Mile takes place at Turffontein Racecourse this Saturday and the true winners will be the 16 charity beneficiaries of the race. Each of the 16 runners competing in the Grade 2 race over 1 600m on the Standside track were paired with a charity at Tuesday’s official draw. Each charity will receive a payout based on where their horse finishes in the race. As part of its sponsorship of the race, global steel manufacturer Allied Steelrode On A Mission have made R500 000 available to be shared by the 16 Johannesburg charities. The charity whose horse wins the Charity Mile main race will receive R200 000 and the other charities will get a minimum of R20 000. Allied Steelrode CEO Arun…

AUDI said yesterday it has agreed to take a stake in Swiss-based Sauber Group, whose team will become the German car manufacturer’s works entry in Formula One from 2026. Sauber has been involved in Formula One since 1993 and competes with Ferrari engines under the name of Alfa Romeo, a Stellantis brand. Audi, owned by Volkswagen, announced in August that it would enter Formula One under new engine rules coming in for 2026, with its own power unit to be built in Neuburg, Bavaria. “Together we want to write the next chapter from 2026,” Adam Baker, CEO of Audi Formula Racing said. Sauber Motorsport said in a statement the team would continue to use Ferrari power units for the next three seasons until the rules change. “Audi is the best…

FRANCE defender Raphael Varane will not feature for Manchester United until after the World Cup, manager Erik ten Hag said yesterday. Centre back Varane, 29, went over his ankle midway through the second half in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea and looked distraught as he made his way into the tunnel at Stamford Bridge. Ten Hag confirmed that Varane, who won the World Cup in 2018, will miss United’s six remaining games before the mid-season break but did not rule him out of the 20 November-December 18 tournament in Qatar. “Rapha Varane isn’t in the squad,” Ten Hag told reporters before Sheriff visit Old Trafford yesterday. “He will be out, certainly until the World Cup so he will not play in this block (of games) for Man United. “I think…

STATE-owned enterprises (SOEs) will have to jump through hoops henceforth in order to receive government bailouts as contingent liabilities are expected to exceed R1 trillion by 2024/25. This was a stern message from Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana yesterday as he tabled his Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) in Parliament. This comes as the National Treasury has begun developing a State-owned companies funding framework which will be finalised before the end of this financial year. The framework will complement the Presidential State-Owned Enterprises Council draft framework to guide decisions on disposing of and retaining State-owned companies. Godongwana said that the financial condition of many SOEs remained weak, with some having difficulty meeting their funding requirements because of their low credit quality. He said that the government will continue to enforce…

THE SA REVENUE Service (Sars) says it accepts the gauntlet laid down by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to collect more tax, which forms the majority of the country’s revenue. Sars provides about 90% of all government revenue. Delivering the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) in Parliament, Godongwana increased the revenue collection estimate that Sars must collect to R1.682 trillion from R1.598trln. Revenue collections as at September 30, 2022, amounted to R784.8 billion, yielding growth of R64.7bn (9%) against prior year collections of R751bn. “All collections against the previous year showed an upward trend except for the fuel levy, which recorded a contraction of R9.1bn (-20.9%). “The year-to-date growth was partially offset by the total refunds paid out, which were R32.5bn (20.9%) higher than the previous year, with…

AGAINST the background of difficult global and domestic economic circumstances, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana generally delivered a realistic and credible fiscal message in the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS). South Africa’s public finances have now been put on a much more sustainable footing. Both expenditure and revenue were good-news stories, which help to build economic resilience. It is in the main Budget later in February that the overall budget “judgement” will acquire much more precision. The MTBPS, in crafting its rolling three-year spending plan, had to walk a fine line among the recent competing demands on the current fiscus. It succeeded in combining prudence with flexibility in addressing South Africa’s socio-economic priorities within a framework of fiscal discipline. The 2022 MTBPS has offered realistic policy trade-offs in the light of…

Private investigator reacts to allegations against him in report given to Section 89 panel PRIVATE investigator Paul O’Sullivan has denied assisting President Cyril Ramaphosa to trace suspects who allegedly stole money from his Phala Phala farm in Waterberg, Limpopo. O’Sullivan was reacting to a report that was presented to the Section 89 independent panel looking into the burglary to determine if Ramaphosa had a case to answer since the crime was not lawfully reported. Among allegations made by former spy boss Arthur Fraser is that Ramaphosa’s security detail managed to trace the suspects and kidnapped and tortured them until they surrendered the remaining loot. Yesterday, O’Sullivan branded Fraser as the main culprit. “The very first I knew of the so-called Phala Phala incident was earlier this year when it surfaced…

Joburg mayor Mpho Phalatse said she was locked out of her office yesterday morning when she attempted to resume her role as mayor. She said she would be working remotely until the locks at the mayor’s office had been changed. Phalatse returned as mayor on Tuesday after a court ruling that declared her ousting illegal and invalid. The decisions made after her departure from the office were also set aside. On Tuesday evening, Palatse convened her mayoral committee, rounding them up to begin their duties as soon as possible. The entire committee was present at a virtual meeting except for the Patriotic Alliance’s Ashley Sauls, who has been fired from the committee. “Unfortunately, I cannot go into my office yet. I am told the locks have been changed. I don’t…

A second-place finish at the US Grand Prix in Austin on Sunday appeared to energise Lewis Hamilton, with the Mercedes seven-times world champion saying that when his team builds a more competitive car he will take it to the top. With just three races remaining for the first time since entering Formula One in 2007, Hamilton is in danger of finishing a season without a victory which would add to what has been an annus horribilis for Mercedes, who watched rivals Red Bull clinch the constructors’ title they had owned for eight years. But there was hope, not despair, around the Mercedes garage on Sunday after a battling Hamilton engaged in a breathtaking duel with Red Bull’s double- world champion Max Verstappen over the final laps before surrendering victory to…

TACTICIANS Jose Riveiro (Orlando Pirates) and Arthur Zwane (Kaizer Chiefs) have by this time decided what their key areas of focus should be ahead of Saturday’s Soweto derby at FNB Stadium. Zwane knows all about the drama of the Soweto derby, since he has played for both Chiefs and Pirates. However, this is the first time he will be the coach of a team on South Africa’s biggest football day. He knows SA will come to a standstill. The Spaniard Riveiro has never experienced a Soweto derby, but he has coached in European countries such as Italy and Spain, and would have experienced some of the world’s most popular derbies. Zwane’s preparation will hinge around three crucial factors. He will have to find a way to neutralise the potent Kermit…

CHARL Schwartzel hopes his intimate knowledge of the golf course at the Blair Atholl Golf and Equestrian Estate will boost his chances of joining the greats of South African golf and claiming the Investec South African Open Championship when it is played from December 1-4. “I’ve come close a few times and that victory has so far evaded me. It’s one that I would really like to be able to win before I put away the golf clubs,” said Schwartzel. The former Masters champion is part of a strong South African challenge that will be back on local fairways in their national Open, including Dean Burmester, Dylan Frittelli, MJ Daffue, Brandon Stone, Erik van Rooyen, Thriston Lawrence, Oliver Bekker, Shaun Norris and defending champion Daniel van Tonder. Schwartzel will certainly…

NOW that the dust is settling on “Gastrogate”, the reality for the Sharks is that it is back to business for the team that excelled on tour and the next stop on their travels is Pretoria, where the Bulls lie in wait on Sunday. Most of the tourists were going to be rested for the abandoned game against Ulster, because it was a rare weekend in the United Rugby Championship when the Sharks’ large contingent of Springboks would be available, but they are busy packing for Dublin, and prop Ntuthuko Mchunu says the players left behind can’t wait to saddle up for Loftus. “While the Boks were away (in the Rugby Championship) we had an excellent (eight-week) pre-season and then we went on tour and we grew so much as…

Revenue collection exceeded projections across most major tax categories since 2022 Budget THE FINANCIAL markets have welcomed South Africa’s improved fiscal position as the rand dipped below the R18-mark to the dollar for the first time in three weeks. The rand yesterday was 0.23% stronger at R17.97 against the greenback, its highest level since October 4 and better than its R18.20 close on Tuesday. The JSE All Share index also extended gains to close 1.9% higher at 67 103 index points as commodities-linked stocks and Naspers rallied. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana yesterday tabled an optimistic Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) with improved fiscal and debt outlook helped by buoyant revenue collection. FNB head of investment research Chantal Marx said the financials indices had spiked during the speech, turning positive…

FINANCE Minister Enoch Godongwana announced yesterday that the Covid-19 social relief of distress grant has been extended for one year until March 2024, but this decision comes with strings attached. In his 2022 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement, Godongwana said the extension was to give the government additional time to consider options for working-age people that could replace, complement, or adjust the grant. The grant was introduced in May 2020 as a temporary measure to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable, who were affected by lockdown measures. It has been extended several times since then. Recently, several non-government organisations, trade unions, and researchers have called for the government to transform emergency relief grants into a fully-fledged universal basic income grant. Godongwana said discussions on the future of the…

THE GOVERNMENT has reiterated an often-made pledge to build infrastructure, with Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana saying the adjusted fiscal framework in the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) had made provision for recovery and rebuilding following massive flood damage in April. The government, over successive National Budget annual presentations, has promised growth in infrastructure spending as a way to boost economic growth, but construction and engineering companies and financiers, over many years now, have reported no change from the trend of declining state infrastructure investment. Hence, Business Unity South Africa said yesterday, in response to the MBPS, that while they welcomed the increase in infrastructure budgets, “there must be a total focus on identifying a limited number of infrastructure projects that are economically and socially impactful and the ability to implement…

WHILE Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) included some positive pronouncements, agricultural organisation Agri SA says it is disappointed that the statement failed to provide for critical interventions to support South Africa’s hard-hit farmers. In a statement issued yesterday by Agri SA’s chief economist Kulani Siweya and Agri SA’s executive director Christo van der Rheede, the organisation said it was encouraged by the commitment to increase infrastructure expenditure. “We are hopeful that this expendi- ure will have positive multiplier effects and, if carried out timeously and effectively, will set the economy on a growth trajectory.” Agri SA said it was also cautiously optimistic about the planned expenditure on State-owned enterprises (SOEs). It said that to date, expenditure on these entities had not yielded good outcomes, and there…

Twitter users demanded an apology from Somizi Mhlongo following his comment made on the Idols SA season 18 top 4 live show. Thapelo performed Lloyiso Gijana’s Seasons before a packed arena. Judge JR Bogopa was unimpressed, saying: “We know you guys can sing, but now it’s about how you treat the song. It took a bit too long to get us to where we were emotionally connecting with the song.” But viewers were left bitter when Mhlongo complimented the 29-year-old SAPS member, saying his version of the song was done “better than its owner”. @afrikhado wrote: “Somizi must listen to this song, and come back with an apology next week for disrespecting LLoyiso like that. Yoh#idolssa.” @NeoHlungwani wrote: “I disagree with Somizi. Tjo! Lloyiso, I could listen to you…

Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, says the government has no evidence to support claims of a planned terrorist attack in Sandton. The alert was issued yesterday afternoon by the US Embassy. “The US government has received information that terrorists may be planning to conduct an attack targeting large gatherings of people at an unspecified location in the greater Sandton area on October 29,” the Embassy said in an alert on its website. The embassy said it had no further information about the timing, method or target of the potential attack. It advised US Embassy staff to avoid crowds of people and other large public gatherings in the greater Sandton area during the weekend of October 29-30. Speaking to the SABC, Gungubele said the government is aware of the alert.…

The SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has confirmed that it has received complaints against Unisa for alleged human rights violations said to be happening at the institution. The Star was recently made to understand that, on top of a series of administrative problems, Unisa is also beset by allegations of human rights violations, which include the bullying of senior and junior staff by members of the executive. In a letter addressed to the commission dated August 2, 2022, a staff member, who does not want their identity revealed for fear of reprisals, accuses acting head of legal services, Dr Vuyo Peach, of running the HR department like a court of law. Speaking to The Star following an email and telephone enquiry, spokesperson for the commission, Wisani Baloyi, said the commission…

AT 42, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak exudes a fresh schoolboy look, lollapalooza charm and a lanky swagger imbued with aesthetic elegance. Amid a sense of patriotic hoopla, he has accepted the king’s invitation to lead during troubled times. A son of the soil, he is an Oxford graduate and his swift ascendency in politics is a bit bothersome when it comes to experience. However, his party’s faith in him is indicative that he has the sine qua non to tackle the issues. He is wealthy, a multimillionaire and the son-in-law of billionaire Narayan Murthy. Sunak is the first prime minister of colour, a devout Hindu and the youngest prime minister in 200 years. His immediate task is to sift through the economic carnage and revive an ailing economy, invoking…

MULTI-award-winning artist J’Something has confirmed that the Durban leg of his tour has been moved to a bigger venue following the success of his Cape Town tour. The exclusive “Indoor with J’Something” experience kicked off in the Mother City at the HCC Homecoming Centre last month. This first-of-its-kind tour featured J’Something alongside his three-piece band performing a full-length show. The Durban tour sold out in just over 24 hours after the opening of ticket sales was announced. The Mamela hitmaker and his team made the call to move to a bigger venue, giving more fans the opportunity to experience the show. With that decision came a date shift to November. “‘Indoor’ is very close to my heart so I’m truly overwhelmed by the support South Africa at large has given…

We have legislation that allows the labour ministry to see beyond the politics and the need to appease future ANC voters. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to take into account the needs of South Africa but rather the needs of the political bosses. We know Transnet and the unions have been meeting regularly at the Commission for Conciliation, Medication and Arbitration (CCMA). The strike has crippled South African ports. We also know that some of the regular users of the ports have agreed to supplement their normal fees to pay for an extra increase. It took a full week of destructive striking before the government promised to go back to the bargaining table. The port users tried, from their side, to push the government to offer a bit more for the…

OUR long-term Ford Ranger Raptor has been a trusty companion for just over a year now. We have enjoyed every moment behind the wheel, and rightfully so. The Ford Raptor was designed from the ground up to be the ultimate Ranger. It features a bunch of bespoke hardware and software updates which have made it so incredible. With a new model fast approaching, we thought it fitting to give our Raptor one last fight … Enter the Jeep Gladiator. Let’s focus on the Jeep for a moment because it is the latest entry into the specialised off-road bakkie segment. It, like the Ranger Raptor, features bespoke Fox suspension, big tyres and a road presence that makes taxi drivers obey the rules of a four-way stop. In all honesty we have…

SINCE first hitting the streets in late 2019, when the world seemed so normal compared to now, the Hyundai Venue has become South Africa’s third most popular compact SUV, behind the Toyota Urban Cruiser and Volkswagen T-Cross. The Venue is one of the only compact SUVs that competes with both of the aforementioned, catering for the budget end of the market as well as the swankier side where the German competes. The facelifted Hyundai Venue that was launched in South Africa recently continues to cast its net wide, with a line-up of six derivatives that range in price from R294 900 to R449 900. For its midlife upgrade, the compact Hyundai gets a new look and, in my opinion, the facelifted model is somewhat easier on the eye than its…

PATRICK Vieira has called for black players to be given more opportunities in coaching and at the executive level in football. The Crystal Palace boss is the only black manager in the Premier League, compared to 43% of black players in English football’s top flight. Last week a report from The Black Footballers Partnership found that in England only 1.6% of executive, leadership and ownership positions in football are held by black people. “When you are looking at the top five leagues in the world and you’re looking at the number of black coaches you have in the first or second division, it is not enough,” former Arsenal captain…