Inhoudsopgave van 2023-05-17 - Star

This despite StatsSA recording 258 000 new employees finding jobs in first quarter of this year THE RATE OF unemployment in South Africa is bound to remain high in the medium term as the economy struggles to create jobs on the back of an electricity crisis that suffocates energy-intensive industries which absorb the most labour force. Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) yesterday said that the unemployment rate edged up slightly by 0.2 of a percentage point to 32.9% in the three months to March, from 32.7% in the fourth quarter of 2022. This was the first increase in the unemployment rate in more than a year after the economy withstood the disruption caused by KwaZulu-Natal floods, heightened load shedding and the two-week-long Transnet strike last year. However, Eskom has…

A MOTHER of All Battles – coined by Saddam Hussein in the 1991 Persian Gulf War – is raging in South Africa. This aptly applies to our country currently. But even a much more brutal war was fought following American and British suspicions of Iraq producing “Weapons of Mass Destruction”. It is this latter war that left Iraq in a state of two decades of instability. While that war destroyed all semblance of normality in Iraq, the tragedy was also comical and entertaining, with its lead actor who came to be known as “Comical Ali”. South Africa’s existential threat of a collapsed grid has several characters who play the role of comical Ali. They could pass for the best comedians except that like in the case of Comical Ali, the…

THE TRADE union movement is taking the pro-offered Just Transition Partnerships (JTPs) drive with a pinch of salt as it is likely to come at a cost of jobs and is disguised as a new form of “green structural adjustment” and is a “privatise to decarbonise” agenda. Leaders from 17 trade union bodies, including eight national workers’ centres, along with two Global Union Federations, and four allied research centres altogether representing 15 countries hosted by the Trade Unions for Energy Democracy (TUED) were gathered in Johannesburg yesterday to chart a “public pathway” for the Just Energy Transition, criticising current offerings as they were “structural adjustment programmes” of a new type contingent upon various forms of privatisation. The three-day meeting seeks to lay the foundations of a long-term political…

The Senzo Meyiwa murder trial has been dragging on for many years and while there is a progress, the snail’s pace is not appreciated by many people. In the latest development, the trial had another postponement after a witness, who was inside the house when the soccer star was killed, brought an application to stop the media from showing visuals and audio of her testimony. The witness, who cannot be named pending a ruling by the court, was due to take the stand in the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, on Monday. Well-known South African actor, Sello Maake kaNcube took to his official Twitter account and expressed his views over the latest development, describing it as “heartbreaking”. Having lost a son, the actor sympathised with the family. The former The…

The South African High Commissioner to India, Sbu Ndebele, reminisced about the early days of democracy in South Africa after he was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement for Nation Building from the KwaZulu-Natal International Business Association (Kiba). On receiving the award, Ndebele a former premier of KwaZulu-Natal, said he was pleased with his long political career that focused on peace in KZN. He was presented with the award when he visited South Africa on the sidelines of the Africa Travel Indaba held recently at the International Convention Centre in Durban. Ndebele said: “You must remember, I did not go to Parliament in 1994. I stayed in KwaZulu-Natal. A major task given to us was to bring stability and peace to the province. We had to remove the partition issues.” During…

All eyes will be on Parliament today as Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan appears before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) to discuss former Eskom chief executive André de Ruyter’s disclosures. The committee wants more information on the allegations by De Ruyter, who told Scopa to contact Gordhan, the Hawks and President Cyril Ramaphosa’s national security advisor Sydney Mufamadi for further details on the claims he made in the eNCA interview. De Ruyter, who has published a “tell-all” book about his three years at Eskom, told Scopa he reported the identity of a high-ranking politician involved in criminal activities at Eskom to Gordhan, Mufamadi and the Hawks. Gordhan’s appearance before Scopa follows revelations by former Eskom interim board chairperson Professor Malegapuru Makgoba last week. Makgoba backed up De Ruyter’s…

The expression “you can’t run from the law” was in full play yesterday when former Kaizer Chiefs public relations officer (PRO) Louis Tshakoane was arrested at a high-profile funeral. The Hawks pounced on Tshakoane in full view of mourners, minutes after he spoke at the service for his counterpart and friend, former Mamelodi Sundowns PRO Alex Shakoane, at the Mamelodi International Assemblies of God church. Shakoane was buried yesterday after battling ill health following a stroke in December last year. In attendance at the funeral were Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and Confederation of African Federation (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe. Reports are rife that it’s been four years since Tshakoane went on the run from the law after being accused of running a multimillion-rand fraud scheme with his son. At the…

The Premiership season is almost over and South Africa’s most storied football club Kaizer Chiefs have completed an eighth consecutive campaign without a trophy. Chiefs fans are sick to their teeth due to another rank poor season which, after 11 league defeats, is the club’s worst campaign in the PSL era. In January last year, Chiefs celebrated their 52nd anniversary and chairperson Kaizer Motaung declared: “We are here to serve the people.” Therein lies the root of Amakhosi problems. Rather than serve the people, Motaung has served his family with disastrous consequences. His sons Bobby and Kaizer jnr hold key positions in the club, and they have done nothing to suggest they deserve to be there on merit. On Saturday, coach Arthur Zwane could not escape the wrath of fans…

Orlando Pirates have left it late to nail down their berth in next year’s Caf Champions League and have left the door open for SuperSport United to pip them to the post. The contrasting fortunes of the two teams in last weekend’s penultimate round of Premiership matches have left Pirates and SuperSport in a dogfight to claim second place on the standings. Mamelodi Sundowns clinched the title with seven games remaining, and ever since, Pirates and SuperSport have been scrapping to be best of the rest. The runners-up slot secures a ticket to next year’s Champions League and swells the club’s bank balance by R7.5-million. Finishing third will earn the club a place in next year’s Caf Confederation Cup competition and R3.75m in prize money from the PSL. Pirates should…

MINISTER of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe said yesterday that the lack of grid capacity was the single challenge the country faced. Speaking at the tabling of his department’s budget vote in Parliament yesterday, Mantashe said: “The single-most challenge we face to address the energy crisis is the grid unavailability.” He said despite the country struggling with the grid capacity and load shedding rollouts, connectivity and universal access to electricity for citizens was important. Mantashe said, notwithstanding, the headwinds, the department re- mained steadfast in setting objectives that it should meet in its programme to ensure universal access to electricity for the poor. He said the department aimed to connect 917 000 households to the grid. Mantashe said: “Today, 673 946 households are connected to…

MANY SCIENTISTS and engineers have divided opinions on whether the South African grid will collapse or not if the country’s current leadership attitude towards coal power generation and allowing themselves to be misled about the case for nuclear power prevails. Some say there are systems in place to prevent total grid collapse should it happen that consumers draw more power from the grid than Eskom generation power plants can keep the grid going as the power pumped into the transmission system dips below untenable point/s. Some say nothing is guaranteed anymore if anything is to be learned from how Eskom is unable to arrest the persistent breakdowns of the current Eskom generation. Whatever the case is between the two centres of the divide, one thing is crystal clear: the grid…

SANTAM said yesterday that the three months to March 31 had brought an adverse claims experience, particularly from bad weather and power surge claims impacting the property class of business. The short-term insurer, a leader in the local market, said in an operational update that operating conditions were challenging, with insurance growth prospects dampened by the impact of electricity supply disruptions on economic growth and pressure on personal disposable income from higher inflation and interest rates. The insurance market was also competitive. “The group showed operational resilience and achieved sound financial results for the period. The corrective underwriting actions have had a positive effect, with further benefits expected in coming months. “The underwriting performance of the motor class showed significant improvement compared to the comparative period in 2022,” the…

From the love of fashion and the fascination with fashion emerges the new musical revue Dress Code, currently being staged at the Theatre on the Square, Sandton, until May 26. Directed by Alan Swerdlow, with Clifford Cooper as the musical director, Dress Code pokes fun at the complexities of our relationship with clothing and explores diverse issues related to fashion. Whether you are addicted to online shopping, have opinions on the latest fashion trends, or worry about what not to wear this season, the show has something for everyone. It is the brainchild of theatre duo Lorri Strauss and Sharon Spiegel Wagner, who also star alongside seasoned actress Ntambo Rapatla. Through an eclectic mix of re-imagined songs and a variety of costume changes, the trio take the audience on a…

A week since the reports about DJ Maphorisa’s arrest for allegedly assaulting his rumoured girlfriend, media personality Thuli Phongolo, the pair have released a joint statement in which they confirm that an “incident” did indeed occur on Sunday, May 7. The statement, which Maphorisa (real name Themba Sekowe) and Phongolo shared through their respective social media platforms on Monday night, expressed that they’d suffered emotional distress as a result of the media’s coverage of the so-called “incident” and the public attention it garnered. “The matter has received mixed public attention, causing a great deal of emotional stress on both parties involved,” it read. “It is on this basis that the parties have since elected to resolve this matter privately through their respective management and legal teams. Consequently, Phongolo has…

■ Worst ability in world, shock study shows ■ 81% unable to read for meaning in any tongue Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga says her department will be looking to revise the national plan to improve reading following the country’s dismal performance in the latest Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). This comes after an international study revealed that Grade 4 learners in South Africa had the worst reading ability in the world, with a staggering 81% unable to read for meaning. The 2021 PIRLS released yesterday tested 12 426 learners in the country and compared them with learners at a similar age level in 57 other countries. Even though only three African countries participated in the study, South Africa scored at the bottom of the pack with a…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has denied that there is a crisis in his office following the departure of some of his trusted advisers. These include economic adviser Trudy Makhanya, international adviser Maropene Ramokgopa, legal adviser Nokukhanya Jele and political advisers Steyn Speed and Bejani Chauke. Ramaphosa, who has dismissed claims of a mass exodus, said he had noted “unsubstantiated claims of a conflict” between the director-general in the Presidency, Phindile Baleni, and the chief of staff in the Office of the President, Roshene Singh. In a statement on Saturday, Ramaphosa, through his spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said the two officials enjoyed a positive, constructive and warm working relationship. He said Makhanya’s five-year tenure as his adviser had come to an end. Makhanya had helped craft the administration’s key economic policy initiatives on…

THE GAUTENG Department of Human Settlements has made more promises to the Mamelodi flood victims, saying their relocation plans are “ongoing”. Responding to an article by the Pretoria News on Monday, which said the flood victims from Mountain View, Mavuso and Willow Farm informal settlements were planning to protest to the municipality, demanding to be relocated, the department, with the City of Tshwane, said they were working to “address” the relocation plans. Departmental spokesperson Tahir Sema said: “We are aware of the detailed relocation plans, with challenges being addressed by the City of Tshwane in respect of the flood victims in Mamelodi. “Relocations by the City have indeed started and are ongoing, as per the initial community consultations.” He said the department had been working with the metro by assisting…

ALMOST every speaker at the funeral service of Mamelodi Sundowns former spokesperson Alex “Goldfingers” Shakoane made deafening calls for the HM Pitje stadium in Mamelodi to be named after the late official. Shakoane was buried on Tuesday at the Garsfontein cemetery after a service at the Mamelodi International Assemblies of God Church in Pretoria yesterday. He died on Sunday after battling a stroke he sustained in December last year. Mourners, who included Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, CAF president Patrice Motsepe, other high profile people, family and friends, filled the church. The Pretoria club fans, clad in Sundowns gear, also came in their droves in full voice to bid farewell to the man they called their “unifier”. First to make the call for the stadium to be named after Goldfingers was…

Veteran jazz musician and guitarist Muziwakhe “Madala” Kunene was honoured with a doctorate by the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Kunene was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree for his contribution to the development of indigenous music, to the music of Africa, and that of the world. The graduation ceremony was held on May 10. During his acceptance speech, Kunene said: “I am humbled and full of great appreciation for the recognition that has been expressed by the university management, as well as other role players who saw it fitting to recognise the contributions made by people like myself and give us recognition here at home which is quite unusual. Recounting the moment he received the call from the university informing him of the honour, Kunene said he thought it was…

Xolani Khumalo has been lauded for fighting to keep the streets clean as he continues to expose drug dealers in his much-followed show Sizok’thola on Moja Love. Khumalo confronts drug lords in drug-infested areas and exposes criminal masquerades in an effort to curb crime. Having received numerous death threats and with attempts to shoot him and his team being made during a show, his desire to see South Africa free from drugs keeps him going. Within a few weeks of introducing the show, Khumalo has been among the hot topics dominating social media. In conversation with The Star, Khumalo opened up about the essence of the show, its dangers, and his ultimate goal as he continues to expose drug hot spots. “The actual thing that sparked the interest in doing…

If an Instagram video posted by Siya Kolisi yesterday is anything to go by, he will be leading the Springboks in their defence of the Webb Ellis Cup in France in September. Kolisi shows himself putting in some serious mileage on a gym bike to the tune of the gospel song, Awesome God. Kolisi, who is one month short of turning 32 on June 16, shows no discomfort from the surgery he had on his knee two weeks ago. South Africa was crestfallen on April 22 when Kolisi went down in a heap early in the Sharks’ United Rugby Championship match against Muster at Kings Park. After a week of consultation with specialists, a partial tear to his anterior cruciate ligaments was confirmed, and he underwent surgery in Cape Town…

FINANCE Minister Enoch Godongwana has hinted that the government could begin a process of downsizing its headcount of more than 1.2 million workers and freeze recruitment for certain positions as part of “difficult trade-offs” aimed to ease pressure on the fiscus due to the rising public sector wage bill. This is likely to be fiercely contested by workers unions who have been playing hard-ball against the government’s austerity measures on the back of rising cost of living as a result of elevated consumer inflation. Presenting the National Treasury Budget Vote in Parliament yesterday, Godongwana said the Treasury would continue to ensure that public finances are restored to a sustainable footing, by stabilising debt, promoting economic growth, and cushioning the economy from financial and other shocks. However, Godongwana said a…

SANDISIWE Ncemane, the CEO of the Petroleum Oil and Gas South Africa (PetroSA), is confident that its aggressive drive for strategic partners to collaborate with in unfolding a mix of gas to power is the right approach. This comes as PetroSA is taking over the aviation fuel supply dumped by BP Petroleum and ensuring a consistent supply of diesel for power utility Eskom’s turbines and the general market. Ncemane said the petroleum entity had been aggressive from the third quarter of last year to grow the volumes of product in the market while focusing on the long-term view of sustainable financial stability and being able to navigate the challenges stemming from geo-political factors. “Across our projects, we use partnerships as far as possible to also ensure adequate funding. “For instance,…

OCTODEC Investments’ Johannesburg and Tshwane properties generated a 10.7% increase in distributable income to R234.5 million in the six months to February 28 as people returned to the CBDs after Covid and the group started developing again. Distributable income per share was up by the same percentage to 88.1 cents. The dividend was raised 20% to 60c a share, reflecting a higher payout ratio of distributable income, compared with the past two years. Rental income from the R11.1 billion residential, retail, industrial, offices and parking portfolio grew 3.2% to R974.2m, and on a like-for-like basis it increased by 4.1% versus 1.2% in 2022. MD Jeffrey Wapnick said there was a great deal of negative sentiment about in South Africa, but business people needed to “get out…

Tweeps flooded the comments section of Garth Breytenbach’s recent post when he shared a picture of himself on oxygen in a hospital bed. The actor posted the image on Sunday and captioned it: “Been in hospital for two weeks, had a bad case of hitting the afterlife, but pulled through and hopefully on the mend with bit more bedrest. See nothing much has changed here. Lolz. Pffft not one of you sent a card or flowers.” Breytenbach, 43, is known for his roles in local films Five Fingers for Marseilles, Beyond the River and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. Breytenbach said he was admitted to hospital to treat a burst appendix. His followers were shocked to see him in hospital and said his Twitter presence was missed over the weekend.…

Flavio Hlabangwane has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his wife, Tshepang Pitse. Judge Cassim Moosa, at the South Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, handed the actuarial scientist the life sentence for premeditated murder, along with a 10-year sentence for defeating the ends of justice and an additional 15 years for violating a corpse. The 10 and 15-year terms will run concurrently with the life term. The Star previously reported that a woman discovered a dismembered body in the freezer at a home in Soweto. She had been visiting her boyfriend, who she met on social media. She slept over after their first date and made the gruesome discovery while looking for something to cook. Hlabangwane was arrested, and it was established that Pitse was his cousin and…

The SA Medical Association (Sama) says many doctors and medical staff fear for their safety and find themselves in a situation of moral distress when it comes to providing care to patients under “these” adverse conditions. In its recently published report, Sama said there was a lapse in the obligation of the Department of Health with regards to the Occupational Health and Safety Act, which clearly stipulates that the employer is duty-bound to provide and maintain a workplace that is safe and without risk to the health of their employees. Furthermore, the report revealed that there was an increase in violence against healthcare workers, mainly in the public sector, between 2012 and 2022. Sama CEO Dr Vusumuzi Nhlapho said safety guidelines for medical professionals advise on the doctor’s right to…

A top Cape Town lawyer and his family have been left traumatised after five armed intruders invaded their Camps Bay home at 1.22pm yesterday. Lawyer Barnabas Xulu, whose clients include suspended Judge President of the Western Cape High Court John Hlophe, was out of the country on business when the attack happened. Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said: “Five males entered the house. One was armed with a knife and another had a firearm. Two male domestics were locked up in the toilet and not harmed in any way.” Van Wyk said the thieves got away with electronic devices, jewellery and expensive designer clothes. Xulu said while he was grateful that neither his wife Mbali nor their children were at home during the incident, his wife had been left badly…

Residents in Tshwane can expect mayor Cilliers Brink to lay bare the truth behind challenges faced by the metro during tomorrow’s State of the Capital Address. Brink, who is set to deliver his maiden address two months after he assumed office, said yesterday that he intended to be “transparent” about the state of the municipality. “In this upcoming State of the City Address, there will be no sugar-coating or fluff. It’s important to be transparent with all residents so that they know what challenges we must overcome,” Brink said. He also said he was looking forward to delivering the “coalition government’s address because it represented a unique opportunity to highlight the City’s plans for the year ahead”. This year’s address will take place at Tshwane House under the theme “Building…

LAST year, Pedro Basson, a Grade 11 learner at Helpmekaar Kollege in Braamfontein, fought for his life in Johannesburg’s Netcare Milpark Hospital, with his heart rapidly failing. A year later, following a remarkable turn of events, the very same young man brought home a gold medal from the men’s singles tennis championship at the April 2023 World Transplant Games in Perth, Australia. He also won a silver medal in the men’s doubles tournament. “Sport is my life, and not everyone gets the chance I’ve been given,” he said. Basson spoke about the transplant that changed his life and paid tribute to the medical team under the leadership of cardiologist Dr Graham Cassel and cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Martin Sussman, who performed his transplant. Basson said transplant recipients he had spoken to…

Real Madrid managed to blunt Manchester City’s goal-scoring phenomenon Erling Haaland in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final, but there was no stopping the brilliance of Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian’s thunderbolt at the Bernabeu left the tie delicately balanced at 1-1 heading into tonight’s second leg, but with City oozing confidence thanks to a 100% record in 14 home games in 2023. Pep Guardiola’s players are four matches away from becoming just the second team to win the treble of Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in the same season. A fifth league title in six seasons is as good as won, with a maximum of three points needed from City’s final three games. Manchester United will have their chance to prevent the Red Devils’ treble…

Marumo Gallants are choosing to look on the bright side as they prepare for this evening’s Confederation Cup semi-final second leg tie against Tanzania’s Young Africans. Beaten 2-0 in Dar es Salaam last week, Gallants have it all to do at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace in Rustenburg (6pm kick-off) if they are to reach the final of the continent’s second tier club competition. But instead of feeling the pressure, the Premiership outfit are taking the approach that “if they can score two, so can we”. Coach Raymond Mdaka acknowledged that they have left themselves with a mountain to climb after wasting numerous opportunities to score in the first leg. But he believes the tie is far from over “Honestly, it is going to be a tough game because we…