Inhoudsopgave van 2023-09-08 - Star

THE PROPOSED amendment to section 162 of the Companies Act (Act 17 of 2008) is one of several amendments proposed by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) in the Companies Amendment Bills. It follows on from a recommendation made by the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture to extend the time period during which application could be made to declare a director delinquent. The current law states that an application to declare a director delinquent can be made if the person is currently a director of the company, or was one in the preceding 24 months. The latest proposal is to extend this time bar to five years, and further to give the courts discretion to extend it still further if they see cause. The statute of…

Many South African companies are returning to the office five days a week, but employers shouldn’t expect workers to simply snap back to the old routine – and with good scientific reason. Linda Trim, director at Giant Leap, one of SA’s largest workplace design consultancies, said: “Many corporates are bringing people back to work, realising the importance of in-office teamwork. “But working from home and even hybrid working has given us flabby work brains. It messed with our brains; we are no longer properly work fit. And it's going to take some time to get our old worthing rhythms back.” Trim noted that companies increasingly express frustration with people who worked full time in office before 2020 but are reluctant to return. “But neurologists and behavioural scientists say the collective…

Amapiano star Kamo Mphela has been announced as the headline act for the annual Just Energy Transition Concert next month. Mphela, who recently released her new amapiano single, Ghost, will be joined by global afrobeats star Ruger among other artists, whose names are yet to be released. Back by popular demand, the music and energy concert forms part of the 2023 African Energy Week (AEW) and is scheduled to take place at the Cabo Beach Club on October 16. The concert aims to unite people from diverse industries while celebrating the strides made towards a sustainable planet. “It promises to be an evening of culture, music and meaningful conversations. As AEW emphasizes the importance of an Africa-centric approach to the energy transition, the Just Energy Transition Concert complements this vision…

LONDON: Britain’s financial watchdog said on Tuesday it has launched a formal review into how banks conduct mandatory extra checks on “politically exposed” customers and their families for money laundering risks. The review of existing guidance on politically exposed persons, or PEPs, is part of a wider look at “debanking”, which recently became a political issue after former Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage said that his account at private bank Coutts, part of the NatWest group, had been closed due to his political views. The Financial Conduct Authority said that, while it cannot change the law which requires PEP checks, its review would consider whether banks were being heavy-handed in applying the rules and how they decided to close accounts of PEPs, their family members or close associates. The review…

The fireside Springbok – Untold stories that make the Boks great Mike Greenaway When the likes of Makazola Mapimpi, Lukhanyo Am and Cheslin Kolbe were carving England to shreds in the World Cup final of 2019, a 69-year-old named Errol Tobias watched with tears of pride and joy. It was Tobias who in 1981 had the courage and the talent to go where no black man had gone before when he played for the Springboks in a Test match against Ireland in Cape Town. The black community had detested the Springboks because the selection door to that team had been closed to them since South Africa began playing rugby internationals in 1896. But when Danie Craven opened it, and Tobias was picked, he boldly strode through the entrance when many…

Walking With Gorillas – The Journey Of An African Wildlife Vet Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka Loot (R409) Arcade Publishing An extract from Dr Gladys Kalema- Zikusoka’s book, Walking with Gorillas, in which she tells her story of becoming a wildlife vet and the convergence of care for the wild and the people who live in and around it. Within the first year of setting up the Gorilla Research Clinic, we discovered that the Nkuringo gorilla group in the southern sector of Bwindi that was spending a lot more time on community land had a much higher parasite burden than the gorillas in the northern and eastern sectors of Bwindi and they were likely picking up parasites from the local communities that have less-than-adequate hygiene. This discovery resulted in the UWA (Uganda…

THE CITY of Tshwane has raised concerns regarding the government implemented load shedding imposed across the country. Some areas of the country have had to go for as much as four hours without electricity, due to Stage 6 power cuts the country has been exposed to since Tuesday morning. Eskom has since said this was due to the increase in generation planned maintenance, while they lost a further two generation units on Monday. According to the metro, this is having dire consequences for the Tshwane electricity network which will prolong the power outages. Municipal MMC for Utilities, Themba Fosi, said the city’s infrastructure was not coping with the impact of the high stage of load shedding because it was damaging the city’s electricity network. He said the high stages…

XPHOLA has received a Munghana Lonene FM Music Award nomination for his latest single. The song, titled Dlaya, has been nominated for the Xitsonga Hip Hop category. His stable mate, IK The Vocalist, also received a nomination, for best Xitsonga Afro and R n B, for his song Nakurhandza, featuring Mthumbana. The nomination is a fitting honour for Xphola, born Mafuko Sipho Malatji in Tzaneen. He spent his early life living in Ga-Modjadji, Limpopo, where he attended Mothomeng Primary School. He grew up dreaming of being a martial artist until he moved with his mother and siblings to live in Giyani, Dzumeri Mageva village. It was at this time that he began developing the ability to memorise song lyrics, and his love for music. He relocated to Mageva village in…

It is distressing to learn that yet another commission of inquiry is to be set up into what is a clear matter. Retired Justice Sisi Khampepe is slated to head a “commission of inquiry” into the Johannesburg building fire. But when will the government learn that governing by “commission” is just diverting from going ahead with doing the job? The fallout of these “commissions” is that those in power dodge getting down to do the work. In this case, they must just get down and raid all these building in the Johannesburg CBD and in other parts of Gauteng rather than wasting resources into establishing a useless commission of inquiry. It appears that the ANC government is just obsessed with these commissions. Take for example the one about whether…

Libreville: Gabon’s military rulers yesterday appointed Raymond Ndong Sima, a prominent opponent to ousted president Ali Bongo Ondimba, as interim prime minister following the country’s recent coup. Ndong Sima, 68, an economist, served as prime minister under Bongo from 2012 to 2014 before becoming a critic and challenging him in elections in 2016 and 2023. His appointment was made by General Brice Oligui Nguema, who was sworn in as interim president this week after the coup. Oligui vowed to hold “free, transparent and credible elections” to restore civilian rule. | AFP…

The Rugby World Cup gets under way tonight when France take on three-time champions New Zealand at the Stade de France in what could be a dress rehearsal for the final in the same arena on 28 October. When their names were drawn in the same group three years ago, the idea of using the fixture between them to kick off the competition was quickly made reality by organisers – tickets were sold out in days. Adding to the buzz around the game is the history between the countries at World Cups. The fact that New Zealand have won three titles and France have lost three finals tells its own story, but they have had some monumental clashes. The All Blacks clubbed the French in the inaugural final in 1987,…

AGE-related chronic diseases are growing more and more prevalent. Your lifestyle likely has a greater impact on your lifetime and susceptibility to these diseases than your genes do. Only a few locations on Earth are referred to as “Blue Zones”. A Blue Zone is a non-scientific concept that refers to geographical locations where people have lower incidence of chronic disease and live longer lives than elsewhere. Dan Buettner, an expert on ageing, author, and host of the Netflix series Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zone, first used it when researching regions of the world where people live incredibly long lives. Blue Zones are connected to food, fasting and exercise, as per data from the World Health Organization. These regions are where people typically live longest and painlessly, and…

The Gauteng SAPS management has been harshly criticised by citizens who accuse it of shielding police officers caught in a video assaulting an on-duty security guard. The incident occurred this week on an estate at Ext 10, Westonaria, west of Johannesburg. The video shows two officers assaulting the guard. However, the police, in a media statement, claim the man resisted arrest. The officers are seen wrestling the man. A bystander makes them aware that he is recording, just after one officer smacks the guard. The other officer is heard telling him to not assault the man. He also requests handcuffs to restrain the man. The bystander shouts: “You are arresting him for nothing. You are arresting him because he stopped you at the boom gate.” Gauteng Provincial SAPS spokesperson Dimakatso…

CELEBRATIONS with whiskey over the death of Senzo Meyiwa as well as death threats were some of the startling revelations made by the latest State witness, Constable Sizwe Skhumbuzo Zungu, in the High Court in Pretoria yesterday. Zungu told the court how he knew of the five men on trial for the October 2014 murder of Meyiwa from back home in Nongoma, KwaZulu-Natal, and some from a hostel in Vosloorus. He positively placed all five suspects at the Sotho hostel in Vosloorus on the day that the Orlando Pirates goalkeeper was shot and killed at the home of his then-girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo. Zungu told the court he had been visiting his nephew, Gwabini Zungu at the hostel, along with other family members and the accused men, drinking and having fun.…

The Race To Be Myself Caster Semenya Loot (R215) Jonathan Ball Caster Semenya is one of the greatest athletes ever to run the 800-metre. She was undefeated for almost four years, winning two Olympic gold medals and three World Athletics Championships, while setting and breaking numerous records. However, her life and career were devastated by accusations that she was not a woman and should not compete against other women as she was born with naturally elevated levels of testosterone. Required by the International Association of Athletics Federations to take hormone-altering drugs as a condition for competing in certain events, Semenya for years suffered side effects that she describes as devastating to her health. Her predicament surfaced a still- raging storm over our understanding of gender and how it plays out…

THE South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) has called for the urgent inclusion of the manner of death on South Africa’s death notification form. The critical need for accurate and timely mortality data, especially information regarding causes of death is essential not only for monitoring natural deaths, but also for tracking non-natural deaths resulting from injuries, the SAMRC said. Through its Rapid Mortality Surveillance (RMS) system, the SAMRC has been instrumental in providing near real-time insights into weekly excess mortality during recent challenging times. In the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the RMS system revealed that, while natural deaths saw spikes coinciding with Covid-19 waves, injuries were closely tied to government-imposed lockdowns and alcohol sales bans. Of particular concern was the significant impact of alcohol bans on injury-related deaths. This…

In yet another battle for the poor to obtain a roof over their heads, the Lawyers for Human Rights’ Land, Housing and Property Rights Unit was in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria this week, representing a community of about 400 households. The community, known as Kanana Village, is fighting eviction by a private owner who bought the land. The Kanana Village was established 21 years ago at the farm Kameelzynkraal, Pretoria East. The then owner of the farm invited families who were left homeless by unlawful evictions to come and occupy part of the farm. The farm owner had plans to formalise the community. However, in December 2005 he died before he could do so. In March 2006 the property was sold to Summer Seasons Trading, the current owner. Lawyers…

WHEN you have a passion for something and are doing it for those reasons, in this case music, you find yourself overlooking a lot of things like money because you find yourself fulfilled by just being on stage. You feel you are serving a purpose. This is the life motto that has drawn musical inspiration into arguably one of the best vocalists in the country, Vuyokazi Tshaya, who over the years considered leaving the difficult and cluttered music industry. “Music chose me, you know when you respond to a calling, you actually don’t have a choice but to be content and trust the process. “I’ve had days when I wanted to call it quits, but the minute I’d be on stage, I’d get fulfilled by how people would just transform…

Confident Women in Business (CWIB) is thrilled to announce its highly anticipated CWIB Expo, an event dedicated to celebrating and empowering women in business. The CWIB Expo aims to bring together women entrepreneurs, business leaders, and professionals from various industries to network, learn, and showcase their talents, products, and services. This event is designed to provide a platform for women to share their experiences, gain valuable insights, and foster connections within a supportive and empowering environment. Businesswomen in Johannesburg and surrounding areas are invited to connect, network, celebrate, grow their networks and businesses and support other women in business at the upcoming CWIB Expo. CWIB is a community of businesswomen passionate about their faith and business and a forum to inspire, encourage, and support women in business. The founder, Cerita…

If you do not have a policy with, or do not pay for a policy with an insurance company, then the company, understandably, will not pay you for any losses not covered by a policy you do not have. That is logic. If you drive an electric-powered vehicle (EV), you do not buy petrol, so you do not pay towards the Road Accident Fund (RAF) and can’t be deemed to have any contract with them. That is logic. So if you have an accident in your EV, the RAF will not cover any of your losses incurred by that accident. That is logic. However, this is South Africa where law and logic are somewhat akin to Tweedledum and Tweedledee. So if the driver of an EV kills or injures someone…

When my friend asked me why I had not written anything about hijacked buildings in the heart of the City of Johannesburg and the 81 Albert Street fire disaster, I told him that I wrote to drive home a point and not to be admired. The public protector will be investigating hijacked buildings in Johannesburg, but what about squatters who are illegally occupying railway land? It is impossible to expect order where there is reactive enforcement. Reactive enforcement is enforcing the law through the rearview mirror. On the other hand, proactive enforcement is about designing the protection of the future of citizens and making it happen. Let us focus on households who illegally occupy railway land. Those who illegally occupy railway land immediately adjacent to the railway tracks (rail reserve)…

A mighty oak has fallen. As the country mourns the loss of entrepreneur and philanthropist Raymond Ackerman, many tributes and obituaries illustrate how he carved a place in South African history. Ackerman founded Pick n Pay with just four stores 56 years ago in Cape Town. Today, the retail giant generates R106 billion in annual turnover with more than 2 000 stores across South Africa and seven other African countries. Ackerman has been remembered for how he reshaped the retail sector and his relentless campaign against monopolies and price cartels that characterised his active retail days. The 92-year-old has also been remembered as a determined opponent of racial discrimination, who ingeniously used his business savvy to circumvent apartheid policy where he could. At the same time, he rallied…

Three of the accused linked to the illegal mining syndicate operating in Carletonville and Khutsong were granted bail of R2 000 each following their arrest yesterday morning. The three, all women, are allegedly members of the illegal mining syndicate that was arrested in October last year following a sting operation that began in 2018. Lerato Bathebeng, Poppy Mathongwane and Neo Susan Duba appeared for the first time before the Carlton Magistrate’s Court before they were granted bail after successfully arguing their status as mothers and primary carers. Their arrests come after the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Asset Forfeiture Unit received approval from the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, to withhold assets belonging to alleged illegal mining kingpins in the amount of about R16 million. The proceeds of this syndicate include…

1862 – Standard Bank is established as The Standard Bank of British South Africa after the signing of its Memorandum of Association on October 13. It is registered and incorporated on October 15. 1863 – Opens its first branch in Port Elizabeth on January 16. PE also serves as bank’s headquarters in SA. 1870 – Following large diamond discoveries in Griqualand West, Standard is the first bank to open a branch on the diamond fields, on November 12 in Barkly West (then Klipdrift). 1885 – The bank’s headquarters move to Cape Town on December 31. 1886 – Gold is discovered on the Witwatersrand. The bank opens its Joburg branch in a tent on October 11. 1953 – Its administrative head office moves to Pretoria. 1959 –…

Get ready to talk books and meet a plethora of contemporary and diverse writers and fellow book lovers at the Open Book Festival this weekend at the Homecoming Centre in Cape Town, known previously as the Fugard Theatre. Frankie Murrey, the long-time curator for the much-loved literary event, says: “We cannot wait to see everyone at the festival ... we are hard at work putting together three days of conversations that matter. “Our focus last year was on inviting writers based in South Africa, and this time around we are broadening that to include writers who are based on the African continent. We’re always excited by the debut writers we are able to have on the programme, and this year is no different. Audiences have some powerful voices to meet…

ESKOM is facing yet another damages claim relating to the injury of child who came in contact with a live electrical powerline. The mother of a 7-year-old boy, who is claiming R5 million in damages from the power giant, turned to the Makhanda High Court in the Eastern Cape in a bid to hold Eskom liable for the damages. She said her son, only identified as Y in court papers due to his age, had been playing in a tree when he touched a loose powerline. She claimed that either Eskom or the employees of the KSD Local Municipality in the area where she lived, had left the cable dangling in the foliage. The incident occurred on January 19, 2017, at Ncambedlana, in Mthatha district. Both the mother and…

RESIDENTS in some parts of Soshanguve were left disappointed because of another water outage on Wednesday despite an assurance from Rand Water and City of Tshwane that they would ensure consistent water supply in the municipality. Many blamed the municipality for the constant water outages, often without prior notification. Some of the affected areas were Block AA, L, VV, UU and WW, where residents aired their frustration over lack of water after their taps ran dry. One of them, Mufuniwa Nthambe Gabara, said: “The DA-led council is forever violating the constitutional rights of residents in Tshwane, especially the people of Soshanguve, by failing to provide them with clean drinking water.” Another resident said the affected areas experienced water supply interruption five times in less than two months. “I’m not saying…

A former Soshanguve police sergeant will spend the rest of his life behind bars for attacking his ex-girlfriend and injuring her and her 6-year-old son while killing her mother. Mautla Silas Maluleke, 42, formerly of the Rietgat police station in Soshanguve, was this week sentenced to life imprisonment for a count of murder, 10 years each for two counts of murder and 12 years’ imprisonment for arson. He appeared before the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria on Wednesday to accept his fate that he would be spending the rest of his life in jail after being convicted by the same court earlier this year. According to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) in Gauteng, Maluleke committed the offences in the first week of June 2021 when he attacked the house of…

South Africa is in deep stress as the economy breaks up as a result of load shedding, cable theft, maladministration and ineptitude that defies description. We are tottering on the brink of complete meltdown as a 21st century society. Infrastructure that upholds the pillars of our economy has been brazenly desecrated in an orgy of satanic hooliganism. Our seas and rivers are now a waterway for raw sewage. Our underground industrial lifelines are now home to over 20 000 illegal miners, whose brazen audacity will very soon send Johannesburg and adjacent areas into a hellhole. A combination of factors has mushroomed over time and has raised serious concerns about the threat that rampaging corruption poses to the very fabric of our nationhood. With the larger public disdainful of our current…

Indonesia warned leaders including US Vice-President Kamala Harris, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov against sharpening rivalries as they wrapped up an East Asia summit in Jakarta yesterday. The meeting brought Washington and Beijing into contact a day after Li warned major powers must manage differences to avoid a “new Cold War”, and ahead of the G20 summit in New Delhi this week that Chinese President Xi Jinping will miss. Interactions between the officials from the world’s top two economies are being closely watched as they seek to control tensions that risk flaring anew over issues ranging from Taiwan to ties with Moscow and the competition for influence in the Pacific. “Every leader has an equal responsibility to not create new conflicts, to not create new…

The Springboks will add some dash and verve to their regular sledgehammer game at France 2023, because what worked to win the title in 2019 will be insufficient four years later. This was the frank admission from coach Jacques Nienaber, after he had named his team to play Scotland in Marseille on Sunday (kick-off 5.45pm). And his match-23 is indeed a combination of the broadsword and the rapier. The Springbok forwards are the envy of the competition – all 14 of them – but with the likes of Manie Libbok at No 10 and Damian Willemse at No 15, the Boks have game-breakers. Nienaber said the game has evolved since his team defeated England in the final of the Japan tournament. “I think all the teams have improved since 2019,…