Inhoudsopgave van 2024-01-23 - Star

SASOL shareholders approved its controversial climate-change resolution on Friday after the first meeting had to be postponed due to activist protest, but fewer voted in favour than they did last year. Sasol said yesterday that all the reso- lutions were passed by the requisite majority of voting rights at the shareholders’ meeting on Friday. The first scheduled meeting in November had to be postponed after environmental activists disrupted the proceedings. The chemical and fuel from coal group said its remuneration policy was approved by 84.67% of voting shareholders, significant considering many listed companies fail to get enough shareholder support on this resolution. The resolution on Sasol’s climate change management approach, and its commitment to a decarbonisation pathway towards achieving its 2030 target and 2050 net zero ambition, was approved by…

THE MERGED entity between major domestic appliance manufacturers Beko Europe and Whirlpool Corporation has committed to supporting local suppliers by spending up to 50% of its procurement bill with local providers of raw materials and other inputs. In South Africa, Beko supplies non-branded major domestic appliances to private label suppliers and other manufacturers. Whirlpool, on the other hand, supplies Whirlpool-branded home appliances to the South African market. Marsha Govender, who is director for the commission for legal and compliance at Defy, said yesterday that the merged entity would boost local procurement from 30% to 50%. “We can confirm the 30% commitment and how we intend to draw that up to the 50% mark. And we can attribute our end value to that,” said Govender. However, the two companies could not…

A HIKE IN import duties instituted by South Africa on imported steel products in December will hurt the industry, the National Employers’ Association of South Africa (Neasa) said yesterday, although it has emerged that some players in the industry recommended the tariff hikes to the International Trade Administration Commission (Itac). ArcelorMittal South Africa (Amsa) last year said it was halting production at its long steel business operations, citing slow economic growth and nega- tive demand. The Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) also blamed the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition for failing to “create an enabling environment conducive to growth, stability and job security” in the aftermath of the long steels wind-down announcement by Amsa. Gerhard Papenfus, the CEO for Neasa, said yesterday that further to…

SONY “TERMINATED” yesterday the $10 billion (R190bn) merger of its Indian operations with local rival Zee Entertainment that would have created a new streaming giant in the world’s most populous nation. The joint entity with mooted annual revenue of $2bn would have helped both firms better compete with Disney, Amazon and Netflix in the entertainment market of 1.4bn people. But with reports that Sony was unhappy with Zee’s performance since the merger was agreed in late 2021, the Japanese giant said yesterday that conditions to close the deal “were not satisfied”. Another stumbling block was reportedly Zee’s insistence that its CEO Punit Goenka, son of founder Subhash Chandra, run the combined entity. Both men are being probed by India’s financial markets regulator over alleged fraud. They deny any…

MID-TIER MINER Afrimat’s acquisition of cement producer Lafarge South Africa has passed all regulatory hurdles, except the Competition Commission, which has moved the deal, with new conditions, to the Competition Tribunal for a decision. It has become part of doing business in South Africa, among many other challenges such as load shedding, that the red tape of trying to get an acquisition through the Competition Commission and the Competition Tribunal has become an extensive delay in terms of time and money for businesses. The transaction for Lafarge South Africa was announced on June 20, 2023. “Afrimat agreed to some asset sales to clear the deal. It is these conditions that have now seen ‘chancers’ come out of the woodwork and have challenged the deal and now the Competition Tribunal is…

One of the most exclusive clubs in show business is the Egot – the group of celebrities who have an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award. Of all the stars to have graced screens in Hollywood history, only 19 have achieved Egot status. Elton John became the latest to do so last week when he won an Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special for his televised live farewell performance at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in November 2022. So, what does Egot really mean? And who else has won? The facts The acronym Egot stands for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony, and is used to refer to people who have won at least one of each of the main American entertainment awards in competitive categories. The term was first coined by…

Do you have a secret family recipe? Many people preserve recipes from their grandmothers or even great-grandmothers, recreate those dishes, and enjoy them with their children. There’s something special about a recipe running in the family from one generation to another. It could be a simple dish, yet it is the heritage attached to this dish that makes it special. If you would like to preserve precious recipes, there are plenty of fun and easy ways to do so. What makes a recipe special? Is your grandmother’s chocolate cake associated with a holiday? Did your great-grandmother always make lasagne to celebrate the first day of school? Ask questions as you cook together, and along with the measurements and steps, write down the story that makes a recipe special – future…

The lead investigator in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial read out his affidavit in court and revealed that the soccer player was not killed during a botched robbery, but his death was a contract killing. “Investigations which resulted in evidence under oath revealed that the victim was murdered as a contractual assassination or a hit, rather than a robbery gone wrong. “Evidence under oath revealed that five suspects actively participated in the planning and execution of contractual murder of Senzo Meyiwa,” said Brigadier Bongani Gininda. Gininda, who is also the head of the SAPS’ National Cold Case Unit, became the lead investigating officer in the case of murdered footballer Meyiwa in November 2018. He was under cross-examination in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, yesterday. He also revealed that the five…

Matric is a crucial part of securing your career. If you have just matriculated and don’t know what path to pursue, read some more to find options. There is no doubt that getting a higher education will likely open many doors for you professionally. But just because you may not have a tertiary education does not mean that there are not any opportunities out there for you. In fact, there are many lucrative career paths you can embark on with just your matric certificate and continue with your education later. Did you know that Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, who is among the richest people in the world, dropped out of Harvard University? “If things had not worked out, I could have always gone back to school. I was…

The results of the National Senior Certificate matric exams were released on Friday and those candidates who feel they did not perform to their optimum have various options available to them. One is to have their exam papers re-marked or re-checked. A re-mark means the exam paper will be marked for a second time, and a re-check is to ensure all the questions were marked and the final score calculated correctly. According to the Education Department, a re-mark costs R120 while a re-check would cost R29. Applications close on February 2. To get the process started, registration can be done at either the school, district office in the province or online at www.eservices.gov.za If you are still not satisfied with this option, you have an option to view your script…

The cost of a “survival basket” of food in South Africa at the beginning of 2024 is R1 503, which is 6.07% more than last year, and will see minimum wage earners spend 34.5% of their earnings to buy food. This is according to the Picodi.com study which looked at minimum wages in different countries; how prices of basic groceries increased; and how the cost of a “survival basket” compares to the minimum wage. For the study, a basic grocery “survival” basket consisting of eight groups of products including bread, milk, eggs, rice, cheese, meat, fruits and vegetables was drawn up for one person for a one month period and the costs of it was added up. For South Africa, the minimum net wage was R4 353 and the country…

The estate of anti-apartheid activist Winnie Madikizela-Mandela is mired in controversy as the late ANC stalwart’s daughter, Zenani Mandela-Dlamini, is accused of hoarding assets from other family members. Battles over possessions often play out after a wealthy family member dies, and it seems that one of the country’s most prominent families is not an exception to this. According to a weekly publication, Madikizela-Mandela’s grandchildren have said that the ambassador of South Africa to South Korea has allegedly been concealing their grandmother’s possessions, and ignoring them. Such possessions are believed to include her Soweto house, vehicles, treasured objects, bags and funeral payments. This fight for the estate has been ongoing for years, with the family consulting the courts. Zondwa Mandela, the grandson of the late “father of the nation”, Nelson Mandela,…

The Lions’ capitulation in the Challenge Cup at Ellis Park against the Ospreys is a wake-up call to the side to be more consistent in their performances during the rest of the season. After being on the verge of sealing a possible home play-off in the European tournament on Sunday, the Jozi side will now have to travel to Italy in April to face Benetton in the knockouts. They let a 28-17 lead slip in the final 10 minutes of Sunday’s clash at Ellis Park to concede three tries and fall to a 38-28 defeat, their first in all competitions against the Welsh side. The Lions were leading comfortably going into the final 20 minutes and were pushing for more tries, despite their discipline costing them at times, but the…

THE RAND YESTERDAY plunged to its lowest in three months after precious metals prices slid on reduced hopes of rapid interest rate cuts by major central banks, particularly the South African Reserve Bank (SARB). The local currency came under more pressure and traded around R19.20 to the US dollar most of yesterday, marking its lowest point since early October 2023, after ending the week at R19.01 to the greenback on Friday. Investors this week are bracing for the release of inflation data and the first rate decision of the year by the SARB, with analysts anticipating the rates to remain unchanged as inflation risks remain. SARB Governor Lesetja Kganyago said recently that inflation had remained more sticky than anticipated and that it would need to move closer to the target…

I’VE BEEN observing innovations that are knocking on our doors and it has been interesting to note that they all share one thing in common – a hunger for data. What’s even more interesting is that they will make our lives better if we allow them to know us. In order for an artificial intelligence (AI) hardware to effectively serve us, it will need to understand our behaviour, interests, plans and even weaknesses. Once they know this about consumers, they will be in a better position to advise, guide and execute our commands in line with what is good for consumers. This creates a dilemma for consumers about whether they should continue to be concerned about the use of their data or to allow the use of their data. We…

GOOGLE and Amazon have reportedly laid off thousands of members of staff since the start of the year. The two tech giants are said to be among the companies that have laid off a total of 7 500 staff since the new year came in, while Google – along with fellow giants Meta and Microsoft – are no longer seen as “gold-star” employees. Erica Groshen, a senior economics advisor at the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations, said: “With any kind of rapid, technological, or other change, there’s always a shakeout. It’s hard to know how many people are needed to get that work done. Sometimes you need a lot of work to get it off the ground but less work to keep it going.” Just weeks…

SOUTH32’s first-half operating unit costs were expected to be in line or below guidance for most of its operations, the Australia-headquartered metals and mining group said in an update yesterday. “We are well positioned to capture the benefit of improved market conditions through expected production growth of 7% in the second half of 2024 and our ongoing focus on cost efficiencies,” said CEO Graham Kerr. Record aluminium production was reached in the first half after Hillside Aluminium maintained its strong performance, and Brazil Aluminium delivered an 8% increase in quarterly production. Cannington payable zinc equivalent production increased by 13% in the December 2023 half year, as a higher-grade sequence of stopes were mined. Cerro Matoso nickel production improved 20% in the quarter, after planned maintenance was completed and a temporary…

Alec Baldwin has been indicted by a grand jury in connection with the death of Halyna Hutchins. The cinematographer was fatally shot on the set of Rust in October 2021, aged 42, and the actor has now been indicted by a grand jury in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Baldwin, 65, would face up to 18 months in prison if he’s convicted of the fourth-degree felony. However, Baldwin’s attorneys –Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro – are confident that he will ultimately be cleared. In a statement, they told Entertainment Tonight: “We look forward to our day in court.” Last year, special prosecutors announced that they planned to present the case to a Santa Fe grand jury. They argued that probable cause existed to criminally charge the Hollywood star, explaining that “additional…

Nick Cannon has “no plans” for more children “as of yet”. The Masked Singer presenter – who has twins Moroccan and Monroe, 12, with ex-wife Mariah Carey; Golden, 6, Powerful Queen, 2, and 16-month-old Rise with Brittany Bell; two-year-old twins Zion and Zillion, and 13-month-old Beautiful with Abby De La Rosa; Legendary, 18 months, with Bre Tiesi; Onyx, 15 months, with LaNisha Cole; and Halo, 13 months, with Alyssa Scott, the mother of his late son Zen – thinks it is “so funny” people always ask if he’ll be expanding his brood further because it’s so big already. Asked if he is planning more children, he told People magazine: “I’m chilling right now. It’s like, 12 ain’t enough?” The 43-year-old star admitted having so many children with several women makes…

An UNKNOWN man tried to attack Ace Magashule, the leader of the African Congress for Transformation (ACT) movement, in Welkom in the Free State, during the party’s door-to-door campaign. Party spokesperson, Rankanile Mosindo, confirmed this: “That’s all we are willing to say for now. The matter is now in the hands of the authorities. Let’s wait for the process to unfold … ” The party didn’t want to dwell too much on the negative, he said, as they were focusing on their campaign to get victory to “liberate South Africans”. A witness who was at the scene, Thato Mofokeng, detailed how the young man provoked Magashule. “The guy is an ANC Youth League member in the region, he’s bitter. These people blame Magashule for every- thing. They don’t have anything…

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has promised to pay performance bonuses to two district directors who attained over 90% in their regions for the Class of 2023 matric results, lashing his Education MEC Matome Chiloane for missing his target by 5%. Lesufi was speaking at the Gauteng leg of the matric awards ceremony, hosted by Microsoft at its Bryanston headquarters, on Sunday, where high performing learners who helped the province attain an 85% pass rate were celebrated and awarded with vouchers, bursaries and laptops. According to Lesufi’s announcement, this effectively means the district directors of Johannesburg West, Alex Ramokhoase, and Tshwane South, Andries Nkadimeng, who attained 92.55% and 90.4%, respectively, would be getting performance bonuses. They were the only two out of the 15 districts to meet the target and get…

THERE was pomp and revelry at the Sandton Hilton as several South African and Chinese cultural groups took turns to entertain hundreds of guests at a reception officially welcoming the incoming Consul General of China in Joburg, Pan Qingjiang. The prestigious reception in Joburg also celebrated the Chinese Spring Festival – the annual grand celebration of the new year based on the Chinese lunar calendar, which starts in late January or early February. This year's celebrations prominently feature dragon elements – as 2024 is the Year of the Dragon. The incoming Chinese diplomat arrived in South Africa last year, taking over from Consul General Tang Zhongdong who bade farewell in September and returned to China at the end of a glamorous six-year career in Gauteng. Pan, a veteran diplomat has…

The relentless conflicts in Ukraine, Israel-Palestine and Sudan starkly expose the international community’s struggle to respond to global crises effectively. These enduring confrontations challenge global governance structures and bring the imperative of understanding their profound human costs to the forefront. It is crucial to recognise the impact of these wars on those most affected – the people enduring these hardships first-hand – and to assess how their voices are represented and addressed within international diplomacy. Wars transcend the boundaries of mere geopolitical events; they are disasters that dismantle lives and futures. The destruction of infrastructure, often in the poorest regions, is starkly visible in satellite imagery of decimated cities in Syria or Yemen, showcasing the extent of physical ruin from above. However, the emotional and psychological trauma that survivors endure…

Warning that South African companies will continue to be under strain from headwinds PWC HAS WARNED that South African companies will continue to be under strain from international macro- economic volatility and domestic headwinds, including load shedding. In its Economic Outlook 2024 report released yesterday, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), however, said these challenges were more transient in nature and less enduring than the long-term megatrends shaping society. The financial services group identified crises across five areas of South African society. It named the macroeconomic vola- tility, conflict-hit international supply chains, access to scarce resources, access to healthcare, and struggling public institutions, as major constraints to growth. PwC South Africa chief economist Lullu Krugel highlighted that South Africa had its own country-specific structural challenges, including load shedding, high levels of unemployment and crime.…

IT IS IRONIC that Elon Musk, a South African, is the global godfather of the electric vehicle (EV) industry, yet there are no Teslas in South Africa, not even the terrifying Cybertruck, a vehicle well designed for the South African cash-in-transit heist market. He recently observed on X that Teslas are not available in South Africa because “import duties are super high in South Africa to protect the domestic industry. Doesn’t make sense for Tesla, given that electric cars are not locally made”. Musk is right. Despite there now being an EV white paper, published by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic), there is no reason to believe our roads will soon silently be flooded with EVs. Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Ebrahim Patel, in the forward…

FORTY years ago Steve Jobs revolutionised personal computing by launching the Apple Macintosh, the first PC with a user-friendly mouse and graphical interface that helped the machines enter the everyday lives of people for the first time. Jobs, playing the showman inventor to perfection in a black suit and silver bow tie, opened a zipper bag in an auditorium in Cupertino, California, on January 24, 1984, and lifted out a lightweight computer that not only operated at the click of a button but also, thrillingly, talked. Here is a look back at Apple’s revolutionary machine in numbers. One minute It all began two days before the official launch, at half-time during the Super Bowl, with a mysterious TV teaser advert. The haunting clip shot by “Blade Runner” director Ridley Scott…

PAN AFRICAN Resources produced “excellent operational results” in the half year to December 31 and it might soon increase its guidance for the full year, the mid-tier gold mining company’s directors said in an update yesterday. Gold production increased 6.7% to 98 458 ounces (oz) compared with 92 307oz in the first half of the 2022 financial year. On top of that, the gold price also increased 13.7% to $1 961 (R37 265/oz) (2022: $1 725/oz) over the period. “We are pleased with the excellent safety, production and cost performance which positions us well to deliver on our guidance,” CEO Cobus Loots said. He said the commissioning of Barberton’s solar PV plant would contri- bute to cost savings in the next year, adding to benefits…

In Johannesburg, illegal miners and mining companies are in a race to tap golden riches hidden in hundreds of heaps of mine waste, many taller than a 20-storey building. The hills that scar the city’s landscape are now coveted by South African mining companies whose underground gold deposits have become harder to exploit with every passing year. The region is dotted with slag heaps, shafts and deep trenches left by generations of miners, whose arrival in a gold rush in the 1880s led to the birth of the city. South Africa has lost its decades-old crown as Africa’s biggest gold producer to Ghana, but still has more than 100 active mines, including 44 around Johannesburg. “Production peaked around 1 000 tons in 1970 and has been steadily declining ever…

The clock is ticking for the Matric Class of 2023 who are set to start their higher education journey. Starting university is exciting and challenging, but visions for this major next step in life and towards adulthood are often tempered by uncertainty. Transitioning from high school to university can be a significant change for students. Several factors can make this difficult, and students need to understand and prepare for them. Increasing academic demands, personal responsibility, social changes, living independently, financial stress, decision-making, mental health, time management, different teaching styles and career pressure are some of the aspects that can affect students as they move from high school to university. As the new academic year dawns, fresh-faced students across the nation are stepping eagerly into the bustling life on campus. Yet,…

Tissue oil is one of the best products for your skin. It has multiple benefits, including hydrating dry skin and reducing the appearance of scars, blemishes and uneven skin tone. However, most people still don’t know how to use it correctly. There are more ways to use tissue oil than just adding it to your cream or lotion, although doing this is great because it boosts your lotion with that deep moisturising power. For optimum results: Add a few drops to a warm bath for an all-over moisturiser. Apply it to your hair as a deep treatment: wrap your hair in a towel, leave on for 15 minutes and shampoo away. This is perfect for people with dry, itchy scalps. Using it as a deep treatment will keep your scalp…

As political party election posters start to line streets across the country ahead of the upcoming general elections, for a mother from Winterveldt, north of Pretoria, the colourful banners are a painful reminder of her missing son. For almost six months, Nondlela Dhladhla and her family have frequented hospitals, state mortuaries and police stations in the hope of finding her 40-year-old epileptic son, Elias Molwayedwa Skhosana. He went missing and is yet to return home after he attended the EFF’s 10th anniversary rally at the FNB Stadium in Soweto on July 29. According to the mother, her eldest son, had gone to the rally along with the Lesedi Gospel Choir, of which he was a member. Dhladhla said he disappeared without trace following the rally, and more worryingly without taking…

IN A BLOW for suspended Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, Judge Nana Makhubele, the Judicial Conduct Tribunal into a misconduct complaint against her, yesterday refused yet another postponement requested on her behalf. The hearing was postponed last year over outstanding legal fees, said to run into more than R3 million. Leader of the tribunal, retired KwaZulu-Natal Judge President, Achmat Jappie, was yesterday told by advocate Vincent Maleka SC, that the State Attorney’s office agreed to pay the outstanding legal fees and all future legal fees relating to the hearing. But Maleka explained that as he has not yet been paid, he took other clients in the meantime and was not available to proceed with the case at this stage. Maleka said he will only be available at the end of…

The Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) has deemed a recent television advertisement by a leading online pet insurance company, Dotsure, problematic. The commercial, which honoured a brave dog named “Kei” who was shot by an attacker while protecting his family during a home invasion, was based on actual events that were extensively reported on in the media. After only two complaints were filed, one of which was submitted by Mr D Ogg, the ARB rendered its decision. The ARB Directorate ruled that the story could be told without traumatic detail and re-enactment, claiming the choice to use triggering sound effects and traumatic detail unjustifiably plays on the fear that most South Africans have about safety and their pets. “With all due respect to the ARB, we disagree wholeheartedly with this outcome,”…

Big Brother Mzansi: S’ya Mosha’s eagerly awaited fourth season debuted this past weekend on Mzansi Magic, sparking a surge of interest in and enthusiasm for the show. DJ and producer Tyler ICU ft Tumelo.za, Leemackrazy and Khaul Anderson, kicked off the concert with an electrifying DJ set/mix that featured the smash song Mnike. As event presenter Lawrence Maleka arrived, Kamo Mphela turned things up by performing Dalie, another fan favourite, on stage with her dance team. First up was a tour of the spanking new house, which this year Biggie has designed to be an explosion of colour, roomy and reminiscent of a fun sanctuary for the housemates. A large parlour, garden, deck, jacuzzi, spacious kitchen, bathroom, storeroom, and of course, a nice diary room for Biggie’s interactions with the…