Inhoudsopgave van 2024-02-20 - Star

SOUTH Africa’s steel industry is in a state of crisis and the metals industry, including the engineering sector, has been losing 40 jobs every day in South Africa since 2008. This was according to the Confederation of Employers of SA chairperson Dr Lawrence McCrystal, who in a statement shared a concern of the Steel and Engineering Industry Federation of South Africa (Seifsa) chief operations officer-economist Tafadzwa Chibanguza, that the sector’s employment trends spelt wide-scale social and economic disaster. Networth Investments CEO Harold Vermaak said yesterday that the bulk of the South African carbon steel production industry currently risked extinction by 2030 and in so doing was likely to take “200 000 jobs and a substantial portion of the Transnet and Eskom infrastructure with it”. The Saldanha Steel plant has…

ANGLO American Platinum (Amplats) is restructuring its operations which could result in the loss of 3 700 jobs and closure of the Mortimer smelter. The group is battling depressed platinum group metals (PGM) prices, load shedding from Eskom which reduced pro- duction by 82 000 ounces in the year to December 2023, and rising costs, its results showed yesterday. Amplats is the latest South African PGM miner to embark on a restructuring exercise as prices of the precious metal remain subdued. Last year, Sibanye-Stillwater and Impala Platinum also said they were reducing costs by offering voluntary retrenchment schemes to some employees. For Amplats, the restructuring has come against a dip in its financial perfor- mance for the year ended December 2023.…

OVER TWO AND a half days in September 2023, a luxurious Franschhoek wine estate venue played host to the inaugural Digital Transformation Strategy Summit Africa, curated by Novacom Summits. South African journalist and podcast producer Refiloe Mpakanyane joined the fray to spend time with C-suite leaders and innovative solution providers working in African telecoms; gleaning live dashboard insights about the state of digital transformation on the continent. Mpakanyane taped medium-length video interviews with four seasoned corporate C-suite executives and distilled them into a share-worthy podcast pulse-check featuring eclectic insights into the evolution of Africa’s telecoms-driven digital transformation. Digital economy participation is the new black In conversation with Mpakanyane and The African Pre-seed’s managing editor Adam Wakefield, former director of Google West Africa Dr Juliet Ehimuan put forward three pivotal pillars…

TELKOM SA’s share price lifted more than 4% yesterday after it reported “good progress” in performance in the third quarter to December 31. This was after compelling value propositions drove next generation (NGN) revenue growth and operating earnings in line with the data-led strategy, CEO Serame Taukobong said in a trading update yesterday. Group revenue increased 2% to R11.31 billion, and group earnings before interest tax depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) was stable at R2.48bn. Mobile revenue was up 4.8% to R5.96bn. Mobile service revenue increased 7.1% and Mobile Ebitda was up 3.5% to R1.2bn. Openserve fixed data next generation revenue grew by 6.2% and its Ebitda was up 7% to R1.01bn. BCX’s revenue was marginally down at 0.7%. IT business revenue increased 13.1% to R2.12bn. Swiftnet revenue increased 4.7%…

Grade 6 learner shot principal to prevent school from contacting his parents The principal of Primrose Primary School in Germiston was shot by a 13-year-old Grade 6 learner, who aimed to prevent the school from contacting his parents and evading disciplinary consequences. Education authorities disclosed that the youngster had premeditated the shooting with the intention of targeting three teachers at the school. The harrowing plan was revealed by Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane yesterday following a visit to the school with officials from the Ekurhuleni north district, to meet the school management and School Governing Body. Chiloane said that the learners and the teachers at the school were left shocked and were still shaken in the aftermath of the shooting incident, especially after additional details emerged following the apprehension of…

The ANC has finally handed over documents containing minutes of their cadre deployment committee meetings to the opposing DA. This comes after a war of words had ensued between the two parties over the handing over of the documents. DA spokesperson Solly Malatsi confirmed to The Star yesterday that the ANC met the 5pm deadline to hand over the documents. “Yes we can confirm that the ANC handed the documents digitally up to so far,” Malatsi said. Last week, the Constitutional Court dismissed the ANC’s bid to appeal against an order by the Supreme Court of Appeal to hand over the records of their committee meetings since January 2013. The DA, through its leader John Steenhuisen, had been threatening to have ANC leaders charged with contempt of court if they…

THE City of Tshwane believes it is on course to spend its grant funds from the national government despite doubts cast by the National Treasury that it would be unable to do so. Municipal spokesperson Selby Bokaba expressed optimism that the City made a compelling case to the Treasury to avoid the cancellation of its grants allocation before the end of this financial year in June. This came after the National Treasury penned a letter to municipal manager Johann Mettler, expressing the intention to cancel at least R629 million, which is part of conditional grants allocated to the municipality for the 2023/24 financial year. The Treasury cited “underperformance of grant allocations” as the reason for wanting to withhold the grants. Bokaba said: “Tshwane wrote a letter to the National…

PRIVATE or public school – this was the question the court had to deal with after the mother insisted on her children going to a private school, while the father said he could only afford to pay for a public school. The parents are involved in an acrimonious divorce, which has been dragging for the past five years. The father of the two children, who are living with the mother, agreed to pay maintenance to the children and his estranged wife, pending the final divorce. The mother then returned to the Western Cape High Court, as the father had put his foot down on paying for the children to attend a private school. The mother, on the other hand, said she would have nothing other than a private school for…

Known for their strong performances in various on-screen productions, renowned actors Abdul Khoza and Kwenzo Ngcobo star alongside a slew of outstanding cast members in Ekhaya Backpackers, a new comedy series. To pay off their late mother’s debt, the chaotic and unqualified Mthembu family – who aim to convert their family house into a backpackers’ hostel – is introduced in the series. The family consists of two very different brothers, an uncle who is too laid back for his good, an improper grandma, and a crazy baby mama. Ngcobo (The Wife and Red Ink) stars as Jabu, the younger brother, after living in America for two years, the book-smart dreamer returns to South Africa with little to no money and a questionable American accent. Thobani Mbhele (High Rollers, eKasi: Our…

MINISTER Naledi Pandor recently missed a golden opportunity of showing good leadership. Instead of rushing off to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), she should have flown to Israel for consultation with Israeli’s foreign minister or the prime minister. This would have given her great credibility as a non-partisan statesperson. I find it strange that after all the brouhaha, Pandor has not been invited to take part in any ceasefire negotiations. The ICJ has declined South Africa’s application for additional measures against Israel. Another distinct slap in the face and a snub indeed. In order to save face, South Africa could show its great support for Palestine by inviting 30 to 40 000 refugees to settle in South Africa, preferably in the old Transkei. I’m sure the folk of the…

NORTHAM Platinum plunged 8.1% in opening trade on the JSE yesterday as investors responded negatively to the company’s R800 million loss on its disposal of Impala Platinum shares, following the world number two PGM miner’s mandatory offer to Royal Bafokeng Platinum shareholders. Northam’s price gap narrowed and it closed 4.23% weaker at R106.75 on the JSE yesterday. The stock is 15.18% weaker in the past 30 days, and softer by 20.63% in the year to date. “Northam dropped 8.1% on the open, thanks to the trading update. The market will never miss an opportunity to punish a share for managements’ stupidity (RBPlats deal),” said market analyst Martin Rogers. Northam disposed of all of its shares in RBPlat after Implats made a mandatory offer amounting to R90 per share to…

Oppenheimer was the big winner at the 2024 EE British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Baftas), with seven awards. The historical saga – based on the life of American theoretical physicist J Robert Oppenheimer – was nominated for 13 awards and was triumphant in seven categories at the ceremony on Sunday. Christopher Nolan’s movie – starring Cillian Murphy – won Best Film, Leading Actor for Murphy, Supporting Actor for Robert Downey jr, Best Director for Nolan, along with Original Score, Cinematography and Editing. Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things also had a successful night, with Emma Stone picking up the Leading Actress gong and the film enjoyed wins in the Costume Design, Production Design, Make-up and Hair and Special Visual Effects categories. The Zone of Interest won Outstanding British Film,…

DA MPL Solly Msimanga has accused Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi of using millions of rand of state resources to launch an ANC election campaign. Msimanga was speaking to The Star on the sidelines of the Gauteng province State of the Province Address at Nasrec, Johannesburg, last night. The colourful event drew people in their thousands from all walks of life including about 4 000 crime-fighting wardens, known as Amapanyaza, who had come to listen to Lesufi make public the status of the province over the past 12 months. However, Msimanga said inviting such a large number of people was a ploy by Lesufi to launch his party’s election campaign. “They have spent a whole lot of money and brought in more people than we would normally have during the Sopa…

IN yet another battle between two women who both claim they are the customary wives of their now-dead husband, the court declared that the first wife, who was married to him for 26 years and bore him 13 children, is the lawful wife. Wife no 1 turned to the Bloemfontein High Court for an order forcing Home Affairs to register her marriage to her late husband, who died in 2018. She asked the court to declare her marriage valid in terms of the Recognition of the Customary Marriage Act and to note that they were married in community of property She issued a letter from the chief of the area where they resided, to the court as proof that she and the dead man were indeed married. But wife no…

A study by advocacy campaign Youth Capital said that eight in 10 young South Africans have to choose between looking for work and buying food because of the high cost of job hunting. The report titled What does it really cost young people to look for work found that the cost of job hunting could be as high as R1 469 a month. “The cost of looking for work is one of the reasons why young people give up hunting for opportunities; for this reason, it has been the focus of a number of state-led interventions. We surveyed more than 10 000 young respondents to understand whether this cost is decreasing or not. “The findings indicate that the barriers to employment are too insurmountable for young people and lock them…

A learner allegedly shot a principal at a school in Germiston on Friday. Apparently the child used a gun that belonged to one of his parents. So he had stolen it. Fortunately, the principal is recovering from his injury in hospital. It is alleged that his attacker thought he had to pay for having scolded him and a group of children for loitering around, instead of studying; the child is only 13 years old. He was arrested. Ever since corporal punishment was abolished at schools, the tables have turned, with the teachers being at the receiving end of punishment from the learners. The situation has been made worse by parents who seem to condone the hostility of learners towards their teachers. Children are very impressionable – if they hear adults…

THERE is a new sheriff in Namibia. Like a new broom, he wants to sweep clean. The new Namibian president, Nangolo Mbumba, is proposing radical changes that can benefit that country’s economy and moral being. Is he the Thomas Sankara of our times? Mbumba, 80, was sworn in last Sunday, following the death of president Hage Geingob. His presidential tenure will be short, as general elections will be held sometime this year. Hopefully he will be re-elected. If re-elected, Mbumba says there will be no deputy ministers in his cabinet, only ministers. In addition, ministers will buy their own cars and houses. According to the Namibian president, they earn enough to afford them. When on government business, they will use pool cars. When he makes his calculations, government spend about…

Since early February, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, has been rocked by protests directed against western embassies. Protests took place in front of the British and French embassies, and in front of United Nations buildings. Throughout the city, American and Belgian flags were burned. The protesters are denouncing what they believed to be western complicity in the war in the east of the DRC. These protests were triggered by the renewed advance of the rebel movement M23. M23 is led by Congolese Tutsi, and is the latest in a history of Congolese rebel groups supported by Rwanda. It emerged in April 2012, took control of the eastern city of Goma in November 2012, and was defeated in 2013. In late 2021, the group re-emerged, fuelled by longstanding geopolitical…

This in view of the continued deterioration of South Africa’s fiscal position that has dampened investor sentiment THE BUSINESS sector wants Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana to table a prudent Budget Review tomorrow, amidst continued deterioration of the fiscal position, which has damped investor sentiment. Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) yesterday said that there were four key things that business was looking for in the Budget: a primary surplus, infrastructure investment, bailouts to troubled SOEs, and changes to tax rates. BLSA CEO Busi Mavuso said even though there has been a clear effort to rein in spending, economic growth has consistently disappointed. Mavuso said the revenue side has not been able to deliver enough money to fully restore government finances due to a number of bottlenecks such as the Covid-19…

PRICEwaterhouseCoopers (PwC) South Africa believes Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana will announce in the Budget tomorrow that the National Treasury will go ahead with a planned increase in taxes to raise R15 billion more revenue for the 2024/2025 fiscal year. “South Africa’s fiscal space will be constrained in 2024/2025 due to weak revenues and rising debt-servicing costs,” said PwC South Africa chief economist Lullu Krugel. The Finance Minister has acknow- ledged in recent months that increasing taxes in the current economic environment will be difficult. “By our estimates, to raise an additional R15bn in tax revenues would require increasing the personal income tax rates by 0.5 percentage points across all tax bands, or one percentage point on those earning more than R500 000 a year. “Alternatively, the National Treasury…

THE EXCESSIVE heat across South Africa currently is a significant concern for the farming sector, according to the Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz). The agricultural organisation’s chief economist, Wandile Sihlobo, said the 2023/24 summer crop season started on a favourable footing. “We received widespread rains, which was unusual in an El Niño season, which would typically start with drier weather conditions. According to data from the Crop Estimates Committee, the farmers managed to plant a sizeable summer grain and oilseed area of 4.4 million hectares, up by 0.4% from the 2022/23 season. “For a while, it appeared as though South Africa was on track for yet another excellent harvest. But since the start of February, the rain has been scant across the summer crop-growing regions of South Africa, thus raising…

DJ Black Coffee has become the latest celebrity to embrace his faith and commit his life to God. He joins the likes of fellow musicians Cassper Nyovest and Puerto Rican star Daddy Yankee, who have recently embraced their Christian faiths. The Doc Shebeleza hitmaker made headlines last month when he decided to step away from the limelight to prioritise his spiritual journey. In 2023, the award-winning rapper had a “transformative encounter with God”, leading him to embrace Christianity and he got baptised. Meanwhile, in December Daddy Yankee announced he was retiring from music and devoting his life to serving Jesus Christ. Now, the award-winning DJ, record producer and songwriter – whose real name is Nkosinathi Maphumulo – has been cast into the spotlight, following a viral video in which he…

IN RECENT times, the rise of men’s blazers as a wardrobe essential has been noteworthy. While the classic blazer look has always been a favourite, there’s an undeniable allure to incorporating a man’s blazer into one’s attire. Personally, I’ve found that wearing a man’s blazer brings about a striking confidence, a sense of empowerment that seems to emanate from the garment itself. It’s versatile One of the greatest attributes of a men’s blazer is its versatility. With just one piece, you can craft a multitude of outfits. Whether paired with a basic dress and classic stilettos or worn over an oversized suit with a cap and sneakers, the possibilities are endless. Not only does this aesthetic exude a confident aura, but it also offers the freedom to move comfortably throughout…

CHAOS broke out at Phutha Primary School in Klipgat near Mabopane yesterday after a group of parents stormed the school to protest against a teacher accused of bullying a learner, who committed suicide on Friday. The teacher allegedly mocked the Grade 7 learner Regomoditswe Baloyi, 13, by repeatedly telling him in the classroom that he was a fool and that he would suffer until his death because of his poverty-stricken background. On Friday, the learner told his sister that he would kill himself allegedly because of constant bullying by a teacher. He committed suicide hours later and his dead body was discovered by his mother at home. Yesterday, learning activities were disrupted as angry community members, joined by the parents, demanded that the implicated teacher be removed from the school.…

The Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation will host its first series of workshops to train and educate rookie DJs about financial literacy across five regions in Gauteng. On Sunday, the department said 250 beneficiaries will attend. They include emerging DJs, performing artists and school groups who are part of the Wednesday League Integrated School Arts Programme. The department’s spokesperson, Nomazwe Ntlokwana, said the DJs will be taught not only about financial wellness, but also the business of the arts and the music industry. “The programme is aimed at empowering DJs, and how they must sustain themselves in the creative industry space,” she said. According to the department, accredited financial institutions and industry DJs will offer critical information and advice to attendees to empower, provide opportunities and…

SOME voters think the EFF is the ultimate horror. The “commander-in-chief”, Julius Malema, has a motor mouth that persuades some people that the EFF will be the next government, or at least in a coalition. He wants the ANC to get rid of Cyril Ramaphosa, and replace him with that paragon of integrity, Paul Mashatile. Malema a veteran of the VBS scandal, would be the deputy president. Premier Panyaza Lesufi, the publicity hound, inflicted just such a coalition on Johannesburg. That would be the ultimate horror – a coalition of the ANC and the EFF. One wonders if the Patriotic Alliance (PA) of Gayton McKenzie and Kenny Kunene, both with colourful backgrounds, would join in that horror, even though the supporters of the PA are anti-ANC and anti-EFF. McKenzie has…

I have noticed, having read all the letters and articles in The Star regarding Israel, that practically all have the same content and seem to originate from the same Hamas propaganda school. Once you have read one, you have read them all, repeating the same lies and Hamas propaganda ad nauseam. Not one article or letter dares mention that it was Hamas that invaded Israel, committing terrible atrocities. Not one mentions that Hamas slaughtered 1 500 innocent civilians by raping, disembowelling, decapitating (and then trying to sell their victims’ head back to the Israelis), men, women and children. What about the innocent hostages? Those still alive are kept under inhumane conditions. What would your correspondents have done if this had happened to their families and children? Would they not feel…

DRIVE down any city road in South Africa, whether in the suburbs or the townships, and you’re likely to see a lamp post billboard from Rise Mzansi, the upstart new political party from former newspaper editor Songezo Zibi. Before Sunday’s announcement that Rise Mzansi had received funding from a member of the Oppenheimer family, many political observers would have been left wondering: “How do they pay for this?” Other smaller political hopefuls would have looked at that R15 million Rise Mzansi received from Rebecca Oppenheimer with a sense of envy and trepidation – because there are no free lunches. Once in Parliament, what will be expected of Zibi in terms of the policies his party pursues? In America we’ve seen the extent to which entrenched interests have impacted government policies…