Table of contents for 2021-09-07 in Star

Philippa Larkin philippa.larkin@inl.co.za THE FNB/BER Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) recovered some lost ground to the third quarter of 2021, data showed yesterday, pointing to a level of resilience among consumers and consumer spending. The index came in at -10 index points, having slipped from -9 to -13 index points during the second quarter of 2021. This was despite violent protests and rampant looting that tore through KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng during July points to a level of resilience among consumers, and by extension consumer spending, during the third quarter of 2021, the report said. “While the latest CCI reading of -10 remains well below the average CCI reading (of +2 since 1994) and, therefore, denotes depressed consumer confidence levels, it is nevertheless quite close to the reading of -9 recorded just…

FOR a club that subscribes to the mantra “The Sky is the Limit”, the new fresh-faced chairperson Tlhopie Motsepe is making all the right moves to ensure Mamelodi Sundowns continue to scale to dizzying heights. Tlhopie summed up his latest ground-breaking initiatives by saying: “Our motto ‘The Sky is The Limit’ reminds us that no dream is too big and by working together with like-minded organisations, we can go further and inspire those around us.” He is the eldest son of South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe. He has taken over the reins at Sundowns, undisputed kings of South African football, who have won a record 11 league titles. The change came when his father was elected president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and handed the baton to Tlhopie.…

THE RISING levels of unemployment in South Africa, now at a record high of 34.4 percent, were compounding the fuel retail sector’s labour challenges in the industry that was already taking strain even before the pandemic, said the Fuel Retailers Association (FRA). Announcing this month’s fuel price adjustment, the minister of the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy approved a 5.7 cents per litre increase in the price structures of petrol to accommodate the wage increase for the forecourt employees, in line with the Motor Industry Bargaining Council Agreement. Reggie Sibiya, the association’s chief executive, said, as the hardships of the compromised retailer margins continued, retrenchments also continued to increase, and there were no clear strategies to address this problem from the government. “Labour challenges have been…

Rudolph Nkgadima rudolph.nkgadima@africannewsagency.com THE decline of Covid-19 cases is an indication that South Africa is moving past the third wave, says the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). Over the past week, the country averaged about 8 000 new Covid-19 cases a day, 26% lower than a week ago. CSIR senior researcher Dr Ridhwaan Suliman said the decline was confirmed by a decline in positivity rate. On average, nationally, the positivity rate is 15.9% compared to 20% a week ago. “The decline in confirmed cases we are seeing is not just an artefact of decreased testing but is a real decline. “The test positivity rate it is still high but is promisingly coming down by just under 20% a week ago. It does indicate that one in every six…

Chulumanco Mahamba THE COLOURED population in South Africa and Western Cape citizens are less willing to get vaccinated against Covid-19, new research has found. Ask Afrika, in partnership with the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) and the Solidarity Fund, yesterday shared research insights into the public’s perceptions of the vaccine roll-out communication. The research found that vaccine willingness was relatively high at 62% of South Africans, 28% were unwilling to receive the vaccine and the remainder were unsure. The Ask Afrika chief executive and research psychologist Andrea Rademeyer, who presented the results to the media, said this meant that two out of three South Africans were willing to be vaccinated. Indian communities are most willing to be vaccinated, followed by the black community and the white community, with…

SONRI NAIDOO sonri.naidoo@inl.co.za AFTER being named first runner-up at 2020 Miss South Africa pageant, Thato Mosehle is returning to her hometown in the North West to encourage people to get vaccinated against Covid-19. Mosehle became the first person under the official Miss SA Organisation banner to compete on the Miss Supranational stage. It also marked the first time the Rainbow Nation was represented by a woman of colour at the pageant. Since her return, she has been operating as a front line worker during the pandemic and just last month she completed her medical internship and is now a qualified community service doctor. She says everyone has experienced the devastating effects of Covid-19, and the only solutions available for now to combat the virus are vaccinations, wearing masks, washing hands,…

FAROUK ARAIE | Joburg THE deadly war of attrition between Iran and Israel continues unabated, on land, at sea, in the air and in the fringes of outer space. Retaliation and counter retaliation have become the vocabulary of these two deadly foes.The Mossad and Iranian Intelligence are at work every day penetrating each other’s shield of armour with stunning blows and counter blows, a brutal war with no end. The Iranian navy’s largest warship sank on Wednesday in the Gulf of Oman after catching fire. Connect the dots, Israel and Oman are friends. This could be retaliation for the attack on an Israeli-owned vessel in the Gulf of Oman on February 26, which was blamed on Iran. The sinking of Iran’s largest warship marks the latest naval disaster…

THE funeral of Kebby Ramaotoane Maphatsoe (Mosia Motubatsi) took place this past weekend. And while he may be gone, this fierce freedom fighter will not be forgotten. It is worth reflecting on who this gentle giant was and to ensure his work and contribution are remembered by this generation and known by those to come. Known to all his friends and comrades as Kebby, this son of the soil was born on December 31, 1962. The month of December may have played an important role in comrade Maphatsoe's life because ironically, he was born a year later, after the Umkhonto We Sizwe Military Veterans’ Association (MKMVA) was established on December 16, 1961. Comrade Kebby was born to Everista Mota and Victoria Maphatsoe, seventh of nine children. He went to primary…

The West African state of Guinea awaited word on its future yesterday as a new military junta summoned the outgoing cabinet a day after toppling the president. Elite troops led by Lieutenant-colonel Mamady Doumbouya told outgoing ministers and institutional leaders to gather at parliament in the capital Conakry. “Any refusal to attend will be considered a rebellion,” they warned. Impoverished and volatile, the West African state was hit by fresh turmoil on Sunday when special forces arrested 83-year-old President Alpha Conde, declared they were scrapping the constitution, and imposed a curfew. Land borders have been shut, the government dissolved and top governors and other senior administrators have been replaced by the military, the junta said. Discontent had been growing for months over a flatlining Covid-hit economy and the leadership of…

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za STEINHOFF International Holdings took a 39 percent nosedive after the Western Cape High Court ruled that the liquidation hearing of the company could be heard. Justice Hayley Slingers dismissed the opinion that the court had no jurisdiction to wind up the respondent. “The point in time that this court does not have jurisdiction to limine (a limine is a motion, discussed outside the presence of the jury, to request that certain testimony be exclude) the respondent, being an external party, is dismissed with costs, which costs shall include the costs of two counsel and which shall be paid jointly and severally by the respondent, the first intervening party and the second intervening parties, the one paying to absolve the other,” said Justice Slingers. The ruling means…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za BIDVEST Group is hoping for another good financial year after it lifted the total dividend for the year to June 30 by 113 percent to 600 cents, chief executive Mpumi Madisa said yesterday. The group’s Services, Automotive, Commercial Products and Branded Products divisions delivered their best-ever performances, and headline earnings a share (Heps) was up 114 percent to 1 183.3c. Trading profit rose 48 percent to R8 billion. Normalised Heps was up 26 percent to 1 292c. Madisa said in a telephone interview that there were some factors which could boost prospects in the new financial year, including benefiting from the first full 12 months of operations of the new LPG (liquid petroleum gas) facility in Richards Bay, and…

Viwe Ndongeni-Ntlebi viwe.ndongeni@inl.co.za Spring is here. A change in seasons is great, but it can affect your skin. According to dermatologists, adverse changes in your skin can more than likely be attributed to the transition of seasons. “While our spirits may be high with the sights and sounds of spring, it’s likely your skin is still experiencing the winter blues; dehydrated and dry, especially on the heels, knees and elbows, as well as stressed-out, dull and undernourished skin on your face,” explains Clere skin care brand manager Su-Marie Annandale. Paying attention to balanced nutrition is the best way to make sure you're eating a healthy skin diet. What's more, some health experts believe that when your diet is missing certain foods for healthy skin, other even more serious skin…

ITUMELENG MAFISA TRADE union Cosatu is concerned about forced Covid-19 vaccination of workers by some companies. This comes after financial services provider and health-care group, Discovery announced that it would be implementing a mandatory vaccination policy by January 1 next year. The move by Discovery has left some unions concerned that this may serve as a precedent for other companies in the private sector. There are concerns that the rights of individuals to choose whether or not to vaccinate would be compromised. Some have used religious beliefs for refusing to get vaccinated while some simply have grave reservations about the vaccines. Trade union federation Cosatu warned of consequences for those companies that fire staff for not complying with mandatory vaccination. Cosatu deputy president Mike Shingange said while the union…

Goitsemang Tlhabye goitsemang.tlhabye@inl.co.za AN ALL-female team of scientists from the University of Pretoria (UP) will be joining the South African ice-breaking polar supply and research ship RV SA Agulhas II in order to reveal new insights into micro-organisms in the South Atlantic. The four postgraduate students from the UP department of biochemistry, genetics and microbiology will be setting sail for the South Atlantic to spend 36 days aboard the Agulhas II ship. The expedition, operated by the National Department of Environmental Affairs as part of a programme supported by the National Research Foundation and the South African National Antarctic Programme, will see the students collecting samples and conducting several experiments in the under-explored ocean. Team leader Mancha Mabaso, alongside Caitlyn Fourie and Sade Magabotha, with the Microbiome Research Group…

The first draft of this article was headlined, “ANC and SA falling apart”. Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court gave a judgment affirming the supremacy of the Constitution and, in effect, ruling that even the ANC is not above the law. It changed my gloom to a feeling of hope. This judgement rejected delaying the local government elections and refused to allow the reopening of candidates’ lists, which had to be lodged by 9 pm on 23 August. This is hugely detrimental to the ANC which, pathetically, failed to nominate candidates across a large swathe of the country. The DA managed to lodge its lists for every ward and every PR position in every council in South Africa. The ANC ran out of funds, failed to pay employees and stole their money…

Peter Bachtis | Benoni IF YOU want to get depressed, take a drive to OR Tambo International ... the gateway into South Africa. Dark and dingy, the International entrance is closed, forcing travellers to enter through the Domestic section, having to traipse for a kilometre to get to the International departure hall ... and no consideration for those who require assistance. The misery and dispirited aura of the place engulfs your soul, reflecting the chaos that exists beyond the walls. Another extension of the emergencies imposed by this sad government has killed off our spirit … all those businesses destroyed – restaurants, shops, small eateries, jewellery shops – never to function again. The pain is only felt by those who have lost their jobs, and those entrepreneurs…

Myanmar’s military rulers have agreed to a call by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for a ceasefire until the end of the year to ensure distribution of humanitarian aid. Following a coup in February, ASEAN has been trying to end violence in which hundreds have been killed in Myanmar, A military spokesman did not answer calls from Reuters to seek comment. The National Unity Government, formed of opponents of military rule, said ASEAN needed to tell the junta to stop “killing” its own people. | Reuters…

One year after fire ripped through the notorious Moria migrant camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, the authorities say they’ve tackled the critical overcrowding and brought order to the chaos. Critics counter they achieved this through a policy of forcibly pushing back would-be refugees before they can claim asylum on Greek soil – a charge the right-leaning government elected in 2019 denies. While Athens says the country will “never again be the gateway to Europe”, its policies highlight the deep divides within the EU over migration as fears are rising of a new wave following last months’ fall of Kabul to the Taliban. The previous migration crisis in 2015 saw Moria – built just two years earlier to hold 3 000 people – inundated as a huge wave of…

Relieved Moroccan footballers and support staff sang a hearty rendition of the national anthem as they departed Guinea after being holed up in their hotel during the first hours of a military uprising on Sunday. Morocco’s national team were in Conakry to play a World Cup qualifier yesterday, but awoke on the eve of the match to the sound of gunfire near their hotel as soldiers sought to topple Guinea’s long-serving president Alpha Condé. Moroccan diplomats were able to negotiate a departure for their team amid the uncertainty and the squad flew out of the country late on Sunday, just hours after the match had been called off. Players posted pictures and video on social media of the passengers bursting into a spirited rendition of the anthem as the plane…

Stop driving mauls Ashfak Mohamed ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za THE last time the Blue Bulls faced the Sharks, they lost 35-28 at Jonsson Kings Park in Durban on August 6. On that Friday night, the Pretoria side surged into a 20-10 lead after 30 minutes courtesy of a Johan Goosen goal-kicking show and tries by Elrigh Louw and Lizo Gqoboka. But they lost their way in the second half, with Stedman Gans’ yellow card followed by three tries in seven minutes from Kerron van Vuuren, Grant Williams and Murray Koster as the Sharks claimed a well-deserved victory. And while the Bulls were full value for their 48-31 semi-final win over Western Province last Friday, there are still a few issues they need to address ahead of Saturday’s Currie Cup final against the Durbanites…

THE Springboks have been heavily criticised for swimming against the stream, but their Rugby Championship Tests in Australia will present the perfect opportunity to show why they should keep heading in their own direction. There has been a lot said about the Boks’ style of play. Building up to and during the three-Test series against the British & Irish Lions, they were labelled “one-trick ponies”, while their style of play was tagged “simple”, “negative” and “boring”. New Zealand coach Ian Foster even said that South Africa’s second match against the Lions – which they won 27-9 to take the series to a decider – “put him to sleep” and that their rivals are “almost afraid to play”. All that talk – talk that continues to do the rounds despite the…

ITUMELENG MAFISA COMPARING Chris Hani’s killer Janusz Walus to former president Jacob Zuma is disgusting, says African People’s Convention (APC) leader Themba Godi. Godi was reacting to a pushback by those against the release of the former president on medical parole, who say Walus had applied for medical parole but was never granted parole. Those who compared the two had to get their heads checked, Godi said. News broke on Sunday that Zuma met all the conditions to be released on medical parole. Walus has been denied medical parole several times; he is convicted of killing Hani and is serving a life term at a Pretoria prison. At the time of his death, in 1993, Hani was secretary-general of the SACP and an ANC national executive committee (NEC) member.…

Bongani Nkosi bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za A FUGITIVE sought by the UK for retrial over a raft of paedophile charges has received a breather at the Constitutional Court in his legal battle to stave off extradition. Lee Nigel Tucker enjoyed victory against the Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions at the apex court yesterday. The two parties had squared off over whether a magistrate that presided in his pre-extradition hearing committed a grave irregularity against Tucker. This irregularity, Tucker held, was the magistrate’s refusal to hear expert evidence on his claim that he would not get a fair trial in the UK. The ruling by the magistrate resulted in the former helicopter pilot and IT consultant being detained at the Pollsmoor Maximum Security Prison, pending a decision by the justice minister on his…

MG Mackenzie | Cramerview THE more I read and hear about the corruption, incompetence and maladministration of the African National Catastrophe the more despairing I become. I sat down with a large sheet of paper to write down anything positive this so-called government has achieved. After a couple of hours the page was still blank. I did not have the time, or a big enough piece of paper, to list all they have destroyed. The only thing they have not screwed up is the weather, but I suppose give them time. The only solution I see for this wonderful country is for Cyril Ramaphosa (if he has the testicles to do so) to take his followers in the ANC and form a coalition with the DA. Leave the…

ALLEGATIONS of judicial overreach against South African courts are not new. The courts have long been accused of exceeding their mandate and straying into the realm of the legislative and executive branches of the government, thereby breaching the separation of powers principle, crucial to the health and well-being of any sound democracy. The separation of powers principle is based on the assumption that power corrupts and that a separation of powers between the executive, judicial and legislative branches of the government, is therefore essential to the preservation of democracy. It is the most ancient and enduring element of constitutionalism and it is at the epicentre of our constitutional democracy, as is the rule of law and a strong, independent judiciary. Our Constitution safeguards judicial independence and provides that judicial authority…

The families of 298 people killed in the shooting down of flight Malaysia Airlines MH17 over Ukraine in 2014 demanded justice from Russia yesterday as they testified in the Dutch trial of four suspects. International investigators say a Russian-made missile fired from territory in eastern Ukraine held by pro-Moscow rebels brought down the Boeing 777, but Russia has denied this. Around 90 relatives, both from the 196 Dutch victims of the crash as well as those from Australia and Malaysia, are to address the court. | AFP…

FORMER France defender Jean-Pierre Adams has died aged 73 after almost 40 years in a coma, his former club Nimes announced yesterday. Adams, who made 22 international appearances in the 1970s, slipped into a coma after a mistake by his anaesthetist during routine knee surgery in 1982. Born in Dakar in 1948, he was one of the first west Afican men to play for France. His centre-back partnership with Marius Tresor was nicknamed “the black guard”. “We learned this morning of the death of Jean-Pierre Adams,” Nimes wrote on Twitter, extending their “sincere condolences to his family”. Adams also played for Nice and Paris Saint-Germain.…

Wynona Louw wynona.louw@inl.co.za SPRINGBOK flank Pieter-Steph du Toit has signed with Japanese club Toyota Verblitz as he attempts to recover from a shoulder injury, the Japanese team announced yesterday. Du Toit, who was a standout for the Boks during the 2019 World Cup in Japan, was substituted early in the recent second Test against the British & Irish Lions after being tipped in a late tackle by Scotland international Duhan van der Merwe. While he continued on the field for some time, the flanker looked to be in clear discomfort and ultimately left the field. He was replaced by Franco Mostert for the deciding match at Cape Town Stadium, where the Boks secured the series 2-1 with a tight 19-16 triumph. Initially, SA coach Jacques Nienaber was not able to…