Table of contents for 2022-05-09 in Star

VEHICLE and auto part exports increased by a hefty R31.8 billion, or 18.1 percent, last year to a record R207.5bn. Dr Norman Lamprecht wrote in the Automotive Export Manual, which was published on Friday, that last year’s exports had comprised a whopping 12.5 percent of total South African exports. Challenges to the industry last year included the Covid-19 pandemic and supply chain disruptions. Economic damage from the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is expected to contribute to a significant slowdown in global growth in 2022 and add to inflation, Lamprecht said. He said the local motor industry had sharply rebounded last year from the lows of 2020, but the growth was not sufficient to return to pre-pandemic level production, he said in the report released on behalf…

SOUTH Africa’s commitment to reduce its carbon emissions footprint took a step forward last week with the mining industry unveiling a new piece of equipment set to move the sector towards a carbon-neutral future. Anglo American on Friday launched a prototype of the world’s largest hydrogen-powered mine haul truck – designed to operate in everyday mining conditions – at its platinum group metals mine in Mogalakwena, Limpopo. The 2MW hydrogen-battery hybrid truck, generating more power than its diesel predecessor and capable of carrying a 290 ton payload, is part of Anglo American’s nuGen Zero Emission Haulage Solution (ZEHS). Anglo American said nuGen provides a fully-integrated green hydrogen system, consisting of production, fuelling and haulage system, with green hydrogen to be produced at the mine site. Chief executive Duncan Wanblad said…

EARLY signals in employment intention indices suggest certain industries were planning to add headcount after a prolonged period of reducing headcount relative to payroll, and this might provide support for the residential housing market in the short term, FNB senior economist Siphamandla Mkhwanazi said on Friday. He said the FNB Residential Property Barometer and Estate Agents Survey showed that residential property market sales volumes may have peaked, but were still above pre-pandemic levels. Internal market strength indicators suggested that residential property market activity would remain relatively resilient in the near term, in spite of the sentiment shock from ongoing geopolitical tensions and devastating floods in some parts of the country. On the other hand, the stagnant labour market, combined with rising interest rates and higher living costs, suggested a less…

Kim Cattrall won’t star in another sex scene. The 65-year-old actress is best known for playing the sex-obsessed Samantha Jones in Sex and the City – but Cattrall is no longer interested in appearing in a nude scene. She said: “I don’t want to be nude anymore. I’m 65. I’m in great shape. But I’m just not interested. I feel like I filled my quota on that one – and without an intimacy coach.” Cattrall has enjoyed huge success during her career, starring in movies, TV shows and stage productions. Despite this, she still hasn’t achieved all of her ambitions. Asked if there’s anything she’d still like to do, Cattrall told Variety: “I’d like to do my own sitcom. I think that would be a lot of fun with an…

THE DA has confirmed that its leader John Steenhuisen’s “fact-finding mission” trip to Ukraine was funded by The Brenthurst Foundation. The foundation was established by the Oppenheimer family to build on the work of the Brenthurst Initiative of 2003. This was a programme that instigated debate of policy strategies in South Africa to accelerate economic expansion. The foundation has four South African advisers – former president and ANC’s Kgalema Motlanthe, Mcebisi Jonas, who is also an ANC member, Jonathan Oppenheimer, and Polly Carr, of Oppenheimer Generations. On May 4, the party released a media statement confirming that Steenhuisen was in Ukraine to speak for the country. “I am in Ukraine to see for myself and to speak for my country. Someone must. It is strongly in South Africa’s interest to…

The pandemic is largely responsible for advocating the idea of proper intake of vitamin C, known as an important immune-support nutrient and vital in helping the body protect itself from severe viral illnesses. But how much is the right amount needed for the body? Research at the University of Otago, Christchurch, in New Zealand has identified for the first time exactly how much extra vitamin C humans need to ingest, relative to their body weight, to maximise their immune health. Vitamin C is known to be essential for good immune function and works by helping white blood cells fight infection. The study, published in the international journal Nutrients, found that for every 10kg of excess weight a person carries, their body needs an extra 10mg of vitamin C daily, which…

WITH the caveat that all the following figures are taken from government issued statements on Covid-19 statistics, the following is a comparison of what happened in the just over six months, of the various versions of Stage 1 and what has happened in the month after Stage 1 ended. In Stage 1, the number of newly identified cases was an average of 4 399 per day and deaths were an average of 67 per day. After Stage 1, new cases have averaged 2 824 per day and deaths 12 per day – both a significant drop. The problem arises when we look at recoveries. In Stage 1, these averaged 4 520 per day but post Stage 1, only 1 702 per day. Put another way, in Stage 1, 103…

KAIZER CHIEFS(0) 1 Nange 76 MAMELODI SUNDOWNS (0) 1 Modiba 49 ‘Operation Take Over The Calabash’ didn’t go according to plan for champions Mamelodi Sundowns as they were held to a draw by Kaizer Chiefs in an exciting league encounter at a cold FNB Stadium last night. In fact, the Brazilians were lucky to escape with a point as Keagan Dolly missed a penalty that could have sealed all three points for Chiefs late in the game. Chiefs, who had the better chances late in the game, will feel hard-done with the draw as their chances of qualifying for continental football next season also took a knock. Chiefs remained fourth on the log with 43 points, two behind the third-placed Royal AM, who have a game in hand. Sundowns, meanwhile,…

COAL producers should plan for a minimum 60 million tons (Mt) of coal railed to the Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) this year after it fell to only 58.7 Mt in 2021 from 76.5 Mt in 2017, Transnet’s Ali Matola told the 17th McCloskey Southern African Coal Conference on Friday. He said the problems in logistics at Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) were not unique to TFR, but they were working every day to improve service delivery. “I am responsible for the ore link and on that link we have seen a 10% improvement over the past six months, and as far as I am aware we had a 100 000 tons per week improvement compared with the prior six months on the coal line before the April floods,” he said.…

THE Minerals Council South Africa said on Friday that there were no fatalities related to Falls of Ground (FoG) in gold and platinum group metals (PGM) mines in the first quarter of 2022 – a historic first for the mining industry. Dr Sizwe Phakathi, the head of Safety at the Minerals Council, said: “This is the first time ever that our gold and PGM mines have not had a Fall of Ground fatality in the first three months of the year … These things don’t just happen. A lot of effort goes into these safety initiatives.” Managing the FoG risk was one of global mining’s most difficult challenges, the council said. Mine safety came under renewed scrutiny by the Minerals Council and its 78 members after two successive years of…

THE COMPETITION Tribunal on Friday imposed a R15.7 million penalty on construction and engineering firm Esorfranki for colluding with competitors to fix prices and allocate customers, and engage in bid-rigging through cover pricing. In a cartel case involving construction and engineering companies, the tribunal ordered Esor Limited, Esor Africa and Esor Construction, referred to collectively as Esorfranki, to jointly pay the administrative penalty, while the case against another accused firm, Diabor, was dismissed by the tribunal. Esor delisted from the JSE in June 2020 when subsidiary Esor Construction went into business rescue in August 2018 after suffering losses on a number of contracts, and due to a lack of new work from a decline in state spending on infrastructure. The competition matter relates to construction projects in the markets for…

The long-distance coach industry has again called on President Cyril Ramaphosa, Police Minister Bheki Cele and Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula to respond to the “crisis of unprecedented levels of violence” in the industry. Intercape CEO Johann Ferreira said: “There has not been a single word uttered by President Cyril Ramaphosa despite us having written to him pleading for urgent intervention, or the Minister of Police or Minister of Transport, about the ongoing attacks and intimidation directed at Intercape and the long-distance coach industry.” This comes after a bus with mourners of Intercape bus driver Bangikhaya Machana, who was slain in Cape Town recently, was stopped on Friday morning by taxi operators who allegedly refused to let them proceed to his hometown of Dutywa, Eastern Cape, for his funeral. Machana, 35,…

Not everyone can make beautiful handcrafted wooden car toys, and even if you have the skill and talent, it can take years to perfect it. This is according to Malawian Happy Mvula, 35, who describe his craft as not just toys, but art. And he knows what he is talking about because he has been handcrafting model cars since he was young. However, for the past four years, he has been selling his creations to customers around Pretoria. Using mahogany wood and glue, Mvula makes wooden vehicles from excavators, graders, land cruisers, vans, buses, planes to helicopters. Mvula learnt the skill of woodcrafting from his parents and it seems to runs in his family, because his brother also does the same thing. “I started doing this at a young age…

WHEN, during a parade of the SA Air Force on Friday, Colonel Mashadi Tswidi was named its first black female regimental instructor, she said she had not expected it as all she did was the job she enjoyed. Tswidi, who will assume the command of the SA Air Force headquarters unit, was commended during the parade for continuing to distinguish herself in various capacities in the SANDF, with her last responsibility being directing staff members at the South African National War College. She told Pretoria News how she was surprised to be promoted, and said: “I felt so happy and honoured to serve the Air Force and the headquarters unit.” She sent a message to young women, saying: “Never lose hope. Never underestimate yourself. As the first African female regimental…

THE WORLD celebrated Mother’s Day yesterday, a day honouring the mother of the family, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. While the day saw mothers or maternal figures be showered with a plethora of gifts, sweet messages and phone calls, Mother’s Day isn’t always a happy day for everyone, especially motherless children or childless mothers. Operations Director at the SA Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag), Cassey Chambers, said in the world today, there are so many different images or ideas of what a mother is. “It’s not like the movies or in a Hallmark card about the person who birthed you. In our world today, there are different people who play that role for us even if it’s not our biological mother.…

After the dust had settled around a poor second-half display, Jake White was able to find a few positives in the Blue Bulls’ 48-38 Currie Cup victory over Griquas on Saturday. The director of rugby, who was standing in for an ill Gert Smal, was livid about the Pretoria-based team conceding 33 points after half-time, having played the visitors off the park for a 36-5 lead at the break at Loftus Versfeld. The Bulls relaxed and allowed the team from Kimberley to chip away at the deficit, and they came within 10 points of producing an astonishing turnaround. But some of the home team’s tries were a joy to watch, and three standout youngsters put their hands up for selection in the United Rugby Championship side that will take on…

SANTAM, the leading non-life insurer, has increased its stake in Indwe Broker Holdings by acquiring the shareholding from African Rainbow Capital (ARC) and Sanlam. The transaction makes Indwe a wholly-owned subsidiary of Santam and includes Indwe Risk Services, the personal and commercial arm of Indwe, as well as Indwe BlueStar, the financial services arm of Indwe, a statement said on Friday. “Santam has been a significant shareholder since Indwe’s inception. This transaction cements the relationship and enables us to create a stronger presence in the industry. It also highlights their ongoing confidence in the business,” said Indwe CEO Peter Olyott. A second development in the business was the formation of Simah Risk Holdings, created by moving the large corporate and specialist offerings out of Indwe. This business would be owned…

TODAY the 2022 Investing in Africa Mining Indaba four-day conference kicks off in Cape Town under the theme, Evolution of African Mining: Investing in the Energy Transition, ESG, and the Economies, at a time commodities are bullish on Ukraine war tensions. The indaba is back following a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19 restrictions and resulting social and economic considerations. This year’s indaba will bring together global leaders, captains of the industry and investors to engage on the future of mining and explore ways of attracting investments in African mining. Delegates are further expected to examine challenges faced by the industry and explore opportunities to be embraced amid concerns regarding climate change and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Industrial Development Corporation CEO TP Nchocho said mining remained the backbone of…

The internet has fallen in love with Heartstopper, and it has been wonderful to see. The show, based on the successful graphic novels by Alice Oseman, has leapt to screen and, in doing so, won over many new fans. The LGBTQIA+ teen show has accomplished this by having an enormous amount of heart and warmth on display. The reason why it has connected with so many is not only the existing fan base for the graphic novel, but also because it delivers a show many wish they had been able to watch growing up. The show focuses on two British teens, Nick Nelson (Kit Connor) and Charlie Spring (Joe Locke), at an all-boys grammar school. Charlie is a high-strung, openly gay overthinker, and Nick is a cheerful, soft-hearted rugby player.…

COLLEAGUES, friends, loved ones and the entertainment industry are reeling in shock after the disheartening news of the death of Siyabonga Zubane, popular for his role as Sdumo in the Mzansi Magic telenovela Gomora. Zubane died aged 23 after allegedly taking his own life. His death has once again evoked strong calls across social platforms on the importance of the need for men to be more vocal about their feelings and the challenges they face. Though the family has not yet issued a formal statement on his untimely death, his colleagues and close friends from Gomora conveyed their condolences on social media. Shirley Adonisi from M-Net channels said they will always treasure his contribution to the entertainment industry. “We are saddened about the passing of Siyabonga Zubane. “His debut role…

THE problems of Eskom are unfortunately not technical in nature, but primarily a failure of policy on the part of the ANC government. In the period 1996-98, Eskom had approached the government indicating the country would run out of generation capacity in 2006. Eskom wanted to invest in new capacity, including in mothballed power stations. But the government’s response was a new policy (White Paper on Energy), adopted by the Cabinet. The government did not support Eskom’s request to invest in new generation capacity because its new policy stipulated that 30% of generation capacity would in future be in the hands of independent power producers (IPPs). The investment requirements were R400 billion in 2006/7 figures. However, independent power producers did not at the time have the appetite to come into…

Cape Town City coach Eric Tinkler admitted his team rode their luck after beating TS Galaxy at home to take a huge step closer to qualifying for continental football next season. After a decent run on the road, where they bagged five Premiership points out of a possible nine thanks to a win over Kaizer Chiefs and draws with Mamelodi Sundowns and Chippa United, City returned to the Mother City on Saturday night. The Citizens hosted Galaxy in a massive game as the hosts were looking to leapfrog the inactive Royal AM into second spot, while the visitors were looking to pull themselves closer to safety. Tinkler’s men prevailed, with January signing Darwin Gonzalez opening his account for the Citizens with a sumptuous finish from open play in the 17th…

Manchester City moved a step closer to retaining the Premier League title with a 5-0 demolition of Newcastle United, while Arsenal beat relegation-threatened Leeds United 2-1 to boost their bid for a top-four finish yesterday. Pep Guardiola’s team took control before halftime at the Etihad Stadium thanks to goals from Raheem Sterling and Aymeric Laporte. Rodri got City’s third after the break before Phil Foden and Sterling struck in stoppage time as they stormed back to the top of the table. Liverpool had knocked the champions out of pole position with their 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday. But City are now three points clear of Liverpool, with three games left for both teams. Guardiola’s men hold a goal difference four better than the Reds. Quadruple-chasing Liverpool are next…