Table of contents for 2022-12-23 in Star

THE INVESTING in African Mining Indaba yesterday announced that it had seen a lot of early commitment from key government leaders and policymakers for the February event in Cape Town, which takes place after a volatile 2022 for the sector. The theme for the 2023 indaba is “Unlocking African Mining Investment: Stability, Security, and Supply”, and will feature speakers who will consider the challenges and opportunities facing the continent’s mining industry, as it seeks ways to bolster its economic power amid the global rush to secure supply for the greener energy transition. Minerals used in the greener energy transition are cobalt, copper, lithium, nickel, and rare earth elements – all essential for producing electric vehicles and batteries, harnessing solar power and wind energy Local mining firms are hot on the…

AYO Technology Solutions said a censure and R1.5 million fine by the JSE was causing “significant and irreparable harm” to its business, despite the company’s co-operation, and legal advice was being sought on the next step. The JSE said yesterday that AYO’s application to the Financial Services Tribunal (FST) to have a JSE decision to censure and fine AYO R1.5m suspended, had been dismissed by the Judge LTC Harms, the deputy chairman of the FST. On December 9, 2022 AYO applied to the tribunal for an order suspending the JSE’s censure decision. On the same day, AYO also applied for a reconsideration of the decisions of the JSE. The JSE said yesterday it would oppose AYO’s reconsideration application. It said an investigation into the conduct of individuals who presided at…

FORECASTING is a risky endeavour. Yet, structural forces, that is, those that shape the system change less rapidly than we might expect year-on-year and provide the contours of continuity. What is difficult to foresee is the possibility of discontinuity or so-called black swan events. The outbreak of the global Covid pandemic in 2020 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine this year constitute the two most notable disjunctures of recent times. The impact continues to generate uncertainty when thinking through the global prospects for 2023. Nonetheless, a number of trends, factors and forces can reasonably be anticipated which provide the broad parameters for the year ahead. The most notable structural change at the global level is the disruption of globalisation itself. With few exceptions since the fall of the Berlin Wall…

He contended that if there was no renewal within the governing party, it would die NEWLY elected ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has boasted that he is a party by himself, saying that he is the custodian of the governing party. Mbalula also vowed that if there was no renewal in the recently elected national executive committee (NEC) of the ANC, then the party would die. Against the odds, Mbalula won against Radical Economic Transformation (RET) contenders, who included former health minister Zweli Mkhize. He defeated Mdumiseni Ntuli and Phumulo Masualle for the position at the party’s 55th national elective conference, held at Nasrec, south of Johannesburg. In his second attempt, he is now heading one of the most powerful positions within the party. The ANC adjourned its conference to…

A Springs man who went viral on social media for boxing it out with a police officer has been arrested in Springs, Ekurhuleni. Gauteng police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili said the man assaulted the police officer following a confrontation during a routine patrol on Tuesday. “The incident was recorded on video, which is currently circulating on social media,” she said. “Two members on routine patrol came across about five people drinking in public. When the police warned them about public drinking, one of the men turned on the male police officer. The suspect then fled. Back-up was called, and the suspect was arrested later in the evening.” She said the suspect had been charged with assaulting a police officer. “He will appear before the Springs Magistrate’s Court on Thursday,” she…

The issues of inflation, geopolitics and the energy crisis have gripped citizens, experts and governments in the past 18 months, global market research company Ipsos has found. In the economy category, inflation remains the top global concern for the eighth month in a row, with 42% noting it as a worry, up from 20% at the start of the year. This is according to the results of Ipsos’s “What Worries the World” survey, which tracks public opinion on the most important social and political issues across 29 countries today, drawing on more than 10 years of data to place the latest scores in context. Results came from 20 466 online interviews conducted between October 21 and November 4 among adults aged 18 to 74 in Canada, Israel, Malaysia, South Africa,…

GAUTENG MEC for Social Development, Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Mbali Hlophe, yesterday brought festive season love and cheer to senior citizens and people with disabilities. Hlophe was at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville with the seniors and disabled for a day filled with love, laughter, music and gifts. The initiative was part of a vision of the Gauteng government to create a self-reliant society for all, in which the vulnerable are also taken care of and reminded that in spite of their circumstances, they are loved and appreciated for everything they are and everything they have done to build society. “As we all know that this season is for giving, and as the government, we want to do exactly that,” said Hlophe. The MEC handed over blankets to wheelchair-bound…

Manager Pep Guardiola said his spell at Manchester City “will not be complete” unless he wins the Champions League with the club. Guardiola, who signed a two-year contract extension last month, has guided City to four Premier League titles, but failed to win Europe’s elite club competition with them, a runners-up finish in 2020-21 their best result. The Spaniard won the trophy twice with Barcelona, in the 2008-09 and 2010-11 seasons. “It’s not the only one, but I admit it’s the trophy we want, and my period here will not be complete if we don’t win it,” Guardiola told reporters before last night’s League Cup fourth-round clash against Liverpool. “But that’s not the only reason (I signed). “I will do everything in the time we have together to win it,…

Investors monitor world’s largest economies for clues on 2023 global outlook SOUTH African markets closed in the red yesterday, led by losses in tech and mining sector stocks, and shaving off the gains made during the week. The JSE All Share Index fell 0.8% to 73 225 points while the Top40 Index also eased 0.8% to 67 100 yesterday, trading in negative territory for the first time this week since the re-election of Cyril Ramaphosa as ANC president. Mining and metals companies led the charge with the losses as the industrial metals and mining index fell 2% to 34 082 points, while the resources index lost 1.9% to 1 437 points and the precious metals and mining index fell 1.9% to 54 873 points. But the oil, gas and coal…

THE JSE’s Bank Index held steady this year in a dynamic banking market, and after the big banks reported healthy earnings and remained well positioned to absorb likely asset quality risks, and higher impairments next year from a weaker operating environment. The index stood at 10 001.75 on Monday afternoon, 9.4% lower than an annual peak on March 27, but about 8% higher than on January 2, this year and 51% higher than a low it sank to during August through the pandemic. Fitch Ratings said in a report this month that “robust pre-impairment profitability and comfortable capital buffers” should provide the banks good protection against higher impaired loans generation from slower economic growth, high inflation, and rising interest rates, which will pressure household incomes and business earnings”. Fitch…

The atmosphere of Christmas cheer is everywhere, and the one thing is we’re a nation filled with culture and variety, so there’s a little twinkle of Christmas spirit in every home. Whether it’s a mistletoe here or a dash of tinsel there, everyone’s getting their festive feels somewhere. For those who enjoy the luxury of a Christmas tree, I hope load shedding allows you to add some lights. Joburg is in for a party of note – the biggest New Year’s Eve Party is back with 15 acts confirmed to perform at Sun International’s Time Square NYE Block Party. It’s the fourth edition of the party to bid farewell to a dramatic 2022, Time Square is giving party-goers the chance to ring-in 2023 with banging tunes and state-of-the-art lighting. Featuring…

Starting the 2024 Tour de France in Florence will fix an “incongruity” and celebrate Italian cycling, race director Christian Prudhomme told AFP as he confirmed the first-ever Italian Grand Depart. The 2024 Tour will start with three stages in Italy and, because of the Paris Olympics, will end in Nice, the first time since 1905 that it will not reach its climax on the streets of the capital. “The Tour has started from all the countries bordering France,” said Prudhomme, who is in Italy until tomorrow to present the 26th Grand Depart from outside French borders, the third in a row after Copenhagen in 2022 and Bilbao in 2023. “It has even started six times from the Netherlands, which has no common border with France. But it has never started…

Jofra Archer has been recalled to the England squad for the three-match One-Day International series against South Africa, which will be played next month. Archer (27) last featured for England in a T20 International against India last year, and has suffered a number of injuries, the most recent to his right elbow, which has sidelined him for more than 18 months. Archer was called up to the MI Cape Town side for the SA20 League that will be played from January 10. The three ODIs are a crucial part of the ICC World Super League which will determine the automatic qualifiers for the 2023 World Cup. The Proteas face the embarrassing prospect of having to play a qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe in June/July, should they fail to attain a top…

ORGANISED labour has welcomed the call for the realignment of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to line departments and scrapping of the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) at the ANC’s 55th elective conference. But it is sceptical that this will be the answer as state or political interference undoes the best intentions. The final resolutions on this and other policy positions are to be announced on January 6, after the second leg of the national conference reconvenes in a hybrid fashion. However, a snap engagement of labour unions has revealed that the idea is not without its merits as a crucial entity like energy provider Eskom battles with not only the resignation of CEO André de Ruyter, but to deal with the rampant corruption and maladministration which De Ruyter cited as the…

THE LANDSCAPE of JSE-listed food retailers is unrecognisable from a decade ago as their business models evolve as they focus on omnichannel strategies in a bid to provide customers with a seamless shopping experience using a multichannel approach. Business Report looked at JSE-listed Woolworths, Shoprite, Pick n Pay and Spar to see how each retailer has approached its omnichannel model. According to the global retail omnichannel commerce Platform Market report 2022-2026, several leading retailers are adopting a retail omnichannel strategy to tap into the e-commerce opportunity and drive traffic and sales in physical stores. “The potential of an omnichannel strategy is also being realised by small and mid-sized retailers, who are investing in the platform to survive the intensely competitive conditions,” the report said. Woolworths In its integrated annual…

The School for Good and Evil Netflix Best friends Sophie and Agatha find themselves on opposing sides of an epic battle when they’re swept away into an enchanted school where aspiring heroes and villains are trained to protect the balance between good and evil. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special Disney+ The Guardians are on a mission to make Christmas unforgettable for Quill and head to Earth in search of the perfect present. The Undoing Showmax Grace, a therapist who is looking forward to publishing her first novel, comes across some startling revelations and must act fast to protect her and her son.…

This past weekend, customs officers of the SA Revenue Service (Sars) seized “possibly” counterfeit shoes (sneakers and sandals) with an estimated value of R3 million. “The Customs Detector Dog Unit (DDU) at the Lebombo border post with Mozambique searched a truck with two trailers entering South Africa. The unit found 5 237 pairs of various branded (possibly counterfeit) shoes and sandals. The items were found loaded in the back of the trailers of the truck,” Sars said in a statement. The shoes were handed over to the South African Customs State Warehouse for further processing and engagement with the relevant brand holders. Sars commissioner Edward Kieswetter hailed the customs officers and the DDU for their vigilance in preventing illicit and counterfeit goods from entering the country. “The lawful production of…

Australia all-rounder Cameron Green conceded he has not made much of an impact recently with the team playing so well, but he says he is in a “good space” and ready to play his part ahead of the Boxing Day Test against the Proteas in Melbourne. Green did not bat in the first of Australia’s two Test wins over the West Indies earlier this month, and scored just nine and five in the second match. He then hit 18 off 19 balls in the first innings of Australia’s opening Test against South Africa, and was scoreless in the second innings as the hosts wrapped up the win in just two days. He bowled only 32 overs across the three Tests, but took five catches in the field in their win…

NICK Kyrgios believes Novak Djokovic “needs to be playing at all costs”, and is happy the Serb will be allowed back into Australia to compete in the opening grand slam of the season in Melbourne next month. Djokovic was banned from returning to Australia as a consequence of being deported earlier this year over his refusal to be vaccinated. However, that decision has been reversed, and the 21-time major champion will get the opportunity to vie for a record-extending 10th Australian Open crown in a few weeks’ time. Kyrgios was one of the most outspoken players advocating for Djokovic during his deportation debacle last January, and the Australian world number 22 feels the 35-year-old’s presence is essential at every event. “I think Novak needs to be playing at all costs,”…

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag said right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka has a future at the club after the defender impressed in a 2-0 League Cup win over Burnley. United took the lead when Wan-Bissaka sent a cross into the six-yard box to set up Christian Eriksen from close range, before Marcus Rashford made it 2-0. Ten Hag said Wan-Bissaka, who has struggled with injuries this season and has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford, was slowly but surely finding his feet. “... Aaron Wan-Bissaka, it is clear he has a future (here),” an upbeat Ten Hag told reporters on Wednesday night. “He’s had some good years with United, but from the start of this season, he had a lot of illnesses and injuries, and so was running…