Table of contents for SW-2021-04-08 in Star

Adapt IT said yesterday it had entered in an agreement for Volaris to make an offer to acquire up to 100 percent of Adapt IT for a cash consideration of R6.50 per Adapt IT share.The consideration represented a premium of 56.9 percent to the 30-day volume weighted average traded price of Adapt IT shares of R4.14, as at January 26, 2021, being the last trading date prior to the date on which an unsolicited general offer by Huge Group to Adapt IT shareholders was announced. Volaris specialises in vertical market software companies and is an operating group of Toronto listed Constellation Software Inc. which has a market cap in excess of $25 billion. Meanwhile, Huge Group said yesterday it had been granted an extension to April 16 to circulate its…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za BUSINESS confidence in South Africa fell to a four-month low in March as the economy battled to gather upward momentum on prevailing uncertainty over intermittent lockdowns. The SA Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) said yesterday that the business confidence index (BCI) dropped to 94 points in March from 94.3 points in February. This was the lowest reading in the BCI since last November 2020 and after reaching a two-year high in January 2021. Sacci said the business climate had remained constricted due to continuing economic uncertainty. It said the prospects of a further lockdown in the offing with rumours of a third wave of infections becoming prevalent was also contributing to the negative climate. Sacci chief executive Alan Mukoki said the government needed to…

Lizzo has revealed she's hoping to make collaborations with Harry Styles and Rihanna happen. The Good As Hell hitmaker revealed she was planning to phone the Golden hitmaker – who she has become great pals with – over the weekend to plan a duet with the 27-year-old pop star. She told fans on Instagram Live: “New music is mother******* coming. “Are you and Harry going to collab? I have a collab with him this weekend. I’m going to call him.” The Truth Hurts hitmaker also has a song she has written for her and the Work hitmaker that she wants to try and get the 33-year-old Bajan superstar to lay down her vocals on. She said: “Rihanna is busy but you know what is crazy? “I have been wanting to…

BULL S5, M-NET, DSTV CHANNEL 101, 8.35PM In the fifth exciting season, psychologist and trial science expert Dr Jason Bull faces his toughest case yet. When a major secret of his religious leader client is revealed, will Bull be able to save face in court and – more importantly – what will the impact be on his consulting firm, whose entire business relies on giving aid to jurors during trials? BEACHFRONT BARGAIN HUNT RENOVATION S2 , REALTIME, DSTV CHANNEL 155, 3PM A relaxing getaway with an oceanfront view is only a renovation away for families on the hunt for a home away from home that has beach access and is affordable. Each episode follows the progress toward purchasing a fixer-upper, which the family then transforms into their very own…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za THE SA College of Applied Psychology (Sacap) has committed to helping educators manage Covid-19 burnout and stress by hosting a free mental health toolkit webinar for all South African teachers. Sacap said today that for most teachers, with their learners’ futures at stake, trying to teach effectively during this health crisis was a constant, heart-wrenching battle. As a result, Sacap has invited all teachers to join a free mental health toolkit webinar this weekend, highlighting the unique challenges teachers are facing and presenting solutions to help them improve their learners’ and their own emotional well-being. The webinar, which takes place on Saturday, will include a panel discussion with registered counselling psychologist and Sacap educator Clare Chester, educational psychologist Dr Anne Govender and educational and research psychologist and…

BONGANI NKOSI bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za A MAN who stabbed his lover to death in front of her two children has been handed a 25-year jail term and spared a life sentence on grounds that he was a first time offender. Jan Mafa learnt his fate at the Middelburg High Court this week after being found guilty of the gruesome murder of Mapula Moremi, his girlfriend. He stabbed Moremi several times with a table knife at her Driefontein, Mpumalanga, home while her minor two boys watched helplessly. While she was dying, Mafa made off with her money and a bag of snacks. Acting Judge Hein Brauckmann found Mafa guilty of murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances. The judge handed out the sentence this week, slapping Mafa with 25 years for murder and 15…

Peter Bachtis | Benoni THE ill-conceived notion that the ANC could morph into a meaningful political party post 1994 has proven to be both misguided and pie in the sky idealism. A whole generation later, the country is in dire financial straits brought upon by catastrophic incompetence. The never-ending list of failing state entities, coupled to blatant corrupt activities, exposed daily, by the intelligent media, should be spurring the nation on to remove this so-called revolutionary party because they collectively redefine the word “hopeless”. The good ship RSA is now rudderless, as it’s battered by storms of its own making with no safe port in sight.…

Tom Mhlanga | Braamfontein IF THE reports about supporters of former president Jacob Zuma and ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule are true, then we should be worried. These people are planning a national shutdown in support of these two leaders who are both facing charges of corruption. Zuma is also involved in a tug-of-war with the Zondo Commission. The question is: why are people so hell-bent in protecting these two individuals? Clearly, those who are supporting them either are involved in acts of corruption or are potentially looters. It is unimaginable that in a country that is at war in the fight against corruption there are leaders who support those facing corruption charges. If we are serious about this fight, these two must be left to face the music…

ONE hundred years ago, the great Irish poet Yeats wrote these famous alarming words: “Things fall apart. The centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.” They have been much quoted, by President Thabo Mbeki, and by Chinua Achebe, in the title of his celebrated novel. Yeats was recording the terrifying chaos of World War I, but the sentiment continues to have resonance. The simplistic antithesis of “anarchy” is “law and order”, a set phrase which does not examine too closely either the justice of the law in question or the nature of the political order. Closer to home there is the proliferation of protests of all sorts, the unrest of what Moeletsi Mbeki has termed the underclass, protests usually turning violent. Thus service delivery protests often involve…

Zintle Mahlati zintle.mahlati@inl.co.za Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize says the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated already existing health-care inequalities. Mkhize was speaking at a World Health Day event yesterday. The minister said the pandemic had brought into sharp focus the need for the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI) plan. “The universal health coverage agenda is critical for our context, as further highlighted by the current pandemic. The implementation of NHI is seen as a critical intervention that will assist in restructuring the core components of the health system,” he said. Mkhize said there was also an urgent need to expand Africa’s vaccine manufacturing capabilities. He said the continent could not be left to rely on other countries. Aspen pharmaceuticals is a company in Africa with the capability to manufacture…

Willem vd Putte willem.vdputte@inl.co.za I”M going to stick my neck out here and say that Ford’s Ranger Raptor is probably the most well balanced double cab currently on the market. Here’s the caveat though. For what it’s been designed to do and for my needs and lifestyle I wouldn’t entertain anything else. Don’t get me wrong, I like the opposition bakkies but if I could fork out the money, the Raptor will have pride of place in the garage. We recently returned our long-termer and I was lucky enough to put it through some tough and hectic situations that included mud, rocks, soft sand, river beds, water crossings, towing and general 4x4 challenges. Would another bakkie have done it? Probably, but you would have had to spend a good few thousand…

Dr Marda Horn and Anthea-Lee September-Van Huffel THE Minister of Justice, Constitutional Development and Correctional Services, together with the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform announced on March 1 that the Land Court Bill had been approved by the Cabinet for submission to Parliament. Although the bill has not been published, the announcement made reference to several important provisions in the bill in as far as it could affect the effective determination of disputes around land in our country. Should the proposed provisions be properly implemented, this may prove an important step towards increasing the effectiveness of land reform and the alleviation of socio-economic challenges linked to the unequal distribution of land and land resources. The bill originates from the recommendations of the Presidential Advisory Panel…

European and British medicine regulators said yesterday they had found possible links between AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine and reports of very rare cases of brain blood clots, in a setback for inoculation campaigns. A British government advisory group said the vaccine should not be given to the under-30s where possible, though an official said this was “really out of the utmost caution, rather than because we have any serious safety concerns”. More than a dozen countries have suspended use of the vaccine, which has been given to tens of millions of people in Europe, after reports linking it to blood clotting in a few dozen recipients. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said it was “reminding health-care professionals and people receiving the vaccine to remain aware of the possibility of very rare…

ABIDJAN: Ex-president Laurent Gbagbo and his former right-hand man Charles Ble Goude are “free to return to Ivory Coast when they want” after they were definitively acquitted of crimes against humanity, President Alassane Ouattara said yesterday. Ouattara spoke a week after the International Criminal Court (ICC) upheld Gbagbo’s acquittal, with appeals judges confirming that he was finally in the clear over a wave of post-electoral violence in 2010/11. Gbagbo was the first head of state to stand trial at The Hague. More than 3 000 people were killed in the brief civil war which followed Ivory Coast’s 2010 presidential election, when Gbagbo disputed the results. The 77-year-old has been positioning himself for a potential comeback since last year. | AFP…

HONG KONG: Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai and two pro-democracy activists pleaded guilty yesterday to charges of participating in an illegal march during mass anti-government protests in 2019. The plea of guilty to joining the citywide unlawful protest on August 31 that year comes a week after Lai and six more activists were found guilty in a separate court case over unauthorised assembly. The maximum punishment is five years. Lai has been a frequent visitor to Washington. Other cases facing him include charges of colluding with foreign forces. | Reuters…

UNDERSTANDABLY, the absence of Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, David Miller, Quinton de Kock and Lungi Ngidi from the series deciding ODI against Pakistan yesterday angered a lot of South Africans. “Country first” is the argument, backed up by “international cricket is the highest form of the game”. It made Proteas captain Temba Bavuma’s job a little bit harder. That quintet took 371 ODI caps’ worth of experience with them on their chartered flight to Mumbai on Monday. In addition, Miller and De Kock had been crucial performers in the win last Sunday that tied the series – and were in form – while Nortje’s been the best bowler in the series. SA’s starting XI yesterday contained a total of 154 caps. From a Pakistan perspective, they might have looked at…

MIHLALI BALEKA @Mihlalibaleka BANYANA Banyana ace Thembi Kgatlana is relishing the opportunity of being back in the national team structures and working with youngsters after an impressive stint with Spanish Primera Division side SD Eibar. Kgatlana has enjoyed unprecedented success at Eibar, a side she joined in June last year from Portuguese outfit Benfica FC. In 20 appearances for the club in all competitions, the 24-year-old striker has notched 10 goals. Kgatlana’s contribution has put Eibar 12th on the standings with 26 points, nine ahead of the bottom-placed Deportivo and 30 behind leaders FC Barcelona. Nonetheless, with the league on pause due to the Fifa break, Kgatlana says she’s happy to be back at home. “I think for me it’s about physicality,” said Kgatlana about what she’s learnt from her…

Gift Tlou gift.tlou@inl.co.za THE CITY of Ekurhuleni Metro Municipality is the latest institution to find itself caught up in the saga of a baby exhumation for DNA testing. And legal teams for President Cyril Ramaphosa, national police commissioner Khehla Sitole and the national Department of Health have had their fair share of challenges debating the matter in court. This comes after a Daveyton mother, Zizipho Ranuga, claimed that Far East Rand Hospital wrongfully gave her a deceased child, whom she was pushed to bury. Ranuga turned to Marweshe Attorneys, who have been resolute in their fight against the big figures. Ranuga said: “I’m really pleased that we have come to this point. Finally it seems like something will be done and people will be brought to the book. At least…

Thabile Mange | Krugersdorp THE ANC has been in existence for more than 100 years, making it one of the oldest political parties in Africa. It has survived many a storm. However, the governing party is now imploding. The pertinent question is: will it survive the next 20 years? There is no easy answer. There are two cliques within the ANC: CR17 and RET (radical economic transformation forces). CR17 is led by President Cyril Ramaphosa and RET by the secretary-general Ace Magashule. The fight within the ANC is not about service delivery or ideological differences, but access to state resources. Magashule is facing criminal charges dating back to his time when he was Free State premier. The ANC has asked him and others facing serious criminal charges to…

Dr Michael Schaaf | Sandton I refer to the comment by Flora Teckie (“We need science, religion”) in yesterday’s paper. Religion is not a “knowledge system”, as the author claims. It is a man-made belief system. You don’t have to believe in God to act responsibly and morally. In the world of science, there are quite a few people who are role models for moral integrity. There are, however, only three scientists I can think of in the last century that combined social engagement, moral integrity and scientific genius: Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr and Andrei Sakharov. None of them believed in a personal God.…

ZELDA VENTER zelda.venter@inl.co.za WHEN he held the newborn in his arms, he realised that he had not appreciated the psychological effect of his sperm donation when he entered into the donorship agreement. While the man who donated sperm to a same-sex couple played an active role in his son’s life up to now, the couple no longer want him in the child’s life. The boy will turn 5 later this year. The man, who cannot be identified to safeguard the rights of the child, and his mother, will turn to the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, next week in the first part of their legal bid to have access to the child. They want immediate contact with the child, pending an investigation by the Family Advocate to determine what the…

Several influential reports on the state of the global economy indicate that leadership will be the decisive factor in organisational and national performance. From this largely macro-economic perspective and on the basis of international comparative economic data, much emphasis is placed on the circular economy and the need for a closer cooperation between government, civil society and business. There is a call for a new social contract and agile leadership, with specific reference to the Covid-19 pandemic. There is also dire need for governments to adapt to the new imperatives of modern management techniques alongside advanced technology, highly skilled labour and the digital era. Similarly, there have also been calls from the World Bank and prominent economists such as Milton Friedman and Michael Porter for the radical downsizing of governments.…

LONDON: Police arrested seven people outside the London headquarters of Barclays yesterday after climate change activists broke windows to protest the role of the financial sector in climate change. The activists from the Extinction Rebellion group used hammers to break the windows and then pasted the message “In Case of Climate Emergency Break Glass” on the front of the bank’s building. The group accused the bank of “continued investments in activities that are directly contributing to the climate and ecological emergency”. A spokesperson for Barclays said: “We have made a commitment to align our entire financing portfolio to the goals of the Paris Agreement.” Last week activists splashed black dye on the facade of the Bank of England. | Reuters…

KHARTOUM: An uneasy calm was restored to the capital of Sudan’s West Darfur state yesterday, residents said, after five days of fighting between Arab and Masalit tribesmen in which scores of people were killed. A local doctors’ committee said 87 people had been killed and 191 injured since Saturday in the fighting in the city, El Geneina. The violence is a new flare-up of a conflict that saw deadly clashes earlier this year and in 2019. Residents said the streets had grown quieter, with government troops deployed for the first time since a state of emergency had been called on Monday. But the humanitarian situation remains dire, with thousands of people in the streets, having sought refuge after a camp for displaced people was burnt down during the fighting.…

A week of rioting in Northern Ireland is the first evidence Brexit turbulence may be boiling into unrest in the British province, where post-EU rules are stoking fury among pro-UK sections. The unrest emanates from the unionist community – which believes in Northern Ireland’s status as part of the UK – and where some feel a new post-Brexit “protocol” is an existential threat. Last week violence flared in the city of Londonderry, before spreading to the capital Belfast and outlying areas over Easter weekend and into Monday. Small bands of masked males set cars alight and tossed petrol bombs and masonry at police, injuring 41 officers. Police formed ranks with riot shields and armoured vehicles to retake the streets, arresting teens and young adults. “There is no doubt that Brexit…

EDWARD WEST edward.west@inl.co.za REBOSIS Property Fund’s share price shot up more than 34 percent yesterday after the group said it was in negotiations with local and offshore institutions and pension funds for a deal that “could change the financial matrix of Rebosis and crystallise value for shareholders”. This follows a fractious shareholder meeting at the end of February where two large shareholders went into a dispute – the Amatolo Trust, which is controlled by Rebosis founder Sisa Ngebulana, and Zunaid Moti. Ngebulana held about 26 percent of Rebosis, while Moti also claimed he was unfairly barred from voting on certain resolutions. The group has struggled over the past three years, as evidenced by its share price, which traded at 31 cents yesterday after falling steadily from R8.41…

Sandile Mchunu sandile.mchunu@inl.co.za TWK INVESTMENTS, a diversified agriculture and forestry company, yesterday reported a 41.8 percent surge in profits after tax to R89.53 million in the six months to end February and expects a good second-half ahead. The group, which operates in a number of divisions that include timber, retail and mechanisation, financial services, grain and vehicles and tyres, is listed on the ZARX exchange. Chief executive André Myburgh said the diversity of the firm’s income streams provided resilience amid the Covid-19 pandemic. “Noteworthy contributors to the improved results came from the Sawmills, BedRock mining timber, Sunshine Seedlings, general trade and the fertiliser divisions, translating into a 41.8 percent increase in profit after tax. With the careful management of working capital and cost-saving initiatives, TWK has been…

THE Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) told MPs yesterday that it was not within its authority to extend the terms of councillors or post- pone elections amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The electoral body made this clear when it was briefing the co-operative governance and traditional affairs portfolio committee on its readiness to hold the upcoming municipal elections. Briefing the committee, chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said once the consultative process was finalised, Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma would take the country into her confidence in terms of the precise election day. He told MPs that elections would take place within 90 days of the expiry of the five-year term of the current councillors. “For the 2021 local government elections, that 90-day window starts on August 4 and…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za THE ICONIC heritage site in Sandton which served as a secret headquarters for South Africa’s underground liberation movement in the 1960s is calling for financial assistance to stay afloat. Between 1961 and 1963, Liliesleaf Farm in Rivonia served as the secret headquarters and nerve centre of the ANC, the SACP, Umkhonto weSizwe and the Congress Alliance. The location further cemented its place in South Africa’s history when in July 1963, the apartheid police raided the farm and arrested 10 leaders who were the core leadership of the underground liberation movement. The raid set the stage for the Rivonia Trial, where Nelson Mandela and other Struggle stalwarts, including Walter Sisulu, Govan Mbeki and Ahmed Kathrada, were found guilty of sabotage. Today, Liliesleaf is a heritage site which is…

SONRI NAIDOO NURSING students in the public sector continue to express their frustration with the Department of Health, claiming the government’s new bursary system is exploitative. They say the system is “motivated by greed”, and described it as a “poor funding model”. The South African nursing education system was restructured in 2010, changing student nurses from supernumerary status to bursary holders. This saw the introduction of a new bursary system that removed certain benefits such as a pension fund, medical aid scheme and performance bonuses. The students also receive a stipend which they claim is not enough for accommodation, food, transport, textbooks and their uniform. Megan Baker, now in her third year of nursing studies at the University of Johannesburg, said the past years had been frustrating for her…

Women need to lead the charge to topple the age-old dominant system of patriarchy NATIONAL governments of most countries have put in place an enabling policy and legislative framework for gender equality. However, progress in the advancement of women to top leadership positions continues to be slow. To address the problem, quotas for women in leadership positions have been advanced as a solution, but the reality is that most women lack confidence to take these positions, because of the damage done to them by patriarchy. A major paradigm shift in the mindset of women is necessary, so that they can adopt empowering beliefs in their potential to be great leaders instead of followers. Leadership attributes come naturally to men because they are programmed to be leaders from the day they…

HOW did South Africa’s struggling rail commuter network, the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa), get to where it is, requiring billions to fix its infrastructure? It has been crippled by widespread vandalism, said to have cost an estimated R4 billion in the past few years. During level 5 of the Covid-19 lockdown last year, the commuter service was suspended, with only skeleton staff on duty. This led to further destruction of its infrastructure. Commenting on the damage, Prasa Board chairperson Leonard Ramatlakane admitted it was a mistake to have left stations unguarded. “We should have done something better to prevent that, but we could not see it coming,” he told the media. How could Prasa not have seen this coming? Vandalism, theft and infrastructure damage has plagued the stations…

TEHRAN: Iran’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday an Iranian ship, the Saviz, had been attacked in the Red Sea, a day after reports that the vessel had been hit with limpet mines. “The explosion … caused minor damage with no casualties,” the ministry said. It is the latest in a series of reported attacks on Israeli or Iranian-owned ships since late February, for which the two sides have each accused. Israeli defence minister Benny Gantz said: “We have offensive systems operating 24/7, 365 days a year and they are ready to go into action.” Iran has refused to recognise Israel since its Islamic Revolution in 1979 that toppled the US-backed Shah. Israel sees Iran’s nuclear programme as a threat to its existence. | Reuters…

Islamabad: Pakistan rights campaigners have accused Prime Minister Imran Khan of “baffling ignorance” after the ex-playboy cricket star blamed how women dress for a rise in rape. In a television interview, Oxford-educated Khan said an increase in rapes indicated the “consequences in any society where vulgarity is on the rise”. Hundreds signed an online statement yesterday calling Khan’s comments “incorrect, insensitive and dangerous”. Pakistan’s Human Rights Commission said it was “appalled” by the comments. | AFP…

Ethiopia said yesterday that it would not be deterred from impounding water at its Nile mega-dam, despite an impasse with downstream countries worried about their water supply. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has been a source of tension in the Nile River basin ever since Ethiopia broke ground on it in 2011. Downstream neighbours Egypt and Sudan view the dam as a threat because of their dependence on Nile waters, while Ethiopia considers it essential for its electrification and development. The latest round of talks concluded on Tuesday in Kinshasa with no resolution to long-running disputes over how the dam will be operated. But Ethiopian water minister Seleshi Bekele said yesterday that Ethiopia would continue filling the dam’s massive reservoir during the rainy season, which normally begins in June or…