Table of contents for 2022-08-16 in Star

PICK N PAY in Eerste River, Cape Town, yesterday formally launched its new supermarket brand QualiSave, a chain of stores significantly different from those of its mother-brand, which will cater to emerging middle-class consumers. The difference from the traditional old-style Pick n Pay stores is very apparent in the new store. For instance, there is a large aisle dedicated to commodity foods often sold in bulk for price competitiveness, such as oil, flour, maize and beans. Another example is the fresh meat section which allows for the purchase of smaller portions, such as single sausages, to cater for lunch time trade. There is also a large frozen food section. All products and prices are particularly well postered to make shopping easier. Each QualiSave store is…

THE FOOD AND Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) Global Food Price Index presented a welcome picture of deceler- ating global prices from the peaks seen in the days and weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine, Wandile Sihlobo, the Agricultural Business Chamber’s chief economist, said yesterday. However, various risks on the horizon needed monitoring as they could impact the price direction. “We had two important data releases in the global environment these past two weeks; the FAO Global Food Price index for July 2022 and the USDA’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report,” he said. The former painted an encouraging picture of continuous softening of prices, having deteriorated by 9 percent in July from June to 141 points. This marked the fourth consecutive monthly decline, undermined by softening in the prices…

OLD MUTUAL will next week open its R2.8 billion Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) scheme to the public after shareholders on Friday approved the transaction. The Old Mutual Bula Tsela Retail Scheme (“pave the way” in Sesotho) will sell 1.29 percent of the group’s share capital to black community bene- ficiaries for as little as R10 a share. The new transformative empowerment was first announced earlier this year as an empowerment ownership scheme to enable qualifying black South Africans, including Old Mutual employees, to share in the success of the company. The deal will see Old Mutual facili- tate a share offer to individuals who don’t usually have access to these types of share schemes to invest indirectly in the Old Mutual Limited share. At the closing of…

After appearing in the six-part reality series Diamonds and Dolls, award- winning fashion blogger Paloma “Lolo” Mlunjwana has been cast in a new reality show, The Queens of Mzansi. The show follows five strong, single black women who have been tried and tested in life but still rise to wear their crowns with pride. Viewers will be given a front-row seat to these captivating personalities and their dramatic lives as they show us what it means to be a modern-day South African woman. Paloma, 35, from Zimbabwe, is best known for living the lavish life. She met her first “sugar daddy” on sugardaddy.com, a multi-millionaire who helped her elevate her life. The show’s other stars include Samkelisiwe (Samke) Mhlongo, 35, a divorced mother of two from KwaZulu-Natal, and Lucky…

South African-born singer and songwriter Jonathan Butler says he was racially profiled at American restaurant Goose & Gander after the establishment’s manager followed him to his car to find out if his group had paid a tip to the waiter who served him and his friends. The Goose & Gander is situated in Napa Valley, California, also known as wine country. Butler said: “I must say we had a great dinner. The bill came and I paid the bill, and we took care of the bill as well as the server. “As we were leaving the restaurant, the manager of the restaurant decided to follow me to my car. “I turned around and I said ‘what’s the problem’, and he asked me this question, ‘did I take care of…

POLICE are struggling with 17 bodies that remain unidentified following the floods that hit KwaZulu-Natal, parts of the Eastern Cape and the North West four months ago. This was revealed by acting head of the national Disaster Management Centre, Jurgens Dyssel, when he briefed the Ad Hoc Joint Committee on Flood Disaster Relief and Recovery on Friday. There were 457 fatalities and 82 missing people reported in KwaZulu- Natal during the floods that caused massive damage to infrastructure and the displacement of people in April. The Eastern Cape had seven reported fatalities, one person missing and three reported injuries. Dyssel said their discussions with the SAPS indicated there were 17 bodies still unidentified. “Through DNA matches they have four potential matches. The difficulty they have is apparently family matches and…

AUGUST has been dubbed Women’s Month. Most events during the month recognise the contributions of women. This year, the SAPS will host festivities marking the 50th anniversary of women in policing. It follows the enlistment of the first female police officer in 1972, former vice-principal Duveen Botha. Many non‑commissioned officers are demonstrating passion, competency and commitment in the fight against crime. Warrant Officer Njengabo Masethla is one of them. Her selflessness won the hearts of the Germiston community. Among the long list of community outreach projects she pioneered is the Gogos Club. She encouraged the grannies to make candles and create beadworks to sell for an income. She arranged for physical workout sessions, and organised with the Salvation Army to provide food parcels and donate blankets. She also established…

The attack on Salman Rushdie has been described as an attack on fundamental rights and freedoms, such as freedom of speech and creative exchange. The immediate condemnation and response by some global leaders and writers provides clear examples of their double standards and disloyalty to artistic and speech freedoms. The blatant hypocrisy in the application of democratic values, such as freedom of expression, is unashamedly apparent when it comes to the brutal occupation of Palestine by the Israeli regime; the Russian invasion of Ukraine; the scandalous book, Satanic Verses; and the infamous Danish cartoons, among other human rights and social justice issues. Why is WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in prison and being victimised? Why is it that those who support and defend Rushdie in the name of freedom of expression…

Mark Boucher says passion and emotion are running high in the Proteas camp ahead of the first Test against England starting at Lord’s tomorrow. The venue has certainly evoked a lot of wonder in what is a relatively young Proteas team, some of whom, made a first visit to the sport’s traditional home for Sunday’s training session. “It’s a great occasion,” Boucher, who played there in two Tests in 1998 and 2003, said of playing at Lord’s. “This is where legends are made. “In the changeroom you see all the names on the board. There are so many stories around those performances. “There shouldn’t be a fear factor. It’s just about us as coaches, and as a coaching staff, giving guys certain tools to deal with the pressures and emotions…

Demand for affordable energy sources escalated amid energy security crisis THUNGELA Resources shares leapt by 8 percent yesterday after the mining firm delivered another set of exceptional interim results driven by elevated benchmark coal prices and declared a whopping interim dividend of R8.2 billion. The share price traded at a high of R299 in morning trade and closed at R285.29 on the JSE yesterday, with the shares having increased by 461 percent in the past year. However, chief executive July Ndlovu flagged in an interview that Thungela’s ability to fully take advantage of the strong price environment in the first half of 2022 was hindered by Transnet Freight Rail’s continued under-performance. “A consistently well run logistics corridor between Mpumalanga and Richards Bay is crucial not only for…

RICHEMONT yesterday urged shareholders to vote against appointing a representative of activist investor Bluebell Capital Partners to the luxury goods firm’s board, citing his links to rival LVMH Moet Hennessey Louis Vuitton. Chairperson Johann Rupert asked shareholders to reject the appointment of Bluebell co-founder Francesco Trapani at the shareholders meeting on September 7, seeking to derail Bluebell’s bid to broaden representation on the board of the Cartier jewellery group. Trapani was the chief executive of Bulgari when it was bought by LVMH in 2011 and was on LVMH’s board of directors from 2011 to 2016 where he was also adviser to Bernard Arnault, its chief executive and chairperson. “LVMH is one of our company’s key competitors,” Rupert wrote in a letter to shareholders. “The board may not responsibly recommend to…

Social media sensations Oratile “Coachella Randy” Masedi, Kamohelo “Kamo WW” Pule and Kagiso Mogola were born for stardom. The trio recently launched Birth of Stars, a home-grown reality show that aims to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community and help break homosexual stigmas and stereotypes. Set to inspire young queer people from all walks of life, Birth of Stars follows the young creatives as they give viewers a sneak peek into their personal lives and share the victories and challenges they face as individuals, entrepreneurs and social media influencers. In a chat with IOL Entertainment, fashion designer and show co-founder Orapeleng Modutle said he wanted to showcase the talent of these youngsters to the world. “Starting Birth of Stars was a passion project to show the world the organic talent of these…

Estimates from the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) show that it is tougher for unemployed women to find jobs than for unemployed men. The survey’s data showed that only 4.9% of unemployed women found jobs in Quarter 4 of 2020 compared with Quarter 3 of the same year, while 7.1% of unemployed men found a job after being unemployed in the previous quarter. The survey also found that while people in short-term unemployment were more likely to find employment than those who have been unemployed for a year or longer, the long-term unemployed should not give up looking for work. Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke said: “Being discouraged due to the unavailability of jobs, or the inability to find work requiring the skills held by…

Manchester United sit bottom of the Premier League for the first time in 30 years after the second weekend of the season saw tempers flare and temperatures soar. United could not stand the heat as they conceded four times inside 35 minutes in a 4-0 humiliation at Brentford. The other side of Manchester is again sitting pretty at the top of the table as City cruised to a 4-0 win over Bournemouth. The points were shared in the game of the weekend as Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur drew 2-2 in a feisty clash that will be remembered for two altercations between managers Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte. Here, we look at three talking points from the weekend. Tuchel wins Round 1 Tuchel won the tactical battle on Conte’s return to…

The Springboks produced a Test match display they would rather forget against the All Blacks at Ellis Park at the weekend. The result was disappointing, to say the least, as the Boks should have known that the New Zealanders wouldn’t hold anything back given the horror run of results they’ve suffered this season. In saying that, it was more a case of the Boks being poor than the Kiwis being next-level good. Nevertheless, major improvement will be needed Down Under. Here, Wynona Louw looks at five players who are going to have to make a major step up in the back-to-back games against the Wallabies. Duane Vermeulen He is usually a standout for all the right reasons but at the weekend, he was poor. Playing in his first Test of…

Even with Duanne Olivier no longer available, the Proteas have more than enough resources at their disposal with the ball to hinder England’s new footloose and fancy approach. Rather than wanting to confront ‘Bazball’ with bravado, the South Africans are intrigued at how their powerful and varied line-up of bowlers will fare against Ben Stokes’ outfit. “We believe we’ve been playing a nice brand of cricket,” Proteas coach Mark Boucher said yesterday. “We are in a good space (with regards to our) bowlers and we do believe that we can pick up 20 wickets in a Test match. “We’ve shown in the past against other teams that we can and this should be no different.” Four consecutive fourth innings run chases above 270, including making 378/3 against India the last…

Cape Town City have an opportunity to belatedly kickstart their Premiership season against fellow slow starters Maritzburg United at Athlone Stadium this evening. City, who were runners-up last season, are stuck in the starting blocks with Eric Tinkler’s team suffering three consecutive defeats to Mamelodi Sundowns, Swallows FC and AmaZulu. This has left City rooted to the bottom of the table. Maritzburg, meanwhile, are also yet to record a victory this season, but have at least managed two draws against Sekhukhune United and Swallows FC. They, however, did suffer a 3-0 mauling against Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium sandwiched between them. Tinkler will certainly be hoping his team rediscovers their defensive solidity that was so crucial to their success last season. The former Bafana Bafana hardman was also critical of…

Absa GROUP lifted headline earnings a solid 27 percent to R11 billion in the first half of the year as revenue increased, demonstrating a continued recovery from the global economic downturn in 2020, and the half year dividend more than doubled to 650 cents a share. The bank, which set out a strategy in 2018 to gain market share from when it operated under former parent Barclays, saw normalised earnings from South Africa increase 27 percent to R9.22bn, while normalised earnings from the rest of Africa operations increase 36 percent to R1.77bn. First half pre-provision profit was solid, supported by revenue that rose 14 percent, underpinned by growth across its business units and supported by a strong rebound in the insurance business in South…

SPUR CORPORATION is set to deliver beefed up annual results despite high food inflation. The owner of Panarottis, John Dory’s, and RocoMamas, in a trading update for the year ended June 30, 2022 said it expected headline earnings per share to increase between 27.5 and 32.5 percent. Although economic conditions remained challenging in the face of higher inflation and severe pressure on consumer disposable income, the group said its business model continued to demonstrate its resilience. “The group achieved a strong trading performance for the year, following a recovery from the impact of the global Covid-19 pandemic in the past two years,” Spur said. Franchised restaurant sales for the reported period were 28.2 percent higher than the prior financial year and were pleasingly slightly ahead of the 2019…

Megan Thee Stallion has released her new album, Traumazine, amid her record label legal drama. The 18-song collection includes her Dua Lipa smash hit Sweetest Pie and Future-featuring Pressurelicious, plus songs with Jhené Aiko, Rico Nasty and more. Megan has declared herself “almost out” of her contract with 1501 Certified Entertainment as she claimed this was the final album she would release on the label. She told her fans on Twitter before the record’s release: “We almost out. Y’all know I always have problems with dropping my music under this label. [A]ll these games and having to go to court just to put out my art has been so stressful.” The star was counter-sued by 1501 over Something for Thee Hotties. The hitmaker filed a lawsuit against 1501 Certified Entertainment…

About 26 alleged July unrest instigators appeared in court yesterday on charges of conspiracy and incitement to commit public violence and arson, according to KwaZulu-Natal National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara. This as the former #FeesMustFall activist Bonginkosi Khanyile appeared in the Durban Regional Court yesterday for his trial, which was set to begin until August 26. Khanyile appeared on the same charges and contravention of the Disaster Management Act charges relating to the looting and violence across KZN in July last year. The activist, now a Patriotic Alliance politician, had appeared in court in February for a pre-trial conference of his criminal matter after he was released on R5 000 bail in September last year. The NPA had previously stated that during Khanyile’s last…

Watching the pictures of the April flood victims on Friday, I was heartbroken. Hundreds of men, women and children gathered together at some place, with no place to stay, no homes, no privacy and no hope for a permanent solution any time soon. They were apparently evicted from a building that had been provided to them for temporary accommodation. I wondered how long they would suffer the indignity of not being able to have a decent bath, a home-cooked meal and the warmth of a family environment. Looking at their belongings, one could see that some of them must have had good homes before the floods destroyed everything. The question that we must all ask is: What would be the best, well-organised and co-ordinated way to deal with the…

RENOWNED music powerhouse Nomfundo Moh alongside other music stars celebrated Women’s Month to highlight EQUAL as one of the Spotify programmes intended to eliminate barriers for women in the music industry. The special event was also aimed at acknowledging the importance of the growth of Spotify EQUAL Africa for artists like Moh, who have made their names known through their talent. All agreed in a panel discussion that included Phiona Okumu, Moh, Angela Weickl and Kim Sineke that in order to rewrite the women's narrative in the music industry and to make it more inclusive, education is important. They further shared that collaboration with key stakeholders and teams make it easier for female artists to knock on doors and speed up the process of inclusivity. Spotify’s mission remains to unlock…

Driven by women empowerment, radio personality Thandi Mhlongo said she had been empowered by women her entire life. She plans on empowering women of all kinds, believing women can conquer the world if they hold hands. The Gagasi FM radio presenter recalls listening to the radio every day, watching the news and being curious about the world around her. She said the women who inspired her were Noxolo Grootboom and Felicia Mabuza Suttle because of the way they were so poised, articulate, and informative. She said besides these phenomenal women, her mother had also inspired her in every way. “My mother has definitely been my biggest inspiration, from watching her work diligently at her job of being a nurse and taking care of us all. I knew I always wanted…

Ingredients For the sago pudding: 250 ml (1 cup) sago 250 ml (1 cup) cream 100g light brown sugar 180 ml (2/3 cup) Amarula liqueur 10 ml (2 tsp) vanilla For the meringue: (*optional) 4 egg whites 200g castor sugar 30ml (2 tbs) water For the orange tuile:(*optional) 125g icing sugar 125g cake flour (or gluten-free all-purpose flour) 80g butter, melted 5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla 3 egg whites Zest of 1 orange Directions: For the sago pudding: Place the sago in a bowl with 500 ml (2 cups) of water and allow to soak for 30 minutes. Drain and rinse well. In a medium pot add the soaked sago, cream and sugar and cook on a low-medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until translucent. Remove from the heat and…

LAST Thursday, the newly elected premier of KwaZulu-Natal Nomusa Dube-Ncube, the first woman in this position in the province, announced a reshuffle of the provincial executive to little surprise. Thus, she suggested what sort of legacy her premiership will create for people facing worsening living conditions, declining quality of life and growing anxiety about the basics of life. Now more than ever since 1994, all development indicators are pointing downwards. Even the rich are feeling the pinch of shrinking economic opportunities and rising costs of mere living. The poor are reeling from the economic decline after the Covid-19 pandemic. Poverty is cruel, it is deadly and creates conditions where death and desperation become even more widespread. Grinding poverty is dehumanising, forcing the poor to live a dog-eat-dog survival like animals.…

An Orlando Pirates team still reeling from the disappointment of defeat to Chippa United will have a short turnaround to dust themselves off and go again as they travel to KwaZulu-Natal for an enticing Premiership battle against Royal AM tomorrow. Here, Smiso Msomi takes a look at five duels to look forward to between Thwihli Thwahla and the Sea Robbers. Thembinkosi Lorch v Latshene Phalane New Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has been tapping into a different side of Lorch’s game, as he features as one of two attacking midfielders entrusted with combining with the designated striker. Lorch’s new-found role will frequently see him duel with Royal’s Latshene Phalane, who is undoubtedly the club’s first-choice central defensive midfielder. Phalane’s defensive resolution will be put to the test against Lorch. Kwameh Peprah…

Kaizer Chiefs’ spectacular fall from grace may play into the hands of CAF, who are faced with a dilemma since the whole of the African continent is crying out for their teams to be included in the cash-flushed CAF Super League (CSL). When the Super League was first mooted, there was a strong case for three South African sides to be included because of their history and the current playing strength of Mamelodi Sundowns. Orlando Pirates have already won the Champions League, and over the years Chiefs have fostered a huge following on the continent. These days, however, Chiefs are a pale shadow of the team that was hero-worshipped around Africa. Over the weekend, Amakhosi suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat at the hands of Sundowns, who have won the Premiership…