Table of contents for 2022-09-08 in Star

DISCOVERY lifted profit 70 percent to R5.48 billion in the year to June 30, but the share price got hammered after no dividend was declared. Yesterday morning, the share price was trading 8.08 percent lower at R113.20 on the JSE, even though Discovery’s directors reported that earnings growth had come from strong operating profit and new business growth in South Africa and the UK, and from a particularly good performance from Discovery Life. Directors blamed the lack of a dividend due to market uncertainty. @TradersFrans said on Twitter about Discovery yesterday: “Brilliant results and then decided not to pay any dividends …” @SoulFairy3 tweeted: “Down 10 percent today. Still no dividend …” @Heyngwa tweeted: “Pretax profit is up 66 percent. Traders are apparently just…

Film and television icon Connie Chiume is celebrating yet another spectacular milestone. Taking to her Instagram recently, the Black Is King actress shared with her 200K followers that she will be receiving a honorary Hollywood and African Prestigious Awards (Hapa) accolade for her immense contribution to the entertainment industry for over four decades. Chiume will be honoured with the International Lifetime Achievement Award at the Hapa ceremony, set to take place in the US next month. The ceremony honours outstanding talents across different genres in music, movies, comedy, fashion, sport and the arts. “2 lifetime Awards in a space of two months? God, thank you! Flying to the USA this October – I cannot wait,” shared Chiume. “Thank you @hapawards for the recognition and honour.” Fans and industry colleagues congratulated…

TSHWANE residents need not resort to violent protests to request service delivery. Instead, they should submit their grievances to council’s Petitions Committee, which deals with the needs of the people. To drive home this message, the deputy director for petitions and memorandums in the Office of the Speaker, Khaya Daki, yesterday led the launch of a roadshow to create awareness about the more effective way to raise and request services. The city has acknowledged thatmost of the public was not informed about their constitutional right to submit petitions about any issues, which gives them a tracking number and an opportunity to participate in service delivery. Daki said they started the roadshow with the open-top bus in Soshanguve and Mabopane, educating members of the public about how a petition worked…

Banks in South Africa have come under criticism for overstepping their mandates by freezing bank accounts of individuals suspected of using them for illegal purposes instead of reporting such alleged irregularities to the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC). This was raised by Gardee Godrich Attorneys yesterday during a parliamentary session hosted by a select committee on finance to look into regulations on the closure of bank accounts. The National Treasury, Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) and Prudential Authority were summoned by the committee to answer issues raised by Gardee Godrich Attorneys, which is representing thousands of people who have allegedly suffered discrimination by the banks in a pending class-action suit at the Equality Court. The law firm highlighted that the banks had a duty under the Financial Intelligence Centre Act, Act…

That 40% of murders are perpetrated with firearms is nothing new (IOL, August 22). It has been a constant 40% for at least two decades, irrespective of the murder rate. But Police Minister Bheki Cele implies that it’s because of firearms when, in fact, the murder rate depends on factors not related to the availability of weapons, and if one weapon is not available, another will be used. If I were to answer every point of your 1 000-word article, my letter would be too long to publish, and that is a disadvantage that we, of the opposing view, have to accept when rebutting articles of this sort. In the interest of fairness, Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation executive director Annah Moyo-Kupeta has not used this…

Small-scale fishers (SSF) in the Western Cape are up in arms after the Department of Forestry, Fisheries And The Environment announced a new process for small-scale fisheries rights allocation commences this month to replace the “wholly inadequate” 2016-2019 process. While the new process was welcomed by the SSF sector after the many challenges and conflicts the 2016-2019 process caused, the fishers believe the department’s restriction that the new process will be opened only to those who applied in 2016 (to avoid further delays by completely reopening up the process) was unacceptable. Department spokesperson Albi Modise said the Western Cape High Court set aside the 2016-2019 process of awarding small-scale fishing rights in the province last month after an internal audit concluded that the verification process was “wholly inadequate”. SA United…

MOST Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) holders do not qualify to apply for alternative visas, the Zimbabwe community in South Africa has said. The South African government extended the Zimbabwean Exemption Permits for a further six months, from December 31, 2022 to June 30, 2023, to give ZEP holders a chance to apply for alternative visas. The Department of Home Affairs said there would be no extension after June 2023. Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Community in South Africa, Nqabutho Mabhena, said they welcomed the extension but that it was not easy to apply for alternative visas. “It is not easy to apply to move to other visas because the majority of the holders of ZEP are people of low skill. “We have challenges with people that work as domestic workers, those…

Red Bull-owned AlphaTauri condemned “accusations of foul play” against the Formula One team and Red Bull’s head of strategy after Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda’s retirement in Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix led to online abuse. Tsunoda triggered a virtual safety car (VSC) when he stopped by the side of the track, an incident that ultimately helped Red Bull's race winner and runaway championship leader Max Verstappen. Mercedes’ seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton angrily told his team over the radio during the race at Zandvoort that “that VSC has stuffed us”. The sequence of events was bizarre, with the Japanese initially pulling over because he feared a wheel was loose and then returning to the pits – from where he was sent out again and promptly stopped. AlphaTauri said this week they…

Orlando Pirates’ new defensive hardman Tapelo Xoki has happily embraced the demands at his new club and has challenged his teammates to halt the dominance of an all-conquering Mamelodi Sundowns. The 27-year-old arrived at the Sea Robbers at the beginning of the campaign following an impressive last two seasons with AmaZulu where he had been since 2014, making a total of 138 appearances and scoring nine goals while also captaining the side for two years. The towering central defender possesses one of the most unique traits for someone from the backline – the ability to convert free-kicks around the box – which caught the eye of Pirates. The Cape Town-born Xoki has shared his ambitions and goals while in the colours of Pirates, and his determination to bring the club…

How about this for a Bulls back-three in the United Rugby Championship (URC): Kurt-Lee Arendse, Canan Moodie and Sbu Nkosi … Such an exhilarating trio would make rugby romantics’ hearts flutter. And with coach Jake White showing during last year’s run to the URC final that he gives his backs licence to thrill on attack, there could again be an avalanche of electrifying tries scored by the Pretoria outfit. White may have to wait to see them line up together, though, with Moodie currently on tour with the Springboks after making an excellent debut against the Wallabies in Sydney last week, while Arendse is still serving his four-week suspension for a red card received against the All Blacks. Nkosi will hope to make a big impression at the start of…

THE SHARE price of South Africa’s biggest food producer, Tiger Brands, fell by 8 percent yesterday after it announced that it was recalling its Purity Essentials baby powder pro- ducts as a precautionary measure, after traces of asbestos were detected in test samples. The share price of the firm, which has a market cap of roughly R30 billion, fell to a low of R149.57 on the statement, but recovered later in the day. Products forming part of this recall included the 100g, 200g and 400g pack sizes of Purity Essentials baby powder, the company said. “The batch of raw material with the detected trace levels of asbestos does not meet the company’s strict quality and safety standards. Matters of quality and safety are an absolute priority for Tiger…

THE PUBLIC Investment Corporation (PIC) said yesterday it has been told by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) that its former chief financial officer, Matshepo More, must be reinstated to her former position. This after the PIC – which manages R2.2 trillion in government pension and social funds on behalf of the Government Employees Pension Fund, the Unemployment Insurance Fund and the Compensation Fund – received the Arbitration Award from the CCMA in the matter between the PIC and More. More was suspended in 2019 on full pay on charges that she had neglected her duties. In October 2021 the PIC board terminated More’s services following a disciplinary process. She subsequently approached the CCMA for relief. The CCMA has ruled that More should be reinstated…

ANC regional chairperson in Johannesburg, Dada Morero, has denied allegations made by the DA and other opposition parties that the ANC had bribed members of the city council to support its motion of no confidence against council speaker Vasco da Gama, who was voted out of the city council last week. On Tuesday, the DA’s Solly Msimanga alleged that brown envelopes had circulated in the basement of the council chambers before the seventh ordinary sitting that resulted in Da Gama’s removal as the council speaker. The allegations and counter-allegations between the two parties come a few days before another planned motion of no confidence against Joburg mayor Mpho Phalatse is being planned by the ANC and other opposition parties. Morero has dismissed the allegations of bribery, saying the party is…

DR MAKGABO Manamela, former head of the mental health directorate at the Gauteng Department of Health during the Life Esidimeni saga in 2016, could face possible arrest if she did not pitch at the Life Esidimeni inquest hearing next week. The North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, yesterday authorised a warrant of arrest for her, but it was ordered that it be held over to September 14. This is after a sick note was handed to court saying Manamela was being booked off sick until September 13. She did not take the stand for the third consecutive day in the inquest hearing into the deaths of mental health patients. No details were given for her medical condition, but her lawyer, Ndivhoniswani Makhani, on Monday said they were busy finalising her statement…

A MAN who has lived in South Africa for 40 years after he fled to here in the early 1980s following the political assassination of his father, is one step closer to officially calling the country his home. He had been rendered stateless, both here and in his country of birth, Lesotho. This meant he could not work lawfully here or own a bank account. The man, only identified as Mr K as he asked The Star’s sister newspaper, the Pretoria News, not to divulge his identity (although he did not mind his picture being published), had been unsuccessful in his struggle with Home Affairs for several years to provide him with an identity. The department ignored his pleas, and he turned to the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, this…

If you’re keen to test your physical fitness and mental stamina, while also standing the chance to win a brand new Toyota Fortuner 2.4 GD-6 4x2, then be sure to enter the Toyota Fortuner Challenge. What can we expect from this year’s event? No one knows for sure, but glancing back at the 2021 event gives us a good idea of how challenging, as well as rewarding, this competition can be. Last year’s event was won by pilot Anneri Kemp, who emerged as the first female winner of the competition. She had paired up with Dakar star Giniel de Villiers, who will again be one of the celebrity heroes this year, alongside Oupa Mohoje, Grace Motswana and Bianca Buitendag. Last year’s Fortuner Challenge kicked off at the Kloofzicht Lodge &…

Assuming the presidency on the heels of his predecessor Jacob Zuma, whose tenure was characterised by widespread corruption and fraud, Cyril Ramaphosa vowed to bring a new dawn in the South African government by renewing the ANC as both non-state actor and the governing party. After all, Zuma’s tenure had culminated in the establishment of the State Capture Commission to probe the nefarious practices committed during what is now described as the “nine wasted years”. However, a glance at actual events on the ground since his appointment show that Ramaphosa’s presidency has ushered-in a new dawn of no accountability presided over by him as the president of the ANC and government. The news that broke out recently that Ramaphosa failed to report a robbery that took place at his Phala…

What’s Dean Elgar’s perspective on the third Test against England that starts today (12pm SA time)? “It’s the biggest Test I’ve been involved with since I took over as captain,” Elgar said. “I think the players sense that. It’s like a World Cup final for us, that’s how I’m viewing it.” South Africa, as we all know, will play fewer Tests in the next few years, and after this summer’s series Down Under, play their next three-match Test series in four years’ time. Test matches will become incredibly rare and for someone like Proteas captain Elgar, who is not involved in the limited-overs formats, it means each match is extremely valuable. “You’ve got to play every Test like it’s your last,” he said. The final Test of a strange series…

SHOPRITE did not offer the highest price for its proposed merger with Massmart. They were offering to take the full perimeter and thus avoid job losses. Shoprite’s offer was below the book value of the assets being purchased, according to outgoing Massmart chief executive Mitchell Slape. Slape said the full perimeter did not mean just the targeted stores. It includes a meat plant, and fresh produce packing facilities, which are internally focused on producing for the targeted stores as part of this perimeter. According to Slape, the below-the-book value offer Shoprite made is going to result in a write-down for Massmart. “Shoprite was so prepared to proceed to the next phase without knowing the impact of the civil unrest on the target business,” he said. Massmart was negatively affected by…

SABC2 drama series Muvhango is celebrating its 25th anniversary and is looking for fresh faces. Muvhango’s production company, Word Of Mouth, said they were casting the net wide and would be hosting auditions in Limpopo to cast actors. The show is calling for males aged 30-40 and women who are 50 plus to audition for two roles. Actress Azwi Rambuda, who plays Mpho in the show, said the campaign aimed to revive the show and bring new talent to the small screen. “One of the (production’s) ethos is opening up the industry, introducing new talent. “I am the product of that.” The auditions will be held today at Phalaphala FM in Polokwane at 9am. The show will have more auditions in Thohoyandou at the MGB Hotel in Sibasa at…

AS THE trial looking into the murder of Senzo Meyiwa continued in the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria yesterday, the State’s first witness, Sergeant Thabo Johannes Mosia, continued to assert he did nothing wrong and treated the scene like any other. Mosia, a forensic officer attached to the Springs Criminal Record and Crime Scene management division, testified on his last day on the witness stand that he had left the murder scene where Meyiwa was shot to attend to two other crime scenes. He told advocate Zandile Mshololo, the defence counsel for Sifisokuhle Ntuli, that he attended to a complaint of a business robbery in Zonkizizwe and a case of arson in Vosloorus wherein there was only one injury. Mshololo questioned why the officer did this, as he had left…

The global theme for this year’s World Rabies Day, taking place on September 28, is “Rabies: One Health, Zero Deaths”. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), rabies is estimated to cause 59 000 human deaths annually in over 150 countries, with 95% of cases occurring in Africa and Asia. It is possible to do away with human deaths that result from rabies through a concerted vaccination effort. The Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC) goal is “Zero by 30,” which means zero deaths by 2030. “The environment, human health, animal health and the human-animal bond are all factors we need to consider when addressing rabies,” said Dr Tarryn Dent, business unit lead: companion animals at Zoetis South Africa, a global animal health company. “Healthy pets impact human health, both…

A WARRANT of arrest has been issued for Donovan Manuel, accused number two in the case involving King Khoisan (previously Chief Khoisan SA). Khoisan has been accused of dealing in, and being in possession of, dagga. The leader of the Khoisan group camping at the Union Buildings for more than three years was arrested in January for planting dagga. National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said the matter of Khoisan could not proceed as accused number two was absent. A warrant for his arrest was immediately issued. “The Khoisan translator was not available due to incorrect documents being sent to him. Laboratory report was also not available. Defence strongly and vigorously objected to an application for further postponement but court granted the state a postponement.” Mahanjana said the matter…

RENOWNED actor and musician Innocent Masuku has come out stronger with hopes to reconnect and get opportunities after going through a detrimental phase of drug abuse. Many know him for characters he portrayed on local television shows such as Yizo Yizo and Tshisa. Masuku spoke on Podcast and Chill with MacG, where he got candid about his journey to overcoming his drug addiction. Masuku played the most loved character of Bobo on Yizo Yizo, a high school drug addict. While his career was on an upward trajectory, with many viewers gravitating towards his on-screen personality, things took a bad turn after his own drug addiction. Having lost a substantial amount of money and valuables, supporting a drug habit, he explained to the podcast hosts how it all led to where…

The lifting of Covid-19 pandemic protocols has made things easier and more thrilling for local artists, and as a result, the South African entertainment industry has witnessed many local artists take over global stages, introducing their locally-made music classics to the world. A few days ago, famous rapper Refiloe “Cassper Nyovest” Phoolo excitedly announced that he was jetting off to the UK, where he later revealed he met some of his idols. Keeping his fans in the loop, Nyovest took to Twitter with details about the night that saw him mingle with American rapper Busta Rhymes. “Last night was a crazy London edition. Honoured an invite from a friend, and I turned it into a legendary night. Not only did I party with my dude Dave Chappelle, but I got…

IT’S been a good few months for Chinese brand Haval. Their sales graph is showing a steady upward trend, their cars are being well received by the public and now they have a sporty car in the mix as well. The H6 GT provides a twist to the standard H6 and adds to their current range of SUVs with some flashy design elements and a bit more power under the bonnet. Its coupe-styled design (although it still has four doors) with a sloping roofline, aero side skirts and visual accents adds a bit more street credibility to the H6 GT even though in essence it’s still a family orientated vehicle. The 2.0-litre turbo petrol mill has been tweaked to now provide 155kW and 325Nm and is coupled to a seven-speed…

With all the action going down at Cape Town Stadium this weekend, Blitzboks captain Siviwe Soyizwapi says they will look to the fans for an added boost when they battle it out for their first Rugby World Cup Sevens title. Forty teams will descend on Cape Town Stadium tomorrow for only the second Rugby World Cup to be hosted in South Africa. The Springbok Sevens side are the top seeds heading into the tournament and will run out for the first time tomorrow (7.03pm kickoff) against either Chile or Germany. The South Africans’ first opponent will be determined in the qualification round. Speaking during the Captain’s Photo on Signal Hill yesterday, Soyizwapi said the fact that there hasn’t been a Sevens event in Cape Town since the World Series leg…

Premier League heavyweights Manchester United and Arsenal begin as the leading contenders for this season’s Europa League, although Jose Mourinho’s Roma are eyeing back-to-back continental titles after claiming the inaugural Europa Conference League earlier this year. It is a long road to this season’s final at the Puskas Arena in Budapest on May 31 with clubs facing a packed schedule in order to complete the group stage before the Fifa World Cup starts in Qatar on November 20. That means the likes of United and Arsenal will be relying on their squad depth to get them through some of their less glamorous Thursday night fixtures while they try to maintain challenges at the top of the Premier League. Returning to the Champions League has to be the priority for both,…

Chelsea sacked manager Thomas Tuchel yesterday just seven games into the new season, hours after they suffered a chastening Uefa Champions League defeat at Dinamo Zagreb. The former Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain boss leaves Stamford Bridge after a tumultuous period at the club, which included a Champions League triumph and the end of Roman Abramovich’s reign. Chelsea said they would move “swiftly” to appoint a replacement, with former Tottenham and PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino and Brighton manager Graham Potter among the early favourites. “On behalf of everyone at Chelsea FC, the club would like to place on record its gratitude to Thomas and his staff for all their efforts during their time with the club,” the Premier League club said in a statement. “Thomas will rightly have a place…