Table of contents for 2023-12-11 in Star

This is the first time Eskom gets a permanent head since the resignation of Andre de Ruyter exactly a year ago ESKOM has confirmed that Dan Marokane will be returning to the struggling power utility as its new group chief executive by no later than March 31 next year. This will be the first time that Eskom gets a permanent head since the resignation of Andre de Ruyter exactly a year ago. The Eskom board announced Marokane’s appointment on Friday afternoon, saying he was returning to the power utility after he and three other senior executives were suspended following an ethical stand they took against State capture, fraud and corruption. Marokane, a qualified chemical engineer with an MBA, is a seasoned executive with more than 20 years senior leadership experience.…

AIRPORTS Company South Africa (Acsa) has assured the public that it was ready to welcome large volumes of travellers to its airports across the country this festive season, with contingency plans and strategies in place to deal with the busiest days of the year. Acsa is currently in its peak season, which started at the end of October and runs until the end of March next year, for which preparation started three to four months ago. The group is now ramping up to ensure smooth operations and a seamless travel experience during the busy December-January time frame. Acsa group executive for operations management Terence Delomoney on Friday said their peak season strategy will ensure that the airports were adequately resourced, positioned and capacitated to handle the huge volumes of passengers.…

ABSA GROUP’S second-half credit loss ratio was likely to improve noticeably from an elevated first half, but would remain above its through-the-cycle range targets, the bank group said in an update to its guidance on Friday. The announcement certainly attracted investor attention, as the share price fell 6.31% to R159.64 on Friday, which is a large percentage decline for a JSE-listed bank that counts among the four biggest lenders in the country. The JSE’s Banks Index closed only 0.92% lower. Also expected to impact earnings for the year by about 1% was the groups broad-based black economic empowerment transaction, which, given its effective date of September 1, 2023, was included in the 2023 financial results for four months. | Edward West…

A DUTCH-LED coalition of a dozen nations committed on Saturday to publish an inventory of their own fossil fuel subsidies within a year, with the aim of creating a clear strategy for eliminating them. Governments agreed at the 2021 UN climate summit in Glasgow to phase out “inefficient” fossil fuel subsidies to help tamp down global warming. But individual countries were left to decide for themselves how to do this. Global subsidies for fossil fuels have since soared, rising by $2 trillion over the past two years to hit a record $7trln in 2022, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). “We cannot phase out fossil fuels without tackling fossil fuel subsidies,” said Dutch climate minister, Rob Jetten, at the UN climate summit COP28 in Dubai. “We must ensure…

Award-winning music artist Emtee seems to have had enough of SA. The rapper took to social media to share serious challenges he faces in his home country from social media trolls. The Logan album-maker tweeted that he wants to leave the country because of death threats and social media trolling. “I wanna move out of South Africa. I’m a represent till the death but hayi seng’deleleke kakhulu la. “Death threats every day, you go thru a rough patch people laugh at you. The broke and arrogant one at that. Live somewhere far where n***** won’t even come close,” Emtee wrote on X. Recently, he was caught up in a spat after gossip blogger Musa Khawula shared a video on his X account allegedly showing Emtee being removed from the stage…

THE Business Rescue Plan to restructure the Post Office has been approved and will see the reduction of the branch network to about 600 branches that will be staffed by about 5 000 employees across the country. According to unions, this could see 6 000 employees being axed. This is according to a statement released on Thursday by Joint Business Rescue Practitioners of the Post Office, Anoosh Rooplal and Juanito Damons. The practitioners said they were pleased that their plan was voted for by the majority of creditors at a meeting last week. Rooplal said they believed their strategy could restructure the Post Office into a future-proofed business that could provide inclusive communications for all. He said the Post Office fulfilled an important social mandate intended to provide key…

TWO women in blue have gone the extra mile to ensure that through their love for their work and diligence, fewer rapists and gender-based violence (GBV) perpetrators are roaming our streets. One of them is Captain Michelle Dhawrajh, who is attached to the KwaZulu-Natal Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Investigations Unit. With more than 20 years in the field, she still leads and conducts evening raid operations to trace wanted suspects in GBV femicide-related cases. To date, she has secured 20 life sentences and a collective 70 years imprisonment for rapists and GBV perpetrators in and around Durban. In total, 25 suspects are doing time in prison thanks to her meticulous investigative prowess. Dhawrajh is also passionate about raising awareness and sensitising communities about reporting of rape and other…

SCAMMERS are always lurking online prying for new victims to defraud. But a UK-based father had never thought such deceit would come from his own 42-year-old son. Daniel Cuthbert is said to have emptied his grieving father’s wallet in excess of £56 000 (around R1.2 million), over the course of 14 months in 2017 and 2018 – including severance compensation – in an elaborate scam. The New York Post reported that his father questioned him about the missing money somewhere in the middle of 2017 after becoming suspicious. However, the widower was too overcome with grief over his wife’s passing to pursue any further action. The Preston Crown Court in Lancashire, England, said that in a series of telephone banking conversations, Cuthbert pretended to be both parents to get loans…

Former Coca-Cola Popstars winner Preston Vukani Sihlangu has celebrated artistic talent from his home province of Free State. This weekend, the award-winning musician celebrated talent through the first soon-to-be annual Creatives Summit, which took place from Friday to yesterday in an effort to showcase the creative talent across the province’s five regions. Aimed at celebrating excellence, innovation and collaboration, the summit was this weekend hailed for bringing together some of the most talented and visionary artists from Thabo Mofutsanyane, Lejweleputswa, Fezile Dani, Mangaung and Xhariep. This unique festival, held at the Kingdom Academy in Welkom, featured an array of artistic talent, whose abilities span dance, visual arts, music, fashion and film, as part of showcasing the diverse and vibrant creative tapestry of the province. Sihlangu indicated that the three-day event…

IT’S been a difficult year and who doesn’t deserve a break! Well, I couldn’t say no to a revitalising treat at Mangwanani River Valley. Situated in the Hennops River Valley near Magaliesburg, about an hour’s drive from Joburg, it’s a hidden gem where you can unwind and look forward to a memorable experience.Though there’s a horrible dirt road leading to the spa that makes for a difficult drive over that section, the scenery is breathtaking. As we alighted from the complimentary shuttle from Montecasino, we were offered welcome drinks by Lucia Qubu, the duty manager, and the friendly staff who sang spirited songs. Qubu then explained to us what the day would entail, and we went to change into our gowns and slippers. We were offered breakfast and then taken…

The popularity of the game of golf is no longer dependent upon the presence of Tiger Woods at the winner’s podium. With or without the game’s greatest of all time, golf is gaining tremendous traction among black players. It helps that he returned to competitive golf this past week at the Hero World Challenge. Black firms are also getting in on the action, hosting golf days for business networking. One such company is Matseke Business Investment (MBI), which hosted its third Annual Golf Day at the Pretoria Country Club on Friday. MBI is an authorised financial advisory services company, registered with the Financial Sector Conduct Authority. Its core business is assisting clients with medical aid, financial investments, life cover insurance and related services. This year’s golf day was hosted in…

A SUM of R450 000 was taken from our taxpaying money to fund part of the trip to the Rugby World Cup in France by Police Minister Bheki Cele and a few of his chums. Parlez-vous Français (Do you speak French), Minister? The jol proceeded while people are jobless and starving in this country. This then are the kind of people who serve the nation, opportunists who milk the fiscus for their own selfish needs. The writing for Cele is on the wall. He has failed to offer meaningful resistance against criminals. Clearly his compass is skewed and would suggest that his days in politics are numbered. Hamba kahle, mkhulu, hand the baton to a younger individual who has the right skills set. Rugby indeed!…

In our nation, a perplexing narrative has emerged around the alleged manipulation of our currency by certain banks. This is undoubtedly a violent assault on the poor, the working class, and the downtrodden, including small businesses that bore the brunt of inordinate bank interest rates, retrenchment, and the harshest economic hardships with no consequences for the perpetrators. What’s more baffling is the seeming invulnerability of these institutions. Despite the gravity of the accusations, there remains a conspicuous absence of accountability. This situation points subtly yet unmistakably to a deeper entanglement, one that lies in the shadows of power and influence. The public, rightfully, questions this puzzling state of affairs. How can entities accused of such significant economic transgressions seemingly operate with impunity? The answer, while not overtly spoken, whispers through…

Israeli tanks battled their way to the centre of Khan Younis yesterday in a major new push into the heart of the main city in the southern Gaza Strip. Residents said tanks had reached the main north-south road through the middle of Khan Younis after intense combat through the night that had slowed the Israeli advance. Warplanes were pounding the area. The air rumbled with the constant thud of explosions and thick columns of smoke rose over the city, which is sheltering hundreds of thousands of civilians who fled other parts of the enclave. As morning broke, the constant rattle of machinegun fire could be heard. Streets were deserted. “It was one of the most dreadful nights, the resistance was very strong, we could hear gunshots and explosions for hours,”…

TOKYO: Under-fire Japanese industry minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said he would continue in his cabinet duties and will fully disclose his finances at an appropriate time, amid allegations of undeclared funding that has embroiled several top lawmakers. Newspapers reported that Nishimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s policy chief Koichi Hagiuda are among cabinet members set to be replaced by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida following reports that they may have pocketed more than 100 million yen (R13 million) of fundraising proceeds that were left off the books. | IANS…

Perpignan (12) 12 Penalties: Perez (4) Emirates Lions (16) 28 Try: Maxwane; Conversion: Hendrikse; Penalties: Hendrikse (7) A motley crew of Lions went to the Pyrenees-saddled city of Perpignan in southern France unheralded but will return to South Africa tomorrow as unlikely heroes, after they ensured the team started their EPCR Challenge Cup campaign with a workman-like victory over the embattled Top 14 club. An untested Perpignan, also full of fringe players, suffered from an unshakable malaise yesterday afternoon and were unable to construct any pressure despite enjoying home-ground advantage. Try as they might while attempting to move the Lions around with sweeping backline moves, particularly in the first half, they suffered from an infuriating inability to make anything stick. Their inaccuracy kept the visitors…

Melusi Buthelezi is fast endearing himself to The Ghost, and his coach Jose Riveiro has credited his quick adaptation at the club to his hard work. The goalkeeping unit is a sensitive department, with coaches loathe to tamper with it – unless it’s a case of unforeseen eventualities, form and injuries. Thanks to those eventualities, Riveiro has played all four of his goalkeepers – Buthelezi, Sipho Chaine, Richard Ofori and Siyabonga Mpontshane – during his one-and-a-half-year spell at the club so far. Riveiro’s latest No 1 is Buthelezi, and the newly signed 25-year-old has grabbed the jersey with both hands, keeping eight clean sheets in his first 10 games for the club. Buthelezi’s form augurs well for Pirates’ late push for the DStv Premiership title, having won four of…

FRIDAY’S scheduled meeting of Tongaat Hulett’s lenders to decide the future of South Africa’s biggest, but indebted sugar group was put on ice due to court applications against the company brought by the Sugar Association of South Africa (Sasa) and rival foods group RCL. RCL subsidiary RCL Food Sugar & Milling, and Sasa launched the applications to prevent the meeting of Tongaat’s creditors to vote on two bids for Tongaat, one from RGS Group Holdings (which comprises mainly a family sugar and foods business from Mozambique) and Vision Investments (which is linked to businessperson and ANC funder Robert Gumede) who wish to bring Tongaat out of business rescue. This followed the rejection by the High Court last week of an application earlier this year by Tongaat’s business rescue practitioners (BRPs)…

SOUTH Africa needed to encourage the manufacturing of local goods rather than export raw material and then buy back the finished products, says South African Association of Ship Operators and Agents (Saasoa) chief executive Peter Besnard. It was imperative the country encourage investment, reopen factories, create employment and cast aside or amend the rigid labour-related regulations in place, he said in an interview with Business Report. The mindset of all South Africans needed to change, Besnard said. “As you are aware, the Covid-19 pandemic plunged the country into utter despair, completely derailing many industries. “To the extent that some have been unable to recover and were forced to wind down their plants, and with it (brought) further unemployment woes to a population that has increased to 60 million.” The…

ON DECEMBER 5, Statistics SA released the latest gross domestic product (GDP) figures, which showed a 9.6% decrease in the agriculture sector. This decline was attributed to reduced production in field crops, animal products and horti- culture products, as well as various challenges faced by the industry in the third quarter, such as the outbreak of avian flu and floods in the Western Cape. The agriculture sector was the largest negative contributor to GDP growth in the first quarter, subtracting 0.4%. Animal production Animal diseases such as foot and mouth disease (FMD), highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), and African swine fever (ASF) continue to pose a significant challenge to sustainable livestock farming in South Africa. The country has been battling open outbreak cases of these diseases, with around 30% of…

From an outsider perspective, being in a relationship with a professional athlete might seem glamorous. But, like with any relationship, the WAGs (wives and girlfriends) of sports stars are not immune to challenges. Sports Wives, a new local reality series produced by Ndlovukazi Concepts, gives viewers a front-row seat to the lives of the wives, girlfriends and exes of South Africa’s sporting greats. And while high fashion, fast cars and mansions are the order of the day, the show also reflects on the hardships faced by these women. From navigating the dynamics of a same-sex marriage, having two football baby daddies, marital troubles and putting the love of the game above all else, Sports Wives reveals it all. And, if the first episode is anything to go by, tensions are…

THE situation remains tense at the Gold One Modder East Mine in Springs, Ekurhuleni, where more than 400 workers have reportedly staged a sit-in underground since Thursday night. According to National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) regional organiser, Victor Ngwane, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe, who was at the mine on Saturday and yesterday, has called on the police to intervene in the matter. “The situation has escalated and (Mantashe) has handed over the matter to the police for them to intervene. One of the employees was badly assaulted and stripped naked. We fear that things will get worse,” Ngwane told The Star. It is reported that the latest sit-in is in protest against the mine’s decision to retrench 70 employees who were allegedly involved in the October hostage…

With fewer incidents of exam cheating, Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane said he was pleased with the conduct of the Class of 2023 who sat through the six-week exam period. Chiloane said more than 188 000 candidates in the province sat for this year’s matric exams which concluded on December 6. Yesterday, the MEC gave the province an update on the roll-out of the exams as well as online admissions and safety in schools. Only 45 learners were caught with crib notes, he said, while an “impostor” was caught writing a matric paper on behalf of another learner. “The national senior examination process went very well. We had more than 188 075 candidates of which 133 000 were full-time and 54 000 part-time. The exam period (ran from) October…

THE government has come under fire for spending R11 million on providing security for five unoccupied state-owned properties that were supposed to be used as shelters for victims of gender-based violence (GBV) and remain unoccupied in Gauteng. The security costs were revealed by Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Sihle Zikalala when he was responding to parliamentary questions from DA MP Alexandra Abrahams. Abrahams enquired about the reasons why the five buildings his department handed over to the Gauteng provincial department in December 2019 to be used as shelters for victims of gender-based violence were not operational. The department, under former Minister Patricia de Lille, had embarked on a programme to prepare and release state-owned properties across the country for use as shelters of victims of gender-based violence by the Social…

THE Limpopo Department of Education is not responsible for the damages suffered by a former learner who lost his eye during a fight while he and his fellow students were at an official sporting event at another school. Emmanuel Mphela was a learner at the Kgokolo High School in Limpopo when the incident occurred. He blamed the teachers for negligence by allegedly not keeping a proper watch over the learners during the event and turned to the high court, sitting in Polokwane, to claim damages against the Education Department. But the department said the incident occurred far away from the sporting field where the teachers were supervising the children. Thus none of the teachers saw the incident. The high court earlier absolved the department from wrongdoing. Mphela, however, took the…

I WRITE out of concern about the woeful lack of quality journalism in South Africa. As a direct consequence, our constitutional democracy is in distress and barely escaped from being a foster child of an incestuous relationship. The evidence arising from the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture serves as a template for this letter. If the latest experience of journalists being killed in Gaza is a live example, independent public interest media is under threat. Traditional business models, which had been eroding for a decade or more, are beginning to collapse, particularly as sources of advertising revenue shrink and move online. These problems, which are most acute in low- and middle-income countries, were only exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. South Africa is one such country. Independent media has been…

Growing up in the villages of the Eastern Cape, Tsolo to be specific, the only time females ran away from their homes was to avoid child marriages or forced marriages, which in Nguni culture is referred to as Ukuthwalwa. Ukuthwalwa is the South African term for bride kidnapping, the practice of a man abducting a young girl and forcing her into marriage, often with the consent of her parents. What I didn’t know then is the high risk of homelessness for these girls. In the outskirts of the country, people don’t really know what homelessness is because even if you sprint away from your biological home, any other home in the village is regarded as your home. Children belong to the entire village, not just their biological family. But…

CLARKSVILLE: Emergency crews worked yesterday to check, clear and restore power to areas hard-hit by severe storms and tornadoes that claimed the lives of at least six people and left a trail of destruction in Tennessee this weekend. In the city of Clarksville in Montgomery County, one of the hardest-hit areas, the Red Cross set up a shelter at a local high school to offer assistance to people who may have been temporarily displaced by the tornadoes. Shelters were also opened in Nashville and its suburbs. More than 40 000 people in Tennessee were left without power as of yesterday morning. | Reuters…

MADRID: A deal over the post-Brexit status of the British territory of Gibraltar depends on agreement over use of the airport, Spain’s foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares, said in an interview published yesterday. The status of Gibraltar and how to police the border with Spain have been points of contention since Britain voted in 2016 to leave the EU. The UK, Spain and EU are due to hold further talks on the matter on Wednesday. Albares said that Spain has presented the UK with a proposal that includes free movement of people and goods, removal of the border between Gibraltar and Spain and use of airport. | Reuters…

Hours after Stellenbosch FC defeated rivals Cape Town City in Friday’s iKapa derby, coach Steve Barker started executing his preparations for the Carling Knockout Cup final against TS Galaxy at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Saturday. Barker felt that players who had played limited time in the derby, as well as those who did not play at all, needed match practice to boost their mental and physical preparation for the big day. To do so he enlisted the help of the Milnerton-based City Kings FC, a semi-professional team that competes in the Regional ABC Motsepe League, for a hit-out under match conditions. “The players that played a lot of minutes in the derby did regeneration, like ice baths, gym work and in the swimming pool,” said Barker. “We…

Canadian king of international comedy, Russell Peters, is returning to South Africa in 2024. The stand-up comic, who is no stranger to SA fans, will bring his unique brand of humour back in his three-city Russell Peters: Live tour. Peters will be at the Durban ICC on February 9, at the SunBet Arena Time Square on February 10, and GrandWest, Cape Town, on February 11. His ability to connect with a wide range of audiences has cemented his spot in the comedy hall of fame. Recently the international superstar wrapped up his 10th stand-up special in Abu Dhabi. A few days ago he was also awarded the 2023 Global Citizen Forum award, presented to individuals or organisations with an outstanding and consistent contribution to the global citizenship movement. Aside from…

Rapper Nadia Nakai recently announced that she was working on a special tribute EP for her late rapper boyfriend, Kiernan “AKA” Forbes. A few days later, she changed her mind and decided to drop an album instead. Taking to her Instagram, the 40 Barz hitmaker said that she had too much to say in her “letter” to AKA. “My tribute EP that has now become a tribute album because I have soooo much to say, it’s almost done.” She added that this album was her path to healing from his death, and thanked everyone who supported her. “I’m so grateful I have music to express myself, this album is honestly not for you, it’s for me, in my road to healing (whatever that looks like), my letter to him, this…

INCREASES in electricity tariffs will only add to the dissatisfaction of South Africans who might seek to punish the ANC at the polls next year, but the final verdict is still out, say political analysts. A recent high court judgment paved the way for Eskom to increase tariffs by a cumulative 33.8% in the next two financial years. Earlier this month, it dismissed the judicial review applications on the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s (Nersa) revenue determination and tariff approval of Eskom’s MYPD5 application for the 2023/24 and 2024/5 financial years. Nersa said on Friday that it welcomed the Gauteng High Court’s decision. The first tariff increase in the MYPD5 of 18.65% came into effect on April 1 for direct Eskom customers and July 1 for municipal users, and…

In AN unprecedented move, the DA in KwaZulu-Natal has offered a R1 million reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of its uMngeni Local Municipality councillor’s killers. The party announced the reward at the funeral of Councillor Nhlalayenza Ndlovu in Howick on Saturday. Ndlovu, who was the party chief whip, was gunned down on Tuesday in front of his wife, child and nanny at his home in Midmar View. The DA said he was shot 10 times by unknown gunmen. Speaking at the funeral, DA KwaZulu-Natal leader Francois Rodgers announced that the reward had been set at R1 million. Announcing the reward, the party said it would spare no expense and leave no stone unturned to hold to account those responsible for “this barbaric crime” as…

Two Kloof and Highway SPCA field officers recently rescued a dog that was stuck in a drain for a week in the New Germany area. In a Facebook reel on Wednesday, the SPCA said that field officers Doctor Mthombeni and Eric Simamane responded to reports of a crying dog stuck in a drain in the New Germany area. The SPCA said that once the drain the dog was heard crying from was located, the field officers established that the closest point to safely retrieve it was a connecting drain on the opposite side of the road which ran under the road and would be accessible by the field officers. “Field officer Mthombeni, who is well-known for fearlessly climbing up ladders, under houses and down drains, wasted no time getting into…

THE Tshwane Metro Police have vowed to turn up the heat on motorists who flout traffic rules this festive season by driving under the influence or exceeding the legal speed limit. Metro police chief Commissioner Yolanda Faro spoke out against lawlessness on the road during the launch of the City of Tshwane’s festive season operations at the Petroport Garage on the N1 highway yesterday. “This festive season we will be hands-on in enforcing the law. No stone will be left unturned when it comes to criminal activities and traffic violations. Our Tshwane Metro Police officers are highly visible and practise zero-tolerance for unlawful behaviour. We will arrest everyone who breaks the law,” she said. She said the metro police would work hand-in-hand with other law enforcement agencies and the City…

A resident of Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape claimed R2.4 million in damages after he alleged a neighbour’s pit bull, named Gustav, attacked him. Gideon Gerber told the high court he was severely injured following the attack. He claimed that a neighbour – Evril Adams-August – was the owner of the dog and that the dog had escaped from her yard due to her negligence. But Adams-August said Gustav belonged to her son and the dog only stayed with her while her son was seeking employment in Gauteng. She told the court that she had done everything in her power to ensure that Gustav could not escape from her property. On the day of the attack, she said, she was at work and Gustav was tied up in the backyard.…

Kidnappings seem to be on the rise in South Africa, and being vigilant about your safety at all times is essential to avoid falling prey to kidnappers, and children and young adults need to be taught this. Wahl Bartmann, CEO of Fidelity Services Group, has confirmed that they have increased patrols at schools in their coverage area between drop-off and home time. Bartmann urged parents to provide their children with knowledge and make them street smart, as well as to instil in them the confidence to report any potentially unusual circumstance, whether in person or online. The “clients“ in kidnapping cases are as diverse as the crime itself, he said. They can be anyone from criminal organisations and political extremists to ransom kidnappers, “express” kidnappers and family members embroiled…

AWARD-winning American musician Khalid was one of the most-anticipated musicians to grace the popular music and lifestyle Hey Neighbour Festival, delivering an exceptional performance that made the weekend one to remember. Notable musicians and local celebrities on the list included H.E.R., The Chainsmokers, Swedish House Mafia, Grammy Award-winning American rapper Kendrick Lamar, Khalid, and other well-known acts. More than just music, the festival is billed as a global celebration of talent, culture, tradition and unity that unites individuals from across the African continent and beyond, creating relationships that extend beyond the festival grounds. Thousands of neighbours gathered in Tshwane for the three-day event held at Rhino Park. Khalid said from the moment he landed, he had received an outpouring of love everywhere he went, and he complimented South Africans for…

ANYBODY who still believes that the current ANC leadership will ever confront corruption and malfeasance in society is seriously delusional. Not when every now and then the media reveals scandals perpetrated by the very people who are supposed to be at the forefront of uprooting these evils. There are three current examples.The first is that Police Minister Bheki Cele took a private trip to watch the Springboks play in the World Rugby Cup final in Paris. He took along his executive assistant on whom the department spent half-a-million rand for his/her upkeep on this trip. Why, if Cele is on a private frolic, does he take along an official who is paid from the public purse? Indeed, it is troubling that Cele’s trip, we are told, was sponsored by an…

The importance of the India Tour to South Africa, which started yesterday with a T20 International at Kingsmead in Durban cannot be trivialised. From a purely financial standpoint, the three T20 Internationals, three One-Day Internationals and two Test matches that will be played over the next month between the Proteas and world cricket’s biggest team, is expected to be in the region of R1 billion at R150 million a game. To put it into perspective, Cricket South Africa has recorded a loss close to R540m in their last three financial statements, so India’s arrival will help fill the association’s coffers and ensure the continued participation of South Africa in the game, both domestically and at an international level. On the field, the tour represents the Proteas first stepping stone…

San Francisco: Researchers have said that an HIV drug could stop many coronavirus diseases, including the Sars-CoV-2 variants when given to infected cells at the right concentration. The researchers have previously shown that a booster drug, “cobicistat”, which is normally used to reinforce the effect of anti-HIV drugs, could have antiviral properties against a Sars-CoV-2 variant circulating in Europe in early 2020. In the study, published in Antiviral Research, researchers investigated whether properties of cobicistat were maintained against the variants of concern of Sars-CoV-2. | IANS…

CARACAS: The collapse of an artisanal gold mine in southeastern Venezuela near an Indigenous community has killed at least 12 people. A landslide last week buried the Paraiba de San Jose de Wadamapa mine near the town of Icabaru in Venezuela’s Bolivar state, close to the border with Brazil. Amid Venezuela’s economic collapse, informal mining operations have flourished in remoteareas where thousands of miners extract lucrative metals, especially gold, in unsafe conditions. Last month, NGO SOS Orinoco reported a previous landslide at the same mine. | Reuters…

“WE have to keep stitching the Kaizer Chiefs cloth.” Cavin Johnson did not have a needle and thread in hand as he addressed the media corps in the bowels of the Peter Mokaba Stadium after Amakosi’s 1-0 victory over Polokwane City on Saturday. But he could well have been a tailor working on a suit as he sat on a chair speaking about how hard everyone at Naturena is working to get Amakhosi back to being the mighty club they used to be. Having admitted that City “was a difficult game” and that Chiefs had put on a much better display ”against (Moroka) Swallows“ the week before, Johnson also expressed disappointment that his team did not render the match a no-contest despite having the opportunities. “I thought there were times…

Sharks coach John Plumtree says that a period of “feeling each other out” between himself and his returning Springboks is starting to yield a healthy harvest such as the outstanding performances by Lukhanyo Am and Eben Etzebeth in the 45-5 defeat of Pau on Saturday. Am and Player of the Match Eben Etzebeth both scored two tries as the Sharks emphatically put behind them the big URC loss to the Bulls. “As a leader, Lukhanyo is getting used to me and I am getting used to him. We are starting to have a good understanding of how we both operate. I was pleased to see him doing well,” the coach said. Am has been growing in form over the past few weeks and his exciting partnership with Francois Venter at…