Índice para 2025-03-05 em Cape Times

Shoprite has reported an impressive growth in sales volumes across its operations for January, continuing the momentum from its robust performance in the half year ending December 2024. The supermarket chain, renowned for its strategic investments into IT systems and customer rewards programmes, appears well-equipped to withstand the pricing pressures currently impacting the retail sector. While its rivals flounder and shift towards budget offerings and rationalising operations through closure of non-performing stores, Shoprite is growing its footprint. This is helping it trump up the competition, with sales volumes for the first month of the second half year to June 2024 registering a further uptick. “For the first month of our second half period, January 2025, sales growth in our core SA supermarkets segment remains ahead of that reported for the…

Consumers have been granted some financial relief for the month of March after the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) announced fuel price decreases across the board. The department said that the adjustments were due to lower average oil prices when compared to the previous period, as well as a stronger rand against the dollar, which led to the reduction. The decreases in fuel prices for March will be: This means that the price of petrol will move from R22.16 to R22.09 inland for the 93 grade of petrol, while 95 will drop from R22.41 per litre to R22.34 a litre inland. Diesel 0.05% (wholesale) prices will shift inland from R20.34 a litre to R20.16 a litre, while Diesel 0.005% (wholesale) will decrease from R20.45 to R20.21 per litre,…

The Airports Company of South Africa (Acsa) has announced it will seek open tenders for baggage screening services, an opportunity that has not been available for more than two decades. The R3.15 billion tender is a crucial aspect of Acsa's broader strategy to ensure legislative compliance, improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and maintain the long-term sustainability of the country’s airports. This decision has drawn heavy criticism from the Aviation Co-ordination Services (ACS), which, until now, has successfully managed baggage screening operations for the past 20 years without undergoing a procurement process. The ACS is a coalition formed by the Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA) and the Board of Airline Representatives of South Africa (BARSA). The open tender announcement marks a pivotal change in the procurement landscape at South Africa's…

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana is facing a daunting task as he prepares to deliver his budget speech on March 12. With the country's economy struggling to grow, Godongwana was presented with three options to consider at a cabinet meeting on Monday, each with its own set of challenges and criticisms. According to sources, the three options on the table are a 0,75% increase in Value-Added Tax (VAT), a fuel levy increase or a one year payment holiday for employer contributions to the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF), proposed by the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) and supported by the DA. Godongwana's budget speech last month had to be postponed after Government of National Unity (GNU) partners, led by the ANC and the DA, could not reach consensus on the…

A total of 31 pupils have been suspended from a Cape Flats school amid an investigation into violent clashes between two groupings in recent weeks. Parents of learners attending Bridgetown High School say they feel safer knowing police have been called in to address the conduct of children embroiled in alleged drug turf fights. Dramatic scenes played out at the school and in the surrounding community over the past two weeks as children openly clashed with each other and hurled stones. The clashes also saw local crimefighters forced to patrol the streets around the school to ensure the safety of residents. At the time Sadu Davids of the Bridgetown Neighbourhood Watch and Community Development Forum explained: "The problems at Bridgetown have been happening for over a year. The root of…

When it rains, it pours is a phrase often used by sports teams when things are not going their way. But in 2025, adversity has only brought good luck to the Proteas at the ICC Champions Trophy. Even before they reached Pakistan, the South Africans were dealing with injuries to a series of fast bowlers. First Anrich Nortjé was ruled out. Then, Gerald Coetzee followed. It became almost comical when Ottniel Baartman also wasn’t able to make it, not to mention Lizaad Williams and Nandré Burger. In fact, coach Rob Walter and his team had lost a home ODI series 3-0 to Pakistan, and they followed it up with defeats to New Zealand in Lahore and Pakistan in Karachi in two Champions Trophy warm-up games – despite scoring over 300…

India captain Rohit Sharma said that his side was calm and composed in their chase of 265 which they comfortably managed to reach against Australia to advance to the third consecutive final of the Champions Trophy. Virat Kohli once again proved the cynosure of India’s batting and played a knock of 84 runs studded with five fours while KL Rahul’s unbeaten 42 and Hardik Pandya’s 28 cameo laced with three sixes and a four powered them to a four-wicket win in the semi-final at Dubai International Stadium yesterday. Rohit admitted that the clash was thrilling till the last ball as Australia were also in the game after the dismissal of Kohli but Pandya and Rahul gave the finishing touches to India’s innings. “Till the last ball is bowled, nothing is…

The growth outcome falls short of projections forecast by the government agencies The outlook for economic activity in South Africa has continued to cast a cautious shadow for the year 2025 despite a slight rebound in the country's gross domestic product (GDP) in the fourth quarter of 2024. Data from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) on Tuesday showed that real GDP increased by 0.6% in 2024, following an increase of 0.7% in 2023. The growth outcome fell short of projections from the government agencies, which had anticipated a rebound to 0.8% this year and 0.9% forecast by the International Monetary Fund, bolstered by nearly 300 days of uninterrupted power supply. Stats SA said the 2024 GDP print was primarily led by higher economic activities in finance, real estate and business…

Through a complicated process in which the Steinhoff holding company sold and otherwise moved brands around through various entities, it was able to artificially generate profit to close the gap between what it actually earned and its anticipated bottom line. A PwC investigation into the company, which runs into thousands of pages, showed that a company set up to ostensibly hold several brands, or trademarks, was not actually an entity in which Steinhoff held a minority stake. Business Report secured a copy of this probe through a Promotion of Access to Information Act application. The workings of the buying and selling of the trademarks was deliberately complex to make it nigh impossible to work out the financial relationship between the entities involved and their ownership. PwC stated that: “The detailed…

Harmony Gold Mining Company has reported significant growth in its earnings for the half-year period ending December 2024 as stability begins to define South Africa's operating environment. The company's CEO, Beyers Nel, attributed much of this success to improved conditions, especially the cessation of large-scale load shedding that has troubled the nation’s mining sector. Harmony Gold saw revenues soar by 19% to a R35.45 billion, with net profits experiencing a commendable increase of 33% totalling R7.93bn. Headline earnings per share also mirrored this positive trend, climbing by 33% to reach 1 270 cents. This favourable shift has enabled the company to declare a record interim dividend of 227 cents per share, marking a 54% increase compared to the previous year. In an interview with Business Report, Nel expressed optimism regarding…

Nedbank, which unveiled a strategic reorganisation on Tuesday, delivered a "positive" performance for the year ended December 31, 2024 and "slightly ahead of expectations", analysts said yesterday. To drive future growth, Nedbank unveiled a reorganisation of its Retail and Business Banking and Nedbank Wealth clusters, effective July1, 2025. This creates Personal and Private Banking (PPB), serving individual clients from youth to high-net-worth segments, and Business and Commercial Banking, targeting SMEs to mid-tier corporates. Nedbank Insurance and Wealth Management will integrate into PPB to boost cross-sell opportunities, while Asset Management shifts to Corporate Investment Banking to expand product offerings. The standalone Nedbank Wealth cluster will end. Executive leadership changes were also announced on Tuesday concurrent with the strategic reorganisation of the group's Retail and Business Banking and Nedbank…

The devoted dog, dubbed Gugulethu’s Hachikō, for his loyal vigil outside SAPS Gugulethu, has found a loving home. Sergeant’s story began in mid-December when an elderly man arrived at the SAPS Gugulethu station seeking medical help, accompanied by his faithful dog. The man was taken to the hospital but tragically passed away, leaving his devoted companion behind to do the only thing he could do - wait. The dog remained outside the station, waiting at the door his owner had entered, anticipating his return with every person who exited. The dog’s presence moved the officers, particularly the station’s exhibit commander, Captain Veale, who named their canine friend in honour of his loyalty. Serg quickly became part of the team, standing proudly beside officers at parade time and sleeping beneath the…

As the State called its second witness in the Joshlin Smith trial yesterday, the statement Joshlin’s mother, Kelly Smith, made to police was revealed and submitted as evidence. Smith, Jacquen ‘Boeta’ Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn appeared before Judge Nathan Erasmus. The trio face charges of human trafficking in persons and kidnapping. Constable Luzuko Kobese yesterday took the stand. He was one of the police officers stationed at Saldanha SAPS who were the first to respond to the call about a missing child. While most of his testimony corroborated that of his colleague, Constable Yanga Gongotha, the State’s first witness, Constable Kobese was also the one who took Smith’s statement. The police officer explained to the court how they had driven all over with Kelly accompanying them as they not…

Cape Town City are facing a real crossroads in their season, and their struggles over the past two months have been hard to ignore. On Wednesday, at home at Athlone Stadium, the Citizens have an opportunity to turn things around when they host TS Galaxy at 7.30pm. But despite the comfort of their home crowd, the pressure is mounting on Ertugral and the team to deliver a performance that breaks this winless streak. With seven games without a win, interim coach Muhsin Ertugral knows that something has to change and more especially because six of those last seven matches have ended in defeat. Their latest setback came in the form of a defeat to AmaZulu at King Zwelithini Stadium, which only added to a miserable run that has left the…

It was one of the worst-kept secrets in South African rugby, but now it’s official: Ntuthuko Mchunu will be playing for the Stormers next season. The Cape franchise announced on Tuesday that the Springbok loosehead prop will be leaving the Sharks and moving to the Mother City at the end of the current season. Mchunu will arrive at the Stormers as the chief replacement for stalwart front-rower Steven Kitshoff, who announced his retirement last week due to a serious neck injury. The 25-year-old Mchunu, who was a hard-running No 8 at school before shifting to prop at the Sharks, will hope to clinch the No 1 jersey next season ahead of the likes of Ali Vermaak, Sti Sithole and youngster Vernon Matongo. “This is a fantastic opportunity to work with…

The ongoing debate surrounding the South African government’s proposed pause on employer pension contributions at the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) has sparked significant discord among workers' unions. As Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana seeks measures to address a staggering R60 billion shortfall ahead of the upcoming 2025 Budget Review, the proposal to temporarily halt these contributions has been met with both support and opposition from major labour organisations. The Cabinet convened a meeting on Monday to explore various strategies for addressing financial pressures while considering inputs from its members. The tensions within the unions reflect broader concerns about the impact of fiscal policies on public servants and their long-term financial security. The Presidency on Tuesday said a team led by Deputy President Paul Mashatile and supported by National Treasury tabled…

The government has begun advertising for projects through the National Infrastructure Plan (NIP) aimed at greening state buildings. This initiative aligns with the Just Energy Transition (JET) strategy and underscores a commitment to curtailing financial waste due to mismanagement and inefficiencies in execution, Deputy Minister for Public Works and Infrastructure, Sihle Zikalala, announced on Tuesday. Addressing attendees at the launch of the Black Business Council in the Built Environment (BBCBE) Indaba 2025, Zikalala detailed the department's push to ensure the proper execution of 62 Strategic Infrastructure Projects (SIPs) that had received gazetted status in 2020, alongside an additional seven SIPs announced in 2022. Overall, there are about 268 individual projects under the SIP framework, predominantly in the energy sector, covering areas like the Embedded Generation Programme and the Green Hydrogen…

ANC Veterans Tokyo Sexwale and Matthews Phosa, have expressed scathing criticism of the government's handling of the Phala Phala scandal which has dogged President Cyril Ramaphosa since 2022. Ramaphosa was cleared by the ANC's Integrity Commission while the National Prosecuting Authority declined to pursue criminal charges on his involvement in the matter. The Phala Phala scandal revolves around the 2020 theft of a large sum of foreign currency hidden in couches ($580 000 or R8.7 million at the time) at Ramaphosa's farm in Limpopo. Ramaphosa has denied any wrongdoing, but the scandal has raised questions about his integrity and accountability. In a recent podcast, Sexwale, a former Gauteng premier and ANC elder, demanded Ramaphosa clean up the events surrounding the scandal. “I don't know what happened there. Money was found…

AfriForum, the right-wing Afrikaner group that has caught the ire of South Africans over high treason allegations, it is yet to receive a formal notification of the charges against some of its leaders. Its leader, Kallie Kriel says he only learnt through the media that he and some of the group's members are being investigated by the Hawks, the country's Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI). This comes as the group has also called on the police minister Senzo Mchunu to take the “scourge” of farm murders seriously following the SAPS statistics on farm murders which reported only one farm murder incident for the reporting period, October to December 2024. On Monday, Hawks head Godfrey Lebeya revealed they were investigating four dockets of high treason against organisations who approached the…

STATE-OWNED bank Postbank has conceded that it would not meet its self-imposed deadline to have millions of South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) beneficiaries migrated to its black card by March 20. This comes days after Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe told MPs that the Postbank did not have plans in place to have Sassa beneficiaries replacing their current gold cards with Postbank’s black cards. Initially beneficiaries were given until February 28 to have their current Sassa cards replaced. The chaotic scenes and panic across the country then forced the deadline to be moved to March 20. As at 28 February, out of the 3 million cards, only 31% had been issued nationally. In the Western Cape, only 24% (77 932) cards were issued out of 322 919…

Three Nyanga police officers have been arrested for a business robbery that occurred five months ago. The constables allegedly took money and cigarettes from a spaza shop in Extension 2 in Mfuleni on October 1, 2024. According to a police incident report, the members of the Visible Policing unit were in their uniform and driving the state vehicle when the crime was committed. “The members robbed a shop of R 5 600 as well as cigarettes to the value of R6 930. The Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) of the vehicle with cell phone records put members on the scene. The case was initially investigated by Crime Intelligence Division (CID) members of Mfuleni, which later handed the docket over to the Anti-Corruption Unit. “The members were arrested on Monday as…

SOUTH Africa’s development both socially and economically would be far advanced if organisations such as AfriForum and Solidarity used their time and effort here at home and globally to promote our country’s image. Instead of being preoccupied with opposing every attempt to address the historical injustices committed against black people, including forced removals, whose impact is still visible today, these two organisations could play a unifying role aimed at closing South Africa’s alarming inequality gap. They could join hands with NGOs in townships and rural areas with an aim of bridging the gap between white and black communities, and between the farmers and the farmworkers. But because they refuse to let go of what was created to benefit them by colonialism and apartheid, they resort to spreading misinformation and disinformation…

ICC tournament semifinals are meant to be nervous affairs. Especially if you’re South African. The ghastly past dating back all the way to 1992 simply has a way of rearing its ugly head. All the trauma. The heartache. The misery relived and rehashed. But something seems different in 2025 as the Proteas prepare to face New Zealand in the second ICC Champions Trophy semifinal in Lahore on Wednesday. Customarily having to travel between two countries unnecessarily on the eve of a semifinal would unnerve Proteas teams of the past. Or more importantly, the fact that they had to wait on their superstar batter Aiden Markram to pass a fitness test. But despite all of these potential drawbacks, the Proteas seem to be taking it all in their stride. Marco Jansen…