Table of contents for 2023-09-06 in Cape Times

SHOPRITE said yesterday 2023 was extraordinary as the retailer gained record levels of market share, and increased profits and dividends despite footing a hefty R1.3 billion diesel bill amid unprecedented levels of load shedding. In its group results for the 52 weeks ended July 2, 2023, South Africa’s largest grocer said headline earnings per share from continuing operations of 1 166.2 cents in the year ended July 2, from 1 063.9 a year earlier. Shoprite said it gained record levels of market share as sales of merchandise increased by 16.9% to R215bn, underpinned by its core Supermarkets RSA segment. Supermarkets RSA sales of merchandise increased by 17.8% to R173.6bn The board declared a final dividend of 415c, compared to 2022’s 367c per ordinary…

OVER TIME the hefty fuel price increases South Africa faces would definitely dent the number of vehicles being sold, National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers (Naacam) executive director Renai Moothilal said yesterday. South Africans today face another massive petrol price increase that will push the price of all petrol grades above the R24 mark. This as petrol prices went up by R1.71 per litre, and diesel increased by between R2.76 and R2.84 a litre from Wednesday. Moothilal said they already saw shifts in consumer preferences on vehicle ownership in general and high fuel prices were adding to this. “Consumers may find more value in concepts like ride sharing and car pooling, in addition to existing public transport options,” he said in an email interview. If consumers found…

ORION Minerals has announced it has awarded a six-month trial mining contract to P2 Mining, a subsidiary of South African mining contractor Newrak Mining Group, to undertake the early works trial underground mining programme at the Prieska Copper- Zinc mine in the Northern Cape province. In a statement, Orion said Newrak would operate a trial fleet of integrated tool carriers (ITC) equipment with a full conventional mechanised mining fleet to compare efficiencies during the trial mining phase. Newrak Mining Group is an experienced South African contract mining company with 28 years of operating history. “Newrak will operate both with a fleet of conventional load, haul and dump loaders and with an innovative continuous loading machine which has recently been introduced to the South African market and secured by Orion on…

THE JSE YESTERDAY issued a censure of AYO director, Khalid Abdulla, despite a forthcoming hearing, this after the South Gauteng High Court ruled in an urgent interdict brought by Abdulla, in which it suspended a proposed fine of R2 million. In a statement issued yesterday, the JSE said: “We await the outcome of Mr Abdulla’s Reconsideration Application, which the JSE has opposed, and which will be heard by the Financial Services Tribunal (FST) on September 15, 2023.” Abdulla was claimed by the JSE to have breached AYO’s listing requirements regarding related party transactions and for his role in allegedly instructing adjustments to AYO’s 2018 interim financial statements. When approached for comment, AYO said it was awaiting the outcome of the FST hearing on September 15. Abdulla was appointed as…

THIS past weekend was buzzing with people welcoming spring. Almost everyone was out and about, looking fly. Musician Prince Kaybee welcomed spring in style by revealing his new look. Taking to X, he posted a picture of himself with no beard, just a moustache. “Boys, if you brave enough, get rid of the beard, make way for fresh summer beard. Good day,” he wrote. While some commended him for his bravery, most women were against it. “Having a boyfriend is scary because one day he can wake up and decide to do some dumb s*** like this, and you can’t do anything about it,” said @ohyessratii. Another X user, @bigtimevicks said: “Beards are men’s make-up, let that n*** shave off those beards, and you will see ugliness.” That comment is…

Has anyone a couple of million to spare for a good cause? If split among 100 companies or individuals, the contribution of each would be much less. Or 1 000 contributors each putting up a little would make the target easier for all. Hopefully, such a collection will create a reasonable kitty to extend the old Baggage Hall on No 2 Jetty to accommodate a smart world-class kiddie- and teen-friendly Maritime Exhibition/Education Centre. And if the controlling body can provide 18A donation receipts for the South African Revenue Service, it becomes an attractive proposition for the shipping sector or interested individuals. I mentioned the dream project a fortnight ago – again – in the context of the extremely successful temporary exhibition marking the retirement of the salvage tug, SA…

Minister of Electricity Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says the current Stage 6 load shedding the country is experiencing is due to power utility Eskom’s failure to adhere to its planned maintenance schedule. Ramokgopa provided an update on the performance of the electricity grid yesterday as the country plunged into Stage 6 load shedding, which the power utility said would last until the end of this week. He said the intensified blackouts were partly because Eskom had to start maintenance on the long-neglected units. He said Eskom hoped to minimise the impact of load shedding before planned maintenance and the loss of two generation units, which has constrained the system, resulting in Stage 6 load shedding from yesterday morning. “We’ve taken a view that part of the reason why we are where…

Pep Guardiola’s European champions Manchester City will face Club Leon of Mexico or Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds in the Fifa Club World Cup semi-finals in December in Saudi Arabia after the draw yesterday. In the other semi-final, the Copa Libertadores winners, yet to be decided, will face Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad, Auckland City of New Zealand or Egypt’s Al Ahly. The host nation’s champions, Saudi Pro League winners Al-Ittihad, will kick off the competition against Auckland City. Al-Ittihad will hope to repeat Al-Hilal’s run last year, when they became the first Saudi club to reach the final. They lost the decider to Real Madrid, the competition's most successful club with five titles. As yet, there are no previous holders in this year’s edition. Internacional of Brazil are the only previous winners…

For 31 years, South Africa’s World Cup ambitions have all been about some day – as in some day, the Proteas will return home with the holy grail that has eluded them in eight previous attempts. The usual routine is that someone promises that this time around, it will all be different. This year, it falls on captain Temba Bavuma to provide the nation with hope once more. It really is a big responsibility on Bavuma’s diminutive shoulders, especially as he’s never played in a 50-over World Cup before. The Indian adventure next month will be Bavuma’s first experience of a spotlight that shines brighter than anything else. Fortunately, Bavuma has had a small taste of it, “even if it's just T20s”, after leading the Proteas to two World Cups…

On the American Labour Day holiday, US Open defending champion Carlos Alcaraz went to work and eased past Italian Matteo Arnaldi 6-3 6-3 6-4 on Monday to reach the quarter-finals. Through the first week of the season’s final grand slam, the world number one has been putting in routine shifts and dropped only one set en route to the last eight. But the second week is the business end of a grand slam when the draw has thinned out and serious contenders surface. In Alcaraz’s rear view mirror are relative unknowns, like Arnaldi and Dominik Koepfer, but further ahead lurk familiar danger men such as Russians Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev. He will next face 12th-seeded German Alexander Zverev. Alcaraz has not shown his best yet on the New York…

Scotland will not be afraid to take the fight to the Springboks in the scrums in their first World Cup Pool B clash on Sunday. The reigning world champions are known for their power in the set-piece, line-outs included, but according to Scottish scrum coach Pieter de Villiers, they won’t stand back for their opponents when they take to the field at Marseille’s Stade Velodrome (kick-off 5.45pm). It’s a vital clash for both sides as they have World No 1 Ireland also in the group with only two sides who can progress to the quarter-finals. Should Scotland give a good account of themselves in the scrum and suppress the Bok weapon, it will give them the confidence to step up in other facets on the field. “You can never hide…

EELECTRICITY Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has defended the intensified philosophy maintenance programme at Eskom in spite of the power utility implementing heightened load shedding. Eskom yesterday ramped up load shedding to stage 6 due to the loss of a further two generation units amid an increase in generation planned maintenance. Ramokgopa said the reason for the deterioration of the generating capa- city was that Eskom had not been sticking to its philosophy maintenance for many years, which had led to generation units frequently breaking down. The Minister said this had to do with the fact that Eskom’s balance sheet was severely compromised and there were very little resources to invest on maintenance. He said part of the National Treasury’s recent R254 billion fiscal relief was to ensure that…

THE NEWLY launched SanlamAllianz joint venture will provide insurance and financial services in 27 African markets, creating a R35 billion pan- African non-banking financial services company, Sanlam said yesterday. Sanlam said that all the conditions for its proposed transaction with global integrated financial services group Allianz SE had now been met. On May 4, 2022 Sanlam and Allianz SE had entered into agreements for a long-term joint venture arrangement regarding their operations on the African continent, outside of South Africa. Sanlam and Allianz would contribute their African operations into a new joint venture company. The initial shareholding split of Sanlam and Allianz in the JVCo was agreed at 60:40, respectively, although there were provisions for post-closing adjustments for a final split. Sanlam’s operations in Namibia would be contributed to JVCo…

SOUTH African private sector activity grew for the first time in six months in August as improved demand led to firms boosting output, a survey showed yesterday. The S&P Global South Africa Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 51 points in August from 48.2 points in July. A reading above 50 points shows growth. Overall business costs rose at the slowest rate since January, leading to a slower increase in firms’ output charges, the survey showed. “The August South Africa PMI pointed to an encouraging turnaround in the private sector economy … as companies reported an increase in output … and demand conditions were broadly steady,” said David Owen, economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence. However, Owen warned that domestic factors such as rolling power cuts…

There are so many reasons why you may be experiencing body aches and pains. Everything from over-exercise to lack of exercise, injuries and getting older may play a role. One thing is certain – no matter where it occurs in the body, pain can make everyday tasks difficult or unpleasant, and can take its toll not just physically, but also mentally. Sore and tired muscles can be a common occurrence. While over-the-counter pain relievers and muscle rubs are readily available, many people prefer natural remedies. As with any health concern, it’s always best to consult your health-care practitioner before self-diagnosing or treating, to rule out underlying or more serious issues. Muscle pain that affects a small part of your body is usually caused by overuse – sore arms from lifting…

In South Africa, the first week of September marks Kidney Awareness Week, a crucial reminder to prioritise the health of our kidneys and consider making lifestyle adjustments for better support. The prevalence of high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity in the country puts a strain on the kidneys and increases the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and renal failure, which may eventually require dialysis or a kidney transplant. The estimated number of people with (CKD) globally is about 844 million. According to the South African Medical Journal, 10% of the world’s population has some kind of CKD, which means that five million South Africans over the age of 20 are probably affected. Recognising the importance of nutrition in kidney care, experts from the Association for Dietetics in South Africa…

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos will be rubbing his hands at the prospect of unleashing an attacking unit that has hit top form for their respective clubs in the early parts of the season. The South African football team will step up their preparations for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations tournament with two fixtures against neighbours Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Bafana will battle The Brave Warriors on Saturday at Orlando Stadium (3pm kickoff), before welcoming the Leopards to the same venue three days later. In a scenario unfamiliar with Bafana, Broos will be scratching his head about assembling a deserving starting XI, especially in the striking department, where several players are in form. Zakhele Lepasa (Orlando Pirates), Lyle Foster (Burnley), Percy Tau (Al Ahly) and Lebo…

Wicketkeeper KL Rahul was named in India’s squad yesterday for the one-day World Cup, but skipper Rohit Sharma was coy about his place in the XI after being sidelined by injury for months. Rahul will be in contention along with fellow gloveman Ishan Kishan, a left-hander who hit a defiant 82 against Pakistan at the ongoing Asia Cup. “We have said earlier that problems like these are good, that boys are fighting for spots,” Sharma told reporters in Kandy as World Cup hosts India named their squad. “We will have to see who is in form and who is the opposition to face. All this will be calculated, and the best XI will be picked.” The 31-year-old Rahul has not played any competitive cricket since he was injured during the…

Head coach Steve Borthwick insists England’s experienced core of players will prove their doubters wrong despite a dire build-up to their Rugby World Cup opener against Argentina on Saturday. Borthwick’s team suffered the ignominy of a first ever loss to Fiji, in a humbling 30-22 defeat at Twickenham, in their final pre-tournament Test match last month. It was a sixth defeat in nine matches as coach for the man who only took over from Australian Eddie Jones less than a year ago and a fifth defeat in their last six. The former lock, who played in the 2007 World Cup when England overcome a poor start and patchy form to reach the final, believes his players have what it takes to shock the world once again. “As I look at…

Japan will not be taking their World Cup Pool D opener against Chile for granted, defence coach John Mitchell warned yesterday, saying the South Americans were a well-coached, cohesive unit. Chile will be making their World Cup debut on Sunday when they run out against the Japanese, the hosts of the 2019 edition who won all four of their pool games, notably taking the scalps of Ireland and Scotland. “Chile, while it is important to focus on ourselves first, they are a very gritty side,” Mitchell said. “They have showed determination to get entry into the World Cup and in all their warm-up games they have demonstrated real cohesiveness and ability to fight for each other. “They are also sprinkled with an outstanding 10 who is very attacking and a…

This comes as the real GDP had expanded by 0.6% in the second quarter of 2023 THE ECONOMIC outlook in South Africa has remained bleak for the rest of the year as intensified load shedding dwindles activity, in spite of gross do- mestic product (GDP) rising for the second consecutive quarter. This comes as the real GDP expanded by 0.6% in the second quarter of 2023 ending in June after a 0.4% expansion in the first quarter ending in March. This was better than market forecasts of a 0.1% increase in part due to easing rolling load shedding, but the second quarter GDP remained lower than the peak reached in the third quarter of 2022. Statistics…

AYO TECHNOLOGY Solutions (AYO) and Mustek Limited yesterday alerted shareholders to “certain irregular expenditure” that occurred in the year to August 2023 in Sizwe Africa IT Group (Sizwe) – both AYO and Mustek are major shareholders in Sizwe. Sizwe is a 55% held subsidiary of AYO and the effect of the irregularities on AYO’s earnings per share and headline earnings a share (Heps) was expected to between 6.05 cents and 7.39c, based on 343.8 million in issue, AYO said yesterday in a statement. Mustek said the effect on its earnings per share and Heps would be between 30c and 40c, based on 58.5 million shares in issue. Mustek’s Heps came to 221.74c for the six months to December 2022. AYO and Mustek said the irregular expenditure had…

THE poverty plea by the SA Clothing and Textile Workers Union (Sactwu) is highly misleading as the union is one of the country’s richest, with a multimillion-rand investment with Sekunjalo companies and an even bigger investment in Hosken Consolidated Investments (HCI), with about R4 billion in shares. Also, claims by Sactwu general secretary Andre Kriel that he was misled into signing a subordination agreement, may hold no water as Kriel repeatedly told the court that he did not read the documents thoroughly. Kriel all but admitted in court last week that he had signed off on a R150 million subordinate agreement without fully understanding what the repercussions would be. Testifying before Acting Judge Michelle O’Sullivan in the Western High Court, Kriel said he relied largely on the interpretation of ex-unionist…

FIVE learners from Mount View High School had the opportunity to visit the world-renowned Cape Point Nature Reserve for a day of adventure and inspiration, as they will be contributing to a new adventure short story to be written by local author, Kyle Jantjies. Aaliyah Elliot, Brita Basalamo, Junaid Abduragmaan, Devina Faroe and Amaarah Jonas visited the Buffelsfontein Visitor Centre, walked up to the lighthouse and followed the lighthouse keeper’s trail, ending off at the Cape of Good Hope. Jantjies, a teacher, is passionate about reading and introducing young people to reading - in particular fiction, and has authored 13 books. In June he hosted a competition encouraging young people to read and stand a chance to feature as characters in his next adventure novel. Jantjies said the five learners…

Blockbuster No 8 Duane Vermeulen says he came within a whisker of calling time on his rugby career two years ago but was talked into continuing by Springbok bosses Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber. The 37-year-old is once more a key player for the Boks at a World Cup after delivering a Man of the Match performance in the 2019 final in Japan. Vermeulen was asked yesterday at the team’s base in Toulon – ahead of Sunday’s tournament opener against Scotland in Marseille (kick-off 5.45pm) – if he thought he’d be part of the Bok squad for World Cup 2023, after struggling with injuries in 2021 and 2022. “To be honest, no. Just before I joined Ulster, I was in a tough spot ... the body was acting up. I…

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson is not making promises but is holding out hope of being fit for the Black Caps’ entire World Cup campaign in India as he makes progress with his injured knee. New Zealand Cricket confirmed the team’s top batter will be part of the squad for the 50-over tournament in India starting in October, some six months after he ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament in the Indian Premier League in early April. Back near 100% in terms of his batting movement in the nets at training, Williamson said the next three weeks would decide whether he would be fit for New Zealand’s opener against England, a rematch of the 2019 World Cup final. “That would be great but all the way along, it truly has been…

Yes, the Proteas have eight ODI World Cup debutants in their 15-man squad, one senior player has already made retirement plans and the coach is still in search of combinations less than a month from the start of the tournament – but this team can still be deadly on their day. Since Rob Walter took over as coach of the Proteas white-ball teams, the biggest conversation has been about establishing a team identity that goes hand-in-hand with their style of play. Be it Walter, captain Temba Bavuma or any member of the team, they have all come out and said they want to play a positive brand of cricket. And so far, they have tested themselves in five matches against the West Indies and Netherlands respectively. These two opponents don’t…

Australia are not thinking about their five-match losing streak as they head into their Rugby World Cup Pool C opener against Georgia in Paris on Saturday, with hooker Dave Porecki declaring that the squad environment “feels like a winning one”. The return of coach Eddie Jones to the helm of the team at the start of the year has yet to bear fruit and having dropped several established players for the World Cup, he has chosen to blood a number of youngsters. “It doesn’t feel like an environment that is 0-5 right now,” Porecki told reporters this week. “I guess we all understand the assignment for this year, which was to build and gel a new group. “I genuinely feel like we are moving in the right direction. It doesn’t…