Table of contents for 2022-06-13 in Star

LANSERIA International Airport was likely to scale down on some of its commercial activities until such time it found another operator able to fill this gap, the privately-owned airport chief executive Rampa Rammopo said on Friday. Rammopo in an interview said Comair, through kulula.com, contributed significantly to their business. Although Lanseria International Airport had anticipated a slow recovery of Comair, which operates kulula.com, in its strategic business plan, due to the myriad of operational challenges the business encountered since Covid-19, they had never anticipated a scenario where Comair would be liquidated, he said. At a time when the aviation industry was slowly, but surely showing some signs of recovery from the devastation of the Covid-19 buoyed by the build-up of confidence from the travelling public, the liquidation of…

As the cannabis and hemp industries are gathering momentum in South Africa, it is important to ensure that opportunities are offered to those less fortunate. Earlier this year, Africa’s leading cannabis education and training company, Cheeba Cannabis Academy, partnered with leading online agricultural school, Agricolleges international, to launch an AgriSETA accredited programme called National Certificate in Plant Production - Cannabis and Hemp (NQF Level 4; SAQA ID: 49009). The parties have now partnered with the family farming network SAAI (Southern African Agri Initiative), which represents over 9 000 family farms, to launch an annual scholarship programme for the course. The scholarship will facilitate two students per year and is aimed at underprivileged candidates who have a passion for and an interest in cannabis or hemp cultivation in South Africa. It…

According to the New York Times, “how to become a real estate agent” was the most job-related search term from January 2020 to January 2021. A career in real estate can be both rewarding and challenging, and to make an impact in the field, you must be equipped with certain fundamental skills. Working as a real estate agent has many perks, such as being your own boss, meeting new people, and helping people through one of life’s biggest milestones. And according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of real estate agent and broker jobs is projected to increase by 4% between 2020 and 2030. Below are 5 key skills you should keep in mind. 1. Local experience Local information gives you an advantage in understanding the rules and…

The rising cost of fuel and commuter unhappiness has spurred a project team of companies and research institutions, including GoMetro and Stellenbosch University (SU), to begin a research partnership to investigate and advance the feasibility of an electric minibus taxi for South Africa. GoMetro, a Cape Town-based mobility management technology company, has been collecting data on taxi operations across South Africa for the last five years to launch a demonstrator project to test the first electric minibus in South African conditions by January 2023. GoMetro said a number of viable electric minibus taxi models from various markets have already been identified for testing and the first viable model would be on South African shores by the end of the year. The project team consisted of GoMetro, SU’s Faculty of Engineering,…

THE utopian quest for an honest leader is about to begin in earnest, as the president’s peculiar financial circumstances on his farm come to light. The impression that he was a scrupulously honest individual is now being questioned in the media and beyond. Cynical political opponents are baying for his blood. Will he survive the onslaught? The country’s infrastructure lies in ruins and the ministerial collective has proved to be less than competent, compromising South Africans in almost every sphere of life. It seems we are doomed. Yet, there is a way out: early elections should be called, so that the electorate can dismantle the toxic stranglehold the ANC has. It’s now or never, my fellow South Africans.…

Perhaps the most pleasing aspect of the Springbok squad announced by Jacques Nienaber on Saturday evening is that he has shown he can be flexible and open to changing his mind. Just a few months ago, the Bok coach intimated to the media in an information session that the squad was pretty much a closed shop and that it was too late to bring in too many fresh troops because the World Cup is looming ever larger on the horizon. But as the Bulls and Stormers, and the Sharks to a lesser degree, have prospered in the United Rugby Championship to the point that the final is an all-South African affair this Saturday, Nienaber and director of rugby Rassie Erasmus have taken cognisance of just how well a number of…

Stormers captain Steven Kitshoff says that knowing what was at stake sparked them to overcome a tough period in their United Rugby Championship (URC) semi-final victory over Ulster at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday. The Irish side led 15-10 at the half-time break and played with intent in the second half, putting the hosts under pressure for large parts of the second 40 minutes. The Stormers camped in Ulster’s 22-metre area for an extended period in the final quarter and came close to scoring a number of times. They finally got rewarded when a long skip pass put fullback Warrick Gelant away for the score-levelling try (15-15) in the last minute, with flyhalf Manie Libbok making no mistake with the conversion to seal a 17-15 win. After the game, coach…

World champion Max Verstappen led a Red Bull one-two in yesterday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix in a potentially key moment of the title race after Charles Leclerc and Ferrari endured another dose of raceday misery. Sergio Perez had jumped pole sitter Leclerc to the first turn before Verstappen took control as first the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz and then Leclerc retired with engine problems. George Russell took third with teammate Lewis Hamilton fourth for Mercedes, who suffered badly from bouncing on the streets of Baku. Verstappen’s fifth win of the season tightened his grip on the drivers’ standings with Perez now moving into second, 21 points behind, while the luckless Leclerc slipped to 34 points adrift. “Was that a good drive or was that a good drive,” a pleased Verstappen asked…

SOUTH Africa’s newest airliner Lift would be expediting its growth plans to more than double its current aircraft fleet as well as expand its route network, Lift Airline co-founder and chief executive Jonathan Ayache, said on Friday. Lift makes use of 4th Generation Airbus A320 Aircraft of which it owns three. Lift said its aim was to start the roll-out of additional aircraft over the next month. “Our plans for expanding our fleet and route network are being expedited following Comair’s exit and as part of this we will be looking to recruit new staff and absorb as many of those impacted,” Ayache said. “We will do everything we can to assist those passengers impacted (Comair’s liquidation) as we look at adding additional flights. We have already added a…

Exam stress affects most learners in different ways. It is important to manage this stress and find ways to eliminate the risk of burnout. For some learners, exams can be a breeze, but for others, sweaty palms and heart palpitations are just a part of the territory, and it seems nothing is more impossible than sitting down and revising. Below are some handy tips that can help to reduce stress and make sure you can get through this exam season. 1. Take regular breaks and schedule fun things to look forward to Even the most intense exam timetables will allow a little time for a study break. Spending a little time away from the books will leave you feeling more refreshed and relaxed the next time you revise. 2. Exercise…

THE 2023 edition of Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings sees 90% of South African universities increase their renown among global employers, climbing the ranks in this indicator by a whopping average of 69 places. QS’s Employer Reputations indicator is based on the opinion of 99 000 global employers and hiring managers. Three universities have improved their ranking, while four remained stable, and two showed decline. Eight of South Africa’s nine universities are held in higher esteem among employers in this year’s rankings. The University of Cape Town is South Africa’s highest-ranked institution overall at 237th. It commands the country’s highest employer renown, climbing 60 positions to 166th in this metric. South Africa’s improvement in this indicator gives the county two top-200 universities for Employer Reputation as the University of…

The two halves of high-schooler Kamala Khan’s life initially seem unbridgeable. By day, she’s a second-generation Pakistani-American teen with strict parents and a low profile at school. By night, she’s an Avengers stan, creating fan videos of the battle against Thanos, though her favourite is Captain Marvel, the space-travelling former fighter pilot played by Brie Larson in the movies. In the first episode of Ms. Marvel, the new Disney+ adaptation of the comic, the tension between the two aspects of Kamala’s (newcomer Iman Vellani) existence manifests in her mom and dad forbidding her from attending Avengercon, where the teen hoped to debut a home-made Captain Marvel costume her parents would deem too form-fitting. Such is Ms. Marvel’s clever spin on the age-old Asian-American narrative formula of straddling dual worlds. In…

THE GAUTENG doctor who publicly spoke about the poor and unacceptable state of Gauteng healthcare facilities is back to work following a brief suspension that caused a backlash in the healthcare fraternity. Paediatrician Dr Tim de Maayer was reinstated at Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital on Friday following this precautionary suspension due to alleged “serious misconduct” after criticising the state of healthcare provided to children at the hospital in an open letter published on May 22. The whistle-blower exposed, among others, that the hospital’s tomography scanner had been broken for three months, how the toilets looked when the water was off and how “hospital-acquired infections spread like wildfire”. De Maayer’s suspension was met with a backlash from the public healthcare industry that demanded he be reinstated. The SA Medical…

City of Joburg mayor Mpho Phalatse has blamed illegal connections for the fire that destroyed about 400 shacks at an informal settlement and left one person dead and several others injured. The fire swept through the settlement near Kwa Mai Mai early yesterday morning leaving more than 800 people homeless. Phalatse visited the area yesterday. She is convinced the fire was caused by illegal power connections. “Because of an illegal connection we have yet another tragic fire that claimed one life. The person has not been identified; apparently they were burnt beyond recognition. There is also a female who was injured and rushed to hospital. Unfortunately one of our EMS personnel was injured and rushed to the hospital as well.” She said affected fire victims will be relocated to a…

THE much-anticipated three-day London Fashion Week kicked off with no hesitation to showcase explosive collections crafted by various creative designers. This second fashion event of the year was presented by Clearpay from June 11, as a digital-physical hybrid, showcasing both womenswear and menswear brands, and will wrap things up today. The London Fashion Week is one of the “Big Four” fashion weeks, along with New York, Milan and Paris. The day 2 digital schedule included DiscoveryLAB shows from ABAGA VELLI and Lea Nyland Studio as well as digital presentations from Agne Kuzmickaite, Ahluwalia and QASIMI and a physical show from Yuzefi. Fashion fanatics from across the globe know that London Fashion Week boasts designers and models from all walks of life. Their talents are seen on the runways as models…

Some subsidised bus contracts have been extended on a month-to-month basis for 19 years as the government grapples to implement a permanent funding model for public transport. Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has revealed that lapsed contracts between the government and companies including Putco cannot be cut yet. He was replying to written questions posed in Parliament by EFF MP Nontando Nolutshungu. They were extended on a short-term basis for fear of a “total collapse”, as Mbalula put it, of bus services in parts of the country, leaving millions of commuters stranded. Putco transports millions of people to and from parts of Mpumalanga and Limpopo to Gauteng daily. The company did the same in many Gauteng townships such as Soweto, Tembisa, Mamelodi, Vosloorus, Soshanguve, Mabopane and Garankuwa. The private bus companies…

THE SA Civil Society has called on the government to ensure that authorities investigate and report the cause of the tragic accident that killed 15 people outside Ga-Rankuwa, to give families closure. Allegations are circulating on social media that the driver of the truck was a foreign national who did not have the right documents to be on the road, and people believe the families of the 10 women and five men who lost their lives need answers. Francina Kgomo, one of the first people at the scene, said she got off another bus to check on her son, Keabetswe Chira, 27, who was in the bus involved in the accident, and among the 37 patients transported to Dr George Mukhari Hospital, Steve Biko Academic Hospital and Kalafong Hospital after…

The Proteas have stressed the point that this team does possess “superstars”, but they do manage to unearth an unlikely hero each time when it’s needed most. Yesterday in Cuttack it was Heinrich Klaasen’s chance to don the cloak. The Titans captain was only drafted into the starting line-up due to Quinton de Kock’s injured finger, but he was soon cast into the premier role and delivered superbly with 81 off just 46 balls to power the Proteas to victory. After the Delhi run-feast last Thursday it was the turn of the bowlers to take centre stage, with South Africa under pressure at 29/3 within the first powerplay in pursuit of India’s 148/6. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (4/13) had ripped through the Proteas’ top order with the removal of Reeza Hendricks, Dwaine…

The funding of increased manufacturing capacity will more than double the group’s employment opportunities THE Foschini Group continues to surprise the market and has earmarked R2.1 billion to establish new stores and double its manufacturing capability Despite this its shares tumbled nearly 4 percent to R133.24 at the market close on Friday, as the bourse took strain with a global sell-off sparked by recession fears. However, the counter is down 13.4 percent over the past 12 months. TFG said it had committed more than R600 million towards opening in excess of 350 new stores. The investment in increased manu- facturing capacity will more than double employment opportunities in the group’s own factories and strategic non-owned cut-make-trim factories from 5 200 in 2022 to 11 200…

Studying law opens many doors across the economy. Some may be drawn to the idea of a legal career based on how it’s portrayed in movies, or high-profile court cases such as the recent Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard trial, while others might be put off by these representations, especially if they are introverts. Bronwyn Le Ann Batchelor, Head of Faculty: Law at The Independent Institute of Education, explains the various legal qualifications and careers and advises on how to ensure your chosen study institution will give you the necessary skills to enter the constantly evolving industry competently and confidently. Batchelor says the legal field is varied and has streams that will appeal to many personality types, with infinitely more career possibilities than just trial law in court. When considering…

The Pitch Perfect actress shared the news about her sexuality on an Instagram post on Thursday, with a snap of her smiling alongside new partner, fashion designer Ramona Agruma. She has called her a “Disney Princess” in a message accompanied by hearts and a rainbow emoji and the hashtag “loveislove”. Wilson said: “I thought I was searching for a Disney Prince… but maybe what I really needed all this time was a Disney Princess #loveislove.” A source close to the actress told PEOPLE: “Rebel’s in an amazing place and I’ve never seen her happier.” It comes after Wilson told the publication last month she had a new partner, but did not identify them. She said: “We spoke on the phone for weeks before meeting. And that was a really good…

AS the world marked World Day Against Child Labour yesterday, the Southern Africa Resource Watch (SARW) added its voice on calls towards ending all forms of child labour. World Day Against Child Labour, celebrated annually on June 12, aims to raise awareness and activism to prevent child labour in the world and this year’s theme “Universal Social Protection to End Child Labour”, calls for social protection systems and schemes that ensure the protection of children from child labour. SARW, the independent body that advocates and promotes human rights and environmental protection in resource extraction activities, said it was concerned by the fact that sub-Sahara Africa has more children in child labour than anywhere else in the world and denounced all forms of child labour. “Although the agriculture and mining sector…

AS Parliament arson accused Zandile Mafe’s legal team prepares for his trial in the high court, the gravity of the allegations against him has been revealed in court documents. Luvuyo Godla, Mafe’s lawyer, said: “They are very quick and they hasten to mention the seriousness of the offence without fully and pro-actively linking the person to the offence they are talking about.” Last week, Mafe was served with an official indictment which indicated the severity of the charges against him. He faces three counts of housebreaking with intent to commit arson and arson, theft and terrorism. The terrorism charge has been listed with an alternative charge of discharging or detonating an explosive device. He will appear in the high court on August 12. The State had Mafe admitted to a…

A newly introduced television show that creates a platform for youngsters to showcase their talent in acting, singing, modelling and dancing is set to debut on Youth Day. The new television show Dream Factory, which showcases talent across nine provinces, is coming to TV screens this month. On her journey across the country to scout new talent, Dream Factory founder Elsubie Verlinden found talent in all ages, shapes and sizes in acting, singing, modelling and dancing. The founder, who is the 33 and Me Talent Agency head and producer of the International Arts Talent Showcase (Iats), aimed to not only make sure the talented youngsters receive recognition, but to offer them opportunities in arts education. “The inspiration behind Dream Factory is to manufacture and develop dreams, to nurture and educate…

Cape Town All Stars’ Premier Soccer League promotion-relegation play-off campaign ended in disaster last week when they drew 1-1 with the University of Pretoria in an all-GladAfrica Championship contest at Tuks Stadium. The result meant that the other two teams, Swallows FC and AmaTuks, are left to slug it out for the 16th place in next season’s Premiership. However, with nothing to gain, All Stars surprised one and all by defeating Premiership outfit Swallows 2-1 at the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch on Saturday. All Stars left their come-from-behind win rather late after they managed two goals in the final four minutes of the match through Ronaldo Maarman and then Ndiviwe Mdabuka. Nevertheless, the outcome left All Stars at the bottom of the standings, with four points after completing their…

Charl Schwartzel’s victory in the first event of the rebel LIV Golf series brought the curtain down on one of the most dramatic weeks in the history of a sport now in deep turmoil. The breakaway circuit, fronted by Greg Norman and bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, is now a real and present threat to golf’s established tours. The stars at the opening tournament outside London, which finished on Saturday, included six-time Major winner Phil Mickelson and twice Major champion Dustin Johnson. But there were other big names in the 48-player field too, including Major winners Schwartzel, Sergio Garcia, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell and Louis Oosthuizen. During the event at the Centurion Club in St Albans, the organisers trumpeted the signings of 2020 US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau…

Without the benefit of a warm-up match, Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos took to fielding several greenhorns against a classy Morocco outfit, who have enjoyed tremendous success in Africa over the past two years. Thursday’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) Group K qualifier produced the expected outcome, while exposing the yawning gap in playing standards. Former Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane recently said that South African football is 20 years behind Morocco. Seven members of the run-on XI collectively have less than 20 caps – Khuliso Mudau, Lyle Lakay, Thibang Phete, Grant Kekana, Taariq Fielies, Sphephelo Sithole and Goodman Mosele. Moreover, the preparations were hamstrung before the team’s departure for Morocco because Orlando Pirates players were still engaged in Premiership fixtures. Broos had limited opportunities on several levels but bravely soldiered…

The Bulls began their trip back to South Africa yesterday, but now coach Jake White is waiting to see whether wing David Kriel will be ready for Saturday’s United Rugby Championship (URC) final against the Stormers in Cape Town. Kriel had to leave the field in the first half of Friday night’s enthralling 27-26 triumph over Leinster in Dublin after taking a blow to his head. The Bulls No 14 tried to tackle Leinster centre Robbie Henshaw and made contact with the Irish star’s hip, and stayed down for a while. He eventually took up his position again, but was then taken off for a head injury assessment (HIA), and didn’t return. Kurt-Lee Arendse came on at fullback, with youngster Canan Moodie moving to his usual right wing spot, and…