Table of contents for 2023-03-06 in Star

CONFIDENCE in South Africa’s private sector regarding the year ahead has declined for the fifth month running to the weakest level since May 2022, in spite of activity rebounding. The S&P Global on Friday released the South Africa Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI). The PMI returned to growth territory in February, printing at 50.5 points after falling to a 13-month low of 48.7 points in January, signalling a slight pick-up in the health of the private sector economy. The latest reading showed that the improvement came as output levels stabilised in February, thereby ending a prior five-month sequence of contraction. S&P said some panellists saw an increase in activity linked to new contracts and higher sales, but others saw a decline amid demand weakness and load shedding. Upturns in the…

Regulations combined with debt relief programme will release funds for critical spares needed ESKOM has expressed hope that the recently gazetted regulations governing the National State of Disaster on energy will enable the power utility to fast-track the end of load shedding. Eskom acting CEO Calib Cassim said on Friday that the regulations, combined with the debt-relief programme, will release funds for critical spares needed to fix generation units much quicker than normal. Last month, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced that Eskom will not be spending capital on any greenfield projects for the next three years but will focus on maintenance of the existing generation fleet. This forms part of the conditions attached to the R254 billion debt relief intervention provided by the government in a bid to turn…

SEKUNJALO Investment Holdings has stepped in to make a firm offer to the minority shareholders of Premier Fishing & Brands (PFB), R1.60 a share, ahead of the delisting of PFB by way of a scheme of arrangement. The offer is substantially higher than the 43c the share traded at on the same day a year ago. African Equity Empowerment Investments, the biggest shareholder in PFB with a 56.23% stake, had earlier indicated it would make the offer to PFB’s minority shareholders, who hold 6.14% of the company’s shares. PFB confirmed on Friday that the JSE’s Takeover Regulation Panel “had agreed to the substitution of offeror with Sekunjalo Investment Holdings”, the company said. Sekunjalo already owns 9.27 million or 3.57% of the PFB shares in issue. PFB said it had…

Nation kept waiting for reshuffle as he takes sickie and is later spotted at Ankole auction President Cyril Ramaphosa’s “dilly-dallying” tactics over his Cabinet reshuffle have come back to haunt him. This is after Ramaphosa received criticism for having reported sick on Tuesday but was later found to have attended an Ankole auction at his Ntaba Nyoni farm in Limpopo. Ramaphosa, who will be announcing a reshuffle of his Cabinet this evening, reported sick with a bout of flu, which has sent shockwaves across the country, with many slamming the president for putting issues of national importance on the back-burner. Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya confirmed reports that the president had a mild cold but denied that some of the postponements to his Cabinet reshuffle were due to ill health. However,…

THE SA Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC) acting CEO Chantal Kisoon has been placed on precautionary suspension after allegations of racism. Kisoon is alleged to have referred to senior managers as “black babies” during an operational plan meeting on February 23. In a statement on Friday, the SAHRC said its commissioners met and resolved to place Kisoon on precautionary suspension pending an investigation. “The SAHRC, as an institution supporting constitutional democracy, wishes to assure the public that it does not condone racism, or any other violation of the rights entrenched in the Constitution. It greatly regrets the incident in which its then-acting CEO Chantal Kisoon, was alleged by the staff of the commission as having used a racial slur against them. It will leave no stone unturned in investigating the incident…

The Public Investment Corporation (PIC), guardian of 82% of the Government Employees Pension Fund’s (GEPF’s) portfolio is headed to court tomorrow in a desperate bid to claw back funds it invested in JSE-listed AYO Technology Solutions (AYO) five years ago. The PIC made a R4.3 billion investment for a 29% stake in AYO back in 2017 when AYO listed on the JSE, but now wants its money back, with interest, despite having benefited from its investment through dividends of more than R400 million. The court matter goes back to May 2019 when the PIC, which, in this instance, describes itself as an organ of state, and the GEPF, which describes itself as Africa’s largest pension fund, issued a summons to AYO. The summons sought a declaration that the subscription agreement…

Living with obesity reduces your quality of life on a multi-faceted plane, induces depression, and increases your risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, which claim the lives of 215 people a day. The Heart & Stroke Foundation reports that five people have heart attacks and 10 have strokes, per hour. Over 70% of South African women are now categorised as overweight or obese. This raises their chances of developing non-communicable conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and several types of cancer. Rene Schickerling, Women’s Health Category Manager for Pharma Dynamics, says people who are obese have a 50 to 100% increased risk of premature death from all causes, compared to those who are within a healthy weight range. In addition to genes, metabolism, age, medication, sleep, diet, inactivity and many other factors,…

A HUSBAND who started his married life by making sexual advances to one of the bridesmaids on their wedding day, his wife’s cousin, and continued on this path during their 12-year marriage got a rude awakening when the court ruled that he forfeited half of their joint estate. “It strikes me to be exceedingly unfair that the defendant (husband), having shown no regard for his role as husband and father, and having made no contribution of any kind to the common home, neither financially nor emotionally, should benefit from plaintiff’s (wife) work. Consequently, I am of the view that the claim for forfeiture should succeed,” North Gauteng High Court Judge Jan Swanepoel said. The parties were married in April 2011 in terms of the accrual system by virtue…

The recent answering sworn affidavit by sacked former Eskom boss André de Ruyter reveals who is to blame for the state of Eskom. Those ultimately responsible are the guilty parties. Anyone wishing to contribute their input on this matter should first read the affidavit. It reveals what many have been saying for years that the ANC is the problem. With so many listeners calling in to SAFM radio station, with accusations, it leaves one wondering whether these individuals have any idea of what they are talking about. If they wish to contribute to the subject matter, they should first read the responding affidavit by De Ruyter and they will realise that this situation dates from many years, with the government having been forewarned a long time ago. It also reveals…

It is illegal to buy or sell sex in South Africa. But this may soon be a thing of the past if a recently published draft bill to decriminalise sex work is passed. Researchers and activists Marlise Richter and Monique Huysamen set out what’s in the new law, what’s good about it and what still needs work. What’s envisaged under the proposed new law? If the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Bill 2022 is passed, South Africa will become only the second country in the world to fully decriminalise sex work. It would no longer be illegal to buy or sell sex. New Zealand is the only other country where this is the case. The draft law proposes the removal of the criminalisation of buying and selling…

KANO (nigeria): The head of Maigari village in the Rimin Gado Local Government Area of Kano Atate, Dahiru Abba, has been shot dead. His son, the chairman of Rimin Gado Local Government, Barrister Munir Dahiru Maigari, confirmed the killing. Maigari said, “It happened at about 2am. They came and did what they did. We cannot say anything on the cause for now.” The gunmen broke into the monarch’s residence and assaulted him before opening fire. The burial ceremony was to be conducted at his residence in Maigari village yesterday. Police said they were not aware of the incident but would investigate. | Daily Trust.…

CAIRO: A hidden corridor 9m long has been discovered close to the main entrance of the 4 500-year-old Great Pyramid of Giza, and could lead to further findings, Egyptian antiquities officials say. The discovery in the pyramid –one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World – was made under the Scan Pyramids project. An article in the journal Nature said the discovery could contribute to knowledge about the construction of the pyramid around 2 560 BC during the reign of the Pharaoh Cheops. The corridor was likely created to redistribute the pyramid’s weight. | Reuters…

Liverpool brought Manchester United’s bandwagon to a shuddering halt as Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah all scored twice in a record 7-0 hammering of their arch-rivals to boost their Premier League top-four hopes at Anfield last night. A week after a resurgent United claimed their first trophy since 2017 by winning the League Cup and amid talk of a title push, they were blown away either side of half-time as Liverpool recorded their biggest ever margin of victory in the fixture. United had looked marginally the better side for 43 minutes before Gakpo's superb finish from Liverpool's first attempt on target gave the hosts the half-time lead. Within five minutes of the restart it was all over as a contest with Nunez making it 2-0 with a header…

SUN INTERNATIONAL said successful execution of its strategy last year yielded excellent results, resulting in strong growth in revenue, earnings and signifi- cant reduction in group debt, boosted by casino income. In a trading statement released on Friday, the group said basic earnings per share for the financial year was expected to be a profit of between 211 cents and 234c, which equates to an improvement of more than 100% when compared to the prior year’s profit of 105c per share. Headline earnings per share were expected to be between 213c and 237c, which equates to an improvement of more than 100% when compared to the prior year’s headline earnings profit of 106c per share. Adjusted headline earnings per share were expected to be a profit of between 415c…

MTN RWANDA, the biggest telecoms operator in the East African nation, on Friday said investment in its network and platforms remained a key priority supporting its strategy to achieve 100% population coverage in 2023. In its results for the year to December 31, 2022, the group, which is also known as MTN Rwandacell, said it planned to ensure connectivity across Rwanda’s rural communities to further drive digital inclusion, as well as to grow its subscriber base. Service revenue grew 19.9% to 221.7 billion Rwandan Francs (Rwf) (R3.68bn) last year, but profit fell 12.8%. Mobile subscribers increased by 5.9% year-on-year to 6.8 million, while MoMo subscribers were up by 16.3% to 4.3 million, and the number of merchants rose by 192.6% to 141 222 at period end.…

ARTIFICIAL intelligence (AI) technology is making headlines all over the world, in particular the powerful chatbot, ChatGPT. The strategic importance of AI technology has been growing exponentially across industries and businesses and created numerous new opportunities. In addition to enhancing decision-making, AI has also increased the efficiency of businesses. Many businesses are exploring and investing in AI solutions, because AI has the ability to automate tasks and processes and achieve cost efficiencies, productivity advantages, and product or service quality that would otherwise not be possible. Currently AI business tools are rolled out at a pace never experienced before. Some of these can without doubt add value to a business. Jasper the writing assistant Writing is an important part of any business such as the writing of documents, blog posts, reports,…

Kay Sibiya says he never raped nor assaulted his former lover, Zookey Zarling. In a series of videos and Facebook posts, Zarling accused Sibiya of drugging and raping her, which resulted in her falling pregnant with their daughter. Sibiya has since issued a statement denying the allegations. He also confirmed that he has opened a case of defamation and false accusations against Zarling. The Imbewu star referred to Zarling’s accusations as “outrageous and malicious”. He added that he believes she is trying to ruin his reputation. “I have noted the malicious and defaming utterances that have been made by Ms Z Vuthela on social media, implicating my name. “Serious accusations of rape and assault have been made against me by the mother of my first-born child,” read Sibiya’s statement shared…

Carnage on Limpopo roads has seen 46 people dead, all in less than three weeks. On Friday morning, 16 people were killed in an accident on the R579 in Motetema, near Groblersdal. The accident involved several learners. Community Safety and Transport spokesperson Tidimalo Chuene said a minibus taxi was involved in a head-on collision with a truck and another minibus taxi after allegedly overtaking unsafely. “One of the minibus taxis involved was transporting learners to school. Drivers of the two taxis and six learners are among the 16 who have died. “Four passengers with serious injuries were transported to a nearby health facility for medical attention.” Also on Friday, three people lost their lives in an accident on the R71 at Mankweng, outside Polokwane. According to Chuene, this was after…

The concept of a learning academy to train and upskill members of the Department of Correctional Services and those seeking to build careers in the public service should be realised in three years. Much as the Department of Defence trains its staff as well as young recruits for careers in their wings (the SA Air Force, Military Health and the Navy), the department is set to integrate its available facilities, institutions, and those of its partners, such as universities, to establish a Corrections Academy. On Thursday, discussions about the mission attracted commitment and delegations from universities across the country, including Unisa, Tshwane University of Technology, the National School of Government, University of Limpopo and University of Zululand. They met at the Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre to discuss the academy,…

This week marks more than three weeks with no update on progress in the hunt for those who killed multi- award-winning rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes in Durban. The music star, who was gunned down outside the Wish On Florida restaurant in Durban, has been claiming trends on social media as his fans call for justice to prevail with the hashtag #JusticeforAKA. The calls for justice come after Police Minister Bheki Cele said that in spite of there being no arrests yet, police management in KwaZulu-Natal had furnished him with a progress report. According to IOL, provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker revealed that police were “very confident” that those responsible for the hitmaker’s murder would be found. “The matter is (being) investigated by detectives from the Provincial Organised Crime Unit.…

Liberation movements in other parts of the world, particularly Africa, have been affected by the Jewish experience. Exodus, the biblical story of the Israelites’ journey from slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land, served as a potent metaphor for African liberation movements. Jewish organisations made significant contributions to the anti-apartheid fight. One of the few white organisations in South Africa that openly resisted apartheid was the Jewish Board of Deputies. Jewish groups from other nations, such as the American Jewish Congress and the World Jewish Congress, supported the fight against apartheid and pushed for economic penalties against the South African government. The Zionist movement, which aimed to found a Jewish state in Palestine, had a variety of effects on the African liberation movement. While some African leaders viewed Zionism and…

The first Test of Shukri Conrad as coach and Temba Bavuma as captain ended with a happy victory, but it also reiterated the major problems that the Proteas still face. It started off well for the duo with an Aiden Markram-inspired century that guided the national men’s senior team to 221/2 in their first innings. At this stage, the Proteas were in complete control of proceedings against the West Indies but then – as has become the norm with this SA Test side – disaster was not far behind. A batting collapse followed, and the next eight wickets fell for a paltry 121 runs. Their second innings was no better, Player of the Match Markram once again the vanguard, scoring 47. The rest of the scoreboard was a reminder of…

LIMA: Several hundred protesters have attacked a police station, a military base and a courthouse in southeast Peru, injuring at least 27 people, including seven civilians, the Peruvian Defense Ministry and the Ministry of the Interior said on Sunday. Around 300 demonstrators set fire to a police station in the Chucuito District of the Puno Province at around 11:40 am local time (16:40 GMT) on Saturday, the Peruvian authorities said. The rioters were also throwing stones, blunt objects and Molotov cocktails at the building. At the same time, two other groups of protesters attacked a military base in the town of Juli. | Sputnik…

SWEEPSOUTH, a leading home cleaning service company, wants those who refuse to play by the rules and pay the new national minimum wage to face legal consequences. SweepSouth managing director Luke Kannemeyer said in response to Business Report questions on Friday that the country would also need to guard against employers who may reduce days or hours of work, but then place unreasonable demands on their employees to still complete the same amount of work in a reduced time period. “This highlights the importance of not viewing the national minimum wage in isolation as a benchmark to improve the sector. Fair treatment is as important as fair pay,” Kannemeyer said. Last month, Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi raised the minimum wage for farmworkers and domestic workers by a whopping…

SOUTH Africa’s greylisting by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog, would stifle the country’s ability to do business globally, especially with EU members, says Youth Employment Service (YES) CEO Ravi Naidoo. YES is a business-led collaboration that seeks groundbreaking ways, through innovation and technological best practice, to reignite the economy and give youth a dignified first chance. Naidoo said that the greylisting, together with load shedding, would unfortunately also affect job creation. He said studies showed that greylisting negatively affected capital flows into countries, with consequent effects on economic activity, growth and employment levels. In response to a Business Report media inquiry, Naidoo said that the single biggest way to create jobs was to increase the country’s rate of economic growth. “We…

Radio and TV personality Tracey Lange recently shared an emotional farewell when she announced her resignation from kykNET’s Afrikaans celebrity magazine show Bravo! Lange shared a picture of her wall filled with her magazine cover features and wrote: “On this day, exactly 11 years ago on a Thursday too. I presented my very, very FIRST insert for (what was then) a brand new show on TV: BRAVO! “Eleven years! It blows my mind that it’s been 11 years since starting this journey on TV that allowed me in the homes and hearts of so many in South Africa. “A show that opened so many doors for me and allowed me to use the platform it provided, to build this career of mine and create even more opportunities for myself and…

The Johannesburg metro centre buildings should be demolished and rebuilt, says council speaker Colleen Makhubele. Makhubele told The Star that several reports showed the municipal buildings were not compliant with occupational health and safety standards. “There is evidence to show that the building is not suitable to work in or occupy and can collapse at any time,” she said. Makhubele said she had raised the matter with Mayor Thapelo Amad and the previous mayor, Mpho Phalatse. She said the structures attached to the council chambers should be demolished and rebuilt since the council chambers were still newer. “If the executive does not do anything about this, I will have to bring a compliance enforcement report so that the building can be evacuated before any harm is done,” she said. Makhubele…

the EFF in Gauteng is alarmed by the rising levels of gun violence. This follows the latest incident on Thursday morning in Alexandra, near the Ithute Primary School, where a man was gunned down in a hail of bullets. Though the details are unknown, it was strongly believed that the slain man was a prominent taxi owner. Gauteng Red Berets chairperson Nkululeko Dunga said: “It is well known across townships how taxi violence can escalate, disrupt movements and endanger the lives of residents. “This unfortunate incident occurred not even a week after a gruesome gang-related shooting that resulted in two people losing their lives and many others being injured in the township of Westbury.” He added that the country had a bloodthirsty society, and this was perpetuated by a police…

While some young black professionals find it difficult to deal with the concept of black tax, economist Makwe Masilela said investing in one’s immediate family is not a bad thing if done correctly. For most black professionals, the first job comes with the responsibility of looking after the family and extended family. This could be a result of an economy plagued by the history of apartheid. African families have a history of sticking together and looking after one another. But Masilela said that could be done differently. He said that investing in relatives did not mean handing out money willy-nilly; the investment should be able to have an effect. “We don’t have to free ourselves, but we’d rather do it in a better structured way. Meaning it doesn’t have to…

The ANC government has no political will to end corruption and resolve the electricity crisis. The response of President Cyril Ramaphosa and Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan to the former head of Eskom Andre de Ruyter’s allegations that he knows who is involved in corruption at Eskom, and that they include Cabinet ministers, is appalling. To brush off the matter by hiding behind the argument that “everyone who knows about corruption has the duty to report the matter to the police” is an insult to the public. De Ruyter has made very serious allegations which the government, through Ramaphosa and Gordan, must have taken seriously. De Ruyter led this critical state company that is ridden with corruption and when he claims he has the evidence, the politicians decide…

If the Struggle of young South African adults in the ’70s and ’80s was the unjust regime of apartheid, the youth of today confront new struggles in their quest to lead lives of dignity and in pursuit of a better life for themselves, and the next generation. The country may have made some progress in broadening young people’s access to basic education; but a combination of poor-quality schooling, low rates of tertiary qualification, a changing labour market, and a dearth of bridging opportunities to support young people into their first quality job, has meant millions of young people remain unemployed. And so continues the intergenerational cycle of inequality. Post-apartheid South African policy has described the country’s youth both as the “greatest threat to social stability” and as a “demographic dividend”.…

new york: UN member states finally agreed Saturday to a text on the first international treaty after years of negotiations to protect the high seas, a fragile and vital treasure that covers nearly half the planet. “The ship has reached the shore,” conference chair Rena Lee announced at the UN headquarters in New York last night, to loud and lengthy applause from delegates. The exact wording of the text was not immediately released but activists hailed it as a breakthrough moment for the protection of biodiversity after more than 15 years of discussions. The treaty is seen as essential to conserving 30% of the world’s land and ocean by 2030, as agreed by world governments in a historic accord signed in Montreal in December. “This is a historic day for…

DOHA: Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said yesterday that Qatar would provide $60 million (R1 billion) to assist the least developed countries. “Qatar announces a financial contribution of $60 million, of which $10 million will be allocated to support activities of the Doha Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries and $50 million to build resilience in these countries,” he said. The 5th UN Conference on Least Developed Countries began in Qatar as a platform for 46 least developed countries to discuss their economic, political, social, and ecological issues. | Sputnik…

Cape Town City FC coach Eric Tinkler said his team’s intensity was the decisive factor as his side laboured to a 2-1 win over hosts Maritzburg United in their DStv Premiership match at the Harry Gwala Stadium on Saturday evening. “It was another resilient performance by the boys and it was not pretty,” said Tinkler after the match. “The most important factor was our intensity. We needed to match them in terms of our intensity and in terms of our aggression. We knew we had to win our duels. “It (the performance) was not pretty, but it was a resilient display and we needed to put our foot on the ball a bit better. “ Maritzburg coach Fadlu Davids felt his team dominated from start to finish but they could…