Table of contents for 2023-09-05 in Star

PPC the JSE-Listed cementitious product maker and distributor, said yesterday Matias Cardarelli had been appointed CEO to succeed Roland van Wijnen, whose contract expired on August 31 and was extended to December 31 to help the hand-over and transition. PPC’s board thanked Van Wijnen, who had repositioned the group by restructuring its debt, realigned its governance and reporting procedures and refocused its growth objectives in southern Africa, while at the same time navigated the challenges of Covid-19. PPC has also, according to previous reports, faced lower demand for its products due to declining investment in infrastructure and a weak consumer environment in its South Africa operations. PPC chairperson Jabu Moleketi said Cardarelli has a remarkable track record in the cement industry, across multiple emerging markets, having also spent the last…

Currency gains wiped out by intensified power cuts, fuel price hike THE RAND FELL to its lowest in two weeks, breaching the R19-mark to the US dollar yesterday after the government announced that fuel prices will increase to their highest in 9 months on the back of rising oil prices and weak exchange rate. The local currency weakened to R19.05 to the greenback in spite of hopes in the market for a pause in the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hike after employment data out of the US showed an easing of labour market conditions. The fuel price hike, coupled with renewed concerns over the domestic economy due to intensified power cuts, wiped all the gains the rand has made since inflation dipped to the midpoint of the South African Reserve…

WHEN ELON MUSK acquired Twitter, many were against the move. This got worse with the re-branding exercise from Twitter to X. I was one of the few who considered the Twitter acquisition, as well as the re-branding exercise, as part of the process of taking Twitter to another level. Recent developments at Twitter are a clear indicator that the platform will get better with time. Here’s what has happened so far since the acquisition by Musk. The changes at X have come at a huge price to some employees, and some functionality has been curtailed. There are also some good things that have come with the change. Many forget that when Twitter was acquired, it was a struggling company and very poor with innovation. Since the acquisition by Elon Musk,…

LOCAL insurers and incident response teams report the highest level of cyberattack incidents they have ever seen, and as these attacks become more frequent and sophisticated, most local businesses can expect to suffer a harmful data breach at any given time. This is according to Mimecast’s 7th annual State of Email Security report, which reveals that 68% of local organisations have experienced an increase in email-based threats, with 44% saying it was a significant increase – higher than all other countries and against a global average of 29%, a statement said yesterday. “Email remains the primary communication method for businesses, mainly due to its ease of use. However, with this also come security pitfalls,” said Ryan van de Coolwijk, product head: cyber, at iTOO Special Risks. “Business email compromise is…

The multi-award winning Nigerian Afropop artist, Mr Eazi, has released a new single and the title of his decade-in-the-making debut solo album. Advice, which dropped on Friday, forms part of the 16-track upcoming album, The Evil Genius, which is set for release on October 27. Produced by Ghana’s M.O.G. Beatz, the drill-infused, lyrically dense single, Advice, namechecks several African martyrs, including former Democratic Republic of the Congo president Joseph Kabila and Ken Saro-Wiwa, a Nigerian writer and activist whose 1995 hanging triggered domestic and international outrage. “I was coming from a place of having that energy,” Eazi said. Advice was recorded during a particularly heavy moment in Eazi’s life, as he watched some of his longest-held relationships crumble under the weight of his success. “When you first come up…

MINISTER of Public Works and Infrastructure Sihle Zikalala has vowed to reclaim more than 1 000 illegally occupied buildings. Yesterday, Zikalala said his ministry has been tasked with conducting a government-wide investigation into hijacked buildings in the country’s metros. He said out of the 29 000 government buildings in the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure asset register, 1 260 are identified as being illegally occupied. The department said it aimed to identify and recover all those properties as part of Operation Bring Back, which will see each municipality list all its properties and indicate whether or not they were hijacked. The department also called on individuals or institutions occupying hijacked buildings to avail themselves of amnesty and formalise their occupancy with the state. The department said it will intensify…

A female German shepherd named Storm sneaked out of her home in Los Angeles, California, to attend a recent Metallica concert at the SoFi football stadium in the Inglewood area, American media reported. Metallica also confirmed Storm’s attendance through a tweet. On Friday, the heavy metal band posted: “You might have heard we had a four-legged fan join us for #M72LA! Despite reports to the contrary, our friend Storm snuck out of her home adjacent to SoFi Stadium and made her way to the gig all by herself. “After a full night taking in the show with her #MetallicaFamily, Storm was safely reunited with her family the next day. She had a great time listening to her favourite songs, including Barx Æterna, Master of Puppies, and The Mailman That Never…

The incomprehensible utterances by Minister Lindiwe Zulu, regarding the catastrophe in Joburg has raised the ire of many South Africans. Blaming apartheid for the monumental disaster is naive and politically infantile. There are numerous causes for the disaster, least of which is the decay and rot, thrust upon this country, by inexperienced ANC cadres since 1994. The buildings that have been hijacked by swarms of illegals and criminal bandits were allowed to be destroyed by ineptitude from within the ranks of the ruling party. Zulu is playing with fire as she attempts to move focus away from the party she serves, by blaming apartheid and white South Africans. When will President Cyril Ramaphosa appoint intelligent people to his Cabinet, people who will stop whining and acting to close the porous…

A COURT has found that children born in South Africa to foreign national parents do not automatically entitle them to South African citizenship. The court then turned down an application by Zimbabwean parents for their children to be issued with SA birth certificates. The parents had turned to the Polokwane High Court to review and set aside a decision by the department of home affairs, which refused to issue the three children with birth certificates. The argument by the parents was that the department’s refusal was unlawful, unconstitutional and invalid. The parents are Zimbabwean citizens currently staying in South Africa. They have three children who were born between 2010 and 2016. All their children were given unabridged certificates for non-Citizens. The father said he was in South Africa on a…

AN acting judge and senior advocate based in Pretoria is due to face the law following a road rage incident during which a man was stabbed in the neck and left leg last month. While the National Prosecuting Authority elected not to prosecute the senior member of the legal fraternity, AfriForum decided to take matters further. The organisation said the spectre of selective prosecution had not ceased – but instead of a politician being shielded from prosecution, it was a senior member of the legal fraternity. AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit has taken up the case of Conrad Pretorius, who was stabbed in the neck and leg and left with life-threatening injuries following the road rage incident. On August 1, Pretorius and his wife were driving in Menlo Park when they…

A SUPERMARKET giant will have to compensate in full all damages suffered by shopper Maria Williams, after she slipped and fell in their store. Williams, the widow of late rugby star Chester Williams, was victorious in her case against the Pick n Pay store at N1 City Mall, where she was known to be a frequent shopper. On November 13, 2017, Williams visited the centre with her sister and after shopping, went to the till to pay, then realised she had forgotten an item and went back into the store to get it. “She set off down aisle No 4 to collect the item and returned to the till up a different aisle – No 5 apparently. While walking back to the till along aisle 5, Williams slipped. Her…

All countries have a variety of water resources – some are on the surface, like rivers, and some are beneath the ground. This groundwater provides almost 50% of all global domestic use and 43% of all the water used for agriculture. Groundwater is stored in aquifers, which come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They can be accessed in several ways, but mostly by drilling wells. Not all groundwater is useful to us – it depends on whether it’s fresh or mixed with salt and on how deep it is, as this will affect how easy it is to tap into. In Africa, groundwater is important. It supports almost 100% of household and agricultural activities in rural areas. And, because it’s underground, it’s protected from evaporation, a crucial resource…

MADRID: At least three people died and another three were missing yesterday after heavy rains lashed drought-hit Spain, triggering flash floods that closed Madrid metro lines and high-speed rail links. The weekend storm affected almost the whole country, with the heaviest rains recorded on Sunday in the coastal provinces of Cadiz, Tarragona and Castello, according to state weather office Aemet. Two people died in the central province of Toledo as a result of the storm. A man was found dead by police during a rescue attempt on a road near the town of Bargas while another man died as rescuers tried to reach him in the town of Casarrubios del Monte. | AFP…

Paris: Aircraft engine manufacturer CFM, a joint venture between GE and Safran, has alerted its clients to a supplier who may have sold non-certified parts. The engines concerned are the CFM56 used on the previous generation of the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft. About 34 000 CFM56 engines were manufactured but it’s unclear how many may have been fitted with fake parts. The EU’s Aviation Safety Agency alerted airlines and maintenance shops last month that British firm AOG Technics had sold parts with false Authorised Release Certificates, urging them to verify parts supplied by AOG. | AFP…

Captain Laura Wolvaardt’s career-best 72 could not save the Proteas Women from a 3-0 series whitewash as they lost by six runs to Pakistan at the National Stadium in Karachi yesterday. Having done so well in the T20 World Cup earlier this year, the South Africans were expected to win the series despite visiting Pakistan for the first time in history. It might have been a dead rubber in the context of the series but for skipper Wolvaardt and her team, redeeming themselves carried a lot of weight. The cricketing gods were on their side yesterday, with the captain winning the toss for the first time in the series and sending Pakistan into bat, an easy decision as the home side had chosen to field first in the first two…

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta praised his team’s mentality after they sealed a 3-1 stoppage-time win over Manchester United on Sunday, but said they must find a way to finish teams off earlier in games rather than rely on “magic moments” at the end. Declan Rice scored in the 96th minute and Gabriel Jesus added a third in the final seconds to seal the Premier League win, after captain Martin Odegaard had cancelled out Marcus Rashford’s opener. “I love the mentality of the team, the determination, the eagerness to win,” Arteta said. “The team was very dominant and deserved to win the game, but the margins with this team are so small, and it could have gone in a different way.” Arsenal were held by Fulham the previous week after beating…

BIDVEST, the services, trading and distribution group that delivered a strong financial performance in the year to June 30, had an “exciting” acquisition pipeline, CEO Mpumi Madisa said yesterday. The Bidvest Group (UK) plc upsized and restructured its multi-currency funding facility and as at June 30 there was an offshore merger and acquisition war chest of ¤560 million (R11.3 6 billion). “It is the richest pipeline of acquisitions we have had in a long time,” Madisa said in an interview. She said the acquisitions, some of which were likely to be announced at the half-year stage, were likely to involve small to medium size businesses, and vary between the R200m to R3.5bn enterprise value range. “Corporate action remains an integral part of our growth strategy. We are…

SPEAR real estate investment trust (Reit) has announced the launch of a new industrial development in George at a cost of R400 million over five years. Located adjacent to George airport, the development, to be known as GTX Park, is situated within the Airport Business Park precinct, and will comprise a total of 30 000 square metres of light industrial space, split across nine sites. Spear’s investment is in line with its focus on expanding its Western Cape property portfolio, and the project is expected to have a positive impact on the growth and development of the region. Spear CEO Quintin Ross said in a statement: “We are very pleased to bring this exciting development to the city of George. This expansion aligns with our commitment to…

AFRICAN Rainbow Minerals (ARM) yesterday reported a 21% decline in annual profit, citing lower production and weaker commodity prices. In its results for the financial year ended June 30, 2023, the diversi- fied miner said headline earnings per share were R48.51 compared with R57.87 the previous year. The group declared a final dividend of R12 per share. Last year it was R20 per share. The group said iron ore, manganese ore, and thermal coal volumes were negatively impacted by logistic challenges. It said the average realised rand weakened by 17% versus the US dollar to R17.76 per dollar compared to R15.21 per dollar in the 2022 financial year. “Unit production costs remained under pressure due to lower production volumes and above-inflation increases in the costs of explosives, diesel, electricity,…

IN A MOVE to counter misinformation, Google has unveiled a digital watermark system designed to detect images produced by artificial intelligence (AI). This watermarking tool, named SynthID, is a brainchild of DeepMind, Google’s AI subsidiary. The SynthID watermark alters individual pixels in such a manner that while it remains undetectable to human eyes, computers can easily identify it. Despite its innovative design, DeepMind acknowledges that SynthID isn’t completely immune to intensive image manipulations. The challenge of distinguishing between genuine images and those synthesised by AI tools is on the rise. Platforms such as Midjourney have gained immense popularity, amassing over 14.5 million users who can generate images just by giving simple text directives. This newfound capability has ignited debates around copyright and ownership. Google’s in-house image generator, Imagen, will…

AECI MINING has acquired Dinaser Industria (Dinaser), an explosives business in Brazil, for R45 million ($2.4m), the group announced yesterday. The acquisition, executed through local entity AECI Mining Produtos Quimicos, includes 100% ownership of Dinaser’s explosives distribution and storage facilities, as well as operating licences in the mining states of Minas Gerais and Bahia. ACEI Group chief executive Holger Riemensperger said: “The acquisition is in line with AECI’s strategy to continue expanding its already extensive footprint in the global mining sector. “It builds on our reach in Brazil where we already own and operate a bulk emulsion and packaged explosives manufacturing plant, in the state of São Paulo, and have also seen good growth in the South American metallurgical extraction chemicals market.” Dinaser currently serves mainly the Brazilian construction…

Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner “headed for divorce... as he cares for their two kids pretty much all the time!” The musician, 34, and actress, 27, were said by multiple sources to be on the cusp of splitting, according to TMZ. One insider told the outlet the couple, who have two children, have been experiencing “serious problems” in their relationship. Over the past three months, Jonas is said to have been caring for their young kids “pretty much all of the time” according to one insider, even while touring the country with his brothers Nick Jonas and Kevin Jonas. It comes after Page Six reported Turner was seen dancing in the crowd at Yankee Stadium for the opening night of the Jonas Brothers’ tour last month. But the pair, who…

Our country being in chaos is not a good image for the rest of the world. Corruption, corruption ... the question is, when will all this stop? The June chaos of looting and the floods in KwaZulu-Natal. The recent taxi strike in Cape Town. Now the fire in Johannesburg that killed 77 people. What is next? Ministers who are supposed to be intelligent and learned people still blame apartheid for these atrocious behaviours. Mr Cyril Ramaphosa says: “Let these things be a lesson.” When will our leaders learn from these things? Only after something happens? These are expensive lessons that could have been prevented. History has taught us that the Group Areas Act forced our people to move to the townships. This was many years ago, not 30 years into…

That wildly unsuitable Cabinet minister, Lindiwe Zulu, previously charged with small business, and now with social development and fond of wearing Cuban military uniform, said the ghastly Johannesburg fire, in which 77 people died, was caused by apartheid. The failed minister (where are the small businesses?) did not mention the Johannesburg Metro Council is the owner of the building and, during the ANC’s ruling period of almost 30 years, permitted inhumane conditions to develop and become the norm in buildings all over the city. What she should have considered and welcomed is the proposal of the DA in Johannesburg. The official opposition stated – before the fire – that the ANC/EFF/PA coalition was inherently unstable, that it was unable to administer the city and provide services of an acceptable standard.…

Lauren Dickason, the South African woman originally from Pretoria who was found guilty of murdering her three daughters, will be sentenced in December, New Zealand media reported. After a five week-trial, in which distressing details about the night of the murder were exposed, Lauren was found guilty by 11 out of the 12 jurors. Lauren will be sentenced for the triple murder on December 19, Stuff.NZ reported. On September 16, 2021, Lauren killed her three daughters, six-year-old Liané, and two-year-old twins Maya and Karla at the Dickason family home on Queen Street in Timaru, New Zealand. Her husband Graham Dickason was not at home when she committed the murders. Lauren admitted to killing the children, but pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Lauren’s attorneys argued that she was severely…

South Africa is one of the top five African nations notorious for alcohol consumption, along with Tanzania, Swaziland, Burkina Faso, and Uganda. The over-consumption of alcohol has numerous consequences such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease and digestive problems. These problems can be remedied by alcohol that gives the same effects but without hangovers and subsequent illnesses. This is what London-based GABA Labs is claiming to be doing. GABA Labs is developing Alcarelle, a form of synthetic alcohol meant to deliver the pleasant benefits of alcohol intake but minus the adverse effects. “With roots in advanced molecular and neuroscience research, our company is committed to delivering breakthrough ingredients that will revolutionise the spirits market as we know it today,” said the company’s managing director. According to the…

SIX days after a devastating fire tore through the hijacked Usindiso Building in Johannesburg, in which 77 people are confirmed dead, questions are still being asked, and blame is being roundly attributed. What makes it worse is that this building is owned by the Johannesburg City Council and had previously been a shelter, run by the Usindiso NGO, for abused women and children until it was hijacked, allegedly by some of the women who were housed there. Anyone who has braved the Joburg CBD could have predicted Thursday's tragedy. The Usindiso Building housed hundreds of people – refugees and asylum seekers – and had illegal utility connections. The phenomenon of “hijacked” buildings is a deeply rooted problem. This relates to white capital flight after the end of apartheid, whereby many…

GAZA: Authorities in Gaza have appealed for help to put out a fire that has been burning for days in a waste landfill site, sending foul-smelling smoke spiralling across the blockaded enclave which already suffers from severe environmental problems. Boosted by a severe heatwave, the fire, south-east of Gaza City, close to the separation fence with Israel, has been burning in an area of roughly 50 000m² of a landfill site that has swollen in the absence of recycling facilities. Palestinians say restrictions have impeded their ability to respond to emergencies. | Reuters…

PARIS: French authorities are planning to ban single-use electronic cigarettes, informally known as puffs, as part of the 2023-2028 national plan to fight tobacco smoking and reduce the number of smokers in the country, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said. “The government will soon present a new national plan to tackle tobacco smoking, which includes a ban on single-use electronic cigarettes, known as ‘puffs’, that contribute to the development of harmful habits among young people.” The government would not raise conventional cigarettes’ prices, she said. | Sputnik…

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos will contact his Kaizer Chiefs counterpart Molefi Ntseki to iron out a few issues after his return from Belgium. Bafana assembled for camp yesterday, preparing for their friendlies against Namibia and DR Congo at Orlando Stadium on Saturday and Tuesday. But Broos ruffled feathers prior to the camp by saying that Chiefs’ performances haven’t been up to standard this season, which is why he didn’t include any of their players in the 23-man squad. Before his squad announcement, Amakhosi had a lukewarm start to the season, winning three games, drawing one and losing two across all competitions. But Broos had a change of heart after seven withdrawals from the initial squad due to injuries, including replacing Mamelodi Sundowns skipper Themba Zwane with Chiefs winger Pule…

GOVERNMENTS all over the world are attempting to curb the adverse supply shocks that resulted in high food prices, the recent example being the ban that India placed on rice exports in an attempt to keep their local prices at affordable levels. This past week, the South African government voiced concerns about the higher food prices and instructed the Cabinet’s economic cluster to implement a food security plan to cushion consumers. Dr Marlene Louw, senior economist at Absa AgriBusiness, said although these measures could provide some relief to consumers, research showed they could have a disruptive effect on markets, keeping supply low(er) and prices high over the medium to long term. “These measures can also be costly to the fiscus if it takes the form of storage or reserve programmes.…

FISHING group Sea Harvest said yesterday that earnings increased, boosted by strong demand, higher selling prices in all markets and channels, and a weaker rand. In its interim results for the six months ended June 30, 2023, the group said it proved its resilience and defensive nature by delivering headline earnings of 77 cents, 19% higher than in 2002. The group reported that revenue increased by 18% to R3.2 billion compared to 2022’s R2.7bn, benefiting from strong demand, higher selling prices in all markets and channels, and a weaker rand, thereby mitigating the significant inflation, including the double-digit increases in the fuel price and milk price, and continued load shedding experienced during the period. Despite this, no interim dividend was declared. Sea Harvest CEO Felix Rathebe said despite…

ERICSSON Middle East and Africa said it expects digital access to be signifi- cantly lower in Africa as the region started from a lower level of broadband penetration compared to other global regions. Chafic Traboulsi, vice-president and head of Networks at Ericsson Middle East and Africa, said yesterday that today, the global digital divide persists, with around one billion households without fixed broadband, and projections indicating that about 30% of households worldwide may still lack broadband connectivity by 2028, according to an Ericsson analysis. “At the same time, 3GPP technologies, including LTE and 5G, are poised to offer extensive coverage, reaching more than 95% of households globally for LTE and around 85% for 5G by 2028. “This widespread household coverage presents an avenue for mobile operators to deliver fixed wireless…

SOUTH Africans with a Luno wallet will be able to pay at Pick n Pay stores with crypto in one-step by simply scanning a QR code, Luno’s country manager for South Africa, Christo de Wit said in a statement yesterday. Crypto payments have been available at more than 1 500 Pick n Pay stores since February 2023, the only major SA retailer to provide such facili- ties. But the payment process required customers to download two apps to make a crypto payment. “To make it quick and easy, Luno customers will open their Luno app and scan a QR code at the till to pay in Bitcoin. Luno employees were the first to test the in-app QR scanner which will be available at the tills…

Economists and the Automobile Association have warned that consumers should brace themselves for higher food prices after the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy announced the highest hike in petrol and diesel since 2022. The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy announced yesterday that tomorrow, both grades of petrol will increase by R1.71 a litre while diesel (0.05% sulphur) will increase by R2.84 a litre and diesel (0.005% sulphur) will increase by R2.67 a litre. Economist Dawie Roodt said consumers could expect food prices to rise following the major increase in diesel and petrol prices. “The problem for the consumer is that food prices have been coming down at a slow rate and unfortunately, with this massive increase in the fuel price, we can expect food prices to start going…

FORMER acting chief executive of Eskom, Matshela Koko, returned to the Middelburg Magistrate’s Court in Mpumalanga yesterday. However, the case was once again postponed, this time to September 21, when arguments about the numerous delays and postponements are set to be heard in court. A frustrated Koko, who has in the past spoken out against the delays, said: “What I thought was 8 million pages in the docket is actually 83 million pages. After six years of investigations and 200 witnesses, the State could not produce the charge sheet. “We were successful in convincing the court of the inquiry about the unnecessary delay. Arguments about the delay are scheduled for Sept- ember 21.” Spokesperson for the NPA’s investigative directorate, Sindi Seboka, said the matter would return to court on September…

From p1 “Food prices are linked to fuel as food is transported to retailers by road on trucks. We can expect increased food prices and unfortunately this will lead to higher food inflation and inflation. The South African Reserve Bank is expected to meet this month and this could lead to another interest rate hike.” Gumede said the poor would be affected the most by the fuel price increase. Professor Bonke Dumisa, an independent economic analyst, said the increase in fuel prices would have a massive impact on food prices. “We are going to see food prices go up and also see food inflation go up. This is not good news for all of us as consumers.” Dumisa said that he attributed the massive increase in fuel to the higher…

THE R5 million Betway Summer Cup, the highveld’s most popular horse race event, is now available as Turffontein Racecourse in Joburg prepares for a scorching race day on November 25. The theme for this year’s event is “Summer Reign” and top global online betting and gaming brands Betway and 4Racing have doubled the stakes for one of Africa’s richest and most eagerly awaited race days this year. The Betway Summer Cup is primarily a “People’s Race”, with this year’s subject selected in response to a well-attended public call for entries. The 2023 Betway Summer Cup and the “Summer Reign” theme are your chance to “own your Joburg Summer” in your own unique way, to let your hair down and have fun at the greatest Jozi end-of-year event, whether you’re a…

You’re confined to nine months without communication with your beloved. After excruciating labour pains comes a bundle of joy. In this era of high inflation, uncertainty of livelihoods, overcrowded healthcare facilities and difficulty in finding a place at school, it is hard to raise a child up to the age of 10. Our unscrupulous nature of giving less but expecting to or getting more has robbed us of effective development. The early church proclaimed and commemorated the bodily rise of Jesus Christ from the dead and started to worship on Sunday, while the Jews continue to worship and honour the Sabbath on Saturday. Traditionally, these two days have been reserved for rest and recreation. It was on the former day that Simphiwe Tshepo Moloi (10) of Moroka South in Soweto…

RESIDENTS in parts of Tshwane have literally got their hands dirty, cleaning up uncollected waste in the streets. Garbage has been piling up due to the five-week long SA Municipal Union strike. Among other service issues, the strike has resulted in bags of uncollected waste and illegal dumping sites across the city, while property owners are subjected to overflowing bins in their yards. Ronald Venter of Lyttleton said he had rallied members of the community to start a up clean up campaign because the smell of the rubbish was “starting to affect our health”. “We just had to get out of our comfort zones and get our hands dirty, because if we don’t clean up, who will? Our children’s health is in jeopardy because they play there. So on Saturday…

A FIRE engulfed a Mr Price at a shopping centre in Centurion on Saturday. Tshwane emergency services confirmed that no one was injured in the fire that broke out at Mall@55 shopping centre. Residents who live around the shopping centre could see smoke coming out of the building on Saturday afternoon. Deputy Chief Fire and Rescue Operations head at City of Tshwane, Refiloe Phantshang, said the battle to extinguish the blaze was won and that firefighters were still monitoring the scene. He said it was reported to his office that a Mr Price warehouse was on fire at around 5.30pm on Saturday. Phantshang said no casualties had been reported and he was in constant communication with emergency services. “The fire started around 2.30pm. I don’t have details of how it…

South Africa joined Brazil, Russia, India, and China in the BRICS co-operative alliance, with more members added this year. In the past, South Africa had a chance to play a key role in the world’s markets, but some of the incumbent politicians and sectors of the population are not showing the characteristics needed to build a winning country. Whichever party or parties gain a majority in the next election, they will need to adopt policies that reflect the courage and understanding necessary to gain external and internal support that will allow the government and the population to secure peace and personal security for all. And with powerful external partners, they will have greater opportunities to adopt policies that will allow South Africa, in due course, to play a leading role…

Kenya’s president said yesterday that Africa had an “unparalleled opportunity” to benefit from action to tackle global warming but needed massive investment to unleash its potential, as Nairobi hosts a landmark climate summit focusing on the continent. The inaugural Africa Climate Summit comes ahead of a flurry of diplomatic meetings leading to the November COP28 international climate summit in the oil-rich United Arab Emirates, which will likely be dominated by clashing visions for the world’s energy future. The three-day event is billed as bringing together leaders from the 54-nation continent to define a shared vision of Africa’s green development – an ambitious aim in a politically and economically diverse region of 1.4 billion. “The overarching theme ... is the unparalleled opportunity that climate action represents for Africa,” President William Ruto…

NICOSIA: Police in Cyprus have detained five youths from Israel for questioning following a complaint of rape by a 20-year-old British woman, a police source said. The woman, in Cyprus on holiday, said she had been attacked at her hotel in the resort town of Ayia Napa on September 3, the source said. A district court issued eight-day remand orders against the Israelis, who are aged 19 and 20, the source said. Last year, Cyprus’s Supreme Court acquitted a British woman who had been wrongfully convicted by a lower court of lying about being gang raped by 12 Israeli men. | Reuters…

Proteas white-ball coach Rob Walter has tough calls to make as he is expected to announce his 15-man squad for next month’s World Cup today. T20 and one-day internationals are two totally different formats and failing in one doesn’t necessarily guarantee failure in the other. Yes, the Proteas were outplayed alarmingly in the recently T20I series against Australia, but South Africa rested a lot of their key players during the series. Most importantly, the T20I series revealed how far behind the South African domestic system is as far as producing players with the quality that is required in international cricket is concerned. “We’re not there yet, as we’ve learnt in this series that our next best have work to do and we have work to do as a collective to…

From in-form wings to a generational Georgian talent and a co-captain with just 11 caps to his name, we look at five players aged 23 or younger who could grab the headlines at the World Cup, which starts in France on Friday ... Canan Moodie (South Africa) The 20-year-old is a rare member of holders South Africa’s squad who was not part of the team to lift the Webb Ellis Cup four years ago. The Bulls flyer made his first senior start at centre in August’s record win over New Zealand, after only featuring on the wing. He will compete with the likes of Cheslin Kolbe and Makazole Mapimpi for a spot in Jacques Nienaber’s side, and could cause a lot of damage to tired defences if introduced off the…