Table of contents for 2023-10-09 in Star

“Aimed at making sure that investors are making an informed decision when investing in the stock’ says Albie Cilliers SHAREHOLDER activist Albie Cilliers said recent questions he had raised and information he released on social media about onshore gas producer Renergen were aimed at making sure that investors make an informed decision when investing in the stock. He said in a telephone interview that an aggressive stance by CEO Stefano Marani to a comment that Cilliers had posted on “X” the previous Friday had persuaded him to dig deeper into Renergen, even though he held no position in the company’s stock. He said Renergen had some 40 000 retail shareholders, and was one of the most widely held stocks on the JSE. He said retail investors had been attracted…

RENOWNED actor Idris Elba in a documentary about the gold industry, which was released by the World Gold Council last week, showcased the robust transition to renewable energy, and rapid transformation to include more women in mining jobs in the gold sector in South Africa, but the stark reality is that the industry is struggling to stay afloat. The documentary is now available on YouTube. This as the industry battles job losses, the migration of companies from the JSE and the dire effects of inflation on bottom lines. South Africa is among the top gold producers on the continent, while the JSE hosts the biggest bullion stocks. However, of late, companies have been migrating corporate offices and listings from the JSE, with AngloGold Ashanti moving its primary listing to New…

TODAY, October 9, the Interfaith Forum of South Africa will be convening with fellow citizens to ask the question that many have asked and answered for themselves. These were the youth of 1976 and earlier. These were men and women who were encouraged by the progress they had made by the time they joined their ancestors. In the chain of command are Chief Albert Luthuli, Steve Biko, Nelson Mandela, Robert Sobukwe, Charlotte Maxeke, Tsietsi Mashinini, Winnie Mandela, to mention but a few. The chairperson of the Luthuli Museum Council found himself confronted by this question that Chief Luthuli answered in his own deeds, including on his last day on Earth in 1967. On December 9, 2022, I met someone who was particularly important. His silver-grey beard immediately placed him in…

SOUTH Africa and Slovenia last week cemented political and economic ties likely to bring out collaboration in artificial intelligence, science and business as Tanja Fajon, the deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, made an official working visit to hold talks with political leadership in South Africa. In an interview with Business Report, Fajon said the first green-shoots of the co-operation would be in a develop- ment project funded by Slovenia, in which the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Ljubljana would be participating. Together with locals, the architecture students will construct a school using eco-friendly materials. “We are a small, but a very environ- mentally friendly country. There is a lot that we can work with South Africa in addressing environmental issues…

Everything Now Netflix Set in North London, 16-year-old Mia is plunged back into her life after a lengthy battle with anorexia. She faces the long, complicated, often misunderstood healing process and all the lack of privacy that comes with it. But while time has stood still for her, it's moved significantly forward for her best friends Becca, Will and Cam. Mia feels behind on everything she deems a significant teen milestone, so, she writes a bucket list and enlists her best pals to help her cross every last thing off. The Good Doctor (S6) M-Net, DStv channel 101 at 7pm Shaun and Lea's wedding reception is interrupted by a violent attack at the hospital, the trauma of seeing people he cares for in life-threatening situations affects Shaun in more ways…

SOUTH Africa and the Republic of Slovenia have much to offer to each other after showing signs of mutual interest in fostering their friendly relations for about a decade. This was the sentiment expressed by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia, Tanja Fajon, following her diplomatic talks with International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor in Pretoria on Friday. Fajon was on a three-day visit to the country to meet with her counterpart with a view to discussing bilateral co-operation between the two countries. Part of the talks explored possibilities of working together in business, artificial intelligence, science, and other fields. For about a decade, both countries have been steadily growing bilateral relations, and Fajon’s first official visit to South Africa was seen as a…

The Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (Casac) has written to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) asking for written reasons why it only recommended two candidates out of the 10 it interviewed for the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA), leaving two posts vacant. After lengthy interviews with 10 candidates on Monday and Tuesday last week, the JSC threw its support behind the nominations of Judges Fayeeza Kathree-Setiloane and Anna Maleshane Kgoele for positions at the SCA. It announced its decision to recommend only two candidates to President Cyril Ramaphosa last Tuesday. Casac executive director Lawson Naidoo said it was “unusual” in these circumstances that the JSC advertised four vacancies but only recommended two judges to be promoted. In its letter to the JSC, Casac said the effect…

Grammy-award-winning music DJ Black Coffee, real name Nkosinathi Maphumulo, has marked a career-defining moment after becoming the first South African artist to fill Madison Square Garden in New York City. Maphumulo, who hails from uMlazi in KwaZulu-Natal, was lauded for making history and flying the SA flag high. The producer has also shared his excitement with his followers about his dream which has become a reality. “The dream is becoming a reality. See you Saturday, NYC,” he said ahead of the event. Congratulatory messages have poured in across social platforms, with his industry friends and fans sharing their love and support. Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa expressed his pride as Black Coffee delivered the headline performance at the famed Madison Square Garden. The Grammy Award-winning music maestro was…

The Springboks have highlighted France's set-piece as the main weapon they have to put under pressure come Sunday's Rugby World Cup quarter-final in Paris if they want to make it through to the semis. After Ireland triumphed over Scotland this past weekend, the Boks finished second in Pool B, which means a meet-up with the tournament hosts in the capital city (kick-off 9pm) is on the cards. France is still unbeaten in the tournament after coming through unscathed from Pool A, which included New Zealand and Italy. The reigning world champions last met France in Marseille at the end of 2022 and it was a narrow win for the hosts so South Africa will have to overturn that defeat in what will be a hostile Paris crowd this time around.…

SOUTH African Reserve Bank (SARB) Governor Lesetja Kganyago has left public opinion divided over his remarks about the impact of rising interest rates on unemployed people. The SARB’s Monetary Policy Committee has implemented 10 consecutive interest rate hikes since the hiking cycle started in November 2021, bringing the repurchase rate to a 14-year high of 8.25% in order to tame consumer inflation. Inflation targeting is a framework in which the SARB uses monetary policy tools, especially the control of short-term interest rates, to keep inflation in line with a given target range of 3% to 6% per annum. Speaking at the PSG Think Big Series last week, Kganyago said that high interest rates, which the SARB has been raising to curb inflation, did not affect unemployed people, because they did…

AVI on Friday released its annual report for 2023, which highlighted how concerned the South African food producer and fashion retailer is to retain its top talent after its interaction in 2021 with US snacks and confectionery giant Mondeléz. This despite the company only showing a 4.4% rise in annual headline earnings in the year ended June after battling cost pressures, as it was knocked by the effects of load shedding and was forced to hike prices to consumers amid a moribund economy. AVI’s shares are down 1.01% in the year to date, having fallen 28.07% over the past five years. AVI owns a portfolio of consumer goods brands ranging from Five Roses, to I&J, Green Cross shoes, to its Snackworks division consisting of popular brands such as Bakers, Baumann’s,…

SOUTH Africa, effective small-scale farming, arguably a means to combat rural poverty, stands as the cornerstone to establishing new and sustainable agricultural value systems. Large commercial farmers dominate the local agricultural and food system, which limits the participation of smaller producers, creating a dualistic farming system. Additionally, most major supermarkets and food manufacturers prefer working with a small number of larger suppliers who can meet stringent requirements. This leaves many small rural producers excluded and marginalised since they cannot meet the quality or consistent volume requirements for large corporations to consider dealing with them. Small-scale producers struggle to overcome these limitations, primarily due to a lack of access to funding, technical and business support, food safety expertise and compliance, and the infrastructure and logistical resources, or capabilities, needed to enter…

SINGER Jason Derulo has been accused of making “unconscionable sexual advances” toward an aspiring musician. Emaza Gibson has filed a complaint against the 34-year-old singer in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging that he “maliciously” promised her success in the music business. Ron Zambrano, Gibson’s attorney, said in a statement: “Mr Derulo’s behaviour toward this young artist was despicable. He not only broke promises and breached contracts, but his threats of physical harm and unconscionable sexual advances toward this young woman who is just trying to break into the industry were outrageous and illegal.” Gibson claims she initially considered Derulo to be a “mentor [and] supervisor”. Gibson, 25, said: “I’m at this point in my life right now, it’s very heartbreaking. I have anxiety; I’m traumatised. I’ve dealt with inhumane work…

THE uMngeni Municipality invoices show no proof of a R100 000 payment to the uMngeni Tourism non-profit organisation (NPO) which organised the Light Up uMngeni Municipality Festival in December last year. At the time, Chris Pappas, the municipality’s mayor, and Jean-Pierre Prinsloo, the NPO’s chairperson, were engaged. The matter has been the subject of public debate after former DA leader in KwaZulu-Natal Sizwe Mchunu alleged that the NPO was paid R100 000 which he called an act of nepotism because of the mayor’s relationship with Prinsloo. According to invoices provided by Pappas in an exclusive interview with The Star’s sister publication, Daily News, the NPO received R50 000 in financing to host a festival that had been approved by the council. The payment was made on December 12 of last…

Ingredients 1 slab (80g) Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate, broken into blocks 6 large bananas, peeled and halved ½ tin condensed milk 3 rolled oats 1 tsp Royal Baking Powder Serving suggestion: Double cream plain yoghurt Fresh banana slices Ground cinnamon Method Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a 12-hole muffin tray with greased muffin liners. Add the Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate to a heatproof bowl and microwave for 60 seconds, stirring every 20 seconds. Allow to cool slightly. Add the bananas and condensed milk to a bowl. Mash together using a fork until the bananas are roughly puréed. Add in the rolled oats and Royal Baking Powder. Fold together to combine. Allow the mixture to rest for at least 15 minutes to allow the oats to slightly soften.…

TSHWANE Mayor Cilliers Brink was unable to fulfil his promise of receiving a memorandum of demands from Cosatu on Friday because marchers failed to arrive at noon – the appointed time he expected them at Tshwane House. Brink’s spokesperson, Sipho Stuurman, said the mayor was ready to accept the memo as had been arranged with the trade union federation. “But by 1.20pm the march had still not arrived at Tshwane House, and the mayor had to leave to attend to another prearranged engagement.” City Manager Johann Mettler, who availed himself to accept the memorandum, was also forced to change his mind after he was intimidated by a violent crowd. Stuurman said: “The City is committed to maintaining relations with organised labour, and the executive aand management of the City…

SCORES of visitors flocked to Church Square on Saturday to witness the launch of its rejuvenation project initiated by the City of Tshwane and City Property. As one of South Africa’s prominent attractions, the site in Pretoria has a range of historical buildings, but its most prominent feature is the statue of former South African republic president, Paul Kruger. According to history books, the city’s founder, Marthinus Pretorius, determined that the square be used as a marketplace and churchyard, and it was subsequently named for the church buildings that stood at the centre of the square from 1856 to 1905. The visitors had an opportunity to walk in the footsteps of Nelson Mandela, visit Paul Kruger’s office in the Ou Raadsaal, and experience a rooftop view of Church Square. The…

SCORES of members of the Grace Bible Church brought Soweto streets to life yesterday during a Pilgrimage Memorial Walk to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the church. The walk marked the end of the Word Explosion 2023, which began on October 3. It started at the main campus in Pimville, and the participants headed to Rock Anglican Church (Mavis Hall), the first venue used when the church was handed over to presiding Bishop Mosa Sono four decades ago. The next stops were Isaacson Primary School, St John’s Church and Home Makers, where the Grace Bible Church settled in June 1986, eventually relocating to its then new home in Pimville in 2001.…

Ingredients 1½ kg lamb (neck, shin or shoulder), cut lengthways and then cut across once. 30ml olive or canola oil 15ml butter 10ml Ina Paarman’s Meat Spice 2 onions, chopped 5 – 10ml Ina Paarman’s Chilli & Garlic Seasoning 250ml water 1 x 25g Ina Paarman’s Liquid Chicken Stock 15ml wine vinegar 3 cloves of garlic, chopped 500g waterblommetjies, soaked in salted water 2 potatoes, peeled and diced 30ml fresh lemon juice Garnish * Soaking waterblommetjies in water with a little salt, helps to remove any sliminess that may be on them. Method Brown the meat in oil and butter mixture in a large, heavy based saucepan. Remove meat with a slotted spoon and season with meat spice. Add onions and chilli & garlic seasoning to saucepan and sauté. Add…

POPULAR reality competition show Tropika Island of Treasure season 10 All Stars is celebrating winning the South African Film and Television Award (Safta) for Best Competition Reality Programme. The 10th season of the reality show featured some of the most iconic contestants from previous seasons. In December, the show, set on a beautiful tropical island, crowned Karlien van Jaarsveld and her partner, model Ruan Scheepers, as the season 10 champions. Beverages Business Unit head Miantha Roux said it was humbling to receive such an accolade. Roux said: “Through our production partners, Cardova, we managed to deliver a stellar show. “As one of the longest-running reality shows in South Africa since its inception 15 years ago, I couldn’t be prouder of what the team has achieved. “This is a world-class production,…

AFTER years of lobbying and demands for justice related to the brutal murder of Muslim cleric and political activist Imam Abdullah Haron, judgment in the reopened inquest will be handed down today, 54 years after his death in police detention. In May last year, Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola asked the judge president of the Western Cape High Court to designate a judge to reopen an inquest into Imam Haron’s death. The inquest hearings in November 2022 and March, were presided over by Judge Daniel Thulare and judgment will be handed down at the Cape Town High Court at 10am. Evidence was given from November 7 to 16, 2022 and closing arguments on April 24-25 this year. The family is represented by Webber Wentzel. Imam Haron was detained…

The love affair between Orlando Pirates and the MTN8 is one of the most remarkable stories in South African football, with the club further cementing their legacy in the prestigious tournament. Buccaneers striker Kermit Erasmus, ecstatic following Saturday’s victory in the final, opened up about the zeal and desire that occupied the Pirates changing-room ahead of the match. This obsession saw them beat Mamelodi Sundowns. Saturday’s victory saw Pirates claim back-to-back MTN8 titles after they beat the hugely favoured Sundowns on 3-1 penalties after the match ended 0-0 after extra time. Prior to the crunch encounter, much had been made about Sundowns’ dominance over Pirates, having beaten the Soweto club in their previous three matches. The Chloorkop-based club had won all three games without conceding a goal against Pirates, a…

Max Verstappen said his third consecutive drivers' world title triumph, achieved in Saturday's sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix, was "the one I am most proud of – the best". The 26-year-old Dutchman, who was champion in 2021 and 2022, finished second behind McLaren's Oscar Piastri after his Red Bull teammate and only remaining title rival Sergio Perez crashed out of the race and the championship reckoning. "This one is the best," he said. "I think the first one was the most emotional because that is when your dreams are fulfilled but this is definitely my best year for consecutive wins and stuff like that and the car itself has been probably in the best shape as well. "So, for me, this is the one I am most proud…

Importing chicken will not save the day price-wise for South Africa due to rand weakness, according to Paul Matthew, the CEO of Meat Importers & Exporters (AMIE). He said this week that the ultimate reality was that imported chicken was no longer affordable because of the depreciating rand and increased duties. On Friday, the rand was trading at R19.5168 against the bullish US dollar as emerging market currencies took strain this week. “It is also extremely unrealistic to think that the world is waiting to assist South Africa with cheap poultry. Our local food service businesses have specific requirements and approval processes that take time to be negotiated, and these cannot be substituted with imports overnight. Worldwide, producers are cutting back on production. Additionally, our authorities are slow to…

BUSINESS would be keen to participate in South Africa’s logistics systems, most of which currently resided under Transnet, when the right frameworks were in place to facilitate third party access, Business Unity South Africa (Busa) deputy CEO Khulekani Mathe said on Friday. Busa was asked a number of questions by Business Report in the aftermath of the resignations last week of three of Transnet’s top executives, and growing concern among many organisations and trade unions about the corruption and inefficiency at Transnet’s freight rail and port operations. The crumbling rail infrastructure is causing the loss of thousands of mining jobs, billions of rand of lost turnover to mining groups, billions of rand of lost tax revenue and putting the country’s export infrastructure as a whole in jeopardy. “We are encouraged…

Almost four-and-a-half years later, a loggerhead turtle that arrived at the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (Saambr) as a post-hatchling was released last week. Saambr’s Ann Kunz said that after spending 52 months in rehab, Munchkin was released into the crystal-clear waters on KwaZulu-Natal’s North Coast earlier last week. “It was a perfect day to release a young loggerhead turtle who had spent almost her entire life in rehab,” Kunz said. Recalling when Munchkin arrived, Kunz said she was part of a mass batch of post-hatchlings sent to them from Two Oceans Aquarium on May 22, 2019. “All her contemporaries were released within a short period after arrival, but young Munchkin was not so fortunate. She had a history of slow weight gain and went through phases of…

THE widespread illegal dumping taking place in the City of Tshwane is a result of the ongoing illegal strike. The MMC for Environment and Agriculture Management, Ziyanda Zwane, urged residents to help keep the municipality clean and to stop illegal dumping. “The City of Tshwane acknowledges that the vast illegal dumping taking place in Tshwane is a result of the ongoing illegal strike,” Zwane said. “However, dumping is not a solution as it exacerbates the crisis.” The City was working very hard to address challenges posed by the illegal strike, including waste removal delays, he said. Zwane said he visited Atteridgeville last week to show his support to workers on the ground. “Some of the illegal waste dumping sites are potential health risks as they are next to schools and…

RESIDENT Koko Ncha, 74, did not believe the day had come for her to get a certificate proving that she had owned her house for over four decades. “I would not know why people would be around the area because I’ve had people knocking on my door, telling me it was their house. “They came one by one, but I could not give in to them because I knew it was my house. Yes, I would be worried but I knew one day it would be well. “I have my paper and can now die knowing I have my house and my family has a home,” Ncha said. Maggie Rametsi, 70, another beneficiary, said since her husband’s death in 2006 she had been ready to leave her home because she…

Recently, parents in Soshanguve seeking help for their children with learning difficulties celebrated the success of a remarkable learner support programme run by Juliette Mfomadi, the dedicated principal of Kamogelo Daycare in Soshanguve and a scientology volunteer minister. The recent graduation marked the achievements of the students who participated in the learner support programme and improved their literacy and school results from rock bottom to the stars. Mfomadi serves as a beacon of hope for parents in her community. Her daycare also serves as an after-school care centre that caters for the children in her community who are struggling with barriers to learning. She has been providing learner support with great success and is now enabling children to read for meaning and shows no signs of slowing down. Concerned by…

Influencer and content creator Mihlali Ndamase has commanded the attention of many of her followers since her debut on the Showmax Original series Unfollowed. The series follows the lives of South African stars wrestling with life after social media death, reflecting on cancellation culture and its place in pop culture. Ndamase, who has had her fair share of social media trolls, made headlines after her romantic involvement with businessman Leeroy Sidambe. Their affair became a hot topic, with some accusing the content creator of dating a married man, something that Sidambe later clarified. In Unfollowed episode 7, Ndamase faces Thembekile Mrototo’s questions about homewrecking, gold-digging, and alleged assault. When asked, “Why a married man?” She fires back, “Oh, no, darling. It’s not my place to, wait … I’m not…

South Africa’s batting unit may be operating with a great deal of potency but the bowlers remain a cause for concern. Admittedly, the surface served up for the Proteas’ opening World Cup tie against Sri Lanka in Delhi was a batting paradise, but bowling coach Eric Simons will no doubt be reviewing a few aspects that needs improvement ahead of the next match against Australia. The opening pair of Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi ran in with much more gusto than they have in recent times and pushed the speed gun over the 140km/h mark, which is encouraging moving forward. But after Jansen’s initial strike in the left-armer’s first over, the Proteas new-ball duo were put under immense pressure by Sri Lanka’s swashbuckling opener Kusal Mendis. Sri Lanka struck nine…

Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur admits he knows Sri Lanka's "strengths and weaknesses" inside out having spent two years at the helm of his Asian rivals. Former champions Pakistan and Sri Lanka clash at the World Cup in Hyderabad tomorrow, allowing Arthur the opportunity to renew his acquaintance with players he helped develop as coach between December 2019 to November 2021. "Yeah, I know their strengths and weaknesses so we will have plans put in place for all of them," Arthur said. "They are a dangerous side so we will have to be at our best to beat them." Pakistan defeated the Netherlands in a nervy performance by 81 runs in Hyderabad on Friday to open their World Cup campaign. They overcame a top order failure, recovering from 38/3 before posting…

Virat Kohli and KL Rahul hit defiant knocks to lift India from a perilous 2/3 to a six-wicket win over Australia in their opening Cricket World Cup match yesterday. Chasing a tricky target of 200, India lost three batsmen, who all failed to score, inside two overs before Kohli (85) and Rahul (97 not out) put on 165. Victory was secured with 52 balls to spare. Spinner Ravindra Jadeja returned figures of 3/28 to help bowl out Australia for 199 in 49.3 overs in the 150th ODI meeting between the two cricket giants. Australia’s fast bowlers then came out all guns blazing to rattle the Indian top-order after left-arm quick Mitchell Starc sent back Ishan Kishan for a duck in the first over. Josh Hazlewood struck twice in the next…

It could be argued that there was a degree of bad luck in Mamelodi Sundowns’ MTN8 final loss on Saturday night, or at least that might have been the feelings of head coach Rhulani Mokwena after the penalty shoot-out. The Brazilians came up short against an inspired Orlando Pirates side at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday and failed to deny the Buccaneers back-to-back Wafa Wafa titles. The Chloorkop outfit were heavy favourites to capture the first piece of silverware of the 2023/24 campaign, having stamped their authority on this fixture in recent seasons. However, The Sea Robbers turned the tables on Sundowns, leaving Mokwena frustrated. The normally efficient Sundowns frontline was guilty of missing great opportunities in the match, moments Mokwena pointed to even though he was proud of…