Innehållsförteckning för 2023-11-20 från Star

It forecast that South Africa’s real gross domestic product growth would slow to 0.8% this year S&P GLOBAL ratings agency has flagged ongoing logistics bottlenecks as the biggest risk that could continue to constrain medium-term growth prospects in South Africa, in contrast to a forecast of easing load shedding during the same period. This comes as Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) has warned that it may suspend the processing of trucks bringing cargo into the Port of Richards Bay terminals via road as trucks have clogged up the system on the back of railway inefficiencies. TPT has also said it would take several weeks to clear the backlog of vessels at the Port of Durban’s container terminals, due to operational inefficiencies and waste in the system. These ports are critical to…

South African communication companies MTN and Rain have both been granted leave to intervene in the pending merger hearing between Vodacom and Maziv, the owner of Vumatel and Dark Fibre Africa, the Competition Tribunal announced on Friday last week. In 2021, Vodacom said it had acquired a 30% stake in Maziv for $862 million (R16 billion at that time), but this deal has been caught up in regulatory processes since then. The tribunal said MTN and Rain were competitors and customers of the merging parties, with Rain also being a supplier. Both applied to the tribunal for participation rights in the pending merger proceedings, and a hearing in this regard was held on November 10. During the hearing, the tribunal heard and subsequently considered submissions by MTN,…

It is now the third consecutive week where global equity, capital and exchange markets try to forecast what the mood of the US Federal Reserve through its Federal Open Market Commission (FOMC) is likely going to be at its latest meeting on interest rates on December 13. As various US economic data are released, market sentiment seems to swing between bullish and bearish sentiment. The news on US data and on US inflation and retail sales last week illustrates this volatility and change in market sentiment. The US October consumer price inflation (CPI) number indicates that both headline inflation and core inflation came down by more than expected. Annual headline inflation was 3.2%, down from the annual 3.7% rate in September, and lower than the 3.3% that was expected. Core…

The world as we know it has fundamentally and drastically changed. The explosive nature of the internet might have exacerbated these modifications but society as a whole is now operating in a different way and at a different pace. And at the forefront of all this is Generation Z – those individuals who were roughly born between 2000-2010 and are currently in their teenage or early adult lives. They might be young, but this generation has already made profound changes in several aspects of society, including politics and the workplace. In South Africa, Gen Zs, as they are known, are referred to as the “Born Frees” because they are the first generation born post-apartheid. In a bid to provide insight into Generation Zs, M-Net has this month premiered Habits of…

SELLING Sunset season 7 recently hit Netflix and it’s already blowing up as one of the hottest shows in South Africa. The popular real estate reality show is a roller-coaster of drama and love twists – with some breathtaking properties too. Two seasons ago, Jason Oppenheim and Chrishell Stause started dating. But their relationship ended due to his reluctance to become a father Fast-forward to the latest season, the two are still on good terms. But for Oppenheim, with a smile so bright it could outshine a house on Selling Sunset, he seems to still have a twinkle in his eye whenever Stause is around. This left viewers perplexed as they attempted to figure out if those heart eyes were for Stause or just a really good real estate…

AT THE 13th Desmond Tutu International Peace Lecture, attendees were invited to follow the beloved archbishop’s adage, “I am a prisoner of hope”, amid colossal global turmoil and instability. This year’s lecture centred on “Unlocking Women’s Power for Peace and Prosperity” and was held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on Friday, though traditionally held on October 7, the archbishop’s birthday. The International Peace Lecture was started in 2011 in response to the government’s decision not to issue the Dalai Lama with a visa to South Africa for the Arch’s 80th birthday. The lectures are now continued by the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation. The topic of this year’s lecture was also in honour of Mama Leah Tutu’s 90th birthday, celebrated last month. To commemorate the milestone, the…

Gender-based violence is a pervasive issue found in societies globally, with South Africa being particularly affected. This widespread problem necessitates significant changes on a global scale to address the alarming statistic of over 45 000 women and girls falling victim to male-perpetrated murders annually. In some cases, these killers are never caught but when they are, it brings little relief to grieving families. Dimitri Fricano is reportedly one such killer. In 2017, the 37-year-old Italian man was charged and convicted of killing his girlfriend while the pair were on holiday. He was sentenced by an Italian court to 30 years in prison. Disturbingly, Fricano is said to have been released from the prison and walking among “regular” civilians. According to the New York Post, Fricano stabbed the woman 57 times…

THE 2023 Quanser Sustainability Award has been awarded to Dr Calayde Davey in the Department of Architecture and Dr Johann van der Merwe in the Department of Civil Engineering for their project titled “Transdisciplinary Education for Circularity in Construction – Leveraging Building Information Modelling for Material Reuse” in the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and IT at the University of Pretoria. Within the faculty, students and academics who are involved in teaching and research that relate to the various stages of a construction project are developing a transdisciplinary mindset. This transformation of traditional practices is leading to a radical shift in higher education that is equipping graduates with the skills they need when they enter the world of work. Members of the departments of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Construction Economics…

IT WAS an eventful and exciting weekend for local artists who celebrated their recognition at the annual 29th SA Music Awards (Samas) at SunBet Arena at Time Square, Menlyn Maine. The prestigious awards ceremony was hosted by DJ Sabby and Nomalanga Shozi, with red-carpet hosts Hope Mbhele and Thuthuka Mthembu, and featured performances from the likes of Kabza De Small, Makhadzi, Loatinover, Msaki, Alter Ego and 25K. Kabza De Small led the pack with four wins after bagging the Best Duo/Group of the Year award alongside DJ Maphorisa for Scorpion Kings Live Sun Arena and Best Produced Album for KOA II Part 1 produced by Kabza De Small, Da Muziqal Chef, Mdu aka TRP, Stakev, DJ Maphorisa and Felo le Tee. On the first night of the Industry Awards, presented…

Luciano Spalletti and his Italian team pledged to continue a high-risk approach in today’s high-stakes clash with Ukraine in Leverkusen, Germany, despite the danger of missing yet another major tournament if they lose. Italy beat North Macedonia 5-2 on Friday, to overtake Ukraine and move to second in the group. Italy need only a draw to secure automatic qualification for Euro 2024. “We are more positive under Spalletti,” said Federico Chiesa, who scored twice. “We take a few more risks in defence. We want to play against Ukraine with this mentality.” The Euro 2020 champions have failed to qualify for the past two World Cups and a loss to Ukraine would see the war-torn Eastern European nation qualify for the Euros, leaving Italy facing a play-off tournament next year to…

SASOL, the fuel and chemicals from coal group and one of the single biggest harmful gas emitters in the southern hemisphere, was forced to postpone its annual meeting on Friday after disruptions by environmental protesters. Recently appointed chairperson Stephen Westwell tried to accommodate the protesters and invited them to a meeting with the board, but this was declined and he was unable to communicate properly with shareholders. Some shareholders, such as Old Mutual and Ninety-One, had indicated prior to the meeting they would not support climate change related resolutions. Big companies are under increasing pressure globally from activists, other civic organisations, governments, financiers and funders to clean up their environmental footprint and meet globally recognised carbon emission targets. In June, there were also protesters outside Standard Bank’s annual meeting. “We…

PPC’S SHARE price shot up 6.54% on the JSE after it announced the sale of its 51% interest in Cimerwa (Rwanda), finalising PPC’s exit of all its central and eastern African businesses. PPC’s subsidiary, PPC International Holdings, on Friday concluded an agreement to dispose of its shareholding in Cimerwa to National Cement Holding, for $42.5 million (R780m) cash. The share price closed at R3.42, this after the price steadily clawed back some 50% of value over a year. Roland van Wijnen, the CEO of PPC, said the deal enabled PPC to focus efforts and resources on its core southern African markets. With the proceeds from this transaction, PPC would have further options in deciding the best approach to allocate capital that delivered enhanced value for stakeholders. “We consider National…

SANLAM’S positive momentum continued and financial services and net cash results both increased by 19%, an operational update said on Friday. Operational earnings increased 35%. New business volumes increased 13%. Life insurance new business volumes were 8% higher on a present value of new business premiums basis, for the 9 months to September. “Net results from financial services trends in life insurance, credit and structuring as well as investment management operations, remained solid and broadly in line with the run rate for the first half of 2023,” group directors said. New life insurance business was also written at improved profitability – the value of new life insurance business (VNB) increased 28% and the VNB margin improved. The solvency position remained strong. Life insurance net result from financial services increased 24%…

M-Net’s Emmy-nominated local crime series, Reyka, will be returning early next year and judging from the trailer, fans are in store for another riveting season. The second season, which will premiere on January 11, sees Kim Engelbrecht reprise her role as detective Reyka Gama and Iain Glen as her abductor, Angus Speelman. New characters include actors Sello Maake Ncube, Joey Rasdien, Zane Meas, Tamara Skye, Kira Wilkinson, Wayne van Rooyen, Deon Lotz, Trudi van Rooy and Nicky Rebelo. This time, Reyka is seconded to the Durban Harbour police station where she’s building the profile of a killer who targets couples at a coastal lookout spot called Lover’s Lane. “The assailant is a sinister enigma who finishes off his male victims in a cold and clinical fashion yet shows remorse –…

The City of Cape Town has become a hot spot for carjackings according to crime statistics released by the SAPS. The statistics show that the Harare and Nyanga police stations recorded the most number of incidents between July and September, the second quarter of the 2023/24 financial year. The stats show that 114 people were carjacked in Harare and 82 in Nyanga. Protea station in Johannesburg, Gauteng, was the third most likely place to have your vehicle hijacked, with 81 reported cases for the same period. Gauteng and the Western Cape police stations had the top 10 positions of the top 30 stations list for car-jackings. Gauteng accounted for six stations in the top 10, while the Western Cape had four. Out of the top 30 stations for carjackings, Gauteng…

The family of late former ANC Youth League secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa has called for the establishment of a special political killings court in KwaZulu-Natal to fast-track his trial. Magaqa, who was Umzimkhulu Local Municipality councillor at the time of his death, was shot while parking his Mercedes-Benz at his home in Umzimkhulu after attending a meeting in July 2017. He was with two women councillors who were wounded during the shooting. Magaqa died in hospital in September 2017. Lwazi Magaqa said the family were disturbed by the never-ending postponement of the trial and called for the establishment of the special court. “There are four courts in Pietermaritzburg High Court. Let the one be specialised for political violence cases. The delay of our case is always postponed for a duration of…

Video footage captured by Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary showcases the initial steps and quest for milk from its mother by a newborn rhino calf. Last week, Care for Wild initially shared the video depicting the calf’s first steps within the sanctuary. Care for Wild said that on November 9, at 1.35pm, rehabilitated and released rhino orphan Tana gave birth to her first calf. It said rhino monitors suspected the birth was imminent as Tana had isolated herself in a dense bush. “The delivery itself took only six minutes! It wasn’t long before the baby was attempting to stand,” Care for Wild said. “Incredible drone footage captured the precious first moments between mom and baby as she calmly tried to help him to his feet. Tana did so well; we…

A WORLD of scientific wonder and of space exploration – in their own school halls. That’s what 3 500 Tshwane learners experienced when Sci-Enza, the University of Pretoria’s science centre, took its new mobile planetarium on the road and set it up at 17 schools. As learners sat mesmerised inside the planetarium’s inflatable white dome to watch a projected presentation about the solar system, an interest in the night sky was lit up among many. The school visits formed part of Sci-Enza’s community outreach projects, and took place during the fourth term. This proved to be great timing, as aspects around space science, the planets and the solar system are tackled in the “Earth and Beyond” section of the Grade 4 to 6 learner curriculum during the latter part of…

Multi-award-winning rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes posthumously bagged several awards at the annual 29th South Africa Music Awards (Samas), serving as a poignant reminder that exceptional talent was lost in the entertainment industry. November marks nine months since Forbes was gunned down in Durban with his friend Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane in the presence of their friends outside Wish restaurant. AKA scored the hotly contested Male Artist of the Year and Best Collaboration for Lemons (Lemonade) featuring Nasty C, and his album, Mass Country, scooped the Best Engineered Album for Robin Kohl & Itu. In her acceptance speech, an emotional Lynn Forbes, mother of AKA, said: “This occasion is so special; it is a full-circle moment for us. In 2021, Kiernan won Best Male Artist at the Samas, and to stand here…

Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu has urged South African men to help fight the scourge of gender-based violence (GBV) and become responsible citizens in society. Zulu addressed a group of men gathered for the second annual Amatyma International Men’s Day Wellness Experience held at the Disoufeng Pub in Soweto yesterday. Celebrated on November 19, International Men’s Day has become a time for men across the globe to reflect on the contributions, sacrifices and progress made by men in society. These range from men working together with women to make educational, economic, social, and technological advances in society to men encouraging one another to be better fathers and leaders in society. “Let us create an environment where people respect you as men in society. “We must not repeat the mistakes of…

The IFP condemns the recent revelations of irregular practices by Standard Chartered, in collusion with other banks, to manipulate the rand. The South African Competition Commission’s announcement of a settlement with the British bank, wherein Standard Chartered admitted liability and agreed to pay a fine of almost R43 million raises serious concerns about the impact of such behaviour on the economy. The IFP is deeply troubled by the findings that traders at Standard Chartered and other implicated banks engaged in manipulative activities that violated competition rules, particularly in the critical rand-US dollar exchange rate between 2007 and 2013. The actions, as highlighted by the Competition Commission, not only compromise the integrity of financial markets but also have far-reaching consequences for the economic well-being of our nation. The IFP emphasises the…

THE PRESIDENTIAL Climate Commission (PCC) has referred a final decision on the decommissioning of the Komati Power Station back to the government. Plans to turn the power station into a reneweable energy centre form part of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) that South Africa struck with the UK, US, France, Germany and the EU to support its decarbonisation efforts. The PCC is a statutory body established by President Cyril Ramaphosa and required, according to its website, “to oversee and facilitate a just and equitable transition towards a low-emissions and climate-resilient economy”. The PCC held its quarterly meeting on Friday to consider the final draft of its Komati decommissioning and repurposing process report. The power station in Mpumalanga was decommissioned in October last year, with plans to turn it into…

THE BOARD of the company behind ChatGPT on Friday fired OpenAI CEO Sam Altman – to many, the human face of generative AI – sending shock waves across the tech industry. OpenAI’s chief technology officer, Mira Murati, will serve as interim CEO, the company said, adding that it would conduct a formal search for a permanent CEO. “Altman’s departure follows a deliberative review process by the board, which concluded that he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities,” OpenAI said in the blog without elaborating. Greg Brockman, OpenAI president and co-founder, who stepped down from the board as chairperson as part of the management shuffle, quit the company, he announced on messaging platform X late on Friday. “Based on today’s…

THERE were some pertinent questions asked at RCL Foods’ annual general meeting last week, with one shareholder wondering if it was still worth the food producer being listed, and another querying whether chief exe- cutive Paul Cruickshank had enough “skin in the game” as his shareholding in the firm was extremely low. This as RCL Foods, at its current price of R8.60, is trading way below its high of R20 established as long ago as 2008. The branded foods company used to trade at a large premium to its net asset value, but is now trading at record 35% discount to its net asset value of R13.17. Remgro holds 81% of RCL Foods and is itself now trading at a histori- cally-high 40% discount to its investment holdings. Shareholder activist…

Internationally acclaimed South African zef group Die Antwoord have announced a new tour across the UK and Europe in 2024. The tour comes after the group, which comprises rappers Watkin Tudor “Ninja” Jones, Anri “Yolandi Visser” du Toit, HITEK5000 and Lil2Hood, went on a hiatus for the past few years following several controversies related to accusations of child abuse, sexual assault and other hate crimes. The group started off by sharing a short, gory video of a doctor standing over some bloodied surgical utensils and a peeled-off face. Instagram put a warning label on the video that reads, “This video may contain graphic or violent content”. They went on to share a list of the countries they’d be visiting on the tour, “EU / UK 2024 Netherlands, England, Belgium, Germany,…

Prisoners across the country have threatened to embark on a massive hunger strike from today, in response to a recent court order allowing them to use laptops inside jail and other issues affecting them. In September, the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) heard arguments on prisoners’ computer rights and use in cells, with the court ruling in favour of their rights to use laptops while in jail. On November 8, the SCA ruled that current policies governing the use of laptops in prison discriminated against prisoners’ constitutional rights. The current policy either prohibits or limits computer use by inmates who have registered to study. But in two previous matters, judges have ruled that this constitutes unfair discrimination. These were taken on appeal by the Minister of Justice and Correctional…

Transnet’s Richards Bay Transnet Port Terminals has thrown its hands up in the air over its R300 million-a day-business handling the offloading of trucks after it said in the interest of public safety on the roads in the uMhlathuze Local Municipality to the terminal, it has suspended the processing of trucks bringing cargo into its terminals via road. The repercussions will hit the economy, which is already taking strain due to Transnet’s poor performance. Only trucks whose vessels have been already nominated shall be processed. Transnet said on Friday that an urgent meeting with customers and all relevant stakeholders will be held soon to discuss the new developments. Transnet said: “The industry may propose a far more superior traffic management solution that could create order in Richards Bay and…

KWAZULU-NATAL has begun positioning itself as the largest exporter of cannabis following the passing of the Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill by the National Assembly last week. Welcoming the news, Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs MEC Siboniso Duma said the passing of the bill paved the way for the unlocking of R107 billion in investment into the local industry. He said the province wanted to be the leading exporter of the product and was preparing its agencies to get ready to assist emerging small players. “We welcome the passing of the Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill by the National Assembly and we are confident that the National Council of Provinces will move with speed to ensure that the bill is adopted or, where necessary, changes are urgently made before…

Durban snake rescuer Nick Evans marked Steve Irwin Day by rescuing a pregnant (gravid) black mamba in Queensburgh on Wednesday. Evans said: “She was looking for a spot to lay, so she’s now in a ‘Mamba B&B’, where she’s been given a safe place to lay, after which she’ll be relocated far from people. As will her young, in 3 months or so, upon hatching.” He explained that for research projects he is working on, different data is obtained from the mother, eggs, and juveniles. “Steve Irwin, the late Australian ‘Crocodile Hunter’, did an enormous amount for wildlife conservation, and environmental education. He was the reason I became interested in snakes. So to have a nice rescue on any day of significance in relation to him is very special for…

Arthur Zwane has continued to pledge his loyalty to Kaizer Chiefs and he’s ready to serve the club wherever he’s deployed. It’s been a topsy-turvy four-year stint for Zwane at Chiefs, having moved between positions as the senior team tried to end a disastrous eight-year trophy drought. Chiefs have appointed four full-time coaches since 2020, including Zwane, Gavin Hunt, Stuart Baxter and Molefi Ntseki. During that period, Zwane has also served as an assistant to three coaches – Hunt, Baxter and Ntseki, who was recently sacked and replaced by Cavin Johnson on an interim basis. Ntseki’s dismissal also led to the demotion of Zwane to the development structures – an environment he knows all too well having cut his coaching teeth there after hanging up his boots. But while many…

Bafana Bafana’s mental toughness is expected to be put to the test as they look to complete a perfect week in World Cup qualifying. The city of Kigali will welcome Bafana tomorrow, with Rwanda looking to take advantage of home territory in their bid to claim their first win of qualifying. Having dropped points already against Zimbabwe at home, The Wasps will want to collect at least four points in their two matches, which will make Bafana’s trip difficult. Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has always emphasised the importance of his men being mentally prepared to withstand the difficulties of grabbing positive results in their away games. In his first World Cup qualifying campaign, Broos helped Bafana draw against Zimbabwe and win against Ethiopia but, unfortunately, lost the most decisive…