Table of contents for SW-2021-04-09 in Star

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za SOUTH Africa’s ambitious job creation drive spearheaded by President Cyril Ramaphosa has received a $1 billion (R14.5bn) cash injection from the BRICS Bank to help the country fight rising unemployment levels. The New Development Bank (NDB) yesterday approved a $1bn second Covid-19 emergency loan to South Africa in less than a year to support economic recovery. The NDB said the loan would finance the creation of employment opportunities in South Africa, in particular the first phase of the Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES). “The loan will finance creation of employment opportunities in South Africa, in particular the first phase of the PES, together with social protection measures for active labour market participants that temporarily lost their jobs, in order to help them remain in the labour market,”…

THE MANUFACTURING industry in South Africa continues to struggle to recover from the Covid-19 induced depression as factory output fell more than expected in February. Data from Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) yesterday showed that manufacturing production remained in contractionary territory as it fell by 2.1 percent in February from a year ago. February followed an upwardly revised 4.2 percent slump in January and was significantly weaker than market expectations of a 0.4 percent fall. StatsSA said output was dragged down largely by declines in petroleum and chemical products, rubber and plastic, decreasing by 8.4 percent. The food and beverages division slid by 0.7 percent in February, much slower than the 6.1 decline in January. Textiles, clothing, leather and footwear grouping experienced a marginal 0.1…

Jamal Grootboom jamald.grootboom@inl.co.za Love Island SA” is heading towards the final stretch; however, one of the islanders – Millie Terblanché – has landed in hot water for making a rape joke. In one of the recent episodes, Tania Kera was shown at the fire pit with Millie, discussing her situation with Ross Marshall, with whom she’s currently in a coupling. Ross has been very open about the fact that he is a virgin and that he is waiting for marriage before having sex. In her conversation with Millie, Taina, said: “If I’m being honest, I feel Ross is still young, you know what I mean? A lot of people when they’re 20 are gonna save themselves.” Millie starts laughing and then says: “Rape him.” Fans of the show were very…

Over 300 beneficiaries claim communications giant swindled them out of billions of rand Bongani Nkosi bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za MOBILE telecommunications giant MTN has had the litigation by employees and former employees – alleging it swindled them in a multibillion-rand black economic empowerment (BEE) share scheme – removed from an open, public court. The group’s counter-application to have the application by 382 current and erstwhile workers stayed and referred to arbitration has succeeded. Referring to themselves as the Tsunami Group, the 382 were capital beneficiaries of the Alpine Trust. Formed by MTN in 2002, Alpine’s shares in the group were reportedly valued at about R24 billion in 2008. At the time, Alpine owned 13.1% of the company though Newshelf 664. Newshelf bought 309 million shares in MTN in 2002 on behalf of…

Kirk Hammett’s guitar used in Metallica’s One music video is being auctioned. The axe-slayer’s ESP 400 Series S-Type, which is signed by the 58-year-old musician and comes with a document of authenticity, is being sold over at Heritage Auctions. The highest bid was $26 000 (about R380 000) at the time of writing. The electric instrument features a rosewood neck, triple single-coil pickup and black hardware. The listing notes that it’s in top condition. The promo for the track from the heavy metal legend’s fourth studio album …And Justice for All landed on MTV in 1989. It includes scenes taken from the 1971 anti-war film Johnny Got His Gun. Metallica bought the rights to the film. Bidders have until Sunday to be in with the chance of nabbing the…

Jonisayi Maromo SEVERAL diplomats representing foreign governments in Pretoria are being investigated for diverting alcohol and cigarettes purchased from duty-free shops into a booming South African illicit market. This has reportedly cheated the South African Revenue Service (Sars) of an estimated R100 million in unpaid taxes every month. The alcohol and cigarettes are reportedly sold in large volumes to businesses and liquor traders. Foreign diplomats found to be involved in the high-level dodgy deals will face repercussions, said Lunga Ngqengelele, spokesman for International Relations and Co-operation Minister Dr Naledi Pandor. “I can confirm that we are aware of the investigation and we are working with Sars, and we are working with other law enforcement authorities to make sure that we get to the root of this issue,” Ngqengelele said…

THE Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) will start the implementation of the Rea Vaya Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) station on Rivonia Road in Sandton. The construction of this section forms part of the overall Phase 1C trunk route, which stretches from the Joburg CBD, along Louis Botha Avenue, passing the northern part of Alexandra and looping back through Katherine Street, up to Rivonia Road in Sandton City. The construction, due to begin in the second quarter of the year, is the final stretch of BRT infrastructure to be implemented in the area and, once complete, will be part of further options in transport facilities and integral in the precinct development to contribute to the broader public daily commute from other parts of the city. The overall objectives for the BRT Rea…

Anna Cox anna.cox@inl.co.za City of Joburg member of the mayoral committee for public safety Mally Mokoena is still performing her duties despite being on a month’s suspension without pay. Although she admitted to nepotism and fraud, Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements, Urban Planning and Co-operative Governance, Lebogang Maile, said this happened in 2018 and no further complaints had been received and therefore did not warrant the suspension called for. The Joburg council confirmed at its March meeting the guilty verdict handed down against Moekena for violating the code of conduct through fraud and nepotism. The ethics committee originally recommended dismissal from council, but former Gauteng MEC for Co-operative Governance, Dikgang Moiloa, decided on a lighter sentence. “The fact that the decisions of a municipal council can be overruled by another…

THE release of the Easter holiday figures by Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has shown a decrease in road accidents and deaths during this time of the year. This comes against the backdrop of the lockdown last year when inter-provincial travelling was banned and most businesses were shut down during the start of the lockdown when Covid-19 hit. In his announcement yesterday, Mbalula said there were fewer accidents this Easter period, from 193 in 2019 to 189 this year. The number of those killed on the roads also came down from 260 two years ago to 235 this year. Accidents and deaths on the country’s large tracts of provincial and national roads come at a serious cost to the economy. The government has not been able to contain the number of…

The AU’s disease control body said yesterday it has dropped plans to secure AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines for its members from the Serum Institute of India, the world’s biggest vaccine supplier, amid global shortfalls of the shot. The announcement is another blow to AstraZeneca, which has touted its shot as the vaccine for the world for being the cheapest and easiest to store and transport, making it well-suited to the needs of developing countries. It comes the day after European and British medicine regulators said they had found possible links between the vaccine and rare cases of brain blood clots, while nonetheless reaffirming its importance in protecting people. John Nkengasong, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), said the possible link had nothing to do…

WOKING: A rare poster for the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball is headed for auction tomorrow, and expected to go under the hammer for up to $16 000 (R232 154). The highlight of an online sale of Bond memorabilia, the Advance British Quad poster has four panels depicting the suave 007 agent, then played by Sean Connery, fighting villains or surrounded by scantily clad women. The linen-backed poster was designed to be cut into four, says British auctioneer Ewbank’s, which anticipates it fetching £8 000 (R159 730) to £12 000 (R239 604). The sale includes an original 1962 British Quad poster for the first Bond film, Dr No, expected to fetch up to £9 000. A replica top hat, as worn by Oddjob, in…

ESHLIN VEDAN eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za KAIZER Chiefs face a real test of character in their must-win away match in the Champions League tomorrow. The ‘Glamour Boys’ of South Africa football have had a troubled season in all competitions but have shown promising signs in the continental club competition, including their 1-0 victory over former champions Wydad AC last weekend. Chiefs midfielder Kearyn Baccus believes that the spirit among his teammates is good ahead of tomorrow night’s group stage encounter against Horoya at the General Lansana Conte Stadium in Guinea. “The boys are in good spirits. We are ready to go and want to do well in the Champions League since we are not doing well in the league at the moment. We are all ready and excited,” said Baccus. Chiefs go into…

COSATU has pledged its support for the ANC in the upcoming local government elections. This comes after a two-day meeting in which unions met to express displeasure with the governing party. “After robust and fraternal debate the CEC (central executive committee) concluded that the problem facing workers are mainly driven by political decision-making by those in government and other sites of power,” Cosatu general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali said. “This therefore means the federation needs to combine mass mobilisation with a clear programme to resolve and undo them. The meeting concluded that workers did not have the luxury to indulge in political abstentionism in the face of deepening of class contestation of both the ANC and the state. “This will be a fallacy of composition where we end up dismissing an…

Nyaniso Qwesha | Joburg When will we see an operational SAA? Is it something we are going to see this year? I am asking because it is becoming bizarre SAA is still under a business rescue process. This journey started in 2019. SAA went on business rescue to help this state-owned airline. This decision, to me, was a necessary measure to rebuild and repurpose this entity. This decision by the ailing airline was an understanding that something was necessary to save it. This measure was required when most state-owned enterprises were poorly performing, and thus their contribution to the country’s finances was declining yearly. The question that lingers is: what is happening with SAA’s business rescue? I am asking this decision solely because of the time it took…

Mpiletso Motumi AFRICAN music, no matter where it is coming from on the continent, is fast becoming the future of sound. For hitmakers DJ Maphorisa and Kabza de Small, leading that wave has come naturally to them. Together under their Scorpion Kings moniker, the two have released hit after hit, taking the amapiano sound to the world. The two have collaborated with another musician not afraid to be creative and out of the box, award- winning Afro pop artist Tresor. The duo and Tresor today released their 14-track project Rumble in the Jungle. “This album is special for me because it represents a bold statement of pride in the diversity of our culture as Africans, embracing the rich musical landscape of our home. We went back to the source and…

OVER the next 10 years, Joburg’s inner city will move towards a green, walkable and multilayered public transport system by placing emphasis on the commuter and pedestrian experience. The City of Joburg’s transport department will host its third virtual public webinar next week to encourage and record feedback on the draft Joburg inner city transport master plan on creating an accessible and inclusive public transport system. The proposed master plan provides a framework to improve and transform the inner city transport system to ensure that it is well connected, safe and offers reliable public transport, rationalised vehicular routes and pleasant walkable pedestrian pathways. MMC for transport Nonhlanhla Makhuba said that to achieve the city’s vision of an accessible, diverse and inclusive inner city that is vibrant and walkable, the city…

South Africa adopted its electoral system during the process of making a new constitution in the run-up to its transition to democracy in 1994. The system agreed was proportional representation. This involved parties drawing up lists of representatives which would get seats in legislatures according to the proportion of votes the parties won in the polls. This system was chosen because it was seen as allowing maximum representation of different political opinions and ethnic identities. The system has worked well to represent minority parties along with recurrent ANC majorities in the National Assembly and in most of the country’s nine provinces. But some now see it as working against accountability. This is because proportional representation hands power to party bosses – which, in turn, disempowers voters. MPs feel beholden to…

Gerald Wangenge-Ouma Ongoing student protests in South Africa have again highlighted various problems with higher education funding. They boil down to challenges of affordability and sustainability. State funding of universities is inadequate – it hasn’t kept pace with enrolment pressures and the increasing costs of providing higher education. Many students cannot afford to pay fees either. Yet the student financial aid system isn’t a reliable source of support. Fee-free higher education In 2016, there was a presidential commission of inquiry into the feasibility of making higher education and training fee-free. It found that the state couldn’t afford to provide free higher education to all who were unable to finance their own education. But the government then decided anyway to provide free university education for poor and working-class students beginning…

A critical care doctor called as a prosecution witness in Derek Chauvin’s murder trial testified yesterday that George Floyd died from a lack of oxygen caused by being handcuffed face down in the street with the former Minneapolis police officer’s knee on his neck. Dr Martin Tobin, who treats patients in a Chicago hospital’s intensive care unit, testified as the prosecution sought to undermine the argument by Chauvin’s defence that Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died of a drug overdose in the May 2020 arrest. Chauvin has pleaded not guilty to murder and manslaughter charges. The way that Chauvin and other officers pushed Floyd into the street as they arrested him was like putting the left side of his body “in a vice”, Tobin testified. Tobin appeared to confirm the…

Venditor Auctioneers will be auctioning the assets of Chamdor Meat Packers in an online auction from April 20 to 22. Chamdor Meat Packers is one of the largest abattoirs in the Southern Hemisphere. It offers slaughter lines for 700 cattle, 800 pigs and 2 000 sheep a day. Provision is made at the facility for kosher, halaal and ordinary lines. Waste is processed on the premises. The working abattoir has been closed in preparation for the auction. The site is largely independent and self-sustaining, with its own water supply and reservoir. It has several generators with up to 1 250kW. An ammonia plant provides the cooling for close to 30 coldrooms. The auction will be divided into three lots In Lot 1, the Abattoir, Property, and all movable assets will…

Mpiletso Motumi mpiletso.motumi@inl.co.za FUJIFILM is always raising the bar when it comes to instant photography. Their 2020 release, the Instax Square SQ1 is a camera that is designed for even easier instant photography for those who love square prints. What I love about these cameras is how fun they are from their look to their feel. They are pleasing to the eye and always become a topic of conversation. In a world where we take photos on our smartphones and leave them there to die, it’s nice to sometimes have the option to print them, instantly, and see that memory posted on your fridge or wall. There are no hidden tricks to these cameras. You won’t have to sit and read a manual to figure out how they work. Fujifilm…

Boitumelo Metsing boitumelo.metsing@inl.co.za SOWETO chef Siyabonga Ngwenya, 29, overcame the adversity of losing his job by starting his own eatery, Yummy Things, in Rockville. Ngwenya said he was stressed about job hunting when the idea came about that gave rise to a lucrative business. “After being retrenched in June 2020, I was depressed for almost a month. I was stressed, wondering how I would pay my bills and look after my mother,” he said. “I decided, like many other people, to cook as a way to destress and pass time. I then decided to post pictures of food I made at home and during private events. That’s when people started asking how they could get my food.” Ngwenya said he got the idea after receiving a lot of feedback on…

Few countries will want to antagonise the rising superpower over political issues Global geopolitics have certainly changed. The world used to be divided into Cold War alliances, of which Nato is one of the lasting relics, but today it is economic and not military pacts that have the most relevance. Strategic security alliances in Asia such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, comprising the US, Australia, Japan and India are not the overriding concern in the region. What will determine the future of Asia is the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) which will build economies of scale, and enable the region to be an engine of economic growth. Representing two thirds of the world’s population, the RCEP is one of the most important developments in global trade. China’s Belt…

Anti-coup demonstrators in Myanmar fought back with handmade guns and firebombs against a crackdown by security forces in a town in the north-west but at least 11 of the protesters were killed, domestic media reported yesterday. Initially, six truckloads of troops were deployed to quell protesters in the town of Taze, the Myanmar Now and Irrawaddy news outlets said. When the protesters fought back with handmade guns, knives and firebombs, five more truckloads of troops were brought in. Fighting continued into yesterday and at least 11 protesters were killed and about 20 wounded, the media said. There was no word of any casualties among the soldiers. That would take the toll of civilians killed by security forces to over 600 since the junta seized power from the elected government of…

STRASBOURG: The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) yesterday ruled that obligatory vaccinations can be seen as necessary in democratic societies, in a landmark judgment after a complaint brought by Czech families over compulsory jabs for children. The court ruled there had been no violation of the right to respect for private life of the European Convention on Human Rights. This is the first time that the ECHR has delivered a judgment about compulsory vaccination against childhood diseases. Experts say it could have implications for any policy of compulsory vaccinations against Covid-19. The case was filed by Czech parents whose children were denied admission to school for failure to comply with vaccination duty. | AFP…