Table of contents for 2023-03-13 in Star

FUTUREGROWTH Asset Management is running out of patience over the slow progress made to the Land Bank’s liability solution as the bank’s default position approaches its third year now. The leading creditor for the Land Bank on Friday said the continued default position posed significant risks to its clients and did not bode well for the other solutions that may be needed for other State-owned enterprises. In April 2020, the Land Bank experienced serious liquidity challenges after failing to repay about R50 billion maturing loans. The bank’s entire debt portfolio of about R45bn, of which R5.2bn is guaranteed, was considered to be in default due to cross-default clauses. FutureGrowth head of credit Olga Constantatos on Friday said three years was a long time to negotiate and resolve what is…

It’s that time of the year when we honour those who make us laugh despite everything that makes us sad as a nation. The 10th Savanna Comics’ Choice Comedy Awards nominations were revealed at a gathering at the Radisson RED in Rosebank on March 8. Leading the pack with three nods each are Thabiso Mhlongo and Sifiso Nene. Mhlongo has been nominated in the categories Best Solo Show Award, Breakthrough Act of the Year Award, and Sauce of the Year Award. He took to Instagram to share the good news with his fans and followers. “Talent is God-given; be humble. Fame is man-given; be thankful. Conceit is self-given; be careful. “Oh to be seen, what a wonderful thing. Thank you to my peers for the vote of confidence, this feels…

MINISTER of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Dr Blade Nzimande has met the Universities South Africa in an attempt to find a solution to the ongoing unrest on campuses. Students across the country have been protesting over financial exclusion, lack of accommodation and outstanding fees. Wits, Cape Town and KwaZulu-Natal universities as well as the Tshwane University of Technology students embarked on protests and made the institutions inaccessible last week. The meeting between the Nzimande and Universities SA, last Tuesday, resolved to establish a committee to consider solutions for the accommodation cap imposed by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). The committee, consisting of the ministry, Universities SA and vice-chancellors, also resolved to urgently meet again this week to look at cases and practical solutions. Nzimande and Universities…

More deaths have been reported as health-care workers affiliated with the National Education, Health, and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) embark on a second week of strike action. In a media briefing yesterday, Nehawu announced its plans to intensify the strike as they await a decision by the Labour Appeals Court today on the legality of their protest. The workers are demanding a wage increase of 10%, but the employer is only offering 4.7%. Last week, Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla said that four people had died as a result of the strike. Yesterday, Nehawu general secretary Zola Saphetha said the loss of lives was unfortunate. Saphetha asked for space to exercise their rights while they awaited the conclusion of the investigation by the state before they could respond as a…

Renowned singer-songwriter Nomcebo Zikode is one of the leading women who were honoured at the 2023 Forbes Woman Africa Awards. These awards recognised the remarkable work of women on the continent, and for each category, the judging panel and the editorial team adopted a set of well-entrenched criteria to shortlist deserving nominees. This year’s ceremony followed the theme “Women 3.0: The Icons and Ideas Shaping Africa” across the public sector, business, finance, entertainment, society and more. A thrilled Zikode said: ‘There’s so much that is happening in this industry – and when I say so much, I mean going through so much. So, for me, as a woman, to be recognised by Forbes Africa is great,” said Zikode. The summit welcomed Minister of International Relations and Co-operation Dr Naledi Pandor,…

ON MARCH 7, Parliament voted in favour of downgrading the level of its mission in Israel. In fact, this was discussed in 2018 and implemented a year later, when the South African ambassador was not replaced after his term had expired. But the ANC government found it more important to rehash something that was in effect. It was an important issue to devote valuable parliamentary time to, despite load shedding, unemployment, the economy and grey-listing. A day later, a four-year-old was found dead in a pit latrine at her school in Glen Grey in the Eastern Cape. Recent reports show that there are more than 3 000 schools that had pit latrines, with several deaths being reported after children fell into the cesspools of excrement. When last was the…

After a long delay, President Cyril Ramaphosa reshuffled his Cabinet. As expected, he didn’t make any bold moves and played his cards safely. There were no aces in his “new” Cabinet. A tweak here and there to give the impression of a new vibrant Cabinet, all raring to go. He thought a new electricity minister, Dr Kgosientso Ramokgopa, with two other new ministers (security and planning and evaluation) would give him more power to face the challenges. With the country facing an energy crisis, one would have expected him to appoint an electricity expert to be the new electricity minister. But there were no bright sparks to light up the dark landscape. With the election coming up next year, he had to be careful whom he chose. The ministers were…

THE move towards automation of the mining industry is moving full speed ahead, with negative implications for mine workers and their families. The people most at risk of this disruption are migrant mine workers who have always been integral to mining operations worldwide. Rio Tinto has ushered in the future of mining using driverless trucks in Gudai-Darri, Australia. These trucks are controlled approximately 1 200km away from the mining site by a supervisory system. The mining on the African continent is also hurtling towards full-scale automation. For example, in Mali, the Syama gold mine is fully automated with connected network controls that manage all mining activities such as loading, extraction hauling, blast systems, and drilling from control centres above the ground. In South Africa, the South Deep Gold mine uses…

KHARTOUM: Unilateral sanctions imposed by the West on Russia over the Ukraine war have negatively affected other nations, including countries in need, Sudanese Ambassador to Moscow Hassan Mohammed Elghazali Eltijani Sirraj has said. Western sanctions against Moscow have disrupted the delivery of grain and fertilisers to countries in need, he stressed. Sirraj said such a decision should be made with the participation of international organisations, for example, the UN. Russian President Vladimir Putin said sanctions had hit the entire global economy and worsened the lives of millions of people. | Sputnik…

As the Proteas Test side slowly takes shape, captain Temba Bavuma’s contributions will come in handy and go a long way in showing his young team what is required from them at Test level. The Proteas wrapped up a 2-0 series sweep over the West Indies at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Saturday afternoon. A captain’s knock of 172 from Bavuma in the third innings played a big role in ensuring that the hosts closed off the season with a series win at home. “It gives me a lot of confidence because as a leader you always want to be leading from the front with whatever your discipline is. Me being a batter, it’s always at the top of my mind that I want to score runs,” said Bavuma. “I…

The Western Province coaching staff will be smiling after their team showed similar traits to the Stormers in their convincing Currie Cup win of 44-28 over the Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday. A massive defensive display when they were under the pump, in tandem with some brilliant touches on the attack, allowed the Cape side to win with a bonus point in their Currie Cup opener in Johannesburg. They scored five tries and kept the Lions at bay with solid tackles when the home side kept hammering at the door, looking for a way back into the game. WP led 24-7 at half-time and was cruising at one stage before the Lions valiantly fought back to score four tries. Despite this, it was a convincing WP victory against a…

Arsenal powered five points clear at the top of the Premier League with a stylish 3-0 win at Fulham, while Casemiro was sent off in Manchester United’s 0-0 draw against struggling Southampton yesterday. Mikel Arteta’s side had seen second-placed Manchester City close the gap with victory at Crystal Palace on Saturday. The Gunners responded with the kind of composed display that has been the hallmark of their unexpected title charge. First-half goals from Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard – all set up by the influential Leandro Trossard – put Arsenal on course for a fifth consecutive league win. With 11 league games left, the north Londoners have the title in their sights. Since being knocked out of pole position after a defeat against City, which came during a…

STOCKS on the JSE suffered one of the worst weeks this year, plunging for the fourth day in a row on Friday to another two-month low, as the latest US non-farm payrolls report triggered further rate-hike worries. The JSE All Share index plunged 1.6% to end Friday at 76 454 index points, its biggest daily decline since early January, bringing the bourse’s losses to about 2.3% for the week. Almost all sectors were trading in the red on Friday, led by logistics, property, renewables, tech, industrials, financials stocks, and resource-linked stocks. Equities were already under pressure amid lingering concerns that higher interest rates would trigger a global recession. This as investors were digesting the US jobs data and the possibility of faster interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve…

IN THE CUT-THROAT world of technology, diversity and innovation can be hard to come by. That is why AYO Technology Solutions (AYO) stands out as a true trailblazer in the field. With its majority black ownership and 26-year track record of success, AYO has made waves on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) since going public in 2017. However, despite the technology company’s commitment to digital transformation and customer service, AYO has been unfairly maligned by several media outlets over recent years – causing major setbacks for both the company and its valued customers. The investment in AYO by the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) was welcomed by both the JSE and Africa’s largest asset manager. But due to malicious media coverage, the PIC is seemingly suffering from a bout of regret.…

Author and serial entrepreneur Vusi Thembekwayo has apologised to the family of slain rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes for using his name for “cheap political point-scoring”. Thembekwayo sparked controversy recently when he said that under the apartheid system, the police would have arrested AKA’s killers within 24 hours. Setting the record straight on his YouTube channel, he said: “I’m so sorry to the Forbes family for using your son to make the point. I’m desperately sorry that I’ve amplified your suffering by bringing you into this conversation, this debate. “And I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me. It was not my intention to disrespect Kiernan Forbes’s legacy or to use him for cheap political point-scoring.” During a recent discussion on eNCA’s Power to Truth hosted by Onkgopotse…

EFF and other opposition parties breathe fire over protector’s preliminary findings ACTING Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka has warned opposition and other interested parties against divulging the contents of her preliminary Phala Phala report, which has already been reported on by the media. The EFF and other opposition parties have rejected the preliminary report on the Phala Phala farm scandal. On Friday, Gcaleka released her much-awaited preliminary report on the theft, where a large amount of foreign currency was stolen by Namibians linked to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s domestic worker. Leaked copies of the report that emerged in the public domain have cleared Ramaphosa of wrongdoing, with the public protector saying Ramaphosa did not contravene the Executive Ethics Code. Gcaleka found there was no proof that he was actively involved in…

FANS across the country are mourning the loss of 40-year-old Bacardi musician Sammy “DJ Pencil” Moripe, who died on Friday following an apparent battle with cancer. The DJ was part of the Barcadi duo Pencil & Zing Master, and although details surrounding his death have not been disclosed by his family, reports on social media revealed he died on Friday in hospital, where he was receiving treatment for cancer for more than three years. DJ Pencil was born in Atteridgeville, Pretoria, and began his music career in 2010. He became famous for his hits, Suna Papa, Tshwara Tshwara and Serope Ko Ntle. Until his death, he was regarded as one of Bacardi’s greatest assets, and it was his efforts that contributed to the development of many other…

Mthandazo Brian Maseko is a 26-year-old who is passionate about imparting knowledge to the coming generation through his books. He produces educational content that seeks to enlighten people’s daily life practices that affect the economy, future, education, and other aspects of life. Born in KZN, Maseko grew up in Johannesburg, where his passion for writing came to life during his high school years. Driven by the motive to be free, as he believes we are still oppressed, he published his book The African Decolonisation Stratagem Umhlahlandlela, in 2021. “Throughout my high school years, I have been endeavouring to write, but nothing has been successful. But in 2019 I started doing a lot of research, which led to my being able to publish my book in 2021. “My book is about…

Harry’s book Spare has not had the desired result he and Meghan were wishing for. Instead of evoking sympathy, it has turned the British and American public against them. In a Newsweek approval rating, Harry has dropped to -10 (dropping 48 points) and Meghan -17 (dropping 40 points). This has been exacerbated by the animated cartoon series, South Park, in which they were lampooned and mocked. In his latest, self-pitying interview, Harry says that using psychedelic drugs and cannabis helped him deal with his mental health problems. These drugs lead to psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia, anxiety, depression and other severe mental illnesses. He is thus advocating illegal drug use. This is irresponsible for a 38-year-old man, with two children. He is always going on about his “incredibly painful childhood”…

The jubilation of Temba Bavuma scoring his second Test century will be recalled fondly for many years to come. The Proteas Test and ODI captain has copped much flak for not consistently converting his good starts into heavy run-scoring innings. To a certain degree, there was a kernel of merit in the argument. So, when he acknowledged his teammates having successfully made his ton, he was not only saluting the lockerroom but in many respects nodding knowingly toward his naysayers as well. A vocal section of the SA cricketing supporter-base have decried the 32-year-old’s participation at international level, arguing that Bavuma does not do enough to warrant a place in the senior men’s team, nevermind being its captain – his average of 48.29 with the willow in hand notwithstanding. The…

London: The BBC’s director general Tim Davie said he will not resign after the publicly-funded broadcaster’s sport service was decimated at the weekend by a backlash to Gary Lineker’s removal as Match of the Day host. “Everyone wants to calmly resolve the situation,” Davie said in a BBC interview. Lineker was forced to “step back” from his duties presenting the flagship Premier League highlights show after accusing the UK government of using Nazi-era rhetoric in tackling illegal immigration. The BBC said on Friday that England’s fourth-highest goalscorer had breached guidelines on impartiality and it would seek “an agreed and clear position on his use of social media” before an on-screen return. Tory politicians criticised Lineker’s tweet, while his employer, the BBC, came under pressure from right-wing commentators to sanction him.…

Athen: A Greek grandmother, 93, who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Price for helping refugees flooding into Europe, died yesterday. Emilia Kamvysi and two other grandmothers became instant celebrities in 2015 when they were pictured bottle-feeding a refugee baby whose parents had just landed on Greece’s Lesbos island after a perilous sea crossing. The arrivals were among more than a million arrivals fleeing the Syrian civil war. The three elderly women were children of ethnic Greek refugees from Turkey. The other two had already died – Maritsa Mavrapidou, 92, in 2019, and Efstratia Mavrapidou, 96, last year. | AFP…

Bulls (8) 15 Tries: Mosi, Hendricks; Conversion: Steyn; Penalty: Steyn Pumas (27) 63 Tries: Swart, Snyman, De Klerk, Stighling, Williams, Fouche, Appollis (2), Kleinhans; Conversions: De Beer (4), Snyman, Thomson; Penalties: De Beer (2) THE defending Currie Cup champions demolished their hosts – the Bulls – as they opened their 2023 campaign in emphatic fashion at Loftus yesterday. The Pumas ran in nine brilliant tries to the hapless two the Bulls could muster in a crushing 63-15 win that will set the alarm sirens blaring across the competition. The victory will certainly enforce the belief that the Pumas’ unexpected but fantastic triumph in the tournament last season was no fluke. The Bulls team that suffered the heavy defeat had some notable names attached…

AT LEAST 300 arrests have been made in efforts by business and the South African Police (SAPS) to stem extortion and attacks on projects by the “construction mafia”, although there remains some concern that the SAPS is reluctant to open some cases. According to the The National Priority Committee, there were encouraging convictions and recorded sentences as it prioritises advocacy for the business community to put an end to the scourge. The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime said there were no less than 183 infrastructure and construction projects worth more than R63billion ($3.9bn) struggling with protection rackets. “We are concerned regarding SAPS Customer Support Centres not being ready to record extortion cases. Victims allege that cases are not opened against high profile perpetrators. “Operational support in rural areas is…

The estranged wife of International Pentecostal Holiness Church faction leader Michael Sandlana is living in fear after several death threats, allegedly by Sandlana’s hit men, sources have said. Sandlana has refused to do a DNA test to prove that he is Bishop MG Modise’s son. Modise, who died in 2016, was the head of the three million-member-strong church which, according to custom, should be headed by Modise’s son. Benedicta Sandlana now lives in fear and has been receiving death threats from Sandlana’s followers since reporting his alleged involvement in fraudulent activities. Benedicta Sandlana lodged a fraud case at Sandton police station after she discovered that a death certificate had been issued in her name last year. Sandlana was arrested and released on bail, along with those believed to have helped…

THE Joburg municipal council would ensure it would receive interpretation services during sittings, speaker Colleen Makhubele said. This comes after a complaint from the IFP caucus in the City of Joburg that there were no translation services for councillors. IFP councillor Mlungisi Mabaso had complained that there was discrimination against councillors who did not speak languages that were not favoured by the majority, such as Afrikaans. “The rules of council do allow for the use of language translation services to accommodate all languages in council. In the Old Council Chamber during the previous political term, translation services were provided without any hindrances, and the budget was prioritised to ensure the use of such services,” Mabaso said. Responding to this complaint, Makhubele said there were plans to ensure that the translation…

The call by UN-Habitat and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) for civil society organisations to contribute to the forthcoming report on “Inclusive policies and programmes to address homelessness, including in the aftermath of Covid-19”, gives me tremendous hope in addressing homelessness. Our individual calling in social work begins now. My relationship with the social work profession started in my adolescent phase when I found myself looking after my HIV-positive parent each day, before and after school. As a teen, I found myself assuming roles that were meant for elders. These were roles like bathing, medicating and feeding my ill parent. A community social worker used to visit our home twice a week and as an older child to my siblings, I would be expected to…

On Tuesday, March 7, the Gauteng Provincial Legislature engaged in a disquieting debate about gender-based violence (GBV), just a day before celebrating International Women’s Day. I refer to it as disquieting only because debating the causes and ways of ending GBV on the eve of some event celebrating women is something we, as a country, seem to do perfectly. But on the score of defending the rights of women, we perform dismally. Our country is dubbed the rape capital of the world. We take the lead in having the highest rates of femicide globally, not least according to Interpol. Further evidence, from the recently published SAPS Crime Statistics for Quarter 3 of 2022, shows that the number of sexual offences cases reported increased from 14 188 to 15 545 (a…

Tehran: Iran has announced more than 100 arrests nationwide over the mystery poisonings of thousands of schoolgirls, charging that the unidentified alleged perpetrators may have links with “hostile” groups. In the wave of cases since late November, schoolgirls have suffered fainting, nausea, shortness of breath and other symptoms after reporting “unpleasant” odours on school premises, with some being treated in hospital. State media reported late Saturday that the interior ministry had announced the arrests over the suspected poison attacks in more than 200 schools, that have sparked fear and anger. | AFP W…

SYDNEY: In a joint operation with the national postal services provider Australia Post, the Australian Federal Police have intercepted more than half a ton of illicit drugs sent by mail to the state of Queensland. The police said in a statement yesterday that over the past nine months, nearly 160 packages were detected and referred to the joint operation set up to target criminal syndicates shipping contraband into the state. The packages contained more than 547kg of illicit drugs and precursors, which include a total of 203kg of methamphetamine. | Xinhua…