Table of contents for 2023-10-03 in Star

CONSUMERS in South Africa have put the brakes on buying new cars for the second month in a row due to high borrowing costs and rising fuel prices. The Automotive Business Council (Naamsa) said yesterday that the decline in vehicle sales reflected external business factors. According to Naamsa, aggregate domestic new vehicle sales fell by 4.1% in September, or by 1 963 units to 46 021 units, from the 47 984 vehicles sold the same month a year ago. Export sales plummeted by 12.6%, or 5 217 units, to 36 247 units in September, compared to the 41 464 vehicles exported in September 2022. Activity around the buying of new cars usually indicates the strength of consumers’ buying power and prevailing economic conditions potentially…

IN THE ANNALS of white-collar crime, few stories have captured the public's attention quite like that of Markus Jooste, the disgraced former CEO of Steinhoff International Holdings. Accused of engaging in insider trading, Jooste's case serves as a chilling reminder of the consequences of corporate greed. In 2017, Steinhoff, a global retail giant, was rocked by a scandal that wiped billions off its market value. Jooste was at the centre of this storm, accused of orchestrating fraudulent accounting practices and insider trading. While the financial repercussions were massive, the fallout for Jooste personally seemed relatively light: a R20 million penalty imposed by South African regulatory authorities. The financial world was rocked when Jooste breached the Financial Markets Act by sending text messages to select individuals, including Jaap du Toit,…

WHEN MARK Zuckerberg announced that his company would be known as Meta he also announced the metaverse focus. By definition, the metaverse is a vision of what many in the computer industry believe is the next iteration of the internet. Zuckerberg indicated that the company would focus on building the metaverse. Thereafter a number of other companies also announced their metaverse strategies. At the same time, there was no shortage of doubters who felt that the metaverse was just a dream. For a moment the metaverse shifted focus from cryptocurrencies. The metaverse hype was, however, short-lived as artificial intelligence became the talk of the town. I’ve always maintained that the metaverse is real and that it will form part of our future. In this regard it seems I’m not alone.…

SOUTH Africa has installed more rooftop and on-site solar contracted to private consumers in the past year-and-a-half than in the past 10 years under government programmes. For industry experts, this is a staggering figure – what took almost 10 years under public programmes, took little over a year once regulations were lifted and load shedding incentivised the private residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural sectors to build their own resilience and get off the grid. Renewable energy initiatives In 2010, South Africa set up the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme which, at the time, was one of the most highly regarded, “best practice” ways of implementing renewable energy globally. I was involved in three of the projects at the beginning of the programme – Khi, Kaxu and Xina Solar…

QUALITY assurance council, Umalusi, has raised the alarm about certificates submitted to it for verification as at least 17% could not be authenticated owing to apparent fraud. The council revealed in its annual report for 2022/23 that the number of verifications made during the year under review totalled 299 262. These included 5 114 manual conformations, 275 142 e-verifications and 19 006 full verifications. The verifications completed were 63 274 more than in the 2021/22 financial year. CEO Mafu Rakometsi said one of the uncontrollable challenges for Umalusi was the unlawful sale of the national senior certificate by fraudsters. “This is a threat to the credibility of the qualifications on our sub-framework,” Rakometsi said. He added that in the last two-and-a-half years, Umalusi verified more than 200 000 qualifications for…

Local actors have come out in numbers, imploring South Africans to sign a petition in a bid to stop exploitation because of the alleged new clauses added to their contracts. According to reports, producers seek the right to capture and digitise the image, likeness and voice of each actor for their exclusive future use in any medium, in perpetuity and without any further compensation. In their plea for support, the actors say they deserve the right to negotiate through collective bargaining to secure fair contract terms that honour their craft and value their contribution. Nambitha Mpumlwana, popular for her portrayal of Mawande on Generations, is among the actors who have taken a stand on social media to seek support. She revealed that the SA Guild of Actors (Saga) was…

There’s so much to learn from the game of the mind, Chess. The pieces are arranged in rows based on their importance. The aim is to knock out (checkmate) the most valuable piece, the king, which takes abode at the back right in the middle. The front is lined-up with pieces of least significance. The more the insignificant pieces are knocked out, the more the king becomes exposed and risks being knocked. The more ordinary people are killed without consequences, the weaker the criminal justice system becomes and the police are rendered vulnerable. The killing mentality is entrenched and the thugs become confident and powerful. Warrant Officer Dalmain Morris, who was investigating a gangster, was gunned down in Westbury on Sunday. I get concerned every time I hear top police…

The Bethal Magistrate’s Court has sentenced 61-year-old Martin Mandla Mlotshwa after finding him guilty on charges of corruption. The conviction and sentencing followed a lengthy investigation by the Middelburg-based serious corruption investigation unit of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, or Hawks. Spokesperson for the Hawks in Mpumalanga, Warrant Officer Thandi Tshabalala, said in June 20219, Mlotshwa, who was a nurse working at the Sead Community Health Care Centre (CHC) in eMzinoni, Bethal, demanded gratification from a patient who came to the clinic seeking medical assistance to terminate her pregnancy. “The male nurse introduced himself as Mr Sithole, and he told the patient that the services that she required would not be possible because the pregnancy was already at 12 weeks. He then told the patient that if she could…

From US car factories to public sector workers in Nigeria and South Africa, strikes by trade unions continue unabated among the established sectors of the working class. In Detroit in the US, workers are resisting contract employment. In Nigeria, they are angry over the rising cost of living, and in South Africa, municipal workers are striking for better wages. But it’s becoming increasingly difficult to build sustainable worker organisations as companies employ more people on a casual basis in the digital age. Work has become more precarious, and workers are easily replaceable. In our new book, Recasting Workers’ Power: Work and Inequality in the Shadow of the Digital Age, we focus on workers’ power. The classic example of workers’ power is the strike: the collective withdrawal of labour to force…

Donald Trump gained more than $1 billion (about R19bn) by lying about the value of his assets to banks and insurers, lawyers for the New York state attorney general told a judge yesterday in a civil fraud case that could deal a major blow to the former president’s real estate empire. Kevin Wallace, a lawyer in state Attorney General Letitia James’ office, said in his opening statement in a downtown Manhattan courtroom that Trump described his finances to banks and insurers in a “materially inaccurate way” for a decade. Wallace said Trump did this to get better loan terms and lower insurance premiums, illegally generating more than $1bn of financial benefits. “This isn’t business as usual, and this isn’t how sophisticated parties deal with each other,” Wallace said. “These are…

Washington: Amid soaring rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis, US health authorities proposed that doctors begin prescribing a common antibiotic as a pill taken after sex, despite concerns over fuelling more resistant strains. DoxyPEP, or doxycycline used as a post-exposure prophylaxis, was found to cut the risk of developing these infections in clinical trials involving men who have sex with men and transgender women who engaged in condomless sex. Reported cases of the three bacterial infections rose to 2.5 million in the US in 2021, a further spike after about a decade of growth. | AFP…

Kaizer Chiefs striker Ranga Chivaviro is ready to contribute to the club after spending most of his first days with the team in the medical room. Chivaviro joined Amakhosi this season on a two-year deal, having been one of the deadliest strikers on the continent last season, scoring 17 goals for Marumo Gallants in all competitions. But while his efforts for Gallants led the team to the CAF Confederation Cup semi-finals, his domestic efforts were futile as the club was relegated last season. And with Chiefs having beaten a lot of teams for his signature, including arch-rivals Orlando Pirates, he was expected to be the missing piece in Chiefs’ scoring puzzle. However, it wasn’t to be. He arrived injured before suffering another injury in their third league game against TS…

New Zealand 321/6 Conway 78, Latham 52; Ngidi 3/33, Jansen 3/45 South Africa 211/4 De Kock 84*, Van der Dussen 51; Boult 2/20, Santer 1/29 New Zealand win by sevens runs on the DLS Method Despite losing their warm-up by seven runs on DLS method yesterday following rain ending the match in the 37th over of South Africa’s chase, the Proteas will take away lessons from their time out on the park against New Zealand after spending over a week in India without any action. In the build-up to yesterday’s warm-up match, coach Rob Walter emphasised their intention to use the game for the benefit of the team and to polish off areas they felt needed work. One particular area that needed attention was the bowling unit getting time…

Pick n Pay’s share price dropped by more than 13% yesterday on the JSE following the retailer’s posting that it expects to report a loss and that its CEO Pieter Boone would step down. Boone would be replaced by Pick n Pay’s former CEO Sean Summers. In its trading statement for the 26 weeks ended August 2023, the retailer said it expects to report a loss of between 98.18 cents and 79.31c per share, a 184% to 204% decline from the 94.34c earnings per share it had last year. Pick n Pay expects to report a headline loss per share from 149.36c to 129.82c, a 233% to 253% decline. The group said it had experienced a particularly challenging reported period driven by a…

MANAGERS in the manufacturing industry have remained optimistic that the current tough trading conditions will not persist in six months’ time, after conditions deteriorated further at the end of the third quarter. The seasonally adjusted Absa Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) remained firmly in contractionary territory as it declined by 4.3 points in September to 45.4 points, down from 49.7 points in August. The PMI, compiled by the Bureau for Economic Research (BER) on behalf of Absa, could raise concerns about the prospects for GDP in the third quarter as the manufacturing sector is one of the two sectors that made a significant positive impact on economic growth in the second quarter. The September reading indicated the eighth consecutive month of contraction in South Africa’s factory activity and…

GENERATIVE AI has begun its ascent into mainstream tech, but the revenue model for artists remains shrouded in ambiguity. With tech giants diving into monetising generative AI, the original creators, upon whose content these AI models are trained, are clamouring for a piece of the pie. However, there is a discernible lack of consensus on how much, if any, remuneration is due to the artists whose work makes the technology possible. An open letter from the Authors Guild, endorsed by literary heavyweights like Margaret Atwood and Jodi Picoult, has demanded that AI firms refrain from utilising their creations without adequate compensation or permission. This stance is further solidified by numerous legal actions initiated by artists against prominent AI players, including Microsoft and Stability AI, highlighting issues of copyright infringement. In…

BUSINESS continues to pour signifi- cant resources into partnering with the government to solve our most pressing challenges. I have argued in the past that this partnership critically depends on both sides truly committing to making it work. I must say that after a meeting last week with the president and several ministers from his Cabinet, I have confidence that the government’s commitment to working in partnership to deal with the priority issues has escalated/moved up a notch/started gaining momentum. The challenges we face are acute and clearly in everyone’s interest to resolve. The mining sector is now facing significant retrenchments, with some 35 000 jobs at risk. The collapsing logistics system is one of the main drivers. The urgency of fixing Transnet and our road networks is clear…

TEACHER regulatory body, the South African Council of Educators (Sace), said it has observed an influx of complaints against teachers in the first quarter of the 2022/23 financial year, with the majority being assault of pupils, followed by sexual misconduct. This emerged in the entity’s annual report tabled in Parliament where Sace reported that it received a total of 734 cases and investigated 254 misconduct complaints against educators. The number dropped from the 764 cases Sace received of the breach of the code of professional ethics by educators in the prior year. CEO Mapula Ella Mokgalane said although Sace received fewer cases than in 2021/22, the council observed with concern the nature of the cases. “The majority of them were for the assault of learners followed by sexual misconduct and…

THE City of Ekurhuleni has warned communities to be on the lookout for snakes as they slither out of hibernation. According to a statement, snakes are on the prowl in search of food around this time of the year. “Snake season starts in the middle of August until late May. This is the period when a number of snakes, harmful and harmless, get out of hiding. Snakes such as the puff adder and rinkhals are extremely dangerous, with the puff adder known to be instinctive, slow in pace and quick to sense danger. “The rinkhals or ring-necked cobra is a fast-moving multi-feeder, which is good at faking death. It is easily identified by the two white stripes that are visible across its neck when it spreads its hood,” the city…

IN 1994, South Africa became a democratic state. For the first time, black Africans were afforded the opportunity to cast their vote, a right they were denied for many years. Since the dawn of democracy, the ANC has been in power, particularly at national level. The governing party has changed its presidents almost every 10 years. This is a party that is more than 100 years old. Interestingly, some small political parties are undemocratic and hardly change their leaders. These parties are promoting personality cults, where the party is seen through the image of its leader. Chief Gatsha Buthelezi (may his soul rest in peace) founded the IFP in 1975. He remained the party leader for many years. When he stepped down, the party lost its identity. The current leader…

The EFF claimed a major victory by being responsible for the renaming of William Nicol Drive to Winnie Mandela Drive. I did not know William Nicol. He was the administrator of the Transvaal during my school years, from 1948 to 1958. According to all accounts, he was a successful administrator and things like hospitals, schools, roads, town and city councils all worked in those days. I was intrigued to learn that he, a dominee, had nine children. Different days. I feel no particular affection for Nicol and no emotional attachment to a road named after him. I did know Winnie Madikizela-Mandela quite well. We served in Parliament and we became friendly, chatting away at parliamentary social functions. She was a fascinating and hugely attractive woman. She played a significant role…

MADRID: The start of October in Spain this year has been the warmest since records began, the country’s meteorological agency AEMET said yesterday, with nearly 40% of weather stations recording maximum temperatures above 32°C. The early autumn season is so far offering Spaniards little respite after a summer with four heatwaves spread out over 24 days, part of a global pattern of rising temperatures widely attributed by scientists to human activity. Two cities in south-central Spain, Badajoz and Montoro, broke the heat record for continental Spain in October with 38°C and 38.2°C, respectively. The previous record was 37.5°C, in Marbella in October 2014. | Reuters…

Algiers: Niger’s coup leaders have accepted Algerian mediation and “a six-month transition plan” to restore “the constitutional order” in the neighbouring country, Algeria’s foreign ministry said yesterday. Military leaders in late July ousted Niger’s democratically elected, pro-Western president Mohamed Bazoum, and have proposed a three-year transition back to democracy. West African bloc Ecowas has threatened to use force as a last resort to reinstate Bazoum, who was detained by his guards on July 26. The coup in Niger was the third such putsch in the region in as many years. | AFP…

Although history has taught cricket fans never to write off Australia at a World Cup, sceptics of their chances of winning the trophy for a sixth time in India in November have more than a little ammunition to call on. The decision to allow Travis Head to recuperate from his fractured hand in the first half of the tournament smacks of desperation for the runs the 29-year-old has been providing at the top of the order. “He’s a really important player for us and hopefully when he does come on line and is available, he can have a really big impact for us towards the back end of the tournament,” head selector George Bailey said after naming the final 15-player squad. Head will not be the only player in the…

PICK N PAY’S newly appointed CEO Sean Summers intends to focus on turning around the core retail business of the grocery group. A trading statement released yesterday said the group expected to report a loss of between 98.18 cents and 79.31c per share, a 184% to 204% decline, from the 94.34c earnings per share it generated last year. This on the same day as the retailer announced that group CEO Pieter Boone was stepping down, and would be replaced by former CEO Sean Summers. The surprise change of CEO and forecast of a headline loss per share saw the group’s share price slump by 14.95% to close at R31.47 on the JSE yesterday. Speaking to Business Report, Summers said: “It’s common cause that Pick n…

THE WESTERN Cape’s agricultural sector has been hard hit by heavy rains – the province accounts for more than two-thirds of South Africa’s winter crops and a large share of wine grapes and various horticulture products. The Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz) said yesterday that the rainfall peak was around Bredasdorp in the Southern Overberg region. Agbiz chief economist Wandile Sihlobo said significant damages to farm infrastructure, electricity supply and road networks were reported in various small farming towns of the province, mainly the southern areas. “Still, the impact of the floods on wine grapes and table grapes remains unclear as industry horticulturalists continue assessing the fields. We have seen anecdotal evidence of damages in some storage facilities and crop fields in the southern regions. “Another challenge caused by wet soils…

OVER the weekend, South Africa’s cream of the crop were honoured at the prestigious 17th annual South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas) ceremony. Co-hosted by actor Lawrence Maleka and former Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi, the night of glitz and glamour was one for the books as our favourite films, soapies, telenovelas, presenters, actors and actresses got the recognition they deserve over the two-night celebration. Aside from hosting, Maleka won his second Safta for Best Actor in a Telenovela for his role as Zolani in The River. Held at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, guests and the audience were entertained by legendary acts such as Ntokozo Mbambo and Tuks Senganga while current favourites such as Murumba Pitch, Jesse Clegg and Lwah Ndlunkulu also graced the stage. Leading the pack…

From page 1 “The committee noted that these three payments were not disclosed by Hon. Shivambu, MP. In light of the above, the committee found that Hon. Shivambu breached item 10.1.1.1 of the Code of Ethical Conduct and Disclosure of Members’ Interests for failing to comply with the requirements of the provisions for disclosing financial interest,” wrote Gordon. She added that the committee has recommended to parliament that Shivambu’s salary be reduced for nine days. EFF leader Julius Malema has been left off the hook on allegations that he received millions of rand from the VBS Mutual Bank. The Ethics Committee said there was no conclusive evidence from the records they received that funds flowed from VBS into Malema’s account. DA leader John Steenhuisen had lodged a complaint with the…

RHYTHM ’n’ blues is making waves as a genre in Africa, according to Spotify, and has undergone a notable resurgence across the continent, with an average year-on-year growth of 133% on the platform. According to Spotify, R&B in Africa is a testament to the adaptability and creativity of African musicians. “While R&B has traditionally been characterised by its soulful melodies and themes of love and relationships, African artists are giving the genre a twist by infusing it with their own cultural and musical influences. “To leverage this growing popularity of the genre, Spotify has partnered with ColorsxStudios for a multi-day R&B writing camp in Nairobi, Kenya. The writing camp, taking place in the first week of October, will bring together artists, songwriters and producers from across Africa and beyond, with…

BONANG Matheba, dubbed an “icon of glamour” by many, is celebrating one of her career’s defining moments after appearing in the Le Défilé L’Oréal Paris 2023 show at Paris Fashion Week in France. Matheba strutted the star-studded runway in a majestic maxi dress, shaking thousands of her fans who had been complimenting her for making big strides. The celebrity, who now has over 5 million fans, expressed her delight and remarked, “Never in my wildest dreams. Thank you, @lorealparis”. Matheba has also been showered with love, as videos of her “walking the walk” on one of the biggest stages that showcase fashion have been widely shared on social media. Paris Fashion Week is one of the “Big Four” fashion weeks, along with New York, Milan and London. Fashion fanatics and…

I LIVE in a private game reserve in Limpopo, and homeowners on this estate pay monthly rates to the local municipality. In return, the municipality supplies no, repeat, zero services. Therefore, the Homeowners’ Association (HOA) arranges electricity, water, road repairs, security and rubbish collections, which are paid for by levies, invoiced monthly to homeowners. For whatever reason, some levies are not paid or paid in full and, oddly, unpaid levies are treated by the Receiver of Revenue in the books of the HOA as assets. Therefore, if the Receiver is consistent and treats Eskom’s unpaid electricity invoices in a similar fashion, then Eskom is not insolvent. It has billions of rand in assets and its customers deserve rebates – not “horrific” increases in electricity tariffs and “blackouts”.…

We are living in a sick world, where brazen maniacs are steering mankind into World War III with their sickening atrocities. The massacre of 57 worshippers in Pakistan on Friday is a grim reminder that terror respects no religion. The brutal conflict between between Ammenia and Azerbaijan confirms the argument that the UN is an important institution in settling painful conflicts raging across the world. According to the Geneva Academy, there are 110 armed conflicts raging in many parts of the world. The UN says 100 civilians are killed every day in armed conflicts despite protections under International Law. In all recorded history, it is estimated that 1.1 billion soldiers died in battle. The sorrowful pictures of the mass killings of innocent people in the world’s war zones is beyond…

Police in Mpumalanga, are investigating an incident in which three employees were kidnapped from a Komatipoort farm. The trio, two women and a man, were kidnapped on the evening of Sunday, September 24, before they were “somehow released from the hands of their assailants” on Friday. “A police report indicates that three suspects, armed with pangas, entered the farm, pounced on workers and held the trio hostage. Another employee could have been the fourth one but he hid underneath a tractor,” said Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala. It is alleged that the assailants forcefully took the three employees into the bushes and held them under duress. The families of the abducted trio became worried, not knowing what could happen to their loved ones. The matter was eventually…

Three men were arrested in connection with murder and violence that erupted in Matshepe village outside Mahikeng in North West. Ontlametse Masibi, 24, Itumeleng Lehulere, 37, and Mokgatle Sejake, 40, were arrested on September 27 for kidnapping, murder, arson and malicious damage to property. They appeared in the Molopo Magistrate’s Court in Mmabatho on September 28 and their case was postponed to October 5 for formal bail application. “It is alleged that the suspects kidnapped Kabelo Majoro on Thursday, June 29 this year. Majoro, who was accused of stock theft, was found dead the following day near to Magojane farm,” said North West police spokesperson, Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone. He said the three were further linked to the violence which flared up in Matshepe in August. “During the incident, several houses,…

UNISA has conferred a Doctor of Philosophy in Law (Honoris Causa) to South African Chief Justice, Raymond Zondo. Additionally, last Thursday, a Doctor of Philosophy in Law (Honoris Causa) was conferred to the Deputy Chief Justice, Mandisa Maya. The degrees were conferred in recognition of their unwavering commitment to justice. Professor Puleng LenkaBula, Unisa's Principal and Vice- Chancellor, remarked that the university had produced prominent legal experts, businesspeople, thought leaders, struggle heroes and activists, politicians, acclaimed entertainers and sports stars. She further appreciated Justice Zondo and Justice Maya for their “ethical” leadership in the South African judiciary over decades of selfless service. On behalf of Unisa chancellor Thabo Mbeki, Acting Executive Dean of the College of Law, Professor Olaotse Kole, remarked: "The university’s core business is to ensure that it…

Police Minister Bheki Cele confirmed the deployment of the SAPS Tactical Response Team (TRT) unit dubbed “amaberete” in crime-ridden Diepsloot after residents embarked on countless protests over high crime in their area. On Saturday, disgruntled residents embarked on a peaceful protest after claiming an increase in murder and other serious crimes. Residents blamed poor police visibility as well as illegal foreign nationals for the rise in crime rate. Also at the weekend, members of Operation Dudula took to the streets in protest over crime in the area, they too blaming lack of police visibility. The group has in the past landed in hot water after being dubbed “xenophobic” amid its conduct of calling on foreign nationals to leave South Africa. A few months ago, they called for President Cyril Ramaphosa…

Beleaguered Transnet’s decline is a runaway train with the government frantically trying to implement an effective strategy to prevent a dreadful tragedy with many casualties. A crash will exact a heavy blow on the economy, business and jobs with dire consequences. At the weekend, Transnet was forced to implement an emergency reshuffle of its executive with the appoint- ment of Michelle Phillips as acting group CEO while Hlengiwe Makhathini will act as group chief financial officer. Barely a month ago, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan asserted Transnet would be tabling a turnaround strategy amid the industry clamouring for the executive team’s resignation. Transnet has been facing severe problems due to vandalism, cable theft and destruction. Only a quarter of the rail lines are fully operational. The African Rail Industry Association…

LONDON: A former Nigerian oil minister appeared in court in London yesterday charged with receiving bribes in the form of cash, luxury goods, flights on private jets and the use of high-end properties in Britain in return for awarding oil contracts. Diezani Alison-Madueke was Nigeria’s minister for petroleum resources between 2010 and 2015. She is the second high-profile Nigerian politician to face prosecution in Britain in recent years. James Ibori, a former state governor, was convicted of fraud and money laundering in 2012 and got a 13-year jail sentence. | Reuters…

MONTERREY: About 10 000 migrants and asylum seekers arrived at the US-Mexico border daily last week, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said yesterday, amid record numbers of people moving north across the continent. About 6 000 people are entering southern Mexico daily, Lopez Obrador said, and even higher numbers have been reaching the US-Mexico border. Officials must address the root causes driving migration, including people’s need to find work, he said. He also lamented the deaths of 10 Cuban migrants killed in a traffic accident in southern Mexico on Sunday. | Reuters…