Star2022-12-19的目錄

THE OFTEN dramatic and disruptive changes brought about by innovative technology, have been discussed in this column numerous times. Over the years and through many eras technology transformed the way people live their day-to-day life, how they work, entertain, meet, learn and play. Increasingly we have come to realise technology changes almost all things. In a few days many people around the world will celebrate Christmas, begging the question if technology has also changed Christmas, a centuries’ old celebration. Without doubt the celebration of Christmas has not been left untouched by technology advancements. Over time major technological changes also changed the way people celebrate Christmas. Many technologies played a role in these changes such as the telegraph (early 1800s), Alexander Bell’s telephone (1876), Thomas Edison’s light bulb (1880), electric Christmas…

ONGOING load shedding remains a threat to fuel retailers, forcing their costs to rise, says Fuel Retailers Association (FRA) chief executive Reggie Sibiya. Fuel service stations had to continue operating 24/7, which meant an increase in the amount spent on diesel to power generators, which “has been overwhelming and is likely to continue”, he said. South Africa has faced unprecedented load shedding this year as Eskom battles to keep the lights on with its ageing infrastructure. The utility has also been slow to increase the capacity of its power grid. Sibiya said margins were tight for convenience businesses, especially on fuel margins, and the FRA was now focusing on growing convenience retailing in partnership with the National Association of Convenience Stores, a global player in this space. The FRA…

Cultural frictions give way to personality clashes in Netflix’s Emily in Paris, according to creator Darren Star who recently joined the show’s cast members in the French capital for the global premiere of the third season. The new season of the television comedy starring Lily Collins as Emily Cooper, an American who moves to Paris for a marketing job, will be released on December 21. The show focuses more deeply on its characters, moving away from a play on the clichés of French and American lifestyles, to become more of a “clash of personalities”, said Star, who is also executive producer and writer of the show. “ “She feels less of a fish out of water and more about embracing the culture,” said Collins. Watched by 58 million households in…

Nompumelelo Nxumalo, a 17-year-old matric pupil from Emshukantambo Secondary School in Soweto, is a qualified barista manning the media coffee station at the ANC national elective conference in Nasrec. Dressed in her school uniform and serving coffee with a bright smile, Nxumalo said she’s at the conference to showcase her work as a young barista. “It’s school holidays, but I’m a barista. I learnt it at high school, and now I’m here to serve coffee and show what I can do. This is something that is not known that much, especially for children in the townships. “I am passionate about it because coffee has given me an opportunity. Coming from Soweto, the only thing that you are exposed to is drugs, alcoholics, and teenage pregnancy, and that’s what you end…

ON December 16, 1838 in South Africa, the foreign Voortrekkers prepared for the Battle of Blood River against the indigenous Zulus. It was to be one of the bloodiest battles ever to be fought on South African soil. Fast forward to December 16, 2022 and it looked like the first day of the ANC’s 55th national elective conference kicked off what is set to be one of the bloodiest leadership battles in the history of the ANC. The ruling party of today in South Africa is at war with itself. Ironically, it was on December 16 in 1961 that uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), the military wing of the ANC, was formed to fight against the brutal apartheid government. Sixty-one years later, it appears as if the enemy is within, as comrades…

The Gabba pitch was not helpful for the Proteas batting unit - nor for that matter David Warner - who are all in need of confidence. With the respective attacks possessed by each team, the last thing the Proteas and Warner needed was a fast, green pitch which because of divots caused on day one, then had disconcerting bounce. Even off-spinner Nathan Lyon was getting the ball ripping off the edge of the divots on the opening day. The same way no-one wants a pitch where the bowlers get nothing, so there can’t be a surface like the Gabba, where bowlers got more than they wished for. Batting in those circumstances becomes, as Marnus Labuschagne remarked, “a lottery”. It wasn’t dangerous over two days - except to the egos…

MONDI, the paper company, said on Thursday it would divest its three Russian packaging operations to the Gotek Group for a consideration of RUB 1.6 billion (R411 million). The disposal of the asset follows Mondi’s announcement on May 4 that, having assessed all options for the group’s interests in Russia, it had decided to divest its Russian assets following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The withdrawal of Western companies from Russia in the wake of the war in Ukraine has led to companies having to write down assets. “The loss on the disposal is expected to be in the range of €70m (R1.3bn) to €80m at current exchange rate,” Mondi said. The three packaging converting operations comprise a corrugated solutions plant and two consumer flexibles plants, producing a range…

Here you are, fresh from your long weekend and into another week of festivities you go. This is the first “open festive” season since the pandemic so people are making up for lost time. School is out for the year and the madness of the holidays has begun. For some of us who have kids, it becomes a hurdle of events to try to keep the little people occupied and entertained over this period, so I went in search of some fun things to do during the festive season. Cape Town Mini Makers Summer Food Holiday Programme Keep kids entertained for hours at the Mini Makers Summer Food Holiday Programme. The fun-filled programme started on December 15 and will run until January 8 at Makers Landing, Cruise Terminal. The aim…

Allegations of vote rigging have emerged at the 55th national conference of the ANC as party members voted in their preferred top members to lead the organisation for the next five years. The Star spoke to ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe, who said there had been allegations made by the media, but no formal complaints had been made. “When I addressed the media earlier, part of the issues that were brought up was vote rigging. The protocols issued on Friday when we formally launched the media village included the things that people can and cannot do in this conference, because we’ve identified that to be an area that undermines the credibility and good standing of the ANC,” said Mabe. He said there were also talks of vote buying, but there was…

IN THE past few years, Longyuan South Africa Renewables has been chasing the ‘rainbow’, assisting local people by creating jobs, and increasing the close bond that has been forged between China and South Africa. The wind power company shared its 2021 Social Responsibility Report, giving an insight into the projects and local service implementation done thus far. This includes playing an active role in promoting employment, community welfare and people’s livelihoods, and making a positive contribution to poverty reduction, development, and people’s well-being in South Africa. Administrator Office manager Sheng Bin says their main goal has been to give back to the community and make a difference in South Africa. “Longyuan SA has invested, constructed and is currently operating, and we have two wind farms power generation plants situated in…

The Eastern Cape Government and the department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs in particular launched a campaign to address the escalation of initiation school deaths in the region. Under the banner of “Mababuye Bephila” (“They should return alive”), the drive was launched at the beginning of the last month with MEC Zolile Williams having initiated “Conversations on Accountability: ‘Mababuye Bephila! Mothers Championing Inclusion, Awareness; Change in Preserving the Customary Rite of Passage to Manhood”. Since this summer season of initiation school enrolment, five initiates have died. This is in spite of the social bridges the MEC has sought to build between traditional leaders, parents of initiates and the communities. This rite of passage to manhood remains a critical cultural practice. Unfortunately, the deaths have brought attention to the practice.…

Kagiso Rabada described the Proteas’s continued failures with the bat as “frustrating” but added that he sympathised with his teammates given the lack of experience in that department. Rabada took eight wickets in the first Test against Australia that finished yesterday with the home team triumphant, although their pursuit of 34 saw them lose four wickets. South Africa were bowled out for 152 in their first innings and 99 in their second on what players – both current and former – described as a “spicy” Gabba pitch. The surface did nothing for the confidence of the Proteas batters, who have now failed to pass 200 in each of the last six Test innings they have played. “The batting line-up we have is inexperienced, in fact the team is relatively inexperienced…

Power utility’s board wants new CEO to build on foundation that’s been laid ANDRÉ de Ruyter’s legacy at Eskom will remain entrenched in the operations of the power utility long after his exit, as the board of directors indicated that his successor must build on the philosophy he was implementing. De Ruyter resigned as Eskom Group CEO last week after three years at the helm, following political pressure due to his failure to end load shedding amid unprecedented unplanned breakdowns. However, he will stay on until the end of March, 2023 to facilitate a smooth transition with his successor. Eskom board chairperson Mpho Makwana on Thursday said that the new CEO should be someone who would build on the foundation De Ruyter had laid under his philosophy of MEGA, which…

ABB, a Swedish company and a supplier in the $50 billion (R881.8bn) electric power industry, found some “useful fools” in our largest state-owned enterprise (SOE). In South Africa, ABB’s head office, logistics and manufacturing centre are located in Longmeadow in Johannesburg. This is where several manufacturing operations are conducted, including medium voltage switchgear, rectifiers and robotics programming. The company received a contract from Eskom worth R2.2bn, made a profit of about R160 million thereon, and now must pay fines of about R5bn. Eventually they have lost out on this one. The ABB web page displays the following heading: “Are our values part of your story? Our values are the cornerstone of our culture. They shape everything we do, guide our behaviour and interactions with our colleagues, customers, partners…

A few months ago, Ultra South Africa announced that it would be returning in March 2023. The last Ultra South Africa was way back in 2020 and there hasn’t been one since because of the coronavirus pandemic. On Friday, March 10, Ultra South Africa will be hosting its first show at its new Cape Town home, the Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Racecourse. The day after the Cape Town concert, on Saturday, March 11, Ultra South Africa will take over the Expo Centre at Nasrec in Johannesburg for the eighth time since the festival’s inception. A press release announced the first phase of international headline artists: Adam Beyer, Alesso, Black Coffee, Chris Lake, Fisher and Timmy Trumpet. Ultra South Africa also took to Instagram to share the line-up: “The Phase 1 Line-up is…

FORMER Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina, cited change, comradeship and sharing of a common goal for his reasons to pull out of the ANC 55th national elections. Masina who was to contest for the position of treasure-general against ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe and President Cyril Ramaphosa’s adviser, Bejani Chauke, announced on the sidelines of the conference that he was pulling out of the race. However, Masina and Mabe resolved to team up in one slate and avoid dividing votes to deal a blow to Chauke’s campaign. Voting got under way yesterday afternoon while Mabe and Masina were still involved in talks about teaming up. “In the ANC we don’t stop engaging until the last minute. “We have been engaging with the leadership of Gauteng and have agreed that we support comrade…

Small businesses are out in full force at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg hoping to capitalise on the opportunity to make sales. The street leading to the entrance at Nasrec has been buzzing with street vendors displaying ANC paraphernalia ranging from T-shirts, dresses, hats, and jackets, as well as selling snacks and food. Khathu Vhagoni, a 23-year-old university student from Soweto, is working in the stall she shares with her family. Vhagoni said she and her brother were there to assist their mother, who sold peanuts, sweets, and cold drinks. “My brother and I are here to help my mom. We decided to come because we knew that it’s going to get busy and she will need the extra help. “She is the one supporting us at home, and…

Africa was sure not to be left behind as President Xi Jinping of China met world leaders at the G20 Summit, while laying the groundwork for robust post-Covid multilateral and bilateral engagements. The G20 was the first major multilateral platform where global leaders met face-to-face since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The meeting in Bali also came at a time when President Xi assumed his third term in office. He met President Cyril Ramaphosa, among a number of global leaders, to further reinforce his commitment to consolidating relations between China and South Africa, as well as with the rest of Africa. In the past decade, China has emerged as Africa’s major trade and investment partner. Chinese investment has transformed infrastructure across the continent, adding value to business, while improving…

One can only admire and respect Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and the other four ANC MPs who had the courage and moral standing to vote in favour of adopting the Section 89 report and, in so doing, for an impeachment process against President Cyril Ramaphosa. All other ANC MPs who did not vote in favour can hang their heads in shame. It is a reflection of the ANC’s lack of integrity and moral standing, broadly speaking. One also wonders whether the Limpopo ANC would have voted differently if it were Jacob Zuma they were voting on. My apologies to the four or five who voted alongside Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, in favour of adopting the Section 89 report, for not having their names handy. The five or six of you are…

‘TWO’ BE OR NOT ‘TWO’ BE Two days of play. Actually it was less than that. Just 145.2 overs were bowled at the Gabba, which is less than two days worth of play given 90 overs are supposed to be bowled in a day. It’s only the fourth time a Test has finished in two days in Australia; the others occurred in 1894-95 at the Sydney Cricket Ground versus England, 1930-31 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground versus the West Indies, 1931-32 at the MCG vs South Africa. It was calculated that the 867 balls bowled at the Gabba made it the second shortest Test ever in Australia after that 1931-32 match in which 656 balls were bowled. STARC IN CONTRAST Mitchell Starc became the fifth Australian seamer to pick up…