Table of contents for 2021-11-11 in Star

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za POWER utility Eskom, currently putting on a charm offensive due to its shoddy performance in keeping the lights on, is battling behind the scenes with R125 billion in debt interest payments and meagre government subventions for operations, the auditor-general’s audit into the parastatal revealed yesterday. The auditor-general, in reports by SizweNtsalubaGobodo, in collaboration with Grant Thorn- ton, revealed that the largest problems with Eskom’s paper trail were hidden in documents that the utility would or could not supply to its auditors, dating back to legacy contracts from the 2017/18 financial year as well as current contracts. Grant Thornton partner Siyakhula Vilakazi told Parliament’s portfolio committee on public finances that samples obtained by auditors from Eskom’s paper trail revealed a systematic overhang of procurement processes, both from…

IT IS CLEAR why André de Ruyter was deployed to Eskom. His utterances that Eskom is a dead horse, with him as the implied jockey flogging it, say it all. His role is to switch off the power entity’s life support and administer the final rites so that the world can know that South Africa is racing at high speed to exit coal towards the mystique of a just energy transition. There are four well-orchestrated strategies that undermine South Africa’s development effort. The first is Eskom’s manufactured terminal disease; the second is the spirited support for the onset of Independent Power Producers; the third is US President Joe Biden’s praise for South Africa as exemplary in leading the so-called just transition, which his own country is considering with great…

I HATE SUZIE SHOWMAX Suzie Pickles, a star on the wane, has her whole life upended when her phone is hacked and a photo of her in an extremely compromising position is released for the whole world to see. This excruciatingly honest show follows the various stages of Suzie’s trauma episode by episode, through shock, denial, fear, shame, bargaining, guilt, anger, and acceptance as Suzie and her best friend and manager Naomi try to hold her life, career, and marriage together in the face of being exposed for who she truly is. But who the hell is that? MY LIFE IS MURDER UNIVERSAL TV, DSTV CHANNEL 117, 8PM Private investigator Alexa Crowe (Lucy Lawless) and Madison (Ebony Vagulans) are on the case after a woman supposedly shoots a stranger…

Marchelle Abrahams marchelle.abrahams@inl.co.za YOU know Netflix’s famous tagline “Netflix and chill”? It has a whole new ring to it after a study conducted by a UK sex toy review website. According to Daily Sex Toys, online interest for dildos and similar sex toys shot up by 87% since the October release of Netflix’s Sex, Love & Goop, hosted by Gwyneth Paltrow. In the world of pop culture, Paltrow’s pseudo-science hot takes have made her a sex guru of sorts. It’s also probably the reason why she managed to bag two Netflix deals, the most recent being Sex, Love, and Goop. With Paltrow heading a cast of experts, the docu-series gives an intimate glimpse of courageous couples’ journeys towards more pleasurable sex and deeper intimacy. Pleasure aids have grown in popularity…

In an open plea to President Cyril Ramaphosa, industrialist and businessman Dr Iqbal Survé sat down with us in an exclusive interview to talk about what it’s going to take to fix Eskom - before all the lights go out Sizwe Dlamini sizwe.dlamini@inl.co.za That Eskom needs a radical overhaul, said Dr Survé, goes without saying. “I firmly believe that Brian Molefe is the man for the job, and he needs to be brought back – yesterday.” He said under Molefe’s tenure there were significantly fewer power failures than there are today. While commentators are quick to blame the situation on old infrastructure, broken conveyor belts and inferior coal, that same infrastructure was there during Molefe’s tenure and so too, the same problems. Like other pundits commenting on the same issue,…

Quinton Mtyala quinton.mtyala@inl.co.za Ahead of World Diabetes Day on Sunday, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has released new figures showing that 537 million adults are now living with diabetes worldwide – a rise of 16% (74 million) since the previous IDF estimates in 2019. These findings from the 10th edition of the IDF Diabetes Atlas, which will be published on December 6, report that 4.2 million adults in South Africa are living with diabetes – one in nine adults. The diabetes prevalence in South Africa has reached 11.3%, the highest in Africa. The country will also register an estimated 96 000 deaths due to diabetes in 2021, while the cost of diabetes-related health expenditure has risen to $1 700 (R25 700) per person, totalling an estimated $7.2 billion. Just under…

Thabile Mange | Mogale City When it comes to electricity blackouts, we as citizens are forced to accept an unacceptable situation. We are also bullied to accept that load shedding is now part of our lives. And that it will remain so for years to come.. Interestingly, every year Eskom demands high tariff increases. Yet the power utility can’t keep the lights on. And there is no consequence management for it. Indeed, we are made to pay for the sin we did not commit. When it comes to load shedding and load reduction, Eskom targets black townships and spares white suburbs. For instance, Krugersdorp is not affected by load shedding and load reduction. Is that fair? This shows that some are more equal than others. That said, load shedding has…

Willem van de Putte willem.vdputte@inl.co.za Hyundai is known for its value-for-money offerings, and when it introduced the Palisade earlier this year and broke the R1-million barrier, it raised a few eyebrows – but on closer inspection it still provides bang for your buck. The Staria replaces the well-liked H1, which has sold 22 377 units over eleven years. The two are different in every aspect. The Staria certainly has an eye-catching design and I’d say it’s now the best-looking offering in the category. Hyundai wanted a space-age look for their new halo product and they certainly got that right with an eye-catching grille, vertical lights, alloy wheels and tall vertical rear light cluster. My first impression when I saw it was that it looked like the kind of vehicle that…

Jason Woosey jason.woosey@inl.co.za WITH its rally-derived technology, the Toyota GR Yaris is very much in a class of its own, but we have it on good authority that this is likely just the beginning of Toyota’s modern hot hatch story. According to CarsGuide, the latest rumours are pointing towards a Toyota GR Corolla making an entrance at some point, with a Rally edition that pushes out around 224kW. The Toyota GR Corolla is set to be powered by an uprated version of the Yaris’s 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbopetrol engine, the Australian publication reported, and it is also set to receive its smaller sibling’s GR-Four all-wheel drive system. Although it will be slightly less powerful than the 235kW Volkswagen Golf R, the Toyota GR Corolla is likely to make up for that…

MIKE GREENAWAY mike.greenaway@inl.co.za LOOKING after their players off the field and into life after rugby has become a big focus for the Sharks, who yesterday launched their Players First Programme with the assistance of their American backers. The idea is to teach players how to look after their earnings and to educate them so that they can have careers post rugby; and by adopting this holistic approach, players who are more at ease with their general well-being will produce better performances on the field. It has been driven by the head of the American consortium that bought into the Sharks, Marco Masotti, and Sharks chief executive Eduard Coetzee. “Looking after the players is something I am very passionate about,” said Masotti from New York. “When we were still negotiating with…

AUSTRALIA are looking to their top-order batting led by the explosive David Warner as well as Adam Zampa’s bag of leg-spin tricks to get past a red-hot Pakistan in today’s second semi-final of the T20 World Cup. The Australians made their first semi-final of the tournament since 2012 with four wins and a better run-rate than the Proteas. But they are up against an unbeaten Pakistan who stormed into the final four with five wins in the Super 12 stage, including their first ever in the tournament against rivals India. Australia have won five 50-over World Cup crowns, including three in a row, but still await a T20 world title in six attempts. Left-handed Warner has led the charge with 89 not out in Australia’s win over the West Indies…

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za VODACOM yesterday unveiled a proposed R41 billion acquisition of a majority stake in Vodafone Egypt from parent company Vodafone Group, which is seeking to simplify the management of its African footprint. Once completed the transaction will see Vodacom trimming its dividend policy. Vodafone said yesterday it had agreed to transfer its 55 percent shareholding in Vodafone Egypt to its sub-Saharan subsidiary Vodacom to simplify the management of its African business and further strengthen the delivery of connectivity and financial services on the continent. Vodafone has been focused on placing its African assets under the control of Vodacom and in 2017 completed the transfer of its 35 percent in Kenyan mobile network Safaricom to Vodacom. Vodacom told investors the acquisition would be funded by issuing…

Given Majola given.majola@inl.co.za AS FINANCE Minister Enoch Godongwana delivers his Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS), the SA Canegrowers has called on him to scrap the Health Promotion Levy, or sugar tax, to ensure that the sector’s masterplan succeeds. SA Canegrowers chairperson Andrew Russell said Godongwana would be delivering his MTPBS in the context of record levels of unemployment in the country. “His address also comes six days before the one-year anniversary of the Sugar Industry Value Chain Masterplan. “If the government is serious about ensuring the long-term sustainability of the sector and protecting the one million livelihoods it supports, it must do away with the job-killing sugar tax,” Russell said. The sugar tax was introduced in 2018 with the aim of reducing obesity in the country. However, SA Canegrowers…

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za JSE- AND NEW YORK-listed Sibanye- Stillwater is selling new bonds worth $1.2 billion (R18bn) partly to fund its ambitious green metal strategy. The group told investors to expect the settlement on or around next Tuesday. Commenting on the deal, chief executive Neal Froneman said: “The strong interest and support of our new bond issuance is a further vote of confidence in the group’s prospects by the capital markets”. Froneman said the bond issuance allows a significant reduction in borrowing rate over extended debt maturities, while maintaining group leverage well below its targeted level of 1x net debt to adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation. Sibanye said the new bonds comprised two tranches: a $675 million five-year tranche that would carry a 4…

Given Majola given.majola@inl.co.za FINANCE Minister Enoch Godongwana will need to look at how the small business sector can help grow the fiscus, and the solution lies in creating an enabling environment for business and small medium enterprises (SMEs) to thrive and create jobs, says Lulalend chief risk officer Garth Rossiter. According to the SME services provider, the vast majority of jobs come from SMEs in the private sector, which had been badly knocked by the Covid-19 pandemic. “We want to see plans that help SMEs operate efficiently with as little cost and red tape as possible,” said Rossiter. Lulalend said it expected that Godongwana would continue to look at reducing the corporate tax rate over time to align South Africa more closely with its trading peers and make it more…

Shingai Darangwa shingai.darangwa@inl.co.za The fallout from Travis Scott’s Astro- world Festival catastrophe has been brutal. The 30-year-old artist, once virtually unblemished, is teetering on cancel territory. It all started on Friday when, during Scott’s set at the festival, named after his most recent album, Astro-world, at least eight people including teenagers died during a frenetic crowd surge toward the stage. Videos of the chaotic scene in Houston, Texas, have flooded social media, causing many to question how such a catastrophe could have unfolded – all while the Sicko Mode rapper continued to perform as mayhem unfolded. The Washington Post did a video reconstruction, which showed the concert continuing despite desperate pleas for help from the crowd. Scott and his partner, Kylie Jenner, claim they were unaware of the severity of…

Georgie Midgley The government’s announcement that children aged 12 to 17 are eligible for Covid-19 vaccination has brought with it intense discussion around consent and the rights of minors. While this is a theoretical concern, given that most children in the age group will need their parents’ help to register for and receive a vaccination, a recent survey shows that the efficacy of the jab is no longer a sticking point. When gig technology company M4Jam ran a survey laste last year, asking adults if they were willing to be vaccinated, 32% of the 3 000 respondents said they would. Seventeen percent believed their community medical facilities could cope with the patient load, and 58% wanted to wait and see what happened to others who took the jab before…

Nokwanda Ncwane nokwanda.ncwane@inl.co.za LOAD shedding may have caused the fire that engulfed a Kirkney, Pretoria West, home, leaving five people dead and two others injured in the early hours of yesterday. According to at least two neighbours who spoke to the Pretoria News on condition of anonymity, the fire started shortly after the end of the load-shedding period. “I have no doubt in my mind that a surge of electricity caused the fire. We became aware the house was burning seconds after electricity had been restored,” said a resident of the area. Yesterday morning, other neighbours who gathered at the gutted house were too distraught to speak. Tshwane Emergency Services spokesperson Charles Mabaso said they received a call at approximately 1.30am and dispatched firefighting resources to the house. “The first…

Anita Nkonki anita.nkonki@inl.co.za THIS YEAR marks nearly four years since music icon Robbie Malinga lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. His wife has been doing her best to keep his memory alive, and as a way of honouring her late husband, Ann Malinga launched a book titled Robbie Malinga at a gathering in Rosebank, northern Johannesburg. The book is a trip through the life of the music icon, telling how life has been for his loved ones since his departure. It has three sections: it starts with Robbie telling his own story from his birth to the battle with cancer, and in the following part Ann opens up about her experience during widowhood, while the third section features acknowledgements and recollections from people who worked with Robbie. The late…

Lehlohonolo Mashigo BEFORE Finance Minister Enoch Godongwane’s first Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) tomorrow, SA Cane Growers’ chairperson Andrew Russell is calling on him to scrap the Health Promotion Levy (HPL, or sugar tax). Russell said Godongwane’s delivery would come six days before the one-year anniversary of the Sugar Industry Value Chain Masterplan. The plan, Russell said, was developed by the government, industry stakeholders, retailers and social partners to tackle the major challenges facing the industry and ensure its survival and long-term sustainability. Unfortunately, he said, the success of the plan continued to be threatened by the devastating impact of the sugar tax on revenue and employment in the industry. “If the government is serious about ensuring the long-term sustainability of the sector and protecting the one million livelihoods…

Jason Woosey jason.woosey@inl.co.za THE Peugeot Landtrek was launched in South Africa this week, giving buyers a new alternative to established players like the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger. Although you might be tempted to label it a French contender, the Peugeot Landtrek actually originates from China, and is in fact based on the Changan F70. Although single cab and workhorse models are offered in some overseas countries, the South African Landtrek line-up consists of just two double cab derivatives, namely the Allure 4x2 that’s priced at R579 900 and the 4Action 4x4, which is yours for R669 900. Both models are powered by a 1.9-litre turbodiesel engine that produces 110kW and 350Nm. It is paired exclusively with a six-speed automatic gearbox. As you’d expect in the one-ton segment, the 4x4…

Reuters LEWIS HAMILTON said his Mercedes was no match for Max Verstappen’s Red Bull after his dream of a record eighth Formula One championship slipped further from his grasp in Mexico City on Sunday. The 36-year-old Briton had started on the front row of the grid, only for his hopes of victory to be dashed in the opening seconds as Verstappen seized the lead and then pulled away to win. “Their car was far superior this weekend and there was nothing we really could do about it,” Hamilton said after finishing second, the gap between him and his Dutch rival extended to 19 points. The champion said he gav e all he had, holding off Red Bull’s Sergio Perez at the finish with the Mexican chasing a team one-two. Verstappen…

MIHLALI BALEKA @Mihlalibaleka BAFANA Bafana vice-captain Percy Tau has backed the team to claim the much-needed three points when they host neighbours Zimbabwe in the penultimate round of the World Cup qualifiers at FNB Stadium today (9pm kick-off). Ahead of the two final matches in the group stage of the qualifiers, Bafana have their fate in their own hands. They are top of Group G with 10 points, four away from ensuring that they finish top of the group and qualify for the next round. But that’s easier said than done. They’ll meet a familiar Zimbabwean side that has nothing to lose, while Ghana still have a shot at qualifying for the next round as they are second, one point behind Bafana, who’ll visit them on Sunday. However, a win…

US Open champion Emma Raducanu has appointed German Torben Beltz as her new coach, the Briton said after she was beaten in her opening match at the Linz Open in Austria on Tuesday. Raducanu, 18, had been without a coach since she parted ways with Andrew Richardson two weeks after her surprise win at Flushing Meadows in September, when she became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam. “It’s obviously a great privilege to be working with such an experienced coach. I’m definitely very excited to work with him throughout the pre-season and into next year,” Raducanu, who had been top seed in Linz, said after her 6-1, 6-7(0), 7-5 defeat by Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu. “Very positive feeling about all the work there is to come,” added the…

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za SOUTH Africa’s biggest mobile operator Vodacom and investment holding company Remgro are combining their fibre businesses in a boost for the local network. Vodacom said yesterday that it would acquire a strategic stake in Community Investment Ventures Holdings’ (CIVH) fibre assets, which is 57 percent owned by Remgro. CIVH operates electronic communications infrastructure through its subsidiaries Vumatel, South Africa’s leading fibre network provider, and Dark Fibre Africa (DFA), which operates a national metro fibre network spanning 13 000km. Vodacom told investors it would hold a co-controlling 30 percent equity interest in a newly formed InfraCo entity into which all of the material assets currently owned by DFA and Vumatel would be transferred in addition to certain Vodacom-owned fibre assets. The telecommunications company said it…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za THE GOVERNMENT has decided to forge ahead with its plans to create a new centralised entity that will manage its shareholding in state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in a bid to stop the rot. The Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) yesterday told Parliament that it would be presenting a Draft SOE Shareholder Management Bill by the end of the 2021/22 financial year. The centralised shareholder management model from the bill – meant to address the lack of overarching SOE legislation – was first mooted in September. It aims to ensure a standardised governance, financial management and operational performance framework for all SOEs to curb runaway fruitless and irregular expenditure. Currently SOEs fall under various government departments, and this has led to devastating consequences such as fragmentation, duplication, overlapping of…

ORGANISATIONS this week called for the Commissioner of the Compensation Fund and Minister of Employment and Labour, Thulas Nxesi, to withdraw “irrational and damaging" Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (Coida) new rules, saying it would hurt workers’ rights. Injured Workers Action, United Domestic Workers of South Africa, the South African Medical Association, National Employers Association of South Africa (Neasa), Compensation Solutions and CoidLink are up in arms against the regulations. The group in an open letter to Nxesi this week said: “Collectively, we represent more than 130 cross-sectoral bodies, ranging from health-care associations to medical practices, unions and companies, who, in turn, represent over 4 million impacted parties who are deeply concerned about the chronic and persistent failings of the Compensation Fund.” The rules circumvent a decision…

Gerry Cupido and Marchelle Abrahams EVERYBODY loves a nice guy. A guy who will shower you with love and affection, spoil you with gifts and be your knight in shining amour. This is why Joe Goldberg, the character from the Netflix series You, is appealing to many women. Even though he’s a stalker and a violent serial killer who will eliminate anyone in his path to happiness and ever-lasting love. Most great love stories start with a nice guy who puts his best foot forward to win a woman’s affection. And this is how the nice guy can easily turn into a crazy possessive freak as his true colours starts to show. By then, the women are stuck in an abusive relationship with no way out. Watching You character Joe,…

ITUMELENG MAFISA THE prestigious Jewish Achiever Award, previously received by Nelson Mandela, Struggle icon and lawyer George Bizos and former public protector Thuli Madonsela, was awarded this year to humanitarian and founder of the Angel Network, Glynne Wolman. Although this year’s ceremony was held online to limit physical interactions, the ceremony was attended by an audience of 25 000. The Angel Network has been feeding, housing and clothing thousands of people since the NGO’s inception, but it multiplied its efforts in 2020 when the effects of Covid-19 devastated communities. Event organiser Howard Sackstein said the award was a great way in which the Jewish community recognised remarkable South Africans. He said Wolman received the humanitarian award in honour of Chief Rabbi Cyril Harris. The award, sponsored by Absa, was…

Anita Nkonki anita.nkonki@inl.co.za WE CAN proudly say that the Ghanama hitmaker Makhadzi keeps soaring high in her career as she signed a R120 million deal with South Africa‘s newest apparel and footwear brand Kicks Sports Wear. Inspired by the title of her latest album, the deal is called Kokovha. The Limpopo-born star announced this on social media where she posted a snippet where she is seen at the Kicks Sports Wear offices to sign the agreement. She expressed how grateful she is for the opportunity and how she cannot wait to share more about the deal in the upcoming weeks. “When God’s timing is right everything falls into place, blessings come together, and dreams become reality. I am happy to announce that I have signed a R120m mega-deal called…

Colin Windell AT FIRST glance the newly launched Toyota Corolla Cross may look like just another Corolla, but in the South African market it is unique and required a study of the London Underground railway system to become a reality. According to Nigel Ward, executive director of manufacturing at the Toyota SA Motors (TSAM) plant in Prospecton, Durban, the Toyota Corolla Cross is assembled on the same line as the Corolla Quest. “Lack of storage space on the production floor meant we had to get the just-in-time delivery of the right components to the correct station perfect. We also needed to know how to predict where ‘logjams’ could occur and eventually it was by studying the London Underground that we managed to devise the system that is now up…

Jason Woosey jason.woosey@inl.co.za THE Renault Duster has been given a refresh that includes subtle visual enhancements as well as a rejigged line-up that adopts Renault’s latest model grade names that were first introduced with the Kiger. While the range was previously offered in Expression, Dynamique and Prestige flavours, the 2021 line-up gives you a choice of three “Zen” models as well as a flagship “Intens” variant (and that’s not a typo). The 1.5 dCi Zen 4x2 kicks things off at R337 900, an increase of R10 000 over the previous entry model. Both mid-range models, namely the Zen EDC auto and the Zen 4x4 manual model, are listed at R376 900, while the Intens EDC 4x2 is yours for R384 900. Exterior design changes are subtle, and include the addition…

A young black driver on Brazil’s motor racing circuits has won the moniker ‘Hamilton of the favelas’ and the popular prospect says he is inspired by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton to travel the same path on and off the track. Wallace Martins, who drives in the Formula Delta category, got the nickname from other drivers because of his similarities – in looks and driving style – to Hamilton. An engaging 18-year-old, Martins does not mind the comparison and says one of his dreams is to emulate the Briton. “I think he is a driver that is very dedicated to what he does,” Martins said. “He wins one race and he’s already thinking about winning the next one. And then there’s his story. He came from a poor neighbourhood and…

Ashfak Mohamed ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za ONE of the toughest tasks for a captain in Test rugby is to decide whether a penalty should be kicked at the posts for a possible three points, or to kick the ball out into the corner to set up a line-out and maul. And when you are playing in driving rain, like the Springboks did in their 23-18 victory over Wales in Cardiff last weekend, it becomes an even bigger headache. Bok skipper Siya Kolisi and Duane Vermeulen, who took over the captaincy later in the game, had to make a call on opting for a shot at goal or kick into the corner for a line-out 13 times at the Principality Stadium – six in the first half, and seven in the second. Kolisi should…

MIKE GREENAWAY mike.greenaway@inl.co.za SCOTLAND flyhalf Finn Russell has taunted the Boks by suggesting that he may change to a kicking style when the teams meet at Murrayfield on Saturday afternoon (3pm kick-off), but his opposite number, Elton Jantjies, is buying none of it. Russell famously loves to run the ball and since the end of the British & Irish Lions tour, he has questioned whether coach Warren Gatland’s conservative (kicking) approach against the Boks was the right strategy. Russell came on in the third Test for Dan Biggar and tried to get the Lions backline going, with some success, and now that he is back with his beloved Scotland, it is hard to believe he is going to change tack. Russell said: “I chatted to a few of the Springboks…