Table of contents for 2023-04-11 in Star

ARCELORMITTAL South Africa’s new chairperson Bonang Mohale has called for the stabilisation of State-owned enterprises (SOE) in order for South Africa to not become “yet another failed African state”. In ArcelorMittal’s 2022 integrated annual report, Mohale who was appointed in May 2022, said behind the woeful state of the SOEs, there was “a sinister, thieving hand of State capture”. “The intent of those calling them- selves our leaders has been not about the service delivery as they profess, but to brazenly plunder the resour- ces and institutions that rightfully belong to us, the people … For the 28 years that we have been free, more than half of it has been spent in the dark. So, we have a euphemism for blackouts, which we call load shedding. Now…

Top South African police officers are currently engaged with their Tanzanian counterparts to finalise all legal processes required to bring former fugitive and Facebook rapist Thabo Bester and his accomplices to face the full might of justice back home. Bester’s escape is one of the most talked about daring escapes, where almost every day a new character is named. On Friday, Bester, his girlfriend Dr Nandipha Magudumana and a Mozambican national, Zakaria Alberto, were arrested in Arusha, Tanzania. According to reports, the suspects were allegedly assaulted while attempting to resist arrest, which was led by the Tanzanian Police Force and Interpol. Bester has been on the run since his escape from Mangaung Maximum Security Prison in the Free State in May last year. Yesterday, police confirmed the arrest of two…

Over the last two quarters in the labour quarterly review, we have seen slight employment growth. Admittedly this growth is small and understandably the growth comes from the Western Cape province. The Western Cape government and the City Council of Cape Town have both embraced labour-friendly principles, despite the negative labour regulations from national government. National government seems to produce labour regulations which act as a handbrake to job creation. Despite this “handbrake” the Western Cape government is doing everything in its power to try to encourage small businesses to grow. This growth is starting to reap results and the last two quarters of 2022 is showing the green shoots of employment. Over the past 10 years, before that, we saw negative results every single quarter. Unemployment is…

Mishumo Thanyani Madaba is gearing up to face off with other beauty queens in the Mrs Universe Africa event set to take place at the Lyric Theatre in Gold Reef City on July 9. A semi-finalist, Madaba is passion- ate about touching people’s lives. She spoke to The Star about her interest in this pageant, explaining that it is a celebration of African women. “What sparked my interest in this particular pageant is that it’s a platform that celebrates African women and encourages them to celebrate their power and diversity. “It’s a women’s empowerment project and a network for real, relatable women to showcase their talents and harness their purpose. “I resonate with its vision and mission as a businesswoman in construction and the beauty and wellness space, and as…

I just love reading Thami Zwane’s letters. He does come up with some really amusing theories and comments – eliciting a number of responses. In one recent letter he ends off by saying, “Now, the black man in SA is carrying the unfair tag of being incompetent and a failure”. An “unfair tag”? Come on, Thami! The black ANC government has ruined South Africa. Most black municipalities are abject failures. Our education, health and transport systems are in shambles. Lawlessness abounds and our economy is kaput. Where is the success? There is only incompetence and failure. In another letter he derides Orania. A self-supporting, small white enclave that is working miracles without the help of the government. That is success. He goes on to state, “then some ‘imported historians’ revealed…

The US liberal left, the Democratic Party, the woke fraternity … all those left of centre in America, are calling for Trump’s head. The Democrats seem to have forgotten that they appointed a number of “man whores” to the highest political office in their country, after winning some elections. JF Kennedy, Bill Clinton, Bobby and Edward Kennedy … seriously, the list is long. That two-faced, left-wing collective should reconsider their stance towards America’s comeback president, for in 2024 the American political landscape will be swathed in red. Never mind that Donald got caught in an intoxicating storm … and almost lost his mind. Ja nee ……

New telescopes with unprecedented sensitivity and resolution are being unveiled around the world – and beyond. Among them are the Giant Magellan Telescope, under construction in Chile, and the James Webb Space Telescope, which is parked a million and a half kilometres out in space. This means there is a wealth of data available to scientists that simply wasn’t there before. The raw data off just a single observation from the MeerKAT radio telescope in the Northern Cape can measure a terabyte. That’s enough to fill a laptop computer’s hard drive. MeerKAT is an array of 64 large antenna dishes. It uses radio signals from space to study the evolution of the universe and everything it contains – galaxies, for example. Each dish is said to generate as much data…

Classified documents that appeared online, with details ranging from Ukraine’s air defences to Israel’s Mossad spy agency, have US officials scrambling to identify the leak’s source, some experts saying it could be an American. Officials say the breadth of topics addressed in the documents, which touch on the war in Ukraine, China, the Middle East and Africa, suggest they may have been leaked by an American rather than an ally. “The focus now is on this being a US leak, as many of the documents were only in US hands,” said Michael Mulroy, former senior Pentagon official. US officials said the investigation was in its early stages and those running it have not ruled out the possibility that pro-Russian elements were behind the leak, which is seen as one of…

QUETTA: Four people were killed and 15 injured in a bombing targeting a police vehicle in a marketplace in the south-western Pakistani city of Quetta yesterday, officials said. Police said the target was the vehicle of the acting superintendent of police investigations, which was parked in Kandahari Bazar. Initial reports showed an improvised explosive device was planted in a motorcycle parked behind the vehicle. Two police officers who were sitting in the vehicle were among the dead. On Sunday evening armed men killed two police officers in Quetta, injuring another. | Reuters…

The search for the whopping R7-million winner’s purse starts in earnest this weekend when the Nedbank Cup quarter-finals are played. The action kicks off on Saturday when giant-killers Dondol Stars host two-time champions Orlando Pirates at Peter Mokaba Stadium. Stars, the Gauteng ABC Motsepe League side, have seen off two Premiership teams in this year’s competition. They defeated SuperSport United 2-1 in the last 32 and edged AmaZulu FC on penalties in the last 16. Dondol Stars midfielder Relebogile Molefe is the team’s dangerman. He scored against SuperSport and has the physical attributes to cause Pirates problems. What Molefe might lack in technique, he makes up for in physicality and will give the Buccaneers a bruising afternoon. Stars are the third team from the Safa structures to reach the quarter-finals…

Golden Arrows must be savouring the prospect of meeting Premiership champions Mamelodi Sundowns at a time when they are firing blanks. Arrows host a vulnerable Sundowns tomorrow in a Premiership fixture at Princess Magogo Stadium. On Sunday, lowly Swallows FC came away with a valuable point from a 0-0 draw against the Brazilians – a terrific result for the embattled Swallows because the relegation axe has been looming overhead for some time. The other extraordinary statistic from the match was that Sundowns enjoyed 79% possession and had 23 shots at goal against a paltry five by Swallows. Almost the entire match was played in Swallows’ half. Days prior to the clash against Swallows, Sundowns were also held to a 0-0 draw by 10-man Cape Town City. Again, Sundowns enjoyed a…

Moti has big plans for African Chrome Fields, ‘his baby’, and a hi-tech aluminothermic factory as a cash cow BUSINESS tycoon Zunaid Moti, the founder of the Moti Group, may have recently stepped away from the group’s multi-billion-rand helm to allow for fresh leadership and growth, but he has a double-pronged strategy to generate further wealth. The Moti Group is a private family- owned investment group of roughly 250 companies, with interests in a wide range of industries such as property development, car financing, aviation, mining and beneficiation. While Mikaeel Moti, the executive chairperson, and the former director-general of the National Treasury, Dondo Mogajane, the CEO of the Moti Group, restructure the family-owned business and beef up corporate governance, Moti is doubling down on African Chrome Fields, one of…

HARMONY Gold and its partner Newcrest Mining have signed a framework Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the independent state of Papua New Guinea (PNG) for the joint multi- billion dollar Wafi-Golpu project. In a statement, Harmony said the MOU was an affirmation of their intent to proceed with the Tier 1 Wafi-Golpu Project, subject to the finalisation of the permit process, and approval by both the Harmony and Newcrest boards. Harmony and Newcrest each own 50% of the project through their respective subsidiary WGJV (Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture) participant companies. Harmony Gold CEO Peter Steenkamp said the MOU was important to progress with the permitting of the Tier 1 Wafi-Golpu Project, one of the world’s premier, undeveloped copper-gold deposits. “I wish to thank Prime Minister James Marape and his government for…

Who doesn’t like a fairytale celebrity wedding? Well, Nikki Garcia delivers the bells and whistles as she finally shares her big day with viewers on Nikki Bella Says I Do on E! After her public breakup with fiancé John Cena in 2018, she moved on with Russian dancer Artem Chigvintsev, who featured as her partner on season 25 of Dancing with the Stars. Since 2019, the pair have worked through their cultural differences and got engaged a year later. Nikki, who is known for Total Bellas with twin Brie as well as Total Divas, dropped another bombshell – she was pregnant with their first child. As luck would have it, Brie was expecting her second child, too. The new reality show captures Nikki’s big day, which happened last year. In…

The beleaguered former president of Botswana, Ian Khama, made a public appearance at the annual Moria pilgrimage in Limpopo during the Easter weekend. Khama is a wanted man in his own country and faces a number of charges, including the possession of illegal firearms and money laundering. The Star understands that Khama’s appearance has sparked controversy, especially with President Cyril Ramaphosa being at the same church service. The ZCC is one of South Africa’s biggest churches, and its Easter pilgrimage has become known for attracting thousands of people to the holy mountain of Moria. Every year, a number of politicians and business people would attend the Easter pilgrimage. The Star understands that a second grouping of the church has not done the annual Easter pilgrimage since the Covid-19 pandemic. Some…

The City of Joburg could have a new mayor once more should the Patriotic Alliance (PA) decide to pull out of the current coalition government. Last week, PA leader Gayton McKenzie said he was not happy about the coalition arrangement – comprising the PA, ANC and EFF – in the City of Joburg. He said the PA was being mistreated by coalition partners and undermined at the same time. McKenzie said the party would be discussing the Johannesburg coalition arrangement at national executive committee (NEC) level. A decision would then be announced on whether the PA would stay in the current arrangement. If the PA leaves the ANC-led coalition, this would give the DA a chance to mobilise once more and propose a motion of no confidence against current mayor…

Mbulelo Mayikana is a 54-year-old author who is passionate about social wellness, which includes the wellness of individuals, relationships, families, communities and societies that function at optimal levels. His experiences and interactions with people on a business and social level influenced and inspired his desire to write books. Driven by passion for people, seeing them succeed, their mental wellness being at the required positive levels, and leaving a thriving and functioning legacy encouraged Mayikana to start writing books in 2014. He said that he has written 12 books that speak to “all sexes and ages from 18 to 70”. “My books are written with the desire to be practical and drive realism in how people see life through the book topics. That means there is no desire in my writing…

IT was with extreme sadness that I heard of the death of Dr Wallace Mgoqi, chairperson of AYO. We as a nation must remember him for his dedication to freeing South Africa of oppression, and express our admiration and the deepest respect for his courage and steadfastness to dedicate his life to the cause of righteousness, justice, and equity. His death will serve to remind generations of our countrymen of a generous and fearless personality, and of a life of nobility and patriotism, service and sacrifice. His distinguished judicial and public service career will be his legacy to our fractured country. Mgoqi fought relentlessly for land reform across the country. His life and death, his words and his actions, have done more to shape public expectations of the offices that…

It has been reported that a “border alert” has been issued to possibly prevent Thabo Bester, the convicted Facebook rapist, from crossing the border incognito. While the step is important, it is far more urgent to give attention to the obvious probability that the claim of Bester having been a fire victim in prison was a fake. Not only a fake but a deliberately planned fake, with the collusion of senior prison officials and, probably, senior SAPS officials. Bester’s “escape” from prison has happened and it is unlikely that he will succeed in duplicating his deeds. It is, however, essential that serious and immediate attention be given to rectifying the rot in the system. It is the frequently available evidence, also referred to in Jacques Pauw’s The Poisioned Land, that…

US VICE-PRESIDENT Kamala Harris’s recent visit to Zambia is an example of the country’s increased engagement with Western nations. It gave fresh impetus to the view that Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema is strongly aligning the country to the West. This has been evident from his pro-business rhetoric, Western education and re-engagement with multilateral financial institutions and partners in the UK, the US and the EU. But this re-engagement has stopped short of a full pendulum swing. For example, the country retains strong ties to China. Hichilema came to power in August 2021 on a promise of domestic economic revival, good governance and a business-friendly approach. He set out a new direction for the country’s foreign policy in his inauguration speech. This emphasised economic diplomacy and partnerships across the emerging geopolitical…

New Delhi: The Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama apologised yesterday after a video which showed him asking a boy to suck his tongue triggered a backlash on social media. The video, which has gone viral, shows the Dalai Lama, 87, in northern India, in February planting a kiss on the boy’s lips as he leaned in to pay his respects. The Buddhist monk is then seen sticking his tongue out and asking the boy, “Can you suck my tongue?” “His Holiness apologises to the boy and his family, and his friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused,” said a statement. “He often teases people in an innocent, playful way.” | AFP…

Lagos: At least 15 people were killed when a bus and a truck collided head-on along a busy highway in the southern part of Nigeria, local traffic police have said. Bisi Kazeem, a spokesperson for the Federal Road Safety Corps, said that the accident took place at the Enugu-Port Harcourt highway. “The fatal crash is blameable on several factors, including fatigue, which must have made one of the drivers sleep on the wheels,” he said. Nigeria often sees deadly road accidents mainly caused by bad road conditions and reckless driving. | IANS…

Pep Guardiola is relishing the chance to pit his wits against Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel as the Manchester City boss looks to avenge his team’s 2021 Champions League final defeat at the German’s hands. City host Bayern in the Champions League quarter-final first leg tonight as Guardiola continues his quest to lead the team to their first title in Europe’s elite club competition. It will be an intriguing tactical battle between two of the world’s top managers, with Guardiola coming face to face with Tuchel two years after the German won their Champions League final showdown. Tuchel was in charge of Chelsea when they beat City 1-0 in the final in Porto two years ago. Guardiola was accused of over-thinking his team selection for the final against Chelsea, who…

Banyana Banyana fought hard to come back from 3-0 down but lost 3-2 to Serbia in a friendly match in Stara Pazova yesterday. Serbia, ranked 35th in the world, made a fast start and were three goals to the good after only 22 minutes. Defender Violeta Slovic scored the opener in the eighth minute, and Milica Mijatovic, who plays for Italian Serie A club Fiorentina, made it 2-0 in the 16th minute. In the 22nd minute, Jovana Damnjanovic, a striker for Bayern Munich in the German Frauen-Bundesliga, scored. This stung Bayana into all-out action and they managed to loosen Serbia’s vice-like grip on the match. Some smart inter-play between Hildah Magaia and Jermaine Seoposenwe found an opening in the opposition defence, but the latter was fractionally wide of the…

DURING the last week of March the prominent European Patent Office (EPO) issued its annual Patent Index of 2022. Since the registration of new patents generally provides an early insight into the latest innovation and inventions, the index offers some interesting information regarding the innovation performance of countries. One of the main benefits of patent registration is that it provides legal protection for new inventions and ideas, allowing inventors and businesses to protect their intellectual property and commercialise their innovations. It is this protection that often encourages entrepreneurs and investors to invest in research and development, as it provides a mechanism for companies to recoup their costs and profit from their inventions. Patents further facilitate the dissemination of knowledge and technology, as they require inventors to disclose the details of…

Twitter reacts to ‘disturbing’ behaviour by acclaimed Tibetan spiritual leader SOUTH African Twitter users have reacted to what some have described as “disturbing” behaviour by globally acclaimed Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, with a young devotee in a viral video. Video footage of a recent encounter where the small youngster requested the Dalai Lama “give him a hug” has gone viral. The boy was then instructed by the Dalai Lama to “suck his tongue” in front of a sizeable crowd and the boy’s parents. At a Buddhist event, the Dalai Lama was seen on camera kissing a young child on the lips before asking him to “suck my tongue”. In a response to the video, on the Dalai Lama’s Twitter page, a statement said the Dalai Lama wished to…

The Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES) has since its launch in October 2020 created opportunities for more than 1 million direct beneficiaries across South Africa. The implementation of the stimulus has involved a “whole of government” effort co-ordinated by the Presidency, with 15 government departments as well as provinces and municipalities responsible for its implementation. It has also relied on strong partnerships beyond the state as part of a ”whole of society“ approach. According to Luthando Brukwe, the Mineworkers Development Agency's head of strategy and special projects, MDA is one of the key strategic partners in the PES. “The MDA seeks to provide socioeconomic livelihoods to former miners and their communities, so when the IDC issued a request for proposals to implement a Social Employment Fund programme, it was only natural…

The SUPREME Court of Appeal (SCA) ruled that an agreement that was signed by a woman giving her ex- husband her share of the house while she was in hospital recovering from serious injuries, was unenforceable. The two were married in community of property in 1987 and divorced in 1991. At the time of their divorce, they owned a house in Boksburg and they verbally agreed that each of them would be entitled to half of the value of the property. They also agreed that the ex-husband would pay his ex-wife half the value of the property, but he never did. In 2010, the man remarried and made a will leaving 50% of his estate to his new wife. In March 2012, his ex-wife got into a car accident and…

She is dubbed “The National Wife” on social media for her robust portrayal of Hlomu in popular telenovela The Wife. Mbalenhle Mavimbela is one of the characters who have kept viewers glued to their screens. She has also been lauded for her breakthrough performances alongside Bonko Khoza and then Wiseman Mncube as Mqhele Zulu. Their tainted love story compelled Hlomu to choose between a life of uncovering the truth and a life of hiding it as she transformed from a passionate investigative journalist into the matriarch of the Zulu brothers’ crime family. Speaking of her role, she said: “When people see me, they still see Hlomu and still talk about how Hlomu has touched them. I’ve had people cry when they see me. I think it’s because of the touching…

It is atrocious that the country is reeling from years of economic mismanagement that resulted in high inflation and unemployment. The sombre thing is that half of the country’s estimated 16 million people live in extreme poverty. I am perplexed, ordinary people are suffering in Zimbabwe while other people are living pretty from gold looting. As Zimbabweans, we need to unite as people and protest against the looting of resources in the country. Lackadaisical President Emmerson Mnangagwa is the criminal surrounding Zimbabwe. I call on all patriotic Zimbabweans to join me in a call for the clueless, careless, heartless and corrupt president to step down. Revelations of gold smuggling by individuals affiliated with Zimbabwean government officials and the ruling party in an Al Jazeera documentary have triggered outrage in the…

So Donald Trump is about to start his short walk to shackledom. His first few steps towards bagging the presidency next election. The world does not need heroes to lead them to fame and fortune. So exit Biden. Enter Goldilocks. A few, like the Kennedys, and the Lincolns, who somehow dodged the scanner that permits only prime evils to go past “Go”, were therefore forcefully put away by assassins’ bullets not too long after they escaped detection. Their glorious past had to catch up with them. Good men tell no tales. If you want to be close to God and lead the people, you have to be a fanatic. A real regular rightwinger. Trust only a Netanyahu to actually hatch a plot to install a special protective military force…

THE South African authorities have managed to save a bit of face following the capture of Thabo Bester in Tanzania over the weekend. This was confirmed by a full house of top brass including Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola, Police Minister Bheki Cele and national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Fanie Masemola. The “Facebook Rapist” was apprehended along with his alleged accomplices – Dr Nandipha Magudumana and a Mozambican national who had been “assisting” them. The news two weeks ago of Bester's escape from a private Mangaung prison in May last year had sparked an embarrassing international incident, which had shone the spotlight on corruption in the prison system. The police and justice departments also had egg on their faces. Masemola launched a special investigation into the escape, assigning detectives…

MILAN: A merchant ship has supplied fuel and water to a boat with about 400 migrants on board which is in distress between Greece and Malta, but Maltese authorities have ordered it not to conduct a rescue, German NGO Sea-Watch International said yesterday. The vessel, which departed from Tobruk in Libya amid a sharp rise of migrant boats crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa, was reported to be adrift and taking on water in the Maltese Search and Rescue area on Sunday. Sea-Watch accused Malta of not wanting to rescue those on board despite them being in serious danger. | Reuters…

Dhaka: An Islamic cleric and three village elders in Bangladesh were arrested on charges they ordered a woman to be caned and stoned over an extra-marital affair. Police said Hamida Sultana was “caned 82 strokes” and “stoned 80 times” with small brick pieces after an imam issued a religious decree, or fatwa, punishing her last week. The Muslim nation of 170 million people has a secular legal system and applying sharia law in criminal cases is illegal. The fatwa triggered an outcry, with protesting feminists and rights activists demanding the perpetrators’ prosecution. | AFP…