Table of contents for 2023-12-05 in Star

ASPEN Pharmacare Holdings has concluded agreements to acquire Sandoz (China) Pharmaceutical and its portfolio of products for up to €92.6 million (R1.88 billion), and to dispose of four anaesthetic products on sale in Europe. “The acquisition is an attractive opportunity for Aspen to take a major step to increase our presence in China. Sandoz’s portfolio, pipeline, well-established infrastructure, and experienced team, will expand Aspen’s footprint and capabilities in the world’s second-largest pharmaceutical market, and strengthen our foundation for growth in China,” said Aspen CEO Stephen Saad. Aspen said the payment of €18.5m would be contingent upon the sales performance of the pipeline products to be rolled out at Sandoz (China). Aspen did the transaction through its wholly owned subsidiary Aspen Global Incorporated (AGI), which is incorporated in Mauritius.…

ALEXANDER Forbes Group Holdings (Alexforbes) lifted profit from continuing operations by an extraordinary 66% to R339 million in the six months to September 30, a performance that saw the share price drop 11.83% to close at R5.07on the JSE yesterday. The interim dividend was lifted by 33% to 20 cents. Headline earnings a share from continuing operations was up 68% to 27c. “We continued to implement our strategy and are experiencing the results of disciplined execution as we focus on engaging with our members. Alexforbes is attracting new business alongside high retention rates and competitive investment returns affirming the appeal of our value proposition to the market,” CEO Dawie de Villiers said in a statement yesterday. On the outlook, he said the core business had been reconfigured, was…

A RECENT exposé by a Swedish newspaper has reported that criminal organisations are exploiting fake Spotify streams as a means to launder money. According to the Svenska Dagbladet report, criminal gangs in Sweden are allegedly using the popular music streaming platform to legitimise funds acquired through illegal activities such as drug trafficking and contract killings. The modus operandi outlined in the investigation suggests that criminals convert their ill-gotten gains into Bitcoin before funnelling the funds into purchasing false Spotify streams for songs associated with artists having connections to the criminal networks. By doing so, they reportedly launder their money through the payouts received from the streaming platform. The report asserts that the method has been prevalent in Sweden’s crimi- nal underworld since 2019, with certain gangs implicated in violent incidents,…

THE AFRICAN Development Bank (AfDB) is drawing up plans for $1 billion of upgrades to a dozen hydropower plants in Africa, bank officials said yesterday, boosting capacity that is often unable to meet the continent’s surging power needs. Ranging from Nigeria’s largest 760 megawatt (MW) Kainji plant, to South Africa’s 2.7MW Sol Plaatje, the refurbishments are expected to yield an extra 570MW across the 12 projects. Work on the first plants is expected to start by June next year. Plants in Sudan, Zambia, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo will benefit. The upgrades would “accelerate the energy transition” away from fossil fuels, João Cunha, head of the renewable energy division at AfDB, said. Although only a fraction of its potential is harnessed, hydro-power is a cornerstone of renewable…

Build One South Africa (Bosa) has welcomed the Constitutional Court’s ruling that 1 000 signatures of registered voters were required for independent candidates and new entrants to contest next year’s national and provincial elections. Headed by party leader Mmusi Maimane, Bosa approached the apex court challenging the requirement that independent candidates had to get the signatures of 15% of the quota in the previous election in the relevant region. Bosa argued that the signature requirement was unreasonably high, as it set out to “demonstrate that the 15% signature requirement is arbitrary and poses a barrier to entry for independent candidates”. “We welcome the decision by the court to remedy the act by reading-in a clause that independent candidates and new entrants only require 1 000 signatures to contest…

Bullying can have profound emotional and psychological effects on children and teens. “Bullying is a widespread concern that affects millions of children worldwide,” says Murray Hewlett, the CEO of Affinity Health, a leading provider of high-quality health coverage. “Recognising common signs that a child may be experiencing bullying is essential for early intervention and ensuring their emotional well-being.“ What is bullying? Bullying among children refers to repeated and intentional aggressive behaviours that cause harm, distress or fear to another child. Bullying can occur in various settings, including school, aftercare, extramurals, and sports activities. The Various Forms of Bullying Physical: actions like hitting, kicking or pushing. Verbal: name-calling, taunting or using hurtful words. Social: exclusion, spreading rumours or manipulating friendships. Cyberbullying: using technology to harass, threaten, humiliate or intimidate others. Psychological:…

The government is at it again – continuing to dish out billions of rand left, right and centre to SOEs that have run these institutions into the ground. The same government is telling citizens to tighten their belts. What an insult! The latest entity to benefit from this is Transnet to assist it to achieve its “turnaround plans”. Patent nonsense. Pure logic demands that when an entity has been given a bailout, its management/board must account and take responsibility when, next time around, they come back to ask for more. This ploy – to run entities into the ground and then blackmail the country that if they are not a thrown a financial lifeline, the country will collapse – is what is going on at Transnet. This is where the…

As we observe World Aids Day on December 1, it is with a heavy heart that I reflect on the persistent challenges faced by Zimbabwe in curbing the spread of HIV/Aids. The failure to implement effective measures has not only led to an alarming rise in HIV cases but has also exposed the frailty of the health-care system in our nation. The recent cholera outbreak further highlights the dire situation. The lack of public services provided by the government exacerbates the suffering of those affected. Basic necessities like clean water and sanitation are inaccessible, posing a severe health threat. Government’s inability to address these issues raises concerns about its commitment to citizens’ well-being. Moreover, the failure in administration, particularly by Zanu-PF and the Mnangagwa government, has triggered a significant migration…

A MOTORIST was arrested at the weekend in Hammanskraal for trying to offer a R100 bribe to metro police officers. This was according to Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) spokesperson, senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba, who cited the incident as part of the successes achieved by law enforcement during the crime-busting operation. He said regional metro police members in Hammanskraal also arrested four suspects for hijacking and possession of an unlicensed firearm. “The officers received a tip-off about a Volkswagen Polo vehicle that was hijacked at a location called Ramotse in Hammanskraal on Saturday, December 2,” he said. The officers followed up on the information and spotted the vehicle with two suspects inside, one male and one female. “It was followed by another vehicle, a grey Renault, which the suspects used…

JUSTICE is still failing Nikita Kalubi, 25, who lost her eye, and fractured her nose after a man attacked her outside a food outlet. Despite the fact that she could identify her attacker, he has not been arrested more than three months after the incident which took place on August 26 in Khayelitsha, Cape Town. According to her mother, Xoliswa Kalubi, Nikita had to undergo several operations before doctors confirmed that the damage to her eye was too severe and they could do no more. On the day of the incident, it was reported that Nikita was waiting outside the outlet for her boyfriend when a man approached her and started touching her. Her boyfriend intervened and chased him away. After they left the outlet, Nikita was hit with a…

Dozens of Israeli tanks rolled into southern Gaza yesterday, witnesses said, despite global concern over mounting civilian deaths and fears the war on Hamas will spread elsewhere in the Middle East. Weeks after Israel sent ground forces into northern Gaza, the army has been air-dropping leaflets in parts of the besieged territory’s south, telling Palestinians to flee to other areas. Tanks, armoured personnel carriers and bulldozers were seen yesterday near the city of Khan Yunis, which is crowded with internally displaced Palestinians, witnesses said. Amin Abu Hawli, 59, said the Israeli vehicles were 2km inside Gaza in the village of al-Qarara, while Moaz Mohammed, 34, said Israeli tanks were moving down the strip’s main north-south highway, the Salah al-Din road. The military was trying to cut the road between Deir…

Tokyo: In a search for the US military Osprey aircraft that crashed last week in the waters off south-western Japan, the bodies of five missing crew members were found underwater, reports said. The bodies, along with multiple pieces of wreckage from the Osprey, were found in waters off the country’s southwestern island of Yakushima during an underground search conducted by the US Navy and Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force, officials said. The US Air Force said that the aircraft was involved in a “mishap” while carrying out routine training. | IANS…

ADvTECH said yesterday its CEO of 10 years, Roy Douglas, would retire and Geoff Whyte had been appointed as the successor with effect from March 1, 2024. Douglas would retire from his role on the board from February 29, 2024, but would remain with the group for a period after he leaves the board for a seamless handover, a statement said yesterday. Whyte holds a Master’s degree in economics from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, and has more than 30 years’ experience across various industries. He has executive experience in global organisations including Unilever, PepsiCo, Cadbury-Schweppes, SABMiller and Nando’s, including in South Africa, the UK, the US, the Netherlands, the rest of Africa, the Middle East and sub-continental India. ADvTECH chairperson Chris Boulle said: “We are confident that Geoff’s…

ELLIES Holdings said yesterday it would not require a rights issue and the terms of its acquisition of Bundu Power had been revised. Ellies announced the plan to acquire Bundu on February 1, 2023, for R207.6 million, and it planned a R120m rights issue at the time. The company and sellers of Bundu Power had now entered into an amended and restated share purchase agreement, Ellies said yesterday in a statement. Bundu Power specialises in the distribution and rental of generators as well as solar and ancillary products, providing alternative energy solutions for residential, commercial, industrial, hospitality, agricultural and recreational users. Ellies is repositioning itself as a smart infrastructure business. The acquisition would be funded via five interim R1m payments to be made to the sellers in proportion to…

THE YEAR 2023 was the year of artificial intelligence. It began with the ChatGPT noise and it’s ending with red flags from the company, OpenAI, that brought us ChatGPT. As if the world has not heard enough about AI, a company formed by former Apple employees dropped an AI hardware, the Ai Pin. Developments throughout 2023 were just the beginning of the AI revolution. In 2024, we will probably see more AI innovations that will come with amazing hardware. I’m particularly looking forward to the Apple Vision Pro. I’m on record as saying it will be one of the hardware tools that will unleash the metaverse revolution. Apple has promised us the first version of the Apple Vision Pro before the end of 2024. It’s a device that will be…

THE STEEL industry is the backbone of an economy – it forms the foundation of any modern economy and is essential to every sector. Without a healthy and vibrant steel industry, South Africa will not be able to integrate and develop itself or the rest of the continent. The steel sector – and South Africa – urgently needs clarity on policies, consensus on action plans and realised deliverables on the ground in order to instil confidence in the viability of the country to boost competitiveness and attract local and foreign direct investment. The recent announcement by ArcelorMittal South Africa on the potential closure of its operations in New- castle and Vereeniging, as well as ArcelorMittal Rail and Structural, presents a major setback to the base of the industrial sector and…

Hot on the heels of his Sama win, gqom pioneer Lwazi Asanda Gwala, better known as DJ Lag, recently released his new single Kwenzakalan. The summer banger features South African rap sensation Blxckie and emerging vocalists, Leodaleo and Dezzodigo. “It took us some time to finish the song. We started recording it around June and Blxckie was busy in America and I was also touring, but we thought now would be the perfect time to drop it. “The song is a mash-up of gqom and hip hop that creates a fresh and unique blend of sound. “I was a hip hop producer before I started doing gqom. I just wanted to bring back my old style mixed with gqom and Blxckie and Leo were the perfect combo that I needed…

The former editor of the Cape Argus and media manager for the 2010 World Cup, Jermaine Craig, has died suddenly after collapsing at the gym yesterday. In a statement released by family spokesperson Jovial Rantao, he said Craig collapsed at the gym before he was rushed to the Mediclinic Sandton, where efforts to revive him failed. “Information regarding the funeral and other arrangements will follow in due course. We ask that you keep Michelle, Matthew, Christian, Jermaine’s mom, and the rest of the family in your prayers. “The family requests privacy and deeply appreciates your messages of support during this difficult time,” said Rantao. Craig was a seasoned journalist and media and communications professional, having begun his career as a general news reporter at the Cape Argus in 1995. He…

The establishment of the Rosslyn Improvement District (RID) by the Capital City Business Chamber (CCBC) has been hailed as a way to contribute towards the development of the area into a world-class industrial hub. This was the sentiment shared by chief executive of the CCBC Fanie du Plessis yesterday during the launch of the improvement district in partnership with the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD). The improvement district was started in accordance with the City of Tshwane’s by-law for the establishment of an inter-municipal service district as outlined in sections 85 and 86 of the Municipal Systems Act, 2000. Du Plessis said the initiative was started last year with the main aim of turning Rosslyn into a world-class industrial hub. “People need to feel safe and secure and will want…

While this month the annual 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children Campaign is observed, one policewoman in particular has played her part. She was instrumental in seeing 31 rapists put behind bars, with the culprits facing a collective five life terms and 302 years’ imprisonment. This year, the SAPS is celebrating its men and women in blue, who are not only game-changers in their respective fields, but who go beyond the call of duty to protect women, children and other vulnerable people. As part of its celebration, the SAPS introduced Sergeant Nombi Peter, a detective attached to the Mangaung Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit in the Free State. She also forms part of Mangaung District’s serial rape task team. Peter’s childhood…

Eating leafy greens, such as spinach, cabbage and broccoli, rich in folate, may help to reduce the risk of colo- rectal cancer, according to a study. Folate is a natural form of vitamin B9 found in many foods. Good sources include spinach, cabbage, broccoli, sunflower seeds, wholegrains, pulses like chickpeas, lentils and beans, and fruit, especially citrus, like oranges. Folate is also available as a supplement in the form of folic acid. The findings by researchers at the Imperial College London suggests that increasing the intake of folate or taking supplements can decrease the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) by up to 7%. “When it comes to bowel cancer, there are a number of things people can do to reduce their risk, including eating a varied diet – rich in…

JAKARTA: Eleven climbers were found dead in Indonesia yesterday and 12 were missing after the Marapi volcano erupted in West Sumatra, a rescue official said, as search operations – which were halted over safety concerns – resumed. Three survivors were found yesterday along with the bodies of the 11 climbers, out of 75 who were in the area at the time of Sunday’s eruption. There were 49 climbers evacuated from the area earlier yesterday and many were being treated for burns, Jodi said. It took around four to six hours to evacuate one dead body from the volcano, officials said. The 2 891m high volcano spewed ash 3km into the sky on Sunday. | Reuters…

Washington: The White House budget chief warned the US Congress yesterday that failure to agree fresh funds for Ukraine by the end of the year would “kneecap” Kyiv on the battlefield. In a letter to the House Speaker, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, Shalanda Young, said time was rapidly running out to support Ukraine’s fight against the Russian invasion. President Joe Biden asked Congress in October to approve $106 billion (about R1.9 trillion) in national security funding, including support for Ukraine and for Israel’s war against Hamas. | AFP…

Swiss-based Sauber could surprise with their new Formula One name for next season after the departure of Alfa Romeo as title sponsor, according to team representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi. The team’s deal to race as Stellantis-brand Alfa Romeo, after previously competing as Sauber, ended this year and they will become the Audi factory outfit from 2026. “In Formula One the team name is also depending from commercial partnership,” Alunni Bravi said at the Autosport Awards event on Sunday night. “On the December 10, as soon as the FIA will publish the entry list we will of course announce a new team name. I think it will be a surprise. “We cannot wait to start the partnership with our new partners. We will have, I think, a really fresh approach in…

NAMPAK has become the latest South African company to be afflicted by a currency crisis in the lucrative but volatile West African market of Nigeria, after it reported R1 billion in foreign exchange losses from the populous country. MultiChoice and MTN are among the other South African companies to suffer exchange rate headwinds in Nigeria. The exchange rate losses for Nampak amounted to R1bn in the year to end September, it reported yesterday. The bigger Nigerian foreign exchange rate losses brought Nampak’s total forex losses for the period to R1.2bn. At the centre of the Nigerian exchange rate losses has been a persistently weaker naira currency and a dollar shortage that has impacted a wide variety of companies. “The Nigerian losses were caused by a consistently weakening Naira in…

The lack of a binding legal definition for greenwashing presents a hurdle to regulators tackling investment funds that exaggerate their sustainability credentials, a global securities watchdog said in a report yesterday. Trillions of dollars have flowed into funds that tout their environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors, but IOSCO, which groups securities regulators from across the world, said greenwashing was already being compounded by related “malpractices”. The report based on a survey of IOSCO members to coincide with the COP28 UN climate summit in Dubai, said most jurisdictions do not specifically define greenwashing in legally binding provisions. Some regulators are already fining firms for greenwashing. Regulators face data gaps, concerns over the quality of benchmarks used to rate the ESG aspects of companies, IOSCO said. It said that planned…

CAPITAL Appreciation is bucking the economic slowdown after it lifted revenues for its software and payments businesses and lifted headline earnings a share by 105%, with R535 million available for reinvestment as at September 2023. Revenues for the year to September 30 quickened 3% to R554.2m, although earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) declined 8% to R126.9m. Headline earnings firmed by as much as 108% to R80.6m, partly a consequence of a three-month contribution from recently acquired Dariel Solutions. There was also the impact of higher finance income and a reduced expected credit loss raised after tax for GovChat, amounting to R9.4m. With the stronger headline earning per share, Capital Appreciation closed 9.09% higher on the JSE at 1.20 yesterday, but is nearly 20% softer in the…

ON NOVEMBER 30, 2022, the tech world witnessed the birth of ChatGPT, an AI chatbot developed by OpenAI that has, in a span of a year, revo- lutionised our interaction with technology. Initially launched as a research preview, ChatGPT distinguished itself by engaging in conversational dialogue with context awareness, a step beyond the directive responses of its predecessors​​. Up until then, this sort of tech- nology was not available to the public at large. Within just two months of its release, ChatGPT saw more than 100 million monthly users signing up for the service, outpacing even social media giants like Facebook and Instagram. Its appeal lay in its user-friendly interface and its ability to conduct convincingly real conversations, a leap forward in human-AI interaction​​​​. This marked a shift in generative…

DJ AND music producer Oscar Mbo was the latest celebrity guest on Podcast and Chill with MacG and in his interview, cleared up a lot that’s been spread about him online. Mbo has become one of the most popular DJs in the country since his song Asambeni blew up and made him a mainstream name. He is known not only for being great on the decks, but also for his swag, looks and social media content. He’s also trended for the wrong reasons, such as missing out on his bookings and wearing fake designer labels. However, the popular DJ explained there was a lot that happened for him to miss a gig and it was the one-sided story that was pushed. The DJ has previously been blasted on social media…

The Constitutional Court has ruled that the Immigration Act was inconsistent with the Constitution and infringed on a foreign national’s right to human dignity. Chief Justice Raymond Zondo handed down judgment yesterday. According to the act, foreign parents or caregivers, even if they work in South Africa, had to stop working and leave the country if they ended their relationship with their spouse, which resulted in them leaving their South African-born children, sometimes without care or financial support. The matter was brought to the Apex Court by parents Tereza Rayment and Richard Anderson, who were both foreigners split from their South African partners. They were both granted a spousal visa in terms of Section 11(6) of the act and had been residing and working in South Africa. However, since their…

Within the next few months millions of our fellow citizens, will be casting their votes for a new political order. To vote is to show reverence and gratitude for all of our late Struggle heroes who were unable to vote and who risked their lives for the opportunity now available to us. Voting is an opportunity to act autonomously and to lift up our values and our fortitude. To vote wisely is to accept the proposition that we each matter and can make a difference, no matter what we’re told to the contrary. To vote is to respect ourselves and our own lives enough to take a stand for what matters most deeply to us. In voting, we empower ourselves to send the message both in our area and across…

PARLIAMENT’S decision to pass a resolution to shut the embassy of Israel is misguided, misplaced and a recipe for disaster for South Africans and Israelis. The purpose of an embassy is to assist citizens of its home country who are living, working or travelling overseas. An embassy also helps strengthen cultural, religious, political and trading relationship between the two countries. If Parliament’s resolution were to be implemented by the Cabinet, it would mean that South Africa would no longer have any ties to Israel. South Africa’s embassy in Israel was reduced to a liaison office following the ANC’s resolution at its 2017 electoral conference, to downgrade the country’s embassy in Tel Aviv. The move was devastating and disappointing for many people who visit Israel. One must think about South African…

THE City of Tshwane yesterday embarked on a food safety operation in Pretoria North, where they raided some businesses and spaza shops to check if they complied with the law. Health MMC Rina Marx led officials from the municipal health services and Tshwane metro police officers issued fines for business operators caught on the wrong side of municipal by-laws. They also inspected whether there were goods that had passed their sell-by dates. The metro officers destroyed a dagga tree planted inside one of the properties where people lived in shacks built with boxes. The whereabouts of the property owner was not known. A spaza shop operator at Baken- kloof street in the area was fined R2 500 for operating without a fire extinguisher and a dustbin. Officials found the first…

THE leader of a prison gang will have to serve a life sentence for twice raping a fellow inmate, after the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, turned down his appeal against his conviction and sentence. While the victim gave a detailed account of how he was raped on two occasions, inmate Sipho Mthimunye, 35, simply denied it ever happened. The victim, who told the court he was terrified after the first rape, said he was raped again the following evening. He was at first too afraid to tell anyone, as Mthimunye and his fellow gang members threatened they would kill him. Mthimunye was earlier convicted by the Benoni Regional Court and sentenced to life imprisonment on both counts of rape, but turned to the high court on appeal. The complainant…

ONCE again the dreaded “K” word was uttered, this time by a Grade 9 learner from Hoërskool Ben Vorster. Such unacceptable behaviour is a painful reminder that racism continues to rear its head in every corner of our prejudiced planet. It is often said that legal prohibitions on racist behaviour cannot eliminate the attitudes that underlie such behaviour. During times like these, we must be especially vigilant in combating the age-old viruses of hate and prejudice, which reassert themselves throughout history in times of fear. The deleterious effect of prejudice and racism on the masses is well documented. There is little doubt as to how insidious racism is and that it permeates every facet of our lives. Racism is the under-appreciated human rights problem of our day. There…

Marawi: A Philippine military commander said yesterday that a massive manhunt was under way for the assailants who bombed a Catholic mass in the country’s restive south, killing four worshippers and wounding50 others. The blast, claimed by Islamic State, was on Sunday at Mindanao State University’s gymnasium in Marawi, the country’s largest Muslim city, besieged by Islamist militant groups in 2017. Security officials say the bombing may have been a retaliatory attack for a series of military operations against Islamist militants in recent days that killed multiple fighters. | AFP…

BHOPAL: Indian tests of a cough syrup linked to the deaths of at least six children in Cameroon found unidentified quality issues in one of five samples. Riemann Labs is one of three Indian drugmakers whose cough syrups have been linked to the deaths of at least 141 children in Gambia, Uzbekistan and Cameroon since the middle of last year. Indian authorities suspended Riemann’s production, citing violations of good manufacturing practices. An inspection at Riemann’s factory in June had found violations including improper ventilation, raising the risk of cross contamination, sources said. | Reuters…