Table of contents for 2021-06-25 in Star

EDWARD WEST edward.west@inl.co.za GROWTHPOINT Properties was in a strong financial position despite continuing uncertainty in the economy, pressures on net operating income in the South African portfolio and the knock-on effect on property valuations. The group said yesterday in a nine-month trading update to March 31 that the focus remained to reinforce the balance sheet, which would en- able it to pursue internationalisation, optimise the local portfolio, and generate new income streams from funds management and third-party trading and development. The R4.3 billion of equity raised last November, R577 million proceeds from the December 2020 Distribution Reinvestment Plan, R827m retained for the 2020 year and R499m retained from the first half of financial 2021, had all bolstered the balance sheet, the group’s management said. Loan to value was 40.7…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za STEFANUTTI Stocks planned to sell its 49 percent stake in Al Tayer Stocks (ATS) to Investment Trading Group LLC for R87.3 million as part of its broader restructuring plan to sell non-core assets, the local construction group said in a statement yesterday. The aim of the restructuring is to create an optimal capital structure and access to liquidity to position Stefanutti Stocks for long-term growth. ATS is a building and interior fit-out contracting company, offering services across all industries, delivering projects in the interior fit-out and design and building sectors in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The business had grown significantly since being formed in 1998, undertaking interior fit-out projects in retail, corporate training centres, hotels, healthcare facilities, luxury villas, warehouses and industrial units. ATS also…

Liam Karabo Joyce liam.joyce@inl.co.za Media personality Somizi Mhlongo-Motaung has added his voice to the ongoing debate around speaking your mother tongue to children. Mhlongo-Motaung took to social media this week, where he encouraged parents to speak to their children in their mother tongue In a seven-minute video he posted on Instagram, the star clarified that he was not attacking anyone’s parenting style. “There is nothing wrong with your kids speaking English and going to English schools but I don’t think parents realise the kind of damage or missed opportunity they are depriving their children (of), and the power and wealth in knowing your mother tongue,” he said. The Dinner At Somizi’s star recounted how he had spoken in vernacular to some children, who were unable to respond because they did…

Sifiso Mahlangu AN ENERGY plan to ease load shedding is under renewed pressure today after officials refused to award environmental permits to Karpowership SA (KPS SA), despite the project’s promise to generate enough electricity to power 800 000 homes and remove one full stage of load shedding. The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) threw out the Environmental Impact Assessments after complaints by lobbying group Green Connection. A series of attempts to secure new electricity for South Africa have failed in recent years and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) presented a plan to address South Africa’s energy needs. Its plan had Powerships in Richards Bay, Coega and Saldanha as a central component, but the decision by the DFFE to refuse permits threatens to…

The coronavirus crisis is causing a shift in the global power balance. In an essay published by Spanish newspaper El Pais, South Korean philosopher Byung-Chul Han argued “Asian states like Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan or Singapore, that have an authoritarian mentality which comes from their cultural tradition” have weathered the crisis far better than the “democratic” nations of the West. China will display the superiority of its system even more proudly. It remains to be seen how the worldwide mentality could be altered in the aftermath of this pandemic. The question also remains whether or not any change in mindset, especially in the West, will have a lasting effect on international politics. The feeling of Western supremacy and European or American exceptionalism is particularly strong and rooted in…

Mpiletso Motumi mpiletso.motumi@inl.co.za DJ Tira’s latest project, Rockstar Forever, is a plug for raw talent. “We have got so many talented producers and artists in the country and sometimes it’s really hard for them to get their shine. When I create my albums I try hard to work with different people as much as possible. In this album there is a little bit of Limpopo, a little bit of up and coming producers. Makhadzi is in there, new kids on the block The Q Twins, Jumbo – a gospel artist and also the legends who paved the way like Professor, Dlala Mshungisi and Mampintsha,” said the award-winning DJ and producer. He said the album was a mix of many genres from contemporary to house to gospel and gqom. “It is…

THE Lenasia Scholar Transport Plan (LSTP), which aims to create a safe environment for schoolchildren who access the approximately 30 schools in the area, has been highlighted by the City of Joburg's Transport Department as a key focus sector. More than 19 000 pupils use scholar transport to travel between home and school in Lenasia. A public meeting was recently held at the Nur-ul-Islam Hall in Lenasia to discuss the baseline evaluation of the plan as part of the department's commitment to have an inclusive public engagement process with all stakeholders. Those involved include the Gauteng provincial department of education, local school principals, parents, residents, businesses, community organisations, pupil transport providers, educators and other local authorities. The member of the mayoral committee for transport, Nonhlanhla Makhuba, said the city wanted…

KENNETH Kaunda was larger than life. He will forever remain one of this continent’s towering heroes, who served his people as a humble giant, and gave tangible support to liberation movements across southern Africa. He proved so committed to the liberation struggle of South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia that he allowed them to establish their headquarters in Zambia, which put his own people at risk given the violent retaliation and destabilisation campaign of the apartheid regime. Zapu and Zanu of Zimbabwe, and the ANC of South Africa, which based their Struggle headquarters in Lusaka, owe much to the solidarity of Kaunda with their common cause to rid the region of colonial domination and oppression. Kaunda had close personal relations with South African liberation leaders Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu and Chris…

Today certain parts of Pretoria will be a sea of red as members of the EFF take to the streets in their call for the government to make Covid-19 vaccines available to all South Africans. There are fears that this march may end up being a super-spreader event given that Gauteng is already experiencing a peak in coronavirus infections. It is unknown what impact the march, led by EFF president Julius Malema, will have on the country’s Covid-19 numbers, or whether those participating will ensure they comply with Covid-19 regulations. What is clear, however, is that many people are not only growing anxious about obtaining access to vaccines, but are slowly becoming desperate, too. This can be attributed to the government’s poor planning around the vaccine roll-out programme. The programme…

Five Japanese doctors were found liable for causing the death of a 2-year-old boy due to over-administering a strong sedative, the Tokyo District Court ruled yesterday. The doctors were found to be negligent and liable to pay around 60 million yen (about R7.7m) in damages for the death they caused in 2014. The amount fell short of the parents’ claims for damages in the region of 180m yen against the five doctors. The parents also claimed damages against two other doctors at the Tokyo Women’s Medical University Hospital, but these claims were rejected by the court as the hospital had already compensated the parents, according to local accounts. The sedative propofol was administered by the doctors to Kosuke, 2, following his undergoing neck surgery in February 2014. The use of…

GAZA CITY: Palestinian security forces have deployed tear gas to disperse protesters who gathered in Ramallah in the wake of an activist’s death, Al Jazeera reported yesterday. According to the broadcaster, the protesters were expressing outrage over the death of political activist Nizar Banat in Hebron earlier in the day. Banat’s death, which took place in police custody, has sparked a wide-ranging discussion in Palestinian society. The deceased’s family claim he was beaten to death. Hebron Governor Jebrin Albakri said Banat was arrested by security forces, “which caused his health to deteriorate, necessitating his transfer to hospital, where he died.” Palestine Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said a commission would investigate.…

Sydney: an Australian-based Chilean woman accused of Pinochet-era crimes yesterday lost a court appeal against extradition to Chile to face seven counts of aggravated kidnapping. Adriana Elcira Rivas Gonzalez, has been fighting extradition since being arrested by Australian authorities in February 2019. She is alleged to have been a member of dictator Augusto Pinochet’s feared secret police in the 1970s and is wanted in connection with the 1976 disappearance of senior Communist Party official Victor Manuel Diaz Lopez. “The applicant is eligible for surrender... in relation to the seven counts of aggravated kidnapping... for which her extradition is sought,” Justice Wendy Abraham said in a judgment.…

Sandile Mchunu sandile.mchunu@inl.co.za STEINHOFF International subsidiary Pepco Group yesterday reported a double-digit growth in half-year earnings despite the impact of Covid-19 across the geographies in which it operates. The fast-growing pan-European discount retailer reported a 16.8 percent increase in underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation to €324 million (R5.5 billion) for the six months to end March, attri- buted to continued revenue growth, gross margin expansion and effective cost management. However, the Pepco Group felt the impact of Covid-19 as lockdown measures and trading restrictions impacted the business across Europe, with store closures reducing consumer footfall. Pepco, a non-essential retailer, lost 19 percent of its trading weeks during the period as result of the store closures, which included extended store closures in Poland and the…

Bongani Nkosi bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za MILLIONS of rand are on the verge of being paid out from the public coffers in damages to a Musina, Limpopo, man who was abducted by local police and handed over to their Zimbabwean counterparts. Tshifhiwa Murema was a victim of a rendition in 2010. Not only was he extradited illegally, Murema also suffered vicious assaults at the hands of police from both his country and Zimbabwe over several days. He was jailed for 105 days in Zimbabwe without a trial, only for the robbery charges he faced to be withdrawn after appearing in court. Another illegal extradition nearly befell Murema in 2012, as police again pounced on him while he was home. This time police rounded him up along with two other men from Musina, Jimmy…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za THE SAFETY of children in Gauteng has been brought into question after it was revealed that at least 1 339 cases of child abuse were reported to the Gauteng Department of Social Development between January 2020 and April 2021. Gauteng MEC for Social Development, Morakane Mosupyoe, in response to questions by the DA’s Refiloe Nt’sekhe, tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL), revealed that there were 1 339 cases of child abuse reported to the department in the 15-month period. The MEC further revealed that of these cases, 656 were sexual abuse cases, 287 physical abuse cases, neglect cases totalled 220, emotional abuse cases totalled 160 and 13 cases were of abandonment. There was also one child labour and one child trafficking case reported, Mosupyoe revealed. Nt’sekhe…

Sifiso Mahlangu sifiso.mahlangu@inl.co.za South Africa’s trade partners, the UK and the Democratic Republic of Congo, are in a nasty entanglement, with the UK accused of abusing the UN’s scarce resources in secret probe. The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) in the UK is fingered in abusing UN resources in a clandestine investigation they are running against Kazakhstan giant mining house ENRC in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Star is informed that some SFO officials sneaked into the DRC in April 2021, claiming to be employed by the UN and attempted to collect information and intelligence on ENRC, but their attempts came to naught when it became apparent that they were not UN officials. “There is a treaty and legislation in place between the DRC and the UK in terms…

Mpiletso Motumi mpiletso.motumi@inl.co.za The technology in beauty adds to the overall experience any customer would want to have. From consultations to skin mapping, technology has made the experience of beauty more seamless and this is something that people will be able to experience at the newly launched luxury beauty destination ARC in Sandton City. The 500 square metre store is filled to the brim with the best in luxury make-up, skincare and fragrance including brands like Chanel, Dior, La Mer and Guerlain. The store has also set itself apart from others by bringing brands such as Huda Beauty, Wishful Skincare, Kayali, Beauty Blender and Atelier Versace into the country as the official stockist. Jamie Lane, ARC’s chief executive said the idea to start the store was to responsibly deliver…

STAFF REPORTER A MRS SA semi-finalist, whose golf champion father took his own life four years ago, has spoken out for the first time about the agonising ordeal in a bid to help break the stigma around mental illness and to urge those struggling with stress, anxiety and depression to reach out for help immediately. Mother, entrepreneur and social activist, Chane Todd, 31, has broken her silence about her world-famous father, golf champion, Wayne Westner, who died at 55 after battling depression for years. Westner won 14 pro titles, excelled on the European tour, and was about to conduct work with the PGA when he took his life. “My father was a champion, both on and off the golf course. It’s excruciating to think that such a successful man…

Thomas Pooley Professor James Steven Mzilikazi Khumalo (1932-2021), who has died at the age of 89, had a distinguished career as a linguist, which complemented a stellar career in music. He was the leading composer and director of choral music to emerge from South Africa. His opera, Princess Magogo, was the first by a black South African. Today he is among the most widely performed of all South African composers. He achieved international recognition for performances of his major works in Europe and the US. This is especially remarkable considering he had no formal qualifications in music, and composed entirely in tonic sol-fa rather than staff notation. Khumalo worked to publish and popularise dual notation, which combined the do-re-mi of tonic sol-fa with the score based notations used by…

LONDON/MOSCOW: Russia accused Britain yesterday of spreading lies over a warship confrontation in the Black Sea and warned London that it would respond resolutely to any further provocative actions by the British navy off the coast of Russia-annexed Crimea. Russia summoned the British ambassador in Moscow for a formal diplomatic scolding after the warship breached what the Kremlin says are its territorial waters but which Britain and most of the world say belong to Ukraine. Britain said Russia was sowing inaccuracies and disputed Russia’s account, saying no warning shots had been fired and that no bombs had been dropped in the path of the Royal Navy destroyer Defender. Russia’s foreign ministry summoned ambassador Deborah Bronnert to deliver a “tough demarche” - diplomatic jargon for a telling off - and spokeswoman…

MANILA: Former Philippine President Benigno Aquino, son of two of the country’s democracy icons, died in a Manila hospital yesterday of renal failure as a result of diabetes, his family said. The 61-year-old was president of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016 and was hospitalised earlier yesterday. “It is with profound grief that on behalf of our family, I am confirming that our brother, Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III died peacefully in his sleep,” the family said in a statement read by Pinky Aquino Abellada, one of four surviving sisters.…

ABUJA: North-east Nigeria’s conflict with Islamist insurgencies had killed nearly 350 000 people as of the end of 2020, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) said yesterday. The toll, given by the UN agency in a new study on the war and its impact on livelihoods, is 10 times higher than previous estimates of about 35 000 based only on those killed in fighting in Nigeria since the conflict’s start 12 years ago. “The full human cost of the war is much greater,” the UNDP said in a report, released with Nigeria’s Ministry of Finance. “Already, many more have died from the indirect effects of the conflict,” said the UNDP, citing damage to agriculture, water, trade, food and healthcare. A Nigerian presidential spokesperson declined to comment.…

Morgan Bolton morgan.bolton@inl.co.za AFTER a nerve-racking final 10 minutes of their Currie Cup encounter against Western Province on Wednesday, Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen can take a deep breath and exhale. The 38-32 victory at Ellis Park was a far cry from the poor performance his team had against the Pumas a week ago. There was confidence, commitment and character and they put WP under the pump from the get-go. A good victory was a box that needed to be ticked off, especially now that the coach and team must turn their attentions to their upcoming fixture against the British & Irish Lions next weekend. And Van Rooyen did not mince his words when asked if his team were ready for the massive challenge that lays in front of them.…

IF there was a temple of speed where one could venerate Sir Lewis Hamilton, then Silverstone would be it. In the 14 years that the Brit has been racing in F1, he has won the British Grand Prix at that track on seven occasions, more than any other driver, with the most recent victory being in 2019. He is the master of Silverstone, its blistering fast straights and sweeping corners kneeling to his hegemony. And yet, even that mastery is being questioned now after Red Bull rocked and rolled their way to victory at the French GP this past weekend. The Circuit Paul Ricard was considered a Mercedes track, much like Silverstone, and an event in which they would strike back and wrestle a measure of control away from the…

EDWARD WEST edward.west@inl.co.za The Finance Services Conduct Authority (FSCA) is considering declaring crypto assets a financial product, which will give it jurisdiction over these transactions following the latest scam Africrypt, where investors lost a staggering R54 billion. In the latest scam, South African cryptocurrency investment company AfriCrypt allegedly defrauded about $3.6bn in investor funds after the company claimed its trading system was “hacked”. About 69 000 bitcoins were stolen. Africrypt founders Ameer Cajee and his brother Raees Cajee allegedly transferred the funds from a South African account before fleeing to the UK. The FSCA said yesterday it was investigating whether a financial product or service was offered to the public, which would have required Africrypt to be registered with the authority, but at this stage it…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za SOUTH African consumers will have to bear the brunt of higher prices for goods for a little longer as producer prices rose near a five-year high last month. Data from Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) yesterday showed that annual headline producer price inflation (PPI) jumped by 7.4 percent from a year earlier in May. This May producer inflation print followed a 6.7 percent rise in April and was slightly above market expectations of a 7.3 percent surge. StatsSA said this was the highest producer inflation rate since July 2016 when the rate was also 7.4 percent. The PPI was driven, as the prices of coke, petroleum, chemical, rubber and plastic products rose by 17.1 percent. Food, beverages and tobacco increased by 6.2…

CHULUMANCO MAHAMBA FORMER president FW de Klerk is doing fine despite battling with cancer, the FW de Klerk Foundation has maintained. Earlier this month, there were media reports that De Klerk’s health was “rapidly deteriorating” since the former president was diagnosed with mesothelioma – a cancer that affects the lining of the lungs – in March this year. The foundation, however, refuted these claims on June 8. “There has been no discernible deterioration in his health since he was diagnosed in March with mesothelioma – a cancer that affects the lining of the lungs. He is now considering the continuation of the course of immunotherapy that he has been following for the past two months,” the foundation said in a statement. “Mr De Klerk attended a meeting of the…

Reneilwe Malatji | Western Cape Recently, the Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) agency released depressing unemployment figures. The statistics indicates South Africa’s unemployment rate reached 32% in the first three months of 2021. The report adds the official unemployment rate among youth (15-34 years) was 46.3% in quarter 1. The rate was 9.3% among university graduates. While my fellow young people are facing numerous challenges including unemployment, there are pockets of excellency when it comes to youth development initiatives in our country. My story and those of other young people are a true testimony of this. As a young person who grew up in one of Tzaneen villages, I did not have a hope of being someone with a profession that I can earn leaving with. Having been…

YOUTH yearn for a peaceful and prosperous world, and they have the potential to channel their energy, talents and capacities towards building such a world. National Youth Day is a reminder it is within the power of young people to contribute significantly to shaping the societies of the coming decades. We must have confidence that our youth have great potential and capacity, and to help them to develop and enhance those capacities, Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, compares human beings to a mine containing many hidden jewels, waiting to be discovered. He says: “Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit from it”. The kind of education we provide to our…

Anna Cox anna.cox@inl.co.za WHILE the City of Joburg announced it was thrilled to be adding another accolade to its destination status after 7th Street – with Melville recently listed as one of the world’s coolest top 30 streets by global magazine Time Out – residents tell another story. Sarah Hudleston, a resident, said the suburb has issues with homelessness and crime, but had, “funnily enough, brought our suburb together with a common purpose of not letting Melville become Hellville!” Hudleston is part of the ward 87 committee with the community development portfolio. “The community is rallying together to do volunteer, regular clean-ups, monitor security and to improve the area. Although there are problematic spots with illegal dumping, many residents have come on board to keep the suburb clean,” she said.…

THIS year, the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation challenged me to pay tribute to the youth of ’76 differently from that which I had become used to. My experience had become typical, what with adults proudly donning school uniforms from head to toe, to social gatherings supposedly in memory of June 16. Had it not been for the time-old Sarafina, I am ashamed to say that there is little awareness around the meaning or history of the Soweto Uprising ever featured. With all its doom and gloom, global pandemic and all, this year I was able to spend June 16 known as Youth Day learning about historical events. Our day began with a special visit to the gallows at Kgosi Mampuru II Correction Centre, known during apartheid as Pretoria Maximum. It was…

Thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds with speed up to 30-40 km/h at isolated places over Delhi, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan and Muzaffarabad were expected today, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said yesterday. Similar weather is predicted over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands where winds with speeds up to 40-50 km/h are likely. Thunderstorms are also expected at isolated places over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Chattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Sikkim, Odisha, Assam, Meghalaya, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam, Telangana, Kerala, Mahe, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal, . Besides this, heavy rainfall is expected at isolated places over east Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Odisha, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Assam and Meghalaya, said IMD. Winds up to 40-50 km/h gusting…

LOS ANGELES: Mary J Blige is surprised that her “pain” has resonated with so many people. The 50-year-old singer is taking her fans on an “emotional journey” with her new documentary, My Life –- which explores her difficult childhood and her rise to stardom – and Mary admits to being surprised that so many people have felt a connection to her life story. She said: “I didn’t see any of this coming and I’m just happy that it came, and I’m just happy that a lot of us are healing and in the healing process.”…

KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian government taskforce has proposed amendments to sharia law that would allow action to be taken against social media users for insulting Islam and “promoting the LGBT lifestyle”. Sodomy and same-sex acts are illegal under Islamic law in Muslim-majority Malaysia, although convictions are rare. The amendments to sharia criminal laws were proposed in response to social media posts celebrating the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender as part of Pride Month in June, Deputy Minister in charge of religious affairs Ahmad Marzuk Shaary said. “We have found that certain parties uploaded statuses and graphics that insulted Islam on social media in their efforts to promote the LGBT lifestyle,” he said.…

ZAAHIER ADAMS zaahier.adams@inl.co.za THE Proteas received a significant boost yesterday with captain Temba Bavuma expected to lead the Proteas in their five-match T20 series against world champions the West Indies, starting tomorrow in Grenada. Bavuma missed the 2-0 Test series victory over the West Indies that was played in a bio-secure environment in St Lucia with a middle finger dislocation. In a Cricket South Africa press briefing released yesterday, it was stated that Bavuma "is responding well" to treatment and is expected to take his place at the helm in the shortest format. It will be the first time that Bavuma will lead the Proteas since being appointed full-time captain of both the T20 and one-day international national teams. He missed the recent T20 international series against Pakistan, which the…