Table of contents for 2022-11-07 in Star

Questions about company’s ability to make payments of more than R345m TONGAAT Hulett creditors are expected to line up tomorrow in a meeting with the Business Rescue Practitioners (BRPs) to chalk their demands from the company in quicksand over its continuity. Reports confirmed over the weekend by the South African Cane Growers’ Association (Sasa) were that some small-scale growers supplying the Tongaat Hulett mills at Felixton, Amatikulu and Maidstone had received the overdue payment for cane delivered in September 2022. Sasa said however, commercial growers have not yet been paid, leaving the majority of the imperilled 14 642 jobs at risk. “There also remain questions about Tongaat Hulett’s ability to make timeous payments of more than R345 million at the end of November, for the more than 570…

Tarina Patel wears many hats. Not only is she an actress and reality TV star but she is also a humanitarian, who runs several projects that help those in need. Her social and philanthropic work was recently awarded at the Global Gandhi Awards in London. She received the Global Gandhi Award for Philanthropy. The Global Gandhi Awards acknowledge, recognise and reward the exceptional contribution of individuals around the world in their respective fields. Patel shared that it was an honour and privilege to be in the UK parliament and receive the award. Patel’s foundation, the Dr Ramanbhai Foundation and the Gandhi-Mandela Peace Initiative, focuses on health care and education in Africa and India. Patel explained to IOL Entertainment that receiving the honour was “humbling” as not many people are aware…

THE ANC electoral committee has announced, ahead of the 55th elective conference next month, that all candidates campaigning for positions in the National Executive Committee (NEC) would have to declare their funders and financial records. According to electoral committee secretary Chief Livhuwani Matsila, the decision is one of the ways to curb vote buying and to ensure transparency in the upcoming conference at Nasrec. Speaking to Independent Media yesterday, Matsila said the new instruction was aimed at avoiding a repeat of the allegations of vote buying during the 2017 elective conference that saw President Cyril Ramaphosa emerging as ANC president and defeating Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Dr Nkosazan Dlamini Zuma. In a letter addressed to ANC NEC members, provincial secretaries, regional secretaries, branch secretaries, and members in…

RENOWNED actress Terry Pheto has spoken out after alarming news reports broke a few days ago claiming she is involved in a multimillion-rand scheme relating to funding by the National Lotteries Commission. It was reported the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) had swooped on multimillion-rand properties, a luxury vehicle and two seafood restaurants owned by Terry Pheto, former lotteries boss Lesley Ramulifho and others. SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago,told Newzroom Afrika that the unit had been probing the matter since 2020. “We (were) looking at certain NPOs that received money. And when we were tracing the money, we found it ended up buying properties,’ said Kganyago. He revealed that the money had also bought the popular seafood restaurant Ocean Basket in Carnival City. Kganyago said they were working on returning the money…

THREE Saudi nationals have been ordered by the Vredendal Regional Court to pay R2 million to the State after they entered a plea and sentence agreement for being in possession of 1.63 million flora items. NPA spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said last week: “The court ordered Abdulnaser Mohammed Althenaian, his son Mohand Abdulnaser Althenaian and Bedah Abdulrahman Albedah to leave South Africa within 48 hours of their release and declared them unfit to possess a firearm.” They admitted that they flew into the country on October 7 this year for the sole purpose of searching for and acquiring plants that they planned to export to a farm in Saudi Arabia. “They booked into a guest house in a location known to have a distribution range of the flora. They then recruited…

One of the most flamboyant French journalists of the 19th century, Émile de Girardin, warned: “The power of words is immense. A well-chosen word has often sufficed to stop a flying army, to change defeat into victory and to save an empire.” Kanye West, a hip hop singer and fashion mega-star who goes by the name “Ye”, recently made shocking, divisive and harmful statements. The 45-year-old singer stirred a similar controversy again last month, at Paris fashion week when he wore a T-shirt with the slogan “White Lives Matter”. White lives do matter but what seems not to matter to the controversial singer was his denial of and opposition to “Black Lives Matter”, the global protest movement inspired by the death of George Floyd, who was murdered by a white…

COP27 is the 27th Conference of the Parties (countries) that signed up to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The convention was established at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, and has been ratified by 198 countries. They agreed to stabilise the production of greenhouse gases to prevent dangerous climate change. Since then, the Conference of the Parties has been hosted in a different country each year. These conferences broadly provide a platform for the negotiation of international climate change treaties. The very first treaty acknowledged that the responsibility for action was different for developed and developing countries, because developed countries were responsible for most greenhouse gas emissions. Despite some gains, commitment to these treaties has not translated into the action necessary to shift the course of global climate…

The death toll from yesterday’s plane crash in Lake Victoria in Tanzania has jumped to 19, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said, after the Precision Air flight with dozens of passengers aboard plunged into water while approaching the northwestern city of Bukoba. “All Tanzanians are with you in mourning the 19 people who lost lives during this accident,” Majaliwa told a crowd after arriving at Bukoba airport, where the flight was scheduled to land from financial capital Dar es Salaam. Regional authorities and the airline said that 26 survivors out of the 43 people on board flight PW 494 had been pulled to safety and taken to hospital in the lakeside city in Kagera region. It was not immediately clear if the 19 victims included rescuers who drowned or whether the…

Moscow: Ukraine’s Moscow-occupied southern city of Kherson was cut off from electricity and water after a Kyiv strike on power lines. “In Kherson and a number of other areas in the region, there is temporarily no electricity or water supply,” the city’s Moscow-installed administration said on Telegram. It said it was a “result of an attack organised by the Ukrainian side that saw three concrete poles of high-voltage power lines damaged”. . Russian forces have organised a civilian pull-out from Kherson as Ukrainian troops advance. Moscow has in recent weeks hit Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, causing mass power cuts across the country. | AFP…

ADELE Broodryk believes South African runners will do better at the Soweto Marathon if organisers introduce a bonus incentive for the best local performers. The Murray & Roberts starlet was speaking after the 27th edition of the People’s Race at FNB Stadium yesterday. The only South African woman in the top 10 following her ninth place finish, Broodryk said that while she appreciates the presence of foreign runners in the race because it pushes South Africans to up their game, she believes a bonus scheme similar to the one at the Comrades Marathon would come in handy as extra motivation. “It would be great to have something for the best or even top three South Africans in the race,” she said after making her debut in the race. “I remember…

Retiring Barcelona defender Gerard Pique said he felt liberated when coach Xavi Hernandez took him off in the 83rd minute of the 2-0 win over Almeria on Saturday as he walked off in tears to a standing ovation from a packed Camp Nou. The 35-year-old Pique announced on Friday that this would be his last game in the historic stadium as he decided to retire when La Liga breaks for the World Cup next week. “It was like taking a heavy burden off my back when I walked off the pitch,” Pique told DAZN. “The last few months were really difficult and (Saturday) I felt liberated. “It was a lifetime experience that I’ll take forever with me. “I’m happy for giving it all for this club. There were good and…

ECONOMISTS are pessimistic about the manufacturing and mining figures expected out on Thursday due to severe load shedding in September. Energy analysts have also questioned the repurposing of Eskom’s Komati Power station for a solar and wind project funded by the World Bank of up to R9 billion. Eskom and the World Bank separately announced on Friday that the Komati power Station, which was effectively closed last week after reaching its end of life, would be re-purposed for solar, wind and battery storage capacity. This would also help retain the town’s economy by upskilling workers that are residents. The new Komati power station will include the provision of 150MW of solar, 70MW of wind and 150MW of storage batteries. The World Bank said the project would also create opportunities…

Chew the fat with Cyril or snap up an ANC business forum package A POPULAR conversation in the US is about choosing between $500 000 (about R8.9 million) or having dinner with the mogul Jay-Z – but closer to home the ANC charges up to R200 000 for dinner with President Cyril Ramaphosa. Business people who want to sit next to Ramaphosa at the party’s conference gala dinner at the December conference will have to cough up R95 000 or R200 000 to have dinner with the president, according to the ANC’s Progressive Business Forum (PBF). The forum has organised the December 15 gala dinner, which has additional registration charges, ranging between R5 000 and R30 000. The forum also has packages on offer to book…

ACTIONSA has confirmed that its Tshwane human settlements MMC Abel Tau is undergoing disciplinary processes following allegations of sexual misconduct. This comes after media reports that Tau has been formally charged with attempted sexual assault, and that he would be appearing in court early next year. There have been allegations that he had attempted to rape his friend’s wife. Reports emerged at the weekend that more women had come forward complaining that they were also sexually violated by Tau. The Star understands that several of the victims were members of ActionSA. Tau has denied these allegations and taken special leave at the surfacing of these claims two weeks ago. He had said taking leave would be part of a process to clear his name. But yesterday the party announced that…

MUSIC star Kevin Maduna presents his body of work on the horizon, My Own Truth, which sees the versatile artist bask in the beauty of life while exploring different themes about his life and owning his truth. Maduna said the EP, set to be released on December 9, mirrors his life and acknowledges how everything around him influences him and his decisions. “My Own Truth is a reflection of me and how I live daily acknowledging what’s around me and how it influences me and the decisions I make but not the truth I stand for, which is what governs me as Kevin Maduna. “This is body of work I’ve been working on for months with great music producers and writers who helped me bring to life this amazing…

L’Oréal-Unesco for Women in Science National Awards recognised the outstanding South African women scientists for their contributions to science at a ceremony held in Johannesburg last week As part of this recognition, each woman received a generous grant in support of their PhD or post-doctoral studies. The L’Oréal-Unesco for Women in Science international programme functions at multiple levels to reach women at all stages of their scientific careers and support them in overcoming the obstacles that too often prevent women from reaching the heights they are capable of achieving. Through these awards, L’Oréal and Unesco empower women scientists and inspire the next generation of young women to enter the field of science and collaborate to transform the world of science from within. This year’s recipients, Dr Thilona Arumugam, Dr René…

It is horrible that journalists in Zimbabwe are living in fear. They are being persecuted for exposing government corruption. One example is Hopewell Chinono, who was arrested on July 31, 2020. The Zanu-PF has denied him bail because he exposed corruption in Zimbabwe. Some journalists are in danger of losing their lives because of the Zanu-PF government’s brutal conduct. This shows that the Zimbabwean government is agitated about the truth being exposed. It is also a sign that the government is preventing Zimbabwe from becoming a great nation again. President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his government should resign immediately because they have failed the nation. In addition, he should stop interfering in journalists' lives.…

THERE is a problem of men acting violently towards women, and this is more prevalent among black and coloured people than other races. But gender-based violence is not a pandemic. We isolate GBV from general violence and then underplay the high rates of violence. The origins of GBV can be linked to the nature of violence in our societies. Women are as much responsible for GBV as men. I do not mean that the female victims are to blame. What I am saying is that our society is violent and one aspect of this violence is domestic and affects mainly women, but women nurture violence in males through their behaviour toward their sons and stepchildren. Women kill more children than men and involve witchcraft in order to gain control over…

IF YOU are a South African sports fan, after this past weekend, look away – it was nothing short of disastrous. The defending world champions, the Springboks, came narrowly unstuck against Ireland – the No 1 ranked team in the world – due to their own failings in the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, while a few hours later the Blitzboks’ curse at the Hong Kong Sevens continued as they were dumped out of that tournament by Fiji in the quarter-finals. In spite of that disappointment, the Blitzboks do have a bit of leeway as they adjust to the approach and vision of new coach Sandile Ngcobo. The SA senior national netball women’s team made it to the finals of the Fast5, only to stumble at the final hurdle against Australia.…

LIMA: Thousands of people took to the streets across Peru at the weekend to demand the resignation of embattled President Pedro Castillo, a leftist whose government is under investigation for corruption. Castillo has called those who oppose his government “the enemies of people”. Castillo, who took office in July last year, has already survived two impeachment attempts. Opposition legislators are seeking a fresh trial against him. Discontent has been rising in Peru. “They want us to become Venezuela,” said one protester, referring to their neighbour that went into an economic freefall. Similar protests were held in other cities across the country. | Reuters…

LAHORE: Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said yesterday he welcomed the government’s offer to launch a judicial commission to investigate the attack in which he was shot in the leg on Thursday. Khan made the remarks in a video broadcast live on social media from a hospital in the eastern city of Lahore. He is receiving treatment after being shot during a protest march three days earlier in what he and supporters called an assassination attempt. The government has said it will investigate the shooting. | Reuters…

Arsenal beat Chelsea 1-0 to dispel doubts over their Premier League title credentials and return to the top of the standings yesterday, as Manchester United were blown away 3-1 by an inspired Aston Villa on Unai Emery’s bow as boss. United are now three points off the top four after Newcastle United continued their fine form with a 4-1 win at Southampton to go third. Gabriel Magalhaes bundled in Bukayo Saka’s corner for the only goal at Stamford Bridge, but the slender margin of victory was the very least Arsenal deserved. Chelsea offered barely anything going forward as they slipped to back-to-back Premier League defeats for the first time in two years. “For such a young team, the maturity, the composure they showed, the resilience and courage to play how…

THE Supreme Court of Appeal has dismissed with costs a bid by fast food franchise giant Chicken Licken to stop a Greek street food outlet, Soul Souvlaki, from using the word “soul”. The appellant, Golden Fried Chicken (Pty) Ltd, which trades as Chicken Licken through a number of food outlets, has registered the words “soul” and “soul food”, according to court papers. Soul Souvlaki, which has several stores in Johannesburg, has been using its name since 2012. Chicken Licken claimed Soul Souvlaki was “infringing its trademark” and approached the High Court in Gauteng to interdict them from doing so. “The High Court dismissed both the application and counter-application with costs and refused the appellant leave to appeal. The respondents sought leave to cross-appeal,” read the court papers. Chicken Licken has…

A three-judge appeal bench of the Western Cape High Court has awarded the estate of a woman who originally sued SA Olympian Christine Kalmer for R718 000 in damages after a 2014 collision just 30% of her original claim on appeal. The amount comes to R215 400. In March last year, Kalmer, who competed in the women’s marathon event at the 2016 Summer Olympics, successfully defended a R718 000 claim brought against her by Yasmin Salie, who had sued her along with Western Province Athletics. In that case, Salie, who has since died from causes unrelated to the incident, claimed Kalmer had pushed her out of the way, causing her to fall and injure her right thigh and knee. The claim was dismissed, as was leave to appeal, but Salie…

What a load of hogwash, once again, from Khotso KD Moleko (“Terror alert: US had sinister intentions”)! He states: “Effectively, the US introduced terrorism to South Africa.” Really, Khotso? What are the “sinister intentions”? Please clarify your statements with verifiable proof. He says the alert was for ”political and socio-economic objectives of the foreign policy of the USA”. Please clarify the objectives and the USA’s “foreign policy”. To this comment he adds something irrelevant: “New methods of colonialism and dominance were detected by the Russians, and this resulted in the invasion of Ukraine.” Absolute claptrap! Russian President Vladimir Putin attacked Ukraine in order to secure his borders from suspected attacks by Nato and the UN. It would act as a buffer zone. The US is a “world power” and has…

It was at about 8.30pm on May 4 2009 when I received a telephone call from Mimi Jabe, the former private secretary of the premier-elect Dr Zweli Mkhize. She informed me that Dr Mkhize wanted me to join him in an urgent private meeting to be held the following day in the Zululand District. My bewildered gaze and husky voice travelled through the cellphone mouthpiece and landed questioningly in Mimi’s face and ears on the other side. “Do you have any details of this meeting?” I asked – also ascertaining who else from the office had been asked to be part of the meeting. She responded: “I have already informed Dr Mkhize’s new Special Adviser Cyril Xaba to be part of this meeting.” She explained further: “The plan is that…

Each of the last eight years, if projections for this year hold, will be hotter than any year prior to 2015, the UN said yesterday, detailing a dramatic increase in the rate of global warming. Sea level rise, glacier melt, torrential rains, heat waves – and the deadly disasters they cause – have all accelerated, the World Meteorological Organization said in a report as the COP27 UN Climate Summit opened in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. “As COP27 gets underway, our planet is sending a distress signal,” said UN chief Antonio Guterres, describing the report as “a chronicle of climate chaos”. Earth has warmed more than 1.1°C since the late 19th century, with roughly half of that increase occurring in the past 30 years, the report shows. Nearly 200 nations gathered in…

YOKOSUKA: Japan hosted its first international fleet review in seven years yesterday with ships from 12 other nations in a show of unity as North Korea fires record numbers of missiles and China increases its pressure on Taiwan. The naval parade in Sagami Bay near Tokyo involved 38 vessels, some from friendly countries such as the US, South Korea and Britain. Thirty-three aircraft participated, including submarine-hunting patrol planes and helicopters. “We must ready for those who violate rules and who would use force to trample on the peace and security of other nations,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said. | Reuters…

The Blitzboks flopped badly in Hong Kong, winning just one game over three days and losing four to give new coach Sandile Ngcobo an unfortunate start to the post-Neil Powell era. Ngcobo said missed opportunities contributed significantly to the disappointing performance, while acknowledging the squad did not play at their best. “It was missed opportunities and that hurt, as we worked hard to create those, only to not capitalise on them,” said Ngcobo. “It is our first tournament together and the players might not be on top of their roles and responsibilities yet, but that is something we can work on and improve. We just did not finish games off.” Ngcobo said they will be better for the experience and admitted that it was not the ideal start to his…