Table of contents for 2023-11-13 in Star

THE SOUTH Africa Israel Chamber of Commerce (Saicc) has warned that the US government could remove South Africa from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) due to the country’s stance on the ongoing geopolitical conflicts. Saicc on Friday said that it was concerned that the South African government’s decision to depart from its policy of non-alignment and openly side with Russia and more recently, Iran, could have a negative impact on its relationship with the US. Agoa is currently valid until 2025, but its extension depends on opinions within the US Congress. “We speak on behalf of a group of prominent South African business leaders and urge President Cyril Ramaphosa and Minister (of International Relations) Naledi Pandor to reassess the situation as a matter of urgency, in light of…

OIL PRICES gained about 2% on Friday as Iraq voiced support for Opec+’s oil cuts ahead of a meeting in two weeks and as some speculators covered massive short positions ahead of weekend uncertainty. Still, prices settled with weekly losses of 4%, their third straight weekly decline. “This was the perfect technical storm. We came into this week with an almost record short position and now we’re seeing some short covering going into the weekend,” said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group. Flynn noted that in addition to Iraq’s comments, Saudi Arabia and Russia confirmed this week that they would continue oil output cuts through to year end. In the US, energy firms cut the number of oil rigs operating for a second week in a row to…

Reality TV is on the rise in South Africa with many celebrities getting their own productions. And to be fair, it’s a winning formula for everybody, including fans who lap it up. We’ve seen this with shows from local celebs such as DJ Zinhle, rapper Boity and businesswoman and socialite Shaun Mkhize, whose second season is coming soon. Currently, audiences are loving Inside Life with K.O. The eight-episode series on BET is currently on its fourth episode. Offering more than just the regular episode, the production team took it a step further by preparing a special Get to Know the Cast video, which offers a unique glimpse into the lives and personalities of the show’s dynamic cast, providing fans with a deeper connection to the Skhanda World. In the upcoming…

While police are in the process of recalling detectives who have either retired or moved on, the investigative capacity of the SAPS is severely affected due to a shortage of more than 8 000 detectives, resulting in investigation delays. In reply to a question about the capacitation of the detective services during a Peace and Security National Assembly parliamentary meeting last week, Deputy Police Minister Cassel Mathale said the government is now enlisting detectives. “The number of dockets our detectives have at hand are more than what they are supposed to do,” he said. This issue lies not only with detectives, but with the police service as a whole, he said, as the number of officers has decreased while the population of the country has increased to 62 million. “We…

AFTER two alleged unsettling cases of kidnapping and rape, Free State Police Commissioner Baile Motswenyane has issued a strong warning to women. Police in Free State have revealed that in the first incident, a 19-year-old college student was accosted on Christoliet Street, Jan Cilliers Park as she made her way to school. A man driving a grey Mazda 3 approached her, claiming his child was missing, and the kidnappers matched her description. Allegedly demanding a R50 000 ransom, he convinced her to get into the vehicle, drove her near to the Masimong mine, where he raped her, and gave her R50 to take a taxi home. The suspect is described as slender, tall, light-skinned, with a missing front tooth and a chest scar. He wore a dark blue suit…

It was quite disappointing to see the Cabinet’s decision to withdraw its staff from the South African embassy in Israel on the grounds that Israel is committing “genocide” in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. As a result South Africa will never be in a position to broker peace between Israel and Hamas. Pretoria continues to lean towards its cold-war era associates at the expense of its current-day foreign policy prospects. It is impossible to imagine the difficulties that South Africans will go through without an embassy in Israel. What it amounts to is the South African government abandoning its citizens in Israel. South Africans who are tourists, students or employees in Israel will be left on their own by their own government. SA has shown it is not interested in brokering…

With reference to this vessel docking at Simon’s Town, Cyril Ramaphosa and Naledi Pandor are ducking and diving. When initially questioned, Ramaphosa said that food had been loaded on to that vessel. The commission that investigated the docking of this vessel said that nothing was loaded on to the vessel, that only military equipment was offloaded from the vessel. Pandor and Ramaphosa, together with the minister of defence, will be held accountable sometime in the future should it turn out that anything militarily related was loaded on to that vessel. If it was food that was loaded on this vessel and it was ration packs, that would be looked upon as military related. Pandor and Ramaphosa “in bed” with communists and other global organisations with questionable backgrounds, are taking South…

It’s been two years since Len Cloete was shot in the head following a scuffle with a policeman. And despite suffering brain damage, Len’s health is good, the private investigating company handling the case said last week. A video of the shooting, which took place at a hotel in Muldersdrift on November 13, 2021, went viral on social media. At the time, Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) spokesperson Grace Langa, said Cloete had allegedly been arguing with staff and management at the lodge and was asked to leave. She said he refused, and security and the establishment manager followed him to the room and asked him to leave. “He became more aggressive. Police were called in to assist, and the guest started fighting with police.” In the video, Cloete is…

It’s been quite a year for South African sports fans – the Proteas Women’s team reaching a first-ever ICC T20 World Cup final at Newlands, Banyana Banyana’s progression to the second round of the Fifa Women’s World Cup in New Zealand and, of course, the almighty one with Siya Kolisi’s Springboks defending their Rugby World Cup crown in France. And it’s not over yet. The Proteas men’s team find themselves in another ICC World Cup semi-final right at the heart of where it all began back in 1991 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata this week. The opposition is, of course, Australia. Those hard-nosed mates from Down Under have inflicted pain on the Proteas since the Edgbaston semi-final in 1999. The Proteas Class of 2023 have shown here in India, though,…

Bamako: Fighting resumed yesterday between the Malian army and Tuareg separatist and rebel groups in the country’s northern region, military officers said. Since seizing power in a coup in 2020, the African country’s military rulers have made a priority of re-establishing sovereignty over all regions and Kidal could become a key battleground. One military officer said that the Mali army has “resumed operations on the ground to secure the entire national territory.” Army planes were seen flying towards Kidal yesterday, another official said. | AFP…

SEOUL: Defence chiefs from South Korea, Japan and the US have agreed to start as planned a real-time data sharing scheme on North Korean missiles in December, South Korea’s defence ministry said yesterday. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin met his South Korean counterpart Shin Won-sik in Seoul yesterday with Japanese defence minister Minoru Kihara joining the meeting online. The ministers discussed strengthening their three-way co-operation in the face of “severe security environments”, Kihara said.…

Quantum Foods Holdings said on Friday that the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak will push the company into the red in the year to September 30. The company, the largest egg producer in South Africa and an animal feed and poultry product producer for several African markets, had said in September that an HPAI outbreak had been detected at several of its farms in Gauteng and in North West Province, but at that point the full financial impact on the company was unknown. At that stage, the outbreak appeared to be confined to the northern parts of the country, and Quantum’s farms in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape were unaffected. By that time, the financial impact was expected to be at least a 100 percent decline in headline…

RICHEMONT shares tumbled 5.5% on Friday after the Cartier owner reported a 2% slow-down in operating profit from continuing operations for the half year to end September, a period in which the company faced “uncertain macroeconomic and political environment” and “adverse foreign currency movements” in some of its major markets. Operating profit at ¤2.7 billion (about R54bn) for the six months was 2% lower compared to the year earlier, on an actual exchange rate basis, although this was 15% firmer on constant exchange rate basis. Stronger sales and gross profit that was up by 5% for the period, coupled with controlled operating expenses, was not enough to stem the slide in operating profit at actual exchange rates for the company. Against the backdrop of stronger capital expenditure of €378…

THE CONTINUING dissonance of priorities in South Africa begs a number of questions that remain unanswered. It raises a deep-seated concern of the extent to which the Constitution manages to define who a person referred to as a South African should be. To date, using the lens of priorities, South Africa seems to be a country at odds with itself, where the urgent have mutated in a violent way to become important. The urgent is what now drives policy and national psyche, leaving the triple challenge in the back banner. It is now common cause that for attention to a problem to be raised, deterioration on a path should reach rock bottom. This practice has become a national pastime and has become what frames and informs our priorities. A non-issue…

THE SOUTH African wine harvest that concluded in April was 10% smaller than last year’s due to climatic conditions, according to South Africa Wine CEO Ricco Basson. Basson said while the sector had clear climatic risks and mitigation strategies combined with technical expertise, there was often still an impact. “Further to this the electricity disruption during the growing season and the harvest did have an impact and most certainly escalated costs,” he said. The stock level of the industry was currently at an equilibrium level – unlike other countries that had significant surplus stock. The sector could utilise opportunities from this, notwithstanding a tough trading environment due to consumer inflation, logistical disruptions, and geopolitical challenges, Basson said. He said a positive aspect of the low global production was that it…

A PLAN TO recover degraded pastures in farm powerhouse Brazil will be officially announced as government policy and presented at the COP-28 climate summit in Dubai by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, an official said. The plan, which is being devised by the Agriculture Ministry, has been submitted to Lula da Silva for approval, Carlos Augustin, special adviser to Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro, told Reuters. Lula is expected to formally announce it on November 22, ahead of the summit in the following week. The timing coincides with efforts by Brazil, also the largest global producer and exporter of sugar, coffee and orange juice, and a top supplier of chicken, to improve its environment record as the country braces for new EU regulations banning deforestation-linked commodities. The new policy aims…

Fresh from appearing on the popular Netflix series, One Piece, Stevel Marc is now set to heat up local screens as he joins the cast of e.tv’s Scandal! The Jamaican-born actor, model and photographer said he was excited to feature in the South African soapie. He made his debut on Tuesday. He said: “I am thrilled to be joining South Africa’s number one soap. I’ve followed it over the years, so being part of it now is euphoric.” Marc added that he already had a positive experience being part of the cast. “The experience has been fantastic for me thus far – a welcoming cast and crew who put the show first.” Cast as Sanka Myrie, his character has been described as “confident, charismatic and stylish”. “Women find him irresistibly…

THE EFF has lambasted the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) for issuing a press release calling out the party, hours after Standard Bank set the record straight about proof of payment (POP) by the Red Berets to AfriForum. The EFF said the ANCYL embarrassed itself by releasing a statement on a matter Standard Bank had already clarified, that the EFF POPs of R316 000 are legitimate and not fraudulent. “We were not surprised, because this current crop of ANCYL leaders is characterised by illiterate individuals who were imposed by ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula. The only thing they know is to drink alcohol and demand ministerial positions,” said EFF Student Command president Sihle Lonzi. The ANCYL had no identity of its own, he said, and no revolutionary programme and agenda for…

Community activists condemned the actions of “unsympathetic” security guards, seen dragging a woman tenant on the floor when evicting her from her flat in Treehaven, Phoenix, recently. A group of GBH security guards on the video, now circulating on social media, are seen towing the woman, who seemed to be refusing to leave a room believed to be hers. In the video recording, the voices of enraged neighbours who were trying to stop the incident can be heard. In a statement shared by the Voice of Phoenix (Vop), a non-government organisation, said it disapproved of the manner in which the matter was addressed. “No human deserves their rights to be infringed upon and Vop will not be taking the matter lightly. “We will ensure the matter reaches the highest authorities…

The month of November is a hive of activity, with men from all walks of life marking Men’s Health Awareness and drawing attention to issues that are important to them. Dr Fathima Docrat, an experienced general surgeon specialising in relevant surgical procedures, highlights the significant topic of prostate cancer, providing insights to empower men with knowledge and promote early detection and prevention. Docrat underlines the essential need for early detection as well as treatment, highlighting the need for regular screenings. “Early detection of prostate cancer is vital, as it often manifests with no symptoms in its initial stages. Timely screening and suitable medical interventions significantly improve patients’ health and quality of life,” said Docrat. Understanding prostate cancer: Risk factors: Prostate cancer, affecting men across different ages, underscores the importance of…

I was surprised by the Hamas propaganda written by Mamphela Ramphele. I would have expected something more meaningful and unbiased from her instead of this usual Hamas propaganda. Ramphele seems to have a blind spot as regards Israel’s side of the story. She does not mention the barbaric attack by Hamas on innocent Israeli and other citizens where women, babies and teenagers were raped, slaughtered, tortured and disembowelled. She claims that Israel is guilty of genocide when the Hamas charter states that Israel must be extinguished and eliminated. Is this not genocide? Does she really think that Israel (or any other country) should not defend itself in any way possible from these barbarians? She believes all the lies put out by Hamas that the Gazans have no medicine, food, water…

A claim by a family against the Public Investment Corporation for the payment of R1.35 trillion – money which the PIC is holding – has turned to the Constitutional Court. The apartheid government’s policy of precluding any person from paying money over to a foreign creditor, citizen or country will also come under the spotlight. The legal wrangle concerns the wife and executrix of the estate of the late Abdul Razak Tayob Surtie. The Surtie family say that Surtie is the beneficiary of offshore inheritance assets which were repatriated during 1984, after the repatriation was initiated at the time by the Lesotho branch of Barclays Bank Limited. The source of the funds were diamond mining claims and investments done with a share certificate portfolio, with an involvement in commercial trade…

FOR JUST R300 a month, and if you are connected to a woman by the name of Priscilla, you can easily get yourself a foreign national husband. A recent SABC report revealed that a woman identified as Rebone Shabir accused Priscilla of being involved in setting up Limpopo women with Pakistanis as husbands. The SABC reported that several women from Limpopo also stepped forward following their exposé of the prearranged marriages with spaza shop owners and other foreigners. According to the media report, the 36-year-old Shabir indicated that she was approached by Priscilla with an offer to marry a male Pakistani shopowner in exchange for a monthly fee of R300, which would be paid until her death. Shabir added that she and Priscilla had travelled to Home Affairs in Johannesburg…

The Body Moves International Inclusive Dance Festival makes a triumphant return after the explosive success of its first year. This festival, which supports dancers with disabilities as well as those without, will take place from November 20-26 at the Sibikwa Arts Centre in Benoni. “This is the second year that we are running the festival; last year was the launch,” said Caryn Green of Sibikwa Arts Centre. “It really is a platform for different types of bodies to be in the same professional space. We have dancers from Europe and Africa, some with disabilities and some without disabilities. And just celebrating this integrated space,” she said. “I hope we get to a point where we don’t have to call it an ‘inclusive festival’, because people with differences should be included…

About half a decade ago while speaking at a Youth Land Indaba which was organised by Activate Change Drivers, I made a bold and shocking statement and said, “To end unemployment, we end employment!” To say the audience was shocked is an understatement. I received the very same reaction from my friends. Why would someone say such a thing in a country engulfed by shocking numbers of unemployed people with most of them being young people? I hope in this short piece I will be able to elucidate why this statement holds true. I will draw from our education system, the way our economy is designed and the latest developments in the market with regard to solving the unemployment crisis. The unemployment rate in South Africa according to the latest…

Intense fighting raged around Gaza’s biggest hospital yesterday where doctors said thousands of Palestinians were trapped in dire conditions, as Israel pledged to help evacuate babies from the facility. Gaza City’s Al-Shifa hospital has been caught in Israel’s ground offensive aimed at destroying Hamas, and the compound has been repeatedly hit by gunfire and strikes, one of which Hamas health officials said destroyed the cardiac ward yesterday. The Israeli military has denied deliberately targeting the hospital and has repeatedly accused the Islamist militant group ruling Gaza of using medical facilities or tunnels beneath them as command centres and hideouts – a charge Hamas denies. Fears have intensified for patients and people taking refuge in Al-Shifa and other health-care facilities in Gaza, and medical aid group, Doctors Without Borders, has warned…

Dhaka: A total of 130 ready-made garment factories on outskirts of Bangladesh capital Dhaka have suspended operations for an indefinite period due to ongoing worker protests for higher wages. Workers are demanding a minimum monthly wage of $209 (R4 000), rejecting the government’s announcement of a 56% wage increase last week. The protests have led to vandalism of cars and factories, with clashes between police and workers. Paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh soldiers have been deployed in major industrial zones. | IANS…

Ducati’s Enea Bastianini won the Malaysian MotoGP yesterday as Francesco Bagnaia came third ahead of title rival Jorge Martin to extend his narrow world championship lead with two races left. The Italian Bastianini cruised home at Sepang more than 1.5 seconds ahead of Alex Marquez in second, with Bagnaia third and Martin a distant fourth. Reigning world title-holder Bagnaia of Italy now has a 14-point lead on Spain's Martin heading into the race in Qatar this weekend. The factory Ducati rider Bagnaia is favourite to retain his crown, but the championship looks set to go right down to the final race of the season in Valencia at the end of the month. "I tried to close the gap to Alex and Bastia but I was struggling a lot on the…

EASTERN Platinum said Friday that it intends to raise capital for its projects following a sharp surge in revenues in the third quarter from its chrome mining operations. Revenue increased by a massive 505.6% to $21.8 million ($3.6m) in its third quarter to September 30, with the year-on-year increase driven mainly by an increase in chrome prices. Year-to-date (YTD) revenue increased 94% to $80.5m from $41.5m, the miner said on Friday in a statement about its third quarter results. “Although chrome production decreased this quarter, we are still encouraged by revenue generated from the tailings storage facility. “As we have started blasting activities at the Zandfontein underground section of the Crocodile River Mine, (CRM) we expect to process the underground ore in the first quarter of 2024,” chief executive…

IN HIS FAMOUS “I am an African” speech, former president Thabo Mbeki says: “I owe my being to the Khoi and the San, whose desolate souls haunt the great expanses of the beautiful Cape, they who fell victim to the most merciless genocide our native land has ever seen, they who were the first to lose their lives in the struggle to defend our freedom and independence and they who, as a people, perished in the result. “Today, as a country, we keep an audible silence about these ancestors of the generations that live, fearful to admit the horror of a former deed, seeking to obliterate from our memories a cruel occurrence which, in its remembering, should teach us not and never to be inhuman again. “I am formed of…

THE YEAR 2023 has, in many ways, been a year of consolidation and recovery, particularly for exports. And while there has been some easing of input costs, many challenges and elevated risk in the sector remain. On the plus side, the Agbiz/IDC Agribusiness Confidence Index rebounded by 6 points to reach 50 points in the 3rd quarter, after having remained below the 50-point mark for 3 consecutive quarters. This suggests that agribusinesses are adapting to long-standing challenges such as deteriorating infrastructure, failing municipalities, intensified geopolitical tensions and persistent load-shedding. The year 2023 was a mixed bag of blessings and challenges: Various sectors such as wheat, soybeans and maize have continued to yield excellent harvests, but we are seeing the impact of downward pressure on commodity prices. Commodity prices…

Comedy, cheekiness and over-the-top designs come to life in HGTV’s newest home renovation show, Flip the Strip. Currently, on its third episode, it features Australian hotties – Ben Cleary, Dan Paterson, Liam Black, and Malik Wills-Martin – from the male revue Thunder from Down Under. The hour-long episodes allow viewers to indulge in a lot of eye candy, as these Las Vegas-based stars team up with interior designer Kelly Stone to undertake extraordinary home transformations. Home reno lovers can look forward to next-level, casino-inspired aesthetics replete with eye-catching chandeliers, innovative bar setups, and daring artwork that push traditional design norms’ boundaries. What sets Flip the Strip apart from other home makeover shows is its unique blend of interior design, construction and entertainment. Each episode is fused with creativity, drama…

Prince Kaybee allegedly has a “secret stash” of sex tapes, which feature his romantic shenanigans with other women. This was revealed by Cyan Boujee on L-Tido's podcast last week. She also explained to the renowned South African hip hop star, whose real name is Thato Madonsela, how Prince Kaybee slid into her DMs. This was during a time when the pair were not in an official relationship. But this didn’t deter the DJ and media personality, whose real name is Honour Zuma. “I just wanted to get smashed, and that happened so quickly,” she admitted on the podcast. Boujee also recently addressed the matter involving her sex tape, which has since been shared on social media. According to the buzz, she claimed that Kaybee was the mastermind behind the leaked…

Chaos erupted in Sea Point yesterday when pro-Palestine and pro-Israel supporters clashed during a protest on the Promenade. Hundreds of police officers formed a barrier between the two opposing groups. The Israeli supporters arranged a “Prayer and Proclamation for Israel and Israel and South Africa”, at the Mandela Glasses near the promenade. In response to this, thousands of pro-Palestine protesters gathered at the same venue, in a counter-demonstration. With the high police contingent, protesters decried the disproportionate allocation of police resources and the absence of such in high-crime areas on the Cape Flats. Several police officers removed Tshisimani Centre for Activist Education member and former head of the Parliamentary Protection Services Zelda Holtzman. She was allegedly manhandled and her cellphone was confiscated by police. Holtzman said: “Today, there is genocide…

WITH Black Friday looming, South Africans are counting down the days in anticipation of the nationwide megasales. OneDayOnly, South Africa’s original deals site has started an online petition to get employers to pay early so employees can buy necessities without stress. The day, which is characterised by a frenzy of activity and massive sales displayed by numerous retailers, has become a topic of discussion. The company’s sales director, Laurian Venter, highlights the value of early wage payments prior to Black Friday in order to reduce financial burden and encourage consumer engagement, stimulating the economy. “We know that when it comes to Black Friday, the early bird gets the worm, and with many South Africans living pay-cheque to pay-cheque, it would be a shame for them to miss out. “Last…

The news that Fikile Mbalula is “prepared to sell his socks“ to defend his integrity in laying a charge of crimen injuria and defeating the ends of justice against the former chairperson of Productivity SA and CEO of Thuja Capital is newsworthy for one main reason. Mbalula may have been gifted with many things, but political integrity is certainly not one of them. Whether he’s guilty of soliciting a bribe or not, he’s wasting his money (and his socks) if he’s going to try and defend it. He’ll have to find it first.…

A wife who made it clear that she was unprepared to tighten her belt, pending the divorce between herself and her husband, as she was accustomed to a certain lifestyle, turned to court to demand the husband pay her R84 000 a month in maintenance. The wife told the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, that her husband and his new love lived a good life, while she struggled. She said that during their marriage, she had got used to eating out at restaurants and going on local and overseas holidays. She was not about to give that up. As such, she said she needed R84 000 a month, pending their divorce. She also wanted R180 000 in arrears maintenance. When they had split, the husband had agreed to pay…

Load shedding has become the most common concern of South Africans across class, racial, and geographical lines. The question is how is this related to efforts to transform the energy sector where the role and position of Eskom is somewhat contested between those for privatisation of Eskom and those for strengthening it? Does load shedding strengthen any of the two positions? Load shedding means the reduction of electricity supply to prevent the power grid from collapsing as a result of excessively higher demand than supply. South Africa has resorted to load shedding as a way to save the grid and keep an even supply of electricity. This has led to a lot of businesses and operations struggling and collapsing due to the interruption of energy supply. Households have also suffered…

London: King Charles yesterday led Britain in a two-minute silence to honour its war dead in his first remembrance service since being crowned, a day after violence marred commemorations. The memorial was the scene of ugly scenes on Saturday, Armistice Day, when police scuffled with a group of counter-protestors, opposed to a huge pro-Palestinian march, as they attempted to reach the site. Almost 10 000 veterans marched past the Cenotaph memorial in central London, while thousands more members of the public gathered in tribute to British and Commonwealth servicemen and women who died in battle. | AFP…

Jerusalem: Israel’s defence ministry yesterday announced a € 317 million (about R635m) deal for the sale of its David’s Sling air defence system to new Nato member Finland. Calling it a “historic agreement”, the ministry said the system jointly developed by Israeli and US companies can intercept ballistic and cruise missiles, aircraft and drones. In September Israel signed a €3.5-billion deal to sell its Arrow 3 hypersonic missile system to Germany. The deal came as Germany has led a push to bolster Nato’s air defences in Europe after the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year. | AFP…