Table of contents for 2025-02-06 in Star

Hopes and expectations collide as country awaits President Ramaphosa’s SONA As South Africa approaches the eagerly awaited State of the Nation Address (Sona) by President Cyril Ramaphosa, anticipation is running high among economists and citizens alike. With pressing issues such as economic recovery, unemployment, and the energy crises front and centre, analysts are hoping that Ramaphosa's address will provide crucial insights into the government's strategies aimed at revitalising the nation. Investec chief economist Annabel Bishop said that investors will be focusing on the various crisis gripping the country such as weak growth, freight constraints, poor governance at a number of state entities, particularly municipalities and the need to fight crime and corruption. "The water and sanitation crisis, still high unemployment (poverty and weak growth) and GBV (gender-based violence) will also…

While local banks have made significant strides in black ownership and empowerment financing, they are struggling to meet key transformation targets in senior and top senior management levels, the latest Banking Association of South Africa (Basa) report says. According to Basa's 2024 Transformation in Banking Report, released on Thursday, which covers 96% of bank assets in South Africa, the banking sector has exceeded targets for black ownership and economic interest, with black ownership standing at 38% for 2023, well above the 25% target. However, despite this progress in lower levels of management, senior and top senior management remain a concern, with only 51% of senior managers and 36% of top senior managers being black, falling short of the 60% target. Of note, 90% of junior managers in banks are black,…

South Africa’s economic landscape entered 2025 with ominous signs as a marked decline in client demand resulted in significant reductions in the manufacturing business output. According to the latest S&P Global South Africa Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), released on Wednesday, the index plummeted to 47.4 in January, down from 49.9 in December. This figure, remaining below the neutral 50.0 threshold for the second consecutive month, marked the country’s lowest reading since July 2021. The S&P report highlights that the downturn in operating conditions was primarily linked to a sharp pull-back in client demand. The contraction of new business was particularly stark, reflecting the most considerable decline since March 2024. Anecdotal evidence from panellists pointed to diminished customer incomes, which were hampering sales, in addition to a persistent decrease in foreign…

This week marks my first time attending the Investing in African Mining Indaba or colloquially known as the Mining Indaba. The Mining Indaba has been running for more than 30 years and has marked itself as the premier event for leaders in the mining industry. Firstly, as a newbie, I was thoroughly overwhelmed by its sheer scale, but it does feel like the entire mining industry has converged to the Cape Town International Convention Centre . Secondly, the mining industry’s value and supply chain is quite expansive. From the mining houses themselves, to government, trade unions, financiers, telecommunications, logistics, occupational health and safety, energy, academia and other technology enabling sectors. It doesn’t just feel like all the hard hats from the mining shafts are here –but all of corporate Africa…

Sasol’s share price leapt 7% on Wednesday morning despite it issuing a sobering forecast for its financial performance for the six months ending December 31, 2024, predicting a significant downturn in its headline earnings per share (Heps). The shares leapt to an intraday high of R93.54 before moderating to R88.39 at 3.30pm. The shares are down 34.51% in the past three months. The South African petrochemicals giant on Wednesday projected a decline of between 26% and 36%, estimating Heps to fall in the range of R13.00 to R15.00, compared to R20.37 in the previous half-year. This forecast is largely attributed to declining fuel prices and diminished sales volumes during the period. Sasol also said that its earnings per share (Eps) were expected to drop even sharper, plunging between…

As Will Ferrell movies go, the actor’s anodyne comedy You’re Cordially Invited ranks somewhere north of Zoolander 2 and south of The Other Guys. Destined to be forgotten in the wasteland that stretches between the actor’s best work and his worst, this dumb-but-not-dumb-enough, simultaneously heartwarming and disheartening film features layer upon layer of wedding-disaster clichés (complete with a trashed cake). Worse still, it’s all wrapped inside a forced romantic comedy, like an ill-fitting tuxedo. Writer-director Nicholas Stoller’s disappointing follow-up to Bros has none of the relatable edge of that 2022 film, the first big-studio R-rated gay rom-com, which he co-wrote with star Billy Eichner. This tale of double-booked nuptials set on a quaint coastal island, famous for its dockside vows and sunset views, gets underway as Jim (Ferrell), a widower…

The Mommy Club franchise is set to introduce five bold and dynamic Afrikaans women in a brand-new show. The Mommy Club: Van Die Hoofstad is set to take viewers into the lives of the mothers who are from the Pretoria Afrikaans community. The ladies bring drama and intrigue while balancing the challenges of parenting, power and their luxurious lifestyles. Last year, Showmax introduced The Mommy Club: Sugar and Spice, a new franchise of the hit show which revealed the lives of glamorous Durban mothers from an Indian community. Following the success of the show, The Mommy Club: Van Die Hoofstad is now set to be the third offering from the franchise, which is set to be full of drama. Meet the The Mommy Club: Van Die Hoofstad cast : l…

THE South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC) has issued a notice confirming that pharmacists may not refuse to dispense medication - due to personal beliefs or moral reasons - to a person who wants to terminate a pregnancy. This notice comes after 13 NGOs and legal centres addressed an open letter to the SAPC and the National Department of Health. The letter highlighted alarming reports of pharmacists refusing to dispense abortifacients despite patients having valid prescriptions. The vast majority of these pharmacists cited moral or religious grounds as the reason for their refusal to dispense. A staggering 40% of surveyed pharmacies were reported to have refused these medications, which the NGOs said undermined constitutional rights to reproductive autonomy and access to healthcare. Victoria Satchwell, from Abortion Support South Africa, said the…

PARLIAMENT has budgeted R6 million for the hosting of today’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) that was scheduled to be delivered by President Cyril Ramaphosa this evening in the Cape Town City Hall. The ceremony will be followed by debate-and-reply sessions over two days next week. Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said the SONA would give an opportunity to reflect on how the country has come as a nation and recommit to working together to build the country envisioned at the start of our democracy. “In the address, the president will outline the tasks of the Government of National Unity in implementing the three strategic priorities of medium-terms development plan, namely driving inclusive growth and job creation; reducing poverty and tackling high cost of living; and building a capable, ethical…

Demonstrators marched to the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy in Pretoria yesterday to call for the decriminalisation of artisanal mining activities and to express disapproval of the government’s Operation Vala Umgodi, which closes disused mines. Organised by Mining Affected Communities United in Action (Macua), protesters denounced the arrests of illegal miners operating in abandoned mines, saying it did nothing to alleviate South Africa’s crippling poverty and unemployment. According to them, legalising artisanal mining could be a more effective approach to addressing these socio-economic challenges. Since Operation Vala Umgodi started in December 2023 it has resulted in the arrest of approximately 18,000 illegal miners across the country and over 7,700 were apprehended in Stilfontein. The protest, attended by members of various organisations, aimed to hold Minister Gwede Mantashe and the…

Cancer is a non-communicable disease, yet more women in South Africa are succumbing to breast cancer and cervical cancer than they are succumbing to HIV. This was revealed by Noelene Kotschan, chief executive and founder of PinkDrive, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) focusing on cancer awareness and early detection to save lives. She was speaking in light of World Cancer Day under the theme ‘United by Unique’ — a campaign, which focuses on a people-centred approach to cancer care. The World Health Organization estimated that the number of new cancer cases was 20 million in 2022, with 9.7 million deaths globally. According to the National Cancer Registry’s 2020 report, the top five cancers in South Africa are breast cancer at 23%, cervical cancer at 16%, prostate cancer at 22%, colorectal cancer…

When Morris Garages started producing the first MG small sport cars and roadsters in 1924, I’m sure Cecil Kimber would have baulked at the idea that someday they would be a Chinese-owned company. The cars I grew up with like the MGBs were unique in their look and design but were notoriously unreliable, much like many other cars out of England. The marque has changed hands more often than Jacob Zuma has reinvented himself but eventually found themselves bought out by Nanjing Automobile group in 2005, which merged into Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) in 2007 and currently the world’s seventh biggest automobile manufacturer. There’s nothing cute and quirky anymore and as the world’s thirst for SUVs and Crossovers remains unquenched, that’s their line-up. Except, of course, for their…

The Toyota Rav4 has not only taken a back seat to the locally-manufactured Corolla Cross on local shores, it has in fact become one of the firm’s slowest sellers locally with monthly sales often falling beneath the 100 mark. But internationally, it remains Toyota’s second best-seller, beaten narrowly by the Corolla in 2024 with over 1.2 million sold across the globe. With the current version having been on sale since 2019, Toyota is getting ready to replace the Rav4 in late 2025. A camouflage prototype of the next-generation model was recently spotted undergoing testing in Michigan in the US, showing off what appears to be a larger and more angular bodyshell. The front end appears to mimic the latest Toyota design language seen on the facelifted Corolla…

Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi has pleaded with his troops to aim for more consistency, given that points will be crucial in the second half of the season. Chiefs had an up-and-down first half of the season. They missed out on the Carling Knockout and MTN8 trophies, and are fifth on the Premiership log. Their run in the Premiership has since seen them fall behind in the chasing pack. They trail log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, who have three games in hand, by 14 points. Chiefs haven’t had it easy over the past few days. They faced arch-rivals Orlando Pirates in the Soweto Derby last Saturday and lost 1-0. They had a three-day turnover on Tuesday night as they hosted AmaZulu at the FNB Stadium, and drew that match 2-2. The…

Lions prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye has committed his future to the Lions for the foreseeable future, the union revealed on Wednesday. The burly Ntlabakanye has become a crowd favourite at Ellis Park, and has built up a cult following amongst the team’s supporters due to his notable workrate. His defensive prowess, which has seen him smear a number of opposition players into the turf, has also become a treat to watch, adding to his growing aura. His re-signing to the Johannesburg-based team comes at the perfect time, after the disappointing news earlier this week that utility half-back Sanele Nohamba has left the Lions for Japan with immediate effect. In a short statement released by the union on Wednesday, Ntlabakanye stated: “I’m here to stay! “This means a lot to me. Having…

Some steel sector companies have resorted to using steel billets as a stop-gap measure in the mounting shortage of long steel products, as an ominous silence hangs over the fate of ArcelorMittal South Africa (Amsa), whose January-end deadline to mothball operations in Newcastle and Vereeniging looms heavily over the industry. On the eve of Amsa releasing its financial results on Friday and possibly making a public announcement on the final decision regarding its plants, participants at a webinar hosted by XA Global Advisors discussed the potential impact of Amsa’s decision. Participants said this directly impacts the future availability of long steel products in the Southern African Customs Union. Billets and blooms are semi-rolled products used by rolling mills for manufacturing steel products such as rounds, wire, rebar, or structural sections.…

Total annual gold demand reached a new, record high of 4 974 tons driven by strong central bank buying and growth in investment demand, according to the World Gold Council’s latest Gold Demand Trends report. The report, released at the Investing in African Mining in Cape Town on Wednesday, said the combination of record high gold prices and volumes resulted in the highest ever total value of demand at $382 billion (R7.1 trillion). “Gold once again dominated headlines in 2024, with prices reaching 40 record highs last year. Yet, the demand trajectory of 2024 was far from linear, with central banks posting strong demand in the first quarter before moderating through the middle of the year and finishing with a strong fourth,” said Louise Street, a senior markets analyst at…

Labour unions on Wednesday called for continuous improvements through real time monitoring, safety audits and retraining of mining workers to avoid continued fatalities underground after Harmony Gold reported five fatalities from separate incidents at two of its mines in South Africa. According to the Minerals Council, the South African formal mining industry reported 42 fatalities in 2024, a 24% reduction on the previous year. However, mining labour unions say mining companies should put more efforts to attain zero harm, with the Minerals Council also agreeing that the industry is “on the path to zero harm,” given the reduction in fatalities in the past year. However, the deaths of five Harmony Gold employees on Tuesday appeared set to muddy the progress the industry is making towards harm reduction. The South African…

Any successful business owner will tell you that with the right strategy, you can start 2025 strong – fuelled by the momentum and focus required to take your business to the next level. These five practical steps will set your business up for success in 2025: Tidy up your finances Now is the perfect time to get your finances in order by ensuring all books are up to date, all invoices are sent and that you have followed up on any outstanding debtors. When your financial information is accurate and well organised, you’ll be in a better position to identify areas of strength and weakness, which will enable you to make informed decisions in the year ahead. If you’ve been considering debt financing options to grow your business, now is…

As we look toward 2025, hedge funds will navigate a landscape where both challenges and opportunities are closely tied to the movements of offshore markets. While South Africa’s financial market may not provide the high-growth potential seen in the US, or tech sector powerhouses like Nvidia, it remains highly relevant due to its volatility. South Africa’s market, with its reactive nature, is especially prone to fluctuations, making it a fertile ground for hedge funds to benefit from market unpredictability. As global financial dynamics continue to evolve, the strategies and adaptability of hedge funds will be crucial in navigating the uncertainties of the coming year. Geopolitical Outlook Given South Africa’s trade-dependent economy, it is likely to experience significant turbulence from ongoing geopolitical uncertainties, namely the Trump trade wars, Israel-Palestine tensions, and…

Whether you're going all out or keeping it low-key, love is in the air as Valentine's Day draws near. For those seeking the perfect accompaniment to their romantic plans, a selection of heart-warming films and TV shows can create the ideal atmosphere, be it for a romantic date or a movie night with friends. From charming rom-coms to intense love stories, we’ve curated a swoon-worthy list of must-watch titles this February. Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy First up is the much-anticipated Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, featuring the delightful Renée Zellweger returning to her iconic role after a nine-year break. This new chapter catches up with Bridget four years after the loss of Mark Darcy, as she navigates the challenging waters of modern dating. With a fantastic new…

While the City of Joburg MMC for human settlements, Mlungisi Mabaso, has urged residents of the city to collect more than 3,000 uncollected and unissued title deeds, some applicants who have been on the list of RDP beneficiaries are dissatisfied with having to wait years before their applications are cleared. Poppie Zulu, a resident of Dube Village in Soweto who applied for her Reconstruction Development Programme (RDP) house in 2012, says she is still awaiting the finalisation of her application. “It has been a long wait and I have been checking the status of my application to no avail. I am still waiting for my C-form and will be going to the human settlement offices to check on my application, as this has been a long wait for me,” she…

Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya is in hot water and will soon face the rules and ethics committee to answer for her administration’s mishandling of financial budget reports. She has been accused of missing deadlines for submitting these critical reports and misleading the council about their readiness last month. The committee is expected to scrutinise her actions, seeking accountability and transparency regarding allegations of misleading the council. This was after DA chief whip Ofentse Madzebatela referred her to the rules and ethics committee during a council meeting on Tuesday at Tshwane House. Madzebatela slammed Moya for disregarding his advice last month that the reports were due for submission. The reports under scrutiny are Section 71 and Section 72 in-year financial budget reports, which are mandatory submissions in accordance with the Municipal…

Members of the Tshwane Metro Police Department’s tactical unit have recovered several vehicles following different operations across the city aimed at cracking down on rampant crime. TMPD spokesperson Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba said the tactical unit members have been working alongside the crime intelligence unit of the South African Police Service (SAPS). The police operations which targeted the infamous Pretoria West area, also focussed on tracking notorious criminals who terrorise residents. “The tactical unit members responded to a call from a tracking company that requested assistance regarding a Toyota Hilux which was hijacked in Themba, Hammanskraal on January 28, 2025. The members managed to track the vehicle and arrested the driver for possession of a hijacked vehicle,” said Mahamba. During the operation, another man was arrested at his place of…

DA Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has called for criminal charges to be instituted against nine Department of Infrastructure officials who have been fingered in the Anglo Ashanti Hospital scandal which cost the provincial health department over R500 million in budget overrun. This comes after Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi revealed that a disciplinary inquiry against a group of Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) officials implicated in the hospital corruption has been concluded. As a result, Lesufi said his government has welcomed the findings of the disciplinary inquiry that was initiated against nine Gauteng Department of Health and Infrastructure Development officials who were suspended for irregularities over the awarding of contracts for the refurbishment of the Anglo Ashanti Hospital in 2022. This comes after the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) discovered significant anomalies…

A BLEAK start to the 2025 academic year is what awaits thousands of students around the country. Proper accommodation is a reality that many students might have to live without, along with all the other challenges they must overcome to achieve their academic goals According to Private Housing Association CEO Kagisho Mamabolo, South Africa the demand for built student accommodation was overwhelming and they predict that their would be a shortfall of over 500,000 beds. "At most, but not all, universities, there has been strong demand for purpose-built student accommodation. This demand is driven by the need for safe, quality, and well-managed accommodation close to higher education institutions. The demand/supply gap is huge," Mamabolo said. Two weeks ago, the association raised concerns that students may be left without accommodation when…

Mercedes-Benz South Africa is launching some exciting cars this year, especially AMG-badged versions of the three-pointed star and new co-chief executive officer and executive director Mercedes-Benz Cars Claudius Steinhoff, is looking forward to a challenging but interesting year. “We have lots of challenges ahead but in the same breath, also lots of opportunities. “I sincerely believe that the automotive industry is currently experiencing the biggest transformation we have ever seen and to be honest, we as a brand are facing lots of challenges at the moment. “We have a plan and we are facing them head-on to see how we can beat the All Blacks of the motoring industry to ensure that our customers stay excited and that they regularly fall in love with Mercedes-Benz,” he said using a rugby…

AKKER van der Merwe may be 33, but he doesn’t feel like he’s 33. How should a 33-year-old rugby player feel anyway? That is a question the robust Bulls hooker hopes to answer emphatically in Saturday’s United Rugby Championship showdown with the Stormers at the Cape Town Stadium (2pm start). Van der Merwe is the older brother of Scotland wing Duhan, who has been a revelation at international level over a number of years. Yet Akker played the last of his three Springbok Tests all the way back in 2018, and he yearns to return to the highest level. He even decided to come back home from a successful stint at Sale Sharks in Manchester, and subsequently scored 12 tries for the Bulls last season to be the second-highest on…

EIGHT fights into his UFC career, Dricus du Plessis remains an unsolved puzzle for fighters in the middleweight division as the 31-year-old has remained undefeated heading into his ninth fight this coming Sunday in Sydney. Du Plessis is set to defend his world title for the second time, and this time against the very same man he dethroned – Sean Strickland – to become South Africa’s very first UFC world champion. His unbeaten record remains one of the biggest myths in the sport as the South African athlete is by no means the most talented fighter, nor is he the most stylish. In trying to decode the South African’s fighting style, experts have used the terms “awkward” and “unorthodox” in an attempt to make sense of or describe Du Plessis’…

IF THE 2024/2025 Premier Soccer League season will have anything positive to be remembered about, it is the emergence of youngsters. From the likes of Relebohile Mofokeng, Mohau Nkota and Thabiso Sesane at Orlando Pirates, to the Mduduzi Shabalalas, Samkelo Zwanes and Mfundo Vilakazis of Kaizer Chiefs. AmaZulu FC are another side that boast an array of youngsters who are primed to come of age under the tutelage of co-coaches Arthur Zwane and Vusumuzi Vilakazi. Zwane and Vilakazi have a long track record of bringing up quality youngsters, which is evident from their time with Chiefs and Lamontville Golden Arrows respectively. Rowan Human, in particular – although at 24, he is not so much a youngster, but should be striding towards his prime – is one player who is showing…

Political tensions are escalating within South Africa’s economic landscape after the cancellation of a crucial meeting between the Select Committee on Economic Development and Trade and officials from the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic). The meeting set for Wednesday was intended for a comprehensive briefing on the sensitive issues surrounding the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and European Union (EU) restrictions on South African citrus imports. However, the absence of key government officials painted a stark picture of the communication breakdowns that are straining relations between lawmakers and the executive branch. Sonja Boshoff, chairperson of the Select Committee on Economic Development and Trade, expressed her frustration over the no-show of the dtic minister, Parks Tau, who had apologised late for his absence due to a concurrent…

Transnet Engineering (TE), responsible for the maintenance of the utilities rolling stock and key equipment in the ports, has made headway on getting more locomotives onto the tracks and has identified three key areas of potential collaboration with the private sector. This was according to Bessie Mabunda, the acting-CEO of TE since May last year, and who was interviewed on Wednesday at the Investing in African Mining Indaba that is being held in Cape Town. Mining companies continue to struggle with Transnet’s declining rail freight capabilities, which, despite recent efforts by industry, government and Transnet, has had the effect of curbing the revenues and export volumes of many mining groups. Mabunda said in May, when she started at TE, freight rail capacity was constrained by the 394 new generations locomotives…

In October 2020, before a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament, President Cyril Ramaphosa tabled the government’s Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan (ERRP) – a comprehensive response to the global Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown that inflicted unimaginable harm on South Africa’s fragile economy (one that had already been battered from a decade of state capture and corruption). With priority areas focused on infrastructure development, industrialization and local production, energy and food security, as well as reviving the tourism sector, the ERRP was also designed to help and empower small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs). This is critical, especially considering that SMMEs constitute 40% of the country’s Gross Domestic Profit (GDP) and are at the forefront of creating employment opportunities in a country where the unemployment rate is currently sitting…

Market participants welcomed Copper360 announcement on Wednesday that it had reached “a major operational milestone with the successful execution of the first on-ore blast at Rietberg” mine last month, which saw its shares leap nearly 10%. From leaping to intraday high of R2.25, by 5pm the share was trading at R2.20. The share listed on the JSE in April 2023. “This marks the first such blast in 42 years, signalling the start of Copper 360’s transition from less predictable mine development towards structured hard rock mining,” said the company. With demand for copper projected to grow and its price on a strong footing, South African miners of the mineral, such as Copper360, are seizing the opportunities and are positioning to benefit from the looming high demand for the commodity. Copper…

A former ANC councillor has distanced himself from the murders linked to intra-party rivalries that took place in his ward in 2021 before the local government elections. However, Mzimuni Ngiba, a former ANC Ward 101 councillor in eThekwini, told the Durban High Court that the killings were a result of political tensions. Siyabonga Mkhize, an ANC candidate for the same ward during the elections, and Mzukisi Nyanga, an ANC activist, were shot and killed in Cato Crest, Durban. Simphiwe Mlungisi Khanyile and Sicelo Notyesi were in the car with the victims at the time of the shooting on October 15, but they survived. Ngiba, Nkosinathi Emmanuel Ngcobo, Sandile Mzizi, Sifiso Vincent Mlondo, and Phathisakhe Ngiba are on trial for the murders. They are also charged with two counts of attempted…

Yesterday marked nine years since the tragic entrapment of three miners, Pretty Nkambule, Yvonne Mnisi, and Solomon Nyirenda, at the Lily Mine in Barberton, Mpumalanga, on February 5, 2016. To mark the occasion, the families of the victims gathered at the site of the tragedy, where their grief was compounded by the ongoing disappointment stemming from the apparent lack of political will to bring about a resolution to their plight. Their attempts to pay tribute to the entrapped loved ones were almost thwarted when, on their arrival, rocks and stones were used to barricade the road leading to the site of bereavement. The Lily Mine tragedy struck South Africa when a section of the mine collapsed, burying the container office where the three miners were working, about 70m deep below…

Two US senators have heavily criticised South Africa’s directive for Taiwan to relocate its Pretoria-based Taipei Liaison Office to the City of Johannesburg. The ongoing diplomatic squabble sparked by South Africa’s directive for Taiwan to move to Joburg has sucked in US lawmakers, amid an ongoing diplomatic row with US President Donald Trump complaining about the “confiscation” of land. Last year, IOL reported that the Department of International Relations (Dirco) had communicated with Taiwan to relocate the liaison office from Pretoria as South Africa does not recognise Taiwan as a bona fide State, but an inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China. The directive for Taiwan to move from Pretoria has once again been thrust into the limelight, as the deadline given by Dirco to Taiwan approaches next month.…

The controversy surrounding the Tshwane University of Technology’s (TUT) proposed campus in Sekhukhune, Limpopo, has taken a new turn with the ANC Youth League and the South African Communist Party (SACP) weighing in on the matter. The Sekhukhune Royal Kingdom has accused TUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Tinyiko Maluleke of diverting the project to a different location, sparking outrage among the local community. The ANC Youth League has now entered the fray, with its president, Collen Malatji, pledging to ensure the campus is built in Sekhukhune. “This university is delaying, and we don’t know why it’s delaying. As the ANC Youth League, we are going to make sure that there is a university that focuses on mineral resources, artisans, and technology,” Malatji said during a visit to the Sekhukhune Royal Kingdom. Malatji…

A NOW former bank official who was fired after she used her own funds to open 99 “MyMo” accounts - designed for low-income customers - to meet her targets, turned to the Johannesburg Labour Court to get her job back. Natasha Neville was represented by her union, the South African Society of Banking Officials (Sasbo), which asked the court to overturn the decision of a commissioner at the CCMA, which found her dismissal to be substantively fair. Neville was employed as a universal banker (UB) at Standard Bank, which amalgamated several roles into one, including that of clerk, sales consultant, and service consultant, but she was subsequently promoted to a team leader. Every UB was required to meet a sales target. In particular, they were required to solicit customers and…

Ford has announced its return to the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2027 in the premier Hypercar category with a prototype which will compete in the World Auto Endurance Championship (WEC). In a statement, the American manufacturer, which won the legendary event four years in a row from 1966 to 1969, said it hoped to “recapture the magic and success of Ford racing nearly 60 years ago”. Ford already made a winning return to the race in 2016 in the LMGTE (Grand Touring Endurance) category, beating Ferrari, as it did in 1966. “There is no track or race that means more to our history than Le Mans,” said Bill Ford, executive chairman of the manufacturer based near Detroit, Michigan. “It is where we took on Ferrari and won in the…

IN THE contemporary world, where wealth is often conflated with wisdom, Elon Musk stands as a towering figure. As the richest man on earth, Musk is revered by many as a visionary, a genius, and a saviour of humanity. His ventures, from Tesla to SpaceX, are often hailed as revolutionary, and his tweets can move markets and shape public opinion. Yet, this uncritical adulation of Musk, and by extension, other ultra-wealthy individuals, is deeply problematic. It perpetuates the myth that wealth equates to genius, and that being rich means one is inherently smarter, more innovative, or more capable than the rest of us. Of the Self-Made Genius Elon Musk is often portrayed as a self-made man, a modern-day Thomas Edison or Nikola Tesla. His narrative is one of relentless hard…

Much like the weather in Centurion that started off in blazing sunshine before the heavens opened in the afternoon yesterday, Proteas coach Rob Walter’s day only got progressively worse. Cricket SA released a statement at 10am with fast bowler Gerald Coetzee included in the Proteas Men’s squad for the upcoming ODI Tri-Series against Pakistan and New Zealand, which will be used as preparation for the ICC Champions Trophy later this month. Fast bowler Coetzee had not played since January 14 due to a left hamstring strain. By 2pm yesterday, CSA were forced to send out another release stating Coetzee had been ruled out after the 24-year-old experienced tightness in his groin while completing his 10 overs during training at the Centre of Excellence in Pretoria. It is a significant blow…

A FORMER goalkeeper of both Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates is excitedly anticipating the Premiership clash of the two giants this weekend – and believes the Brazilians will have the edge over the Buccaneers. John Tlale is a name that should ring a bell for any self respecting South African football fan, such was his impact on the game. A multiple championship winner, he also earned a handful of Bafana Bafana caps, having been part of the Class of 1996 that won the Africa Cup of Nations, and is truly a legend of the game. He has since retired now and – though not directly involved with the game – continues to watch it intently, and believes it is going to take something special to stop Sundowns winning an eighth…

The SA20 cricket tournament is wild. Every night is a high-energy affair. Walking around the stadiums, there are children and adults having a jolly good time. Then there’s the executive suits, where you can bump into anyone from Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie to Afrikaans pop icon Kurt Darren on any given night. For the past couple of weeks, though, I’ve shared the company of former Springbok rugby players Juan de Jongh and Rudy Paige. The duo have reinvented themselves as social media content creators, with their podcast ‘Behind the Ruck’ proving hugely popular. In fact, their unique humour and charm has seen pay-channel SuperSport call on their services during the SA20 to add some colour and off-field entertainment to the action out in the middle. For anyone who has ever…