Innholdsfortegnelse for SW-2021-03-31 i Star

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@in.co.za THE BANK OF America (BofA) has warned that the ongoing energy crisis constituted the most serious risks to South Africa’s economic outlook in the medium term. BofA yesterday said Eskom’s electricity supply challenges could delay the country’s economic rebound in the next three years in spite of a faster recovery expected in 2021. The bank said its outlook ahead was of a 3.5 percent consensus growth this year. BofA raised its 2021 gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast to 3.8 percent from 2.9 percent while maintaining its outlook for 2022 at 2 percent. BofA’s head of South Africa research Paul Steegers said they were cautiously optimistic about South Africa’s output this year, but medium-term outlook was faced with headwinds. “Despite the upgrade, we acknowledge…

XPATWEB’S Critical Skills Survey 2020/21 showed 77 percent of organisations were struggling to recruit and obtain critical skills in South Africa for their local and cross-border operations. A further 76 percent further confirmed that an international search would assist them in meeting business objectives,” Xpatweb MD Marisa Jacobs said in a statement yesterday. According to the latest survey, the top ten skills businesses were struggling to recruit include engineers (18 percent), ICT (13 percent); foreign language speakers (10 percent); media and marketing specialists (9 percent); artisans (8 percent); C-suite executives (7 percent); senior financial executives (6 percent); health professions and related clinical sciences (5 percent); science professionals (4 percent) and accounting (1 percent). The usinesses indicating that engineers were difficult to recruit rose to 18 percent from…

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za THE MINERALS Council South Africa has urged mine employees to avoid travel where possible and to behave responsibly if travel is unavoidable ahead of a possible third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. The council, which represents 80 percent of the mining industry, yesterday advised mining companies to discourage employees from travelling over Easter where possible, and chief executives, management and union leadership should be seen to be leading by example. The council recommended that public holiday work incentives should be used to encourage employees not to take leave over the long weekend and, where possible, the offer of four days’ leave later in the year should also be considered. It said existing measures related to high-risk travel and high-risk activities should be maintained, such as negative…

Jamal Grootboom jamald.grootboom@inl.co.za Local artist Busiswa isn’t happy about the music used for the latest Fenty Beauty Skin Tint advert. In the advert, Fenty Beauty owner Rihanna is seen showcasing their newest release, Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint, which comes in 25 shades. The music used in the video caught the attention of South African social media users at it has a striking similarity to Midnight Starring, which is produced by DJ Maphorisa, DJ Tira, Rude Boyz, Distruction Boyz and features Busisiwa and Moonchild Sanelly. Busiswa responded to a Twitter user who tagged her in a post with the video assuming that it was a sample of Midnight Starring that was used. The My Name Is star responded to the post and said: “Nah. @fentybeauty just used a REMAKE of…

Sihle Mavuso sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za FOLLOWING the decision of the ANC national executive committee (NEC) that all its members facing serious criminal charges have 30 days to step aside or face disciplinary action, here are some of the bigwigs who have to go. This resolution comes amid the ruling party’s efforts to clean its dented image and win back lost public trust which dissipated after a series of corruption scandals. Announcing the decision while closing the heated NEC meeting, Ramaphosa said once a full list is out, the affected members would be informed accordingly and thereafter they should step aside. While the list of the members who are obliged to step aside would be finalised after all provinces have made their input to the office of the secretary-general, Ace Magashule, these are…

GIFT TLOU Gift.tlou@inl.co.za THE CITY of Joburg’s red fleet tender valued at over R500 million has been declared “unlawful and constitutionally invalid”. This information is contained in a high court judgment which was handed down by Judge Thina Siwendu on March 29. The city’s fire engine tender conundrum dates back to 2015. However, owing to the demand, the city opted for a deviation process in 2019 which permitted it to award contracts on the basis of emergency. After all, TFM Industries was awarded the tender to supply the city with fire engines, but things didn’t go according to plan for both parties as the losing bidders, Marcé Projects and Fire Raiders, interdicted the awarding of the tender. The Star has since uncovered that the matter has been extensively debated in…

The recent announcement by the Minister of Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa that several towns and cities in the Eastern Cape had changed their names aroused countrywide debates. Almost overnight, opinions were divided. The change of the name from Port Elizabeth to Gqeberha became a topic of discussion on TV, talk-radio stations, around dinner tables and enjoyed pride of place in the newspaper opinion pages. Given the sudden and very emotional response to the news of the change, one could have sworn that the state had overnight thought of and decided to change names of the towns and cities and done so without consulting or caring what those who lived in those areas thought. This, however, was shown to have been untrue and the government and individuals proved that there…

THE government and social housing institutions (SHIs) enter into lease agreements with tenants. What are the rights of a tenant living in a dwelling owned by either the national, provincial and local government or a SHI? Is there a difference between a private landlord, the government or SHIs in respect of a residential tenancy? SHIs receive subsidies from the government to provide rental housing, with tenants the beneficiaries of subsidised rentals. Rights do not exist without responsibilities, so the question may be re-phrased: “What rights does the government or SHIs have regarding a tenant?” Section 26 of the Constitution stipulates every citizen has the right of access to adequate housing and the government must take reasonable legislative and other measures to make this right a reality – as long as…

BOITUMELO METSING boitumelo.metsing@inl.co.za REA VAYA commuters have come forward to complain about the lack of buses to accommodate them under Covid-19 regulations. This, despite the Bus Rapid Transit service’s press release stating it would enhance bus schedules to meet the high demand of passengers during peak times from Monday. Commuters say they have not seen the enhancement. Commuter representative Austin Hlongwane told The Star that he had not seen anything different. “I was still late this morning and yesterday evening. I have not seen any extra buses during peak time,” said Hlongwane. Commuters of the T3 and F7 buses have complained about the long waiting periods they have had to endure during this pandemic. Commuters say there is not enough buses to cater to commuters particularly during peak times 6…

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa’s tone might have been dull, even soporific to the casual observer, but the effects of the ANC’s national executive committee statement he read on Monday night were loud and clear. The ANC had stood firm on its “step aside” resolution, adopted at the 2017 Nasrec conference. Any ANC member facing criminal charges of corruption or other serious crimes has been given 30 days to step aside, or face suspension. Supporters of ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule might feel that the exercise of that resolution targeted him, but if you’ve read this newspaper for the past six months, you would have seen reports of senior party members facing a litany of serious charges from rape to tender corruption. Magashule and 15 co-accused are facing 74 charges of fraud, theft,…

CAIRO: At least 113 container ships have passed through the Suez Canal that was blocked by a massive cargo container, the chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) Osama Rabie said yesterday. He said that “113 out of the 422 ships that have crowded the canal since March 23 have crossed the international busiest navigation course”. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said that the incident had reaffirmed the canal’s importance. He urged the government to buy more dredges and tug boats to improve the capabilities of the canal. Rabie said daily losses of the canal due to the six-day blockage was estimated at around $15 million (R223m). A technical error was likely to have caused the ship to run aground. About 12% of the world trade passes through the…

Leaders of 23 countries and the World Health Organization yesterday backed an idea to create an international treaty that would help deal with future health emergencies like the coronavirus pandemic by tightening rules on sharing information. The idea of such a treaty, also aimed at ensuring universal and equitable access to vaccines, medicines and diagnostics for pandemics, was floated by the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, at a summit of the Group of 20 last November. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference yesterday a treaty would tackle gaps exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. A draft resolution on negotiations could be presented to the WHO’s 194 member states at their annual ministerial meeting in May. The WHO has been criticised for its handling of the pandemic…

When Rivaldo Moonsamy was last man out off Senuran Muthusamy’s bowling it was not only the crowning moment for the Dolphins in the CSA 4-Day Franchise Series final, but it also brought the curtain down on the franchise era in South African cricket. The six-team structure started in 2003/04 has run its course. It will be replaced by a new format that comprises two divisions and the 15 provincial affiliates from next season. I have mixed feelings about the end of the franchise era. Initially based on the Australian state system that centred around a strength-versus-strength ideology, the franchise system delivered on its promise during the early years. It was hard, competitive cricket with the best domestic players going hard against each other. It also promoted transformation with four players…

All THREE major commercial property sectors – retail, industrial and office – remained oversupplied in the first quarter of 2021, although noticeably less in the industrial property market, according to FNB’s Property Broker Survey. Brokers in the office and retail property markets perceived, on average, a rise in average time of properties on the market prior to sales, with a slightly declining average time on market bias only seen in the industrial property sector, FNB Commercial Property Finance Sector Strategist John Loos said in the survey yesterday. The broker group perception was tilted strongly towards the existence of an oversupply, and this was most severely the case in the office property market. As many as 96.6 percent of respondents in the office sector pointed to oversupply, 90 percent…

STREET FOOD OF AFRICA FOOD NETWORK, DSTV CHANNEL 175, 7.55PM Follow fabulous Chef Nti Ramaboa on her journey around South Africa, from the cities to the townships, to uncover the defining characteristics of our modern culinary culture. Along the way, she will be hunting down those dishes that make South Africa tick as a nation. BOTCHED UP BODIES CBS REALITY, DSTV CHANNEL 132, 9.10PM Britain's top plastic surgeons at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital come to the aid of patients whose previous cosmetic procedures have gone wrong. Open and upfront about the body, this series doesn’t shy away from showing everything in the before and after stages, along with the fascinating events in the operating room during surgeries. As it checks in with patients following their repair procedures, it…

Kailene Pillay kailene.pillay@inl.co.za South Africa will remain on lockdown level 1 with some curbs eased to accommodate the religious holiday, but the sale of alcohol at retail stores will be banned for four days. Addressing the nation last night, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the banning of alcohol sales for off-site consumption on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Liquor sales at restaurants, shebeens and bars will still be allowed until 11pm. Ramaphosa also announced that the curfew from midnight to 4am would remain unchanged and that public spaces, such as parks, dams and beaches, would remain open – provided social distancing and mask-wearing was maintained. Inter-provincial travel would also be allowed over the Easter weekend, but Ramaphosa urged South Africans to limit their travel if possible. Religious gatherings for up to…

ABOUT four years ago, a homeless coloured man, Piet Koopman, adopted our church as his home, by sleeping in the bushes in front of the church. We took pity on him and allowed him to sleep in a storeroom. Since then it has become his home. He has a sad story: he originally came from Cape Town and was incarcerated at Leeuwkop prison since 1979. He is a victim of identity theft and his fingerprints show he is Zono Pasi who is purported to be 10 years younger than him. Home Affairs cannot give him an ID as he has no family member to vouch he is indeed Piet Koopman. Between a magistrate, our local newspaper, Facebook and various other means we have tried unsuccessfully to locate his family.…

WITH universities across the country reopening during level 1 of lockdown, there is excitement among students who look forward to seeing their friends again. Fidelity ADT urges students to prioritise safety. Nicholas Morake, the community development manager said: “We have seen an increasing number of cellphone snatching in the Campus Square area in Westdene. Criminals are particularly interested in students because they tend to have laptops, smartphones and other gadgets, which are light, portable, and easy to convert into cash.” How to stay safe: Valuables: Keep your valuables out of sight at all times but make sure you can get to your cellphone quickly if you need to. Listening: Don’t use headphones, because they’ll dampen your ability to sense your surroundings. The more you cut your senses off the easier…

When William Gumede wrote his book, Thabo Mbeki and the Battle for the Soul of the ANC (2005), no one realised how elusive the ANC’s soul would eventually lead to its fracture. The outcome of the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC) this week clearly indicates that the governing party is at the point of no return. Ever since it won its first elections in 1994 and contrary to its “broad church“ tag, the ANC struggles to handle contesting plurality of voices and dissent within its ranks. Some point out that intolerance is inbuilt in the organisation. They cite incidents such as Marikana and Andries Tatana as well as how it deals with student protests and service delivery demonstrations. What is regrettable is that no one is prepared learn from…

NAIROBI: Kenyan police have arrested three suspects and recovered weapons during a security operation in Garissa County which borders Somalia. Rono Bunei, northeastern regional police commander, said the three suspects were nabbed on Monday while transporting eight rifles and 2 104 bullets along a busy road. Bunei said police patrolling the area spotted the car at about 5pm on Monday before the driver sped off, prompting a four-hour chase. The recovery was labelled a boost in the war on terrorism as the weapons were to be used in an undisclosed terror mission in the country. The area is near the Kenya-Somalia border with thousands of refugees, mostly from Somalia. Kenya has been on heightened vigilance due to the threat of terror posed by the al-Shabaab militants.…

EU commissioner for home affairs Ylva Johansson has announced that e276 million (R4.7 billion) was allocated to Greece to build new migrant camps amid rising tensions between asylum seekers and the local population. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with Johansson at his Athens residence yesterday. The two sides discussed the European Commission’s proposal for a new agreement on immigration and granting asylum aimed at relieving the burden from the main host countries. Johansson once again stressed the necessity to resume the implementation of the 2016 EU-Turkey Joint Declaration concerning the return of people whose asylum applications had been rejected in Greece. The deal for the e276m financial aid came amid Greece’s efforts to improve the living conditions of the refugees after a fire destroyed the country’s…

SOUTH Africa recorded foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows of R16 billion in the fourth quarter from outflows of R12.2bn in the third, the central bank said yesterday. The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) said in its Quarterly Bulletin that the inflows in the latest quarter were caused by non-resident parent entities increasing equity investments and granting loans to domestic subsidiaries. The country saw FDI inflows of R51.1bn for all of last year, down from inflows of R74bn in 2019. Portfolio investments, reflecting a record of buying and selling of securities such as bonds and shares, recorded inflows of R24.1bn in the October to December quarter compared with outflows of R39.5bn the quarter before. Annual portfolio outflows, however, were at R159.3bn, against inflows of R87.5bn in 2019. South Africa is…

BR Reporter Business Report online MTN, AFRICA’S biggest mobile operator, has been appointed as a service provider to the SA government through its new mobile communication services contract, known as RT15-2021. The partnership is over a five-year term. The contract, the value of which was not disclosed, will come into effect tomorrow. In a statement yesterday, the service provider said the RT15-2021 Transversal contract allowed for all entities of State to use the contract for mobile communication services, which would “further assist with cost containment”. The contract allows for unmetered, uncapped data, but personal voice and SMS bundles will be charged at a flat rate. MTN, which for the year to December said that it had a total of 280 million subscribers across 21 markets, will be replacing Vodacom,…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za THE CITY of Johannesburg mayor Geoff Makhubo, City of Tshwane mayor Randall Williams and eThekwini municipality mayor Mxolisi Kaunda, along with transport unions, have called on the government to provide reliable operational subsidies to public transport networks. This forms part of a campaign called The Future is Public Transport, which aims to highlight the importance of public transport to Covid-19 recovery within cities. “The national government must provide a subsidy to make our public transport system integrated, safe, sustainable and resilient to future crises. “Essential workers are not just doctors and nurses. Public transport workers deserve secure formal jobs with decent terms and conditions,” South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) national spokesperson Solomon Mahlangu said yesterday. The mayors and Satawu said in a joint statement…

THE court fight over a proposed new coal mine in the vicinity of the Mabola Protected Environment in Wakkerstroom, Mpumalanga, has taken a surprise twist. Uthaka Energy, the company licensed to develop the Yzermyn coal mine, has been slapped with an interdict barring it from commencing its work. The North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, ruled last week that Uthaka “is interdicted and restrained from conducting any mining activities and mining-related operations” at Yzermyn. Activities it was interdicted from conducting included drilling, excavation, digging and removal of soil, coal, ore or any mineral. It could only carry out land surveying for infrastructure boundary and wetlands demarcation. A coalition of environment activist organisations dragged Uthaka as well Mpumalanga and national environment authorities to court over mining in what they…

STAFF REPORTER THE National Film and Video Foundation has teamed up with Netflix and TikTok to launch projects that will help creatives in the industry. The Rising Voices incubator project is an initiative open to all Black South African creators from TikTok. It focuses on supporting local black creators through digital skills development and content amplification. The project aims to do so by upskilling creators, offering grants, and providing the community with opportunities to make a career of content creation. “South Africa is a market brimming with creative talent from black creators and we are committed to providing the best local support to help amplify the voices of this community. Through this initiative, we will empower these creators to thrive on TikTok and beyond, as we aim to provide…

Beijing is considered to have elevated Africa’s position in its foreign policy planning and increasingly regards the continent as a proving ground for this core foreign policy vision of “building a community with a shared future for mankind”. To step up engagement with Africa in a more comprehensive and targeted manner, the administration is seen to have focused on the principles of sincerity, pragmatism, affinity and good faith, while supporting it with major economic and financial initiatives, for example, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. It is said that China’s development and governance model represents an alternative to the hitherto under- delivering Western approach that has been practised by many African nations over the past decades. Beijing respects Africans’ political and economic choices, but…

Ten-year-old Leonardo had not seen his mom in years. His hope, as he set out from Guatemala with his aunt and her young daughter, was that they would all be able to reunite with his mother, Emiliana, in California. Instead on February 23, he descended an escalator in the Los Angeles airport for the long-awaited reunion alone. After Emiliana finally embraced her son with tears streaming down her face, Leonardo’s first question was: “Why aren’t Aunt Rosa and my cousin here?” As President Joe Biden’s administration grapples with how to house thousands of unaccompanied minors crossing the US.Mexico border, advocates say ending a long-standing practice of separating children like Leonardo from caretaking relatives would help reduce overcrowding in US government custody. Under US immigration law, families are narrowly defined as…

BRUSSELS: The EU would now kick off the process to allow the free flow of data from the 27-country bloc to South Korea after concluding talks to iron out potential issues and tack on additional safeguards, the European Commission said yesterday. Such adequacy decisions would allow businesses to transfer data from bank details to payroll processing and health care data, and also allow police to co-operate. “The European Commission will now proceed with launching the decision-making procedure,” the EU executive said.…

ASHFAK MOHAMED ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za TRUE champions know when they need to step up and deliver their best, and that is exactly what Wayde van Niekerk did to beat Akani Simbine in a 200m event in Johannesburg yesterday. Running in the Athletics South Africa invitational meeting at the Ruimsig Athletics Stadium in Johannesburg, Van Niekerk posted a superb time of 20.10 seconds – it would have been the second-fastest in the world this year, and also significantly quicker than the Olympic qualifying time of 20.24, but a strong wind of +2.1m/s means that it cannot count towards the official world list. It’s not that Simbine ran a bad race at all. In fact the 100m star was the first to take the lead as he sprung out of the blocks, an advantage…