Innholdsfortegnelse for 2021-08-31 i Star

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za SEA HARVEST posted a 5 percent growth in revenue during the half-year to the end of June to R2.1 billion, up from R2bn a year earlier, on the back of strong performances from the South African fishing segment, the Cape Harvest Foods segment and its Australian operations. Group chief executive Felix Ratheb said the performance was commendable considering the company faced headwinds in the form of a firmer rand, a 5 percent reduction in the total allowable catch (TAC), additional Covid-19-related costs and operating pressures in the aquaculture segment. “However, we benefited from good fishing conditions, firm export and local retail markets, and a sound hedging strategy, delivering operating profit of R323 million for the period, 26 percent higher than the prior period, with the operating profit…

MOMENTUM Life Insurance paid out almost R1.4 billion for 842 Covid-19-related death claims by July, an indication of the severity of the second and third waves of the pandemic. Claims so far this year show a steep increase compared with last year. Jenny Ingram, the insurer’s head of product development, said of the R5.5bn in claims paid last year, more than R370 million were for 217 Covid-19-related death claims. Ingram said respiratory death claims, in which Covid-19 was categorised, formed the third-highest number of claims last year, representing 19 percent of Momentum’s death claims. The top two reasons for death claims last year were cardiovascular disease (28 percent) followed by cancer (25 percent). Although respiratory complications represented only 19 percent of total death claims, Momentum had seen a dramatic increase…

Kedibone Modise kedibone.modise@inl.co.za Though the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has been felt by all, it’s no secret the arts and entertainment sector has been hit the hardest. With lockdown restrictions, major events have been postponed, while artists alongside other creative workers continue to suffer. The Hilton Arts Festival recently announced that this year’s event hadbeen cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “We left the decision as late as possible in the hope that the Covid pandemic would be less severe by September,” said Sue Clarence, the Festival director. “However, in the light of the Covid situation right now, it would not be socially responsible to go ahead with this year’s event. “The generous donations via our crowdfunding campaign will make for a great event next year. Let’s all live…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za THE State has expressed concern that controversial Rivers of Living Waters Church leader Bishop Bafana Stephen Zondo’s sex trial once again had to be postponed – this time because he fired his advocate. The State said this was because he wanted to delay his trial. While this was vehemently denied by the defence, prosecutor Jennifer Cronje said the State would consider its options if there was yet another delay. One option she mentioned was to bring an application for Zondo to face his trial while in jail. Zondo is out on warning. The rape and sex trial was supposed to kick off yesterday in the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, but it now seems it will only proceed some time in November. The reason for this delay…

A South African woman has proven why she is the whole package, having started three business ventures during the Covid-19 pandemic, aside from being a pilot. Amanda Kandawire-Khoza, 31, from Soweto, knew she wanted to be a pilot from the age of five. Kandawire-Khoza was adamant to make her dreams a reality and enrolled in a flight school right after completing her high school career. Speaking to African News Agency (ANA), she said she started flying at the age of 17 but received the best 18th birthday gift. “I started flying solo on my 18th birthday,” Kandawire-Khoza said. She has worked for airlines such as SA Express, SAA and Emirates. Kandawire-Khoza also flew the world’s biggest passenger plane, the Airbus A380, when she relocated to Dubai while working for Emirates.…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za BASIC Education Minister Angie Motshekga has called on parents and traditional leaders to revisit their objections to Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE), saying it was key to fighting the scourge of teenage pregnancy. “We are concerned about the alarming rate of teenage pregnancies in the country. “Let us be clear that it is not just a problem of Gauteng, it is a national crisis,” she said while addressing the media on Sunday. Motshekga was speaking following a report that revealed that about 23 226 pupils in Gauteng had fallen pregnant. The media briefing was aimed at providing an update on the impact of Covid-19 on schools. Motshekga said most of the teenagers who had fallen pregnant were of school-going age. “It is a serious indictment on all of…

Kevin Govender | Shallcross FROM the monochrome grey of hollow blocks and mortar to the perennial green pitches of football fields – that’s the rococo trim of sexy and sassy Durban empress, Shauwn Mkhize, who has just splurged R50 million on purchasing Bloemfontein Celtic FC, now renamed Royal AM FC. The AM is an obvious reference to her beloved and idolised son, Andile Mpisane. With all her political connections, it would have been more appropriate if it was called Royal ANC FC. She was married to former metro policeman Sbu Mpisane, a controversial figure himself, and divorced in 2019. He is claiming maintainence from her of R200 000 a month. The Mpisanes were famous for throwing lavish parties with breathtaking excesses, preposterous profligacy and taking partying to unparalleled swashbuckling…

A trial combining vaccinations and prevention drugs has substantially lowered the number of children dying of malaria in two African countries, with a 70% reduction in hospitalisation or death, according to researchers. Reports say the trial was co-ordinated by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) with partners Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Burkina Faso, as well as the Malaria Research and Training Centre, University of Science, Technology and Techniques of Bamako, Mali. According to the LSHTM, the trial followed nearly 6 000 children aged 5-17 months in Burkina Faso and Mali, two countries in West Africa with a very high burden of the disease which is caused by parasites transmitted to people through bites from infected female anopheles mosquitoes. Researchers said they found…

THE Tokyo Paralympics are underway after a year’s pandemic delay. Here, AFP Sport picks out five athletes hoping to make an impact: Markus Rehm (GER) Known as the “Blade Jumper”, three-time Paralympic champion Rehm is aiming to push the boundaries even further after demolishing the T64 long jump world record in June. The German, who turned 33 on Sunday, leapt 8.62m at the European Championships in Poland - beating the previous record by a full 14cm. That jump would have been enough to win gold at every Olympics since 1992, and was only 33cm short of Mike Powell’s non-disabled world record. Beatrice Vio (ITA) Wheelchair fencer Vio is a sporting icon in her native Italy. The 24-year-old, known as “Bebe”, started fencing at the age of five, but had both…

Stuart Hess stuart.hess@inl.co.za SOUTH African cricket has had its fair share of drama and controversy this year, and Sri Lankan cricket has been no less lively. The respective national men’s teams will meet in one-day and T20 international series over the next fortnight, with the matches taking place against a backdrop of upheaval off the field for both sides. South Africa’s issues stretch from an administrative overhaul at Cricket SA that demanded intervention from the government, to the project about Social Justice and Nation Building, which has ripped open painful wounds about racial discrimination in SA cricket. Sri Lanka head into Thursday’s opening ODI in Colombo dealing with a plethora of drama that stretches from the field into social media. Results-wise, it’s been a struggle. They’ve won just two of…

Zaahier Adams zaahier.adams@inl.co.za SWALLOWS FC coach Brandon Truter admitted “the last third is a problem for us” after the goalless draw with Cape Town City in the MTN8 semi-final at Athlone Stadium. Truter was full of praise for his defensive unit, with Sipho Sibiya claiming the Man of the Match award, while fellow defenders Yagan Sasman, Musa Nyatama and Thabo Matlaba were all in top form to keep a rampant City at bay. But Swallows also had chances of their own on the counter-attack, even one right at the death to steal the contest, and it is here where Truter wants his team to be more clinical. “A very tough game for us. I think the first 45 was end-to-end. Both teams had chances as well, but based on the…

KASI football, showboating, showing off or trickery is what makes South African football unique. It is referred to in many different ways based on the perception one has on it. For most foreigners, it is something of no worth, unnecessary and useless. It is “not football”. I am saying foreigners, because this is a value in Africa. It is who we are. It is in our DNA. It is “us”. When someone wants this removed from the game we love, there is nothing left and most games have nothing because this “us” is no more. I am conscious of the fact that some people want to reduce this “us” to a race matter. This value has nothing to do with race. It is above race. In the old days when…

GIVEN MAJOLA given.majola@inl.co.za SOUTH Africa’s e-commerce market had the potential to double by 100 percent to 5.6 percent of the total retail market if e-tailers beefed-up their trustworthiness, ease-of-use, security, delivery and after-sales support, according to the third annual South African Digital Customer Experience Report. The report’s key finding was that R30 billion was being “left on the table” because of poor customer experience (CX), at R12bn, and cart abandonment, at R20.4bn. The value of the e-commerce market was currently R30bn. The report found that 96 percent of respondents said they would spend more online if e-tailers’ CX was better. Collectively, these glitches were estimated to cost e-tailers R11.95bn in lost sales. The report was based on an annual ovatoyou study among 2 000 online South Africans and was…

Staff Reporter Magnet Theatre’s latest production, Snapped, is set to premiere at the Baxter Flipside from Thursday, September 16. Snapped explores societal issues, including relationships between fathers and daughters and what it means to be a good man. It also tackles loss, grief and mortality. Written and performed by Jennie Reznek and directed by Mark Fleishman, Snapped features Magnet graduates Carlo Daniels, who plays the father, an unknown stretcher bearer and various other characters, and Sithyilelo Makupula, who plays the “crew”. Commenting on the show, Reznek explains: “I wrote the play during the lockdown. Although it has been brewing ever since my father died 16 years ago. “Once I had made I Turned Away And She Was Gone, which dealt with a relationship between a mother and her daughter and…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za THE CHINESE Embassy in South Africa has said claims that the Covid-19 outbreak was a result of a leak from a lab in Wuhan is a lie. The Embassy of China yesterday held a virtual media briefing to discuss the contentious matter of Covid-19 origins, where Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Chen Xiaodong elaborated on China’s position on related issues. A report, compiled by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in the US, was released on Covid-19 origins on Friday and found that the virus was not developed as a biological weapon. US President Joe Biden, in a statement following the report’s release, said the US and its allies would continue to pressure China to reveal more about what happened when Covid first started to…

Bongani Nkosi bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za THE Hawks are hot on the heels of more suspects behind the execution of Gauteng health official Babita Deokaran. Yesterday, six men made a brief appearance at the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court in connection with the hit-like killing that shocked the country last week. Deokaran was ambushed and gunned down outside her Winchester Hills, Joburg south, home last week Monday. She had reportedly just returned from dropping her child at school. Her killing is suspected to be linked to her role in the probe into dodgy personal protective equipment contracts in the province. She was reportedly a key witness. It emerged at the weekend that police had cracked the case and arrested seven male suspects. But it became apparent in court yesterday that six men had actually been…

Despite masks becoming the new must-have accessory during the pandemic, make-up has remained resilient, and new trends continue to emerge despite most people not showing their full faces to the world. Cuan Kemp, national head of marketing and social media, national head of education and national head of make-up for professional make-up brand Kryolan SA, shares some of the summer trends that are likely to show face in 2021. Let’s begin with skin! “Our canvases that allow us to create our looks of choice – our skins – are emerging from the dry winter and are in need of some TLC,” says Cuan. “Subtle make-up application is going to be a big trend this year. The biggest reason for that is it’s comfortable and because it accommodates masks well.” Cuan…

Chulumanco Mahamba SOUTH African actress Thuso Mbedu, who is making waves in Hollywood, has once again made South Africa proud after she bagged the TV Breakout Star Award at the inaugural Hollywood Critics Association awards. The 30-year-old, who is based in Hollywood, took home the gold on Sunday evening after being recognised for her Hollywood debut role as Cora in historical fiction drama The Underground Railroad. The drama, by Academy Award winner Barry Jenkins, tells the story of Cora and other slaves attempting an escape from slavery in the southern US in the 1800s. Jenkins, who presented the award to Mbedu, recalled when she auditioned for the role and said that she embodied the character. “It’s one thing to read a novel and see a character in your head, but…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za SOUTH African fuel users can expect a slight breather next month with the prices of all grades of fuel set to drop. This is according to the Automobile Association (AA), commenting on unaudited month-end fuel price data released by the Central Energy Fund. The AA’s outlook for September was that petrol will drop by around 11 cents a litre, diesel by up to 21 cents a litre, and illuminating paraffin by 12 cents. “International petroleum prices continued their gradual retreat during August, having pulled back by around 10% since the start of the month. “We attribute this mainly to the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries cartel, which increased oil production gradually during the firstw half until previous production restrictions were removed,” the association said. The AA noted,…

HEALTH authorities in Ivory Coast say the patient who tested positive for Ebola, the country’s first Ebola case in 25 years, has made a full recovery, according to reports. The country reported its first case of the viral haemorrhagic fever on August 12 after initial investigations found that the patient had travelled to Ivory Coast from Guinea by land and arrived in Abidjan on August 12. The World Health Organization (WHO) says there is no indication that the case is linked to an earlier outbreak in Guinea. The West African country declared an Ebola outbreak in one of its regions on February 14, when seven people fell ill with diarrhoea and vomited and bled after attending a burial in Goueke, near the Liberian border. On August 23, Ebola booster dose…

LIONEL Messi came on as a substitute to make his Paris Saint-Germain debut on Sunday but Kylian Mbappe stole the show by scoring both goals in a 2-0 win against Reims in Ligue 1. Messi, wearing the No 30 jersey, came off the bench in the 66th minute to replace Neymar at the Stade Auguste-Delaune, where fans in the sell-out 21 000 crowd had earlier chanted his name as he emerged to warm up. The Argentine had not played since arriving in Paris from Barcelona almost three weeks ago, his last appearance in any game dating back to the Copa America final on July 11, when he led his country to victory against Brazil. The six-time Ballon d’Or winner will have to wait for his first goal with his new…

Ashfak Mohamed ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za THE embarrassment of player riches that the Bulls have acquired over the last few months must be the envy of all the other South African sides. Coach Jake White, though, is not worried about the ‘salary cap’ jibes that are being thrown around on social media. After experiencing the surprise defeat in the Rainbow Cup final against the unfancied Benetton in Treviso, Italy, in June, the former Springbok coach knows that he needs solid depth if his team are going to compete for the title in the upcoming United Rugby Championship. The Bulls begin their campaign with one of the toughest fixtures possible – Irish giants Leinster in Dublin – on September 25, and White said last week that there will be a few more signings in…

Ashfak Mohamed ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za HAVING missed out at Rio 2016 and the 2017 world championships, Louzanne Coetzee expressed her relief at finally breaking her medal duck with silver at the Tokyo Paralympics yesterday. It has been a long road for Coetzee, who has a visual impairment, to reach the heights that she did at Tokyo Stadium. Running in the 1 500m T11 class, the 28-year-old was a bit concerned when Mexico’s world champion Monica Rodriguez Saavedra took the lead from Coetzee in the second part of the race. But with her guide Estean Badenhorst, Coetzee negotiated the jostling for positions and managed to claim second place in a time of four minutes 40.96 seconds, which was a new African record, with Rodriguez Saavedra setting a new world record to take gold…

AS PART of US President Joe Biden’s June visit to the UK, the US and the UK announced an updated Atlantic Charter, agreeing to collaborate on research and development of 6G, or sixth-generation wireless technology. 6G, the successor to 5G cellular technology, uses higher frequencies than 5G networks, and therefore provides substantially higher capacity and much lower latency of one microsecond (a thousand times faster than 5G). It is expected that 6G will support data rates of 9.6 gigabits per second or 1 terabyte per second, allowing the download of 142 hours of Netflix movies in one second. In addition, 6G’s higher frequencies (95 GHz to 3 THz) will enable much faster sampling rates, and thus enhance sound quality. According to Hexa-X, the joint European 6G initiative, the prospective uses…

Kedibone Modise kedibone.modise@inl.co.za As Women’s Month draws to a close, an exhibition titled Layers of a Black Transgender Woman continues to gain momentum in highlighting the challenges facing transgender women across the African continent. Presented and curated by trans- gender activist and media personality Yaya Mavundla, the exhibition showcases “different layers of women, interrogates identity and validate trans- gender women as women in a form of art” on their own terms. This exhibition features black transgender women who are in the media and at the forefront of transgender visibility in South Africa. The three women are Moja Love’s The Way Ngingakhona reality TV star Tholang Motsumi, Miss South Africa top 30 finalist Lehlogonolo Machaba, and Mzansi Magic’s Becoming Reality star, and award-winning transgender activist Mavundla. Mavundla collaborated with South African…

Viwe Ndongeni-Ntlebi viwe.ndongeni@inl.co.za COVID-19 has made us acutely aware of how important our health and well-being is, but for parents it has highlighted how critical it is for your little ones to develop healthy relationships with food from a young age. Experts say until about 6 months old, breast milk or formula is sufficient as the sole source of nutrition for babies. And while this will remain the primary source of nutrition until 12 months, the nutritional needs of a baby increase to support growth and development. And that is why solids become necessary. For many parents, making the transition to solids can feel daunting. Some babies are varied and adventurous eaters, while others are picky. Nadia Jansen van Rensburg, co-founder of Rooted Natural and a clinical dietitian with…

SCIENTISTS have discovered an ancient four-legged whale species that lived about 43 million years ago in the Egypt's Western Desert region, according to reports. According to a study, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, a flagship biological research journal, researchers say the whale was able to walk on land and swim in water. “Over about 10 million years, the ancestors of whales transformed from herbivorous, deer-like, terrestrial mammals into carnivorous and fully aquatic cetaceans,” said the report. Researchers say that its skull resembles that of Anubis, the ancient Egyptian jackal-headed god of the dead, after which it has been named, according to the BBC. The study’s lead author, Abdullah Gohar of the Mansoura University Vertebrate Palaeontology Centre, called it a “key new whale species”. The newly discovered…

August, dubbed Women’s Month, is supposed to be jubilant. It is a month that should be used to celebrate the great strides made by women in the gender struggle. The pivotal role by women in the liberation movement in general, key women’s achievements in all sectors, and groundbreaking moments in our recent history that continue to pave the way for the future of women in society, ought to be highlighted in Women’s Month. Many women are trapped in their homes with their abusers, and continue to endure a life of torture. In many instances these women die at the hands of their loved ones. On the streets there is no refuge, and women continue to experience all sorts of abuse in their neighbourhoods, churches, workplaces, and all other institutions…

Rapula Moatshe CHANGING the stereotypical thinking of excluding children from social activities such as politics was part of the motivation behind a debut book by young author Boitumelo Thage. The book, My Voice Matters … When I Stand for Others, is aimed at children between the ages of 7 and 10. In the book, the 25-year-old author from Pretoria North retells the story of the 20 000-strong march by women to the Union Buildings on August 9, 1956, to demand that then prime minister JG Strijdom revoke the apartheid pass laws. Her storytelling ability makes the sequence of events easy to follow, especially for her target audience with little understanding of politics. To capture the imagination of children, Thage employs the use of portraits to illustrate some of the characters…

The iPhone 13 could have satellite connectivity, according to one industry expert. The early-awaited new handset has been the subject of speculation for months, and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has suggested that the iPhone 13 could allow consumers to make satellite calls. He claimed that the much-hyped phone will be able to connect directly to low earth orbit satellite thanks to cutting-edge technology. The industry expert explained that the iPhone 13 will include a customised Qualcomm X60 baseband chip. However, Apple hasn’t yet commented on the speculation and it’s yet to be seen whether the reports are accurate. The handset hasn’t yet been given a specific release date, either, but it’s been suggested that the iPhone 13 will be in stores by the end of September. Meanwhile, Apple previously announced plans…

As the August winds finally die down, we can start looking forward to spring. A change of season generally comes with the added excitement of new experiences and a new perspective on life. But, as we all know, spring is also the start of allergy season. Luckily, there are quite a few ways to work around this dreaded symptom of seasonal change. It all starts by prepping your home and turning it into a safe haven, free from allergy inducing factors. Keep up with maintenance When is the last time you had your home appliances checked? Things like your tumble dryer, vacuum and air conditioner may need a clean, or filter replacements – especially if you haven’t used them in a while. It’s because of this that regular maintenance is…

SAMKELO MTSHALI IF the Happiness Index could be applied to football clubs around the world for their transfer window activity in the current transfer window, there is no doubt that record English champions Manchester United would top the charts easily. Euphoria amongst United’s massive global fanbase reached unprecedented levels at the weekend following the announcement of the return of Cristiano Ronaldo 12 years after his departure for Real Madrid, leading to the club’s website crashing in the aftermath of the historic announcement. Ronaldo returns to United with the feel good factor already in abundance at Old Trafford in recent weeks following the signing of English attacking ace Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund and the arrival of highly decorated World Cup and multiple UEFA Champions League winning French international centreback…

South Africa’s Erik van Rooyen capped off a rapidly rising season with a final round of seven-under-par 65 to finish fifth at the BMW Championship on Sunday, but more importantly secure his entry into the lucrative PGA Tour Championship. Van Rooyen ended on 21-under, six behind American Patrick Cantlay, who beat countryman Bryson DeChambeau in a six-hole play-off. Van Rooyen’s fifth place enabled him to rise 18 spots to 27th in the FedExCup standings. Only the top 30 on the standings qualify for the Tour Championship starting on Thursday. The players who qualify receive automatic invites to all four Major championships in 2022, and last place in the tournament will receive around $400 000 (R5.8-million). Incidentally, his finish at the BMW Championship earned Van Rooyen $380 000 (R5.5m). That means…

HERMAN GIBBS THE elder statesmen in the Bafana Bafana squad, Ronwen Williams and Percy Tau, have been handed the leadership reins to usher in a new era in South African football under the tutelage of Belgian Hugo Broos. The 29-year-old goalkeeper Williams will don the captain’s armband. He replaces Thulani Hlatshwayo, who has fallen out of favour with the new Bafana leadership. Williams follows in the footsteps of goalkeepers like Senzo Meyiwa and Itumeleng Khune, who have captained SA in the past decade. The 19-time-capped Williams has spent many seasons in the shadow of Khune, who has 91 caps for the national team. Williams, who spent part of his youth career at Tottenham Hotspur, made his Bafana debut in March 2014 against Brazil. “It is an amazing feeling, but…

Dane van Niekerk Zaahier Adams zaahier.adams@inl.co.za THE Proteas women’s team are back in action this week after spending the winter in hibernation. They are in the idyllic Caribbean, where they will face a strong West Indies team across three T20s and five one-day internationals. We look at five Proteas to keep an eye on ahead of the first T20 in Antigua today (8pm SA time start). All eyes will undoubtedly be on the captain’s return to the national team after a lengthy absence due to injury. Van Niekerk is obviously in good form, though, coming off her excellent Player of the Tournament performance in the inaugural The Hundred competition in England. While her class and ability are unquestionable, it will be interesting to see how she assimilates into the squad…