Innholdsfortegnelse for 2022-04-13 i Star

CAPITEC Bank yesterday posted a surge in annual profits, one-third higher than pre-pandemic levels, as its active client base increased by 14 percent and as its shareholders received a whopping dividend. For the year ended February 2022, headline earnings per share, a gauge used to show profitability, grew by 84 percent to R73 per share. This as active clients rising to 1.81 million and its digital banking clients increased by 17 percent to 10.1 million – a very strong growth. Headline earnings rose to R8.4 billion from R4.6bn, while operating income before credit impairments grew by 17 percent to R27bn. Profit after tax improved to R8.5bn, from R4.46bn in 2021.Capitec chief executive Gerrie Fourie said the company delivered stellar results across the business.…

ECONOMIC activity in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has ground to a halt after torrential rains left a trail of billions of rand in infrastructure damage and threw supply chains into disarray. At least 300mm of rainfall bucketed down into the province over the last 2 days and washed away major logistics routes such as the N2 highway and damaged warehouses in business hubs, especially in Prospecton south of Durban. The South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) yesterday announced that flooding resulted in the closure of access to the Durban Port via road. Sanral’s eastern region design and construction manager Ravi Ronny said some sections of the N3 were also partially closed due to the upgrades, and the floods had exacerbated the situation on the network. “Bayhead Road, which pro- vides access to…

THARISA, a platinum group metals (PGMs) and chrome producer, yesterday reported a fall in production for its second quarter to end-March as mill breakdowns were weighing on production, but said it was on track to meet its market guidance. The JSE- and London Stock Exchange-listed company said its PGMs production for the second quarter was 44 100 ounces, a 7.5 percent drop from the 47 700 ounces produced in the quarter ended December 31, 2021. Tharisa chief executive Phoevos Pouroulis said: “Another safe and strong mining performance in what is traditionally our toughest operating quarter. “Mining rates remain at record levels with production impacted by certain secondary mill challenges that have since been addressed. These challenges dampened throughput and, in turn, production.” Chrome production also decreased to 374 900…

David Beckham reportedly “shed a tear” as he made an emotional speech during his son Brooklyn Beckham's wedding over the weekend. The soccer star – who is married to Spice Girls’ Victoria Beckham – gave a heartfelt speech as his son tied the knot with Nicola Peltz at a stunning ceremony in Palm Beach, Florida on Nicola’s family’s glitzy seafront estate. As part of his duties as father of the groom, David gave a five minute speech about his son and his new wife, also recalling a special time during the first few moments of his life, leaving everyone misty eyed. A source told The Sun newspaper: “David’s speech went on for about five minutes and he looked to shed a tear at one point. He was talking about when…

The Turquoise Harmony Institute alongside the Nizamiye Complex hosted its annual iftar dinner, an event of friendship and unity, at Nizamiye complex in Midrand recently. Every year, during the holy month of Ramadaan, the Turquoise Harmony Institute invites those of other faiths to enjoy an iftar meal (breaking the fast). During Ramadaan, Muslims aim to grow spiritually and build a stronger relationship with Allah (God) by engaging in reciting the Holy Qur’an, making their actions selfless, and abstaining from gossiping, lying, and fighting. From sunrise to sunset people fast so that they can remind themselves of their blessings. Fasting is not only abstaining from food but also refraining from bad thoughts while spreading kindness, friendship, and love. The iftar dinner is of high significance, because during this event people from…

ONE of the largest surveys into preschool child development has found that 65% of 4- to 5-year-olds in South Africa are failing to thrive. The Thrive by Five Index assessed more than 5 000 children, aged 4 to 5 years and enrolled in Early Learning Programmes (ELPs), in three areas: early learning, physical growth, and social emotional functioning. The survey was initiated by FNB and Innovation Edge, in collaboration with the Department of Basic Education and supported by the US Agency for International Development and ECD Measure. The data was collected between September and November last year. Learning tasks assessed were gross motor skills, fine motor skills, early literacy, early maths and executive functioning (a child’s ability to solve problems and pay attention). The index found that children attending ELPs…

THE situation that occurred during last week’s violence in Diepsloot has caught the attention of the UN, which has raised concern about the incidents involving foreign nationals. Acting resident co-ordinator and head of the UN in South Africa, Ayodele Odusola, said the organisation was concerned about the ongoing incidents of violence, intimidation and harassment, including the brutal killing of Elvis Nyathi, a father of four, in the area. Odusola said that he found it worrying and unfortunate that the incident happened in a country with one of the most inclusive constitutions globally. “Over the recent past we have noted with deep concern as movements such as Operation Dudula are illegally forcing people suspected to be undocumented foreign nationals to show their papers. “Our thoughts are with the family of Mr…

THE SLOW LIFE is a creative communication platform that The Allure Group SA conceptualised. At the heart of The SLOW LIFE is the importance placed on slowing down from the mindless, detaching momentarily from the rat race and the hustle and bustle of modern living and appreciating and soaking in life’s little pleasures. The SLOW LIFE is not about living in slow motion, as the name can easily be mistaken, but rather it is about reclaiming your tranquillity and making meaningful connections be it with people, with culture, with work, with nature, with your body and mind. “It is an alternative lifestyle and entertaining choice. It is underpinned by prioritising living your life according to your values, rather than taking the fast lane to the end of your life. When…

TEMBA Bavuma has credited his good form in Test cricket to an improved defensive technique. Although Bavuma’s second century remains elusive, he has been a beacon of consistency since returning to the Test team after being dropped for the start of the England series in 2020/21. In 12 Test matches since, Bavuma has accumulated 800 runs at an average of 44.44, which includes six half-centuries. Only Proteas captain Dean Elgar has more runs in that period, with 1 026 at 42.75 in 14 Tests. Bavuma missed the two-match series in the West Indies through an upper left hip injury. Bavuma’s defence has improved significantly, which is highlighted by the fact that he has only been dismissed bowled twice since 2020. And one of those occasions was when he chopped on…

SO much has been said about the role of supporters, and the significant part they play to inspire teams and gee up players. This point has been emphasised time and again by sports psychologists and players who wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment. It has been scientifically proven that playing in front of fans at home gives players the edge. In this regard, Chiefs have enjoyed a great advantage for many years because they enjoy massive support around the country. Thanks to this backing from their fan base, Chiefs are the most storied club in the history of South African football. Chippa United interim coach Kurt Lentjies recently remarked that irrespective of where Chiefs were playing away, they always enjoy more support than the home team. It is therefore nothing short…

MANCHESTER City captain Fernandinho shocked manager Pep Guardiola by saying yesterday he planned to leave the English champions at the end of the season. The 36-year-old former Brazil international, who has won four Premier League titles since joining City from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013, revealed his intentions at a pre-match press conference ahead of tonight’s Champions League quarter-final second leg away to Atletico Madrid. Fernandinho, asked if he would like to extend his stay at the Etihad for another year, replied: “No, I want to play regularly. I will go back to Brazil. I decided with my family, which is the most important for me.” Guardiola, alongside the midfielder at the press conference, was taken aback by his skipper’s announcement. “Oh! I didn’t know. You give me the news,” he…

World Rugby are to examine the possibility of introducing the 20-minute red card as a global law trial. The rule, which is currently being trialled in Super Rugby, means a player who is sent off can be tactically replaced by a substitute after 20 minutes. England lock Charlie Ewels was sent off after just 82 seconds against Ireland at Twickenham in the Six Nations last month, meaning the hosts had to play almost the entire game down to 14 men. Ireland eventually pulled away in the last quarter to win 32-15 as the disadvantage of being a man down caught up with England. Many pundits argue a red card is often too harsh a punishment and ruins a game as a spectacle, but others believe the 20-minute red is an…

POWER utility Eskom yesterday warned South Africa faced a worse case scenario of up to 100 days of rotational load shedding over the winter period due to infrastructures uncertainties, while flagging that its operations in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) had been effected by the floods. This could have a dire reflection on the reputation of South Africa’s tentative economic recovery from the post-Covid 19 pandemic, which could be derailed if Eskom fails to manage its production capacity. More loadshedding would likely impact on industries slowly gaining ground, including manufacturing, the automotive sector and food production. Eskom’s National Control Manager, Gavin Hurford said in a media briefing yesterday that the utility anticipated about 100 days of loadshedding over the winter season, which would depend on grid capacity. “We do not say it…

SOUTH Africa’s red meat industry was now at a crisis stage, as the burden of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) was threatening livelihoods and the sector’s viability, the Red Meat and Livestock Primary Cluster said yesterday. Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) Minister Thoko Didiza announced that the country was battling 56 outbreak cases of FMD involving farms and communal areas in the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, the North West and Gauteng. Louw van Reenen, the cluster’s spokesperson and chief executive of the Beefmaster Group, said yesterday that Africa had been plagued by outbreaks since 2019, with disastrous consequences. “In March 2022, the latest FMD outbreak resulted in China suspending imports from South Africa of all cloven- hoofed animal goods, including wool, beef and other red meat products,” Van…

PROFESSIONAL Provident Society (PPS), an unlisted insurance and investment group, ended its 2021 financial year in a favourable position despite a record hike in life insurance claims payments in the second year of the Covid-19 pandemic and as it was hit by a cyberattack. It said yesterday that the record claims amid the Covid-19 pandemic exceeded anything witnessed in its 80-year history. PPS Group chief executive Izak Smit said the group paid R6.1 billion in total benefits to members last year, up 27 percent from the R4.8bn in 2020. “With PPS’s strong balance sheet and solvency ratio, we were able to absorb this increase (excluding investment returns) without dipping into negative territory,” Smit said. Sickness and life claims amounted to R4.3bn in 2021, up 36 percent on…

Actress and presenter Pearl Thusi is no stranger to catching heat on social media, and she has once again come under fire for a comment on amapiano star Papi Cooper. The Isiphithiphithi hitmaker had posted on Instagram, a video of herself and dancer Buhle Gugwana doing their thing, with the caption, “Book us Abeg”. The Queen Sono actress then commented on the post with laughing emojis which left many confused. Even Papi was confused as to why Thusi was laughing at the video. After the commotion caused by her comment, Pearl attempted to explain what she was laughing at. In a follow-up comment, Pearl said that she hadn’t meant to offend Papi but was simply laughing at one of the most booked artists wanting to be booked. “@cooper_pabi I'm laughing…

THE trial of the five men accused of killing the then Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa has been delayed for five more days after the legal team requested time to prepare a defence and consult witnesses. As the trial of the accused in the 2014 murder of Meyiwa was due to resume in the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, yesterday, Advocate Zandile Mshololo, for Sifisokuhle Ntuli, indicated she was unable to proceed despite being afforded a day to consult on Monday and requested a further five-day postponement. She said that due to the late submission of additional statements by the State two weeks before the start of the trial, she needed more time to prepare adequate defence and to consult with the witnesses in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. She said that…

A pack of African wild dogs has been released in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP) in northern KwaZulu-Natal. The Wild Life Act and the Endangered Wildlife Trust assisted Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife by facilitating the release of HiP’s newest pack of African wild dogs two weekends ago. “The pack is composed of four males – originally brought into HiP from the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve at the end of 2020 – and two females originally from HiP. The males and females originate from opposite ends of the vast park and may never have come into contact. The capture and bonding of the dogs were crucial for the formation of this new pack,” Wildlife Act said. “Initially, the males and females lived in two adjacent compartments of a predator holding facility, a boma,…

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi has expressed his excitement about being part of the national set-up again following the conclusion of the first alignment camp in Durban yesterday. While Bok coach Jacques Nienaber was at pains to explain earlier in the week that the players at the camp had not been selected for the three-Test series against Wales in July, there is always a lot of enthusiasm and expectation for those in attendance and fans trying to work out who is in the mix. Nienaber felt that it was not necessary to divulge the names of the 22 players who had been invited to the three-day workshop in Durban – although he did reveal that Japan-based duo, Elton Jantjies and Malcolm Marx, were also part of the camp as they were…

Peter Shalulile scored a second successive Premiership hat-trick as Mamelodi Sundowns strolled to a 6-0 win over Golden Arrows to become the first player to score 21 league goals for the club. Shalulile’s historic scoring spree leaves him only four goals shy of matching the record of Collins Mbesuma, who banged in 25 league goals in one season in the colours of Kaizer Chiefs. Sundowns’ comfortable win over Arrows at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria yesterday meant that they are just five points away from winning a record fifth title in a row. The Brazilians have been so good that they’ve scored 22 goals in their last five matches in all competitions, making their chase for an unprecedented four trophies this season more likely than ever. Sundowns lead the Premiership charts…

MAX Verstappen says two things need to happen for him to have a chance of successfully defending his Formula One title, and Red Bull are not managing to do either at the moment. The Dutch 24-year-old gave his verdict after suffering a second retirement in three races on Sunday, with the Australian Grand Prix leaving him a massive 46 points behind Ferrari’s dominant winner Charles Leclerc. “We are already so far down in the championship that from now onwards, basically you first need to be faster than them (Ferrari), which we’re not, and zero problems with the car which we also don’t have,” said Verstappen. “So, it’s going to be a big task.” Verstappen is sixth in the standings with 25 points while Leclerc, winner of two out of three…

SONIC The Hedgehog has broken a box office record for the highest-grossing debut for a video game adaptation. According to Variety, the sequel to the 2020 film based on a Sega game outsold Morbius and Ambulance, grossing over $71 million (R1 billion) in its opening weekend. That’s significantly more than the original, which earned $58m million in comparison. It’s no surprise that a third movie in the live-action series was recently confirmed, while Idris Elba, the voice series on Paramount Plus. In light of Jim Carrey, who plays Dr Ivo Robotnik, recently announcing he is planning to retire, Sonic 2 producers Toby Ascher and Neal H Moritz have ruled out recasting the character for the third film. Toby told IGN: “Jim Carrey is always a member of the Sonic…

AfriForum’s legal head, Advocate Gerry Nel, yesterday weighed in on the issue of singer and socialite Kelly Khumalo hiring respected legal eye Advocate Magdalene Moonsamy to attend and represent her on a watching brief in the high-stakes trial of the accused in the murder of her former boyfriend, Senzo Meyiwa. “May I use you (the reporter) as an example? If you have nothing to fear in a trial, and you are not implicated, and/or your rights will never be infringed in a trial, would you appoint somebody to look after your rights? For me, it is as easy as that,” Nel, a former senior prosecutor at the National Prosecuting Authority, said when he spoke to broadcaster eNCA ahead of the trial. Meyiwa was killed on October 26, 2014 while visiting…

AGRI SA says that the agricultural sector has had to resort to litigation as the Constitutional Court granted the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) an application for leave to appeal against a decision by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) on the transferability and trading of water rights. Agri SA law and policy executive Janse Rabie said that as an organisation they were confident rule of law would prevail, and that the nation’s farmers would be able to continue to do the crucial work of ensuring food security for the country at this especially difficult time. According to Rabie the outcome of the judgment would have significant consequences for the agricultural sector in terms of investor confidence and access to capital. “The case came about as the result of…

THE UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) earlier this month published its guidance on what the world could do to avoid an extremely dangerous future, but from the extreme heatwaves in the Western Cape to the current floods in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa appears to already be facing the dangerous effects of climate change. “What has been observed is that these events are becoming more frequent and more intense. We are seeing more damage and loss, not only because of heavy rainfall but because of the vulnerability of communities,” UCT Climate System Analysis Group (CSAG) research fellow and climatologist Izidine Pinto said. “Climate change will make heavy rainfall, floods, droughts and heatwaves worse in many ways, and we need to be doing everything in our power to rapidly reduce local…

IN A surprise turn of events in the Wandile Bozwana murder trial, all four accused, among them Vusi “Khekhe” Mathibela, yesterday told the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, that they would not defend the charges against them. The first two accused, Sipho Hudla and Matamela Robert Mutapa, could earlier not make up their minds whether they would testify in their defence but, yesterday, both said they were closing their cases without testifying or calling witnesses. Advocate Gerhard Botha, who appeared for Mathibela, was clearly caught off guard. Mathibela, accused number three in the trial, was supposed to present his case next. But Botha Judge Papi Mosopa that Mathibela would also not testify. “You caught me by surprise. I did not think that after seven years things would go so fast…

SUPERSPORT United have sacked coach Kaitano Tembo amid Matsatsantsa’s struggles for consistency this season. United’s most recent result was a 3-2 shock loss to GladAfrica Championship side Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila in the Nedbank Cup quarter-finals last weekend. They are also battling for a top-eight league finish this season, as they are currently in eighth position on 31 points on the Premiership log, ahead of ninth-placed Golden Arrows on goal difference only. By departing United, Tembo leaves the club after 23 years as a player and a coach. Prior to taking the full-time coaching role at the club in 2018, he served as an assistant coach to Gavin Hunt, Stuart Baxter and Eric Tinkler. Highlights of Tembo’s reign at SuperSport included guiding the club to two fifth-place finishes and two MTN8…

LIVERPOOL’S goal is to become a team nobody wants to play against, manager Jurgen Klopp said yesterday ahead of their Champions League quarter-final second leg against Benfica at Anfield. The Reds lead 3-1 after victory in Lisbon last week, and Klopp’s side are in a rich vein of form, having lost only once in their last 22 games in all competitions, winning 18 times. “We were good in Benfica, I liked the game. The main target is again being the one team no one wants to play,” Klopp told reporters ahead of tonight’s clash. “Really aggressive in a football sense, defending well, knowing more about the way they play.” The English League Cup winners have what Klopp described as a “super intense” schedule, and are on track for an unprecedented…

WHO is the fastest man in Africa? Well, that accolade belongs to Ferdinand Omanyala, but South Africa’s Akani Simbine will challenge the Kenyan in tonight’s Athletics SA Grand Prix 4 meeting in Germiston. Simbine is slowly returning to the track after missing out on an Olympic medal in the 100m final in Tokyo last year, where he finished fourth in a time of 9.93 seconds. Italian Marcell Jacobs was the unlikely champion in a European record 9.80, followed by American Fred Kerley (9.84) and Canada’s Andre de Grasse (9.89). Omanyala didn’t qualify for the final, having ended third in his semi-final in a then-personal best of 10.00. But on September 18 last year, the 26-year-old scorched to a sensational new African mark of 9.77 in Nairobi, where he finished second…

CONSIDERING his exploits over the past two weeks, it is hard to imagine that Keshav Maharaj was actually beginning to doubt his future role in the Proteas Test team. Heading into the first Test match against Bangladesh at his home ground Kingsmead, Maharaj had only played a bit-part role over the course of the season. Although the selectors opted to retain him in the starting XI even when conditions may have dictated otherwise during the home series against India, Maharaj was used sparingly, and only bowled 32 overs and claimed just one wicket across the three Tests. In fact, the left-arm off-spinner sent down just two overs – one in each innings – in the second Test at the Wanderers. His services were then deemed surplus to requirements in the…