Innholdsfortegnelse for 2022-10-18 i Star

THE BATTLE for Comair’s survival is on as the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) and liquidators of the operationally defunct airline oppose the withdrawal of air licences and frequencies by both the International air Services Licensing Council (IASLC) and its domestic subsidiary the Air Licensing Council of South Africa. The parties argue that the decision devalues the company as a going concern and risks the tenacious hold on the jobs of 1 500 employees. Provisional Liquidator Cloete Murray said: “The two councils have unlawfully suspended licences for Comair and we are going through the court process to have the suspensions lifted. “There is the Kulula brand and then there is the corporate identity of Comair, which a whole range of people we are talking to are interested…

CALGRO M3 lifted its gross profit margin by 22.1% in the six months to August 31, as the developer of integrated residential developments and memorial parks enters a period of controlled growth and focus. Revenue increased to R607 million from R576m the year before. Headline earnings per share (Heps) increased to 57 cents from 42.79c. Chief executive Wikus Lategan said in a telephone interview yesterday that they were pleased with the “solid performance” and they expected a financial performance uplift in the second half. He said even though it was a tough environment, where it was easier “to save R1 than to earn an extra 10c”, they continued to focus on driving efficiencies, containing costs and delivering quality affordable homes and memorial parks. This, with investment in building…

Mel Gibson has been cleared to testify about a conversation he had with one of Harvey Weinstein’s accusers. But the actor, 66, cannot be questioned on the stand about his previous anti-Semitic remarks as a lawyer requested. Judge Lisa B Lench made the rulings last week ahead of the actor being lined up to inform a jury about a conversation he had with a masseuse, who is one of Weinstein’s latest alleged victims to come forward against the shamed Hollywood boss. Gibson’s involvement was challenged by lawyers for Weinstein at the start of his latest trial in Los Angeles, which sees him on 11 charges of sexual assault and rape. They claimed Gibson’s infamous anti-Semitic remarks in 2006 and 2010 meant he could be biased against Weinstein, who is Jewish.…

THE term “load shedding” has been declared South Africa’s Word of the Year 2022. The Pan South African Language Board (Pansalb) in association with media research company Focal Points proclaimed load shedding as the 2022 South African Word of the Year. The South African Word of the Year is a word, term or expression that most reflects the passing year in language. Other terms that were shortlisted were Inganekwane, Gaslighting, Xenophobia, and Phala Phala. “Candidates for SA Word of the Year were reviewed by Pansalb and shortlisted, and through media research company Focal Points keywords were tracked for the period October 2021 to September 2022. This media data was analysed to determine the prominence of the keywords within the media and to identify the frequency with which they were used…

WHILE some people may think being well-known is always rosy, the behind-the-scenes of being a social media influencer gives a glimpse of what it means to be in the spotlight and the challenges you have to wrestle with to stay afloat. Being in the limelight is known not to be for the faint-hearted – influencers and continent creators deal with more than just psychological challenges, they confront unrealistic standards they are expected to live up to. Social media influencer and entrepreneur Wanga Ramuhuyu gets candid about mental health, unrealistic beauty standards and competitiveness on social media platforms. “Psychologically, I’ve managed to block out negativity and the pressure to compete. But at some point, I struggled because I wanted to look a certain way to be like other creators in my…

Could Rand Water put its thinking cap on and create a public campaign for people to report or repair water leaks and dripping taps timeously? Those who don’t pay for water don’t realise there is a cost to it. They would have to work with neighbourhood watches or community leaders to report the incidents. Dripping taps and water running from cisterns in public areas are a problem. In our area, Joburg Water has been upgrading our water reticulation system but due to old infrastructure, it fixes one leak and another one pops up further down the line. Consequently, there is always water running down the road because of burst pipes. Water is a precious commodity that we cannot live without.…

QATARI landlords eyeing profit from the looming World Cup have been kicking out a growing number of mostly foreign tenants, sometimes with just a few days’ notice. More than one million football fans are expected to descend on the capital Doha during the November-December tournament, putting a strain on the tiny Gulf nation. Landlords who have spotted an opening to increase rents “show no pity” and the market is dominated by “greed”, said a representative of a real estate company, speaking on condition of anonymity. Reem, a foreigner working for a major Qatari company, was told she had a week to leave her apartment. The woman, using a pseudonym to avoid blowback from her employer, told AFP the owner of the block wanted the dozens of apartments he has…

MANCHESTER United footballer Mason Greenwood was yesterday remanded in custody after appearing in court charged with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour, and assault. The 21-year-old forward looked at his family from the dock before he was taken down the steps at Manchester Magistrates’ Court. All three charges relate to the same woman. Greenwood was first held in January over allegations relating to a young woman after images and videos were posted online. He had been on bail since, but was arrested on Saturday for an alleged breach of conditions. Members of Greenwood’s family sat in the public gallery in the small courtroom, along with members of the press. Wearing a grey hooded Nike top and grey jogging bottoms and flanked by two dock officers, the footballer spoke only to…

EMPOWERDEX said yesterday that the Dis-Chem Pharmacies group was not paying lip service to the equity aspirations, but was doing its best to fix the demographics within its operations, with research having shown there is only a 55% attainment of targets by South African companies. This after a leaked letter on the weekend from the drug maker’s chief executive Ivan Saltzman – outlining measures for the group to meet its employment equity targets – faced a public backlash. “We are growing at a fast rate and a few appointments other than white don’t cut it. It’s the ratio between white and black that counts. So, when no suitable black candidate is found and a white is appointed, we need several blacks just to maintain the status quo, never mind moving…

MURRAY & Roberts’s (M&R’s) share price plunged 40% yesterday after it said its financial results to December 31 were expected to fall at least 100% as its international engineering projects are being affected by global supply chain issues and slow payments. The price was trading 39.58% lower at R4 by around midday, after it had steadily declined from R13.54 a year ago. Among comments elicited by the falling share price on Twitter was Carles Boles (@CharlesBoles), who said at M&R’s September 1, 2022, results presentation: “The chief executive said the recent slide in share price was inexplicable. Today (October 17) trading update said 1H2023 (first half of the year) earnings will be down at least 100% and there are working capital funding issues. Not so inexplicable it seems?” Simon Brown…

DELOITTE Africa’s strategy to put right its tarnished reputation and become a trusted and respected audit firm has paid off, with the regulator giving the company’s audits a clean bill of health. The professional services firm has seen a pleasing improvement in the selected and inspected audit engagement files, culminating in a 100% score in 2022. This follows the conclusion of a review performed by the Independent Regulatory Board of Auditors (Irba) earlier this year. Releasing its 2022 Transparency Report yesterday, Deloitte said the quality of its audits increased from 50% in 2019, to 78% in 2021, to now reach its goal of achieving 100% audit quality outcome. Deloitte South Africa also received no reportable findings at firm level in 2022 with respect to the firm’s systems of quality control.…

DIE Real Housewives van Pretoria has finally made its small screen debut and who would have thought that there is so much drama in Silver Lakes? South Africans were introduced to a new group of housewives residing on the wealthier end of Pretoria. These ladies have closets, homes and cars that show just how deep their pockets run. A launch and special screening for the reality show was held at Monte de Dios Wedding and Conference Venue recently. The housewives came dressed in their best attire for the big night and made quite the entrance as they walked down the stairs to the red carpet. MC Rozanne McKenzie introduced each woman before they made their grand entrance. Melany Viljoen looked stunning in a black risqué number by The XVII and…

FORMER taxi owners say they feel cheated by the City of Joburg and the process that saw them trading in their taxis to become shareholders of Piotrans, the company that has been managing Rea Vaya buses for the past decade. The shareholders of Piotrans said they were shocked when told that their term as shareholders at Rea Vaya would be coming to an end at the end of the year and a new bus company would be coming in at the beginning of next year. The Star understands the termination of Piotrans as the managing company of Rea Vaya will affect at least 300 people who were receiving income as shareholders. Most of them had to leave the taxi industry as part of the new Rea Vaya venture. At the…

Tragedy has struck a Randfontein family after a 12-year-old learner, who had been undergoing counselling at his school, allegedly committed suicide. The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) announced on Friday that it was saddened by the death of a Grade 7 schoolboy, Senzo Nhlapo, 12, from Avanté Primary School in Randfontein who allegedly committed suicide on Thursday while visiting his grandmother in Randfontein. The GDE confirmed that the tragic incident occurred after counselling sessions with the learner at school, emanating from concerns over his well-being, before recess in September. The learner’s grandmother Ntombifuthi Nhlapo said she found her grandson tied to a belt. She removed the belt while another relative tried to perform CPR and pour water on the boy. Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane, who visited the family of…

PROUDLY South African, a campaign that promotes local investment and consumption, has released research findings identifying the manufacturing sector’s potential to boost the country’s development after the Covid-19 pandemic. The report found that a process of de-globalisation was at play, partly driven by ongoing global supply chain disruptions, and highlighting the need for increased localisation as a means of expansion, security and survival for specific industries. This was revealed by the Pan-African Investment & Research Services team, led by economist Dr Iraj Abedian, and working on the Revitalising SA’s Manufacturing Sector plan. Analysing the South African manufacturing industry and quantifying its valuable contribution to the country’s economy, the report reaffirmed the Proudly South African campaign to buy local to create jobs and grow the economy. According to the report, the…

WITH the World Cup barely a month away, Brazilian superstar Neymar went on trial in Spain yesterday over alleged irregularities in his transfer to Barcelona nearly a decade ago. Wearing sunglasses and a dark suit, the 30-year-old waved to the press as he arrived at the Provincial Court of Barcelona with his parents who are also in the dock. Spanish prosecutors are seeking a two-year prison term for Neymar and the payment of a €10million fine. The high-profile trial is the culmination of a years-long legal saga over his 2013 transfer from Brazilian club Santos to Barcelona. He then joined Qatar-owned Paris Saint-Germain in a world record €222m transfer in 2017. Neymar, who came to Barcelona just hours after scoring the winning goal against Marseille in a Ligue 1 match…

MAINTAINING interest rates at 200% – the highest in the world – will stifle economic growth for Zimbabwe, as it battles monetary instability despite retailers and manufacturers starting to record a surge in US Dollar sales amid a local currency crunch. Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said over the weekend that Zimbabwe would maintain interest rates at 200% for the next three months as a way of stabilising inflation. The government was inclined to maintain the current tight monetary, interest rate and fiscal policy regime. “That’s what it takes to bring stability and bring things under control,” he said. The Zimbabwe dollar local unit of exchange, which has been highly volatile, has notched up some stability on the parallel exchange rate market. It has been trading at around $1:ZWL700 in the…

South African creatives are tapping into African folklore and history for TV offerings. Viewers recently got to witness this in Akin Omotoso’s The Brave Ones and there is plenty of hype around Mzansi Magic’s upcoming epic drama Shaka Ilembe, which hits the small screen next year. In the meantime, Blood Psalms is impressing critics and streamers alike. More so as it stays truly authentic to the storytelling, especially with a script that stays true to the mother tongue. And Thando Thabethe is a vision in her role as the Emissary of Heka, which is unlike anything we’ve seen her play to date. For those who have caught the first few episodes of this most ambitious Showmax Original undertaking, she is seated on a throne, eyes completely black, with her hair…

THE SA Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) head of campaigns, Gabriel Crous, says the Dis-Chem debacle is a product of Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi’s aggressive race-baiting laws tabled in the Employment Equity Amendment Bill (EEB). His sentiments on Dis-Chem’s moratorium on the appointment of white individuals come after a letter by the pharmaceutical giant was leaked online at the weekend. In the letter, Dis-Chem CEO Ivan Saltzman ordered a suspension on the appointment of white individuals, stating it was necessary to avoid a potential fine of 10% of turnover – roughly R2 billion – if the group was found non-compliant. Crous said Nxesi’s call for more aggressive race laws in July last year, while tabling the Employment Equity Amendment Bill, were what allowed him to set stringent…

JOBURG Water will have an emergency meeting with Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu to address the water problems in Gauteng. The municipal entity said the meeting was to devise a course of action to bring about sustainable solutions to the province’s water supply challenges. The entity said due to Rand Water’s uninterrupted load shifting from Eikenhof to recover the Palmiet system, its Commando system levels had worsened from critically low to empty. Johannesburg Water spokesperson Puleng Mopeli said customers, particularly from the Hursthill reservoirs zone, would have no water. She said Helen Joseph and Rahima Moosa Child and Mother hospitals had adequate supplies. Two weeks ago, citizens, businesses and hospitals were hard hit to a point that some relatives had to take water to their loved ones who were…

THE conversation around the steady decline in viewership of Idols South Africa has raised concerns regarding the direction of the show, particularly with recent reactions it is “missing something” while others have stopped watching it. Reports have revealed the currentseason – with a new panel of judges – has been a lukewarm affair. It seems the strategy of bringing back Somizi Mhlongo did not assist much in resuscitating the show after it has seemingly lost its mojo. The downward trend has also revealed how difficult it had been in the past few months to stay afloat as viewership continued to dip. Entertainment commentator, Phil Mphela, who had been sharing updates about the viewership of the show, said: “South Africa’s iteration of the popular Idols talent show is continuing to lose…

DANCERS from different provinces converged on Pretoria at the weekend and flaunted their dance aptitudes, leading to the winner, who will face-off with global dancers in the world final. The crowd was thrilled with the dance-off at the Red Bull Dance Your Style national final, where Sandile “Sand1” Zulu danced his way to glory. Hailing from Joburg South, the animated hip hop dancer was only confirmed to take part in the national final 24 hours before the competition after another contestant withdrew. Little did he know, he would win the audiences’ hearts and lift the Dance Your Style trophy. Sand1 had the crowd chanting his name as he knocked out his opponents at every round to set up a thrilling final against Pretoria-based Angel Maputla. The petite, yet powerful dancer,…

COME 2024, the ANC faces losing Gauteng. If it continues to govern, it will be through a coalition. Did the ANC in Gauteng fulfil its promises in the past 28 years? The answer is “no”. Instead, the province is facing many legal claims against its health department. A few weeks back, David Makhura tendered his resignation as premier. When Makhura became premier, he was regarded as a breath of fresh air. But, now, his legacy is contested. In my book, he has failed to live up to expectations. A lot went wrong under Makhura's watch, among them the Life Esidimeni saga, which claimed more than 100 innocent souls, and the PPE scandal. That said, two weeks back, Panyaza Lesufi was sworn in as premier. Gauteng is a complex province…

PLAYERS choosing to focus on the team rather than zooming in on their own goals and performances is common; you'll be hard pressed to find a professional player who doesn't say it's all about the team. But even if Libbie Janse van Rensburg chose to go the other direction and gush over her own achievements, it would be easy to understand why. The 28-year-old became the first Springbok women’s player to achieve 100 Test points, getting to that grand number in only 12 outings. In their World Cup clash against Fiji on Sunday, she slotted two conversions and a penalty at the Waitakere Stadium in Auckland, with her 78th-minute penalty handing the South Africans a 17-14 lead in the game. Fiji, however, hit back to deny Stanley Raubenheimer’s…

SOUTH Africa are between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, they are keen to give Temba Bavuma some game time to find form. On the other hand, they know that any further failures ahead of next Monday’s T20 World Cup opener in Hobart will only increase the pressure on their captain. Bavuma, who is struggling with a viral infection picked up on the preceding India tour, ultimately did not take the field in the first warm-up game against New Zealand in Brisbane yesterday, leaving just tomorrow’s match against Bangladesh as his last chance for any preparation in the middle. In the absence of Bavuma and also Quinton de Kock, the Proteas put out a makeshift opening pair of Reeza Hendricks and Rilee Rossouw who…