Innholdsfortegnelse for 2024-03-14 i Star

MEDICLINIC said yesterday an independent forensic investigation by law firm ENSafrica had cleared the private hospital group of allegations that it was involved in corrupt billing processes. Mediclinic appointed ENSafrica to investigate allegations made against Mediclinic on August 22, 2023, and the hospital group said yesterday in a statement it had provided the law firm with unfettered access to investigate and determine whether there was any substance to the allegations made against the named six hospitals. The probe began after a whistle- blower, who claimed to be a former Mediclinic employee, emailed the principal officers of prominent medical schemes last year with information about what the person claimed to be their experience as a former clinical case manager at six Mediclinic hospitals. ENSafrica also randomly selected a further six hospitals…

THE CONTROVERSIAL Rudland family wants a shake-up of the Quantum Foods board of directors, igniting a potential shareholder dispute days after Country Bird Holdings (CBH) increased its stake in the JSE-listed stockfeeds and poultry business. Quantum has hogged the limelight since Astral Foods disposed of its 9% stake in the company to CBH, which has bumped up its shareholding to above 15%. As if the change in the shareholding structure of the company was not enough, new controversy is dogging Quantum Foods. Amid speculation that CBH was gunning for a controlling interest in the company, Quantum yesterday dismissed this, saying it had received a notification against this action by CBH. “Shareholders are hereby advised that, subsequent to the announcement, CBH addressed a letter to the board of directors of the…

WITH THE CURRENT drought gripping South Africa now pushing agricultural conditions to its limits, the local grain industry yesterday urgently appealed to the government for support and assistance. Grain SA said immediate action was needed to provide financial assistance through an agricultural disaster fund, access to affordable credit remedies and affordable income insurance, enabling producers to weather the crisis and sustain their livelihoods. It is not yet clear what implications the crisis will have on food prices and availability. According to data from Fitch Solution Industry Report, South African Agribusiness Report Q4 2023, South Africa’s biggest crop is grain, which includes barley, maize, oats, sorghum and wheat. This contributes more than 30% to the total agricultural product. South Africa is facing a severe drought crisis, exacerbated by extreme heat waves,…

AFRICAN employers and policymakers need to embrace the Decent Work Agenda for Africa to establish equitable and dignified working conditions for all people, turn around the dire youth unemployment situation and grow the regional economy. Embracing the decent work agenda The global Decent Work Agenda is a globally recognised framework that promotes opportunities for people of all genders, ethnicities and geographies to obtain decent and productive work, in conditions of freedom, equity, security, and human dignity. The agenda is structured around the four pillars of employment and enterprise, social protection, rights at work and social dialogue. Allan Gray Orbis Foundation (Agof) advocates for policy changes to bring about the uni- versal adoption of the Decent Work framework, to create more equitable and beneficial economic opportunities for working-age Africans of all…

MARK Wahlberg returns to the big screen this week with Arthur the King, a family-friendly film bound to capture the hearts of audiences everywhere. The Hollywood actor’s last two movies, Me Time and The Family Plan, went straight to streaming. But as the Oscar-nominated star resurrects his movie career, his latest role will see him play second fiddle to a scrappy street dog dubbed Arthur. The action adventure, based on an incredible true story, is a tale of friendship, determination, victory, loyalty and testing the limits, all reaffirming why a dog is man’s best friend. In Arthur the King, Wahlberg plays professional adventure-racer Michael Light, who, over 10 days and 700km, forges an unbreakable bond with the dog during a crucial moment in his life. His canine co-star is superstar…

The 21-year-old murder accused, Sifiso Mkhwanazi, who confessed to the killings of six female sex workers spanning from April to October 2022, has been found guilty on six counts of murder, six counts of rape, six counts of defeating the ends of justice, one count of possession of ammunition, one of illegal possession of a firearm, and one of theft. Yesterday, Mkhwanazi appeared in the Johannesburg High Court sitting in Palm Ridge. His matter was postponed to May 8 for sentencing. Last month, Mkhwanazi, who had confessed to the murder charges, denied that he had planned these murders as part of a revenge plot against an earlier rape charge which saw him spend a brief stint in prison. In October 2022, news of six bodies found at his father Mark…

Prophet Shepherd Bushiri has accused the South African Police Service (SAPS) of demanding a R10 million bribe from him and his wife, Mary. The self-proclaimed prophet has further claimed that he and Mary were targeted because they were foreigners in South Africa and their ministry was getting too big. The couple, who were arrested in October 2022, were reportedly smuggled out of South Africa in Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera’s hired jet. The pair appeared in a Malawian court this week on charges relating to the theft of R106 million purportedly through an entity called Rising Estate that allegedly took money from congregants under the guise of investing it, but no monies were ever paid out to the congregants. The Bushiris were believed to have taken the monies, however, it…

Two lions have travelled more than 1 000km to find their forever home in the Eastern Cape. Tsar and Jamil made the journey from Ukraine after being exposed to suffering, mistreatment and exploitation in the country. The pair arrived at their new home, Born Free’s Big Cat Sanctuary at Shamwari Private Game Reserve, on Tuesday. “Born into captivity in a Ukrainian zoo, Tsar and Jamil, were taken from their mother as tiny cubs and sold to a farm where they were exploited as a ‘tourist attraction’. “Kept in utterly unsuitable conditions, fed a poor-quality diet and without specialist care, the young lions became malnourished and sickly,” the sanctuary said in a statement. Born Free said the lions were handed over to a wildlife rescue centre in Kyiv following pressure from…

Uber is offering up to R2 000 to their drivers on its platform who refer women to sign up and earn a living on the app. For new men drivers, Uber is offering existing drivers R1 000 as a referral. Uber said if all the criteria are met, it will pay a R1 000 bonus to the new driver and the referrer. This could be doubled to R2 000 in the case of signing up women drivers. In an email sent to its e-hailing partners and seen by IOL, Uber said: “Know someone who loves to drive. Refer her to us. If you refer women there’s an extra R1 000 on top of your usual referral amount per successful recommendation,” the company said. The earnings can only be made to…

PEOPLE in financial trouble with the City of Tshwane due to unpaid municipal bills run the risk of losing their properties as the municipality intends instituting legal action against them to recoup the debts by selling their properties. Mayor Cilliers Brink threatened to take legal action against some defaulting customers yesterday during the ongoing Tshwane Ya Tima campaign aimed to recover R23.3 billion owed to the City. On Tuesday, the aggressive campaign –which included cutting off electricity from residents and businesses whose municipal accounts are in arrears – targeted those living in the inner-city, Pretoria West and Pretoria East. Illegal connections to properties was identified as a major problem. Brink vowed there would be consequences against perpetrators of illegal connections and those who were refusing to pay municipal rates and…

EMPLOYEES who go the extra mile in executing their duties received service excellence awards from City of Tshwane’s Health Department. The awards were aimed at entrenching professionalism while also acknowledging and encouraging health officials who have performed excellently and gone beyond the call of duty. The awards recognised diverse categories. Among the awards were excellence in customer care, mentoring, collaboration, innovation, community projects, management support, administrative support, best general worker, best primary health-care clinic, best clinic dispensary, and best municipal health services region. Health MMC in the City of Tshwane, Rina Marx, said the event was being hosted at a time when the public health sector was under severe scrutiny. She highlighted that the City was undergoing a difficult process of financial recovery. “The department, like many others, is impacted…

The month of March will be punctuated by long weekends. Now people can party through the night with DJ 13een’s new amapiano single Bawo during the Easter holidays. The DJ, whose real name is Cavin Oupa Sindane, will be dropping his single on March 29 on all digital streaming platforms, such as Spotify. The Mamelodi-born star, based in Brits, North West, said the single has been in production since last year. “I worked with Casmo Marsiano and Kayrose, all from North West,” he said. He plans to release a “soulful amapiano” album soon after Bawo. The single will be the first track on the album. DJ 13een, who has been in the music industry for over 20 years, plays and produces deep house, Afro house and now, amapiano.…

Ford is getting back into the midsize SUV game in South Africa with the all-new Territory, which launches in May this year. Ford SA has now released full pricing and specifications for the newcomer and it comes in cheaper than the estimated starting price of R610 000 that was announced back in January. The Territory will be available in three front-wheel drive versions, all powered by a 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol engine. The 1.8T Ambiente kicks things off at R576 000, while the midrange Trend is priced at R632 000 and the flagship Titanium at R707 000. A service plan costs an extra R14 000 on all three derivatives. A far cry from the previous Australian-built version, the new Territory hails from China where it emerged from a joint venture with…

Public trust in SA’s banking sector is not as deep as it should be, he said PUBLIC trust in South Africa’s banking sector was not as deep as it should be, said South African Reserve Bank (SARB) Governor Lesetja Kganyago, giving a keynote speech at a conference of the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) yesterday. Kganyago yesterday raised dust over the issue of rand manipulation after appearing to take a step away from the Competition Commission’s work to get to the bottom of the saga through an appeal at the Constitutional Court. He said: “It was remarkable, with the allegations last year about banks manipulating the exchange rate of the rand, how ready people were to believe that there was in fact a giant conspiracy to rig the rand, and…

FOR MORE THAN 150 years, the South African sugar industry has been growing sugar cane and has been a consistent supplier of sugar and molasses in the region, contributing to economic growth and providing job creation opportunities in the rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga. The industry has, however, faced ongoing challenges that have threatened its sustainability, ranging from natural phenomena through droughts and floods, regional challenges such as increased input costs and civil unrest, and industry-specific challenges which include sugar imports, the insufficient tariff and the implementation of the devastating Health Promotion Levy (commonly known as sugar tax). The levy has had a deleterious impact on the industry, resulting in multi-billion-rand revenue loss, substantial job losses and the permanent closure of two mills (Darnall and Umzimkulu), both located in…

FOR SOME PEOPLE, side hustles remain exactly that – an after-hours business or vocation that isn’t as demanding as their 9-to-5. For others, however, side hustles can show potential to become something more. In these scenarios, entrepreneurs sometimes reach the point of “make or break”, where it’s time to make the all-important decision on whether to turn a side hustle into a fully-fledged business. This experience can be just as exciting as it is daunting, but by putting a few important building blocks in place, you can make sure that you’re 100% ready and poised for success when the time comes to take the leap. You can start by asking yourself these three vital questions: 1. Have I sense-checked my business idea with someone I trust? In the…

EOH HOLDINGS’ share price fell almost 5% yesterday after it warned that operat- ing profit for the six months to January 31 would decline substantially over the same period a year before. The technology ser- vices group involved in the entire ICT value chain said in a trading statement that revenue from continuing businesses fell between 2% and 4% in the six months, compared with the same period a year before. Revenue had increased through the first three months, but despite an im- provement in trading and tendering activi- ty in the second three months, the tough environment led to lower revenue, EOH directors said. Gross profit margins were stable over the previous six months to end- July 2023, but they would be between 26% and 28% lower over the…

The recently announced ActionSA “fix South Africa” member Dereleen James has laid a criminal case against a notorious gang at Eldorado Park police station on Tuesday. This happened after James received threats from the gang, after one of its members was arrested by the police. James said the group had published a post on Facebook which sought to single out her and her family for the recent arrest of its members when police embarked on law enforcement operations this past weekend. The ActionSA member has been one of the key figures in fighting drugs and substance abuse in Eldorado Park. For her role in fighting substance abuse, Sports Minister Zizi Kodwa appointed her as a board member of the South African Institute for Drug-free Sports. “The impunity with which these…

Debt defaults ballooned in quarter four 2023 as mid-to-high affluence South African consumers with home loans, vehicle loans, personal loans, credit cards and retail loan accounts increasingly struggled to keep up with their repayments, according to the Experian Consumer Default Index (CDIx) released on Tuesday. The index revealed that rolling default behaviour deteriorated from 3.97 to 4.68 – a relative change of 18%. The CDIx also highlighted that all product-specific CDIx metrics changed for the worse year-on-year, with home loans and credit cards showing the most significant deterioration. This suggested that mid-to-high affluence consumers, who typically qualify for these high-end credit products, were finding it increasingly difficult to repay debt and continue to make extensive use of their credit cards. Jaco van Jaarsveldt, Experian’s head of Commercial Strategy and Innovation,…

The announcement by Pravin Gordhan that he would be retiring after the elections could not have come at a more opportune moment. He has reached the nadir of his career and has lost his lustre. And I will agree with the DA that he was a “lackey” of the ANC (The Star, March 12), losing all credibility, in my view, when he betrayed Eskom’s former CEO, André de Ruyter. The EFF will be jubilant; they were always circling over Gordhan like vultures, waiting for his end. Notwithstanding Gordhan’s perceived failures, what I will not countenance are the comments by Numsa, that he and he alone collapsed SOEs. Did Gordhan and his Gujarati- speaking relatives sing, dance, toyi-toyi and disrupt work at the Medupi power station with strike action over several…

The Tshwane health department has collaborated with Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute to increase the headcount for men visiting Block JJ Clinic in Soshanguve. The clinic aims to encourage and provide men of all ages with easy access to health-care services and improve patients’ experience of care. The initiative, known as Lekgotla la Banna, began last year and takes places on Thursdays, where male patients are assisted by mostly male professionals. According to the latest statistics, only 11% of men from the catchment population serviced by the JJ clinic visit for this programme. This initiative aims to target 20% of men residing in Soshanguve and surrounding areas. Clinic manager Ethel Shoba said the initiative started after a realisation that men do not often visit health facilities as compared with…

The Audi A3 has been given a midlife makeover, and apart from the usual stuff, like a sharpened exterior and new interior equipment, it ushers in a curious new subscription service allowing owners to rent equipment already fitted to their car. It’s not clear whether this new “functions on demand” system will be offered in South Africa. But in the UK owners will be able to activate features like adaptive cruise assist and high-beam assist for a certain period of time, such as a month, a year, three years or permanently, using the myAudi app. Audi says this provides flexibility, for instance, if you only need cruise assist on your annual holiday once a year. But it begs the question – if the hardware enabling these features is already fitted…

Much like Amakhosi supporters this week, South African football legend Lucas Radebe will be watching the Nedbank Cup round of 16 with a degree of interest, but ultimately more with a sense of sadness. The former Kaizer Chiefs great watched his beloved Glamour Boys lose to bitter rivals Orlando Pirates this past weekend, and a failure to end their 10-year-long wait for silverware brings another wretched barren season nearer to a conclusion. Chiefs fell at the first hurdle of the Nedbank Cup in late February, suffering a humiliating exit to NFD side Milford – who face Stellenbosch FC tomorrow – in the the round of 32. Earlier this season, they were also knocked out of the lucrative MTN8 by Mamelodi Sundowns in the semi-finals and then dropped out of the…

Blitzboks coach Sandile Ngcobo has fallen on his sword in response to the team’s poor run of form in the World Sevens Series. Ngcobo’s assistant, Philip Snyman, steps up into the head coach role and will take the team to the Hong Kong Sevens in the first week of April. The Blitzboks have been desperately poor for some time, and a pale shadow of the side that won world titles under former coach Neil Powell. The heat has been cranked up on the coaching staff following lowly finishes in the Canada and USA legs of the Series, and Ngcobo has pleaded mea culpa. He returns to the role of coaching the next generation of sevens players at the SA Sevens Academy. The Blitzboks, who had finished in the top two…

DAVID Raya was the hero as Arsenal beat Porto 4-2 on penalties on Tuesday night to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2010. The teams were locked at 1-1 on aggregate after an absorbing second leg at the Emirates Stadium in London, but Raya saved twice in the shootout to break the hearts of the two-time champions. The goalkeeper dived full stretch to deny Wendell and repeated the feat against Galeno, while the home side converted all four of their penalties as the decibel count soared. It is the first time a Champions League match has been decided by penalties since the 2016 final between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. “You are very nervous, you are hoping for the best – but you know that it…

THE DOMINANCE of solar PV systems continued to grow in South Africa’s journey towards energy security, with predictions that the country would be the 10th-largest PV market in the world this year, according to a recent BloombergNEF report. Dr Rethabile Melamu, the CEO of the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (Sapvia), said as an industry body, they were proud to have contri- buted to this globally respected report. “The statistics generated by our own solar PV dashboard informed this latest BloombergNEF report, and in particular the section that dealt with the South African landscape,” Melamu said. BloombergNEF’s research documents provided a perspective on global commodity markets and the technologies driving the transition to a lower-carbon economy. According to the report, the photovoltaic industry added about 444GW of new capacity in…

AMID the decline of Transnet’s infrastructure, the South African public should not lose sight of the ongoing developments across the continent, especially in the realm of railway infrastructure. The vision of a railway stretching from Cape Town to Cairo originated as an ambitious idea proposed by Cecil John Rhodes and other colonialists in the preceding century. Nevertheless, in the post-colonial era, there was a notable shift towards automobile transportation for personal travel. Despite this, the realisation of the grand concept of a railway stretching from Cape Town to Cairo is now poised for a potential resurgence with the introduction of Africa’s Integrated High-Speed Railway Network (AIHSRN). Railway continues to be the optimal means for transporting freight, acting as the primary logistics backbone in numerous countries, particularly those lacking navigable rivers…

THE LONG-AWAITED Global Entrepreneurship Congress Africa kicked off yesterday in the Mother City with thousands of delegates comprising entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers and entrepreneur support organisations. About a dozen Ministers from across the continent also jetted in with their delegation of entrepreneurs and ecosystem stakeholders to network and connect with top minds and players in Africa’s ecosystem. The congress, which is hosted by the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) Africa, is powered by the Department of Small Business Development and African Bank in partnership with Seda, Sefa, the Department of Social Development, Eskom, WRSeta, NYDA, Allan and Gill Gray Philanthropy, Allan Gray Orbis Foundation, Amazon, Microsoft, Telkom, SAB Foundation, Industrial Development Corporation, and UN Development Programme. Opening the congress was Deputy President Paul Mashatile, who was welcomed by Minister Stella Ndabeni- Abrahams…

GROWTHPOINT Properties’ dividend fell 8.6% to 58.8 cents a share in the six months to December 31, after higher interest rates impacted property values, equity and debt markets, and capitalisation and discount rates of investments, CEO Norbet Sasse said yesterday. The financial results masked robust operational results across the local and international investments, and a very strong performance 50%-held V&A Waterfront. The South African portfolio also showed stable and steadily improving property metrics. However, Growthpoint’s total property asset value fell 1.1% during the period to R177.9 billion. He said the impact of high interest rates would be greater in the second half, and distributable income per share was expected to grow by between 10% and 12% for the full year, an improvement from the directors’ previous guidance of 10%…

Scores of fans were thrilled about Tol Ass Mo and Mome Mahlangu’s reconciliation. This development came five months after the comedian, also known as Mongezi Mahlangu, publicly declared the dissolution of his marriage with Mome. In the past, Tol Ass Mo stirred up controversy with a comment that caught the attention of Mzansi. During an episode of Showmax's Unfollowed, he stated: “We’re separated and we’re in the process of filing for divorce. I mean, people grow. We grew apart. We went through so many different struggles in our relationship.” But fans and his detractors were gobsmacked when Mo added: “I am f****** traumatised. Traumatised by black women”. The South African comedian is now ready to make things right and released a statement: “It is with great regret that I acknowledge…

The Road Accident Fund (RAF) has rubbished allegations of the entity’s mismanagement and defended its CEO Collins Letsoalo in the wake of a threat of a national shutdown of its offices by the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa). The response comes after Numsa issued a 48-hour notice to mobilise its members for a shutdown of all of RAF’s offices as of today, over the alleged continuous mismanagement of the entity by the CEO. The union added it would also march to the offices of the National Department of Transport in Pretoria, to deliver a memorandum of demands to Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga. Their chief demand will call for the removal of Letsoalo, as the union described the CEO’s arrogance and poor decision-making having led to the ‘disastrous…

It’s a noble sentiment but few act on it, without expecting accolades. A young businessman in Boksburg is giving back to his community, and in particular pensioners. On Tuesday and Thursday mornings, he graciously gives a free breakfast to the elderly. This awesome gesture deserves to be spoken about. As the country is consumed by negativity and economic hopelessness, this young man is happily doing what his amazing conscience tells him. Paying it forward! There is a powerful message for all of us here, by giving without expecting any compensation.…

One of the most notable lifestyle events in South Africa, the Cotton Festival, is set to return for an exciting fifth edition on April 6 at the Old Station in Newtown. The Cotton Festival demonstrates Bianca Naidoo’s dedication to carrying on the legacy left by the late Riky Rick. Collectively, the couple promoted teamwork in the domains of sports culture, fashion, music and lifestyle. This year’s edition goes above and beyond the typical festival experience, following the theme #VoteCottonFest after the announcement of the phase 1 music line-up and an open mic. A-Reece, Emtee, Focalistic, DJ Zinhle, Major League DJz, Mellwo & Sleazy, Sjava, Maglera Doe Boy, DJ Harvey, Major Steez, and many more of South Africa’s finest performers will showcase their outstanding performances over three exciting stages. Dates are…

ALMOST every review about a Mazda product ends with the same conclusion. A well-designed and attractive exterior and interior but they lack the power to go with it. That’s just changed with the introduction of the Mazda CX-60 Takumi 3.3L diesel Mild-Hybrid, making it the flagship of the local Mazda range until the CX-80 arrives later this year.. You’ll have to fork out just over R1 million but, given local car prices, that’s not especially eye-watering for a mid-sized family SUV. And according to Mazda Southern Africa MD Craig Roberts, its pricing would in all likelihood be attractive to potential buyers looking to trade in and replace their current German SUVs and finding them too expensive. The throaty straight-six turbo diesel provides 187kW and 550Nm of torque with an extra…

The Toyota Fortuner is one of South Africa’s most affordable SUVs, but with prices starting at R673 100, it’s out of reach for many buyers. But now it appears that Toyota is working on a more affordable alternative based on the affordable new Hilux Champ that was launched in Thailand recently. According to Autocar India, the rugged new SUV, which will be cheaper and more basic than the Fortuner, will be revealed later this year. It will reportedly go on sale in Thailand first before certain world markets. There’s no word yet on whether the new SUV could come to South Africa. But given that the bakkie version is under consideration for our market, possibly being locally manufactured, there would surely be a strong case for the SUV version. Questioned…

The pair were rival captains of South Africa and New Zealand at the time, but in the friendly atmosphere of a BaaBaas week, they shared notes on leadership. By the end of the week, McCaw said to Smit: “Mate, I’ve listened to some the calls you’ve had... I can’t believe the stuff you have to deal with. I thought captaining the All Blacks was pressure, but you have it far worse.” Smit used to say that the leadership during a match was the easier bit, but being all things to all people off the pitch was challenging. Rassie Erasmus has understood this since his days as a player. He saw how the team dynamic was disrupted when Gary Teichmann was removed from the Springbok captaincy for the 1999 World Cup.…

The Springboks will throughout the next couple of seasons ensure they have sufficient depth in most positions as they start building towards the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia. Under coach Rassie Erasmus, the Boks will look to win a third successive title Down Under. And with a handful of double world champions already in their 30s and most likely not making it to Australia, the Bok management want to have players in place who can step in when they are needed at a big tournament. For a big part of 2023, ahead of the World Cup in France, South Africa under former coach Jacques Nienaber tried Faf de Klerk at flyhalf for instance, and Grant Williams on the wing – even though both are at home behind the scrum…