Innholdsfortegnelse for 2024-05-28 i Star

SOUTH Africa’s largest short-term insurer, Santam, has wholly acquired Kandua, a leading online marketplace company for home services. Kandua will merge with Santam’s home service offering, Home+, forming a wholly owned, independent subsidiary of the insurer. The Kandua.com website offers an online marketplace for home services that enable consumers to connect with, compare and hire professionals across hundreds of service types, such as plumbers, electricians, carpenters and more. Service providers can use the “Kandua for Pros” app to find new customers and easily manage their core business processes. Gloria Tapon-Njamo, the CEO of Santam Partnership Solutions, said Kandua’s talent, technology and customer base were valuable assets for their business as it opened new avenues for client growth and digital innovation. “The business has an established technology and extensive network of…

PICK N PAY has embarked on a new strategy to restore it’s core Pick n Pay supermarket business to profit after its R3.2 billion taxed loss for the year to February 25, and plans for a R4bn rights issue and the listing of Boxer in November are in full swing, CEO Sean Summers said yesterday. Summers, interviewed at the release of results yesterday, said it was still early days for their new six-point multiyear strategy. Although the results were a “disappointment”, he said it was made clear upon his re-appointment in December that the group was “under duress” after years of steady decline in the core business. He said early indications were “encouraging”. Regarding the rights issue, he said the Ackerman family indicated they would…

STARTING with an end in mind, the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) requires a “backbone” for Africa to co-exist with its international counterparts, but its biggest challenge is that the 2063 Agenda is still in the proverbial implementation stage without its own engineering intellectual property (IP) for railway infrastructure. It’s coherently unfortunate that the 2063 agenda for Africa is being implemented under the undeniable and dominating shadow of the silent investment war between the Eastern “Belt and Road” and the Western Investment initiatives, where they have incorporated some of the key geo-strategic countries in Africa, like Kenya and Ethiopia, amongst others, for their own African agenda. Technological corporations hold unprecedented power and influence where their solutions to political, environmental, and economic challenges are rampant. In the Global South,…

ACUTTING-edge facility featuring artificial intelligence (AI) Easyjet’s new control centre is tasked with handling about 2 000 mostly-European flights per day as the British airline eyes high summer demand. The Integrated Control Centre (ICC), close to Luton airport north of London, is central to Easyjet opera- tions, from urgent flight changes to monitoring a passenger aircraft’s health mid-air. As well as analysing engines in real time, technicians can also see if a toilet needs fixing. As the aviation sector recovers following the Covid lockdowns that grounded planes and caused huge job losses, Easyjet has been on a big recruitment drive. The number of staff overseeing control centre operations has more than doubled in two years to 266 people working around the clock, their eyes glued to large curved screens.…

PICK N PAY has embarked on a restructuring plan to save its market position and claw out of huge debts, with chairperson Gareth Ackerman set to relinquish control of the South African grocer that yesterday reported a reversal of fortunes into a R1.5 billion loss. As bigger rival operator Shoprite and other competitors such as Woolworths appear to be riding out South Africa’s turbulent economy, Pick n Pay is apparently feeling the pinch of a severe financial strain worsened by its breach of debt covenants. At a time Pick n Pay is seeking to close as many as 100 stores, Shoprite is growing its market share in South Africa, disclosing recently that it added nearly 200 new stores in the half-year period to…

Lerato “Lira” Molapo, the award-winning songbird, is still celebrating her performance at the Bassline Fest over the weekend, while her admirers continue to heap praises on her. Since her stroke, Lira has overcome incredible obstacles to return to her passion and perform as a singer, and her recuperation has been remarkable. The weekend performance was her first show with a full band after two years of recovery. Lira was among the eagerly awaited headliners as Bassline celebrated 30 years, her return, and the showcase of the DanceAfrika line-up. As she celebrated her performance, Lira’s fans too have been speaking admiringly of her performance, saying her music was healing. She took to X to express gratitude to those who have been rallying behind her. “Yesterday (Saturday) was epic. It was so…

THE recently completed refurbishment of roads in Ga-Rankuwa Zone 4, has come as much-needed relief to motorists whose vehicles used to get damaged due to potholes. At least 12 streets in the township had benefited from the City of Tshwane’s roads rehabilitation programme, according to mayor Cilliers Brink. The project was dogged by delays due to financial issues in the City and Brink expressed satisfaction that in the end it was successfully completed. He said the initiative covered at least 3.8km of roads and storm water-related systems, including 12 streets in the area, with a total value of R42 million. During the handover of the project to the community, he said: “This forms part of the department’s ongoing road upgrade and maintenance project that is spread across the various regions…

MEMBERS of the World Mission Society Church of God in Pretoria have gathered to give life to their “neighbours” in need by donating blood. It was the 1 440th “Worldwide Blood Drive to Give Life Through the Love of the Passover” and was held on Sunday. The church’s Pretoria’s Cafeteria was full of energy where about 130 believers, their families, and neighbours gathered. After successful medical examinations and blood tests, 65 people donated 29.25 litres of healthy blood. The SA National Blood Service (SANBS) provided medical staff and blood donation supplies to help participants donate blood safely and comfortably. In addition, they expressed their gratitude to the blood donors who participated in voluntary blood donation, and provided snacks. Hlengiwe Lekoniya, donor recruiter of the SANBS, expressed her gratitude. “It is…

Cian Oldknow is about to live a dream she has been nursing since she was 10 years old. Set to turn 28 later in the year, the Hollywood Athletics Club starlet is one of three women who will represent South Africa in the marathon event at the Paris 2024 Olympics. It is a magnificent achievement for an athlete to be going to the ultimate sporting spectacle. But such are the rewards for “dreamers” who work hard at making those dreams a reality. Oldknow still has vivid memories of the day her mind got set on Olympic participation. “I was 10 years old, and I accompanied my mom when she went to fetch her attire for a world championships event she was going to,” Oldknow recalls, during our interview at the…

The Bulls can take the title of South Africa’s best United Rugby Championship (URC) team this season with a victory over the Sharks this weekend in Durban. It will secure the coveted SA Shield for them, and bring an end to the Stormers’ local dominance over the past two seasons. They are on the brink of it, and if they get the bonus-point victory at Kings Park (kick-off 4.10pm), the top spot on the official URC log will be theirs until at least the Irish derby between Munster and Ulster is finished. An Ulster win will see the Bulls secure first position. Playing their knockout matches in front of the Loftus Versfeld supporters will mean the world to the side who, for the past two seasons, had to travel to…

The founder of Kaizer Chiefs, the celebrated 79-year-old Kaizer Motaung, has failed to heed calls warning him of the perils of allowing his family to run the club, which has now completed the worst season in its illustrious history. Motaung, sometimes hailed as the father of South African football because of his pioneering role in the early 1970s, has left the club with its storied history to be run by his family but they have run it into the ground a few years after taking his place. In the Premiership season just ended, Chiefs finished in 10th place, the lowest finish in the club’s 54-year history. On Saturday, many Amakhosi fans were reduced to tears in Green Point while Spurs rubbed Chiefs’ noses into the Cape Town Stadium turf in…

SOUTH Africa’s corporate and investment bank, RMB, yesterday said the Indo-Africa trade corridor had surged to a staggering $95 billion (R1.76 trillion) in size, showcasing a dynamic and growing economic partnership between the regions. Ritesh Sharma, head of foreign investment and trade for RMB’s India team, said this marked a significant increase from only $5bn in 2002, highlighting the corridor's impressive trajectory. Sharma noted that while the initial trade focus was on energy products, the corridor had witnessed remarkable diversification in recent years. He said: “By our estimation, we expect the value of trade in the corridor to hit $100bn next year “India’s exports to Africa now encompass a wider range of products, including agri-products like rice, wheat and meat ($8bn), pharmaceuticals ($4.5bn) and automobiles ($4.2b). “Projects, machines,…

THE RAND STABILISED by 0.4% to R18.34 against the US dollar yesterday as the market sentiment improved following last week’s volatility spiked by the US Federal Reserve’s (Fed) concern over the stickiness of inflation. However, market analysts yesterday warned that there was volatility ahead for the rand, depending on the outcome of the general elections. More than 27 million eligible voters will tomorrow cast their votes in South Africa’s fiercely contested 2024 national and provincial elections, which the markets expect will result in the first-ever national coalition government as the ruling ANC’s support wanes. This comes as the rand lost ground in the second half of last week after the release of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) minutes showing the lack of significant progress on inflation returning to…

THE AGRICULTURAL Business Chamber (Agbiz) yesterday pointed to higher volumes and price of exported products as South Africa’s agricultural exports increased by 6% year-on-year, reaching $3.1 billion (R57.33bn) in the first quarter of this year. “The products leading the export list were grapes, apples and pears, maize, wine, apricots, sugar, wool, fruit juices, and peaches, amongst other products,” said Wandile Sihlobo, Agbiz chief economist. From a regional perspective, Sihlobo said the African continent maintained the lion’s share of South Africa’s agricultural exports, accounting for 42%. The products leading the exports list on the African continent were maize, cereal meals and pellets, sugar, prepared foods, apples and pears, fruit juices, wheat, ciders and other fermented beverages, and soybean oil, among other products. The European Union (EU) regained its position as…

EIGHT years ago, a Kenyan blockchain technology payments platform called BitPesa was emerging as one of East Africa’s fintech poster children. Bitcoin meets M-Pesa Strategically named to leverage the biggest hype narratives of the time-Bitcoin and M-Pesa – BitPesa claimed to be the first to trade digital currencies using mobile money and the first to create a direct market between digital currencies and African currencies. The year 2017 was significant for both Bitcoin and BitPesa. Bitcoin’s price started relatively low at just under $1 000 (R18 732) in January, but climbed dramatically to nearly $20 000 by mid-December. That year also saw the Chicago Mercantile Exchange launch Bitcoin futures contracts, validating blockchain technology and legitimising Bitcoin as an asset class. In February 2017, following the successful close…

BARLOWORLD lifted its interim dividend 5% to 210 cents a share, notwithstanding an 8% decline in headline earnings per share to 532.2c due to lower mining activity and port issues. “Our results bear testament to the resilience of our businesses and the benefit of geographic diversification of the overall portfolio,” Barloworld Group CEO Dominic Sewela said in regard to the results for the six months to March 31. The share price fell 1.83% to close at R88.42 on the JSE yesterday, but the price is still 36% higher over 12 months. The dividend was in line with 2.5 to 3 times normalised headline earnings. Sewela said they had faced myriad challenges in South Africa, but the Mongolian business benefited from favourable tailwinds in its economy. A slowdown in…

The Real Housewives of Johannesburg (RHOJ) has come to an abrupt end. After three seasons of serving up scandalous drama, fabulous fashion and jaw-dropping moments, the reality show has been cancelled. Fans will no longer see their faves stirring the pot while sipping champagne. Entertainment commentator Jabulani Macdonald broke the news on X. Mbalenhle Ntuli, head of unscripted content at MultiChoice, said: “After three successful seasons, MultiChoice is saying goodbye to The Real Housewives of Johannesburg as the show is not coming back for a fourth season. “The reality show chronicled the personal and professional lives of several Johannesburg-based ladies and introduced viewers to the likes of Lethabo ‘Lejoy’ Mathatho, Christall Kay and Lebo Jojo Gunguluza. “MultiChoice has taken the decision not to renew RHOJ for a fourth season.…

PRIME Circle’s new lead singer, Gavin Edwards, has integrated so well into the group that they have now decided to release a full album instead of an EP. This will be the award-winning rock band’s first album in almost seven years, since the release of If You Don’t You Never Will. The group’s founding member and bass player, Marco Gomes, explained that their upcoming album, The World We Know, which is expected to be released at the end of July, will feature their signature sound and style. “We stuck to the sound that our fans fell in love with,” he recently told Independent Media Lifestyle. “We got into the studio with the intention of releasing an EP, but because we hadn’t released any new music since 2017, at that point…

IN SPITE of a few network challenges and difficulties finding venues, voting stations in the northern townships across Tshwane kicked off the special voting session without a hitch. Many of the special voters who made their way to polling stations yesterday ahead of the main election tomorrow, said they were happy that the stations had opened on time with all the checks and balances in place. Winterveldt resident Moeketsi Tsotetsi said he had tried to go to the Mashaba voting station in Winterveldt but found no one there, without any visible signs of a station being present. Tsotetsi said he then went to the Ngaka Maseko High School voting station to find out if he could vote there. “I tried to Google the address with no success, so I decided…

Ingredients 500g goat shank (sliced or knuckle) 50g butter or ghee ¼ cup oil 3 medium onions, diced 15g fresh ginger, grated 3 sprigs fresh curry leaves, extra as optional garnish 2 tbs Robertsons Barbecue Spice 1 tbs Robertsons Garlic flakes 1 tbs Robertsons Turmeric 1 tsp Robertsons Cumin 1 tsp Robertsons Coriander 2 tbs Rajah Curry Powder 4 x cardamom pods ½ tsp cinnamon 2 tins chopped tomato 2 tbs lemon juice 2 tsp brown sugar 2 cups lamb or beef stock Salt and pepper to taste Method Season the goat liberally with barbecue spice. Seal and brown the meat in the oil in a large pot on a medium heat, and then transfer it into a roasting tray, set aside. Using the oil in the same large pot…

Close to 20 taxis were impounded in Laudium at the weekend during the ongoing road safety operation by the Tshwane metro police to keep the roadworthiness of public transport vehicles in check. Drivers of at least 19 taxis were caught on the wrong side of the law, and their vehicles were impounded for operating without permits. Metro police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba warned that road safety operations would continuously be conducted in all areas of the metro. “These operations are to ensure compliance with rules and regulations as well as reducing crime, thus providing safety for all residents,” he said. Another road safety operation conducted by the metro police saw at least 106 road infringement fines, amounting to R80 250, being issued to drivers. On Friday, an operation targeting…

Some people living with disability, and elderly community members in Duduza, on Gauteng’s East Rand, have been showered with unexpected gifts as the Consulate General of China in Johannesburg donated wheelchairs to those in need. Joined by speaker of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, Ntombi Mekgwe, Consul General of China in Joburg, Pan Qingjiang said he hoped the wheelchairs would ease the plight of the disadvantaged community members, while reiterating China’s friendship to the people of South Africa. “We are delighted to donate 10 wheelchairs to the elderly and disabled friends in Duduza, in the hope that it can express China’s friendship and care for the people of South Africa, and that our love can bring some convenience and comfort to your lives. “Love is the most basic and powerful human…

Every parent experiences challenges when raising a child, but raising a child with special needs presents even greater obstacles because it demands more financial resources, unwavering patience, and can be mentally taxing. Some parents or couples end up separating because they cannot handle the pressure or challenges. IOL interviewed parents who have children with special needs and they shared how their lives have been affected. Gugu Radebe* (not her real name), said she gave birth to a healthy child in 2012. Everything changed when her son suffered a brain injury after a swimming accident. “He was 3. The injury affected his entire mobility and he can’t do anything on his own. It was devastating but I chose to accept the situation. My now ex-husband was finding it hard to accept…

A recent recipient of a Road Accident Fund (RAF) payout was kidnapped while walking with his girlfriend in Ginsberg, Eastern Cape, on Thursday night. The Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (Hawks) said four people, aged between 33 and 45, have subsequently been arrested and were expected to appear in the King William’s Town Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Eastern Cape Hawks spokesperson Captain Yolisa Mgolodela said it was alleged that the victim was accompanying his girlfriend from his homestead to her residence in Ginsberg when they were accosted by suspects in a white VW Polo. “The suspects allegedly grabbed the couple and shoved them into the vehicle. The suspects reportedly fled the scene with them after firing two shots in the air,” Mgolodela said. “The car allegedly took off in the direction…

‘The Ghost’ of Orlando Pirates are expected to resurface for yet another big game as the club prepares to take on a somewhat wounded Mamelodi Sundowns in the final of the Nedbank Cup. The two titans will clash in a cup final for the second time this season after their meeting in the MTN8 earlier in the campaign, a day every Pirates supporter will remember fondly. This week will see various discussions around the mental and psychological demands surrounding a cup final, let alone one that features two of the country’s biggest clubs and the most successful in recent seasons. Sundowns have won their seventh DStv Premiership title and much to head coach Rulani Mokwena’s unhappiness, his team cut a figure of disappointment after failing to seal a first “Invincibles”…

The United Rugby Championship heads into its last round before the play-offs this weekend, and while many a team have been tapping at their calculators, the Lions have tossed theirs in the bin. They know that nothing short of a five-point harvest against the Stormers at the Cape Town Stadium will do, if they are to nail down position seven on the overall ladder. The Lions are ninth going into round 18 and their task of qualifying for the play-offs was made tougher when eighth place was made redundant by the Sharks’ EPCR Challenge Cup final defeat of Gloucester. That means the pack of midfield teams fighting for a position in the play-offs has had the cut-off moved from eighth place to seventh. The Lions have understandably hyped their visit…

THE BUSINESS sector in South Africa has expressed hope that the seventh government administration will forge ahead with the structural reforms post the general elections. This as South Africans go to the polls tomorrow to elect the government of their choosing after 30 years of democracy. Business Leadership SA (BLSA) said yesterday that the sixth administration had made solid progress in stabilising institutions and driving reforms necessary to get the economy out of the low growth, low employment trap we were stuck in for more than a decade. BLSA CEO Busi Mavuso said business acknowledged that important economic reforms had been made during the sixth government administration, including Operation Vulindlela to address systemic crises such as in the energy and logistics sectors. Mavuso said the challenge for any democratic government…

DISCOVERY Bank has launched its new Home Loan product in a key milestone as the bank expands its growing footprint. The bank, which was launched in March 2019 by Discovery Limited, is the world’s first behavioural bank. The digital bank yesterday said it would offer clients competitive, personalised rates based on their individual risk profiles, and use its established shared-value banking model to enable clients to further reduce their interest rate by up to 1% at a time when the current prime lending rate is at a 14-year-high of 11.75%. This would be done by managing their money well with Vitality Money and protecting their home loan and their home with the relevant insurance products Discovery offered. Discovery Bank will face stiff competition against established players. According to Statista, Standard…

NEARLY everything now is governed by an operating system. Initially it was our mobile phones, the cars joined and later followed by homes. Your mobile phone is either running on Apple or Android operating system. This is also true of some latest cars. The systems have given us and other objects super powers. Considering the struggle faced by governments in delivering on promises is it not about time they consider country operating systems? Human leaders have tried to address health, transport and economic challenges, however, they often fail even though some of their intentions may be good. What has not been tried are operating systems designed specifically to run governments and countries. What do I mean by an Operating System for a country and government? In simple terms it’s a…

TIGER Brands, which is struggling to lift sales volumes in the tough consumer environment, has a new leadership team in place and is working on a turnaround plan, CEO Tjaart Kruger said yesterday. The group results for the six months to March 31 show revenue for the fast-moving consumer goods manufacturer had regressed by 1%, driven by price inflation of 8% and a 9% decline in volumes. An interim dividend increased 9% to 350 cents a share. Headline earnings a share increased 11% to 808c. Group operating profit fell 3% to R1.3 billion. Income from associates increased 44% to R396 million. Kruger said in an interview the turnaround strategy was necessary, because there had been successive years where the group had not produced a reasonable rate of return,…

DATATEC is banking on ongoing rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) to drive demand for new networking and personal computing systems after it raised headline earnings per share (Heps) for the year to the end of February to US14.2 cents against a continuing headline loss per share of US10.8c in 2023. In line with its Heps uplift for the year to end February 2024, Datatec yesterday declared a final cash dividend with a scrip distribution alternative for the year under review of R1.30. This amounts to a total of R298.4 million in shareholder payouts. Datatec, which has technology distribution and managed services operations across many countries, said the “adoption of artificial intelligence should lead to a new cycle of PC and networking” refresh. It was, however, keeping…

Lauryn Hill, Michael Jackson and The Beatles sit atop the top 10 albums from Apple Music’s 100 Best Albums of All Time list. The streaming giant’s experts worked alongside a select group of artists, songwriters, producers and industry professionals to curate the list, which is fully independent of any streaming numbers on Apple Music. The former's only solo album, 1998’s timeless classic, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, is in first place. Upon receiving the accolade, Hill said: “This is my award, but it’s a rich, deep narrative, and involves so many people, so much sacrifice, so much time, and so much collective love.” Meanwhile, few albums have come close to the late King of Pop’s legendary 1982 LP Thriller in terms of influence and domination, with the record positioned at…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has been accused of using the public broadcaster, the SABC, to campaign for the ANC. This comes after he spoke of the work and some of the successes of the sixth administration during his address to the nation on Sunday. Yesterday, the DA revealed that it will be filing an application to the Electoral Court against Ramaphosa in his personal capacity following his violation of the Electoral Code of Conduct by apparently using state resources to further his election campaign. The DA is not the only party that has blasted Ramaphosa. The EFF and the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) also criticised him for his “conversation with the people of South Africa” speech which they described as “blatant political opportunism and a shameless misuse of government resources to…

The recently-appointed National Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) administrator Freeman Nomvalo has confirmed that he has filed court papers to terminate its agreement with four service providers contracted to facilitate the scheme’s direct payment system. This comes after Nomvalo addressed the media for the first time since being appointed by Higher Education Minister Dr Blade Nzimande last month. He said that he has filed papers in court to cancel the direct payment contracts awarded to four companies to pay allowances into students’ bank accounts. Some of these entities include Ezaga Holdings, Coinvest Africa, Narraco Corporation and Tenet Technologies that were appointed to carry out payments to NSFAS beneficiaries amid technical glitches and costly bank charges. The termination of these contracts are part of recommendations made by Werksmans Attorneys last year, after…

It’S not every day that a 24-year-old N5 mechanical engineering dynamite becomes a car mechanic, let alone a specialist Mercedes-Benz mechanic, right in the hustle and bustle of the oldest Soweto township – Orlando East. And she’s a woman, too. Hlobiso Modise initially wanted to be a doctor. After numerous university rejection letters, she turned her sight on becoming a car doctor instead. After realising that theory was not making sense, even though she was doing well in her studies, the Diepkloof dynamo told her lecturers that instead of spending the whole week in class, she would rather spend two days under the bonnet with a mechanic in order to gain the practical skills needed to succeed in the industry. They agreed. This resulted in her gaining practical skills that…

The SAPS Tshwane Academy in Pretoria has opened a 24-hour National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure co-ordination centre. Minister of Police Bheki Cele led the official opening with Minister of Home Affairs Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, Minister of Department of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu and Deputy Minister of Police Cassel Mathale. National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure and SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the centre would serve as the operational arm of the Justice Crime Prevention and Security Cluster and focal point for sharing information and co-ordinating quick and prompt responses to matters pertaining to national security management. “This new centre utilises the state-of-the-art technology to provide real-time monitoring and response to incidents involving all nine provincial joint structures,” she said. The facility accommodates officials from 39 government departments, agencies,…

THE Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation together with the University of Pretoria (UP) and other institutional partners, are celebrating a world first in South Africa – the launch of the Nuclear Medicine Research Infrastructure facility. The facility, housed at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital, is set to advance drug development, clinical research and provide cutting-edge diagnostics and treatment in relation to cancer, tuberculosis (TB) and other major diseases that are burdening public health. Speaking at the launch that was held at UP, the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande, explained that “the facility is a one-stop-shop medical imaging facility dedicated to drug development and imaging-based clinical research”. It is one of 13 research infrastructures facilities established by the Department of Science and Innovation under…

The best advice Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti can give his players as they prepare to face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final is to enjoy the moment, he said yesterday. Heading into his eighth Champions League final, his sixth as a manager and third with Real, who are bidding for a record-extending 15th European crown and sixth in 10 years, the 64-year-old Ancelotti believes his players have the experience to cope with the emotions. “It is a week to enjoy. The challenge, the opponent … We’re going to enjoy it until Friday. Reaching a final is always a success,” the Italian said yesterday. “We have a lot of confidence. As for being favourites, we don’t think about that. We have to play against a team that has done…

Tired tyres were the main culprit this past weekend as Brad Binder saw his grip on a potential podium finish degrade away at the Catalunya MotoGP. The Red Bull KTM rider started the race in third on Sunday, perfectly placed to push on for a top-three finish after a horrid session the previous day in the sprint, where he crashed out while leading the race. Unfortunately, it became clear as early as the sixth lap that the 28-year-old would not have the confidence in his machinery to claim a valuable podium. Instead, Binder had to switch to management mode, nursing his front-wheel grip, while also having to consider the degradation of his rear wheel. As such, he dropped down the order, posting times in the 1:41s when the front-runners were…