Innholdsfortegnelse for 2025-07-28 i Star

The JSE on Friday said it had fined Anushka Bogdanov, a former director of EOH Holdings, R500 000 and immediate disqualification from holding the office of a director or officer of a company listed on the JSE for a period of 10 years for fake qualifications. It said that Bogdanov was appointed as an independent non-executive director of EOH Holdings on June, 20, 2019 and served as the chairperson of the Social and Ethics Committee, a member of the Governance and Risk Committee and Nomination and Remuneration Committee and then as the lead independent non-executive director in February 2020. Bogdanov resigned from EOH with effect from July 28, 2020. Upon Bogdanov's appointment as director of EOH, her Curriculum Vitae provided to the company stated that she held a PhD…

Cape Town and Durban have emerged as two of Africa’s most investable logistics and industrial markets due to their resilience, adaptability and strong investor appeal, according to Cushman & Wakefield | BROLL. Cape Town continues to outperform, with rising rents and declining vacancies underpinned by a period of semigration, operational stability and constrained industrial land. “Demand is being driven by a flight to quality, semigration from other provinces and growing e-commerce,” said Shane Howe, the head of Western Cape Industrial Broking at Cushman & Wakefield | BROLL. Strong governance and functioning infrastructure position the city as a low-risk node compared to Gauteng. “The Cape market is supported by limited stock availability and escalating demand, especially for modern industrial parks,” said Howe. Development hotspots such as Brackengate and Richmond Park are…

It was an interesting week with the JSE All Share index hitting 100 000 points on Wednesday morning and the gold price breaking through $3 400 an ounce again. Internationally, US President Donald Trump announced trade deals with Japan and with the Philippines, and there are reports that the EU and US are nearing a deal. In local news the Government of National Unity held together once more as the DA agreed to support the Appropriation Bill after President Cyril Ramaphosa dismissed Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane. On Thursday, Trade, Industry, and Competition Minister Parks Tau said that a “condition precedent document” has been signed as a precursor to finalisation of the trade negotiations with the US, but little details were available. It was reported that the Framework…

Hyprop Investments has withdrawn its bid for JSE-listed MAS because the central and eastern Europe property group, along with its major shareholder PK Investments, has refused to provide documents about a disputed development joint venture (DJV) agreement. A number of South African institutional minority shareholders, collectively holding about 15% of MAS shares, recently raised concerns regarding MAS's corporate governance, historical disclosure, and potential conflicts of interest among board members. They wanted two members of MAS’s board to step down and proposed the addition of four independent directors. Hyprop, with its share-for-share or optional cash bid, was one of two potential suitors for MAS, the other being PK Investments, MAS’s biggest shareholder at present and the other party in the DJV. Hyprop stated on Friday that the refusal by the Hyprop…

Just a few days after the passing of rock icon Ozzy Osbourne, it has been announced that his final memoir, Last Rites, will be published posthumously on October 7. Osbourne, who died on Tuesday at the age of 76, completed work on the memoir shortly before his death. The book offers a raw and unfiltered look into the final chapter of his extraordinary life – one filled with personal battles, musical triumphs and moments of reflection. According to the publisher, Last Rites is “unflinching, brutally honest, but surprisingly life-affirming”. It captures Osbourne’s thoughts on ageing, illness and mortality, while also revisiting pivotal moments from his career and personal life. The memoir dives deep into the health battles that plagued his final years – including a life-altering infection and a subsequent…

A leaked affidavit has exposed Landiwe Ntlokwana, a former auditor and financial coordinator for Prophet Shepherd Bushiri, as a key figure in a multi-million rand investment scheme – and strongly suggests she is using her testimony under Section 204 of the Criminal Procedure Act in a strategic bid to escape prosecution. According to the affidavit, Ntlokwana managed investor data, tracked payments, and even used her company’s bank account – GTT Wealth (Pty) Ltd – to receive millions of rands from individuals drawn into Bushiri’s now-notorious commodities investment platform. Her phone, she claims, was used by multiple committee members as the central point of contact for investor communication. “The committee and I continued our administrative duties as described previously. “My phone continued being passed around for whoever wanted to focus on…

A woman and her brother were shot dead, allegedly by a police captain, during a family celebration in Protea late on Saturday night. According to police, the gathering was to celebrate the birthday of the captain’s girlfriend, who is also a police officer. It is alleged that the captain called the girlfriend aside before drawing his firearm and shooting her and her brother. Three other civilians were injured in the shooting. The captain then reportedly turned the gun on himself. Police have confirmed that two counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder and an inquest docket have been opened at Protea police station as investigations continue. Gauteng Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni, expressed his sorrow over the incident, saying his thoughts were with the affected families. “We give…

The Freedom Front Plus has intensified its campaign to petition the City of Tshwane to declare Region 4 a disaster area due to the severe sinkhole problem, following a recent sinkhole development in Centurion. The party has collected 3 500 physical signatures by visiting schools and engaging with the community, and has also launched an online campaign to gather more signatures. FF Plus PR councillor Wesley Jacobs emphasised that the petition process is transparent, as no ID information is being collected. “I submitted all the information to the council,” he said. He cautioned that other political parties are now copying their approach, starting petitions on th same issue, but alleged that these parties are exploiting the issue for political gain by collecting ID information. According to him, there are currently…

The Count Me in Movement has taken a firm stand against the “systematic exclusion” of South Africans within the current Spaza Shop regulatory framework, calling in the process for a significant overhaul of South Africa’s spaza shop regulatory system. The movement said the current system excludes township business owners from accessing crucial government support while the nation continues to grapple with a burgeoning informal retail sector. This comes after the recent government announcement of the R500 million Spaza Shop Support Fund (SSSF), which seeks to empower eligible South African spaza shop owners in both townships and rural areas, offering them a lifeline to improve, expand, and sustain their businesses. However, the Count Me in Movement argues that many local entrepreneurs remain locked out of this initiative, primarily due to excessive…

Spanish police said yesterday they were investigating a 17-year-old on suspicion of using artificial intelligence to deepfake nude images of female classmates for sale. The probe was launched after 16 young women at an educational institute in the Valencia region came forward to complain of AI-generated images of them circulating on social media and the internet. The first complaint was lodged in December by an adolescent who said an AI-generated video and faked photos resembling her “completely naked” were posted on a social media account started under her name. As more accusations came in, police suspected the images were the work of a student in the same institute, according to a statement by the police. Tracking the IP addresses used to create the bogus accounts led them to the home…

The occasional barking of a dog, which is merely annoying or inconvenient, is not enough to establish a legal nuisance. The law does not expect silence; it expects reasonableness, and not every noise is actionable in law. This was part of a recent finding by the Community Schemes Ombud Service (CSOS), which took a closer look at a noise disturbance complaint by a couple living in an upmarket Johannesburg sectional title complex. They said that they had to endure the insistent barking of two dogs belonging to a family in the same complex for more than a year. The couple said they now had enough, and the dogs must go. The Bhana couple said they have put up with the barking for some time, but they eventually met with the…

Performance coach Swys de Bruin admitted that a shift in the Springbok Women’s approach after half-time bore fruit as they came close to a come-from-behind win against the Black Ferns XV at Athlone Stadium on Saturday. South Africa were more direct and physical in the second half, keeping the ball tight and employing crash-ball tactics after being outplayed in the opening 40 minutes. “We simply did not get going in the first half, but I have to give credit to the team for the way they adapted in the second half, where we created numerous chances,” De Bruin said after the 34–26 defeat to the New Zealanders, who led 20–12 at the break. “If we did not have one of our tries disallowed at a crucial stage in the second…

Tadej Pogacar closed out a supreme 21-day performance to win the Tour de France in Paris on Sunday, crushing his rivals in the 3,400km slog to rack up a fourth title. Wout van Aert won the final-day cliffhanger on the cobbled roads of Montmartre, but Pogacar was spared any late challenge when rain forced times to be neutralised, but he gamely tried for the stage win anyway before Van Aert dropped him on the last climb. Pogacar was clearly enjoying himself as he played to the delighted crowds, racing to the head of the peloton near the Moulin Rouge cabaret at the foot of the climb. Huge crowds packed the old neighbourhood to follow his progress up and down the narrow lanes of the popular tourist spot in his leader’s…

Recent “leaks” between the US and SA governments indicate deep mistrust between the two administrations US foreign policy expert Michael Walsh has warned that the recent “leaks” between the US and the South African governments were indications of deep mistrust between the two administrations. Reuters reported on Saturday that US embassy Charge d'Affaires in South Africa, David Greene, reached out to Washington asking for clarification whether non-whites such as "coloured" South Africans who speak Afrikaans qualify for the refugee program for South Africans under the contentious US policy. US President Donald Trump's February executive order in February establishing the program specified that it was for "Afrikaners in South Africa who are victims of unjust racial discrimination," referring to an ethnic group descended mostly from Dutch settlers. Walsh - a…

South Africa’s labour market faces a difficult contradiction: unemployment is high, yet many businesses can’t find the skilled workers they need. This is especially true in sectors like logistics and construction, where foreign labour is often used to fill urgent gaps. While this approach helps keep operations running, it often raises concerns that jobs are being taken away from South Africans. But framing the issue as a choice between local and foreign labour doesn’t capture the complexity of the problem. What’s needed is a practical, balanced approach - one that meets immediate business needs while supporting long-term local skills development. Temporary Employment Services (TES) providers can help businesses strike this balance by handling legal compliance, ensuring fair hiring, and supporting programmes that transfer skills from foreign to local workers. Skills…

Democracies are sites of contestation. It is important to engage in debate anchored upon facts, honesty and respect for institutions of social dialogue. Cosatu has been dismayed by the explosion of fake news over the past few years. Of late we have seen this addiction to peddling hysteria expand to the Nedlac labour laws reforms negotiations. It is important to reassure workers that their hard-won rights, guaranteed by the Constitution and set in law, will continue to remain intact. Covid-19 highlighted numerous gaps in our labour laws, from 4 million informal workers falling outside the social security net, to actors and artists lacking collective bargaining protection. The Department of Employment and Labour with Business and Labour at Nedlac agreed to an open discussion on our labour laws…

The share price of Cashbuild, the JSE-listed building materials and related products retail group, fell by 2.25% on Friday after it announced a 4% increase in revenue for the fourth quarter ending June 30. In an operational update, the group noted that revenue growth was 3% when compared with the 304 stores that were in existence before July 2023. Revenue from 14 new stores opened by July 2025 contributed 1% to the growth. The share price closed at R139 on Friday, which is approximately 17.8% lower than at the same time last year. For the financial year, revenue for the group increased by 5%. Transactions through the tills during the fourth quarter rose by 6% compared to the same period last year, with existing stores contributing a 5% increase and…

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) is set to deliver a formal proposal on Monday that includes a series of alternatives to retrenchments at Macsteel Service Centres South Africa. This initiative aims to establish a voluntary severance framework that respects the dignity of workers while considering the current socio-economic challenges they face. On Saturday, Numsa called on management at Macsteel to abandon its unilateral measures and return to the negotiation table in good faith. This plea follows Macsteel's announcement last month that it has taken the difficult decision to enter into a process of restructuring, which may affect a number of its operations and employees. The company said the global steel and manufacturing sectors have undergone significant changes over the past few years, and neither South Africa…

The 2025 Global Citizen Festival is set to take place on September 27 at Central Park’s Great Lawn. The organisation has revealed Shakira and The Weeknd as the headlining artists, and joining them for the event will be none other than South African sensation Tyla. The 23-year-old Grammy Award-winning singer will also perform alongside Nigerian artist Ayra Starr and US sensation Mariah the Scientist. Hugh Jackman, a Global Citizen ambassador, is set to host the event for his eleventh consecutive year, and additional participants will be announced in the coming weeks. “The 2025 Global Citizen Festival marks my eleventh year as host, and I’m thrilled by the progress we’ve made over the years. The growing impact of the Global Citizen movement touches every corner of the world, and I’m eager…

A high-level investigation into procurement irregularities at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has intensified, following a dramatic raid by the Hawks at the agency’s Braamfontein headquarters. While public attention has largely focused on Maziya General Services following the release of a whistleblower report, mounting evidence now suggests that some of PRASA’s most serious procurement failures – costing taxpayers billions – may lie elsewhere. Last week Wednesday, the Hawks’ Specialised Commercial Crime Unit, supported by the National Prosecuting Authority’s Specialised Commercial Crime Unit, executed a search-and-seizure operation. Laptops, mobile phones, and documents were taken from four of PRASA’s top executives: CEO Hishaam Emeran, acting chief procurement officer Asif Rehman, head of legal Nompumelelo Gamedze-Phasha, and chief financial officer Brian Alexander. Brigadier Thandi Mambo, spokesperson for the Hawks, confirmed…

The City of Tshwane is working to resume flights between Pretoria and Cape Town, which were halted in 2018 due to profitability concerns. Deputy Mayor Eugene Modise disclosed the city’s plans last week Friday at Wonderboom National Airport, which hosted The Children’s Flight 2025 programme. He said the airport is among the municipal strategic assets for revitalising the local economy, with plans to put it on the market in September. “Our primary objective is to ensure that it is fully functional,” he said. He said the city will revive talks on resuming flights, aiming to get the South African Civil Aviation Authority to reactivate and renew the license for Pretoria-Cape Town flights, and also introduce a new route to Durban. The announcement follows the news in April that Messe Frankfurt…

The City of Tshwane’s MMC for Corporate and Shared Services, Kholofelo Morodi, has clarified discussions with the Iranian embassy regarding the use of public properties, including the underutilised Pretoria city hall. This comes amid public interest and speculation about a potential partnership with the embassy. The controversy erupted after a recent media report suggested Iran might be involved in repairing and leasing the Pretoria city hall. DA caucus leader Cilliers Brink expressed concern over potential Iranian involvement, citing that the matter had never been discussed or approved by the city council. “The DA’s written question about the dealings between Tshwane and the Iranian Embassy will have to be answered at the August meeting of the municipal council,” Brink said. According to Morodi, the city received a formal letter from the…

The highly anticipated Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF) returns to the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) on March 27 and 28, 2026 – but this time, the festival marks more than just a return. It signals the start of an exciting new chapter in the life of Africa’s most celebrated music event. Under the leadership of festival head, Shaakirah Adams, the festival is undergoing a powerful transformation – evolving into a year-long platform that celebrates music, fosters talent, and drives lasting social and economic impact. “The Cape Town International Jazz Festival must now become a movement – one that not only showcases great music but supports the people and communities behind it. It must be inclusive, African, developmental, and deeply impactful,” said Adams. This new direction sees the…

US President Donald Trump led the tributes for WWE legend Hulk Hogan, who died at the age of 71 on Thursday. Hogan, who was born Terry Gene Bollea, died a month after rumours emerged that he was battling with his health. According to reports, he died after suffering a cardiac arrest at his home. Hogan had long been associated with Trump. On Thursday, Trump paid tribute to Hogan on Truth Social: “We lost a great friend today, the ‘Hulkster.’ Hulk Hogan was MAGA all the way – Strong, tough, smart, but with the biggest heart,” Trump posted. “He gave an absolutely electric speech at the Republican National Convention, that was one of the highlights of the entire week. He entertained fans from all over the world, and the cultural impact…

The DA has called on Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi to urgently intervene in the rising crisis of illegal street racing across Johannesburg’s suburbs, warning that the lives of innocent residents are increasingly at risk due to reckless and criminal behaviour on public roads. According to the DA Gauteng, areas such as Rosebank, Fourways, and Midrand have become hotspots for dangerous early-morning races, with residents regularly disturbed by the deafening noise of high-powered engines and left fearing for their safety. The party says complaints have surged, and the authorities are failing to act. A devastating incident on July 12, at approximately 5:30 am on Jan Smuts Avenue in Rosebank highlighted the deadly consequences. Three vehicles were reportedly racing on the wrong side of the road when they collided. “One racer…

The Lions’ handsome 46-5 Currie Cup victory over the Sharks came at a cost, with flank Izan Esterhuizen suffering a serious injury. However, this setback could be offset by the timely arrival of burly Bathobele Hlekani, a Junior Springbok who made a huge impact in Italy. Hlekani has been with the Sharks but, curiously, has slipped out of their net. His signature is a significant coup for a Lions squad that usually sees players going the other way – to Durban, as has been the recent case with Springbok Edwill van der Merwe and Emmanuel Tshituka. Hlekani was one of three players from the victorious Junior Bok side at the World U20 Championship to be invited to train with the Springboks. Lions coach Mzwakhe Nkosi said they would like Hlekani…

Bulls coach Phiwe Nomlomo has lauded flyhalf Boeta Chamberlain for his pivotal performance in the Bulls’ emphatic 48-23 victory over Western Province at the Cape Town Stadium at the weekend. Chamberlain has had a challenging time at the Bulls since joining them from the Sharks, struggling for game time in the United Rugby Championship. However, in the Currie Cup opener, he shrugged off the rust, expertly guiding the Bulls to a six-try win. Scrumhalf Zak Burger and No 8 Jeandré Rudolph each contributed two tries. Chamberlain was flawless with his kicking, converting all eight attempts at goal – six conversions and two penalties. “The last time Boeta started a game was about five months ago, and to come out and put in a performance like he did, I’m sure he’ll…

At South Africa’s northern border, the crossings continue quietly, steadily and mostly unrecorded. While public debate often centres on the visibility of foreign nationals, the far more consequential reality remains largely neglected: South Africa has not conducted a comprehensive national audit of migration flows in over a decade. There is no integrated system tracking who enters, who stays or how movements across borders intersect with labour markets, infrastructure pressure or regional development. This absence is not merely an administrative gap; it is an entrenched institutional blind spot that weakens governance, inflames public anxiety and erodes our credibility in a continent that is moving towards integration through data. The Department of Home Affairs, along with other state organs, operates with fragmented or outdated systems. A biometric border management system, budgeted at…

The Bureau for Market Research (BMR) has remained cautiously optimistic about the consumer landscape in South Africa over the next three years. This is according to the BMR's latest flagship study, titled Consumer Market Outlook for 2025 to 2027, which delivered critical insights into evolving consumer sentiment and spending habits shaped by macroeconomic influences in South Africa. Authored by Dr Requier Wait, chief researcher at the BMR, the report examines how changing economic and policy conditions are poised to impact consumer behaviour over the next three years. The BMR projected that modest growth in real household consumption, underpinned by wage increases and easing inflation, will battle against high household debt and a heavier burden of personal income tax. The report forecasts a 2% rise in retail sales in real terms…

The national dialogue has long started, not only with Lt Mkhanazi explosive and important revelations exclusively on South Africa, but much earlier in the year with Vusi Mavimbela revealing global genesis of the “whitening” project which sheds light on Trumpism. The wise will visit “The Africa in Brazil.” In his book titled, The Africa in Brazil, the author Vusi Mavimbela, a former director general of South Africa’s National Intelligence Agency, has proved to be more than a national spook. Through his pen Mavimbela is not only physically ambidextrous, but he is also a cranially ambidextrous global intellectual and a deep thinker and contributor to how a better world is possible. In his earlier title, Time is not a measure, Mavimbela’s book explored South Africa’s contemporary post-apartheid rapture, which in the…

Fast moving consumer goods and food manufacturer AVI said headline earnings per share were expected to increase between 5% and 7% for the year to June 30, off the back of only a 1% increase in group revenue. The headline earnings per share forecast of between 721.5 and 735.2 cents would be higher than last year's 687.1 cents, when the final results were expected to be released on September 8, the group directors said in a tradong statement on Friday. They said the results were achieved despite a very challenging consumer trading environment, with "anaemic demand" in many of the group’s key categories. The directors said the 6.4% increase in second semester operating profit was a good result considering the very high growth figure that was reported for the same…

What was meant to be a fun-filled family vacation turned into a nightmare for a family who, almost three decades later, are still frantically searching for their beloved daughter. It all started in 1998 when 23-year-old Amy Lynn Bradley went on a cruise to the Caribbean island of Curaçao aboard the “Rhapsody of the Seas” with her family. The American youngster, who had recently graduated from college at the time and was accompanied by her parents Ron and Iva Bradley and her younger brother, Brad Bradley, spent the first few days enjoying the festivities. They had feasts and made incredible memories as they partied it up. But two nights into the trip, just as they were about to disembark onto the island, Amy vanished into thin air. According to loved…

South Africa’s relationship with the United States is on a diplomatic knife-edge, as the US House Foreign Affairs Committee push forward a bill that could see senior African National Congress (ANC) leaders hit with sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes. The proposed US – South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act of 2025 calls for a sweeping 120-day probe into Pretoria’s foreign policy stance, targeting individuals accused of corruption or of acting against American interests. The looming sanctions have intensified diplomatic tensions, placing several senior ANC figures squarely in the crosshairs. President Cyril Ramaphosa, ANC National Chairperson Gwede Mantashe, former International Relations Minister Dr. Naledi Pandor, ANC First Deputy Secretary-General Nomvula Mokonyane, and former US Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool have all been flagged as potential targets of the proposed US action.…

More than four years after R200 million worth of drugs vanished from the Port Shepstone Serious Organised Crime offices in 2021, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), known as the Hawks, states that the circumstances surrounding the disappearance remain uncertain and are still under investigation. At the time, the Hawks announced the launch of an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding this unexpected break-in, which set tongues wagging over the R200m cocaine theft. However, the VP Justice Foundation, through its founder, Visham Panday has questioned whether anyone has been held accountable for the theft. With the ongoing spotlight on police inflitration by alleged drug kingpins, Panday has placed the blame squarely on Major General Lesetja Senona, the head of the province’s Hawks. “How come General Senona was not suspended…

ActionSA has launched a scathing critique of South Africa’s bloated executive, announcing a bold Constitutional Amendment Bill that seeks to overhaul the size and structure of Cabinet, starting with the complete abolition of all 43 Deputy Minister posts. In a statement yesterday, ActionSA MP, Athol Trollip, described deputy ministers as a “financial waste,” arguing that their inability to act in the absence of ministers renders them functionally redundant. “If deputy ministers cannot step in during a crisis, what purpose do they serve beyond being instruments of cadre deployment?” he asked. This move comes amid renewed scrutiny of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet management following a series of high-profile missteps. The most recent being the suspension of Police Minister Bheki Cele, referred to erroneously in ActionSA’s release as Senzo Mchunu, amid allegations…

In a powerful tribute to Mandela Month, SASKO has transformed playtime for thousands of children by upgrading 1 000 playgrounds at early childhood development centres and primary schools across South Africa, bringing joy, safety, and hope to communities nationwide. To celebrate the achievement of reaching 1 000 upgraded playgrounds, SASKO held a Mandela Day event at Ikaneng Combined School in Diepkloof, Soweto, on July 25. The school is one of many to benefit from the Siyasizana Play Better initiative. As part of the celebration, SASKO unveiled a special 1 000-slice loaf, a symbolic nod to both the milestone and Nelson Mandela’s enduring vision for a better South Africa. The loaf was used to prepare sandwiches for the children of Ikaneng. The act of care extended to a local NGO that…

ANC first deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane delivered a blistering political broadside against Western powers, accusing them of a longstanding agenda to brand African liberation movements as terrorist organisations – an effort she said has failed dismally. Speaking on day three of the Liberation Movement Summit in Ekurhuleni, attended by legacy liberation parties including South Africa’s ANC, Mozambique’s FRELIMO, Namibia’s SWAPO, Angola’s MPLA, Zimbabwe’s ZANU-PF, and Tanzania’s CCM, Mokonyane praised the enduring solidarity among African liberation parties and condemned the West’s efforts to delegitimise their struggles. “They tried to brand us as terrorists, but failed,” Mokonyane declared. We were not terrorists – we were the vanguard of justice, fighting to dismantle the last bastions of colonialism on this planet, said Mokonyane. The Summit, hosted under the banner of deepening cooperation between…

A year into South Africa’s Government of National Unity (GNU), the country’s young people remain trapped at the precipice of despair. The promise of job opportunities and pathways for entrepreneurship continues to diminish, especially in a world increasingly led by a youthful population whose inventive thinking often conflicts with the traditional methods of those in power. This disconnection is not merely an abstract idea; it is a tangible reality for millions, showing as a deep sense of exclusion and a suppression of potential. The grim reality of South Africa’s youth unemployment crisis is stark and well-documented. Statistics SA’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the first quarter of this year paints a sobering picture: young people aged 15-24 face a staggering unemployment rate of 62.4%, while those aged 25-34 contend with…

What is it that could motivate a team that has won a competition an unprecedented three times in a row to want to win it again? Could the lure of extending the record further drive Orlando Pirates to going all the way in this season’s MTN8? The Buccaneers have made the season-opening competition their own ever since Spaniard Jose Riveiro took charge – winning the tournament contested by teams that finished in the top eight from the preceding season every year from 2022 to 2024. Riveiro has since left Pirates to join continental giants Al Ahly of Egypt and the big question is which coach is going to replace him as the king of the MTN8. The Ghost surely need the trophy to remain their property and will be backing…

Series leader Oscar Piastri grabbed an early lead and extended his title advantage on Sunday when he drove to a perfectly-controlled triumph ahead of McLaren teammate and title rival Lando Norris at a rain-delayed Belgian Grand Prix. The 24-year-old Australian managed his tyres expertly to remain out of reach in the closing laps as the Briton, 25, who had started on pole, closed in on a harder-wearing compound, finishing 3.415 seconds clear as McLaren reeled off their sixth 1-2 in a dominant season. It was Piastri's first win at the classic Spa-Francorchamps circuit, his sixth this season and the eighth of his career, extending his lead in the drivers’ championship to sixteen points after thirteen of this season’s 24 races. For McLaren, it was a tenth win this year. Charles…