Innholdsfortegnelse for 2021-05-25 i Star

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za SHARES of partly state-owned Telkom closed higher on the JSE yesterday after it upgraded its medium-term growth targets and said it would reconsider the suspension of dividends. This was after profits for the year to the end of March soared. Telkom, South Africa’s third-largest mobile operator, said it expected both revenue and earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) to grow in the mid-to-high single digits between the 2022 and 2024 financial years. The higher growth forecast for revenue came as service revenue was now the main driver of revenue, cushioning the impact of muted growth from fixed voice business, which now contributed 15 percent to the entity, said Telkom. It also projected capital expenditure of between R8 billion and R8.5bn a year over the…

Information and communications tech- nology group, Ayo Technology Solutions (AYO) said yesterday it expected a sub- dued performance in the six months to February 28, 2021, with the basic loss per share expected to be between 29.22 and 31 cents per share. The headline loss was expected to be between 24.19 and 25.99 cents per share, the group said in a trading statement. The decrease in earnings was attributed to lower revenues for the six months, driven by the declining overall trading environment, non-renewal of significant contracts, and a decrease in interest income. “While AYO was not immune to the Covid-19-induced economic decline, which affected every business in South Africa, I am confident the group is in a solid position to weather this storm and continue on its growth trajectory…

BANELE GININDZA banele.ginindza@inl.co.za STANDARD Bank, Africa’s biggest lender by assets, has bowed to pressure from sections of its investors to commit to publishing both the strategy and the targets of its fossil fuel funding reduction programme, as part of its 2021 reporting to shareholders. The bank, which currently has more than R67 billion or 4 percent of total commitment to sectors like oil, gas and coal as part of its portfolio, confirmed in a statement yesterday that some of its shareholders had pressured it to table a non-binding vote at its annual general meeting this month. The bank’s strategy would set targets to reduce its exposure to fossil fuels on a time line aligned with the goals of the Paris climate agreement. “We’re deeply committed to supporting inclusive…

THE SOUTH African Institute of Chartered Accountants (Saica) said yesterday that following an extensive investigation, charges of misconduct had been laid against former Steinhoff chief executive Markus Jooste. Saica said Jooste had conducted himself in a manner that “is discreditable, dishonourable, dishonest, irregular or unworthy, or which is derogatory to the institute, or tends to bring the profession of accountancy into disrepute; and/or that he failed to maintain and adhere to the fundamental principles in the Saica Professional Code of Conduct for Chartered Accountants”. In June 2019, Saica’s board resolved not to accept Jooste’s resignation from the institute and to suspend his membership pending the finalisation of disciplinary proceedings against him. The charges included breaches of obligations relating to integrity, objectivity, confidentiality and professional behaviour, Saica said in a statement…

Itumeleng Mafisa THE SA Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) has blamed truck companies for the ongoing violence between South African and foreign drivers. This comes after videos of foreign drivers being beaten by South African drivers went viral on social media. In one video, local drivers can be seen beating a driver from eSwatini and telling him to stay in his country. Satawu says freight companies were causing tensions between desperate Africans. Satawu general secretary Anele Kiet said South African drivers were not industry favourites because they stood a chance of making more money while travelling cross-country compared to foreign drivers, who would normally settle for less. “The drivers are complaining that employers chose the foreign nationals because they take whatever salary they are offered and don’t comply…

| ZELDA VENTER TRADE union Solidarity will turn to the North Gauteng High Court on June 1 in a bid to obtain an interdict against the plans of Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Lindiwe Sisulu to import and deploy Cuban engineers. Sisulu’s department said it would oppose the urgent application. Solidarity said in court papers that many qualified and registered South African engineers were being discriminated against because of the government’s decision to source Cuban nationals to perform tasks at a cost of R64 million. According to the organisation, in 2018, the South African engineering sector stood at about 83% utilisation. The current economic downturn amid the Covid-19 pandemic had only aggravated this figure. Solidarity chief executive Dr Dirk Hermann said: “We have met with the…

Kevin Govender | Shallcross A Frenchwoman who lost her divorce case has filed a legal appeal with the European Court of Human Rights after French courts ruled that she had violated her “marital duty” by refusing to have sex with her husband. Feminist groups are in uproar as they view this as sexual servitude within the marriage institution. In 2019, an appeal court in Versailles found that a 66-year-old woman was the only one to blame for the collapse of her marriage because of her protracted refusal to have sex with her husband. In her defence the woman declared that it was partly due to her poor health and her husband's violent ways. The court, however, found that her refusal constituted a “serious and renewed violation of the…

Independent Media’s Group Foreign Editor Shannon Ebrahim interviews Ambassador Chen Xiaodong Q: At China’s initiative, the UN Security Council held an Open Debate on “Peace and Security in Africa: Addressing Root Causes of Conflict in Post-Pandemic Recovery in Africa”, where Africa and China jointly launched the Initiative on Partnership for Africa’s Development. Can you tell us about the main content of the meeting and the initiative, as well as China’s consideration in promoting the initiative? A: During China’s rotating presidency of the Security Council, we took the initiative to convene an Open Debate on “Peace and Security in Africa: Addressing Root Causes of Conflict in Post-Pandemic Recovery in Africa”, and worked to deliver a statement by the president of the Security Council drafted by China. At the meeting, Chinese…

Indian government leaders appealed to farmers to call off a mass protest this week for fear it could prove a viral “super-spreader” event as the country’s overall death toll from Covid-19 crossed 300 000 yesterday. Over a third have died over the past three weeks during a devastating second wave fuelled by a new virus variant detected in India, mass political and religious gatherings, and lowering of the guard by the public, health officials and experts say. Now farmers have stirred fresh alarm by saying they will hold mass protests across the country on Wednesday to mark six months of their campaign against deregulation of agriculture markets. Farmers are camped out on Delhi’s outskirts despite a great risk of infection to themselves, the joint committee of farmers organisations said in…

KATHMANDU: A Nepali government official said yesterday that many foreign climbers were continuing their attempts to summit Mount Everest despite reports of a Covid-19 outbreak at the base camp of the world’s tallest peak. In April, a Norwegian climber was evacuated from the base camp of the 8 848.86 metres (29 031.69 feet) mountain and flown to Kathmandu where he tested positive for Covid-19. He has since returned home. Lukas Furtenbach of the Austrian Furtenbach Adventures company, evacuated his team from the mountain this month saying there was a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases at the base camp. “So far we have about one hundred confirmed cases in Everest base camp, confirmed by doctors, by hospitals, by insurance companies.”…

LONDON: Britain said yesterday the BBC must act fast to restore trust after a damning report into how it secured a 1995 interview with Princess Diana exposed failures at the heart of the publicly funded broadcaster. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said the government would not “stand idly by” after the report which concluded journalist Martin Bashir had used deceit to gain Diana’s acquiescence, and then BBC bosses later covered up his wrongdoing. “We will not make knee-jerk reforms, but will use the mid-term charter (in 2022) to determine whether the governance and regulatory arrangements should be strengthened,” Dowden wrote in the Times yesterday.…

Eshlin Vedan eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za Orlando Pirates’ lack of fluency in front of goal has been their big problem area this season and it once again haunted them in their 4-0 Confederation Cup elimination and quarter-final second leg defeat to Raja Casablanca at the Stade Mohammed V in Morocco on Sunday afternoon. Although Pirates were humiliated, the statistics indicated that they got the basics right. What let them down heavily was their lack of composure in their build-up play, on-field communication and yet again poor finishing. Pirates had 51% possession in the game, something that is not easily achievable, especially when playing away from home. They also managed 16 shots at goal, although rather worryingly, only managed three shots on target. What Pirates lack is a prolific goal scorer upfront who is…

Ashfak Mohamed Comment AS much as the Bulls increased their lead to 33-20 with 30 minutes to go against the Lions, it had been an uphill battle in the scrums up to that point for Jake White’s men. The former Bok coach opted, rightly, to start his two best props, Lizo Gqoboka and Trevor Nyakane, at Ellis Park – having given youngsters Gerhard Steenekamp and Mornay Smith lots of game time up to now. Steenekamp and Smith had their ups and downs in the three previous games against the Lions, Sharks and Stormers, and it was Gqoboka, in particular, who made an immense impact off the bench. So, is the Bulls scrum in trouble now? There’s no straight-forward answer to that. My initial reaction would be no, considering that the…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za THE SOUTH African liquor industry has warned the government of the potential negative impact on economic recovery and jobs if another ban on the sale of alcohol is imposed. Fears within the industry have been growing since three provinces officially declared a third wave of Covid-19 infections, as this could prompt the government to implement stricter lockdown measures. The tavern sector is worth over R60 billion annually, accounting for 80 – 90 percent of liquor sales in townships, and approximately 43 percent of total alcohol sales. A coalition of liquor traders has written to President Cyril Ramaphosa seeking his audience to help find sustainable solutions to combat the pandemic without banning alcohol. The National Liquor Traders Council (NLTC) and Liquor Traders Association of SA yesterday said any…

THE RAND yesterday rose to a one-year high amid a subdued dollar in spite of rating agencies maintaining their junk status and negative outlook on South Africa’s sovereign debt. The domestic currency strengthened 0.03 percent to R13.91 against the greenback by 5pm, its highest level since early January last year, on a positive growth forecast. The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) last week upwardly revised its 2021 growth forecasts to 4.2 percent, from an earlier projection of 3.8 percent. The rand appears to want to stay below the R14 mark around which it traded last week, despite an increase in global risk aversion. Investec chief economist Annabel Bishop said the rand continued to benefit from the dollar’s weakness, as investors fear increasing interest rates in the US. She said the…

SIHLE MAKHOWANA sihle makhowana@inl.co.za BUSINESS Unity South Africa and Business Leadership South Africa recently presented research that suggests a more prioritised approach to localisation, a move that will see South Africa produce more products, create more jobs and ultimately grow the economy. The move to prioritise local production comes at a time when the country’s economy is facing daunting growth patterns that have been engulfed by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has created difficult trading conditions in most sectors. The research on localisation, which was presented by Peter Attard Montalto from Intellidex, a research consulting firm that specialises in capital markets and financial services in Africa, scrutinised the viability of the proposed 20 percent import substitution. He said the idea behind localisation was inspired by the government in discussions at…

HOSKEN Consolidated Investments said yesterday that it expected to report a basic loss per share of between 1666.8 cents and 2 585c for the year to March 31, representing a decrease in losses of between 63.7 and 43.7 percent compared to a basic loss per share for the prior year. Headline earnings per share of between 224.9c and 351.1c were expected, a decrease of between 82.2 and 72.2 percent compared to headline earnings per share of 1 263.2c for the prior year, the group said in a trading statement. The basic losses a share included fair value adjustments to investment properties, and impairments to property, plant and equipment recognised by Tsogo Sun Hotels. A loss on disposal was recognised on the deconsolidation of Tsogo following the dilution of the group’s…

The 24-year-old singer – best known for starring in Fifth Harmony – appeared on the hit show alongside Valentin Chmerkovskiy in 2017 and after he took to social media to discuss the lack of diversity in the ballroom community, Normani stressed the importance of her own time on the series. The Motivation hitmaker said on Instagram: “We gave our hearts every opportunity we set foot on that floor. This was so so so much deeper than the show. Normani revealed she’ll be “eternally grateful” to her former dance partner. “I don’t think you’ll ever understand the impact you’ve had on me. I’m eternally grateful.” The pop star “can only imagine” the lack of representation in the ballroom community. However, she thinks the show proves that people of colour “can take…

BALDWIN NDABA GAUTENG MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Lebogang Maile has admitted that some senior officials who were implicated in fraud and corruption amounting to millions of rand are still holding on to their jobs at the Emfuleni Local Municipality. Maile revealed this in his written replies to questions from the DA’s head of the Emfuleni North constituency, Kingsol Chabalala, in the Gauteng provincial legislature. Chabalala had asked Maile to give him details about forensic investigations that had been conducted at the Emfuleni Local Municipality from 2010 until 2020. He also wanted to be furnished with details of the outcome of the probe, including monies paid to the forensic investigators. In his reply, Maile said the tender was awarded to Comperio Forensic Investigation Company, which conducted five…

staff Reporter THE search is on for the young woman who will follow in the footsteps of the current Miss South Africa, Shudufhadzo Musida. Entries for Miss South Africa 2021 opened yesterday and will close on June 24 at midnight. Stephanie Weil of the Miss South Africa Organisation said: “We are delighted that the Miss South Africa brand continues to provide a leading voice for the winners but also all the young entrants and finalists who join us as a part of this empowerment platform. We can’t wait to meet the class of 2021 and introduce them to all of South Africa!” This year’s Miss South Africa pageant will be held in October when Musida will hand over her crown to her successor. Miss South Africa 2021 will have the…

Peter Bachtis | Benoni A COMMUNITY constantly attacked by vicious criminals, without action from the police, decided to deal with the matter personally. Hunting down the perpetrators, necklacing them with tyres, dousing them with an accelerant, and setting them alight, to be burnt alive. My God, how can such ruthlessness be allowed in this day and age? Communities can no longer tolerate the inability of SAPS to protect and take meaningful action against criminals where necessary. Blame is levelled at the government, and rightly so, but how is it such rampant criminality has been allowed to mushroom in the last 27 years? There is no easy answer, however, a civilised human being observing this chaos must wonder how this country has been dragged back to the dark ages,…

HAVING hosted and won the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations tournament, and having hosted the 2010 World Cup, one would have thought that South Africa, as a sporting nation, had matured. Alas, the incident on Saturday at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Pretoria, where local team Mamelodi Sundowns and the Egyptian soccer team Al Ahly locked horns in a CAF Champions League encounter, has proved otherwise. Ugly scenes are shown on social media of an unruly mob, ostensibly Sundowns fans, mocking and insulting the visiting team, in particular team manager Pitso Mosimane. Fans wearing the colours of Sundowns temporarily blocked a bus carrying the Egyptian team to the stadium and held placards, many of which contained abuse aimed at South African-born Mosimane. Mosimane guided Sundowns with huge success from 2012 until…

Goma: Five people were found choked to death on toxic fumes from the eruption of eastern DR Congo’s Nyiragongo volcano yesterday, as strong aftershocks rocked the city of Goma. The deaths bring to 20 the number killed since Africa’s most active volcano erupted on Saturday, spewing red-hot molten lava that engulfed houses in its wake. “We have just discovered five dead people,” said civil society leader Mambo Kawaya, adding that they were “asphyxiated by the gas” as they tried to cross the cooling lava some 13km north of Goma. A sixth person is in a “critical state with troubled breathing and has been taken to hospital”, Kawaya said. Goma, a city of some 1.5 million people in the shadow of the volcano, was on edge as violent aftershocks continued through…

Los Angeles: It seems Indian-American actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas can’t stop gushing over her pop star husband Nick Jonas for hosting and performing at the Billboard Music Awards 2021, despite suffering from a cracked rib. Priyanka posted on social media: “Not even a cracked rib can stop this force of nature. So proud of you, baby. Your work ethic, your pursuit of excellence! You inspire me every day!” Judging by the power couple’s PDA behind the scenes of the event on Instagram, they appear to be head over heels in love.…

ISTANBUL: Turkey may drill more boreholes in its search for gas in the eastern Mediterranean, Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said yesterday, an area where its search and drilling operations led to a standoff with Greece and Cyprus last year. Turkey has already opened eight boreholes in the region, Donmez said, adding that while there were signs of natural gas, there had been no economically significant discovery. “Our experts are checking data after each drill with the seismic data obtained previously. We could have several more drills close to the ones (boreholes) where we see signs of gas,” he told broadcaster A Haber. “Time will tell, but we are hopeful. We evaluate that there is a potential,” he said.…

Zaahier Adams zaahier.adams@inl.co.za Eric Tinkler wants to return Cape Town City to their former glory in his second spell with the Citizens. The former Bafana Bafana midfielder won the Telkom Knockout with City in 2016, and despite his successor Benni McCarthy winning the MTN8 during his tenure, City have not been able to challenge for a major trophy since. City are currently seventh in the Premiership and failed to reach any of the cup semi-finals. Tinkler replaces Dutchman Jan Olde Riekerink, who parted ways with City last week. “I am extremely excited to be back at Cape Town City. I had a very successful season in 2016 with CT City. A lot of fond memories and to come back here and hopefully replicate what we achieved back in 2016 and…

EDWARD WEST edward.west@inl.co.za THE PRICE of Barloworld’s shares increased 3.15 percent yesterday afternoon after it resumed dividend payments and returned a special dividend of 200 cents per share to shareholders. The international heavy equipment, automotive and food processing group declared an interim dividend of 137c per share, compared with no dividend declared in the first half of last year during the Covid-19 pandemic. This was after a strong balance sheet was maintained in the six months to March 31, and the cash balance was robust at R8.3 billion. Headline earnings per share leapt to 367c per share for the six months to March 31, compared with 70c in the first half last year. Group revenue of R28.6bn was up 6.5 percent, with revenue from continuing operations up…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za THE LEASE on the iconic former SAB World of Beer building in Newtown is up for grabs to the highest bidder. Broll Auctions and Sales hopes to attract an investor to secure a 32-year lease for use of a 5 215m² erf, zoned industrial, when the building goes on auction on Thursday. The building has been valued at R27 million. The World of Beer was opened by President Nelson Mandela in 1995 in celebration of SAB’s centenary year. The museum and conference venue helped to rejuvenate tourism in the city centre, hosting almost 50 000 visitors a year, before closing in 2019. The venue is owned by the City of Joburg. Its lease expires on December 31, 2053.…

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za NETCARE, South Africa’s largest healthcare provider, said yesterday that its interim operating profit had suffered a 48.8 percent decline to R915 million during the six months ended March 2021, after incurring higher personal protective equipment (PPE) costs. The group said the increased costs, coupled with the large, fixed component of employee costs against a declining revenue base, had weighed on operating profit. Netcare previously told the market that Covid-19 costs had amounted to R316 million in the first half of 2021. “The majority of these costs relate to PPE, where stringent border controls and significant global demand during the first wave of the pandemic resulted in substantial price increases for several critical stock items,” Netcare said. Netcare said acute hospital patient days reflected a…

FOOD FACTORY S4 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, DSTV 181, 8PM Ever wondered how cans of beer, bags of crisps or even bars of chocolate are made? Food Factory reveals the processes behind mass-produced foods. DEADLIEST CATCH S17 DISCOVERY CHANNEL, DSTV 121, 8PM Fishermen risk their lives during the Alaskan crab fishing seasons. Amid the pandemic, half the boats are tied up; the rest face a looming threat of a three-year closure if they don’t catch the entire fleet-wide quota. But with a history of betrayal, can all be trusted to put the good of the fleet first? LAW OF THE HEART TELEMUNDO, DSTV CHANNEL 118, 9PM Elías organises Carmen’s surprise party.…

ZELDA VENTER TWO senior SAPS officials who organised the contentious birthday party almost 12 years ago for then divisional commissioner General Khomotso Phahlane and were later accused of fraud must now each receive compensation from the police. Brigadier Sandra Malebe-Thema and Phahlane’s personal assistant at the time, Daphne Moorghia-Pillay, instituted a damages claim against the SAPS and the two officials who had arrested them. North Gauteng High Court Judge Colleen Collis has ordered that each must receive about R150 000 in damages for unlawful arrest and prosecution. The police must also foot the legal costs which they incurred in defending the fraud charges against them. They were arrested two years after the birthday bash in 2009, held at the SAPS Pretoria West Training Facility. Each had to spend several…

ITUMELENG MAFISA THE DEMOCRATIC Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa) says more health-care workers are needed to ensure that clinics in Gauteng run smoothly as some nurses are redirected to work on the countrywide Covid-19 vaccination programme. Denosa in Gauteng said it had received reports of some nurses being sent out into the community to register members of the public to vaccinate. “The department is expecting people to do double work. They are moving people from their core duties, which is primary health care, and then they expect them to go and vaccinate and come back and attend to the clinics,” said Denosa spokesperson Bongani Mazibuko. He said the Health Department needed more healthcare workers to ensure that local clinics still ran smoothly while the vaccine roll-out took place. “We…

STAFF REPORTER AFRICA DAY celebrations officially began at the weekend with several concerts and markets taking place across the country. Today marks the final day of the Constitution Hill events which have been running since Saturday. Organiser Kgosi Rampa said the day would be all about the practicalities of business from an African perspective. “The aim of the Africa Day celebration is to grow and collaborate with more African-based artists, SMMEs and creatives. The vision is to follow what’s happening in the industry in terms of the Africa Free Trade Agreement and ‘remove’ the border or barriers that make it harder for businesses to collaborate and exchange ideas in order to solve common problems,” he said. Key speakers will include Miles Kubheka (founder of Vuyo’s Restaurant), Inga Gubeka (creative…

Mayibongwe Maqhina SPORT, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa said the council of the National Arts Council had instituted a forensic investigation into the presidential employment stimulus programme (PESP). Mthethwa said a forensic investigation into the handling of the PESP was being analysed and implemented in line with the governing legislation. “If there is/are individual/s that may have transgressed in the management of the PESP roll-out, consequence management will apply,” he said. Mthethwa made the comment responding to parliamentary questions from DA MP Tsepo Mhlongo who asked what steps he was taking regarding the mismanagement of funds at the National Arts Council. Mhlongo also wanted to know whether his department had taken any legal steps against those involved in the mismanagement of funding at the NAC. The National Arts Council…

ISRAEL has often been referred to as “apartheid Israel” by its detractors, who are intentionally spreading disinformation. First and foremost, apartheid is a discriminatory kind of rule, which was used in South Africa before 1994. Majority-black people were discriminated against on the basis of a denial of economic and political opportunities. I am one of few fortunate young South Africans who visited Israel in the quest of finding my own truth. I even went to its Parliament, where Arab people were represented. There is no form of racism in Israel, it is a pure lie. What I was able to notice was the fundamental basis of the land. The Palestinians do not have sufficient land and this does affect their livelihoods. While visiting the City of Ramallah, I also engaged…

CONNECTING African universities to high-speed internet could help drive the development of digital skills and capabilities. This would also benefit secondary schools and technical and vocational colleges. A strong argument has been made that improving connectivity should be viewed as a priority infrastructure investment. The World Bank published a report last year pointing out the drawbacks of poor connectivity. The lack of affordable and high-speed broadband for African universities was the main barrier to the use of technology in education and research, it said. And it prevented African faculties and students from linking to international teaching and research resources. There are other reasons why African governments should prioritise investment in greater connectivity to high-speed internet. These include its spillover benefits for the wider education system, particularly secondary schools and technical…

The Olympics may be going ahead, but much of the celebration and connection that normally makes hosting the Games so memorable is being stripped away as almost 50 cities have lost their role as a host or training camp base. More than 70% of those were cancelled by the visiting delegations, fearful of COVID-19 risks and restrictions amid Japan’s poor vaccination numbers, shrinking the Games into a Tokyo bubble. The biggest of these was the US track and field team, with more than 100 athletes who had been set to complete their preparations in Chiba prefecture, near Tokyo, but cancelled the camp in early May and advised athletes to fine-tune at home. Almost 80 Russians were due to train in Nagara and another 42 in Kamo but cancelled, while New…

London: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his fiancee Carrie Symonds have set a wedding date for next year after delaying plans due to the pandemic, The Sun tabloid reported yesterday. Johnson will be only the second prime minister ever to marry while in office, following Robert Jenkinson in 1822. The couple have sent “save the date” cards for July 30 next year, The Sun reported. When elected in 2019, the 56-year-old became the first prime minister to live at Downing Street as part of an unmarried couple.…

Minsk: The whereabouts of dissident Belarusian journalist Roman Protasevich, who was taken into custody after a passenger plane he was on was forced to land in Minsk, remained unknown yesterday. Protasevich, a 26-year-old blogger and activist who was wanted in his homeland for inciting protests against long-time President Alexander Lukashenko, among other charges, was arrested after his Ryanair flight from Greece to Lithuania made an emergency landing on Sunday, reported dpa news agency. His father, Dmitry, said in an interview with Belarusian radio broadcaster Radio Svoboda that he was convinced that the careful operation did “not only involve” the country’s secret service. Russia is a close ally of Belarus.…

The Springbok brains trust of Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber would have slept a lot easier on Sunday night after a number of key Springboks completed overseas competitions both intact and in form, while on the domestic front, other senior Boks made positive strides towards producing their best. A month or two back, there were serious concerns that the Boks would be underdone come the first Test against the British and Irish Lions on July 24 because a number of World Cup stars were not playing, and SA Rugby was struggling to arrange warm-up Tests, but there have been positive developments on both these fronts. The Georgians are coming for a two-Test series and vital players such as Handre Pollard, Siya Kolisi and Pieter-Steph du Toit have made encouraging comebacks.…