Innholdsfortegnelse for 2021-09-14 i Star

EDWARD WEST edward.west@inl.co.za Raubex Group expects headline earnings per share to be at least 100 percent higher in the six months to August 31, when compared with the comparative pre-Covid 19 period, and its order books are also at record levels. The group, which has benefited from its diversified business model and increased tender activity in the construction sector, particularly in the materials supply operations, including aggregates, asphalt and bitumen, said also that the 117 cents per share headline earnings represented a turnaround from the 25.2c loss per share in the 2020 interim period, when its operations were severely impacted by pandemic lockdowns. In the roads and earthworks division, a strong order book had been secured, supported by significant contract awards by the SA National Roads Agency Ltd…

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za FAMOUS Brands, the Johannesburg-headquartered food services franchisor, yesterday flagged a 76 percent jump in South African sales for the half-year ended in August, marking an uptick compared to a year ago when the Covid-19 pandemic severely disrupted the business. Famous Brands, whose brands include fast-food outlets Wimpy and Debonairs Pizza, said on a like-for-like basis South African sales increased by about 72 percent. Like-for-like sales refers to sales reported by all restaurants across the network, excluding restaurants opened or permanently closed during the period. “Overall, the group’s results for the six months ended August 31, 2021, are expected to show a marked recovery on the comparative period, which was severely impacted by the pandemic,” said Famous Brands. It said its South African signature brands’…

Viwe Ndongeni-Ntlebi viwe.ndongeni@inl.co.za We know that when we deliberately – in a stressful, upsetting moment – take the proverbial deep breath, we create a somewhat better next moment. A deep inhalation brings fullness; and relief and we can feel a palpable change in our energy. If we stick with conscious deep breathing for a while, those mo- ments get incrementally better, and often lead us to completely transition to a calmer and more clear-headed state. The way we then feel, think and behave in response to what caused our stress all changes for the better. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a global mental health crisis, with lockdown restrictions and loss of life and livelihoods magnifying depression. Siphelele Nguse and Douglas Wassenaar’s Mental health and Covid-19 in South Africa study…

IANS Covid survivors who continue to experience poor concentration, memory difficulties and other cognitive issues may be at high risk of developing dementia years later, according to research. There is also growing concern that some of these “long-haulers” may get the dementia-related changes earlier than expected, the Strait Times reported. “Anything that diminishes a person'’s cognitive reserve and resilience is going to allow neurodegenerative processes to accelerate,” Alireza Atri, cognitive disorder neurologist, director of Banner Sun Health Research Institute, was quoted as saying. This can then cause symptoms of neurological disorders, such as dementia, to show earlier, he added. Dementia is a general term for the impaired ability to remember, think or make decisions that hinders a person’s daily life. It results from diseases such as Alzheimer’s and injuries that…

IOL Reporter A Tshwane resident is ready to call it a day for his cabbage patch, which feeds those in need, after he has been allegedly threatened with arrest by Tshwane metro police officers. Last week, Djo Bankuna took to Facebook to detail how TMPD officers had threatened him with arrest for growing a vegetable garden. This was apparently not allowed, and only flowers or grass were allowed, a shocked Bankuna was told. When he sought to get permission to continue with his vegetable garden from City of Tshwane officials, he became the butt of jokes as they laughed at him and told him no such permission was required. “On Thursday at 9am, two (Tshwane) metro police officers came to my home and threatened me with arrest. My sin…

JOBURG saw the country’s top spinners battle it out for the Red Bull Shay’ iMoto title at the weekend. Cape Town’s Chadwin “Boksie” Hadjie and Samkeliso “Sam Sam” Thubane were the last two spinning in a no-holds-barred final battle that had the judges on the edge of their seats. The young Nelspruit local Sam Sam walked away as the 2021 champion. Celebrating its third year – the tournament was held at a closed venue on September 11, where Mzansi’s top spinners showed off their best stunts and skills around the track which featured obstacles like the Puma “Kitchen”, BMW M-Town and the Make-out Corner. The final was closely contested; Boksie threw every ounce of showmanship at it but it was Sam Sam landing his signature stunt – essentially the most…

Chulumanco Mahamba POPULAR Mzansi Magic telenovela, DiepCity has hit a high note after receiving more than 30 nominations for the 2021 Royal Soapie Awards. The fifth Royalty Soapie Awards will be held on October 2, where the major contributors to the South African daily TV drama entertainment industry are recognised. From the actors, make-up artists, costume designers and producers, the awards are set to celebrate them all. “The Royalty Soapie Awards acknowledges the extensive role soapies play within society and aims to nurture and grow talent, by creating a standard of excellence for the soapie industry and recognising and awarding those who excel,” the Royalty Soapie Awards website states. Earlier this month, the nominees for this year’s awards, under the theme Celebrating Our Shine, were announced with performers, writers, directors…

Peter Bachtis | Benoni The removal of kleinbaas Carl by the ANC is a worrying turn of events. Although mostly misguided in his utterances and actions, he had morphed into a diehard sympathiser and active member of the ANC. His removal is harsh … you don’t find his level of commitment easily these days. His loyalty to Umsholozi is mind-boggling … he loves the old fox. The ANC should reconsider because this white boy loves and reveres this troubled and broken party and this removal from office will destroy him.…

James Mahlokwane james.mahlokwane@inl.co.za THE SAPS has welcomed a batch of newly-trained special task force operatives to join an elite unit in combating serious crimes. The 11 officers, whose identities may not be revealed, made it past thousands who tried out for the prestigious force, doing intense training. Divisional Commissioner for Visible Policing and Operations, Lieutenant-General Michael Motlhala, welcomed the group clad in camouflage on Friday, while the cohort stood on parade at the Tshwane Police Academy in Pretoria West. The 11 were chosen from more than 1 433 applicants from as far back as 2017, and were celebrated as being the only ones who made the special task force wings which are worn on the left chest. The insignia signifies that the recipient has been trained at a high level…

Sisonke Mlamla sisonke.mlamla@inl.co.za ZIYAWAMO arts and culture, a non-profit organisation, offers an array of activities in the townships in a bid to address social ills such as gangsterism, crime and substance abuse. The organisation was established in 2015 by Mzukisi Khuse after he saw a gap in the Gugulethu, Nyanga and Langa communities, where there was no proper development of young artists. It was known for sharpening young people’s musical skills and organising workshops for them. Khuse said such workshops were designed to create a platform for the young artists and an opportunity for them to learn more about the craft and its business side. He said it was critical that young artists were equipped with skills and information in the early years of their careers so they did not…

ROMELU Lukaku has fulfilled his dream of starring as Chelsea’s number nine – now the Belgium striker plans to fire his boyhood club’s bid to retain the Champions League. Lukaku scored at Stamford Bridge for the first time at the weekend as his double inspired Chelsea’s 3-0 win against Aston Villa. After scoring in his first match since returning to Chelsea in their win at Arsenal in August, Lukaku made it three goals from three appearances with a pair of predatory strikes. Lukaku, who previously played for the Blues from 2011 to 2014, is back with Chelsea following his club record £98 million move from Inter Milan in the close season. The 28-year-old’s maiden goals at the Bridge came in his 15th appearance at the west London stadium that…

Liverpool’s teenage midfielder Harvey Elliott said he had been overwhelmed by the “love and support” he has received since dislocating his ankle in Sunday’s 3-0 win at Leeds United. Elliott sustained the gruesome injury after a challenge by Leeds defender Pascal Struijk, who was sent off after a VAR review. The 18-year-old received lengthy treatment on the Elland Road pitch before being stretchered off, leaving players from both teams looking distraught. Elliott was later discharged from a hospital in Leeds and while the full severity of the damage has yet to be confirmed, he will undergo surgery. “I’m of course absolutely devastated with what happened yesterday at Leeds, but have been totally overwhelmed by the love and support shown to me by the entire football world following the injury,”…

Barcelona are still digesting the shock of losing Lionel Messi but are not yet counting out the chance of an unlikely tilt for the Champions League, captain Sergio Busquets said ahead of today’s meeting at home to Bayern Munich. Bayern dished out Barca’s worst European defeat little more than a year ago when they thrashed the Catalans 8-2 in the quarter-finals of the 2019/20 competition, leading to Messi first declaring his intention to leave. Messi’s departure for Paris St Germain came a year later due to the club’s colossal financial problems, despite the player rowing back on his pledge to leave and preparing to take a 50% pay cut. “It was a shock given everything Leo did for Barca and for me,” midfielder Busquets told a virtual news conference yesterday.…

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za REMGRO, the Stellenbosch-based investment holding company, said yesterday that headline earnings from continuing operations for the year would climb by up to 71 percent, mainly due to the recovery of the earnings of most of its underlying investee companies. Headline earnings a share from continuing operations would likely be between 494.2 cents and 524.9c compared with 307.5c a year earlier. The group said the increase in headline earnings were partly offset, mainly by a lower contribution from hospital group Mediclinic International. Mediclinic’s contributions included the full impact of the Covid-19 lockdown measures on its results for the year ended March 31, 2021. The group said headline earnings from continuing operations for the comparative year ended June 30, 2020, were significantly affected during the second six…

Given Majola given.majola@inl.co.za WHILE South African small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) have proven to be resilient through the Covid-19 crisis, with many remaining optimistic about their financial future, however, they remained extremely vulnerable to external shocks, such as lockdown restrictions and civil unrest. This translated to them requiring significant support, if they were to survive and play a role in the country’s economic recovery and job creation. This was revealed in “From Survival to Opportunity through Covid-19 and Beyond: SA Future Trust Baseline SMME Report”, released last week by the South African Future Trust. The SA Future Trust provided financial assistance to SMMEs hit by the Covid-19 lockdown, last year, in the form of interest-free loans to facilitate direct payments to their employees for a 15-week relief…

JOSE Mourinho says he was lying to himself by attempting to play down the significance of his 1 000th game in management after he oversaw a thrilling last-gasp win for AS Roma over Sassuolo on Sunday. Stephan El Shaarawy’s stoppage-time winner sealed a 2-1 victory for the capital club. It was a memorable way for the Portuguese to reach a landmark that he previously downplayed by saying, “It is always in my nature to be looking forward to the next match instead of dwelling on previous matches”, but he changed his tune at full-time. “During the week I was lying, even to myself, by saying that this was not a special match. I was trying to convince myself of that,” Mourinho told DAZN. “It was a special match,…

Stuart Hess stuart.hess@inl.co.za The Proteas men are a bizarrely inconsistent team who have strung together a six-match winning streak in T20 Internationals. People may quibble that three of those victories were against Ireland, but South Africa won and all those wins came in matches played away from home. It doesn’t make sense in the broader context of the Proteas’ performances since Mark Boucher took over as head coach. New caps, regardless of the format, have been dished out habitually; the team would win one game then lose the next; captains changed, selections were strange, and Boucher would always appear to have a new excuse for why performances lacked consistency: The fielding was errant, yet another batting collapse, or undisciplined bowling. Yet here they are, a little over a month away…

Lukhanyo Am Wynona Louw wynona.louw@inl.co.za Following the Springboks’ 28-26 Rugby Championship defeat against Australia in Gold Coast at the weekend, hooker Malcolm Marx said that it was hard to identify positives. Granted, Marx, who came on to replace Bongi Mbonambi, was largely referring to how a detailed review would be needed before he could really give an insightful answer to that question. But there really were not too many positives. In fact, the performance of Marx off the bench was one of the few. He made a massive impact when he came on in the third quarter, getting over the advantage line and scoring two tries from driving mauls. Speaking after the game, Marx said: “It’s hard to say at the moment (what the positives were), it’s a bit of…

Quade Cooper’s fairytale return from the international wilderness so impressed Wallabies coach Dave Rennie that he has backed the mercurial flyhalf to stay in contention all the way to the 2023 Rugby World Cup. The 33-year-old, in his first Test in four years, showed nerves of steel to nail a 40-metre penalty after the hooter on Sunday, earning Australia a thrilling 28-26 Rugby Championship win over World Cup holders South Africa. It capped a remarkable comeback by the Japan-based star, who converted eight-from-eight kicks for 23 points despite not playing a professional match since the end of April. His trusty boot complemented a composed all-round game, with his calming influence in his 71st Test justifying the bold selection by Rennie, who said Cooper could make another World Cup. “Of course…

Zaahier Adams zaahier.adams@inl.co.za FORMER Proteas seamer Vernon Philander is “excited to work with a group of skilful youngsters” after being appointed Pakistan bowling coach for the upcoming T20 World Cup yesterday. Philander, 36, retired from international cricket after the final Test against England last year at the Wanderers, but was still expected to turn out for Western Province this coming season in the newly-formed Cricket South Africa provincial structure. Philander, who has no previous formal coaching experience, will instead join up with former Australian Test batsman Matthew Hayden in a revamped Pakistan coaching set-up after Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis resigned after the announcement of the 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup to be held in the United Arab Emirates and Oman next month. The Pakistan Cricket Board also unveiled…

Zaahier Adams zaahier.adams@inl.co.za LIFE certainly is tough at the top, and Premier Soccer League Footballer of the Year Peter Shalulile is finding that out the hard way. Despite scoring 15 goals last season and providing crucial assists for his teammates in Mamelodi Sundowns’ run to a fourth successive Premiership title, the Namibian striker still had critics bemoaning some of his misses in front of goal. And with Shalulile being quiet during the first two league games of the new season, the pressure was further heightened when Sundowns co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi pointed out a glaring miss that could potentially have changed the course of the game in their goalless draw against Chippa United prior to the international break. Shalulile, though, is a class act and returned from his time with the…

Mohamed Salah became the second African after Didier Drogba to score 100 Premier League goals when he scored the opening goal in Liverpool’s 3-0 victory at Leeds United over the weekend. “He has ice in his veins,” said TV analyst and former Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood after the Egyptian reached the milestone in pursuit of Drogba’s 104-goal record. Salah has scored 82 of the goals with his left foot, 12 with his right and headed six. Ninety-four came from inside the box and six outside. We highlight Africans who starred in the five major European leagues at the weekend. ENGLAND Mohamed and Sadio Mane (Liverpool) Salah slotted home Trent Alexander-Arnold’s low cross in the 20th minute to put Liverpool ahead. The two-time African Footballer of the…

Eshlin Vedan eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za SuperSport United will be aiming to continue their unbeaten start to the new Premiership season when they travel to Durban today to face AmaZulu at Jonsson Kings Park (5pm kick-off). Matsatsantsa have made a steady start to the new season. They drew their season opener 0-0 with Cape Town City before winning their last fixture 3-1 against Golden Arrows. SuperSport goalkeeper Ronwen Williams said that his side are happy with their league campaign start. “It’s not easy playing Cape Town City away and Golden Arrows. The two sides have given us problems over the years and we are proud and happy to have got points against them,” said Williams. SuperSport will be up against a struggling Usuthu side who have failed to win any of their…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za THE ALCOHOL industry has expressed fears of another ban on sales during the upcoming busy festive season if the fourth wave of Covid-19 pandemic comes to pass. This means that the expected economic recovery could be dealt a blow as businesses in the alcohol-related industry have experienced 161 days of shutdowns since March 2020, putting just more than 240 000 jobs at risk. The Beer Association of South Africa (Basa) yesterday cautiously welcomed the further easing of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, as a welcome relief for the industry. Basa, in a statement, said the relaxa- tion of the curfew and extension of days for alcohol sales would provide some reprieve to those businesses which have survived four alcohol bans. “However, with a Covid-19 fourth wave expected to…

CHESLIN Kolbe is on top of the rugby world at the moment. Not only is he a world champion, he has also just concluded a move to Toulon from French and European champions Toulouse, which some media reports say has placed him in the “million-pound club”. That is rather appropriate, as Kolbe is, pound for pound, the best rugby player in the world. But that doesn’t mean that it’s just a fun-filled, glamorous lifestyle for the 27-year-old from Kraaifontein. Kolbe has had to make a lot of sacrifices to get to the top, which started with leaving his Cape Town home at the Stormers and Western Province for France in 2017. However, his then-girlfriend Layla Cupido also opted to stop the process of becoming a chartered accountant, to support Kolbe…

Machines can read your thoughts In George Orwell’s dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, the Thought Police are the secret police of the superstate of Oceania that were able to dis- cover and punish thought crimes or “unapproved thoughts.” Long before the publication of Orwell’s novel, the Empire of Japan, in 1911, established the Tokubetsu Koto Keisatsu (Special Higher Police), a political police force also known as Shis Keisatsu or the Thought Police. They investigated and controlled ideologies that were considered a threat to the public order. However, in neither of these cases could the Thought Police actually read the minds or thoughts of people. Decoding brain signals But technology has come a long way since then. In 2019, Rafael Yuste from Columbia University successfully supplanted a visual stimulus in the form…

Kedibone Modise LOCAL musician and musicologist Cara Stacey says she’s thrilled to receive the top honours at this year’s Standard Bank Young Artists (SBYA) Awards. Stacey joins the prestigious list of winners, across the country’s arts sector. Commenting on her big win, Stacey said: “This award means so much. I have focused for quite some time on just making music – all different types, and with so many different people – without thinking very strategically about my work or musical career. “It was such a surprise for me, as I just didn't think I would be considered. I am so excited to make more music with this platform,” said Stacey. Stacey is committed to contextualising and preserving indigenous Southern African music, connecting it to different musical histories and sound forms.…

Bongani Nkosi AS the six men accused of murdering Gauteng health official Babita Deokaran made their way to the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court dock yesterday, a question lingered: what of the more arrests authorities had vowed were on the cards? Soon after the arrests of Phakamani Hadebe, Zitha Hadebe, Sanele Mbele, Nhlangano Ndlovu, Siphiwe Mazibuko and Phakanyiswa Dladla and their first court appearance two weeks ago, authorities spoke with confidence that more suspects were due to be nabbed. “We can confirm that more arrests are imminent actually,” captain Ndivhuwo Mulamu, spokesperson for the Hawks in Gauteng, told journalists at the time. “We still have outstanding suspects who we are looking into. There’s intelligence that we’re working with and we’re following up on that information.” Deokaran’s killing was suspected to be linked…

ITUMELENG MAFISA and SIFISO MAHLANGU YESTERDAY, The Star published a story after an investigation exposed a web of paedophilia at a day-care centre in Tshepisong, Krugersdorp. On Sunday, the family of a four-year-old girl confirmed to The Star that their child was raped by the son of the day-care centre owner who lives on the property. The Star can now reveal the name of the facility as Lindokuhle Day Care Centre in Tshepisong, owned by Khanyi Mazeka. The Star was also informed by neighbours that virginity testing on children had happened at the centre without the consent of parents. An alleged rapist is still at large and has still not been arrested. On arrival at the centre yesterday, The Star was met by two neighbours who said that the…

Amanda Maliba A LITTLE over two years since the death of celebrated hip-hop muso HHP, real name Jabulani Tsambo, today the star releases the remake of his Nkaofa song, Nkaofa 2.0, courtesy of his wife Lerato Sengadi, in celebration of his 41st birthday. Nkaofa, first heard on DJ Fresh’s breakfast show in 2018 where the lyricist freestyled the song on air, became a full track after requests from fans, and was a no-brainer song choice to celebrate the icon. “Choosing Focalist, I mean who else if not him? It’s all about passing the baton, and with Focalistic being heavily influenced by Jabba (HHP), he is the perfect artist to have on the song,” said Sengadi. “And knowing that Jabulani is someone Focalistic looked up to, having him on this feature…

Thobeka Ngema thobeka.ngema@inl.co.za LONG, snaking queues, no physical distancing or masks is a common visual outside post offices when beneficiaries collect or apply for the Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, something Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu had been urged to address. In a written parliamentary question, United Democratic Movement’s Nqabayomzi Kwankwa asked Zulu what measures she had in place to ensure that money was deposited straight into the beneficiaries’ bank accounts to curb long queues; Covid-19 protocols were observed in the queues and that beneficiaries received their full payments. Zulu said to address challenges experienced in the previous cycle of the R350 SRD grant, the process had changed to allow all applicants to provide banking details on the application and not only when the application is approved. “Information…

DANIIL Medvedev shattered Novak Djokovic’s Grand Slam dream with a straight sets victory in the US Open final here yesterday, denying the world No 1 a record-breaking 21st major men’s singles title. Russia’s second-ranked Medvedev dominated Djokovic 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to prevent the first calendar-year Grand Slam since 1969 and keep Djokovic level with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal atop the career Slam title list. “Sorry for you fans and Novak because we all know what he was going for,” Medvedev said. “What you have accomplished in your career … for me, you are the greatest tennis player in the history.” Medvedev, the 2019 US Open runner-up, captured his first Grand Slam title in his third Slam final, a rematch of February’s Australian Open final, won in straight…

MANCHESTER United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said he will carefully manage Cristiano Ronaldo’s playing time but has to balance that with getting the 36-year-old Portugal forward settled into the side. Ronaldo, who has rejoined United after 12 years away, marked his comeback at Old Trafford with two goals in Saturday’s 4-1 Premier League win over Newcastle United. United return to action in tonight’s opening Champions League group stage match against Swiss club Young Boys and Solskjaer said he would not rule out resting Ronaldo. “It’s not impossible to leave him out,” Solskjaer said. “He is 36. Mason (Greenwood) is 19 so it’s the same; I have to manage his minutes and I have to manage a 36-year-old’s minutes as well. “The other thing with Cristiano is that he looks…

Emma Raducanu’s stunning US Open triumph showed the British teenager can “rule the world” of women’s tennis, according to her former coach. Raducanu has become a global sensation after the 18-year-old stormed through qualifying to win the US Open in just her second Grand Slam appearance. She defeated Leylah Fernandez in Saturday’s final in New York to become the first British woman to win a Grand Slam singles title since Virginia Wade at Wimbledon in 1977. Raducanu’s former coach Mark Petchey knows just how talented and focused Raducanu already is. Petchey believes Raducanu, who is set to leap up in the world rankings following her victory at Flushing Meadow, could emulate the sustained success of former men’s world No 1 Andy Murray, who has also worked with the coach. “From…

Formula One’s governing body will investigate Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix crash between title contenders Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton because it was “unusual”, according to race director Michael Masi. The Australian said that although the collision was relatively low-speed, the FIA’s safety experts would still take a look. The crash had Verstappen’s Red Bull lift up off a kerb and land on Hamilton’s Mercedes with the inside of a rear wheel hitting the seven-time world champion’s helmet through the protective halo. “Incidents that are different, so it’s not necessarily high G impacts or anything like that, but are unusual, we do look at,” said Masi. “Our safety department does look at them in detail, investigate and see what we can learn and what we can improve for the future. “That’s…