Innholdsfortegnelse for 2022-02-15 i Star

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za SHAREHOLDERS of recovering construction, mining services and steel trading group Aveng were spooked by yesterday’s forecast of much lower interim headline earnings, and their share price slid 24.1 percent to R20.15. Aveng said yesterday it expected to report operating earnings of between R210 million and R218m for the six months to December 31, 2021 compared with R280m. Headline earnings were expected to fall to between R14 million and R19m, representing a decline of between 67 percent and 83 percent. Diluted headline earnings per share of between 11 to 14 cents per share would fall by between 95 percent to 94 percent, with the decline mainly due to an accounting adjustment and the effects of two rights issues, and a share consolidation on the number of shares in…

Nhlanhla Mbatha nhlanhla.mbatha@inl.co.za JOBURG mayor Mpho Phalatse yesterday denied allegations that she stole a statue belonging to one of the political parties represented in the City of Johannesburg. Yesterday, Al Jama-ah opened a case of theft and malicious damage to property with vicarious liability against the mayor at Hillbrow police station. Party spokesperson and caucus leader Thapelo Amad confirmed the case was opened against the city’s first citizen. “On January 26, we erected the statue of the late PLO (Palestine Liberation Organisation) leader Yasser Arafat at the Metro Centre, declaring the city as a Free Apartheid Zone. “A day later the statue had disappeared. We did not follow the matter up, thinking that it had been stolen since crime was rampant in Johannesburg,” Amad said. “Last week some of our…

Chevon Booysen and Jolene Marriah-Maharaj THE instruction given to a black learner to bow to his white peer at Milnerton High School in Cape Town as a way of apologising, was “overzealous” and “racism is not currently a consideration”, said the school. This comes after an incident where a black learner was made to allegedly bow several times to a white peer following an altercation over a school bench during a break. According to school principal Paul Besener, the bowing act was an instruction initiated by a member of the senior management team as an apology intervention between the two learners. “The learner who is allegedly the victim, sustained some physical injury. To de-escalate the matter a member of the senior management team intervened to get an apology from the…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za ONE of the largest white rhino breeders in the world, John Hume, lost his legal bid against the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations to be given back 181 rhino horns estimated to be worth about R10 million. Hume turned to the high court in Pretoria after the Hawks confiscated the horns three years ago during a crime operation. Two men who were transporting the horns from Hume’s vault in Centurion did not have the permits to transport them. Clive John Melville and Petrus Steyn were arrested by the Hawks on April 13, 2019 at Skeerpoort in the North West. They entered a plea bargain with the State. Judge SK Hassim commented that the permits shown to her as part of the application were illegible.…

Anita Nkonki anita.nkonki@inl.co.za THERE is no doubt social platforms have become a space many people use to exhibit their creativity, educate and entertain, while earning money for their efforts. Local content creator Sabelo Hadebe is among those South African creatives whose content is influential enough to leave people wanting more. Hadebe treats his audience to well-crafted content – sharing videos of his lifestyle and revealing his home aesthetics – while providing information they might need to better their spaces. Hadebe says it is the love and support he has been getting from people that has kept him afloat in the game. The star, from Newcastle in KwaZulu- Natal, said he had always loved taking videos, so with this career venture it is all about passion. “When I started content creation,…

Dr Peter C Baker | Parktown North I HAVE read, with some degree of sadness and scepticism, of the sentencing of a poor chap to 18 years in prison for stealing R1.2 million from some university, which money was for underprivileged students. As we are hearing of the news coming from the Zondo Commission and the millions and billions, I have seen the eye-watering projected figure of more than R1 trillion being the estimated total of the stolen money as a result of state capture. Those Gupta immigrants who came to South Africa to make good in the land, which once was and obviously still is the land of milk and honey, sure did well. I really feel sorry for the poor university sucker who got caught…

BARNEY Mthombothi pointed out on Sunday that Dame Cressida Dick, the commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police, one of the most visible and certainly the most important police position in the UK, announced her resignation. She said the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, “no longer has sufficient confidence in my leadership to continue”. This even though it is not the mayor who appoints the commissioner; the British Home Secretary does. This is how personal responsibility is taken in successful democracies. Dame Cressida, despite her many successes in the role, had failed to change the culture of misogyny, racism, homophobia and bullying that was alleged to be part of the culture of the Metropolitan police. Instead of brazening it out and either remaining silent, or pointing fingers at others, she resigned.…

A strike by Zimbabwean teachers that has crippled learning entered a second week yesterday, with no resolution in sight after the government suspended 135 000 teachers for failing to report for work. Many teachers did not report for work when schools opened for the first term of the new year last week, saying they could no longer afford the commute from their home to the classroom. In Harare, pupils milled around the grounds or played in classrooms, while schools were completely abandoned. | AFP…

“It’s hard to eat here. There are no fields and no food. Life is hard,” says Albertine Nzale, traditional chief of Kinduti, on the outskirts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)capital, Kinshasa. The village sits at the end of a bumpy track through the savannah outside the largest city in the DRC. There are no grain stores in its straw-roofed huts, no crops or farms along the 35km dirt road through the grassland. Just men pushing ancient bikes loaded with sacks of charcoal under a sweltering sun. Albertine, 80, is worried for the village’s future and wants help. “We don’t have a school or a hospital,” she says. “We need tools and farm machinery to cultivate the land.” Most people here struggle to find enough food, locals say. In…

At the weekend, the Sharks confirmed that Bltizboks coach Neil Powell will join them in a newly created position of director of rugby, and there were also rumours from France that Bok bruiser Eben Etzebeth has all but signed with the Durbanites. Powell was originally signed as a defence coach but will now head the overall coaching structures at the Sharks, be it the Currie Cup or the United Rugby Championship. Etzebeth, should he agree a salary cut from what he was earning at Toulon, would be the latest key Springbok to move to Durban, in the slip-stream of fellow former Stormers Siya Kolisi and Bongi Mbonambi. All of these changes at the Sharks have come after the highly publicised buy-out by an American-based consortium. Prior to their involvement, the…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za IRONGATE Group (IAP), the Australian property group that is also listed on the JSE, has agreed with the Charter Hall partnership to share information for a due diligence that might pave the way for IAP’s acquisition. IAP’s board has rejected three offers from Australian investment firm 360 Capital over the past year, and the offer from the Charter partnership is the first time since the IAP’s board have agreed to let the bidding party do a due diligence. IAP was formerly known as Investec Australia Property Fund. The Charter Hall partnership comprises Dutch pension fund PGGM and Charter Hall, and they have offered to acquire all of IAP’s shares for AU$1.90 cash each. The AU$1.90 represents an implied price per IAP security of R20.61, based on the…

Oluthando Keteyi oluthando keteyi@inl.co.za ACTRESS Nomalanga Shozi recently had a baby shower. The BET Africa producer and a select few of her friends got together to celebrate the arrival of her child. She announced that she was expecting her first child, with a hot photo shoot for a magazine cover. Shozi’s baby shower was attended by Mzansi A-listers, including Uncle Vinny, Ayanda Thabethe, Cassper Nyovest and the father of her child, Bandile of Major League DJz. Now, if you thought you would be getting an inside view of the couple, sadly not – #becomingtherents was just the perfect hashtag for the baby shower and not the name of a reality show. During her thank-you speech, Shozi let slip that she and Bandile were expecting a baby girl. “In terms of being…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za THE planned nine-hour maintenance by City Power in parts of Joburg on Saturday is expected to affect water operations south, north and west of the CBD. The power utility issued an announcement that there would be power interruptions on Saturday from 7am until 3pm. Affected areas include Alan Manor, Comptonville, Eikenhof Ext 2; Kibler Park, Mayfield Park; Meredale Exte 26 and 28, Naturena, Naturena Ext 7, 19, 20, 21 and 25 and Southfork. “The power interruption is necessary to do essential maintenance work on our network which is part of our programme of constantly striving to provide better service,” said City Power’s Tebogo Sehlako. The utility said it regretted the inconvenience that the interruption may cause residents. “As the supply may be restored at any time, customers…

From page 1 Another learner, Esona Madikizela, recounted her ordeal, saying she had been pushed around in the school corridors and told that she does not belong in the school. Madikizela said she would sometimes go home crying because she was starting to believe that she does not belong in such a school. “We are tired of this. I am now in matric so we are now fighting for the new kids, that they do not go through what we went through,” Madikizela said. Some of the black prefects said they would not wear their prefect uniform until the school corrects the racial tensions that have been simmering. The Star approached some of the parents of the white learners for comment, but most of them seemed upset and declined to…

Staff Reporter A NUMBER of African couples in the art fraternity will be among the 98 local and international exhibitors from 20 different countries at this year’s Investec Cape Town Art Fair. The event, described as the biggest art fair on the African continent, takes place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from February 18 to 20 and will see art enthusiasts flock to the first Investec Cape Town Art Fair hosted at a physical space since the commencement of lockdown. As part of marking the month of love and in celebration of Valentine’s Day, artistic sweethearts will showcase some of their wares at the fair. Their love for art and for each other was the catalyst that inspired a number of their exhibitions. Among them will…

Anita Nkonki POPULAR hip-hop star Sandile “DJ Citi Lyts” Mkhize has passed away after being shot in Soweto in the early hours of yesterday. Mkhize was the younger brother of the late popular iconic rapper ProKid, real name Linda Mkhize. Gauteng police spokesperson Mavela Masondo confirmed his death, adding that a case of murder has been opened. “Gauteng police have launched a manhunt for suspects after a musician was shot dead in Dube, Soweto, in the early hours of Monday, February 14.” Police were called to a murder scene in Dube at about 2am and on arrival they found a 32-year-old man lying on the ground with gunshot wounds to the upper body. “He was certified dead by paramedics. It is reported that the victim was on the street with…

Terence Grant | Cape Town I recently watched a documentary that focused on the pharmaceutical industry’s unquenchable thirst for profit, and I am convinced that the time has come for governments to expropriate the intellectual property rights of pharmaceutical companies that – despite official warnings – make exorbitant profits off of medicines that would – because of the dominance of their product/the lack of a viable alternative – save a large number of lives if marketed at a significantly lower price. Obviously, the company falling victim to this “extraordinary measure” would have to be compensated generously in order to avoid stifling research. The expropriation also would have to be done by the country in which the company is based (on this point, one notes that the South…

FAROUK ARAIE | Gauteng PARTS of our planet are burning with rage as religious hatred consumes lives by overpowering reason. Hate is a contagious strong emotion. Its mental venom can pollute your spirit, poison your soul and seep into all of the relationships that surround you. Hate, left unchecked, will drain your spirit, tarnish your soul and darken your days. The savagery in many Asian countries’ provinces is chilling. It is equivalent to an H bomb, as nuclear fission is what ignites the explosion of a nuclear weapon. In a similar way, mindless hatred produces energy for destructive power as graphically filmed in the desolate streets of South East Asia. Major cities have become the epicentre of mindless religious hatred. Mankind shows no sign of tolerance, we are…

Camilla, Britain’s Duchess of Cornwall, has tested positive for Covid-19, days after her husband Prince Charles, their office in London said yesterday. Camilla, 74, is self-isolating, Clarence House said, after announcing that Charles had tested positive and was self-isolating. This sparked concerns over whether Charles could have passed the virus to his mother, Queen Elizabeth, whom he had met two days earlier. Both Charles and Camilla have had booster jabs. Camilla’s last engagements were on Thursday. | AFP…

Joao Cancelo believes Manchester City deserve to win the Champions League, saying the team are “embracing” the pressure of trying to go one step further than last season when they lost to Chelsea in the final. The Premier League leaders have dominated English football under Pep Guardiola, winning three league titles in four years, but success in Europe has proved elusive. Portugal defender Cancelo, speaking ahead of the first leg of City’s last 16 tie away to Sporting Lisbon today, said the club, who lost 1-0 to the Blues in the 2021 final, had the quality to lift the trophy. “We are a very strong team,” he said. “The players know how to deal with the pressure of getting to the final, but we are going up against the best…

Herman Gibbs herman.gibbs@africannewsagency.com ORLANDO Pirates showed remarkable composure in their 2-0 win over JS Saoura in the Confederation Cup on Sunday, and it augers well for the rest of the season. This improvement coincided with the return of players from lengthy lay-offs, notably Thembinkosi Lorch, who was a thorn in the side of the visiting side from Algeria at Orlando Stadium. Lorch had a hand in both goals. He is slowly returning to his best form and will soon rank among the top midfielders in South Africa. Lorch sparked some good football from midfield on Sunday, and his feeds to players out wide allowed Pirates to turn on the pace down the flanks. This ploy proved to be a problem for the visitors throughout the match. JS Saoura roughed up…

Zaahier Adams zaahier.adams@inl.co.za South Africa’s cricket future was on display in full high-colour definition yesterday in Gqeberha. Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs and CP Klijnhans lit up a gloomy St George’s Park with exhilarating T20 Challenge batting displays for the Titans, Warriors and Knights, respectively. Brevis, of course, has been the rage ever since the supremely talented 18-year-old broke the record for the most runs ever at the ICC Under-19 World Cup earlier this month. It was those exhilarating displays in the Caribbean that earned the teenager a R6-million Indian Premier League (IPL) contract with the Mumbai Indians before he had actually completed playing his very first senior professional game for the Titans this past weekend. And ‘Baby AB’, as he has been dubbed due to his similar style to Proteas…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za FINANCE Minister Enoch Godongwana faces mounting pressure to introduce a universal basic income grant (BIG) and drop austerity measures amid crippling poverty and rising unemployment levels in South Africa. A group of about 70 members of the Assembly of the Unemployed (AoU) yesterday staged a sit-in at the National Treasury, calling for the implementation of a BIG and protesting against budget cuts. The AoU and other civil society movements have long campaigned for the implementation of a BIG of R1 500 a month for all unemployed between the ages of 18 and 59. AoU spokesperson Princess Majola said the grant should also include caregivers, home-based workers, and workers who earned below the national minimum wage. “This will bring much-needed relief to millions of South Africans who are…

BETTY MOLEYA betty.moleya@inl.co.za THE NUMBER of teenagers committing suicide in South Africa is very concerning and the public is urged to normalise talking about mental health. Teen Suicide Prevention Week, started yesterday, ends on February 21. According to the SA Depression and Anxiety Group, the average suicide rate among teenagers is 8% of all deaths that have been reported by academic hospitals in the country, and, they said, the real figure can only be higher. It also said 20% of high school teenagers attempted suicide. “Mental health education is crucial and factors contributing to teenagers ending their lives need to be looked at. We must all assist those who might be going through the same problem,” said the organisation. Factors identified as contributing to suicides among young people include depression,…

Mwangi Githahu mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za THE provisional liquidators of Cash Paymaster Services (CPS), the company formerly contracted by the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) to pay grants, have lost their bid to change an April 2021 order by the Concourt. The court had ordered that the profits made over the duration of the social grants contract, between April 1, 2012 and September 30, 2018, should be audited and verified afresh. This follows a repeat directive by the apex court last week that the provisional liquidators of CPS must hand over documents to independent auditors to establish what profits were made from the unlawful contract. The Constitutional Court dismissed the application for joinder and variation of the April 2021 order with no order as to costs. The April 2021 order was for the…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za THE Gauteng Health Department has launched its 2022 Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination campaign for girls 9 years and older, in a bid to protect them from developing cervical cancer later in life. Yesterday, the department informed parents, caregivers and legal guardians of schoolgirls in Grade 5 or aged 9 years and above, that the first round of the campaign would run from now to March 31 in all public schools. HPV, spread through skin-to-skin contact, body fluids, and sexual intercourse, is the leading cause of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer develops in the cells of the cervix which connects the uterus to the vaginal canal. It is the top cause of cancer-related death in South African women, according to Affinity Health. “Parents, caregivers and legal guardians who have…

IF PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation address is a guide, the government knows some of what it needs to do – but not how to do it. State of the nation addresses are often invested with abnormal hype from the media, commentators and voices they take seriously. As usual, all of them insisted the speech would tell us whether the nation was doomed or saved. This is, of course, nonsense. The addresses are often a useful guide to some of what the government is thinking. But they don’t tell us everything the government plans for the year because there might be good political reasons for not revealing some decisions now. The fact that no basic income grant was announced does not mean the government has rejected the proposal,…

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told President Vladimir Putin yesterday that there was a “chance” of reaching an agreement on security with the West, in what appeared to be a possible climbdown amid raging tensions over Ukraine. “As head of the foreign ministry, I must say that there is always a chance” to find agreement, Lavrov told Putin during a meeting when asked to comment on ongoing talks with the West. The US has warned that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could be imminent, and their western allies have threatened a crippling package of economic sanctions in response. But speaking to Putin, Lavrov indicated that Moscow was prepared to continue talks with the West. “Is there a chance to reach an agreement with our partners on key issues or is…

Herman Gibbs herman.gibbs@africannewsagency.com After their shocking Nedbank Cup defeat at the weekend, Kaizer Chiefs will be desperate to return to winning ways today (7.30pm kick-off) when they host Cape Town City in a Premiership clash. Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter and the players came in for scathing attacks on social media after TS Galaxy, who are rock-bottom of the Premiership standings, ran out 1-0 winners in their last 32 clash at FNB Stadium. It was heart-breaking for the Amakhosi faithful, and they vented their anger long after the final whistle. Chiefs midfielder Keagan Dolly, who missed arguably the team’s best scoring chance in the match, said there was no point in dwelling on the team’s poor performance. He said that today’s match in Cape Town will give the team a chance…