Innholdsfortegnelse for 2022-05-11 i Star

COAL MINES requiring finance for capital projects face a “hostile environment” from banks and even multilateral development finance institutions because of the environmental constraints these organisations have begun to impose on the financing of fossil fuels. This was according to Nikisi Lesufi, Minerals Council SA senior executive: environment, health and legacies, who said at the Mining Indaba in Cape Town yesterday that the council was trying to engage with the banking sector on this issue – the council has members that view climate change as an existential crisis while its other members see it as an opportunity. He said that while the banks might not wish to finance new coal mining projects, the council was trying to get banks to consider financing projects at coal mines that would aid the…

JSE-LISTED Grand Parade Investments (GPI) has announced its complete exit from the food businesses. GPI said yesterday that it was unbundling its 9.28 percent interest in Spur Corporation, unbundling its Burger King South Africa (BKSA) accounts and placing Mac Brothers under voluntary liquidation. The unbundling of Spur consists of the distribution of GPI’s more than 8.4 million Spur shares valued at about R174 million at a current price of R20.65, equivalent to 37 cents per GPI share. Shareholders will receive one Spur share for every 63 GPI shares, subject to the fulfilment of the condition precedent. GPI chief executive Mohsin Taj- bhai said the unbundling of the Spur shares was aligned with the group’s strategy to unlock value by reducing the discount at which…

E.tv’s medical drama series Durban Gen has been cancelled following a channel review. Produced by multi-award-winning production house, Stained Glass TV, Durban Gen will air its last episode at the end of January 2023. This was the channel’s first medical drama set in KwaZulu-Natal. In a press statement, the channel said: “Hospital drama Durban Gen will be coming to an end in January 2023. “The decision to decommission the daily drama is part of a business strategy which includes the on-going review of the on-air life-cycle of all our shows. “E.tv continues to look forward to fulfilling its mandate of producing exceptional and relevant local content, and the production has successfully achieved its part of the obligation throughout the past 2 years.” The modern-day story weathered highs and lows since…

The ANC in Joburg has confirmed that its treasurer-general Mpho Moerane was in a critical condition in a Joburg hospital following a car crash on Sunday night. Moerane’s accident comes as the ANC in the region prepares for its elective conference this weekend. Moerane was expected to contest for the position of party leader opposing Dada Morero for the same position. Morero is the region’s current secretary-general. “Cde Mpho Moerane is in a critical but stable condition, receiving medical attention in hospital,” the party said. No more details have been provided, but The Star understands that with Moerane in a critical condition, those close to him were in an emotional state. City of Joburg Speaker Vasco da Gama said he was shocked to hear about the accident. “The speaker…

Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi has announced online admissions for Grade one and Grade eight for the 2023 academic year will be open from July 22 until August 19. The Department of Education said the system has now been enhanced to follow a single application process, allowing applicants to apply at the same time. “All pupils that are five years old, turning six years old by June 30, 2023, and are currently enrolled in Grade R in a school or Early Childhood Development (ECD) centre, as well as pupils that are not in any type of school, must apply for admission at a minimum of three and a maximum of five school,” said Lesufi. Parents and guardians have to submit certified copies of the following documents within seven days of…

Scores of ANC delegates from various branches across the Eastern Cape kicked off the party’s elective conference on Friday. The gathering was not about finding solutions to the provinces corruption and unemployment but rather, factional battles. The ANC lacks a sense of urgency. You look at previous conferences that have taken place. It’s never really about what the party ought to deal with. I ask myself: Are these conferences really dealing with the problems that people are having on the ground or are they all about leadership contests? It is sad the elective conference of the ANC is hardly at all about the party coming up with pragmatic solutions and putting heads together. It’s about leadership contests. It’s just politics devoid of substance. It’s all a commotion that there was…

Tyler Bocks might not yet be a household name among everyday rugby enthusiasts but that won’t matter to the 21-year-old. After all, he has time on his side. The young Lions player made his senior debut as a professional earlier this year against Western Province in the Currie Cup, and has since played five more games for the team in that tournament, racking up 225 minutes of game time. The days as a senior rugby player are young then, and the road long. Nevertheless, there should be a measure of excitement around the former Junior Springbok as he begins his rugby career in earnest. “There is lots to learn,” said Bocks in an interview with Independent Media. “We talk about the perfect player and we try to be that perfect…

Proteas Men’s coach Mark Boucher can finally begin planning for the tours to India, England and the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia without a sword hanging over his neck. Boucher has been under severe strain since being appointed national team coach in December 2019. It reached boiling point, though, over the past 12 months after Cricket South Africa charged Boucher with “gross misconduct” earlier this year. But with his disciplinary hearing set for next week, Cricket SA made a spectacular U-turn yesterday when they “formally and unreservedly” dropped all the charges against the former wicket-keeper, which allows him to continue in his current role. Boucher was certainly tentative about his immediate future after the Test series win against Bangladesh last month – which catapulted the Proteas to second on…

Rafa Nadal’s after more than a month out due to injury saw him lose to teenager Carlos Alcaraz in the Madrid quarter-finals, but the 21-time Grand Slam champion always knew it would take some time for his “old machine” to fire up. The Spaniard, sidelined by a rib injury at Indian Wells in March, hopes to build momentum in Rome before launching his campaign for a 14th French Open crown. The 35-year-old Australian Open champion has had a string of injuries during a career spanning more than two decades, and he said he needed time to get his body up to speed. “When you’re six weeks without touching a racquet and having the chance to move your body… my body is like an old machine. To put this machine on…

Pep Guardiola said yesterday he could not comment on Manchester City’s move for Erling Haaland until “it’s completely done”, all but confirming that a deal for the forward is imminent. There were reports on Monday that the Norway international had already undergone a medical after agreeing personal terms with the Premier League champions. The club have not officially commented, but manager Guardiola gave a clue that the 21-year-old is on his way to the Etihad when speaking at a press conference on the eve of his side’s match against Wolverhampton Wanderers. “Everybody knows the situation,” said Guardiola. “I shouldn’t talk, because I don’t like to talk about the future or next season. “Borussia Dortmund and Man City told me I’m not allowed to say anything until it’s completely done.” It…

MINING groups have indicated that they would increase investment and capital expenditure by 84 percent, including current commitments, within five years if the government resolved the structural regulatory impediments that are affecting the industry, President Cyril Ramaphosa said yesterday. He said at the Mining Indaba in Cape Town yesterday that the government was committed to mobilising the resources and incentives for a “new wave of exploration” in South Africa that would, in particular, seek minerals that are essential for the global energy transition such as copper, nickel, cobalt and platinum. He said the country was keen to take the lead and become a global hub and exporter of green hydrogen, green ammonia, jet fuel and in green iron and steel production. Ramaphosa said the mining industry, which employs more…

KAAP AAGRI, the agricultural goods and fuel retailer, yesterday said that the agricultural sector might endure more challenging conditions ahead with the outlook not only dependent on general weather conditions, but also rapidly rising input costs, particularly fertiliser. Despite this, in its results for the six months ended March 31, 2020, released yesterday, the JSE-listed company declared an interim dividend of 46 cents per share, a 15 percent increase and a solid set of results. Earnings per share increased by 22 percent to 366.56c per share, from 300.39c per share from the prior corres- ponding period. Headline earnings per share increased by 13.9 percent to 341.61c per share, while recurring headline earnings per share increased by 15 percent to 351.11c per share. The market welcomed…

THE ANC is yet to comment on the recent allegations levelled against some of its current and former leaders, who are alleged to have played key roles in the formation of the Congress of the People (Cope). These allegations about Trevor Manuel, Tito Mboweni, current Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana and former president Thabo Mbeki are not new, and were recently laid bare by former Cope communications director and media personality, Dr JJ Tabane. This week, The Star also revealed that concerned ANC NEC member and Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu wants President Cyril Ramaphosa to “seriously” look into this particular matter. Yesterday, former deputy president of Cope Mbhazima Shilowa addressed social media users after journalist Lukhona Mnguni raised the issue again. Shilowa said the “revelations” by Tabane were nothing but…

South Africa is the most dangerous country to drive in, a new study on The World’s Safest Roads by Zutobi has revealed. Each country was analysed based on five factors and given a normalised score out of 10 for each factor, with the average score being calculated across all five factors. The factors include the number of alcohol-related road traffic deaths, estimated road traffic death rate, rate of wearing a seat belt, maximum motorway speed limit and the blood alcohol concentration limit for drivers. SA was revealed as the most dangerous country to drive in based on the combination of factors. “The most dangerous country to drive in is South Africa, which has by far the lowest safety driving score of just 3.41/10. There are an estimated 22.2 road traffic…

THE Donkey Sanctuary has released a new report uncovering the vast online illegal trading network sending millions of donkeys to their deaths. The report details how organised criminals exploit online channels and platforms to facilitate inhumane donkey skin trade alongside illegal wildlife smuggling that more than 4.8 million donkeys annually suffer inhumane treatment and slaughter. Thousands of dealers operate online every day with endangered products like rhino horns trafficked alongside donkey skins. “The donkeys suffer at every point of this process, from source to slaughter, due to the brutal and inhumane conditions that are a hallmark of this industry. Even the most vulnerable donkeys, including pregnant mares, young foals, and the sick and injured are taken and traded without consideration for their welfare or their pain. The Donkey Sanctuary’s report…

This week, the highly anticipated inaugural Soweto Investment Conference, set for the Nasrec Expo Centre from tomorrow to Saturday will host various leaders in government, public and private investors, business stakeholders and the public as part of promoting and encouraging the revival of the township economy following widespread looting and the Covid-19 pandemic. Under the theme, Exploring Investment Opportunities in Soweto, City of Johannesburg MMC for economic development, Nkululeko Mbundu, will deliver this year’s keynote address tomorrow with a series of tours and exhibitions and a golf day planned for the last day of the conference. The conference comes a week after Gauteng Premier David Makhura signed the Township Economic Development Bill which was recently passed into law. It is believed that the new law will help South African entrepreneurs…

ACTRESS, dancer and puppeteer Chantal Stanfield returns with the sequel From Koe’siestes to Kneidlach – With Kids!, currently on at the Theatre on The Square, Sandton until May 21. Stanfield says she’s waited two years to tell this hilarious yet true story of what happens when a girl from the Cape Flats falls in love with a Jewish boy from Joburg’s East Rand. Directed by Megan Choritz, the production highlights cross-cultural, religious and racial issues, with love at the centre. The show picks up a few years after the mixed-race, happy couple gets married and rides off into the Shabbat sunset. Now there’s a “beige” baby on the way with a myriad cultural, religious and familial issues to manoeuvre in a very comical way. “The two food items in the…

Presently, the school subject History is offered in the Intermediate ; Senior (InterSen) phase and Further Education and Training (FET) phase. In the InterSen phaseit is a compulsory subject, but amalgamated with Geography under Social Sciences, whereas in the latter phase, it is an optional subject. In 2014, the SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu), an ally of the ruling ANC, tabled a proposal that the school History curriculum also be a compulsory subject in the FET phase. It was prompted by the storm wave of xenophobic attacks in 2008 throughout South Africa. Sadtu also also argued the History curriculum should not glorify the people who colonised South Africa. Instead, it lobbied for a compulsory History curriculum focusing on telling “real South African History”. Making the school History compulsory was…

Orlando Pirates co-coach Mandla Ncikazi has made various headline-making comments in recent weeks. His recent utterances about Mamelodi Sundowns’ stronghold on the transfer market received backlash from Pirates fans. The former Golden Arrows mentor suggested that Sundowns have access to a group of players inaccessible to the rest of the teams in the Premiership, and that their financial prowess affords them a clear advantage. “I think the financial fair play rules have to come into effect, and we must cap their finances,” he said. “Some teams are playing with development players, getting young players. Most developments were closed, Safa (the SA Football Association) was closed … but Sundowns buys at Woolworths, and we buy at Pick n Pay and Spar.” However, the comments haven’t been received too kindly by the…

The pressure of being competitive in two concurrent competitions is being felt by the Bulls, but for lock Janko Swanepoel, playing two matches a week at times provides him with an ideal opportunity to grow his game. The 22-year-old second-rower, who attended Stellenberg High School near Cape Town and joined the Bulls straight after school, has had to adjust his sights since graduating through the junior ranks at Loftus Versfeld. He arrived in Pretoria as a No 5 primarily, but the lanky Swanepoel – who is 2m tall and weighs about 107kg – has rolled up his sleeves to play in the enforcer No 4 role as well over the last few years. “I began as a five lock in the junior ranks, but when Jake gave me an opportunity…

THE DEPARTMENT of Public Enterprises has confirmed that the government will be responsible for the SAA historic debt of R8.4 billion, in spite of disposing of the majority of the State’s shareholding in the troubled carrier to a private strategic equity partner (SEP). Tempers flared yesterday in Parliament as Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan briefed the Standing Committee on Public Accounts on the sale of a 51 percent stake in SAA to Takatso Consortium. In June, the government entered into a sale and purchase agreement with Takatso Consortium, formed by Harith General Partners and Global Aviation. Takatso is set to provide R3bn in funding and aviation management expertise for the new airline in return for a 51 percent stake in SAA. Gordhan said that SAA’s debt remained…

OCTODEC Investments experienced an increase in residential leasing activity with reduced vacancies in the residential portfolio during February and March 2022, it said in its interim results, saying it had been a “tough six months”. The JSE-listed real estate investment trust, which released its interim results for the six months ended February 28, 2022, yesterday said that although there had been a continued downward resetting of rentals across the sectors, it was pleasing to see that, from its perspective, several renewals were being concluded at increased rentals. “We continue to experience demand from large retailers for space in the Johannesburg and Tshwane CBDs,” Octodec said. While Octodec’s office sector, predominantly occupied by parastatals and small, medium and micro-sized enterprises was stable, the company said it did not expect growth from…

In a recent viral video, Lady Du’s father DJ Choc did not hesitate to hurl insults at the amapiano vocalist. She believes that his outrage was due to what he had heard about a social media post where she allegedly said she “grew up poor”. In the video he says: “I don’t know what Lady Du is talking about when she says she grew up poor. I worked hard and did everything for her in the world. She then went and h*** around and ate money with all these men and she continues to spend money on these men. “What is she doing now? She did not grow up poor, she had everything she needed. She is who she is because of me. Today you see me as a piece…

Four men’s dreams to be enlisted in the SANDF as air force cadets were dashed after they were kicked out of the training programme when cannabis was detected in their blood. The four launched an urgent application in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria to overturn the SANDF’s refusal to admit them to the training programme. They said they were called on short notice to report to the air force base, before each of them had consumed some cannabis at home. While some said it was done for recreational purposes, others said they had consumed the cannabis for medical reasons. But, they told the court, it did not matter, as this was done within the law, at their private homes. They applied in June last year to the SAAF…

SECTIONS of the legislation that allow involuntary detention of mental health patients, as happened in the Life Esidimeni matter, have been declared unconstitutional. The Makana People Centre, a civil rights organisation, took the health minister and provincial health MECs to the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, over sections of the Mental Health Act. It argued sections 33 and 34 of the act were unconstitutional because they did not provide for automatic independent review before or immediately after the involuntary detention of a mental health patient. The sections violated the right to dignity, because they meant a mental health patient could be detained without necessary investigation. Makana cited the Life Esidimeni saga as a result of the challenged sections. Over 140 mental health patients died in 2016 after the Gauteng government…

Organisers of the Arise Benefit Concert set for Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban, on June 18 have set themselves a target of raising R10 million in ticket sales and pledges. The concert is a relief response aimed at raising funds for victims of the recent floods in Durban. The concert comes after the devastating floods that resulted in 435 people losing their lives, 54 reported missing, 55 injured, 6 278 left homeless, 17 438 households destroyed, with a further 121 687 people affected and 7 490 people living in shelters. Many surviving families are yet to locate family members who died during the devastation that has since been declared a national state of disaster by President Cyril Ramaphosa. The effects of the floods on April 11 and 12, when parts of…

In January, when they confirmed that they were charging Mark Boucher with “gross misconduct”, Cricket South Africa said there had been an “irretrievable breakdown in the trust relationship” between the organisation and the man employed to coach their most important asset – the Proteas men’s team. That trust will probably never be properly rebuilt. Boucher, as he said in his statement yesterday, suffered “considerable hurt and anguish”. It is understandable that he would. He was charged with “gross misconduct,” and CSA wanted him dismissed. He became the face of racism in South African cricket, which was incredibly unfair, because as Paul Adams stated at the Social Justice and Nation-Building hearings, Boucher wasn’t the only one to call him “brown sh**” in that team song. There were other, more senior players…

Formula One just can’t get enough of America, and on Sunday, the sport lapped up the celebrity-infused attention at the inaugural Miami Grand Prix, basking in finally having ‘cracked’ the US market. When it comes to letting America’s most famous racing family, the Andrettis, in on the action, however, the enthusiasm markedly wanes, with the sport’s cold commercial calculations coming to the fore. With Las Vegas next year set to become the third US race after Austin and Miami, and fan and sponsor interest at an all-time high thanks to Netflix’s ‘Drive to Survive’ series, there was a heady air of celebration at the Miami Gardens track last weekend. “Mega. I think it is a fantastic achievement by all involved,” said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff. “Formula One is all…