Innholdsfortegnelse for 2022-12-06 i Star

IN AN effort to drive transformation in the diamond sector, the De Beers Group yesterday announced that Molefi Letsiki Diamonds (MLD) would become its first majority black-owned sightholder, effective from January 1, 2023. A sightholder is a company on the De Beers Global sightholder sales list of authorised bulk purchasers of rough diamonds. De Beers Group sells its rough diamonds through two channels: global sightholder sales, and auctions. The diamond miner said Molefi Letsiki was an alumnus of the De Beers Enterprise Development Project for diamondbBeneficiators launched in 2016 to facilitate growth and transformation of diamond beneficiation in South Africa. According to the world’s biggest diamond producer by volume, Letsiki formed part of the first cohort of the Diamond Beneficiators Project and was a second-generation diamantaire, whose father worked…

THE more things change, the more they stay the same. For investors, with 2020 still fresh in their minds, this year has been yet another case in point. With so much having changed this year, it is easy to believe we’ve entered a new paradigm. But although much has changed, the future is no less certain than it was a year, or two, or even ten years ago. Investing today is equally challenging, because we’re still looking to make portfolio decisions in highly uncertain times. We still need to carefully review the opportunity set, try to put emotions aside and take calculated risks. The reward then lies in waiting to see whether we realise a return better than risk-free. This sounds simple, but it is far from easy. For most…

Da Capo is considered one of South Africa’s legendary house DJs, having built himself a solid career that gained local and international recognition. Born Nicodimas Sekheta Mogashoa, in Seshego Limpopo, his music career kicked off when he signed his first recording deal with DNH Records. Since then he has become a strong presence in the Afrohouse music industry. In 2020, he released his first project as an independent artist under his label Genesis Entity. The Genesys EP included the hit single Yehla Moya featuring pianist Nduduzo Makhathini. The music producer is now back with a new offering. Da Capo has teamed up with Jethro Tait for a nostalgic single called Better. The release comes after the producer’s worldwide tour this year. He visited New York, Ibiza, Paris, Monaco and Mykonos,…

An energy breakthrough was felt yesterday in Mozambique after South African power and energy company DNG Energy was announced as Mozambique’s biggest supplier of LNG gas. A country hit by power shortages and a limited scope of internal power generation, Mozambique has adopted a “coal and diesel to LNG model”. The project started when CEO Aldworth Mbalati tested the feasibility of using LNG as an alternative to diesel, offering a proof of concept for a cleaner and more affordable option for transport, industrial power generation, and mining. South Africa’s first LNG shipment landed last year from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, making Mozambique the next historic move. In recent months, DNG Energy made headlines when it took the Department of Minerals and Energy’s Minister Gwede Mantashe and director-general Thabo Moloi to court…

TELEVISION news channel eNCA has been questioned about its failure to post an interview with Independent Media executive chairman Dr Iqbal Survé on its Power to Truth programme, presented by Professor Onkgopotse JJ Tabane a week ago. The channel failed to respond to questions sent to marketing boss Vimla Frank on why, a week after the interview with Survé, it was not posted on the eNCA website, despite other episodes going online immediately after they were aired. The failure to post the episode has raised questions about editorial censorship and bias at the station, fuelling suspicions of political interference that affects media freedom. Sources inside the broadcaster said the decision not to post the interview was believed to have come from eNCA bosses allegedly close to President Cyril Ramaphosa and…

AS THE matric examinations have come to an end, I would like to convey my sincere appreciation to all who have contributed to the Class of 2022. The Department of Basic Education says the Class of 2022 has been the most affected by learning disruptions to the schooling programme due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Their teachers need special praise, recognition and a big thank you for their efforts. To the learners, it is only through the grace of the Almighty, the efforts of your teachers, admin staff, parents, family and well-wishers that you have reached this milestone. Life after matric is the beginning of a long journey ahead. As you continue to thrive and succeed, keep up the universal values of human rights and social justice. Embrace learning and attempt…

When Media 24 first hinted at President Cyril Ramaphosa quitting, it was clear that he had spoken. This is the stuff by which scoops are madde of: be the first, and getting it right. But has the source of getting things right from the beginning, the president, always been there and accessible to answer for himself? Cyril Ramaphosa became ANC president on December 17, 2018, and was elected fifth president of South Africa on February 18, 2018. Covid-19 broke out in China October 2019. In response South Africa declared a National state of disaster on March 26, 2020. Periodic updates that came into play occurred within lockdown rules which practically allowed for the president to deliver his addresses, later known as family meetings, and endmedia conferences without questions. This being…

SEOUL: North Korea said it fired more than 130 artillery shells into the sea off its east and west coasts yesterday after detecting military drills across the border in the South. Some shells landed in a buffer zone near the sea border in what Seoul said was a violation of a 2018 inter-Korean agreement to reduce tensions. North Korea’s military conducted its firing after detecting dozens of “projectiles” fired in the South near the shared border, said North Korea. South Korea and the US were conducting a joint land-based firing drill yesterday. The allies have stepped up joint military exercises this year “to deter the nuclear-armed North”. | Reuters…

Speculation regarding the future of Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and his outburst following his substitution against South Korea were in sharp focus on Monday ahead of their World Cup last 16 game against Switzerland. The forward, who left Manchester United by mutual consent last month following a controversial interview, was linked with a potential move to Saudi Arabia, although Portugal coach Fernando Santos said he knew nothing about it. “I have not spoken to him about this,” Santos said ahead of today’s game against the Swiss. “I don’t know about this. It is his decision. I did not even know about this and I heard about this when I arrived here.” Ronaldo’s future remains unclear with several clubs around the world reportedly interested in signing him on. “We are focused on…

“IT FELT I was not human or good enough.” These were the words of Thabiso Danca, 25,whose night out turned into a nightmare when he was allegedly barred from entering Hank’s Olde Irish pub as a black person without a white escort. Danca went to the pub in Bree Street last Thursday when he allegedly became the victim of racism. “My friend, who is white, went inside first. When I tried to enter, a bouncer said I cannot go inside if I’m not accompanied by a white person. “This came as a shock to me. He explained people of colour steal and are troublesome. I questioned the bouncer if this was his personal opinion or if it was what he was instructed to do.” When his friend returned and…

Thirty or 40 years ago, South Africa was described as the “Polecat of the World”. That changed when we entered the democratic era. When Mandela was president, he was lauded internationally. Most South Africans had every reason to be proud of our president and country. Apart from president Kgalema Motlanthe, who served only for a few months (without putting a foot wrong), we have had a succession of presidents who had to resign before the end of their term. The latest in the line, President Cyril Ramaphosa, looks pretty vulnerable, although I think the court will set aside the Section 89 finding in that the panel misdirected itself. President Thabo Mbeki was a gentleman. He was not corrupt but under him, ANC politicians licked their lips and squeezed…

We have all been duped. President Cyril Ramaphosa is a con artist par excellence. Suave and articulate, he hoodwinked us all. Personally, I feel ashamed that I believed in him, that he would lead us out of the quagmire into which state capture had plunged the nation. But this shrewd billionaire president, who was earning a fat salary with all the perks of his high office, had other plans. He wanted more. Rather than fulfilling his oath of office and putting the interests of the nation first, he has been putting the interests of his own pocket first, stashing away millions of illicit dollars on his Phala Phala farm. As the weekend papers reported, no one knows for sure how much money he got as donations from Saudi…

Cyber security companies have warned South Africans to remain vigilant online when hunting for the best Black Friday deals, now extended into the festive season. Many have been doing last-minute shopping as the festive season is in full swing, but so too are criminals. A study using aggregated data from Surfshark Antivirus showed a notable rise of 16.94% in cyber threats in South Africa a week leading up to Black Friday last month. The research showed South Africa had a threat rate of 13 threats per 100 scan cycles, especially during the month leading up to Black Friday, with the most common threats being riskware and viruses. “People searching for gifts and deals online are more likely to click on suspicious links, download malicious files, and infect their devices,” said…

SOUTH Africa’s largest asset manager, the Public Investment Corporation (PIC), has invested over R1.6 trillion on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). In 2022, nearly 30 years after democracy opened the country to business, less than 1% of this magnificent sum (it’s a lot of zeroes), has been invested in black-owned companies. It’s not because there are not enough black-owned or managed organisations out there though, to my mind, it’s because the more things change, the more they stay the same. The outcry over the PIC’s investment into Patrice Motsepe’s African Rainbow Capital (ARC) and Ayo Technology Solutions (AYO) is a case in point. Especially that of AYO, of whom reams of articles have been written, in what appears to be a deliberate attempt by the “establishment” media to undermine the…

A Group of Seven (G7) price cap on Russian seaborne oil came into force yesterday as the West tries to limit Moscow’s ability to finance its war in Ukraine, though Russia has said it will not abide by the measure even if it has to cut production. The G7 nations and Australia on Friday agreed price cap of $60 (R1 040) per barrel on Russian seaborne crude oil after EU members overcame resistance from Poland, which wanted it even lower. Russia is the world’s second- largest oil exporter. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak called it a gross interference that contradicted the rules of free trade and would further destabilise the market. “We will sell oil and petroleum products only to those countries that will work with us under market…

London: The UK government said the British Museum was legally forbidden from breaking up its vast collection after a report said it might give the Parthenon Marbles back to Greece. The sculptures were taken from the Parthenon temple in the early 19th century by British diplomat Thomas Bruce, the earl of Elgin. Secret talks about their “possible return” have been taking place between museum chairperson George Osborne, a former UK finance minister, and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Britain insists the marbles were legally taken by Lord Elgin. | AFP…

Morocco coach Walid Regragui has urged his team to believe they can defeat powerhouse Spain as they attempt to reach a first World Cup quarter-final. The north African side are in the last 16 for only the second time after advancing as winners of Group F ahead of 2018 runners-up Croatia, having defeated Belgium and Canada in Qatar. “It will be a very testing game for us. We’re coming up against one of the best footballing nations in the world. I think they’re one of the favourites to reach the final,” Regragui said yesterday. “That said, we’ve also got things up our sleeve. We’ve had one extra rest day compared to them and we’re going to try and pull a surprise out of the bag. “If we’re able to send…

Now that the dust has settled on the November international season, we can take a considered look at the rugby landscape ahead of next year’s World Cup and, for my money, the Springboks have made more progress up rugby’s Everest than their rivals. Before a ball was kicked on the first weekend in November, Ireland and France were rated the best contenders for the Webb Ellis Cup, with New Zealand not far off them; England were breathing down the necks of the Kiwis and the Springboks, and the Wallabies were not doing well at the bookies. Four weekends of international rugby later, it looks a little different. Ireland and France are still right up there but they no longer look unbeatable. There has been so much hype about both sides,…

DJ Zinhle is known for having zero tolerance for trolls on Twitter. Over the years, she’s constantly hit back at them, making it clear that she won’t let people say whatever they want about her. Lately, though, the 38-year-old DJ and businesswoman has been relatively low key. In an interview this week, the Umilo hitmaker shared how she navigated the scrutiny she faced on social media. “I think the best thing that’s helped me is just removing myself and also just praying,” she said. “I’m in a space where my biggest thing is no disruptions. “I am at a point of creation in my life with the business we do, with the music, with my kids and with my husband. I feel anything that moves my emotions, especially in a…

If PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa were to resign or be impeached, this is the scenario that would play out: Zweli Mkhize would become president of the ANC and the country. As a member of Zuma’s radical economic transformation (RET) faction, he would nationalise the South African Reserve Bank, implement land reform without compensation and the rand would tank to levels never seen before. South Africa would become lawless and State Capture II would begin. We would be on the brink of a civil war. We would have to get help from the US and UK, as our country would go up in smoke. Hopefully Ramaphosa won’t be removed.…

The political frenzy that has engulfed SA, as a result of Ramaphosa’s inability to come “clean” is not a patch on the tsunami about to befall this country. Hunger is about to become the reality that will make or break political parties, in the immediate future. Spiralling food prices and continuing levels of high unemployment, are creating levels of high anxiety among large swathes of the population with little or no relief in sight. Instead, the media have focused on the shenanigans of a fallen politician who should have known better. It is shameful to observe a man who has been placed on a political pedestal, being made, by the media, into some kind of martyr. it is therefore essential that early elections are called, so that a new and…

RENOWNED music artist Refiloe Phoolo, fondly known as Cassper Nyovest, has expressed gratitude to all who supported him in bringing to life his highly anticipated Fill Up concert at Mmabatho Stadium in his hometown. Scores of fans made their way to the stadium, where they anticipated seeing the likes of Nasty C, Anatii, Musa Keys, Makhadzi, OkMalumkoolkat, and Kwesta, among others, take to the stage to deliver stellar performances. The Bridge Entertainment event was hosted by social media sensations Carpo, Primo, and Pamela Mtanga and TV star Somizi, who introduced the main act. The concert, hugely supported, saw throngs of people celebrating music and, more importantly, their very own star. “The show had its challenges, and we are grateful to the supporters for their devotion and love. We are committed…

A CORRUPTION saga of mammoth proportions involving President Cyril Ramaphosa unfolded in front of our eyes. Yet his apologists, including some sections of the media, downplay the enormity of this scandal. Independent Media’s journalists have been the only ones brave enough to let the South African public know the true extent of it. We did it with Ramaphosa’s CR17 campaign. We did it with the PPE scandal where the tentacles of corruption reached the highest office of the land. This time we’re doing it with Phala Phala. For our troubles, we are attacked, ridiculed and subjected to a vicious disinformation campaign. One academic determined to bring us down went so far as to urge advertisers to stop doing business with us, which is an attack on media freedom. Since the…

JAKARTA: Thousands of residents in Indonesia’s East Java were on high alert yesterday after a violent eruption at the island’s tallest volcano prompted authorities to impose an 8km no-go zone and forced evacuations of entire villages. Search and rescue teams went to the worst-affected areas near Mount Semeru to assess damage, with low rainfall giving some reprieve. No casualties had been reported. The 3 676m volcano erupted on Sunday. Footage showed Mt Semeru spewing a giant cloud of grey ash high above its crater, which later engulfed the mountain and surroundings. People fled on motorcycles, with 2 500 forced to evacuate, authorities said. | Reuters…

Washington: A massive power outage in the US state of North Carolina is being investigated as a “criminal occurrence”. Several communities of Moore County began experiencing power outages on Saturday, the Sheriff’s Office said. The office noted that evidence indicated intentional vandalism at multiple sites. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said that he had “spoken with Duke Energy and state law-enforcement officials about the power outages in Moore County”. More than 38 000 customers were off power in Moore County on Sunday, according to the Duke Energy outage map. | IANS…

Croatia reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup yesterday with a dramatic 3-1 penalty shoot-out win over Japan after a tense last-16 clash ended 1-1. Mario Pasalic struck the winning penalty to send Croatia through after Ivan Perisic had pulled Croatia level in the 55th minute of normal time following Daizen Maeda’s opener for Japan just before the break. Croatia now face either Brazil or South Korea (who played late last night) in the last eight and continued midfield icon Luka Modric’s stay at his fourth and likely final World Cup. Japan’s bid to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in their history came to a crushing end after another display of the sort which saw off Spain and Germany on their way to topping Group E. However, they…

South African rugby will take its first tentative steps into European club rugby championship competition this weekend – a move that could possibly change the landscape of the game in the country. While The Bulls, Sharks and Stormers duke it out against their English, French and Irish counterparts in the top tier Heineken Cup due to finishing the United Rugby Championship (URC) 2021/22 season in the Top 8, the Emirates Lions – along with the invited Free State Cheetahs – will slog it out in the Challenge Cup. After a good run of victories this past fortnight, the Joburgers will be looking to do the double over the Dragons, who they recently beat at the end of last month in the URC, in their debut in the second tier European…