Innholdsfortegnelse for 2023-11-24 i Star

TODAY South African consumers are expected to be on the lookout for good-value deals on Black Friday amid a cost-of-living crisis. Data from the Bureau of Market Research (BMR) shows that R7 billion more is likely to be spent on goods during this period compared to last year. Research by the BMR on behalf of retailer finance provider Capital Connect found that Black Friday spending was expected to increase from R19bn last year to R26.6bn this year and create approximately 150 000 seasonal or temporary jobs. Anton Hugo, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) South Africa retail and consumer industry head, said the net impact of Black Friday/Cyber Monday on retail income was challenging to calculate accurately, because of some shift in holiday spending from December to November. “Nonetheless, South African re-…

THE SOUTH African Breweries (SAB) confirmed yesterday that its R5.8 billion investment commitment had been used to increase capacity at two of its plants. The investment was for civil works and new equipment to allow for increased local production for new product innovations. SAB announced this investment at the South African Investment Conference 2023 earlier in the year. Two of SAB’s plants were identified for these capacity upgrades, Prospecton Brewery in Durban and Ibhayi Brewery in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape. Richard Rivett-Carnac, the CEO of SAB, said in a statement: “We are dedicated to sustainable investments and economic growth. Our investments over time have contributed billions of rands to the South African gross domestic product (GDP), which, alongside the investment commitments pledged at the 2023 South African Investment…

THE CURRENT $800 billion (R15 trillion) invested annually in the global oil and gas sector could be halved by 2030 if a goal to limit global warming to 1.5ºC was to be reached, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a report yesterday. The report added that no new long-lead-time oil and gas sector projects would be needed if that goal were to be reached, and some current projects would need to be shuttered. The highest emitters in the global oil and gas industry have “vast potential for improvements”, the IEA said, as they face choices amid a climate crisis fuelled in large part by their products. The industry would need to reduce emissions by 60% by 2030 in order for the industry to align with climate goals to…

South Africa’s dual retirement savings structure presents a growing challenge for women during maternity leave, as they often find their contributions to the employer-backed retirement fund dwindling or pausing entirely, negatively affecting their ability to save for retirement. The consequences of inadequate retirement savings for women can be severe. Insufficient funds may necessitate reliance on state pensions as the primary source of retirement income, which might not be adequate to maintain a comfortable lifestyle. Consequently, many women face financial uncertainty and an elevated risk of experiencing economic challenges in their later years. The situation only amplifies an already gender-skewed working world. According to the Statistics South Africa Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the third quarter of 2023, South Africa’s labour force participation rate increased to 60.2% in the third quarter…

MR PRICE Group’s interim results show just what a good acquisition can do to the top line during tough times, but it wasn’t enough to lift the value fashion retailer’s earnings. In the 26 weeks to September 30 revenue grew 26.4% to R16.8 billion, a performance that included the recently acquired Studio 88 Group (S88). Excluding the acquisition, revenue grew only 3.5% to R13.7bn, a figure that is below average inflation. Diluted headline earnings a share decreased 9.6% to 439.5 cents, compared with growth in the previous period of 10.8%. An interim dividend of 283.5c was declared, 9.3% lower than at the same time last year, but maintaining the 63% pay-out ratio. Store sales increased 28.8% (excluding S88: 4.1%). Online sales decreased 3.2% (excluding S88: -5.7%), against…

Media personality Somizi Mhlongo is living his best life and is serving his Instagram followers boo’ed up content. It’s been a while since Mhlongo split from his former partner, Mohale Motaung, talk of their divorce debacle has died down and both parties are mingling. Mhlongo is never one to shy away from showing the world when he is in love or in a good space, and it seems now that he is comfortable with his new romance, he is showing it off. The Metro FM radio host’s Instagram feed is filled with pictures and videos of him with his romantic interest living their best lives, wearing matching Gucci caps. In the posts, the mystery man’s face cannot be seen as he is looking down, the beak of the cap…

One of the five men accused of killing soccer star Senzo Meyiwa refused medical treatment even after making claims that he was assaulted by police. This was revealed by Sergeant Bathobakae Mogola when testifying in a trial-within-a-trial in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, yesterday. Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya and accused number two, Bongani Ntanzi, claim that they were assaulted, tortured and electrocuted by police officers to confess to Meyiwa’s murder. The trial-within-a-trial is being heard to determine whether the confessions made by the two accused were made under duress or willingly. According to Mogola, in July 2020, a month after Sibiya’s arrest, she followed up on a complaint that he made regarding officers assaulting him. She said the lead investigator, Brigadier Bongani Gininda, told her to take the accused to a medical…

HAWKS head Godfrey Lebeya says they are hunting for two more suspects implicated in the theft and robbery at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s farm in Phala Phala. This comes after the arrest of three suspects who have appeared in court in Bela Bela, Limpopo. The Hawks nabbed Imanuwela David and Froliana Joseph. Ndilishano David Joseph was arrested later by the unit. Both Froliana and Ndilishano Joseph, who are siblings, were granted bail by the court. Imanuwela David is expected to apply for bail next month. Lebeya, who was briefing the media yesterday, said they were looking for the two other suspects. He said they were still trying to locate the suspects, who were not in the country. The National Prosecuting Authority has said $580 000 was stolen in Phala Phala. “Regarding…

Head of the Hawks Godfrey Lebeya has repeated suggestions by the National Prosecuting Authority that the case against former Eskom CEO Matshela Koko will be re-enrolled in court. Lebeya said the case was not dead in the water after it was struck off the roll. This would allow the NPA to fix some of the outstanding issues. Head of the Investigating Directorate, Andrea Johnson, told the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) that they would meet yesterday to discuss the case. Johnson said they had experienced delays in getting the services of a digital forensic expert and an auditor. But that was not the end of the road for the NPA, as they would get the case back on the court roll after finalising the issues of the specialists.…

The EFF’s commander-in-chief, Julius Sello Malema, an Honours graduate in philosophy (Unisa), has appended his name to a potted history of the Israeli/Zionist-Palestinian conflict. Yes, the brave one who hires a white bodyguard with a machine gun to protect him while he spews his bile against whites generally. Malema, or his researcher, argues that the public deserves “a true and accurate account of the history of Palestine”. Malema is hardly qualified to take on such an arduous task, given the centuries-old, bloody history of conquest and subjugation by various empires in that part of world – from the Assyrian, Babylonian, Greek and Roman in the ancient world to the Persian, the 400 year dynasty of the Ottomans and the British much later. To argue whose land the entity, known as…

AS ANTICIPATION grows for the 16th annual Crown Gospel Awards, award-winning artist Khanya Mthethwa and media personality Rorisang Thandekiso have been announced as hosts. Mthethwa, who has hosted the awards before, brings a plethora of experience to the ceremony. In addition to being an accomplished artist and award-winning performer, he adds excitement to the occasion. On the other hand, singer, TV host and media personality Thandekiso exudes a youthful, lively energy on stage that many people love. With over 120 South African celebrities who have confirmed attendance for the awards, including Winnie Ntshaba and Sophie Ndaba, they are expected to keep the audience engaged and entertained. The much-anticipated gospel awards event, founded by Zanele Mbokazi’s World Gospel Powerhouse, recently announced this year’s nominees at a glitzy affair in Sandton. “As…

This is the second part of a column in which Michael Bagraim delves into the R5 billion scandal involving former Productivity South Africa chairperson and Thuja Capital CEO Mthunzi Mdwaba, who says three Cabinet ministers had insisted on a R500 million “gateway fee”. The contract between the UIF and Mdwaba’s company was, ultimately, cancelled. We can only surmise that some of the money stuck to many hands. People in powerful positions might have secured a lot of the lost funding. Furthermore, the public knows only too well that the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) has been dysfunctional. The greatest debacle of this inadequacy was the way the UIF handled the payments to the non-working public right throughout the Covid-19 period. To this day, there are thousands of claimants who have not…

Daniel Akpeyi has vowed to wear his heart on his sleeve for Moroka Swallows when they host his struggling former employers Kaizer Chiefs in Dobsonville on Sunday. Kick-off is at 3.30pm. Chiefs are known for producing or signing some of the finest goalkeeping talents on the continent, dating back to Eshele Botende, Brian Baloyi, Rowen Fernandez and Itumeleng Khune. That’s why Akpeyi still prides himself on donning the famous gold-and-black jersey of the club, having spent three-and-half seasons there after being signed from Chippa United. But unlike his predecessors and then-teammate Khune, he left Chiefs empty-handed as the club endured a trophy drought that has now dragged on for eight years. The stocky Nigerian has resurfaced at Chiefs’ arch-rivals Swallows, where it’s safe to say he’s maturing like fine…

The Premier League returns with a bang tomorrow as leaders Manchester City host a Liverpool side who have emerged as the biggest threat to their hopes of a record fourth straight title. City, who are a point clear at the top with almost a third of the season played, tussled for the trophy with Arsenal last season, and the Gunners are again firmly in the mix. But Liverpool, who finished in fifth place last season, 22 points behind Pep Guardiola’s team, look much more like the side who went toe-to-toe with City in some epic title races. “I think it’s two of the best teams in the world right now. I think the only thing we have to see it like is as a final, to play our football,” Liverpool…

Former England defender Gary Neville took aim at what he called the “lawless” Premier League in his podcast over Everton’s 10-point deduction last week that shocked English football. On Friday last week, Everton became the first Premier League club to be deducted points for breaching profitability and sustainability rules (PSR), when the league docked the Merseyside club the points over their finances in the 2020-21 season. “Everton’s trust and faith (in the Premier League) has gone completely,” television pundit Neville said on his podcast, Stick to Football. “The greed and selfishness is out of control – it’s lawless. “The Premier League is a defunct organisation because they’ve got 20 clubs all voting with self-interest. This has been coming for many years.” The Premier League was not immediately available to comment.…

When Brok Harris moved from Potchefstroom to Cape Town in 2006, he never thought that he would play more than 100 games for the Stormers and Western Province. Tonight, he will line up for his 400th first-class game when he leads the 2022 champions in their final United Rugby Championship tour match against Cardiff in Wales. Kick-off is at 9.35pm, SA time. Harris – first name Juan – has played in 121 fixtures for Western Province, 135 for the Stormers and 143 for the Dragons of Newport in Wales. So, it’s almost fitting that he will run out for the 400th time in the country where he played a lot of rugby. “I am very privileged. I moved back (to Cape Town) and never thought in my wildest dreams…

SHIPPING conglomerate Maersk has not removed Cape Town as a port of call, but has started a weekly service out of the port through transhipment in a bid to avert the bottlenecks caused by weeks of congestion in South African ports. There are currently 96 vessels waiting at anchorage outside South African commercial ports, costing the economy R98 million a day in direct, sunken costs, at least R26m a day in indirect costs, and impeding at least R7 billion worth of goods from moving every day. Maersk’ media relations manager for Indian Subcontinent, Middle East and Africa, Adhish Alawani, said they had not removed Cape Town from their services. Alawani said South Africa was an extremely important market and a strategic location for their operations, and they were…

In the AGE of rapid ongoing digitisation, traditional employment structures are undergoing a metamorphosis. Mirroring global trends, there has been a noteworthy rise in South Africa’s freelance economy, carrying with it the allure of independence, flexibility and financial possibility. But there are caveats. One of the most profound challenges in navigating the freelance economy lies in financial planning, particularly for retirement. Recent data from the Southern African Freelancers’ Association revealed that two out of three freelancers reported losses between 25% and 100% of their income between 2020 and 2021 – amid challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic and the prevailing digital disruption in the communications sector. But this turbulence isn’t restricted to our borders. Research into the US gig economy – with a formidable freelancer force of 73.3…

KAL GROUP’S revenue increased strongly by 42.7% to R22.40 billion in the year to September 2023, buoyed by the inclusion for a full year of PEG Retail Holdings, as well as market share growth in its retail and fuel businesses. PEG was acquired by KAL’s TFC Operations from July 1, 2022, and only three months of PEG performance was included in KAL’s financial results for the 2022 year. CEO Sean Walsh said the group had continued to perform strongly throughout the year and the revenue growth was off 64.4 million transactions, an increase of 93.4% year-on-year. Excluding PEG, the increase would have been 1.3%. He said in an interview that without PEG, revenue growth would have been 4.5% after building materials sales fell by 10%, and the…

SAA AND DISCOVERY yesterday unveiled the completion of a landmark refurbish- ment of their premium airport lounge. “This newly revitalised space is a corner- stone in realising their joint vision of provid- ing exceptional luxury and convenience for travellers,” Discovery said in a state- ment. Dinesh Govender, CEO of Discovery Vitality said: “The Lounge is more than just an airport lounge; it's a testament to our vision of behavioural-driven design that delights users at every touchpoint.” There are several lounges at OR Tambo, including Bidvest Premier Lounge and Slow Lounge, which offer travellers respite and are often perks for bank cardholders. Discovery Bank Purple, Black, and Platinum cardholders could now join SAA Business class passengers and Star Alliance Gold members in accessing The Lounge. Hylton Kallner, the CEO of Discovery…

WITH December approaching, there are several great events happening in Joburg this weekend. These include the Off White Concert, which gives attendees the chance to experience soulful music. The musical spectacle is set to take place at Big Top Arena at Carnival City tomorrow. It will feature some of Mzansi’s hottest vocalists, including Simphiwe Dana, Samthing Soweto, Mandisi Dyantis, Zoe Modiga and Langa Mavuso. “This show is a celebration of South African music and wouldn’t have happened without Mandisi Dyantyis present,” the concert’s promoter, Banda Banda, said. “He is one of the most loved South African artists.” Banda added that Zoë Modiga is also slowly becoming a household name with an amazing presence. “After releasing her album, Inganekwane, she won many hearts with songs like Umdali and Isegazini. “Langa…

Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality mayor Khumalo Molefe may have breached the law when he used municipal resources to solicit money from service providers to fund a company not associated with the municipality. Documents seen by Independent Media reveal that on June 22, Molefe sent an email to a service provider requesting R20 000 to fund a private company’s logistical expenses unrelated to the municipality. In the letter signed by Molefe, he stated that his office received a request in the form of a proposal from a company advocating for the rights of the poor and the indigent arts, culture and Heritage practitioners. “The above-mentioned NPO has produced a musical production titled Nkgo ya Mosadi and Ke rona which will be premiered at the National Arts Festival from June…

The ANC Women’s League in KwaZulu- Natal urged women to stop protecting rapists to the detriment of rape victims, during the launch of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children Campaign held yesterday at People’s Park in Durban. The campaign, themed “Accelerating action to end Gender-Based Violence and Femicide’’ began with a peaceful march on the streets of Durban to raise awareness and fight against gender-based violence and femicide. One of the organisers, Fikile Khumalo, said cases of rape, especially of minors, are rising at an alarming rate because perpetrators have allegedly been enjoying the protection of the mothers of the minor victims. “We are urging women to help us stop the victimisation of the minor victims of rape. It is the perpetrators of the…

The 2023 Violence Survey, a crucial tool in understanding and combating violence in South Africa, has revealed both positive developments and ongoing challenges in its latest iteration. Conducted by RCS, in partnership with BNP Paribas and the Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative (WPDI), and released on Wednesday, the survey examines the effects of violence on vulnerable communities and the operation of businesses across South Africa. Sandi Richardson, HR Executive at RCS, highlighted the significant impact of violence on individuals, noting that 87% of corporate leaders observed a notable effect on employee presenteeism. This phenomenon, where employees are physically present but mentally or physically distressed, highlights the interplay between personal experiences and workplace performance. Richardson’s call to employers is clear: prioritise employee well-being to enhance job effectiveness. The survey, focusing on…

Durban snake rescuer Nick Evans took to his Facebook page to correct some misinformation that was being circulated on social media about the current snake activity. Evans said that if anyone gets a forwarded WhatsApp message about snake activity and “advice”, which he is quoted to have said, they should note that it is “over-exaggerated” with some “misinformation” too. He said this is not uncommon and sadly, snake removers are often misquoted. Evans thanked those journalists who go about their work the right way and get the facts right. Things to note that Evans said: Yes, there is a heat wave. Yes, snakes are on the move as a result. Should we be panicking and keeping our doors and windows closed permanently, suffocating in the heat? No. Worry more about…

NAUGHTY-SA seems to be the epitome of hard work, having to juggle his 9am to 5pm construction job with his love for music and politics. Putting food on the table does not deter him from his passion for politics, and most especially, his love for creating music. Real name Norman Tsikani Mashale, he says he is able to shuffle his three tasks with a week-long plan. “So, from Monday to Thursday I do construction work, and from Thursday to Sunday I do my music... the politics follow only if there are meetings, rallies and conferences. Nothing disturbs my schedule because it is well planned,” he told Pretoria News. Asked if he was not straining himself, Mashale said he grew up loving politics and frequented rallies; his construction job put food…

South African tennis star Kgothatso “KG” Montjane admits she didn’t expect 2023 to be the year she would enjoy the most success in her tennis career. Montjane capped a fine year by winning the Sports Personality of the Year as well as the Sports Woman of the Year with a Disability at the SA Sports Awards last week. Prior to that, the tennis star claimed two major Grand Slam titles this year, which included the US Open wheelchair women’s doubles title as well as the Roland Garros women’s wheelchair doubles. “I didn’t ever imagine winning such major titles this year,” Montjane told Independent Newspapers. This was supposed to be a year where I was building up, considering the injury I picked up in the previous year. I know I wanted…

Banyana are the reigning African queens. They won their first crown in Morocco last year to take positives to this year’s World Cup, where they finished in the last 16. Banyana will start their bid to defend their African title against Burkina Faso in the last round of the qualifiers. The first leg is in Yamoussoukro in Ivory Coast on Thursday next week. And in ensuring that they get a positive result there, Ellis named a strong 24-member squad – which will be trimmed down to 23 before they travel – at Safa House in Nasrec, Johannesburg yesterday. She named the extra player in case of eventualities such as visa issues, exams and injuries, something that has kept Bambanani Mbane and Refiloe Jane out of the team since the World…

Kevin Lerena came face to face with his latest adversary, Senad Gashi, earlier this week and did not look the least worried that his reign as the WBC interim bridgerweight silver title holder was in danger. Far from it. Even when the German boxer with an impressive record of 26 knockouts from 27 victories announced that the fight would not go the distance, Lerena remained unmoved. Instead, with all the pre-medical and media conference formalities completed at Emperors Palace, which will host the fight tomorrow night, the boxer they fondly refer to as “Two Guns” gave the best sign of his confidence as he mocked his opponent. During their face-off for photographers, Lerena took his belt and hung it on Gashi’s shoulder, before loudly proclaiming in ring announcer tone “and…

Richards Bay head coach Kaitano Tembo has expressed his team’s excitement ahead of the visit of Soweto giants Orlando Pirates as league action resumes this weekend. The Natal Rich Boyz will welcome the Sea Robbers to King Zwelithini Stadium tomorrow (3.30pm kick-off), looking to continue where they left off before the international break. The KwaZulu-Natal-based outfit have seemingly remembered how to win football matches, having previously gone on an unprecedented 19-match winless streak between January and September. Tembo’s men have now been victorious in three of their past five matches in all competitions, including a penalty shootout triumph over their next opponents Pirates to book a spot in the semi-finals of the Carling Knockout Cup. The 53-year-old mentor spoke ahead of his side’s battle with the Buccaneers in Durban and…

FINANCIAL and insurance services group Discovery, which is facing complaints over unfair treatment of its health insurance clients, has denied that it is pursuing re-domiciling of its operations from South Africa to London, even as speculation swirled around the purpose of CEO Adrian Gore’s travels abroad. Discovery offers banking, investment, health, life and vehicle insurance among other services to South Africans as well as to other international markets, including the UK. Financial and insurance industry sources in South Africa have said that the company was now focused more on its international business, with a source who declined to be named telling Business Report the group was considering moving its operations to London as woes mounted back in South Africa. Gore has spoken out about the National Health Insurance in recent…

ANCHOR Capital has remained optimistic about South Africa’s sovereign credit ratings in spite of three major ratings agencies holding it in below investment status. Last week, S&P Global Ratings affirmed South Africa’s long-term foreign and local currency debt ratings, at BB- and BB, respectively, and maintain the stable outlook. Moody’s Investor Services also maintained South Africa’s stable outlook earlier this month, following the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS), but rates South Africa’s long-term foreign debt at a sub-investment grade Ba2. In July, Fitch Ratings Fitch maintained its BB- credit rating on South Africa and kept its stable outlook on the country’s long-term foreign and local currency debt ratings. Anchor Capital’s investment analyst, Casey Delport, said yesterday that South Africa stood as a seemingly resilient protagonist in the tempest of economic…

A financial ombud scheme that merges the non-statutory long-term insurance, short-term insurance, banking and credit ombud schemes will become operational early next year. According to information released by the Ombud Council, which is overseeing the transformation of the financial ombud system in South Africa, the four existing schemes will form the four divisions of the National Financial Ombud Scheme of South Africa (NFO) and operate under a common set of rules. This is in accordance with changes in financial legislation over the past six years that have sought to improve outcomes for consumers of financial products and services. The Financial Sector Regulation Act of 2017 signalled the transition to a “treating customers fairly” regulatory environment. It gave effect to the formation of the Ombud Council in November 2020, which, in…

THE SPAR GROUP share price fell more than 4% yesterday after it forecast sharply lower earnings for the year to September 30, with the failure of a new SAP information technology system largely to blame. The grocery store group said in a trading statement yesterday that it expected diluted headline earnings per share (Heps) to fall by between 53% to 43% for the year. The share price was last seen trading at R112.56. The price has fallen in a steady trendline by 42.5% over three years. The group’s management said diluted Heps were expected to fall to between 544.8 cents to 660.7c compared with 1 159.1c at the same time last year. Turnover growth was lower than expected, and input costs rose faster than expected, across all regions,…

Melissa Barrera has been fired from Scream VII for her comments regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict. The 33-year-old actress had been set to reprise her role as Sam Carpenter – the daughter of the original movie’s villain Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) – in the seventh instalment of the slasher franchise, but her posts supporting Palestine have been deemed anti-Semitic by Spyglass Media Group. In a statement, a spokesperson for the studio said: “Spyglass’ stance is unequivocally clear: We have zero tolerance for anti-Semitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech.” Barrera – whose departure comes after she reshared a post accusing Israel of “genocide and ethnic cleansing” – has made a…

Financially strained shoppers may find some relief this holiday season, as bond and car payments are set to hold steady through January. This stability over Black Friday and the Christmas season comes as welcome news for cash-strapped consumers. However, prices of consumer goods on the shelves will not ease as inflation remains elevated and prices could surge even further due to the delays caused by congestion at the ports. The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) yesterday decided to keep the repurchase rate unchanged for the third time in a row at an elevated 8.25% in a unanimous decision. This will leave the prime lending rate at 11.75%, in a bid to anchor inflation expectations around the target midpoint. October’s headline inflation surged to 5.9%, nearing the upper limit of the…

A Western Cape high school teacher failed in his attempt to hold on to his job after the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) declared him unfit to work with children, following allegations that he impregnated a Grade 9 pupil. Sivatho Rigala was a teacher at Masakheke High School in Nkqubela, Robertson. According to Learner A, Rigala began communicating with her privately on a Facebook group that had been created for schoolwork purposes. This happened in January 2022 when she was 15-years-old. She described how Rigala asked her inappropriate questions and also asked for her number where he continued making conversations of a sexual nature. He persistently asked her to send her nudes and she sent him pictures she downloaded from the internet. According to her, the pictures made Rigala happy…

THE Lotus Gardens, Atteridgeville and Saulsville Civic Association has threatened to embark on “an indefinite rent boycott” campaign as part of intensifying pressure on the City of Tshwane to attend to their service delivery concerns. Organisation chairperson Tshepo Mahlangu accused the City of failing to respond to their memorandum of complaints about services submitted to Finance MMC Peter Sutton two weeks ago. Mahlangu vowed this week to mobilise residents to boycott any municipal activities such as outreach programmes involving consulting firms hired by the City to collect revenues from households. “We are going to embark on an indefinite rent boycott until our demands are met,” he said. Inaccurate billing, fraudulent letters of demand sent to defaulting customers and hiring of consulting firms were cited as some of their grievances ventilated…

The Minister of Public Service and Administration, Noxolo Kiviet, says the Public Service Amendment Bill will ban senior officials in national and provincial departments from holding political office in a bid to prevent a conflict of interest. She said this law, once passed by Parliament, would not allow senior officials to hold positions in political parties. She said there were mechanisms in place to support ministers in handling issues of conflict of interest. Kiviet, who joined ministers in the governance cluster to answer questions in Parliament on Wednesday, said the Public Service Amendment Bill that was before Parliament was different from the Municipal Systems Act, which was challenged in court by unions. The Labour Court ruled that the Municipal Systems Act, which was signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa…

Seasoned Mamelodi Sundowns defender Grant Kekana has warned against underestimating opponents who are perennial under-achievers in Africa. Sundowns will play Mauritania champions FC Nouadhibou in their CAF Champions League Group A opener at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Sunday. Kick-off is at 3pm. In the past 20 years, Nouadhibou have only reached the elite Champions League twice, but have never progressed beyond the preliminary round. Kekana pointed out that in the World Cup qualifiers, there have been a host of upset results over the past few days in Africa. As a result, it was dangerous to underestimate teams. “There have been a lot of surprise results on the continent lately – just look at some of the outcomes of the qualifiers,” said Kekana, who had to withdraw from Bafana Bafana’s…

Thriston Lawrence made a strong bid to become only the third player to win two Joburg Open titles as he opened with a superb eight-under-par 62 to lead the first round by three shots at Houghton Golf Club yesterday. Lawrence, the champion in 2021 who is looking to join Charl Schwartzel and Richard Sterne as double winners of the title, produced a flawless round of golf that started with five birdies in his opening six holes. He added a further three birdies on the back nine for a round that is the lowest ever recorded at Houghton Golf Club, with the course playing as a par-70 as it is this week. “The putter was hot. It felt like I was reading the putts really nicely,” Lawrence said. “The greens are…

Max Verstappen and Red Bull can wrap up Formula One’s most one-sided season with a final record-extending flourish in Abu Dhabi this weekend as Mercedes and Ferrari battle to be best of the rest. The 22nd round of the season – the equal longest until next year’s 24 – ends at floodlit Yas Marina on Sunday after an American leg that culminated in a gruelling Las Vegas spectacular last weekend. There will be some farewells, although fewer than usual, and plenty of looking forward with hope for a more competitive future after a year in which Red Bull have won everywhere bar Singapore. Verstappen, who secured his third championship with six grands prix to spare, will be hoping to check out with an unprecedented 19th win of the season and…

It has become a regular sight. There, on the fringes of play, standing alongside the wing out wide, inconspicuous but surely foreseeable stands Francke Horn – waiting to get moving, anticipating possession in an effort to hand off a tackler, beat a defender and create something special. He gets the ball, plants his forefoot into the earth and springs into action with deceiving pace and agility, taking on the stretched backline in front of him. He has a mean step, too, that can effect a line-break, but every so often, just as he is brought to ground, he manages to wrap his arms around his tackler and offload a slick-looking pop pass to a teammate on his shoulder. The Lions have used No 8 Horn in this manner repeatedly, and…

DAY three presented different challenges altogether for South Africa A and West Indies A in the first unofficial Test match at Willowmoore Park in Benoni yesterday. The wicket had began to deteriorate and showed signs of uneven bounce early on in the day. With the big West Indies quicks having had sufficient rest on day two, the conditions on offer yesterday only spelt trouble for Shukri Conrad’s SA A. Jayden Seales was the first West Indies paceman to exploit the spicy conditions as he unleashed a back-of-a-length delivery that shot up and hit Tony de Zorzi on the gloves, but it luckily fell in no-man’s land. It was a big wake-up call for what was to come on the day as the hosts looked to build on their overnight score…