Innholdsfortegnelse for 2024-06-19 i Star

TELKOM, the third-largest telecoms company in South Africa, has reported a profit of R1.9 billion in the year ended March 31, 2024, up from a loss of nearly R10bn the previous year, partially because it had booked a R13bn impairment in 2023, because of its legacy copper business – and these headwinds were now behind it. Although headline earnings per share (Heps), a key measure of profitability, gained 201.3% to 376 cents a share, Telkom did not declare a dividend for the fifth year in a row. Instead, Telkom yesterday said it will be able to share cash with shareholders in “the near term” with the next 12-month period targeted as the first year-end to consider paying a dividend. Telkom’s new dividend policy is to pay out a…

THE JSE YESTERDAY rallied to a 1-month high to within a touch of 80 000 points, buoyed by “hot money” in resources, financials and industrial stocks, while the rand strengthened on peaceful establishment of the Government of National Unity (GNU). The risk-on sentiment on the JSE was driven by expectations that the GNU will build on the relationship that the government has had with the private business sector in improving freight, electricity supply and crime prevention, broadening the relationship to strengthen economic growth and the rule of law. President Cyril Ramaphosa will be sworn-in for his second term today after the formation of the GNU, which includes five parties and represents more than two-thirds of the National Assembly seats, proceeded peacefully in spite of challenges, giving the domestic financial…

THE BIG QUESTION lingering in the minds of many as to who will be appointed the Minister of Minerals & Energy, the Minister of Electricity, Minister of Public Enterprises, Minister of Environmental Affairs, etc, and finally, let us not forget the Minister of Finance. This is a question that is going to stir quite a bit of emotions in the coming weeks, due to the recent formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU). The 7th government administration is composed of bizarre partners, made up of previous political opponents who at some point were sworn enemies in the political sense. Never in the history of South Africa has the former ruling party, the ANC, gone into bed to share a government administration coalition with the DA, IFP and PA, ACDP…

President Cyril Ramaphosa, set for his second term following his inauguration at the Union Buildings today, has not received a favourable assessment from political analysts. On Monday in an interview on Newzroom Afrika, political analyst Sandile Swana was brutal in his analysis, saying Ramaphosa’s first term was the “worst since the 1960s”. “President Cyril Ramaphosa has performed worse than Zuma and in my judgement, he has been the worst president in terms of performance since 1960 at least. He needed to be removed from office, based on that. “So, the MK Party and the EFF wanted him and the DA put in a very nice sweetener of allowing him to stay and be his political bodyguard. “I suppose that was very sweet to the ears of ANC cadres. I think…

EFF leader Julius Malema’s firearm discharge case returned to the East London Magistrate’s Court yesterday with Malema’s bodyguard, Adriaan Snyman, calling lawyer and firearm expert Martin Hood as his first witness. Following the 2018 incident, Malema and Snyman are facing charges including unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and contravening the Firearms Control Act. Hood gave the court a breakdown of the Firearms Control Act, saying there are no provisions that make it impossible for a person who does not have a firearm licence to handle a gun. Malema is charged with contravening the provisions of this act, while his bodyguard is charged with handing out a firearm to an unlicensed user in Malema. Hood said he was not a ballistic expert, but someone who has contributed…

Thanks to modern science, many venereal (sexually transmitted) diseases have mostly been eradicated or managed. However, new ones are still being discovered and highly contagious but rare cases still exist. Recently, following a report of a rare sexually transmitted ringworm in the US, medical experts are warning clinicians and the general public about the highly contagious uncommon fungus strain in the country and across the world. According to the nation’s public health agency, Centres for Disease Control, the disease is called Trichophyton mentagrophytes type VII and is caused by a sexually transmitted fungus. According to a new JAMA Dermatology report, the first case involved a man in his thirties from New York City who developed (tinea) ringworm on his genitals, buttocks and limbs soon after reporting having sex with people…

Ingredients 3 x 400g cans butter beans 1 onion, chopped 1 celery stick, chopped 1 carrot, chopped 2-3 tbs olive oil 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 x 400g Italian chopped tomatoes cans 6 cups vegetable stock Salt and pepper, to taste 200g feta Italian parsley, chopped to garnish Ciabatta for serving Method Drain and rinse the beans. Gently soften the onion, celery and carrot in the olive oil. Stir in the garlic and add the tomatoes. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Add the beans, stock and a little seasoning. Simmer, almost covered for 30 minutes. Use a stick blender to roughly blend the soup. Crumble half the feta and stir into the soup. Check the seasoning. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve with the remaining feta and ciabatta. Drizzle…

The annual Hollywoodbets Durban July, one of Africa’s premier horse racing events, is rapidly approaching, sparking anticipation across the country and beyond. Over the past decade, the prestigious affair has solidified its position as the ultimate July weekend event, attracting spectators from the world of fashion, music and horse racing. This year is no exception, with race participants gearing up for the big day, Saturday, July 6, at Hollywoodbets Greyville Racecourse. Many distinguished visitors are anticipated to attend this year’s race under the “Ride the Wave” theme, where the excitement isn’t limited to the game itself – high-end apparel also steals the show. One of the announcements that drew interest, was the list of local celebrities scheduled to appear at Johnnie Walker Blonde’s BOOMTOWN. Featuring some of the biggest names…

YESTERDAY was a red letter day for the Lions trio of Edwill van der Merwe, Jordan Hendrikse and Sanele Nohamba, with the former pair announced in the Springbok team to play Wales on Saturday, and the latter crowned South Africa’s United Rugby Championship Player of the Season. Winger Van der Merwe will make his debut for the Boks. He said he would be playing for the rugby-mad community in his hometown of Kyle-more, near Stellenbosch. “I come from a small town where everyone is crazy about rugby,” Van der Merwe said. “(Fellow Bok) Herschell Jantjies is also from Kylemore and when the Boks won the 2019 World Cup, he had his own trophy tour.” Van der Merwe said that inspired him to work harder to become a Bok one day.…

STEPHEN Mokoka is going to run his third marathon at the Olympic Games on the back of his failure to finish the previous one, but the Hollywood Athletics Club runner does not see his participation at Paris 2024 as a ‘redemption’ mission from the previous Games in Tokyo. “I think redemption is a tough word,” he said when it was put to him that he has the chance to redeem himself after he failed to complete the race in the energy-sapping heat and humidity of the Japanese city of Sapporo in 2021. “I would rather use the word ‘creation’ or ‘establishment’,” Mokoka countered. “I would say positioning myself in a better place is more what I can use to describe this next assignment.” Local athletes in any sport don’t come…

SANLAM is acquiring 60% of Multi- Choice’s insurance business, NMS Insurance Services (NMSIS), as well as a long-term arrangement to expand insurance and financial service offerings into MultiChoice’s African subscriber base, in a deal of about R2.7 billion. Sanlam’s share price reached fresh highs at the announcement of the transaction yesterday, and its shares closed 8.88% higher at R83.27 on the JSE yesterday. That said, the share price of its biggest local competitor Old Mutual closed also 7.96% higher at R12.21 on the JSE yesterday. MultiChoice’s share price closed 2.13% lower at R102.69. Sanlam will pay R1.2bn up front in cash to MultiChoice for the 60% stake, while a performance-based cash earn-out, of up to R1.5bn, contingent upon the amount of gross written premium generated (GWP) by NMSIS…

MUSICIANS across the world have described artificial intelligence (AI) as a threat to creativity, but the CEO of one popular platform says critics are looking at it all wrong. BandLab, a mostly free online music workstation and distribution platform in Singapore, has more than 100 million registered users. It recently incorporated an AI music creation tool, dubbed SongStarter, which generates song ideas from genre, key, tempo and lyric prompts. For BandLab founder and CEO Meng Ru Kwok, whose company bought music magazine NME in 2019, AI is no substitute for a real musician. “It’s not called SongFinisher. It’s called SongStarter. It’s not trying to replace people’s creativity … (with) a vending machine approach of a magic button where you press and a song comes out,” Meng said. “You still…

THE Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip – South Africa is streaming on Showmax and is serving drama on and off the screen. With eight housewives from five different South African The Real Housewives franchises brought together in Jamaica, there was bound to be chaos. Nonku Williams from The Real Housewives of Durban poked the bear when it came to Melany Viljoen from The Real Housewives of Pretoria. On the reality show, she enquired about the allegations surrounding Tammy Taylor Nails and even made accusations that she believed Viljoen could be in an abusive marriage. While the episodes continue to air, the Viljoens are not taking the things that Williams has said lightly. Peet Viljoen has issued a letter of demand against one of Africa’s long-standing housewives and is suing her…

ActionSA chairperson Michael Beaumont says his party will remain in the opposition benches to keep the governing parties accountable. Beaumont said he was not surprised that other political parties traded in what he called the fight against corruption for German sedans. “As we discover deals to premeditate the defence of President Cyril Ramaphosa, ActionSA reasserts the need for an uncompromised opposition to hold the government to account when others have traded in the fight against corruption for German sedans, blue lights and ministerial mansions,” he said. The ActionSA leader said there has to be an opposition in the country that was not conflicted nor benefiting from the Government of National Unity (GNU). Beaumont’s comments follow DA federal chairperson Helen Zille’s remarks that the party would not vote to impeach Ramaphosa…

UDM Nqabayomzi Kwankwa is currently engaging with the police after he was safely rescued from his kidnappers. At the time of his kidnapping, Kwankwa was on his way to the Cape Town International Airport. The party’s secretary-general, Yongama Zigebe, said Kwankwa was making his way to the airport to come to Joburg when he was abducted. “He made a stop at his barber in Khayelitsha to cut his hair when the kidnapping happened. He was pushed into the car forcefully and they drove with him while demanding the R10 000. The deputy president did not have money on him. “They made calls to the president and the UDM made the payment of the demand without flinching for the deputy president’s safe return,” he added. According to Zigebe, the kidnappers…

The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) is urging motorists to avoid drinking and driving, after the arrest of 192 drivers across the city. JMPD spokesperson Superintendent Xolani Fihla said the motorists were arrested while the officers were conducting their ongoing efforts to combat “the scourge of drunk driving”. “From the period of June 10 to June 16, a total of 192 motorists were arrested by JMPD officers for driving under the influence of alcohol,” Fihla said. He said these arrests clearly demonstrate the metro police department’s zero-tolerance approach towards drunk driving. “Drunk driving is not only illegal, but also extremely dangerous. It impairs the driver’s ability to operate the vehicle safely, posing a significant risk to themselves, their passengers, and other road users.” Fihla said the consequences of drunk driving…

POLICE in Gauteng have warned residents and communities in Tshwane not to attempt to apprehend a suspect believed to be involved in the murder of the Mashaba siblings in Soshanguve as he is considered armed and very dangerous. Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo said police have offered a R100 000 reward for information that could lead to the arrest of Dennis Nyatsunga/Ngobeni, also known as “Shumba”, who allegedly shot and burnt two girls inside a shack two weeks ago. The Mashaba siblings, 7-year-old Tinyiko and 4-year-old Mpfumo, along with two others, were shot in an attack at Changing Spot informal settlement on June 2. Armed suspects arrived at a shebeen at Changing Spot informal settlement and allegedly fired shots at the patrons. Masondo said it is reported that the suspect is…

This month marks the 10-year anniversary of the late Kiernan “AKA” Forbes’s sophomore album Levels, remembering his significant impact on the South African entertainment fraternity. The chart-topping album celebration serves as a stark reminder of the talent the country was robbed of after Forbes’s untimely death, which left many of his fans and industry professionals devastated. His social media pages have been kept active, giving his fans details on some of the events his family and foundation have organised to keep his legacy alive. In a recent post shared using his social media accounts, his fans and industry friends were reminded of the anniversary and shared a video with memories of the star. “We’re celebrating AKA’s sophomore album Levels’ 10th anniversary, this June.” The star was the brand ambassador of…

THE ICC Men’s T20 World Cup group stage ran its race on Monday evening when co-hosts the West Indies walloped Afghanistan by 104 runs in St Lucia. It brought to a close a fascinating phase of the competition in which there has been plenty of excitement on show. Here, Independent Newspapers looks back at the highs and lows of the past fortnight ahead of the Super Eight stage starting today. HIGHS Cricket coming to America: International cricket was staged in the US for the first time, and while there was criticism of the pitch and outfield at the newly-constructed Nassau County Ground in New York, the game was greeted with great excitement in the land of stars and stripes. The co-hosts managing to shock Pakistan to qualify for the Super…

A SOLID start with the ball, backed up by fielding of the highest quality, got the Proteas Women in a strong position in the first one-day international against India. Equally, failure to keep India on the ropes and pounce on their manufactured advantage early in the series means the next two fixtures will be must-win encounters for the South Africans. The Proteas’ shaky start to their tour of India has left them with a mountain to climb and they will have it all to do when they come up against their hosts for the second ODI at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru today. Their heavy 143-run loss on Sunday didn’t only fall short of their allotted 50 overs, but raised the bigger question of how they will approach their batting…

THE COMPETITION Commission has thrown the book at the fresh produce market chain, citing major retailers and wholesalers, agro-processing companies and seed companies for cartel behaviour that enforces barriers to new entrants and manipulating the product gene pool, among other indictments in South Africa’s more than R53 billion industry. The commission yesterday said that Spar, Woolworths, Food Lover’s Market, and Shoprite, seed company Starke Ayres, and JSE-listed entities African Rainbow Capital and agrochemicals giant Bayer South Africa as all being separately and collectively implicit or responsible for price distortions in the market. In a provisional report on the Fresh Produce Market Inquiry, Deputy Commissioner Hardin Ratshisusu recommended sweeping changes to the fresh produce value chain from farm to fork, criticising the conduct of dominant players, saying it had resulted…

THERE was plenty of humble pie to be had at this year’s Money20/20 Europe event in Amsterdam, Nether- lands. The gathering serves as a premium platform for content, sales and networking, attracting leading brands and personalities from the global money ecosystem, including payments, fintech and financial services. Bottom basics With the fintech industry experiencing a dramatic drop in funding – from $238.9 billion in 2021 to $113.7bn in 2023 (about R2.055 trillion) – regardless of the bullish sentiment of fintech proponents worldwide, the data points to a broader recalibration driven by a plethora of complex economic factors, not least the global trend towards higher interest rates. The shift has made it increasingly difficult for even the most promising and rapidly expanding companies to secure funding, which is now being…

THE DEVASTATING effects of climate change are evident everywhere in South Africa. The most recent in an ongoing pattern of floods in KwaZulu-Natal was one that destroyed infrastructure and livelihoods and killed more than 440 people. Despite this, an Afrobarometer survey indicated that less than half (43%) of South Africans say they have heard about climate change, while 51% have not heard of the issue. The youth are particularly important in understanding and acting on climate change, because climate change impacts will worsen in the future if its causes are not addressed. Already, 80% of youth have been directly impacted by climate-related incidents, such as pollution, droughts, and floods. Since the consequences of the decisions made today will be faced by the youth, it is paramount that they have…

DJ ANKLETAP, known for his upbeat radio persona, has revealed his battle with depression after a difficult period in his life. After going through a divorce and losing his relationship with Metro FM host Candice Kadesh, the media personality, whose real name is Bryce Clarke, found himself contemplating suicide. In an interview with Podcast and Chill, he said: “I thought about ending my life. But I’m this happy guy on radio, this funny Malume Pompo, yet at home, I felt like ending it all.” Recalling his darkest moments, Ankletap shared how he spent a month searching his house for a place to hang himself, even going as far as buying a rope and testing it in his garage. “This failed attempt cost me R11 000. I ripped the garage door.…

Last night, comedians Jason Goliath and Nicholas Goliath kicked off The Happiness Economy Comedy Tour at the Theatre on the Square. In a recent chat with Jason, he shed light on what inspired the title and the show. “Nicholas and I were sitting for hours during Covid, with nothing to do. We were, literally, discussing what happiness means – why are we so obsessed with it, what does it mean to be happy and what does it mean to live the happiest possible life? “We realised that it is normal to talk about your financial economy, but somehow not normal to talk about your emotional economy. Pe ople are more obsessed about their de bit orders and their balance sheets than they are about their happiness. “That’s what it is…

Water taps across Joburg will go dry for 37 days due to “extensive maintenance” by Rand Water on its infrastructure, which will impact the water supply to Joburg Water’s systems supplied by the Palmeit and Eikenhof pump stations, as well as the Daleside Booster station. This follows an announcement by Rand Water, the bulk supplier, that it will undertake an extensive proactive maintenance of its infrastructure from June 22 to July 29. Rand Water says the initiative is to preserve the quality and integrity of the infrastructure and extending its lifespan. Following that, Joburg Water issued a statement cautioning residents about reduced water pressure due to maintenance affecting Rand Water’s systems. “The maintenance work will affect Johannesburg Water’s systems that are supplied by Palmeit and Eikenhof pump stations, as well…

THE Department of Health has cautioned the youth about the dangers of smoking. As part of an awareness drive, they visited the Natalia Buildings in Pietermaritzburg to discuss the dangers of smoking following the 2021 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (Gats) South Africa report, released by the Department of Health recently. The department said that based on the most recent data from Gats, sampled from 7 245 households, it was found that the prevalence of tobacco use in South Africa is 29.4%. The data also revealed a higher percentage of men (41.7%) are using tobacco compared to women (17.9%). Lead investigator, Dr Catherine Egbe from the South African Medical Research Council, said 21.2% of adults in South Africa smoke daily, 4.6% occasionally. Dr Egbe said most people interviewed in the study…

AFFLUENT suburbs, including Steyn City, Midrand, Lenasia, Bryanston, Blue Hills and Kyalami, are expected to bear the brunt of the winter cold as the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) confirmed that it will cut off electricity for defaulting customers starting this week. According to the city, customers from these wealthy areas account for close to half a billion in unpaid services. They collectively owe a staggering R464 732 136. Director of Customer Communications for the metro’s Group Finance Department, Kgamanyane Maphologela, lamented that despite the city’s efforts in rendering essential services, customers fail to pay for services. “The city has always consistently supplied water and electricity, as well as refuse removal to these communities. It is disappointing to establish that some communities are clearly demonstrating disregard to paying for the services…

Grammy-winning star Tyla Seethal, who received four nominations for the 2024 Black Entertainment Television (BET) awards, will perform at the awards live on June 30 from the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles. The ceremony has been expanded to feature performances from rising stars such as Ice Spice and veteran musician Lauryn Hill, who will perform alongside YG Marley. Country music sensation Tanner Adell, who recently made an appearance on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter and contributed the love-sick ballad Whisky Blues, will give a performance on the BET Amplified stage. Another intriguing development highlighting the growing popularity of South African music is the inclusion of Tyla, Makhadzi, Focalistic, and Tyler ICU on the BET Awards nomination list this year. On the international scene, Nicki Minaj trailed Drake by just six nominations, while…

THE transfer window is about to open officially, but PSL transfer activity has been subdued compared to last year’s corresponding period when clubs went into spending overdrive. The transfer spending has plummeted because clubs have tightened their purse strings for various reasons. Very few clubs have sponsorships, attendances have dropped alarmingly, and gate takings are no longer a source of income except for the three big clubs. Officially, the next PSL window opens on July 1, and perhaps then there will be a frenzy of activity. Only 13 of the 16 Premiership clubs can do business in the transfer market because of a Fifa ban. TS Galaxy are the latest to be hit with a transfer ban by Fifa and they’ll join Royal AM and Richards Bay among the clubs…