Innholdsfortegnelse for 2024-09-10 i Star

THE RAND BEGAN the week on the back foot as it struggled to find direction, weakening 0.6% to R17.95 against the US dollar in early morning trade before trying to claw back some losses to R17.85/$1 at 6pm. This comes as the rand, which had initially firmed to R17.60 levels in the wake of the US payrolls data, closed softer on Friday at R17.85/$1 after the greenback recovered later in the New York trading session. Traders yesterday said they expected the trend of the weakness in the rand to continue for now as US jobs data disappointed. The key US labour market data release showed the non-farm payrolls figure was revised down to 89 000 in July, from 114 000, a very weak outcome which added to market…

THE AGRICULTURAL Business Chamber of SA (Agbiz) said yesterday that the 2024-2025 agricultural season was likely to be a recovery period, with global weather forecasters such as the International Research Institute for Climate and Society at Columbia Climate School (IRI) continuing to indicate an optimistic outlook about rainfall prospects. Agbiz chief economist Wandile Sihlobo said that, for example, the IRI saw a possibility of a La Niña occurrence from this month to April next year. “This weather event typically brings above-normal rainfall for South Africa and the entire southern Africa region. The critical period for rainfall for South Africa’s summer grains and oilseed is between October and the end of February the following year,” Sihlobo said. “This is a period between planting and pollination of the crop. The months after…

WHILE Apple Inc’s iPhone 16 line will be the focus of its product launch event on Monday, its slumping wearable-device business is poised to get a boost as well. For the first time since the end of 2022, the company will unveil major changes to the Apple Watch and AirPods earbuds. All three versions of the smartwatch – the SE, standard Series line and Ultra – will get upgraded. And the two lower-end AirPods models will get the most significant update in their history. A lack of recent upgrades has weighed on sales of Apple’s wearables division, which also includes home products and accessories. The unit’s revenue is poised to decline for the second year in a row during fiscal 2024, which runs until September. But analysts expect the…

AVI, THE BRANDED food and consumer goods group, declared a 280 cents a share special dividend for the year to June 30, on top of an ordinary final dividend of 388c per share that had increased by 25.2%. The final dividend brought the total ordinary dividend up by 22.4% to 590c a share for the year, after revenue increased by 6.3% and price increases in all categories offset cost increase pressures. The special dividend was to return debt to the upper limit of the group’s target range. Headline earnings a share increased 24.1% to 687.1c in an environment of weak consumer demand and increased competition in all categories. Capital expenditure for capacity and efficiency gains came to R476.5 million. Operating profit increased by 21.7%, the results showed yesterday.…

MC MINING Limited has appointed two new board directors, Steele West and Muthui Huang, while Douglas Abrahams has stepped down as a non- executive director for the company. West joins MC Mining as a non-executive director with effect from yesterday. Huang also joins the MC Mining board “following the completion of the first tranche of the subscription agreement” with Kinetic Development Group Limited, which is investing $90 million into the company. MC Mining said last month that the investment by KDG would not only advance the company’s flagship Makhado steelmaking, hard coking coal project into production, but was also expected to accelerate the group’s broader strategy to develop its various tenements in the Vhembe region of Limpopo Province. This includes the tenements in the Greater Soutpansberg Projects (GSP) and the…

Linkin Park have emerged from their music hiatus to release new music for the first time in seven years. The rock band’s break followed lead vocalist Chester Bennington’s suicide in 2017. The group now comprises Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Dave Farrell and Joe Hahn, alongside new members Emily Armstrong, who joined as a co-vocalist and drummer from the critically acclaimed band Dead Sara, as well as fellow drummer Colin Brittain, who previously worked with for G Flip, Illenium and One OK Rock. They dropped The Emptiness Machine as well as the track’s music video last Friday. Along with the releases, the group are also set to launch six arena shows, in Los Angeles, New York, Hamburg, London, Seoul and Bogota, as part of their From Zero World Tour. These surprises…

Eight justices of the Constitutional Court have dismissed UK mobile operator Vodafone’s leave to appeal as well as its poverty plea on the matter involving Vodacom and Please Call Me inventor Nkosana Makate. “The Constitutional Court has considered the application for admission as amicus curiae. It has concluded that the application should be dismissed as no case has been made out for admission as amicus curiae. The court has decided not to award costs,” the ruling read. Media reports have suggested that the latest ruling in favour of the former Vodafone employee on Friday means that the UK-based telecoms company, which owns over 60% of Vodacom, could not make a case to be admitted in the matter amicus curiae – a “friend of the court”. The legal requirements to be…

Despite the writing being on the wall for all to see, President Cyril Ramaphosa has revealed that it took him a while to admit that the ANC has truly failed to achieve a decisive majority in the May national elections. He said that after the penny dropped, he had to accept the new reality of the impact of the Jacob Zuma-led uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) which, for the first time, took the governing party to 40%, resulting in the controversial decision to form a grand coalition with the DA. In a recent interview with eNCA, Ramaphosa said he believed the ANC would get 50% even though polls and analysts had predicted a decline into the 40% range. “I did not want to talk because I thought the ANC was…

The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) has welcomed the Western Cape High Court ruling in the matter between the party and 10 of its disgruntled and expelled members. Judge Kate Savage in her judgment yesterday said that the applicants had failed to “establish a reasonable apprehension of irreparable harm and the existence of no alternative remedy available to them” . Last week, the court reserved its judgment in the matter that saw the 10 members who had been sworn in at Parliament take the party to court over their National Assembly roles which were put on hold to allow Brian Molefe, Lucky Montana, and others to assume MP roles in their places. The 10 had approached the court in an attempt to get an urgent interdict to stop the party from…

The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) has welcomed the efforts by the National Traffic Anti-Corruption Unit (NTACU) and SAPS in arresting 13 traffic officers in Polokwane within two days for incidents of corruption. On Friday, an undercover operation in the province saw the arrest of 11 traffic officers for allegedly taking bribes from motorists, while in a separate incident, another two traffic officials were apprehended on corruption charges. In yet another incident, the officers allegedly tried to solicit a bribe from members of the Hawks. In the first operation called “Coconut”, 11 traffic officers were arrested on Friday for allegedly accepting bribes from bus operators, taxi drivers and motorists on the N1 highway between Polokwane and Musina. The arrests were the result of an investigation launched in…

Engen, South Africa’s biggest fuel brand and the official fuel supplier of the Springboks, has welcomed four rugby legends as brand ambassadors, inviting rugby fans to join it in celebrating the exciting new chapter and share in the joy of the game loved by so many. Rugby superstars, Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, Cheslin Kolbe, and retired Springbok Tendai Mtawarira were unveiled by Engen in Cape Town yesterday. The icons will join forces with Engen to celebrate the rich heritage and spirit of rugby in South Africa. Engen managing director and CEO Seelan Naidoo commended the four Springboks for bringing pride to South Africa through their contributions to the world champion Springbok rugby team, as well as their ability to inspire and connect with people across cultures and backgrounds. “As a…

There is concern that the drought in parts of the country could drive up prices of essential foods such as bread, cereal maize and meat. While headline inflation declined to 4.6% in July – the lowest since July 2021 – and South Africans have experienced positive effects in the economy in recent months with the fuel price having dropped for four consecutive months, expectations remain high that an interest rate cut is on the cards when the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meets later this month. Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz), said South Africa’s consumer food price inflation slowed to 3.9% in July 2024, from 4.1% the previous month. “This is the lowest level since January 2020 and was underpinned by the continued…

AmaZulu head coach Pablo Franco Martin has questioned the length of the PSL transfer window ahead of the new season. The Spanish mentor is set to take charge of his second season at the KwaZulu Natal-based club and has raised ambitions and expectations for his team. “Cijimpi”, as he's known to the Usuthu faithful, has used the off-season to reinforce his troops with seven new signings, two of them on loan. The PSL announced an unprecedented change in the length of the transfer window ahead of the 2021/22 season, citing the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. “On July 1, 2021, Fifa allowed national associations and leagues to extend the registration window period for the 2022/23 season in consequence of the knock-on effects of the Covid-19 pandemic,” a PSL statement read.…

THE AGRICULTURAL sector can breathe a bit easier as the Land Bank is set to emerge from a four-year debt default position after its debtors had agreed to a “landmark” debt restructuring solution. Following the signing of legal agreements and the fulfilment of all conditions, the debt restructuring solution would take effect on September 16, 2024, ending the Land Bank’s debt default position, the State-owned entity said yesterday. South Africa’s biggest lender to farmers first encountered liquidity challenges in April 2020 and missed a restructuring deadline in March 2021. It currently has R4 billion equity in hand. Scheduled repayments to lenders would occur every six months until March 2028. “This debt restructuring spans multiple financial instruments of all the bank’s lenders, ensuring equitable treatment of all the lenders, regardless…

STARTING on September 1, South Africa’s new “two-pot” retirement system is in effect. The system is designed to ensure that South African workers can deal with emergencies, such as the sudden loss of a job, while preserving at least some of their retirement savings. It’s a fairly unique system and is designed specifically for a South African context where traditional saving rates are incredibly low and where, according to our 10X Retirement Reality Report, 56% of working people changing jobs admitted to cashing in their retirement savings. There’s also an unfortunate tendency for people to resign from jobs just so they can access their retirement savings. The two-pot system changes that. Rather than being able to withdraw the entirety of their savings, people contributing to retirement funds will be allowed…

MINISTER of Agriculture John Steenhuisen has committed to improving the working conditions of South African animal health practitioners. This comes as the country grapples with a critical shortage of professionals in this essential field, which has far-reaching implications for animal health, biosecurity, and food security. Steenhuisen said yesterday that the challenges vets face include insuffici- ent resources and medicines, inadequate remuneration, and mounting animal health concerns. He empha- sised the gravity of these issues, ack- nowledging the indispensable role vets played in safeguarding the country’s agricultural sector. “Veterinarians are a cornerstone of South Africa’s agri- cultural success, and without addressing the systemic issues they face, we risk jeopardising not only their well-being, but the nation’s food security,” he said. South Africa must become a place where animal health practitioners could…

IN FUTURE, it may be possible for a municipality to employ artificial intelligence (AI) as a municipal official to inform better decision making. The City of Cape Town has laid a foundation that could create such a possibility, an AI-driven city in the future. The city has launched its data strategy, with the aim of improving service delivery. Data is an important element in the process of using AI to solve challenges. In the absence of quality data, the city would not be able to create an AI-driven city. It is not the first time the city is attempting the use of data as part of its weapon in addressing service delivery issues. In its first attempt a while back, the municipality launched an Open Data Initiative and later, a…

WESIZWE Platinum has completed a retrenchment exercise for the Bakubung platinum mine, where it is ramping up production starting early next year, prior to a concentrator upgrade exercise. In December, the Bakubung platinum mine was rocked by an underground sit-in protest by employees. There had been disputes with mineworkers prior to the sit-in, some who felt that they were being unfairly treated by the company over retrenchment processes by the mine. In November last year, Wesizwe said it was pursuing negotiations pursuant to retrenchments at the Bakubung mine, which was switching to new mining methods. This was aimed at reducing operating expenditures and putting the company on a profitable path. Now, Wesizwe has said that it has completed Section 189 negotiations with mineworkers affected by its switch to a new…

Prime Circle’s Neil Breytenbach and his son Jesse are making up for the years they spent apart with their band Cantrel. The father and son duo created their music collective to spend time together and share their love for music with the world. “Being in a band with my son is incredible and it is such a blessing,” Neil said. Jesse is also thrilled about their musical venture, which has seen them perform their songs across South Africa as well as abroad. “We are always coming up with new music. We go into the studio and record. Just to build a song from scratch is really amazing,” he said. Neil is a keyboardist for Prime Circle. He is also a prolific songwriter and an ambassador for Princess Charlene of Monaco.…

Fans of Bruce Springsteen as well as the American singer-songwriter and guitarist’s legendary E Street Band will get a glimpse of their life behind the music in a new documentary. Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band will premiere on Disney+ on October 25. It will offer an in-depth look at the creation of their iconic live performances as it shares fly-on-the-wall footage of band rehearsals and special moments backstage as well as hearing directly from Springsteen on the topic. “Fans get to experience professionally-shot footage from the 2023-2024 tour for the first time while following the band through their one-of-a-kind preparation process, and onto performances for tens of thousands across continents,” a statement read. The documentary was directed by the Hungry Hearts long-time collaborator as well as…

Rail agency now says trains deemed to be ‘too tall’ for SA rails can be safely deployed for ‘narrower’ purpose The Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) has filed a court application to operate the Afro 4000 locomotives, which were previously deemed “too tall” for large portions of the country’s rail network. Despite initial concerns about safety and compatibility, Prasa now says the trains can be safely operated for a “narrower” purpose. The move comes after Prasa returned the locomotives to Swifambo, the supplier, following a court order setting aside the contract due to irregularities. Swifambo is currently being liquidated, and the locomotives are being auctioned to recover debts owed to Prasa. The Star’s sister paper, The Sunday Independent, recently reported that Swifambo was appointed in 2012 to supply…

The Gauteng Department of Social Development is yet again under the spotlight as it reinstated 13 suspended officials without disciplinary action. The officials were suspended after the then MEC Mbali Hlophe instituted an investigation which resulted in the suspension of the officials alleged to be connected to corrupt activities together with some non-profit organisations. Some of the officials and NPOs were referred to the Hawks for prosecution over fraudulent transactions. With a budget of R2.3 billion allocated to NPOs annually, the department’s NPO budget is the highest of all provinces, even far exceeding the National Lottery as a national funding entity. In a recent statement, the DA “demanded answers as to why the 13 have returned to work at the Gauteng Department of Social Development without being subjected to a…

The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) is concerned about claims that patients are being poorly treated at Joburg’s Helen Joseph Hospital. Denosa Gauteng Secretary Bongani Mazibuko said it was sad to hear a patient expressing displeasure at the treatment from the hospitals. “It is very concerning and disheartening when we hear patients expressing dissatisfaction like this, especially when they say, they are not being treated like human beings. “We are confident that the investigation that is conducted by the Department of Health is going to show that nurses have done their job on their side in terms of what is expected according to nursing care,” Mazibuko said. He said as a union, they would first want to get the full report from the department to say who needed…

ABOUT 300 people living in Mahlangu informal settlement, Olievenhoutbosch, were left homeless on Sunday when close to 250 shacks were destroyed by a fire allegedly started by a burning candle. Local community policing forum deputy chairperson, Ruth Senoamadi, yesterday pleaded for assistance from good Samaritans. They were urged to donate essentials, such as food, school uniforms for children and stationery after all these items were burnt to ashes. She said the displaced people were temporarily being sheltered at the two local churches, Life In Christ and the Apostolic Faith Mission. “They are currently still in churches, where they will be accommodated until Tuesday (today), because the church people will need the space for fellowship,” she said. She was told that the fire was started by a burning candle which was…

AS AN increasing number of jurisdictions legalise assisted dying, attention is focusing on palliative care clinicians’ role in service delivery. Dr Gert Huysmans remembers the first person he assisted. “Arjen (name changed) was in his fifties, a larger-than-life character, a motorcyclist,” recalls the 62-year-old physician. “He had a cancerous tumour that had overtaken his mouth and jaw. When he reached the point that he couldn’t ride his motorcycle anymore, he got his son to put it on a trailer behind the car and rode it around like that for a while. Then he came to me.” Huysmans provides palliative care services for people with life-limiting illnesses at the Coda and Lotus palliative care centres in Wuustwezel on the outskirts of Antwerp, Belgium. He also provides euthanasia, a form of assisted…

THE COMPETITION Commission chief economist and acting deputy commissioner, James Hodge, came under fire at the Competition Tribunal yesterday for allegedly picking and choosing facts that suited the commission. Hodge was being cross-examined during hearings as to whether a merger be allowed to go ahead through the combination of Vumatel and Dark Fiber Africa, which Vodacom will buy from Remgro, to create Maziv, which would be the largest fibre infrastructure player in South Africa. The commission has slammed the proposed merger as being anticompetitive and having the potential to create a pivotal shift in the telecoms sector, taking the industry backwards. In addition, concerns have been raised that Vodacom will have main con- trol over the merged company, even though it will only own between 30% and 40%, because it…

AS IMPACT investing becomes increasingly important for capital allocators globally, it is time South Africa steps out of the shadows to attract foreign investments. During the 9th Annual Meeting of the New Development Bank (NDB), which took place in Cape Town last week, the bank approved a R5 billion loan to Transnet in support of the freight rail sector. This loan adds to the $5.8bn of loans granted to South Africa over the past five years to State-owned entities in support of projects like battery storage, gas emissions, toll roads and water supply programmes. The government is the custodian of the bulk of infrastructure development, but it is not the only investor in this category, many private investors could benefit from this funding. While the amount is significant, it…

A FEW WEEKS ago, my wife Sithabiso and I embarked on a multi-day hike along the Limestone Way, a 74-kilometre trail winding through the idyllic White Peak landscape of the Peak District National Park in central England. Our wanderings offered a heady mix of rich British history, picture-book natural beauty and lovely summer weather – until the very last day of our adventure, when the UK decided to tax our pleasures with a proper soaking. Despite all that pleasantness, we couldn’t ignore the sobering effects of centuries of grazing, monoculture, mining, encroaching urban development and, perhaps most notably, climate change on the English countryside. It served as a reminder that not all industrial practices should be adopted indiscriminately, particularly in less touched parts of the world. The fact is, very…

SUN INTERNATIONAL’s half-year earnings were boosted by a very strong 71.8% rise in income from its online sports betting platform Sunbet. Sun International directors said yesterday the “robust performance” in the six months to June 30 was also due to the strength of a diversified operating model, the omnichannel portfolio, and the execution of strategy. First-half earnings increased 9.1% from its casino and hotel operations and an interim dividend of 161 cents per share was declared, 8.8% higher than at the same time a year before. The group, which owns Sun City resort and the upmarket The Maslow Hotel in Sandton and The Table Bay in Cape Town, said adjusted headline earnings a share grew to 215c in the six months to June 30 from 197c a year earlier.…

Four policemen have been arrested in connection with corruption, for allegedly trying to extort almost R100 000 from a Phoenix businessman. The Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (Hawks) said the four policemen, aged 31-46, are due in the Durban Magistrate’s Court today. They face charges of corruption. Three of the policemen are from Gauteng; one is based in Ntuzuma, KwaZulu-Natal. One of the members is a Crime Intelligence Officer, and two are attached to the Johannesburg Flying Squad. The fourth person is in Ntuzuma SAPS’s tracing team. It is alleged that the police received a complaint of extortion from a Phoenix man who was in his supermarket when he was approached by the four policemen. He said one of cops introduced himself as a policeman from Durban Central SAPS.…

DAYS after the findings into the SAS Manthatisi tragedy were made public, the Chief of the Navy said the husband of Lieutenant-Commander Gillian Hector had ignored signals and invitations to attend its engagement with him and other family members. In a detailed report shared with the media last week, Vice-Admiral Monde Lobese, said equipment such as safety gear, the safety line and life jackets could not withstand the force of nature, which claimed the lives of three naval officers in Kommetjie in September last year. Lobese gave a blow-by-blow account of how Hector, Warrant Officer William Masela Mathipa, and Warrant Officer Mmokwapa Lucas Mojela, were killed during the storm when high waves impacted a vertical transfer exercise involving the SA Air Force Maritime Lynx helicopter and the SA Navy’s submarine…

RISE Mzansi has appealed to Deputy President Paul Mashatile to announce the completion of the Giyani Water Project. This is after Mashatile, with the Minister of Water and Sanitation Pemmy Majodina, and Limpopo government officials conducted an oversight visit at Giyani Water Treatments, Nandoni Dam pump station and the Middle Letaba Canal in Xikukwani project sites, last Friday. The Giyani Water Project has been on a 10-year halt since 2014, after a report by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) which found government officials had syphoned R4 billion. The project’s budget ballooned from R500 million to R4.5bn. Delayed completion of this project deprived 55 local villages of access to water. Majodina said the Department of Water and Sanitation’s former ministers failed to complete the water project. She said the department…

Suicide is a difficult topic, but discussing it is crucial. Conversations about suicide can help prevent tragic and untimely deaths. Today is World Suicide Prevention Day, dedicated to raising awareness and educating the public about suicide prevention. This annual event aims to reduce suicide rates and reach individuals who need professional support. Every year, about 700 000 people die by suicide worldwide. For every suicide, there are about 20 attempts. In 2019, suicide became the fourth leading cause of death among young people aged 15 to 29 globally. Alarmingly, it’s estimated that one in five people will experience suicidal thoughts at some point in their lives. In South Africa, the situation is particularly concerning. The country ranks in the top 10 worldwide for suicide rates, with 23.5 suicides per…

Former Kaizer Chiefs man Willard Katsande has thrown his weight behind new head coach Nasreddine Nabi with the 2024/25 Betway Premiership season set to kick off at the weekend. Excitement and anticipation for the new campaign have been revved up by the Amakhosi following their major restructuring project that saw the Tunisian mentor handed the duty to lay a sustainable foundation for years to come. The Naturena-based club has gone nearly a decade without silverware. Their downward spiral could be likened to that of English giants Liverpool, who went through a barren run before a certain German genius walked through their door to awaken the sleeping giants. Chiefs will know Nabi is no Jurgen Klopp but will hope he has the charisma, motivation and winning mentality to get the club’s…

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz split the four Grand Slams between them in 2024, confirming their status as the brightest stars in tennis's new golden generation. Sinner on Sunday added the US Open to his Australian Open triumph in January. He swept Taylor Fritz off court in a brutally one-sided final, becoming the first man since Guillermo Vilas in 1977 to win his first two Grand Slam titles in the same season. That is a feat that eluded Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal as well as Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. Two years Sinner's junior, Alcaraz won the French Open and defended his Wimbledon title in 2024 and already has four Grand Slam titles to his name. “It’s a bit different, for sure,”Sinner said Sunday, when asked to assess…

Red Bull KTM’s Brad Binder was a fortunate recipient of points in the world’s oldest republic and he left the San Marino MotoGP with a decent tally. From lights out, the Imola circuit dished out an action-packed start in the main race, and with rain around, the South African rider was out to add to the three points collected for a seventh-place finish in the sprint race on Saturday. With dark clouds present and light drizzle after lap seven, “wet-track master” Binder propelled himself briefly to second, behind championship leader Francesco Bagnaia. Even though he couldn’t stick on the rear wheel of the Italian, a strong fourth-place finish – his second in a row and fourth of the year – gave him a handy 16 points from the weekend. “It…