Innholdsfortegnelse for Saturday, February 6, 2021 i Pretoria News Weekend

Drugs disguised as potatoes TWO men have been remanded in custody by the Komatipoort Magistrate’s Court following their arrest for smuggling drugs valued at R3.4 million from Mozambique, the SAPS said “Raymond Mashele, aged 25 and 44-year-old Tai Isaac Mlambo were arrested [on Thursday] at the Lebombo Port of Entry in Komatipoort by members of the SAPS border policing and custom officials who were conducting routine stop-and-searches at the gate,” said Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Leonard Hlathi. “The members stopped a Toyota Dyna truck with the said occupants and on searching it, they found drugs stashed inside bags of potatoes. The suspects are said to have been coming from Mozambique and it is believed that they were heading to Gauteng with the contraband before they were intercepted by the astute…

PARDON PLEA Call for extended firearm amnesty ZELDA VENTER zelda.venter@inl.co.za POLICE Minister Bheki Cele has been urged to consider introducing another firearm amnesty period. The Covid-19 pandemic and the fact that firearm owners were turned away at police stations during the lockdown, resulted in many people unable to hand in their firearms. The latest amnesty period ended on January 31. Last week, many police stations across the country had long queues of firearm owners, who wanted to use the amnesty period. There were many reports and complaints that only a certain number of applications were taken in per day. The rest were allegedly turned away, despite the fact that SAPS commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi ordered all provincial commissioners last month to ensure that all police stations under their…

Hijacked truck found in Limpopo FOUR people have been arrested in Nirvana, Limpopo, for possession of a truck-load of suspected stolen groceries and a hijacked truck, the SAPS said. “The swift response by members of the SAPS in Westenburg outside the City of Polokwane resulted in the arrest of four suspects aged between 27 and 33 yesterday [on Thursday] in Nirvana, for possession of suspected stolen properties and an alleged hijacked truck,” said provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe. “This arrest was made after members attached to the crime prevention unit reacted to information about the existence of stolen groceries at a supermarket in Nirvana and immediately operationalised it. Four suspects were arrested on the spot and a large amount of different assortments of groceries with the estimated value of…

INDEPENDENT: New ombud to monitor editorial standards STAFF REPORTER FORMER Mercury editor Yogas Nair has been appointed Internal Press Ombudsman at Independent Media. The office, as the public’s representative, provides readers with an objective conduit through which to register any concerns they may have over a particular story, or request that it be investigated. Nair worked closely with the internal ombudsman’s office over the past two years as the group public advocate responsible for mediation between editors and complainants. “I am honoured to assume the role of the Independent Group’s Ombudsman to look into complaints or observations from readers about substantive editorial issues and publish the findings. “I believe that to make self-regulation credible, the media must step up and commit themselves to systems of good governance, transparency and a…

JUSTICE New steps to target child maintenance defaulters NORMAN CLOETE norman.cloete@inl.co.za CHILD maintenance defaulters will soon have nowhere to hide. The Department of Justice and Correctional Services will start using registered cellphone and telephone numbers, company registrations, credit profiles, court judgments, property purchases, sales and transfers as well as vehicle regulations, to trace child maintenance defaulters. The government believes this will ease dependency on social grants. But women who have been battling with maintenance arrears say they have little faith in the latest announcement. Justice Department spokesperson Stephans Mahlangu said the department will unleash data sources to trace the whereabouts of people to investigate maintenance cases, and enforce other related enforcement orders. “After the introduction of the amended Maintenance Act, the department embarked on a communication campaign and people were…

CAR Humanitarian group resumes its service CAPE TOWN: The Swiss global humanitarian organisation, Lutheran World Federation, has resumed its humanitarian and development work in the Central African Republic (CAR). The organisation had suspended it activities following post-election violence in December that disrupted the weak service delivery in the country. Several team members were relocated during the violence of the past week. “We call to all parties in the conflict to respect and protect humanitarian staff called to fulfil their mission in areas under their control,” said Clovis Mwambutsa, the regional programme co-ordinator for Central Africa. For more than five years, armed conflict in the CAR has been fuelled by a coalition of mostly northern and predominantly Muslim rebels known as Seleka, who seized power in March 2013. The group’s brutal…

GERMANY ‘More dangerous’ Covid-19 variants detected THE Covid-19 pandemic has become “more dangerous” in Germany due to the spread of coronavirus variants, the nation’s top disease control official said yesteday, upon releasing key data before the latest round of talks on lockdown measures. “Three worrying variants of the virus” have so far been found in Germany, with the B117 mutation, first identified in Britain, being the most widespread, Robert Koch Institute president Lothar Wieler told reporters in Berlin. That mutation has been found to be more infectious and could lead to more serious illness, Wieler said. It has been found in 13 of Germany’s 16 states, and makes up for just less than 6% of cases, he said. Wieler said that this number was expected to rise as the variant…

Factions elect transitional government DELEGATES from Libya’s rival factions have elected an interim prime minister and a three-member Presidency Council to lead the country until the December 24 elections. The election of a unified administration aims to end a division in Libya that has lasted more than five years, with two rival governments, and their affiliated militia groups, running different parts of the country. Seventy-four members of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF), which includes Libyans from different political backgrounds, elected a list that includes political activist and businessman Abdul-Hamid Mohammed Dbeibeh as prime minister, and Tripoli’s former ambassador to Greece, Mohammed Menfi, as the head of the Presidency Council. The LPDF has been engaged in UN-brokered discussions to set the path for the elections. dpa…

TELEVISION 5 dating shows to watch right now ALYSSIA BIRJALAL Netflix Showmax ALL IS FAIR in love and war, and nothing’s different with reality dating shows. From getting help from your family to find Mr Right to hiring a matchmaker to fix your marriage proposal, watch as these lovestruck hopefuls jump at the opportunity to find their soulmates. Love is Blind – Streaming on Netflix In this social experiment, single men and women are looking for love, except they don’t get to meet in person until they’ve had a chance to bond from across a literal wall. It’s dating without the pressure of having to look presentable. Date My Family Nigeria – Streaming on Showmax Family knows best, and that’s why this show is popular. The suitor must first go…

YOUR STARS Barbara Kiselev If today is your birthday: Somehow all you need is to be true to you. So this year just be yourself and benefits will follow. It’s all about knowing what you can do, and pushing those limits. End result? You will go far. Aries (21 March-20 April) This week will be about keeping on track, not getting derailed. So don’t be discouraged, there may be stuff to deal with, but you can keep going despite all the questions. You were born for this, so just keep the pressure on. Taurus (21 April-21 May) This week things are falling into place. It’s a balancing act, just gotta keep your eye on the prize. And you can somehow deal with bumps in the road. There will be many,…

Angry Zidane demands respect for Real’s achievements A fired-up Zinedine Zidane hit out at Real Madrid’s critics on Friday, demanding respect for both himself and his players while insisting they remain in the La Liga title race. The current champions sit 10 points behind league leaders Atletico Madrid having played a game more. In an impassioned news conference, Real’s French coach lost his usual composure and said it was too early to write his side off and they should be afforded the respect of a team defending their crown. “What makes me laugh is you ask me why I might be annoyed (at questions over his future),” he said ahead of today’s visit to basement club Huesca. “I don’t deserve to be treated like that by the press. We won…

 CRICKET Plays of the Day STUART HESS stuart.hess@inl.co.za BOUNCER – You wouldn’t think it would work on that pitch but Nortje made it happen. Abid Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Nauman Ali and Shaheen Afridi, all failed to cope with the bouncer. Nortje finished with 5/53. MARATHON – In case you’ve forgotten, Keshav Maharaj’s ribs still hurt. He’s had to be treated by the Proteas medical staff and was in doubt before the game. So to get through 45 overs, bowl with as much control as he did – going at two runs an over – and picking up three wickets is a truly remarkable effort. Hopefully he’ll get a bit more help from George Linde in the second innings. Linde is still finding it difficult to bowl after being smashed on…

LATEST QUARTERLY UNIT TRUST PERFORMANCE ONLINE For the returns, over periods up to 30 years, of all the South African-domiciled unit trust funds to the end of December 2020 – as well as the 10 best- and 10 worst-performing funds, the consistency of returns table and the Sortino Ratios – go to https://www.iol.co.za/personal-finance > Invest > Collective Investments HENK KRUGER African News Agency (ANA)…

HOW THE WINNING MANAGERS FARED Ninety One. The winning South African company scored an average of 4.176 PlexCrowns over its 15 qualifying funds, which collectively had R175.3 billion under management at the end of last year. Six funds scored five PlexCrowns, three scored an above-average four PlexCrowns, and five scored three PlexCrowns, which represents the average performance of the peer group. The five-PlexCrown funds were the Ninety One Global Strategic Managed Feeder Fund, Commodity Fund, Value Fund, and three multi-asset funds: the Cautious Managed Fund, Managed Fund and Opportunity Fund. Mi-Plan. The first runner-up scored an average 4.032 PlexCrowns over eight qualifying funds, which collectively had R6.3bn under management at the end of last year. Two funds scored five PlexCrowns, two scored four PlexCrowns and the other four scored three…

HOW THE PLEXCROWN SYSTEM RATES FUNDS THE PLEXCROWN Fund Ratings, which form the basis of the Raging Bull Awards, are in line with guidelines set by the Association for Savings & Investment South Africa and criteria set by PlexCrown Fund Ratings. They are as follows: ◆ Unclassified funds are not rated. ◆ Gold and precious metal funds are excluded. ◆ A sub-category is rated only if it consists of at least five funds. ◆ Only funds with a performance history of at least five years can qualify for a rating. ◆ Pure index-tracking funds are excluded. ◆ Funds in the South African equity general and large cap sub-categories that track indices where investment methodologies are involved are rated with other funds in their sub-category. ◆ Funds in the South African…

FAIRTREE EQUITY PRESCIENT FUND Fairtree gets stock selection right again and again Raging Bull Award for the Best South African Equity General Fund (for straight performance over three years to December 31, 2020) Raging Bull Award for the Best South African General Equity Fund on a Risk-adjusted Basis (for performance over five years to December 31, 2020) FOR the past four years, the Fairtree Equity Prescient Fund has dominated the awards in the domestic general equity categories. At the end of last year, over three and five years, the periods under assessment, the fund delivered 10.47% a year and 11.74% a year respectively, against the mediocre performance of the JSE, whose All Share Total Return Index delivered 3.12% and 6.36% a year over those periods. The fund is one of…

IP GLOBAL MOMENTUM EQUITY FUND Digital shares drive IP global fund’s momentum Raging Bull Award for the Best (SA-domiciled) Global Equity General Fund (for straight performance over three years to December 31, 2020) IP MANAGEMENT Company (IPMC) is a collaboration of established financial services businesses that have operated unit trust funds in their own right for more than 15 years. IPMC provides own and co-branded portfolios to its investment management partners. One of these is Emperor Asset Management, a subsidiary of the Purple Group, which manages the IP Global Momentum Equity Fund. The fund, which will be five years old in June, achieved an average annual return of 43% over three years to the end of 2020, according to ProfileData. Against this, the MSCI World Index achieved 14.97% a year…

BLACK LIVES MATTER PROTEST Strijdom shooting survivor charged with assault in LA BRADLEY Steyn, a former ANC spy who was badly injured by police officers during a Black Lives Matter protest in Los Angeles, has been charged with assault in the same incident. Steyn was rushed to hospital on May 30 last year for emergency surgery on a ruptured testicle after he was hit by a projectile fired by a Los Angeles police officer. The 49-year-old South African is suing the city for the incident. However yesterday it emerged he is being charged with assaulting an officer and resisting or obstructing an officer. His lawyers have called the move retaliatory. The incident has had a lot of media play over the last couple of months, partly because Steyn had shared…

SECURITY THREAT ‘Illegal’ spaza shops a concern for residents RAPULA MOATSHE rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za THE RISE in the number of illegal spaza shops in parts of the city is depreciating the value of residential properties. This emerged during a virtual mayoral public meeting on Thursday evening for residents in Region 4, which includes Lyttelton, Laudium, Valhalla, Erasmia and Rooihuiskraal. There was concern that many spaza shops opening up in the areas and outside the shopping centres also posed a security threat. “Quite frankly, it is things like these that are depreciating the value of our houses,” said a concerned resident. Another resident, from Centurion, singled out a spaza shop outside Phillips supermarket on Panorama Road. According to the resident, last week, police raided the place and confiscated goods from the illegal operator.…

CELEBRITY Miss SA weighs in on mental health MPILETSO MOTUMI mpiletso.motumi@inl.co.za MENTAL health, to this day, is something that is still considered a taboo subject to tackle. Miss South Africa Shudufhadzo Musida is changing that mindset one conversation at a time with her online initiative, Mindful Mondays. “It’s time our society stands together to confront this,” she said. Musida will host the mental health live discussions on Instagram, where she will speak to various experts on a diverse range of topics related to the subject on Instagram on Monday evenings at 7pm. Musida announced that she would be focusing on raising awareness around mental health when she won the Miss South Africa crown in October last year. As someone affected by bullying at a young age, this is…

PARTNERSHIP Food parcels for communities hit by floods and lockdown JONISAYI MAROMO CIVIL rights movement #NotInMy-Name yesterday partnered with retail giant Shoprite to bring food parcels and mobile soup kitchens to informal settlements in Zithobeni near Bronkhorstspruit, which were hit by floods experienced across Tshwane. “We have an ongoing programme to support different communities across South Africa. “Today we are in Zithobeni communities called Dunusa and Heights where thousands of families are in need,” said #NotInMyName president Siyabulela Jentile, flanked by secretary general Themba Masango and chief operations officer Mpumelelo Masango. “In partnership with Shoprite, we are bringing food trucks and setting up mobile soup kitchens. Our mission there was to give food to over a thousand people in the community.” Jentile said the food relief programme had benefited communities…

SEND-OFF Provincial funeral for MaKotane MOLAOLE MONTSHO ANA Reporter FORMER president Kgalema Motlanthe will deliver the eulogy at a special funeral service for struggle stalwart Rebecca Kotane, the North West provincial government said yesterday. In a statement, the provincial government said Kotane had been accorded a special provincial official funeral category 2. Such funerals are accorded to distinguished people and are designated by the president on request by the premier of a province. As a sign of respect, President Cyril Ramaphosa has instructed that all national flags be flown at half-mast in North West on the day of her funeral. The funeral will take place in Pella, outside Zeerust, today. North West Premier Job Mokgoro and national government ministers Blade Nzimande and Lindiwe Sisulu were expected to deliver speeches and…

21-YEAR-OLD SKIPPED TWO GRADES IN SCHOOL One of SA’s youngest doctors SAMEER NAIK sameer.naik@inl.co.za THAKGALO Thibela is anything but your ordinary 21-year-old. While most people her age are either busy completing their degrees or figuring out what career path they want to follow, Thibela has been on the front line at Helen Joseph Hospital in Joburg saving lives during the Covid-19 pandemic. That’s because Thibela is one of South Africa’s youngest doctors, having recently received her bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery from the University of Witwatersrand. “It’s really challenging,” Thibela told the Saturday Star. “The number of patients who test positive for Covid-19 daily that we have to treat is scary. It’s made worse when people say we are killing their family members when we are…

SOMALIA WHO responds to dengue fever outbreak JOHANNESBURG: The World Health Organization (WHO) Ethiopia has announced that it will be working with the Somali Regional Health Bureau to contain the spread of dengue fever in the region. The WHO said close to 160 confirmed cases have been recorded in Warder Woreda of Dolo zone and 47 suspected cases in Dolo Ado Woreda of Liban zone. Samples of the suspected cases from Dolo Ado have been sent to the regional laboratory in Hawassa for confirmation. The affected zones have a history of dengue fever outbreaks in 2017 and 2018. The weakened nutritional status of the community due to prolonged drought and the resulting reduced resistance to infections, as well as population displacement, were contributing factors to the detected increase in dengue…

ThePeople Nigeria’s candidate closes in on WTO top job GENEVA: Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, pictured, is a step closer to becoming the first African and first woman to lead the World Trade Organization (WTO), after a South Korean rival withdrew yesterday following months of uncertainty over the body’s leadership. Okonjo-Iweala faced opposition from the US administration of former president Donald Trump after a WTO selection panel recommended her as chief in October. The decision required consensus. South Korea’s trade minister Yoo Myung-hee’s withdrawal clears the way for Okonjo-Iweala to be director-general of the global trade watchdog. Okonjo-Iweala said she was looking forward to the conclusion of the race. “There is vital work to do together,” the former finance minister and World Bank executive said, adding that she wanted to focus on…

CARPING POINT Let’s learn from lockdown mistakes KEVIN RITCHIE @RitchKev THE bottle stores opened this week. And the beaches did too. It was wonderful news to that bizarre cross section of Vitamin Dom and Vitamin Entitled protesters at Muizenberg last weekend, to say nothing of the flat earthers who claim this was the straw that tipped the president’s hand. They could close again – if Covid-19 infection levels spiral out of control in new waves before we reach herd immunity. The rationale for closing beaches and banning booze sales was to prevent a breakdown in social distancing. There’s a compelling argument for both over the festive season: If you’re a lifeguard on the beach, it’s a nightmare dealing with drunk drowning people. If you’re a paramedic or an emergency room…

A reach too far for hero’s fans LINDSAY SLOGROVE lindsay.slogrove@inl.co.za COMMENT FIRST you would see a gnarily-handsome giant of a man who is fully aware, but still to his core. Next, unless you were a dull bad guy or a wicked, narcissistic psychopath, would be the watchful eyes, the ones that are slightly etched with life lessons learned and miss nothing. The primal survivor’s instinct that makes his movement fluid, but coiled. He’s the not-homeless, homeless former Army military investigator who aimlessly hitches and busses around the US, discovering miscreants and murderers, sometimes getting the girl for a short time, and vanishing into the night, leaving good people safe and jails (or morgues) full behind him. Aaah, the mighty Jack Reacher. Unless, of course, you only saw the movies. Then, poor…

3 THINGS TO WATCH THIS WEEK MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8 Bake Off – The Professionals S3: BBC Lifestyle at 8pm Once again, judges Cherish Finden and Benoit Blin set exceedingly tricky challenges, to test the teams’ creativity and precision. The competition is whittled down until the best three teams compete to be crowned the winner. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9 First Apocalypse: History at 8.15pm Sixty five million years ago the dinosaurs were wiped out. Over the years there have been a number of theories as to why. Many agree that it could not have been a simple story of a single impact event, followed by complete extinction. Are we doomed to follow in the dinosaurs footsteps or do we face extinction? THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11 Bachelorette South Africa S1: M-Net at 7.30pm Make…

TV GUIDE FOR THE WEEK TODAY  Athletics: IAAF World Indoor Tour: Silver Meeting, Metz Moselle Athlélor, 3.55pm, VR2 Cricket: Women’s Super Smash: Otago Sparks v Northern Spirit, 12.35am, CRI, GSD (1am); Otago Volts v Northern Knights, 4.05am, ACT, GSD (5.05am); Test Series: India v England, First Test, Day 2, 5.45am, VR1; Test Series: Pakistan v South Africa, Second Test, Day 3, 6.45am, CRI, GSD; Abu Dhabi T10: Grand Final, 5.45pm, CRI; Big Bash T20, Final, 10.10am, VR2 Golf: European Tour , Saudi International, Day 3, 11.30am, GOL.(3pm); PGA Tour: Phoenix Open, Day 3, 8pm, GOL, GSD (8.45pm) Hockey: FIH Men’s Pro League: Spain v Belgium, Match 2, 1pm, ACT Rugby: Six Nations: Italy v France, 4.05pm, GSD, RUG; England v Scotland, 6.35pm, GSD; RUG; English Premiership: Bath v Harlequins, 4.10pm, VR1…

SOCCER Maritzburg through to Cup last 16 MARITZBURG United managed a hard-fought 2-1 victory over National First Division’s Sekhukhune United at the Harry Gwala Stadium last night. Maritzburg used the game as an opportunity to hand a competitive debut to new goalkeeper Marcel Engelhardt who joined the club last week from German second-tier side Eintracht Braunschweig. The home side were subdued in the first half, as they failed to trouble Sekhukhune goalkeeper Tapuwa Kapini, who is noted for previous stints in the top-flight with Platinum Stars, AmaZulu and Highlands Park. Maritzburg’s superiority over their opponents started to show in the second half as Tebogo Tlolane put the home side ahead with a left-footed strike from close range. Sibusiso Hlubi showed his goal poaching instincts in the 69th minute to double…

RANDS & SENSE Fight-or-flight response can be dangerous to your wealth ANET AHERN OUR biological reaction to physical danger is a “fight or flight” response that narrows our focus to dealing with the issue at hand. The problem is that we often try to apply this kind of either-or thinking to other aspects of our lives that aren’t suited to this kind of simplification. Volatile markets that fail to provide the returns investors are expecting can stimulate a stress response. As a result, investors are tempted to take action by fleeing to perceived safe-haven assets. But rather than aiming to balance risks, or perhaps hedge for different outcomes, investors often adopt an “all or nothing” position. For example, an investor may opt to switch everything into cash or abandon local…

WINNERS OF RAGING BULL AWARDS FOR PERFORMANCE IN 2020 MANAGEMENT COMPANY AWARDS Raging Bull Award for South African Manager of the Year:  NINETY ONE Certificate for Second-best South African Manager of the Year: MI-PLAN Certificate for Third-best South African Manager of the Year: H4 COLLECTIVE INVESTMENTS Raging Bull Award for Offshore Manager of the Year: T ROWE PRICE AWARDS FOR INDIVIDUAL FUNDS Awards for straight performance over three years to December 31, 2020: ◆ Best South African Equity General Fund: Fairtree Equity Prescient Fund ◆ Best South African Interest-bearing Fund: Absa Bond Fund ◆ Best (South Africa-domiciled) Global Equity General Fund: IP Global Momentum Equity Fund ◆ Best (FSCA-approved) Offshore Global Equity Fund: Anchor Global Equity Fund Awards for risk-adjusted performance over five years to December 31, 2020: ◆ Best…

LONG BEACH FLEXIBLE PRESCIENT FUND Long Beach makes right calls on Covid’s impact Raging Bull Award for the Best South African Multi-asset Flexible Fund on a Risk-adjusted Basis (for performance over five years to December 31, 2020) Raging Bull Certificate for the Best South African Multi-asset Flexible Fund (for straight performance over three years to December 31, 2020) LONG Beach Capital is a boutique asset management company run from Cape Town by executive director and portfolio manager David Hansford. Hansford manages two Prescient white-label unit trust funds: the Long Beach Managed Prescient Fund, a South African high-equity multi-asset fund, and the Long Beach Flexible Prescient Fund, also a South African multi-asset fund, but with the flexibility to hold any asset classes in any proportion. This is the third year in…

ABSA INFLATION BEATER FUND Flexibility and risk-aversion put Absa on top Raging Bull Award for the Best South African Multi-asset Equity Fund on a Risk-adjusted Basis (for performance over five years to December 31, 2020) Raging Bull Certificate for the Best South African Multi-asset Low-equity Fund on a Risk-adjusted Basis (for performance over five years to December 31, 2020) THE Absa Inflation Beater Fund is a conservatively managed low-equity multi-asset fund, targeting a stable, above-inflation return for its investors. It achieved that admirably over the past five years, delivering 7.82% a year and beating its benchmark of Consumer Price Index inflation plus 3% (4.63% + 3% = 7.63%). Although a handful of multi-asset low-, medium- and high-equity funds delivered higher returns over the period, none achieved this level of return…

WORDS ON WEALTH 2020 hindsight: where money was made and lost MARTIN HESSE martin.hesse@inl.co.za FINANCIAL markets fared surprisingly well overall last year, considering the devastating impact of the coronavirus on the global economy, reinforcing the widely held belief that financial markets no longer reflect the “real” economy. The MSCI World Index, which measures the performance of the world’s top companies, was up almost 20% in rand terms for the year. Some of the world’s wealthiest men have vastly increased their fortunes over what for many of us has been a most unhappy period. However, if you delve into the different market sectors, the picture becomes less rosy, for, while some sectors boomed during the pandemic, others, such as the airline and hospitality industries, suffered unprecedented losses, and will take years…

EXPLAINER Classification tells you where and in which asset classes a fund invests UNIT trust funds that are denominated in rands and whose management companies are based in South Africa are subject to the classification system introduced some years ago by the investment industry body, the Association for Savings and Investment South Africa. 1. The first tier of classification is where the fund invests. A fund can be primarily internally focused, on South African markets, or it can be global (it invests outside South Africa), worldwide (it invests anywhere in the world including South Africa), or regional (it invests in a specific region, such as the US or in Africa). 2. The second tier of classification is the broad asset class (or classes) in which a fund invests. This can…

VACCINE Mkhize reveals roll-out plan SIYABONGA MKHWANAZI siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za HEALTH Minister Zweli Mkhize says they want to ramp up the vaccination of the people with provinces indicating they were ready to roll out their plans. Mkhize told members of the health portfolio committee yesterday the sooner they start with the vaccination programme the better as countries are clamouring for vaccines across the globe. This has led to some of the countries in Europe urging that vaccines not be exported until they have supplied all countries in the queue in that continent. Mkhize said they were still committed to vaccinate 40 million by the end of the year. He said after the first consignment of one million doses arrived from the Serum Institute of India this week, another batch of 500 000…

CRIME Jailed couple abused offspring JONISAYI MAROMO THE PRETORIA North Regional Court has sentenced a couple from Doornpoort to two life terms and 22 years’ imprisonment each for various sexual offences, abuse of their own two children and drug possession. Lumka Mahanjana,spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in the Gauteng north region, on Friday said the couple – a 39-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman – were found guilty of rape, compelled rape, sexual assault, sexual grooming, flashing, child neglect and possession of drugs. “These sexual abuse offences were committed on their own children, a 5-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy, in 2014. The parents performed gory sexual acts on the children, made the children commit sexual acts to them as parents, to each other as children and forced…

ICYMI | IOL.CO.ZA HIJACKING DATA I managed to escape a violent carjacking. It was a very traumatizing point in my life and it made me realized that many women in South Africa are affected by crimes like this.DEMI-LEIGH NEL-PETERS Data shows most hijackings are reported between Wednesday and Friday, between the hours of 4pm and 8pm. This correlates with insights from the National Hijacking Prevention Academy, which said hijackings peak on Fridays between 4pm and 8pm. Go to: www.iol.co.za/motoring/industry-news…

HEALTH SA still battling to contain TB scourge GOITSEMANG TLHABYE goitsemang.tlhabye@inll.co.za THE latest TB prevalence survey results have revealed that South Africa is still battling to curb the disease, with many people still showing no symptoms and going undetected. The report, released by Department of Health, was made public yesterday despite being completed in February last year. Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize said the delay was caused by the department having to shift gears and focus on the pressures of responding to the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic. In detailing the results of the survey, Dr Sizulu Moyo of the Human Sciences Research Council said they found that the disease was more prevalent in men than in women, by 1.6%. Moyo said this was especially the case for men between…

ICYMI | IOL.CO.ZA KEEPING THE ROMANCE ALIVE I love love. Every day of my life is Valentine’s Day. When you’re a pathological narcissist, you have to fall in love with yourself every day.KATYA ZAMOLODCHIKOVA Impress your loved one this Valentine’s Day with these romantic date night ideas. While you might miss gazing into each other’s eyes over a crème brulée from your favourite restaurant, there are other ways to keep the romance alive. Go to: www.iol.co.za/lifestyle/love-sex/relationships…

Forbes Women Summit goes digital THIS year’s Forbes Women Africa’s Leading Women Summit will go virtual and look at ways that women can explore the power of the collective in resetting Africa’s priorities after a year of Covid-19 disruption. In honour of International Women’s Day, the summit will be held as a free virtual event on March 8 and 9 and is anticipated to draw an audience of more than 2 000 people. This year’s theme, “Africa Reloaded: The Power of The Collective”, will “through hard-hitting talks, fireside chats and insightful panel sessions” look back on the year that changed everything, but look forward to a new path of recovery, growth and inclusivity on the continent. Last year, the summit drew a diverse range of speakers, from business, technology, the…

EUROPE Hi-tech lie detector used at borders faces scrutiny A LIE detector driven by artificial intelligence and trialled at EU borders is the focus of a lawsuit that hopes to bring more transparency over the bloc’s funding of “ethically questionable” technology, its proponent said. Patrick Breyer, a European lawmaker, is requesting the release of EU Research Agency (REA) documents evaluating the E 4.5 million (about R81m) trial of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) lie detectors to ramp up EU border security. “I want to create a precedent to make sure that the public … can access information on EU-funded research,” said Breyer, of Germany’s Pirate Party, who has described the technology as a “pseudo-scientific security hocus pocus”. The EU’s top court started hearing the case yesterday. The iBorderCtrl trial,…

ICYMI | IOL.CO.ZA FAREWELL CAPTAIN TOM One of the advantages of being disorganised is that one is always having surprising discoveriesA A MILNE English author (1882-1956) Captain Tom Moore, the British WWII veteran who raised millions of pounds for health service workers on the frontline of the battle against the coronavirus, died this week aged 100 after contracting Covid-19. Moore struck a chord by walking around his garden with the help of a frame to raise £38.9 million (R797m) for the National Health Service. See http://biit.ly/CaptTomObit…

EDITORIAL Start of SA’s own Tea Party WAS yesterday’s meeting between former president Jacob Zuma and EFF leader Julius Malema the start of forming South Africa’s own Tea Party? Before the tweets which heralded the meeting, few would have predicted that Zuma and Malema would ever again have anything in common to discuss over tea. A day is a long time in politics, let alone the years which have elapsed since Malema said, on being kicked out of the ANC, that he had warned us about Zuma. A man for all seasons, Malema is not. Rather, he is a blade of grass bending the way of the prevailing wind. First, he was prepared to die and kill for Zuma. Four years later, as their relationship soured, he accused Zuma of…

BOOK Ethan Hawke turns his acting experience – and past infidelities – into brilliant fiction FINALLY, a novel about the travails of a successful white guy! What could pull the heartstrings of our afflicted world tighter than a story of brief, emotional setback suffered by a handsome movie star? Ethan Hawke has got a lot of nerve. But he’s also got a lot of talent. The actor and director, who made his screen debut at 15, has published several books during his acclaimed Hollywood career, and he recently produced and starred in a spectacular TV adaptation of James McBride’s The Good Lord Bird. But Hawke is also known as the man who cheated on Uma Thurman and offered loutish excuses about the sexual needs of great men like Martin Luther…

› SIX NATIONS THIN LINE BETWEEN LOVE AND HATE ABOUT SIX NATIONS MARK KEOHANE EPA-EFE THERE isn’t a heck of a lot I hate about rugby’s Six Nations. I have a lot of love for international rugby’s oldest and, for me, grandest tournament. Of those irritations that could be interpreted as hate is the continued presence of Italy in a tournament in which they simply have never been good enough. I have a soft spot for the Italians. Who wouldn’t? How depressing it must be to prepare for a tournament every season knowing you are going to take a beating. Former Springbok Franco Smith coaches Italy and former Springbok coach Nick Mallett also took charge of Italy for five years. Mallett managed one famous win against France but even he…

CRICKET Dolphins and Lions share MODC Cup after washout THE Dolphins and the Lions were crowned joint-Momentum One-Day Cup champions for 2020/21 after their final showdown was rained out after 55.2 overs in Potchefstroom yesterday. The match had been moved to the reserve day after Thursday’s scheduled clash had to be abandoned without a ball being bowled following wet weather at Senwes Park, which was hosting the competition in a bio-secure environment. The heavy rain had at least cleared sufficiently to get a 45-over per side game going with the Lions batting first after they lost the toss and being restricted to 225/7. In reply, the defending champions reached 37/2 in 10.2 overs, before the skies opened again, forcing the players off one final time in what has been a…

WINNERS OF RAGING BULL CERTIFICATES FOR PERFORMANCE IN 2020 Certificates for straight performance over three years to December 31, 2020 ◆ Best South African Equity Resources Fund: Ninety One Commodity Fund ◆ Best South African Equity Mid- and Small-Cap Fund: Coronation Smaller Companies Fund ◆ Best South African Multi-asset Flexible Fund: Long Beach Flexible Prescient Fund ◆ Best South African Multi-asset Low-equity Fund: Amplify SCI Wealth Protector Fund ◆ Best South African Multi-asset Medium-equity Fund: Foord Conservative Fund ◆ Best South African Multi-asset High-equity Fund: Long Beach Managed Prescient Fund ◆ Best South African Multi-asset Income Fund: Sasfin BCI Flexible Income Fund ◆ Best South African Interest-bearing Short-term Fund: Truffle SCI Income Plus Fund ◆ Best South African Interest-bearing Variable-term Fund: Absa Bond Fund ◆ Best (SA-domiciled) Global Multi-asset Flexible…

ANCHOR GLOBAL EQUITY FUND Shift to ‘multibaggers’ gives Anchor fund the edge Raging Bull Award for the Best (FSCA-approved) Offshore Global Equity Fund (for straight performance over three years to December 31, 2020) THE Anchor Group is a South African asset management company that offers a select range of unit trusts to investors, including an offshore range domiciled in Ireland and denominated in US dollars. Its offshore Global Equity Fund was launched in 2015 and uses the MSCI All Country World Total Return Index as its benchmark. The fund, which is aimed at the investor who can withstand the short-term volatility associated with a global equity fund in order to reap superior rewards over the long term, delivered 90.9% (in US dollars) in 2020, and averaged 29% a year over…

ABSA BOND FUND Experience and research pay off for bond fund Raging Bull Award for the Best South African Interest-bearing Fund (for straight performance over three years to December 31, 2020) Raging Bull Certificate for the Best South African Interest-bearing Variable-term Fund (for straight performance over three years to December 31, 2020) Raging Bull Certificate for the Best South African Interest-bearing Variable-term Fund on a Risk-adjusted Basis (for performance over five years to December 31, 2020) THE Absa Bond Fund is a specialist fixed-income fund that provides affordable access to the South African bond market. It is ideal for investors with a medium- to long-term investment horizon who seek lower risk than an equity fund, or who need diversification from the equity market. According to ProfileData, the fund delivered 10.39%…

PSG WEALTH GLOBAL FLEXIBLE FUND OF FUNDS Diversifying risk enables PSG fund to shine Raging Bull Award for the Best (FSCA-approved) Offshore Global Asset Allocation Fund on a Risk-adjusted Basis (for performance over five years to December 31, 2020) PSG Wealth’s offshore funds of funds are domiciled in Malta, but the manager selection and research is handled by its multi-management team, based in Gauteng. The PSG Wealth Global Flexible Fund of Funds is denominated in US dollars, with another version of the fund denominated in British pounds. The fund delivered 11.6% a year, after fees, in US dollars for the five years to the end of 2020. This compares favourably with the 4.9% a year of its benchmark, the average of its flexible global fund peers. A fund of funds…