Innholdsfortegnelse for 2022-07-21 i Pretoria News

CONSUMERS should brace themselves for further price hikes as the cost of living in South Africa is expected to remain elevated for the remainder of the year and only ease somewhat in the last three months. This as the headline consumer inflation surged to a 13-year high in June driven by rising fuel and food prices. Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) yesterday said the annual inflation rate in South Africa quickened to 7.4 percent in June from 6.5 percent in May, rising above market expectations of 7.2 percent. This was the highest rate since May 2009 when the rate was 8 percent and the economy was facing the headwind of currency depreciation during the global financial crisis. StatsSA said prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages rose…

KENHARDT, the sleepy but arid town in the Northern Cape that bloomed from under a camel-thorn tree, is being put on the map for the most spectacular renewable energy project after the Norwegian group, Scatec, was first out of the blocks as it builds a R16 billion renewable energy facility. The company announced yesterday that it had reached financial close with the financing in place for its Kenhardt projects – Scatec projects Kenhardt 1, 2 and 3 – under the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme after signing all the project agreements on June 2. The project will deliver 150MW of PV Solar Energy, with 1.1GW of battery storage, which will be sold to power utility Eskom amid a power shortage in South Africa. The project –…

BANKS must come to the party amid the slow pace of transformation, which was dictated by those who owned the economy and assets, Black Business Council (BBC) vice-president Gregory Mofokeng said yesterday. Mofokeng was speaking during a panel discussion at the launch of the second 2022 Sanlam Gauge report held yesterday. The panel speakers included information and communications technology sector council chairperson Andile Tlhoaele and financial sector transformation council chief executive, Pumla Ncapayi. “If I own a company, I decide whom to sell it to at what price. What do black people own to transform the country? Black people and the government are blamed for the lack of transformation. The people who decide whom to sell to are the owners of the assets,” he said. Mofokeng said when the assets…

Tembisa residents embark on a service delivery protest, damaging public property Angry residents of Tembisa in Ekurhuleni embarked on a violent protest yesterday, saying they are sick and tired of the shortage of electricity and other service delivery related issues. Most of the streets in the area were barricaded by burning tyres, rocks, stones, tree branches and other debris, making it impossible for motorists to drive in or out of the township. Gauteng provincial SAPS spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo said a large police contingent was deployed to maintain calm. He added that the situation is calm but still tense. ”As we speak we are hungry and we are deprived of electricity – for what reason we don’t know. Rent is too expensive… we are not coping,” said one woman protester.…

MORE than 30 schools in Gauteng are still using the platoon system, despite the lifting of lockdown restrictions and President Cyril Ramaphosa’s order for the return to normal schooling throughout the country in April. This was revealed by the Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi in his written reply to questions by DA spokesperson on education Khume Ramulifho in the legislature. Ramulifho asked Lesufi for details about the number of rotational learning schools, after Minister of Education Angie Motshekga declared all learners must return to normal schooling. In reply, Lesufi gave a list of 38 schools on rotational learning, saying 19 of the 38 schools managed to return to school full time, leaving the other 19 on rotational learning. “However, 15 new schools have moved from full time attendance to rotational…

Right now fuel prices are laughing at the previous record highs that we complained about not too long ago – how we all feared that R20-per-litre doomsday – and just about everything seems to be inflating at a rapid rate, except most of our incomes. In these tough times it’s tempting to look at cars that are classified as fuel savers, and while you might say these little hatchbacks are as cute as garden gnomes, they’re unfortunately also not much bigger. Not the kind of cars that most South Africans like to buy, especially those with families to lug around. After spending a week with the recently updated Toyota Starlet, it occurred to me that this is the perfect car for the times. It’s about the size of a Polo,…

Standing in the blistering spring sun on a sports field in Gugulethu in October 1999, we had come to bury our leader and comrade, Wanga Sigila. Paying tribute to Sigila, who was the deputy president of the South African Students Congress (Sasco) when he met his untimely death in a car accident, then ANC Youth League president Malusi Gigaba said: “It was for this reason that his entire young life was devoted to struggle. As he struggled to change the conditions in which he studied; as he struggled to change the education system to make it accessible to the majority of black youth, in particular; as he fought for a universal and quality education and training, he was driven by this deep desire to build a better life, not just…

ALMOST 12 000 people have signed an online petition calling for the United States Tennis Association (USTA) to work with the country's government to allow Novak Djokovic to compete in the US Open despite his refusal to take the Covid-19 vaccine. Djokovic will not be able to participate in the year's final Grand Slam due to current rules under which travellers seeking to enter the US have to be fully vaccinated and provide proof before boarding flights. The 21-time major champion won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon titles in 2021 but was unable to defend his Melbourne Park crown this year after being deported from Australia over his vaccination status in January. "There is absolutely no reason at this stage of the pandemic to not allow Djokovic to…

THE new South African T20 League will have a “number of leading players” among the participants according to the League’s commissioner Graeme Smith. Yesterday, Cricket South Africa confirmed the backing of six IPL teams for the franchises that will participate in the competition. “The strong sports background of the respective owners and the global brands they manage ensures that South African cricket and the broader industry will benefit from their expertise and resources, as they bring stability and experience to the League,” Smith said in a statement. The six teams will be based in Johannesburg, Centurion, Paarl, Gqeberha, Cape Town and Durban, copying the venues which hosted the now defunct Mzansi Super League, which was CSA’s previous attempt at creating a T20 franchise competition. Cricket SA said that an open…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has come out in full support of the black economic empowerment (BEE) laws in South Africa as one of the means to achieve inclusive economic growth. Ramaphosa yesterday said that black businesses should have a seat at the table and enjoy meaningful and equitable participation in the economy without any barriers. Next year South Africa will mark 20 years since the adoption of the BEE Act. Ramaphosa said an economy that only benefited a few, and did not reflect the country’s demography, would never be sustainable or dynamic. “There can be no growth without economic inclusion and without a business sector that reflects the diversity of our people and our society,” Ramaphosa said. “There can be no inclusive recovery and reconstruction unless broad-based black economic empowerment is…

NEDBANK Group said basic earnings per share (Eps) and headline earnings per share (Heps) were expected to increase by more than 20 percent in the six months to June 30, 2022, when compared with those in the six months to June 30, 2021. Basic Eps was expected to increase by 28 to 33 percent, resulting in a range of between 1 384 to 1 438 cents per share compared with the prior period figure of 1 081c per share. Heps was expected to increase by 23 to 28 percent resulting in a range of between 1 333 to 1 388c per share when compared with the prior period of 1 084c per share. The interim results are expected to be released…

The chill of winter can be hard on the feet. The skin on your feet is typically drier than the rest of the body, primarily because there are no oil glands underneath your feet to keep it naturally hydrated. Spa experts from Granny Mouse Country House & Spa have compiled some of their best tips for healthy feet this winter. They caution that the cold winter weather can have a harmful effect on your feet, if not taken care of correctly. They note that as the weather turns colder by the day, it’s important to keep your feet clean, warm and dry, and this is especially important for people with circulation problems, such as Raynaud’s syndrome, the elderly, and those living with diabetes. Nail care Cut your toenails in a…

A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY police team intercepted an Audi A4 which was hijacked in Sunnyside and went on to confiscate two more stolen vehicles. Spokesperson for the Hawks, Colonel Katlego Mogale said the Audi A4, that was on the police’s radar, was monitored on Tuesday night heading to Joburg and escorted by a Toyota Corolla with Lesotho registration plates. Shed said: “Two suspects, aged 39 and 45, were arrested in a multi-disciplinary operation intelligence-driven operation conducted by the Hawks’ tactical operations management section, together with Crime Intelligence, Gauteng Traffic Police saturation unit, SAPS Gauteng highway patrol, Tracker Connect, Tshwane Metro Police K9, Badboyz Security Group, Falcon Risk Solutions, Vision Tactical Security, and Insurance Crime Bureau when four vehicles and drugs were recovered. “The team received information regarding an Audi A4 which was…

THE relevant ANC structures are set to process a memorandum from some of the governing party’s aggrieved members, who are demanding that President Cyril Ramaphosa be expelled from the party and as head of state. The members, who handed in their memorandum at Luthuli House in Johannesburg last Friday, have told Pretoria News that they plan to organise mass action across the country if their demands are not met. According to the chief organiser of the march, Senzo Nkabinde, they had extended their earlier 48-hour deadline for Luthuli House to act against Ramaphosa. “The ANC has now been given until the end of Thursday to ensure that Comrade Cyril Ramaphosa is expelled as head of the party. We also want him to be recalled as head of state because he…

Hyundai certainly has some magic under the bonnets of its cars. The engines are capable, quiet and seem to be able to run off the whisper of a rumour of fuel. Take the Hyundai Grand Creta 1.5D for example. When I had IOL’s test model delivered, it was sitting on an average of 6.5l/100km. I took it down to 5.5 – a car this large should not be using so little fuel. It beggars belief. And the diesel engine is both quiet and smooth. Yes, under hard acceleration you’re going to hear it moan a little, but this is not a car you’re going to be accelerating hard in (unless you’re in Sport mode, but more about that later). But let’s talk about what the Grand Creta is. It’s… well……

GOING head-to-head with defending champion and gold-medal favourite Noah Lyles nearly derailed Luxolo Adams’ quest to reach the 200m final at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon on Tuesday night. Lining up in a favourable lane six draw, Adams had a tough task to gain automatic qualification – finish in the top two. Against Lyles and another American Kenny Bednarek as well as Trinidad and Tobago star Jereem Richards, it was a tall order. But going into the event at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon, Adams would have great confidence after clocking an outstanding 19.82 second personal best to win the Paris Diamond League meeting, which ranks him in fifth position in the world in 2022 – behind American teenager Erriyon Knighton (19.49), Lyles (19.61), Cuban Reynier…

It could be a long time before the Springboks have as good a chance of winning the Rugby Championship as they do in 2022. Considering the draw and the form of the four teams, the Boks really ought to cash in and win a Championship title that will set them up nicely for a charge towards next year’s World Cup. The Boks start with two home matches against the out-of-sorts All Blacks, they then have a two-match visit to Australia, a country where the South Africans are long overdue some victories, and then they finish with matches against Argentina, one in Buenos Aires and one in Durban. After the recent northern hemisphere invasion of the south, the All Blacks were soundly beaten by Ireland, Australia looked very iffy in losing…

SEVERAL members of the media spewed vitriol in the aftermath of South Africa's controversial Wafcon semi-final win over Zambia at the Mohammed V Stadium, in Casablanca, Morocco, on Monday night. Four minutes into added time, South Africa were awarded a penalty after Fifa accredited referee Lidya Abebe was made aware of a foul on her earphones by the officials operating VAR (Video Assistant Referee). After reviewing the play on the pitchside monitor Abebe, who refereed at the 2019 Fifa Women's World Cup in France, awarded South Africa's Banyana a penalty. Banyana winger Linda Motlhalo, aka 'Randfontein Ronaldinho', stepped up and netted from the spot. Motlhalo, who plays for Swedish club Djurgardens, was also crowned Player of the Match. The 1-0 scoreline remained unchanged in the remaining time and…

THE MAJORITY union at power utility Eskom, the National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (Numsa), yesterday said that it was perplexed by the Department of Public Enterprises’ SOS call to Solidarity to help fill a skills shortage linked to “aggressive transformation”. Trade union Solidarity earlier this year offered to help Department of Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan to recruit at least scarce skills for the power utility, saying it had a list of more than 1 000 skilled people who were willing to assist and would set up a panel to select the top 100 people. Reports emerged yesterday that the minister had formally requested Solidarity to help with the recruitment of power station engineers – including mechanical, nuclear, electrical, system and maintenance skills – as well…

THE COUNTRY achieved a record six months without a mining fatality caused by a fall-of-ground (FOG) in gold and platinum mines, the Minerals Council South Africa said yesterday. This built on the record performance in the first three months of 2022 when a single person was killed in a FOG incident in the coal sector. “The leadership initiatives and the implementation of strategies, leading practices, and the Minerals Council-led FOG Action Plan to mitigate incidents have resulted in no fatalities in the gold and platinum mines for the first six months of the year,” it said. The entire industry was FOG fatality-free in the second quarter of the year. The council said its data showed that 23 employees had died in the year to date (July 18) compared to 29…

Cape Town restaurant Fyn has secured the 37th spot in the 2022 list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. This year’s winners were revealed at an awards ceremony in London on Sunday, crowning the fine-dining restaurant that sets out to mould the wildness and beauty of South Africa as one of the top dining establishments in the world. It was in April, as co-owner Peter Tempelhoff was visiting his family in Durban, that a call from his team came in. They had spotted an email headed “The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2022” followed by a confidentiality warning. “Surreal” doesn’t begin to describe the moments that followed. “We had to read it and re-read it a few times, sending it to each other to pick it apart and ensure there was…

The Insurance and Banking Staff Association (Ibsa), a union representing workers in the banking sector, has slammed Standard Bank’s decision to close the banking facilities of Sekunjalo Group’s Independent Media. This comes in the wake of a notice of intention issued by the bank to sever its relationship with one of South Africa’s oldest publishers. The union’s legal head, Luke Bradley, said the move threatened to put at risk about 1 400 jobs of workers and their dependants. He said Ibsa was concerned that the development was also likely to encroach upon media freedom. “In a democratic South Africa, we are all entitled to freedom of speech and Ibsa is severely concerned whenever such freedom is put in danger or encroached upon,” he said. Bradley said the union advocated for…

The SACP, Cosatu and the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) have called on delegates attending the provincial elections of the ANC over the weekend to be wary of vote-buying. In a joint media statement issued ahead of the much-anticipated ANC provincial conference, the alliance bloc said delegates must emerge from this conference with leadership that will tirelessly work for the strength of the alliance across all regions, saying the uncontrollable desire to accumulate wealth and use of money ahead of the conference should be discouraged. The bodies said they remained concerned about many slates that have been circulating over the past few months, saying this was a clear indication of a lack of unity and, to put it simply, the lack of strong leadership in the province. They said…

A DISPUTE between the Rand Water Board and the homeowner in the upmarket Pretoria East Woodhill Estate and Country Club over a servitude has landed in court. Rand Water said it needed to lay an additional water pipe to service the area, but could not do so as one of the properties in the estate was in the way. The legal wrangle involves a notarial deed of servitude registered in December 1997 in favour of Rand Water over a portion of the Farm Garsfontein 374, which now comprises the Woodhill Estate. According to Rand Water, it requires use of, among others, this servitude to lay a further pipeline within it to cater for the increasing demand for water owing to what it describes as the “increasing population growth and township…

With his eye firmly on a trip to Thailand for the U23 World Wheelchair Basketball Championship, Wiseman Dlamini said learning and bringing the knowledge home was at the top of his mind. The sportsman, a wheelchair player and coach of the Diesel Electric Services Eagles basketball team, is part of the Gauteng wheelchair basketball team for senior men. He said he needed the public to help him achieve this dream. Dlamini, a team manager for the national basketball team for senior men, said the event was set to take place from August 30 to September 17. “I need to raise around R35 000 for flights and accommodation.” The flight tickets cost R10 000 for the return trip, and accommodation could be negotiated at a special rate of $70 (about R1…

The Suzuki Ertiga is one of Mzansi’s most affordable seven-seat people movers and for the 2022 model year the compact MPV range has been realigned, in a way that Suzuki feels is more in tune with what buyers want in this segment. Previously you could buy a Suzuki Ertiga in three specification flavours – GA, GL and GLX – but now the latter has been dropped in favour of an up-specced GL, which also gets some visual enhancements such as a new patterned chrome grille and brand new 15-inch alloy wheels with chrome detailing. The value leader is still the GA, which has gone up in price from R247 900 to R254 900, but it’s still cheaper than the Toyota Rumion equivalent that retails at R260 600. Standard features in…

RASSIE van der Dussen may not have had the amount of game time he desired at the Indian Premier League, but he did not sit around sulking for the two months spent in India. Van der Dussen, who plays with England captain Jos Buttler at the Rajasthan Royals, poured his energies into his fitness regime to prepare for the international season with the Proteas. Van der Dussen was often seen post matches doing drills in the searing subcontinent heat while also hitting the crossfit sessions hard in the gym with his personal trainer. After a belated start to his international career, the 33-year-old takes immense pride in his physical preparation. It is arguably the secret behind his success, particularly in the ODI arena, where Van der Dussen boasts the world’s…

HENRIK Stenson was yesterday stripped of the captaincy of the European Ryder Cup team, with the Swede understood to be on the verge of joining the Saudi-funded rebel LIV Golf series. Following discussions with Ryder Cup Europe officials, the decision was made to effectively sack the 46-year-old as skipper of the team for the event in Italy next year. The move will deepen the rifts in a sport wracked by internal division, with a growing number of major stars defecting to the lucrative new circuit. Ryder Cup Europe said in a statement that Stenson’s tenure as captain for the competition against the United States in Rome next year had been brought to an end “with immediate effect”. “In light of decisions made by Henrik in relation to his personal circumstances,…