Innholdsfortegnelse for 2022-09-15 i Pretoria News

‘Not much confidence that Mango will be back in the skies by December’, says MP THE hard sell by Mango Airlines’ Business Rescue Practitioner (BRP) to the Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises on the low-cost carrier being able to take to the South African skies by December went down like a lead balloon yesterday. MP Jeanette Komane said: “There is not much confidence that Mango will be back in the skies by December.” The committee tore apart the optimistic BRP Sipho Sono’s promise to bring a private sector partner to the party that would purchase a 100 percent stake in the State-owned carrier, which has not turned a profit since 2018. Mango also has no assets to boost confidence in returning to the market, except for its brand value.…

A WAR OF the malt is brewing ahead of the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) next month after South Africa’s beer industry has called on Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to consider taxing beer differently to wine in line with inflation-based excise duty increases. This as the beer industry earlier this week said it would take another two years to recover from the economic hangover of the Covid-19 pandemic, which did immense damage in terms of sales, jobs and growth. The Beer Association of South Africa (Basa), in its submission and presen- tation on the 2022 Draft Tax Bills to the Standing Committee on Finance in Parliament, yesterday also called for South African policy commitment to a three-year inflation-based increase strategy. Basa’s membership includes: The Craft Brewers Association of South…

BALWIN Properties’s share price leapt 8 percent yesterday after it said it expected its interim earnings to increase up to 50 percent, despite the challenging macro-economic factors and the construction price inflation experienced in the industry. The share price closed the day at R2.70 on the JSE. In its trading statement for the six months ended August 31, 2022, the group said consolidated earnings per share and headline earnings per share for the period were expected to increase by between 45 and 50 percent over the prior corresponding period. This translated into an increase from the prior financial period’s 24.95 cents to a range of between 36.18c and 37.43c per share.…

Dance music DJ and producer Prince Kaybee has announced the launch of his very own wine, which he’s dubbed Milani. The wine is available on the multi platinum and award-winning artist’s online store. There is no indication of if and when it’ll be made available in stores. “So excited we are finally here,” he posted on Twitter. “Thank you to all the men and women back at the farm who have made this possible. Today I’m announcing that the Milani Wine is now available on our very own online store. Purchase here: bluecrane.co.za.” Since he broke the news, “Prince Kaybee” has been trending on Twitter with tweeps congratulating the 33-year-old for the latest accomplishment. Social media blogger Chris Excel shared a video of him meeting workers at his farm. “Historic…

Defence suppresses State’s bid to have witness point out accused in court SENZO Meyiwa’s friend Tumelo Madlala yesterday hinted that the person who shot the football star was in the courtroom. This followed attempts by the State to have Madlala point out any of the accused he recognised in the dock, which was suppressed by the defence legal counsel. However, he did indicate that the reason why he had requested a break during Tuesday’s proceedings was that he was annoyed at being in the same room as the gunman. Madlala informed the court that he took part in an identity parade as well as a facial recognition Identikit exercise days after the incident. Earlier, he testified that legendary music producer Chicco Twala offered Kelly Khumalo, Meyiwa’s girlfriend at the time,…

FORMER head of the Gauteng Department of Health Dr Barney Selebano yesterday said that while in retrospect some things could have been done differently, he was not sure whether the moving of mental health patients from Life Esidimeni facilities to NGOs was rushed or not. Selebano told the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, that a lot of planning preceded the moving of the patients, and various stakeholders had held meetings on this since April 2015. “I don’t know if I would describe this (the moving of patients) as a rush,” Selebano told Judge Mmonoa Teffo during the virtual inquest proceedings. He was yesterday questioned by advocate Nasreen Rajab-Budlender, on behalf of the families of 44 mental health patients who died after they were moved from Life Esidimeni facilities in Gauteng…

ESKOM has justified calling out the City of Tshwane for non-payment of a staggering R1.6 billion debt, saying it had previously taken the same stance against other defaulting municipalities. The embattled power utility was responding to questions regarding its recent media statement in which it singled out the Tshwane metro for its outstanding debt while it never mentioned other municipalities in the same financial trouble with the entity. This was in light of the information that there were at least eight municipalities with outstanding debt for bulk power supply. Gauteng finance and e-government MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko recently highlighted information regarding defaulting municipalities in written responses to questions asked at the legislature. The information showed that Emfuleni Local Municipality had unsettled debt of R5bn, making it the worst debtor by far.…

WHEN you haven’t been selling cars for very long and you start to kick more recognised manufacturers down the sales charts, then you know you’re doing something right. Which is precisely what Chinese manufacturer Haval has been doing the last few months with its value-for-money offerings that have seen South Africans opt for the “newcomer” over the more tried and tested brands. We’re a sucker for a bargain and even more so if it means we’re getting more bang for our buck when we slide behind the steering wheel. Because since the brand entered the market in 2017 Haval has been selling its cars with almost every option as standard at a price point not many can match. It’s also the case with the H6 2.0T Luxury 7DCT 4WD model…

IF Dean Elgar hopes to become just the ninth South African to play 100 Test matches, he’ll have to stay fit and stay in form until October 2025. South Africa is scheduled to play two Tests in Pakistan that month, Elgar’s 21st in a period starting with this summer’s three Test series in Australia. And that illustrates part of the problem for the Proteas as they seek to remain relevant as a Test nation, while trying to balance achieving results with giving players the opportunity to find their feet at international level. The series with England provided an example of the kind of thing Ben Stokes’ team can do and South Africa can’t. Opener Zak Crawley came into that series under pressure, and that pressure continued up until his fluent…

CEMENT producer PPC’s shares tumbled 4.2 percent after it said that without a significant increase in infrastructure investments, cement demand in South Africa was expected to remain subdued. PPC clarified in a presentation to RMB Morgan Stanley, released on Wednesday, that it estimated domestic cement demand growth of 2.5 percent a year. This as the average selling price of cement increased by 5 percent during the five months to August 31, 2022. This was insufficient to fully offset the impact of input cost inflation as the cash cost of sales increased by low double digits in percentage terms, the firm said. “PPC will continue its efforts to counter input price inflation through price adjustments, operational efficiencies and improved industrial performance,” the group said. It also planned to…

RETAIL sales rose 8.6 percent year-on-year in July, higher on last year riot’s base effects, after falling by a revised 2.3 percent in June, Statistics South Africa data showed yesterday. However, the large annual increase in sales volumes was primarily due to base effects, induced by the July 2021 riots, Siphamandla Mkhwanazi, an FNB Senior economist, said yesterday. On a month-on-month basis, sales were down 0.1 percent, while sales in the three months to the end of July were up 1.8 percent compared with the corresponding period last year. The largest positive annual growth rates were recorded for retailers in food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores (28.5 percent); retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (13.9 percent); and general dealers (8.2…

It is hardly news that exercise is great for your overall health and mental well-being. Another motivation to get moving: regular exercise is one of the keys to healthy glowing skin. If the benefits of regular exercise for your summer body aren’t enough to motivate you to wake up early, have you ever considered that working out is one of the best things you can do to keep beautiful, healthy skin. Whether you’re going for a hike or lifting weights at the gym, exercise will give you the confidence that comes with a no-filter complexion. Furthermore, now that the warmer weather has arrived, it is difficult to justify those ‘oh I don’t feel like it’ excuses, explains Daria Jelavic, FOREO’s PR manager for the Middle East and Africa region. Healthy…

THE calls for President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign are mounting, with billionaire entrepreneur Rob Hersov saying the president must immediately vacate office because he is “useless, spineless” and an embarrassment. Hersov went as far as describing Ramaphosa as a failure, disgrace, and a disappointment and labelled his Cabinet as “clowns”. In addition, the businessman said the country had a failed economy and was bordering on becoming a mafia state. However, the president is showing signs that he is not fazed. Hersov was speaking at the BizNews Conference this week. He also conceded that every time he stood up and spoke at conferences like this, he lost friends and contacts, and it cost him a lot of money. “So I don’t know why I’m doing this, and if you see…

THE EFF Student Command at the University of Limpopo has been elected to lead the Student Representative Council (SRC) in a crushing defeat of ANC-aligned South African Student Congress (Sasco) this week. The student movement won 13 seats out of 17 seats during the SRC elections with a walloping 9 466 votes. Sasco only got three seats, with 1 966 votes. The new structure of the SRC will be led by Vincent Makamu as president and Kgaogelo Nkabinde as deputy president. Kgamogelo Wesley Tshantsha was elected secretary, Joy Maphoku Tjaji as deputy secretary and Mpho Manteke Ramodike as treasurer. Political analyst Sise Majola insists that EFF’s victory in the previously Sasco stronghold says a lot about the ANC’s loss of power in the run-up to the general election in 2024.…

At last year’s Fortuner Challenge, Annerie Kemp was crowned as the winner of the Challenge, walking away with South Africa’s most popular SUV and dedicating the win to her husband, who started chemotherapy on her victorious day. Kemp, who is a commercial pilot, said she initially wanted to buy the car for her husband, but her financial situation took a wild turn when her company grounded flights due to the coronavirus pandemic. So instead, she looked for other ways to get a Fortuner, and she entered the competition with a clear objective – to win the car for her husband. “My husband had chemotherapy today and we actually wanted to buy a Fortuner two months ago and then with work, and Covid-19 and everything, it closed down – my job,…

WHEN former Ireland international and current Harlequins defence coach Jerry Flannery described Andre Esterhuizen as a tighthead prop playing in a No 12 jersey, there would be many a centre nodding in agreement, particularly those who have had to tackle the prime slab of Klerksdorp beef. Esterhuizen truly is a freak for a backline player — he is 114kgs and just under 2m tall and has pace to burn — and his value can be seen in the difficulty the Sharks have had in replacing him since he left for the Harlequins. Esterhuizen had been at the Sharks since he finished school at Klerksdorp High in 2013 and he amassed 97 caps (Super Rugby and Currie Cup) in Durban before taking advantage of the transfer window that opened in South…

TIOTTENHAM Hotspur coach Antonio Conte said his side were punished for their errors in a 2-0 Champions League defeat to Sporting on Tuesday but added that they have made progress in Europe since last year. Spurs, who played in the Europa Conference League last season, created the better chances before Sporting substitutes Paulinho and Arthur Gomes scored in added time to inflict a first defeat of the season on the London club. "The level of the Champions League is high. It's very high. You know that to play in this competition you have to reduce the mistakes, because at the end you can pay," Conte told reporters. "Tonight we paid a lot and now we are talking about a loss against a team that showed (they are) used to playing…

THE MINERALS Council South Africa said yesterday that it had launched an internal emergency Minerals Council Jagersfontein Relief Fund for its members to contribute towards urgent humanitarian assistance, the clean-up of the affected area, and assist with the reconstruction of infrastructure after the collapse of a tailings dam at the Free State town. The Minerals Council said it set a target of R50 million for the Jagersfontein Relief Fund and it had requested contributions from its member companies and associations. The historic dam tailings collapsed on Sunday, in the Kopanong Local Municipality in the Free State, leading to the death of one person, and the displacement of many others. The cause of the collapse has yet to be determined. The mine’s tailings dam collapsed at about 6am on Sunday.…

Many people feel that long-distance relationships never work. Are you one of them? Well, you just need to learn how to spice up a long-distance relationship. Here are some tips: Have an online date If you are in a long-distance relationship and do not have Skype, now may be a good time to download it. Using a video webcam to see your partner does not have to be limited to daily chatting; make it a special occasion. Treat an online date like a real-time date: dress nicely, talk romantically to each other, eat dinner together and talk about your day. Some couples like to play video games together as a way to connect, or participate in other activities that they both enjoy. Invest in quality sex toys When you are…

Spring into seasonal cooking with fresh ingredients and flavours with these delicious seasonal dishes. It has been a long, cold winter and it is time to celebrate what is ahead in the new season. Below award-winning television chef, confectionery connoisseur, and professional baker Grace Stevens shares recipes to help celebrate the new season in all its fabulous glory. New York-style cheesecake Serves: 8 - 10 Ingredients Crust 150g crushed Tennis biscuits or Marie biscuit 50g ginger biscuits 70g unsalted butter, melted 30ml sugar 1ml salt Filling 900g full cream cheese, at room temperature 400g castor sugar 45ml flour Zest of one lemon 10ml fresh lemon juice 2ml salt 6 large eggs 120g sour cream Topping Roasted berry coulis (make ahead) 450g berries 10ml castor sugar 3ml vanilla extract Method…

Barton, Australia: The new Ford Ranger and Everest, which are set to launch in South Africa in the coming months, have been given the highest possible safety rating by Australia’s independent crash testing authority. The Australasian New Car Assessment Programme (Ancap) on Monday announced a five-star result for the new-generation bakkie and SUV range, which achieved “solid scores” for adult occupant protection in the frontal off-set, side impact and far-side impact tests. Ancap also awarded maximum points for child occupant protection in the front and side collisions. The only chinks in their armour were marginal ratings for the driver’s chest in the oblique pole test, and the chest of the rear passenger in the full-width frontal collision. Ancap also imposed a “compatibility” penalty on its final score as high while…

THE Bulls may have reached last season’s United Rugby Championship final, but they had to fight back from five defeats in their first six games. That is something they are keen to avoid, starting with Saturday’s opener against the Lions at Ellis Park (4.05pm kick-off). Coach Jake White will want a better start in this campaign, to avoid another knockout-type finish to the league season in order to qualify for the play-offs. Their turnaround in the previous campaign began against the Lions, whom they defeated 34-10 and 21-13 in consecutive weeks in late January and early February, and the Bulls went on to win seven out of eight games to get back into contention. “It’s the first URC game and everyone’s excited. We’ve had six weeks of pre-season and everyone’s…

JURGEN Klopp has poured scorn on the idea of a US-style All-Star Premier League game floated by new Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly, asking whether the Harlem Globetrotters will be also be involved. The Blues' new co-owner Boehly, who also has stakes in the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team and LA Lakers basketball team, told a New York conference he has already floated the idea with Premier League counterparts. Both Major League Baseball and basketball's NBA have All-Star exhibition games featuring the best players from the different leagues and conferences. Boehly suggested that money raised could be used to fund lower levels of the game. "People are talking about more money for the pyramid - in the MLB All-Star Game this year we made $200-million from a Monday and a Tuesday,"…