Innholdsfortegnelse for 2022-09-30 i Pretoria News

INTERNATIONAL consultancy group, Bain & Co said yesterday it has had its seminal moment and regrets being implicated in malpractice after Treasury announced its suspension on public sector work for 10 years. Bain & Co said it was considering its options in response to this decision. Treasury in a statement yesterday said the restriction effective from September 5, 2022, until September 4, 2032 – for engaging in corrupt and fraudulent practices related to a South African Revenue Services (Sars) contract – had been published on the Treasury website and database for restricted suppliers. The restriction would apply to any other contract for services awarded to Bain & Co in the public sector. Treasury said it was, in collaboration with Sars, “in the process of restricting Bain & Co’s South African…

THE SOUTH African taxpayer is still going to fork out at least R35 billion more for Eskom to complete work on Medupi and Kusile power stations as the country struggles with an intense energy crisis. This was revealed by President Cyril Ramaphosa in Parliament yesterday during a question-and-answer session. Ramaphosa was replying to a question by ANC MP Jabulile Mkhwanazi who wanted to know the level of investment that was still required to complete the delayed design work at the two power stations. “According to the information received from Eskom, the remaining cost to complete Medupi is close to R19bn. All six Medupi units have reached the stage of commercial operation, and the current focus is on completing the balance of plant and remedial works,” Ramaphosa said. “The remaining…

GEMFIELDS, the supplier of coloured gemstones, yesterday declared a dividend of $15 million (R270m) as its chief executive Sean Gilbertson said its hard-working teams, aided by buoyant market conditions, had pulled a“very well-groomed bunny out of the hat”. Gilbertson said: “Gemfields’ shareholders waited some 17 years for their first dividend, and with that milestone having been announced but six months ago, we are delighted today to be able to declare a non-routine interim dividend of $15m in recognition of the sparkling results delivered for the first six months of 2022.” The Gemfields group, based in London and listed on the Johannesburg and London stock exchanges, is focused on mining emeralds at the Kagem mine in Zambia and the Montepuez Ruby Mine (MRM) in Mozambique. For its six months ending…

THE PUBLIC Investment Corporation (PIC) said yesterday it had turned over a new leaf from its discoloured past as it posted a R208 billion, or 8.9%, growth in assets under management to R2.5 trillion for the 2021/22 financial period amid external challenges. The PIC said in its integrated annual report for 2021/22, released yesterday, that the growth had been achieved despite external challenges in the operating environment. However, the value of the portfolio decreased. The PIC said its portfolio endured the effects of Covid-19, a relatively tough economic environment, more intensely in the year under review, than in the previous financial year. This saw the portfolio value decreased by 7.79% to R75.15bn due to impairments raised during the financial year. Disbursements for the year decreased by 60.52%…

Can you make a meal without meat? A lot of us have been brought up hearing that meat is essential to our diets and that it provides us with important nutrients like protein, vitamins, and minerals. But what many of us don’t realise is that plant-based diets can also provide these same nutrients – as well as other powerful health benefits. In the week of World Heart Health Day registered dietitian, Aziwe Booi highlights below some of the most impactful benefits of a more plant-based diet. Heart health As we know, there are two types of cholesterol: HDL (high-density lipoprotein) and LDL (low-density lipoprotein). High LDL levels are problematic as it likely means you have excessive cholesterol in your blood vessels which radically increases your risk of heart disease and…

WELL-known Limpopo actor, comedian and Tshivenda film producer Ntambudzeni “Mr Bundu” Rasendedza of Lwamondo has been sentenced to 10 years in imprison in the Sibasa Regional Court. “He was convicted on a count of attempted murder, kidnapping and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. The first incident happened in August 2019, when ‘Bundu’ assaulted his girlfriend with a wooden stick and electric cable,” Limpopo spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi said. “He further dripped burning plastics all over her body and locked her inside his house for two weeks.” Malabi-Dzhangi said the second incident happened when Rasendedza and his girlfriend were coming home from a party. “The accused hit the victim with a big stone and broke her leg, tore up her clothes and left…

LEADERS of rival political parties in South Africa joined several diplomats and government officials at a prestigious event hosted by the Chinese Consul-General in Joburg, Tang Zhongdong, and his wife Tingjiao Zhang to mark the 73rd anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The ANC was represented by treasurer-general Paul Mashatile and the EFF was represented by deputy president Floyd Shivambu. Gauteng Premier David Makhura was represented by Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko. Free State Premier Sisi Ntombela was represented by Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs MEC Makalo Mohale. In his keynote address, Tang said 2022 marked the 24th anniversary of China-South Africa diplomatic relations and the ties continued to grow. “We draw inspiration from our shared struggles and co-operation to confront current challenges of humanity and to…

INTERNATIONAL Relations and Co- operation Minister Dr Naledi Pandor has concluded her visit to the US, where she joined President Cyril Ramaphosa’s delegation on the occasion of the bilateral engagements with US President Joe Biden on September 16 While in the US, Pandor headed South Africa’s delegation to the 77th session of the high-level segment of the UN General Assembly, which took place at the UN headquarters in New York from September 19 to 27. She also led a series of engagements with several stakeholders in the State of California, where South Africa maintains a consulate-general, with a view to explore opportunities for greater collaboration between the US and South Africa. The Department of International Relations and Co-operation said that Ramaphosa’s visit to Washington DC was the culmination of a…

THE National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) has blamed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration for the Road Accident Fund (RAF) management’s plan to retrench workers. Numsa secretary-general Irvin Jim said the RAF had been on a mission to retrench workers since 2020, but was now trying to use the union to rubber-stamp its plans. “The management of RAF attempted to get the union to rubber-stamp their strategy to guillotine workers and cut over 400 jobs through a dodgy restructuring process, which was outside of the CCMA process,” Jim said. The union further accused the RAF of attempting to justify job losses because they want to introduce an automated system estimated to cost the fund R1 billion. This was a clear sign that the ANC-led government did not care about…

ESKOM’S financial troubles have just gotten worse and its wage bill could increase to unsustainable levels. The struggling power utility has been ordered to pay thousands of its workers more than a year’s worth of backdated salary increases. The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) yesterday awarded Eskom workers an extra 1.5% wage increment on top of the 1.5% that the utility unilaterally implemented in July 2021. Last year, Eskom “exercised its right and made a decision” to implement its final 1.5% basic wage increase and changes to the conditions of service offer, ignoring the unions’ wage demand increases well above the annual inflation of between 9.5% and 15%. However, the three unions referred the 2020/2021 wage dispute to the CCMA for arbitration and the arbitrator ruled in their…

CAPITEC Bank continues to grow strongly through new digital pro- ducts and new client gains of 165 000 a month, chief executive Gerrie Fourie said yesterday. The bank increased the number of its clients by 13% to 19 million in the six months to August 31, but the focus is not so much on growing the number of clients, but in growing the number of quality banking customers, Fourie said in an interview at the release of the bank’s interim results that saw headline earnings per share increase 17 percent to R4.7 billion. On product innovation, this month saw the launch of Capitec Connect, a prepaid mobile offering in partnership with Cell C, that combines low, flat prepaid rates with bundles that do not expire, and…

Singer Meghan Trainor has opened up about the mom-shaming experience she had while her baby boy was in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The Like I’m Gonna Lose You hitmaker revealed that hospital nurses blamed her antidepressant use for her son’s health issues, reports aceshowbiz.com. In a new interview with Romper, the 28-year-old singer explained that her now 16-month-old son Riley spent some time in the NICU because he struggled to wake up to feed, something she revealed nurses insinuated was her fault. “They kept asking me if I was on antidepressants during the pregnancy, and I was, but on the lowest dose possible, and all my doctors said it was safe and wouldn’t affect him,” she shared. “It was really f**ked up. They had no name for what…

MINISTER of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe says mining and energy investment conferences set to take place in three provinces must go beyond “pledges and commitments” to realising actual investments. He was giving a keynote address at the opening of the Limpopo leg of the Mining, Energy and Industrialisation Investment conference in Polokwane yesterday. This is the second year the conference, held under the theme “Realising Limpopo’s Investment Potential in Mining and Other Strategic Sectors of the Economy”, has been held. It is meant to attract direct mining and energy foreign investment into the province. Last year, several investors expressed interest in investing in the province, as well as in the North West and the Northern Cape, where the other conferences will take place. Mantashe, who was joined by…

Striker Peter Shalulile has backed Mamelodi Sundowns to unlock Orlando Pirates’ tight defence in their MTN8 semi-final. Sundowns walked away with a clean sweep in local football last term as their classy performances won them the MTN8 crown, league title and Nedbank Cup. But the Brazilians, who have seven wins in all competitions, are yet to hit top gear this season and they’ve only scored 17 goals in 10 matches with some of Sundowns’ winning goals coming late, including in the win over rivals SuperSport United in the MTN8 quarter-final. That feat could be seen as a weakness going into their semi-final first leg against a stubborn Pirates side that has conceded only four goals in nine matches. But Shalulile, who scored 30 goals last season and leads the charts…

IF there is one former Springbok who understands the intricacies, eccentricities and complications of building towards a World Cup, it is John Smit The former Springbok captain lifted the Webb Ellis trophy in 2007 and conquered the British & Irish Lions two years later. It is from this position that Smit could express a Lilliputian amount of regret regarding the failure of the current crop of Boks’ in their efforts to win the recently concluded Rugby Championship, while also accepting that there is the promise of possible, greater honours in the near future. Smit mused these thoughts yesterday at the announcement at Ellis Park of the Hollywood Foundation sponsorship of the iQhawe Under-15s Week, to be played in Johannesburg next week. “What we must have is a bit of perspective…

FORMER Proteas opener Herschelle Gibbs believes the axe needs to fall on Quinton de Kock ahead of the second T20 international against India in Guwahati on Sunday. De Kock has been in dreadful form in T20Is with his latest failure being dismissed for one in the series-opening T20I in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday. The left-hander’s feet were stuck in the crease as he wafted at a ball outside the off stump from Indian seamer Arshdeep Singh. De Kock could, therefore, only manage an inside edge as he chopped the ball on to his stumps - an all too familiar sight this past year. In 13 matches since the start of last year’s T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, where De Kock was the focus of attention for withdrawing from…

ESKOM has cost the economy at least R33 billion after taking Unit 2 of the Koeberg Nuclear power station offline for eight months instead of the estimated five months. This is the view of the Koeberg Alert Alliance (KAA) which yesterday warned that the Koeberg steam generator replacement project could cost more if Eskom forges ahead with it as planned. KAA yesterday held a virtual briefing with a small group of journalists where it questioned the wisdom of Eskom’s multibillion rand project at Koeberg after this year’s failed attempt to replace three steam generators. Earlier this year, Eskom took offline the 900MW Unit 2 at Koeberg with an estimated five months outage but encountered delays which resulted in the unit being offline for eight months instead, also failing to…

OMNIA, the diversified chemicals group, sees the agriculture sector as ripe with opportunities to address global food security and supply challenges, and it is expanding to become a leader in the AgriBio space, and to be in a position to better achieve its sustainable development goals. The AgriBio segment was an enabler of more sustainable farming, boosting outputs and elevating industry competitiveness, chief executive Seelan Gobalsamy said yesterday. “The focus on addressing climate change through regenerative and sustainable agriculture means AgriBio products are growing in demand globally – with double-digit growth potential. “It is an exciting time for us to harness our 30 years’ experience in the segment, complemented by our long-standing holistic Nutriology model, to expand our products and solutions aimed at meeting this major societal need,” he said…

THE acquittal of EFF leaders Julius Malema and Mbuyiseni Ndlozi on assault charges has been hailed as yet another victory against their detractors AfriForum and a salute to the late Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. Yesterday, Malema and Ndlozi were found not guilty of assaulting police officer Lieutenant-Colonel Johannes Venter outside the Fourways Memorial Park cemetery in Joburg during the funeral of the Struggle icon in April 2018. The two had been charged with assault and faced trial in the Randburg Magistrate's Court after failing to have the case dismissed. Judge Lieland Poonsamy said he accepted that Malema and Ndlozi were mourners who had a right to attend the funeral as part of a VIP convoy. He found that the defence successfully proved that Malema and Ndlozi were justified in pushing Venter when…

THE Constitutional Court yesterday decriminalised the possession and use of dagga by children. In 2020, the South Gauteng High Court declared provisions of the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act unconstitutional in so far as they criminalise the possession and use of cannabis by children. This has now been confirmed by the Concourt. The Centre for Child Law asked the Concourt to confirm the high court order. In 2019, the Concourt decriminalised private use of cannabis by adults. However, in that case the Concourt did not address the criminalisation of its use by children. This resulted in children being treated as criminals for conduct which was no longer a crime for adults. Although the apex court confirmed that children using cannabis should not be dealt with under the criminal justice system,…

Political parties in the Tshwane council yesterday threw their weight behind new city manager Johann Mettler and encouraged him to steer the city out of its financial troubles. The councillors from various parties, speaking during the ordinary sitting of council, urged him to stand firm and not be influenced by politicians. Mettler received some words of encouragement from all political parties, including the EFF, which initially opposed his appointment. Councillors told Mettler that his reputation as “Mr Fix-It” from his time as city manager at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality would need to be seen and heard because Tshwane was in trouble and in need of a good captain in the administration side of things. Mettler was told to approach head-on the trouble the city was facing in paying Eskom…

THERE is no stopping the Department of Employment and Labour’s mega blitz campaign, which has so far led to the complete shutdown of a wholesaler and school in Pretoria for non-compliance with the laws and the Occupational Health and Safety Act. On day three of the campaign to track and monitor compliance with labour legislation in Gauteng, the department shut down ABC Sweet’s wholesalers in Pretoria on the corner of Edmund and Du Toit streets. The department reported that its inspectors “completely shut down” the wholesale and retail facility after it was found to be non-compliant with the law. The notice will remain in effect and only be revoked when the company is issued with a compliance certificate. According to the department, during the unannounced visit there were about 10…

ANC acting secretary-general Paul Mashatile has written to the party’s head of the electoral commission, Kgalema Motlanthe, to extend the deadline for branch general meetings. The meetings are aimed at allowing branches to nominate their candidates for the top leadership of the party before the December elective conference. Mashatile, who has been nominated to take over from the party’s deputy president, David Mabuza, said the decision to extend the deadline was reached at an ANC secretariat forum on Tuesday. Mashatile told Motlanthe the forum assessed reports coming from branches dealing with delayed general meetings due to a myriad problems. “The reports highlighted a number of challenges impacting on meetings, including load shedding, industrial action by ANC staff, a high percentage of new branch secretaries not familiar with the membership system,…

TYSON Fury says his proposed heavyweight showdown with Anthony Joshua is off after a deadline set by Fury’s camp expired without a deal on Monday. Fury set Joshua an ultimatum on Friday night, insisting if the deal could not be done in time then he would walk away from the blockbuster all-British bout. Speaking on Instagram on Monday evening, the WBC champion said: “Well guys, it’s official. D-day has come and gone. It’s gone past five o’clock, Monday. No contract has been signed. “It’s officially over for Joshua. He is now out in the cold with the wolfpack.” Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn had already said there was “no chance” of contracts for being signed by Monday. Speaking on an Instagram Live, Joshua said: “It ain’t in my hands - it’s…

LOOKING back, it was strange to see that the Bulls actually scored within two minutes of the start of their United Rugby Championship (URC) clash against Connacht in Galway last September. Once prop Lizo Gqoboka barged over and Johan Goosen landed the conversion, it seemed like it was going to be a memorable night at The Sportsground. But it quickly became a nightmare for the Pretoria side, and they lost 34-7. Bulls coach Jake White won’t forget that game in a hurry, even though his team still made it all the way to the final, where they went down to the Stormers. And that is part of the reason why he called on the heavy artillery when naming his team yesterday for tonight’s showdown against the Irish province at Loftus…