Innholdsfortegnelse for 2022-11-25 i Pretoria News

MR PRICE’S shares dropped by almost 8% yesterday after the retailer reported that its revenue growth was knocked by load shedding, social grants and the replacement of its Merchandise Enterprise Resource Planning system. In its results for the 26 weeks ended October 1, 2022, released yesterday, revenue was up 6.5% to R13.3 billion. The retailer said electricity load shedding caused 56% of trading days to be interrupted during the reporting period and estimates that more than 80 000 trading hours were lost. Retail sales grew 6% to R12.6bn. Group store sales were up 5.8% and online sales increased by 11.2%. Mr Price also said the inconsistent and non-payment of social grants during the period impacted its trading. “The replacement of the group’s Merchandise Enterprise Resource Planning system on…

STRUGGLING Stefanutti Stocks Holdings’ operating profit soared 505% and its loss more than halved in the six months to August 30. The positive news for the construction group that is being restructured to restore solvency may have spurred interest among investors, as the share price increased 6.2% to 103 cents at the close of trade on the JSE yesterday. The price has risen steadily, from 45c a share 12 months before. The restructuring plan was being implemented over the years ending February 2023 and February 2024, the group said in a statement yesterday. The loss for the interim period came to R33.5 million compared with a R97.91m loss at the same time last year. The operating profit increased to R54.3m from R8.93m. Contract revenue declined 9% to R2.87…

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex fears women are “vilified” and slut-shamed for exploring their sexuality. The mom-of-two also revealed on the latest episode of her Archetypes podcast, released on Tuesday on Spotify, she thinks men are often praised for the same thing and can be “heralded” for being a “player”. “I don’t understand what it is about the stigma surrounding women and their sexuality and the exploration of their sexuality that is so much more vilified than for a man. “As you’re getting older, you’re exploring and starting to understand your sensuality, your feminine divine. Your sexuality, often times, it can be very much used against you. “A man, if he is a player, out having fun or whatever he’s doing, it’s often celebrated. Even heralded. “But for a woman, I…

Newly crowned Miss South Africa Ndavi Nokeri is preparing for her Miss Universe journey, where she is expected to represent South Africa at an event happening at the Morial Convention Centre in New Orleans, US, on January 14 next year. The Limpopo-born beauty is looking for your vote so she can secure her spot as one of the semi-finalists. “Hello, Universe! Still cannot believe that my name is written next to South Africa. Excited to take you all on this beautiful journey along with me!” she wrote on Instagram. To vote, you need to download the Miss Universe app, search for South Africa under contestants, and when you find Nokeri’s photo, you then click on it to vote. The first vote is free. If she wins, she’ll be the fourth…

GAUTENG Finance MEC Jacob Mamabolo is adamant that the Special Economic Zone in Tshwane and at the OR Tambo International Airport have the potential to create more job opportunities despite local and global financial difficulties. He also promised that increased investments in township economies would add more job opportunities. Mamabolo made the pledge while delivering his maiden Mid-Term Budget Policy Statement in the provincial legislature yesterday. Detailing opportunities in Tshwane, Mamabolo said the provincial government had secured a R4.3 billion investment for the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone, saying the initiative would generate 20 000 jobs once completed. To date, the project has created 344 permanent jobs and 219 temporary construction jobs. In his separate adjustment budget of R2.4bn, Mamabolo said he had allocated R60 million to the Department of…

MISS South Africa 2020 Shudufhadzo Musida has been recognised by the UN and Glamour magazine for her immense contribution to eliminating the stigma attached to issues of mental health. The beauty queen’s aim has always been to shed light on perspectives about mental health, while eliminating the stigma surrounding it and giving people a platform to communicate. Her first accolade came when she was invited by the UN Population Fund to serve as its “Regional Champion”. The fund’s Lydia Zigomo, regional director for East and Southern Africa, said Musida’s advocacy for mental health awareness, something she devoted the year of her reign to, would see her empower young women and girls in the region, especially in areas of sexual and reproductive health. In accepting the position, Musida described the intersection…

HERE is what you need to know about the 'OneLove' armbands that the captains of seven European teams were planning to wear at the World Cup in Qatar: What does the amrband mean? * The 'OneLove' armbands were originally launched in 2020 as part of an inclusiveness campaign by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB). * The KNVB campaign opposes discrimination on the basis of race, skin colour, sexual orientation, culture, faith, nationality, gender, age and "all other forms of discrimination". * The design features a rainbow flag in the shape of a heart with a No 1 in the middle, surrounded by the text "One Love" on either side and the words "football connects" in cursive below. Why were the captains planning to wear it in Qatar? * The…

OVER THE PAST five years, there has been a 39% improvement in gender diversity on JSE boards as “gender main-streaming at board level is a reality“, according to the JSE-listed boards report 2021, released yesterday. The report, which was compiled from Integrated Annual Reports for the reporting period January 1 to December 31, 2021, found that women were making substantial progress in being appointed to a majority of board positions. In 2021 women held 32% of board positions versus 68% of men on JSE-listed boards. This was a vast improvement from 2017, where only 23% of women held board positions versus men at 77%. “Companies are changing and gender main-streaming at board level is a reality. We always note that it is the business community at large that should decide…

KAAP AGRI, which trades in the agriculture, general retail and fuel retail sectors, lifted revenue 48.4% to R15.7 million in the year to September 30 off the back of a 54.3% increase in the number of transactions and higher fuel prices. Compared with pre-Covid-19, revenue increased at a compound annual growth rate of 22.9%. Chief executive Sean Walsh said in a telephone interview that the sharp increase in fuel prices from the 370 million litres of fuel sold through their service stations drove revenue growth, but like-for-like growth was nevertheless “solid” at 24% over the year. He said the results were despite significantly higher farm input costs that resulted in pressure on agricultural producer’s cash flow. This was accompanied by tighter consumer spending, while a recovery of…

“Air fryers” are the words on everyone’s lips right now. If you have got one, you are telling people how great they are; if you have not, you are talking about getting around to it – and seeing as you are here, we are guessing you are finally ready to get your hands on your own. But before you do, keep reading. We have packed this guide with everything you could ever need to know about air fryers, to help you find the best one for you. Air fryers use hot air to “fry” food Deep fryers rely on oil to give food that signature crunchy exterior while still maintaining that soft inside. The air fryer, though, uses very hot air to achieve the same outcome, almost operating like a…

THE Gauteng government is considering using revenue collected from casinos, renewal of motor vehicle licences and other revenue measures to pay its 30% share of the e-tolls debt. This was revealed by the Gauteng Finance MEC, Jacob Mamabolo, when he delivered his mid-term budget policy statement in the legislature yesterday. Mamabolo’s revelations came after Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced that the national government would take responsibility for 70% of the e-tolls debt, including the improvement of the road infrastructure in other parts of the country. The province undertook to repay a 30% contribution to the e-tolls debt as well as maintaining and expanding the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project road network. “As Gauteng provincial government, we will optimise existing sources of revenue and introduce alternative sources of revenue without burdening further…

Ubique Auctioneers will be auctioning a duplex townhouse in Annlin, Pretoria, in a liquidation matter on December 1 at 2pm. The 146m² property is Unit 74 at Deo Exulto, 10 Celery Street, Annlin Ext 50. It comprises: • Three bedrooms. • Two bathrooms. • An open-plan living room/kitchen area. • A guest toilet. • A single garage and carport. • A small garden. The unit is situated in a secure complex. Viewing is by appointment only or for one hour before the start of the auction. For more information, call auctioneer Rudi Muller at 082 490 7686, Anton Engelbrecht at 082 789 2772 or the Ubique office at 018 294 7391. |…

THE death of a member of the Presidential Protection Services has once more raised the debate surrounding the delayed review and increase in the danger allowance for members of the police. During the memorial service held in honour of Warrant Officer Thomas Shongwe, 56, who died in a road crash in Middelburg while travelling to Gauteng as part of Deputy President David Mabuza’s convoy, unions once more criticised the delay in the increase of the danger allowance for its members. Thulani Ngwenya, a member of the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union’s national executive committee, took the opportunity during the service held at the SAPS Tshwane College yesterday to say that it was heartbreaking to hear how the family had lost their sole breadwinner. Ngwenya challenged Police Minister Bheki Cele…

MINISTER the Presidency for State Security Mondli Gungubele has not responded to questions relating to an old video that has raised new questions about the circumstances around the assassination of Chris Hani. In the video, which surfaced yet again after the Constitutional Court granted parole to Hani’s killer Janusz Walusś this week, the SABC interviewed Gungubele, who was the mayor of Ekurhuleni at the time. The interview took place outside Hani’s home at Dawn Park, Boksburg. Independent Media first reported about the interview in May this year. Gungubele then shared details of his interactions with Hani before the murder on April 10, 1993. He added that Hani told him a day before his death that he had sent his bodyguards home for the weekend. The next day, Hani was assassinated…

HE is not a man of many words, but as he has already proved over the last few years, Ruan Nortje will let his actions do the talking on the field after being named as the new Bulls captain yesterday. The No 5 lock follows in the footsteps of a Loftus legend in Victor Matfield to take over the leadership role from flank Marcell Coetzee, who is on a lengthy sabbatical with Kobe Steelers in Japan until about May next year. Nortje will be supported by vice-captains Johan Goosen and Harold Vorster, while the rest of the leadership group includes Cornal Hendricks, Nizaam Carr, Elrigh Louw, Johan Grobbelaar and Chris Smith. “I think he is the future of the club. “He is still young, and he is surrounded by players…

Further rise by 75 basis points from 6.25% to 7% per year as a tool to arrest SA’s rate of inflation THE SOUTH African Reserve Bank (SARB) has cancelled the Black Friday festivities by delivering a message no consumer wanted to hear, that the cost of borrowing has increased once again. The SARB’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) yesterday decided to increase the repurchase rate (repo rate) further by 75 basis points from 6.25% to 7% per year. The SARB uses interest rates as a tool to tame rising consumer prices, and with headline inflation printing at 7.6% in October, a rate hike was inevitable. This means that the level of the repo rate – the rate at which the SARB lends money to commercial banks – is now above the…

LEWIS Group generated R2.1 billion in merchandise sales for the six months ended September despite rising interest rates and high unemployment levels impacting consumer spending and confidence. The JSE-listed company sells household furniture, electrical appliances, and home electronics in southern African countries. In its financial results for the six months ended September 30, 2022, the group said merchandise sales were 4.5% higher than the previous period last year. In an interview yesterday, Lewis Group chief executive Johan Enslin said: “I think it’s fair to say that through the extremely challenging trading environment, we are satisfied with the results that we have achieved. “You would have noticed from the results, that conditional portion of our business really performed well, and we actually achieved credit sales growth during this period of…

According to research titled “The opioid crisis: a contextual, social-ecological framework”, 12 million Americans misused opioids in 2017 and more than 47 000 died from opioid overdoses. Since 2015, the number of overdose deaths has increased significantly each year, accounting for a 345% increase in the overdose mortality rate between 2001 and 2016. Opioid misuse and abuse have caused an alarming number of deaths. For this reason, researchers are seeking ways to combat the opioid crisis. A year-long study looking at the efficacy of medical cannabis as an alternative to opioids for the treatment of chronic pain is being funded by the Cannabis Research Institute of South Africa (CRI). The goal is to show medicinal cannabis’s effectiveness in relieving pain while giving the appropriate authorities data that is credible, dependable…

THE spokesperson for the Jacob Zuma Foundation, Mzwanele Manyi, has welcomed the decision by the Department of Correctional Services to appeal the ruling made by the Supreme Court of Appeal, reviewing and setting aside former correctional services commissioner Arthur Fraser’s decision to grant Zuma medical parole. Last year, the Constitutional Court found him guilty of contempt of court after he failed to appear before the State Capture Commission investigating corruption. Zuma handed himself over to the Estcourt facility after a 15-month sentence but received medical parole to serve the rest at home. The decision to appeal the Supreme Court ruling by Correctional Services comes after, on Monday, that court upheld a lower court’s decision saying the department must re-look at the medical parole granted to Zuma. On Wednesday, after the…

EVAN Roos was asked just three questions in a 31-minute-long Springbok press conference this week, but he will have to deal with many more head-on when he comes face-to-face with England giant Billy Vunipola in tomorrow’s Twickenham showdown (7.30pm kick-off). The new Bok No 8 was a welcome selection made by coach Jacques Nienaber on Tuesday, and he fronted up at the media briefing in London. But after speaking about how excited he is to be thrown into the “deep end” and how grateful he was to the coaches for picking him, the inevitable Vunipola question came up, to which he responded: “Billy is a very good player. He is quality, and it is going to be great to play against a guy like him and to measure myself against…

Fifa and CAF accredited referee Janny Sikazwe has found himself in hot water again as the Canadian fans blasted him for poor officiating against Belgium. Sikazwe hogged the headlines in the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) early this year as he blew the final whistle in the 85th and 89th minute of a group clash between Tunisia and Mali. This annoyed Tunisia, who lost the clash, while Afcon was deemed a “shambles” and “embarrassing” by the masses around the world. In his defence, Sikazwe, reportedly, said he was suffering a heat stroke and severe dehydration, hence he prematurely blew his final whistle before time was up. For his blunders, Sikazwe only received a slap on the wrist as he was called-up for the World Cup in Qatar, joining…

SENEGAL star Sadio Mane is with his team at the World Cup in spirit if not in body after being ruled out of the tournament with injury, captain Kalidou Koulibaly said yesterday. Bayern Munich striker Mane's withdrawal from the squad after failing to recover from a leg injury dealt a massive blow to Senegal's chances of making an impact in Qatar. The Lions of Teranga lost their opening game 2-0 to the Netherlands in Mane's absence, and face a must-win clash against hosts Qatar today. Chelsea defender Koulibaly said Mane, the African Player of the Year, has been in daily contact with the squad and is "keeping the mentality high" among the players. "Even if he is not with us today in Qatar, he is speaking with all the players…