Innholdsfortegnelse for 2023-01-16 i Pretoria News

Increase to pay for utility’s debt, huge wage bill, defaulting municipalities South Africa’s energy crisis has deepened further as public anger grows over lack of power supply amid rising electricity costs for consumers, business and industry. This comes after Eskom was given the green light to hike electricity tariffs by a cumulative 31.4% over the next two consecutive years, beginning on April 1, in spite of the worst ongoing power cuts to date. The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) last week granted Eskom a 18.65% electricity tariff increase for the 2023/24 financial year and 12.74% for the 2024/2025 financial year, in a bid to recoup an allowable revenue of more than R318 billion and R352bn for both years, respectively. Nersa said its decision reconsidered capital-related costs for…

One-quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions result from food and agriculture. The energy in food production can be broken down into four parts: agriculture, transportation, processing, and handling. Electricity is a key agricultural input. According to Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development statistics, agriculture spent about R9 billion on electricity in 2021. This is more than 7% of the sector’s expenditure on intermediate goods and services. A reliable power supply is especially critical for the sector’s irrigation and water treatment. Food production finds itself in a perfect storm. The Ukrainian war has directly led to energy shortages with sanctions imposed by the US and all Nato-affiliated countries importing gas and oil from Russia. On top of that came the initial blockage of Ukraine’s grain export port…

CES 2023, formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show, was presented in Las Vegas from January 5 to 8, 2023 and is the world’s biggest and most influential technology event as well as the proving ground for breakthrough technologies. It is here that many of the big companies announced or launched their new products for 2023, although it seemed to be less than previous years due to high inflation, the economic downswing, less spending on non-necessities and supply chain constraints. More than 3 200 exhibiting companies (60% Fortune 500 companies), including 1 000 start-ups, featured the latest technologies and next era innovations. CES 2023 was attended by more than 115 000 industry professionals, of which over 40 000 were international attendees from 140 countries. Certain current…

WHILE some learners and parents were excitedly returning to school last week, parents of learners at Lebogang Primary School in Ga-rankuwa have been left in despair at the poor condition of the school. According to the local leadership and parents of the school located in the township north of Pretoria, even though parents closed down the school in October last year due to safety issues, nothing has changed. “In the meantime the learners should be placed in nearby primary schools,” said community member Kelebogile Tsele. Thabiso Legwete added: “I have lost all hope. It’s just sad that these kids are being denied their right to learning.” DA councillor Ofentse Madzebatela said that some of the safety issues raised by parents included a sinking classroom, and health and safety concerns due…

IN a victory judgment for children whose unmarried foreign fathers are either outside the country or illegally here, a court has now declared regulations which barred these fathers from having their names reflect on the child’s unabridged birth certificates, as unconstitutional. An Eastern Cape High Court judge said it was both the child and the father’s right to have his identity reflected on the birth certificate. Regulation 12(2)(c) of the Births and Deaths Registration Act bars an unmarried foreign father, outside the country or illegally in South Africa, to have his details added to his child’s birth certificate. Only unmarried foreign fathers legally in South Africa, may have their details appear on the unabridged birth certificate. The application was sparked by the unmarried biological parents of a child, who live…

NEWLY-APPOINTED Mpumalanga head of the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (Hawks), Major-General Nicholas Jacobus Gerber, has his work cut out for him. Gerber is the first white police officer to be installed as a provincial leader of the Hawks in Mpumalanga since the national establishment of the unit in 2008. “I am here in Mpumalanga to add value by working together with Hawks members, members of the community, and the media in terms of the unit’s mandate to prevent, combat and investigate all national priority offences which may have threatened the safety of inhabitants of Mpumalanga,” said Gerber. The new sheriff in town takes over from Major-General Zodwa Mokoena, who left the post last month. Gerber said he that was aware of the challenges facing the unit, including shortages in…

Science gives us a deeper understanding of our world, the human body, living systems and the cosmos. However, it can also be used to exploit natural resources and widen socio-economic disparities such as access to resources. Science can be misused for monetary gain and power. Inconsiderate and thoughtless use of scientific discoveries can lead to unintended consequences, causing climatic impacts and wreaking havoc on biodiversity. This can result in an existential threat to the security of our place on the planet. ReImagine Science was founded in 2008 to focus on how we “do” science; to create a scientific enterprise that is more inclusive of society, more generous to the younger generations of scientists and more responsive to negative impacts on the natural world. We propose a shift in the…

Police said yesterday that eight people were killed in a roadside bombing claimed by Al-Shabaab in central Somalia where a major offensive is under way to retake territory from the jihadists. The attack occurred in Buloburde, a city in Hiran district where government forces and clan militias are battling the Al-Qaeda-linked insurgents The bomber detonated a car laden with explosives near an administrative building, said Abdullahi Mohamud, a local police commander. “Five people were killed on the spot, while three others died overnight in hospital,” he said yesterday, adding the bomber had been planning to destroy the city’s main bridge before redirecting the attack at a civilian area. Witnesses said the explosion damaged buildings, including a mosque. “I saw the bodies of five people. Two were elders coming out of…

US President Joe Biden has declared a major disaster in California, as the latest in a succession of storm systems blew into the state, bringing heavy flooding to already waterlogged regions and threatening snowfalls of up to two metres. The latest system was expected to bring “heavy lower-elevation rain, significant mountain snow, and strong winds,” with “another surge of Pacific moisture” expected Monday, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. It predicted “disastrous flooding” across the lower Salinas River valley, a key agricultural region south of San Francisco Bay. Late on Saturday, Biden “declared that a major disaster exists in the State of California and ordered Federal aid to supplement State, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe winter storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides,” the White…

Parisians will be invited to vote on whether to allow electric scooter rental services to continue operating in the city as authorities weigh banning the controversial for-hire vehicles, the capital’s mayor has said. The issue is “extremely divisive”, Mayor Anne Hidalgo told the weekend edition of Le Parisien newspaper, with critics saying riders show only cursory respect for the rules of the road. They often defy bans on riding on pavements, or park without consideration, while some abandon the scooters in parks or even toss them into the Seine river. Fans meanwhile praise the zippy fleets as a fast, non-polluting alternative to cars or crowded public transport. | AFP…

Peru’s capital Lima was under a state of emergency yesterday, along with three other regions, as the government responded to weeks-long protests against President Dina Boluarte that have seen at least 42 people killed. The state of emergency, in force for 30 days, authorises the army to intervene to maintain order and suspends freedom of movement and assembly, a decree published in the official gazette stated. Supporters of ousted president Pedro Castillo have taken to the streets and blocked roads across the country since December, demanding fresh elections and the removal of Boluarte, who has refused to step down. Protests are planned for today in Lima for a “takeover of the city”. | AFP…

SuperSport United have been a breeding ground for Mamelodi Sundowns in recent years, but such is the form that both sides are in, they are each eyeing the title. Having won three titles in a row between 2008 and 2010, SuperSport fell from grace after the departure of coach Gavin Hunt to Bidvest Wits. That opened a new era at crosstown rivals Sundowns, with SuperSport’s former coach Pitso Mosimane awakening the sleeping giant in Chloorkop. The Brazilians haven’t looked back since with Mosimane's successors, Rhulani Mokwena and Manqoba Mngqithi, picking up from where he left off. However, Sundowns’ dominance has been under threat this season as Hunt’s return to Matsatsantsa has worked wonders for the cash-strapped outfit. The Brazilians are top of the league pile, 11 points ahead of second-placed…

Putting one or two new faces on Eskom’s board will not change the severe corruption at Eskom that has filtered down to project level at the utility and a task team needs to be sent in to clean the utility out, energy analyst Ted Blom said on Jacaranda FM online this weekend. Blom, a well known energy industry specialist and commentator, said his estimates were that more than R500 billion has been lost at Eskom due to corruption over the past decade. He said for instance, that in 2008, a crime syndicate in Eskom’s coal operations involving 54 people and a senior government minister “not far from the top” had syphoned off some R8 billion of Eskom in “emergency” spending where there had been no tender. He did not wish…

THE Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has issued a massive GHS8.2 billion (about R13bn) assessment including a penalty and interest, on Scancom (MTN Ghana), which the telecoms group has “strongly” disputed. MTN Group – has 285 million subscribers in Africa and the Middle East – and said a third party review of the assessment did not support the GRA’s assessment. MTN Ghana is one of the biggest taxpayers in that country. MTN is not a stranger to hefty fines in Africa, having agreed in 2020 to pay a $53m (R890m) fine to Nigerian authorities who were reportedly unfairly shaking down foreign companies at the time because the country’s oil-reliant economy was ailing due to the falling oil price. MTN also received an initial fine of $5.2bn – later reduced to…

Despite the domestic economic turmoil, South African markets experienced a second consecutive week of strong positive movements. On the JSE, the all-share index broke new record day close-levels on three occasions. The index ended the week on 79 333 points and had moved through the 78 000 and 79000 levels for the first time. The all-share index gained 3.2% last week and is now already 8.6% higher since the beginning of 2023. Despite the devastating effects of load shedding on manufacturing, the all-share industrial index improved by 4.9% over the past seven days and remains positive for the year so far. The resources 10 index gained a massive 8.06% over the past seven trading days and is now 11.03% higher for the year-to-date. The strong increase in commodity…

Summer is in full swing and we’re living for all the bold colours that come with the warmer season. Every year, the global authority on colour, Pantone, selects a range of colours that it predicts will be the must-have colours of the season. “Colours for Spring/Summer 2023 are recalibrated for the new era we are entering. Blending escapism with reality, wholesomeness and joy, we embrace the exploration of extreme contrast in mood and colour,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “There is utility and basic-ness to this season’s colour story, while at the same time there is an uplifting vital sense of play that comes through.” Fiery Red Pantone describes this colour as a “supercharged red tone signalling an energetic intensity”. What’s not to love about…

Slain councillor predicted he would be killed for standing against corrupt ASSASSINATED Mpumalanga ANC councillor Sabelo Nhleko predicted that he would soon be killed for standing up against corrupt politicians in his municipal area. Nhleko, 36, a councillor at Mkhondo Local Municipality, was ambushed and gunned down with his friend and a car mechanic at Longhomes Township near the Piet Retief town. The shooting is believed to have taken place at about 8pm on Friday. with the suspects fleeing the scene before police and paramedics had arrived. Nhleko’s killing followed the murder of Mkhondo PR councillor Muzi Manyathi, 41, who was gunned down at a fuel station in Piet Retief in November lat year, also on a Friday night. Manyathi’s murder caused an outcry in the Mkhondo Municipality, prompting ANC…

Coloured people do not count as either indigenous or African, therefore customary law does not apply to them. This was one of the arguments in a legal wrangle regarding a customary marriage involving a black husband and his coloured wife. However, a judge sitting in the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg dismissed this argument. Judge Stuart Wilson concluded that all the requirements for a customary marriage to be declared lawful were met in this case and he was not going to deal with the issue regarding race. George Lijane turned to court for an order to force Home Affairs to declare his marriage to Gracious Sauls as lawful. The couple married in 2016 and she died in June 2021. Sauls’s two children from a previous marriage, as well as…

The Gauteng Basic Department of Education has remained upbeat even though more than 500 learners remain unplaced and without schools. Last week, scores of parents voiced their frustration over the Gauteng Department of Basic Education’s online registration system after they were forced to wait more than three days to have their children placed at their preferred schools. On Friday, the department said it had managed to reduce the number of unplaced learners from more than 2 000 to just over 500. This comes after Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga defended the Gauteng online registration system, saying though it wasn not perfect, it was necessary as it provided a clear indication on the enrolment issues. According to the latest statistics, the department has only a backlog of 571 Grade 1…

Godongwana’s rushed catchall laws may be a way to appease her before visit THERE is a method in Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s rush to fast-track the passing of two key catchall laws on December 15, 2022 in the National Assembly and signed into the statute book a week later by President Cyril Ramaphosa, designed to strengthen South Africa’s system of Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT). These laws, maintain the National Treasury, “will strengthen the fight against corruption, fraud and terrorism, and also assist South Africa in meeting the international standards on AML/CFT, and to reduce the prospect of grey listing by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), (the intergovernmental organisation mandated by the G7 to develop policies to combat money laundering and terrorism financing).” Importantly, South…

Israel’s president warned yesterday that the country faced a “historic constitutional crisis” over a contested judicial reform plan, and said he was mediating between the relevant parties. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, now in his sixth term, wants to rein in the Supreme Court, which members of his religious-nationalist coalition accuse of overreach and elitism. Opponents of the plan, who held nationwide protests on Saturday, say it would cripple judicial independence, foster corruption, set back minority rights and deprive Israel’s courts of credibility that helps fend off war-crimes charges abroad. “We are in the grips of a profound disagreement that is tearing our nation apart. This conflict worries me deeply, as it worries many across Israel and the (Jewish) Diaspora,” President Isaac Herzog said in a statement. Herzog said he was…

beloved Hong Kong radio host Reinaldo Maria Cordeiro, dubbed the “world’s most durable DJ” by Guinness World Records, has died aged 98 after more than seven decades on the air. Known to fans as “Uncle Ray”, he was hailed as an industry powerhouse who jump-started the careers of numerous local musicians and introduced pop trends to generations of Hong Kong fans. He interviewed the Beatles, the Bee Gees, Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. Cordeiro died in Hong Kong while family and friends sang You’ll Never Walk Alone. Descended from Portuguese immigrants, the DJ’s signature gig All The Way With Ray was the station’s longest-running radio show. | AFP…

Yangon: A Myanmar-China border crossing vital to trade has partially reopened, an official said yesterday, after years of a pandemic-prompted closure. Covid-19 shuttered the Muse-Ruili checkpoint – among the nation’s busiest – in April 2020. One of Muse town’s border gates opened at 7am local time. Six trucks made the short relay trip at the Mang Wein crossing, said U Min Thein, vice-chairman of the Muse Rice Commodity Exchange. “China only allowed us to export food and drink at the moment,” U Min Thein said yesterday. The Kyinsankyawt checkpoint partially reopened under similar circumstances in May last year, according to state media. | AFP…

Manila: At least 27 people have died in storms across the Philippines this month, authorities said yesterday, as forecasters warned of continued heavy rains in the disaster-prone country. Heavy downpours and flooding have plagued the nation’s southern and central islands since the Christmas weekend, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee their homes. Since the start of the year, at least three storms have killed 27 people across the country. Eleven people were reported injured and three are missing. State weather forecaster Pagasa warned yesterday that “flooding and rain-induced landslides are likely”. More than 83 000 people are sheltering in evacuation centres. | AFP…

Shukri Conrad and Rob Walter are set to be named Proteas’ Men’s Test and limited-overs coaches respectively today, succeeding Mark Boucher. Conrad, Walter, Malibongwe Maketa, Adrian Birrell, Richard Pybus and Lance Klusener - who withdrew from the process - were on the shortlist. South Africa have only once before split the national team coaching roles when Gary Kirsten (Test) and Russell Domingo (ODI and T20I) shared the position. Domingo, though, took on the all-format role within six months. Unlike Boucher, neither Conrad nor Walter did not play international cricket, but are vastly experienced domestic coaches. Conrad was a highly-talented all-rounder in his playing days, having represented SA Schools in 1984 along with Daryll Cullinan and Clive Eksteen, with Allan Donald as 12th man. The 55-year-old, though, returned to the South…

The Lions fell into old habits and reverted to type in the second half of their EPCR Challenge Cup clash against Stade Francais, and it was all the more the pity as they could have, should have, and would have won if not for themselves. In a scrappy match in Paris that did not inspire, the Joburgers finally succumbed to a 17-7 defeat. They lead 7-0 at half-time, battling foreign conditions and unfamiliar surroundings. They should have had more - Gianni Lombard missed two easy penalties, while during the first half they controlled possession and territory but failed to convert that into meaningful points. They could also not take advantage of the yellow card sanction to Alex Arrate. Throughout the game, from both sides, there were just too many fumbles,…

The Transvaal Agricultural Union (TLU SA) is calling on the government to exempt farmers from load shedding as the latest extended stages wreak havoc on farming operations, tipping food security to the edge of the precipice. In a statement before a meeting on the invitation of Agriculture Minister Thoko Didiza, where different parties will discuss the energy crisis, TLU SA said the government should consider agriculture as an essential service for the sake of food surety, where no load shedding was applied. It said cold chain farmers and farmers dependent on irrigation should be released from load shedding or load shedding should be applied to them out of peak times. “The government has to realise that the current energy crisis puts food security in question,” Bennie van Zyl, general…

TRANSNET and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) have reached an agreement with Liebherr, the German-Swiss multinational heavy equipment-maker to pay R54 million for irregularities in the award of two tenders in 2013 and 2014. In a statement, state-owned Transnet said the two tenders were for supplying cranes to Transnet. Liebherr had supplied all the cranes under the contracts, which are in use and would continue to be used by Transnet Port Terminals, Transnet said. “The SIU found that the decision to award the tenders was irregular. Transnet, the SIU, and Liebherr accordingly agreed that the decision to award the tenders should be reviewed and set aside,” Transnet said. According to Transnet, investigations also found that Liebherr had paid $3.2m (about R54m) to Accurate Investments Limited, a sales agent appointed…

The SA Local Government Association (Salga) said it was concerned about the increase in electricity prices for municipalities, consumers and businesses. This follows Nersa’s 18.6% tariff increase granted to Eskom. According to Salga, the increase could affect municipalities badly with the non-payment of services because of its affordability. “Effectively, this is the increase Eskom asked for and it is an increase of more than eight times inflation. It is coming at a time of Stage 6 load shedding where we are experiencing a loss of power for eight hours out of 24 – meaning that for one third of the time, we don’t have power at all. “Such a price increase can only result in a lot of hardship for customers across the board: domestic, commercial, mining, industrial and municipal…

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa’s January 8 statement gave South Africans a real glimpse into why there is no end in sight to Eskom’s load shedding woes. His speech once again confirmed that no one in his party, himself included, is willing to take the fall for the sorry state at Eskom. That is probably why our country is likely to be in the dark for at least the better part of this year. “The ANC calls for Eskom and the government to immediately focus on restoring additional units to operation as quickly as possible and arresting further decline by undertaking critical maintenance; ensuring power stations have skilled and experienced personnel; tackling sabotage, theft and corruption at power stations; and streamlining procurement processes,” he said. The president needs no reminder that…

Ukraine said yesterday the death toll had risen to 21 after a Russian missile slammed into a tower block in the city of Dnipro during a massive wave of strikes causing power outages and blackouts across the war-torn country. Ukrainian officials said more than 40 people were still missing after the Dnpiro strike, which came as Ukraine celebrated the Old New Year, a popular holiday, and as Britain became the first Western country to offer Kyiv the heavy tanks it has long sought. At least 21 people were killed and 73 others wounded in Saturday’s attack on the Dnipro tower block, Ukraine’s regional council head Mykola Lukashuk said. A 15-year-old girl was among the dead, officials said, after dozens of people were pulled from the rubble. “Rescue operations continue. The…

BERLIN: carl Hahn, who headed the Volkswagen group during the German car giant’s heyday in the 1980s, has died, a spokesperson for the Carl and Marisa Hahn Foundation said yesterday. Hahn died peacefully at his home in Wolfsburg on Saturday morning aged 96, Die Welt reported on Saturday. As head of VW from 1982 to 1993, Hahn is credited with overseeing sweeping changes that helped catapult the company to international success. The group took over Seat and Skoda under his watch and also began expanding into China – now its most important market. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Hahn also ensured that Volkswagen expanded into East Germany and rebuilt the company’s Zwickau plant, which today makes electric cars. “With his sense for opportunities, timing and emerging markets, Hahn…

Lahore: The provincial assembly in Pakistan’s most populous province, Punjab, has been dissolved in a move orchestrated by former prime minister Imran Khan as part of a bid to force early general elections. The country has been gripped by political instability since Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote and replaced last April by a shaky coalition led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The South Asian nation is also battling a severe economic crisis. It is drowning in debt, facing galloping inflation and dwindling foreign exchange reserves. This, as the economy tries to claw to recovery from last year’s devastating monsoon floods. | AFP…

Orlando Pirates’ losing streak in the DStv Premiership might have come to an end at home on Saturday, but they shouldn’t get carried away, believing all is well. Pirates were arguably one of the best teams in the first half of the season, winning the MTN8 – to set themselves up nicely for challenging for a local treble. But after enduring a poor start to the second half of the league, with losses to Mamelodi Sundowns and Cape Town City, their title hopes went up in smoke. Granted they bounced back to winning ways at home on Saturday to snap a three-game losing run, but that didn’t mean they are suddenly home and dry. In fact, this 3-1 win over Golden Arrows proved that they have problems that need…