Innholdsfortegnelse for 2023-01-18 i Pretoria News

Moody’s vice-president senior credit officer Aurelien Mali says GDP in South Africa is now likely to track below 1% this year due to the severe power cuts SOUTH Africa’s economic growth could slump below 1% in 2023, slashing all the gains and recovery made since the Covid-19 pandemic, as a result of severe power cuts which continue to cripple productivity. This was a warning from ratings agency Moody’s Investors Service yesterday as Eskom’s rotational power cuts remained elevated at Stage 4 amid an absence of an energy security plan from the government. Moody’s vice-president senior credit officer, Aurelien Mali, yesterday said gross domestic product (GDP) in South Africa was now likely to track below their previously downwards growth forecast of 1% in 2023. This outcome would be significantly lower than…

WHILE leading economists warn that the looming global recession will impact on the economies of struggling African countries, they are not too pessimistic. This as African countries are expected to shoulder the greatest impact of a global recession as they are highly dependent on foreign investment, international trade and imports, and they have been knocking on doors of multilateral finance institutions more than other regions to survive. At the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meetings 2023 yesterday, a group of economists discussed the precarious outlook for the global economy this year on the back of a persistent Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and rising costs of living. The group was unanimous that even though a global recession was forecast for this year, it would be a “shallow recession” instead…

Davos 2023 got down to business. This, against the backdrop of the opening day’s Global Economist Outlook released by World Economic Forum on Monday, is why we are here – business. With around a third of the world expected to hit a recession this year according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the continuing pressures on an already strained and outdated financial system, coupled with the destabilisation of the geo-political landscape, I think it’s fair to say that we are in for a rocky ride in the short to medium term. I do not mean to be the voice of doom and gloom; I am by nature an optimist. But I am also a realist and realistically, we’re in trouble. We all know this, from the…

FORMER ActionSA Gauteng provincial secretary Abel Tau, who was last year accused of attempting to rape a wife of his childhood friend, yesterday unveiled his political party, called United Africans Transformation (UAT), which aims to contest the 2024 provincial and national elections. This came after he was booted out of ActionSA following the incident and an internal inquiry into allegations of sexual abuse brought up by at least three women. Tau, who is also former MMC for Human Settlements in the City of Tshwane, is expected to appear in court in March in connection with sex abuse allegations brought up by the women. Turn to p4…

THE DA has urged its lawyers to file papers in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, to challenge the decision by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) to grant Eskom an 18.65% tariff increase which comes into effect in April. DA leader John Steenhuisen made the announcement yesterday during his address to the nation, saying his party’s decision was prompted by the worsening electricity crisis. The pending court action came after Nersa’s decision to grant Eskom tariff increases of 18.65% for the 2023/24 financial year and a further 12.74% for the 2024/25 financial year. “I have instructed our lawyers to apply to the High Court of South Africa for an interdict to stop the implementation of this tariff increase. “South Africans, who have already had to spend a third…

The popular mayor of uMngeni Local Municipality, Chris Pappas, is in line to stand as the DA’s candidate for the position of premier of KwaZulu-Natal in the 2024 national government elections. He has also been lobbied by his party members to challenge for the position of party leader, while others apparently want him to be the party’s candidate for KwaZulu-Natal premiership. Pappas said he would avail himself for the position of the KZN premier, saying that was a long process (scrutinising of candidates) that the party (DA) would undertake. His profile and popularity has grown since taking over as mayor of the Midlands municipality.…

Police have arrested a truck driver, employed by the eThekwini Municipality, for allegedly stealing fuel worth millions of rand over a five-year period. Metro Police spokesperson, Senior Superintendent Boysie Zungu, said the 38-year-old driver was arrested in Adams Mission this week. He said teams acted on information supplied and with the assistance of the Economic Infrastructure Task Team, the driver was arrested. “Upon further investigation, we learn that the driver has allegedly been stealing this diesel illegally for the past five years. “The estimated value for only two months, November and December, amounts to more than R200 000,” he said. Speaking to IOL, City spokesperson, Msawakhe Mayisela said they were aware of the arrest and were following up. “We commend the police for the good work that they have done.…

Despite the matric Class of 2022 being the hardest hit in terms of the Covid-19 pandemic with schooling disrupted from their Grade 10 year, the pupils who wrote the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) National Senior Certificate were able to achieve a pass rate of 98.42%, slightly higher than last year’s pass rate of 98.39%. The IEB said all candidates who passed achieved a pass that grants access to tertiary study at one of the three levels, with 89.32% of the cohort achieving entry to degree study. IEB CEO Anne Oberholzer described the performance of the 2022 matric cohort as “outstanding”. She said the 2022 cohort were the hardest hit by the impact of the pandemic when it broke in 2020 in their Grade 10 year. She added that while the…

Zak Burger is not your typical South African rugby player. Having come through the Paarl Gymnasium factory in the Western Cape, he moved to unfashionable Kimberley to kick-start his professional career. It didn’t take him long to establish himself as a senior player at Griquas, and before you knew it, he was the team captain – and sported a long mullet hairstyle. Burger chopped off his locks when he arrived at Loftus in 2021, but that spunk in his play is still evident as he tries to get the Bulls’ attack going. That’s why it is no surprise that he is sporting a “shiner” on his forehead at the moment after becoming entangled in a ruck – of all places for a scrumhalf – during last week’s 39-28 Champions Cup…

The temperature touched 40°C at Boland Park yesterday as the Paarl Royals clinched a 10-run SA20 victory over the Durban’s Super Giants. The normally packed grass embankments were empty as the locals crowded under the trees. Not even the increased prize money – to R2-million in total – for a one-handed catch could get them away from the sought-after shade. Yorkshireman Darren Gough did a commentary stint with an ice towel over his head, while many batsmen were left on their haunches when running a quick two. Local boy Bjorn Fortuin is probably the one player accustomed to the conditions, having attended school in the picturesque Winelands town not too far from the Royals’ home ground. He was definitely the coolest during the Super Giants’ PowerPlay, ripping the heart out…

Formula One will have 23 races this season, still a record and one more than last year, with the sport facing a four-week gap in April after deciding not to replace the cancelled Chinese Grand Prix. The race in Shanghai, originally scheduled for 16 April as the fourth of 24 rounds, was axed last month for the fourth year in a row due to strict local measures to curb the spread of Covid-19. Formula One had said then that it was assessing alternative options, with various venues touted in the media including Portugal’s Portimao circuit that was used as a replacement in 2020 and 2021 for races cancelled during the pandemic. “Formula One can confirm the 2023 season will consist of 23 races. All existing race dates on the calendar…

Transaction Capital has plans in place for the recovery of SA Taxi, the one out of the group’s three divisions that underperformed in the past financial year, SA Taxi CEO Terry Kier said in the group’s integrated annual report released yesterday. The group’s WeBuyCars business did particularly well and contributed R540 million to core earnings attributable to the group in the year to September 30, 2022, 100% above the 2021 figure. Nutun, the digital business services company, contributed R409m to attributable group core earnings after increasing by 28% over the year. But SA Taxi, which mainly finances new and used minibus taxis, saw its contribution to core attributable earnings fall 26% to R304m. Kier said the floods in KwaZulu-Natal in April last year temporarily disrupted public transport services and damaged…

COLLECTIVELY, eight insurers investigated by the Competition Commission for price-fixing could be fined up to 25% of their turnovers by the Competition Tribunal, making the penalties the highest ever fined by South Africa’s competition authorities. Competition Commission spokesperson Siyabulela Makunga said yesterday that while the hearings for the investigation were still some way off, and information from last year’s raids at the various insurers was still being analysed, the Competition Tribunal had the power to fine companies up to 25% of their turnover for repeat offenders, and “we always go for the maximum penalty”. He was responding to Business Report’s questions following the publication yesterday by News24, which had made a Promotion of Access to Information (PAIA) request for the commission’s court documents of information that showed the commission suspected…

According to The Washington Post, the term “quiet quitting” is a bit of a misnomer because those who choose to partake in the phenomenon don’t actually quit their employment. Instead, what they’re doing is rejecting “hustle culture”. A career coach with over 400 000 followers on TikTok, Allison Peck has described the idea of quiet quitting as workers opting to do the bare minimum in their professions. She says in her post that people are no longer willing to sacrifice their physical and emotional health to go above and beyond at work. One user says it is just one way of establishing a reasonable work/life balance. The Collins Dictionary in 2022 identified “Quiet Quitting” as one of its Phrases of the Year. Yet half the globe still does not fully…

Back-to-school season is unquest-ionably chaotic. There is school supply shopping, extra early wake-up calls, and a laundry list of new activities to worry about. And don’t forget about meal preparation. But packing lunches for little ones – and for you – doesn’t have to add to your seasonal stress. Below, the team from the Food Stall at Spar has put together these five tips to make back-to-school lunches hassle-free. Plan a weekly lunch menu Spare yourself that dreaded early-morning rush by planning in advance. With just a little thought, you can create a weekly school lunch menu and pack healthy, nutritious lunches, saving you time and unnecessary trips to the shops. Shop with a list January is undoubtedly the longest month of the year, and we are all looking to…

MORE participants have joined the legal action in demand of a stable supply of electricity in the country to restore the economy, household functionality and individual technology use. Initially, 10 entities – including political parties, civic organisations and businesses – appointed seven firms to institute legal action against Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan and Eskom CEO André de Ruyter. But according to Eric Mabuza, from Eric Mabuza Attorneys, the number of participants in the action has since increased. “The matter started with 10, but now we have received requests from more people and organisations committing to join the action and hold the government accountable,” Mabuza told the Pretoria News. Mabuza said that this was a more direct approach to holding the executive to account, as other processes have yielded unsatisfactory…

THE COMMUNICATIONS Workers Union (CWU) has been hauled to the Labour Court in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, for allegedly holding an “invalid” and “constitutionally unlawful” special congress last month. According to insiders close to the union, its troubles started with the infighting between its president Clyde Mervin and its secretary-general Aubrey Tshabalala in October 2021. The spat between the two resulted in the suspension of Tshabalala with full pay, while he was being accused of failing to perform his duties and going on unauthorised overseas trips while refusing to account to Mervin. Tshabalala has maintained his innocence and reinstated himself as secretary. The two were elected during the union’s last congress five years ago, which meant their terms lapsed in 2021, and the union was due for a special congress. According to…

The AA and the Road Freight Association said the decrease in the number of road fatalities during the recent festive period compared with the previous year was encouraging and welcomed. Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula announced yesterday that during the festive season from December 1 to January 11 about 1 451 people died on South African roads compared with 1 685 fatalities in the previous year. However, the AA said the number of deaths on the country’s roads remained too high, and required urgent intervention. Mbalula noted that this was a 14% reduction in the number of fatalities compared with the same period in 2021/22. The official recorded number of fatalities by the Road Traffic Management Corporation over the 2021/22 period was 1 808 fatalities, not 1 685. “The rate…

CITY residents have been urged to use water sparingly as Rand Water and the City of Tshwane worry about possible shortages due to load shedding and high temperatures. While the nation has been frustrated by the impact of load shedding on their livelihoods, the City foresees shortages caused by lack of power at its water treatment plants. Rising temperatures have also caused a serious concern for bulk water supplier Rand Water, Tshwane’s main supplier, issuing a warning to residents to use water sparingly as it worries about possible shortages. Activists and political parties, like the DA, have also called on residents not to be oblivious to factors that may affect water supply and result in shortages at a time when the demand is higher due to hotter temperatures. Utility Services…

Having a balanced matric year was important for three Epworth pupils who made it on to the IEB Outstanding Achievements list. Rebecca Cook, Ashley du Toit and Daniela Vonkeman were in the top 5% in six or more of their subjects to place on the list. The trio from the Pietermaritzburg school all agreed that making time for sport and leisure activities was crucial during their final year of school. Rebecca, who will be studying industrial engineering at Stellenbosch University, said her matric year went quickly and she played hockey and tennis to make sure she had a balanced schedule. She said the disruptions to schooling due to the Covid-19 pandemic in the Grade 10 and 11 years had been tough, especially as spors events and social gatherings could not…

The fact that the Stormers need just one point to advance to the last 16 of the Champions Cup gives coach John Dobson a bit of licence to be more creative with his selection at flyhalf for Saturday’s clash against Clermont. The United Rugby Championship winners return to Cape Town Stadium (7.30pm kickoff) following last Sunday’s 28-14 bonus-point victory over London Irish in England, but Dobson was frustrated by a second-half display against 13 players that he said “left a bit of a weird taste in the mouth”. That will definitely receive the necessary attention when the team return to training today after arriving back home yesterday, with the poor execution and decision-making on attack the main problematic area. Dobson was pleased with how things were going when Manie Libbok…

Novak Djokovic soaked up thunderous applause in his first match back at the Australian Open after last year’s deportation drama, as the nine-time champion outclassed Roberto Carballes Baena 6-3 6-4 6-0 yesterday in a flawless start to his title bid. Returning to Melbourne Park where the prolific Serbian was denied a title defence in 2022 after being sent home amid public fury for not having a Covid-19 vaccination, Djokovic saved three early break points to win the first set as fans sang his name. “I felt very welcome on the court, especially the Serbian community that is big here in Australia has welcomed me in an incredible way. So much support. So much love,” Djokovic told reporters. “I couldn’t ask for a better start to the tournament in terms of…

MINING production in South Africa fell for the 10th month in a row in November 2022 as the prolonged power cuts, which reached record levels last year, are expected to continue to hurt the sector. This means that the mining industry, which contributes about 9% to gross domestic product (GDP), will continue to be a drag on the economic output for the fourth quarter of 2022. Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) said yesterday that mining output slumped by 9% year-on-year in November, following an upwardly revised 11% decline in October due to the Transnet workers strike. This mining print was worse than market forecasts of a 6.85% drop, and a consecutive decline in output since January. Stats SA said the largest negative contributors were the platinum group metals (PGMs), which…

The shares were down 5.71% in intraday trade yesterday and traded at R3.30. They have declined by 47.76% in the past year. In its financial performance update for the first half of the 2023 financial year, the IT group said it concluded a debt term sheet with Standard Bank, acting through its Corporate and Investment Banking division, subject to the successful conclusion of the capital raise. EOH said its remaining debt would be refinanced as follows: a R200 million, four-year amortising term loan; a R250m, three-year bullet term loan; a R250m, four-year revolving credit facility; and R500m in general banking facilities, which will include a working capital facility and ancillary banking facilities. EOH said this would ensure that the group emerged from the capital raise with a sustainable capital structure,…

WHILE a group of lawyers has issued a letter of demand to Eskom over the load shedding crisis, the electricity giant is also facing legal action from AfriForum, which has requested information from Eskom regarding the utility’s controversial contracts. AfriForum served an application on Eskom in July last year in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA). The PAIA application demanded information on active contracts that Eskom has with various service providers, including coal suppliers and transport companies. Eskom responded to this application, but key information was redacted and withheld from AfriForum, the organisation said. It filed an internal appeal in September and pointed out that Eskom did not provide an adequate explanation of why the information was withheld. Therefore, AfriForum argued that Eskom did not comply…

MATRICS who do not pass their National Senior Certificate have been urged to remember that the word “fail” has no place in a post-modern society – “insufficient achievement” should do. After confirmation by the education quality assurance body, Umalusi, that the results will be released on Thursday, and the marks available at schools on Friday, the eyes of the country will once more be returning to the outcome of the class of 2022. And although the focus would be on the matrics who obtained university entrance, educational experts assured pupils and parents that there was hope for those who did not. Professor Kobus Maree, of the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Pretoria, advised pupils and parents that although their current marks would co-determine whether they would be…

THE National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in Mpumalanga has urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to fire senior executives managing major power stations in their province, which generate electricity for the country. NUM is accusing senior executives of not prioritising the stabilisation of the provision of electricity, but their own personal interests. The labour union in the Highveld Region said it was greatly concerned and worried about the continued roll-out of stage 6 load shedding by Eskom. The NUM Highveld Region operate in Mpumalanga, where most Eskom power stations are. The ongoing load shedding was unsustainable for the economies of most local communities, which may result in an increase of unemployment and poverty, it said. Num regional secretary Thapelo Malekutu said his union felt much of this debilitating load sheddingcould have been…

THE South African agricultural sector has been highlighted time and again as an important sector of the economy with great potential to reduce poverty. It is for that reason that school learners are being encouraged to consider agriculture as a career. According to the International Trade Administration, the 2020 fiscal for the agricultural sector alone contributed around 10% to South Africa’s total export earnings, at a value of $10.2 billion, largely as a result of exports in citrus, wine, table grapes, corn and apples. With this in mind, Gauteng MEC for Social Development, Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Mbali Hlophe encouraged learners of Mahlenga Senior Secondary School to consider agriculture as a career. Hlophe was speaking at the school in Sokhulumi, 25km from Bronkhorstspruit, as part of the provincial government’s…

Farmers across the world, and the Western Cape in particular have a new reason to cast their eyes up to the sky, following the successful launch of the world’s first agriculture-focused satellite. The recently launched South African-manufactured satellite on Elon Musk’s SpaceX is the product of Stellenbosch’s Dragonfly Aerospace and is set to provide the agriculture and forestry industry with high-quality data to support efficient and sustainable practices. The Earth observation satellite EOS SAT-1 was part of the first space launch thia year, the SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket, which launched 114 small satellites into low Earth orbit at once. South African Council for Space Affairs chairperson Pontsho Maruping, said the success of the world’s first agri-focused satellite is expected to generate more than $100 million (R1.7 billion)…

Newly-installed Wallabies coach Eddie Jones is looking to reverse the talent drain from Australian rugby union and bring back former schoolboy internationals who defected to rugby league. Jones, who was sacked by England in December, replaced Dave Rennie as Wallabies coach on Monday in a shock move by Rugby Australia only eight months before the World Cup. In his first stint as Australia coach from 2001 to 2005, Jones brought in backs Wendell Sailor, Lote Tuqiri and Mat Rogers from rugby league in a high profile recruitment drive. Without disclosing any specific names, Jones said he would be looking to do something similar for the Wallabies this time around. “There’s a definite priority in there. The first thing we want to do is retain all the talent in rugby. Then…

Mamelodi Sundowns’ decision to prevent their players who are on loan at SuperSport United from playing against them turned out to be a masterstroke. Despite enjoying a glut of possession, Sundowns scraped home 1-0 in Monday night’s Tshwane derby at Loftus Versfeld. In terms of an agreement between the two clubs, SuperSport trio Ricardo Goss, Grant Magerman and Thabang Sibanyoni, who are on loan from Sundowns, were ineligible to play against their parent club. The trio could well have made the difference after SuperSport coach Gavin Hunt said that their absence contributed to him fielding a “patched-up team” against the log leaders. “I thought we were the better team, because we created more (scoring) chances,” said Hunt. “But you got to score against a team like this. We came here…