Innholdsfortegnelse for 2023-03-07 i Pretoria News

AFRICAN Rainbow Mineral (ARM)'s shares took a knock yesterday despite a 40% increase in its interim headline earnings as it was boosted by thermal coal prices. The shares dropped by 1.84% to close at R258 on the JSE yesterday. In its interim results for the six months ended December 31, 2022, the group reported that headline earnings per share was R26.38 in the reported period from R18.87 per share the prior year. It declared an interim dividend of R14 per share, an increase from R12 a year earlier. Anchor Capital investment analyst Seleho Tsatsi said while ARM reported strong earnings growth,unfortunately, there was unit cost pressure. “That is a theme that we’re seeing across the mining sector. There was generally double digit unit cost pressure across ARM’s businesses. “If we…

THE ANC leadership in Mpumalanga has denounced the political gimmicks that have taken centre stage in the province following a fake front-page headline claiming the party’s provincial treasurer had resigned. According to the story, which has since been dismissed as “fake news”, Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Mandla Msibi had resigned with immediate effect. The doctored front page was shared within political WhatsApp groups in the province, causing speculation that Msibi was being purged. Msibi’s name is not new to controversy. In October 2021, he was fired from his portfolio as MEC for the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Administration by Premier Refilwe Motshweni-Tsipane. At the time, Mtshweni-Tsipane said she was releasing Msibi in order to allow him to pay attention to the double murder charges he…

THE City of Tshwane council is still without a presiding officer a week after speaker Dr Murunwa Makwarela was elected new mayor. A council sitting to elect a new speaker collapsed yesterday as members of the multiparty coalition absconded.Without them, the council could not reach a quorum needed to sit. The boycott was over the election of Makwarela as mayor, eclipsing former DA MP Cilliers Brink. Makwarela, of Cope, was backed by the EFF and ANC in his election, bagging 112 votes to Brink’s 101. Brink was supported by the multiparty coalition of ActionSA, the DA, Freedom Front Plus and other small parties. The coalition has a total of 108 councillors, which means some voted with the opposition. The DA’s Jacques Uys confirmed to Pretoria News= that party members…

DIASPORA bonds have been successfully tapped by many developing countries. These are long-term financing instruments issued to attract investments from expatriates. Such financing instruments have been used to raise funds for building dams, education, and even war. Israel, for instance, has used them to raise as much as $32 billion since 1951. India has raised over $11.3bn – mostly for infrastructural projects. Diaspora bonds have helped both avert a balance of payments crisis. In 1998, expatriate funds helped India buffer the impact of international sanctions imposed after it ran a series of surprise nuclear tests. Now Ukraine is mulling the issue of bonds to its large diaspora to fund its war efforts. So why should African governments consider issuing diaspora bonds? For one thing, it is a low-cost instrument…

The head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary force has warned that Russia’s position around the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut was in peril unless his troops got ammunition, the latest sign of tension between the Kremlin and the private militia chief. Ukrainian military officials and analysts also reported leaders of Russia’s 155th Brigade fighting near the town of Vuhledar, south of Bakhmut, were resisting orders to attack after sustaining severe losses in attempts to capture it. For its part, the Russian Defence Ministry on Sunday said Russian forces had hit a command centre of the Ukrainian Azov Regiment in south-eastern Zaporizhzhia region. The ministry did not elaborate. Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield accounts. Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said Russia’s front lines near Bakhmut could collapse if his forces did…

At least 15 people were killed and dozens feared missing after torrential rains and landslides battered one of Indonesia’s outermost islands bordering the South China Sea, disaster officials said yesterday. Pictures provided by the national disaster mitigation agency (BNPB) showed mud and debris from the landslides had inundated houses near a cliff on the remote Serasan island. Bits of metal torn off roofs and fallen trees were visible. The remoteness of the village where the landslide struck in the Natuna region of Riau province, combined with poor weather and downed communication lines, complicated rescue efforts, according to officials. “We’ve been updated that 50 people were missing, 15 dead people were evacuated,” Natuna Search and Rescue Agency’s head Abdul Rahman told AFP, revising an earlier toll. Riau Islands Disaster Mitigation Agency’s…

ABUJA: Nigerian presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar yesterday led hundreds of supporters in a peaceful protest over the electoral commission’s handling of last month’s disputed vote which the commission says was won by ruling party candidate Bola Tinubu. Atiku and senior members of the opposition People’s Democratic Party led supporters during a march to the offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) in Abuja, where they handed in a petition. Inec’s results showed that Tinubu won the February 25 election with 37% of the vote against Atiku’s 29%, while the Labour Party’s Peter Obi polled 25%. | Reuters…

Islamabad: Pakistan TV stations have been banned from broadcasting speeches by former prime minister Imran Khan, the latest hurdle facing the politician as he campaigns for early elections. Khan was routed from office in a no-confidence motion last year and has been pressuring the fragile coalition which replaced him with daily speeches, regular rallies and allegations of corruption. The 70-year-old former cricketing superstar has been tangled in a slew of elaborate legal cases. He is accused of failing to declare gifts received during his time in office or the profit made from selling them. | AFP…

HULAMIN saw its shares surge on the JSE yesterday by more than 6% after announcing its normalised annual headline earnings per share and revenue had increased and that 2023 “commenced with solid customer demand”. The shares had increased by 9.43%, to reach R2.90 by the JSE close yesterday, despite the Pietermaritzburg-based aluminium product manufacturer not declaring a dividend. In its results for the year ended December 31, 2022, normalised headline earnings per share increased by 28% to 105 cents per share. Revenue increased to R15.93 billion despite sales volumes declining 4.6% to 211 328 tons. The group said that the principal difference between headline earnings per share and normalised headline earnings per share was the metal price lag, which is the profit or loss arising from the timing…

Keep your skin hydrated. We hear this all the time when it comes to skin care. Now that winter is approaching, our skin is even more susceptible to dehydration. Dehydrated skin can be dry and itchy, and perhaps dull-looking too. Your overall skin tone and complexion can often appear uneven, and fine lines become more pronounced. But do you actually know how to keep your skin hydrated? Here are some tips on ways you can keep your body’s largest organ in good condition. Drink water Yes, it’s the most obvious solution, but it’s amazing how many people simply don’t drink enough water. It’s recommended that you drink at least eight glasses of water every day. Depending on how active you are, your body might need more. Avoid long hot…

A RED Ferrari California, which was almost split in half and damaged beyond repair when it hit a lamp-post, was the subject of a legal wrangle between the insurer of the car and the owner after the insurer refused to pay out. It accused the driver of the Ferrari of speeding along William Nicol Road in Joburg during rainy conditions. Owner of the Italian vehicle Sashin Govender turned to the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, to force GuardriskInsurance Company to honour its contract with him. Judge Anthony Millar ruled in favour of Govender and ordered the insurer to pay Govender R1 827 500 plus interest and legal costs. The court was told that on the night of February 22, 2019, Govender lost control of the vehicle and it hit a lamp…

AN ATTEMPT to smuggle a stolen VW Polo into eSwatini was foiled as alert police in Mpumalanga recovered the car which was stolen during a robbery in Ennerdale, south of Johannesburg. A 27-year-old who was driving the vehicle was arrested by police at the Oshoek port of entry on Sunday night. Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said the driver, was arrested due to the commendable policing of border officers. “According to the information, the astute members were busy with their routine duties at the border when they stopped the vehicle with Gauteng registration number plates. “A search then followed where members realised that the car was reportedly stolen in a robbery in November 2022,” said Mohlala. The driver was arrested and charged for possession of suspected stolen…

The NCOP’s committee on co- operative governance and traditional affairs, water and sanitation, and human settlements is concerned about the regression in performance and audit outcomes of the City of Tshwane, City of Joburg and Emfuleni Local Municipality. This comes after the committee received a briefing from the Office of the Auditor-General (AGSA) on municipal audit outcomes. Chairperson of the committee, Thamsanqa China Dodovu, said that municipalities play a central role in delivering services to the people, and the committee finds it unacceptable that the undesirable accountability ecosystem and other systematic challenges have had a direct impact on the ability of the municipality to deliver quality services. “These (AGSA) presentations have empowered the committee to ensure effective oversight of the municipalities during the envisioned oversight visit to the municipalities in…

THE Steve Biko Academic Hospital and University of Pretoria’s Bariatric Surgery Department continues to grow in stature, adding another accolade to its belt by receiving its second international award. The hospital received the international award recently from Proventi, a highly respected organisation that accredits bariatric units around the world, for a medical procedure that involves the alteration of the digestive system to help with weight loss. Proventi awarded the hospital after a visit to the hospital, in its bid to ensure people and hospitals they accredited maintained high standards required in bariatric surgery. The award comes against the backdrop of World Obesity Day this last Saturday, and alarming rates of obesity. According to research by Wits University, about 23% of adults were overweight, and up to 27% were obese. Efforts…

THE PEOPLE of Pretoria were ranked fourth among South Africans with the healthiest weight, according to a survey conducted last year. The Discovery Vitality ObeCity Index study found, after an analysis of almost 3 000 people across the country, that Vitality members in Cape Town had the healthiest weight, followed by Johannesburg. In third place was Durban, and then Pretoria, according to the health check assessment, made up of five measures, among them blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol. There was also a weight assessment, which included weight, height, and waist circumference, and participants were required to sign a non-smoker’s declaration; all to reveal which city in South Africa is the healthiest. The cities were ranked according to the percentage of healthy food items purchased in comparison to overall food…

The active involvement of parents or guardians in their children’s education is one of the most effective ways to eliminate the ill-discipline of pupils in our schools. There is no doubt teachers are battling to deal with the bad behaviour of pupils, due to reported cases of violence in schools in which the lives of teachers and fellow pupils have been threatened. The dramatic rise in indisciplined acts by pupils has raised concerns about the safety of the school population. Several incidents of violence perpetrated by pupils have been reported in the media in recent months, including instances in KwaZulu-Natal where pupils torched a school because they were denied certain privileges. According to the SA Journal of Educ-ation, ill-discipline is a serious problem in schools. In some cases, pupils are…

South Korea has announced plans to compensate victims of Japan’s forced wartime labour, aiming to end a “vicious cycle” in the Asian powers’ relations and boost ties to counter the nuclear-armed North. Japan and the US welcomed the announcement, but victims’ groups said it fell far short of their demand for a full apology from Tokyo and direct compensation from the Japanese companies involved. Seoul and Tokyo have ramped up security co-operation amid growing threats from Kim Jong-Un’s North Korea, which is expanding its nuclear weapons programme in defiance of UN sanctions. But Seoul-Tokyo ties have long been strained over Tokyo’s brutal 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean peninsula, when around 780 000 Koreans were conscripted into forced labour by Japan, Seoul data shows. This does not include Korean women…

ATHENS: Greek rail workers went on strike for a sixth day yesterday to protest over safety conditions following the train crash last week that killed 57 people. The busy rail route that connects the capital Athens with the northern city of Thessaloniki has been suspended pending investigation into the February 28 disaster, when two services on the same track were involved in a head-on collision. A rolling strike by rail workers since the crash has brought passenger and freight rail services to a standstill across the rest of Greece. Railway workers’ unions and drivers have extended their strike until tomorrow, saying safety systems have been deficient for years. | Reuters…

ALEPPO: The Syrian government and Türkiye-backed rebels have blocked more than 100 trucks carrying humanitarian aid from entering two zones in Aleppo province hit by last month’s deadly earthquake, Amnesty International said yesterday. The aid – food, medical supplies, tents and fuel – was sent by Kurdish authorities, the rights group said. It said the Syrian government had prevented 100 trucks from entering Kurdish-majority areas of Aleppo city. To the north, rebels blocked 30 trucks from entering Afrin. So far, most aid to opposition-held areas of Syria has come via border crossings with Türkiye. Aid into government-controlled zones has come in by plane, truck and sea. | Reuters…

London: Former UK prime minister Boris Johnson has put his father Stanley forward for a knighthood, according to a report yesterday slammed by the Labour opposition as “outrageous”. The Times reported that the former Conservative leader, who left office last September, had nominated Stanley as part of his resignation honours list. The list reportedly includes the nominations of several allies for membership of the House of Lords, where Johnson appointed his younger brother Jo in 2020. “The idea that Boris Johnson is nominating his dad for a knighthood – you only need to say it to realise just how ridiculous it is,” Labour leader Keir Starmer said, querying what Stanley Johnson had done to deserve a knighthood. Stanley Johnson would be a controversial pick also because of accusations of sexual…

Virgil van Dijk says he is excited by Liverpool’s new-look forward line after the 7-0 hammering of bitter rivals Manchester United. January-signing Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez, who arrived last June, both scored twice at Anfield on Sunday while Mohamed Salah also grabbed two goals. With Roberto Firmino, the other goalscorer, set to leave at the end of the season, only Salah remains from the famed frontline that also included Sadio Mane, now at Bayern Munich. Nunez has scored 14 goals this season while Gakpo has netted four goals since arriving from PSV Eindhoven. Defender Van Dijk hailed Liverpool’s “world-class” strikes at Anfield, describing Gakpo’s first goal as “outstanding”. “Obviously, it’s been a difficult time to come in any club, I think, in the winter for any player but he”s…

Aston Martin are just getting started on a big adventure and for double world champion Fernando Alonso, back on the Formula One podium at 41 years of age and in his 20th season, it seems too good to be true. The evergreen Spaniard was even talking about future wins after finishing third in Sunday's Bahrain season-opener behind the Red Bull pairing of Max Verstappen, also a double champion, and Sergio Perez. Aston Martin, seventh in the championship last year, were suddenly second in the standings and beating both Ferrari and Mercedes. "When you are P3 in race one, there are 22 (more) opportunities this season," Alonso said of a possible 33rd career victory. "You know, anything can happen in 22 races with different conditions. And, you know I will try…

JSE All Share Index gains for second straight session, lifted by industrials SOUTH African markets started the week in divergence as the rand remained subdued while stocks were in the green, but investors were unmoved by the prospect that the appointment of an electricity minister would solve the protracted energy crisis. President Cyril Ramaphosa last night named a new deputy president after the Presidency announced David Mabuza’s resignation, and announced the new position of electricity minister. The rand fell 0.6% to R18.23 against the dollar yesterday, after stabilising over the past week when it was supported by a resurgence in global risk appetites. The rand has been struggling to gain momentum, falling 5.2% month-on-month in February against the dollar, bringing its year-to-date decline to 7.2% against the greenback. The domestic…

AS SOUTH Africans – especially small business owners – grapple with daily load shedding, online retailer Takealot said yesterday it has seen a record volume of search queries and orders for alternative energy solutions. Since the start of 2023, every day of the year has seen power disruptions, causing frustration for consumers and operational pressures on most businesses. “Our data tells an insightful story about how South Africans are becoming intentional in how they adjust to load shedding,” said Fredrik Zietsman, CEO of takealot.com in a statement. “On our platform, we’ve seen a surge in sales of load shedding mitigation products, such as generators, inverters and uninterrupted power supply units. “In fact, ‘UPS’ was the third most-searched term on the Takealot platform in 2022,” he said. Takealot had prioritised sourcing…

THE latest Traffic Index has revealed that traffic in the capital city has steadily increased over the years, making Pretoria one of the most congested cities in the country. According to the 2022 TomTom Traffic index, Pretoria stood at number 147 globally. However, it was flagged as one of the most congested cities in South Africa with an average of 145 hours over a 6-day period spent in rush hour traffic per year. This meant on average, motorists took roughly 16 minutes to traverse 10km at a mere 32km/h speed. Travel time reportedly increased in Pretoria last year, with the data suggesting that the average time it took to travel 10km had in fact increased by 40 seconds from 2021. The report went as far as narrowing down the worst…

China’s core stance is to promote peace through direct dialogue It has been one year since the full-scale escalation of the crisis in Ukraine, with the conflict showing a trend towards protracted and expanding severity. Countless people have suffered greatly, and the spillover effects have been increasingly pronounced, making the situation deeply concerning. Over the past year, China has maintained an objective and impartial stance, actively promoting peace talks and negotiations. President Xi Jinping has put forward four principles, called for joint efforts in four areas and shared three observations on Ukraine, which have pointed the way towards easing tensions and resolving the crisis. Recently, China released a document titled “China’s Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis”, which elaborates on China’s propositions, incorporates the legitimate concerns of…

Four jihadists have escaped from prison in Mauritania after a shoot-out left two guards dead, the interior ministry said yesterday, a rare event in a nation spared the insurgency sweeping through the Sahel. “The National Guard has tightened its control over the prison and immediately started tracking down the fugitives,” the ministry said in a statement to the official news agency. Two other guards were lightly wounded, it said. The identities of the escaped prisoners were not revealed. According to a military official, two of the prisoners had been sentenced to death, while the others were awaiting trial for membership of a terrorist organisation. The official, asking not to be named, said their vehicle had been found north-east of the capital Nouakchott, site of the central prison. The death…

Tehran: Iran’s Supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, yesterday said those behind the poisoning of schoolgirls in recent months should face “severe punishment”. In total, several hundred cases of gas poisoning have been reported in more than 52 schools across Iran since the end of November, according to an official count. Female pupils have reported suffering symptoms such as shortness of breath, nausea and vertigo after detecting “unpleasant” or “unknown” odours, sparking calls for authorities to act. Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said that individuals arrested for poisoning the schoolgirls would be put on trial. | AFP…

MEXICO CITY: Four Americans were shot at by gunmen and then kidnapped in Mexico after crossing the border, the US Embassy in Mexico said. The four unidentified Americans were in a white minivan with North Carolina licence plates when they entered Matamoros, Tamaulipas, on Friday, the embassy said, seeking the public’s help in identifying the alleged kidnappers. The armed men allegedly fired on the passengers shortly after their vehicle crossed into Mexico and then herded them into another vehicle before fleeing. The FBI is offering a $50 000 (R911 520) reward for the return of the victims and the arrest of those involved. | Reuters…

Fielding at short-leg Tony de Zorzi has the best seat in the house. Being so close to the heat of battle, he can almost feel the sense of fear setting into the opposition batters when Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje are charging in. De Zorzi, and the Proteas, won’t have that pleasure this week at the Wanderers with Nortje being ruled out of the second Test against the West Indies with a “mild groin discomfort”. However, the Centurion debutant will certainly not forget the adrenaline rush that burst through his veins after his first Test cricket experience. “It was exciting, obviously it was much better because we ended up winning,” the stylish Western Province top-order batter said. “I was telling friends afterwards, to be that close to see KG take…

Not in a long time has the Nedbank Cup been this significant to Soweto giants Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs. The Sea Robbers and Amakhosi – along with Mamelodi Sundowns – are expected to win matches season in and season out. But such has been the disappointing run of Chiefs and Pirates in recent years, that they’ve been playing bridesmaid to the Brazilians, who are on course to win a record sixth Premiership title in a row. So, with Sundowns all but guaranteed another league crown and a return to Caf Champions League, Pirates and Chiefs can only follow suit via finishing second on the log. But that’s easier said than done. They both face stiff competition from SuperSport United who have been holding onto second spot in the past…

And then there were three! The battle for the second spot is heating up with one of SuperSport United, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs set to be the team that will finish behind runaway champions Mamelodi Sundowns in the DStv Premiership this season. The three teams won their respective matches over the weekend, but with a whopping 24 points still up for grabs in the last eight games of the season, the three teams will have to work their socks off to claim second place. Here looks at what they need to do to qualify for the CAF Champions League. SuperSport United The return of coach Gavin Hunt to the team has been spectacular as they’ve been able to compete with the best despite the minimal resources at their…