Innholdsfortegnelse for 2023-04-06 i Pretoria News

Plug pulled on Eskom’s exemption from reporting on irregular expenditure IN A SURPRISING U-turn, South Africa’s Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced the withdrawal of the gazette on the Eskom exemption from reporting on irregular and wasteful expenditure for three years. This came after a massive outcry in the country and the finance boss’s meeting with Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke. Godongwana told Parliament yesterday, after meeting Maluleke, pending further consultations on the matter, that the National Treasury would be pulling the plug on the gazette. Godongwana was appearing before the joint committees on the auditor-general, finance, appropriations and public enterprises. He said that granting the exemption to Eskom was informed by its financial situation. Godongwana said that when viewing the situation at the ailing power utility, the Treasury realised it would not…

Menopause is a natural biological process that marks the end of a woman’s reproductive years. It typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 and is characterised by a decrease in hormone production, particularly oestrogen. The world’s first testosterone patch for menopausal women was developed to address the issue of low testosterone levels that occur during menopause. If clinical trials are successful and the medication receives regulatory approval, this will be the only testosterone replacement patch available globally, according to The Telegraph. Professor David Haddleton, of the University of Warwick, who founded the company Medherant, said the potential to help improve the lives of women who had lost their sexual desire was “huge”. The UK’s National Health Service does not allow the administration of testosterone to women seeking treatment…

Allegedly shot by police during service delivery protest over lack of water A MOTHER is demanding R20 million from Police Minister Bheki Cele for the death of her daughter, who is alleged to have been shot by the police during public unrest. The mother, Nomsa Ngema of Mpumalanga, is accusing the police of shooting her teenage daughter Thabi Msibi during a service delivery protest in KwaNgema, Mpumalanga, in January. On January 16, the local community embarked on a service delivery protest due to a lack of water and other human rights needs and necessities within the community. However, it ended in tragedy when Msibi, in Grade 11, was shot dead while visiting a friend. She had being let out of school early due to the public unrest. Now Ngema, through…

SIX MEMBERS of an illegal syndicate that operated in Gauteng, North West and Limpopo have been sentenced to an accumulative 843 years after being convicted on 68 counts including racketeering by managing and participating in a criminal enterprise, kidnapping, robbery and murder. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson in Gauteng, Phindi Mjonondwane, said the High Court in Johannesburg also convicted the syndicate members on charges of fraud, corruption, conspiracy and possession of firearms and ammunition. “With the court ordering that some of the sentences run concurrently, Vusimuzi Jomo Mazibuko, 43, and Xolani Comfort Mkhwanazi, 32, will serve life imprisonment each. “Shaun Khumalo, 25, will serve 15 years’ imprisonment, while Vusi David Sibanyoni, 41, and Sticks Nkuna Bhova, 46, will serve an effective 20 years each, and Calvin Congo Mabunda, 40,…

LEADING trade unions representing workers employed by US-based companies Walmart and Massmart have called on all patriotic South Africans to boycott the subsidiary stores for ignoring the plights of workers. Scores of workers from Makro, Game and Builders Warehouse descended on the American Embassy in Pretoria yesterday, demanding the reinstatement of dismissed workers and for the companies to abide by the labour laws of the country. Under the leadership of the SA Commercial Catering and Allied Workers Union (Saccawu) and supported by Cosatu and its affiliates, the unions alleged the US companies had since the Covid-19 pandemic waged a “serious offensive” on unions and workers. The total takeover by Walmart had led to a deterioration in industrial relations with draconian measures replacing cordial industrial relations leading to the unfair dismissal…

SOUTH Africa continues to grapple with cybercrime, which is likely to increase in future with the country being ranked number six in the world in terms of cybercrime density. This has been attributed to the era of digitalisation which has bred a significant increase in cybercrime, even while making people’s lives easier. As a result of cybercrime, national government institutions, large corporations and small and medium sized businesses are at risk of financial and data loss, identity theft and cyber extortion. Billy Petzer, research group leader in cyber security systems at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), painted a bleak picture of continuous cybercrime attacks locally, saying the phenomenon costs the country at least R2.2 billion a year. “As things stand at the moment we are not looking…

The DACIA Duster, which is rebranded as a Renault in South Africa and some other markets, is set for a full redesign next year. First launched abroad in 2010, and currently in its second generation, the third iteration of the Duster looks to have a more rugged design as implied by the latest spy pictures of disguised prototypes currently doing their rounds. The new model is widely expected to take its design inspiration from the Dacia Bigster Concept that was revealed in 2021. But it also looks set to offer improved off-road capability. Autocar, having spoken to Duster product boss Julien Ferry, reports that off-road ability will be a priority for the new model. Ferry says the carmaker plans to “keep the recipe and update it following customer demand”. The…

THE Sharks arrived in the south of France on yesterday afternoon having left their injured talisman lock Eben Etzebeth at home in Durban. Many will believe they also left behind their chances of beating Toulouse in their Champions Cup quarter-final, such is the colossal influence the Bok enforcer has on his teammates. In a further blow, scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse is out of the game for 10 weeks after undergoing shoulder surgery in a Durban hospital on Tuesday. The pair suffered shoulder injuries during the Sharks’ 50-35 defeat of Munster last week. Etzebeth did not come out for the second half and while his injury is not serious, he won’t be fit by Saturday and the Sharks have confirmed that he is out of the game. The 23-year-old Hendrikse was injured…

AFTER two long flights and a lengthy bus ride, the Stormers finally arrived in England yesterday, but say they won’t use the travelling as an excuse in Saturday’s Champions Cup quarter-final against the Exeter Chiefs (6.30pm kickoff). Defence coach Norman Laker explained from Exeter yesterday that the Cape outfit left the Mother City on Tuesday in three different groups as there weren’t flights available on Monday. Part of the reason for that was the dramatic finish to the Exeter-Montpellier last-16 clash on Sunday, which ended in a 33-33 draw and meant that the English club would host the Stormers at Sandy Park. If Montpellier had won, they would have travelled to South Africa to face the Stormers – who had beaten Harlequins 32-28 on Saturday – at Cape Town Stadium.…

MAMELODI Sundowns coach Rhulani Mokwena believes his star player Cassius Mailula should have been selected to play for the South African Under-23 team, instead of Bafana Bafana. Sundowns were held to a 0-0 draw by Cape Town City in a Premiership clash in Pretoria on Tuesday and Mailula missed a number of goalscoring chances. Rather than elaborate on his missed chances, Mokwena spoke about Mailula’s recent selection for Bafana. “I would have loved to see Cassius with the Under-23s and not with Bafana," said Mokwena. "I would have loved to see him with his age group going to Congo and helping the team qualify. “Let’s talk about what is happening and what level we are at. We (South Africa) are not a country known to produce world-class talent…

THE WELL-PUBLICISED collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) in the US, followed in short order by New York’s Signature Bank, highlighted the important role deposit insurance plays. It successfully prevented widespread panic over the solvency of the many regional banks operating in the US, some of which, like SVB and Signature, are surprisingly large. The South African Reserve Bank introduced a new deposit insurance scheme, which came into effect on 24 March 24, 2023. This means South Africa is also one of the G20 nations to adopt statutory insurance to protect depositors in the event of a bank failure. The Reserve Bank has established a subsidiary, the Corporation for Deposit Insurance (CoDI), to levy premiums on banks and manage a fund to be used to repay the depositors of failed…

It’s been a gruelling few months for 21-year-old Julia Wendell who found instant fame on social media earlier this year for claiming to be Madeleine McCann. After posting a series of videos on TikTok on why she believes she is the toddler who went missing in the Portuguese beach-side town of Praia da Luz in 2007, she caught the attention of global news networks, including Kate and Gerry McCann. Hopeful that there was some merit to her claims, the McCanns even agreed to Wendell taking a DNA test. To further her cause, Wendell embarked on a media blitz, starting with her appearance on US TV show Dr Phil. During the interview, she said: “I want to know the truth, that’s all. I think everybody wants to know the truth.” Now…

GAUTENG MEC for Health and Wellness Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko yesterday lashed out at Covid-19 support staff members who interrupted an official provincial government event in Mamelodi. “I will not allow anarchy in the department. I was not put there to promote anarchy. I will do things by the book,” she told the workers. The MEC was in Mamelodi where Premier Panyaza Lesufi was meant to launch the provincial Easter plans and unveil emergency response vehicles. However, disgruntled staff members interrupted proceedings and demanded that the premier deal with their request for permanent employment. Their annual contracts ended last Friday. Determined to carry on from where they left off last week, when they protested at hospitals, the disgruntled workers started shouting in the middle of Nkomo-Ralehoko’s address. Last week they embarked on…

FINES valued at over R400 000 have been issued and 60 vehicles impounded as the Tshwane Metro Police Department intensifies law enforcement ahead of the Easter holidays. Department spokesperson Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba said the pre-Easter operations were held in areas in areas including Soshanguve, Mabopane, Mamelodi and Eersterust. “The Tshwane Metro Police Department kicked off its big bang Easter season operations in the Soshanguve and Mabopane areas on (Monday). On Tuesday, the operations were conducted in Mamelodi and Eersterust,” said Mahamba. “These operations are aimed at reducing unlawful behaviour on the roads by increasing visibility, thus reducing crime in the City of Tshwane.” Mahamba said during the operations, almost 1 000 fines were issued by the TMPD officers, amounting to more than R440 000. “At least 60 vehicles were…

MOVING towards sustainable conservation and transforming SANParks into a world-class conservation organisation by 2040 is on the cards, says Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Barbara Creecy. And the vision is centred on three critical strategic targets: conservation excellence, sustainable enterprise, and social and economic inclusion. Creecy said this at the launch of Vision 2040 at Groenkloof National Park this week. SANParks has been unable to reach its goals in recent years due to a range of challenges, including climate change, illegal poaching and human encroachment. SANParks is one of the best-known and revered conservation organisations in the world, and in its 97 years has been instrumental in the protection and management of some of South Africa’s most valuable wildlife areas. The vision aims to address challenges and develop innovative solutions…

The brief was simple: drive the latest Isuzu D-Max 1.9 from the head office in Waterfall, Midrand all the way to Signal Hill in Cape Town, using just one tank of diesel. The task seemed relatively easy at first, considering that the Isuzu team had successfully completed the trek recently; however, little did we know what was in store for us. The first day of the challenge we were greeted by a selection of single- and double-cab derivatives of the D-Max. My driving partner and I had been allocated a single-cab unit. It was back to basics for us and, as a reminder, the D-Max 1.9-litre 4-cylinder boasts a humble 110kW and 350Nm. We received a briefing from the Driving Dynamics team, the experts who had successfully completed the lengthy…

THE Blitzboks edged closer to automatic qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics in Hong Kong last weekend, and now they need to make a giant leap in that regard at the Singapore Sevens over Easter. The Springbok Sevens were knocked out of the Cup competition in the quarter-finals by Fiji, while New Zealand went on to win the title to increase their lead to 21 points on the World Sevens Series standings with 142, with Argentina on 121. The Blitzboks lost their fifth-place play-off to the Argentinians in Hong Kong, but gained 12 points and moved up to fifth position on the standings with three tournaments to go – with the top four teams qualifying automatically for next year’s Olympics. They have lost stalwart forward Zain Davids (broken hand) for…

For a certainty, the Emirates Lions have managed one helluva turnaround in recent weeks but their Herculean labours have not yet been completed. The rugby gods have seemingly decreed that the Johannesburg-based outfit must first complete arduous tasks on-the-field as penance for concerns and distractions off it. The Lions started the year having lost two consecutive matches. Further losses to Munster, Stade Francais, Connacht and the Sharks compounded the misery in Doornfontein. But a resurgence since then – in which they defeated the Glasgow Warriors, the Bulls, Benetton and most recently Racing 92, has reinvigorated the team. Scrumhalf Sanele Nohamba has experienced that ebb and flow of that storyline and on Tuesday, he revealed how the team has turned around a season that was heading towards disaster. Said the 24-year-old:…

IT WAS ANOTHER day of gloomy news for the South African economy as the S&P Global South Africa Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) data revealed that business activity in March declined to 49.7 points from 50.5 points in February. The 50-point mark divides growth from contraction. Once again, rolling power cuts were the dark cloud haunting businesses, as well as inflationary pressures. South Africa has been experiencing load shedding on a daily basis since the onset of this year by ailing State power utility, Eskom, placing strain on many aspects of the economy. David Owen, senior economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said: ‘’Output returned to contraction after stabilising in the previous month, as firms highlighted that ongoing load shedding (power cuts) had curtailed activity.’’ Owen said recent price…

Creatine is one of the most popular and well-researched dietary supplements available today. While it is widely popular among body-builders and athletes, creatine offers a range of benefits for non-gym goers as well. Here are some of the benefits that creatine can provide to those who do not frequent the gym. Brain health: Creatine has been found to enhance cognitive ability and memory retention in individuals who consume it regularly. Several studies have shown that creatine can promote brain cell growth and aid in the transmission of neural signals, leading to better concentration and alertness. Increased stamina: Creatine has been found to improve endurance, especially during high-intensity activities such as running, swimming, or cycling. Creatine provides an additional supply of energy to the muscles, allowing individuals to work out longer…

Robyn Lawley was “just furious” when she heard that Victoria’s Secret fashion show was making a comeback, four years after she called for the brand to be more inclusive with their models. The lingerie brand’s chief financial officer Timothy Johnson revealed in March that a “new version” of the show will arrive later in 2023, after it went on hiatus in 2018, but with a more diverse range of body sizes this time round and the 33-year-old supermodel “rolled her eyes” when she heard the news as she questioned why that was never the case to begin with. She told Stellar magazine: “I rolled my eyes massively. I thought, ‘Why didn’t they include curve [models] in the 2018 show?’ It was like they reverted to skinnier [models]. I was just…

CITY of Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink has undertaken to hit the ground running, and has his eyes fixed on stabilising the metro’s finances after the adverse audit report by the auditor-general for 2021/22. He made known this week that he had crafted at least five core priorities for fast-tracking service delivery for all residents. The announcement on service delivery priorities was part of the updates he gave to residents this week about his mayoral work since he assumed office nine days ago. He expressed confidence in his newly formed mayoral committee of 10 members, saying they were fit for purpose, ethical, and ready to serve the people of Pretoria. He said: “Following the mayoral committee announcement, we immediately got to work on the delayed adjustment budget for the 2022/23 financial…

Volkswagen does not plan to develop a new combustion engine generation of its Golf hatchback, brand chief Thomas Schaefer told auto publication Automobilwoche on Sunday. The Golf 8 will be the last combustion engine version of the hatchback, with one more series of updates expected next year. “With that, the car is set until the end of the decade. Then we have to see how this segment develops,” Schaefer said. “If the world develops completely differently than expected by 2026 or 2027, we could develop a totally new vehicle – but I don’t think it will. So far that is not expected,” he added. Volkswagen’s decision not to invest in upgrading the Golf, for decades Europe’s best-selling car, is a marker of the shift in investment by the carmaker from…

THE world’s greatest golfers face each other today for the first time since the bitter LIV Golf-PGA Tour split divided the sport and appropriately it is the timeless tranquility of Augusta National that provides the arena. Given the tradition of the Masters tournament, with the famous winner’s green jacket, the striking absence of advertising, the pristine course and the palpable sense of historic significance, it is perhaps not surprising that both sides of the divide caused by the breakaway Saudi-backed LIV Golf League have been observing an informal cease-fire. Legal battles remain to be fought and the name-calling may well resume next week but the words of those involved in the first major tournament of the year have been a refreshing acknowledgement that Augusta is no place for public squabbling.…

I can understand why the Blue Bulls Company announced yesterday that Jake White should coach the Currie Cup team going forward and let Edgar Marutlulle go back to the junior teams. But was it the right decision? The Pretoria side are on a 10-match losing streak across all competitions – four United Rugby Championship, four Currie Cup and two Champions Cup games, the latest being last Sunday’s 33-9 defeat to Toulouse in France. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and the franchise bosses took action following the intense criticism from their fans on social media over the last few weeks. Blue Bulls Rugby Union president Willem Strauss said in a WhatsApp broadcast message on Tuesday that the losses to the Pumas and Griffons “were horrible and inexcusable” and that “being…

CRISTIANO Ronaldo continues to find the net in Saudi Arabia, scoring two goals to reach 11 in nine league games - but still can't step out of the shadow of teammate and Al-Nassr's top scorer Anderson Talisca. The Brazilian also hit the net twice in the 5-0 victory over Al-Adalah on Tuesday and is the league's joint top scorer with 16 goals, level with former Manchester United and Watford forward Odion Ighalo who plays for Al-Hilal. Al-Nassr, who signed 38-year-old Ronaldo in January until 2025, are second in the league with 52 points, one behind leaders Al-Ittihad. There are eight games remaining in the season for each team. "Every top player does his job. My full focus is on Al-Nassr winning, not on being the league's top scorer. My main…

THE flag is at half mast outside the Ian McIntosh gate at HollywoodBets Kings Park and the Sharks will wear black armbands in their match against Toulouse on Saturday as rugby mourns the loss of a true legend of the game. The Sharks and Toulouse players will also mark McIntosh’s passing with a minute’s silence before the kick-off of their Champions Cup quarter-final. The 84-year-old McIntosh died in the early hours of yesterday morning after a battle with cancer. Unsurprisingly, for a man who gave so much to others, he kept his illness private as he did not want a fuss made of him. Few knew he was so ill and his passing has seen an eruption of heartfelt tributes from the heavyweights of rugby. Here are some of them:…