Innholdsfortegnelse for 2023-04-20 i Pretoria News

ZEDER, with investments across the agribusiness spectrum, benefited from a better climatic cycle in the year to February 28, but the macro-economic environment in which the group operates remains constrained. However, CEO Johann le Roux said they were well positioned with a stable balance sheet and strong cash resources, despite the uncertainty and volatility of the world markets that was likely to continue in the short to medium term, a trend driven by rising inflation, higher interest rates, risks to energy availability and supply chain constraints. Taking a cautious view and considering the amount of unrestricted cash available, no dividend was declared as part of the year-end results. Le Roux said in a telephone interview that if there were no further portfolio requirements, further special dividends might be considered…

ACTRESS Lindsay Lohan is expecting her first baby with her husband, Bader Shammas, and celebrated her pregnancy with family and friends at a party over the weekend, with a source noting after the party that she was “happier” than she has ever been since discovering that she was to become a mother. A source told UsWeekly: “(Lindsay) loves being pregnant. She’s the happiest when she’s with her closest friends and family. She is rarely in town for long, so friends and family wanted to celebrate. It was very private – just a handful of close friends and family having brunch in honour of Lindsay’s pregnancy.” The insider went on to hint to the outlet that a “bigger” celebration for the Mean Girls star could be set to take place…

Refugees camped outside the UN Refugee Agency in Pretoria refuse to be taken to repatriation centre Refugees who erected makeshift tents on the pavement next to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) offices in Pretoria have vowed to resist any attempt to relocate them to the Lindela Repatriation Centre in Krugersdorp. The latest offer to settle these families and their children, some as young as 3, followed a new court order which recommended that the affected parties, such as Brooklyn residents, support moves for an amicable relocation. As part of the offer, the aggrieved parties – who include several homeowners in the suburb – agreed that the Home Affairs must dispatch buses to the area to relocate the refugees to Lindela instead of involving the police to execute the…

In a bid to raise awareness and funds to end period poverty due to a shortage of sanitary towels, the Imbumba Foundation, the organisers of the Trek4Mandela Mount Kilimanjaro Summit, held a 100-day countdown to this year’s adventure, set for July and August this year. Among those set to be part of this year’s Mount Kilimanjaro summit is former UCT vice chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, who will lead the August edition as part of the Women’s Month team of climbers. Speaking to The Star following the launch of this year’s programme held at JSE offices in Sandton yesterday, Imbumba Foundation founder Richard Mabaso said having two separate summits helped ensure that the country celebrates both the legacy of Nelson Mandela for the July climb and continues to highlight the plight…

THE PORSCHE Cayenne has been given a significant makeover for 2023, and it’s far more than just a shot of botox. Although it’s technically part of the third generation, Porsche says the updated model has undergone one of the most extensive upgrades in the company’s history. Think perkier engines, new chassis tech and an overhauled digital cabin. As before, buyers can choose between the regular SUV body style and a coupé variant which features a more aggressively sloping rear roof line. The new models are due to reach SA during the second half of this year. You could argue that the biggest changes have taken place inside the cabin, which gains a new display and control concept, also featuring an optional passenger-side screen. The new cabin architecture focuses on the…

THE Nissan X-Trail has been around for 20 years and, with the launch of the fourth generation, it cements its place as one of their most important product offerings. It has also changed shape from the original boxy SUV lines of the first generation to a more fluid modern Premium Urban Crossover look. It has the same DNA that we drove in the Western Cape on its local launch. Nissan will be offering three variations, starting with the 2.5 Visia CVT, the mid spec 2.5 Acenta CVT and the range-topping Acenta Plus CVT 4x4. All three are powered by the same 2.5-litre normally aspirated petrol engine, delivering 135kW and 244Nm of torque, an increase of 9kW and 11Nm over the outgoing model. As the name suggests, it’s coupled to a…

LEINSTER are on a 23-man unbeaten run this season across the Champions Cup and United Rugby Championship (URC), but can the Bulls stop the Irish giants in Saturday’s clash at Loftus Versfeld? In normal circumstances, you wouldn’t think so – even for a 4pm kick-off in Pretoria – as the Dubliners boast almost the entire Ireland national team in their squad and are virtually unplayable most days in the URC. But one of those days was of course last year’s semi-final at the RDS Arena, when Jake White’s team pulled off a miracle 27-26 victory after travelling from South Africa. That was against a full-strength Leinster outfit, but on Saturday, the situation is a bit different. The major factor is that the Irish province have left their first-choice players at…

CRISTIANO Ronaldo was upstaged by another former Manchester United forward in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday as Al-Hilal’s Odion Ighalo scored twice from the penalty spot in a 2-0 win over Al-Nassr. Portugal striker Ronaldo moved to Al-Nassr on a lucrative deal in January and scored eight goals in his first five games, but he has been unable to sustain that pace. In Al-Nassr’s first game since the departure of coach Rudi Garcia, Ronaldo drew a blank while Ighalo, who had a loan spell at United in 2020, scored twice to hand Asian champions Al-Hilal the win. Ronaldo was yellow carded in the 57th minute after he tangled with Gustavo Cuellar and things only got worse from there. The 38-year-old had a goal disallowed for offside in the 77th minute and…

StatsSA said food inflation, with transport and education fees, main drivers of rise in CPI CONSUMERS in South Africa could be in for a tough few months ahead as the SA Reserve Bank (SARB) looks set to ramp up its interest-rates hiking cycle in a bid to curb the stubbornly high inflation as food prices rose the highest in 14 years. Data from Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) yesterday showed that the headline consumer price inflation (CPI) rose for the second month in a row in March, which could force the SARB’s hand for another interest rate hike in May. StatsSA yesterday said inflation edged higher to 7.1% year-on-year in March, from 7% in February and 6.9% in January. This was against market expectations of a 6.9% drop, meaning that inflation…

GLOBAL miner Glencore said yesterday that it was willing to consider making improvements to its $23 billion (R419bn) proposal for a merger with Teck Resources if they could meet and talk as the Teck board had refused engagement. Glencore’s shares on the JSE closed -1.09% lower at R111.20 yesterday. In an open letter directed at the Teck shareholders, Glencore CEO Gary Nagle said the miner had never stated that its proposal was “best and final” and that it was not willing to make changes and improvements to its proposal. This comes after Teck Resources unanimously rejected Glencore’s bid for the Canadian miner. Teck said the offer was an unsolicited and opportunistic acquisition proposal from Glencore plc. The miner instead said it wants to continue with its own plan to…

GAUTENG hospital staff have suffered at least 61 attacks at the hands of patients and angry relatives since January 2022 to date. DA health spokesperson and Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature Jack Bloom said most of the attacks were by mentally ill patients. “This is revealed by Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko in a written reply to my questions,” he said. “Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital had the most attacks, injuring staff in 21 assaults. Many nurses were punched in the face and a guard hit in the groin. “There were seven attacks on staff at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, including two nurses and a speech therapist who were bitten on their fingers.” Bloom said two smaller hospitals – Carletonville and Far East Rand – had nine attacks each.…

In a few months, Ndavi Nokeri will be handing over her reins to the next Miss South Africa. But before she bows out, Nokeri wants to leave a remarkable statement. The Limpopo beauty has launched an educational audiovisual podcast series as part of her Ed-Unite campaign. As of April 25, she will be talking to industry experts in the education sector to help pupils and their parents/guardians with the information they need. The weekly episodes, that will air on YouTube every Tuesday, will see Nokeri touch on topics that affect the lives of ordinary students, pupils and educators. For example, for the issues of student funding, Nokeri will be joined by Karabo Mohale, executive deputy chairperson of the National Youth Development Agency, and Lennox Wasara, Mastercard Foundation alumnus, to…

There’s no doubt that South Africa has some of the most beautiful places to visit in the world and to be able to see them you sometimes have to go off the beaten track. We also tend to think that once you have to take a car onto gravel surfaces to get there, you need a large SUV, bakkie or 4x4 of sorts. That’s certainly not the case every time, and to prove this, Kia arranged a trip into the Karoo behind the wheel of their Seltos where we not only got to see the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) but also traversed some iconic passes and gravel roads. The Seltos has been with us for two years but still proves a popular choice. Climbing behind the wheel of our…

IT’S facelift time for the fifth-generation Renault Clio, which receives a bold new front end and upgraded cabin aimed at keeping it at the sharp end of its dying segment. But why is it getting a facelift so soon? Well, the current model was revealed abroad back in 2019, but due to pandemic-related delays it took until 2022 to reach South Africa. The facelifted Clio – which was revealed internationally this week – is anticipated to reach us by late 2024, Renault SA tells us. Although most of the internals remain as before, the Clio gets a completely redesigned front end that includes a larger grille housing the brand’s new logo as well as slimmer headlights incorporating a new daytime running light signature that runs to the bottom of the…

SAFA president Danny Jordaan is banking on his previous involvement on the Organising Committee of the Men’s World Cup to come in handy for South Africa’s bid to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup. Jordaan initially made a name for himself in the global football circles by being part of the teams that put together the World Cups, since 2002. His most notable involvement in the event was being the chief executive of the 2010 global showpiece on home soil, where Fifa generated 53% more revenue than the 2006 edition in Germany. So after a successful event in 2010, Safa have been targeting the global showpiece - albeit in the women’s game - to return to the South African shores, arguing that they have the required infrastructure. Jordaan, moreover, believes…

THE Premiership has almost reached the end of the season, and the real contenders are being separated at the top and bottom of the standings. Crowned champions for an unprecedented sixth season in a row, only Mamelodi Sundowns’ spot at the top of the log remains uncontested heading to the last five games of the season. Meanwhile, the Caf qualifying – second and third spots – top eight and survival – 14th positions and upwards – are still up for grabs. Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs and SuperSport United have been on each other’s necks for the respective Caf qualifying spots in recent weeks. But the latter failed to consolidate their second spot on Tuesday, drawing with Marumo Gallants to move one point and three points clear of Pirates…

RAUBEX Group’s share price leapt 5.38% to close at R27.40 on the JSE yesterday after predicting that headline earnings per share for the year to February 28 would be a “pleasing” 25% and 35% higher than the previous year. The construction, bulk materials handling and mining group said in a trading statement that earnings per share would be between 20% and 30% higher than the previous corresponding period, at between 367.1 cents and 397.7c. Headline earnings per share was expected to be between 371.8c and 401.5c. The directors said the results reflected progress made against the strategy to diversify into Australia, public-private partnerships and mining, which had been successfully executed to date. A main contributor to the earnings growth was the expansion, upgrading and improvement of the Beitbridge border…

RETAIL activity in South Africa has remained subdued as consumers have continued cutting back spending on general household and hardware items as the rising cost of living squeezes out disposable cash. Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) yesterday said retail trade sales fell for the third consecutive month in February, decreasing by 0.5% following a 0.8% decrease in January. This third consecutive month of declines in retail activity was worse than market estimates of a 0.3% fall, mainly reflecting hard electricity load shedding and elevated living costs for consumers. StatsSA’s deputy director for distri- butive trade statistics Raquel Floris said general dealers and hardware, paint and glass were the biggest drags on growth. “General dealers recorded a decrease of 1.5% year-on-year. Hardware, paint and glass recorded a decline of 7.7%,” Floris said.…

With Eid here, it is celebration time again. And, without a doubt, the highlight of this day is sharing a delectable feast. In celebration, local content creators Aqeelah Harron, Fehmida Osman-Latib and Saadiyah Hendricks share their favourite Eid recipes. They are easy to whip up and the perfect way to end a feast. Easy flapjack stack by Aqeelah Harron Serving: 5 Ingredients 2 cups Jungle Taystee Wheat 2 cups milk (dairy or almond milk) 1 tsp vanilla essence 2 eggs 6 tbs sugar (or xylitol, if preferred) 4 tbs melted real butter (or coconut oil, if preferred) 2½ tsp baking powder Topping options: maple syrup, strawberries, cream, chocolates, and so on Method Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix all the wet ingredients in another bowl. Gradually pour…

AFTER numerous court appearances, Sipho Nkosi, who was charged with attempted murder after he allegedly slit the throat of an 8-year-old girl in Mamelodi, has been found guilty. Nkosi was the boyfriend of the child’s mother at the time. He slit the child’s throat shortly after he had assaulted the mother, following an argument. Before the brutal attack, he had reportedly been asked to leave. Civil rights group #NotInMyName said Nkosi will return to court next month for sentencing. “Nkosi appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court (on Tuesday) and was found guilty of attempted murder. He will return on May 10 for sentencing,” said #NotInMyName spokesperson Mo Senne. Nkosi was in a relationship with the mother of the 8-year-old girl at the time of the incident in April last year.…

EXPENSIVE alcohol, perfumes, cellphones, laptops, flowers, sculptures, free hotel stays and flights were among thge gifts that were received by MPs in 2022. This is shown in the register of members’ interests that was published by the joint committee on ethics and members’ interests on Monday night. Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, was gifted a Galaxy Note Ultra and Galaxy Watch Active valued at R35 000. Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and People with Disabilities, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, received a R32 000 iPhone13 PR Max 513 from a person she identified as Nokuthula Nyandeni. She also listed a Parker worth R2 000 and a USB from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, as well as steak knives and a bowl valued at R1 000 she received from Gagasi FM.…

South African Housing and Infrastructure Fund CEO and philanthropist Rali Mampeule, 43, from Makwasele in Limpopo, recently won the BBQ South African Community Builder of the Year award. The awards ceremony, which was attended by Deputy President Paul Mashatile and other government and business leaders, was held at Emperors Palace at the end of March. Mampeule said: “This award is very important to me, and it came at a critical time in our country where we need to celebrate and encourage each other in the work that we are doing.” In his 22-year career in the property sector, Mampeule has received numerous awards, including the Socio-Economic Impact Award by the Institute of Black Property Practitioners. The BBQ Community Builder of Year award serves as an affirmation of Mampeule’s approach to…

APART from load-shedding concerns, South African buyers are currently steering well clear of electric cars because they are so prohibitively expensive. But things could shift in the right direction later this year when GWM introduces its first EV to South Africa, under the Ora sub-brand. The first product to reach our shores will be the Ora 300, which is badged Funky Cat in most international markets. It’s likely to hit our shores after June this year. Independent Media’s motoring co-ordinator Willem van de Putte got a sneak peak while attending the Shanghai Auto Show on Tuesday, and although local pricing has yet to be confirmed, the GWM representatives said they’re aiming to bring it in beneath the Mini Cooper SE, which is currently SA’s cheapest electric car at R742 102.…

IN the aftermath of the 27-13 victory over England at Twickenham last November, Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber made a couple of interesting comments about the way his team had played on the end-of-year tour. “We’ve had a couple of special results as a team, but this was the first win for Siya (Kolisi) and I at Twickenham, so it’s very special to us,” Nienaber said. “The forwards were outstanding and created a good platform for our backs to attack, so all in all, it was a fantastic team effort. “This was one of the most enjoyable four weeks we’ve had, even though we only got a 50% win record. “The way the team, coaches, management and the game drivers made plans and worked tightly together with it was great, and…

THE quarter-final stage of the Nedbank Cup served up thrilling action, anxiety and abject shock as the minnows stretched their much-fancied opponents to their limits. The biggest result of last weekend’s action was Stellenbosch FC’s remarkable come-from-behind win to knock out defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns. The elimination of the all-conquering Brazilians from Chloorkop threw the final destination of the Ke Yona trophy into more open territory after Sundowns kicked off the campaign as favourites to retain the cup. The final four of this year’s edition of the Nedbank Cup sees Soweto giants Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs joined by Stellenbosch and Sekhukhune United, which begs the question, who are the favourites now in percentages? Kaizer Chiefs - 40% The Naturena-based club are into the eighth year of a trophy drought,…