Innholdsfortegnelse for 2023-04-24 i Pretoria News

CORONATION Fund Managers fund management earnings per share (FMEPS) are expected to decline by between 110% and 120% for the six months to March 31, following a large provision it was forced to make against a tax case with the SA Revenue Service (Sars). The group, one of the largest asset management firms in South Africa, will also not be declaring an interim dividend due to the material financial impact of the provision, it said in a trading statement on Friday. “The company is disappointed with the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) judgment in favour of Sars, which overturned the decision of the Western Cape Tax Court. The company applied to the Constitutional Court for leave to appeal the SCA judgment as it is firmly of the view that the…

SASOL on Friday said its 2023 guidance remained unchanged, but revised the expected output of Natref, its South African inland crude oil refinery, due to challenges experienced in the third quarter of the 2023 financial year. The share price on the JSE ended Friday 4.2% lower at R233.01. In its production and sales figures for the nine months to end-March, the chemicals and energy group said it revised Natref '’s guidance downward to 500-530m³/h. “We experienced operational challenges at our Natref refinery, which negatively impacted run rates in the quarter of the 2023 financial year. “We continue to review our crude procurement strategy to reduce the high premiums on West African crude purchased,” the group said. Sasol reported a 6% decline in total sales volumes compared to the same period…

Even as you are enjoying the pleasant change in weather, the winter chill will soon bring along with it illnesses such as colds and flu. The best way to minimise the risk of getting sick during this season is to boost your immunity. Nutritional consultant and health and wellness expert Vanessa Ascencao says the body’s immune system is affected by a number of factors including diet, sleep, exercise, stress management, and even the quality of relationships. Ascencao says with the arrival of winter and the fifth wave of Covid-19, it’s important to maintain a healthy lifestyle to boost the immune system and help prevent, fight and recover from illness. Here are some tips. Boost your nutrient intake with foods such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, avocado, oily fish, eggs…

Travis Barker’s ex-wife, Shanna Moakler, has branded his marriage to Kourtney Kardashian “weird”. The former Miss USA – who has son Landon, 19, and daughter Alabama, 17, with the 47-year-old musician – has nothing “positive” to say about the “absolutely disgusting” relationship and insists she is by no means “jealous” of the couple. Speaking on the Miss Understood With Rachel Uchitel podcast this week, she said: “I just think the whole thing is so weird. I really don’t have anything positive to say about it. It’s not because I’m bitter, and I’m definitely not jealous.” The model, 48, continued: “I wish them nothing but the best, and as long as they’re good to my kids, that’s all I care about. But I think the whole thing is really weird.” Moakler…

The killer of Bond University student Leigh Matthews, Donovan Moodley, has once again turned to the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg in a bid to be released on parole. In papers filed with the court, Moodley said he was a “lay litigant” when it came to the law and called on the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola, the Department of Correctional Services and the parole board to show him “ubuntu”. Moodley said in a short affidavit attached to his application that he was a lay person when it came to the law, and he needed assistance regarding his legal bid. “They (the minister and the other respondents) are pleaded (sic) to show ubuntu to me and only oppose (the) facts and not legal technicalities,” Moodley…

Dr Prudence Buthelezi, who has years of experience in the field of medicine, has published her latest book, titled Fortitude, aimed at bringing hope to people with disabilities and guiding them in living life to the fullest. Buthelezi has always been passionate about helping people, especially those with disabilities, and her book advises on how to manage issuing claims against the Road Accident Fund, as well as guiding parents whose children are victims of car accidents. “I really appreciate the lawyer who was involved in my sister’s case, the late Judge George Maluleke. He made sure he introduced my parents to the financial advisers, where they managed to do everything that was needed for my sister to make sure she is well-dressed, attends disability boarding school and building a house…

IT could well have been the colours of their opposition’s jerseys that got coach Rhulani Mokwena reluctant to consider Mamelodi Sundowns’ Caf Champions League semi-final spot secured. His team, having smashed CR Belouizdad 4-1 in the quarter-final first leg at Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algiers on Saturday, Mokwena spoke of how “stranger things have happened” in the game. “We’re keeping our feet firmly on the ground. It is only halftime,” Mokwena said. “Stranger things have happened in football. So, we have lots of humility because we still have to face a very good side in Pretoria, a side that has a top coach and top players. It is only halfway.” A fantastic student of the game, Mokwena was no doubt thinking of the famous “one night in Istanbul” episode when…

SAFA chief executive Tebogo Motlanthe says the association is in a “good financial standing” after incurring an annual loss of only R2.9million in the last financial year. Safa had a busy 2022 as various national teams – junior and senior – were scattered across South Africa and the continent playing in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches. Moreover, there was the matter of Banyana Banyana competing in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations – a tournament that they had to be handsomely rewarded for after winning it for the first time in Morocco last year. Of course, some of the national teams’ dues were settled by the various competitions they were competing in. But Safa still had to dig deep from their own pockets and fund certain events. And…

Tottenham's bid to qualify for the Champions League suffered a hammer blow as they conceded five times in the first 21 minutes of a humiliating 6-1 defeat at Top 4 rivals Newcastle yesterday. Cristian Stellini's side were buried by an avalanche of goals from Jacob Murphy and Alexander Isak, who both netted twice, and strikes from Joelinton and Callum Wilson. Harry Kane's reply was no consolation for woeful Tottenham, who look certain to miss out on a place in the Premier League's top four after a second successive loss. The north Londoners are six points behind third-placed Newcastle and fourth-placed Manchester United, having played two more games than United and one more than Newcastle. Fifth-placed Tottenham host United on Thursday and a defeat against Erik ten Hag's team would surely…

Less will be more for the Stormers as they prepare for a quarter-final meeting with the Bulls in two weeks, but first key players will get a rest before their final preparation for the North v South derby begins ahead of the May 6 decider. The Stormers are counting their blessings as this break, due to the play-offs of the Champions Cup, comes at the right time as the team suffered some serious injuries this Friday against Benetton. They won the match 38-22 to claim third spot on the United Rugby Championship (URC) log but the victory came at a heavy cost. Locks Ruben van Heerden and Ernst van Rhyn are on crutches after first half knee injuries and winger Seabelo Senatla suffered a concussion and will only be able…

Workers are demanding up to 15% increases, against utility’s 3.75% offer ESKOM and workers’ unions will return to the wage negotiations table in two weeks after the first round of talks on Friday ended in a stalemate as both parties remain at odds. If the deadlock were to reach a stage where a dispute is declared and workers go on a national strike, it would plunge the country into deeper power cuts on the back of an already constrained electricity supply. Thousands of Eskom workers, represented by the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) and Solidarity, on Friday rejected the power utility’s below-inflation 3.75% one-year wage rise for the 2023/24 financial year. Inflation in South Africa remains sticky at 7.1% driven by rising…

ARTIFICIAL Intelligence (AI) has become increasingly important in business due to its ability to help companies automate repetitive tasks, make business processes more efficient and improve decision-making processes. It also enables companies to analyse large amounts of data, increase productivity and enhance the customer experience. Ultimately this can lead to a competitive advantage in the marketplace as we have seen from last week’s discussion of AI in operations, marketing, and sales. AI and Human Resources The Human Resource environment has changed dramatically since the Covid-19 pandemic. Although there are some exceptions, remote and hybrid working remained popular in many businesses. The new dynamics forced Human Resources to adapt and to use innovative solutions in virtual recruiting and the management of a more diverse workforce. AI is often at the…

Many creatives are leaning towards Artificial Intelligence and technology, and Gert-Johan Coetzee is one of them. The multi-award-winning designer is taking fashion to new heights by launching the first ever Artificial Intelligence-regenerated collection. In this collection, the designer fuses technology with art by combining punk rock, pop culture and a dash of South African fashion to bring vibrant garments to life. With the use of brush strokes in this collection, Coetzee is creating garments that are not only visually stunning but also deeply meaningful. “Life is like a canvas, and with every step we take, we leave behind a brush stroke to create our own unique story on the painting of our lives. Just as every brush stroke is significant, so too is every individual. Each of us has a…

The Tshwane metro police will patrol the area as part of municipal by-laws enforcement THE Tshwane Metro Police Department will do regular patrols outside the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Brooklyn, Pretoria, to ensure refugees who were evicted from the area on Friday do not return. The foreign nationals who had camped on the pavement since 2019 were removed on Friday following a court order obtained by resident associations in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, for them to be taken to the Lindela Repatriation Centre in Krugersdorp. On Friday the SAPS, immigration officers and metro police carried out a dramatic joint operation to evict the foreign nationals and demolished their shelters built with plastics and wood. As vehicles with the men, women and children drove away, ward councillor…

THE COHORT of graduates from the University of Pretoria’s 2023 Autumn Graduation have been urged to keep listening, learning, and forever try to open new paths as they step into their future careers. The university kicked off its graduation ceremonies on Friday, to run until May 16, with 11 908 qualifications to be conferred. Among them was Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organisation (WHO), who was awarded an honorary doctorate by the university. Ghebreyesus is known for his leadership of several international health initiatives that have ensured the foregrounding of critical health concerns on global development agendas. He has also taken up roles such as being the chairperson of the Global Fund to Fight Aids, tuberculosis and malaria, while also championing country leadership as…

The Bulls made a statement ahead of the quarter-finals of the United Rugby Championship (URC) by thrashing Leinster at Loftus Versfeld to gain some much-needed momentum heading into the play-offs. They scored nine stunning tries in a 62-7 win, with their forwards and backs interplay brilliant, as the visiting Irish side had no answers for their dominance. It was a win that was built on solid defence but also a keen eye by the backs to exploit space and when turnover possession can lead to a better field position or even tries. Flyhalf Johan Goosen, fullback Kurt-Lee Arendse and winger Canan Moodie were the architects of the Bulls' attack, creating opportunities for tries. Take Goosen's crossfield-kick that was beautifully plucked out the air by Moodie for one of his two…

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said he was "happy and really satisfied" after his side eased past second-tier Sheffield United on Saturday to snap their losing streak in FA Cup semi-finals. Guardiola made six changes from the team which drew at Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday, with a Riyad Mahrez hat-trick securing City a 3-0 win and a spot in the final. "It's the fourth time in a row we are here, and the last three against Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool we could not do it," Guardiola said after the win. "(Saturday) we performed. This game is coming on the back of Bayern, and we talked about how we have to try again and perform well - and they did really well with all the guys, the…

IT took Faf du Plessis only seven innings to pass the 400-run mark in the IPL this season yesterday. The Royal Challengers Bangalore closed off the week with a brilliant win over the table-topping Rajasthan Royals in front of a packed M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Having started the week with a loss at the hands of the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings, Du Plessis’ Royal Challengers Bangalore has gone on to win two matches in a row. They beat Punjab Kings on earlier in the week and now have beaten the Rajasthan Royals, to make it two wins in three matches this week. Once again, captain Du Plessis played a key role in getting the Royal Challengers Bangalore over the line against tough opposition in Rajasthan Royals. The 38-year-old…

When the Emirates Lions review their United Rugby Championship (URC) season in the coming weeks, they will realise – as head coach Ivan van Rooyen pointed out after their victory over Zebre on Saturday – that it was a campaign of could have, should have, would have. The Lions were desperately close to qualifying for the play-offs at the end of the regular season. They finished ninth in the standings, three points behind the Sharks in eight spot; and whose 22-22 draw against Munster a couple of hours later, would have opened the door for the Lions to sneak in had they fulfilled their basic responsibilities over the past two weekends. Had they held on to beat Leinster last week, even without a bonus point, they would have made the…

Durban business owners have remained pessimistic about the prevailing economic climate of the only metropolitan municipality in KwaZulu-Natal amid continuing electricity and water supply shortages, and collapse of infrastructure. This comes as the Durban business confidence index (DBCI), released by the Macroeconomics Research Unit at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) on Friday, fell deeply in the contractionary territory in the first quarter of 2023. This report presents the Durban BCI for the first quarter of 2023, which is the third BCI constructed using survey data collected from senior private sector managers in eThekwini Municipality. Professor Harold Ngalawa, the head of the UKZN Macroeconomics Research Unit, said confidence slipped from 44.04 index points in the fourth quarter of 2022 to 43.27 index points in the first quarter of 2023. However, Ngalawa…

ROYAL Bafokeng Platinum (RBPlat) said on Friday that its full-year guidance remains unchanged due to the continued strong Bafokeng Rasimone Platinum Mine (BRPM) production and improved concentrating volumes. The share price on the JSE on Friday closed 2.42% down at R145. In its quarterly review and production report – for the period January 1, 2023, to March 31, 2023 – the mid-tier miner said full-year guidance remained at 470 000 to 490 000 ounces of four metals it produced (4E), subject to any unforeseen operational disruptions. Total tons hoisted decreased by 2.4% to 1 085 million tons, as it was affected by operational difficulties at its Styldrift mine. It said the sustain- ed strong operational performance from BRPM was unable to offset the under-performance from Styldrift. RBPlat said…

If you have ever gone off the book while following a baking recipe, you know the results can be disastrous. The chemistry of baking doesn’t lend itself as naturally to experimentation as cooking does – so how do the professionals do it? To answer that question, chef and cookbook author Hendrik Pretorius shares his advice for becoming a better, more intuitive baker. Always read the recipe before beginning This will help you know the how, why, where, and when or what you are about to do. It will only take a few minutes but could save you from wasting ingredients on a disastrous result. Always have ingredients prepped Read through the ingredient list and have them prepared on your counter. Mise en place is a French term that means “to…

BEING honoured across the globe may be a memorable moment, but nothing can come close to being celebrated and decorated at the place one calls home. It was for that reason that the St Alban the Martyr Anglican Cathedral in Pretoria held a special Eucharist celebration in thanksgiving to God for the life of writer, pioneer, leader and social activist Dr Brigalia Ntombemhlophe Bam as she celebrated her 90th birthday. Bam is a former chairperson of the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Reverend Moses Thabethe, Dean of the Diocese of Pretoria and Rector of St Alban’s, said the service was a significant event as even though Bam had been honoured across the world she was yet to be celebrated close to home. Thabethe said the church felt it befitting…

PUBLIC Works and Infrastructure Minister Sihle Zikalala and the UK prime minister’s Trade Envoy, Andrew Selous, cemented relations that will see the two countries share experience, expertise and best practices in the prioritisation, financing, procurement and management of infrastructure projects. According to a department statement, the UK Trade Envoy and delegation met Zikalala and his deputy, Bernice Swarts, to cement existing partnerships that will see the two countries ramp up infrastructure development and trade relations. “The renewal and consolidation of these trade relations, which are detailed in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the two countries, will contribute to improving South Africa’s capacity to deliver infrastructure projects and to attract investments. “The partnership will see a stronger collaboration between Infrastructure South Africa, a programme under the Department of Public…

Sekhukhune United (1) 1 Seabi Kaizer Chiefs 0 KAIZER Chiefs missed the chance to reduce the gap to the highly valuable second-place Caf Champions League qualifying spot, as they fell to a ninth loss of the season with defeat to Sekhukhune United at the Peter Mokaba Stadium yesterday. The 1-0 loss ended a run of seven games in all competitions without defeat for Chiefs and keeps the Soweto Giants firmly rooted in fourth spot in the Premiership log on 41 points, five points behind second-placed Orlando Pirates. It took Sekhukhune just four minutes to open the scoring. Sammy Seabi put them ahead with a right-footed shot from the centre of the box. Ashley Du Preez, meanwhile, wasted a chance to bring Chiefs level six minutes later. Keagan Dolly swung in…

Orlando Pirates are becoming addicted to winning and they will fight tooth and nail to finish second in the DStv Premiership and win the Nedbank Cup. Arguably the best team in domestic football during the first half of the season after winning the MTN8, Pirates' form deteriorated in the Premiership after the World Cup and they lost out on the title race to Mamelodi Sundowns, who wrapped up their sixth successive title in a row. However, not all is lost for the Buccaneers. They are gunning for a strong finish to the season - claiming the second spot in the league to qualify for the CAF Champions League next season alongside Sundowns; and also possibly winning the Nedbank Cup. As far as those ambitions are concerned, Pirates have their fate…

South Africa is holding its breath that scans taken yesterday on the injured knee of Siya Kolisi reveal no serious damage after the Springbok captain hyper-extended his leg eight minutes into his team’s 22-22 draw with Munster on Saturday night. If the Springbok captain has torn his cruciate ligaments, then he will be touch-and-go to lead the Boks at the World Cup in September. It is encouraging that Kolisi had the knee strapped up and continued to play for a few minutes before calling it a day. Also, after the match, he was seen walking on the field thanking fans. That is a suggestion that the injury is not calamitous. Director of rugby Neil Powell said: “We’ll have to wait for the doctor to do a proper assessment on Siya’s…

Robbie Fowler needed 11 seasons in two spells with Liverpool to become sixth among the club's all-time scorers but Mohamed Salah equalled his 183 goals in fewer than six seasons when he struck the winner against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday. The Egyptian striker (30) surpassed Fowler to become Liverpool's top scorer in the Premier League with 134 goals last month, and he is now also the player with the most left-footed goals in the history of the league, with 108. Salah, and Fowler, are three goals behind Steven Gerrard, the fifth-highest scorer in Liverpool's history, while Ian Rush leads the list with 346. "The sixth top scorer for Liverpool? It’s good to achieve this number in less than six years. Fowler is a legend for the…