Innholdsfortegnelse for 2023-04-26 i Pretoria News

WITH Freedom Day approaching, many will be tightening up the locks on their wallets and spending impulses as the cost of living crisis in South Africa, coupled with Eskom’s load shedding, makes South African consumers feeling the pressure. It could get worse as the South African Poultry Association (Sapa) has warned that the prices of eggs could be sky-rocketing soon as well. Sapa’s general manager: Egg Organisation, Dr Abongile Balarane, said yesterday that while eggs remained one of the most affordable animal protein sources, it was becoming increasingly more expensive for farmers to produce this highly versatile and nutritious protein source. “From April 1, 2023, the Eskom tariff increase of 18.5% kicked in, adding more pressure to the egg producers. It is estimated that the variable costs to produce an…

HAMMERSON, the UK- and JSE-listed owner of premium retail centres in the UK said yesterday that it had successfully focused on executing its strategy in the first three months to March 31. Rita-Rose Gagne, Hammerson’s CEO, said in a trading statement ahead of its planned annual general meeting on May 4, that “we have a strong operational grip that is delivering top line growth, with continued momentum in leasing and a strong pipeline. “We have further reduced costs, with more to come as we create a sustainable and agile platform.” The meeting may be lively – shareholder advisers have told Hammerson’s investors to vote against resolutions tabled by Lighthouse Properties, to install two new board members, according to the EG News online publication yesterday. Lighthouse, which owns nearly 23% of…

EXPORT sales for Kumba Iron Ore flattened out in the quarter to the end of March, hampered by below expected rail performance by Transnet, the JSE-listed firm said yesterday, pinning its production outlook for the remainder of the year on the performance of the freight rail operator. Export sales of 9.5 million tons for the quarter period under review remained unchanged compared to the previous year’s corresponding quarter. However, compared to the December 2022 quarter, which was hammered by “the industrial strike action and annual maintenance shutdown” by Transnet, Kumba Iron Ore’s export sales are 38% higher. Rail performance for the quarter to end March 2023, “was below planned levels required to drawdown stock held at the mines” with closing finished stock increasing to 8 million tons compared…

John Moss and his wife, Amy, who live outside Cape Town, decided to become Eskom independent earlier this year after constant load shedding at their home began causing a bigger problem on their property. It was a “no-brainer”, they say about making their spot Eskom free. However, it wasn’t an overnight decision and they thought long and hard about going solar. “A two-day outage after a rain storm was the final decider,” says Moss. “We then spoke to other people in our area who were using solar and came across a reliable installer who had put in systems in our area. There were many good reports. “They came in, analysed our usage and made recommendations, with quotes. Although they recommended a 8Kwh inverter, with two lithium batteries and a 12…

VIRTUAL reality (VR) technology offer a safe and immersive experience that can help distract children from painful treatments and procedures, reduce anxiety, and enhance their overall hospital experience. Research has demonstrated the efficacy of virtual reality in alleviating hospital-related stress and anxiety in children. For example, a study published in the journal Healthcare demonstrated that VR reduced the stress levels of children undergoing venipuncture procedures. Similarly, research has shown that VR can help reduce preoperative anxiety and pain related to intravenous catheterisation. Reach for a Dream, in partnership with Vuma, is determined to help children have more positive in-hospital experiences through virtual reality. Through this initiative, “Dream Rooms” – a safe place where children can go during their long stays in the hospital to just be a child – are…

THE DECISION by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to decline to prosecute former City of Tshwane human settlements MMC Abel Tau, for sexual abuse charges is likely to bolster his campaign to contest the 2024 elections untainted by allegations of gender-based violence (GBV). Tau was also ActionSA Gauteng secretary when the news broke that he allegedly raped the wife of his childhood friend and a fellow party member last year. Some in society heavily criticised him, especially after reports emerged that more women had come forward to implicate him in separate allegations of sexual abuse. ActionSA fired him after the incident and an internal inquiry into allegations of sexual abuse by at least three women. Speaking to the Pretoria News yesterday, Tau said: “With the current rate of GBV, I…

The five refugees who appeared in court after they were evicted from where they were camping outside the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Brooklyn, Pretoria, will have to wait one more week – behind bars – to find out if they are to be charged. The five refugees were among a group of more than 100 who have been camping outside the UNHCR offices since 2019 following the outbreak of xenophobic attacks in parts of Johannesburg, pleading for assistance or repatriation to another Third World country. Eight refugees were set to appear before the Hatfield Magistrate’s Court on Monday after they voluntarily left with the police following their eviction from the UNHCR offices on Friday, but only five were detained. The group, most of whom hail from the…

Inflation has been hitting South Africans from all angles in the past two years, and petrol prices have been particularly stubborn, thanks to a persistently weak rand and steep international oil prices. Thankfully, the petrol price equation has turned positive in the past week, with the latest daily reports from the Central Energy Fund (CEF) showing a small over-recovery. This, over a month would lead to a price decrease, but given that a state of under-recovery existed for most of the month, an increase remains on the cards for May. The daily snapshot from the CEF is pointing to increases of 60 cents for 95 Unleaded petrol and 65 cents for 93 Unleaded, but the over-recovery situation is eating away at this. Should the trends persist until the end of…

The Blue Bulls are facing a damned if you do and damned if you don’t scenario ahead of Saturday’s Currie Cup clash against Western Province in Cape Town (6.30pm kick-off). The Pretoria side are now on a three-match winning streak across all competitions, having hammered Griquas 40-3, Zebre 78-12 and a weakened Leinster 62-7, so they are flying high ahead of their United Rugby Championship (URC) quarter-final against the Stormers on May 6. But considering their poor start to the Currie Cup season, they need to gain every log point possible to reach the semi-finals. They are currently fifth on 17 points, two adrift of fourth-place Griquas (19) and one ahead of WP heading into this weekend’s Cape Town Stadium clash. So, should coach Jake White field his URC side…

After going down to Sekhukhune United last Sunday, Kaizer Chiefs slipped up in the race to finish second on the Premiership standings. The setback has allowed rivals Orlando Pirates and SuperSport United to strengthen their efforts to finish runners-up to Mamelodi Sundowns, who have already won the league title. A fourth-place spot seems to be the mostly likely finish for Chiefs, and to stay on course, they will need a beat relegation-doomed Chippa United tomorrow at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. Chippa find themselves at the other end of the table, so their focus is on survival. They are in 15th place, and the relegation axe looms large. They (26 points) are one point above bottom side Maritzburg United (25). In their last outing, Chippa played one of their better matches…

It remains intact in spite of the country having been greylisted, he says DANIEL Mminele, the chairperson- designate at Nedbank and outgoing chairperson of Alexforbes, has backed the credibility of South Africa’s financial institutions, saying that it remains intact in spite of the country being greylisted. Speaking at the PSG Konsult webinar yesterday, Mminele said the greylisting was a call to action – one that required a firm resolution by public and private sector leaders to implement fast, targeted solutions. Earlier this year, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) put South Africa on its greylist for not fully complying with international standards around the prevention of money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing. The greylisting raised concerns about the state of the country’s financial institutions, its policies on financial crimes…

STEINHOFF International Holdings’ share price gained 20% yesterday after shareholders drew some comfort from plans to further firm up the restructuring plan of the group in their favour. The debt-laden international retail group said yesterday its creditors were prepared to accept contractual contingent value rights (CVRs) for shareholders, as part of a Dutch restructuring plan for the group. The share price closed 20% higher at 24 cents on the JSE yesterday, but it is still well below R2.90 that the share traded at a year ago, before it become apparent shareholders were likely lose much of the value of their stakes in a restructuring that favours the creditors. CVRs rights typically ensure shareholders get certain benefits when a specific event occurs, usually within a specified time. Steinhoff’s board did…

NEDBANK said it is ready to defend any litigation against it arising from the Zondo Commission’s reports on state capture, as there was no evidence of wrongdoing, collusion or corruption on the part of the bank. This was according to Nedbank’s latest annual report released last week. While the commission made no findings against the bank, it found some transactions involving Nedbank where Regiments acted as a financial adviser to Acsa and Transnet should be subject to further investigation. “These transactions, as well as transactions concluded by Nedbank with third parties where Regiments played an financial advisory role, have already been the subject of internal and external legal and forensic reviews and, as previously reported, Nedbank’s board and management took comfort that there is no evidence of any wrongdoing,…

Women and youth lauded the high-level master class on investment and export readiness under AfCFTA, a training programme to effectively expand their business prospects. The International Trade Centre (ITC) collaborated with the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the Organisation of Women in International Trade (OWIT), the AfCFTA Secretariat, the African Women & Youth Empowerment Group (AWYEG), and the Commercial Law Development Programme (CLDP) to organise the investment and export readiness immersion programme for more than 40 women- and youth-run and led businesses. The three-day master class programme in Cape Town provided women and youth-owned businesses with the information they needed to take advantage of the new intra-regional opportunities provided by the free trade area. SA wine producer and House of D’Licacy CEO Dimakatso Malwela said the master class opened…

Some critics are already moving onto the next stage of the Siya Kolisi injury saga: who should be the next Springbok captain? And who should wear the No 6 jersey at the World Cup? But we should not be ready to give up on Kolisi making an appearance at France 2023 just yet … IOL Sport this week reported that the Bok skipper was seeking a third specialist opinion yesterday, having received two others already which recommended surgery on his right knee that is sure to rule him out of the World Cup. The more conservative route is to avoid going under the knife and do rehabilitation on the knee ligament injury, which could see him be ready in time – but the problem may not be 100% fixed. But…

The much-anticipated top-of-the-table Premier League clash between Arsenal and Manchester City tonight will be crucial for the north London club, but it will not determine their season, manager Mikel Arteta said yesterday. Arsenal have lost their grip on the title race after securing draws in their last three games, which has left them only five points above reigning champions City, having played two more games than Pep Guardiola’s side. City, on the other hand, have been in solid form churning out victories as they aim for an elusive treble after booking their spot in the FA Cup final and Champions League semi-finals. Arsenal travel to City tonight, hoping to regain their control in the title race as they look for their first Premier League trophy since 2003/04. “We knew from…

The much anticipated Telkom Netball League will get under way tomorrow with players looking to find some form ahead of the World Cup later this year. The Proteas contenders will be keen to catch the eye of selectors to secure a place in the squad before the World Cup in Cape Town. It won’t be an easy feat, though, as Netball South Africa have 22 contracted players who will make up the core of the national team. The Telkom Netball League has certainly grown since it began in 2014, where the Free State Crinums were the inaugural winners. They went on to dominate the league, and won the title three years in a row. It was then the turn of the Gauteng Jaguars, who upstaged the Crinums and went one…

SHARES in Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) slumped by 2.57% to close at R1 071.99 on the JSE yesterday after the precious metals miner said production for the 2023 first quarter to March had dropped by 6% although there was some respite from firmer recoveries and higher grades at its Zimbabwe mine. Anglo Platinum’s stock shed 2.31% on the JSE in afternoon trade, as investors weighed the lower production volumes against possible escalation in load shedding in the next few months. Analysts say South Africa would likely undergo severe load shedding, “with the resultant impact harder on smelting by platinum group metal (PGM) companies” that are already taking strain. During the quarter under review, load shedding resulted in the metal in inventory creeping up for Amplats. “Eskom load-curtailment impacted 13…

THE ECONOMIC outlook in South Africa deteriorated further in February as sentiment among businesses turned sour about the prospects over the next six months on the back of disruptive power cuts. The composite leading business cycle indicator, a measure of early signals of turning points in business cycles, fell by 0.7% month-on-month in February 2023, slipping further from an upwardly revised 0.2% fall in January. The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) said this was the third consecutive month of decline as eight out of the 10 available component time series decreased. This means that the leading indicator reading for the first two months of the first quarter of 2023 fell by 2.4% versus the first two months of the fourth quarter of 2022, indicating a further slowdown in the business…

More South Africans are considering going off the grid, with unreliable electricity and water supplies. However, the costs are usually the deterring factor. For instance, if you are thinking of a partial off-grid system, it could set you back at least R100 000. To start, experts say, the key to knowing what you need and your reasons for wanting to be independent of Eskom will help guide you to the type of home system you need. Stage 1: First things first The first thing to do, says Christiaan Hattingh, the managing director of AWPower, is define what the term “off-grid” means to you. Does it mean reducing your monthly electricity bill to a minimum or does it mean not having a grid connection at all? “If it means reducing your…

CHILDREN’S rights organisation Woman and Men Against Child Abuse and the EFF have welcomed the judgment in the case against child sex ring mastermind Gerhard Ackerman. He was acquitted of some of the 700 and more charges on Monday, but found guilty of all the remaining ones. The organisation’s founder, Miranda Jordan, said sentencing should send a very strong message, and the organisation would expect nothing less than a life sentence. The EFF, in a statement, said Ackerman must rot in jail. The party said while the judgment was refreshing, it came 16 years after Ackerman’s first indictment for exposing his penis to his brothers, aged 9 and 7. “Two years later, Ackerman was again accused of sexually assaulting the same children.” The EFF further said his co-accused, Acting High…

THE dramatic eviction of refugees over the past few days outside the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Brooklyn, Pretoria, was marked by some tense stand-offs between police and the foreign nationals. However, in the middle of all this chaos was a brave fighter for the marginalised, who stood her ground. She is Deborah Raduba, an attorney at the Land and Housing Programme of Lawyers for Human Rights in Pretoria. Small in stature but with the heart of a lion, Raduba fought for the rights and dignity of those who have camped on the pavement since 2019. They were removed on Friday following a court order obtained by resident associations in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria. The court order stated arrangements had been made for them to be taken…

When the new-generation Ford Everest arrived in South Africa late last year, the initial line-up had just two models, with pricing starting just shy of the R1 million mark. This was a big step upmarket for the new SUV, which is somewhat more sophisticated than its predecessor and now available with V6 turbodiesel power. But now Ford SA is expanding the new Everest line-up to a range of six. These start with a new 2.0-litre bi-turbo XLT model, priced at R823 400 in 4x2 form and R896 300 as a 4x4. Ford is also offering a 4x2 version of the Everest 2.0 BiT Sport, priced at R918 500. For the sake of comparison, the Toyota Fortuner 2.8-litre models, which are comparable to the Everest BiT, are priced between R794 600…

Safa cannot afford to drop the ball now that their bid for the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup hosting rights has passed the first hurdle. Hours after Fifa acknowledged South Africa’s expression of interest to host the event, Safa took possession of the Bidding Agreement. This is a document from Fifa that sets out the key principles of the bidding process, and which must be observed by the interested member associations. Apart from South Africa, there are three other bids – from the Brazilian Football Association, a joint expression of interest from the Royal Belgian Football Association, the Royal Netherlands Football Association and the German Football Association, as well as another joint effort from the US Soccer Federation and the Mexican Football Association. These four bidders will have until May…

Mamelodi Sundowns returned to winning ways in the domestic arena with a 1-0 win over gallant Richards Bay in a DStv Premiership clash at Loftus Versfeld yesterday. The victory was long overdue for Sundowns, who failed to win their last three Premiership matches and were forced to settle for stalemates after winning the title for the sixth successive time a few weeks ago. The result is a blow for Richards Bay’s top-eight aspirations, and they will have to do better in their remaining matches if they are to reach their goal. The Natal Rich Boyz remain in 10th place on the table. The outcome also means that Sundowns completed a league double over the KZN side, who suffered a 2-0 defeat in the first round. “This is very, very tough…

Tony de Zorzi will lead a 15-man SA ‘A’ touring squad to Sri Lanka, Cricket South Africa (CSA) revealed in a statement yesterday morning as part of the association’s “overall strategy to increase the depth of players within its pipeline”. The team will play three one-day and two four-day matches against their island nation’s counterparts, starting with a limited-overs encounter on June 4. Proteas Test coach Shukri Conrad will provide guidance from the dug-out. Players that have been selected include the exciting Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs, both of whom have been touted as future mega-stars of the game. A handful of Test players will also travel along to Sri Lanka, including Keegan Petersen, Kyle Verreynne and Gerald Coetzee. “The squad reflects the next crop of players that are emerging…