Indholdsfortegnelse for 2024-05-31 i Mercury

INEPT government decision-making was there for all to see in a High Court judgment that set aside a Gauteng gambling regulation amendment that would have stripped horse racing totaliser Phumelela Gaming and Leisure of the levy it requires to fund horse races. Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, Judge Stuart Wilson ordered yesterday that Phumelela be repaid the levies. “Taking a step back, it is hard to imagine a process more festooned with the rituals of fairness and rationality, while being so obviously devoid of their content,” the judge commented. He wrote in his judgment that he was not able to decide on the fairness of the amendment, because the procedure that Gauteng’s then MEC for Economic Development, Lebogang Maile, had adopted in the amendment of regulation 276, “was plainly unfair and…

PROFESSOR Bismark Tyobeka, principal and vice-chancellor of the North-West University (NWU), has been awarded the prestigious National Order of Merit, also known as the l’Ordre National du Mérite, on behalf of France’s Emmanuel Macron. The bestowing of the order was officiated by the French ambassador-designate to South Africa, David Martinon, on May 24. The ceremony took place at the picturesque Merton Keep in Pretoria, which is home to the French ambassador to South Africa. The National Order of Merit was created in 1963 and rewards distinguished merit. “I stand before you in awe and with a heart filled with gratitude and humility as I receive this National Order of Merit from the president of France. I am grateful to the president and the French people for this honour. This prestigious…

THE 45 municipal workers dismissed by the City of Tshwane after being accused of serious crimes during last year’s unprotected wage strike want to be reinstated. The group was among more than 100 workers who were fired during the four-month strike led by the South African Municipal Workers Union. The strike was marred by incidents of violence and sabotage on service delivery. More than 250 municipal vehicles were torched, buildings and infrastructure were damaged, allegedly by the strikers. This week the disgruntled group demonstrated outside the City’s fleet management offices in Pretoria, where mayor Cilliers Brink launched the newly- purchased fleet of 161 vehicles valued at R60 million. Their representative, Isaac Ndalamo, said they would continue to demonstrate in public “until the executive mayor hears our cry because we have…

THE Human Science Research Council (HSRC) has attributed the high voter turnout during Wednesday’s national and provincial elections to intensive political party campaigns and voter education. The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) said it expected the voter turnout to be higher than during the 2019 elections. On Wednesday evening, IEC Chief Executive Officer Sy Mamabolo said there had been a late surge and the commission was processing a large number of votes in certain areas, in particular the metropolitan areas in Gauteng, the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. Deputy chief electoral officer Masego Sheburi said the commission was on track to accommodate a high voter turnout. “The commission planned on receiving many voters. You see it from our provisioning (of materials). We also estimated that the turnout…

The Monaco Grand Prix was one of elation for Ferrari but other teams ended the picturesque race with a strong sense of disappointment. Max Verstappen said he and Red Bull had experienced a “weekend to forget” after he finished sixth and Sergio Perez crashed out of Sunday’s processional Monaco Grand Prix. Meanwhile Esteban Ocon faced the wrath of his Alpine team and both potential disciplinary action and a grid penalty in Canada after crashing into teammate Pierre Gasly. Verstappen however said the team had found one positive by identifying the cause of their problems after his worst result since the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix. In particular, the three-time champion and current leader said their car struggled to cope with the bumpy nature of the track and a need to ride…

The Sharks will field their strongest possible side against the Bulls in tomorrow’s final United Rugby Championship clash of the season at Kings Park (4.10pm kick-off) but what shape they will be in remains to be seen. The Sharks have been basking in the afterglow of their Challenge Cup final defeat of Gloucester in London last week, but coach John Plumtree feels the magnitude of the occasion might have taken a toll. “This Bulls game is a massive challenge for us in terms of preparation,” Plumtree said. “We only just got back, and our week has been compromised. We put a lot of energy into winning the Challenge Cup, but yes, we must sign off the season on the right note.” The Bulls travel to Durban with the mission of…

For some time now, Mamelodi Sundowns have shown vulnerability that fellow Premiership teams, except Cape Town City, have been unable to exploit. Last week, Sundowns’ dreams of joining the world’s football ‘Invincibles’ disappeared in the rarefied highveld air after City inflicted a 1-0 defeat on the Premiership champions at Loftus Versfeld. The Brazilians were on the verge of becoming the first team in SA professional history to complete the season undefeated in the league. Had Sundowns defeated City, they would have joined Europe’s elite teams who have accomplished the feat – AC Milan (1991/92), Arsenal (2003/04), Juventus (2011/12), Celtic (2016/17), Rangers (2020/21) and Bayer Leverkusen (2023/24). Sundowns dominated the match against City, as they usually do against most opponents in the domestic arena. The stats showed that Masandawana enjoyed 71%…

Jose Riveiro has been here before, but he’s not naïve to think his Orlando Pirates side will have another easy outing in a cup final. The Pirates coach will guide his team in yet another title decider when they face Mamelodi Sundowns in the Nedbank Cup showdown at Mbombela Stadium tomorrow (3pm kick-off). And having won their last three finals – two in the MTN8 and one in the Nedbank Cup – Riveiro knows all about winning cup finals in domestic football. He also has the championship walk and pose to show for that – given how he addressed the media at the pre-match press conference at the Nedbank headquarters yesterday. The Spaniard entered the room like a champion, posing a confident figure en route to the podium as he…

MORE THAN 300 politicians, health experts and celebrities yesterday called for US pharmaceutical giant Gilead to allow cheap, generic versions of a promising new HIV drug to be produced, so it can reach people in developing countries most affected by the deadly disease. The drug Lenacapavir could be a “real game-changer” in the fight against HIV, according to an open letter to Gilead CEO Daniel O’Day signed by a range of former world leaders, Aids groups, activists, actors and others. Lenacapavir, which was approved for use in the US and the EU in 2022, only needs to be injected twice a year, making it particularly suited for people normally “excluded from high-quality health care”, the open letter said. “We urge Gilead to ensure that people in the Global South living…

THE SOUTH African Reserve Bank (SARB) has delivered hope that the cost of borrowing could soon be eased for financially constrained consumers as it remained bullish that consumer inflation will slow towards the midpoint of its 3% to 6% target range earlier than expected. SARB Governor Lesetja Kganyago yesterday said the bank was now seeing inflation – which is currently at 5.3% – stabilising at its 4.5% objective in the second quarter of next year. This is an improvement on the SARB’s forecast made in March, which only reached this milestone at the end of 2025. The inflation projection for this year was left unchanged at 5.1%, but Kga-nyago said the changes to the outlook were not large when compared to the March forecast. “Average inflation for 2025 is only…

ARCELORMITTAL South Africa (Amsa), which was recently caught up in a global strike action regarding emissions from its operations, is under- taking efforts to minimise its climate risks, although some lobby groups allege the company was struggling to attain this. Last month the Fair Steel Coalition, representing South African communities where Amsa has steel manufacturing operations in South Africa, staged protests against the alleged environmental pollution by the steel producer. The protests were staged at the Luxembourg head office of Arcelor- Mittal, the parent company for Amsa. Following Amsa’s annual general meeting (AGM) last week, Just Share – a shareholder activist group – said Amsa was South Africa’s third-largest carbon emitter. However, Amsa told Business Report yesterday that it had put in place a robust set of mitigation actions…

A 7% DIP IN Woolworths’ stock on the JSE yesterday characterised the South African retailer’s expected 20% plunge in full-year earnings, as the consumer market remains depressed amid challenging conditions. Woolworths’ share price dived 7.24% on the JSE to close at R55.75 as investors digested its bleak earnings forecast. The retailer cautioned yesterday that its headline earnings per share for the 53 weeks to the end of June is expected to be 20% lower compared to earnings for the year 2023 period. This was due, in part, to the inclusion of the David Jones business, as well as the profit on disposal realised for the 2023. Woolworths had anticipated the outlook for January to June 2024 period to remain challenging “considering the continued pressure on consumer disposable income from high…

KwaZulu-Natal may be one of South Africa’s top tourist spots, but at its heart is a thriving business community contributing to the province’s standing as the second-largest contributor to South Africa’s GDP. Celebrating this financial prowess and the spirit of business innovation and achievement that drives the province’s business sector are the long-standing annual Standard Bank KZN Top Business Awards, once again calling for entries. Over the years, the Standard Bank KZN Top Business Awards have grown in stature. Now in their 18th year, the awards recognise achievements in nine broad categories, including businesses’ contributions to employee wellness, their communities, and green energy, says Hameed Noormahomed, head of Business Banking, Client Coverage, KZN at Standard Bank. “Entries are now open and will close on June 14. Then, entries will be…

State-owned enterprises (SOEs) are likely set for a new lease on life. There are expectations that coalition politics at national level in the next administration would likely curb privatisation and stronger coalitions would help investor confidence. This is as election results are trickling in as the ballots are counted. Indications are that the govering ANC is on the backfoot on gains made by the DA, EFF and upstart uMkhonto Wesizwe Party (MKP). Professor Sandilwe Swana, of Wits Business School, yesterday said there were many bones of contention that would even determine the extent of privatisation of SOEs. “There will not be the mass privatisation that the ANC and those that voted it to power were likely to see happening,” Swana said. “The emergence of the MKP, for example, signals that…

Car companies don’t often give motoring journalists base models to play with, but then Kia South Africa doesn’t seem to shy away from exposing its full line-up to the world. With that in mind we recently got to spend a week with the Kia Sportage 1.6 CRDi LX, which is the cheapest model in the midsize SUV range, although cheap is perhaps a relative term given that it costs R662 995. If you’re reading this in the future, meaning you haven’t been forced to board Elon Musk’s Starship to Mars after AI staged a hostile takeover of Earth, it has probably become more expensive, so go check on Kia’s website. Future prophecies of doom aside, the Sportage LX does offer a unique proposition within its class,…

When you have a Springbok-laden backline, you should normally try to get them involved in a game as much as possible. That is largely what the Bulls have done this season, and it is totally understandable when your back three alone is made up of Willie le Roux, Canan Moodie and Kurt-Lee Arendse. Add more Boks – with Embrose Papier and Johan Goosen at scrumhalf and flyhalf, and the outstanding David Kriel at centre – and you quickly realise why the Pretoria side have scored the most tries (81) and most points (613) in the United Rugby Championship this season. It is highly commendable that Jake White and his team have adopted an all-out attacking mindset, but the nagging doubts about their defence persist, especially as they conceded 34 and…

Burnley FC striker Lyle Foster headlined the 23-man Bafana Bafana squad announced by coach Hugo Broos yesterday that will face Nigeria and Zimbabwe in key 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers in June. Broos called up Foster for the first time since the 23-year-old missed the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year. The Belgian tactician said he was pleased that Foster was available, because he was frustrated by his failed attempts to lure the striker to play at the Afcon in Ivory Coast. “His health problem is sorted out now. I was very angry at certain moments, because we got the news that Lyle was not ready earlier this year,” Broos said at yesterday’s media conference in Johannesburg. “Lyle had mental problems, and suddenly he started playing league matches for…

Skipper Rohit Sharma will believe India have packed enough firepower into their middle-order to blow away their opponents and end their global title drought at the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and United States. India have dominated the business side of the international game, but their financial heft has not been complemented by on-field success as they remain bereft of a global title since winning the 2013 Champions Trophy. They came agonisingly close to ending that barren run twice last year, but were outclassed by Australia on both occasions – in the finals of the World Test Championship and the 50-overs World Cup. That India run the Indian Premier League, the richest T20 competition, and yet have not won the 20-overs World Cup since lifting the inaugural edition…

An injury-stricken season hasn’t dampened the spirit of Stormers prop Sti Sithole, who is hoping to make a big impact for his side during the final stages of the United Rugby Championship. He is licking his lips at the prospect of facing his former side the Lions in Cape Town Stadium tomorrow (1.45pm kick-off) as the 2022 champions continue to push to seal fifth spot on the log. They will come up against a Lions scrum that is roaring in the URC, and Sithole will have his work cut out for him opposite some of the guys he used to play with. It will be a testing time for the home team. Sithole returned against the Dragons in a tough URC clash that didn’t really go the way of his…

THE RAND PLUNGED more than 1% to temporarily breach the R18.70 mark against the US dollar yesterday, its lowest since early May, after early election results indicated that South Africa’s ruling party, the ANC, might lose its parliamentary majority for the first time in 30 years of democracy. Investors were concerned that the ANC’s loss of majority electoral support could result in alliances with populist parties that have threatened to nationalise assets ranging from land to banks. Preliminary numbers showed that the ANC’s support was hovering around 43.4% after more than 20% of votes were counted, a far cry compared with its final vote count of 57.5% in the 2019 national election. Days before the elections, the rand was trading at R18.34 to the greenback. Old Mutual Group chief economist…

BHP WALKED away from its nearly $50 billion (R925bn) offer for Anglo American as it was not willing to overpay and compromise on what it believed to be the right strategy and structure of the London- and Johannesburg-listed resources group. This comes as Anglo American on Wednesday rejected BHP’s request for a further extension to the May 29 deadline for it to make a firm offer, resulting in BHP walking away from making a firm offer as required by London listing rules. “BHP Group Ltd confirms that it does not intend to make a firm offer for Anglo American plc,” BHP said in a statement shortly before the 5pm London deadline. “BHP walks away from Anglo deal. (It is) not prepared to overpay,” said Wayne McCurrie, FNB wealth and…

INSURER Old Mutual says it is in the process of testing OM Bank with partner banks in the industry. It said this yesterday in an operating update for the quarter ended March 31 as it announced that it had delivered double digit sales growth. In April 2024, Old Mutual said the Prudential Authority had granted the group approval to establish OM Bank subject to certain licence conditions. “The substantive pro- gress on both the perimeter review and the bank-build are concrete proof-points of our focus on strategic execution to accelerate value creation,” it said. The insurer said: “Overall, we expect our diver-sified business to remain well positioned for growth and we delivered double digit sales growth across our business for the quarter ended March 31, 2024.” This was as the…

THE uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), an ANC splinter party that gained momentum after it was endorsed by former president Jacob Zuma five months ago, looks set to play a prominent role in the KwaZulu-Natal government. While the results continued to trickle in yesterday, the MKP stunned many observers with its performance in the 2024 national and provincial elections held on Wednesday. By last night, the MKP was leading its closest rival, the ANC, with the governing party in second and the IFP in third position. The party had secured slightly above 44%, while the ANC was on 21%, followed by the IFP with 19%. Its performance drew praise from supporters and detractors alike. Party agents at the results centre spoke of the sombre mood that prevailed there as they watched…

THE City of Tshwane’s newly purchased fleet of 161 vehicles valued at R60 million will go a long way in assisting the municipality to save public money instead of spending millions of rand leasing them from private contractors. This was echoed by speakers at the official launch of the vehicles at the municipal fleet management offices in Pretoria on Tuesday. Executive mayor Cilliers Brink said while he was the MMC for corporate and shared services there were problems with accessing vehicles for service delivery because half of them were broken. Other vehicles were in the hands of some contractors who leased them to the city at exorbitant costs. “Buying our own vehicles is a way of saving money for the taxpayers of our capital city. It is a way of…

IT’S been a long time coming but Toyota have finally released and let us drive the new Hilux GR Sport III. As a reminder, the GR Sport III is more than a few decals slapped on with black rims and red interior stitching. It’s not a completely new double cab from the Prospecton factory in Durban, for that we’ll have to wait 18 months or so, but it does stand out significantly from its ordinary garden variety sibling. It features an increase in tread, the lateral distance between the wheels has been expanded by 140mm at the front and 155mm at the rear with an upgraded front coil and rear leaf spring suspension system with KYB larger diameter monotube shock absorbers and 265/65 R17 BF Goodrich all terrain tyres…

The Lions are currently ninth in the United Rugby Championship standings on 49 points, with Benetton in eighth and Edinburgh in seventh. Despite having a superior points difference of +133 – with Benetton on -14 and Edinburgh on +44 – captain Marius Louw’s team will be judged by matches won. Benetton, who host Edinburgh in Treviso tomorrow (2pm kick-off), have won 10 matches and the Scottish franchise 11. Ulster start the weekend in sixth on 53 points and a points difference of 33, but crucially have won 11 matches, too. They play Munster away tomorrow (6.15pm). The Lions can finish as high as sixth, which will ensure Champions Cup rugby next season, with as much as 54 points and 10 wins. Finishing seventh also ensures Champions Cup qualification. Due to…

IN THE past, South Africa have always found ways to bottle World Cups. The ‘C’ word hangs over the team because they are known for self-destructing at the showpiece event. As a result, the level of hype or World Cup ‘fever’ is almost non-existent in South Africa, as if there is no World Cup on the horizon despite it being only two days away. Remember when Proteas coach Rob Walter and Temba Bavuma landed at OR Tambo International Airport last year after losing the semi-final of the ODI World Cup in India, and fans did not show up to welcome them? Even the media were a no-show as only a handful of journalists showed up. Who can blame the country for its continued display of a lack of interest or…

Novak Djokovic reached the French Open last 32 for the 19th successive year yesterday as Roland Garros organisers banned alcohol from the stands in an effort to counter growing complaints from players over disrespectful, rowdy fans. Defending champion Djokovic cracked 43 winners past Spain’s 63rd-ranked Roberto Carballes Baena to canter to a 6-4 6-1 6-2 win. The three-time champion, seeking a record 25th Grand Slam title, will face Gael Monfils of France or Italian 30th seed Lorenzo Musetti next. Djokovic holds a 19-0 winning record against Monfils, and has defeated Musetti four times in five meetings. However, the Italian gave the Serb a major scare at the French Open in 2021, when he won the first two sets before having to retire injured in the decider. “It was a difficult…

Springbok Sevens interim head coach Philip Snyman wants to see his side return to winning six games at a tournament to triumph – like it was in the past with himself as a player. A struggling season, in which they replaced their former coach Sandile Ngcobo after winning only one regular season SVNS tournament, will come to a close in Madrid this weekend, where the Blitzboks will look to have one last hurray. Snyman knows all too well the feeling of winning six games in a row to claim gold at a tournament, so he will be the perfect person to motivate the side as they navigate a tough pool. Ireland will be up first this afternoon (2.37pm kick-off, SA time) as the Blitzboks strive to win the Grand Final…