Innehållsförteckning för 2023-12-12 från Cape Argus

AFTER much to-ing and fro-ing, it seems the legislators have agreed on an implementation date for the much-awaited Two-Pot retirement system, now set to commence on September 1, 2024. Here are some noteworthy features of how retirement funds will work under the new system: Retirement fund contributions will be split into two, a third going into the savings pot while the rest is invested in the retirement pot. Members can access the savings pot (one-third) of their retirement interest before reaching retirement age while preserving the remaining two-thirds for their retirement. Both employer and employee contributions are included, and it is still possible to claim a tax deduction for these contributions, limited to the lesser of R350 000 or 27.5% of remuneration or taxable income. The new rules apply to…

Taylor Swift might be a testament to clichés like, “Success doesn’t happen overnight” and “Don’t let the haters get you down”. But the multi-award-winning, record-breaking and billionaire singer and songwriter, who was last week announced as Time magazine’s Person of the Year, is anything but banal. No other musician in the world has had a more successful 2023 than the 33-year-old mogul. Much of the Bad Blood hitmaker’s blockbuster year was attributed to the unprecedented success of her Eras Tour. The global icon’s moment in the sun sees her end 2023 on a high note, which extends to the sale of millions of albums throughout her career, including even more in 2023 alone. Swift was also named 2023’s most-streamed artist by Spotify and Apple Music. This year, her net worth…

THE Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni suggested recently that the manipulation of the rand was part of the private sector’s attempt to collapse the government. This statement came after the Competition Tribunal announced a settlement agreement with Standard Chartered, which admitted liability and agreed to pay an administrative penalty of R42.7 million. There have been calls for tougher consequences against the banking institutions involved in the collusion. Notably, this is not the first time that allegations of collusion by the banks have been raised, as Sekunjalo Investment Holding (Sekunjalo) also took the banks to the Competition Tribunal over allegations of collusion and abuse of dominance. In its ruling, the tribunal found that the Sekunjalo Group had established prima facie evidence that the banks had engaged in a practice involving…

Small-scale fishing organisations have launched a petition to demand that Forestry, Fisheries, and Environment (DFFE) Minister Barbara Creecy revise the small-line fish allocation to ensure a fair and equitable distribution that reflects the commitment made to fishers over the years. The two organisations, Masifundise Development Trust and Coastal Links, said it had come to their attention that the current allocation fell nsignificantly short of the promises made by Creecy and the then DFFE minister Senzeni Zokwana. The latter, it said, had assured that 50% of the near shore allocation of traditional linefish would go to small-scale fishers. Masifundise Programme Manager, Carmen Mannarino, said linefish was the most important allocation for small-scale fishers in the Western Cape and the basis of their food basket. She said fishers were promised this allocation,…

The City of Cape Town has transformed an aged and dilapidated netball court into a versatile multi-purpose space at Golders Green Park in Woodstock. The project, which started 18 months ago by the City’s Recreation and Parks Department under the leadership of local ward councillor Ian McMahon, is said to reflect the city’s commitment to providing modern, inclusive, and enjoyable recreational areas for everyone. Lyndon Khan, the mayor’s spokesperson, said the project is aimed at breathing new life into the ageing netball court and that the visionary decision to merge netball and basketball facilities creates a dynamic space for sports enthusiasts of all ages. He said the court is inspired by the Netball World Cup spirit and that it was part of the netball court upgrades in local communities during…

Aston Villa fans are dreaming of an unexpected Premier League title challenge after beating Arsenal 1-0, a result that allowed Liverpool to go top of the table. Manchester City snapped their four-game winless streak with a hard-fought 2-1 victory at Luton to close back to within four points of the top. But the crisis across Manchester deepens as United slumped to a shocking 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth. Here, we look at three talking points from the Premier League weekend. Red Devils’ crisis is real United boss Erik ten Hag dismissed the notion that his side’s season has been crisis-ridden after a 2-1 win over Chelsea in midweek. But the Dutchman was given a rude awakening as a shambolic campaign for the Red Devils hit a new low in Bournemouth’s…

Prolific Liverpool scorer Mohamed Salah led an Egyptian goal charge across Europe at the weekend, with Omar Marmoush and Mostafa Mohamed also finding the net. Salah scored his 200th goal for the Reds and 150th in the Premier League by equalising at Crystal Palace in a match his team went on to win 2-1 in added time. Marmoush was first to score for Eintracht Frankfurt in a 5-1 thrashing of champions Bayern Munich, and Mohamed equalised for Nantes in a 2-1 loss at Paris Saint-Germain. Here we highlight African headline-makers in the major European leagues. ENGLAND MOHAMED SALAH (Liverpool) He scored his 200th goal for Liverpool to spark their fightback against Crystal Palace. Just moments after Palace’s Ghana international Jordan Ayew was sent off, Salah hit a deflected 76th-minute equaliser…

With more than 3.4 million of South Africa’s population in the burgeoning black middle-class consumer segment, addressing the country’s insurance gap of R34 trillion cannot meaningfully happen unless one key aspect is considered – perspective. The wealth demographic in South Africa has shifted. Today, the black middle class has become the foremost consumer segment growing, not only in scale but in buying power. A year ago, the UCT Liberty Institute of Strategic Marketing released its much-anticipated report on South Africa’s black middle class. The report noted that the segment constituted 3.4 million people with a combined spending power of R400 billion a year. However, a nuanced history belies its spending focus, particularly relating to insurance. The Association for Savings and Investment South Africa’s (Asisa) latest Life and Disability Gap study…

A high-profile taxi boss and businessman has appeared in the Pretoria Central Magistrate’s Court on a string of crimes committed in Nyanga and other provinces. Bonke Makalala had been sought by the police for murder, attempted murder and extortion and other crimes including impersonating a police official. He runs transport, cleaning services, construction, supply and delivery and logistics businesses. According to his website,“Makalala Trans is a company that was started by Bonke Makalala in 2013, a rural Tsomo boy, who was a taxi driver and doing some other small businesses. He then managed to buy himself a taxi in 2013 and became a member in Cata Boland in the same year 2013 and bought two more taxis late 2013. “He kept on increasing the fleet as time went by…

Western Cape municipalities came on top at the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) Blue and Green Drop Certifications awards as they displayed excellence and flair in the fields of drinking water quality and water resource management. The awards were part of the release of the incentive-based regulatory reports held at the Emperor’s Palace in Ekurhuleni on December 5. Ntombizanele Bila-Mupariwa, DWS Western Cape Provincial Head, hosted municipalities that performed very well in the province at an event in Cape Town yesterday, where she handed out certificates and awards. She revealed that Overstrand received the highest number of systems that achieved blue drop status, namely: Baardskeerdersbos Supply System (99.7%); Buffeljags Bay Supply System (98.2%); Buffelsrivier Supply System (99.99%); Greater Gansbaai Supply System (99.99%); Greater Hermanus Supply System (99.99%); Kleinmond Supply…

Problems continue to stack up for Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino with an injury to captain Reece James the latest concern for the Argentine. James lasted only 27 minutes of Sunday’s 2-0 loss at Everton, forced off with a hamstring problem. “Reece felt something in his hamstring. For sure he’s injured, but we don’t know how serious it is,” said Pochettino, whose side is down in 12th place. “Of course, for us he is an important player, one of the best fullbacks in the world. We are disappointed because when you believe you can build something, and a player like him, who should be really important for us, can’t help the team. “We go back and assess again in the next few days what is going on with his hamstring.” James…

It says something of the rude health of South African rugby that the Bulls beat a Saracens team that is not far off an England side, while an under-strength Stormers side almost upset a Leicester team packed with internationals from a variety of countries. One of those was a Springbok and Handre Pollard’s 20 points in Leicester’s flattering 35-26 win inspired the English commentator to say: “Our South Africans played better than theirs.” That was not altogether true. Poor Jasper Wiese played one of his worst games in Leicester colours and his high elementary error count was because he was trying too hard against his countrymen. Of course, a Stormers squad shorn of 16 first-choice players should have had no right to even come close and before kick-off John Dobson…

The Blitzboks are at their best when they have ball in hand and that showed a week ago when they triumphed in Dubai, but disappointingly they could not get enough possession in Cape Town and paid the price. That was the blunt assessment of Blitzbok head coach Sandile Ngcobo after his side lost their fifth-place play-off to New Zealand and finished a disappointing second day with two defeats. “Possession was key, and we simply did not look after ours,” said Ngcobo. “We were attacked at the breakdown, and we need to muscle up in that area, as we lost too many balls there.” Despite the results in Cape Town, Ngcobo believes the overall assessment of his team over the first two tournaments of the HSBC SVNS is positive: “We showed…

JANUWORRY, the toughest financial month of the year for most South Africans, is soon approaching. Thanks to a combination of Christmas overspending and the long wait for payday, many will start 2024 with a financial hangover, stretching already bursting budgets past breaking point. It is possible to have a festive December and a worry-free January. All it takes is some smart money management, a few minor adjustments, and an iron-clad budget. Lowther offers the following tips for a money-smart festive season: Budget like a boss – To draw up the December/January budget, start with a list of fixed expenditures and other essential monthly deductions. Ensure that you have enough funds to cover these expenses, plus a bit extra for savings and unexpected expenses. What remains is what you can afford…

Sunday nights are going to get intense in January. Mzansi Magic’s new show, Killer Front Page, produced by Barkers Media (How to Manifest a Man) will offer viewers plenty of suspense with a storyline that’s built around ambition, ethics and cold-blooded murder. Starring Lemogang Tsipa, known for his acting in Shaka Illembe and Black Sails, as Sol Mojalefa Phiri, and Gomora actress Siphesihle Ndaba, Front Page Killer centres on Sol, a journalist whose stale career takes an unexpected turn. Affected by his father’s disappearance and motivated by a childhood promise to become the best in his field, Sol’s desperation for recognition leads him to fabricate a front-page story. His conflict with detective Sis Connie (Grown Woman star Linda Sokhulu), and his rivalry with co-worker Black Gert (Emmanuel Gweva) heightens…

Molemo “Jub Jub” Maarohanye, a rapper and TV personality, was expected to appear in court again on February 5 after his case was postponed in the Johannesburg Central Magistrate’s Court for further legal consultation. This was done to allow for additional legal consultation between the defence and the client. Maarohanye faces allegations of assault, attempted murder and rape in a case involving four complainants and spans from 2006 to 2010. Maarohanye has been ordered by the court to give over his passport as part of his bail conditions, as he is not permitted to leave the country until the issue is resolved. Maarohanye’s lawyer, Terrence Baloyi, spoke outside the court, saying they were not sure if they had been given everything that they asked for, further stating that they would…

eThekwini Municipality’s target to woo nearly a million tourists this festive season could be hampered by the persistent pollution of the beaches. The City has been forced to close six of the busiest beaches in Durban Central after test results showed high levels of E coli. These are Point, uShaka, South, North, Battery and Country Club beaches. All of them tested more than the accepted 500 threshold and the City immediately closed them. In a statement issued yesterday, the city blamed heavy rains, adding that it was normal to have poor water quality when heavy rains continue to fall in Durban because foreign objects washing from the rivers and streams as well as other water sources move into the ocean. “The joint sampling was done on December 7. These results…

Manchester United’s future in this season’s Champions League hangs by a thread ahead of Bayern Munich’s visit to Old Trafford, with an early exit in Europe sure to put more scrutiny on manager Erik ten Hag. The Dutchman tried to argue after victory over Chelsea last week that United’s season has not reached crisis mode. But Ten Hag’s hopes that a turning point had been reached were short-lived as a 3-0 defeat at home to Bournemouth on Saturday saw a troubled campaign reach a new low. The Red Devils sit sixth in the Premier League after seven defeats in their opening 16 games. Yet, while there may be time to recover a place in the top four domestically, their need in the Champions League is urgent. Only victory against the…

Mamelodi Sundowns will be spared travel travails when they host lowly Cape Town Spurs in a DStv Premiership match in Pretoria tomorrow evening. On Sunday it was apparent that the AFL champs were feeling the fatigue of playing week in, week out when they were held to a goalless draw by a resilient 10-man Pyramids side in their CAF Champions League clash in Pretoria. The Egyptian outfit frustrated their hosts for long spells and were unfortunate not to snatch a late winner. Sundowns’ heavy schedule has started to catch up on them and they produced a flat performance against Pyramids. “There is lots of travelling and games in a short space of time. But, like I always say, heavy is the head that wears the crown,” said coach Rhulani Mokwena.…