Author: newsnote correspondent
The South African Institute for Drug-Free Sports has announced the bans of three young rugby players after they tested positive for banned substances during last year’s SA Schools Craven week rugby tournament. Two of the players have been named, a former Grey College student Khoitsimodimo ‘Kamo’ Mathibedi whilst the other was an SA Schools selection last year, Sifiso Magwaza out of Hoerskool Monument in Krugersdor. The third player’s name has been redacted as they are a minor. Magwaza is a prop who played for the Lions in addition to making SA Schools, although he did not feature in fixtures against…
The City of Joburg has issued an impassioned plea to the residents to help it combat cable theft and vandalism of its infrastructure and products saying it is under siege from the criminals. In a statement from the City’s MMC for Environment and Infrastructure Service Department, Michael Sun, the City highlighted the high rate of cable theft during the festive season saying that it continues to battle rampant theft and vandalism especially in Roodepoort where there were 17 instances of cable theft in the last week alone. Sun said in December 2022 alone, over 200 Jojo tanks provided by the…
Local political challenges are threatening South Africa’s overall economic outlook, says economist Sanisha Packirisamy and head of investment research Herman van Papendorp from Momentum Investments. The risk of slower economic reforms and unstable monetary policy outcomes has risen alongside uncertainty over President Cyril Ramaphosa’s standing as president. In Momentum’s latest market and economic outlook for January 2023, the economists said that recent negative political development raising uncertainty over the country’s leadership poses significant downside risks to growth expectations. According to the group, against the backdrop of dimmer global growth, a slow grind lower in elevated inflation and geopolitically, a more…
Amid ongoing strikes across multiple sectors, Rishi Sunak’s government has announced plans to introduce new legislation that would dramatically tighten restrictions on unions in England, Scotland and Wales.The strikes (minimum service levels) bill, currently being debated in parliament, would mean that people working in border security, education, the fire brigade, transport, the NHS and nuclear decommissioning would have to maintain minimum levels of service on strike days. So some teachers or nurses, for example, would be expected to work, regardless of whether they are a union member or not.The language of the bill suggests that sweeping powers will be given…
Chaos erupted on the first day of the reopening of school on Wednesday, at Leokeng Primary School in Modderspruit near Brits, North West, when learners were sent back home, after allegedly failing to pay school fees and not contributing R200 towards the school’s donation kitty. One of the parents, Nolile Kgomo said she was disappointed and heartbroken seeing her child crying because she was not admitted to the school. “I had to console my child, she was looking forward to attending school but was unfortunately sent back. I don’t understand how a mere donation is the cause for the school…
Energy regulator Nersa is set to finally make an announcement on how much Eskom can hike electricity prices in 2023 when it meets on Wednesday (12 January 2023). The expected announcement follows several delays by Nersa, which was supposed to make its final decision on Eskom’s application to hike prices by 32% back in November 2022. Eskom’s submission, given to Nersa in September, applied for a 32% tariff hike in 2023, which, when added to court-ordered backlogs, could see electricity prices climb by over 38%. The power utility is looking to recover R351 billion through the tariff hike for 2023/24…
Peruvian authorities have decreed a curfew in the Puno region following anti-government protests that left 18 people dead on Monday, Prime Minister Alberto Otálora announced on Tuesday. ”We have approved in the Council of Ministers a supreme decree that declares the mandatory social immobilization (curfew) in Puno for the term of three days from 8:00 pm until 4:00 am. This is to safeguard the life, integrity, and freedom of all the citizens of Puno,“ Otárola told a Congress plenum during his appearance to seek his appointment’s Parliamentary endorsement. Otálora also explained that a ”national working mourning“ had been declared for…
The growing South African coffee industry offers investment opportunities that the serious investor should take note of. One of these is an investment of R1,78 to R2 million (excluding VAT) in a profitable The Daily Coffee Café franchise in which investors can expect to receive a higher-than-average return on investment. This earning power is further enhanced by the fact that the capital needed for the set-up costs is considerably lower than that of comparable franchise models in the market. Why invest in the coffee industry? Worldwide – including in South Africa – the coffee industry has become a landscape where…
Countries should consider recommending that passengers wear masks on long-haul flights, given the rapid spread of the latest Omicron subvariant of COVID-19 in the United States, World Health Organization (WHO) officials said on Tuesday. In Europe, the XBB.1.5 subvariant was detected in small but growing numbers, WHO and Europe officials said at a press briefing. Passengers should be advised to wear masks in high-risk settings such as long-haul flights, said the WHO’s senior emergency officer for Europe, Catherine Smallwood, adding: “this should be a recommendation issued to passengers arriving from anywhere where there is widespread COVID-19 transmission”. XBB.1.5 – the…
Energy Analyst Lungile Mashele says that South Africa could be looking at higher stages of rolling blackouts as things get back to normal following the festive season shut down of industries. This week, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a resolution adopted by the governing African National Congress at its national conference last week that will see the energy department take over responsibility for overseeing Eskom. The power utility has been facing power generating challenges since 2008, with 2022 being the worst year on record as far as rolling blackouts go. Mashele said the outlook is not any better for this year. “I…