Rand manipulation case returns to Constitutional Court
The Competition Commission says there's already proof that several local and international banks colluded to rig the currency.
It's challenging a previous Competition Appeal Court ruling, that exonerated some banks, last year.
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The South African
4 hours ago
- The South African
Lucky Star Pilchards under fire over shock 'shrinkflation'
Lucky Star has come under fire after consumers have been posting the contents of their near-empty tinned pilchard cans. The canned fish company is a staple in many South African homes, and was a favourite of the late former minister, Tito Mboweni. LUCKY STAR PILCHARDS UNDER FIRE OVER CONTENTS On the X app, user Pranesh Luckan shared pics of his decanted Lucky Star Pilchards can. The pictures show three small pieces of canned fish and a substantial quantity of tomato sauce. 'Guys, I know this is our national tinned fish brand, but what kind of shrinkflation is this? 3 and 1/2 pieces of fish weighing 136g in a 400g can. Is @LuckyStarSA selling pilchards or tomato sauce?' he asked in a tweet that has gone viral. Another X user – @@_spreadhappines – received just one pilchard in their can. On its official account, the brand responded to the posts, stating: 'We are sorry to hear this – and can assure you that this is not the proper standard that Lucky Star strives to uphold'. According to Luckan, Lucky Star would also be investigating the production batch of the can. In the past few years, rising food prices have drastically increased the cost of tinned pilchards like the Lucky Star brand. However, earlier this year, the Competition Commission's latest Essential Food Pricing Monitoring (EFPM) report revealed that pilchards were one of a few essential items whose price had slightly decreased. A 400 gram can of pilchards is priced between R25 and R30 at major retailers. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
4 hours ago
- IOL News
Immunity granted to key witness in Joshlin Smith kidnapping case sparks outrage
Lourentia Lombaard was granted full immunity from prosecution by the Western Cape High Court. Image: Armand Hough/Independent Newspapers Anti-gender-based violence activist June Dolley Major has called for prison time for Lourentia 'Renz' Lombaard, the woman who turned State witness in the case of missing Saldanha Bay girl Joshlin Smith. Major's remarks follow a decision by Western Cape High Court Judge Nathan Erasmus on Wednesday, which granted Lombaard full immunity from prosecution. Lombaard was arrested in March last year alongside Joshlin's mother, Racquel 'Kelly' Smith, Jacquen 'Boeta' Appollis, and Steveno van Rhyn, and she turned State witness. All three were convicted of kidnapping and human trafficking and are serving life sentences. Judge Erasmus found that Lombaard had provided 'key evidence' and testified 'honestly and frankly' in her Section 204 statement. But Dolley Major, speaking outside the court, said she believed any crime involving a child warranted some form of punishment. 'Lots of emotions are going on right now,' she said. 'I understand why she's indemnified, guilty after the fact, and not active at all. But as always, my concern is Joshlin. 'My personal opinion is no disrespect to Judge Erasmus in any way whatsoever, he handled it all so well. I feel any crime involving a child should serve some kind of time.' Lourentia Lombaard was granted full immunity from prosecution by the Western Cape High Court. Image: Armand Hough The defence has indicated it will approach the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein to try to overturn the convictions and sentences. National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said they were satisfied with both the convictions and Lombaard's indemnity. 'It's an outcome that we argued for. We believe there's no other court that could come to a different conclusion,' he said. 'We believe the decision to convict them for trafficking in persons for purposes of exploitation, as well as kidnapping, and handing down life sentences, was correct. There was no other suitable sentence. 'We are also happy with the outcome in terms of the Section 204 witness, Ms Lombaard, because we believe she testified frankly and honestly, which is a requirement of the Act. She did not try to take herself out of the crime, but told the court what happened and the role she played.' Ntabazalila confirmed Lombaard remains in the witness protection programme and will not be prosecuted. 'If they take us to the SCA, we will go there and oppose that application completely,' he said. 'She is indemnified entirely from prosecution, so she's free.' Meanwhile, Joshlin's paternal grandmother, Lauretta Yon, said she was relieved that the appeal failed had failed. "I was with Boeta and Kelly, and they said they didn't know anything about Joshlin, so they must rot in jail. You can't look somebody in the eye and lie." "Regarding the Renz issue, I think she spoke the truth. Steven Coetzee didn't know Renz, which means they could not have colluded to frame them. How did he know about the R20,000? They (Renz and Coetzee) were the main people in the trial.' Get your news on the go, click here to join the Cape Argus News WhatsApp channel. Cape Argus
The Citizen
4 hours ago
- The Citizen
Rising tariffs, declining services anger Queenswood residents
Residents are struggling with rising costs while facing a decline in basic services, and water being wasted through delays in repairing leaks. Since July, households have faced sharp tariff increases, straining already stretched family budgets. According to meticulous calculations by a resident in Queenswood in the Moot, who has tracked municipal accounts since last year, the property rates and taxes for houses in their street rose by about 40%. Electricity also went up 17.39%, water by 13.86%, waste services by 8.6%, and even sanitation, though only by 1.06%, also increased in Queenswood. In total, an average household in Queenswood now pays 16.29% more to the metro every month. When the metro announced tariff increases on July 5 that will have a significant impact on households from July 1, it indicated that water costs would increase by 13%, sanitation by 8%, electricity by 10% and refuse removal by 4%. The metro also announced earlier that property rates and taxes on average would decrease by 4% from July 1, but a new general valuation roll would be implemented. The published valuation roll has sparked widespread criticism from homeowners who are unhappy with the outcome of their objections against valuations that have almost doubled in some instances. The question on the mind of residents remains: What are they paying for? 'We pay more, but see less service,' said a resident of Dormer Street. In recent months, Queenswood has become accustomed to streets flooded with water from burst pipes. One resident recalled waiting almost 48 hours for a leak to be fixed, by which time the water had eroded the ground beneath her boundary wall and caused a sinkhole in front of her house. Although the pipe was repaired, the fix did not last, and within days the leak returned. Leaks are not only wasteful but also damage roads. On the corner of Carter Avenue and Shilling Street, a growing pothole poses a huge risk to motorists. 'The road surface near the Webb and Shilling circle is disintegrating completely. The metro also does not clean up where they have worked. We are living in a very expensive dump,' one resident complained. Electricity has also become unreliable. On August 17, Queenswood went without power for almost 12 hours, a situation locals say has become more frequent. Added to this are piles of rubble left behind after repair work. 'The metro's teams dig up, repair, and leave. We never see the second team, who is supposed to tar the road or remove the rubble,' a frustrated resident said. Ward councillor Anru Meyer acknowledged that burst pipes are repaired once reported, but added that overtime on weekends is costly and needs prior approval. 'We are working on lowering the pressure from the Queenswood Reservoir. With the regulator in place and working, damage should be minimal if bursts occur. Potholes take about two weeks to repair after being reported,' he said. Meyer admitted, however, that there are no long-term plans to replace Queenswood's water pipes, as the metro's main focus has been on electricity. Residents are also angered by what they see as double standards. Councillor Dana Wannenburg pointed out that water leaks often run for more than 25 hours without being fixed, while municipal swimming pools have been closed for over seven months. 'The hypocrisy is staggering. This administration wastes water with breathtaking carelessness but keeps our children from swimming,' he said. According to him, the metro has now asked Rand Water to lift Level 1 water restrictions so that pools can reopen by September. Since January, most municipal swimming pools, including those frequently used by schools, have been closed due to Level 1 water restrictions imposed by Rand Water. These closures are a direct response to ongoing water supply concerns and the municipality's obligation to conserve water resources. An application for authorisation to re-open the pools recently was submitted to Rand Water by the metro. If approved, the targeted reopening date for pools is September 1. However, this is contingent on Rand Water granting permission under the current restriction framework. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok.
