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The Kruger National Park said it has closed some bridges in the reserve due to heavy rains and flooding.

This comes after the South African Weather Service (Saws) issued a yellow level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms for several areas across the country.

Swollen rivers

Speaking to The Citizen, SANParks spokesperson Isaac Phaahla said they have been monitoring the overnight rains very closely.

“The Sabie River is swollen, it is flowing very strongly and we have also seen the Masechaka and Crocodile River flowing very strongly.”

“We haven’t seen any infrastructure damage as yet. As a precautionary measure we have closed the bridges that are flooded by the river that will be travelling from the Paul Kruger gate to the rest camp,” Phaahla said.

Situation at Kruger national park Skukuza camp @Djbrianrikhotso @ConnyMikateko @Djsoulcrusher @phaphamamlfm pic.twitter.com/RzZRFaqvkR

— Sartina (@sartinaMkhabela) February 9, 2023

Precautions  

SANParks spokesperson Isaac Phaahla has urged people travelling to the Kruger National Park to take extra precautions.

“We are advising people that are travelling to through the Kruger National Park not to use the Crocodile Bridge entrance and when they come to low-lying bridges to be extra careful and not take any chances.”

ALSO READ: Joburg EMS on high alert as stormy weather hits Gauteng

Phaahla said some of the animals have moved to higher ground avoid the heavy rain.

“We don’t normally have animals dying because of floods. But [it’s] tourists, visitors and contractors that we are worried about. The gravel roads should be regarded as very dangerous and we don’t want people to use them because people might get stuck and be isolated in those areas. Even thought you may have a 4X4, the current of the water may be stronger than the torque of the car.”

Kruger National Park open

Phaahla added the park is open to visitors and tourists.

“There are people who have booked overnight. Because some of out staff that live outside are affected by the closure of some of the bridges, we ask our tourists to be very patient with us as we try and bring in the staff.”

“We are also going to be getting updates on flights out of Skukuza and into Skukuza from Airlink because the bridge linking the Skukuza rest camp to the airport is also flooded at this stage,” Phaahla said.

ALSO READ: Hundreds evacuated as Komani battered by floods

Following Orlando Pirates loss to Mamelodi Sundowns, coach Jose Riveiro believes the club’s supporters are smart and clever enough to see that his charges gave their all to try and win the game.

ALSO READ: Dondol dump SuperSport out of Nedbank Cup

Pirates lost 1-0 to Sundowns in their last game at the Orlando Stadium.

Inasmuch as Riveiro was disappointed with the defeat, especially after such a good run of three consecutive wins, the Spanish coach was proud of the display from his Buccaneers charges and he reckons the supporters also saw the fight from the players.

“I think the Pirates fans are clever, they are smart. They see when players are giving everything for the badge. They know when we try to do everything in order to change results and I think they should be proud of the team and the players,” said the Bucs coach.

The Pirates mentor was happy to have seen the club’s fans filling up their home ground and rallying behind the team from the first blow of the whistle to the last.

He says he hopes to see the supporters in their numbers again when they play at home in their next league game against Maritzburg United on 17 February.

“I hope to see them soon next time here when we play for another three points against Maritzburg United (at home). I think our fans are helping us as much as they can.”

Pirates are currently placed fourth place on the league standings with 28 points after 19 games, 27 points behind log leaders Downs, who have collected 55 points in 21 matches.

READ MORE: Sundowns’ Karelse sets eyes on DDC top goal-scorer award

But, before thinking about moving up the log and their game against the Team of Choice, the Soweto giants have a date with Motsepe Foundation Championship side All Stars FC in the first round of the Nedbank Cup to be played at Wits Football Stadium on Saturday.

The first four F1 teams to revealed their contenders for the 2023 season were Haas, Red Bull, Williams and Alfa Romeo.

Red Bull used the platform of the RB19 to announce the formation of Red Bull Ford from the 2026 season. It will mark the return to F1 after a 20 year gap when last the Ford Cosworth engines powered the 2004 Jordans.

Rumours of Ford’s possible reinvestment in F1 surfaced last year and was perhaps part of the reason for the collapse of the proposed Red Bull Porsche agreement.

Many will remember the phenomenal success of the Ford Cosworth engines, particularly the legendary DFV, used by multiple teams with incredible success in F1. Amassing 176 race wins, 10 Constructors Championships, 13 Drivers Championships and 681 races entered, Ford Cosworth engines rank third behind Ferrari and Mercedes.

ALSO READ: FLOYD ON F1: The weighty issue of greener racing cars

New chapter for F1

Despite leaving F1 prior to the hybrid era, Ford Performance has remained active in motorsport and is involved with in multiple racing series globally, including the World Rally Championship, World Rallycross, Nascar and Australian Supercars.

Red Bull Ford from the 2026 season, the new partnership between Red Bull and Ford, will run from 2026 until 2030 and will provide expertise in items such as internal combustion and electric motors, control systems and development in the quest for more efficiency with sustainable fuels.

Ford’s executive chairman Bill Ford is reported as saying: “This is the start of a thrilling new chapter in Ford’s motorsport story that began when my great-grandfather won a race that helped launch our company.

“Ford is returning to the sport, bringing our long tradition of innovation, sustainability and electrification to one of the world’s most visible stages.”

ALSO READ: FLOYD ON F1: Stand-off looms between teams and FIA boss

Boss delighted

Now it gets interesting as we read the statement from Stefano Domenicali.

“The news that Ford is coming to F1 from 2026 is great for the sport and we are excited to see them join the incredible automotive partners already in F1,” the F1 boss said.

“Ford is a global brand with an incredible heritage in racing and the automotive world and they see the huge value that our platform provides with over half a billion fans around the world.

ALSO READ: Rumours true: Frédéric Vasseur takes over as Ferrari F1 boss

“Our commitment to be Net Zero Carbon by 2030 and to introduce sustainable fuels in the F1 cars from 2026 is also an important reason for their decision to enter F1.

“We cannot wait for the Ford logo to be racing round F1’s iconic circuits from 2026.”

What about GM bid?

These words from the CEO of F1 show great enthusiasm for a returning automotive giant to the sport. But it is somewhat ironic that a bid from another US automotive company is met with such incredible resistance by teams and commercial rights holder alike.

I totally understand the General Motors, Cadillac situation involves the formation of a new team. Sadly it means the research and development departments, including an existing motorsport division, cannot be part of the global goal of higher efficiency engines, sustainable fuels and more innovative technology in EVs, for the future of road transport.

Perhaps it is time to rethink and return to an era of motorsport when it was sport and to develop an efficient, modern equivalent of the DFV, that would make many fans very happy.

Barbie has always been a role model for kids across the globe, and many a young girl and boy aspired to be just like her and Ken.

In recent years, the Barbie range has become much more inclusive to mirror the world around us.   

In May 2022, Mattel, the toy company who owns Barbie, released a range of dolls in their Fashionista line which included a Barbie with behind the ear hearing aids, a Ken doll with vitiligo, a doll with a prosthetic leg and Ken options with rooted short hair.

Barbie’s little sister gets inclusive line

According to the Division of Orthopedics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia more than 100,000 children are diagnosed with scoliosis each year in the U.S alone.

This figure inspired the designers over at Barbie to create a doll with curvature in the spine and a removable back brace.

“With the release of Chelsea with Scoliosis, Barbie hopes to better reflect the world around us for all kids to see themselves in play, while also normalizing the wearing of a back brace,” a statement from Mattel read on Wednesday.

ALSO READ: What do children benefit from playing with Barbie?

Lisa McKnight, executive vice-president and global head of Barbie and Dolls at Mattel, said the Chelsea doll with scoliosis marks an important step in the brand’s journey in increasing representation by adding more variety in looks and providing infinitely more ways to spark imagination.

“We believe in the power of representation and are committed to creating dolls in a variety of looks so that kids can see themselves in Barbie – and now, in a line celebrating Barbie’s little sister Chelsea. We’re proud to launch the first-ever Chelsea doll with a removable back brace to continue to be more reflective of the world kids see around them. Our Chelsea line provides infinitely more ways to spark storytelling, all while providing kids with a way to develop their empathy and social processing skills through doll play.”

ALSO READ: How Barbie inspired the return of this nostalgic hair trend

Board Certified Neurosurgeon and specialist in children’s complex spinal disorders Dr. Luke Macyszyn worked with Barbie on the development of the Chelsea with scoliosis doll to ensure the accuracy of her shape and spinal alignment.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag criticised his side’s “unacceptable” start to Wednesday’s 2-2 draw with managerless Leeds, despite battling back from 2-0 down.

ALSO READ: Ten Hag to keep faith with Martial, Weghorst

Leeds sacked Jesse Marsch on Monday following a run of seven league games without a win.

Caretaker manager Michael Skubala had just one 20-minute training session to prepare for the trip across The Pennines, but the visitors had been on course for a first victory over United since 2010.

Wilfried Gnonto gave Leeds the perfect start after just a minute and Raphael Varane’s own goal doubled their advantage early in the second half.

Marcus Rashford’s 20th goal of the season sparked the United fightback before Jadon Sancho’s first goal since September stretched the Red Devils unbeaten run at home to 16 games.

“You can say we won a point because when you are in a derby and come back from 2-0 down it is good,” said Ten Hag after the first of two Premier League clashes in five days between the sides.

“But on the other hand when you start a derby like we did it’s unacceptable. You have to be ready to fight and we weren’t ready for the battle.”

A point leaves third-placed United still seven points adrift of leaders Arsenal, having played two games more.

The draw is more valuable to Leeds, who edge one point clear of the relegation zone.

– Casemiro missed –

United badly missed the presence of the suspended Casemiro in midfield, which allowed Leeds to counter-attack at will.

Gnonto has been a consistent bright spark of an otherwise sad season for Leeds and exploded the game into life after just 60 seconds as he found the bottom corner for his fourth goal in seven games.

United should have been level by half-time as Alejandro Garnacho fired just wide and then saw a shot cleared off the line by Max Woeber after the Argentine had rounded Illan Meslier.

However, the home side were slow out of the blocks after the break and were punished.

Gnonto was at the heart of the move again as he released Crysencio Summerville down the left and his cross was turned into his own net by Raphael Varane.

“I think it instills belief in the players that they are good enough at this level,” said Skubala, who remains unsure if he will be in charge for the visit of United to Elland Road on Sunday.

“They know that and we know that and we just need to go after every game between now and the end of the season.”

Ten Hag turned to his bench for solutions and found them in Sancho and Facundo Pellistri to replace the ineffectual Wout Weghorst and Garnacho.

ALSO READ: Kompany slams Man City critics after Premier League charges

Weghorst’s withdrawal put Rashford through the middle and within minutes he rose highest to meet Diogo Dalot’s cross for his 12th goal in 14 games since the World Cup.

Leeds were inches away from restoring their two-goal lead almost immediately when Brenden Aaronson’s free-kick came back off the post.

But their advantage was soon wiped out completely 20 minutes from time.

Sancho’s fitness struggles have sidelined him for most of the season, but his return to action has been a timely boost with United still involved in four competitions and short on attacking options.

The England international collected Luke Shaw’s deflected cross and his low strike caught out Meslier low to his left.

“He’s all the way back,” added Ten Hag. “We know he’s a magnificent player.

“I think consistently he can have a big impact. But he has to work hard. It will motivate him to get more.”

Dondol Stars co-head coach Vincent Rammoni says a couple of tweaks in tactics and personnel helped the ABC Motsepe League side shock top flight outfit SuperSport United 2-1 in the last 32 of the Nedbank Cup on Wesdnesday evening.

Matsatsantsa looked in control of this knockout encounter when captain Siya Nhlapo gave them an early lead, but second half strikes from Relebogile Molefe and Stars captain Kholofelo Monama sent Gavin Hunt’s side out of the competition at the first hurdle.

Man-of-the-match Sphamandla Gumede also excelled in goal, making some excellent saves.

ALSO READ: Dondol dump SuperSport out of Nedbank Cup

“It was a very difficult game, for us to play a Premiership side, while we are in the ABC Motsepe League,” said Rammoni after the game.

“There were a lot aspects, especially defensively where we had to did deep to match their physical presence. It was not easy at all, especially in the first half.”

Stars found more width after the break and Sibonile Nomala crossed for Molefe to beat Ricardo Goss at the second attempt, before Monama’s deflected effort wrong-footed Goss and sent the Gauteng amateur side into the last 16.

“At half time we spoke with the players,” added Rammoni.

“We tweaked certain things …. we made two immediate subs at half time to try and bring the ball down and move our defensiveline as high as possible, so we could force them to play more in their half … we were aware that was going to help us press and link up very quickly with our centre forward.

“We also started inverting our wingers to more go inside than sit wide on the right to try and invite one on ones. We went to a V-shape in the second half and it became much easier, and started to give more od a role to our full backs, who had too much space on the side unattended. That is how we got our first goal.”

SA Insurance Association agrees to give the public access to its vehicle salvage database towards the end of March.

A Johannesburg used car dealership has been ordered to refund the full outstanding financed value plus interest of a vehicle a consumer bought without knowing it was previously ‘written off’ by an insurance company.

Acting Johannesburg regional court magistrate HR Viana ordered Rasar (Pty) Ltd, trading as Jambo Motors, to pay Tumelo Kent Matia R226 944.07 plus interest at 7.75% per annum from 16 August 2020 to date of payment, with costs.

ALSO READ: What to know about vehicle insurance policies

Court ruling

In the judgment handed down last month, Viana also ordered Matia to return the 2018 White Golf VII 1.0 TSI Comfortline Blue Motion acquired on 14 September 2019 to the dealership.

Viana issued this order despite acknowledging the evidence does not show that Jambo Motors had actual knowledge of the defects to the chassis of the Golf detected during an assessment, and that there was no evidence that Jambo Motors fraudulently failed to disclose those defects.

Risks to consumers, road users

The judgment follows reports of unsuspecting consumers buying cars without knowing they were previously written off because the vehicle’s registration code was not amended to ‘Code 3’ on the National Traffic Information System (NaTIS) to reflect this – possibly through fraud, bribery and corruption.

ALSO READ: Insurance shortfall can cost you thousands when your car gets written off

This practice not only leads to consumers buying a used vehicle at an inflated price, but these rebuilt vehicles are often unroadworthy and dangerous to drive and require the new owners to spend a significant amount of money to get them into a safe and roadworthy condition.

This led to the South African Motor Body Repairers’ Association (Sambra) again appealing to the SA Insurance Association (Saia) to allow public access to the vehicle salvage database (VSD), so consumers can check whether a vehicle has been written off before concluding a transaction.

Sambra chair Charles Canning on Wednesday applauded the judgment as “a milestone”, saying Sambra has been actively lobbying Saia for years for the public release of a VSD that will inform prospective buyers of used vehicles, whether they be private individuals or user car dealers, of the status of the vehicle.

Canning said the Saia has agreed that a VSD will be published towards the end of the first quarter of 2023.

“Sambra welcomes this undertaking by Saia, as it will ensure that unsuspecting buyers of vehicles can obtain information about the status of the vehicle they intend buying and not end up with the proverbial ‘lemon’,” he said.

ALSO READ: Understanding vehicle insurance

Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI) CEO Jakkie Olivier said it supports the publication of the database but still urges consumers to exercise caution and get an independent assessment wherever possible, as the publication of the VSD will only cover that roughly 30% of the car parc that is insured.

Consumer protection

Matia’s claim against Jambo Motors was in terms of the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act and founded on those contained under Chapter 2 Part H, which deal with the “right to fair value, good quality and safety”, and alternatively Chapter 2 Part G, the “right to fair, just and reasonable terms and conditions”.

It was alleged Jambo Motors breached these two statutory provisions by selling Matia a defective vehicle, which was not of good quality nor in good working order; and by requesting Matia to waive liability of Jambo Motors in an unfair, unjust and unreasonable manner.

ALSO READ: Car insurers will not reject claims if driver’s licence card is not renewed

Matia’s uncontested testimony is that he would not have bought the Golf if he was aware of the defects that materially affected its mobility.

He was referred by Sambra to Chris Viljoen of Chris Viljoen Motors for an assessment of the Golf.

This came after a VW Bloemfontein dealership refused to work on the vehicle because it had been fitted with non-genuine VW parts and had a bent chassis; Matia wanting to return the vehicle to Jambo Motors but the dealership refusing to accept it and refund Matia; and the Motor Industry Ombudsman of SA being unable to resolve the dispute with Jambo Motors.

Long and winding road

Viljoen found that the Golf had 20 defects.

He also established that prior to its sale to Matia it was involved in a major accident, written off by King Price Insurance, stocked at salvage company SMD, sold at an auction and then “put back on the market”.

Viana said of serious concern to Viljoen was that a vehicle in the Golf’s condition, especially with a bent chassis, would cause an uneven drive and “choose its own path”, which was one of Matia’s complaints.

Jambo Motors dealer principal Mesum Hussain said the Golf had been driven 23 573km after being sold to Matia.

He also said he does not have much technical knowledge and relies on the Dekra AA report, and that the vehicle was previously involved in an accident.

The court heard that Dekra AA evaluated the overall condition of the vehicle for Jambo Motors and its report showed that the only defects to the Golf were of a minor nature.

Viana said it was clear from the evidence that none of the parties engaged in any thorough inspection of the Golf and that Jambo Motors relied on the Dekra AA report for knowledge of the condition of the Golf at the time of the sale.

ALSO READ: Top tips to insure your used car

Dekra report flawed?

However, Viana said that on the strength of Viljoen’s evidence “it appears the Dekra Report might be flawed”.

Viana said most importantly, Viljoen’s evidence regarding the defects of the Golf is undisputed in material respects.

Viana said Viljoen had experience regarding previous and unrelated Dekra Reports and his view is that on each occasion he had an opportunity to evaluate a Dekra Report, he found a “clean bill of health” was provided, yet on each occasion the particular vehicle had defects.

“In my view it can safely be accepted on a balance of probabilities that the defects, as Viljoen mentioned in his report, probably existed at the time of the sale of the Golf. There is no cogent evidence to show or suggest otherwise. The evidence of Viljoen is also supported by the probabilities,” he said.

Viana said the only defects shown or mentioned to Matia related to damage to the rear bumper, which as Viljoen indicated, were secondary because the major part of the damage was on the front part of the Golf.

“In light of Viljoen’s testimony, it cannot be said that there was a full and comprehensive disclosure to the plaintiff [Matia] of all the defects to the Golf at the time of the sale.”

This article originally appeared on Moneyweb and was republished with permission.
Read the original article here.

NOW READ: R7.2m McLaren 720S written off after crash in Cape Town

The Afrikaans community have lost yet another legend in the film and theatre industry. Louis van Niekerk, who was well-known for his role as Festus in the Afrikaans soapie Getroud met Rugby, passed away in the Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg on Tuesday afternoon.

Condolences have been pouring in for van Niekerk’s son, Gert van Niekerk, who himself is a legend in the entertainment industry. Gert is a SAFTA winning director best known for his work on several South African telenovelas and soaps including Egoli, Binnelanders, The Wild, The Estate and Isidingo.

According to Gert’s life partner, Marinus Haakman, the veteran actor received morphine on Tuesday before he passed.

ALSO SEE: PICS: Inside the premier of new Afrikaans series ‘Mooiweer en Warm’

Condolences pour in for Louis van Niekerk

Actress Hanna Grobler took to Instagram on Wednesday to pay tribute to her ‘on-screen’ father. Hanna played the role of Kiki Beltrame in the Afrikaans soapie Getroud met Rugby. Van Niekerk was her father Festus Arnoldus Koekemoer.

Sharing a photo from one of these scenes from Getroud met Rugby, Hanna wrote: “Rest in peace uncle Louis… You were a great dad on set. Learned so much from you… thank you for your caring heart.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hanna Grobler (@hannagrobler)

Actor Sean van Noordwyk also shared a beautiful tribute to Louis on his Facebook account on Wednesday. Sean was Reitz Bekker in Getroud met Rugby.

“To wake up with the news of Uncle Louis. He was the first one to take me under his wing and mentor me on the set of Getroud met Rugby. His love and passion for theater was something I aspired to.

Siener in die Suburbs, Amalia, Son. Maan. Sterre were just a few of his roles that I admired as a young artist. My last day on set when I said goodbye to everyone… he whispered in my ear, ‘You made the best decision’. Where I then thanked him and said, ‘I’m going to make uncle proud.’

RIP Uncle Louis! And thank you for what you meant to me in my life.”

NOW READ: Minnie Dlamini gets dragged for taking up space next to Connie Chiume

Fund manager anticipates a material impact on earnings and cash flows.

Fund management company Coronation said it might not pay an interim dividend after the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) ordered it to pay additional taxes linked to its Irish operations in a ruling in favour of the South African Revenue Service (Sars).

ALSO READ: Sars collects gross amount of revenue above R1.8 trillion mark for first time

SCA judgment

In the SCA judgment handed down on Tuesday, the fund manager was ordered to pay additional taxes (with interest and costs) in respect of profits earned by its international operations, Coronation Global Fund Managers (CGFM) based in Dublin.

It did however dismiss Sars’s claim for penalties.

Coronation said it is in the process of quantifying the financial implications, indicating that it anticipates a material impact on earnings and cash flows.

Coronation set to appeal ruling

It said it is considering appealing the judgment.

ALSO READ: Sars preliminary revenue outcome for 2020-21 better than expected, but no victory

“The company maintains, based upon consistent professional advice, that its tax treatment has been appropriate, and is therefore naturally disappointed by this judgment,” the fund manager said in a cautionary annoucement on Wednesday.

Following the court order, the result of an appeal by Sars, Coronation’s share price shaved 11.05% off its value on Wednesday to close the trading session at R31.80.

Coronation at loggerheads with Sars

Sars and Coronation have been in court over a dispute about whether the profits of Coronation Global Fund Managers (CGFM), the asset manger’s subsidiary registered in Ireland, should have been included in the taxable income of its South African holding company, or whether it qualified for a tax exemption.

ALSO READ: Sars’s special unit for rich tax-dodgers is long overdue

Whether a tax exemption on income earned by CGFM is applicable depends on the primary functions of CGFM in Ireland; if the primary operations are conducted in Ireland, then the exemption applies.

“Of particular significance is that CGFM has adopted an outsource business model and the attendant ramifications that may have for its tax status,” the SCA said in its ruling.

“Aligned to this is whether the primary business of CGFM is that of investment (which is not conducted in Ireland), or that of maintaining its licence and managing its service providers (which is conducted in Ireland),” it further said.

ALSO READ: Legislative change addresses dodging of donations tax

During the 2012 tax year, Sars assessed Coronation’s tax liability to include the Irish CGFM’s entire profits, but Coronation later appealed this, with the Western Cape tax court ruled in favour of Coronation. It argued that CGFM was a foreign business establishment and thus qualified for a tax exemption.

Listen to Fifi Peters discussing the ruling with Pieter Janse van Rensburg of AJM Tax (or read the transcript here):

This article originally appeared on Moneyweb and was republished with permission.
Read the original article here.

NOW READ: SA has one of highest personal income tax rates in the world

Mamelodi Sundowns DStv Diski Challenge striker Jerome Karelse has set his eyes on scooping the DDC’s top goalscorer award at the end of the season, especially after missing out on most of the league last season.

ALSO READ: PODCAST: Pirates ‘play well’, but it’s Sundowns who keep on winning

The Sundowns striker says he feels happy to be back to playing in the DDC after his season was cut short last campaign following an arm injury, which saw him miss the rest of the season after scoring seven goals in nine matches.

Karelse now believes now it is the right time to do what he could have done the previous season, and says being out for a very long time was very hard for him.

“It feels great to be back this season and getting back that goal scoring touch,” Karelese, who has already scored 10 goals in 14 matches, told SuperSport.com.

“It has not been easy but we will take it each game as it comes with my teammates and see how it goes. Last season my arm broke, and I had to go for an operation. It was very tough being out for the whole season. This injury was a setback but it motivated me a lot. I had to come back stronger,”

“I have to win this season’s top goal corer. It really has to happen. Last season I had an opportunity but injury derailed me. It will take a lot of hard work and consistency, getting something every game, a goal or assist to help the team because it is not all about me.”

Karelse’s growth and talent has had the Sundowns senior team also knocking on his door, with the Brazilians already having 21-years old Cassius Mailula stepping up to the plate in the DStv Premiership.

The Northern Cape born Karelse, however, couldn’t help the Downs reserve team to glory on Sunday with the club suffering a 1-0 defeat against Richards Bay FC at the Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium.

READ MORE: Zwane aims to end Chiefs trophy drought with Nedbank Cup

The young Brazilians are seventh on the DDC league standings with 23 points.