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President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his sadness at the death of award-winning singer Zahara, real name Bulelwa Mkutukana. “We have been robbed of great talent. She was talented, vibrant and a wonderful composer and to be robbed of that talent, at her young age, is a real blow to our country. “She is one of the great products the country has produced in the arts and I am really saddened by her passing,” Ramaphosa said on Tuesday. Tributes have been pouring in for Mkutukana, who died on Monday evening after being hospitalised for two weeks. She was 36. Sports, arts and culture minister Zizi Kodwa confirmed the news on his social media, saying: “I am very saddened by the passing of Zahara. My deepest condolences to the Mkutukana family and the South African music industry. Government has been with the family for some time. Zahara and her guitar made an incredible and lasting impact in South African music.” The singer gained fame in 2011 when her debut album Loliwe went pl...

Singer who played for Nelson Mandela at his home had been hospitalised with ‘physical pains’, and previously suffered liver damage from alcoholism The South African pop singer Zahara, whose soaring voice and strident ballads earned her multiple platinum-selling albums in her home country, has died aged 35. South Africa’s sports, arts and culture minister, Zizi Kodwa, announced her death, saying: “My deepest condolences to the Mkutukana family and the South African music industry. Government has been with the family for some time now. Zahara and her guitar made an incredible and lasting impact in South African music.” Last month, her manager, Oyama Dyosiba, confirmed she had been hospitalised “following complaints about physical pains”. She had suffered liver disease after problems with alcoholism, confirmed by Dyosiba in 2019. Her sister Nomonde said that year doctors had told her, “if [Zahara] continues drinking, she is going to die … We are making sure that there is always someon...

A tricky situation unfolded at the ANC's headquarters, Luthuli House , after the Sheriff of the High Court in Johannesburg rocked up on Monday to seize assets worth more than R102 million from the ruling party. A white truck branded "Sheriff" and another unmarked vehicle were seen outside the party's headquarters on Monday morning to implement the court order, but the ANC officials barred them from entering the building. In just minutes, the front door of the building was rolled down to prevent men dressed in overall access to execute their duties. Nothing has been taken out of the building as yet. One of the guards stationed at the building said the truck arrived in the morning but said nothing was seized. This is after the ANC failed to settle its bill against Ezulweni Investments, a KwaZulu-Natal-based printing and marketing company that supplied it with posters and banners in the 2019 elections. More on this ANC set to appeal SCA's decision on Ezulwen...

The proposed National Minimum Wage hike for 2024 The National Minimum Wage (NMW) Commission recommends a CPI plus 3% for 2024 but is sitting with another two proposals as it invites further suggestions from interested parties for the year ahead. The NMW Commission has published a report in the government gazette to present the Commission’s information and recommendations on the annual review of the national minimum wage and also inviting written representations from the public. The three proposals tabled in the report are as follows: The majority recommendation is the Consumer Price Index (CPI) plus 3%. Eight of the 12 commissioners propose that the national minimum wage increase by CPI plus 3%; The recommendation by the Business Constituency is only CPI; and The recommendation by an independent expert is CPI plus 0.75%. The CPI is a measure of the change in prices as paid by consumers for goods and services over time. In South Africa, the latest consumer price inflation, as pub...

Johann Rupert On Investtors avoiding SA Billionaire Johann Rupert said the country struggles to attract foreign investment because South Africa has created a hostile environment for businesses. Rupert, who serves as Remgro chairman, made these comments at the company’s annual general meeting at the Lord Charles Hotel in Somerset West on Monday. He highlighted that South African businesses suffer from lawlessness and corruption that go unpunished. He added that the country’s failing infrastructure – including a lack of electricity, failing rail and port services, and crumbling roads – makes it tough for many companies. Smalltalkdaily Research analyst Anthony Clark, who attended the Remgro AGM, highlighted a few comments from Rupert about the local environment. “The state cannot supply water, the railways have collapsed, and you cannot guarantee the safety of your employers,” Rupert said. He added that capital decides where it wants to invest. “They are not Father Christmas,” R...

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