Innholdsfortegnelse for 11/3/2019 i City Press

The Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) has forged ahead with plans to speed up the local roll-out of 5G infrastructure despite Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams’ earlier hesitation. Far from the cautious approach preferred by Ndabeni-Abrahams, Icasa on Friday issued a spectrum licensing plan for the assignment of international mobile telecommunication, including the most commonly deployed 5G frequency –3 500MHz. The memorandum tables several options that could be considered for government to attain its goals on the release of spectrum for telecommunication operators, including mobile network companies. Operators will get licences at a fee to government, which will bring much-needed additional revenue to the fiscus. In turn, operators will use the faster and more efficient spectrum to offer a variety of services to customers at reduced cost. The public has…

EFF branches in Mpumalanga have expressed unhappiness in the way the province’s leadership has gone about “selecting” delegates for the party’s national conference, instead of allowing democratic processes to unfold. Although the party is portraying a united front in the lead-up to its National People’s Assembly elective conference, set to take place next month at Nasrec, the Mpumalanga members have complained of inconsistencies following the party’s failure to adhere to guidelines. EFF official said the province had failed to follow proper procedures when launching branches. “Some of the branches were not launched but were told to lie about their launch so they could go to the conference. The delegates were hand-picked and forced on us to reach the desired 4 500 number of delegates. “There was never a democratic process;…

Lady Skollie and Yaya Mavundla were among celebrities spotted at the Pendoring Indigenous Advertising Awards that took place at the University of Johannesburg Arts Centre on Thursday. According to Pendoring organiser Eben Keun, as part of the Year of Indigenous Languages campaign, this year’s ceremony aimed to create an enabling environment for indigenous languages to thrive by putting local languages at the heart of creativity. “If our entries are anything to go by, indigenous languages are making significant inroads in advertising. We received a record number of entries, with isiZulu taking the lead in numbers for the first time. Debut Pendoring entries in Xitsonga and Tshivenda also serve as a testament to the crucial creative evolution taking place in the advertising and communications space. “When we see locally inspired work…

Limpopo Premier Stan Mathabatha allegedly personally threatened to discipline an official for raising a red flag against a R585 million broadband tender that was wrongfully awarded to a private company. When the official ignored the threat, Mathabatha suspended him five months later. Mathabatha’s government awarded the tender to Altech Alcom Matomo in 2017 to connect Limpopo departments and the general population, even though it was the responsibility of the State Information Technology Agency (Sita) to do such a job as stated in the Sita Act. City Press has seen Mathabatha’s letter that he wrote to provincial government information technology officer Lesetja Mathiba on May 22. The letter flies in the face of his office’s response last week, which said that provincial government encouraged public servants to report corruption or maladministration…

Moments of reckoning such as the one South Africa is currently facing around gender-based violence (GBV) need public commitment and collaboration if they are to be brought to an end. These were the sentiments expressed by philanthropist and businessperson Melinda Gates during her conversation with journalist Redi Tlhabi at the Fox Junction Event Venue in Johannesburg on Tuesday night. Speaking to a crowd of over 100 people, Gates’ words came against the backdrop of the spate of violence perpetrated against women in which the country has recently been engulfed. She spoke of the untimely and tragic death of University of Cape Town student Uyinene Mrwetyana who was raped and killed in a Cape Town post office earlier this year. “The horrific death of this young girl, and the fact that…

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has rejected the suggestion from Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage and US President Donald Trump that he should work with the Brexit Party during the election. The Tory leader told the BBC that while he was “always grateful for advice”, he would not enter into election pacts. His comments came after Trump said Farage and Johnson would be “an unstoppable force”. Downing Street sources say there are no circumstances in which the Tories would work with the Brexit Party. In an interview with the BBC, Johnson said the “difficulty” of doing deals with “any other party” was that it “simply risks putting [Labour Party leader] Jeremy Corbyn into Number 10”. “The problem with that is that his [Corbyn’s] plan for Brexit is basically yet more…

Tuesday Group F: Barcelona vs Slavia Prague (Camp Nou); Borussia Dortmund vs Inter Milan (Signal Iduna Park) Group G: Zenit St Petersburg vs RB Leipzig (Saint Petersburg Stadium); Lyon vs Benfica (Groupama Stadium) Group H: Chelsea vs Ajax (Stamford Bridge); Valencia v Lille (Mestalla) Group I: Liverpool vs Genk (Anfield); Napoli vs Red Bull Salzburg (San Paolo) Wednesday Group A: Paris SG vs Club Brugge (Parc des Princes); Real Madrid vs Galatasaray (Santiago Bernabéu) Group B: Bayern München vs Olympiacos (Allianz Arena); Red Star Belgrade vs Tottenham Hotspur (Rajko Mitić Stadium) Group C: Atalanta vs Manchester City (Atleti Azzurri d’Italia); Dinamo Zagreb vs Shakhtar Donetsk (Maksimir Stadium) Group D: Lokomotiv Moscow vs Juventus (Lokomotiv Stadium); Bayer Leverkusen vs Atlético Madrid (BayArena)…

Pitso Mosimane is an activist and his colleagues might thank him later for fighting for a good cause. So says Mosimane’s close friend Mike Ntombela about the Mamelodi Sundowns coach, who many perceive to be problematic and inclined to shoot from the hip. Since he assumed the role of head coach in the elite league with SuperSport United in 2000, Mosimane has made regular appearances before the league’s disciplinary committee And being a repeat offender has come at a huge price for the former Bafana Bafana tactician, who was once handed an unprecedented fine of R100 000 and a 12-year ban, although the conviction carried suspended sentences (see graphic). “Coach Pitso is like that. He isn’t worried about himself – he cares about the game. He likes to win, but…

This week’s medium-term budget policy statement, delivered by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni, was a frank and blistering account of the government’s fiscal deterioration – a clear warning that the country is teetering on the edge of economic failure. The statistics were stark: . The budget deficit has grown to 6.2% of gross domestic product since February (from 4.3% previously); . National debt is projected to soar to R4.5 trillion over the next three years; . Tax collection is down by R53 billion; and . Growth is moribund at just 0.5%. While kudos can be offered to Mboweni for this stark assessment, the governing party and its alliance partners must ultimately take responsibility for their own damaging internal political dynamics that leave it in a parlous state of policy inertia. The…

I love thee, EFF Sports has been known to divide families, but we hardly hear of spouses choosing their political parties above their partners. During the meltdown at the DA, its former leader, Mmusi Maimane, said: “My wife and I sat down and decided that perhaps the DA is not the best vehicle to take the country forward.” EFF MP Nazier Paulsen then latched on to this to announce that he put love for his party, the EFF, before everything else. He tweeted in response to Maimane: “My ex-wife tried to convince me of the same thing about the EFF. We got divorced in January 2016.” Wow, red beret above all else. Support Bafana Many a journalist has complained about how unhelpful ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe is. Mabe is known…

Oupa Moopelwa via citypress.co.za Whether we like it or not, the fact is that children are sexually active. Parents don’t teach their children about sex because it’s a taboo in African society. But the same teachers meant to educate pupils are part of the problem because they sleep with schoolchildren. Sex education must be taught at school. Rather have an educated fool than an uneducated fool. At some point the educated fool may implement what they learnt and it might save their life. Gertrude Seboko via citypress.co.za If I was a teacher I wouldn’t boycott, I’d just bring a laptop and porn movies and ask the pupils questions. You would be surprised how informed kids are, they can even teach you things you didn’t know. Sipho Zen via citypress.co.za How…

The news that the unemployment crisis is at its highest since 2008 is a blow to government initiatives of driving investment to propel the economy forward to create much-needed jobs. According to third quarter results released by Stats SA, unemployment has reached an unprecedented 29.1%. As the situation deteriorates, more and more people are finding it difficult to find work. Expanded unemployment, which includes people who are able to work but are not looking for work, sits at 38.5%. What’s critical now is how government plans to mitigate this crisis and deal with the ticking time bomb. Numerous initiatives have been taken by government, including the investment drive that was launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa last year during the euphoria of Thuma Mina. The question we are all asking is:…

Greta Thunberg evokes what is called “a marmite response” from people – you either love her or you hate her. The teenage climate crisis activist evokes a particularly strong reaction in predominantly middle-aged white men (who are probably choking on their coffee as they read this). You can fling all the shade, vitriol and hate speech you want at her, but there is no denying that, just under 18 months ago, the then 15-year-old kick-started a global movement that has roused millions of people in 71 countries. Last year, after a record heatwave sparked deadly forest fires that spread from Sweden to the Arctic, Thunberg decided to go on a school strike until the Swedish national elections. On her first day, she was a lone figure on the parliamentary steps.…

Ratings agency Fitch said Finance Minister Tito Mboweni’s medium-term budget policy statement (MTBPS) failed to outline a clear path to stabilise government debt. “Rising real primary expenditure underlines the difficulty of reining in the public sector wage bill and persistent social pressures for better services in the context of divisions within the governing ANC. The MTBPS contains significantly worse fiscal projections than the February budget,” said Fitch spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick. He said that under the new MTBPS projections, gross loan debt, which excludes local government debt, would rise by 11.8% between 2018/19 and 2021/22 and would remain on an upward trajectory thereafter. “We anticipated significant deterioration in fiscal metrics relative to the February budget forecasts when we revised the rating outlook on South Africa’s ‘BB+’ sovereign rating to negative in…

KGANKI MATABANE, BLACK BUSINESS COUNCIL CEO: The country’s investment prospects can be classified as “critical but stable”. The situation could be turned around by the implementation of great policies such as the recently unveiled Integrated Resource Plan which supports a diverse energy mix; policy direction on high-demand spectrum, which introduced a new open-access to increase competition in South Africa’s mobile telecommunications market; the National Development Plan 2030; and other great plans with which the country is endowed. South Africa is facing one of its worst economic challenges in history; unemployment is rising, poverty is increasing and inequality is widening. It desperately needs a job-creating, inclusively growing economy. The second South Africa Investment Conference could not have come at a more opportune time to tell the world about attractive opportunities for…

City Press reader Martha* is concerned that her home loan is not reducing fast enough. “I have been paying extra into my mortgage each month, but it’s still taking a long time to pay it off,” she wrote. She then asked if it would make sense to rather take out a personal loan over five years and use the money to settle her mortgage. Her logic is that this would allow her to pay off her home loan faster, even though the interest rate on the personal loan is 19% versus 10.5% on the home loan. Martha is not the only homeowner to get confused by how a home loan works. A few months ago, we wrote about why it takes so long to pay off your home loan, and…

SUN 03.11 Black Lightning SEASON ENDS M-Net City (DStv channel 115), 5.30pm Black Lightning and Thunder take on the Masters of Disaster, while Peter and Jennifer try to restore the city’s power, in the season finale of this DC fantasy drama. Finding The One M-Net (DStv channel 101), 6pm Hopeful singles look for love with the help of their family and friends, in a fun-filled South African reality dating show. 2019 MTV EMA MTV (DStv channel 130), 10pm An MTV Europe Music Award is presented by Viacom International Media Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. Don’t miss this preshow. Vat N Sit Moja Love (DStv channel 157), 8pm Eugene is in love with his foreign-national girlfriend whom he has been living with for a year. The only…

The names of ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule and Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi have been dragged into a high-profile R5 million bribery and murder investigation currently playing out in the Bloemfontein High Court, in the Free State. Eight men – among them a Bloemfontein businessman, police officers, a soldier and a lawyer – are facing a raft of charges, including murder, conspiracy to murder and defeating the ends of justice, for the death of businessman Louis Siemens in May last year. On the eve of the trial, which started on Monday and is set down to continue until the end of November, a letter classified as “top secret” and authored by provincial counter-intelligence – a unit of the police’s crime intelligence division – revealed the extent of the probe into…

Meat king Jabulani “Mjay” Nzama, who owns one of the most popular shisa nyamas in South Africa auctioned his luxurious Rolls-Royce Phantom and Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE 63, worth at least R8 million, to pay his hefty debt. This week the owner of Eyadini Lounge in Umlazi, Durban, admitted to City Press that he owed the SA Revenue Service (Sars) millions, but insisted he had made arrangements with Sars to reduce his debt by paying monthly instalments. He declined to disclose how much he owed the taxman. “Obviously selling my cars would help me pay my debts, including the money I owe to Sars. But my vision of selling these cars is big as I want to venture into other businesses, which I will disclose when the time is right.” Sars…

An Overberg mechanic says his testicles were shattered when he and a burglar were wrestling for possession of a firearm and it suddenly went off. Murandi (MC) Fletcher says doctors warn he will be infertile after the incident, but he is glad that at least his “big weapon is still intact”. However, besides the nagging pain in his “crown jewels”, MC has another concern. He and his wife, Annelise, have had to deny rumours in the fertile Elgin Valley over the past week and in a tabloid newspaper that Annelise actually shot him for being “naughty”. On Friday, in their log home next to the Viljoenshoop road, the couple explained in elaborate detail what “really happened” last Sunday night. MC is a former security guard. He says a bullet pierced…

BMW fans and petrolheads alike were treated to a weekend of screaming straight-six engines, rumbling V8s and a lot of tyre squeal at the Kyalami Grand Prix last weekend. The second instalment of the BMW M Festival was bigger and better than the first. BMW M also brought M town to Midrand, whose residents were treated to performances from the likes of Riky Rick, DJ Kent, DJ Fresh, Nasty C and Shekinah. In addition, there were show rides, car launches and even a dealership where they could shop the latest offerings from the Munich-based firm. But the best performances were from the machines. Two-wheel fans got to witness the BMW S 1000 RR superbike, the new-age Gusheshe, the BMW M2 Competition, the BMW M4, the BMW M5 Competition and the…

In the inner city of Johannesburg, at Esselen Clinic in Hillbrow, there is a set-up of white shipping containers in which pertinent healthcare services are being provided for transgender people. Although only temporarily operating at this location, plans are under way for a permanent transgender-inclusive healthcare services clinic in Braamfontein. “It has been a challenge for people seeking healthcare access from areas, such as Ekurhuleni and Pretoria, who have called us,” said a nurse working in the mobile units. She said the operating times of the clinic, which closes at 4.30pm, had been a challenge for patients, specifically for follow-ups, as many are still at work or not always reachable during the clinics’ operating times. This would explain how calm it was with not many patients to chat to at…

Tension has been high since the Qwabe twins’ exited from the Idols competition. What followed were a series of speculations and allegations – some stating that Sneziey Msomi was the real reason behind Viggy’s exit from the show. The emotional Msomi said the drama surrounding Viggy and Virginia’s exit from the competition had taken a toll on her, saying she had even lost weight due to the stress she’s incurred from the rumours about her bullying the twins. “As painful as it has been, I pray that one day South Africa will realise that they hated me for doing absolutely nothing. The only thing I’ve done is sing. If that is bullying then I’m not going to apologise for it,” said the 25-year-old contestant as tears rolled down her cheeks.…

It’s a well-worn phrase that referees are nobody’s friend and that officiating a game between 22 players is a thankless job. Any of us who have had the honour and privilege of wearing that black uniform will attest to this. It’s even more thankless – sometimes even downright dangerous – when you have to suffer the wrath of spectators at the end of the game because they didn’t like this or that decision. When such unwanted attention is as a result of officials from either or both clubs being the perpetrators of such scrutiny, it becomes a problem. I remember quite clearly running for my life following certain decisions I had given that did not meet the approval of the watching fans or club officials. Were it not for the…

In a scenario Safa technical director Neil Tovey aptly branded a I“disgrace”, the national Under-23 team will begin their quest for next year’s Olympic Games qualification without a full quota of players in their opening match on Saturday. Coach David Notoane confirmed on Friday that only 14 of the 21 players he had called up for the CAF Under-23 Afcon tournament would be part of the travelling party that departs for Cairo, Egypt, tomorrow. The group is mainly comprised of players from the NFD’s GladAfrica Championship clubs after the PSL played ball to postpone the fixtures of the affected sides. Notoane expects the remainder of his squad – mainly the players attached to premier division sides – to join the team in Egypt when the Fifa international break kicks in…

December 2006 Fined: R100 000 He only had to pay R70 000 after the balance was set aside for a year on condition that he would not be found guilty of a similar offence Offence: Verbally abusing an assistant referee Then at the helm of SuperSport United, Mosimane was slapped with an unprecedented 12-month ban from football. He apparently called the assistant referee, among other things, ‘a cheat and a monkey’. He served an effective two months after 10 months of his one-year ban was suspended and was ordered by the PSL to attend an anger-management course September 2014  Fined: R100 000 R50 000 was set aside, but the amount increased to R110 000 after it activated a suspended fine of R60 000 Offence: Making comments which brought the…

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane is not the only one in hot water with the PSL. League prosecutor Nande Becker was this week on a mission to clean up his desk after asking five coaches, including Mosimane, to explain their comments relating to match officials. The league has written to Cape Town City coach Benni McCarthy, Golden Arrows coach Steve Komphela and Highlands Park coach Owen Da Gama to explain comments attributed to them in the media. “The prosecutor has given the three coaches five days to confirm or deny making the statements,” the league said. Earlier in the week, the league also wrote to Polokwane City coach Zlatko Krmpotić asking him to explain himself. The letters came in the wake of coaches voicing their dissatisfaction towards match officials after…

City Press, in partnership with Absa, is giving away 15 double Red Zone tickets to the Woza Nazo Soweto Derby that will take place on Saturday at FNB Stadium. The Absa Red Zone offers ticket holders a Woza Nazo hamper that contains a T-shirt, cap, earphones and a snack pack to enjoy during the game. The winners must use Gate E to enter the stadium, which is on the Rea Vaya station side next to the Soweto Highway. The Red Zone will be open between 11.30am to 2.30pm. To win, SMS the keywords WOZA NAZO to 34217. Please include your name and surname. SMSes cost R1.50. Free SMSes do not apply. The competition closes on Wednesday at midnight. Winners will be notified by phone and must collect their tickets at…

Sex scandals have become so commonplace that they do not affect political careers in South Africa. We have seen leaders survive sensational revelations and go on as if nothing happened. Our grossly unequal society has normalised money-driven sexual relations between older men and girls who have barely reached adulthood. So it came as no surprise when ANC national chairperson and Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe was caught in an alleged love triangle involving his Cabinet counterpart, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni, and a young woman. Instead of dealing with the indiscretion reported by Sunday World, Mantashe chose to cast aspersions on the journalistic profession. He made startling claims about having previously paid journalists not to write the story. Pressed by Sunday World’s editor, who wanted to deal with any…

Just this week, a black man who was assaulted for no other reason except that he was black and wearing a red EFF cap, was allowed to be bought. Well, Pastor Ron Rambedu joins the list of those who continue to derail the project to deal with racism in the country. Let us start here. South Africa has a real racism problem. Those who deny it are clearly living in a bubble. Unprovoked whites have shown many times what they think of their fellow black South Africans, even when they are in faraway countries. In videos from a filling station in Roodepoort, Rambedu is seen accosted by one Johan Bothma. The men, it appears, were unknown to each other prior to this interaction. What is startling is that Bothma is…

Last weekend, a young man was shot while on holiday. Armed with his gun, he went to investigate noises he’d heard, but was shot and killed by armed criminals, who then stole his gun. No arrests have been made and his gun has not been recovered. The effect of this tragic and senseless death on his family and friends, the communities he was part of and the country as a whole will reverberate long into the future. Poignantly, he was killed during Disarmament Week, which has been marked globally from October 24 to 30 since 1978. While the original focus of Disarmament Week was on the elimination of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, the devastation caused by small arms and light weapons has increasingly been recognised – roughly…

In the run-up to South Africa’s second investment conference, much has been said about the R300 billion worth of investment promises made at the first conference and the extent to which they have materialised. President Cyril Ramaphosa said earlier last year he wanted to attract R1.2 trillion in new investment to the country in the next five years to get the economy up and running. But more business leaders, analysts and economists say South Africa appears to have lost the momentum that followed Ramaphosa’s taking office. POOR GROWTH During the mid-term budget policy statement this week, South Africans were told the economy would grow by only 0.5% this year, much lower than the 1.5% figure mentioned in February. Growth also isn’t likely to recover any time soon and is expected…

The frosty winds of the next provincial elections are starting to blow, and these will be President Cyril Ramaphosa’s big test as party leader and president of the republic. An election, like all tests, is a culmination of many prior events, such as preparation, internal fights and scandals, even factors that are beyond human control, such as the weather. Good strategists understand that people do not live in a laboratory where conditions can be controlled. So they try to simulate as many scenarios as possible and then whittle them down to two, which is the discipline of the craft and the constant that one needs in an unpredictable environment. History is an important ingredient of scenario-planning because we learn about the forces that are most likely to lead to a…

The world’s deepest gold mine is up for grabs, and those companies with deep pockets are in the race for the prized asset. Mponeng, which is 3.7km deep, is the last major asset owned by AngloGold Ashanti in South Africa. The mining company has resolved to sell it in order to invest in other foreign markets. AngloGold spokesperson Chris Nthite declined to offer any details of the prospective buyers. “We do not comment on the specific aspects of the process, including prospective bidders, with which we have confidentiality agreements,” he said. “We are committed to ensuring that the process is conducted with the appropriate thoroughness in order to ensure the best possible outcome for all stakeholders. “Our priority is to ensure that the assets are sold to a buyer with…

About 56% of the 7.6 million South Africans who were unemployed in the third quarter of the year do not have a matric qualification – and 34.1% only have a matric certificate, according to figures in the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) from Stats SA. The figures, released on Tuesday, show that 2% of those unemployed are graduates, while 7.2% have other tertiary education qualifications. The total unemployment rate in South Africa is 29.1%, compared to 29% in the second quarter of the year. At this time last year, unemployment was at 27.5%. Stats SA said that, according to the expanded definition, unemployment was at 38.5%. This refers to people aged between 15 and 64 who are without work. They are capable of working but are too discouraged to…

Zombieland 2 The Zombieland clique are back with more pointless but oddly enjoyable adventures. The film is not very funny. It’s cleverly written in parts but feels like a straight-to-television film. – Phumlani S Langa Maleficent: Mistress of Evil The sequel is not as bad as many made it out to be. It was worth the visit to the theatre, if anything, for Angelina Jolie’s enlarged cheekbone structure, but even she doesn’t get much airplay. – Moroetsana Serame Gemini Man Will Smith plays alongside his younger doppelgänger in this sci-fi thriller by Ang Lee. High-budget effects seem to have been prioritised over a good story. Skip it. – Phumlani S Langa…

Business Unity SA head Sipho Pityana has urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to “rise to the occasion”, following the decision by ratings agency Moody’s to downgrade South Africa’s outlook from stable to negative. Althought it was widely expected, the confirmation on Friday night raised fears that Moody’s would become the last of the big three agencies to downgrade South Africa to “junk” status, which would make it impossible for the country to borrow on capital markets, therefore plunging it deeper into economic catastrophe. Moody’s, which has been the friendliest of the agencies towards South Africa, said the country was on a debt-trap trajectory. It said the government’s ability to implement economic reform initiatives that would “durably lift growth” was facing “obstacles in part from outstanding vested interests”. South Africa’s trade unions,…

Construction, Education and Training Authority (Ceta) chairperson Raymond Cele, who upset members of Parliament this week when he failed to show up for a committee sitting, has an investigation into allegations of attempted tender-rigging hanging over his head. The forensic probe, which featured the names of ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule, former higher education minister Hlengiwe Mkhize and eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede, was concluded in May this year. In August Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande directed the Ceta board to implement the findings and recommendations from the 2018 probe. Higher education spokesperson Ishmael Mnisi said that Nzimande had “signed a directive to the board for the implementation of the outcomes of the investigation” and that the matter was currently with the board for implementation”. The case was triggered by a letter…

After being overlooked for a vacant University of Cape Town (UCT) dean of humanities position, Professor Rose Boswell (pictured) has questioned the university’s selection process as she believes that she is the best candidate for the job. Breaking her silence after it emerged that she was not considered because she became a naturalised South African after 1994, Boswell hit back saying she was more qualified and experienced than the other two candidates. “I am a black woman, I have South African citizenship, I am most qualified for this position. Neither of [the other two candidates] has been a dean before. How can I be considered unappointable? It’s even worse when you actually consider my particular history,” Boswell said. City Press reported last week that a group of academics, who refer…

Zimbabwean citizens are bearing the brunt of the continuing standoff between striking junior doctors and the government over demands for a substantial salary increase as well as more staff, medical supplies and equipment. The protracted strike by healthcare professionals, who have defied government orders to return to work, is leaving the country’s public hospitals – already stretched for resources because of the country’s economic situation – on the brink of a complete shutdown as soaring inflation, rolling blackouts and fuel shortages take their toll. At Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, located in Harare – one of Zimbabwe’s two biggest referral hospitals in the capital – only a few emergencies are being attended to. Even then, patients have to negotiate pay with doctors and, in some instances, have had to bring in…

Four points is all Lewis Hamilton needs to claim his sixth Formula One driver’s title in Austin, Texas, this evening. Following a calculated and strategic drive to victory in Mexico last weekend, which extended his points tally to 363, the reigning champion has all but staked a claim on the crown as the US round is a must-win race for his Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas, who has 289 points, if he wants to keep his title aspirations alive. If successful, Hamilton’s sixth championship will move him up to just one behind Michael Schumacher’s record of seven. The Briton already holds the record for the most wins in the US – six. Hamilton has won 10 races this season and is just one short of his previous record haul for one…

Goalkeepers: Mondli Mpoto (Bloemfontein Celtic)‚ Darren Johnson (Ajax Cape Town)‚ Andile Mbanjwa (Richards Bay) Defenders: Keagan Johannes and Thendo Mukumela (both Ajax)‚ Siyabonga Ngezana and Happy Mashiane (both Kaizer Chiefs), Thabiso Monyane (Orlando Pirates)‚ Tercious Malepe (Chippa United)‚ Katlego Mohamme (University of Pretoria)‚ Keanu Cupido (Cape Town City) Midfielders: Teboho Mokoena and Sipho Mbule (both SuperSport United)‚ Athenkosi Dlala and Kamohelo Mahlatsi (both University of Pretoria)‚ Kobamelo Kodisang (FC Braga‚ Portugal)‚ Grant Margeman (Ajax)‚ Luther Singh (Moreirense FC‚ Portugal) Strikers: Phakamani Mahlambi (Mamelodi Sundowns)‚ Lyle Foster (Cercle Brugge‚ Belgium) Itumeleng Shopane (Swallows FC)…

April 2019 The PSL found him guilty of violent conduct for punching an AmaZulu FC security official in September last year, but the sanction still has to be determined October On Monday, the PSL announced that its prosecutor, Nande Becker, had served Mosimane with a letter demanding that he explain comments attributed to the coach on match officials in the past week. Becker gave Mosimane five days to respond and the prosecutor has hinted that there’s another possible charge on the way for a similar offence, stemming from post-match comments at the recent Sundowns versus Kaizer Chiefs league match last weekend…

The Safa’s referees’ committee must just admit it: officiating has reached a crisis level. The rate at which the PSL prosecutor has been dishing out letters to coaches “in relation to the comments on match officials” is not necessarily a demonstration of the league showing its fangs – but beneath this lies a bigger problem of poor officiating. For every problem, there should be a solution. The weekly bashing of match officials by PSL coaches and fans alike won’t help matters as this will only turn the referees into personae non gratae. In a country famous for establishing commissions at the drop of a hat, I don’t see why a referees’ indaba can’t be proposed as a matter of urgency. This can take place during one of the Fifa international…

One giant had to fall in yesterday’s Soweto derby, but Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates left it all on the Moses Mabhida Stadium pitch in their extended Telkom Knockout quarterfinal. It took penalty kicks to separate the township rivals, upping the anticipation leading to the titans’ league fixture at FNB Stadium. Yesterday’s cup clash, which Chiefs clinched for a spot in the semifinals of the Ziwa More competition, was a thrilling affair that belied the contrasting tales of the two powerhouses so far this season. However, Bucs succumbing to their bitter rivals in the end summed up the story of coach Rulani Mokwena, who has endured a mixed bag of outcomes since he assumed his role in a caretaker capacity. Wins have been hard to come by for the young…

Historical fiction is a genre that has gained a lot of popularity over the past few years all over the world. It is difficult to account for such an occurrence except to say that, for a number of writers, it has seemed important to look into the past in order to understand what the contemporary world is like. This should not be a surprise because, as many people opine, it is extremely difficult to comprehend the ways in which events are unfolding in the present, and a glare into the past, some suggest, is perhaps the best way to understand the contemporary period. When I received Fred Khumalo’s latest novel, The Longest March, I was quite surprised, reading the back cover, that his follow-up novel would also be a historical…

The modern and militant South African labour movement, once at the forefront of the political struggle for social and economic transformation, has still not found a united and coherent political role for itself in the post-1994 dispensation. Contradictions abound within a fragmented movement that is weaker, both in terms of numbers and organisational capacity, than it was, even a decade ago. According to the registrar of trade unions, there are now five labour federations and 207 registered trade unions — an increase of 17 in the past year — with a total membership of about 3.8 million workers. If agricultural, forestry and domestic workers are taken into account, this would barely constitute 20% of the workforce which, according to Stats SA, has a less than 60% participation rate. That this…

The medium-term budget policy statement delivered by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni this week painted a very bleak picture of the country’s R3 trillion-and-counting debt mountain, unmanageable public service wage bill and lossmaking state-owned enterprises (SOEs). However, not everyone thought he hit the right note after the brutally honest diagnosis. Business Unity SA acting chief executive Cas Coovadia said Mboweni sang the right tune with his speech but it was up to the president to not only endorse it but support and dance to the tune. “We need the president to fully support the minister and rally the government behind the plan and give a report by next year February when the minister gives his budget speech,” he said. He pointed out that one of the first things Eskom needed to…

It’s not every day one meets a banking executive whose face lights up when they talk about their passion for communities instead of money. It’s even more scarce when that executive’s award-winning idea changed the face of banking. So when City Press met up with Philani Potwana, the chief executive of FNB Easy, one of the bank’s five customer segment units, it was an eyeopening insight into what the new breed of future banking executives might be. At 31, Potwana is the youngest chief executive at FNB; one of the youngest in that sector and he is anything but the traditional corporate suit. Born in Kwamnyana village near Mount Frere in the Eastern Cape, Potwana is one of three children of a single mother. He and his family moved to…

Sasol Mining is still to decide whether to reinstate close to 1 000 workers dismissed in 2009 for engaging in a wildcat strike, or appeal the Labour Court’s decision. The labour court has ordered Sasol Mining to reinstate the workers because their dismissals in January 2009 were “substantively unfair”, even though they were “procedurally fair”. The workers staged an underground sit-in at the company’s Middelbult, Bosjesspruit, Brandspruit and Twistdraai mines in Mpumalanga on January 22 and January 23 2009 over a dispute about wage gaps and salary disparities among Sasol employees. Through the now defunct United People’s Union of SA (Upusa), the workers wanted the company to close the 7% wage gap between its wage personnel and monthly staff, and the 3% gap between Sasol Mining’s wage personnel and the…

The theme for World Savings Day, which was on Thursday, was “saving money to gain a higher standard of life and to secure the economy”. The point was to encourage consumers to take action, starting with a budget and a savings plan. Research found that South Africans spend 32.55% of their budget on housing and utilities. Another finding indicates that, on average, South African households spend more on recreation and culture than they do on education. It’s time to wake up and smell the prosperity, and the best way to kick-start a budget is with microsavings. Listed below are 10 simple steps to follow for an effective and simple budget plan – after all, every bit helps. • Create additional sources of income: Budgeting is not only about expenditure. Find…

Fashion enthusiasts far and wide flocked to the Sandton City rooftop to see what our designers had in store at SA Fashion Week. Although there were many seasoned designers – such as Gert-Johan Coetzee – who are more than capable of drawing a crowd, I found the daring newcomers and non-celebrity designers refreshing with their risky-runway looks. I’m not particularly a fan of the Autumn/Winter season but these designers have me looking forward to recreating these styles. Here are some notable designers to try: 1 Azaria Khoza’s The Breed This collection was an experience with each look that came down the runway – one just as surprising as the next. His use of accessories and matching unconventional fabrics caught my attention. His designs are paired with a great understanding…

Instant Family (2018) M-Net (DStv channel 101) Sunday, 9.10pm Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne must learn the ropes of instant parenthood when they bring in three foster children. Inspired by a true story, discover this family comedy from the creators of Daddy’s Home. Selena (1997) BET (DStv channel 129) Wednesday, 7.15pm The true story of Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, a Texas-born Tejano singer who rose from cult status to performing at the Astrodome, as well as having chart-topping albums on the Latin music charts. Bleeding Steel (2017) BET (DStv channel 129) Saturday, 8.30pm Hong Kong police inspector Lin Dong learns that a biochemical invention has been surgically implanted into his missing daughter. Lin tries to connect the dots between the device, a sinister army and a strange phenomenon.…