Innholdsfortegnelse for 12/22/2019 i City Press

Newly elected EFF secretary-general Marshall Dlamini (42) enters the party’s headquarters in Braamfontein, Gauteng, at exactly 11.30am for this interview, as scheduled. He is casually dressed in black tracksuit pants, a red golf shirt and an EFF branded cap. A colleague observes that “uyabhampa mayehamba” – a reference to Marshall’s easy-going gait. His appearance is a far cry from what it was eight years ago, when he qualified as a finalist for a business award. He was nominated in the category of emerging entrepreneur, after having founded a successful company in 2005. Dlamini said at the time that he was “never a good employee” because he did not like “restrictive environments”. But that was then. Now, sitting at the table where the EFF’s major decisions are made, he respectfully declines…

In January 2009, ahead of the national general elections, then ANC Youth League president Julius Sello Malema passed on the chance to take up a seat in Parliament. “I am humbled and feel very honoured by the nomination. I thank the branches for showing confidence in me, but I had to decline,” said the 28-year-old Malema. Asked why he had declined the offer, he said: “It [Parliament] is for old people.” He said he would reconsider his position in 10 or 15 years. Fast forward to this year, Malema is in Parliament where he now sits across the aisle from ANC members, the party whose offer he rejected. That year he also made the call for the country’s mines to be nationalised. “At the moment, when the imperialist forces are…

In the run-up to the UN climate talks, COP15 in Copenhagen in December 2009, 350.org organised the International Day of Climate Action. The purpose was to show those in charge that there is a global movement that will fight for real change on climate – now that movement has grown apace. During this decade a new generation of activists joined the fight for life – leaving the politicians behind. The question is – is it too little too late? And have the efforts of companies such as ExxonMobil to discredit the science and the short-term thinking of politicians lost us too much valuable time to save ourselves from extinction? We hope not. We need to take personal action to force change – including becoming the leaders we would like to…

In music years, 10 years feels like forever. This is because of an oxymoron that exists in reality. Time seems to expand because the trends in music are becoming shorter and shorter. The idea of a musical trend that transcends more than a few years is a thing of the past. This is partly because the audience’s expectations are becoming lower and thus the effort needed on the part of the artist is becoming less. This was particularly clear over the last decade – a period that started with Durban kwaito as the dominant South African sound. From Professor and L’vovo to DJ Tira and DJ Bongz, artists from the east coast of KwaZulu-Natal had taken over. The baton had been passed on from kwaito and deep House to a…

In 2010, V-Day, a movement started by Eve Ensler to end violence against women and girls, hosted 5 400 events in 1 500 locations globally. In 2012, along with the V-Day movement, Ensler created One Billion Rising, a global protest campaign to end violence against women and to promote justice and gender equality for women. On the Valentine’s Day of February 14 2013, people around the world held dance actions to demand an end to violence against women and girls. It was also the morning Oscar Pistorius murdered Reeva Steenkamp. That was a mere 12 days after South Africa had been rocked by the unbelievably savage murder of 17-year-old Anene Booysen in Bredasdorp. Two months earlier, on December 16 2012, India’s rape culture had been thrown into the spotlight after…

Many long for this time of year. This period of going home to family, eating indulgently and having nostalgic conversations bringing back happy memories. Yet for some this is not the case. The holidays are a dark reminder of one’s displacement within the family unit for those considered other. As queer people, relationships with our families are often agitated by the fact that they refuse to accept us for who we tell them we are and not who they want us to be. As we navigate the space of home at this time, it can be mentally fatiguing to bend and break for people who are usually the source of most of our emotional traumas. Many of us will avoid going home during the holidays because beyond the micro aggressions…

It’s that time of the year again when we all make promises to ourselves. We vow to rectify our behaviour and make lifestyle changes. This happens mostly while we are immersed in a pool of liquor and loud music under the starry night lit up by fireworks. As we draw to the end of the decade, we reflect on our New Year celebrations. An African New Year’s Eve I came across an interesting perspective about New Year’s eve at Nokulinda Mkhize’s 4th annual Gogo Speaks series held at the University of Johannesburg Theatre this year. Noksangoma, as she is popularly known, discussed the African lunar and the Gregorian solar calendars – the latter widely accepted as the global standard. Although historically we as Africans adopted the lunar calendar, our current…

When Enoch Sontonga, the composer of our national anthem, authored this rousing song, he must have had a premonition. In one of the song’s poignant lines, Sontonga pleads with the Master in heaven that “Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso, O fedise dintwa le matshwenyego”. The reason behind his having composed the anthem was not the same as the reason an ordinary artist would compose. While the latter might want his or her song to be voted Song of the Year, for Sontonga, the composition served rather as a symbol, a national treasure. Why did Sontonga compose such an emotive song? Because the choirmaster from Uitenhage, in the Eastern Cape might have foreseen the calamity that would ravage our country in the years to come. Today, if we were to awake…

At the beginning of December there was some cautious optimism about the prospects for 2020. However, the commencement of load shedding and the realisation that Eskom’s problems are far more serious than we had been led to believe changed sentiment significantly. These blackouts will have enormous consequences on the growth of the economy, job creation and household finances. Load shedding will be a death knell for small businesses which were already struggling to survive in the declining economy. Households will be redirecting their funds towards keeping the power on in the form of solar, batteries and generators. Mining companies have already warned that they might have to close mines if the blackouts continue. The likelihood of a Moody’s downgrade is now almost a guarantee. However, it is not all doom…

The new business rescue plan for Vantage Goldfields SA (VGSA) mines will go ahead despite the company’s latest appeal. Business rescue practitioner Rob Devereux said that only a court interdict would stop them from drafting the new plan after Arqomanzi – an entity formed by Siyakhula Sisonke Corporation (SSC) subsidiary, Flaming Silver 373 and Taung Gold – was the only bidder to table a concrete offer by the deadline of December 6. VGSA claimed it had reached an agreement with Real Win Investments (RWI) to buy a 100% stake in the company, but RWI did not table its offer to the business rescue practitioners (BRPs). Once the new plan is drafted, the matter about who the preferred buyer will be for Lily and Barbrook mines in Louisville near Barberton will…

City Press would like to wish all its readers a happy and safe festive season, and a prosperous new year. City Press will be back on your favourite retailer shelf on January 5 2020…

Local rap sensation Kwesta has wrapped up the year with a bang by releasing his long-awaited single, titled I Came, I Saw. It’s a collaboration with another big international act, US artist Rick Ross. This is after the Spirit hitmaker gave his fans an early Christmas gift last year, when he posted a music video featuring Ross and his grandmother. In the Spirit video, they cruise through Kwesta’s neighbourhood of Katlehong in Gauteng, dancing with the community and making rapper gestures out the window of a red Zola Budd. I Came, I Saw makes use of another classic sample from deep within the crates of what was once considered taxi House: DJ Mujava’s hit, Township Funk. Speaking to City Press on Friday from his hometown, Katlehong, his trademark raspy voice…

“It is the people who must save the environment. It is the people who must make their leaders change. And we cannot be intimidated. So we must stand up for what we believe in.” – Wangari Maathai Continuing the legacy of game changers, such as Kenya’s Maathai, who died in 2011, there is a global army of young activists who have taken up her challenge this decade. Greta Thunberg (16), the Swedish founder of #FridaysForFuture, is the most recognisable. She was named Time’s Person of the Year last week, but she is not the first, nor will she be the last to take the fight to those holding power. 1 Standing Rock Sioux Tribe – US – What began in April 2016 as a protest against the building of an…

If you had asked what South African television would look like at the beginning of this decade, I would have told you: A new dawn is upon us and the future looks amazing. The optimistic, or naive, entertainment commentator in me would have had every reason to be optimistic. Local television was set for a new revival with more channels and opportunities on the horizon. More people would have jobs and our audience would have a vast variety of content from which to choose. But, as we wrap up this decade, I am not as enthusiastic, even though we have more platforms to create and consume local content. The arrival of new channels such as Mzansi Magic, kykNET and Moja Love has challenged the dominance of the SABC in local…

From the 2010 World Cup spectacle in South Africa to Nelson Mandela’s death, there have been so many memorable events that have happened throughout the last decade. There’s no denying that it has been a wild ride, especially for South Africans. Who can ever forget Siphiwe Tshabalala’s strike which opened the 2010 World Cup tournament – the first one on African soil? And the decade ended on a high with Zozibini Tunzi’s winning of the Miss Universe pageant and, you guessed it, Siya Kolisi lifting the Webb Ellis trophy in Japan. But, it was not all rosy. The country also experienced the 2012 Marikana massacre in which 43 miners were killed in what would go down as one of the worst days in South African history. Xenophobia dominated the headlines…

Here are spaces where LGBTIQ+ people in Joburg can get together and share some camaraderie. 1 Queermas 28 December, venue still to be confirmed Queermas first opened to the public last year and about 30 to 40 people attended. This year they are expecting to double that number. “Although safe spaces cannot really be ensured, our aim is to create a space where people can be themselves in their fullness, don’t have to hide who they are and, should they be violated, they can speak to us,” said Letlhogonolo Mokgoroane, one of the founders of Queermas. Entrance is free and, if you can, bring a dish to share. To attend or make donations, DM @Mr_Mokgoroane on Twitter or email queermas@outlook.com. 2 Le Grand Ball x Vogue Nights Presents…

Jumanji: The Next Level Director: Jake Kasdan Starring: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Kevin Hart and Jack Black The first Jumanji remake in 2017 is probably an equally appalling film. It wouldn’t make a difference whether you’ve seen that as this is just more of the same trite. The white dude, Spencer, is all sad about his life when he finds the game console version of Jumanji, which is what they use now instead of the good old board game. Within the suspended reality of the game, he figures he can be a fearless hero, different to who he actually is. In order to save Spencer the sad boy, his friends who happen to be in town to reconnect, venture after him. Inside the game, the harshest natural biomes are brought…

Simply put, Usain Bolt is the best sprinter of all time. With 13 individual gold medals – seven at World Championships and six Olympic golds – this is the stuff of legends. Add five individual world records – four of them set in major finals – and Bolt’s claim to a rare level of greatness is undeniable. FASTEST FIVE His compatriot Asafa Powell broke the 10 seconds barrier on 97 occasions. Bolt comes next with 49 sub-10 seconds. As you might have guessed, the tall man from Trelawny in Jamaica is supreme at the sharp end of the list. He has 12 runs under 9.80 seconds, three of the fastest five and the two fastest of all, his world record of 9.58 seconds at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin,…

‘I am happy that [the aims we spelt out] in 1996 in terms of breaking the R1 billion threshold and making the league unpredictable have been achieved.” This was how PSL chairperson Irvin Khoza reflected on the progress of the league since the formation of what is now ranked as one of Africa’s top professional club football structures. Though content with the achievements and milestones of the league so far, Khoza said they could not rest on their laurels, as there were still challenges ahead. “Despite the economy not doing so well, we have to make sure our product remains relevant and exciting. This brings fear to me because when companies don’t do well, they cut budgets and we might be affected. Fortunately our members have realised this and the…

Michael Komape’s family can finally breathe a sigh of relief after the Supreme Court of Appeal upheld their applications and awarded them compensation for the loss of their son, who died in a school pit latrine toilet in 2014. The monetary compensation of more than R1 million will not bring the young boy back, but at least the court found that his was “the most appalling and undignified death”. Justice is served at last. Former president Jacob Zuma doesn’t cease to amaze. For a man who once declared that he would one day tell all, he is fighting tooth and nail not to have his day in court. After losing several court applications to stop his prosecutions on fraud and corruption charges, this week he filed yet another application to…

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is looking for a top South African executive in the construction sector, understood to be in Britain, to stand trial in connection with the alleged looting of hundreds of millions of rands from Eskom. The prosecution may also be extended to two JSElisted companies. Thursday’s dramatic arrest of France Hlakudi (48), Eskom’s former contract manager at the beleaguered Kusile power station; Abram Masango (51), who served on Eskom’s executive committee as head of group capital; and two businessmen, is understood to be just the tip of the iceberg. A warrant has already been issued for the arrest of Mike Lomas (72), former CEO of Group Five, who is understood to be in Britain. In addition, two listed companies – Stefanutti Stocks and Esor Construction –…

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s dream of having 21 million tourists visit South Africa by 2021 might have to be deferred, after Stats SA announced on Thursday that about 48 000 fewer overseas tourists came to the country between January and October this year, compared with the same period last year. That’s the equivalent of 160 fewer Boeings, carrying 300 passengers, who simply stayed away. The total decline in overseas visitors, if those who enter the country by road are taken into account, was 192 760. This decrease will sharpen should SAA end up in liquidation. The airline is the only one connecting South Africa with scores of important cities, including Washington DC in the US; Perth, on Australia’s West Coast; and Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria. A large number of…

Human Settlement, Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu’s instruction that the communications budget be “centralised” in her office has raised eyebrows among disgruntled senior managers who are suspicious that the intention is to use public money to fund her future political ambitions in the ANC. City Press learnt that Sisulu held a meeting with the communications team in Cape Town on September 18, when she complained about the failures of the communications directorate “over the past six months”, particularly the “hostile and insubordinate” conduct of the chief director in charge, Julies Nale. Among the requests the minister made during the meeting was that the communications budget be centralised in the ministry. “This has not happened,” Sisulu wrote in November to Mbulelo Tshangana, the department’s acting director-general. She requested an investigation…

Thanks to new technology financed by SA Breweries (SAB) and other companies, drunk drivers could end up behind bars much faster. SAB and local authorities have built four alcohol evidence centres (AECs), valued at R1 million each, and fitted them out with new breathalyser technology. According to Pamela Nkuna from SAB and AB InBev Africa, this is meant to help reduce the incidence of drunk driving. The AECs are situated in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, as well as in Soweto, Marlboro and Loveday in Johannesburg. Nkuna said 17 other places had also been identified where AECs would be established within the next few years. Drivers who test over the alcohol consumption limit at a roadblock will be brought to an AEC. According to Superintendent Mike Boloto of the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department,…

A mysterious letter, which states that Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe has removed the mandatory powers of the board at the Nuclear Energy Corporation of SA (Necsa), landed on the desk of the company’s acting chief executive, Ayanda Myoli, at the end of last month. The document, which the Necsa board handed over for legal opinion, purports to grant Mantashe far-reaching powers over the corporation. It cites Thabane Zulu, director-general of the department of mineral resources and energy, as the document’s author. However, it is undated and it does not bear Zulu’s signature. City Press has learnt that Mantashe has had skirmishes with Necsa’s remaining board members. The board took office in December 2018 on a three-year term ending in 2021, but four members have since resigned.…

Businessman Sandile Zungu aptly summed up the Jacob Zuma years when he described an abortive deal that he was involved in with the Gupta family back in 2010. Speaking about the corporate raid in which their Ayigobi consortium used political muscle to snatch mining rights from a less connected competitor, Zungu described the deal as “money for jam”. This controversial deal was the introduction for most South Africans to the Guptas, the royal family that would lord it over South Africa for as long as Zuma was in power. This term was to haunt Zungu – a very able businessman who did not need to take short cuts – for many years. Fortunately for him, things did not go according to plan and the whole deal fell apart. But he…

There is a tendency to think that taste trends are a topic for glossy food magazines and the epicurean elite who buy them. As a result, these trends are often out of touch with what ordinary people actually shop for, grow, cook, serve and eat on a daily basis. The trends identified often include transient minority fetishes. Did anyone outside of Cape Town’s media district ever sip on a turmeric latte? Often, there is an underlying assumption that if middle-class, white men with a professional chef’s qualification don’t know about a food, it does not exist. In the period 2010 to 2019, offal and insect eating, foraging for wild food, fermenting, craft alcohol, ancient grains and even ugly vegetables were all “discovered” and put forward as epicurean innovations by posh…

Gone are the days when we had sex for the sole purpose of reproductive success. Sex-positive folk are standing their ground and fighting for the sexual rights and pleasures of women at a time when sexual assault is rife and some reproductive laws are still in favour of men. Even to this date, the right to choose abortion is still being debated. Not only is abortion still illegal in some countries, it remains with a stigma even in South Africa. Even though abortion is supposed to be accessible in government clinics, too many women report poor treatment and delays in services, forcing them to resort to illegal methods because private healthcare remains expensive and inaccessible. But premarital sex isn’t the taboo it used to be and we are having more…

Many of us are likely to end up attending a Christmas lunch or hosting one. These lunches can be overbearing for many who have to sit through rude family members and guests. We would like everyone to be on their best behaviour this Christmas and remind those around us that kindness is king. Here’s how: Be generous Regardless of one’s religious beliefs and the guerrilla marketing ads forcing us to buy this and that, Christmas is still a valuable time of year that reminds us to embrace the spirit of giving. Being generous is paramount to making Christmas pleasant for those around you and yourself. If you’re hosting, remember to invite people who don’t have families to spend Christmas with you and show them that chivalry isn’t dead. Do your…

Google has become much more than a search engine, it has developed products and applications that help us navigate our chaotic lives easily. If you think about it, there’s a pretty good chance that some, if not most, of your travel arrangements were completed on Google. Maybe you used Search to find your airline’s online check-in page? Which is quite simple – but here we have the lowdown on how you can use Google apps you might not have known about to make your holiday travel experience useful and easier. Google Assistant Google Assistant is a conversational, voice-activated digital assistant created by Google to perform actions on behalf of a user and provide contextual information. No more texting and driving – just ask Google nicely and it will tell you…

SUN 22.12 Africa’s Wild Horizons NEW SEASON M-Net (DStv channel 101), 4pm A breathtaking wildlife documentary series that showcases the very best of Africa and the continent’s animals and their habitats. Mon 23.12 The Rookie NEW SEASON A fast-paced season finale to the Nathan Fillion crime dramedy. As the rookies prepare for a big exam, officers Nolan and Bishop’s murder scene could be tied to a potential terror attack on Los Angeles. WED 25.12 Alaska: The Last Frontier Discovery (DStv channel 121), 8pm This documents the extended Kilcher family, descendants of Swiss immigrants and Alaskan pioneers, Yule and Ruth Kilcher, at their homestead 18km outside of Homer. Makoti SABC1 (DStv channel 191), 7.30pm It focuses on relationships by exploring behaviour, expectations and assumptions – all the reasons people choose to…

‘A luta continua, a vitória é certa.” This political war cry, which means “the struggle continues, victory is certain”, ties in well with Caster Semenya’s protracted battle for freedom to be the athlete she is meant to be. Since the star middle-distance runner broke on to the world stage in 2009, her journey has been nothing but a struggle to convince the world athletics governing body, the IAAF, that she has the right to compete against other women. There has been a long series of efforts by the IAAF to implement rules governing the eligibility of female athletes, particularly those who are deemed to be producing elevated levels of natural testosterone. As things stand Semenya – who turns 29 on January 7 – will enter the New Year with her…

The ubiquitous nature of technology in everyday menial tasks has reached a stage where professional sports in the past decade have been forced to use them in their coliseums of excellence. From the DRS – decision review system, the VAR – video assistant referee, and the TMO – television match official, the beauty of adjudicating the validity of human achievements is not left to the eye of mere mortals, but confirmed through a web of algorithms, an array of cameras and the swiftness of communicating with off-field officials. This has not stopped the debates, the controversies or the boundless emotion that is experienced and expressed viscerally in the formation of conclusive decisions. Cricket launched its DRS in 2008 for test cricket, for one-day cricket in 2011 and for T20 cricket…

When Mark Boucher was named the new South African cricket coach last week, those who remembered him as an abrasive ex-Proteas wicketkeeper feared the national team would undergo a makeover in the unpleasant image of his past. But, listening to him talk about his approach after three years as the Titans’ coach, the man who came across as an Aussie trapped in a Saffer’s body sounded worlds apart from the player we knew. “I think I’ve learnt a lot of lessons along the way,” said Boucher, who admitted he expected to be at St Francis Bay at this time of year instead of in camp with the Proteas preparing them for the Boxing Day test in Centurion. “I learnt that my way is not always the right way, that’s for…

Kaizer Chiefs turn 50 in the new year and nothing will serve the tradition-steeped club better than a piece of silverware to make their golden jubilee even more special. This especially when Amakhosi are still reeling from a barren spell, which is quite an unusual scenario for an outfit that was once revered as South Africa’s cup kings. Early indications are that Chiefs could well be headed for glory if their consistency in the opening half of the ongoing Absa Premiership campaign is anything to go by. Apart from head coach Ernst Middendorp proving to be a miracle-worker of some sort since he assumed the reins in December last year, the team has also responded by adopting a winning mentality. “Of course it means a lot to celebrate 50 years…

There’s a black woman in the Johannesburg inner city who won’t be part of the year-end festivities. She won’t be a part of the merry madness, not because she doesn’t want to but because this world-class African city is pissing and shitting on her. Although she’s a public figure and although the white man who was paid R1 million to erect her is a world-famous artist, hers is an existence marred by piss, shit and drugs. Each day she watches as countless Beautiful Ones needle themselves in full view of the hustle and bustle of Jozi. The artist was with another white man when she was erected and once they were done with her they likened her to perhaps the most famous woman in New York, US – the Statue…