Innholdsfortegnelse for 1/12/2020 i City Press

Former Eskom chairperson Jabu Mabuza may have jumped before he was pushed as sentiment grew in Cabinet that the board might be out of its depth when it came to running the national power utility. Mabuza resigned on Friday with immediate effect after Deputy President David Mabuza’s bombshell this week, when he said that Eskom had lied to government by saying last month that there would be no possibility of load shedding until the middle of this month. According to informed sources, the presidency also placed immense pressure on Eskom to issue a statement in which it accepted blame for the broken promise to keep the lights on, at least until tomorrow. Exactly what took place behind closed doors after that at the power utility is unknown, but the result…

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AKA felt so much pressure and insecurity when Zinhle was starting to make a lot of money and she became a control freak, disrespectful and spoke to him like a child in the presence of their friends Rapper AKA allegedly ended his relationship with DJ Zinhle on the eve of her birthday last year. City Press has reliably learnt that AKA broke up with the Umlilo hit-maker because he felt “there were too many people involved in their relationship”. This week, several sources close to AKA – whose real name is Kiernan Forbes – and Zinhle – whose real name is Ntombezinhle Jiyane – alleged the couple didn’t spend time together during the festive season. “AKA and Zinhle are inseparable – they do everything together, including going on vacation, but…

Repeating a grade could have long-term psychological effects on children if the parents and teachers fail to handle their trauma well. This is according to Lynne Cawood, the director of Childline Gauteng, who was speaking ahead of the re-opening of schools this week. Childline is a nonprofit organisation that provides counselling services to children and families in need after incidents of sexual abuse or violence. City Press reached out to Cawood, who is a psychologist, as thousands of pupils, including children in the lowest grades who failed last year, prepare to repeat the same class this year. Cawood said failing a grade could be disheartening for young children and, if not handled well by parents and teachers, could result in the child being discouraged. The child could also lose their…

A senior official who was fired from the department of agriculture, forestry and fisheries over allegations of fraud wants to force the department to pay his pension so he can keep his luxurious home in a housing estate. Masingita Honest Chauke (39) was the department’s acting deputy director of land use and soil management when he was fired at the end of January 2015. In Chauke’s charge sheet, the department alleged the following: “The allegations arise from your role in colluding with external companies to defraud the department through the manipulation of the bid and quotation processes which led to a loss of R1 909 536.” Chauke is challenging his dismissal, on charges of fraud, in the labour court. In his legal papers, he asked the Pretoria High Court to…

Healthy habits such as exercising regularly, eating nutritious meals and not smoking or drinking may give you an extra decade of disease-free life, a study has found. Scientists said women could extend their healthy life expectancy – before conditions such as cancer, heart disease or diabetes start to set in – by as much as 10 years. And, if men followed the advice for a healthy lifestyle, they could add another seven disease-free years to their lives. The study, which focused on more than 100 000 people, found that slim, active, nonsmoking 50-year-olds could expect significantly more years of good health than their unhealthy peers. Experts from Harvard University in the US and the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences led the study, which tracked the health of men and women…

JOBURG COMEDY Nina Hastie: Thuma Nina POPArt Theatre, 286 Fox Street, Maboneng January 12, 3.30pm and 8pm R120 at popartcentre.co.za; R140 at the door This one-woman stand-up comedy show, written and performed by Nina Hastie, details how she navigates life and democracy in South Africa. Despite her best efforts not to, she manages to step on everyone’s toes. MUSIC Pantone Sundays Razor Charlie, Kramerville (Johannesburg) Rooftop on Bree (Cape Town) January 12, 4pm to 10pm R150 at quicket.co.za A colour-themed fashion party pop-up with a photo booth for great Insta-worthy snaps. Enjoy a delicious complimentary cocktail from SKYY vodka on arrival and music ranging from deep House, bossa nova and R&B, to funk and local hip-hop. DURBAN MUSIC Sundaze: House Sessions Tiger’s Milk Suncoast Every Sunday from 3pm Free entry…

Law four of the Fifa laws of the game deals specifically with players’ equipment, and spells out in detail what is and is not allowed. You may remember that I dealt with jewellery in a previous column, including wristbands, and I also touched on cultural issues. Well, imagine my surprise when I read recently that a referee had a conundrum. In a match involving two lower-league teams in South Africa, there was a clash of colours. You could be forgiven for questioning the planning and foresight of the teams involved. Do the teams not contact each other to see what colours they will wear on the day? Is there no system they can use to avoid this situation? Anyway, the visiting team arrived to find that the home side was…

Football history often associates legends with jersey number 10. But Kaizer Motaung is one of a few heroes of the game who hasn’t turned out with the iconic two digits on his back. The Kaizer Chiefs founder might have surprised some with “Motaung 24” on his club’s commemorative shirt to mark Amakhosi’s golden jubilee year. However, it is not a random number – Motaung revealed that he inherited the number while playing for the Atlanta Chiefs in the US. This, he said, was in the late 1960s and the early 1970s. Unlike many other heroes of his time, including his former club team-mate, Brazilian great Pelé, who made number 10 famous, Motaung wore number 11 at Orlando Pirates before he made 24 his trademark. “When I was still playing for…

After what has felt like a lifetime for many parents, the holidays are almost over for their children, who last saw a classroom at the beginning of last month. Their break ends this week as government schools reopen. The resumption of classes comes after the class of 2019 achieved a pass rate of 81.3% – meaning four out of every five pupils who wrote matric last year made it through. While this is commendable, concerns remain about the hundreds of thousands of pupils who started Grade 1 12 years ago but did not write the matric exams. This cannot be allowed to continue. As the school year starts on Wednesday, hundreds of thousands of six- and seven-year-olds will don their uniforms for the first time in the hope that, 12…

The cat saw it Deputy President David Mabuza is not called a cat for nothing. Mabuza’s Eskom load shedding lies bombshell on Thursday truly set the cat among the pigeons. Speaking to journalists on the campaign trail in Kimberley, Mabuza said Eskom’s board members misled President Cyril Ramaphosa when they declared that there would be no rolling blackouts until January 13. As he anticipated, the opposite happened and the country was plunged into darkness, leaving many miserable and asking questions. Let’s just say that the cat saw it coming, while the buffalo bought into the lies hook, line and sinker. Stingy Mike ... Former justice minister Michael Masutha is consistent when it comes to dishing out cash. He was overheard telling someone on the other end of his phone to…

SAA is headed towards another uncomfortable payment deadline as government has yet to pay the R2 billion bailout it promised the beleaguered airline in October. National Treasury this week confirmed to City Press’ sister publication Rapport that the money had not yet been paid, but refused to elaborate on when this would happen. “The R2 billion in working capital will be financed in consultation with the department of public works and the business rescue practitioner,” said a spokesperson. “More details will be made available at a later stage.” Government promised to make R2 billion available in cash and to give the airline an additional R2 billion worth of support in the form of guarantees. Responding to questions, the practitioner appointed last month to take over SAA’s business rescue proceedings said…

Politicians and state bureaucrats might not be left out of government’s plans for the redistribution of state land, and they could be eligible to receive such land after a “cooling off” period of two years or less, a new policy document reveals. The partners of state officials will be entitled to receive land as long as their relationship to the official is declared, and provided the state “develops mechanisms” to prevent manipulation of the system and conflicts of interest, says a policy document published for comment in the Government Gazette by the rural development and land reform department on January 3. The policy document indicates that women, disabled people and war veterans from the ANC should be the main beneficiaries of land in future. The goal of the policy, says…

It was an exceptionally hot day for the horses at yesterday’s L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate Racing Festival at Kenilworth Racecourse in Cape Town, but that didn’t deter the approximately 7 000 guests who arrived in their breeziest summertime outfits for what turned out to be a rather classy occasion to kick off this year’s social calendar. The prestigious event is one of the oldest races around and returned to celebrate its 159th iteration along with all the expected fanfare, high style and fun social customs. If the galloping of horses wasn’t the reason everyone pitched up, the style village was where they could enjoy all of the pomp and pageantry of the blue-and-white-themed event. Stylish outfits, big hats, Champagne … it doesn’t get much better than that for Mzansi’s glitterati. Tents…

Green, gold and black were the colours of the week in the Northern Cape as thousands of supporters showed their love for the ANC. Every street corner, event and party in Kimberley became a base for small businesses to sell party merchandise. Over the past few years, the ANC has taken its merchandise to the next level, and it has tapped into the latest fashion trends, enticing members of all ages. The merchandise has strengthened the party’s brand. From golf shirts, caps and sandals to sneakers, bucket hats and jumpsuits, party members at the anniversary celebration were dressed to impress. Minkey Sithole, an ANC merchandiser from North West, said she had been in the business for 15 years and, as a staunch member of the party, it was a great…

Charlize Theron refused to reveal her relationship status as she spoke about the #MeToo movement after her Golden Globe nomination last month for her role in the movie Bombshell. The South Africa-born star (44) reportedly turned ice cold when she was asked during an interview with The Times whether she was single. “Oh, my God, really? I’m obviously not answering,” she said. Theron was previously engaged to actor Sean Penn, but the couple split in 2015. The Oscar-winning actress was the one who called off the engagement after they spent time together in Europe, a source previously told US Weekly. The actress has also been linked to Brad Pitt, Keanu Reeves and Stuart Townsend. Theron was asked about Michael B Jordan – who her co-stars Nicole Kidman and Margo Robbie…

It’s business as usual in Lubumbashi. The city is alive as the sun sets. The main road, which is small by other countries’ standards and links the city to Kasumbalesa on the southern border with Zambia, is buzzing and congested. It’s very difficult to determine which lane the driver is supposed to be in. But life goes on anyway as drivers navigate the traffic jams. Welcome to the Democratic Republic of Congo’s second-largest city. What appears to be a two-lane road suddenly splits and heads in the opposite direction. Just as suddenly, there are four vehicles attempting to navigate the traffic. The scene is chaotic and the ensuing traffic jam causes major frustration among the motorists. And we are stuck. There’s very little the driver can do but be patient…

Unemployment is a real challenge in our country and, if the numbers are anything to go by, things aren’t about to get better. According to Stats SA, the burden of unemployment is highest among young people – they account for 63.4% of the total number of unemployed people in the country. But it’s not all doom and gloom – here are some things to do while you wait for your big break: • Make use of all available resources. Reach out on social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and let people know about your skills and the opportunities you are looking for. Join Facebook groups like I Know A Guy to learn about available opportunities. Create profiles and upload updated CVs on job hunting websites such as…

SUN 12.01 Omen Mzansi Magic (DStv channel 161), 8pm Think the series Charmed, but about men. A successful lawyer discovers that he comes from a long line of witches and must decide whether to follow his destiny. The thing is, these witches have ruled five tribes for centuries. MON 13.01 Why Women Kill M-Net (DStv channel 101), 9pm Why Women Kill details the lives of three women living in three different decades – a housewife in the 60s, a socialite in the 80s and a lawyer in 2018 – as they each deal with infidelity in their marriages. WED 15.01 The Disappearance of My Mother Sundance (DStv channel 108), 9pm This is a World Cinema Grand Jury Prize nominee in the documentary category. Benedetta Barzini was an iconic fashion model…

Of the many bits and pieces of advice that have been passed on to me over the years about being a sports hack, the one that stuck is that nobody messes up on purpose. It may seem a blindingly obvious observation, but the stream of invective that is often written after some poor sod has played an injudicious shot suggests it’s difficult for even supposedly even-handed reporters to hold back from putting the boot in. The advent of social media – a space so toxic that there’s always someone at hand to tell you in exactly 280 characters how loving sunsets is probably a crime against humanity – has exacerbated the vilification of players when they do not play at their absolute best. A great example of this reared its…

‘When we started the club, I made it a point with those founding fathers to say that, if we are starting a club, it has to be based on business principles – which means there had to be clear guidelines in terms of how we administered the club,” said Kaizer Motaung this week. That was 50 years ago. This week, speaking on the sidelines of the first part of the club’s 50th anniversary celebrations in Phefeni, Soweto, he attributed Amakhosi’s longevity to that solid foundation. “The fear when we started was that a lot of people thought this thing [club] would not last. I said [to them] that I was prepared to put my neck on the block as long as we were able to put good structures behind this…

Amiel Kaldine regards the day he “disappeared from the chairperson [Kaizer Motaung]” in the 1970s as the joke of his life. As an aspiring singer, Kaldine was smitten when he met US R&B, soul and gospel singer Percy Slegde by chance during a school excursion to the airport. “That day, I felt that I had met another gift in life. I slipped [away from] the school group, walked straight up to him and just fell in love with the man they called the King of Soul. I never went home,” recalls Kaldine. “It was the first time that I lied when I told Percy that I had no parents. It touched him and he was ready to take me back to the US with him. Imagine, I was away with…

Fifty years old and still going strong! House number 8414 on Sentsho Street in Phefeni, Orlando West, is where it all started, and it was fitting for Kaizer Chiefs to trace their roots this week as they celebrated their 50th anniversary. It was on January 7 1970 that Kaizer Motaung established what went on to become one the best and most professionally run football clubs in the country. Motaung had a humble beginning, but, through hard work, sacrifices, dedication and discipline, the club went on to achieve success and become Amakhosi. Credit must go to Motaung for his vision and leadership, which has put local football on the world stage. Today, Chiefs is one of the most followed clubs in the country. “Turning 50 is a remarkable landmark for us…

I ask myself if there is any recourse, because we cannot continue operating like this So here I was thinking I was one of the clever blacks, having planned ahead as I did for the long month of January: School uniform – ticked; stationery – ticked; petrol money – ticked; food – ticked; December allowance – ticked. I was so ready for January. I always make sure that everything is in place for this gruesome month, which seems to go on forever. With most of us having received our salaries in mid-December, and having bought the necessities and put aside the little left over for this month – stretching it as much as possible – the last thing we wanted was to see our plans disrupted. I’ll bet most of…

Although not entirely surprised, I was still taken aback when most national and international newspapers dedicated lots of space in December to reviewing the “highs and lows of a decade that is about to end”. Let me state upfront that, although it makes sense – logically speaking – that the decade would run from 2010 to 2019, things are a little complicated on a practical level. It all boils down to one little misapprehension – there was no year zero (0). Yep, whoever was counting decided in their wisdom that instead of adhering to the numerical standardised way of counting – where zero is the first number and one is the second number – they started with the second number, which is one. From that moment on, logic was thrown…

During the festive season, Khoseni, a friend of mine from my village, asked why we should care about our investment-grade rating by Moody’s Investors Service. “What do these institutions have to do with us as ordinary South Africans?” he protested. “Well, a lot, actually,” I responded. Two months ago, Moody’s maintained its investment-grade rating on South Africa. But it changed our sovereign credit rating outlook from stable to negative, citing low economic growth, a growing debt burden and upward revision of the fiscal deficit. The downside risks to our investment-grade credit rating are significant. Credit ratings agencies are not without fault. However, their rating decisions have material consequences on countries’ economies. Ratings agencies play a major role in enabling investors to exercise their choices about where and when to invest.…

0.9% The level at which the World Bank expects the SA economy to grow this year, well below government forecasts. The bank’s outlook for Africa’s most industrialised economy is ‘markedly weaker’ because it sees electricity supply and infrastructure constraints inhibiting domestic growth, with weaker global economic conditions weighing on export demand. GDP growth probably slowed to 0.4% last year, the World Bank said, adding that it sees growth averaging 1.4% in 2021/22 25 million acres The area that has been devastated by fires in Australia. It is 46% more than the total surface area that burnt in the Amazon rainforest last year 500 million The number of people who use Google Assistant, the tech giant’s voice-activated digital assistant, every month. Google Assistant is available on 1 billion devices 1 billion…

New Year’s resolutions and goals have a tendency to be broken quickly, often due to the fact that they’re hastily made, too ambitious or simply unrealistic for your personality or personal circumstances. Good goals are realistic, achievable and fun. We often miss out on the fun part, but you need to understand the reward involved when you stick to good goals and resolutions. Why are you saving, what are you getting from it and how will it make you feel when you achieve your goal? Restricting yourself by always saving money for no real reason is hardly motivating, but knowing that you’re saving towards an overseas holiday, a wedding or some other special event can make it more rewarding. My goal for 2020 is to pay off my home loan…

I was about 32 years old when our family faced a financial crisis. With the birth of our second son, we decided to buy a larger house with a bigger mortgage. Shortly after that, my husband and I both lost our jobs. While my husband found a job a few months later, it paid a lower salary. I started to work as a freelancer with an erratic income. We did not adjust our lifestyle or spending habits and found ourselves in debt, living on a bank overdraft. I had simply not been keeping track of our finances. When I swiped my bank card, it worked, so I never really worried about spending money I didn’t have. It took us some time to realise the implications of our financial situation. This…

Anew year is always filled with hope and the possibility of our circumstances changing for the better, especially when it comes to our finances. While there are many ways to improve your finances in 2020, there is one way that can significantly improve both your finances and your relationships – not lending money to friends and family! I have been both a recipient of loans from family members (my sisters, to be exact) as well as the lender to some friends. Although there were never any timelines as to when I would return the money to my sisters, we have always trusted one another to do the right thing, and we have. On the other hand, lending money to friends has always come with very strict conditions and terms of…

This year is going to be an exciting time for our family as we welcome our second son. Having a child is one of those life events that necessitates another look at your finances and life insurance cover. This year will see me assess our life insurance and disability cover to ensure it is enough. I will also be updating our budget to make room for the extra monthly expenses that come with having another child. The blistering pace of education inflation is also something that scares me, which is why I will set up an investment account for our new son as soon as he is born so that I can start making monthly contributions to make sure that his future university costs are covered. Regarding my longer-term goals,…

The ANC is firmly opposed to liquidating SAA, but it has to walk a tightrope while voicing its views, as the final decision rests with the business rescue team appointed to assess and decide the airline’s fate. Addressing members and supporters yesterday at the party’s 108th birthday rally in Kimberley, Northern Cape, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the fact that SAA had been put under business rescue to restructure and return it to financial sustainability was “a demonstration of both the depth of the crisis and the determination of our government to decisively address it”. The administrative, operational and financial difficulties in key state-owned enterprises (SOEs) such as SAA and Eskom, said Ramaphosa, had a severe impact on broader economic growth and transformation. “The movement must undertake a thorough and sober…

Prince Harry is still in London as he attempts to negotiate a favourable exit deal from his front-line royal duties, aides revealed this week. The Duke of Sussex is set for showdown talks with his father Prince Charles and grandmother Queen Elizabeth II after he and his wife Meghan Markle dropped the bombshell that they would be stepping back from their high-profile public roles in the royal family. Harry is in no rush to strike a deal, as he is determined to secure the best possible financial terms for his family as they “move towards being financially independent”, sources said. But the Queen has ordered their new stripped-back roles to be determined within the next 72 hours, according to sources. This comes as palace aides denied that Meghan and Harry…

An inquiry is the channel that could ultimately shut down poorly performing independent schools in Gauteng. This comes after not a single matriculant passed at two independent schools: Rostec Technical College (high school) in Pretoria and Designated Centre Gallway in Germiston. Both schools contributed to the decline in the pass rate in Gauteng because their matriculants wrote under the banner of the provincial education department and not an independent assessment board. According to reports, which City Press has seen and which were compiled by the national department of basic education and the province, both schools scored a 0% pass rate. Gauteng’s class of 2019 scored an overall 87.2% pass rate – a decline from 87.8% in 2018. It came second to the Free State, which scored an 88.4% matric pass…

Having coached South Africa to within a win of getting into the quarterfinals of the inaugural ATP Cup this week, Tennis SA’s new high performance director Jeff Coetzee – who also coaches the world’s top-ranked doubles team of Colombians Robert Farah and Juan Sebastián Cabal – discussed his plans for the sport. Given your doubles coaching schedule, you seem to be a busy man, so why take on the job? It’s obviously to give back to South Africa. I’ve been giving back to the Colombian guys and I’ve been with them for the past six years. I just felt like, when the opportunity arose, it was a great time for me to be part of growing tennis in South Africa. The job is listed as part time, but the mandate…

Louis Oosthuizen will take a one-stroke lead into today’s final round of the SA Open, which is hosted by the City of Joburg, as he looks to become the first player to successfully defend this title in 16 years. Oosthuizen took control of the Open with a third round of 64 on Randpark Golf Club’s Firethorn course, lifting him to 15 under par for the championship. The last player to defend the SA Open was fellow South African Trevor Immelman in 2003 and 2004. “It would mean a lot to do so. It would mean the world to me, especially this week when I’m defending and as the player-host. To have my name on that trophy a second time would be very special,” said Oosthuizen. England’s Marcus Armitage is his…

While driving home during a stormy evening last weekend, I found myself doing a rendition of one of my old-time favourite songs. This was after the latest round of load shedding, which followed a brief respite from power cuts, thanks to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s having placed a moratorium on outages during the festive season. The lyrics, from Simon and Garfunkel’s epic song, read in part: “Hello darkness, my old friend/ I’ve come to talk with you again …/ I turned my collar to the cold and damp/ When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light/ That split the night …” We are barely a week into the year and, once again, we are facing rolling blackouts. The spectre of Stage 6, as announced last month, still…

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the former White House spokesperson who tried but failed to make US President Donald Trump’s rubbish sound less like rubbish, was out spewing more rubbish this week. Huckabee Sanders, who is now a talking head on TV, said the most ridiculous thing when commenting on the Democrat-sponsored War Powers Bill that will enable Congress to limit a US president’s war-making powers. “I can’t think of anything dumber than allowing Congress to take over our foreign policy … The last thing we want is to push powers into Congress’ hands and take them away from the president,” she said. This is the former spokesperson of the president of what is regarded as one of the most democratic countries in the world disparaging an institution that is a vital…

Volkswagen (VW) and Nissan are two global carmakers planning to set up new plants in Ghana to target west Africa’s 382 million people. Their challenge: finding banks that will offer loans to make new cars affordable. In a country where an estimated 70% of imports are second-hand, new car ownership is rare, said Believe Alorbu, who sells older models shipped from the US at half the price of a new one. Speaking from her dealership in the capital Accra, Alorbu said that, when buying new cars, “people will sometimes leave the plastic wrapping on their seats”. “Even if the government increases tariffs on used cars, people will still be unable to afford new cars if they do not get access to financing,” she added. Less than 5% of new car…