Innholdsfortegnelse for 2/2/2020 i City Press

Embattled Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane is heading to court to halt the parliamentary process to investigate her fitness to hold office – a process that could lead to her ouster. In addition to the parliamentary process, Mkhwebane is also being probed for perjury by the Hawks, and the SA Revenue Service (Sars) is conducting an audit into her financial affairs. The impending court challenge follows the failure of Mkhwebane and National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise to reach an “amicable solution” on the matter. Speaking to City Press, Mkhwebane said her court papers were being finalised. She said she was likely to challenge issues such as proper consultation, adequacy, a fair hearing and the independence of a panel set to be appointed to assess the motion against her. Modise gave the…

It could be very good for the ANC. I believe even the mother body could take up the example of the youth league With just less than two months to go until the ANC Youth League conference, there is already speculation regarding possible candidates to lead the organisation. The spokesperson for the National Youth Task Team (NYTT), Sizophila Mkhize, told City Press that appointing a woman to the position would be a turning point for the ANC and would be a catalyst in derailing patriarchy. A source told City Press that the women who have been touted to lead the youth wing were Mkhize, and Tshwane youth league regional executive committee spokesperson and NYTT member Tlangi Mogale. According to a source close to the process, woman candidates appear to be…

Three prominent DA leaders appear ready to take on John Steenhuisen for the party’s top job ahead of its May elections. Bonginkosi Madikizela, the Western Cape DA leader, John Moodey, the leader of the DA in Gauteng, and Mbali Ntuli, a DA member from the party’s provincial legislature, appear to be ready to toss their names into the hat for the position. The man who took on Steenhuisen in November, Makashule Gana, said it was unlikely he would do so again. Asked why, Gana said he is no longer interested in the post. Madikizela would have stood for the position of interim leader at the party’s special federal council meeting in November, but withdrew from the race at the last minute. He said this was because he had been serving…

Magistrates across the country are furious about the fact that they are still waiting for the salary increase they were promised in April last year. This is one of many salary complaints that have led to morale among magistrates falling to “its lowest point ever”, said a senior magistrate this week. Magistrates’ courts, which are staffed by just over 2 000 magistrates, are regarded as the coalface of the administration of justice in South Africa. Unproductive magistrates’ courts mean delays in thousands of criminal and civil cases, as well as delays of inquests into deaths that may not have resulted from natural causes. Despite this, say magistrates, the delays in adjusting their salaries to keep pace with the rising cost of living have been dragging on for as long as…

It might sound more like science fiction than science fact, but researchers have created bionic jellyfish by embedding microelectronics into these marine invertebrates, hoping to deploy them to monitor and explore the world’s oceans. A small prosthetic enables jellyfish to swim three times faster and more efficiently without causing any apparent stress to the invertebrates, which have no brain, central nervous system or pain receptors, researchers said. The next steps will be to test ways to control where the jellyfish go and develop tiny sensors that could perform long-term measurements of ocean conditions, such as temperature, salinity, acidity, oxygen levels, nutrients and microbial communities. They even envision installing minuscule cameras. “It’s very sci-fi futuristic,” said Stanford University bioengineer Nicole Xu, co-author of the research published this week in the journal,…

This afternoon’s match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London between Spurs and Manchester City is a match in which two wannabe teams will face off against each other. The hosts want to be in the top four of the table to qualify for next season’s Champions League, and the visitors want to defend the title they won last year. For Spurs, the goal is difficult; for City, all but impossible. Spurs are now sixth, but six points behind fourth-placed Chelsea; the Citizens are second, 19 points behind the all-conquering Liverpool ahead of the Reds’ match yesterday against Southampton. Since Spurs’ main man upfront, Harry Kane, has been ruled out with an injury that requires surgery and will keep him out until April, they have struggled to find the…

Young, black and gifted. This was the candidate Bidvest Wits described in its search for a chief financial officer. Aobakwe Makoku fits the description. The 29-year-old, who hails from Tsineng Village in Kuruman, Northern Cape, is about to celebrate a year in the post. He was hired by the former Absa Premiership champions on April Fool’s Day last year. Like most of his peers, Makoku played football at amateur level and his ultimate goal was to become a professional player. Given that this did not materialise, he considers his current job as compensation. After all, he is involved in football’s professional ranks, albeit in a different capacity. “For me, it’s actually the realisation of a dream I had as a child. One had to make a choice to either continue…

Orlando Pirates chalked up their fifth win on the trot to climb to second on the Absa Premiership log last night. The hard-fought 2-1 victory over Chippa United in Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium sent the Buccaneers to their highest position on the log so far this season. Pirates’ cause was aided by SuperSport United succumbing 1-0 to Golden Arrows in an early kick-off yesterday. While SuperSport’s loss set them back in their pursuit, Pirates leapfrogged Mamelodi Sundowns to cut the gap to nine behind their Soweto rivals and leaders Kaizer Chiefs. The Buccaneers have enjoyed a remarkable turnaround under new coach Josef Zinnbauer, who took over in December. Under the German tactician, Pirates have not lost in their past seven league matches, during which striker Gabadinho Mhango has been the…

When the parliamentary process to decide the fate of Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane begins, it will not only be about whether members of Parliament are following their individual party lines or are guided by their conscience. Also at play will be the deep division within the ANC which has been split by factions, with those supporting former president Jacob Zuma feeling left out by those aligned to President Cyril Ramaphosa. If anything has to be read from ANC MP Supra Mahumapelo’s comments on Friday – that the party would not support the DA’s motion to remove Mkhwebane from office – this is not going to be an objective process. Mahumapelo was adamant that, despite several damning court judgments against Mkhwebane in which judges have made devastating comments about her fitness…

Imagine this Does anyone remember that day in September 2018 when a certain famous (notorious) minister threatened to sue media personality Redi Tlhabi for defamation? “She has until 17h00, tomorrow, to withdraw and apologise for her malicious lies, failing which she will have to start raising money for a hefty damages claim,” fulminated an angry Malusi Gigaba. Siyahleba does not know whether Tlhabi has managed to raise the money for hefty damages, but like many of us she is still waiting for Gigaba to serve summons. Or should we accept the mantra that time heals all wounds? Come on Gigs! Maile eats pie Gauteng Human Settlements MEC Lebogang Maile was forced to eat humble pie after his populist moves to put the DA in its place in Tshwane and Jozi…

Just the other day, Precious Ramabulana’s parents sent her to a place of learning, only for her to meet her untimely death. Today it is 15-year-old Laticia Princes Jansen, who, in the name of learning, has fallen victim to the violence against women and children that is plaguing the country. While Ramabulana died at the hands of a rapist in unsecured private student accommodation, Jansen was, according to reports, the victim of unknown criminals, after she was failed by the scholar transport system. Many more young people have fallen prey to acts of barbarism and criminality against the most vulnerable in society: women and children. While lamenting the Jansen story with a female colleague, she appeared gripped by fear and could not help but express her constant worry over the…

In a recent book on epidemics and healthcare systems in Africa, published by the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (Mistra), researchers warn that the top diseases which are likely to cause severe epidemics across the globe are zoonotic diseases – infections arising out of contact between humans and animals. Sadly, the coronavirus has proven that prediction right, with the World Health Organisation declaring the outbreak a global emergency. But what does it mean for South Africa? The first question is: Is our already weakened and overburdened health system prepared? The national health department has announced that it has the necessary systems in place in the event of an outbreak. We are told that three hospitals are prepared for such an emergency – Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital, Tembisa Hospital and Steve…

The repercussion of this, in post-apartheid South Africa, is that it has led to a host of questions being asked as to whether Indian people were complicit in perpetuating apartheid or whether they should be regarded as victims The Unfamous Five by Nedine Moonsamy Published by Modjaji Books 240 pages R280 One of South Africa’s leading public intellectuals, Njabulo S Ndebele, argued as long ago as the 1980s that for South African literature to be effective, it would have to set itself on a path of “rediscovering the ordinary”. Ndebele wrote: “If it is a new society we seek to bring about in South Africa, then that newness will be based on a direct concern with the way people actually live.” This, he wrote, would entail “a range of complex…

SA Airlink is headed to court to try to prevent R700 million of its cash from disappearing into the financial black hole of SAA’s finances. Airlink, which employs 1 739 people, could be brought to its knees if it does not get its money back, the airline’s CEO Rodger Foster states in an affidavit before the Johannesburg High Court. SA Airlink is asking the court to intervene on an urgent basis and grant an order forcing SAA’s business rescue practitioners to pay the money over immediately. But for SAA, the payment of such a large sum could also be the final nail in the coffin, said Werner Human, the deputy CEO of trade union Solidarity, which is represented on the business rescue labour committee. It is expected that the case…

South Africa, known as the home of the Big Five in the tourism industry, could easily be one of the big five industrialised countries in the world if resources were directed towards supporting innovations and inventors. This is the view of inventor extraordinaire, professor Mulalo Doyoyo, who has a string of inventions behind his name, including the cement-less concrete, Cenocell; ecofriendly paint Amoriguard; flushing solar-powered toilets that work as miniature waste treatment plants; Ecocast brick-making machines that use less water and energy; and a hydrogen motorbike. “We’re capable of doing it and we can work like the Japanese, Germans and Americans and have our products labelled ‘Made in South Africa’ exported all over the world. Those people do not talk about theories, they work. Industrialisation is about action,” Doyoyo said.…

Here is a new cocktail mix that you can try out this summer to experience and enjoy the new Jameson Caskmates Irish Pale Ale (IPA) Edition to its full extent. This is Jameson’s latest offering, with some fun and exciting ingredients. The IPA Edition is a modern interpretation of a hoppy beer. It explores the world of fruity flavours which are now infused with Jameson’s latest spirit. You can enjoy it on the rocks, with a tonic or alongside your favourite IPA to further reveal the notes of hops and citrus flavour brought by the IPA finish. MR EARL INGREDIENTS . 50ml Jameson Caskmates IPA Edition . 35ml Earl Grey tea . 10ml IPA syrup . 15ml lemon juice . 1 tsp marmalade . 1 dash grapefruit bitters . 1…

Former Western Cape ANC chairperson Marius Fransman says that a text message alleging that he was involved in a fist fight that left him and his opponent bloodied and bruised was aimed at discrediting him. Fransman, who was suspended from the party for five years following allegations of sexual assault, says he knows exactly who’s behind the incident. “I also know that a person in the organisation is scared because I’m available for leadership again and [they are] now conducting diversion tactics,” he said. According to the message, Fransman and Donovan Cloete, a director of Western Cape fuel company World Marine Energy, allegedly got embroiled in fisticuffs last week Friday. The message claims that their brawl resulted in significant damage to walls and furniture at the company offices. We moer…

Helen Zille stayed rent-free for almost three months in a Cape Town property owned by one of three authors of the explosive review report which recommended that then leader Mmusi Maimane be given the axe. But Zille is adamant that her stay in the holiday home of a DA donor and Capitec boss, Michiel le Roux, was not a conflict of interest, given that it was before her comeback to politics when she had retired at the end of her term as premier. City Press can reveal that the now DA federal chairperson and her husband Johann Maree stayed Le Roux’s Blouberg house between August and October last year, an arrangement which Le Roux described yesterday as helping “a friend”. Several senior DA leaders have cried foul saying that in…

Police have taken 87 people in for questioning following the deaths of nine people in Matholeville in Roodepoort, Johannesburg, on Friday. The nine Lesotho nationals, who were reportedly involved in illegal mining, were allegedly stoned to death by fellow illegal miners, known as zama zamas, from Lesotho. The bodies of the nine Lesotho citizens were found lying on a street in Matholeville, while a tenth person was seriously injured. He was taken to a local hospital, where he is being treated. “A few hours after nine people were murdered in Matholeville, provincial commissioner of the police in Gauteng, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, summoned police officers from different stations and units within the Johannesburg district and provincial office to hunt down the suspects and deal with all forms of criminality in…

An Mpumalanga council has played down the fact that seven of 20 traffic officer graduates have been found to be related to a former mayor, councillors and regional ANC leaders. The Emalahleni Local Municipality, in its investigative report leaked to City Press, said it could not prove that any of the interns linked to politicians benefited from “improper advantage”. However, the council has committed to refer the matter to the ethics committee for further investigation, despite concluding that “who you know” and family relations should not be an “unfair advantage” or “disadvantage” to opportunities offered by the municipality. “… A young person does not have any luxury to choose parents and their status and class in a society and to whom they are related is inconsequential when it comes to…

There is a mountain of reasons to be sceptical. Still, in a new paper, Amir Siraj and Avi Loeb, both astrophysicists at Harvard University, propose a wild theory of how life might have spread through the universe. They imagine millions or billions of years ago, back when the solar system was more crowded, a giant comet grazed the outer reaches of the Earth’s atmosphere. It was moving fast above the Earth’s surface — too high to burn up, but low enough for the atmosphere to slow it down a bit. Extremely hardy microbes were floating up there in its path and some of those bugs survived the collision with the ball of ice and ended up embedded deep within the comet’s porous surface. They were protected from the radiation of…

Confusion reigned this week as students at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) feared being excluded from a particular course following government’s decision to scrap national diplomas this year. A group of UJ students, who are studying for an extended civil engineering national diploma, told City Press that they were being prevented from completing their course because of a directive that was signed by Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Blade Nzimande on June 27 2016 (in his capacity then as minister of higher education and training). Nzimande’s directive formed part of government’s revised legislation, the Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework, in which drastic changes were made to academic pathways and new qualifications were introduced at higher learning institutions. The sub-framework provides new academic pathways especially for the country’s universities of…

When the touring English team rolled into town late last year, they were considered to be an average test side, ranked around where their Proteas counterparts were. Now that they’ve won the four-test series 3-1, one wonders if South African fans, already despondent because their team could not lay a glove on the tourists by the conclusion of the tests, should be worried about playing England in the ODI series, a format at which they are world champions. While the Proteas fumbled their way through their worst World Cup performance in history last year, England overcame their nerves of being hosts to scrape over the line against New Zealand to win their first world title. But Titans assistant coach Geoffrey Toyana doesn’t believe that the Proteas should be fearful approaching…

• Men and women – 20 each – will compete in separate competitions at the Olympics. • The competitions will take place in the ocean, where the condition of the waves, the direction and strength of the wind, and the ebb and flow of the tide could catch the surfers off-guard. • Four athletes will compete at any given time, but only one surfer may ride a wave at a time. The best two from each heat will continue to the next round. Each heat will run for about 30 minutes and is decided by the technical director depending on the conditions of the day. • Each surfer will be allowed to ride a maximum of 25 waves, and their two highest-scoring rides will count towards their heat total score,…

There is a passage in lawyer Peter Harris’ award-winning book, In a Different Time, in which he describes the scene and mood in the offices of Cheadle Thompson & Haysom (CTH), the law firm where he worked in apartheid’s twilight years and during the transition period. It was the morning of February 2 1990, the day of the opening of Parliament. In those days, when Parliament would open on the first Friday of February, the country would expect the usual bluster from an under-siege president PW Botha. But this time it was different. FW de Klerk had ousted Botha a year earlier and had made some unexpected moves, including releasing all the Rivonia Trialists, bar Nelson Mandela, in October 1989. So, this was going to be no ordinary apartheid president’s…

The R3.5 billion lifeline that the state-owned Development Bank of SA (DBSA) gave to SAA this week might have shocked many, but it wasn’t surprising. This was, after all, the decision that the governing ANC took at its national executive committee and lekgotla last weekend. The party agreed that it would restructure SAA at significant funding from government. This was against the proposal by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni and his team that the airline be liquidated to allow the government to start a new one. After the decision was made, it was a no brainer that the money to bailout SAA needed to be found – and quickly. The DBSA, the mandate of which is to provide long-term finance infrastructure projects to “improve the quality of life of people” and…

My local supermarket has a big banner that screams: “We are open during load shedding.” The same goes for the fruit and veggie shop nearby. Even a pharmacy and beauty retail giant has posted this message on its adverts. The message is clear: Business will operate as normal even when the country is plunged into darkness, caused by the constant load shedding implemented by power utility Eskom. Petrol generators, solar panels and other energy converters are sought-after items for households and businesses intent not only on keeping the lights on, but also on maintaining income they risk losing during power cuts. The recent Stage 6 load shedding we experienced has generated (no pun intended) even more panic in citizens, who realise that they can no longer rely on Eskom for…

ALL COMMENTS FROM CITYPRESS.CO.ZA Lucky Mazibuko Mother in me, my foot. When did favouritism, nepotism and corruption became a good deed? It’s a pity that this deputy minister will not be punished. Only in the ANC and South Africa has corruption became so normalised. If it was a junior government official somewhere it would be game over for him or her. The deputy minister must pay back the money with interest. Wasteful expenditure should be avoided at all times. Moreover, executives should be held accountable. Ntshebele Mmaswi Bapela I’m sorry for my strong language but Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu o a hlanya (is crazy) straight. She must mother with her own money, not ours. Tebogo Nkosana Tshabalala The reality is that nothing will happen to her. No one will take…

‘Capitalism as we know it is dead,” was one of the comments made during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, last week. It’s a statement I would never make, however, I consider the system to be chronically, if not terminally, ill. But like the deadly coronavirus, it is capable of mutation, its life cycle extended only at the most hideous cost to much of humanity. It is the virus itself – the capitalist system – that needs to be decisively dealt with. That was certainly not on the cards at the 50th gathering of the rich boys’ club that meets every year to bribe, bully and flatter governments, trade unions and other decision-makers to pay homage to the decadent and diseased system that keeps the WEF members in…

The seed for Retecza was planted in Doyoyo when he was appointed professor and visiting research and innovation chairperson at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) from 2007 to 2009. This appointment gave him the opportunity to collaborate with local researchers and engineering students. At the time Doyoyo was based at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, US. The collaboration inspired him to conceptualise Retecza and he wrote the document in 2007 and copyrighted it under the Georgia Institute of Technology. During its inception in South Africa in 2008, the organisation welcomed cross-disciplinary research and industrialist participants from around the world. Doyoyo sold the idea of the organisation to the EU and organised workshops. One of the outcomes of Retecza was the design and construction of a hydrogen motorbike…

The rebirth of a century-old mine is cementing Ghana’s crown as Africa’s biggest gold producer. On Wednesday, AngloGold Ashanti and President Nana Akufo-Addo marked the first gold pour at Obuasi Gold Mine in southern Ghana. The decision to reopen the mine, whose operations were idled in 2016, rings in another two-decade run for an asset with a history dating back to 1897. Obuasi is expected to add as much as 400 000 ounces or more per year to Ghana’s gold output, almost a tenth of what the west African nation produced in 2018 when it overtook South Africa as the continent’s biggest gold producer. For Ghana, the additional gold will boost foreign earnings at a time when growth in oil production is slowing and will create hundreds of jobs in…

While the global economy will no doubt be shaped by local issues in every country, international trends will affect South Africa. Here are three shifts occurring in the UK that will probably be mirrored in South Africa, albeit on a smaller scale initially: The rise of the socially conscious investor and spender The younger generation has had enough. They’re inspired by activists like Greta Thunberg, who warn that we’re not doing enough to save the planet, which will most likely reflect in investments abroad and in South Africa. There’s also going to be a lot more focus on what the leaders of a company do and say. Robert Lewenson, governance and engagement manager of the Old Mutual Responsible Investment team, explains: “Investors are starting to realise that it’s possible –…

Below we demonstrate how a simple flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town will take you months to earn, even if you’re at the top-tier of the Discovery Miles rewards game: FLIGHT DETAILS Johannesburg to Cape Town (return) Base flight: R490 Flight taxes and fees: R1 021.72 Discovery booking fee: R80 Total costs: R1 591.72 * This applies to a flight scheduled for February 4 HOW TO GET YOUR FREE FLIGHT: • Ramp up your Vitality status: You can save between 15% and 35% on flights through Vitality depending on your status. Of course, the higher up you are the more discount you’ll get. At diamond status you’ll get a 35% discount. Blue gets you 15% off. • Become a Discovery product fan: Loyalty to the brand earns you more discounts.…

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The crème de la crème of the country’s A-listers, fashion fundis and businesspeople gathered at the 158th edition of the prestigious Sun Met horse-racing event, held at Kenilworth Racecourse in Cape Town yesterday. The biggest and richest equine event on Cape Town’s social calendar, it celebrates the long history of horse-racing in South Africa. This year, TV personality and businessperson Bonang Matheba was announced as the face of the Sun Met, and her luxury beverage brand, House of BNG, was an official partner at the event. The ever-glamorous Matheba wore a stunning high-slit dress with crystal detail and a touch of turquoise – an elegant design by top Nigerian celebrity fashion designer Matopeda “Tope Fnr” Abiola. She completed her extravagant outfit with American Swiss luxury accessories. “I am very grateful…

It has been 30 years since then president FW de Klerk announced the unbanning of the African National Congress, South African Communist Party, Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) and other political organisations of the liberation movement in South Africa. His speech changed the course and politics of South Africa for ever. City Press spoke to seven prominent individuals, some of whom are still active in politics, about what that moment symbolised for them. Anti-apartheid activist and Speaker of the National Assembly Thandi Modise It didn’t amount to much for me emotionally, because it angered me. At the time I had just gotten out of prison. I had a wasted youth, in the sense that if I had been white I would have completed what I had wanted to study. This announcement…

In their memorandum to UJ, students requested: • That they be allowed to register for outstanding modules along with their practicals to enable them to graduate in 2021; • That they be granted referral letters to complete the outstanding modules elsewhere; or • That they be refunded. Esterhuizen said referral letters could be issued to allow students to go elsewhere: “The faculty will adhere to the requirement that qualifying students complete their qualification in the set time. But, in doing so, academic regulations need to be adhered to, to maintain the integrity, reputation and accreditation status of the national diploma programmes. The last cohort of students will not be unfairly advantaged compared to the previous groups of students. Finally, for legal, financial and accreditation status reasons, all national diploma programmes…

A sector education and training authority (Seta) has been rocked by allegations of nepotism and favouritism. Webster Mfebe, board and executive committee member of the construction, education and training authority (Ceta), made a scathing submission on January 15 containing these allegations to deputy president David Mabuza and Philly Mapulane, the chairperson of the parliamentary portfolio committee on higher education, science and technology. Mfebe is also the chief executive officer (CEO) of the SA Forum of Civil Engineering Contractors (Safcec), the biggest levy payer in the Ceta. In his attempt to give credence to the allegations, Mfebe cited a notice issued by Higher Education, Science and Technology Minister Blade Nzimande in December last year to place the Ceta board under administration to protect former Ceta CEO Sonja Pilusa from being held…

I was recently interviewed on radio while visiting Johannesburg and I was asked what it took to be a referee. Does it take a special breed of person who aspires to that task? My answer was quite simple: Yes, it does. You have to have nerves of steel, have a complete knowledge of the Fifa laws of the game and be extremely fit. That combination, which is achievable, is the prerequisite for anyone – man or woman – to be a good referee. You must also have the ambition to get to the top. Of course, there’s a certain amount of luck – if you believe in luck – plus trying to manoeuvre your way around the various “political” obstacles that, at times, can be a minefield. The International Football…

The Proteas women’s 3-0 series clean sweep of New Zealand in the ICC Women’s Championship this week marked several firsts as South Africa qualified for next year’s World Cup in New Zealand. The historic victory by six wickets with 76 balls to spare at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Thursday was South Africa’s first series win in New Zealand and the first series whitewash against these opponents. Proteas all-rounder Suné Luus led from the front as she also became the first player to take two six-wicket hauls in women’s ODI cricket. The milestones are seen as a great confidence-booster ahead of the team’s participation in the Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia next month.…

Wednesday Chippa United vs TS Galaxy (Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, 7.30pm) Thursday Ajax Cape Town vs TS Sporting (Athlone Stadium, 7.30pm) Friday Stellenbosch FC vs Maritzburg United (Athlone Stadium, 8pm) Saturday Passion FC vs Real Kings (Kameelrivier Stadium, 3pm) Bloemfontein Celtic vs AmaZulu (Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium, 3pm) Amavarara FC vs Super Eagles (Sisa Dukashe Stadium, 3pm) Vaal University of Technology vs Golden Arrows (Dobsonville Stadium, 3pm) Kaizer Chiefs vs Royal Eagles (FNB Stadium, 6pm) Mamelodi Sundowns vs SuperSport United (Loftus Versfeld Stadium, 8.15pm) Highlands Park vs Uthongathi (Makhulong Stadium, 8.15pm) Sunday Jomo Cosmos vs Hungry Lions (Olën Park Stadium, 3pm) Orlando Pirates vs Bidvest Wits (Orlando Stadium, 3pm) Black Leopards vs North West University (Thohoyandou Stadium, 3pm) Mbombela United vs Cape Town City (KaNyamazane Stadium, 3pm) February 11 Zizwe…

February 1990 stands out in the history of South Africa. It divides the country into two parts. The first part – 1652 to 1990 – represents a period of the political oppression of black and indigenous people. The second, 1990 to the present, represents a period of political freedom and self-determination of black South Africans. As we approach the 30th anniversary of the opening of “new” Parliament on February 2 1990 by then president FW de Klerk, large sections of the black population are asking questions about the real meaning of freedom, and whether today’s Parliament – which is set to open on Tuesday – speaks to the current challenges facing the country. These questions arise because of the persistence of poverty and inequality, stubborn unemployment, persisting racism, horrifying violence…

When news broke on December 24 that #FeesMustFall activist Kanya Cekeshe had been released in the early hours of that morning, the twitterverse exploded in celebration. There were cute quotes from his lawyer, Wikus Steyl, about the young man having missed his mother’s food during his incarceration. “The first thing he did when he got home was go straight through to the kitchen and ask his mum to make him breakfast. He said he never wants to eat prison food in his life again,” Steyl told news outlets. The elation and gushing would have had you believe that the person who had just been set free was a Salvation Army volunteer who had been wrongly accused of stealing orphans’ food when, in fact, he was on his way to feed…

I must start by confessing that I am a subscriber to the weekly letter from President Cyril Ramaphosa, titled From the desk of the President. In some way this continues the tradition first established during the Thabo Mbeki presidency, when he put out a weekly missive titled Letter from the President, which was published on the ANC website every Friday and was widely read by the chattering classes and set the news agenda for the week ahead, rightly or wrongly. Many commentators have written tomes on the importance of presidential communication. I will therefore eschew this approach and rather focus on the language of presidential communication and, in this case, Ramaphosa’s communiqué. A report by the SA Book Development Council, titled the National survey into the reading and book reading…

The ANC lekgotla pronouncement that seeks to encourage land claimants to opt for land instead of financial compensation is, in my view, a step in the right direction. A concerted effort from government, society, traditional leaders, farmers, the business sector and civil society is seriously needed to achieve this. Laws that have been crafted to deal with unjust legislation and past malpractice towards Africans, black people in particular, need to be respected by all in the name of achieving redress and social cohesion. I recently read a shocking story about a family in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) that erected a tombstone inside a school classroom and pupils had to be relocated to another school because the family felt that the school was built on the site where they had buried their loved…

We’re in between the annual chaotic processes of finding placements for pupils at schools and applying for enrolments at universities. The bridge between the two is a crucial one, especially considering South Africa’s depressing unemployment figures as well as the exponential change we’re seeing in the new skills required for disrupted business models. Just how badly our education system is preparing our students for this new world order was brought into sharp focus when I gave a trends briefing to the teaching staff of my high school alma mater. It was not so much their approach to education which was at fault but, it emerged, the pressure all schools are put under to achieve good matric results every year. One teacher explained the sorry state of affairs in a nutshell.…

The legacy of apartheid, bad policy choices by the democratic government and the corruptive governance of the Zuma years, have combined with global economic forces to land South Africa with the title of having one of the worst rates of growth and the highest levels of unemployment in the world. And in order to turn this around, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government is going to have make “politically difficult decisions” and implement them very quickly. A Centre for Development Enterprise (CDE) report released this week paints a grim picture of unemployment in South Africa, where 10.3 million people of working age are unemployed. Titled Ten Million Rising: What would it take to address South Africa’s jobs bloodbath, the report also suggests some solutions, many of which would require a major mind-set…

1 Establish your financial goals. This will enable you to put together an effective investment plan with an appropriate long-term allocation to stocks, bonds and other asset classes. 2 Start saving as early as you can. The earlier you start saving for your goals, the more time your investments will have to benefit from the compounding effect of reinvested income and capital accumulation. 3 View investing as a marathon, not a sprint. Investing your money for five years or more is generally a good idea. Investing is best suited to long-term financial goals, like saving for your retirement. 4 Don’t speculate with your life savings. Investing should not be a gamble. Speculating invariably involves buying and selling investments based on very little fundamental knowledge, and typically causes anxiety and leads…

It’s only the first few weeks of the new year, but for many it feels like they never went on a break. We lead busy and stressful lives, but to stay on top of your finances, you have to do an audit at least once or twice a year. Here is a check list to make sure you cover all your bases when it comes to your short- and long-term goals. EMERGENCY FUND I cannot stress enough the importance of an emergency fund. It can provide a financial lifeline when you need it the most. Having an emergency fund covers you in the event of an unexpected financial blow, and can help prevent you from going into debt. If you have one income, having an emergency fund gives you a…

Activist and film maker Bev Ditsie, whose stage name is BevTheFirst, has joined forces with Thoko-Ntsiki Bucibo, who goes by thontsi, and Tessa Lilly to start an all-famale band called Askies Not Sorry. The trio says the idea to form a band came when they went on a tour of southern Africa with musician Nomisupasta, real name Nomsa Mazwai. Ditsie and thontsi were back-up vocalists for Nomisupasta, while Lilly played the guitar for Thandiswa Mazwai’s all-female band. The trio has been involved in the music scene for a minute. If you remember Ditsie’s film about her journey with South African LGBTIQ and apartheid liberation icon Simon Nkoli, called Simon and I (2002), you will also remember how we learnt about her love for the guitar in the film. She plays…

In 1827 the Matabele chased a combined Bergenaar, Barolong and Bataung army, collecting their discarded firearms. The Matabele chased the retreating army westwards over the Crocodile River and towards the far banks of the Orange River. For the first time they encountered Boers, who opened fire from the far banks of the river when they saw the Matabele approaching. When the Matabele returned after the battle, Mzilikazi decided to move eastwards to the kraal of enKungwini on the Apies River. The cunning Mzilikazi turned his efforts towards learning how to use the weapons he had acquired from the fleeing Bergenaars. He sent the induna, uMncumbuta, to find a British trader he had heard of. So it was that the traders Robert Schoon and William McLuckie were the first white men…