Innholdsfortegnelse for 2/23/2020 i City Press

Giorgio Armani has been criticised for saying women are being “raped” by designers who push them to wear provocative clothing. The Italian fashion designer’s comments sparked fury, and he was accused of diminishing sexual assault during a rant against sexualisation in the industry. Armani (85), who is famed for his modest designs, said it was “time for me to say what I think” before asserting that “you can rape a woman in many ways”. He said that “throwing [a woman] in the basement” and “suggesting she dresses in a certain way” were both forms of sexual assault. “If a lady walks on the street and sees an ad with a woman with her boobs and arse in plain sight, and she wants to be like that too, that’s a way…

Union federation Cosatu is exploring two more urgent interventions which it thinks could help reduce Eskom’s spiralling debt. The first is to ask the government to “tap into billions of rands in unclaimed mineworkers’ retirement funds” and the second is to “use funds from the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF)”. The proposals follow hot in the heels of the union’s contentious initial suggestion that the government should consider tapping into its Government Employees’ Pension Fund to steady the power utility’s sky-rocketing debt. Cosatu spokesperson Sizwe Pamla told City Press that there had been a “gross misrepresentation” of its initial proposal that the government should consider tapping into the pension fund. “We have consulted our members, particularly to clarify this distortion of Cosatu’s proposal. “Unlike what some have reported, we [as Cosatu]…

A free “veggie challenge” is under way to encourage locals trying to quit meat. So far 50 000 people have signed up in the past six months to take part in the ProVeg Veggie Challenge and the Veganuary initiative. The idea is to make it easier for those considering quitting meat or reducing their intake. ProVeg SA, the local chapter of ProVeg International, is a food awareness organisation that works to transform the global food system by replacing conventional animal products with plant-based and cultivated alternatives. Donovan Will, director of ProVeg SA, said the vast majority of sign-ups were from big cities – Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, in that order. Eating plant-based foods is part of a worldwide movement in which people are choosing to eat less meat for…

“He approached me and pick up the chair that I was sitted at. I stood up, he then throw the chair. He picked me up and hit me against the door which was glass door [sic].” This statement is contained in a sworn affidavit made by Nchaupe Seabi, the 78-year-old pensioner who is suing the office of the Public Protector for R350 000 after the court found that he was assaulted by Sphelo Samuel, the parliamentary whistle-blower against Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane. In the affidavit, made on Friday in response to Samuel’s parliamentary submission, Seabi recalled the incident at the office of the Public Protector in Polokwane in December 2011. “I fell down and felt pain on my right sight. I stood up feeling extreme pain,” his statement continues. But…

Bright Khumalo, portfolio manager at Vestact Asset Management, says SAB Zenzele is a good example of a broad-based BEE scheme that has created a lot of wealth for its shareholders. “This is definitely a great step towards financial inclusion. The big companies can always do more because they have the capacity and resources to do so.” These schemes – which include Sasol Inzalo, MTN Zakhele and MultiChoice’s Phuthuma Nathi – are impacted by the economy in the same way it impacts the company listed on the JSE because these schemes are born from JSE-listed companies and don’t exist in a vacuum, says Khumalo. On what drives the success of these schemes, Khumalo says: “The success of a broad-based BEE scheme and the success of its mother company are intertwined. Some…

The pungent smell of brandy wafts out of Bab’ Dlamini’s mouth as he speaks to me. It was the same alcohol-infused smell that was present on Mzileni’s breath when I sat down to speak to him at his homestead, high up in the mountains of Sterkspruit or eHershele as it is known to its native inhabitants. Both Dlamini and Mzileni are complainants in the lawsuit that coal mine workers have lodged against Sasol – the Makoti and Others vs Sasol Mining. An advocacy group, the SA Catholic Bishops’ Conference Justice and Peace Commission, organised an opportunity for me to meet some of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. I could tell that Dlamini’s heart was heavy and that the brandy was a short-term anaesthetic which probably gave him little comfort from…

South Korea says the number of new coronavirus cases in the country has more than doubled in one day. Officials yesterday reported that 229 new cases had been confirmed since Friday, raising the total to 433. Deputy Health Minister Kim Gang-lip said the outbreak had entered “a serious new phase”. Many of the new cases are linked to a hospital and to a religious group near the south-eastern city of Daegu, authorities have said. Two patients in South Korea have died so far, and there are fears the number will rise. Daegu and nearby Cheongdo – where the hospital is situated – have been declared “special care zones”, and the streets of Daegu are reported to be largely abandoned. South Korea has reported the largest number of confirmed infections outside…

It appears that Springbok star Cheslin Kolbe’s dream of winning a World Cup and an Olympic medal in fewer than 12 months has been dashed – it has emerged that Kolbe’s international club side Toulon refused a request from the Blitzboks to release him to play in the sevens team. Kolbe, one of South Africa’s two try-scorers during the World Cup final against England last year, had hoped to run out for the Blitzboks during this year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo. But Neil Powell, the Blitzboks coach, said Toulon had refused to release him for the sevens tournament that will take place in Los Angeles in the US on February 29 and March 1. According to Powell, even a meeting between Toulouse and Rassie Erasmus, South Africa’s director of rugby,…

As the Women Proteas begin their quest for a maiden World Cup trophy this afternoon against England in Perth, Australia, they will have only one thing on their minds – execute. Not in the medieval sense, but in the way they bat, bowl and field. The South African women have had their opportunities for glory in the past, albeit few and far between, but the same mistakes kept costing them. Losing wickets in clusters, bowling well early on but wayward at the back end, and some crucial misfielding and dropped catches have all contributed to a side that has not really stepped into the top echelons of the game – yet. In their last warm-up game this week, the team came close to beating Australia for the first time in…

The first round of the Nedbank Cup has so far recorded two notable upsets in the ongoing edition of the famed Ke Yona competition. Interestingly, the two giant-slayers, Vaal University of Technology (VUT) and the Hungry Lions, will size up against the PSL big boys again today. The Mavuti Boys, as the university side is known among their followers, have a date with Mamelodi Sundowns in Atteridgeville, Pretoria, and the Lions face Baroka FC in Polokwane. Both games are taking place this afternoon. The two Safa lower-division outfits played along to the tournament’s “David versus Goliath” storyline when they knocked out fancied Lamontville Golden Arrows and Jomo Cosmos, respectively, in the Last 32. Coming from the structures that not many pay attention to, the VUT and Lions players hope only…

Friday: Maritzburg vs Stellenbosch (Harry Gwala Stadium, 8pm) Saturday Golden Arrows vs Highlands Park (Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium, 3.30pm) Orlando Pirates vs Kaizer Chiefs (FNB Stadium, 3.30pm) Chippa United vs AmaZulu (Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, 6pm) SuperSport United vs Bidvest Wits (Mbombela Stadium, 8.15pm) Sunday Polokwane City vs Black Leopards (Old Peter Mokaba Stadium) Cape Town City vs Mamelodi Sundowns (Cape Town Stadium) Bloemfontein Celtic vs Baroka (Dr Molemela Stadium) All of Sunday’s games start at 3.30pm…

Okun’s law is named after an economist who, in the 1960s, investigated the statistical relationship between a country’s unemployment rate in relation to the growth rate of its economy. According to this law, to achieve a 1% decline in the unemployment rate, real gross domestic product (GDP) must grow by about 2%. Last year, Stats SA announced that the unemployment rate stood at 29%, and the absorption rate into the labour market had decreased to 42.4%. Of the unemployed, 71.5% have been looking for work for a year or longer. National Treasury has forecast a 1.2% GDP growth in 2020, while the International Monetary Fund has lowered its GDP growth forecast to less than 1%. Whichever of these percentages is correct, both still fall short of Okun’s law. A few…

The- week- began- on- a- rather- low- note.­ Ratings- agency- Moody’s,- the- onlyone- of- the- Big- Three- that- has- beenwilling- to- cut- President- Cyril­Ramaphosa’s- administration- someslack,- cut- its- outlook- for- South­Africa’s- economic- growth- from- the- 1.5%- itpredicted- in- September- to- a- paltry- 0.7%,- which- ismore- in- line- with- other- institutions.- Last- month,­ the- World- Bank- projected- growth- of- 0.9%,- the­International- Monetary- Fund- came- in- at- 0.8%- andthe- SA- Reserve- Bank- put- it- at- 1.2%. The- only- silver- lining- in- the- statement- from­Moody’s- was- that- the- economy’s- performance- was­“well- below- the- country’s- potential”- –- words- thatwould- be- comforting- for- a- school- pupil’s- parents,­ but- not- for- a- nation’s- economy. The- Moody’s- statement- is- fundamental- as- itcomes- on- the- eve- of- Finance- Minister- Tito­Mboweni’s- budget- speech- and- just- weeks- beforethe- agency- is-…

Last week’s state of the nation address (Sona) had its fair share of drama. The EFF did exactly as it had promised in the lead-up to the Sona. It disrupted the president’s speech. Although disruption is not a new phenomenon, it demonstrated the courage of the party’s leadership and that of its members – that they could hold Parliament to ransom while making their case known. Public reaction was mixed. On the one hand, some sections of the public applauded the EFF for bringing up a heated robustness in Parliament. On the other hand, there were those citizens who thought the incident was unsavoury and undermined the decorum that goes with the Sona programme and infringed the rules of Parliament. Although freedom of speech is a constitutionally enshrined right to…

The article by Phumlani S Langa: “We’ve got the moves” (City Press, February 16 2020) makes for interesting reading, owing mainly to the fact that our creative exploits rarely get a nod in mainstream media. But let me bring to the attention of the writer some prevailing misconceptions – twalatsa, as a dance craze, was not invented by Arthur Mafokate or Lebo Mathosa as mentioned in some quarters. Twalatsa (finger twitching) was a popular dance move of the mid-1990s in Sharpeville. It originated in prisons such as Leeuhof Correctional Centre and Groenpunt Correctional Centres in and around Vereeniging. It was a covert communication channel used by inmates to plot mischief and other malice right under the warders’ noses. An inmate would communicate (twalatsa) a message to other inmates familiar with…

The Victims of Crime Survey for 2018/19 makes for depressing reading. The police recorded 52 420 sexual offences (the ones that were reported). Of the 497 093 incidences of assault, 256 488 were against women. The survey didn’t specify gender in murder cases, but police data from 2017/18 indicate that 2 930 women were murdered that year. These are serious statistics. They speak to the heart of a fractured nation – one that is struggling to pull itself out of dark and troubled times. And then, in Parliament this week, we heard as two of our most senior leaders – President Cyril Ramaphosa and EFF leader Julius Malema – were accused of domestic violence. I don’t want to think about the repercussions if these allegations are true. So, let’s focus…

While drivers may be jubilant about the possibility of having their cars serviced far more cheaply, multinational vehicle manufacturers are calling the Competition Commission proposals about the issue a “punitive approach”. According to draft guidelines published in the Government Gazette, car owners can choose where to have a vehicle under warranty serviced and are not required to service it at manufacturer-approved dealers in order for the warranty to remain valid. The movement Right2Repair (R2R), which fights for the rights of consumers in this regard, has welcomed the draft guidelines. The Motor Industry Workshop Association (Miwa) and the SA Motor Body Repairers’ Association (Sambra) are thrilled about the additional choices consumers will have, as well as the opportunity that this will open for independent service providers. Miwa represents more than 2…

The 3.5% of individuals in the country with the highest income – more than R1 million a year – collectively pay more than 38% of the total personal income tax that the state collects. Maarten Ackerman, chief economist of Citadel Investment Services, said this made it clear that Finance Minister Tito Mboweni had little room to manoeuvre when it comes to introducing an additional tax burden during his budget speech on Wednesday. Ackerman said he believed many of the estimated 98 000 South Africans who emigrated last year fell into the top income bracket and had sought-after skills that South Africa needed. The state’s financial situation is dire. Last year, it was budgeted that income would grow by 8.6%, but the figure now stands at 4.8%, which will have an…

Mike writes: I went under debt review, however, it seems that my debt counsellor is no longer operational. I am still paying my monthly instalment to the Payment Distribution Agency, but what is happening to the debt counselling fee that is part of that payment? City Press replies: If your debt counsellor is no longer registered or has failed to provide an ongoing service, you can contact the National Credit Regulator or the National Consumer Tribunal, which will conduct the necessary investigations and, if the consumer is correct, they will instruct the Payment Distribution Agency not to distribute fees to the debt counsellor. The fees can then rather be added to the instalment amount that is paid to the creditors so that the debt is paid off sooner. You also…

Moitheki writes: I chose the Flexi option with FNB when applying for a smart bond and my primary goal is to reduce my monthly instalments whenever I deposit extra funds. Will that happen or will the funds sit in reserve for future use? Buyisile Maseko, growth head gold sub-segment, FNB Home Finance, replies: Any surplus funds paid in excess of your monthly repayment is available as prepaid funds (Flexi). Should the customer want to reduce the monthly repayment, the prepaid (additional amounts paid) will be used to reduce the monthly repayment amount. This means that there are no longer any prepaid funds available for withdrawal at the point of requesting the reduction. The prepaid funds will accumulate again from this point and will be available via the Flexi option. Should…

From page 1 Van Rooyen reiterated that some ANC members had been captured by “white monopoly capital” and were being used to fight the battles of people who had accumulated their wealth during the apartheid era. Referring to himself as a member of the national RET movement, he shared his belief that Zuma was being used as a “scapegoat” for the problems the country was facing. Van Rooyen said he believed this was a deliberate attempt to divert South Africans from real issues affecting the country. He said that “people were being bought” and used the ANC’s 54th elective conference in 2017 – where Ramaphosa was elected to lead the governing party – as an example. “They are buying people left, right and centre. We have seen what happened at…

The ink on the actors’ contracts has hardly dried and already there is behind-the-scenes drama on the set of new TV series The Omen. The Mzansi Magic production, which went on air month ago, is embroiled in a dispute over the non-payment of actors. City Press sister publication, Sunday Sun, can reveal that actors including Lesley Musina, Ayanda Bandla and Mamarumo Marokane were not paid on time last month. This was after M-Net, which commissioned the show, allegedly moved the goalposts in the middle of production. “We do understand that things don’t always run smoothly during production, but when you don’t get paid for weeks that becomes a problem. We have families to feed,” said one actor who asked to remain anonymous. The actor added: “The sad part is that…

• The scheme, which remains subject to shareholder approval, will replace and build on the success of SAB Zenzele with the intention of generating value for existing and new BEE investors. • The R5.4 billion SAB Zenzele Kabili transaction will be funded through a combination of a R678 million equity contribution from existing SAB Zenzele shareholders, a R600 million equity contribution from a new broad-based employee share ownership plan funded by SAB, a R344 million reinvestment by the SAB Foundation Trust, R811 million of AB InBev discounted shares from SAB and R2.9 billion of 10-year preference share vendor funding from SAB. • SAB Zenzele Kabili shareholders will be able to trade their SAB Zenzele Kabili shares from the outset and will be entitled to receive dividends.…

A review panel that overturned the dismissal of University of Witwatersrand professor Mulala Danny Simatele found that the first disciplinary hearing accepted hearsay without properly weighing up factual evidence. This was among the findings listed in a review panel report, dated September 9 2019. It details how procedures were not followed ahead of a decision to fire Simatele. The report found that: • The panel at the initial hearing had found Simatele “guilty of misconduct in relation to each complaint”. But the panel did not indicate which evidence in relation to which particular charge, on a balance of probabilities, proved that Simatele committed the misconduct he was accused of. “In the absence of a proper list of charges, coming to a finding in respect of each complaint is problematic,” the…

World-renowned South African innovator and engineer Professor Mulalo Doyoyo has welcomed government’s plan to open a new science and innovation university in Gauteng which he says could address the country’s most pressing challenges. President Cyril Ramaphosa during his state of the nation address last week announced that a new university would be established in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. But Doyoyo warned that the university would fail to have an impact if it did not tackle the challenges such as power supply, water and sanitation, infrastructure, agriculture, transportation, pollution, economics and business administration. He said it should incubate geniuses from all walks of life, identify talented youngsters from an early age and tape into the country’s indigenous knowledge to develop innovators to resolve local technology challenges and create new industries. Doyoyo said that…

I don’t think there is any doubt that players and coaches are becoming more disruptive and disrespectful of decisions made by referees if they don’t suit them. Even if the game has only just started, the protests and complaints flow freely. Well, it seems that the first country to try to tackle this cancer in our game is Germany. Ahead of the second half of the 2019/20 Bundesliga season, it seems the Deutscher Fussball-Bund (German Football Association) has advised its referees to act more strictly and not compromise. On the first match day after the winter break, German football is in the middle of a controversial debate about a growing number of yellow cards and game bans. While critics claim referees are losing independence and any margin of personal judgement,…

Goals by Olivier Giroud and Marcos Alonso gave Chelsea a 2-1 victory against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur yesterday to strengthen the Blues’ hold on fourth place in the Premier League. Chelsea defender Antonio Rüdiger scored a late own goal in the last minute, giving Spurs some hope. Chelsea now hold a four-point lead over Spurs as a number of teams chase fourth place, which would allow them to qualify for the lucrative Champions League. Although the home side dominated the early play, the first chance of the game fell to Spurs as Argentine Giovani Lo Celso’s shot was blocked by a defender, but the ball fell to Lucas Moura, whose shot from the edge of the area was well saved by Wilfredo Caballero, who was again given the nod ahead…

After- a- week- of- drama- in- the- National­Assembly,- where- MPs- squared- off- andinsulted- one- another- without- any- intentionof- engaging- with- the- priorities- of- the- state- of- thenation- address- (Sona),- President- Cyril- Ramaphosafinally- restored- order- on- Thursday. The- level- of- debate- and- the- behaviour- of- the- MPshad- gone- to- the- gutters- since- last- Thursday- whenthe- EFF- delayed- the- start- of- the- Sona- proceedingsby- almost- two- hours.­ MPs- from- the- EFF- and- the- ANC- were- the- mostguilty- of- playing- childish- politics,- trying- tooutmuscle- one- another- by- demonstrating- who- wasthe- most- powerful- and- influential- in- Parliament.- Itreached- the- point- where- EFF- leader- Julius- Malemapointed- to- ANC- MPs,- calling- them- fools- andclaiming- cheaply- that- he- was- in- charge.­ In- return,- the- ANC- MPs- spent- a- long- time- tryingto- prove- he- was- not- in- charge.-…

Boy child strikes The man called Our Perfect Wedding and “the penguin” for his white tuxedo suit, Boy Mamabolo, this week admitted that he made up false accusations of domestic violence against EFF leader Julius Malema. Mamabolo said he had been briefed by a seemingly fictional group called Friends of Mantoa. Siyaheba suggests that the young man go back to school immediately before further embarrassing himself. In his apology to the Malemas, Mamabolo said he wished the couple a “Happy Malema Family. Jealous must never brake (sic) you”. What the hell did he mean? Please put a brake on this. Role modelling Ever heard of the saying “it’s not so much about the shoes, but the person wearing them”? Well, in this case it was more about the shoes which…

The SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) joined the rest of South Africa in congratulating the International Moot Court champions – Team SA – on their phenomenal win at the fifth International School Moot Court Competition in Gdynia, Poland, on January 31 this year. Early last year the commission became the lead institution in presenting the National Schools Moot Court Competition (NSMCC) with our main partners being the departments of basic education and justice and constitutional development and the Centre for Human Rights. This provided an opportunity to all grades 10 and 11 pupils to participate in the competition. The national competition kicked off with pupils writing an essay on a predetermined hypothetical human rights issue. Top performers reached a provincial round which consisted of argumentation around the human rights issue,…

All comments from citypress.co.za Gladys Malesa Isibaya is so much more interesting without her. I don’t even feel that she was in it. The writers did the right thing to kill off her character because she was as boring as hell. I think her part was stagnant because the writers didn’t know what to do with her. She will definitely not be missed. Ciano Maropeng What value did she add to the show? Looks like those who run the show know what they are doing. I don’t usually watch the show. Thapelo Dossy Maduku She played a lead role only in season 1. Then for the other six seasons she was nowhere to be found. Lakaz Good Newz Nhau Can they also go to Generations: The Legacy and…

While going through my socials and timeline in the past few days, I noticed the hashtag #SoWhatImPregnant trending on Twitter. Women shared shocking stories of how their employers/ former employers had discriminated against them while they were pregnant. Some shared how they were dismissed as a result. I could not believe that women in corporate South Africa are experiencing such discrimination when there are laws that are supposed to protect them. The stories shared by these women are horrendous and shocking. Here are some of the summarised tweets: “My colleague was told to have an abortion if she needed the job; “I can’t get pregnant otherwise I’ll lose my job”; and “I was demoted due to my pregnancy.” One woman tweeted that she was demoted when she returned from maternity…

SA Express owes creditors a staggering R2.7 billion – and the figure keeps growing every day, the troubled airline’s business rescue practitioner, Daniel Terblanche, has revealed. Addressing an emotionally charged creditors’ meeting at the Killarney Country Club in Johannesburg yesterday, Terblanche said the figure was not final as his office was receiving more claims from creditors every day. “The total claims amount to R2.7 billion, the company’s assets stand at about R1.9 billion, while the net liability is sitting at R747 million. But the figures change every day,” he said. The airline’s creditors include Nordic Aviation Capital, Rand Merchant Bank, Flyfofa Airways, Transnet, Mthatha Airport and Airports Company SA. A creditor who attended the meeting told City Press that the airline’s biggest creditor is Rand Merchant Bank, which is reportedly…

‘There is no historical precedent to put words in the mouth of a president,” sang Sting about the outcome of what would be mutually assured destruction during the Cold War between the US and the then Soviet Union in the 1980s. As far as he was concerned, the only thing that could save the world was if “the Russians loved their children too”, because, if they dared to push the red button, the Americans would fire a return salvo. I agree with Sting, especially about not putting words into the mouth of a president. The picture I saw on social media of President Cyril Ramaphosa during this week’s debate about his state of the nation address (Sona) – hand on his head, eyes like a boxer who hopes the referee…

Richard Branson’s Virgin brand launched an adults-only cruise ship arm that opens in April, just as the fast-growing sector suffers its most serious setback in years from the coronavirus outbreak. Scarlet Lady, unveiled in Dover, England, on Friday, aims to bring “the luxe experience of a boutique hotel to the sea”, the billionaire said in a statement about the first of four new vessels that will form the Virgin Voyages fleet. While the ship will be based in Miami, US, for voyages in the Caribbean – thousands of miles from the Asian epicentre of the virus – it’s not clear what impact the epidemic will have on wider demand. The ordeal of 3 700 people held on board a vessel in Yokohama, Japan, as disease spread among passengers has made…

R20.76 The national minimum wage per hour in SA as from March 1. The country’s minimum wage will increase by roughly 3.8%, in line with annual inflation but far below the level that unions had wanted. The new national minimum wage was announced by Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi in a notice published on Monday 10 000 The number of feet (3 048m) above sea level at which barley and yeast was grown to produce Jiu Hai Bu Gan Sadhana, a vintage single malt from Tibet. The single malt was aged for nine years in special porcelain amphorae and later finished for six years in used American bourbon casks and French oak barrels from Sauternes and Layon in the Loire Valley. The barley comes from a Tibetan monastery, and…

Faced with South Africa’s weak fiscal position and downgrades by ratings agencies, in his 2020/21 budget speech Finance Minister Tito Mboweni should outline tangible structural reforms which will lead to the development of provincial economies and the resuscitation of industry in the country. Such reforms will significantly change the fabric of the country’s economy, according to the president of the newly launched SA United Business Confederation George Sebulela. Sebulela, a member of the Presidential Advisory Group chaired by President Cyril Ramaphosa and his deputy David Mabuza, spoke to City Press this week, ahead of Mboweni’s budget speech next week. The former secretary of the Black Business Council said he was always baffled by government’s continued sidelining of provincial economies, given that they have so much potential. He said if managed…

Nomfanelo writes: I bought a property in February last year and I am renting it out through a rental agency. They send me a statement of levies every month and told me I should submit this to the SA Revenue Service (Sars). I don’t understand why. City Press replies: When you fill in your tax return, you must include your rental income as this forms part of your total income, and it is taxable. The rental agency will also be required to share this information with the taxman, so don’t think that not declaring it will avoid tax. The good news is that you can deduct any expense associated with the property. This would include the rental agency fee, levies and maintenance. You can also deduct the interest portion on…

Less than two months into the new year, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) has already issued several warnings about potential scam artists. Criminals are becoming more sophisticated and we need to take extra care before handing over our hard-earned cash. BLUE ALPHA ALLIANCE GROUP The FSCA received information that there is a person soliciting funds from people, purporting to act for a company named the Blue Alpha Alliance Group. Blue Alpha Alliance Group offers share investments in the “Uber and Taxify business”. The group is using the name and logo of a legitimate financial service provider, Blue Alpha Investment Management (Pty) Ltd FSP 118. Blue Alpha Investment Management is in no way associated with Blue Alpha Alliance Group. It is the FSCA’s view that the above-mentioned entity is an…

Rapper YoungstaCPT is a rare talent. He dropped one of the most impressive albums last year with his debut, Things Take Time. And he has held down the best lyricists of the year award for two years in a row, according to the SA Hip-Hop Awards. Now, the Cape Crusader has merch to go along with the movement. Y?GEN Apparel has been smart in making itself visible, recently collaborating with rapper Riky Rick to create Cotton Giemba T-shirts (R300) for this year’s Cotton Fest. The overall feel of its work is laid-back, much like the city of Cape Town, with an off-kilter style. Cape Town brands tend to look like Cape Town brands. You could rock the gear on the beach or while hiking and then flip it to hit…

Let us know. Send an email to tipoff@citypress.co.za SUBSCRIBE TO CITY PRESS IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS AROUND THE HOME DELIVERY OF YOUR NEWSPAPER OR WANT TO SUBSCRIBE, THE DETAILS BELOW WILL HELP CONTACT CENTRE NUMBER: 0861 248 977 087 353 1300 EMAIL ADDRESS: subscribers@citypress.co.za NEW SUBSCRIBERS SMS LINE: SMS “SUBS” to 32368 SUBSCRIPTIONS WHATSAPP NUMBER 087 353 1333 Subscribe (retailers) • On The Dot Retail contact number: 0861 888 989 • On the Dot retail email address: assistance@onthedot.co.za PRESS COUNCIL City Press subscribes to the Code of Ethics and Conduct for South African Print and Online Media that prescribes news that is truthful, accurate, fair and balanced. If we don’t live up to the Code, please contact the Public Advocate at 011 484 3612, fax: 011 484 3619. You…

When what was then SABMiller first announced its proposed broad-based BEE transaction back in 2009, it said the ownership transaction reflected the company’s long-standing and continuing commitment to socioeconomic progress in South African society. Richard Rivett-Carnac, director of mergers and acquisitions and treasury at SAB and AB InBev Africa, said that, from the outset, it was important to deliver real economic benefits to the lives of thousands of South Africans. One such South African is Jane Makhanya, owner of Getty’s Tavern in Tembisa. She inherited the business from her mother, but, like many entrepreneurs, she faced many struggles before she triumphed. When the SAB Zenzele scheme was launched in 2010, reps from the company explained how it would work, and Makhanya invested R5 000. She says she used her dividends…

Track and field, together with swimming, have traditionally delivered medals for Team SA at the Olympic Games since the country’s readmission to international competition. This time around, however, the prospects look bleak as there are no guarantees that two great medal winners – Wayde van Niekerk and Caster Semenya – will be there. Without the two megastars, Team SA returned from the World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, last year with not a single medal. While it remains uncertain whether Semenya, who is awaiting a court decision to determine whether she will be able to defend her Olympic 800m title in Tokyo or not, the country is also crossing its fingers for Van Niekerk to finally return to full fitness to boost the team’s medal hopes. Last weekend, Semenya made…

sports@citypress.co.za Real Madrid fans are hoping that Manchester City will play their second-last Champions League match on Wednesday – until 2022, at least. The Citizens, who have be slapped with a two-year ban by Uefa from the lucrative competition for breaching the financial fair play regulations, travel to the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in the Spanish capital for the first leg of their Round of 16 match. City, of course, have already announced that they will appeal the ruling and go into the tie against Real Madrid believing they have what it takes to prevail, with both scenarios potentially extending their Champions League run. Even though they are still involved in the FA Cup and will face Aston Villa in the final of the League Cup, their season has been nothing…

Data- are- crucial- to- the- running- of- anysuccessful- entity.- A- country- is- no- different.­ Without- the- numbers,- a- government- can’tknow- where- to- direct- resources.- It- can’t- plan.- Acountry- will- crash. Yet- the- government- has- willingly- managed- tothrottle- one- of- the- country’s- most- crucial- and- mosteffective- national- entities- –- Stats- SA. Stats- SA- is- at- a- tipping- point- thanks- togovernment- cuts.- Funding- of- R160-million- has- beenslashed.- Posts- have- been- frozen;- 20%- of- positionsare- vacant.- People- work- six- to- seven- days- a- week. We- are- all- for- cost-cutting- but- it- is- important- tocut- costs- in- the- right- places.- Throttling- Stats- SA- willkill- the- web- of- information- that- is- the- bedrock- ofsociety.- It- infringes- on- the- rights- of- all- South­Africans- to- information- and- it- inhibits- the- ability- ofthe- policymakers- to- make- crucial- decisions.…

I- always- thought- the- price- you- see- isthe- price- you- pay,- as- one- store’s- payoff- line- goes. I- thought- if- you- see- the- same- productwith- two- different- prices,- you’d- naturallyopt- for- the- one- that- charges- the- lowest- –­ but- I- was- wrong. Can- you- imagine- my- shock- when- Iwas- told- that- the- price- that- wasdisplayed- in- the- catalogue- was- wrongand- –- surprise,- surprise- –- I- was- shown- adifferent- catalogue- with- a- different- pricefor- the- same- product.- I- was- gobsmackedand- left- without- buying- anything.- I- don’talways- agree- that- a- customer- is- alwaysright.- But,- in- this- case,- I- think- I- wasright,- 100%. Before- you- wonder- what- I’m- talkingabout,- here- is- my- story:- Last- week- I- sawan- advert- with- what- looked- like- a- realbargain- at- Food- Lovers- Market- –- fourmangoes- for- R20.- I-…

The call by the self-declared guardians of the revolution, the EFF, for the Norwegian Nobel Committee to strip former president FW de Klerk of his Nobel Peace Prize peels away another layer of a veil they have draped themselves in as internationalists and revolutionaries. No self-respecting left-wing formation would make such an infantile call. It exposes the EFF as having validated the committee as a structure worthy of its high standards and social accreditation. I harbour no intention of insulting the red berets, but it must be pointed out that De Klerk deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. The committee, by saying it has not stripped anyone who becomes a disgrace to their prize, is escapist. De Klerk, much like fellow laureate Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar, earned the award…

R1.6bn IN SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR, A R1.6 BILLION EMERGENCY FUND  WAS SET ASIDE TO FIGHT GBV AND AN ADDITIONAL R500 MILLION MENTIONED THAT OCTOBER BY RAMAPHOSAIN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLYI wish to borrow the words of one Charles de Gaulle, a French army officer and statesman, who once said: “I have come to the conclusion that politics is too serious a matter to be left to politicians.” It is becoming more and more important for ordinary citizens who are not members of political parties to voice their opinions about the business of politics and the state of the nation. It becomes imperative to do so as our trust in politicians continues waning.Our society is experiencing a massive crisis of gender-based violence (GBV). The rate at which women and children are being…

Too Black to Wear Whites by Jonty Winch and Richard Parry Penguin Random House 276 pages R260 The possible selection of Krom Hendricks in the South African touring side was to become a fundamental political issue in the Cape during the early months of 1894. The unfolding controversy would involve the Cape government at its highest level and attract the attention of numerous prominent figures in the game. The role of Malay and coloured cricketers in the broader social context was a key battle in the ongoing war over South African identity. Harry Cadwallader, as the tour’s leading promoter, wanted the side to be the strongest possible combination and, given the available talent in black cricket, to be fully representative of the country’s population. He was aware that Hendricks and…

Hopefully, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has some fresh ideas to improve our retirement savings. It is time for the legislators to reassess the state of retirement savings in South Africa and chart their own course. The focus on cost saving needs to shift to financial inclusion and quality of outcome. Ours is a voluntary tax incentivised savings system. Employers have a choice to enrol their employees in the system and with greater member choice, employees decide their level of savings. A measure of the success of the system would also be the extent to which the working population is covered and whether the benefits delivered are adequate. From the 2018 National Treasury tax statistics, there are only 4.7 million taxpayers in the system of an estimated 16.5 million workers. We…

If the Competition Commission gets its way, the days of the beleaguered Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) are numbered, Roelof Botha, an economist from the Optimum Investment Group, said this week. If the commission’s far-reaching recommendations are carried out, Prasa will only retain its technical division and its long-distance train service, Shosholoza Meyl. But, to add insult to injury, it has been reported that the Shosholoza Meyl service was suspended by the Railway Safety Regulator on Friday following an earlier accident. At a news conference in Pretoria, Competition Commission commissioner Tembinkosi Bonakele said the Autopax bus service, Prasa’s property company Prasa Cres and Metrorail should be unbundled from the agency. Prasa has been on its knees for some time, and Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula placed it under administration in…

‘Give us electricity,” says Peter Owyia, cobbler, “I will double my daily production.” Peter’s calculation was common among the estimated 50 000 shoe, belt, and bag makers in Ariaria market in the city of Aba in southeast Nigeria’s Abia State. With each cobbler producing an average of 50 shoes per day, it’s a hive of industrial activity in the most unlikely place. Abia’s shoes, boots and sandals are famous throughout Nigeria and, increasingly, as the French labels on some products hint, now in parts of west Africa. Underfoot is a sludge of mud, plastic and goodness knows what else. The road outside is a slippery track, temporarily worsened by a project to install a parallel concrete drain. Just inside the entrance is a man focused on fixing a large pile…

The good news is that the US doesn’t seem to make the often loathed assumption that Africa is one big country. The less good news is that its trade relations with the continent’s 55 countries could become increasingly fragmented. On his first trip to Africa as secretary of state, Mike Pompeo focused on business ties as he met with officials in Senegal, Angola and Ethiopia this week. While in Addis Ababa, Pompeo said US President Donald Trump “loves deals” and “wants more to happen between the US and nations all across Africa”. This comes two weeks after Washington announced it intended to start talks for a free trade deal with Kenya. The only other such pact is with Morocco. However, on the same trip, Pompeo took a swipe at South…

XOLA WRITES: I am thinking of applying for a student loan. What are the things I need to consider before and while applying? CITY PRESS REPLIES: The best student loan is one where you are only borrowing for a year at a time. In other words, you pay off the loan each year. In some cases, banks will provide a longer-term loan, but parents have to sign surety and not everyone has a parent who is in a position to do so. THE ONE-YEAR LOAN Have a budget: Make sure you can afford the loan and that you have some money left over for emergencies. Plan for the full course: By taking out a loan over one year and repaying it during the year, you can ensure you are able…

Cobus writes: A family member is promoting Mirror Trading International across the country and investing a lot of his own money. The website’s investment calculator (supposedly foreign exchange, or forex, investments) projects an almost 300% yearly growth for investors. Other info on the website includes “conservative assumptions of 10% per month”. Because this company is based in South Africa, I feel an even bigger need to spread the word and protect our people. City Press replies: This is most likely a scam. It meets all the criteria of over-promising on returns and using less understood financial instruments such as “forex” or “crypto” to fool people into believing that they can obtain these types of returns. It is impossible to guarantee any return above a bank interest rate, and forex trading…

Soweto-born actress Natasha Thahane is taking on many new faces and phases with her career. Not only is she the new dazzling face of the Garnier Even & Matte campaign, she’s also a heart-hardened prisoner in season 5 of prison drama Lockdown on Showmax. Thahane’s character, Katlego, is Monde’s (Zola Nombona) sister who’s been transferred to Kgotsong Asylum after being framed for the murder of Masabata (Nthati Moshesh) . Thahane, who we first met as Enhle in the SABC1 soapie Skeem Saam, says she embraces her new role and wants it to be a positive contribution to stopping the stigma of mental illness in black communities. “It was exciting yet challenging because these are things that actually happen to people. “Having to tap into that character, I looked at conversations…