Innholdsfortegnelse for 3/1/2020 i City Press

Officials at the SA Civil Aviation Authority (Sacaa) identified the continued use of a small passenger plane as posing an increased safety risk two days before the Cessna Citation crashed, killing three crew members. But a preliminary investigation into the crash, conducted by Sacaa, suggests that the crash on January 23 was caused by human error. In a memorandum presented at Sacaa’s audit and risk committee meeting on January 21, which City Press has seen, it was identified that the use of the 34-year-old aircraft posed “increased safety risk, brought about by the unpredictability of some of the ageing components of the aircraft”. Further, the document identified the following as risks associated with the continued used of the aircraft: • Parts not readily available owing to the age of the…

More than R24 million was allegedly stolen from the coffers of the department of higher education, science and technology by a syndicate headed by a top official in the department. City Press understands that the alleged mastermind, who worked in the human resource unit and had access to the payment system, resigned in May 2018. A month after the officer quit, a whistle-blower who wanted to upgrade their qualifications tipped off the department about the fraudulent misuse of an allowance meant for lectures in the Community Education and Training (CET) colleges – formerly known as Adult Basic Education and Training colleges. This benefit came into effect in 2014, two years before the department employed the officer, who was then allegedly being investigated for misconduct by Orbit Technical and Vocational Education…

Rustenburg mayor Mpho Khunou has given the strongest indication so far that he is ready to step up and lead the ANC in North West. At a branch event on Tuesday he publicly took on provincial strongman and former premier Supra Mahumapelo. Khunou tore into the former provincial ANC chairperson for making “threatening” comments at a rally to welcome home former president Jacob Zuma last Saturday at OR Tambo International Airport. Mahumapelo made the comments in reference to the warrant of arrest that was issued against Zuma following his failure to attend proceedings in his corruption trial on the grounds that he had been out of the country for medical treatment. The warrant was suspended until Zuma’s next court appearance in May. Khunou said the country should not be misled…

ATHLETICS • Indoor World Championships due to be held in Nanjing, China, rescheduled for next year. • Only elite athletes are allowed to compete in the Tokyo Marathon next month. BADMINTON • The China Masters tournament scheduled to be played in Hainan, China, has been postponed. • The Olympic qualifier in Vietnam has been postponed and, although the tournament will be held later, it will not be a qualifier for Tokyo. FOOTBALL • Chinese Super League, which was meant to start this week, has been postponed. • China women’s team held in quarantine and Olympic qualifiers moved from China to Australia. • The start of South Korea’s professional league postponed. • Italian Serie A matches postponed and have to be played behind closed doors. • Europa League game between Inter…

Juventus could take a major step towards winning a ninth consecutive Scudetto tonight – except nobody will see it. La Vecchia Signora host Inter Milan in a match that will be played behind closed doors as fears of the coronavirus have prompted officials to ban all sporting contests in six areas of northern Italy. The only matches that are allowed to go ahead in the six regions are Serie A games, but they have to be played behind closed doors. The game between the two Serie A challengers will, of course, be broadcast on television, but it still puts I Nerazzurri at an advantage as Juve will not have their home supporters in the stadium. Juventus currently lead the standings with 60 points from their 25 matches, while Lazio are…

After an incident last Sunday when a disgruntled man invaded the pitch with his car and almost mowed down players and match officials during an ABC Motsepe League game in Letlhabile in Brits, North West, Safa has called for serious action to be taken against those who put match officials’ lives at risk. The game was a fixture between Polokwane City Rovers and Luka Ball Controllers. The Safa referees’ department told City Press this week that it had contacted the office of the minister of sport and the police to seek “guidance and intervention” on the matter. Safa head of referees Tenda Masikhwa said: “The issue with regard to the incident of the motor vehicle falls outside the domain of refereeing, although any report that may be submitted by the…

The novel coronavirus is spreading fast. It has hit Africa, with Algeria, Egypt and, as of Thursday, Nigeria confirming cases in their countries. This is foreboding because earlier this month, The Lancet medical journal released a study suggesting that Egypt, Algeria and South Africa were at high risk due to high levels of travel and trade with China. The study found that Egypt, Algeria and South Africa had “the most prepared health systems on the continent”. But are we prepared enough? On Tuesday, a media release from the portfolio committee on tourism and the portfolio committee on health assured South Africans that all precautions were being taken. It said that, “at the ports of entry in Johannesburg and Cape Town, medical personnel from the communicable disease unit were inspecting and…

It’s tragic watching an old man struggling to his feet, supported on either side so he doesn’t fall, reaching for his walker. He looks ashen, shaken; that’s because, despite his best efforts to muzzle and terrify his accusers, he’s been caught out. Justice has come knocking and she’s not in a merciful mood. Harvey Weinstein being held to account this week in court is a triumph. His attempts to drum up sympathy and showcase himself as vulnerable is the last fallback for these types of bad men whose modus operandi is to prey on the vulnerable. Another old man had to answer a long-delayed knock from Lady Justice last year. Bruno Dey, a 93-year-old former Schutzstaffel guard, was facing 5 230 counts of accessory to murder for his activities in…

It is a stormy Saturday morning, and the rain is pelting down as I make my way to my local bakery for my weekly coffee and pastry fix. However, the intensity of the rain somewhat spoils my weekly indulgence, as I scan the nearby traffic intersection for Sizwe, the local newspaper seller, who is also the recipient of some baked goods every Saturday morning. I eventually see him valiantly trying to sell some papers in the pouring rain. He’s cowering under an umbrella and, like his stock, he’s wrapped himself in bin bags, trying to keep dry. It seems ludicrous for him to even attempt to sell a newspaper out in the open in this weather, but he has no other option. Sizwe and Patrick (who sells Homeless Talk) used…

All comments from citypress.co.za Chanelle Venter Our children are the future. No innocent child should ever be hurt, molested, raped or killed. I fully agree that the death penalty should be reinstated. Aneeqah Hendricks Yes, bring back the death penalty for rapists. Thejal Padayachee This is the only way to rid our country of the scum that takes lives and walks among us. Lizell Yes, I agree, but it must be a very harsh one. Tie them up with chains and burn them to death; they must feel what that child and woman went though. Enough is enough. Tebogo I agree, it’s the best way to deal with these criminals. Gloria Andipatin The death penalty should be given to child rapists, murderers and police killers. Anwar Yes, it…

When the EFF disrupted the state of the nation address (Sona) a few weeks ago, it cited two reasons for its theatrics. The first had to do with the presence at Sona of FW de Klerk, the last apartheid president. The party charged that he was “an unrepentant apartheid apologist who committed crimes against humanity”. At face value, the extension of an invitation to De Klerk, and his recognition as a former leader in democratic South Africa appear to be morally reprehensible. After all, De Klerk massacred black people, right? But it turns out that De Klerk was not the only man in Parliament that day with a record of committing crimes against humanity, if the EFF’s standard of morality is anything to go by. There was another old man,…

Kole Meets Mama Winnie’s Southern African Friends by Koketso Lediga Self-published 64 pages R200 Instead of visiting her cousins for the school holidays, as she always does, this time Kole is going with her mum on a beach holiday. At first, Kole is disappointed: she will miss spending time with her cousins, and is anticipating a boring and lonely holiday. But Kole needn’t have worried. Kole Meets Mama Winnie’s Southern African Friends tells the story of a little girl who embarks on a historical journey with political icons. While playing, Kole meets an imaginary friend, who turns out to be Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. Mama Winnie, as Kole calls her, keeps her company and introduces her to some of her friends from South Africa, Mozambique and Botswana. Mama Winnie can read Kole’s…

The debates will rumble on in the coming weeks about what the precise effects of the latest budget will be. And much of this discussion will almost certainly be about how the “middle class” is coping. This constantly referred to social category is presented as comprising South African individuals and families aspiring to higher status and enjoying fairly comfortable lifestyles, but suffering under the burden of growing debt. Many commentators and the mainstream media also inform us that the majority of this class is made up of relatively new entrants from previously disadvantaged backgrounds. Into this comes the narrative about “black tax” and the role this plays in effectively impoverishing members of this group in relation to their peers in the formerly privileged — white — segment of society. It…

For the first time in the history of South Africa, former mine employees have become owners of a mine they used to work at. Exxaro Resources, one of the largest black-owned mining companies in the country, has decided to hand over full ownership of Arnot coal mine, situated between Middelburg and Carolina in Mpumalanga, to its former employees and nearby communities. The company acquired Arnot from Eyesizwe Coal following its creation in 2006. Arnot had a 40-year coal-supply agreement with Eskom for the nearby Arnot Power Station. The agreement lapsed on December 31 2015, leading to the closure of the mine and retrenchment of employees. A 2016 prefeasibility study on the commercial viability of Arnot, however, found that there were still several areas that could be mined. No reserves have…

It’s a shocking statistic: for stocks, the fastest correction in history. Can it be true that, in a century spanning the Great Depression and the global financial meltdown, investors have never faced worse? But to see how markets turned so sour so fast, you need to recall how euphoric they just were. As recently as two Wednesdays ago, with coronavirus headlines everywhere, Apple was capping off a rally that had added $600 billion (R9.38 trillion) to its value in eight months. Lookalike run-ups in all manner of tech megacaps pushed valuations in the Nasdaq 100 to a two-decade high. In just three months, Tesla’s market cap shot from $40 billion to $170 billion, while a pack of dodgy microcaps, hawking space vacations and fuel cells, were trading hundreds of millions…

A brewing fight about which country has the right to tax some of the world’s most profitable companies, including Facebook and Google, could devolve into a multifront trade war, regardless of whether US President Donald Trump remains in the White House. Even if a democrat becomes the US president in November, it could be tempting to continue the Trump administration’s policy of using trade sanctions to retaliate against new taxes on US tech companies. A tit-for-tat trade war is already building between the US and France, which passed a 3% tax on large tech companies. The tax came into effect at the beginning of last year. The US responded with the threat of tariffs on $2.4 billion (R37.31 billion) worth of French cheese, sparkling wine and makeup, prompting the EU…

Every season brings new trends, and you’ve perhaps found yourself with plenty of inexpensive clothing items that are now out of date or worn through. Go meticulously through your cupboard, your scarves and your sock drawer, and get rid of at least a quarter of what you have. Base your closet on 12 essential items. They are: 1 A crisp white tee 2 A little black dress 3 Dark-wash skinny jeans (which never go out of style) 4 Pumps 5 A button-up shirt 6 A knee-length skirt 7 Simple flats 8 A wrap dress 9 A denim jacket 10 Ankle boots 11 Black pants 12 A knitted sweater For the rest of your items, ask yourself these three questions: #1: Does this piece help me reach my goal or complement…

Pearl Thusi places her right hand under her chin and regards me suspiciously. One of her fingers sports a gilded Minora blade ring but she doesn’t look like she’s about to cut me. She’s actually tickled that I remember a story she told me two years ago. Fresh off the immense success of the 2017 romantic drama Catching Feelings, where Thusi starred opposite the film’s writer and director, Kagiso Lediga, the actress and entrepreneur was given a glimpse into what could possibly be her future. “I went to see a tarot card lady and she told me I am going to end up working on both sides of the camera and I might end up doing that type of work with my future husband,” she had told me in 2018.…

Idiocracy (2006) The Bioscope, Maboneng Precinct March 1, 5pm Every week The Bioscope brings you a signature event that celebrates the films that some of us adore but others might have missed. This week it’s the 2006 film Idiocracy. Private Joe Bauers, the epitome of an “average American”, is selected by the Pentagon to be the guinea pig for a top secret hibernation programme. Forgotten, he awakes five centuries in the future. He discovers a society so incredibly dumbed down that he’s easily the most intelligent person alive.…

Who Killed Malcolm X? Available on Netflix SA Netflix’s new six-part documentary sees film maker Abdur-Rahman Muhammad decide to do his own investigation into the assassination of US civil rights and religious figure Malcolm X in 1965. Malcolm X’s case has been cold – yes cold, not solved – for 55 years. The fiery orator and now pop culture icon was assassinated by four assailants. Three men were apprehended, but one refuted the involvement of the others and claimed that his actual accomplices, four other men, escaped. What is impressive is that the findings made through this project provided enough new insights to get this historical case reopened and investigated by the same team that exonerated the Central Park Five. Intrepid investigator Muhammad manages to unearth the story that shaped…

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Cutting a forlorn figure behind the shop counter against the backdrop of almost empty shelves, Mokgasi Mofokeng’s woebegone countenance and a R100 000 Eskom bill in front of him sum up his story of misery. “They have disconnected my electricity … how am I then expected to make money and pay [Eskom]? Our businesses started suffering when the Maponya Mall opened in our back yard and now Eskom is here to inflict more pain … This is actually killing us because they are not willing to negotiate and look into other options such as prepaid meters to keep us going,” a dejected Mofokeng said. The 83-year-old is one of 10 store owners at Klipspruit in Soweto, who have been cut off. Self-employed all his life, he has been running the…

A farmworker and her lover appeared in the regional court in Ficksburg this week on charges of murdering the farmer she worked for and with whom she was allegedly sexually involved. Barry Baars was murdered on his farm near Ficksburg in the Free State over two years ago. Angeline “Angie” Nthabiseng Ledwaba (40), who was allegedly involved in a sexual relationship with Baars, and her lover, Abel Eric Phalatsi (32), appeared in court on Tuesday, charged with Baars’ murder. With them in the dock were Thabiso Johannes Motaung (45), alleged to be one of Ledwaba’s former lovers, and Mpho Daniel Hlalele (37). Halele was formerly the driver and personal bodyguard of the speaker of the Maluti-A-Phofung municipality. They are accused of murder, alternatively conspiracy to commit murder, aggravated robbery and…

Tonight will mark the 181st La Liga instalment of the famed rivalry between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. The game at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium will be the 243rd meeting in all competitions between the two Spanish titans The cheapest match ticket costs €96 (R1 600) for club members who are not season ticket holders The general public fork out €120 for a seat in the fourth-tier stand. The most expensive tickets are priced at €328 and €410 for club members and the general public, respectively, in the premium seating area. VIP suites are priced at €1 600 Barcelona head into the game two points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the La Liga table. This will be the fourth time in the past 20 years that Barca and…

Moroka Swallows boss David Mogashoa is part of a new generation of football club owners who are active on social media. His constant interactions with the club’s followers provides regular updates around Swallows’ affairs – on and off the field – have really injected some new energy into the brand. It’s a far cry from a club once accused of being stuck in the past. This week, Mogashoa proclaimed on Twitter that the fallen Soweto football powerhouse “will grow to be the giant it was back then”. The bold declaration was accompanied by an image of a small car parked next to the team’s luxury coach, both branded in Swallows’ maroon and white colours. “Watch this space. It will happen in our lifetime,” noted the man whose money helped save…

Al Ahly turned the tables on Mamelodi Sundowns in their quarterfinal game last night, leaving the South African champions with the task of overturning a 2-0 deficit to stand any chance of progressing to the CAF Champions League semifinals. Things panned out differently this time around for Sundowns, who annihilated Al Ahly 5-1 on aggregate in their previous meeting – also at the quarterfinal stage – in the premier continental club competition last season. Having held the hosts to a goalless first half at the Cairo International Stadium in Cairo, Egypt, last night, the Brazilians could not stop the Egyptian champions from breaking the deadlock as the game progressed. Ali Maâloul beat Sundowns goalkeeper Denis Onyango twice shortly after the break to give the Egyptians a big advantage when they…

President Cyril Ramaphosa, Gauteng Premier David Makhura and Finance Minister Tito Mboweni were, recently, each forced to attempt to run to the next base as the intersection of an ailing economy, competing expectations and a litany of belligerents compelled each to cross the Rubicon. Although – in baseball – no two runners are allowed to stay on one base at one time, the interplay of Ramaphosa’s state of the nation address, Makhura’s state of the province address and Mboweni’s budget speech made for a hitherto unseen political spectacle. Let me explain. In baseball, a forced run arises when a base runner is compelled to vacate his or her time-of-pitch base – and thus try to advance to the next base – because the batter has become a runner. In the…

An exasperated caller to Power FM’s afternoon drive show this week said it all. He and his wife had been wanting to leave the Pretoria township of Mamelodi, where service delivery was far from satisfactory, and move to a neighbourhood where they would be happier. So they decided to go house-hunting in Mabopane, believing that conditions would be better. What they found there shocked them. The filth and decay were so bad that they were convinced they were better off in their own appalling conditions in Mamelodi. The caller was angry with the political parties that are wrecking South Africa’s capital city. He dished out blame equally to the ANC, which ran the metro until the 2016 municipal polls, the incumbent DA and the EFF, who have simultaneously played the…

The department of basic education has developed what it terms a comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) policy for implementation in schools, which has been rejected by many teachers and parents. Despite some of the content being highly controversial, the department has warned teachers that, if they refuse to teach it, they will be subject to disciplinary action. The department’s authoritarian approach suggests that it has not consulted widely enough with either teachers or parents, and it is encroaching on the rights of parents to decide what their children should be taught about sex, and by whom. Nor are teachers the people to teach such a sensitive subject, for it requires skills and experience that are not part of standard classroom teaching. It seems that the department is unaware of the existence…

There have been widely varying reactions to our declaration on former president FW de Klerk and his foundation on the status of apartheid as a crime against humanity. There has also been broad media coverage, both printed and electronic, as well as on social media, that serves both black and white audiences. There were a lot of positive reactions from the black side to this initiative. Of course there has been some scepticism about the sincerity among some black people, because their hands have been bitten so often. Many white people feel liberated by this apology and express solidarity with it. Criticism from many white people is that things are so bad now, an apology for apartheid is out of place. All South Africans are aware of the challenges we…

The ANC Spy Bible: Surviving Across Enemy Lines by Moe Shaik Former ANC intelligence operative Moe Shaik has never been one to back down from a fight. He antagonised both presidents Thabo Mbeki, when he was in office, and later Jacob Zuma, who he had been close to through the ANC underground operations for many years. Through his book, The ANC Spy Bible: Surviving Across Enemy Lines, readers get to know how Shaik was shaped in the ANC and how the party successfully did counter-surveillance on the apartheid security bureaucracy. Through the story of his encounter with an apartheid internal security police officer who he later recruited to spy for the liberation movements, Shaik tells how the ANC sought to fight back against a very organised and brutal system. In…

Australia has had the world’s top-performing equity market over the past 120 years thanks to its ability to largely evade the global financial crisis that began in 2008, according to a new study published by Credit Suisse. Stocks Down Under has achieved an annualised real local currency return of 6.8% a year since 1900, according to the broker’s Global Investment Returns Yearbook 2020. The report was produced in collaboration with the London Business School and the University of Cambridge in the UK. Converted to US dollars, Australia’s return trumps that of 22 other equity markets around the world for which the researchers compiled data. The US ranked second, followed by South Africa and New Zealand. The countries studied made up 98% of the global equity market in 1900 and still…

Chinese duck platoons are waiting to be deployed to neighbouring Pakistan to fight a swarm of crop-eating pests that threaten regional food security. At least 100 000 ducks are expected to be sent to Pakistan as early as the second half of this year to combat a desert locust outbreak, said Lu Lizhi, a senior researcher with the Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences. The ducks are “biological weapons” and can be more effective than pesticide, said Lu, who is in charge of the project in tandem with a university in Pakistan. “One duck can eat more than 200 locusts a day,” Lu said on Thursday, citing results of experiments to test the ducks’ searching and predation capabilities. A trial will start in China’s western region, Xinjiang, later this year before…

The Old Mutual figures assume that you had R6 290 back in March 2000 to invest. But even if you had put away R26 a month rather than playing the lotto, based on the 10% return from the stock market over that period, you would have more than R19 700 today. This goes to show how just a small amount of money adds up over time. So, if you are procrastinating about starting an investment because you “don’t have the money”, look at what you spend your cash on – maybe there is a small thing you can give up to start that nest egg today. – Maya Fisher-French…

• REMOVAL OF EXCHANGE CONTROL FOR INDIVIDUALS: The exchange control treatment for individuals will be removed, which means you can move your money more freely. However, individuals who transfer more than R10 million offshore will be subjected to a more stringent verification process. This applies to South Africans living and working abroad who may have “financially emigrated”. This usually results in having their bank accounts blocked as non-residents, and their being unable to do online banking or have a credit card. These restrictions will be removed and they will be able to transact as a resident. The amount a South African working abroad can earn before paying tax in South Africa was increased to R1.25 million. • DEPOSIT INSURANCE: Final legislation has been submitted to introduce a comprehensive deposit insurance…

Shaka is remembered as a great warrior and king, but did you know that early in his life he was an outcast? After years of humiliation because of his size, the fifteen-year-old Shaka had developed an exceptional physique. After his formal puberty rites at the kraal of his father, Senzangakhona, Shaka deliberately continued to live naked. He finally agreed to wear the umutsha and matching ibetshu when he no longer needed to advertise that he was physically superior. Shaka harboured many grievances against the world. He was resentful at the way his mother had been treated, particularly by Senzangakhona and the eLangeni tribe who had constantly reminded him and Nandi of his illegitimate birth. A burning desire and determination spurred him on to exalt his mother and all those who…

Minimalism is about decluttering and making better use of what you already own. Between 2017 and 2018, approximately 1 238 474 tons of waste were disposed of at Pikitup’s landfill sites. A certain amount of waste is normal, but we live in a throwaway culture, where we buy too much and reuse too little. In Europe, America and Asia, some countries have a “pay-as-you-throw” system, where you pay per kilogram of trash you put out. This forces people to think about what they’re disposing of. Here are four ways to reduce the amount of garbage you’re generating: 1 REPAIR IT All around Europe, repair cafés are springing up. This is where people get together to fix their broken items, instead of throwing them away – from faulty vacuum cleaners…

In partnership with The Conversation, #Trending brings you Curious Kids, a series where we ask experts to answer questions from kids. Will I get sick if I go out in the cold without a jacket? – Ben P, age 4, South Orange, New Jersey, US Carolyn Kaloostian, assistant clinical professor of family medicine, University of Southern California, US: The answer to this question is: It depends. Cold weather does not get you sick. Feeling chilly because you’re not bundled up does not get you sick. But being cold, like when you’re outside in wintry weather wearing just a thin shirt, can actually weaken your body and make it easier for you to get sick. Researchers have found that cold temperatures weaken your immune system and thus your ability to fight…

Kebby Maphatsoe, president of the Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans’ Association (MKMVA), says the upcoming “all-inclusive” elective conference involving former ANC combatants should look at ways to create access to economic opportunities for the former liberation soldiers. The elective conference, set to take place in two weeks’ time, will be addressed by President Cyril Ramaphosa and will include members of a parallel grouping called the MK National Council. The event will take place over four days at a venue yet to be confirmed. It starts on March 12. The decision about the venue has been left to the ministry of defence and military veterans, and will be announced tomorrow. The ministry has also been tasked with overseeing all logistical issues, given that MK and all other liberation forces fall under its…

Gynaecologist and obstetrician Mahloromela Moagi, who has been at Lenmed Zamokuhle Private Hospital in Tembisa for five years, told City Press that sterilisation is a permanent method of contraception. However, he said it is reversible. Dr Moagi said there were five types of surgical sterilisation: Parkland, Pomeroy, Filshie clips, Irving and Uchida. “For a reversible sterilisation, the remaining piece of Fallopian tube must measure at least 5cm – then chances of spontaneous pregnancy are about 60%. If it’s shorter than 5cm then the chances of a woman conceiving are very slim,” he said, adding that they use laparoscopy – a minimally invasive surgery in which a fibre optic instrument is inserted through the abdominal wall – to determine the size of the Fallopian tubes. “Unfortunately, if a woman’s uterus has…

Cristiano Ronaldo was a tad generous when he dared compare the Derby d’Italia – the clash of Serie A giants Juventus and Inter Milan – to the El Clásico. “It will be a great match, as will Real Madrid and Barcelona, which will also be played on Sunday evening [tonight],” said the Juventus striker. It was perhaps a mixture of nostalgia and fomo that made the former Real Madrid star compare the incomparable. Tonight at 10pm, Ronaldo’s log leaders Juventus will take on third-placed Inter, as the most closely fought Serie A season in recent times enters the tense stage. The game, which was going to be a noisy affair, will be placed in the cavernous Allianz Stadium as a result of the drastic measures taken by Italian authorities to…

It’s interesting that the leading goal-scorers across the premier and first divisions are both former Bidvest Wits players. Orlando Pirates sharpshooter Gabadinho Mhango leads the charge in pursuit of the Absa Premiership golden boot, while Ajax Cape Town’s Abednego Mosiatlhaga tops the scoring chart in the NFD GladAfrica Championship. The pair may have left the Clever Boys for different reasons, but their sizzling form would certainly make Wits coach Gavin Hunt green with envy. Prior to the Soweto derby yesterday, Mhango, who was sold to Pirates in June, was on 14 goals. On the other hand, Mosiatlhaga heads into Ajax’s league game against Jomo Cosmos today with 16 goals. The 25-year-old was deemed surplus to requirements at Wits and spent the past two seasons on loan, first at Cape Town…

sports@citypress.co.za Springbok World Cup hero Duane Vermeulen is coming back to South Africa. City Press’ sister publication Rapport can today reveal that the Springbok No 8 has signed a contract with the Bulls and will be available to play for the Pretoria side from June 1. Vermeulen – one of the Boks’ biggest stars and the man of the match winner after the World Cup victory in Japan last year – is set to give the Bulls a huge boost ahead of next year’s Super Rugby season. The move follows months of negotiations between the Bulls and Vermeulen, in which Rassie Erasmus, director of SA Rugby, is said to have played a critical role. Although Vermeulen played for the Bulls in the Super Rugby series last year, he is currently…

The week of the budget presentation has ended with a new stand-off between government and trade unions. This is mainly over moves announced by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni to cut the wage bill by R160 billion over the next three years. What further angered the trade unions was Mboweni’s announcement that government would be unable to uphold a three-year wage agreement with labour because of a lack of funds. This has drawn the ire of the union leaders, who have threatened to resist this move and “go to war”. Although President Cyril Ramaphosa preaches financial prudence and the need to make tough choices, he has left the actual implementation of these unpopular decisions to Mboweni. Ramaphosa himself has not stood up to back Mboweni after he came under criticism. This…

Spies and clowns Just when we thought Carl Niehaus would disappear for good after his overrated welcome of Msholozi from Cuba at OR Tambo International Airport, he made a cameo appearance with wild claims of “exposing” one Chris Vick for stalking him. Niehaus accused Vick of lurking in disguise at the airport and of following him to the Hyatt hotel. “A bumbling spy,” laughed Niehaus. Vick sent him back to obscurity: “F*** off, you paranoid idiot. I was nowhere near [OR Tambo] ... on Saturday. And anyone who knows me knows [that] the Hyatt is my office. See a doctor. See a debt counsellor. Get help. You’re not worth following.” Eisan! Moment The factions in the ANC never resist an opportunity to have a go at each other, but at…

A university used to a hub of knowledge production, innovation and critical thinking. In the past a university was a place of reasoning and intellectualism. One could not get into the university simply because one met the minimum requirements. It was meritorious. It was a place for inquiring, critical and independent minds and people with sound reasoning and insights. When you set your foot at university all these instincts were stimulated and your mind was conditioned for only one thing – making a meaningful contribution to the world of knowledge. Today universities have become places for hooliganism and political thuggery. We have been witnessing violent protests on campuses and the culture of thuggery and vandalism has been increasing at alarming rates. Infrastructure has been destroyed and millions of rands spent…

The image of an obese, heavy-set, argumentative uncle, with a tummy threatening to burst out of a tight, well-worn suit, as the ideal head of a lobolo negotiation delegation is under threat. In fact, many occupations, jobs, systems and cultural practices as we have come to know them are under threat from the fourth industrial revolution innovations by the tjatjarag scientists. As it stands now, thanks to this band of innovators, we are getting closer to a time when a family somewhere in Mzansi will one day open their door to welcome a lobola negotiation delegation, only to be met by a humanoid robot reciting their clan names and praises in the way of the traditional greeting. Envision a scene in which a stunned Mondli Makhanya is greeted by a…

Eskom has cut the power at Gupta-owned Optimum coal and wants it liquidated, blaming the mine’s business rescue practitioners for failing to bring it back to profitability. The mine has been struggling financially and it failed to pay Eskom for its power supply. Eskom, which is one of the mine’s major creditors, said in an email sent to the business rescue practitioners and other interested parties, who are expected to vote on the future of the mine, that it leaned towards liquidation. In an email sent on February 21, Eskom lawyer Gareth Cremen, wrote: “Notwithstanding the status of the arbitration, it is quite clear that the business rescue practitioners have further worsened the position of Optimum Coal Mines (OCM), in that, inter alia, the post-commencement claims exceed the pre-commencement claims…

Babies are cute, but we don’t want to see them being made. Some good things must not be seen by the public if the participants have to maintain their dignity. We’ve seen how politicians work and it is unsavoury at the best of times. Just like in sex, a leader needs ability, knowledge and confidence to perform well. If any of those is missing, it will be a disaster. On a good day, South African Parliament is like a comedy show and it would be really fun if it was not for the nearly 20 million people who are unemployed. In normal circumstances the cream rises to the top but, when you’ve seen sewage running down the streets like rivers, you also know that crap bubbles to the top too.…

The real impact of commerce under a Pan-African deal to establish the world’s largest free-trade area will probably only be seen in three years, according to an architect of the pact. While the first trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area, which could cover a market of 1.2 billion people with a combined GDP of $2.5 trillion (R38.95 trillion), is set to start on July 1, it will be “very modest”, said Carlos Lopes, the former executive secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa. This was because a road map, laws and support mechanisms to facilitate continent-wide trade still had to be finalised, he said. Lopes led the unit that provided technical support to the African Union, which is spearheading efforts to establish the deal. Africa lags other…

Nelson Mandela Bay’s unemployment rate of 32% is expected to rise as four major companies are in the process of retrenching staff and the local business chamber has lashed out at the lack of leadership in the metro, caused by an ineffective and inefficient coalition government. Four major employers – Aspen Pharmacare, SAB, Goodyear and Educor – which combined employ close to 10 000 people have signalled that they will begin retrenchments. Municipalities have the task of developing the economy and raising the standard of living of communities in regions under their jurisdiction and should lure investment and come up with innovative projects aimed at creating jobs. However, this was not the case with Nelson Mandela Bay where both governance and infrastructure were collapsing as councillors bickered over petty issues,…

I recently gave a talk in Cape Town, after which two young women approached me and asked: “How do we manage our finances well so we don’t fall into the debt trap?” They told me that they had recently completed their honours degrees at university and they had just started their first jobs. This is a question I am frequently asked and here are some tips to consider: 1 Learn to budget: A budget is telling your money where to go. Think of it as your spending plan. A budget is simple; it is what you earn (your income) less what you spend (your expenses). If you learn to budget from your first pay cheque and to live within your means, you have won more than half the battle.…

Sha Sha Blossom Available on all streaming platforms Singer Sha Sha has fast become a household name as a result of her heartfelt vocals, specifically on the 2019 smash hit by Samthing Soweto, Akulaleki featuring Maphorisa. Sha Sha finesses the chorus with her sultry falsetto, and what’s most thrilling is that, while she channels the Hindu-styled vocal sampling on this track, you can tell she has much more in the chamber. She kills it while chilling on it. So, what else can she do? She has shown a little more of her range on her new EP, Blossom, which was released at the top end of this year. Blossom has eight songs with quite a few of them drawing on Maphorisa’s expertise on production. His hold on the game has…

The vibrant, all-inclusive Bacardi Holiday Club (BHC), a two-day festival retreat at the supremely beautiful Welgelegen Manor in Balfour, Mpumalanga, starts on Friday and ends on Sunday. This year, the 1 500-person boutique party sold out even faster than it did in the past two years. Revellers will have intimate access to a mix of rising and leading artists, including record producer and deejay extraordinaire DJ Maphorisa; deejay, producer, label owner, promoter and more recently radio host Kid Fonque; urban crooner Langa Mavuso; Amahle-Imvelo Jaxa: Chief of operations When I go to Bacardi Holiday Club, what part of the magic are you responsible for? I take care of the overall production of the event. I make sure everything runs smoothly, from activations and the stage performance to fetching artists. At…

Vuyo Dabula is lying across the bed with his brogues atop a white fur throw. The scene is deceiving because on Queen Sono he plays the most woke character – Shandu. Dabula gets up from the bed inside the penthouse where a Queen Sono press junket is taking place and takes a seat on a low chair. Shandu is a former spy who traverses the continent, involved in covert missions. With him is a devoted army of hardened rebels and his second-in-command, Bulabele. The latter is played by Otto Nobela, who you may remember as the colourful criminal from another one of Kagiso Lediga’s creations, a film called Matwetwe. Shandu and Bulabele share an intimacy that isn’t often portrayed on screen. Shandu is his brawn and his brother from another…