Innholdsfortegnelse for 5/17/2020 i City Press

Following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement that large parts of South Africa would move to level 3 of the Covid-19 coronavirus lockdown at the end of the month, most provinces have pronounced themselves ready for the move. But many risks have been highlighted that could dampen enthusiasm. One of them is that there is a rapidly rising number of infections in densely populated townships, and the taxi industry – whose vehicles can only operate at 70% capacity – may struggle to cope with larger volumes of workers, as the Metrorail and bus systems will not be ready in time to ensure safe transportation. Trade unions have also warned that, while businesses are excited that more sectors are being opened, they have not demonstrated that they will be able to protect workers…

Metro FM radio personality Lerato Kganyago and her husband, Thami Ndlala, were planning to have a white wedding in September this year, but have decided to call it off and separate amicably. The separation comes barely two months after their much-publicised traditional wedding, which saw Kganyago officially welcomed by Ndlala’s family in Sandhurst, northern Johannesburg. According to two sources who are close to the couple and did not want to be named, Kganyago this week decided to pack her bags and leave the mansion they shared. On Thursday the 37-year-old shocked her fans with a social media post announcing the separation. “It is with a heavy heart that we announce that Thami and I have decided to go our separate ways. We have come to realise that our different priorities…

Yummy hitmaker Justin Bieber wishes he had remained abstinent from sex until marriage. He was responding to a question about his past regrets. Speaking on his Facebook series, The Biebers on Watch, he said: “If I could go back and not have to face some of the bad hurt ... I probably would’ve saved myself for marriage,” the 26-year-old – with his supermodel wife Hailey by his side – told fans. Before explaining his decision, the Canadian sensation acknowledged his confession might sound “crazy”. He said: “Sex can be kind of confusing when you’re being sexually active with anybody.” Hailey, however, disagreed and pointed out that they had “different experiences with everything”. “But I do agree that being physical sometimes can make things more confusing,” she said. Bieber previously told…

A Pretoria attorney says mothers are struggling to feed their kids because some fathers are “hiding behind the Covid-19 coronavirus” as an excuse to not pay maintenance. Sandy du Plessis, who has been representing clients in maintenance cases for more than 20 years, told City Press’ sister publication, Rapport, that some fathers were pretending that the virus had affected their income when that wasn’t the case. Out of desperation, she recently took a photograph of the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court and sent it to one father, saying that was where he’d end up if he didn’t pay. The father immediately paid 50% of the money he owed. What further complicates matters is that some court personnel “are hiding behind Covid-19 as an excuse to not do their jobs”. Du Plessis said…

The continued ban on alcohol and tobacco has given rise to thriving but potentially deadly black markets for both commodities. The popularity of illicit products has allowed those manufacturing their own beers and cigarettes not only to take advantage of demand and inflate prices, but to take chances with ingredients that could leave consumers sick – or even dead. Tembisa Hospital spokesperson Nothando Mdluli said that since the lockdown, there had been a surge in patients brought in for illnesses related to home-brewed alcohol and home-made cigarettes. Mdluli warned that if people continued brewing their own alcohol without experience, they could suffer blindness or die. “We’ve had over 50 patients brought in for alcohol and cigarette experiment cases. Some had collapsed, while others were already vomiting when they arrived. This…

As the country continues to fight the Covid-19 coronavirus, many with existing conditions live in constant fear of contracting the virus, as it could lead to serious illness for them. Politicians and essential workers with existing conditions opened up to City Press on managing their health while continuing to serve their constituents and patients. Knysna Municipality DA council member Peter Myers said that he had been living with asthma and hypertension for more than three years. After travelling to Europe early this year, Myers and his wife Candice Myers both contracted the virus. Myers said that he believed that his asthma made him vulnerable to the virus. “I have a bit of asthma and suffer from hypertension, so it made it easy to get infected. I have recovered after battling…

Colen is an area manager and is married, with three children. He has built a property portfolio made up of five properties, which has put him under financial pressure. “Our way of managing the business finance is not well structured. We are struggling to separate the business finances from the personal finances and we need a system to ensure that the business is able to sustain itself,” Colen says. Over the past few months, Colen has been working with Absa financial planner JP van der Merwe and Absa home loan specialist Miguel Martins. “Before you start a property portfolio, you must have a plan in place that will guide your short-, medium- and long-term decision-making,” advises Martins. He explains that Colen fell into property investment by accident, grabbing opportunities as…

When the Covid-19 coronavirus forced countries across the globe to stop sporting events to minimise the spread of the virus, it was expected that the hiatus would be brief. But it was not to be. As the virus spread across continents, governments exercised measures to prevent further infections by stopping mass gatherings. This helped nations to flatten the curve of infections, but many followers – now locked at home – could not watch their sporting codes. As the world’s most watched sport, football is – in some countries – returning to our screens. Germany’s Bundesliga resumed its season this weekend after having stopped in mid-March. The resumption of football is a welcome relief as many supporters can now watch – albeit on TV only. Games will be played under stringent…

Last week, a friend of mine was given a traffic fine for driving without wearing a face mask. His argument was that he was alone in the car and didn’t see the need to wear one. He said he tried to argue his case and, naturally, the officers didn’t accept his story, telling him that he was driving on a public road and, therefore, ought to have had his mask on. He copped a R300 fine. To plead his case, he said wearing a mask while driving alone in the car was akin to putting on a condom when alone in bed. I’m not sure of the relevance of this example though. The curious me called another friend of mine, Madala, to share my friend’s experience with the law officers.…

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni (pictured) is unlikely to be bothered that his late-night tweets once again made it into the week’s agenda of the governing ANC’s highest decision-making body, the national executive committee (NEC). Mboweni has long given signals that he wants to call it a day, but we have not been listening. He is a market favourite and President Cyril Ramaphosa needs him to maintain some economic stability, so he is not listening either. Any thought of axing Mboweni, which Ramaphosa clearly does not have, will be met with serious pushback from the markets, just like when the former’s predecessor, Pravin Gordhan, was axed by former president Jacob Zuma. But the question is: Does Mboweni want to continue serving? In his words, he has been in politics since the…

It appears that, for many, smoking cigarettes is essential, even amid a health emergency such as this Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. There have been similar sentiments regarding alcohol. One thought the understanding was that we were in a health crisis – the basis for the declaration of the national state of disaster. When government made the declaration, it was alive to the implications; the encroachment on the rights of citizens. No one wants such an encroachment. The Constitution, however, provides for it when necessary. The Disaster Management Act has been on our statute books for 17 years. It is one of the pieces of legislation passed by our democratic government to give effect to the permissible encroachments on our rights, authorised by the Constitution. Those questioning government’s motives for restrictions on…

The Covid-19 coronavirus-enforced lockdown and further ratings downgrades have dealt body blows to South Africa’s automotive industry, with one of the industry’s single biggest investors, China’s Beijing Automobile International Corporation (Baic), suspending its operational plans for this year as most of its engineers return home. Estimates of the how much the industry would shrink by are varied. The National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of SA (Naamsa) says that local vehicle sales could decline by between 18% and 20%. Some industry sources have suggested the figure could be as high as 40%. In an interview with City Press this week, Naamsa chief executive Mike Mabasa said the vehicle industry had been under pressure since trading during lockdown had been suspended. He said Covid-19 had affected the operations of Baic, which had…

Tax-free savings accounts (TFSAs) have been around for five years and were introduced to encourage a savings culture in South Africa. Although the uptake in this vehicle has been relatively good, many people still don’t grasp how they work and the big advantage of having one. The big advantage of having a TFSA is that the money invested will not be subjected to any tax on the interest, dividends, capital gains and withdrawal. However, the real benefit can only be realised if you consider a TFSA as a longterm investment and not just as a savings vehicle for the short term. LIMITS You can invest up to a maximum of R36 000 per year in a TFSA. If you exceed the limit you will be taxed a hefty 40%, so…

Yesterday’s Bundesliga matches behind closed doors might have been the first time that an entire match day was played under such conditions in Germany, but it is something that has happened elsewhere. The last time the world was hit by a highly contagious virus was in 2009, when the swine flu pandemic was travelling around the world. Although it was, by all accounts, not nearly as serious as the Covid-19 coronavirus that has brought much of the world to a standstill, swine flu had wide-ranging implications – including for football. It started in Mexico and, as such, it was not surprising that the country was the epicentre of the pandemic. And just as it is this time around, sport was not left unaffected. In April 2009, the Mexican football league…

The Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic is changing all our lives and the way in which we do things – from social distancing to “cocooning”, meaning to stay within the confines of your home to minimise all nonessential contact. It’s difficult, but necessary. There have been suggestions that, when we are up and running again, there will be serious alterations to the usual prematch protocols in football. Firstly, social distancing will have to be observed. Imagine how difficult that’s going to be in a game that is a contact sport. Secondly, the players will not walk on to the field together in a parade-like fashion with the referees at the head as heretofore. Thirdly – and this one I really like – there will be no handshakes before the game. I have…

Former SABC radio sports producer Paul Nthoba experienced hell when he was allegedly insulted and assaulted by members of the SA Police Service (SAPS) on Friday afternoon in Ficksburg in the Free State. Nthoba, who also worked as an SABC news journalist and as a newsreader for Lesedi FM, claimed that he was turned into a punching bag by six police officers in his hometown of Meqheleng, Ficksburg. This is the same town where Andries Tatane was shot dead by police officers during a service delivery protest in 2011. The seven police officers accused of his assault and murder were acquitted at the Ficksburg Regional Court in March 2013. Nthoba, a businessperson and pastor, who recently launched the local community newspaper Mohokare News, where he is the founder and editor,…

Award-winning Afro-soul vocalist Vusi Nova has released Nomathemba, a song that boasts more than 800 contributors. Part of the proceeds from the song – described as an anthem of hope – will go to the Muthaland Relief Fund. The As’Phelelanga hitmaker sent out a call and got a large group of people to appear on the song, which is aimed at healing our ailing world. Unlike the collaborative 1980s hit We are the World, featuring 45 famous artists, Nova put out a call to his fans to participate. How did the idea come about? “We thought that if we sent a clip of the chorus out to everyone, and they sang over the clip and whatsapped it to us, we could then take the clip and insert the audio into…

R160.2bn IN HIS LAST BUDGET SPEECH, MBOWENI PROPOSED A TRICKY AND CONTENTIOUS BUDGET BALANCING ACT THAT HINGED ON REDUCING THE PUBLIC SECTOR WAGE BILL BY R160.2 BILLION OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS Trade unions are calling on Finance Minister Tito Mboweni to reverse his stance on not increasing public servants’ salaries when he delivers his speech on his emergency revised budget next month. Treasury this week published special adjustment budget guidelines on its site, which include deadlines for departments to make submissions on their adjustment budgets. The guideline document outlines the processes Treasury plans to adhere to as it prepares to table the special adjustment budget. Mboweni said he planned to be ready to table the “emergency” budget, which makes provision for Covid-19 coronavirus relief efforts, by June 24. However,…

For over a month, everyone in the country, except for those providing essential services, has been required to stay at home during a country-wide lockdown to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus. This means that children have not been to school and were initially even prohibited from moving between households – a regulation which was later amended. A lot of the focus on children during the current crisis has related to this amendment, accessing meals and education. But children may be facing other harms during this time. While watching my own children safely play, I found myself wondering what was happening to children who were stuck in abusive homes. The first nationally representative study of child maltreatment, which studied “all forms of physical and/ or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse,…

On Wednesday evening, President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged that “our country has reached a sad moment in the progression of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, as we recorded our 219th death from the virus”. South Africans are getting the brutal message – the Covid-19 coronavirus is here and it will most likely be with us for a long time. It is time we all genuinely cared for one another and lived the reality that to be human is in essence premised on our ability to take care of one another. In times of diseases, the idea of love and compassion for one another must be a daily gospel. Especially towards women and children in a society prone to gender-based violence and the abuse of its children. As the president addressed the nation,…

Government’s ban on the sale of alcohol during the Covid-19 coronavirus lockdown has created an unexpected windfall for the alcohol-free beverage industry. Sales of alcohol-free beer, cider, wine and sparkling wine at major retailers, including Spar, Woolworths and Checkers, have shot through the roof over the past few weeks. Michael Egling, owner of the KwikSpar in Hillcrest, Durban, said the sale of some products had increased fourfold. “Heineken Zero, in particular, has flown off the shelves, followed closely by Devil’s Peak’s Hero and Savanna.” According to Egling, supermarkets struggled to obtain stocks in the first few weeks of the lockdown because most distributors transport alcohol-free beverages together with alcoholic drinks. “Luckily, that’s changed over the past three weeks, with distributors now applying for permits in order to get the supplies…

Take an honest audit and weep. You’re a failure. Look in the mirror, check the gap between your reality and your dream. It is wide. If you think your achievements are better than your dream, sit down, you low-jump champ, your dreams were unworthy to begin with. Use the Covid-19 coronavirus-enforced lockdown to present a better, improved you. If my assertion angers you, then look at yourself again, you wilful loser, you don’t even have the confidence to laugh me off. The lockdown is probably weighing heavily on you, like it is for some of the best and the most beautiful who’ve had periodic meltdowns on social media. It’s understandable. The end is unknowable. The journey is mundane and frustration is everywhere, so work with your mind. Many people talk…

Many structured products use a call option, which is a contract between the buyer and the seller of the call option to exchange a security at a set price on a future date. It is an option on the purchaser but not an obligation. The easiest way to understand a call option is how it works on an individual share. The current share price of ABC company is R100 per share. You purchase a call option to buy that share at R110 in four years’ time. The price for that call option is R10. You buy 100 call options for R1 000, which gives you exposure to 100 shares in ABC. After four years, ABC is trading at R200 per share. You have the option to buy those shares at…

MEKOA TAKES PAY CUT ON THE CHIN A number of football players have encountered tough situations at some point in their careers and not all of them were able to overcome these challenges as Manti Mekoa has. The Cape Umoya United captain has experienced being clubless and, in the time of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, he has had his salary slashed by half. Mekoa, a former Orlando Pirates and Maritzburg United player, told City Press that encountering the “hard knocks of life” had made him a survivor. “It’s a tough one,” he said in response to the 50% pay cut that Umoya enforced last month. Although he could not reveal how much he earns, Umoya director of football Roger De Sá said the club’s player salaries ranged from R6 000…

The Mokoena Report, which accuses Safa president Danny Jordaan of flouting the organisation’s constitution, has set the cat among the pigeons. This is according to a former top Safa executive member who believes the report lays bare the divisions within the country’s football controlling body. It’s to be expected that there are those who would defend Jordaan and those who support the report, he said. The former official spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid accusations of interference. The scathing report by Safa’s former acting chief executive and vice-president, Gay Mokoena, was leaked to the media last month. In it, Mokoena launched a stinging attack on Jordaan’s leadership style, saying he disregarded Safa’s corporate governance principles and ran the federation as his personal fiefdom. He said the allegations against Jordaan…

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Content creators make” money from plugging sexy and explicit content filmed in the comfort of their homes A number of influencers and social media entrepreneurs are finding alternative and creative ways to monetise content they have been posting for free on their social media platforms, especially during the Covid-19 coronavirusenforced national lockdown. Popular slay queen and Instapreneur Tebogo Thobejane is among South Africans who have followed in the footsteps of American model Blac Chyna – real name Angela Renée White – to sign up with London-based social media content platform OnlyFans. The platform, established a few years ago, allows influencers to post whatever content they like free of charge – from softcore to X-rated – for subscriber fans. Thobejane said she was inspired by her American friends who were making…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has thrown a lifeline to advocate Mahlodi Muofhe, head of the domestic branch the State Security Agency (SSA), by extending his stay with the agency until at least next year. Muofhe, fondly referred to as “the good advocate” in Ramaphosa’s circles, had his contract extension concluded on or around April 24, City Press has learnt. His extended stay confirms his place at the centre of Ramaphosa’s plans to restructure the SSA back to the former National Intelligence Agency and SA Secret Services divisions, which former president Jacob Zuma dissolved. Although the planned structural changes had been expected to be concluded by the beginning of last month, which marked the expiry of Muofhe’s previous contract, the SSA indicated that it was not time-bound. Some of the spooks had…

You have to have connections to get cigarettes and alcohol in the Covid-19 coronavirus lockdown, as owners of bottle stores, taverns and shops have resorted to selling secretly from their homes – at exorbitant prices. The business of selling cigarettes and alcohol has not stopped and most retailers in townships have resorted to delivering to their clients. Mpumalanga police have, since the lockdown started, arrested more than 5 000 people all over the province, either for selling or being found with alcohol or cigarettes. Pat Mabena* (35), a smoker and drinker from Mataffin outside Mbombela, told City Press that even though his favourite pack and other familiar cigarette brands had run out, he had come across new brands, such as Malimbo, Sahawi, Sharp and Caesar. “You need to know the…

This week President Cyril Ramaphosa was hauled to court by disgruntled opposition political parties and faced stiff criticism from civil society organisations for the legality of the lockdown measures he implemented to curb the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus. But he was praised by US ambassador to South Africa Lana Marks, who said the country had done a “fantastic job” in its early implementation of stringent measures and had averted the possible infection of many citizens that could have led to a significant number of deaths. South Africa-born Marks pledged to continue the camaraderie between the two nations. She said the US would hold an investment summit in Washington in September, which Ramaphosa and other African heads of state were expected to attend. “It’s not easy and I understand that…

For many of us, the past few weeks have been a journey of uncertainty, to say the least. Artist Athi-Patra Ruga, for instance, didn’t think he would be locked down in the mountains of the Eastern Cape for the launch of his new exhibition, which has been two years in the making. But, as he said to me over the phone this week: “I’ve always enjoyed a good saga.” The show itself, called Interior/Exterior, Dramatis Personae: A Saga in Two Parts, is the latest in a series of sagas designed by Ruga. The work expands on the beloved metaverse of characters and places established in his previous exhibitions – such as the heart of Azania in 2014’s Queens in Exile. But in this iteration, Ruga’s colourful world extends into the…

Stogie T is arguably one of our most gifted rappers. Since his change in persona from Tumi of the Volume to the high-brow Stogie, he has released three impressive projects and is now on a mission to get South Africa rapping again through his #FreestyleFridays campaign on Twitter. #Trending spoke to the accomplished wordsmith, who was at first wary of our intentions when he answered the phone. You never know when someone might be calling to get you to listen to their mixtape, which must get a little annoying. “It was very clear that hip-hop was getting overtaken by amapiano, which is fine – every genre gets a moment – but I saw that rappers had started gravitating towards this genre to stay relevant and they stopped doing the things…

President Cyril Ramaphosa is on an extensive consultation process regarding the move to level 3 of the Covid-19 coronavirus lockdown, which should see more businesses opening and some restricted activities lifted. This follows his national address on Wednesday night in which he looked exhausted and was apologetic about the mistakes the government had made in implementing the lockdown. In his message he reiterated that the lockdown had worked in mitigating against astronomical Covid-19 coronavirus infections and deaths. He then attempted to chart a way forward. The president was humbling himself by admitting to mistakes and pledging to do better. A good move. But he should look at the gap that exists between his humble, consultative style versus the impetuous, cold and dismissive posture of his ministers. The president looked like…

Mere question SABC newsreader Flo Letoaba grilled the DA’s John Steenhuisen on his continual reference to South Africans who are fed up with the lockdown and lack of information. “Which South Africans are you speaking for? Which conversations are you having, with who and where?” she asked. It was not an original question, yet it flustered and flummoxed Steenhuisen, who sarcastically asked if she wanted him to provide her with a list. He further said President Cyril Ramaphosa had Letoaba in his corner, and “he has clearly been speaking to you”. It went south from there, with Steenhuisen shocked at being asked a question. ‘I told you so’ The heated exchange brought back to relevance Mzansi’s forgotten son, Mmusi Maimane, who saw a chance to have a go at his…

Viruses kill, but so does poverty. And while we have to live with viruses because they are an inherent part of our environment, we do not have to live with poverty. And poverty each year kills more people – especially children – than any virus. It is the working class, the low-paid, the casual labourers and the unemployed who suffer most. Many of those malnourished children among the poorest of the poor who manage to survive to their fifth birthdays will grow up stunted, physically and intellectually, part of a generation of largely wasted human potential. One of the enduring legacies of apartheid — something the post-Covid-19 coronavirus era must seriously address — is the correlation in South Africa between ethnicity and poverty. While the overall mortality rate here for…

Absa offers a range of structured product options, but what you need to keep in mind is that the return profile is largely determined by the price of the bond. The lower the interest paid by the bond issuer, the less money available to invest in the derivative, thereby reducing your market exposure. Although Absa offers both local and offshore structured product options, head of index and structured solutions Ryan Sydow says a good option for investors is to purchase the protection in rands but have growth exposure to offshore indices in hard currency such as the dollar. South Africa has relatively high interest rates compared with the rest of the world, which makes rand-based bonds more attractive to use in structured products. Absa uses its corporate bonds as the…

The Council for Medical Schemes has confirmed that the Covid-19 coronavirus falls under the prescribed minimum benefits, as defined in the Medical Schemes Act. Neil Kirby, director and head of the Healthcare & Life Sciences practice at Werksmans Attorneys, says the effect of the amendment is that all medical schemes are obliged to cover all the costs of members – regardless of their plan – who contract Covid-19 and subsequently suffer respiratory illness complications associated with the treatment. “Where it might previously have been unclear whether or not medical schemes would cover the costs for the treatment of Covid-19 for members on lower plans, the amendment, arguably, relieves financial pressure on the health department because the state is obliged to cover the costs of citizens who are not covered by…

Former Comrades Marathon champion Gift Kelehe is among the runners who feel hard done by over the non-refunding of entry fees after this year’s race was cancelled due to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) announced on Thursday that it had to call off the ultra race, which was set to take place on June 14, to prioritise the health and safety of athletes in the face of the deadly virus. The CMA confirmed immediately afterwards that South African entrants would not be refunded their entry fees, including the 485 who entered during the recent substitution period. Instead, they would receive race packs, while foreign athletes had the choice of deferring their entries to next year or the 2022 race. The race pack includes the official race…