Innholdsfortegnelse for 6/14/2020 i City Press

Two former members of the ministerial water services advisory group – the national rapid response task team – Mogomotsi Mogodiri and Lekgotla Dichoetlise, have instructed their lawyers to lodge an urgent defamation application for R20 million against Lindiwe Sisulu, the minister of human settlements, water and sanitation. The application will be submitted by the pair’s legal representative, Hennie le Roux, this Friday in the Pretoria High Court. Mogodiri and Dichoetlise, who were dismissed from the task team last month by Sisulu, resorted to lodging the defamation lawsuit after the minister failed to retract “disparaging statements” directed towards them when she announced their dismissal. In her announcement, Sisulu said: “The ethics of these individuals are unlike mine. They have broken every ethic available for officials to uphold in the public service.…

Veteran actress Nthati Moshesh has landed a leading role on BET Africa’s first daily drama Isono (The Sin). The role came after the 50-year-old raised her frustrations in an interview with City Press in April last year about how difficult it was for actors her age to land leading roles. “Playing a leading lady means a lot to me. It is the best birthday gift ever. It came right after I lost my brother. It is a tribute to my beloved brother, who did not own a television but supported my acting career over the years,” she told City Press via a video conferencing call on Thursday. Isono is the story of a dysfunctional family and a heroic son who searches within himself for the strength to stand against a…

In 2011, the country was introduced to an a cappella outfit that dared to make this genre hip – The Soil. At the centre of this band was an artist with contortionist-like vocal ability. Buhlebendalo Mda has now decided to break out and release her debut solo project. The spiritual sister’s essence is deeply rooted in her heritage, and her debut, Chosi, is a testament to this. Mda released the project on June 5 and it presents us with the more spiritually in-tune side of an artist still navigating her way through the quagmire of life and love. Speaking to City Press, Mda explained how this new artistic direction came about, and how the idea for the album flowed from that. It is intended to be more than a conversation…

They are young, queer, bold and, of course, on Instagram. These are two South African artists we can’t get enough of. Just before the national lockdown was announced in March, I saw a huge mural in Braamfontein, promoting South Africa’s Netflix original series Queen Sono. It’s by 23-year-old illustrator, graphic designer and tattoo artist Khanya Kemami, who is also known as WacomBoy. It reminded me just how talented young people are. Kemami creates futurist depictions of local creatives, imagines queer utopias through powerful symbols of identity and contributes to global calls for liberation in his art. “I actually wanted to be a tattoo and illustration artist before doing graphic design, and I saw that, the older I got, the more attainable tattooing could be. So then I decided I’d do…

• Separate business and personal expenses. • Have a separate bank account for your business. • Account for all your income and expenses down to the last cent. • Look for savings in your expenses. Every cent counts. • Set long-term goals for your business and then break them down to smaller goals with timelines on when to achieve them. • When things go wrong, which will happen, have an impartial support base to bounce ideas off on how to overcome setbacks. Stress will hurt you and everyone around you. • Spend time thinking about the future and new product lines for the business so that it grows. • Don’t fear starting other businesses based on needs identified. This will diversify your income streams. • Use social media to advertise…

The brutality that continues to be directed at South African women’s bodies seems to be never-ending. It is an ongoing war against women. It is a plague gnawing at our social fabric. There appears to be no strategy or plan to combat and defeat it, beyond the outrage and shock on social media and in media headlines. Yes, we should be outraged and shocked every time it happens, because it’s unfathomable rage that men default to when they need to deal with their emotions – killing women in the most brutal possible way and, in turn, leaving families and communities devastated, and in pain and fear. We’ve talked about men having conversations with each other and discussing how they can take responsibility for changing the callous disregard they have for…

Play-play mayor Going into the 2016 local government elections, the DA was so bullish about taking control of the metros that it was even looking beyond that, aiming at seizing outright control of Gauteng last year. But now Madam Zille, stung by Hairman Mashaba’s criticism of her in his new book, claims that when he was made mayoral candidate he was just a play-play candidate. “To be fair, back then we were not realistically expecting to be in a position to govern Joburg after the 2016 election. But the result of that poll exceeded our expectations.” Ag, shame, he really hurt her feelings. A long week They say a week is a long time in politics. It seems this is especially so if you are the ANC. Last Friday the…

Before the Covid-19 coronavirus national lockdown came into effect in March, South Africa already counted more than 8 million young people aged 18 to 35 who were not in employment, education or training (Neet). These young people typically experience a multitude of deprivations such as food insecurity, poor health and geographic exclusion. These deprivations and their intersections – income poverty influences food security, which again impacts on health, for instance – complicate young people’s transitions from adolescence to adulthood. There is evidence the coronavirus pandemic will worsen the country’s social challenges, including those of young people. The need to reach out and provide support to young people who are Neet is now even more critical. To gain an understanding of the impact of the pandemic on young people, the Southern…

Covid-19 has brought to the fore the gross global inequalities that exist and has highlighted massive deficiencies in the capitalist system. As a result, there are growing demands that we should not return to normal in a post-pandemic world. Within the financial elites and their governmental management structures, this has triggered various suggestions for what would amount to merely a future new normal. The shrewdest proposal so far to salvage and maintain the underlying dynamic of a system responsible for the horrors of waste and poverty encapsulated in the wage and welfare gap comes in the form of a “Great Reset agenda” for capitalism. The author is Klaus Schwab, head honcho of that billionaire rich boys’ club, the World Economic Forum. The three “main components” for this effective reinvention of…

Thursday was a big day in the country as we celebrated 10 years since Siphiwe Tshabalala’s 2010 World Cup opening goal set the scene for one of the most spectacular football events. The global championship put the country on the world map and made detractors eat humble pie. We proved that we could be up there with the best in the world – if we really wanted to. The tournament was a great success for the country and the continent. It united the nation as people of all colours embraced one another and contributed towards hosting the successful event. Unfortunately, as soon as the world’s attention left the country, we were back to square one. All the gains we made during the event went up in smoke as we quickly…

Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams walked into a storm when she returned from a two-month suspension this week, with a stand-off brewing between her and MPs over the appointment of councillors to the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa). During her suspension for violating lockdown regulations, Parliament’s portfolio committee on communications processed the list of new Icasa council candidates and took the unprecedented decision to rank them. On Tuesday, the day she returned to work, the National Assembly approved 10 names from which Ndabeni-Abrahams will appoint six candidates as the new Icasa councillors, including the chairperson. The minister has to choose six names from the list, and the ranking is seen by her associates as an attempt by the committee to foist its preferences – including that of chairperson – on…

The appointment of a new vice-chancellor for the University of the Witwatersrand has stoked racial tensions on campus. Wits will announce the candidate to replace the outgoing vice-chancellor and principal, Professor Adam Habib, at the end of this month. Three candidates – the University of Johannesburg’s deputy vice-chancellor for research and internationalisation Professor Saurabh Sinha, Wits’ deputy vice-chancellor: academic Professor Ruksana Osman and deputy vice-chancellor for research and postgraduate affairs Professor Zeblon Vilakazi – are vying for his position. On Wednesday, they will face the broader Wits’ community and will be interviewed on Thursday. However, racism claims have emerged following the recent appointment of professor Shabir Madhi, who will take over from the dean of health services, Professor Martin Veller, whose contract comes to an end in December. City Press…

There was showbiz drama aplenty this week as gqom star Babes Wodumo gave Durban socialite Tha Simelane a hot klap, albeit remotely. The singer’s legal team slapped Simelane with a lawsuit for his low-blow comment against the Wololo hitmaker. This after Simelane insinuated last week that Wodumo had taken cocaine during an online interview that has since gone viral. Wodumo’s lawyer, Ayanda Mngadi of Ayanda Shazi & Associates, confirmed the lawsuit: “Yes, I can confirm that we have received instructions from our client to take action. It is a civil case of defamation,” said Mngadi. She said the case related to what Simelane had said online about Wodumo. In the video, a visibly emotional Wodumo is seen touching her face as if wiping her nose. She then logs off from…

The ANC and the EFF have agreed on the proposed postponement by the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) of next year’s local government elections. The two parties even suggested that the elections should be consolidated, with national, provisional and local government elections being conducted in the same year. The DA is against the proposal and does not agree that the election calendars be synchronised. Local government elections are held two years after the national and provincial elections. The EFF has called for next year’s local government elections to be conducted in 2024 with the national and provincial elections. Marshall Dlamini, EFF secretary-general, said the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic had initiated the debates on whether it was really necessary to have separate elections, adding that the EFF was in favour of aligning…

Huawei P40 Pro 5G Price: R20 999 •••-- The Huawei P40 launched at the beginning of this month and had users marvelling at its hyper-realistic photographs and videos. But the P40 Pro 5G is not a simple or convenient smartphone to set up. Hardware-wise, the phone is a beast – as is usually the case with Huawei’s flagship phones. However, it is the software that is a bit of a pain. The P40 is the first Huawei flagship without Google Mobile Services. In effect, this translates to the P40 not coming with any of Google’s apps or its Play Store, relying instead on Huawei Mobile Services and the Huawei AppGallery. Simply put, you cannot start up the phone and sync your Google accounts and, ta-da, things work as before. Apps…

Mahatma Gandhi’s words that “a nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members”, remain one of the most poignant observations by the great man. Just last week, City Press reported that taxi commuters from Alexandra township were to be hit with a very steep fare hike – from R11 to R30 – to get to Sandton. While the implementation of the fare hike has been suspended and commuters will not have to dig deep in their pockets tomorrow, the question is, how long will this temporary reprieve last? Sadly, South Africans who rely on public transport also fall in to the category of the most vulnerable people who have suffered greatly since the start of the national lockdown in March. They lost their jobs and had their…

It wasn’t long ago when the conscience of MPs was put to the test. At the time, the debate was whether those who were meant to be the representatives of the people in the legislature were truly for the people or would toe the party line. In response, MPs were reminded that their conscience had not put them in Parliament and that they were there on the party ticket. Despite contestation and revolt from some ANC MPs, the party largely voted against a motion of no confidence against then President Jacob Zuma. In the end, party politics won and MPs’ consciences – and, by extension, the people – lost. It wasn’t long afterwards that both the ANC and EFF chopped and changed the lists of those who were meant to…

Eskom is bullying municipalities, and this could very well lead to their demise. This is according to Bertus Maritz, an attorney from Bokwa Incorporated, which represents various municipalities. One of these bullied municipalities is Matjhabeng, which has an outstanding Eskom bill of R3.5 billion. According to Maritz, R1 billion of the total amount consists of interest. “This without the municipality ever having concluded a valid interest agreement with Eskom.” In addition, a great deal of the debt, which dates back to 2010, has already prescribed and therefore Eskom has no right to demand payment. Matjhabeng’s long legal battle with Eskom will probably continue in the Bloemfontein High Court within a month or two, following which the municipality plans to approach the Constitutional Court for clarity about certain principles. Matjhabeng’s monthly…

What happens after the flames have died? And when the grieving has ended? What is the first thing that will make you smile again? You haven’t started living until you have made peace with death, But you are the living dead if you have made peace with oppression. And you have fallen to the lower species if you think poverty is a blessing. What happens when the sun goes down? And the moon is gone from the sky? And there is only darkness, coldness and tiredness? Do you go back to your old and tired bed, That is hoping to be retired, But your bank balance is too dry, Like a well burnt by global warming? Do you cross real and metaphorical colour lines? Do you cross the tracks? Do…

Former Sharks hooker Monde Hadebe is set for an unlikely return to rugby after signing a one-year contract with Griquas last week. Hadebe quit the game in early 2016 because of a nagging back injury, only to later cop a four-year doping ban after testing positive for two steroids. He begins his contract, which comes with an option for renewal when it concludes, on November 1. Given that he was disillusioned when he quit rugby and had subsequently built a thriving engineering company from scratch during his time away from the game, Hadebe’s decision to make a comeback is something of a surprise. “For me, the initial intent was to get into a bit of club rugby sometime this year to run around socially and keep fit,” he said. “But,…

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State Security Agency Minister Ayanda Dlodlo had only wanted part of the Inspector General of Intelligence’s report on the SA Revenue Service’s (Sars’) so-called rogue unit to be invalidated, instead of the entire report being set aside. On Monday, Pretoria High Court Judge Sulet Potterill handed down judgment which reviewed and set aside the 2014 Inspector General of Intelligence’s report into the Sars rogue unit. This followed an agreement between Dlodlo, former Sars executive Johann van Loggerenberg and Inspector General of Intelligence Setlhomamaru Dintwe that it should be set aside. Dlodlo’s spokesperson Mava Scott said the minister, who initially intended to oppose the application, was persuaded by legal opinion that the entire report was indefensible as it exceeded the terms of reference. Dintwe did not respond to questions sent on…

Former Kaizer Chiefs star Siphiwe “Shabba” Tshabalala still has the customised boots he was wearing when he scored the very first goal of the 2010 Soccer World Cup 10 years ago. “I’m the only one who knows where my boots are. But I can assure you that they’re safe,” he said during our telephonic interview. The 35-year-old added that he wouldn’t trade them for anything because they’d changed his life. “They constantly remind me of where it all started,” he explained. On Thursday, Tshabalala posted a picture of the boots – with his signature embroidered on them – on his Instagram account. That day marked exactly a decade since he made South Africans proud by scoring the country’s most talked about goal while playing for Bafana Bafana against Mexico in…

The department of employment and labour in the Free State is investigating Mofumahadi Manapo Mopeli Hospital in QwaQwa for contravening Covid-19 regulations. If found guilty, the hospital may be slapped with a prohibition notice. In addition, sections of the facility could be affected or the entire hospital could be closed down. Three submissions were made: one by the National Public Service Workers’ Union (NPSWU) and the other two by staff members of the hospital. Makalo Khoele, an occupational health and safety specialist based in the Free State, told City Press that an inspection was conducted at the hospital on Wednesday. Before doing their work, the inspectors attended a meeting between unions and management. They wanted us to test everyone. How can we test people who did not come close to…

Most young people, aged between 18 and 35, would like government to provide them with free data after the Covid-19 national lockdown, a new survey has found. The survey, by the Southern Africa Labour and Development Unit at the University of Cape Town, looked into the state of young people’s wellbeing during the lockdown. It had 17 992 individuals respond to its questionnaire from all the nine provinces. However, a final sample of 13 282 had their responses considered. It was conducted through Unicef SA via UReport, a social media platform for young people. The respondents, who felt they needed free data after the lockdown, made up 37.6% of those polled. About 36.1% wanted learning support, online work or training information (32.7%), while those who needed support with seeking jobs…

1 Which radio station did Sizwe Dhlomo recently move to? a. Ukhozi FM b. Kaya FM c. Power FM d. 702 2 Which African country is the latest to get its movie content added on Netflix? a. Zimbabwe b. South Africa c. Kenya d. Egypt 3 Which South African actor recently stunned judges with a performance on Britain’s Got Talent? a. Paxton Fielies b. Karin Kortje c. Musa Sukwene d. Belinda Davids 4 Which actor recently joined the cast of The Queen? a. Warren Masemola b. Menzi Ngubane c. Thami Mngqolo d. Rapulana Seiphemo 5 Which male and female celebs topped the Forbes list last week as the highest-paid celebrities? a. Kylie Jenner and P Diddy b. Kylie Jenner and Jay-Z c. Kylie Jenner and Kanye West d. Kylie Jenner…

Historically, young people have shown that they play a critical role as drivers and implementers of development and change in society. As we celebrate Youth Month in commemoration of the events of June 1976 – popularly remembered as the Soweto uprising – we are again reminded of how black pupils rose up against the apartheid education system and Bantu education. They helped to change South Africa’s course of history and reshape our country. Bantu education was an inferior system meant to deny black people access to the kind of education that enabled one to achieve one’s full potential. This system sought to undermine black pupils, using education as a weapon of subjugation to keep them from achieving success for themselves and their families. It was the knee that suffocated their…

Over the past few years, AfriForum, that light version of the Ku Klux Klan, has been venturing abroad on a mission to convince folks that South Africa is a living hell for white people. On these tours, which have the group’s leaders walk some very powerful corridors and reach wide media audiences, AfriForum has been telling the world that minority rights are being trampled, government is planning to seize all white-owned land and whites are in danger of being exterminated through an ANC-sanctioned genocide. Their mission is to see democratic South Africa treated as a pariah in the same way the apartheid regime was back in the day, and the way some of the most odious dictatorships are treated today. Unfortunately for South Africa, there are enough far-rightists in the…

Following reports that the Central Energy Fund, which is a schedule 2 state-owned energy company, was eyeing some of Sasol’s petrol stations, a number of alarmed investors who are Sasol franchise owners have raised red flags about the transparency of the deal. Speaking to City Press this week, the group of franchise owners – who are among 35 operators who could be affected by the sale of the land on which their businesses operate – said they were unsure about their future and what would happen to their franchise agreements. “In November 2019, I met with the property manager from Sasol head office. My agenda for the day was that I was interested in buying the land on which my franchise currently stands. “He affirmed that Sasol wasn’t selling any…

I’m sure you know by now that, once a player has been substituted, he cannot take any further part in the game. However, what might have escaped your notice is that this statement is not necessarily correct. Following approval at the 131st annual general meeting of the International Football Association Board (Ifab), held in London on March 3 2017, the laws of the game now permit the use of return substitutes. Law 3 – The players return substitutions “The use of return substitutions is permitted only in youth, veterans, disability and grassroots football, subject to the agreement of the national football association, confederation or Fifa.” So, what is a return substitute? A return substitute is a player who has already played in the match and has been substituted, and later…

The last time Crewe Alexandra FC won a trophy in British football was in 2013, when the Railwaymen won the English Football League Trophy. Goals by Luke Murphy and Max Clayton gave the team based in the Cheshire region of England a 2-0 victory over Southend United and their first – and, to date, only – trophy. When the global Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic brought football to its knees in March, Crewe Alexandra were sitting at the top of League Two, eying promotion to the third tier of English football and hoping to win the League Two championship. Midweek, however, clubs in the third and fourth division in England (known as League One and League Two) voted that the season would be ended, and that Coventry and Swindon Town would be…

There’s no date yet, but professional football will soon be back in the spotlight. This follows a meeting on Thursday, during which PSL chairperson Irvin Khoza and Safa president Danny Jordaan handed government a task team report on protocols for the resumption of football. The report on the health and safety guidelines paves the way for the resumption of the sport in the country. The joint liaison committee, which comprises PSL and Safa members, had tasked Khoza and Jordaan with presenting the report, Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa’s office confirmed. Thursday’s virtual meeting was a basic status update on the PSL’s concerted efforts to convince government that the league can safely restart play, which has been on hold since the middle of March due to the Covid-19 coronavirus…

Safa has begun a section 189 process as the embattled organisation plans to implement retrenchments on a major scale, citing operational cost-cutting. In a letter addressed to staff members, Safa noted that it had been experiencing financial difficulties over the past three years. “This letter serves as a notice that Safa is contemplating the possible dismissal of some of its employees for reasons related to its operational requirements,” read the letter, dated June 10. “It was pointed out that the audited financial statements clearly show that our financial performances have been significantly affected by dwindling revenues … In the 2018 financial year, we reported a loss of R18 million and in 2019, we reported another loss of R74 million. Simply put, we have spent R92 million more than the money…