Innholdsfortegnelse for 7/26/2020 i City Press

A fight regarding memorial services for ANC stalwart Andrew Mlangeni has erupted due to the prominent role played by former president Jacob Zuma after the ANC proceeded to include him in the build-up programme, despite objections from Mlangeni’s family. City Press has learnt that there was initially no objection from the Mlangeni family or the June and Andrew Mlangeni Foundation during a virtual meeting with national leaders on Thursday, when Zuma’s name, together with those of his presidential predecessors Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe, was mentioned as one of the prospective speakers who would reflect on Mlangeni’s life. Present in the meeting were ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule, chairperson of the foundation Dr Hlengiwe Mkhize and Mlangeni’s son, Sello. However, just before midday on Friday, the ANC memorial service preparations task…

Late last year, actress Lorraine Moropa (23) lodged a sexual harassment complaint against veteran actor Mangaliso Ngema (49), after he allegedly touched her bum while they were shooting an intimate scene. The matter was settled after he apologised to her and Quizzical Pictures, the production company that runs the telenovela Lithapo. This week, Moropa broke her silence and revealed new allegations of sexual harassment happening on set. City Press has learnt that both actors were filming at a tavern on Monday when Ngema, who was wearing tight pants, touched himself and allegedly “undressed” her with his eyes. Without mentioning Ngema by name, Moropa detailed in a lengthy Instagram post how she had been constantly harassed by a male senior in the workplace. “Some of the sexual acts that the cast…

Deputy President David Mabuza’s alleged mafia conspiracies in Mpumalanga come under the spotlight again from tomorrow, in a civil trial in which businessperson and corruption whistle-blower Fred Daniel is claiming R1.09 billion in damages against the state. According to court papers, 12 complainants told the Pretoria High Court that Mabuza, who was the Mpumalanga MEC of agriculture and land administration in 2008, was instrumental in an alleged government-sponsored scheme to harass, instigate violence, intimidate and make death threats against Daniel, his family and employees to collapse his planned Nkomazi Wilderness game farm project in the Badplaas Valley, or drive him out altogether. Mabuza, who has previously denied all allegations of political thuggery, is cited as the seventh defendant of 24, who include politicians, government departments and agencies, and their officials.…

Radio legend Bob Mabena has dusted off his old turntables after more than two decades and released a House compilation. The 51-year-old, who gave us the street anthem Get Funky in the 1990s, is responding to the tastes of local audiences with a 12-track House compilation called Jammers House Volume 1, which was released on Friday. The compilation is available on all streaming platforms. The Power FM radio personality, who got his start in the industry spinning mixes at nightclubs, felt this was the right time to flex his skills behind the decks once more. “It’s a remix album. I’m telling the history of my involvement in House music. It’s about repositioning my brand. I’m placing myself and my name in the conversation. People tend to forget that, before radio,…

A year’s salary award for former Gauteng Hawks head Shadrack Sibiya is not enough. Instead, he wants his old job back as a major-general and head of the crime-busting unit. On Wednesday, the labour court heard that his dismissal had been procedurally unfair and that he should be paid out a full 12 months’ salary, with costs, by the Hawks. “Even though the judgment has found in my favour, it’s failed to remedy the injustice that I’ve suffered as a result of the unfair dismissal. I’m meeting my legal team on Tuesday to draft the appeal documents,” Sibiya told City Press this week. “Where’s the justice in ruling that my dismissal was unfair if I remain dismissed based on fabricated evidence?” Sibiya joined the police service in 1988 and rose…

The Queen Mzansi Magic (DStv channel 161) Sunday, 9pm NEW SEASON Follow the lives of two families living a life of crime and excess. Their matriarchs – Harriet and Gracious – are often at loggerheads with the police and the community. Buffalo Fortress SABC3 (DStv channel 193) Sunday, 6.30pm For nine years, the breeding herd, led by Big Cow and protected by Big Bull, has fended off relentless attacks from the resident lion pride. There are casualties, but Big Bull knows how to close ranks and meet the lions’ onslaughts as an impenetrable fortress. It’s a dance of survival both buffalo and lion have learnt over many seasons. Triple 9 (2016) Mzansi Magic (DStv channel 161) Sunday, 8pm Dirty cops double-cross each other in this thriller starring Oscar-winner Casey Affleck.…

Just when he thought he was getting his career back on track after joining Bidvest Wits in January, uncertainty is knocking at Lorenzo Gordinho’s door after the university club was abruptly sold. The defender can only bemoan his misfortune over the past three seasons. He left Kaizer Chiefs for greener pastures after he struggled for regular game time at Naturena. A fan favourite at Chiefs, the 26-year-old was shipped out on loan to Bloemfontein Celtic from January to December 2018 as part of the swap deal that brought in Kabelo Mahlasela. The Benoni-born centre-back was then recalled by Amakhosi, but he struggled to win over coach Ernst Middendorp. “For me, it has been all about adaptation. It has been an adverse past few seasons for me – going on loan…

There are three “dealbreakers” that may prevent the Springboks from taking to the field in the Rugby Championship later this year. These are the sobering realities around the prestigious tournament to be held in New Zealand in November, after World Rugby this week gave the green light for it to go ahead. Bok coach Jacques Nienaber admits that the Springboks are currently about three months behind New Zealand in terms of preparations, and their plans will have to work perfectly if the Boks are to play in the tournament. Nienaber told City Press’ sister publication Rapport that there are three “phases” that would be “dealbreakers” and would have to go well for the Springboks to play in November. All three have conditions that could change suddenly as a result of…

Uproarious laughter was heard across the country on Thursday night after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that state agencies would crack down on those implicated in the looting of state funds and goods during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. From KwaBhaca in the Eastern Cape and Thohoyandou in Limpopo to Saxonwold in Johannesburg and Mahikeng in North West, thieves, looters and ordinary citizens burst out laughing as they found themselves unable to contain their derision of another empty threat. South Africa has long been beset by theft, fraud and corruption, and Covid-19 has made it worse. In his speech, Ramaphosa voiced his concern about stolen funds, overpriced goods and food parcels being diverted from the needy by government cadres. He said: “We are determined that every instance of alleged corruption must be…

Former ANC MP Vytjie Mentor is giving the party every reason to continue boasting that it is cold outside the ANC. The outspoken Mentor has been unsettled since leaving the party. Last year, before the national elections, she joined the African Christian Democratic Party, a conservative party she had no place in. But she did not make it as an MP and bolted. Now she is joining Herman Mashaba’s People’s Dialogue, a party hardly in existence. Take a wild guess at what she will do if the party fails to crack it in elections next year. You guessed it: bolt again!…

Consumers can forget about government’s “renegotiation” of contracts with independent power producers (IPPs) leading to lower electricity tariffs, say experts. This comes after Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe accepted a recommendation to use refinancing as a mechanism to lower electricity tariffs. The slight benefit this could bring will be overshadowed by the massive increases that could come after Eskom’s success in various court battles against the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) over various decisions by the regulator that limited tariff increases. In February last year, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan caused an upheaval when he announced in Parliament that government wanted to renegotiate the power purchase agreements (PPA) that were concluded in 2011 and 2012 with the IPPs because the tariffs were too high. This led to…

What is the future of news? This is a question that has vexed news organisations the world over during the past two decades. With the rapid march of technology overhauling lifestyles and making it so much easier to access life’s necessities online, the consumption of news has also been affected. No longer do you wait for the evening television news to find out what the world was up to during the day. Nor do you wait for the top of the hour to tune into the radio news bulletin. The same applies to the print newspaper. News is permanently at your fingertips – literally. As news organisations, we have long known that, inasmuch as the print newspaper still has a lot of life left in it, the future is digital.…

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

Winnie Ntshaba, the founder of the Royalty Soapie Awards, wanted to be a game-changer when she launched the awards in 2013 to honour creatives in the television industry. “The TV industry plays [an important role] and touches millions [of people] through storytelling. When there was a big cry that no one was taking care of the actors, I raised my hand. “I said I want to see change where, as actors, [we] get rewarded for the hard work we have contributed over the years,” said the actress popularly known as Khethiwe from the original Generations soapie. Since then, the 44-year-old has also appeared on shows such as The River, The Herd, Isibaya and Isithembiso. This year’s glitzy award ceremony is set to become South Africa’s first to be recorded in…

The spouse of a Free State mayor is allegedly involved in a child grant scandal amounting to more than R50 000. City Press has established that Paballo Christina Matsholo (46) received child grants for three of her four children from November 2013 until March last year. In 2016 her husband, Tangkiso Frans Matsholo (47), was inaugurated as the mayor of Tswelopele Local Municipality in the Free State, about 100km away from Bloemfontein, near the border of North West. It has now emerged that, during the period Matsholo’s wife was receiving the grants, the family scored between R300 and R360 a month for each child – totalling just over R1 000, and amounting to more than R12 000 a year. This means that, over a period of more than five years,…

Mystery surrounds the construction of a high school in Limpopo, whose tender contract is believed to be worth millions of rands. Neither the provincial education department nor the national basic education department have any knowledge of the tender linked to the construction of John Mutheiwana Secondary School in Tshimbupfe, outside Vuwani. Limpopo education spokesperson Tidimalo Chuene said the department was investigating the matter. “There is no record of this particular tender that you are referring to. We are aware of construction work in four schools in the area, and are investigating who is involved and how they are involved,” Chuene said. Basic education spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said this was neither a national department project, nor “a provincial education department project. We have requested an investigation into it by the province.…

Residents of Mpumalanga’s Thaba Chweu Local Municipality are feeling the pinch of a R410 million substation constructed by a Chinese company after the council decided to increase the electricity tariff. But the residents are also angry because the council introduced a fixed monthly service fee of R184 on all electricity purchases. It increased the electricity tariff by 10%, reportedly to recoup some money to repay China Sinogy Electric Engineering Company (CSEEC) SA for building the 40 megavolt amp Duma electricity substation. And it has to pay off Eskom’s R750 million debt. Even with the R184 service fee, it will take Thaba Chweu municipality about eight years to pay off the R410 million CSEEC debt – excluding interest – paid by the 24 000 households in Mashishing, Sabie and Graskop. Friddah…

With more than 1 557 healthcare workers infected with the Covid-19 coronavirus, the expected peak in KwaZulu-Natal could be disastrous. The Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA in the province says it is worried about the root cause of infection among health workers in the private and public spheres. A few months ago, the union’s spokesperson, Mandla Shabangu, said that more than 86 employees from the Netcare group had been found to be infected with the virus, and stressed the need for management to consistently provide adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) to healthcare workers. “To our surprise, our members were testing positive. We were happy that the hospital closed down to get cleaned, and instituted an investigation to identify the root cause of infections and implement mitigations to curb the spread,”…

Colour Central is a Facebook-based clothing brand that’s all about inclusivity. Created by Deekay Sibanda and Dudu Mathebula, it consists of gender-neutral, comfy, high-quality, ubercolourful streetwear such as hoodies, beanies and sweatpants for adults and kids. “We created it smack in the middle of the pandemic,” Mathebula tells us over Facebook. “Most people were feeling down and out, or sick with worry about the future. We wanted to lift the mood a little with our colourful choices.” Their rainbow-inspired Uthingo collection is specifically about celebrating South Africa’s queer community. “Uthingo means ‘rainbow’ in isiZulu, and we’re focused on LGBTI+ representation. We’re an inclusive brand that celebrates diversity and believes in flying the pride flag high throughout all seasons of life. “Our pride flag garments are a reminder that we exist…

Mx Blouse Elementality Available on all streaming platforms When you are handed the new Mx Blouse, you know you’re going to get out the big speakers to listen to it properly, with the doors ajar so the block can feel the heat. The wizardry of Phuzamanzi is so infectious that my neighbours enquire what is being played and why they can’t Shazam it. I tell them and they admit to simply wanting to drink water and shake a little something. Take it easy, drink water: this is Mx’s simple message on this slapper of an opener. They reimagine kwaito; what if the beats were a little space agey? A touch of futuristic production, decaying and attacking just that bit sharper than Cleo’s beats once did? The answer may very well…

This week was a big one for declarations of intent in athletics. While Wayde van Niekerk was reiterating his desire to break his 400m record again, in an interview with his predecessor for that title, Michael Johnson, Michael Norman was running a 9.86-second 100m at the strangely named AP High-Performance Invitationals 1-5 competition in Fort Worth, Texas, US. At this juncture, most South Africans will ask, Michael Who? They’ll also want to know why yet another sprinter from the former Mecca of sprinting (the US) dropping a sub-10 100m matters down here. In running that time, Norman became only the second sprinter in history to run a sub-10s 100m, a sub-20s 200m and a sub-44s 400m. Of course, the first man to do that was Van Niekerk. But the difference…

Let’s face facts, and be frank while we are at it. The ongoing hostilities between Safa and the PSL over the resumption of the stalled football season have turned into grandstanding and playing to the public gallery. The issues around the restart of the league campaign have really spiralled out of control. No one has a clue about what will happen next. All we have are bits and pieces of information, but there is no substance. As a result, the football-loving public has been left in the dark. A lot has been said, but nothing has happened and there seems to be no end in sight. However, I must give it to Safa for being proactive and taking the fight to the PSL – especially regarding the association’s stance on…

Former Gauteng premier Nomvula Mokonyane must thank her lucky stars that she is not in court to answer to allegations that she improperly benefited from Bosasa largesse. Mokonyane had leeway at the Zondo commission, playing victim and branding her accuser, Angelo Agrizzi, as racist and sexist. In denying that she had received whiskey, beer, chicken braai packs and lamb from Bosasa, her defence was that she did not have a storeroom big enough to keep the items. Without tough cross-examination, Mokonyane believes that she “aced” the commission.…

Africanism is not a new concept; it means different things to different people. In his submission to the discourse, late Nigerian political scientist Elechukwu Njaka wrote in the Cambridge University Press’ A Journal of Opinion (autumn, 1971) that the concept has varied components, including “arts, beliefs, culture, history, music, philosophy, politics, science and concepts such as nationalism and Pan-Africanism”. In another show of the spirit of Africanism and a response to the call for active citizenship in communities, South Africa and the globe commemorated Nelson Mandela Day last weekend, while the month of July is commonly known as Mandela Month. Madiba himself said: “In Africa, there is a concept known as ubuntu – the profound sense that we are human only through the humanity of others; that if we are…

Eskom’s gross debt surged to R480 billion after the struggling state-owned power utility borrowed from its lines of credit, according to documents seen by Bloomberg. The increase, from a previously disclosed level of R454 billion, comes as the company struggles to meet running costs, including a debt-service bill, despite a government bailout. Inadequate maintenance of its ageing power plants led to rolling nationwide blackouts earlier this month. Over the past year, Eskom clinched a R15 billion syndicated loan with commercial banks, a R7 billion loan from the China Development Bank and a R5 billion facility from the Public Investment Corporation, the documents show. Eskom declined to comment on a query about its debt level.…

The revolution is not being televised, to paraphrase Gill Scott-Heron. It is fomenting at Joseph Khafula’s corner, where he is selling amaloose and skopas. His erudite and empty-nested customer, Mr Mfene, talks to him when he comes to buy vegetables. “What are they saying, Kawza?” Mfene asks. “Ah, Hlathikhulu! It’s this social distancing ka Ramaphosa,” Khafula says. His almost toothless mouth blowing whistles. “Mothers are not working, children have no money, the skopas are not moving. How are things at the firms?” “We don’t know, Kawza...” “I hear the firms are just demolishing ... Ayadiliza strong,” Khafula interjects. “He he! When you drive in town you see factories with big ‘To Let’ signs,” Mfene says. “Ah! Mr Mfene, this country is finished,” Khafula says, as he waves his left hand…

New evidence could contradict ANC heavyweight and former Cabinet Minister Nomvula Mokonyane’s testimony that she had never held a birthday party sponsored by the controversial company Bosasa at a Krugersdorp guesthouse. Giving testimony at the Zondo commission into state capture this week, Mokonyane denied claims that a birthday party was hosted for her at the Victorian Guesthouse. Following her denial, City Press has learnt that the commission’s investigators visited the guesthouse to obtain some evidence that could prove whether or not a party was held for Mokonyane. A source, who is privy to the visit to the guesthouse, said that the investigators picked up invoices confirming that the venue hosted Mokonyane’s 40th birthday celebrations. City Press understands that the move by the commission was informed by new testimony, which was…

Two senior officials in the department of planning, monitoring and evaluation, which is housed in the presidency, are under investigation for having allegedly been appointed in violation of public service regulations. The complaint regarding the appointment of chief director for HR and corporate services Ntabozuko Nomlala and head of the director-general’s office Nokuthula Nqaba was sent to the Public Service Commission (PSC) for investigation on March 12. On July 7, it appointed investigators to look into the case. On Thursday, the PSC confirmed its investigation, adding that Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu had been informed of the matter. According to whistle-blowers in the department, Musi Skosana, the chief of staff in Mthembu’s office, chaired Nomlala’s interview process, despite the fact that “he is a political appointee – and political…

Kanye West is reportedly still focusing on his brand deals with Gap and Adidas amid his battle with bipolar disorder and a family feud with the Kardashian clan. The rapper (43) is allegedly finding time between his presidential campaign and personal troubles to work on his projects with the brands, according to a report from TMZ yesterday. It was claimed by the publication that business-savvy West is keen to still work on the projects alongside a big team to keep operations on schedule for the collaborations with the companies. West is working with designer Mowalola Ogunlesi on his YZY GAP project, and she is said to still be working diligently on the collaboration even after Kanye’s recent bizarre “presidential” speech and subsequent Twitter meltdown. Meanwhile, it was also claimed that…

JB Marks Local Municipality is in existence only by name and geographical location in Potchefstroom, North West, because a “provisional” 2020/21 budget that the council recently approved is not legally compliant. The provincial finance department said on Friday that it had withheld the release of the equitable share to JB Marks. “Legally, we do not know what provisional approval means because the municipal budget and reporting regulations are clear on what constitutes approval of the budget of a municipality. As a consequence, the equitable share which was due on July 7 did not flow,” said the head of the provincial treasury, Ndlela Kunene. Kunene said that “as things stand now – or at the time when we invoked the provision to withhold the equitable share – JB Marks did not…

The Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic has, without a doubt, left global health systems reeling in its wake. To date, it has been confirmed that more than 628 000 people across the world have died from the highly infectious respiratory illness, with more than 6 000 of them here in South Africa. Hearing daily reports of people dying in their hundreds has become the norm. And with death come funerals and burials, which put their own spanner in the works when it comes to spreading the virus as traditional African burial rights and Covid-19 safety protocols collide. Funerals have long been flagged as vectors for the spread of disease, even with the new regulations to have 50 or fewer people present. The infamous Majola village funeral held on March 21 in Port…

Accusations of maladministration, nepotism and corruption have rocked one of the most respected Safa local football associations (LFAs) in the country, leading to a corruption charge being laid against its chairperson. A disgruntled faction of the Rand Central LFA is calling for chairperson Jimmy Bakos’ head. Panorama FC and Randburg Association FC have accused Bakos of misappropriating funds and using LFA money for self-enrichment. The rift is a classic case of friends turning into enemies. At the heart of the tension is an incident that allegedly happened last year when Panorama FC were disqualified from participating in the prestigious Under-12/13 Volkswagen Junior Masters Soccer Tournament. What rubbed salt into the wound was that a child of one of the bosses at Panorama FC, who was meant to compete in that…

South African long jump champion Ruswahl Samaai is one of a lucky few who are on the verge of getting their first taste of competition, despite the country still being under lockdown. The 28-year-old is part of a small band of local athletes who were handed a pass to Italy, and they’ve been there since last weekend. Samaai is in the company of sprinters Wayde van Niekerk and Akani Simbine, as well as hurdler Antonio Alkana, in Gemona del Friuli for a training camp. The northern Italian town near the Austrian and Slovenian borders has been “a home away from home” for South Africa’s athletics stars. It provides world-class training facilities and is ideally located to allow athletes to travel to competitions around Europe. So how did Samaai and company…

When Manchester United step on to the King Power Stadium pitch in Leicester later this afternoon, there will be much more at stake for the Red Devils than three points. There could be money – lots of it – enough to buy a decent player. Going into their final English Premier League (PL) match, United are third on the table with 63 points. Chelsea are fourth on goal difference, while Leicester City are on 62 points. Victory for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team will keep them third and seal a place in the lucrative Uefa Champions League, guaranteeing them an enormous amount of television money. A draw could see them slip down to fourth place behind Chelsea, who are facing Wolves in their final game, but still keep them ahead of…

Players and staff members whose contracts with Bidvest Wits are still legally binding will be due for compensation for losses suffered from the sale. The premiership status of the 99-year-old club was sold to the owner of Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM), Masala Mulaudzi. Wits has 10 management/admin staff members, nine first-team technical staff members and seven technical team members for the academy. According to a Wits insider, all these employees have binding contracts with the club and will have to be paid out or given retrenchment packages. For example, first team coach Gavin Hunt’s contract expires in June and, because coaches are generally not sold to other clubs, he will have to be paid for the remainder of his contract. For the players, however, the process will be a little…

Government seems to have caved in to teacher union and political ally Sadtu regarding the closing of schools. This follows a pattern in which government’s arm was forcibly twisted by taxi operators to allow them to load passengers to 100% capacity, despite the risk of spreading the Covid-19 coronavirus. And government’s arm has been twisted many times during this period of uncertainty – the unbanning and rebanning of the sale of tobacco and alcohol have been other such instances. This changing of minds goes against government’s stated principle that science and expert advice from global bodies are guiding tools in dealing with this novel coronavirus. With no vaccine in sight, best practices from reputable bodies, like the World Health Organisation, and advice from scientists are what should set the tone…

Siyahleba was rather intrigued when she received a flyer invitation to a “virtual reflection on the life and times of Ntate Andrew Mlangeni”, scheduled for this past Friday. The guest speaker for the tribute to this moral giant was the ANC’s most immoral leader – he of the HIV/Aids shower, two dozen wives and 100 kids. What struck Siya was the rather suggestive slogans on the poster, which matched the Nkandla man’s carnal appetite: “Protect yourself. Defend each other. Let’s do it together.” That’s exactly what he understands.…

I’ve been a committed smoker for about eight years, maybe 10. I wasn’t really planning to quit as I was taught never to give up, but, after the court verdict in the case of the cigarette ban was reserved for a month, I couldn’t take it any more. So, for more than a month now, I’ve been giving quitting a go and it hasn’t been as bad as you might think. It’s easier to walk away from smoking JFKs or Sharp than it would be from the usual, higher quality tobacco brands. The first day was quite brutal, with things such as an unexpected ray of sunlight slipping through the cracks in the blinds really upsetting me. You won’t be scratching your forearms and catching cold sweats, at least if…

Last month, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni had the unenviable task of releasing an adjusted supplementary budget for the country. This was in response to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, which is having an impact on not only revenue generation, but also expenditure, as new needs emerge. As Mboweni spoke, I was reminded of former president Jacob Zuma’s 2014 state of the nation address, when he claimed that government had “a good story to tell”. The good story theme became part of the ANC’s election campaign that year, with Zuma’s speech at the launch of the party’s election manifesto primarily focusing on what the party claimed to have achieved in their two decades of governance. Parts of Mboweni’s speech felt like an echo of the good story narrative – claiming…

South African banks have put their foot down and are insisting on assurance from government that the billions of rands they lent to SAA will be paid back to them and not get caught up in a liquidation process. This while SAA’s employees will have to be satisfied with a vague promise that government will “mobilise funds” for their voluntary severance packages. When this will happen, no one knows. Other creditors are in the same boat when it comes to the few cents on the rand that they can hope to get back from the bankrupt airline. SAA’s business rescuers Les Matuson and Siviwe Dongwana on Thursday indicated that government had complied with the condition of the business rescue plan and would provide the necessary funding, notwithstanding the fact that…

There continues to be much talk about how unequal our society is, and how our wage and welfare gap is the biggest in the world. But how many people are aware that there are perhaps 30 South African billionaires? Or that, for the most part, those billionaires seem to have retained their billionaire status throughout the lockdown and economic stress? It does help, of course, if one inherits great wealth, along with a functioning business empire. So it is hardly surprising that Nicky Oppenheimer, son of industrialist and philanthropist Harry and grandson of Anglo American founder Ernest, tops the list. Two post-apartheid figures also feature quite prominently – Patrice Motsepe and President Cyril Ramaphosa. Mind you, they are some way behind the perhaps R100 billion-plus wealth of Oppenheimer. A year…

Leaders of business in South Africa should take to heart the grandmotherly wisdom that, when you wag your finger at someone, you also have three pointing back at you. So, when they have some tough words for government about corruption, they should bear in mind that none of it happens without one of their own aiding and abetting a politician and civil servant. Some businesspeople not only partake in political corruption, they also engage in unethical businesses practices, including price gouging and collusion, much to society’s loss. Let’s name some of their ways. “The ANC, for example, is punting infrastructure investment as a potential booster for the economy. You can bet that, for every politician who is rubbing their hands in glee at the feast that lies ahead, there is…

CAN I GET A MORTGAGE FOR MORE THAN THE PROPERTY IS worth? JOHN WRITES: I am interested in taking out a bond for a house in a new development that is a high-security complex. Am I allowed to take out more than what the costs are to build the house to pay for some extras in the build? CITY PRESS REPLIES: This is a discussion you would need to have with your bank. A bank is unlikely to provide financing above the value of the property. They usually want there to be some equity in the property to provide protection in case you default and the property must be sold. However, if the extras add to the value of the house, that may be a consideration. Keep in mind that…