Innholdsfortegnelse for 8/2/2020 i City Press

”I have opted to channel my energy into using technology to stem this wave of violence” Media darling Bonang Matheba is celebrating Women’s Month in style by launching an exciting project to help combat the scourge of gender-based violence in South Africa. Queen B has partnered with the world-class technology arm of Cartrack, which is a listed company on the JSE, to launch the B-Safe app, an emergency response project. Although she has not confirmed the pricing structure and when it will be available to users, the 33-year-old TV personality and entrepreneur was excited to talk about her latest project. It comes at a time when gender-based violence is in the spotlight again following a surge in the murder of women. On Friday, during the release of the latest crime…

When the eight survivors of the shipwreck walked barefoot through South Africa’s interior to safety, it was between the fifth and sixth Xhosa frontier wars. At that time, the Xhosa prophet Chief Makana had recently been imprisoned on Robben Island by Europeans. Nevertheless, the Eole survivors were accommodated for three days by amaXhosa on their journey to safety, namely Kumkani Hintsa’s amaRharhabe people. In an extract from a book published in 1834, we find a description of a presentation made to Hintsa on behalf of Sir Lowry Cole, in gratitude for the treatment of the Eole survivors by Hintsa’s people. “In consideration of the humane attention of his people to the unfortunate sufferers who escaped from the wreck of that vessel, his excellency the governor, Sir Lowry Cole, very laudably…

After a one-weekend lay-off, grand prix fans, who have been spoilt by three back-to-back races since the Formula One season finally got under way, turn their attention to Silverstone for today’s British Grand Prix. The race takes place at the iconic Silverstone race circuit with its 5.8km of British tarmac that all drivers love – none more so than six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. Last year’s race saw fans cheer Hamilton to victory on home soil, his fifth win in six years. This time, there won’t be any cheers from spectators, which is a huge disappointment for the steadily increasing British racing fans who have been flocking to the race over the past few years. Last year, more than 350 000 spectators were in attendance over the race weekend. “The…

As we observe Women’s Month, there is nothing to celebrate for one football administrator, Mme Ria Ledwaba. It’s ironic that her arbitration hearing is scheduled to sit during the month that commemorates the heroic march by South African women to the Union Buildings in Pretoria in 1956 – on August 9, to be exact. Last month, Ledwaba and former acting Safa chief executive Gay Mokoena were removed as Safa vice-presidents by the national executive committee (NEC) for violating the organisation’s statutes. The former Ria Stars boss allegedly wrote to Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa, asking him to intervene after Mokoena’s explosive report, which questioned the Safa leadership under its president Danny Jordaan, was released. The letter apparently angered some NEC members, who then voted that Ledwaba and Mokoena…

Let the games begin! After months of uncertainty, local football is finally back. However, both the Absa Premiership and the GladAfrica NFD will resume without fans due to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. The eagerly anticipated resumption will start with a Nedbank Cup semifinal double-header at Orlando Stadium on Saturday. Baroka will take on Bloemfontein at 2pm, while Mamelodi Sundowns face Bidvest Wits at 7pm. At stake is a R7 million cash prize, which, under the current economic climate, will go a long way for the champions. It will be interesting to see how the players cope with playing their first competitive match after such a long lay-off because of the pandemic. Most of the teams will resume the season without playing any friendly games to prepare. The Ke Yona Cup…

Once again, the crime statistics don’t make a positive read as they show that murder, sexual offences and taxi-related violence are still on the rise in South Africa. The 1.4% increase in murders is frightening. There were 21 325 people killed between April 1 last year and March 31 this year; 303 murders more than the previous year. Murder, which is the most accurately reported crime because there is evidence of the deceased, refuses to decline year in and year out. If there is a dip, it is slight and temporary, then it shoots up again. Police Minister Bheki Cele can attempt to blame factors such as alcohol for the murder rate, but the problem goes deeper than that – it is societal. The fact is, as has been reiterated…

Toxic nation Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula never knows when to shut up. This week, outside ANC stalwart Andrew Mlangeni’s house, huge crowds led by ANC leaders gathered to welcome Mlangeni’s remains. When it was pointed out that this was in violation of Covid-19 coronavirus regulations, Mbaks blamed this assertion on a depressed nation. “The nation is going through a lot of depression right now. Everything is toxic around us and everything gets to be criticised, even without facts.” He went on to insist that the whole event lasted for fewer than 10 minutes. The fact is, police should have charged you, Minister. Feeding frenzy Finance Minister Tito Mboweni had to clear up rumours that the R500 billion economic package for Covid-19 had not been stolen. Just imagine. Mboweni told Parliament:…

anniversary comes at a time when the world is in shock over the callous killing of George Floyd by a white policeman in the US, one would have thought that Africans globally would have used this occasion to reflect on the progress they have made in regaining their humanity and dignity, and the challenges that remain. But we did not – it was business as usual. Such an attitude of not paying the necessary attention to historical African matters has tragic consequences for the African people, the Floyd matter being a typical example. In the condemnations that were uttered, I did not hear a single voice drawing our attention to the fact that Floyd was murdered on May 25 – Africa Day – a day that Africans everywhere should be…

Tax filing season started on Saturday, a month ahead of the revised date originally envisaged because of the challenges related to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. The SA Revenue Service (Sars) will test its new auto-assessment function for more than 3 million individual taxpayers. Earlier this week, Sars commissioner Edward Kieswetter said that the automated process would make it possible for the service to provide at least eight out of every 10 taxpayers with an assessment outcome in fewer than three seconds. This will largely be dependent on the infrastructure used by the taxpayer, such as the speed of their network used to connect to Sars. Kieswetter said Sars aimed to pay at least seven out of every 10 taxpayers their refunds within 72 hours should there be nothing to delay…

The Eastern Cape provincial treasury, which is investigating R1.2 billion worth of Covid-19-related tenders that were awarded to 562 suppliers, has declined to make its consolidated report public. This after the Western Cape provincial treasury became the first in the country to release a procurement disclosure report. The report, which details all personal protective equipment (PPE) procurement and expenditure in the Western Cape from April 1 to June 30, will be made available on a monthly basis on the provincial treasury website. The release of the report by the Western Cape government comes after the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) confirmed that it was investigating 90 companies in the Gauteng health department that allegedly benefited from Covid-19-related tenders worth more than R2.2 billion. Tip-offs about corruption streaming in SIU spokesperson Kaizer…

Zille has rubbished Abel Tau’s claims, saying that, while he is entitled to his opinion, there is no evidence to support his statement about her supposed plans to turn the DA into an English Freedom Front Plus. “This is a smear campaign,” she said. In response to Tau’s claims that the party had failed to hold her accountable, Zille said it was “not true for anyone who has any basic understanding of what happened”. Zille affirmed that Randall Williams was suitable and highlighted that the decision to pick him as DA candidate for mayor of the City of Tshwane was not only up to her. DA Gauteng leader John Moodey said he would not be drawn into a position where he had to respond to the reasons that led to…

Besides murder and gender-based violence, truck hijackings and stock theft remain a major problem in the country, particularly in Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape, respectively. According to the national crime statistics for 2019/20, which were released by Police Minister Bheki Cele on Friday, the Eastern Cape accounts for more stock theft in the country than any other province, while Delmas Police Station in Mpumalanga tops the list of chop shops. Commodities such as soya beans, diesel, yellow maize, biscuits, tyres, coal, groceries, furniture, stationery and electric cables make trucks susceptible to hijacking. Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Leonard Hlathi said truck hijackers mostly target these commodities as they are being transported across the borders. The Delmas area, which has a maze of exit routes in all directions, has benefited hijackers, who…

Tempers are raging at the Beitbridge border post between South Africa and Zimbabwe, where truck drivers claim that bribes of up to R1 000 are being extorted from those who want to cross the border. The queues at the border post are now so long that some trucks are having to wait for as long as four days to get through. “You can be number 10 in the queue, but if you or your boss don’t pay a bribe, then you’re not going anywhere,” said a source in the road freight industry, who asked not to be identified. Freight News this week reported that truck drivers at Beitbridge were protesting against corrupt law enforcement officials who usher certain trucks to the front of the queue. The truckers claim that this…

When the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic brought global sports to a standstill, the prestigious and lucrative European cup competitions were in full force. With sports slowly returning to some sort of normality, Europe’s football governing body, Uefa, has given the go-ahead for the European cup action to resume – albeit behind closed doors. The Europa League starts on Wednesday and Thursday, while the Champions League resumes on Friday and Saturday. In Uefa’s crown jewel, four of the Last 16 ties have already been completed, and both finalists from last season were knocked out. Defending champions Liverpool lost to Atlético Madrid, while Tottenham Hotspur were beaten by RB Leipzig. The two winners face off in the next round in Portugal, where all the quarterfinal matches will be played. Also through are Atalanta…

With millions of eyes expected to be glued to TV screens in the coming weeks, thanks to the resumption of the PSL campaign, TV pundits will be called on to meet the high expectations of viewers. All the games will be played behind closed doors, so fans will rely on the commentary of analysts (most of them former professional players) with specialised knowledge of football and its rules. The PSL competition was put on ice in March, when the national lockdown was imposed. Erstwhile Kaizer Chiefs defender and SABC analyst Siphiwe Mkhonza says he anticipated that games would come thick and fast once the PSL restarted, and he spent most of the lockdown period doing extensive research on all the teams and their individual players. “We strive to offer top…

The stench of corruption from government contracts has angered a South African public that is already stressed by the Covid-19 coronavirus and its attendant lockdowns, deaths and prohibitions on alcohol and cigarettes. If it is not Eastern Cape scooters that do not meet the emergency medical service standards, it is the awarding of tenders for personal protective equipment to politically connected people. The problem is not only tenders being given irregularly, but that the prices charged by these companies are unreasonably inflated. Many of these companies are not even competent in the areas they get awarded tenders for. They are formed purely for the purpose of taking advantage of government tender opportunities – mostly by being intermediaries. But the bigger problem is not just corruption, it is that, when exposed,…

Not long ago, I wrote an article about what happens when sporting rules reject culture and traditions. This was after PSL referee Jelly Chavani applied the laws of the game and ordered Golden Arrows players Siyabonga Dube and Sibusiso Sibeko to remove their isiphandla (cultural bracelets made from animal skin). This week, I was taken aback after it emerged that a nine-year-old pupil was recently barred from a Christian school for wearing isiphandla. These things are there for a reason; they are not fashion items worn just for show. Since this incident was reported in the media, I have been asking myself how we can move forward together as a nation. The problem is that we have not accepted or embraced other people’s cultures and traditions. Instead, we want our…

The preamble to the Constitution asserts that the people of South Africa recognise the injustices of the past and are therefore committed to the attainment of social justice for all who live in the country. The Constitution has been hailed as progressive. In a society that threatens to be quite conservative, our Constitution stands valiantly. Bold in its inclusiveness, it is coloured in liberal ideas and cloaked in transformation. Praise for the Constitution extends beyond our borders. Harvard scholar Cass Sunstein called it the most admirable Constitution in the history of the world, and a US Supreme Court Justice hailed it as a “great piece of work that embraces basic human rights”. The presumption would therefore be that South Africans are reaping the rewards of the social justice promised by…

Four months ago, the Covid-19 coronavirus was still somewhat of an abstract concept. We watched the virus spread in Europe, hitting Italy particularly hard at first, making it the global epicentre of the virus at the time. We counted ourselves fortunate to be at the southern tip of Africa with relatively few infections and not many deaths. Today, I don’t think there is anyone who doesn’t know someone who has contracted the virus, a family mourning a death of a loved one due to Covid-19 complications, or, tragically, someone who has had to deal with multiple deaths in their own family. The economic impact of the lockdown also has a sombre perspective. Four months ago, we were scrambling to adapt to self-isolation. Not only were we adjusting to conducting business…

The sale of oranges by South Africa to the US has risen by between 15% and 38% compared with what it was a year ago, according to Summer Citrus from SA (SCSA), a group of Western Cape producers who target the US market. Piet Smith, a member of the board of directors of SCSA, and a citrus producer and packager from Citrusdal in the Western Cape, said it became clear to them early in the season that consumers in the northern hemisphere wanted citrus products because they are a great source of vitamin C. People also wanted to eat better during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. It now appears that South Africa’s soft citrus such as naartjies and clementines are faring well, and oranges are particularly sought after by US consumers.…

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…

This week, social media was abuzz after the announcement that actress Jo-Anne Reyneke (pictured) would be joining Generations: The Legacy in the role of Refilwe Zungu, the stepdaughter of Walter Nkaba, who is played by Nimrod Nkosi. Speaking to City Press on Thursday, the 32-year-old described how excited she was to be working on one of the most loved shows in the country. According to Reyneke, Refilwe will reveal her true intent as time goes by. “She’s a young, spunky, rich woman who wants to take over Joburg and take charge in the world of business. The Jack Mabasos of the corporate world don’t intimidate her at all. It’s still early days. I’m still building her character up and exploring her light-hearted side,” said the award-winning actress. Reyneke was enjoying…

In 2011, British academic Dr David Culpin made a marvellous discovery. While at the National Library of SA in Cape Town, researching the collection of Sir George Grey, the governor of the Cape Colony between 1854 and 1861, Culpin came across a book published in South Africa almost two centuries ago. Written in French by adopted Capetonian Charles Etienne Boniface, it details a shipwreck off the Wild Coast and the survivors’ fight for safety. Only seven of these books are thought to exist. The merchant ship, called the Eole, sank near Mazeppa Bay after being hit by a storm, and only eight of the 20 crew members survived. After being washed on to the shore, they trekked for three weeks to the Cape Colony. Their journey by foot, wagon and…

Women constitute 51.2% of the South African population, but the labour market and business funding agencies still favour men over them. Newly formed pro-women advocacy group Women of SA (WoSA) wants government to take an unprecedented step and make it a criminal offence for companies to pay women less than men for doing equal work. According to WoSA, research findings by Stats SA and PwC have proven that there’s a widespread bias against women. As a drive during Women’s Month, WoSA demands that government implement a multipronged approach to hasten the economic empowerment of women, close the pay disparities between men and women, facilitate access to funding for women-owned companies and increase women’s representation in publicly listed companies. WoSA was formed by women across the broad sphere of the economy,…

Following numerous calls for a revival of the looted VBS Mutual Bank, the SA Reserve Bank this week confirmed that it was not possible to give the licence to another individual or another entity. “The banking licence under which VBS Mutual Bank operated was suspended. VBS Mutual Bank, in its old form, cannot be revived. The old VBS Mutual Bank banking licence cannot be bought by another party,” it said. The Reserve Bank’s Prudential Authority, however, has noted that it would be willing to continue to engage with community members who are showing an interest in opening a similar bank. “If anyone wishes to apply for a new mutual or commercial banking licence, they’re welcome to do so. Any party wishing to buy any of the assets of the old…

Now may not be the time to say it – unless you’re in the personal protective equipment tender industry, of course – but there may well be light at the end of the tunnel for South African rugby when Covid-19 is finally brought under control. The news that the Stormers have a would-be majority equity suitor in the form of New York-based South African expat Marco Masotti is proof that the financial carnage currently ripping through our rugby hasn’t chased investors away entirely. In customary fashion, the Western Province hierarchy is finding a way to obfuscate things, the union – which recently borrowed R112 million to pay off its debts – quibbling about giving lawyer Masotti, who comes bearing an investment of almost R100 million, the 51% majority shareholding he…

All 32 PSL clubs across the Absa Premiership and GladAfrica Championship are set to enter what has been dubbed a bio-bubble, or biologically safe environment to play their remaining games across Gauteng. The teams will complete the remainder of the 2019/20 season in various stadiums behind closed doors. LIVE MATCHES APLENTY The official fixtures released by the PSL this week indicated that at least 34 Absa Premiership fixtures and 11 GladAfrica Championship games would be shown live on TV. However, it was not specified how SABC and SuperSport would share the screening of the games during the six weeks the league plans to finish the season in. The SABC confirmed to City Press on Friday that it would show the games, but could not quantify the number of games, with…

PSL clubs will spend anything between R800 000 and R1.2 million for their stay in a specially created biologically safe environment, which is being called a bio-bubble, during the six weeks it will take for the league to conclude the 2019/20 season. At the league’s board of governors meeting on Friday, it was confirmed that Gauteng, which has been chosen as the biologically safe environment, had contributed R10 million. The money will subsidise the costs of the 32 PSL clubs that will converge for the camp this week. This works out to just over R300 000 for each side. The amount will be topped up by the “preparation fees” that the clubs will get from the league, City Press has established. The ex-gratia payments, which amount to about R3 million…

A democracy is not built on the personality of an individual president; it is built on the legislation, policies, institutions and mechanisms that make the country work. With that said, the best intentions of government can be greatly affected by weaknesses in those institutions, and the poor implementation of policies and legislation. Weaknesses in these institutions and in the implementation of the policies and laws can be traced back to poor programme and project management at provincial and local government levels. To amplify this, political parties sit for policy conferences to decide their programmes of action should they be elected into national government. However, a country is not run according to the desires of a sitting president. A president assumes the role of the spearhead in the implementation of the…

‘This just got real” has become a regular phrase people say when they find out that someone close to them or someone they consider important or famous has either been diagnosed with or succumbed to the Covid-19 coronavirus. It is a phrase of fear. For many who say it, they are reckoning with the pain of loss and helplessness brought on by Covid-19 as they finally realise its might and brutality. The phrase also reveals how, for too many people, the human cost of this pandemic is only measured by how it directly affects them, rather than its impact on society as a whole. The truth is, Covid-19 was real when it took its first victim. We didn’t have to know them personally to acknowledge that they too did not…

On July 29 1921, the SA Communist Party (SACP) was launched in Cape Town. It was the first communist party in Africa and was among the earliest members of Communist International, which was based in Moscow, Russia. Over the past 99 years, the party has made major contributions to South Africa’s struggle legacy. It was the SACP that first called for one person, one vote. It pioneered non-racialism, not just as an aspiration, but in practice in its membership and leadership collectives. For many decades, the party was the only non-racial political formation in the country. Communists pioneered progressive trade unionism, rural and township activism, and investigative journalism. Through the bitter years of minority rule, SACP militants were among the first in sacrifice. One of our many martyrs was Johannes…

Corruption and blind loyalty are not the real sicknesses facing South Africa. The real problem is deliberate forgetfulness A great of mine friend, Max, buried two members of his family this past Friday – his aunt and his niece. He said words I have heard over and over during this epidemic: “I am the elder in the family, now.” This means that, because he is now the eldest, everything rests on his shoulders. Phakama put it more poignantly: “I have to go to the funeral. I have no more uncles to hide behind.” As I sat down to write this column, I got a WhatsApp message from my nephew, Relebogile, saying: “Gogo’s funeral is on Friday.” He was referring to my aunt, Auntie Thoko. In my family, we’ve had six…

There is no doubt that businesses have an expectation to be paid out after having paid additional premiums for extended cover to protect against closure due to contagious diseases. This is exactly the reason they took the cover in the first place. Insurers argue, however, that this is a legal debate that requires clarity. No insurer covers for a national lockdown – even travel insurance does not pay if government orders a ban on flights. To insure against a global event that closes the entire economy would be far too expensive. In its original statement on the matter, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority made it clear that business interruption insurance does not cover a national lockdown. However, it clarified in its follow-up statement that the lockdown should not be an…

There is no doubt that new graduates and other young professionals entering the workplace right now face a different world from what they expected when they were pursuing their qualifications. If feels like the world has been turned on its head because of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, and yet it is still an exciting time, because beginning a career is a significant milestone. There are many challenges and opportunities that lie ahead at this time, and finances can either present a big challenge or a massive opportunity if tackled correctly from the start. How do you manage and make your money work for you as a young professional entering the workplace? WHAT YOU SHOULD AVOID • Lifestyle inflation creep: While it is inevitable that your lifestyle will improve, do not…