Innholdsfortegnelse for 10/4/2020 i City Press

The Gauteng government is broadening its investigations into Covid-19 funding irregularities and is now probing contracts awarded by the department of infrastructure development. The provincial government uncovered huge irregularities in contracts for the provision of personal protective equipment, resulting in Health MEC Bandile Masuku being placed on special leave while senior officials face prosecution. Premier David Makhura alluded to the matter this past week, saying that he would be calling on the Special Investigating Unit to take up the matter. “Also, here in Gauteng, we asked the Special Investigating Unit to look into infrastructure development. Next week, we’re going to focus on infostructure projects,” said Makhura. “The unit’s investigation as per the president’s proclamation is very wide and has to do with other areas besides personal protective equipment. It also…

For our interview, she’s dressed in a bright yellow dress, complemented by traditional African accessories. Cultural activist MoAfrika wa Mokgathi is visibly passionate about her heritage. “It should not be that we dress in our traditional attire because it is Heritage Month or Heritage Day, it should be our lifestyle,” she says. “My curiosity to know more about my culture pushed me to tell people, through my poetry, more about their respective cultures. As Africans, we need to develop our own cultures.” As South Africans celebrated Heritage Month in September, it was fitting that City Press spoke to MoAfrika. We met at her offices in Rosebank, where she compiles, produces and hosts a jazz radio show, Jazz Sessions with MoAfrika wa Mokgathi, every Sunday. “We can never fully understand ourselves…

On Sunday, lovers of all things green around South Africa will be joining family and friends in a virtual Garden Day celebration. It will happen on rolling lawns, rooftop gardens, bushy balconies and floral stoeps. Everyone is invited. This year, Garden Day is especially poignant as people have turned to their gardens for solace and balance recently. Gardening boosts mental and physical wellbeing; creates a sense of belonging. Now it is spring – time to reflect and celebrate new beginnings. Over the years, flower crowns have become essential on Garden Day. This fresh, wild, blooming headdress represents what the movement is about: passion, celebration, festivities and a love for all things green. To inspire celebration, Garden Day is hosting virtual events in the run-up to Sunday, including flower crown-making workshops…

A medium-sized factory buying electricity from Johannesburg’s City Power has to fork out 43% more than it would if the factory were located in Cape Town. In Sandton, however, where consumers buy electricity directly from Eskom, the cost would be lower than it is in Cape Town. These are some of the findings made by businessperson David Mertens, who compared electricity tariffs in various municipalities for the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, following tariff increases that were implemented on July 1. Madibeng in North West and Ekurhuleni are right behind Johannesburg when it comes to the most expensive tariffs, while Emfuleni and Nelson Mandela Bay, after Cape Town, offer the cheapest electricity to factory owners. In the case of Johannesburg and eThekwini, the cost of electricity includes surcharges, a sort…

You’ve found your dream home, so now there are some checks you need to conduct prior to putting in an offer to purchase. Marius Steyn, personal lines underwriting manager at Santam, suggests conducting a home inspection prior to purchase, then adding a clause that an offer to purchase is subject to stipulated repairs. “Your insurer is only responsible for damages occurring from the date of registration of your new home at the deeds office, not for any prior problems. This means you need to have any damages fixed by the seller as a condition of your offer, otherwise the snags could become big issues down the line.” You need to know that your property is structurally sound, damage-free and meets certain codes. Remember, you are fully entitled to include a…

South Africans have always accused political leaders of blurring the lines between the state and their parties. In many instances, those serving in government even abused state resources to the benefit of their political parties. And society frowns on such conduct when it is exposed – but, in many instances, it continues unabated, without being reported or called out for what it is. Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula’s response to President Cyril Ramaphosa about her trip to Zimbabwe last month is most telling. Asked to explain why she gave a lift to her ANC comrades on a state aircraft to the neighbouring country, Mapisa-Nqakula said: “As for ferrying additional persons on the same aircraft, I am not aware of any prohibition on doing such or specific permission that…

The nature of asking for or giving a lift to someone is a well-known practice in South Africa’s majority communities. A family in a far-flung area who owns a car or bakkie knows that theirs isn’t a vehicle reserved for personal needs alone. The communities they live in also benefit from the family’s wheels. Take, for instance, when a medical emergency happens in the middle of the night and an ambulance cannot reach the sick person in time. The family in need of assistance would often go to the people who have a vehicle and ask for assistance in ferrying the ill to hospital. More often than not, the vehicle owners would oblige and a “thank you” gift would later be sent. Rural communities, by their very nature and as…

It was not wholly unexpected when we woke up one day recently confronted with an attempt to cast aspersions on the integrity of Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo and his suitability to preside over the state capture inquiry. It was probably a long time coming. The allegation is that Justice Zondo has become disqualified to continue presiding as chairperson and must recuse himself. Former president Jacob Zuma is not the first to make this suggestion. By the way, he is the one who appointed Zondo and would have been aware of what he is raising now, which he claims disqualifies the justice to preside. Zuma was quoted as saying this regarding members of the judiciary: “If again the judiciary ... does not like Zuma, they want to put Zuma in…

Wherever you are, the concept of time is important, yet what seems more important today is the “times”. Years ago, I listened to professors, economists and doomsday theorists speak about the inevitability of the impact of globalisation, massive economic gyrations, stormy weather due to the global climate crisis, intergenerational conflict and even pandemics. All were forecasted with uncertainty. It’s obvious that those times have arrived. Frequent discussions in WhatsApp groups, social media, Twitter blasts and Zoom meetings reflect the idea that a more democratically pronounced wave of change is being born – a clear call to challenge and modify the leadership dogmas and practices that reflect the needs and hopes of the times. This appears to be a global cry in the wake of the Covid-19 coronavirus, during which we…

Former Orlando Pirates coach Milutin Sredojević has “no issues with anyone in South Africa” and therefore has no reason to worry about his upcoming trip to the country. Micho, as the Serb is popularly known, is set to make a return to the touchline on these shores when Bafana Bafana host Zambia’s Chipolopolo in a friendly at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium on Sunday. Sredojević left the country under a dark cloud last year amid accusations of sexual assault that followed his abrupt resignation as Pirates head coach. He was coy about confirming whether he would travel with the team. “I am not allowed to speak with the media at this moment, my friend. We will talk when everything is confirmed,” he told City Press. But his manager, Ivica Stanković said…

The new handball law is causing havoc. I’m at a loss as to where to start on the topic. In the past, it was quite simple, but the International Football Association Board (Ifab) has managed to make a complete mess of the law. OLD LAW The previous law read: “Handling the ball involves a deliberate act of a player making contact with the ball with the hand or arm. “The following must be considered: the movement of the hand towards the ball, not the ball towards the hand.” There were a few add-ons, but, essentially, it was the movement of the hand towards the ball, not the ball towards the hand. NEW LAW Today, the law says: “The boundary between the shoulder and the arm is defined as the bottom…

Full name: Walter Gaboinewe Steenbok Born: August 10 1971 in Batho Location, Bloemfontein Coaching qualifications Safa introductory course Safa level 1 Safa level 2 (cum laude) Safa Youth Licence (cum laude) CAF A Licence Safa Professional Licence Safa instructors course Teams coached: Benoni Premier United (premier division) and Basotho Tigers (first division) Other positions: Mamelodi Sundowns: head of scouting and youth development (2010 to 2018) Kaizer Chiefs: head of scouting and youth development (2008 to 2010; and 2018 to date) • The book can be preordered by emailing info@waltersteenbok.com or calling 082 741 6116 Cover price: R300…

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The ANC national executive committee (NEC) lekgotla on Friday was briefed on the implementation of the governing party’s policy resolutions and government’s plans to deliver on these promises. Following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s politics overview, party secretary-general Ace Magashule’s report focused on the party’s achievements since the last NEC meeting and the resolutions from the 2017 national conference at Nasrec in Johannesburg. City Press heard that Magashule “stated facts, including that the proposed nationalisation of the SA Reserve Bank has not moved forward, land expropriation without compensation is stuck and the proposal for a state bank is not taking off”. However, trade union federation Cosatu was a no-show for the first time in years. Asked if it was boycotting the lekgotla, spokesperson Sizwe Pamla insisted that this was not the case.…

The SA Police Service (SAPS) has been accused of refusing to declassify top secret documents so that a union representing three members in a disciplinary hearing can use the information to defend the officers. The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) suspects that the SAPS refused to declassify the information so it could be used as a trap for them if they emerged triumphant in the disciplinary case. Popcru is representing three SAPS crime intelligence officers who are facing misconduct charges. There were no further details provided on the charges faced by the Pretoria-based trio – Lieutenant Colonel P Govender, and warrant officers S Moodley and D Subramanien. The union said it was concerned about the timing of the decision by the SAPS to charge the officers for transgressions…

Domestic and foreign capital investment in infrastructure, education, healthcare and agriculture is the only way South Africa can begin to grow its economy, reduce its rate of unemployment and eradicate poverty. This is according to the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in South Africa, whose investor map identifies multiplier sectors and investment opportunity areas that are aligned with priorities outlined in the National Development Plan and the Medium Term Strategic Framework. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals investor map offers investors actionable intelligence and localised insight into sectors and market conditions with significant profitability potential, in addition to impact. This comes at a time when the South African government seems to be in a state of paralysis, unable to come up with innovative ideas to fix the state of the economy. ECONOMIC…

When you’re sitting at the Fishmonger on South Africa’s richest square mile in Illovo, Johannesburg, you see the Fortune Kunene Building. I was lucky enough to meet the man after whom the building was named. It was in Vosloorus at the funeral of my cousin who’d been run over by a car, and I was the snot-ridden boy tagging along after grandma. I was too young to be allowed at the graveyard and too small to be left alone at home. My family was traditional that way. It was a bitterly cold winter’s day, right at the edge of the township. Opposite my uncle’s house was a mealie field in a section called eBasuthwini, a rival section of what the residents called eZinzuleni, but which the taxi drivers quickly corrected…

It may sound imprudent and in bad taste to give a nod to a virus that has killed more than 1 million people globally, devastated economies and left millions more destitute and hungry. But with the news that US President Donald Trump has Covid-19, we hope a powerful message has been sent to all denialists that the pandemic is very real and dangerous. The ANC is on another level. Just days after a tenderpreneur revealed how he financed the party’s affairs, including its staffers who had not been not paid on time, it dropped a new bombshell. Instead of proving the funder wrong, the ANC assured its employees that September’s salaries would be paid by October 9. Really?…

As the Covid-19 coronavirus continues to unfold and wreak havoc on a global scale, the post-schooling education and training system is compelled to move into new and complex territory. While institutions of higher learning such as universities and private colleges have identified and explored digital and online methodologies for teaching and learning, the pandemic has revealed existing faultlines and presented a major threat to the already battered public technical and vocational education and training (TVET) system. Said faultlines have resulted in the failure of the system to effectively respond to the demands posed by the crisis. Apart from the weak and poorly implemented measures and guidelines designed by the department of higher education and training that purportedly seek to respond to and mitigate the impact of the pandemic, the myriad…

We’re all familiar with the concept of recycling. The war against single-use plastic has been effectively drummed into our heads and, as a result, a new recycling economy has been spawned globally. But recycling commercial property? That’s new. Six months of lockdown have altered many things. We’ve adapted to working from home, embraced online shopping (but, ironically, have less appetite for fast fashion), understood the emotional need for human contact, reassessed our priorities and redefined our needs versus our wants. Even though South Africa has moved to lockdown level 1, we will continue with our current state of limbo as we learn to live with the omnipresence of the virus until a vaccine is found. I call this period the Great Staggering and it will last well into next year.…

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is unlikely to have a break next season when the postponed Olympics are held, league commissioner Adam Silver said, casting doubt on the availability of NBA players for the Tokyo Games. The Olympics were postponed by a year, to July/August next year, owing to the Covid-19 coronavirus, which also led to the suspension of the NBA season. ”How can they even know what the world is going to be like next summer?” And it led to a delay in the start of the new season and a conflict in schedules. The NBA season usually runs from October to June, but, with the 2019/20 finals series now finishing this month, the new season is expected to begin in January, with plans for the usual 82-game campaign…

Goalkeepers Darren Keet (Oud-Heverlee Leuven, Belgium), Ronwen Williams (SuperSport United), Ricardo Goss (Mamelodi Sundowns) Defenders Thibang Phete (Os Belenenses SAD, Portugal), Motjeka Madisha (Mamelodi Sundowns), Thulani Hlatshwayo, Innocent Maela (both Orlando Pirates), Sifiso Hlanti (unattached), Mosa Lebusa (Mamelodi Sundowns), Abbubaker Mobara (Cape Town City), Reeve Frosler (Kaizer Chiefs) Midfielders Andile Jali, Mothobi Mvala, Themba Zwane (all Mamelodi Sundowns), Thabo Nodada (Cape Town City), Teboho Mokoena (SuperSport United), Gladwin Shitolo (Golden Arrows), Keagan Dolly (Montpellier, France), Percy Tau (Anderlecht, Belgium), Thabiso Kutumela (Maritzburg United), Sipho Mbule (SuperSport United), Luther Singh (SC Braga, Portugal) Strikers Kermit Erasmus (Cape Town City), Kurt Abrahams (KVC Westerlo, Belgium), Lebogang Manyama (Kaizer Chiefs)…

Despite the current tough trading conditions, the PSL continues to show incredible resilience, with the organisation eyeing the R1 billion revenue benchmark against all odds. The PSL has lost two major sources of funding in the past few months, with Absa and Telkom having withdrawn their sponsorships. That is a collective R193 million a year in revenue that the PSL has lost. The previous year, Absa paid the PSL R136 million, while Telkom contributed R57 million. Absa will, of course, be replaced by DStv, the new title sponsors whose sponsorship value has not been disclosed. However, the loss of two sponsors will not be felt when the PSL tables its financials next month as the deficit will only reflect on the books next year, when the league could dip below…

Pitso Mosimane’s big break to coach Al Ahly must be celebrated. To put his appointment into perspective, “Jingles” has been tasked with guiding the continent’s most successful club when it comes to trophy count. His arrival in Cairo this week also marks the first time the Red Devils have entrusted an African coach who is not Egyptian with steering Africa’s best club of the century. There is just a good feeling about this move. It comes at the right time for a coach who has achieved so much. It was time he stepped out of an environment that was slowly turning into a comfort zone. Also, the fact that Mosimane had started dropping some hints about “some people within [Sundowns]” not being happy after he claimed his fifth – and…

The PSL constituency will gather at its quadrennial general meeting next month to elect the new leadership. PSL chairperson Irvin Khoza this week confirmed November 11 as the date the professional club structure will go to the polls to choose new leaders. It is still not clear whether the 72-year-old administrator will stand for re-election. Khoza, who is also the chairperson of Orlando Pirates, has been at the helm of the PSL for 18 years, and there have been no signs of electioneering by potential challengers for the top post. The league’s constitution stipulates that, if one person is nominated uncontested, they are automatically elected. Seven new executive committee members will also be chosen at the meeting next month. The current executive committee members are David Thidiela (Black Leopards), Jose…

What does it take to change the behaviour and psyche of a nation? That is the question that is crucial as South Africa’s focus shifts from capacitating the country’s health system for the anticipated droves of severely ill Covid-19 patients to effecting lasting changes in the mind-sets and actions of individuals and communities at large. And according to Professor Nhlanhla Mkhize, deputy vice-chancellor of the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s School of Applied Human Sciences, it’s going to require a “fit-for-purpose” approach in understanding how nuanced communities (and, indeed, individuals) are, particularly those living in South Africa. As of Friday, the cumulative number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the country was 677 833 and the total of those who’ve lost their lives to the virus was 16 909. This week, Health…

The practice of callisthenics has become a fairly strong trend in the world of fitness. This approach involves using your own body weight as resistance. Gruelling exercises that are linked to this discipline are planking, the pull-up, man-ups and an array of core stabilising moves that will leave you feeling and looking new, should you have the grit to persist. This particular form of exercise is associated with street culture. Just a few years ago, the iconic Back To The City hip-hop festival had a crew of callisthenics performers showing off how buff they were in Newtown, Johannesburg. You may have even seen some clips of callisthenics being used as performative art in videos by international rappers like A$AP Rocky. #Trending reached out to the steely folks at Defianz Street…

This has been a challenging year for everyone across the globe, but it has also presented opportunities for some, thanks to lower interest rates across the board. Some who are looking to invest in immovable assets are asking: “Is this the right time to purchase property?” Unfortunately, the answer is not a simple yes or no. You have to ask yourself a lot more complex questions and ensure that your motivation is to do with more than just the lower interest rates. Purchasing property is a long-term financial decision that is normally not made on a whim. It takes research and planning, and you must be financially ready to not only enjoy but also take responsibility for your dream home. Since the beginning of the year, the SA Reserve Bank…

The Spaza Shop industry is a major contributor to the burgeoning township economies around South Africa. Often under-estimated this sector contributes billions to the South African economy and provides an invaluable service within the community. The Grand-Pa Spaza Academy is committed to developing business effectiveness within the spaza shop industry with a view to growing business success. With the development of successful small businesses more jobs can be created, which uplifts communities by making them more economically active. The Grand-Pa Spaza Academy curriculum addresses the challenges facing small businesses, and is designed specifically for spaza shop owners. The programme focuses on developing basic business skills, understanding the fundamentals of marketing and customer relations, as well as the effective use of resources and financial management. Since its inception in 2013, over…

The spate of arrests this week of government officials, private contractors and a few politicians allegedly involved in corruption sent a shiver down the spines of many others who know they are guilty but have so far avoided prosecution. The Hawks arrested individuals implicated in the R255 million asbestos eradication project in the Free State. Only a tiny portion of the money went to actual service delivery, while the rest lined private pockets. Much of the evidence related to this case was presented to the Zondo commission, and it was one of many cases where an impatient public asked why there were no arrests when so much prima facie evidence existed. Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo last year even asked why there had been no prosecutions related to revelations made…

Empty pockets Firebrand EFF leader Julius Malema has accused President Cyril Ramaphosa of being an “imaginary billionaire” after the ANC again failed to pay its employees last month. The red berets, who are synonymous with taking up workers’ battles with their employers, have even gone as far as offering to assist the ANC staffers to fight the governing party for consistently failing to pay them on time. Not for the fist time, the EFF has rubbed salt in the governing party’s wounds by asking its disgruntled, unpaid staff to consult with its newly established labour desk for advice. Egg dance For such a highly educated man, EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi has certainly not lost the revolutionary zeal of his undergraduate years. This week, he unleashed it on Finance Minister Tito…

New normal, unprecedented circumstances, challenging times, extraordinary times, working from home and social distancing are a few of the new terms that have become commonplace due to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. Now that we have moved to lockdown level 1 – thanks to the largely successful preventive measures that have reduced the number of new infections and prevented our health services from being overwhelmed – we need new terms to encourage ourselves not to let down our guard against this pandemic that is still raging in many parts of the world. Complacency There is one descriptive term for the times we live in: complacency – a lackadaisical public response and fatigue for hygiene protocols can be dangerous and set us back. Medical history on pandemics has taught us that, as…

For more than a decade, Walter Steenbok has been associated with two of South Africa’s top clubs – Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns – but not many people can put a face to the name. This is because it’s his job as a football player scout – not him in person – that is often reflected in the composition of the two local football powerhouses. Steenbok, in his second spell at Chiefs as the head of scouting, assesses the skills of potential signings, and he also evaluates their general attitude. Thanks to the experience he has acquired over the years, the 49-year-old has penned The Football Scouting Bible, a book that redefines the art of scouting in the local game. Former Chiefs coach Steve Komphela, now with Golden Arrows, wrote…

Former cricket players and administrators have had enough of the management crisis that has hamstrung Cricket SA (CSA), and aim to establish a pressure group to try to enforce change. Barry Skjoldhammer, former chairperson of the Gauteng Cricket Board, and Hugh Page, a former provincial player and former national selector, are in discussions with other prominent cricket figures to get them on board. Their first demand will be that CSA releases the much-discussed forensic report into its management practices, and the second will be that action is taken against those implicated in the report. Skjoldhammer and Page say they have no intention of getting involved in cricket administration. “It’s about the fact that everyone has just sat back and watched things unfold while cricket has collapsed. Everyone is worried about…