Daily News 2025-02-21

In a dynamic beverage market increasingly dominated by sugary sodas and carbonated drinks, a refreshing twist is captivating the attention of health-conscious consumers – particularly Gen Z. Enter sparkling tea, a fusion of traditional tea and the delightful fizz of sparkling water that has quickly become a sought-after drink, channelling the wellness ethos of a generation obsessed with authenticity and sustainability. Typically created by combining an array of black, herbal, white or green teas with sparkling water, this drink can also feature fun alternatives such as ginger ale or lemonade in some recipes. While some styles share similarities with kombucha – a fermented tea drink known for its health benefits – most sparkling teas are simply an effervescent revitalisation of classic iced tea. The result? A delightful balance of taste…

AS A COST-CUTTING measure, the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, 69-year-old Angie Motshekga suggested that government officials be given early retirement. Motshekga said this while she was giving a report on her department’s financial standing in Parliament. She said that defunding of the department had had a negative impact, and has put it in a tough situation in many ways. “We are looking at measures as to how we can compensate, because we just can’t complain and keep on spending. “There are measures government has put in place in terms of early retirement to make sure that we can release older staff, who are highly paid, and introduce a rejuvenating programme to be able to create space. “It worked in education,” she said. Motshekga went on to say…

ITHALA SOC Limited CEO, Dr. Thulani Vilakazi on Thursday pleaded with KwaZulu-Natal policymakers to save the bank from the South African Reserve Bank’s Prudential Authority (PA) campaign to liquidate it. Vilakazi together with the bank’s CFO Mohamed Gafoor appeared before the provincial Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) to explain the situation that led to the bank facing challenges that led to the PA applying for a liquidation order and also for it failing to secure an operating license. In January the PA stated that it believed its intervention was in the best interests of Ithala’s approximately 257 000 depositors. Vilakazi told Scopa that several attempts to get Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana, to intervene to help the bank obtain a banking license so that it could continue to operate,…

THE heavy rains that lashed parts of KwaZulu-Natal this week had a devastating impact on homes, buildings, infrastructure and people. The eThekwini Municipality has confirmed that at least six people had been killed following the torrential downpours in the province. City spokesperson, Gugu Sisilana said the latest victims were a 44-year-old man and a 41-year-old woman who were trapped in a formal structure in Adams Mission, near Amanzimtoti. Fatalities were reported in Folweni, KwaMakhutha, Demat and Ensimbini, all in the southen parts of Durban. Among these dead were two 13-year-olds and a 12-year-old. The city has also announced the temporary closure of seven beaches as a result of muddy water and pollution from flooded estuaries. Sisilana, confirmed that the city’s Disaster Management teams and emergency services responded to several incidents,…

THE eThekwini Municipality claims to have made progress in addressing workforce gender imbalances and ensuring women’s representation in management positions in the workplace. These notable gains were welcomed by the eThekwini Governance and Human Resources Committee on Friday. Deputy City Manager of Corporate and Human Capital, Kim Makhathini, presented the Employment Equity Progress Report for 2024/25, which affirms the development the municipality has made to advance women in the workplace. The report shows significant progress made in the representation of women at the top three management levels. “While we acknowledge that there is still more to be done, we are excited about the progress the city has made thus far,” said Makhathini. According to her, this demonstrates the city’s unwavering commitment to removing barriers to women’s advancement at all levels.…

THE fact that a car was bought on a “voetstoots” basis does not prevent the buyer from being reimbursed if the seller knew of the latent defects. This is especially so if the problems were not disclosed and in fact deliberately concealed with the intention to defraud the purchaser. This is according to the Bloemfontein High Court, which granted permission to the buyer of the vehicle to cancel his contract of sale and ordered the dealership to refund him for the vehicle. Adriaan Meiring turned to court to get his money back from RC Auto after he had discovered soon after he bought his dream vehicle that it had been in an accident in the past. This, in spite of the dealership maintaining that the vehicle was accident-free. Meiring, who…