Innholdsfortegnelse for Saturday, August 15, 2020 i Pretoria News Weekend

Clamour for move to level 2 President to address nation on lockdown STAFF REPORTERS PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to address the nation this weekend on further lifting lockdown regulations. Throughout the past week, a number of high level meetings have led to speculation that he is ready to announce a drop to level 2 while extending the State of Disaster – which expires tomorrow – by at least another month. Police Minister Bheki Cele confirmed the Cabinet was meeting today. However, whatever changes are coming, residents can be sure there will be very strict conditions attached and a warning that should the health situation deteriorate, rules may be reintroduced. Among the speculation is a lifting of the 10pm curfew, allowing road and air travel between provinces to boost…

MESSAGE #JerusalemaDanceChallenge strikes a chord with Palestinians SURAYA DADOO JERUSALEMA – Master KG and Nomcebo Zikode’s global gospel hit with its infectious beat and catchy dance routine that inspired the #JerusalemaDanceChallenge – has taken the world by storm. Since February, thousands of videos of people jamming to it – from healthcare workers in France, Sweden and South Africa to diners at restaurants in Italy and Romania, and in settings across Africa, the UK, US, Caribbean and Europe – have been uploaded to Facebook, Twitter and TikTok. And this week, the dance challenge made its way on to the streets of occupied East Jerusalem. Jerusalem music collective Jaw (meaning “mood” in Arabic) uploaded a Palestinian version of the #JerusalemaDanceChallenge on Tuesday. The video was filmed with the participation of Jerusalem’s tiny…

STATISTICS Lockdown: decrease in most crimes Cele says restrictions hampered criminals STAFF REPORTER BANNING the sale of alcohol had nothing to do with crime but was a decision in the interests of public health during the Covid-19 pandemic, said Police Minister Bheki Cele. He was briefing the media on the second quarter 2020 crime statistics. Many categories of crime showed a decline during the April-June period. The number of murders was down by 1 932 or 35.8% compared with the same period last year, and attempted murder down 1 088 or 23.8%. The figures were lower than over the past five years. Assault GBH and common assault were down 41% and 28%, respectively, with common robbery down nearly 50% and burglaries at residential properties down 30% compared with…

TRANSPORT Tshwane taxi industry welcomes High Court ruling THE local taxi industry has welcomed a High Court ruling that gives authorities the right to place taxi associations under administration in times of conflict. Spokesperson for the Tshwane SA National Taxi Council McDonald Makata said the industry has tried several measures to totally eliminate violence within the industry. He said if the court order would help put an end to violence, the industry was more than willing to cooperate. The provincial Department of Roads and Transport made an urgent application to the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, to seek powers of enforcement during times of trouble. Tshwane has experienced grim taxi violence including the murder of two taxi operators in Marabastad and a recent shootout near the Tshwane District Hospital. The…

Over 100 newborns abandoned this year MORE than 100 newborn babies were abandoned by their mothers at Gauteng hospitals this year. The highest numbers were recorded at Carletonville and Leratong hospitals (19 each), then at Far East Rand (13), Tembisa and Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital (10 each). The Gauteng Department of Health said the number of abandoned newborns was concerning. Some of the reasons for abandoning babies were that the mothers were teenagers and afraid of their parents, the pregnancies were unplanned and unwanted, the mothers did not have the support of the fathers, and they lacked basic supplies for their babies. Undocumented migrant mothers were also responsible for some cases. By leaving the baby in the hospital, they hoped it would be cared for. Department spokesperson Kwara Kekana…

CORONAVIRUS (Covid-19) LOCKDOWN CALENDAR How events have unfolded since Day 1, March 27 FRIDAY, MARCH 27 Day 1 of lockdown level 5. FRIDAY, MAY 1 Day 1 of lockdown level 4. WEDNESDAY, MAY 13 E-commerce restrictions lifted; alcohol and tobacco sales are banned. TUESDAY MAY 19 Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga announces return of grades 7 and 12 on June 1. SUNDAY, MAY 24 President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the nation about changes to level 3. Alcohol sales to resume but tobacco remains banned. MONDAY, JUNE 1 Day 1 of lockdown level 3. Opening of schools postponed. Lengthy queues to buy alcohol. TUESDAY, JUNE 2 Gauteng High Court rules in favour of Liberty Fighters Network’s (FLN) challenge to lockdown regulations. THURSDAY, JUNE 4 Cabinet agrees to extend the State of Disaster…

Militant arrested for hostage beheadings MANILA: A top Islamist militant blamed for beheadings and kidnappings of foreign hostages in the southern Philippines has been turned over to the authorities, police said yesterday. Anduljihad Susukan, one of the leaders of the Abu Sayyaf group, was handed over to police in the city of Davao by Muslim leader Nur Misuari, said national police chief Archie Gamboa after the police initiated the negotiation for Susukan’s surrender. Arrest warrants for 23 cases of murder, kidnapping and attempted murder were served to Susukan after his surrender, Gamboa said. According to security officials, Susukan led Abu Sayyaf militants in the kidnappings of hostages from the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo Island, including a Malaysian citizen beheaded in 2015. dpa…

ISRAEL Palestinians slam UAE over deal Fear over mosque as land annexation halted ANGRY Palestinians in Jerusalem accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of collaborating with Israel and endangering Al-Aqsa Mosque – Islam’s third-holiest site – as they gathered for prayers yesterday, the day after the Gulf state’s deal with Israel. In a statement on Thursday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called the deal a “betrayal of Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa and the Palestinian cause”, while Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki immediately recalled the Palestinian ambassador to the UAE, rejecting the announcement as a “betrayal” of their cause. Iran and Turkey also responded in anger, with Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemning the deal establishing full diplomatic relations between the UAE and Israel, calling it “a stab in the back” to all Muslims,…

TELEVISION Accomplished women who dominate the small screens ALYSSIA BIRJALAL A TV story means nothing if there aren’t actors to bring it to life. And once the character is embodied, regardless of the role, they become scene-stealers and keep viewers coming back for more. Here are our top 5 female scenestealers of all time. Boss B*tch Elektra Abundance-Wintour from Pose Elektra is played by Dominique Jackson, a transgender woman. Her character is real, authentic, straightforward and reads people for filth. She may come across as evil but she is fighting to survive in a world that doesn’t respect transgender women. Family Protector Lindiwe Dikana from The River Award-winning actress Sindi Dlathu plays the character of Lindiwe Dikana. Lindiwe is an enigmatic mining magnate who owns Khanyisa Diamond Mine. She has…

INSURANCE Freelance workers get income protection GEORGINA CROUTH georgina.crouth@inl.co.za FREELANCERS, gig workers, independent contractors, and those in “unorthodox” occupations, such as tattoo artists, can now protect their income in the event of illness or disability. FMI, a division of Bidvest Life, has launched an income protection product for this category of earners who otherwise would not qualify for traditional income protection cover. FMI says South Africa has nearly 4 million independent contractors. These workers, because of their occupation status, have been excluded from qualifying for traditional income protection cover. The impact of Covid-19 on the already strained job market has forced more people to seek additional income streams and pushed more into informal working arrangements – a market that has been overlooked for far too long, FMI says. Steve Piper,…

WORDS ON WEALTH Signs that crypto is coming of age as an investment MARTIN HESSE | martin.hesse@inl.co.za Reuters IN DECEMBER 2017, cryptocurrency Bitcoin soared to a price of $19 783 (R345 413). That represented the peak of what is now regarded as the Bitcoin bubble. The price then plummeted – it lost a third of its value (to about $13 000) within five days and then halved and halved again over the following 12 months. In December 2018, it reached its post-bubble low of $3 300, about one-sixth of the 2017 high. The subsequent ride hasn’t been a smooth one – it hit another bubble-like high (about $12 000) in the middle of last year, before dipping to below $5 000 in March this year. But since the pandemic hit,…

SUPER RUGBY Hooper’s 150th match celebrated in style THE New South Wales Waratahs ran the Western Force ragged in a 28-8 win on the Gold Coast yesterday to keep their play-off hopes alive in Super Rugby AU. Alex Newsome, Jack Maddocks and Harry Johnson-Holmes scored the tries for the Waratahs, with flyhalf Will Harrison booting 13 points off the tee at Robina Stadium. Another two tries went begging in the second half, though, with Maddocks and team mate Jake Gordon’s five-pointers ruled out by video review. The rebuilding Waratahs, who smashed the Queensland Reds 45-12 last week, notched back-to-back wins for the first time in the five-team domestic competition to move to second, behind the ACT Brumbies, with three rounds left before the play-offs. The Melbourne Rebels can leapfrog both…

SCHOLARSHIPS Varsity College launches R25m programme VARSITY College announced a R25 million academic scholarship programme, which will enable 250 top-performing matriculants to study at one of its campuses. Described as the largest such scheme of its kind in South Africa, it was launched on a video call by Varsity College managing director Louise Wiseman. Qualifying candidates will be able to register for any undergraduate course on offer at one of Varsity College’s eight campuses. Felicity Coughlan, director of the IIE, said there would be four different scholarships covering between 40% and 80% of tuition fees: the corporate scholarship, excellence scholarship, achiever scholarship and rising star scholarship. In all cases, high performance was a criteria but applicants should also have demonstrated leadership qualities at school and were required to write a…

MURDER Euthanasia prof stuck in SA EUTHANASIA advocate Professor Sean Davison’s plans to move back to New Zealand, his country of birth, have been abandoned as he has been struck off that country’s medical register. Davison, a dentist, scientist and author serving as a professor at UWC’s biotechnology department, was found guilty of professional misconduct after helping three men “end their unbearable suffering”. He is serving a three-year house arrest sentence after accepting a plea bargain for the murders of Anrich Burger, Richard Holland and Justin Varian. Davison pleaded guilty to killing Burger in 2013 by administering a lethal amount of drugs to him; to killing Holland in 2015 in the same way; and on a third murder charge, he admitted to killing Varian by placing a helium-filled bag over…

COMPETITION Poetry as part of mourning THREE years ago, Avbob launched its national Poetry Competition, and today there are more than 10 000 poems available in a free online library. The competition is open to South Africans of all ages who are invited to enter poems in any of the 11 official languages, with the themes of “Love, Hope, Death and Birth” to guide them. This year’s winners include two schoolchildren and a university student: Sibahle Thwala of Jeppe’s Reef, who started writing poetry at the age of 12 (siSwati); Pristine Siyabonga Mtsweni, a Grade 9 learner from Kameelrivier (isiNdebele); and a North West University student, Lesego Motlhankane (Setswana). The other winners are Maretha Maartens from Bloemfontein (Afrikaans); Bernice Puleng Mosala from Joburg (English); Siwaphiwe Fortune Shweni from Ngcobo, Eastern…

Charlize turns 45 with virtual party CHARLIZE Theron celebrated her 45th birthday this week with a virtual party and shared a rare picture of her children, Jackson, 8, and August, 5 on Instagram. Since adopting the two, Theron has preferred to keep their lives private, and glimpses of them are rare. The photo marked only the third time she has shared pictures, with the last time being in August last year. “2020 has been a rough one but today was a bright spot for sure.” Previously, the movie star said her biggest challenge as a parent during the coronavirus pandemic had been homeschooling the girls. STAFF REPORTER…

Matric 2020 exam timetable released THE 2020 matric timetable has been released. More than 1.1 million pupils will sit the matric exams. The usual schedule has been disrupted by Covid-19 and the lengthy lockdown but matrics are back in class and the focus now is on completing the syllabus. A statement released by the Department of Basic Education this week revealed there would be a six-week matric exam period, starting with English paper 1 on November 5 and ending with the last exam on December 15. However, most matrics will finish in week five with English paper 3 on December 9 and Afrikaans paper 3 on December 11. Exams that were meant to be sat in June and November will now take place simultaneously. The results will be released on…

Pandemic has caused pre-traumatic stress CHELSEA NTULI chelsea.ntuli@inl.co.za South African employees are suffering from pre-traumatic stress disorder (Pre-TSD) with 46% at high risk of related experiences due to the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown. Research by the Work Well Research Unit, the SA Depression and Anxiety Group and Mindful Revolution found that those in the 40- to 59-year-old age group experienced more stress-related symptoms than other age groups. Industrial psychologist and managing director of AfriForte, Prof Ina Rothmann unpacked the research conducted by the Work Well Research Unit at North West University. A total of 1 656 employees participated between May 15 and June 15 - the mid phase of lockdown.. She said the pandemic had a psychological impact on everyone in the workforce. Employers faced difficult workforce questions, such as…

No Google data for Hong Kong probes NEW YORK: Alphabet Inc’s Google said yesterday it was no longer providing data for requests from Hong Kong authorities after the enactment of the national security law by China. Google said it did not produce any data for Hong Kong since June. The US tech company said authorities sought data for criminal investigations through diplomatic procedures. It reviewed all requests for user data and pushed back on “overly broad ones” to protect the privacy of users. The Washington Post reported yesterday that Google’s stance on the issue, implied the company would treat Hong Kong effectively the same as mainland China in such dealings. In July, Facebook Inc, Google and Twitter Inc suspended processing government requests for user data in Hong Kong. Reuters…

The People Kenya’s ‘Team Lioness’ breaks down barriers KAJIADO: On the sweeping plains at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, a group of female wildlife rangers is making history by defying patriarchal norms that have been passed down for centuries, patrolling against poachers instead of doing household chores. The eight ethnic Maasai women known as “Team Lioness” are part of 76 community-based rangers guarding leopards, elephants, giraffe and other wildlife in the 147000-hectare area surrounding Kenya’s Amboseli National Park. Team Lioness members say they overcame community resistance to women working outside the home and hope their precedent-setting example will help shift mindsets. “First, the community believed I will not make it because they believe I am weak. Our work in the community was to give birth and do chores,” said 24-year-old…

BRITAIN Carnival segues from street party to on-screen festival LONDON: This year’s Notting Hill Carnival will swap the streets of West London for computer screens around the world, as the event turns online-only due to the coronavirus pandemic, streaming hours of music and performance. Held at the end of August each year, the carnival attracts more than a million visitors and is seen as a symbol of interracial tolerance which dates back to the 1960s and celebrates the Afro-Caribbean community. However, this year there will be no booming sound systems crawling through crowded streets, bedecked with outrageously-costumed dancers. The physical parade was cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions. Instead, organisers have spent a month filming acts to be broadcast over the internet between August 29 and 31, hoping to keep the…

South Africa needs a new cast for the ‘revolution’ LINDSAY SLOGROVE THIS revolution stuff is much more difficult than it seems. Frankly, right now, it would be a lot easier to fall into the thin veneer of civilisation theory, get out on the streets and throw some rocks. It has been two weeks since reading the heart-and-mind uplifting Humankind: A Hopeful History, by Rutger Bergman, but the book is still near at hand because it contains so much wisdom. You can dip in anywhere and there it is: reason to believe that humans want to do the right thing, not savage beasts who can only be kept from barbarism by a “ruling” body, and will do so if left to their own devices without being driven by others with less…

3 THINGS TO WATCH THIS MONTH SATURDAY, AUGUST 15 Katy Keene S1: M-Net 101 at 8.45pm Katy Keene is a spin-off of Riverdale and takes place five years after the events of the first four seasons. Lucy Hale plays Katy Keene, an aspiring fashion designer trying to navigate her way in New York City. SUNDAY, AUGUST 16 The Secret She Kept: Lifetime at 7.20pm The film stars Doctor Dolittle’s Kyla Pratt as Tia, who recently married the man of her dreams and is on the brink of launching a major political campaign when a pattern of erratic behaviour leads her husband to uncover her secret: she suffers from mental illness. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19 Behind the Story S4: BET at 10pm If last season was considered candid, things are about to…

The Brief TAILORED PORTFOLIOS TO HELP INVESTORS MEET THEIR GOALS INVESTORS targeting a specific investment goal or wanting to build an offshore component into an investment portfolio can now use Old Mutual Wealth Tailored Fund Portfolios for tax-free savings. Kim Rassou, portfolio manager at Old Mutual Wealth, says: “We’re pleased to offer financial advisers these tax-free options for clients. Our model portfolios are made up of specialist building blocks that cater to a range of investment goals and risk appetites.” The tax-free options include two capital protection strategies, a suite of funds that aim to beat inflation over the medium- to long-term; and a rand-denominated offshore portfolio range that provides global diversification.…

ALL ABOUT TRUSTS Trust investments can’t be too risky or too conservative PHIA VAN DER SPUY THE TRUSTEES of a trust are required to be more careful and prudent with the affairs of the trust than they would be with their own affairs. In performing their duties, trustees fulfil a fiduciary position. A fiduciary duty is the onerous, legal obligation of someone who manages the affairs of another to act in the best interest of that person – in the case of a trust, the trustees should act in the best interest of the beneficiaries. When there has been a breach of fiduciary duty by a trustee, the beneficiary may claim the trustee’s gain out of a transaction, or may hold the trustee liable for breach of trust, even if…

TV GUIDE TODAY Cricket: Test Series: England v Pakistan, Second Test, Day 3, 11.30am, SS2 Cycling: Criterium du Dauphine, Stage 4: Ugine-Megève (153,5km), 3.10pm, SS12; Il Lombardia, 114th Edition, 3.50pm, SS10 Golf: US Men’s Amateur Championship, Day 3: Quarter-finals, 12 mid-night, SS5, CSN; LPGA Tour: Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open, Day 3, 1 pm, SS8; European Tour: Celtic Classic, Day 3, 3.30pm, SS5; PGA Tour: Wyndham Championship, Day 3, 7pm, SS1, CSN, SS5 (8pm) Motorcycling: MotoGP: Grand Prix of Austria, Qualifying, 1.30pm, SS5; Supercars Championship, BetEasy Darwin Triple Crown Race 13, 7.45am, SS6; Formula 1: Spanish Grand Prix, Practice 3, 11.45am, SS6; Qualifying, 2pm, SS1, SS6; FIA World Endurance Championship, Grand Prix of Spa-Francorchamps, 1.30pm, SS13; FIA Formula 2 Championship, Round 6: Race 1, 4.30pm, SS1; IndyCar Series: Indy…

Covid Blues as Crusaders clash called off THE final game of New Zealand’s Super Rugby Aotearoa between Auckland Blues and Canterbury Crusaders at Eden Park has been cancelled after the government extended Covid-19 restrictions in the country’s biggest city, New Zealand Rugby (NZR) said. New Zealand announced on Tuesday that it was shutting down Auckland after four new cases of Covid-19 were discovered, following which the Blues had said tomorrow’s game could take place only if restrictions were eased. But New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern yesterday extended level 3 restrictions imposed on Auckland by another 12 days, until August 26.  Reuters…

SOCCER Walker: Cityzen’s chasing greatness MANCHESTER City need to win the Champions League to truly establish themselves as European powerhouses, defender Kyle Walker has said. City have won four Premier League titles in the last decade but have failed to progress beyond the semi-finals of the Champions League during that period. Pep Guardiola’s side eliminated 13-time champions Real Madrid in the last 16 and are firm favourites heading into today’s quarter-final clash against Olympique Lyonnais. “I think if you had asked me two years ago when I signed here, I would have probably said that the Premier League was the big one for me having not won it before,” Walker told the club website on Thursday. “Now I have collected two of them and a number of others and this…

PSL Can Chiefs rise and shine against Polokwane? MINENHLE MKHIZE KAIZER Chiefs have seemingly hit a speed hump that has taken a sting out of their game which saw them take off like a fighter jet at the beginning of the season. Their confidence began to show a dent before the season was paused due to the coronavirus. And when they conceded the last minute equaliser by Bidvest Wits in their first match of the league resumption, there was a feeling that the Glamour Boys are losing their killer instinct when it matters. It may be too early to panic for Ernst Middendorp and his men though. But they will need plenty of balls to fend off the challenge from league champions Mamelodi Sundowns who are second on the log…

F 1 Hamilton, Bottas turn up the heat for Mercedes in scorching Catalunya FORMULA One leader Lewis Hamilton went fastest in a searingly hot second practice for the Spanish Grand Prix yesterday with Mercedes again dominant after losing out to Red Bull last weekend. The six-times world champion, who is 30 points clear of Red Bull’s 70th Anniversary Grand Prix winner Max Verstappen after five races, lapped the Circuit de Catalunya outside Barcelona with a best time of one minute 16.883 seconds on soft tyres. Teammate Valtteri Bottas, who had been faster in the morning session with a lap of 1:16.785 also on softs, was 0.287 off the Briton’s pace. Verstappen was third in both sessions, 0.939 off the Finn’s pace in the first and then 0.821 slower in the…

Lockdown baby boom? WILL there be a surge in the number of babies born as a result of lockdown? With couples stuck at home together for weeks on end, some are suggesting that come Christmas/New Year, there could be a lot of births of a generation of “coronababies”. These would be babies who had been conceived from late March through Easter, when couples may normally have enjoyed a trip away but now had to spend more intimate time at home together. Some have likened what may happen from December through to mid-2021 to the baby boom after the World War I and II … although others warn that spending so much time together and constant reminders of social distancing may have the opposite effect and lead to a decline in…

COURT Catfight resolved and Eros is home ZELDA VENTER EROS the Sphynx cat is back home in Pretoria following a bitter and costly legal tug-of-war over him. The tale of the hairless cat and his doting owner, Alma van Zyl, went all the way to the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein, but for Van Zyl it was worth it to have her cat back to live out his golden years with her. The ownership of Eros came into dispute shortly after he was handed over to cat breeder Elizabeth Swart to be rehabilitated following an attack on Van Zyl. Swart claimed in court that Van Zyl had neglected the cat, and did not want him back. According to her, a hysterical Van Zyl asked her in 2012 to fetch…

Official funeral for struggle veteran FLAGS flew at half mast and President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the eulogy at the special official funeral service of struggle stalwart John Nkadimeng yesterday. Nkadimeng, a Cuban/South African politician and anti-apartheid activist, was bestowed with the honours of the National Order of Luthuli in Gold and the ANC’s Isithwalandwe/ Seaparankoe award. Ramaphosa said that the country had lost a remarkable man and described the activist as a selfless and courageous stalwart who contributed immensely to our democracy. Nkadimeng was among the 156 congress activists who were charged with treason in the 1956 treason trial. He went to exile in 1976 in Swaziland and Mozambique. In 1995, he was appointed ambassador to Cuba. STAFF REPORTER…

LAID BACK TULI CHEER IN THE MIDST OF FEELINGS OF DESPAIR JOUBERT MALHERBE I RECALLED that old song by Procol Harum, Milk of Human Kindness, the other day when I was the happy beneficiary in just such a situation. What happened was that I went to Zac and Frankie’s corner café just up the road to acquire a variety of items, including newspapers and assorted provisions. My entire purchase came to R44 and I took out my wallet to pay, but saw that I only had R40 cash on me. I told Gamu, the shop assistant, that I would quickly go to the car in which I usually have various bits of small change – copper and silver – bouncing around. It was parked just outside the café and before…

Spotlight on war ‘comfort women’ CHEONAN: President Moon Jae-in vowed yesterday to highlight the plight of South Korea’s last 17 surviving “comfort women”, as those forced to work in Japan’s wartime brothels are known, in efforts to resolve a dispute with its neighbour over the thorny issue. The comments figured in a recorded message to a 100-strong gathering of activists, government officials, and others in the city of Cheonan to commemorate the victims of Japanese wartime sexual violence. It was the third such memorial day, instituted by Moon’s government in 2018, after effectively abandoning a 2015 pact between Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Moon’s predecessor that had aimed for compensation for the women and an apology. Relations with Japan are expected to figure once again in an independence day…

UNITED STATES Kamala Harris newspaper cartoon decried as ‘racist and sexist’ A CARTOON of US vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris published in The Australian newspaper yesterday, describing her as a “little brown girl” has been labelled as racist. Former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd and several lawmakers said on Twitter that the cartoon was offensive, racist and sexist. Drawn by newspaper resident cartoonist Johannes Leak, it depicts US Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden announcing California Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate. In Leak’s cartoon Biden says “It’s time to heal a nation divided by racism… so I’ll hand you over to this little brown girl while I go for a lie-down,” as he points at Harris, the first black woman and the first Asian-American to be nominated by a…

MAURITIUS Islanders use hair to soak up oil THE Japanese company that owns the bulk carrier, Wakashio, that struck a reef off the Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius said the Mauritian government had requested compensation. Nagashiki Shipping said the cause of the incident was still not known and would be fully investigated. Meanwhile, the Mauritian government and Nagashiki Shipping are under pressure as people ask why more was not done to prevent the disaster that will have devastating effects on the ecosystem for years to come. Volunteers are chopping off their ponytails to create makeshift booms out of hair and sugar cane leaves to soak up the sludge – that’s how desperate they’ve become as they battle a 1 000 tons of oil washing onshore. Hair salons around the…

CARPING POINT Flashing cameos of charity for cameras KEVIN RITCHIE @RitchKev A PICTURE tells 1 000 words and the stories at the weekend were bad: the controversial former minister of communications Faith Muthambi and her gaffe-prone successor Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams separately doling out relief to recipients who are on their knees – literally. Lockdown has all of us on our knees. But these pictures follow reports of the political abuse of food parcels abuse and were hot on the heels of a tsunami of personal protective equipment (PPE) corruption scandals that spurred Ace Magashule, faithfully supported by Carl Niehaus, to deliver an apparently irony-free lecture to us all on the need for probity. Niehaus had more to say about Ndabeni-Abrahams’s picture: “I find this photo very disturbing. I have for years…

EDITORIAL SA on tenterhooks for level 2 THE country has been on tenterhooks this week. It has been several weeks since President Cyril Ramaphosa last addressed us – and the State of Disaster is due to expire today. The expectation that we will move to level 2, with a return of legal travel between provinces for pleasure rather than business, and finally an end to the ban of the legal sale of alcohol and tobacco, reached fever pitch by mid-week. Perhaps the Union Buildings misheard our entreaties, for instead Eskom gifted the nation with stage2 load shedding, a particularly worrying development given the contraction of our economy, the throttling of our manufacturing sector and our spiralling official unemployment rate, which has breached the 50% mark. South Africa has endured one…

Need a laugh? These romances are where it’s at MIA SOSA WE HOLD these truths to be self-evident: One, 2020 is a trash fire. Two, romance novels have the power to dampen the flames. Thank you for coming to my TED talk; I won’t be taking questions. Let me tell you about the power of a romance that also makes you laugh. It can clear your skin, absolve you of your sins and facilitate proficiency in foreign languages. I kid – but not completely. If there’s a consistent theme in readers’ messages about my latest book, The Worst Best Man, it’s that the story is what the reader needs in these tumultuous times. Romance is the language of hope, and the guarantee of a happily-ever-after provides comfort amid uncertainty. Add…

RANDS & SENSE Steps towards taking control of your finances SIGRID MADONKO MY ELDEST daughter has been learning about women in Britain in the early 20th century, known as the suffragettes, who fought for their right to vote. As a 14-year-old, she could not imagine a world where women did not have rights equal to men, and as she studied the subject further, she was moved by the lengths these women went to, so that all women could vote. I don’t think any of us could imagine a world where a woman cannot open a bank account or buy a house or apply for a job. I know we have a long way to go, but we have come so far already. Yet, when it comes to our finances and…

CRYPTO SECURITY TIPS ALTHOUGH a Bitcoin itself cannot be stolen, your private key that opens your digital wallet can. Oliver Noble, an encryption specialist at encryption software producer NordLocker, says developing some basic cybersecurity habits will help to protect you. Don’t talk online about your cryptocurrency. “Social media platforms and online forums are places where messages about having something in your digital wallet can draw unwanted attention and make you a target.” Use advanced protection for your private keys. There are many different ways to keep your private keys away from prying eyes, but one of the safest methods is to keep them encrypted. Split your cryptocurrency assets among different wallets. Use a virtual private network (VPN) when making online transactions. “Public wi-fi and cryptocurrencies don’t go well together –…

Rookie Binder searching for reset button RED Bull KTM rookie Brad Binder is not getting carried away with last week’s maiden MotoGP victory in the Czech Republic and is looking to reset for tomorrow’s race in Austria. South African Binder, 25, rose from seventh position at the start for a comfortable victory in just his third MotoGP race after moving up a class from Moto2 for 2020. “I have been trying to reset,” he told reporters yesterday. “It’s difficult to try and forget about it because it has just happened, but I need to keep my feet on the ground. “I just want to restart like nothing has happened. I want to start fresh, take things one lap at a time and keep the work ethic from last weekend.” Binder…

CRICKET Rabada: Majority suffered and it must change Proteas star keen to play unifying role off field for a ‘fairer country’ STUART HESS BackpagePix THE controversy in South African cricket that has exploded around transformation is part of a much broader conversation that needs to be had about the unequal society that exists in the country, believes star fast bowler Kagiso Rabada. The 25-year-old has paid close attention to the conversations that have taken place about race and specifically the claims by black players that they’d been mistreated in the sport, describing the current period as “definitely a controversial time in South African cricket”. “The country is divided and the majority of the country has suffered injustice, especially economically and that needs to change,” said Rabada. Listening to the troubling…