Innholdsfortegnelse for Saturday, August 22, 2020 i Pretoria News Weekend

Infections top 600000 mark RAPULA MOATSHE SOUTH Africa has topped the 600000 mark in the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases since the first was reported on March 5. To date, the country has had 12618 deaths linked to the virus, with about 100000 active cases. By yesterday, Gauteng had recorded over 200000 cases and 3144 deaths. The recovery rate is 82%, and South Africa is believed to be over the first peak. The Gauteng Provincial Command Council gave a virtual media update yesterday. The city of Tshwane had 43368 confirmed cases, fewer than in Joburg and Ekurhuleni. Tshwane had also reported 740 deaths. Health Department chief operations officer Lesiba Malotana said: “As far as the numbers in the sub-districts, (figures) show while infections have been high, (they are no longer)…

SUMMONS Court blows bank’s case out of water A summons can’t simply be left on the grass ZELDA VENTER zelda.venter@inl.co.za LEAVING a summons lying on the grass where it can blow away or not be noticed is not the appropriate way to serve it, especially if the document involves something as big as the possibility of losing one’s home. This is according to a full bench (three judges) of the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, who said a sheriff who served a summons had a duty to ensure that it would land in the correct hands. The court said where a notice or summons was to be delivered to the home of the person involved it would, equally, not be enough to merely drop it over the fence or stick…

WELL-BEING Call to focus on mental health Since the start of lockdown, Sadag has seen calls an increase in calls from 19 507 in March to 47 322 in June TANYA WATERWORTH FIVE months into lockdown and the impact on the mental health of South Africans has been immense. Now there is a call for mental health experts to be included on national task teams to deal with the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown. The SA Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag) issued this warning as desperate callers to their helpline had doubled since lockdown started, and continued to climb. The organisation has warned that a second crisis faced in the country would be the psychological impact of Covid-19, which would be “much more devastating and longer-lasting…

DA calls for Mabuza to be replaced THE DA yesterday called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to appoint a new leader of government business in Parliament given the prolonged ill health of Deputy President David Mabuza. Mabuza cancelled parliamentary question and answer sessions for July and August due to issues of health. The deputy president did say this week in a letter to Parliament, however, that he was not ill, but needed more rest on the authority of his doctor. Mabuza was also absent for several months due to ill health when he was Mpumalanga premier. DA MP and shadow minister in the Presidency Solly Malatsi said that Mabuza’s ill health was of great concern to the nation and was preventing Parliament from holding government and the presidency to account: “Especially…

Cosas wants Afrikaans scrapped at schools THE Congress of South African Students (Cosas) has once again called for Afrikaans to be scrapped at schools. Spokesperson Zithulele Ndlela says the organisation is calling for the Department of Basic Education to commit to transformation. “The letter (to the department) addresses mostly issues that we’ve been complaining about. “Primarily it speaks of scrapping of Afrikaans as a medium or as an option of instruction in examinations. “It also speaks of implementing history as a compulsory subject as of the 2021 curriculum. “We’re not saying that schools must not be taught in English but we’re saying that there must be an option for a learner who understands in isiZulu to read and be educated in their own language.” They are setting a time frame…

At least 4 dead in California fires SAN FRANCISCO: More than 10000 firefighters are fighting two dozen major fires in the US state of California that have driven thousands of people from their houses. At least four people have died, US media reported yesterday. More than 370 fires have burnt in total in the state in the past four days, Cal Fire assistant deputy director Daniel Berlant said. Extreme heat, wind and lightning strikes had exacerbated the situation. US President Donald Trump criticised California’s forestry measures during an election campaign appearance in the state of Pennsylvania on Thursday. “Maybe we’re just going to have to make (California) pay for it, because they don’t listen to us,” he said, according to reports. dpa…

RUSSIA Fight to get Navalny to Germany Politician and corruption buster in coma after alleged poisoning THE family and allies of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who has been in a coma for a day, were fighting yesterday to get him flown to a top German medical facility from a Siberian hospital, but local doctors refused to authorise the transfer. Navalny, a 44-year-old politician and corruption investigator who is one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s fiercest critics, was admitted to an intensive care unit in a coma in the Siberian city of Omsk on Thursday, following what his supporters are calling a suspected poisoning that they believe was engineered by the Kremlin. A plane with German specialists and the necessary equipment landed at Omsk airport yesterday morning, prepared…

ZIMBABWE Mocking the government, despite fear of reprisal VICTOR Mpofu is using satire to shine a light on Zimbabwe’s political problems, reaching a growing audience despite living in fear of retribution from President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government. Mpofu, aka Doc Vikela, has seen his followers on YouTube channel Simuka Comedy grow from less than 1000 subscribers in January when he ventured into political satire to 23000. The 34-year-old father of two is among a generation of online stand-up comedians critical of government excesses. Critics have accused Mnangagwa of reverting to the authoritarian tendencies of the Robert Mugabe era amid a worsening economic crisis. In his skits, Mpofu assumes the character of Mnangagwa with a trademark colourful scarf, at times mocking some of the president’s decisions. “What we are simply saying is…

PAPUA NEW GUINEA China must explain vaccine trial on miners PAPUA New Guinea (PNG) turned back a flight carrying 180 Chinese workers on Thursday after a mining company claimed to have immunised employees against Covid-19 in an apparent vaccination trial, authorities said yesterday. The Pacific nation’s pandemic response controller, David Manning, banned Covid-19 vaccine testing or trials after Ramu NiCo Management (MCC) Ltd claimed to have vaccinated 48 Chinese employees. “Until the Chinese government through the Chinese Embassy in Port Moresby provides that information, I will be best guided by our health and medical experts here as to what would be the appropriate steps to take when considering looking at applications of Chinese nationals that have been subjected to these vaccination trials entering the country,” Manning told reporters in the…

Bogged down with a couple of questions LINDSAY SLOGROVE HERE’S a wee question for the seriously rich. Why on Earth would a three-person family, one a 15-month-old toddler, need 16 bathrooms? S.I.X.T.E.E.N. Our work emails are flooded with some odd and obscure stuff, but this one stuck. It said Prince Harry and Meghan bought their first home. One with nine bedrooms and 16 bathrooms. Much time has been spent pondering why a nine-bedroom home would have 16 bathrooms. Say there’s an en-suite for each of the bedrooms. Cool. Then there’s a pool and a tennis court bathroom. A guest one or two, for a tally of 13. What are the rest for? Maybe dotted around so they can make pit stops when going from one side of the 18 000-square-foot…

3 THINGS TO WATCH THIS WEEK THURSDAY, AUGUST 27 Love & Marriage: Huntsville S1: 1Magic at 8.30pm Three high-powered couples come together to revitalise the city of Huntsville, Alabama through a joint real estate venture. The couples are long-time friends and avid socialites with strong personalities and points of view... WEEKDAYS America’s Got Talent S15: M-Net at 6pm Newcomer Sofía Vergara joins the panel. As in previous seasons, the show invites all sorts of remarkable acts who will compete for a $1 million prize and the opportunity to headline a show in Las Vegas. The show introduces a format later in the season in light of the coronavirus pandemic. THURSDAY, AUGUST 27 Barkskins S1: National Geographic at 8.43pm Based on the New York Times bestselling novel by Annie Proulx, Barkskins…

LOCKDOWN: TALES OF INNOVATION AND HEARTBREAK THE COVID-19 pandemic and one of the most draconian lockdowns in the world have devastated the South African economy. For small businesses in the hospitality and entertainment industries, the situation is dire – these folk bore the full brunt of the freeze. The cover story of the 3rd-quarter 2020 edition of Personal Finance Magazine brings you tales of courage and innovation, but also of heartbreak, from people whose lives were, literally overnight, turned upside down. Also in the 3rd-quarter issue: How the insurance industry has adapted under the pandemic; Smoothed-bonus fund performance in a crisis; Why women are increasingly in need of financial planners; and Company metrics fund managers pay attention to when choosing where to invest. The magazine is available only in a…

RECORD FLOWS INTO COLLECTIVE INVESTMENTS SEEMINGLY undeterred by the pandemic, investors committed R88 billion to local unit trust and exchange-traded funds during the second quarter of this year. This represents the highest net quarterly inflows on record. According to the local collective investment industry statistics for the quarter and year to the end of June released this week by the Association for Savings and Investment SA (Asisa), this brings to R156bn the total net inflows for the 12 months to the end of June, the bulk of which was recorded in the first six months of this year. By the end of June, assets under management had recovered to R2.54 trillion, from R2.26 trillion at the end of March. Sunette Mulder, senior policy advisor at Asisa, says the record inflows…

FOOTBALL Sundowns ladies to finally be crowned MIHLALI BALEKA mihlali.baleka@inl.co.za THE South African Football Association (Safa) is making swift strides to ensure that Mamelodi Sundowns ladies’ team get their royalties after winning the inaugural National Women’s League (NWL) in the recently concluded season. Late in June, Safa declared the NWL complete, amid the pandemic. Sundowns, who had won their 21 matches, were crowned champions, while the Janine van Wyk ladies’ team and MaIndies were promoted from the Sasol League. However, due to the lockdown, Safa couldn’t crown Sundowns as champions and deliver the proposed R500 000 prize money, trophy and medals. Jerry Tshabalala, the Brazilians coach, through a zoom press conference with the South African Football Journalists Association, confirmed they were in touch with the mother body about their winnings.…

PSL Usuthu, Arrows’ woes continue HERMAN GIBBS AND MIHLALI BALEKA BIDVEST Wits kept their faint title hopes alive with a 2-1 win over relegation-threatened Ama-Zulu in their PSL Absa Premiership clash at the FNB Stadium yesterday afternoon. It was Wits’ first league win since the PSL’s restart after they ran up three draws on the trot. They are now fourth on the log. AmaZulu remain near the foot of the standings, one point above Polokwane City. AmaZulu, who had dismissed their Slovakian coach Jozef Vukusic on the eve of the match, were playing to instructions from caretaker coach Ayanda Dlamini. Their first sortie down the left could have reaped early reward but unmarked striker Bongi Ntuli overran the ball while trying to meet a Siyethemba Sithebe cross in the seventh…

Hawks to swoop soon on alleged Covid-19 fund looters THE net is closing on those who have allegedly looted Covid-19 special funds, with the Hawks promising arrests by early next week. Hawks head Godfrey Lebeya told MPs yesterday that they had with 23 dockets related to alleged Covid-19 corruption and would be pouncing soon. This comes after South African Revenue Service head Edward Kieswetter also told parliamentarians some of the companies awarded tenders had not been registered to provide personal protective equipment (PPE). He revealed that 17 of the PPE tenders, valued at R1.2 billion, involved politically exposed people. The law enforcement agencies were briefing the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) on PPE tenders following the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa that he had appointed an Inter-Ministerial Committee, chaired…

COVID-19 Air travellers at very low risk WITH domestic leisure flights now allowed, many will be booking flights. According to a new report published in the journal JAMA Network Open, the chances of catching Covid-19 on a flight may be small, but passengers should still take precautions. The researchers assessed a commercial airline flight from Tel Aviv, Israel, to Frankfurt, Germany, with 102 passengers on board. It revealed that seven days before the flight, the group had contact with a hotel manager who later tested positive for Covid-19. A test was offered to all passengers who had been seated within two rows of the index cases and to those who were reportedly symptomatic. “We discovered two likely Sars-CoV-2 transmissions on this flight, with seven index cases,” said Dr Sandra Ciesek,…

Sanef ’s award for all journos covering Covid-19 The South African National Editors Forum (Sanef) has decided to award its coveted Nat Nakasa Award to South Africa’s entire body of journalists who have been covering the Covid-19 story. The announcement will be made today alongside an airing of a documentary commissioned to honour the vital role journalists play in society. The documentary aims to shine a light on the courageous work done by journalists on the front lines in a time of great unease, said Sanef chairperson Mahlatse Mahlase. STAFF REPORTER…

Gyms are ready to welcome members FITNESS fans are ready to go back to the gym and the gyms are keen to welcome them back. Gyms were granted permission to open in level 2 but are subject to a limitation of 50 persons at a time and various health protocols, including members wearing masks during training. Planet Fitness opened on Wednesday in Gauteng with Virgin Active expected to open on Monday. Hours at Planet Fitness are restricted and the number of people in the gym at any given time is limited, depending on the size of the facility. There is an appeal to change at home, although showers are available, and paper towel rather than sweat towels are used on equipment. Virgin said it hoped to open on Monday afternoon…

LAID BACK It’s bottoms up as the lockdown rules are eased JOUBERT MALHERBE WE’VE had workmen in for the past couple of weeks to re-do the kitchen – and, man, the saying about not being able to make an omelette without breaking an egg has never rung truer. Drills, angle grinders and pneumatic hammers have been the order of the day. The din put me in mind of the kind of stuff you’d expect from industrial rockers like Einstürenzde Neubaten and Throbbing Gristle; without the quieter, melodic bits that characterised much of their output. Still, the team, led by Dries and including Blessing, Richard and Tian, have been doing a sterling job and the revamped kitchen is starting to take shape. I was able to indulge in my first “legal”…

Tourists can stay longer in Thailand BANGKOK: Thailand will allow foreign tourists to visit for longer stays from October, a senior official said yesterday, as the government tries to revive a key economic sector that has been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic. Tourists will have to stay for at least 30 days, with the first 14 days in quarantine in a limited vicinity of their hotel, before they can visit other areas, Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn said. The announcement comes after authorities suspended plans to create “travel bubbles” with partner countries as the number of coronavirus cases in Asia rose. Staff will also have to remain in the hotel, he said. Reuters…

TURKEY ‘Biggest’ gas reserves found in Black Sea TURKEY has discovered an estimated 320 billion cubic metres of natural gas off its Black Sea coast, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday, hailing it as “good news of historical importance” for a country which relies almost entirely on imported energy. “Turkey has made the largest natural gas discovery in its history in the Black Sea,” Erdogan said in a televised address in Istanbul, adding that Ankara plans to bring the gas to the domestic market as early as 2023. The Fatih drill ship found the deposit in Turkey’s Tuna-1 well in Sakarya gas field, off the Black Sea town of Zonguldak, Erdogan said. Turkey has been exploring for energy resources in Black Sea for several years. Fatih resumed operations on the…

MALI Commitment to anti-terror mission in wake of coup GERMANY, France and Britain expressed their continued dedication to military operations against terrorism in Mali yesterday, even after a military coup in the West African country earlier this week. “The engagement is still necessary because terrorism remains a great threat, including for us here,” German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said in the district of Dilligen, where she hosted her British and French counterparts for talks. The three ministers called on the soldiers who led the revolt to implement what they have promised as soon as possible, “namely, the return to constitutional order”. “We will continue the fight against terrorism because it is far from over,” French Defence Minister Florence Parly said, referring to a “security challenge for the Sahel region, but…

CARPING POINT Politicians on full salaries as SA haemorrhages KEVIN RITCHIE @RitchKev AT MIDNIGHT on Monday, South Africans entered a new world of freedom – after 145 days of ostensibly not being allowed to buy cigarettes, travel between provinces and drink alcohol (albeit since July12). The strangest thing doesn’t appear to have been the mass absenteeism from work, endless queues and near pandemonium in bottle stores of yore. Real cigarettes were another matter. Smokers dug deep to get enough of their favourite fags as they could afford after being forced to asphyxiate themselves for almost five months on illicit, overpriced knock-offs that (if memory serves me correctly) often taste like a mix between three-day-old underpants and sawdust. So, what does this tell us? There are two possible options; either we…

EDITORIAL Our leaders must do what’s right SOUTH Africa’s lockdown, imposed from March 26, was intended to “flatten the curve” of the Covid-19 infection rate and allow the government time to prepare our hospitals so they wouldn’t become overwhelmed. We were so successful that last Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa relaxed restrictions to such an extent that the economy is almost entirely open, on the proviso that we dare not lessen our vigilance because of the threat of subsequent waves of infection. How we manage this depends on our behaviour and – critically – the government’s ability to track and trace new infection clusters as they emerge. Yesterday, though, the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) staged a snap go-slow at the National Health Laboratory Service, to highlight the…

Reminder of why we seek answers in writing NAOMI JACKSON INGRID Persaud’s debut novel, Love After Love, builds on the wistful melancholia of the eponymous poem by the Caribbean titan of letters, Derek Walcott. Persaud’s book is a memorable, moving account of wounded people who come together to create an alternative family, a refuge where they can heal. The novel’s protagonist, Betty Ramdin, survives a harrowing marriage, including physical and emotional abuse, only to pursue, with varying success, the love of two men – her only son, aptly named Solo, and Mr Chetan, a gay man who struggles within the strictures of Trinidad and Tobago, where social mores constrict his pursuit of a satisfying private life. Persaud offers readers not only the expected doubles, roti and music the twin island…

WORDS ON WEALTH Why markets are up when the economy is down MARTIN HESSE | martin.hesse@inl.co.za WHY, WHEN the world is experiencing its biggest economic crisis since World War II, are stock markets soaring? Why the disconnect? There was a similar disconnect after the global financial crisis of 2008, when the financial markets recovered faster than the real economy. The S&P500 index, widely regarded as the best representation of the US stock market, comprises America’s top 500 companies. This week, it surpassed its pre-pandemic high of 3 386 points, reaching more than 3 390. In South Africa, the FTSE/JSE All Share Index (Alsi) has not quite recovered to its pre-pandemic level, but it is almost there. Its peak this year was 59 001 in mid-January, and for the past week…

CYCLING Two strikes and out for Tour de France riders TWO positive coronavirus cases within a team will result in the outfit being out of the upcoming Tour de France, team staff members told Reuters yesterday. Two sports directors who will be on the August 29-September 20 event confirmed a report by cycling website Velonews that the race will be over for teams who are found to have two infected members in their ranks. “The measure was announced to us at the Criterium du Dauphine,” one sports director, who declined to be named because he is not authorised to discuss the matter, told Reuters. The Criterium du Dauphine is organised by Tour owners Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), who used the week long race earlier this month as a dress rehearsal…

Former Camp Nou legends unite to return Barcelona to glory NEW Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman has chosen former Sweden striker Henrik Larsson as one of his assistant coaches alongside Dutch coach Alfred Schreuder, the club said yesterday. Larsson, 48, had a brief but important spell at Barca and played a crucial role off the bench in the team’s comeback from a goal down to beat Arsenal 2-1 to win the 2006 Champions League final. He has been an assistant and first team coach in Sweden since 2010, his last job being with former club Helsingborgs. Schreuder, 47, joins Barca after being sacked as head coach of German side Hoffenheim in June. He spent the previous campaign as assistant to Erik Ten Hag at Ajax Amsterdam, who reached the Champions League…

Eskom load shedding set to continue STAFF REPORTER SOUTH Africans should brace themselves for more load shedding as Eskom is expecting power cuts to continue until September next year. The past week saw stage 2 load shedding implemented on Tuesday when breakdowns added pressure to the national grid as a cold front swept across the country. It was scheduled to continue yesterday at stage 1, but in an update yesterday morning, Eskom said that after recovering three generation units – at Lethabo, Medupi and Kusile – supply constraints had eased sufficiently to allow for the suspension of load shedding. Initially, stage 1 was expected, but this was not necessary. Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha told Independent Media that there was a plan to end load shedding, but it would take time.…

SUCCESS Tuks sprinter on track for US university scholarship KEAGAN MITCHELL ACHIEVING in track and field is more than just winning medals but rather a journey to success for one of South Africa’s rising stars. Antoinette van der Merwe, 19, of Pretoria made her presence felt earlier this year when she clocked a personal best (PB) of 11.49 seconds in the 100m sprint at the Athletics Gauteng North Championships in Pretoria. This was the fastest time for the event by a junior female athlete in the country this year and the second fastest overall in the South African women’s section. Her stellar performances resulted in offers of no less than 95 full scholarships from US-based universities. “I am extremely excited and overwhelmed about the possibilities,” said the Hoërskool Eldoraigne matriculant…

MOTORSPORT Get in a spin with ‘Controlled Chaos’ doccie rerun on screen today STAFF REPORTER SPINNING has such a rich culture in South Africa, with spinning competitions captivating the excitement and thrill of it all. The inaugural Red Bull Shay’ iMoto car spinning competition took place last year, and this afternoon SABC 1 will be airing a recap for those who didn’t get to witness the action. Pretoria-based Tina Rossouw was one of the contestants who took part in last year’s competition – this soldier by day and spinner by night had some electric moves to showcase, a powerful female spinner in a still male-dominated sport.All the highlights from the 2019 Red Bull Shay’ iMoto competition will air on SABC 1 this afternoon. The 24-minute doccie, titled Controlled Chaos, will…

Some city libraries prepare to reopen WHILE some of the city’s libraries and other public services will reopen next week, not all are ready to do so. The City of Tshwane announced that from Tuesday three city museums – the Art Museum, Melrose House and Fort Klapperkop – would reopen (10am to 4pm, Tuesday to Saturday). Library staff are preparing a number of libraries to open on August 31 after being closed since the end of March. The decision on which libraries to open depends on their PPE stock and cleaning capacity. It excludes Region 6 where the Glenstantia Library is situated. Among libraries that will reopen (9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday) are the Es’kia Mphahlele Library in the city, Atteridgeville, Saulsville, Brooklyn, Mountain View, Moot, Waverley, East Lynne,…

Nigerian lesbian film avoids censorship LAGOS: Two young women fill the screen, reclining on a bed, talking about their hope of having children. They are protagonists in a new Nigerian film called Ife depicting their love story. The topic is controversial in Nigeria, where same-sex relationships are theoretically punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Producer Pamela Adie said Ife – which means “love” in the Yoruba language spoken in southwest Nigeria – would be released online to avoid any possible move to ban it. “The role of film is not to say ‘this is right, or not’. I think that the role of film, and a film-maker, is to portray reality as it is,” said Adie. She declined to provide a release date. The National Film and Video…

The People Will Emhoff be the first ‘second gentleman’? LOS ANGELES: Some men might shrink in the shadow of a superstar spouse. Not Douglas Emhoff, pictured, the unabashed cheerleader-in-chief for his wife, California Senator Kamala Harris, who on Wednesday, made history as the first woman of colour nominated for vice-president by a major political party. If Joe Biden, the Democrats’ presidential nominee and his running mate Harris win in November, Emhoff would become the nation’s first “second gentleman”. dpa…

Climate strike at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate BERLIN: Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, pictured, staged her latest climate strike in Berlin yesterday, protesting with dozens of other youngsters in front of the German capital’s famous Brandenburg Gate. The protesters were seen sitting in front of the city landmark, at a distance from each other in keeping with coronavirus rules. Greta was joined by German campaigner Luisa Neubauer and Anuna de Wever and Adelaide Charlier from Belgium, pictures shared on the Swedish activist’s social media showed. The four young women were hosted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel for talks on Thursday, during which they urged her and other EU leaders to take bolder steps to mitigate climate change. dpa…

EDITOR’S CHOICE Mind your thinking Why some people are more optimistic – and why that matters Galadriel Watson Pexels PERSONALLY, I had envisioned 2020 as a spectacular year. I’m living several milestones during it – a big birthday, a major anniversary – so I had a bunch of good times planned. And then came the pandemic. Not only were my celebrations ruined, but news and worries also continually batter me and everyone else. In the face of these challenges, will our long-term optimism about the future take a hit? Maybe not. Here’s what several experts think about optimism, why it matters and what we can do to improve it. Pick one: A. I expect more good things to happen than bad things. B. I rarely count on good things…

CRIME THRILLER Designer drugs give people temporary superpowers in gritty ‘Project Power’ MICHAEL O’SULLIVAN PROJECT Power is a serviceable, drug-themed crime thriller, made just a bit more interesting by a handful of ingredients that give it a boost. Chief among them is its unusual premise. Instead of centring on the real-world scourge of heroin, meth, opioids or cocaine, it’s about a new drug – Power. Not the kind that seems to addict so many in Washington, but a designer pill by that name that gives the user, for five minutes, a superpower: speed; strength; chameleonlike camouflage; the bulletproof hide of a Luke Cage; adamantium-esque bones that sprout, like weapons, from limbs; and extreme temperature regulation. Whether that last ability is a blessing or a curse depends. Two minor characters briefly…

DATA BREACH Beware of criminals phishing for bank details YOU MIGHT be one of the 24 million consumers whose personal data was compromised by the massive data breach at credit bureau Experian this week. Although your name, ID, cellphone number and email address might be in a stranger’s hands, the fraudsters did not get access to bank account information such as log-ins and PINs. However, you need to be on the alert for criminals “phishing” for the details now that they can contact you. The South African Banking Risk Centre (Sabric) says it has been working with banks and Experian to identify which of their customers may have been exposed to the breach and to protect their information. It says your bank will communicate with you about how you may…

RANDS & SENSE Women should insure what’s important to them CHRISTELLE COLMAN WOMEN’S Month presents an opportunity for South African women to step back from prioritising everyone else’s risk before their own and understand – and intelligently cover – what is important to them. Every woman should start by simply thinking about the contents of her handbag. Everything in it is valuable – and largely essential. How much of your handbag contents – including the handbag itself, if it’s a designer brand – is insured? Most handbags, for example, contain a smartphone, iPad or even a laptop or a Kindle. All have a purse. Most purses contain bank and credit cards, as well as essential identification cards and licences, in addition to, often, large amounts of cash. Then there are…

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Di Maria sees final venue as a blessing IF any player has felt perfectly at home during the unique circumstances surrounding the climax to this year’s Champions League, it is Paris St Germain’s Argentine winger Angel di Maria. As soon as UEFA decided that Portuguese capital Lisbon would host the quarter-finals onwards in a mini-tournament, in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, Di Maria felt good vibes. After PSG scrambled past Atalanta in a dramatic comeback, the 32-year-old was then instrumental as the Parisians outclassed RB Leipzig in the semi-finals to set up a meeting with Bayern Munich at the home of Benfica tomorrow. It is the ground at which Di Maria played for three seasons while with the Portuguese club and the one which he returned to in…

TV GUIDE SATURDAY 22 AUGUST Cricket: Test Series: England v Pakistan, Third Test, Day 2, 11.30am, SS2; SS13; Caribbean Premier League: St Kitts and Nevis Patriots v St Lucia Zouks, 3.30pm, SS11; Guyana Amazon Warriors v Jamaica Tallawahs, 11.15pm, SS2, SS13 Golf: European Tour: ISPS Handa Wales Open, Day 3, 12.30pm, SS5, CSN (1.10pm); AIG Women’s British Open, Day 3, 3pm, SS12; PGA Tour: The Northern Trust Open, Day 3, 7pm, SS5; CSN (10.30pm) Motorsport: MotoGP: Grand Prix von Styria, Qualifying, 1.30 pm, SS6; Supercars Championship: CoreStaff Darwin SuperSprint, Race 16, 6.05am, SS6; DTM: Lausitzring, Qualifying 1, 10.40am, SS6, SS12; DTM: Lausitzring, Race 1, 1.15pm, SS12; FIA World Rallycross Championship, Round 1: Sweden, 3pm, SS1; NASCAR Cup Series: Drydene 311, Race 1, 9.30pm, SS8 Rugby: Rugby Australia: Brumbies v Waratahs,…