Innholdsfortegnelse for Saturday, September 19, 2020 i Pretoria News Weekend

Strict lockdown looms in UK PARTS of England are being ordered into lockdown as Britain’s Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock admitted that a new national Covid crackdown is on the cards. Curbs including a curfew on pubs and restaurants and a ban on socialising outside households are being introduced across parts of the North West, Midlands and West Yorkshire from Tuesday as the government ramps up its action. The coronavirus status in countries such as the UK will affect whether or not travel is allowed by the South African authorities. With Covid-19 cases now doubling in the UK every seven to eight days, the government is looking at introducing nationwide restrictions to try to “short-circuit” the virus. The UK Cabinet is mulling a two-week nationwide…

COSMETICS Call to ban testing on animals ACDP proposes amending laws to end cruelty MAYIBONGWE MAQHINA IF THE African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) has its way, a law should be passed banning the testing of cosmetics on animals in South Africa. The party wants to introduce to Parliament that new amendments to existing laws be made to give effect to its wish. This emerged after the national legislature published a notice inviting members of the public to make comments on a draft bill proposed by ACDP MP Steve Swart to amend the Animal Protection Act. “South Africa should lead Africa by passing legislation to ban the testing of cosmetics on animals,” reads the notice recently published in the government gazette. The draft bill is the revival of another…

FINALIST Role model for her learners STAFF REPORTER LIMPOPO teacher Mokhudu Cynthia Machaba has been named a top 10 finalist for the Global Teacher Prize 2020 in partnership with Unesco. In a video message announcing her as a finalist, writer and presenter Stephen Fry paid tribute to her as a teacher who started out with a single cellphone for access to the internet, and went on to acquire laptops and integrate Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in the classroom. She introduced her foundation phase learners at Ngwanamago Primary School in Polokwane to coding and has them engaging online with other learners. Now in its sixth year, the $1 million (about R16.4m) award established by the Varkey Foundation is the largest prize of its kind. The competition attracted more than 12…

Sunshine anticipated for Heritage weekend WARM, sunny days lie ahead for the capital city, with the mercury reaching 30°C early in the week and on the public holiday, Heritage Day, on Thursday and into the weekend, when the first rain of spring is also possible. Sunrise is edging towards 6am with sunset at 6pm, with an average for the month of 11 hours of sunshine a day. The UV risk is high. The average temperature for Pretoria in September is 12°C minimum and 27°C maximum, although cold spells are not unheard of with the coldest measured -1°C. On average, relative humidity for September is around 41% and it rains two days in the month with 20mm of rain. Rain is more prevalent in October and November. For those planning to…

Somizi responds to claims he stole idea CELEBRITY Somizi Mhlongo-Motaung took to Instagram Live on Thursday night to address the allegations of intellectual property theft that came to light this week. The Idols SA judge said Hastings Moeng approached him verbally in 2013 about a cooking show. He hadn’t been interested at the time. Referring to an email from Hastings, he said his PA, road manager, manager and his agency handled his emails. The address Hastings sent it hadn’t used in years. Furthermore, there weren’t any details. “He could have copyrighted the idea, right, and sold it?” said Somizi. He said the idea for the show came about after he fell in love with cooking and started his own YouTube Channel. Then Legend Manquele, the producer of Dinner with Somizi,…

LAID BACK Shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen …hair JOUBERT MALHERBE WE LIVE in interesting – if somewhat baffling – times, I thought to myself while enjoying a late-morning spring excursion to the mall in funky Doringkloof. Starship had just kicked off that catchy tune that goes “we built this city on rock ‘n roll” when I was approached by an apprehensive-looking centre manager. “The EFF are on their way again,” he confided sombrely when I asked him what the matter was. He spoke just as a heavily armed security guard, bearing an automatic rifle, came past. He was part of the team busy servicing one of the ATMs at the mall. Whenever I spot these guys going about their business, I usually give them a smile, just to show that I…

AFTERMATH Gobodo quits Clicks after hair ad fiasco NONKULULEKO Gobodo, the first black woman to become a chartered accountant in South Africa, resigned from her role as a non-executive director of the Clicks Group following the controversy of a TRESemmé advert which appeared on the Clicks website. Clicks said Gobodo resigned, citing personal reasons. Last week, Gobodo said both Clicks and TRESemmé – the companies at the centre of a racism storm over black women’s hair – should release the names of the senior executives involved in publishing the controversial, racist advert which described black women’s hair as frizzy, dull, dry and damaged, sparking fury online and subsequent EFF-led protests at Clicks stores around the country. Neither of the two companies has named the executives involved, although at Clicks, a…

Greece braces for rare tropical storn ATHENS: Greece was bracing for a rare type of tropical storm, known as a Medicane, which was expected to hit its western Ionian islands yesterday before reaching the southern Peloponnese peninsula and even Athens. Greek authorities warned that storm “Ianos” would bring gale force winds and heavy rainfall that could lead to floods and power cuts in some areas over the weekend. A similar storm hit Greece in 2018. In 2017, flash floods killed 25 people and left hundreds homeless. Reuters…

AMAL QUITS AUSTRALIA Airline’s flight to nowhere sold out in 10 minutes QANTAS’ seven-hour non-stop flight around Australia launched for travellers missing the experience of flying sold out in 10 minutes, the airline said yesterday. “It’s probably the fastest-selling flight in Qantas history,” an airline spokesperson said. The “Great Southern Land” scenic flight to nowhere is due to take off from Sydney airport on October10 with “no passport or quarantine required”. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner will take a low-flying circuit over iconic attractions such as Uluru, the Great Barrier Reef and Sydney Harbour, before landing back where it started. Economy seats sold for about AU$780 (about R9200), while the business-class price started at AU$3787. “We knew this flight would be popular, but we didn’t expect it to sell out in 10…

COMMENT Drive to police rape cases Keeping the families of the victims of gender-based violence in the loop OFENTSE MORWANE TRACEY ADAMS African News Agency (ANA) SOUTH Africa with its scourge of gender-based violence will have to employ innovative ways to support and assist victims and survivors. The incidence of gender-based violence and femicide have regrettably reached alarming proportions in the country. Over the past few weeks, the Gauteng Department of Community Safety has embarked on an unprecedented initiative to visit families of the victims of gender-based violence across the province, with the police, to update them about the developments in their cases. The decision to visit the families was not a knee-jerk reaction but rather a direct response to what is happening on the ground. Gender-based violence impacts…

TELEVISION Netflix defends ‘Cuties’ as social commentary WHEN she set out to make Cuties, French-Senegalese film-maker Maïmouna Doucouré said she wanted to shed light on the pressures girls faced as they become teenagers. Her directorial debut, which won an award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and premiered on Netflix last week, follows Amy, an 11-year-old in Paris, as she rebels against her immigrant family and joins a dance crew of other girls at her school, at times flashing moves in skimpy outfits. But after controversial ads for the film showed off some of the dance uniforms, a horde of mostly conservative voices – from Senator Josh Hawley to Fox Nation host Tammy Bruce – attacked the movie, claiming it promoted a sexual view of girls and paedophilia. To those…

The Brief MIDDLE-INCOME CONSUMERS’ CASH FLOW NEAR PRE-LOCKDOWN LEVELS THE REDUCTION of interest rates and the relaxation of lockdown levels have significantly boosted the recovery of average income and cash flow among salaried middle-class consumers who hold full-time or formal employment. This is according to FNB insights based on the income trends among its retail and private banking customers who earn between R10 000 and R60 000 a month. The bank says that the financial position of the average middle-income customer is now approximately on par with levels recorded in February, before the implementation of the national lockdown. Consumers’ spending patterns are also showing recovery, with categories such as groceries and entertainment back to normal. In contrast, average income among informally employed and self-employed consumers continues to lag. The chief…

ALL ABOUT TRUSTS Do the benefits of a trust outweigh the costs? PHIA VAN DER SPUY PEOPLE often ask whether the benefits of a trust justify its start-up and running costs. Trusts do cost money to set up, but using the cost of setting up a trust as an excuse not to set one up may be a case of “penny wise and pound foolish”. Not having a trust may cost you more. Income tax, capital gains tax (CGT), estate duty and executor’s fees, during your life and on your death, can be expensive if you do not set up a trust timeously. It can be a costly exercise to move assets, acquired by you, into a trust at a later stage, so the perfect time to establish a trust,…

SATURDAY TV 19 GUIDE SEPTEMBER  Cricket: Vivo Indian Premier League T20: Mumbai Indians v Chennai Super Kings, 3.50PM, CRI Cycling: Tour de France, Stage 20: Lure-La Planche des Belles Filles, 36km, 12.50pm, VR1, SSm; Tour de France, Winner Press Conference, 6.50pm, VR1 Golf: LPGA Tour: Cambia Portland Classic, Day 2, 12.30am, VR2; Day 3, 10pm, VR4; US Open: Day 3, Early Coverage, 2pm, GOL; Day 3, Main Feed, 6pm, GOL Motorsport: FIM Superbike World Championship, Catalunya SBK Superpole, 10.50am, ACT; FIM Superbike World Championship, Catalunya SSP Superpole, 11.35am, ACT; FIM Superbike World Championship, Catalunya SSP300 Superpole, 12.15pm, ACT; FIM Superbike World Championship, Catalunya Race 1, 1.30pm, ACT; FIM Superbike World Championship, Catalunya SSP Race, 3.15pm, ACT; FIM Superbike World Championship, Catalunya SSP300 Race, 4.15pm, ACT; MotoGP: Grand Prix Emilia-Romagna, Qualifying,…

SOME OF THE CHANGES FROM MONDAY ◆Curfew which was at 10pm is now from midnight to 4am. ◆Funerals which were at maximum of 50 mourners, are now at 100. ◆However, where a venue is small, capacity is limited to 50%. ◆Night vigils are still not allowed, and masks must be work during services. ◆Gatherings set at 50 people must now not exceed 50% of venue capacity. ◆The maximum number for any indoor venue is 250 people. ◆The maximum number for any outdoor event is 500 people. ◆Social distancing and hand sanitising remain a must. ◆Masks must be worn in public at all times. ◆Alcohol sale and consumption is open from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. ◆Regulations for on-site consumption are limited by the curfew.…

Government defends keeping night curfew MINISTER of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma has defended the government’s decision to continue with the night curfew under lockdown level 1. She was taking questions in a media briefing yesterday. The curfew would be moved to between midnight and 4am. Dlamini Zuma said the reason for retaining the curfew was that there was still some concern over people gathering in spaces for too long. She said as people consume alcohol and stay in an area for a long time, they would often become relaxed in following health protocols such as physical distancing and wearing of masks. On why alcohol sales were prohibited on the weekend, the minister said the government was being cautious in allowing for alcohol sales because a rush…

REGULATION Hospital visits ban a denial of child rights BONGANI NKOSI THE government’s lockdown regulation prohibiting parental visits to their hospitalised children is unlawful, a law expert has said. Professor David McQuoid-Mason, attached to the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, wrote in an academic article published by the SA Medical Journal that Regulation 40 went against children’s rights protected by the Constitution. “The question of reconsidering hospital visits is apparently under discussion by the Ministerial Advisory Committee,” McQuoid-Mason said. “It is submitted, however, that the deprival of parental visits to their children in hospitals, including maternity wards, is a clear violation of children’s rights under the Constitution. “The Constitution provides that children have the right ‘to family care or parental care’ and that a ‘child’s best…

ICYMI | IOL.CO.ZA A CAPTIVATING LOVE STORY When you’re underwater with goggles on, a couple of your senses are taken away, and it becomes this purely visual thing. It’s just you and yourselfM\ARK FOSTER THE Netflix original documentary, ‘My Octopus Teacher’ tells the story of a year Craig Foster of the Sea Change Project spent with a wild octopus. Go to: https:// www.iol.co.za/entertainment/tv/streaming/sa-viewers-awe-inspired-by-trendingnetflix-documentary-my-octopus-teacher…

Luxury hotel applies for business rescue THE luxury Fairmont Zimbali Hotel has applied for business rescue and will be closed until further notice. A notice on the hotel’s website read: “In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, Fairmont Zimbali Resort will be closing its doors operationally from today until further notice.” The five-star hotel near Ballito is owned by IFA Fair Zim Hotel & Resort Proprietary Limited, one of the biggest foreign investments on the North Coast of KwaZulu-Natal. General manager Wayne Krambeck said the decision to enter business rescue was made to safeguard the interests of all its stakeholders as the Covid-19 crisis continues to disrupt travel and tourism markets. Despite experiencing exponential growth with record turnover from November 2019 to March 2020, the hotel faced an “unprecedented situation” after…

HISTORIC Remembering a statesman Marking the 150th anniversary of Jan Smuts’s birth KEVIN RITCHIE KEVIN RITCHIE KEVIN RITCHIE IT’S 150 years this year since statesman Jan Smuts was born – a milestone that went largely unremarked thanks to the Covid-19 lockdown, but not at Doornkloof, the family farm at Irene, east of Pretoria, which finally opened again this week to the public. Students from the University of Pretoria (UP) used the opportunity once the lockdown eased to continue their five-year long JCP community project, painting different parts of the sprawling prefabricated house, while the Friends of the Museum, including a volunteer cultural historian, used the quarantine to rediscover Smuts and his wife Isie. It was a mammoth task, said museum educator Christo Rabie. The layout of the house had…

New Somalian prime minister appointed MOGADISHU: Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo tweeted yesterday, congratulating Mohamed Hussein Roble who he appointed as the country’s new prime minister in an electoral agreement. Roble will replace Hassan Ali Kheyre, who was kicked out of his post in a vote of no confidence in July, plunging the embattled East African country into a constitutional crisis. Roble’s appointment will next be submitted to the federal Parliament for approval, Mohamed said. The ousted prime minister and his cabinet were accused of failing to finalise a draft constitution which could have paved the way for fairer elections. dpa…

Fatal fire sparked at gender reveal party SAN BERNARDINO: A firefighter has died battling a bush fire in California that officials say was sparked by a pyrotechnic device. The US Forest Service said the death happened yesterday in the San Bernardino National Forest as crews battled the El Dorado Fire. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, has said that a fire was sparked by a smoke-generating pyrotechnic device used for a gender reveal party. At least 25 people have died in wildfires in California this year. AP…

The People ‘Cheer’ star arrested on child porn charges CHICAGO: Jerry Harris, pictured, the star of the Netflix documentary series Cheer, was arrested on Thursday and charged with producing child pornography, three days after twin boys filed a lawsuit alleging he sent them sexually explicit photos of himself and cornered one of them in a bathroom and begged for oral sex. Harris admitted during an interview after FBI agents raided his home in the Chicago suburb of Naperville on Monday that he had asked one of the teenage boys to send him photographs and videos of himself on Snapchat. Harris also admitted to requesting and receiving on Snapchat child pornography from “at least between 10 to 15 other individuals he knew were minors”. | AP ‘Forrest Gump’ author Winston Groom…

MEDICAL Another butt-lift surgery death despite stricter regulations GIA Romualdo-Rodriguez travelled from New York to Miami for surgery at Xiluet, a clinic that specialises in breast enhancements, tummy tucks and Brazilian butt lifts. But during surgery this week, her oxygen levels and heart rate plunged. Unable to save her, the surgeon called 911. She was rushed to Kendall Regional Hospital, according to Miami-Dade police. She died at age 46. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office said on Thursday that Romualdo-Rodriguez’s death has been ruled accidental – the result of an embolism caused by fat injected into her buttocks. The case was the latest Brazilian butt-lift death in Miami, which draws women and men who are willing to risk the oft-dangerous surgery for bigger and rounder buttocks. At least 20 people have…

Spring is in the air – and what a noise LINDSAY SLOGROVE lindsay.slogrove@inl.co.za THE HADEDAS are back. Spring has sprung for them and they are carefully building their nest of twigs on a branch outside my “office” window. Technically, the lounge. They became one of the positive features of the early days of lockdown, but in spite of all their care for their chick, it fell out of the nest and I found it dead on the ground. It was a sad day. Their new nest is coming along well, and it’s fascinating to watch. And hear. Bloody hell, they are loud, and they have many long chats during the day, about 5m away from the window. Even one of their courtship rituals is noisy, clacking their beaks against one…

3 THINGS TO WATCH THIS WEEK MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 Legacy S1: M-Net at 7pm This riveting local telenovela follows the wealthy Price household, a family at war with itself. With patriarch Sebastian Price about to retire, who will take over the reins? And, at what cost? The power struggle turns nasty quickly. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 Inconceivable S1: M-Net at 8.05pm Inconceivable follows an intimate group of female friends in their mid-thirties, all fiercely climbing the corporate ladder. They find themselves on varying rungs of a different ladder – the family ladder. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 A World without Nasa S1: DStv Access at 10pm The space research at Nasa has a major impact on our lives – from the worldwide financial network to the food we eat. Ever wondered, what would…

We need a forward-looking value system to thrive ANDREW BRADLEY RANDS & SENSE A QUICK look around will remind us that life can change fast – as we are experiencing in this coronavirus era. Nothing lasts forever – hopefully, not even the virus. We certainly don’t, nor do businesses, leaders, movements or political parties. It is important to remember this in every aspect of life. We get into trouble when our solutions are designed for yesterday’s problems. We need to have a value system that is meaningful and looks to the future. Then we need to live our lives based on the future we desire. This applies to our lives, the work we do, as well as how we deal with our money and investments. It is important to keep…

PRECEDENT UK ruling on BI claims may affect cases in SA A JUDGMENT handed down this week by a United Kingdom High Court in favour of policyholders in a test case on whether insurers were liable for certain business interruption (BI) claims arising from the Covid-19 pandemic is likely to influence a raft of similar cases in South Africa. The case had been brought before the court by the UK’s financial services regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), on behalf of policyholders. After considering the wordings of policies from a range of insurers, the court, according to an FCA press statement released on Tuesday, “found in favour of the arguments advanced for policyholders by the FCA on the majority of the key issues”. The court found, among other things, that…

SOCCER Bale, Reguilon jet in to join Tottenham GARETH Bale arrived at Luton Airport near London yesterday ahead of completing his imminent return to Tottenham Hotspur. Wales forward Bale, who left Premier League Spurs to join Real Madrid for a then world record €100 million in 2013, was expected to be unveiled yesterday. Sky Sports footage showed Bale stepping off a private jet owned by Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy. Real Madrid left back Sergio Reguilon was also on the plane and is also set to join the London club. Bale, 31, is expected to join initially on loan. He originally joined Tottenham from Southampton in 2007 and, after initially struggling to make his mark, evolved into one of the club’s greatest players, scoring 56 goals and providing 58 assists in…

PREMIER LEAGUE Solskjaer criticises England over Greenwood MANCHESTER United striker Mason Greenwood’s first England call-up ended with him being disciplined for breaking Covid-19 rules but club manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said yesterday the 18-year-old should not have been part of the squad. Video footage this month showed Greenwood and Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden allegedly inviting women to their hotel rooms after England’s 1-0 Nations League win over Iceland in Reykjavik and both players were sent home. England boss Gareth Southgate said the duo would have to regain his trust before they can be considered for selection again but Solskjaer stressed that Greenwood should have been rested after his breakthrough season with the club. “I’ve spoken to Mason, what we speak about and discuss will be between the two of…

PSL Leopards pounce on vulnerable Ajax MINENHLE MKHIZE minenhle.mkhize@inl.co.za BLACK Leopards retained their Premier Soccer League (PSL) status after beating Ajax Cape Town 2-0 at Rand Stadium yesterday. The sides were tied on six points heading into the clash. The Urban Warriors needed victory in their final play-off match to have a chance of promotion. On the other hand, Leopards knew maximum points would be enough to retain their PSL status. Lidoda Duvha took the lead through a header from Isaac Masia. Tiklas Thutlwa delivered an exquisite corner kick and Masia took advantage of Ajax’s poor defensive organisation to break the deadlock. Ajax came back invigorated after the interval with goalkeeper King Ndlovu denying Khaya Mfecane and Tendo Mukumela. The ever reliable Mwape Musonda sealed the game for Leopards in…

SA urged to get their dancing shoes on PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has called South Africans to step up when they celebrate Heritage Day next week, by taking part in the Jerusalema challenge. Jerusalema is a global dance craze started by duo Master KG and Nomcebo Zikode. They challenge has been taken up by corporates and groups across the country and the world. “There can be no better celebration of our South Africanness than joining the global phenomenon that is the Jerusalema dance challenge,” Ramaphosa said during his address on Wednesday night. “I urge all of you to take up this challenge on Heritage Day and show the world what we are capable of.” Jerusalema has had more than 139 million views on YouTube, and counting, aside from various versions of…

ENTREPRENEUR Covid-19 shirt offers safe, fashionable alternative SAMEER NAIK sameer.naik@inl.co.za A JOBURG-based entrepreneur and tattoo shop owner has created history by becoming the first person in the world to create a Covid-19 protective shirt. Andrew King, the owner of tattoo parlour M&K Before Ink in Edenvale, this week unveiled his creation. King and his team have been hard at work for the last six months coming up with the unique Pure Air shirt. Having realised the long-term economic effects that Covid-19 and the lockdown would have on his tattoo business King and his team got to work on designing the protective shirt. “We saw that mask-culture was going to be around for some time and I was further inspired by my daughter who kept misplacing her mask. I thought… well…

Probe into deadly racecourse dispute POLICE and the SPCA are investigating after a labour dispute at the Fairview racecourse in Port Elizabeth ended with the death of a horse. The protest was allegedly initiated by grooms formerly employed by trainer Yvette Bremner. She said she was too sad to comment. More than 20 horses in her care were reportedly let out of their stables and chased by the protesters. One of the horses, Mark The Doorman, owned by F H McGrath and A J van Huyssteen, died after running into a fence, falling and breaking his neck, a vet said. Two other horses were injured. Phumelela, the horse racing and totaliser operator responsible for Fairview, said it was working with the Department of Labour in a bid to resolve the…

De Jager kidnappers’ lengthy sentences FOUR people involved in the kidnapping of Amy’Leigh de Jager in Vanderbijlpark last year have been sentenced in the Gauteng High Court, sitting in Palm Ridge. The four – Tharina Human, Laetitia Nel, Pieter Jacobus van Zyl and Bafokeng Molemohi – were found guilty of kidnapping and attempted extortion. Human, 27, was known to Amy’Leigh as she was a teacher at the school Amy’Leigh and her brother attended, and a friend of their mother. She allegedly orchestrated the kidnapping to pay off a debt. She was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment while Van Zyl was sentenced to eight years and Molemohi to seven years with Nel receiving a five year sentence. Amy’Leigh was snatched in front of the Laerskool Kollegepark in Vanderbijlpark in September last…

Queen strips Harvey Weinstein of honour LONDON: Britain’s Queen Elizabeth has formally stripped Harvey Weinstein of his honorary award following his conviction for sexually assaulting a former production assistant and raping an actress. “The Queen has directed that the appointment of Harvey Weinstein to be an Honorary Commander of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, dated 29 January 2004, shall be cancelled and annulled,” according to an official announcement in the London Gazette said. Weinstein, 68, is serving a 23-year prison term in New York state after his conviction on February 24. He has appealed the conviction. Reuters…

COVID-19 Israel imposes second lockdown at start of Jewish New Year ISRAEL entered a second nationwide lockdown yesterday during the Jewish high-holiday season, forcing residents to stay mostly at home amid a resurgence in new coronavirus cases. The country’s initial lockdown was imposed in late March and eased in May as new cases tapered off, reaching lows in the single digits. But in the past week, new cases have reached daily highs of more than 5000, and Israeli leaders now acknowledge they lifted measures too soon. The move to reimpose restrictions has drawn anger from residents struggling amid an economic downturn. The new lockdown, which began at 2pm, will last three weeks, and coincides with the start of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana, traditionally a time for large family…

ROYAL DELIGHT EUROPE EU anti-racism plan to increase diversity The European Commission presented measures yesterday aimed at tackling structural racism and discrimination, acknowledging a blatant lack of diversity among the EU’s institutions. The bloc’s executive arm set out its action plan for the next five years, which includes strengthening the legal framework, recruiting an anti-racism co-ordinator and increasing the diversity of EU staff. The European Commission’s vice-president for values and transparency, Vera Jourová, said that recent anti-racism protests in the US and Europe highlighted the need for action. “We have reached a moment of reckoning. The protests sent a clear message, change must happen now,” Jourová said. “It won’t be easy, but it must be done. “We won’t shy away from strengthening the legislation, if needed,” she said. “The commission itself…

CARPING POINT Wasting time fanning cinders of the past KEVIN RITCHIE @RitchKev IT’S Heritage Day on Thursday – or National Braai Day if you like. It’s the most innocuous public holiday you can imagine. Except in South Africa – which declared it in the first place. This week the DA got itself hot and frothy about the Cabinet’s decision to audit all statues, symbols and monuments in public spaces and mothball the offensive ones to “theme parks”. Why shouldn’t they be? The statues are not going to be pulled down and melted for scrap, unlike the manhole covers in many of our CBDs. It’s also not as if some of these statues and symbols aren’t actually offensive. Statues don’t just remind us of our uncomfortable, and sometimes unforgivable, past; they’re…

EDITORIAL Jobs were lost but lives were saved SOUTH Africa moves to level 1 at midnight tomorrow. Six months after President Cyril Ramaphosa put us all into lockdown, we are, finally, slowly, getting back to normal – except that we are now in the “new normal”; a world of masks, social distancing and sanitised hands. There have been other changes too, some will fade away, others will become part of our new lived reality – like working from home for many of us who are able to. Others who have lost their jobs because of the shock effect of the lockdown will be forced to stay at home in any case. There’s justifiable bitterness about this; about the economic impact of the virus and specifically the government’s handling of it.…

Complicated, sometimes surprising global fight for LGBT rights AS LAST year drew to a close, Merriam-Webster declared the pronoun “they”, reconfigured as a non-binary gender identifier, its “word of the year”. The authoritative choice to cement a once-contentious usage affirmed the expansion of the language and the politics of gender and sexuality in recent years. This year, the US had five years of legalised same-sex marriage, a gay presidential candidate, the expansion of workplace protections for transgender employees and many pop-cultural firsts. In the mainstreaming of LGBT identity, the 2010s could be seen as the lived promise of the rainbow-tinted arc of justice once denied to those confined to the emotional and physical violence of closets. But beyond the privileged capitals of the US, the political and personal borders of…

GOLF Westwood now able to stare Covid-19 down FORMER world number one Lee Westwood said that he was reluctant to travel anywhere for tournaments amid the Covid -19 pandemic, but speaking to his fellow professionals eased his concerns about playing in the US Open. The Englishman, who has 25 European Tour wins and two PGA Tour victories, had previously said he was slightly asthmatic and would not feel comfortable playing in the United States where nearly 200 000 people have died due to Covid-19. The 47-year-old skipped the World Golf Championships-FedEx St Jude Invitational in Memphis and the PGA Championship in San Francisco, but returned to action in Spain this month at the Andalucia Masters where he was tied for 10th place. “(It was) just feedback from other people that…

RUGBY Bok coach amped with W-Cup countdown SPRINGBOK Women’s coach, Stanley Raubenheimer, has expressed his excitement about the 2021 Rugby World Cup as yesterday marked exactly one year to go to the tournament’s kick-off in New Zealand. It will be the first time that the showpiece is hosted in the Southern Hemisphere. T The event is set to take place from September 18 to October 16, 2021. It will mark the Springbok Women’s first World Cup appearance since 2014. “It is great that there is such a big occasion for us to look forward to a year from now,” said Raubenheimer. “It has been a challenging six months with the team not being able to do much more than home-based training due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but it was necessary…