Innholdsfortegnelse for Saturday, November 14, 2020 i Pretoria News Weekend

POLICE MINISTER DISTRESSED ABOUT VIOLENT CRIME ‘Holiday’ over, Cele warns SA GOITSEMANG TLHABYE goitsemang.tlhabye@inl.co.za POLICE Minister Bheki Cele has said the latest crime statistics show that the lockdown “crime holiday” experienced at the early levels is over, and criminals are now scrambling to make up for lost time heading into the festive season. Cele released the police crime statistics for the second quarter – July to end-September – in Pretoria yesterday and once again blamed alcohol abuse for the increase in many crimes. He said even though his view with regards to the sale and consumption of alcohol had been criticised in some circles, he remained adamant about its negative effects in communities, which were borne out by the statistics. “The consumption and abuse of alcohol is a causative…

Miss SA shines on homecoming MISS South Africa 2020 Shudufhadzo Musida is on a vist to her home province of Limpopo. She was met at the Meropa Hotel and Casino on Thursday by Limpopo Premier Chupu Mathabatha, MECs, and the mayors of Capricorn and Vhembe districts and Polokwane. She visited the Takalani Children’s Home in the Vhembe District Municipality, where she was received by the VhaVenda King before doing a meet-and-greet with women at the Siloam Hospital Market and visiting the Malamulele (Nsovo Special School) and Fulufhelo Special School in Thohoyandou. She posted pictures on social media of her glamorous “homecoming” look.…

SPORT Mthethwa rebukes Cricket SA STUART HESS SPORTS Minister Nathi Mthethwa issued a sharp rebuke to Cricket South Africa’s members council threatening to use the sanctions available in the National Sport and Recreation Act – which include withdrawing recognition of CSA – if the organisation doesn’t co-operate with the interim board of directors. Mthethwa, who has attempted to stay out of the mess that CSA’s administration has become, and diligently followed every step of conflict resolution available to him, said he was “quite dismayed and deeply disappointed”, by CSA’s members council’s decision taken on Thursday, not to recognise the interim board he appointed two weeks ago. The council, the 14-person body comprising the provincial presidents, cited technicalities in terms of CSA’s memorandum of incorporation for not recognising the nine-member interim…

TSHWANE CLAMPS DOWN ON ILLEGAL DUMPING Dare to dump? You risk a fine RAPULA MOATSHE rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za METRO police in Tshwane are to clamp down on illegal dumping as the city council tries to clean the city of piles of waste. Those illegally disposing of waste at any place other than a proper waste collection or legal dumping site may find themselves fined or even arrested in terms of the City of Tshwane Waste Management by-law. MMC for Community Safety and Emergency Services, Karen Meyer, has issued a stern warning to those who dump building material, garden and household waste anywhere they choose, and leave the city looking a mess. A person convicted of illegal dumping can be liable to a maximum period of three-year imprisonment or a R60…

Crime warning as festive season draws near SAKHILE NDLAZI sakhile.ndlazi@inl.co.za AS THE year draws to a close, criminals are looking for a “13th cheque” by exploiting opportunities at malls. Police in Brooklyn have warned shoppers of people pretending to be sales staff offering special “staff” discounts. Brooklyn police spokesperson Captain Colette Weilbach said such people could be convincing, even persuading people to hand over a handbag while they were in a fitting room. Alternatively, they may persuade a victim that they need the bank card and pin number to purchase selected items at a discount ... before they disappear with their victim’s belongings. Stores advertise sales and discounts but do not give individual discounts so she said it was advisable to be sceptical of all strangers starting a conversation. A…

Party in a Pod MUSIC lovers have the opportunity to attend the first live music event in months at A New Day Out Pod Party taking place at Montecasino at the end of this month. Pods seating four are available from R2 000 and attendees can enjoy food, drink and entertainment from the likes of Majozi, Veranda Panda, Shortstraw, PHFAT, GoodLuck and Prime Circle, while keeping safe and abiding by all Covid-19 protocols. Pod parties are one of the innovations showing how live events have been transformed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the need for social distancing. A New Day Out on November 28 and 29 is South Africa’s first official Pod Party and is presented by Locally Whipped Productions in association with Garmin and Montecasino. “Great…

LAID BACK May a kinder, gentler era be upon all of humankind JOUBERT MALHERBE SIZE really does matter in nature, as far as it pertains to many species; in this case, birds. Our garden in funky Doringkloof has an abundance of birdlife. Mainly pigeons, sparrows, mossies, finches, hoopoes and hadedas. Rarer feathered friends also visit, such as the odd hornbill. The latter usually pitch up when I hang these round, “birdgrub” suet balls in the tree. Whenever they show, I recall the old exquisitely titled album by Procol Harum, Exotic Birds and Fruit, a vinyl copy of which I bought many years ago. It kicks off with the great, if portentous, track, Nothing But The Truth. Last I read, they were still performing a year ago, with original pianist/ vocalist…

Free entry to national parks SOUTH African National Parks (SANParks) is from Monday hosting South African National Parks Week. The week from November 16 to 20 is a bit later than usual because of Covid-19 and lockdown regulations but gives South African residents the opportunity to get out and explore the country’s national parks without having to pay an entry fee. SANParks chief executive Fundisile Mketeni said, “SANParks postponed the week, which is traditionally held in September, to November due to the Covid-19. “As the country is still on alert Level 1 of the lockdown in November, we would like remind the public that a gate quota system will apply in all our national parks throughout the focus period.” He said it was important for South Africans to visit and…

Halt on TikTok ban after court ruling SAN FRANCISCO: The US Commerce Department has halted the TikTok ban that was set to come into force from Thursday night, preventing the app from being downloaded in the US. The Commerce Department said it will not enforce an order that would have forced TikTok to shut down, citing an injunction from a federal judge in Pennsylvania last month. The ban was halted “pending further legal developments”, citing a Philadelphia court ruling in September where three prominent TikTokers had argued the app should be allowed to operate in America. The judge wrote that “the Commerce Department had likely overstepped its authority when it tried to ban transactions on the platform”. IANS…

US ELECTIONS Beijing salutes Biden win ‘We respect the choice of the American people’ CHINA congratulated US President-elect Joe Biden, who won the November 3 election that President Donald Trump has not conceded, nearly a week after the former vice-president clinched enough states for the win. “We respect the choice of the American people. We extend congratulations to Mr Biden and Ms Harris,” foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a regular briefing yesterday, referring to Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris. “We understand the results of the US election will be determined according to US laws and procedures.” Trump’s refusal to accept defeat has put Beijing in an awkward position, with China loath to antagonise Trump, who has mounted court challenges to the balloting and remains in office until the…

MYANMAR ‘Comfortable win’ for Suu Kyi’s party THE ruling party of Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has won enough parliamentary seats to form the next government, according to official general election results released yesterday. The latest batch of results from Sunday’s vote confirmed Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) had secured the 322 seats in the bicameral legislature needed to form a government. The NLD has taken 346 seats of the 412 seats that have been declared, with results from 64 more yet to be announced. The comfortable win will be a welcome boost for Suu Kyi who has had a turbulent first term and struggled to meet high public expectations. She is tasked with developing a country that suffered nearly 50 years of isolation and decay under…

JOURNEY Lebo M opens up about his successes and failures in new reality show ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER SOUTH African producer and composer Lebohang “Lebo M” Morake is launching a reality show this festive season. Known for his work on the soundtracks to Hollywood films such as The Lion King, Lebo M says he is ready to share his life journey with South Africans and the world. The trailer starts in a similar way to The Lion King, with Lebo M’s distinctive voice singing Nants Ingonyama, from The Circle Of Life. Commenting on the show, the multi-award-winning musician said: “I’ve worked with some of the biggest and greatest, most talented people in the world and now I’m re-entering a phase in my life as a family man … Family has always been…

YOUR STARS Barbara Kiselev If today is your birthday: No reason to stop this new year. So keep going you’ll get there. And it’s yours for the taking. You always expect the best, this year it’s yours. Always see how you’re feeling. But you’re feeling good. Aries (21 March-20 April) Interesting times, the challenge has been given. But you’re ready. Nothing you can’t do, nothing out of reach. You are always the first in line, the first to get there And this week you do. Number one! The only one who wins. Taurus (21 April-21 May) This week you’re feeling the heat, but nothing you can’t manage. So take what you can and run with it. You can have it all, and you expect it all. A matter of getting…

BRANDSTORIES Medical aid choices Fiscal health, Covid and the way forward 2020 and the global pandemic has put healthcare and access to private medical aid in the spotlight. Luke Woodhouse, Chief Financial Officer of Bonitas Medical Fund, talks about the scheme’s financial strength during difficult economic times, the anticipated impact of Covid-19 on the fund, the way forward for healthcare as well as increases and plans for 2021. INCREASED RESERVES “We are pleased that despite difficult trading conditions, a weak economic outlook, rising unemployment and healthcare service pricing above inflation, the scheme is financially solid. When we released our annual results for 2019, we reported bolstered reserves of R4.3 billion,” says Woodhouse. NET SURPLUS The fund also reported a net surplus of R186.1 million for 2019 on the back…

BRANDSTORIES Reviewing your medical scheme options for 2021 ANNELÉ OOSTHUIZEN Branch head at Alexander Forbes Health THE YEAR has held many uncertainties and now, without knowing what the future holds, private medical aid members need to make decisions on their medical scheme options for forthcoming year. One lesson Covid-19 has taught us is to ensure we have sufficient health care funding policies in place that suit our own, as well as our dependants’, financial capabilities and medical needs. Most medical schemes offer benefit plans with various levels of cover, and, effective from January 1, you will have the opportunity to select any of the plans on offer by the medical scheme, without being penalised. Typical categories of cover to evaluate per medical discipline are limited versus unlimited cover; medical scheme…

RUGBY Covid-19: Super Rugby fixture postponed MORGAN BOLTON THE match between the Emirates Lions and Pumas at Emirates Airline Park today was postponed due to Covid-19 protocols, SA Rugby announced yesterday. The postponement was due to two positive tests returning to the Pumas yesterday morning, after earlier in the week one player from the Nelspruit-based team had initially tested positive for the virus. The Friday morning tests triggered the National Institute for Communicable Diseases’ protocols which advised that the encounter not go ahead as scheduled “to limit the risk of further infection in the rugby community”. It was further revealed that the infections occurred within the Pumas forwards, especially a group of players that were involved in a scrumming session and as a result the entire Pumas pack will now…

RUGBY For Cheetahs defence has been name of the game WYNONA LOUW THE result of the Stormers and Cheetahs’ Super Rugby Unlocked clash may come down to whoever produces the strongest defensive effort. The game kicks off at 7pm tonight at Newlands. In any top-level level rugby game, defence is always important … it’s not like it ever doesn’t play a role in which way the result swings. But this weekend, it could be the decider. Until their game against Griquas, the Stormers had struggled in several areas. But against Griquas last week, they had a satisfactory outing, and the fact that they didn’t concede a single try would have allowed their fans to forgive them for their earlier woes. For the Cheetahs, surprisingly, defence has been a strength since…

ICYMI | IOL.CO.ZA GOOGLE TO START CHARGING Some say Google is God. Others say Google is Satan. But if they think Google is too powerful, remember that with search engines unlike other companies, all it takes is a single click to go to another search engineSERGEY BRIN GOOGLE has announced that it will soon start charging for Google Photos storage once users upload more than 15GB onto their accounts. Starting June 1, 2021, all new photos and videos backed up in high quality will count toward the free 15GB of storage.Go to: www.iol.co.za/technology/mobile…

ICYMI | IOL.CO.ZA STATUE GRAVEYARD ’ABSURD’ History, after all, is a process, not a position, and it is not best written in bronze and marble. It is complex, plastic and ever-changing; all things that heroic statues are not.DAVID OLUSOGA Building statue “graveyards” to artificially reconstruct history was “absurd” and not the solution to nation-building and transforming South Africa’s cultural landscape, historians warned following Minister of Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa’s address on the subject. Go to: www.iol.co.za/mercury/news…

Siya Kolisi honoured as first ‘African Trailblazer’ VALERIE BOJE val.boje@inl.co.za AYANDA SOUTH African Springbok captain, Siya Xolisi will receive a special award at the “2020 E! People’s Choice Awards”. For the first time an “African Trailblazer of the Year” category has been established and the award recognises charity work in Africa. Kolisi, who led the Springboks to victory at the Rugby World Cup last year, is being recognised for his work off the sporting field with the launch of the Kolisi Foundation earlier this year. The foundation, established by Kolisi and his wife Rachel, aims to change the narrative for disadvantaged and vulnerable communities in South Africa, as well as help victims of gender-based violence. Their foundation was months away from its official launch when the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Realising…

Covid cases rise SOUTH Africa’s cumulative Covid-19 count has jumped by more than 2 000 cases for a second consecutive day. On Thursday, the Health Ministry announced that 2 338 new cases had been confirmed over the previous 24 hours, taking the cumulative number of confirmed cases to 744 732 with 20 076 deaths. While there was only one new case in Gauteng, the Eastern Cape had 37 new cases, and the Free State 18. Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize said of the 65 deaths, 17 had been reported in the last 24 hours. Mkhize has warned that with the easing of lockdown restrictions, those planning to go on holiday must ensure that they take the necessary Covid-19 safety precautions into consideration. This confirms the message of President Cyril Ramaphosa…

Human traffickers on Interpol’s radar DHAKA: More than 70 Bangladeshi human traffickers have been named in the Red Notice List of the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol). One of these traffickers, who is considered a kingpin of the racket, is Minto Mia, one of the first to be named in the list of wanted fugitives this week. He has been described as tricking and deceiving job seekers and “wrongfully confining and killing” people. “He is one of the traffickers that Bangladesh has asked Interpol to add to its list and law enforcement agencies want to locate and arrest him,” said Syeda Zannat Ara, Special Superintendent of CID of Bangladesh Police. Presently, 7368 criminals from all over the world have been named in the list. IANS…

Nurse charged with murder of 8 babies LONDON: A British nurse charged with the murder of 8 babies and the attempted murder of another 10, appeared in court this week. The BBC reported that Lucy Letby, 30, was arrested before in 2018 and last year in a case related to baby deaths at the neo-natal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital. The charges relate to baby deaths and non-fatal collapses from June 2015 to June 2016. Letby was charged on Wednesday. She is accused of murdering five infant boys and three girls. The court heard that she should remain in custody for her own safety. IOL…

ThePeople Radical left leader to run for presidency PARIS: Jean-Luc Melenchon, pictured, the leader of France’s radical left opposition will run in the country’s 2022 presidential election. “I am running for president,” Melenchon wrote on Twitter on Thursday. Melenchon said last week he would run for the presidency if 150 000 people supported his candidacy in an online petition. | dpa Low-key Diwali celebrations for B-Towners MUMBAI: Diwali celebrations this year will be a low-key affair for most Bollywood celebrities owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic has barred many of them from reuniting with their families in their hometowns. Aparshakti Khurana, pictured, is rooting for a green Diwali this year owing to the health scare. “As much as we all want this Diwali to be like other Diwalis, we…

Be sure to make your vote count South Africa FELLOW citizens, we really do need to buck up for the ballot box. This week, we have watched the descent of US democracy from a celebration of “We, The People” having their say in record-shattering numbers in a fireball of lies and cheating. It is a reminder that no democracy is ever guaranteed. The rights that democratic societies have earned, fought, bled and died for are never unchallenged. We have, thanks to a remarkable Constitution, the right to have our voices heard in how we are governed and what our leaders do. Unfortunately, every society has those in it who have no interest at all in what we need or want. They crave power for all its trappings. Our country’s people…

3 THINGS TO WATCH THIS WEEK SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15 The People’s Choice Awards: E! Entertainment at 4am Settle in for a star-studded event. This year, the PCAs have 44 categories across movies, music and pop culture. Among those nominated are Megan Thee Stallion, Will Smith, Lady Gaga and The Weeknd. SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15 Ford v Ferrari: M-Net at 8.05pm Iconic driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale) and car designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) must work together to build a revolutionary race car for Ford. Hoping to beat Ferrari in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966, they battle corporate interference and naysayers. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17 P-Valley S1: 1Magic at 9.30pm A tiny strip club situated in the Mississippi Delta, The Pynk, is an oasis for some and a prison for…

PRICING PLANS Covid-19 gives medical scheme members a fees reprieve Increases for 2021 are between 4% and 6% GEORGINA CROUTH georgina.crouth@inl.co.za MEMBERS of some of the country’s biggest medical schemes will see limited increases in their 2021 premiums. A number of schemes have published their pricing plans for next year, which are in line with the guidance from the Council of Medical Schemes (CMS) to cap increases where possible. On July 23, the CMS said that where schemes are unable to freeze their contribution increases for 2021, they should limit them to 3.9% in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI), and the increase in hospital fees and therapeutic appliances should also be limited to 3.9%. The council noted: “Covid-19 has disrupted global supply chains and almost ground international trade…

THE MEDICAL SCHEME ISSUE THIS is the time of year when South Africa’s medical schemes announce their increases for the following year and offer a window period during which you can change your benefit option. In helping you to reassess the medical cover you and your family need for 2021, the November 2020 issue of IOL’s free digital MONEY magazine focuses on medical schemes and what they offer, extra health cover you may consider, such as gap cover, and pitfalls to avoid. To view the magazine and to download it, go to https://issuu.com/independentnewspapers/docs…

GOLF Another special SA Open moment for Gary Player OF the many titles and records Gary Player holds, his 13 South African Open victories rank amongst the most special to the Grand Slam champion. It’s therefore fitting that this year the second oldest national Open in golf will for the first time in its history be played at the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City from December 3-6, jointly supported by Nedbank and Sun International. “The South African Open has always been immensely important to me in my career. I won it 13 times, but many times I couldn’t even play in it. I’d estimate that there were at least four occasions when I was in the prime of my career that I didn’t play the SA Open. But…

Women accuse swim coach of abuse when they were as young as 10 KARISHMA DIPA, SAMEER NAIK and NORMAN CLOETE FORTY years after they were young swimmers, two women have accused a prominent South African swimming coach of sexual assault. The man stands accused of improper behaviour with girls as young as 10 years old from the time he was a teenager. Two women, now in their fifties, have opened a case against the man, after claiming they were groomed and abused by him. The women said their decision to accuse him now was intended to protect other young women in his charge. “The damage he has done to me is everlasting,” said the one complainant, who was once in the same swimming club where his mother was her coach.…

BREAKFAST SHOW HOST IN HOT WATER SABC drops DJ over EFF assault quip SIHLE MLAMBO sihle.mlambo@inl.co.za THE SABC’s Umhlobo Wenene FM has suspended breakfast show host Phiwe “Pastor The DJ” Nozewu after he laughed at EFF members being assaulted outside Brackenfell High School this week. Earlier this week, a group of EFF members descended on the Cape Town school after a widely reported private matric party that was attended only by white pupils, their parents and teachers. The EFF has been calling for teachers who were at the event to be suspended. But Nozewu took to Twitter to laugh at the events that played out outside the school when several parents and members of the Brackenfell community “defended the school” by blocking the EFF members from their planned picket. “Man…

Recognising Covid’s essential workers OVER the past few months, the Sponsors of Brave campaign, a partnership between Adcock Ingram OTC and News24, acknowledged workers in the health-care space who excelled during Covid-19. Their stories were selected from almost 3 800 nominations made by members of the public, with two overall winners chosen: Dr Hugo Tempelman, whose clinic in Moutse Valley, Limpopo, has grown over the years to the Ndlovu Medical Centre – one of its programmes being the well-known Ndlovu Youth Choir – and pharmacist Nontutuzelo Sibango from Mthatha. “Our health-care practitioners embody what it means to be brave. They are our soldiers on the front line of the pandemic,” said Yudhveer Singh of Adcock Ingram OTC Division. Following the successful campaign, Adcock Ingram this week also recognised media practitioners…

SABC to cut staff THE SABC has announced it will be retrenching 400 staff members. In a statement, the state broadcaster said it will be implementing Section 189 of the Labour Relations Act. However, the SABC indicated there were around 170 vacancies employees could apply for, reducing the number of employees affected to about 230. The employees will be offered a severance package of one week for each completed year of service. “The SABC is cognisant that this process will affect people’s livelihoods. However, having exhausted all other options, we are now faced with the difficulty of having to restructure the organisation to ensure its sustainability,” said the SABC. It will also be considering other ways to cut costs, including freezing salary increases. STAFF REPORTER…

Senior al-Qaeda leader killed in Mali PARIS: French forces have killed Bah ag Moussa, a military leader of al-Qaeda’s North Africa wing, during an operation in north-eastern Mali, Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly said yesterday. The former Malian army colonel, also known as “Bamoussa Diarra”, was a right-hand man of Iyad Ag Ghali, the leader of Mali’s most prominent jihadi group, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which has repeatedly attacked soldiers and civilians in Mali and neighbouring Burkina Faso. Moussa, who was on the US terrorism list, was killed on Tuesday. Reuters…

UNITED KINGDOM ‘Yorkshire Ripper’ Peter Sutcliffe dies of Covid-19 BRITISH serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, known as the “Yorkshire Ripper” for a five-year killing spree during which he stabbed and bludgeoned at least 13 women to death, has died after contracting Covid-19. Sutcliffe’s murders – which left women mutilated across northern England – triggered widespread fear in northern cities. Between 1975 and 1980, Sutcliffe killed 13 women – including a 16-year-old shop assistant. His youngest victim, just 14 when Sutcliffe hit her five times in the head with a hammer in 1975, survived the attack. West Yorkshire Police were criticised for missing opportunities to capture Sutcliffe, despite interviewing him nine times during the hunt. Sutcliffe was arrested in 1981 and pleaded guilty to 13 charges of murder and seven charges of…

HEALTH Call for urgent action to address global diabetes TODAY is World Diabetes Day and a new report calls for action to close the gap in diabetes prevention and care. Worldwide, 463million people have diabetes, with 80% from low-and middle-income countries. Last year, 4.2million people died as a result of the condition and its complications. On average, diabetes reduces life expectancy in middle-aged people by 4-10 years and independently increases the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and cancer. Diabetes is among the leading causes of non-traumatic leg and foot amputations and blindness, especially among people of working age. The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the vulnerability of people with diabetes. People with diabetes have an increased risk of severe disease or death from the virus, especially in individuals…

Carping point ‘United we stand, divided we fall’ KEVIN RITCHIE @RitchKev SOUTH Africans’ opinions of themselves have always been a little over-inflated. Nobody can be as awesome as us, we say pointing to a hat-trick of rugby World Cups and an awesome 2010 soccer world cup for which we awarded ourselves a gold medal for hosting. Nobody can be as kak as us either, we’ll tell you, pointing to politicians who have no sense of irony and couldn’t spell shame if you showed it to them in the dictionary or an ex-president who robbed us blind and perverted justice. We’ve got pastors that spray Doom on their congregants as communion or raise them from the dead only for them to die 10 days later. We rail against our own Deep…

EDITORIAL NPA, Hawks mend ruined reputations THE arrest and appearance in court of ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule is a cause for celebration, but don’t finish the champagne just yet because this is far from over. The matter against Magashule and his co-accused – charged with fraud and other counts relating to a questionable contract issued to identify houses in the Free State with asbestos roofs – was postponed to February. We are constantly reminded that the attainment of justice is a marathon, not a sprint, and that although the wheels of justice grind slowly, they grind surely and inexorably. However, we are also told that justice delayed is justice denied, both for those accused and for the victims. In this case, and several others of malfeasance where state funds have…

BOOK Norwegian noir that’s impossible to put down RICHARD LIPEZ YOU don’t have to be a Buddhist to recognise the bad karma accumulating year by year for the Opgard brothers, Roy and Carl, in The Kingdom, a dense, suspenseful bundle of Norwegian noir by Jo Nesbo, the author of the esteemed Harry Hole police detective series. Melancholy, alcoholic Harry is nowhere to be found in the remote village of Os (not a typo). Instead, it’s Kurt Olsen, the equally downcast town sheriff, who is certain these two generally well-liked village chaps – their parents died when the boys were in their late teens and Dad’s beloved Cadillac DeVille flew off a cliff – are clever homicidal connivers. The constable is right, of course, for what little good his investigatory brainpower…

Know exactly what your health cover insures you for THE HEALTH-CARE environment in South Africa is a mess. On the one hand you have a collapsing state health system that can’t even get the basics right, such as hospital hygiene. On the other hand you have a private health-care system that matches anything in the developed world but is so expensive you need medical scheme cover to make use of it, and which is out of reach for more than 80% of the population. It’s ironic that while medical schemes are highly regulated (and rightly so), there is a dearth of effective regulation of the private healthcare industry – specialists, for example, can charge what they like. Add to this the high costs of technology and drugs associated with new…

TV GUIDE TODAY Cricket: Women’s Big Bash League: Perth Scorchers v Melbourne Renegades, 3.10am, CRI, GSD; Hobart Hurricanes v Sydney Sixers, 6.35am, GSD, CRI; Sydney Thunder v Melbourne Stars, 10am, CRI Golf: PGA Tour: The Masters, Day 3, Second Feed, 5pm, VR1; The Masters, Day 3, Early Coverage, 5.10pm, GOL, GSD; The Masters, Day 3, Main Feed, 8pm, GOL, GSD Motorsport: MotoGP: Grand Prix of Valencia, Qualifying, 3.10pm, ACT, GSD (3.45pm); Formula 1: Turkey Grand Prix, Practice 3, 10.45am, MSP, SSM, GSD; Qualifying, 1pm, MSP, SSM (1.55pm), GSD (1.55pm); FIA World Endurance Championship: 8 Hours of Bahrain, 1pm, VR3; MSP (3.30pm) Rugby: Vodacom Rugby Tri-Nations: New Zealand v Argentina, 8am, RUG, GSD; Autumn Nations Cup: Italy v Scotland, 2.35pm, VR2; Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked: Emirates Lions v Phakisa Pumas, 4.15pm,…

SUPER RUGBY UNLOCKED Griquas make perfect Shark bait MIKE GREENAWAY Sharks (7) 34 Griquas (9) 33 JUST about as important as the log points the Sharks eventually secured last night was the immense character the Durbanites showed to dig themselves out of a cavernous big hole in Kimberley. Tenacious Griquas were leading 30-17 with 16 minutes to play, and neutral observers would not have predicted anything but the cockahoop home side notching up their first win of the season. And then with one minute to play Griquas were leading 33-31, but still the Sharks managed to scrap their way to the win, courtesy of a post-hooter penalty by the inevitably composed Curwin Bosch. The resilience the Sharks displayed suggests there is indeed something special building under Sean Everitt because this…