Innholdsfortegnelse for 2021-10-23 i Pretoria News Weekend

Michael O’Sullivan A YOUNG messiah finally finds his calling – after two long hours and change – in Dune (which, it should be noted, is actually Dune: Part 1, although this fact is not well advertised in the film’s marketing material). “It begins,” as it says, accurately, on one of the posters for the new film, gorgeously adapted by director Denis Villeneuve (Arrival), from a smart screenplay he co-wrote with Eric Roth and Jon Spaihts, based on novelist Frank Herbert’s beloved, legendarily unadaptable 1965 sci-fi opus. Maybe don’t expect full closure. The story does reach a nice stopping point, however, if you set your expectations accordingly: for what turns out to be the first half of one gigantic bedtime story, set in the year 10 091, on the inhospitable…

Bang Showbiz BLACKPINK star Jennie has urged people to make a fashion statement without losing their “edge”. The K-pop singer is the face of Chanel’s new Coco Neige winter sports collection which launched earlier this week, and she has unveiled the fashion brand’s new campaign as she praised creative director Virginie Viard for bringing “elegance into skiwear”. In a video promoting the collection, she said: “You want to look like you’re having the best time skiing, but also tell people that you didn’t lose your edge, you know?” In the shoot, Jennie – who has been an ambassador for the French brand since 2017 – wore a rose-printed cardigan, running gloves, a cashmere bra top and track suit bottoms. The house added: “In each image, Jennie embodies a different…

Francesca Sobande Social media influencers – people famous primarily for posting content online – are often accused of presenting artificial versions of their lives. But one group in particular is blurring the line between real and fake. Created by tech-savvy teams using computer-generated imagery, CGI or virtual influencers look and act like real people, but are in fact merely digital images with a curated online presence. Virtual influencers like Miquela Sousa (known as Lil Miquela) have become increasingly attractive to brands. They can be altered to look, act, and speak however brands desire, and don’t have to physically travel to photo shoots – a particular draw during the pandemic. But what can be a lack of transparency about who creates and profits from CGI influencers comes with its own…

NOKWANDA NCWANE nokwanda.ncwane@inl.co.za SOCIAL runner Maphuthi Monyamane from Boksburg is on a drive to raise R105 000 to buy school uniforms for 60 children from villages in Limpopo for the 2022 academic year. His month-long drive, dubbed #AshinthwelaFearofUnknown started on September 23 and ends today, and is part of his Homecoming Charity Run. Monyamane ran 50km daily and plans to cover 105km today. Monyamane will be running with other runners who volunteered to run a distance of their choice, and as of yesterday, day 30 of 31, had run 1 395km. The 37-year-old father of three said his Homecoming Charity Run’s purpose was to alleviate poverty, and improve the lives of children in the Ga-Matlala, Phoffu and Dibeng Villages, by raising funds to buy full school uniforms for girls and…

Amanda Maliba amanda.maliba@inl.co.za Award-winning singer Donald, known for his sultry and passionate love songs, has challenged himself by jumping on to the Amapiano genre with his latest album Dreams that officially dropped yesterday. The 10-track album, heavily influenced by the new-age sound, is a mash of his own signature sound on the yanos, which he says almost creates a new sound entirely. Although the star says the project was more about having fun and celebrating where he is in life, it doesn’t take away from his modus operandi of how he has always made his music – by looking inward for inspiration. He features a handful of Amapiano artists like Lady Du, Boohle, Robot Boii, and international singer-actor Jussie Smollett who is known, popularly, for his role in the American…

Shingai Darangwa shingai.darangwa@inl.co.za As we approach summer, local ama- piano acts are ramping up the heat with new releases left, right and centre. On Thursday, in the midst of the viral Uncle Peaches clip featuring Young Stunna’s song Adiwele, the young vocalist took the opportunity to release his debut project, Natumato. Fans and fellow amapiano artists have been raving about the album on social media since it dropped. While that project continues to trend, DJ and producer De Mthuda has released his new album, The Landlord. A follow-up to 2020’s Ace of Spades, this new album features the likes of Focalistic, Mthunzi and Sino Msolo. Samthing Soweto, who has worked with De Mthuda in the past, paid homage to the amapiano pioneer on Twitter and said: “His influence on #ama-…

Goitsemang Tlhabye goitsemang.tlhabye@inl.co.za THE approval by the Cabinet for the replacement of the Safari-1 nuclear reactor plant at Pelindaba, west of Pretoria, will continue to solidify South Africa’s position as one of the top four radio-isotope producers globally. The decision, made during a virtual special Cabinet meeting on September 14, will see the setting up of the multi- purpose nuclear reactor project to replace the current Safari-1 owned by the SA Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa). This took into consideration that the reactor had been in operation from 1965 and that its lifespan is due to end in 2030. The Cabinet highlighted the crucial role the plant had played, particularly in providing support in science research, development and innovation in medicine, agriculture, palaeontology and bioscience. It was…

Sonri Naidoo TRIBUTES have poured in for Knysna Elephant Park guide and guardian, Shepherd Chuma, who lost his life in an elephant-related incident. The management and staff at the park said they were reeling from the devastating loss of a cherished colleague and friend. Chuma was attacked by an elephant last Saturday while returning a group of elephants from their night camp, after a day spent in the free roaming camp adjacent to the park. Chuma served the park for more than 10 years and was believed to have been a favourite among the elephants and was loved and respected by his colleagues and friends. Guests and park employees sent tributes, many saying they would remember him for his “radiant smile”.…

WE HAVE been following news of the South African Formula E race since it was first rumoured that the series would be coming here. Cape Town, in conjunction with a bid committee, has been doing the legwork to bring it to South Africa for the first time since 2019. Cape Town was mooted as the fourth round of the 2022 season when the calendar for next year was released. The FIA and Formula E confirmed this week that Cape Town will host its first ABB FIA Formula E World Championship E-Prix in 2023.…

MANCHESTER United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said he would always back Cristiano Ronaldo to score goals but conceded yesterday that Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah is in the form of his life ahead of tomorrow’s Premier League derby at Old Trafford. Salah leads the Premier League goal scoring charts with seven goals and also has four assists in eight games while he also has five strikes in the Champions League. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp did not want to compare the two forwards earlier yesterday but Solskjaer praised Salah and also his teammates on the frontline ‒ Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota. “I’ll always back Cristiano in any competition, he’s unique and his goalscoring record is fantastic but that being said, Salah is on fire,” Solskjaer told reporters. “You see…

ZAAHIER ADAMS ABU DHABI: Temba Bavuma has carried the nation's weight of expectation on his shoulders ever since he first picked up a cricket bat in the streets of Langa. All that responsibility has only multiplied now that he is the Proteas captain here at the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates. It should not then be surprising that Bavuma is just a little bit anxious ahead of South Africa’s - and his first game in a major ICC tournament - opener against Australia here in the scorching mid-day heat of Abu Dhabi today. "I must be honest, there is a bit of anxiety amongst the guys, there is a bit of butterflies," Bavuma admitted. "We understand that our fans, our media are quite unforgiving. I think there's…

A recent post by tour operator Tshepang Lobete went viral for the price of a Cape Town property. Lobete posted a series of images of Obsidian Villa in Clifton, Cape Town, which costs R175K a night for 10 people, inclusive of housekeeping, airport transfer and a chef. According to the Capsol website, the five-bedroom house is designed to blend in with the mountain, offering impressive views of the 12 Apostles and the Atlantic Ocean. It cites the modern design, swimming pool, location and views among its best features. Other amenities include a private courtyard with a green wall feature, suspended fireplace, fully-fitted kitchen, study and workstation desks, library and wi-fi. | Clinton Moodley If you’re travelling to the UK, why not start with a trip to Lucknam Park…

Buhle Mbonambi buhle.mbonambi@inl.co.za IF there’s one thing that luxury French brand Hermes is certain of, it is that its iconic leather bags will never be out of style. They have managed to create something that will always be coveted, no matter the age of the person or their gender. Everyone wants a Birkin bag. For its autumn/winter 2021 range, the brand introduced the Birkin 3 En 1. During the brand’s showcase earlier this year, which was livestreamed for clients, critics, and buyers, designer Nadège Vanhée-Cybulski presented a re-imagining of Hermès’s luxurious handbags. There were the bags that hold your lipstick, one that holds your cellphone, and the 3 En 1. The bag is a standard Birkin that can also be used as a tote bag or a clutch, made up…

Nokwanda Ncwane nokwanda.ncwane@inl.co.za AFTER 18 memorable years in the business of selling antiques, Overberg Oudhede in Wonderboom South, Pretoria, has permanently closed its doors. It was in the same shop that one of 67-year-old Amanda Labuschagne’s granddaughters took her first steps as a baby, her parrot learnt to swear, and lots of memories were created. Labuschagne said things had not been going well for a while, they were struggling to make ends meet, and every time they had to pay rent, a miracle would happen, and somehow, they would be able to pay it. Customers from Pretoria, and as far as Limpopo and the Western Cape would frequent the shop, but in the last six to 12 months, the number kept decreasing. “The Covid-19 pandemic was the last straw, and…

Nokwanda Ncwane nokwanda.ncwane@inl.co.za THE controversial vegetable garden on the pavement outside Djo Bankuna’s Theresapark, Pretoria, home is no longer in the immaculate condition it was a few weeks ago. What was once dominated by fresh vegetables is now mostly sand. A few vegetables that remain appear to be getting little to no water and look like they’ve not been tended to for a while. Contacted for comment, BaNkuna told the Pretoria News he would not be doing any media interviews until his court date. A neighbour said: “I have seen him a couple of times. He could be lying low and leaving the garden the way it is because he has had enough of the media attention and scrutiny.” BaNkuna became an instant hero for his defiance after the police…

Empowerment means many different things to many people, but consensus can be found in the definition of empowerment as a “means of improving quality of life and expanding the basis of human well-being”. “In short, empowerment can serve as a mechanism for effecting deep and broad-based social transformation,” in the words of the Baháí International Community. It is the Baháí view that in order to empower everyone, there is a need for transformation at personal and structural levels. Many see social change as an outcome of the development of individuals through education, access to material resources and so on. In practice, this is not necessarily always the case. We often find those who benefit from such resources participating in oppressive social structures. On the other hand, there is a belief…

Jonisayi Maromo jonisayi.maromo@africannewsagency.com | IOL THE Chinese Embassy in Pretoria has donated R500 000 to the national Department of Social Development to boost the South African government’s provision of social services to impoverished communities amid rising poverty levels attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic. China’s ambassador to South Africa, Chen Xiaodong, handed the donation to Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu at a ceremony attended by officials from the embassy and the South African government. Chen remarked that under the leadership of President Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa had achieved positive results in epidemic prevention and control, while economic and social development was gradually returning to pre-pandemic normalcy. “Ambassador Chen spoke highly of the social security measures taken by the Department of Social Development under the leadership of Minister Zulu, saying that China…

Willem van de Putte willem.vdputte@inl.co.za WITH 600 000 units sold since its introduction in 2014, the Porsche Macan is also 80% of owners’ gateway to the famous performance marque. As Porsche’s “baby” sports SUV, you get the comfort of a bigger car and all the hype around being a Porsche owner. And with the launch of the upgraded Porsche Macan III, that trend is likely to continue because it now sets the benchmark for the segment. And that’s across all variants, from the entry level Macan to the Macan S, and the range-topping Macan GTS. Porsche has tweaked the suspension, giving better driver feedback, with the damper characteristics of the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) re-adapted, while it actively and continuously regulates the damping force for each individual wheel. PASM…

Brenda Masilela brenda.masilela@africannewsagency.com World leaders are gearing up for the COP26 UN climate change summit which will be held in the Scottish industrial city of Glasgow in the UK. The summit is scheduled to run from October 31 until November 12 and will bring together world leaders from governments, business and civil society. It hopes to set out new and ambitious targets under the three pillars of the Paris Agreement, namely mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, adaptation to the impact of global warming and financial commitment to support those most vulnerable to climate change. During Cop21 in Paris, 196 countries signed treaties – the Paris Agreement – pledging to work towards keeping global warming under the 1.5°C threshold set by climate scientists worldwide. The COP26 summit aims to accelerate action…

NAMIBIA reached the Twenty20 World Cup second round for the first time yesterday when they defeated Ireland by eight wickets in Sharjah yesterday. World number 19 Namibia, the lowest-ranked team in the tournament, chased down 126 with skipper Gerhard Erasmus making an unbeaten 53. “We are a small country, a small number of people play cricket. We should be proud of ourselves,” said Erasmus. Namibia will finish behind Sri Lanka in Group A barring a heavy defeat for the 2014 champions in their final qualifier against Netherlands yesterday. That would put Namibia in the same Super 12 section as India, Pakistan, New Zealand, Afghanistan and Scotland. Erasmus hit three boundaries and a six in his 49-ball innings while David Wiese, who played for South Africa at the 2016 World Cup,…

Herman Gibbs herman.gibbs@africannewsagency.com MAMELODI Sundowns took a blow to their ego in last week’s 2-2 draw with DR Congo outfit AS Maniema Union FC but they returned with an advantage of two away goals ahead of tomorrow’s CAF Champions League second leg qualifier at Loftus Versfeld. It was rare for Sundowns, who were harassed on several fronts in the match, to concede two goals in a match. The local DR Congo media made a meal of the outcome with a hostile line of questioning at the post-match presser. Sundowns co-coach Rhulani Mokwena, somewhat miffed, retorted: “So why didn’t they [Maniema] beat us?” Sundowns co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi played down the away-goal advantage at yesterday’s pre-match presser. He said it is not something that will be in the back of his players’…

Mihlali Baleka mihlali.baleka@inl.co.za “Big step? I don’t know. But it’s the right direction because this is what we’ve been voicing out before: we need equality!” Those were the words of Thembi Kgatlana who backed the latest strides by the South African Football Association (Safa). For some time, there’s been a huge gap between Banyana Banyana and Bafana Bafana. The latter have been getting more incentives, attention and sponsors, while their women counterparts have been struggling to receive financial backing. But thanks to the sponsorship from oil giant Sasol from 2009, they were able to make ends meet. Sasol sponsored the national team and the semi-professional league. And that helped Banyana who’ve grown in leaps and bounds. Yesterday Sasol extended their union for more years and that was a welcome boost…

Siyabonga mkhwanazi siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za JUSTICE Minister Ronald Lamola has confirmed that the extradition of controversial prophet Shepherd Bushiri is still under way with judgment on some of the aspects of the case awaited in a court in Malawi. Lamola said it was still the intention of the government to bring Bushiri back to South Africa to face the law after he escaped late last year. However, the extradition process has been held up in court where Bushiri is opposing it. Lamola said when they put in place processes to bring Bushiri back they followed all aspects of the law. Bushiri escaped with his wife Mary late in 2020. At the time they were standing trial for fraud and money laundering amounting to millions of rand. They were out on bail of…

Goitsemang Tlhabye goitsemang.tlhabye@inl.co.za THE University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Veterinary Science in Onderstepoort has once again demonstrated why it remains the best in the country and Africa with the first successful CT scan on a live adult rhino. The procedure, conducted through collaboration between the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital and The Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary, was reportedly a huge milestone in veterinary health care and diagnostic imaging, as well as rhino conservation. The white rhino, named Oz, was orphaned by poachers in 2015. It was rescued and brought to Care for Wild Sanctuary for rehabilitation, release and ongoing protection. However, earlier this year, when rhino monitors noticed an unusual swelling to his face, the sanctuary’s chief executive, Petronel Nieuwoudt, consulted with veterinarian Dr Albertus Coetzee of West Acres Animal…

Jason Woosey Jason.woosey@inl.co.za THE new-generation Lexus LX has been revealed abroad, and as expected, it takes the bare bones of the Land Cruiser 300 but adds even more in the way of glamour and luxury – and here we’re talking of a limo-like interior. The new Lexus LX is set to hit South African showrooms in the first quarter of 2022, with pricing and final specifications to be announced closer to the time. Although some had expected the new LX to debut a new twin-turbo V8 engine, the only engines that Lexus mentions for now are the familiar 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol and 3.3-litre V6 twin-turbo diesel motors also found in the new LC300. The petrol V6 in the LX 600 produces 305kW and 650Nm, while the diesel found in…

ESHLIN VEDAN ORLANDO Pirates will have an opportunity to ease their frustrations when they face off against Diables Noirs in their CAF Confederation Cup second preliminary round second leg at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto tomorrow. The Soweto giants will be the favourites to advance from the tie as they will have home advantage and did not concede in the away leg last weekend as it ended 0-0. Concerning for the Sea Robbers is that it doesn’t appear they have resolved their attacking woes from last season. Pirates have only won two DStv Premiership matches this season and enter their game against the Congolese side on the back of a 0-0 draw against Maritzburg United - a game they should have won easily. Not only did they dominate possession…

“THIS is a very demanding course and you have to know where to miss,” Anton Haig said yesterday after he seized a share of the lead midway through the Blair Atholl Championship in Johannesburg. This knowledge came in very handy for the 35-year-old golfer as he fired a three-under-par 69 to catch joint first-round leader Rupert Kaminski on seven-under-par. “It’s a very demanding course, the fairways look quite wide but they’re not and the course is so long. You need to miss in the right spots and fortunately I’ve played a lot here so I know which side not to miss on. I know the back ledges and slopes better than most, which definitely helped,” Haig said after his impressive round. Haig said his play from tee-to-green yesterday was excellent,…

Sacha van Niekerk sacha.vanniekerk@inl.co.za Some people travel to sightsee while others are motivated purely by their desire to experience the world through tastes and flavours of foods from foreign lands. Combining fine dining with food theatre, phenomenal techniques and awe-inspiring scenery, these luxury restaurants are worth travelling across the globe for. They include: Sublimotion – Ibiza, Spain About R30 000 a person Sublimotion opened its doors in 2014 on the Spanish island of Ibiza. The dining experience has been described as fantastical, futuristic, and thought-provoking eating at its finest, thanks to the innovative techniques used by Michelin 2-star chef Paco Roncero who uses molecular gastronomy along with music, lighting, ambience and food to excite all the senses. The meal features 20 different food sampling dishes and seats a maximum of…

Clinton Moodley clinton.moodley@inl.co.za With some parts of Europe welcoming international travellers, snow escapes are becoming increasingly popular for South Africans. While most travellers escape the cold for sunshine, the French Alps are among the world’s most stunning landscapes and offer plenty of fun for all types of South African travellers, and there are direct flights from South Africa. Keen South Africans should visit during the European snow season, from December to April. Laura Hendel, the marketing manager for Club Med Southern Africa, advised travellers who had never skied before to visit during the European Spring snow season in March or April. “Not only are the days longer and the weather warmer, but the slopes are less crowded, allowing you to practice without being overwhelmed by hundreds of other skiers…

Clinton Moodley clinton.moodley@inl.co.za South African airlines are making their business class experience attractive for those travellers who don’t mind forking out a few extra rand for added benefits. Most of the airlines serve meals and beverages as part of their premium offering. However, the current adjusted Level 1 lockdown rules do not permit airlines to serve food or beverages, except bottled water, on a domestic flight. Here’s what you can expect on those domestic carriers’ business class: FlySafair FlySafair launched its business class offering in August on all domestic flights. While the seating remains the same, the airline has packed a few added benefits for business class passengers. These include two checked bags at 23kg each, a third piece of luggage up to 32kg for sports equipment or musical equipment,…