Innholdsfortegnelse for 2022-02-12 i Pretoria News Weekend

Buhle Mbonambi buhle.mbonambi@inl.co.za A CELEBRITY being pregnant has always been a newsworthy story and in the age of the internet, it has become an even bigger deal. It’s a way for the star to also gauge just how interested people are in them. If their pregnancy news remains a talking point for more than a week, you know you are a major star. It’s not just about announcing the pregnancy, but how it is announced. Over the years we have seen major movie stars and musicians go the magazine route to tell the world they are with child. Demi Moore did it best in the 1990s with her August 1991 Vanity Fair cover that took the world by storm and changed celebrity pregnancy announcements. Speaking about the cover to Naomi…

Jonisayi Maromo jonisayi.maromo@africannewsagency.com The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) said the unfortunate death of a Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital staff member, who was allegedly shot by her partner, an on-duty police officer, was distressing. Nursing assistant Lebo Monene, aged 30, was allegedly gunned down by her partner, an officer, in the hospital’s parking lot on Wednesday morning. The officer turned the gun on himself, attempting suicide, and was taken to hospital in a critical condition. “Such regrettable acts dent the image of the SAPS as an organisation, and while we abhor and sturdily discourage such acts, their frequency among members, we believe, is partly a result of the deep-rooted underlying challenges faced by many among the SAPS ranks,” said Popcru spokesperson Richard Mamabolo. “The acts of suicide within…

We often wonder what an ideal society looks like, and how we build such a society. Can we each play a role in creating such a society? A few thoughts come to our minds, when we think about an ideal society – there would be lasting peace; individuals would treat one another with love, compassion, respect and understanding; and there would be high regard for the rights and dignity of all individuals and groups. Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Baháí Faith, says: “All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilisation”. What are the features of an ever-advancing civilisation? In an ever-advancing and ideal civilisation, we all work towards building a better world and an advancing civilisation, rather than building for many years and destroying, through wars and…

OWN Correspondent THE World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed that about 40 million people in Africa have been left in poverty due to the global pandemic which began two years ago. This week the WHO said Africa was able to control the pandemic and was seeing a change in the pattern and length of waves. The first wave had lasted 29 weeks and the fourth wave six weeks. The heavy blow to the economy saw 40 million people in Africa being flung into poverty. Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO regional Director for Africa, said African nations had become wiser in understanding the surges and how every variant behaved. “Over the past two years, the African continent has gotten smarter, faster and better at responding to each new surge in cases…

Harvest Thwala THE DA is calling for the school day to be extended by at least an hour to allow pupils to catch up on the curriculum. In addition, the party is urging the government to bring back retired teachers to assist. Since the beginning of Covid-19 in 2020, schools have lost up to 50% of their curriculum due to intermittent closures and rotational learning. DA MP Baxolile Nodada said the party would propose a strategy for a recovery plan to the Department of Basic Education (DBE). “As part of the recovery plan, the DA would suggest at least an extra hour be added to a school day. Secondly, we need to try to get retired teachers to come on board to give extra lessons,” he said. Commenting…

The Judicial Service Commission’s (JSC) interviews for the position of Chief Justice (CJ) have been described as a “circus” which undermined respect for the integrity of the judiciary. Further, recommending only one candidate can be seen as unconstitutional, as it is usurping the powers of the president. Section 174(3) of the Constitution gives the president the power to appoint the CJ after consulting the JSC. The usual practice is that the president refers one name to the National Assembly (NA) and the JSC. However, after following a process of public participation, the president referred four names to the National Assembly and JSC. This could be seen as an indication that the president will consider the views of the political parties and the JSC. Legally, there is no prescribed form the…

The Berlinale, Europe’s first major international film festival of the year, kicked off as a live event on Thursday with Germany facing record daily coronavirus infections. Organisers of the event, which started in 1951 as a Cold War culture showcase for a divided Berlin, said a raft of precautions would help keep audiences safe. The festival opened with Peter von Kant, a gender-flipped adaptation of Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s classic The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant. It is among 18 contenders for the Golden and Silver Bear top prizes on February 16.…

This month, I’ll focus on an optimally-structured investment portfolio, and will go into detail about the importance thereof, and the benefits it can have for you throughout your financial journey. The local and international investment environment is particularly complex. It subjects investors to a myriad of alternative investment products and structures that invest in a broad range of asset types, each of which have very specific risk, return, term, taxation, and regulatory and legal characteristics. There are five key areas of focus: 1. Understanding your risk tolerance. 2. Optimising your investment term and return expectations. 3. Establishing an investment portfolio that is optimally-structured, taking diversification and costs into account, and structured to avoid unnecessary taxes while considering all regulatory and legal characteristics. 4. Implementing your investment structure. 5. Reviewing your…

Until fairly recently, retail banks in South Africa had it easy. They had a captured market and they became bloated and sluggish and resistant to change. But we’re now well into the digital era, which is forcing major disruption of the industry, and while they certainly have the resources at their disposal to undertake the necessary changes, I sometimes wonder whether some of the large banks have it within their culture to adapt to what is a more fluid, more customer-centric and far more competitive environment. Bankers in the traditional sense are not the most entrepreneurial thinkers on the planet – after all, starting a business or steering a business in a new direction involves risk, and bankers are highly risk-averse. Not that many years ago, South African consumers essentially…

Jonisayi Maromo jonisayi.maromo@africannewsagency.com POLICE were offered more than R300 000 when they pounced on a house in Springs, Gauteng, where 45 undocumented foreign nationals were being held hostage. “The team arrested six suspects and seized a shotgun and ammunition as well as over R300 000 in cash that one of the suspects had brought to the house to bribe the members with,” said Gauteng police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili. In January, Gauteng organised crime investigation members arrested Abdi Mohammed Adri and charged him with human trafficking after five undocumented Ethiopian nationals were rescued from a house in Brixton. The five were being kept at the house against their will. “Adri has since appeared in court, and is out on bail. He will be appearing again in court on February 28.…

James Mahlokwane james.mahlokwane@inl.co.za BEING a woman in the male-dominated farming industry has taught Ipeleng Kwadi, 30, to grow muscle and remain tough now matter how difficult things may become. Despite stressing about climate change, funding and livestock theft, the Brits-born cattle farmer has remained relentless in her quest to become one of the most successful farmers in South Africa. She is inspired every morning when she sees the big-branded trucks owned by women farmers leave Brits to deliver tons of produce to the Tshwane Market and neighbouring countries. “I will never do anything apart from farming. I’m here to stay, to develop and mentor others.” Kwadi has already made a name for herself at a young age. She has a mentorship programme with the Office of the Premier in the…

own correspondent ONE OF the proudest and longest-standing traditions is back as the Rand Show 2022 returns following two years of notable absence due to Covid-19. The Rand Show 2022 returns to Nasrec from April 13 to 18, and among some of the biggest drawcards this year are an exclusive music festival featuring some of South Africa’s best-known artists; a reality cooking competition; adventurous all-day kids’ activities and activations, and exhilarating carnival rides. With just 61 days to go, tickets are available online now. The Rand Show has been an annual fixture in Johannesburg for 128 years but returning visitors to Rand Show 2022 can expect to find their old favourites like the ever-present carnival rides, helicopter flipping, exhibitors from a variety of retailers and food. But there are a…

AS SOUTH Africa approaches almost three decades of democracy, no sector has generated public outrage as much as local government. The 22-year history of local government – with its transformative agenda underpinned by a developmental and democratic approach – has been a challenging journey. Understanding how local government institutions and actors respond to challenges is central to achieving lasting solutions. There have been dozens of books and articles written about municipalities. Many of these focus on governance and service delivery issues. They view municipalities as failing to respond to persistent challenges while acknowledging pockets of excellence in some areas such as Saldanha Bay, Gamagara, Overstrand, Mossel Bay and George. In short, though, municipalities remain a dysfunctional mess. Just as municipal performances have been under public purview, the same has been…

Britain’s Prince Andrew, 61, will give evidence under oath on March 10 in London as part of the civil sexual assault case brought against him by Virginia Giuffre, who is suing him in the US. Giuffre – who was formerly known as Virginia Roberts – has accused the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his one-time girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell of arranging and forcing her into having sex with Andrew in 2001. The prince has denied all the allegations and his lawyers have confirmed he’s ready to fight the case in court.…

If there’s anyone whose brain you should pick about the evolution of financial services especially in the South African landscape, it’s Berniece Hieckmann. With more than 25 years of experience in banking and insurance – including time as business architect at FNB and in various roles at Momentum Metropolitan – she now heads up Metropolitan GetUp, which focuses on financial services for younger, digitally minded consumers. She discusses the stand-out trends we can expect to see in the personal insurance world, and what these mean for insurers and consumers alike. Empathy is the competitive edge No matter how quickly digital is adopted across the booming insurtech or more established traditional insurance worlds, consumers are still looking for the warmth and understanding you can really only gain from real-life interactions when…

Buhle Mbonambi buhle.mbonambi@inl.co.za Why are we so fascinated by scammer lore? It’s a question I have been trying to answer for more than three years. I find myself so fascinated by people who behave badly and almost get away with it, as much as I find wealthy people fascinating. I guess it has to do with how audacious scammers are and how they have the guts to hoodwink people and get away with it for a long time. The conversation around the hit Netflix documentary The Tinder Swindler has been raging for more than a week. People just can’t get enough of it, from those blaming the women for being gullible to those saying Simon Leviev was very smart and his victims should have known better. I have tuned in…

Jonisayi Maromo jonisayi.maromo@africannewsagency.com A 25-year-old man has been arrested in Mpumalanga for allegedly killing a 20-year-old woman who was the mother of his child. Police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said the body of the slain woman was found on Thursday near a secondary school. “According to the report, police were conducting their normal duties when a group of learners notified them of something sinister next to the nearby bushes. The members then went to the place next to Chayaza Secondary School where they made the gruesome discovery of a lifeless body of a woman upon their arrival,” said Mohlala. “The clothes that the woman was wearing were covered in blood. The medical personnel also arrived at the scene where she was unfortunately certified dead.” Mohlala said a murder case had…

Betty Moleya betty.moleya@inl.co.za AVIWE Mado, a 25-year-old blind student who holds a Bachelor of Social Science degree from the University of Pretoria, has been given R75 000 to pursue his LLB degree. Mado, from the Eastern Cape, lost his eyesight at a young age after he developed an eye condition. From the beginning, his dream was to study law. Despite the challenges he faces, he did not let this stop him. He is now a second-year law student. He is faced with the struggle of having to pay for tuition, study materials, and residence and registration fees. Mado, who did not want to be photographed, needs assistance with tuition fees, meals, residence fees and other costs. The Jacaranda FM Good Morning Angels Fund pledged to donate R20 000 towards his…

Kedibone Modise kedibone.modise@inl.co.za CONNIE Ferguson’s daughter Lesedi Matsunyane-Ferguson came out guns blazing after proclaimed “Prophet” Aaron Xhali delivered a “cancer warning” to her mother on Twitter. In the video clip shared on social media, the preacher is heard saying he’s sending a message from God, to make the former Generations actress aware that there is a “cancer developing” in her body. He captioned the post: “Another Prophetic Warning for Connie Ferguson to pay attention to God.” “This is a warning from God. The first one was not taken seriously. I know you have lost your husband, Connie Ferguson. “This message was given 10 months back, to save the life of your loved one. I have another message for you: I see cancer in the left side, inside your breast,” he…

Betty Moleya betty.moleya@inl.co.za ITS never been an easy journey for producer and soulful house DJ Patlama, who has been in the music industry for more than two decades. DJ Patlama, whose real name is Thabo Phallane, from Mabopane, dropped his first single in at the end of last year and plans to release another next Friday. “It’s been a tough ride, but my love for music and being consistent has made it easy. “I have come across a lot of challenges, especially after releasing my first single called Feeling in December. “It’s a motivational and uplifting song. The song was well received and broke barriers as it was played by Louie Vega, and it was a hit in Hong Kong, which was of my proudest achievements,” said DJ Patlama. His…

THE entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (the Ban Treaty) was a big milestone for nuclear disarmament. Activists rejoiced when Cambodia became the 52nd state to ratify the Ban Treaty on January 22 last year, officially making it international law. Of its 86 signatory states, 59 have ratified the treaty. A year after the momentous occasion, it is worth reflecting on the progress and challenges remaining for the Ban Treaty and nuclear disarmament more broadly. Apart from making nuclear weapons illegal, the Ban Treaty provides an outline for “the verifiable and irreversible elimination of nuclear weapons programmes”. In addition, state parties are responsible for assisting victims of the use and testing of nuclear weapons, and dealing with resulting environmental fallout. While these are welcome…

The code that powers Wordle can be copied and saved to continue playing it for years. The popular game can be played for up to seven years using the code, which is written in Javascript. The game was sold to the New York Times, prompting fears that people will no longer be able to play Wordle for free. However, Nick Allan, legal director at law firm Lewis Silkin, told the BBC: “The expression of the software code underlying a game like Wordle will be protected as a literary copyright work under UK copyright law.”…

Covid-19 is still very much part of our lives, and in all likelihood will keep making the headlines in 2022. In this context, it is important to adjust your investment expectations for 2022 accordingly. Most of the large investment firms share a number of opinions/forecasts, which I would like to cover. Economic growth According to the IMF’s most recent World Outlook released in October 2021, the global economy is expected to resume an average growth rate of 4.9%, continuing to support the recovery – a view shared by most investment houses. As JPMorgan Chase so aptly put it: “Supply-side pressures have intensified as supply chain issues and persistent bottlenecks have led to pent-up demand and excess savings. Despite this stiff test, JPMorgan Research continues to see global growth accelerating in…

MANCHESTER United coach Ralf Rangnick has called on Cristiano Ronaldo and his attacking teammates to find their goalscoring touch in order to avoid further frustrating results. United crashed out of the FA Cup last Friday against Middlesbrough, losing on penalties following a 1-1 draw having had 30 shots at goal in the match, before then amassing 22 further efforts at Burnley in another 1-1 result on Tuesday. Ronaldo missed a penalty and had 10 shots at goal in total against Middlesbrough without finding the net, before missing a late header at Burnley. The Portuguese forward’s manager has seen enough. “It’s not only about Cristiano Ronaldo,” Rangnick told a news conference yesterday ahead of United’s weekend clash with Southampton. “He should score more goals, it’s obvious, but this is not only…

Michael Sherman michael.sherman@africannewsagency.com SOUTH Africa’s Oliver Bekker shot a course record 10-under 62 at Al Hamra Golf Course to rocket up 102 places to second on day two of the Ras Al Khaimah Classic, in the United Arab Emirates yesterday. Bekker moved to nine-under overall, tied for second place along with Justin Harding and Zander Lombard. Harding carded a fine five-under 67, while Lombard almost matched Bekker’s exploits with a scintillating nine-under 63. Lombard also shot up the leaderboard, 82 positions on the day. Leading the way on 12-under is New Zealand’s Ryan Fox. Beginning the day on the 10th tee in 104th position after a one-over 73 in round one, Bekker needed a good day just to make the cut. That mark was quickly left in the rear view…