Innholdsfortegnelse for 2022-03-19 i Pretoria News Weekend

Samkelo Mtshali samkelo.thulasizwe@inl.co.za THE fall from grace of English football giants Chelsea Football Club could be as spectacular as their rise from English Premier League also-rans into a European superpower in the mid-2000s. Russia’s invasion of its neighbour Ukraine has seen Chelsea’s billionaire Russian owner Roman Abramovich putting the Blues up for sale due to alleged ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin and subsequently having his English-based assets frozen by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s administration. Meanwhile, for Chelsea the pain is also palpable as the club’s bank accounts have been frozen, and ticket sales (bar season ticket holders) banned; they will not be able to sign new players nor extend the contracts of incumbent playing personnel while Abramovich, 55, is still the owner. This has necessitated…

Debashine Thangevelo debashine.thangevelo@inl.co.za When you want something badly enough, you go after it. And that’s exactly what Lorna Maseko did. Aching to get back to doing what she loves, she approached Rapid Blue and pitched an idea for a cooking show. They took it to the BBC, and several months later, the green light was given for Homegrown Tastes South Africa on BBC Lifestyle. As far as concepts go, this one stands out for how it explores the distinctly South African flavours and ingredients, while celebrating the chefs who come up with out-of-the-box ideas on traditional dishes. Maseko, who, following the release of Celebrate with Lorna Maseko in September 2019, ended up bagging the best celebrity chef cookbook and best international cookbook at the 2020 Gourmand Awards, is no stranger…

The Washington Post We’re finally getting there. Places are starting to open. Masks are coming off. Shots are going into arms. Cocktails, I hope, are coming out of little plastic takeaway bottles and going into coupés. Olives are getting skewered. Mint is getting fluffed. Ice slingshots (how I’ve missed preposterous drinks!) are getting stretched out. If you’re starting to welcome friends back, remember: A drink without a garnish can absolutely be delicious, but a drink with one? It says you really bothered. You’re celebrating that they’re here with you. You made an effort. Citrus peel There is no more essential garnish: Citrus oils add hugely to the aroma and flavour of a drink. Basic: Strip off a swath with a peeler or sharp knife, avoiding the white pith. Twist it…

James Mahlokwane james.mahlokwane@inl.co.za THE road to the national roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccine was never easy. It had to be done as safely and quickly as possible to prevent further loss of life and devastating consequences to the economy. This is detailed in an insightful documentary produced and released by Discovery, which illustrates how the private-public sector collaborated for the collective good of South Africans amid a novel pandemic that shook the world. The documentary tells the behind-the-scene story of a moment in history that saw the government seek the assistance of businesses – and the private health sector – to work together to procure vaccines for South Africans confronted by a real life-and-death scenario. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the pandemic had hit the shores in March 2020 and…

Jason Woosey jason.woosey@inl.co.za VOLVO is set to become one of the first major car makers in the world to go all-electric, with the Swedish company having set a 2030 deadline for this. However, Volvo Cars South Africa is also mindful that countries such as ours are going to lag behind when it comes to electrification and, for that reason, the firm sees plug-in hybrids as providing the ultimate bridge for customers. To that end, Volvo recently launched its XC60 T8 plug-in hybrid in South Africa, along with an improved version of its XC90 T8. The carmaker has already launched its first all-electric car, the XC40 P8 Recharge, and we have little doubt that there are more to come. To give us a taste of the electrified products it has on…

IN RECENT weeks, there’s been hype and paranoia surrounding the prospect of petrol prices rising to levels of up to R40 a litre. While this might happen at some point, given that Russia and Ukraine remain at war, R40 petrol doesn’t seem to be on the cards in the near future. After reaching a 14-year high of $140 (about R2 000) a barrel earlier this month, the international price of Brent Crude oil had softened to around $106 by mid-month. However, this is higher than last month’s average of $97, which means that motorists and commuters are facing substantial price hikes next month. The latest mid-month data supplied by the Central Energy Fund, which is an average for the month, points to an increase of around R2.26 for petrol…

Haris Zargar A new, assertive feminist movement has swept Pakistan ​in the past five years. Led by a younger generation of women, it is confronting entrenched patriarchy in the country and demanding radical reforms to protect the rights of other marginalised communities and gender minorities. ​What began as an annual march to observe International Women’s Day on March 8 has evolved into a sustained campaign for social, political, economic and judicial reform. ​​ The iteration of Pakistani women’s rights amplifies voices and raises awareness through rallies in major cities, including Karachi and Islamabad. It uses digital platforms for mobilisation, and uses graphic posters and placards, performance arts, poetry and songs to advocate for femininity. Pakistan’s Aurat March, or Women’s March, was first organised in the business city of Karachi in…

WITH the new Formula One season roaring into action, drivers have called for the right to decide if they are fit or not to race after they test positive for Covid-19. McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo and Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel have both tested positive ahead of the Bahrain GP, although Ricciardo has been passed fit to drive. Nico Huelkenberg will deputise for Vettel. “It feels like the world is fully open but Formula 1 is still very restrictive with the Covid thing,” Ricciardo said this week. Red Bull’s Sergio Perez said a positive Covid test should not lead to automatic exclusion. “We should leave it up to the drivers to decide,” he said. “I think we have all raced once feeling really bad, health-wise. If the driver feels comfortable to race…

Sacha van Niekerk sacha.vanniekerk@inl.co.za OLD-world glamour at its best, the rhythmic rattling of carriages and the blur of passing scenery – there’s something alluring about train travel. From the suave-suited gentlemen smoking cigars to crystal flutes overflowing with champagne, gourmet dinners served in dining cars and the plush en-suite cabins, Hollywood films like Wild Wild West (1999) and Murder on the Orient Express (2017) portray a lavish idea of train travel. It’s a depiction that gravely differs from the modern reality – that people mainly rely on trains as a means to commute. And when it comes to holidays and local travel, cars and planes are favoured for their availability and efficiency. However, recent data from Luxury Gold predicts that luxury train travel will become a popular activity for discerning…

Shawn Mendes hopes to “influence culture” through his music. The 23-year-old singer felt inspired watching Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Dr Dre, 50 Cent, Mary J Blige and Kendrick Lamar perform at the Super Bowl in February, and is now more determined than ever to make a mark. He reflected: “For me, it’s not to be like, ‘I have to change the world’. I’m just saying, that’s where my ambition goes – to influence culture. I want to honour the opportunity that I’ve been given as an artist, to make something very true.” Mendes is working on a new album and preparing for his Wonder world tour. The Senorita hitmaker said he’s determined to make “authentic” music. He told Billboard magazine: “I never want to stop playing, even if I’m playing…

Lutho Pasiya lutho.pasiya@inl.co.za Food is a powerful thing. It has brought people together for centuries, between families, communities, and cultures. It has the power to connect people of different backgrounds. The sharing of food and recipes is nothing new, but recently there has been a shift in how we share recipes, as well as who shares them. The digital age has brought on the popularity of cooking videos. TikTok, in particular, with its unparalleled ability to create content that goes viral. The video-sharing app has been disrupting the food industry to the point of changing the way people eat. What are the causes of this success? It is short and simple videos made by ordinary people. Below we take a look at how TikTok has shaped how we view food.…

Jonisayi Maromo jonisayi.maromo@inl.co.za Security personnel travelling in a cash-in-transit vehicle suffered burns after they were attacked on the N4 highway near the Watermeyer off-ramp in Pretoria. “Tshwane Emergency Services received the call at approximately 9.15pm, where it was reported that a vehicle was on fire on the N4 highway near Watermeyer off-ramp,” said Tshwane Emergency Services Department spokesperson Thabo Charles Mabaso. “Upon arrival at the scene, they found three vehicles that were on fire, of which one of them was a cash-in-transit vehicle.” At the time, paramedics were treating two male patients, reported to be security officers for injuries which included facial burns. “Firefighters managed to extinguish the vehicles. One patient was transported to Meulmed Hospital in moderate to serious condition and the other patient was airlifted to Milpark Hospital…

SEVENTY years after its first model rolled off the factory line, Volkswagen is reinventing the VW bus, symbol of the hippie movement, for today’s climate-conscious generation – but some of its former fans remain unconvinced. Built on the MEB electric vehicle platform that also underpins the ID.3 and ID.4, the new Volkswagen ID.Buzz is powered by a rear-mounted electric motor that produces 150kW. Strangely, though, despite the Volkswagen ID.Buzz boasting a 2988mm wheelbase that’s on par with the current T6.1 bus, the new vehicle only seats five occupants, although there is an impressive 1121 litres worth of luggage capacity. However, the company says a long-wheelbase model with a “broader range” of interior possibilities will join the line-up at a later stage. The new model, with its curvy resemblance to the…

FRANCE coach Fabien Galthie has insisted his side will be “ready to respond” to some typical Eddie Jones taunts when they attempt to win a first Six Nations title since 2010 by defeating England in Paris tonight. Les Bleus are also bidding for a first Grand Slam in 12 years and victory over England in the final game of this season’s Championship would be a huge morale boost ahead of next year’s World Cup on home soil. France entered this Six Nations as favourites after a November campaign that culminated with a 40-25 win over New Zealand at Stade de France. But they were far from their attacking best in a nervous 13-9 victory away to Wales last week. None of this is lost on England boss Jones, who loves…

IANS Book that all-girl vacation that has been pending and explore this diverse country with your gang. From hiking, biking, climbing, paragliding to skiing, indulge in some life-changing experiences in the breathtaking vistas of Switzerland. Here are some activities you can experience with your girl tribe in Switzerland: Climbing and mountaineering Scaling Switzerland’s magnificent mountains is a given. Depending on the skill level of the group, groups can choose from single or multiple-day alpine tours led by female guides. A two-day tour to climb the Briethorn is the perfect introduction to mountaineering for newbies where women get to learn all the tips and tricks from the experts . Once at the summit of this 4000m peak, the climbers can proudly bask in their achievement while enjoying fantastic views of the…

Lucien Libert Archaeologists have found an ancient lead sarcophagus under Notre Dame cathedral along with fragments of a rood screen, offering a new insight into the history of the building which is currently under reconstruction after a devastating fire in 2019. Notre Dame, which dates back to the 12th century, commissioned the excavation works inside the cathedral as a precautionary measure before the installation of scaffolding needed to restore a 100-metre high wooden roof ridge. “The floor of the transept crossing has revealed remains of remarkable scientific quality,” France’s Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot said, adding that excavation work had been extended until March 25. The excavation site lies under a stony layer that dates from the 18th century, but some lower levels go back as far as the 14th, and…

Travel Reporter Vaccinated visitors to Seychelles will no longer need a negative PCR test to travel to the island nation as of March 15 after the Ministry of Health revised the entry and stay conditions on Monday. Travellers to Seychelles who are “fully vaccinated”, according to the ministry’s advisory, are adults who have had two vaccine doses, typically, and one booster as well, only “if six months have passed from receiving the first two doses”. For those aged 12 to 18 years, only two vaccine doses are needed, the advisory says. Such vaccinated visitors will still need to submit a travel authorisation form online and have valid travel and health insurance. The same relaxed entry requirement applies to people who had “a recent past Covid-19 infection – between two to…

Rollo Ross Pixar Studios’ latest film, Turning Red, wants to break a taboo by addressing what a girl goes through during puberty, but with an analogy. Meilin Lee, voiced by Rosalie Chiang, is an overly confident student excelling in every field. But one night, she goes to bed and wakes up as a giant red panda. In this form, Meilin experiences many of the things pubescent teenagers go through: appearance of new hair, body dysmorphia, embarrassment about sexual feelings and heightened emotions. “It’s taboo for whatever reason because people don’t talk about it,” director and co-writer Domee Shi said. “It’s like the self-fulfilling prophecy. The fact that this is so shocking to be the first film to really talk about it is probably the very reason that we don’t talk…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za IN A first for Africa, a new digitally enabled life-saving service puts callers phoning from the scene of a medical emergency face-to-face with trained Netcare 911 emergency health-care providers. The experts guide them on how to peform CPR, until paramedics arrive. Particularly since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, members of the public may be hesitant to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on anyone other than an immediate family member in an emergency. However, this is no longer considered necessary,” said Shalen Ramduth, Netcare 911’s operations director. “Few people are aware that CPR does not require mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, as recent findings show ‘hands only’ CPR can be as effective as the traditional technique involving giving the patient rescue breaths.” The American Heart Association recommends that the public per- form…

Jonisayi Maromo jonisayi.maromo@inl.co.za THE South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) has expressed dismay over assertions by AfriForum, indicating that the lobby group has been requested to, and is, working jointly with the Tshwane metro police department. AfriForum said it was approached for assistance by the MMC for Community Services in the City of Tshwane, Grandi Theunissen, as the City scrambled to contain a protest by municipal workers. “Further to that, MMC Theunissen stated on March 17, acknowledging the support of some vigilante organisations. “We understand AfriForum as an organisation that mobilises Afrikaans-speaking people, while the majority views this organisation as hostile, anti-black and seeking to reverse gains made since 1994,” said Mpho Tladinyane, Samwu regional secretary. “Our primary concern is that the City has been holding operational meetings with AfriForum…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za THE R47 million earlier awarded to “Please Call Me” inventor Nkosana Makate was overly generous, Vodacom said in its new application. The cellphone service provider is applying for leave to appeal against last month’s judgment in which the North Gauteng High Court found Makate was short-changed. Vodacom will ask the court for leave to appeal against the judgment to either the Supreme Court of Appeal or to a full bench (three judges) of the high court. The leave to appeal application is expected to be heard on April 1. Makate says his camp will oppose the application. In her judgment delivered early last month, Judge Wendy Hughes gave Vodacom CEO Shameel Joosub two weeks to go back to the drawing board and calculate what amount Makate was…

Goitsemang Tlhabye goitsemang.tlhabye@inl.co.za GOLDEN girl, Olympic champion Tatjana Schoenmaker, is one of the illustrious women celebrated at this year’s Forbes Woman in Africa Leading Women Summit. Schoenmaker was awarded the Forbes Woman Africa Sports Award at a two-day virtual event hosted and presented by Mastercard on March 8 and 9. The event was part of the Forbes Woman Africa Leading Women Summit, organised to celebrate leading women in categories such as technology, entertainment, business and sport. The event, which coincided with International Women’s Day, featured a top line-up of female speakers engaging on topics from hybrid working conditions to female-driven technology solutions. This year’s International Women’s Day theme was “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”. For her contribution in the sporting arena, Schoenmaker, a world record holder, and Olympic…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za VISITORS to Rietvlei Nature Reserve in Pretoria have been asked to respect the new cheetah family of five cubs born a few weeks ago. Management and the City of Tshwane this week cautioned visitors to keep their distance and not approach the animals on foot. Friends of Rietvlei’s Robbie Aspeling told the Pretoria News that since the birth of the cubs, people have flocked to the nature reserve in a bid to spot the mother and her little ones. While mother Njozi does display her little ones on occasions, it is said that the best times to see them are usually in the early mornings and late afternoons. There is also no specific spot to locate her, as it depends on where she is hunting for her…

Originally slated for local introduction last year, it appears the Nissan Terra is finally set to reach South African showrooms soon. Although the Navara-based SUV has yet to be launched, pricing has appeared on the website of vehicle information specialist Duoporta. Serving as something of a spiritual successor to the Pathfinder, the body-on-frame Nissan Terra is set to go up against the Ford Everest, Toyota Fortuner, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Isuzu MU-X. Should those Japanese rivals be worried? The Nissan Terra is available in three specification grades – XE, SE and LE. Pricing starts at R596 900 for the 2.5 DDTi XE manual and R606 900 for the automatic version. From there, there’s not much of a jump to the XE 4x4, at R629 900, but the midrange SE requires…

Throughout the centuries of African history, women have played an integral role in society and shaped the culture of their communities. Over the last century, women played important roles in resisting the colonial administration and in the struggle for liberation in Algeria, Guinea, Ghana, Nigeria, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, among others, as well as in South Africa in the fight against apartheid. From the beginning of this century, we have seen greater participation of women in governance and leadership in Africa. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and a Nobel Peace laureate was Liberia’s and Africa’s first democratically elected woman president in 2006. We have also had president Catherine Samba Panza of the Central African Republic, president Ameenah Gurib Fakim of Mauritius, president Joyce Banda of Malawi, President Sahle Work Zewde of…

| Sunshine Tour SHAUN Norris had one instruction to his younger brother Kyle who is also his caddie in this week’s Steyn City Championship. “I said to him let’s go out and have some fun,” said Norris. The result was a sublime second-round 62 that has earned him a three-stroke lead going into the weekend of this Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned tournament. On a perfect day at The Club at Steyn City when the scores were reaching deeper under par, Norris climbed to 18 under par overall with a bogey-free round of eight birdies and an eagle. “Overall my game was great and I gave myself a lot of chances. I’m smiling out there and I’m very happy,” said Norris. His nearest challenger is James Hart…

LIVERPOOL’S quest for a clean sweep of four major trophies this season has been dealt a blow with right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold set to be sidelined for weeks by a hamstring injury. Alexander-Arnold will miss Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final at Nottingham Forest and England’s upcoming friendlies against the Ivory Coast and Switzerland. Of most concern for Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, though, is whether he will be fit in time for both legs of his side’s Champions League quarter-final either side of a potential Premier League title decider away to Manchester City. “Trent is out with a hamstring. He cannot be part of England as well so not good news, we will see how long that takes,” Klopp said yesterday. Alexander-Arnold already has a career-high 17 assists in all competitions this season…