Innholdsfortegnelse for 2022-04-30 i Pretoria News Weekend

ELON Musk has characterised himself as a fierce proponent of unfettered speech. He revels in the notion that everyone should be able to stand in the middle of Main Street and shout their opinions, deeply held suspicions and nonsensical thoughts for all the world to hear. He has concerns about any attempt to censor, shush or otherwise impede the free flow of words from one human’s mouth into another one’s ears. He also has a lot of money and good deal of chutzpah. So he purchased Twitter for $44 billion (R699bn). “Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated,” Musk said in a statement announcing the spoils of his shopping spree. Unlike…

BOOK: The Memory Librarian AUTHOR: Janelle Monáe PUBLISHER: Harper Voyager REVIEWER: Stephanie Phillips PRICE: R393 on Loot.co.za The desire to take a music project beyond the confines of an album has driven the career direction of so many creatively ambitious musicians. From classic studio films, such as The Who’s Tommy (1975) or Prince’s Purple Rain (1984), to extended music video projects, such as Beyoncé’s Lemonade in 2016, the music-to-film pipeline, when done successfully, can establish an artist’s auteur status. American singer, rapper and actress Janelle Monáe, who made her film debut in 2016 with the award-winning Moonlight and critically acclaimed Hidden Figures, is no stranger to this concept. Her Grammy-nominated third album, the joyously vibrant collection of pop bangers Dirty Computer, was accompanied by an “emotion picture”. The Hugo Award-winning…

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t really bother myself with Mother’s Day gifts anymore. See, I feel like I’ve run out of ideas and have gifted my mother (and grandmother) some great things and experiences for over two decades. The past few years have seen me resort to just giving them money. I thought this was lazy, but it turns out they love it (especially Gogo). But this year I want to make the effort and with Mother’s Day coming up in a few days, I thought why not ask the mothers in the IOL Lifestyle department, who range from their twenties to forties, what they would really like as a gift, so as to get inspired. TRAVEL I’m not big on luxury holidays mostly because I…

NOT everyone can make beautiful hand-crafted wooden car toys, and even if you have the skill and talent, it can take years to perfect it. This is according to Malawian Happy Mvula, 35, who describe the craft as not just toys, but art. And he knows what he is talking about because he has been hand-crafting model cars since he was young. However, for the past four years, he has been selling his creations to customers around Pretoria. Using mahogany wood and glue, Mvula makes hand-crafted wooden vehicles from excavators, graders, land cruisers, vans, buses, planes to helicopters. Mvula learnt the skill of wood crafting from his parents and it seems it runs in his family, because his brother also does the same thing. “I started doing this at a…

The City of Tshwane has denied allegations that it has neglected the Austin Roberts Bird Sanctuary and Trim Running Park. Thomas Muller-Rust, a concerned resident from Centurion, said that about three months ago he noticed that the sanctuary was in bad shape. “I have noticed last Sunday and in the last months already that both the places suffered from bad neglect and lack of attention and restoration. “The Austin Roberts Lake, for a long time one of Pretoria’s oldest recreation parks and bird sanctuary, in particular lacks care and repair.” However, the city said the sanctuary had not been neglected and that it had been experiencing funding challenges. It added that its nature conservation operations were on site daily to catch up on maintenance. Muller-Rust also raised concern about the…

NOW that the National State of Disaster has been lifted, artists have to come out strongly to give people what they want because they’ve had time to be creative during the lockdown period. So says Pretoria singer, songwriter and recording artist Candice T. “It has been hard on everyone, and most importantly it affected artists tremendously because we need people to work. However, it was necessary for us to follow the rules so we can be all safe,” she said. “So, now that everything is almost back to normal, we as artists need to come out strong as we had time to be creative and give people good music.” According to her, the lockdown affected almost all artists, “and was not easy on me, honestly”. “The world as we knew…

Although the new-generation Volkswagen Amarok has yet to be unveiled, the German carmaker has already made it clear the new contender will have its fair share of Wolfsburg flavour despite being based on the new Ford Ranger. But now a Volkswagen executive has also expressed the opinion that the two companies helped each other create a better product, to the benefit of the Ranger too. In an interview with Australian website Drive, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles marketing director Lars Krause said: “In the sum, the new Amarok is a much better product than if we did it alone. “The same goes for the Ford. Without our input, the Ranger would not be so good. The partnership allowed us to pool our individual strengths.” Although the new Volkswagen Amarok is set to…

Batteries, and more precisely battery metals, are poised to replace chips as the new bottleneck for the automotive industry. The supply of lithium is a source of concern. The cost of the metal – mainly used to produce lithium-ion batteries, but also for pharmaceuticals and industrial lubricants – has been soaring. “I’d certainly encourage entrepreneurs out there who are looking for opportunities to get into the lithium business,” Elon Musk said. “We think we’re going to need to help the industry on this front.”…

Sundowns are in an unassailable position at the top of the Premiership standings, 13 points ahead of Royal AM, who are in second place. There is broad daylight between the two teams on several fronts, but given the unpredictable nature of cup games the match will be a blockbuster. Sundowns are entering the match on a high after winning the Premiership title on Wednesday following an energy-sapping draw against Cape Town City. There is the danger that after such a high, the team won't be ready to face a team like Royal AM, who have a reputation of being masters of smash-and-grab wins. Several times in their debut season in the top flight their matches seemed headed for a draw, but then they struck late with a goal out of…

Fresh off another uninspiring draw at the Orlando Stadium against Chippa United, head coach Mandla Ncikazi reflected and shared his opinion on what he feels could be done to stop the dominance of Mamelodi Sundowns. Masandawana clinched their fifth title in as many seasons on Wednesday night, a feat unprecedented in South African football. However, Ncikazi feels a tweak in the financial rules of the league could afford all the other 15 clubs in the league a chance to draw closer to the reigning champions. “I think the financial fair play rules have to come into effect and we must cap their finances because Covid has affected a lot of teams, whether it’s supporters, in terms of revenue and most teams have been affected but Sundowns have not been affected,”…

I HAD seen pictures of idyllic Mauritius in magazines, on Instagram, and hell, even pictures of my parents back in 1995 standing alongside a palm tree. The island had always been on my bucket list. But nothing would have prepared me for the beauty that awaited me when I set foot on the island in March. As Mark Twain said: “Mauritius was made first, and then heaven; and heaven was copied after Mauritius.” So let’s start from the beginning. When the Lifestyle editor called me to offer me a trip of sun, sea and relaxation, I had to pinch myself, thinking it was all a dream. A whole five days of the beach, cuisine, sight-seeing and well, sleep (I’m a mom to two toddlers). It was truly a dream come…

ALMOST two years ago I made the dramatic decision to move out of the city – as far away from the hustle and bustle as I could get. I found safe haven in a tiny coastal village on the West Coast where I could inhale peace and calm and exhale the frantic city energy I carried around with me. While it was the best decision I ever made, as a city girl, moving out into the countryside took some adjusting. With not a mall in sight, just a few quaint restaurants and working from home, my city slicker wardrobe seemed over the top and rather out of place. The gold sequin skirt I casually wore to work remains untouched. My beloved black leather biker jacket didn’t even come out of…

USING the insight gleaned from these mothers, we have compiled a list of some really novel gift ideas to impress your mother. For The Traveller Troika business hand luggage case in polycarbonate 36 Hours Trolley, 47cm (R2 999 on Loot.co.za) This is the ideal luggage for a short trip away from the family. The Troika 36 Hours Trolley is the perfect companion for business and pleasure trips. The integrated practical soft bag on the front of the trolley helps to organise your travel on the go – documents, catalogues and mobile devices. Jabra Elite 3 Bluetooth in-ear earbuds (R1 504 on Loot.co.za) The noise-cancelling buds are brilliantly engineered to breathe new life into your music. Great calls and music wherever you go. Perfect for some peace and quiet while travelling.…

ADVOCATE Malesela Daniel Teffo, who represents four of the five accused men in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, on Friday said his arrest inside the High Court in Pretoria was an embarrassing chapter, but he vowed not to be derailed. “Yeah, after such an embarrassment, of the whole world [watching]. I will gain myself from here. I will get the strength,” Teffo told a scrum of journalists inside the Hillbrow Magistrate’s Court shortly after he was granted R10 000 bail. “I am not broken. No, I am not. I am determined because I know the reason why this is happening. From the way I was taken yesterday, I know what is happening.” Teffo, however, said he needed “further guidance” from his attorney, Tshepo Thobane, regarding what he could say to…

JACKY Hunt-Broersma has just completed 102 marathons in 102 days, showing the world that an amputee can do just as well, if not better, than an able-bodied runner. With her B2B marathons, she also now holds a new world record in the female able-bodied category. The amputee record stood at 31 B2B marathons and the previous record held by a female able-bodies marathon runner was 95, completed by Alyssa Amos Clark. Having grown up in Pretoria and now living in Arizona in the US, Hunt-Broersma used to hide in the school bathroom to miss track practice. She told the IOS this week that she only started running after losing her leg to cancer. She and her husband, Edwin, left South Africa in 1998 to go to the Netherlands and it…

For several weeks now, a number of memes depicting Imtiaz Sooliman have gone viral. The most popular one is an image of Sooliman’s face super-imposed on Captain America’s body, with a caption that reads “Captain South Africa, The People’s Hero”. As the CEO of Gift of the Givers does not have any social media profiles, he is unaware of the images. “I have no comment on that,” Sooliman told the Saturday Star this week. “My instruction was simple and clear. ‘Everything will be done through you and not by you…’ I live by that message. There is no place for ego or self attribute for success, it is all spiritual, I’m only the medium delivering the assistance.” Sooliman and his humanitarian organisation were once again lauded by South Africans, this…

After decades of ups and downs, British sports car manufacturer Aston Martin Lagonda is charting a more efficient and profitable way forward, leaning on technology from shareholder Mercedes-Benz to make the costly leap to electric vehicles. Less than two years after billionaire Lawrence Stroll drove to the rescue of James Bond’s car brand of choice, Aston Martin has undergone a manufacturing makeover to lift margins and help it become more like rival Ferrari. Stroll, Aston Martin’s largest shareholder and executive chairperson, who is also an avid fan of Ferrari, says after vehicle sales jumped 82% in 2021 the car manufacturer’s transformation to long-term profitability is well under way, with new cars coming and funding secured until the end of 2025. But analysts say Aston Martin, which has gone bust seven…

Max Verstappen’s dominant Imola weekend provided a near-perfect bounce- back from misery in Melbourne, with Red Bull confident they are fully firing again in the Formula One battle with leaders Ferrari. World champion Verstappen, who had to retire in Australia two weeks ago, could not have taken a bigger haul from the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix with pole and victories in the Saturday sprint and Sunday’s race plus fastest lap.…

The big one is here! What a road it’s been for the Stormers in the United Rugby Championship so far. Today, they have a chance to impress even more against log-leading Leinster in a top of the table clash at Cape Town Stadium. John Dobson’s guys have worked themselves up to second spot on the log, and the Stormers mentor said complacency hasn’t even crossed their minds. The fact that Leinster will go into this bout with a rather young team changes nothing. Speaking to the media this week, assistant coach Dawie Snyman said that they would have to prepare every aspect well. Here are three areas that could be crucial today. The halfback battle As far as Stormers flyhalf Manie Libbok is concerned, all his team would be hoping…

Cricket South Africa and SuperSport have signed an agreement to form a new company that will manage a dynamic new T20 competition. CSA have long had troubles with its marquee T20 competition ever since the disbandment of the Global T20 League in 2017 when it failed to secure a broadcast deal. This led to the subsequent release of former chief executive Haroon Lorgat. This set in motion a string of events that plunged CSA into an administrative crisis under the stewardship of Thabang Moroe. Under Moroe’s leadership CSA launched the Mzansi Super League in 2018 with the broadcasting rights handed over to national broadcaster SABC. Only two editions of the MSL were completed with the last two tournaments cancelled due to Covid-19. CSA, though, incurred heavy financial losses during this…

It may be a little over four hours’ drive from Durban to Mkuze, (two hours’ less if you are in Richards Bay), but the drive is worth taking leisurely and should not be rushed. Mkuze, a small town, boasts some convenience stores, a well-run country club, and then there is the Ghost Mountain Inn where my partner and I stayed for a few days to explore the area. This hotel is the obvious choice unless you are intending to stay over at the nearby Mkuze Game Reserve. Apart from the game viewing, there are other tour options tantalisingly offered by Ghost Mountain Inn, which has its own in-house safari tour operator. We sampled the Lebombo Mountain drive, which is ideal for a leisurely afternoon drive. You are driven up to…

Lea Michele wants to carry Jonathan Groff’s baby. The 35-year-old actress – who has 20-month-old son Ever with husband Zandy Reich – reunited with her former Glee co-star and offered to carry his baby because she “loves being pregnant.” She said: “I’ll carry your baby. I will!” He asked “You will?” to which she clarified: “Hell yeah! I love being pregnant. It’s so much fun!” In a joint interview with People, Jonathan – who has no children but has been dating choreographer Corey Baker since 2018 – quipped: “Good to know!” However, the Frozen star – who rose to fame alongside Lea when the pair starred in Tony Award-winning musical Spring Awakening back in 2006 before going on to further success as rivals on the musical comedy series…

MAMELODI Sundowns were crowned champions of Mzansi on Wednesday after grabbing the required point against Cape Town City – that’s five league titles in the last five years The Brazilians have a strong hold on the local game, and have the trophies to show for it. Their capture of yet another league medal this week now means that Masandawana have 12 Premier Soccer League (PSL) titles to their name. That is more than Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and SuperSport United combined. Soccer writer Smiso Msomi looks at how Mamelodi Sundowns were able to win the 2021/2022 DStv Premiership. • Peter Shalulile Just when we thought he couldn’t have a better season than his Footballer of the Year winning campaign of last year, the “Namibian Express” has broken his best…

TSHWANE mayor Randall Williams was forced to withdraw the “F-word” after he was embroiled in an altercation with an EFF councillor during a late-night debate on the State of the Capital Address on Thursday at Tshwane House. The ordinary council sitting almost degenerated into chaos after Williams was heard swearing at an EFF councillor, Godwin Ratikane, who was accused of switching off the mayor’s microphone while he was on the podium. Calls were made for Williams to be booted out of the council sitting, but that was overruled by Speaker Dr Murunwa Makwarela, who asked the mayor to withdraw and apologise for using the “F-word”. After councillors from other political parties criticised Williams for unbecoming conduct, he finally apologised. He, however, insisted that he had already apologised twice for hurling…

Podcast and Chill with MacG co-host Sol Phenduka has been revealed as the host of the new Big Brother Mzansi spin-off, Ses’fikile. Yes, seven of the Big Brother Mzansi housemates are returning to screens on a new late-night talk show on DStv’s Mzansi Wethu. The DJ may have lost out on his commentator gig at Celeb City but, as they say, when one door closes another one opens. Sol, a former housemate himself, will not be holding back as he sits down with the housemates. Nothing is off limits on Ses’fikile as the housemates talk about their journey on Big Brother Mzansi to the opportunities they have had since. The housemates have been seen at several events such as the RHOLagos launch and the opening of SA Fashion week.…

Dating back to 1955 and currently in its 15th generation, the Toyota Crown is one of the world’s oldest automotive nameplates. While earlier versions of the luxury sedan were exported to global markets, the current iteration is exclusive to Japan and select Asian markets. But that looks set to change with the next generation. Not only is Toyota said to be creating an SUV version of the Crown to keep it relevant (just as they did with the Corolla Cross) but this high-riding model is also looking set to reach other global markets, including North America and China, Reuters reports. According to various media reports the new Toyota Crown SUV will eventually become a fully global model and it is also expected to become the Japanese car manufacturer’s most expensive…

THE Datsun brand is set to ride into the sunset. Production at the budget brand’s last assembly plant in Chennai, India, has come to an end. The most recent Naamsa sales report shows that Nissan sold only 48 Go models in the past three months. The Datsun Go was launched in SA in 2014 with a starting price of R89 500. However, it soon became the subject of criticism when Global NCAP handed it a zero-star safety rating. Later on, a South African spec Datsun Go+, fitted with a single airbag, scored one star.…

WE KNOW travel isn’t as glamorous as it used to be. It’s striking to watch old films in which passengers are handed a proper cocktail and look as if they’re genuinely enjoying themselves. We look longingly at photos of Cary Grant or Ingrid Bergman, striding purposefully off a plane with a small, tasteful valise. They had a good thing going. Those days are gone. Where there was once the Concorde there are security agents yelling at us to empty our pockets. Champagne is served in a glass if you spend a small fortune on a first-class seat, but mostly it’s brutal white wine in a plastic cup. The good days of travel are behind us. But that doesn’t mean we can’t do our part by making an effort to bring…

The Joburg Ballet has joined forces with Tshukudu Bush Lodge to tell the story of the South African safari experience through the art of dance. Tshukudu Bush Lodge is an intimate sanctuary in the heart of the Pilanesberg National Park. The lodge has released a video showcasing its offering using principal dancer Monike Cristina and soloist Gabriel Fernandes da Silva. In the video, Joburg Ballet dancers Da Silva and Cristina are seen as guests, experiencing and enjoying the lodge, except they are telling their story through contemporary, neo- classical dance with a touch of African, to align with the Tshukudu African Safari experience. The duo don matching outfits from the House of Nala, proudly South African clothes created by local designers, showcasing some of the best of African haute couture.…