Innholdsfortegnelse for 2022-06-04 i Pretoria News Weekend

The first mood on Wednesday afternoon at the Fairfax County Courthouse was confusion. Johnny Depp won, right? But Amber Heard received damages, too? A group of Depp fans quietly walked out of the courtroom, talking among themselves – a judge had warned the crowd about outbursts when the verdict was read – while journalists and other curious onlookers tried to figure out what it all meant. The verdict, as painstakingly explained by lawyers and experts to a captive audience in the hallway, was mostly in Depp’s favour: the seven-person jury found that Heard, 36, defamed ex-husband Depp, 58, with a 2018 op-ed in The Washington Post, in which she referred to herself as a public figure representing domestic abuse, and awarded him $15 million in damages. Simultaneously, the jury found…

Bollywood star Ayushmann Khurrana, whose film Anek is in theatres, recently opened up about his wife Tahira Kashyap’s book The 7 Sins of Being a Mother, where she has written about her and Ayushmann’s sex life. As per a media report, the actor revealed that he hasn’t read the book and is unaware of certain details as he is a very private person and likes to keep such things to himself. The actor told the media that to a reader, the book might come across as entertaining, but on a personal level, he is quite shy of talking about it or skimming through its pages. The Andhadhun star also revealed that Tahira is very different from him as he doesn’t like talking about his personal life, but that’s how the…

THE business of beauty has become even more conscientised as the world realises the impact of climate change and how our consumption has led to this crisis. This has led to new beauty brands, and changed the course of the business. It has also forced existing legacy beauty and cosmetic brands to start changing formulas, containers and the method of testing. This comes as the personal care industry has seen a massive economic boom. With more people realising the importance of looking after themselves, be it mentally, physically and also aesthetically, they are shelling out a lot of money to try and be at their best. One of the biggest effects of the pandemic on the beauty industry, was the importance of skin health. Few people needed to wear make-up…

SOUTH Africa now has a legal services ombud. Members of the public who are unhappy with the services of a lawyer or have fallen victim to injustices within the legal profession, can now turn to this office for intervention. It is headed by retired Judge Siraj Desai and will be operational from June 15. Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola this week launched this new office. He urged the office to “vigorously” investigate complaints against legal practitioners whose conduct is “unbecoming of the legal profession”. Speaking at the launch, Lamola said: “Legal professionals interact with and represent members of the public before the legal system regularly. In their interactions with legal practitioners, the public must never have a sense of powerlessness, moreover when their rights are grossly violated.” The…

THE Gauteng High Court in Pretoria yesterday rejected an attempt to hold a trial-within-a-trial in the Senzo Meyiwa murder case to determine the validity of alleged confessions and vet contradictory cases. As the trial relating to the murder of the former Orlando Pirates player resumed, advocate Malesela Teffo, for four of the five accused, informed the court he was not comfortable proceeding with the trial. Teffo said his discomfort came from recently learning that the accused’s constitutional rights had been grossly violated. According to the defence counsel, the accused had already appeared on October 27, 2020 in the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court for the same incident, where they had refused to enter the dock, saying they did not know why they were there. Neither were they informed of their rights. He…

IT’S a classic case of a sad story with a happy ending, when three donkeys that could not relocate with their owner when she had to move from her farm to a smaller property for her safety, found a new home. For Abby, Toetsie and Jack, their turn of luck is thanks to the Wet Nose Equestrian Centre, a new unit of the Wet Nose Animal Rescue Centre which rescues horses, donkeys and other farm animals. “We received a heartfelt call from a woman in Balmoral who lives alone on her farm. Due to safety concerns she has to move to a smaller and safer property. This left her with three donkeys that could not move with her – Abby, Toetsie and Jack, who have been part of her family…

THE World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed that Covid-19 deaths are expected to decrease by almost 94% this year compared to 2021 when the pandemic was at its most lethal. Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO’s regional director for Africa, explained that close to 1 000 people died daily last year and that this had reduced dramatically this year. “Last year, we lost an average of 970 people every day,” said Moeti. “Our latest analysis suggests that estimated deaths in the African region will shrink to around 60 a day in 2022.” He added, however, that relaxing safety measures posed a possible danger in that a new variant could arise. “Every time we sit back and relax, Covid-19 flares up again. The threat of new variants remains real.” The WHO added…

PARLIAMENT has rejected an EFF bill that wanted government clinics to operate 24 hours a day and seven days a week, saying its implementation was not feasible financially, among other things. EFF MP Susan Thembekwayo tabled her private member’s bill in 2018 and it was only considered two years later. Tabling a report of the health portfolio committee on Thursday, chairperson Kenneth Jacobs said the committee had concluded after deliberations that the bill in its current form would have massive implications for the Department of Health. “The quantification of costs must be done before the bill could be considered. Moreover, it was of concern that the country was currently under financial stress and the Department of Health would have great difficulty in adjusting its budget against requirements resulting from Covid-19,”…

YOU’VE probably watched the famous 1980s trilogy Back to the Future. One of the stars of the time-travelling comedy series is the time machine itself, the DeLorean DMC-12. The famous wedgy car was supposed to re-enter production thanks to low-volume manufacturer rules (as we wrote here) a few years ago. However, that plan has been shelved and the DeLorean Alpha5 is the company’s latest creation. The DeLorean Alpha5 will be unveiled tomorrow, and the company gave us a sneak peek on its official website. The car will make its public debut at the annual Pebble Beach Concours held in California during August. This Alpha5 is the first of a line of models the brand will be producing over the next few years. DeLorean will also build a sports coupé powered…

The time for talking is done … South African rugby fans can expect a thrilling contest between the Bulls and Sharks in today’s United Rugby Championship quarter-final at Loftus Versfeld (kick-off 1.45pm ). And while Sean Everitt’s Sharks side have beaten the Bulls home and away in the URC, Jake White’s team did well to recover from a shaky start to secure a home play-off. Both teams may have the edge in certain areas of the field – the Bulls have the better attack, while the Sharks’ kicking game is superb. Here are five individual battles that could decide the showdown … Harold Vorster v Lukhanyo Am Okay, Vorster wears No 12 and Am No 13, but they are the key instigators in the respective backlines. Vorster is the…

Japan “will continue to aim to accept foreign tourists just as before, in a step-by-step process while monitoring the infection situation,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in an announcement that the country will ease restrictions on the entry of foreign tourists next month. “The free and active exchange of people is the foundation of our economy and society,” Kishida said in the Thursday announcement. From June 10, tourists from 98 countries and regions that are deemed to be low-risk Covid-19 areas will be able to visit Japan on package tours, and the restrictions will be further eased gradually. The Tourism Agency has been conducting a pilot project since Tuesday and will formulate guidelines for infection control and other measures. Tourists will be required by travel agencies to comply with guidelines…

Theatre has a long history of breaking barriers and smashing stereotypes; be it racial, class or gender stereotypes. Creatives around the world have, for many years, managed to find ways to push these boundaries through the expression of art. Mzansi Ballet has taken it up a notch by casting male dancer Joshua Williams as Cinderella in their latest enthralling production, The Abba Show – A Cinderella Story, currently staging at The Pieter Toerien Theatre at Montecasino. This beautifully crafted ballet showcase is a modern telling of the classic tale of Cinderella, set to the timeless music of Abba featuring world-class choreography by Angela Revie, Xola Willie and Michael Revie. Speaking to Williams shortly before the preview opening night, the Cape Town-born star said he was honoured and humbled to be…

Collecting artwork has evolved – it has changed in format, resources, means, accessibility and perspective, but its essence survives through the test of time. Art is now influenced by the digital era. Art collection earlier was considered a virtue of mature age but more millennials are taking it up seriously. Collecting art is seen as an investment but is a personally rewarding pursuit. The journey from an art enthusiast and appreciator to a collector requires study, patience and perseverance. Especially in this demographic-defying dynamic digital era, one needs to know what one wants from the rich and diverse world of art. To become a collector, one needs to deep dive into the subject to study, analyse, understand and decode the world of art. There are various platforms including genres, schools…

Mpho Ngobeni, 6, who was in Grade 1, Lerato Ngobeni, 8, who was in Grade 2 – both at Kaalfontein Primary School, Midrand – and their 1-year-old sibling, Shirley Ngobeni, died on Tuesday from eating meat laced with rat poison. Their funeral will be held next Saturday. The three allegedly consumed rat poison sprinkled on meat by their grandmother, who had intended to use it to kill rats later that evening when the family were asleep. The grandmother then tried to give them milk, but the children complained of stomach cramps and were rushed to a medical facility, where they were certified dead on arrival. Lesufi was accompanied by Johannesburg East District officials to offer condolences and support to the family. More details regarding the funeral of the children will…

SOUTH AFRICA is a veritable crime haven and the nation has every right to be afraid following the release of the Crime Stats for the first quarter of 2022. Experts sounded the warning saying something has to give and that the country cannot go on in this way. Ironically, the crime stats show that child murders are up by 37% in the week the country is marking Child Protection Week. The number of sexual offences reported to the police increased by 13.7% to 10 818 during the first three months of this year. Presented by the Police Minister Bheki Cele yesterday, the latest statistics show murder increased by 22.2% from 4 976 in the same period last year to 6 083 in 2022. A criminologist at Stellenbosch University’s Political Science…

THE City of Tshwane’s MMC for Social Development and Community Services, Peggy de Bruin, says she is satisfied with the construction work under way to revamp the historic Caledonian Stadium in Arcadia. De Bruin this week announced during a visit to the stadium, which was built in 1903, that she was satisfied the project was on course for completion in this financial year. She praised work already done at the stadium, saying it is slightly ahead of the project at Refilwe Stadium, which is also under construction. Both stadiums have been allocated a capital budget of R85 million towards the construction and completion of the projects in the 2022/23 financial year. Work at the Caledonian Stadium, which has been allocated at least R50m, includes stripping and demolition of old structures,…

SOUTH AFRICANS have a special affinity to many things including braaiing, soccer, rugby and of course cars, preferably of the fast kind. Which also makes us one of the world’s highest consumers of vehicles adorned with the “M”, “AMG”, “RS” and in this case the “GTI” moniker. And it’s not the Golf 8 GTI we had on test but the very capable and quick enough Polo GTI. The Golf is all grown up now and at almost R700 000 it’s also grown out of most people’s budgets. Not that the Polo GTI is cheap at almost R500 000 but it does provide a real alternative to a fun drive, should that be your thing. I mean 0-100km/h in 6.7 seconds and a 238km/h top speed is not to be sniffed…

HAVING won earlier tournaments to lead the World Sevens Series, the Blitzboks came crashing down to earth in the recent Toulouse Sevens. However captain Siviwe Soyizwapi is confident that his team can hit back at the Commonwealth Games next month. The Springbok Sevens side lost out on a medal in the Gold Coast, Australia at the last event in 2018, losing the third-place play-off 21-14 to England to finish fourth. The South Africans were cruising at the start of the current World Series campaign as the likes of Fiji and New Zealand didn’t participate due to Covid-19 travel restrictions at the time. But in fact, it wasn’t one of the heavyweight sides that knocked them out at the Toulouse Sevens. They lost 21-12 to Ireland in their opener, beat Spain…

COCO Gauff says she has “nothing to lose” in today’s French Open final against world number one Iga Swiatek, with her opponent on a 34-match winning streak and looking for a second Roland Garros title. Teenage star Gauff is the youngest Grand Slam finalist since Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon 18 years ago and only graduated from high school while in Paris. The 18-year-old has yet to drop a set in the tournament and showed little signs of nerves in her first major semi-final with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Martina Trevisan. But she is the underdog against Poland’s Swiatek, who will equal Venus Williams’ record for the longest women’s unbeaten run in the 21st century if she lifts the trophy. “I think going in I have nothing to lose and…

RAFAEL Nadal reached his 14th French Open final yesterday after Alexander Zverev was forced to quit their semi-final after suffering a horror right ankle injury. Zverev had to leave the court in a wheelchair after turning his ankle trailing 7-6 (10/8), 6-6 after more than three hours of play. After screaming in anguish, a tearful Zverev was helped from the court by medics. Minutes later, the 25-year-old returned to the court on crutches and conceded the match. “It’s very tough and very sad for him. He was playing an unbelievable tournament and he’s a very good colleague on the tour,” said Nadal. “I know how much he’s fighting to win a Grand Slam. “For the moment, he was very unlucky. I’m sure he’ll win not one, but much more than…

Most of my ride-hailing experiences have been uneventful – except for one recent trip to the airport. On a rainy afternoon, I failed to connect with my driver, which precipitated a soggy 20-minute delay. That got me thinking: maybe I could benefit from some advice. I asked academics, travellers and ride-hailing experts. And much like the ride-hailing industry itself, the answers I received were all over the map. Here’s what else I learned. Look at the fare before you agree Insiders say this is important for visitors to a new city. The practice of surge pricing, or charging more if demand is higher, can make some rides less affordable, says JB Shepard, a Baltimore-based photographer who has driven for major ride-hailing services. “For whatever reason, this seems to happen more…

An adventurous mom who was diagnosed with cancer in 2020 has set out to conquer Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money in aid of ostomy and cancer patients. In 2020, while so many people’s lives were shaken by the Covid-19 pandemic, Lerato Monyatsi, from Krugersdorp, was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer. The diagnosis meant that the 41-year-old founder of non-profit organisation SkirtGirlHiker Foundation would need to receive immediate medical attention and undergo multiple surgeries as well as chemotherapy and radiation. Through this journey, Monyatsi also became a permanent ostomate, a person who had a surgical operation to create an opening in the body for the discharge of bodily waste, after losing her colon to cancer. Monyatsi faced exorbitant medical costs and still to this day she requires costly medical supplies…

Funnyman Napoleon “Napsta” Masinga says he wants to help actors, artists, musicians, dancers, designers and every other member of the creative community to bounce back from the Covid-19 pandemic after these past two years. It’s no secret that the entertainment industry was one of the hardest-hit industries in a little over 24 months owing to the tough lockdown restrictions. With only 50% capacity in the theatres and other entertainment spaces allowed at present, many creatives continue to suffer greatly and, for some, it will take years to recover financially and emotionally. Napsta asked: “What happens next for the creatives?” Speaking to IOL Entertainment before the launch of The Next Chapter Jozi edition conference, Napsta said he didn’t want to see another celebrity die a pauper. “The Next Chapter…

THE LAND Rover Defender 130 has been revealed and, as promised, it provides seating for up to eight occupants and a few exclusive features. However, rather than extend the wheelbase as well as the rear section as most carmakers do when creating a more practical model variant, Land Rover has put the extra 340mm of length into the rear overhang. That makes it look a little ungainly but Land Rover has at least adopted a “boat tail” design to ensure a decent departure angle of 28.5 degrees for offroading. The Land Rover Defender 130 body style also ushers in a new model-exclusive Sedona Red exterior colour. Those going for more conventional silver and white hues can alternatively opt for a new Extended Bright Pack, in which all lower body panels…

WHEN it comes to play-off matches, one of the buzzwords in South Africa is ‘finals rugby’ – which usually means that the teams will be much more conservative with their game plan. And if it’s two local sides in a derby, there is an even greater chance of the match being characterised by box-kicks, one-off runners and aiming at the posts. But that is exactly what Bulls coach Jake White warned his team against for this afternoon’s United Rugby Championship quarter-final against the Sharks at Loftus Versfeld today (1.45pm kick-off). The Pretoria outfit have mixed their traditional physicality with some out-of-the-box thinking this season, and have played with great variety from the line-outs and scrums, as well as bringing their strike-runners at the back into play. They still don’t have…

A WIRY Scottish character once walked into the dungeon of a sleeping giant – powerhouse resting on the laurels of past successes while withstanding the noise of all its admirers and the harsh, consistent reminders of the golden period of one of its fiercest rivals. Fast forward 26 years on, the man who stood on the shoulders of the giant is embraced by numerous gold medals, a variety of trophies and the respect of both rivals and allies. “You start with what you believe in. I believe in building a football club rather than building a football team,” is what Sir Alex Ferguson said when asked about his tenure at one of the biggest clubs in the world in Manchester United. Halfway around the world, a Kaizer Motaung Junior-led Kaizer…

NEW research by SportsShoes.com reveals the most beautiful cities for a run, based on Instagram hashtag data. To highlight how to make the most of extensive trails and to inspire people to explore cities on foot, the sports retailer analysed running-related Instagram hashtags for over 600 cities worldwide to reveal the most stunning backdrops for a run. The number of hashtags for #run{city} were counted and compared for cities in the UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Africa, South America and Asia. Lagos tops the list as Africa’s most beautiful city to run in, with 15 000 hashtags under #RunLagos. The city is home to the famous Lagos City Marathon. Starting at National Stadium, Surulere, participants follow the route ending at Eko Atlantic City, Victoria Island. When not taking on…

When the pandemic hit, “no-sail orders” suspended cruises for 15 months. Once the ban was lifted, Marcello de Lio, an avid cruiser from New York City, couldn’t wait to get back onboard. But his girlfriend of three years didn’t share his enthusiasm. Even though he had never sailed solo before, De Lio, 26, a construction company owner and travel blogger, began researching his options and found promotions designed to entice customers to return. He set off alone from Miami for a four-night cruise to the Bahamas in September on the Norwegian Cruise Line Getaway ship. The trip, De Lio said, was a fantastic adventure that provided him with the opportunity to step outside of his comfort zone and meet new people. “The trend of solo cruise travel picked up during…