Innholdsfortegnelse for 2022-11-12 i Pretoria News Weekend

Kate Moss appeared to slur her words while giving a speech at an awards ceremony. The 48-year-old supermodel – who has been sober since 2018 – presented the Fashion Innovator gong to her friend Anthony Vaccarello at the Wall Street Journal’s Innovator Awards but seemed to stumble through her speech. After taking a long pause to read from her phone in a video shared by the Wall Street Journal on Instagram, she said: “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen ... Antony and I have worked together for ... years. “Since he started (at Yves) Saint Laurent ... I could recognise his instinct ... for fashion and ... I wanted to be a part of that. “I wanted to be part of his Saint Laurent family and ... I wanted to be…

THE former wife of a deceased man and their three children turned to court to challenge the fact that a pension fund allocated his entire payout – of about R1.2 million – to his girlfriend. The woman, only identified in a Western Cape High Court judgment as Ms A, was regarded as the life partner of the deceased at the time of his death. Momentum saw fit to allocate the entire pension payout to her. But the former wife and children vehemently opposed this. The deceased had divorced his ex-wife in 2008. She and the three children of that marriage were aggrieved by the allocation and at first lodged a complaint with the Pension Funds Adjudicator. The complaint was dismissed, which led to the applicants instituting the current proceedings. The…

JSE-listed technology services group EOH has agreed to pay the government more than R190 million for IT contracts it illegally obtained from the Department of Water and Sanitation more than six years ago. This was revealed in a joint statement by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), EOH and the Department of Water and Sanitation on Friday. SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said they and the department had signed a settlement agreement with EOH, to pay back more than R178m, plus interest, it irregularly received from its dealings with the department between 2012 and 2017. In terms of the agreement, EOH has agreed to pay back R191 883 000, inclusive of interest, over a period of 36 months. According to the payment schedule, an upfront payment of R65 792 258.85 should be…

THE 14th annual Feather Awards, held at the Market Theatre on November 10, was attended by some of Mzansi’s favourite celebrities to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community, not just on the African continent, but around the world. Complete with exquisite fashion, colourful entertainment and killer live performances, the awards continued their rich tradition of glitz and glam. Actor Senzo Radebe scooped the Hunk of the Year award while musicians Zakes Bantwini and Msaki took home the Musician award. Nambitha Ben-Mazwi bagged the Hot Chick of the Year and Mzansi’s Cutest Couple was handed to one of our favz, Boity Thulo and Anton Jefta, while Fag Hag of the Year went to Candice Modiselle. Moonchild Sanelly offered hot entertainment together with Lelo Whats Good and Brenda Mtambo. When it came to the…

This year is by far the worst year of Eskom’s load shedding to date. We have already had more than 2 000 hours of Eskom’s load shedding since the beginning of this year. The period between September 6 and October 6 marked the first time that South Africa had ever had at least 30 consecutive days of load shedding, which even included two days of stage 6 load shedding. We have had more than 100 days of load shedding so far in 2022. When Statistics SA released its report for the second quarter of 2022, which showed negative economic growth (contraction), and also when releasing other monthly negative economic growth rates for different sectors, including manufacturing, it was always mentioned that Eskom’s load shedding had played a major part in…

In the city of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, leaders from across the world are gathering to negotiate over carbon emissions – for the 27th consecutive time. Although this year’s UN Climate Change Conference – known as COP27 – will be in a new setting, in many other ways the conference will probably feel like deja vu. For almost three decades, governments have met to discuss the problem of climate change and tried to work toward a solution that will keep global warming from topping 2°C. They have negotiated, signed treaties, reneged on the treaties and signed new ones. And almost every year, carbon emissions have continued to climb. In 1995, when the first UN climate conference was held in Berlin, the countries of the world released approximately 23 billion metric tons…

The UN is ready to supply humanitarian aid to the city of Kherson if safety guarantees are provided, UN spokes-person Stephanie Tremblay said. On Wednesday, Russia’s General Sergei Surovikin said his troops would withdraw from the city and take up defensive positions on the left bank of the Dnieper River. He said it was no longer possible to keep the city properly supplied amid constant shelling from Ukrainian forces. The general said the decision would also preserve the combat effectiveness of Russia’s troops operating in the zone of the special military operation. |…

The Fiduciary Institute of Southern Africa (Fisa) has called on all banks to investigate why it takes months to provide basic information to executors administering deceased estates. The delays experienced in the administration and finalisation of deceased estates have been much in the media in recent months. The Master’s Offices are often blamed for the backlog, but Fisa says in a media statement it appears that some of the banks are also the reason for the delays. Fisa has called on all commercial banks to help reduce the backlog and play their part in the administration process by streamlining their procedures. “This will help families who have lost loved ones with their financial challenges while they are in mourning and assist executors to limit the risks during the administration process,”…

In the past few months, South African asset managers have been bullish about local shares compared with overseas ones. This may be too much of a generalisation, considering the differences in views and investment strategies of the many analysts and fund managers in the local investment industry, but there does seem to be an overall shift in interest from offshore to local. The basic question, when it comes down to it, is: do the (generally) attractive prices of shares on the JSE outweigh the wider risks South Africa faces at present? Adriaan Pask, chief investment officer at PSG Wealth, in a recent article “Is now the right time to invest in local assets?”, says if you look at the news headlines, it’s easy to become disheartened about investing in South…

MISTAKES happen. You messed up and now you need some time away to think about the consequences of your actions and give your partner some time to blow off steam. Forget about baking them a cheesecake, the damage has been done. Why not take a little sho’t left to these beautiful hidden gems to clear your head so you can come back a better man? PS: These places are off the radar so you can switch off the phone and focus on finding yourself. Wild Coast, Eastern Cape The Wild Coast is known for its scenic beauty, rugged cliffs, quiet beaches, warm people and Xhosa culture. It’s an off-the-beaten-track destination, where the time goes slowly. With little to no signal in some areas, it’s the perfect place for a digital…

Over the last decade, veganism has rapidly become a popular lifestyle choice. While it’s widely recognised as a dietary preference, it’s filtering into other aspects of life, including the fashion scene. November is World Vegan Month. A month dedicated to shining a spotlight on the movement and everything it stands for. What does vegan fashion entail? Garments and accessories that are 100% animal cruelty-free and do not use any animal-based fibres are considered vegan-friendly. “Vegan fashion is the future of fashion and sustainable design as it involves an ethical, conscious approach to material innovation,” said fashion designer Lara Klawikowski. “Far too often, progress in design is to the detriment of nature. Ethical material innovation is the way forward. I’m fascinated by alternative cruelty-free fabric developments and the creativity of biomimicry.”…

KEEN on being buried in a Merc? Or how about a tombstone designed to look like a house – complete with a stoep and all? Harley Davidson hearse, anyone? The emergence of new trends always seems to follow big events – regardless of whether these events are positive or traumatic in nature. The Covid-19 pandemic, forced many people to confront their worst fears around losing loved ones and as a result, “funeral fever” has taken hold across the globe. In a country like South Africa, various cultural expectations dictate that your status in life is closely associated with the degree of pomp and circumstance surrounding your death. As a result, we’re now seeing a wave of outlandish funeral trends – from the quirky to the downright macabre. Senior business analyst…

THE International Day for Tolerance on November 16 is a reminder of the crucial and urgent need to promote tolerance, mutual understanding and co-operation among the nations, races, tribes and religions of the world. Bahálláh, the founder of the Bahá’í Faith, states: “Observe tolerance and righteousness, which are two lights amidst the darkness of the world and two educators for the edification of mankind”. To build a tolerant and unified global society, we need to confront all kinds of prejudice. As the Baháí International Community states: “Clearly, the promotion of tolerance and mutual understanding among the diverse segments of the human race cannot be a passive or rhetorical exercise. “All forms of provincialism, all insularities and prejudices must be directly confronted. The implementation of appropriate legal measures that safeguard the…

BEAUTY queen Vanessa Palesa Pitsi, 23, a finalist in the Miss Inspire South Africa National Pageant, hopes to win this pageant during the finals on December 10 in Benoni. The objective of this pageant is to empower young women by providing them with personal development, emotional intelligence, and to expose them to social developments workshops offered by industry professionals. Pitsi is a model and was born and raised in Mpumalanga. She recently graduated from Tshwane University of Technology and holds a national diploma in human resource management. She is a self-inspired model and believes that she was born to be a model. She has entered a few pageants in her career and each one of them is overwhelming. She is keen to enter more pageants, and whether she wins or…

The underlying causes of gender- based violence and femicide (GBVF) are the deeply entrenched cultural beliefs and attitudes that perpetuate the inequality and powerlessness of women and girls. GBVF often manifests as a power imbalance where men are perpetrators and women or girls are victims. Men are socialised to be aggressive, powerful and unemotional while women are socialised to be weak and submissive to men. The cultural beliefs have been successful in keeping the pillars of patriarchy in place for centuries. South Africa is considered to be one of the most dangerous countries for women and children. Almost every day the national media carry stories of women or children who have been raped or murdered. In response to the high incidence of GBVF, President Cyril Ramaphosa held a 2nd GBVF…

Hackers have demanded $10 million to stop leaking highly sensitive records stolen from a major Australian health-care company, as they uploaded yet more intimate details about customers. Medibank, Australia’s largest private health insurer, confirmed this week that hackers had accessed the information of 9.7 million clients, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. On Thursday, the hackers uploaded a second batch of files to a dark web forum, with more sensitive details about hundreds of Medibank customers. Medibank has repeatedly refused to pay the ransom. |…

My reign as the Financial Planning Institute’s (FPI’s) Financial Planner of The Year came to an end last month. I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing my views on what I feel are the pertinent considerations that an investor should focus on when establishing a well-structured and sound financial plan. My goal as the Financial Planner of The Year was to add value in professionalising the industry further. As this is my last contribution, I would like to highlight my top four considerations shared over the past 11 monthly articles. The importance of financial planning Having a detailed financial plan gives you a strategy to make practical financial decisions in all aspects of your life. The strategy is a step-by-step approach to meet your life goals and acts as a guide as…

Lately, homeowners have been dreading announcements from the Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee. Inflation has been running rampant due to the war in Ukraine and what we now call the post-Covid-19 hangover. This has led to central banks hiking interest rates to combat the rising cost of living. But what do all these technical terms mean for you, and how does it affect your pocket? The answer to this lies in understanding the math behind your mortgage. The effect of a rate hike on your bond The prime interest rate is the basic rate of interest that commercial banks charge their clients when lending them money. In 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the prime interest rate was 7%. At the time of writing, the prime interest rate…

IF one thing is certain, there will be shocks in the World Cup with many big guns failing, possibly even some on this list. However, we seldom see major surprises when it comes to the overall winner of the tournament, and so it is safe to assume who the likely winners of the event may be. There is a strong possibility that the trophy will move out of Europe for the first time in 20 years with Argentina and Brazil the strongest teams on paper and in terms of recent form. The following are arguably the four favourites to lift the trophy in Qatar. Brazil Tite’s side enters the tournament ranked number 1 in the World. While many have been billing this World Cup as Lionel Messi’s last World Cup,…

Mabel Cadena says “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” required “huge work”. The “Asphalt Goddess” star brings Namora to life in the Marvel sequel to the 2018 flick, which was delayed due to the death of its star, Chadwick Boseman, in 2020 from cancer, “like a MasterClass” because of all the skills she needed to pick up, such as learning new languages and upping her physical fitness. After being asked what surprised her about the process of making the movie alongside her co-stars, Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke and Angela Bassett, the 32-year-old actress told Collider: “Everything. Everything. It’s a surprise because, well, the training, it’s huge. It's not easy. “No, it’s like a master class for me because you need focus on every part of your character. We need training…

Gauteng Hight Court, Pretoria, Judge Papi Masopa said he hoped handing down the harshest sentence possible for crimes committed against children would serve as a deterrent and warning to others. Judge Masopa was commenting as he sentenced a Soshanguve father who was found guilty of the murder of his son, 2, and attempted murder of his other two children, aged eight and 11. In addition to the murder conviction, the father was found guilty of the rape of his partner, who was also the mother of his children, as well as three counts of contravention of a protection order. According to the National Prosecuting Authority, on January 8, 2019, the mother, who had been in a relationship with the father from 2004 until 2018, applied for a protection order against…

WHILE the SA Idols Season 18 online voting poll has pointed towards SAPS member Thapelo Molomo as South Africa’s preferred candidate to win the much-loved musical competition, the ultimate result remains anyone’s guess. Millions of South Africans who have been following the competition will tomorrow finally find out who of the two remaining finalists, Molomo and Nozipho Sibiya, will be crowned the South African idol for 2022 at Tshwane’s Heartfelt Arena. By yesterday afternoon the online poll said Molomo had garnered 70% of the vote, while Sibiya obtained 30%. Sibiya, a seasoned performer from KwaZulu-Natal who is no stranger to performing, first entered SA Idols Season 12 in 2016, but did not make the first cut. She almost ended up giving up on her dream, but said her mother, who…

Load shedding has been a prominent feature of South African citizens’ lives and has brought to the fore the challenges associated with electricity access on the continent. In a report published by the World Bank, it was noted that sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 75% of the world’s population without electricity. This is a worrying statistic, especially when we take into consideration Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7, which alludes to the importance of having access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all citizens. Several factors have affected citizens’ access to electricity, among them the Covid-19 pandemic and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The 2022 edition of the Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report shows that the Covid-19 pandemic, through government-implemented lockdowns, disruptions to global supply chains and…

The UK government said it would push back a deadline to call elections in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris said he would introduce a “short, straightforward extension”, pushing back an initial legal cut-off by six weeks to December 8. It will also include an option for a second, six-week postponement for calling a poll to January 19 if necessary, he told parliament. He also said he would seek a pay cut to wages for regional lawmakers who have been drawing their full salaries despite the assembly shutdown since earlier this year. |…

Debt counselling firm DebtBusters has just released its Debt Index for the third quarter, which shows that there has been an increase of more than 30% in debt counselling enquiries compared with a year ago, indicating far higher levels of financial stress among consumers. The firm says that with no meaningful increase in real income, rising interest rates and inflation are choking South African consumers, who are borrowing more. Many of the enquiries are from consumers who took on debt to buy assets such as motor vehicles when interest rates were at historical lows last year. “The impact of the twin ‘I’s – inflation and interest – is evident in the data, which shows consumers are using unsecured credit to supplement their income. Average loan sizes have increased by 43%…

Changing jobs is a major life event, but just how disruptive it can be depends on how many loose ends you tie into a neat bow before you leave your employer. One of those loose ends? Finances. Remember those retirement fund contribution forms and risk cover beneficiary forms you had to complete when first joining your employer? Well, neatly consolidating the impact of your departure on these can mean the difference between sailing straight into your next chapter with peace of mind … or being caught in a financial nightmare. Two experts offer some pointers and surprising insights for navigating this life change so you can rest assured your finances are handled. Going solo with retirement savings Going independent, there’s the option of transferring your existing savings into a preservation…

BALLON d’Or runner-up Sadio Mane was named in Senegal’s World Cup squad by coach Aliou Cisse yesterday in spite of a recent injury. Cisse, who captained Senegal at the 2002 World Cup, said he hoped the condition of the Bayern Munich attacker would improve and declared himself “really optimistic” that the injury would not require an operation. Mane’s involvement in the tournament was in doubt after he limped off during Bayern’s 6-1 win over Werder Bremen on Tuesday. The 30-year-old was diagnosed with an injury to his right fibula and will undergo further tests. “I preferred to keep him in the group,” Cisse told reporters. “Sadio Mane is an important player in our squad, it is important to continue to follow his injury, hoping that in two or three weeks…