Innholdsfortegnelse for 2023-03-11 i Pretoria News Weekend

The story of Will Smith’s Oscar night slap of Chris Rock has often elicited sympathy towards the comedian. Publicly, over the past year, Rock has been widely portrayed as a victim who was humiliated by an out-of-order peer for a harmless bit. But last Saturday, Rock emphatically flipped the script with his first lengthy public response on the incident. Ever the perfectionist, the comedian played the long game, biding his time and ultimately creating a spectacle of the occasion with Netflix’s first-ever live entertainment special less than a year after that infamous Oscars night. Titled Selective Outrage, the theme of the special turns out to be far more nuanced than the clips circulating on social media after the special premiered had suggested. Admittedly, I was one of those who found…

Actress and film-maker Elizabeth Banks isn’t content playing within the confines of Hollywood. No, she would rather push the envelope and stretch the imagination. And this is wonderfully manifested in her latest film, Cocaine Bear. Interestingly, this was one of Ray Liotta’s final projects before he died on May 26 last year. Banks cemented her career in Tinseltown with an extensive string of rom-coms among her other projects. As such, comedy became a playground where she flourished. And this is manifested in projects like Charlie’s Angels and Pitch Perfect 2. For Cocaine Bear she marries horror with comedy. At a recent media junket, she said: “I really felt like this was the opportunity to layer real true comedy, laugh-out-loud moments, with a real sense of suspense and a lot…

After a long application process which saw over 340 entrants, the top 22 youngsters from across South Africa who are part of the Design Indaba Emerging Creatives programme for 2023, have been announced. The Design Indaba Emerging Creatives Class of 2023 are Christi-Lee du Plessis, Edward Thomas Wakefield, Jessie Zinn, Johnny Allison, Kamil Adam Hassim, Khumo Mohloli Morojele, Mignonne Busser (Filthy Plinths), Naledi Modupi, Nokukhanya Justine Zungu, Oteng Hope Kopiso, Otsile Rorisang Moumakoe, Princia Matungulu, Qeren Fourie, Rejoice Simphiwe Kunene, Riley Axon, Rucita and Viveka Vassen, Sandra Leigh Nagel, Shamyra Moodley, Tebogo Selepe and Thembi Mthembu. The creatives will be mentored by Neo “Nene” Mahlangu, a former Design Indaba Emerging Creative who has successfully paved her way as an artist and an entrepreneur. She hand-picked the class of 2023, which…

SOME workers at Kalafong Provincial Tertiary Hospital in Atteridgeville, Pretoria yesterday threatened to join the nationwide wage strike by the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu). The strike has seen hospitals shut down and patients being deprived of care across the country. Unlike in other hospitals in Gauteng and elsewhere in the country, daily operations at hospitals in the City of Tshwane, including Kalafong, have not been disrupted. The staff at local hospitals said it has been business as usual, with no protesters obstructing patients and hospital staff from accessing facilities. However, it looked like the situation was about to change at Kalafong after a group of workers met yesterday outside the health centre, mobilising each other to “fight for their rights”. They vowed to also go on…

While another big cat is on the loose in the Centurion region, lion whisperer Charmaine Joubert has called on authorities to display caution in tracking it down and not to randomly kill it. An extensive search operation is under way to track and capture the lion which has been spotted by different people around the R511 road, near the popular Hennops Hiking Trail and areas bordering Gauteng and North West. Joubert, an old-hand at working with predators at Mystic Monkeys, said people searching for the lion should follow the correct means when they are confronted by the king of the jungle. “The lion on the loose should be monitored in a good way. I urgently appeal to the authorities or anyone else not to simply shoot it. The correct people…

Instead of celebrating baby Kutlwano Kganyago’s 9-month birthday yesterday, his family are hoping for a miracle. Every day the residents from Ga-Rankuwa extension 25 live in fear that the latest addition to their family may not live to see another day, as the baby has been diagnosed with biliary atresia and liver cirrhosis. Biliary atresia is a condition in infants in which the bile ducts outside and inside the liver are scarred and blocked. As a result, bile cannot flow into the intestine, and builds up in the liver, damaging it. This eventually leads to liver failure. This week, baby Kutlwano, who had an engorged abdomen, was visibly uncomfortable and lethargic. His mother, Ofentse Kganyago, said that just like her previous pregnancies, with her 9- and 4-year-old boys, she was…

After releasing the first pictures of the futuristic-looking second-generation Hyundai Kona late last year, the Korean carmaker has now spilled the beans on some of the technical details of the electric model. While the previous Hyundai Venue was offered with an electric variant, the big point of departure for the new model is that it was designed first as an EV and then adapted to internal combustion (ICE) variants. The new Hyundai Kona is expected to reach South Africa towards the end of 2023, according to our friends at Citizen Motoring, although it’s practically a given that we’ll only get the petrol versions, for now at least. While it has yet to be confirmed which ICE powertrains will be offered in global markets, Korea will get two petrol options, in…

AFTER hosting just 14 players at a three-week training camp, Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber has called on a number of Stormers stars for a second gathering this weekend. The national team completed their camp in Stellenbosch yesterday with mainly established Test players, which was described as a physical and development camp. Captain Siya Kolisi, Steven Kitshoff, Frans Malherbe, Thomas du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Marvin Orie, Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi, Jaden Hendrikse, Makazole Mapimpi, Canan Moodie, Lukhanyo Am, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Damian Willemse all wrapped things up yesterday and will enjoy the weekend off, before rejoining their United Rugby Championship franchises on Monday. But Nienaber has announced that eight other players will be in Cape Town for two days of “off-field sessions” on Saturday and Sunday – Stormers’ Joseph Dweba…

ANNIE Bothma. That is how the athlete from Stellenbosch is referred to. It is her name, after all. But it should not be that way. Annie Bothma’s name should be preceded by a title. We should be referring to her as former South African marathon champion Annie Bothma. That we do not is because of Western Province Athletics’ (WPA) lack of faith in this special athlete. Four years ago, when she made her marathon debut in the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, Bothma had approached WPA in the hope she’d run in their colours in the race that also doubled as the South African National Marathon Championships. The province rejected the novice. “It was my debut and they did not believe I could finish a marathon,” said the athlete, who suffers…

Nicki Minaj is launching her own record label. The rap legend has announced her new imprint on Republic Records. The roster will boast the likes of Nana Fofie, Tate Kobang, Rico Danna and London Hill. The name of the new record label isn’t known at this time. On her Queen Radio show for Amazon Music’s AMP, the Super Freaky Girl hitmaker spilt: “When I get behind an artist, y’all know how I do s*** for people that’s not even signed to me. Imagine what Imma (sic) do for the ones that’s signed.” And Minaj, who dropped her first tune of 2023, Red Ruby Da Sleeze, last week, has vowed to help launch the careers of artists from a wide range of genres. “Don’t think my label is just rap, or…

Four years after Victoria’s Secret shuttered its annual runway show in a bid to “evolve”, the lingerie brand is bringing back a version of the star-studded spectacle later this year. The high-profile shows, known for parading elaborately winged and scantily clad supermodels, had also drawn criticism for glorifying unrealistic body standards and their sparse diversity. And industry experts warn the “Angels” of the past will no longer fly. “It’s one of those shining examples, when you look back at how brands were when it came to body inclusivity, of what not to do, that it’s a surprise that they would go back in that direction, unless they’ve got some big sea change planned,” said Kara Richardson Whitely, the chief executive of size inclusivity consulting company the Gorgeous Agency. Word of…

Giving birth is no joke, and it doesn’t hurt – literally – to opt for the epidural. A 32-year-old mom shared her dilemma on Reddit after her husband refused to split the medical bill, which was up to $8 000 (about R148 900). Surely this baby wasn’t made alone, it takes two to tango! The woman asked the internet if she was being “the a**hole” for expecting him to pay for some of the costs. ‘’I planned to go for a natural birth up until I hit the 24-hour mark of labour, I caved and got the epidural,’’ she wrote. “My husband had no problem with it and even encouraged it. When the bill came he brought it to me to pay.’’ That’s not even the cherry on the cake,…

“NEW EARS” brought joy to an elderly Moot, Pretoria, resident who was recently attacked in her house at a retirement home and robbed of nearly everything, including her hearing aids. Ria de Beer, 77, said she woke up in the early hours of January 19 after two men gained access to her home at the Agapé retirement village. “When I woke up around 4am, two men were standing in my bedroom. They indicated to me that I had to keep quiet. “I was in shock, but I did what they asked as I did not want to shout and cause the other residents of the old-age home to also wake up and then be in danger,” De Beer said. She remained in her bed while the two men…

It’s heartening to know that the BMW 3-Series is still the mainstay of the Munich-based car manufacturer and that one in seven BMWs sold is the 3-Series. So it stands to reason that they will pay careful attention to its updating and tweaking as the models progress. The latest models have arrived in South Africa and though not massive, the tweaks have made them even more attractive. The front end gets larger air intakes, slimmer full-LED headlights, daytime running lights in an inverted L and a redesigned kidney grille. Let’s raise a glass to BMW for not trying to force the much-maligned large grille into the 3-Series’s profile. The rear has a higher proportion of surfaces painted in the body colour, slim units and flared rear-wheel arches and the exhaust…

Over the past few decades, there has been a rise in the number of women entrepreneurs who have established successful businesses, are creating employment and wealth for themselves as well as building their legacies. Women-owned businesses have been ever-increasing, and according to the World Bank, accounts for 1 in 3 businesses globally. In South Africa, this number stands at just below 20%. The majority of women, therefore, still rely on gainful employment to be able to sustain themselves, be able to achieve financial independence and create meaningful wealth over time. The challenges that women are faced with largely still stand, namely pay inequality, career interruptions, or having to take part-time work in order to care for children or elderly parents, which can impact their earnings and retirement savings. Women tend…

AFTER a disastrous campaign last season, Lions coach Mziwakhe Nkosi says his team are determined to “go deep” in the Currie Cup this time around. And the Joburg side have shown their intent by picking a number of players from their United Rugby Championship squad for today’s tournament opener against Western Province at Ellis Park (3.30pm). The Lions won just two out of 12 fixtures last season and ended bottom of the log as they selected mainly youngsters throughout. But Nkosi said the scheduling of the various competitions have helped him to call on several experienced campaigners. The pack of forwards is a case in point. Sti Sithole, Jaco Visagie and Ruan Smith make up a formidable front row, and the same applies to Pieter Janse van Vuuren and Darrien…

“DON’T be afraid to dream,” says Vimbai Masiyiwa, the first black African woman to own a luxury lodge, at the age of 28. Masiyiwa, a cancer survivor, dreamed of empowering local black African women, so she set herself the task of using tourism and hospitality to build sustainable livelihoods and improve the lives of Zimbabweans. According to the owner of Batoka Zambezi Sands River Lodge, opening the lodges was prompted by a desire to use hospitality and tourism as a catalyst for social change and local economic growth. “The process of opening the business was evolutionary in that I came in at a board level initially in the original lodge business about five years ago, and later I proposed and executed the move to creating a new, sustainably driven iteration…

The Duchess of York is reportedly set to hand out a gong at this year’s Oscars due to her friendship with Elvis Presley’s family. Sarah Ferguson, 63, gave a tribute speech at Graceland about Elvis’s late daughter Lisa Marie Presley at a memorial service for the singer, 54, in January. Lisa Marie was killed by two heart attacks on January 12. Ferguson is said to be headed to the Academy Awards where Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic is up for eight awards. A source said: “There have been discussions about it. Now looks as though that will happen – the plan is for her to present an award. “She has been a very close friend of the Presley family, especially Elvis’s daughter. That sparked conversations about her attending – after…

No one needs to be told how important friendships are at every stage of our life. So important, in fact, that a social relationship study conducted in 2016 on endogenous opioids (chemicals that makes us happy) found that friendships ignite the part of the brain that makes us feel good. While a great deal of research has found that having a strong social support network is important for maintaining our psychological well-being, some also suggest that when these friendships are in conflict or generate stress or anxiety, they are more damaging than having no friendships at all. What causes us to outgrow our friendships? Different life directions mean you stop hanging out as much, then they’re no longer the first person you go to with news, and before you know…

Gone are the days when women wanted to be frail and petite. There have been various stereotypes associated with women’s fitness – women shouldn’t lift heavy weights, women shouldn’t do very high-intensity workouts, women shouldn’t focus on building muscle – and so on. However, all of these stereotypes are being broken and women are embracing workouts more than ever. Women’s health and fitness are essential for several reasons. First, maintaining good health helps women to live longer and happier lives. Women who are healthy and fit can enjoy a higher quality of life, have more energy, and are less likely to suffer from chronic diseases. Regular exercise helps improve heart health, strengthen bones and muscles and maintain a healthy lifestyle by reducing the risk of chronic health diseases like heart…

WE were recently invited by Mercedes-Benz South Africa to its AMG Driving Academy at Zwartkops Raceway for the announcement of their newest additions to their Friends of the Brand programme. Also in store would be a track experience in the all-new Mercedes-AMG C43, for which the brand announced a price tag of R1 608 810. As a reminder, the regular C-Class models are priced from R966 156 (C200) and R1 030 549 (C220d). Mark Raine, the co-CEO of Mercedes-Benz South Africa, announced that Springbok rugby players Makazole Mapimpi and Lukhanyo Am are the latest Friends of the Brand. As part of their partnership, they were each handed their own Mercedes-AMG C43 to drive for the next year. The Mercedes-AMG C43 employs a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder engine with technology derived from Formula…

In his recent Budget speech, Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana said that improved revenue collection was one of the reasons he was able to provide tax relief in excess of R20 billion to both individuals and companies to support the response to energy challenges and to account for inflation tax adjustment. This week and a fortnight later, National Treasury and the South African Revenue Service (Sars) published the 15th annual edition of the Tax Statistics, showing just how much that was. The review provides a breakdown of tax collections and other information for the 2018 - 2022 tax years, as well as the 2017/18 - 2021/22 fiscal years. Due to the strong economic recovery from the pandemic, tax revenue increased by R314.1 billion to R1 563.8 billion for the…

Second Test, Day 3, Stumps South Africa: 320 and 287/7 (Bavuma 171*, Mulder 42, Mayers 2/25) West Indies: 251 all out South Africa leads by 356 runs JACOB Zuma was still President of South Africa. Covid-19 was yet to change our lives. And Prince Harry was still a royal. That’s when Temba Bavuma last scored a Test century. A time difference of 2619 days until yesterday at the Wanderers on the Highveld. Bavuma finally rid himself of the biggest of burdens upon his shoulders. It was only fitting that his first Test century came at Newlands in the city of his birth seven years ago. And now there is a small measure of pertinence that his second has arrived at the Wanderers in the town he calls home in his…

South Africa’s Tourism Ministry has a new head. President Cyril Ramaphosa this week appointed Patricia De Lille as Minister of Tourism. De Lille takes over from Lindiwe Sisulu who was in office since 5 August 2021. De Lille comes with a strong background as she was previously the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure and Mayor of Cape Town from 2011 to 2018. The two bodies that play a crucial role in promoting the tourism and hospitality sectors of the country, the Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa (FEDHASA) and the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA), have reacted positively. FEDHASA’s National Chairperson, Rosemary Anderson, welcomed the appointment, saying: “We look forward to working with her and unlocking the enormous potential that tourism holds for South Africa. .”…