Innholdsfortegnelse for 2023-03-25 i Pretoria News Weekend

US singer Chris Brown’s reputation is as well known as his music. In 2009, he was sentenced to five years probation for assaulting his then-girlfriend, fellow singer Rihanna, and he has been involved in other controversies over the years involving violence, misogyny and alleged sexual assault. The UK leg of his arena tour, “Under the Influence”, started on March 9. These are his first British shows since being denied entry in 2010 because of his criminal record. The tour sold out in minutes, and a recent Evening Standard review described Brown as “arguably cancel culture’s greatest fail to date”. So how has he managed to weather the rigours of public scrutiny? Nicknamed “the king of R&B”, Brown was marketed to teens in the early noughties as a triple threat: a…

Shingai Darangwa Award-winning rapper Nasty C had all of South Africa doing a double take after he posted a picture standing alongside global R&B star Chris Brown on Tuesday morning. In the image, which appeared to be taken backstage at Brown’s Under The Influence Tour in London, UK, on Monday night, the two pose side by side, with Brown pulling a funny face. Nasty C captioned the image: “Meet your idols”. The post had drawn more than 5 000 comments by yesterday morning, with the likes of Boity, Moozlie, Kid X, Zingah, Uncle Vinny, Cooper Pabi and DJ Zinhle applauding him. Rowlene quipped: “Damn Chris finally got to meet his idol”, while Pamela Mtanga poked fun at his height in the original edited image he posted on social media to…

In the fight against tuberculosis globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) has created a Flagship Initiative on TB to fast-track treatment of the sickness between 2023 and 2027. The WHO said that in September, the UN General Assembly would convene three High-Level Meetings focusing on pandemic preparedness and response and ending TB. Dr Norbet Ndjeka, chief director for TB Control Management in South Africa, was part of a press briefing with WHO regarding the end process of TB this week. He said they found tracking and confirming cases a challenge and were using a text message system in combating it. He explained that patients who had been confirmed to be suffering from TB would receive text messages about their treatment, and a system was being worked on for medication to…

After the 2021 local government election, the expectation that services in the municipal sphere of government will improve and that problems with coalitions can be addressed, was not met. Many analyses of what the problems are have been produced. An institution which does not receive much attention in these analyses is the South African Local Government Association or Salga. Constitutionally speaking, it is a key player in the municipal field. It also represents the municipal government in Parliament’s National Council of Provinces. But what is this generally unknown entity? Salga was formed in 1996 as an autonomous association of the 257 local governments. In law, it is regarded as a ‘public entity’ and accountable to Parliament. It has a constitution of its own, a national office, an elected National Executive…

India has been attempting to internationalise the rupee for a long time. Nowadays, currencies like the US dollar, Euro, Japanese yen, British pound, and to a lesser extent, the Chinese yuan can claim to be a global reserve currency. But, recent reports suggest that India has made tremendous progress towards giving the rupee this status. It is the beginning of a new era and also the end of another, namely the US dollar dominance in world trade, starting with oil. In a previous article, we highlighted Russian President Vladimir Putin saying the global economy and trade had suffered a major blow, as did the trust in the US dollar as the main reserve currency of the world. “The illegitimate freezing of some of the currency reserves of the Bank of…

Limpopo Health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba has added her voice to the campaign for the installation of generators in hospitals across the country. While Ramathuba is part of the governing party engaged in a legal battle with the main opposition parties and civil society organisations to force it to exempt hospitals from load shedding, she came out this week in support of the installation of generators amid increasing levels of load shedding. While the parties were battling it out in court, Ramathuba, an ANC Limpopo provincial executive committee member and deputy provincial chairperson of the SACP, expressed her views on Twitter. She wrote: “Hospitals can’t go on a second without power supply. We handed over 11 generators expecting 8 more capacity between 500KVAs and 800KVAs frequency of load shedding reduced…

She is only 6 years old, but little Hailey Lindemann is already a force to be reckoned with. She has her own business called Hailey’s Handmade Goodies. The little entrepreneur’s fingers do the talking when she makes her range of beaded jewellery. Hailey, who lives in Theresa Park, north of Pretoria, is probably one of the country’s youngest entrepreneurs. She is assisted in her business by her mother, Martie Lindemann. The talented girl told the Pretoria News her love for beadwork also affords her the opportunity to earn her own money. “I love working for my own pocket money. In doing so, I don’t have to worry about asking my mother for money. In having my own money, I know that what I buy with it, I earned,” said Hailey.…

SUNDAY marks the third anniversary of the Declaration of the State of National Disaster in South Africa and the subsequent Covid-19 lockdown. While South Africans continue to have a choice about vaccination, Brazilians could face jail time for refusing to be vaccinated. One could be forgiven for thinking that conversations around mandatory vaccine policies were a thing of the past. But Brazil is considering several bills that may result in imprisonment for failure to comply with the country's mandatory vaccination regulations. South Africa’s Health Department spokesperson, Foster Mohale, said this was unlikely to ever happen in South Africa. “No at all. We have been clear on this and our Constitution would not allow this,” said Mohale. The National Library of Medicine and the National Center for Biotechnology Information in Brazil,…

Whatever the talk of a “no-limits” friendship means, it’s the business deals that count. On the second day of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia, the two countries agreed to a set of proposals that would expand their natural gas trade as well as other economic ties. The proposed deals represent something of a lifeline for Russian President Vladimir Putin, isolated from the West because of sanctions imposed on Russia after his decision to wage a full-blown war across the border in Ukraine. At the centre of discussions in Moscow is a new planned pipeline, dubbed “Power of Siberia 2”, that could supply China with about 50 billion cubic meters of Russian gas annually. “The pipeline, which would pass through Mongolia, has been under discussion for years. But the…

With load shedding most likely to continue for the rest of the year, as stated by Eskom, many households are looking for ways to relieve the burden. The basic option is a battery system, diesel generator or solar system. While a generator might cost the same or less than an inverter battery system of similar rating, other factors should be taken into account, such as fuel price and availability, noise and emissions, maintenance and environmental impact. Should you go solar? While a full solar system might seem like the perfect solution, they are relatively expensive. However, the tax break announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa during the State of the Nation Address has been published by the National Treasury. The tax break consists of a rebate for individuals who install solar…

FINNISH entrepreneur Thomas Zilliacus, who has entered the race to buy Manchester United, is a former Nokia executive who says he made his fortune in Asia’s tech sector. Little-known in his native Finland before he threw his hat into the ring on Thursday, the 69-year-old Singapore resident is a passionate football fan, former owner of a hockey club, and the founder and chairperson of tech investment group Mobile FutureWorks (MFW). MFW, which is an unlisted company, says it builds businesses in fields ranging from social media to online payment services, eSports, streaming video and real estate. “Companies controlled by MFW have operations and offices in more than 20 countries in Asia, Africa and Europe, where it owns a controlling stake in more than 150 businesses,” it says on its website.…

INDIA and defending champions England are definitely in but former winners West Indies as well as South Africa and Sri Lanka could face a long, arduous road to reach the 2023 World Cup. AFP Sport looks at who needs what to make the global showpiece set to be staged in India in October and November. Who has qualified? Seven teams have booked their places at the 10-team tournament so far. They are India (hosts) as well as England, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, all of which have come through the Super League after each winning 11 or more of their games. That leaves one place, currently occupied by West Indies, remaining from the Super League, with the last two places to be filled by the best two sides…

Comedian Daisy May Cooper is reportedly in talks to join the 007 franchise to play spy boss, M. Producers are said to be hoping the 36-year-old actress – who is a friend of No Time to Die co-writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge – will bring a “comedic and quirky edge” to the role, previously played by acting heavyweights Dame Judi Dench, 88, and 60-year-old Ralph Fiennes, as part of a shake-up of the series after Daniel Craig’s departure as James Bond. A source told The Sun: “Daisy is a close pal of Phoebe, whose involvement in Bond was such a success that it sparked an unlikely conversation. “Suddenly the production team were getting excited about the prospect of really taking M in a different direction. “With Daniel leaving, it seemed the time…

YOU might have seen or tasted the amazing creations she makes, but now it is time to get to know chef Sophie Khumalo, the person behind the magic at one of Durban’s most popular shisanyama spots, Mojo’s Car Wash and Shisanyama and Mojo’s, on Davenport. Khumalo has been entrusted with developing the menu and the food styling, two things which have allowed her to showcase her talent and passion for food. Born in uMlazi, Khumalo was raised by her grandmother who was a domestic worker. Her grandmother would come home tired after cleaning and cooking for her employer but she would still take the time to cook them a proper meal. That is where Khumalo’s passion to cook stems from. She started by cooking at funerals and parties and has…

The world observed on March 21 the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Are we getting any closer to eliminating discrimination due to race in our communities? “Racism”, in the words of the Baháí International Community, “originates not in the skin but in the human mind”. “Remedies to racial prejudice, xenophobia and intolerance must accordingly address first and foremost those mental illusions that have for so many thousands of years given rise to false concepts of superiority and inferiority among human populations.” At the root of all forms of racial discrimination is the erroneous idea that humanity is somehow composed of separate and distinct races and peoples, and that those sub-groups inherently possess varying intellectual, moral, and/or physical capacities, which in turn justify different forms of treatment. “The…

The EFF chose March 20 as the day of its national shutdown. An interesting observation about the choice of date is that it fell on Monday, a day before the Human Rights Day public holiday, which some refer to as Sharpeville Day. Everyone knows that whenever a public holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, many South Africans usually take annual leave on the Monday or Friday to give themselves a four-day weekend. Did EFF leader Julius Malema deliberately choose March 20 to opportunistically pretend that the many people who chose to give themselves a four-day weekend had done so to support its national shutdown? Malema and his EFF wanted to bring everything to a standstill in South Africa, especially the economy, as a means of attaining a particular political…

Zambia together with four other countries, namely the United States, Costa Rica, the Netherlands and South Korea will host the second instalment of the Summit for Democracy in their various capitals from March 29-30. The first Summit for Democracy, a brainchild of the US President Joe Biden, was hosted virtually by the US in December 2021 where more than 100 participating countries pledged to take action to promote and defend democracy around the world. Biden was of the view, in light of the January 6, 2021, events that took place in Washington, that democracy was under threat hence his mobilisation of other leaders from democratic countries to protect democracy from authoritarianism. A joint statement from the co- hosting governments claimed that the summit will demonstrate how democracies deliver for their…

The increases in municipal rates and tariffs are putting immense pressure on property owners and tenants, with little relief in sight. These above-inflation increases, which industry players say are likely to continue, place a further strain on the property market and people’s pockets. According to recent commercial property finance insights from banking group FNB, rates and tariffs are hitting harder than usual this year due to long-term economic stagnation. FNB expects national property values will be adjusted upwards, prompting businesses to migrate in search of better deals. The rising costs of electricity, water utilities and more will push companies and residents to reconsider properties based on the associated rates and tariffs, it said. FNB also noted property taxation costs have nearly doubled since 2007, from 5.12% in that year to…

SOUTH Africa can’t afford an FTP (Future Tours Programme) with as many Tests as those of the “Big Three” – Australia, England and India. The gap between the number of Tests played by Australia, England and India compared to other countries is massive. It is because of this gap that ex-administrators, players and fans have aired their frustrations over the FTP. South Africa will play 28 Tests in the upcoming four-year cycle (2023-2027), which is 10 Tests fewer than India, 15 fewer than England and 12 fewer than Australia. Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief executive Pholetsi Moseki this week told IOL Sport there were reasons behind the make-up of the FTP from a South African standpoint. One of them was a lack of appetite for the longer format in the…

Zanzibar, the Spice Island off the east coast of Tanzania, is fast becoming a popular tourist destination for those seeking an alternative to other Indian Ocean destinations. There are plenty of reasons to visit this island, and Flight Centre predicts a significant increase in demand for travel to Zanzibar as FlySafair is set to reintroduce a direct route from OR Tambo International in Johannesburg to Abeid Amani Karume International Airport in Zanzibar. According to Flight Centre general manager Antoinette Turner, Zanzibar is generally more affordable as a destination compared to islands like Mauritius, Seychelles and the Maldives, although this can vary based on the type of accommodation you choose. Since Zanzibar is now within reach for many more South Africans, here are 5 luxury places to stay for a memorable…