Innholdsfortegnelse for 2023-04-15 i Pretoria News Weekend

Television writer Lee Sung Jin had only briefly stalled at a green light when the person behind him began to honk aggressively. As Lee jolted alert, a white BMW SUV pulled up beside him. The driver rolled down his window, screamed some choice words and drove away. Ordinarily, Lee might have brushed off the incident. But he and the BMW both turned out to be taking the same exit in Santa Monica, California. It occurred to Lee that, by simply going home, he was now following the angry driver. He wasn’t doing it on purpose. But what if he had been? He began to wonder about the sorts of assumptions we project onto others: What compelled the driver to blow up at him? Did Lee seem to be a more…

THE woman who earlier grabbed headlines when she claimed she was sexually assaulted by the then Radio 947 hosts DJ Fresh and Euphonik, this week lost an application against the radio personalities to gag them from making defamatory statements against her on social media platforms. The court found that there was an alternative route to deal with the alleged cyber bullying. While she instituted the legal action against both DJ Fresh and Euphonik; it appeared that only Euphonik had made the social media postings. The woman, who cannot be named, also asked the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, to order that DJ Euphonik publish an apology on all his social media platforms. The woman was in the news when In January 2021, she accused the duo, real names Thato…

WHEN Volkswagen South Africa brings renowned Norwegian Rallycross driver Petter Solberg out of retirement to compete at this year’s Simola Hillclimb event in Knysna, you know it means business. Solberg will be charging up the hill in a Polo R WRX Supercar, continuing his partnership with VW that started in 2017, when he set up the PSRX Volkswagen Sweden team, in partnership with Volkswagen Motorsport, winning the Team’s Championship in 2017 and 2018 before his retirement from full-time racing. “We are thrilled to have Petter come out of retirement to race for us in South Africa,” said Mike Rowe, the head of Volkswagen Motorsport. With two Drivers’ titles and two Teams’ FIA World Championship wins, the Polo R WRX Supercar is arguably the most successful race car of the modern…

Tax Freedom Day is a reference to a day that a country has earned enough money to pay for running its government in a financial year, and it is estimated to be on May 14 this year. That is two days later than last year’s prediction. According to Garth Zietsman, a statistician who analyses and writes for the Free Market Foundation, the prediction is based on the intended level of tax collection for the central government mentioned in the budget speech. “Typically, the actual figure – which is the general government revenue as a percentage of GDP from the South African Reserve Bank Quarterly – turns out to be 30% more than the intended figure for central government.” While the increase from last year seems quite modest, it is…

ORLANDO Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has revealed that he and his side are riding the wave of pressure that comes with their early season success as they turn their attention to the Nedbank Cup. The Sea Robbers travel to the Peter Mokaba Stadium for a potential ‘banana skin’ clash against ABC Motsepe League outfit Dondol Stars this afternoon (3pm kick-off). Riveiro’s first few months in the South African top flight were riddled with uncertainty as his seemingly thin CV raised questions about whether he was the right man to rebuild one of the continent’s biggest clubs. However, a majority of those critics were quickly made to eat their words as the Spaniard led Pirates to the MTN8 cup title, disposing of the all-mighty Mamelodi Sundowns in the process. Now with…

Each season offers its own beauty when it comes to exploring. And there are many perks to travelling this season. Autumn’s crisp air and bright colours inspire wanderers to embrace the outdoors. The nippy weather makes it an ideal time to take a hike or road trip to admire the country as it prepares for winter. Whether you’re looking for solitude or privacy and quality time away with your partner, pods are a great option. Escaping from the city or mundane daily tasks can help you reconnect with nature and your lover. Picture gazing at the starry African sky or waking up to a view of the sun rising over the horizon in the comfort of your bed. It’s all possible. So here are five bespoke eco-pods for the…

According to the government of Zanzibar, the archipelago off the Tanzanian coastline in East Africa is ready to welcome travellers from around the world. Zanzibar’s Ministry of Tourism and Heritage issued a statement reassuring the international community and travellers that it was open for business and that it was closely monitoring the situation after the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health alert on April 6, 2023, on the “Marburg Virus Disease Outbreaks in Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania”. According to the CDC, in February and March, two distinct outbreaks of Marburg virus were reported in Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania and these outbreaks mark the first time the virus has been identified in either country. The ministry has maintained that as it heads toward the “Green Season”, the…

Artificial intelligence, metaverse, and algorithm are all terms that most of us have heard but might not fully understand. I had a conversation with my 19-year-old son about artificial intelligence (AI) and what it all means and found myself utterly blown away, yet still somewhat baffled, by how it will impact, and in some cases already is impacting various industries. So what is AI? According to Wikipedia artificial intelligence is intelligence demonstrated by machines, as opposed to the intelligence of humans. AI uses techniques like machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing to enable machines to learn from experience, adapt to new situations, and improve on their own. You’re probably wondering what this futuristic-sounding technology has to do with the fashion industry. While many think fashion is simply about…

HYUNDAI has scooped the World Car of the Year award for the second year in a row, with the battery-powered Ioniq 6 electric sedan taking top honours in the 2023 competition. Last year’s overall winner was the Hyundai Ioniq 5 crossover, which is built on the same E-GMP platform as this year’s winner. The Hyundai Ioniq 6 also scooped the Electric Vehicle and World Car Design of the Year category awards. The sedan, which competes with the Tesla Model 3, has a starting price of $41 600 in the US (about R750 000) and is available with a variety of battery and powertrain options, offering outputs of between 111kW and 238kW. The competition organisers also announced the following category winners: World Luxury Car: Lucid Air World Performance Car: Kia EV6…

Three recent court cases hold lessons for both consumers and financial services providers. The first two were decided in favour of the consumer, while the third went against the consumer but is currently on appeal at the Constitutional Court. PSG and the fraudulent emails In March, the Johannesburg High Court ordered PSG Wealth to reimburse Jan Jacobus Gerber his retirement investment of over R800 000, which he had lost to fraudsters. The fraudsters had cunningly hacked Gerber’s computer, intercepted and diverted his email correspondence with his PSG Wealth adviser and sent emails purporting to be from Gerber requesting large withdrawals from his portfolio – the first for R250 000 and the second for R550 000. The amounts were paid into the fraudsters’ bank account, despite it being at a different…

Retirement planning is crucial for everyone, but for business owners, it can be particularly complex. Unlike salaried employees who can rely on employer-provided retirement benefits, business owners have to take full responsibility for planning and saving for their own retirement. Very often, the retirement strategy a business owner has in mind is selling the business itself to extract its value and then use the proceeds to fund their retirement. Either way, it is important to start planning for retirement as soon as possible, regardless of how old you are. Here are some important considerations to help you plan for retirement as a business owner: Plan for Business Succession As a business owner, you need to plan for the future of your business and your own retirement. This means creating a…

IN spite of their most recent defeats, the Lions as a whole will look at this weekend as an opportunity to re-establish a tentative foothold in the United Rugby Championship (URC) and the Currie Cup. Fierce resistance was met on the previous weekend, with the Lions’ push from their exposed beachhead fiercely repelled 31-21 by the Glasgow Warriors in the quarter-final of the EPCR Challenge Cup, while they were mauled badly by the Free State Cheetahs 52-15 in the Currie Cup. This weekend then offers an opportunity to reset their lines and launch a new offensive on both competitions. First up, is a massively important URC clash against the table-topping Leinster today at Emirates Airline Park (kick-off 4pm), and despite losing out on possible silverware in the Challenge Cup, skipper…

Türkiye’s Mediterranean coast is expected to see a large number of tourists flowing in this summer despite the devastating earthquakes in February, industry professionals have said. As temperatures rise, the “Turkish Riviera”, the southern part of the country famed for its turquoise coast and ancient heritage sites, is entering the start of its peak tourism season, Xinhua news agency reported. Sector representatives reported a decline in reservations following the deadly February 6 earthquakes in the south-east parts of Türkiye, but things soon returned to normal, they said. “Last year’s favourable data on foreign arrivals and revenues have given us hope this year at the start of the summer season,” Burhan Sili, the chairperson of the Alanya Touristic Hoteliers Association, told the news agency in a recent interview. Türkiye’s tourism income…

Eric Dane has joined the cast of Bad Boys 4. The Euphoria actor is set to play a villain in the latest instalment of the buddy cop franchise. Dane plays Cal Jacobs in the teen drama series and also had a part in the TV show Grey’s Anatomy. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are reprising their roles as detectives Marcus Burnett and Mike Lowrey, respectively, while Vanessa Hudgens, Paola Nunez and Alexander Ludwig are all returning after featuring in the 2020 film Bad Boys for Life. The plot is being kept under wraps, but Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah will be behind the camera again, directing from a script by Chris Bremner. Lawrence revealed last year that he was confident that another movie would materialise after the success of…

Despite users on the platform yammering on that drinking potato juice has cured their strep A infection, some doctors have dubbed it “one of the most dangerous videos” they’ve ever been sent. The group A streptococcus bacteria, which causes strep throat, is treatable and produces symptoms like a sore throat, fever, swollen and red tonsils, discomfort when swallowing, and more, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. If left untreated the bacterial infection, which is typically treated with antibiotics, can cause rheumatic fever or, in rare instances, death in infants and older people. The cautions come as strep throat cases have increased dramatically due to a worldwide pandemic. The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said in December it was looking into an increase in invasive…

THE annual Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and Universities South Africa CEOs awards acknowledged the excellence of South African universities in various areas. Corresponding with Freedom Month, the 2022–2023 HSRC-USAf Awards for Social Sciences and Humanities took place at the Maslow Hotel, Time Square, in Pretoria. According to the organisers, the HSRC and Universities South Africa, the awards acknowledged scholars who have made outstanding contributions to the social sciences and humanities through their research. Professor Sarah Mosoetsa, CEO of the HSRC, said this year the awards aimed to recognise research excellence under the social justice theme. “’This year, we aimed to celebrate the humanities and social sciences field, whose work doesn’t often get recognised, as well as the research and its importance for the communities. The issues that we go…

I WAS getting ready to pen this self-righteous-sounding piece about how those who criticise the Toyota GR86 for being too slow don’t understand what it’s really about. I was about to launch into a long tangent about how its performance deficit is far outweighed by its perfectly balanced rear-wheel drive chassis, which delivers sublime roadholding and the ability to oversteer. Did I mention it can drift like a boss? The gist was going to be that you don’t need to go fast to have a really good time behind the wheel, when you’re driving a car that was designed from the ground up for pure steering pleasure. Sinking behind the wheel and driving it for a few kilometres, rowing my way through its slick-shifting, close-ratio six-speed manual gearbox, only cemented…

IS ANY record safe with Manchester City hotshot Erling Haaland around? The 22-year-old Norwegian could overhaul Mohamed Salah’s record of 32 goals in a 38-game Premier League season this weekend, with relegation-threatened Leicester the fearful visitors. The overall single-season record of 34 goals in the Premier League era – set in the days of 42 games per side by Andrew Cole and Alan Shearer – will surely be next to fall. Haaland’s goal in Manchester City’s 3-0 demolition of Bayern Munich this week – his 11th in the Champions League this season – was his 45th for the club in all competitions in an incredible debut campaign for Pep Guardiola’s team. That broke the all-competitions goal record by a Premier League player since the rebranded top flight was founded in…

THE GHOSTS of Sandy Park have been exorcised, and even though they had a short week of preparation, the Stormers are ready to tackle Munster head-on in this evening’s United Rugby Championship (URC) clash in Cape Town. After a poor showing in their Champions Cup quarter-final against Exeter, which dumped them out of the tournament, the defending URC champions could shift their focus entirely to defending their title this past week. And with no travel in sight for the foreseeable future – well, only a road trip down the N1 to Stellenbosch on Friday next week – the team can focus all their energy on getting wins over Munster and Benetton (in Stellenbosch) in the final two round-robin matches. John Dobson, the Stormers coach, knows that the game against Munster…

If you’re a South African looking for a tropical getaway, you might be deciding between the idyllic islands of Mauritius and Bali. Both destinations are known for their stunning beaches, variety of activities, and unique cultural experiences. But which one should you choose? Beaches Both Mauritius and Bali boast beautiful beaches with crystal-clear waters and soft sandy shores. Bali’s beaches are known for their dramatic scenery, with rugged cliffs, towering palm trees, and iconic rock formations like the Tanah Lot temple. In contrast, Mauritius has a more serene and tranquil feel, with gentle waves and lush greenery surrounding its beaches. Both destinations offer a variety of water activities such as surfing, diving, paddle boarding and sailing. However, Bali is more famous for its surfing, while Mauritius has some of the…