Innholdsfortegnelse for 2023-04-22 i Pretoria News Weekend

In one of the defining early moments of Taylor Swift’s career, in 2008, she sat on a maroon armchair as a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, chatting about her new country album, Fearless. Swift, prodded by DeGeneres’s rapid questions and general nosiness, revealed that one of the tracks, Forever & Always, was about her recent ex-boyfriend, pop star Joe Jonas. DeGeneres assured her that she would have no trouble moving on, and Swift agreed. “When I find that person that is right for me, he’ll be wonderful,” Swift said, then smoothly delivered an instant-canon zinger: “And when I look at that person, I’m not even going to be able to remember the boy who broke up with me over the phone in 25 seconds when I was 18.” “OHHHH!”…

Blxckie has finally unleashed the music video for his standout The4Mula single, Ronda. The single sees Blxckie, whose self-proclaimed nickname is “Somnyama, the greatest”, boldly proclaim he’s the greatest artist in the rap game. Directed by Jasyn Howes and produced by The Feels, Ronda visuals use the multiverse to showcase a high- level Blxckie. The music video takes inspiration from technology seen in action movies and sci-fi films like Star Wars and John Wick 4. The music video premiered on MTV Base last Thursday before it went live on YouTube at midnight. Howes, together with production company The Feels, built a futuristic story with Blxckie that takes on a movie persona in concept, production and final edit. Howes shared the inspiration behind the video: “The concept for the video was…

The KILLER of Bond University student Leigh Matthews, Donovan Moodley, has once again turned to the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg, in a bid to be released on parole. In papers filed with the court, Moodley said he was a “lay litigant” when it came to the law and called on the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola, the Department of Correctional Services and the parole board to show him “Ubuntu”. Moodley said in a short affidavit attached to his application that he was a lay person when it came to the law, and he needed assistance regarding his legal bid. “They (the minister and the other respondents) are pleaded (sic) to show Ubuntu to me and only oppose (the) facts and not legal technicalities,” Moodley…

Dr Prudence Buthelezi, who has years of experience in the field of medicine, has published her latest book, Fortitude. It aims to bring hope to people with disabilities and guide them in living life to the fullest. Buthelezi is the third daughter of the late Mettie and Thomas Buthelezi. She was born in Mahlabathini in KwaZulu-Natal and was raised by her late grandmother until the age of seven. She then relocated to Soshanguve in Pretoria. “In 1998, I went to Medunsa (now Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University) for my undergraduate degree MBChB. I did my internship and community service at Themba Hospital in Nelspruit. “In 2007, I opened my private practice and worked as a sessional doctor. “I’m co-founder of the National Health Care Professionals Association, CEO of Karabo Health…

THE once thriving Magnolia Dell Park in Queen Wilhemina Drive in Muckleneuk is still in a state of neglect despite, promises to give it a facelift. The park has long been a beloved treasure for residents and visitors to the city. Known for its stunning natural beauty and numerous recreational activities, the park was a popular destination for families and nature enthusiasts. But in recent years it has been neglected, and though it was announced in 2021 that the park would be restored to its former beauty, nothing has changed. In 2021, business owners, city councillors, ratepayers’ association members and the museum managers gathered to discuss the rehabilitation of the facility. Asked by Pretoria News if there has been progress since the announcement in 2021, Huckleberry’s Restaurant owner Dylan Brewers…

THE Porsche Cayenne has been given a significant make-over for 2023, and it’s far more than just a shot of Botox. Although it’s technically part of the third generation, Porsche says the updated model has undergone one of the most extensive upgrades in the company’s history. Think perkier engines, new chassis tech and an overhauled digital cabin. As before, buyers can choose between the regular SUV body style and a coupé variant which features a more aggressively sloping rear roof line. The new models are due to reach SA during the second half of this year, priced between R1 848 000 and R4 128 000. What’s new then? On the outside the redesigned front end incorporates new Matrix LED headlights as standard, and buyers can also opt for a high-definition…

Data is everywhere but it’s important for users to know exactly how data works to save costs and maximise the amount of time they can enjoy the benefits of a digitally connected life. Everything you do online will require some mobile data if you are not connected via Wi-Fi. Usage is measured in megabytes (MB) and gigabytes (GB). There are 1 024MB in 1GB of data and everything you send (upload) or receive (download) will require some amount of the data. However, as little as 500MB can go a long way if managed well. Data is also becoming more affordable after network operators reduced data tariffs by 13% in the past year and a fivefold decline over the past five years. The load shedding crisis, which has led to an…

JUST seven of the Leinster starting XV have more than 20 caps, but the Bulls won’t be fooled by such a statistic in today’s United Rugby Championship clash at Loftus Versfeld (4pm kick-off). The Irish giants, having long qualified for the quarter-finals and secured top spot on the log, have the luxury of keeping their best players fresh for next weekend’s Champions Cup semi-final against Toulouse – and even coach Leo Cullen returned home this week after watching a depleted side pull off a 39-36 win over the Lions. That is the kind of depth the unbeaten Leinster possess, and it’s something the Bulls would love to emulate. “It’s the envy of any club team to see what they produce. We often speak about the school systems that they have…

LIVERPOOL boss Jurgen Klopp remains confident Darwin Nunez will provide “long-term” value for the Reds despite being relegated to the bench in recent weeks. A failure to reinforce Klopp’s midfield last summer has been criticised as Liverpool instead plunged the vast majority of their transfer budget into a £66 million (about R1.4 billion) move for Nunez, that could rise to £88m with add-ons. The Uruguayan has scored 15 goals since arriving from Benfica but has fallen down the pecking order since the arrival of Cody Gakpo in January and the return to fitness of Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz. Nunez came off the bench to net as Liverpool smashed Leeds 6-1 on Monday. But it has often been a far more difficult season for Klopp’s men as they sit eighth…

The annual spring flower display put on by Mother Nature in the Western Cape has become world-renowned and is touted as being an experience of a lifetime. A tour takes you on a whirlwind journey through the Cape West Coast, the Cederberg, and the Klein Namaqualand, visiting the best flower- sighting locations along the way. Day 1 Guests are collected from The Lodge at Atlantic Beach in Melkbosstrand, and after breakfast the tour departs towards Citrusdal, where the flower show begins. For lunch, guests will travel to Clanwilliam and a visit to the Ramskop Garden before taking in the spectacular Biedouw Valley with its blankets of flowers. The first night is spent in Vanrhynsdorp at Letsatsi Lodge. Day 2 After breakfast, guests are taken to the succulent nursery in Vanrhynsdorp…

Warning: This article contains spoilers about the latest season of Love is Blind. The fourth season of Netflix’s Love is Blind began and ended with a whole bunch of drama. It was packed with tears, love triangles, bullying and fighting – all for the sake of testing whether it’s possible to fall in love sight unseen. While the streaming giant said its live reunion would answer fans’ most pressing questions and live up to the hype of serving piping hot tea, the anticipated event resulted in a meltdown. The show wound up being taped instead of live-streamed after apparent technical problems led to a major delay – and fans were less than happy. Was the drama as juicy as promised? Not quite, fans said. Yes, there were tense moments –…

Winning the lottery can change someone’s life in an instant but it takes more than just a lucky draw to hold on to a massive fortune. Sharon Tirabassi, a lottery winner from Ontario, Canada, had it all. She won $10 million (about R183m) in the Lotto Super 7 in 2004, then went on a spending spree that included a huge house, fancy cars, designer clothes and lavish trips. However, in just 10 years, she lost it all and had to work again. Tirabassi’s story is a cautionary tale for anyone who wins the lottery and thinks the money will last forever. It takes discipline, planning and a lot of willpower to keep a fortune intact. As the saying goes, easy come, easy go. Before we judge Tirabassi too harshly, it’s…

THE larger and more luxurious second- generation Mercedes-Benz GLC is set to arrive in South African showrooms next month, and the order books are now open. With that news comes confirmation of the local pricing, but you’re going to have to take a deep breath… According to Mercedes-Benz SA, the initial range consists of three 4Matic models, with the GLC 220d base model kicking off at R1 211 220, and the GLC 300d coming in at R1 410 194. A GLC 300 petrol model will also be available, with pricing to be announced at a later date. The new Mercedes-Benz GLC is 60mm longer and 4mm lower than the previous model, while larger rear- overhang allowed the luggage capacity to be increased by 50 litres to 600 litres. The 4Matic…

After reaching record levels of above 80 000 points in early January, the local stock market, as represented by the JSE All Share Index (Alsi), declined, probably on the back of South Africa’s load-shedding woes, continuing global inflation worries, and the US and European banking crisis, which, it seems, turned out to be not such a crisis after all. The stock market fared badly in mid-2022, but made a strong recovery in the 4th quarter. Momentum fizzled out and the market took a dive at the end of March (it has since nudged higher). This resulted in the Alsi being virtually flat over the 12 months to the end of March (0.25%) although it did achieve 4.18% for the quarter. It’s interesting to compare the straight index, which plots share…

AS A special member of the South African Football Association (Safa), the Premier Soccer League (PSL) is obliged to attend the activities convened for the improved governance of the game in the country. Two weeks ago, Safa invited all members to a two-day indaba over Friday and Saturday, which was to be followed by an ordinary Safa congress on Sunday. On the eve of the indaba, the PSL issued a defiant statement saying it would not attend the events. No reasons were given although the football fraternity is entitled to know the reasons for their no-show. In the absence of an official explanation, it is easy to think the boycott is because of the long-standing feud between Safa president Danny Jordaan and PSL chairperson Irvin Khoza, who incidentally is also…

THERE are 10 000 reasons why the competition among local runners will be a little more intense in this year’s edition of the six-race Spar Grand Prix Series. That is the amount in rand that South African runners stand to earn as an incentive for winning each of the six 10km races of the Series that begins in Cape Town tomorrow. Sponsors Spar put up the bonus structure as part of the 30-year anniversary celebrations of the women’s event, the retail giant also adding a R75 000 incentive over and above the regular position prize for the South African with the most points. Former Grand Prix winner Mapaseka Makhanya has welcomed the gesture by the sponsors. “It means a lot to see that the sponsors are aware that we are…

When you’re a finance tycoon, oil baron or heir to the family fortune, the standard romantic gesture won’t do. The ultrarich requires ultra-opulent tokens of affection. Enter the ultraluxury romantic holiday. The lavish adventures celebrate love and lust at obscene costs, from million-dollar proposals to six-figure anniversary trips. A taste of how the world’s richest people travel in the name of love: Yellow diamond in a clamshell off Madagascar For the son of one of her wealthiest clients, Julia Carter, the founder of Craft Travel, pulled out all the stops to co-ordinate an over-the-top proposal to his girlfriend on their trip to Africa. They started with an ultra-luxe safari in Botswana, then flew private to Madagascar (just under $100 000/R1.7 million round trip) where they caught a helicopter ($3 200…

Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes have “always had a lot of love for each other”. The 26-year-old singer and Mendes, 24, were recently spotted sharing a kiss at Coachella, and the celebrity duo “still care about each other” – despite announcing their split almost two years ago. A source told Entertainment Tonight: “Camila and Shawn were talking and spending time together for months before Coachella. They always had a lot of love for each other, even while they were broken up. They still care about each other.” Cabello and Mendes always planned to meet each other at Coachella. But in spite of their kiss, the duo are not back together. The insider added: “They knew they were both heading to Coachella and had plans to meet up and hang out.…

CHERY has launched its Omoda brand in South Africa, and first off the starting blocks is the striking crossover, the C5. It bears no relation to anything Citroën makes, by the way. The Omoda C5 is available in three model flavours, priced from R447 900 to R509 900, and they all get their motivation in life from a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine that makes 115kW and 230Nm. Power goes to the front wheels through a CVT gearbox. More of a coupé-inspired crossover than an SUV, the Omoda C5 has sharp, striking lines and is particularly attractive from the side and rear, although you might say there’s a bit too much grille going on at the front end. Some have even likened it to a braai grid. On the inside, it’s…

The recent Prosus JSE SENS announcement stated that “the [Bekker] family trust sold a parcel of Prosus shares to fund building operations at hotels in various countries in which the family trust has an interest.” It is not clear what the Prosus statement implies – whether these interests are held by the trust or by Bekker and his wife personally, or even through other entities. The Bekker family owns the Babylonstoren estate, in the Western Cape, which houses luxury hotels, directly or through the trust or other entities. In 2019, they also opened The Newt in Somerset, about 180 km southwest of London, in the UK. That may have influenced the trustees’ decision on whether to distribute the trust’s capital gain or not. The statement would, however, not make sense…

AFTER four successive FA Cup semi- final exits Pep Guardiola hopes his Manchester City players can shake off the mental fatigue of a congested run of fixtures to break that pattern against Sheffield United today. City are chasing silverware on multiple fronts having reached the semi-finals of the Champions League by beating Bayern Munich 4-1 on aggregate. They also face a potential Premier League title decider against Arsenal on Wednesday. First, however, Guardiola is only focused on beating a Sheffield United side on the verge of promotion back to the top flight. “Hopefully, we can have it. Last season we arrived here, last three or four years, and we didn’t perform well,” Guardiola told reporters yesterday. “One reason is the fatigue. This year we have it. The Champions League quarter-final…

JACQUES Nienaber’s surprise revelation that he is to depart the Springbok coaching job after the World Cup has sparked a succession debate that is the most open in years. Seldom in Springbok history has there been such an array of well-qualified options and that can only be good for the game in this country. While there was shock at the out-of-the-blue nature of Nienaber’s announcement that he is leaving South Africa to take up a top job at Irish giants Leinster, he will see out the World Cup in September. If you consider that the rugby world works on four-year cycles geared toward peaking for the global showpiece, Nienaber’s resignation is no train smash because this is a watershed year and a new four-year cycle will begin next year. It…

FAF du Plessis has forced his way back into contention with his recent performances in the Indian Premier League and it will be hard for Cricket South Africa (CSA) not to discuss him when the Proteas squad for the World Cup is being finalised. Form aside, the former Proteas captain brings a calming presence to the change room along with consistent performances with the bat. All of these factors will present a challenge to the selectors considering that the current Proteas ODI squad looks very settled now that they have been able to brush aside England, the West Indies and the Dutch here at home. All this time, Du Plessis was not in the picture, but could the current squad pull off the same performances in the pressures of the…

Eagle-eyed travellers snapped up heavily discounted tickets in the fanciest cabins on All Nippon Airways after a currency conversion blunder, with one paying just $890 (R16 000) for flights in first class all the way from Jakarta to the Caribbean via Tokyo and New York, and back again. That 14 500km journey would typically cost nearly 20 times as much in first class on ANA. Others grabbed tickets in business class for just a few hundred dollars instead of the usual $10 000 or so, with news of the glitch spreading on social media platforms. ANA said on Wednesday that the mistake stemmed from an error on its Vietnam website, which listed an erroneous currency conversion. It didn’t state how many people had secured discount tickets and said it was…