Innholdsfortegnelse for 2022-04-19 i Pretoria News

I needed to double check the date of this pronouncement, as it could have been April Fool’s Day joke, but alas, it was not. “The government is currently working on a programme to ensure that education and training programmes are directly linked to the jobs needed in South Africa,” said Ramaphosa. How, where and when, I ask? The reality is that in just five years, South Africa has borrowed R1.8 trillion from investors. Also, in April 2021, it was announced that South Africa would get a $1 billion (R14.5bn at the time) loan from the New Development Bank (NDB) to bolster its coffers. The NDB is a development finance institution established by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa as part of the BRICS grouping. South Africa’s…

Viewers of The Queen, Mzansi Magic’s telenovela, are still raving about Harriet Khoza’s (Connie Ferguson) wedding dress. The drug lord married a famous cop, Hector Sebata (Rapulana Seiphemo), in a glamorous white wedding ceremony. Hector left his pregnant wife Vuyiswa for the woman who killed his daughter Thando (Ntando Duma). The creators of the show made the wedding look as real as possible. They hired Nono Events for the decor and a well-known designer for the beautiful bridal gown with a dramatic train: Biji – La Maison, the designer responsible for Zozibini Tunzi’s dress when she won Miss Universe 2019. There was also a performance from Lira, as Harriet and Hector’s children watched. Fans of the The Queen couldn’t get over Harriet’s glamorous wedding and took to social media, sharing…

Britney Spears says she has to “model” her outfits before her pregnancy starts “showing”. The Toxic hitmaker, who revealed she was expecting a baby with her 28-year-old fiancé Sam Asghari on Instagram last Monday, filmed herself preparing some potential looks before her “small belly” gets too big. As she posted a minute-long clip of herself showcasing some outfits, the 40-year-old pop star wrote in the caption: “So I have to model my clothes now before I really start showing (pregnant emoji) … I had to do the flower (pink flower emoji) on my neck like @sarahjessicaparker.” She added: “I actually do have a small belly here but at least my pants (jeans emoji) Well barely (sweaty face emoji) (shrugging emoji) !!! Psss is anyone curious why I’m 4 sizes smaller…

Public Works and Infrastructure Department director-general Sam Vukela, suspended in mid-2020, pocketed R3.3 million in full pay by January 2022. This emerged when President Cyril Ramaphosa replied to parliamentary questions from DA MP Mimmy Gondwe, about the number of directors-general on suspension, the reason why and the cost of their suspension with full pay. In his written reply, Ramaphosa said Vukela was the only director-general currently on suspension since July 2020. Vukela was facing charges related to the irregular appointment of staff, irregular payment of a service provider in connection with official state funerals as well as the irregular procurement of service providers and the erection of the Beitbridge border post fence. Ramaphosa said: “In January 2022, the total amount paid to Mr Vukela since his suspension in 2020 was…

POLICE in Limpopo are investigating a mysterious case after the discovery of the body of an unknown man who was allegedly murdered at Holani Medical Centre over the Easter weekend. SAPS spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mamphaswa Seabi said the body was discovered by an employee who was reporting for duty. “The police together with members of the emergency services were summoned. Upon arrival, he was certified dead at the scene while lying in a pool of blood with multiple wounds to his head. “The deceased was found wearing a black T-shirt with a Bizza Betta print-out and trousers,” Seabi said. Seabi added that police investigations were continuing, and the deceased was yet to be identified. Meanwhile, by Easter Monday afternoon 17 people had died on Limpopo roads after 45 serious crashes…

ONE OF the accused in instigating the July 2021 unrest has been given back all her gadgets after threatening court action. The Pretoria News recently reported that the 36-year-old, known as Sphithiphithi Evaluator on social media, had demanded via her lawyer Godrich Gardee that law enforcement return her cellphone or face court action. Sphithiphithi Evaluator has since announced that all her gadgets had been returned to her. In a tweet, she said: “After all the drama, trauma on innocent people, unlawful arrest; media headlines; defamation; all to unmask people they thought were linked/paid by politicians, they found nothing. “@GardeeAttorneys fighting tirelessly, day and night. Not even an apology! Last gadget returned.” Sphithiphithi Evaluator, whose real name is known to the Pretoria News, claimed that about 10 plain-clothed police officers last…

THE NEWLY elected eThekwini ANC regional leadership has been accused of hijacking the work of the eThekwini Municipality by establishing a nerve centre to co-ordinate the government response to the floods. A letter has emerged which shows that the ANC leaders met municipal officials and instructed that this centre be formed. Opposition parties in the council. said it was astonishing that a party whose leaders had been implicated in corruption was seeking to direct government work in order to get closer to state resources destined for those affected by the recent storms. Former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede was re-elected as the chairperson of the ANC in eThekwini a few days ago. However, an ANC source rubbished the allegations of interference, saying the directive was meant to ensure that there…

EVEN though not every child may recover from autism, no parent should give up their hopes and dreams for their child to be functional and independent members of society. Being a mother of two boys with autism, Ilana Gerschlowitz, author, founder and CEO of The Star Academy, said her journey with the disorder started 18 years ago when her son was diagnosed with autism just before he turned 2. Speaking of awareness, as April is Autism Awareness Month, Gerschlowitz said prior to the harsh diagnosis, she and her husband were living pretty normal lives, up until they started noticing a regression in her son’s development. She said this was after her older son, who was on the higher scale of the autism spectrum, started showing signs of losing eye contact,…

WHILE the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) is there to protect the public, it sometimes also comes to the aid of the supplier. A woman who paid R538 000 to refurbish her home discovered this when she cancelled her order after the goods were custom made for her. Alouise Adlam concluded agreements with Portuguese company Fabri, which has outlets in South Africa. She wanted to install various premium kitchen sinks and cupboards, bedroom doors, tops and other fittings. She chose some of the fittings from a catalogue and in terms of the agreement with Fabri, paid half of the costs involved, amounting to R538 000, as deposit. Before the work began and two days after the fourth payment was made, she contacted the company and requested that it “hold off” on…

THE National Treasury’s latest foray into the international debt market raising $3 billion (about R43.9bn) through a two-tranche bond issuance last Tuesday comes at a time when several gatekeepers of the international financial system are warning of a “dangerous global debt burden” amid renewed uncertainty of the energy and commodity price impact of the war in Ukraine, stagflation in several major economies, and a persistent pandemic now in its third year. Public debt was already high before Covid-19, but the pandemic unleashed unprecedented levels of public borrowing only to be exacerbated by events in Ukraine and inflationary pressures in most economies. A day before the Treasury’s bond issuance, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in a “Johnny come lately” blog called for the urgent need for authorities to undertake reforms,…

Uproar and serious clashes have broken out since last week in Sweden on the fringes of rallies by a far-right and anti-Islam Danish group, which planned to burn Qur’ans in several towns. The police said three people were injured at the weekend after being hit by police bullets during a clash. Danish-Swedish extremist Rasmus Paludan in 2017 established the Danish far-right Stram Kurs, or Hard Line, movement, which trumpets a strong anti-immigrant and anti-Islam agenda. Last week, the party live-streamed a video of Paludan burning the Qur’an in different Swedish cities. Paludan is known for staging such burnings. During recent demonstrations, protesters and counter-protesters clashed in the central city of Orebro. Clashes occurred in the south-western city of Malmö, which the Swedish police described as a “messy night” with…

TEHRAN: Iran’s armed forces would target Israel’s heart if it made “the slightest move” against the Islamic Republic, President Ebrahim Raisi told a military parade yesterday, amid stalled talks between Tehran and world powers to revive a 2015 nuclear pact. Israel, widely believed to have the Middle East’s only atomic arsenal, says it will not be bound by any Iran nuclear deal and could eventually take unilateral action against Iranian nuclear sites. “The Zionist regime (Israel), you should know that … if you take the slightest move against our nation, our armed forces will target the heart of the Zionist regime” Raisi said in a speech at a parade. | Reuters…

Bamako: Mali’s ruling junta yesterday announced the delivery of two more combat helicopters and surveillance radars from Russia as the West African nation tackles a bloody jihadist insurgency. Photographs of the equipment being unloaded from a Russian cargo flight at Bamako international airport were posted on the official Twitter account of Mali’s presidency. The delivery brings to eight the known number of helicopters that Moscow has provided under closer ties forged by rebel colonels who seized power in 2020. Russia has also supplied “military instructors”, personnel who France and the US say are operatives from Russia’s Wagner security group. | AFP…

THE HAGUE: Meghan Markle shared that she was missing her children while attending the Invictus Games. She and her husband Prince Harry, left their children Archie, 2, and 10-month-old Lilibet in California while they made a brief trip to the Netherlands. Meghan sat in on a private reading to a group of 12 children and told British army veteran James Stride that it made her feel closer to her own kids. James read from the book Hairy Maclary in a tent hosted by the British Embassy and said: “Meghan told me she was familiar with the book and it was one that she read to her own children.” | Bang Showbiz…

THE JURY IS out on the pricing of South Africa’s steel products and developments of downstream players in the industry as the National Employers Association of South Africa (Neasa) takes on conglomerate ArcelorMittal South Africa (Amsa) over enjoying the protection by duties over and above its hold on the market. Neasa has called for the scrapping of a 10 percent duty, saying last week that duties should be removed, arguing that the steel basket price served no purpose as means were made through the Steel Masterplan. Neasa said the original agreement between Amsa and the then-Minister of Trade and Industry, Rob Davies, was to supply the steel downstream with a developmental price. “This meant that Amsa was supposed to, at least, supply the downstream at 10 percent less…

THE battle spanning nearly two decades between Vodacom and Please Call Me inventor Nkosana Makate for what his invention is truly worth is not over yet. The cellphone service provider this week obtained leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) the recent judgment against it. Makate is, meanwhile, patient while yet another legal battle lies ahead. “We always knew that Vodacom will appeal and we are prepared for the SCA and the Concourt if need be,” he told the Pretoria News. He has remained patient over the years as his legal bid even made a turn in the Constitutional Court earlier. The apex court ruled in 2016 that Vodacom’s CEO Shameel Joosub had to come to a fair settlement regarding Makate’s invention. The Gauteng High Court, Pretoria,…

WHILE there are no immediate plans to vaccinate children between the ages of 5 and 11 in South Africa, health experts say the age group should be vaccinated before the expected fifth wave this winter. The World Health Organization (WHO) said the greatest burden of disease in terms of severe disease and deaths remained among older persons and those with comorbidities. Overall, there were proportionally fewer symptomatic infections and cases with severe disease and deaths from Covid-19 in children and adolescents, compared with older age groups. Age-disaggregated cases reported to WHO show that children under 5 represented 2% of reported global cases and 0.1% of reported global deaths. Older children and younger adolescents (5 to 14 years) accounted for 7% of reported global cases and 0.1% of reported global deaths.…

IT is encouraging and heart-warming to see chapter nine institutions announcing their intentions to exercise oversight in the allocation of funds meant to repair infrastructure damaged by the floods in KwaZulu-Natal. Since the devastating floods lashed the province last week, the national government, wealthy South Africans such as billionaire Patrice Motsepe, relief organisations and even ordinary South Africans have come out to donate funds to assist with the rebuilding efforts. However, ordinary people have made it abundantly clear that they have little trust in the provincial and local governments’ ability to manage and utilise these funds for the purpose for which they were intended. The looting of billions of rand meant for Covid-19, including the distribution of personal protective equipment by politicians and their greedy tenderpreneur associates, is still very…

A global summit to chart an end to the Covid-19 crisis and plan for future upheavals will take place on May 12, the White House said yesterday, as US President Joe Biden struggles to get vital pandemic funding from Congress. The virtual gathering will be co-chaired by the US, along with current G7 president Germany, G20 president Indonesia, AU chair Senegal, and Belize, the current chair of the Caricom Caribbean grouping. “The summit will redouble our collective efforts to end the acute phase of the Covid-19 pandemic and prepare for future health threats,” the countries said in a joint statement. This will be the second global huddle on the pandemic, which has killed more than 6 million people and triggered profound disruption to leading economies and trading patterns in the…

NEW DELHI: At least 88 people have been arrested in India in connection with violence against the police after a comment insulting Muslims went viral on social media, the police said yesterday. A mob attacked police and vandalised public property on Saturday night in Hubli, 480km north of Bengaluru, after the derogatory message spread on WhatsApp. Twelve police officials were injured in the violence, even though the person who posted the message had already been arrested. “The mob pelted stones at the police, tried to enter the police station and damaged police vehicles,” said Labhu Ram, a senior police official. | Reuters…

TRIPOLI: Libya’s oil production has fallen by more than half a million barrels a day as a wave of political demonstrations engulfs the Opec member’s energy industry. The Sharara field in the west of the country, which could pump 300 000 barrels a day, was closed after protesters gathered at the site demanding Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah quit, said officials. That came after the nearby El Feel deposit, with a daily capacity of 65 000 barrels, was halted for the same reason. The country’s output was down by 535 000 barrels a day, officials said. The shutdowns are the latest in a series of disruptions to hit Libya’s energy sector amid the worsening political crisis. | Reuters…

TRADE conditions remained restrained and deteriorated further into the contractionary territory in February and March, due to lower export volumes as a result of a number of issues. The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) said last week that trade conditions were hampered by logistical issues at ports, supply chain disruptions, higher inflation, and rising interest rates. Sacci said sluggish economic growth had a significant impact on the trade environment, while lower export volumes led to cautionary and selective spending by businesses and households. As a result, trade conditions became restrained after bordering on positive territory in January. Sacci’s Trade Activity Index fell from 48.1 index points in the fourth quarter of 2021 to 43.1 index points in the first quarter of 2022. Sacci economist Richard…

THERE are definite indications that global economic growth is slowing. The first indications availed themselves as the yields on some longer-dated bonds dropped below the yields of shorter-dated bonds – yes, inverted or flat yield curves. But where lie the opportunities? The end of the bear market in developed market bonds is in sight. Bonds as measured by the FTSE G7 Government Bond Index which is tracked by the iShares Global Gov. Bond UCITS ETF USD (Distr) lost 17 percent since December 2020 as bond yields climbed. Firstly as a result of the global economy recovering from the coronavirus and its mutants and secondly, the onset of the Russian/Ukrainian conflict. The massive sanctions against Russia saw the US Federal Reserve and other central banks hiking their official lending rates…

THE OWNERS of a Johannesburg business premises who kicked out a sangoma, along with some the “tools of her trade”, from the office she was renting was ordered by the court to immediately allow her back into her office. Her tools of trade included live animals such as a rabbit and a tortoise. Hazel Gumbi turned to the Gauteng High Court, Joburg, after the owners of Ralstan Investments Ltd locked her out of the office she was renting at a business premises in Malvern, Johannesburg. It is claimed that she was in arrears with her rent. Ruling in Gumbi’s favour, Judge Leicester Adams said the company could take the law into its own hands and decide to evict her. The judge made it clear that eviction could only follow after…

THE conjoined twins born at a Limpopo hospital a week ago have died after overnight complications on Wednesday. At the time, a multi-disciplinary team from Gauteng and Limpopo was due to assess them. A 41-year-old mother gave birth to the girls, who were joined at the abdomen and chest, at Jane Furse Hospital last weekend by C-section. They were transferred to Mankweng Tertiary and Academic Hospital’s neonatal ICU for specialist assessment and to establish what organs were joined and if they could be separated. Limpopo Health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba said yesterday their death was sad. “Since their admission to Mankweng, specialists from various clinical disciplines from both Mankweng-Pietersburg Complex and Dr George Mukhari Central Hospital have been hard at work in pursuit of the best possible intervention for the…

Local Government and Environmental Affairs MEC Anton Bredell says increased illegal dumping of waste over the past few years was a concern in the Western Cape. Responding to a parliamentary question, Bredell said municipalities in the province were struggling to find solutions to mitigate or preventdumping. Many municipalities in the province suffered similar waste management challenges – a lack of funds, human resource challenges, rapidly decreasing landfill space and the cabsence of operational regional waste disposal facilities, he said. Incentives were needed to encourage residents to dispose of waste at waste disposal facilities instead of in public open spaces, he said. “Some municipalities allow the public to dispose of construction and demolition waste free of charge if the load is below one ton. Clean/uncontaminated builder’s rubble is discounted at other…

VAPING is at least 95% less harmful than smoking, but that does not mean it is safe and healthy and the best alternative to cigarettes. An evidence update on the growing fad by Public Health England found that while vaping may not be 100% safe, most of the chemicals that cause smoking-related diseases were absent, and the chemicals present posed limited danger. Vape, or electronic nicotine and non-nicotine delivery systems/electronic vapour products or e-cigarettes are electronically/battery operated products, unlike conventional cigarettes. Vapour Products Association chief executive Asanda Gcoyi said: “The vapes are designed to deliver an aerosol to users by heating a solution comprised of propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, flavouring and nicotine, although some e-liquid does not contain nicotine. “The aerosol is commonly referred to as vapour. Using an e-cigarette…

THE Supreme Court of Appeal has upheld the authority of the Advertising Regulatory Board to adjudicate on complaints by members that are also binding on non-members. In December 2019, Colgate lodged a complaint with the regulatory Board regarding Bliss Brands Securex soap for what they considered to be an imitation in the architecture of their Protex soap packaging. Colgate, being a member of the regulator, claimed Bliss Brands that is not a member, had breached the “code of advertising best practice” which is the guiding document of the watchdog. Hearings were then initiated by the watchdog, wherein both parties were fully involved, and at the time Bliss Brands raised no objection to the regulator’s jurisdiction during the process. Following appeals by both parties, proceedings were ultimately concluded with regulator’s Final…

Zandile Gumede’s election nullifies ANC’s step-aside rule ANC politicians, who know full well that the election into senior leadership positions of corruption-accused politicians is inconsistent with the message of renewal that the party is punting, tell themselves that they are performing a service when they bite their tongues. They recognise the danger of the insistence otherwise by different factions in the party. They have not spoken out against those who orchestrated the election at recently held conferences of corruption-accused eThekwini regional chairperson Zandile Gumede, murder-accused Mpumalanga provincial treasurer Mandla Msibi, and several others before them. Yet, they call themselves heroes and bearers of hope for the prosperity of our constitutional democracy. Their thinking goes something like this: if they speak the truth and curse the king-makers and the kingpins, they…

Ukrainian authorities said a Russian missile attack killed seven people in Lviv yesterday, the first civilian victims in the western city, while its forces were preventing Russia from taking full control of the port city of Mariupol in the east where the situation was “extremely difficult”. Lviv governor Maksym Kozytskyy said preliminary reports suggested four hits on Lviv, which is just 60km from the Polish border – three strikes on warehouses that are not being used by the military, and another on a car service station. “It was a barbaric strike at a service station, it’s a completely civilian facility,” he said. Andriy Sadoviy, mayor of Lviv, said the youngest victim among the seven killed was aged 30. The blast also wounded 11 and shattered windows of a hotel housing…

Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen traded barbs yesterday as they returned to campaigning for the French presidency before a prime-time debate that is likely to prove decisive ahead of Sunday’s second-round run-off. The two rivals held low-key events after a brief Easter pause before tomorrow’s face-off, when the centrist Macron will defend his record over the past five years against his far-right rival. It will be a rematch of their 2017 debate when the same two clashed at the same stage of the campaign, but which most analysts say was skillfully won by Macron, who was making his first-ever attempt at public office. Le Pen, in her third run for the presidency, insists she is better prepared this time. “I think I’m going to win,” she said. The latest…

SEOUL: The US and South Korea would maintain the “strongest possible joint deterrent” over North Korea’s “escalatory actions”, the US envoy on North Korea said yesterday, amid concerns that Pyongyang was preparing to resume nuclear testing. US Special Representative Sung Kim met South Korean officials in Seoul yesterday. “It is extremely important for the UN Security Council to send a clear signal to the DPRK that we will not accept its escalatory tests as normal,” Kim said. The allies would “respond responsibly and decisively to provocative behaviour,” Kim said, underlining his willingness to engage with North Korea “anywhere without any conditions”. | Reuters…

LOS ANGELES: Elon Musk tweeted Love Me Tender, an Elvis Presley song, a day after Twitter adopted a “poison pill” to protect itself from the billionaire’s $43 billion cash offer to buy the social media company. Musk has hinted at the possibility of a hostile bid in which he would bypass Twitter’s board and put the offer directly to its shareholders, tweeting: “It would be utterly indefensible not to put this offer to a shareholder vote.” In another tweet Musk, a self-described “free speech absolutist” who has been critical of Twitter and its policies, replied to a post of his from 2017 where he had asked “How much is it (Twitter)?” with an upside down smiley. Musk, who is also the CEO of electric-vehicle maker Tesla, has amassed a…

Given how well the Stormers have been going in the United Rugby Championship (URC), it’s pretty hard not to let the mind drift ahead to not only a play-off spot, but a role in the final. If the Stormers manage to win it, it will be the biggest achievement by a South African team over the last two years … and that includes the Bulls’ three domestic titles. When the URC kicked off, it seemed bizarre to even think ‘play-offs’ for any South African side. But things have changed. Currently, John Dobson’s unit lead the South African charge in fifth spot on the URC log on 47 points, followed by the Sharks in sixth position with a tally of 46. The Bulls are sitting in eighth place on 43 at…