Innholdsfortegnelse for 2023-04-21 i Pretoria News

THE Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has so far recovered about R1 million following the start of its investigation into 102 law firms – and the sheriffs – which received duplicate payments estimated to be about R340m from the Road Accident Fund (RAF). The SIU presented its preliminary findings to Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) this week. The SIU has approached several legal practitioners with the evidence, and they have opted to cooperate with the SIU investigation by defraying their indebtedness by signing of acknowledgements of debt, said SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago. According to him, to date the SIU had signed acknowledgements of debt to the value of R68m. Kganyago said the signing of these acknowledgements did not absolve the legal practitioners from any civil litigation that the SIU…

THERE was tension in Sokhulumi township near Bronkhorstspruit on Monday and Tuesday, as residents blocked the roads with burning tyres in a protest over a lack of water. However, the water outage wasn’t due to Rand Water power supply failure affecting Pretoria East. Ward councillor Kgaugelo Phiri said residents were forced to bear the brunt of going for days without water after Eskom cut the power supply to municipal boreholes pumps. The utility, he said, has run out of patience with the City of Tshwane for failing to settle its outstanding debt for bulk electricity supply. Phiri said the situation was calm on Wednesday and yesterday after he appealed to residents to stop the protests, which had turned violent. A tribal office was reportedly torched and a truck transporting oranges…

Businesswoman and socialite Shauwn Mkhize, popularly known as MaMkhize, has released her new memoir, My World, My Rules. Mkhize says the book has been her way of saying her piece, letting things go, healing her wounds, and saying her final words to her parents and brother, who are physically no longer with her. “This marks a new dawn and beginning for me,” said Mkhize. The owner of top-flight soccer team Royal AM said she hopes people will understand that she didn’t grow up with a silver spoon in her mouth, like many think. “I hope they learn more about my childhood,” she said. She said that nothing came easy and that she went through a lot of trials and tribulations. “I’ve worked extremely hard to be where I am today,…

SOUTH Africa’s poverty problem is institutionalised, as it was during the apartheid years. In fact, South Africa is still an apartheid state. ANC veteran and former state president Thabo Mbeki said during his tenure (1999-2008) as president of the republic that South Africa is “a country of two nations – one that is white and wealthy and another that is black and poor”. Emotions quickly reach a breaking point when it comes to this topic of the shortage of resources in black communities, and more often than not we have seen that it results in conflicts of black self-hate, or what some in the media have termed Afrophobia. As such, I feel duty-bound to contribute to the discourse by addressing the emotions and the conflicts resulting from the jobs discourse,…

At least 78 people were killed in a stampede in the Yemeni capital Sana’a as residents gathered at a school to receive cash donations distributed by merchants during Ramadaan, witnesses and the Houthi administration said yesterday. Hundreds of people crowded to receive the alms, which amounted to 5 000 Yemeni riyals, or about $9 (R162) a person, two witnesses said. “When the door opened, there was a big rush by people wanting to reach the school yard first and some people began falling on the steps leading to the entrance,” one medic said. Two thirds of the population need help in the war-torn country, which was impoverished even before the conflict erupted eight years ago. The Houthi Health Ministry said 77 people were injured, including 13 in a critical condition,…

The first feature film shot in space premiered in Russian cinemas yesterday, as Moscow delighted in beating a rival Hollywood project amid a confrontation with the West over Ukraine. The Challenge is about a surgeon dispatched to the International Space Station (ISS) to save an injured cosmonaut. Russia sent an actress and a film director for a 12-day stint on the ISS in October 2021 to film scenes aboard the orbiting laboratory. The Russian crew beat a Hollywood project announced in 2020 by Mission Impossible star Tom Cruise together with NASA and Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Director Klim Shipenko, 39, who was in charge of the camera, lighting and sound, brought back 30 hours of footage, 50 minutes of which were used in the final cut. Actress Yulia Peresild and Shipenko…

DHAKA: Bangladesh is being forced to cut power to millions of people as a relentless heatwave leads to a surge in demand for power and thereby creates massive electricity supply shortfalls during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadaan. Greater use of irrigation pumps by farmers and an increase in commercial activity during Ramadaan have also contributed to increased power demand. Power shortages have been most severe at night. Temperatures soared to 42.8°C on Wednesday in the west of the country. Overall electricity supply fell short of demand by 6.6% over the seven days to Wednesday, government data showed. | Reuters…

Munich: Michael Schumacher’s family said yesterday they were planning legal action against German magazine Die Aktuelle for using an artificial intelligence programme to generate fake quotes from the seven-time Formula One champion. The magazine had claimed it had an interview with the motorsport legend, the first since he suffered a serious brain injury in a 2013 skiing accident in the French Alps. This week, the magazine published the “interview”, revealing afterwards it had been generated by artificial intelligence. The article included quotes attributed to Schumacher, discussing his family life since the accident and his medical condition. A family spokesperson confirmed that they planned legal action. The family has carefully guarded the 54-year-old’s privacy since the accident. Little information has been given publicly on his condition. Reports suggest he has memory,…

PROTEAS star Quinton de Kock says he is “chilled” about not having played a match in the Indian Premier League this season and is instead focusing on improving his fitness. De Kock has not been a regular starter at the IPL since his debut season a decade ago in 2013, with the dynamic opening batter/wicketkeeper playing integral roles for previous teams Royal Challengers Bangalore and five-time IPL Champions Mumbai Indians before moving to Lucknow Super Giants last season. He had an immediate impact at LSG, forming a potent opening combination with captain KL Rahul that drove the team all the way to the play-offs last year. De Kock’s contribution was immense with the left-hander scoring 508 runs at an average of 36.28 and a strike rate of 148.97, including a…

POLICE in Bela Bela are appealing to the public to assist with information that could lead to the arrest of the gunmen involved in the murder and attempted murder of two brothers on the N1 freeway between Lehau and Mantsole weighbridges in Waterberg District. Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said the incident happened on Monday at around 10.30pm. “It is alleged that two brothers, aged 34 and 50, were travelling along the N1 South freeway in a black Opel Corsa motor vehicle when their vehicle was hit by an unknown object next to Mantsole weighbridge. “They stopped the vehicle and alighted to check its condition, and that was when they realised that two of the tyres were spiked and that they couldn’t proceed with their journey,” Ledwaba said. “They…

Wage negotiations between the National Union of Metal Workers of SA (Numsa) and cash-strapped Eskom have kicked off on a bad note. Numsa said it had met Eskom management in the Central Bargaining Forum, and for the first day of wage talks on Wednesday, the union said it was not happy with the behaviour of the Eskom representatives at the talks. “Eskom management behaved appallingly by failing to present written submissions to the forum. We were supposed to start negotiations at 9am, but ended up starting at 12.45pm because Eskom needed time to write its submissions so that it could be shared with all parties. It took them nearly three hours to respond,” the union said in a statement. Numsa’s core demands are a 2-year wage agreement, a 15% wage…

New electricity minister meets ambassador to discuss load shedding For nearly two decades, South Africa’s capacity for economic development has diminished, resulting in an energy crisis threatening to collapse entire industries. Its regional prominence is also at risk, as countries like Mozambique make inroads into handling the bulk of import and export cargo for the region. Cargo handling in the region has historically been the preserve of South Africa. The revamped Maputo ports now handle much of southern Africa’s cargo, even servicing South African clients – and demand is on the rise. While most sub-Saharan nations have harnessed energy production parallel to their industrial development needs, South Africa has not. Plagued by an energy crisis since 2009, the increasing demand for goods and services to satisfy a steadily growing middle…

Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built, exploded during its first flight yesterday, but Elon Musk congratulated his SpaceX team on an “exciting” test of the spacecraft designed to send astronauts to the moon, Mars and beyond. The uncrewed rocket disintegrated minutes after successfully blasting off from Starbase, the SpaceX spaceport in Boca Chica, Texas. The Starship spacecraft that will eventually carry crew and cargo had been scheduled to separate from the first-stage rocket booster three minutes into the flight, but separation failed to occur and the rocket blew up in a ball of fire over the Gulf of Mexico. Despite the failure to complete the full 90-minute flight test and reach orbit, SpaceX and Musk, the founder and CEO of the private space company, declared it a success. “Congrats…

Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pressed Nato yesterday to invite Ukraine to join the military alliance and send more fighter jets and long-range weapons. Zelensky was speaking during a visit to Kyiv by Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, his first since the start of Russia’s invasion in February last year. Russia sees Ukraine’s Nato membership bid as an existential threat, while Ukraine says the invasion justifies its campaign. Zelensky also asked for Nato’s help to “overcome the reluctance” of some member states in providing long-range rockets, modern fighter jets and armoured vehicles. The Kremlin said preventing Ukraine joining the Western alliance remains one of the main aims of its invasion. | AFP…

TULSA: Two people were killed in Oklahoma yesterday when tornadoes and severe weather ripped through the US state, local officials said. Emergency management authorities in the state’s south-central McClain county confirmed the deaths in a Facebook post, adding that search and rescue efforts were ongoing late into the night. Authorities warned the storm’s toll could rise as the full extent of the destruction became known. NBC footage showed damaged and destroyed buildings, and debris littering the small town of Cole. The National Weather Service office in nearby Norman, Oklahoma described “erratic” tornadoes and supercell storms in the region. | AFP…

LONDON: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wrestled yesterday with the fate of his deputy Dominic Raab after an investigation concluded into alleged bullying by the Conservative minister. Raab, who is justice secretary as well as deputy prime minister, has been under a cloud for allegedly victimising his civil servants in three different government departments. Sunak retained “full confidence” in Raab but was “considering the findings”, he said. Raab is expected to face dismissal if the complaints are upheld, with the Conservatives already staring at heavy losses in local elections on May 4. | AFP…

THE team that recently looked unstoppable on the domestic front has seemingly forgotten how to win ... The aura of invincibility that Mamelodi Sundowns wore with pride just last month is gone – the Brazilians and victory suddenly resembling the parallel lines of a railway – destined never to meet. And now, instead of the earlier confident talk of a second continental title, those associated with the multiple South African champions are speaking in hushed tones about the chances of their club reaching the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League. With good reason too, for why would they be confident of such success when their team has just been knocked out of the Nedbank Cup they’d been hoping to defend? That wouldn’t be so bad had that defeat been…

Food insecurity and inflation have caused a significant nutritional deficiency, affecting the overall physical health and psychosocial development of the country’s people. Shockingly, this lack of essential nutrients has been linked to behavioural and sleep problems in children and the emergence of chronic health concerns like cardiovascular disease and high cholesterol. In a recent interview with IOL Lifestyle, Leanne Keizer, corporate affairs manager at Danone Southern Africa, emphasised the significance of examining micro-nutrient deficiencies in the South African population. “It is more crucial than ever to guarantee that people have access to essential nutrients for optimal physical and emotional health because the availability of inexpensive and healthy food options is fast diminishing. Addressing this health epidemic and encouraging good eating among all South Africans are essential,” said Keizer in conversation.…

THE High Court in Polokwane has sentenced 28-year-old Lazarus Justice Mohapi to two life sentences and a combined 48 years’ imprisonment for the murder of a Bela-Bela farmer and his employee. Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, spokesperson for the SAPS in Limpopo, said Mohapo entered Simon Malebane’s farm in Radium on August 17, 2019, assaulted and killed him, then attacked and killed farm worker Daniel Leburu. “The convicted farm murderer Lazarus Mohapi was found guilty of two counts of murder, conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery with aggravating circumstances, unlawful possession of A firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and contravention of Immigration Act,” said Ledwaba. Mohapi was arrested three days after the incident. “The court ordered that the sentence in count one, three, four, five, six and seven shall run concurrently with the…

Republican Conference of Tshwane’s councillor Lex Middelberg has rubbished claims of looming threats to place the City of Tshwane under administration due to failure by council to pass an adjustment budget last week. Middelberg said a municipality wasn’t under obligation to pass an adjustments budget, saying it may do so at its discretion. “A municipality is by law obliged to spend money in accordance with its budget. Spending that is not authorised by the budget is financial misconduct and unlawful.” He said the budget was never about better services, but “it was always all about allocating a budget to fix the unlawful expenditure already incurred”. Executive mayor Cilliers Brink recently raised concern that the latest developments in council, such as adjournments of meetings, was an attempt to create conditions to…

AFTER a successful inaugural event last year, the Basadi in Music Awards returns in August, promising nothing short of a memorable experience. Founded by entertainment maven Hloni Modise-Matau, the Basadi in Music Awards celebrate South African women in music. Modise shared the essence of the awards with The Star. “These awards are aimed at celebrating female excellence in the music industry. I have been in the industry since I was 19, and working in the industry since that age, I got to work in different parts of the music industry. “I saw a trend that the music space is still very much male-dominated. Progress is being made, but we still need to do a lot more work. “It all started as an idea that I put on paper, and it…

Explosions and gunfire resounded in Sudan’s capital yesterday as fighting between the forces of two rival generals showed no signs of abating ahead of festivities marking the end of Ramadan. Over 300 people have been killed since the fighting erupted Saturday between forces loyal to Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Some of the fiercest battles have taken place in the capital Khartoum, a city home to five million people, most of whom have been cloistered in their homes without electricity, food and water. As battles raged, Burhan dismissed any prospects for negotiations with Daglo, telling Al Jazeera yesterday he sees no option but “decisive military” action, adding that that he was open for mediation. The…

In 2023, only 39% of respondents in a survey said religion was very important to them, compared to 62% who said that in 1998, according to The New York Times this week. The survey was conducted on about 1 000 US adults last month by The Wall Street Journal and NORC at the University of Chicago about the importance of different values to Americans. “When you look at the full results, the picture becomes a bit more complicated,” with 60% of respondents saying that religion was either somewhat or very important to them, and only 19% saying religion was not important to them at all, said the article. Mark Chaves, a professor of sociology at Duke Divinity School who directs the National Congregations Study, said: “America can still be a…

BERLIN: A court in the German city of Braunschweig has thrown out rape and sexual offence charges against Christian Brueckner, who has been formally identified as an official suspect in the Madeleine McCann case, his lawyer said yesterday. The court’s decision means that legal authorities in Braunschweig have no jurisdiction over the case of “Maddie”, the British girl who disappeared in Portugal in 2007 at the age of 3, lawyer Friedrich Fuelscher said. German prosecutors last year said they had charged Brueckner with three offences of aggravated rape and two of sexual abuse of children in Portugal between 2000 and 2017,not linked to Maddie. | Reuters…

COPENHAGEN: Toymaker LEGO said yesterday it had agreed to buy e-methanol, a lower-carbon alternative to conventional plastic, for its colourful plastic bricks when the world’s first large-scale plant starts operations next year. Privately-owned renewable energy firm European Energy, which is developing the plant in Aabenraa, Denmark, said Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk will also buy its e-methanol to substitute fossil-based plastic in medical devices. Some 100 million tons of methanol is produced from fossil fuels each year, two-thirds of which is used in the chemical industry, and the rest in transportation, according to European Energy. | Reuters…