Innholdsfortegnelse for Sunday, June 14, 2020 i Sunday Independent

FAILURE FAILURE SACP calls for new economic order Global Green New Deal based on number of elements ‘Covid-19 has exposed underdevelopment and government policy failure’ MANYANE MANYANE and PIET RAMPEDI THE SACP has called for a new post-Covid-19 economic order in South Africa, with developmental policy interventions that include agricultural support and a massive infrastructural rollout. Insisting that the pandemic has exposed the country’s underdevelopment and incapacity, the party said the current levels of unemployment, poverty and inequality were an indication of government policy failure. “We believe a massive infrastructural roll-out should be a key way forward”Alex Mashilo SACP spokesperson In an interview with Sunday Independent yesterday, spokesperson Alex Mashilo warned that South Africa could not go back to the pre-coronavirus “crisis” period of economic stagnation and rampant unemployment. The…

JUDGMENT JUDGMENT Ruling could ‘reset’ SA’s electoral system Mixed reactions from political parties KENNETH MOKGATLHE kenneth.mokgatlhe@inl.co.za SOUTH Africans should brace themselves for a complete redesign of the country’s electoral system, which could usher in a mixed system of proportional representation (PR) and direct election of political officer bearers. This is according to political experts Dr Ralph Mathekga and Professor Susan Booysen. They described this week’s Constitutional Court ruling, which declared parts of the Electoral Act unconstitutional, as potentially a “disruptor” of the country’s electoral system with “far-reaching” implications. The landmark ruling, delivered by Concourt Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, paved the way for independent candidates to contest provincial and national elections without being members of political parties. South Africa has been using the PR system at provincial and national level since 1994…

HISTORY Resilience of Munsieville Township has stood test of time – from forced removal, to having a future BOOK EXTRACT HERBERT MABUZA THE Munsieville issue in the mid-1980s stirred emotions in Krugersdorp. White Krugersdorp wanted Munsieville to be forcibly removed since it bordered on three white areas. The unrest and violence in this township often threatened to boil over into the white suburbs. Winnie Madikezela-Mandela made her famous speech in Munsieville: “Together, hand in hand with our match boxes, we will liberate this country.” This whipped up emotions. The white community began to arm themselves with guns, hunting rifles, revolvers, pistols – anything that could fire a bullet. For 80 years the 10 000 inhabitants had been a thorn in the flesh of white Krugersdorp. The inhabitants had to move…

HISTORY Soweto’s forgotten heroes The stories of struggle heroes Richard Barney Molokoane and Saul Sibusiso “Minus” Mashinini are the stuff that makes for great movies. Although the two cadres met with a tragic end, the tragedy of it all is that they seem to be forgotten when we talk about our struggle heroes. These two legends left South Africa as young men to join the struggle against oppression. Here, the two men’s brothers talk about the pain of not seeing their loved ones live long enough to enjoy the liberation they sacrificed so much for. SIPHO MABASO BARNEY was a soccer guy. He confided in me a lot, but never mentioned anything about politics. He also loved bricklaying and he and his friends had a piece job extending houses in…

CIGARETTE DID YOUBAN KNOW COSTS ESTIMATES are that there are more than 11 million cigarette smokers in South Africa, many of whom say they have suffered emotionally, financially and psychologically since the ban on sales was imposed in March. Some have said they were able to quit because they couldn’t find cigarettes, but the majority have had to rely on an underground network of cigarette smugglers who have been doing a roaring trade while ripping off the poor consumers. Pius Ndlovu*, a 59-year-old grandfather, is one of the people who says his daily routine has centred lately on trying to find a decent fag. Ndlovu, who admits to being a chain-smoker for 44 years, says his waking-up routine includes lighting up, but it has been hell lately to face up to…

EDITORIAL Let us never forget the youth of the 1976 uprisings ON THE 44th anniversary of the inspirational June 16, 1976, student uprising, let us honour the day and its young heroes and never lose sight of the fact that it is their fearless actions that have a direct bearing on our 26-year old nascent democracy. The uprising rejuvenated the anti-apartheid struggle after a lull in the 1960s when the incarceration of political leaders such as PAC’s Robert Sobukwe and the ANC’s Nelson Mandela left a leadership vacuum for the oppressed. Also, a general wide sweep of thousands of young political activists by the apartheid security apparatus, and the killing of leaders such as Black Consciousness Movement leader Steve Biko in 1977 at the hands of the security police, brought…

UNITED STATES President addresses West Point Criticised amid tension with military HIS relationship with top military officials strained, US President Donald Trump addressed the graduating class at the US Military Academy yesterday against a backdrop of urgent questions about the role of soldiers in a civil society. Trump’s commencement speech to the 1 100 graduating cadets during a global pandemic was delivered as arguments continue to rage over his threat to use American troops on US soil to quell protests stemming from the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. In the past two weeks, Trump yelled at Defence Secretary Mark Esper for publicly opposing his call to use active-duty troops to crack down on the demonstrations. Then General Mark Milley, the Joint Chiefs of…

N O RT H KO R E A Kim Yo Jong threatens retaliatory action SEOUL: The sister of North Korea’s leader has warned of retaliatory measures against South Korea that could involve the military, in the latest escalation of tensions over defectors from the North who have been sending back propaganda and food. Kim Yo Jong, one of Kim Jong Un’s unofficial top aides, issued the warning in a statement carried by state news agency Korean Central News Agency yesterday. “By exercising my power authorised by the Supreme Leader, our Party and the state, I gave an instruction to the... department in charge of the affairs with (the) enemy to decisively carry out the next action,” Kim said. Her statement, which did not say what the next action could be,…

MALAWI Government reprimands former president RUSTENBURG: The government of Malawi dismissed as false remarks made by former president Joyce Banda that there was no Covid-19 infection cases in the country. “Such a statement from a parent and a former president, is not only irresponsible but also unfortunate and lacking in patriotism,” Information Minister Mark Botomani said. “Covid-19 is real and claiming lives, Malawi has so far lost four lives.” Malawi media reported this week that Banda told an election rally in Nkhatabay there were no infections, and the government was taking advantage of the outbreak for its political interests. She also demanded it must return funds donated for the fight against Covid-19. Malawi has reported 481 Covid-19 cases with 55 recoveries. | ANA…

Botswana reintstates lockdown in capital GABORONE: Botswana reinstated a strict Covid-19 lockdown in Gaborone and surrounding areas after the country recorded 12 new cases of the virus, a senior health official said on Friday. Botswana ended a 48-day national Covid-19 lockdown late last month, allowing businesses and schools to reopen under controls, but its borders are still closed apart from for returning citizens and imports of essential goods. Before the new cases were announced, Botswana only had one active case of the coronavirus. It has recorded only one coronavirus death. Reuters…

Udder chaos as cattle escape after fire BREMEN: Several cows were on the run yesterday after a fire broke out at a cattle shed on a farm in northwestern Germany. The commotion began on Friday afternoon when a blaze erupted at the structure in the community of Langen, in the rural Emsland region. About 40 cows that were inside at the time were unharmed. But the problem began when it came time to corral the animals. The farmer, fire brigade, police officers and others were only able to bring 32 of the cows under control. Eight escaped and were still on the loose yesterday. Two firemen were slightly injured. A police statement described the cows as “aggressive” and urged the public to avoid them if spotted. The cause of the…

OPINION Good riddance? Why history will judge Burundi’s Nkurunziza harshly DAVID E KIWUWA PIERRE Nkurunziza, Burundi’s football-loving president and self-proclaimed pastor, has died at the age of 55. By all accounts this was death most cruel. He was soon to hand over power to his hand-picked successor, Major-General Evariste Ndayishimiye. Ndayishimiye, the former army major, recently won a controversial election which was reaffirmed by the Constitutional Court a few days ago. This would have been the first time in Burundi’s history that power was transferred peacefully from one leader to another, albeit from the same party. What does Nkurunziza’s passing mean for the transition process in Burundi? And to Burundi’s regional relationships? When Burundians look back, some will remember their president as a man who laid the foundation for a…

Ambitious plan to sell deeply indebted Edcon DINEO FAKU dineo.faku@inl.co.za WALDO SWIEGERS Bloomberg RETAILER Edcon business rescue practitioners (BRPs) have set their eyes on a new funder to buy the clothing retailer in order to pay creditors. Edcon, the 91-year-old retailer that collapsed this year, is believed to owe creditors at least R5 billion. Some of the creditors are believed to include Goldman Sachs, hedge fund Apollo Global Asset Management and AlbaCore Capital. Edcon, South Africa’s biggest apparel retailer, with 17292 employees and 5 000 seasonal casual workers, went into voluntary business rescue last month after the coronavirus (Covid-19) lockdown regulations further dented its ailing fortunes. The BRPs, Piers Marsden and Lance Schapiro, said they were seeking buyers for Edcon’s brands of Edgars, Jet and its loyalty programme, Thank U.…

STARS TANYA OBREZA ARIES (MARCH 21 - APRIL 20) A retrograde Mercury brings its usual disruption, with a living situation becoming chaotic. With passions reeling, you’re on something of an emotional bender. On a more practical note, electronics or machinery could break down or need repair. TAURUS (APRIL 21 - MAY 20) You’ve been asked to maintain secrecy, and until now have kept good faith. After all, it’s in your nature to be unquestioningly loyal. That is, until you run against a particularly petulant Pluto, who is keen to get you talking when you should be staying silent. GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUNE 21) We’re meant to give and receive. It’s in this delicious dance that we move towards true joy and find unconditional love. What you give, you receive…

GOLF Woods steers clear of Harbour Town event TIGER Woods’ re-appearance on the PGA Tour has been pushed back once again after the 15-time major champion opted not to enter the RBC Heritage next week. The 44-year-old hasn’t featured in an official PGA Tour event since the Genesis Invitational in February, having subsequently missed the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship due to a back problem. Woods has now passed on the first two events in the PGA Tour’s reshuffled schedule, which commenced with this week’s Charles Schwab Challenge. Despite largely appearing in good spirits and pain-free while featuring alongside a host of sports stars at The Match: Champions for Charity in Florida last month, reports suggesting Woods was braced for a return have proven to be incorrect. His…

INJURY TIME STUART HESS NOT ONE BUT... FOR a while there on Thursday it appeared that Cricket South Africa had two chief executive officers running the vacant – due to lockdown regulations – head office in Johannesburg. It did make one insider joke: “Hello, this is Cricket SA, both of our CEOs are unavailable at the moment, if you’d like to leave a message one of them will get back to you shortly.” COINCIDENCE AND how about Thabang Moroe, turning up at the office – the vacant one with staff working remotely in accordance with lockdown regulations – and standing at the gate just as a reporter from a nearby radio station happens to be driving past to take a photo. Not a set-up at all, was it? No one…

POWER NSFAS NSFAS administrator’s ‘reign of terror’ Employees claim they were pushed out MANYANE MANYANE manyane.manyane@inl.co.za RANDALL Carolissen, the administrator of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), has been accused of launching a reign of terror against employees who refused to implement questionable instructions, including hiring his associates without following due process. This comes after a list of 39 employees who have been fired, served with written warnings, or suspended emerged this week amid labour disputes at the scheme, which falls under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology. Most of the employees have since taken NSFAS to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA). Carolissen was first appointed as the administrator of the R35 billion student loan scheme by Nzimande’s predecessor, Naledi Pandor, in 2018, before…

BOOK NP politician turned rights commissioner acknowledges white bias DON MAKATILE IF YOU thought that all beneficiaries of the heresy of apartheid are unrepentant, you’ve got another think coming – some detest the unfair advantage they derived from the racist system. Former National Party (NP) politician advocate Leon Wessels, who in the post-1994 political dispensation served as a commissioner of the SA Human Rights Commission, is of that rare breed that acknowledges the inherent bias of apartheid in favour of whites. He’s just published his autobiography, Encountering Apartheid’s Ghosts – from Krugersdorp to Constitution Hill, a revelation of one man baring his soul. It is conciliatory without being obsequious to the new order. It is a truthful account of a white Afrikaner who thinks “we should have done more, better”.…

AFRICAN POLITICS Nkurunziza: a Burundi dictator drunk on power JOVIAL RANTAO jovial.rantao@inl.co.za WHOEVER wrote that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely must have had individuals such as Pierre Nkurunziza, the former president of Burundi, in mind. Nkurunziza, who died this week from symptoms associated with Covid-19, went from being a national hero who led his country out of a civil war to democracy, then got drunk on power and became a dictator who killed opponents and led his country back into a civil war. He was a gifted footballer, a ball juggler par-excellence who dribbled his way into the hearts of the people of Burundi, who until then had suffered at the hands of the then leader Domitien Ndayizeye. Nkurunziza was plucked from the dusty football fields of Bujumbura,…

History Mashinini was a revolutionary ahead of his time SIBUSISO Saul “Minus” Mashinini was very young when he left the country, but I remember him as a highly intelligent and compassionate person. He had a deep passion for humankind and hated to see others suffer. He was a very brave, and committed person. He was a talented actor, singer and had a great sense of humour. He had a passion for cooking and baking and took care of all of us six siblings when my parents were working awkward shifts. He didn’t speak at the time of his departure. He just disappeared shortly after the 1976 upheavals. I learnt later when I reconnected with him outside the country that he was a staunch devotee of a liberated South Africa. He…

JUDGMENT Transformation in legal fraternity under spotlight KARABO NGOEPe and MZILIKAZI WA AFRIKA THE recent judgment by the Equality Court sitting in the High Court in Cape Town has thrown the issue of transformation in the legal fraternity back under the spotlight. The judgment, which was delivered this week by judges Nolwazi Mabindla-Boqwana and Taswell Papier dismissing the equality court challenge, saying “it is perhaps fitting for all to be reminded that the election of black women to the governing structures of the profession is not in… itself sufficient to fulfill the transformation objective of the legal profession”. At the heart of the challenge was the requirement by the Legal Practice Council (LPC) to have one black male, one black female, one white male and one white female in positions…

Cigarettes ban feeds criminality Loss of tax income as a result of ban has serious economic consequences that the country can ill-afford DON MAKATILE AS THE tobacco manufacturers and government fight it out in court over the ban of cigarette sales during lock-down level 3, a body whose interest straddles crime and business is taking a keen interest in the matter. Judgment was reserved on Wednesday in the high court in Pretoria in the matter between the Fair Trade Independent Tobacco Association (Fita) and the Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma. Business Against Crime South Africa (Bacsa) has, since inception in 1996, taken note of the relationship between business and crime. Managing director Tebele Luthuli says: “The continued ban on the sale of tobacco…

PROTESTS Pleading to be ‘non-racial’ is simply not enough EVENTS in the US, in which George Floyd breathed his last at the hands of the police, and in South Africa, where Collins Khosa lost his life in an altercation with law enforcement, drive home the point that it is just not enough to plead being “non-racial”. While a declaration of crime against humanity may be good, it is better to act against its commission. Being anti-racist is an action-driven battle cry intent to wrest the lives of black folks from the clutches of unrelenting racism worldwide since slavery. While all lives matter, in the death of Khosa and Floyd, a worldwide pattern shows that black lives matter less. Floyd died on May 25, and Khosa on April 10. The 45…

LETTERS SA doesn’t learn from previous success stories SOUTH Africa is celebrating 10 years since the successful hosting of the Soccer World Cup and its resounding success will be remembered as one on the biggest and a good story to tell after the dawn of our democracy in 1994. In the spirit of African unity, our Soccer World Cup was not only for South Africa but for the entire continent of Africa. We are celebrating the 10th anniversary amid the sombre mood when our continent and the entire world is engulfed by the pandemic of the coronavirus. More than 408 000 people have lost their lives and almost 1.7 million people had been infected by this deadly virus. The virus, as did the Soccer World Cup, presented serious challenges as…

The People Blood donor drive LA PAZ: The interim president of Bolivia, Jeanine Anez, pictured, donated blood in a mobile unit located in Plaza Murillo, in La Paz, on Friday. She took part in this donation day prior to the World Blood Donor Day that is commemorated today, and urged that those who had recovered from Covid-19 to donate their plasma to help those infected with coronavirus. | EPA-EFE Celebrating with less pomp and ceremony LONDON: In her first public appearance since March, BRITAIN’S Queen Elizabeth celebrated her official 94th birthday yesterday with a parade by the Welsh Guards and military band at Windsor Castle instead of the usual Trooping the Colour ceremony in central London. This year’s ceremony was revised to comply with Covid-19 social-distancing rules. Her husband, Prince…

DIFFICULT TIMES JOYCE Muchenje places her hands in the centre between that of her three children, who all have albinism, at their house in Chitungwiza outside Harare, Zimbabwe. Muchenje used to provide for them by doing domestic work for cross-border traders before the Covid-19 lockdown. But border trade has stopped and Mutenje has run out of money to get the skin cream for her children. As the world observed International Albinism Awareness Day yesterday, the pandemic is reported to have made the life of people with albinism more challenging. According to UN data, albinism is prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, with estimates of one in 1 000 to 1 400 people being affected. AP…

NEPAL New map as land row with India escalates KATHMANDU: The lower house of Nepal’s parliament yesterday approved a new map of the country, including areas disputed with India, the speaker of the national legislature said. India’s foreign ministry argued that the addition of Indian territory is not based on historical fact or evidence. “It is also violative of our current understanding to hold talks on outstanding boundary issues,” ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said. Nepal published its revised map in May after India inaugurated an 80km road connecting its northern Uttarakhand state with Lipulekh on the border with Tibet that passes through the land Nepal says belongs to it. Reuters…

Amazon tree loss hits record level RIO DE JANEIRO: The Brazilian government said on Friday the Amazon rainforest witnessed deforestation of a record 829km2 in May, the highest monthly level since 2015 when measurements were first taken. The National Institute for Space Research said deforestation increased by 91km2 compared to the same period last year. The authorities were alerted to the increase in the rate of destruction of the rainforest the The Real-time Deforestation Detection system, a project created to monitor human activity in the Amazon. A study by the Amazon Environmental Research Institute warned that deforestation this year could reach 11900km2 if the pace of May, June, and July follows the historical average. Xinhua…

CAMPAIGNS Celebs talk mental strength AMANDA MALIBA amanda.maliba@inl.co.za THE need for increased mental strength during these Covid-19 times has been cited as the most important consideration to help survive the lockdown. Various celebrities have stepped up to steer this conversation, to help people find a healthy balance through various initiatives. Child star and medical doctor Musa Mthombeni is among those who joined a group of influencers to champion the 3-Steps Together campaign, a movement which aims to foster a culture of talking about mental health issues during these trying times. The campaign will engage various participants on various topics such as what each person’s mental strength is, spanning five weeks, and championing the fact that talking about one’s issues really helps. “Mental strength allows you to acknowledge that it’s okay…

GENDER VIOLENCE An enemy we’re losing the war against The generation of 1976 made their voices heard, but today, women and girls are living silently in fear, writes Siyabonga Mkhwanazi THE RECENT killing of two women has indicated the new struggle that women face in the country – that of gender-based violence, with many dying at the hands of their partners. Tshegofatso Pule, 28, was murdered in Roodepoort, Gauteng, and Naledi Phangindawo, 25, in Mossel Bay, Western Cape while the country was under lockdown. The youth of 1976 fought a different struggle to what those of today fight. All those years ago they took to the streets, opposing the apartheid regime for imposing Afrikaans as a medium of instruction. It has been 44 years since the student uprising that saw…

AFRICA THIS WEEK EDUCATION IS KEY TO FACING CHALLENGES VICTOR KGOMOESWANA @VictorAfrica DURING my days as a student teacher we shared social media messages via graffiti, bumper stickers, coffee mugs and key rings. The events of the past few weeks stirred one message from those days deep in my psyche: the mistake of a doctor kills one person, but that of a teacher kills the entire generation. This quote refers to the shortcomings of the system within which the teacher practises their craft. This is the collective impact of the decisions and actions of those running education, practitioners, governing bodies, parents and other influential members of society. Education is more than just what takes place in schools. It is what our children see, hear, consume – in general, experience –…

Economy to shrink 5.5 percent, says Fitch SIPHELELE DLUDLA siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za RATINGS agency Fitch has warned that South Africa’s debt could rise as much as 80.9 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) and projected fiscal deficit surge to 14.4 percent this year. Fitch said in its outlook on sub-Saharan African sovereigns on Friday that the country’s economy was also now expected to shrink 5.5 percent this year on the impact of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic lockdown restrictions. “Government debt was already on a sustained upward trajectory before the crisis,” Fitch said in its report. “Consolidation measures in the February budget relied heavily on renegotiating a public sector wage agreement that only expires in April 2021, which has so far been elusive.” Finance Minister Tito Mboweni in February projected that the GDP…

B I Z 1 0 1 Predicting cash flow in Covid-19 era is vital CASH flow is the lifeblood of businesses, particularly small and medium-sizes enterprises. However, the coronavirus (Covid-19) lockdown regulations unexpectedly cut off this critical supply for many businesses, hampering their ability to meet immediate financial obligations like paying employees and suppliers. While the relaxation of the regulations has been a welcome relief, the economy is still a long way from settling into a new normal, making it more important for businesses to keep a tight hand on budgets and cash flow in the coming months. Businesses need to focus on updating cash flow statements – a vital tool to measure the amount of cash entering and leaving a business. Herewith are tips for businesses to stay on…

RUGBY Du Randt the ox who anchored Boks to 1995 glory MIKE GREENAWAY IT is quite remarkable that Os du Randt was one of the colossal figures of the ’95 World Cup triumph when a year before that June final he had been uncapped by the Springboks and had had just a handful of Currie Cup caps for the Cheetahs. Going into that World Cup, he was a 22-year-old diesel mechanic apprentice in Bloemfontein. Du Randt was a farm boy from Elliot in the Eastern Cape — the same town that produced Mark Andrews, Du Randts’ teammate in the ’95 Bok side — and after school at Adelaide Gimnasium he was called up for army national service in Bloemfontein and his love of things mechanical was fostered. After national service…

Dortmund stay in the hunt for honours BORUSSIA Dortmund substitute Erling Haaland headed a stoppage-time winner to give them a 1-0 victory at For-tuna Duesseldorf yesterday and keep their slim Bundesliga title hopes alive. Norwegian Haaland scored with the last action of the game to lift second-placed Dortmund to 66 points, with leaders Bayern Munich on 70 before they host Borussia Moenchengladbach later. Haaland made sure of a last-gasp win when he rose high to connect with a Manuel Akanji cross. In Spain’s La Liga, Espanyol defender Bernardo Espinosa and forward Wu Lei scored either side of the break to hand the relegation-threatened side a 2-0 home win over Alaves. OTHER BUNDESLIGA RESULTS: FC Koln 1 Union Berlin 2, Wolfsburg 2 FC Freiburg 2, Hertha 1 Eintracht Frankfurt 4, Paderborn…

F O OT B A L L Booth: Was Parreira right man? ‘Coaching changes bring inconsistency’ MIHLALI BALEKA mihlali.baleka@inl.co.za BackpagePix “Football is about being patient. And making a decision to stick to a coach, who you’ll believe in his philosophy, is important. If you are going to be chopping, there’s never going to be consistency.”Matthew BoothFormer Bafana Bafana defender FORMER Bafana Bafana defender Matthew Booth remains adamant the national team would have made huge progress with the 2010 World Cup squad if there was no chopping and changing of coaches over the years. A decade ago, a cloud of prosperity and pride engulfed South Africa as they hosted the maiden World Cup on African soil, ensuring that the national team made their third entrance in the global showpiece…

T H E G LO RY O F ’ 9 5 The day the English were trampled by Jonah the Giant MARK KEOHANE AP THE England camp were talking a big game. “Jonah Lomu?” they asked. “What about Tony Underwood?” Poor Tony Underwood, the England right winger and brother of the more celebrated left winger Rory, had a target on his back long before big Jonah brushed him aside in the 1995 World Cup semi-final at Newlands. Jonah’s four-try demolition of England will always be remembered for the try when he ran over South African-born full-back Mike Catt. It happened on the grand stand side of Newlands and my press box seat was between the 10 and 22 metres line. It was breathtaking. There is no way to do justice…

Tail Piece POPULAR UGANDAN GORILLA KILLED AT UNESCO PARK KAMPALA: Ugandan wildlife authorities have detained four men in connection with the killing of a 25-year-old male gorilla, the leader of a gorilla group and hugely popular with tourists. The silverback, named Rafiki, was killed in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park after going missing on June 1. His body was found the next day. The park, a Unesco world heritage site near Uganda’s border, is a 320km2 patch of dense tropical forest that is home to primates, elephants, antelopes and other wildlife. Tourists are drawn to the parks estimated 400 mountain gorillas – roughly half the world’s population. Reuters…

Stranded citizens to return from Panama CAPE TOWN: A group of 20 South Africans stranded in Panama are set to return to South Africa after last-minute negotiations ensured they will reach Brazil in time to catch their SAA repatriation connecting flight home. The group will fly from Panama to Sao Paulo in Brazil and then catch a connecting flight to Johannesburg between tomorrow and Tuesday. According to online publication SA People, the South Africans have been stuck in Panama for the past few months due to the Covid-19 pandemic prompting governments across the world to implement lockdown measures to contain the spread of the virus. A South African man, known as Andre, created a WhatsApp group to connect all South Africans stranded in Panama, SA People reports. There will be…

BOOK Exposing life behind bars LESEGO MAKGATHO lesego.makgatho@inl.co.za “THE wooden bench is designed to feel uncomfortable. I’m positioned bolt upright, shifting uncomfortably, facing the reception area of the prison.” This is Ruth Hopkins’ crisp opening to her book, The Misery Merchants: Life and Death in A South African Private Prison. The private prison anchoring this body of work is the Mangaung Correctional Centre run by British multinational security company G4S. In this hard-hitting exposé, Hopkins presents up-close encounters with prison gang members who run the prison. Frank and revealing interviews with prisoners, and a unique insight into the minds of the warders on the torture squad make for a chilling and compelling read. When she first visited Mangaung Correctional Centre in 2012, she didn’t think the prison would take over…

BREAKDOWN OF CASES The breakdown of Covid-19 cases in correctional services is as follows: Eastern Cape – 824 Officials – 156 Inmates – 668 Recoveries – 133 Deaths – 3 Western Cape – 531 Officials – 305 Inmates – 226 Recoveries – 348 Deaths – 5 Gauteng – 76 Officials – 51 Inmates – 25 Recoveries – 26 KwaZulu-Natal – 11 Officials – 9 Inmates – 2 Recoveries – 1 Limpopo, Mpumalanga & North West – 4 Officials – 4 Recoveries – 2 Head Office – 3 Officials – 3 Recoveries – 1 Northern Cape – 2 Officials – 2 Recoveries – 2 Free State – 1…

COMMENT RESPECTING FALLEN FREEDOM FIGHTERS ZINGISA MKHUMA I AM part of the Class of 1976. Learners took to the streets of Soweto in protest against Afrikaans as the medium of instruction. It meant that days, weeks and months were spent on the trenches taking part in rolling student mass actions all over the Soweto and other black and coloured townships. The series of Soweto uprisings in 1976 took many of us by surprise, including the apartheid government. What started as a clear demonstration against the use of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction, turned into riots and rolling mass action all over South Africa. Sheer brutal force was used against defenceless children, some of them barely in their teens like Hector Petersen who was fatally wounded by a police bullet…

COMMENT UCT VEXED OVER CONTROVERSIAL PAPER EDWIN NAIDU THE University of Cape Town (UCT) is caught up in a race row involving academic Nicoli Nattrass, whose journal article was deemed offensive to black students at the institution. The controversial paper by Nattrass, a professor at UCT’s Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa (iCWild), titled “Why are black South African students less likely to consider studying biological sciences”, was published last month in the South African Journal of Science. There are more questions than answers, but speak to any academic about research and you would learn that approval from the university’s ethics committee is needed before one can launch into a study. Did Nattrass, who is a biologist, receive university approval from its ethics committee for her article? Is she…

COMMENT DO BLACK SOUTH AFRICAN LIVES STILL MATTER? TSHEPO MATSEBA THE VALUE placed on black lives was determined many decades ago and cemented into the minds of South Africans of all colours through legislation and socio-economic action. What we see today has become deep-rooted, thanks to many decades of socialisation through a combination of overt and covert action. South Africa has a very long history, some estimated 300 years, during which the lives of its black citizens never mattered. It is easy to explain away the conditions under which black lives were forced to exist during the colonial era and apartheid, when everything was designed to work against them, humiliate them, rob them of their human dignity and bring them to their knees. It is harder to understand how their…

FRANCE Protest draws thousands dpa THOUSANDS of people protested in Paris yesterday in the latest demonstration against alleged racism and violence by the police. The protest was called by Assa Traore, whose brother Adama, a young black man, died in disputed circumstances after his arrest by gendarmes in 2016 in a town north of Paris. She compared the death of her brother to that of George Floyd in the US. An estimated 20000 people defied a police ban to attend a protest she called last week. Thanks to that mobilisation, people now “recognise that there is racism in France, in the French police, in the French gendarmerie,” Traore declared. The latest protests have rekindled debate in France about racism, but also about police tactics. Security forces were criticied last year…

Highest death tolls in Brazil and Britain BEIJING: In the global fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, Brazil has overtaken Britain to be the country with the second-highest death toll, according to data from the Brazilian Health Ministry. The ministry on Friday confirmed 909 new deaths over 24 hours, taking the total number of deaths to 41 828, while the death toll in Britain is 41566. In Beijing, 46 people had tested positive in throat swab tests on 1 940 people, after authorities conducted nucleic acid tests in markets of farm produce and large-scale supermarkets on Friday, authorities said yesterday. In India yesterday, cases reached 308 993 and the death toll stood at 8 884, the data from the federal health ministry showed. Xinhua…

Taiwan protest gets indigenous twist TAIPEI: Hundreds packed into a park in central Taipei yesterday for a Black Lives Matter protest, with a group of indigenous Taiwanese given prominent billing to draw attention to discrimination against the island’s original inhabitants. The rally, attended by more than 500 people, was peaceful. While its main focus was to show solidarity with global protests, the organisers also wanted to draw attention to some of Taiwan’s own problems. Indigenous Taiwanese make up less than 3% of the island’s population. Reuters…

DRAMA New beginnings for Chuene Actress welcomes role in new drama as she bids farewell to ‘The Queen’ AMANDA MALIBA Rami Chuene AFTER a seemingly bitter end with Connie and Shona Ferguson’s production, Rami Chuene has moved onto greener pastures and now is part of the star-studded cast of BET Africa’s new drama, Isono. Chuene is among other actors who have had to abruptly exit The Queen – the popular show– which include Mlamli Mangcala, who threw accusations at the Fergusons, saying he was underpaid and treated unfairly. Claims were also made by veteran actress Vatiswa Ndara in a highly public battle last year. But Chuene has risen above the drama, saying her new character, Jumima, is nothing like popular Gracious “TGOM” Mabuza, or any other. “Jumima is…

REAL NUMBERS A MAN WHO REVEALS NEW LAYERS TO LIFE, LIKE AN ONION DR PALI LEHOHLA AN ONION is a multilayered plant and a common ingredient in foods. Each peeling opens up a new layer. Its aroma emits a volatile chemical known as lachrymatory secretion that burns the eyes. Kizito Okechuku, the co-chairperson of the Global Entrepreneurship Network Africa and executive head of 22 On Sloane, Africa’s largest startup campus, is such an onion. Last Wednesday, Okechuku was appointed vice-president and interim president of Digital Africa. Each layer of his life sheds a searing light on issues and points to fundamental solutions to be implemented. Kizito is a Ugandan name and not Nigerian. Yet his parents deemed it desirable to name him after Saint Kizito (1872-1886), a Ugandan martyr slain…

DRAMA A bond that goes beyond the screen Newcomers Ama Qamata and Cindy Mahlangu, who play BFFs in Blood & Water, chat to Debashine Thangevelo WITH lockdown making traditional press junkets impossible, technology has become the new go-to option. Before the premiere of Blood & Water, Netflix held Zoom media interviews with the principal cast. I had the pleasure of chatting to Ama Qamata, who plays Puleng Khumalo, and Cindy Mahlangu, who plays her best friend, Zama. Looking cover-ready in the morning, the new faces in the industry were thrilled to share their thoughts on the series. For the audition phase, Qamata recalled sending through an audition tape which secured her a few callbacks, where she got to test her chemistry with several other characters. It was only after she…

PSL Pietermaritzburg businessman clarifies Bloem Celtic future MINENHLE MKHIZE BLOEMFONTEIN Celtic are set to remain in the Free State. But the sense of anticipation about the future of the Mangaung club is almost palpable due to their unresolved financial woes. It hasn’t helped that TS Galaxy chairman, Tim Sukazi, went public with his desire to buy a Premier Soccer League (PSL) status and mentioned that Phunya Sele Sele were his target. Sukazi was in talks with Celtic about buying their status but the the former football agent appears to have taken a back seat after businessman Lebo Mokoena expressed his desire to rescue Celtic. In an interview with Independent Media, Mokoena, who didn’t want to get into too much detail, revealed that Celtic will be staying in Free State. “The…

T E N N I S Coaches issue plea to Mthethwa HERMAN GIBBS TENNIS coaches around South Africa have sent an SOS to the government because many have fallen on hard times due to loss of income during the national lockdown. For some coaches, loss of earnings has meant losing a home because they could not pay rent. For the past two months, they were stripped of their income. And many of these coaches are their family’s sole or primary breadwinner. Over the weekend, several destitute coaches joined forces to compile a YouTube video in which they shared their plight. The clarion call by the 37 coaches was directed mainly at the Minister of Sports Nathi Mthethwa. “My situation is dire at this point,” said Amos Magagula, who is based…

Stars unite over anti-racism slogan on shirts PLAYERS from all 20 Premier League clubs have joined forces to make a powerful stand against racism, asking to have their names replaced on their shirts with “Black Lives Matter”. In a statement last night, they said: “We, the players, stand together with the singular objective of eradicating racial prejudice wherever it exists, to bring about a global society of inclusion, respect and equal opportunities for all, regardless of their colour or creed. This symbol is a sign of unity from all players, all staff, all clubs, all match officials and the Premier League.’ The Premier League added: “We support the players’ wish to have their names replaced by Black Lives Matter on the back of their shirts for the first 12 matches…