Innholdsfortegnelse for Sunday, October 4, 2020 i Sunday Independent

NATION We aren’t coup plotters – Motau Retired SANDF general’s delegation expected to meet ANC top six PIET MAHASHA RAMPEDI RETIRED South African National Defence Force (SANDF) general Maomela “Mojo” Motau has denied claims that his ANC cadre summit was a coup plot, saying the purpose of the gathering was deliberately distorted by those who did not want the governing party’s problems to be solved. Maintaining that the conflict in the country was between those who wanted to maintain neoliberalism and those who opposed it, Motau said the summit deliberated on the “mismanagement” of the ANC, the direction the governing party had taken, and who drove its agenda beyond superficial issues like leadership issues and corruption. He spoke to the Sunday Independent on Friday following the conclusion of a meeting…

TREASURY No wage increases for state employees LOYISO SIDIMBA THE country’s 1.3 million government employees will not receive any wage increases at least until 2024 as their salaries are unaffordable to the public purse and due to Covid-19, a National Treasury document has revealed. The government’s moratorium on salary increases for public servants has angered unions representing state employees. According to the Treasury document, titled Guidelines for Costing and Budgeting for Compensation of Employees for the Preparation of Expenditure Estimates for the 2021 Medium Term Expenditure Framework, public servants would not receive increases for the financial years 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24. Treasury stated that public servants have over the past decade enjoyed salary adjustments generally above inflation, in addition to benefits and incentives that add to the faster growth…

CONTRACTS Municipality in court over ‘rigged’ tender KARABO NGOEPE karabo.ngoepe@inl.co.za THE Sekhukhune District Municipality in Limpopo has been dragged to court for its handling of a VAT recovery tender. Sources alleged the process was flawed and rigged in a manner to favour the company that was eventually appointed, Maximum Profit Recovery. According to the sources, the bid documents of PK Financial Consultants “mysteriously disappeared”. “To this day, the municipality does not have the bid documents that were submitted. Instead, their lawyers requested a copy of the documents in court. If they had them, they would not have needed to be sent copies,” said a source speaking on condition of anonymity. In court documents seen by the Sunday Independent, the municipality on March 11, 2020, invoked Rule 35 (12), calling on…

PRISONER 913 Plotting Mandela’s release DON MAKATILE don.makatile@inl.co.za IT IS difficult to apportion any shred of compassion to late apartheid state president PW Botha, but here and there you’d find records of his “softness”, if you look hard enough. Die Groot Krokodil, as Botha was affectionately called, was a hard man of National Party politics whose reason for living seems to have been the singular duty of seeing the black man put in his place. The January 1989 stroke that ultimately culminated in the heart attack that claimed his life is testament to the bitterness the man carried for not totally succeeding at throwing the book at the black South African. Botha died on October 1, 2006, aged 90. Towards the end of Nelson Mandela’s incarceration, Botha met on and…

MOTIVATED ‘I became help I wanted to be in lives of children’ MXOLISI Dladla, 29, holds a civil engineering certificate level 1, a BSc in molecular and life sciences and a post-graduate degree. Dladla decided to be a teacher while still in high school because he was inspired by his maths teacher. This made him start teaching his classmates from Grade 10 until they matriculated. “After my degree I volunteered at a high school in my hometown to plough back into the community. In 2017, Teach SA recruited me to teach maths at one of the disadvantaged schools in the Eastern Cape. “I got into teaching because it has always been my interest to help the learners of my country to value education in order to change their adverse circumstance.…

Helping pupils find their way in a digital world NTSAKO Happy Mabunda, 37, has a BSc (Hons) in computer science, post-graduate certificate in education (PGCE in information technology), post-graduate diploma in educational technology and a Master’s in ICT in Education. He teaches at a school with 1 450 learners and 48 teachers in Limpopo, Giyani Township. “I developed a strong passion for teaching after visiting a local school. It was part of the university project where I was given the opportunity to teach school kids programming during my second year at the university. “After completing my computer science degree, I enrolled for PGCE at the University of Pretoria so that I would able to teach computer science at school. “My learners are able to learn 21st century skills such as…

COMMENTARY African people still treated as the ‘niggers’ of South Africa ‘AFRICAN’ people, as they were classified under apartheid, the vast majority of the total population, are still right at the bottom of South African society, in every respect. Whether it is about jobs, housing, health, basic services and education that is still the defining social reality 26 years after the 1994 democratic breakthrough. Study the situation in the US after various democratic and civil rights were extended to black people and enshrined in legislation in the 1960s and 70s and you will find that there too it is black people who are materially and socially the worse off in the growing social socio-economic crisis. The same set of realities of unemployment, poverty and related social miseries confronting black people…

The People $750m in aid for displaced people as Sudan and main rebel groups formalise peace deal JUBA: Sudan’s power-sharing government and several rebel groups formalised a peace agreement yesterday aimed at resolving decades of conflict which left millions displaced and hundreds of thousands dead. Three major groups signed a preliminary deal in August – two factions from the western region of Darfur and one from the southern region – after months of talks hosted by South Sudan. Another powerful rebel group, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu, which had not participated in initial peace negotiations, agreed last month to join new talks hosted by South Sudan. The presidents of Ethiopia and Chad and the prime ministers of Egypt and Uganda were among officials and politicians at…

Lockdown to result in 214 000 births MANILA: An estimated 214000 additional babies are expected to be born at the end of the year in the Philippines after many couples failed to use contraception during the coronavirus lockdown, a government agency said yesterday. The additional births were to come on top of the 1.7 million new babies that were earlier estimated to be born by the end of the year, said Juan Antonio Perez III, executive director of the Commission on Population. Perez said the projection was based on the fact that 600000 women were unable to get their contraceptive pills when a lockdown was imposed on the main island of Luzon and other high-risk areas in the Philppines in March. “We are closely monitoring the possible impact of the…

Oil slides, gold edges up as traders weigh Trump’s positive test RANJEETHA PAKIAM, SHARON CHO and ALEX LONGLEY US PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s positive Covid-19 test has spooked the market, with oil and copper dropping while gold edged higher with just one month left until the country’s presidential election. Brent crude slipped as much as 4.8 percent, copper touched a seven-week low and crop futures fell after Trump said that he and his wife, Melania, would now quarantine themselves. “The market will be trading nervous today,” said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank A/S. “The immediate result was a flight to safety with the dollar, gold and bonds all receiving a bid while stocks, oil and copper sold off.” Brent fell below $40 (about R560) a barrel in…

BIZ 101 Transitioning your business to level 1 of lockdown BEN BIERMAN COVID-19 has impacted the business landscape in a number of ways, with the pressures of lockdown turning daily operations on their head. Staff has had to adapt to remote working, while those that could not, had to implement a host of rigorous occupational health and safety measures. Businesses also had to review their processes and adjust accordingly, including revisiting their models in line with client needs. Reputational risk has been on the up as well, forcing businesses to review how they handle aspects like customer feedback and complaints. Here are practical steps for your business to emerge out of lockdown and adapt smoothly to the post-Covid-19 world: Planning Winston Churchill said, “He who fails to plan, plans to…

BOOKS In a world obsessed with sex, they aren’t BOOK: Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex AUTHOR: Angela Chen PUBISHER: Beacon Press. REVIEWER: Sarah Neilson PRICE: R511 on LOOT.CO.ZA IN A society obsessed with sexuality, what does it mean to be asexual? We have become more open about discussions of what it means to be queer. But even in queer communities, which fight against culture’s oversexualisation of queer bodies and lives, sex remains a linchpin of the conversation around liberation. In Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex, journalist and science writer Angela Chen uses interviews, research and personal experience to offer a framework that loosens stigmas about relationships, emotion and sex in a culture that operates on “compulsory…

Tail Piece CAR-PART MAKERS TURN TO VIRUS NEEDS TO COMBAT DIP A GROUP of South African car-part makers have switched focus to the local production of breathing aids, a move to help the country’s health system and protect jobs threatened by the Covid-19 crisis. Shocked by images of virus-ravaged Italian hospitals this year, the collective – which includes engineers and doctors as well as businessmen – decided to use the initial hard lockdown to help address a shortage of ventilators. After studying the country’s specific needs, they began developing a non-invasive breathing device that had proved effective in countries such as the UK and doesn’t require specialist intensive-care beds or staff. “The idea was to help South Africa and to keep our guys employed,” said Graham Ellett, a director at…

CORRUPTION SIU hands Gauteng PPE graft report to Makhura KARABO NGOEPE karabo.ngoepe@inl.co.za THE Special Investigations Unit has handed its report to Gauteng Premier David Makhura regarding suspended health MEC Dr Bandile Masuku. Two sources within the party’s Gauteng provincial executive committee (PEC) told the Sunday Independent the report was handed over on Friday. “The premier has received the report but it’s still not clear when he will be releasing it publicly,” said a source speaking on condition of anonymity. The publication has established that what was handed to Makhura was not the final report relating to personal protection equipment corruption (PPE) in Gauteng, but one that relates to allegations levelled against Masuku. SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago yesterday confirmed it was handed to Makhura but it was not the final report.…

DSTV An in-depth look into history of American presidents STAFF REPORTER HISTORY Africa (DStv 186) takes viewers behind the scenes of US presidential history, secrets and rivalries in the build-up to what will be one of the most polarised US elections to date. HISTORY showcases the legacies of these iconic commanders-in-chief, Sundays from 19:25, starting on October 4 and ending on November 15. Featuring exclusive premières including Presidents at War, The Trump Dynasty and America’s Great Divide: From Obama to Trump leading up to the epic mini-series Grant, which premières on November 1. Biography: The Trump Dynasty is a must-see and kicks off on October 4 at 19:25. This documentary examines the life and heritage of the 45th President of the United States. From the origins of a New York…

EDUCATION Second outbreak concerns SIYABONGA MKHWANAZI TEACHERS unions have warned that the Department of Basic Education must have contingency measures in place in case of a possible second wave next year when schools re-open in January. The South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) and National Professional Teachers Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) said yesterday they want the department to be ready for this. This follows the latest reports about a possible second wave of Covid-19 in the next few months. Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga announced early in the week that schools would re-open on January 25 next year. This comes after the extended academic year after the outbreak of the coronavirus, which sees Matric examinations starting on November 5 and concluded on December 15. Sadtu General Secretary Mugwena Maluleke…

POLITICS Ramaphosa can’t fight corruption, says Cosatu Workers federation seems to be losing confidence in president, ANC MANYANE MANYANE manyane.manyane@inl.co.za COSATU says the countrywide personal protective equipment (PPE) tender fraud and corruption, economic mismanagement and maladministration in municipalities are a sign very little has changed, two years after President Cyril Ramaphosa took over. Cosatu’s spokesperson Sizwe Pamla told the Sunday Independent this week, the country was on the brink of collapse due to governance failures and procurement fraud and corruption at all levels of the government. In an interview ahead of the labour federation’s planned protest action next week, Pamla said while they supported Ramaphosa at the Nasrec ANC conference in 2017, Cosatu did not give the president a blank cheque. “But we also understood that Ramaphosa came out on…

BOOKS Young writer set to inspire... Stacey Fru is one of the youngest award-winning authors and is lighting up the literary scene in SA DR TSHEPO MVULANE MOLOI I WISH to wax lyrical about Stacey Fru, as an imminent member of the South African literati. Predictably the bulk of the public may retort, to candidly pose the transient question – Stacey who? Inevitability of such a question, compels for illumination. Stacey Fru is a 13-year-old teen sensation, South Africa’s multiple international award-winning child author, activist, philanthropist, edutainer in an online “Children’s Television South Africa (CTVSA)”, public speaker and brand ambassador. She was born on February 16, 2007, as the second child of four siblings, to Dr Emmanuel Fru (44), a political scientist and Victorine Mbongshu Fru (42), a Master’s degree…

CONFIDENCE Head took failing school to 100% matric pass rate LEHLOHONOLO Molefe is the principal of Madibane High School in Diepkloof, Soweto. It was established in 1939 and is named after its first principal, Harry P Madibane. Notable alumni include Professor Pothinius Mokgokong, Dr Aggrey Klaaste (editor: World and Sowetan), Stanley Motjuwadi (journalist), Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Judge Elias Matojane, former minister of women and children Susan Shabangu and former MEC for safety in Gauteng, Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane. Mokgokong would later become vice-chancellor of the University of the North (now Limpopo), where Molefe studied in the 1980s. When she was promoted to head in 2014, it was on the brink of closure because of low learner numbers. The school had 195 learners and its matric pass rate was 66%, dropping to 63.4%.…

COMMENT ARE WE LOOKING AFTER OUR TEACHERS? FUTHI MTOBA 2020 is ending. Nothing is more potent than the legacy of the Covid-19 pandemic: the new normal. This dispensation prescribes our daily living, the way in which the state will deliver basic services or how businesses will operate with social distancing and safety protocols at the core of everything. Education is among the social services most affected by the pandemic. It is only fitting that we should celebrate teachers as the professionals at the coalface of the pandemic as any other. Like our health-care workers, security forces and cleaning staff, teachers keep society going, because without schools there is neither growth nor civilisation. October 5th is celebrated every year since 1994 as World Teachers’ Day (WTD). It is a tradition started…

COMMENT Structural violence is a power system hampering justice IDO LEKOTA THE recent images of residents of the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) town of Pomeroy digging up a road with picks during a service delivery protest and the subsequent response by Transport, Community Safety, and Liaison MEC Bheki Ntuli shows how the ANC uses sleight of hand to dupe people into believing that it respects the Constitution of this country – while failing to meet its constitutional mandate to improve the quality of their lives. The cheek of it all is how the ANC seeks to achieve its nefarious objective by essentially criminalising the very people it purports to be committed to saving from the pestilence of continued humiliation, deprivation and racial oppression visited upon them by centuries of apartheid. The people…

LETTERS Email: scribe@inl.co.za (no attachments). All letters must contain the writer’s full name, physical address and telephone number. No pen names. Unisa must honour Sobukwe’s legacy? THIS is a rejoinder to two articles in the Sunday Independent, on September 27, by Vuyile Msila and Andile Mngxitama. Msila writes that then president Thabo Mbeki argued that university ought to be a cauldron of debate and fair critical engagement. Let me test Msila, Mbeki and Unisa on “fair critical engagement”. Does he, Mbeki and Unisa believe in fair critical engagement? Does Unisa practise this before naming schools such as the Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs, buildings such as faculties and other structures? Why has Unisa not honoured its former student who was an educationist and a liberation icon…

AFRICA Teeth belong to prehistoric ‘river monster’ RESEARCHERS at the University of Portsmouth say their discovery this week of 1200 dinosaur teeth “proves beyond reasonable doubt” that Spinosaurus (spine lizard) was an “enormous river-monster”, according to a report by the BBC. Experts made the discovery of 1200 fossilised teeth in a prehistoric river bed in Morocco, as published in the journal Cretaceous Research. According to the BBC report, Spinosaurus fossils were found in large numbers at the site of the ancient river bed, which flowed through the Sahara 100million years ago. National Geographic reported that the mighty river system provided a home to one of the most unusual river-monsters known to science, the predatory Spinosaurus. According to experts, fully grown, the 15m-long, seven-ton beast stretched longer than an adult Tyrannosaurus…

8 charged in terror financing scheme PARIS: France’s anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office said yesterday that eight people have been charged for their alleged involvement in financing Islamic extremists in Syria through the use of cryptocurrencies. Three suspects have been handed preliminary charges of financing terrorism and terrorist conspiracy. Five other people who have been charged with financing terrorism are expected go on trial by the end of the year. The prosecutor’s office said police arrested 30 people in France in the case. Most were released without charges. Search warrants are out for the two main figures in the scheme, French jihadis who have likely been in northwestern Syria since 2013 and are suspected of creating “the architecture of this network of terrorism financing.” Hundreds of thousands of euros are thought to…

Florida man charged with voter fraud BRADENTON: Florida authorities say they’ve filed a voter fraud charge against a man who said he said he “wanted to test the system” when he tried to obtain a mail-in ballot for his deceased wife. Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett said he contacted the sheriff’s office after a review of voter rolls showed that Larry Wiggins’ wife had been dead for two years. Staffers determined that Wiggins forged his late wife’s name on the ballot request, according to the Bradenton Herald. Wiggins, who was arrested on Thursday on a voter fraud charge, told deputies that he was “testing the system to see if worked”. Researchers say that voter fraud in general is rare in the US. AP…

MUSIC An undying passion for Maskand i Pioneering radio show will focus on all generations of genre’s musicians AMANDA MALIBA LEGENDARY Maskandi pioneers Ihashi Elimhlophe aka Bheki Ngcobo and his wife Linah Ngcobo will grace the Mzansi Radio platform as the new hosts of the groundbreaking Maskandi daily radio programme called “Sishaya Ingoma NeHhashi” on the newly launched 24-hour channel. The first of its kind radio show focuses solely on playing pure Maskandi music in all its form, which is not just a great opportunity for Ihashi Elimhlophe, but signifies a remarkable victory for the genre especially since it is still faced with challenges, including a lack of support on many radio stations. With a career spanning over 40 years, seeing and being part of such a milestone and innovation…

AFRICA THIS WEEK TOURISM CAN POWER ECONOMY IF AIMED AT LOCALS VICTOR KGOMOESWANA @VictorAfrica THIS month ushered in a new era in our lockdown existence. Among the aspects of life as we used to know it pre-Covid-19, international travel is returning. This prompted a friend and Facebook charisma, Nkosazana Tengimfene, to challenge me to comment on her belief about the “contribution of the tourism sector to the country’s GDP, as many of the wealthier countries are still classified as high Covid risks”. She picked on me, out of the blue, to comment about whether travelling to the rest of Africa, which can be difficult due to cost and infrastructure backlogs in some countries, was worth looking at. Nkosazana, forget greater Africa for now, though it is worth exploring any time.…

REAL NUMBERS UNDOING STUBBORN DESIGN OF APARTHEID PALI LEHOHLA APARTHEID was a comprehensive design. It was a well thought through economic, social, biological, political and physical design. It used race to determine and direct its pernicious mandate with precision. Undoing it is proving intractable and the gains made shortly after 1994 prove to be a distant mirage as we muddle through a deluge of corruption. President Cyril Ramaphosa has named the ANC accused Number 1 in corruption. Like earth falling from the river bank of an angry river, flotsams of this deluge are now free falling into the ocean of orange garments. Last weekend, I made my first and farthest trip in seven months to Winterveldt, north of Pretoria. I met an old man from the Eastern Cape who settled…

TV HIGHLIGHTS ALMOST PARADISE MONDAYS AT 8PM, UNIVERSAL TV (DSTV 117) Alex Walker is a former US DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) agent who was forced into early retirement. Once the DEA’s most resourceful undercover operative, the combination of his partner’s betrayal and a life-threatening battle with hypertension has sent him as far from the madness as he can go – a small tropical island in the Philippine Archipelago. IT TAKES A VILLAGE WEDNESDAYS AT 9PM, SABC 1 THIS season we follow presenter Pearl Modiadie as she returns to her hometown Tembisa, where she helps young people mend their family relationships. She gave up her home and family and moved into a tastefully decorated villa in Fourways to be close to radio and TV studios, but now struggles to find time…

E P L Chilwell stars as Chelsea storm Palace CHELSEA beat Crystal Palace 4-0 at home in the Premier League yesterday as Ben Chilwell marked his league debut for the Blues by scoring a goal and creating another for fellow defender Kurt Zouma before Jorginho sealed the win with two penalties. Palace had stifled Chelsea in a goalless first half but Chilwell punished them for their first defensive error, scoring from close range in the 50th minute after Mamadou Sakho fluffed a clearance and allowed Cesar Azpilicueta to line up a cross. Chelsea, seeking to settle their stuttering start to the season, doubled their lead in the 66th minute when the visitors failed to clear a corner and Zouma rose above everyone else to meet a cross by Chilwell and…

INJURY TIME STUART HESS BYE BYE JINGLES MAMELODI to Cairo. Pitso Mosimane, it could be argued, is the best sports coach in the country. Sure, he’s had financial backing at Sundowns, but with that fiscal support comes great responsibility and pressure. And ‘Jingles’ thrived. Not only did his team, playing beautiful football along the way, dominate in South Africa, they also turned their sights north and took on the might of Africa, winning and most importantly earning a level of respectability for South African football that even those running the PSL should be grateful for. He will be missed in local football circles, although not by Pirates and Chiefs fans. He liked teasing the latter, maybe now there’s a gap for them to win the league. GREAT KIT ON the…

TV GUIDE TODAY Cricket: Indian Premier League T20: Mumbai Indians v Sunrisers Hyderabad, 11.50am, CRI; Kings XI Punjab v Chennai Super Kings, 3.50pm, CRI Cycling: Liege Bastogne Liege, Women Elite, 11.25am, VR2; Liege Bastogne Liege, 106th Edition, 1.30pm, VR2; Giro d’Italia, Stage 2: Alcamo-Agrigento (150km), 12.35pm, VR1 Golf: European Tour: Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, Day 4, 12.30pm, GOL; LPGA Tour: ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer, Day 4, 7pm, GOL; PGA Tour: Sanderson Farms Championship, Day 4, 10pm, GOL, GSD Motorsport: FIM Superbike World Championship, France, SKB Superpole Race, 10.45am, MSP, SSM; FIM Superbike World Championship, France, SSP Race 2, 12.15pm, MSP; FIM Superbike World Championship, France, SBK Race 2, 1.30pm, MSP; FIM Superbike World Championship, France, SSP300 Race 2, 3.10pm, MSP; NASCAR Cup Series: YellaWood 500, 7.30pm, MSP…

JOYFUL Mother and son reunite after 40 years AMBER COURT amber.court@inl.co.za TRACEY ADAMS African News Agency (ANA) A HOMELESS man who is also a survivor of the death penalty during the apartheid era was this weekend reunited with his mother after more than 40 years. Neville Jackson’s reunion with Madina Naniwe Hartlief in Johannesburg was tearful and joyous. Jackson has had a difficult life on the streets of Cape Town, fighting a drug addiction, and had been in and out of prison. Until one day his fate changed. Community worker Venetia Orgill, who finds shelter for people living on the street during winter, helped Jackson find his family. She tracked down his brother David on Facebook and discovered that his mother was still alive. Jackson moved to Cape Town when…

MURDER Sedibeng municipal manager killled MANYANE MANYANE manyane.manyane@inl.co.za CONTROVERSIAL Sedibeng District municipal manager Stanley Khanyile was killed in a hail of bullets at Meyersdal Square, Meyerton, yesterday. Khanyile was expected to table a report dealing with corruption within the municipality this week. “Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements Lebogang Maile has appointed advocate William Mokhari to probe these allegations and the report should be released on Monday. Mokhari also probed serious allegations of maladministration and corruption against Khanyile,” said the source. Khanyile was shot while sitting in his Mercedes-Benz. According to sources, the suspects fired 15 shots at Khanyile’s vehicle before fleeing. They said an undisclosed amount of cash was found in his boot. It is believed the motive could be linked to recent searches carried out by the Hawks of…

LIMPOPO PPE fraud accused ‘d ishonest’ Nepfumbada was found guilty of ‘gross dishonesty’ and disciplined in 2016 PIET MAHASHA RAMPEDI A LIMPOPO government employee accused of facilitating the R932 million personal protective equipment (PPE) procurement fraud and corruption was previously found guilty of “gross dishonesty” by the provincial Health Department. Deputy director for purchasing Justice Nepfumbada was found guilty in 2016 for “deliberately submitting an unlawful report” recommending the appointment of a service provider whose bid was officially rejected by the evaluation committee, according to the disciplinary hearing report obtained by the Sunday Independent. He was previously charged with corruption but cleared after he allegedly demanded a “donation” from a service provider and threatened to remove her from the department’s database unless she obliged. Nepfumbada, who was the chairperson of…

OPINION Can Masuku survive the political infighting? SIPHO MABASO THE leadership of the ANC in Gauteng went public about its decision to act against those implicated in PPE scandals and gave hope to citizens that finally the ANC is becoming an embodiment of transparency and accountability. When many provinces in South Africa were failing to hold anyone accountable for corruption allegations, the ANC Gauteng made a public announcement in July to put Health MEC Dr Bandile Masuku on leave of absence for up to four weeks, to allow the ANC provincial integrity commission (PIC) sufficient time to assess and report to the provincial executive committee (PEC) on what transpired during the PPE procurement process. Eight weeks later, the ANC Gauteng appears more confused than before. What appears even worse is…

What feeds becoming ‘the fat girl’ LESEGO MAKGATHO lesego.makgatho@inl.co.za IF THERE’S a book that will propel you to think differently about obesity, it has to be Vivian de Klerk’s Not To Mention. The shame surrounding obesity has caused untold suffering over time – as it did for Katy Ferreira. This is a depiction of the awful tragedy of a young girl’s undeserved humiliation because of her body. Katy, the protagonist in De Klerk’s debut novel Not to Mention, is approaching the auspicious age of 21. Yet, unlike her peers, Katy is physically unable to leave her bed – be it to drink a libation to her birthday, or the basic task of walking to the bathroom. At 360kg, Katy’s weight doesn’t allow for her to leave the confines of her…

COMMENT SEX EQUALITY URGED AT UNIVERSITIES EDWIN NAIDU SUPPORT for the development of a barometer to measure and monitor change at varsities, calls for a freeze on professorship promotions for male applicants, and the threat of legal action to enforce section 9 of the Constitution on equality were among the proposals to transform South African universities at a sex transformation in higher education webinar. Academics also called for the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) to implement recommendations of the 2010/2015 higher education summits, as well as last year’s report containing recommendations on recruitment, retention and promotion of black academics. “We have been in this business as higher education since 1994, and the governance architecture of our institutions hasn’t really changed fundamentally since, including the issues of gender transformation,”…

RESISTANCE Global ire rises over Covid-19 secrets Media in cahoots with Western governments’ attempts to watch citizens via surveillance apps under virus guise SAM DITSHEGO FRANK AUGSTEIN AP AN UPSURGE of resistance against draconian lockdown regulations in Western capitals, especially in Europe and the US, has gained momentum: it is growing and there is no more turning back. In Berlin, German Professor Heiko Schoening said they addressed anti-lockdown regulation rallies of 1 million people the first time and more than 1 million a second time. At the first rally, Robert Kennedy jr addressed the masses. In France, there was an anti-lock-down protest on September 12, where such protests were gaining traction. In other places there is a seething cauldron of resentment against draconian, economy-destroying mandatory lockdowns and attendant resistance. At…

EDITORIAL Cut red tape to resuscitate lives and economy THE ANC held an urgent lekgotla this weekend to discuss the country’s deepening economic crisis. Desperation wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic and hard lockdown has seen many South African lives and livelihoods lost, with household finances decimated and many people are starving. While the emergency social grants to help the poor offered some reprieve, Treasury’s coffers will not be able to sustain this indefinitely. The ANC’s national executive committee’s virtual meeting with its alliance partners and various spheres of government included business, civil society and traditional leaders. NGOs have an extensive network and form a powerful moral tapestry keeping this country together. Theirs was an important seat at the meeting. These organisations provide relief services to many vulnerable citizens. But as…

UNITED STATES More virus cases in Trump’s circle Military hospital care for US president A FEVERISH and fatigued President Donald Trump was spending the weekend at a military hospital for treatment of Covid-19, as new cases emerged among some of his advisers and allies. Attention focused in particular on last Saturday’s White House event introducing Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, with several attendees announcing they had tested positive for the virus. Among them: former White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway, the president of the University of Notre Dame, and at least two Republican lawmakers – Utah Senator Mike Lee and North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis. Although the ceremony announcing Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination was held outdoors, attendees sat closely together and few wore masks. Some also mingled at a smaller event…

INDIA No end in sight as Covid-19 death toll rises INDIA’S Covid-19 death toll has crossed the grim milestone of 100000, seven months after the first case was reported in the country, government data showed yesterday. The 1069 deaths reported on Friday took the death toll to 100842. India ranks after the US (213758) and Brazil (145431) on the list of countries reporting the most deaths. The number of Covid-19 cases is now around 6.5 million, with 75628 new cases reported on Friday. The virus continues to spread at a rapid pace in the country of 1.3billion people, with the highest number of cases and deaths reported in September. The Health Ministry reiterated yesterday that India had one of the lowest Covid-19 mortality rates among countries with bigger outbreaks, and…

People missing in f loods in France PARIS: At least nine people were missing yesterday after almost a year’s average rainfall fell in less than 12 hours in the mountainous area surrounding the city of Nice, in southeastern France. Authorities said flooding damaged houses, bridges and roads overnight in the mountainous Alpes-Maritimes region, close to the border with Italy. Nice mayor Christian Estrosi expressed his “emotion and sympathy” for the families of the missing. He said more 100 homes have been destroyed or severely damaged. Firefighters said several dozen people were evacuated from their homes overnight. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his gratitude toward rescuers on Twitter. “Together we will get through this,” he said. AP…

Making theatre in Covid-19 era SAM SPILLER FOR Siphenathi Mayekiso, returning to the stage while also keeping social distancing in mind has been tricky. “It’s something we have to adapt to and learn about everything,” the Philippi theatre maker said. “As storytellers, we use our bodies. Having studied at the Magnet Theatre, they teach you the physical side of theatre and how to speak more physically and without reading text. It’s really hard. There’s no body contact – you have to maintain physical distance.” Mayekiso was speaking at rehearsals for the new theatre piece, Nothing is Here, one of five shows to be hosted by the Theatre Arts company at the Methodist Church Hall in Observatory. The shows form part of the company’s new campaign: “Creating Theatre in the Age…

MUSICAL Putting Africa at centre stage again NATHAN CRAIG A SOUTH African choir is attempting to hit a high note in Scotland and recreate the success of The Lion King to put African culture back on the world stage. The Shona the Musical Choir was created by South African writer and composer Neo Vilakazi, who now lives in Edinburgh, Scotland. There are eight South Africans and five Scottish singers who will harmonise for the choir’s online premiere on Thursday at 8.45pm on their Facebook page. All the songs are originals, inspired by the turbulent social and political events of Zimbabwe, which set the tone for Vilakazi’s musical. Vilakazi said the choir was a stepping stone to create awareness for his musical. “The creation of the choir is a continuation of…

Blue Label chief executives rewarded with R19m SANDILE MCHUNU sandile.mchunu@inl.co.za BLUE Label Telecoms rewarded its joint chief executives Brett and Mark Levy with a total of R19.60 million in fixed remuneration for the year to end May. Information from the company’s annual report this week showed that the payment included salaries, allowances and retirement benefits. Brett Levy’s total remuneration rose to R9.73m with a fixed remuneration of R9.52m plus R211 000 as other benefits, while Mark’s total remuneration of R9.73m comprised R9.54m as fixed earnings as well as R195 000 as other benefits. The total cash equivalent value remuneration jumped to R13.20m for the two following an addition of R3.34m as restraint of trade award. The group said the R13.20m cash equivalent value remuneration represented the total proceeds paid to…

RUGBY Black and white to detonate Sharks’ attacking play and team culture will win Unloaded and Currie Cup MIKE GREENAWAY Gallo Images NEXT Sunday, the first round of Super Rugby Unlocked will have been completed, and the cool thing for rugby supporters is that nobody can be sure of what will have transpired, never mind be certain which team will be on top when the competition closes on November 21. This much we know after domestic rugby sprung back into life with Superfan Saturday a week ago, with the occasion illustrating that South African rugby is not quite as rusty as we thought, and that far from being idle in lockdown, players across the board sharpened their skills and conditioning. And if we now add the game time that will…

CRICKET Kolpak change creates a different landscape for cricket pros in SA STUART HESS THE ending of Kolpak contracts in England offers South African cricket opportunities but there are also concerns about the impact it will have on a broader basis for all professional contracts locally. Kolpak has been a strain on South African cricket for more than a decade. Rilee Rossouw, Kyle Abbott, Wayne Parnell, Hardus Viljoen and most recently Duanne Olivier have all drawn a line under their international careers, to take up offers in the UK. Abbott, Rossouw and Olivier were ‘departures,’ which angered local cricket authorities. Then Proteas coach Russell Domingo expressed disappointment with Rossouw and Abbott’s departures under his watch, wishing they’d expressed more openly their desire to leave at a time when the national…

CRICKET Mthethwa concerned with CSA stance STUART HESS EPA MINISTER of Sport, Art and Culture Nathi Mthethwa is worried that Cricket SA’s (CSA) attempts at self correcting are being undertaken by the same individuals who may be fingered in the infamous forensic audit report. Although Mthethwa’s office wouldn’t elaborate, the fact that he has expressed concern about how CSA is attempting to deal with recommendations contained in Fundudzi Forensic Services’ report should worry Cricket SA. CSA is working through amending its Memorandum of Incorporation to create more independent director spots on the Board as per the recommendations of the Nicholson Inquiry. The federation’s senior leadership was locked in a meeting all day yesterday where it is understood strategies were being drawn up ahead of CSA’s meeting with the parliamentary portfolio…