Innholdsfortegnelse for Sunday, November 22, 2020 i Sunday Independent

TailPiece CHOCOLATE SANTAS IN MARZIPAN MASK- IN HUNGARY WhEN confectioner Laszlo Rimoczi decided to put masks on his chocolate Santas in his small workshop in rural hungary, he intended it as a light-hearted joke to raise people’s spirits amid a worsening coronavirus pandemic. But it turned out to be shrewd business move as orders surged online, and now he can hardly keep pace with demand. To keep up with orders, he has had to simplify the design and now produces about 100 Santas a day, using gluten-free Italian chocolate. he paints the hat red, and makes the masks from tiny white marzipan strips, adding the ribbons with icing. Rimoczi has even had to change the design of his bigger chocolate Santas, which originally came without masks. While the masked Santas…

UNREST FORENSIC R25 000 ‘bounty’ for whistle-blower It isn’t clear when Mkokeli and Gordhan had the discussions via WhatsApp. But in the message to Gordhan, the spin doctor asked the minister why the department “opted to investigate the leaks instead of the allegations against Borotho. Is there a particular reason why whistle-blowers, who expose wrongdoing, are being targeted?” Mkokeli asks Gordhan. The former journalist also asked the minister if the department is “turning a blind eye to allegations that Boroko is not qualified for the position she currently holds”. Mkokeli, in answering questions yesterday, released a statement through his attorney Clifford levin which said: “Genuine whistle-blowers are an important part of our democratic existence and should be protected at all times. Pravin Gorhan was only recently the face our of…

MEYIWA More murder charges SOLLY MAPHUMULO ONE of the suspects in the murder case of bafana bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa is facing two attempted murder charges. Muzikawukhalelwa Sibiya, who was under heavy police guard, made a brief appearance at the Vosloorus Magistrate’s Court this week. Last month, Sibiya, bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince Mncube, Mthokoziseni Ziphozonke Maphisa and Fisokuhle Nkani Ntuli were charged for the murder of Meyiwa after six years. The football star was gunned down on October 26, 2014 at Kelly Khumalo’s mother’s house in Vosloorus. During the court appearance on Monday, Sibiya, 34, who was represented by his lawyer kept his eyes on the ground and sheepishly looked at the court gallery. Sibiya is accused of allegedly shooting Ntombenhle Ndaba. He allegedly shot Ndaba 25 times in…

PROBE City’s ‘corrupt’ IT contracts exposed in report KARABO NGOEPE AND MANYANE MANYANE THE City of Joburg (COJ) overpaid an IT service provider close to R1billion in what has been termed wasteful expenditure. That is according to a forensic investigation that looked into IT contracts the City had entered into between 2011 and 2017. Whistle-blowers have also lifted the lid on other ICT contracts that they say were rip-offs the City should never have entered into. The report compiled by Grant Thornton found that the City paid Dimension Data (DD) over R900million irregularly for ICT upgrades between the years 2010 and 2017. “It is recommended that the amount of R925566691.17 be reported as irregular expenditure in terms of section 32(4) of the Municipal Finance Management Act by the accounting officer,”…

HISTORICAL First woman A-G will ensure good governance LIFE is about moments – some historical, some monumental. The appointment of the first woman Auditor- General, Tsakani Maluleke, is certainly such a historical moment for our country. In some way, this appointment feels like a classic case of poetic justice to the struggles of women waged by past generations who fought hard for the equality of women in a deeply segregated and patriarchal South Africa. From the pioneering work of Charlotte Maxeke to the esteemed generation of 1956 who stood up against injustice and inequality. Maluleke becomes an embodiment of what that generation of women dreamed and aspired for – seeing women taking their rightful spaces and positions in our society. It would seem their struggles were not in vain -…

COMMENT LIFE BEHIND BARS IS ABOUT SURVIVAL OF THE SHARPEST EDWIN NAIDU “THE magnitude of violence in the Mangaung Prison is unlike anything I’ve ever seen in my entire life,” said Mervin “Chunky” West, an inmate, describing the privately-run prison as a cesspool of gangsterism and bloodshed. West, who has been at Mangaung in Bloemfontein since 2012, said violence occurs almost daily; sometimes, especially with the Covid-induced lock-down, there were no security guards in place to curb fighting between inmates. “It’s every man for himself, whether you’re an employee or inmate. People are forced to belong to gangs to get protection. Some people are living in isolation, solitary confinement - you always must believe that anything can happen on the spur of the moment. So you know what they do?…

ICYMI | IOL.CO.ZA COVID VACCINE IN SA In a world of complex threats, our security and leadership depends on all elements of our power - including strong and principled diplomacyBARACK OBAMA44th president of the United States South Africans are likely to get a Covid 19 vaccine in the second quarter of next year, and not everyone will be on the initial list.The first in line are likely to be health care professionals, followed by the elderly as the country undertakes a national roll out, that is likely to encounter some logistical obstacles. IOL…

EDITORIAL Zuma still defiant despite his advanced age IT DOES not matter which side of the political fence one is on; it is difficult not to feel some empathy towards Jacob Zuma. At 78 he should be at home, pampered like all other senior citizens his age. Any other picture, especially of a restless septuagenarian in and out of court to answer to a litany of unending charges, is terribly at odds with the benefits of his advanced age. But Zuma has a role to play in engendering warm feelings towards him and, especially as a former head of state, he should be exemplary in showing respect to organs of that very state he was once at the helm of. Without belabouring the point that it was Zuma himself who…

iraq 50 face execution in Iraq, says UN SoME 50 prisoners in iraq face possible execution tomorrow after being conviction on terrorism-related crimes in unfair trials, UN human rights experts said on Friday. the independent experts urged the Baghdad government to immediately halt all mass executions, noting that 21 prisoners had been executed in october, followed by a further 21 last week in Nasiriyah Central prison, also known as al hoot. the wave “seems to be part of a larger plan to execute all prisoners on death”, they said in a joint statement. Some 4000 prisoners, most of them charged with terrorism offences, are believed to be on death row in iraq, the experts said. hundreds of executions are imminent after their execution orders were signed off, they said. “We…

Canned hunTing Ramaphosa rejects Peta US allegations SoUth africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday dismissed US media reports that he is involved in the trophy hunting industry or in tsala hunting Safaris. “phala phala Wildlife has noted a statement carried on the US website of the group people for the Ethical treatment of animals (peta) that makes a number of unfounded allegations against phala phala and its owner, president Cyril Ramaphosa. the allegations are patently false and are refuted in full,” the presidency said. the facts were: • Neither Ramaphosa nor phala phala had a stake in the trophy hunting industry or in tsala hunting Safaris. • phala phala is a privately-owned wildlife farm whose business is breeding game. tsala are privately-owned hunting outfitters. • phala phala has been in operation…

› g20 riyadh summiT China ready to boost vaccine co-operation pRESiDENt xi Jinping said yesterday that China was ready to step up global Covid-19 vaccine co-operation, and called for better international co-ordination on policies to facilitate the movement of people. pharmaceutical companies around the world are working on potential Covid-19 vaccines, with large, global trials under way. China has five home-grown candidates in phase iii trials. “China is willing to strengthen co-operation with other countries in the research and development, production and distribution of vaccines,” xi told the G20 Riyadh Summit via video link. “We will fulfill our commitments, offer help and support to other developing countries and work hard to make vaccines a public good that citizens of all countries can use and can afford,” he said. he also…

Mexico strikes US drug arrest deal MExiCo CitY: Mexico has committed to the arrest of a high-level cartel leader in a deal with US attorney-general William Barr to drop US drug trafficking charges against a former Mexican defence minister, a senior Mexican source said. the US dropped the case against retired General Salvador Cienfuegos last week citing “sensitive and important” foreign policy considerations that outweighed interest in pursuing the charges. Reuters was unable to establish which cartel leader Mexico and US officials would be targeting and the source declined to give any names citing a fear of endangering the investigation. Reuters…

AWARDS Celebrating style and innovators Acknowledges outstanding achievements AMANDA MALIBA THE glamorous and elite annual Style Awards is commemorating its 24th anniversary, and this year’s attendance is by invitation only. The awards are a big celebration that honours individuals across various industries who have not only made an indelible mark on local soil, but who have become powerful vehicles for change globally. With the likes of Basetsana Khumalo, Nomuzi “Mooslie” Mabena and Terry Pheto as the past winners, this year the stakes have been ramped up further to award deserving individuals. Tonight, the most innovative style award goes to Yasmin Furmie, most stylish performing artist in Film or TV goes to Sindi Dlathu, Most Stylish Performing Artist in Music is Nadia Nakai, the Most Stylish Media Personality – Phathu Makwarela,…

Santam to appeal judgment GIVEN MAJOLA given.majola@inl.co.za FINANCIAL services group Santam has decided to appeal this week’s Western Cape High Court judgment that favoured Ma-Afrika Hotels and Stellenbosch Kitchen relating to policies with Contingent Business Interruption (CBI) infectious disease extensions. Santam said it believed the court erred in its judgment on the causation, insured peril, the trends clause and the indemnity period. The insurer said it was therefore important to take the matter to the Supreme Court of Appeal. It said the significance of the CBI matter to the insurance industry and the precedents at stake necessitate continuing to the next stage in the process of obtaining legal finality. “Our reinsurers are key stakeholders in the insurance value chain as they are in effect insurers to the insurer,” Santam said.…

Biz 101 Considerations to keep in mind when you venture into the export market THE GOVERNMENT’S Economic Recovery and Reconstruction Plan has highlighted strategic localisation, industrialisation and export promotion as some of its priorities to bring the country back on track. There is a commitment to support the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), review trade agreements, and pursue other strategic partnerships to secure new markets for exports. While not a quick fix, exporting can be a lucrative way to expand your business in the long term. They have a potential to achieve economies of scale and spread costs over a larger volume of revenue. Here are some considerations to bear in mind when looking to start exporting goods as a small business: Offering Ascertain whether there…

MUSIC DeVaughn wants to know what's going on CHRIS RICHARDS  The Washington Post CAN an 8-year-old have musical pillars? Sure. Raheem DeVaughn already had a few by that age – Prince, Bob Marley, Earth Wind and Fire – and he says he'll never forget the Sunday afternoon when one of them toppled: April 1, 1984. "I’d gone to movies with my mother," DeVaughn says of the moment news of Marvin Gaye's being shot dead by his father hit the airwaves. "It was raining and I remember hearing Melvin Lindsey on WHUR saying, 'This not a joke, I wish it was an April Fool’s.'" In that unforgettable instant, the 8-year-old DeVaughn had no idea he was destined to become an R&B star – but he remembers feeling Gaye's presence might end…

INJURY TIME STREAM IT, IT IS HERE It’s only taken a couple of years to get it done but, at least, there’ll be some coverage of domestic first class cricket again. SuperSport and Cricket SA finally got a deal settled for the Four-Day series matches to be streamed online via SuperSport’s App and on channel 245. And look no one is saying it will lead to record TV ratings, but consider that the other two major sports in the country have their domestic matches broadcast. It is essential for cricket that these matches have some kind of platform given how much debate takes place around national team selection, the need for local players to get exposure and, who knows maybe CSA can score some much needed sponsorship out of it…

SOCCER Chiefs surrender lead to draw with Arrows HERMAN GIBBS HOSTS Lamontville Golden Arrows staged a dramatic fightback to secure a 2-all draw in a four-goal thriller against Kaizer Chiefs in a DStv Premiership match at the Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium in Durban on Saturday. The lead changed twice in the second half and just when it looked like Chiefs could inflict the first league defeat on Arrows this season, substitute Nduduzo Sibiya scored to restore the stalemate late in the second half. Arrows, who entered the match in fifth place on the standings, remain unbeaten after four league games. Chiefs were in 11th position. Chiefs forced the first of four first-half corners in the second minute. In the next minute, Arrows managed their first shot on target. The end-to-end…

FORENSICS Who blew whistle on Gordhan’s chief? MZILKAZI WA AFRIKA A FORENSIC company is set to receive a R250 000 “reward” to nail officials who blew the whistle on the appointment of the chief-of-staff to Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan and who does not have the proper qualifications. Gordhan has appointed a forensic company to find whistle-blowers who leaked the information to the Sunday Independent on how his chief-of-staff, Nthabiseng Borotho, was appointed without the required qualifications. The hunting of whistle-blowers and the actions of the minister are a clear violation of the Protected Disclosures Act (PDA), the central South African whistle-blowing legislation which came into force in February 2001 and was amended in 2017. The main aim of the PDA is to protect whistle-blowers from being subjected to occupational…

LAW All eyes on Zondo commission Growing calls for Zuma to be charged after walking out before session conclusion SAMKELO MTSHALI All eyes will be on Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo tomorrow on what decision he will make against former president Jacob Zuma for staging a dramatic walkout at the commission of inquiry. Following Zondo’s decision to reject Zuma’s application for him to recuse himself from presiding over the commission, Zuma and his legal counsel walked out of the commission forcing the Deputy Chief Justice to adjourn for the week and set the commission’s resumption to tomorrow. Freedom Under law chief executive Nicole Fritz said no one was above the law, not even a former president and that Zuma’s walkout was a calculated act of defiance and a wilful display…

CONTRACT Tycoon challenges Eskom KARABO NGOEPE AND MANYANE MANYANE A MPUMALANGA businessman is taking on Eskom and demanding the reinstatement of his company after discovering that the power utility used his information in court papers against former executives even though his contracts were cancelled. Coal tycoon, Joe Singh, of the Joe Singh Group of Companies, has been entangled in legal battles with the power utility as he tries to have contracts that were allegedly unlawfully cancelled reinstated. The fight between the two escalated when the power utility and the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) took former Eskom executives to court. In their court papers, Eskom and the SIU made reference to an email from Just Coal, one of Singh’s companies to Eskom discussing the decision to terminate the agreement. The email…

BEKKERSDAL Dire shortage of police vehicles MANYANE MANYANE manyane.manyane@inl.co.za OFFICERS at Bekkersdal Police Station are unable to respond timeously to calls to attend to murder scenes, hijackings, armed robberies and other serious crimes because of a shortage of vehicles. An officer, who wants to remain anonymous, said this has negatively impacted service delivery and hampers their ability to do their work. “Bekkersdal is a crime-ridden area, but we don’t have enough cars. Our vehicles are old and they always have mechanical problems. A lot of criminals go unpunished because we can’t respond on time. The community blames the police. They think we are ineffective.” His comments come just a few days after the DA’s shadow MEC for community safety, Michael Shackleton, revealed that 1 407 police vehicles in Gauteng were…

COMMENT Gender-based violence starker against Covid-19 pandemic Wendy Tlou AS THE country readies for the annual 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, the focus on gender-based violence has become starker against the backdrop of a global pandemic. This a UN campaign which takes place annually from November 25 (International Day of No Violence against Women) to December 10 (International Human Rights Day). Given the scourge of gender-based violence in South Africa, government is implementing the Emergency Response Action Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, which was announced by President Cyril Ramaposa last September. The 16 Days campaign forms the centre point of government’s comprehensive 365 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children. During this period, government together with civil society and the…

COMMENT Farewell to Kimi, my friend and hero in the struggle against corruption This is an edited version of a eulogy by SIPHO PITYANA at the funeral of former auditor-general Kimi Makwetu this week DESTINED for a future of hardship, pain and marginalisation that he was born into by his street vendor mother and labourer father. He conquered the world and came on top. Importantly, his roots shaped his mission in life, and he carried the burden of fending for the downtrodden with tremendous pride, ease, and commitment. Kimi was what the Italian social scientist Antonio Gramsci referred to as the organic intellectual. He brought to bear his academic training and education to champion the cause of his people, who to this very day yearn for the fruits of a…

uniTed sTaTes Trump persists with ‘fraud’ claims US president Donald trump, battered by setbacks in his bid to overturn the US presidential election, persisted with claims of massive voter fraud yesterday, two weeks after Democrat Joe Biden was declared president-elect. his efforts, which critics call an unprecedented push by a sitting president to subvert the will of voters, has so far met with little success in the courtroom or on the ground. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Friday announced that a manual recount and audit of all ballots cast had confirmed Biden as the winner in the southern state – the first Democratic presidential candidate to win Georgia in nearly three decades. two Republican lawmakers from Michigan delivered another blow on Friday when they said that they had…

Protest over refugee rehab turns violent aGaRtaLa: one youth was killed and 23 others injured in clashes yesterday as the police fired on an mob during protests in tripura, state in northeast india, over the government’s decision to rehabilitate thousands of refugees. the tribal refugees had fled to adjoining Mizoram 23 years ago after ethnic strife in the state. North tripura district Magistrate and Collector Nagesh Kumar said that police had to open fire on the agitating mob that also attacked government vehicles and the security forces at panisagar in North tripura district. the injured were admitted to various government hospitals. IANS…

TELEVISION New series by dynamic film duo TARYN NIGHTINGALE MEET Ephraim Gordon and Amy Jephta – two film-makers from Cape Town – working to bring authenticity to stories depicting minority cultures both in front of and behind the camera. The two recently won the award for best narrative at the 23rd Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Festival in the US for their feature film Barakat. They’ve also just wrapped production for the Afrikaans drama series, Skemerdans, a collaboration with Joburg-based company Nouvanaand Films, through their joint venture Nagvlug films. The duo, founders of the production company, Paperjet Films, are not only writing, directing and producing award-winning film and television told from the lens of their lived experiences, but they’re creating opportunities for other industry creatives from minority groups to get…

opinion Attempted coup by a con: Trump leaving blueprints to end democracy timothy egan  The New York Times JUST when we thought we could sleep again. Just when we thought his malevolent reign was over, that the sun was coming out tomorrow. Just when nearly 80million Americans could shout the words of Dr Seuss to Marvin K Mooney: “Please go now!” Then, this: a shameless attempt to reject the will of hundreds of thousands of voters in the most populous county in Michigan and hand a state that Joe Biden won by some 157 000 votes over to Donald Trump. And this: In Nevada and Pennsylvania, Trump’s campaign asked courts to thwart the choice of most voters and award their states’ Electoral College votes to the only president in history…

Golden handshakes given for resolving LCCP issues DINEO FAKU dineo.faku@inl.co.za SASOL has said that it regretted the largesse extended to former joint chief executives Bongani Nqwababa and Stephen Cornell that apparently broke trust with its shareholders. Sasol chairperson Sipho Nkosi told the group’s annual general meeting on Friday that the board acknowledged the criticism on the separation arrangements for Nqwababa and Cornell. “We profoundly regret the impact our actions have had on the goodwill and trust extended to us by our stakeholders despite the utmost good faith that informed our approach to this matter,” Nkosi said.” “We are reflecting on measures to take to assure our stakeholders of our commitment to restore confidence in the way we implement the company’s remuneration policy.” Shareholders questioned why Nqwababa and Cornell received golden…

TV HIGHLIGHTS THE BRAAI SHOW THURSDAY, AT 7.30PM, SABC 1 Rapper Kiernan Forbes, better known as AKA, spends time around a braai with some of the country’s most-intriguing and controversial personalities. “We are going to go behind the scenes and lift the mask on people who you thought you knew, but really didn’t,” AKA says. Tonight’s guest is DJ, record producer and Kwaito artist DJ Tira. The two discuss music in post-pandemic times. HILLARY STREAMING ON SHOWMAX An intimate portrait of former first lady and secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton, and how she became one of the most admired and vilified women in the world. Features never-before-seen footage from her 2016 presidential campaign.…

STARS Aries (March 21 - April 20) Maybe you’re surrounded by bullies, Aries. Maybe you’re dealing with stubbornness. Whatever the case, it seems that someone around you is behaving badly. Don’t let them get you down. You’re clever enough to find a way around their petulance. In doing so, you’ll soon watch those tables turn. Taurus (April 21 - May 20) We live on a planet where not everyone will always agree. The result? A battle of wills. Words may be spoken in haste and, in hindsight, with regret. Not to worry; time heals all. The true test, however, comes in learning to overcome obstacles. When one way is blocked, find another. Gemini (May 21 - June 21) For once, the world seems to be in tune with you. Good…

TODAY’S TV GUIDE SUNDAY 22 NOVEMBER Cricket: Women’s Big Bash League: Perth Scorchers v Adelaide Strikers, 1.15am, CRI; Melbourne Stars v Sydney Sixers, 4.40am, CRI Golf: Sunshine Tour , Joburg Open Day 4 — 12:00 on GOL LIVE PGA Tour , The RSM Classic Day 4 — 20:00 on GOL LIVE LPGA , Pelican Women’s Championship presented by DEX Imaging & Konica Minolta Day 4 — 21:00 on VR1 LIVE LPGA , Pelican Women’s Championship presented by DEX Imaging & Konica Minolta Day 4 — 21:00 on VR1 LIVE Motorsport: MotoGP: Grand Prix of Portugal Moto3, 12.45pm, MSP, SSM; Moto2, 2.05pm, MSP, SSM; MotoGP, 3.30pm, MSP Rugby: Mitre 10 Cup: Premiership Semifinal 2: Tasman v Bay of Plenty, 8am, RUG, GSD; Autumn Nations Cup: Scotland v France, 4.50pm, RUG; Guinness…

SOCCER Young guns chance to step up for Liverpool amid injury crisis LIVERPOOL boss Juergen Klopp has said he hopes the club’s young centre backs can step up in the absence of injured regulars as the Premier League champions cope with an injury crisis. Defenders Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez are both set to miss the rest of the campaign after undergoing knee surgeries, with Nat Phillips and teenager Rhys Williams expected to provide cover and partner with Joel Matip. Klopp said he found himself in a similar situation at Borussia Dortmund, when Neven Subotic and Mats Hummels were played together as teenagers, gaining the experience to form the bedrock of his defensive line in two title-winning seasons. “We cannot compare situations really. I only want to mention it…

POLITICS Sars fighting ANC wars, another political machine PIET MAHASHA RAMPEDI SOUTH African Revenue Service (Sars) commissioner Edward Kieswetter’s move against a lawyer who found it guilty of having operated an illegal intelligence unit is a sign it has become a political tool used to fight ANC battles, said a political analyst. Xolani Dube, a senior researcher at the Xubera Institute for Research and Development, said Kieswetter’s scathing letter to Adv. Muzi Sikhakhane was part of a war waged by the dominant economic and political elites in the country, which he referred to as the “mineral-energy complex”, to cement their dominance and redefine the power dynamics in the country. This comes after the Sars commissioner wrote to Sikhakhane on Monday night informing him that “Sars holds the view that it…

POLITICS Decision taken by Sars He accused Zondo of being a pawn in a political game and of having an “inclination” to agree with Gordhan and other “carefully selected” witnesses who parroted a narrative against his client. Sikhakhane further contended that Zondo treated people like Gordhan, a former Sars commissioner, as witnesses who were there to “assist” the commission rather than to account. Sars declined to comment on specific questions from Sunday Independent including the timing of the letter to Sikhakhane, why it took the revenue service five years to disown the report, why it chose to cast aspersions on its veracity rather than take it on review, and allegations that it has become a political tool used to fight ANC battles. Instead, it confirmed the authenticity of the letter…

DECOY Bushiris issued ‘fake’ diplomatic passports to flee • After spending two weeks in jail, bushiri was given the options and flatly refused the SA jail option; • Chakwera, through the Malawian embassy, then lobbied the ramaphosa administration for assistance; • The Malawians banked on their constitution which protects diplomats and bars extraditions unless the suspect was sought for murder or treason. • Some members of the judiciary were then lobbied to ensure bushiri was released on “soft” bail with less stringent conditions, no attachment of his bank accounts and assets except the r5m property in Centurion; •both governments agreed to approve Chakwera’s request for a state visit and use it to smuggle bushiri out via Air Force base Waterkloof; • An advance team was then sent to SA to…

OVERSIGHT RAF CEO bemoans ‘jud icial overreach’ Judge Fisher’s opinion that the fund should be liquidated blasted as ‘abuse of power’ KARABO NGOEPE ROAD Accident Fund (RAF) CEO Collins Letsoalo has cautioned judges against abusing their powers and overstepping boundaries when delivering judgments. This follows comments by a judge that in her opinion, the RAF should be liquidated, which Letsoalo has described as a judicial overreach. “We want to make it clear that we will never be against judicial oversight, it helps RAF. We are against judicial overreach. This is what we see as an abuse of power on the side of the judge because as a presiding officer, she wields a lot of power,” he said. Letsoalo further questioned how Judge Denise Fisher could deliver judgment and an opinion…

Special Rapporteur asked to probe conditions in African prisons EDWIN NAIDU THE African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum (Apcof) has asked Maria Teresa Manuela, the Special Rapporteur on Prisons, Conditions of Detention and Policing in Africa to probe the impact of Covid-19 regulations on detainees across African prisons. Director of Research and Programmes African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum (Apcof) Louise Edwards highlighted the general failure of member states to take extraordinary measures to tackle overcrowding in prisons and protect the health of detainees and its specific impact on women in prisons, noting that many women are imprisoned for minor, non-violent crimes, and their exclusion from many prisoner release mechanisms. In a submission at the 66th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, on behalf of the forum,…

C O M M E N T Another spotlight on Africa’s governance lapse FUTHI MTOBA THE coincidence of the climax at the state capture inquiry and the release of the 2020 Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) – only days after the passing of South Africa’s doyen of public sector accountability, auditor-general Kimi Makwetu – punctuated this week in a way not many other occurrences ever will. While South Africans were glued to their screens as the proceedings at the Zondo commission came to a head, one of Africa’s own barometers of good governance reminded us how far we have yet to go before good governance is synonymous with African leadership. The Mo Ibrahim Foundation (MIF) reported this week that the 2019 African average score for Overall Governance dropped 0.2…

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. We enter a new epoch in world history HISTORIANS will record and remember the year 2020, when man ceased to be the supremo of planet Earth. Hurricanes are lashing and mutilating our global coastlines, tornadoes are ripping apart our earthly habitats, earthquakes are toppling our homes and volcanoes are threatening our fragile planet. Forest fires are rampaging in many parts of the globe, locusts are sweeping across global farmlands in an epic orgy of destruction. Newly discovered medical viruses are silently decimating our kith and kin. Perpetual wars are exterminating us on a global scale. Pollution on land, at sea and in the air are throttling us to death.…

ThePeople Princess Diana’s brother blasts ‘The Crown’, protects her legacy LoNDoN: princess Diana’s brother has blasted Netflix’s The Crown. Earl Spencer says he refused producers permission to film at his family’s althorp estate in Northamptonshire because he believes the show is riddled with inaccurate and misleading information. Speaking on Love Your Weekend with alan titchmarsh, he explained: “there is a bit (of unease). The Crown asked if they could film at althorp and i said obviously not. “the worry for me is that people see a show like that and they forget that it is fiction. they assume, especially foreigners. i find americans tell me they have watched The Crown as if they have taken a history lesson. Well, they haven’t.” When asked how accurate The Crown is, he replied:…

obiTuary Travel writer, trans pioneer Morris dies BRitiSh travel writer and transgender pioneer Jan Morris, who as a journalist broke the 1953 news of Edmund hillary’s conquest of Everest, has died at the age of 94, her son twm Morys said on Friday. Morris, who first published under the name James, switched to “Jan” after undergoing gender reassignment in 1972 and was the author of more than three dozen books. She ranked highly among travel writers, with publishers Weekly once calling her “one of the most admired and imitated travel writers alive”. her books include Manhattan ‘45, about New York in 1945, Venice, the Pax Britannica trilogy about the decline of the British Empire, and Conundrum about her transition. teacher and trans campaigner Debbie hayton said Morris’s 1974 memoir had…

‘Black Friday’ sales postponed in France paRiS: amazon has bowed to government pressure to postpone its “Black Friday” discount shopping sales in France until December 4 to help local shopkeepers struggling with a nationwide lockdown. the US retail giant has seen sales soar globally as restrictions to prevent the spread of Covid-19 sent consumers online, making it difficult for some brick-and-mortar shops to compete. to level the playing field, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire called on supermarkets and online retailers to postpone Black Friday, which runs from November 27 to 29, as shops selling non-essential goods would have to remain closed during lockdown. Competition from amazon first prompted European retailers to adopt the US tradition of making Black Friday – the day after US thanksgiving – the kick-off to the…

Style means being comfy in own skin AMANDA MALIBA SINDI Dlathu’s acting career, spanning close to three decades, keeps soaring as she continues to captivate viewers as the infamous Lindiwe Dlamini on the popular The River. Tonight, Dlathu is among 12 recipients for this year’s SA Style Awards, taking place at Sandton City’s Diamond Walk. Known to love her family dearly and hold equality and fairness close to her heart, we asked the actress a few questions in our Q&A to get better acquainted to her. Amanda Maliba: How does receiving this particular award make you feel? Sindi Dlathu: It’s always an honour to receive any acknowledgement of any sort. Just to know that people appreciate the job that you do, and are even taking the time to award you…

africa this week SABC fAilS to See it’S Sitting on A gold mine Victor Kgomoeswana @VictorAfrica ThE SABC is the news again rather than a news outlet. It impressed and disappointed in the space of two weeks. The corporation tabled its annual report for the year to March 31. A net loss of R511 million, a 12% year-on-year decline in revenue and a drop of 18% in TV licence revenue are among the highlights of yet another case of the underutilisation of our broadcasting capability. The SABC collects 24% of the licence fees, down from 31% in the previous year, and compared to 97% by the BBC, according to reports. This is unlikely to improve. But who needs to bet on licences exclusively in the age of video on demand…

CELEBRITY The inimitable Hakeem Kae-Kazim DEBASHINE THANGEVELO debashine.thangevelo@inl.co.za IT’S NOT every day that one gets the opportunity to chat with the inimitable Hakeem Kae-Kazim. After watching his mesmerising performance as Mambo in Sunu Gonera’s Afro-futuristic coming-of-age drama, Riding with Sugar, I was determined to maximise every minute of my one-on-one chat via Zoom. At the outset, I have to say that I loved everything about the film, from Gonera’s powerful storytelling and masterful direction to the stellar cast and sublime cinematography. The story, which has been 17 years in the making and is set in Cape Town, follows the journey of Joshua (Charles Mnene), a young refugee obsessed with winning a BMX cycling championship. He hopes that by doing so he will carve out a more promising future. Although his…

MotoGP rider Morbidelli to race with Hyundai in final WRC round in Monza PETRONAS Yamaha’s MotoGP rider Franco Morbidelli will participate in the World Rally Championship (WRC) for the first time in his career at Rally Monza with Hyundai Rally Team Italia, WRC said on Saturday. The final race of the rallying season is being held from December 3-6 and the 25-year-old will be competing in the WRC3 class in a Hyundai i20 R5. “I’m electrified by the chance of taking part in a real round of the World Rally Championship,” Morbidelli said. “This is going to be an amazing chance to be among the best drivers in the world and compete in a different sport. “This is going to be good fun, though I will have to learn quickly…