Innholdsfortegnelse for Sunday, January 31, 2021 i Sunday Independent

STATE CAPTURE COMMISSION ‘ZONDO MISLED US’ Commission promised that clients won’t be implicated MZILIKAZI WA AFRIKA, MANYANE MANYANE and AAKASH BRAMDEO FOLLOWING revelations of how State Security Agency (SSA) funds were abused for political purposes, a lawyer representing some of the implicated individuals says the Zondo Commission duped him into believing his clients wouldn’t be implicated while carefully selecting witnesses to impugn their integrity. Rapolano Kgoroeadira of Kgoroeadira Mudau Inc, yesterday confirmed that he had written a letter to the Zondo Commission demanding an explanation for Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo’s failure to inform his clients they were going to be named and shamed, as required by the Commissions Act. “My clients didn’t even receive the rule 3.3 notice from the Commission or sent snippets of the affidavit from people…

CRITICISM ANC defends Havard appointment SIYABONGA MKHWANAZI siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za THE ANC has stuck to its guns and came to the defence of its new MP Xiaomei Havard after she was attacked on social media during the week. ANC chief whip Pemmy Majodina said yesterday Havard was a long-standing member of the party and was on the national list in the 2019 elections. She said she has been in the country since 1994, is a citizen and is married to a South African. This is not the first time the ANC has had an MP who was not born in South Africa. Shiaan-Bin Huang was an ANC MP from 2009 until 2014. Huang also served as deputy mayor in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, in the early 2000s. Before that he served as a councillor.…

BOOK Deeper look into the nation’s democracy LESEGO MAKGATHO lesego.makgatho@inl.co.za INTERNATIONALLY acclaimed author, renowned journalist and columnist Brent Meersman has come forth with a new offering titled Rattling the Cage, Reflections on Democratic South Africa. In the book, Meersman aims to take the reader on an informed tour of the new South African reality. He takes us through the country’s highs and lows by addressing some of its failures and successes over the 27 years of democracy. Every country has a story and the South African story is one made up of various events and experiences that make up who we are as a people. There is a story about our nation – how it was formed, how things happened and why they happened the way they did. We then…

ALLEGED ACCOUNTS OF ABUSE BY WARDERS: COMPLAINTS OF TORTURE LODGED BY RELATIVES Violence, Covid-19 take toll on inmates EDWIN NAIDU NOKUTHULA MBATHA African News Agency (ANA) THE Covid-19 pandemic is having a severe impact on prisoners throughout the country, but far worse are the harrowing accounts of violence against inmates by warders who are meant to be taking care of them. Latest statistics from the Department of Correctional Services show that 158 officials and 62 inmates have died of Covid-19-related illness. In addition to the pandemic, inmates through their families have reached out to the Wits Justice Project with allegations of abuse at the hands of officials. According to relatives of inmates at the maximum-security Leeuwkop Prison in Johannesburg, a number of prisoners who had been badly beaten had lodged…

If I signed I was drunk or asleep, says media businessman DON MAKATILE don.makatile@inl.co.za A BUSINESSMAN who alleges his 20% shares in an entity he created were sold without his consent – and signature – to increase Kagiso Media’s shareholding in a Johannesburg-based radio station says he has not seen a cent of that money. Sibusiso Peter-Paul Ngwenya said his Columbia Media bought 20% of Tsiya Radio and the latter then, through their investment vehicle Shanike, sold the 24.9% that it held at Kaya FM to Kagiso Media in 2011 without him knowing. Up to this day, Ngwenya said he had never received any money for his shares. “I hear rumours that the shares were sold to Kagiso for R68 million. I have never had anyone come to me to…

Whistle-blower arrested, now fears for his life AMANDA MALIBA amanda.maliba@inl.co.za CRIME "WE ARE always encouraged to report any wrongdoings. Otherwise, we may become accomplices to that crime.” These are the words of Benjamin Sidu, a 48-year-old father, who said being a patriotic and responsible citizen backfired on him, badly. Sidu’s ordeal started in November 2019, when he attempted to report crimes allegedly committed by his then tenants that included a series of hijackings and police collusion and corruption in the crimes. He approached a branch commander whose name is known to The Sunday Independent who allegedly instructed him to "gather concrete information" for an arrest to be made. A meeting was set up allegedly by Detective Sergeant Ndaweni. "The commander told me such cases go unattended because they lack concrete…

COURT Wife fights family for her slice of millions MERVYN NAIDOO mervyn.naidoo@inl.co.za A businessman who left millions of rands that had accrued in investments to his children and other family members, breached his marriage vows when he overlooked his wife. This was the ruling last week by the Durban High Court. The insurance company that held his two policies were on the cusp of paying a collective sum of R6 million to the five nominated beneficiaries, shortly after the man’s death in July 2019. But his wife Kamala Govender, 65, immediately objected on the grounds that she and her husband Morgan were married in community of property. Therefore, she was entitled to 50% of all accruals from their joint estate, including the two investment policies in question. She argued that…

COMMENT Clock ticking for opposition parties to come together Makhosi Khoza I GREW up in the structures of the ANC. At the tender age of fourteen, I was arrested and detained for my anti-apartheid activities. Until I publicly declared my intention to vote for a motion of no confidence to remove former president Jacob Zuma, I had a thirty five year association with the ANC. It was my political home. There are two undeniable truths arising from my three decades of experience within the ANC. Firstly, South Africa cannot thrive and succeed as long as the ANC is in government nationally, in eight provinces and in so many municipalities. Where the ANC governs, corruption is rampant. As evident in the State Capture Zondo Commission, our country and the ANC can…

Putin signs bill to extend nuke treaty with US MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin, pictured, signed a bill into law ratifying a five-year extension of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) with the US on Friday, one of the last major arms reduction treaties signed since the end of the Cold War. The validity period of the New START will be extended by five years to February 5, 2026, Xinhua news agency quoted the Kremlin as saying. On Tuesday, Moscow and Washington exchanged notes on extending the key arms control pact. Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Joe Biden of the US welcomed the move in a telephone call. The same day, Putin submitted a bill on the extension in the State Duma (the lower house of parliament).…

Surfing academy now continues lessons on land AMBER COURT amber.court@inl.co.za TRACEY ADAMS African News Agency (ANA) A CAPE Town surfing academy has been running their programmes on dry land as the beach ban prevents them from taking children into the ocean during lockdown. The Local Surf Lounge Academy is involved with training surfers from Vrygrond. Founder Shuan Solomons, 31, from Vrygrond was retrenched from his job at an NGO and decided to open the academy in July last year to continue to give children an opportunity to learn how to surf. “I worked with children for 10 years, so I started a surfing project for them as I ran the project for my previous job for five years. People asked me what would happen to the children. Then I decided…

REAL NUMBERS The bullies that govern our vital medicines PALI LEHOHLA FOR MORE than three centuries, Africa has turned many of her human capital to refugees through successive government and political regimes. Most of the continent’s best minds are today found in far- flung countries as asylum seekers fleeing dictatorships and wars. Under normal circumstances, people move in and out of countries for economic and exploration needs. But Covid-19 has changed all that. It has turned houses into refugee camps where citizens remain locked in and do not move out as freely. Despite fervent prayers, snake oils and false prophesies that promise healing powers, there are science based methods to deal with the pandemic. These range from social distancing to sanitisation, the use of Artemisia, eucalyptus, vaccine, and ivermectin among…

TV HIGHLIGHTS TODAY Charlie’s Angels on M-Net at 8:05pm A reboot of this updated version follows four women who investigate and take down terrorist threats. When a young engineer blows the whistle on a dangerous technology, the Angels are called to action. TOMORROW Self-Made Mansions: HGTV at 7.45pm Style expert Clinton Kelly combines his passion for the good life, real estate and design by helping self-made entrepreneurs find the home of their dreams. In each episode, a varied cast of characters showcases their passions and business acumen through their respective mediums.…

STARS TANYA OBREZA Aries (March 21 – April 20) Unexpected visitors or friends could become the bane of your life. Although you might feel you can cope with whoever turns up, a certain blast from the past may still have the power to blindside. Not a problem. Simply charm, and then disarm. The more accommodating you are, the sooner you realise who deserves to be shown the door. Taurus (April 21 – May 20) Your confidence and optimism make a comeback, counterbalancing Mercury’s scrambled signals. Many a karmic debt has been repaid, and much grace accumulated. This is your time to shine, so be prepared to declare your most cherished desires to the world. Your own agenda, driven by your soul’s unique purpose, comes to the fore. Gemini (May 21…

PSL Pirates make Chiefs walk the plank end ing purple patch MIHLALI BALEKA ANOTHER Soweto derby, another win for Orlando Pirates. Much has been Pirates’ success story over Kaizer Chiefs that they’ve been victorious over their nemesis in the last three meetings this season, twice in the MTN8 and yesterday in their 99th DStv Premiership clash. In an encounter that was hosted at a sticky Orlando Stadium yesterday, Pirates claimed the bragging rights through goals from Thembinkosi Lorch and Siphesihle Ndlovu in either half, while Daniel Cardoso gave Chiefs the consolation with five minutes to spare. This win took Pirates to 25 points, five behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns. Chiefs, on the other hand, who had a better start to both halves were made to rue their chances as their five-game…

TEST CRICKET Proteas to solve batting, bowling troubles STUART HESS stuart.hess@inl.co.za SAMUEL SHIVAMBU BackpagePix AFTER they’ve reflected on why they suffered two more batting collapses in the first Test against Pakistan, South Africa also need to consider how they can present more of a threat with the ball. In doing so the Proteas will have to ensure they don’t lose any balance as far as the starting line-up is concerned. Pakistan would have noted that the Proteas continue to struggle on dry surfaces that assist spin bowlers as they have done for the better part of the last decade when touring the sub-continent. So while the pitch at the Rawalpindi Stadium, which will host the second Test starting on Thursday, traditionally favours seam bowling, it is unlikely that will be…

Tail Piece A TULIP BY ANOTHER NAME? ‘GAMESTONK’ AND THE CASE FOR INVESTOR CAUTION It sounds like the start of a parable: Investors stuck inside during a pandemic begin to bid up an asset until its price becomes untethered to reality. The value soars until one day the market runs out of buyers and freezes, causing prices to plummet and some unlucky few to lose fortunes more than ten times their annual incomes in the span of a few hours. The date: February 3, 1636. On that day, the infamous Dutch tulip bubble burst during an outbreak of the bubonic plague, illustrating that asset prices can plummet just as quickly as they soar, leaving only pain behind. Now, almost exactly 385 years and another pandemic later, Wall Street waits to…

JUDICIARY More woes for Judge Motata LOYISO SIDIMBA GAUTENG Judge President Dunstan Mlambo has given Freedom Under Law the green light to challenge the Judicial Services Commission’s (JSC’s) decision to find retired Judge Nkola Motata guilty of misconduct instead of gross misconduct. Freedom Under Law had asked the North Gauteng High Court for permission to proceed with its review of the JSC’s October 2019 sanction against Judge Motata for misconduct and imposing a fine of over R1.15 million, which is the equivalent of his annual salary. The non-profit entity approached the high court in the capital city, where Motata served, to review and set aside the JSC’s sanction of misconduct instead of gross misconduct. Motata’s troubles started in 2007 when he crashed into a wall in the northern Johannesburg suburb…

DA, labour, business lash cut in UIF/Ters funding MANYANE MANYANE manyane.manyane@inl.co.za THE DA has lambasted the government’s decision to cut the Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme (Ters), saying this will come as a blow to cash-strapped workers who are affected by the Level 3 lockdown. The party’s shadow minister of Employment and Labour Michael Cardo this week said the decision would affect sectors such as tourism, hospitality and liquor industries. This comes after the reports that businesses have accused the UIF of backtracking in the discussions over the extension of the Ters wage protection to cover the current lockdown. “The UIF’s about-turn on the extension, after weeks of seemingly positive talks at Nedlac, is apparently informed by a report compiled by the fund’s actuaries,” said Cardo. He said the party had…

VIRUS Fear of hospital a reality for some AMANDA MALIBA amanda.maliba!inl.co.za THE fear of being admitted into a public healthcare facility during the Covid-19 pandemic is very real for some communities and is posing a problem for the health system as some patients wait until they are in a critical state or gravely ill before seeking medical help. Responding to our enquiries, Gauteng Health Department spokesperson Popo Maja appealed to members of the public to seek care as soon as they feel unwell rather than end up being taken to hospital only when they are gravely ill. “The Covid-19 pandemic has had very negative effects on the mental health of the citizens, globally. We have noted that some of our citizens present themselves to healthcare facilities when they are gravely…

OPINION Race matters and dogma of non-racialism WHITE liberals have always made it a point that a serious race discourse in South Africa remains in the margins. This is the reason why the history and the contemporary political analysis of South Africa are dominated by concepts such as “non-racialism” and “racial capitalism” that effectively remove race from the centre. Both non-racialism and “racial capitalism” are intellectual mechanisms and polite ways of saying race does not matter or it is not central. The marginalisation of race means that the problems and solutions offered are simply economic and “class” oriented rather than ones aimed at displacing white domination in its entirety. The liberal oriented solutions continue to be aimed at integrating and “accepting” blacks who are, as Cornel West puts it, “worthy…

LETTERS Eloise: a bittersweet occurrence for dams in South Africa THE world has seen how Cyclone Eloise ravaged some parts of southern Africa, particularly in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Madagascar and left thousands of people, homeless due to the floods. These harrowing events have shocked us and brought fear that this monster could have the same devastating effects in some parts of our country. Since this week, we have witnessed how Cyclone Eloise moved inland, particularly in Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the Free State and on the coastal side of KwaZulu-Natal. Although the storm was not severely devastating in strength like in Mozambique, it has caused damage to some parts of Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. The heavy rains and floods damaged houses and roads, trees were uprooted and the dams overflowed,…

The People Solo trip for Harry? LONDON: Duchess Meghan is not expected to accompany Britain’s Prince Harry to the UK later this year. The couple quit as senior royals last year and moved to California with their son Archie and although Harry is expected back in the UK to attend key royal events from June. Harry is also expected in London in July for the unveiling of the statue that he and his brother Prince William commissioned in memory of their mother, Princess Diana, at Kensington Palace. Reuters…

HONG KONG ‘Declaration gave Britain no rights to Hong Kong’ HONG KONG: Secretary of Justice Teresa Cheng of Hong Kong reiterated yesterday that Britain had no rights over the city under the joint declaration that laid the blueprint for how the city would be ruled after its 1997 reunification with China. Cheng made the comments in a blog post on the eve of changes to the UK’s visa application programme that will allow Hong Kong residents who hold a British National Overseas (BNO) passport to live, study and work in Britain for five years and eventually apply for citizenship. The BNO status was created by Britain in 1987 specifically for Hong Kong residents. Cheng cited former Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in Hong Kong, Xie Feng,…

LITERATURE Fiction anthology talks to our financial future AMBER COURT amber.court@inl.co.za SUPPLIED A NEW speculative fiction anthology, Upshot, explores fascinating finance stories of algorithm-controlled lives to impossible retirement choices where people are forced to retire at 80, but live to 125. The anthology was curated by internationally-acclaimed South African author Lauren Beukes, who compared the book to the British anthology Netflix series, Black Mirror, that explores how technology could backfire. Beukes said she enjoyed working with some of her favourite writers imagining possible financial futures. These included Tade Thompson, Mohale Mashigo, Charlie Human, Angela Makholwa, Bongani Kona and Sam Beckbessinger. The book idea came from her brother, Nick Beukes. “It is about universal basic income, or what happens if you can't save, how you deal with debt and how you…

Cheaper vehicles ‘will not be drain on fiscus’ EDWARD WEST edward.west@inl.co.za VEHICLE dealers have called on the government to review taxes on vehicles in order to help the industry to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic-related sales slump. The National Automobile Dealers Association (Nada) said the government needed to make vehicles more affordable by reducing taxes that currently amount to more than 40 percent of the price of every new vehicle. Nada chairperson Mark Dommisse said the reduction of the ad valorem tax would have a neutral impact on revenues to the government, as the tax on increased sales would offset the lower rate of tax per vehicle. Dommisse said revenue shorfall to the government on new vehicle taxes was currently R1.2 billion per month, based on 12 000 fewer cars…

INJURY TIME STUART HESS stuart.hess@inl.co.za TEA, TYRES AND ‘TIC-TAC-TOE’ FROM tea, to solar panels, cars and tyres, Pakistan’s sponsors do get bang for their buck on the TV coverage of a match. We’re still not sure, who won the solar panel sponsored ‘tictac-toe’ but we know they got really sexy leather bound notebooks - Daryll Cullinan really wanted one. No one by our reckoning hit the $500 advertising board either, so that will presumably stand over to Rawalpindi in the second Test. And is it $500 everytime a batsman hits the sign? There more than one sing, so does the $500 prize get handed out for each sign? And what’s with those blokes drinking tea and looking so serious and reflective? Mike Haysman, who is commentating on the series offered…

TENNIS Kyrgios's strong voice of reason rallies for beyond tennis MARK KEOHANE KOJI SASAHARA Reuters NICK Kyrgios is good for tennis and for sport in general. His outspokenness would be even better if he won more tournaments but the 25-year-old is unlikely to ever rule the rankings because of his on-court performances. It isn’t that Kyrgios isn’t gifted enough to become the best player in the world, it is just that his appetite for tennis is not single-minded enough to commit all his energy to becoming number one. Kyrgios is ranked 47th after a career high 13th in 2016. His drop is because he hasn’t played for a year because of the Covid-19 crisis. Kyrgios has been vocal about staying put in Australia and doing his bit to fight the…

CURRIE CUP CHAMPIONS White chuffed with Bulls’ never say die late charge ASHFAK MOHAMED IN some ways, Jake White believed it was destiny that his Bulls team would win yesterday's Currie Cup final against the Sharks at Loftus Versfeld. In a dramatic finish, replacement loose forward Arno Botha scored his second try in the last minute of extra time to clinch a 26-19 victory for the hosts. The match was suspended for more than half-an-hour in the opening stanza due to a threat of lightning, with the score 6-3 to the Bulls. A delighted White noted, though, in a post-match TV interview that there was something to read into the fact that the delay began in the 24th minute. “This year, we’ve had Covid. Then we had the game stopped…

Tail Piece FOR ONE SURVIVOR, HOLOCAUST MEMORIES LIVE ON ONLY IN FADED PHOTOS Leah Nebenzahl was a baby when her parents, Pipha and Zvi Herschman, were murdered in Nazi-occupied Poland. The Jewish infant, rescued by a priest who placed her in an orphanage run by nuns, survived World War Two as the adopted daughter of a Christian couple. On Wednesday, Holocaust survivors mark the 76th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp by Soviet troops. The stories and photos of Jewish youngsters, some of them orphans are part of a new online exhibition - “My Lost Childhood” - by Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust museum. | Reuters…

COMPLAINT LETTER ‘Ingonyama Trust run as spaza’ KARABO NGOEPE AND MANYANE MANYANE STAFF at the Ingonyama Trust has accused the board chairperson Jerome Ngwenya of misusing his powers and running the organisation as a spaza shop. The workers wrote a letter to the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Thoko Didiza, seeking her intervention. In the letter, the employees detailed ill-treatment cases at the hands of Ngwenya, and the acting head of land tenure management services. "Each of us sits at the mercy of a tyrant who could wake up at any day and decide to either suspend or place any one of us under special leave for reasons only known to him. Out of the blue, after all the harassment, he tries to determine why you should…

CATALOGUE Sibongile Khumalo – greatest hits AMANDA MALIBA amanda.maliba@inl.co.za SIBONGILE Khumalo first made her debut as a recording artist in 1996, the year she released Ancient Evenings which had iconic songs, such as, Thula Mama, U Ea Kae, and Untold Stories, that saw her crowned with the title First Lady of Song. The album Ancient Evenings was shortly followed by another monumental release, Live at the Market Theatre in 1998 and thereafter Immortal Secrets, which was released in 2000 and serenaded her fans with hit songs, such as, Mayihlome, Painful Joys, and Ngilamleleni. In 2002, she released Quest, which featured Thando’s Groove, followed by another self-titled album, Sibongile Khumalo, in 2005 with songs such as, Isithandwa Sam’ and Plea for Africa. After a long hiatus since her last music offering,…

Top Sassa official placed on leave A TOP official at the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) facing sexual harassment allegations has been put on precautionary suspension. The regional executive manager, Bandile Maqetuka, is in charge of three regions including the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Northern Cape. The National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) had earlier called on the agency to suspend Maqetuka pending the outcome of an investigation. Sassa said an investigation into the allegations of sexual harassment and abuse of power against Maqetuka was underway. He is accused of demanding sex from an Eastern Cape female, married employee in exchange for granting her a senior position she had applied for. When she allegedly refused to do so, she was not shortlisted for the position, despite…

GBV LGBTQI+ community targeted FROM offensive language to outright violence and murder, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and inter-sex (LGBTQI+) community in South Africa remains the worst and badly treated members of our society. Gender-based violence known to many as GBV and hate crimes against minorities continue to be the order of the day even to this day. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the year 2020 began with the gruesome murder of Durban-based LGBTQI+ activist, Lindokuhle Cele who was stabbed multiple times by a 30-year-old male who has since been arrested and charged with Cele’s killing. As if that was not enough, in June of the same year, celebrated activist and choreographer, Kirvan Fortuin was also stabbed to death allegedly by a 14-year-old girl over an unknown argument. There…

EDITORIAL The shame of public care services YOU will not find anything more depressing to read than the report of the Health Ombudsman, Professor Malegapuru Makgoba into the June 2020 death of Shonisani Lethole at the Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital (TPTH) released on Wednesday. The 34-year-old lost his life after he was, as the harrowing report reads: “not offered meals during his first 43 hours and 24 minutes of admission at TPTH, since the 23rd June 2020”. This unnecessary death, that the report confirms could have been avoided, has caused an outcry on social media hashtag #JusticeForShoni. Lethole died, simply, on the basis that those obligated to provide care for him and other patients at this state hospital, shirked their responsibility during his hour of need. The report says it…

PIRACY ‘Like a horror movie’: Turkish sailors recount deadly assault on ship THREE Turkish crew members who survived a pirate attack on their ship off the Nigerian coast landed in Istanbul yesterday and recounted the hours of fear experienced during the armed assault. Fifteen of their fellow crew members were taken away and remain hostage, but their whereabouts are unknown. The Liberian-flagged container ship MV Mozart was en route from Lagos to Cape Town when it was attacked 160km off São Tomé and Príncipe island on Saturday when the pirates boarded the vessel. One sailor, an Azerbaijani national, was killed. The pirates left fourth captain Furkan Yaren, chief engineer Ilhan Suha Tatligul and greaser Bahadir Yesilalan on board. A day later, the three, slightly injured, docked the ship in Gabon.…

AFRICA More than 200 000 flee ‘apocalyptic’ conflict in CAR MORE than 200000 people have fled fighting in the Central African Republic (CAR) since violence erupted over election result last month, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday, with nearly half of the refugees crossing into the Democratic Republic of Congo. The CAR army, backed by UN, Russian and Rwandan troops, has been battling rebels seeking to overturn a December 27 vote in which President Faustin-Archange Touadera was declared the winner. “Refugees have told UNHCR that they fled in panic when they heard gun shots, leaving their belongings behind,” spokesman Boris Cheshirkov told journalists in Geneva. The nation of nearly five million people, larger than mainland France, Belgium and Luxemburg combined and rich in diamonds, timber and gold, has…

AUSTRALIA Traces of Covid-19 found in wastewater CANBERRA: Australian health authorities said that traces of the novel coronavirus were detected in the wastewater at a suburb of the country’s capital Canberra. According to information provided by the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) government, the virus “was found in a sewage sample collected on January 27 from the Belconnen wastewater testing location”, Xinhua news agency reported. Vanessa Johnston, deputy chief health officer of the territory, said that the detection does not mean the Capital Territory has new Covid-19 cases, but it was treated with caution. “It may represent a person who has recovered from Covid-19 and is no longer infectious but is continuing to shed the virus,” Johnston said. She said that the shedding can last for weeks after the person recovered.…

Mukuru expands to more African countries DINEO FAKU dineo.faku@inl.co.za CAPE Town-based remittance and money transfer business, Mukuru, has said that more customers joined its platform after informal platforms took a knock during the Covid-19 lockdown. Mukuru chief executive Andy Jury said Mukuru has now partnered with WorldRemit, the online money transfer business that provides international money transfer services in more than 50 countries, to expand its network into Zimbabwe. Jury saud the Mukuru-WorldRemit alliance had been a fantastic example of a synergistic partnership. “We’ve enabled WorldRemit to offer broader, deeper pay-out networks to their customers, and the transactions we assist them to pay out mean we fill ‘white space’ in our network, which in turn helps us to run more efficiently,” said Jury. Mukuru, is an African FinTech company founded…

BIZ 101 Your workplace and Covid-19 safety measures BEN BIERMAN THE START of 2021 has coincided with the peak of South Africa’s second wave of Covid-19 infections. The government has called on businesses to continue following all required safety measures and protocols. Herewith is a simple checklist to ensure compliance in order to avoid hefty fines or worse: Planning All businesses are required to develop a Covid-19 plan which outlines measures being taken to meet the standards and national health and safety protocols. Businesses are also required to appoint a Covid-19 compliance officer to oversee the implementation of these measures and ensure that the workplace meets the prescribed health and safety standards. Protocols Businesses must ensure adherence to all protocols set out in the Covid-19 Occupational Health and Safety Directive,…

TELEVISION Laurence Leboeuf on her role in ‘Transplant’ DEBASHINE THANGEVELO debashine.thangevelo@inl.co.za ALTHOUGH crime dramas remain one of the most successful genres, medical dramas are slowly but surely tapping into that fan base. Yes, the worlds may be poles apart but there is a shared similarity born from the intriguing medical cases, conflicted scenarios and personal and professional challenges. When it comes to medical dramas, there is no dearth of great offerings. Each show from The Good Doctor, New Amsterdam, The Resident, Nurses to Grey’s Anatomy, among others, has a hook. Transplant is no different. The premise for Universal TV’s 13-part series is built around Dr Bashir “Bash” Hamed (Hamza Haq). He is introduced as a migrant worker at an Indian restaurant. A tragic accident, where he ends up saving the…

CRICKET Life is a ’Britz’ for miracle survivor with bat winning over javelin ZAAHIER ADAMS CRICKET is not just an occupation for Tazmin Britz. It’s a second chance at life. The Proteas Women’s team T20 opening batsman knows all about disappointment. It was just about a decade ago that her Olympic dreams went tumbling down a dirt road en-route from Klerksdorp to Potchefstroom. The former World Youth Championship javelin gold medallist’s car that she was driving hit a tree and landed on top of her, resulting in a broken pelvis, burst bladder and a torn colon. Thankfully, Brits made a miraculous recovery from the accident which saw titanium screws placed in her back and being confined to a wheelchair for two months, but she never quite realised her dream of…

TV GUIDE TODAY Athletics: IAAF World Indoor Tour: Silver Meeting - ISTAF Indoor, Düsseldorf, 1.15pm, VR3 Boxing: IBF World Super-Middleweight Title: Caleb Plant v Caleb Truax, 3am, SSM, ACT Cricket: ANZ Bank Women’s Super Smash: Wellington Blaze v Central Hinds, 12.05am, CRI, GSD; Wellington Firebirds v Central Stags, 3.35am, GSD, CRI; Women’s T20 International: South Africa v Pakistan, Second T20, 3.15pm, CRI, GSD; Abu Dhabi T10: B2 v B4, 1.50pm, VR1, CRI; A4 v A1, 4.05pm, VR1; B3 v B1, 6.20pm, VR1; Big Bash Twenty20: Knockout, 10.10am, VR1 Cycling: UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships: Women Under-23, 2.30pm, VR4; Elite Men, 4.10pm, VR4 Golf: European Tour: Omega Dubai Desert Classic, Day 4, 10.30am, GOL, GSD; PGA Tour: Farmers Insurance Open, Day 4, 8pm, GSD, GOL Rugby: The Final Whistle, 7pm, RUG; Gallagher…