Innholdsfortegnelse for Sunday, February 7, 2021 i Sunday Independent

TALKS ‘Tea party’ could avert a crisis Malema’s Nkandla meeting might have helped persuade Zuma to face Zondo once and for all and avert a Constitutional crisis MZILIKAZI WA AFRIKA and MANYANE MANYANE THE meeting in Nkandla on Friday between former president Jacob Zuma and EFF leader Julius Malema was meant to prevent a “constitutional crisis”. EFF former national chairperson advocate Dali Mpofu, Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina and former African National Congress chief whip Tony Yengeni, who are considered to Zuma’s strong allies, were also part of the unusual gathering. Three insiders, who were part of the discussion, yesterday spoke to the Sunday Independent on condition of anonymity. They said Zuma was persuaded to reconsider appearing before the State Capture Commission and to raise all his objections and unhappiness about…

PANDEMIC What of vaccines from BRICS partners Russia and China? SIZWE DLAMINI sizwe.dlamini@inl.co.za MUCH as South Africa joins President Cyril Ramaphosa in welcoming the first consignment of Covid-19 vaccines, it must be noted the country’s vaccination targets are not quite within reach. As South Africa is the only African member of the BRICS community, questions have been raised about why procurement of vaccines from member states such as China and Russia were not mentioned in the president’s speech recently. In his most recent address to the nation, Ramaphosa said in addition to the 1 million Covishield doses that were received another 500 000 doses from the Serum Institute of India were expected to arrive later this month. “We have secured 12 million doses in total from the global Covax facility,…

FAMILIES DENIED OPPORTUNITY TO PERFORM RITUALS Burying wrong bodies trauma However, that cannot be done due to current restrictions. She also lambasted the police’s heavy-handedness when it comes to dealing with Africans. She gave an example of a situation in a rural area that went viral on social media where police arrived to find a traditional ceremony taking place. “They spilled the African beer being used to speak to the ancestor as well as the food. They were ruthless. Why couldn’t they speak to the owner of the property and explain that the regulation requires only 50 people and leave the food alone? They would not have done this if it was another race or class in society. This is disrespect for the African tradition,” he said. The Department of…

KNYSNA DA axes councillor who voted with ANC TSHEGO LEPULE tshego.lepule@inl.co.za FACEBOOK THE DA in the Knysna municipality has axed one of its councillors following allegations she voted in favour of the ANC. Lorraine Opperman, 73, was expelled from the party just three days after she voted with the ANC on a motion at a council meeting last Thursday. Opperman had only been a councillor in ward 11 for 13 months after she was elected in a by-election in December, 2019. Previously she had been a Cope member who even stood as a candidate for ward 5 in the 2016 municipal elections. However, the councillor fell out of favour with her new political home after failing to vote with her caucus in a motion that sought to curtail the powers…

HOUSING Abandoned project vandalised MANYANE MANYANE manyane.manyane@inl.co.za Pictures: BHEKIKHAYA MABASO African News Agency (ANA) RESIDENTS in Kwazenzele informal settlement near Endicott, in Lesedi Local Municipality, are still living in squalor with no access to sanitation due to the slow pace of the housing project in the area that was mooted eight years ago. The project, which is part of the Gauteng Mega Project, was implemented in 2013. It was expected to build 2800 low-cost houses, including flats. However, only 10 houses and 10 flats were built last year before the country was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. Residents who were part of the community leadership at the time, Mopostoli Mthimunye and Dumisani Shabangu are now saying the project will have to start from scratch after the contractor was fired for…

FUND Government, corporates tackle GBV LESEGO MAKGATHO lesego.makgatho@inl.co.za PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa this week launched a private sector-led, multi-sectoral Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) Response Fund 1 aimed at supporting the implementation of the National Strategic Plan (NSP) and the wider GBVF response in the country. Ramaphosa said the launch was to fulfil a promise made to women and children in the country – to end the violence against them. The fund is a privately-led initiative with the help of the government. It is intended to expand on the government's work in fighting GBVF in the country and came two years after the 2018 GBVF summit which saw various members of civil society discuss the issues surrounding GBV in the country. The president said the government's ability to spend money on…

CORPORATE MALFEASANCE Dangerous amnesia: What happened at Steinhoff? TSHEPO MATSEBA SOUTH Africa remains a country in which some people are more equal than others. A dad can be arrested for flouting lockdown regulations even when he explains that he was in search of milk for his baby. By contrast, a politician can be treated with kid gloves, unless there is massive public outrage when they flout lockdown regulations. But this Animal Farm behaviour isn’t just true of people. It is also true of corporates. Some corporates, like businesses who benefited fraudulently from PPE tenders, are feeling the continuous and continued pressure to have them held legally accountable for stealing from the public purse. By contrast, many other corporates are either under the radar completely or they get attention for a short…

UNPACKING THE PAST A d ismal black response to racism Non-racialism blunted analysis DR MANDISI MAJAVU South African Library, Cape Town South African Library, Cape Town MANNING Marable once remarked the tragedy of the early 20th century black intelligentsia in South Africa was its inability to comprehend the full meaning of white racism. I argue the situation is worse than that. Ever since blacks entered the annals of South African history in the nineteenth century as “Savages”, “Caffres”, “Tambookies”, “Fingoes”, “Bechuanas”, and generally as “native tribes”, the black elite, in the form of chiefs and black Christian converts, have consistently misread, misunderstood, and mistook white racism for something it was not – a white benefactor. For instance, Ngqika, the Xhosa chief known to his English allies as “Gaika”, “signed” an exploitative…

OPINION Death of young businessman was preventable ANDILE MNGXITAMA SHONISANI Lethole was murdered! This is my layman’s reaction listening to the Health Ombudsman Professor Malegapuru Makgoba deliver his findings on the circumstances around the death of the popular businessman. Professor Makgoba was himself battling emotionally as he recounted a staggering litany of what amounts to gross negligence, if not reckless disregard for human life, at the Tembisa Hospital where Lethole, a healthy young person, was admitted with breathing problems last June. He died, but spoke from the grave when the tweet he sent Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize just prior to his death gained traction. It’s instructive that Lethole sent his desperate call for intervention to the minister who did nothing until after his death and is also exonerated…

INDIA States asked to speed up vaccinations INDIA’S government yesterday urged states and union territories to accelerate Covid-19 vaccinations after a review found “substantial” room for speeding up the programme. India started what it says is the world’s biggest vaccination programme on January 16, aiming to reach 300million people by July-August. Twelve states and union territories have vaccinated 60% of their healthcare workers so far but many need to improve their performance, the government said after a review by the federal health secretary. It said in a statement there was “substantial scope for improvement in the number of average vaccinations per vaccination session”. India vaccinated about 3million health-care workers in the first two weeks of the campaign – an average of just over 200 000 a day – but will…

Riots follow shooting of street performer BUENOS AIRES: Riots broke out in southern Chile, with protesters setting fire to at least 10 government buildings in the city of Panguipulli, including the city hall, after a police officer allegedly shot and killed a street performer on Friday. Video published by radio station Cooperativa showed the violence spreading. Protesters also erected barricades and attacked a police station with stones. Police responded with tear gas and water cannon. The officer had been taken into custody, officials said later, urging co-operation with their investigation. The violence broke out after the officer had a confrontation with a juggler, who seemingly refused to obey orders the officer was given. According to reports, after the officer fired two warning shots at the ground, the juggler rushed towards…

Virus puts brakes on buses SIPHELELE DLUDLA siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za JACQUES NAUDE African News Agency (ANA) THE SHOCK of the Covid-19 pandemic and its associated travel restrictions reverberated through the passenger bus sector this week after two big bus companies announced closure and retrenchments, respectively. Intercity luxury bus coaches Greyhound and Citiliner on Wednesday unexpectedly announced that they would cease operations from February 14 due to challenging trading conditions. Greyhound owners Unitrans, however, have since acceded to workers’ unions request to halt plans to close its operations, which could put at least 700 jobs on the line. Unitrans, a subsidiary of JSElisted KAP Industrial Holdings, will now apply for the facilitation of Section 189 at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration. Democratised Transport Logistics and Allied Workers Union general secretary Vusi…

BIZ 101 How to retain top talent during uncertain times BEN BIERMAN DESPITE unemployment levels being at an all-time high, top talent will rarely be without options and – given the challenging economic environment – businesses need buy-in from their key employees more than ever before. Making matters even more complex is the fact that remote working is increasingly becoming more mainstream, which means that companies are now competing for talent on a global scale, which makes staff retention key. Despite this, many small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) owners underestimate the value of a good human resources management system, and often believe that they don’t have the time or the necessary resources to invest in one. As a result, these SME owners find themselves falling short when it comes to…

STREAMING Coughlan is Penelope in Netflix’s ‘Bridgerton’ DEBASHINE THANGEVELO debashine.thangevelo@inl.co.za WHILE Bridgerton fans continue swooning over the Duke of Hastings – not that they can be blamed, Regé-Jean Page is after all one of the hottest faces on the small screen right now – allow me to introduce you to Penelope Featherington, played by the talented Nicola Coughlan. I was fortunate to land a virtual interview with the 34-year-old Irish actress and I must admit that her poise, quirks and wittiness made her almost indistinguishable from her character. Her affable disposition made the chat an absolute delight. When asked about her familiarity with Julia Quinn's novels, which follows the lives of several families in the ton society during the Regency era, she admitted: “I wasn’t at all familiar with the…

SOCCER Nine-man Newcastle send Saints marching NEWCASTLE United hung on for a 3-2 victory over Southampton despite finishing a rip-roaring Premier League contest with nine men at St James' Park yesterday. Southampton, who were hammered 9-0 at Manchester United in midweek, found themselves 2-0 down after 25 minutes with Joe Willock netting on his Newcastle debut and the hapless Jan Bednarek scoring an own goal. Takumi Minamino, also on his debut, replied for Southampton with a superb finish, but just before half-time the visitors self-destructed in defence again to allow Miguel Almiron to send the hosts in with a 3-1 lead. A sensational free kick by James Ward-Prowse three minutes into the second half gave Southampton impetus, and Newcastle were down to 10 men two minutes later when Jeff Hendrick…

SOCCER Cape Town City romp into Nedbank Cup last 16 MIHLALI BALEKA CAPETOWNCITY (0) (4) Morris 59’, 68’, 90+3 and Nodada 75’ BLOEMFONTEINCELTIC (0) (0) CAPE Town City were in rampant mode at home, the Cape Town Stadium, as they hammered Bloemfontein Celtic 4-0 to reach the last 16 of the Nedbank Cup yesterday afternoon, thanks to a hat-trick from Tashreeq Morris and a goal from Thabo Nodada. This was the Citizens’ second win over the Celtic, having defeated them 4-2 in the league, where they are sixth. Celtic’s season has been unimpressive – they are stuck in the bottom half of the standings. After a successful late push for a top-eight finish last term, the Citizens were earmarked to be contenders for the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup this season.…

STATE CAPTURE INQUIRY Zondo focus on Parly oversight LESEGO MAKGATHO lesego.makgatho@inl.co.za THE focus of the Zondo Commission of Inquiry this week has been on parliamentary oversight-related evidence on state capture. The commission has been focusing not only on government departments, but state-owned enterprises (SOEs). The evidence has thus far related mainly to the executive, leaders of SOEs and those engaged in business dealings with the state and SOEs. On Tuesday, evidence was heard from portfolio committee on justice and correctional services member James Selfe and former ANC MP Dr Makhosi Khoza. Giving testimony at the inquiry, Khoza said she was “punished’’ harshly for speaking out against the ANC. She said people accused of corruption were treated with far less censure than she was. “I have never stolen a cent from…

REALITY TV STAR JOINED PARTY BECAUSE OF ITS ‘COMMITMENT TO THE PEOPLE’ Wabantu draped in PA colours AMANDA MALIBA amanda.maliba@inl.co.ca MOTSHWARI MOFOKENG African News Agency (ANA) POPULAR entertainer and reality TV star Zodwa Wabantu has joined forces with the Patriotic Alliance (PA) led by businessman Gayton McKenzie and has among its founders the former “Sushi King”, Kenny Kunene. Speaking out for the first time Zodwa, real name Rebecca Zodwa Libram, said she was recruited by Kunene and that her decision to join politics hinged heavily on how her brand resonates with what the party stands for: commitment to the people. The 35-year-old admitted that the last five years of her career had not been easy - “having to do whatever it takes” to sustain herself. But in the same breath,…

PSSA Ivermectin ruling was ‘influenced by social media’ MANYANE MANYANE manyane.manyane@inl.co.za THE Pharmaceutical Society of SA (PSSA) believes the Gauteng High Court ruling to allow doctors to use ivermectin to treat Covid-19 patients was influenced by social media. The organisation’s manager Ivan Kotze said the court verdict showed the power of social media because people used the platform to call on SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) to approve the drug. On Tuesday, the high court issued an order by agreement with the SAHPRA, to allow doctors to start ivermectin treatment. This gave doctors the nod to start ivermectin treatment concurrently with the submission of an article 21 application, in cases where the doctor deems urgent access to ivermectin as crucial for a patient. SAHPRA previously said ivermectin was not…

JAZZ LEGEND SIBONGILE KHUMALO LAID TO REST Poignant farewell to ‘First Lady of Song’ LESEGO MAKGATHO MOURNERS gathered on Saturday at the Market Theatre to bid farewell to opera and jazz legend Dr Sibongile Khumalo. The music icon died last Thursday from, according to her family, complications from a stroke after a long illness. Speaking at her funeral, her brother Lindumuzi Mngoma, said those who interacted with her through her journey of life were touched in one way or another by Khumalo. “We are under lockdown hence a lot of people could not be here. The family plans to have a commemoration for her in September which is her birthday month. The family will give further details closer to the time,” he said. Mngoma said Khumalo had not been on…

BALANCING RIGHTS Workers can’t be forced to vaccinate TALITA LAUBSCHER and CHLOË LOUBSER THE notion of mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 has become a talking point for employers globally. Mandatory vaccinations may potentially speed up the process whereby herd immunity is achieved. But can an employer (as opposed to the state through national legislation, or a court order) force employees to get vaccinated? This is no simple matter. For one, in law, vaccination is a “medical treatment”, not a “medical test”, and the difference matters. Medical testing is governed by section 7 of the Employment Equity Act, 1998, and is performed to ascertain whether an employee has a medical condition. The Employment Equity Act would come into play in circumstances where the employer requires the employee to get tested for Covid-19.…

ICYMI | IOL.CO.ZA SEA REPORT CONCERNS IOL Individual cultures and ideologies have their appropriate uses but none of them erase or replace the universal experiences, like love and weeping and laughter, common to all human beingsABERJHANI, SPLENDID LITERARIUM A Treasury of Stories, Aphorisms, Poems, and Essays The school environment at Zonnebloem Nest Senior in Woodstock is unsafe, the Schools Evaluation Authority report has found. This was revealed in the SEA report which evaluates how well some schools in the Western Cape are performing.…

COVID-19 How some scientists became media stars EDWIN NAIDU Rajesh Jantilal. THE perception that there is a schism between scientists and the greater public is not new. While some may hold the view that this gap is widening, one man in South Africa is bucking the trend, according to one of the country’s leading science communicators. Marina Joubert, a senior science communication researcher at Stellenbosch University, said the coronavirus pandemic had made epidemiologist and infectious diseases specialist Professor Salim Abdool Karim a household name in the past year. She told University World News that Covid-19 has shown how people want to engage with science and are hungry for new information, especially during a crisis. “Of course, on the other hand, we have also seen how fake news, misinformation and conspiracy…

BUSINESS WEBINAR Lockdown illegal trade robs fiscus THE Covid-19 induced lockdown has spawned a thriving enterprise in illicit trade that is taking billions of rand in revenue away from the fiscus. This emerged during a webinar hosted by Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) and its sub-division, Business Against Crime South Africa (Bacsa) on Wednesday. Participants offered solutions to the myriad problems presented by illicit trade in tobacco, alcohol, textiles and retail during the “resolution-focused webinar”. Among the participants were Abraham Nelson, executive head of the Consumer Goods Crime Risk Initiative; Kurt Moore, chief executive of the South African Liquor Brand Owners’ Association; Zacharia Motsumi, executive director of Tobacco Producers Development, director & spokesperson of South African Tobacco Transformation Alliance; and Yusuf Abramjee, founder of Justice South Africa and anti-crime activist.…

EDITORIAL Mboweni needs a money tree FINANCE Minister Tito Mboweni is bound to feel the heat in the coming weeks. It has nothing to do with his antics in the kitchen, a popular pastime which often results in social media posts and repartee. This year’s Budget Speech comes amid unprecedentedly challenging economic times brought about by the heavy blow of the Covid-19 global pandemic on the country. Mboweni has a tough job to keep the country’s debt to gross domestic product ratio in check, with pressure mounting to reduce the public sector’s wage bill while putting in controls to lower public expenditure. Mboweni had previously indicated that he would implement large spending cuts, and much to the chagrin of South Africans, tax increases. Notably, the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic…

LETTERS Zuma is like a locust, he must face Zondo IF I WAS a cartoonist, one of my sketches would depict former president Jacob Zuma as a giant monster locust because like a swarm of locusts, he sought fertile breeding grounds where his greed for self-aggrandizement could be multiplied unhindered. A relic gone to pasture in the foothills of Nkandla, his ghosts have now come back to haunt him. The gavotte and dance is over and now he has to pay the piper. His refusal to appear before the commission of inquiry into state capture is a case of per incuriam (disregard for laws and facts). This is despite a Constitutional Court ruling. If he carries out his threat not to appear before the commission, then he will be in…

The People Chad police confront protesters over Deby’s sixth term nomination N’DJAMENA: Police in Chad fired tear gas and made several arrests as hundreds of people protested at President Idriss Deby’s nomination yesterday to run for a sixth term in April. Deby, 68, pictured, who came to power in 1990 rebellion, pushed through a new constitution in 2018 that reinstated term limits that could permit him to stay in power until 2033. His opponents accuse him of trying to create a monarchy. “The people’s confidence has a sacred value for me,” Deby said as he accepted the nomination of his Patriotic Salvation Movement party. In the capital N’Djamena, protesters set tyres on fire and chanted “No to a sixth term!” and “leave, Deby!”, a witness said. Police also arrested Mahamat…

SOMALIA Election delayed as talks collapse MOGADISHU: Somalia’s election, due to be held tomorrow, will be delayed after the collapse of talks between leading politicians, the president said yesterday. Attempts to hold an election had been stymied, Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo told parliament in an emergency meeting. The impasse could lead to a political crisis in the conflict-ridden Horn of Africa nation. Farmajo, whose term officially ends in two days, will remain president until a new election date is agreed upon. He promised there would be no power vacuum in the country. Alongside political uncertainty, Somalia is battling a fundamentalist insurgency and the pandemic. Farmajo is seeking re-election for another four years. Due to a lack of resources and security concerns, Somalia does not use a direct voting system.…

Passing evokes graft charge PALI LEHOHLA REAL NUMBERS THE ZONDO Commission on the alleged capture of the state rages on. The revelations take me back to 2014 where Jotham Mapundi and I shared a moment before attending the State of the Nation Address (Sona). Mapundi used to work for Statistical Analysis Software (SAS) in South Africa. SAS is premiere software for national statistics offices. Mapundi was buried on February 1 in Blantyre, Malawi, after succumbing to Covid-19. May his soul rest in peace and may his family and friends be consoled. His passing takes me to many points in time. First it takes me back to the beginning of 2005. Why? In February 2014, I was standing in a queue at OR Tambo to board a flight to Cape Town…

TV HIGHLIGHTS TODAY Informer: M-Net at 8.30pm Recruited by the FBI, ex-con and former special operations soldier Pete Koslow uses his covert skills to try and take down the General - the most powerful crime boss in New York. When a sting results in the death of an undercover cop, Pete suddenly finds himself caught in the crossfire between the mob and the FBI. Friday Hell's Kitchen USA: BBC Lifestyle at 8pm In season 19, this edgy cooking competition takes cooking under pressure to the max. All the power belongs to host Gordon Ramsay, who will eliminate one aspiring chef every week until only one remains as the winner. SUNDAY | FEB 7 SABC1 06:00 Teenagers On A Mission 07:00 Siyakholwa 07:30 Bonisanani 08:00 Imvelo 08:30 Gospel Avenues 09:30 Skeem…

STARS TANYA OBREZA Aries (March 21 – April 20) This week Ariens are hit by an emotional superstorm. It’s not your fault: blame a malevolent Mercury. Unexpected or hidden issues resurface – and you’re not happy about it. Some will choose to hide away from life’s current madness. Others will stick around and resolve troubling matters. Do whatever best soothes heart, mind and soul. Taurus (April 21 – May 20) Your real rewards will arrive soon Taurus but, despite a meddling Mercury, there’s plenty to accomplish this week. If you can survive an untimely setback, there’s no stopping you. Just stay determined. One individual in particular has a powerful effect on you. A little extravagance is also likely, as you may have some extra cash to spend. Gemini (May 21…

TENNIS Osaka strives for consistency, not No. 1 ranking NAOMI Osaka is no longer focused on reclaiming the world number one ranking and says she just wants to become more consistent and play every match as hard as she can. Three-times Grand Slam champion Osaka rose to the top of the rankings following her 2019 Australian Open triumph but is currently third behind Ash Barty and Simona Halep. The 23-year-old, who plays former quarter-finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the first round at Melbourne Park, won her second US Open title last year and is widely seen as having the potential to dominate the women's circuit for years to come. "It doesn't bother me as much as it used to because I remember when I first got to No. 1, I think…

TV GUIDE FOR THE WEEK TODAY  Cricket: ANZ Bank Super Smash: Auckland Aces v Wellington Firebirds, 12.35am, CRI; Auckland Hearts v Wellington Blaze, 4.25am, VR2; Paytm Test Series: India v England, First Test, Day 3, 5.45am, VR1; Test Series: Pakistan v South Africa, Second Test, Day 4, 6.45am, GSD, CRI Golf: European Tour: Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, Day 4, 11.30am, GOL, GSD (3pm); PGA Tour: Waste Management Phoenix Open, Day 4, 8pm, GSD, GOL Rugby: Six Nations: Wales v Ireland, 4.50pm, RUG, GSD; Gallagher Premiership: Newcastle Falcons v Exeter Chiefs, 2.55pm, RUG Soccer: Serie A: Benevento v Sampdoria, 1.20pm, FTB; Udinese v Verona, 3.50pm, FTB; Parma v Bologna, 6.50pm, FTB; Lazio v Cagliari, 9.35pm, FTB; Nedbank Cup, Round of 32: Jomo Cosmos v Black Leopards, 2.30pm, PSL; Kaizer…

Arsenal lose the game in 74 seconds AN early goal from Ollie Watkins helped Aston Villa beat a sloppy Arsenal 1-0 yesterday to move up to eighth in the Premier League standings, consigning the visitors to a second defeat in as many games. While Villa leapfrogged struggling Tottenham Hotspur, the result left Arsenal 10th on 31 points after a midweek loss at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Villa took the lead after 74 seconds when Bertrand Traore pounced on a loose back pass by full back Cedric Soares and cut the ball back to Watkins, whose first time effort was deflected past Arsenal's debutant goalkeeper Mat Ryan. Arsenal's best chance to equalise came from a Granit Xhaka free kick which looked destined for the top corner until the Gunners’ former ’keeper Emiliano Martinez…

TailPiece THAI SHELTER FOR DISABLED STRAY DOGS THREATENED BY PANDEMIC WITH tails wagging to a chorus of barks and yelps, more than two dozen dogs attached to wheels that support their disabled hind legs scramble along a rocky path, taking their daily exercise. Mostly victims of accidents, the 27 dogs are being nursed back to health at a shelter in Thailand’s province of Chonburi southeast of the capital, Bangkok. The shelter, run by a foundation called The Man That Rescues Dogs, was set up by a Swede who moved to Chonburi in 2002. But its future is now in doubt, after the coronavirus pandemic led to a 40% drop in donations and slashed the number of foreign visitors. “The donations are very important, and the volunteers and visitors are equally…

LEGAL BATTLE 67-year-old gogo kicked out of home after hubby dies ROLAND MPOFU roland.mpofu@inl.co.za ROLAND MPOFU GOGO Selina Mashaba says she is destitute after her stepchildren allegedly evicted her from her matrimonial home and she is struggling to find money to pay for the legal fees required for her to change the ownership of the property into her name. Mashaba said her woes started in 2013 when she got married to her late husband after his first wife was deceased and she moved in with him. She says her stepchildren started to resent her and told her to leave the house. The 67-year-old said things got worse when her husband got sick and frail due to old age. Mashaba alleged that she was verbally and physically abused and she ended…

SPECIAL INVESTIGATING UNIT REPORT REVEALS 6-MONTH PPE CORRUPTION SPREE INVOLVING 1774 SERVICE PROVIDERS Looting bonanza cost R13bn KARABO NGOEPE karabo.ngoepe@inl.co.za THE Special Investigating Unit (SIU) says it has uncovered a six months looting bonanza between January and July that cost the state R13 billion. This is the information contained in the report that was released by the organisation this week. The SIU looked into the procurement of Personal Protective Equipment since the Covid-19 pandemic and found instances of serious maladministration in connection with the affairs of the state institutions, improper or unlawful conduct by officials or employees, and unlawful appropriation or expenditure of public money or property. According to the report, at least 1774 service providers are under investigation concerning the looting bonanza. At least 164 contracts awarded to 141…

OPINION SA Indians should be patriots EDWIN NAIDU ELMOND JIYANE GCIS SOUTH Africans of Indian origin urgently need a mindset shift. They do not belong to a homogeneous group and should stop this nonsense about India being the motherland. If you’re born and raised in South Africa, a descendent of those who arrived as indentured labourers on the SS Truro in 1860, and worked hard to successfully establish their roots here, you are South African, first and foremost. Many are united in the belief that this, not the country of Modi but that of Mandela’s, is our motherland. It is our South Africa and belongs to all who live in it. A mindset shift is not only for those confused about their identity from an Indian point of view but…

EDUCATION Book details birth of university EDWIN NAIDU SIMPHIWE MBOKAZI African News Agency (ANA) TRANSFORMATION is an often-spoken of goal in South Africa, more so in the tertiary sector, where it has also become heavily politicised with vice-chancellors caught between rising student expectations amid budget cutbacks, more so during the pandemic and broken political promises, among other challenges. Serving Higher Purposes, University Mergers in Post-Apartheid South Africa is an in-depth, 302-page book released as part of an ongoing series On Higher Education Transformation Vol 2 by Professor Ihron Rensburg, one of the country’s top academics. The soft-spoken “outsider” who became the first vice-chancellor of the University of Johannesburg (UJ) in 2005 tells how he was buoyed by the genteel spirit of Nelson Mandela and driven by ubuntu when he was expected…

OPINION Why shun BRICS allies when it comes to vaccines? ABBEY MAKOE RUSSIA has developed and is exporting to several countries its much-heralded Sputnik V vaccine. What is the moral worthiness of political and diplomatic networks to South Africa when the country fails to leverage on the evident success and progress of its allies in BRICS? President Cyril Ramaphosa has done a sterling job in steering our ship amid the Covid-19 pandemic and socio-economic woes. Similarly, he has played a protagonist role through the AU structures by mobilising continental solidarity in the new global war for access to Covid-19 vaccinations. In his address to the nation, President Ramaphosa implored all to join him in his joyous welcoming of our country’s first consignment of Covid-19 vaccines. The consignment consisted of one…

ICYMI | IOL.CO.ZA BOOZE BAN: JUST A COP-OUT Your true success in life begins only when you make the committment to become excellent at what you doBRIAN TRACY US-Canadian motivational speaker The fact that we can’t drink responsibly is not the fault of the liquor makers, nor the fact we drive like a***holes the fault of the car makers. The cops didn’t stamp out the illegal drinking during the recent prohibition, they just made sure the legal operators couldn’t make a living. Just like the playbook for the tobacco industry. It’s time we got our priorities right, writes KEVIN RITCHIE…

AFRICAN UNION SA hands over chair to DRC THE people of Africa have shown themselves to be resourceful and agile in the face of the devastating coronavirus pandemic, South African President and outgoing AU chairperson Cyril Ramaphosa said yesterday. Opening the virtual 34th ordinary session of the AU assembly of heads of state and government – where he handed over the AU chairmanship to his successor President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo – Ramaphosa said the pandemic had caused suffering and hardship across the continent. “It is not only a severe health emergency; it is also a grave economic and social crisis. It has deepened global inequality and threatens to set back progress towards the achievement of the sustainable development goals,” he said. Despite the upheaval caused…

PANDEMIC Climate change may have ‘directly influenced’ emergence of Covid virus RESEARCHERS at the University of Cambridge have revealed a mechanism by which climate change could have played a direct role in the emergence of Sars-CoV-2, the virus that caused the pandemic. The new study published in the journal Science of the Total Environment revealed large-scale changes in the vegetation in the Chinese Yunnan province and adjacent regions in Myanmar and Laos over the last century. Increases in temperature, sunlight, and atmospheric carbon dioxide – which affect the growth of plants and trees – have changed habitats from tropical shrubland to tropical savannah and deciduous woodland. This created a suitable environment for many bat species that live in forests. The number of coronaviruses in an area is linked to the…

Libyans welcome interim government TRIPOLI: Libyans have welcomed the election of an interim government that is aimed at unifying the war-torn country and preparing for national elections in December. Delegates from Libya’s rival factions on Friday elected Abdul-Hamid Mohammed Dbeibeh as an interim prime minister and Mohammed Menfi as head of a three-member Presidency Council in a UN-hosted process in Geneva. The Presidency Council will also include former diplomat Mossa al-Koni, from southern Libya, and lawmaker Abdullah Hussein al-Lafi, from western Libya. The new authority will replace the UN-backed Government of National Accord, led by Fayez Serraj, which has been in charge of the capital, Tripoli, and western areas, and the eastern administration linked with military strongman Khalifa Haftar. dpa…

BOOKS Healing through narrative LESEGO MAKGATHO lesego.makgatho@inl.co.za IF YOU remember Soul City and Soul Buddyz, you will find resonance with Garth Japhet’s book, Like Water is for Fish –The Power of Story in our Lives. In the book, the co-founder of Soul City and CEO of Heartlines shares his journey of co-founding the edutainment project Soul City, and NGO Heartlines that initiates research-based campaigns using narratives to tackle society’s big issues. He said that the title of the book is a phrase taken from a book he had read called The Storytelling Animal published in 2012. “It simply means this is what differentiates us from all the other animals – we tell stories. “The quote, ’Story is for humans like water is for fish, meaning stories surround us all the…

OPINION Nobel Prize for Cuban doctors long overdue THERE are very few people the world today who don’t do things for money or personal gain, but for the joy of saving someone’s life and reaching those who need help the most. Ordinarily such selflessness belongs to those in the realm of angels, but from personal experience I have seen such human beings working here in our own country. They are in our far-flung rural areas, helping the poorest of our people for little financial gain. They live in our communities, learn our local languages, work on the front lines with our Covidpositive patients, all the while leaving their own young children 12 000km away in order to be here for as long as South Africa needs them. These are the…

Netcare shares track first quarter earnings SANDILE MCHUNU sandile.mchunu@inl.co.za COURTNEY AFRICA African News Agency (ANA) NETCARE’S share price rose more than 7 percent on the JSE on Friday in intraday trade boosted by an improved performance for the first quarter to end December, even though it continued to feel the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak in its operations. The share price later closed at 8.55 percent. The private healthcare provider reported a 9.1 percent increase in revenue and its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) surged by 78.3 percent during the quarter compared to the quarter to end September 2020. However, the group said the Covid-19 pandemic had adversely impacted year-on-year performance with group revenue down by 4.6 percent, due to lower activity levels related to Covid-19 and…

INJURY TIME STUART HESS stuart.hess@inl.co.za ‘CALL IT BY ITS NAME’ THE power of words. A number of variants of Covid-19 have been identified around the world. South African scientists were among the first to raise the flag about the variant – 501Y. V2. Unfortunately that diligence has been a problem. It became the ‘South African variant,’ or as one UK tabloid had it: ‘South African Super Covid’. Travel to SA has been banned around the world and Cricket Australia used it as one of the reasons for not sending their men’s national side for a three-match Test series. Professor Salim Abdool Karim, one of the world’s leading epidemiologists, went on CNN to correct the world’s media. “I should point out that even though the virus in this particular variant was…

France make explosive start to Six Nations FRANCE got their Six Nations title bid off to the perfect start with a crushing 50-10 bonus point victory over a youthful Italy side in the championship opener in Rome yesterday. The visitors raced into a commanding 21-point lead by half-time after 2020 Player of the Championship Antoine Dupont set up converted tries from Dylan Cretin, Gael Fickou and Arthur Vincent. The onslaught continued after the break as Brice Dulin and Dupont crossed the whitewash, while Teddy Thomas scored tries either side of Luca Sperandio’s consolation effort. The huge victory further underlined the title-winning credentials of Fabien Galthie’s side, who finished as runners-up last year, while the inexperience of an Italian team featuring 11 starters with fewer than 10 caps was ruthlessly exposed.…

TEST CRICKET Plays of the Day STUART HESS RUN OUTS – South Africa have suffered four run-outs in the series – the most since four players were run out in the 2004/05 series against England, which was five Tests. It’s just another part of the broader problem with the Proteas’ batting at the moment. HASAN ALI – After Nortje stated that South Africa wasn’t having much joy getting reverse swing in Pakistan’s first innings, Hasan went ‘hold my tea,’ and crashed through South African defences to claim a second Test ‘fivefor’. DROPS – While Pakistan’s ground fielding has been better than SA’s in this series, both teams are struggling to catch in Rawalpindi. For the Proteas – who are behind in the match – those misses are costly; Bavuma missed…

CRICKET 'Phenomenal' Root has 'answer for everything', says Stokes JOE Root is England's best player of spin bowling and has an answer for anything thrown at him, all-rounder Ben Stokes said in a tribute to his captain after he smashed his fifth double century yesterday. Root's 218 in the opening Test against India was his second double ton in three Tests, illustrating the red-hot form of a batsman who forms cricket's "Big Four" with India counterpart Virat Kohli, Australia's Steve Smith and New Zealand captain Kane Williamson. During his nine-hour vigil, Root provided a spin masterclass for all touring batsmen who often struggle against the turning ball in India's spin-friendly wickets. "He makes us all feel pretty rubbish with how easy he makes batting look," Stokes, who contributed a breezy…