Innholdsfortegnelse for Sunday, May 16, 2021 i Sunday Independent

‘ANC NEEDS SERIOUS PRAYER’ Struggle veteran and one of the legal minds behind the step - aside rule, Mathews Phosa turns to prayer as Magashule mounts a legal challenge to “set aside his suspension and confirm Ramaphosa’s suspension”. MZILIKAZI WA AFRIKA, MANYANE MANYANE and NTOMBI NKOSI THE ANC needs prayers for it to regain its former glory as the leader of society. This is according to Struggle veteran and former party treasurer Mathews Phosa – the man tasked with formulating the contentious step-aside rule which now has ANC factions at each other’s throats. “I am down on my knees, the ANC needs serious prayer,” says Phosa as the battle for the soul of the political party goes down to the wire. Suspended secretary-general Ace Magashule on Friday filed court papers…

Tail Piece CHINA CANCELS EVEREST SPRING CLIMBING OVER CORONAVIRUS WORRIES CHINA has decided to cancel the 2021 spring climbing season from the Tibetan side of Mount Everest, the world’s tallest peak, because of coronavirus concerns, the official Xinhua news agency said on Saturday. It cited a notice on Friday from the General Administration of Sport, following a severe pandemic situation. The Himalayan nation of Nepal, which is so short of oxygen canisters it has asked mountaineers to bring back their empties, has issued a record 408 permits to climb Everest in the April-May season after last year’s closure. In contrast, a total of 21 Chinese climbers had secured approval for climbs in spring, Xinhua added. Last Sunday, state media said China would establish “a line of separation” at the summit…

AUTHOR Growing up in a pandemic LESEGO MAKGATHO lesego.makgatho@inl.co.za LAST year, when most of the world was under lockdown due to the Covid-19 global pandemic, 18-year-old Darius Tabane decided to take the time to pen a book that reflects on some of the challenges young people go through, and explores solutions that can support them reach their full potential in the world. Tabane’s book, When I Grow Up, is about predestined purposes and overcoming fears, and how individuals can reach their full potential. One of the first lessons highlighted in the book is that of comparison among peers, where we either are compared by one person to the next, or we compare ourselves to other people, not realising that all our journeys are unique. “We end up adopting this bad…

TRANSPORT Commuters bear the brunt of Metrobus strike LESEGO MAKGATHO lesego.makgatho@inl.co.za Thekisho Malimabe stands stranded at a Soweto bus stop in Mangalani, near Chiawelo on Old Potchefstroom road hoping a bus will soon approach. Malimabe is a bus commuter who travels to work by Metrobus and is one of many commuters left stranded following the current strike after Joburg Metrobus announced that services will come to a complete halt, last Monday, following the ongoing strike action by its drivers. He now has to take a taxi to work which is costly for him, as he had already filled his Metrobus tag up for the week. “I bought trips that would last me for a week with my last money, only to find that I have to use cash for taxis…

TARIFFS Poor struggle to pay for electricity MANYANE MANYANE manyane.manyane@inl.co.za CYNTHIA Ngwenya, a resident in Evaton West, says the recent increase of the electricity tariff has added too much of a burden in her life. Ngwenya, 26, was forced to look after her two children and three siblings when her parents died in 2018. The meagre R650 weekly salary Ngwenya earns working at a supermarket in Vanderbijlpark provides food and electricity for her family. “Things had to change after the price of electricity went up. It is too much now, taking into consideration that I still need to save for transport to get to work. I had to cut my grocery bill because of electricity,” she said. Ngwenya said at times she has no option but to cook over an…

Zimbabwe re-introduces rhinos in Gonarezhou park after three decades ZIMBABWE is re-introducing rhinos to its second biggest wildlife park Gonarezhou in the south of the country, the first time that the sanctuary will be home to the species in 30 years, the parks authority said on Thursday. Gonarezhou, which means ‘home of the elephant’ in the Shona language, is part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park with South Africa’s Kruger National Park and Mozambique’s Limpopo National Park. Tinashe Farawo, the spokesman for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, said black and white rhino would be introduced in Gonarezhou soon. Zimbabwe now has about 1,000 rhinos after poaching decimated its numbers three decades ago, Farawo said. President Emmerson Mnangagwa wrote on Twitter that the re-introduction of rhinos in Gonarezhou was…

ADVERTORIAL Sport, Arts and Culture’s Budget Vote Speech 2021 On May 13, 2021, the Ministry of Sport, Arts, and Culture delivered their budget speech for the years 2021-2022. The Department has a budget of R5.7 billion for this fiscal year. Transfer Payments account for R4.5 billion, or 79 percent of the overall budget. Essentially, the Department will have full oversight of R1.2 billion this fiscal year. In reaction to the sectors’ plight, the Department has launched a host of relief programs in the year 2020, disbursing approximately R524, 67 million to 57 072 beneficiaries, with more organisations still standing to benefit from this action. Support for National Federations, players, trainers, professional support staff, fitness teachers and clinicians, and 1 918 athletes with sport scientific support services are among the other…

GEO-POLITICS Israel is violating international law against Palestinians THE recent attack by Israeli security forces on Al-Aqsa Mosque constitutes a war crime in terms of international humanitarian law. In addition to the Rome Statute, the 1954 Hague Convention – the first international treaty focusing entirely on the protection of sites of cultural significance during armed conflict – obliges occupying forces to protect cultural heritage. Underpinning the convention is the principle that damage to cultural property belonging to any people whatsoever means damage to the cultural heritage of all humankind. The Masjid al-Aqsa, or simply Al-Aqsa means “the farthest mosque” or “the farthest sanctuary” has long been an emblem of Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation. It is believed to be the place of Prophet Muhammad’s legendary night journey to Heaven. The…

DRIEMANSKAP Xhosa hip hop beat stands test of time KESHIA AFRICA keshia.africa@inl.co.za POPULAR hip hop Xhosa crew Driemanskap have been in the limelight and rapping in the vernacular for 20 years. Hailing from Gugulethu, Nande Mancunga (Dla), Sonwabo Kambi (Ma-B), Bukhulubakhe Nompetsheni (Redondo) and Elethu Mpengesi (Elnino) all grew up in the same street, houses away from each other. The Xhosa hip hop crew spent many days practising their beats and lyrics but considered their talents a hobby. One night in 2001, at Fezeka Secondary School, they decided to enter a talent search competition and won. It was here they realised the group could become something. The name Driemanskap originated from where they grew up. “Afrikaans is a language we use on the Cape Flats, in the hood. Everywhere you…

TV GUIDE TODAY Cycling: Giro d’Italia, Stage 9: Castel di Sangro-Campo Felice (160km), 12.05pm, VR1; Tour de Hongrie, Stage 5: Budapest-Budapest (92km), 1pm, VR2 Golf: Sunshine Ladies Tour: Investec SA Women’s Open, Day 4, 12 noon, GOL; PGA Tour: AT&T Byron Nelson, Day 4, 7pm, GOL, GSD (8pm); PGA Tour Champions: Mitsubishi Electric Classic, Day 3, 9pm, ACT Hockey: FIH Women’s Pro League: Belgium v United States, Match 2, 5.30pm, VR1 Motorsport: MotoGP: Grand Prix of France, Moto3, 10.45am, GSD, MSP; Moto2, 12.05pm, GSD, MSP; MotoGP, 1.30pm, MSP, GSD; NASCAR Cup Series: Drydene 400, 7.30pm, MSP Rugby: Rainbow Cup: Dragons v Ospreys, 1.55pm, RUG; The Final Whistle, 7pm, RUG Soccer: Diski Challenge: Tshakhuma FC v Kaizer Chiefs, 9am, VR4, PSL; Mamelodi Sundowns v Orlando Pirates, 11.45am, VR4, PSL; Super Diski:…

Crusaders escape against Brumbies as Blues crush Rebels NOAH Lolesio missed the chance to earn the ACT Brumbies a draw with the Canterbury Crusaders in Christchurch yesterday when he dragged his late conversion attempt wide, handing the New Zealanders a 31-29 Super Rugby Trans-Tasman win. The closeness of the contest belied the dominance of Kiwi teams as they took on Australian opposition for the first time in more than a year following the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Later, the Auckland Blues pulverised the Melbourne Rebels 50-3 in the second of three games yesterday. Tries from the Brumbies’ Tom Banks and Rob Valetini hauled the side back into the game after the Crusaders, winners of this year’s Super Rugby Aotearoa, looked to have done enough thanks to second-half efforts from…

QUICK READ ANC ‘STEP-ASIDE’ RESOLUTION SOME political analysts say that the ANC should have also applied its step-aside resolution to former president Jacob , pictured, and serve him with a suspension letter as he has been indicted of corruption and is facing sentencing for defying the Constitutional Court. This comes as the ruling party is cracking the whip, forcing members to step aside or, failing which, be suspended like its fraud, money laundering and corruption-accused Secretary-General, Ace Magashule. | Political Bureau ATTACK ON WORSHIPPERS ATTACKING and assaulting worshippers in prayer, whether at a mosque, in a church or anywhere else, is abhorrent, and cannot be tolerated by the international community. Israeli soldiers attacked Muslim worshippers during this holy month of Ramadaan and Christian worshippers during the Greek Orthodox Easter, and…

SHARP JOURNEY ‘Africa Month should be about the revival of knowledge for self’ KEDIBONE MODISE ATTENDING a Mbuso Khoza performance should be on the bucket list for many South Africans. He takes you on a journey of some of our well-known traditional songs and hymns, gives them context, expands on their history and then gives them a facelift. He takes songs you hear at weddings, funerals and traditional gatherings and arranges them in a way so that you cannot help start appreciating them again. From our spirited conversation, it’s clear that the musician, historian and heritage enthusiast is on a quest to rewrite African history and right the wrongs of our past history, through music. This Africa Month, Khoza is set to give audiences an enchanting performance of the Isandlwana…

ENTERTAINMENT My favourite ‘real-person’ castings BUHLE MBONAMBI buhle.mbonambi@inl.co.za The ’90s were a wild decade. There was so much excess, a spillover from the ’80s, that the world of pop culture still refers back to the ’90s as a glorious time. Everything was big, bold and brash and people were unapologetic about it. And yet, becoming a celebrity wasn’t easy. You either had to really talented or be so jawdroppingly gorgeous, that no one would ask why you were famous. When you think of the ’90s, you can’t also help think about rock stars and their model and actress girlfriends. This brings us to Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee. The Baywatch star and Mötley Crüe drummer were tabloid fodder in the ’90s, thanks to their sex tape. The couple got married…

EDITOR’S CHOICE VISIT Ethiopia is a country with a distinct history and culture. The country offers many attractions for travellers-including cultural, wildlife and food experiences. Visit Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, where you can explore the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Addis Mercato Market, Mount Entoto and the National Museum of Ethiopia. Or snap a selfie at the Blue Nile Falls or wander into Simien Mountains National Park. Also, include Bahir Dar and Gondar in your itinerary. Spend a day exploring the food scene. Ethiopians love coffee, the country’s national drink. Coffee drinking is a ritual for locals that can take up to an hour, so ask your tour guide to include that experience in your travel schedule. Try the Dabo Kolo, an Ethiopian snack prepared with roasted barley, chickpeas and…

HEALTH Covid compounds flu season jitters TSHEPISO TSHABALALA WINTER is upon us, and with the chill comes the associated ailments, like flu. In any other cold season, a flu shot would do the trick. But Covid-19 – by all accounts – complicates the situation. According to a medical doctor, Matsontso Mathebula of Campus Health & Wellness at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, ordinary flu kills about 1 person out of 100 worldwide. With the flu season at its peak amid the coronavirus pandemic, people are thereby motivated to take the flu jab to minimise their chances of contracting the disease – considering that one can easily confuse symptoms of flu and Covid-19. “Vaccinating for flu is still encouraged because you can get the flu strain which is not the SARS…

PRISONS Family claim murderer jailed for killing boy, 7, is suicidal EDWIN NAIDU THE family of a former Cape Flats gang leader serving 25 years in prison for the murder of a 7-year-old boy are concerned over his fragile mental state after he was transferred from Worcester to the maximum security Helderstroom Prison in Caledon after being accused of running a Facebook account. Tasliem “Thaliem” Bianchi, the onetime mastermind of the Junky Funky Kids gang in Parkwood, was described by his sister as “suicidal” and not knowing who to turn to for help after he was transferred from Brandvlei Correctional Centre in Worcester following the alleged misdemeanour for which he has not been charged. His sister Zainunesa Abrahams told the Wits Justice Project that Bianchi has been wrongly accused of…

FEMALE ACADEMIC LEADERS FELLOWSHIP LAUNCHED Move to increase women leadership in academia EDWIN NAIDU edwin.naidu@live.co.za WOMEN are still staring at the glass ceiling in South Africa’s ivory towers of academia, according to Dr Judy Dlamini, the chancellor of the University of Witwatersrand (Wits), who wants to radically shift the dial. Citing unhappiness at the low national figures for women in senior positions in higher education, Dlamini, a leading business personality, said the number of women graduates, in South Africa, has increased over the past two decades. Women made up 60% of graduates at junior and honours level; at Master’s level this has gone up to 44.6% and at Doctorate level enrolment grew by 58.2%. “In spite of these positive changes, women in leadership within institutions of higher learning are still…

Africa Month 2021: “The AU Year of the Arts, Culture And Heritage: Levers for Building the Africa We Want”. In the midst of all of this we appreciate that the African Union has declared the year 2021 as the year for Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for building the Africa we want. Simultaneously, South Africa complimented the African Union by invoking the spirit of Mama Charlotte Maxeke, declaring 2021 as the Year of Mama Charlotte Maxeke - an artist, cultural activist, an educationist, a liberation heritage colossal figure amongst others. The Year of Arts, Culture and Heritage is happening at a time when the continent is still grappling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic which has imposed heavy human, financial and economic costs to Africa. However, during the pandemic…

LETTERS Human rights not a guarantee under Covid-19 Email: scribe@inl.co.za (no attachments). All letters must contain the writer’s full name, physical address and telephone number. No pen names. ONLY a few months ago, Covid-19 reduced the exaggerated claims that human rights and freedom are unshakable. Certainly, even the staunchest advocates of human rights forgot about their convictions and instead went to hide at home without any debates. Only the doctors and essential workers who were also terrified confronted the pandemic. Even so, these are not the most vocal supporters of human rights. Without a doubt, the virus or any disease for that matter, does not inquire if a person believes in rights, equality or not, if there is no adequate protection, sickness may occur. Be that as it may, Covid-19…

MIDDLE EAST Heroic resistance signals failure of Zionism THE heroic resistance by Palestinian youth at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem is a clarion affirmation of the utter failure of the Zionist Project to colonise the land of Palestine and empty it of its indigenous people. The Polish-born first prime minister of the Israeli entity David Ben-Gurion stated in 1948: “We must do everything to insure they (the Palestinians) never do return.” He assured his fellow Zionists that Palestinians will never come back to their homes. “The old will die and the young will forget.” Protests by Palestinians against the ethnic cleansing and Judaisation of Al-Quds (Jerusalem) in the suburb of Sheikh Jarrah demonstrates that not even former US president Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the “capital of Israel” will…

CELEBRITY Mary Twala shines in last role AMANDA MALIBA amanda.maliba@inl.co.ca AFTER travelling the world, adorning numerous screens, and winning various awards, This Is Not A Burial, It’s A Resurrection is making its return to the African continent – opening its doors across South Africa on May 21. The film features an impressive cast, including the illustrious Jerry Mofokeng Wa Makhetha and the late South African screen legend Mary Twala. Set in the heart of Lesotho, and the first film for the small mountain kingdom, the creation of this moving feature film was set on the isolated mountains of the Ha Dinizulu village where the crew filmed for four weeks and also featured parts of the village. The film’s creator, Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese, said he drew inspiration from a…

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE Flamboyant Leeds win in style against Burnley MATEUSZ Klich, Jack Harrison and Rodrigo were all on target as a rampant Leeds United trounced hapless Burnley 4-0 at Turf Moor in the Premier League yesterday. Klich finished off a flowing United move to open the scoring in the 44th minute, bending his shot around centre back James Tarkowski and past the desperate dive of Burnley keeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell. Harrison doubled United's advantage on the hour mark, getting a foot to Ezgjan Alioski's powerful drive through a crowd of bodies after a corner, to flick home past Peacock-Farrell. Harrison turned provider for United's next two, scored by substitute Rodrigo, who chipped the ball over Peacock-Farrell from close range in the 77th minute. The pair combined again three minutes later…

ATHLETICS Leotlela gets the Gift of a sub-10 second time ASHFAK MOHAMED AFTER a long and arduous road littered with injury potholes, Gift Leotlela's hard work and sacrifices have all paid off in the end. The Tuks sprinter, who turned 23 last Wednesday, gave himself the perfect belated birthday present on Friday by posting his first legal sub-10-second time to win the 100m title at the University Sports South Africa (Ussa) championships in Johannesburg. He stopped the clock at 9.94 to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics and become the sixth SA athlete to breach the sub-10-second barrier. He follows in the footsteps of SA record-holder Akani Simbine (9.89), Wayde van Niekerk (9.94), Thando Roto (9.95), Henricho Bruintjies (9.97) and Simon Magakwe (9.98), who was the first local athlete to make…

STARS TANYA OBREZA Aries (March 21 - April 20) This week, keep an ear to the ground and your lips sealed. There’s some gossip happening, and it could be about you, so don’t be in a hurry to disclose your thoughts or secrets. Let others reveal their intentions first. Keep yourself at a safe distance from troublemakers and don’t expect others to live up to their promises. Taurus (April 21 - May 20) With the cosmos offering Taureans a triad of wealth, pleasure and opportunity, you’d be forgiven for believing in miracles. Here’s your chance to make a dream come true. It’s a wonderful week for progress, with even the smallest effort on your part producing great results. You’re at your financial, creative and sexual best. Gemini (May 21 -…

DIVISIONS Battle in party is a fight for the soul of the ANC SIPHO SEEPE MATTHEWS BALOY African News Agency (ANA) “MAGASHULE ACED!” Screamed the headline in an attempt to get readers’ attention. This proved to be the sum total of the outcome of the last weekend meeting of the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC). The mainstream media’s excitement was predictable and palpable. The media had mischievously touted the ANC NEC meeting as an arena for the test of wills between supporters of the president of the ANC on the one hand, and its secretary-general on the other. The president, according to media, represents the ANC’s attempt to get rid of corrupt elements in the party while the secretary-general represents the radical economic transformation proponents. But such a characterisation is…

QUICK READ Britain BRITAIN’S Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologised “unreservedly” on behalf of the British government this week for the deaths of 10 innocent people killed in a 1971 incident in Belfast, most at the hands of the British Army. A judge-led inquiry found that British soldiers unjustifiably shot or used disproportionate force in the deaths of nine of the 10 people killed in the incident, which sparked an upsurge of sectarian violence during the “Troubles” in Northern Ireland, a British province. The incident happened in Ballymurphy, a sprawling housing estate of Catholics who opposed British rule. | Reuters Covid-19 A 110-YEAR-OLD man has recovered from Covid-19 at a hospital in Hyderabad, India, becoming probably one of the oldest patients in the country to recover from the dreaded virus, doctors…

QUICK READ SUEZ CANAL EXPANSION THE Suez Canal Authority (SCA) has announced plans to deepen and widen the southern part of the canal where the Ever Given ship became stuck and choked the waterway in March. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi approved the plans, which include widening the canal by about 40m. The area would be deepened to 22m from 20m. The SCA has offered to lower the claim against the ship’s insurers from $900 million to $600m. But the insurers say this is too high. | African News Agency (ANA) PARLIAMENT WANTS REASONS MALAWI’S parliament has requested the Public Appointments Committee (PAC) to provide a report on why it rejected the confirmation of Martha Chizuma as a new director-general of the Anti-Corruption Bureau. Leader of the House Richard Chimwendo…

TELEVISION Vusi Nova on judging the continent’s biggest reality competition LIAM KARABO JOYCE IF THERE is one thing that can’t be denied, it is the limitless amount of talent Africa has. From the north to the south and everywhere in between, Africa has produced some of the biggest stars and continues to influence international music, cinema, television and literature now more than ever. And one such show that aims to add names to the ever-growing list of talented Africans is Amazing Voices. The show is a pan-African singing reality competition in which 10 unsigned groups from three genres take to the stage to captivate audiences and judges and claim their $100 000 (about R1.4 million) prize money and be crowned Africa’s Amazing Voices. On the Amazing Voices stage, battles are…

PAGEANT COACH Inside the mind of the king of beauty– Werner Wessels BUHLE MBONAMBI buhle.mbonambi@inl.co.za WHEN three-year-old Werner Wessels watched pageants with his family, he bolted from the room when it was time to crown the winner. “I just couldn’t handle the noise when the winner was announced,” he said over a video conversation earlier this week. “And this still happens, but now it’s during the Q&A section of the pageants. “I have to wear my earpods because I can’t deal with the anxiety it brings.” Wessels is the man who has injected new life into Miss SA and made it an international pageant powerhouse. He has had a direct hand in producing a Miss World, two Miss Universes and also a Miss Universe runner-up. How, you may ask. Well,…

LGBTQI+ Hold celebrities accountable for what they say JAMAL GROOTBOOM jamald.grootboom@inl.co.za THE South African LGBTQI+ community is facing many challenges with regards to hate crimes and murders. For several weeks the queer community has been protesting and mourning the senseless deaths of Sphamandla Khoza, Andile Ntuthela, Lonwabo Jack and many others. Queerphobia in the country is at a high and it is resulting in murders purely based on someone’s gender identity and sexual orientation. Many queer voices have been speaking out not only against the hate crimes but also regarding the discourse on platforms such as TV, radio, podcasts and social media about how homophobic and transphobic comments from cisgender heterosexual individuals are at the root of these crimes. Recently, Thuso Mbedu ended up in hot water after she thanked…

EDITOR’S CHOICE Michael Chiklis goes rogue DEBASHINE THANGEVELO BY NOW, it would have been difficult to miss the fact that Michael Chiklis (The Shield) is returning to the small screen. Known for playing characters that aren’t afraid to throw a punch or two, Chiklis doesn’t disappoint. He embraces his role as Ben Clemens, a recently retired US Border Patrol agent, in the new six-part series, Coyote. He shares a close relationship with his ex-wife but is no fan of her spotlight-hogging husband. A bit in limbo with his new routine, circumstances lead him to Mexico, where he helps finish building the home of his late friend. What starts out as a welcome distraction ends up turning into bullet-dodging chaos when Maria Elena Flores (Emy Mena), a young woman seeks out…

VISA COSTS The 103 visa-free destinations South Africans can travel to CLINTON MOODLEY While travel remains restricted in some parts of the world, many travellers are now using the time to plan their future trips. With a travel surge expected at the end of the year, travellers are wasting no time to ensure they are ready for their upcoming holiday. When planning a holiday, factoring in visa costs is just as essential as it can often be a long, drawn-out process to obtain one. Fortunately, South African travellers can visit 103 destinations visa-free. South Africa is ranked 53rd on the Henley Passport Index, the original ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. During the third quarter of…

IOL TRAVEL’S FREE MAY 2021 DIGITAL MAGAZINE TAKES YOU TO AFRICA THIS month's edition of IOL Travel digital magazine takes you to Africa. The issue will stoke your wanderlust as we explore the diverse offerings from a culinary, cultural, historical and adventurous point of view. Each page will transport you to a different destination, with tips on what you must see and do. We chat to Norwegian social worker Adrian Misfjord who is currently on an epic, five-month trip to various countries in Africa. The intrepid backpacker talks about his perceptions of the continent and shares the amazing experiences he had thus far. We also feature five celebrities who have travelled the continent, from Will Smith to Naomi Campbell. Other reads include 10 tips to prepare for your trip to…

COVID-19 3rd wave: harsh restrictions unlikely – economists SIPHELELE DLUDLA siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za AS A “third wave” of Covid-19 infections seems to be inevitable, on Friday, economists were confident that the government would not implement harsher restrictions as the economy cannot afford stricter lockdowns. This week, there was a 46 percent increase in the number of cases. On Thursday, new cases breached the 3 000 mark of daily infections for the first time in months. Investec chief economist Annabel Bishop said the strength of the economic recovery would depend on the severity of the lockdowns and the pace of the regulatory reforms. “We are not expecting the exceptionally severe lockdown levels of 4 and 5 to be repeated, but a manifestation of a rapid climb in the seven-day rolling average of new…

BIZ 101 Managing and supporting staff during change BEN BIERMAN ONE thing the past 12 months has taught businesses is the importance of being adaptable, and if necessary, pivoting in another direction in order to continue on a growth trajectory, or in some cases, to survive. The inability to be flexible to meet changing customer needs can have catastrophic consequences for a business, particularly during a tough and ever-changing economic climate. Of course, as businesses adapt, so must its people. In times of change, employees are often required to take on additional responsibilities and tasks, or may find themselves in an entirely new role. This change in routine, particularly if the change is relatively sudden or drastic, can bring its own set of challenges. Even if great care has been…

QUICK READ APPS APP LAUNCHED TO SEND OFF YOUR LOVED ONES A Johannesburg tech start-up has launched Sendoff, a full-service funeral app that helps users manage and arrange funerals. The app digitises the entire experience of funerals and claims to be the world’s first full-service digital funeral arranger. | IOL Tech TECH CODERS WANTED BY WETHINKCODE IN DURBAN South African edtech start-up WeThinkCode has opened a campus in Durban and is encouraging interested locals to apply for its maiden cohort software programme that starts in July. | IOL Tech SOCIAL MEDIA NURSES TO GET SUPPORT VIA NEW NURSES APP Johannesburg health-tech start-up Patient Health (Pty) Ltd has launched Afrinurse, a digital platform that supports and connects nurses across Africa. Afrinurse provides nurses in Africa with access to mental health tools…

ISRAELI APOLOGISTS SILENT ON PALESTINIAN SAFETY, SECURITY SURAYA DADOO MIKE HUTCHINGS Reuters FROM Haifa to Jerusalem to Gaza, the Israeli government is choosing to escalate its brutality towards all Palestinians. Choices have consequences. But when the Israeli government makes choices, it is Palestinians that suffer the deadly consequences. Resistance – in all its manifestations – across all of occupied Palestine over the past week is the product of a number of strategic choices made by Israel over the last month. Ramadaan ended with Israel’s devastating bombardment of Gaza, but the assault on Palestinians quietly began in occupied Jerusalem at the beginning of the holy month, when Israeli authorities banned Palestinians from gathering at Damascus Gate in the Old City. Daily protests followed. Videos of Israeli security forces attacking Palestinian protesters…

Tail Piece BLACK BRAZILIANS PROTEST RACISM, POLICE VIOLENCE BLACK Brazilians demonstrated in the country’s two largest cities on Thursday to protest against racism and police violence toward their communities in a local version of the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States, with some accusing the country’s president of genocide. They were also protesting what they called the “false” anniversary of the abolition of slavery, officially marked for the day in 1888 when the Brazilian monarch’s daughter, Princess Isabel, signed the law freeing slaves. Around 1,000 people marched through downtown Rio de Janeiro in the evening holding candles and signs saying, “Don’t kill me, kill racism,” and accusing far-right President Jair Bolsonaro of genocide through police violence. Other signs decried the shooting deaths of 28 people in a slum…

Covid compensation fund raises questions THE national department of health last month introduced the Covid-19 Vaccine Injury Compensation Fund, and the public was only given four days to comment on the newly introduced fund. However, with maladministration of state-run funds being a concern, institutions such as the National Employers Association of South Africa (Neasa) questioned whether the state can properly administer the fund without corruption. “Neasa understands that the manufacturers of said vaccines require such a fund from every country they supply vaccines with, therefore, without such a fund, the vaccines will not be released to any country. The points of concern Neasa wishes to raise, is that this fund, as in the case of the RAF, COIDA and UIF, stands to be maladministered by the state, and would most…

EDITORIAL Silence the guns! NONE should be more enraged by the bully-boy tactics of Israel visited upon the dispossessed people of Palestine than the incumbent South African government that rose out of the ashes of apartheid. How they can sit by and watch apartheid Israel continue relentlessly to usurp more Arab land boggles the mind. One expected that such events as forced removals from places like Sophiatown would imbue the post-1994 rulers with a deep sense to abhor the injustice of land theft, a wanton act that continues to this day to define the Israeli-Palestine conflict. Perhaps it is necessary to revoke Nelson Mandela at this point, lest Pretoria be seized by a sudden bout of amnesia: “We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of…

ICYMI | IOL.CO.ZA $100 MILLION CLUB Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crimeERNEST HEMINGWAYNovelist A Pablo Picasso painting sold for $103.4 million (R1.46 billion) at a New York auction on Thursday. ‘The Women of Algiers’, which sold for $179.4 million at Christie’s in New York in 2015, has held the world record for the highest ever price at auction before being dethroned by ‘Salvator Mundi’, which is attributed to Leonardo da Vinci. | See more on IOL…

RETRENCHMENTS SAQA faces a bleak future EDWIN NAIDU edwin.naidu@live.co.za THERE are growing concerns over the ability of the SA Qualifications Authority (SAQA) fulfilling its role as the foremost statutory body registering qualifications, fighting qualification fraud and corruption through verification of national qualifications and evaluation of foreign qualifications in government departments and national entities. Anxious employees claim that workers have been let down by Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation Blade Nzimande by not supporting SAQA financially, resulting in the retrenchment of 88 employees – almost half its staff complement – earlier this month. A streamlined organisation with less than half of its staff complement would struggle to keep afloat in terms of its mandate. This week already, SAQA has informed stakeholders that it is going through a transitional period…

FASHION African designs made for the global community DON MAKATILE don.makatile@inl.co.za OUT of Africa, the saying goes, there’s always something new. And with May being Africa Month, there is no better way to give credence to this expression than to introduce, Ananse, “a newly established digital platform connecting African designers with local and international consumers”. The creatives at Ananse describe their wares as “beautiful things, made by Africa, delivered globally”. They insist this is how best to summarise Ananse. It is a digital solution which is a response to the economic challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic which restricted retail business and travel and saw a significant decrease in offline retail spending. Created by fashion entrepreneur Sam Mensah, Ananse has more than 60 fashion designers and artisans on board,…

MOTOGP Quartararo takes pole ahead of Vinales at French Grand Prix FABIO Quartararo took his third straight pole position of the season at his home French Grand Prix ahead of his Yamaha teammate Maverick Vinales in a damp and windy qualifying session at Le Mans yesterday. Six-times MotoGP champion Marc Marquez nearly clinched pole in what was initially a front row lockout for the Hondas before the two Yamahas went faster in the dying seconds of the session while Ducati's Jack Miller sealed third place on the grid. Rain in the practice session earlier yesterday forced riders to gamble on the type of tyre to choose, with wet tyres being used in Q1 before most of the track dried up before Q2. For Quartararo, it is a second straight pole…

GOLF Lee-Anne keeps Pace as rain stops play in SA Women’s Open WITH Lee-Anne Pace of South Africa and Pia Babnik of Slovenia locked together at the top of the Investec South African Women’s Open Championship, play was called off for the day in the third round yesterday at Westlake Golf Club as wind and rain made further play impossible. The pair shared the lead on two-over-par as the wind had already caused one suspension in play, and when heavy rains fell the course became waterlogged. Play in the third round was scheduled to continue at 8am today. The fourth round will also get under way then, as nearly half the field had completed the third round already. With the forecast set fair – sun and little wind – the…

RUGBY Bulls land second-half knockout punch to tame Sharks ASHFAK MOHAMED BackpagePix REG CALDECOTT AT first, it was like two boxers checking each other out, but the Bulls upped the ante early in the second half to land the knockout punch to set up a 43-9 Rainbow Cup SA bonus-point victory over the Sharks at Loftus Versfeld last night. The introduction of the two replacement Springbok props, Lizo Gqoboka and Trevor Nyakane after half-time made all the difference as they lit up a Bulls pack that had been matched by a determined Sharks forward unit. Flyhalf Morné Steyn also won his individual battle against Curwin Bosch, slotting five penalties and two conversions, as well as edging the territorial game with the boot as Jake White’s team went to the top…

ENTERPRISE Angola leads rise of women entrepreneurs on continent DEVEREAUX MORKEL Devereaux.Morkel@africannewsagency.com WOMEN entrepreneurs have become more common in developing countries such as Angola, according to a study carried out in 43 countries by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM). The study found that the highest levels of women entrepreneurship were in Africa and the Middle East. “Just over half of adult women in Angola, and more than a third in Togo, were starting or running a new business, along with over one in five women in each of the Latin American economies and Burkina Faso and Kazakhstan,” the report read. “The ratio of female to male entrepreneurship measures the relative gender gap. In 2020, there are six economies in which the level of female entrepreneurship exceeds the male rate: all…

COVID-19 Poorer countries lack vaccines amid surge SONGEZO NDLENDLE Reuters MANY low-income countries lacking sufficient access to Covid-19 vaccines are seeing surges in cases, while almost 90% of all vaccine doses have been administered in high-income countries, according to a recent analysis. Global humanitarian aid organisation, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), says analysis shows that 87% of Covid-19 vaccine doses have been distributed in wealthier countries despite surging cases in conflict-affected countries whose health systems are strained. With the release of the final research report by the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response this week, the IRC is calling for G7 and G20 countries to commit excess vaccine doses and funding to crisis-affected countries. Less than 0.1% of people in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Libya, Niger, South…

EDITOR’S CHOICE ENTERTAINMENT 8 must-watch movies that celebrate African film-makers ALYSSIA BIRJALAL IN celebration of Africa Day on Tuesday, May 25, a list of local and continental movies will make its way to a dedicated pop-up show on DStv channel 198. M-Net Movies Afro-Cinema will showcase and celebrate movies that reflect the countries’ cultural diversity, talent and resilience, and they will run until Sunday, May 30. Some exciting movies not to be missed include: Sunset in Makoko This Nollywood film takes viewers into one of the biggest floating slums in Africa, called Makoko. Set in the Nigerian capital, Lagos, Sunset in Makoko presents a place where regardless of despair, the community still strives to live with joy. Back of the Moon This movie follows the life of a gangster in…

EDITOR’S CHOICE READ Blood, Blades and Bullets: Anatomy of a Glebelands Hitman by Nathi Olifant A story about blood, brotherhood and the underworld, former journalist Nathi Olifant has penned a book which will undoubtedly end up being optioned for either a film or TV series. The protagonist, Mazwi Nxumalo, is a naïve teenage school dropout from rural Nongoma who is unwittingly recruited into the dark world of Glebelands hostel hitmen. It gets crazy after that. WATCH The Upshaws (Netflix) A 90s style sitcom with some of the best comics in history? Sign me up! The Upshaws is about a working-class black family in Indiana who strive for a better life and a happy home while juggling everyday struggles. Mike Epps stars as the head of the family and is a…

THE VISA-FREE DESTINATIONS SOUTH AFRICANS CAN VISIT *Visa on arrival ** Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) OCEANIA Cook Islands Fiji Marshall Islands * Micronesia Niue Palau Islands * Samoa * Tuvalu * Vanuatu MIDDLE EAST Armenia * Georgia Iran * Israel Jordan * Oman Palestinian Territory Qatar EUROPE Ireland Kosovo Russian Federation CARIBBEAN Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Barbados British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Dominica Dominican Republic Grenada Haiti Jamaica Montserrat St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago Turks and Caicos Islands ASIA Cambodia * Hong Kong (SAR China) Indonesia Kyrgyzstan * Laos * Macao (SAR China) Malaysia Maldives * Nepal * Philippines Singapore South Korea Sri Lanka ** Tajikistan * Thailand Timor-Leste * AMERICAS Argentina Belize Bolivia * Brazil Chile Costa Rica Ecuador El…

OPINION Science fiction becomes reality LOUIS C H FOURIE QUANTAM mechanics has many mysteries, of which the most well-known is probably the fact that the outcome of a quantum experiment can change, depending on whether we measure the property of the particles. This “observer effect” seems to undermine the basic supposition behind all science, namely that there is an objective world, regardless of the actions of us as human beings. If the way the world behaves depends on how – or if – we observe it, what does “objective reality” really mean? Is objectivity merely an illusion? One of the most interesting experiments is the “double-slit experiment”. If a beam of light is projected at a screen with two vertical slits close to one another, some of the light will…

QUICK READ SEA MONSTER WINS R1.4M TO DEVELOP GAMES TO COMBAT COVID MISINFORMATION CAPE Town company Sea Monster has been selected as one of three winners of the US Africa Tech Challenge and will receive a sub-grant of $100 000 (about R1.4 million) to develop its idea of using games and animation to combat Covid-19 and vaccine misinformation. This week, Sea Monster said the US-Africa Tech Challenge advanced the development of promising technologies that offered innovative solutions to help expose, understand and counter propaganda and disinformation within Africa. Sea Monster was one of eight finalists who presented their solutions. | BR Reporter RADISSON HOTEL’S PLANS TO REDUCE CARBON FOOTPRINT BY 30% BY 2025 RADISSON Hotel plans to cut its carbon and water footprint by 30 percent by 2025. Last week.…

VOCAL ANALYSIS Beware: marketers want your voice for profiling WESLEY DIPHOKO wesley.diphoko@inl.co.za Joseph Turow MARKETERS are on the verge of using AI-powered technology to make decisions about who you are and what you want – based purely on the sound of your voice. When Joseph Turow was researching his forthcoming book, The Voice Catchers: How marketers listen in to exploit your feelings, your privacy, and your wallet (expected to be released on Tuesday), he went through more than 1 000 trade magazine and news articles on the companies connected to various forms of voice profiling. He examined hundreds of pages of US and EU laws applying to biometric surveillance. He analysed dozens of patents. It soon became clear to him that, as a society, we’re in the early stages of…