Innholdsfortegnelse for 2021-06-20 i Sunday Independent

Dhivana Rajgopaul dhivana.rajgopaul@inl.co.za DIGITAL platforms Jovoto and TranscribeMe scored the highest number of points – seven out of 10 – on the Fairwork 2021 Cloudwork League Table. The Fairwork 2021 Cloudwork League Table also showed that four out of the 17 platforms had a zero score. The information is contained in the Fairwork Cloud work Ratings 2021 report which was released on Wednesday. Fairwork is an organisation that highlights the best and worst labour practices in the platform economy. It describes cloud work as digital labour platforms mediating the supply and demand of labour-power via an online interface. The report drew on surveys with 792 workers in 75 countries, desk research, and conversations with desk managers. The research aims to rate fairness towards workers in online work. The report stated…

Jamal Grootboom jamald.grootboom@inl.co.za AWARD-winning Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has come under fire for an essay, titled “It Is Obscene”, that was published on her website on Tuesday. In the three-part essay, Adichie addresses two unnamed authors whom she took under her wing and who later criticised her for transphobic comments made in a 2017 interview where she said “trans women are trans women”. She was also widely criticised by members of the LGBTQI+ community for the comment. It was labelled transphobic and her feminism described as lacking intersectionality One of the author’s Adichie addresses in the essay is Akwaeke Emezi, who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. Adichie details how she took Emezi under her wing after they attended one of her workshops in 2015, as she saw them…

Nosipho Nyide Frugal living is all about spending your money wisely on only the essential things and cutting down your expenses on useless stuff ruthlessly. If you have been looking into this lifestyle or are just looking for more information, then we can help. There are plenty of channels on YouTube that dive into more detail about frugal living from frugal people, to help you work towards living your best financial life. The Frugal Fit Mum Christine, popularly known as Frugal Fit Mum on YouTube, will easily become your go-to friend for frugal living advice. Not only will she help you adapt to frugal living but she will also help with budget-friendly meal preps and loads more. Most people mistake frugal living for being a “cheapskate”, but it’s actually being…

Debashine Thangevelo debashine.thangevelo@inl.co.za The Jon M Chu-directed musical drama In the Heights has been heaped with praise and criticism. Allow me to contextualise this statement. While many critics have been gushing over the exuberant big-screen adaptation of Quiara Alegría Hudes and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit Broadway musical of the same title, it has also come under fire for its alleged failure to justly represent dark-skinned Afro-Latinos. Despite the raging debate over this colourism issue, there is no mistaking the Crazy Rich Asians director’s Midas touch in delivering a feature that is vibrant and brimming with hope and a powerful sense of community. And Anthony Ramos, who is in his element in musicals and even toured for the 2012 musical of In the Heights, is chuffed to have bagged the role…

Mzilikazi Wa Afrika mzeetheicon@gmail.com FORMER State Security Agency (SSA) director-general Arthur Fraser has accused the Zondo Commission of trying to protect six witnesses who allegedly lied to the state capture inquiry about him after his application to cross- examine them was dismissed. Fraser had applied to the commission to cross-examine the six witnesses, who included former police minister Sydney Mufamadi, who also chaired an inquiry into the operations of the intelligence agency, and former acting director- general Loyiso Jafta. Fraser had also opened a case of perjury against the six individuals at the Hillbrow police station in February this year because he believed they lied to the commission when they implicated him. Frazer said he opened a case against Mufamadi, Jafta, secret SSA operatives known only as Ms K…

Edwin Naidu edwin.naidu@live.co.za The Cabinet has given the green light for three senior appointments to help bring stability in the national Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) but vacancies at lower levels remain a concern. And, to add to its ongoing challenges over personnel, the department has to start the search for a new head. The minister of Higher Education and Training, Blade Nzimande, told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Science and Technology that the appointments would bring stability. But, he also announced that the tenure of Director-General Gwebinkundla Qonde, who was appointed to the post in September 2011, would end in August, this year. The vacancy vacuum in the department has been compounded by severe budget cuts, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, thwarting its…

Karabo Ngoepe karabo.ngoepe@inl.co.za There has never been unity between ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa and suspended secretary-general Ace Magashule. That is the view of former North West premier Supra Mahumapelo. “We have never seen them together on organisational duties unless it’s the January 8th statement,” Mahumapelo said. In an interview this week, Mahumapelo said the ANC's top six leadership was not engaging politically, and that was more evident with Ramaphosa and Magashule’s offices. This despite having to work together in preparation for the party's Monday meetings. The organisation has been fractured for years and went to its last elective conference at Nasrec heavily divided. The elected top six represented a compromise of the two slates in what was termed a “leadership of unity”. But Mahumapelo believed there had never been communication…

Lesego Makgatho lesego.makgatho@inl.co.za British writer China Mieville has described They Called You Dambudzo: A Memoir by Flora Veit-Wild, a German literary academic and professor of African literatures and cultures at Humboldt University in Berlin, as “a moving, powerful, intense evocation of an extraordinary time, and the intersection of extraordinary lives”. According to Veit-Wild, the book was born from a question raised by a member of the audience during a symposium in honour of the late Zimbabwean born author, Dambudzo Marechera. The question was: “So what was your real relationship to him?” Then she decides to tell her story, their story. While the book highlights moments of their extraordinary lives together, I couldn’t ignore how unsettling a read this was in some parts. Written in six parts, the book details the…

Siboniso Mngadi siboniso.mngadi@inl.co.za The man who first discovered the shiny stones that resemble diamonds in KwaHlathi, outside Ladysmith has gone into hiding. Dwayne Maskutule, 41, a herdsman, kept what he found a secret until last month, when he unwittingly told his friends what he discovered while watching the cattle grazing last year. Two weeks ago, talk about what Maskutule found began to spread. Now, everyone in the rural town, where nothing much happens want Maskutule to show them where the “diamonds” are so they, too, can become “rich”. Maskutule has since been relieved of his herdsman duties by his employer, Induna Nompumelelo Kunene, 73, as they both believed he was in danger. She said Maskutule confided in her last year when he brought the stones home. “They harass him…

Manyane Manyane manyane.manyane@inl.co.za Residents of Harrismith, in Maluti-a-Phofung Local Municipality in the Free State, are demanding to be relocated from the embattled municipality because it has failed to deliver basic services in the area. For weeks, the community has been protesting over poor service delivery and this week a truck was bombed and tyres were burned as residents blockaded the road with rocks. Free State SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Montatsi Makhele said 12 people were arrested for public violence during the protest. “Six were remanded in custody and are set to appear before the court again on June 22, because they have previous records. Four of them were released on warning and two will appear again on June 18,” said Makhele. Community leader and one of the co-ordinators of the community…

The pandemic has made information easily available at the click of a mouse. But is it doing a disservice in terms of telling stories as a journalist? While the information overload shows no sign of abating, it begs the question for how long does one have to attend “online” media briefings? Surely, there is only so much of Zoom or Microsoft Teams and any other video platform that one can take. Joining the still fascinating Huawei’s Better World Summit for 5G + AR, earlier in the week, it still left me feeling that there were much too many talking heads when David Byrne, frontman of the band (Talking Heads), would have been a treat. I missed the drudge of taking a Gautrain to the airport. The swift blast at 160km…

YOUTH Month in South Africa has reached its 45th year of reflection, and each passing year the youth of the country become more disconnected with the history and how to define their role in the present. June 16 has, therefore, become another public holiday where elaborate speeches are given and commitments made, but little movement is seen in overhauling the economic system to benefit young people. In the words of Charlotte Maxeke, “This work is not for yourselves – kill that spirit of self, and do not live above your people but live with them. If you can rise, bring someone with you.” A Living Legacy Little attention is given to the fact that the economic system we have inherited has not fundamentally transformed. In 1994, we achieved only…

RONALDO, Portugal and Europe’s greatest goalscorer, wants more milestones at the Euro 2020; primary to them scoring goals against Europe’s ‘big five’. Ronaldo’s two goals against Hungary made him the record goalscorer in the history of the Euros, surpassing French magician Michel Platini’s nine tournament goals in five matches. The context in this is that Platini scored his nine in five matches and Ronaldo’s nine took 21 matches. But whether it takes five matches or 21 to get there, the reality is that Ronaldo got there and his goalscoring is only matched by his longevity in playing in five successive Euro Championships, to go with his four successive World Cup appearances, one Uefa Nations League Final and the Fifa Confederations Cup in 2017. Ronaldo is the only footballer…

Turbine Hotel and Spa Thesen Islands in Knysna once housed an old power station, but now boasts 26 rooms with a flat-screen TV, desk, wi-fi, tea and coffee-making facilities and a minibar. All rooms offer stunning views. Grab a bite at the Island Café Restaurant that overlooks the canals and pool deck, or The Gastro Pub, which offers classic pub meals with lagoon sunset views. Guests can also head to The Turbine Spa for some pampering or The Turbine Water Club that provides a range of water and land-based activities such as lagoon cruises, forest walks, city tours and bicycle hire. See: www.turbinehotel.co.za Run and owned by duo Leanne Galloway and Chris Viljoen, The Farm Food Factory in Margate provides a space for conscious foodies to come and experience something…

Jabu Mabuza ‘a fearless business leader and true patriot’ GIVEN MAJOLA given.majola@inl.co.za THE COUNTRY this week suffered another major loss with the death of businessman and former Eskom chairman Jabu Mabuza from Covid-19 complications. Many described Mabuza, 63, who died on Wednesday, as a fearless businessman who paved the way for the establishment of black business and continued to make an impact on the country’s economic landscape. Eskom said Mabuza made great strides in addressing allegations of financial mismanagement and the myriad issues related to lapses in governance processes and other internal controls at the utility. Board chairperson Professor Malegapuru Makgoba described Mabuza as an advocate of clean governance. Makgoba said these efforts resulted in the stabilisation of Eskom, improving investor and public confidence. “We are grateful for his service at…

Benjamin Kaveladze ARISTOTLE called humans “the social animal”, and people have recognised for centuries that young people need to be in communities to develop into healthy adults. The pandemic has caused concern about the effects of isolation on children and teenagers’ social and psychological growth. But while young people today may not be able to gather in person as often as they’d like, they aren’t necessarily isolated. They have long used online communities to explore their identities and conduct their social lives. They’re involved in anonymous hip-hop discussion forums, ADHD support groups on Facebook, biology class group chats on Instagram and comments sections under popular YouTube videos. There are many online communities, and collectively they cover a wide range of subjects. They’re also often central to their users’ lives. However,…

The Pink Line: Journeys Across the World's Queer Frontiers by Mark Gevisser Mark Gevisser has written what many have called a groundbreaking account on how the world views, treats and deals with gender identity and sexuality. The book follows people from nine countries, where they tell the story of the fight for LGBTQ+ rights across the world. The Pink Line folds intimate and deeply affecting stories of individuals, families and communities into a definitive account of how the world has changed, dramatically, in just a decade. The Death and Life of Marsha P Johnson (Netfix) When you think of the Stonewall Uprising of 1969, you think about Marsha P Johnson, one of the queer icons involved in the uprising at the Stonewall Inn in New York, which lead to…

Nathan Craig nathan.craig@inl.co.za Police officers, the military and prison staff are the next group of frontline workers who will be vaccinated next month. Teachers could expect to receive their jabs in this week. Acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said more than 2 million citizens have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine through the national vaccination roll-out which has been besmirched by supply constraints and delays in dose procurement. The three-phase roll-out, expected to inoculate 67% of the population which translated to about 40.2 million people by February 2022, prioritised citizens by their risk of infection with the goals of achieving herd immunity. Front line health-care workers had the highest risk of exposure to Covid-19 and were vital for the public health response thus receiving the country’s first…

Rio Button STEALTHY daddy seahorses generally give birth under the cover of nightfall to reduce the chances of their newborns being eaten by beady-eyed predators. Knysna daddy seahorses (Hippocampus capensis) will give birth to between seven and 120 baby seahorses per brood. How does a daddy seahorse come to give birth? Well, just to clear things up, seahorses aren’t hermaphrodites In fact, it starts with a wannabe daddy seahorse. He will parade around, showing his empty pouch to prospective females. An eager female will transfer her eggs into his pouch. There he will fertilise the eggs and they will embed into his pouch’s tissue lining. Here each egg will develop into a teeny-tiny seahorse with eyes that move independently like a chameleon, mouth like an anteater, pouch like a…

Amanda Maliba amanda.maliba@inl.co.za THE scourge of the absent father or deadbeat dads in South Africa is said to be the reason why many children grow up in poverty and end up becoming delinquents or young drug addicts. However, not all fathers willingly turn their backs on their offspring as is the case with 32-year-old Mpho Mazibuko (real name withheld to protect his children) from Pretoria, who is currently fighting a custody battle with his ex-wife. Mazibuko says he wants access to his two children but has alleged that his ex-wife was using their children as a weapon to “deal” with him. “Access to them is a form of reward. For two years, seeing them has been a nightmare, even though I provide for them financially. For example, we would agree…

FORMER England manager Steve McClaren believes the fear factor that has hampered the “Three Lions” in previous tournaments has returned to Gareth Southgate’s squad, who faced criticism for a flat performance in Friday night’s goalless draw with Scotland. Southgate was hailed at the World Cup in Russia three years ago for removing the apprehension and pressure that has been blamed in the past for England not living up to expectations. But McClaren, who was sacked as England manager after failing to qualify for Euro 2008, believes that the old problem is back. “England played with fear. They didn't want to make mistakes. They were playing safe, square, backwards. They weren’t aggressive enough,” he told Sky Sports. England were hailed by pundits after their 1-0 opening Group D win over Croatia…

Debashine Thangevelo debashine.thangevelo@inl.co.za In January, Lupin was the most talked-about show. This was on the back of the success of The Queen’s Gambit and Shondaland’s tantalising period drama, Bridgerton. As someone who is always scouting for – as well as recommending – the best offerings on traditional TV as well as streaming platforms, I was curious about this series, more so as it surpassed the numbers for The Queen’s Gambit. And let me tell you, I didn’t think it possible. It was such an unexpected gem of a series with calculated moves by a sharp female mind, which disrupted the game and the patriarchal mentality. But in this fabulous era, where writers are not only pushing the envelope, they are tapping into an abyss of creativity that is blowing the minds…

Clinton Moodley Conferences and events in South Africa have seen a steady rise since the pandemic halted its growth last year. People switched off their Zoom calls to travel within the country to attend in-person conferences and events. In recent weeks, the industry seems to be back to where it was last year. The third wave has led to many organisers putting the brakes on live events, which could further impact revenue for the domestic travel market. The organiser of Africa Travel Week, for example, cancelled its Connect in the City event scheduled for September. The Cape Town spectacle would have brought together the relevant stakeholders to experience the City’s offerings, including familiarisation tours and a dedicated conference. Megan Oberholzer, Reed Exhibitions SA portfolio director for travel, tourism and creative…

Clinton Moodley When Twitter user @Katso_Pholo and her friends booked a luxury Airbnb in Sandton, little did she realise that it would be an unpleasant and costly experience. She revealed the group’s recent run-in with an Airbnb host in a Twitter thread this week. She said that despite the accommodation costing R4 600, including all fees, the group ended up paying R13 000 for the stay. She claimed they paid R3 000 because “he (the host) got the dates mixed up”, as well as another R5 000 for the host to open one of the rooms he had allegedly locked. According to her tweet, the host also threatened to call the cops. Airbnb said the company was investigating the incident. Here is what you can do if you encounter an…

On Wednesday, Microsoft named chief executive Satya Nadella chair of its board, strengthening his grip on a pioneering US technology company he rejuvenated for a new age. Nadella, who took over from Steve Ballmer in February 2014, made Microsoft more relevant in a new tech world led by mobile-focused rivals such as Apple and Google. Facebook is planning to roll out its podcast product on Tuesday, at a time when Apple has launched its new Podcast Subscriptions and Channels initiative. The social media network will probably add a feature that will allow listeners to create clips from their favourite shows. The South African government is piloting a new skills development model that will, in its first phase, create training and job opportunities for young people in digital skills…

Banele Ginindza banele.gininza@inl.co.za THE NATIONAL Treasury has raised concern at the financial practices of the country's municipalities, warning that their information was not credible as a large number did not properly use the set systems for financial reporting to control wasteful expenditure and fraud and corruption. The Treasury said in its local government revenue and expenditure report for the third quarter of the 2020/21 financial year this week that most municipalities were not budgeting, transacting and reporting directly in or from their core financial systems. It said they mostly prepared budgets and reports on excel spreadsheet and then import the excel spreadsheets into the system. “Often this manipulation of data lead to unauthorised, irregular, fruitful and wasteful expenditure and fraud and corruption as the controls that are built into the core…

Edwin Naidu Students throughout South Africa and the African continent have a great opportunity to get skills from the ubiquitous learning platform Coursera and earn an income from digital jobs abroad that can now be done remotely, according to Jeff Maggioncalda, chief executive officer of Coursera. “The availability of jobs and the availability of learning is going to be far more accessible than it was before the pandemic, so I would encourage all the learners in South Africa, to learn these skills because your ability to get good careers is going to increase because of remote work – and the new careers don’t have necessarily have to be in South Africa; it’s borderless,” he said. He said almost 50 000 South Africans will be given an opportunity to register for…

There is a “one-in-a-billion chance” that diamonds can be found on the ground in KwaZulu-Natal because of its geological composition. This is according to geologist Warrick Hastie from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. “A diamond find in the province is implausible. Most of what is being found looks to be gemstones and minerals like quartz. To my knowledge, no alluvial diamonds have been found in KZN, and kimberlite diamond veins are not prevalent here either. The province doesn’t have the sexy minerals and materials like diamonds, gold and platinum. We have heavy metals and coal,” he said. Hastie said the rush was likely caused by desperation. “The country is in quite a state at the moment as the pandemic and lockdown have caused people to lose their livelihoods, so when the…

Manyane Manyane manyane.manyane@inl.co.za Residents of Linda Mkhonto in Harrismith, Free State, still await their houses a year after the provincial government relocated them and placed them in shacks. The residents said they were allocated shacks in April 2020 with the promise that the government would build them houses this year. To add to their misery, the residents had to dig pit toilets while also walking long distances to fetch water. Siyabonga Makhubo, one of the disgruntled residents, said the promised houses were not built. “The plan was to build us two-room houses, and we were supposed to find those houses when we got here last year. We were shocked when we saw the one-room shacks,” he said, adding that when they demanded answers, they were told these were temporary structures.…

Forty-five years after the protests that rocked the foundation of the apartheid regime, one of the leaders of the historic 1976 uprisings, Sibongile MaMthembu Mkhabela has spoken about it in an interview with Independent Media The protests started in Soweto in Johannesburg to oppose the gazetting of Afrikaans as the language of teaching in schools and Mkhabela, who is now the chief executive of Barloworld Empowerment Foundation, was then the secretary-general of the SA Students Movement and 18 years old. She was a pupil at Naledi High School in Soweto and about to finish schooling. She said she joined the Struggle because she was inspired by the likes of Elaine Khuzwayo, who she described as a “conscious leader”. Mkhabela said one of the many lessons that could be…

In a political career spanning four decades, President Joe Biden has seen American presidents from both parties try to transform the US relationship with Russia only to leave office disappointed. In his first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Biden intended not to make the same mistake. He would make no overtures for a reset in relations, and his pessimism about the prospects of changing Putin’s mind on issues such as human rights would inform his actions. “This is not about trust. This is about self-interest,” he said in Switzerland after a three-hour summit on Wednesday. “This is not a kumbaya moment.” In setting up the meeting in the Swiss lakeside city, Biden’s aides left nothing to chance. To avoid falling short of expectations, they played down the likelihood of…

MIHLALI BALEKA Mihlali.baleka@inl.co.za DESPITE being one of the most decorated players in the top flight, Denis Onyango still has a burning desire to win more silverware. In fact, the Mamelodi Sundowns number one says he won’t rest until he’s collected 10 league medals, having bagged eight so far. Onyango arrived in the Premier Soccer League in 2006 to join SuperSport United under the tutelage of Pitso Mosimane from Ethiopian outfit Saint George SA. He won three titles in a row, from 2008-2010, with SuperSport under coach Gavin Hunt. But he surfaced at Sundowns 10 years ago where his career blossomed. However, he didn’t have the perfect reunion with Mosimane – he was loaned to Bidvest Wits when Sundowns won their first title under him eight years ago. Onyango used…

Debashine Thangevelo debashine.thangevelo@inl.co.za Sometimes I’m drawn to a TV series because of the name behind it. For example, anything by Shonda Rhimes, JJ Abrams, Ryan Murphy, Lee Daniels, Michelle and Robert King or Ava DuVernay, I will generally watch. The same goes for Marc Cherry. I’ve been a fan since Desperate Housewives. He bowled me over with Devious Maids and now I’m addicted to Why Women Kill. Season two, which is set in 1949, recently debuted on M-Net. This time, he changes tactic by making a dowdy housewife named Alma the anchor. He finds her in Allison Tolman, who viewers will remember from Good Girls, Castle Rock, The Twilight Zone and Emergence. She knocks the role out of the ballpark. He has found another gem by casting Lana Parrilla as…

Clinton Moodley WHILE President Cyril Ramaphosa has not officially imposed any travel restrictions in Level 3, he did mention in his recent address that Gauteng, Free State, North West and Northern Cape were officially in a third wave. He said non-essential establishments, including restaurants and bars, will close at 9 pm. We asked travel expert Modipadi Phoku to answer a few third wave travel related questions: Do I book my holiday? Booking a holiday, according to Phoku, depends on the travellers and any travel restrictions imposed by the government. She advised travellers to book holidays later this year if they were in no hurry to go on a trip. “Booking later in the year is advisable at the moment due to the high rate of Covid-19 transmission in winter. Rather…

Clinton Moodley Following simple steps during your trip can help you maintain good posture, whether you are on a beach holiday or a quiet safari break. Kara Froula, an ergonomic expert and founder of BackEmbrace, shares tips: Lower back support Most car or plane seats are curved, which can result in a hunched posture. Pack a sweatshirt or a towel that you can roll up and place on your lower back for extra lumbar support. Pain therapy This is perfect for when you are relaxing in your hotel room. “Apply a salve with essential oils that contain cooling/heating agents like wintergreen or peppermint to the area. Or you can use OTC lidocaine (plus menthol) temporary patches,” suggests Froula. Heavy luggage According to Froula, heavy suitcases and picking up large items…