Innholdsfortegnelse for 2021-07-18 i Sunday Independent

Our picks of the best Emmy-nominated shows you may not have watched as yet: A BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW (Showmax) Sketch comedy is having a moment again and Robin Thede is leading that movement. Created by the comedian writer, the show is comedy brilliance. The show is loyal to its title – it stars and is written by black women. It’s one of the best comedy shows of the year and the performances and writing elevate it above others. The show is nominated for five Emmys, including Outstanding Variety Sketch Series. I MAY DESTROY YOU (Showmax) This show shook me to the core and I still can’t help but marvel at how much work Michaela Coel put into to make it work. It’s a dark comedy about a…

Vivian Warby vivian.warby@inl.co.za Ever notice how things don’t last anymore? Remember buying, say, a washing machine in the 1980s? It was likely to be around for at least 20 years. Less so these days. In fact, according to MarketWatch, in 2018 consumers replaced cellphones every 15 months. There are a few reasons for this. Psychologically, experts say, consumers have almost been trained to expect something new and shiny every few years. This dates back to the nineties when cellphones first hit our shores. The upgrading of them every few years ensured consumers lost a feel for the long-term robustness and endurance of things, says Professor Dr Dr Bruce Watson, head of Stellenbosch University’s Department of Information Science and research professor at the Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research and the School…

What happened in South Africa in the past week was akin to travelling back in time and then immediately back to the future. It was during the apartheid years when the majority African population pitted itself against the military might of the regime that did not appreciate any form of protest against its regulatory dominion. It was either obey or be damned. In its advantage the regime had a superior armoury and support of the world’s superpowers like the US and Britain to name a few, who were in awe of the spread of communism to their erstwhile colonies. Support of the apartheid regime was thus tantamount to applying brakes to slow down the seepage of the dreaded ideology into South Africa and the rest of the African continent beyond.…

Nathan Adams nathan.adams@inl.co.za APPLICATIONS for the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) Covid-19 Temporary Employee Relief Scheme (Ters) open tomorrow, but those affected by the recent looting will not be eligible to apply. Minister of Employment and Labour Thulas Nxesi has signed the directive which allows for third phase of Ters, with payments set to start from July 26. Employees who qualify for phase 3 of the payouts include those who work at venues hosting auctions, professional sports, venues hosting social events, concerts and live performances, the liquor industry, hospitality and tourism as well as any industries and businesses that form part of these value chains. One of the major changes is that the UIF would be primarily making Ters payments directly to beneficiaries. Acting departmental spokesperson, Musa Zondi, said the reason…

Vaccination turn-out low due to some roads being barricaded while shopping centres were looted Roland Mpofu roland.mpofu@inl.co.za THE civil unrest and looting that started in KwaZulu-Natal and spread to Gauteng over the past week has had a ripple effect on the health-care system. Gauteng Health Department spokesperson Kwara Kekana on Friday said they had to rope in the SAPS to ensure the safe transportation of oxygen supplies. Public Covid-19 vaccination sites remained open but the turn-out was low due to some roads being barricaded, while shopping centres were looted and some public infrastructure vandalised. “In the Sedibeng district, most sites were operational for vaccinations, except for one site in Ratanda in Heidelberg, which the public was unable to access due to blockaded roads,” said Kekana, adding that two vaccination sites,…

Tshepiso Tshabalala tshepiso.tshabalala@inl.co.za The Covid-19 global pandemic has arguably been the biggest talking point around the world for the past 18 months. A Johannesburg doctor says while attention has rightfully been focused on curbing the spread of the Covid-19 virus that keeps mutating, other equally deadly diseases like HIV/Aids have fallen through the cracks. “If you look at the news from last year, the only thing we hear about is Covid. It’s like nothing else exists in this country, because of the total emphasis being on Covid. “We have totally ignored everything else and the one thing we have absolutely ignored is HIV,” said Dr Kaironisha ’Kay’ Mohamed, an HIV clinician at Netcare Garden City Clinic in Johannesburg. According to Mahomed, South Africa has made huge strides in HIV management,…

Tshepiso Tshabalala tshepiso.tshabalala@inl.co.za SOCIAL inequality was laid bare in the week-long looting of shopping centres in parts of Gauteng and KwaZulu- Natal, believed to have been triggered by protests against the imprisonment of former president Jacob Zuma. Members of affected communities, such as Alexandra township in Johannesburg, attributed the rampant looting and destruction of property to youth unemployment and poverty. According to Statistics South Africa, about 22 428‬ people between the ages of 20 and 39 are unemployed, while 66 621 households in the township have no source of income. A community member who did not want to be named said the unrest had nothing to do with Zuma. “The issue here is that the people in the community are unemployed and some like myself have lost their jobs. It…

In many moments of personal crisis and at times of despair I have found great solace in turning my thoughts to what my grandfather, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, would have done or advised me to do. We are at such a crossroads where on the eve of Nelson Mandela International Day on July 18, we would normally be preparing for a global outpouring of acts of kindness, individual and collective acts of philanthropy, and extraordinary acts of altruism and generosity. Instead, we sit with our heads buried in our hands as the fires of public violence, looting and criminality flare-up, threatening to ensnare all of us into a spiral of fear, hopelessness and despair. Some have labelled this as “Zuma riots”, and to be fair, most of the blame for this…

Eshlin Vedan eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za BAFANA Bafana assistant coach Morena Ramoreboli believes that his side have done what they have needed to do so far in the Cosafa Cup. The 3-0 win over Mozambique on Friday earned them entry into the final of the Southern African football competition where they will play against Senegal at the Nelson Mandela Stadium this afternoon. “We are all excited that we are in the final. I believe that we have done well so far. It is important for us to win the trophy. We need to remain focused and happy and I believe that we will make the South African public happy. When we first arrived here, we knew we would have to play six matches to win the trophy. Our first target was not to…

PROTEAS coach Mark Boucher has admitted that the violent protests and looting back home last week in South Africa has mentally affected his team in Ireland. The Proteas managed to draw the three-match series with Ireland after an emphatic 70-run win on Friday, but it was clear the players’ thoughts were elsewhere midweek when they lost to the hosts for the first time in history. The second ODI on Tuesday was played during the peak of the riots that engulfed large parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. Boucher stated there were players in the squad whose families were personally affected by the unrest back home. “If we’re honest, we weren’t there the other day. Our awareness was down, and our intensity was down,” said Boucher. “What’s going on…

Debashine Thangevelo debashine.thangevelo@inl.co.za If you hate planning for your trip or creating itineraries, you’re in luck. IOL Travel will create itineraries over the next few months to highlight South African destinations. We offer advice on what to see, where to dine and adventure, and other tips to make your trip memorable. This week we feature Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). Below is a guide on how to plan a 48-hour trip to the city: Arrive by 9am: Take an early morning flight to Port Elizabeth Airport, which is also known as the 10-minute airport as it is very small. 10.30am: After you’ve settled into your rental, make your way towards the coastline, which is where you will find Blue Waters Café and can enjoy a hearty breakfast. Not only is it…

Jonisayi Maromo jonisayi.maromo@africannewsagency.com CLEAN-UP programmes across numerous heavily littered streets and vandalised shopping malls have brought a glimmer of hope following days of seemingly endless riots and widespread looting in South Africa. Community members cleaning in Vosloorus, Gauteng, told journalists on Thursday that the “war” had ended and the area would return to normalcy. But the chaos, looting and vandalism has amaged brand South Africa, seen on the continent as a beacon of freedom, hope and the rule of law. Chairperson of the AU Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat recently issued a statement condemning the ongoing unrest and called for an urgent restoration of peace and order in Africa’s economic powerhouse. “The chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, condemns in the strongest terms the surge of violence that…

Buhle Mbonambi MANY wish to make a positive impact during the course of their lives. They want to be remembered for the moments they changed someone’s life or made it easier. However, not everyone is able to do that. Not at a great scale, like they had hoped. And yet, some go even further. Their impact is so noteworthy, that even strangers mourn their passing. Such is the case with Lesego Semenya. The chef, cookbook author and TV personality’s impact has been so massive, it’s hard to imagine that he has only been in the public eye since the early 2010s. He died earlier this week due to Covid-19 complications. He was 39. I believe I am a decent cook. I’ve been tasked with cooking the family Christmas lunch a…

Vivian Warby and Terry van der walt Plogging – a combination of an outside physical activity, usually jogging, and picking up litter – is a growing activity across the globe and here in South Africa, too. Plogging began as an organised activity in Sweden in 2016 and soon spread to other countries, following increased concern about plastic pollution. As a workout, it provides variation in body movements by adding bending, squatting and stretching to the main action of running, hiking or walking while picking up litter. An estimated 2 million people – including many South Africans – plog daily in 100 countries. The #plogging and #plogga hashtags are used by all kinds of people, including runners, walkers, hikers, cyclists and paddle boarders, who combine exercise with picking up trash. Chris…

Lesego Makgatho The effects of the week-long unrest in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng are set to be felt across the country for some time to come. And the cost of getting the economy back on track will run into billions of rand. The damage of the protests and subsequent looting and destruction of property purportedly driven by the demand to release former president Jacob Zuma is estimated to be around R8 billion, with the estimated rebuilding time frame expected to be 18 to 24 months. This is according to preliminary calculations by the SA Special Risk Insurance Association (Sasria). Sasria is the only insurance company that covers damage caused by risks such as politically motivated malicious acts, riots, strike action, terrorism and public disorder. The insurer had R8.4 billion…

Tshwane hospital untouched by looters Roland Mpofu roland.mpofu@inl.co.za George Mukhari Academic Hospital was one of a few health facilities in the Gauteng metros that were unscathed by the civil unrest that derailed the provision of services in some parts of the province. Acting chief executive Dr Keneilwe Letebele on Friday said they were spared because the past week’s protests did not reach as far as Ga-Rankuwa, north of Pretoria. “Up until now, our hospital has not been adversely affected, possibly because there were not much protest marches happening in our vicinity,” said Letebele. The reprieve gave the facility room to focus on the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic, which they so far had under control. She said lessons learnt from the first two waves of infections helped them mitigate the…

Tshepiso Tshabalala tshepiso.tshabalala@inl.co.za The disparity between private and public health care costs has grown rapidly over the years. In 2020, the average annual medical scheme plan increment was 8.2%. This increase lowers the chances of people from lower-income families accessing quality health care. In an effort to bridge the gap and make quality health care accessible to everyone, the National Department of Health introduced the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme in 2012. “The basic premise of the NHI is that a single fund will be established, administered by the NHI Fund (a public entity). This entity will purchase service benefits from public and private providers for everyone. “The bill is being discussed in Parliament by the Portfolio Committee,” said National Health Department spokesperson Popo Maja. The department said the…

In HIS autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, the founding president of democratic South Africa, Nelson Mandela, unequivocally states that if there were to be any civilising measure of democratisation, it would be how it treated the most vulnerable in our society. The ANC reiterates the same point in its Strategy and Tactics, further pointing out that the prospects for building an inclusive and cohesive society rest on the state’s ability to uproot apartheid legacy. As we commemorate the lives and times of Nelson Mandela, we need to reflect on the extent to which we think freedom birthed development to a point of lifting many people out of poverty since democratisation in 1994. There is rich data available from Statistics South Africa and numerous other sources that consistently report worrying…

Stuart Hess stuart.hess@inl.co.za IT’S the loneliness that hit the hardest. Black cricketers endured, and suffered with that loneliness. The Social Justice and Nation-building hearings, being chaired by Adv Dumisa Ntsebeza, last week heard painful testimonies from black players who’d donned the Proteas jersey. “There was no one to talk to in the camp. You’re stuck by yourself in your hotel room. You cannot share your frustrations with anyone,” left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso said about his experience at the 2014 T20 World Cup in Bangladesh. Phangiso did not play a match in that competition “At that World Cup, it was myself and Lonwabo Tsotsobe, but we couldn’t talk that much because he was going through the same thing. It was so frustrating. It was the longest month and a half you…

THE South African Under-23 football team coach David Notoane says playing the Olympic Games under tight restrictions due to the impact of Covid-19 feels as if “we are forcing measures” given the uncertainty that has engulfed the sports fraternity. “Playing sports and football is part of what is normal for us. But it looks like we are forcing measures because it’s unsettling and uncomfortable. There’s uncertainty and one of the things a sports person wants when they are going to compete is certainty,” he said. The South Africans have endured a roller-coaster ride in their preparations for the Olympics, thanks to Covid-19. In June, their preparations tour to Dubai was cancelled at the 11th hour, forcing them to settle for two friendlies with fellow African Olympians Egypt.…

Debashine Thangevelo Like most South Africans, I spent the better part of the week tuned in to the local news channels between intermittent scrolls through social media. With the country in the vice-grip of rampant and unprecedented looting and violence, I was concerned about the safety of my family as well as that of the residents in several terrorised communities and townships across KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Mpumalanga. Given the nightmare unfolding before our eyes, we couldn’t look away nor could we prevent ourselves from drowning in an abyss of despair and, to some extent, anger over the inaction of our politicians and ruling government. The silence of most of our celebrities and influencers was deafening. To those who spoke out, I salute you. I don’t want to get into the…

Aisha Ibrahim, Helen Shutt and Laura Martin It HAs been more than two years since Sierra Leone declared a state of emergency over sexual and gender-based violence. The declaration followed a public outcry over a spate of high-profile sexual attacks in which minors made up one in three victims. Though unconstitutional, the state of emergency led to significant legal amendments. The minimum sentence for rape was increased from five to 15 years for adults. New provisions also criminalised informal out-of-court settlements for sexual assault and rape. The amendments have, generally, been welcomed as a positive step. But some have criticised the emphasis on sexual violence, particularly of girls, at the expense of other types of gender-based violence. According to the 2019 demographic and health survey, about 62% of Sierra Leonean…

Buhle Mbonambi WHEN rally driver Gugu Zulu died while summiting Mount Kilimanjaro in 2016, it sent shock waves through many in the country. Here was a man who was a fitness enthusiast, healthy and had prepared for months for this climb, having complications which led to his death. There was a feeling of disbelief for many, but also a realisation that trying to summit the highest mountain in the continent is no small feat. And yet, there were some who used the pain of his passing and made it a positive experience. Like Viwe Ndongeni-Ntlebi. It was during Zulu’s memorial service in 2016, that she decided she wanted to summit Kilimanjaro. “I remember being in the newsroom and watching Letshego Zulu speak at Gugu’s memorial service and saying she was…

Wesley Diphoko wesley.diphoko@inl.co.za The space race is no longer the same. The “space race” was a Cold War competition between the US and the Soviet Union to develop aerospace capabilities. Nasa was created in 1958 as the federal agency with primary responsibility for the development of civilian aerospace research. Early Soviet successes in the space race had a major impact on US society and culture, altering strategic defence doctrines and leading to new educational initiatives. The space race existed to marshal a sense of shared purpose (and also to make spy satellites). It gestured toward higher values that are nowhere to be found in the billionaires’ space race. What was the point of the first billionaire, Sir Richard Branson, in space and what will be the meaning of the second…

Terry van der Walt terry.vanderwalt@inl.co.za AMONG the many things you can do with a two-litre plastic cold drink bottle is to make a skylight that will bring brightness and light into your home at virtually no cost. Across the world people are installing these skylights, particularly across informal settlements and places where there is no electricity. A small shack can be transformed from a cold and dark space into a more welcoming environment with light streaming in through the roof. You can even save on electricity by installing one in your garage or storeroom – in fact, anywhere where it would provide adequate light without using electricity. All you will need is a clear 2-litre plastic bottle, filled with water (this is important, as it refracts light coming from the…

Manyane Manyane manyane.manyane@inl.co.za The R230 million project to replace apartheid-era migrant labour hostels with new apartments in Soweto, Johannesburg, has not borne fruit. Residents of Diepkloof hostel are still living in dilapidated, cramped and unsafe buildings while the new unoccupied apartments have been vandalised. Residents say they can’t afford the rent they are supposed to pay for the new dwellings. This is more than 10 years after the Gauteng Human Settlements Department embarked on the multimillion-rand hostel renewal project for Diepkloof, Dube, Mzimhlophe and Meadowlands. The flats were completed between 2011 and 2012. Diepkloof hostel resident Siboniso Masondo lamented everything about their living conditions. “We are suffering. There’s no electricity here, and we had to connect it illegally. This is not a place for people. The government knows about our…

I often look at Paul Pretorius, head of the legal team at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, otherwise known as the Zondo Commission, and marvel at his mild deportment. For someone with verifiable Struggle credentials, he is without airs and graces. His bio says he was admitted as an advocate in 1977 and took silk in 1994. The seemingly affable Pretorius was hewn out of the old all-white National Union of South African Students (Nusas) that, though well-meaning, earned the ire of Steve Bantu Biko who lamented that, to paraphrase him, often a lot is said about us, for us, but without us. Subsequently, in December 1968, a cohort of black students staged a walkout from a Nusas gathering to later form Saso, the South African Students Organisation,…

MARK KEOHANE UNDERSTATED as a person, but never underrated as a player, and definitely not within the Springboks squad. Lukhanyo Am, heir apparent to Siya Kolisi, thrived in his first match captaining a South African international team earlier in the week. The SA ‘A’ match against the British & Irish Lions was not an official Test match, but it was an international in every sense of the word and it was far greater a contest than most matches played as Test internationals, given the quality of the opposition and the composition of an SA ‘A’ side that was a Springboks Test team in line-up, if not name. Am, playing outside his World Cup-winning mate Damian de Allende, was composed and calculated in everything he did on attack and in…

Kedibone Modise kedibone.modise@inl.co.za THE Covid-19 pandemic has created scores of ongoing health and financial challenges across the globe. Like many industries, the local tourism industry, despite its many attractions, has taken quite a knock, particularly due to national lockdown rules and regulations. One of the ways we can help rebuild the industry without breaking the bank is by visiting some of the best budget-friendly backpacking spots in South Africa. Think about it: you get your much- needed and totally deserved downtime and you contribute meaningfully to the country’s economy. From where we’re sitting, it's a win-win situation. Backpacking offers a great opportunity to experience new places while meeting and mingling with like-minded adventure enthusiasts from around the country and the continent. Backpacking is fun and to make it even more…