Sunday Independent 2021-09-05

Wesley diphoko wesley.diphoko@inl.co.za Imagine the world in a pandemic using Theranos technology to test for disease and later realising all the tests were faked. Such a nightmare would have been a reality if Elizabeth Holmes had been stopped in her tracks to building a unicorn health tech startup. This week marked the beginning of her fraud trial. If convicted, Holmes, now 37, faces up to 20 years in prison, plus $2.75 million in fines, as well as restitution to be paid out to victims. She was “the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire”, trumpeted Forbes magazine. The “next Steve Jobs”, said Inc, another business magazine that put her on the cover. Holmes is charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and nine counts of wire fraud for allegedly…

Wesley diphoko wesley.diphoko@inl.co.za Later this month, Apple will roll out an upgraded version of its software with the ability to scan for child abuse images on iPhones. For now, there’s a separation between Apple servers and your iPhone which means Apple cannot scan anything on devices. The new software, according to privacy experts, will change all that and open pandora's box. One leading voice on this subject is Edward Snowden, the man who exposed the surveillance machinery in the US. Here is his view on the matter, selected and edited for ease of reading: “Apple’s new system, regardless of how anyone tries to justify it, will permanently redefine what belongs to you, and what belongs to them. “Under the new design, your phone will now perform these searches…

Ben bierman The ‘gig economy’ – a labour market made up of contracted or freelance work as well as short-term or temporary jobs – is taking off worldwide and South Africa is no exception. According to Statistics SA, there were over 4 million temporary workers in South Africa about a year ago, and with the onset of Covid-19, this number has grown exponentially. The pandemic has made an indelible mark on the way the working world operates, with remote working allowing individuals to cross borders and collaborate with teams in other countries, and in other time zones. As a result, companies are changing their approach to hiring workers – as it is sometimes more economically sustainable to hire freelancers on a pay-as-you-go basis than to enter into long-term arrangements.…

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za TOYOTA South Africa Motors (TSAM) said this week it sold 10 000 vehicles in August as the domestic market recovered from the mayhem in KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng last month. The group said the August sales saw it surge to the top of the leader board for the eighth consecutive month this year. TSAM senior vice-president of sales and marketing Leon Theron said the group had managed an average market share of 24.9 percent – which was encouraging in the current economic climate. “Ongoing challenges in the domestic new vehicle segment are worrying, although Toyota is once again the only motor manufacturer that has successfully breached the 10 000 sales threshold in the last few years,” said Theron. Suzuki hit an all-time high with total sales…

Pali Lehohla Afghanistan has been in the news over four decades, but the victory of the Taliban over the American backed 300 000 strong Afghan army catapulted Kabul onto our screens. It brought back scenes of Vietnam where the US army fled just as unceremoniously. My adventure to Kabul in 2008 was at the behest of the United Nations Population Fund for me to undertake an assessment of the possibility for Afghanistan to undertake a census of the population. I struck luck with both in transition and in conflict countries as far as accounting for populations is concerned. One such was with the South African Population Census of 1996 – the very first endeavour under democratic rule. This put me in good stead to be invited to a conference…

Thobile Mazibuko thobile.mazibuko@inl.co.za South African female design duo Carina Louw and Natasha Jaume are headed to Paris this month to showcase their collection. The founders of Erre have been invited by Share Africa, in partnership with a luxury fashion company, the Kering Group (think Balenciaga, Gucci, Alexander McQueen, etc), to participate in their spotlight on African design venture – Africa Fashion UP. The design duo will showcase their latest collection titled “Home” in Paris on September 17, ahead of Paris Fashion Week. Speaking about the collection, Louw said: “With this collection, we wanted ‘Home’ to remain true to our core yet embody the inherent resilience and humour of South Africans in facing the odds thrown at them. “We’ve drawn on our unique floral heritage to inform our bright colour palette…