Innholdsfortegnelse for 2021-09-05 i Sunday Independent

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…

Tim Bonyhady The London launch of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in May 1967 was a musical and fashion landmark. While the clothes worn by all four Beatles startled the journalists and disc jockeys, John Lennon stole the show. He wore a green, frilly, flowered shirt, maroon corduroy trousers, canary-yellow socks, corduroy shoes with two particularly unusual additions. One was a leather sporran, the other an Afghan sheepskin coat, worn with the fur inside and the skin outside, which was tanned yellow and embroidered with big red flowers down its front and sleeves. These coats became a craze with extraordinary longevity. “Afghans”, as they were often called, were worn by many celebrities through the late 1960s. Then, for the best part of a decade, they became standard youth clothing…

Gautengers should be marching in solidarity with Cosatu for the scrapping of the e-toll system on public roads. Thee-toll issue has long been a thorn in the side of many motorists in the province, who like their counterparts throughout South Africa, are battling high petrol prices and other taxes simply because they have cars. One cannot deal with the issue of e-tolls in isolation. The reason there are so many cars on our roads is government’s fault for neglecting public transport and not investing or subsidising it for decades. Even worse, in Gauteng, instead of fixing the ageing rail infrastructure, the provincial government under Mbhazima Shilowa, opted for the multibillion rand Gautrain infrastructure that is only for the rich, tourists and those with disposable incomes. This left the poor and…

Mzilikazi Wa Afrika THE ghost of Marikana is out to haunt President Cyril Ramaphosa as 329 mine workers who were arrested and injured during the massacre nine years ago when police opened fire on striking miners killing 34 and injuring others, are suing him in his personal capacity, Sibanye Stillwater and the government for over R1 billion in damages. The matter is set to be heard in the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Friday. In court papers, the mine workers claim that Ramaphosa acted in his personal capacity as a director and shareholder of Lonmin, a company now known as Sibanye Stillwater, when he wrote an email stating that some of the striking workers were criminals and that “concomitant action should be taken against those engaged in criminal…

From Page 1 "The committee chairpersons instead opted to work with support staff, who are accountable to the task team. They must table a task team report, then we will take the (committee) chairs seriously. So far this is a cover-up and it embarrasses Parliament.” Mapisa-Nqakula could not be reached for comment yesterday. When the Sunday Independent broke the story in April, her spokesperson, Siphiwe Dlamini, said the minister challenged Holomisa, that if he had evidence of extortion, he must open a criminal case with the police or any law enforcement agency. Among some of the allegations that Holomisa made at the time was that the minister received gifts and payments totalling about R5 million. These included cash given to her in tranches, Egyptian doors and luxury hotel accommodation. EFF…

Tshepiso Tshabalala tshepiso.tshabalala@inl.co.za Covid-19 continues to keep scientists on their toes with its unpredictable mutation patterns. Months after the detection of the Delta variant, the deadliest version of the virus yet, another variant, C.1.2, has recently been detected in South Africa and several other countries. In March, this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) indicated that when a virus is widely circulating in a population and causing a spike in infections, there is a great chance of it mutating and spiking the infection rate. According to virologist Dr Bonolo Mashishi, viruses are creatures of evolution. They constantly change with time in an attempt to adapt to their environment, in order to not die out. “A virus changes during the stage of viral replication, as it makes copies of itself.…

molaole.montsho@africannewsagency.com molaole montsho MAKING Africa more attractive for investment, the fight against Covid-19 and climate change were key features of the recent G20 Compact with Africa Summit in Germany. But what exactly does it mean for Africa? The Compact initiative is based on the premise that significant progress can be achieved through co-ordinated and country-specific analysis of the obstacles and market failures impeding private investment in African economies. It brings together the analytical perspectives of governments, would-be investors, and international organisations with extensive operational experience in Africa and deals with concrete situations rather than generic cases. This analysis allows identifying key policy actions that can be taken by the various public sector actors, backed by a joint commitment of both African countries and development partners to implement these reforms. “This…

Yet another school in Nigeria was attacked by armed gunmen who abducted 73 children from a school in the north-western state of Zamfara this week. According to media reports, schools in the state have been ordered to close.Four state governments in Nigeria have imposed a restrictions on residents in an attempt to stop the mass kidnappings and other violent crimes, reported Al Jazeera. According to This Day Live.com, Nigeria is seeking to procure communications technology and equipment to combat the bandits.…

IN PREPARATION for America’s 2001 bloody onslaught in Afghanistan, following the humiliation it suffered when the Twin Towers came crashing down during what’s come to be known as 9/11, the most vile forms of Islamophobia began in earnest. Not that anti-Muslim bigotry and stereotyping of Islam did not exist in America and its European allies. It did. However, 9/11 sparked a fury of hate, resulting in a case of all hands on deck with every arm of the Bush administration – from the White House to Pentagon and from the Senate to Congress – going into a frenzy. The hysteria generated by a coterie of right-wing neo-cons was spurred on by Israel, which brazenly wagged its fingers in a “I told you so” fashion. Netanyahu’s message was unambiguous: Islam is…

BAFANA Bafana coach Hugo Broos is an admirer of fancy football. But that his team created few scoring chances in their opening game of the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe means that it might be a while before his philosophy is grasped. South Africa had a lively start against The Warriors as they were eager to exploit pockets of spaces. But their first real chance at goal came from a corner which striker Evidence Makgopa unceremoniously headed over the crossbar. Soon thereafter, Teboho Mokoena saw his thunderbolt parried over the crossbar by Talbert Shumba. Bafana, though, got better as the game progressed and Shumba made another save from open play in the second half. With ball-players such as Percy Tau, Luther Singh and Gift Links in the…

Top 10 cities to go on a workation Clinton Moodley Travel and selfies go hand in hand. Most travellers whip out their smartphones to click a selfie at a landmark to commemorate their trip. But have you ever wondered which destination boasts the most popular selfie spot? Well, international car comparison site EnjoyTravel released The 25 Most Popular Selfie Spots in the World – and our very own Kruger National Park made the top 10 list. It used data from Instagram and TikTok to come up with the results. Claiming the top spot was Disneyland in Paris, France, with a combined total of 6 128 408 478 hashtags on both platforms. With its colourful experiences, state-of-the-art accommodation and Disney characters at every corner, there's plenty of selfie opportunities for travellers.…

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…

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…

Mzilikazi Wa Afrika A crucial whistle-blower's statement against the former Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, was not disclosed to the team investigating her for extortion and corruption in Parliament. The committee leading the probe closed the case, saying that the witness was sending them from pillar to post. A Sunday Independent investigation confirmed that Kobus Marais and Kenny Motsamai – who are DA and EFF members of Parliament respectively who served on the task team appointed to investigate Mapisa-Nqakula, who was recently appointed as the Speaker of Parliament – were not aware that the whistle-blower had submitted a damning statement to the committee that she was “willing to provide proof” that the then minister had contacted her on numerous occasions to “ask for cash or favours”. The…

Samkelo Mtshali samkelo.thulasizwe@inl.co.za FAILURE to register election candidates in 93 of the country’s 278 municipalities ahead of the local government elections set between October 27 and November 1, has left ANC leaders conceding that the blunder could lead to unprecedented losses at the polls. In 35 of these municipalities there will be a change of governing party or opposition party, given the absence of the ANC on the ballot paper. Last week, the party was left scrambling to get an extension to the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s deadline to register election candidates after missing the deadline to register all of its candidates. In another move mired in confusion, the ANC filed an application to the Electoral Court, in a bid to compel the IEC to reopen the candidate registration,…

From Page 1 In 2019, Dube caused a stir when he said a plan for a right-wing coalition government was being hatched, leading to the 2024 general elections, which Ramaphosa would lead. The plan appears to be well under way with the current insurrection that is currently unfolding at Luthuli House. Dube said the destruction of the secretariat’s office, the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma, the destruction of the leagues, Cosatu, SACP, SANCO and black civil society movements was the whole agenda to make the South African natives voiceless and directionless. “The unabated South African natives’ holocaust, which is state-sponsored, indicates that the so-called minerals energy complex is above the basic tenets of social justice. The blood, soul and tears of the holocaust victims must invoke a push-back strategy…

Tshepo Mvulane Moloi A SOMEWHAT sparse yet upmarket crowd congregated at the enthralling premises of The Maslow Hotel in Sandton, on Wednesday evening to attend the launch of former Bafana Bafana striker Mark Williams’ autobiography, provocatively titled From Gangster to Soccer Legend. Williams’ close-knit family, which comprised his one-year-old daughter, his wife and her mother, attended. Also present were fellow soccer players, including Williams’ former South African national teammates Thurston Sean Bartlett (a former striker and current assistant manager at TS Galaxy), Theophilus Doctorson Khumalo, popularly known as Doctor (former midfielder maestro and current member of the technical staff at Baroka Football Club), Jimmy Tau (former Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs defender and current soccer analyst) and Dikgang “Terminator” Mabalane (former Moroka Swallows right winger). Other notable figures included Glyn Binkin…

Edwin Naidu Nine African countries, including South Africa, Morocco and Tunisia, have met the global target set in May by the World Health Assembly, the world’s highest health policy-setting body. But Africa’s “vaccine hoarding” is derailing a continent that now appears to be increasingly likely to miss the urgent global goal of vaccinating the most vulnerable 10% of every country’s population against Covid-19, by the end of September. According to new data from the World Health Organization (WHO) released on Thursday, 42 of Africa’s 54 nations, nearly 80% of the continent, will not reach the goal if the current pace of vaccine deliveries and vaccinations is maintained. At the current pace, three more African countries are set to meet the target. Two more could meet it, if they speed…

To understand South Africa today, we need to recognise that people can focus endlessly on a country’s problems but still live in a state of denial. Hand-wringing about problems which are said to spell the doom of South Africa’s negotiated democracy is a well-established custom. It began months after the first election in which all adults could vote in 1994. It has become louder over the past decade and dominates the national debate, which is the preserve of the minority who enjoy access to the media. Right now, violence in KwaZulu-Natal, attacks on the judiciary by former president Jacob Zuma and his supporters, and an unemployment rate of 34% are the immediate causes of dismay. But while the issues change, claims that the country is in deep trouble are routine.…

ON August 24, Zambia’s seventh republican president, Hakainde Hichilema fondly known as HH of the United Party for National Development (UPND), was sworn in. While his ascent to power was a resounding triumph in the presidential elections, the canvassing was coarse. In addition to circumscribed political space to campaign, he was also a target of hate speech and tribal rhetoric from some political opponents. Although uttered within the ambit of electioneering, there are inescapable after-effects especially in sustaining social cohesion. Social cohesion entails closeness, synchronisation and strength of relationships between members of a unit and the polity is no exception. In addition to some benefits accruing to the political entity or broader society, cohesion enhances members’ willingness to individually or collectively contribute to a common vision of sustainable peace and…

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced new sanctions on Myanmar this week, saying these sanctions target a key business associate of the military junta for providing financial support and arms to the military. Raab announced new sanctions against Myanmar businessman U Tay Za and his business empire Htoo Group, UK government said. Htoo Group of Companies, of which U Tay Za is the founder and chairman, is a large business network that operates across the region, which contributed funds to the 2017 Rohingya clearance operations in Rakhine.…

MIKE GREENAWAY THE Sharks painfully advanced to next week’s Currie Cup final against the Bulls in Pretoria but if they play as badly as they did in beating Griquas 28-24 at Jonsson Kings Park, the silverware is good as banked in the Loftus Versfeld trophy cabinet. On Friday night, the Bulls were imperious in dispatching Western Province in the first semifinal but 24 hours later the Sharks were sloppy in too many areas of the game and that allowed the ever-niggly visitors to remain in contention, right until the final whistle. In fact, a Griquas try two minutes from time had the Sharks hanging on for dear life and if they had lost, they would have had only themselves to blame because they had so many opportunities to put the…

Clinton Moodley clinton.moodley@inl.co.za Here I was, thrilled to be venturing out of my house for the first time in over a month. Bags packed. Road trip playlist ready. A bottle of sanitiser tucked away in my pocket. The journey was exhausting. I was ready to take off my shoes and relax at my destination. Upon arrival, the guard at the gate sprayed our hands with sanitiser, opened the steel gates and let us in. There were no temperature checks and no Covid-19 related questions asked. Not thinking much, we unloaded the car and followed our host to our tiny accommodation. When we checked in, sanitisers and handwash were in the bathroom and all public spaces. As there were only four guests, including myself, we felt comfortable. With our masks firmly…

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.…

Lutho Pasiya lutho.pasiya@inl.co.za There is no denying that Covid-19 has had a terribly disruptive impact on the restaurant industry. Dining rooms looked much different in 2019 than in 2020, and 2021 came with still more change. The restaurant industry picked up its pace with sturdiness and adapted to technology in 2020. On that list was a shift from dining out to ordering for pick-up or delivery. This fuelled a quick surge in the need for third-party food delivery apps and delivery drivers. More South Africans were staying home using these platforms to order meals – but still, the question is: will this continue once Covid-19 is long behind us? And according to experts, the answer is yes. Here are other innovations and trends that bode well for the future of…

The Distant Shores (Santa Montefiore) THIS is for those who love stories about people who have fallen from high society’s grace. Margot Hart travels to Ireland to write a biography of the famous Deverill family and must interview the patriach, Lord Deverill, who is famously a recluse. It’s a story of a family torn apart, and the woman who will bring them back together. HACKS (Fridays at 10.30pm on M-Net) The Jean Smart renaissance is legendary. I can’t believe that Hollywood had forgotten about the talent of this actor. After impressive turns in Watchmen and Mare of Easttown, she bagged Hacks, where she stars as Deborah Vance, a legendary Las Vegas comedian who has reached her sell-by date. She gets roped into working with a typical millennial comedy writer,…

mANY writers have expressed their respective views on the tragedy unfolding in Afghanistan. Sadly, they all missed the brutal features of this hi-tech slaughter of the innocent people of the region. On the orders of then president Trump, the USA detonated The Mother of All Bombs, the GBU-43b, which had the power of a 4M earthquake, in Afghanistan, when attacking Isil targets in the Torra Bora mountains. The impact shook buildings within a 3km radius. The bomb cost $314 million, and destroyed a bunker that was built and funded by the CIA during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the late 1970s. All the world’s major wars over the past 30 years have become a major testing area for the major powers, who unashamedly test their weapons of mass destruction.…

Karabo Ngoepe and Manyane Manyane BLACK South Africans are on the brink of becoming an endangered species, like the Native Americans, and will be removed from the country’s socio-economic and political power spheres. According to Xolani Dube, a political analyst at the Xubera Institute, a plan is under way for the whites to repossess what they ‘borrowed’ blacks in 1994, and the ANC had become the vehicle for that. “The ANC is just the hearse to execute the plan. The bigger plan is to obliterate the political hegemony of the South African natives. The British and Europeans are repossessing what they borrowed us during 1994,” he said. “I think the natives need to find their own Cyril Ramaphosa, someone who will have an undying love for the South African natives.”…

Tertiary education ombuds are vital edwin naidu UNIVERSITIES are natural breeding grounds for conflict where a lot of bad treatment, conflict and retaliation for speaking up takes place “below the radar”, but dispute resolution steps can have a positive impact and ensure justice without having to seek relief from the courts, said former University of Cape Town (UCT) ombud Zetu Makamandela-Mguqulwa. “They (universities) should also be a place where breakthroughs can take place due to the open nature to all kinds of engagements. But in their openness they can also be closed and silencing due to there being a bureaucratic nature,” said Makamandela-Mguqulwa. Ombuds have a positive role to play in the tertiary education space, she said. “We are a conscience of the institutions we serve, thereby nudging them…

Lesego Makgatho lesego.makgatho@inl.co.za South African writer Futhi Ntshingila has come forth with her third novel, They Got To You Too – a book of our time, showing us how history and our past always catch up with us in ways we never think they can. They Got to You Too is the deeply humane and thought-provoking story of Hans van Rooyen, a former police general who finds himself being cared for in an old age home by Zoe Zondi, the daughter of liberation Struggle activists. At 80, he carries with him the memories of crimes he committed as an officer under the apartheid regime. Having eluded the public confessions at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for his time in the Border Wars, he retained his position in democratic South Africa,…

In a rare, no-holds-barred public retaliation, during which the traditional diplomatic decorum was temporarily placed in abeyance – the Chinese authorities in SA shred to pieces a US government report that persists with Washington’s claim that Covid-19 could have originated in Wuhan, China. The report, ordered by US President Joe Biden to his intelligence services to determine within a 90-day period the origin of the coronavirus, made public recently, cited unhappiness with China’s alleged refusal to co-operate with the US investigators. Last week, the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence released what they termed “key takeaways” of the Summary of Assessment on Covid-19 Origins. The report claimed that “China withholds information, refuses to co-operate, and obstructs international investigation”. The US intelligence services investigation came in the wake of…

THE price of our freedom was engraved in the loss of lives over many decades of struggles against apartheid and colonisation. This brief essay seeks to revisit and revive the forgotten debate on key fundamental rights, freedoms and protections which form part of South Africa’s victory against apartheid and colonisation. These freedoms are classically codified and enshrined in our Constitution. This essay comes at a time in South Africa where we see such rights openly violated by organs of state. In the past month, just days after an almost nationwide uprisings, riots and looting, the state took an about-turn and started a manhunt and went after key individuals and social media activists whom they considered a threat to the administration. The state’s intent was to target, intimidate, terrify, arrest, imprison…

An investigation has been launched after Rwandan hip-hop artist Joshua Tuyishime, 33, known as Jay Polly, died after allegedly drinking an alcoholic concoction while being held in prison. He died at Muhima Hospital in the capital Kigali on Thursday morning, according to Rwanda Correctional Services. Jay Polly was being held at Mageragere Prison while awaiting trial on drug charges after being arrested in April for holding a house party in contravention of Rwanda’s Covid-19 mitigation measures, the BBC reported.…

Shannon Ebrahim shannon.ebrahim@inl.co.za THE Taliban’s takeover after fighting the Americans for two decades in Afghanistan has emboldened militants worldwide, most especially in Africa. This presents a huge challenge to the continent at a time when French forces will commence drawing down their troops in the Sahel within weeks, and regional militaries claim they lack the resources or manpower to counter the threat which has grown exponentially in recent years. While the withdrawal of foreign forces from African soil will be celebrated on the one hand, the lack of local capacity to stem the rapidly growing insurgencies in the Sahel is a real concern. France, which has 5 100 troops in West Africa, has announced that it will slash its forces by over half during the next year, and three French…

The conservative candidate trying to succeed Angela Merkel as German chancellor in this month’s election has unveiled his leadership team as a new poll showed him falling further behind. Armin Laschet, pictured, head of Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU), introduced eight allies who would serve as ministers or advisers on Friday. He said the line-up, comprised four women and four men and representatives of the former communist East as well as the West, reflected “the diversity of our country, the diversity of the CDU”.…

Stuart Hess stuart.hess@inl.co.za JANNEMAN Malan drenched in perspiration, using his bat as a walking aid, his elbow bleeding after he’d collapsed with cramp, walked off the Premadasa pitch a hero yesterday. Malan has one of the most remarkable records for any player at the start of his ODI career, having gone past 50 five times in just eight innings, and turning three of those into hundreds. As good as his maiden century was against Australia, to help anchor a run chase in Bloemfontein in March last year, yesterday’s effort in Colombo was even better. The pitch and atmospheric conditions would not have been something Malan, born in Nelspruit, and who spent the early days of his professional career playing in Potchefstroom, before moving to Cape Town, would have been accustomed…

Clinton Moodley When I took my first dose of the Pfizer vaccine last month, I snapped a selfie and a video of the experience. I’ve seen many of my peers do the same and I wanted to show my support to the South African vaccination roll-out by sharing my experience. Whatever your thoughts on the vaccine, one has to admit that it’s a step in reopening travel after months of travel bans, restrictions, new Covid-19 variants and the spike in cases. The tourism industry, one of the industries that took massive strain due to the pandemic, is rallying support for the #Jab4Tourism campaign. The campaign is a way for the industry to encourage vaccinations and speed up the process, which, in turn, helps travel fully resume. So, how does one…