Innholdsfortegnelse for 2022-02-06 i Sunday Independent

Wesley Diphoko wesley.diphoko@inl.co.za ONCE in a lifetime, something comes up and initially, everyone doubts and questions it, and they they wake up – very late. The metaverse is one such development. What’s interesting about the metaverse is that it’s here, even in its basic form. A lab version of the metaverse has been around for more than 10 years. Second Life, which is better known as a virtual world, is the closest thing we’ve seen that resembles the metaverse as envisaged by many tech executives who are popularising the term “metaverse”. This, however, is not enough to turn around sceptics, who maintain that the metaverse is just a dream. Here’s why many need to wake up and accept the metaverse as a reality. First, it’s important to understand that the…

SOUTH African small businesses face a myriad challenges, not only rooted in the precariousness of the country’s current economic climate, but due to South Africa’s turbulent history. Since the inception of democracy, the government has implemented initiatives, through social and legal means, to boost the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector in light of its importance as a key contributor to gross domestic product with varying success. BBBEE’s and its connection to ESD Programmes In 2003, by means of the ratification of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) Act, government extended a helping hand to SMEs with the ultimate goal of bridging the gap between large South African corporates and small businesses. The act gave rise to Enterprise Supplier Development (ESD) programmes – initiatives owned and run by corporates to…

MZILIKAZI WA AFRIKA PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has handed the control of the South African Air Force to a man who can’t fly a single aircraft because he doesn’t have a pilot’s licence. Ramaphosa went against the tradition of the air force where, since its inception, commanders have always been fighter-jet pilots or certified pilots. Today, Sunday Independent can reveal that Lieutenant-General Wiseman Mbambo does not possess a pilot’s licence and is merely an air traffic controller. Veteran air force officials say his appointment in June last year has sent shock waves through the SANDF and raised many questions regarding the leadership of its commander-in-chief, Ramaphosa. This week, veteran air force officials, who asked not to be named, said that Mbambo’s appointment as the commander of the air force had made…

Baldwin Ndaba baldwin.ndaba@inl.co.za Political parties have expressed mixed feelings about the State of the Nation Address (Sona) by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday, with many raising concerns about growing unemployment in the country. Cope national spokesperson Dennis Bloem said his party was expecting nothing positive to come out of Ramaphosa’s address, saying South Africa was in “serious trouble about the growing levels of unemployment”. “We are in a political and economic crisis, but Ramaphosa is concentrating on his party's internal issues rather than leading the country. “The unemployment issue is a ticking time bomb. It can explode any time if not addressed. “President Ramaphosa has contacts in the private sector. He must team up with them to address this unemployment crisis. There is also another crisis of safety and…

From Page 1 Malema accused Lamola of acting unlawfully when he wrote to Justice Zondo suggesting he appoint Judge Mlambo to act. Malema said the move is seen as Lamola prepping Mlambo to get a feel of the Constitutional Court before being shortlisted as a Chief Justice nominee. Commissioner Dali Mpofu added to the mix and said the minister's actions were unlawful. Malema and Mpofu put questions to Justice Zondo around Judge Mlambo’s appointment. Malema asked him if it was a norm for a minister to send someone to act at the apex court. Justice Zondo said it was not the norm and he did find it unusual. He later stated that he was not saying it was unlawful. Lamola denied there was anything illegal about his request and insisted…

Manyane Manyane manyane.manyane@inl.co.za THE parents of Thato Motloung, who is disabled, feel the law has failed them after the truck driver who drove over their daughter was allowed to walk free while their 8-year-old girl will never have a normal life like her peers. The family said the trucker did not face the full might of the law following his alleged negligence and reckless driving in Palm Springs Secure Village, in November 2019, when Thato was driven over by a construction truck from Kunene Ceilings, a sub-contractor for the Cosmopolitan housing project in the secure village. Thato’s mother, Nthabiseng Motloung, 31, said the day of her daughter’s accident would remain with them, and that it changed their lives dramatically. “She didn’t go to school on that day and her young…

The continuing debate around the advisability of proposed seismic surveys in search of offshore oil and gas reserves along the Wild Coast has brought into sharp focus the wider debate concerning two issues. On the one hand is the neoliberal state’s crisis of unemployment, which those in authority would argue can best be addressed by allowing multinational companies to invest in such ventures, with the promise that local communities will benefit economically, as well as earning the public fiscus much-needed revenue. Activists, however, argue that the promised economic benefits, if any, often pale into insignificance when assessed against the potential damage to the environment, especially the ecosystem, and the harm to humans that may result from the broader damage to both the lands and the atmosphere. The interim court interdict…

An artist who started sharing his work only six years ago is encouraging others to step out into the light. Terence Visagie, 53, from the Northern Cape, hopes his artwork inspires others. He is passionate about preserving the memory of the indigenous people of South Africa. “I feel the need to show our indigenous people, and I am doing this through art,” he said. Visagie has recently exhibited his work of indigenous people at the Koena Art Institute in Observatory, a gallery run by an individual of indigenous descent.…

Na’eem Jeenah Following what is usually a routine, even boring and mostly ignored, event – the acceptance by the South African president of letters of credence from foreign ambassadors – the past two weeks witnessed a flurry of criticism, explanations, condemnations and defences. Immediately after the Department of International Relations and Co- operation (Dirco) and the Presidency tweeted pictures of a smiling President Cyril Ramaphosa with a smiling new Israeli ambassador, Eliav Belotsecovsky, Palestine solidarity activists responded angrily, slamming the president, the government and the ANC, accusing them of hypocrisy and of betraying the Palestinian people. Uncharacteristically, Dirco re- sponded immediately on social media, attempting to reassure South Africans that government remained pro-Palestinian. That sparked more and harsher condemnations. Dirco responded with a rambling defensive statement asserting: “The situation is…

Stuart Hess stuart.hess@inl.co.za THE Proteas will draw attention to what’s been termed South Africa’s ‘second pandemic’ when they take to the Wanderers for the fourth One-Day International against the West Indies, dressed in black. Violence against women and girls has been a scourge on this country with many suffering in silence and many other women simply ignored. It’s a situation that’s worsened in the Covid pandemic with helplines and aid organisations reporting significant increases in calls from frightened women who’ve been beaten and sexually assaulted by men after the lockdowns started. While there will be cynics pointing to a mere gesture of wearing black, it is the fact that a national sports team, with a relatively high profile on the eve of departing for a World Cup, is doing so,…

Stuart Hess stuart.hess@inl.co.za There was a line doing the rounds on Thursday about trying to keep up with all the absentees in English cricket at the moment. The England and Wales Cricket Board currently has no chairman, no head coach (for the men’s national team) and no director of cricket. It was easy to snigger, until one realised South African cricket may be stuck with something similar pretty soon. For one, there is no full-time chief executive officer for Cricket SA; there may soon be no director of cricket if Graeme Smith’s contract – which expires at the end of March – isn’t extended; and, there’ll be no head coach for the men’s national team if many on the current board get their way. On Monday, the CSA T20 Challenge…

Bernelee Vollmer bernelee.vollmer@inl.co.za The day of departure after your holiday is always disappointing, even more so if your early check-out and evening flight is leaving you stuck with your luggage all day and unable to enjoy those final moments of your trip. The travel experts at Bounce have put together tips to help you make the most of your departure day, including how to use Bounce’s luggage storage for freedom during those final hours. Hotel facilities In generally, many resorts and hotels allow their guests to continue using their amenities on the day of check-out, so it’s definitely worth asking. If agreed, why not spend your final hours winding down by the pool, making the most out of the last rays? If you decide to go for a dip though,…

LEST YOU GET deceived that the author is an angel statistician, not at all. For the record, check the 2003 Consumer Price Index debacle of South Africa. Only a politically patient frame of mind that understood the magnitude of the challenge faced in the building of a statistical institute, could lead to having the proverbial nine lives statistician. I observe that in the past decade, when it comes to severe ailments of economies, the axe falls on national statisticians instead of on policies. It is about shooting the messenger. Many more chief statisticians have been fired in the last decade than has been seen in the past 70 years. Climate change is the biggest threat to world survival as, similarly, are the heads of state relative to their national statisticians,…

Laura Daily I'm a bit of a Valentine's Day Scrooge – not to the point where I want to impale Cupid on his own arrows, but I burn at the idea of shelling out serious bucks to prove my devotion to my sweetie for one day in mid-February. Of course I – and anyone who feels the same way – can skip the day altogether. But if you do enjoy Valentine's Day, you can celebrate it without breaking the bank. Here's advice from chocolate and flower experts on how to get the most for your money. Chocolates Those iconic heart-shaped boxes of chocolates filling grocery store displays were probably produced last summer, because large manufacturers have a lead time of six to eight months from production to shelf. That's not…

For the longest time, colours have been playing a subjective role in people’s lives. They have been used to predict certain events of the times, as well as to symbolise significant moments. However, the significance they have in the world of fashion and art is incomparable. Especially, when it comes to the fashion industry, we cannot even imagine one without all the vibrant colours in the universe. So every year the Pantone Colour Institute comes up with a colour to capture and represent the essence of a specific year. And this time, Pantone has announced “Very Peri” as 2022’s Colour of the Year. A dynamic periwinkle blue with a vivifying violet and red undertone, the shade is described as one of the “happiest and warmest of all the blue hues”.…

Nathan Craig nathan.craig@inl.co.za KwaZulu-Natal will soon be the staging ground for a country-first as the government advances plans to print 3D homes. The pilot project is expected to begin between April and May. While the conventional means of building a foundation will be followed, the house will be 3D-printed directly on site. Refilwe Lediga from 3D PrintCrete and Robotics said: “We partnered with the national Department of Science and Innovation that has a working relationship with the Human Settle- ments Department of KZN. We received funding from them,” he said. The department’s spokesperson, Thabang Setlhare, confirmed the project and partnership. Tshepang Mosiea, the department’s director of science and technology for sustainable human settlements, is managing the project. The amount of funding has not been disclosed. Lediga earned a master’s degree…

Prostate cancer is the leading cancer in men in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) regarding incidence and mortality. The incidence of prostate cancer has been increasing over the last few decades, largely due to increased screening and early detection procedures. The fear of having prostate cancer can be devastating to men. However, it is most successfully treated when found early. With an estimated 1.3 million new cases and 359 000 associated deaths, prostate cancer was the second most common cancer in men worldwide and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death in 2018. In South Africa, our latest data show us that in 2019 prostate cancer accounted for close to 25% (10 495 cases) of the cancer cases diagnosed, with one in 15 men having a lifetime risk of developing this…

Lesego Makgatho lesego.makgatho@inl.co.za A Gauteng judge ruled this week that trade union Solidarity’s case against Small Enterprise Employers of SA is not urgent and ordered it to pay costs. The urgent application by Solidarity challenging the Pretoria-based company’s policy on mandatory Covid-19 vaccinations was struck from the Johannesburg Labour Court roll on Thursday. The union approached the court on an urgent basis on behalf of its members Wynand Fransua Coertzen and Stephanie Christensen, who are employed by Small Enterprise Employers of SA as a software developer and legal adviser respectively. Solidarity wanted the court to issue an order declaring unlawful the refusal by the company to allow Coertzen and Christensen to continue with their duties. The company refused the applicants access to the workplace after they reported for duty at…

UKRAINIAN President Volodymyr Zelensky’s impassioned pleas to the US and the West to “tone down” their rhetoric on the “imminent” Russian invasion of his country appear to have fallen on deaf ears. Hardly a week after making his much-publicised appeal – enough to cause diplomatic embarrassment in the Ukraine-West relations – US President Joe Biden ordered the White House to refrain from describing their assessment of a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine as “imminent”. However, in the same vein, Biden announced that he has authorised the deployment of 3 000 servicemen and women to Germany, Poland and Romania to deter Moscow’s perceived threat against Kiev. The Kremlin has been at pains to explain that the troop build-up on its soil, albeit near the border with Ukraine, need not be construed…

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2022 State of the Nation Address will be one of the toughest he has delivered. Issues such as the ever-increasing petrol prices, unemployment rate, inequality, poverty and many other challenges that the country is faced with all deserve mention in the Sona. But they have all been on the agenda for the longest time. In each new financial year or during past Sonas, South Africans have listened to promises on how the issues would be addressed. Sadly, for various reasons, the situation has deteriorated. As such, this is not news anymore. My focus in this article is on the country’s security. While my piece has been triggered by the manner in which we have started 2022, concerns were there in July last year, when the country was…

MEMBERS of Parliament are expected to grill 10 candidates who are competing for the position of inspector-general of intelligence. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the joint standing committee on intelligence will interview 10 people vying for the top postof chief of the spy watchdog. The term of office for Inspector-General of Intelligence Setlhomamaru Dintwe is coming to an end next month. He is one of the candidates contesting for the position. The inspector-general of intelligence is appointed for five years.…

Ashfak Mohamed ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za THEY battled to get going in the opening 40 minutes, but the Bulls scored tries on either side of halftime to secure a hard-fought 21-13 United Rugby Championship victory over the Lions yesterday. The rainy conditions at Loftus Versfeld made the ball difficult to handle for both sides, but with all their possession in the first half, the Bulls should have put the Lions away much earlier in the game. On the evidence of this performance, Jake White’s team still have a long way to go if they want to challenge the likes of Leinster, Ulster and even Edinburgh in the top half of the URC log. There was certainly a visible attacking intent from Bulls, as they started the match in fine fashion by holding on…

Herman Gibbs herman.gibbs@africannewsagency.com THE recent influx of South American players into the Premier Soccer League (PSL) stirs memories of a time when there was a burgeoning relationship between South African football and South American coaches. Ahead of the January transfer window deadline, South Americans like Darwin Gonzalez, Juan Carlos Ortíz (Venezuela), Erwin Saavedra (Bolivia) and Junior Mendieta (Argentina) arrived on our shores to bolster PSL squads. In recent years, South Africa’s champion club Mamelodi Sundowns has had a full-on bromance with South American football. What started as a trickle became a steady stream of Latin American players as Leonardo Castro (Colombia), Ricardo Nascimento (Brazil), Gastón Sirino, Mauricio Affonso (both Uruguay) and José Alí Meza (Venezuela) arrived at the club’s Chloorkop base. With these acquisitions, the number of South Americans at…

Lutho Pasiya lutho.pasiya@inl.co.za In the past two years, many craft breweries were affected by the pandemic. Despite all this, brewers have created a way to keep consumers coming back for more and more. Whether you fancy a bitter and hoppy India Pale Ale or light and hazy brew, these are the trends. We spoke to brewmistress Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela on beer trends to expect in 2022. Nxusani-Mawela said Covid-19 and the numerous alcohol bans have been tough and many breweries had to close, but with the new year come new promises and new opportunities. Non-alcoholic beers Non-alcoholic beers have been around for a while, just that no one really cared much about them until we had alcohol bans and that was the closest thing to beer many could find. This pushed…

In trying to catch up with the demands of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR), we subject poor people to traditions and cultures of a non-existent world; viz no walk-in assistance without making online appointments with SARS; forced e-filing, retrieving tax assessments online, online IRP5 forms, etc. If one gives herself time to observe the disappointment which gets written on the faces of poor older people when they are turned away by SARS officials at the entry points; she will agree with me that being convinced of our 4IR status is a fallacy, we have never been ready for it. We cannot recall, benchmark nor attribute previous innovations to the 3IR, 2IR or 1IR. We were not socialised into knowing which ICT regime a simple garden hoe, spade, rake or watering…

Tracy-Lynn Ruiters A dark cloud hangs over the sleepy town of Klawer on the West Coast, where body parts believed to be from a missing 13-year-old boy were discovered in a drain at the residence of a train driver on Friday. Teen Jerobejin van Wyk went missing on Wednesday. Police said their investigation into the boy’s disappearance led to the arrest of a 56-year-old man, whose name is known to Independent Media, but is being withheld because he hasn’t appeared in court. “The missing boy was accused of stealing fruit at the suspects residence. The perpetrator chased after him and he has not been seen since," said police spokesperson Colonel Andre Traut. On Friday afternoon, a search of the suspects house uncovered human remains in a drain on the premises.…

From Page 1 A snap survey among countries in the SADC region shows that in Namibia Air Vice-Marshal Teofilus Shaende, a military officer, serves as commander of the Namibian air force. Shaende had a private pilot’s licence and in 2003 went to Zambia to complete a conversion and operation flying course with the Zambian air force. In 2004, he did a qualified flying instructor course with the Zambian air force. He was appointed as air force commander in Namibia in April 2020. At the helm of the Zimbabwean air force is experienced pilot Air Marshal Elson Moyo, who has flown a number of planes and has commanded the air force since December 2017. Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, Chief of Air Staff of the Nigerian Airforce since July 2015, has…

Amanda Maliba amanda.maliba@inl.co.ca Violent attacks on teachers seem to be on the increase in South Africa as yet another teacher was attacked by a Grade 11 pupil and her parents at Setjhaba se Maketse Combined School in Botshabelo on Friday. The teacher sustained injuries and his laptop was damaged. While some educators say what is happening to the teachers is a reflection of the violent nature of South African society, there are also unconfirmed reports that the attacks could be a result of competition for positions among teachers themselves. The attack on the Botshabelo teacher came a few weeks after the brutal killing of a deputy principal, Thembisile Ngendane, who was shot dead outside Phomolong Secondary School in Tembisa, allegedly by three armed men. Initial and unconfirmed reports alleged it…

KARABO NGOEPE karabo.ngoepe@inl.co.za THE multibillion-rand Matlosana N12 catalytic project, which is supposed to produce almost 40 000 housing units, has been dogged by controversy, including the alleged improper appointment of the developer, MXN Development Construction, without an appropriate letter. Minister of Human Settlements Mamoloko Kubayi visited the site in December last year, but her spokesperson, Hlengiwe Nhlabathi, denied the visit had anything to do with the problems associated with the project. In order to familiarise herself with the work of her ministerial portfolio, the minister had made visits to all the provincial departments that provided briefings about the status of human settlements delivery in their respective provinces, Nhlabathi said. “The visit to the North West was part of that process, and the province showcased to the minister some of the…

Edwin Naidu edwin.naidu@live.co.za Colourful, sometimes controversial, but never dull. Mamokgethi Phakeng is one of South Africa’s best-known university heads, and a brilliant mathematician to boot. Phakeng, who became the first black woman to obtain a doctorate in mathematics education in 2002, started her term of office as vice-chancellor of the University of Cape Town in July 2018. She is determined to encourage young people to continue practising mathematics and to excel in it. In October 2021, she was appointed as the first Illustrious Visiting Professor of the University of Bristol in England, because of her “exceptional and inspirational” work in maths education. In 2019, Phakeng was awarded a doctorate of science from the same university. In the role, Phakeng will engage with the university’s academic community, participate in a public…

Amnesty International carried out research between July 2017 and November 2021, guided by a global policy on the human rights violation and crime of apartheid following recognition that it had given insufficient attention to situations of systematic discrimination and oppression around the world. It published its findings on February 2 titled “Israel’s Apartheid Against Palestinians – Cruel System Of Domination And Crime Against Humanity”. The report found that Israel’s leaders have opted to systemically privilege Jewish Israeli citizens through the distribution of land and resources, resulting in their relative wealth and well-being at the expense of Palestinians. The report said Israel has steadily expanded Jewish settlements on occupied Palestinian territory in violation of international law. In 1948 Palestinians comprised around 70% of the population of Palestine and owned about 90%…

The recent appointment of Inkosikazi Nosandile Mhlauli as the first woman to chair the National House of Traditional and Khoisan Leaders marks a major step in the gender transformation of the historically male-dominated institution of traditional leadership. It represents a major achievement in the recognition of women as legitimate leaders of society. Inkosikazi Mhlauli has a proven track record as a leader of the Eastern Cape Provincial House of Leaders for 15 years, followed by four years as the deputy chairperson of the National House of Traditional and Khoisan Leaders. She has also served as an acting national chairperson after the passing of national chairperson Inkosi Sipho Mahlangu in July 2021. It is evident that she is a very experienced leader who has earned the respect of her peers in…

Alexander John Thurston THE latest coup in Burkina Faso is the fourth in Africa’s Sahel region in less than 18 months. The other three were in August 2020 in Mali; April last year in Chad; and Mali’s “coup within a coup”, last May. Yet, European and American leaders appear more concerned with the presence of Russian-linked Wagner Group mercenaries than with the region’s core political problems. The coups illustrate the dangers of regional and international actors prioritising counterterrorism (and competition with Russia), while ignoring other warning signs. These include flawed, low-turnout elections, out-of-touch rulers, and crackdowns on free expression. There’s also abject poverty, and astonishing levels of internal displacement. In addition, there’s overemphasis on counterterrorism. The Burkina Faso coup was the subject of urgent regional co-ordination meetings, and an emergency…

SIX weeks ago, on December 17, Russia tabled two security proposals to secure global peace. The proposals are a response to the crisis in Ukraine and the withdrawal of the US from the three most important arms control treaties: the ABM (Anti-Ballistic Missile) Treaty; the INF (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces) Treaty; and the Open Skies Treaty. On January 26, both Russian proposals were rejected, signalling that the US would continue using Nato as an interventionist tool, as evidenced in military interventions in Serbia, Iraq and Libya. As a result, it is understandable that any proposal to expand Nato will increase tension and fuel the new international culture of distrust. The first Russian proposal is a draft agreement to be signed between Russia and the US. The key clause is the commitment…

Matshelane Mamabolo THE Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) final between Egypt and Senegal that takes place at the Olembe Stadium in Yaounde, Cameroon tonight (9pm SA time) has, understandably, been dubbed as the Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane show. After all, the two Liverpool stars have been influential in their countries reaching the ultimate stage of the competition. It stands to reason then that Salah and Mane will be looked upon to respectively lead the Pharaohs to an eighth title or the Lions of Teranga to a maiden title. However the men directly opposite them could have a bigger say on the outcome. Goalkeepers Edouard Mendy and Mohamed Gabaski Abou-Gabal are two men with fascinating career tales for whom continental glory would mean a lot. Having both missed their country’s…

CLAUDIA Pechstein became the oldest woman Winter Olympian in history yesterday when the decorated speed skater competed, aged 49 years and 348 days, in the Beijing 2022 Games. The German police officer also became the first woman to participate in eight Winter Olympics. Pechstein, who has won five gold medals over an Olympic career stretching back to 1992, finished last in the women's 3000 metres and saw her Olympic record time beaten by winner Irene Schouten of the Netherlands. “I was not too fast, but I smiled (after crossing the finish line) because today I got my goal to race in my eighth Olympic Games, this was important for me,” said Pechstein, who carried Germany’s flag at Friday’s opening ceremony in the Chinese capital. “I am the only woman in…