Innholdsfortegnelse for 2022-03-20 i Sunday Independent

Viwe Ndongeni-Ntlebi viwe.ndongeni@inl.co.za Eating a well-balanced diet is a key component of living a long and healthy life. However, starting a healthy lifestyle can be hard, intimidating and even expensive if you follow all the healthy hints available on the market. Although there is some truth to the assumption that fresh, whole food is pricier than highly processed products, eating well to enhance health doesn’t have to bust your budget. Over the years in my health journey I learnt that being healthy is possible on a budget. It is only when you try to keep up with all the health trends that you start digging too deep into your pocket. This is not just about my experience. Science shows that a healthy lifestyle has levels and can be inexpensive depending…

Thobile Mazibuko thobile.mazibuko@inl.co.za A FRAGRANCE is one of those things that introduces you before you do. It can say something about who you are or your or mood for the day. Choosing a fragrance is very personal. Themba Ndlovu, a fragrance specialist, says the kind of scent we choose to wear offers insight into our personality and interests. From oriental and spicy to fresh and fruity, our choice of scent sets us apart. “Of course, it’s not an exact science, there’s always a little wriggle room, but chances are you’ll see pieces of yourself in your favourite fragrance,” he said. Fragrance brand Playgirl’s Zaweer Ebrahim says a fragrance can express who you are and who you want to be: “Applying a fragrance can make you feel attractive, sexy, bold, understated…

Tomorrow, the rainbow government of the ANC celebrates what it flagrantly continues to distort as “Human Rights Day”. It’s not. It should be commemorated as Sharpeville Massacre Day as we remember that fateful day on March 21, 1960, when unarmed black people were massacred by a white regime in Sharpeville. The painful question that future generations must ask is why were these peaceful “Afrikans” so ruthlessly murdered in the land of their forefathers? And by European settlers who had, through conquest, come to settle in our native land as early as 1652? It is now 62 years since their blood was spilt, and 28 years since the so-called freedom under the ANC, yet their cries have never been heard. Sadly, their experience has deliberately been distorted. I am interrogating this…

Karabo Ngoepe and Manyane Manyane The new DA of Helen Zille and John Steenhuisen has abandoned the black constituency to focus on fighting the Freedom Front Plus and consolidating the white constituency vote, says a former leader. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the former leader also said the DA was content with being a 10% party. “The DA has ceased to (be) an attractive party with the capability and aspirations of becoming an alternative government. They have decided to be a 10% party,” said the leader, adding: “Thus the internal environment is reflective of the new DA of Helen Zille and John Steenhuisen.” Another former leader said what has been happening was just the tip of the iceberg, with more black leaders planning to be leave the party to seek…

From Page 1 “They just wanted us to legalise their illegally bought equipment and we said no,” one of the ministers said yesterday. Sources within the intelligence community claim the grabbers were bought, then used to illegally listen to targeted journalists and politicians’ phones. Five journalists and 11 politicians were named as victims of this illegal operation. The Sunday Independent can today reveal that some of the politicians whose phones were illegally bugged include Ayanda Dlodlo, who was minister of State Security at the time and Mzwandile Masina, who was then the executive mayor of Ekurhuleni. A government official close to Dlodlo said: “That’s one of the reasons Ayanda decided to leave the government and join the World Bank, because she couldn’t take these illegal activities anymore. Imagine the audacity…

Tshepiso Tshabalala tshepiso.tshabalala@inl.co.za BOLT e-hailing service has come under pressure after more people came forward with horrifying allegations of how they had suffered at the hands of their drivers. Bolt was launched in South Africa in 2019. It has since become a trusted mode of transport for South Africans, who regard the service to be cost-effective and handy. As the service grew and attracted more customers, some Bolt users’ social media posts alleged the service’s drivers had robbed them of their belongings, prolonged trips to charge customers extra and rape allegations also surfaced. The latest news report making headlines was of a young woman who was allegedly raped by a driver who duped her into going to a secluded area under the pretext that he would pray for her. When…

Don Makatile don.makatile@inl.co.za Just as recently as 2001 there was a rare talent on the football fields that dazzled so much that those who follow the game thought the gods must have gone crazy. He bulldozed his way into the senior Kaizer Chiefs starting line-up at a precocious 17, the age only the most gifted, like the legendary Pele, make their mark in soccer. Junior Khanye was different. That much was acknowledged by no less football authorities than the late Patrick Ace Ntsoelengoe and Ted Dumitru. Throughout his short but ill-fated soccer career, the two giants of the game would not be the only people to beg the wunderkind to guard his talent and eschew the pernicious habits drawing him away from playing to his full potential. But did he…

A general perception persists that the enforcement of democratic norms and values that inform the governance of the AU and its regional bodies, is slipping out of its reach. The apparent general regression of the enforcement of compliance with governance prescripts has propelled this perception. The recent manifestation of this in highly-charged conflict areas, with no less than three coups occurring in west Africa – in Burkina Faso (January 2022), Guinea (September 2021) and Mali (September 2020) – since 2020, has cast a gloomy cloud over the AU region, which has made enormous strides in erecting and abiding to its own governance norms and standards. It appears that the African continent is gradually regressing to the disheartening days of interstate and intra-national conflict, etched along historical ethnic lines. At the…

THE appointment of Acting Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo as Chief Justice raises pertinent questions. After many weeks of speculation, President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed Justice Zondo as the successor to Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng. This decision took many by surprise, myself included. Ramaphosa’s decision has triggered pertinent questions, including the following: Did he violate the Constitution? Was his decision justifiable? Was Zondo the best candidate for this position? Why was the emphatic recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) ignored? Did the appointment have anything to do with what transpired during the Zondo Commission? Was the appointment meant to ensure Ramaphosa’s “soft landing” when he leaves office? Will this appointment ensure stability at the Constitutional Court? This list is not exhaustive, but it forces us to ponder about the possible…

Many Americans are understandably trying to understand where China stands as the crisis in Ukraine unfolds, so I want to take this opportunity to explain fully and dispel any misunderstandings and rumours. There have been claims that China had prior knowledge of Russia’s military action and demanded Russia delay it until the Winter Olympics concluded. Recent rumors further claimed that Russia was seeking military assistance from China. Let me say this responsibly: Assertions that China knew about, acquiesced to or tacitly supported this war are purely disinformation. All these claims serve only the purpose of shifting blame to and slinging mud at China. There were more than 6 000 Chinese citizens in Ukraine. China is the biggest trading partner of both Russia and Ukraine, and the largest importer of crude…

HERMAN GIBBS herman.gibbs@gmail.com MUCH to Kaizer Chiefs’ relief the matches they missed in December due to a Covid-19 outbreak will be played following an arbitration ruling. The SA Football Association’s arbitration, led by Nazeer Cassim SC, decided that the DStv Premiership matches which Chiefs failed to honour in December should be played. The dates will be decided by the PSL (Premier Soccer League). The PSL will be pleased that the Chiefs saga has finally been settled and will not be saddled with another Royal AM-style debacle. Initially, the PSL rejected Chiefs’ request to postpone their December games. Several days later, Chiefs informed PSL prosecutor Zola Majavu that they will refer the matter to Safa for arbitration. Yesterday morning, Chiefs issued a statement, which read: “Kaizer Chiefs are pleased that justice…

Herman Gibbs herman.gibbs@gmail.com TEN-MAN Mamelodi Sundowns showed their championship mettle when they sucker-punched the pride of Sudanese football, Al Hilal, 4-2, to retain their unbeaten run in the CAF Champions League group phase. After leading 2-0 at half-time at the Al-Hilal Stadium, in Khartoum, the 10-man Sundowns added another two goals in the second half, although they surrendered two, one of which was a dubious penalty. Following Friday’s Al Ahly versus Al-Merrikh result, Sundowns were assured of a quarter-final berth. However, the win opened a six-point lead over Pitso Mosimane’s Ahly. The Sudanese teams Merrikh and Hilal fill third and fourth places, respectively. Straight from the opening centre, and three passes later, Hilal striker Ibrahim Mustapha unleashed a drive from outside the penalty area, but his effort was blocked. A…

Mihlali Baleka mihlali.baleka@inl.co.za STELLENBOSCH FC coach Steve Barker is wary of the threat posed by Royal AM but says they’ll fight to get maximum points in the “six-pointer” as that will ensure that they stay within reach of their target of finishing in the top five this season. Stellies have had an impressive outing this term. They are fifth on the table with 31 points, five behind second-placed Royal AM who they host today at the Danie Craven Stadium. For a team that has been perennial relegation candidates, Stellies have punched above their weight, while Royal AM have exceeded expectations as well. The KZN-based side are in their first season in the top flight. “After a couple of poor results, one finds themselves in mid-table. But with a couple of…

AS AN unacceptable example of government failure, even today, the government announces that as a priority for future implementation, service providers should be paid within 30 days. And how long have we heard this? A broken record promise with the needle never moving. This article discusses how the fervent business process outsourcing in the public service arena typified the zeal for privatisation as an irresponsible and corrupt buffer serving to conceal public servants from delivering services to the public and avoiding having to account for their presence as public servants. My leadership principles draw on what the outcome is. Don’t keep on telling me the proposed inputs and execution strategy, that is not measured. Yet in the government bureaucracy hierarchy they report on inputs, outputs, outcomes and impacts, and get…

Leah Davina Junck Questions about trust and online dating regularly crop up, along with headlines about unpleasant online approaches, scams and even physical assaults when dates move offline. Still, dating apps like Tinder remain hugely popular, downloaded and used mostly on cellphones to meet new people. In fact, they have received increasing traffic globally in recent years despite these bleak stories, and spurred by Covid-induced lockdowns. My ethnographic research in Cape Town shows that Tinder dating is riddled with contradictory feelings. As an anthropology scholar who is curious about intimacy and apps, I followed the dating journeys of 25 Tinder users for two years. I soon found myself confronted with a paradox: even though using the app had become a mundane everyday practice, app users described meeting someone on Tinder…

Ghetto Ninja – The Junior Khanye Story by Nikolaos Kirkinis Junior Khanye’s story cycles through themes of comedy, tragedy and triumph. Junior was scouted to Kaizer Chiefs when he was just 17, where he soon became the darling of the nation with his goal-scoring prowess. However, Junior’s reputation as a troubled youth soon saw him kicked out of Kaizer Chiefs. The soccer commentator is living proof that one can come back from a state of darkness to achieve greatness. In The Long Run (Wednesdays on SABC 1 at 6.30pm) In The Long Run is a nostalgic comedy series created by and starring Idris Elba. The series is based on his 1980s childhood in inner-city London. Since arriving from Sierra Leone 13 years ago, the Easmons have lived a quiet life.…

Manyane Manyane manyane.manyane@inl.co.za Sifiso Zililo, a Grade 9 pupil at Katleho Impumelelo Secondary School, in Sebokeng, in the Vaal, found the shame of being the laughing stock of the class unbearable when two teachers allegedly mocked him and called him a dunderhead, to the amusement of his peers. This resulted in the pupil taking his own life. Sifiso was laid to rest last Saturday at the Vanderbijlpark Cemetery, in the Emfuleni Municipality. Sifiso’s aunt, Bongi Zililo, said it was a normal Friday morning when Sifiso was preparing himself for school, but later the family realised he had left his backpack and pocket money in the kitchen. The 16-year-old was nowhere to be found. “His mom called her husband (his father) and told him that Sifiso had left his backpack…

Baldwin Ndaba baldwin.ndaba@inl.co.za Saftu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi is set to meet his accusers this week over allegations that he abused the federation’s credit card to the tune of R65 000 for his personal expenses. The allegations are expected to be tabled at the South African Federation of Trade Unions’ national executive committee meeting which sits in Boksburg on Thursday, a few days after Saftu president Mac Chavalala asked Vavi to provide him with reasons as to why he should not be placed on precautionary suspension. While the top leadership insists that Vavi be placed on suspension, 14 affiliates of Saftu have strongly opposed the move. Vavi has also denied the allegations of abuse against him. He wrote a letter to Saftu’s national finance committee, which postponed its meeting this…

From Page 1 He alleged that he too was humiliated by the same teachers in February. The sentiments were echoed by other pupils who alleged that the two teachers had a vile attitude towards learners at the school. A parent, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of victimisation, alleged her son also experienced humiliation and bullying by one of the two teachers. “My son has been complaining about the same teacher since last year. He once told me that the teacher told them that they will be useless like their parents. The teacher told the class that those who are being raised by single mothers should stand up and she told them that their fathers are useless,” she said. The school principal, Lucas Nxusa, refused to comment and said…

Baldwin Ndaba baldwin.ndaba@inl.co.za POLITICAL parties have blamed poor border controls for the violent clashes between Lesotho and Zimbabwe nationals over seasonal farming jobs. In the Western Cape, tensions between the two groups boiled over at the weekend in Robertson’s Nkqubela township, with the two factions involved in violent clashes that forced some of the Zimbabweans to take refuge at a local police station. The groups are fighting over limited farmworker jobs. The clashes have irked local politicians. UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said the fact that the two groups were fighting on South African soil was a clear indication that the government, especially Home Affairs, did not have figures on who was in the country illegally. “There is a lack of administration. It has long collapsed. The issue of immigration is…

Mpho Rantao mpho.rantao@inl.co.za THANDO Hopa is travelling across the continent on a mission to discover the stories behind some of Africa’s popular fabrics. Metaphorically, that is. The model and activist with albinism has created the African Fashion Legacy project with the World Economic Forum. It is a campaign searching for and archiving the history behind the popular fabrics worn by various ethnic groups on the continent. “The idea grew into it becoming not just a legacy project but also a record-keeping of sorts. To give these loved fabric prints a cultural currency so that the world, and those who come after us, value the fabric and cultural significance behind them,” Hopa said. From Ankara, mud cloths and Kente fabrics indigenous to West Africa. Kitenge (also pronounced chitenge) and Kanga print…

Lesego Makgatho lesego.makgatho@inl.co.za LIKE many women across the globe, safety has always been a concern for Stephenie Rodriguez who says a sense of security in any space gives one the freedom to go about their life without worrying about any danger possibly brought unto them. She has dedicated her life to the eradication of violence against women by pioneering a gadget called WanderSafe Beacon, a hand-held device that equips women with the means to defend themselves under threat of domestic, physical or sexual violence. Rodriguez has been a solo traveller since she was 18, traversing 55 countries. She has used her own experiences to create something that would help anyone who “has ever felt unsafe in an elevator, in a dark corner, or commuting or walking to a car at…

This week in The Hague, Netherlands, the UN’s International Court of Justice (ICJ) voted 13-2 in favour of sanctioning Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. The court found no credence in Russia’s claims of genocide against the more than 4 million mainly Russian-speaking citizens of the Donbass region in the east of Ukraine. Since 2014, when pro-Russian Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych was toppled in a US and Western-backed coup, the Luhansk and Donetsk areas that make up the Donbass region rebelled against the coup, and opted rather to secede than form a part of an anti-Kremlin new Ukrainian order. Fifteen thousand Donbass region citizens were killed in shelling of their residences by the Kyiv administrations of first president Petro Poroshenko, who ruled immediately after the coup from 2014-2019, and the…

In his 1994 inaugural speech, the late former president Nelson Mandela made a pledge “to liberate all our people from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discrimination”. He went further, committing his government to work with all races to “build the society in which all South Africans will be able to walk tall, without any fear in their hearts, assured of their inalienable right to human dignity – a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world”. To achieve this, his ANC-led government put policies and mechanisms to level the field in that regard. These interventions include the introduction of laws such as the Employment Equity Act, Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act of 2000, still to be made law Prevention and…

Jonathan Powell, Abigail Reynolds and Mwita Chacha It was not long ago that the decline of coups was being celebrated, not just in Africa, but globally. New African magazine asked in 2015 why coups were going out of style. Various efforts have been made to explain this shift, including the institutionalisation of more open political systems and the role of actors such as the African Union (AU). Although the November 2017 coup against Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe was a new coup, coups remained something of an afterthought in subsequent years. This has changed since August 2020, with successful coups taking place in Chad, Guinea, and twice in Mali as well as a failed effort to seize power in Niger, and both a failed and successful coup in Sudan. The apparent…

Morgan Bolton morgan.bolton@inl.co.za Emirates Lions (10) 23 Tries: Van der Merwe, Simelane; Conversions: Hendrikse (2); Penalties: Hendrikse (3) Munster (21) 21 Tries: Ryan, Wycherley (2); Conversions: Crowley (3) AN astonishing second half team performance by the Lions saw them overcome the mighty Munster at Emirates Airline Park in their United Rugby Championship encounter yesterday. Munster took control of the match as early as the eighth minute as tighthead John Ryan drove over the line to open the scoring. They were arguably aided by a lacklustre Lions side that seemed to battle to get going. On the occasions that the Lions managed to get some possession, Munster contested the breakdown something fierce, disrupting the flow of the hosts and putting them under immense pressure and into near panic. Moreover, the Lions’…

HERMAN GIBBS herman.gibbs@gmail.com WHO will ever forget the words of the commentator who declared, ‘For the first time ever, the Springboks score a try in World Cup final’ during the broadcast of the 2019 Rugby World Cup final between South Africa and England in Japan? It may not have dawned on rugby fans that the 1995 and 2007 world champions had annexed the Rugby World Cup in two try-less finals. When Makazole Mapimpi scored a 66th-minute try it was the first ever by the Springboks in a RWC final. The moment in history will forever belong to Mapimpi, the winger who hailed from the rural Eastern Cape. Last year the rugby fraternity learnt more about Mapimpi, when the riveting documentary ‘Chasing the Sun’ was aired. In the documentary Springboks coach Rassie…

From Page 1 Attempts to get comments from Rodgers and Macpherson were un- successful. Communications officer Bongisa Mhaga also referred inquiries to the pair when contacted for comment. Other leaders who left the “blue machine”, as the party calls itself, include: Nosimo Balindlela: The former Eastern Cape premier, ditched the DA to return to the ANC in May 2018. Veliswa Mvenya: The DA Eastern Cape MPL resigned in May 2018. A party veteran, who had been a member for almost 19 years, was adamant that her decision to quit had nothing to do with former DA MPL Nosimo Balindlela’s move back to the ANC. Patricia De Lille: On August 5, 2018, she announced her intention to resign as mayor of Cape Town. She resigned as a mayor and terminated her…

KARABO NGOEPE and MANYANE MANYANE EMBATTLED Emfuleni Local Municipality CFO Andile Dyakala has been suspended for alleged misconduct. The suspension comes after Dyakala was requested to explain why he should not be suspended, and he responded in a 98-page document. This week, the council resolved to suspend him. Spokesperson Makhosonke Sangweni confirmed the suspension. He said the council received a report from the municipal manager, Lucky Leseane, on serious allegations of misconduct, financial misconduct and irregular and wasteful expenditure, necessitating the municipality to effect a precautionary suspension. “The decision was taken to allow for a fair investigation into the matter,” he said. Dyakala and Leseane have been at loggerheads for some time, and now the municipal manager has to provide reasons why he should not be suspended. Dyakala accused him of…

Mpho Rantao mpho.rantao@inl.co.za American-born vocalist Somi Kakoma aims to honour the powerful voice of the late Miriam “Mama Africa” Makeba by sharing her love for the legendary singer through her offering, Zenzile: The Reimagination of Miriam Makeba. In Zenzile, Somi reinterprets many of Makeba’s popular hits, including Love Tastes Like Strawberries; Milele; Lakutshon Ilanga; and, the popular fan favourite, Pata Pata. “I love Mama Miriam and everything she stood for. When creating this tribute, I wanted to make sure that I focused not only on the music, but the messages that she was trying to send not just through her voice, but also through her activism,” she told the Sunday Independent. On this album, Kakoma enlisted the voices of iconic South African artists such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Thandiswa…

“The history of the distribution of wealth has always been deeply political, and it cannot be reduced to purely economic mechanisms”, wrote Thomas Piketty in Capital in the Twenty- First Century. Twelve years post-independence, Malaysia exploded with the 1969 Sino-Malay Race Riots. The majority of indigenous Bumiputera were aggrieved by the inequality of wealth and income, controlled by the Chinese and Indian ethnic minorities. Two years later, the state introduced the 20-year New Economic Policy. Poverty fell to an annual rate of 9.9% from 50% to 0.04%. Ownership of the means of production was changed by an aggressive policy of affirmative action. Deliberate and committed state action led to a high level of economic growth for all and the elimination of poverty. In 2020, nine months before South Africa’s riots…

ONE of the greatest diplomats after World War II, Henry Kissinger, remarked in his reflection in 2014 on the secession of the Crimea from Ukraine that the test of policy was how it ended, not how it began. Kissinger was the architect of the doctrine of peaceful co-existence in the ’70s. It kept the world out of war and allowed for the era of détente (the easing of hostilities) and subsequent disarmament of many thousands of nuclear warheads. Multiparty democracy in Africa was achieved on the success of Kissinger’s vision of non- interference with the choices of political and economic systems that people may make. In stark contrast, the 1947 “Truman Doctrine”, spelt out by US Democrat president Harry Truman in Congress in a joint session on March 12, 1947,…