Innholdsfortegnelse for 2022-05-22 i Sunday Independent

Long-time iPhone users could most likely relate to the question after running out of battery life away from home: “Do you have an iPhone charger?” If you haven't asked the question, you've possibly been asked this question – which is always met with an eventual yes or no, in some form. Either way, not having an iPhone charger to lend either made one feel inadequate or irritated by the ostentatiousness fostered by iPhone users. Despite this, Apple may follow suit within the next two years by allowing its devices to charge with the same technology used by others. According to reports globally, Apple is purportedly working on charging the next iPhones using Type-C cables. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who accurately predicted numerous Apple product features before their launch, stated that…

In THE same week that Uber showcased and piloted a robot to deliver food in the US, the ride hailing/food delivery company hosted a “Future of Work” event in South Africa while FairWork in Austria was launching a report that rated Uber as one of the poor performing platforms to work for in terms of working conditions. These activities capture issues (automation and the changing nature of work and working conditions) that need to be taken into account as we reflect about the future of work in the world that is technology driven. We are headed towards a future that will make use of robots and this has raised questions about the role of human beings in the workplace. When Uber was showcasing the robots pilot programme, the company…

The plan provides a roadmap for the industry to follow to re-energise itself and expand production of the sector IF THE government does not understand the spirit of the Steel Master Plan, it will not succeed. For it to succeed, there are micro-actions that need to be addressed, according to Minister of Trade and Industry Ebrahim Patel. He said this week that the business environment – including the challenges of energy and transport logistics, stimulating the economy with an infrastructure roll-out, and the broader reigniting of private investment in mining and manufacturing property – needed to be addressed. Patel was a keynote speaker at the Steel and Engineering Federation of Southern Africa’s (Seifsa’s) Steel Master Plan Conference held in Kempton Park on Thursday. Launched last year, the Steel Master Plan…

After downloading the photo-sharing app Locket Widget, 23-year-old Amalu Susan Santhosh and her high-school-aged cousins have all but abandoned their group text. Locket lets them view photos from one another right on their iPhone home screens without opening an app or typing a message. “We might be too busy to text each other, but we wanted something where we could share everyday moments,” the Durham, North Carolina student said. Another plus: she never gets friend requests from strangers demanding nudes like she does on Snapchat, Santhosh added. As Snapchat and Instagram draw criticism for safety and mental health concerns, some young people are opting for a different way to keep in touch. Photo “widgets” LiveIn and Locket are grabbing attention for their fuss-free photo sharing – just snap a photo…

The depth of your familiarity with Quinta Brunson’s comedy work depends on your relationship with the internet. The average user is more likely to recognise Brunson, 32, from the videos she used to produce and star in for BuzzFeed, or from her appearances on the first season of the HBO series A Black Lady Sketch Show. The extremely online might recall her self-produced Instagram videos, after which she became a meme. And if you don’t know Brunson at all? That will probably change soon, as her latest project marks a foray into what is arguably her most mainstream platform yet: network TV. The Philadelphia native created sitcom Abbott Elementary (currently streaming on Disney Plus) in which she stars as a Grade 2 teacher at an underfunded public school in the…

TRADE and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel can’t explain why he directed the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) to donate R50 million to the Solidarity Fund. Many view the move as a direct conflict of interest, as he sits on the fund’s advisory board. Today, the Sunday Independent reveals that Patel invoked a section of the Lotteries Act in March last year, which stipulates that the NLC or its board must consult the minister whenever they want to make donations. Still, Patel instructed them, without any consultation, to donate – and even told them how much they must donate and when they must do it. The Solidarity Fund was established in March 2020 in response to the Covid-19 crisis. “The minister had no right to instruct the National Lotteries Commission to make…

THE situation in eSwatini appears to differ based on who you speak to. Some say the protests will continue and not cease until King Mswati has been removed from power, while others believe calls for him to step aside are dying down in anticipation of a national dialogue. People’s United Democratic Movement secretary-general Wandile Dluldlu said emaSwati continued to call for democracy in the kingdom despite the authorities’ failure to listen to them. “People want change but Mswati doesn’t want to listen. We will continue with the protests until he does,” Dludlu said. He refuted claims that the protests were funded by outsiders with vested interests in the country’s resources. “There have always been those lies. If some want to support our calls, that is great. But this is a…

A smorgasbord of sessions were the order of the day at the Kingsmead Book Fair 2022 taking place at Kingsmead College, Johannesburg, with authors in conversations led by facilitators in the literary space. One that took place was called “Can Words Mend A Broken Heart?” led by Lorraine Sithole with Relebone Rirhandzu Afrika, author of Broken Porcelain; Glynis Horning who wrote Waterboy: Making Sense of My Son’s Suicide, and Paula Marais author of A Nuclear Family A Novel of Mental Illness, Marriage and Murder. The session delved deep into the loss of a child to suicide and the difficulty which comes with living with mental health issues. The authors shared their experiences. Marais said of the character in her book: “When something like this happens there’s a break in the…

LIKE the Franschhoek Literary Festival, the Kingsmead Book Fair in Johannesburg had to suspend its activities for two years because of Covid-19. But the Franschhoek Literary Festival made a triumphant return to live in-person events this month, and Kingsmead did the same yesterday where avid readers and authors connected through immersive literary sessions. Now in its 10th year, Kingsmead Book Fair has earned its reputation as a significant event on the literary calendar over the last decade by featuring prominent local and international authors who discuss current book themes and genres with readers during interactive sessions. This year’s event, which was held at Kingsmead College in Melrose, Johannesburg, yesterday offered a range of stimulating talks and debates for readers of all ages including a stimulating Children and Teens programme that…

Cheik Anta-Diop was an outstanding African historian who documented with amazing clarity the African origins of global civilisation. However, at a university named after Anta-Diop in his home country, Senegal, the former president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, stood up on July 26, 2007, and uttered these despicable words: “The tragedy of Africa is that the African man has never really entered history. The African peasant, who, for centuries, has lived according to the seasons, whose ideal is to be in harmony with nature, has known only the eternal renewal of time via the endless repetition of the same actions and the same words. “In this mentality, where everything always starts over again, there is no place for human adventure nor for any idea of progress. This man never projects himself…

MANCHESTER City have the destiny of the Premier League title in their hands heading into today’s final day showdown, with the defending champions holding a one-point lead over quadruple-chasing Liverpool. Pep Guardiola’s men will claim a fourth English title in five years of a dominant era for Abu Dhabi-backed City with victory over Aston Villa. “It’s difficult to control your emotions when you know what you are playing for,” said City manager Guardiola. “The players are human beings but it’s football, when you think that it is over it is not over.” City know that to their cost having been minutes away from the Champions League final only to blow a two-goal lead in their semi-final, second leg against Real Madrid earlier this month. “The importance is unnecessary to tell…

Feature AT 4:58pm on Sunday, May 15, as the setting sun was fast turning the Atteridgeville horizon a beautiful dark orange, Jomo Sono strolled off the pitch at the near-empty Lucas Moripe Stadium sporting a smile that masked the reality of his situation. For in addition to disappearing into the bowels of the arena, Sono was also making an exit from the local professional football scene – his club, Jomo Cosmos, relegated from the second-tier GladAfrica Championship to the amateur ABC Motsepe League. It was a dignified exit, if ever there is such. Cosmos recorded an impressive, come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Pretoria Callies, a win that would no doubt have given the club’s El Supremo confidence he can stage a swift comeback. And his demeanour as his colourful professional coaching…

The Hotel & Hospitality Show returned for its fifth run this week. This year’s theme was “Redefining Hospitality: Recovering for Future Growth”. The industry is galvanising support from local and international tourists. The UN World Tourism Organization has revealed an optimistic outlook for this year and beyond, with international tourism expected to reach pre-Covid levels on the continent by 2024. At the event, which ended yesterday, at the Sandton Convention Centre, buyers and brands from sub-Saharan Africa discussed the latest trends and innovations driving the revival. Evan Schiff, the portfolio director of food, hospitality and trade at dmg events, confirmed the participation of 55 exhibitors. This included its new Enterprise Development Pavilion, where it provided a platform for market access to 13 SMME black- and female-owned companies. Expanding on…

In a bid to make the messaging platform more user friendly, Meta-owned WhatsApp is likely working on a new feature that will allow users to silently exit groups. In a screenshot, it is shown that when users want to exit a WhatsApp group, other people will not be notified in the chat. Only group admins will be able to see who exits the group, but others do not, according to WABetaInfo. This feature is under development so it is not ready to be rolled out to beta testers. Recently, the messaging platform announced that it is rolling out new features, including emoji reactions, bigger files and the ability to add up to 512 people to a group, which has to date only allowed up to 256 people. WhatsApp said it…

Disney+ managed to resolve issues plaguing its streaming service, a day after its launch. Disney+’s launch was tainted by a glitch plaguing scores of users on Thursday for about an hour before the service bounced back online. Disney+ launched in South Africa on May 18 and promised scores of new content for local viewers. But the glitch rendered videos unplayable by users. One Twitter user @Aspirin_Amy tweeted: “Less than 24 hr on the Disney+ app on my iPhone and it’s showing a playback error and not working.” Disney+ is the latest of South Africa’s four major streaming services behind Showmax, US-based Netflix and Amazon Prime. | IOL Tech…

ONE of the ways in which the government is helping to alleviate the staggering youth unemployment rate in South Africa, is by means of the Employment Tax Incentive (ETI), which was introduced at the beginning of 2014. Ultimately, the ETI reduces the cost of hiring young people by allowing employers to pay less Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) tax on behalf of qualifying employees. In the 2022 Budget Speech, the minister of finance announced an increase in this tax benefit, as a measure that the state is taking towards boosting the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector. The ETI forms part of the government’s drive towards solving the rising unemployment challenge by enabling employers to create more employment opportunities for young, less experienced work seekers. For cash-conscious SMEs, the ETI can produce a…

Have you heard maximalism is in and minimalism is out? Rooms bursting at the seams with clashing florals, colourful furniture and innumerable knick-knacks, this is what defines the new interiors trend cluttercore (or bricabracomania). Some say it’s a war between generation Z (born 1997-2012) and minimal millennials (born 1981-1996), symptomatic of bigger differences. Others say it’s a pandemic response, where our domestic pris ons became cuddly cocoons, stimulating our senses, connecting us with other people and places. But what really lays behind the choice to clutter or cull? Why do some people revel in collections of novelty eggcups? Or have so many framed pictures you can barely see the (ferociously busy) wallpaper? And why do those at the other end of the spectrum refuse to have even the essential stuff…

M-Net has been investing in original dramas like Lionness, which was pretty solid storytelling with Shannon Esra (rumour has it that a second season is on the cards), Still Breathing, Recipes for Love and Murder and Trackers. The stellar casts and scripting ensured the shows were well received. Given the channel’s track record, viewers are excited for Desert Rose, an eight-part series that tackles that failproof good versus evil credo. The premise centres on Eben Greyling, the young son of an absent father who refuses a request from the family’s benefactor, Van As, to go fishing, it breaks the shackles of a long-time agreement. The consequences of the broken agreement set off a series of events as the family is forced to confront mayhem. The family centred drama takes…

The relationship between South Africa and Nigeria, the continent’s two superpowers, has been fraught with contention and hostility for as long as I can remember. Whether vying for sporting dominance, economic prowess or cultural impact, the two nations are bitter rivals that always seem to be pulling at opposite ends of a tug of war. When South African production company Bomb Productions introduced Jacob’s Cross in 2007, a drama series that revolved around South African-born businessman Jacob Makhubu Abayomi (played by Hlomla Dandala), the son of an ANC stalwart who finds that his biological father is a Nigerian tribal chief, one might have expected the series to be a playground for this rivalry to fester. Instead, what we saw over five seasons was a landmark moment that paved the way…

You’ve probably heard the name Harry Styles. He is the current “real big thing” in popular music. But how did a former boy band star become such a huge musician and award-winning artist in his own right – and does he deserve all the breathless praise? The hype began in 2010 as a member of mega group One Direction. Paul McCartney gave them his blessing as they clearly tapped into The Beatles legacy. On a break since 2016, One Direction is still breaking records online. Their 2015 music video Drag Me Down recently passed one billion views on YouTube – seven years after its release. Since going solo, Styles has wowed audiences as a fashion icon and performer, releasing his third solo album, Harry’s House, this week. Styles’ latest single,…

President Cyril Ramaphosa allegedly chased Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula out of the committee meeting on the government’s Economic Sectors, Investment, Employment and Infrastructure Development (ESEID) for attending the meeting unprepared and failing to read Cabinet memos. According to sources familiar with the matter, the incident took place at a virtual meeting on Wednesday after Mbalula again showed signs of limited participation in the committee following previous complaints by his Cabinet colleagues, including Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan. ESEID is a meeting that involves all ministries to discuss key government issues including the economy and infrastructure development. The sources told the Sunday Independent that Ramaphosa kicked Mbalula out of the meeting after other ministers raised concerns that he was not playing his part. “Other ministers reported the man to the president…

PRESSURE is mounting on Public enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan to put the SAA-Takatso deal on hold, but the minister is determined to sign off on it despite legal threats against it. The latest legal threat to block Takatso from purchasing a 51% majority stake in SAA was made by the UDM’s deputy president Nqabayomzi Kwanka in Parliament on Friday while Gordhan was delivering his budget. “On the SAA matter, we will meet in court,” Kwanka warned. The UDM is expected to team up with the EFF who had instructed their lawyers to challenge the sale in court. Several other opposition parties, DA and Freedom Front Plus, came out strongly against the sale in Parliament. The FF+ spokesperson on public enterprises, Wouter Wessels put the blame on the near collapse of…

SOUTH Africa has recognised homosexuality to the extent of enacting constitutional protection for LGBTQIA+ communities. Yet these communities still face discrimination and violence that appears entrenched within society. This has made it difficult for victims to shed light on the abuse they experience out of fear of discrimination. At the beginning of the year, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed three gender-based violence (GBV) bills into law, directing more protection for women and children. But the measures seem to fall short of the message they were supposed to send to South Africans of ending Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), particularly with same-sex couples. IPV relates to abusive (physical, sexual, emotional or psychological) and controlling behaviour. Traditionally, IPV has been framed within the heterosexual context, with little attention being paid to the frequency of…

Mainstream media, including television in South Africa, has the tendency to be euphemistic in its reportage on matters of racial discrimination, mainly of whites against blacks The depiction of various racially- charged incidents in the media may betray a willingness to use language that, for a number of reasons, avoids calling a spade a spade. The recent widely reported incident by the white Stellenbosch University student, Theuns du Toit, who broke into the Huis Marais residence dorm room and urinated on the study material and laptop of a fellow black student, Babalo Ndwanyana, who has since laid charges of housebreaking, crimen injuria (impairment of dignity) and has depicted a reticence on the part of the mainstream media to label the action of the Stellenbosch Widdler, bluntly as an act of…

Dr Lehlohonolo Kennedy Mahlatsi ON May 11 apartheid Israeli forces killed the beloved and highly respected Palestinian-American journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, in the occupied Palestinian city of Jenin. Abu Akleh and a group of other journalists, who were wearing blue flak jackets and helmets marked “PRESS”, were stationed near an entrance to Jenin refugee camp when they came under fire from Israeli forces. Abu Akleh was shot in the head, in an exposed area below her ear, killing her instantly. Another Palestinian journalist, Ali Samoudi, was shot in the back. He was treated at a local hospital and was reported to be in stable condition. On May 13 a well-known Palestinian figure and former political prisoner, Daoud al-Zubaidi, was hit in the stomach as an hours-long stand-off unfolded between Israeli…

Generally, intellect is associated with the eloquence of the English language, our ability to articulate a sentence in a manner that is appealing to the programmed minds of the people and based on a Western narrative. The depiction of intellect has affected the African child’s acceptance as an academic globally and the extent to which their education is given to them – enough to have them understand our policies but not enough to dismantle them. The introduction of the Western way of teaching in Africa is one that can never go without scrutiny. It’s one to fear as you never understand the motive but also another to embrace because it’s the only thing they say they will take you out of the very poverty-stricken environment they’ve put you in. However,…

The last year has seen continuing incidents of data leaks and ransom attacks and increased reporting of scamming attempts. This includes two reports in the past month of data leaks from local online platform Averly and pharmacy chain Dis-Chem. While these leaks may not reveal much individually, bad actors can buy and collect personal information from all kinds of sources such as illicit data leaks and legal data brokers who know pretty much everything you do online. This leaves us vulnerable to scammers and spear-phishers, who use this information to convince you they are trustworthy or legitimate entities. They try to get you to do something or share details which give them access – the target is often your bank account. This comes on top of the mountains of general…

THE YEAR 1964 is the most significant in my life. I can remember many of the events as though they had happened yesterday. I was seven. The crisis of food supplies, especially wheat, as a result of the war in Russia invokes my memories of surpluses in wheat supply in that year. As the saying goes: one man’s bread is another man’s poison. The year had exciting moments, such as when my father bought a car – a Rambler Super. It cost him £400. Related to the car was a visit to Baragwanath Hospital in Gauteng, where we went from Lesotho to visit my ailing mother. The main reason my father bought a car was to get my mother to medical care and visit her. What fascinated me was…

Needless to say, being an entrepreneur is immensely fulfilling because of the complete freedom you get from pursuing what you truly believe in. But that also comes with long, erratic, and vigorous hours that can be taxing because you are the one making all the decisions. Lines between personal and professional lives start becoming blurry, and before you know it, non-existent, and the drive and motivation with which you first began, can sometimes start to fade somewhere along the way owing to never-ending work. This is why it becomes very important to be able to differentiate life from work successfully, because success means nothing without self-satisfaction and happiness. To me, the family has always been a source of my happiness and spending time with them always takes my stress away!…

In 2011, The Lincoln Lawyer was released on the big screen. The story is based on Michael Connelly’s novel of the same title. Aside from being blown away by the movie, it also converted me into a huge Matthew McConaughey fan. And history has repeated itself with the TV spinoff, starring Mexican actor Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, who slips into the skin of Mickey Haller, a criminal defence lawyer and recovering addict, with commendable swag. The show and lead have won me over. A Gerard Butler doppelganger, Garcia-Rulfo makes for a compelling lead as a pit bull in the courtroom. Outside of it, there’s a vulnerability that comes through when he is with his daughter Haley (Krista Warner) and ex-wife Maggie McPherson (Neve Campbell), who is a criminal prosecutor. The series opens…

THE LESEDI Local Municipality in the Sedibeng District has been accused of failing to deliver essential services to the residents of Ratanda, who have been complaining about water shortages, potholed roads and the poor maintenance of infrastructure. . Terrence Makhubo, from Extension 23, said the potholes in Blackwood Street were a picture of the state of the municipality and had been there for some time. “We also had a shortage of water supply in the past three months, and it was restored recently. These are some of the problems we have in this area, and the municipality is doing nothing about them. They have told us that there is not enough budget,” said the 42-year-old. Another resident, Fezile Dladla, said local taxi drivers were refusing to take them…

ORLANDO Pirates fans have come to expect this – there was a sense of deja vu about the once mighty Buccaneers handing a trophy to their opponents when they lost against RS Berkane in the final of the CAF Confederation Cup at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium on Friday. Pirates have struggled for consistency on the field and in the coaching department over the years. Like his predecessors, coach Mandla Ncikazi feels that his side should have won the final after they fought all the way to penalties. The match ended 1-1 before the Sea Robbers lost 5-4 on spot kicks. “We should not have lost this game and won it in normal time. This game is a story of our season. We dominated the game and created chances but could…

rugby The Bulls will need to tighten their approach on attack and defence if they want to win the United Rugby Championship. That was the verdict from coach Jake White after the Pretoria side scored six tries in their 38-31 bonus-point win over the Ospreys in Swansea on Friday. The Bulls played some inspired rugby at times, with their forwards shoving the Ospreys pack backwards in the scrums. Centre Cornal Hendricks was the Man of the Match and grabbed a hat-trick, but that came on the back of the hard yards by the likes of Gerhard Steenekamp, Johan Grobbelaar, Ruan Nortje and captain Marcell Coetzee. They were physically dominant against Welsh Test stalwarts such as Alun Wyn Jones, Adam Beard and Tomas Francis. “I thought we played really well. I…

Danish author Karen Blixen is well remembered globally thanks to her legendary experience in Africa back in the last century and her memoir, Out of Africa. “I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of Ngong hills.” This classic quote from her autobiography detailed the affection she had for Africa and the local tribal people. It also gave a renowned reputation to the Ngong Hills on the northern edges of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. The author of the Out of Africa autobiography, which later became an Oscar award-winning movie of the same title, left an admirable legacy in Kenya, hence the decision by the Kenyan government to name the house she and her husband bought in 1917, and where she lived from 1917 to 1931, a house museum. Set…