Innholdsfortegnelse for 2022-06-05 i Sunday Independent

Blxckie is in a class of his own at the moment. Last week, after celebrating the one-year anniversary of his breakout debut album B4Now, the Ye x4 hitmaker received 10 plaques and announced his new deal with fashion brand, Redbat. He received six gold plaques as well as four platinum plaques for Ye x4 ft Nasty C, Hold, Big Time Sh’lappa ft Lucasraps and Kwenzekile ft Madumane and Chang Cello. The first collection of his Redbat deal was released at selected Sportscene stores alongside his highly anticipated new single Khuphuka, both dropped on Friday. “Everyone knows I like to celebrate any milestone that I achieve related to the music,” he said when I asked him how he’s been feeling. “That’s what keeps me going, because I want to reach even…

Experts are warning that the recent hikes in petrol and food prices are creating a desperate society that may see a repeat of the July 2021 riots of looting and destruction that cost the economy an estimated R50 billion. While South Africans are still reeling from electricity tariff increases, hikes in the repo rate, food inflation and transport costs, they have been hobbled by month-on-month increases in petrol prices that have now reached R24 per litre. The petrol price increase has already added significantly to the overall consumer price inflation. This will increase the pressure on households whose incomes have shrunk over the two years of the pandemic because of job losses and Covid-19 salary cuts. On Wednesday, the designated day for petrol price changes by the Central Energy Fund…

NUMEROUS cases of blue-light gang carjackings in the Randburg, Bryanston and Fourways area have been reported to the police A victim who spoke on condition of anonymity said he fell prey to gunmen posing as police at the end of last month while driving towards Paulshoff from Bryanston. “I was using my GPS trying to make my way to the N1 freeway to head to Pretoria. “It took me through some roads inside Bryanston when I got stopped by what I thought were police officers in a white VW vehicle," said the victim. “As I pulled over, two individuals wearing police uniforms approached my vehicle. One came to the driver’s door while the other went to check the licence disc. As I opened my window to hand over my driver’s…

South Africans are angry over the recent fuel price increases, which they say will reduce their disposable income and saddle them with further financial burdens they cannot afford. Some said the cost of living became high after electricity tariff increases, hikes in the repo rate, food inflation and transport, at a time when they were still trying to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic income losses over the past two years, since early 2020. Sebokeng resident Lebohang Phala said this was unfair as many people in the country are still trying to make a living after Covid-19. The 35-year-old mother of one child, who is an assistant teacher in one of the primary schools in the area, said she was already struggling to survive on her salary. “Imagine, I am earning…

Be careful what you wish for, lest it comes true – or so the saying goes. Last year, in one of my columns, I bemoaned the challenges faced by women in tourism. Especially the ones in the informal sector that is, women selling fish at the markets in Maputo, Ghana and Senegal – as well as the women selling fruit and vegetables on Route 66 – Zulu Heritage Route (Eshowe/Empangeni) in KwaZulu-Natal. In that piece I also mentioned my readiness to join the UNWTO Committee so I could put challenges faced by women in Africa on the agenda. So, you can imagine my excitement to receive an invitation to participate in the virtual Women in Tourism Leadership Africa Committee (WTLA) this year. My invitation came all the way from…

Mystery surrounds the government’s position on the apparent illegal use of South African-made armoured personnel carriers (APCs) in the ongoing Ukraine conflict. The Mamba 4x4 APCs were designed for “internal security purposes” when they were sold by South Africa to Estonia, for sole use by their armed forces. They were reportedly sold to Estonia under the name Mamba MK2 EE. According to the licence conditions for the sale of weapons, only the purchaser, as the end-user, retains the permit to use the purchased weapons. Third-party users or purchasers may not use such weapons unless, and until, the originator extends the license condition to multiple users. According to a military database collector monitoring the conflict – Ukraine Weapons Tracker – the Mambas were handed over to the Ukrainian armed forces by…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has responded to claims made by the former State Security Agency (SSA) director-general Arthur Fraser. Fraser had opened a criminal case against the president, for allegedly stealing more than $4 million (about R60m) and paying people to conceal the matter. Fraser, who has been heavily implicated in testimony at the State Capture Commission of Inquiry, laid criminal charges against Ramaphosa at Rosebank police station on Wednesday. Fraser said the case emanated from the alleged theft of “in excess of $4m” concealed “within the premises of the president’s Phala Phala farm in Waterberg, Limpopo”. He claimed the theft was carried out by robbers in collusion with Ramaphosa’s domestic worker. Fraser has accused Ramaphosa of defeating the ends of justice and kidnapping suspects who were allegedly questioned on the…

Climate Conference of the Parties (COPs) are not an end in themselves but a meeting point to assess and define the road ahead. Indeed, the COP27, which is to be hosted in the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh in November, is positioned as an opportune moment for a different type of African COP given that Africa is just coming out of a pandemic and has suffered setbacks to economic and development gains made so far. It is important to see this as a development COP and not just an environmental get-together. It is important to consider the African COP as a way to shift the narrative of the climate transition from one focusing on the continent as a risk to the global drive towards decarbonisation – such as security…

Declaring “Enough, enough!” President Joe Biden has called on Congress to ban assault weapons, expand background checks and implement other gun control measures to address a string of mass shootings that have struck the US. Speaking from the White House on Thursday, Biden asked how many more lives it would take to change gun laws in America. “For God’s sake, how much more carnage are we willing to accept?” Biden, a Democrat, called for a number of measures opposed by Republicans in Congress, including banning the sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, or, raising the minimum age to buy those weapons to 21 from 18. He also pressed for repealing the liability shield that protects gun manufacturers from being sued for violence perpetrated by people carrying their guns.…

So yes, that was an interesting clip Rassie Erasmus revealed to the world on Saturday morning. Presumably it won’t form part of any, err, ‘highlights package’ to World Rugby in the future. Naturally there were some smart-arses asking if the clip was representative of a set play where the attacking team came from behind the last set of feet or was it a side entry – and thus a penalty? We’ll wait for World Rugby’s verdict. Next time the Europeans want to look down on the organisational skills of African countries, just remember how catastrophically Uefa acted in the aftermath of last week’s Champions League final. It’s worth recalling that the Europa League final a few weeks ago in Seville also experienced problems with a lack of water and even…

IT might not have been the 60 minutes he promised. And neither did he ensure that the title stayed at home. But Melikhaya Frans did his utmost to live up to his pre-race assertions, alright. The Eastern Cape running star did not cross the finish line first at the Nelson Mandela Bay Half Marathon which also doubled as the Athletics South Africa (ASA) Half Marathon Championships in Gqeberha yesterday morning – that honour going to Lesotho’s Namakhoe Nkhasi. Frans, though, ran the Maxed Elite athlete close and, in finishing runner-up, achieved the breakthrough feat of becoming the country’s champion in the 21.1km distance. There are few things as exciting in sport than an athlete who openly talks up his chances and then delivers on his promises. Such often gets fans…

Local townships should be considered hotbeds of innovation, writes Wesley Diphoko A few years ago, a technology incubator in Cape Town decided to establish a version of itself in a township based on pressure to advance transformation in the technology sector and potential to access funding. This incubator became just another entrepreneurship programme and office space for all kinds of businesses and less about advancing technology in a township environment. Lately, it has (together with other so-called tech start-up organisations), coined the term “township tech”, to potentially access funding targeted for tech projects designed to serve township communities. How do you even begin to term a part of tech as just tech for a certain sector of society? It is disrespectful to single out tech-solving township challenges as “township tech”…

From Page 1 This means Pick n Pay is home and dry. They did not suffer any damages emanating from the looting. The two payments from Sasria to Pick n Pay are curious. In a Sasria insurance letter, on 16 February, 2022, the agreement details were changed with a pen to make the money payable to Pick n Pay. The agreement clearly states that the money is to be paid in full to the insured, Lethabo’s Market. The new insured was now Julietta da Silva, Franchise Financial Controller, redirecting the money (R2 867 390.60) to an Absa Account. Still Sasria paid Pick n Pay. Writing to the attorney of Lethabo’s Market, Sasria admits they “made an interim payment of a sum of R1 000 000.00 (One million rands) directly to…

The outgoing Gauteng ANC chairperson and premier David Makhura bemoaned that Joburg, the biggest city in Gauteng, was under the a DA-led administration, blaming it on poor leadership and divisions within the party. He made the admissions while addressing the ANC Joburg regional conference in Centurion yesterday. At the conference, Makhura warned against a repeat of the Ekurhuleni conference. “Here in Johannesburg, we face the reality that the ANC has lost power. We must be very worried. On the other hand, the coalition government running the City is not able to respond to any grievances or problems coming from communities. How do we win back public confidence and regain trust among the people of Johannesburg? “This calls upon this conference to review the state of the organisation and pay enough…

The history of different lands (countries) has always been intertwined with how they came to be occupied, who occupied them first, and how, at times, those who conquered them would distort the true history of how they got to own such lands. One of the false arguments relating to the land question is what has come to be known as the doctrine of discovery. Using the 1455 papal bull, Romanus Pontifex, European monarchs laid claim to title over land in other continents. The justification was that these were terra nullius – empty lands. Relatedly, the history of black people in South Africa has been a debated subject for many years. Intellectual and academic contestation on the history of black people has always been shaped by those who sided with or…

With the new unity growing among opposition parliamentary parties in South Africa, the months running up to the 2024 national and provincial elections provide a fertile opportunity for some of the most intense and truly transformative debates and visioning for our democratic project. We stand at a crossroads. The process forward can either be riddled with chaos, divisive and violent self-serving horse trading among political elites, or we can very deliberately use this space to examine what we have all created since 1994, honestly agreeing on what needs to be fixed, and commit to clear targets of change and time-bound, inclusive processes to achieve these targets. The recently released ANC Policy Discussion Documents have opened up the season for the development of election manifestos. It remains for the opposition to…

LAST week, the AU held its two Extra- ordinary Summits on Humanitarian and Pledging Conference and Terrorism and Unconstitutional Changes in Africa, in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. The African leaders expressed their displeasure against the resurgence of military coups as a means of change of government in the continent. To them, terrorism, bad governance, and unconstitutional change of government could be catalysts for the bourgeoning humanitarian crises that have engulfed the continent. The leaders reiterated their “zero tolerance” of “all forms of unconstitutional changes of government in Africa” and thereby endorsed the Accra Declaration of March 2022. One cannot but praise the AU for the frontal positions taken at the summits. But is there the political will to confront the monsters? The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) discovered that the world’s 10…

Attending the World Economic Forum’s annual Davos gathering is always an eye-opener – and none more so than this year. The first in-person gathering we have had since the Covid-19 pandemic threw the world into isolation was a breath of fresh air, not only from the pleasure of being able to discuss and debate face-to-face with colleagues, but also in the subject matter, thinking and a renewed commitment to working towards a planet that we can all share and care for – as one. The development and investment opportunities around Africa were a particular talking point, with one of the most well-represented showing of African heads of state and business leaders I have seen to date. The exception was South Africa, which was woefully weak in its the delegation, with…

Lyle Lakay has given a candid response about his recent coronation as the DStv Premiership Defender of the Season which was followed by him getting a back-to-back Bafana Bafana call-up. “It was a surprise for me to be nominated. They usually nominate the central defenders for the award,” the Mamelodi Sundowns left-back told the Bafana media department while on camp. “But I think my numbers, the goals, assists and clean sheets, also contributed to me getting the award. But it spurs me. And I also equalled last season’s tally, which is a good thing for me.” Despite crashing out in the quarter-final of the CAF Champions League, Sundowns did the treble on home soil by winning the MTN8, league title and Nedbank Cup. Lakay, 30, was in the thick of…

BULLS captain Marcell Coetzee said that they hadn’t practised it before the game, but it was a drop goal by flyhalf Chris Smith that sent the Pretoria side into the United Rugby Championship (URC) semi-finals with a 30-27 victory over the Sharks at Loftus Versfeld yesterday. The Bulls took charge with two tries early in the second half to go 27-13 ahead, after the Sharks had failed to capitalise on their pack’s dominance in the opening 40 minutes. Tries by Coetzee and Cornal Hendricks in the third quarter looked to have sealed a Bulls victory, but Jaden Hendrikse’s touchdown and a late try by Sikhumbuzo Notshe levelled matters at 27-27 with five minutes left before No 10 Smith slotted the winning drop goal. “We didn’t even rehearse it! But ja,…

Jamie Bartlett’s funeral opened with the harmonious sounds of Isibane se Afrika, a traditional African gospel choir based in Khayelitsha, resonating through St George’s Cathedral, Cape Town. It was quite befitting that this choir, whose name means “The Light of Africa”, was chosen. Bartlett was a leading light to all who knew him in South Africa and beyond. He died from cardiac arrest in his sleep on May 23. He was 55. Bartlett rose to prominence as Mike O’Reilly in Gray Hofmeyr’s pioneering SABC3 soapie Isidingo and went on to greater success as David Genaro in e.tv’s Rhythm City. He also left deep footprints in theatre and film. Childhood friend Nicholas “Nick” Ashby led the tributes at his funeral.He recalled their first meeting in 1970 and regaled the gathered friends…

I always wondered what it is about Linda Mtoba that has everyone so entranced by her. Could it be her beauty? Her style, which she has earned accolades for? Or is it her talent as an actress, having bagged roles on Isibaya, The River and One Night kwa Mxolisi? It recently dawned on me that while those things were all factors, there was one important thing – she has that X-factor, that rare je ne sais quoi that makes her irresistible. I saw this in person at The Pencil Private Members Club in uMhlanga, Durban, as she hosted the Edgars Beauty event to celebrate the launch of Fenty Beauty in South Africa. Wearing a simple white shirt, pants and sneakers, she was accessible, the ultimate girl next door and the…

The so-called “Youth Month” was lukewarmly launched by the government earlier this week in Soweto. I take umbrage with the reference to June as the “Youth Month”, more especially when we link it to 16 June 1976 in Soweto. It was on this day 46 years ago that students revolted against the entrenchment of apartheid in our society by marching against the introduction of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction alongside English in black schools. In response, the apartheid regime callously killed hundreds of black people, mostly young people, in Soweto. As this revolution spread to other areas, more black people were killed in the ensuing days and months. The calendar of the post-1994 South Africa is littered with examples of “neutral” references to many epochal moments and events in…

From Page 1 The President affirms his commitment to fighting corruption and professionalising law enforcement agencies to better serve and respond to public needs,” Magwenya said. Despite the lack of clarity provided by Ramaphosa and his spokesperson on the matter, the publication has established that five Namibian nationals allegedly pulled off the heist in collaboration with the domestic worker. Security footage from February 9, 2020, which the publication has in its possession, shows how the robbers gained entry into the house and helped themselves to an undisclosed amount of money “concealed” under mattresses and couches. Ramaphosa allegedly failed to report the matter to any police station following the incident. Instead, he allegedly paid the suspects, including his domestic worker, R150 000 each, not to reveal the incident to anyone after…

“The loudest one in the room is the weakest one.” Denzel Washington said that in the movie American Gangster, where he was trying to explain how he had tons of problems when showing off (being loud) and very few problems when he wasn’t showing off. Last Thursday, 36-year-old social entrepreneur Zakheni Ngubo used the familiar phrase at a Leungo Edutrain Management team “lessons learnt” event. Leungo is a MICT Seta-accredited institution offering training for unemployed graduates in employment-ready skills. Ngubo’s usage of the familiar saying was in response to a member of his audience who asked, “what is the biggest misconception about entrepreneurship?” In his response, Ngubo went to great lengths to show that real entrepreneurship was not about those whose so-called success was splashed across social media platforms –…

With the Zondo Commission having completed its hearings, all eyes have turned to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to act accordingly. In September 2021, Kuben Moodley, director of Albertime, was arrested. He was described as “a Gupta fixer” and was accused of acting improperly. This arrest gave the impression that the wheels would roll with speed once the commission’s report was out. Following Chief Justice Raymond Zondo’s submission of Volume Four of his report to the president, the NPA’s Investigating Directorate has started acting. Transnet has had the early casualties. On May 27, some of its former employees were among the five individuals arrested. They included Siyabonga Gama, former CEO, Garry Pita, former CFO, and Transnet’s former treasurer, Phetolo Ramosebudi. The other two people who were arrested were Trillian Capital’s…

Zimbabwe is heading for general elections next year amid a continuing macro-economic crisis. In the decade starting from 2001, the state-led economy started to show signs of strain. Unemployment reached 85%. Inflation, which was a staggering 79 000 000% in 2008, came down but has been rising in the past two years. The economic crisis has heightened the need for social protection to prevent hunger among poor households, complement the risk mitigation mechanisms of informal workers, and improve access to social services such as education, health and water. It is highly unlikely that the formal economy will turn the tide soon to create formal employment and reduce the need to support food insecure households. In the 2018 presidential election, several candidates promised to provide social protection for citizens. The governing…

The West’s fixation on the war in Ukraine stands in contrast with its tacit disregard for the situation in Afghanistan. In Washington and various European capitals, there was fury at the Biden administration for its chaotic withdrawal and lamentations for the plight of Afghan women and girls, left once more in the draconian grip of a fundamentalist militia bent on curtailing their freedoms. But that was about it, and in recent months, the wealthy nations of North America and Europe have instead focused their energies and a considerable amount of financial muscle on reinforcing the government in Kyiv. All the while, though, conditions in Afghanistan have gone from bad to worse over the past eight months. The Taliban takeover came with a shuddering collapse of the Afghan economy. The international…

SWALLOWS FC and the University of Pretoria played out an entertaining goalless draw in their second match of the promotion-relegation play-offs at Tuks Stadium yesterday. Tuks would’ve headed into this match against an inconsistent Swallows with a high level of confidence after scoring three goals in their opening play-off game. Last time out the Dube Birds needed a scolding, three half time substitutes, and to concede first, to remind them of the importance of not entertaining lapses of concentration and complacency. Two of the three substitutes featured from the start this time as Siphesihle Mbhele and Ruzaigh Gamildien came in for captain Lebogang Mokoena and Kamohelo Mahlatsi. A lot had been made about Tuks’ so called ‘aeroplane football’ style prior to the game and it was evident in the opening…

IGA Swiatek cruised to her second French Open title by dominating teenager Coco Gauff in the final yesterday, as the world number one claimed her 35th successive victory. The 21-year-old Polish star stormed to a 6-1, 6-3 win in 68 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier, equalling Venus Williams’ record for the longest winning run by a woman in the 21st century. Swiatek celebrated her sixth straight title this year in the players’ box with her friends and family. “I told Coco ‘Don't cry’ and that’s what I am doing. Congrats to Coco,” said an emotional Swiatek. “You are doing an amazing job. At your age, I was on my first year on tour and I did not know what I was doing. You will find it, I am sure of…

SOUTH African Football Coaches’ Association (SAFCA) president Greg Mashilo says they want to implement a uniform coaching methodology on the local scene after being accredited as an institution. On Friday, SAFCA launched their 30th anniversary at the Safa headquarters, Nasrec, with an aim of reviving their mandate as an association after failing to see maximum returns in the last few years. As part of the launch, which was attended by founding members such as Sam Mbatha, Cavin Johnson and Dan Malesela, and Safa president Danny Jordaan, SAFCA announced that they’ve been accredited by the Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority as a semi-fledged coaching facility. Although their programmes are limited to certificate level, SAFCA says they aim to grow as an institution to help coaches…

Your pet is an essential part of your family. What would a family holiday be without them? Before considering going on holiday locally with your fur baby or fur babies, there are a few things you need to take into consideration, among them checking in with the vet and making sure that your pet’s annual vaccinations are up to date. This protects your fur babies against nasty viruses and is essential when travelling to a new or unfamiliar environment. We sought advice from Dr Michelle Enslin, a register vet, who shared some insightful and crucial tips to keep in mind when arranging your local pet-friendly getaway. Preventative measures Taking your pet outside the home environment can leave them unprotected against a higher than normal “parasite load” or prevalence. For instance,…