Innholdsfortegnelse for 2022-07-03 i Sunday Independent

Every entrepreneur will at some point find themselves at the daunting crossroads of whether or not to invest more money into initiating the next phase of their business’s growth. As much as you may believe in the viability of the business and the failproof nature of your plans, there are a few important questions to consider and answer before taking the plunge: Which financial goal will this investment help me to reach? Before investing capital into any venture, have a clear idea of the financial gain you’re hoping to achieve. Consider this both in terms of what you want for the business as well as what you want for yourself. For example, your goal might be to realise enough profits to pay off the business’s property bond in five years,…

Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera (R240 on Loot.co.za) This novel focuses on the experiences of Juliet, a Latina lesbian living in New York who takes an internship to serve as the research assistant for a famous white feminist writer, Harlowe Brisbane, living in Portland, Oregon. Juliet heads to Portland, a bit unsure of herself and still trying to figure out what being a lesbian will mean for her life, particularly given how unsettled her mother is at the prospect. She hopes Harlowe will help her out. A super-smart book, this challenges readers by looking carefully and critically at feminist and feminist-of-colour histories and interactions. Heartstopper by Alice Oseman (R229 on Loot.co.za) Heartstopper is getting a lot of attention as a Netflix series. What you might not know is…

We’re in television limbo. The cable model is fading away, but streaming has become just as crowded, expensive and frustrating. Hit television shows are scattered across services, and watching even a handful of the best requires more than one subscription. There’s no quick fix for the streaming blues, but there are some tips on new things you can try. First, the rules are for sharing and who is cracking down. 1 Share accounts Yes, you are able to share logins for your streaming accounts, but the exact rules vary from company to company. Penalties are typically murky and mild. There’s little evidence any companies have taken legal action for casual sharing, but it’s more serious for people stealing accounts or sharing with many people for profit. If you’re worried, start…

Drake’s love for house music has been very clear these past couple of years. Just tune in to his manager Oliver El-Khatib’s OVO Sound Radio show one evening and you’re sure to be immersed in a house music experience. Not only that, he’s also shared his admiration for South African international house veteran Black Coffee on Instagram on several occasions and he consistently invites house DJs to play at those lavish private house parties of his. But a whole house music album? We never expected it. A few days after Drake had released his seventh studio album, Honestly, Nevermind, to generally lukewarm reviews, the goddess Beyoncé herself went on to release Break My Soul, the first single from her upcoming album, Renaissance. Lo and behold, that too was leaning towards…

The effect of the pandemic on the fashion industry has been widely written about. From the proliferation of leisure wear, which eventually made it's way into formal wear, to how everyone became obsessed with outdoor gear. Retailers and designers have shown sports and leisure luxe inspired garments and this winter sees South Africa finally get onto the trend. It's called Gorpcore and it's one of the biggest trends for menswear this winter. Gorpcore. Weird name, no? I was also confused when I first heard about it from fashion buyer Matthew Jooste. "This winter there are three main trends that most retailers are exploring, with the biggest one being gorpcore. And the best way to describe it is like a fusion of normcore and total outdoor wear. It's like a Saturday…

Compatriots, allow me to express my heartfelt condolences to all the families who have lost their loved ones in the Enyobeni tavern tragedy. We all have been stunned by the news of their tragic death. The sky is crying. Our hearts are broken. It is a sad, sad week. With the passing of our compatriots, we are left with a profound sadness and a conscious awareness of a void that shall remain irreplaceable. Cornelius Castoriadis, as cited by Bauman Zygmunt, in his paper “Pedagogy of the Depressed: Beyond the New Politics of Cynicism”, asserts: “The problem with our civilisation is that it has stopped questioning itself. No society which forgets the art of asking questions or allows this art to fall into disuse can count on finding answers to the…

From Page 1 The workers’ strike is being used as a scapegoat to divert public attention from the real issues faced by Eskom, according to the University of Johannesburg’s Centre for Sociological Research and Practice. “Eskom has long been experiencing problems due to mismanagement, corruption and lack of vision. There have been frequent breakdowns of its units due to poor maintenance. Load shedding has resulted in calls for (independent power producers), so that they can generate power from renewable energy sources. This will advance the government’s neoliberal policies and the agenda of self-enrichment and entrepreneurship, which has ruined Eskom. The capitalist elite is already positioning themselves to benefit from these deals,” the statement said. Former Eskom CEO Matshela Koko said De Ruyter’s term at the helm of the power utility…

NEWLY-elected ANC Gauteng provincial chairperson Panyaza Lesufi says the organisation is not on its deathbed and will recover from its challenges. Lesufi said South Africans are still emotionally attached to the organisation. “There is no organisation or political party in South Africa with half the representation of the ANC. “There is not a single political party that has half the membership of the ANC. The ANC is not dead. It will not die,” Lesufi said. Despite the organisation’s recent turbulent period, he expressed confidence in the ANC’s prospects and ability to emerge victorious in the 2024 national and provincial elections. However, he issued a stern warning: “The ANC is not dead, but if you can’t do anything to change the wrong things happening, we will inevitably have challenges. So we…

The supply of and demand for skills in the workplace will increasingly be dictated by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), therefore public and private tertiary institutions of higher learning must produce graduates fit for the future world of work. This is the mantra of University of Johannesburg vice-chancellor and principal, Professor Tshilidzi Marwala, a widely published 4IR expert and internationally acclaimed 4IR ambassador. Marwala serves as the deputy chair of the Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is helping the government to take advantage of opportunities presented by 4IR by identifying relevant policies, strategies and action plans that will position South Africa as a competitive global player. President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his 2019 State of the Nation Address: “Unless we adapt, unless we understand the nature of…

Father A Nation (FAN) is highlighting the critical role of fatherhood in shaping the young minds of boys and young adults in the South African society. The non-profit organisation said fathers must rise to the task of healing the nation’s deep paternal wounds which are tied to the social ills facing South Africa. FAN has worked with boys and men across communities nationwide to address gender-based violence, crime and fatherlessness. “We believe that there is no greater nation-building imperative for our nation than the restoration of men. Our mission is to raise the next generation of men to build a safe and prosperous South Africa. We teach men to use their strength to love, serve, protect and provide and to be activists against any form of abuse,” said CEO Craig…

The tragedy in East London where 21 adolescents died in a tavern last weekend reveals a number of things about our society at large. One of them is that we have seen on social media how pupils fight with teachers in classrooms. Pupils have used broomsticks, their fists and chairs to inflict pain on teachers. This is despicable – and something unheard of 30 years ago. Many of these young people are sometimes found with drugs on school grounds. The drugs make them lethargic, often violent and – at times – suicidal. We have to agree that some youths are troubled and do not know what to do with their lives. School and education generally seem to be the last thing these young people think about seriously. It is a…

Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has clarified the role of the Border Management Agency’s (BMA) guards to safeguard the borders with the SANDF still protecting and safeguard the country’s 4 773km borderline, including the maritime coastline. Motsoaledi said when he was responding to parliamentary questions from DA MP Adrian Roos, who asked the difference between the responsibilities of Border Management Authority’s (BMA) and SANDF. He made the comments as the SANDF earlier this week said it would be illegal for any civil organisation or NGO, including business, to conduct patrols at any borders of the country, after reports surfaced that civil rights group, AfriForum, had taken responsibility for border patrols. In his response, Motsoaledi said the duties of the border patrol guards entailed conducting general border management activities and security…

Peace talks are finally on the horizon between Ethiopia’s federal government and leaders of the northern Tigray region, but lasting peace in the country remains a distant hope. Last week, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed told parliament that he was forming a committee to study how talks with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) should proceed. This was the first public confirmation of steps taken towards negotiations since the armed conflict broke out 19 months ago. The TPLF responded by indicating that they would send a delegation and that they were prepared to participate in a “credible, impartial and principled” peace process. The federal government’s war effort was co-ordinated with leaders in Eritrea and Amhara, but the relations are strained owing to Abiy’s back-channel talks with the TPLF. Abiy’s willingness…

ThIS year marks 65 years since the launching of Russia’s Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth, in 1957 marked the beginning of the space age of humankind. Due to the development of space technology over the years, there are more than 4 800 active artificial satellites in space as of January 2022. The different types of satellites such as global positioning system (GPS), broadcasting and weather satellites to mention a few provide critical services such as Earth observation and imagery, communication and navigation that have come to underpin our everyday lives. The remote-sensed data from space satellites supply information that is used in agriculture, environment monitoring, land utilisation, urban planning, hydrography, geology, and commerce among other things. Space technology and applications have the potential to make…

FORMER Wimbledon champion Simona Halep soared into the fourth round of the Championships yesterday with a 6-4 6-1 victory over Poland’s Magdalena Frech. The 30-year-old Romanian, who returned to the All England Club this year for the first time since winning the grasscourt major in 2019, had beaten Frech in both their previous meetings. Halep started aggressively to build up a 4-0 lead and although the 92nd-ranked Frech managed to get a break of serve back she lost the first set. Playing her maiden third-round match at a major, Frech also cancelled out an early break at the start of the second set but Halep regained the lead immediately and celebrated with a clenched fist. There was no stopping the 2018 French Open winner after that as she broke Frech’s…

LONGEVITY in sport is not something to be taken for granted. Sporting stars come and go, with very few staying at the top of their game for a long time. It is the nature of the beast, with new stars emerging almost annually to push out the old ones. But even in this age of technological advancement when new kids on the block use the available innovations to get better, there are some oldies who manage to remain competitive. In road running, the Phalula twins – Diana Lebo and Lebogang – have managed to stand the test of time and remain relevant for a long time. Now 38-years-old, the women from Soweto are still going strong and often leaving much younger adversaries in their wake during races. Diana Lebo is…

Kim Kardashian’s daughter North West had a glamping adventure for her 9th birthday. Her eldest child with ex-husband Kanye West celebrated her birthday on June 15, and the mother-of-four gave fans a behind-the-scenes look at the lavish celebrations. North got to fly with some of her friends on her mom's private jet “Kim Air”, which had black balloons on either side of the stairs leading up to the plane and a sign reading “Camp North”, while inside the chairs had logs and tree stumps on them and spooky fake cobwebs hanging from the ceiling for the theme of “a spooky wilderness-themed birthday party”. The gang had activity time in the daytime, including watersports and zip-wiring, and by night they slept in tipi tents inside, complete with blood stains, toy moose…

For home cooks, holiday rentals are full of booby traps. Dull knives that make dicing an onion a dicey proposition. Warped and scorched pots. Ancient electric stoves with inconsistent or puny burners. I see myself as a confident, competent cook, seasoned from years of stovetop failures and the occasional singed eyebrow. So I was surprised at how much anxiety I felt about grocery shopping when I was planning a remote work getaway to North Carolina. After a few days of fretting, I resolved to make a plan. With a little extra research, prep work and an assist from YouTube, I put together a menu of meals that proved exciting yet manageable. I've taken what I've learnt over a decade of group trips to help save you the stress in the…

With home-grown content being the goose that lays the golden egg for Mzansi Magic, the channel has been investing in more new offerings. Two new shows are headed to the small screen. And the casting is bound to make fans giddy with excitement. Isifiso, a primetime drama, is the first offering with a stellar cast of Nelisa Mchunu, Sjava, Melusi Yeni, Zinhle Mabena and Ntando Mncube. It centres on a woman whose envy of her younger sibling takes a dark turn. Shirley Adonisi, director of local entertainment channels at M-Net, commented: “We’re bringing new shows that feature known faces while also unearthing new talent – it’s a good balance of keeping actors’ careers growing and opening up the industry, all while carrying on with our mission as Africa’s best storyteller.”…

Load shedding aside, no incident in the too recent memory captures the depths to which we have sunk as a country than the Enyobeni Tavern disaster in Scenery Park, East London, where 21 young people lost their lives. Not one of the victims – aged between 13 and about 18 years, should have been out at that time, and in that place, nogal. Children at that age are fast asleep, church which should be in a few hours still a faraway thought outside their dream world. But we have become such a cesspit of low morals that we lose our offspring under such tragic alcohol-infused circumstances. A lot of what escapes Police Minister Bheki Cele’s lips is often regrettable hot air but he asked a poignant question after the incident…

THE Hawks are investigating allegations that the dollars stolen from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s farm didn’t come from the sale of game, as alluded earlier by the Presidency in its media statement. That in fact, the money was smuggled into South Africa by one of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s advisers and confidantes. Sunday Independent can exclusively reveal that the adviser, whose name is known to the paper, has become a person of interest in the case by the Hawks as it is alleged that he used his diplomatic passport to smuggle the money from Saudi Arabia and Qatar in a private jet. Three sources with intimate knowledge of the investigation believe that after the money was brought into South Africa, it was stuffed into eight-seater couches and a mattress in Johannesburg before…

From Page 1 “Everybody was talking about it – ‘pens down’ at Enyobeni,” she recalled. The provincial Community Safety Department spokesperson, Unathi Binqose, said that autopsies were under way and that blood samples from survivors had been sent to laboratories for analysis. Eastern Cape Community Safety MEC Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe ruled out a stampede because “there were three young people who were coming to speak to us when we got to the scene, and they fainted along the way”. “One of them has since died while en route to hospital. This means what they consumed remained in their bodies.” News reports said the investigators suspect carbon monoxide poisoning from a petrol generator that was running in the tavern after a power outage in the area. While the autopsies have not yet…

THE alarming rate of children falling pregnant in the North West has the DA and the Department of Social Development at loggerheads over what needs to be done. This was after the provincial Department of Health revealed that it had recorded 415 deliveries from girls aged between 10 and 14 since April 2020. During the same period, the department recorded 19 398 deliveries from girls aged between 15 and 19. The DA has called on the department to step up and help young girls to prevent any forms of sexual influence, abuse and exploitation, saying that offenders must face prosecution for rape. The party's health spokesperson in North West, Gavin Edwards, said the Department of Social Development needed to craft meaningful social plans to identify and deal with this problem.…

If you’ve got a drinking problem and have perhaps wondered about it, a book you may want to pick up is Thando Pato’s On The Rocks: Memoir of A High-Functioning Alcoholic. Published by Melinda Ferguson Books, Pato lets us in on how she navigated her way to sobriety from a life consumed by alcohol. Living in total denial about her drinking, on the surface her life looked aspirational – great job, apartment,and snazzy car. But behind the façade, she harboured a dark and shameful secret – she couldn’t control her drinking. To the outside world, she looked like a woman who loves having fun, always with a glass of wine in her hand. But alone at home, she’d knock back a bottle or two a night under the guise of…

I wonder why South African adults and preachers acted surprised about the recent deaths of children at a tavern. Because, in reality, the tavern, pubs, clubs and shopping malls or entertainment centres have become the one true church of this land. Yes, that is where the public and its leaders “meet and worship” because that is where their greatest desires and passions are genuinely and honourably expressed. But which presence is at the tavern, that of God or another one? The issue of rights does not have weight on this issue more than the example that black adults set for black children in general. Certainly, close scrutiny of that context will show a group of adults drinking and smoking in ways that make it a community practice. So the problem…

PARLIAMENT has given Home Affairs until next Friday to present its review of permits and visas that were issued since 2004. This comes after the task team appointed in March 2021 to undertake the review was not available to attend the meeting of the portfolio committee on home affairs. Minister Aaron Motsoaledi announced last year that the task team would be led by former presidency director-general Dr Cassius Lubisi to report on prominent people were investigated by the counter-corruption unit. |…

THE African youth want to lead but, to achieve this, the old guard needs to call it a day and allow a new generation to take the continent forward. According to Jason Burke from The Guardian, not all young politicians are progressive, or even pro-democracy. But they are all representative of sweeping changes across the continent that have destabilised long-standing regimes and forced out some veteran leaders. Africa has the youngest population in the world, with 200 million people between the ages of 15 and 24. According to the World Bank, youth account for 60% of all unemployed people on the continent, with young women bearing the sting of unemployment, as young men are favoured for jobs. Instead of succumbing to fear of these statistics, many young people have taken…

THE City of Joburg faces accusations of protecting Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for economic development Nkululeko Mbundu in the case involving alleged bribery of R3000 and whiskey. The Sunday Independent has established that following claims by Mbundu that a senior manager in one of the entities under his portfolio tried to bribe him, a disciplinary process was instituted against the individual. The employee was cleared of any wrongdoing by the chairperson of the disciplinary hearing. The report was handed over to the City, but they were dissatisfied with the outcome and sought a legal opinion on the findings. Sources in the City this week claimed that the reason for seeking a legal opinion was to protect Mbundu and get rid of the official whose name is known to…

From Page 1 Fraser has met with members of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, which is investigating this case, and “furnished the Hawks with additional information and details to enable them to do their work”. Ramaphosa admitted that there was indeed a robbery at his farm but disputed the amount. He told delegates at the ANC provincial conference in Limpopo some weeks ago that the amount was less than reported. “The amount involved is far less than the amount which has been reported in the press. Some said it’s R1 billion, some say it’s $4 million. I want to say it is far less,” Ramaphosa said at the conference. Sunday Independent has been informed that two police officers and Rhoode are under investigation for allegedly kidnapping and torturing the…

Tshepiso Tshabalala The tragic deaths of the 21 underage Enyobeni Tavern patrons in the Eastern Cape is yet another indication that South Africa has an alcohol problem. Following the incident, fingers have been pointed at the parents, law enforcement and liquor boards for not enforcing strict measures to prevent underage drinking, liquor establishments for not adhering to the liquor board regulations, and the youth for making poor choices. However, the SAPS admits it is faced with the challenge of some licensed holders allowing minors on their premises without verifying their age. The unrestricted availability of alcohol may lead to criminal activities, accidents and gender-based violence. SAPS national spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe said all stakeholders should adopt a multi-disciplinary approach. She said liquor traders, the community, including the youth, community…

IT IS laughable that Eskom is now blaming the workers on strike for Stage 6 load shedding. It has been 14 years of load shedding and we are up to here with excuses. The truth is there is an electricity crisis that Eskom management and the ANC government cannot solve. But in blaming workers for the electricity crisis, Eskom unwittingly reminds us of the importance of workers in the search for solutions. There can be no solution to the energy crisis without workers. We cannot only focus on consumption and not production when talking about the electricity crisis. We often complain about no lights in our homes, food rotting in our fridges, traffic lights not working and small businesses losing money. But at the heart of the problem is that…

The state capture commission’s report is in, and President Cyril Ramaphosa is applying his mind to the recommendations made therein. Meanwhile, public confidence in the ability of the state institutions charged with bringing guilty perpetrators to book dithers between complete hopelessness and the nagging sense of loyalty to give things “one more chance.” There is a strong need for an anti-corruption project that will finally work, where consequences and accountability will follow corrupt acts that interfere with service delivery. The commission has provided a pause-and-reflect moment that cannot go to waste. Many questions have been asked – albeit phrased differently – of Corruption Watch, about what the long-term solution to the corruption or state capture problem in South Africa is, what state institution reform should look like, and whether or…

Recent increases in fuel and food prices, as well as shortages in both commodities, have started to spark discontent across Africa. Separately, in several countries, tense electoral periods have already led to local protests and associated incidents, such as isolated clashes between rival opponents and/or the police. Both elections and increased costs of living can be triggers of unrest and tensions, which can have consequences for businesses across Africa. In Africa, the higher cost of living is already being felt, especially in countries with high debt, reduced government subsidies, and those impacted economically by Covid-19. The situation has recently been exacerbated by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which has driven up global oil prices and levels of inflation. Geopolitical events can also affect international aid sent to Africa; with…

The 27-year-old Spaniard clocked a best lap of one minute and 40.983 seconds to beat the Red Bull driver by 0.072 seconds in the closing minute of a tense session run in treacherous wet conditions. His first pole came ahead of what will be his 150th Grand Prix start in today’s race, just two weeks after he was a very close second to the Dutchman in a thrilling finish at the Canadian Grand Prix. In a topsy-turvy session that saw positions shuffled rapidly in the changing conditions, Charles Leclerc was third in the second Ferrari, ahead of Sergio Perez of Red Bull and home hero seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes. After promising to fight for the front row, it was a disappointment for the local fans as Hamilton failed…

DAMIAN Willemse has for much of his career been accused of being erratic, but when it mattered most he coolly slotted a post-hooter penalty to give his team a 32-29 victory that will go down in Springbok history as The Great Escape. Let’s be honest: For 70 minutes of the game, Wales seemed set to win their first-ever match on South African soil, but somehow the bloody-minded Boks found a way to win when they honestly deserved to lose, they played that badly. For the duration of the match, the packed stands around the pitch were in semi-darkness because Loftus was running off generator power, thanks to SA Rugby having zero faith in Eskom to keep the lights on, while the Boks themselves looked like they were running off a…

RESTRICTIONS on athletes who are transgender or with differences of sex development (DSD) do not respect the principles of the Olympic Charter, International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS) president Fabio Pigozzi said on Friday. A raft of sport governing bodies have started reviewing their policy on the involvement of transgender athletes in women’s sport, following last month’s ruling by swimming’s top body FINA. FINA voted to ban anyone who has been through male puberty from elite women’s competitions, and to create a working group to establish an “open” category for transgender swimmers in some events as part of its new policy. “The exclusion of transgender or DSD athletes does not conform to the Olympic Charter,” Pigozzi, also the president of the National Anti-Doping Organisation, said at a FIMS panel on…