Innholdsfortegnelse for 2022-07-10 i Sunday Independent

Almost every year we have the same conversation around comedy. “Sometimes good art should make us uncomfortable.” “Sometimes bad people can make good art.” Late last year, many cited these or similar quotes in defence of Dave Chappelle when he stirred controversy with his transphobic and sexist jokes during the last comedy special of his long-running Netflix deal. Nowadays, Nota Baloyi has become somewhat of a comedian. A comedian not by choice or profession but because his antics on social media are often comical. And even when he’s apparently making serious observations, you can’t help but chuckle. His latest act of comedy was far from humorous, though. In May, Nota joined the Nkululeko n Cultr podcast for a discussion on a range of entertainment topics. In typically inelegant fashion, Nota…

The war-mongering British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is finally on the ropes, and by all accounts he can no longer beat the count. He ascended to power in 2019 amid much fanfare. His stock had risen in the wake of his role as a protagonist in the Brexit movement. He took over the reins at Number 10 Downing Street in the aftermath of the resignation of his predecessor, Theresa May, as Conservative Party leader on July 24, 2019, a day after he had won the leadership election. Once he had led the Conservative Party to a resounding victory in 2019 general elections, Johnson became his own man, basking in the glory of the endorsement of the British electorate. In the early days of his premiership Johnson’s popularity was sky high.…

PRESSURE is mounting for an investigation to be launched into Police Minister Bheki Cele in a week where the beleaguered top cop came under heavy fire. Suspended deputy national commissioner of asset and legal management Francinah Vuma is the latest to lambaste Cele and other high-ranking police. In a “protected disclosure” letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa, she accused Cele of corruption and political interference and hatching a plan to kill her. In the letter, Vuma implicated Cele in a 2010 FIFA World Cup procurement scandal, of coercion during her investigation into a multimillion-rand SAPS PPE deal and interference into retaining a general who was not suitably qualified. She also claimed the minister had spent R5.5 million of police money on traveling to Dubai and to pay for his court cases.…

Troubled state-owned low cost airline Mango’s creditors have agreed to the decision by its parent company, SAA, to withhold R85 million. Mango, which is under business rescue, will decide next week whether to take legal action against SAA following the national carrier’s decision. According to the airline’s business rescue practitioner (BRP), Sipho Sono, the vote on the R85m was a result of SAA’s reduction from the R819m funding allocated to Mango in terms of the Special Appropriation Act. ”Of the total creditors present or participating by proxy, with a voting interest of R1.9 billion, 98.06% voted in favour of the reduction in funding by an amount of R85m,” Sono told the Sunday Independent. Sono called for a meeting on the outstanding money in May after SAA reducted funds from the…

VREDE Integrated Farming Trust employees have accused the board of trustees of harassing and intimidating them to prevent them from venting their frustration about their working conditions. This was after the board suspended two employees for sharing their frustration about poor working conditions with the media. The employees, Lettie Mokoena and Amos Radebe, were suspended after their interview with news channel Newzroom Afrika. They told the broadcaster things had fallen apart since the beneficiaries were handed the project in January. They were demoted and forced to take salary cuts. However, this revelation angered the board members, who served them with letters of suspension following the interview. In the letters issued on June 29, the board members accused the two of bringing the trustees of the trust into disrepute. They also…

Close to a quarter (22%) of the 165 059 teaching and managerial staff in the Early Childhood Development (ECD) sector do not have any formal training or qualification, underpinning the extent of the sector’s challenges, the country’s first-ever census has shown. It is not all doom and gloom, however, as the ECD 2021 Census conducted by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) in partnership with the Lego Foundation reveals that more than a quarter (26%) took part in an accredited skills programme, about four out of six (42%) obtained an NQF Level 4 or 5 education, and 10% had an NQF Level 6 or higher. But the sector is desperate for expansion of ECD programmes, training of practitioners, and the need for better allocation of funds. Interviewed recently after the…

The past week was another eventful one where South Africans watched in disbelief as politicians, including President Cyril Ramaphosa, continued doing what they know best. Doing their macabre dance on the graves of those whose deaths are linked to the massive inequalities that the majority of South African continue to endure in the face of opulence enjoyed by the privileged minority – including themselves. Isn’t this what drives the likes of Ramaphosa to make such bland statements like – the 21 teenagers who died in the Enyobeni tavern in East London had dreams “built by their loving ANC government by providing them with education”? What else can drive him to make such a self-serving statement (because of the quality of education that the majority of South African youth continue to…

In May, the AU held an extraordinary session on Terrorism and Unconstitutional Changes of Governments in Africa in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, resulting in a declaration titled “robust response, deepening democracy and collective security”. The declaration condemns and expresses zero tolerance for all forms of “unconstitutional changes of government”. However, the declaration’s preamble also commits states to promote constitutionalism, separation of powers, judicial independence, political pluralism and meaningful public participation. This point is critical since anti-terrorism interventions can easily be used as a pretext to curb civic space. The paradox of fighting terrorism through increased regulation of civic space while protecting constitutional rights has not gone unnoticed. Of particular concern is the extent to which a wave of counter-terrorism, data protection and cybersecurity responses have emboldened states to exercise total control…

Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine on February 24 has triggered unparalleled Western measures to block and exclude not only Russia, but anything Russian as well. During his speech at the recent St Petersburg International Economic Forum, President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia was entering a new global order and nothing would be as it used to be in global politics. The West is made up of the US and Nato, Canada, the EU, Australia and Japan. In a Marxist analysis, the 15% of the world’s population that make up the West are the wealthy that consume 60% of the world’s energy and generate about 55% of the world’s GDP, thereby carrying a 60% responsibility for global pollution and global warming. The remaining 75% of the global population are the impoverished…

England held off a fast-finishing Australia to win the second Test 25-17 at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium yesterday. Owen Farrell kicked six penalties and a conversion to help England level the three-Test series and set up a decider in Sydney next Saturday. After their 30-28 loss in Perth last Saturday, England regrouped and started brilliantly, dominating the Wallabies in every aspect of the early play. They led 19-0 after 38 minutes and appeared to be heading for an easy win, but a Taniela Tupou try before half-time saw the Wallabies haul themselves back into the match. But England were able to clinch victory, giving beleaguered coach Eddie Jones some breathing space. The English started brilliantly, their forward runners creating havoc and making easy ground, putting pressure on the Wallabies. Australia, who…

The Broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) policy system provides the country with a growth strategy that aims to promote a more equitable and economically inclusive society that will help South Africa realise its economic potential. B-BBEE can serve as a stepping-stone for business growth, particularly for SMEs who aim to work with large corporate and government departments. The B-BBEE basics an SME owner needs to be aware of: Does your SME qualify for B-BBEE scorecard completion? There are two categories. Exempted Micro-enterprises, which have an annual turnover of less than R10 million, are not audited in terms of their B-BBEE status. Qualifying Small Enterprises are businesses with an annual turnover of between R10m and R50m. How a BEE scorecard works QFEs are evaluated according to five B-BBEE codes: ownership, skills…

Sometimes, when I’m in the mood for something different, I will choose a random show. You Don’t Know Me, which is based on Imran Mahmood’s novel, was it this week. And I didn’t go wrong. I was pleasantly surprised because it didn’t follow that pedestrian courtroom drama blueprint of a wrongfully-convicted individual trying to prove their innocence. There was so much more to it. The best part of this gem of a series, which is only four-episodes long, is that it doesn’t rely on an A-list talent to sell it. It has enough gravitas with the talented cast, compelling script and adroit direction to gain the right traction to register on the radar of critics and fans who appreciate great storytelling. In the first episode, a well-groomed young man from…

AS I WAS watching the presumably choreographed mass funeral service of the Enyobeni tavern victims on national television, there were times when it became very difficult for me to hold back my tears, despite the fact that I do not have any biological relationship with any of the 21 children who lost their lives, except that they were black, young and compatriots. It is a tragedy that many of us stubbornly believe could have been easily avoided if black communities were all united in their action to fight against drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, hubbly bubbly and hookah addiction in our communities. My biggest gripe about this tragedy is that many of our fellow countrymen and -women are generally a reactive bunch, let alone some of our uncaring elected public representatives (councilors,…

SOUTH Africans have been hard hit by the rise in prices of everyday living necessities. The recent petrol increase has seen taxi fares increasing and people having to stretch their stagnant salaries to make ends meet. While consumers try to keep their heads above water, the latest household affordability index by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity group shows that food prices continued to soar at the mid-year point in South Africa. The group recorded its household food basket at R4 688.81 in June 2022. Month-on-month, the average cost of the food basket increased by R78.92 from R4 609.89 in May. Year on year, the basket was up by R560.57 from R4 128.33 in June 2021. This has hit hard on people such as Zandile Kheswa, a teacher at a…

From Page 1 Katiso Malakwane, who works at Sibanye-Stillwater in Rustenburg, said he was considering using a bus to go to work. He said this is because he could no longer afford petrol as he used to. “This is a decision I have never intended to make, but here it is. This petrol increase is too much. Everything is expensive, and this is sad,” he said. The 37-year-old father of one added that he was also struggling to look after his 2-year-old son. He also uses a gas stove for cooking because electricity is expensive. “I even had to buy a generator to keep the lights on during load shedding. But it is also expensive because I have to fill it with more than R500 to last me for at…

Comedy Central Africa and Showmax are on a mission to make people laugh with their brand new special, The Comedy Central Roast of Khanyi Mbau. This roast is special as Mbau will become the first-ever African female roastee to be in the hot seat. All the gloves are off on August 8 as invited guests take Mbau and a panel of celebrities straight from the frying pan and into the fire of comedic jokes. Award-winning comedian and television presenter Mpho Popps ensures that there’ll never be a dull moment in the special. Popps is known for his stinging wit, while Mbau is famously known as the Queen of Controversy with her sharp tongue – all the ingredients for an entertaining Roast. “This is just one of those career milestones I…

THE Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has come under fire for its handling of an accident involving a pupil outside a school in Soweto. The family of Sinikezwe Ndlovu has blamed the GDE for the death of their daughter, saying it had failed to save her life. Sinikezwe, a Grade 2 learner at Hector Pieterson Primary School, Soweto, was allegedly hit by one of the school transport vehicles inside the school premises. The girl was playing with other learners while waiting for her transport. The 7-year-old, who succumbed to her injuries following the incident on May 17, died on Monday last week and was buried on Sunday. Her sister, Senamele Ndlovu, said they were told the driver was reversing and allegedly playing loud music when he bumped into Sinikezwe. Ndlovu,…

Load shedding is a concept that every South African is familiar with. With Covid-19 bombing the world and putting everything on halt, Eskom’s load shedding, the riots last July, and the recent floods in KwaZulu- Natal and elsewhere, South Africans have experienced disastrous occurrences over the past two years. Not only have these calamities damaged livelihoods, but they have also made recent environmental disasters worse. It is evident that South Africa, and particularly KZN, has been struggling to recover. In developing and emerging markets, load shedding is a significant issue that has a negative effect on the economy. It has an impact on the economic growth and costs businesses and corporations billions annually. Load shedding has been a reality in South Africa since December 2014; it has already had an…

Africa with its growing youth population is probably the continent most positioned to take advantage of a slew of new technologies, applications and AI to advance public transport across the region. The term Digital Transportation refers to advanced applications which aim to provide innovative services relating to different modes of transport and traffic management. As Africa continues to grow, a reliable and safe public transport system is required to get Africans to and from their destinations, especially since the continent has some of the most congested cities in the world. Easy and effortless public transport is the backbone of a flourishing economy. In Africa, public transport means minibuses owned by individuals and operating on a cash basis, often under the radar of city authorities. They don’t want to be visible…

FOR YEARS, Boris Johnson’s superpower was his lack of shame. The British prime minister first gained mainstream attention years ago as a punchbag for comedians on a satirical, anti-establishment panel show. Later, accusations of cronyism, corruption, incompetence and infidelity fell beside his meteoric political rise like water off a duck’s back. But while Britain’s Conservatives once delighted in his ability to weather anything his many critics threw at him, Johnson’s brazenness is now a major problem for them. Johnson may not feel any embarrassment, but his colleagues ended up affected by it vicariously. Finally forced to announce his resignation on Thursday, Johnson ended up as the first British prime minister brought down not by personal shame, but by a collective cringe. After winning a remarkable parliamentary majority in 2019, Johnson…

AS another IAAF World Athletics Championships looms, you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to predict just how Team South Africa will fare. Our athletes have been consistently poor at the global event and there is little to suggest that this year will be different. To expect more than a handful of medals would be stretching things. For Pete’s sake, we probably should organise a ticker-tape parade should the 40-member-strong team bring home more than five medals. And, believe me, I’m a patriot who loves the sport and am wishing that those wearing our green and gold will do well in Eugene, Oregon, when the championships begin on July 15. I’m crossing my fingers that Wayde van Niekerk has fully overcome his injury woes and will produce something close…

With an aim to automatically practise rinsing, brushing and flossing teeth, a multidisciplinary team from the University of Pennsylvania invented a shapeshifting robotic microswarm device. It offers a new and automated way to perform the mundane tasks of brushing and flossing, which are critical. The study also suggested that this system could be particularly valuable for those who lack the ability to clean their teeth effectively themselves. The building blocks of these microrobots are iron oxide nanoparticles that have both catalytic and magnetic activity. Using a magnetic field, researchers could direct their motion and configuration to form either bristle-like structures that sweep away dental plaque from the broad surfaces of teeth or elongated strings that can slip between teeth like a length of floss. In both instances, a catalytic…

PRESIDENT Thabo Mbeki and his Cabinet were wary of the launches of things. Standing up to multinationals and pharmaceutical companies is rare, as is a president of a country doing so. During the Covid pandemic, multiple views came to the fore and these included those from presidents, intellectuals and citizens of countries. This illustrates that talking about the management of science and politics is a necessary condition in advancing science and its own politics, and political science in public affairs. However, this too was seen amid the HIV/Aids pandemic, when then-president Mbeki ran solo and was ridiculed for the stance he took. He liked and believed in facts as the basis for action. Mbeki and his Cabinet were wary of the launches of things. This was because, often, public servants…

AfroPOP singer and songwriter Tresor Riziki has been inducted into the Recording Academy as a voting member for the prestigious Grammy Awards. The music producer has been making waves internationally while also forming a relationship with international award-winning rapper Drake. Riziki is credited as an additional vocalist on several songs on Drake’s new album: Honestly, Nevermind, Currents, Down Hill and Tie That Binds. He told IOL Entertainment the process was an organic one for him, and he was glad to be working with his “brothers”. “It was very natural, like the guys reaching out and being able to make music,” he said. In celebration of his latest achievement, Riziki took to social media. “I’m honoured to be part of the new Grammys/@RecordingAcademy member class and joining incredible creators and professionals…

James Caan, a Hollywood leading man of the 1970s who memorably displayed his tough-guy screen presence as the trigger-happy Mafioso Sonny Corleone in The Godfather – but who also proved, beyond his macho exterior, a versatile performer of wry expressiveness and unexpected vulnerability – died on Wednesday at 82. His death was announced in a message by his official Twitter account. Additional details were not immediately available. The son of a butcher who had fled Nazi Germany, Caan grew up in the 1940s and ’50s on the knockabout streets of New York’s outer boroughs. A wiry boy, he was dubbed Killer Caan for his use of his fists in self- defence, and prided himself on never losing his street-wise edge or raspy Queens accent. He remained, he said, just a…

From Page 1 “We are now in the process of everyone (who has paid toward the transformers) getting a reference number, and hopefully, if the number of payers gets to where Eskom would like, we would get our power back. Residents need to figure out the status of their account with Eskom,” said Protea South resident Salamina Mokgosi. With some sections of 92 homes currently without power, a meeting was held between the representatives of the community and the councillor in May this year. At the meeting, it was agreed that the representatives would go back to the communities and put together a database of who is able to pay Eskom and who isn’t. For those who cannot afford to pay for electricity, Eskom said the government launched the Free…

From Page 1 “According to the ministerial handbook, every minister is allowed to take two people on his or her trip. It isn’t a crime that those trips happened on my chief of staff’s birthday, but we didn’t go there for any birthday celebration, but to attend a conference.” Cele also denied that his wife, Thembeka, who accompanied him as his official spouse on the two trips, stayed behind in Dubai for shopping while he and the rest of the delegation returned to South Africa. The police minister added that it was possible that Masemola was suspending Vuma after she was found guilty. “If you are found guilty in the court of law, as a police officer with integrity, you must resign with immediate effect,” he said. Civil group Action…

Driving the Amatyma movement with businessman Thato “TT” Mbha is musician Tebogo “Edward Billion” Lerole, who has taken it upon himself to help curb the scourge of gender-based violence. Amatyma is a platform for men to connect as brothers, fathers, partners and as men, and this interview forms part of a series of articles by Sunday Independent, in partnership with Amatyma, to get men to start talking about issues that affect them in broader society. South African society is currently grappling with the scourge of gender-based violence (GBV) and there is pressure on men to step up and help educate other men about the importance of treating women with respect and to refrain from abusing them. Lerole is one of the men who have taken it upon themselves to do…

At the latest ANC provincial conference in Gauteng, the delegates decided to convene a special provincial general council meeting to discuss the outstanding policy matters of the first conference. The reason is that the leadership elections took most of the time, and policy matters could not be discussed. This is not an exception but almost the rule with ANC conferences at the moment. The same happened at the provincial conferences in Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape. A notable exception was the recent Limpopo conference. Even the ANC’s national conference in 2017 did not leave enough time for intensive policy discussions. Why is this happening? The short answer is that too much of the conferences’ time is absorbed by debates on the credentials report and the election of party leaders. But…

Relief, resilience and win-win qualify the aftermath of the outcome of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) meeting held in Accra, Ghana on July 3. Ecowas sanctions were lifted in a quid pro quo with Mali’s military-led transitional government. In return for agreeing to a firm February 2024 democratic election deadline, Mali has secured an end to the sanctions. This is a spectacular turnaround as most sanctions last much longer by international standards. Indeed, Ecowas has made a U-turn in a short time. Both sides have been frantically and acrimoniously working for months towards a democratic rule of law, civilian rule, political stability and peace in Mali and, by extension, to West Africa for the past two years or…

Japan is struggling with shock and sadness, trying to come to terms with the shooting of former prime minister Shinzo Abe in a nation where firearms are strictly regulated and political violence extremely rare. Abe, 67, was assassinated on Friday morning while making a speech during a campaign on behalf of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in the western Japanese city of Nara. He was taken to the Nara Medical University hospital in a critical condition and was later pronounced dead. From Abe protege Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to ordinary people on social media, there was an outpouring of grief in a nation where political violence is so rare. The last time a former or sitting prime minister was killed was nearly 90 years ago. The shooting of Abe was…