Innholdsfortegnelse for 2022-10-09 i Sunday Independent

We should do everything in our power to ensure that when they do arrive, we can welcome and live peacefully with them, writes Wesley Diphoko AS A society, we’ve known that robots would form part of our lives in some distant future. Recent developments in the robotics field are showing us that we are closer to living with robots than was thought before. In August, Xiaomi, a Chinese tech company, instead of launching another mobile device, introduced CyberOne, a humanoid robot with the ability to walk. The humanoid robot is 177cm in height and weighs 52kg, and it comes with 21 degrees of freedom, with a curved OLED module to display real-time interactive information. Humanoid robots, by digital nature, rely on vision to process their surroundings. Equipped with a self-developed…

Today is National Garden Day! National Garden Day is a chance for people across the country to down tools and celebrate their gardens. Everyone can take part, regardless of the size of their gardens – rolling lawns, potted window sills, urban rooftops, and patio planters – all are welcome. It is not news that food gardening is the hottest trend in home gardening right now, for several reasons. Growing your own fruits, vegetables and herbs is a more sustainable option than buying them from a grocery store and it is a super-easy way to lower your carbon footprint. Growing your own food also teaches you a new skill. Growing your own fruits, vegetables or herbs will help you practise patience. It is also a good lesson in dealing with failure,…

Every living room’s focal piece is the couch, and the couch’s style determines the theme of the space. To match the couch style, however, choosing the appropriate home decor collection becomes crucial. Millennials are currently favouring minimalist, aesthetically modern, and contemporary products. The days of having only brown and grey couches are long gone. Most people today prefer to use aesthetic decor items to add a pop of colour, energy, and originality to their living area. Here are a few ideas from Vansikha Nahata, CEO of The June Shop, and Mathew Joseph CEO and Co-founder of Sleepyhead, to help you in creating the living room of your dreams by selecting the ideal couch and matching decor: Mid-century style If you want a mid-century modern look, the sofa should be in…

The fashion show within a movie has been a staple of cinematic escapism since the days of The Women and How to Marry a Millionaire, right through Sex in the City; its vicarious pleasures never cease. That’s one takeaway from Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, a warm-hearted confection, based on Paul Gallico’s 1958 novel, that contains a short but stunning glimpse of mid-century Christian Dior designs, presented in a soignée showcase in the maestro’s Paris atelier. There, a Battersea house cleaner named Ada Harris (Lesley Manville) feasts her eyes on a collection of beautifully constructed gowns and day dresses – or “frocks”, as Mrs Harris cheerfully calls them. How she came to arrive at this particular moment is part of the fun of Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, a Cinderella…

LEADING a team can be a daunting task. Having to manage different personalities and beliefs comes with its challenges. How the team receives and perceives a leader can have differing outcomes. For those who follow football, you will understand this fully. Who can forget Chelsea FC winning the Uefa Champions League in 2012 under Roberto Di Matteo? But what many people don’t remember is that he came in as an interim manager after the sacking of André Villas-Boas, following a string of poor performances. Di Matteo did not make significant signings in that campaign, but used the very same players that Villas-Boas used – but things turned around. They started winning games. The simplest explanation for that is that he had the support of the dressing room. His predecessor had…

UCT has hit back at “spurious claims” against its leadership, amid allegations of a full-on race war between white academics wanting the old university back, and black staff demanding transformation. Vice-chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng and council chair Babalwa Ngonyama have come under siege in the media following manufactured claims that they misled the council concerning the departure of deputy vice-chancellor Lis Lange from South Africa’s top university. Responding to a report by the Daily Maverick it said were a “litany of claims that are either incorrect, misleading or unethical”, UCT said the allegations were either addressed by the university in its initial response but not reflected in the article, or not put to UCT at all for a response before publication. UCT issued a statement on Friday disputing several inaccuracies…

GUEST HOUSE owners in Polokwane, Limpopo, are infuriated over a surge of cable theft that has gripped the area and negatively affected them, plunging their businesses into financial losses. Maria Schrader, owner of Destiney Inn Lodge in Dalmada, said she had a loss of revenue that resulted in significant job losses, a situation exacerbated by the ongoing load shedding. “Cable theft is happening now about every two weeks and leaving us sometimes days or weeks without electricity. We experience a loss of revenue and that has caused a loss in jobs and a poor economy in the country. This has also affected my family because I can no longer be able to provide as I used to,” she said. The SA Chamber of Commerce and Industry has estimated that cable…

MINDFUL that the economy is the business of power, China has maintained a 9.2% growth rate consistently for four decades, starting from 1978, while other developing countries have managed only a modest 3% hike in their economies. But a rising China intends to take the world up along with it, and not just hoard the resultant yield for domestic consumption. This was the thrust of the 10th Mapungubwe Annual Lecture delivered virtually by Professor Justin Yifu Lin, the dean of the Institute of New Structural Economics, Peking University, this past Wednesday. The theme for the lecture, organised by the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (Mistra) in conjunction with the University of Johannesburg (UJ), was China’s New Development Paradigm and Future under the Great Changes in the World Unseen in a…

THE Department of Employment and Labour’s registrar of labour relations told Cosatu affiliate the Liberated Metalworkers Union of SA (Limusa), that he did not have to ensure it complied with its constitution when it merged with the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). Lehlohonolo Molefe was responding to a Labour Court appeal by three Limusa leaders, who were challenging his approval of the merger of the two unions last year. Molefe has asked that the Labour Court dismiss the appeal with costs. In his answering affidavit, he stated that it is not his duty and responsibility to establish whether Limusa and the NUM complied with their constitution in the period before he approved the merger. “Section 109(1)(a) of the Labour Relations Act (LRA) states that one of my functions is to…

FEMINISM is a word that is frequenting our modern lives lately. From Twitter to church, feminists are the topic on people’s lips. Many claim to be feminists themselves, but in reality, many people don’t understand what feminism is. Feminism is a movement that aims to establish the socioeconomic, political, and institutional equality of the sexes. Feminism is the advocacy for women’s rights in a patriarchal, male-centred and sexist world. When I say “women”, I mean “females”, but it is also valuable to understand that all genders are inherently protected in the true definition of feminism (although LGBTQIA+ communities lead the advocacy for the equality of non-binary and queer people). Feminism is not just about the rights of women, but about the societies that create stratified relations between males and females.…

France, ranked fourth in the world, scored six tries to the solo try South Africa, ranked 11th, managed in the opening match of the tournament at Eden Park on Saturday morning. “I cannot fault our team for effort,” said Raubenheimer after the game. “The big difference was the experience between the two sides; one playing year in and year out in the Six Nations, and the other on their way back after a couple of years in the wilderness. France deserved the win, and congratulations to them, but I am pleased with the way we played in stages. “We allowed them too many soft opportunities, and that was frustrating. We again started poorly and conceded early points. Our finishing was also not the best, with a number of opportunities going…

For those who love history, culture, science and art, visiting the museum is a fun activity. Going to the museum is a great date idea or something you can add to your travel itinerary that will help you learn more about the history and culture of the place you’re travelling to. Here are the five top-searched museums in the world you could visit if you’re in that part of the world. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City The Met is the largest art museum in the US and holds more than two million works in its permanent collection. It is famous for holding blockbuster attractions, such as 2018’s record-breaking Michelangelo: Divine Draftsman and Designer. The same museum that had CBS founder William S. Paley’s collection on loan is also…

The Cableway Company in Cape Town is celebrating its 93rd year this October. According to Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company (TMACC) Managing Director, Wahida Parker, Table Mountain was voted as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature almost 10 years ago, something that speaks to how beloved this iconic landmark has become, both locally and internationally. Parker revealed that the cable car’s journey started with a wooden tin-roof cable car which carried 19 people to the top in a 10-minute journey. “Anyone that works in the tourism sector has had a very tough and scary 24 months. This is our first birthday month in two years in which we can really celebrate, with the kind of freedoms we all enjoyed before the pandemic arrived,” said Parker. A special birthday…

Here’s a plausible scenario that could soon take place in the metaverse, the online virtual reality environments under rapid development by Mark Zuckerberg and other tech entrepreneurs: A political candidate is giving a speech to millions of people. While each viewer thinks they are seeing the same version of the candidate, in virtual reality they are actually each seeing a slightly different version. For each and every viewer, the candidate’s face has been subtly modified to resemble the viewer. This is done by blending features of each viewer’s face into the candidate’s face. The viewers are unaware of any manipulation of the image. Yet they are strongly influenced by it: Each member of the audience is more favourably disposed to the candidate than they would have been without any digital…

We know of Irish coffee – coffee, Irish whisky, sugar, and whipped cream. A classic pairing, a tale old as time. Plus, Irish coffees are so simple to make. You don’t need bar-tending experience or any special equipment to whip these up. What about G&T? Gin and tea, not the gin and tonic you were probably thinking of. It's not surprising that these once-traditional breakfast beverage blends are pairing well together. So it makes sense to put them together in the name of the ultimate thirst-quenching experience, right? However, gin and tea pairing isn't something new, it dates back to the 1800s. Gin began its life as a medicinal liquor made by Italian monks. And people all over the world have been drinking tea for thousands of centuries and for…

Are talk shows still popular? Well, with the proliferation of offerings on streaming platforms, the allure has dipped in recent years. That said, if it is a host viewers love, like Jimmy Fallon, Trevor Noah (who recently announced his exit from The Daily Show), Jimmy Kimmel or James Corden, then diehards religiously tune in. Graham Norton continues to win over audiences with his irreverence, charm and wit. The five-time Bafta award-winner has hosted The Graham Norton Show since 2007 and it is still going strong. Of course, his ability to get the most topical A-listers to come through is a huge drawcard. Season 30 has just dropped and will be available on BritBox. The first episode dropped on Friday. The stellar line-up includes Hollywood scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween…

Does she know her first name is Hannah? That she is a battle flag? That she is the daughter of freedom fighter June Osborne (formerly known as the handmaid Offred), who is the forever thorn in the side of a repressive male-dominated theocracy called Gilead? Does Hannah know she is one of the most interesting and enigmatic characters on television? No, no, of course not. But maybe? In the ongoing (and often exhausting) power struggle of The Handmaid’s Tale political sphere, 12-year-old Hannah (Jordana Blake), who has been renamed Agnes by her adoptive parents in Gilead, is the ultimate pawn. Gilead and its proxy, Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski), use the child they stole from June (Elisabeth Moss) to keep her in check. But the hope of Hannah – the dream…

MINISTER of Higher Education and Training Blade Nzimande has been trying to keep under wraps a report that exposes the disappearance of millions of rand from his department. Today the Sunday Independent lifts the lid on the Nexus Report that Nzimande has requested Parliament to keep “confidential” as it exposes how 10 projects milked the coffers of the National Skills Fund (NSF) on unverified skills development expenditure. The NSF is responsible for the management of at least R2.5 billion which is meant to assist young people. According to the report, the NSF funded these projects to 10 different entities in the hope that thousands of unemployed youth around the country would be trained and empowered, but investigators established that millions of rand have disappeared without any supporting documents. The Sunday…

NORTH WEST Health MEC Madoda Sambatha has threatened to mobilise civil society for a protest action against Eskom next week for excluding it from the load-shedding exemption for provincial hospitals. Sambatha’s threat came after North West was excluded from the list of 37 hospitals that were exempted from load shedding last week. The 37 hospitals in other provinces were exempt after Health Minister Joe Phaahla engaged Eskom to consider freeing hospitals in the country from the rolling blackouts. Load shedding is a risk to efforts to deliver the mandate of protecting, promoting, and maintaining the health, safety, and well-being of patients. The provinces that had their hospitals exempted were: KwaZulu-Natal (13), Gauteng (10), Eastern Cape (5), Limpopo (4), Western Cape (3), and Free State (1). Three hospitals in the Northern…

IN WHAT could be seen as a beacon of hope for the country’s township economy in these uncertain times, Gauteng township entrepreneurs are set to benefit from a R300 million fund launched by the Gauteng provincial government, in partnership with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and SA SME Fund. The SMME Crisis Partnership Fund, launched on Wednesday in Tembisa, is aimed at reigniting Gauteng’s township-based small, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs). More than two million formal and informal small businesses in the country, most of which are township based, have so far had restricted or no access to capital. This has a negative impact on the development of SMMEs, especially under the current economic conditions. Small businesses also do not qualify for funding from conventional financial institutions due to the…

WITH the ANC elective conference coming up in December, the race for the top-six positions of the party has just gained impetus with the announcement by a flamboyant former Cabinet minister that he has thrown his hat in the ring as the next secretary-general. On the back of a very colourful CV and body of work in the organisation and government, Malusi Gigaba is convinced he is the right man for the job. “I have the pedigree of the SG,” he said. The position of secretary-general calls for a person of strong character, a leader who will not be a lackey and Gigaba strongly believes that he possesses those qualities. He said the SG should be someone with the ear of the party president and that it would help if…

THE rate of orphaned children has grown since the first wave of deaths linked to Covid-19 swept across the country. In 2020, Statistics SA (Stats SA) reported that there were 2.9 million orphans. It includes children without a living biological mother, father or both parents. The latest data released by Stats SA and the General Household Survey (from 2020/2021) found that Gauteng recorded 154 000 orphans aged 0 to 17 years. That is a 1.7% increase from 2019’s figure of 78 000. Additionally, in 2020, Gauteng had the second-highest and quickest-growing numbers, where 13% of children (566 000) were single (lost one biological parent but lived with the other) or double orphans. An assistant caretaker at an orphanage in Bezhuidenhout Valley said their assistance helps child-headed homes or children in…

THE surname Mngomezulu looms large as a major threat in Cape Town sports circles, be it rugby or soccer. Sinethemba Mngomezulu, the Stellenbosch FC striker, and his rugby namesake at the Stormers, Sacha Mngomezulu, have both become matchwinners. A rugby poster ahead of the Stormers’ weekend United Rugby Championship game against Italian visitors Zebre, read: “Stormers unleash Mngomezulu on Zebre”. Sinethemba Mngomezulu’s rich vein of form should send out a warning to Kaizer Chiefs ahead of their DStv Premiership match against Stellenbosch at the Cape Town Stadium in Green Point this afternoon. The 23-year-old has blossomed since he arrived at Stellenbosch in the off-season from TS Galaxy. At the start of the season, he had lean pickings, but last month he bagged three goals in his last three games. He…

KURT-LEE Arendse, Cheslin Kolbe and Makazole Mapimpi as the Springbok back-three against Ireland in Dublin on November 5? You better believe it! Okay, that might be a Fantasy League line-up, but such a selection is definitely a possibility for the opening game of the end-of-year tour at the Aviva Stadium. “Excited to be back with the brothers,” Kolbe posted on Instagram on Friday after being named in the Toulon side at right wing for yesterday’s French Top 14 clash against Brive at the Stade Mayol. The 28-year-old is making his return to the pitch after nearly three months out with a broken jaw that he sustained in the third Test against Wales at Cape Town Stadium on July 16. Kolbe could have four matches for Toulon to prove that he…

Travelling alone is one of life's most rewarding experiences. You get to wander on your own schedule, follow your instincts and pursue your perfect travel day. But you're also out of your element. You may have to navigate foreign cultural norms and faux pas. You may fail in the process. The good news is those blunders build character – and make for better travel stories. Remember that destinations that may have been perfect for some solo travellers may have been terrible for others. Some may be great for men but unsafe for women or people of colour. So where should you go? Start with these 10 places. Mexico After travelling across Mexico, cookbook author Rick Martinez has many recommendations for solo trips. San Cristóbal de las Casas, a town in…

Listening to music at bedtime can help in slowing down our heart rate and breathing, and in bringing down levels of stress hormones, easing us into the sleep mode A good night’s sleep is a vital component of holistic well-being, providing a strong foundation for our physical, mental and emotional health. And yet, roughly 62% of adults globally feel they don’t sleep well at night. This epidemic of sleep deprivation is fuelling a growing global industry of sleep technology and aids. A recent report pegged the global sleep tech devices market at $15 billion (about R267bn) in 2021 and is expected to grow to $67bn in 2030. But don’t lose sleep over this, help is hidden in your playlist. Tune in to tune out A growing body of research is…

(NOTE: Contains spoilers for the eighth episode of "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.") The devil has finally gotten his Marvel Studios due. Daredevil has made his official debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, via Charlie Cox’s much-hyped cameo in the eighth and penultimate episode of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law on Disney+. Now, perhaps you’re saying to yourself, but what about Spider-Man: No Way Home? Didn’t Charlie Cox appear in that billion-dollar superhero blockbuster? Correct. He did. But not as Daredevil. That cameo – which, unlike Cox’s She-Hulk appearance, came as a surprise – was only as Daredevil’s alter ego, Matt Murdock, who was offering legal advice to a Peter Parker/Spider-Man watching the world crumble around him. But what that Spider-Man: No Way Home appearance did do was put Marvel fans on…

AKA has been awol for the better part of two years. Having endured what he’s described as the most testing period of his life, a period in which his fiancée Anele Tembe committed suicide, the 34-year-old rapper’s larger-than-life “Supa Mega” persona has often felt like a thing of the past. But now Aka is showing signs of life through his upcoming album, Mass Country. The roll-out for the album began three weeks ago, with the release of Lemons (Lemonade), his long-awaited collaboration with Nasty C. Lemons, a song about beating the odds and coming back stronger, which is primed to become his best-performing single since 2018’s Fela In Versace. The new single sees him return to the peak of his musical powers, with a tried-and-tested formula: a slick dance sample,…

AT EVERY interval in a five-yearly cycle, about 5 000 men and women better known as ANC delegates converge at a venue of their choice to decide on SA’s new rulers over a population of some 60 million people who have very little or no direct say in the proceedings. That is the total of what we know as the ANC’s elective conference. The estimated 5 000 representatives from all quarters of the ANC’s national footprint are known as the “branch delegates”. Together, and exclusively, they hold the fate of the SA population like water in the palm of their hands. To rile against this practice and format of the country’s rulers since the dawn of democracy in April 1994 is a moot point. Rather, from near and afar, all…

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s problems keep mounting as he prepares to secure a second term as ANC president. While having to defend himself and wiggle his way out of the Phala Phala theft debacle and subsequent probes, another case has been opened against Ramaphosa. Businessman Reuben Sekwele has lodged a criminal case against Ramaphosa at Booysens police station in Johannesburg for allegedly stealing his intellectual property. Sekwele, the CEO of Rubbytad Group, an independent power producer, claims that Ramaphosa stole his business plan which he had submitted as an unsolicited bid. He says Ramaphosa used it as part of the national energy plan. The businessman says he hand-delivered his business plan to Ramaphosa around 2018 and they even had a photo opportunity of the handover. Sekwele yesterday told the Sunday Independent…

WITH no clear prospects of a potential plug to Eskom’s power drain and its effects on the ordinary person, it would be pertinent for consumers to familiarise themselves with the set stages of power cuts, what they mean, and how they affect power supply to households and businesses. Eskom started load shedding 14 years ago to “save” their power plants from overloading and prevent the state-owned power utility from collapse. The Andre de Ruyter-led power utility’s recent incapacity has forced it to impose load shedding to boost its generator capacity. Up until today, the country’s citizenry has been subjected to planned power cuts for at least 88 days since the beginning of the year. This past Tuesday, two generators from Kendal and Lethabo power stations tripped, forcing Eskom to escalate…

Pietermaritzburg businessman Sabelo Vilakazi is still struggling with the trauma of losing more than R11 million when his businesses went up the smoke during devastating looting that occurred in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng last year. Prior to the looting, Vilakazi was an upwardly mobile businessman who owned three establishments, including a restaurant Capital Lifestyle, at the city’s Greater Edendale Mall. It was estimated the riot cost the country’s economy more than R50 billion. However, the South African Special Risks Insurance Association (Sasria) received claims of up to R32bn, which it intended to settle fully by March this year. Vilakazi, now 36, would be remembered when he cried uncontrollably as scores of looters stormed the mall, and helped themselves to everything they could lay their hands on before setting everything ablaze. Vilakazi…

THE ANC is making plans to force its members to sign a code of conduct to enforce discipline and prevent misconduct or any other actions requiring internal disciplinary and remedial action. One of the proposals by the ANC’s Gaby Shapiro branch in Rondebosch, Cape Town, is for a new rule outlining a code of conduct, which, among other reasons, is for current and potential members to understand that an exemplary code of conduct is a constitutional requirement. According to the branch, a spelt-out code of conduct leaves little to no space for members to apply varying interpretations on what constitutes misconduct or actions requiring disciplinary and/or further remedial actions. “The third is our belief that the inclusion thereof as a stand-alone and distinct rule will empower the integrity commission and…

The scourge of absent fathers in South Africa has been studied, academically explored and discussed in many forums. This issue has been seen as a major contribution to the disintegration of society and its values. Over 60% of fathers are absent from the lives of their children. This is according to Statistics South Africa. However, the country has seen a rise in single-male parenting where fathers are more present in their children’s lives than they were in the past. Social media has seen various users collectively sharing their experiences on the access (in most cases limited) they have to their children. One still finds mothers who withhold access to their child from fathers, either to punish them when their romantic relationship breaks down, or to try to force the…

Vergelegen wine estate in Somerset West has won the Eco-Hospitality and Tourism category in the 2022 Eco-Logic Awards. Enviropaedia, an online environmental information source, created the Eco-Logic Awards in 2011. According to Vergelegen, the organisers allocate award points based on seven Eco-Logical virtues, and the size and scale of their environmental impact. The seven virtues are vision and purpose; inclusivity and interconnection; a reconnecting and regenerative relationship with nature; intellectual and emotional intelligence; ubuntu; eco-ethical consumerism; and sustainability. Enviropaedia Publishing editor, David Parry-Davies, said by using these Eco-Logical V.I.R.T.U.E.S, they could begin to heal the planet and in the process heal themselves. “By changing our thinking to become more ‘ecological’, we will change our behaviours – which in turn will create different and better outcomes and environmental conditions,” said Davies.…

FANS attending this year’s Fifa World Cup are encouraged to familiarise themselves with Qatar’s Covid-19 travel and return policy, as updated by the Ministry of Public Health. The key points for international Hayya Card holders attending the tournament from November 20 to December 18: Regardless of the individual’s vaccination status, the following Covid-19 testing measures are among those required for visitors to Qatar for the Fifa World Cup: Any visitor aged 6 and above is required to present an official negative Covid-19 PCR test result taken no more than 48 hours before departure time or an official negative Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) result no more than 24 hours before departure time. The test result will need to be submitted at the airport check-in counter. The test should be conducted at…