Innholdsfortegnelse for 2023-01-01 i Sunday Independent

Noah Centineo is meandering through the International Spy Museum on Tuesday afternoon in Washington, DC when he eyes the tools of the espionage trade on display – a lipstick pistol, a poison umbrella, a fountain pen camera – with personal intrigue and professional indifference. “Some of this is f****** dope,” the 26-year-old actor marvels while examining a deck of cards that doubled as an escape map for Allied prisoners during World War II. Yet as Centineo discusses his starring role in the Netflix series The Recruit – a peppy spy thriller about a fledging CIA lawyer – he concedes such contraptions never had a place in the show’s more bureaucratic trappings. “If we were trying to do Bourne [Identity], it would have been sick to have all those gadgets and…

Before the internet, people commonly burned photographs and love letters as an act of closure following a breakup. Nowadays, it isn’t so simple. People produce and consume massive amounts of digital stuff – 33 trillion gigabytes of online data in 2018 alone, a number that has surely grown. Even as more of daily life is experienced and documented online, there’s no playbook for how to navigate breakups in the digital age. In the past, if bonfires weren’t your thing, you could simply throw out love letters, gifts and photographs, or put them in a box and store them in the attic – out of sight and out of mind. Now, as you scroll through your accounts, you might find yourself returning to your own memories – including reminders of your…

THIS was a week of glaring global contradictions, shining the light once more on conflicting geopolitical persuasions between the West and the East, particularly Russia. As Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky was being fêted in Washington DC in a rare foreign state visit, his Russian counterpart President Vladimir Putin was again expressly hinting at his desire to see the devastating war cease. It was Zelensky’s first foreign visit since the Ukraine war started on February 24. Unsurprisingly, his destination was the US, Kyiv’s biggest bankroller to the tune of astronomical figures and the supply of a lethal arsenal of weapons against Russia. President Biden single-handedly – on behalf of the American people – holds the keys to the cessation of hostilities or continuation of the war. It is entirely upon his…

THE Northern Cape government dished a cool R25 million golden handshake to a consulting company that claimed potential loss of profit; part of the amount for a contract confirmed only a few weeks earlier, and the bulk for work that had been scheduled two years ago but was never done. According to a settlement agreement between the provincial Health Department, the Public Works Department and V3 Consulting Engineers (Pty) Ltd, dated March 3, 2021, the government committed to pay the company a total of R25.4m for the two projects: maintenance of the Dr Harry Surtie and De Aar hospitals contracts and maintenance for the firefighting contract. The Public Works Department appointed V3 to provide professional services for the maintenance of the Dr Harry Surtie and De Aar hospitals on February…

AS USUAL, it has been a busy year in politics following a two-year period in which South Africans were under Covid-19-enforced national lockdowns. Here’s a look at some of the major political developments of 2022. January Several buildings in Parliament are gutted by a fire, which causes nearly R2.2 billion in damage. Zandile Mafe, 49, is later arrested and charged with housebreaking with the intent to commit theft, terrorism and arson. President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers the January 8 statement marking the ANC’s 110th anniversary in Limpopo, where he announces the establishment of the party’s renewal commission to drive its Vision 2032 for the country over the next decade. A war of words erupts after Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu criticises the judiciary, which forces President Ramaphosa to show his administration’s support…

THE National Health Department has warned while Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted, the pandemic is far from over. This week, CNBC reported the US government was considering imposing new Covid-19 rules for travellers from China after mounting concerns over Covid surges in that country. DoH spokesperson Foster Mohale said although restrictions had been removed, we must not let our guard down by not vaccinating as deaths were still prevalent. He said: “We urge all unvaccinated and partly vaccinated people to continue to enhance their immunity against the pandemic through vaccine, simply because the virus is still amongst us, claiming lives on a weekly basis. “One death is too many, hence we introduced additional boosters shots to enable fully vaccinated people to protect themselves and their loved ones. “The lifting of…

THE YEAR that was, has brought a plethora of positive and adverse developments for South Africa and her people. Like many countries around the world and in the aftermath of the devastating Codid-19 pandemic, South Africans faced, and continue to face, extraordinary economic hardships. The world is still facing an economic decline, which most analysts predict will last until the end of 2024. According to the World Bank, since the beginning of 2022, a “rapid deterioration of growth prospects, coupled with rising inflation and tightening financing conditions, has ignited a debate about the possibility of a global recession – a contraction in global per capita GDP”. This demonstrates that the heightened economic pressures are not unique to South Africa and almost certainly assures a very likely global recession in 2023/24.…

A selection of last year’s best photos from the photographers at African News Agency (ANA) showcasing images that captured audiences and events that made international headlines…

MANCHESTER City coach Pep Guardiola believes Erling Haaland is not at his best and can get even better, despite the Norwegian becoming the fastest player to reach 20 goals in Premier League history during his side’s 3-1 win at Leeds United. Haaland continued his incredible goalscoring form with two second-half strikes at Elland Road on Wednesday, to reach 20 goals from just 14 appearances – seven games faster than the next quickest player to reach such a goal tally. The Norway international has scored 26 times in 20 appearances under Guardiola in all competitions – the quickest that any player has reached 25 goals under the City boss with top-flight clubs. “He missed chances, hopefully he can do better,” Guardiola said. “But the numbers are exceptional, he is an incredible…

The festive season is not just about getting together with family and friends, others use it as a time to reconstruct and renovate their homes. Like fashion, décor trends change. This year, we’ve seen modern minimalism take centre stage. Kim Williams, a top Cape Town interior designer, behaviour specialist, and owner of the Kim Williams Design Studio, explains the trends. The value of zoning Working from home has forced people to turn their homes into a friendly working environment. And as we know, it’s easy to work in a less cluttered place. Williams said: “Larger families especially require separate living areas to work and recharge, as well as a communal zone to energise and socialise, and a dedicated corner to play. This has forced designers to look at zoning areas…

We were almost there. After a two-year Covid-induced hiatus, we were almost certain 2022 was going to be our year; our chance to recover and better as a nation trying to forge ahead, that is. Tourism numbers are picking up. We were almost there – and the lights went off, again. Just when we thought we were on a new path with the election of a fresh leadership at the helm of the ruling party, with the watershed inclusion of three women, we are back to square one. The racist bigots in Bloemfontein are pulling us back with their laager mentality. Twenty-six people – at the last count – perish when a gas-laden truck ploughs into a bridge in Boksburg, east of Joburg. Word is that the said truck,…

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has abandoned the bad legal advice that he could simply ignore the criminal charges against him in the private prosecution sponsored by his predecessor, former president Jacob Zuma, by approaching the court to try to have the summons set aside. But when it comes to urgency, Ramaphosa may find that time is not on his side as he has applied belatedly to the court to review summons Zuma served on him almost two weeks ago. At the ANC national elective conference earlier this month, Ramaphosa persuaded former president Kgalema Motlanthe’s ANC Electoral Committee to disregard the criminal charges. This allowed him to avoid being disqualified from running for the ANC presidency, and he won a second term. But once more, he missed the opportunity to immediately bring…

OWNERS of pit bull dogs across the country should brace for more stringent municipal regulations regarding their pets in the new year. National SPCA senior inspector Nazareth Appalsamy said municipalities promised to update their by-laws regarding dogs and ensure tighter enforcement of the regulations after a spate of pit bull attacks left adults and children dead or mutilated in 2022. He said the latest attack happened in Durban two weeks ago. The NSPCA was investigating the matter. “Municipalities have the power to amend by-laws, which will probably come into effect before the government does anything,” said Appalsamy. He said that in addition to a possible change of by-laws, the owners of several pit bulls surrendered their dogs to the SPCAs, a move started by a Bloemfontein resident following the death…

In November, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution put forward by the Africa Group that will begin to give definition to global action to reduce international illicit financial flows. The resolution outlines the road to an intergovernmental tax process under the auspices of the UN. In 2021, the State of Tax Justice report estimated that countries around the world are losing more than $450 billion per year due to international tax dodging and abuse by multinational corporations and wealthy individuals. Africa is a resource-rich continent. To finance the development sought across the continent, it is essential to end the haemorrhaging of profits from the extraction of wealth. This will provide domestic financing towards the human and capital development desired to drive the realisation of the fundamental human rights of…

THE Sasol-sponsored Banyana Banyana finally tossed the metaphorical monkey off their backs by lifting their maiden Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) title in July 2022, after five failed finals over a 27-year period. Banyana are the champions of Africa, but have not yet made significant progress to be Africa’s highest world-ranked country. That honour belongs to Nigeria's Super Falcons (ranked 45th), who top Africa’s list, followed by South Africa’s Banyana Banyana (54th), Morocco (76th) and Zambia (81st). Nevertheless, Banyana enjoyed the rare distinction of defeating 11-time Wafcon winners Nigeria twice in a 12-month period. They defeated Nigeria 4-2 to claim the Aisha Buhari Cup title in Lagos last September, and then again at Wafcon a few months ago. Banyana closed out the year with an international friendly against Australia’s…

What went right The fact that the Bulls made it all the way to the United Rugby Championship final in June was a miracle in itself, following a disastrous start to the new tournament. Jake White’s team had lost five of their first six matches, ending 2021 with a 30-16 defeat to the Sharks in Durban. It wasn’t a happy new year either, as they went down 30-26 to the Stormers at Loftus Versfeld. But White and his players were intent on pushing the envelope on attack . .The big breakthrough came against the Lions at Ellis Park in late January, where they scored four tries to one, and even though they lost the odd game, their positive approach paid off in the long run – and new stars emerged…

Ke Dezemba vibes are upon us. Daytime drinking for those enjoying the season’s festivities. Spoiling ourselves a bit. Getting paid early. It’s all fun and games until mid-January comes in like a wrecking ball. Not to spoil the festive mood but January is almost here. January is considered to be the longest month by many South Africans. And it creeps up on us silently, without warning, after a month of overspending on everything and it doesn’t help that the cost of living is through the roof. Most of us could use some advice on how to get through the month of “JanuWorry”. People typically have many expenses, including rent, back-to-school chaos for parents, uniform and stationery purchases, fuel and transportation costs. And most of us have already spent the bulk…

AN EXPLOSIVE affidavit that turned the state capture narrative on its head never made it to the final report of the State Capture Commission of Inquiry or was even considered by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo. The damning contents may explain why Iqbal Sharma, widely regarded as a Gupta lieutenant, never appeared before the commission of inquiry. No findings were made against him either. The commission’s lead investigator had received the almost 1 000-page affidavit with concrete evidence attached. However, none of the Zondo commission reports covered the document. The document implicates President Cyril Ramaphosa, Thuli Madonsela, Maria Ramos and Transnet board members from 2006/7, Trevor Manuel, Pravin Gordhan, Gill Marcus, Moira Moses, Mafika Mkhwanazi, the late Don Mkhwanazi and SA Shipyards, Doris Tshepe, Brian Joffe and the 2006/7 Bidvest board,…

IN the final session of the adjourned ANC national conference starting on Thursday, it will be key for the party to come up with a solid plan to turn around its electoral fortunes in 2024. The meeting started in December but it was abruptly brought to a close before branch delegates adopted any updated policy resolutions for the governing party. By now the delegates would have begun to grapple with finding answers to the party’s acute decline in electoral performance. The conference has to choose between two schools of thought, one pointing at the malfeasance of corruption in government as the source of the ANC’s downfall and another at the party’s failure to address bread-and-butter issues for poor and marginalised voters. Notably, the former argument was previously championed by the…

AXED Correctional Services officer Themba Mabizela alleges the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) acted harshly by terminating his employment and did not give him a fair trial after he was accused of assaulting an inmate, resulting in the prisoner’s death. Mabizela, whose life drastically changed when he was fired from his Correctional Services job in May 2020, said he demands answers as to why he was not given a fair opportunity to present his case before being sacked. The now 48-year-old was fired following the assault of an inmate that occurred on February 3, 2016. The prisoner is said to have suffered a head injury inflicted using a blunt object, causing his death three days later. The DCS alleged that the head injury was caused by Mabizela. However, he…

WHEN one opens the book Ancestory: Ancient Lessons for Modern Life, one would expect to be greeted with a folklore tale or an important message on the power of an individual’s ancestor. This is no Eat, Pray, Love or The Alchemist. Ancestory is more of an open letter from traditional healer Nokulinda Mkhize, using her life lessons and her experience as a sangoma to speak on the fractured relationship people have with themselves, their ancestors and other humans. Mkhize has been a practising sangoma since 2008. She has amassed a wealth of knowledge and cultural values which she distils through insights from her communities in both Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, her family and her experience as a sangoma. “Ancestory is a simple, straightforward book just like me. There are no special…

AS WE sit again in the dark and see small and medium-sized businesses crumble under stage 6 load shedding, one can only but growl at the circus, the charade masked as an ANC conference and the re-election of the same captain of our Titanic. Never-seen-before images of ill-discipline and huge rifts in what once was, under Madiba, a disciplined party but is now a true revelation of greed, factionalism and indeed dog-eat-dog, the conference was, again, divisive rather than galvanising our leaders into action for a better future for our country. This was the first ANC conference I did not attend since departing the ANC, the party of my political birth, two years ago. As a loyal ex-veteran, I am sad that Nasrec 2022 proved me right. As we, the…

WORLD Cups in cricket, rugby union and women’s football, as well as world titles in swimming and athletics are up for grabs in 2023. AFP Sport looks at the showpiece events: CRICKET WORLD CUP Where: India When: October-November (dates to be decided) The 13th edition of the global 50-over showpiece will see England defend the title they won in thrilling fashion on home ground in 2019. Despite the event stretching over seven weeks and featuring 48 games, only 10 teams are taking part. The top seven countries from the Super League, plus hosts India, will make it through, along with two teams from a qualifying tournament to be held in Zimbabwe in June/July. There is, however, controversy, with former Pakistan Cricket Board chief Ramiz Raja having hinted his country could…

Temba Bavuma is often the scapegoat for everything that is wrong with South African cricket. He is blamed for things that are way out of his control and chastised on social media after virtually every game. But if the Proteas men’s Test side really want to regain their sense of pride in the badge, grow as a unit and find a formula for success again after the horrendous Test series in Australia that went down in flames at the MCG with defeat by an innings and 182 runs, they will be well advised to adopt Bavuma’s honest approach. Unlike his captain Dean Elgar, the Test deputy had no space for excuses, refused to blame the system and accepted that the Proteas “simply haven’t been good enough” Down Under. “The Australian…