Innholdsfortegnelse for 2023-01-08 i Sunday Independent

All those best-of-the-year lists are finite, but good television – in the enduring era of too much television – is not. Here are some of the hidden gems (if you know, you know!) that made us laugh, cry and binge-watch last year. Bad Sisters (Apple TV+) Sharon Horgan (Catastrophe) co- created and stars in this dark comedy about a group of sisters who dream of helping their abusive and controlling brother-in-law shuffle off this mortal coil. John Paul (Claes Bang) is indeed dead when the 10-episode show begins, setting up flashbacks that establish what happened to the miserable lout through a ragtag investigation led by struggling insurance agents and half-brothers Tom (Brian Gleeson) and Matt (Daryl McCormack), who hope that they won’t have to pay out JP’s hefty insurance policy.…

The nice thing about this season is it’s filled with festivities, holidays and long sunny days and people are generally in a happy mood. The season comes with sunny blue skies lasting into the evening and beautiful natural backdrops which provide the perfect setting for outdoor nuptials. Here are some tips from the Granny Mouse Country House & Spa’s general manager, Sean Granger, on how to have the ultimate summer wedding this season. Prepare for the heat According to Granger, to ensure you and your guests remain comfortable, plan your wedding to start either in the late afternoon or early evening. “The ideal plan is to schedule dinner for sunset (provided the sun isn’t setting too late on your date), then work the rest of the event around that timing.…

Jostling for Cabinet posts has already begun among the new members of the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC). The Sunday Independent heard that during the NEC meeting on Friday to finalise preparations for the party’s January 8 birthday celebration held this weekend in Bloemfontein in the Free State, there was an unprecedented push to force President Cyril Ramaphosa to play open cards on how he intended to change his Cabinet. Ramaphosa has the sole prerogative to make changes. However, there are multiple interests he will have to balance when doing so. His goal would be to maintain old loyalists and bring in some fresh blood, as well as fostering unity and regional diversity. Traditionally, discussions over Cabinet appointments have involved the secretariat of the ANC’s alliance partners in Cosatu, the…

Danny Monyatsi Letlhage walks tall. Oops, maybe he cannot walk because he is a dead man – and dead men, need we say, do not walk. Neither do they talk. But he speaks to us, in the flesh, and tells the tale of how a system error at Home Affairs declaring him dead has wrecked his life. According to Home Affairs records, Letlhage died in 2009. His life ever since has been one of constant struggle and hardship: “I cannot renew my driving licence,” he says. He makes his living by driving hearses at a local funeral parlour in Kagiso, west of Joburg. This is a menial job for a man who says: “I have an education. I should not be doing that kind of work.” When he found out…

AS THE world prepares itself for a recession that is expected in 2023, many companies would have taken note of the closures of the previous year. In 2022, over 1 500 South African businesses were liquidated and as a result, more people have been added to the unemployment statistics which now stands at 43.1%. The number could increase with the looming recession. Here are some companies that shut down in 2022, affecting South Africa’s unemployment rate. Massyn Vervoer This was a long-distance cargo hauling company. According to director Frans Massyn, the ceasing of operations was due to the market conditions in the road freight industry and the damages and destruction the company experienced. He said Massyn Vervoer was not profitable anymore. The cost of new trucks had increased by 12%,…

THE year 2022 was hectic. It had it all. Drama, moments that took our breaths away and the not-so-wonderful moments. And of course, South Africans will always take to social media to express themselves, not always in a manner that would be regarded as normal. We have compiled some of the moments where social media felt like a movie unfolding in front of our eyes, or rather from our timelines with scenes changing as we scroll by. How South Africans reacted on hearing of the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, who died on September 8: Twitter users from all around Africa sought to remind the world of the dreadful atrocities that the British monarchy, which the late queen symbolised, committed on the continent. This saw the…

AN ATTEMPT to have mining activities suspended has landed law firm ENS- africa in more trouble. ANC stalwart and businessman Mathews Phosa has opened a criminal case against ENSafrica, and its client Umsobomvu Coal, for committing “corporate espionage”. This was after ENSafrica asked Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe to suspend the mining activities at the Malonjeni project. The law firm, in its request, indicated that the mine was previously owned by Umsobomvu Coal, and was unlawfully registered in the name of Transasia. The law firm provided the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) with pictures of the mining operations, saying it had been brought to their attention that mining had commenced while the matter was still before the court. This was after Umsobomvu appealed the Department’s…

SOUTH Africa has become ridden with crime, so much so that women are finding alternatives, such as owning firearms, to have a sense of safety. In November last year, the South African Police Service (SAPS) released quarterly crime statistics which indicated that between July and September 2022, more than 13 000 women were targets of assaults with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. This includes 1 277 who were attempted murder victims, while 989 were killed, and 10 000 were raped during the same period. According to reports, the Central Firearms Registry reported around 143 000 new gun licenses in the 2020/21 financial year. Tshepi Mmekwa from Pretoria is one of the many women who have found comfort and a sense of security through gun ownership. She said that although…

ROYAL AM attacker André de Jong has identified accuracy in front of goals as a key element in deciding the winner when his side takes on AmaZulu at the Chatsworth Stadium this afternoon at 3.30pm. The two KwaZulu-Natal sides have been struggling for consistency in recent months, leading to managerial changes at both clubs. Thwihli Thwahla, as Royal AM are known, have won once in their last five league outings, a cause for concern for a side that finished in the CAF Confederations Cup slot last season. Their next opponents Usuthu, although performing slightly better, have not hit the heights expected of them this season as well, claiming one victory in their last five matches while losing one and drawing the other three. The two sides have struggled to score…

FORMER Proteas captain Faf du Plessis believes the Betway SA20 could make South Africans “feel optimistic about the game again in this country”. Du Plessis was one of the six team captains present at the unveiling of the unique SA20 trophy yesterday. The 38-year-old is set to lead the Joburg Super Kings in the inaugural competition. The former Proteas skipper was part of two successful Proteas Test series victories in Australia, and in particular the last series Down Under, when he led the visitors to a memorable 2-1 series win in 2016. He remains the only Proteas captain to win Test series against Australia both home and abroad. Unfortunately Du Plessis, along with the rest of the country’s cricket supporters, have been forced to endure a nightmare current tour where…

Not only did the Stormers have to endure an extended journey to Scotland – with a 50-hour-plus trip for some players – but now they have to face a Glasgow Warriors side in the middle of this afternoon under floodlights. Yes, it will be a 3pm kick-off at Scotstoun Stadium today (5pm SA time), but it will be dark already at the height of the UK winter. As if that wasn’t bad enough, rain has been forecast from mid-morning, with a 60% prediction when the second half starts… and it’s on a 4G pitch! Glasgow are on a five-match unbeaten run, and started the weekend in a logjam on 29 points alongside the Sharks and Benetton, so they will be determined to stay in the United Rugby Championship top eight…

SIZOKUTHOLA will kick the year off with a bang by exposing crimes that happen within communities. Presented by Xolani Khumalo, the show will see him and his team crack down on crime by handing over drug dealers and gun owners to the cops. Alongside law-enforcement and investigative journalists, Khumalo and his team aim to bring back law and order into communities “The crime stats show a shocking figure and sometimes the police are overwhelmed as some crimes go unreported,” said the head of Moja TV Channels, Bokani Moyo. “In comes Sizokuthola, a show that exposes the dark underworld of crime that is happening all around us.” Moja Love is a firm believer in reflecting what is happening in our communities and Sizokuthola is no different and will leave many viewers…

A DISCIPLINARY case against suspended Denel Dynamics CEO Sello Ntsihlele is set to blow the lid on secret deals to sell the state arms manufacturer’s assets to politically connected cronies to dodge public scrutiny. The bulk of the 18 charges served last month on Ntsihlele relates to his refusal to implement “illegal instructions” to enable the alleged crooked sale of valuable assets, including intellectual property. The charges also relate to his efforts to block taxpayers’ money from subsidising cronies of powerful figures with an interest in the sale of public assets under a blanket restructuring plan that lacked detail and was yet to be approved. Denel seeks to dismiss Ntsihlele if he is found guilty. A prime example is the charge relating to Denel’s attempt to sell three properties at…

SEVERAL ANC leaders will have to be replaced in regional and provincial structures after being elected to its powerful national executive committee (NEC) at the party’s elective conference last month. The ANC constitution dictates that if a member is elected or co-opted to the NEC, they must resign from any executive position they hold as an office-bearer in any lower structure. ANC Ekurhuleni regional chairperson Mzwandile Masina, the party’s Mpumalanga deputy provincial secretary Lindiwe Ntshalintshali and Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni will have to step down from the Ekurhuleni regional executive committee (REC) and the Mpumalanga and Limpopo provincial executive committee (PECs) respectively. In terms of the ANC’s constitution, a provincial general council (PGC) may fill any vacancy on the PEC provided that the filling of vacancies does…

POLITICAL parties say they are disappointed with the government’s effort to repair the National Assembly. The parties said it was disappointing that the government had not been able to come up with a clear plan to rebuild the affected structures since Parliament was set alight on January 2, 2022. Monday marked exactly a year since a blaze gutted the National Assembly chamber and destroyed sections of the Old Assembly building. The fire also affected key offices, including chambers and meeting rooms. This has resulted in the 2022 State of the Nation Address (Sona) being moved to Cape Town City Hall, a first in the history of South Africa’s constitutional democracy. In August, the new secretary to Parliament, Xolile George, said that it would cost over R2 billion and take at…

THE backyard rental market thrives in most townships and informal settlements, providing low-cost housing for those who cannot afford the big rental housing providers. For many years, township property owners have transformed their backyards into rental rooms. This informal market has been the catalyst for the revival of township economies while providing households with a different income stream. Cobus Truter is the co-founder of Indlu, a business dedicated to transforming township neighbourhoods through lucrative partnerships. Indlu has an app designed to connect landlords and tenants while developing a good track record for both the landowner and the tenant. The free app lets landowners register their rooms so potential clients can put their offers in. Through the closed-loop vertically integrated platform, the company assists property owners with access to capital, support…

THE beginning of every academic year is stressful for many students and getting funding can be a tedious and complicated process. The registration period itself is busy and often overwhelming. Each year in South Africa, when universities begin new academic calendars, the issue of student funding dominates the national debate as more challenges arise. Among the affected group of students facing financial “exclusion” is the “missing middle”, whose families or guardians neither fall within the income threshold that qualifies for government funding nor can they afford to pay tuition fees. To assist these students, the University of Johannesburg (UJ) has launched the “Double our Future Impact” – a campaign aimed at assisting as many as 10 000 students with their 2023 registration fees. UJ’s vice-chancellor and principal (Designate), Professor Letlhokwa…

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, popularly known as Lula, was inaugurated as the 39th president of Brazil on January 1 following his election victory in October 2022. Lula defeated the incumbent Jair Bolsonaro whose right-wing leanings inspired a massive mobilisation of Brazil’s leftist constituency which propelled Lula to his third term as president. A lot has been said about the implications of Lula’s presidency on the global geopolitical landscape and not least on the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) grouping. Brazil is the 12th biggest economy in the world boasting a GDP of $1.44 trillion (R25trln) and a market of over 200 million people. These numbers mean that the country’s policy direction under the new president will have significant implications on a global scale and most…

IT’S becoming harder to find what will stop Mamelodi Sundowns from comfortably defending their league title again this season. With all their potential challengers struggling to consistently find rhythm, Sundowns tightened their grip at the top of the log on Friday and only a dramatic drop in form could potentially dethrone them from the top. Typically, coach Rhulani Mokwena says the side is far from being a well-oiled machine. It’s an expected stance from the mentor who does not want pressure to bear on his men when the CAF Champions League kicks back into gear, adding strain to their match schedule. The Brazilians have won five league matches in a row after scoring 14 goals and conceding zero goals since the reshuffling of coaches took place at Chloorkop. The change…

HARRY Kane fired Tottenham past third-tier Portsmouth and into the FA Cup fourth round yesterday, and the 2021 winners, Leicester, emerged unscathed against lowly Gillingham. Elsewhere on a packed day of third-round action, Southampton came from behind to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 in an all-Premier League tie. Antonio Conte rang the changes for Spurs for the match against League One Portsmouth, but retained a heavyweight attack including Kane and Son Heung-min. Kane broke the deadlock in the 50th minute, bending a curled effort past the despairing dive of Josh Griffiths. The England captain, with four goals in four matches since the World Cup, now has 265 goals for Spurs – just one behind the club’s all-time record scorer, Jimmy Greaves. Spurs, who have won the FA Cup eight times, were…

THE Lions are in a spot of bother, and that is a complete and utter understatement. The trouble has already brewed and is now fermenting away, bubbling uncontrolled and unchecked. The chickens, as they say, have already come home to roost, left the coop and returned for a second occupation. The Joburgers are not the same team that started the United Rugby Championship (URC) in September last year – one that was full of grit, determination and verve; and which promised to be an unknown quantity as the tournament progressed. Instead, they have reverted to old habits and predictable play. Their opponents have the measure of them, it seems, on review and can easily manage their current systems in attack and defence. That seemed to be the case…

Vivienne Westwood, the provocative British fashion designer who endured for more than half a century as a style icon and environmental activist, helping to clothe the 1970s punk movement before dressing supermodels on the runways of Paris and Milan, died on December 29 in Clapham, London. She was 81. Her death was announced by her namesake fashion house, which did not cite a cause. Westwood grew from an enfant terrible into a grand dame of the fashion world, bursting onto the London scene in the 1970s when she helped dress punk rockers such as the Sex Pistols with leather jackets, ripped shirts and safety pins. She later moved into couture design, creating outfits that were exhibited in museums around the world, while experimenting with flamboyant pirate shirts and petticoats, tweed…

THE word “narcissist” is used to characterise persons who come across as being primarily self-centred or manipulative of others in their lives. Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a mental health problem that certain people may experience. Based on the criteria listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, this illness can only be diagnosed by a certified mental health professional (DSM-5). Others who don’t meet the criteria for a formal diagnosis of narcissism may have certain narcissistic tendencies. The term “narcissist” is also often used to characterise someone who lacks empathy and is self-centred. However, it’s crucial to keep in mind that NPD is a real mental health issue that can present serious difficulties for the individual who has it. Additionally, it could be more difficult for others…

A COURT battle is on the horizon between the politically connected big coal miners in charge of Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) and the more junior Optimum Coal Mine (OCM) over international export rights. In court, Templar Capital will present a case explaining how it acquired the equity stake in OCM from the state capture-accused Gupta brothers, who defaulted on their debt to the company. OCM has brought in contractors to operate on mini-pits as part of the business rescue strategy to revive the once-lucrative mine, but RBCT is suspicious of the OCM’s “job-saving” arrangement. On the other side, RBCT would have to explain why it is comfortable to allow corruption-infested Glencore to use the international export terminal but is blocking OCM on the grounds that it is carrying reputational…

JACOB Zuma says Tuesday’s urgent court application to interdict his private prosecution of President Cyril Ramaphosa will test “whether Lady Justice has removed her blindfold in South Africa”. “There cannot be one law for Zuma and another law for Ramaphosa if the rule of law and equality before the law are still the guiding principles of our justice system,” Zuma said on Friday in his replying affidavit to Ramaphosa’s court application to avoid appearing in the criminal court on Thursday, January 19. He said that even the late former president Nelson Mandela had been hauled before a court for cross-examination when it was then unprecedented for a head of state. “The sky did not fall. The sun rose from the east and set in the west.” He said Ramaphosa was…

ASSOCIATES and companies linked to the fugitive controversial Gupta family continue to be embroiled in several legal battles in South Africa for assets worth hundreds of millions of rand. Gupta associates – Ronica Ragavan, Ravindra Nath and Ashu Chawla, former chief executive officers of Oakbay Investments, Tegeta Exploration and Resources and Sahara Computers, respectively – are heading to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) to challenge the powers of the companies’ business rescue practitioners (BRPs) Kurt Knoop, Johan Klopper and Juanito Damons to vote in creditors’ meetings. The three are all directors of Tegeta Exploration & Resources, which is under business rescue, and want to be allowed to vote on behalf of another Gupta-owned firm Optimum Coal Terminal in meetings of its creditors. Ragavan, Nath and Chawla also want to…

ALTHOUGH the Public Servants Association (PSA) learnt with shock that SAPS failed to procure alcohol testing kits before the festive season, hundreds of motorists could not outrun the long arm of the law. Despite the blunder, SAPS through integrated and joint operations in the country, arrested 1 553 drunken drivers from December 1 to December 31. Spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said although SAPS acknowledged delays in the distribution of the alcohol blood test kits to police stations before the festive period, they put measures in place to circumvent the delays. “Through continuous collaboration with other law enforcement agencies, which includes the conducting of joint roadblocks and vehicle checkpoints with the local, metro, provincial and national traffic departments, SAPS was able to apprehend 1 553 drunken drivers. “This collaboration of integrated and…

SOUTH Africans’ right to help from the police during emergencies has been further dashed. Police Minister Bheki Cele painted a grim picture when he responded to parliamentary questions from DA MP Andrew Whitfield. The performance of the SAPS call centre has come into question after it was found that more than seven million emergency calls to the 10111 hotline have been dropped from the 2020/21 and 2021/22 financial years and from April 2022 until this year. Cele said the call centres had 41.5% of staff employed, which was lower than the median required at 10111 call centres. But he said this was one of the tasks that the SAPS would be addressing in the coming months with the promotion and deployment of police officers and employment of service workers for…

White South Africans have never really cared for reconciliation or social cohesion. If we did care, we would have asked for forgiveness and offered reparations for apartheid atrocities. We would have acknowledged that both our unearned privilege and the under-served black poverty of today are the handiwork of the white supremacy of yesteryear. If we cared about reconciliation and social cohesion, we would have stopped our serial racist outbursts long ago, bothered to learn African languages, and ended our drone about leaving the past in the past while remaining mute on historical ills. Social cohesion is a pretty tune. Mandela sang lyrically about it, as have other ANC presidents. The charmed composition of social cohesion is a popular song, yet for all its melodic notes, it is partly out of…

Elections have consequences. Here are five elections scheduled to take place this year whose results could have significance for the entire world. Finland The prospective Nato member will go to the polls by April 2 to select a new parliament. Nato membership is not in doubt, as no significant party opposes it. But incumbent Social Democratic Party Prime Minister Sanna Marin might not be the beneficiary of the decision to join the alliance. Finland’s conservative party, known as Kansallinen Kokoomus or the National Coalition Party, have led in the polls since mid-2021 and gained strength after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. If Kokoomus finishes first, it will have the first chance to form a government. That could mean a return of a centre-right government consisting of Kokoomus, the Centre Party (Kesk)…

NOVAK Djokovic overcame an injury scare midway through his match against Daniil Medvedev yesterday to mow down the Russian 6-3 6-4 and storm into the Adelaide International 1 final, where he will take on unseeded American Sebastian Korda. The Djokovic v Korda match is scheduled for 9.30am (SA time) today. In a blockbuster Australian Open warm-up meeting between the two former world number ones, it was 21-times Grand Slam champion Djokovic who shot out of the blocks quickest, as he surged to a 4-2 lead in the opening set. Djokovic was in some discomfort in the seventh game after hyper-extending his left hamstring while stretching to make a forehand, but he soldiered on and pulled off an exquisite lob before taking a medical timeout for treatment. The 35-year-old Serb claimed…

THE Bulls forwards will rightly get the plaudits for a dominant display, but Johan Goosen reminded everybody about his class as well in Friday night’s 29-14 United Rugby Championship win over the Dragons in Newport. The pack came under fire for a meek performance in the 47-20 loss to the Sharks in Durban in New Year’s Eve, where their scrum felt the heat from the all-Springbok front row of Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi and Thomas du Toit. That was the third consecutive defeat for the Pretoria side, and the long trip to Wales ramped up the pressure on Jake White’s team. But they responded in style as they rolled up their sleeves to climb in physically, winning several penalties and driving the Dragons back in the mauls, with the knockout…

IN ANOTHER world, Quinton de Kock and Lance Klusener could have been twins. Both earned their reputations as attacking left-handed batters. But furthermore, they are so uncomplicated that they could be regarded as the most complex of individuals. Laid-back is their natural persona. They prefer their actions to do the talking. Hate speeches and media engagements. And choose to run away to the bush to shoot, or to lakes to fish, over any glitzy night spot. Put them together in a cricket team that is about to compete in a high-pressure T20 tournament and it could be the ultimate recipe for success. In the same breath, it may spell an absolute disaster. But either way they are going to have a helluva lot of fun finding out…