Innholdsfortegnelse for 2023-04-09 i Sunday Independent

When it comes to wedding guest attire, there’s an unwritten rule that for women, wearing white is a no-no. No matter what shade of white it is. This American TikToker spent a fortune on a dress to wear to her cousin’s wedding, but when she showed her cousin the dress she was uninvited. Not understanding what the fuss was about she took to TikTok to show off the dress and share how much she paid for it, but she didn’t receive the sympathy she was hoping for. In the video, she says: “My toxic cousin just uninvited me from her wedding this Sunday that I already paid $800 (about R14 000 ) to fly to, because she didn’t like my outfit.” She then shows the dress which she says…

BLACK Forum South Africa is a non-partisan organisation that organises and unites black people and black institutions in South Africa. The organisation strives for unity and solidarity. The chief executive, advocate Kgagudi Morota, said black professionals were the forum’s main focus because they were trade union members yet they suffered the most systematic victimisation, discrimination and unfair labour practices. Therefore, Black Forum SA, through its panel of lawyers, would intervene on their behalf. “At the end of last month, we held a gala dinner in Bloemfontein with black professionals, and the main purpose of that gala dinner was to unite black professionals in this country. “We remember that since 1994, black people relied mainly on political parties, and they neglected the black agenda. That is why 30 years down the…

Most small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) manufacturing cosmetic brands close shop due to a lack of access to mainstream retail stores. But Gontse Kgokolo, 34, and Rearabetswe Dire, 29, bit the bullet when they went into partnership and opened their shop, Edenvinne, to cater for people like them. The duo said after they had been turned down by numerous retail stores, the need became apparent. For them, they moved from rejection to retailer. Edenvinne, located at Menlyn Park Shopping Centre in Pretoria, is a beauty and grooming retail store that now sells many South African cosmetic brands. Edenvinne currently has 45 different South African brands listed in-store and over 400 variants of products which include cosmetic products such as facial and skincare, body care, personal care, haircare, fragrances, hair…

The Free State regional office of the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) allegedly spent R1.5 million on a single event for International Women’s Day on March 28, in which R500 000 was allocated solely for the venue, and the remaining R1m was spent on gifts. The Free State has battled with poor service delivery by the local government. During a provincial imbizo in April last year, residents from towns across the Free State complained to President Cyril Ramaphosa about said poor service to the public. Residents said service delivery was almost non-existent, with intermittent water cuts and roads in a state of disrepair. In August last year, the manager of AfriForum, Dr Eugene Brink, described Free State service delivery as rotten due to the lack of “recent data” from…

ARSENAL manager Mikel Arteta is preparing his players to take their Premier League title charge to the Anfield “jungle” as they look to end a marathon winless run at the home of Liverpool today (5.30pm). Arsenal have not won at Anfield in the Premier League since their 2-0 victory in the 2012-13 season – a game in which Arteta himself played for the north London club. Since then they have suffered heavy defeats, including two 5-1 losses. Before their last meeting at Anfield in November 2021, which Arsenal lost 4-0, Arteta used a quirky method to try to prepare his players for the atmosphere at Liverpool by playing You’ll Never Walk Alone – the Reds’ supporter anthem – on a sound system at the training ground. “You cannot train the…

PRECIOUS Mashele is a rare breed. A participant in the individual sport of running, the Boxer Athletics Club star was not thumping his naturally puffed-up chest with pride following his 10km record run, as track and road stars are wont to. Granted, he spoke of how he went into last Sunday’s Absa Run Your City in Gqeberha confident he would break the seven-year national mark set by his inspiration and friend Stephen Mokoka. But as he reflected on his epic 27:35, a run three seconds faster than Mokoka’s 2015 sprint at the Great Manchester Run, the 32-year-old could easily have been mistaken for being a member of a championship-winning team. Mashele gave credit to just about everyone who had played a role in him setting the record,…

WHEN a sports team haven’t won a match in 10 attempts, then everyone involved is likely to wonder when things will change for the better. That may have been the feeling in the Blue Bulls set-up when they lost 33-9 to Toulouse in the Champions Cup last Sunday. With the Currie Cup side – littered with experienced players alongside the youngsters – having gone down to the Griffons two days earlier, there were no guarantees they would beat Griquas this past Friday night. Even with director of rugby Jake White sending head coach Edgar Marutlulle back to the junior teams, as well as selecting his strongest possible Bulls side, Griquas still posed a threat. They have beaten the Sharks and Western Province in the current campaign, and had won their…

Easter is a great time to gather together friends and family and enjoy the very best food and wines. After a big morning of hunting for Easter eggs, you are going to want to have plenty to feast on come lunchtime. Whether you celebrate Easter relaxed outdoors or gathered around the table for a traditional Sunday lunch, we have the perfect recipes for you. There is sure to be something feast-worthy to keep everyone happy. Courtesy of the South African Poultry Association, Norman Heath, head chef Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront, and Sharon Pye, chef lecturer at Capsicum Culinary Studio, these recipe ideas will ensure your family and guests leave well-fed and thoroughly spoiled. Norman Heath’s recipe ideas. Pickled fish This traditional Cape Malay dish, flavoured with allspice, whole cumin, bay…

Much celebrated jazz maestro Caiphus Semenya made national news when allegations surfaced that he is demanding 50% royalties from the late AKA’s estate for sampling his music without his knowledge. According to media reports, the music legend alleged AKA, whose real name was Kiernan Forbes, sampled two songs without permission on his recently released album, Mass Country. The album was released 15 days after the rapper was fatally shot outside a Durban restaurant on February 10. The album was on track to earn significant numbers on music streaming services in the early days after its release. It amassed over six million Spotify streams hours after its release. According to media reports, Semenya has spoken to lawyers about the alleged infringement, but is hoping to resolve the matter amicably. Under South…

THE reversal of the bid to exempt Eskom from disclosing irregular and fruitless expenditures in its annual report and financial statements shows the reasons behind it are suspicious. Analysts and experts said the government’s withdrawal of Eskom’s exemption from disclosing its irregular, fruitless, and wasteful expenditures shows the reasons on which it was based were unsound. They said the plan sought to undermine the prescripts of good governance and blind Parliament in order to spend money in suspicious ways. The National Treasury granted Eskom an exemption from disclosing irregular, fruitless, and wasteful expenditures for the three years in its annual report and financial statements after Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana signed a special Government Gazette dated March 31, 2023, which was the last day of the government’s financial year. The power…

MANY of us start our days with a hot cup of coffee. We will whip up a cup when we need to stay up to study or finish off that last-minute report. Despite loving good quality coffee, many of us don’t know the intricacies that go into the production of what we consume. But some take that love to the next level. Having always loved coffee, Mncedisi Thabiso Mnguni, the founder and chief storyteller at Kofi Kulcha, got involved in the coffee industry in May 2019 to take his love for the drink to the next level. “I began the process with the purchase of a VW Kombi, which I was busy converting into a mobile coffee bar before the Covid-19 pandemic struck early 2020. It then prompted me to…

Two weeks after releasing their single Umbayimbayi, a newly formed music duo has topped the charts of online music streaming platforms. The pair are set to drop their collaborative album next month. Their partnership came as a surprise to the music scene. Inkabi Zezwe, as they call themselves, is a music duo formed by Sjava, whose real name is Jabulani Hadebe, and Siyabonga Nene, affectionately known as Big Zulu in the music industry. The award-winning artists said the phrase “Inkabi Zezwe” represented unity and brotherhood. “In everything we do as Inkabi Zezwe, we do it with love, honour, unity and respect. “Inkabi Zezwe is a popular phrase in the Zulu language that represents workers, hustlers, and brotherhood,” said Big Zulu. The artists said they loved and appreciated how music lovers…

IT’S TIME for a new season of Come Dine With Me South Africa and Durbanites have come out in their numbers to represent the province. Amateur chefs are dusting off their aprons, getting ready to be crowned the city’s best hosts. Whether it’s bunny chows, traditional food or haute cuisine on the menu, the winner will take home R10 000. The BBC Lifestyle show produced by Rapid Blue will film across Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban from May. In each episode four amateur chefs will take turns over four nights to host a dinner party at their homes. Without a food sponsor this season, contestants will be given the same amounts of money to spend as they wish but the goal is to feed and entertain their guests who will…

SOMETIMES, it is difficult to argue with claims that our country is the world’s crime capital. Or say, rape. Police Minister Bheki Cele recently reported more than 5 935 rapes this past December and over 42 289 rape cases in 2020. This amounts to 115 rape incidents per day. Staggering! Sexual violence is a pervasive endemic that has desecrated our precious society. Empirical evidence shows that South Africa holds one of the highest rates of sexual violence in the world. Recent national statistics have indicated that a third of all females will endure some form of sexual abuse in their lifetime. This is not only an abhorrent trait of our society but one that is placing our future generations at a significant detriment. Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Femicide was a…

FROM failing a fitness test in October to dominating the SA20 league in January, Sisanda Magala is now set to feature in the Indian Premier League after being picked by the Chennai Super Kings. It has been a roller-coaster ride to higher honours for Magala. Since India’s tour to South Africa in 2021, where Magala was selected in the Proteas Test squad, his weight has been a big conversation. Skinfold tests and the infamous 2km fitness test have haunted the all-rounder and kept him from playing on numerous occasions. “People talk about the size of the player. The great Sunil Gavaskar said cricketers are not models who are going to just walk on stage; they are here to play,” said Lions performance manager Prasanna Agoram, in an exclusive interview with…

THE Sharks could not be faulted for effort but ultimately they were outclassed 54-20 in their Champions Cup quarter-final match against Toulouse in France yesterday afternoon. Nobody gave the Durbanites a chance because of the class of World Player of the Year Antoine Dupont’s team, but a massive factor was the home-ground advantage enjoyed by the French against a team that was on its seventh trip to Europe this season. The Sharks probably found their economy-class seats a bridge too far to be competitive over the entire 80 and the French scored 28 points in the last 10 minutes. It was 24-20 at half-time but the Sharks had nothing left in the tank by the third quarter, which was when Toulouse turned on the taps. The Sharks started strongly and…

THIS has been a heart-breaking week characterised by apartheid Israel’s security forces storming a mosque during the Ramadaan prayers and beating up scores of Palestinian worshippers – mainly youths – in Jerusalem, in reflections of glaring inequality of our world order. The sheer brutality and disregard for human rights by members of the Israeli occupying force lay stark naked inside and outside the iconic Al-Aqsa Mosque in the holy city of Jerusalem for the entire world to see. But then again, the “world” has remained blind and has elected to remain deaf to the immeasurable suffering of the oppressed people of Palestine. For more than four decades, nay, make that five, Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine since June 1967 has remained a selfishly guarded mission primarily by the US,…

Fugitives Thabo Bester and Dr Nandipha Magudumana were arrested in Arusha, Tanzania, on Friday night while they were allegedly driving over to the Kenyan border as they were continuing to flee justice. It is believed the two lovebirds entered Tanzania through the Namanga border crossing, a one-stop border post, with about 16 000 people. The crossing is often used by car smugglers, human traffickers and drug dealers. A Mozambican, Zakaria Alberto, was also arrested for allegedly trying to help Bester and Magudumana and it is strongly believed that he was their designated driver. Bester and Magudumana had been on the run for almost two weeks after it was revealed that the prison escapee was hiding in a R12 million mansion in Hyde Park, Johannesburg. Bester, who was serving a 30-year…

MUCH has been made of the recent Public Investment Corporation (PIC) and AYO Technology Solutions (AYO) settlement agreement that was made an Order of Court on March 24. The beleaguered ICT group that listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) in 2017, has been the subject of hundreds of articles, investigations and what the group has often claimed as harassment by the JSE, since then. Based on media hearsay and opinion, a commission of inquiry was set up, ostensibly to deal with alleged impropriety at the PIC. As the records now show, it became the trial by media in the court of public opinion against AYO. Relying on the subsequent Mpati Report, currently subject of a court case in the Western Cape High Court as a formal request by the…

Prostitution is illegal for client and worker in South Africa. The Cabinet, however, seeks to change that as it recently approved the publishing for comment of a bill that seeks to decriminalise the practice. One of the key reasons the country seeks to decriminalise sex work is because the laws that govern it have always been ineffective. Dudu Dlamini, manager of the Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce (SWEAT), said sex workers’ rights should be treated as labour rights. “It is 2023, and sex work is still criminalised under the Sexual Offences Act that was drafted during the apartheid era. Sex workers autonomously choose to do this work; they are providers – mothers, fathers, caregivers, taxpayers, and should be treated as such. Sex work must be recognised as work. Sex…

HUMAN Rights Month was celebrated during the entire month of March in South Africa. The month wass celebrated as Women’s Month all across the world. The month saw members of the international community engage in challenging discussions regarding the rights that are already in place, the rights that may require revision in order to be more inclusive, and the rights that are infringed by antagonistic figures. During human rights month in South Africa, the focus was less on reminiscing about the country’s accomplishments with a sense of satisfaction and more on venting dissatisfaction. We still have pit toilets in schools and private residences, large portions of the landmass do not have piped water, and we have a high crime rate. These are just a few examples of the challenges we…

BAFANA Bafana striker Lyle Foster will play his football in the English Premier League next season after Burnley secured promotion on Friday night. Although the South African marksman had to watch from afar, he witnessed his side beat Middlesbrough 2-1 and secure the all-important victory that saw the Clarets bounce back after just a single season in the Championship. Foster, 22, joined the Championship side in January from Belgian side K.V.C. Westerlo for an undisclosed fee, penning a four-year deal with the club. Foster started his career with Orlando Pirates after ploughing through the academy ranks before being thrust into the first team picture 11 times. He earned himself a move to Ligue 1 with AS Monaco in January 2019 and thereafter was loaned out. Since then Foster has turned…

MANCHESTER United and Newcastle consolidated their hold on places in the Premier League’s top four yesterday but Frank Lampard failed to spark Chelsea as his first game back in charge ended in a 1-0 defeat at Wolves. Lampard made a surprise return to Stamford Bridge on Thursday when he was appointed until the end of the season following Graham Potter’s sacking last Sunday. But the ex-Chelsea midfielder, who was dismissed by the club’s former owner Roman Abramovich in January 2021, could not provide an immediate lift for the Blues. Chelsea, on their third manager this season following Potter’s exit and Thomas Tuchel’s sacking in September, remain 11th after a fourth consecutive game without a win. Matheus Nunes won it for Wolves in the 32nd minute with a half-volley. Lampard will…