Innholdsfortegnelse for 2023-05-14 i Sunday Independent

Wetility, a South African solar-to-homes provider, has raised debt from a local commercial bank and a pan-African business. Most budding entrepreneurs have an eagle eye on the prize, to secure the requisite funding in order to see their vision come to life and their business become a tangible reality. What many don’t anticipate is that the journey remains challenging once funding is secured. Unfortunately, many don’t make it through the initial funding phase for that exact reason. Knowing what you want, and planning for it, is crucial. Some small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are happy to remain as sustainable as a small businesses for the foreseeable future. However, if there is a need and desire to scale up, then it is important to plan and prepare. That was the…

G4S, the company managing the Mangaung maximum security prison, may again find itself in hot water following fresh allegations that the prison afforded Facebook rapist and murderer Thabo Bester and his controversial lover, Dr Nandipha Magudumana, conjugal visits. This was after the Department of Correctional Services said it had launched an investigation into the allegation that Bester and Magudumana had been offered intimate time together. Department spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said conjugal visits were not allowed in South Africa. The department’s confirmation came after sources told The Sunday Independent that Bester had been allowed to spend hours with Magudumana inside the prison. “We are aware of the allegations, and they are being investigated. Inmates are not afforded conjugal (visits) in South Africa,” Nxumalo said. G4S did not respond to the questions…

HEAVY prison sentences and the forfeiting of assets should be the only way to deal with lawyers who steal from their clients using bankruptcy as a justification, says Fidelity Fund senior legal advisor John Ndlovu. Ndlovu spoke to Sunday Independent amid a rising number of lawyers who are on the Legal Practice Council’s (LPC’s) list of offenders as either suspended or struck off the roll. Ndlovu, whose company helps clients recover money stolen by lawyers, said it was common that when the lawyers were put on trial, they defended themselves by saying their practices did not generate enough money to pay rent and staff salaries. “The only way to discourage them from doing that is to take a decisive action by imposing heavy sentences when they are convicted and also…

DESPITE their high initial failure rate, small and medium-sized businesses (SMMEs) account for about half of all job creation. Therefore it is essential to assist growth entrepreneurs in transitioning into formal businesses as well as to support and develop them. This is very important for the growth of the local economy, which will be discussed at the inaugural Township Economies Conference and Expo, planned at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg from June20 to 21. The event will present a distinctive chance to develop a culture of entrepreneurship and enable SMMEs to access skills development, leading to business opportunities and long-term growth. As South Africa has an estimated 17% unemployment rate emanating from the informal economy, the conference is set to put forward a lifeline for families without formal employment. Liz…

Wednesday afternoon saw Reserve Bank governor Lesetja Kganyago deliver a Distinguished Special Lecture at the University of Johannesburg under the heading, “Challenges facing the global economy: A South African Perspective”. Kganyago offered a unique perspective on the challenges facing the global economy from a South African point of view. He shared his insights on the current state of the global economy, the impact of the pandemic and the role of South Africa in the global economic landscape. The lecture was attended by executives of the university’s College of Business and Economics, students and members of the media. It was a must-watch for anyone interested in understanding the complex issues facing the world economy today and it gave listeners an opportunity to gain valuable insights from one of the world’s leading…

Loyiso Sidimba The North West University (NWU) could still pursue its former student representative council leader, Thabang Tlale, who the institution expelled after allegations of sexual misconduct but later reinstated following a lengthy legal battle. The incident is said to have happened in January 2019. Tlale took the institution and its vice-chancellor, Bismarck Tyobeka, to the North West High Court in a bid to overturn the decision to expel him from this year. In its decision, the disciplinary committee against Tlale ruled he would be allowed access to the campus for academic purposes only until the end of the 2022 academic year. In its sanction, the committee suspended Tlale’s expulsion for the period of his studies, but on condition that he did not commit similar misconduct during the period of…

This article does not discuss spirituality or give advice … its goal is to highlight how African cultural practices and commercialism were and are exploited to benefit an economy that views Africans as resources rather than proprietors, writes Siyabonga Hadebe MARXISTS have focused on global economics and ignored how colonialists established local economies. This method lumps all colonial territories together, ignoring settler and extractive colonies. It is well known that indigenous peoples of the Americas, New Zealand, Canada, and Australia were either killed, enslaved, or miscegenated. Local populations survived in South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. These areas are notable for their colonialism and significant native and settler settlements. This means that the extent of colonialism and its procedures in these countries differed from those in Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, and colonial…

Manchester United edged closer to a return to the Champions League next season with a 2-0 win over Wolves, as Southampton were relegated from the Premier League yesterday. Newcastle remain ahead of United on goal difference in third after being held 2-2 as Sam Allardyce picked up his first point as Leeds manager. Erik ten Hag’s United had won just two of their previous eight games from open play in all competitions. But they shrugged off the absence of Marcus Rashford due to injury for three points at Old Trafford. Wolves, the Premier League’s lowest scorers, rarely troubled David de Gea. For the Red Devils, Antony squared for Anthony Martial to slam home on 32 minutes. Alejandro Garnacho then came off the bench to secure the points in stoppage time.…

As part of efforts to promote domestic travel in the country and get the country’s travel numbers back to pre-Covid levels, South African Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille has called on tourism businesses to register for the Sho’t Left Travel week. Registration for the campaign officially opened at Africa Travel Indaba, offering South Africans a seven-day promotion of discounted travel related deals and packages. In the process, tourism businesses from around the country pledge to support tourism recovery and growth of the industry by packaging and offering their services and products at an affordable price for locals, making it a “great South African sale” for travel enthusiasts. According to hub head for South Africa, Mashoto Mokgethi, the campaign aims to encourage South Africans to explore their own backyards and by…

AFRICA Travel Indaba 2023 has come to an end with more than 6 000 delegates, including 1 000 international buyers, and 1 000 exhibitors having showcased 350 products at Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, this week. Travel and tourism businesses from South Africa and the continent unpacked their services and products while dialogues on the future of tourism, sustainability, inclusivity of the sector and access were held under the theme “Unlimited Africa”. According to Tourism Minister, Patricia de Lille, the future looks bright for African tourism and she believes that the industry has collectively weathered the Covid-19 hurricane. She said Africa’s Travel Indaba offered an opportunity to “honour the African people’s incredible ingenuity, fortitude, and magnificence.” KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube highlighted the importance of tourism in…

CONTROVERSIAL economic sanctions against Russia are not UN-approved. They are a hostile, self-serving strategy unleashed by the US-led EU/Nato bloc as a game of brinkmanship against a geopolitical foe in the form of Moscow. That every time the US unleashes economic sanctions against its geopolitical opponents – perceived or real – non-aligned states must toe the line or face the wrath of Washington is uncalled for. The coercion of weaker states by the US to submit to US foreign policy dictates is an affront to international law. The UN risks irrelevance in the wake of increasing US hegemony that blatantly undermines the principles of multilateralism and the sacred adherence to international law. The cowboy mantra that “our enemy’s friend is our enemy” stands in stark contrast to freedoms enshrined in…

SOUTH Africans should brace themselves for the possibility of being plunged into the worst darkness since the start of the energy crisis, as load shedding up to stage 16 is anticipated to avert the total collapse of the grid owing to an inability to generate enough electricity to keep the country functioning. A document titled “voluntary” NRS048-9 edition 3, which would in unforeseen emergency circumstances allow Eskom to implement drastic load shedding beyond stage 8, is being finalised by the National Regulatory Services Association of SA, a voluntary association assisting with regulating load shedding. Confirming the document, Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena said its guidelines would be implemented only if there were emergencies threatening to collapse the grid, something that might be possible during winter. NRS membership comprises energy suppliers including…

ENSafrica’s director in the dispute resolution department, advocate Senzo Mbatha looks set to appear before the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria to answer to a matter of contempt of court on May 22. This after advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi this week de-constructed ENSafrica’s move to have the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria Deputy Judge President Aubrey Ledwaba strike the proceedings against a client and one of their attorneys from the court roll. However, ENSafrica has argued that the matter should not be heard because the subpoena that led to the contempt of court allegations had been set aside. ENSafrica further contends that the matter was irregularly enrolled and ought not to proceed on May 22, and until the pending appeal had been disposed of. The matter was brought to the Gauteng High Court,…

The Booksellers of Mzansi is a job creation offshoot of the Durban Book Fair NPO founded five years ago to support Durban as Africa’s only Unesco city of literature. “Our main target was to make a dent in the jobs crisis in our country by upskilling unemployed and vulnerable people to take advantage of opportunities in the book trade,” said DBF chairperson Zandile Qono. A dozen people were put through their paces earlier in the week in a training session that ranged from understanding collectable books to financial management and customer service. Qono added that the book-selling project has spurred different incarnations with partner organisations around KwaZulu-Natal with great success. The volunteer NPO hosts the second Durban International Book Fair (DIBF2023) at The Globe at Suncoast on 9-13 August. Register…

LOAD shedding hit stage 6 this week with South Africans going for hours without electricity, while in some areas power did not return at its stipulated time. Energy expert Adil Nchabeleng believes load shedding can be ended in 90 days. In a video circulating on social media, Nchabeleng said the ending of load shedding was easy. “In three months we can end it, they are not making the effort and they are creating opportunities out of this load shedding. “One, the opportunity to give people the hope that something is going to happen; secondly, they are using it towards the election to say, ‘we have been working hard to end load shedding’ when they know it can be done in three months. “Bring back the 17 000 megawatts that are…

Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan should take the blame for deaths in hospitals as well as unsolved crimes after announcing his intention to appeal the court ruling ordering the government to end load shedding in facilities such as public hospitals, schools, and police stations. The organisations that brought the application before the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, said Gordhan’s intention to challenge the court ruling would leave patients in public hospitals in great danger. The ruling by the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, last week, ordered the government to to take reasonable steps to ensure the sufficient supply or generation of electricity to prevent any interruption of supply as a result of load shedding to these facilities. The court ordered that this should be implemented within 60 days. In the statement released…

Economic hardships seem to be an everlasting, chilling echo in our society. A pessimistic, apathetic attitude has permeated the national climate. It is therefore inevitable that the latest Social Attitudes Survey conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) conveyed an extremely sharp decline in the overall satisfaction with democracy in South Africa. The Social Attitudes Survey, released annually since 2003, aims to report on the underlying public perceptions, values and the overall social fabric of our society by monitoring political and socio-economic attitudes and values across the nation. This year’s survey has, however, shown a significant downturn in the positive outlook of our citizens, particularly since the survey was last conducted in 2021. The key determining points in the survey evaluated the overall optimism, life improvement and life satisfaction…

Maritzburg United battled past Stellenbosch to secure an important 1-0 victory at the Harry Gwala Stadium yesterday afternoon. The bottom-placed Team of Choice boosted their chances of possible survival as they drew level on 29 points with Chippa United and Marumo Gallants, who occupy 15th and 14th place respectively. The penultimate round of the 2022/2023 campaign saw as many as six teams still fighting off the possibility of either going straight to the second tier or heading into the promotion-relegation play-offs. At the foot of the league standings, Maritzburg knew nothing short of a victory would hand them any opportunity to dodge the chop on the final day, and head coach Fadlu Davids embraced the occasion ahead of this match. Davids set his side up to exert as much pressure…

The Motsepe Foundation Championship title chase has gone down to the wire, as three clubs remain in the running to secure top flight status on the final day. Cape Town Spurs, led by coach Shaun Bartlett, are in the driving seat at the top of the league standings, and will secure promotion to the DStv Premiership with a victory against the University of Pretoria. Spurs will host Tuks at the Athlone Stadium this afternoon – with all fixtures kicking off at 3pm – looking to make a comeback to the top flight after a five-year absence, when they were known as Ajax Cape Town. The hosts, who have accumulated 56 points, are a point ahead of second-placed Casric Stars (55) and two in front of Polokwane City (54) in third,…

Canada has unveiled a new design for passports with advanced security features, including a new series with reference to His Majesty King Charles III, as part of a regular upgrade. The new passport will display a Coat of Arms, making Canada among the first in the Commonwealth to introduce a travel document series that references King Charles III, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said on Wednesday. It would show the queen’s Coat of Arms as the passport’s creation came before the king approved the new version. The new features include personal information engraved with lasers instead of printed ink on its polycarbonate data page, a design that has strong anti-fraud components. It will also include a Kinegram over the main photo, a custom see-through window with a secondary…

A Frontier flight accidentally flew a New Jersey woman, who did not have a passport, to Jamaica instead of Jacksonville, reported the New York Post. The incident happened due to an unintended gate change by the woman. Beverly Ellis-Hebard, a resident of Gloucester County, said she regularly flew to Philadelphia to her second home in Jacksonville. She reached a gate for her November 6 flight that read “PHL to JAX”. She said: “I fly once every six weeks. I picked Frontier flights because we flew so often.” Ellis-Hebard asked a gate agent if she could go to the restroom. However, upon returning, she found the flight was almost fully boarded and she was rushed onto the plane, according to the New York Post. “(The gate agent) said: ‘Come on, come…

With Mother’s Day today, IOL Entertainment got to meet the moms behind South Africa’s A-lister celebs. We caught up with celebrities to find out who their moms are and what they admire of them. Idols SA season 13 winner Paxton Fielies said of her mom, Crystal Fielies, 50: “My mom is such a light in my life and in many other’s lives. She has the kindest and most forgiving heart, she loves gently and deeply. If I can be half the woman that she is, I will truly succeed in life.” Idols SA season 4 winner Jody Williams said her mom, Colleen Williams, 60, is her biggest supporter. “An exceptional human and an amazing mother is what she is! She’s strong, independent and has such a beautiful soul. My…

Yellowstone will wrangle up its story later this year as the Paramount Network’s darling Western drama is coming to an end. But that doesn’t mean the show is being put out to pasture. Kevin Costner’s final run of episodes will conclude the dream run for the show, which drew 12.1 million viewers for its season 5 premiere – more than any other scripted series in recent months. But with the endgame comes questions about how the show will end and what’s coming next in the Yellowstone universe. “It’s foolishness,” said Craig Johnson, author of the 19-book Longmire western mystery novel, which had its own television show from 2012 to 2017. “It’s just too broad of a subject matter to think you can just kill it off with one movie or…

THE alleged bullying incident at a prestigious Johannesburg girls’ school took a new twist this week when the parents of one of the learners took the school to court for trying to force their daughter out of the institution in the middle of the academic year. Roedean School for Girls, which obtained a 100% matric pass rate last year, tried to terminate its contract with the parents of the 12-year-old girl (whose name has been withheld because she is a minor) implicated in an alleged bullying incident last November and at the end of the first term of this academic year. The provincial department of education has condemned the move. Last year, three children – one of them the child of a senior government spokesperson, and another of a celebrity…

SA FEDERATION of Trade Unions (Saftu) president Ruth Ntlokotse has launched another Labour Court bid to overturn the outcomes of several National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) gatherings held last year. Ntlokotse, formerly Numsa second deputy president, was expelled from the union last week amid various allegations levelled against her which she all denies. She has announced her intention to appeal her expulsion. According to papers filed at the Labour Court in Braamfontein, Ntlokotse wants the Numsa national congress, at which she intended to run for president, which was held in Cape Town in July last year, to be declared null and void ab initio (from the beginning) and thus invalid. At the congress, which cost R40 million, Andrew Chirwa was elected president, Mac Chavalala first deputy president, Puleng…

WHILE jobs such as teaching and nursing are filled mostly by women, the construction industry is another story. With women making up a very small percentage of workers and those in leadership positions, it remains a big concern that women still face too many barriers to getting jobs or being taken seriously as leaders in the building business. At just 26, Mmathapelo Mojapelo has become proof that when presented with an opportunity to prove yourself, you don’t hold back. With a background in the communications industry, Mojapelo had to take the reins of her father and to learn every aspect of the construction industry from the ground up to be in the position where she is. She studied at Varsity College and completed her qualifications in Corporate Communications and Business…

SPECIAL Olympics South Africa (Sosa) officially launched the “Adopt an Athlete” campaign in January this year to help to raise funds to get the 2023 Sosa National Team to the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Berlin, Germany. The campaign was created by Sosa in 2016 to help raise funds for international participation for their athletes. Fortunately, as in previous years a number of corporations and individuals have already stepped up to “Adopt an Athlete” and support the team in various ways. These include Rossimoda (via Sole Agents) providing bespoke Team branded tracksuits. African Bank adopted five athletes. Sosa chairperson Dr Mathews Phosa adopted two athletes. Stabus adopted two athletes. The Booth Group Foundation adopted two athletes and Duma Collective adopted one athlete. With less than five weeks to go…

Africa’s Travel Indaba (ATI), which took place from Tuesday to Thursday at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre (ICC), seems to have fulfilled the expectations of most local businesses, who were delighted by its impact. More than 8 629 delegates from across the world attended the event. This year’s edition saw local and international businesses come together to showcase their different products, and network with potential clientele for future collaborations. Cindy Govender of the Mangwanani African Spa, a beauty business with more than 20 branches countrywide, said they were delighted by the reception they received from clients at the ATI, especially because they couldn’t attend the conference in the past three years due to Covid-19. “Since we started on Tuesday, we’ve had long queues of clients lining up for…

TECHNICAL vocational education and training (TVET) students have called for all of their 50 colleges to be exempted from Eskom’s rolling load shedding as their electricity-connected technology practical studies had been severely affected. The call came as Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan announced the government’s intention to appeal against the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria ruling that schools, health facilities and police stations should be exempted from load shedding. The South African Technical Vocational Education and Training Student Association (Satvetsa), which is the mother body of TVET student representative councils, said students were losing many hours of studies because of power cuts which are at stage 6 and were feared to be escalating to stage 8. For instance, on Wednesday some parts of Pietermaritzburg where there are five campuses suffered four…

IT’S undeniable that South Africa is the biggest loser when it comes to fighting crime. This an issue that has proven to be almost impossible to mitigate due to a shortage of resources and the prevalence of corruption. Last year, South Africa ranked first on the crime index among African countries, with a score of 75.4 index points, and Pretoria ranking first among African cities, with a rating of roughly 82 index points. The Gauteng Department of Community Safety (GDCS) has directed its efforts towards strengthening its fight against crime, corruption, vandalism and lawlessness. Since the beginning of this month, 4 000 crime-prevention wardens were deployed to patrol the streets of the province. Independent crime analyst, Johan Burger, said the recruitment of new crime fighters demonstrated a belief that the…

WITH 32 hours of load shedding on the cards, one wonders about where on earth one starts when it comes to fixing Eskom’s troubles. It would require several task teams to solve the various problems faced by the state-owned power utility. Apart from the power generation troubles, Eskom also faces serious allegations of corruption that involve some high-ranking politicians, according to its erstwhile chief executive André de Ruyter. While investigations into the shenanigans going on at the power utility are welcome, they have to be done properly for them to have the desired effect. Also we, as the media, need to take care to cover such investigations properly, so as to ensure that the truth is revealed to the public. We have taken note of the clandestine investigation initiated by…

The DStv Premiership runners-up position will be decided on the final day of the season after Orlando Pirates and SuperSport United ended the penultimate round level on 51 points. Pirates squandered an early lead to draw 1-1 with Sekhukhune United, while SuperSport beat Kaizer Chiefs 1-0 in Orlando and Rustenburg respectively. Chiefs will end the season trophy-less – their eighth barren run in a row – and outside the top three as the rebuilding phase under coach Arthur Zwane proved to be fruitless. With Mamelodi Sundowns soaring to another title – their sixth in a row – their arch-rivals, Pirates, Chiefs, and SuperSport had to fight for the bridesmaid’s spot. Pirates will be disappointed by yesterday’s result after letting their two-point cushion slip – they came here high on confidence,…