Innholdsfortegnelse for 2025-04-27 i Sunday Independent

South Africans celebrated Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s announce- ment made on Thursday that the National Treasury will no longer be implementing the controversial 0.5 percentage points increase in value-added tax (VAT) from May 1, which was proposed in the national Budget to plug the R58 billion fiscal deficit. His decision marks a significant victory for financially constrained consumers and highlights the government’s responsiveness to widespread pushback and legal challenges, even from its own coalition partners within the Government of National Unity (GNU). Godongwana had last month proposed to increase the VAT from 15% to 15.5% from 1 May, and to 16% a year later, after his Budget speech was unexpectedly postponed at the eleventh hour in February when he proposed to increase VAT by a once-off 2 percentage points. Instead,…

Postpartum depression is no longer a whispered phrase hidden behind pastel baby showers and filtered Instagram posts. It’s real, raw and more common than most people think, and when someone like The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Lisa Rinna opens up about it, it reminds us why the conversation still matters. In an honest and haunting episode of her podcast Let’s Not Talk About the Husband, Rinna revealed the dark spiral she fell into after giving birth to her first child. Speaking to her actor husband Harry Hamlin, she said she had horrible postpartum depression. “I had horrible postpartum depression, but I didn’t know it. I didn’t know what it was, because you know when you have your first baby, you don’t know.” The conversation took a turn when…

“Stay at home or risk being caught in the crossfire.” The chilling warning came not from a foreign invader, but from Blessed “Bombshell” Runesu Geza – a war veteran-turned-activist –as he addressed the nation in April. His message was clear: civilians might become collateral damage if armed confrontation erupts between state forces and “progressive” actors backing his cause. This is no longer a protest – it’s a declaration of potential civil conflict. Are we witnessing the birth of an insurgency in Zimbabwe? It began with the March 31 stay-away protest. For a day, Zimbabwe’s bustling streets fell silent. Shops closed, offices emptied, and public transport was idle. It felt like a country pausing to exhale after years of political suffocation. That rare moment of mass coordination suggested there was still…

IN an age where South Africans are grappling with rising frustration over unreliable service delivery and exorbitant data costs, two technology-driven solutions are reshaping how South Africans engage with both professional services and digital tools. Whether it is addressing hidden fees and unqualified contractors or ensuring access to cutting-edge artificial intelligence without consuming costly mobile data, platforms such as GoodApp and Opera Mini are leading a quiet revolution — one driven by transparency, accountability, and accessibility. For years, this country’s citizens have faced mounting challenges when procuring services, from unexplained price increases to the dangers of hiring unvetted professionals. According to Shaheen Price, the co-founder and chief executive of GoodApp, the core of the crisis lies in three interconnected problems: pricing opacity, verification difficulties, and accountability gaps. Consumers routinely find…

The Bulls have their fate in the United Rugby Championship (URC) in their own hands after an impressive victory over defending champions the Glasgow Warriors on Friday evening in Scotland. An outstanding defensive display, coupled with two tries at a crucial juncture in the clash, paved the way for the 26-19 triumph. While the Warriors scored two tries at the death, the Bulls’ handling of them throughout the clash made a massive statement. Now, they have two round-robin matches at home – against the Dragons and Scarlets. And if they can get a full 10 points from that and Glasgow stumble in one of their final encounters (against Zebre or Leinster), the Bulls will finish second on the URC log. “Our destiny is in our hands again, which is fantastic,”…

THERE was method in Miguel Cardoso’s madness of starting Friday night’s CAF Champions League semi-final second leg clash without an out-and-out striker after all. Mamelodi Sundowns’ Portuguese coach fielded a first XI bereft of a renowned centre-forward against an Al Ahly outfit renowned for their defensive prowess. For a while it looked an ill-informed ploy, as Tashreeq Matthews huffed and puffed about as a false nine, missing opportunities that a Peter Shalulile or Iqraam Rayners would probably have converted. And with Rayners responsible for forcing the late own goal by Yasser Ibrahim to send the South African champions into the final courtesy of the away-goals rule following the 1-1 aggregate draw, it seemed to confirm that Cardoso should have started with his natural strikers. Not necessarily, though, as the bald-headed…

Manchester United still have the allure for potential transfer targets despite the churn at the club and their lacklustre performances this season, manager Ruben Amorim said this week. United are 14th with 38 points and are headed for their worst-ever points total in the Premier League era after suffering a club record 15 losses this season. Their previous record was 58 points in 2021-22, and they have five games left. Meanwhile, their hopes of qualifying for Europe depend on their exploits in the Europa League where they are in the semi-finals. United must win the trophy to qualify for the Champions League or miss out on European competition altogether. “It is Manchester United. What I feel is that there are a lot of players that want to play for our…

South African star Akani Simbine proved that his recent victory in Botswana was no fluke as he stormed to a superb 100m win at the Diamond League event in China on Saturday. The 31-year-old sprinter dealt easily with Kenyan superstar Ferdinand Omanyala at the Botswana Grand Prix a few weeks ago, and faced an even more stacked field in Xiamen, China in the first Diamond League meeting of the season. Apart from Omanyala, Simbine came up against Botswana’s 200m Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo, American speedster Christian Coleman and 60m world indoor champion Jeremiah Azu of Britain. Running in lane five, SA’s 4x100m relay Olympic silver medallist made a strong start, but still trailed the likes of Coleman and Omanyala over the first 40 metres. At the halfway mark, though, Simbine…

Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker has called on his team to maintain their belief and fighting spirit as they prepare for one of the most important matches in the club’s history – the second leg of their CAF Confederation Cup semi-final against Simba SC. The Maroons will host the Tanzanian giants at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban today, with kick-off set for 3pm. After a narrow 1-0 defeat in the first leg in Zanzibar, Stellies know they will need to overturn the deficit to keep their historic continental campaign alive. Barker, who has overseen Stellenbosch’s rapid rise both domestically and now in Africa, remains optimistic about their chances despite the setback away from home. “Yeah going 1-0 down in Tanzania (wasn’t the best result). We had looked to sort…

On Friday, the world marked Girls in ICT Day which brought up the critical question in the industry, are we doing enough to ensure that girls are not only included in the digital future, but leading it? A woman in tech and a director at Bizmod Consulting, a proudly women-led company, Jessica Nyarayi Tandy said she sees this day not as a checkbox on the advocacy calendar but as a strategic moment to recommit to what truly matters: intentionally building a future where girls are not simply included in ICT, but are leading it. Despite strides in awareness, the numbers remain sobering, with 30% of science and ICT professionals are women, globally. Less than 3% of female students in higher education pursue ICT courses and in Sub-Saharan Africa, women make…

We’ve learned about that sinking feeling where everything that used to light you up now feels ... well, lifeless. Turns out it’s more than just “feeling down” or having an off day; it’s that deeper, lingering inability to feel joy or excitement about anything. Experts have a name for it: anhedonia. Anhedonia is often tied to mental health struggles like depression, anxiety, or even burnout. It’s that constant “meh” vibe, where nothing feels fulfilling, no matter how hard you try. And let’s be real, living in South Africa doesn’t make things any easier. With the daily grind of societal, economic, and personal challenges, it’s so easy to fall into a cycle of feeling stuck and hopeless. To put it bluntly, South Africa is not exactly the happiest place on earth.…

PETE Hegseth, the US Secretary of Defence, has found himself in a very unenviable position. The evil Eye of Sauron has swung full square and focused with laser prescience on his infirmities, political immaturity and youthful predilections. The omniscient power symbol of The Lord of the Rings’ Middle-earth legendarium is brimming sulphuric smoke and just getting started. Poor Pete. He may not know. Where there is smoke, there is an arsonist! It is odd, one might muse, how the youthfully exuberant former Fox News anchor has attracted the wrath of the almighty media so much. After all, the chat group in the encrypted Signal app, which included, among others, the Vice President JD Vance, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, was…

MANY people dream of financial freedom, but the path to achieving it is often misunderstood. It’s not a destination you can reach overnight, but rather a carefully navigated journey. To succeed, you must focus on the long term, make smart adjustments, and understand the importance of managing risks and diversification. When pursuing financial freedom, it’s easy to get sidetracked by short-term setbacks or to be tempted by quick-fix schemes. It’s essential to set goals to stay on track. Define what financial freedom means to you — whether it’s retiring comfortably or achieving a specific return (such as a certain percentage above inflation) — and let that goal guide your decisions. Recent trends like speculative investments in cryptocurrency highlight the importance of staying disciplined. These investments often promise high returns, but…

IN a heated session before the NCOP Economic Development & Trade Committee, the Film and Publication Board (FPB) faced intense questioning over its capacity to regulate harmful online content, while the SA Post Office’s (Sapo) business rescue practitioners (BRPs) dodged accountability altogether, leaving legislators frustrated. The FPB, mandated by the Film and Publications Act, is tasked with protecting the public from harmful digital content such as child sexual abuse material (CSAM), hate speech, cyberbullying, and deepfakes. Despite these responsibilities, the organisation admitted to grappling with significant challenges, including limited legislative powers, insufficient funding, and its inability to access illegal spaces like the dark web. Committee chairperson Sonja Boshoff from the DA did not mince words, criticising delays in legislation that have left the FPB without full regulatory authority. “We are…

It has been over two years since civil war broke out in Sudan after the coalition partners of a military government – the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group led by Hamdan Hemedti Dagalo – could not find common ground on sharing power. The conflict has reportedly killed 20 000 people and the actual number could be far higher, displaced more than 15 million people and left about 30 million people in need of humanitarian assistance half of which are children. On the April 15, the UK hosted a conference on Sudan co-chaired by Germany, France, the AU and the EU aimed at mobilising humanitarian aid for the millions of suffering Sudanese. Also in attendance were officials from…

Football is a cruel sport. And Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro learnt that the hard way after his team failed to reach the CAF Champions League final. Pirates lost 3-2 to Pyramids in the semi-final second leg in Cairo on Friday night – a result that sealed the tie after the 0-0 draw in the first leg. It was a daunting end of the road in Pirates’ continental journey as they lost the only game they needed to win after an unbeaten campaign since the start. Pirates had enjoyed a dream run on the continent as they were close to beating two stones with one bird: win the crown for the first time since 1995, and bid Riveiro a perfect farewell. Yes, Pirates have never won the continental title in…

Kaizer Chiefs continued to dig a hole for themselves as they suffered a 2-1 loss against Marumo Gallants in their Premiership clash at the FNB Stadium yesterday. The result has put a further dent in the Phefeni Glamour Boys’ already shaky league season, as they now fall out of the top eight, with Gallants resurfacing as another contender for the MTN8 next season. The loss was another chapter in a season where they had their fair share of troubles, and heading into this crucial encounter, they were missing the key services of Gaston Sirino and Pule Mmodi, who missed out due to suspension. They, however, enjoyed the few exchanges from the first whistle and in a flash of brilliance, Glody Lilepo cut inside from the left and unleashed a venomous…

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou is ready to ruin Liverpool’s Premier League title party despite his boyhood love for the Anfield club. Liverpool will be crowned English champions for a record-equalling 20th time if they avoid defeat against struggling Tottenham today. In stark contrast to Liverpool’s impending title triumph, Tottenham could equal their most defeats in a Premier League season if they lose for a 19th time this weekend. Postecoglou’s affinity for Liverpool as a child was suggested as a reason he might not be too concerned if the Reds celebrate the title in front of him at Anfield. Tottenham also have their focus fixed on next week’s Europa League semi-final first leg against Bodo/Glimt. But Postecoglou was adamant he would gladly put the runaway leaders’ celebrations on hold with a…

Winning the FA Cup would not be enough to put Manchester City back on their pedestal after the Premier League champions fell by the wayside this season – but it would be a nice way to wrap up their domestic campaign, manager Pep Guardiola said. City fell behind title rivals Liverpool and Arsenal earlier this season having suffered nine defeats – more losses than in their previous two campaigns combined – while they were knocked out of the Champions League in the knockout phase playoffs. A six-time league winner as City boss, Guardiola has not had a trophyless campaign since his first year at the club, and he expects the team will get back to their best next season. “The FA Cup win does not give you the certainty to…

Chelsea boosted their bid to qualify for the Champions League as Nicolas Jackson ended his 13-game goal drought to seal a crucial 1-0 win against Everton yesterday. Jackson struck in the first half at Stamford Bridge to get back on the score-sheet for the first time since December. The much-maligned Senegal forward’s 10th goal of the season was enough to lift Enzo Maresca’s side into fourth place in the Premier League. The Blues’ second successive Premier League win was vital to their attempt to finish in the top five. Chelsea will drop to fifth place if Newcastle were to beat third-bottom Ipswich later yesterday, but Jackson’s winner ensured they remain in the hunt to return to the Champions League with four games left. Despite the much-needed result, it was another…

As the ongoing global trade war escalates, experts are increasingly concerned about its ramifications for cross-border payments, particularly in Africa. Cornelius Coetzee, Country Manager for Verto South Africa, sheds light on the current economic landscape, revealing that the turbulence is deeply rooted in the United States’ efforts to foster a stronger domestic market under the Trump administration. While tariffs have been paused for the time being, the implications for the South African economy and its critical relationship with the US, could be significant. “The rationale behind the trade war is an attempt to build a self-sustaining US economy, yet statistics indicate that the US remains reliant on global partnerships for two-thirds of its economic output. Trump’s attempts to cut aid and reduce government spending were aimed at domestic recovery, but…

IN my quest to enrich my mind, I discovered Broken for You by Stephanie Kallos. The story is set in Seattle, in the US, in a 1394 square-metre mansion inhabited by Margaret Hughes, a 75-year-old woman who has lived there mostly alone. Hughes decides to rent a room, and Wanda, a woman from New York with her own struggles, responds to an advertisement. The house is filled with priceless porcelain figurines – thousands of them. Hughes spends her days dusting them, bound to them by history because her father collected them when she was a child. Later, she learned they had been stolen. Unable to return most of them or profit from their sale, she lives isolated, burdened by inherited guilt. Wanda brings her crises, and together, they decide to…

SOUTH Africa is experiencing a significant IT skills shortage, jeopardising its digital transformation and economic growth. Essential fields such as cybersecurity, data analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and software development are notably impacted, revealing a deficit of 20 000 to 70 000 qualified professionals. This significant shortage of IT skills affects not only business operations but the market as a whole. Globally, the IT industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors, and for a country like South Africa, which is still in its development phase, keeping up with global standards is a significant challenge. This situation presents a problem, but it also offers opportunities for growth and development. Considering that IT is one of the fastest-growing markets globally, countries like India have excelled in this area over the last 10 to…

Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, aged 88, the Vatican announced. The head of the Catholic Church had recently survived being hospitalised with double pneumonia. There were many unusual aspects of Pope Francis’ papacy. From the very start of his papacy, Francis seemed determined to do things differently and present the papacy in a new light. Even in thinking about his burial, he chose the unexpected: to be placed to rest not in the Vatican, but in the Basilica of St Mary Major in Rome – the first pope to be buried there in hundreds of years. Vatican News reported the late Pope Francis had requested his funeral rites be simplified. “The renewed rite,” said Archbishop Diego Ravelli, “seeks to emphasise even more that the funeral of the Roman Pontiff…

The presidential appointment of Mcebisi Jonas as South Africa’s envoy “to advance South Africa’s diplomatic, trade and bilateral priorities” with the US continues to dominate the news. Negative remarks by Jonas four years ago about President Donald Trump, however, have made his appointment very unlikely to continue. Speculations about an alternative for him are already rife, and former president Thabo Mbeki is regarded as one of the options. In the official statement about Jonas’s appointment, the envoy’s task is set out to “lead negotiations, foster strategic partnerships and engage with US government officials and private-sector leaders to promote our nation’s interest”. In the most immediate past a range of bilateral matters have contaminated these relations, notably South African ambassador, Ebrahim Rasool’s forced departure from Washington, DC, because of his remarks…

The scheduled visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to South Africa this week was abruptly shortened following a devastating Russian attack on Kyiv. While presented as part of the African Peace Mission initiative and the country’s broader diplomatic engagements, the meeting came at a sensitive moment, defined by growing international calls for a negotiated end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, even as certain Western powers appear determined to prolong the war. Since the outbreak of hostilities in 2022, South Africa has charted a careful and principled course rooted in impartiality, multilateralism and consensus building. Unlike the polarised positions of many Nato-aligned countries, South Africa consistently withstood the pressure to adopt simplistic binaries in an undeniably complex geopolitical conflict. The country’s approach has been shaped by the foundational values of the Non-Aligned…

In a remarkable display of resilience and tactical prowess, Mamelodi Sundowns etched their name into the annals of African football history on Friday night when they progressed to the 2025 CAF Champions League final, at the expense of 12-time champions Al Ahly SC. Playing at the iconic Cairo International Stadium, Sundowns secured a 1-1 draw, enabling them to progress to the final on the away goals rule after a goalless stalemate in the first leg of the semi-finals played in South Africa a week ago. Thanks to their tactical discipline and sharp counter-attacking prowess, which ultimately led to the crucial away goal, Premier Soccer League champions Sundowns have achieved the extraordinary feat by eliminating the holders. The atmosphere was electric in the stadium, where a sea of passionate Al Ahly…

The elusive eighth world title which the Formula One world (mainly just the Tifoso) believed Lewis Hamilton would magically win once signing with Ferrari now seems like a distant memory. Five races into the season and Hamilton has not once, other than the Chinese Sprint, looked in control of the SF-25. The standard of driving which he exhibited during his reign at Mercedes has not been the same. While the set-up of a Ferrari may be different to that of his former vehicle, elite drivers are expected to perform on the turn, regardless of the car, which is to some extent, what makes them elite. Hamilton evidently struggled this season with Ferrari, and has found himself on the tail-end of his teammate Charles Leclerc. Arguably, Leclerc has raced a Ferrari…

Jannik Sinner held onto his World No 1 ranking ahead of his return from a three-month doping ban, but the Italian does not expect his comeback to be as smooth when he takes to the court again at the Rome Masters next month. Sinner has not played since winning the Australian Open at the start of the season, and accepted a ban in February following a deal with the World Anti-Doping Agency, which had challenged a tribunal’s decision to clear him after two positive tests. The 23-year-old was allowed to return to training on April 13, and his suspension will end on May 4, before his competitive return at the Italian Open, which gets underway three days later. Sinner, who spent time building fitness mindful of the French Open…

South African rugby’s sizzling sensation Cameron Hanekom this week made a reverential comment about the “hardebaard” of the Bulls team, Marcell Coetzee. “I don’t want to disappoint Marcell,” Hanekom said. “He made 31 tackles against Munster. He is my role model.” The respect with which Hanekom spoke of the 33-year-old Coetzee reminded me of the chapter I wrote on Coetzee in my book, The Fireside Springbok. I’d like to revisit the “making of Marcell”, because it is by no accident that he is such a special player. When Coetzee finished high school in 2009 at Port Natal in Durban, there was great excitement about the annual party week at Margate, the pilgrimage for Afrikaans school-leavers all over the country. Coetzee did not go. He wanted to, but he would be…