Innholdsfortegnelse for 2025-11-30 i Sunday Independent

South Africa is one of the most sophisticated countries on the continent when it comes to digital finance. We file our taxes through Sars eFiling, register our companies online, move money between banks and accounts in seconds, and pay for goods with QR codes, tap-to-pay and banking apps. Yet when workers, in particular domestic staff who are among the most vulnerable workers in the country, become unemployed, they still have to jump through hoops, submit paper forms, stand in queues at Department of Labour centres, and wait months for a Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) payment that might never come. Domestic work might be conducted in the private space, but it remains one of the most essential and undervalued forms of labour in South Africa. Sweepsouth’s 2025 Report on Domestic Worker…

The notion that people who decorate early for Christmas are happier has been frequently spoken about; however, researchers have proved that it’s more about their personality and sociability. The claim comes from psychologists, but there is research linked to this conversation, and it is a 1989 paper from the Journal of Environmental Psychology by Carol Werner, Sonja Peterson-Lewis and Barbra B. Brown. The researchers found that homes with Christmas decorations were seen as more approachable and sociable by neighbours. The study measures perception, not happiness. It showed that residents with decorated homes use it to send out warm, friendly signals as a way to communicate their accessibility to neighbours, which may explain why people who put up their trees early appear more cheerful and welcoming. Psychologists have added their…

Is your company’s year-end function coming up? It’s that time of year when companies dedicate a day – or even just a few hours – to thank their staff for their hard work. Whether it’s a few pizzas and a couple of beers or a full-on all-you-can-eat and open bar kind of party, it’s the one occasion where everyone in the business, from the CEO to the tea lady, can let their hair down and get to know each other outside of the work space. Now, I’ve had my fair share of office parties to know that they can be great fun, but they can get a bit out of hand. There’s the colleague who turns into a completely different person when the alcohol kicks in, and then there’s the…

Last month, one of the country’s largest prepaid metering company launched an in-app electricity advance feature. Mobile phone network operators are offering similar services too, allow- ing subscribers who are short of prepaid electricity tokens to purchase them on credit and repay the amount the next time they top up. What began as a simple mechanism to advance airtime and data has now morphed into a credit-based platform for essential services such as electricity. At first glance, this may appear to be a convenience and an innovative way to help cash-strapped consumers stretch their finances until payday. However, in reality, it is not the lifeline it appears to be. In 2020, a private company launched a system that allows employees to access a portion of their salaries before payday, effectively…

THE Lobito corridor project is as much a laudable critical infrastructure initiative as it is an incident of a complex geopolitical manoeuvre by Washington and Brussels. It is born out of a deep revulsion that China has cultivated a lot of infrastructural and political leverage over three mineral-endowed countries, represented by Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia. For one, Angola holds 26 of the 51 internationally recognised critical minerals. The DRC, for its part, supplies over 70% of the world’s cobalt, and many other rare earths besides. Zambia leverages the copper vantage, so much so that between the DRC and Zambia, they hold 91 million tons of copper reserves, 80 million tons and 11 million tons, respectively. According to the International Energy Agency projections, the copper demand…

IN AN economy as strained as South Africa’s, time is emerging as the most valuable currency in education. Employers no longer ask what candidates studied; they ask how long it takes for them to add value. For learners, the question is equally urgent: how fast can this qualification generate income? The real return on investment (ROI) of tech education today is measured not in certificates, but in speed, the time it takes to turn learning into earning, and earning into stable, retained employment. South Africa faces a paradox familiar to almost every business leader: unemployment remains among the highest in the world, yet companies struggle to fill digital roles. But beneath this familiar headline lies a less-discussed reality: even when roles are filled, it often takes three to six months…

The SA Police Service (SAPS) divisional commissioner of detective and forensic services, Lieutenant-General Hilda Khosi Senthumule, has revealed her shock at a WhatsApp exchange she had with KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. The judicial commission of inquiry into criminality, political interference, and corruption in the criminal justice system, chaired by retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, heard that Mkhwanazi was angered by her bosses after they informed her that the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) was disbanded in December 2024. Senthumule said Mkhwanazi was confused by the transfer of over a hundred dockets that were dealt with by the PKTT after informing her that the task team was disbanded. She said she called National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola and informed him that she phoned Mkhwanazi to hand over…

AmaZulu head coach Arthur Zwane delivered a scathing post-match assessment after his side’s 2–0 defeat to Richards Bay, insisting Usuthu were the architects of their own downfall in a match where only one team showed genuine intention. The loss at the uMhlathuze Sports Complex denied AmaZulu the chance to climb into the top three, and Zwane made it clear that their biggest problem wasn’t tactics – it was mentality. “Only one team came to play today (Friday night),” Zwane said, speaking after the match. “We did not come to the party, we did not show any hunger, we won the game before it even started. We thought it was going to be easy.” AmaZulu entered the match with confidence having beaten Siwelele last time out, but Zwane said he had…

Matheus Cunha remains sidelined as Manchester United look to bounce back after a “really tough” week, manager Ruben Amorim said Friday. United stumbled to a 1-0 home loss against 10-man Everton on Monday, ending a five-match unbeaten run that had lifted spirits at Old Trafford. Amorim’s side were missing Cunha after the Brazil forward suffered a knock in training, compounding the absence of striker Benjamin Sesko, who has a knee injury. Neither will be available for today’s trip to Crystal Palace, where experienced defender Maguire will again miss out. “Sesko is going to take a little bit more time,” United boss Amorim said. “Harry the same. I expect to have Matheus in the next one (against West Ham on Thursday), not this one.” The absence of Cunha and Sesko is…

When the Springboks lost 57-0 to the All Blacks in Auckland in 2017, backing up the 57-15 thrashing they had received the year before in Durban, I remember discussing with my old colleague Gavin Rich the possibility that we would never again see the Boks beat their old rivals. Today, that sounds a touch dramatic, but back then it seemed distinctly possible. The scoreline across the two consecutive matches was 114-15; the Kiwis were on a six-match unbeaten run against South Africa, and even without the retired Richie McCaw and Dan Carter, they were getting stronger at the same rate that the Boks were getting weaker. Also, in the professional era, Springbok victories over the All Blacks were rare. From 2000 to 2017, in 40 matches played between the teams,…

Former South African skipper Faf du Plessis has chosen not to participate in the 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and has decided not to put his name in the auction pool, with the event set to take place next month. Du Plessis, who has represented the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) throughout his IPL career, played for the Delhi Capitals in the tournament’s previous edition and was also named Axar Patel’s deputy. However, he was among the seven players released by the franchise ahead of the auction. The former RCB captain has now opted out of the 19th edition of the cash-rich event, announcing that he’ll ‘take on a new challenge’ and play the forthcoming edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). “After 14 seasons in the IPL,…

South Africans seemed to have dumped big ticket items such as big screen TVs during this year’s shopping event of the season, Black Friday, and deal hunted for every day grocery items. This comes as consumers in the country continue to feel the bite from the cost-of-living crisis and look for ways to stretch their rands. According to a recent survey conducted by Debt Rescue, results showed that for ordinary citizens, Black Friday was no longer about affording little luxuries and more about survival. South Africans have battled their way through another turbulent year of financial stress and strain, driven by relentless price increases and continued elevated interest rates, and the festive holiday retail experience of Black Friday no longer generates a sense of excitement and expectation among consumers as…

THE US government finally received a G20 Presidency handover at a low-key event in the South African capital, Pretoria. It was no less than Washington deserved. The US President Donald Trump administration boycotted the recent G20 Leaders Summit, the first to be held on the African continent. The boycott was premised on a litany of blatant lies about a state-orchestrated genocide of the minority white Afrikaner community. Despite the South African government’s vehement protestations and strenuous efforts to set the record straight, the Trump administration has relentlessly maintained its baseless antagonism toward Pretoria. For the bulk majority who know the truth about post-apartheid South Africa’s transitional and transformational trajectory, they would tell Trump and anyone who cares to listen that, despite an avalanche of challenges, the future remains pregnant with…

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has sounded the alarm over a worrying trend in voter apathy, with its latest market research revealing that a mere 49% of eligible voters intend to participate in the upcoming 2026 local government elections. This sobering statistic has amplified concerns over the steadily declining trend of voter turnout, which plummeted from 48% in 2000 to just 46% in the 2021 local elections. Deputy electoral officer Masego Sheburi, who presented the findings during a briefing with the Portfolio Committees on Home Affairs and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs on Friday, described the entrenched nature of this trend. “The sobering outcome of that is if elections were to be held, only 49% of the respondents would participate and that participation will also be contingent on a number…

AMID growing global condemnation and mounting concerns over the trajectory of the US government, US citizens residing in South Africa have sounded the alarm. They have outright condemned the current US administration’s aggressive foreign policy, divisive rhetoric, and false propaganda that threaten to destabilise international relations and roll back decades of progress in democracy and human rights. Their rhetoric outlines a troubling shift towards white supremacy and nationalism, echoing fears of authoritarianism and the erosion of the United States’ reputation on the world stage. During the recent G20 summit hosted by South Africa, world leaders gathered to address pressing global challenges, but the US was spectacularly absent from meaningful participation, reflecting the US President Donald Trump’s administration’s retreat from multilateral cooperation. US citizens in South Africa saw this as a…

THE International Criminal Court (ICC) is supposed to be the highest legal authority dealing with crime investigation. It must prosecute for the international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. However, what we have seen recently is very different from the primary objectives of this institution. Unfortunately, nowadays, the ICC looks more like a thoughtless punitive instrument that disregards the local laws of the countries where it administers justice. But at the same time, it actively uses its diplomatic immunity; therefore, in some cases, it does not hesitate to use force and even violence. Can the ICC still be considered a legal executor of justice? It is hardly the truth. One of the latest examples that illustrates the current situation is the case of…

THE Ford Foundation appears to have become the centre of a growing debate in Tanzania after reports suggest that the United States-based organisation has allocated more than $2 million for projects that it says are meant to support democracy in the country. According to the foundation’s own reports, this money goes to media groups, bloggers and different local organisations that promote democratic values. Some of these groups also focus on women’s rights and LGBTQ+ rights. One of the groups linked to this funding is Change Tanzania, a citizen movement led by Maria Sarungi Tsehai. The movement uses social media to challenge the government of President Samia Suluhu Hassan and has been calling on Tanzanians to join a large protest planned for December 9. Change Tanzania has been active for many…

IN a matter of days, South Africa will step sprightly into the full swing of the festive season. As the famous aphorism goes: Ke Dezemba Boss! (It’s December Boss!) But this year’s festive season will be particularly special. This December, we’ll be riding a wave that only a few countries get to experience. The afterglow of the momentously successful G20 Summit will be key grounds for celebration. The iconic G20 Summit didn’t just put us on the map for a few days; it made clear that our talent, imagination, and innovation are forces to be reckoned with. Now, as millions prepare to travel home, with life spilling into every square, street, and sun-soaked beach, we have a rare opportunity: to channel this global attention into momentum that lasts far beyond…

In the context of global politics, the official opposition party projects itself as an alternative government. To earn this status, opposition parties hold governing parties accountable on all the issues including but not limited to respecting the national constitution, protecting citizens from criminals and foreign attacks (or threats), ensuring fiscal discipline, delivering services, protecting human rights, ensuring equal treatment of citizens, maintaining good relations with global partners while protecting political sovereignty, and ensuring job creation and poverty alleviation. Whenever the governing party (governing alone or leading a coalition) fails to deliver on these and other matters, prospects of the opposition party toppling the government in the next election are significantly increased. Opposition parties use the current government’s failures as they begin their election campaign. They remind voters about these failures…

Proteas batting coach Ashwell Prince reckons the One Day International side is close to understanding the right starting XI ahead of the home 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. South Africa has fielded different teams this year in One Day cricket, from the recent Australia and England tours. Key players have been left out to rest as the start of the defence of the World Test Championship got underway last month in Pakistan. With South Africa having fielded different players for the Australia, England and Pakistan tours, coach Shukri Conrad and captain Temba Bavuma have brought back the big guns, including the likes of Aiden Markram and Aiden Markram. The first ODI match of the series in India is set to get under way today in Ranchi. The likes of…

Kaizer Chiefs’ winless start to their CAF Confederation Cup group-stage campaign continued as they salvaged a 1-1 draw against Zamalek at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium yesterday afternoon. Chiefs went into the match eager to get their group-stage campaign back on track after losing their opener to Al Masry in Egypt. But it wasn’t to be – the White Knights scored early, only for Amakhosi to salvage a point deep into stoppage time. Chiefs will now have to wait until late January to try to secure their first win in the group when they face their COSAFA-region neighbours Zesco United. In the meantime, they cannot afford to drop their heads as they will need to beat Chippa United and TS Galaxy to end the year on a high in domestic…

England will be without Mark Wood for the second Ashes Test in Brisbane after renewed concerns over the fast bowler’s left knee, dealing a significant blow to their hopes of levelling the series. Wood, 35, had only just returned to Test cricket in last week’s heavy defeat in Perth following surgery that kept him out for nine months. He managed just 11 overs before England slumped to a two-day loss, an outcome not seen in an Ashes match for more than a century. The injury-prone paceman did not take part in England’s training session at Allan Border Field yesterday morning, the only member of the squad absent. His omission all but confirms he will sit out of Thursday’s day-night Test at the Gabba. Josh Tongue will be the front-runner to…

Two of the top teams in this season’s Cricket South Africa T20 Challenge are set to compete for the coveted trophy at Boland Park in Paarl today. This season has been different, with several of the traditionally big teams – including the Titans and the Lions – losing the majority of their matches. In the ongoing CSA T20 Challenge, coach Justin Ontong’s Boland side have their eyes firmly set on the trophy, with coach Robin Peterson’s Warriors standing in their way. Ontong and his team are fresh from a CSA One-Day Cup final earlier this year, where they lost to the Dolphins at the very same venue, Boland Park in Paarl. On the other hand, Peterson has a young side, led by a growing leader in Matthew de Villiers. De…

Sebastien Ogier won an “incredible” ninth world rally championship yesterday, drawing level with his compatriot Sebastien Loeb’s record haul. The 41-year-old finished third in the season-closing Rally Saudi Arabia, edging out Toyota teammate Elfyn Evans to claim the crown by just four points. Evans, who came in sixth, had led the standings by three points heading into Jeddah. Ogier’s achievement was made all the more remarkable as he competed this year as a part-time driver, skipping three of the 14 rallies. “What an incredible season,” said Ogier, who won six rallies and stood on the podium in 10 of the 11 events he entered. “The battle with Elfyn has been really superb. There are no great champions without great rivals. He pushed us to the limits until the very last…

At only twenty seven, South African founder Jadon Moerdyk is leading a global digital marketing agency, RemodelBoom, that generates tens of millions of rands a year. His journey began far from the boardrooms of London or the fast paced markets of the United States. It started on a small farm in the Eastern Cape where he spent his childhood folding cutlery, picking strawberries, packing groceries, and learning the basics of entrepreneurship at his family’s restaurant Lavender Blue. That early environment planted the idea that value can be created from almost nothing. It also sparked the desire to build something far bigger than the small town businesses he grew up around. Moerdyk says growing up in a quiet part of the country gave him a hunger to push beyond the limits…

SOUTH Africa didn’t need another scandal. We’re already drowning in them. What we needed was clarity. We needed a moment where the fog lifts just long enough for the public to see the machinery behind the mess. Strangely, Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, with his selective memory and careful silences, has given us exactly that. But the real revelation didn’t come from his testimony. It came from ANC chief whip Mdumiseni Ntuli, who calmly listed a string of “coincidences” that should make every South African sit upright. Let’s stop insulting ourselves. In politics, when leaders lean on the word coincidence, it usually means the truth is walking a little too close for comfort. What Ntuli highlighted wasn’t random. It was a pattern. A pattern so obvious that pretending otherwise would require a…

AS the G20 Summit concluded in South Africa, the first held on African soil, analysts and delegates agreed that India’s imprint on the outcomes was unmistakable. From debt reform to digital public infrastructure, many of the priorities championed at the Johannesburg meetings reflected continuity from India’s presidency in 2023 and signalled the rising weight of the Global South in shaping global governance. India’s role was most visible in the expanded presence and confidence of African nations at the Summit. The African Union (AU) participated as a permanent member for the first time at a G20 hosted in Africa, a milestone that several leaders said would not have been possible without India’s decisive diplomatic push during its presidency in 2023. The move has since reshaped negotiations and amplified Africa’s collective voice…

Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has disclosed alarming deficiencies within the legal department of the Road Accident Fund (RAF). Speaking in response to questions from Freedom Front Plus MP Philip van Staden, Creecy highlighted that not only was the RAF's legal unit performing below expectations, but it was being led by someone without formal legal qualifications. “It is so sub-optimal that the head of the legal unit does not have a law degree, which I would have thought would be a basic requirement,” she said, emphasising the critical need for capacity building within the organisation. “Outsourcing all of these functions is expensive and not appropriate, so this legal department does have to be rebuilt,” Creecy said when committing to rectifying the situation. The issue of litigation has been a sore point…

TENS of thousands of matriculants, along with thousands of parental homes, schools and teachers, are tensely awaiting the announcement by the Minister of Basic Education of the results of the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) Examination. In many ways, the NSC directs a learner’s opportunities and life chances on the road going forward, and the anticipated announcement is probably one of the most important events on the path of the Grade 12 school leaver. Admission to further study, opportunities in the world of work, the licence to pursue aspirations — for every individual, these depend on the announcement which is about to be made. Every school leaver has dedicated twelve years or even more to preparation for the examination and has shown tenacity in pursuing this sought-after qualification. During the…

Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has emphasised the economic advantages stemming from a new public-private partnership with train operating companies. This initiative will enable these companies to access the freight infrastructure of state-owned enterprise Transnet, which has long faced challenges in meeting its freight targets. During a question-and-answer session in the National Assembly, Creecy addressed concerns raised by ANC MP Christopher Malematja regarding Transnet's struggle to achieve its goal of transporting 250 million tonnes of freight per annum. The minister said one of the factors that are inhibiting Transnet from reaching the target of 250 million tonnes of freight per annum was a shortage of rolling stock and locomotives. Creecy announced that Transnet has extended invitations to third-party participants to utilise five priority freight corridors that transport bulk minerals, including the…

In a legal reversal, the Kimberley High Court has slashed Abraham September's life imprisonment sentence to 23 years, ruling that the original punishment for stabbing his cousin to death was “startlingly disproportionate.” This decision came following an appeal before the full bench. September confessed to the killing, admitting that on November 6, 2012, an altercation with his cousin escalated. He recounted that he went to his cousin, whom he grew up with, to tell her that her younger brother had taken him to Bakhwetha Valley, where he (September) was robbed. He was looking for her brother so they could search for the robbers. As he repeatedly mentioned this to her, she became annoyed and reprimanded him. According to September, the cousin pushed him, and he fell. “I left and returned…

The qualities that President Cyril Ramaphosa displayed during the G20 Leaders’ Summit should now be directed with urgency towards the country. South Africa’s term as president of the G20 has ended on a high note, and Ramaphosa’s authoritativeness drew strong approval at home and abroad. At the G20 Leaders’ Summit, in particular, he displayed charisma and commanded the global stage with confidence. His defence of the country’s independence in international decision-making was dignified, firm and clear. Many South Africans felt genuine pride as they watched the president charm world leaders. It evoked a spirit of goodwill among citizens who often feel far removed from high-level diplomatic events. This favourable moment provides a significant opportunity to tackle the long list of challenges facing our country. People want to see decisive action…

The dust has not yet settled on South Africa’s historic G20 year as the Leadership summit concluded last Sunday with a range of views on its successes and shortcomings in a world rife with multiple geopolitical storms, Trumpism redefining partnerships and solidarities. A brief scorecard unpacks multiple contradictions and shifting sands amid stagnation. Global finance is the DNA of the G20 and took place in the year when African countries faced their greatest debt crisis. South Africa’s “downgrading” (excuse the pun) of the all-important Cost of Capital commission can be seen as a capitulation to creditor nations and credit agencies. For its part, only South Africa was rewarded with a “S&P ratings upgrade”, while no African nation in debt distress got any rating concession. Solidarity? African Agency? Clearly not.…

This December, journalists all over the world will look for the defining political meme of the year – and one contender for that unofficial title is US President Donald Trump’s claim that he has stopped eight wars. One must admit that any genuine acknowledgment of Trump’s contributions to global peace will hinge not on temporary ceasefires achieved by means of the White House’s influence over the conflicting parties, but rather on a lasting resolution of the most deep-seated crisis in European security – the Ukraine conflict. However, when it comes to Ukraine, the US finds itself constrained in its ability to influence the conflicting parties. Unlike most other conflicts that the US president has had to deal with, the situation in Ukraine is not a small-scale military, economic and geopolitical…

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says second-placed Chelsea “fully deserve” to be considered Premier League title contenders as he prepares his team for today’s game at Stamford Bridge. Arteta’s men are currently six points clear of the second-placed Blues after 12 games of the season. They are in buoyant mood after a 4-1 win over arch-rivals Tottenham was followed by a 3-1 defeat of German giants Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Chelsea’s tails are also up following three straight league wins and a thumping 3-0 victory over Barcelona on Tuesday. Despite their fine form, Enzo Maresca’s youthful Chelsea side are still considered outsiders to win the Premier League title. But Arteta is not underestimating his opponents, who won the UEFA Conference League and Club World Cup last season. “I think…

Blitzboks captain Impi Visser will be the first to admit that leading South Africa’s Sevens team into battle comes far more naturally to him than navigating life with a newborn at home. Hard tackles, defensive reads, and keeping calm in high-pressure moments – those are the things he’s built for. Nappy changes and late-night soothing, on the other hand, have introduced him to an entirely different kind of challenge. Since stepping into the captaincy of the Springbok Sevens, Visser has carried the responsibility with the same calm, grounded presence that defines his no-nonsense play style. He is not a loud or dramatic leader. Instead, he sets the tone through his work ethic, what he does on the field, and his readiness to physically put his body on the line for…