Innholdsfortegnelse for 18 Mar 2021 i You South Africa

HERE we are – about a week or so away from the day our country went into lockdown, forever changing the way we live, love, learn and work. Do you recall how you felt this time last year? I remember being nervous about whether our teams would be able to work well, and I was a bit scared of getting sick (but not as scared as I was a few months in when things were at their bleakest). The novelty of it all also felt interesting and on some level I found the changing world to be a fascinating place. Of course, that’s also when I thought lockdown wouldn’t last longer than a few months. I don’t know anybody who thought we’d still mostly be working from home a year…

I can’t help thinking those people who bullied and mocked Miss South Africa, the beautiful Shudufhadzo Musida, must be feeling very stupid right now (YOU, 4 March). She certainly has had the last laugh. You keep going, girl! You’ve got nothing to be ashamed of. KATHLEEN YOUNG, EMAIL I have the greatest admiration for Rudolph Wolker for having lost so much weight (YOU, 4 March). I’ve battled with weight issues from early childhood, so know how difficult this must’ve been. ADMIRER, EMAIL The coldblooded murder of Tshegofatso Pule is chilling in its brutality (YOU, 4March). It was a calculated and targeted double killing. Her unborn child was nearly full-term and alleged to be the reason behind the crime. My heartfelt condolences to her family. CLAER, GEORGE The delay in rolling…

It’s common knowledge that Meghan had met Oprah only once before inviting her to her 2018 wedding. Oprah was one of 200 selected guests who attended the reception dinner while others, including close friends of Harry, didn’t crack the nod. Oprah’s inclusion paved the way for a fast-moving friendship. “It if had been a courtship, it’s been a mutual one, sometimes played out on social media,” says Tim Lewis of Britain’s The Guardian newspaper. When Archie was born, the talk-show queen sent “welcome to the world” gifts. In December 2020, Meghan sent Oprah a hamper of her Clevr Blends vegan super-lattes and O rejoiced, telling her 19,3 million Instagram followers it was her “new drink of choice for the morning and night”. When Harry and Meghan bought their mansion in…

The Birth and Deaths Registration Act (BDRA) regulates notices of births and deaths. This allows the department of home affairs to maintain a population register. According to advocate David Smith, the BDRA provides four ways for live births to be recorded. “The first two are children born to parents who are either married or unmarried. The third is to a child born outside the borders of South Africa to SA parents and the last is the registration of abandoned or orphaned children,” Smith says. In line with the constitution, the act has been amended to include same sex-couples. Instead of “mother” and “father” on the birth certificate, the genderless “Parent A” and “Parent B” suffices. “A woman can easily register the child’s birth because no father or Parent B is…

■ Go to https://ispa.org.za/safety/report-cybercrime to report the scam. ■ You can also lay a charge at your local police station – it might not get you your money back but at least statistics of these types of crimes can be kept. ■ Contacted for comment, Colonel Brenda Muridili from Saps head office says police do investigate crimes such as this and victims of scams are encouraged to report incidents. If you’ve been scammed, she adds, take as much information with you when you report the case: proof of WhatsApp and email communication, videos, photographs and bank statements. Once you have a case number, the investigation can start and detectives can pool together similar cases.…

ASIAN CHICKEN WINGS Chicken wings usually take up to almost an hour to cook in the oven. A handy tip is to simply blanch them beforehand, saving yourself loads of cooking time. This is the perfect snack for movie night with the family or watching rugby with friends. SERVES 4 PREPARATION: 7 MIN COOKING: 28 MIN REST: 3 MIN a generous pinch of salt 12 chicken wings 10cm fresh ginger 2 garlic cloves 1 red chilli juice and zest of 1 lime juice (about 80ml) and zest of 2 oranges 45ml (3T) soy sauce 15ml (1T) sesame oil 100g sesame seeds Preheat the oven to 210°C. 1 Fill a large saucepan with hot water and put over high heat. Add the salt, cover and bring to the boil. 2 Add…

TRENDS Bangs of all shapes and forms were all the rage at the Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks. And as you’d expect from street style trendsetters and catwalk queens, they were something to marvel at. Think super-cropped styles to extra-long curtain fringes, and wet-look bangs to bowl cuts. Go on, we dare you! Remember, there’s always one consolation if you don’t like your fringe – it’ll grow out eventually! 1 ULTRA-CROPPED This look is great for concealing a wide forehead or for someone who’s looking for something that’s low-maintenance. It’s a strong look, so you need to be committed to it before going for the chop. 2 EXTRA-LONG BANGS Got something to hide? Then this look’s for you! Only thing is you might not be able to see where you’re…

HE’S TURNED OUR KIDS INTO MONSTERS Q My husband and I have a 27-year-old son and a 24-year-old daughter who both still live with us. My hubby dotes on them and has spoilt them since childhood. I was always the disciplinarian, the one who tried to set boundaries. Both our kids have degrees and well-paying jobs but they don’t contribute to the household, instead spending their salaries on their own interests and on going out with their friends. When I talk to my husband about it he simply says it’s a pleasure for him to take care of them and that we’re fortunate to have them living in our home. I don’t agree and think he’s created monsters who only think about themselves and their own enjoyment. They never make…

THE ARIES CHARACTER ■ They’re brave warriors with fearless hearts ■ They love to tackle things head-on ■ Activity and exercise are vital to their wellbeing ■ They have a direct approach to life, which works for them ■ They thrive when they can be competitive ■ They flounder when they’re aggressive instead of assertive ■ Their motto in life is: Let’s get going!…

DIRTY JOHN SEASON 1 True-crime drama. Based on the podcast of the same name by the LA Times’ Christopher Goffard, Dirty John tells the tale of what happened between a seasoned con man, his latest target and her family. Wealthy interior designer and four-time divorcée Debra Newell (Golden Globe nominee Connie Britton) catches the attention of John Meehan (Hulk’s Eric Bana) on a dating site. Debra’s daughters (Juno Temple and Ozark’s Julia Garner) don’t trust John, but she ignores all the warning signs and ties the knot after eight weeks of dating. Only then does she dig into John’s past and discover he’s left a terrifying trail of lies, drug abuse and scorned women in his wake. Dirty John lacks psychological depth and resembles a cheesy Hallmark movie dragged out…

TROY By STEPHEN FRY Michael Joseph Was Helen really so beautiful that her face launched a thousand ships and sparked a 10-year war? And what was so amazing about the kingdom of Troy that made its fall so devastating? If you’ve always wanted to understand this complicated Greek tale, then this is the book for you. With his trademark wit and good humour, British comedian and entertainer Stephen Fry offers the definitive account and shows why this is one of the greatest tales ever told. THE BIG SOUTH AFRICAN HAIR BOOK By JANINE JELLARS Kwela Books Thick. Unruly. Bushy. Frizzy. From the time she was a little girl, local journalist Janine Jellars believed her hair was something that needed to be tamed. In this book she reveals how it took…

Some exotic plants have natural enemies in their native climate such as insects or viruses that only affect that specific species of plant or tree. To control the population of alien plants, scientists might introduce that type of insect or virus into the local alien population to control its spread. This is a biological way of controlling – and sometimes eradicating – alien vegetation. Pretoria’s purple jacaranda trees (Jacaranda mimosifolia) are classified as an alien species. They grow fast and have a large root system, which can encroach on indigenous vegetation. Pretoria’s jacarandas won’t be chopped down, but the planting of new jacarandas is prohibited. Luckily they live for about 200 years.…

HOWTOSAYIT: suh-stein To sustain means to support something, or to keep it going. If you’re hungry, you eat food to sustain your energy. Structures, beams and poles help to sustain or support a roof. If you sustain a conversation, you keep it going over a period of time. The word comes from the Old French “sostenir”, meaning “give support to”, and from the Latin “sustinere”, meaning to “hold up, hold upright”. BY THE NUMBERS 35,3 The weight in kilogrammes of wool sheared off Baarack, a sheep found living in the wild in Victoria, Australia. Sheep are usually sheared once a year but Baarack’s rescuers believe he hadn’t been sheared in five years. His fleece had grown into a thick, matted mess which isn’t good as it can cause sheep…

IT’S a sight that would once have made him cringe: he’s just left the surf, pulled his wetsuit down to his waist and is towelling himself off. Jonah Hill has made a living out of playing the pudgy, hysterical comic nerd of Superbad and the Jump Street movies, a rotten high-flyer in Wolf of Wall Street and a sex-obsessed, badly dressed bloke in Knocked Up. He has more than a dozen movie credits to his name and an Oscar nomination for the serious drama Moneyball. But there’s one thing he knows he’ll never do – and that’s be mistaken for Chris Hemsworth or Hugh Jackman or any of those perfectly chiselled Hollywood hotties who regularly kick back in their bathing costumes. Which is why, soon after pictures of him emerged…

Her marriage to businessman Vivian Reddy has become a source of interest to fans of The Real Housewives of Durban – but audiences have also been curious about SORISHA NAIDOO’s glam lifestyle. The former Miss India SA, who oozes extravagance and style, always carries around two designer bags. But what exactly is inside them? SORISHA TELLS US WHAT SHE CAN’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT CHANEL WALLET I use it for all my shopping requirements. L’OCCITANE HAND SANITISER AND HAND LOTION Germ-free, soft hands are essential! TWO BAGS OF TEA Not everyone keeps jasmine green tea and I must have green tea with jasmine every hour on the hour. VASELINE AND LIPSTICK I carry the Vaseline for my kids’ lips, which are always dry, and a spicy lip colour for me. MY…

World, meet baby LUCIA – the latest addition to ALEC and HILARIA BALDWIN’s ever-expanding brood. Hilaria took to Instagram to reveal the name of her little girl alongside an adorable snapshot of the infant fast asleep. “We are so in love with our daughter, Lucia,” she said. The announcement of the latest Baldwin child’s name comes one day after she surprised her followers with a photo of herself surrounded by all her kids, including a tiny baby on her lap. The photo had fans doing a double take as the couple welcomed son EDUARDO only in September. The timeline of baby Lucia’s birth has been a major talking point. Was she adopted? Did Hilaria and Alec use a surrogate? Although the couple have remained tightlipped eagle-eyed fans on social media…

As AMELIA HAMLIN’s romance with SCOTT DISICK heats up, it’s not only internet trolls who have a lot to say about their big age gap. Former Days of Our Lives star LISA RINNA, is also said to be concerned about her and HARRY HAMLIN’s 19-year-old daughter’s new relationship. Scott (37) shares three children – Mason (11), Penelope (8) and Reign (6) – with his ex Kourtney Kardashian (41). He recently made headlines when a new Keeping Up with the Kardashians clip showed him saying: “ Kourtney knows that eventually we’ll get married and live a good life.” Scott and Kourtney’s nine-year on-off romance is reportedly a cause for concern for Amelia’s parents, who are worried about the father-of-three’s “baggage”. “Lisa isn’t going to acknowledge this publicly for now because she’s…

KATHERINE HEIGL is determined not to hold anything back from her adopted kids. In her recent cover interview for Parents magazine – in which she poses with her musician husband JOSH KELLEY (41) and kids JOSHUA BISHOP (4), ADALAIDE MARIE HOPE (8) and NALEIGH MI-EUN (12) – the actress (42) says that the girls, who are adopted, “have more questions as they get older”. “We have said to them, ‘This is your story. We don’t have any information about your biological fathers, but we do have a bit about your biological mothers. If you guys want to talk more about them, you can have as much or as little information as you want’.” The Firefly Lane actress always knew she wanted to adopt. “My sister, Meg, is Korean, and my…

NICOLAS CAGE just tied the knot for the fifth time and has told reporters he’s “very happy” to be a married man again. The 57-year-old actor married RIKO SHIBATA (26) last month in a “very small and intimate wedding” at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas. While news of the wedding broke earlier this month, they tied the knot on 16 February, a date that’s very special to the Con Air star. “The date was chosen to honour the birthday of the groom’s late father,” his rep says. ‘It’s true, and we are very happy’ – NICOLAS CAGE Nic just loves saying, ‘I Do!’ This is hardly Nic’s first trip down the aisle, here’s a look inside his rollercoaster love life . . .…

LORI LOUGHLIN is back in the spotlight after getting out of prison. For the first time since completing her two-month sentence in December, the Full House star was photographed doing some volunteer work in Los Angeles. Lori (56) was photographed handing out meals through Project Angel Food, an organisation that prepares and delivers food to those impacted by life-threatening illnesses. In May, Lori and her husband, fashion designer MOSSIMO GIANNULLI, pleaded guilty to paying $500 000 to secure the admission of their two daughters, Olivia Jade Giannulli (21) and Isabella Rose Giannulli (22), into the University of Southern California. While Lori is now enjoying her freedom, Mossimo (57), who was sentenced to five months in prison, is set to remain in lockup until April and apparently, his time inside is…

Retirement should be the beginning of something wonderful. That’s why we’ve dedicated a magazine to help you make the most of this exciting new chapter. YOU Retirement offers expert advice for financial, physical and emotional preparation so you can greet this new phase with peace of mind and in good health. We’ve also included a great mix of brain games to keep your mind active. Get a digital version on magzter.com or order a copy at youstore.co.za or through Johan Terblanche at johan.terblanche@media24.com.…

On the day of the Oprah interview, the queen displayed typical grit and dedication as she and other senior royals gathered for their annual Commonwealth Service. The pandemic dominated her address. “Whilst experiences of the last year have been different across the Commonwealth, stirring examples of courage, commitment and selfless dedication to duty have been demonstrated in every Commonwealth nation, notably those working on the frontline.” Charles gave a speech from an empty Westminster Abbey and the Cambridges discussed healthcare over a video call with South African doctor Zolelwa Sifumba, a frontline healthcare worker in Johannesburg. This year’s event was a virtual one, in stark contrast to last year’s service that saw the family gather at Westminster Abbey (ABOVE). It was the Sussexes’ last official engagement before leaving the UK…

■ Jessica Mulroney, stylist and best friend “No one has ever had to deal with the pressure, the politics and the press like Meghan has. In the face of it all, I’ve never seen her wave from kindness, empathy and love.” ■ Lindsay Jill Roth, TV producer and friend “Goodwill runs in her bones. Meghan’s MO has always been kindness. I know this to be true after 22 years of close friendship.” ■ Patrick J Adams, Suit’s co-star “She fell in love, moved to a new country, became a household name across the globe and began the difficult work of trying to find her place in a family dynamic that can best be described as complicated and at worst, seemingly archaic and toxic.” ■ Aaron Korsh, Suits’ creator “I don’t…

Denim dude From celebrity closets to the runway, denims have been a standout trend during the pandemic due to its comfort and ease. Skinny leg and acid-washed denim looks are must-haves. Polo player Preppy with a sporty twist is one of this season’s go-to looks. Keep it chic in polo shirts and match them with denims or chinos for a relaxed feel that’s perfect for any occasion. Trendy outerwear Light jackets and covers are a must to ward off the cold. Outerwear such as overshirts, cardigans, khaki shirts and bomber jackets are this season’s most stylish buys. Sweater weather Sweaters are making a comeback! Opt for knits, front-pocket and colour-block sweaters and team with your favourite cargo joggers and sneakers for a cool, comfy look. Cool headgear With fewer visits…

TRANSFORM OLD FURNITURE You don’t need to paint an entire piece of furniture. Focus on either the top, legs or drawers, for example, to breathe new life into an old piece. PLAY WITH STENCILS Update a blank wall inside or outside your home with pretty painted artwork or stencilwork to create a lovely focal point. MAKE A STATEMENT Coat a piece of furniture in a playful colour to bring some whimsy into an otherwise monotone space. CREATE A HEADBOARD Paint a headboard on the wall behind a bed for a fraction of the cost of an actual headboard. This can easily be updated into a different shape or removed simply by painting over it. WELCOME! Home exteriors are usually painted with a neutral colour. Add a bold hue to your…

MONEY can be deducted from your salary only with your permission or if your employer is legally required to do so. The Basic Conditions of Employment Act is clear about deductions, mainly to protect employees from exorbitant or unnecessary ones. Here are some types of deductions and the circumstances under which each is allowed by law. LEGAL DEDUCTIONS These include deductions to be paid to the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), income tax and union fees. Other legal deductions are medical-aid and retirement-fund payments, provided they’re included in the employee’s service contract. The employer pays these amounts from the employee’s salary directly to the relevant funds. PERSONAL AND STUDENT LOANS Employers may extend personal or student loans, but repayments may only be deducted from an employee’s salary with their permission. It’s…

1 Which European country does this flag belong to? 2 How many brains does an octopus have? 3 In which country would you find Uluru or Ayers Rock? 4 Which fairy-tale character slept for 100 years? 5 What’s the name of the author who wrote Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? SOURCES: WIKIPEDIA.ORG; LIVESCIENCE.COM; DOGONEWS.COM; MONEYWEB.COM; EXPRESS.CO.UK; GOODTHINGSGUY.COM; SMITHSONIANMAG.COM; BBC.COM; KIDS.NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM; HISTORY.COM; SPACE.COM; VOCABULARY.COM…

There’s a lot of interest in the Brazilian butt lift locally, says Cape Town plastic surgeon Dirk Lazarus, but once people find out about the price – it costs around R100 000 in total for the procedure – and the risks, very few actually go through with it. Most of his BBL patients are South Africans or from other parts of Southern Africa. “The interest is mainly from black patients,” Lazarus says. However, he warns that those expecting dramatic and instant results might be in for a disappointment. “There’s a subtle increase in size,” he says, adding that repeat procedures may be needed.…

OUTRAGEOUS wigs, impractical costumes, a bizarre accent and an ego bigger than the small town she’s reluctantly living in. Anyone who’s watched Schitt’s Creek will know exactly who this is: Moira Rose, matriarch of the once filthy rich Rose family, a failed actress clinging to delusions of grandeur even while living in a dingy motel and eating at the local greasy spoon. She’s one of the reasons the comedy series was a runaway success – and this was driven home once again when the woman who brings Moira to life recently scooped a Golden Globe for best actress in a TV series – musical or comedy. Catherine O’Hara must be used to accolades by now, though. She won an Emmy for the role last year and she’s part of a…

Wondering how ROXY BARTON stays in shape? It’s all down to an early-morning start. The actress and model is up at the crack of dawn every day. “We don’t have curtains – I like to stick to natural rhythms and try not to rush,” Roxy (33) tells us. We asked the yogi and surfing sensation from Cape Town to let us in on her typical morning routine. 6.10am I start every day with freshly made green juice: celery, apple, ginger and lemon, followed by probiotics. 6.20am It’s time for oat milk coffee. 6.30–7am I set aside 15 to 30 minutes for myself. I do breathing exercises, decide on my objectives for the day or write in my journal. 7am It’s time to sweat! Depending on the waves, my man Sam…

To find ourselves on alert level 1 of lockdown doesn’t mean coronavirus is finished. It only means that the curve has somewhat been flattened. We shouldn’t let our guard down thinking that Covid-19 has been defeated. If we do, it could well be the start of the third wave. Let’s keep on adhering to Covid-19 regulations until the health department tells us we’re safe. MATOME KUBU, ARCADIA ■ The president has put us on level 1 of lockdown and life is starting to resemble the “old days”. Kids are back at school and the roads are busy again. I’ve noticed shops becoming less strict about sanitising their customers and controlling the number of people they let into stores. Fewer people bother to wear their masks properly. In honour of all…

At least $7 million (R105m) What CBS paid Oprah for the interview. More than 100 Number of countries that screened the broadcast. $325 000 (R4,8m) The cost CBS charged for a 30-second ad during the show – double the network’s normal price for half a minute of ad time. 1 Number of bracelets Meghan wore. The diamond-encrusted item once belonged to Princess Diana and she wore it “so Diana could be with them”, according to People. $636 (R9 540) Cost of the J Crew suit Harry wore for the interview. The prince often trots out the outfit – complete with tan brogues. He wore it to introduce son Archie to the world in May 2019, for a visit to Sussex with Meghan in October 2018, and during a tour of…

Keshvi Nair of the National Council of SPCAs has the following tips: ■ Contact the SPCA in the area where the breeder is located. Find out if there have been any complaints. ■ If you’re looking for a particular breed, there are organisations you can contact online that’ll put you in touch with breeders. ■ Go on consumer websites such as Hello Peter to check for complaints or reports about a specific breeder. ■ Copy the pictures of the pet on the website, Facebook or Instagram and paste it in Google Images. If the picture was stolen from a site, this will show you where it came from. ■ Ask the seller for a picture of themselves with the animal plus a video of your prospective pet playing. The best…

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder that’s fairly common among women of reproductive age. Women with the condition have infrequent or prolonged menstrual periods or excessive levels of male hormones or androgens in their bloodstream. The ovaries can develop numerous small collections of fluid or follicles and fail to regularly release eggs. It’s unclear exactly what causes PCOS, although “there’s some evidence that it has both a genetic and lifestyle component”, says Dr Lizle Oosthuizen, a fertility expert at the Cape Fertility Clinic in Cape Town. General symptoms are irregular periods or no periods at all, excessive hair growth (usually on the face, chest, back or buttocks), acne, weight fluctuations and infertility or compromised fertility.…

PREPPY CASUAL Keep it classy but cool in an all-white and cream ensemble like actor Anton David Jeftha, seen here on the set of the M-Net telenovela Legacy. COOL TONES Tonal dressing is here to stay. Transition into the new season by layering similar tones like TV presenter Maps Maponyane did with this Rich Mnisi ensemble. SPORTY CHIC Team chinos with a polo shirt like Survivor SA host Nico Panagio. Finish the look with brogues and a puffer jacket for the cooler weather. CLASSIC DENIM Pair denims with a long-sleeve sweater and plain sneakers like former Proteas captain Faf du Plessis or round it off with leather items for a classic look. STOCKISTS AMERICAN SWISS 0860-834-834, BRANDEDSUPPLIES.CO.ZA, CAPE UNION MART 0860-333-329, COTTONON.COM, DECATHLON.CO.ZA, EXACT 0860-834-834, MARKHAM 0860-834-834, MRP 0800-212-535, OUTLETSTORE.CO.ZA,…

TAURUS 20 APRIL – 20 MAY If you feel like retreating from the world, it’s time to heed the feeling and make some time for yourself. Think of this as a necessary time to recharge and replenish your batteries to prevent yourself from running low on energy. You need to take care of yourself first before you can take care of others. Try not to get embroiled in an argument with a friend, but if you have to stand up for yourself, you’ll have to be that bull in a china shop. At the very least, it’ll bring much-needed clarity. YOUR LUCKY NUMBERS 48, 10, 8, 33, 15, 40 GEMINI 21 MAY – 20 JUNE With assertive Mars squaring up to Mercury this week, you’re in the mood to pick…

THURSDAY ■ CAN’T BUY ME LOVE ★★★ 2017, 90 min, PG13L, e.tv, 00:00. Romantic drama. A wealthy slacker tries to win the heart of a hard-working paramedic. Adelaide Kane, Ben Hollingsworth. ■ TAKEN AWAY ★★ 2014, 90 min, PG13L, e.tv, 01:35. Drama. A US senator’s teen daughter becomes involved in a custody battle for the child she was forced to give away. Chelsea Ricketts. ■ ELSEWHERE ★★★ 2019, 98 min, 16VL, M-Net, 02:50. Comedy drama. After his in-laws evict a widower from the house he and his late wife built together, he becomes determined to do whatever it takes to get it back. Aden Young. ■ CRIMES OF THE MIND ★★★ 2014, 84 min, PG13, e.tv, 03:15. True crime. A woman must save her daughter from a cult. Christina Cox.…

THE REPORT True-life drama. This austere but compelling film looks at the investigation into the “enhanced interrogation techniques” the CIA employed after 9/11. After the agency destroys interrogation tapes in 2005, US senator Dianne Feinstein (Golden Globe nominee Annette Bening) asks staffer Daniel Jones (Star Wars’ Adam Driver) to lead an inquiry into why this happened. Initially the CIA gives its full cooperation, but as Jones and his team delve deeper, a number of roadblocks are put in their way. This is essentially a movie about people sitting in an office reading thousands of memos and director Scott Z Burns does little visually to distract you. But when the facts are this shocking, no such razzle-dazzle is needed to hold your attention. While Jones meticulously sifts through the information, flashbacks…

BEFORE SHE DISAPPEARED By LISA GARDNER Century Frankie Elkin is a middle-aged recovering alcoholic. Her mission in life is finding missing young women who the police have given up on. She’s not a private detective and doesn’t get paid – instead she searches the internet for worthy cases. One such search brings her to Boston, specifically the somewhat rough neighbourhood of Mattapan. As a white woman, she stands out in this largely Haitian and African American area as she tries to find Angelique Badeau, a teen who vanished from her high school nearly a year earlier and her friend, Livia Samdi. Frankie has previously found 14 missing young girls, but they were all dead by the time she discovered them. Can she find the two teenagers before someone kills them?…

EVER wonder where the trees and plants you see in gardens, parks or on school grounds come from? Were they planted there or did they just start growing by themselves? Let’s focus on two terms that can be used to describe plants: indigenous and exotic. We also look at some of SA’s indigenous plants, including rooibos and a carnivorous plant from the Western Cape. WHAT IS INDIGENOUS? When a plant grows naturally in an area or ecosystem, we say it’s indigenous. An indigenous plant or tree is one that occurs in a specific area without any human intervention. The plant grows there because the climate and soil suit its species. WHAT IS EXOTIC? Exotic refers to vegetation that was brought to an area from another  country by people. This can…

BECAUSE of the coronavirus pandemic, billions of people around the world now use masks every day – we use them as soon as we leave our homes to go to the shops, school and work. Single-use masks, similar to the kind used by doctors and nurses, have become popular, resulting in lots of extra waste. Now, instead of throwing them in the rubbish after they’ve been used, scientists are looking at ways to reuse them. A group of Australian researchers has found a way of adding the masks to a mixture used to make roads, thereby saving money and preventing pollution of the planet. They say the material the masks are made of will add to the strength of the road. Recycling helps to cut down the amount of waste…

IT’S just a tiny three-letter word but hearing it means the world to them. Three-year-old Amalia Adams can’t walk, crawl or do anything healthy children her age can do – but recently, she started saying the word “Mom”. And her proud parents never get tired of hearing her saying it – it’s such a relief because for years Shaaqira Sallie (27) and Taahir Adams (30) from Crosby in Johannesburg wondered if they’d ever hear their child speak. Just a few months after her birth in 2017, Amalia was diagnosed with Dandy-Walker syndrome (DWS), a rare congenital malformation of the cerebellum – the part of the brain that controls movement. At age four, she still can’t walk and her parents move her around in a specialised pram. To make matters worse,…