Inhoudsopgave van 2022-09-26 - Star

The matter involves concerns about SAA not servicing allocated routes THE TAKATSO Consortium deal hangs as a millstone around South African Airways’ (SAA) neck as the International Air Services Licensing Council revoked 20 of the airline’s international routes and has asked hard questions about the nature of Takatso. Sources close to the issue said the Counsel revoked 20 of SAA’s 52 international licences because they could not prove capacity to service the aircraft. Given the nature of sensitivity around the matter, none of the sources contacted were willing to put their names on the line. The matter at hand involves the council’s concern about SAA not servicing allocated routes, which by nature lapse after three months, which SAA has not been able to do for the last two years after…

It’s been 30 years since producer Anant Singh and his peers gave South Africans Sarafina!, a movie which millions of fans, locally and internationally, hold close to their hearts. In its day, this now iconic film, which tells of a protest against making Afrikaans an official school language, received a 20-minute standing ovation at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival. To mark the milestone, Singh, together with the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the South African Consulate General New York, hosted a special screening of the pioneering film in New York on September 21. International actress Whoopi Goldberg, who led the film 30 years ago with local veteran actress, Leleti Khumalo, reunited for the affair. The event was also attended by Prince Albert of Monaco and original cast members such as Ntombikhona…

FORMER DA leader and founder of One SA Movement, Mmusi Maimane, has officially entered the political race to become South Africa’s president after launching his political party, Build One South Africa (Bosa). With the country’s 34% unemployment rate, Maimane has promised to create jobs and ensure every household is afforded the dignity that comes with a job. He was speaking a his party’s launch in Naledi, Soweto yesterday. Through the party, Maimane said he would prioritise entrepreneurship, health care and education. “The dream I hold in this country is a dream that will not only improve education, but an economy that will put jobs in every home. A job is important because a job gives you dignity. It gives you an income in your home. I want the township…

Reports say the thespian had not been financially stable for a long time and recently summoned the courage to reveal his banking details and appealed for donations and support. In the video that has been circulating on social platforms, he said: “Ndingu Vusumzi A Thanda. Ndibhankisha kunye ne Capitec bank. I account number yam ngu 1364691572.Ndifuna ukubulela kubo bone abathe bavakalelwa.” He also gave a nod of appreciation to those who have assisted him and suggested that they also reach out to help others. Fans, friends and those who admired his craft have been taking part in helping out the popular actor. Actress Pearl Thusi was one of the celebrities who encouraged people to assist. “This is heartbreaking and I’m so inspired by the humility to ask for assistance.…

THE University of Johannesburg has announced Professor Letlhokwa George Mpedi as its new vice-chancellor and principal, effective from March 1 next year. The chair of the council of UJ, Mike Teke, announced Mpedi, currently deputy vice-chancellor: academic, and a member of the university’s management executive committee, as the new vice-chancellor and principal. “The panel were impressed with his commitment to continuing with the university’s strategic objectives and our values of transformation, social justice and environmental sustainability. “Prof Mpedi has also demonstrated an unwavering and outstanding commitment to continuing our efforts for the university to be recognised as an innovative and rigorous place of learning in the fourth industrial revolution with impactful research. We are delighted to welcome him to lead our ambitious plans,” said Teke. Earlier this month, the UJ…

HOW do South Africans expect an organisation that fails to pay its employees’ salaries to fix the energy crisis faced by many South Africans and killing our economy? In August, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority said the ANC owed R86 million in provident fund contributions for at least 535 of its staff members. The liberation movement criminals have been deducting money from the employees but not paying the provident fund. Besides the provident fund issue, the fact that salaries have not been regularly paid for several months meant that staff credit ratings had been adversely affected and many are no longer creditworthy. This is the party that finds ways to raise money for conferences but lacks political will to pay its staff members.…

THE Springboks’ Rugby Championship campaign might have provided some answers, but there are still some lingering questions. The Boks defeated Argentina 38-21 at Kings Park, and while they ended their campaign on a high, they will certainly lament the missed opportunities. The South Africans needed to put 39 points past the Pumas to clinch the Rugby Championship after the All Blacks annihilated the Wallabies in the first match of the day to retain the trophy, and after the game in Durban, captain Siya Kolisi rued the losing bonus points they left out there in their defeats to Australia and New Zealand. Throughout the season, Bok coach Jacques Nienaber spoke about the importance of building depth before next year’s World Cup in France. After the game, Nienaber mentioned that they had…

Iran’s ultra-conservative President Ebrahim Raisi has vowed “decisive action” against the wave of unrest that has rocked the country since the death of young Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in custody of the morality police. Raisi labelled the protests “riots” and urged “decisive action against the opponents of the country and people’s security and peace”, speaking to relatives of a Basij militiaman killed in the city of Mashhad, in a phone call at the weekend, his office said. At least 41 people have died, mostly protesters but also members of the Islamic republic’s security forces, an official toll stated , but human rights groups say the real figure is far higher. Hundreds of demonstrators, reformist activists and journalists have been arrested since the demonstrations and street clashes broke out after Amini’s…

Mexico City: Protesters hurling rocks and home-made explosive devices clashed with security forces at a Mexican military base on Friday over the disappearance of 43 students in 2014. The confrontation on the eigth anniversary of the tragedy came a day after around a dozen police officers were injured at a protest outside the attorney general’s office to demand justice for the students. The 43 students had commandeered buses in the state of Guerrero to travel to a demonstration in Mexico City before they went missing. Investigators say they were detained by police and handed over to a drug cartel. |…

AFRICA’S most decorated club coach Pitso ‘Jingles’ Mosimane will be flying under the radar after his appointment as head coach of Al-Ahli Saudi Football Club, a second-tier Saudi Arabian outfit. The 85-year-old club, based in the port city of Jeddah on the Red Sea, made the announcement in the wee hours of yesterday morning on their Twitter account with a short welcoming note: “Pitso Mosimane is the new manager of our first football team.” Al-Ahli were shockingly relegated from the Saudi Professional League last season. For the first time in the history of the Saudi Professional Football League, the club is campaigning in the First Division, which for promotional purposes is known as the Yelo League. At the time of Al-Ahli’s relegation, the club’s distraught fans compared their lot to…

JSE-LISTED Kap, which owns the retail brands Unitrans, Restonic, Safripol, Feltex, PG Bison and DriveRisk, has launched a campaign called “Being the change”, which details its “commitment (to) innovation, regenerative business practices and going beyond sustainability.” Among the many things that the Covid-19 pandemic has fuelled, conscious consumerism is one of the biggest, and a large number of companies have responded by announcing various initiatives around environment sustainability, focus on the needs of society and adequate governance across the public and private sectors (also known as ESG). And Kap is no different. In such a scenario, chief executive Gary Chaplin explains: “We are going to ensure our philosophy is imbued into every division of our company in a way that allows each company to grow and innovate independently. “We are…

ESKOM is to continue implementing load shedding for the week ahead, this time reduced to stages 3 and 4. The power utility, however, did not rule out increasing load shedding, and warned that higher stages may be required. Yesterday Eskom announced that it was continuing stage 3 load shedding, which would be implemented from midnight to 4pm daily until Thursday. Eskom spokesperson Sinonathi Mantshantsha said stage 4 load shedding would be implemented daily during the evening peaks between 4pm and midnight. He said a further update would be published on Wednesday afternoon, or as soon as there were any significant changes. Last week the country struggled with stage 6 load shedding that brought everyday life to a standstill. The power utility said it had been battling capacity constraints that were…

THE Gauteng department of health is investigating the cause of death of a Zimbabwean woman who died at a Krugersdorp hospital shortly after giving birth to an overweight child. Luyanda Moyo, 21, died at the Yusuf Dadoo Hospital after she gave birth to her son. She had apparently been complaining about pain after she gave birth. In voice notes to her mother, Luyanda had complained that nurses had not attended to her pain. Luyanda’s uncle, Gibson Tshuma, said her clothes were covered in blood stains hours after she had given birth. The family were wondering if Luyanda would have received proper medical attention if she was not an illegal Zimbabwean. The concerns emanate from a statement that had gone viral on social media by Health MEC in Limpopo, Phophi Ramathuba,…

The collapse of a tailings dam in South Africa earlier this month has put the spotlight on the need for binding global regulations of facilities used to store mining waste, say investors and industry leaders. A dam holding liquid mine waste from a tailings reprocessing operation near the historic Jagersfontein diamond mine in the Free State burst on September 11, releasing a flood of mine slurry that swept away houses and cars, killed one person and injured scores. Two people remain unaccounted for. The disaster has raised questions about who should be responsible for tailings dams oversight. The Jagersfontein dam burst follows the Brumadinho tailings dam collapse in Brazil nearly four years ago, which killed hundreds when a Vale SA-owned dam collapsed. In the aftermath, the Global Industry Standard on…

At a coaching clinic at King David Victory Park High School (KDVP) last week, arguably Africa’s best football coach, Desirée Ellis, mingled with learners from the school and Kwabhilikilana Secondary School and Eastbank High School in Johannesburg’s oldest township, Alexandra. The young women from the township enjoyed the opportunity of being coached in improving their footballing skills by the best in this country. KDVP, in collaboration with ForwardZone and the South African Jewish Board of Deputies Gauteng Council organised the function, which provided these young, disadvantaged youth with a lifetime opportunity. Catering to under-14 female players, the clinic was presented by Ellis, joined by national players Gabriela Salgado, Robyn Moodaly, Cimone Sauls and Andile Dlamini. Even better was that it was used as a vehicle to bring together young South…

After 14 years of highly controversial amendments, Parliament has finally approved the Traditional Courts Bill. The bill now awaits the signature of the president to become law. The bill seeks to regulate the structure and functioning of traditional courts in a uniform way. It also sets out to transform the traditional justice system to conform to constitutional values. The early controversy that trailed the bill concerned its alignment with the Constitution’s Bill of Rights, particularly the rights to human dignity, equality and freedom from discrimination. Later, controversy converged on its lack of an opt-out clause – that is permission for anyone who disputed the legitimacy of a traditional court (or its presiding judge) to refuse to submit to the court’s jurisdiction. To be clear, the controversy is justified. Traditional courts…

Brazzaville: Congo-Brazzaville and Russia inked a raft of new co-operation accords on Friday in the African country’s capital as a sign of deepening bilateral ties. Brazzaville has remained neutral in Russia’s conflict with Ukraine as it fosters closer links with Moscow which include the planned building of a 1 000km-long oil pipeline in the country. Russian energy infrastructure constructor Prometey has been earmarked to build the project, though the financing and timeline remain unclear. The accords and memoranda deepen ties going back to 1964. |…

Libreville: President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who has ruled Equatorial Guinea with an iron fist for more than 43 years, will seek a sixth term in November, the vice president said on Friday. Obiang, 80, is the longest ruling head of state in the world excluding monarchs, but it was uncertain if he would stand again or whether his son would succeed him. It was his son, Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, nicknamed “Teodorin”, who made the announcement. The ruling party unanimously chose Obiang as its candidate for the November 20 poll, Obiang Mangue wrote on Twitter. |…

President wanted strict privacy with no minutes or records of meetings, says source PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent trip to visit US President Joe Biden may be linked to his plans to win the ANC elective conference in December. The Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco) sources have sent an itinerary of Ramaphosa’s meetings in the US to The Star. His programme was set to start with a meeting with a South African delegation based in the US and for two meetings at the SA consulate. According to the itinerary Ramaphosa was only set to meet Biden a day after he had arrived but the plan was changed without the knowledge of Dirco and its representatives and no South African officials were allowed in and around the high-level meetings. According…

THE Constitutional Court has had the last word on the fate of a granny, 85, who has had eviction proceedings hanging over her head for more than a decade. She must now finally move as the property owner had made a generous offer by providing her with a comfortable home nearby. While the woman and her disabled son had over the years received relief from the courts allowing them to continue to stay in the house she had occupied since she was 11 years old, the apex court has now ruled in favour of the homeowner. Clara Phillips moved to a farm in Somerset West in the Western Cape when she was a mere child. Her father worked for the then farm owner. Phillips has lived in the house since…

The families of the so-called Cosas 4 of 1982 have likened the 40th year commemoration in honour of the brutal killings of their relatives a bitter-sweet moment as justice was yet to be served. They were speaking during a public lecture hosted by the Freedom Park Heritage Museum last Thursday to commemorate 40 years since the four young students from Kagiso were blown up by members of the security branch of the apartheid police. The incident took place on February 15, 1982. Eustice Madikela, Ntshingo Mataboge and Fanyana Nhlapo were killed at an old pump house on a deserted mine property near Krugersdorp. Zandisile Musi was seriously injured. Family representative Mbulelo Musi said such events presented the families with mixed feelings. On the one hand, Musi said the event felt…

In a letter to students last week, the University of Lusaka (Unilus) registrar issued a memo saying students should not wear shorts, ripped jeans, tight dresses or clothes that reveal cleavage. Essentially, the university is saying that dressing with derogatory, offensive and obscene messages, either in words or pictures, is banned. “Students are required to observe the appropriate manner of dress and appearance while attending classes or engaging in other academic pursuits on or off campus.” Students at the university have been advised against wearing political regalia on campus while attending classes or engaging in other academic pursuits on or off campus. They have been banned from wearing shorts, under shirts, or shirts or blouses showing off undergarments or cleavage. Also banned are tops that leave skin exposed, crop tops…

“HISTORY is written by the victors.” This quote is attributed to former British prime minister Winston Churchill. It implies that history is not grounded in facts; rather, it’s the winners’ interpretation that prevails. Without trying to put a damper on how you celebrated and spent Heritage Day, it is ironic that the source of that day is marred by blood and death: the assassination of King Shaka kaSenzangakhona, founder of the Zulu Kingdom, in 1828 in his palace kwaDukuza in Stanger. His cold and calculated assassination through stabbing with spears emanated from within his family and trusted inner circle consisting of his aunt Mkabayi kaJama, half-brothers Dingane and Mhlangana and his supposedly loyal servant Mbopha kaSithayi. In fact, the assassination of King Shaka turns the saying “blood is thicker than…

THE destructive and escalating conflict in Ukraine and the build-up of military forces in the South China Sea will lead to an immense clash that will witness the use of nuclear weapons in a trajectory that the combatants will neither be able to contain nor control. Use of these weapons will usher in destruction that will erase human life on a scale beyond man’s comprehension. The US, China, Russia, Europe, Asia and many parts of the world will be obliterated. Radioactive debris will pollute every corner. The dangerous strategy of unrestricted warfare in many parts of the world will ultimately destroy humanity in its present form. In the aftermath of a nuclear conflagration, human lives will virtually cease to exist. Medical facilities and every vestige of civilisation will cease to…

It’s a lament reverberating across the length and breadth of this country. Aggressive and ill-disciplined young learners are making the lives of teachers a misery. They have access to a variety of weapons, ranging from home-made knives to guns, and they are not scared to use them. Civility in schools ended in 1994, when human rights became the official new buzzword in this country by taking away tough, tried and trusted rules that existed before 1994. There was corporal punishment. Learners knew that if they did not abide by the rules of the school, they would be severely dealt with. These draconian school rules had been developed and implemented by the Anglo-Saxon colonialists over many decades, who saw to it that there was strict adherence. Later, the education departments ensured…

Delinquent directors in spotlight The Johannesburg High Court recently declared a dishonest director of a non-profit company delinquent. This case shows how important it is for non-profit companies to be careful about who they appoint to their board. The delinquency remedy is available under the country’s Companies Act to directors and other stakeholders to hold directors accountable. The concept of a court declaring a director delinquent is a significant innovation of the act. This remedy was introduced when South Africa’s corporate law regime was reviewed about 10 years ago. It is designed to maintain high corporate standards and to protect stakeholders and the investing public against director misconduct. The delinquency remedy has been used increasingly by stakeholders over the past 10 years and has attracted a great deal of litigation…

Milan: Go out and vote to protect your rights, top Italian designers urged compatriots as the Milan shows coincided with elections predicted to see a far-right government take power in Rome. From Donatella Versace to Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli, calls to mobilise have been everywhere at Milan Fashion Week. Houses such as Gucci and Fendi are actively helping their employees cast their ballots in Sunday’s general elections. “Go out and vote, these elections are so important for our country!” Versace said on Instagram before her fashion house’s Friday show. Italians started voting yesterday. |…