Inhoudsopgave van 2024-06-26 - Star

TREVOR Noah is expanding his literary horizons with a new project. Alongside his acclaimed memoir, Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood, published in 2016, the South African-born comedian is now venturing into the world of picture books with his upcoming release of Into The Uncut Grass. Noah explained at a recent event that the book is “about conflict resolution and how to co-exist with human beings when you don’t agree with them and their decisions”. This message reflects his commitment to addressing societal issues through accessible storytelling, which is now tailored for a younger audience. The internationally-renowned media personality, who also hosts the podcast What Now? with Trevor Noah, recently took to Instagram to express his excitement about the book. “I’ve wanted to do a picture book…

THE PUBLIC spat between news broadcaster eNCA and the EFF has escalated after the party accused the newscaster of censoring radio and television host JJ Tabane. Yesterday, the Red Berets called eNCA a “white supremacist propaganda house”. The two organisations have been in a bitter fight since 2019 after eNCA announced it would no longer be covering the party’s 2019 elective conference in the wake of the EFF’s banning of some media outlets. In June 2021, a video went viral on social media showing EFF members making threats to some eNCA journalists during a protest in Tokai, Cape Town. Following eNCA’s announcement that Tabane’s show Power to Truth would not be aired this week, South Africans on social media began speculating about Tabane’s future at eNCA. It was fuelled by…

TWO more victims have come forward following the arrest of three suspects in Woodstock accused of kidnapping and robbing their Grindr dates. Mlungisi Mbutu, 37, Bongani Zulu, 36, and Zwelakhe Ngwenya, 25, are accused of luring three victims they catfished on the gay dating app, only to kidnap, rob and assault them. The Hawks closed in on the suspects after they abducted a 50-year-old man on June 14, who was subsequently rescued. Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani said analysis of suspicious banking activity and money transfer patterns by the suspects at various banks led them to the suspects. Prior to that incident, on June 11, the suspects allegedly robbed a gay man whom they tied up and forced to demand money from his relative. They got away with R3 000. Authorities…

Standard Bank said that it believes the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) will cut the interest rate twice before the end of the year. The bank argued that these cuts are the outcome of last month’s successful election and will provide a much-needed financial boost to the economy. Standard Bank predicts that the first repo rate cut could be by September. Standard Bank’s CFO, Arno Daehnke, said that South Africans could expect a 50 basis points (bps) cut by the end of 2024. “We expect a continued commitment to the fiscal consolidation plan and ongoing traction to the growth-supportive reforms under way. This should support moderating inflation and monetary policy easing. We expect 100 bps of cumulative interest rate cuts,” Daehnke said. “But we expect them to be spread, with…

The ANC executive mayor of the City of Matlosana, James Tsolela, has tendered his resignation and stepped down from his position amid serious corruption allegations against him. In April, it was reported that the ANC’s provincial executive committee acted on media reports and evidence it received about the municipal leadership that some members were implicated in acts of corruption in the municipality in Klerksdorp. The Star has seen a letter, dated June 24, in which the mayor tenders his resignation “with immediate effect”. After investigating some of the allegations, the provincial leadership established that Tsolela was answerable to some matters, it was reported. Tsolela said his resignation was not an admission of guilt but merely to allow due processes to take effect. “My resignation is by no means an…

UNISA’S Bureau of Market Research (BMR) recently hosted its annual, and much-anticipated, BMR/Unisa Economist of the Year awards ceremony, with the who’s who of South Africa’s economists in attendance. The winner, independent economist Elize Kruger; and runners-up, Dawie Klopper, a financial adviser and investment economist at PSG Wealth; and Jee-A van der Linde, a senior economist at Oxford Economics Africa, were announced by BMR CEO, Professor Deon Tustin. The BMR aims to fuel economic and social progress across South Africa and the continent by harnessing market research to inform sound policy decisions. Its research empowers policymakers to create a more inclusive economy. For years, the competition has occupied the centre stage of economic thinking and growth projections in the country. “Overall, the three top economists provided the most accurate forecasts…

Percy Maphologela, a Soweto-born entrepreneur, has shared his career journey from overcoming adversity to becoming the founder and CEO of a fintech firm, EquiXToken Capital. Maphologela established the company after identifying supply chain inefficiencies and discovering AI and blockchain technologies that are revolutionising the financial sector. “I realised blockchain technology is a smart route to reducing costs for asset owners and investors and decided to focus on creating a solution. I knew I didn’t have the skills, and affordability was a challenge, so I applied for ALX’s fully sponsored Software Engineering training course. I wanted to build a solution on my own. This course was the perfect solution.” After finishing the Software Engineering Programme, he applied to the Founders Academy at ALX where he honed his business concept. This led…

In South Africa, our youth represent a significant portion of our population yet they face daunting challenges in the labour market. The unemployment rate for those aged between 15 and 34 stands at a staggering 45.5%. The statistic highlights a pressing need for targeted interventions, with education a vital strategy to combat the crisis. The link between education and employment is undeniable. Those with higher levels of education are more likely to secure and maintain employment than their peers without matric. If we are to tackle youth unemployment, we need to promote access to quality education for young people. Using its capabilities, the private sector has an opportunity to partner with the public sector to support transformative educational initiatives, contributing to a skilled workforce and socio-economic development. Private sector investment…

The reconfiguration of the new Cabinet of National Unity (CNU) after the ANC failed to win an outright majority in the elections is a cynosure of all eyes and, obviously, President Cyril Ramaphosa is in an invidious position in his political career. It is notable that this is not the traditional ANC Cabinet where the ANC and its alliance partners dominated the proverbial playing field. This is the CNU where the president must exercise enough caution to satisfy a myriad stakeholders outside the ANC alliance. Evidently, the ANC Women’s League has a gender agenda and is putting pressure on Ramaphosa to zero in on gender equity in the appointment of new Cabinet members. The alliance partners are also exacting pressure on the president to “do the right thing or to…

THE PRUDENTIAL Authority (PA) yesterday reported that it investigated 134 referrals alleging non-compliance with various laws such as the Insurance Act and levied administrative penalties totalling R2.7 million against four organisations under its ambit during the 2023/24 year. At the same time, the PA reported that two entities were under curatorship, while one institution was under statutory management, two under judicial management, and a further two in liquidation as the authority seeks to safeguard depositors and policy holders. In the annual report, CEO Nomfundo Tshazibana stated that the authority’s “experience with weak financial institutions continues to demonstrate that governance weaknesses and poor risk management result in financial losses, trust deficits and, ultimately, institutional failure”. However, South African Reserve Bank (SARB) Governor Lesetja Kga-nyago said that there “currently appears to…

Grammy-Award-winning musician PJ Morton, is headed to South Africa to perform three electric shows in three cities, over three days. The record producer, singer, songwriter and Maroon 5 keyboardist will be bringing his Cape Town To Cairo tour to Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg in September. The American star, whose real name is Paul Morton jr, will also be heading to Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya to end the African leg of his tour. Morton’s return to the country follows his sold-out concerts last October while he was recording his album, Cape Town To Cairo. According to a statement, it was completed during a 30-day journey across Africa: “With no music, lyrics or preconceptions, Morton stepped foot onto the continent last fall with only the wild dream to make a record…

CITY of Tshwane officials implicated in irregular expenditure amounting to R246 million are in hot water after the municipal public accounts committee (Mpac) called for the funds to be recouped and paid from their pockets. Committee chairperson Kholofelo Morodi said the tough stance against officials would send a clear message that financial mismanagement will not be tolerated in the municipality. The irregularly spent millions of rand were flagged by the committee during its review of financial activities in the municipality. In addition, senior officials were asked to appear before the committee with a view to accounting for performances in their respective departments. Morodi said the committee has recommended that irregular expenditure of R246m for the 2023/24 financial year be recovered. She said reports passed during the committee sessions shed light…

Trailblazing at 31 – Hlamulo Mbhiza, or Dr Mulo as he is affectionately known – is the youngest . In addition, he is a recipient of the 2023 Principal’s Award for Research Excellence. Mbhiza, who officially commences his position as associate professor of Mathematics Education at Unisa on July 1, 2024, has notably become the youngest – and currently the only – Associate Professor of Mathematics Education to achieve a Y2 (2024 – 2029) researcher rating from the National Research Foundation (NRF); NRF Rated Researchers. Mbhiza’s academic pursuit in the field of mathematics education stems from a profound introspection into his personal journey of learning mathematics, marked by a series of obstacles and enlightening experiences. Hailing from the beautiful village of Jimmy Jones in Malamulele, rural Limpopo, the notion of…

The serious difficulty the country faces in confronting corruption is graphically demonstrated where those who hold influence to stop this are just not interested in doing so. Recently, an IEC Commissioner, Dr Nomsa Masuku, was arrested and appeared in court over corruption allegations, including fraud at her former employment with Standard Bank. But what the IEC can only say – insultingly – to the public is that they “will be monitoring developments in this regard”. What utter nonsense. It is even more ominous in the light that some opposition parties, primarily the MK Party, have accused the IEC of vote rigging – which does not validate in any way these allegations against the IEC. But it was incumbent on the body, especially because Masuku has even appeared in court, to…

I’M NOT a pessimist but an optimist. However, I’m not sure if South Africa is coming or going. I’m also not sure if the Government of National Unity (is it GNU or coalition?) will work. I hope it will work, for the sake of our country, and children. Since the elections, there has been – and still is – political drama. Former president Zuma’s MK Party and its gang is pulling this way; the ANC and its crew the other. It’s all about political power. The second most powerful political organisation in the country, the DA, is part of the GNU. However, seemingly, it wants to dictate other political partiesty. Is it more equal than others? The ANC says it’s the leader of the GNU because it has garnered 40%…

Winter is one of the most dangerous seasons in South Africa, especially for the poor who have little or no access to a safe electricity supply. People who live in informal settlements, hijacked buildings and back rooms are most vulnerable to injury or death caused by fire as many use fire for cooking or for warming their homes. Faulty appliances, illegal connections and consistent power outages have also led to fires in Gauteng townships. The Children of Fire, a charity that helps child burn victims, said the most common cause of fire in dwellings was open flames, followed by electrical faults, cooking, arson and smoking. In informal dwellings, the most common cause of fire was also open flames, followed by arson, cooking, electrical faults and smoking. Almost 40% of all…

LABOUR unions have vowed to fight for the rights of directors-general (DGs) in ministers’ offices, saying that senior public servants are also protected by the country’s labour laws. This comes after a “leaked letter” from the DA, circulating on social media, in which its Federal Council chairperson Helen Zille said current DGs that fall under DA ministers’ offices would have their contracts reviewed. Zille cited the ANC’s cadre deployment as the reason for demanding the review of DGs’ contracts. Zille’s letter, which has caused quite a stir in the country’s political landscape, was penned to the ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula, informing him that her party wanted around 12 ministerial positions in the Government of National Unity (GNU). In the letter Zille also demanded that DGs that will be reporting to…

Border Management Authority commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato has announced that BMA port health officials have developed an outbreak preparedness plan that outlines the response in dealing with mpox. Mpox is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus. So far, South Africa has had two deaths and 13 confirmed cases. A response plan has been activated. The World Health Organization says the multi-country outbreak of mpox from January 1, 2022, to April 30, 2024, showed 97 208 laboratory-confirmed cases with 186 deaths from 117 countries. Masiapato said the BMA is implementing screening processes, including temperature checks, for travellers entering the country at all ports of entry. “BMA port health officers are vigilant to observe any lesions and other symptoms to ensure immediate reporting of any suspected mpox symptom profile.”…

The National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) has confirmed a cyberattack that compromised its systems and infrastructure. The incident occurred on Saturday morning, but the NHLS says all patient data is safe. “Preliminary investigation suggests that our Enterprise Resource Planning (Oracle) environment and Laboratory Information System (LIS) (TrakCare) database and our CDW are not affected, therefore no patient data has been lost or compromised,” the NHLS said. “The investigation indicated that a ransomware virus was utilised to target selected points in the NHLS IT systems, rendering them inaccessible and blocking communication from the LIS and other databases to and from users. “As such, all our systems remain inaccessible both internally and externally, including to and from healthcare facilities until the integrity of the environment is secured and repaired. All users will…

Illegally detained for 22 hours in a filthy cell after the police mistook pieces of glass for illicit diamonds, an Uber driver, who is also a motivational speaker, turned to the North West High Court, sitting in Mafikeng, to claim R150 000 in damages from the police. Judge Ronald Hendricks concluded that R60 000 in damages for unlawful arrest and detention was a fair amount to pay Tony Sethaba. While he gave a detailed account about what had happened, the SAPS offered no defence. The police initially noted an intention to defend the claim but never forwarded a defence to the court. There was also no appearance for or on behalf of the SAPS by the state attorney. Sethaba testified that on the morning of December 19, 2022, he had…

A JUDGE had harsh words for the Buffalo City Municipality in East London, for ignoring a ratepayer’s plea for more than a year to probe her excessive water billing. The high court sitting in East London found the municipality had failed abysmally to meet its constitutional and legal obligations to the applicant. Judge Belinda Hartle said Octavia Ngceke had clearly been traumatised by the excessive billing for almost three years. Ngceke had tried to sort out the problem with the municipality for more than a year. The municipality had failed to respond to her pleas to probe the excessive billing, forcing the desperate Ngceke to turn to the court to force it to do its job. Judge Hartle said: “If a consumer cannot under the constraints of the policy…

In a milestone move for the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), the Directorate of Co-operative Education (DCE) has just launched a Work Integrated Learning Advisory Council aimed at bridging the gap between academia and the world of work. “The newly launched advisory council, which comprises highly esteemed industry experts, is an important step towards ensuring the effectiveness of work-integrated learning programs,” said the deputy chairperson, Cynthia Reynders. “The launch of the DCE WIL Advisory Council is the first of its kind, which was necessitated by the existing gap between the curriculum at universities and industry requirements. It will also make recommendations to the university on possible changes to the curriculum to produce sufficiently equipped and employable students upon completion of their studies,” said council chairperson, Mxolisi Mathebula. Reynders added that…

Audiobooks are the audio narration of the written word. The narration of texts remains a popular medium for disseminating information and stories to people beyond their social circle. Be it for educational purposes or as entertainment (or both), the outcomes are the same – a widening and deepening of one’s relationship with the world. Then there are the myriad benefits offered by audiobooks – for one, they can match the beneficial effects of reading as both stimulate the same cognitive and emotional areas of the brain. Second, despite the fears that audiobooks stop people from reading, the evidence shows that the opposite is true: they improve literacy (through comprehension and decoding) and encourage reading. Among the many other benefits, the most important is that of access – without wide dissemination,…

MANY citizens in our divided country continue to utter offensive racist comments that if left unchecked, could serve as a catalyst for racial and religious conflict on an epic scale. Hate speech and hateful comments are a ticking time bomb, waiting to explode with satanic fury. Hateful comments are the octane and oxygen needed to shatter relations. People of prejudice have learnt how to camouflage their racism and hate in various codes and euphemisms. The disgusting remarks should not be whitewashed. They need to be catalogued in our hall of shame and made available to future generations. The outbursts indicate deep entrenchments of prejudices and stereotypes. Racial and religious slurs have been buried and thrown on the trash heap, many times, yet they rise like zombies, creeping across…

As South Africa waits with bated breath for the announcement of the new Cabinet, public frustration and anxiety are reaching a boiling point. The delays and heightened uncertainty come at a time when the nation is already grappling with significant political and social tensions, making the atmosphere akin to a dry powder keg waiting to explode. The anticipation for the Cabinet announcement has intensified public restlessness, with the nation seeking clarity and stability following a contentious election period. Many South Africans are expressing their impatience and concern over the delays, fearing that the prolonged uncertainty could exacerbate existing tensions. The situation has been fuelled by online threats, especially on X, against political party leaders and supporters, journalists and editors who have been exposing racism within political parties such as the…