Índex per SW-2021-03-29 a Star

EDWARD WEST edward.west@inl.co.za Another ban on alcohol would be the end of the tavern sector as we know it, Liquor Traders Formation convener Lucky Ntimane said yesterday. He joined other industry organisations which argued that the alcohol industry had yet to recover from the almost 19 weeks of non-trading since Covid-19 lockdown began, he said. Under current level 1 lockdown restrictions, alcohol sales take place at normal pre-Covid 19 trading hours, but media reports yesterday said that the National Coronavirus Command Council last week discussed banning alcohol sales over Easter and increasing the size of gatherings, among a raft of other suggestions to prevent a third wave of viral infections. The industry claims to have already lost about R36.3 billion in revenue due to previous bans, and was dealt…

BLOCKCHAIN solutions are currently not easy to implement, but highly desirable for governments and businesses in developing countries that have long been overwhelmed with issues surrounding data collection, organisation and integrity. Using blockchain technology to digi- tise, secure and keep track of records will not only avoid the issues around information mismanagement that many institutions struggle with, but could also curb corruption and restore trust in the public sector, which is at an all-time low among many African citizens. Many companies across the globe are therefore taking a huge interest in the potential Africa has to offer in terms of market growth for blockchain-based products. According to Apollo Eric from Æternity Hub Africa “blockchain technology has the potential to disrupt the current centralised linearly structured systems that typically create bottlenecks…

Liam Karabo Joyce liam.joyce@inl.co.za Actress Thuli Phongolo has shut down rumours that she is pregnant. The former Generations: The Legacy star took to Twitter to let social media users know that whatever they’ve heard, it’s not true. “I don’t know why there’s a huge fascination with me being pregnant − every day, every day ‘she’s pregnant’ ... well, I’m here to put you at ease, don’t hold your breath guys! It’s not happening any time soon,” tweeted Thuli. The star’s tweet addressing rumours about her personal life came as a shock for many. Especially when she kept mum about rumours that she was dating Duduzane Zuma. Last year, she trended several times after rumours that the two were dating started making the rounds on social media after Phongolo apparently…

BONGANI NKOSI bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za SENIOR doctors and academics have lambasted the government for its decision not to use the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine in the country. Shabir Madhi, Francois Venter, Marc Mendelson, Jeremy Nel, Mosa Moshabela and Alex van den Heever, medical experts from Wits University, the SA Medical Research Council, the University of KwaZulu-Natal and University of Cape Town, said the decision had set the country back in mitigating the impact of the third wave said to be coming. Few people would have been vaccinated by the time the third wave hit the country, exposing more people to Covid-19, said the six. A scathing article by the six has been published by the esteemed SA Medical Journal. They attacked the use of a study, that found that AZ offered no significant…

THAMI Zwane’s letter “Let’s solve the problem of racism” gives one the impression that only whites are racist. Could I remind him of the names of black racists such as Julius Malema, Andile Mngxitama, Velaphi Khumalo, Mampuru Mampuru, Major MV Mohlala andthe drunk judge Nkola Motala, just to name a few, as well as the students who wore T-shirts stating “Kill All Whites”? Black racism is just as prevalent as white racism – a fact. In the 1993 referendum, whites, in good faith, voted to hand over the white-controlled government to the ANC, hoping for a better life for all. Unfortunately the ANC has done nothing for the country as a whole, and blacks in particular, except to line their own pockets. Millions of blacks are living in abject poverty…

New South Wales and Queensland in Australia are in the grip of a major flood crisis. Homes have been swept away, businesses inundated, and thousands evacuated. Natural disasters like this are devastating, and in the rescue and recovery efforts it’s important to protect a particularly vulnerable group: pregnant mothers and their unborn babies. When the floods hit Queensland in January 2011, we were part of a research team that tracked the health and well-being of pregnant mothers. We also investigated the impact of this prenatal stress on the development of their babies until six years of age. We found higher prenatal stress was associated with a range of negative impacts among the children as they grew up. But these aren’t inevitable, and ensuring pregnant women get appropriate support during and…

HERMAN GIBBS Yet another clumsy performance in front of goal saw Bafana go down 2-0 to Sudan last night, brutally ending their hopes of competing at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals next year. The result in Omdurman, which will come as a bitter disappointment to South African fans, means that Sudan will join Ghana as the Group C teams to qualify for next year’s continental showpiece in Cameroon. Sudan's two first-half goals in the shootout for Cameroon qualification sealed Bafana Bafana's fate. In contrast, Bafana had several good scoring opportunities, but yet again they were found to be inept in the striking zone. Talisman Percy Tau also had a subdued evening. Straight from the start, Sudan set off at great pace, and by the looks of…

Debashine Thangevelo debashine.thangevelo@inl.co.za Despite a few filming setbacks because of Covid-19, season two of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK is back. Of course, aside from the welcome sight of RuPaul Charles, fans are elated to see Michelle Visage, Graham Norton and Alan Carr return to the judging panel. Once again, the queens are here to slay in their sequins. But they can only truly pull it off by bringing their A-game when it comes to charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent. They will be judged on their face-beat skills, fashion sensibilities and sewing abilities. And they will be put through the mill when critiqued on their comedy, singing, acting, lip-syncing and dancing prowess. Delivering on judging eleganza, the celebrity judges are: Liz Hurley, Sheridan Smith, Jordan Dunn, Lorraine Kelly, MNEK, Jessie Ware,…

BONGANI NKOSI bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za A JOBURG father has had to reluctantly accept his ex-wife’s decision to relocate to Australia, her native country, with their minor daughters. The mother resorted to the South Gauteng High Court in Joburg to seek an order compelling the father to consent to the permanent relocation of the children aged 7 and 9. This followed months of trying to persuade him to agree, to no avail. The parents cannot be named to protect the identity of the children. Judge Mpostoli Twala ruled that the father’s concerns about the relocation be addressed before he can consent. After some quizzing by Judge Twala, the father, who represented himself, conceded that the relocation could be the best because the mother’s only support system was in Australia. He had struggled to…

Mpiletso Motumi mpiletso.motumi@inl.co.za IN A time where it is more popular to branch into genres like Afropop and gospel, Ntunja is sticking to her roots, singing traditional folk music. “The music chose me, I always say that. That is the only thing I know that makes me happy. I believe that if you believe in something and you love that something, you are going to get that same love back. It has taken me to big stages,” said the singer whose real name is Amanda Nkosi. Through her love for traditional folk music Ntunja joined and toured with the legendary Mahotella Queens from 2013 as their new member. “They made it in the global market speaking their own languages. It just shows that whether you are singing in isiZulu or…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za HOME-GROWN innovator Nhlanhla Mazibuko aims to kickstart Africa’s electric vehicle (EV) revolution after his company designed Africa’s first battery-electric pick-up bakkie. The Vaal-based Mazibuko Motor Company has cemented itself in the history books as the local company that designed Africa’s first battery-electric pick-up bakkie called the Mazibuko M1B. The company is a battery-electric and technology company which develops its own electric vehicles, including technologies used for autonomous driving, battery storage and power generation. Founder and chief executive Mazibuko told The Star that he initially aspired to become a civil engineer but realised that his passions lay in technology and clean energy. “The climate change problem is something of today and not tomorrow,” the 29-year-old said. He said not much was being done in the electric car space…

Strengthening unity and co-operation with African countries has always been an important cornerstone of China’s independent and peaceful foreign policy, and it is China’s long-term firm strategic choice. No matter how the international situation changes, China has always been united with African countries and moved forward hand in hand to continuously deepen China-Africa relations. China and Africa work together to overcome difficulties. First, China and Africa worked hand in hand to fight the pandemic and support each other. At the most difficult moment in China’s fight against the pandemic, African countries rendered valuable support. After the outbreak of the pandemic in Africa, China took the lead in providing 120 batches of emergency anti-epidemic supplies to almost all African countries and the AU, dispatching anti-epidemic medical experts to 16 countries…

The winners of the Gauteng Women in Sport awards were announced at a gala dinner of Friday night, when they were lauded for their inspirational performances. The awards were established in 2018 in Ekurhuleni and have since expanded to various districts in the Gauteng region. “As we celebrate and recognise our superstars, the people who courageously keep growing the brand of women’s sport on the ground, I’m reminded of this Serena Williams quote: ‘The success of every woman should be the inspiration to another. We should raise each other up’,” said Futballing Girls and Women in Sports founder Moonira Ramathula. Ramathula added: This is what our Women in Sports Awards are all about, celebrating each other, raising each other up and inspiring each from community level to national level. It’s…

Motorsport Reporter SOUTH Africa's Darryn Binder started on pole and ended the season-opening Qatar Grand Prix with a podium – but if only it was as straightforward as that. In the first race of the MotoGP season at the Losail International Circuit, the Moto3 category dished up a brilliantly entertaining spectacle as the lead changed hands with almost every lap. The 1km long straight after the last turn 16 to the finish line proved to be the real MVP due to a cross-wind sweeping over the track. It resulted in the riders jockeying for position by taking full advantage of the slipstream. It kept the field bunched-up with the possibility that any rider within the top 10 at the starting line could find themselves in the top three, chasing…

Altron CEO Mteto Nyati honoured with World Entrepreneur Award, SA region Sandile Mchunu sandile.mchunu@inl.co.za ALLIED Electronics Corporation (Altron) chief executive Mteto Nyati was among the biggest winners in the EY World Entrepreneur Award in the Southern Africa region on Friday. Nyati was nominated in the “Influence” category alongside Oceana Group chief executive Imraan Soomra and Pierre Spies, the chief executive of Alviva Holdings. EY Africa chief executive Ajen Sita said Nyati would join finalists from more than 45 countries to compete for the title of 2021 EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year award in June as the “Influence” winner. “It is no secret that entrepreneurs can change the world and help reframe the future and like many of us over the past year, they have faced a steep learning curve…

Pierce Brosnan will star alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in the in the eagerly-awaited DC Comics movie, Black Adam. The 67-year-old actor is best known for starring as James Bond in four films from 1995 to 2002. Dr Fate is the son of an archeologist and one of DC’s oldest characters, while Dwayne will play the lead role in the upcoming movie, which has been in the works for several years. The big-name duo will be joined on set by Aldis Hodge, who is playing Hawkman, Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher, and Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The project is set to begin filming in April, although DC has so far remained tight-lipped about plot and character details. The movie is being helmed by Jaume Collet-Serra,…

The government is under pressure to declare the way forward on this year’s Easter weekend. The Passover-Easter weekend is South Africa’s biggest religious weekend. Yesterday, clerics and believers protested outside President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office at the Union Buildings in an attempt to “appeal to him” and the Coronavirus Command Council to allow them to celebrate the weekend. At the heart of the fray, testing laboratory LabOne presented churches with a solution that would ensure safer gatherings. The churches have contracted LabOne to test all believers before entering services with a Covid-19 reading that is available in 15 minutes. Creator of the antigen, Dr Tshepo Koopa, said LabOne was ready to roll out the test. “The highest risk is found in not testing,” she said. | Staff Reporter…

GIFT TLOU gift.tlou@inl.co.za MORE than 40 families in Boksburg are rushing against time to vacate houses they have occupied for decades or face “ejectment” from the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development. The Star has learnt that the department has notified the disgruntled residents to vacate their properties by April 5. The properties in Extension 2, Boksburg North are reportedly government-owned, with the department acting as curator. It is understood that the houses were purchased by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) from private owners in 1972, and the province’s infrastructure department rented the houses to the current residents. However, indications are that things have turned sour between the department and the residents, and as a result they were issued with a termination notice letter from the state attorney…

| African News Agency (ANA) THE government has expressed concern over the recent attacks on foreigners in Palma, northern Mozambique. “It is with grave concern to note that South Africans were also affected by these attacks. “In this regard, South Africa, through its Mission in Maputo is working with the local authorities on verifications, as well as providing the necessary consular services,” Department of International Relations and Co-operation spokesperson Clayson Monyela said. According to reports, the attacks started on Wednesday last week. Communications to Palma have been difficult as lines had been cut, it was reported. Monyela said that South Africa was ready to work with the Mozambican government to pursue peace and stability. “The Mission in Mozambique is being re-enforced with additional staff to handle the work…

With a significant decline in Covid-19 cases in recent weeks, the government has naturally decided to lift some of the restrictions to allow for more economic activity and allow people to get as close as possible to their normal lives. This is, of course, necessary and critical considering the impact that the pandemic has had on peoples’ well-being and the concomitant psychological impact. In the most recent “family meeting”, as the president’s Covid-19 addresses and updates have become known, he lifted several restrictions. One of these was the lifting of political restrictions – the announcement of which has been warmly welcomed by many political parties. This warm welcome was expected considering the storm that had started to brew among political parties pushing for the lifting – for obvious reasons with…

So far there is every indication that the 2021 Formula One season will be unpredictable, and that is exactly what fans have been begging for this past decade. The sport has become something of a procession in recent seasons, such has been the dominance of Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton. The Silver Arrows have been near unstoppable, dominating from pole to podium, and it is easier to count their failures then their successes during that period. This year could be different. Red Bull look stronger than ever, and the midfield behind them looks even more competitive. In such an atmosphere the pressure can build, and with it comes unforced errors from drivers and teams alike. There was a taste of that strain last year at both the Monza and Sakhir GPs…

Seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton won the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix for Mercedes yesterday after an epic, knife-edge thriller with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen over the final laps. Dutchman Verstappen, 23, who passed the Briton with four laps to go only to have to hand back the lead for exceeding track limits, finished a mere 0.745 seconds behind after starting on pole position. Hamilton’s teammate Valtteri Bottas was third, 37.383 seconds behind after a slow stop, but the Finn gained a bonus point after pitting for fresh tyres late on to secure the fastest lap. “Wow, what a difficult race that was,” said Hamilton, who started second on the grid and took another of Michael Schumacher’s all-time records with his 5 112nd race lap led in a strategic…