Índex per 2021-10-20 a Star

THE national welcoming prayer event for former president Jacob Zuma in Durban last week following his earlier release on medical parole is the clearest indication yet that he and his supporters will bide their time to wrestle back control of the ANC. In recent times, as is also evident regarding the contested candidate lists for the local government elections next month, individuals have jumped ship to stand as independents against the ANC – a practice that Zuma has specifically frowned upon in his message of appreciation to his supporters at the prayer meeting. He is not yielding an inch, and fellow travellers in the Radical Economic Transformation (RET) brigade are canvassing votes for the ANC in their individual capacities as members despite some having had to step aside from official…

Lehlohonolo Mashigo lehlohonolo.mashigo@inl.co.za UNISA has objected to claims that its qualifications are for sale and have no integrity, and that question the institution’s quality of scholarship and research. These allegations were made on print and social media. In a statement the university said it was currently undergoing a qualifications audit as part of its ongoing effort to ensure compliance with the requirements of the Council for Higher Education and other bodies. “Our qualifications undergo strict quality assessments and reviews by international knowledge and professional bodies such as the Commonwealth of Learning, the Health Professionals Council of SA, and Engineering Council of SA, among others,” read the statement. The said it had several well-established processes designed to safeguard the integrity of its qualifications. “All Unisa teaching materials are available for peer…

Siyabonga Mkhwanazi siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za Former MEC of agriculture in Mpumalanga Mandla Msibi, wants to meet with the top officials of the ANC to explain the political tensions and infighting in the province. Msibi told his supporters yesterday, after he was granted bail by the Mbombela Magistrate’s Court, that his arrest was linked to the election list process in the province. Msibi was granted bail of R20 000 after spending a week in jail for murder and attempted murder charges relating to an incident that left two people dead and one injured in Mbombela three months ago. He said he accepted the decision of the premier, Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane, to fire him, and the ANC’s decision to ask him to step aside. Msibi added that he would respect the decision of the ANC…

Sisonke Mlamla Sisonke.mlamla@inl.co.za EIGHT leaders of a transnational syndicate are expected to appear in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court today, for allegedly preying on victims, many of them vulnerable widows or divorcees. The foreign nationals aged between 33 to 52 were arrested by the Hawks and US law enforcement in a massive operation in Cape Town at dawn yesterday. The group was believed to be behind hundreds of thousands of “romance scams”. These were allegedly perpetrated by members of the group who used dating sites to meet elderly men and women from around the world who were either widowed or divorced, and scammed them out of their money. Hawks spokesperson Katlego Mogale confirmed the eight were arrested for internet scams, money laundering and international wide scale financial fraud in Cape…

Lehlohonolo Mashigo lehlohonolo.mashigo@inl.co.za THE SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has filed its submission as third-party intervener before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the matter of Semenya v Switzerland. Caster Semenya is a South African middle-distance runner and winner of two Olympic gold medals and three World Championships in the women’s 800 metres. The commission said this was the first time it had involved itself in human rights litigation in an international forum. “Ms Semenya lodged an application with the ECtHR on February 18, in terms of which she challenges regulations issued by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which requires her to lower her natural testosterone levels through hormone treatment in order to be eligible to compete as a woman in international sporting events,” the commission…

Farouk Araie | Johannesburg AS WE prepare for the November 1 local government elections, the most pivotal issue that will direct the fate of our country will be the abject poverty in our land. Ten percent of South Africans live in opulence, 35% are ranked as middle class and more than 50% live in abject poverty. The biggest ticking time bomb we have in our imbalanced land is the massive poverty of more than 50 million people. Poverty is a weapon of mass destruction that could set the country ablaze. It was poverty that served as a catalyst for the chaos in July that came so close to decimating the entire country. Poverty is the absence of all human rights. The frustrations and anger generated by abject…

Africa’s eastern glaciers will vanish in two decades, 118 million poor people face imminent drought, floods or extreme heat, and climate change could also shave 3% off continental GDP by mid-century. A report by the World Meteorological Organisation said 2020 was Africa’s third warmest year on record, 0.86°C above the average temperature in the three decades up to 2010. All three of Africa’s glaciers –Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro, Kenya’s Mount Kenya and Uganda’s Rwenzoris – would be gone by the 2040s. | Reuters…

Gerry Cupido geraldine.cupido@inl.co.za THE colour green evokes a sense of freshness, new beginnings, and growth. Green takes us back to nature. It takes us to a place of calm and vibrates youthful energy. We’ve grown up being told to eat our greens, that green means go, and that the grass is greener on the other side. In recent years, we’ve seen a movement towards sustainability. A movement that has grown stronger with the rise of Gen Z. A generation that has forced us to get back to basics, get back down to earth and go green. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the colour green has become the colour of Gen Z, that the environmentally conscious, healthy-eating, go-getting generation would adopt the vibrant hue as their own. Now known as GenZ…

Thirteen military veterans accused of holding Cabinet ministers hostage last week have been granted R500 bail each. A total of 53 military vets stand accused of holding the ministers against their will. Magistrate Bheki Ntshingila made the ruling yesterday and postponed the matter to February 1. The 13 are facing schedule one offences. Yesterday, State prosecutor Sanet Jacobson indicated that they were now looking at 27 charges. According to Jacobson, the profiles of the accused had been submitted, but that only addressed 13 people. No pending convictions had been verified. The court also heard that at least nine military veterans were facing a schedule five offence and would also apply for bail according to the charges they faced. Jacobson said the State was pushing for bail to ensure that those…

GOITSEMANG TLHABYE goitsemang.tlhabye@inl.co.za THE Springvale Primary School teacher found guilty of assaulting a 12-year-old learner has been sentenced by the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court. The court sentenced teacher Annelise Boot, 54, to a R10 000 fine or 10 months in prison. The judgment last week followed her conviction on common assault in April regarding the incident, which took place in February last year. In its case against the teacher, the State indicated that Boot had acted violently during her confrontation with the learner and intentionally assaulted him by throttling, kicking and pressing on his chest with her knee while pulling him upwards by his arms. The altercation between the then-Grade 6 boy and the teacher was over the alleged theft of a bottle of sparkling water from another learner. The…

THE COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in depressive and anxiety disorders in women, more so than in men, a team of world researchers say. The co-author of the study, honorary professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at UCT and director of Cochrane SA at the SA Medical Research Council, Charles Shey Wiysonge, said this was because women were more likely to be affected by the social and economic consequences of the pandemic. “Additional carer and household responsibilities due to school closures or family members becoming unwell are more likely to fall on women. Women are more likely to be financially disadvantaged during the pandemic due to lower salaries, less savings and less secure employment than their male counterparts,” Wiysonge said. He added women were also more likely to be…

Beverley Tsitsi Mutandiro | Prominent Human Rights Activist IT IS insane for the Zimbabwean government to abandon and neglect mental health issues when most Zimbabweans are going through suicidal thoughts, anxiety and depression because of toxic politics, a climate of fear and economic hardships. The rate of suicide has climbed because of the hopelessness. The economy is shattered, there are no prospects for jobs and the government is too careless, clueless and corrupt to solve the problems that have driven millions of Zimbabweans to foreign countries where they have strained public resources, particularly in South Africa with an estimated six million migrants from Zimbabwe. People suffering from mental health are considered social outcasts, exposed to excessive abuse from their own communities and close family. The government has not…

As the date for the 2021 local government elections looms large, the battle for the control of metropolitan municipalities has begun in earnest. One of the metros is Buffalo City municipality. Like many other municipalities across the country, Buffalo City Metro has had its fair share of challenges. The mandate given to this municipality includes, but is not limited to, economic development, job creation, social development and ensuring that the community participates in all its activities. However, the reality is that many services are lagging behind. For example, water and electricity supply remain a challenge to many communities. The issues of sanitation, housing and road infrastructure remain unresolved. As concerns around the service delivery areas mount, conflict be- comes inevitable. Some of the challenges that have made it difficult for…

Meghan Markle’s estranged father yesterday pleaded with his daughter to let him see his grandchildren. Thomas Markle told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that “we should grow up, talk, make up for the sake of the children,” he said. He is yet to meet grandson Archie, born in 2019, or granddaughter Lilibet, who was born in June. He said that Meghan, after marrying Prince Harry, had wanted him to stop talking to her step-sister and step-brother. “Once she hooked up with Harry, she changed,” he said. | AFP…

Stuart Hess stuart.hess@inl.co.za THE Proteas and World Cups have a treacherous past. Unlike the Springboks and their glorious memories, it serves merely as a teary reminder of broken dreams. But there is another opportunity on the horizon to bring joy to a nation that has suffered so much. As usual, there will be large expectations of the Proteas in the United Arab Emirates in the ICC T20 World Cup, with the responsibility now on new captain Temba Bavuma to marshal his troops and lead them into battle in a group that includes current holders the West Indies, favourites England and Australia. “The pressure is always there, it’s my first world event. This is the only experience I have. I can’t compare it to anything else. We expect ourselves to do…

WITH a reduced squad of 32 players travelling to Europe for the November tour, there were always going to be a number of unlucky local stars missing out on the Springbok group announced yesterday. And I can understand why Bok coach Jacques Nienaber has stuck with an experienced squad, but it is still problematic that there is no specialist blindside flank in the team. That role is ostensibly going to Franco Mostert, but he is actually a No 5 lock. The only loose forward in the squad who has been a specialist at No 7 before is Duane Vermeulen, and I have said previously that it wouldn’t be a bad idea for him to operate there once more in the absence of the injured Pieter-Steph du Toit, as that would…

Buhle Mbonambi buhle.mbonambi@inl.co.za Books about and written by celebrities are always popular. Unlike books by unknown authors, they have a pre-existing fanbase and they will make sure they purchase these books. Publishing houses see a great return on their investment, where books fly off the shelves. Just in time for the festive season, there is a new crop of books from the world of celebrities. Taste: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci (R422 on Loot.co.za) At the height of the pandemic when everyone was spending time in the kitchen, The Devil Wears Prada and The Hunger Games star created what he calls the perfect Negroni. This led to him exploring his roots as a member of an Italian American family who cooked every day. Taste is a reflection on…

In a small classroom in Shenyang, capital of northeast China’s Liaoning Province, a group of young models practice for a catwalk show, with an aura of joy and confidence. They are “special” children, with different kinds of disabilities such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and autism, while the teacher standing by their side, Wang Leilei, is nearly blind. Wang lost her eyesight when she was 25 years old, which dealt a heavy blow to her emerging career as a professional model and forced her to leave her beloved catwalk stage. “For a long time, my life was completely dark. It was my husband and child that pulled me out of the hopeless state,” said Wang. Although she cannot walk that stage again, she started a new chapter in her life…

Bongani Nkosi bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za THE Police Ministry is relentless in its drawn-out bid to have Fidelity Security Services’ 700 guns with expired licences surrendered for destruction. It has brought an application at the Constitutional Court to have the matter settled. This application is an appeal against a ruling of the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) delivered in April. The SCA ruled that according to the Firearms Control Act, Fidelity was entitled to apply afresh for new licences of the guns in question. The wrangle between Fidelity and the police dates back to 2016, when the company submitted applications for renewal of firearm licences at the police station in Florida, west of Joburg. Major-General Eleanor Groenewald, component head of litigation and administration in the police, said in papers filed at the apex…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za A FOURTH wave of Covid-19 might hit Gauteng as early as next month owing to possible super-spreader events taking place, the Gauteng Provincial Command Council has warned. The council, along with Premier David Makhura and Gauteng Health MEC Dr Nomathemba Mokgethi, conducted an oversight visit of the vaccination site at the Itireleng Community Healthcare Centre in Soweto, on Monday. They gave an update on the province’s comprehensive health response and Covid-19 vaccination programme. A member of the premier’s advisory committee on Covid-19, Professor Bruce Mellado, said the province was stabilising around 1 000 active cases per day, compared to 2 000 and 3 000 cases during the second and third waves. “In terms of the official recorded mortality rate, the numbers are steadily dropping and they are…

Lehlohonolo Mashigo lehlohonolo.mashigo@inl.co.za LESOTHO-born and Joburg-based businesswoman Nthabi Mokitimi-Dlamini is using a beauty product range to help with the fight against Gender Based Violence (GBV). Mokitimi-Dlamini is using her make-up products brand Byu-t̮i to partner with a Centre for Abused Women and Children in the Alexandra Township providing beauty therapy training to the victims housed at the centre. This will enable women to have skills that will make them employable and entrepreneurial with the hope to end the vicious cycle of financial dependency proven to be a key factor for victims returning to abusive relationships. “Many women remain in an abusive relationship for financial security. If we can shift paradigms and help these women to believe in themselves by building confidence in their abilities, then they can chart their course…

There is a lot of awareness around breast cancer in women – and rightly so, as it is one of the top female cancers in South Africa and carries a lifetime risk of one in 25. However, there is a distinct lack of awareness of the fact that men can also get breast cancer. While the risk is lower, at 1%, and incidences are rare, it is becoming more common. The issue is that it is often diagnosed late, because men do not think that they could have breast cancer. Men need to be aware of the signs and symptoms and ensure they have the right medical and gap cover to protect them from financial hardship. Anatomically, the male breast is similar to the female breast. Although it lacks the…

Cometh Makholwa | Midrand From August 24, my water supply was cut by the City Council of Joburg. My application for debt rehabilitation, which pensioners have been urged to apply for, was declined, on the grounds that the value of my house is more than R1.5 million.This is a house I built while I was working in 2002. I have sent many emails to the city council wondering how long I can go on without water and why should I be penalised because of the value of my house. Lately, the emails I get from the city council either tell me delivery of my query was incomplete or not received and that a reference number would be sent. Nothing more ever happens. What more can I…

Israel announced yesterday that it approved registration as West Bank residents for about 4 000 Palestinians who have been living for years in the Israeli-occupied territory without official status. The decision affects 2 800 former inhabitants of the Gaza Strip who left the enclave after Hamas Islamist militants seized it in internal Palestinian fighting in 2007. About 1 200 other Palestinians will also receive official standing. This will enable passage through Israeli military checkpoints in the West Bank. | Reuters…

North Korea fired a suspected submarine-launched ballistic missile into the sea yesterday, the South’s military said, the nuclear-armed country’s latest advance in weapons technology and one that could give it a second-strike capability. The test came with both Koreas building up their weapons capabilities in what could become an arms race on the peninsula, and with the Washington- Pyongyang dialogue at a standstill. The “short-range ballistic missile suspected to be an SLBM” was fired from Sinpo into the sea east of the peninsula, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. Sinpo is a major naval shipyard with satellite photographs previously showing submarines at the facility, and the statement added: “South Korean and US intelligence are closely analysing for additional detail.” The key question will be whether it was…