Índex per 2021-12-24 a Star

Shingai Darangwa shingai.darangwa@inl.co.za Over the past two years, Uncle Vinny has become arguably the most famous teenager in South Africa, with more a million followers across various social media platforms. Having emerged in 2019 as a protégé of Boss Zonke hitmaker Riky Rick, Vinny has gradually established a legion of young fans who follow his every move. As his star has risen, the young entertainment personality has become a regular presenter on MTV Base and bagged several endorsements. While his stock continues to rise, Vinny hasn’t been immune to the occasional blunder. On Tuesday, during a show in Accra, Ghana, the teen sensation attempted to throw money at the crowd but the stunt didn’t go according to plan. In a video that has since gone viral, patrons at the…

Lehlohonolo Mashigo lehlohonolo.mashigo@inl.co.za Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) has expressed alarm at the growing trend of police officers being taken out by members of their own families. In one case, magistrate’s court interpreter Patricia Mabojane Kutu, 28, and her alleged accomplice, Vincent Bonginkosi Langa, 39, appeared at the Emalahleni Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday in connection with the murder of her husband, Sergeant Joseph Christopher Kutu. According to a Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) statement, Patricia Kutu and Langa were arrested on December 14 and 16 respectively in connection with the killing of Christopher Kutu, of the Witbank Tactical Response Team, in July this year. “This after intelligence-driven information was received about the whereabouts of the suspect (Langa) who was wanted for a house robbery and murder of…

Retail giant claims he was dishonest when he said he was ill but attended a sports event Bongani Nkosi bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za THE DISMISSAL of a Woolworths store senior employee who skipped his night shift on the grounds of illness, only to go and watch a rugby match, was both substantively and procedurally fair, the Labour Appeal Court has found. The court has upheld an appeal application by the retail chain against Brian Hilton Alexander, who was employed as an end-of-day controller in Humansdorp in the Eastern Cape. Woolworths fired Alexander after an internal disciplinary hearing concluded that he was guilty of gross misconduct. The charge was that he had “breached company policies and procedures when he abused authorised leave in the form of sick leave”. He drove with his father…

The Butler Danielle Steel Loot.co.za (R240) Pan Macmillan TWO different worlds and two very different lives collide in Paris in this captivating novel by Danielle Steel. Joachim von Hartmann was born and raised in Buenos Aires by his loving German mother, inseparable from his identical twin. When Joachim moves to Paris with his mother in his late teens, his twin stays behind and enters a dark world. Meanwhile, Joachim begins training to be a butler, fascinated by the precision and intense demands and goes on to work in some of the grandest homes in England. His brother never reappears. Olivia White has given 10 years of her life to her magazine, which failed, taking all her dreams with it. A bequest from her mother allows her a year in Paris…

| Julian Richfield A FUNNY LIFE Michael McIntyre Loot.co.za MACMILLAN MICHAEL McIntyre is one of the most successful comedians in the world and in his new autobiography, A Funny Life, he tells of the highs and lows on his journey to the top. Although not an avid fan of stand-up, from his Big Show and The Wheel, I really like McIntyre’s comedic style and thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. My favourite kind of comedy is that based on everyday life and situations, and this he excels at. His first autobiography, Life & Laughing ended with: “What I perceive to be my big break at the televised Royal Variety Performance in 2006. I was 30 years old and after being a uniquely tremendous loser in love, I had met…

Sonri Naidoo A FAMILY Christmas is what Miss South Africa Lalela Mswane will be having this year. She says every Christmas she travels to her home in Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, to spend time with her family over a warm cooked meal. “I look forward to travelling home to spend time with my grandmother, to relax and completely take it easy with my family. It’s been a rather eventful year for me so some downtime is necessary,” said Mswane. She added that she looked forward to the Christmas lunch table which is usually prepared by her sister. “Delicious roast chicken with a mushroom and bacon stuffing prepared by my sister is guaranteed to be on the Christmas lunch table.” This year marks the second year that South Africans will be spending…

The confluence of two evil forces will always give rise to devastating results. Simply put, if we put white-collar crime and blue-collar crime into an equation, the end result will be more catastrophic than an angry tsunami. The recent report which revealed that hundreds of new Transnet locomotives lie idle while overhead traction equipment is being stolen and railway property vandalised is disconcerting to say the least. Transnet CEO Portia Derby acknowledged that the theft and vandalism happens “possibly for people to put some bread on the table”. In other words, crime is now an island of hope in a sea of unemployment turmoil. This is a new form of guerilla warfare directed at our democratic government. Transnet is now entertaining the idea of de-electrifying the fleet, with a view…

Margot Johnson | Fourways YET ANOTHER example of a dysfunctional government agency failing to do its work due to, as your Business Report article of Wednesday tells us, board and corporate disputes, is the failure of the South African Maritime Safety Association (Samsa), to secure a seat for South Africa on the International Maritime Organisation Council. Suspended officials and lack of due process paint a familiar picture of the result of infighting and inefficiency. I could be wrong but, no doubt, the overseas travel and salaries, out of any proportion to the competencies of the agency officials, will continue. The responsible minister, Fikile Mbalula, whose reported comment on the ineffectiveness of Samsa was a mere expression of encouragement to go back to the drawing board, does not appear…

Phakamile Ximiya THE road to South African freedom has been a painful one where sweat and bloodshed brought us to where we are today. It is important that we always remind ourselves of this painful truth and from time to time revisit these painful stories of our people so that we ensure we can never forget where we come from and consciously or unconsciously be used in the reversal of our people’s struggles. In commemoration of the Maseru Massacre on December 9 in 1982, vigilance is the operative word as we enter the season of conferences. These coming conferences are going to be do or die for the ANC. Unfortunately, some among us, on both sides of the divide, are blinded by ambition to the point of recklessness and…

Although he isn’t even a year into his first term, US President Joe Biden says one factor could help convince him to run again in 2024 – a rematch against 2020 rival Donald Trump. “That would increase the prospect of running,” Biden, 75, said this week. “But I’m a great respecter of fate … If I’m in good health, then in fact I would run again.” Although Biden’s second-in-command, Kamala Harris, was once considered his political successor, rumours are that their relationship is not strong. | AFP…

ZELDA VENTER zelda.venter@inl.co.za A COURT has ordered the Ministry of Defence to assist in tracing the relatives of a former high-ranking official in the SA Navy, so that they can consider launching an application in terms of the Mental Health Act for the officer to go for mental observation. A Western Cape High Court acting judge said it would be in the interest of justice to possibly examine the mental well-being of the officer (who is not identified for compassionate reasons). The order followed another application by the officer earlier this month in which he had a long list of demands, including that President Cyril Ramaphosa, cited as the second respondent, must amend the national anthem. The officer said the phrase “let us live and strive for freedom in South…

The Apollo Murders Chris Hadfield Loot.co.za (R240) Quercus AN EXCEPTIONAL Cold War thriller from the dark heart of the Space Race, by astronaut and New York Times bestselling author Chris Hadfield. 1973: a final, top-secret mission to the Moon. Three astronauts in a tiny module, a quarter of a million miles from home. A quarter of a million miles from help. As Russian and American crews sprint for a secret bounty hidden away on the lunar surface, old rivalries blossom and the political stakes are stretched to breaking point back on Earth. Houston flight controller Kazimieras “Kaz” Zemeckis must do all he can to keep the Nasa crew together, while staying one step ahead of his Soviet rivals. But not everyone on board Apollo 18 is quite who they appear…

Five Minds Guy Morpuss Loot.co.za (R235) Viper THE Earth’s spiralling population has finally been controlled. Lifespans are limited to 80 years, except for those who make an extreme choice: to become a commune. Five minds sharing one body, each living for four hours at a time. But with a combined lifespan of nearly 150 years. Alex, Kate, Mike, Sierra and Ben have already spent 25 years together in what was once Mike’s body, their frequent personality clashes leading to endless bickering, countless arguments, and getting themselves stranded on a Russian Arctic freighter. Wanting to buy upgrades for their next host body, they decide to travel to a Death Park where time can be gambled like money. But things go very wrong when Kate accepts a dangerous offer, and one…

TURKISH President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted the third Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit in Istanbul from December 16 to 18, under the theme “Enhanced Partnership for Common Development and Prosperity”. Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the two-day summit marks a new stage in Turkey’s relations with the AU and African countries. However, Ankara’s recent security and military actions on the continent overshadows its humanitarian assistance and commercial investments. Turkey was supposed to organise the third Turkey-Africa Summit in 2019, but Ankara failed to get support from Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi who was the AU chair that year. Erdogan has often declared his refusal to recognise the “legitimacy” of Egypt’s President Sisi, who in 2013 ousted Muhammed Morsi, the country’s first democratically elected president. The Turkey-Africa summit was also cancelled in…

Anita Nkonki anita.nkonki@inl.co.za After weeks of throwing verbal punches at each other on social media, renowned rapper Cassper Nyovest and the controversial YouTuber named Silk Talk finally took it to the ring and gave people something to talk about. Social media users had been waiting in anticipation for this day, particularly with both ranting about the fight almost every day since it was announced. The boxing match took place at the Sandton Fight Club in the presence of a small audience, as well as being streamed live on YouTube. The Good For That hitmaker had been tweeting relentlessly days before the match, claiming he could not wait to knock Silk Talk out. On the other hand, Silk Talk had shown confidence, regardless. Refiloe Phoolo, known as Cassper Nyovest,…

IJ Saks | Tableview IF RAMAPHOSA wants to stay in power he needs to put his foot down and crush his opposition or the RET faction with Duduzane Zuma poses a big threat for him at the ANC conference. They will try their utmost to get rid of him and then we will be on the brink of civil war, as we will have another Zim scenario – they will try to take everything away from the whites and we won’t allow this to happen. Secondly, the ANC needs to fix Eskom once and for all as we cannot have growth without electricity. Socialism and communism are dead and buried and the unions are also to blame for all our woes. Joblessness for the younger generation is a…

JR Whitlock | Germiston Khotso Moleko, in his letter “Constitution and the media threaten stability”, makes two interesting comments: 1. That “the Constitution is almost always against the will of the people”, which is, of course, nonsense, and 2. “That the Constitution should be sourced from the general public”. Could Khotso please explain how this could be done? The Constitution was drawn up by members of the public – politicians at the time, black and white, with no outside interference. A Constitution is a document that sets out laws and basic principles that a state, country or organisation, is governed by. Without a Constitution and such a court the country would be plunged into complete chaos. Could Khotso also please explain in detail, and give examples, regarding…

A would-be suicide bomber was shot dead by police yesterday outside Kabul’s main passport office, police said, as hundreds of Taliban fighters lined up for travel documents on a day reserved for their applications. There have been several attacks against Taliban fighters since their return to power in August, most claimed by the local chapter of the Islamic State group. It was unclear why the fighters wanted passports. Civilians who arrived to process their applications were sent home by Taliban security. | AFP…

Russia, Ukraine and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) have agreed to restore a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine where Kiev is fighting Russia-backed separatists, the OSCE said. Kiev has been battling a pro- Moscow insurgency in two breakaway regions bordering Russia since 2014, soon after the Kremlin annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula. Western countries accuse Russia of having massed around 100 000 troops near Ukraine’s borders and accuse Moscow of planning a winter invasion. The US has warned the Kremlin of unprecedented sanctions should it launch an attack. A number of ceasefire agreements had been announced but collapsed. The latest was reached in July 2020, but occasional clashes still result in casualties on both sides. The fighting has claimed more than 13 000 lives. Ukraine and its…

THE Super Rugby draw for next year has been revised to delay trans-Tasman travel for as long as possible and minimise potential disruption from Covid-19 restrictions, competition organisers said yesterday. The season had been set to begin on 18 February, with Australian-based teams facing their New Zealand counterparts from the outset to maximise trans-Tasman rivalries. But the New Zealand government will not allow quarantine-free access for foreign nationals until the end of April at the earliest, forcing a rethink by competition organisers. Instead, the first nine rounds will feature local derbies with the New Zealand-based teams playing one another while the Australians do likewise. Round 10 will be played in Melbourne and round 11 at Australian grounds, with hopes that New Zealand travel restrictions will have been lifted for round…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za IN AN effort to bridge the gap of the national shortage of veterinarians, an insurance company is giving away prizes to four well-deserving students enrolled at the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital. Online insurance company dotsure.co.za said South Africa was experiencing a severe shortage of vets and this can be attributed to limited access to tertiary education, high training costs and a lack of funding for students, among many other factors. In an effort to bridge the gap, the company is giving away prizes to the combined value of R110 000 to four students enrolled at the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital attached to the University of Pretoria. Over the last few months, dotsure.co.za encouraged students to enter the competition detailing why they are passionate about becoming vets and…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za BEING married in community of property does not mean that the surviving spouse inherits all. South African law is clear that people have the freedom to choose who should inherit, as long as this is done lawfully and is not contrary to public policy. This is according to a Johannesburg High Court judge, following a legal battle between two widows – both of whom claimed to be married to a deceased man. The court ruled in the end that the applicant was indeed married to the deceased, while he and his second wife, with whom he lived at the time of his death, were not legally married. But Judge QG Leech said it did not matter which of the two women was legally married to the deceased,…

Never Ken Follett Loot.co.za (R265) Pan Macmillan VISIONARY in scale, and the first contemporary novel in more than a decade from number one worldwide best-selling author Ken Follett, Never imagines the unimaginable: the imminent threat of World War III ... “Every catastrophe begins with a little problem that doesn’t get fixed.” So says Pauline Green, president of the US, in Follett’s nerve-racking drama of international tension. A shrinking oasis in the Sahara Desert; a stolen US Army drone; an uninhabited Japanese island; and one country’s secret stash of deadly chemical poisons: all these play roles in a relentlessly escalating crisis. Struggling to prevent the outbreak of a world war are a young woman intelligence officer; a spy working undercover with jihadists; a brilliant Chinese spymaster; and Pauline herself, beleaguered…

| Orielle Berry Songbirds Christy Lefteri Loot.co.za (R230) Manilla Press CHRISTY Lefteri’s superbly textured book is so finely structured that one is left at the end with a feeling of simply wanting it to go on and on, despite the neat circle that closes at the finale. The author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo has once again outdone herself in this multifaceted story. Set in Lefteris’ native Cypus, the narrative delves into a range of issues that today are so close to the bone: the issue of stealing from the land for financial gain; the exploiation of migrants and the vulnerability of human beings; and the incredible triumph of the human spirit. Nisha is a migrant from Sri Lanka who has crossed countless borders to work as a…

A 48-BED and 12-ward ultra-modern Alexandra Hospice and Rehabilitation Centre is on track for completion with construction at 96% ready. The Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA), the City of Joburg’s implementing agent, undertook the design and construction of this modernised facility to bridge the gap by providing health care for chronic, terminally ill patients and rehabilitation for intermediate-care patients in Alex. Located on the corner of Lenin Drive and Far East Bank Drive, the facility has a frail-care ward and consulting rooms for doctors, physiotherapists, and psychologists, plus a dining and recreational room. There is a garden and wall of remembrance for patients and visitors to sit and share stories. There are also 16 dedicated parking spaces and a drop-off bay, a guardhouse and a boom gate for access control. A…

GLEN CHRISTIE | Durban North The recent statement by Minister Ayanda Dlodlo about the percentage of senior government officials unqualified for the job in April 2021 being 35% now down to 26%, again highlights how this government and the ANC works, and their system of rewarding comrades with deployment to positions where they have had no education to handle these positions. In my humble estimation, I would suggest that in previous years this figure stood at a much higher figure of around 80%. I say this because I am sure that the result of this type of deployment system is the reason why there has been a continued demise of all the SOEs. There is proof beyond any reasonable doubt, if one looks at the track record of…

In her recent media briefing, South African Minister of International Relations Naledi Pandor reiterated solidarity with Palestine while pledging to continue efforts to overturn Israel’s observer status at the AU. Many who are familiar with the ANC position on Palestine will be pleased with Pandor’s stance. However, many who applaud the ANC will nevertheless raise questions about why its progressive policies have seemingly reached a cul-de-sac. The repeated mantra of “two-states living side-by-side” pointedly reflects such a dead end. More importantly, placing faith in the unlikely reincarnation of a stillborn to miraculously emerge as a healthy, independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital is both foolish and futile. Palestinian polls reveal that nearly three-quarters believe the chances of establishing a Palestinian state are slim to none. In a…

Hong Kong’s oldest university removed a statue commemorating the 1989 crackdown on Tiananmen Square anti-government protesters yesterday. The operation was condemned by Hong Kong democracy activists. The 8m-high Pillar of Shame by Jens Galschiot has sat on the University of Hong Kong’s (HKU) campus since 1997, the year the former British colony was handed back to China. Galschiot said the statue remained his property. “If they destroy it, then of course we will sue them,” he said. | AFP…