Índex per 2022-01-19 a Star

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za ESKOM admitted yesterday it would have to burn closer to R8 billion on its open cycle gas turbines (OCGT) rather than the R1bn it had originally envisaged in this financial year, as it faces bleaker generation prospects. It will likely deal with more blow-outs from its coal fired plants and a scheduled shutdown of Koeberg if it is to keep the lights on and the economy ticking over this year. At the second day of public hearings for a 20.5 percent increase in electricity tariffs before the National Energy Regulator of South Africa., Eskom chief financial officer Calib Cassim said the utility had to override costs of production against the necessity for power in the economy, hence it would be prudent to spend more on diesel…

Anita Nkonki anita.nkonki@inl.co.za A TOP three matriculant from Saheti School has described getting through the year 2021 as an accomplishment, after the string of challenges that characterised the year. Though the class of 2021’s academic year was also threatened by the coronavirus, this did not stop Andonia Papavarnava from achieving an average of 93.3%, and a full house of 10 distinctions in mathematics, English home language, life orientation, Afrikaans first additional language, Modern Greek, physical science, life sciences, accounting, advanced programme mathematics and advanced programme English. With this academic success, the 18-year-old placed third in the school for her final results. Papavarnava has been named an Outstanding Achiever by the IEB, ranking in the top 5% of candidates nationally in six or more subjects. She was aware that the previous…

LEHLOHONOLO MASHIGO lehlohonolo.mashigo@inl.co.za TOP matriculant Ande Dhlomo, of St Mary’s School, Waverley, in Johannesburg, has her eyes firmly fixed on being South Africa’s next legal eagle after her outstanding matric performance this year. Dhlomo, who obtained six distinctions, says that she was very anxious about her results, but she slowly came to terms with the fact that she had no control over how she had done, which helped her to stop worrying about it. “My parents have been highly invested in ensuring that I receive quality education and support. This was especially the case throughout my matric year in which my parents went to lengths to ensure that there were minimal additional issues that I would have to engage with over and above the stress of completing matric,” said Dhlomo.…

Lehlohonolo Mashigo lehlohonolo.mashigo@inl.co.za ST Mary’s School star matric performer Luthando Simelane said that apart from working hard in her final year of high school last year, she took some down time during a stressful year by participating in school activities, such as cinematography. “I also spent my free time reading and spending quality time with friends and family,” she said. Luthando said her free time would include following current affairs, which she was passionate about. “I would like to study chemical engineering as I have a keen interest in chemistry and would like to explore that at a higher level. My preferred institution is the University of Cape Town,” she said. She said that this year’s matriculants simply needed to take things a day at a time. She said some…

Itumeleng Mafisa Micayla Taylor’s parents may be divorced, but their support played an important role in helping her achieve top results in the 2021 IEB matric examination. The King David School Victory Park, Johannesburg, matriculant achieved seven distinctions in Afrikaans, Business Studies, English, Hebrew, Life Orientation, Mathematics and Advanced Programme English. Micayla told The Star: “I think the pandemic was my biggest challenge. It was a whirlwind of a year which came with a lot of challenges. I had strength and I think I overcame a lot of obstacles.” She said physical distancing was a big challenge because she was not able to go out frequently. “The friendships were a lot of work because of the social distancing and you could not blow out steam properly because you are…

Itumeleng Mafisa itumeleng.mafisa@inl.co.za DESPITE President Cyril Ramaphosa’s defence of the Constitution, a law expert from Unisa, Tshepo Manthwa, said the Constitution should be scrapped. Manthwa’s comments come amid a raging debate on whether the Constitution was serving the purpose of social and economic transformation for the majority of South Africans. The debate was sparked by Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, who wrote a piece published on the IOL website criticising the judiciary and the Constitution. She has faced praise and criticism for her opinion. On Monday President Cyril Ramaphosa called on South Africans to protect the Constitution against anyone who tries to weaken South Africa's democracy. Manthwa said there was nothing to protect in the Constitution. Instead, he called for a new Constitution that would enable the aspirations of the African…

Sonri Naidoo sonri.naidoo@inl.co.za THRIVING on being busy is how King David High School Linksfield matric learner Samara Jay managed to complete her matric year. A regular day in Jay’s life included tennis practise, athletics, cross-country, public speaking, play productions and community service; added to this was homework, assignments, projects and exams. “I enjoyed doing everything and made the most of every day. It was hard but so worth the effort. “At times it was very hard to be there for the important milestones of my friends and family, be involved in everything at school, and keep up with work and I often failed at juggling everything, but I was dedicated and just learnt to cope,” said Jay. She added that some of the toughest lessons she’s learnt in her…

2022 kicked off in South Africa with calls for a nationwide boycott of Clover since the Israeli-owned dairy company was hit by a strike during November last year. Workers protesting against wage cuts, retrenchments and a host of unfair labour practices have received huge support by consumers and human rights organisations. The Food and Allied Workers’ Union (Fawu) and the General Industries Workers’ Union of SA (Giwusa) have called for rolling mass action as they campaign for justice for employees adversely affected by the takeover of Clover by Israeli company Milco. The genesis of workers’ problems results from the controversial buyout of South Africa’s flagship dairy industry by Milco, an Israeli conglomerate linked to colonial settlements in Occupied Palestine. Exactly what Fawu and Giwusa feared has come to pass with…

Nyaniso Qwesha | Joburg GETTING in a new year, one would always be positive and look at the new year with much more delight. This enthusiasm is genuine when we are coming from unprecedented levels of uncertainty that ensued due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2022, one of the significant developments we were waiting for was the Zondo Commission report on State Capture to be handed to the president. Untoward to us waiting for the output of the Zondo commission, we were then obstructed in our thinking by the damaging fire that destroyed a section of our Parliament. I think it is important to note that as we move towards a new direction, there will be derailment that will happen, which will cause us to lose focus in…

An air strike killed about 14 people in a building in the Yemeni capital of Sana’a, residents said yesterday, during strikes across the city launched by the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthi group. The alliance strikes on Houthi-held Sana’a followed an attack claimed by the Iran-aligned Houthis on coalition partner the United Arab Emirates, in Abu Dhabi, in which three people were killed. The strike was on the home of a former military official. The UAE said it reserved the right to respond to “terrorist attacks”. | Reuters…

The family of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King jr and their supporters, some shouting, “Hey Hey! Ho Ho! Voter suppression has got to go”, marched in Washington this week, urging passage of a law to protect voters from racial discrimination. As part of the annual Martin Luther King jr Day DC Peace Walk on Monday, the King family and more than 100 national and local civil rights groups strode across the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge calling on President Joe Biden’s Democrats to pass a bill in the US Senate. The march followed a disappointing week for Biden, who went to the Capitol to urge Senate colleagues to change filibuster rules so they could overcome Republican opposition to the bill, only to be forcefully rejected by two conservative Democrats…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za THE WORLD Economic Forum (WEF) has agreed that Covid-19 vaccine equity should be a global concern to prevent the further spread of the pandemic and its associated variants. Meeting the challenge of vaccine equity was the common sentiment shared at the WEF Davos Agenda 2022 yesterday as the global vaccine apartheid continued unfolding. This as poor countries continue lagging behind in immunising their populations while rich countries have more than enough supply of the vaccines. In a session to discuss this, experts agreed that the failure to ensure universal global distribution risked not only bad health outcomes but also economic upheaval and geopolitical tensions. John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said there had been a collapse of global co-operation and solidarity…

Liam Karabo Joyce liam.joyce@inl.co.za Actress Thuli Phongolo has released a statement clarifying the circumstances around her sudden departure from Showmax’s hit telenovela The Wife. Thuli’s character, Lerato, was cut in the latest episodes (episode 28-31) that aired on Showmax. Her exit was followed by speculation on social media that claimed her role was “unexpectedly” written out of the show because she was often “missing in action” and “unprofessional”. Earlier this month, Stained Glass, the production company behind the popular telenovela, confirmed to IOL Entertainment that Phongolo’s contract had been terminated. “We can confirm that Thuli Phongolo’s character arc ends in the episodes airing next Thursday, 13 January 2021. “This was by mutual agreement, due to schedule clashes,” said Stained Glass spokesperson Nomfundo Zondi. Now, in her own statement released by her…

Anita Nkonki A SAHETI School matriculant says he knew from the onset that if he wanted to acquire outstanding results in his matric year, he would need to put in all the necessary work. His determination had Matheo Panayiotou, 18, secure an average of 88,4% and a full house of nine distinctions: Afrikaans, English, history, information technology, life orientation, maths Modern Greek, physical sciences and advanced programme mathematics. Panayiotou was ranked within the top 1% of IEB candidates nationally in maths. When asked by The Star how he felt when he learnt that he was among the top students, he described the feeling as euphoric. Despite a chaotic year due to the pandemic, Panayiotou said the support from his parents helped him overcome the hurdles. “Matric is a difficult journey…

Sonri Naidoo THE words “get involved” have been the motto for Linksfield King David High school matric learner Shannon Wolpe who said he was relieved to be completing high school and looks forward to a career in medicine. The star learner has achieved nine distinctions and completes his matric year with an aggregate of 95.5%. He has also achieved 90% in three languages: English, Afrikaans and Hebrew. “High school transforms one’s life, once you get involved you learn skills valuable for the rest of your life. Getting involved in school has taught me to be less of an introvert and I’ve developed great skills, one of the most important being time management,” said Wolpe. In Grade 11, he was diagnosed with partial epilepsy, which causes multiple seizures. Wolpe describes himself…

Baldwin Ndaba baldwin.ndaba@inl.co.za CHAOS broke out again in the City of Joburg’s council meeting yesterday after minority parties and the ANC protested against Speaker Vasco da Gama’s ruling that the election of the chair of chairs and Section79 committee chairs would be through a show of hands. In a surprise turn of events, moments after Da Gama stuck to his decision, members of the minority parties led by Margaret Arnolds of the African Independent Congress walked to the council chamber foyer in chains. ANC councillors then broke into song and joined the minority parties. Earlier, the council meeting was scheduled for 10am but several parties openly tried to disrupt the proceedings. ANC and EFF councillors were the first to protest after Da Gama decided that bottled water would not be…

Sonri Naidoo sonri.naidoo@inl.co.za FIRST chased away like a dog before he took his last breath – that is how Eldorado Park teen Nathaniel Julies succumbed to his death. In the alleged confession of one of the police officers accused of murdering him, read out yesterday in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court, police officer Cayleen Whiteboy explained how Julies died. “The police van we were in was parked at the Hillbrow flats. When the boy approached the van he was chased away by accused no 2, Simon “Scorpion” Ndyalvane, with the words, ’Hey, f*** off’. He then left the van and later returned. Ndyalvane told me to shoot at the boy for him to go away. I shot at the boy and he fell down,” said Whiteboy. She added that she…

NORMAN MAURICE | Scottburgh A few years ago a vehicle drove into a storage shed at OR Tambo airport and drove out with a casket packed with monetary notes – millions of rand destined for overseas in questionable circumstances. We never heard how this operation was carried out so easily, nor details about the mysterious senders or recipients of this money. Such is the state of security, and politics – at our so-called key points, and can we mention how the Guptas were allowed to use our military airport as a visa-free landing point for a wedding ceremony? In July last year, we (all thinking people) knew that the Mooi River Toll Plaza was and always would be a risk area. Police and the defence force proved totally…

Anél du Plessis, Angela van der Berg and Maricélle Botes The world is experiencing an environmental crisis coupled with rapid urbanisation. This affects city ecosystems, which are a combination of the built environment, planned green spaces and natural biodiversity. They include streets, roofs, parks, trees, rivers and other urban features. Ecosystems provide services like regulating air, water and soil quality. In cities, their role in regulating the climate is particularly important. Cities are generally warmer than surrounding rural areas. Greenery and vegetation mitigate this by providing shade and filtering air. They also absorb greenhouse gases and other pollutants. But ecosystem services are under threat everywhere in the world. Urban development and expansion causes ecological degradation, pollution and an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. This affects ecosystems’ ability to sustainably provide…

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson lied to parliament when he claimed he did not know of his staff’s plans to hold a drinks party during lockdown, his former aide Dominic Cummings has said. The prime minister apologised for a party in the garden of Downing Street, but said he did not know about it in advance and thought he was at a work event. Cummings said the party was arranged by the Johnson’s principal private secretary and said he warned him over the party, but Johnson “waved it aside”. | AFP…

Dieketseng Maleke dieketseng.maleke@inl.co.za BUSINESS Leadership South Africa (BLSA) has announced that it has accepted the resignation of Bain & Company from its membership as the business entity’s reputation has come under fire for its stance on the US management consulting firm. This comes after the local unit of Bain was criticised for its consultancy work for the South African Revenue Services (Sars) at the peak of state capture. When the State Capture Inquiry’s report was released earlier this month, it was critical in its assessment of Bain’s consultancy work for Sars. The inquiry’s chairperson and acting Chief Justice, Raymond Zondo, recommended that law enforcement agencies investigate how contracts were awarded to the firm. In a statement, BLSA said it had noted Bain & Co’s decision to withdraw its membership.…

Kim Kardashian has been frustrated by Kanye West’s recent comments. The 41-year-old star – who has North, eight, Saint, six, Chicago, four, and Psalm, two, with the rap star – disputes West’s claims that he’s been stopped from picking up and dropping off their kids at Kardashian’s home. A source explained: “He just can no longer walk inside her home without her permission.” The insider noted that while many of West’s accusations are “false”, he wasn’t allowed inside Kardashian’s home on one particular day. However, she’s rubbished the suggestion that West was stopped “from seeing the kids, picking them up or dropping them off.” Speaking to People, the insider said: “(Kim) has a right to privacy and is trying to set healthy boundaries.” Kardashian – who filed for a…

SONRI NAIDOO sonri.naidoo@inl.co.za A MATRIC learner from St Benedict’s College in Bedfordview has proved that anything is possible after he obtained eight distinctions despite the hardships caused by the pandemic. Marques Hugo, one of the top achievers at St Benedict’s College, said throughout his school career he learnt valuable lessons from all his teachers and sports coaches. “The first lesson I learnt is to ‘control the controllables’ – may not be a word, but the principle it describes is very relevant. Essentially, you should only worry about what is in your sphere of control and not about things that you cannot control,” said Hugo. The second lesson he learnt was that regardless of your circumstances, ideal or not, you can always do your best; not making any excuses to always…

l Umalusi approves 2021 results l Court rules in favour of publishing BONGANI NKOSI and CHULUMANCO MAHAMBA UMALUSI, the Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training, has approved the release of the 2021 National Senior Certificate (NSC) results. “A total of 123 487 more full-time candidates and 46 942 more part-time candidates registered to write the examination. Of the 733 746 candidates that registered, 700 604 candidates wrote the examination, which reflects the lowest percentage of ’no-shows’ (4.5%) over the last few years,” the council said. Professor John Volmink, chairperson of the statutory body’s executive committee, told the media yesterday morning only results of matrics implicated in alleged copying would be withheld. He revealed that there were some irregularities in schools during the exams, but these…

Sonri Naidoo sonri.naidoo@inl.co.za INSPIRED by the lessons of failure, a 2021 matriculant from St Benedict’s College in Bedfordview describes failure as an excellent teacher to learn from if you’re willing to. Aidan Govender talked to The Star about some of the life lessons he has learnt from his high school career. He said in order to build yourself you need to surround yourself with people who match the lifestyle you’re aiming for. Govender obtained seven distinctions in his final exams with an aggregate of 86.9%. “I realised that I could not make it through high school alone and that I would need help from people, and socialising with others allows for this to occur,” he said. Govender Govender obtained seven distinctions in his final examinations with an aggregate of 86,9%.…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za THE only pupil in the history of Roedean School for Girls to be awarded honours in academics, sport and culturals plans to explore the world of engineering as she enters the next phase of her life. Beatrice Wharton-Hood, a matriculant from the private school for girls in Parktown, told The Star that it was disappointing starting her matric year with online learning, because of the Covid-19 second wave. But said she learnt an important lesson. “We learnt from the previous matrics that we had to enjoy every day we had at school because we didn’t know the next time we would go back online, but it was still a special year,” the 18 year old said. “There were some challenges but our teachers were incredible in ensuring…

Anita Nkonki anita.nkonki@inl.co.za THE majority of distinguished personalities who are roles models to many people have stories to tell about where they come from. Fans have always demonstrated love on hearing such stories, particularly because it also drives them to be better people as well. One of the favourite amapiano DJs, Kabza De Small, real name Kabelo Motha Mahlangu, with Themba Sonnyboy Sekowe, fondly known as DJ Maphorisa, shared their stories on YouTube. The Scorpion Kings, as they are called, have been dominating stages all over the country. De Small spoke about starting as a grass cutter for the municipality. “I started cutting grass for the municipality. I am serious. I used to wear overalls. It was tough. I used to also be an employee. I was a plumber. I…

MOHAMED SAEED | Pietermaritzburg IN THE name of modernism, liberalism and appeasing Western friends and protectors, the “House of Saud”, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, distorts and misrepresents important principles of Islam. The absolute monarchy-led regime’s religious, social, political and economic restructuring is not according to the teachings of the Qur’an and Prophet Muhammed’s traditions, his famous farewell sermon and lifestyle. Although Arabia is the place of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, home to the blessed cities Medina and Makkah and the other religious and sanctified sites of Islam, the Saudi monarchy regime does not represent Muslims. The reform policies or vision 2030 of the aspiring de-facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is not according to the Sharia law. His interpretations of the divine texts and Prophet…

THE International Day of Education, observed on January 24 globally, underlines the important role of education for our personal development and for the transformation of our communities. As a human right, education must be provided to everyone. Education, formal and informal, is the only way for the development of the potential, talents and capabilities of children, from which the children themselves, and their families and their communities can benefit. Looking at the current situation, there are encouraging efforts in various parts of the world, in terms of increasing enrolments and commitment of resources to education. However, despite this progress, it has been difficult to achieve a cultural shift towards prioritising education. The Universal House of Justice, the governing council of the Bahá’í international community, states: “The cause of universal…

I am reading the Zondo Commission’s report largely not only as a legal document, but also as a governance handbook to improve the capacity of the state to grapple with the challenges of inefficiency and corruption. Out of the desire to play a meaningful role in the fight against corruption, I did volunteer information and availed myself to appear before the state capture commission in order to shed light on the SA Express and North West province matter. During my testimony, when the commission confronted me with information and alternative interpretation of the evidence as former accounting officer, out of abundance of ethical considerations, I made concessions as reflected in the report. At the centre of that matter was that a project of the department of transport and community affairs…

Indonesia’s parliament has approved a bill to relocate the nation’s capital from Jakarta to a jungled area of Kalimantan on Borneo island. The new state capital law, which provides a legal framework for President Joko Widodo’s $32-billion mega project, stipulates how development of the capital, to be called Nusantara, will be funded and governed. Jakarta is a megacity of 10 million people that suffers from congestion, floods and air pollution. Indonesia has envisioned the new capital as a low-carbon “super hub”. | AFP…

Eshlin Vedan eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za AMIDST their recent controversies, Kaizer Chiefs have something to celebrate after midfielder Nkosingiphile Ngcobo was rewarded with the Goal of the Month crown for his long-range thunderbolt against Marumo Gallants last month. Amakhosi face a disciplinary hearing after failing to honour league games against Golden Arrows and Cape Town City last month. But Ngcobo feels his teammates were instrumental in his success. “It was a good goal, but we created it as a team. The way we shifted and circulated the ball was good, with Njabulo Blom finding me in the half-spaces. I was able to turn and finish. I was just there to finish, but it was a well-worked goal from the whole team,” said Ngcobo. Realistically, Chiefs are now out of the title race. They…