Índex per 2022-01-21 a Star

Lehlohonolo Mashigo lehlohonolo.mashigo@inl.co.za DINEO Malaza says long walks with her sister and playing games with her family helped her get through her matric year. She says the news surrounding matric results in the media and pressure from friends did cause her anxiety. Dineo has done well this year after achieving impressive results from her hard work last year. She obtained six distinctions – Afrikaans (first additional language), maths, life orientation, information technology, life sciences and physical sciences. Dineo, who only joined Parktown High School for Girls in 2020, said it was “quite challenging” to adjust, especially because of the pandemic. “As a result my marks didn’t reflect my capabilities. During my Grade 12 year, I pushed myself to finish strongly and as a result, I managed to receive academic honours,…

Lehlohonolo Mashigo CROCHET enthusiast and top Parktown High School for Girls’ Bokamoso Monare said the patterns and structured nature of the activity helped her not only to relax, but to see what she wanted to achieve. She achieved six distinctions in English (home language), maths, life orientation, history, life sciences and physical sciences. Bokamoso said that going through the process of getting to the finished product made crocheting an ideal escape from studying. “Reading comic books also helped. I was allowing myself to be removed from the seriousness of the reality of a stressful schooling year,” she said. Bokamoso said she was able to weave herself through the year with massive support from her family. “My mother is a stay-at-home mom, so she has been involved in every single aspect…

Anita Nkonki WHEN she learnt about the results for her preliminary exams, Fourways High School learner Siphesihle Skosana says she was overwhelmed by the news but later was full of pride as she had worked hard. The 18-year-old Skosana bagged six distinctions at the end of her prelims giving her confidence for the final exams. For her finals she achieved five distinctions in Afrikaans (first additional language), maths, life orientation, accounting and business studies. “When I first found out that I was one of the learners that did well in the prelims, I was overwhelmed at the news. However, after a while I felt a sense of immense pride because I worked very hard and that wasn’t in vain. Knowing that I achieved good marks in my exams gave me…

| OWN Correspondent Bones and Bodies Alan G Morris Loot.co.za (R265) Wits University Press Bones and Bodies is a highly accessible account of the establishment of the scientific discipline of biological anthropology. Alan G Morris takes us back over the past century of anthropological discovery in South Africa and uncovers the stories of individual scientists and researchers who played a significant role in shaping perceptions of how the peoples of southern Africa, both ancient and modern, came to be viewed and categorised both in the public imagination, and scientific literature. Morris reveals how much of the earlier anthropological studies were tainted with the tarred brush of race science. He evaluates the works of famous anthropologists and archaeologists such as Raymond Dart, Thomas Dreyer, Matthew Drennan and Robert Broom, and demonstrates…

Chulumanco Mahamba THE DUX scholar of Brakpan High School, who obtained an average of above 80% in every term from Grade 8 to Grade 12, has his eyes set on becoming a civil engineer. Chiemeka Iroka from Brakpan is a Class of 2021 matriculant, who lives in a small flat with his parents and two siblings, has managed to achieve so much. He achieved six distinctions in English (home language), Afrikaans first additional language), maths, life orientation, geography, history and physical sciences. During the schools’ final awards ceremony Chiemeka was given the Dux Scholar Award because he obtained an average of above 80% in every term from Grade 8 to Grade 12, he was also named the top pupil in seven subjects and top pupil in Grade 12 with a…

Chulumanco Mahamba Busisiwe Ndebele, a matriculant of Phoenix High School in Vereeniging, told The Star that before starting Grade 12, there was a lot of pressure from teachers and family and numerous reminders that matric would be their toughest year of school. “But when you actually start matric, I realised that it wasn’t too difficult for me. I went in prepared, so I didn’t necessarily feel that the year was difficult, but I also wouldn’t say that it was easy.” She achieved six distinctions in Afrikaans (first additional language), maths literacy, life orientation, business studies, hospitality studies and tourism. She said that some of her biggest highlights of 2021 were the pride she felt when she received her preliminary examination results and her matric dance. “My prelim results showed me…

FAROUK ARAIE | Gauteng MANY within the ANC have undoubtedly mastered the art of political brinkmanship, with the latest salvoes and recriminations from top party members about the issues of governance, poverty and equality. The party is in a low-intensity verbal civil war as aspiring leaders engage in various forms of character assassination and confrontation using stealth, deception and political asymmetrical tactics. These events are driving the country closer and closer to the brink of certain disaster. We are in the midst of a huge constitutional crisis. As the rhetoric escalates, defiant leaders must be warned that unless sanity prevails, the inevitable showdown will rip our hard-won democracy to shreds. Role-players are involved in a chess game without vision. It has become exceedingly difficult over the past months…

This is the final part of a two part series about restoring dignity to the Khoi-San and their descendants. The first part was published yesterday. We cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past, such as the very first land claim to have been settled under the Restitution of Land Rights Act No 22 of 1994, as amended. This claim was settled in 1996, two years after the commencement of the restitution process, by myself as the Regional Land Claims Commissioner for the Western and Northern Cape. The restitution process was driven politically quantitatively, in the sense of it being how many claims were settled over as short a space of time as possible. Consequently, it was about the qualitative aspects of ensuring that there was adequate spatial planning,…

Anita Nkonki anita.nkonki@inl.co.za INSPIRED by her sister, who was also an academic achiever, Ashley Santangelo bagged a full house of eight distinctions on her preliminary results. She says she was stunned by the results because pupils had not experienced the normal exam period. Ashley obtained six distinctions in Afrikaans (first additional language), maths, life orientation, accounting, information technology and physical sciences. “As a school, we made the most of it, given the circumstances under Covid-19 restrictions. As matrics, we were still able to experience the school traditions on a smaller scale. “We were still able to host a school gala, prize-giving and receive our matric jackets. More specifically, being a part of the school’s councillor group made the matric year that much more exciting,” she said. Ashley had a support…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za WHILE others would say that their final year of schooling was the most difficult, an Edenvale learner says high school became easier as he progressed through the grades. Kishan Harilal, from Edenvale High School achieved six distinctions in Afrikaans (first additional language), maths, life orientation, accounting, life sciences and physical sciences. He told The Star his matric year wasn’t as difficult as he had expected, however, there were some challenges. “Most people say that matric is the most challenging year. I found that as I progressed further into high school, it became easier. The workload in matric was more but I think I coped nicely,” Kishan said. The top achiever said his biggest challenge was the time constraints, the late start to the 2021 academic year and…

Mervyn Dirks suspended from party after urging Scopa to haul president before it Siyabonga Mkhwanazi siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za ANC MP Mervyn Dirks will, in the next seven days, hear what further action the party will take as it prepares to haul him before the disciplinary committee for his letter to the standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) concerning President Cyril Ramaphosa. ANC chief whip Pemmy Majodina yesterday wrote to Dirks, informing him that he was suspended from the party and barred from taking part in any activities of the ANC in Parliament. Dirks is a member of the ANC in the National Assembly and serves on Scopa. A few days ago, he wrote to Scopa urging it to bring Ramaphosa before it to answer questions on his remarks in the ANC’s national…

| OWN Correspondent Invisible Danielle Steele Loot.co.za (R249) Macmillan IN THIS extraordinary novel, Danielle Steel tells the story of a woman who must decide the price of pursuing her passion, and whether it is possible to stay true to herself while doing so. Antonia Adams is the product of a loveless marriage between a beautiful young model and a wealthy entrepreneur. As a child, she is abandoned in the chasm between them. Unprotected and unloved, she learns that the only way to feel safe is to draw as little attention as possible, to be invisible. In her isolation, films are her escape, and she dreams of one day becoming a screenwriter. During a summer job at a Hollywood studio, she meets a famous film-maker, and is invisible no longer.…

Chulumanco Mahamba A TOP achiever from a Soweto school said she is looking forward to discovering how different university is from high school as she embarks on her new journey. “Competing with Covid-19 during my matric year was not easy,” said the matriculant from Forte Secondary School, Amogelang Molopyane. She obtained seven distinctions in Setswana (home language), English (first additional language), life orientation, accounting, business studies, economics and history. Amogelang told The Star that the Covid-19 pandemic made schooling tough, and as a result, her final year of high school was “difficult, hectic”, and the pressure was on. She added that matrics were told that if their Grade 11 wasn’t successful academically, their matric year would be worse, and that added pressure. Despite the issues, Amogelang said she managed to…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za LAUGHTER proved to be the best medicine for a Vereeniging matriculant who said her classmates’ jokes got her through the stress of Grade 12. The class of 2021 was faced with the challenge of doing their final two years of schooling under the dark cloud of the Covid-19 pandemic. Kyler Koetz from Phoenix High School told The Star that her matric year was a difficult one. She obtained three distinctions in Afrikaans (first additional language), life orientation and business studies. She said the Grade 12s attended classes full-time while other grades were taught on a rotational basis. She added that her year was mostly consumed by school work as she also attended extra lessons over weekends. “I was tired most of the year, but I told myself…

Peter Bachtis | Benoni THE ousting of Ramaphosa and replacing him with the Magashule, Mantashe and Zuma faction is a cunning chess inspired move to take control of the judiciary, leading to the absolute control of all state apparatuses and structures. None of these characters curry favour with the now splintered ANC electorate so promises of the Presidency to a female has been sold to Lindiwe. Her attack on black judges and ultimately the judiciary has frightening ramifications for South Africa’s legal independence should she win the coveted role of president. If she becomes president, her influence over appointments to the Constitutional Court will put an end to all the damning reports and prosecutions, of all those criminal elements within the ruling party that have ravaged and decimated…

Anita Nkonki DESPITE not having a great time in high school, Teagan McGinley still rose to the top and did well in her studies at Fourways High School. The 18-year-old said she based her focus on her books and studied with determination so that she could move past high school life and start a new chapter. Teagan obtained six distinctions in her final exams in Afrikaans (first additional language), maths, life orientation, engineering graphics, life sciences and physical sciences Teagan spoke candidly about her mother’s charity as something that helped her get through the year. “For the year 2021, I got more involved with charity work and giving back to the community, mainly through my mom’s charity, the Daily Bread Organisation. “I didn’t really give in to the whole matric…

Itumeleng Mafisa FORMER Generations actress and businesswoman Palesa Madisakwane said she was humbled by her comeback on South African TV after a decade-long break from the limelight. Madisakwane now features on SABC 3’s telenovela The Estate where she plays a downtrodden character – a change from the glamorous roles she has previously played. She plays Mme Rethabile who comes from a poor background and loses her child in a car accident. “When I saw the storyline, I said I am going to take it because it is something different than what I have played before. I could relate to Rethabile,” Madisakwane said. Speaking to The Star, she said she was humbled by her big comeback and that she was blessed that despite her break from TV her name still resonated…

| Julian Richfield julianrichfield2@gmail.com THE STORYTELLER Dave Grohl Loot.co.za SIMON & SCHUSTER UP until his appearance on The Graham Norton Show last October, I must confess that I had never heard of Dave Grohl, but I liked what I saw of him then and my interest was piqued. So, when I saw that he had penned a memoir, The Storyteller, I decided to explore unknown territory. For those who don’t know, Grohl is an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was the drummer for the rock band Nirvana, and he founded the band Foo Fighters, for whom he sings, plays the guitar, and writes their songs. Grohl says of himself and the book: “Miraculously, my memory has remained relatively intact. Since I was a child, I have always measured…

Chulumanco Mahamba A SOWETO-based matric class of 2021 top achiever aspires to give South Africa a helping hand wherever he can by becoming a medical doctor. A typical school day for the Forte Secondary School matriculant, Karabo Dinelelo, started at 7am when he would attend classes until 4.30pm and when he arrived home, he would then attend online classes from 6pm. He achieved eight distinctions in Setswana (home language), English (first additional language), maths, life orientation, accounting, business studies, life sciences and physical sciences This accumulated in what he would describe as a “hectic but academically, enjoyable year” with some pressure to succeed. “I was proud of myself last year because I was part of the top five in my grade from term one until term three. It made me…

Chulumanco Mahamba THE 2021 head girl of a Johannesburg East high school said that despite the challenges of schooling during a global pandemic, she was able to appreciate the events that made her 2021, such as her matric dance and a grade trip to Bela Bela. The aim of the trip was for her grade to spend time together as friends just before the final National Senior Certificate examinations. “My netball team was also able to go to the Gauteng Schools Netball Championships and we were on TV and that was a great opportunity to represent my school,” Saskia Rabie, a matric pupil of Edenvale High School, said. Saskia said that although her team did not place in the top three, she still felt that it was a great achievement…

THABILE MANGE | Mogale City THE ANC has played a leading and pivotal role in the struggle against apartheid. It has also played a critical role in ushering in the democratic dispensation in this country. The first few years of our democracy were okay. They were a transition period, which the ANC handled well, and a learning curve. The ANC had no governance experience then. Things started going south when the ANC ran out of ideas on how to take the country forward, yet it had policies that stood to benefit the country. The party started playing the blame game. The economy is down, unemployment high and corruption out of hand. Yet there is no sense of urgency from the government to address these matters. It is just…

It is cheering to note that the railway line between Mabopane and Pretoria is operational after a long interlude. The closure of the line is almost indelibly engraved in the public memory due to unprecedented theft and vandalism. The overhead traction equipment was stolen and vandalised by members of the community. As a result, commuters were forced to use alternative transport at their cost. The commuters have learnt the following bitter lesson: taking your anger on government infrastructure is a crime that does not pay but decreases your disposable income and impacts negatively on the quality of your life. During the dark days, the oppressed masses of South Africa had been scripted to believe that public property belonged to the illegitimate government and taking out one’s anger on government…

ESHLIN VEDAN eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za ORLANDO Pirates veteran Happy Jele will not only captain Warriors in the inaugural Compact Cup in Durban this weekend, but he will also be a vital figure in the tournament. It will be up to the stalwart to help pass the knowledge that he has gained over the years to younger players in the tournament. The Dylan Kerr-coached Warriors will take on Amabutho in the second semi-final tomorrow night at the Moses Mabhida Stadium. Jele feels that the tournament will allow him to pass his skills and share the knowledge acquired over the years with players across the team divide. Jele’s team will include players from TS Galaxy, Kaizer Chiefs and Moroka Swallows. Other veterans that he will team up with include out-of-favour Chiefs goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune…