Índex per 2022-04-08 a Star

THE WAR over municipal jobs is continuing in the city of Johannesburg. This time the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) is accusing the multi-party government of returning political favours by offering R500 000 a month for a communications official. The Star understands that the post which was advertised recently had not been filled but the union demanded answers as to why the city was willing to pay that much to a communication officer. The job requires a diploma or degree. The post requires a driving licence and at least three years’ working experience. This was not the first time the DA was accused of paying some people linked to the party enormous amounts of money. Samwu regional secretary Thobani Nkosi said the union had asked the city to freeze…

The Library Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen The Library is a sumptuous tome of more than 500 pages, with marbled end-papers, a cord to mark your reading place, hard covered with a traditional dust cover, all suited to its content. Pettegree and Der Weduwen offer a leisurely look at the history of the development of books and the library. Despite being quite robust, books are fragile, succumbing to dust, water, neglect, loss of interest, political power plays and individual egos. Libraries last only as long as people find them useful. The early history of books and libraries is where the interesting stuff is. As we head towards the modern era and the democratisation of luxury, libraries became more popular with the general public who were allowed more and more…

A BOOK about absent fathers, inspired by the life experiences of Pretoria resident Charley Pietersen, has been turned into a documentary. The documentary, Fatherlessness, by the Growing Up Without a Father SA foundation, aims to address one of the biggest issues in South Africa – children having absent fathers and how this affects their lives. The two-hour documentary, to be shown at Centurion Theatre in Lyttelton, Pretoria, at 6.30pm, is inspired by a book also titled Growing Up Without a Father, written by Pietersen in 2015. He said it tarted on Father’s Day during a church service when he noticed that children with absent fathers were neglected and discriminated against. Pietersen decided to research father- lessness and the behaviour of children without fathers compared to those with a household…

MALCOLM Midgley was 8 when he began admiring the fire trucks driving past his Randburg home. He knew then that he was going to become a firefighter. After giving his blood, sweat, and tears to Joburg’s Emergency Management Service (EMS) for the past 40 years, the 65-year-old divisional chief of the EMS Training Academy in Region C is speeding off into retirement with sirens blazing. “All in all, it was a pleasant experience, and I would do it again, and I would continue doing it if I could,” says a super-fit Midgley, who does not look a day older than 50. His only regret is that he should have joined the EMS earlier. At 16, Midgley started working as a motor mechanic at a local company for seven years. One…

“Servants of the Haramain” is a self-designated religious title that shelters the Saudi Arabian regime from censure for its debauched and immoral conduct since its installation by the British in 1932. The 2 billion Muslims regard the birthplace of Islam, Makkah, and the Prophet’s city Medina, and the Masjid al-Aqsa in Al-Quds (Jerusalem), as the most venerated cities in the world. The de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, Muhammad Bin Salman (MBS), has shamefully violated the basic tenets of Islam. The brutal dismemberment of the Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi at its embassy in Istanbul, sawing his body into pieces and dissolving it in acid, shocked the world. Furthermore, the unwarranted and indiscriminate bombing of Yemen for over seven years has killed thousands, impoverished and decimated this country, with 13…

The purgatorial National State of Disaster has been lifted but the management of the Covid-19 pandemic and other communicable diseases is our individual responsibility. In 1999, I visited Canada at the time when the global media was obsessed with the New Millennium. The media’s focal point was on Y2K. In 2013, when I paid my second visit to Canada I was taken aback to discover that the society I had visited in 1999 had dramatically evolved towards sustainable health care. Canada is more focused on wellness management. The huge percentage of the media coverage is on the vitality age, high blood pressure, cholesterol, stroke, heart disease and diabetes. This does not mean that there are no social problems in Canada; they do have challenges. For example, it is difficult for…

South Africa’s economy has a regrettable ink to the system of separate development along racial lines which has resulted in fragmented spatial development planning, little peripheral economic activity to create employment for rural communities and prohibited social and cultural linkages to prioritised prosperous urban centres. Collectively, these factors have triggered urban migration by rural adults to seek employment opportunities. This trend has been ongoing for the past decades and its reversal is urgently needed to tap into the abundant rural natural resources to grow the rural economy, create employment opportunities and make the rural provinces attractive to live in. Comprehensive farmer support interventions are necessary to bring land into production: the strengthening of farmer extension and advisory services; broadening access to start-up-patient capital and blended finance; enhancing provision of on-off…

It was 1914 when the English explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton set sail on his Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition aboard a ship called Endurance. It was an ill-fated journey: the ship got trapped in the ice and eventually crushed by pack ice in 1915. It sank to the bottom of Antarctica’s Weddell Sea. (Shackleton and his entire crew survived the ordeal by escaping in smaller boats.) It was difficult to believe that the Endurance might ever be found. The icy Weddell Sea is inhospitable and the wreck lay in more than 3 000 metres of water. But thanks to a South African vessel, the SA Agulhas II, the Endurance was found last month. It was the second time the polar icebreaker reached the co-ordinates that the Endurance’s Captain Frank Worsley recorded…

Former US president Donald Trump has defended his conduct during the US Capitol assault in January last year, saying he did not regret summoning his rioting supporters to Washington. He said he would have accompanied his followers as they marched on the complex but was stopped by his security detail. He offered no contrition for whipping up the crowd with bogus claims that victory had been stolen from him through fraud, although he was clear in his condemnation of the violence that ensued. | AFP…

PROTEAS Women’s captain Dane van Niekerk slipped on the side of the pool, broke her ankle, and was ruled out of the World Cup. Fortunately for men’s team captain Dean Elgar, his recent mishap in the shower only resulted in an embarrassing cut to his forehead. “I had a bit of an accident in my room in my last night in Durban. I slipped in the shower and hit my head getting out. Obviously it’s not ideal. I have had a few stitches on my forehead,” Elgar said on the eve of the second Test against Bangladesh at St George’s Park. “It’s not my proudest moment, but these accidents happen. I seem to be okay. I batted today. It was a concern in terms of where my helmet rests. I…

SHAUWN Mkhize didn’t imagine it would get this big this soon. But now that it’s looking possible with every passing game, she needs a clear head. Greed and the rush of things could lead to Royal AM’s downfall. When the flamboyant tycoon bought the status of Bloemfontein Celtic before the start of the season, all she wanted was a seat at the table. Money was not a problem, so losing the court case for automatic promotion couldn’t stand in her way either. Being the president of a top-flight side appeared to be all that she cared about, at first. So much so that the relocation of the club from Mangaung to Pietermaritzburg wasn’t seamless. Players were reportedly not cared for as they allegedly lived under dire situations at the clubhouse.…

THE DEPARTMENT of Mineral Resources and Energy’s launch of the sixth bid window (BW6) of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme this week has been met with a mixed reaction by industry players, with some saying it is no longer a level playfield. An independent analyst, who declined to be named, said the tariffs had become far too low to be completive generally. “There are specific entities now lined up to take over the contracts because of the criteria,” he said, adding that only bidders with deep pockets and connections could compete at that level. “With previous bid windows, the price factors have been very low, but from bid window 5, the factors have been about 90 percent price and 10 percent of other factors…

ACTRESS Mampho Brescia is starring in the remake of Eraser Reborn. Brescia will play the role of US Marshal Rhodes in the remake of the 1996 blockbuster which originally starred Arnold Schwarzenegger and Vanessa Williams. The film is set to be released in South Africa by June. Eraser Reborn was filmed in Cape Town during the Covid-19 pandemic last year. Brescia, who features in the film as the director of the US Marshal services, said shooting at that time and preparing for the role was demanding and gruelling. “The level of details required was on another level. I had to engage with former high-ranking US Marshals to really get under their skin, and then spent weeks just to perfect my US accent,” said Brescia. Produced by Warner Bros. and directed…

Personal items that once belonged to the iconic comedic actress Betty White, including a gold watch from her mother, are set to go up for auction. Awards, paintings, scripts, jewellery and red carpet outfits from the homes of the Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Golden Girls actress are to be knocked down by Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills. White died last year at the age of 99. “This is an auction representing an incredible life and career. It’s a lifestyle auction,” said the auction house. | Reuters…

THE Gauteng Department of Education has been lambasted for “abusing power” after it summarily fired a teacher while no evidence proved her guilt. Nonhlanhla Madonsela was fired from her teaching post at Motjoli Primary School in Klipspruit, Soweto, on May 18 last year after an internal disciplinary hearing. She faced a charge of committing fraud by giving Grade 3 learners fraudulent marks for English and Mathematics in the 2018 final exam. Madonsela dragged the department to the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) to have her dismissal overturned on grounds that it was both substantively and procedurally unfair. She submitted that she was effectively axed on a charge that she was not charged for, as the fraud charge could not be sustained by any evidence. The charge for which she was…

THE PUSH Ashley Audrain Loot.co.za (R172) PENGUIN A tense, page-turning psychological drama about the making and breaking of a family – and a woman whose experience of motherhood is nothing at all what she hoped for and everything she feared. Blythe Connor is determined that she will be the warm, comforting mother to her new baby Violet that she herself never had. But in the thick of motherhood’s exhausting early days, Blythe becomes convinced that something is wrong with her daughter – she doesn’t behave like most children do. Or is it all in Blythe’s head? Her husband, Fox, says she’s imagining things. The more Fox dismisses her fears, the more Blythe begins to question her own sanity, and the more we begin to question what Blythe is telling us…

The Gosling Girl Jacqueline Roy Loot.co.za (R225) Simon & Schuster MICHELLE Cameron’s name is associated with the most abhorrent of crimes. A child who lured a younger child away from her parents and to her death, she is known as the black girl who murdered a little white girl; evil incarnate according to the media. As the book opens, she has done her time, and has been released as a young woman with a new identity to start her life again. When another shocking death occurs, Michelle is the first in the frame. Brought into the police station to answer questions around a suspicious death, it is only a matter of time until the press find out who she is now and where she lives and set about destroying her…

THE menace of gender-based violence (GBV) is sadly still a battle South Africa is yet to win. Although no country stands free of crime, it is no secret that however beautiful our country may be, filled with its rich culture and heritage, we are ranked as one of the highest when it comes to violence and acts of criminality. We are surrounded by headlines of death, trauma and even suicide following acts of GBV. This has much to say about our right to life as stipulated in the Constitution. Where will the turning point be if these acts are not addressed and our existing actions against GBV continue to fail us? Will we meet again at an open grave and a sombre funeral to bid farewell to our loved ones?…

When the story of the Putin regime’s illegal invasion and destruction of Ukraine regime is written, certain facts will be etched into the history books. First, history will show that Russian President Vladimir Putin was a liar. He lied to the world that he would not invade Ukraine. He lied to the Russian people, claiming that the incursion was not an invasion but a military exercise. He lied to the Russian people that his forces were niether attacking nor killing Ukrainian citizens. He lied about the reasons for his murderous attack on his neighbouring country, citing nonsensical fairy tales. History will judge Putin harshly. The legacy he leaves will have the final word when the truth about him unfolds and he’s judged by his own people. Putin has turned Russia…

The use of our maternity services by our neighbouring countries, eating into our miserable, extremely inadequate health budget, must be something very concerning for the government, and should explain why our own health services are on the verge of collapse. But, there is a deafening silence, except where there are attempts to sweep the problem under the carpet. Financial considerations aside, this also adds strain to the overstretched health professionals and is a recipe for undesirable health outcomes. Provision of sufficient human and material resources for good functional health care cannot be overemphasised – it is the ultimate crucial measure for successful prevention of medical negligence claims. I have often wondered what other implications this unprecedented migration of pregnant women has for our country; a question perhaps only legal experts…

An “acting” appointment is defined as a position filled on a temporary basis to replace a regular unclassified employee on leave. The expectation is that the regular employee will be returning to his/her regular position in the future, according to the Oregon State University definition. A country, a city, businesses, and government need good leaders and when acting in a position one cannot fulfil his true potential. Countries around the world are beset with leadership problems. In West Africa, Mali’s transitional government, which took power in a 2020 military coup, is battling the insurgency of rebels and mercenaries. France is also holding elections on Sunday to choose a new leader. Sri Lanka’s president Gotabaya Rajapaksa lost his parliamentary majority following days of protest. In South Africa, Diepsloot residents took to…

The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season is expected to see four major hurricanes with sustained winds of at least 178km/h, forecasters at Colorado State University said yesterday. A total of 19 tropical storms with winds of at least 63km/h and nine hurricanes with winds of at least 74km/h are forecast to appear in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. The average for tropical cyclones in the Atlantic between 1991 and 2020 is seven hurricanes, three of them major, and 14 tropical storms. | Reuters…

SPRINGBOK veteran Jannie du Plessis will pack down against his former franchise when the Lions face the Sharks at Kings Park in Durban this weekend. The prop comes in for Carlu Sadie, who was injured against Edinburgh late in the first half last weekend. It will be Du Plessis’ first game in the United Rugby Championship for the Joburgers since their victory over the Stormers in December – perhaps a positive omen as they chase a fifth victory on the trot. In the other change to the front row, Sti Sithole returns to the starting XV, swapping with JP Smith, who drops to the bench. In every other position, the team remains consistent, retaining the players who gutsed it out against a powerful Scottish outfit. There are a handful of…

Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker didn’t even have a marriage licence when they turned up at the One Love Wedding Chapel. The 42-year-old star and Barker, 46, never planned to tie the knot when they turned up at the One Love Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas on Monday. A source told People: “They had a great time in Las Vegas. The wedding was a cute last-minute celebration of their love. It wasn’t planned and they didn’t have a marriage licence. “It was Travis’s idea and Kourtney was excited. They are planning a small wedding for later this year. This was a fun practice run.” Kardashian recently posted some photos of the ceremony on her Instagram account. She wrote: “Once upon a time in a land far, far away (Las Vegas)…

Hope reigned in the family of Selina Kokolosi, who lost her nose, lip, and ears when three pit bull terriers savaged her. Following a heartbreaking article published by The Star’s sister paper, the Daily News on Monday, detailing Kokolosi’s plight, good Samaritans have started initiatives aimed at assisting the woman in her costly reconstructive surgical process. The 47-year-old grandmother spent weeks in intensive care after she was rushed from Potchefstroom to Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, where doctors saved her life. Kokolosi, who worked as a domestic helper at the home of her bosses, Chandre Van der Linde and Marno Moster, was savaged by their dogs – that were on the loose at the time. Plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr Bruce Lelala offered to assist Kokolosi and invited her to…

THE HEIST MEN Andrew Brown Loot.co.za (R199) PENGUIN CAPE Town is experiencing a wave of skilfully executed cash-in-transit heists, and Captain Eberard Februarie is brought in to crack the case. There are few leads to go on, and the gang always seems to be a step ahead of the cops, raising suspicions of a leak from the inside. Andile Xaba lives a double life, leading a crew of heist men and hiding his activities from his girlfriend and mother. He knows the police are on his tail, and when a job goes wrong, fault lines start emerging in the gang. They cannot afford any more mistakes. In this new crime thriller, Andrew Brown pits his haunted detective against the most elusive enemy he has yet faced. While dealing with his…

Run For the Love of Life Erica Terblanche Quickfox Publishing SINCE the start of the Covid pandemic, hundreds of books have been written on how better to manage our lives and how to navigate the troubled waters of death, devastation and general unsettlement. Just under two weeks ago, at the Fleur du Cap awards, there were not many dry eyes as the organisers paid tribute to those who have died in the past two years. And just this past week, on a more personal level, I was devastated to hear of the passing of colleague Achmat Samuels, one of the most genial, helpful people ever, who was always ready to assist on IT problems. How to carry on amid the global pandemic and the war in Ukraine – where millions…

RESIDENTS of Jeppestown and adjacent communities will soon have an opportunity to gather in a space to keep fit and healthy. Families, social groups, and sports teams in the area now have a place to host home ground tournaments in Oval Park and Bertha Solomon Recreation Centre. The Johannesburg Development Agency is implementing this project as part of the Eastern Gateway Precinct master plan and as a way of easing the strain on limited open spaces and parks as a result of the increase in the population in the inner city. The existing Bertha Solomon Recreational Centre is a heritage building, and the community centre was opened in 1949. The upgrades include an outdoor gym, soccer fields, playgrounds, a community vegetable garden, minor works to the three buildings to be…

LOCAL singer-songwriter Nomfundo Moh Ngcobo has been selected to be part of global streaming giant Spotify for the EQUAL Africa programme aimed at spotlighting female artists in Africa. The 21-year-old received this major accolade after releasing her Afropop album titled Amagama in January. Ngcobo joins popular music star DBN Gogo as the second South African artist chosen to be part of the platform’s flagship programme that amplifies the voices of talented African women. The star from KwaZulu-Natal expressed gratitude and encouraged women to grab all the opportunities given to them. “Being part of Spotify’s EQUAL programme shows me that my talent as a woman is recognised and that there are people who are willing to help me, people who see my vision and ambition,” said Ngcobo. Spotify’s head of music…

Yashoda Ram may go down as the curator who ended the reign of terror of the Prudential Authority (PA) on black business. So far, the Reserve Bank and the PA have used curatorship successfully to reverse all the gains of transformation in the banking and financial services industry. There are three black insurance companies that have been liquidated or are being liquidated, and 3Sixty Life is the fourth target of the PA. The other companies are New Era (absorbed into Limpopo Development Co-operation), Bophelo Life and NestLife of Vusi Sithole. The appointment of Ram as curator for 3Sixty Life was supposed to result in 3Sixty Life following on the same route towards liquidations, and she is not following through with that mandate of the PA. Then there is the case…

Human Rights Watch yesterday said Greece was using suspected migrants as proxies to illegally push back fellow asylum seekers at its land border with Turkey. “Greek security forces are employing third country nationals, men who appear to be of Middle Eastern or South Asian origin, to push asylum seekers back,” it said in a report. HRW said asylum seekers had been handed over to “masked men” and forced to cross the river back to the Turkish side after being stripped of their possessions. | AFP…

The UN General Assembly yesterday suspended Russia from the UN Human Rights Council over reports of “gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights” by invading Russian troops in Ukraine. The US-led push garnered 93 votes in favour, while 24 countries voted no and 58 countries abstained. A two-thirds majority of voting members – abstentions do not count – was needed to suspend Russia from the 47-member council. The countries voting against included China, Iran, the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan and communist Cuba, Russia itself, Belarus and Syria. Despite pressure from Moscow for a no vote, several African countries only abstained, such as South Africa and Senegal. Also abstaining were Brazil, Mexico and India. Suspensions are rare. Libya was suspended in 2011 because of violence against protesters by…