Índex per 2022-06-07 a Star

Child maintenance defaulters who quit work as a way of dodging their obligations have something coming their way. The South African Law Reform Commission (SALRC), the body responsible for legal reforms in the country, has recommended that the Maintenance Act be amended to allow for attachment of a portion of pension benefits of such defaulters. The same should apply to those retiring or dismissed from work. “It is the Commission’s view that the act should regulate the issue of future maintenance and give the maintenance court the power to make an order for future maintenance,” said the SALRC’s discussion paper, titled The Review of the Maintenance Act. “To make this possible the definition of ‘maintenance order’ in the act needs … to include a provision that should a maintenance debtor…

Mondli Khumalo, 21, is recovering after being in a coma for a week. Khumalo, a former SA Under 19 cricket player was assaulted after a night out on May 29, in Bristol, United Kingdom, where he plays for the North Petherton Cricket Club. Khumalo was attacked after a social affair with his friends and team members after a game they had on Saturday. After parting ways he went to catch a taxi and that is when he was attacked. The chief executive of the KZN Inland Cricket Union in Pietermaritzburg, Jason Sathiaseelan, said Khumalo sustained severe head injuries and has had three operations on the head. “After a tough week in hospital, Mondli is starting to recover and is now in a stable condition. With each day, he is getting…

MORE than 150 women are expected to swell the numbers at Dhlamini Multi- purpose Centre when City of Johannesburg holds its Entrepreneurship and Women Economic Empowerment seminar today. Organised by the City of Johannesburg’s Social Development Department, this seeks to encourage women’s participation in the township-based economy, so they are able to take advantage of the many opportunities available in the city’s economic development plans with the recent passing of the Township Economic Bill as well as the Informal Traders Bill passed by the multiparty leadership in the city council. According to the event’s programme co-ordinator, Litshani Sidimela, the seminar is held in collaboration with the Department of Social Development and its partners, such as Gauteng Economic Development, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Opportunity Centre and the UN’s…

SUCCESSIVE by-elections bring bad news and bad results for the ANC. Last week, this happened again. The DA and the EFF won previously safe ANC wards (in the Northern Cape and on the West Rand) and almost everywhere the governing party suffered severe setbacks. No one was surprised, least of all, the ANC itself. A political party that described itself as the “glorious movement” and appeared impregnable for more than a generation, looks decidedly ropey, poor at governing, riven by faction fighting, enjoying a reputation for corruption, and seemingly doomed to go down to defeat in the next election. If that happens, the reason will be obvious: the ANC is incapable of governing; there is scarcely any aspect of life in South Africa where it is in charge that runs…

Comair has voluntarily suspended and grounded all its operations due to an immense liquidity crisis. It is a heartbreaking tale to recount the meteoric ascent, descent and crash of the well-run airline that had a 40% share of the local aviation market. An airline is in deep trouble, due to a combination of factors which include mismanagement, ill-timed decisions, Covid-19 and a lack of important aircraft maintenance procedures. If the airline is financially defunct, the chances of resurrection are remote. Due to the impact brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, Comair entered into a voluntary business rescue plan on May 5, 2020. Since its inception in 1946, it took pride in the high level of skill among its airline pilot and flight-operation personnel. Its Boeing 737.800 simulator, costing R75…

CRIME statistics always under-report the true extent of the scourge of crime. Some victims of crime do not even bother to report crimes perpetrated against them or their loved ones for various reasons, including lack of confidence in the SAPS. In a democracy where the government is truly accountable to its citizenry, after the police minister had announced those horrifying crime statistics, he should have tendered his resignation or be fired. Alas, not in South Africa. The police minister speaks without shame nor modicum of humility. Instead he was nattily dressed, even donning his trademark Stetson hat, in full knowledge that his job is safe no matter the crime statistics. The police’s dismal performance is a reflection of a poor political leadership by a police minister who lacks the understanding…

Kathmandhu: Teams led by the Nepal Army have collected over 33 tons of waste, including human skeletons, from Mount Everest and three other peaks in a two-month-long cleaning campaign. The cleaning teams involving 92 individuals started their work on April 5 on Everest, Mount Lhotse, Mount Kanchenjunga and Mount Manaslu, which attract climbers from around the world each year. “Our teams collected 33 877kg of waste from the four mountains along with skeletons of two human bodies,” said Himansu Khadka, a Nepal Army Brigadier General. The cleaning teams had sorted out biodegradable (7 227kg) and non-biodegradable waste (26 650kg) and the skeletons recovered from the base camp of Kanchenjunga were handed over to Taplejung district police for identification and cremation. The Nepal Army has been leading the clean campaign since…

Beirut: Lebanon called for US mediation yesterday after the arrival in waters, whose sovereignty Beirut contests, of a vessel intended to start producing gas for Israel. The ship operated by London-listed Energean Plc arrived in the Karish gas field, parts of which are claimed by Lebanon, on Sunday and will commence operations, Energean said. The move drew condemnation from Lebanon’s president and prime minister who agreed yesterday to “invite US envoy Amos Hochstein to Beirut to look into restarting negotiations to demarcate Lebanon’s southern maritime border,” which stalled last May. | AFP…

Dwaine Pretorius is working “on a few different plans and strategies” ahead of the upcoming five-match T20I series against India but is not prepared to show his hand just yet. South Africa’s designated death bowler was clinically efficient at the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates last November, utilising a variety of slower balls and sticking to a line wide outside off-stump. These tactics forced opposition batters to look for boundaries primarily on the off-side, but with a well-set field, it proved hugely effective with Pretorius picking up nine wickets in South Africa’s five matches. Even more importantly to his team’s cause, he conceded less than seven runs to the over. These performances enabled Pretorius to fulfil a career “bucket list” when he was picked up by the…

The final round of the Currie Cup takes place this weekend and there is going to be a nervous jostling for places in the semi-finals, especially for the Sharks, who could end up losing out on the play-offs. In a top-of-the-table clash, the Free State Cheetahs host the Bulls in what amounts to a shoot-out for the No 1 position, which is so valuable because it means hosting a final should the No 1-ranked side win their semi-final. The Cheetahs have a home-ground advantage but they need to get back on the horse after losing two in a row following a long unbeaten run. The Sharks are on a losing streak and have to end it away to Western Province if they hope to squeeze into fourth place at the…

Rafael Nadal would probably not have played any Grand Slam other than the French Open with the chronic foot injury that needed numbing injections in Paris, the 14-time Roland Garros champion said yesterday. The Spaniard’s record-extending triumph on the Paris clay earned him an all-time best 22nd men’s singles major with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 crushing of Norway’s Casper Ruud and put him two titles clear of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. It was the ‘most unexpected’ of his French Open titles, Nadal said yesterday after limping into the scintillating salon of a central Paris hotel. Asked if he would have played any other Grand Slam with the injury that forced him to have injections to numb his foot, Nadal said: “Probably not. “We have been through a lot of…

The duke and duchess of Sussex didn’t attend the Platinum Jubilee Pageant on Sunday. The royal couple recently flew to the UK from their home in the US to attend Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, but were absent from the star-studded London pageant. The news was confirmed before the event when a list of expected attendees from the royal family was released and their names were missing. However, other prominent members of the royal family were present to enjoy the festivities, including the prince of Wales, the duchess of Cornwall, and the duke and duchess of Cambridge. The queen also made an appearance, from the balcony at Buckingham Palace, where she was seen smiling and waving to the crowds. The 96-year-old monarch was joined on the balcony by Prince Charles…

THE ANC’s top leadership in Gauteng is faced with another crisis of disputes over the nomination of candidates for the West Rand regional conference and the party’s provincial conference later this month. The latest headache came after party leaders had to deal with violent protests in its Ekurhuleni and Tshwane regions, whose regional conferences were marred by ugly disputes. In Ekurhuleni its members turned their regional conference two weeks ago into a festival of chairs. Over the weekend, Tshwane almost suffered the same fate when five branches lodged a complaint of list manipulation by the organisers. The outgoing Gauteng chairperson, David Makhura and some of the ANC’s national officials had to intervene to put out the fire. The regional conference had to be delayed for hours until the dispute was…

Last year, we witnessed the South African population divided by the possibility of sending Miss South Africa to Israel to compete for the world pageant title. For years, the South African government has been calling for Israel to be held accountable for the injustices committed against Palestinian civilians. The South African government argued that Miss South Africa’s participation in a competition held in Israel would be the equivalent of condoning the state’s actions and ignoring the atrocities that continue to happen against Palestine. Despite the government’s reluctance Miss South Africa went on to compete for the title of the world in Israel. The implications may have seemed insignificant at the time, but indirectly a precedent was set. If the South African government is relaxing its stance on the Palestine and…

THE Russian Foreign Minister yesterday called the situation around his visit to Serbia unthinkable, saying by closing sky for his plane, the EU and Nato countries deprived Belgrade of the right to pursue an independent foreign policy. Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Serbia’s neighbouring countries had closed their national airspace for the aircraft of the top Russian diplomat, who was expected to pay a visit to Belgrade on June 6-7, thus blocking another channel of communication. Meanwhile, yesterday Ukrainian and Russian troops fought street by street for control of the industrial city of Sievierodonetsk in the pivotal battle of the Kremlin offensive in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region. Which side had the upper hand remained unclear. Russian forces had the numerical advantage and the situation was “difficult”, but Ukraine…

Tunis: Tunisian judges launched a week-long strike yesterday in protest at President Kais Saied’s “interference” in the judiciary, days after he sacked 57 of their colleagues. Saied issued a new decree last week extending his control over the judiciary. On Saturday, four judges’ unions announced a nationwide strike, condemning the president’s “interference in the judiciary”. They accused Saied of laying off judges “without the slightest recourse to disciplinary procedures” . The president had earlier accused some judges of corruption, collusion with political parties and obstruction of justice. | AFP…

Baghdad: An Iraqi court yesterday jailed a British retiree for 15 years for trying to smuggle antiquities he found on holiday, a judgment his family called “tantamount to a death sentence”. His German co-defendant Volker Waldmann, 60, was acquitted. The maximum penalty for the offence is death by hanging but the court decided on a lesser sentence for James Fitton, 66, “because of his advanced age”. Fitton will appeal. The pair were on an organised tour when they were arrested in March at Baghdad airport. Fitton’s baggage had about a dozen stone fragments and pieces of pottery. Fitton’s said, “I didn’t realise taking them was against the law.” | AFP…

PRESSURE is mounting on President Cyril Ramaphosa to provide details on the theft of millions of dollars in cash at his Phala Phala farm in Limpopo in 2020, with UDM leader Bantu Holomisa writing to Parliament calling for an investigation and for him to go on sabbatical leave during the probe. Holomisa yesterday wrote to National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula saying Parliament must investigate allegations that Ramaphosa may be complicit in criminality. He said that Parliament should appoint two or three retired judges to conduct a preliminary investigation into former State Security Agency (SSA) boss Arthur Fraser’s allegations that Ramaphosa had not reported the crime to the police, and had sought to cover up the matter. “These allegations have been greatly destructive of the country’s image, both at home and…

SIX GAUTENG provincial government departments, including Health and Education, incurred unauthorised expenditure of more than R1.6 billion in the last financial year which ended on March 31, 2022. These were the shocking revelations placed before Gauteng’s standing committee of public accounts (Scopa) where the six departments were named. Some of these departments used funds budgeted for savings to buy goods and services. It means that the fact they overspend, the Education Department won’t have money to build new schools and sports grounds; and the Health Department won’t have money for enough medicine at major hospitals. It emerged that as of March 31, six departments within the provincial government incurred unauthorised expenditure as follows: • Economic Development R16.7 million. • Health R653.9m. • Education R935.8m. • Social Development R29m. •…

The reality faced by some South African children was a concern to the Department of Social Development, especially teenage pregnancy. Speaking in KwaMbonambi in Richards Bay recently at the official closing of this year’s Child Protection Week Education and Awareness Campaign, Minister Lindiwe Zulu said it was one thing to have a very good Constitution with all the necessary protection but it was another when they went into communities and saw what children faced. “Today we are closing the week which was opened in the Eastern Cape and the message, in particular, is one where we have to deal with what can we do as government as societies and as communities to deal in particular with teenage pregnancies,” she said. Zulu said that it was a difficult situation where children…

Africa4Palestine is a misnomer if ever there was one. With the exception of a handful of sub-Sahara African states, most forward-thinking states have grown weary of Palestinian victimhood, seeing through the fake news and outright lies of the BDS coalition, are looking to normalise relations with Israel and the enormous benefits this brings to the lives of Africans. An exception to this movement, South Africa and its ANC governing party continues its hostility towards the Jewish state. At a time when the economy is floundering, unemployment is around 34%, youth unemployment 66%, and crime statistics released this last week reveal65 murders and 120 rapes a day, and 3 306 kidnapping cases reported to the police. In a country mired in corruption the ANC looks to deflect these gross…

The growing anger and aggression among school-going children is a matter of great concern. Some learners come to school with the mindset that being rude and aggressive, towards teachers, staff and other learners is fine. This sad reality upsets learning, teaching and the school routine. This type of arrogance and defiance must stop in order for quality education to be delivered by teachers. Bullying, vulgarity and bad manners impacts on schooling. It results in psychological damage and affects the well-being of learners and the broader school community. Bringing about change in a learner’s behaviour should be a priority for all stakeholders, including the parents and guardians of the learners. Teachers are mainly trained to teach the curriculum and offer guidance and not so much to provide solutions to the…

South Africa is currently facing a new wave of infections related to the much higher transmissibility of the omicron Covid-19 variant and its sub-variants. The most recent spike has had similar characteristics as the fourth wave in January 2022: increases in infections have not been accompanied by similar increases in hospitalisations and deaths. These changes present a challenge to policy makers trying to improve vaccine take-up, particularly in vulnerable groups. People more vulnerable to severe illness with Covid-19 include the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions. The South Africa government set a target of getting 67% of the population vaccinated by the end of 2021. But rates have fallen far short of this. As of May 22, 2022 only 31.4% of the population had been vaccinated. Understanding the depth…

London: The British capital was hit yesterday by a subway strike on top of train and flight delays and cancellations that caused travel chaos in Britain following the four-day Platinum Jubilee weekend. Several metro stations were closed after the RMT union called a 24-hour strike in London, prompting authorities to urge commuters to avoid the subway until today. The Eurostar train company linking London to Paris and Brussels said its services faced “big delays” as passport and security checks in London were taking longer. Thousands of travellers struggled to return home after the celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. | AFP…

New York: Elon Musk threatened yesterday to withdraw his bid to buy Twitter, accusing it of failing to provide data on fake accounts, in the latest twist in the Tesla billionaire’s push to acquire the social network. Twitter has committed “a clear material breach” of its “obligations under the merger agreement and Mr Musk reserves ... his right not to consummate the transaction”, according to a document filed with securities regulators. The filing marks an escalation of Musk’s prior statements that have highlighted fake accounts as a threat to his proposed $44 billion (R679bn) deal to take over Twitter. | AFP…

When Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber addressed the media in mid-April, the subtext was that it will be more difficult to be dropped from the Bok squad that has done service since 2019 than it will be to break into it. The reasoning he gave is that time is running out until the 2023 World Cup in France. “We want older, experienced players who are good enough to win the World Cup and then we want some younger guys to push them but they must also have enough experience, at least 10 caps,” Nienaber said. In my opinion, there are three players outside Nienaber’s close-knit group who can meet those requirements before France 2023 and must be involved against Wales, although in the case of one of them, factors outside pure…

It is a massive week for South African rugby as the Stormers and Bulls square up to the might of the Irish in two mouth-watering United Rugby Championship (URC) semi-finals, one in Dublin on Friday night and the other in Cape Town on Saturday. Quite obviously, Stormers coach John Dobson is sitting prettier than his Bulls counterpart Jake White, as they contemplate Ulster at Cape Town Stadium and Leinster at the Aviva Stadium, respectively. This was reflected in their early week utterances, with Dobson saying the Stormers just need to stick to what they do best to have a good chance of winning, while White was almost plaintively appealing to the officials to be kinder to the visiting teams in this competition. You can understand the Bull coach’s trepidation after…

A relieved Joe Root said the England Test captaincy had taken a toll on his personal health after he guided his team to a memorable five-wicket win against New Zealand on Sunday in his first match since relinquishing the role. The 31-year-old stepped down as captain in the aftermath of England’s 1-0 series loss to the West Indies in the Caribbean in March, which came on the heels of a disastrous 4-0 loss against Australia in the Ashes. “It had become a very unhealthy relationship, to be honest – the captaincy and me,” Root said after his unbeaten 115 helped England chase down 277 at Lord’s and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. “It started to really take a bad toll on my own personal health. I couldn’t…