Índex per 2022-06-24 a Star

WESTERN Cape Judge President John Hlophe’s legal team said they were vindicated by the ruling of the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg, which has granted him leave to appeal against his potential impeachment. Barnabus Xulu SC said they were confident the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) would come to a different ruling, but that they also intended taking the Minister of Justice to court for prejudicial treatment relating to costs not being awarded. “We are vindicated by this ruling. We truly believe for the reasons advanced in our application that the SCA will come to a different decision, which eventually will clear our client and give clarity to this long outstanding matter. “The shocking thing is that our client legal team have been refused their fees, whereas the Concourt…

For many (myself included), it is likely that the last time they read a book about the history of this country was at school. So, it was with much interest and curiosity that I approached this collaborative work under the editorship of Herman Giliomee, Bernard Mbenga and Bill Nasson. The history has been written in an approachable style and is beautifully illustrated and presents its fresh look at our past in a way that is easy to digest. With the broad time span of its narrative, the book is weighty in both senses of the word. Some of its forthright content will elicit a response from those who disagree. That is not a bad thing at all, because this history is not a sterile glass-encased museum piece, it is…

Fast Pitch Nic Stone Ages 8 to 12 Twelve-year-old Shenice Lockwood comes from a long line of talented baseball players. Nicknamed “Lightning”, she is carrying on the tradition with her softball skills. Shenice is the catcher and captain of the Fulton Firebirds, the first all-black team in the predominantly white Dixie Youth Softball Association. She’s determined to lead her teammates through tournament season, maybe even to the league championship. But Shenice’s intense focus on the Firebirds gets sidetracked once she meets her great-granduncle Jack for the first time. He tells her about a baseball-related scandal that his late brother – her great-grandfather – was unfairly connected to decades ago. He wants her to clear his brother’s name. Shenice and her parents had never heard about the scandal, but because Uncle…

AS SOUTH Africans are still fired up with the Youth Month, one of the biggest commercial youth radio stations, YFM, will be hosting a celebration of all things lifestyle, music, fashion and entertainment tomorrow at Altitude Beach in Fourways, Joburg. This event will have some of Mzansi’s A-listers taking centre stage in giving those who will be present a memorable and thrilling experience. The line-up of much-loved artists will include Blxckie, Samthing Soweto, Blaq Diamond, Pabi Cooper, K.O, and Felo Le Tee. Y’s leading player, who is popular for her street cred, Ayanda MVP, DJ Venom and DJ Candii are also in the line-up. Managing director of the popular radio station, Haseena Cassim, said they were elated to have this event and spend time with their listeners. “After our brand…

The government is facing legal claims of R147 billion for alleged state health negligence and wrongdoing. Shocking! The amount could collapse the health system that is in a parlous state – lack of or broken equipment, unskilled nurses and so on. The system is overburdened, poorly funded and collapsing, yet it wants to introduce a National Health Insurance fund, forcing those who subscribe to a private medical fund to contribute, thus limiting a citizen’s right to purchase private health care. The wealthy (and politicians) will travel overseas for their medical treatment. This is a blow to medical aid schemes. As it is, there are not enough health professionals to service the fund. The South African Medical Association has predicted that 38% of its members plan to emigrate. Does the government…

“Collapsed.” A “serious situation”. And potentially, a “fall to rock bottom”. Those are some of the ways Sri Lanka’s prime minister described his country’s faltering economy this week as the island nation faces extreme food and fuel shortages. The comments to Parliament from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe came after weeks of turmoil caused by government incompetence, experts say – a dynamic exacerbated by global inflation and supply chain disarray amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the lingering impacts of Covid-19. “We are now facing a far more serious situation beyond the mere shortages of fuel, gas, electricity and food,” Wickremesinghe said. “Our economy has faced a complete collapse.” Sri Lanka, a country of 23 million off the south-eastern coast of India, has essentially had the door to fuel supplies…

Kigali: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson held talks with Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame yesterday on their migrant deal that has provoked a storm of outrage. Both countries have defended the scheme, which involves Britain deporting asylum seekers to the east African country. The two leaders praised the partnership, aimed at “tackling dangerous smuggling gangs while offering people a chance to build a new life”. Johnson also welcomed Rwanda’s “moral stance” on the war in Ukraine, and the two leaders discussed ways to address the fallout from Russia’s invasion. | AFP…

London: British police yesterday said they arrested two Nigerians accused of plotting to bring a child to Britain for organ harvesting. Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu, 55, and Ike Ekweremadu, 60, have been formally charged with conspiracy to facilitate travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting, London’s Metropolitan Police said. The pair appeared in court yesterday. They were taken into custody after an investigation by police, which had been alerted in May 2022 to potential offences under modern slavery legislation. The child was being looked after, the police said. | AFP…

IF you are single and ready to mingle, then you should probably stay away from Qatar and the World Cup later this year. Indeed, if you are a single woman wanting to experience the showpiece event, it would arguably be best to wait for the 2026 edition in North America. This view is largely informed by the recent news that broke this week that a one-night stand could cost you dearly in the small Arabian nation, which is highly conservative and religiously orthodox. Sex is a no go, unless you are married; and if you are caught in the act you could face up to seven years in prison. To be clear, I’m not advocating an orgy of flesh and fluid here, merely the shoulder-shrugging acceptance by Fifa that such…

SEKUNJALO Investment Holdings and associated companies have welcomed Chief Justice Raymond Zondo’s recommendation that banks should be legally prevented from closing accounts as they please. Parts of Justice Zondo’s final report lambasted the banks for rushing to close bank accounts belonging to companies belonging to the Gupta family following email leaks that suggested unlawful activities on the part of Oakbay and other Gupta-related entities. Justice Zondo said although the Guptas were found wanting in their attempts to capture the state, their rights should be protected. “It is therefore recommended that relevant existing legislation governing banks be amended to introduce this requirement of fairness or, if warranted, a new piece of legislation to be enacted which will make this a requirement. The bank would need to afford the client a proper…

In September 2018, Professor Sean Davison’s peaceful life in Pinelands was shattered. Arrested for the murder of Dr Anrich Burger, a quadriplegic who begged Davison to assist him to end his life in 2015, Davison found himself locked up in a prison cell. Under investigation led by the Hawks, an additional two murders are added to the case for which he now faces a mandatory life prison sentence. The Price of Mercy, tracks the extraordinary journey that Davison embarks on to prepare for the gruelling legal challenge that lies ahead. Davison’s battle is made more bearable by his friendship with the late and great Archbishop Desmond Tutu. A book that will change the way you see death.…

It's been 17 months since the Bloodsmith butchered his first victim and Operation Maypole is no nearer to catching him. The media is whipping up a storm, the top brass are demanding results, but the investigation is sinking fast. Now isn’t the time to get distracted with other cases, but Detective Sergeant Lucy McVeigh doesn’t have much choice. When Benedict Strachan was just 11, he hunted down and killed a homeless man. No one’s ever worked out why Benedict did it, but now, after 16 years, he’s back on the streets again – battered, frightened, convinced a shadowy “they” are out to get him, and begging Lucy for help. What if he really is caught up in something bigger and darker than Lucy’s ever dealt with before? What if the…

Bosnia and Herzegovina is facing its worst political crisis since the end of the civil war in 1995. Milorad Dodik, the Serb member of Bosnia’s tripartite presidency, announced this month that the country’s Serb-run entity, Republika Srpska, will quit key state institutions to achieve full autonomy within the country, in violation of the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement. The agreement established Bosnia and Herzegovina’s administrative system, and the country was divided into two entities – a Bosniak-Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Republika Srpska – and headed by a three-member presidency with one from each of the major ethnic groups. Bosnia and Herzegovina is seen as a possible future member of the EU but is not yet an official candidate, and has applied for Nato membership. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Foreign…

The war in Ukraine intensifies with deadly consequences as Russia digs in and Nato pours in arms. China prepares for ultimate combat over Taiwan. North Korea continues to brandish her limited nuclear weapons. Iran prepares for war in the Persian Gulf that could set the entire region ablaze. Across the world, military conflicts are raging unabated, while the UN is powerless to intervene. When you read the news, it seems mankind is always at war somewhere. Throughout the world history, nations, alliances and imperial empires have battled one another. Mankind has practised warfare as a way of life. In the last 3 428 years of recorded history, only 268 have seen no war. This amounts to nearly 13 years of war for every year without war. To anyone who views…

WITHOUT admitting there never was any science in wearing masks, the long overdue decision of the health ministry to abandon the wearing of masks, five months after the practice was scrapped in the UK, deserves no praise. On the contrary, what needs to be appreciated is the extent to which science was ignored over the past two years by power-hungry politicians and the extent to which freedom of association and of choice was unscientifically curtailed and dictated. Be that as it may, the statistics presented by the health ministry on the alleged “spike” in Covid infections, begs a basic question: Were the recent nine deaths cited the result of Covid or were there co-morbidities? Failure to make that distinction has been central to the death claims ascribed to Covid and…

KABUL: Pakistan and Iran have sent aid supplies to Afghanistan in the aftermath of the 6.1-magnitude quake that killed at least 1 000 people in the war-torn nation’s Paktika province. Pakistan’s aid came on the directions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who “showed support to the victims on behalf of the government and people of Pakistan”. The Iranian embassy in Kabul said that Tehran had sent two cargo planes carrying first aid supplies to Afghanistan. The earthquake was deemed to be the deadliest to strike the country in two decades. Tremors were felt as far away as Pakistan and India. | IANS…

DHAKA: Authorities in Bangladesh are bracing for the spread of waterborne diseases and racing to get drinking water to people stranded in their homes by flooding across a quarter of the country, an official said yesterday. Nearly 2 000 rescue teams, along with the army, navy and air force, were trying to reach flood victims in 17 of the country’s 64 districts and bring them water and other supplies, the Department of Disaster Management said. More than 4 000 people have contracted waterborne illnesses in flood-hit districts, with more than half the cases in the Sylhet region. | Reuters…

THE task facing Wales against the Springboks in July has just got tougher with the news that the three-Test series will be played in front of full-capacity crowds. This great news also goes for tomorrow’s Currie Cup final between Griquas and the Pumas and follows the lifting of the government’s restrictions on public events and gatherings. South Africa’s Health Minister, Joe Phaahla, published the latest amendments in the Government Gazette on Wednesday evening. And in related good news, the up to 50 000 fans who will cram into Loftus for the first Test against Wales will not have to wear masks, as this rule has also been scrapped. The decision follows a meeting of the National Coronavirus Command Council, which focused on whether the remaining Covid-19 regulations were still relevant…

UNTIL the last weekend of the Currie Cup pool stages it appeared that the Free State Cheetahs were the champions-elect and that the final would be in Bloemfontein but instead, it is their cousins from Kimberley that are hosting the final and it is the Pumas that will be their opponents tomorrow afternoon (3pm kickoff). The Cheetahs had led the standings from day one and only lost their unbeaten status late in the tournament, and even in the semi-final, they seemed to have the Pumas well beaten only for the men from Nelspruit to fashion a miraculous comeback.Likewise, Griquas shocked the Blue Bulls at Loftus after the team from Pretoria had long seemed destined to be finalists with the Cheetahs. The semi-finals were indeed a mad scramble…

CHIEF Justice Raymond Zondo has criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa for accepting donations from Bosasa and other undisclosed donors despite his denials that he did not know. In Part 5 Volume 2 of his final report on state capture, Justice Zondo said it was concerning that Ramaphosa had known there was corruption emanating from individuals who donated money to the ANC and contestants in the party’s internal campaigns. The report read: “Various ANC leaders have been implicated by witness testimony at the commission. There has also been substantial evidence that the party was a beneficiary of state capture, as it received payments from third parties who are alleged to have corruptly acquired government contracts. In his own statements, Ramaphosa has conceded the existence of corruption, the existence of state capture, and…

It was just supposed to be a family holiday. A terrible accident changed everything. You don’t know what you’re capable of until they come for your family. After moving from a small country town to Seattle, Heather Baxter marries Tom, a widowed doctor with a young son and teenage daughter. A working trip overseas seems like the perfect way to bring the new family together, but once they’re deep in the Australian outback, the jet-lagged and exhausted kids are so over their new mom. When they discover remote Dutch Island, off-limits to outside visitors, the family talk their way on to the ferry, taking a chance on an adventure far from the reach of iPhones and Instagram. But as soon as they set foot on the island, which is run…

Three terrific books for your walk or drive – or for drowning out the sounds of kids home from school for the holidays. One Day I Shall Astonish the World, by Nina Stibbe (Loot.co.za, R500 – 10 hours of audio) Best known for her novel Man at the Helm, Stibbe again shows her tart comic touch in this charmer of a story about an unreliable friendship. While working at a sewing shop in an English university town, Susan Warren meets Norma Pavlou, an ambitious young woman who sews her own clothes – badly. The two become precarious friends, with Norma forever seizing the main chance, often to Susan's detriment. Still, Susan does herself no favours by dropping out of college when she gets pregnant and marries Roy, whose main interest…

BORNE out of the hard lockdown, the Soweto Business and Events Council (Sobec) has established an integrated events directory to revive the fortunes of suppliers, artists and B&Bs in the township post the Covid-19 pandemic. The newly formed non-profit organisation looks to revitalise local businesses in the events and tourism industries, helping them to thrive irrespective of public health restrictions. Sobec chief executive Happy Mehlape says the NPO aims to address challenges faced by township businesses, that affect or hinder the ecosystem of events, including arts, culture and B&Bs across the Joburg region. It is hoped this will assist every business registered with Sobec to comply with legislation and tackle red tape, which has been a barrier for many small businesses trying to get off the ground. “We wish to…

AS STATISTICS identify the high unemployment rate among the youth as one of the grave ills pervasive in South Africa, Metropolitan has made its mark to combat unemployment. In efforts to assist young people to push through this widespread calamity, Metropolitan has partnered with Uber and pioneered a campaign called We’re Here for You(th). With transport and proper clothing counted among the major setbacks affecting young job- seekers, this collaboration has been giving youth candidates the ability to commute to and from job interviews in June and July for free. Metropolitan has also been dressing and preparing the youth for success by providing them with clothing vouchers and interview tips to ensure the youth put their best foot forward on interview day. The Star spoke to the Youth Employment head…

The poignant words of British Attorney General, Hartley William Shawcross, at the Nuremberg Trial in 1946 are worth recalling: “There comes a point when a man must refuse to answer to his leader if he is also to answer to his own conscience.” When I was in matric, I refused to answer to a teacher whose intention was to downgrade me from accountancy higher to standard grade in order to produce a 100% pass rate. I realised that there was a lack of justice in the exercise. I had to answer to my conscience. Had I not defied him, I would not have passed matric with a university exemption. To crown it all, I got a C in accountancy higher grade. I thought the issue of coercing learners into weakening…

CONFLICTED President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday received the final report of the state capture inquiry from Chief Justice Raymond Zondo. Questions abound as to whether Ramaphosa – in light of indications he is implicated – was the right person to receive the much awaited and somehow avowed report. Ramaphosa was the deputy president of the country during the period of the alleged state capture, placing him at an advantaged position to have observed the alleged capture. Question is, what did he do about it? Ramaphosa has shown to be a very indecisive leader. Look no further than his own party, the ANC. Under his presidency, factionalism and corruption have festered in the movement. The Thuma Mina champion has failed to deliver on his many promises. Instead, he has been embroiled…

Yangon: Ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi remained in strong spirits after being transferred from house arrest to prison, a source with knowledge of the case said yesterday, and would “calmly” face her new solitary confinement. Since being deposed in a coup last year, Suu Kyi had been under house arrest at an undisclosed location in Naypyidaw. The Nobel laureate, 77, left those premises only to attend hearings for trials in a junta court that could see her handed a prison sentence of more than 150 years. Future hearings would take place inside a courtroom in the prison compound. Under a previous junta regime, Suu Kyi spent long spells under house arrest in her family mansion in Yangon. In 2009, she spent three months in Yangon’s Insein prison while…

ANKARA: Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid thanked Turkey yesterday for helping foil an Iranian plot to harm Israelis in Istanbul. Turkey detained eight people allegedly working for an Iranian intelligence cell that planned to assassinate Israeli tourists in Istanbul. Israel last week urged its citizens to leave Turkey because of “possible” threats from Iranian operatives. The Islamic republic claimed Israel was responsible for the killing of Revolutionary Guards Colonel Sayyad Khodai in Tehran in May. Iran sent agents to Istanbul to assassinate Israelis in retaliation. | Reuters and AFP…

ORLANDO Pirates is a name revered throughout the continent. The first South African club to capture the ‘star’ on top of their skull and crossbones badge. Also the first club to attain the tag of Double Treble Winners in the local game. The next club to attain both these titles in recent years is Mamelodi Sundowns, the current benchmark of the local game that has clubs like Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs scrambling this transfer window in efforts to mount any challenge for their crown next season. While the Buccaneers have made some movements in terms of exits and recruitments thus far, IOL Sport’s Smiso Msomi highlights five problem areas the club should address. Find Ncikazi Assistance First things first, the Sea Robbers must identify and pin down an individual befitting…

Transgender and non-binary footballers can now decide themselves whether to play for a men’s or women’s team instead of being bound by personal identification data, the German Football Association (DFB) said yesterday. It said the ruling was included in the DFB match regulation for amateurs, the junior regulation and the futsal rulebook. “At its core this ruling says that players with a personal (gender) status that is ‘diverse’ or ‘no reference’ and players who change their gender can take their own decision whether they will be issued an eligibility to play for a men’s or women’s team,” the DFB said. “This is also the case for transgender footballers who can now change (teams) at a moment they decide or can stay on at the team they have been playing for.”…