Índex per 2022-12-28 a Star

the film Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody, director Kasi Lemmons’s frustratingly one-note biopic about the pop singer, who died in 2012 at age 48, suffers from an egregiously ironic musical sin: It’s all hooks and no bridges. Despite clocking in at nearly two-and-a-half hours, I Wanna Dance barely scratches the surface of its celestial subject and the figures in her orbit. If you have a favourite Houston performance, expect it to be immaculately re-created on-screen. The tabloid headlines that hounded her are dutifully addressed as well. But even if I Wanna Dance celebrates Houston’s stirring rendition of the national anthem at Super Bowl XXV – as she slows the tempo and luxuriates in the spectacle – Lemmons and screenwriter Anthony McCarten clearly didn’t absorb that showmanship lesson while…

Relatively Famous: Ranch Rules E! Entertainment, DStv channel The ranch hands are tasked with re-shoeing their horses and put their own spin on the job. A health scare makes Ebie question if she is cut out for ranch life and Hana and Austin’s growing chemistry takes a turn when Harry throws his two cents in the mix. Blue Bloods M-Net, DStv channel 101 at 8pm Danny pursues a con artist pretending to be the legendary singer Jimmy Buffett and Frank investigates an impressive police captain who is using her badge to get free wares from local stores. Come Dine With Me South Africa BBC LIFESTYLE, CHANNEL 174 at 8.02pm Four bold and brilliant personalities host each other at their house for a dinner party in the hopes of winning a…

South African teenage carnage is hitting an alarming rate as this festive season has claimed more teen lives. This was highlighted by the visit yesterday of the Joe Gqabi District Commissioner, Major General Lindelwa Vellem, and members of SAPS management to the family of a murdered 16-year-old girl. According to an SAPS statement, the teen leaves a one-year-old baby, the suspect’s child. This follows an alleged racist assault on two teenage boys at a Bloemfontein resort. According to the police, the only charges that could be registered were common assault and crimen injuria. “We want to put it on record that the police never downgraded any crime but worked and were informed by the first statement, as obtained from the complainant. “That was not the end of our investigation,…

Renowned music artist L’vovo Derrango, whose real name is Thokozani Ndlovu, has fallen victim to a death hoax after false news was spread across social media claiming that he had died. This happened a few hours after Big Nuz member Mandla “Mampintsha” Maphumulo was confirmed to have died after suffering a stroke. While the entertainment industry was still coming to terms with the untimely death of Maphumulo, Derrango Records revealed that Ndlovu was hospitalised. Derrango Records confirmed that he was admitted to hospital after suffering a minor stroke. “This is a public notification to media, event promoters, fans, and all relevant stakeholders by Derrango Records on behalf of the multiaward-winning artist by the name of Thomozani Sphamandla Ndlovu, also known as L’vovo Derrango. L’vovo Derrango had suffered a minor stroke…

THE National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has joined forces with Unicef and the WHO to tackle South Africa’s measles outbreak. It has warned that further spread was possible because of the increased movement of people during the holiday season. Front-line health and social workers, and community, faith and civil society leaders, as well as educators and early childhood development practitioners, have been advised to be on high alert for anyone showing symptoms, and to report it to the nearest health facility as soon as possible. The NICD said the number of measles cases in the country continued to rise. Prevention and control of measles outbreaks could be achieved only through vaccination. NICD’s data shows that the Western Cape has reported between one and 10 cases in the Cape Metro.…

LOG leaders Mamelodi Sundowns will be looking to build more daylight between themselves and the chasing pack as they prepare to host fifth-placed Orlando Pirates at Loftus on Friday. The game will be the first taste of action for both teams since the Premiership went on a break during the Qatar World Cup. Rhulani Mokwena’s team go into the game five points clear of second-placed Richards Bay and are on course to claim a record extending sixth consecutive league title. While the consensus among many South African football fans is that Sundowns have not been at their best this season, they have still won their last six league games on the trot. This is testament to the gulf in class that exists between themselves and the rest of the pack.…

NOVAK Djokovic and Rafael Nadal kickstart their 2023 campaigns this week in Adelaide and Sydney respectively, with the superstar veterans and great rivals eyeing up yet more Australian Open glory. With the pair sharing 43 Grand Slam titles between them - Djokovic has 21 and Nadal 22 - the scene is set for an epic showdown at Melbourne Park in January. Nadal is the defending Australian Open champion and Djokovic is a nine-time winner. Djokovic returns Down Under for the first time since being sensationally detained and then deported ahead of the 2022 Australian Open because of his refusal to get vaccinated for Covid-19. He starts his bid for an incredible 10th Australian Open title at the Adelaide International from Sunday, following a troubled and truncated year in which he…

South Africa’s longest-running children’s educational programme, Takalani Sesame, is celebrating a great milestone following its nomination at the 14th Annual Kidscreen Awards in the Preschool Programming category. The awards ceremony is on February 14. It’s a high-profile celebration of children’s content excellence paying tribute to outstanding TV and digital media work that keeps kids and families entertained. Sesame Workshop, the non-profit media and educational organisation behind Sesame Street, has earned 12 nominations at this year’s awards. “Sesame Workshop is thrilled for our very own Takalani Sesame to be part of the 14th Annual Kidscreen Awards in the Preschool Programming category,” said innocent Nkata, managing director of Sesame Workshop South Africa. “It’s gratifying that the ground- breaking programme continues to be recognised as best-in-class in a number of areas, including…

Minister of Police Bheki Cele is on his annual holiday season inspection roadshow in KwaZulu-Natal to warn liquor outlets and those consuming alcohol to abide by the law. The inspections form part of efforts by the SAPS to channel resources to areas where they are most needed. This will enable the police to decisively deal with crime and any security threats this holiday season and beyond. Under the theme “More boots on the ground towards enhanced police visibility,” the national and provincial SAPS as well as the police ministry joined forces and aimed at addressing the issue of crime and security threats this holiday season. Yesterday, the roadshow headed to sections of Pietermaritzburg and Durban after starting in Limpopo on December 5. It culminates in KZN on Saturday. Cele’s message…

About 70% of people living with HIV are in Africa and, according to the Research Foundation to Cure Aids (RFTCA), about 54% of infected people worldwide do not know they are positive. Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla stated during the recent World Aids Day commemorations that last year KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, and the Free State had the highest HIV prevalence rates at 18.3%, 15.9%, and 14.8%, respectively, while the Western Cape had the lowest at 8.3%, followed by the Northern Cape at 10%. “According to research, the majority of our epidemic burden falls on black Africans, with crucial and vulnerable populations being disproportionately excluded from accessing health care. We must never relent in our efforts to stop the spread of the virus,”he said. Phaahla said that the department needed to focus…

The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has found a doctor liable for the brain damage suffered by a man who overdosed on pills and alcohol eight years ago. The SCA dismissed with costs, the appeal by KwaZulu-Natal doctor Sudhir Mohun, and upheld with costs the appeal by the second appellant in the case, Doctors G Sanpersad, R Maharaj & Associates, the medical practice that had supplied Dr Mohun as a locum. The central issue in the appeal was whether the appellants were liable for the brain injury sustained by the man, who was admitted as a patient in the emergency unit of Life Westville Hospital on December 27, 2014. During the appeal, the patient was classed as the first respondent and was represented by advocate Brett Kingsley Phillips. The man,…

Archbishop Thabo Makgoba’s Christmas message, which touched on the Russian/Ukraine conflict, is flawed in this respect. This is chiefly in his call that Africans must support Ukraine because we cannot afford to aspire for freedom when we do not condemn oppression elsewhere. But is this really the case? For one, Ukraine and those former Soviet Union Republics hardly care a hoot about Africa. Since they gained their independence from the Soviet Union, they have shown no interest in this continent. Thus, why should we be emotionally pressured to take their side in their fight with the Russians? That war has nothing to do with Africans – we just suffer as collateral damage. It is a geo-political mess that is between the two states, with Ukraine acting as a proxy for…

A 2.2m black mamba was rescued from a home in Trenance Park recently. Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) spokesperson Prem Balram said that a female black mamba was captured on a property at Hemlock End, Trenance Park, Amaotana, KZN, on Friday afternoon. Balram said that the owner contacted Rusa at about 7.09pm after he spotted the reptile in his yard. Officers were dispatched to the home. “The description given (by the home owner) led Rusa members to believe that the snake was a black mamba. Professional snake rescuer Jason Arnold was contacted and on arrival, he located the 2.2m snake in building blocks stored next to the house,” Balram said. “He captured the reptile, which will be relocated to a more suitable location.” In the video, Arnold said it was…

South Africa will assume the BRICS presidency in 2023 at a time when the world is confronted by growing uncertainties, globally polarising Western unilateralism, the adversities of the conflict in Ukraine and climate change on the back of the Covid-19 pandemic. Both developing and developed economies are faced with rising inflation, with the USA and much of the Western economies facing real prospects of stagflation or recession in 2023. Developing countries, which are the most vulnerable to global economic shocks, will be severely battered by slowing global economic growth as the major donors will tighten expenditure by cutting funding. The adverse impacts of climate change simultaneously spawned unprecedented droughts and floods, while the conflict in Ukraine unleashed unprecedented global insecurity, the threat of possible devastating nuclear war, and global socio-economic…

Like the 2017 national conference, the just-adjourned ANC elective conference has posed a few crucial questions about how KwaZulu-Natal positions itself on critical matters of the ANC leadership and strategy. How do we explain the failure of the KZN ANC to win the presidency of the ANC? How is this generally understood? Does it even matter at all? These questions arise because ANC constituencies have made the election of their representatives as one of seven officials a matter of strategic significance in the internal balance of power. It is because for almost a year now, internal ANC debates and mobilisation have focused on this issue of lobbying for inclusion into the Top 6, which after the adoption of a constitutional amendment at the last conference, has become the Top 7.…

LATE on a near autumn evening in Cape Town, there were two sporting careers unravelling at a rapid rate. Reputations were being tarnished, and leadership positions revoked. It was the seminal moment in both David Warner and Steve Smith’s careers after they had admitted to tampering with the ball in the third Test against South Africa. Much water has flowed under the bridge since that fateful day at Newlands, with Smith having even led Australia again in the preceding series against the West Indies before the Proteas arrived Down Under. Warner, though, has remained the key villain in the “Sandpapergate” scandal and with his form - his last Test century was back in 2020 - having also deserted him over the past two years, the vultures were closing in to…

LAST season Mamelodi Sundowns were unstoppable on their run to the DStv Premiership title, and their rivals were reduced to a speck in their rear-view mirror. The same can't be said this season, even though log leaders Sundowns are five points clear of nearest rivals, rookies Richards Bay, who with 13 games, have played one match more. There is nothing to suggest that Sundowns are unstoppable and in October Orlando Pirates served a reminder that anything is possible after defeating Sundowns 3-0 in the MTN8. Behind Richard Bay is Gavin Hunt's SuperSport United, who produced a strong finish to 2022 and now it seems they are mounting a title challenge from the shadows. Former Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane recently warned that Hunt has “reinvented himself” at SuperSport. He praised SuperSport…

Trevor Noah officially left The Daily Show building on December 8, after seven years. And as part of the “celebratory look back at his greatest moments”, the acclaimed South African TV host and comedian continues to share some of his fondest memories on the show. One of the tear-jerking moments was when an audience member asked the Soweto-born star about his dog Fufi, back in 2018. “How’s Fufi?” asked the woman. “That’s a deep cut … Fufi died,” said Noah. In the throwback video clip, Noah tells how his mother, Patricia Noah, bought home two dogs, Fufi and Panther, and the special relationship that the dogs developed. “I’d never had a dog before, and that was the most amazing thing in the world. Fufi was the dumbest, most beautiful…

Top lawyer, Zola Majavu says he will closely monitor investigations into the reported racial assault at Maselspoort Resort in the Free State. Majavu was speaking during an interview with eNCA after a video went viral on social media showing a group of black teenagers being attacked by white adults at a swimming pool at the Free State resort on Christmas Day. Majavu told the broadcaster that the family of the victims has placed it on record that they are aware that not all white Afrikaners are racist, they do not paint everyone with the same brush. “They have also accepted that upset as they are and understandably so, we need to allow the law to take its course lest we impair the very same investigation that we are hoping will…

Mandla Maphumulo, affectionately known as Mampintsha, has left his fans and loved ones reeling at his untimely death. Maphumulo, who was 40 years old, died on Christmas Eve after a stroke. The Gqom artist had been a household name in the past decade and built his name solidly as he collected many accolades in the entertainment space. Celebrity friends, colleagues, and fans remembered him for his contribution as a member of the popular music group Big Nuz. Afrotainment confirmed his death. “It is with great sadness that we share the news of the untimely passing of the multiaward-winning artist Mampintsha. Born Mandla Maphumulo from uMlazi, KZN, of Big Nuz fame passed on today, December 24.” Afrotainment further requested that his wife Bongekile “Babes Wodumo” Maphumulo be kept in everyone’s prayers…

One might joke the only way to taste whisky is to pour yourself a glass, but there is more to learning to appreciate the flavours of whisky, and it is often easier to learn what you like and dislike by comparing samples side by side. Trying whisky in a tasting setting rather than one by one is a great way to sharpen your palate, compare samples directly, and have fun with friends. In partnership with The Star, the Whiskyshop hosted a whisky tasting competition that saw four people win double tickets valued at R1 100 each. The winners were treated to welcome drinks, finger food, and a top-notch whisky tasting experience. The Whiskyshop is a proudly South African whisky store, launched in 2021 by Brett Jacob and Hector McBeth. The…

The Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF), which was scheduled to take place on March 17 and 18, 2023, has been postponed to the following year. Organisers espAfrika have apologised to all those affected – artists, fans, ticket holders, suppliers, and partners. “It is with sincere regret that esp- Afrika, organisers of the CTIJF announce that the event scheduled to have taken place on March 17 and 18, 2023, has been postponed until February 23 and 24, 2024. “Several factors have influenced this difficult decision. These include a series of unavoidable delays and unforeseen challenges, as well as uncertainties around the future of load shedding, all of which have negatively impacted the planning for 2023. “Consequently, and after consultation with stakeholders, it was felt it was better to reschedule the…

I first saw Nkosinathi Maphumulo, aka Black Coffee, perform at Amaros Night Club in Pretoria during the late 2000s. Dressed in a casual T-shirt, no one would have guessed he was destined for global glory. Beneath strobe lights, bathed in throbbing house music, clashing voices and perspiration, he could have been just like any other struggling deejay on the make. But he seemed impervious to the spectral faces, shapes and vapours swirling across the ceiling, walls and floors. In the middle of the Pretoria club, Black Coffee manned his throne in a scene where everything hangs in the balance between absolute elation and dissolution. Black Coffee isn’t very demonstrative behind the decks. He maintains a cool demeanour – but the entire dance floor is going nuts. At the 64th Grammy…

GIVEN the current form of the Lions and Stormers, it seems like an eternity since the team from Johannesburg shocked the Capetonians on their home turf but it was only a year ago and the Lions will know the job can be done. The Stormers were hugely impressive in dismantling the Bulls last week in Cape Town while the Lions were poor in going down 37-10 to the Sharks in Durban, and it is difficult to predict the Lions pulling off a shock win two years in a row but defence coach Jaque Fourie believes it can be done. But Fourie, who held a press conference yesterday, said the Lions have to front up physically this week after having been tamed by the Sharks. “We got bullied,” Fourie said. “The…

FANS of the Argentine team that claimed football’s ultimate prize in Qatar this month are lining up in Buenos Aires for tattoos of victorious captain Lionel Messi and the World Cup trophy. “For the next two weeks, I have (appointments) exclusively related to the World Cup,” tattoo artist Esteban Vucinovich told AFP in the capital. “Some had already made an appointment for tattoos of snakes or skulls, but they are changing it to Messi or the Cup. I have two or three appointments a day,” he said. The most requested skin art is of the trophy, said Vucinovich, followed by Messi and then goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez who was crucial in the victory of the Albiceleste in the final against France. Many fans are inspired by the body art of Argentine…