Índex per 2023-01-23 a Star

AWARD-winning creator, singer, actor and entrepreneur Nadia Jaftha has raised the bar again and intends to inspire many with the launch of her international new age creative agency called Ace Labs in Dubai. The 30-year-old recently announced the new project, which will help grow the content of creatives. Back from Dubai, Jaftha told IOL Entertainment: “I’ve always wanted to use my platform to inspire, make people smile and now, help other creators grow their brand while building sustainable businesses in the process. “When I started out in this industry, there was no formula, template or textbook that could have guided me to where I am today. “I just knew what I wanted and had to make it happen with the little knowledge I had when I started as an influencer.…

Employees associated with the multiparty coalition in the City of Joburg will allegedly receive a three-month payout should Mayor Mpho Phalatse be voted out of office and the mayoral committee is dissolved. The Star has seen a message sent to members and staff of the multiparty coalition in which they are informed that city manager Bryne Maduka has signed an agreement ensuring that the employees would be looked after for three months after the political leaders vacated office. “Dear colleagues, I trust you are well. Last week, the city manager signed off on the loss of office gratuity report. The remuneration that political staff will receive in three months. The report was noted by the mayoral committee on Tuesday, so we may now communicate on the report. The next step…

GAUTENG Education MEC, Matome Chiloane, has vowed that there would be “consequences” for underperforming schools in the province that received less than 65% in the latest matric exam results. Speaking at the release of the results at the Soshanguve East Secondary School, as he announced the pass rate for the province on Friday, Chiloane said, on a positive note, that just more than 94.1% of schools had performed above the nationally defined benchmark. In the 2021 National Senior Certificate exams, the number of schools that performed above the benchmark stood at 92.6%. Chiloane said although there had been an improvement, the province needed to urgently attend to schools that consistently performed below par. “The issue of underperforming schools must be resolved urgently; 53% of public and independent schools achieved…

How to Sell a Haunted House Grady Hendrix Berkley Tales of terror, by their very nature, take the things we cherish and turn them against us. Grady Hendrix creates a whole new kind of toy-box hell in How to Sell a Haunted House. This ingenious novel is a twisted story of malevolent puppets and dolls that have a problem with real estate deals. This time around, Hendrix – who has written six other novels including Horrorstör – recounts the attack of puppet people that erupts when orphaned siblings Louise and Mark Joyner must work together to empty and sell the family home. If you’ve ever had to sort and discard a loved one’s possessions, you know what a true horror show it can be. And even before the puppets take…

The word poison entered our political lexicon over 75 years ago. Today, the mention of the word in our life creates paranoia across the corridors of power. Poison is today used as an instrument of intimidation and elimination in global politics. In South Africa, it has become a stealthy weapon of coercion and terror. In a period over many decades, leaders in the corridors of power and industry became victims of poison by stealth and deception. For over seven centuries, poisoning has been used, from Socrates to present-day South Africa. Poisons have made their political and social mark throughout history. Our history of poison in politics began during the struggle for independence and democracy. During the Struggle, covering a period of over 75 years, poison became a weapon of warfare,…

The ANC government’s obsession with Israel-bashing precludes us from benefiting from the changing landscape of the Middle East and Africa. The Abraham Accords, where peace and normalisation has been achieved between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, as well as Morocco and Sudan, here in Africa, has effectively ended the Arab-Israeli conflict. The Negev Forum working group recently concluded ground-breaking meetings between these countries. Does South Africa want to lose out on the advantages of these strategic partnerships? Last week, ANC International Relations Committee chairperson Lindiwe Zulu confirmed that the ANC had resolved to not take sides in the Russia-Ukraine war, but it would support China in its dispute with Taiwan. The ANC’s January 8th anniversary statement calls on Western governments to end sanctions on human rights abusers such…

A few days ago, respected PSL coaches Ernst Middendorp of Swallows and four-time league-winning SuperSport United mentor Gavin Hunt said Mamelodi Sundowns had already won the DStv Premiership title, even though it’s only January. Both coaches had front-row seats to make that call after watching Sundowns defeat their teams. On Saturday evening, their views gained momentum after record-breaking Sundowns defeated Kaizer Chiefs to stretch their Premiership winning sequence to 12 consecutive matches. It was a terrific achievement, and the 12-match sequence includes 10 clean sheets. After 18 Premiership matches this season, Sundowns have only conceded a miserly six goals. Sundowns also set the previous benchmark in the 2006/07 season when they won 11 games on the trot, en route to their fifth Premiership title. Since then, the Brazilians have won…

KINSHASA: Pope Francis’s visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo will remind the world not to ignore decades-long conflicts that have beset the mineral-rich nation and wrecked the lives of millions, the Vatican’s envoy to Kinshasa said. Francis is expected to visit Congo from January 31 to February 3. Major preperarations have been under way in the country, home to the largest Roman Catholic community in Africa. “The Congo which receives the Pope today is not the same as the one which welcomed Pope John Paul II 38 years ago,” Ettore Balestrero, the Vatican’s envoy to Kinshasa, told Reuters. | Reuters…

Vuyisa Mqosomba, 29, was recently found dead in Stellenbosch in what seems to be a killing of a driver on Uber. He is one of the few drivers on Uber who have become victims of people targeting e-hailing drivers in townships. This begs the question, what is Uber and Bolt doing about attacks on drivers who are using the platform? As drivers decide to avoid township trips, how should township residents handle the fact that Uber and Bolt may not be available in townships? E-hailing platforms have tried various ways of improving passenger safety but little has been done to protect the driver. Is it impossible to develop a feature on e-hailing platforms to protect drivers? An Uber feature in this case can form part of the app or the…

IDOLS SA season 18 winner Thapelo Molomo had fans puzzled with a recent post of his business venture. Aside from his huge cash prize won on Idols SA and his job as a warrant officer at the SAPS, Molomo added entrepreneur to his CV since he now sells trays of eggs and atchar from the boot of his car. While followers had mixed feelings about his decision to sell eggs, he is not phased by the feedback and has his sights set on expanding his wealth. He captioned his post: “Artchar le Mae guys around Tembisa and Kempton Park and Pta call me will bring for u. #hustle #youthempowerment #CreateYourOwnJob” In the video, Molomo dressed in a white shirt, beige pants and brown cap, is seen delivering eggs from the…

Eskom CEO says in spite of legal actions, it is ‘practically impossible’ to accede to host of demands WHILE Eskom is facing a mountain of legal action from civil society bodies, political parties and individuals, outgoing CEO André de Ruyter said it would be “practically impossible” to execute calls to immediately end load shedding or no tariff increase on a sustainable basis. This, as Eskom is facing several court cases seeking to put a stop to the 18.65% tariff increase by National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa), bring an end to load shedding and hold the government accountable for its failure to provide electricity to the nation. De Ruyter said that legal action was “not taken lightly” and the power utility was taking advice on how to proceed.…

The ANC and other minority parties stand a great chance of voting City of Joburg Mayor Mpho Phalatse out of office at the end of the month after a breakdown in talks between the DA-led multiparty coalition and the Patriotic Alliance (PA). Last week, it was revealed that the PA had been silently negotiating with the multiparty coalition, with talks led by ActionSA leaders Herman Mashaba and Funzi Ngobeni. The talks were supposed to result in the PA joining the multiparty coalition and the protection of Phalatse from being booted out through a motion of no confidence. But it appears the DA’s top leadership scuppered the negotiations, describing the demands made by the PA as ridiculous. PA president Gayton McKenzie told members of his party at the weekend that talks…

IT’S the late Eighties in Strand, a small coastal town south-west of Cape Town. When Johanna, a new maid, arrives at the home of a dominee’s family, nobody imagines she will capture the family in her web of emotional complexity. The narrator daughter develops an ambivalent friendship with the new recruit but Johanna remains an enigma. She is at once mercurial and full of fun, playing children’s games and making mischief, but also has periodic rages, throwing bricks and abusing animals – and eventually turning on the children. After her arrival, Johanna joins a pack of roving neighbourhood children that includes the daughter and her brothers. Together they find a form of belonging and imaginative outlet in the stifling religious community. But when a shift in the political landscape precipitates…

The success of mobile money and the resultant rise of African techpreneurs have catalysed the technology investment scene on the continent. At the recent US-Africa Business Forum, US President Joe Biden announced the Digital Transformation with Africa initiative, which will invest $350 million (about R6 billion) to expand digital access and literacy in Africa. In the past decade, the promise of Africa’s $180bn digital economy started an undersea cable race among Silicon Valley giants to build the region’s internet infrastructure. Africa controls 70% of the world’s $1 trillion mobile money market. It can easily lull you into believing the continent is a land of digital abundance. Being Pollyanna about the explosive growth in mobile payments masks the full magnitude of the digital divide. For instance, compared to other regions in…

THE world is going through a crisis of a dwindling middle class where income gap and wealth disparities reflect a downward spiral in economic and social development. Developed nations have for the last century sustained their economies through a strong middle class serving as a buffer between the super-rich and those on the poverty line. However, as a strong middle-class is threatened by sinking into poverty, these economies are no longer stable. China as an new economic leader with 1.4 billion citizens has to fight the dwindling middle-class phenomenon. How will China close the huge income gaps and disparities between the rich and poor? “Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the Central Committee has given greater weight to gradually achieving the goal of prosperity for all …Only…

PRESIDENT Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ousted the head of Brazil’s army at the weekend, moving against the most senior military officer to be held accountable after the January 8 insurrection when right-wing rioters rampaged through the nation’s halls of power. The order to fire General Júlio Cesar de Arruda was delivered by Lula’s defence minister, José Múcio, according to a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to speak candidly. The removal of Arruda came six days after reports that he had sought to protect rioters and supporters of defeated former president Jair Bolsonaro who were sheltering at a camp in front of army headquarters after storming and ransacking the presidential palace, the supreme court and congress. Lula’s administration has already fired or…

MANILA: The death toll from the floods in the Philippines has reached 35. The number of injured stands at 12, the country’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said yesterday. A total of 1 780 houses have been damaged in the Philippines amid the floods, 548 of them completely destroyed. Nearly 70 cities have experienced power disruptions. More than 300 roads and 65 bridges have been damaged. More than 350 evacuation centres have been set up, currently housing 14 306 people, according to the disaster management agency. | Sputnik…

ENGLISH Championship club Burnley are closing in on the signing of Bafana Bafana attacker Lyle Foster, according to reports. The 22-year-old is set to complete a medical at the club which will see him play under former Manchester City captain and Belgian football legend Vincent Kompany, who now manages Burnley. Burnley have been in brilliant form this season and are currently on course to attain promotion to the Premier League next term as they sit on top of the standings with a five-point advantage over second-place Sheffield United. Burnley have won 18 of their 28 games, which has included winning their last eight consecutive league games. Kompany’s team will be looking to score more goals as they look to strengthen their promotion bid, and Foster could help them achieve their…

THIS is a dazzling, entrancing World War II debut novel about a young girl whose life with a travelling circus is upended when the two people she loves most – her illusionist father and an orphan refugee – suddenly vanish. Two lives collide in a world of secrets. But one secret greater than them all ... is about to tear them apart. At the World of Wonders, Europe’s most magnificent travelling circus, every moment is full of magic, and nothing is as it seems – especially for the people who put on the show. Lena Papadopoulos has never quite found her place within the circus, even as the daughter of the extraordinary headlining illusionist, Theo. Brilliant and curious, Lena yearns for the real-world magic of science and medicine, despite her…

Potholes remain a problem on the country’s roads but motorists can hold local authorities accountable for injuries or damages caused by the obstacles if they can prove their cases. Jaco Schlebush did just that. He turned to the Mpumalanga High Court, sitting in Mbombela, to claim from that province’s Public Works, Roads and Transport MEC. In May 2020, the motorbike he was riding hit a pothole on the R40. He sustained several fractures and was in ICU for weeks. He is still receiving treatment. His protective clothing was damaged. He said he could no longer perform his job as a motorbike mechanic. Schlebush, 40, testified that he was part of a group of bikers travelling down Bulembu Pass on the R40 in Barberton. While descending the second-last sharp bend to…

Arthur Mafokate has received an overwhelming torrent of criticism on social media after he attempted to set the record straight and share his side of the story following allegations of misuse of National Lotteries Commission (NLC) funds that surfaced last week. This came a few days after the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), together with the National Prosecuting Authority’s Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU), obtained a preservation order from the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, to confiscate the properties. They include three luxury properties, a plot, and a portion of a farm that was reportedly linked to the syphoning of lottery grants meant for development projects. It was revealed that Mafokate’s expensive Midrand guest house was also attached. According to City Press, Mafokate received funding to the tune of R9.5 million…

News from Davos, that the elites at the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting regard Africa as “ripe for business creation, integration and expansion”, should be regarded with scep- ticism and concern, particularly as their objective is to “transition to a new single market” (Business Report, January 19). To what extent the initiative is supported by most of Africa’s 54 states is doubtful, given their poor attendance in Davos this year. But what needs to be understood is that the concept of an African continental free trade area, as mapped out by the global CEOs, is going to be anything but free. This becomes apparent when the likes of Black Rock CEO Larry Fink and Citibank CEO Jane Fraser see Africa as “the next big possibility”. Global ownership of South Africa…

Kudzai Chikowore, a Zimbabwean, writing from London, (The Star, January 19) paints an appalling picture of the state of collapse of healthcare services in Zimbabwe, shocking, unbelievable, and irretrievably broken. How could this be allowed to happen? He writes, “As the economic crisis deepens, the health service has undergone a dramatic deterioration, according to doctors across the country. Elective surgery has been abandoned in the central hospitals and even emergency surgery is often dependent on the patients’ relatives (being able) to purchase drugs, suture material and supplies of blood from private sellers. “The number of infants presenting with cerebral palsy is escalating because of failing obstetric services. Pharmacies stand empty and ambulances are grounded for want of fuel and spare parts. More than 4 000 health workers have left since…

South Africa’s democracy is a relatively new one. South Africa is highly celebrated for its constitution but the democratisation process has been slow. Over the past five years, the government has been highly criticised for its inability to promote good governance within governmental institutions. There is a pattern of failure to uphold the principles of democracy such as transparency and accountability, in addition, to struggling to deal with social issues such as poverty, education, crime, and inequality. At the root of all these problems are the issues is corruption and maladministration, which got far worse during the Covid-19 pandemic. Corruption has hindered the ability of the government to fulfil its mandate, which is essential to help address the issues that harmed the quality of life in South Africa. This essay…

Damascus: A building collapsed in Syria’s second city of Aleppo yesterday, killing 16 people including one child, state media reported, adding that rescue efforts were ongoing. The five-storey structure in the city’s Sheikh Maksoud neighbourhood collapsed “due to a water leak in the building’s foundations”, state news agency Sana reported. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the 16 victims were all displaced people from the northern district of Afrin. The Sheikh Maksoud neighbourhood is predominantly inhabited by Syrian Kurds. | AFP…

A New Zealand Sevens tournament that promised so much for the Blitzboks on the first day ended in tatters when they dropped two close results in Hamilton yesterday to finish in a disappointing seventh place. The South Africans also slid down to fourth place on the overall World Rugby Sevens Series standings for the 2023 season. Argentina won the title by beating New Zealand 14-12 in the final, with the hosts moving to the top of the standings. The top four teams automatically qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris at the end of the season. After their clean sweep in their pool on Saturday, which included a win over Argentina, the two defeats yesterday – 22-17 to France and 21-14 to Ireland – came as a disappointment to…

Arsenal restored their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League with Eddie Nketiah scoring twice in a 3-2 defeat of Manchester United, including a 90th-minute winner, in a rip-roaring clash at The Emirates yesterday. It looked as though it would end honours even with United resisting a late Gunners siege but Nketiah tapped in from close range to send the home fans into raptures. A game that fully lived up to expectations saw Marcus Rashford give United the lead with a stunning early opener only for Nketiah to head Arsenal level in a frantic first half. Bukayo Saka’s flashing drive gave Arsenal the lead in the 53rd minute but Lisandro Martinez’s header levelled it up before the hour mark to set up an absorbing finale. Saka struck the…

Kaizer Chiefs’ quest for the championship seems to be over and their focus seems to be qualifying for African football next campaign. After losing back-to-back league games at the start of 2023, Chiefs wanted to get back on track against log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday night. But that wasn’t to be. The runaway champions tightened their grip at the top by beating Chiefs 1-0 thanks to a goal from Neo Maema. Chiefs now trail Downs by 22 points and coach Arthur Zwane singing a different hymn. Instead of believing that Chiefs can close in on the leaders and take the title race down to the wire, Zwane says their focus is qualifying for next season’s continental tournaments. “We really want to go and play in the (CAF) Champions League…

Dragons (5) 25 Tries: Reed, J Williams, Dyer; Conversions: Reed (2); Penalties: Reed, Hanrahan Lions (27) 30 Tries: Q Horn, Van der Merwe; Conversions: Hendrikse; Penalties: Hendrikse (6) THE Lions ended a four-match losing streak when they hung on to beat the Dragons in a Challenge Cup game in the Welsh valleys yesterday, but boy did they make a meal of it. The win means the Joburgers will host a Round of 16 fixture with Parisian club Racing 92, but they will get a hiding from the club Siya Kolisi is to join if they play with the shocking inconsistency they displayed in yesterday’s match. Pardon the cliche, but what a game of two halves as the Lions totally dominated to lead 30-5 only to then be absent from the…