Índex per 2023-02-03 a Star

CONSULTING Engineers South Africa (Cesa) yesterday called on the government to commit to increased and informed spending on infrastructure as a key economic driver ahead of the State of the Nation Address (Sona) this month. Olu Soluade, president of Cesa, as he presented his theme “Make a Difference by Collaborating for Change” for 2023 at its presidential media address yesterday, said the government needed to overcome the current supply chain and procurement issues as well as the skills challenges the country faced. He said: “The pace at which this is happening needs to be accelerated when one considers the urgency needed.” Soluade added: “Cesa’s hope is that with the government’s focus on professionalising the State that we will start to see the right people with the requisite skills, experience…

Several political parties have expressed intense criticism against the idea of declaring a state of disaster over the ongoing power crisis. ATM president Vuyo Zungula was among the leaders who openly denounced the government, arguing declaring a state of disaster for energy was not an answer to load shedding. “Eskom must be put under administration with a multi-party committee as overseer,” said Zungula on Twitter. Good secretary-general and member of Parliament Brett Herron said the president needed to take sensible decisions. “The reality is declaring a disaster will not miraculously enable Eskom to manage our power stations and stop load shedding; to do that requires engineering and management skills. “The idea that a state of disaster will provide the government with a tool to speed up the procurement of energy…

NO TICKET, no claim. This was the verdict of the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, in a damages claim by a train commuter against Prasa for injuries sustained when he was pushed off a moving train. Mamelodi resident Gabriel Bhiya instituted the claim against the rail agency as he argued it had a duty towards him to ensure his safety as a paying commuter. Bhiya testified that he was a regular commuter on a morning train from his home in Mamelodi East to Midstream, Centurion, where he was employed. He said that in October 2016, he had been in possession of a ticket when he boarded the train at the station at Mamelodi on his way to work. At one stage, he stood up and moved towards the door to…

A bus driver has been arrested and charged after he was caught assaulting a pupil,17, on a bus. The assault, which took place in full view of other pupils, all of them in school uniform, was filmed with a cellphone camera. In the clip, the pupil, who attends Hanover Farm School near Bulfonteinin in the Lejweleputswa District of the Free State, is seen boarding the bus. The driver gets up from his seat. Using his leg and arms, he tries to push the boy out of the bus. The teenager says something to the driver and refuses to leave the bus. He then punches the driver, who retaliates. The pair scuffle while other pupils shout in the background. The teenager realises he has blood on his face and he lunges…

LACE Up for Cancer is back and, with it, people’s opportunity to get involved and make a difference. After a pause during the pandemic, the NGO Hospice Palliative Care Association (HPCA) in collaboration with the Cancer Alliance and the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), announced their leading sponsor, Life Healthcare, whose support is making the revival of this event possible. The family-friendly affair will take place on tomorrow at the Anura wine estate in Klapmuts, Stellenbosch. It includes a 3km and 5km walk and a 10km run. While raising funds to support the three-partner organisations, the event also provides an important platform to raise awareness across South Africa about cancer and the access to the vital care needed. “The Cancer Alliance banner brings together all the cancer non-profit organisations…

Exclusive Books is featuring books on all kinds of love this month – romantic, parental and self-love – even the love of characters and personalities. One of the books featured is Jay Shetty’s Eight Rules of Love – How to Find It, Keep It, and Let It Go. In Shetty’s book, he offers a revelatory guide to every stage of romance, drawing on ancient wisdom and new science. Instead of presenting love as a concept or a collection of clichés, he lays out actionable steps to help you develop the skills to practise and nurture love better than ever before. Inspired by Vedic wisdom and modern science, he tackles the entire relationship cycle, from first dates to moving in together to breaking up and starting over. Another novel is Closer…

A runaway queen. A reluctant prince. And a quest that may destroy them both. Eight years have passed since the Battle of the Serpent. But in the icy north, Lady Nore of the Court of Teeth has reclaimed the Ice Needle Citadel. There she is using an ancient relic to create monsters of stick and snow who will do her bidding and exact her revenge. Suren, child queen of the Court of Teeth, and the one person with power over her mother, fled to the human world, where she lives feral in the woods. Lonely, and still haunted by the merciless torments she endured in the Court of Teeth, she bides her time by releasing mortals from foolish bargains. She believes herself forgotten until the storm hag Bogdana chases her…

Healing Your Thyroid Naturally is a no-nonsense guide about the impact of food and diets on healing your thyroid. Dr Emily Lipinski, a doctor of naturopathic medicine, incorporates the latest research in thyroid health and provides easy dietary guidance to help you on your journey to thyroid balance. With chapters such as “The Iodine Debate”, “Food Sensitivities” and “Going Gluten Free”, “Healing your Thyroid Naturally” highlights many topics that are integral to understanding how food impacts thyroid health. Through her own journey with hypothyroidism, Lipinski learned that healing the thyroid requires much more than just medication. Combining her medical background with her love of food and passion for natural approaches she has helped herself, and countless patients to regain control over their thyroid problems.…

Iqbal Jassat of the Media Review Network, a pro-Palestinian organisation, writing an article in this newspaper titled “Media should not protect Israel” (February 1), refers. One wonders what media he refers to? Other than one community publication, almost all printed and electronic media in South Africa most certainly don’t “protect” Israel. It can be stated without contradiction that the SA media is among the most hostile towards Israel in the world. Jassat quotes Archbishop Tutu who once said, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor … ” Isn’t it South Africa, Jassat’s own country, whose “neutrality” has been echoed for almost a year since Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine? His foreign minister, Naledi Pandor, has never missed an opportunity to attack…

WASHINGTON: A group of US Senate Democrats will introduce legislation yesterday directing the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to create rules banning the marketing of firearms to children, including the JR-15, which has become a target of gun control advocates. The planned legislation comes after Democrats called on the FTC to probe the marketing techniques of gun manufacturer Wee 1 Tactical, maker of the JR-15 .22 Long Rifle. The similarly named AR-15-style rifle has been used in a number of deadly shootings in the US in recent years. The bill has slim chance of becoming law as Republicans control the House. | Reuters…

ORLANDO Pirates have their sights set on playing African football next season and to do what they need to end the season among the Premiership leaders. Pirates started the season on high by winning the MTN8 knockout crown, but they struggled late in 2022 and early in 2023 in the Premiership. However, the Sea Robbers have since turned the tide, winning their last three games in a row, although they remain out of the title race. The Buccaneers currently trail leaders Mamelodi Sundowns by 24 points, with only 12 games left to play in the season. So, with the title all but in cabinet at Chloorkop for a sixth successive term, teams such as Pirates are chasing second spot. Should Pirates achieve that finish, that would guarantee them a return…

THE RAND rallied to a two-week high against the US dollar yesterday as the greenback fell to its lowest levels in more than nine months after the US Federal Reserve (Fed) rates decision ignited hopes that its tightening cycle may be nearing its end. The domestic currency lifted by more than 1% to dip below R17 to R16.97 against the dollar at 3.30pm, its strongest since January 16, having closed around R17.15 to the dollar on Wednesday on a terrible week for the rand as it nearly touched R17.50 on Tuesday. As expected, the US Fed delivered a smaller 25 basis point rate hike to take the range between 4.5% to 4.75% per annum, its highest since October 2007. Fed chairperson Jerome Powell delivered a message that acknowledged the stabilisation…

Legendary musician Suthukazi Arosi will be honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Backing Vocalists and Session Musicians Awards (BVSM), set to take place at the Soweto Theatre on Sunday. The brainchild of music icon Yvonne Chaka Chaka, the Awards recognise backing vocalists and session musicians who for “a long time have been cast in the shadows of the stage, never seen nor acknowledged”. “I am truly honoured to be recognised in this manner for the work I have done over the past four decades,” said Arosi. “I’m very grateful to Yvonne to come up with such a great initiative that recognises the talent and important role backing vocalists and session musicians play in contributing towards some of the country’s greatest hits.” Other Lifetime Achievement recipients are David Mabaso,…

The DA in Ekurhuleni seems to be crumbling, with a number of councillors resigning and more expected to do so. The Star has seen two resignation letters from the chief whip of council, Alderman Khetha Shandu, the chair of an oversight committee and Ward 25 councillor Peter Henning. In Henning’s resignation letter, he claims that the municipality is in trouble and that there has been little service delivery under the minority government in that region. “It has been a very hard decision, and it took me a month to get to this final decision. My health (from being stressed out) has suffered tremendously over the last 12 months, and with the total lack of service delivery and no support from all departments in Ekurhuleni, I cannot fulfil my mandate as…

VIRGIN girls who were gang-raped on a graveyard tombstone next to a school – and whose attacker made them pray afterwards – had to relive the horrific events in the Mbombela High Court in Mpumalanga on Wednesday. Elvis Zulu appeared in court and was convicted on 22 charges, most of them of rape. While Zulu ran a reign of terror across villages next to the Kruger National Park for more than 10 years, he remained a faceless attacker to nearly all of his seven victims. He was eventually caught after one of his victims recognised him. Zulu denied the allegations, but was linked to all the victims via DNA evidence as he did not use a condom. Passing judgment, Judge Takalani Ratshibvumo said fear had gripped residents of Pienaar, Kabokweni…

As the Covid-19 pandemic persists, albeit with less-harrowing effects, the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) has announced its approval of a new oral drug for the treatment of mild to moderate Covid-19 infections, reducing chances of hospitalisation due to the virus. Last week, Sahpra said it had registered Paxlovid, an anti-viral medicine manufactured by Pfizer, for the treatment of Covid-19. Paxlovid consists of two separate medications, Nirmatrelvir (150mg) and Ritonavir (100mg), and is used to treat moderate Covid-19 in adults who do not require supplemental oxygen and are at a high risk of severe disease, the drug regulatory body said. The treatment consists of tablets for a five-day regimen, to be taken morning and evening. Some of the side-effects include hypersensitivity reactions, diarrhoea, vomiting and altered taste. Sahpra…

Mabopane Sports Centre was yesterday packed to the brim for the memorial service of musician Vusi Ma R5, who was shot and killed on Monday morning. Dubbed the King of Bacardi music, 35-year-old Itumeleng Mosoeu – known as Vusi Ma R5 – burst into the mainstream with hits like Tse Nnyane and Thaba (Ke Chenchitse) a few years ago. His death broke the hearts of many South Africans, who woke up to social media messages that the married father of three was gunned down near a popular hangout spot on the M17 in Soshanguve. By yesterday, his influence was not in question as the young and old, including Tshwane MMC for community and social development Peggy de Bruin, said they did not know about the Bacardi genre until they heard…

THE sex offender cases of Jeffery Epstein and his one-time companion Ghislaine Maxwell drew attention worldwide. Under mysterious circumstances, Epstein was found dead in his prison cell while awaiting trial. Maxwell was found guilty of sex trafficking offences, and in 2022 was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment. In Hunting Ghislaine, highly esteemed investigative journalist, John Sweeney, exposes the truth about her anything but fairy tale life. “Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess who suffered a tragedy, the death of her father, a war hero, a philanthropist, a good man, in suspicious circumstances. “She fled to New York where she made a new life with a brilliant mathematician, Jeffery Epstein… But this is no fairy tale and the book tells the other side of the story, and it’s…

A century-old trunk has been dug up near the railway village of Sterfontein. Inside is the lost journal of Victorian author Elizabeth Tenant – and what appears to be the remains of a child. Michael, a university student recovering from a broken heart, is intrigued by what the journal describes: a scarlet curtain billowing above the desert, covering the entrance to another world. But things become stranger when a line in the journal seems to be connected to Michael and his cosmologist mother, written 100 years before. Without much to go on, Michael travels to the old Karoo hotel where Elizabeth wrote her novel Mirage. Amid talk of omens in the sky, ancient prophecies and the end of the world, he tries to decipher the journal’s secrets. As one mystery…

Ignorance is not only dangerous but biblically sinful. It finds fertile ground in indoctrination. When your mind is fully ingrained with disinformation you become the worst fool. When the late Brazilian Santos star of 17 years, Pele, scored vital goals and helped his home country win the Fifa World Cup, he had no prior experience of the world stage. Nelson Mandela spent most of his lifetime in prison. He had never been a minister or occupied any government position in South Africa but he performed his presidential duties par excellence. In fact, the performance of his successors, who were deputy presidents before, has deteriorated to the deepest abyss. We are where we are because of experienced ministers, MPs, union leaders, public officials and workers. Experience simply means seniority. That’s why…

Ralf Dahrenndorp, a German sociologist, once said that social change is something ubiquitous. In the South African context, load shedding is being implemented ubiquitously by Eskom and it has no respect for race or social stratification. Last week we received a message that the N14 was a no-go area for motorists due to protest action by the Diepsloot community. During these incidents, motorists are deprived of their freedom of movement. When communities decide to direct their anger to motorists they assume the role of traffic officers by enforcing coercive traffic regulations. Little do these communities realise that when it comes to load shedding all of us are in the same boat. Having your headlights on does not mean that you have access to perpetual electricity supply or you own the…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged EU leaders during talks in Kyiv yesterday to slap more sanctions on Russia, as Moscow’s forces pressed their offensive in eastern Ukraine and fired missiles into the city of Kramatorsk, near the front line. One missile destroyed an apartment building late on Wednesday in Kramatorsk, killing at least three people and wounding 18, police said, while Russia said yesterday that it had struck US-made rocket launchers in the area. The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, pledged more EU aid for Ukraine as she arrived in Kyiv by train along with more than a dozen other senior EU officials for two days of talks seen as key to Ukraine’s hopes of one day joining the bloc. The West has imposed sweeping sanctions…

BEIJING: China, the third country to put a man in space after the Soviet Union and US, is to build ground stations on Antarctica to back its network of ocean monitoring satellites, state media said yesterday. China’s global network of ground stations to support a growing number of satellites and outer space ambitions has drawn concern from some nations that it could be used for espionage. China rejects this. China Aerospace Science and Technology Group is to build the stations at the Zhongshan research base, one of two Chinese research stations on Antarctica, after winning the tender with its 43.95 million yuan (R111m) bid. | Reuters…

A SERIES of emails between “king of kwaito” Arthur Mafokate and his management team shows a trail of squabbles over music gigs and money. This has come to the surface after Mafokate claimed to be under attack by his old friends and business partners. Two weeks ago, 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 properties believed to be proceeds from monies received from National Lottery development projects. In March last year, a friend and colleague of Mafokate wrote: “If you don’t give me the R1 million I’ll go to the cops. You think I don’t know your sponsors. I’ll go the Hawks and newspapers you’ll be finished.” According…

Multitudes of residents from various corners of the country have expressed frustration over the lack of service delivery in their communities, compelling some to take to the streets in hopes of getting urgent intervention. Videos of burning tyres and barricaded roads have become common as scores of residents call for swift measures from the government. Disgruntled community members from Mpophomeni in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, Letsemeng Municipality in Petrusburg in the Free State, Enoch Mgijima Municipality in the Eastern Cape, Boksburg, Kroonstad, Phoenix, Vhembe District Municipality in Limpopo and Khayelitsha in Cape Town are just a few areas reported to have resorted to protests. The predominant issues in these protests were lack of service delivery, continued blackouts and lack of water supply. As a result of load shedding, many communities have…

Patriotic Alliance (PA) deputy president Kenny Kunene said he would do his best to serve the residents of Johannesburg in his new portfolio as MMC for Roads and Transport in the City of Johannesburg. Yesterday, newly-minted Johannesburg mayor Thapelo Amad announced Kunene as the political head of the Roads and Transport portfolio. Kunene was expected to use his new portfolio to prove that the PA can lead. His party was also preparing him for the provincial and national elections next year, with Kunene being presented as the PA’s premier candidate for Gauteng. “This is about showing servant leadership and true commitment to a very important portfolio,” he said. Kunene was expected to donate his salary as an MMC to the poor. He told The Star that he understands the…

The South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg ruled an ex-wife should not be held liable for debts incurred by her ex-husband and his partners while operating their business. The two were married in community of property and the husband had a business as a director while the ex-wife was a teacher. Creditors of the company obtained default judgment and issued warrants of execution against the ex-husband and his co-directors. They were held personally liable for debt of more than R10.9 million and another bill which was over R59 000 after their company collapsed. The ex-husband then sought leave to appeal from the Supreme Court of Appeal but the application was also dismissed with costs. He also failed to make the necessary payments as he was ordered. The creditors later launched…

With the sun setting later and rising earlier during the summer months, UCT Sleep Science director Dr Dale Rae said this will impact your mood during the day and your sleeping patterns and behaviour. Rae said there were two main aspects that control sleep. The first is the longer you stay awake the more energy you need to recover when you sleep, and the second relates to people’s circadian rhythms, which are the natural cycle of the physical, mental, and behaviour changes that the body goes through in a 24-hour cycle. The matter of longer days and shorter nights informed the second. Cape Town Weather Office forecaster Surprise Mhlongo said: “The sunset is mostly just before 8pm in summer months and close to 6pm during the other seasons of the…

Last Sunday one of my daughters and I went to Green Point to have an evening drink. We sat and looked out over the sea, and suddenly I was struck by the number of container ships in the bay stacked high and waiting to come into the harbour to dock. Struck because during Covid lockdown there were no ships coming into harbour, the restaurants that were fairly full of people would have been standing locked and empty, some would survive and reopen, some not. In Lucy by the Sea, Elizabeth Strout takes us back to living in a time of lockdown. It’s March 2020 and Lucy’s ex-husband, William, begs her to flee New York as the pandemic sets in, and go to Maine to a coastal house he has rented…

Eating well should be one of life’s pleasures, but for many people this is not the case. Struggles with weight, nutrition-related health issues and low self-esteem can result in food being condemned as an “enemy”, to be conquered at all costs. Nicci Robertson understands, and she uses her personal experience to guide readers towards improved health and well-being by taking a different approach to nutrition. In Thrive, she explains how to exchange bad habits for better ones, recognise and eliminate stress factors that can contribute to lifestyle diseases, and understand the role that proteins, carbs, fats, fibre and water play in keeping us healthy. She also unpacks some common nutrition facts and myths. Her message is clear throughout: when you eat the right foods in the right quantities, your body…

My Father’s House Joseph O’Connor Late one night in December 1943, a woman drives a Daimler quickly through the streets of Rome. In the passenger seat, a black-clad man. In the back, a man in German uniform, groaning in agony. They arrive at a hospital where a sullen orderly with a flashlight in one hand and a flick-knife in the other looks at the patient, then scoffs and spits at the woman’s request to help him. The man in black steps out of the car and opens his raincoat to reveal a priest’s collar. His garb is genuine. But the patient’s Nazi uniform is a disguise: he is in fact an escaped British prisoner. Joseph O’Connor’s latest novel, My Father’s House, begins with a potent blend of excitement, suspense and…

On a recent visit to the Kruger National Park, all the negativity we are experiencing as a country disappeared without a trace. The entry gates we used were taken care of by friendly, competent men and women, employed by the parks department. The camps were spotless and the service at the various eateries above average. The dirt roads had been levelled and graded, making the journey for any type of vehicle, an absolute pleasure. The recent rains had led to awesome vegetation growing abundantly, allowing the herbivores to feed to their hearts’ content, while the carnivores licked their lips in anticipation, of some great feeding. The Kruger Park remains an important tourist destination for the country and thus should always be kept in pristine condition. It’s a haven of tranquillity,…

Seoul: North Korea said yesterday it will take the “toughest reaction” to the US’ move to expand joint military exercises with South Korea. The North’s warning came US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited Seoul earlier this week for talks with his South Korean counterpart and said there would be more deployments of strategic assets, including F-22 and F-35 jets, to Seoul in order to deter Pyongyang’s evolving military threats. Pyongyang’s Foreign Ministry claimed the US has been driving the security situation on the Korean Peninsula toward an “extreme red-line” and is pushing to spur further tensions through joint military drills of larger scale and scope with South Korea. | IANS…

Ankara: Turkey will not approve Sweden’s bid to join Nato as long as it continues to allow Qur’an-burning protests, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, adding that his country looked positively on Finland’s application for membership of the military alliance. Ankara’s backlash against Stockholm’s Nato bid comes after the latter’s permission for recent protests involving Qur’an burning in the Nordic country, as well as extradition of people affiliated with anti-Turkey groups. Sweden and Finland submitted requests to join Nato last year which were initially opposed by Turkey, an alliance member. | IANS…

Royal AM have confirmed that they have reappointed John Maduka as their head coach. The move sees Maduka returning to the club which he led to an impressive third-place finish in the Premiership last season. Despite having led the Durban-based club to the CAF Confederation Cup, Maduka sensationally parted ways with the club at the end of last term, moving to fellow KwaZulu-Natal club Maritzburg United in a move that did not go well, ultimately leading to him being sacked earlier this season. Maduka inherits a Royal AM side clearly not playing as well as they were last season. They find themselves in 12th position in the league with 21 points and just three points clear of the relegation zone. Maduka still has time to turn the club’s fortunes around…

WARREN Gatland is unlikely to produce an instant Six Nations Grand Slam in his second stint as Wales head coach as he did the first time, but former back-rower Alix Popham said the team “will kick on in the right direction”. Gatland had a highly successful 12-year spell garnering four Six Nations titles, including three Grand Slams, before stepping down after the 2019 Rugby World Cup. However, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) turned to the 59-year-old New Zealander again when they sacked his compatriot Wayne Pivac in December after a dire 2022 which yielded just three victories in 12 Tests. Gatland’s first match in charge tomorrow is a tough ask hosting the world’s No 1-ranked side Ireland – arguably the team he least likes due to the manner in which…

WHEN Morocco’s ‘ultras’ crowd into a football stadium, the fan groups full-throated chants, spectacular pyrotechnics and sometimes rowdy and anti-authoritarian antics often steal the show. Casablanca’s stadium rings to the chants of passionate supporters of the city’s Wydad club as they raise coloured placards aloft to form a vast, moving mosaic that spells out their motto, ‘Free souls’. The club’s die-hard fan group, known as the ‘Winners’, has a long-earned reputation for flamboyance, singing, setting off smoke bombs and making their cellphone torches dance collectively like fireflies. Some 10 000 of them regularly pack the north curve of Mohammed V stadium in Morocco’s economic capital, where they have a reputation for drawing more attention than the action on the pitch. Thousands of supporters are expected to put on their carefully…