Índex per 2023-06-09 a Star

THE extension of the validity of Zimbabwean exemption permits by a further six months will enable them settled in South Africa to apply for substantive work visas and also help avoid bureaucratic and legal chaos for Pretoria. Dr Stephen Chan, a professor of world politics, said: “The permit extension saves chaos in Zimbabwe which is going to the polls to choose a new administration in August. “Zimbabwe is also tipping deeper into economic chaos, with prices rocketing, and its local unit of exchange free-falling after the country’s reserve bank adopted a ‘market determined’ exchange rate regime this week. “The permit extension means no huge influx of returnees before the election. An extra six months, that is, until the end of 2023, basically to avoid bureaucratic and legal chaos. “But that…

If you plan to leave South Africa, it is in your best interest to gather evidence of your intention to establish a life in another country as you will need to prove to the SA Revenue Service (Sars )that it is your end goal to permanently emigrate from South Africa. You cannot prove this on the day of your departure and should do so before your next tax return. This way, you have the opportunity to check if you can truly make the other country home before informing Sars. Bear in mind that the exact number of days you spend in each country is important, especially if you plan to frequently travel back to South Africa. We suggest you keep your visits to South Africa to a minimum before you…

THE Hawks are investigating a chief director of the Free State Education Department. Thato Nthunya caught the Hawks’ attention when his net salary of R55 000 seemed to enable him to obtain a Mercedes V-class 300d, a BMW X5, a Ford Wildtrak and a Mini Cooper. The Star’s sources in the Hawks have revealed that Nthunya bought two houses for R2.5 million each but sold one for R800 000, meaning that the house could have been bought by someone else, for Thato. The Hawks are investigating who the buyer is and why the person would buy a government director a house. The Hawks believe that the investments in property are actually a government-backed operation between Nthunya and his younger brother, Olefile Nthunya, born on August 19, 1989. The younger…

A 44-YEAR-OLD man has been sentenced to two life terms after he was convicted of raping his 6-year-old biological son on two occasions. National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson Monica Nyuswa said both incidents occurred in 2020 in Standerton, Mpumalanga, at the Sakhile location. “The first incident happened when his mother was outside doing laundry. The accused took the victim to the bedroom and sexually violated him. The complainant informed his mother that he was bleeding when he was going to the toilet, and the mother thought that he got injured because he is a boy and he played rough,” said Nyuswa. She said that the second assault took place while both parents were drinking, and he then took the boy to the bedroom and sexually violated him. “His mother walked…

High Court Judge Anthony Millar is expected to deliver his judgment on the application by acting Mpumalanga Director of Public Prosecutions Matric Luphondo to declare his prosecution unlawful on Tuesday. This, after Luphondo’s legal counsel, Danie Dorfling, notified the court yesterday that they would be bringing an application challenging the decision to prosecute Luphondo, as it was not personally signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) as the policy directs. Dorfling told the court that the only thing present was a letter from the DPP instructing the lower court’s prosecutor that the matter was to be transferred from the lower court to the high court along with the indictment. However, even that letter had not been signed by the DPP himself and was instead signed off by the chief…

Mamkhize: My World My Rules Amanda Ngudle Loot (R651) African Perspectives Shauwn “MaMkhize” Mkhize is a larger than life personality who, like her father and brother before her, is loved and misunderstood in equal measure. Her combination of political and business acumen runs in her family, as does her ability to garner the sometimes-grudging admiration of those who have followed her rise to fame and fortune. In her memoir, MaMkhize: My World, My Rules, she shares the details of her cloistered but privileged childhood, which was torn apart by the assassination of her father and the subsequent quest by her brother to avenge his death. She tells the story of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission from her unique vantage point, as a family member of a victim. As a young…

Lost property Megan Choritz Loot (R215) Melinda Ferguson Books A dark and devastating secret lies at the heart of Megan Choritz’s debut novel. Choritz is a South-African born playwright writer and director. In 2020, her rhyming children’s book, The Big Bird Battle, was published. It is a rare sunny winter’s Sunday. I am scratching around in the tiny patch of garden. Snails have eaten what was left of the flat-leafed parsley, leaving silver trails along the grass and wall. Mark sits on the wooden bench up against the front of the house. He is on his laptop, but not really into it, calling out to me to come and look at this cute puppy video, at that silly cat thing. He is waiting for the Grand Prix to start and…

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday blasted the Tshwane Municipality for its failure to maintain the Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment Wlant – linked to the deadly cholera outbreak – despite the fact that residents continued to pay for their council services every month. Ramaphosa spoke while visiting the Hammanskraal area to assess the impact of the outbreak. He addressed people at Temba Stadium. “Money comes in but not all of it is used to maintain the plant. This is the first mistake, that there hasn’t been proper maintenance,” Ramaphosa charged. He also found fault with the municipality for not adhering to directives by the Department of Water and Sanitation to fix the Rooiwal plant. “The national department even went to court and the municipality couldn’t even listen to the court, either,” Ramaphosa told…

IT’S OFTEN easy to complete tasks of your work when you look at it as a calling, where you don’t make too much of an effort to get it done. It brings a sense of uniqueness and you are able to preserve your own style in whatever you do. This attitude is carried by 40-year-old singer, songwriter and guitarist Ntshikiwane Raphesu. Originally from Solomondale, a small township outside Polokwane in Limpopo, Raphesu now plies her calling in Pretoria. Although she was inspired by legendary US guitarist Tracy Chapman, she said she didn’t need to be convinced to get into music as she grew up in a musical family. “So I didn’t need much inspiration. My late father was a singer and pianist. He didn’t pursue it professionally but that’s where…

IN the aftermath of a strike by workers at one of the country’s largest banana producers nearly 16 years ago, during which the farm was damaged and a worker seriously injured – while the police did nothing – the court said the SAPS could not simply sit back with its arms folded. “When a crime is imminent and foreseen, it is expected of the police to take action, and they are duty bound to maintain law and order including when called to attend to a strike,” the court said. The Minister of Police turned to the Supreme Court of Appeal to challenge an earlier order that the SAPS was liable for the multi-millions in damages suffered by the owners of Umbhaba Estates in Mpumalanga. Besides for the farm’s damages,…

Paul Tournier, the Swiss physician and counsellor, wrote an article titled Orphans Lead the World. He cited the following people who were orphaned but were catapulted into greatness: Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, George Washington, Napoleon, Queen Victoria, Hitler, Lenin, Stalin and Castro. Being an orphan is devastating and emotionally depleting. How does one comfort orphans through songs and prayer whose mother passed away a year ago and the father who suffered a heart attack during a funeral service in Limpopo over the weekend? He waved his children goodbye after he said a short prayer and promised to see them the following day but came back in a coffin. The children’s first reaction to the catastrophic news was, “No, it is not true, we have just lost our mother recently”.…

Spain will appeal to President Emmanuel Macron’s ambition to make the EU a “third pole” in world affairs in its bid to secure vital French backing for a stalled EU trade deal with South America, according to three senior government and diplomatic sources. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez believes he has a window of opportunity to revive the Mercosur free trade agreement (FTA), which has been frozen for four years, during Spain’s forthcoming presidency of the EU because of his close relationships with Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Argentine President Alberto Fernandez, government and diplomatic sources said. Sanchez, who will be campaigning for re-election at home, plans to announce the next steps at a regional summit on July 17-18 as his presidency of the EU begins, according…

Washington: An El Nino climate phenomenon has arrived, raising fears of extreme weather records, scientists at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said yesterday. Marked by warmer surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean near the equator, the weather pattern last occurred in 2018-19. Australia said it would deliver drier days to a country prone to bush fires, while Japan said a developing El Nino was partly responsible for its warmest spring. El Nino has a suppressive effect on hurricanes in the Atlantic, but increased activity in the Pacific. | AFP…

ERLING Haaland has been backed to dominate the Champions League for years to come as the record-breaking Manchester City striker aims to fire his team to treble glory in tomorrow’s final against Inter Milan in Istanbul (9pm kick-off). Haaland has taken the Premier League by storm in his first season, scoring 52 goals in all competitions since signing from Borussia Dortmund. The 22-year-old fuelled City’s successful bid to overhaul Arsenal in the title race before Pep Guardiola’s side completed the second leg of the treble with their FA Cup final victory against Manchester United last Saturday. City are firm favourites to win the Champions League for the first time when they face Inter in Istanbul this weekend. That would make City only the second English club after United in 1999…

SOUTH African football icon Benni McCarthy is fresh off a fairly successful first season in his new coaching position at English giants Manchester United. The former Orlando Pirates striker shared his assessment of his former side’s 2022/23 campaign in which they won the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup. The outspoken McCarthy said that although the club’s efforts were commendable, it still wasn’t good enough as they finished second in the Premiership, 16 points behind Mamelodi Sundowns. “You play all year to win the league … So winning the MTN8 Cup is great, winning the Nedbank Cup is also great, but I think the big one that you chase is the league,” he told the Marawa Sports Worldwide radio show. “I think they’ve had a great season, but by their standards that’s…

FROM South Africa Under-19 colours to training with the Lions’ senior men’s team, 17-year-old left-arm fast bowler Kwena Maphaka has been called up to the South Africa A squad to replace the injured Lutho Sipamla. The first time the world was introduced to Maphaka was during the 2022 Under-19 World Cup in the West Indies, where a 15-year-old Maphaka showcased his skills. Pundits who were covering that tournament took note of Maphaka’s raw pace and were in awe of his composure in the high-pressure competition. The last 18 months saw Maphaka and his SA U19 teammates win the Division Two CSA T20 Knockout tournament in East London, beating professional teams with relative ease. Maphaka played a crucial role in that success and since then he has joined the Lions senior…

Michael J Fox has insisted he does not have a “weepy sad life” despite his Parkinson’s disease. The 61-year-old actor was diagnosed with the brain disorder – which causes uncontrollable movements, such as shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and co-ordination – when he was 30 but insisted whie collecting the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2023 Spring Moving Image Awards that he still has “so many great things” in life, including his wife Tracy Pollan and their children. He said: “I have so many great things in my life, Tracy and Aquinnah and Schuyler, and Sam and Esmé who aren’t here. I don’t know. “I don’t have a weepy, sad life. This thing happened, which really sucked, but it put me in a position to do other things that…

Bidders Choice Auctioneers will be hosting the auction of a deceased estate in Benoni. The Four Degrees conference centre and wedding venue at 85 Leopard Road, Zesfontein, Benoni, is set to go under the hammer. The property comprises: Two restaurants Function hall, seating approximately 1000 people Four private lounges Chapel Three gazebos Outdoor covered entertainment stage Servant quarters x 7 Furniture and equipment will be included in the sale. The auction will take place onsite on June 27. Bids can also be placed online. Bidding will open on June 23 at 8am and bids will close on June 27 from 11.15am. Viewing is on June 20 from 12pm to 3pm. For more information, please contact Johan on 082 452 2040. To register for the auction, visit www.bidderschoice.co.za. |…

The Public Servants Association (PSA) has condemned the suspension of dozens of employees at the Government Printing Works (GPW). The GPW, as a component of government, provides printing services to all spheres of government. It operates as a factory with printing machines and equipment. As a production and manufacturing company, it is thus compelled, in terms of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), to provide and maintain a safe working environment without putting employees at risk. According to the PSA, this includes providing employees with personal protective equipment (PPE) to minimise risks. Such PPE items that must be provided to employees include safety shoes, overalls, gloves, ear plugs, and gloves to protect them against harmful chemicals, noise, paper cuts, sharp blades and heavy-metal equipment. “GPW employees have, however, been…

Guide to Seabirds of Southern Africa Peter Ryan Loot (R199) Struik Nature Apart from the ubiquitous seagull there are a wealth of seabirds that inhabit our coastline and this updated and expanded edition is a wonderful reference book to the vast array of feathered inhabitants that you’ll find all over our shores. It is an invaluable guide for frequent visitors to the (less populated) beaches and hikers who traverse the many shorelines in and around our city and further afield. Through the accompanying photos, this volume is dedicated to their identification and biology. Seabirds can best be described as birds that derive most of their food from the oceans – included are many you will be familiar with: penguins, albatrosses, gulls, terns, gannets, petrels, shearwaters, boobies (which have nothing to…

The Wind Knows My Name Isabel Allende Loot (R279) Bloomsbury Vienna, 1938. Samuel Adler is six years old when his father disappears during Kristallnacht – the night their family loses everything. As her child’s safety seems ever harder to guarantee, Samuel’s mother secures a spot for him on the last Kindertransport train out of Nazi-occupied Austria to England. He boards alone, carrying nothing but a change of clothes and his violin. Arizona, 2019. Eight decades later, Anita Diaz and her mother board another train, fleeing looming danger in El Salvador and seeking refuge in the United States. But their arrival coincides with the new family separation policy, and seven-year-old Anita finds herself alone at a camp in Nogales. She escapes her tenuous reality through her trips to Azabahar, a magical…

The SACP in Gauteng will take to the streets of Tshwane on June 16 when it will demand that an inquest be held into the death of its former general secretary, Chris Hani. The party said it would be marching to the Department of Correctional Services to hand over a memorandum regarding the inquest. The SACP said it was continuing driving its campaign for an inquest into the assassination of the struggle icon 30 years ago. “This push is with the hope that a detailed inquest will uncover several unanswered questions, including the role of many people who were left off the hook in the assassination, including the masterminds behind it,” the party said. Polish immigrant Janusz Walus was convicted of the killing and released on parole in November last…

A 42-year-old man is expected to appear before the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court in Limpopo, after his arrest by the Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation members for alleged fraud. “The Hawks team received information from the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) about someone who was allegedly practising as a medical doctor without the licence in Polokwane,” Hawks spokesperson in Limpopo, Lieutenant-Colonel Matimba Maluleke said. “The team tactically visited the surgery and found the suspect treating patients as if allowed by the law. “After failing to produce the licence to practice as a medical doctor, the suspect was placed under arrest,” he said. Earlier, the HPCSA said a joint operation was conducted by the council in conjunction with SAPS and the Hawks in Limpopo. “Investigation resulted in the arrest…

Miss Hilary is offering music fans a peek into her musical universe by expressing Africanness, which, according to her, is inspired by her culture and history. Having been part of the world’s best festivals, performing with major artists and showcasing her talent to the world, she wants to continue making an impact on young lives through different projects. Tinyiko Hilary Khoza, fondly known as Miss Hilary, launched her career on February 25, 2023, and that’s when her solo career officially began. Her flair for music started in high school in 2014, when she sang in the school choir. She then started recording in the Tsonga traditional music genre with her family as a group called Mabrazil. She said her debut single, Pandza, was ignited by her passion for music. “I…

It is surprising that outrage and alarm has not greeted the implications of the ANC’s latest racist proposals (Business Report, June 2) concerning licences to use and store water. Or have people become inured to the progressive marginalisation of minorities? As the recent racist Employment Equity legislation demonstrated, the motive is always euphemistically expressed as “transformation”. Now, the ANC requires applicants for water-use licences to allocate 75% of shares in their business to black people. Once again, the typical communist objective here is to exploit race as a means of extending control and marginalising enterprising autonomy. The deterrent effect on the growth of business enterprise and investment is obvious, particularly where dams, irrigation of food crops and general farming are concerned. It is, of course, just another blatant departure…

South Africans are witnessing a historic global development with the Brics 2023 summit being hosted in this country. Last week, the Friends of Brics gathering was held in Cape Town. The precursor to the main event, set to take place in Johannesburg in August, was a meeting of the foreign ministers of BRICS – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Also present at the gathering were delegations from Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Comoros, Gabon and Kazakhstan; while Egypt, Argentina, Bangladesh, Guinea-Bissau and Indonesia attended virtually. The participating nations are a group of developing countries seeking cooperation, collaboration and multilaterlism in the bloc. An alternative to the current world order in which the US and European Union exert disproportionate control over geopolitics,…

RAMALLAH: Clashes erupted after Israeli forces raided the city of Ramallah in the West Bank yesterday in what the military said was an operation to demolish the house of a Palestinian accused of a Jerusalem double-bombing last year. The Palestinian health ministry said at least 35 people were wounded. A large military convoy arrived in Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian government in the West Bank, leading hundreds of Palestinians to gather in the area. Some Palestinian youths hurled stones at the Israeli soldiers, who fired live bullets, stun grenades and tear gas at the crowd. Bins that were set on fire blocked roads as ambulance sirens wailed. | Reuters…

Kabul: At least 11 people were killed yesterday by a blast at a funeral service for an Afghan acting provincial governor. Islamic State said they were responsible. The interior ministry said the blast at the funeral for the acting governor of the north-eastern Badakhshan province injured more than 30 people gathered for a mosque service honouring Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi. IS has emerged as the biggest security threat to the Taliban rulers of Afghanistan, who have vowed to prevent the nation from being a staging ground for international attacks. | AFP…

LIVERPOOL signed Argentine World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton yesterday for a fee that could rise to a reported £55 million. The 24-year-old is the first piece in a midfield rebuild for Liverpool, who finished a disappointing fifth in the Premier League. “It feels amazing,” said Mac Allister, who is understood to have signed a five-year deal at Anfield. “It’s a dream come true. It’s amazing to be here and I can’t wait to get started. “I wanted to be in from the first day of pre-season, so it’s good that everything is done. I’m looking forward to meeting my teammates. “It was a fantastic year for me – World Cup, what we achieved with Brighton & Hove Albion – but now it’s time to think about Liverpool…

FIFPRO, the global representative body for professional footballers, has advised foreign players against signing for Egyptian clubs because of what they alleged are frequent contractual disputes and abusive behaviour by club officials. In a statement that triggered a strongly-worded response from the Egyptian Football Association (EFA), Fifpro said a player moving to a club in the country had “a high chance of resulting in legal proceedings”. “In recent times Fifpro has seen a spike in labour conflicts in Egypt, concerning both the non-payment of salaries and abusive behaviour such as the confiscation of passports, forgery, and blackmail,” the statement read. The body warned players against handing over their passports to club officials, even if told it was required to obtain a residency or work permit, as the retention of travel…

WHEN Vladimir Kotov completed the 2012 Comrades Marathon in a time of five hours, 48 minutes and 12 seconds to break his previous masters (50-59 years) record from four years earlier by a good 30 seconds, it was generally agreed that the record would stand forever. They said no 50-year-old could ever run faster than that. They said the Belarusian was a man-machine. They were not exaggerating. After all, Kotov had won the Comrades three times, and all of those victories were as a veteran (40-49 years). After another splendid run to finish 28th overall in his 13th race, the former winner of both the Eindhoven and Belgrade Marathons had seemingly set a mark that would outlive him. The fastest anyone 50 and over has run since then was a…

Two rulings against (unnamed) banks recorded in the latest annual report of the Ombudssman for Banking Services show that customers often fall through the cracks of banks’ automated systems, especially when it comes to the repayment of debt. In the first case, the bank clearly transgressed consumer-protection laws governing credit; in the second, the ambiguous wording of the terms and conditions of a housing loan resulted in higher costs for the borrower. Case 1: ‘In duplum’ and prescription Mr A lodged a complaint with the ombudssman on the grounds of reckless lending, but it turned out the real issue was that his loan had sat idle on the bank’s books for more than three years accumulating interest without any intervention by the bank to prevent the balance from rocketing to…

Bidders Choice and Park Village Auctions are inviting interested parties to submit offers on a copper plant and various properties. Bosasa Properties (Pty) Ltd and African Global Operations (Pty) Ltd are in liquidation and their assets set to go under the hammer. Lot 1 features property with a combined extent of ±9.28HA and comprises: Hostel buildings New warehouse Storerooms Workshops Offices A former fish factory Residential units Lot 2 is a copper plant (not fully commissioned) and features: Upcast type lk/32 8-20k-32 continuous casting plant 32X8mm copper rod high conductivity and oxygen-free product 250Kva control panel and 700kva control panel Heat exchanger Plant for water reticulation Water cooling towers Various compressors and transformers Weigh bridge Offers can be submitted individually or combined as follows: Lot 1: Property Lot 2: Copper…

How to be a revolutionary CA Davids Loot (R229) Umuzi There are many books about apartheid South Africa, many being discarded as “too much, too many”. But reading CA Davids’ novel How to be a Revolutionary is not in that genre even with its activism, Struggle, politics, tragedy and the TRC. She has brought into sharp perspective the melding of past and present, the influence that “being a revolutionary” has on a future life and how so many strive to bury the past in order to live in the present. I remember Carol Ann some years ago – her writing was being shaped – and now, when I read this extraordinary novel I was struck by her innovative use of words to describe the scenes and settings of a story…

The Messenger Megan Davis Loot (R229) Zaffre Wealthy and privileged, Alex has an easy path to success in the Parisian elite his father mingles with. But the two have never seen eye to eye. Desperate to escape the increasingly suffocating atmosphere of their apartment, Alex seeks freedom on the streets, where his new-found friend Sami teaches him how to survive. But everything has a price – and one night of rebellion changes their lives forever. A simple plan to steal money takes a sinister turn when Alex’s father is found dead. Despite protesting their innocence, both boys are imprisoned for murder. Seven years later, Alex is released from prison with a single purpose: to discover who really killed his father. Yet, as he searches for answers and atones for the…

Ayanda Ncwane, who has gained recognition as a TV personality, reality TV star, author, music executive and philanthropist, has now revealed her decision to embrace a new role as a minister of the gospel. In an announcement on her YouTube channel, The Real Housewives of Durban star recounted the moment she came “face to face with death”, which led to her decision to accept her “calling” from God. “On April 19, 2023, I found myself in hospital. Early hours of that day, it was 2am, I had an encounter in the spirit realm – a giant being came over towards my bed. It pressed me and whispered in my ears, ‘I'm going to collect your soul, you’re dying today’,” recalled Ncwane. “You cannot explain that feeling unless you go through…

THE speaker of council, Mncedi Ndzwanana, has come good on the promise he made during Palesa Malatji’s funeral on Saturday in Soshanguve. He had promised the family and the community of Soshanguve that he would ensure the park behind Echibini Secondary School, where Palesa was murdered, was cleaned and that the street lights in the area were repaired, so there was no opportunity for criminals to hide out and wait for their next victim. Malatji’s sexually assaulted body was found near the school after she failed to return home from extra classes. On Monday, the Office of the Speaker was immediately in contact with the head of the metro’s Region 1 and requested the park be cleaned and that street lights in and around the park were working. On Wednesday,…

THE father of a final-year student at the University of the Witwatersrand and his daughter failed in their legal bid for the student to graduate at the graduation ceremony and register for a Bachelor of Education Honours degree until all her student fees have been paid. The father is said to be in arrears of about R100 000 towards his daughter’s university fees. While acknowledging that he is behind in paying his daughter’s fees, the father, only identified as Mr M, turned to the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg in a bid to force the university to give his daughter her degree. He also wanted an order that she could enrol now for her Honours degree next year. Ms M successfully finalised her studies but the university refused to…

African countries are increasingly engaging in intra-regional and global trade, promoting economic growth and discovering new opportunities. The establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has further enhanced trade prospects but still requires work to see its potential fully realised. Recently, the IMF said intracontinental trade could grow by 53% if steps are taken to remove trade barriers and improve logistics. To promote partnerships and new trade opportunities across the continent and the globe, the Southern African International Trade Exhibition (Saitex) is the primary multi-sector trade expo for domestic and international importers and exporters to gather, explore, evaluate, and capitalise on trade opportunities within Africa. “Be entertained and inspired at this year’s show, almost in its 30th year,” said Evan Schiff, the portfolio director for food, hospitality, and…

One of the interesting things leading up to the highly anticipated Hollywoodbets Durban July is the major platform allotted to young designers to exhibit their crafts. As we count down just a few weeks to this lifestyle affair set to happen on July 1 at the Hollywoodbets Greyville Racecourse, designers have been showcasing their designs. Previewing the glitz and glamour of this year’s theme, “Out of This World”, fashion design students gave starry-eyed fashion. The 25 semi-finalists will display their work at Gateway on June 14, where 10 finalists will be announced. These top 10 will show off their interpretations at the Hollywoodbets Durban July Fashion Experience Preview Gala on June 23, and on stage at the Hollywoodbets Durban July, where the top three student designers will be unveiled. The…

Any conversation around AI will remain a hot topic for some time, and with that comes a high level of noise that can both overwhelm and distract us from the facts. One thing is certain – commercially, we are in an AI bubble. Any machine learning graduate will tell you that the golden rule to machine learning is this: only use it if you have to. However, I do believe it is absolutely the next platform shift, and that it will fundamentally change the way a number of companies operate. In fact, it could change the way entire industries are run. Conway’s Law states that any organisation that designs a system will produce a design whose structure is a copy of the organisation’s communication structure. AI’s participation and influence in…

Emfuleni residents’ electricity crisis is far from over because the DA in Emfuleni has not yet received any feedback from the petition handed over to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) seven months ago. The petition seeks to address Eskom’s failure to replace broken and faulty transformers in areas where they supply electricity in Emfuleni. Some of these areas have been without electricity for more than five years. Furthermore, the DA has been reliably informed Eskom is forcing the affected residents to pay R500 per household to fix broken and faulty transformers. Since handing over the petition to the NCOP, the DA has not received any acknowledgement letter or any feedback on the progress made on this petition. Emfuleni residents and businesses are suffering because of this prolonged electricity crisis,…

KHARTOUM: About 300 children have been evacuated from a state-run orphanage in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, where dozens of orphans were found last month to have died since mid-April due to fighting between rival military factions. The International Committee of the Red Cross said the children, aged between 1 and 15, had been taken to a safer location in Wad Madani, 200km south-east of Khartoum. At least 50 children have died at the orphanage since April 15, mainly as a result of malnourishment, dehydration and infections as most staff were kept away by the fighting, an official said. | Reuters…

NEW DELHI: India’s foreign minister S Jaishanka yesterday hit out at Canada for allowing a float in a parade depicting the 1984 assassination of Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi by her bodyguards, perceived to be glorification of violence by Sikh separatists. Canada’s High Commissioner for India also condemned the incident in the Canadian city of Brampton. Indira Gandhi was assassinated in New Delhi in 1984 by two Sikh bodyguards after she allowed the storming of the holiest Sikh temple, aimed at flushing out Sikh separatists. | AFP…