Índex per 2023-07-17 a Star

With Youth Month having come and gone, as a nation we once again reflected on the plight of South Africa’s young people, from the 1976 uprisings through to the current cohort’s status quo. The recent unemployment statistics have been ventilated across many media platforms and social settings. Fighting for equal rights and political freedom has been replaced with fighting for jobs and economic freedom. The recently released Quarterly Labour Force Survey has put our country’s unemployment rate for the first quarter of 2023 at 32.9% with the rate for youth sitting at a bleak 46.5%. This means that half of our youth are either just sitting at home or wandering the streets, many of them with little to no skills at all, which does not bode well for them or…

From page 1 “The priest said that our home was overtaken by impostors and that Jokobo (Bishop Leonard Modise) was not the real church successor and that we must remove him from Silo (the church’s headquarters) and install Bishop Sandlana. “They said they’d provide the weapons and the transport, and that we must be ready at about 6pm on Saturday. “On Saturday Themba gave us the guns, car keys and money and we waited for food. When the food arrived they said we must all eat the food and no one must not eat; the car keys had Sandalana’s face on them. They told us that he was the rightful heir of the church,” Thusi said. Until now there had been no justice three years after the deaths. Thusi said…

THE tug-of-war over the origins of dance music genre amapiano continues to stir clashes on social media as scores of people weigh in. It’s no secret that the rise of the genre has given birth to superstars who have flourished after introducing this unique sound to the world. As more artists continue to gain recognition, there have been clashes about which country owns amapiano, with South Africans coming out with guns blazing to claim ownership. In the past few years, the much-loved South African dance music has also seen popular artists such as DJ Maphorisa, Kabza De Small and Major League Djz, Uncle Waffles, Njelic, Tyler ICU, Fellow Lee Tee, Daliwonga, Sha Sha, Pabi Cooper, Boohle, Killer Kau, Musa Keys, Lady Du, Mellow, and Sleazy, Busta 929, MFR Souls and…

It happened at the French Open; now it’s happening at Wimbledon: the bloody Ukraine war is spilling over onto the tennis courts. Tennis is a gentleman’s game. Besides the rules of the game, there are rules of conduct and dress. It is customary that when a game is over, the players walk over to the net and shake hands before shaking hands with the umpire. Some even hug each other in a warm embrace. Though there’s fierce rivalry on the court, tennis is not a war but a game of sports to entertain the crowds. Unfortunately, some tennis players don’t seem to realise this and let their national pride get the better of them, even though their country could be the aggressor in a bloody conflict. At the French Open,…

The Gauteng Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC) has no control room to monitor any disaster that might occur, which is putting the lives of residents at risk. This means that in case of disasters such as floods, fires, major road accidents and service delivery protests, the PDMC is not proactive. They will only react after being alerted, which is unacceptable as they are supposed to have proper monitoring in place. Desks stand empty, and no manager is on-site to ensure the PDMC operates efficiently. This is worrying as this centre receives a budget of over R42 million, yet there is nothing to show for it. Furthermore, with the current cold front sweeping across the province, proactive steps must be taken by the PDMC to ensure that any resident who may…

They are cute, furry and cuddly but they could be in danger of dying. South Africa is in the grips of a rabbit haemorrhagic disease outbreak and bunny owners are urged, with extreme urgency, to get their long-toothed pets vaccinated. The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development said the country currently has 218 rabbit haemorrhagic disease outbreaks reported to the World Organization for Animal Health. Rabbit haemorrhagic disease does not pose any threat to humans or other domestic animals. Most of the outbreaks occurred in the Northern Cape (165) and Western Cape (41), while a smaller number of outbreaks were reported in the Free State (6) and Eastern Cape (5). Most recently, an outbreak was confirmed in Gauteng. The department’s media liaison officer and spokesperson Reggie Ngcobo said…

The CRL Rights Commission has released a report on its investigation into allegations of rape, assault, and forced virginity tests at the Kwasizabantu Mission. The Commission has recommended that the religious institution in KwaZulu-Natal apologise to its former members. However, the Commission could not make specific findings on allegations of rape, corruption, money laundering, or assault and advised those affected to lodge criminal cases. It was mentioned in the report that a person accused of rape had been sentenced. The report also addressed claims that the church was a cult and clarified that virginity inspections had been banned three years ago. While the commission acknowledged the promotion and protection of virginity inspections as a cultural practice, it emphasised that such inspections should not infringe upon a person’s constitutional rights. Furthermore,…

The Syrian government recently announced it would allow aid to cross into rebel-held areas after a UN mechanism expired, sparking concerns from humanitarian groups. They worry over the fate of residents in Syria’s last remaining rebel strongholds, in the north and northwest, after the Security Council failed on Wednesday to extend the mechanism. Under a 2014 deal, aid had largely passed through the Bab al-Hawa crossing with Türkiye without the authorisation of Damascus. But expiry of the UN mechanism, as well as Syria’s decision to change course on the delivery of aid to those areas, has sparked fears and questions among the humanitarian community. Syria said it made a “sovereign decision” to allow aid to flow through the Bab al-Hawa crossing for six months starting last Thursday. The crossing is…

GENEVA: The Human Rights Council is set to debate a contentious draft proposal on religious hatred in the wake of a Qur’an burning in Sweden, an initiative that has highlighted rifts in the UN body and challenged practices in human rights protection. In a draft resolution presented by Pakistan on behalf of the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Co-operation, the group described the burning of the Qur’an last month as “offensive, disrespectful, hatred and a human rights violation. Western diplomats argue that it aims to safeguard religious symbols rather than human rights. | Reuters…

Mine owner and the founder of the Flexiflor Gold Mine in the North West. Joel Mafenya, has called for the deployment of the army to guard mines owned by black people which, he says, are being hijacked by white people and mining syndicates. Mafenya also accused the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy of failing to protect him against the alleged illegal occupation and takeover of his mine by an allegedly illegal mining syndicate known as Koos van Staden. Mafenya, speaking at a press briefing in Melrose Arch on Friday, alleged that his mine had been stolen by Van Staden, who had allegedly employed community members to be instigators and protectors of his mining interests. Mafenya said he had been locked out of his mine by Van Staden and his…

In a bid to avert scenes of parents lining up outside district offices desperate to have their children allocated space in Gauteng schools at the last minute, the Foundation for Education and Social Justice Africa has called on parents to heed the 2024 online admission deadline. Hendrick Makaneta, the deputy chairperson of the foundation, said it was common cause that every year the foundation and the media received countless queries and complaints from parents and learners who had not been placed for one reason or another. Makaneta said it was for this reason that they wanted to remind parents in the province about the importance of submitting their applications for admission before it was too late. “All parents are urged to apply for space on time in order to avoid…

The DA has decried Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande’s delay in pronouncing on the future of Unisa. DA spokesperson on education, Chantel King, said Nzimande was supposed to have made his announcement on July 3. King said following the Independent Assessor’s report which made damning findings against the university due to maladministration and governance challenges, Unisa should be placed under administration. Last month, axed Unisa registrar, Professor Steward Mothata, in his court papers revealed that Unisa failed to mark 385 664 out of 919 986 submitted assignments. He also alleged that almost 150 000 of 386 037 first year students in 2022 failed half of their modules and more than 37 813 NSFAS bursary recipients failed to pass a single module. The Star has previously reported that Mothata, who…

RECENT headline events have brought into focus the importance of freedom of expression, including freedom of the press. The importance of free speech and expression as a valuable characteristic in a democratic society cannot be underestimated. In their efforts to provide the public with information about controversial yet important events, journalists in South Africa face constant intimidation – sometimes brutal, deadly assaults – which constricts their ability to convey truthful information about cardinal and pivotal issues. We must never yield to any attempt that seeks to destroy by means of mob violence, or censorship from the elite, the right of conscience, the freedom of opinion, and of the press. Section 16 {1}{A} of the Constitution of South Africa guarantees “the right to freedom of expression, which includes, freedom of the…

A REAL man must work and provide for his family. A real man must be able to defend, support and protect his own family. Is that all men are good for? Must we only be able to protect and support? Are we not allowed to cry because the world has labelled a man that shows his emotions a weak man? He cannot be called a real man, because he is weak in the sense that he can not keep his emotions in check. I ask again, are we not allowed to cry? A real man must be financially stable and know what he wants in life at an incredibly early age. Is that fair? More men have taken their lives than women, because of the pressure and the fear…

HOURS after a suspected cop killer allegedly gunned down a police sergeant in Lebowakgomo in Limpopo, the assailant, who resides in Centurion, was arrested in Joburg, according to the Hawks. Speaking to the Pretoria News yesterday, Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Matimba Maluleke said the suspect, 33, allegedly gunned down an off-duty police officer in the early hours of Saturday. “In the early hours of July 15, an off-duty police official stationed at SAPS-Burgersfort, was gunned down in Lebowakgomo by assailants driving in a Bronze Volkswagen Golf 7 GTI.” After Hawks boss Lieutenant-General Godfrey Lebeya activated a 72-hour-plan to hunt down the suspects, a multi-disciplinary team comprising a tracking team, the SAPS crime intelligence crime intelligence and the Gauteng highway patrol, among others, was set up. “After conducting a thorough investigation,…

AS South Africans prepare to celebrate Mandela Day tomorrow, the Avbob Poetry Project pays homage to the work of Zizipho Bam, a young poet and spoken word artist who believes that poetry can be a stitching tool through which we heal ourselves and the world. She recently won both the New Contrast National Poetry Competition and the New Coin Poetry Prize. Her debut collection, Sunflowers for my Lovers, was published in 2022. Bam started writing these poems to bring healing to parts of her own psyche. “In writing my collection, I set myself the intention of creating a safe space in which the process of healing could be begun. I wanted it to become a soft landing for when I felt broken. Each time I felt tethered to a string…

As part of its 27th Annual Children’s Celebration, the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund launched the Children’s Fun Walk on July 16, 2022. Nelson Mandela Children’s celebration was established by its founder, the late Nelson Mandela, who celebrated his birthday with children during and after his presidency. Taking part in the walk builds up to the famous Nelson Mandela International Day celebration on July 18, which was Mandela’s birthday. Dr Linda Ncube-Nkomo, the CEO of the fund, said the celebration allowed them to bring joy and celebrate children and let them know that they loved and appreciate them “in spite of the many challenges that they face in their little lives and in our country”. The theme for this year’s event is “Gone but not forgotten – The Legacy in Action”,…

Ingredients: 8-10 pieces of chicken 1 tbs cooking oil 500g red ripe tomatoes, washed, chopped or liquidised, or tin of chopped tomatoes, or use both 3 cloves of garlic, crushed 1 large onion, chopped 1 tsp salt or to taste 2-3 green chillies, chopped or more 2 tsp tomato paste 3 potatoes, peeled and sliced into quarters 2 tbs sugar or to taste Method: Heat the oil in a big, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onions in the oil until golden, soft and golden brown. Add the chicken pieces and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes to brown slightly. Add the chopped/liquidised tomato, garlic, salt, chillies and tomato paste and simmer a further 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook until the potatoes are soft.…

Tripoli: Oil production has resumed at two major Libyan oil fields, the oil ministry said yesterday, after a brief shutdown by demonstrators protesting against the arrest of a former minister. Former finance minister Faraj Abderrahmane Boumtari was among people targeted in what the UN called a campaign of “continued abductions, arbitrary arrests, and disappearances”. Members of his Zouaya tribe threatened to block oil terminals in the east if he was not released. Libya has Africa’s largest oil reserves but production has often been disrupted since a Nato-backed uprising led to the killing of dictator Muammar Gadaffi in 2011. | AFP…

GLASGOW: Marine rescuers on Sunday said they were dealing with a “mass stranding” of pilot whales on a beach on the Outer Hebrides off north-west Scotland. The British Divers Marine Life Rescue charity said police alerted them to the incident on the Isle of Lewis. “Reports so far suggest there are around 55 animals. However, the latest update from the scene indicates that only 10 are alive,” it said. Scientists believe some pods go off track after feeding too close to shore. The charity said they were “notorious for their strong social bonds, so often when one whale gets into difficulty and strands, the rest follow”, it said. | AFP…

The tears flowing down Ons Jabeur’s face as she trudged up to accept the Wimbledon runner-up plate for the second year running from Britain’s Princess of Wales told their own story – the Tunisian did not want another silver salver in her collection. While it is a prize given only to those who finish second at the grasscourt Grand Slam, for Jabeur it will be a painful reminder of how close she was to achieving something she desperately wanted. After all the hard work she put in to beat six rivals, including four Grand Slam champions, Jabeur had stood on the cusp of becoming the first Arab and first African woman to win a Grand Slam title. However, the weight of expectation simply crushed her on Saturday as she was…

Stellenbosch FC midfielder Sibongiseni ‘Ox’ Mthethwa is remaining coy about his future as the PSL’s ‘big guns’ continue to circle for his signature. Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and most recently AmaZulu are said to have added Mthethwa to their shopping list following a stellar 2022/23 campaign for Stellies. The 28-year-old has opted not to reveal much regarding his immediate future. “I think there will always be links and conversations (during this time) but I’m not able to say whether I’ve been contacted because no-one has come to see me and said they want me,” he said. “Maybe the conversations are happening with my agent or the club, but I’m just fully focused on putting in the work at the moment.” AmaZulu are the only side to confirm their interest in…

TTHE INTERNATIONAL Air Services Council (IASC), a juristic body established under the International Air Services Act and appointed in March last year after a year without one, following the coming to end of term of the earlier council in 2020, has whittled down a backlog of airline applications. Chairperson Nomveliso Ntanjana, former principal legal counsel at the Competition Commission said the council, comprising of herself, Nare Thupana (vice chairperson), Grant Reagon Son and Pfumelani Mbulayeni, meet on ad hoc basis. Its work includes the consideration of license and exemption applications, adjudicating on complaints and such licences and exemptions, and attending to various enquiries. The jurisdiction of the IASC includes international air services, which are also regulated through interpretation of bilateral trade agreements in aviation, by various countries with…

Three South African music heavyweights have joined Aline, the newest talent agency on the block. Aline is the product of a partnership between Independent Media Group Africa and The Music Arena. Grammy award-winning artists Zakes Bantwini and Nomcebo Zikode and media personality and rapper Boity Thulo have made the transition as the new management agency marks its launch. The company is also a producer of live shows, content and experiential events and concerts. Sibo Mhlungu, appointed CEO of Aline, said: “We represent storytellers who shape culture while accelerating their growth through deepening connections with consumers and forging partnerships across entertainment. We’re indebted to Tshepo Mahloele for believing in us and bringing this vision to life.” The merger sees Arena clients like musician Lucky Dube and the Mahotella Queens, to name…

The official launch of the newly remodelled Lords Bar at the Balalaika was nothing short of an experience for guests, who were summoned to immerse themselves in the bar’s fine hospitality. To captivate the rich history of the bar along with its delectable food and beverage offerings, menu items from the new menu were served. Situated in Sandton, one of the most extensive financial and business districts as well as located opposite the JSE, the Protea Hotel by Marriott Johannesburg Balalaika Sandton offers a prime location. Escaping the conventional modern high-rise, this vintage country-style hotel offers a wealth of heritage and experience. The grand R2 million renovation reveal included the conservatory and terrace space with every facet preserving its illustrious heritage. The Conservatory Restaurant boosts a fresh and crisp environment…

Popular traditional healer, Makgotso Lee-Anne Makopo, fondly known as Gogo Maweni has slammed SA traditional healers who she claims are active in making objections on social media. In a video shared on Twitter, Makopo also touched on the essence of focusing on healing people rather than fuelling unwarranted judgements. “If you can focus on healing people … not on Tik Tok teaching people about other people’s videos. You have time to comment and criticise how other people work on their videos. If SA sangomas can stop that and mind their businesses there would be success,” she said. Gogo Maweni was recently accused of smearing malicious narratives about African spirituality, drawing attention to her social media pages. It is no secret that she always sparks controversy that is not easy for…

While it is every sports lover’s desire that politics have no place in sports, big sporting events will inevitably be exploited by politicians to further their political agendas. Politics divide people. Sport provides opportunities to bring nations and people together. We should condemn those who seek to abuse sports as a way of furthering their narrow political interests. Orlando Pirates have chosen to defy demands from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) lobby to ditch the pre-season tour with Maccabi Tel Aviv in order to “sympathise and show solidarity with the people of Palestine”. For this, they should be applauded. Pirates should never have been intimidated and coerced into doing something that would amount to anti-sportsmanship. In contrast, earlier this year, the South African Rugby Union (Saru) was “forced”…

DISGRUNTLED ratepayers in the City of Tshwane can now interact with municipal officials via the Zoom platform to seek solutions to disputes emanating from account and billing disputes, among other issues. The virtual initiative went live almost two weeks ago and is ex- pected to run until September 30. Its primary focus is to create a technological platform to maintain direct communication with its customers to improve the City’s provision of services. In recent times the City has been flooded with complaints from residents who believe they were incorrectly billed for municipal services. Last month, residents in Pretoria West affiliated to Lotus Gardens, Atteridgeville and Saulsville Civic Association convened a meeting with Tshwane council speaker Mncedi Ndzwanana and MMC for Finance Peter Suttton over their disappointment regarding estimated municipal…

ARTIFICIAL Intelligence (AI) might be the way forward for the world, but the legal world is not ready to accept information sourced through this medium as being the legal truth, as recently emerged when lawyers were caught outsourcing cases via this medium. In a case before the Regional Court in Johannesburg, an advocate said his attorneys had sourced case law through the medium of ChatGTP. This was in a case where a woman wanted to sue the body corporate of the complex where she lived, for defamation. The legal issue of whether a body corporate can be sued arose when counsel acting for the body corporate raised serious doubts about this. But counsel for the applicant said argued there was case law in this regard. The magistrate granted them a…

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa, Police Minister Bheki Cele and national police commissioner General Fannie Masemola have been hauled to the Equality Court in a bid to end harassing and discriminatory provision of VIP security to politicians. Tshwane-based Liberty Fighters Network, last week, launched its complaint to have VIP protection or any other special protection by the SA Police Service (SAPS) declared discriminatory on at least one ground prohibited by the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act. “There is no legislation authorising this policy/practice, or otherwise such legislation would be unconstitutional and invalid, and the SAPS Act does not authorise VIP protection services either,” reads its submission. The Liberty Fighters Network wants the Equality Court to order that the SAPS and other similar units in the country’s security services…

Forget the stereotypes, an international study shows that both South African men and women are the worst drivers in a comparative analysis between 20 other countries. Road safety is a crucial concern worldwide, with numerous factors contributing to the overall performance of drivers. “Compare the Market in Australia” embarked on a study to establish which country has the highest number of fatal crashes between men and women. The study proved that both South African men and women are the worst drivers in a comparative analysis of 20 other countries. Also, that South Africans caused the highest number of fatal crashes, regardless of gender. It goes on to say that “men are responsible for 34.9% of fatal crashes, while women are responsible for 9.9%. When each of these is compared against…

IT IS no secret that South Africa’s crime statistics remain alarmingly high. But despite the government’s recent efforts to appoint more police officers, the situation is unlikely to change without addressing the deep structural issues within the police service itself. Every member of the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) plays an indispensable role in policing, but the allocation of 36 000 trained police officers to administrative tasks specifically represents a severe misallocation of resources. Yet upon promotion to senior ranks, seasoned officers are often ushered into office environments, redirecting them from their true purpose and calling – to protect and serve on the front lines of the fight against crime by policing communities. Removing senior police officers from active crime-fighting duties and shackling them to a desk to…

Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country had enough cluster munition to answer if Ukraine was to use the weapons, in an interview published yesterday. Ukraine started receiving cluster weapons from the US, a move that sparked concerns due to the long-term risk posed to civilians by bomblets that fail to explode. The controversial weapons can disperse up to several hundred small explosive charges, which can remain unexploded in the ground. Human Rights Watch and Ukrainian forces have accused Russia of already using cluster munitions on the battlefield. | AFP…

JUNEAU: An earthquake of magnitude 7.2 struck the Alaska Peninsula region yesterday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said, and a tsunami warning for nearby regions was issued but later withdrawn. The US Tsunami Warning System withdrew a warning it had issued for coastal areas of South Alaska and the Alaska Peninsula. USGS revised the magnitude of the earthquake down from an initial reading of 7.4, and it revised the depth of the quake to 32.6km from an initial 9.3km. There were no reports of damage or casualties, but a few Twitter accounts posted videos of tsunami sirens and tremors being felt. | Reuters…

Carlos Alcaraz defeated seven-time champion Novak Djokovic to claim his first Wimbledon title yesterday, shattering the Serb's dream of a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam crown. World No 1 Alcaraz recovered from dropping the first set and saving a set point in the second to win 1-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 after four hours and 42 minutes on Centre Court. It was a second major for the 20-year-old Spaniard following his US Open title last year as he became Wimbledon's third youngest men's champion. The result will also spark feverish speculation over the start of a generational shift, with 36-year-old Djokovic carrying the torch of the 'Big Three' now that Roger Federer is retired and Rafael Nadal is sidelined, perhaps permanently. Australian Open and French Open champion Djokovic had been…

Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates forward Tshegofatso Mabasa has issued a challenge to PSL clubs to contribute more towards the mental health of players. The 26-year-old has had a tumultuous last three years at club level, from banging in the goals for the Buccaneers on both the domestic and continental fronts back in the 2020/21 campaign, to now finding himself uncertain of his next destination after a somewhat unsuccessful loan spell at Sekhukhune United. Mabasa was only on the pitch for 915 minutes in the colours of Babina Noko in all competitions while managing just two goals in the Premiership. In the midst of a huge conversation around the mental stability of professional players ignited by an emotionally challenging interview by Everton and England midfielder Dele Alli, Mabasa has taken…

Defending champion Jonas Vingegaard kept the overall lead of the Tour de France yesterday after crossing the finish line in the second of four Alpine tests wheel-to-wheel with Tadej Pogacar. Dutch climber Wout Poels won the 15th stage, raced in the shadow of Mont Blanc. Vingegaard of Denmark remains 10 seconds ahead of Pogacar in the overall standings. Carlos Rodriguez is more than five minutes behind in third, but the 22-year-old Spaniard, on his first Tour, tightened his grip on a podium place as Australian Jai Hindley dropped to fifth place, with Briton Adam Yates rising to fourth. The 179km stage from Les Gets to Saint Gervais Mont Blanc was again dominated by the duel between the two favourites, and by a series of falls. Pogacar twice attempted characteristic and…