Índex per 2024-01-18 a Star

THE REPAIR of South Africa’s main coal export line was proceeding “extremely well” following a collision of two trains and they were hopeful one of the lines would be operational before 12pm tonight, a spokesperson for Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) said. Transnet has been working to clear the line to Richards Bay, South Africa’s major coal export port, from Mpumalanga, since the derailment happened on Sunday. The State owned freight operator has not said what caused the derailment and was investigating, and there were no serious injuries or fatalities. A spokesperson said such was the progress, they expected to recover the line to functionality “sooner rather than later,” with most of the debris expected to be cleared over last night, weather permitting. The second line was expected to be operational…

Rapper Cassper Nyovest is kicking off the year with an international gig. The Solomon album-maker recently took to his Instagram page to announce he will be performing at the O2 Academy Islington, London, as part of the Shockolate Show 2024 on Saturday, February 24. The Shockolate Show is a four-hour concert featuring a fusion of African sounds, and this year, Nyovest is the show’s special guest. He will be performing alongside artists such as Rotimo, Damola Davis, Smile Daviz, Mr Jayvi and Chuks Ejimogu. “London. See you soon!!! Shout out to @rotimoofficial @shockolateshow,” posted Nyovest along with the poster. Shockolate hitmaker Rotimo, who has dubbed Nyovest “the King of South African Music”, couldn’t contain his excitement. Taking to his Instagram page, he wrote, “️Tickets are on sale now – Link…

Media personality MaBlerh seems to have mastered the trick of hosting reality show reunions, because he is about to host yet another one. Radio personality, DJ and podcaster Sol Phenduka hosted the Showmax Originals first reunion but failed – he was a blundering host, out of his depth. Having hosted reunions for the likes of The Real Housewives of Durban, Gqeberha and Johannesburg, MaBlerh will host the reunion special for This Body Works For Me S2 on February 23. “Any chance I get to facilitate real conversations, I’m more than happy to participate and get to the crux of any issue,” said MaBlerh “There are so many things that happened this season and it would be a disservice for me not to get into them.” In the highly anticipated reunion,…

Francois Bernard, a Woodhill College learner, says his academic journey had its ups and downs, but putting his best foot forward from the start had paid off academically. Because he was aware of how difficult the upcoming years would be, he says he also made an effort to pursue his other interests and spend time with friends and family. “The year started off well. I started working hard from day one to ensure that I did not fall behind on projects and studying. “I also prioritised subjects such as maths and physical science, as I knew those required dedication and a complete understanding. “Through successful time management, I was able to squeeze in time for rugby training, matches and the gym without negatively impacting my academics. “My June and preliminary…

St Stithians Girls College pupil, Isabella Strydom, has not only flourished academically, but has also showcased her creativity through her exquisite artwork. Isabella is a creative and curious person who has a passion for the visual arts as well as business. Her knack for business has seen her enlist for a BCom in International Business at Stellenbosch University, revealing that she will start her own business as she studies. “Entrepreneurs contribute the most to a South African economy and many economies all over the world, so as an entrepreneur, I look forward to changing the lives of others within and outside our country. “By creating employment and having compassion to work alongside other people, I will ultimately be contributing towards a better future for South Africa.” She attained 100% overall…

ST DUNSTAN’S College celebrated a watershed moment after attaining a 100% pass rate since the first matriculants wrote the IEB exams in 1998. The college is a leading independent Anglican school under the auspices of the Highveld Diocese. It was explained that in this school, one finds a teaching community “dedicated to helping boys and girls grow into capable young men and women with the confidence and courage to do the right thing and the humanity to care about more than themselves”. The school said: “We believe boys and girls should aspire to achieve excellence, and we know they excel best in an environment that understands and supports them. Our school community ensures each pupil is known, valued, and appreciated. Efforts and contributions are recognised in a manner that motivates…

Hard work and dedication have positioned Kahlan Hagerman among the top achievers at Woodhill College for the Class of 2023 matric year. Kahlan says despite having a challenging year, her matric journey was a year of growth and memories. “Academically, the matric year had a demanding curriculum and focus on preparing for final exams. “The workload was intense, the subjects became more specialised and the depth of knowledge required increased significantly. Teachers stressed the importance of understanding concepts rather than memorising information. “Although the preparation for the final exams required dedication and hard work, my matric year was a year of growth and long-lasting memories,” she says. Among Kahlan’s matric highlights, she says her matric dance was one of the memorable events that she shared with her friends. “Mathematics…

South Africans have been urged to keep up the positive attitudes and relentless support for the matric Class of 2024 just as they have offered matric learners in previous years. Some of the learners from the Class of 2023 says although getting through matric was as difficult as they had anticipated, the support and motivation given to them by complete strangers upon learning that they were in matric had been a welcome boost. This was especially the case for 18-year-old Boledi Malapane of Parktown Girls High, who says she appreciated how the whole country had rallied behind them from start to finish. “Whenever I would tell someone I was in matric, they would almost always offer me words of support and encouragement, and it really meant a lot to me.…

For 18-year-old Khaya Hani, being proudly African is part of her identity that she carries with her even though she has lived all her life in the hustle and bustle of the city of Joburg. Khaya, the granddaughter of Struggle stalwart Chris Hani, is one of Saheti’s top achievers in the Class of 2023. The school was able to achieve a pass rate of 100%, thanks to its hard-working and dedicated learners. Khaya achieved a 73% average and three distinctions in her final exams, in English, history and life orientation. She plans to spend some time away from academia, at least for this year, and focus on learning more about herself and the world around her. She spoke to The Star following a year of triumphs and challenges. 1. Who…

I was shocked to read that David Teeger, the South African under-19 cricket captain, had been stripped of the captaincy. Teeger, a promising young Jewish cricketer, who dedicated his captaincy to the brave young soldiers of Israel at a Jewish award ceremony, was the subject of a complaint filed by the Palestine Solidarity Alliance (PSA). Teeger was, however, cleared of any wrongdoing as it is his constitutional right to express his support for a cause he believes in, just as the PSA has the right to support Palestine. Freedom of speech and freedom of expression. The reason given for his demotion is codswallop: fear for his safety and the fear of civil unrest and/or violent mass demonstrations. Could Cricket South Africa provide written proof of the alleged dangerous disruptions? From…

The South West Gauteng TVET College is warning its students and unsuspecting citizens about fake Facebook pages claiming to represent the college. This institution was inundated with calls from concerned residents and potential students inquiring about the fee that they were informed must accompany application forms. “The operators of these Facebook pages deceive the public into believing that they are working with the college by requesting money from prospective students to assist them with ‘application/registration’,” the college’s spokesperson, Patience Makhapela, said yesterday. “They have also been spreading fake information that has not been authorised by the college,” she said. Makhapela said the institution would never request an application fee from prospective students. “All other payments relating to the registration will be communicated to prospective students in person at the college…

The rich and famous are paying top dollar for a place at this week’s Davos summit but heiress Marlene Engelhorn is on the other side of the fence at the glitzy Swiss resort, demanding that they pay more in taxes. The 31-year-old is also pursuing an ambitious plan to pay people to come up with ideas for her to give away the bulk of her €25 million (R518m) wealth so she can escape what she calls a “dynastic rich swamp”. “I’ve inherited a fortune and therefore power. And the state doesn’t even want taxes on it,” said the Austrian-German activist and founder of the Taxmenow initiative. Engelhorn is joining several protests by a wealthy minority on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum calling for higher taxes on the rich.…

Jessica Niemand’s relentless pursuit of excellence has placed her among the top achievers at Woodhill College. Jessica characterises her academic journey as a roller-coaster ride filled with unforgettable experiences. “It’s almost like the first time you go on a new roller-coaster. Overall, I was satisfied with most of my results. They were a great mirror, reflecting my weaknesses and enabling me to concentrate on them. “This focus boosted my confidence for the finals.” Jessica says her study plan was built on proactive learning, which included staying up-to-date on subjects, using a variety of resources to gain deeper understanding, and preparing through mock tests. She attributes her success to her family, saying their unwavering support encourages her to take on new challenges. “They keep me grounded, help maintain perspective, and skilfully…

“It’s only when you take responsibility for your life that you discover how powerful you truly are.” Seeing this quote by Allanah Hunt at the start of her matric year, 18-year-old Bianca Odion, from Parktown Girls, knew this would be her mantra to see her to end of her school career on her best foot. The Parktown learner says her final year went by in the blink of an eye; one minute she was entering matric smiling and the next she was putting her pen down after writing her last exam. “I expected the amount of stress and having to put in the extra effort, but I did not expect it to go by as quickly as it did,” she says. Bianca says the workload was unrelenting. They were still…

ONE of Woodhill College’s high achievers in the matric Class of 2023, Cailey Sauvage, has described her last year of schooling as “fast-paced”, and filled with mixed emotions. Sauvage says it was a time of excitement, stress and anticipation. Despite this, the 18-year-old wannabe paediatric chiropractor says she was not fazed by the challenges of 2023. Sauvage hopes to fulfil her passion for alternative medicine. Chiropractic is a form of alternative medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially of the spine. “I applied to many universities. However, only two universities offer my dream career. These are the University of Johannesburg and the Durban University of Technology. I hope to be able to go study for a Bachelor of Health Sciences to…

In its entirety, the matric journey was effortless – there was not much out of the ordinary, says SAHETI 2023 matriculant Mika Bouwer. Mika says that even though there were no hurdles on his matric journey, he admitted that it came with a lot of work. He says he has mixed feelings, knowing that he will be leaving his favourite school and becoming a university student. Mika continues to say the 2023 school year was a mix of good and bad experiences, but overall there were more highs than lows. Mika’s dedication has placed him among top achievers after achieving an average of 89% and a full house of eight distinctions in Afrikaans, English, IT, life orientation, life sciences, maths, physical sciences and further studies mathematics (extended). “I can’t think…

AN EXCITED Shayna Salomon from the prestigious King David High School in Linksfield has her sights on studying medicine this year. Shayna is one of King David High’s bright sparks who achieved great marks in her matric exams last year, with biology being her favourite subject. Shayna, who describes herself as a family-oriented person who also loves being around herself, says lonesomeness during exam time was the biggest challenge she had to overcome. Luckily for her, her supportive family was there for her when things got a bit tough in the year. “Feeling lonely during the exam period and being trapped at home has to be the biggest challenge I have had to face during my matric year and for someone that loves being around people, that was challenging but…

South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice details a case of genocide by attrition. This occurs when a group of people is stripped of human rights, political, civil and economic. The coercion leads to the deprivation of conditions essential for maintaining health, thereby producing mass death. History has proved that no crime matches genocide in the moral opprobrium that it generates. The gruesome act constitutes a criminal intent to destroy or permanently cripple a human group, acts of genocide that stun the collective conscience of the global community, perhaps like no other. On December 11, 1948, the General Assembly of the UN passed the following resolution condemning genocide as a crime: “Genocide is a denial of the right of existence of entire human groups, as…

INA VICTORY for at least 800 000 people in South Africa with blocked ID Documents, the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria has declared this practice by the Department of Home Affairs unjust, irregular, invalid and inconsistent with the Constitution. Judge Elmarie van der Schyff said in her judgment that the blocking of IDs without notice by Home Affairs, prior investigation and appeal processes was against the Constitution. This is a reprieve for the hundreds and thousands of people in SA, many who have been without ID for many years. This conduct by Home Affairs was challenged by an applicant whose ID document was blocked. Lawyers for Human Rights and the Children’s Institute joined the fray as friends of the court. LegalWise Impact Litigation Unit, which also joined this…

Imagine nearly four in 10 people around you facing a mental health challenge. That’s the reality in South Africa, according to “The Mental State of the World in 2022” report. Dr Marion Borcherds from AfroCentric (part of the Sanlam family) reminds us that being mentally healthy is just as important as being physically fit, especially at work. “We’ve got to get comfortable talking about mental health in our jobs," said Borcherds. She has noticed that young people especially kept quiet about how they were feeling because they were scared of being judged or being seen as not good enough. In a concerning revelation from the American Psychological Association’s (APA) 2023 Work in America Survey, it has been reported that over one-fifth of workers suffer mental health harm due to…

THE good news for South African fans livid at Bafana Bafana’s losing start to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations hosted by Ivory Coast is that the 2-0 defeat to Mali does not spell the end of the country’s campaign. Far from it, because besides having two more matches to play in the group stages, Hugo Broos’s team could still make it into the knockout stages. Such is the nature of the extended 24-nation tournament that a single win could be enough to see a team making it through the round-robin phase. This was the case in 2019 at the biennial continental showpiece hosted by Egypt when Bafana lost to Ivory Coast in their opening match and then beat Namibia in their second, before losing to Morocco in the last…

Toto Wolff signed a three-year contract to remain as team principal and CEO of Formula One outfit Mercedes yesterday. The Austrian, who owns a one-third share of the Formula One team, announced the new agreement after a meeting with fellow shareholders INEOS and Mercedes-Benz. Wolff has overseen the day-to-day running of the operation since 2013. The 52-year-old guided Mercedes to eight successive constructors’ championships from 2014 to 2021. Mercedes finished as runners-up behind Red Bull last year and their star man, Lewis Hamilton, came third in the drivers’ championship last term. “At the end of the day, as a shareholder, I want the best return on investment. And the best return on investment is winning,” Wolff told the Daily Telegraph yesterday. “I’m not going to try to hang on to…

With the results for the 2023 national senior certificate exams set to be released tomorrow, 927 pupils await their fate after being implicated in exam cheating allegations. Umalusi, the council that sets and monitors standards for general and further education and training in South Africa in accordance with the National Qualifications Framework Act and the General and Further Education and Training Quality Assurance Act of 2001, said that these pupils were from Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal. Umalusi CEO Dr Mafu Rakometsi said 763 were from KZN and 164 from Mpumalanga. These allegations taint KwaZulu- Natal’s reputation. In 2022, KZN recorded a stunning improvement in its Grade 12 results, securing a spot as the third best-performing province. The province recorded a 6.2 percentage point improvement from around 76.8% in 2021 to 83%…

Beijing: China yesterday urged Pakistan and Iran to show “restraint”, after Islamabad said Tehran had carried out an air strike on its territory that killed two children. Both Iran and Pakistan are close partners of Beijing. Pakistan denounced the strike, near the nations’ shared border, and said it was unprovoked. Iran’s state-run Nour News agency said the attack destroyed the Pakistan headquarters of the jihadist group Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice), which is blacklisted by Iran as a terrorist group and has carried out several attacks on Iranian soil in recent years. The strike came after Iran launched missile attacks on “spy headquarters” in Syria. | AFP…

Teachers praise the remarkable achievements of the Class of 2023 The Independent Examinations Board (IEB) matrics of 2023 have maintained their 98% and above pass rate of 98.46% – slightly higher than the 98.42% achieved in 2022. According to reports, every candidate who wrote the IEB exams achieved a pass, allowing them to enrol at one of three post-secondary education levels: - 88.59% of the cohort were able to enrol in a degree programme. - 8.31% were eligible to begin a diploma programme. - 1.57% of applicants were accepted to study for a Higher Certificate. The remarkable achievement of the Class of 2023 has seen teachers praise learners who worked hard and showed tenacity throughout the academic year. There were 12 133 part-time and 13 967 full-time candidates,…

Victoria Webb, a member of the Woodhill College Class of 2023, is thrilled to learn that her approach to studying and perseverance paid off. Victoria believes that planning is an essential element of success. “At the start of 2023, I set my personal goal of achieving six distinctions. Woodhill College’s June exams opened my eyes to the high standard the IEB requires in the exams. “I polished my study techniques and got the outcome I desired in prelims. Although I was proud of my preliminary results, I knew I had to put more effort into all my subjects. “I believe planning is an essential element to success. I found that during weekends and exam times, planning one day hourly allowed me to manage my time effectively and to ensure maximum…

Ingredients 2 cups cake flour 2 tbs brown sugar ½ tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp ground ginger A pinch of ground nutmeg 3 tbs B-well Thick & Creamy Mayonnaise 1¼ cups milk 1 tbs B-well Sandwich Spread 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potatoes Method Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. Mix the mayonnaise, milk, sandwich spread and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Add the wet ingredients and mashed sweet potatoes to the dry ingredients, stirring until well combined. Follow your waffle maker’s instructions to cook the waffles. | Taste Explorers cookbook…

A learner in the Woodhill College Class of 2023, Stella Loutzis, says her dream is to become an endocrinology specialist doctor to assist as many people as she can. Speaking about her academic journey, she says she was inspired by her older sister, who is also an academic achiever in pursuit of a medical career. “My biggest inspiration is my older sister, who is currently studying medicine. Not only does her work ethic inspire me, but so does how she interacts with other people. She always puts others before herself and makes everyone she comes across feel seen, heard, and respected. She sees the positive in everything, and no matter how tough her circumstances are, she never lets them get her down.” Stella says her family played an integral…

AS THE country recognises matriculants who have excelled in their academic performance, Trinityhouse Randpark Ridge celebrates a whopping 100% matric pass rate for their Class of 2023. Speaking on outcomes, school principal Farone Eckstein congratulated the learners and wished them well in their future endeavours. “Congratulations! You have exhibited great resilience and delivered exceptional academic results. “The Trinityhouse community is very proud of you all and wish you well.” These are the top five achievers: Maxine-Anne Smuts Smuts attained nine distinctions in English, Afrikaans, maths, LO, physical science, life science, information technology, TCL (music), and FS maths. She will pursue her studies with a BEng mechanical engineering at the University of Pretoria (UP). Rachel Van Tooren Rachel got nine distinctions, includ- ing English, Afrikaans, maths, LO, physical science, and life…

A “SHOTGUN” trial completed on the same day saw the 3-year prison sentence of a man accused of assaulting his wife overturned. The trial was finished in one hour and 42 minutes, with the defense conducted by a candidate attorney still under training. The man, not identified to safeguard the identity of his wife, turned to the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg to have his conviction and sentence overturned. He was sent directly to prison after the lower court had sentenced him to three years direct imprisonment. But the man complained to the high court that he had an unfair trial as the candidate attorney appointed to handle his case simply had no experience to conduct his defence. The husband earlier appeared in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court after his wife had…

After having lost her father to pancreatic cancer a year-and-a-half before her final year, learner Razeenah Laher put her faith in God to help her pull through her matric year and come out with top marks in his honour. Razeenah, a Parktown Girls learner who was part of the 2023 cohort of matriculants, describes her journey through matric as “enlightening and bittersweet”. She went through many ups and downs that taught her valuable lessons in and out of the classroom – lessons she says she would rely on as she embarked on the next chapter of her life. She says her matric journey was more challenging than she had expected but she took comfort in God, her faith, and her support system, especially during her toughest days. Razeenah says even…

As the world branches into the 4th industrial revolution (4IR), critical minerals – the minerals imperative for this imminent technological transition – continue to grow in importance. However, the quest for these critical minerals has led to a plethora of environmental woes. The world thus finds itself in a dilemma in which it risks causing harm to the environment in this quest. Could, then, mineral exploration be a remedy to this predicament? Mineral exploration is a systemic array of scientific processes which are used to help find mineral deposits. The benefits of this process are immense, as for engineers, the results from sampled data can be used for optimal mining processes by enhancing profitability, and efficiency. In the area of mining, slight variations and slight errors can lead to tremendous…

Israel stepped up strikes on the south of war-torn Gaza yesterday, ahead of the expected delivery of medicines for hostages in exchange for humanitarian aid under a newly brokered deal. Air strikes and artillery fire targeted Khan Yunis throughout the night, said an AFP correspondent in the southern Gaza Strip’s biggest city. “It was the most difficult and intense night in Khan Yunis since the start of the war,” said Gaza’s Hamas government, whose health ministry reported 81 deaths across the Palestinian territory. Fighting has ravaged Gaza since Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 attacks on Israel that resulted in the death of about 1 140 people, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. At least 24 448 Palestinians, about 70% of them women, young children and adolescents, have…

Berlin: Severe winter weather warnings prompted the cancellation of hundreds of flights yesterday at Frankfurt airport, Germany’s busiest, as the country braced for heavy snowfall and freezing rain. A Frankfurt airport said 570 of 1 047 flights had been cut from the schedule while Munich airport cancelled 250 of 650 flights. At least 40cm of snow has been predicted with low-pressure system Gertrud bearing down on south-western and central Germany. The state police reported an “accumulation of accidents” on roads while the rail service said it was slowing down its high-speed trains. | AFP…