Star -julkaisun 2022-01-07 -irtonumeron sisällysluettelo

Itumeleng Mafisa and Sonri Naidoo PATRIOTIC Alliance (PA) leader Kenny Kunene has slammed the Zimbabwean government for allegedly trying to make the Zimbabwean unemployment crisis a South African problem. This comes after some comments from politicians in Zimbabwe asking the South African government to be lenient with Zimbabweans who wish to stay in South Africa but did not have the relevant documents. At the Beitbridge border post which connects South Africa to Zimbabwe, disturbing scenes emerged of people trying to force their way into the country, some with the help of syndicates which would normally charge around R3 000 to assist those desperate to enter. Kunene said the Zimbabwean government should stop acting like they are the only ones with an unemployment problem. “We are very concerned as the PA…

| The Washington Post The Latinist Mark Prins Loot.co.za (R521) Norton THE Latinist is ingenious in its sinister simplicity. In the opening pages of Mark Prins’s novel, Tessa Templeton, a PhD candidate in classics at Oxford, discovers that her mentor has written a recommendation letter that damns her with faint praise, torpedoing her chances of securing an academic job. His motive? Obsession. Professor Christopher Eccles wants to keep Tessa close to him, toiling as an adjunct. He’s the ultimate “Professor of Desire”. Tessa is a rising star in her small field: the non-canonical work of minor Roman poets. Her paper was accepted for publication and a monograph was under serious consideration at Oxford University Press. So, it’s odd that some of the more humdrum graduate students in her programme…

Gladys Bell | Joburg ON READING the letter “Fire at country’s Parliament was on the cards” by T Markandan on Wednesday, I was struck that he mirrored my sentiments. Our government and its people do not believe in “maintenance”. Today’s children have not been taught to care for things – “You use it until it breaks, and then go looking for something else”, leaving a trail of destruction in your wake. We live in a throwaway society. I have always loved making something ugly into something beautiful. I will paint an old flower pot and put a plant in it, fix an old run-down bicycle, sand down an old table and re-varnish it, tile a wall, sew curtains for a dingy room. It breaks my heart to see…

Sonri Naidoo STREET wear fanatic Michael Matthews struggles to grasp how his clothing brand has expanded far more than what he had aimed for when starting out. After first constructing the BABYXDADDY brand in 2015, Matthews knew that it was just the beginning to reaching his prime. In 2017 the House of Michael Matthews South African luxury brand was founded, born during an exhilarating time where luxury brands were curating an open and inclusive dialogue in the industry. The 22-year-old Johannesburg-born creative says streetwear is one of the greatest cultural phenomena in the world following paradigmatic brands that shaped creativity throughout history. When asked about where the inspiration came about to create, he says “from everyday life.” The House of Michael Matthews street wear is created with a luxury…

Anita Nkonki anita.nkonki@inl.co.za THOUGH 2021 may have been a dreadful year for many people, others have chosen to note lessons learned throughout the year and decided to approach 2022 with a new perspective. Media personality and rapper Boitumelo Thulo, better known as Boity, opened up about how grateful she was for all the lessons learned as they were accompanied by a “powerful awakening”. “I am truly grateful for 2021. Despite the unbearable loss a lot of us experienced, it was also a year filled with so much love, the growth, tough lessons that needed to be learned the hard way. And a powerful awakening that shifted me in ways I did not know I needed. I have become the best version of myself because of 2021. “I have no idea…

JOBURG’S Development Planning MMC Belinda Echeozonjoku has lifted the suspension on the issuing of certificates of occupancy and temporary occupation. This came into effect from Monday as she was satisfied with the corrective measures put in place by the department, which will prevent fraudulent certificates from being issued. These irregular certificates put the lives of residents and safety officials at risk and damage the reputation of the City of being able to uphold the rule of law. Last month, Echeozonjoku issued an internal moratorium to temporarily halt the issuing of certificates until January 10 to address concerns raised by councillors, industry organisations, and members of the public. These included certificates issued in the names of officials who had already left the department, those issued without proper supporting documentation, and others…

Millions of Turks are facing grave uncertainty as the Turkish lira lost almost 50% of its value during 2021. As a consequence, basic food prices, the cost of transport and energy costs have increased to more than 30% year on year in December, the highest it’s ever been since Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan came to power 19 years ago. Erdogan, however, appears to be unmoved by the situation. In an address to business people in Istanbul on Tuesday, he outlined that his government plans to simply remove the bubble over inflation as they strengthened the Turkish lira against the US dollar recently. But ordinary Turks appear to be growing weary and increasingly unreceptive to Erdogan’s hope mongering. Based on street interviews, more than 60% of Turks say inflation has…

Loveday Morris Russian steps to stoke tensions over Ukraine threaten the prospects for a breakthrough in the coming crisis talks, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. “The real question is whether Russia is serious about diplomacy,” Blinken told reporters before meetings next week between American, European and Russian officials about what the Biden administration says is Moscow’s planning for a potential invasion of Ukraine, including the deployment of arms and tens of thousands of troops along the country’s border with its neighbour. “If they’re going to bear fruit, if they’re going to show real progress, that will require de-escalation,” he said of the discussions. “It’s very hard to make actual progress in any of these areas in an atmosphere of escalation and threat, with a gun pointed to Ukraine’s head.”…

Iraqi boxer Bushra al-Hajjar, pictured, jumps into the ring, gloves raised, and strikes out at her sparring partner. Her bigger struggle, though, is to deliver a blow against social taboos. In Iraq’s Shia Muslim holy city of Najaf, the sight of a women’s boxing hall is unusual, but the 35-year-old boxing instructor is fighting deeply-ingrained taboos. Hajjar won gold in the 70kg-class at a boxing tournament in Baghdad last month. In conservative Iraq, and particularly in Najaf, Hajjar acknowledges her adventure has raised eyebrows.…

Kedibone Modise kedibone.modise@inl.co.za Local musician and television producer Sipho “Psyfo” Ngwenya remembers his late mother, renowned opera singer June Kraus, on the first anniversary of her death. The former YoTV presenter took to Instagram on Wednesday to reflect on Kraus’s last moments. He also thanked Kraus for her love and support throughout the years. “A year ago today, you took your last breath. So grateful that you at least got to see me become a man. (I’m) so grateful you were there for me to become a husband,” he said. He added: “So many things I am grateful for, but most importantly, I am grateful for the love you gave me. Gone but not forgotten. I miss you and will always celebrate your life.” Fans and industry friends, including Minnie…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za SOLDIERS who went awol while on a medical course in Cuba in 2017 have once again lost their legal bid to be reinstated after the SANDF gave them the boot. The group of 36 medical students turned to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) after the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, last year ruled that the SANDF was within its rights to fire them. The court initially found in favour of the soldiers and ordered their reinstatement. This order was, however, overturned by three judges of the high court on appeal. Unhappy with this verdict, the group turned to the SCA, which yesterday turned down their application. The SCA judges commented that “the SANDF simply cannot function properly when its members absent themselves from duty without…

‘No threats against president, Covid rules were flouted’ Ntombi Nkosi, Sihle Mavuso and Mashudu Sadike THE ANC has poured cold water on claims of threats or security risks against President Cyril Ramaphosa who was escorted out of the memorial lecture honouring late Struggle icon Lilian Ngoyi before he could address the gathering, citing the flouting of Covid-19 regulations yesterday. “The president left after he was advised that we were not complying with the required regulations; as a law-abiding and responsible leader, he had to vacate. There is no issue of any threat, the country is still safe, we have a legitimate government, there is no threat,” said ANC NEC member Dakota Legoete. “Everybody so far is safe. Those who have accreditation to come on Saturday to the main event…

JACOB ZUMA SPEAKS Sipho Seepe and Kim Heller Porcupine Press JACOB Zuma Speaks documents some of the socio-economic policies, measures, and milestones of the Zuma administration. The book is not an attempt to paint former president Zuma in glowing terms but simply to allow the reader to judge him on actual performance rather than on fake, often manufactured untruths. Significantly, Jacob Zuma Speaks comes at a time when the lie of the ‘nine wasted years’ for South Africa under the Presidency of Jacob Zuma is increasingly being unmasked. This is the first book endorsed by former president Jacob Zuma An edited excerpt from the chapter on health One of Zuma’s greatest achievements as president is how he restored the country’s battered reputation in dealing with the HIV/Aids pandemic. Prominent Aids…

VISVIN REDDY | National convenor, Pappi WHILE fuel prices have come down and there is some reprieve for motorists, it is premature for celebrations. The latest decrease is due to the strengthening of the rand and stable oil prices. We must remember there are two factors that make up the price of fuel; the basic fuel price (BFP) as well as taxes and levies. The latter are determined by Parliament and remain constant. With the current decrease in the BFP, our tax contribution exceeds 55%. This means South African motorists pay more in fuel taxes than any other country in Africa. Twenty percent of what we pay at the pumps goes to the Road Accident Fund. It is poorly managed and a cesspool of corruption, with a…

My FATHER-in-law once asked me if I had ever heard of Abraham Lincoln, after I attended an International Quality Conference in Philadelphia in the US. I told him I was fortunate to stand where Lincoln stood when he raised the flag on Independence Hall in Pennsylvania on the February 22, 1861. I realised that the American people have an insatiable desire for preserving their history and proud heritage, something which is a rare commodity in South Africa. Philadelphia is known as “The bundle of American Liberty”. The great metropolis was founded in 1682 by Duaker William Penn. The city is known as the scene of many great historical events connected with the US’s founding. It was there that George Washington was appointed commander-in-chief on June 15, 1775. The Declaration of…

Chulumanco Mahamba A WITS University Master’s graduate has launched a programme that fosters economic development and promotes new venture creation. Wits Business School Master’s graduate Taynita Harilal aims to actively advance entrepreneurship in South Africa with the launch of the ECAfrica – Evolution of Youth Entrepreneurship (EYE) Development Programme by connecting youth innovators and problem-solvers in search of action-based support. “Purpose-driven, #ECAfrica EYE connects youth visionaries who will thrive in ecosystems that can nurture, resource and support passionate, young and dynamic mindsets looking to solve collective societal problems.” The programme is aimed at Grade 11 learners from diverse backgrounds. The mentoring, training and education project aims to equip them with skills and resources that will allow them to start their ventures or actively participate in entrepreneurial practices. The vision is…

YOU can now take an active stand against corruption within the Joburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) by becoming an anti-corruption ambassador. The Internal Affairs Directorate of the JMPD has launched an initiative encouraging residents to blow the whistle on officers breaking the law. Sergeant Frans Mabusela, a team leader specialising in pro-active policing within the directorate, said the JMPD was eager to enforce the highest, achievable standards of professionalism and accountability within the municipal police service. Mabusela said the public should support initiatives that promote principles of integrity within policing. People interested in becoming #JMPDAntiCorruption ambassadors are urged to email maccabim@joburg.org.za or call 011 490 1814. Their details will then be captured on a system before they are invited to workshops. If they don’t wish for their details to be…

Dr Bhedlindaba Mkhize South Africans started the new year with sadness. A day after the burial of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Mpilo Tutu, our democratic Parliament was engulfed in flames that kept the country breathless for two days. The impact of this devastation is beyond the imagination. This is not because of nostalgia or romantic attachments most citizens have toward an old colonial building. It is because what has been burnt or is still burning metaphorically speaking, are our collective dreams. This is the truth that hurts and must not be lost irrespective of the political fallout and noise that has arisen and will continue in the wake of such a calamity. We are all ashamed to see things fall apart at this scale in our country. We have a special…

Here is a look at the development of Pyongyang’s banned nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, for which it has been hit with international sanctions: The beginnings Korea starts working in the late 1970s on a version of the Soviet Scud-B missile with a range of around 300km, carrying out its first test in 1984. Between 1987 and 1992, it begins developing longer-range missiles, including the Taepodong-1 (2 500 km) and Taepodong-2 (6 700 km). The Taepodong-1 is test-fired over Japan in 1998 but the following year, Pyongyang declares a moratorium on such tests as ties with the US improve. 2006-2013: Nuclear tests It ends the moratorium in 2005, blaming the “hostile” policy of US President George W Bush’s administration, and carries out its first nuclear test on October 9,…

Herman Gibbs herman.gibbs@gmail.com The top flight American league, the MLS, will be boosted by the acquisition of two South Africans ahead of the start of the 2022 season next month. Minnesota United FC, known by supporters as “The Loons”, have signed 21-year-old Bafana Bafana striker Bongokuhle Hlongwane on a three-year contract from DStv Premiership club Maritzburg United. Another Major League Soccer outfit, St Louis City SC, named former Bafana defender Bradley Carnell as their head coach. Carnell is no stranger in MLS circles after joining New York Red Bulls in 2017 as an assistant coach and later as interim head coach in September 2020. The strong-running Hlongwane has made a huge impression on Minnesota head coach Adrian Heath. “The one thing we have spoken about is getting someone with game-changing…

Oluthando Keteyi Local rapper Blxckie on New Year's weekend was involved in a serious accident on his way to a gig. Blxckie is one of the most booked rappers in Mzansi and this past festive he had his successful B4Now Tour. The popular rapper took to Instagram to share why he was unable to make a performance in Durban. The Joy hitmaker said while driving from Lesotho to Joburg, he and his team experienced a tyre puncture in Bloemfontein. “What happened is, we were driving from Lesotho to Jozi to catch a 6pm flight to Durban, so I can get to these gigs and whatever. “When we arrived in Bloemfontein, which is like a lil bit over halfway to Jozi, one of the front tyres got a puncture and…

Bongani Nkosi bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za IT IS a legislative defect that people arrested under the Domestic Violence Act are charged for violating a protection order and not the violence they may have perpetrated at home. The SA Law Reform Commission (SALRC) has identified this as one of various shortcomings as to how the law responds to violence perpetrated within domestic relationships. The SALRC, a statutory body, is investigating whether the country’s current legislation has done enough to protect victims of domestic violence. In a discussion document detailing the objectives of the investigation, the SALRC highlighted that partners who violated protection orders had to date effectively avoided charges for violence they may have inflicted. “In its current format the Domestic Violence Act provides for the issuing of protection orders with regards to domestic…

Julian Richfield FRIENDS. FOOD. FLAVOUR. Michael Olivier Loot.co.za (R PENGUIN BOOKS THE doyen of South African food and wine commentators, Michael Olivier, has brought out a delicious “home made” cookbook, Friends. Food. Flavour. a collection of largely Cape dishes. The inspiration for the book came from a Cape buffet which Olivier prepared many years ago for a wine festival in Australia. Those original recipes were “researched, deconstructed and rebuilt” and there were also some recipes from restaurants and friends. With this book, Michael Olivier has shared heritage recipes that may be familiar to many, but they are an important part of our food culture, and we cannot allow them to be lost to future generations. There are recipes for boontjiesop (old fashioned hot bean soup); snoekpatee; sweet and sour onions…

THABILE MANGE | Mogale City HAPPY birthday, ANC! On January 8, 2022, one of the oldest political organisations in Africa, the ANC, will be 120 years old. That’s a milestone. The ANC has played a leading role in the fight against apartheid. When apartheid died, and democracy was ushered in, the glorious movement was elected to lead the nation. The ANC has been in power for 27 interrupted years. This shows the confidence the nation had in the movement. This also gave the party the impression that it would be in power forever. Therefore, it became arrogant. How has the governing party performed in the past 27 years? This is not an easy question to answer. However, it must be said that the ANC has failed to take…

ALEXANDER PAUL | Randpark Ridge ARE you one of the handful of people who between them pay 90% of the nation’s income tax, only to later suffer additional income-cutting effects of VAT, excise duties, municipal rates, fuel and other levies, tolls on roads, sugar tax, various licences and administration costs and more? Also, with utter lack of faith in supposed state provision of benefits for all, do you have to buy private health-care services, education, security services, heavy insurance and home electricity generators? Teach your children how governments work. Take away their sweeties. If they ask if they can have them back or get something in lieu, tell them to shut up and laugh loudly at them!…

Anita Nkonki THE number of hits produced last year proved that South African music artists did their best to keep the entertainment industry alive during the pandemic. And as we kick off the new year, most of them have already started glimpsing their Spotify accounts for the 2021 wrap-up, and popular rapper Refiloe Phoolo, known as Cassper Nyovest, was impressed with his music streams on Spotify as he reached almost 10 million music streams. According to Spotify’s year-end chart, Nyovest was among the list of artists who snatched up the top 10 spots on the list of the most-streamed local artists in South Africa. Nyovest also jumped on to the amapiano bandwagon and produced a hit single called Siyathandana which features Boohle and Abidoza from his amapiano project Sweet &…

THE EMERGENCY Management Services Public Information, Education and Relations’ (Pier) officers have been criss-crossing major public transportation nodes in Johannesburg to encourage operators to help minimise the spread of Covid-19 by always adhering to health and safety protocols. Johannesburg and the rest of the country are grappling with the fourth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic (Omicron variant), with health experts advising the public to continue adhering to safety regulations. With new cases of Covid-19 increasing in Johannesburg in the last few weeks, Pier officers are eager to educate the public about safety measures to help prevent new infections. “Pier specialises in enlightening, training and preparing the public for potential health hazards before disaster strikes,” said Marie Malatjie, an EMS Pier officer. She said Pier officers had been reaching out to…

North Korea has successfully tested a hypersonic missile, state media reported yesterday, in the first major weapons test by the nuclear-armed nation this year. This was the second reported test of what Pyongyang claimed were hypersonic gliding missiles, as it pursues the sophisticated technology despite international sanctions and condemnation. Hypersonic missiles move far faster and are more agile than standard ones, making them much harder for missile defence systems – on which the US is spending billions – to intercept. The missile fired on Wednesday carried a “hypersonic gliding warhead” that “precisely hit a target 700km away”, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported, without identifying the launcher. The warhead also demonstrated a “new” capability, moving 120km laterally after it detached from the launcher to strike the target, it…

Child marriage became illegal in the Philippines yesterday as a law banning the practice took effect in a country where one in six girls enters wedlock before the age of 18. The impoverished Southeast Asian country has the 12th-highest number of child marriages in the world, according to Britain-based rights group Plan International, with long-held cultural practices and gender inequality hindering change. The new law lays out prison terms of up to 12 years for marrying or cohabiting with anyone under 18. |…

HERMAN GIBBS Comment Suddenly, the ‘The Iron Duke’ Irvin Khoza has changed tack. A few days ago, when the Kaizer Chiefs saga first surfaced, the Premier Soccer League (PSL) chairman made light of the matter, saying: “We’re a rules-based organisation. Everything is easy because we just refer to the rules, compliance manual, or the rule-book for answers.” Now that Khoza has realised that the Chiefs debacle has the potential of a ticking time-bomb, he has sheepishly changed his tune. “It is not an easy matter. It is a matter that was dealt with by the football department. It was escalated to the executive committee. It requires a lot of attention to detail to adjudicate this matter. It must be seen to give a thorough evaluation and process.” After the PSL’s…