Star -julkaisun 2022-04-05 -irtonumeron sisällysluettelo

SOUTH African markets opened the week on a high and traded in the green yesterday as investors digested the latest sovereign credit ratings outlook and the ongoing peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. Moody’s Investor Services on Friday upgraded South Africa’s credit rating to investment grade with a stable outlook as high commodity prices continue supporting the government’s efforts to reduce budget deficit. This saw South African stocks trading on a high yesterday, with the rand steadying around R14.60 to the US dollar, but struggling for momentum. The rand has shown reduced volatility this year in comparison to other emerging market currencies, and this is also likely reflective of its somewhat reduced credit risk as markets perceive a lower risk of default. The risk sentiment in the markets saw the…

GLOBALLY-recognised super producer and DJ Black Coffee confirmed his status as one of the best dance DJs in the world when he walked away with the Best Dance/Electronic Music Album Grammy Award on Sunday night. Born Nkosinathi Maphumulo, Black Coffee bagged the award for his critically acclaimed album, Subconsciously. Wearing a cream suit, he accepted the award at the Grammy Awards in Las Vegas accompanied by his eldest son, Esona. “Wow … I don’t know what to say,” he said in his speech. “I want to thank God for the gift of music and being able to share it with the world and heal some souls and help people go through whatever they are going through in life. “I want to thank everyone who is on the album, from Msaki…

MOTORISTS and commuters are growing frustrated with potholes that seem to worsen with every rainfall. With rains, the roads become worse as the potholes deepen and some repaired potholes open again, especially on old roads that lack the proper stormwater infrastructure to ensure the water flows off the road. Driving school owner Michael Bopape said: “These potholes are getting out of control now. At some point, people became so angry they planted trees inside the potholes to send a message to the government.” Taxi driver Keketso Ledwaba said he believed there were more potholes in the townships than in the suburbs and the more affluent areas. “When we have congested traffic during peak hours, we drive in the suburban areas and honestly, their roads are 10 times better than most…

A Johannesburg mother has described the ordeal that her family suffered at the hands of robbers while they were travelling at night on the N3 near Heidelberg last week. Nadia Omar, 37, of Randburg, said that she, her husband Trevor and their three children were on their way home after spending a holiday in the Drakensberg. “We heard what sounded like a huge bang and felt the vehicle sway to the left (Trevor managed to retain control of the vehicle). “My initial thought was that we were hit at the back right side or front right of the vehicle by a truck. (I was seated at the back of vehicle). We immediately sensed the deflation of tyres on the right side of our vehicle and Trevor then said to me,…

THE much-anticipated show has finally wrapped up its third season with Michelle Mvundla, fondly known as Mphowabadimo, crowned as the winner of the Big Brother Mzansi competition after facing off against Gershwin “Gash1” Mthombeni in the top two. Mvundla, who was overflowing with gratitude, reflected on her victory after host Lawrence Maleka had made the announcement. “I am feeling really good. I am happy to be the first female in Mzansi to win. This is big for me. Shout out, Big Brother, I love you. Thank you Mzansi, you did the most for me.” The show kicked off with 18 housemates vying for the grand prize of R2 million. When they decided to leave their families more than 70 days ago, they knew it was not going to be smooth…

CITY Power says it has started to restore electricity to areas that have been without power for a week following underground tunnel fires in the Johannesburg CBD. The utility company yesterday said it had started up the transformers and begun restoring power to the affected areas. A fire in the city’s underground tunnels at Ntemi Piliso Street on March 28 tripped two main lines – one line feeding Central substation, which affects the CBD, and the other line feeding Selby substation, affecting most of the industrial areas east of Joburg. An investigation into the cause of the fire is under way. The work to finalise repairs in the tunnel and between the two substations was disrupted by rain over the weekend. City Power said yesterday morning work to finalise repairs…

THE term “SmackDown” is usually associated with the world of wrestling, but now you can also identify it with Will Smith and the Oscar Awards. The American actor was full of gristle and bone as he let loose a whopper on Chris Rock on stage, followed by a barrage of invective-laden babble. Rock had apparently picked on his wife’s hairstyle which has something to do with her medical condition. But such despicable behaviour in front of a global audience was an unacceptable social gauche and faux pas. Whether it was the normal persiflage that comedians and hosts showcase on stage or personally intentional – only Rock knows? But a shell-shocked Rock was caught off-guard and stranded with a face as empty as an abandoned parking lot. Pelf, power and fame…

PLASTIC waste in Africa is not just an urban issue, but also a rural one. Rural communities are almost always heavily dependent on natural resources, such as water and arable land, to make a living. These resources are being irrevocably contaminated with plastic waste, the impact of which is often underestimated. Sub-Saharan Africa produces over 17 million tons of waste annually, with only 12% of plastic waste being recycled. The rest finds its way into landfills, streets and waterways. In rural areas, much of the plastic waste is burnt, largely because most rural areas have no rubbish collection or recycling facilities available. Plastic disposed of in this way releases toxins into the environment, killing life on land and in water, and contaminating previously fertile land. Most governments in Africa do…

Orlando Pirates’ surprisingly good run in the Confederation Cup group phase could be the springboard for improved results on the domestic front. On Sunday night, Pirates signed off their final Confederation Cup Group B assignment with an uninspiring goalless draw against Sudan’s Al-Ittihad at Orlando Stadium in tough conditions as most of the match was played in rain. Pirates had, however, already secured qualification to the play-offs before the encounter, and since they fielded several second-stringers it remained a fruitful exercise despite the draw. The Sea Robbers dominated from start to finish but couldn’t come to grips with the negative tactics of the Sundanese, who were hellbent on securing a draw to reach the knockout stage. Players like Bongani Sam, Ben Motshwari and Gabadinho Mhango were given a rare chance…

SOUTH African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) yesterday filed a wage dispute with the Council for Con- ciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) against the South African Maritime Safety Authority​ (Samsa) with sabre rattling of a crippling strike should talks fail. The labour union yesterday gave in- dications it was being pushed to a breaking point over wage increments and sala- ry adjustments, which have not been addressed in the past two years as a shift- ing of musical chairs goes on in the board and executive levels of the authority. A strike by about 4 000 workers manning South Africa’s shoreline for ship inspections and emergencies, including oil spills among other functions of the authority, would cripple the country’s coastline commercial activity. Satawu Maritime Sector Co-ordinator Thulani Dlamini…

WITH SOUTH Africa having an unemployment rate of 46 percent and exorbitant fuel prices, you would believe it is in everyone’s best interest to support efforts that seek to create employment and reduce fuel prices. South Africa is blessed with an abundance of natural resources, and our government should exploit these resources for the betterment of all South Africans. Over the past couple of years, oil and gas discoveries have been made in South Africa and Africa at large. These discoveries will provide new economic opportunities for South Africans, but there is a well-orchestrated pushback that seeks to phase in foreign-manufactured renewable technologies at the expense of energy security and job creation. Having spent decades extracting cheap oil and gas from African countries, the developed world now wants Africa…

THE Grammy awards, the highest honours in the music industry, were held at a live ceremony in Las Vegas on Sunday. Multi-genre artist Jon Batiste won album of the year and R&B duo Silk Sonic took two of the top honours at the ceremony that featured a surprise appeal for support from wartime President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine. Batiste landed the night’s biggest prize for We Are, an album inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement. “I believe this to my core – there is no best musician, best artist, best dancer, best actor. The creative arts are subjective … I just put my head down and work on the craft every day.” Silk Sonic, featuring Bruno Mars and Anderson.Paak, claimed the song and record of the year awards for…

Real Housewives of Orange County (7pm on 1Magic DStv 103) The women gather to celebrate Shane finally passing the California bar; despite making amends with Gina, Shannon runs into another roadblock with Emily; Noella’s situation worsens as she struggles to find answers about her husband. Severance (Streaming on Apple TV +) Mark leads a team of office workers whose memories have been surgically divided between their work and personal lives; when a mysterious colleague appears outside of work, it begins a journey to discover the truth about their jobs.…

ZULU King Misuzulu KaZwelithini will soon tie the knot with his long-time sweetheart, soon-to-be queen Ntokozo Mayisela, after concluding the pre-wedding customs with the bride’s family in Newcastle on Sunday. Royal family members, accompanied by regiments and maidens, visited the Mayisela family in Osizweni Township for the Umabo and Umkhehlo traditional ceremony – the event marked the end of the lobola process where the groom presents the bride’s family with gifts. The king paid the lobola to the Mayisela family soon after he was nominated as the successor to the throne last year. Sunday’s ceremony showed signs of unity in the royal family, that has been rocked by infighting over the throne. Senior royal family members – including Princess Thembi – who have been opposing the ascendance of King Misuzulu…

THE late poet, academic and ambassador, Lindiwe Mabuza is to be honoured by Rhodes University. The university in Makhanda will confer a Doctor of Literature degree (honoris causa) on the late cultural activist at its graduation ceremony on Friday. Mabuza was a South African politician, diplomat, poet, academic, journalist and cultural activist. She passed away on December 6, 2021, at the age of 83 from cancer, after having accepted the honour from the university. Rhodes University said she was an anti-apartheid activist who served South Africa as a member of the first democratically elected Parliament of South Africa. She then proceeded to have a career as a distinguished diplomat. Mabuza served as South African ambassador to Germany, Malaysia, the Philippines and the UK. She received numerous awards, including an honorary…

I AM privileged to know a family whose one child is autistic. Differently abled, this lovely young woman has developed skills to help her cope with her daily life. The journey of understanding autism was not easy for her parents and siblings, yet they have been united in giving her tools to make her life easier. She has been able to develop wonderful artistic skills, creating exciting works of origami. However, not enough has been done in this country to raise awareness of, and provide suitable facilities for children who are born autistic. For those of us who regard ourselves as being “normal” the time has come to learn and understand differently abled human beings, for they come on to this planet with extraordinary gifts. We should take the time…

During a conversation with President Cyril Ramaphosa on March 18, President Xi Jinping said China was ready to discuss co-operation in vaccine production with South Africa. This initiative presents a game changer in the capacity of South Africa in particular and Africa in general in fighting pandemics, as well as in broader relations between China and South Africa, and China-Africa co-operation. China has committed to support the call for waiving intellectual property rights on Covid-19 vaccines and to jointly produce vaccines in collaboration with African countries to guarantee the accessibility and affordability of vaccines in Africa. The continent has the lowest uptake of Covid-19 shots in the world. Although many African countries were able to secure sufficient and affordable supplies to respond to the pandemic, these doses represent only around…

Hold onto your boot-straps rugby fans, for this week we can all indulge in watching the great north versus south divide colliding not once, but twice as Blue Bulls Rugby and Western Province Rugby spar for honours in both the return fixtures of the Currie Cup and United Rugby Championship. And the stakes could not be bigger. The teams are currently one-for-one this season after the Bulls beat WP at Newlands in the Currie Cup, only for the Stormers to then beat the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld a few days later in January in the URC. This time the venues are reversed – the Currie Cup clash tomorrow will be hosted by the Bulls, while the season-defining URC encounter will be played at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday. “I won’t…

SOUTH African auditors charged with improper conduct will now find it difficult to escape accountability after the auditing profession regulator revised disciplinary rules, including allowing search and seizures, as the profession has been sullied by its role in high-profile corporate collapses and state capture revelations. The Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (Irba) yesterday gazetted the new disciplinary rules for registered auditors following a consultation process, which began in November 2021. This brings the rules and procedures to be followed during investigation and disciplinary processes into alignment with the Auditing Profession Act 26 of 2005, as amended by Act 2 of 2015 and Act 5 of 2021. Over the past four years, the profession has been besieged by high-profile corporate collapses and state capture revelations that have implicated auditors and highlighted…

GEMFIELDS, the supplier of coloured gemstones, said yesterday its emerald auction held in India recorded its best-ever revenue, an all time record for any Kagem auction. The precious metals group said the auction gener- ated a record $42.3 million (R619m). The auction, which took place be- tween March 15 and April 1, also result- ed in a sales record of $9.37 per carat. The ruby and emerald miner, which also owns Fabergé, produces emeralds from the Kagem mine in Zambia and rubies from the Montepuez mine in Mozambique, with its revenue highly dependent on auction. “The emeralds were extracted by Kagem Mining Ltd in Zambia, which is 75 percent owned by Gemfields and 25 percent by the Industrial Development Corporation of Zambia,” the group said. According to…

Tropika Island of Treasure is back for another season, and this time around, it’s featuring some of the best celebrities who have been part of the competition previously. At the launch held at Hyde Park on Thursday, the stars who will be part of the 10th season were unveiled. They include Kelly Khumalo, Khanya Mkangisa, Nay Maps, Roxy Louw, Jonathan Boynton-Lee, Karlien van Jaarsveld, Brendan Peyper, Shashi Naidoo and Maurice Paige. This season will be hosted by Anga Makubalo, the season 7 winner. Anga is not just the host, but he is also the voice behind this season’s theme song. “I’m really looking forward to hosting this ALL STARS season. Tropika Island of Treasure has had incredible hosts in the past and I can only be excited to be…

Gauteng police have issued a reward of R50 000 for any information that can assist in locating missing girl Amahle Michel Thabethe. Police said Thabethe was playing on the street with other children in 2019 when an unknown man approached them, asking for directions to a certain house. Thabethe volunteered to show the man the house he was looking for and that was the last time she was seen. At the time of her disappearance, she was wearing a blue and white T-shirt, black jeans with pockets printed with hearts. A task team has since been formed to investigate and has followed up on any information received. Anyone with positive information that can lead to the location of Thabethe or the alleged perpetrator is requested to contact Sergeant Theo Jacobs…

Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) has confirmed that it is investigating after two videos have emerged featuring its members having a tussle with members of the public. Both videos are reported to have been taken place at Etwatwa, Ekurhuleni, over the past weekend. In one video, an officer is seen threatening a minibus-taxi front seat passenger who was recording a video. He is heard telling him that he can smash his cellphone. The officer and two others are then seen allegedly violently manhandling someone believed to be a taxi driver. He is seen dropped on the ground while handcuffed. The person is not resisting arrest yet one officer kicked the back of his head. Taxi passengers are heard asking the officers what the person has done, while encouraging each other…

JORDAN Jansen van Rensburg has been crowned Miss Teen Grand South Africa 2022. Jansen van Rensburg, from Eku- rhuleni, accepted the crown in front of a crowd consisting of family, friends, colleagues, and well-wishers. “This is one of the best moments of my life. I promise everyone, this is just the beginning of greater things,” Jansen Van Rensburg said. The Miss Teen Grand South Africa is a platform created for girls aged between 14-19 to influence positive change in their personal lives and communities in South Africa. The night was hosted by former Mrs South Africa finalist Trudy Zulu who kept the crowd entertained. Big names in the modelling industry were part of the judges panel that included former Miss International SA 2018, Natalie Govender. Jansen Van Rensburg walked away…

THIRTEEN artists taking part in the 2022 Noordhoek Open Studios have worked on a collaborative piece that will be auctioned to raise funds for MasiSports. The annual 2022 Noordhoek Open Studios, on from April 8-10, where members of the public can visit artists in their home studios to see them creating pieces, have added the new collaborative piece to the offering as a creative way to raise additional funds for MasiSports. MasiSports was launched in 2017 at Ukhanyo Primary School when the school had only one sports and physical training coach, one netball court and a short sprint track, no school kit or proper equipment and only netball teams played inter-school matches. Now all 2 000 pupils have a PT lesson once a week. There are 19 coaches for the…

THE Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigating Unit busted a large-scale washing powder manufacturing and distribution facility last Friday. Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Philani Nkwalase said the unit, with assistance from brand protectors, Spoor & Fisher Attorneys, band members of Public Order Policing (POP) from Springs, executed a search-and-seizure disruptive operation in terms of the Counterfeit Goods Act 37 of 1997, at premises in Selection Park, Springs, on Friday. “A disruptive search operation was preceded by an in-depth investigation into the manufacturing and sale of counterfeit washing powder at the said premises. Samples of the counterfeit products were purchased while the Intellectual Property Rights Section of the Serious Commercial Crime Investigation based at the Hawks’ head office were carrying out their preliminary investigation along with brand protectors,” said Nkwalase. Nkwalase said that…

I refused to take media interviews last week. I also decided not to contest the sudden, ruthless, irrational, humiliating, and totally unanticipated termination of my ActionSA membership. I did so not out of guilt but in the interest of South Africans and to protect my own sanity. Too many South African women politicians are being pushed out of the political field. Honestly! How can one have a decent engagement on gender issues and the crippling effect of patriarchal attitudes with Mashaba and Beaumont? As South Africans may recall, apart from the financial difficulties faced by ADeC, the political party I helped found in 2017, I also decided to walk away from it because the environment had become too toxic. Furthermore, I did not want a repeat of the Sam Shilowa…

Kaizer Chiefs got back to winning ways at the weekend when they convincingly dispatched a hapless Chippa United, while showing glimpses of the type of danger they could pose moving forward. Amakhosi’s frontline, in particular, impressed, as Samir Nurkovic and Keagan Dolly got on the scoresheet, with Khama Billiat putting in a sterling Man of the Match performance. The Naturena-based club’s return to good form arrives at just the right moment as a clash against one of their ‘bogey teams’ in TS Galaxy comes up next (tonight at FNB Stadium, 7.30 kick-off). The Rockets crushed Chiefs’ hopes had of ending their seven year wait for a major trophy when they dumped them out of the Nedbank Cup earlier this year, in a repeat of their heroics in the 2019 final.…