Table of contents for 2022-12-29 in Star

Despite all that alcohol has done to families, societies and nations like South Africa, the drink is still popular and the main ingredient for all social gatherings, and seasons like Christmas. But holy is the day when a wedding or party will be without alcohol. Oh yes, when people will be merry and kind to each other not because of the “brew” stirring their emotions and influencing their minds, but because of the genuine love of God and for other humans in their hearts. And that is what the festive season, as it includes Christmas and holidays, is supposed to stand for – to be a time of doing good to other people’s lives. Without a doubt, South Africa has two main gods that she worships – alcohol and partying…

As the countdown to the highly anticipated 8th All-Africa Music Awards (Afrima) begins, YouTube has announced a partnership with Afrima to provide artist-focused educational sessions and live streaming support for the awards, which will take place in Dakar, Senegal, on January 12-15. The awards are the pinnacle of recognition for African music globally and are poised to ensure that the annual four-day festival is broadcast to music lovers and stakeholders across the globe. The head of the culture division at the African Union Commission, Angela Martins, said: “It is important that we spread our efforts to promote inclusivity and ensure that the world can see the impact of Afrima at the global centre stage. “It is easier for people to now follow up with the award ceremony via their smartphone…

Three adult white males have been arrested in connection with the alleged racial attack at the Maselspoort Resort and Conference Centre near Bloemfontein, Free State, on Christmas Day. Police spokesperson Brigadier Motantsi Makhele said yesterday the first two suspects – Johan Nel, 33, from Bothaville, Free State, and Jan Stephanus van der Westhuizen, 47, from Brandfort – have since been charged with assault and crimen injuria, while a third suspect was arrested for attempted murder. Makhele said both Nel and Van der Westhuizen were released on warning, with the matter having been postponed to January 25. The third man, a 48-year-old from Bloemfontein, will remain in custody and will appear in court today. The alleged racism incident has sent shock waves across the country, with President Cyril Ramaphosa calling for…

When Ukrainian forces came across the abandoned Russian fighting vehicle on the battlefield, they knew they had found a rare prize. The BMP-3, armed with a 100mm main gun and a 30mm autocannon, was one of the few of its kind that the Ukrainian military had seized from the Russians since the start of the invasion. But about a month ago, after weeks of being operated by Ukrainian soldiers, its engine and fuelling system began to fail. Ever since, the Russian fighting vehicle has been out of commission, stuck at a repair site in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. Ukrainian forces have seized hundreds of what they call “trophies” – Russian tanks, armoured personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles – since the start of the war. They’ve become valuable assets for Kyiv.…

Manila: The death toll from the recent heavy rain and floods in the Philippines increased to at least 25 yesterday as the country braced for more downpour due to a low-pressure area moving towards the archipelago. At least 26 other people were still missing, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said. Nine were injured. The national weather bureau said that a low-pressure area, about 600km east of Mindanao island in the southern Philippines, could develop into a tropical depression, with flooding and landslides likely. The flooding has already affected over 390 000 people in nine regions across the country. | IANS…

WASHINGTON: Nasa is exploring whether SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft can offer an alternative ride home for some crew members of the International Space Station after Russia’s Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft sprang a coolant leak while docked to the orbital lab earlier this month. Nasa and Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, are investigating the cause of a punctured coolant line on an external radiator of Soyuz, which was to return two cosmonauts and one US astronaut to Earth early next year. SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule is the only entity besides Soyuz capable of ferrying humans to the space station and back. | Reuters…

REALITY TV star Kim Kardashian fears her future boyfriends will be “scared” off by her ex-husband Kanye West. She shared her concerns on Monday’s episode of the Angie Martinez IRL podcast. The reality TV star added: “There’s a part of me that is like, ‘Oh my God, is everyone gonna be scared because I don’t have the easiest ex?’ “I don’t think that’s fair for me to ever put someone in a situation or bring a new person in who could be super innocent. Then there’s a side of me that’s like, ‘Why would I ever have to live that way?’” The mother-of-four, who shares children North, 9, Saint, 7, Chicago, 4, and 3-year-old Psalm with Kanye, 45, also cried on the podcast over the struggles of co-parenting with the…

SINGER Adele has boosted her fortune considerably in the past year. The 34-year-old singer’s company now has cash reserves of nearly £15 million (about R310m), according to the Daily Mail. Statements for her Melted Stone Ltd company show its net assets were £14 940 260 as of December 2021 – up from £3 566 954 the previous year, the publication said. It comes after Adele released her fifth studio album 30 and started her delayed Las Vegas residency. Adele tearfully cancelled her scheduled concerts at the last minute in January but is now understood to be earning around £750 000 per show for the 32-night run. Tickets for the concerts were on sale for up to £200 000 each on resale sites. Other big names to have headlined Vegas in…

THE Postbank lost R77m in a 2021 hack of its IT systems and the breach was possibly committed by one of its contractors, Communications and Digital Technologies director-general Omega Shelembe has told MPs. Three investigations were ordered into the hack, but the department has kept the details under wraps. Shelembe was responding to questions from DA MP Bridget Staff Masango on behalf of the department this week. The revelation comes a fortnight after this publication quoted Treasury Minister Enoch Godongwana as saying that the FBI intercepted a hack attempt on the SA Reserve Bank in October this year. Masango had asked how much the Postbank had lost due to “hacking and theft” in the past three financial years. Shelembe said the hack had come at a cost of R77m to…

You cannot hide it. The ANC is in a mess. Ramaphosa may be relieved he may have covered up the Phala Phala scandal, but nothing will cover up what is happening to the ANC. The ANC is rotting away. It has an incurable disease which affects every organ, limb and tissue of the organisation. It is so widespread that cutting off one part will not save the organisation. The 55th elective conference at Nasrec speaks volumes of the organisational capabilities of Africa’s oldest liberation movement. For one thing, the conference could not get off on time. It started off badly, with the credentials of the delegates and the registration process in a mess. Then there were the disruptive, chaotic scenes of members singing and dancing on the chairs and tables.…

So much time and correspondence is devoted to Eskom and load shedding problems that I am amazed how little concern is expressed about our water shortages. We have thousands of kilometres of coast line with never-ending sea water that would provide every coastal city and town with all the water required. The Israelis have perfected the desalination process so their nation survives basically on this water in a desert country. With this technology available and the scientific brains I would have thought we would be independent from rain water and ground water supply. Why will the government not devote resources and capital to solving this problem?…

The beginning of the new year is set to be high-spirited and animated for gospel music fanatics as the All-White New Year Gospel Festival comes with a jam-packed affair at the Pretoria National Botanical Gardens on January 7. The festival was introduced in January 2022 by Mosa Confidence Maake, who is a new sensation in the gospel industry. “Due to Covid-19 rules, we could only sell 400 tickets max. Our 2022 line-up featured artists like Takie Ndou, Puleng March, Zaza Mokhethi, Omega Khunou, Putuma Tiso, Canaan Nyathi, Mosa Confidence Maake, Lucas Maloma and Mpho Mutula,” said Maake. “With this event, we aim at inspiring people to start a year on a high note with gospel celebration every year. Most of all, it is to also create job opportunities in the…

The secretary-general of the South African Council of Churches (SACC), Malusi Mpumlwana, said 2022 was a year when racists reigned supreme, forgetting the message of love and peace preached by Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Mpumlwana said the SACC was concerned that the unity in diversity project that came into being in 1994 had lost steam, giving rise to an increase in incidents of racism that have made local and international headlines. Recently, the Free State made news after a group of black people were not allowed to swim in a pool that was apparently reserved for white people. The story made headlines and once again exposed the attitudes that have been harboured in small towns across the country. It was also in the Free State in 2008 that black workers at…

The news that the case against the Boksburg gas tanker driver was dropped should be met with outrage. The truck carrying unknown gas got stuck under a bridge on Christmas Eve. After it got stuck, the gas container started leaking, resulting in an explosion that caused extensive damage to public and private infrastructure as well as sustained injuries and loss of life. The death toll has now risen to 26, and two people are still missing. The 32-year-old driver was released on Tuesday after the court found there wasn’t enough evidence. An official from the National Prosecuting Authority yesterday said there was no case against the driver. This is because provincial police said there was not enough evidence against him. Surely someone or the transport company should be held responsible…

VATICAN CITY: Former pope Benedict, 95, who in 2013 became the first pontiff in 600 years to step down, is “very sick”, his successor Pope Francis said yesterday, asking the church to pray for him. The Vatican later said that Benedict had suffered a sudden worsening of his health. It also said his condition was under control and that he was receiving constant medical attention. Conservatives have looked to the German former pope as their standard-bearer and some even refuse to acknowledge Francis as a legitimate pontiff. Benedict resigned in February 2013, saying he no longer had the strength to run the church. | Reuters…

THE Sharks have won five games in a row across all competitions and with a host of Springboks due to return to their team for Saturday’s derby clash with the Bulls in Durban, they are favoured to lengthen their winning streak. The Sharks’ last loss was the reverse to Cardiff in the United Rugby Championship in November, a result that cost coach Sean Everitt his job, but since that 35-0 humiliation, they have won in both the Champions Cup and the URC. And the manner in which the Sharks smashed the Lions last week sent a message across the URC that they mean business. And they won 37-10 despite resting some of their big names, all of whom will come swarming back for the New Year’s Eve clash with the…

Shock as tanker driver, 32, is released before scheduled court appearance Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has confirmed that the death toll from the gas tanker explosion on December 24 has once again risen, from 18 to 26, following reports of an additional eight deaths yesterday. Lesufi’s announcement came as members of the media and society reacted to the news that the 32-year-old tanker driver allegedly responsible for the carnage had been released from prison without having made his court appearance at Boksburg Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Lesufi relayed the news after he visited the families of the victims in the area, which saw members of the provincial government visit some of those affected by the deadly explosion. “In terms of numbers, the police have confirmed that we are now standing at…

After promising to look into the allegations of vote buying at the recent 55th ANC national conference in Nasrec, the party’s electoral committee said it has been able to reach out to Thabang Mdletshe, the purported author of the letter that contained the allegations, and he has distanced himself from its contents. On Monday, a letter allegedly written by Mdletshe, an eThekwini ward 30 branch member and conference delegate, accused President Cyril Ramaphosa, ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe, and Bejani Chauke of having used money to buy delegates to the conference. Chief Matsila, spokesperson for the ANC electoral committee, told SABC News that Mdletshe has since distanced himself from the letter. He said the allegation and the letter had been identified as fake after he had spoken to Mdletshe on Tuesday…

South African visitors to”‘advanced” First World cities like London, Paris, New York are certain to return home with the common notion that those iconic areas are so meticulously clean and would invariably use the words, “Those are civilised societies”. Just compare with our people, who just cannot be bothered by the manner we treat our garbage. Leaving bin bags out willy-nilly, littering the beaches, dumping on quiet roads, inviting vermin like cockroaches rats, welcoming bacteria, viruses disease! Why can’t we also become simply civilised? Actually, these are incorrect conclusions: Reading about how bad it once was in these same “advanced” cities a mere century ago reveals that they, too, were infested with all the worst vermin that caused the most horrible diseases, mostly because of lack of proper sanitation. Of…

We are approaching a new year with joy and expectation for a better future – with hopes for solutions to the current social and economic problems, to the outbreaks of wars and disputes, and to problems caused by climate change. In the Bahá'í view, genuine solutions to the problems facing humanity will require a globally accepted vision for the future, based on unity and willing co-operation among the nations, races, creeds and classes of the human family. Unless unity is attained – a unity that embraces and honours the full diversity of humankind – true peace and prosperity will remain out of reach. As Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í Faith, states: “The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.”…

LOOKING back, 2022 was a challenging year for education in South Africa and the African continent. It began on a sad note for South Africa’s matriculants as many faced the prospect of a bleak future after being spewed out of a school system that continues to fail millions of pupils. On the flip side, private schools have continued to get a lousy rap amid stubborn silence from the Independent Schools Association of SA (Isasa) on various issues affecting its members. If they care, it has not been evident. As many as 45% of parents struggled to keep up with the exorbitant fees for their children at private schools. At the same time, Isasa’s puppet leadership allows its members to escape without transforming; their silence on bullying at several schools over…

Beijing’s sudden pivot away from containing Covid-19 has caused jitters around the world, with the US saying it may restrict travel from China following its decision to end mandatory quarantine for overseas arrivals. China this week scrapped quarantine for inbound travellers from January 8 onwards, dismantling the last remaining piece of its stringent zero Covid policy and ending some of the world’s harshest border restrictions. The move was greeted with jubilation by Chinese citizens, who rushed to book international flights, triggering a surge in ticket prices. Hospitals and crematoriums across China continue to be overwhelmed by an influx of mostly elderly people. Dozens of mostly elderly Covid-19 patients were lying on gurneys in overflowing hospital emergency wards in Tianjin, 140km south-west of the capital Beijing yesterday. Medical staff were “pretty…

Port Harcourt: Seven people were killed and 29 injured this week when a car ploughed into a popular carnival at Calabar in south-east Nigeria, the local head of highway security said. Some were injured critically. The injured included three girls and two boys. The incident happened as the crowd were watching a motorcyclists’ parade in front of a mosque in the district of Bogobiri. Calabar, the capital of Cross River state, hosts one of West Africa’s most prestigious carnivals each December, drawing nearly 2 million revellers annually. Officials ordered police to apprehend the driver, who sped off after the accident. | AFP…

KAIZER Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane will be hoping his team can continue where they left off when they resume their Premiership season on Saturday. Zwane and the Amakhosi faithful will fondly remember Yusuf Maart’s stunning match-winning goal against arch rivals Orlando Pirates at FNB Stadium in the Soweto derby in October. The stats showed that Pirates dominated the game, but were unable to capitalise. On Saturday, Chiefs will run out at Moses Mabhida Stadium against hosts Golden Arrows in their final league fixture for 2022 (3.30pm). “We are coming back from a long recess. It is an unusual one at this time of the season, so it will be a case of adaptation and a change of mindset from our players,” said Zwane. “We finished the first half of the…