Indice dei contenuti per 2021-09-03 in Star

EDWARD WEST edward.west@inl.co.za SANTAM, the short-term insurer, would pay out a dividend of 432 cents a share for the six months to June following a steady performance impacted by contingency business interruption (CBI) claims and claims on corporate fires. Gross premiums written increased 10 percent to R20.07 billion. Chief financial officer Hennie Nel said they were satisfied with the results in that, while the company “did not shoot the lights out”, it had done well in an environment where there were no big natural catastrophes, and claims were returning to normal levels. The underwriting margin of 6.7 percent, he said, was “reasonably strong” and about midway between the group’s targeted margin. He said possibly the biggest challenge the group faced currently was uncertainty in the low-performing…

B POSITIVE M-NET, DSTV CHANNEL 101, 7PM An entertaining premiere of this comedy series. Drew, a newly divorced dad who is faced with finding a kidney donor when he runs into Gina, a rough-around-the-edges woman from his past who volunteers her own. DEN OF THIEVES M-NET CITY, DSTV CHANNEL 115, 9PM This gritty crime drama sends an elite unit of cops and a group of violent outlaws on a collision course when the criminals plot a deadly heist on the Federal Reserve Bank. THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH JAMES CORDEN M-NET CITY, DSTV CHANNEL 115, 11PM James Corden throws the ultimate late night after-party in this Emmy winning talk show.…

Siphokazi Vuso DISGRACED TV presenter Katlego Maboe sent letters of demand to his former girlfriend Monique Muller, her brother Seth Muller, Women for Change and the SA Film and Television Awards (Saftas) to apologise and retract statements made against him. According to one of the letters seen by The Star’s sister paper, the Cape Times, Maboe’s lawyers are demanding R1 million in damages. “It is our instructions that the allegations are factually untrue and caused injury to Katlego Maboe’s reputation and ability to earn an income,” read the letter. Maboe, 34, was embroiled in a scandal involving infidelity and domestic violence allegations levelled against him by Muller last year. In a video that went viral, allegedly taken by Muller, Maboe is heard admitting to having an affair…

Utility proposing transfer of customers in its licensed areas of supply to City Power Loyiso Sidimba loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za DEBT owed by Soweto residents to Eskom has decreased to R7.5 billion in 2021 from R12.8bn last year, but this was because the power utility wrote off R5.3bn. Eskom indicated that the total invoiced Soweto debt had decreased to R7.5bn, including interest, by the end of March this year, down from R12.8bn last year. However, of the debt owed by residents of the country’s biggest township, only R536 million was deemed collectable, and the sprawling township has a payment level of only 20.6%. “The reduction in Soweto debt is mainly due to the write-off of prescribed debt of R5.3bn and write-back of non-compliant in duplum (double the amount) interest of R3.3bn,” Eskom…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za HIGH SCHOOLS operate at an efficiency rate of only 49% and at this rate 10 pupil years at high school are required for every pass, a new report by Stellenbosch University found. South African high schools take an average of 10 years to produce one matriculant, according to a new report by SU’s Research on Socio-economic Policy (RESEP) group. The report presented a picture of pupil performance and flows through the school system and was compiled by Professor Servaas van der Berg, Dr Chris van Wyk, Rebecca Selkirk, and Dr Heleen Hofmeyr. “We found that our high schools operate at an efficiency rate of only 49%, if measured in terms of the years of enrolment in secondary school for every matric pass. In other words, at this…

Staff reporter​ TWO PROJECTS implemented by the Joburg Development Agency (JDA), a wholly owned area-based development agency of the City of Joburg, are finalists for the 2021 Gauteng Institute for Architecture (GifA) Awards. The Westbury Transformation Development Centre (WTDC) and the restored workers’ museum cottages in Newtown have been shortlisted for the awards, which encourage and recognise good design or a noteworthy contribution in the field of architecture in the region. The JDA deals with the renovation, innovation and re-imagination of Joburg’s built environment and urban communities through a reinforced programme of place making and area-based development. The upgrade of the WTDC, designed by award-winning firm Ntsika Architects as a “high spec” public building, was implemented by the JDA on behalf of the City of Joburg. The centre consists of…

Growing up, we all knew of superstitions that were passed down from generation to generation, one such superstition my mother instilled in me was when it thundered, we needed to quickly toss a blanket of sorts over the window. To this day I do this. It got me thinking about superstitions in other countries, and I stumbled on a few in Nigeria. Here are seven superstitions in Nigeria. Eating in the dark – It is believed that if you eat in the dark, you could be giving room to the dead to eat with you and this could lead to your death or grave ailments, writes Pulse Nigeria. Whistling at night means you are inviting evil spirits – A majority of Nigerians believe that when you whistle at night, you…

Liesl Van Der Schyff liesl.vanderschyff@inl.co.za AS A young girl Razina Theba makes her way every day to the tiny family flat on Vorster Street in Fordsburg. It is here, just outside of the Johannesburg city centre, where she grows up, playing in the yard with countless cousins, learning to enjoy perfect syrupy paan and the best way to brew chai for her bajee. It is also where she observes her family’s harassment by the security branch, as well as her parents’ determination to make their business at the Oriental Plaza a success. In A Home on Vorster Street Razina witnesses the ebb and flow of a tight-knit neighbourhood trying to survive the forces of apartheid and, ultimately, where she learns of the value of family love and the enduring comfort…

Speaking at the Hendrik Johannes van der Bijl Memorial Lecture on August 17, Eskom’s chief executive, Andre de Ruyter, argued that South Africa’s opening to global market forces in the 1990s was premature and exposed the lack of competitiveness in the country’s manufacturing base. He fell short, however, of acknowledging that the apartheid project was unjust and left behind an unequal and impoverished society whose scars are defined by race. Sam Ashman goes some way to filling these historical gaps, laying bare the minerals and energy foundations on which our unequal society was built. Historically, energy infrastructure in South Africa – an intervention by Afrikaners in a political economy dominated by foreign-owned mining companies – has been at the centre of injustices against the black majority. But what should South…

China has challenged the US to fix relations with Beijing to make progress on climate change, the foreign ministry said yesterday, as Washington’s climate envoy visited to press the world’s top polluter to slash emissions. Tensions between China and the US have soared as they trade barbs on Beijing’s initial handling of Covid-19. Foreign Minister Wang Yi told US climate envoy John Kerry that co-operation on global warming could not be disentangled from broader diplomacy between the two countries. | AFP…

Nigerian farmer Nwale Nchimaonwi celebrated when he learnt that an oil law to overhaul the industry and improve the plight of communities living on crude-producing land had passed after two decades wait. His Niger Delta region has long seethed with discontent as communities face a potent mix of poverty, crude pollution and state neglect despite the wealth pumped from the ground beneath them. But Nchimaonwi’s enthusiasm soon gave way to anger after it emerged that the law demanded oil companies contribute only 3% of operating costs to communities, far below the 10% they see as fair compensation. Disappointment with the Petroleum Industry Bill is again testing patience in Nigeria’s delta where many lost farming and fishing livelihoods to contamination even as foreign oil giants pumped crude from Africa’s largest producer.…

COCO Gauff said her defeat to former champion Sloane Stephens at the US Open on Wednesday had highlighted the shortcomings in her game, but the 17-year-old is convinced she will get her hands on a Grand Slam title one day. The American became an overnight sensation when she reached the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2019 as a qualifier and she has steadily climbed up the rankings, reaching No 23. But she was no match for 2017 champion Stephens in their first career meeting, going down 6-4, 6-2 to the 28-year-old in the second round. “The goal is always to win, so obviously I think I can do a lot better,” Gauff said. “I think today’s match showed what I need to improve on. Singles-wise, I think I have a…

Old Johannesburg Warehouse Auctioneers’s Paarl branch holding a 1 700-lot online auction of art and collectables, starting tomorrow at 9am and continuing on Sunday from 9am. On sale will be Africana, Dutch, French, Continental, Oriental modern, retro and Pierre Cronje furniture. Silver, gold and ZAR coins and notes; clocks; carpets and a collection of wines and whiskeys. Included in the line-up will be traditional and contemporary art and art books. A stand-out lot is a cement sculpture by Marieke Prinsloo-Rowe which hails from Sea Point Promenade (pictured). In addition, there will be jewellery, and loose gemstones and watches. The catalogue can be viewed online at www.oldjwauctioneers.com or the app and pre bidding is already open. For more info call 072 629 0109 or email paarl@oldjwauctioneers.com. | Auctions…

Ntombi Nkosi Former managing director at Life Esidimeni, Morgan Mkhatshwa, has concluded his testimony and maintains that the group is not to be blamed for the deaths of mental health-care users. The Gauteng Department of Health terminated its contract with Life Esidimeni in 2016 in a bid to save costs and restructure mental health services. The High Court in Pretoria is investigating who should be held criminally liable for the deaths of 144 patients after they were moved from Life Esidimeni Group health facilities in 2016. Many patients who were transferred later died. Their deaths were attributed to negligence, lack of food, dehydration and ill-equipped facilities. Mkhatshwa took the witness stand yesterday for the fourth day. A clinician witness stated that patients who were transferred from Esidimeni Waverley facility…

AS WOMEN’S Month came to a close in South Africa, the focus has been on the continued hardships women face, including the threat of gender-based violence (GBV) and limited opportunities in a society that remains male-dominated. Women of colour, in particular, face challenges on the road to success. We sat down with one such woman, television personality and presenter on the SABC 3 channel’s Expresso Show, Jamie-Lee Domburg, to talk about life, motherhood, fitness and business and other things her audience might not have known about her. Domburg is pretty much a jack of all trades. She was born and bred in the close-knit community of Steenberg and started as a dancer, drama student and public speaker/master of ceremony in her teens. She later expanded her career to national and…

BONGANI NKOSI bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za THE COUNTRY’S universities have come under heavy criticism for failing to remove barriers that blocked the progression of TVET college students in higher education. Almost a decade since the Department of Higher Education and Training published a white paper intended to ensure seamless progression of college graduates to university, many institutions have not removed the bottlenecks. This became apparent at a webinar hosted by the Council for Higher Education (CHE) this week. The seamless progression of TVET college students to universities is referred to as “articulation”. Policies in this regard were meant to benefit those who obtained the matric-equivalent National Certificate Vocational and all other post-school level qualifications at the colleges. The now-suspended department director-general, Gwebinkundla Qonde, said in 2014 the country’s college graduates found it difficult…

THE CITY of Joburg is still processing applications from property owners who applied for a debt rehabilitation programme. The city earlier this year announced to property owners whose municipal accounts were in arrears had until July 31 to apply for the city’s improved debt rehabilitation programme, which offers amnesty to those afflicted by the Covid-19 lockdown. The newly introduced relief measures are designed to ease the financial burden on ratepayers amidst the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Then finance MMC Jolidee Mat-ongo, who is now mayor, said at that time the threshold of property value that qualified for relief had increased from R600 000 to R1.5 million. This followed calls from residents for the city to review the terms and conditions of the initial relief programme launched in 2019. Matongo said the…

Two artists from Paarl want help in showcasing the talents of up-and- coming artists by hosting a Christmas concert in December. Singers Felicity Kiran Nxele and Sydwell Beziek, who have a combined 42 years in the entertainment industry between them, having performed across the country and abroad, are looking for sponsorship in their efforts to pull together the concert featuring artists whose plight has been worsened by restrictions relating to the Covid-19 pandemic. This year will mark the second time that the Christmas Night with the Stars concert is held. Speaking to African News Agency (ANA), Kiran Nxele said the entertainment industry had been hard hit by the pandemic, with countless events having been either cancelled or postponed in an attempt to curb the spread of Covid-19. Adding some…

MOHAMED SAEED | Pietermaritzburg I HAVE been following the take-back of Afghanistan by the Taliban. The Taliban took on for 20 years the world’s “greatest superpower” together with their Nato allies. The fall of the US puppet regime in Afghanistan is an embarrassing and humiliating fiasco for American imperialism. The “war on terror” – launched by former US president George W Bush and Tony Blair 20 years ago was based on lies and maintained through the bombing of innocent civilians. George Bush and Tony Blair launched the 2001 US-led invasion into Afghanistan, in what would become America’s longest conflict. Both Bush and Blair must be held accountable for the catastrophe inflicted on Afghanistan and its people.…

Modibe Modiba | Co-founder and host of The Insight Factor A COUNTRY that has chaperoned poverty and inequality for the past 27 years, a so-called nation that has continuously perpetuated an anti-black stance with it’s day-to-day functions, now finds itself at a crossroads. In the words of Selwyn Duke: “The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those that speak it.” I cannot think of any quote that better describes South Africa at the moment. We’ve witnessed the incarceration of many activists who simply stood firm behind their convictions. The targeting of social media accounts that simply speak the truth, no matter what and who, for a long time, provided much-needed clarification to the lies and propaganda we’ve…

An active and participatory response to government policies should be the mandate of all youth-led organisations. We as the youth of South Africa, and those who purport to be advocates of youth leadership, must hold ourselves and the government as a partner, accountable to the promise of a better future. The National Youth Policy was launched by the Minister of the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities on March 5, 2021 under the theme of: “A decade of accelerating positive youth development”. At the launch of the policy, Minister Nkoana-Mashabane reiterated the need for the youth to be involved in policy-making and promised the prioritisation of youth development. Therefore, the youth of South Africa cannot be found missing in action in the implementation and popularisation of documents that…

An Italian student has got a Covid-19 vaccine QR (Quick Response) code tattooed on his arm, As Covid-19 “vaccine passes” become more common to access public spaces, Andrea Colonnetta, 22, decided to permanently prove that he was vaccinated. He became an internet sensation after he posted his new ink on Instagram. In Italy, anyone wishing to dine indoors or attend anl event has to present a “Green Pass” upon entry. Italy had about 4.5 million Covid-19 cases and 120 000 deaths. | African News Agency (ANA)…

Percy Tau Bafana Bafana take on Zimbabwe in their opening Fifa World Cup qualifier this afternoon in Harare. Zaahier Adams picks five players who could have an impact on the game. The ‘Lion of Judah’ will want to put in a good shift to silence all the noise related to his transfer from English Premiership outfit Brighton Hove and Albion to Egyptian giants Al Ahly. Many have considered it a regression in Tau’s career, but as he has stated he just wants more game time and he now has the opportunity to shine for Bafana. Tau’s performances throughout this World Cup qualifying campaign will be crucial to Bafana’s chances of boarding the plane to Qatar next year. The newly-appointed Bafana Bafana skipper has plenty of responsibility on his shoulders. Not…

RORY McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay both said they feel some sympathy for Bryson DeChambeau following the polarising star’s most recent run-in with a heckling fan. Cantlay defeated DeChambeau in a dramatic six-hole play-off at last week’s BMW Championship at Caves Valley Golf Club in Maryland. As he walked to the clubhouse, DeChambeau reportedly confronted a fan who yelled, “Great job, Brooksy!” It has become a common taunt lobbed by fans toward DeChambeau, referencing his long-running feud with fellow American Brooks Koepka. PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said this week that fans caught yelling “Brooksy” moving forward are subject to being removed from events. But it’s the latest in a long line of controversies for the embattled DeChambeau, who has had a number of run-ins with rules officials and is currently…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za THE RAND CONTINUED to appreciate for the ninth consecutive day yesterday, strengthening to R14.32 against the dollar as the greenback remained on the backfoot. Sentiment has been dented by some disappointing US economic data releases in August and continued reports of supply chain bottlenecks, driving investors to riskier currencies. The rand hovered around its strongest level since early August as investors turned to riskier currencies after poor US jobs data and fears of the end of the economic stimulus. However, by 5pm the rand had fallen 3c to the dollar at R14.40 from the previous day at the corresponding time. The ADP private payrolls August report on Wednesday showed a disappointing 375 000 increase in employment created in the private sector, far below the estimated 625…

Thobile Mazibuko thobile.mazibuko@inl.co.za Joburgers, brace yourselves for an art-curated fashion week this month. Midwest Fashion Week has announced that it will be hosting a CONNEXIONS fashion show in South Africa. Midwest Fashion Week is a US platform dedicated to empowering creativity and the expression of individuality Now it’s been extended to South Africa to allow local designers to showcase their brands. CONNEXIONS is a virtual fashion show started by style and entertainment reporter Jen Su. It focuses on growing the already established fashion community beyond the Midwest and opening up markets for designers based in other parts of the world through a series of regional events It was inspired by Berny Martin, an avid traveller, who is passionate about African cultures across the globe, and finding ways of connecting creative…

Bang Showbiz The 39-year-old reality show star has insisted that if they ever brought back the iconic show The Simple Life, which saw her and best friend Paris Hilton, 40, leave their luxurious lifestyles behind to live in modest digs, more psychological support would be needed because of the fact they had to leave their cellphones at home. Nicole Richie – who has Harlow, 13, and Sparrow, 11, with her Good Charlotte rocker husband Joel Madden – said recently: “It would be hard now because we’re older and we’ve travelled and we’ve been everywhere. “If you took someone’s phone away right now, you’d have to have a therapist on site and make sure they were okay. No one’s trying to deal with all that, including me. So, I think it…

Thobile Mazibuko thobile.mazibuko@inl.co.za Emma Willemse and Michael Blake recently opened their exhibition titled Disrupt: A Visual and Sound Exchange Project at the Union House Exhibition Space in Cape Town. Running until September 29, Willemse’s exhibition incorporates her conceptual artworks exhibited at the 1:54 African Art Fair in London in 2018. The artist’s previous works have been brought back to South Africa by the Spier Arts Trust to feature at Union House. Disrupt comprises an exhibition and sound performance collaboration between the conceptual visual artist and Blake, a contemporary classical music composer. Natasha Venzke, who has visited the exhibition, said: “The focus of the exhibition is an installation called 101 ways to long for a home. “Made from discarded and found objects, it is concerned with the traumatic experience of…

Chulumanco Mahamba GAUTENG Grade 7 learners’ parents and guardians, who have not yet registered their children going to Grade 8 next year have until midnight today to do so. The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) confirmed that as of yesterday, a total of 301 510 successful applications were recorded. “The GDE wishes to remind parents and guardians that the phase 1 2022 online admissions application period will close on Friday, September 3, at midnight,” GDE spokesperson Steve Mabona said. The phase 1 applications period specifically targeted parents and guardians, whose children are currently in Grade 7, at public schools in Gauteng, and will be going to Grade 8, next year. Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi said last month that the process was split into two phases, to ensure that the…

Bongani Nkosi bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za A RELOCATION of an allegedly sexually abused primary school learner to Zimbabwe has saved a teacher from facing the music. The minor girl’s father expressed reluctance to bring her back to South Africa to testify, saying he feared her testimony could result in his being ostracised by the community. The Gauteng Department of Education had charged V Mahima, a male teacher at Vezulwazi Primary School in Zithobeni, Bronkhorstspruit, with two counts of sexual misconduct. Mahima took the case to arbitration at the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC), where arbitrator Mark Hawyes delivered his ruling this week. He dismissed the department’s case on grounds that its evidence against Mahima were hearsay. This finding was based on the unavailability of both DS, as the child is named in the…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za AFTER almost nine years of battling to have her turbo 4x4 fixed properly or replaced or the purchase amount paid back to her, the owner of the car is a step closer to receiving justice. Wilhelmina Barnado, the owner of the GWM Steed 5 2.5 was very excited when she bought her dream car for R215 000 at a dealership in 2012. But the dream turned into the start of an extended nightmare. The turbo charger did not work as it should, the engine had a cracked mount, oil leaks, and smoke poured out of it, among many other problems. Barnado took it back to the dealership on at least eight occasions but, as one or two problems were fixed, more occurred. At the end of the…

Liesl Van Der Schyff liesl.vanderschyff@inl.co.za IT WOULD be an understatement to say that Irma Venter is at the top of her game. This astute thriller writer is as skilled as describing hard action and fleshing out her characters as she is in creating the atmosphere of both foreign and local cities, writing in a descriptive lyrical manner where needed, while also penning prose that is gritty and down-to-earth in tough situations. In this edge-of-your seat follow-up to Hard Rain, and the second book of the Rogue series, Ranna Abramson is back home, from the frying pan into the fire after being summoned to “save the man she loves”. The book opens with some fast and furious action as intrepid journalist Alex Derksen finds himself at the centre of a gun…

It is a great irony that while the US blames China for the coronavirus and tries to play up the Wuhan laboratory leak theory, it has refused to allow investigations into its own US biowarfare activities which potentially pose a danger to the world. The WHO released a joint WHO-China study conducted by 34 experts on the origins of Covid-19, which found that a leak from the Wuhan laboratory was highly unlikely. Not only was the laboratory a China-France government project which followed international standards, it had never studied the virus and no staff member had ever contracted it. The US was part of the WHO-China study group, but continues to cast aspersions on the authenticity of the report. But more than 80 countries have supported the WHO-China study. The…

SONRI NAIDOO COVID-19 Relief Fund for artists is expected to still be distributed to those who meet a certain criterion. This was according to the Sport, Arts, and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa who addressed this year’s Heritage Month launch during a physical and virtual media briefing hosted by the Department at the Freedom Park Heritage Site and Museum in Pretoria. He said the department in all its efforts, would try accommodate all artists in the “piece of cake”. “Due to Covid-19, major events are still not allowed and activities hosted by the department will continue to be virtual in order to curb the spread of Covid-19. “As one of the measures to cushion the blow on our artists, we have since instituted the Covid-19 relief effort and deserving artists,…

A country seething with youth unemployment is an intolerable place. If this situation goes unbridled, our hard-earned democracy will be whittled away. US president Harry S Truman once observed: “It’s a recession when your neighbour loses his job; it’s a depression when you lose your own.” Any seasoned economist will tell you that a depression is more devastating than a recession. Simply put, it is inevitable that young people who are out of work are emotionally depressed. When the majority of the youth is depressed, the entire society will feel the impact of this depression through a number of behavioural indicators such as juvenile crime, flagrant violation of the rule of law, disrespect for the elderly, voting hesitancy, and teenage pregnancy. Our society can only grow when young people are…

T Markandan | Kloof IF Covid-19 could talk it would tell us: “Hey, mighty man, you think you are so intelligent and superior? “You were so quick to find a vaccine to fight me. But I am always one step ahead of you. I keep mutating, leaving you baffled and frustrated, gasping in your tracks. As small as I am, you have met your match. I’ve got you stumped. “You see, what you don’t seem to realise is that there are too many of you on Earth. You have become so powerful and greedy you lay waste the earth. You want everything for yourself. If you thought you could get rid of me easily, you are greatly mistaken. Each time you think you have, I keep coming…

Renowned Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis, who scored the 1964 classic Zorba the Greek and was an icon of resistance to the former military junta, has died in Athens aged 96, a hospital said yesterday. He was adulated in his home country for his inspirational music and defiance during the junta that ruled from 1967-74. But he was perhaps best-known for his film title scores which also included Z in 1969 and Serpico in 1973. During a 1967 coup, he was among the first left-wing politicians to be arrested. | AFP…

As the Taliban leadership closed in on forming a government on Wednesday, its fighters were attacking the last bastion of Afghanistan not under their control, seeking to consolidate their military and political grip on the country. In northern Afghanistan, heavy fighting erupted on Tuesday night and continued into Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Taliban leadership met in its southern spiritual birthplace of Kandahar to discuss the formation of an Islamic government. It’s a major step that will formalise the Taliban’s transition from an insurgent movement to once again ruling the country after the 20 years of war that followed the September 11, 2001, attacks on the US. The three-day-long engagement was chaired by Sheikh Haibatullah Akhundzada, a religious scholar who is widely expected to become the country’s supreme leader, suggesting the new…

HERMAN GIBBS THE recent buying and selling of football clubs in South Africa has shaken the foundations of the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and left fans with a bitter aftertaste. It sounds a bit far-fetched, but the horse-trading that saw two franchises change hands in as many days prompted a commentator to raise suspicion that the acquisition of PSL teams could easily be equated to “money laundering”. But, of course, the local football landscape is not a playground for tycoons who need to buy football clubs to launder money, as has happened in England, for example. Football does not require a buyer for a club to prove the source of their money, unlike when purchasing a property. As a result of money laundering activity in the past, property buyers adhere…