Inhoudsopgave van 2022-02-21 - Star

THE appointment of Enoch Godongwana as finance minister in August last year was roundly welcomed by big business and the markets. His inaugural Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement delivered on November 11, 2021 was received with a cautious thumbs up by the markets, with the rand gaining ground against the dollar on the day. As a show of confidence in the budget statement, the yield on the benchmark 10-year bond fell 20 basis points to 9.235 percent, indicating that the statement wasn’t “populist”. Even the equity markets, which are often less sensitive to such statements, the JSE All Share Index rose by a percentage point on the day. All this should have come as very welcome news indeed for the president, the new minister, government, the ANC and alliance partners. This…

Alyssia Birjalal alyssia.birjalal@inl.co.za Home is where the heart is. That’s why hit comedian, podcast host, and roast master Nikki Glaser is leaving Hollywood and heading back to her hometown of St Louis, Missouri. In her new sitcom Welcome Home Nikki Glaser?, commissioned by E!, Glaser goes back to her roots to navigate friends, family and romance as a home-grown local celebrity in the only way she knows how: unfiltered, relatable and unapologetic. The sitcom follows Glaser’s return to St Louis, where she embarks on an hilarious and often uncomfortable journey of self-discovery. In the midst of her chaotic move, Glaser leans heavily on her parents, Julie and EJ Glaser, her childhood bestie Kerstin Robertson, her platonic roommate, Andrew Collin, and even her ex-boyfriend, Chris Convy. As a big fish in…

Loyiso Sidimba loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za TRADE union federation Cosatu’s biggest affiliate has warned Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo and the Constitutional Court to deliver the judgment in the public service wage dispute within two weeks or face protests. The National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) told Justice Zondo that it will march to the apex court in protest over over the time it has taken to give its ruling. Nehawu has taken the extraordinary step of demanding that the Concourt deliver its decision. ”We wish to record that the matter was heard in the Concourt on August 24, 2021 and to date the judgment remains outstanding. The union deems that period to be excessive as it is now in excess of five months,” said Nehawu general secretary Zola Saphetha…

Bongani Nkosi bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za A LAWYER has launched a bid to have the conviction and hefty imprisonment sentence handed down to Zinhle Maditla – the eMalahleni, Mpumalanga mother who killed her four children by poisoning – set aside. Attorney Zehir Omar, who practises from Springs in Gauteng, believes that Maditla was subjected to a wrong legal test in her gripping trial. The State should not have just looked into Maditla’s fitness to stand trial, but it should have enquired whether she understood between right and wrong when she administered rat poison to the children, Omar argues in court papers. Maditla also ate the poisoned food, aiming to die along with her 11-month-old Ethan, Minenhle, 8, Blessing, 7 and Shaniqua, 3 at her rented room in Klarinet, eMalahleni, in December 2018. Judge…

THE AU took a progressive decision to leave the State of Israel as an observer at the continental body. This follows failed attempts by member states, such as South Africa and Algeria, to have Israel removed as an observer, a status that was granted last year. Israel is trading with more than 40 African states, more than 75% of all the countries in Africa. Why then is it not a good idea to have Israel as an observer? It does not make sense that those countries claiming to loathe Israel have exchanged embassies, are trading together and have their flags flying high in Tel Aviv. South Africa, under the ANC, is obsessive about Israel for no good reason. This has been pronounced ever since the ANC adopted a resolution at…

DR THABISI HOEANE | Pretoria WHY do we Africans continue to tolerate blatant racism that is directed at us? The most recent case is of Qatar Airways, which has decreed that only passengers from South Africa, Mozambique and Zambia should not only wear face masks but also visors on their flights. Imagine the humiliation of passengers from these countries that they are singled out on these flights and forced to wear these masks? How does a South African feel when, for example, on a flight from Johannesburg, sitting next to a national from any other country, he or she is treated like this when the fellow passenger is not? Is it because we continue to “beg” states such as Qatar for “investment” that our governments are doing nothing to deal…

Alicia Kajee, Khabonina Masango and Dean Bhebhe “Where finance goes today, the world goes tomorrow.” The Paris Agreement necessitates that financing of fossil fuels must stop in order to stay within 1.5°C of global heating, funding flows must be consistent with climate objectives. Yet finance is known to operate beyond the borders of democratic accountability, particularly when disbursed in the agreeable name of development, economic growth, or most recently, sustainability. With a mandate of inclusive growth and sustainable development, civil society argues that public Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) have a critical role to play in a people- centred development agenda that is climate resilient. But these ambitions are undermined with continued fossil fuel investments, especially where details of unsustainable deals are notoriously difficult to obtain, despite funds being managed in…

President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to pull French forces out of Mali in West Africa is a setback for the EU’s foreign policy ambitions. The EU’s mission in Mali was a test case for Macron’s efforts to establish a European defence capability that could operate independently of the US – at his request, some of the bloc’s 27 member states joined operations to contain an Islamist insurgency that has spread across the Sahel region, though France provided the bulk of the forces. Macron announced on Thursday that France and its allies were withdrawing their forces after relations with the West African nation’s government deteriorated following a military coup. They pledged to continue the anti- terror fight in other parts of the Sahel. As the EU tries to adapt to China’s increasing…

Stuart Hess stuart.hess@inl.co.za THE best course of action for the Proteas is to get away entirely from cricket, which is exactly what the players and management are doing for two days. They would much rather still be playing, of course, but having been blown away in seven sessions in the first Test against New Zealand, they have the extra time at their disposal, and the best use of that time is to do nothing – at least in terms of cricket, thinking about it, practising or even watching it. Christchurch, as New Zealand’s TV coverage showed, has a lot to offer. So fishing, rock-climbing, golf, punting down the Avon River, trail-running or even X-box (for those who don’t enjoy the outdoors) should be the priority – anything but cricket. The…

Matshelane Mamabolo Comment FOR an institution that prides itself as promoting ‘The Ultimate Human Race’, the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) is fast contriving to turn the race into an elitist event while ironically alienating the elite runners. Their announcement that they are increasing registration fees for the 2022 edition by 100%, while cutting the prize money for winners by almost half, came across as an institution intent on ‘downgrading’ their event. Granted, we all know just how financially devastating the impact of Covid-19 has been, but to expect runners to fork out more money to participate in a race and then tell the potential winners that they will earn way less than they did three years ago when the race was run normally is just not on. As it is,…

There is an age-old saying: People who live in glass houses should not throw stones . It means that people who have faults should not criticise other people for having the same faults. The raging battle between Dr Survé and his 200 companies under the Sekunjalo Group of Companies, on the one hand, and Nedbank and the other banks, on the other hand, calls to mind this age old saying. The story begins when a young boy, growing up in the southern surburbs of Claremont/Kenilworth, from humble beginnings, used to sell newspapers, The Argus and The Cape Times, to earn extra money, and assist his struggling family. He rose, by his own bootstraps, to qualify as a specialist doctor, practised for a while, built a community health facility, in the…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za THE Quarterly crime statistics reveal a shocking indifference for the right to life of women and children after more than 900 women and 230 children were murdered between October and December. Police Minister General Bheki Cele released the Quarter 3 2021/22 crime statistics in Cape Town on Friday, for October 31 to December 31, 2021. “We have recorded significant decreases in most crime categories. Common robbery; sexual assault; attempted sexual offences and contact sexual offences, have recorded three to four digit decreases. Except for murder, which remain worryingly stubborn.” The statistics show an 8.9% increase in murder – 562 more people were killed in South Africa between October and December compared with the same period in 2020. A total of 6 859 people were killed. Of…

| FALCONS INVESTIGATIONS From page 1 The then acting Judge Louis Vorster issued a punitive costs order against him. Again in 2019, the Equality Court dismissed his racial allegation against Saambou. It is not the first time that politicians have been accused of colluding with FNB. Early last year The Star’s sister paper, the Daily News reported about whistle-blower Siphokazi Ndudane, the former deputy director-general at the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), who made the same claims. This was after her FNB bank account had been terminated after she had exposed corruption within the department. It involved powerful politicians and their friends who were businesspeople. They were allegedly involved in the stealing and smuggling of abalone. Without giving a reason for its action against Ndudane, FNB…

Bongani Hans bongani.hans@inl.co.za DESPITE court rulings against him, well-known usury expert Emerald van Zyl persists unabated in accusing FNB, and its associate WesBank, of discriminatory practices by profiling its clients according to their race. Van Zyl has conducted investigations for the past three decades and waged a protracted war against banks over alleged unfair and discriminatory business practices. He has also expressed displeasure at political parties, including those that are pro-black, saying they had not lifted a finger to fight for millions of black South Africans who were subjected to financial discrimination from the country’s major financial institutions on a regular basis. He said this was because most political parties, or their individual leaders, were allegedly in the pockets of the powerful financial institutions and therefore would not bite the…

Lehlohonolo Mashigo lehlohonolo.mashigo@inl.co.za THE Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation MEC Mbali Hlophe has applauded the Basetsana Scriptwriting and Directing Workshop for advancing a programme for women and the LGBTQI+ community. Through workshops held in various parts of the province, with the most recent having taken place in Bronkhorstspruit, the department said the week-long workshop marked 13 years this year since the inception of this programme. In a statement, the department said the programme seeks to assist in transforming theatre by getting women and members of the LGBTQI+ community to write, direct and produce theatre and film pieces. “The programme is open to persons from the age of 18 years and above. This year’s highlight was having a 75-year-old participant, Ms Ngubane, from Thokoza, Ekurhuleni,” said the department.…

Gladys Bell | Gauteng On Thursday I went to the UIF office in Roodepoort to register for unemployment. I knew there were always long queues for this benefit, so I arrived there at 6.45am. We all stood in two lines in the passage leading up to the offices (of course, no Covid-19 protocols were maintained, but for those inside, the appropriate spacing rules apply). I digress…. In this passage we stood and queued from 7.30am after the first batch were allowed into the offices. By 9.45am the queue still hadn’t moved. I went to check what the problem was and was informed that the system was “off-line”. They did not know when it would be back online. What happens to the patient people who queue endlessly for the…

MG Mackenzie | Cramerview I am constantly mystified by the words “racist” and “racism”. After all, there is only one race on this Earth and that is the human race. The human race comprises a huge variety of different people, cultures, traditions, colours and religions who live in all quarters of the world. If, for example, a white person calls another white person an idiot they are not called “racist”, or if a black person says something unpleasant or disparaging about another black person they are also not defined as being “racist”. Why is it only “racism” if it is black versus non-black or vice versa?…

Russia staged another show of military might at the weekend with President Vladimir Putin reportedly overseeing drills involving nuclear- capable missiles. Ukraine accused Russia of wanting to escalate tensions by not attending planned trilateral peace talks on eastern Ukraine on Saturday, adding that it was concerned by the worsening security situation in the conflict zone. “We believe that the non- participation of the Russian Federation indicates its conscious intention to continue escalating the situation,” a statement by the Ukrainian delegation to the talks said. Dramatic US warnings that it was sure that Moscow was planning to invade Ukraine, increased shelling on the frontlines and the evacuation of civilians from Russia-backed rebel regions in Ukraine have raised the fear of a major conflict in Europe to its highest amid weeks of…

Several storms, from cyclones Ana, Batsirai, Idai, Eloise, Kenneth and Tropical Storm Chalane, have tormented the southern part of the African continent in recent years – from South Africa, Mauritius, Madagascar, Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe. They have altered landscapes and livelihoods on the African coast and destroyed forest canopies. The most recent storms that have affected the region include: Cycone Batsirai destroyed the relief infrastructures set up after the previous cyclones. It hit the eastern coast of Madagascar on February 5th, with winds exceeding 200km/h and more than 700km diameter with massive rain. It then hit the highlands and exited the country through the Mozambique Channel. According to the National Institute for Disaster Risk Management (INGD), Ana affected 180 869 people, injured 207 people, killed at least 38…

Mashudu Sadike THE SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) is to recommence its national investigative hearing today into the July unrest that rocked parts of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. The probe is in its second leg of the hearings, and will focus on events as they unfolded in Gauteng during the July unrest and will also feature the continuation of evidence from the KZN sitting that took place last year. The panel is due to hear testimony from survivors, community members, industry players in commerce, private security, and state officials. The country erupted into chaos in July after the jailing of former president Jacob Zuma, following his refusal to appear before the State Capture Commission of Inquiry. There was widespread looting of shops in parts of KZN and Gauteng, that resulted in…

Former president takes a snipe at incumbent, saying he’s allowed ANC to be misled Ntombi Nkosi ntombi.nkosi@inl.co.za FORMER ANC president Thabo Mbeki has cautioned the party’s leadership not to fall into the trap of discussing a second-term for President Cyril Ramaphosa. “People are saying second term. It’s a trap. If we take that route, then we will be preoccupied with who supports one, and forget about important national challenges,” Mbeki said. He said this was the time for dealing with issues affecting people, and addressing service delivery. Mbeki was speaking after a three-day trip to the Free State, aimed at fostering unity, renewal and rebuilding the party. He was invited by the interim provincial committee. In the same event he called for the overhaul, audit and vetting of the ANC’s…

Staff Reporter A MURAL celebrating the life of unsung heroine and Struggle activist Dulcie September, will be unveiled at the Dulcie September Hall in Athlone tomorrow. The work was commissioned by Enver Samuel, director of the award- winning and much-acclaimed documentary Murder in Paris about September, who was an icon in the fight against apartheid. Samuel had approached arts organisation Baz Art which specialises in street art, for assistance and one of South Africa’s best and most prolific street artists, Dbongz Mahlathi, was recommended to carry out the work. Mahlathi did extensive research on September and using spray paint, worked off a photograph of her, completing the mural in two days. Formerly know as Athlone Civic Centre, the site was chosen for the mural, not only because it was named…

Anita Nkonki anita.nkonki@inl.co.za SOUTH Africans were left in a frenzy after famous American actress Queen Latifah praised acclaimed actress Pearl Thusi in a video that went viral. In the video, Latifah is heard saying she has been watching Pearl Thusi and what she does and hopes that one day they would work together. “Pearl Thusi, what’s up? This is Queen Latifah. I just wanted to give you a shout-out and let you know sister that you are strong, you are bad, you know. I am watching you and I am watching you do your thing. You must keep doing your thing and maybe one day we will do something together.” Beaming with pride Thusi shared the video expressing gratitude for the recognition, particularly from someone iconic. “I’m speechless. Speechless. God…

Kudzai Chikowore | Human Rights Activist IT HURTS, parents, Zimbabwe’s prostitution is rampant because of a corrupt government. Hundreds of Zimbabweans in rural regions have joined the sex trade recently in urban centres. They wait until dusk to start working. Most of their clients are ones they protect because they do not want to be seen as one is married and others are respected people in the community. Otherwise, they will open for 24 hours. It is clear that the leaders of Zimbabwe also know this. Some girls soon after the death of their parents, they dropped out of school as they could no longer afford the fees. The city is notorious for violence, prostitution and drugs, with a population that continues to increase with rural-to-urban migration. During…

JUSTIN VISAGIE AND IVAN TUROK ECONOMISTS and policymakers seem to have a blind spot when thinking about how the economy functions and what determines success. Analytical frameworks and government policies consistently neglect the role of space and geography in favour of national averages and sectoral plans. Yet growing evidence from around the world shows the importance of place and location for productivity, growth and development. Intuitively, it is obvious that economic progress depends on the quality of local skills, capable public institutions, reliable infrastructure, and proximity to markets and suppliers. But just how important are these factors compared with the particular mix of local industries and macro-economic conditions? In a recent paper we unpacked the economic performance of different provinces in South Africa to diagnose the significance of local factors…

Emergency crews battled to restore power to hundreds of thousands of homes in Britain after Storm Eunice carved a deadly trail across Western Europe and left transport networks in disarray. At least 13 people were reported killed by falling trees, flying debris and high winds in Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Poland, according to emergency services. Train operators in Britain urged people not to travel, with timetables in chaos after most of the network was shut down when Eunice brought the largest wind gust ever recorded in England – 196km/h – on Friday. The train network in the Netherlands was paralysed, with no Eurostar and Thalys international services running from Britain and France after damage to power lines. France was also grappling with rail disruption and about 75…