Inhoudsopgave van 2022-09-23 - Star

INVESTECT Property Fund is on track to deliver against its guidance of low single-digit growth in distributable income per share for the six months to September 30, 2022, the group with commercial property in South Africa and Europe said in a pre-close trading statement yesterday. The resignation of its joint chief executive, Darryl Mayers, effective from November 30, 2022, was also announced. “This leadership transition comes at a time when the fund’s operating business, portfolio of local and international assets and its balance sheet are in a strong position after the challenges faced by the property sector over the last two years,” the group said in a statement yesterday. “Darryl’s focus will turn to the pursuit of other business opportunities. He will, however, remain involved with the fund in an…

In the spirit of Heritage Day, South Africa is pulling out all the stops to commemorate the day. Emo Adams and the Take Note Band will share his heritage stories with fans at the Lyric Theatre in Joburg tomorrow in Waa’sit Lekker. Adams told IOL Entertainment his music will make people dance, sing and laugh from the start to finish. The dad of four, who was born and raised in the Cape Flats said he couldn’t wait to share his stories of heritage and tradition. “I used to shy away from heritage because I felt that is what boxed us, but now that I am a father, I understand why my dad use to drag me to the Malay Choirs and Kaapse Klopse, because that is the very thing that…

A 47-year-old mother of two is contemplating suicide following a recent botched hysterectomy procedure that has left her bladder very weak. After failed attempts to get help from Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital to reverse the situation through another operation, Roshiella Pamela Adams-Billings said she has been sent from pillar to post by the hospital staff as they refuse to acknowledge her suffering and treat the matter with the urgency it deserves. In June this year, Adams went to Charlotte Maxeke for the surgery that most women her age undergo with few to no problems. Little did she know that this would be the start of the most miserable time of her adult life. The medical procedure has become a daily nightmare as she now has lost the ability to…

THE painful histories of those who were displaced from Claremont and Newlands communities as well as the legacy of martyr Imam Abdullah Haron will be commemorated tomorrow. As South Africans will be celebrating Heritage Day in various ways, the Claremont Main Road Mosque (CMRM) and the Saviour’s Anglican Church will lead the second Walk of Remembrance. The first congregants of the mosque and the church were removed from these neighbourhoods during the forced removals of the 1960s. Former residents who will be joined by their descendants will remember their loss after being forcibly removed from the area because of the colour of their skin. Anti-apartheid activist Imam Abdullah Haron will also be honoured, following an announcement earlier this month that an inquest into his death would take place in an…

The Errors of Dr Browne Being a Novel by Mark Winkler Penguin In 1662, during Lent, reinstated by King Charles II, Doctor Thomas Browne is called from his happy home in Norwich to be an inquisitor for a trial that will change his life. The summons comes from an “old acquaintant, the Lord Chief Baron of His Majesty’s Court of the Exchequer, Sir Matthew Hale”. Dr Browne is required to attend the Lent Assizes at Bury St Edmunds, where two elderly women are to be tried for witchcraft. He makes the two-day journey in foul weather and finds the small fishing village gloomy and wet. He is to act as an inquisitor for Sir Matthew, gathering information for him on the allegations made against two widows, Rose Cullender and Amy…

IN a profession like this, you’re bound to make enemies. It all starts when Dr Temperance Brennan finds a box on her porch. Inside is a fresh human eyeball with GPS co-ordinates etched into it. They lead her to a macabre discovery in a Benedictine monastery, and soon after she discovers a mummified corpse in a state park. There seems to be no pattern to these killings, except that each mimics a killing connected to something a younger Tempe experienced, or barely escaped. Someone is targeting her, and she needs to figure out why before they strike again. And then her daughter Katy disappears. Someone is playing a dangerous game with Tempe. And they won’t stop until they have taken everything from her. Successful financier Tom Marshall is suffering a…

THE City of Johannesburg is a land of opportunities, delivering the promise of riches for those who encapsulate the entrepreneurial spirit of the city in post-democratic South Africa. However, the city is in decline, which, in the absence of critical and timeous interventions, is fast approaching the precipice. After ascending to political leadership of the city in December last year, the multiparty government sought to answer a fundamental question: What does good governance look like? From the perspective of the City’s Department of Economic Development, regulation of the informal trade economy has been the most important place to start the rehabilitation and revitalisation of the inner city and its regions. The undertaking is part of a broader strategy geared towards overhauling the department and its entities to be fit for…

The death of any leader catapults society into a maturity mode, whether a leader had human flaws or her followers extolled her virtues. The queenship of Queen Elizabeth III was once tarnished in the Western world when she publicly danced with President Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana during her first trip to Ghana in 1961. The scene was an affront to the dignity of the British monarch and the entire machinery of imperialism had been revolted by the act. Shakespeare could have asked: What is in a dance? The duo represented the opposite poles of an economic ideology. The Queen stood for colonial hegemony and the free market economy. On the other side of the coin, Nkrumah fought against neo-colonialism in Africa, and its major instrument, balkanisation, and urged Africa to…

The mining rights dispute between Russia’s Transasia Minerals and Umsobomvu Coal, owned by local businessman Hector Kunene, is due to make a turn before the Legal Practice Council (LPC). This, after former Mpumalanga premier, Transasia’s shareholder and chairperson, Mathews Phosa, lodged a complaint against law firm Edward Nathan Sonnenberg Africa (ENSAfrica) and a now former Johannesburg state attorney for alleged misconduct. Phosa wrote to the LPC last year, the law firm and then state attorney Aubrey Milford of acting unethically during an application in 2019 before the Pietermaritzburg High Court during one of the many legal battles regarding the mining rights issue. He requested the LPC to investigate the conduct of both ENSAfrica and Milford, claiming they had colluded in producing a “false” notice to abide on behalf of,…

RECENT months have exposed the bias of the country’s banks as they appeared to be involved in a collusive act, targeting certain individuals and unfairly terminating bank accounts – making it impossible for them to trade. The Sekunjalo Group, through its court battle with the banks, has not only helped shed light on the rogue activities of the banks but highlighted the fact that black African people are still victimised by the powerful capital which is in control of the banking and financial sector. The Sekunjalo Group is a group of about 200 companies, 85 of which are off-scale in revenue and asset value. It is a diversified black-owned and black-controlled group with interests in media and publishing, ICT, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, energy and power, asset management and financial services,…

Caracas: A military contractor known as “Fat Leonard” who pleaded guilty in the US Navy’s worst corruption scandal has been captured in Venezuela after fleeing the US, the Interpol office in Caracas said. Leonard Francis cut off his GPS monitor and escaped house arrest in California in early September. Francis, a Malaysian national who ran a military contracting company out of Singapore, pleaded guilty in 2015 to offering $500 000 in bribes to Navy officers to steer official work to his shipyards, carrying out work on US vessels that prosecutors say he overcharged the Navy for, to the tune of $35 million. | AFP…

ROYAL AM owner Shauwn Mkhize has reacted to the exit of one of the club’s co-coaches Dan “Dance” Malesela who put pen to paper on a two-year contract at Marumo Gallants on Tuesday. Malesela concluded his return to his former club Gallants earlier this week and Mkhize, while on Metro FM’s Sports Night Amplified, shed light on the mentor's decision to vacate his post as one of three coaches at the Durban-based club. “MaMkhize” as she is affectionately known, revealed that Malesela felt his career was being stifled by having to work alongside two other coaches. “Dan (Malesela) approached me and told me he likes what the club is about and he would love to join the club, but at the time I already had coaches, so…

BAFANA Bafana coach Hugo Broos has embodied many personalities since his arrival on South African shores and yet there seems to be still more to the man. After his unveiling, Broos spoke candidly of his interest to nurture youngsters, from all walks of life, and turn them into stalwarts of the national team. And that project got off to a flying start, with Bafana’s youthful team coming close to progressing to the last round of the World Cup qualifiers. That defeat against Ghana in the last game of the group stage didn’t only crush their dream, it also marked the start of a woeful run of results for Bafana. Broos’ players are winless in their last four matches, including in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, as they lost…

MINISTER of Transport Fikile Mbalula said yesterday that the government wants to migrate the transport of most goods from roads to rail in the next five years as this will decrease the large volume of trucks on the roads. He added that the Transport Department also plans to increase the amount of traffic law enforcement deployed to hazardous areas and improve conditions of roads in partnership with the South National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral). Speaking at the release of the report into the Pongola crash that claimed 20 lives, including 18 pupils last week, Mbalula said the report found that driver error on the part of the truck driver was the major factor in the cause of the crash. The driver of the truck that collided with a light delivery…

ANC heavyweight Dr Mathole Motshekga will seek to interdict the traditional inauguration of Prince Lukukela Modjadji that would pave the way for him to ascend the throne to rule the Balobedu nation in Khetlhakone, Modjadjiskloof in Limpopo. This comes after the Balobedu Royal Council and regent Mpapatla Modjadji announced in a letter to the Balobedu nation this week, that they were preparing to hold a traditional and cultural ceremony to prepare Prince Lekukela for the crown, plunging the royal battle for the crown back into the spotlight. In 2018, President Cyril Ramaphosa had recognised Princess Masalanabo Modjadji as the legitimate heir to the throne. Former ANC leader and lawyer Dr Matthews Phosa, who is representing Motshekga, said yesterday that they were preparing to hand over a “cease and desist” letter…

FORMER DA leader and politician Mmusi Maimane is set to go back on the ballot after announcing the launch of his political party tomorrow in Soweto. Maimane will appear on the ballot in 2024 as part of an umbrella body, to unearth and elect home-grown leadership in communities across the country. This will be the first time Maimane will contend an election at the ballot box since he resigned as a leader of the DA in 2019. The businessman said he will be running under this umbrella body and will seek out the best candidates to join him in running for election in 2024. During the 2021 Local Government Elections, Maimane and the One South Africa movement( OSA) trained, endorsed and campaigned for independent candidates and community structures across…

On the eve of his retirement, Spokes Moloi, a police officer of spotless integrity, investigates one final crime: the possible murder of Emil Coetzee, head of the sinister Organisation of Domestic Affairs, who disappears on the same day a ceasefire is declared and the country’s independence beckons. In following the tangled threads of Coetzee’s life, Spokes raises and resolves conundrums that have haunted him and his country for decades under colonial rule. In all this, he is staunchly supported by his paragon spouse, Loveness, and his unofficially adopted daughter, the unorthodox postwoman Dikeledi. In her most magnificent novel yet, award-winning author Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu showcases the history of a country transitioning from a colonial to a postcolonial state with a deft touch and a compassionate eye for poignant detail. Linked…

After decades of neglecting Africa, Türkiye decided to turn its attention to the African continent, with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) declaring the year 2005 as the “Year of Africa”. The AKP signed trade and co-operation agreements with 45 countries in Africa, while Turkish contractors completed projects valued at $70 billion. Türkiye’s trade volume with Africa has increased fivefold during the last two decades, reaching $25bn in 2020. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been displaying autocratic tendencies since 2011, has together with his family become the sole beneficiary of Türkiye’s hard-earned achievements in Africa. The display by the Djibouti Armed Forces of a Turkish Bayraktar TB2 combat drone at its independence day celebrations on June 27 is a testimony to the manner in which Erdogan’s family…

At first, when one commentator suggested that former ANC and state president Thabo Mbeki was the right person to lead the ANC back to glory, the idea seemed laughable. But then it dawned on me that the ANC not only has lost all credibility but is void of any human capital to redeem itself and the nation. And with the shameful outcomes of the once-promising Cyril Ramaphosa laid bare, some of the most ardent ANC sympathisers have lost all hope in the party. So any wishes that the ANC under its current crop of leaders and supporters can self-correct are pure fantasy. How ironic it is today that the same Mbeki who was chased away by the same ANC, like a stray dog, has become the only symbol of hope…

Popular comedian, actress and presenter Tumi Morake is set to host a brand-new series, Sunday Sexy Love, which will premiere on DStv Channel 161 on Sunday October 2 at 9pm. With her infectious energy, marvellous sense of humour and authentic relatability, Morake easily navigates the conversations with these celebrity lovebirds. Media personalities and celebrity couples such as Boity and Anton, Bontle Modiselle and Priddy Ugly, Gogo Maweni and Sabelo Mgube will be making appearances on the show. These are all high-profile celebrity couples with a love story and they will be sharing it unfiltered on Sunday Sexy Love. On the spicy talk show, viewers will get to know well-known and in-love celebrities even better by exploring their romantic relationships intimately to see how they keep the spark alive. Other guest…

South Africa is surrounded by 2 798km of coastline. Yet, oddly, the country doesn’t have a coherent maritime strategy underpinned by a related national strategy to safeguard its maritime interests. This omission was underscored again recently by an evolving master plan for South Africa’s oceans. The document is significant as it brings the importance of South Africa’s oceans into sharper focus. But this shouldn’t obscure the fact that the government’s commitment to comprehensively harness the ocean to help arrest economic decline has been disappointing. The document also underscores the absence of a coherent and comprehensive policy. In countries where this has been done well – such as New Zealand and Ghana – policies have been developed that encompass the economic value of a country’s oceans, as well as the…

Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards called on the Islamic Republic’s judiciary yesterday to prosecute “those who spread false news and rumours” about a young woman whose death in police custody has triggered nationwide protests. Protesters in Tehran and other Iranian cities torched police stations and vehicles earlier yesterday as public outrage over the death showed no signs of easing, with reports of security forces coming under attack. Mahsa Amini, 22, died last week after being arrested in Tehran for wearing “unsuitable attire”. She fell into a coma while in detention. The authorities have said they would launch an investigation into the cause of her death. In a statement, the Guards expressed sympathy with the family and relatives of Amini. “We have requested the judiciary to identify those who spread false news…

Paris: More than 90% of harmful air pollution in the Middle East and parts of North Africa (Mena) comes from fossil fuels, according to research yesterday that showed the region “permanently exceeded” dangerous air quality levels. The World Health Organization this year said the Mena region had some of the poorest air quality on Earth. The long-standing assumption was that the smog choking most of the region’s cities was primarily composed of desert sand. In 2017, an international team of researchers found that the vast majority of small particles were man-made, mainly from the production and use of fossil fuels. | AFP…

IT’S all set to be a golden summer for women’s cricket in South Africa with the hosting of both the inaugural ICC Under-19 Women’s World Cup and ICC T20 Women’s World Cup early next year. Western Province coach Claire Terblanche therefore believes Cricket SA’s Provincial competitions that gets underway this weekend in Potchefstroom, Tshwane and KwaZulu-Natal is the perfect opportunity for the country’s women cricketers to showcase their talents in a bid to force their way into Dinesha Devnarain (U19) and Hilton Moreeng’s (Proteas women’s) respective squads. “The girls will focus on what we can do best. We will do what we need to do and the results will take care of themselves. That’s when it can’t be missed by the selectors. That’s how to give yourself the best…

DA member accused of making ‘sensational allegations’ about Tembisa Hospital’s CEO Suspended Tembisa Hospital CEO Ashley Mthunzi is not guilty of any prior misconduct and did not have any disciplinary charges against him when he was hired by Tembisa Hospital last year. This was the contention of Gauteng Health MEC Dr Nomathemba Mokgethi who on Wednesday slammed DA spokesperson for health Jack Bloom for the sensational allegations. Mokgethi’s department has lashed out at Bloom for “sensational allegations” suggesting that Mthunzi was hired with a disciplinary record. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the department said Bloom had distorted the facts by alleging that the department falsely denied that Mthunzi was appointed while facing a disciplinary charge after he was served with a final written warning. On Monday, in his…

Gugulethu has become the first township in the country to have its official logo, which was unveiled yesterday – complete with anthem. Proclaimed as a historical moment in the future of the 64-year-old township, the concept is the brainchild of Dr Mzwandile Plaatjie, a psychologist, former principal in Gugulethu and renowned author of five books, including the Gugulethu: The Fragments of Unwritten History. The logo was designed in an open competition among students of the area’s high schools. The selected entry was the artwork of Ayanda Makhalima, an upcoming designer. The emblem features the landmark Table Mountain in an orange background, complete with the slogan Siyazingca (We are proud) Plaatjie said the concept was triggered by the observation of the emergence of new forms of struggle that posed a threat…

THE ANC better take heed of what its Ekurhuleni leader, Mzwandile Masina, has penned in the website of a popular talk radio station headlined “Younger ANC leadership is an idea whose time has come”. Masina writes that the 55th national conference of the 110-year-old party, scheduled for December, will be a defining moment for the organisation and South Africa at large. He notes that the conference takes place at a time when the party is tethering very dangerously on the edge of a catastrophic loss of power. Over the past few years, the ANC has been haemorrhaging electoral support. Masina goes on to advise that the most important discussion that should occupy the minds of anyone who loves the organisation and who is invested in the future of South Africa,…

Ninety-one-year-old Gretel Fernsby has lived in the same mansion block in London for decades. She leads a comfortable, quiet life, despite her dark and disturbing past. She doesn’t talk about her escape from Germany over 70 years before. She doesn’t talk about the post-war years in France with her mother. Most of all, she doesn’t talk about her father, the commandant of one of the most notorious Nazi concentration camps. Then, a young family moves into the apartment below her. In spite of herself, Gretel can’t help but begin a friendship with the little boy, Henry, though his presence brings back memories she would rather forget. One night, she witnesses a violent argument between Henry’s mother and his domineering father, one that threatens Gretel’s hard-won, self-contained existence. Gretel is faced…

WHEN the opportunity to clean up the inner-city, improve safety, and rebuild Johannesburg to its former glory arises, Lerato Khiba is first in line to get her hands dirty and participate wholeheartedly in such restoration efforts. Khiba shares a great passion for the improvement of inner-city neighbourhoods, working to ensure they are clean, safe, and accessible for all. She has spent most of her career life in urban space management, having worked her way up the ranks across various companies, including Excellerate Managed Services (precinct division) and the Rosebank Management District. She is currently employed by the Joburg Inner City Partnership as a programme manager for WozaWork, an extensive job creation programme in the pipeline. Khiba has set goals for herself in her new role, the first of which is…

England’s famous footballer David Beckham stood in the queue for 13 hours to pay his respects to the queen. He had met the queen on a couple of occasions and wanted to pay his last respects to her. He had been pondering for a week how best he could go to see the coffin at Westminster Hall. Finally, he decided to join the queue at 2am. It was a long, long wait. Social media went viral over Beckham standing in the queue. A member of parliament spotted him and offered to cut short his misery by taking him to the front of the queue. But Beckham turned down the offer. It was a wise decision. Social media would have gone berserk, condemning him. He would rather stand in the queue…

I hold no brief for advocate Malesela Teffo. He is a danger to the legal profession and wider society. Something must be done about him. But the decision to bar him from practising as an advocate is harsh. Yes, the man clearly has a serious problem in conducting himself as an honourable member of the profession and intervention is needed. He has behaved as a maverick who doesn’t seem to be cognisant of how he should conduct himself professionally. If he received inferior training, he can be rehabilitated, with proper guidance. Against the background of the country’s history, where serious misbehaviour has been forgiven, especially in the political sphere, and the reality that when one errs they should be given a chance to redeem oneself. Teffo deserves a second…

THE Luju Food and Lifestyle Festival has committed to supporting bee farming in Eswatini by giving a portion of every ticket towards supporting and setting up bee-keeping farms. Taking place from September 30 to October 1, the Standard Bank Luju Food and Lifestyle Festival is an annual family-friendly festival of culinary exploits, connoisseur-led premium wine and whisky showcases, fine music, colourful fashion and wholesome entertainment. It’s held annually at House On Fire, a performance venue where there will be culinary showcases by celebrity chefs including Somizi Mhlongo and high-end fashion designs inspired by the Luju ethos “A Return to the African Future”. The organisers of the festival said as part of its commitment to supporting sustainable farming and community development, a portion of every ticket sold for the festival will…

Many academic studies have been centred on Western theories and methodologies for a long time. This approach to research is broadly defined as “universalist”. It assumes that “one-size-fits-all” and set norms can be applied across cultures. For example, Western ideas about identity revolve around the individual. That shapes how research is conducted: it focuses mainly on the individual and emphasises analysis at the individual level. Using Western approaches in non-Western contexts misses out on contextual issues such as power relations between an individual and their community. But over the past few years there has been increasing discussion in research circles about the need to draw on – and apply – more diverse theories of knowledge and approaches in generating knowledge. “Contextualised” methodologies have been offered as the alternative. This involves…

Gaza City: Hamas threatened “repercussions” over Jewish visits to Jerusalem’s super-sensitive Al-Aqsa mosque compound in a warning yesterday, days before the start of the Jewish high holidays when visitor numbers increase. The mosque compound in the Old City of Israel-annexed east Jerusalem has been the focus of tensions for years, but Palestinians have voiced anger at the rising number of visits by Jews, who revere the compound as their holiest site, the Temple Mount. Beyadenu, a group that encourages Jews to visit the Al-Aqsa compound, said it was committed to increasing such visits. | AFP…

KAMPALA: Uganda has confirmed seven cases of Ebola including in a man who died this week, and seven other deaths are being investigated as suspected cases of a strain for which the authorities do not yet have a vaccine, officials said yesterday. The man, 24, who died had developed a high fever, diarrhoea and abdominal pains, and was vomiting blood. After initially being treated for malaria, he was diagnosed as having contracted the Sudan strain of the Ebola virus. The Ministry of Health said the outbreak started early in September when people started dying in a village in central Uganda. The country last reported an outbreak of the Sudan strain in 2012.…

It’s still early days in the season, but there are some club bosses, given the rising complexities of the campaign, who've already axed their coaches. Here, IOL Sport football writer Mihlali Baleka looks at five coaches that need to step up when the season resumes after the international break. Arthur Zwane — Kaizer Chiefs Zwane was a fan-favourite to assume Chiefs’ hot seat after the sacking of Stuart Baxter, given that he knows the culture, DNA and history of the club. But things haven’t gone according to plan for “10111”. His team is languishing in the bottom half of the standings with 11 points after eight games. He’s pleaded with the supporters to give the team time but with their stale performances so far, not everyone feels he’s the right…