Inhoudsopgave van 2022-11-04 - Star

CITY of Joburg mayor Mpho Phalatse has rubbished allegations that she was involved in a drug rehab scandal that led to a motion of no-confidence moting to oust her from office. Phalatse dodged the motion on two occasions; once the courts returned her to office after it was discovered that processes were flouted. This week, Phalatse thwarted the no-confidence bid once again after threatening to interdict the extraordinary council scheduled yesterday. She is accused of availing funds to the Field Band Foundation, an NGO that was tasked with dealing with drug addiction in Johannesburg. The public protector (PP) found she and the mayor at the time, Herman Mashaba, were guilty of wrongdoing concerning the granting of more than R11 million to the NGO. The grant was discretionary, but…

An Unusual Grief Yewande Omotoso Cassava Republic Press From the first sentence, the reader is drawn in by the author’s style and careful consideration of what she writes. If you have not already latched on to her works, Yewande Omotoso is one to watch and wait for. Mojisola comes to Johannesburg to bury her young daughter, Yinka. It is discovered that she took her own life. Yinka made her life away from Moji and Titus. We find Moji and Titus are Nigerian and came south when the academic patriarch is offered a prestigious position that was impossible to refuse. In Nigeria there was a more intricate life than we may have imagined. Mojisola’s lineage was not as straightforward as it seemed; but although complicated, there was a fairly peaceful…

A poignant love story about risking everything for a dream and whether it’s possible to leave the past behind. Colby Mills once felt destined for a musical career, until tragedy grounded his aspirations. Now the head of a small family farm in North Carolina, he spontaneously takes a gig playing at a bar in St Pete’s Beach, Florida, seeking a rare break from his duties at home. But when he meets Morgan Lee, his world is turned upside-down, making him wonder if the responsibilities he has shouldered need to dictate his life forever. The daughter of affluent Chicago doctors, Morgan has graduated from a prestigious college music programme with the ambition to move to Nashville and become a star. Romantically and musically, she and Colby complete each other in…

IN Zimbabwe freedom of speech is in intensive care and professional journalists who believe in truth are exposed to many risks of persecution. Persecution include threats, kidnappings, arrests, imprisonment, harassments offline and online, and blackmailing journalists. Journalists are essential in preserving the fundamental right to freedom of expression, guaranteed by Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. When they are attacked with impunity, there is a breakdown in security and judicial systems for all. States therefore have an obligation to protect journalists and ensure perpetrators of crime are held accountable. Judges and prosecutors have an important role in promoting swift and effective criminal proceedings. (The) Zimbabwean president should stop all forms of persecution of journalists, or be forced to resign. I call on the judiciary in Zimbabwe to…

There’s been a lot of hype around amapiano. The South African dance music genre has dominated dancefloors since 2019, spreading from South Africa to West Africa and now spreading the world over. But it’s time to peer through the hype and see if amapiano is able to transition from a cloistered club scene on to a truly global stage in terms of performance strength, conviction and credibility. Kabza de Small, DJ Maphorisa, Major League DJz, DBN Gogo, Lady Du … the list of amapiano stars is growing. Undoubtedly, though, there are concerns regarding the live performances of many. Beyond the gimmicks of slick studio technology and computer wizardry, it appears that many really struggle to make an impact on stage. Surely, the questions of stage presence, control and frontsperson desirability…

ADDIS ABABA: The Ethiopian government and Tigrayan forces formally signed a truce on Wednesday, raising hopes that two years of devastating war that threatened to tear apart Africa’s second-most-populous country might be coming to an end. “Both parties in the Ethiopian conflict have formally agreed to the cessation of hostilities as well as to systematic, orderly, smooth and co-ordinated disarmament, restoration of law and order, restoration of services, unhindered access to humanitarian supplies (and) protection of civilians,” said Olusegun Obasanjo, the AU’s high representative for the Horn of Africa. The document promised unhindered access for humanitarian aid, the restoration of services such as telecommunications and banking to the country’s Tigray region, and the cessation of hate speech. The federal government would take control of Mekelle, the capital of the rebellious…

WASHINGTON: The perpetrator of the 2018 Parkland school shooting, one of the deadliest school shootings in US history, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Wednesday. Broward Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer sentenced Nikolas Cruz to 34 life terms for killing 17 people and injuring 17 others in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Cruz, 24, was ordered to be transferred to the custody of the Florida Department of Corrections. He had been tried for months for the massacre after pleading guilty last year to murdering 17 people, including 14 students. | Xinhua…

EITHER Orlando Pirates or AmaZulu FC will be on cloud nine after the MTN8 final at Moses Mabhida Stadium tomorrow. Here, Mihlali Baleka looks at three match-ups that could be key in delivering the first silverware of the season to one of the sides before the festive break. Nkosinathi Sibisi v Gabadinho Mhango Sibisi has been in fine form for Pirates since his move to the club before the start of the season, such that he’s the only ever-present player at the back. He’ll have to be at his best in his first cup final, having come short with Golden Arrows before, especially with Mhango looking to haunt Pirates. Mhango was a Buccaneer last season, but his relationship with the coaches saw him being in and out of the team…

SOUTH Africa’s new batting superstar will be the headline act in the CSA T20 Challenge final in Potchefstroom tomorrow in which the Titans face the Dolphins. A tournament that had largely played out anonymously in front of only a few hundred spectators at JB Marks Oval over the last three weeks suddenly captured the country and cricket world’s attention on Monday thanks to 19-year-old Dewald Brevis. His 162 off 57 balls had social media aflutter and drew attention away from the T20 World Cup in Australia. That match between the Titans and the Knights saw a world record aggregate of runs, and certainly, Viacom18, the new investors in the SA20 League, would have been delighted about the product. If that’s what SA cricket can produce when the Proteas are absent,…

THE ministers of Justice and Correctional Services and of Public Works are responsible for the damages caused to a woman who seriously injured her leg when she fell on the pathway leading to and from the Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town in 2017. Nazley Lakay was visiting her son in prison with her neighbour, who was there to see her husband, when the accident occurred. Lakay said the pathway was the only one leading to and from the prison, and it was uneven and unkempt. She claimed damages against the two government departments in the Western Cape High Court, where she argued that the prison had a duty to ensure that those who visited their loved ones in jail were safe. She contended that the departments had failed to maintain…

In 1909, four women board a ship in Madras to cross the Kala Pani, the “black water”, to Natal. Lutchmee, a young widow, has escaped her vengeful mother-in-law and self-immolation on her husband’s funeral pyre. Vottie, from the Brahmin caste, is an educated girl whose abusive husband tries to hold on to his caste at all costs. Chinmah, heavily pregnant when she boards the ship, is married to an older man as part of an unpaid debt. Dazzling but shy Jyothi is single. On board, the women will form friendships and alliances. They will help each other through trial and trauma, even after they arrive and are separated. Like many Indians desperate to escape unbearable conditions in their home country, these women are only too eager to believe what they’ve…

Teyana Taylor insists she “enjoys ageing” and only gets injectables to “smooth out frown lines”. The 31-year-old actress and singer has landed a brand partnership with the injectable firm Xeomin, but has insisted she would never want to make herself look any younger. She told Bustle: “(Getting injectables) is not gonna take me back to (looking) 16, 17, or 18. “It’s just gonna smooth out my frown lines ... and that’s simply what I use it for: to smooth out my frown lines. I’m very happy with my results, but I don’t feel like it made me any younger because I enjoy ageing.” The Coming 2 America star is scared of needles but insisted the pain wasn’t as bad as she anticipated. In an interview with Essence, she said: “I…

Insatiable, gluttonous, eccentric ... a man who lacks empathy ... yet he is an extraordinary visionary. He is taking us to Mars, he has given us a computerised package, PayPal, he has reinvented the future of motoring by giving us Tesla, among other money-making projects. He holds the title of the richest man on Earth, and now he has bought Twitter, firing everyone who does not fit in with his vision. A number of other billionaires have made an effort to leave a lasting legacy by creating foundations to aid the poorest of the poor. But Musk has yet to reveal if he indeed has a compassionate side ... A complex man, who lives life on his terms, shunning convention, displaying outlandish behaviour in both his business and personal space.…

I refer to the letter “Toxic Zimbabwe politics suffocate economy” from Joseph Jabangwe, writing from the safety of London. Jabangwe blames the current president of Zimbabwe for the poor infrastructure, theft of diamonds, schools failing, potholes, etc but fails to state that the rot started with Mugabe. The UN Food and Agriculture Year Book of 1975 ranked the then Rhodesia second in the world in yields of maize, wheat, soya beans and ground nuts, and third in cotton. In the combined ranking of all these crops, Rhodesia ranked first in the world. “Rhodesia’s Virginia tobacco was rated best in the world in yield and quality, while maize entries in the world championships placed in the first three slots. The world largest single citrus producer was developed early in Rhodesia’s history,”…

If you’VE surfed the web recently, you may have seen news of the latest existential threat to humanity: a “planet killer” asteroid named 2022 AP7. Luckily for us, 2022 AP7 “has no chance to hit the Earth currently”, according to Scott Sheppard at the Carnegie Institution for Science. He and his international team of colleagues observed 2022 AP7 in a trio of “rather large” asteroids obscured by the sun’s glare (the other two don’t pose a risk). 2022 AP7 orbits the sun every five years, and currently crosses Earth’s orbit when Earth is on the other side of the sun to it. Eventually its movement will sync with Earth’s and it will cross much closer by, but this will be centuries into the future. We simply don’t know enough about…

Karachi: Women in Karachi are afraid of using the city’s transport options due to a spike in incidents of molestation in cabs, and rickshaws. Describing the grim situation of Karachi regarding transport, a woman, Hira said: “I get free from work around 9.30pm and all the buses and minibuses available in the afternoon are long gone by that time.”. Advisor to Chief Minister Sindh, Waqar Mehdi said: “The government is trying to solve public transport problems for everyone in Karachi.” Pakistan’s Global Gender Gap Index has worsened over time. In 2017, Pakistan ranked 143, slipping to 148 in 2018. | ANI…

TOKYO: Japan’s defence ministry is considering the deployment of hypersonic missiles by 2030 to boost deterrence by stepping up its counterattack capabilities, the Nikkei business daily reported yesterday. The ministry is seeking counterforce capabilities as Russia’s invasion to Ukraine changed the global security environment and North Korea’s series of missile launches and China’s military movements threaten Japan, the report showed. Japan plans to revise its security strategy as well as other key defence papers by the end of the year. | Reuters…

SUNRISE Energy said the Competition Commission’s recommendation this week that Vita Gas be fined for market dominance abuse would give other importers in the Western Cape an opportunity to utilise its terminal to import liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which might lead to better gas prices. Responding to further questions from Business Report following the commission’s referral of the matter to the Competition Tribunal, Sunrise chief executive Monde Tyusha said yesterday that the decision might not necessarily lead to increased throughput at Sunrise’s import terminal, but it would ensure competition within the market. “Better pricing might result in increased market demand,” he said. Sunrise owns and operates the terminal on an open access basis, meaning that capacity must be shared among all users and prospective users in proportion to their needs.…

South Africa’s renowned serial-killer profiler Micki Pistorius will be portrayed by Game of Thrones actress Charlotte Hope in a TV adaptation of Pistorius’s true-crime book, f. The series will carry the same name and is set to premiere next year. South African stars who will feature in some episodes include Legacy actor Vaughn Lucas, stage and screen actor Gavin Werner and the multi-talented Chris van Rensburg. Set in the mid-90s, the series traces Pistorius’s quest as a newly qualified forensic psychologist to track down South Africa’s most feared killers at a time when the country was gripped by an epidemic of rising crime and mass murder. The serial-killer profiler turned author of six books which include Fatal Females: Women Who Kill and Strangers on the Street, said on her website…

THE ANC in Johannesburg has called for an investigation into allegations that the mayor of Johannesburg, Mpho Phalatse, has abused the services of her bodyguards. This follows allegations that Phalatse had abused one of her woman minders by making her perform tasks outside of her employment contract. The bodyguard, whose identity is known to The Star, was allegedly forced to babysit and look after relatives of the mayor. The Star understands that the mayor had trust issues with the minder and had removed her from her car and wanted nothing to do with her. The ANC chairperson in Johannesburg, Dada Morero, called for an investigation into these allegations. The minder has since been removed from the mayor’s security detail, but The Star has been told that there were no complaints…

The start of a brand new trilogy following MI6’s agents with a licence to kill, that blows the world of James Bond wide open. Bond is missing – 007 has been captured, perhaps even killed, by a sinister private military company. Meet the new generation of spies. Johanna Harwood, 003. Joseph Dryden, 004. Sid Bashir, 009. Together, they represent the very best and brightest of MI6. Skilled, determined and, with a licence to kill, they will do anything to protect their country. Tech billionaire Sir Bertram Paradise claims he can reverse the climate crisis and save the planet. But can he really? The new spies must uncover the truth, because the future of humanity hangs in the balance. And time is running out. Dark Rooms Lynda La Plante Loot.co.za (R230)…

Mariah Carey says writing “saved” her as she used poetry and music as an escape. The 52-year-old star has penned new children’s book The Christmas Princess about a 12-year-old girl who is rescued by her music, and she has noted some parallels with her own life. The All I Want For Christmas Is You hitmaker explained while the story is “a fairy tale”, there are some similarities. As well as the character’s “shack”, her mom is called Diva, while Mariah’s mother, Patricia, was an opera singer. The age of the protagonist is also relevant, as the singer told PEOPLE magazine: “That’s the age when I learned I was definitely ‘other’. “It would’ve been great to actually be a chameleon, but I didn’t have the tools for it. Meaning we didn’t…

The Iranian regime has faced mass unrests due to the country’s strict hijab rules. This time, however, the nationwide protests have transformed into ethnic clashes. The Persian regime is suppressing Kurdish minorities since protests have begun following the death of a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, in the custody of Iran’s morality police in Tehran. Azeri Turks and Kurds are two large ethnic groups who have faced severe discrimination, threatening Iran’s national unity. Azerbaijani Turks in Iran are predominantly Shia and the Iranian regime considers them among the state’s most loyal communities. The rulers of the Safavid Empire, which held sway in Iran from 1501 to 1736, were Azerbaijani Turks, while the Qajar Empire of Turkic origin ruled in Iran until 1925. The Azeri community resides mainly in north-west Iran…

LOCAL esteemed musicians are set to headline the inaugural Tastic Heritage Festival tomorrow at Imperial Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg. The Tastic brand has been campaigning for an end to education inadequacy by uniting true generosity voices, amplified by Mzansi’s icons, encouraging South Africans to take action in the mission to provide quality education. This year, Tastic will unite artists and nationals to celebrate their heritage while demonstrating their true generosity by raising funds to end education inadequacy. The featured artists include the renowned musicians Thandiswa Mazwai, Boom Shaka, Zoë Modiga, the incredible Dr Rebecca Malope, Black Motion, Thebe, The Soil, Trompies, Prince Kaybee, Ihashi Elimhlophe and PJ Powers. Mazwai speaking about her involvement in the festival said: “This significant event not only honours the legacy of our great heritage and…

The eternal problem facing men today is that of sexual health. Richard Dooling enunciated this point graphically when he said: “Health is a crown that every healthy man wears, but only the sick man can see it.” There are many men who are ignorant of the anatomy of their bodies as opposed to women. In the majority of cases men perish for lack of knowledge, and without knowledge superstition persists. Generally, men have an insatiable desire for sex, with sex defining their manhood in their view. When they experience a challenge such as erectile dysfunction (ED), they become extremely miserable. Men are comfortable to talk about diseases such as tuberculosis and kwashiorkor. On the other hand, women are not ill at ease to talk about breast cancer. But many…

President Cyril Ramaphosa is riled by the US. Big Uncle Sam has snubbed him. He expected US officials to have a tête-à-tête with him or his officials on the suspected terrorist attack. Instead the US ignored diplomatic protocol, bypassed the South African government and announced that there was a possible terrorist threat in Sandton. As it turned out, it was a hoax call and only created panic among the people. The US has an elaborate network of sophisticated intelligence services which keep a beady eye on developments around the world, especially in hostile nations and extremist organisations that may threaten its hegemony. We must not forget that our intelligence services are below par of those in First World countries. Time and again the police and security services have been caught…

FIRST it was the NEC member and Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu who defiantly took a stance against Ramaphosa’s administration and now more such revelations have come to the fore. It will be remembered that Sisulu recently went public and intimated she will refuse to serve under Ramaphosa’s administration if he remained the president after the next general election, maintaining that the Phala Phala fiasco has tainted the president and the ANC. As if that was not enough, more skeletons have come tumbling out of the president’s closet when the Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko revealed that a relative of Ramaphosa, Hangwani Morgan Maumela, benefited in the multimillion-rand contracts that were allegedly awarded irregularly at Tembisa Hospital. Nkomo-Ralehoko gave the shocking revelations in her written reply to questions posed by the…

RIO DE JANEIRO: Outgoing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro yesterday called on his supporters protesting against the results of the presidential election in the country to unblock roads. Since Monday, over 100 protests organised by truck drivers supporting Bolsonaro have been taking place in 18 Brazilian states, blocking roads and highways. On Wednesday, Bolsonaro’s defenders gathered in front of the eastern military command in Rio de Janeiro, demanding that the military organise a coup against the newly-elected left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. | Sputnik…

WHEN you’ve beaten the All Blacks 32-22 to clinch a 2-1 series win in New Zealand, you deserve to be ranked as the No 1 rugby team in the world. That was Ireland’s last match – in Wellington in July – so it was no surprise when Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber picked his strongest possible team for tomorrow’s clash at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin (7.30pm SA time kick-off). The only real ‘experiment’ is Cheslin Kolbe at fullback, as there was an experienced option in Willie le Roux available. Someone like Damian Willemse has also proved that he can handle the pressure of being the starting flyhalf in the absence of Handre Pollard and Elton Jantjies. The Irish are on 90.03 points on the world rankings, ahead of France (89.41)…

GARETH Southgate could be entering the final weeks of his England reign unless the under-fire boss can arrest his spluttering team’s alarming decline in time for the World Cup. Southgate has two years remaining on his England contract, but there is a growing sense the World Cup could serve as his last hurrah with the Three Lions. There has been a noticeable change in national mood towards Southgate, with the 52-year-old subjected to jeers and abuse from the stands on several occasions during England’s damaging loss of form in recent months. Having failed to win any of their last six matches, Southgate’s side will fly to Qatar on their worst run of form since 1993. And if England fail to return home with their first major men’s international trophy since…

How strange is it that a coach can coach in the semi-final of a competition and not win but progress to the final. Romain Folz will take charge of AmaZulu’s first cup final against Orlando Pirates in 46 years tomorrow night having not won a game in the MTN8. But it was not due to a lack of trying ... He was in charge of his team’s 0-0 draw with Kaizer Chiefs in the MTN8 semi-final second leg at home. So, thanks to the controversial away goal rule, Chiefs’ 1-1 draw with AmaZulu in the first leg meant the latter clinched the MTN8 final spot at Moses Mabhida. Usuthu are the rightful finalists, but surely it would have been better if the game was decided by the outright results in…