Inhoudsopgave van 2024-05-20 - Star

CHECKERS’ Sixty60 has upped its e-commerce game as it announces that it’s beta testing the new and improved version of its app, enabling customers to shop for more than 10 000 larger Hyper products, with same-day delivery scheduled within a 60-minute time slot. The move comes hot on the heels of Amazon’s launch in South Africa more than a week ago. With a new fleet of eye-catching Hyper delivery vans, Checkers says its Sixty60 product offering now extends beyond groceries to include larger items, ranging from camping and outdoor gear to small appliances, baby products, toys, kitchen and home electronics and gardening and pool equipment – all at supermarket prices. Delivery is free during beta testing and will remain free for Xtra Savings Plus subscribers, it says. Neil Schreuder,…

NASPERS and Prosus’s appointment of Fabricio Bloisi as their new group chief executive, an entrepreneur with practical and profitable AI experience, appeared to be welcomed by market analysts, notwithstanding the lower share prices on Friday. Naspers chairperson Koos Bekker said in a briefing that if Naspers and Prosus were to survive the “explosive” growth of AI and technology, then five years from now they would need to look entirely different from what they did now, and their new CEO needed to have the qualities to be able to drive this change. After Bloisi’s appointment (effective July 1) was announced, Naspers shares fell 3.19% to R3 954 on the JSE on Friday morning, while Netherlands- based stable-mate Prosus’s share price fell 2.74% to R702.05. At the same time, the All…

THE COLLAPSE of the five-storey apartment block that killed 33 workers during construction on 75 Victoria Street in George a fortnight ago has reminded me of the long-standing loop- holes in the regulatory system of the construction industry. As the jury is still out on the actual cause of structural failure, the titbits of information at public disposal have led one to believe that those responsible for the construction of the building have been skating around a number of laws within the regulatory framework. The hiring of undocumented im- migrants is a violation of the Immigration Act. Employing unskilled labour as cleaners who ended up mixing con- crete and paying slave wages goes against the spirit of fair labour practices within the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. Failure to observe…

THE CURRENT strong recovery of global and South African financial markets continues. Equity prices in the US rose on news that the US core inflation rate for April was lower (3.8%) than was expected (3.7%), as well as remarks made by US Federal Reserve chairperson Jerome Powell at a banking event in Amsterdam last Tuesday. He remarked: “I expect that inflation will move back down … on a monthly basis to levels that were more like the lower readings that we were having last year.” The S&P500 index jumped higher by 1.3% last week, gaining 11.8% since the beginning of the year. This led to equity prices on Wall Street’s Dow Jones Industrial index gain another 1% last week, adding 6% over the past month. The above bullish sentiment on…

THE SHARP drop in prices for minerals critical to the green energy transition was masking a looming shortage due to inadequate investment, the International Energy Agency said Friday. In its second annual review of the market for such critical materials, the IEA noted prices for minerals key for electric vehicles, wind turbines and solar panels fell back to pre-pandemic levels as supplies caught up with and surpassed demand. While the price drops are good news for consumers, the Paris-based agency expressed concern it will deter investment needed to meet demand, which is set to soar as many nations try to phase out sales of new internal combustion engine cars in the next decade. The IEA, which advises advanced economies on energy policy, calculated that announced projects will be able to…

A LACK OF robust financing into enhanced mineral exploration is holding back South Africa’s potential to benefit from the global decarbonisation race. Decarbonisation requires greener and sustainable metals that include copper, nickel, cobalt, lithium and rare earth minerals, among many others. Mosa Mabuza, CEO for the Council for Geoscience, recently told a virtual conference on exploration in South Africa that limited financing was holding back the country’s exploration potential. South Africa currently accounts for a paltry 1% of global exploration value, significantly lower from the 8% it has previously accounted for. “The question of financing, in particular, is one of those that holds our ability to turn South Africa into an exploration site,” Mabuza said. “I argue that net zero will never be achieved unless there is investment in exploration…

The Gauteng MEC for the Department of Social Development, Agriculture and Rural Development (DoSDARD), Mbali Hlophe, has made a commitment that funding to non-profit organisations (NPOs) will be paid on May 24. Hlophe addressed the payment delays to NPOs in an interview with The Star on Thursday, citing departmental corruption as the reason behind the delays. The MEC went to great lengths to clarify that she had taken over a corrupt department from the outgoing government. Prior to the MEC’s takeover in October 2022, there were several investigations. Her previous position was that of MEC for Recreation, Sport, Arts and Culture. During his inaugural State of the Province Address, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi declared that the Department of Social Development had been beset by corruption accusations for a long time,…

IN the heart of South Africa’s bustling economy lies a sector brimming with potential – the township economy. The rapidly expanding industry is essential for the prosperity of South African cities and does not only benefit the local economy, but also facilitates trade across Southern Africa. Its importance is highlighted by ecommerce giant Takealot’s latest R150 million deal with the Gauteng government, which aims to integrate the township economy into the growing digital market. The initiative also reflects a growing recognition of the township economy’s potential as a driver of growth and innovation. As the region’s dynamic enterprises and emerging economies seek to harness innovation and collaboration, Saitex 2024 stands at the forefront of this transformative journey. Taking place from June 11 to 13 at the Sandton Convention Centre and…

Pretoria mother Lucy Tleane is counting her blessings after she drove her vehicle over spikes last month, while on the road at night. The mom of two was with her sister when her car hit the spikes on the Letlhabile Road heading towards Brits. The sisters were on their way to Ga-Rankuwa at 8.30pm on April 27. “As I was driving, I could feel that something was not right and I stopped to check. I realised t it was a spike incident when I saw a huge cut on the front wheel (driver’s side); it looked like something had ripped off a piece of a tyre on the side,” she said. “I quickly got back into the car and drove off slowly. I then called my partner and he advised…

Ingredients Dumplings 250g flour 2ml baking powder 2ml salt 60g margarine 50ml cold water Stew 1kg stewing steak, cubed 25ml sunflower oil 2 large onions, chopped 4 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced 1 packet Royco® Beef & Vegetable Soup 600ml water Method Dumplings: Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Rub in the margarine, add the water and mix into a soft dough. Stew: Heat oil and brown onions and then add the stewing steak and brown. Add the soup powder mixed with 600ml water. Cover and simmer gently for one hour. Uncover and add the carrots. Carefully drop the dumpling batter on top by the teaspoonful. Cover and continue to cook for approximately 30 minutes. |…

Former Irish media tycoon Tony O’Reilly has died in Dublin following a short illness. O’Reilly, 88, was one of Ireland’s leading business figures, with a media group spanning all the way to India and South Africa. In 1994, O’Reilly’s Independent News & Media (INM) was hand-picked by the late former ANC president Nelson Mandela to purchase the Argus Group of newspapers, according to his biographer Ivan Fallon in a 2009 article. According to Business Report, INM agreed to sell its South African business, the country’s largest English-language newspaper group in 2013, for R2 billion to a consortium led by Dr Iqbal Survé. He was also on the International Investment Council implemented by former president Thabo Mbeki in 2000. The Irish tycoon rose to fame as a record-breaking British and Irish…

Cavin Johnson is no fortune teller or magician. As such, he also can’t put his finger on what has gone wrong for Kaizer Chiefs this season. Chiefs’ campaign has gone from bad to worse as their hopes of finishing in the top eight of the Premiership continue to hang by a thread. The Amakhosi incredibly drew 0-0 with Polokwane City on Saturday, holding on to the coveted eighth spot, level on 36 points with the ninth-placed AmaZulu, who trail on goal difference. The result from the penultimate game of the season leaves Amakhosi with just one choice in their final game: they must beat Cape Town Spurs or suffer their worst finish in the league since the 2018/19 season, when they finished in ninth. Despite facing the relegated Urban Warriors,…

Heavyweight Tyson Fury said sympathy for Ukraine was behind the judges awarding a split-decision victory to Oleksandr Usyk in their heavyweight title fight yesterday, with the Briton calling for an immediate rematch. After cruising through the middle of the fight, Fury never recovered from a standing eight count in the ninth round, and the judges gave the fight to Usyk, making him the first undisputed heavyweight champion in almost 25 years. “I believe I won that fight. I believe he won a few of the rounds but I won the majority of them … His country’s at war and people are siding with the country at war, but make no mistake, I won that fight,” Fury said in a post-fight interview in the ring. Ukraine has been fighting a Russian…

An EXTRAORDINARY 15 minutes is all it took for the Lions to keep their push for a United Rugby Championship (URC) quarter-final alive on Saturday night by setting up an almighty clash against the Stormers in a fortnight. Down to 14 men and trailing 14-8 to an explosive Glasgow Warriors side at Ellis Park this past weekend, the immediate assessment would have been a grim one in the 47th minute of the clash. The visitors had just scored their second try with Euan Ferrie muscling his way over the whitewash. The introduction of Sanele Nohamba, replacing Gianni Lombard in the 48th minute, however, seemed to galvanise the hosts. It kicked off a truly outrageous period of play where the Lions scored four unanswered tries, completed by an intercept by Nohamba…

YEAR-ON-YEAR volumes rose across Trans- net Port Terminals’ (TPT’s) sectors in the first six weeks of the 2024/2025 financial year, which started in April 2024, it said in a statement on Friday. Container volumes were up 10%, while bulk volumes and break- bulk volumes increased by 5% and 17%, respectively. Automotive volumes were 3% down owing to high stock levels, which have forced importers to revise their imports orders due to low car sales as a result of slow economic growth. TPT chief executive Jabu Mdaki said: “We are doing our best to move more volumes despite our shortfalls on equipment and, ultimately, key perfor- mance indicators.” He said that when com- paring the previous financial year to the current year, the performance was showing signs of recovery. TPT had…

STAKEHOLDERS in South Africa’s electricity generation sector from wind, solar, and photovoltaic producers to in- tensive users, are urging President Cyril Ramaphosa to quickly sign the Electricity Regulation Amendment (ERA) Bill into law, following its adoption by the National Council of Provinces last week. The ERA Bill, once enacted, is expected to steady Eskom’s hand and expedite open-market trade in electricity. The amendment bill aims to provide for additional electricity generation ca- pacity and infrastructure, and to establish the duties, powers and functions of the Transmission System Operator and provide for an open-market platform that allows competitive electricity trading, among others. It further seeks to amend the regulatory framework for the electricity industry, in response to prevailing conditions in the South African electricity power system, and the Department of Public…

THE LABOUR Court has ruled that the National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (Numsa) could only limit its strike at the Road Accident Fund (RAF) to a dispute related to a now abandoned retrenchment process, where the workers had been in an uproar over a unilateral change to their terms and conditions of employment. This comes as the RAF was granted an interim interdict by the Labour Court in March preventing the planned strike by Numsa members at the fund’s offices. Labour Court Judge Robert Lagrange last week ruled that Numsa may only embark on protected strike action in respect of the dispute if a written strike notice was issued to the RAF with at least 48 hours’ notice of the commencement of the strike. Judge Lagrange said…

THINK of SAA, then ask, “What are we voting for when we do vote?” A cautionary tale: The once mighty State-owned carrier is a shadow of its former self. At some point when SAA’s plight was being debated, the chairperson of the ANC, Gwede Mantashe, stretched his arms out to show how SAA soared the skies. He was possessed with imagery and child-like enthusiasm, which I related to very much. Back then, Blade Nzimande would proudly relate that his son was a pilot at SAA. At that time, we were all proud of our nation’s carrier and wanted to see it overcome its troubles. SAA carried our sports teams across the world. Some years ago, when I was flying on SAA from New York back home to South Africa, there…

RICHARD Gregory and his team were determined to bring the new M-Net documentary series School Ties to life because, as parents, they felt a sense of responsibility to address the sexual abuse scandals which have rocked the nation’s school system. “For the team working on this, being parents ourselves, we realised that we have many challenges in the South African education landscape, one of these being the uncomfortable and sensitive matter of abuse that many would prefer to shy away from,” the director told Independent Media’s Lifestyle. “However, it is specifically this that motivated us to get on board, to challenge the status quo by unpacking a few cases in South African schools.” School Ties, which premiered on M-Net on Thursday, is a harrowing four-part documentary series that centres on…

l Concourt to rule on his election eligibility Former president Jacob Zuma will know whether he will serve in the National Assembly after the elections, when the Constitutional Court delivers judgment in the Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) and Zuma matter today. This will take place in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, at 10am. The Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) had lodged an application to challenge Zuma’s inclusion in the MKP’s Parliament list. It stated that Zuma’s candidacy should be barred due to his contempt of court conviction in 2021. The IEC cited Section 47 (1)(e) of the Constitution as the reason why he cannot be on the list. Section 47 states: “Anyone who, after this section took effect, is convicted of an offence and sentenced to more than 12 months imprisonment without the…

PREPARATIONS and security plans for the national and provincial elections on May 29 have been finalised to ensure a smooth transition without hiccups, according to members of the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NatJoints). Speaking in Hatfield, Pretoria, on the state of readiness of law enforcement agencies ahead of the elections, NatJoints co-chair and deputy national commissioner responsible for policing, Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili, said the various stakeholders were confident that the measures put in place were sufficient to ensure that the elections proceeded without any incidents of crime and disruptions. Mosikili said the assurance that the country would witness a conducive environment for a peaceful election comes after key role-players in the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster (JCPS) conducted a national security assessment. The police’s executive management, she…

NEW political party RISE Mzansi already boasts international support ahead of the May 29 elections, a little over a year after being formed. This was revealed by the party’s leadership at its last rally, titled the “People’s Rally”, at Ruimsig Stadium in Roodepoort yesterday, which scores of volunteers attended. The elections kicked off on Friday with voting abroad. Despite official reports still to be released by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), the party said it had garnered votes in Tanzania, Egypt, Dubai, Spain, the Netherlands and in the UK. It said it had received the information from its volunteers abroad and supporters who had gone on social media to boast about their vote. Addressing the volunteers, before he signed a pledge of the party’s promises, party leader Songezo…

With the unemployment rate rising to 32.9% and the poverty line reaching a staggering at 18.2 million, poor class citizens have fallen victim to electioneering campaigns, while they enjoy the benefits of free political T-shirts and the sporadic presence of party leaders. The season of election campaigning has seen political parties flocking to low-income households and communities, and now that D-Day (May 29) is nine days away, three of the largest parties, the ANC, IFP and the DA, have cemented themselves in these areas across parts of the country. On Friday, DA leader John Steen- huisen and Gauteng premier candidate, Solly Msimanga, led a campaign trail in Evaton in the Emfuleni Municipality. Residents of Evaton have continually been forced to live in harsh conditions, with inadequate road infrastructure, and…

THE portfolio committee on community safety in the Gauteng legislature will request provincial SAPS commissioner, Lieutenant-General Tommy Mthombeni to change management at police stations in the Soshanguve area. The committee led by former Gauteng health MEC, Bandile Masuku, said it echoed the call by communities for the rotation of station commanders and their respective police officers at Rietgat, Soshanguve, Fochville and Ratanda police stations. The call was made in the wake of the recent tragic murder of 5-year-old Ditebogo Phalane in Soshanguve Block UU. The boy was fatally wounded by one of the suspects who pulled the trigger during the hijacking of his father’s vehicle outside his home. The child was buried on Saturday following a funeral service attended by the top brass of the SAPS, including national Police Minister…

Ingredients 30ml oil 1kg lamb knuckles, sliced 2 onions, cut into quarters 2 garlic cloves, crushed 5ml paprika A few sprigs of thyme 4 carrots, cut into chunks 625ml lamb stock or beef stock 250ml Lancewood Sauce Delight™ Pepper Sauce Salt to taste 2 baby cabbage, cut into quar- ters Method Heat the oil in a large cast iron pot. Brown the lamb knuckles on both sides and remove from the pot with a slotted spoon. Set aside. Add the onions and brown them. Stir in the garlic and paprika and fry for 1 minute. Return the meat to the pot and add the thyme and carrots. Mix the stock and the pepper sauce together and add it to the pot. Season to taste. Lower the heat and simmer with…

When Sekunjalo donated a sum of money to the ANC in the Western Cape in 2019, there was much hand wringing, wailing and gnashing of teeth in the liberal online media. A full news cycle of white noise ensued because of a donation from a company that they disliked, to an organisation that they detested. Will these champions of justice and democracy now comment on Naspers’ recent R2 million donation to the ANC and the main opposition party, the DA? I won’t hold my breath. The IEC’s fourth quarter publication of political donations for the 2023/24 financial year, the period up to the end of March this year, shows political activity was ramping up. During this period a record amount of more than R172 million was declared by political parties…

NEVER has a 1-1 draw been as roundly celebrated as it was at the Tuks Stadium yesterday afternoon. But with the result meaning that both the University of Pretoria and Baroka FC will make it to the promotion/relegation play-offs, most probably against Richards Bay United, the excitement with which the two teams greeted the final whistle was understandable. AmaTuks finished the season as runners-up to champions Magesi FC, who drew their final match of the season 1-1 against Venda FC, while Baroka occupied the third position – leaving the door open for either side to return to big time football. While the university side knew that their 49 points left them in an unassailable position, and thus assured them of another crack at elite league football, Baroka could not celebrate…

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena feels he, more than anyone, deserves to be crowned as the 2023/24 DStv Premiership Coach of the Season. The energetic tactician masterminded a difficult win over second-placed Stellenbosch FC on Saturday, which stretched their gap at the top to 22 points. The Brazilians secured their 22nd win in 28 league matches this season, a victory that saw them set a new points tally record for a 16-team league season. The Chloorkop-based outfit is still on course to achieve the unprecedented feat of an invincible season, with two games of the season remaining. Speaking to the media at the Athlone Stadium after their win over Stellies, Mokwena was not hesitant in stating that he felt he deserved the Coach of the Season award. “The coach…

Akani Simbine says he won’t let his world-lead performance in Atlanta on Saturday “get to my head” after the South African star clocked a superb 9.90 seconds. The 30-year-old sprinter, competing at the Atlanta City Games on a temporary short track in the open public Piedmont Park, opened up with a 10.10 time in the heat. But, facing the likes of Kenyan powerhouse Ferdinand Omanyala and American Ronnie Baker in the final, Simbine stormed to victory with a fine display to produce his quickest time since the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 – with his 9.84 SA record also coming earlier that year. While delighted with his performance, Simbine is not getting carried away, with the Paris Olympics athletics competition only starting on August 1. “(Saturday) was just putting a good…

FIXING what was broken at Eskom did not just result in South Africa experiencing more than 50 days without load shedding, but has also created a new engineering problem for the power utility, Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said on Friday. He said that to stop load shedding, Eskom had simply repaired the machines that were giving problems, after identifying six power stations that were responsible for 70% of the losses (17 000MW), known as the unplanned capacity loss factor. However, the country was not out of the woods yet. “Three of them have graduated from being problem power stations. Kusile, Majuba have graduated and are some of the best power stations. As a result of that, we have a new problem, which is that we are generating more electricity…

OVER THE PAST few years, African debt markets have faced significant challenges due to a combination of factors including soft global economic conditions, the Covid-19 pandemic and related supply chain failures. These factors led to a decrease in demand for African debt and a dramatic rise in borrowing costs, placing sovereign borrowing in particular in a difficult position. In fact, in 2023, there was no issuance at all in sub-Saharan Africa, marking the first time since 2008 that this happened. The global bond market was effectively frozen for Africa. The funding squeeze and the closure of the bond market forced African countries to seek alternative sources of financing, such as domestic capital markets, multilateral institutions, and bilateral agreements. But in January and February 2024, everything changed. Suddenly there was a…

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa signed the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill into law this week, creating a massive healthcare monopsony (like a monopoly, but where there is one buyer instead of one seller) run by the State. If you want to understand why poverty levels are so high in South Africa, these are the type of policies driving the poverty engine. Equality, however will be improved, as even more people become poorer, so there is that, I suppose. Finance Minister Enoch Godon- gwana noted that, “It costs us R34bn per annum (in medical aid subsidies). You cut that and medical aids become unaffordable. The costs are going to go up the roof.” This is roughly the value of the subsidies given the automotive industry annually to manufacture cars in South Africa.…

PETRA Diamonds expects diamond prices to stabilise later this year after the company – with two underground operations in South Africa and Tanzania and one open-pit mine in Tanzania – recorded a dip in prices received for auctions early this year. For its sixth diamond tender conducted early this month, Petra Diamonds sold 371 104 diamond carats, bagging $44 million (R813.7m) at average prices of $118 per carat. This compares to the 362 132 carats sold in April, which grossed $49m at average prices of around $136 per carat. In the year to date, Petra Diamonds had sold 2.8 million carats of diamonds by May compared to 2.2 million carats sold in the year to May 2023. Sales values for the year to May 2024…

The Netflix series, Baby Reindeer, has kept viewers glued to their screens. Labelled as a “true story”, it has piqued the curiosity of couch potatoes eager to uncover the real-life characters behind the narrative. However, creator Richard Gadd has pleaded with internet sleuths to refrain from searching for the show’s real-life counterparts, emphasising that it is a work of fiction. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Gadd said: “If I wanted the real-life people to be found, I would’ve made it a documentary.” Despite this plea, there have been countless speculations about the identities of the characters, leading to individuals like Fiona Harvey, who denies being the inspiration for the character Martha, threatening legal action against Netflix and Gadd. Gadd expressed concern for the people who have been…

AS THE search-and-rescue mission at the collapsed George building in the Western Cape was concluded on Friday, one crucial stakeholder who should have led from the front was caught sleeping at the wheel throughout the saga. The National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) has been conspicuous by its silence throughout the ordeal during which 62 workers were trapped in the ruins of the proposed five-storey Neo Victoria building. By the last count, 33 workers had died, 19 were unaccounted for and 12 are recuperating in hospital from the May 6 disaster. Among the workers were locals and foreign nationals from Lesotho, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The disaster struck such a chord that everyone from Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi to President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the site, while the local municipality and…

Pikitup has deployed the Public Order Policing (POP) unit to prevent the entity’s casual employees from disturbing refuse services by permanent staff members. This follows the ongoing protests by Pikitup non-permanent workers demanding permanent employment since their contracts were expiring. They staged a march at Pikitup depots in Randburg, Selby, Norwood, Marlboro and Diepsloot on Thursday. From Wednesday, videos circulated on social media showing them spilling bulk trash in streets in Hillbrow, Braamfontein and the CBD. In a statement, Pikitup said POP units were instructed to arrest and remove protesters so their permanent staff can resume refuse removal duties. Additionally, private security and the Johannesburg metro police will assist in escorting staff as they report for duty. Pikitup clarified that the strike was not officiated by permanent staff, who…

The Sa National Energy Development Institute (Sanedi) has joined forces with the University of Venda to address the energy needs facing rural Limpopo through renewable power and hydrogen research. This happened recently at an event hosted by the University of Venda’s Vice-Chancellor, Dr Bernard Nthambeleni, which followed an unsolicited proposal from the university. It is explained that the proposal focused on research centred on the infrastructure installed by the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) in collaboration with Sanedi at the Masia Multipurpose Community Centre. Additionally, the research will help determine which energy systems are best integrated technically and whether the ideas being studied are feasible to implement nationally. The borehole pump is likewise powered by the system, guaranteeing the supply of water. Head of Sanedi’s Energy Secretariat and research…

While the collection of waste is often stigmatised, Gauteng MEC for Social Development, Agriculture and Rural Development Mbali Hlophe says waste can be wealth. To further emphasise the impact of waste collection and the promotion of a cleaner environment and greater economic development in townships, the department recently launched a Reashoma buy-back centre in Soweto. Elaborating on the initiative, Hlophe said: “Waste can be wealth, and that’s what we began to teach people… But the key to sell this waste is buyback centres. Last week we launched another buy-back centre. “The guys that collect the waste travel with those trolleys a long distance ... the places they have to sell off the waste are far from the community. So, we said let’s bring them closer so they can sell off…

In celebration of South Africa’s musical icons, including master of the theatre stage Mbongeni Ngema, Mango Groove, Brenda Fassie, Jonas Gwangwa and other legends, the National School of the Arts (NSA) has once again unleashed its dance and musical talent for all to see, with a punchy musical production titled S’hot Left Broadway. The Naledi Awards-nominated S’hot Left Broadway, which showcased at the Soweto Theatre’s Gibson Kente stage, is testament to the young local talent lurking in our midst. It is one of those theatre productions that leaves you in awe of the talent in our households and neighbourhoods that sometimes goes unnurtured and unrealised. The story itself is about hopes and dreams and some of the pitfalls young people go through in trying to achieve their aspirations. The show…

As we approach the 2024 national and provincial elections, we find ourselves in a period that is as fascinating as it is disconcerting. The electoral season lays bare the raw essence of politics in the country, exposing the transactional nature and empty promises of populists. Politicians, eager to secure votes, resort to theatrical displays – cooking meals and washing laundry – broadcast on social media to sway public opinion. South Africa’s electoral history, stretching from the mid-19th century, has developed a robust party system and an intricate understanding of electoral procedures. Universal suffrage has shaped our democratic journey through elections in 1994, 1999, 2004 and 2019. Yet, since 2007, we have witnessed the rise of populism, particularly in the ANC and broader political landscape. The era marked the shift from…

Manchester City won an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title yesterday as Phil Foden’s double inspired a 3-1 victory over West Ham. No side in the history of the English top flight had ever won four successive titles, but City have become accustomed to rewriting the record books under Pep Guardiola. The Catalan coach has masterminded six Premier League wins in the past seven seasons. In four of those years, City have also surpassed 90 points. They were pushed this season to deny Arsenal a first title since 2003/04. The Gunners celebrated a 0-0 draw at the Etihad last month that kept them one point in front of City with nine games to play. But the champions were relentless in the run-in, winning their final nine league games, scoring 33…

It WAS a dramatic penultimate league round of the United Rugby Championship, and it was almost a perfect outcome for the Bulls. While they did what they had to do in claiming a 56-35 bonus-point win over Benetton at Loftus Versfeld, several other results went their way, too – and they now find themselves in second place on the log ahead of their last round-robin encounter against the Sharks in Durban on June 1. Neighbours the Lions did the Pretoria side a huge favour by knocking over the Glasgow Warriors 44-21 at Ellis Park, in a sensational effort, after flank Ruan Venter was red-carded after 35 minutes. Then, John Cooney kicked a late penalty to give Ulster a vital 23-21 victory over Leinster in Belfast, although the Dublin outfit managed…

Relieved Red Bull team boss Christian Horner hailed the determination and talent of Max Verstappen yesterday after he resisted Lando Norris to claim a hard-earned triumph at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Horner admitted that it was Verstappen’s supreme ability that enabled him to hang on under great pressure from the McLaren driver and win by a mere 0.725 seconds. “It was a great, great job by Max to withstand all that pressure,” said Horner after the race at Imola. “It was massive pressure.” Verstappen had appeared to be cruising to victory with a controlled lead of more than six seconds until the closing laps when his friend and rival Norris, fresh from his maiden victory at the Miami Grand Prix two weeks earlier, mounted a charge. “I had Lando…