Table of contents for 2021-11-30 in Star

Goitsemang Tlhabye goitsemang.tlhabye@inl.co.za THE SOUTH African Medical Association (Sama), as well as local non-profit organisations, has continued to reiterate the dire need for more to be done throughout the year over and above the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children. The organisation said while it fully supported the 16 Days of Activism, it still believed more had to be done throughout the year in order to combat the prevalence of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in South Africa. The medical association said although the countrywide campaigns formed the key focus of the government’s “365 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children” more intensive efforts were needed to adequately deal with the problem. “We have a massive problem with GBVF in South Africa,…

Kennedy Mudzuli kennedy.mudzuli@inl.co.za PASSION is what drives Afro Brotherz duo Lawrence Skosana and Robert Mashifane. “We became musicians because we were very passionate about music, and music was our easiest way to express our intuitive thoughts and feelings,” said the music stars. The two come from Vezubuhle, KwaMhlanga in Mpumalanga and are commonly known as Click and Mohamed. It is the same passion for music that saw them win a Mzansi Magic song of the year award for the hit single Gugulethu with Prince Kaybee. But life is not all music for the duo. “We have other hobbies and are business-minded. We wish one day to own restaurants in our town,” they said. “Patience, creativity and confidence keep us going. These are our strengths that we believe make us great…

Anita Nkonki anita.nkonki@inl.co.za AWARD-WINNING director Vusi Africa Sindane gave a glimpse into one his most anticipated films, due to premiere in the coming months. After the teaser from The Lions Are Hunting With Hyenas, on Africa’s Twitter account, many people have been asking when it will be released. Africa opened up about how excited he was to be producing such a work of art. “In 2022, The Lions Are Hunting, the second feature film inspired by the life of my best friend, Phuzi Yanga, is coming to your screens. “I have never been excited about any of my films. This is personal. It’s about my backyard – eMshika the city that raised me.” There is no denying that Africa’s work is something to talk about, particularly after garnering several international…

FAROUK ARAIE | Gauteng THE advent of the fourth wave and the appearance of a new Covid-19 variant dubbed B1.1.529 (Omicron) is an uncanny and remarkable coincidence by any stretch of the imagination. The global hype that accompanied the Earth shattering announcements are staggering, propelling the Covid-19 virus into another dimension. Stock prices tumbled as shares in global companies were decimated.Within 24 hours major nations went into hyperventilation as they closed their borders and imposed air travel bans in a move so well choreographed that it defies logic and explanation. Over the past 75 years, wise leaders warned us of events to come that will defy logic and sanity. We are perilously close to a one world government, orchestrated by the World Health Organisation, whose aim is a…

After years of promises but still no guarantee of jobs in renewable energy, unions hoping that their members will retain their employment if they cling to fossil fuel industries might miss the chance to negotiate a just transition. An estimated 92 230 people are employed in coal industries, according to the Minerals Council South Africa figures from 2019. Climate change labour experts have warned that a ‘just transition’ from a carbon-intensive economy to a low-carbon economy will devastate hundreds of thousands of workers in the energy and fossil fuel sectors. This is unless workers bargain collectively for binding contracts that put each of them on “a pathway to an equivalent job of good quality” in the renewable energy sector. “Many of our (union) members are worried about climate change, but…

Former US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper has sued the defence department accusing Pentagon officials of blocking parts of his memoir. “Significant text is being improperly withheld from publication in Secretary Esper’s manuscript under the guise of classification,” Esper’s lawsuit filed in Federal District Court in Washington, DC, says, as quoted by The New York Times. The withheld text is “crucial” to telling certain important stories about his tenure under former US President Donald Trump.…

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin urged Britain yesterday to open a legal route for asylum seekers in order to prevent people risking their lives by taking small boats across the Channel to England. “Great Britain needs to open up a legal immigration route” because “at the moment anyone who wants to ask for asylum has no other choice but to cross the Channel,” Darmanin said in an interview with the RMC/BFM media group. French officials have suggested that British immigration officials process asylum requests in northern France from migrants camped out around the major ports on France’s coast. Darmanin convened fellow ministers responsible for immigration from Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium on Sunday for talks about the Channel migrant crisis, four days after an unprecedented accident saw 27 people drown…

Stuart Hess stuart.hess@inl.co.za Duanne Olivier’s dominance in the domestic four-day competition has put him firmly in the picture for an international recall, should India tour South Africa later this summer. Olivier confirmed yesterday that he has availed himself for Proteas selection after chatting to convener of selectors Victor Mpitsang. “(The selectors) did speak to me,” Olivier said. “They basically asked me if I am open to play for the Proteas again and I said, ‘of course, yes’. But I can’t select myself, it’s up to them if they want me or not. All I can do is to focus on the present and take it day by day.” Olivier has been in outstanding form for the Highveld Lions through the first four rounds of the competition, claiming 28 wickets at…

Kelly Jane Turner kelly.turner@africannewsagency.com South Africa’s available Covid-19 vaccines, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson, are likely to still offer high levels of protection against the newly identified Covid-19 variant, according to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD). The new variant, B.1.1.529 (Omicron), was detected in the country last week and 22 positive cases were reported in the country. NICD acting executive director, Professor Adrian Puren, said experts continue to work around the clock to gain a better understanding of the variant. “While the announcement of a new Covid-19 variant was unforeseen it is not a complete surprise as viral mutations are a natural occurrence,” he said. Currently there have been no unusual symptoms reported following infection with the B.1.1.529 variant. While its lineage shares a few common mutations with…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za HEALTH Minister Dr Joe Phaahla and experts have urged citizens to not panic over the new variant of concern but to vaccinate, as the country is prepared for the new Covid-19 variant. Following the address by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday, Phaahla and Deputy Minister of Health Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, together with a panel of scientists, convened a media briefing to present and further unpack the address and the state of readiness to respond to the variant of concern (Omicron) by the government yesterday. Phaahla reiterated the call made by the president that South Africa’s best bet in response to the Omicron variant was for more South Africans to get vaccinated. “This is our best weapon in our hands to make sure that we can fight back…

Kennedy Mudzuli GOSPEL singer, songwriter and recording artist Muzi Madlala has released a new five-track EP titled Salvation Power, the second of his three-year music career. Before that, the 45-year-old husband and father to two “amazing souls” released singles Ngiyisidalwa Esisha, Ayikho Injabhiso Kuye and Yabethelw’ Imvana. His debut release in March last year was titled Simdumise and featured 10 songs. “Apart from the fact that my latest release is not a full album, it is different from the debut in many ways. In this EP I have featured my producer Mthetho Mbatha, the founder of Soulid Entertainment Media, in two songs, Ithemba Lami and Seated on the Throne. “The first album was only in vernacular, while this one has mixture of isiZulu and English songs. Although this was not…

Anita Nkonki anita.nkonki@inl.co.za MEDIA personality Somizi Mhlongo has been on vacation with his friend Ndo Maleho over the past few days, and has been documenting his experience. A fun-filled vacation is what his followers were shown, in pictures and videos on his social accounts. No doubt he was living it up in New York City, where he visited a club that played South African music – bringing more fascination to his international visit. He took to Instagram, with a video dancing to one of the local smash hits, sharing his excitement – while DJ Maphorisa’s Banyana featuring various artists played in the background. “I am so proud of my country, the most gifted yet underrated country. But the world is feeling our hit. I am at this club and they…

Dr Thabisi Hoeane | Pretoria IT’S baffling how human beings can be so naive, ignorant and petty. Here we are with this new strain of Covid Omicron having been first identified in South Africa and yet a knee jerk reaction is all we see. Inexplicably, European countries ban everybody from Southern Africa from entering their countries. But this is a misguided way to deal with this pandemic. That a country identifies a new strain of Covid does not mean it emanates from that country. It might well have been brought into South Africa by a European or be from anywhere for that matter. Thus, it’s stupid to think that banning people from Southern Africa will stop this virus. The Europeans might well be bottling the…

JOHN Whitlock | Germiston THE ANC seems hell-bent on destroying the fragile economy of the country. The last two decades of the so-called “employment equity” has been disastrous. The economy is in a poor state with massive unemployment (44.4%). Yet the government now wants to enact the Employment Equity Amendment Act. The act targets “black people, women and people with disabilities”. The act, however, has two flaws. The minister has to identify national economic sectors from the registrations, and then determine numerical equity targets for these sectors. In other words, “quotas”. Second, state contracts will only be awarded to employers in possession of a compliance certificate issued by the minister. This gives the minister the opportunity and power to manipulate outcomes of tenders and contracts – “social engineering”.…

A couple caught trying to escape from Covid-19 quarantine in the Netherlands after testing positive for the coronavirus have been transferred to a hospital where they were being held in forced isolation, an official said yesterday. The Spanish man and Portuguese woman, left the hotel where travellers from South Africa who tested positive for the virus were staying after arriving at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport from South Africa on Friday. They fled the hotel on Sunday and had boarded a plane to Spain when they were detained by military police.…

Amy Wang and Lesley Wroughton Lauren Kennedy Brady landed in Johannesburg on Friday to a flurry of text messages and news alerts. The Broadway veteran and North Carolina resident was headed home after 11 days touring Africa alongside her mother, daughter and niece – a long-delayed bucket list item for the foursome. They were at the first stop on what was supposed to be a multi- leg journey from Zambia to Raleigh. Everything was going smoothly. But scanning her phone, Kennedy Brady, 47, learnt a new variant of the coronavirus had been detected in South Africa. Not long after, the family found themselves stranded, their reser- vation on the next flight cancelled amid the new restrictions. “Until that moment, everything seemed fine. We hadn’t had any problems travelling around. Of…

Stuart Hess stuart.hess@inl.co.za Duanne Olivier left South African shores in 2019 with a reputation for bouncing out opposition batters. Two years on, he is a changed man. He is bowling noticeably fuller, the result of having to change tactically in order to be more successful in England, where he plays for Yorkshire. But he has returned to South Africa, now playing for the Highveld Lions, and he has kept that “English bowling strategy” in place for this season’s four-day series, and it’s worked wonders. “Playing in England has helped me immensely. I remember in my first season there, I was bowling ‘South African lengths,’ and although I got wickets, as a bowler, you’re always trying to improve, trying to see what you can do better for the next season,” Olivier…

The 13 reported cases of Covid-19 at Portuguese club Belenenses, whose Primeira Liga match against Benfica was called off at the weekend when their team was reduced to just six players, appear to be the Omicron variant, Portugal’s national health institute (INSA) said yesterday. If confirmed, the cases would be the first in Portugal of the new coronavirus strain. “Preliminary tests carried out by INSA strongly suggest that all 13 cases associated to Belenenses players are linked to the Omicron variant of concern,” the institute. INSA added that one of Belenenses players – possibly South Africans Thibang Phete or Sphephelo Sithole – had recently travelled in SA, where the Omicron variant was first identified. Dozens of nations from Europe to Asia have suspended travel from South Africa and its neighbours…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za EPP, THE NETHERLANDS-based owner of retail property in Poland, will delist from the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and from its secondary listing on the JSE, prior to an internal reorganisation of the company, EPP said yesterday. The delisting plans follows Redefine Properties’ announcement to buy all the shares it does not own in EPP in order to recapitalise and to restore EPP to a dividend paying company by 2023. Redefine already owns 45.44 percent of EPP. EPP’s share price increased 2.67 percent to close at R12.32 on the JSE yesterday, while the Redefine’s share price closed up 4.17 percent percent to close at R5. EPP owned 29 retail properties and six office complexes in most of Poland’s regional cities as at June 30, 2021. It…

NOW that Swallows FC have plumbed the depths of despair, it might be good to get back together with an ex, as the club’s capricious chairperson David Mogashoa plots the team’s resurgence. The Soweto-based Swallows were once ranked among the most successful clubs in South Africa. Now it has nosedived to rock bottom on the Premiership standings. After 12 matches, the team has one lousy win. The dreadful run of form has raised the ire of the Dube Birds faithful, whose pressure contributed to the axing of coach Brandon Truter on Sunday evening, hours after Swallows suffered a humiliating 3-1 defeat by cross-town rivals Kaizer Chiefs in the Soweto derby Last week, Mogashoa started feeling the heat when he learnt that supporters were planning to vent their feelings at a…

Prince William didn’t like to “burden” his family with the “stresses and strains” of work as an air ambulance pilot. The Duke of Cambridge – who held the job for two years between 2015 and 2017 – spoke of the “split personalities” often seen in emergency service workers who want to shield their loved ones from the “tragic” realities of their jobs and insisted they cannot be expected to “continually shoulder the strain of their roles without any consequences” while calling on them to look after themselves as well as they do others. Unveiling a support package for staff and volunteers, William reflected on his own experiences and said: “Supporting the mental health of our emergency services is extremely personal to me. “I remember the pressure of attending calls in…

Lehlohonolo Mashigo lehlohonolo.mashigo@inl.co.za A 55-year-old caregiver was handed a life sentence for raping a 21-year old mentally challenged man at his home in Krugersdorp on the West Rand. Police said in a statement that the victim was sexually abused while his parents were not at home. “The matter was reported by a neighbour after the victim told him about his ordeal.” She was found guilty by the Krugersdorp Regional Court and sentenced to life imprisonment for rape and six years for sexual assault. The sentences will run concurrently,” the police said. Lee-Ann Germanos, from the Embrace Project which fights genderbased violence (GBV), said the abuse of mentally challenged people was a major concern. She said that depending on the type and the extent of their disability, their capacity to consent…

Bongani Nkosi bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za ARTS and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa has been accused in court papers of bullying Miss South Africa, Lalela Mswane, and being irrational by acting against her, but yet South Africa maintains diplomatic ties with Israel. Citizens for Integrity, a Johannesburg-based non-profit organisation, has dragged the government to the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, for its decision to withdraw support for Mswane if she goes to Israel to participate in the Miss Universe pageant. The organisation was out to convince the court on an urgent application that the government’s decision was irrational and unconstitutional. Mthethwa announced the government’s decision two weeks ago, saying the move followed “unsuccessful consultations” with the Miss SA pageant organisers to reconsider participating in the event due to be held in Israel. Mthethwa’s…

Kennedy Mudzuli kennedy.mudzuli@inl.co.za THE #JHB2SOSHA walk against substance abuse is back. It is the fifth edition of the big walk organised by the Clean Up Hub in Partnership with Hollywoodbets and Redicure and takes place on Thursday and Friday. Through the walk, the organisers aim to highlight the increasing rate of crystal meth abuse. The drug is believed to have worse side effects than nyaope (whoonga). Clean Up Hub founder Reikhutsitse Malala said with this walk, they aimed to raise warning bells on the increasing numbers of young people using crystal meth and highlight some of its side effects, which include brain damage. According to Malala, their office has noted the new wave of reported cases of service users “losing their minds” and behaving dangerously because of crystal meth. He…

Sonri Naidoo TV reality star and social media personality Lasizwe Dambuza has allayed fans’ concerns after revealing that he had checked himself into a mental health wellness facility. He released a statement yesterday on Twitter, where he said he had left the facility and was in good spirits, ready to step back into the working world. “The show must go on,” said Dambuza. Last week, the 23-year-old posted a video of himself at the facility, announcing he was taking time off to manage his mental health. He said the reason for checking into the facility was his lengthy struggle with depression. In an interview with SowetanLive, “Fake it Till You Make It”, the star spoke of battling with anxiety and mental health issues. He said he struggled to put on…

Mayibongwe Maqhina mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za SEVERAL MPs face the prospect of being reprimanded in Parliament and some will have their salaries docked for not complying with the code requiring them to declare their interests to the national legislature. This comes after the joint committee on ethics and members’ interests found that a group of eight Parliamentarians either made declarations late or did not disclose at all for the 2020 register of members’ interests. Co-chairpersons Bekizwe Simon Nkosi and Moji Lydia Moshodi said transport portfolio committee chairperson Mosebenzi Zwane, joint standing committee on financial management of Parliament Bertha Mabe, ANC MPs Ethel Nkosi, Itumeleng Ntsube, Moloko Tlou and Bufeze Yabo did not submit their disclosure forms. In their report, Nkosi and Moshodi also said EFF spokesperson Vuyani Pambo and ANC MP Mncedisi…

IT’S saddening to hear and read about the escalating number of young girl children, some as young as 9 years old and teenage girls, falling pregnant (whether by boys or grown men). This topic is on everybody’s lips, it seems just as contagious as the pandemic except that with Covid-19, a solution seemed to have been discovered as to how it could be dealt with to bring down the number of cases of infected patients. The exclamation tendency when the hot topic is spoken about isn’t enough, there is nothing new about this. Considering the experience I’ve gained from my previous interaction with foundation phase learners, I must say the cat steals my tongue when I think of their age, and prematurity in growth and size. Luckily for me, during…

LAST week, an international crime was charged in a South African court for the first time, a long overdue development given the litany of crimes that were committed during apartheid that meet that definition. Moreover, the specific crime against humanity of apartheid was charged for the first time in any court, anywhere in the world (notwithstanding the fact that most states have signed up to the 1973 Apartheid Convention which commits them to prosecuting it). The crimes against humanity charges relate to the 1982 kidnapping and murder of Eustice Madikela, Ntishingo Mataboge and Fanyana Nhlapo and the serious injury of Zandisile Musi who, together, came to be known as the Cosas 4. While this is a significant development (and a long overdue one), it is important to place it in…

Matthew McConaughey will not run for governor of Texas “at this moment”, the actor said, after months of speculation that he would make the leap into politics. The 52-year-old’s political ambitions had caused excitement in liberal circles, and among Texans appalled by Governor Greg Abbott, who signed a law banning most abortions. “As a simple kid born in the little town of Uvalde, Texas, it never occurred to me that I would one day be considered for political leadership,” he said in a video posted online.“It’s a humbling and inspiring path to ponder.”…

Iran and world powers planned to meet in Vienna yesterday to try to salvage their 2015 nuclear deal, but with Tehran sticking to its tough stance and Western powers increasingly frustrated, hopes of a breakthrough appear slim. Diplomats say time is running low to resurrect the pact, which then-US President Donald Trump abandoned in 2018, angering Iran and dismaying the other powers involved – Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia. Six rounds of indirect talks were held between April and June. The new round begins after a hiatus triggered by the election of hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi in June as Iran’s president. Tehran’s new negotiating team has set out demands that US and European diplomats consider unrealistic, Western diplomats say. “Our demands are clear. Other parties and especially Americans should…

Cricket’s oldest rivalry, pitting Australia against England, always throws up on-field rancour, but the upcoming Ashes series has been engulfed by controversy before a ball is even bowled. With the opening Test starting in Brisbane on December 8, Australia’s preparations have been consumed by a text message scandal, while English cricket is facing claims of institutional racism. First to Australia and Tim Paine, who quit as Test captain earlier this month when lewd text messages he sent to a woman colleague in 2017 were about to be made public. The 36-year-old, previously seen as squeaky clean, had been appointed to repair Australia’s reputation after the 2018 ‘Sandpaper-gate’ ball-tampering scandal which rocked cricket and cost Steve Smith the captaincy. Paine has now withdrawn from the Australian Test squad completely, despite teammates…

Zaahier Adams zaahier.adams@inl.co.za Orlando Pirates co-coach Mandla Ncikazi has condemned the travel bans imposed on South Africa by several countries due to the Covid-19 Omicron variant, saying “this virus is everywhere”. Ncikazi was speaking after goals from Tshegofatso Mabasa and Fortune Makaringe helped Pirates beat LPRC Oilers 2-0 in the Caf Confederation Cup in Paynesville, Liberia, on Sunday. However, the Buccaneers now face an anxious wait to see whether the second leg will be allowed to be played in South Africa after the Covid-19 variant was detected in SA earlier this month and then reported to the World Health Organisation last Wednesday. The UK, EU, US and several other nations around the world have led the travel ban on southern African countries with immediate effect. “This virus is everywhere. South…