Table of contents for 2022-04-07 in Star

Black Coffee’s Grammy win is the talk of the town as South Africans and music lovers beam with pride over his achievement. The popular DJ recently bagged his first Grammy award at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Since his big win, social media has been filled with congratulatory messages from his friends, industry mates, fans and family. Even his ex-wife, actress, Enhle Mbali Mlotshwa, has taken to social media and penned a congratulatory message for the Grammy award-winning artist. Enhle posted a throwback picture of Black Coffee and their two sons Asante and Anesu at the aquarium. In her caption, Enhle called the father of her children “my little dudes’ dude” and said they were all incredibly proud. Enhle and Black Coffee may no longer be together,…

THE CITY of Johannesburg has mobilised resources to safeguard its infrastructure following three violent attacks that targeted City Power personnel and infrastructure in the past week. Joburg mayor Mpho Phalatse confirmed that this past week alone there were three violent attacks that targeted power utility City Power security personnel and infrastructure and the attacks were carried out by heavily armed criminals. The first of the incidents took place on Friday when two City Power security personnel exchanged gunfire with assailants in Kya Sands. One of the security officers was rushed to the hospital and is in ICU after sustaining a head wound. Barely 24 hours earlier on Thursday, two City Power security officers were gunned down and robbed of their firearms on Carr Street, Newtown. The mayor said this was…

THE secretary-general of the Pan African Congress of Azania (PAC), Apa Pooe, said his prayer was for the PAC not to be wiped from the South African history books. The party celebrated its 63rd anniversary yesterday through various activities including a memorial lecture at UCT. The party’s anniversary also coincided with the landing of the father of South African colonial history, Jan van Riebeeck, in Table Bay in 1652. The PAC had been marred with factional battles that saw divisions and public spats discrediting the party. But the party is on a new course of renewal and unity and hopes to contest the 2024 elections stronger and united. “The PAC seeks to change everything that symbolised the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck on these shores including the dispossesson of land…

FORMER trade unionist and Congress of the People (Cope) MP Willie Madisha appeared in the Cape Town Regional Court for allegedly losing his licensed firearm. Madisha has been charged with three counts: loss of a firearm, failure to inform the registrar of the loss, and failure to apply for a copy of the licence. The State described Madisha’s actions as “negligent” after he couldn’t find the licence. During proceedings the State informed the court that Madisha intended to enter a plea agreement where he would plead guilty to the two latter charges. His lawyer, Thina Vuso, told the court they would dispute the charge of losing a firearm when the trial proceeds. A formal plea explanation will be presented at his next appearance. The State alleged that while Madisha was…

Zimbabwe leaders,why do you wait to provide us with temporarily freebies during election times only? It’s pathetic and disheartening what is happening in my beloved country Zimbabwe; (we are) crying for the way it is been led by the Zanu-PF government. It is high time that the government understands that casting a vote is an individual’s choice and liberty, which is influenced by the candidate’s empathy, identity, ideology, performance, ethnicity, people orientation, responsibility and accountability. These leaders only do the talk to falsely capture the people’s minds and fail to positively transform their miserable lives and families through empathy and good leadership skills. Zimbabwe’s citizens require leaders who do not encourage and promote a divide-and-rule attitude among the citizens, inciting physical violence, all types of human rights abuses and violations,…

AFTER being in the cycling and music scenery for years, local multi-talented star Sityebi “Richboy” Mbatsha hopes the odds will be in his favour to unlock more opportunities for those who aspire to explore the same talents he has. Mbatsha says music, cycling, and poetry are things that have been always dear to him since a young age. He points out that at school he was involved in the arts, where he exhibited the talents that he has. The musician, who hails from the Eastern Cape, came to Gauteng in the hope of finding better possibilities.He believes that being a hard worker added to the accomplishments that he prides himself with. Having registered his biking academy named Ndyebo Mountain Biking Academy, the biker has also recruited young people to be…

PHYSICAL degradation through dog attacks, lashing, and shackling remain fixed in memories of the less powerful. During the darkest period of South Africa, perhaps the most terrifying and effective tool for disciplining a “disobedient” black person and dominating their space was the use of dogs. Disturbingly, the pattern of this inhumane behaviour continues to prevail long after democracy, as stories of employers’ dogs attacking and savaging domestic workers, helpers and gardeners at their place of work, emerge, triggering the historical memories of dog attacks during the hardest, inhumane period of slavery and apartheid. On Monday, the country woke up to another horrific front-page article with disturbing images of a recovering woman who was mauled by three pit bulls at the home of her employers in Potchefstroom. Like wild dogs…

Western powers were readying new sanctions against Russia yesterday after Ukraine’s president called for tougher action and accused Moscow of atrocities during the six-week war. The measures follow an international outcry over hundreds of civilians found dead in areas from which Russian troops have withdrawn around Ukraine’s capital, including the town of Bucha. The Kremlin has denied any civilian killings, claiming the images emerging from Bucha and other sites are fakes produced by Ukrainian forces, or that the deaths occurred after Russian soldiers pulled out. But satellite photos taken while Bucha was still under Moscow’s control show what appear to be bodies lying in streets where the dead were later found by Ukrainian forces. Volodymyr Zelensky called for Russia’s exclusion from the UN Security Council, where it is one of…

Pumas (26) 45 Tries: Swart, De Klerk, Fourie, De Beer, Williams, Engelbrecht, Visagie Conversions: Fouche (5) Lions (5) 10 Tries: Du Toit, Ndlovu THE Lions will achieve nothing in the Currie Cup if they do not amend their squad policy. If they keep their decision to split their player pool into a United Rugby Championship group full of their most experienced and first-choice players, and an extended player group of fringe members and youngsters used for the Currie Cup, they will cop a hiding at every foreseeable match in the future. The contest was over by the 30th minute of their return clash against the Pumas in Nelspruit yesterday, as a young Lions team – the average age of the match-day 23 was only 22 – were completely outplayed and…

The businesswoman accused of instigating the July 2021 unrest has demanded that law enforcement return her cellphone or face court action. Late last year, The Star reported that the 36-year-old, known as Sphithiphithi Evaluator on social media, claimed that about 10 law enforcement officers stormed into her house in Ekurhuleni and confiscated her communication gadgets when they arrested her. She said they included cellphones and laptops, some of which belonged to her children. The police returned 19 of the 20 gadgets, except her cellphone and SIM card. The woman, whose real name is known to The Star, wrote a letter, through her lawyer Godrich Gardee, to the Hawks to request that her cellphone and SIM card be returned by April 11, or there would be court action. Evaluator spoke exclusively…

REMOVING Public Protector (PP) Busisiwe Mkhwebane from office before the end of her term would leave the Office of the Public Protector vulnerable, says the leader of the African People’s Convention party, Themba Godi. Speaking to The Star, Godi said he found it problematic that there appeared to be a witch-hunt against the PP. He said removing her from office would not only set a bad precedent but would also leave the Chapter 9 institution weak and fearful. Mkhwebane has been threatened with a letter of suspension by President Cyril Ramaphosa. The PP has since written to the president, informing him that he was not in a position to suspend her because he was conflicted due to a number of investigations by her into alleged wrongdoing involving him. The stand-off…

THE apartheid regime did not kill Solomon Mahlangu because his spirit continued to live on, ANC senior official Dr Gwen Ramokgopa said yesterday. The party’s co-ordinator in the secretary-general’s office was addressing the audience during the 43rd commemoration of Mahlangu’s death. The commemoration included wreath-laying at Mahlangu’s final resting place at Mamelodi West Cemetery and retracing the 52 steps that led to the gallows at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre in Pretoria, where the Struggle icon was hanged in April 1979. “When we walked those footsteps that Mahlangu walked when going to his death, it was just unbelievable that such a young man went through what he did,” Ramokgopa said. “We should live and honour the lives of those who paid the ultimate price.” Ramokgopa described Mahlangu as a passionate,…

Trade unions are an integral part of the South African industrial relations system. Our Labour Relations Act gives employees the right to freedom of association and protection to employees and persons seeking employment. Likewise, employers have a right to freedom of association. Employees often join unions in order to have a structured way to protect the rights granted to them under our labour legislation. Organisational rights are en- trenched in the system and every employee has the right to “participate in forming a trade union or federation of trade unions and to join a trade union, subject to its constitution”. Trade unions, in turn, charge a stipend for membership and partake in the protection of employees and persons seeking employment. Unions are subject to their own constitutions and rules.…

THE LATEST fuel price increase, which kicks in today, could have been worse, but for the government’s decrease in the fuel levy. Last week, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced this reduction to the fuel levy, which would be implemented from yesterday until the end of May to offer some relief to consumers who felt the effects of rising fuel prices that had resulted from numerous factors – including the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. “This intervention will bring much-needed relief to motorists because it will cushion the high fuel price increases that were anticipated this month, which were as a result of the global factors. The increases in both petrol and diesel would have been close to R2/litre and over R3/litre respectively if there was no intervention,” Energy Minister Gwede…

WITH the discovery of mass graves of murdered civilians in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin now joins such infamous people as Pol Pot, Idi Amin, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin and others on the list of the world’s thugs. How sad it is to know that our own government would not condemn Russia for their activities when they had the chance at the UN thus indirectly condoning such inhumanity and savagery. Our government made an appalling subjective decision. They should be ashamed of themselves.…

IT IS UNWISE to speculate on the probable cause of the gruesome crash of China Eastern Airlines on March 21. The magnitude and horror of the crash defies aviation logic. The Boeing 737-800NG is a superb aircraft that is the workhorse of global aviation. The vertical nose-down plunge of 20 000 feet in less than one minute is unprecedented in aviation circles. The scope and depth of this sonic plunge is extraordinary and sends shivers. It is unprecedented for an aircraft at cruising mode to react in such a violent manner. The shattering impact of this bewildering plunge resulted in the plane disintegrating into over 49 000 pieces. Some pieces tore 18m into the soft earth. In essence the plane was obliterated as it crashed at a 90º angle,…

A POLICE officer who was injured 24 years ago while on duty is due to receive some compensation following a legal fight spanning more than two decades. He had been a passenger in a police vehicle which collided with a minibus taxi while chasing a suspect. The problem arose because Roebel Botha had suffered a neck injury while training for the SAPS specialised reaction force. He was diagnosed as having had a spinal stroke and underwent a spinal fusion. Less than three months later the collision occurred and he needed a second spinal fusion operation. The Compensation Commissioner refused to award compensation for the collision on the grounds that he had a pre-existing condition. Botha turned to the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, which set aside the decision of the…

A fourth dose of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine improves protection against infection and severe illness, says an Israeli study. The findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, were based on data from 1.2 million people ages 60 years and older. About half had a fourth jab, the rest had only the third. The rate of severe illness among those who received a fourth dose was about three times lower than those who had received only a third dose, and protection didn’t decline in the study period (8 weeks). | Washington Post…

FRESH from securing qualification into the knockout rounds of the CAF Champions League without defeat, Mamelodi Sundowns are in imperious form, arguably the best team on the continent. The Brazilians lead the DStv Premiership log and look certain for a fourth crown in the last five seasons. This is an undeniable show of dominance and consistency, the sort of traits Andile Jali has turned into a long career in top flight football. Jali had a rocky start to his career at Chloorkop in his first season, featuring for just 90 minutes through the campaign, the least of his career as injuries plagued his rehabilitation progress. The former Orlando Pirates man, however, has revealed that he had never considered leaving Pretoria because no other team in the country guarantees trophies like…

SUBSTITUTE Fortune Makaringe scored the goal that ensured Orlando Pirates kept alive their chances of finishing in the top two after beating Sekhukhune United 1-0 in a league match at Emirates Airline Park last night. Pirates are fourth on the log with 38 points, five behind the second-placed rookies Royal AM. Sekhukhune, meanwhile, are 10th with 30 points, one behind the eighth-placed SuperSport United. Both sides have six games left to conclude the season. Pirates’ goal came in the last minutes of the game after goalkeeper Ayanda Dlamini allowed the goal-kick to slip from his hand and bounce before he was forced to make a clearance as far as Thembinkosi Lorch who teed up Tshegofatso Mabasa. Mabasa with his back against goal laid the ball off for Makaringe who…

THE FUEL RETAILERS Association explained that the retailer margin was at R2.28 per litre and remained fixed cents per litre (cpl) regardless of fuel prices going up. It was the basic fuel price that changed monthly, which drove prices up. Retailer margin breakdown: • R1.33 cents per litre: Opex to cover expenses. That is where the credit cards under recovery sits. (Opex operational expenditures are the on-going costs that businesses need to run, and for fleet managers, this includes expenses such as fuel, staff costs and expenses for supplies that are needed to keep machinery working.) • 31.1 cents per litre: Entrepreneurship compensation to cover for profit before tax. Fuel retailers don’t get or realise all of the full allocation as they get…

When KashCPT guested on Flame’s 2019 single Late Nights and delivered one of the most memorable pop vocal performances of that year, his efforts went largely unheralded. For some reason, Flame didn’t credit any of the collaborators on his CandyMan album on digital streaming platforms. Seeing as Kash was still a new and relatively unknown artist, most people couldn’t identify who was the voice behind the song. But it didn’t take long for music nerds to dig deeper and find out who it was and, before long, those who cared knew. A short while later, as his star began to rise, Kash signed with NeverBroke, the same independent label and creative hub behind J Molley. This move has gradually helped thrust the young Capetonian to the fore of the pop…

A COLLABORATION between two non-profit organisations has resulted in more than 550 elderly Soweto residents receiving free eye tests, eye treatments, and spectacles. More than 550 Soweto residents aged between 70 and 77 have been afforded free vision screening, vision treatments, and free spectacles through the two non-profit organisations, Khulisa Social Solutions and OneSight. The three-day activity started on Tuesday and will end today at the June 16 Memorial Acre in Soweto. The organisations said that accessibility to vision health care is usually a luxury for many in poorer communities, and that was why Khulisa Social Solutions and OneSight had partnered to bring this intervention to Soweto. The initiative is funded by Sunglass Hut and the service was offered at absolutely no cost to the beneficiaries. The country manager for…

MARKING April 6 as “Land Day”, the EFF has given Remgro Limited 14 days to respond to their various demands, including an immediate disclosure of the amount of property owned by Johann Rupert, and how it was acquired historically. This comes after hundreds of EFF supporters marched in Stellenbosch yesterday. Some of the EFF’s demands include an independently audited report of the tax records of Rupert, and public disclosure of all of his offshore accounts and foreign economic interests. EFF leader Julius Malema said the party wanted commercial land. “We are very happy that our people came today (yesterday) to mark this day as the Land Day. “A group of people came to our country and stole everything, including the mineral resources. They continue to steal even today. We want…

Boasting their sizeable collections, and chasing down delinquents like the ANC, is worthy of praise and accolades. What is not clear is where the bulk of tax collections is coming from. It can’t be via PAYE, as individuals simply have no work, confirmed by the horrendous unemployment figures. Private companies continue to close their doors en masse, and there is absolutely no encouragement for entrepreneurs from the government. Is the money coming from the mining sector and all the indirect taxes like VAT, fuel levies, etc? The commissioner should give some clarity, as the country enters a frightening phase of high prices, driven by inflation, which is in turn driven by the spiralling crude oil prices, not to mention climbing interest rates. The new buzzword is stagflation, an insidious economic…

I love a good myth of coincidence. Like the one that tells of Tsutomo Yamaguchi surviving the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic blasts; or that John Wilkes Booth’s brother saved Abraham Lincoln’s son from accidental death; or that Finnair flight 666 departed from Copenhagen and landed in Helsinki on Friday the 13th – or if you want it to be more dramatic Flight 666 flew to HEL on the day most recognised in Western culture as the unluckiest. In 2018, a documentary Three Identical Strangers told of triplets who had been separated by birth as part of a nature vs. nurture study, only to stumble upon one another by accident. Weird. Meanwhile, The Simpsons correctly predicted that Donald Trump would become president of the US. And what of Violet Jessup. The…

THERE is a war going on the planet – sometimes fading out, sometimes flaring up. Combat aviation carries out dozens of missions a day. Cities are burning. Millions of refugees. This war takes place in Yemen. A ceasefire has been recently reached in this conflict, but it changes a little. Have you read about it on the front pages of Western broadsheets in favour of freedom of speech and objectivity? Meanwhile, the Deputy High Commissioner of the UN Refugee Agency, K Clements, wrote the following tweet: “One of the worst humanitarian crises continues to unfold in #Yemen after 7 brutal years of conflict. Civilians pay the highest price in this human-made crisis. They need more international support. They urgently need the violence to end.” Why is this war not being…

Iran had handed over documents related to outstanding issues to the UN nuclear watchdog, Iranian nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami said yesterday as Tehran demands closure of the agency’s probe into uranium particles found at three undeclared sites. Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) last month agreed a plan to try to resolve a stalled issue over uranium particles found at sites in the country. This would remove an obstacle to the revival of a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. | Reuters…

SUPERSPORT United captain Ronwen Williams says he is not dwelling on the departure of some of their senior players in recent years, and instead he has welcomed the responsibility of working with youngsters who are the future of the club. Williams is the club’s longest serving player in the current squad, having been at SuperSport for more than two decades. He emerged from their academy before working his way up the ranks to not only be their No 1 but the captain as well. Over the years, SuperSport had one of the strongest squads in the top flight, which included players such as the former Bafana Bafana captain Dean Furman. But due to various reasons, including reports of financial woes, most of them left the club. Coach Kaitano Tembo, offered…

LAST Friday, South African fast bowling became a victim of ‘cancel culture’. In the land of Donald, Steyn, Pollock, Ntini and Rabada, left-arm spinners were opening the bowling at the Wanderers, and part-time spinners were taking wickets, including one whose primary job is wicket-keeping. Meanwhile, at a Test match in Durban that same day, off-spinner Simon Harmer was busy picking up four wickets on day two against Bangladesh at Kingsmead. It was enough to bring tears to the eyes of teachers and coaches. What was going on? Was this an elaborate cricketing April Fools joke? Had the ‘woke spinners mob’ led by Paul Adams, Robin Peterson and Paul Harris, who for years operated in the shadows, finally come for some revenge at the end of the 2021/22 season? At Kingsmead,…