Table of contents for 2022-10-11 in Star

THE CRIPPLING strike by tens of thousands of Transnet employees could deteriorate into a full-blown industrial action as the employer and workers are still far apart in their salary negotiations. The strike entered the fifth day today after a second workers union joined the picket lines in demand for higher wages for its members. This comes as the industry has warned that the strike could worsen Transnet’s financial position and plunge the economy into paralysis after the State-owned freight and rail operator last week declared a force majeure for the second time this year. The Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) yesterday said a full-blown strike at Transnet seemed unavoidable. Seifsa chief executive Lucio Trentini said such a move would have a serious effect on the economy…

IN LAW, it is impossible for a couple to proceed with artificial fertilisation and then cryopreserve the embryos until they have identified a suitable surrogate mother. The Gauteng couple, only identified as MCM (the woman) and D, the man, intend to have children of their own, but require the assistance of a surrogate mother. This is due to MCM having an irreversible uterus condition which may render her infertile. They said they would require the assistance of a surrogate mother, but had not yet found a suitable candidate. To preserve MCM’s current health and fertility, the applicants would like to proceed with artificial fertilisation at this stage. Although they intend to utilise MCM and D’s gametes, they will use those of an anonymous egg donor should MCM not be…

The Northern Cape Department of Education is liable for the damages caused to an 11-year-old boy, injured after he and a friend played with acid which they found in a school’s toilet. The child, only identified as T, went to the toilet at his school but discovered there was no water to flush it. He came upon a container of liquid, described as acid or drain cleaner during the trial in the high court in that province. The child, who gave evidence at the trial, said he did not know it was acid or drain cleaner in the container; he assumed it was water. Up to that time he had no experience of handling acid nor had he ever seen such a substance. He used this liquid in an attempt…

Against the background of reports of babies being dumped with the most recent headline “Don’t judge me, mother who ‘dumped’ baby says in note”. Such cruel acts must be condemned in the strongest terms. Dumping a baby for any reason is inhuman, illegal and a criminal offence. I am conscious that often the conditions and causes that lead mothers to dump their babies can be complicated. However, abandoning a child without any affection and respect for its physical well-being and safety is against the law and cold-hearted. Mothers, parents or families experiencing difficulties, such as financial or personal issues, and are unable to take care of their babies, should seek guidance from their nearest clinic, hospital or contact the Department of Social Development. These are important structures to help and…

It’s not often that one would agree with Farouk Araie (The Star, October 6) writing, “The life of Muslims has become cheap.” And yes, it has. Unfortunately, Araie fails to elaborate fully on his statement. With the mention of Masha Amini, an Iranian woman killed by their morality police, he deflects from any other reference to the brutality of that theocracy, which according to Amnesty International, executed 246 people in 2020. Most known executions took place in China and Syria. Egypt executed 107 people, Iraq 45, Saudi Arabia 27 in 2020. However, Saudi Arabia publicly executed 81 people in a single day this February this year. Then, there are the extra-judicial executions in Gaza. Five Palestinians were executed on September 4 by Hamas, two for “collaborating” with Israel, the others…

CULTURAL appropriation is enabled by power and is an expression of power. How is the South African band Die Antwoord a good example of this? Die Antwoord means “the answer” in Afrikaans, the language associated with the dominant white minority rulers of apartheid South Africa. The band has two members, Ninja and Yolandi. They created a hip hop outfit using Kaaps as a basis for their lyrics and styling Ninja as a Cape Town gangster. A privileged white man, Waddy Jones, created Ninja after previously crafting other hip hop personas such as Max Normal. Jones is neither “black”/“coloured” nor “white” working class. He is not a gangster either. Stereotypically, speakers of Kaaps have been presented as “mixed race” or “coloured” people. They were segregated from other categories of black South…

Tehran: “Several” inmates died and others were injured during a prison riot in northern Iran, during which security forces used tear gas, a judicial official said yesterday. Sunday’s riot in Rasht, provincial capital of Gilan, comes as a wave of unrest has rocked Iran since Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, 22, died on September 16 after her arrest by the morality police in Tehran for allegedly violating the strict dress code for women. The street violence has led to dozens of deaths, mostly of protesters but also of members of the security forces. Hundreds have also been arrested. On Sunday, a brawl broke out between death row inmates at Lakan Prison. | AFP…

Some may point to a fortuitous result for Kaizer Chiefs thanks to three penalties in a 3-1 Premiership away win over Stellenbosch FC at the weekend, but there’s no denying that Amakhosi have shown consistent improvement of late. Chiefs failed to score a goal in open play during regulation time, nevertheless, their gangly Burundian striker, Caleb Bimenyimana, netted a hat-trick after referee Tshidiso Maruping awarded three penalties. A search of the archives reveals that this was a first for SA professional football as no team has previously scored three penalties in a match. Maruping entered the history books as this is the first time in the PSL era that a referee had awarded three penalties to the same side. Bimenyimana’s scoring ability can be directly linked to Chiefs’ success. Last…

Novak Djokovic believes his prolonged, but self-inflicted absences in 2022 make him even more “super-pumped and motivated” to finish a year which started with the ignominy of deportation from Australia on a high. The 35-year-old swept to back-to-back titles when he comfortably defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-4 in the Astana final on Sunday, a week after securing the Tel Aviv trophy. “I could not ask for a better restart of the season. I’m super-pumped and motivated to end the season as well as I have done these past couple of weeks,” said the former world number one. Djokovic now has four titles from just 10 events this season following victories in Rome and at Wimbledon. His win in the Italian capital in May gave him a 38th Masters; his Wimbledon…

Arsenal took another step to proving their Premier League title credentials with a thrilling 3-2 win over Liverpool, but the Gunners are unable to shake off free-scoring Manchester City. Erling Haaland struck his 20th goal of the season in just 12 games as City thrashed Southampton 4-0 to remain one point off the leaders. Victories for Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Manchester United compounded a miserable weekend for Liverpool, who now have a mountain to climb just to make it back into the top four. Here, we look at some talking points from the Premier League weekend. Troubled Reds ‘losing confidence’ Virgil van Dijk admitted the Reds are suffering a crisis of confidence after defeat at the Emirates Stadium left them 14 points behind the leaders. Jurgen Klopp’s side have won…

SIRIUS Real Estate, the JSE-listed operator of business parks, which is doing a three-day investor roadshow in South Africa, has secured gas supply for its German customers at fixed-rate agreements that will not expire until December, 2023, chief executive Andrew Coombs said yesterday. The JSE-listed real estate investment trust, which has 140 assets mainly in Germany, but also in the UK, and which has 9 532 tenants, is on a three-day road show in South Africa to see investors, and one of the issues addressed was the energy crisis in Germany. Coombs said yesterday in a trading update for the six months to September 30 that the Bundesnetzagentur, the German Federal Agency responsible for gas-supply co-ordination in Germany confirmed on September 30 that events at the Nord Stream 1…

SERIOUS questions are being asked about the future of PetroSA, the loss-making Central Energy Fund’s (CEF) biggest subsidiary that has as its main task the operation of the Mossel Bay gas-to-liquids (GTL) plant, which has been shut for two years. The Mossel Bay GTL plant was put on “care and maintenance” in November 2020, after the offshore gas reserves were depleted. PetroSA also manages a 3% stake in an oilfield offshore of Ghana, and has begun importing petrol and diesel, as the other major oil industry group have done, following the closure of most of SA’s refinery capacity, though Astron has indicated its refinery in Milnerton may open by the end of the year. PetroSA acting chief executive Sandisiwe Ncemane said yesterday in a News 24 report that the volume…

Civil society organisations and Cosatu have slammed a move by the government to give more benefits to ministers and deputy ministers regarding their bills for electricity and water. According to the previous Ministerial Handbook of rules for ministers and deputy ministers, the amount of taxpayers’ money used to pay for water and electricity at official ministerial residences was capped at R5 000 per month per house. However, the latest handbook, published on April 13 shows the cap on the amount has been removed. DA spokesperson on public service and administration Dr Leon Schreiber said in the new Ministerial Handbook, President Cyril Ramaphosa has scrapped the provision that previously capped the amount of money taxpayers would pay. “Each of Ramaphosa’s 28 ministers and 35 deputy ministers are entitled to two taxpayer-funded…

The former mayor of the City of Joburg Mpho Phalatse says she believes she has a big chance of coming back as mayor of the city through a favourable court ruling. Phalatse had approached the South Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, with hopes of reversing the decision to remove her from council and the decisions that were taken at a programming committee the day before she was removed as mayor. “As previously stated, as the DA we are of the position that the Programming Committee of Thursday, September 29, 2022, and the subsequent Extraordinary Meeting of Council of Friday, September 30 2022, and the decisions taken thereof were unlawful, unconstitutional, and invalid,” Phalatse said. She said following consultations with the DA’s legal team, she was confident that she would be reinstated…

#BoOktok Made Me Read is trending on the Exclusive Books recommended reading list this month. One can barely talk about books or a booklist without mentioning Booktok – the TikTok app phenomenon that has literally saved the book industry the world over, particularly in a post-Covid reality. Exclusive Books Recommends for October is no different, with the Booktok author featured – Taylor Jenkins Reid, with Carrie Soto is Back. Booktok is all about how books make you feel, rather than literary merit or plot. Jenkins Reid favours the ambitious women trope – so you can expect the feel of fierce female protagonist like Evelyn from Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo in Carrie Soto too. Jenkins Reid also weaves characters from previous novels into this new one, so, as you turn…

In the past, the ANC was a leading and respected liberation movement. It had good leaders who inspired many a youth to join the Struggle. Two of its leaders received the Nobel Peace Prize. The former liberation movement mobilised the masses to confront apartheid. It brought hope to the hopeless and oppressed. During the first democratic elections, the masses voted the ANC into power. The voters entrusted their votes to the party for more than 20 years. Today, the ANC has become a shadow of its former self. It is no longer the party of yesteryears. Poor leadership and greed have taken over. The party is known more for its scandals than ethical leadership and service delivery. The ANC used to fashion itself as the leader of society. If…

AN international security and risk company recently warned visitors to South Africa to avoid “non-essential travel to lower-income areas of Cape Town”. The alert, posted on the Crisis 24 website – following the kidnapping of a woman outside a factory owned by her husband – added: “Maintain a low public profile and do not show outward displays of wealth, particularly if travelling alone and in higher-risk locations.” Local authorities and tourism bosses were quick to dismiss the alert as reckless and damaging to the sector. Yet, there was an element of truth to the advisory – and common sense as well. The kidnap victim – Ukrainian national Anichka Penev – had been driving a gaudy yellow Audi R8 when she was ambushed by armed men in two vehicles. Not that…

Seoul: North Korea’s recent missile tests involved “tactical nuclear” drills to simulate hitting the South, and were overseen by leader Kim Jong-un in response to US-led joint military exercises in the region, state media said yesterday. Kim made acquiring tactical nukes – smaller, lighter weapons designed for battlefield use – a top priority at a key party congress in January 2021, and this year vowed to develop North Korea’s nuclear forces at the fastest possible speed. The country revised its nuclear laws last month to allow pre-emptive strikes, with Kim declaring North Korea an “irreversible” nuclear power – effectively ending the possibility of negotiations over its arsenal. Since then, Seoul, Tokyo and Washington have ramped up combined military exercises, including deploying a nuclear-powered US aircraft carrier to the area…

London: Britain yesterday ramped up efforts to calm markets after a heavily criticised budget, with the government bringing forward key economic forecasts and the Bank of England boosting liquidity. Finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng will unveil debt-slashing plans and predictions sooner than expected, after markets chaos sparked by his borrowing-fuelled budget at the end of September. In a U-turn, KwAarteng said he would publish his medium-term fiscal plan alongside forecasts on October 31, not in late November. It comes after the chancellor of the exchequer was already forced to axe a tax cut for the richest earners, in the face of outrage. | AFP…

There was an abiding moment from the Lions’ shock win over Edinburgh that sums up both the health of South African rugby, and also the resilience of a Johannesburg-based team that is punching above its weight despite having zero big-name players. Actually, maybe that is what is so good about the Lions at the moment — they are the journeymen of SA rugby, the everyman team that is drawing strength from being perpetually written off. But back to that moment ... Or rather moments because it was a series of body blows from an unknown youngster called Ruan Venter that removed British & Irish Lions flank Hamish Watson from the field in Edinburgh. Ruan who? Precisely! He is a 19-year-old product of Paarl Boys High and is making his way…

Australia have a golden opportunity to create history and become the first back-to-back Twenty20 world champions, but they face a formidable challenge led by India and England. Aaron Finch’s men have the advantage of being the only winners of cricket’s shortest format to have a crack at defending the title on home soil since the T20 World Cup started in 2007. With a star-studded line-up spearheaded by David Warner, Pat Cummins and Glenn Maxwell, the Australians also boast all but one of the team that won the tournament last year in the UAE. Finch, who recently stood down as one-day skipper to focus on T20s, suggested they will be all guns blazing in defence of the trophy. “If in doubt, be overly aggressive. That is how we want to play,”…

Ingredients 200g organic spinach or Swiss chard, coarsely shredded 1 onion, thinly sliced 2 tbs olive oil, plus extra for frying and drizzling 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped 250g portabellini mushrooms, thinly sliced freshly ground black pepper, to taste sea salt, to taste 3 extra-large eggs, beaten 50g Parmesan, finely grated 125ml home-made wholewheat breadcrumbs Method Preheat the oven to 190ºC. Place the spinach in a large bowl. Cover the spinach with boiling water and leave to wilt. Drain well and, when cool enough to handle, squeeze out the excess moisture. In a saucepan, gently soften the onion in the olive oil, until pale golden. Stir in the garlic and mushrooms then add a little more oil. Cook until the mushrooms are just tender. Stir in the spinach and season…

Chief magistrate Desmond Nair, who has been charged with corruption, appeared briefly in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court yesterday. According to the Investigating Directorate, Nair is accused of having received gratification from African Global Operations/Global Technology Systems (formerly known as Bosasa). The directorate’s national spokesperson Sindisiwe Seboka said the gratification was in the form of an electric fence, an alarm system, perimeter beams, and a CCTV system which were allegedly installed in his home in Silverton, Pretoria, in September 2016. The upgrades were allegedly to the value of R200 000. It is alleged that Nair was granted the upgrades for his influence to act in a dishonest or improper manner. Seboka said the matter was postponed to December 7 for the defence to make representations. Nair, who was…

The death of fearless Struggle icon Cheryl Roberts has shocked the nation and the sporting world. As we grieve, we thank Almighty God for the memorable years that she, as a purveyor of justice and humility, gave to our nation. Her death gives us cause to ponder how she touched our lives. Her commitment to social justice and reconciliation, human rights and the dignity of the human person will be gratefully remembered. The nation pays tribute to her immense contribution to peace and justice and her emphasis on the dignity and worth of every individual from conception to the grave. Her courage in denouncing racism will be remembered by many generations to come. We are devastated to lose our national symbol of truth, love and hope. Few…

Dream team or nightmare? The prospect of an ANC led by Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, and Lindiwe Sisulu as her deputy, or better still, the other way around, must make the DA's mouth water. Nothing could guarantee an election defeat for the ANC better than helping to ensure a new DA-led coalition government. The experienced and well-educated parliamentarians with famous names, both having held numerous Cabinet portfolios, recently announced their co-operation in contesting the two most senior offices in the ANC at its forthcoming elective conference. Many South Africans laughed. Neither can claim to be popular. Both have survived as Cabinet ministers, despite being ineffective in their current portfolios, at the pleasure of President Cyril Ramaphosa, who seemed to be too weak to rid himself of one thoroughly disloyal minister, Sisulu,…

The passing away of South Africa’s Zulu king, King Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu, in March 2021 refocused attention on the role of royal women in Zulu leadership. After the official mourning period, and to the surprise of many observers, the late king’s will appointed his senior wife, Queen Mantfombi Dlamini Zulu, to hold the throne for his successor. Queen Mantfombi died six weeks later. Her will named her son, Misuzulu kaZwelithini, as the heir. In response, Zwelithini’s first wife, Queen Sibongile Dlamini Zulu and her daughters, Ntombizosuthu kaZwelithini and Ntandokayise kaZwelithini challenged the late king’s will in court. They tried to prevent Misuzulu’s installation. These contestations are only the latest episodes in a long history of royal women’s agency in the affairs of the Zulu kingdom. Since 2010, the South African government…

Russia fired cruise missiles at cities across Ukraine during rush-hour yesterday morning, killing civilians and knocking out power and heat, in what President Vladimir Putin declared to be revenge for Ukrainian attacks, including on a bridge to Crimea. The missiles tore into busy intersections, parks and tourist sites in the centre of downtown Kyiv with an intensity not seen even when Russian forces attempted to capture the capital early in the war. Explosions were also reported in Lviv, Ternopil and Zhytomyr in western Ukraine, Dnipro and Kremenchuk in central Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia in the south and Kharkiv in the east. In a televised address, Putin said he had ordered “massive” long-range strikes against Ukrainian energy, command and communication targets, using missiles fired from air, sea and land, in response to what…

TOKYO: October 8 marked the three-month anniversary of the shooting death of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Nara, Japan. Alleged gunman Tetsuya Yamagami, who was arrested on suspicion of murder, is undergoing psychiatric evaluation at the Osaka Detention Centre to determine if he can be held criminally responsible. The evaluation is based on the Criminal Procedure Code, which allows psychiatrists to study a suspect to discern whether or not they are mentally stable. Yamagami, 42, told police he had a grudge against the Unification Church to which his mother made a large donation. | The Washington Post…

Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Enock Mwepu has been forced to retire at the age of just 24 after he was diagnosed with a hereditary heart condition, the Premier League club said yesterday. The condition, which can worsen over time, would put him at “extremely high risk of suffering a potentially fatal cardiac event if he were to continue playing competitive football”, the club said in a statement. Mwepu was unwell on a flight to join up with Zambia during the international break last month, and after a period in hospital in Mali, he returned to Brighton to undergo further cardiac examinations. “These tests have concluded that his illness is due to a hereditary cardiac condition, which manifests later in life and was not previously evident on regular cardiac screening,”…

AmaZulu’s appointment of Romain Folz as their new coach epitomises a major problem that exists in South African football. Many clubs are willing to entrust unknown European coaches ahead of aspiring young coaches and even international coaches from outside Europe. There is no problem with clubs hiring international coaches. Having an international presence allows for more ideas to come into SA football and it also makes the league more interesting. However, it is noticeable that there has always been a big presence of fairly little known European coaches in the Premiership with a much smaller presence from other African nations and continents. Folz, a 32-year-old Frenchman, may have good managerial ideas but does not yet have a good record. His recent stint with Marumo Gallants was only the second full-time…