Table of contents for 2022-03-28 in Star

TWO UNRELATED events that occurred this month have raised the question whether South Africa’s long professed ambition to create a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) is just a pipe dream? The Independent Communications Authority of SA concluded its radio frequency spectrum auction, raising more than R14.4 billion for the national fiscus. This inaugural radio frequency spectrum auction is one of the most important structural reforms to reduce the cost of communication and encourage investment in the digital economy. Meanwhile, the Solidarity Fund also wrapped up its operations after two years, with under R3.8bn in relief funding having been received while just under R3.3bn was dis- bursed. The fund was set up with a very specific and limited mandate and was never intended to be a long-term solution, rather an urgent,…

NORMAN V MAHLANGU | Siyabuswa THE number of people who are trapped in the web of peer pressure, where they feel obligated to follow the unproductive ways set by those who came before them, is alarming. You have a right to put any kind of lifestyle on the scale. If it is found wanting, revolt against it. For some, a passive lifestyle they’ll have to overcome is generational and hereditary. Only those who are extremely determined and focused will cut its circle. The ancient Book says: “As a man thinks, so is he (Proverbs 23:7).” This suggests that life does not happen by coincidence. We all are a product of the ideologies and philosophies we have cherished. Failure to take a different trajectory from our dormant lifestyle automatically…

LIKE Russian revolutionary heroine Alexandra Kollantai, Sarah Idan was not content with just being somebody’s wife, mother, or aunt. When she divorced her husband, Alexandra said: “I’m not the wife for you, for I’m a person first and a woman second… and that’s all there is to it.” Idan was crowned Miss Iraq and represented her country at the Miss Universe 2017 pageant. What made her special is she was the first Iraqi model to participate in the Miss Universe pageant in 45 years. After achieving such a milestone in her career and restoring the pride of her country, which had been besieged by conflict, she was bullied for taking and sharing a picture with a fellow Miss Universe participant from Israel. She did not see herself simply as a…

Anita Nkonki anita.nkonki@inl.co.za PEOPLE are finally counting the days until they can be out and about to celebrate the return of the Rand Show, to be held from April 13 to 18 at Nasrec, Johannesburg. The Rand Show is all about entertainment galore, where adults and children get to have a family day of relaxation and enjoyment. At this exciting event, those in attendance can enjoy it picnic-style while being entertained by some of South Africa’s best musicians. After two years of hibernation due to Covid-19, the show has managed to survive. This year’s event promises to provide a great family day out – much needed by us all after the past couple of years. Having being promised a colourful experience, adults can look forward to live music concerts. On…

Rapula Moatshe rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za THE late Tshwane municipal worker Walter Mnguni, who died three months ago, is among workers who were last week interdicted by the metro at the Labour Court from engaging in an unprotected strike, said the SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu). The union expressed shock that Mnguni was named with other Samwu-affiliated workers in an annexure submitted to the court by the metro. Regional Samwu chairperson Nkhetheni Muthavhi said: “Even people who have died were interdicted from entering municipal buildings. In annexure two there is Walter Mnguni, who died three months ago.” One official, Phillip Sebata, who has been on suspension for two years, was also interdicted for being on strike, said Muthavhi. “There are people who went on pension. Others have been dismissed while others have resigned,…

As we celebrate Human Rights month, we are called to reflect on the imperatives guaranteed in the Constitution of the Republic. One of these rights is the right of access to sufficient water as contained in Section 27 of the Constitution. Equally so, Section 24 states that everyone has the right – (a) to an environment that is not harmful to their health or wellbeing; and (b) to have the environment protected for the benefit of present and future generations is of paramount importance. To meet these basic rights, it is crucial that the three spheres of government, particularly the water and environmental sectors, up their game. Since the dawn of democracy, local government has made strides in the provision of water and sanitation services, particularly to the unserved. Such…

Iraq’s parliament failed again to vote for a president after Iran-backed groups boycotted the session, in a setback to an alliance led by cleric Moqtada al-Sadr which won the election and threatened to remove them from politics. Sadr had hoped parliament would elect Rebar Ahmed, a veteran Kurdish intelligence official and interior minister of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region. A win for Sadr’s allies would threaten to exclude Tehran’s allies from power for the first time in years. | Reuters…

CRISTIANO Ronaldo is excited about the return of experienced defender Pepe to the Portugal squad after he missed Thursday’s 3-1 win over Turkey due to Covid-19. “The king is back! Pepe is back in the house! Look out,” a smiling Ronaldo shouted before Portugal’s training session on a warm and sunny Sunday morning in Porto as the 39-year-old defender emerged from the dressing-room. They laughed and hugged before beginning the warm-up side by side, in the penultimate training session before the World Cup qualifying playoff against North Macedonia tomorrow for a place in this year’s tournament in Qatar. Ronaldo’s mood reflected the general feeling among the squad as they prepare to host North Macedonia, who shocked Italy 1-0 in their playoff semi-final to deprive Portugal fans of a highly-anticipated clash…

Alyssia Birjalal alyssia.birjalal@inl.co.za Lerai Rakoditse, who has been hosting NickMusic on Nickelodeon since 2021, has been announced as the first African to host the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards. The 19 year old also made headlines when she was the first African to present on the channel last year. The world’s biggest and slimiest award show, which honours the finest in TV, movies, music, and sports is set to take place on NickToons (DStv Channel 308) on April 13 at 2.30pm. Rakoditse will be holding down the fort as the host locally, stepping up as the companion to take Africa through the awards show and injecting some extra local flavour along the way. Rakoditse said the news of her appointment was a wonderful way to begin the year. “I’m delighted that…

Itumeleng Mafisa itumeleng mafisa@inl.co.za WHEN Daily Maverick journalist Kevin Bloom wrote to Patience Mnisi, the wife of Deputy President David Mabuza, about her alleged involvement in the sale of land in the Nkomazi Wilderness area in Mpumalanga, he didn’t take her response to heart. Bloom proceeded to write an article that the Daily Maverick, on Human Rights Day, March 21, published on pages 1 and 2 of its paper. The article featured an illustrative image of Mabuza and Mnisi, and is Bloom’s account of the case of Fred Daniel, whom Bloom seems to be a cult-follower of, brought against 26 respondents, Mabuza being one of them. Under the heading “The Mabuzas and the giant Mpumalanga land claims scam”, with the sub-heading “Mnisi has been implicated in brokering the sale…

Professor raises issues that are crippling the governing party , such as two centres of power and discussion about introducing a parliamentary democracy Sihle Mavuso sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za IN DEEPLY analysing the ANC, Professor Sipho Seepe of the University of Zululand argues that the party has lost its revolutionary character and potentially reached its prime and effectiveness. In an opinion piece for IOL yesterday, Seepe raised several issues that are crippling the governing party, among them the issue of two centres of power; the suspicious renewal process and the debate around the need to replace the current political constitutional democracy with parliamentary democracy. This constitutional debate was reignited by KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala while he was addressing the province’s Human Rights Day in Ixopo on Monday last week. On the matter, Seepe…

Kutloano Makgoro | Vosloorus A VIDEO taken by the police showed a single quantum with more than 40 schoolchildren in it. For safety reasons, Quantums or caravan buses are meant to seat 16 people. Yet, in townships, we could find more than 20 children in a vehicle. The safety of children is compromised in such a situation. This is because there are few to no options for children to get to school. Parents usually settle for this mode of transport because it’s affordable and they cannot take their kids to school themselves. The Department of Transport should intervene in helping township learners get to school safely. Schools in suburbs have buses that have adequate seating for learners. Townships learners should be provided access to transport that will take…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za THE refurbishment of Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital is intended to take about 22 months to be completed, according to the Minister of Health Joe Phaahla. Phaahla gave an update on repairs to Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH) and on the state of health services in Gauteng. The hospital was gutted by a fire last April and the hospital was officially handed over to both the national Department of Health and provincial Health Department from t he Department of Infrastructure to take direct responsibility in its refurbishment programme. The minister acknowledged that there were unnecessary delays in the refurbishment programme which has affected the entire health service delivery in Gauteng. The DA’s Jack Bloom said patients and staff suffer from further delay in reopening of the hospital’s…

Russia has signalled it may scale down its war aims after failing to break the nation’s resistance in a month of fighting and deadly attacks on civilians. In a statement at the weekend, Sergei Rudskoi, a senior Russian general, suggested the time had come for a considerably reduced “main goal” of controlling Donbas, an eastern region already partly held by Russian proxies. He said Ukraine’s military has been severely degraded and that Russia hadn’t seized cities to “prevent destruction and minimise losses among personnel and civilians”. Russian authorities gave only their second official military death toll since the start of the invasion, at 1 351. This is far below Western estimates, with one senior Nato official saying between 7 000 and 15 000 Russian soldiers have died. The apparent…

Prince William said the British royal family would support Bahama’s decision to leave the Commonwealth on the final stop at the weekend of a Caribbean tour that was met with protests. “We support with pride and respect your decisions about your future,” he said. “Relationships evolve. Friendship endures.” In Jamaica, William expressed “profound sorrow” about the history of slavery. Prince William and his wife Kate’s tour to mark Queen Elizabeth’s 70th jubilee was criticized for being a “colonial tour”. | AFP…

Rawson Marshall Thurber is set to helm a live action Voltron movie, which is currently part of a studio bidding war. The Red Notice filmmaker – who was at the helm of the Netflix blockbuster starring Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot – is said to be attached to the project, which he will co-write with Ellen Shanman. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the movie is in the middle of a bidding war between “six or seven studios and streamers”. The publication noted that Netflix – which streamed animated show Voltron: Legendary Defender – is not in the running for the upcoming adaptation. Todd Lieberman and David Hoberman are set to produce with Bob Koplar, who serves as the head of World Events Productions, the company controlling Voltron. Voltron…

Bongani Nkosi bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za MURDERER Ntuthuko Shoba looks certain to be handed a life imprisonment sentence, which would see him only becoming eligible for parole after serving 25 years in jail. Acting Judge Stuart Wilson pronounced at the Johannesburg High Court on Friday that he found Shoba guilty of premeditated murder, as charged. “…I find the accused guilty of the premediated murder of Tshegofatso Pule,” said Judge Wilson. Shoba orchestrated the brutal killing of Pule, who was his heavily pregnant girlfriend. Her lifeless body was found hanging by a tree in Durban Deep, south of Joburg. The prescribed minimum sentence for premeditated murder in South Africa is life imprisonment. Shoba, who cut a forlorn figure as Judge Wilson read his judgment, faces a harsher sentence than Muzikayise Malepane, the self-confessed gangster…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za A FORMER husband who has been in arrears with paying maintenance to his ex-wife for their two children and owes her about R200 000, will not see the proceeds of the sale of his house for now – the money must be kept in a trust account to ensure he can settle his maintenance debt. The South Gauteng High Court granted an order in favour of the ex-wife and ordered that once the sale of the house has been concluded, the money had to be held in the trust account of the attorneys as security for the payment of the maintenance. This is so that the ex-wife can meanwhile calculate exactly how much she is owed. She will then be able to turn to the court again…

PETER BACHTIS | Benoni THE new mayoress of Ekurhuleni and her team are a brave bunch of people, taking on a myriad problems from the previous incumbents. There are, of course, no quick fixes, yet complaints will be aimed at the new officials at an unprecedented rate. One bite at a time, one small step at a time, will surely yield good results, making Ekurhuleni a “better” place to live in. The towns look grubby, the roads are becoming unusable, street lights don’t work… it really is chaotic. However, it is incumbent on all the residents to step up and give the mayoress and her team strong moral support to help her climb this mountain of problems they face daily. One piece at a time, and soon we…

MALCOLM MITCHELL | Hillcrest THE president has pointed out the importance of the effective implementation of his “new” infrastructure fund and its associated projects to the economy. However, I wonder whether the state has the competence to achieve this objective effectively. It is interesting that the president calls this a “new” approach, since engineering professionals and economists have been, for a decade or more, pointing out the importance of developing and maintaining infrastructure for country’s social and economic growth. To return to the state’s record in providing and maintaining infrastructure, one has only to look at some examples to get the picture. These include the poor record in the construction of the Kusile and Medupi power stations; the delays in restoring the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital in…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za DESPITE the tragedy of losing his co-founder, grandfather and mentor, a 26-year-old entrepreneur has landed a deal to supply canned chicken feet and necks to Shoprite. Tin Stuf, a Limpopo-based canning company, is selling canned chicken feet and necks at Shoprite stores across the country. The business is the innovation of 26-year-old Eiren Drake and his late grandfather Spencer Drake, and the two began constructing a canning plant in Tzaneen in 2017 and launched it amid the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Drake said the idea of canning chicken feet and necks comes from his upbringing in rural Limpopo. “As a young boy, I spent a significant amount of time with my late grandfather’s employees, whose children were my friends and playmates. It was then that I was…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za IN A judgment which affirmed the right to freedom of expression – including the right of survivors to speak about gender-based violence – the Western Cape High Court has overturned an order which gagged a rape survivor from speaking out. The victim, represented by the Women’s Legal Centre (WLC), launched an appeal against the gagging order, issued by a magistrate. It was argued that the order was an unreasonable infringement on her rights and an abuse of a law meant to protect survivors of gender-based violence. Both the WLC as well as the Centre for Applied Legal Studies (Cals) hailed Friday’s judgment as an affirmation to the right of women to freely speak about violence without being gagged and silenced. Cals joined the legal proceedings as a…

Many South Africans have made sacrifices – and some have paid the ultimate price – to give us the democracy that we all enjoy today. Those generations, to whom we owe a debt of gratitude, have played their part. Sadly, some have passed on. Their date has come and gone. The time has arrived to talk and celebrate this generation’s time and the future. It’s time to celebrate South Africa’s youth. They are the future of this country. They are South Africa’s today, South Africa’s tomorrow and South Africa’s future. However, as we celebrate, it is important to remind ourselves that while the generations that came before us took arms and did many things to fight for freedom, ours is a different and special task. Our historical mission is to…

Egypt has deported 31 Eritreans over the past fortnight, ignoring concerns they are at risk of abuses at home in a “grave breach” of international law, Amnesty International said. The rights group said Egypt had detained a further 50 Eritreans for deportation and called for an end to what it said was an increase in forced repatriations to Eritrea. It said these were a breach of Egypt’s obligations under international law. As of late last year, the UN refugee agency registered 21 000 Eritrean refugees in Egypt. | AFP…