Table of contents for 2023-02-27 in Star

Media personality Ayanda Allie is returning to her first love: music. Taking to her Instagram account recently, Minister Fikile Mbalula’s former spokesperson announced she will be releasing her debut album, We The People, in March. Giving her fans a taste of what to expect, Allie shared a short video clip of herself behind the scenes, showcasing her vocal prowess. “Status quo is such that we can no longer stay silent. My debut album We The People will be out in March, Human Rights Month,” she said. “The songs hold a mirror to society and articulate what I couldn’t say as a news anchor or spokesperson. The process has been liberating, here’s a peek,” she added. No stranger to the music scene, Allie told her followers that music has always been…

DOZENS of employees who worked under the multi-party government administration in the City of Johannesburg will forfeit a three-month salary package they had been promised by the DA-led management. The employees were all on fixed-term political contracts. The Star understands that they had been promised three months’ salaries when the former mayor, Mpho Phalatse, leaves office and the multi-party government is removed from office. While it was procedural for the workers to receive some remuneration after the political principals were removed from office, The Star understands that regulations had changed and this was no longer the case. The employees would receive a letter explaining to them that they would no longer be getting the three-month packages they were promised. Fixed-term contract salaries are typically a little higher and more lucrative.…

A HIGHLY decorated government official with vast experience in media and communications who was dismissed last year from his high-grossing position has been vindicated by the courts, that said his axing was unlawful and ruled in favour of his reinstatement. The Labour Court sitting in Cape Town found no compelling argument to stop the senior civil servant from returning to work. To that end, he has written a stinging letter to his employer, warning it of his intention to return to work today. At work, Mzukisi Lubabalo Ndara served as head of office in the office of Deputy Minister Nkosi Phathekile Holomisa at the then-Department of Labour from 2014 until 2019, when he moved with his principal to the Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services. Holomisa is the Deputy Minister…

Researchers studying fossils near Makhanda have unearthed and described in their latest paper a giant 360 million-year-old killer fish species with deadly fangs that likely preyed on humans’ ancestors. The researchers call it Hyneria udlezinye, or “one who consumes others” in Xhosa. The new fish, which belonged to an extinct group of lobe-finned fish called the tristichopterids, was close to 3m in length and considered the biggest prehistoric bony fish ever discovered in the southern African region from the Late Devonian period, 383 million to 359 million years ago – before dinosaurs were discovered. The fossil of this gigantic killer-fish species was unearthed in the Waterloo Farm locality of South Africa near Makhanda and existed on the Gondwana continent, which is what we now recognise as Africa, South America, Antarctica,…

The release of AKA’s eagerly-awaited album Mass Country has been another painful reminder of how his fans were robbed of his immense talent. The album was produced and completed before Kiernan “AKA” Forbes was gunned down in Durban on February 10. Mass Country, which is a parting gift to his fans and a love letter to South Africa, has been received with overwhelming love and appreciation in the past few days. The album, which was also featured on a billboard in New York’s Times Square, has surpassed 6 million streams on Spotify, and continues to be the subject of discussions on social media. This billboard has also previously showcased other South African artists like Kabza de Small and Sha Sha, providing a platform to share home-grown talent with international audiences.…

The minister of finance in his Budget speech started with good measures. It was exciting to hear him announce that Operation Vulindlela, which is a co-ordinated and concerted effort by all government departments to address the triple challenge of poverty, inequality and unemployment, will continue, and he allocated the budget to each department. The minister then, deep at the end of his speech as if it was buried there, announced that R1 billion will be spent to bail out South African Airways (SAA) to conclude its business rescue and said if it works out, the government will be saved but if it does not, it will fail. By this, he meant that if the bailout succeeds, it will save jobs and resuscitate SAA so that it can start running for…

Has the demonisation of Syria, on the back of crippling sanctions by America and the EU, contributed to the minimal humanitarian responses in the wake of colossal earthquakes? Sadly, this is the case and it was evident in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (Sona). It appears that many missed his glaring omission when he expressed sympathy for Turkish victims but not Syrians. His Sona inadvertently brought to the surface the unfairness and unjust discrimination faced by Syrian victims resulting from US/EU-led sanctions. Syria has, for decades, been in the cross-hairs of various American administrations and, in particular, Israel. The Assad regime had been earmarked for regime change, along with Iraq, Iran and Libya. America’s duplicitous role used the pretext of “shielding civilians” while fomenting civil war…

THE sport of cricket in South Africa has regained positivity and support from the fans once again after a successful inaugural SA20 campaign and the success of hosting both the Under 19 Women and senior Women’s T20 World Cups. Cricket in South Africa has been on a free-fall since the Proteas’ early exit from the 2019 World Cup in the United Kingdom. As a result, a dark cloud of controversy hung over the sport for what felt like a decade. The Social Justice and Nation Building hearings, for the most part of 2020, really drove the governing body Cricket South Africa to take initiative in reviving the love and passion for the sport in the country. The International Cricket Council and CSA successfully hosted the first ever Under 19 Women’s…

HONG KONG: Hong Kong police said yesterday they had charged three people in connection with the murder of 28-year-old model Abby Choi, whose legs were found in a refrigerator in a house on the city’s outskirts along with tools used for dismembering bodies. Police found portions of Choi’s body on Friday but have yet to locate her head, torso and hands. They also found a meat slicer and an electric saw at the scene in the financial hub’s rural Tai Po district, according to a police statement. The gruesome murder of local influencer Choi, has gripped local tabloids as authorities search for the remaining parts of her body. | Reuters…

Media personality and best-selling author Khaya Dlanga has said slain rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes had pleaded with him to write his biography, but he turned him down. Taking to his Instagram and Twitter pages recently, Dlanga said AKA was adamant he was the right person to tell his life story in a biography titled In (famous). “I have been debating with myself for over a week now whether to share this or not, even though the Forbes family said we should share stories about Kiernan,” he wrote. Dlanga recounted the moment when he bumped into AKA at the restaurant Sauk, in Cape Town, on February 11, 2022. “He said he had been meaning to talk to me and was glad we ran into each other. He said he wanted to…

IN RESPONSE to a court case by opposition parties ActionSA, UDM, and 17 others that seeks to declare the ANC-led government’s response to load shedding unconstitutional and breaching fundamental human rights, an answering affidavit by former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter reinforces allegations that the ANC played a massive role in the root causes for the blackouts. This is according to ActionSA, which said that this affidavit proved, without any doubt, that the decisions of the ANC-led government from as far back as 1998 were directly to blame for the load shedding. ActionSA head of strategic litigation Gillian Benson said: “De Ruyter’s affidavit reaffirms ActionSA’s belief that the ANC is a criminal syndicate that is directly responsible for the load shedding disaster … De Ruyter said the government adopted a…

While rare diseases may not take centre stage like illnesses such as tuberculosis and diabetes, with 1 in 5 South Africans living with a rare disease, organisations and patients have pleaded for better access to treatment. With a staggering 3.7 million South Africans reportedly living with one of 7 000 rare diseases, organisations assisting those living with such diseases have shone the spotlight on the difficulty of living and receiving medical treatment in South Africa on the eve of the country observing Rare Diseases Day last Tuesday. Patients and experts who attended a webinar hosted by non-profit organisation Rare Diseases South Africa and Takeda pharmaceutical highlighted how the biggest struggle for patients with rare diseases was access to treatment, as not only were rare diseases usually not covered by medical…

Dyslexia has not stopped singer and songwriter Nkiyase, or Sister Nswembu, from rising to the top of the music industry. Instead, this condition, which is associated with reading and writing challenges, has made this hard-working and multi-talented singer the woman she has become. During her career as a dance and kwaito music vocalist, she has used her challenges to traverse the music and business worlds with aplomb. This year she is celebrating 23 years in the local music scene and continues on her journey as a philanthropist, musician and capable businesswoman. Nkiyase said her career might have started slowly, but this has made it longer-lasting and meaningful. “Music has always been part of my life, as I grew up in a home that sold alcohol. I would sing on top…

IN the last few months and years, a lot was said about the fragmentation of our South African politics. The ANC appears to be split into factions. Municipalities have to contend with awkward coalitions. This is good news. It is a sign of our fledgling democracy starting to mature. In the beginning, some measure of stability was assured by the dominance of one party. This, however, is against the concept of democracy. It leaves no room for real debate. If democracy is government of the people by the people, then opposing views must be heard and be taken seriously. It is normal for a new democracy to grow towards a state where divergent views of the people are accommodated and frequently this leads to coalitions. That is not an easy…

South African teens are struggling in the mire of intergenerational inequality – and we’re not doing enough to help them out of it, especially when it comes to supporting their school education journey. That’s one of the clear messages from the recently released Inclusive Society Institute (ISI) report called “Understanding Youth Inequality”. The report, researched and written by Percept, offers a close, and sometimes uncomfortable, look at youth inequality in this country, recognising that development is a cumulative and continuous process. Any meaningful shift in the stark inequality will demand that we unlock the social and economic mobility of these youth. A quality high school education is one of the keys to that mobility. Access to basic education has improved dramatically in South Africa. By the early 1990s, the country…

LAGOS: Nigerians gathered to vote yesterday in a few parts of the country where technical and other glitches prevented a national election from taking place the previous day, even as vote-counting was under way in other places. Voters were seen arriving at polling stations in Yenagoa city at 10am local time so electoral commission officials could complete Saturday’s presidential and parliamentary election. “The whole process was an absolute mess,” said Preye Iti, 60, a civil servant. “I waited from 8.30am to 6.30pm yesterday. Now I’m back at 8.30am again.” Voting was also expected to continue in some parts of northeastern Borno state, where voting machines failed to work. The commission said late on Saturday that elections would continue in several wards in Yenagoa, which lies in Nigeria’s oil-producing south, and…

WASHINGTON: Multiple US newspapers have said they will stop publishing the popular Dilbert comic strip after its creator posted a video calling black people a “hate group”. Scott Adams, who rose to fame in the 1990s with his satirical take on white-collar office life, has increasingly stoked controversy with his views on social issues. But a video posted on Wednesday – in which Adams referred to black people as a “hate group” – proved to be the last straw for many Dilbert publishers. “That’s a hate group and I don’t want anything to do with them,” he said. | AFP…

A BRACE by striker Kagiso Malinga inspired Swallows FC to a 2-1 win over Chippa United in a Premiership match at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium yesterday. Despite the win, Swallows remain 14th on the league standings. They are three points above the relegation zone and next face Orlando Pirates in the “original Soweto derby” on Friday. While the Chilli Boys remain 13th on the log, they are three points above the relegation zone. Chippa are next scheduled to lock horns with AmaZulu on Sunday. Even though Chippa started the match brightly, it was the visitors who broke the deadlock when Kagiso Malinga scored in the 19th minute to hand Swallows the lead with Evans Rusike providing the assist. However, Thabiso Lebitso, who has been a constant threat to the Swallows…

CLOSE to two years ago the country watched as legendary news reader Dr Noxolo Grootboom bowed out gracefully after 37 years on the small screen. Now, viewers will be pleasantly surprised as the veteran journalist comes out of retirement, temporarily, to take up a position on Newzroom Afrika where she will anchor the first ever IsiZulu and IsiXhosa Nguni-language news broadcast on Mzansi Wethu (DStv channel 163). Grootboom will step in for six weeks from Monday for Lisakhanya Pepe, who will be going on maternity leave. “Being part of this wonderful project is an honour for me. My retirement is not of the ordinary kind, because it means me coming to plough back into this new era of news,” she said. “Seeing these young people being so enthusiastic and embracing…

Money-laundering investigations and prosecutions too low The COUNTRY’S greylisting by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) could have been avoided, many political parties said following Friday’s announcement by the FATF. ActionSA blamed the ANC for the country’s recent greylisting. Analysts believe the country’s international credibility will erode the longer it remains on the grey list. The FATF said money-laundering investigations and prosecutions need to increase, leading to the seizure of assets linked to crimes. It is reported that greylisting will result in increased scrutiny, which puts the country’s banking sector at a disadvantage in detecting threats of fraud and criminality. This comes amid reports that foreigner-owned spaza shops have been accused of funnelling billions of rand to terrorists in North Africa and engaging in money laundering in South Africa. On…

Morocco’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF’S) greylist on money laundering and terrorist financing is the crowning achievement of the kingdom’s efforts and proactive actions to strengthen its local legal arsenal. In recent years, Morocco has been keen to strengthen its legal arsenal in the fight against money laundering. Several draft laws have been adopted, while the country’s institutions have strengthened the mechanisms designed to prevent such practices. Morocco’s actions have focused on a battery of legislative, organisational, awareness and control measures implemented by the various national authorities and institutions concerned, under the co-ordination of the National Financial Intelligence Authority, in partnership with legal entities subject to public or private law. Morocco’s delisting from the FATF’s greylist may have a positive impact on sovereign ratings and the local…

Residents in most parts of Gauteng suffered a double whammy over the weekend owing to ongoing power and water crises. Residents were forced to purchase water, while others resorted to going to neighbouring areas with buckets, bottle containers, and fire hydrants. According to the Constitution, water is a basic resource that should be available to every citizen. Places in Ekurhuleni most severely impacted were Palmridge, Thokoza, Eden Park, Katlehong, and Alberton. In the Vaal area, Everton was the worst affected – residents said hey have not had water for almost three weeks. Other areas under Rand Water include Airfield 1 and 2, Brakfontein, Brakpan 1, 2, and 3, Bronberg, Germiston, Klipriviersberg 1 and 2, Klipfontein 1 and 2, and Vlakfontein 1 and 2. In Joburg, South Hills, Diepsloot, Fourways, Midrand,…

THE trustees of a retirement fund are not bound by the wishes of the holder as to who should receive the money – even if the holder stipulated the wishes on the beneficiary nomination form. This was confirmed by the High Court sitting in Durban when the customary law wife of a deceased complained that she and her husband’s common law wife each received 40% of the pension payout of the deceased. Two of the deceased’s adult children from another relationship were each also earmarked by the fund to receive money, while a minor child from yet another relationship was due to also receive a portion. The customary wife turned to the court to have the decision overturned, saying it was nonsensical and unlawful. She said her husband made it…

Our beleaguered nation is in critical mode, maintained by artificial respiration, as normalcy rapidly fades into oblivion. Over the past 20 years, leaders from all walks of life have warned us South Africa is becoming a powder-keg, that could erupt with volcanic fury decimating every aspect of normality in a country that is horrendously imbalanced in every facet of life. The latest warning comes from Busisiwe Mavuso of Business Leadership South Africa. Her stark prediction forecasts mayhem that saw change in Egypt and Tunisia in 2011, that could become a reality in trouble-torn and lawless South Africa. We grimly witnessed shattering events in July 2021 that almost destroyed our rainbow nation in an orgy of grotesque violence and destruction that seemed unstoppable. According to The World Bank, the richest households…

The Covid-19 pandemic worsened the unemployment crisis in South Africa. In the second quarter of 2021, unemployment rates were the highest ever officially recorded. Many people who lost their only source of stable income fell into poverty as a result. Social grants provide income that help people to survive the short-term economic hardship of unemployment. In the long term, new opportunities must be created to get people back to work. However, the national Treasury’s emphasis on fiscal restraint has led to debates about which of these policies to prioritise. This has been particularly evident in the debate around the extension of a grant introduced during the pandemic, known as the social relief of distress grant. Treasury extended the grant for another year in November 2022, but warned that financing it…

Jordan hosted a meeting between top Israeli and Palestinian officials yesterday aiming to halt surging violence, an official said, as Washington and its Arab allies seek to defuse tensions which are fuelling concern of a wider escalation. The discussions are part of stepped-up Jordanian diplomacy with Washington and Egypt to put the brakes on one of the worst surges in violence in years, with concern building of further escalation as the holy Muslim month of Ramadaan approaches. The meeting at the Red Sea port of Aqaba brought together top Israeli and Palestinian security chiefs for the first time in many years, officials said, aiming to restore calm in Israel, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. US President Joe Biden’s Middle East adviser Brett McGurk is attending, along with…

DAR ES SALAAM: Tanzania’s Mara regional authorities say plans are under way to construct a 33km fence to control wild animals from raiding five villages in the Serengeti district. Suleiman Mzee, the Mara regional commissioner, said the fence will protect villages from frequent raids by wild animals, chiefly elephants, from the Serengeti National Park, world-renowned for its abundance of animals and the great wildebeest migration, and other game reserves. Construction of the fence will be done by a private conservation organisation in collaboration with the regional authorities, Mzee said. It follows the success of a 30km fence that protects some villages. | Xinhua…

TOTTENHAM Hotspur heaped more pressure on under-fire Chelsea manager Graham Potter as goals from Oliver Skipp and Harry Kane earned Spurs a 2-0 Premier League win yesterday. Victory consolidates Tottenham’s place in the Premier League top four as they opened up a four-point lead over fifth-placed Newcastle United, although the Magpies have two games in hand. Chelsea remain 10th with their chances of Champions League football next season now seemingly dependent on an unlikely run to win the European Cup for a third time. Despite splashing over £500million on new players this season, Potter’s team have now won just twice in 15 games in all competitions. The former Brighton & Hove Albion boss spoke last week of the mental toll that run has taken as he has had to deal…