Table of contents for 2021-12-06 in Star

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za A R2.9 BILLION shot in the arm from the State to arms manufacturer Denel has not helped its situation as it still has to struggle with the disposal of its assets, timed for early next year, to meet its financial obligations, largely interest payments on debt, Chief executive Willliam Hloakoane has said. A large part of the R2.9 billion subvention from Finance Minister Enock Godongwana in his Medium Term Budget Policy Statement is being used to reduce interest payments on debt while it negotiates with interested buyers for the sale of some assets, including properties, by January next year to stabilise its finances. This is as the United Association of South Africa (Uasa) is pushing legal action on two fronts against the State-owned enterprise…

Philippa Larkin philippa.larkin@inl.co.za IN A VICTORY for problem-plagued Eskom, the power utility said on Friday that the North Gauteng High Court had ordered the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) to process its application and to make a revenue decision for the 2023 financial year, which begins on April 1, 2022. The revenue decision would be based on the application made by Eskom to Nersa on June 2. This followed an urgent application by Eskom to overturn Nersa’s decision to reject the Eskom revenue application on the basis that a new pricing methodology was needed, a move the state-owned enterprise argued would create a regulatory vacuum for the electricity supply industry. Eskom also argued adapting to the new application process might take longer, jeopardising its financial status through…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za THE MINISTER of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Dr Blade Nzimande has sounded the alarm over the growing number of bogus institutions. The minister said he was concerned about the continuing and recently reported cases of fake colleges awarding honorary doctorates to individuals, especially targeting local celebrities. This comes after entrepreneur and reality TV star Shauwn Mkhize, famously known as Mamkhize, was honoured with an honorary degree in philosophy for her “good deeds”, but it turned out the college that awarded her the honorary degree is not registered. The Royal AM president’s honorary doctorate was conferred by a Christian institution, the Good Shepherd College of Religion, Culture and Training. The institution does not even have a website or education domain and no authority to issue a doctorate…

Herman Gibbs herman.gibbs@africannewsagency.com NETBALL South Africa (NSA) has confirmed that four people from its OR Tambo district in the Eastern Cape have died after a bus accident in the early hours of yesterday morning. The bus was transporting two teams and officials to Cape Town for the 2021 Spar National Championships, which starts in Bellville today. Four fatalities – three players and one official – have been confirmed. Yesterday evening, NSA president Cecilia Molokwane said: “As (NSA), we are deeply saddened by this news. Losing lives is never easy to deal with. “We are devastated by the news and send our deepest, sincere condolences to the families who’ve lost loved ones. “We are all in mourning; we are heartbroken by all of this.” The accident happened in Aberdeen, a…

Khotso KD Moleko | Bloemfontein IT’S NOT a case of being insensitive, but many men are increasingly becoming annoyed with the women empowerment campaigns and gender-based violence noise. If one considers the number of black men assaulted or murdered and the bizarre silence regarding this reality compared to GBV awareness programmes, it is not surprising that a lot of men are unresponsive. Before we argue emotionally, just go to your nearest police station and mortuary and ask for statistics. It is not surprising that a lot of men are “apparently” numb, which by no means suggests we do not care. Most of us really hate hearing about and witnessing daily, the abuse of women and children and the violence by men against women. But when we compare…

THERE is no denying MacG’s podcast hosted by MacG, real name MacGyver Mukwevho, alongside Sol Phenduka, has been one of the most popular podcasts in the country. However, things started to awry for the duo after an alcoholic beverage-maker Amstel distanced itself and withdrew its sponsorship after transphobic comments on the show. This happened in an episode where Mukwevho and Pheduka were conversing about an alleged cheating scandal involving local actor Vuyo Dabula. Phenduka referred to transgender people as “trannies”, resulting in Amstel pulling the plug, saying: “We have officially parted ways with Podcast and Chill with MacG and will no longer be a partner as of December 1, 2021.” | Anita Nkonki…

Shifaan Ryklief shifaan.ryklief@africannewsagency.com Following the announcement by South African scientists on the discovery of the new Covid-19 variant Omicron, this past week was headlined with fear. However, the coming one could show how more countries will look to deal with the situation. Many countries are urging residents now more than before to get vaccinated as researchers confirmed that vaccinated people are likely to get reinfected with Omicron, but that it’s unlikely they would suffer severe illness and be hospitalised. Co-founder of BioNTech, who produced the mRNA jab, Ugur Sahin urged people to not “freak out”, saying their plan remained the same – to speed up the administration of a third booster shot. In Europe, many countries – including France, Germany and the UK – scrambled at the Omicron news and…

The parents of 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley, the US high school learner who went on a shooting spree on Tuesday last week, were arrested on Saturday, according to US media reports. Police began searching for James and Jennifer Crumbley after Oakland County prosecutors announced the charges on Friday. The whereabouts of the couple had remained unknown, prompting authorities to consider them fugitives and issue $10 000 (R162 000) rewards for information leading to the arrests. But police found them in Detroit, police spokesperson Rudy Harper said. The authorities said the Crumbleys had bought the gun for their son as a Christmas gift and then ignored warning signs that may have presaged such a massacre. The couple’s lawyers, Shannon Smith and Mariell Lehman, had previously said that after leaving town on…

MIHLALI BALEKA Comment THAT Fifa dismissed the South African Football Association’s appeal for suspected and biased officiating during Bafana Bafana’s World Cup qualifier against Ghana could work in coach Hugo Broos’ favour. A few weeks ago, Bafana were dumped out of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers after a 1-0 defeat away to Ghana in the last game of the group stage, courtesy of Andre Ayew, who scored after they won a ridiculously soft penalty. However, reviews of Maguette N’Diaye’s officiating that day showed that the Senegalese referee was seemingly biased by manipulating the game in favour of Ghana. And that is why Safa felt the need to appeal to Fifa. The world footballing governing body, however, deemed Safa’s appeal as inadmissible, which was a big blow for South Africa’s aspirations.…

Philippa Larkin philippa.larkin@inl.co.za THE SHARE price of Labat Africa, the JSE-listed black-owned listed cannabis Holdings group in South Africa, rose by 4.17 percent to R0.25 after it said on Friday that it had secured a R300 million investment commitment from US-based GR Global Ventures, an entity with expertise in cross border transactions in the cannabis sector, as it sought to accelerate growth. Labat Africa, with a focus on personal wellness, pharmaceutical grade medicinal cannabis and industrial hemp, said its initial capital raising process had been severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, which had resulted in slowing down the implementation of some of Labat’s pioneering cannabis initiatives. With markets now beginning to reopen and investors on the look-out for new growth segments, this investment would accelerate the implementation and…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za THE BEER Association of South Africa (Basa) has turned to the court in an attempt to get previous alcohol bans declared irrational. Basa has launched a review application in the high court in Pretoria for the previous alcohol bans imposed by the Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma since the start of the lockdown in terms of the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (PAJA) and the principle of legality. “The aim is to have these bans declared irrational, invalid and set aside. Basa will argue that the decisions to impose these bans were, inter alia, irrational,” said the association’s CEO Patricia Pillay. The application focuses on the decisions by government to enforce alcohol bans in July and December last year, June this…

Rapula Moatshe rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za THE Department of Health’s vooma vaccination weekend was marred on Saturday in Soshanguve when five unknown men robbed a vaccination team at gunpoint. The incident took place at the township’s Wonder City Taxi Rank when the armed suspects, driving in a white Toyota Quantum, suddenly attacked health workers at around 9am. Gauteng health spokesperson Kwara Kekana said the perpetrators fled with vaccination programme gadgets consisting of three tablets, one smartphone and six cellphones belonging to the team. Kekana said the department condemned in the strongest possible terms the attack on the Tshwane District vaccination team. In a separate incident, which took place on November 29, a West Rand Health District Services bakkie was hijacked with mobile site equipment and gazebos in Chamdor, Kagiso township. The cases of…

Sonri Naidoo sonri.naidoo@inl.co.za DANCING from a young age has finally paid off for Reiger Park youth Shannon “Shanny J” Kivido. The 23-year-old walked away with the Red Bull Dance Your Style crown at the national finals in October. She is the first women to win the title, but due to Covid-19 travel bans, Shanny J's chance to represent South Africa at the international Red Bull Dance Your Style finals has been put on hold, but this has not stopped her from dancing. “It's heartbreaking thinking that the competition will not take place this year but I find peace in the reassurance that maybe this is an ordained time and the cancellation of the competition is inevitable. “No one expected this to happen, but I will use this time to keep…

Tapiwa Muskwe | London IT’S disappointing that Zimbabwe was not on the list to be considered on World Aids Day on December 1. Hospitals are failing to give people enough treatment because of the poor health system. There are about 1 million people in Zimbabwe affected with the virus and the Zanu-PF government has failed to help its citizens. People are dying without treatment and the Zimbabwean government is silent on that because the leaders are able to be treated in developed countries like the US, Singapore and South Africa. It shows that President Mnangagwa and his government have failed Zimbabwe in renovating hospitals, clinics, buying equipment and drugs to help. The world should force the Zanu-PF government to resign immediately.…

The annual observance of the International Day of Disabled Persons was proclaimed in 1992 by the UN General Assembly resolution 47/3 and is held on December 3 each year. The observance of the day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilise support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. It also seeks to increase awareness of gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life. Language/linguistic rights are fundamentally linked to human rights. South Africa is a rainbow nation that bursts with so many cultures and languages that should receive equal dignity and status. I come from a big deaf family. My parents did not receive an education as we did.…

Nomsa Masuku The Electoral Commission of South Africa (henceforth, the Electoral Commission) has recently run the country’s local government elections. Twenty-five days later, the annual international campaign known as the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence commenced on 25 November – the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women – to run until 10 December – Human Rights Day. The Electoral Commission facilitates citizens’ ability to realise their political rights as provided in section 19 of South Africa’s Constitution. During the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, more than any other time, we reflect on the contribution that we can make in systematically eradicating the scourge of gender-based violence. The undeniable disparity between genders is a hindrance to combating gender-based violence in all its shapes and…

Pope Francis began a landmark trip to Greece on Saturday with the first visit to Athens by a pontiff in two decades. His visit aims to improve relations with the Orthodox Church of Greece and highlight the plight of refugees. The pope blamed the EU’s nationalist divisions for a lack of co-ordination on migration. Francis said Europe was “torn by nationalist egoism” on migration during a meeting with EU vice-president Margaritis Schinas, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, among other officials.…

ABOUT 120 people have been arrested in Pakistan after a Sri Lankan national was beaten to death and set ablaze by a mob who accused him of blasphemy, officials said. The vigilante attack has caused outrage, with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan saying he would personally oversee an investigation into “the horrific vigilante attack” which he also called “a day of shame for Pakistan”. On Friday a mob in Pakistan’s Punjab province tortured a man to death in the city of Sialkot over the allegations of blasphemy. According to Dawn newspaper, the workers of a private factory attacked and killed the company’s export manager. A police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case, said investigators believed the attackers had accused the manager…

Herman Gibbs herman.gibbs@africannewsagency.com The mood was sombre at yesterday’s pre-tournament media conference for the Spar National Netball Championships after it was announced that a bus conveying players from the OR Tambo District Municipality in the Eastern Cape was involved in an fatal accident. Netball South Africa (NSA) president Cecilia Molokwane said in a statement: “As (NSA), we are deeply saddened by this news,” and that the association was “devastated by the news”. NSA released the statement regarding the incident yesterday evening, along with the sad news that three players and a netball official had lost their lives in the accident in Aberdeen, near Graaff-Reinet. Despite the tragedy, Molokwane said earlier in the pre-tournament conference that the tournament would go ahead. Molokwane said that all netball’s stakeholders had been consulted and…

Mihlali Baleka mihlali.baleka@inl.co.za SUPERSPORT UNITED 0 SEKHUKHUNE UNITED (0) 1 Patjie 87th min UNDERMINE them at your own peril. Sekhukhune left it late to snatch maximum points as they moved into second place in the Premiership after beating SuperSport in a dull encounter at Lucas ‘Masterpieces’ Moripe Stadium yesterday. On a wet pitch in Atteridgeville, Tshediso Patjie came off the bench to score the winner that ensured newbies Babina Noko moved to second on 23 points, eight behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, who are still unbeaten this season. The win will mean a great deal to Sekhukhune, who have been one of the underdogs after their promotion. But they will know that they have to dominate matches from start to finish in order to keep the winning run going. The…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za The OUTLOOK for South Africa’s business activity remained strong in November after private sector sentiment recovered to growth territory not seen since May. This has signalled a modest recovery in business conditions after a two-week strike by the biggest metal workers union disrupted activity in October. The IHS Markit Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) released on Friday rose to a six-month high in November, driven by output, new orders and employment. The PMI jumped to 51.7 index points from contractionary levels of 48.6 index points as the metal workers’ strike cost the economy R600 million and R300m in salary losses. IHS Markit said the latest data indicated only a slight uplift in business activity midway through the final quarter, following a sharp downturn in…

Debashine Thangevelo debashine.thangevelo@inl.co.za WHEN you hear the name Housewives in reference to a TV show, you immediately think of the reality series. And it’s perfectly understandable as Real Housewives is an immensely popular franchise. But this time around, it’s got nothing to do with the unscripted drama offering. In fact, Housewives is a 26-part home-grown drama series that recently launched on the new streaming platform, eVOD. The series follows three women who, after their husbands are killed by a drug cartel boss, face financial ruin. They then decide to risk it all and open a syndicate of their own and, in doing so, pull a fast one on the cartel head. Of course, while the gangster life isn’t without challenges or danger, these women are resourceful and fearless. The leads…

Lutho Pasiya lutho.pasiya@inl.co.za Shopping for meat in the grocery store can stir up lots of questions: Does this look right? Where did it come from? Has it been frozen? Do I have to cook it right away? How do I cook it? In order to get the best possible kind of meat, follow some tips from the people who know – butchers. Most butchers love to chat, so make the most of their knowledge. They will help you get the best price and flavour. It’s no secret that meat is a great source of protein. Aside from that, it also has a high vitamin, iron and calcium content. Choosing the right kind of meat will help you get all its nutritional benefits. Some pointers to keep in mind for…

Bongani Nkosi bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za THE POLICE’s shoddy upkeep of the criminal records register has been exposed in a judgment delivered at the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria. Ironically, Minister of Police Bheki Cele has been successfully sued by one of his employees in this matter. Fhatuwani Vincent Luvhengo, a director of labour based at the headquarters, proved that the police’s Criminal Administration System (CAS) wrongfully recorded that he had a pending criminal case. Having joined the SAPS in 2012, Luvhengo was informed in 2018 that he had this “pending” case and would get a police clearance. This followed the vetting process of all SAPS members launched by Cele. The CAS revealed that Luvhengo had a case that included counts of culpable murder, negligent driving and driving under the influence of alcohol…

Suspended TV host has refuted sexual allegations made by accusers Nhlanhla Mbatha nhlanhla.mbatha@inl.co.za SUSPENDED Molemo “Jub Jub” Maarohanye has denied the rape allegations levelled against him, and has threatened legal action against his accusers. The family of suspended popular Mojo Love’s Uyajola 9/9 host accused of multiple rapes at the weekend refuted the allegations and threatened court action against his accusers. Jub Jub’s rape accusers include actress Amanda du-Pont and former Metro FM radio host and now government minister spokesperson Masechaba Khumalo. “Our son, celebrated TV presenter and musician Molemo ‘Jub Jub’ Maarohanye and family have noted with serious concern the disparaging allegations levelled against him by Amanda du-Pont,” said a statement issued by Maarohanye family spokesperson, Andile Ngcobo. “The claims and serious allegations by Ms Du-Pont were…

NKOPANE MAPHIRI WHILE TSHEPO Thafeng was many things to many people, to me he was a friend and a colleague of more than 28 years. I first met Tshepo in 1993 when we joined Soweto Media Resource Centre with an idea to start a radio station in Soweto. We were filled with the passion and fearlessness of youth, armed with a single goal of realising our vision. We were lucky to be mentored by media activists such as former chairperson of Media Development and Diversity Agency Khanyi Mkonza, Dipuo Masethla, Zanele Lutya and Pule Buthelezi, among others. Tshepo was one of the most energetic, pragmatic and uncomplicated individuals among our young cohort. He never believed in conforming to the rules, but always looked for ways to bend…

JOHN WHITLOCK | Germiston WITH reference to Farouk Araie’s letter regarding the Helderberg plane crash (November 29), he makes three statements he claims are irrefutable facts. These are: “Those in the corridors of power… knew exactly the cause of this fiery air crash”, “it is an absolute fact that the Helderberg was transporting war-related materials for the conflict in southern Africa” and “it is an established fact that SAA and a few other airlines were used to transport weapons of war.” Could Farouk supply verifiable and substantiated proof? Before the flight took off from Taipei, Taiwanese officials did a random check on the pallets and did not record anything untoward. The plane was alleged to be carrying rocket fuel (ammonium perchlorate) and that this was ignited. The…

Anita Nkonki anita.nkonki@inl.co.za MEDIA personality Somizi Mhlongo has been graced with an international nomination for his book Dinner at Somizi’s: I Am Not A Chef in the Celebrity Chef World category at the international Gourmand Awards 2022. The book was released as his first-ever cookbook late last year, with its inspiration taken from his family’s cooking and it also celebrates food that is proudly South African. It was revealed that Mhlongo’s book was among the chosen from 1 558 entries from 227 countries. The reality show star took to his social media platforms to express gratitude for his big nomination. “Nazo. Thanks for your support Africa and South Africa. Tastic Rice SA this book would not have existed. To my entire team thanks, and friends and family.” He explained…

Zelna Jansen In December 2010, the UN adopted Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (Bangkok Rules). The Rules gives direction as to how member states should consider women’s needs and life stories in the criminal justice and prison system. The reasoning behind the rules are that female prisoners are one of the vulnerable groups that have specific needs and requirements, and existing prison facilities are specifically designed for men. It also seems that several female offenders do not pose a risk to society. In March 2020, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) published a Toolkit on Gender-responsive non-custodial measures, which seeks to provide support and guidance on taking steps to ensure that women in contact with the law are not detained…

An Italian man turned up at a vaccina-tion centre wearing a fake silicone arm, hoping to fool a nurse into giving him a jab in order to obtain a Covid-19 health certificate, local authorities said on Friday. The man, who is in his 50s, has been reported to police in the northern city of Biella, regional governor Alberto Cirio said, adding that the silicone on the prosthetic arm looked “very similar” to real skin. “(However) the colour and touch raised the suspicion of the health worker, who asked him to show the whole arm,” Cirio said. |…

Stuart Hess Comment SUBJECT to approval from the Indian Government, there will be a Boxing Day Test match at Centurion. There will be a New Year’s Test – just not at Newlands, but there will be a Test in Cape Town, just a week or so later than normal. In these abnormal times – made worse by the paranoia of numerous governments around the world – having something as normal as a three-match Test series between South Africa and India is something to be treasured. From a financial perspective, it is a life-saver for SA cricket. It would be an exaggeration to say Cricket SA was hanging by a thread. At CSA’s AGM in October, the chairman of the board’s financial and commercial sub-committee Mark Rayner said there was still…