Innholdsfortegnelse for 2021-10-06 i Star

Skills development even more critical with 4IR transformation Daniel Orelowitz THE FOURTH Industrial Revolution (4IR) is a digital revolution that has massive transformative potential. Technology is rapidly evolving, and if used correctly, it can improve both the spend and quality of business operations. However, without the right skills within the business, technology is either used ineffectively or not used at all. In addition, those without the skills to thrive in a digital world will fall behind in terms of employability. Skills development has thus become even more critical for businesses to grow, for employees to remain appropriately skilled, and for South Africa to become increasingly competitive on a global stage. The digitalisation of 4IR is a massive shift for business. The systems and technology not only improve efficiency and…

Dr Wallace Amos Mgoqi Receiving a nomination for the post of Chief Justice of South Africa on Friday, came as a great surprise to me. Honoured by this acknowledgement, I would of course be pleased to serve our country in this capacity. “While I know I have the requisite intellect, integrity, and experience to fulfil such an august post, having had time to reflect, it occurs to me that at times, we can best serve our people and country by stepping aside to let others who may be a little more energetic and agile, take the baton. And so, having taken my advanced years into consideration and consulted with my family and physicians, I have made the decision to withdraw from the process. I believe it is a wise move…

Rebuked over trying to rush undeserving civil cases to urgent hearings and sloppiness BONGANI NKOSI bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za GAUTENG Deputy Judge President Roland Sutherland has read lawyers the riot act over a growing tendency to rush all manner of undeserving civil cases to urgent hearings. This was one of “several undesirable practices by some attorneys and some counsel” that “imperilled” the effective adjudicating of urgent matters at the Johannesburg High Court, Judge Sutherland stressed. He sent a strongly worded notice to mostly attorneys and advocates’ bodies this week. The Legal Practice Council, the statutory regulator, also received a copy. Judge Sutherland’s notice also bemoaned poorly written legal papers in these rushed cases. Counsels also tended to waffle before judges when asked to explain urgency, he said. “The sheer volume of cases…

WORLD Teachers’ Day being celebrated today is a reminder of the pivotal role of teachers in human development. Teaching is one of the most noble undertakings. Teaching work deserves to be held in high esteem. It is critical in shaping the minds and character of future fathers, mothers, lawyers, engineers, doctors … of all of us. According to the Bahá'í Writings: “The education and training of children is among the most meritorious acts of humankind and draweth down the grace and favour of the All-Merciful, for education is the indispensable foundation of all human excellence and alloweth man to work his way to the heights of abiding glory”. However, in many parts of the world, the value of teaching as a profession has declined. Attempts are being made to improve…

LOCAL elections are upon us once more, so it is “service delivery” time again. Some parties are campaigning on the promise that they will offer “service delivery”. The media – not surprisingly, since they are addicted to the phrase – tell us that “service delivery” is the central election issue because it is what local government is all about. So clichéd has the phrase become that it is rarely challenged. It has become political common sense. But “service delivery” is not common sense. It is a deeply undemocratic way of looking at democracy. Local government’s problem is not that “service delivery” is lacking – it is that there is far too much of it. If local government is to be democratic and serve the people, “service delivery” must be ditched.…

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za POWER utility Eskom might just have to whistle for its outstanding R36 billion debt owed by municipalities after the Constitutional Court ruled as irrational and unconstitutional its decision to cut off power to defaulting municipalities. The land mark decision involving the Emalahleni Municipality and the Thaba Chweu Local Municipality dates back to a December 2019 decision by the Supreme Court of Appeal that Eskom’s decision to interrupt bulk electricity supply was irrational as Eskom knew it would not result in the financially strapped municipalities settling their debt. Analysts said the Concourt’s decision now heralds a new era for electricity security in local towns and for limiting the harm stemming from disputes between organs of state by binding them to intergovernmental dispute resolution, and ordinarily barring…

The late Jnanpith Award-winning author Indira Goswami was a great literary writer of her generation and a feminist icon. Most of her major works have been translated from Assamese into English. However, some of her works are yet to be discovered by a larger audience. Five Novellas About Women represents a cross-section of her writing, with a special focus on the courage of women under trying circumstances. Sensitively translated, with detailed notes on the translation, these stories bring to light the human condition that Goswami portrayed in her writing. The lives of the rural poor, the situation of widows, the plight of the urban underclass and various social constraints under which people are forced to live are depicted in these impactful narratives. The deft use of language, striking imagery…

CHULUMANCO MAHAMBA chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za TEACHERS are at the heart of education recovery as the sector pays homage to all teachers, lecturers, Early Childhood Development practitioners and education support personnel for World Teachers’ Day. This year’s theme is “Teachers at the heart of education recovery”. The world commemorated World Teachers’ Day yesterday and the day celebrates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 International Labour Organisation/Unesco recommendations concerning the status of teachers. The recommendations set standards regarding the rights and responsibilities of teachers and the standards for their initial training and further education, recruitment, employment, and teaching and learning conditions. The Department of Basic Education told teachers: “The Covid-19 pandemic has made it difficult for schools to operate as expected, but you continue working tirelessly, ensuring that learning carries on. Thank…

Siyabonga Mkhwanazi siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za The South African Council for Educators (SACE) has raised the alarm over the withdrawal of misconduct charges against teachers, including serious offences of sexual assault perpetrated against learners. The organisation said while it has dealt with a number of cases in the past financial year, it was forced to close some of the investigations owing to the withdrawal of cases by witnesses or a lack of evidence. SACE said, during the 2020/21 financial year, it had heard 137 cases against teachers. In some cases, it was forced to pull the plug on the cases because of the withdrawal of the cases by witnesses. “After initial consideration of complaints, a total of 27 cases in quarter three and 52 in quarter four were considered. One case in the…

Lehlohonolo Mashigo lehlohonolo.mashigo@inl.co.za Poverty, Covid-19 and a sense of hopelessness is taking its toll on the mental health of South Africa’s children and youth, with 65% admitting in a UN poll to suffering from some form of mental health issue – but not seeking help. This is according to a UN Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) South Africa report garnered from the latest Unicef South Africa U-Report poll. The poll found that increased poverty and a lack of hope for the future were the top reasons given for children and young people’s anxiety, showing a shift from violence as the lead reason in a poll six months ago. Unicef South Africa representative Christine Muhigana said there was still stigma around mental health issues that prevented young people from seeking…

CHULUMANCO MAHAMBA chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za LOCAL writer and poet Siphokazi Jonas has penned a moving poem in defence of leading vocalist Makhadzi, who was trolled on social media after an unflattering image made the rounds on social media. This past weekend, the singer found herself trending after a lensman allegedly shared a photograph of Makhadzi performing on stage showing off the dark skin on her inner thighs. Following mixed reactions to the pictures, many of which came from people who were body-shaming the Limpopo-born singer, Makhadzi issued a statement on Sunday pleading with her social media users to stop “editing and sharing” the image. The Sugar Sugar hitmaker also apologised to her fans for the image but also urged them to stop humiliating her. Makhadzi said the photographer took many pictures but…

Peter Bachtis | Benoni PANDORA’S papers have been opened, unleashing emotional curses on mankind, as manipulative, cunning, thieving, criminal politicians around the planet are exposed. Their gluttonous behaviour finally leaked for all mankind to see. Becoming a politician is tantamount to declaring yourself an enemy of the people you supposedly serve, with one objective – that of self enrichment. Pandora has exposed the political trash that supposedly take up office for the benefit of their people. They are all liars without exception, placing huge responsibility on the ordinary citizens, of keeping these thugs on their toes, monitoring all that they say and do and removing them from office when they do not perform accordingly. No more respect! Our lot have been exposed for what they are … criminals…

The son and namesake of late Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos said yesterday that he will run for president in next year’s elections. Ferdinand Marcos Jr, known as “Bongbong”, had been touted as a potential candidate for either the presidency or the vice presidency, having been involved in politics since his return in 1991 from exile following his father’s 1986 overthrow. Marcos has served as provincial governor, congressman and senator and ran unsuccessfully for the vice presidency in 2016. | Reuters…

The European Tour yesterday added the Dubai Championship to its 2021 schedule, with the $1.5-million (about R22.5m) tournament returning for a second straight season and replacing the cancelled Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa. The event will be played on the Fire course at Jumeirah Golf Estates from November 11-14 and forms a Dubai double-header with the season-ending World Tour Championship from November 18-21 on the neighbouring Earth course. The event follows the Mallorca Open (Oct 21-24) and Portugal Masters (Nov 4-7) in being added to this year’s schedule. Players in the two Iberian swing events and the penultimate round in Dubai will look to seal their place in the $9m World Tour Championship. The European Tour said the cancelled South African tournament would return for its 40th anniversary in…

Home advantage appears to be back in the Premier League, with the return of crowds bringing a feeling of normality to the game after a season that bucked the trend in England’s top flight. With the vast majority of last season being played in empty stadiums because of Covid-19 restrictions, the balance shifted to such an extent that away wins outnumbered home victories - an unprecedented scenario in the English top flight. After seven rounds of the new campaign, statistics compiled by Nielsen Gracenote show that teams playing in front of their home fans are more likely to win. Of the 70 matches played so far, 40% have resulted in home wins with 31% away wins. That is a marked difference to the same stage of last season when 46%…

GIVEN MAJOLA given.majola@inl.co.za SOUTH African consumers face a staggering debt crisis as statistics released by VeriCred Credit Bureau put the current debt at a whopping R2.077 trillion by the end of the second quarter this year. The data represented all the debt that was still outstanding at the end of the second quarter this year after some partial repayments had been made. These statistics also indicated that at that period, 717 495 people were under debt review. National Debt Advisers chief execu- tive Sebastien Alexanderson said that it was time South Africans started seeking relief options for their mounting debt. “Though debt review has received its share of negativity, more consumers are becoming aware of its benefits, as evidenced by an increase in the number of consumers seeking…

TENET SHOWMAX Directed by five-time Oscar nominee Christopher Nolan, the sci-fi action thriller follows Protagonist. Armed with only one word, “Tenet”, he journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time. Not time travel: inversion … IZANGOMA ZODUMO S2 MZANSI MAGIC, DSTV CHANNEL 161, 8PM This reality series with presenters Prudence and Makgotso, who share their insights into traditional healing, is back. This time, we learn more about traditional healer Gogo Maweni, and new sangomas Pearl, Sabelo and Sifundza are confronted with a difficult case of identity theft. HOMICIDE: HOURS TO KILL LIFETIME, DSTV CHANNEL 131, 8.05PM Investigators in this true-crime series take us inside the first 24 hours on the case as they construct a timeline of a murder,…

Reuters FRENCH luxury group Hermes shuttled the fashion press to an airport on the outskirts of Paris for its spring ready-to-wear catwalk show, sending fitted leather crop tops, silky dresses and relaxed trousers down a circular catwalk set up in a hangar. Their women’s ready-to-wear creative director Nadege Vanhee-Cybulki added modern touches to her feminine silhouettes, with paper-bag waists on long skirts and trousers. In a nod to the house’s tradition as a saddlery maker, tops and jackets were embellished with discrete leather buckles and studs, while yellow jackets in leather brightened the muted palette of neutral colours. For the finale, the bronze-hued panels serving as a backdrop rolled to the side, offering an open view on the runway of the Bourget airport, a hub for private jets. Balmain celebrated…

ITUMELENG MAFISA itumeleng.mafisa@inl.co.za SOME South African artists have vowed to sing President Cyril Ramaphosa out of office if he continues to ignore the devastation the arts industry has suffered due to Covid-19 and lockdown. The artists will hold an “Anti Manifesto” rally in Newtown today to express their anger with the ANC local government election manifesto which they said did not speak to issues faced by artists. The arts industry has encountered many challenges during the pandemic, with many artists losing livelihoods. The sector has tried to meet the governing party and the president but say that almost two years later their issues have not been attended to. The Star spoke to opera singer Sibongile Mngoma who said she hadn’t had an income in 18 months. She said she…

T MARKANDAN | Kloof ONE day I was outside with my grandchildren when it began to thunder and rain. Like other children, they were excited to see the raindrops. They were enjoying themselves in the rain when the father, horrified that I had let the children play when it was thundering and raining, grabbed the toddler and ran inside with her. The thunder was not loud and frightening. We had a heated argument. I shouted at him and asked if he had not played in the rain when a child? The next morning I had a rude awakening. Saira gave me the cold shoulder. She would not look at me, let me come anywhere near her. Did she rebuff me because I had shouted at her father? It…

FAROUK ARAIE | Johannesburg IS THE ANC sliding towards extinction? For most of the country’s history since 1994, such a question verged on the preposterous. In the past the party was led by giants whose integrity and sincerity was unquestionable. Today it is led by pygmies and the party has not moved with the times but is living on its past glory. It was Doug Larson who said, “Instead of giving a politician the keys to the city, it might be better to change the locks”. The party of Nelson Mandela is today the party of carnage and elitist control, collusion of scams, masters of fabrication and weapons-grade contempt for the rule of law. Today’s rulers have gutted the old ANC and stuffed its empty husk with a battery of…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za THE International Commission of Jurists has welcomed the decision by the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria paving the way for persons with visual impairment and other disabilities to access literary works in readable format. The commission participated as a third party in the case of BlindSA against the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition. The NGO, which works to improve the quality of life of visually impaired persons in South Africa, was represented by Section27 in the matter. It challenged the constitutionality of South Africa’s Copyright Act on the grounds it violated a range of constitutional rights of visually impaired persons, including their rights to dignity and equality. “Equal access to reading materials is a fundamental human right. The Copyright Act not only violates the various…

Livestreams of politicians being harangued at restaurants and screenshots of bankers’ addresses – frustrated by the lack of accountability for their country’s collapse, Lebanon’s digital activists are doling out their own form of virtual justice. These activists are sharing the personal details and real-time locations of those they blame for Lebanon’s financial tailspin, which has pushed more than three-quarters of the population into poverty, and for last year’s Beirut port explosion, which left more than 200 dead. The posts – a practice known as “doxxing” – often encourage anyone nearby to approach those pictured and berate them for playing a role in the country’s meltdown. The hope, they say, is that a public naming-and-shaming could provide relief for grieving families or serve as a temporary stand-in for justice through the…

FIXTURES MATCHDAY 3 Today: Sudan v Guinea; Morocco v Guinea-Bissau Tomorrow: Liberia v Cape Verde; Tanzania v Benin; DRC v Madagascar; Equatorial Guinea v Zambia; Nigeria v CAR; Rwanda v Uganda; Tunisia v Mauritania; Mali v Kenya Friday: Malawi v Ivory Coast, 1pm; Cameroon v Mozambique; Angola v Gabon; Algeria v Niger; Djibouti v Burkina Faso; Egypt v Libya Saturday: Ethiopia v South Africa; Ghana v Zimbabwe; Togo v Congo Brazzaville; Senegal v Namibia MATCHDAY 4 Saturday: Guinea v Sudan; Guinea-Bissau v Morocco Sunday: Kenya v Mali; Uganda v Rwanda; CAR v Nigeria; Cape Verde v Liberia; Benin v Tanzania; Zambia v Equatorial Guinea; Madagascar v DR Congo; Mauritania v Tunisia Monday: Mozambique v Cameroon; Gabon v Angola; Ivory Coast v Malawi; Burkina Faso v Djibouti; Libya v Egypt Tuesday:…

Mihlali Baleka @Mihlalibaleka BAFANA Bafana coach Hugo Broos feels that there are “people who do not want to see the national team succeed” after recent incidents in camp ahead of the back-to-back Fifa World Cup qualifiers against Ethiopia. On Monday Broos made a sober admission, saying that Orlando Pirates midfielder Goodman Mosele didn’t report for camp and didn’t give an indication on his whereabouts. But as if that was not stressful enough for the former Cameroon coach, yesterday Broos told the media that Mamelodi Sundowns organised for some of their players to vaccinate on Monday – something that saw striker Thabiso Kutumela being withdrawn from camp as they didn’t want to complicate his recovery process after the jab. It’s not the first time that Broos feels as though he’s been…

The Australian government has been “flexible and practical” to ensure the Ashes can go ahead, but the fate of the series lies in England’s hands, health minister Greg Hunt said yesterday. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will decide this week whether the proposed arrangements in Australia are sufficient for the Ashes tour to go ahead. England captain Joe Root and other players have expressed doubts about the tour due to “bubble fatigue” and concerns their families will not be able to travel with them due to Australia’s strict Covid-19 protocols. Hunt said Australian prime minister Scott Morrison and sports minister Richard Colbeck had been working with their British counterparts to deliver the series, which starts on December 8 in Brisbane. “Ultimately, it’s always in the hands of the…