Innholdsfortegnelse for 2022-03-09 i Star

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za INTERNATIONAL oil and commodity prices continued rising yesterday as Western countries mulled stricter bans of Russian oil and gas imports over its invasion of Ukraine. The UK yesterday announced plans to phase out Russian oil imports in the coming months while the EU would reduce Russian gas imports by almost 80 percent this year. The US is also hinting at the possibility of banning imports of Russian oil, with Moscow threatening to retaliate by suspending gas exports to Europe. Brent oil prices touched $130 (R2000) per barrel as concerns grew over the disruption of Russian oil exports. Total Energies was the first big oil company to announce its traders will no longer buy Russian crude and most buyers are already shunning its supplies. Shell yesterday followed suit,…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za AFTER going two months without pay, Gauteng Department of Health medical interns have received their pay cheques after legal action was threatened. Recently there were media reports of the failure of the government-run health-care system to pay the salaries of several medical interns at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital. According to the DA’s Jack Bloom, there were 10 unpaid interns at the hospital who did invaluable work in 12-hour shifts, but things were getting desperate as some were going hungry and didn’t have money for transport. “I’ve lost so much weight because I’m starving. We don’t even have food,” the intern said. Senior doctors at the hospital stepped in to help the unpaid interns from their own pockets. The Freedom Advocacy Network (FAN) said on Monday…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za AS THE globe marked International Women’s Day yesterday, unions expressed their disappointment that South Africa’s gender pay gap still persists. International Women’s Day is commemorated annually to honour the achievement of women and to continue to empower them. United Association of SA (UASA) said the gender pay gap persists in South Africa and elsewhere and it was disappointing. “South Africa has countless female-headed households with women working hard to make ends meet and ensure a better life for their children. The gender pay gap stands in the way of many who struggle to realise their dreams for their offspring. The gender pay gap represents a real stumbling block in the way of a more successful country,” said UASA spokesperson Abigail Moyo. According to UASA, South Africa had…

Anita Nkonki anita.nkonki@inl.co.za EVERY year designers from all over the world get to showcase their collections in one of the four big shows – in New York, London, Milan and Paris. On-air personality, actress and model Minenhle “Minnie” Dlamini and designer Jessica Molebatsi were part of Paris Fashion Week. Dlamini was Molebatsi’s show- stopper, dressed in JessicaJane’s striking French-Xhosa Range. She dazzled in a cream garment with a head wrap, while other models who also walked for Molebatsi wore different outfits. When The Star spoke to Dlamini before the prestigious show, she was excited, as someone who loves fashion. “I think any girl who loves the art of fashion would love to attend an international fashion week. To get to walk in a show and be the show- stopper for…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za “CANNABIS should be regulated similarly to alcohol to be less serious in respect of offences and appropriate penalties.” These were the words of State law adviser advocate Sarel Robbertse, as he presented to the portfolio committee on justice and correctional services through possible revisions to the Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill. The bill aims to respect the right to privacy of an adult person to possess and consume cannabis while protecting adults and children against the harms of cannabis, among others. It will also provide for the expungement of criminal records. In terms of the penalties, the amendments aim to address harsh penalties that may be imposed for certain contraventions of the bill. “Regulations … may prescribe penalties for any contravention thereof or failure to comply therewith,…

Beverley Tsitsi Mutandiro | Zimbabwean Human Rights Activist IT’S disappointing that Zimbabwean women had nothing significant to look forward to or celebrate about on International Women’s Day yesterday. They discharge multilateral responsibilities in communities such as being bread-winners, care providers of families, as wives, mothers, daughters, sisters, and as human rights activists and service providers to the struggling communities around them. Sadly, women continue to go through limitations that restrain them from reaching their potential goals, as they are not included in the strategies to empowering them. A caring government ensures that human rights violations, physical attacks or death, such as of Citizen Coalition for Change Opposition member Mboneni Ncube, killed while peacefully attending a rally in Kwekwe, do not take place. These outrageous behaviours should not be…

Kutloano Makgoro | Vosloorus THERE have been videos circulating on social media of schoolchildren acting rather unusually. Schools confirm their behaviour was caused by eating food brands that have drugs in them. Schools should implement stricter policies for the people selling food to learners. Most food brands that street vendors sell are not popular and we don’t know if they are safe for human consumption especially because a new food brand comes out every day. It is the responsibility of schools to protect students and ensure what they consume is safe. It is understandable most vendors are trying to make a living and there is limited amount of space available inside schools to sell in the tuck shop. What schools can do to help vendors is to check…

Makeshift roadblocks have been installed throughout Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, to impede the movements of Russian troops snaking toward the city in a convoy. On some strategic routes, Ukrainians have parked trams and buses to restrict driving access. Checkpoints to inspect IDs have also been established to root out would-be saboteurs. “We have a lot of presents” for the Russians, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in an interview. “It’s not sweet. It’s very painful.” The extended 64km-long parade of Russian armoured vehicles, tanks and towed artillery headed from the north on a path toward Kyiv has alarmed and befuddled watchers of this expanding war. It’s not just its sheer size. It’s also because that for days, it has not been moving. US officials attribute the apparent stall in part to logistical…

Stuart Hess stuart.hess@inl.co.za THERE are no excuses as far as the Central Gauteng Lions are concerned following the late meltdown that saw them drop from first to finish third in the Cricket South Africa 4-Day Series. They had led the competition throughout, dominating, in fact, through the first four rounds. However, they failed to win any of their last three matches, losing two, and will now do a lot of soul-searching come the winter. “We were good in the competition, but only for 80% of it,” a disappointed Lions captain Dominic Hendricks lamented. “Unfortunately, if you’re not at your best or competing for the entire competition, you find yourself a little bit short.” The Northerns Titans timed their run-in perfectly, winning all three of their last matches, including a seven-wicket…

James Mahlokwane james.mahlokwane@inl.co.za THE protests by driving school operators unhappy with the new online booking system continued at various licensing centres in Pretoria and other parts of Gauteng yesterday. This was despite meeting with both Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula as well as MEC for Public Transport and Roads Infrastructure Jacob Mamabolo on Monday. In their attempt to convince the government to do away with the online booking system that “kills their business and disadvantages the old and the poor”, they burnt tyres at the Mabopane station and yet again closed down the Akasia licensing department. They claimed the Gauteng government had promised that the system would change from 1pm yesterday, and by then they would know whether or not the demonstrations would continue for the rest of the week.…

JAMES MAHLOKWANE james.mahlokwane@inl.co.za THE days of second-hand vehicle buyers paying thousands for previously written-off vehicles could be coming to an end. The South African Insurance Association has agreed to make its vehicle salvage database public after lobbying by the South African Motor Body Repairers’ Association. In South Africa, it had become a norm for people to purchase cars without having accessed the accident history. Customers spent money on cars they would not have purchased had they known about their accident history. This new development means that the VIN numbers of all previously insured written-off vehicles will be published on an open website for consumers to use. Richard Green, national director for the SA Motor Body Repairers’ Association, said they had pursued this matter to stop the practice of written-off cars…

Anita Nkonki anita.nkonki@inl.co.za HER deep-rooted advocacy for reproductive health has led Miss SA 2021 runner-up Dr Moratwe Masima to launch a reproductive health campaign, Your Health Your Dignity, to tackle basic health subjects prevalent in many communities. The 24-year-old medical doctor mentioned that her interest in reproductive health began when a 10-year-old approached her about abortion. “I feel very strongly about my campaign specifically because I have seen it first-hand. I remember very vividly working on a call when I had a 10-year-old girl come to me asking for an abortion after she had been raped, denied medical care as well as being denied her choice of having an abortion.” She added that it is time to be vocal about such topics to prevent the negative outcomes. “It is time…

Loyiso Sidimba loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za ONE of the country’s public universities is under fire for allowing its vice-chancellor to leave prematurely after an investigation recommended disciplinary action against him for failing to act on sexual harassment allegations against his deputy. A probe into Central University of Technology’s (CUT’s) erstwhile vice-chancellor Professor Henk de Jager recommended he be subjected to disciplinary action for failing to act against its deputy vice-chancellor: resources and operations, Dr Gary Paul, after a sexual harassment complaint was lodged against him. CUT commissioned lawyer Nomveliso Ntanjana’s firm, Ntanjana Attorneys, to investigate the allegations against Paul. In the report, which Independent Media has seen, Paul is accused of kissing a subordinate, whose name is known to the publication, but who has since left the institution; and flashing his private parts…

Cometh Dube-Makholwa | Midrand NO DOCTOR in their right mind would intentionally kill a patient. However, no health system can function optimally without the necessary human and material resources. By human resources, I mean competent managers, enough well-trained doctors and nurses and other support departments like the blood bank, pharmacy and laboratory. For instance, if an anaesthetist is faced with a high-risk patient, their job is made much more difficult if the pharmacy does not have the anaesthetic drugs that will be suitable for use for the particular patient. Our health services are faced with numerous challenges that need to be fixed. Doctors need to function in a supportive environment, with every- thing they need for patient care at their disposal. What kind of health outcomes can be…

The recent Africa Energy Indaba held in Cape Town brought together major energy players who control South Africa’s trajectory in terms of energy production and value chains in a multi-billion-rand industry. The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities participated in the Indaba to drive the need for policy reform that accelerates transformation, and promotes the inclusion of all marginalised groups across the African continent, including women, youth and persons with disabilities. Over the three-day Indaba, our department hosted a series of panel discussions on women’s effective participation in the energy sector and economy at large. The active role of marginalised groups is key to driving a transformative agenda for energy sector across the continent. Women’s organisations continue to intensify their call for environmentally friendly energy sources, and to…

African countries have reiterated the need to link mutually reinforcing policies for sustainable development and Covid-19 recovery to ensure inclusive emergence from the pandemic. This came after the Eighth Session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD-8) ended with the adoption of the Kigali Declaration on good practices and solutions to enhance implementation of the sustainable development goals in Africa, the organisers said this week. The Kigali Declaration called on African countries to leverage new tools, innovative solutions and technology, including through enhanced partnerships with the private sector, academia, NGOs, civil society and other stakeholders to build strong, agile, sustainable and resilient national statistical systems. The forum, organised by the UN Economic Commission of Africa (Uneca) and the government of Rwanda in collaboration with the AU Commission, the…

Herman Gibbs herman.gibbs@gmail.com ORLANDO Pirates are ready to pick up the pieces and stake their Nedbank Cup claim in today’s last-16 clash against ever-improving Marumo Gallants at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane (6pm kick-off). After tasting defeat in the Soweto Derby in the league over the weekend, Pirates have two cup games this week. Apart from today’s Nedbank Cup clash, Pirates have a CAF Confederation Cup date with cross-border rivals, Eswatini’s Royal Leopards, at the Orlando Stadium on Sunday evening. “It is always disappointing when you come off a defeat. On top of that, not the first defeat, but the second defeat this season concerning the Soweto Derby,” said Fadlu Davids, the Pirates co-interim coach. “It was very important to reset the thinking and not wallow too much in the…

Shingai Darangwa When the little-known Uncle Waffles burst on to the scene in late 2021 with her viral performance video at a live show, many on social media thought she was just the flavour of the season. And even today, some still seem to express doubt over her long-term potential in the music industry. For now, though, she’s left little room for doubt in her appeal as an entertainer. Over the past few months, she’s just gone from strength to strength and proved that she’s the real deal by piling up milestone after milestone. Her latest milestone is her UK debut performance over the weekend that saw her perform to a sold-out venue at Aroma LDN. On Saturday, she played at Piano People in London. On Friday, she’ll be joining…

Itumeleng Mafisa CIVIL rights group Action Society has expressed concern that the next national police commissioner could be used in ANC battles leading up to the party’s national elective conference at the end of the year. This comes as the outgoing national police commissioner, Khehla Sitole, serves his last month in the position. Action Society spokesperson Ian Cameron said it was no secret that the governing party had been using the SAPS for political squabbles. “The ANC has proven over the past two years that they have used and abused commissioners for political reasons. Since 2003, up to now, they have turned the police into a political iron fist. “The police are abused for political use instead of focusing on law and order,” Cameron said. He said he still believed…

l Closing arguments into 2-day hearing on collusion Rapula Moatshe rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za SA’s MAJOR banks, on why they could not restore Sekunjalo Investment Holdings (SIH) and its related entities’ (Sekunjalo Group) closed banking facilities, or refrain from terminating any others, failed to demonstrate there was any irreparable harm to their businesses. Instead, they relied on “ill-conceived reputational risk” as the reason for closing these accounts. This was the argument put forward by Sekunjalo’s legal representative, advocate Vuyani Ngalwana SC, during the conclusion of the two-day hearing into collusion brought by the group at the Competition Tribunal. SIH and 35 other applicants made an urgent application seeking interim relief to have their banking facilities restored and prevent their other accounts from being closed. The respondents were Access Bank, Nedbank, Investec Bank, Sasfin…

Siphokazi Vuso siphokazi.vuso@inl.co.za CIVIL rights organisations have slated the government for opposing their court application to end the National State of Disaster, saying it was an indication that they had no intention of ending it. This, while the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) said it had started a process to end the State of Disaster in a responsible way. Cogta Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma last month announced a further extension of the National State of Disaster on Covid-19 until March 15, while further amendments were also announced. Dear SA chairperson, Rob Hutchinson, said the government had notified them and co-applicant AfriForum that it intended to oppose their court application to end the State of Disaster.…

Mike van der Merwe | Roodepoort I WAS surprised to read in the Sunday Independent a senior ActionSA councillor has a R600 000 City of Joburg unpaid municipal debt. I was even more surprised to read the councillor said he informed ActionSA of his debt and they still put him into council without telling us, the voters. I voted for Mr Mashaba’s party because I thought he would bring integrity back into politics and choose councillors who would serve the voters, not themselves. Now we see an ActionSA councillor saying to the press he shouldn’t be disconnected for non-payment, at the same time when the city is cutting off people who don’t pay. We did not vote to have one rule for citizens and another for politicians. If…

Mphahlela M Rammutla | Pretoria The African proverb “when two elephants fight, it is the grass that is trampled”, is far from losing its meaning. Picking from the many commentaries, from the agricultural perspective, the global agricultural market will be affected directly by the Russia-Ukraine War. Africa imports grains and oilseeds such as maize, sunflower and soya beans from the trouble-torn countries of Ukraine and Russia. It is naïve not to closely watch South Africa’s trade links with Russia and Ukraine, more especially on agricultural market and oil price escalations. South Africa enjoys and benefits from exporting fruits to Russia. In 2020, Russia accounted for 7% of South African citrus exports in value terms and 12% of SA’s apples and pears, making it SA’s second-largest market. On the…

Almost 70% of people in war-torn Yemen need humanitarian assistance, the UN Children’s Fund said this week. Nearly 400 000 children under the age of 5 were slipping from acute to severe malnutrition. Yemen has been in a civil war since 2014. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees said its special envoy, actress Angelina Jolie, was in the port city of Aden to visit Yemeni families. “The situation here is one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with one civilian killed or injured every hour in 2022,” Jolie said. | Xinhua…

Stuart Hess stuart.hess@inl.co.za SISANDA Magala’s international future hangs in the balance after he was omitted from the Proteas squad for the one-day international series against Bangladesh after failing a fitness test. It’s not the first time the 31-year-old all-rounder’s fitness has cost him international selection, with convener of selectors Victor Mpitsang describing the latest omission as a “massive concern”. “This has been an issue that’s been there since before I started. He played two games against India… He’s been getting exposure to international cricket, but we also need to have him around most of the time,” Mpitsang said yesterday. “It doesn’t help that he’s not passing his fitness tests. We want to start getting an XI that we can start building towards that World Cup next year.” The latest set…

Morgan Bolton morgan.bolton@inl.co.za IT seems that there can be no underestimating how important the Lions’ performance against Leinster was for the management and players, as Ricardo Loubscher fell back onto that match on a handful of occasions to assert that the Joburg-based side are moving in the right direction. “We walked away from that game and thought, ‘Yes, with all of the mistakes, with all of the missed opportunities, we were in that game’,” the Lions backline, skills and attack coach said yesterday. “We can definitely take a lot of positives from that game. One was our attitude, our mindset to stay in the fight. Secondly, we got into the right positions on the field – it is just about being more clinical once we get there, (but) with more…

THE pinned tweet on Rassie Erasmus’ Twitter account is about him refuting rumours that he would become the England coach following the 2019 Rugby World Cup final success. “Not Sure I would know what to say to any other team before a W Cup Final. Not Happening !!!” posted Erasmus with a video of his inspirational speech to the Springbok team ahead of the clash against the English in Yokohama, where he spoke about the players giving South Africa “hope” through their performance. But have things changed since? Well, the way the former loose forward spoke in an interview with the Daily Mail over the past few days, that may be the case. The first part of the interview dealt more with the infamous referee video from last year’s British…