Innholdsfortegnelse for 2022-05-04 i Star

FAST food outlet chain Nando’s said it would respect the Labour Court overturning the dismissal of its kitchen worker who ate two slices of carrot. “We respect the findings in concluding this matter. We will manage further correspondence with the former employee and discuss the verdict of reinstatement,” Nando’s spokesperson Cheryl Reddy said. Ntokozo Gwala was fired four years ago from Nando’s Scottsville branch in Pietermaritzburg for eating the two slices of carrot. He was a front griller and a community forum representative at the time. He said he took two slices of carrot from a pan of hot water and ate them as he wanted to taste them before they were served to customers. According to him, the carrots were still frozen in the middle and he discarded them.…

Eighteen months since allegedly taking over the reins of the DA from Mmusi Maimane, another puppet, John Steenhuisen, is all at sea. How else can we describe his attention-seeking stunt in Ukraine this week? On the weekend, Steenhuisen announced that he had touched down in Lviv, a city in the western part of Ukraine, on a “fact-finding mission” in the war-ravaged country. One can only imagine that his advisers in the DA told him that being in Ukraine while Russian missiles rained down on the country would “burnish” his ambitions of being considered a statesman. The trip was also supposed to show up the ANC’s reluctance to condemn Russia’s invasion of a sovereign nation. The thinking must have been that in the absence of the ANC’s leadership on the issue,…

The bombshell draft US Supreme Court decision suggesting the court may overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling legalising abortion sent Democrats scrambling yesterday, with lawmakers and activists looking for some way to head off the sweeping social change. California Governor Gavin Newsom said, after Politico reported the draft decision, that his state will propose an amendment in the state’s constitution to “enshrine the right to choose. We can’t trust Scotus to protect the right to abortion, so we’ll do it ourselves,” Newsom said on Twitter, referring to the Supreme Court. “Do something, Democrats,” abortion-rights protesters chanted as they rallied outside the court in the pre-dawn hours against the decision, which would be a triumph for Republicans who spent decades building the court’s current 6-3 conservative majority. US President Joe…

The death toll from a building collapse in Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos has risen to 10, including a young boy, officials said yesterday. The three-storey building, which was mainly residential, collapsed in the Ebute-Metta area of the sprawling city of over 20 million people. Eight bodies were initially pulled from the rubble, along with dozens of survivors, the National Emergency Management Agency said. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari called for stepped-up construction standards. | AFP…

With Mamelodi Sundowns having already secured a fifth consecutive league title, the race for second spot in the Premiership is set to intensify this month. Kaizer Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane has more or less conceded that his side are out of the running for the place that will earn them qualification into next season’s CAF Champions League, and few would argue with him. This leaves Royal AM, Cape Town City and Orlando Pirates (although Pirates have played a game more) in the running for that second spot. Royal AM make the short trip to the Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg to play against Maritzburg United in a KwaZulu-Natal derby today (kick-off 7.30pm). While Royal AM will be the favourites based on performance alone, Maritzburg will be hungry to get points…

Evidence ‘too weak’ and pupil’s testimony ‘improbable’, Limpopo arbitrator finds A TEACHER accused of raping a learner at her Limpopo home while her mother was away has been cleared at arbitration. Ntsepeng Mookamedi, an Education Labour Relations Council arbitrator, found the evidence for the Limpopo Education Department’s case against teacher Mmaselaelo Ross Buthane too weak to warrant a guilty verdict. Evidence that the department failed to lead in the arbitration included the J88 form, which would have detailed the medical evidence of the learner’s alleged rape. Identified as Ms X for her protection, the 17-year-old learner testified that she reported the alleged rape at the Tomburke police station, and went to Witpoort Hospital for medical assessment and counselling. She said that her mother and uncle took her to the police…

January 13, 2020: Sello Chicco Twala admits to having spent more than R1 million in rehabilitation for his son, Longwe Twala, from drug addiction. Longwe was accused of having stolen studio equpment worth about R100 000. Chicco admitted to having frog-marched his son to the Diepkloof police station after he had stolen a cellphone from one of his friends. January 16, 2018: Twala derails Bongani Fassie’s documentary which Fassie was co-producing with UK production company Showbeezy. Fassie had allegedly arranged the documentary without clearing it with Twala who was said to be the copyright owner of most of Brenda Fassie's hits. In a social media spat with Bongani, Twala denied stealing any of Brenda Fassie’s money. July 23, 2020: Twala alongside Impra, AKA and other creatives were fingered for pocketing…

RENOWNED music phenomenon Nakhane is elated to be returning to home soil after being in the UK for quite some time. The multi-award-winning talent had left South Africa before the pandemic and is set to grace the Bassline Live festival for one show only on May 21 at Constitution Hill. The We Dance Again vocalist is delighted to be part of the I AM LIVE experience and have the platform to entertain his music fans live again. “The last time I was home was just before the pandemic, so it’s been a while. I miss South Africa’s energy,” said Nakhane. “That I’ll be playing a show as well is an even better gift. Thanks to Concerts SA and their partners, the Norwegian Embassy and Samro for their support…

Residents of Kommetjie, beach visitors, and conservation groups were left in awe this weekend after the carcass of a rare giant squid washed up along the shore at Long Beach in Kommetjie. On Saturday, the wildlife team of the Cape of Good Hope SPCA was alerted and saw to it that the remains of the squid were sent back into the ocean for consumption by other sea creatures while some tissue samples were taken and sent to the Iziko Museum. “In South Africa, giant squid specimens are preserved in the natural science history collection of Iziko Museums, where 19 giant squids are currently stored,” Two Oceans Aquarium digital manger Devon Bowen said. Wildlife officer Jon Friedman said that upon arrival at Long Beach in Kommetjie, a group of people…

I WAS preparing my weekly newspaper article when a young woman with a loud voice and roaring like a lion knocked on my door: “Your generation is selfish, you know what a graduation means to a person but each time Unisa invites us to a graduation ceremony, you stage an industrial action to sabotage our future, we are angry with your generation.” She impressed upon me that her graduation at Unisa has been postponed more than three times due to the industrial action by National Education Health and Allied Workers Union. She showed me the perpetual message she receives from the Unisa each time the graduation is postponed: “Please note that the Graduation ceremonies for 3, 4 and 5 May at both 10:00 and 18:00 have been postponed till further…

Checkers proudly promotes its ability to deliver your online purchases within 60 minutes. Indeed, Checkers does but, in the process, has unleashed “kamikazi” motorcyclists, who do their best to meet the 60-minute time frame set by some glory boy on the Checkers board of directors. The reckless speedsters are a menace on South African roads, weaving through traffic, jumping red robots, without a care in the world. The dangerous phenomenon should be stopped dead in its tracks, or strict disciplines should be applied to the overzealous riders, whose driving habits should be questioned and closely monitored. The 60-minute time frame is a lot of nonsense and should be reviewed for the sake of the law-abiding road users of this country. I don’t want to die with Checkers branding sticking out…

It might be hard to imagine that “red tape” could be your friend. Although we never actually see the red ribbon or tape that was once used to bind government documents, we do see the ponderous power of its spirit when experienced as in the Britannica Dictionary definition: “a series of actions or complicated tasks that seem unnecessary but that a government or organisation requires you to do in order to get or do something.” Who does not have a suppressed memory of the stress, frustration, and wasted time that so often come with the need to deal with a government bureaucracy to obtain a document, or to get something done? Who has not asked, “Can’t we just cut through all this red tape?” I can certainly commiserate. But be…

Cognitive impairment as a result of severe Covid-19 is similar to that sustained between 50 and 70 years of age and is the equivalent to losing 10 IQ points, a study found. The results of the study, published in the journal eClinicalMedicine, suggest the effects are still detectable more than six months after the acute illness, and that any recovery is, at best, gradual. In the study, a team of scientists from the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London found that Covid survivors were less accurate and with slower response times – and these deficits were still detectable when the patients were following up six months later. The effects were strongest for those who required mechanical ventilation. Professor David Menon from the Division of Anaesthesia at Cambridge said: “Cognitive…

THE Springboks have not beaten the Wallabies in Australia since 2013 and will be hoping that a brand new venue later this year will bring about a change in fortune. For the first time, the Boks will play a Test in Adelaide in their Rugby Championship fixture on August 27, and again against the Wallabies a week later in Sydney. Last year, the Boks lost back-to-back Tests to the Wallabies in Brisbane and Gold Coast, and the last time they won on Australian soil was under coach Heyneke Meyer and captain Jean de Villiers when they racked up an impressive scoreline of 38-12 in Brisbane. That result and score were very much an anomaly and the Boks haven’t won in Australia since. Regarding the Boks’ six home Tests this year,…

The time has come for the 77-year-old Kaizer Motaung to arrest Kaizer Chiefs’ spectacular fall from grace. The 52-year-old club has plumbed the depths of despair and for the first time in its storied history has racked up four consecutive league defeats. By Sunday it could be five after facing Premiership champions Mamelodi Sundowns. When Motaung does decide to give the matter some thought, he should not surround himself with any current members of the club’s critical leadership positions. The present hierarchy may be at the heart of the crisis and as it turns out they are members of the Motaung family. Six years have now passed, and Chiefs have failed to win a trophy. Last July, Motaung appointed his son Kaizer Motaung Jr as the club’s sporting director. In…

Bulls assistant coach Pine Pienaar says director of rugby Jake White’s “fantastic vision” has created good synergy in their playing group. The Bulls haven’t split their United Rugby Championship and the Currie Cup squads, with the World Cup-winning coach previously using a large number of the same players in both competitions. The Pretoria-based team are at the top of the Currie Cup standings on 32 points, one ahead of the unbeaten Free State Cheetahs in second spot, and this weekend, they will enter the last stretch of the domestic competition with a home game against the always-challenging Griquas. Addressing the media yesterday, Pienaar explained that while they are planning on using some United Rugby Championship players this weekend and possibly against the Lions next week, player management will remain a…

Manchester City right-back Kyle Walker is in contention to face Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final second leg tonight, manager Pep Guardiola said, but centre-back John Stones remains unavailable through injury. Walker has not played since coming off injured against Atletico Madrid in last month’s Champions League quarter-final, and Guardiola said he will make a late call on the 31-year-old’s fitness for the clash at the Santiago Bernabeu. Fellow England international Stones limped off in City’s 4-3 victory over Real at the Etihad Stadium last week and missed Saturday’s Premier League win at Leeds United. “Walker trained and he will travel. We will decide tomorrow. He is three weeks without training but happy he is back… (Stones) is not fit,” Guardiola said yesterday. City will look to reach their…

SWALLOWS FC 0 AMAZULU FC (0) 1 Maduna 68th min Coach Brandon Truter heaped more misery on his relegation-threatened former employers Swallows as he guided AmaZulu to victory over the Dube Birds in a Premiership match at Dobsonville Stadium yesterday. Meanwhile, SuperSport United and Stellenbosch FC played out a goalless draw in their league match at Lucas ‘Masterpieces’ Moripe Stadium. AmaZulu’s win over Swallows ensured that they remained seventh on the league standings with 39 points, three ahead of the eighth-placed SuperSport. Swallows’ struggles continued as they are 15th and five points ahead of basement dwellers Baroka FC, who have a game in hand. The two teams may have played for their respective causes, but this was a game of significance as well. Truter, the man who guided Swallows back…

THE SOUTH African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) is throwing the book at its acting chief executive, Sobantu Tilayi, who was suspended in April last year, and now faces a list of charges after a forensic investigation report was recently released. In a more than 160-page report, accountancy and auditing firm Morar Incorporated outlined numerous issues including allegations that Tilayi, overstepped his position and was implicit in corruption and cronyism, which risked the organisation’s stability and reputation. The report noted there was a lack of clarity on his qualifications, the interference with the business of independent contractor South African Marine Fuels (Samf), facilitating payment for pals and improper appointment of executives amongst other things. In a brief response yesterday, Tilayi said he was applying his mind to the matter. “It…

MPUMALANGA police have vowed not to leave any stone unturned when investigating the murder of Hillary Gardee, who had been missing since Friday. Gardee, the daughter of former EFF secretary-general Godrich Gardee, was confirmed dead yesterday. Gardee’s body was found outside Mbombela (Nelspruit) in Mpumalanga, after she had gone missing on Friday. On Monday the EFF, civil organisations like #NotInMyName, politicians and concerned citizens shared and circulated her picture as a missing person. There was also a reward of about R100 000 for anyone who had information on her whereabouts. It is believed that Gardee was abducted as she was last seen at a retail store purchasing groceries while with a three-year-old child. The child was later found unharmed. “This heartbreaking news has left the Gardee family distraught, and the…

THE National Union of Metal Workers of SA (Numsa) has rejected a public invitation from Cosatu to come back to the beleaguered, tri-ANC aligned federation. In a media interview on Monday, Cosatu president Zingiswa Losi said the federation was talking to some unions that had left Cosatu, with the intention of persuading them to return to the federation. Losi said there were some unions which had joined Cosatu from other federations as well. Numsa was once one of Cosatu’s biggest and strongest unions, but had left the federation due to differences in political ideology and some tensions with the leadership of Cosatu. In a statement, Cosatu general secretary Irvin Jim said Numsa would never return to Cosatu despite Losi’s proposal. “We want to state very clearly for the record that…

President Cyril Ramaphosa says he has heard the grievances workers expressed at a Cosatu May Day rally “loudly and clearly” in a statement addressing the disastrous events. In a rather woefully attended affair, the president was ferried away in a police Nyala as raucous workers did not allow him to complete his address. Although the president said he had heard the concerns of workers, Public Service Association (PSA) deputy general manager Tahir Maepa said Ramaphosa was not a proactive leader. This makes him a hindrance in many aspects of what he is doing for the country, he said. “There are many unfair labour practices he has not attended to and as a result that is the reaction from the union. Unions are not happy with him at all,” he said.…

Sithembile is a song named after the star’s sister, who he had wanted to be reunited with for a long time. The song explores the challenge he underwent without her, until they were rejoined in 2021. This soulful single featuring Beyond Vocal is a leading track on Ntini’s upcoming EP. The Afro-fusion musician said he found it essential to write this song because of the profound meaning behind it. “Sithembile is more of a story behind an answered prayer; I had always wished to meet my baby sister and when I met her in 2021 I was inspired to write a song expressing how hard life was without her in my life. “It is of great importance because it speaks about my life before meeting my sister and I get…

Social media has us more curious about one another’s lives than before. When we want to find out more about someone who sparks our interest, we simply have to search for their name on a social media platform. On Twitter, we can find out which topics interest them. Instagram could show us their hangout spots, and LinkedIn will give us a record of their career. For the public figures and celebrities who are widely admired by fans, social media seems not to be enough to satisfy people’s desire to know more, or rather everything, about their “favourites”. This is why, recently, there have been growing social media tabloids that reveal public figures’ personal lives and scandals. Others might argue that having paparazzi follow celebrities and take photos of them without…

The long-awaited commencement of the murder trial of the men who allegedly killed Senzo Meyiwa is increasingly indicating that justice may never be served in this case. One of the sticking points of the case is the so-called “mastermind” behind the murder. Over the years, the accusation has been made by the accused and some members of Meyiwa’s family. But the “mastermind” is becoming an urban legend. Why don’t thosewho know the person just name the person? Muddling the issue is the dramatic recent arrest of advocate Malesela Teffo who is representing four of the five accused. The police have been criticised for the high-handed and unnecessary arrest. Teffo has failed to appear in court on two occasions in a separate criminal matter in which he is…

May 1 is set aside to highlight Workers’ Day. Employers might usually take the day to show appreciation to staff by providing a meal or even a gift. But what if there was a more permanent way to show employees that they are valued? Addressing workplace toxicity is the answer to ensuring employees are valued and prioritised. Toxic workplace culture leaves no room for employee growth and ultimately results in employees being demotivated and frustrated in the office. Workplace culture plays a significant role in employee wellness. Employees who are exposed to prolonged workplace toxicity will experience more stress and anxiety. A toxic workplace is one of the reasons why staff might feel uninspired and not willing to display creative rhythm in the office. It could be the reason for…

Taliban officials in Afghanistan’s most progressive city have told driving instructors to stop issuing licences to women, professionals from the sector said. While Afghanistan is a deeply patriarchal country, it is not uncommon for women to drive in larger cities, particularly Herat in the north-west, which has long been considered liberal by Afghan standards. The Taliban seized back control of the country last year, and have been restricting the rights of Afghans, particularly girls and women. | AFP…

Former Wimbledon and US Open finalist Kevin Anderson announced his retirement yesterday aged 35, bringing to an end a career that showed immense promise but was derailed by injuries. The big-serving South African, who stands over 2m tall and towered over his opponents, achieved a career high ranking of fifth in the world in 2018 before sliding out of the top 100 following a succession of knee, shoulder and ankle injuries. “I’ve experienced so many different challenges and emotions, this sport can be exhilarating and at the same time lonely. I’ve had ups and downs, but I wouldn’t change it for anything,” he said in a statement on Twitter. “My journey helped me become the man who I am today. Today I finally arrived at the difficult decision to retire…

MotoGP’s promoters Dorna Sports responded yesterday to reports that Suzuki were thinking of quitting by telling the manufacturers they had to stick to their contract. “Dorna Sports has officially contacted the (Suzuki) factory in order to remind them that the conditions of their contract to race in MotoGP do not allow for them to take this decision unilaterally,” said the statement. The warning followed a report on specialist site motorsports.com that “the heads of Suzuki gathered all members of the MotoGP team on Monday and communicated its decision to quit the series at the end of the year”. Suzuki had already left MotoGP at the end of 2011, before returning in 2015. Dorna did not rule out the possibility that the Japanese team would quit again. “Should Suzuki depart following…

Raphael Varane says Manchester United can challenge for trophies next season under new manager Erik ten Hag, despite another disappointing campaign for the Premier League giants. Varane joined United – along with Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho – after they had finished second in the league and reached the final of the Europa League last season. But after a bright start to the campaign the club ran aground, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer exiting and interim boss Ralf Rangnick struggling to turn things around. United are almost certain to miss out on Champions League qualification but Varane, who has won multiple trophies with France and Real Madrid, is confident next season will be better. The 29-year-old World Cup winner, who scored in Monday’s 3-0 victory against Brentford, told the PA news…

Ashleigh Barty’s retirement in March when she was women’s tennis No 1 and just 25 years old is a “weird one to explain”, South African cricket legend AB de Villiers said before they team up for a golf event. Barty’s relatively short career contrasts with that of the 38-year-old De Villiers, who, after well over a decade at the top, only retired from all formats of international cricket in 2018 and from the game entirely last year. De Villiers first met avid cricket fan Barty when he was playing in Australia’s Big Bash League in 2019 and they will meet again when they team up in the inaugural Icons Series golf event in Jersey City from June 30 to July 1. A Freddie Couples-captained Team USA will compete against a…

Mamelodi Sundowns, the reigning Premiership champions, ground out a workmanlike 2-0 win over Sekhukhune United at Emirates Airline Park yesterday. Sundowns’ win opened up a 16-point gap between themselves and second-placed Royal AM. Sekhukhune moved into 10th position and it looks like a top eight berth is out of reach for them. Sundowns enjoyed an overwhelming 70% possession in the first half, but had to settle for a lone goal which will rank among the best goals of the season. It was a ripsnorter from fullback Aubrey Modiba whose shot from about 40m out whistled past Sekhukhune goalkeeper Toaster Nsabata in the 28th minute. It was Modiba's first league goal this season and his second in two matches after he scored against Royal AM in the Nedbank Cup semi-final over…