Innholdsfortegnelse for 2022-06-02 i Star

Former State Security Agency (SSA) director-general Arthur Fraser has laid criminal charges against President Cyril Ramaphosa at a Johannesburg police station, accusing him of stealing US$4 million (more than R60m) and paying people to conceal the matter. Fraser also accuses Ramaphosa of defeating the ends of justice and kidnapping suspects, who were allegedly interrogated on his property at Phala farm in the Waterberg district of Limpopo. In a media statement seen by The Star’s sister paper, Pretoria News, Fraser said that he laid formal criminal charges against Ramaphosa at Rosebank police station yesterday. He added that he gave police supporting documents, including photographs, bank accounts and video footage. “Today I have taken the unprecedented step to lay charges against his excellency of the Republic of South Africa, Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa.…

A JUDGE has commended a prosecutor who, in spite of the fact that the mother of a mentally impaired 18-year-old withdrew rape charges against the alleged culprit, proceeded with the prosecution in the interest of justice. But as it was claimed that the mentally challenged complainant gave consent to have sex with the then accused, he was acquitted by a magistrate after facing a rape trial. The man, who cannot be named so as not to identify the complainant, turned to the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, to claim damages against the Director of Public Prosecutions for malicious prosecution. The plaintiff said although the mother of the complainant withdrew the charges, the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions in Thohoyandou, Absah Madzutha, “maliciously” proceeded with the prosecution. Judge Norman Davis referred…

BRING back the Scorpions. It is no use just complaining about corruption, the government has to act, that is if they are sincere. The Scorpions were highly effective but guess who could not stand their tenacity? Jacob Zuma dissolved them in January 2009. This decision was controversial, and it was opposed by a majority of South Africans. The DA was prominent in accusing the ANC of making the move in order to subvert investigations into corrupt ANC officials. There you have it, President Cyril Ramaphosa. The Hawks followed up after the Scorpions were disbanded but, now being part of the SAPS, they lack autonomy/independence. The Hawks are thus “insufficiently insulated from political interference”. By now we all know they are being manipulated and not effective. South Africans are sick and…

The delinquent children who have become a liability in their schools and communities are most likely a product of unhealthy marriages or relationships. As long as the couples involved in broken families do not swallow their pride and fix whatever went wrong, the children's future remains doomed. A simple, sincere “sorry” could be the therapy some marriages need. People often get puffed up by pride when it comes to apologising. But, if one find themselves too big to say sorry, they should find themselves too big to offend their spouse also. Parents should remember that the behaviour of their kids out there is a direct reflection of who they are. It's sad that there are some who have time and energy to teach their kids racial discrimination. The old idiom…

ACTRESS Charlize Theron and singer Madonna have been criticised on social media for the way they allow their adopted children to dress. Photographs have emerged of them wearing skirts and long dresses, and many people are questioning it. Platforms have been flooded with criticism and concern, with many finding it inappropriate. As a result, Theron and Madonna have been accused of emasculating black boys. After Theron and her son, Jackson, were spotted a few times, speculation arose about how she dresses him. According to Daily Mail UK, Theron has been raising Jackson as a girl after revealing that he preferred to be dressed this way. A startling comment was also shared on Daily Mail regarding the situation. “This is what happens when whites adopt black children,” one person…

COVID-19 pandemic restrictions heightened discrimination against most marginalised groups including LGBTI+ people, sex workers, drug users and the homeless, Amnesty International said in a new report. Amnesty International released a report on Tuesday which revealed that marginalised groups were disproportionately impacted by Covid-19 regulations that exposed them to further discrimination and human rights abuses. Based on an online survey of 54 civil society organisations in 28 countries, which included South Africa, the report documents that groups who were already over-policed before the pandemic experienced discrimination, unlawful use of force and arbitrary detentions by security forces. “Though Covid-19 measures may have varied from country to country, governments’ approaches to tackling the pandemic have had a common failing. An overemphasis on using punitive sanctions against people for non-compliance with regulations, rather than…

IN COMMEMORATION of World No Tobacco Day, the Department of Health announced the results of South Africa’s first participation in the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS). The GATS is a global standard for systematically monitoring adult tobacco use (smoking and smokeless) and tracking key tobacco control indicators focusing on people 15 years old and above. Dr Catherine Egbe, the primary investigator of the survey from the SA Medical Research Council, explained that the data was collected between May and September 2021 with a total sample size of 6 311. The results revealed that the prevalence of tobacco use in South Africa, which includes tobacco products, smoked, smokeless and heated tobacco products, was at 29.4%. Among those, 41.7% are male and 17.9% are female tobacco users. The prevalence of people who…

Over the years we have seen a rise in extremely violent armed robberies and cash-in-transit heists. It is troubling that in many of the cases where the criminals are caught, Zimbabweans are involved. This has legitimised the problematic idea that crime in our country is being driven by foreigners and specifically by ordinary Zimbabweans. We are not convinced by this – for many reasons. One of them is simply that this kind of violence is not something that can reasonably be associated with ordinary Zimbabweans. Zimbabwe is not a violent country. Ordinary people do not have access to guns in Zimbabwe. The kind of weapons that are being used by Zimbabweans in violent crimes being committed in our country, assault rifles such as AK-47s, are a preserve of the Zimbabwean…

SHANGHAI: A train carrying 750 passengers departed from Shanghai South Railway Station yesterday, marking the resumption of its operations after they were suspended for about two months due to a resurgence of Covid-19. Since the Covid-19 resurgence in Shanghai this year, the number of passenger trains and passengers departing from Shanghai had declined sharply. Apart from the Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station which operated during the epidemic, Shanghai South Railway Station and Shanghai Railway Station suspended parts of their operations. | Xinhua…

MAMELODI Sundowns midfielder Lebohang Maboe has given himself a pat on the back after overcoming a nasty knee injury to help the Brazilians clinch a domestic treble. In July Maboe suffered a lateral meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament injury that was expected to rule him out for the rest of the season, according to Sundowns team doctor Carl Tabane. However, after going under the knife, spending time in the medical room and going through the rehabilitation process, Maboe returned to action early in April for the runaway Premiership champions. His recovery was on point, given that it was just in time when Sundowns won the league title for the fifth time in a row, while they were still on course to win a quadruple. However, Maboe couldn’t inspire Sundowns to…

IT certainly looks like new Kaizer Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane is intent on a major squad overhaul as he looks to rebuild the club into a giant of South African football. Amakhosi confirmed the departures of Daniel Akpeyi, Leonardo Castro, Kearyn Baccus, Samir Nurkovic, Lazarous Kambole, Lebogang Manyama, Daniel Cardoso and goalkeeper coach Lee Baxter yesterday. The club also announced that defensive midfielder Anthony Agay is available for transfer. Serbian international Nurkovic ended a three-year spell with Chiefs. At the height of his time with the club, he was regarded as one of the best finishers domestically and ended his debut campaign in South Africa with 14 goals. Nurkovic struggled last season as he scored just one Premiership goal. He has since been linked with a move to last season’s…

NURSES and staff members at Leratong Hospital on the West Rand have accused management of not doing enough to protect them from a litany of issues at the hospital. Among the issues raised by the employees are the theft of cars and other belongings due to unsafe parking space at the hospital, shortage of staff and inadequate medical equipment and stationery supplies. Staff members said the hospital didn’t have photocopy machines, which resulted in handwritten and the makeshift filling in of forms which did not stand up to legal requirements. Security is said to be inadequate for a hospital of its size and is said to be unable to deal adequately with criminal activities. Others allege that nurses are forced to park their cars far from the workplace, which puts…

THE BASIC Education sector says South African schools are not safe and need intervention as they reel following another murder of an educator at school. The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) in the North West said schools were no longer safe for teachers or pupils. “We continue to call on every member of the society to protect teachers, learners and education workers,” the union said. This comes after the provincial commissioner of the North West, Lieutenant-General Sello Kwena, mobilised a 72-hour Activation Plan following the murder of a 45-year-old woman teacher allegedly shot and killed by two unknown men on Tuesday morning at Rutanang Primary School in Rustenburg. The educator was in her Toyota Fortuner vehicle in front of the school gate at around 6.55am when the suspects approached…

Governing bodies and government were produced by Western experts that decided, one fine day, once upon a time, that monarchies, ruled by kings, nawabs, maharajahs and dictators of the day, were just not on. People’s personal choice for leading the country, province, or state became paramount. God-ordained priests and other personnel that insisted that they had fallen from high heaven now had to take back seats. And “democracy” was invented. The West, seeing the success of the new world order which it claimed ownership of, but which that Greek fellow Democritus had dreamt of thousands of years earlier, now became even more innovative. It created a new form of governorship of residential buildings. The units would be sold separately At a price. Levies! And administrative bodies were born. All very…

The problem of linen in public hospitals has been going on for years. The idea of having central laundry services for public hospitals for whatever reason has had many complications, one of which was loss of linen that would happen as a result of linen from one hospital being delivered to a wrong hospital. There is blatant stealing, where you find linen from hospitals hanging on washing lines in the townships – something I experienced when I had a gardener who was admitted at Tembisa Hospital after an injury. I found a green-striped Tembisa Hospital pair of pyjamas hanging on my washing line and when I asked about it, he told me a nurse told him he could take it. I told him he was lying and he had to…

THE countdown has begun ahead of the much-anticipated National Arts Festival, which is set to kick off on June 23. The National Jazz Festival Makhanda will once again unite jazz musicians from across the country and the world at SA’s definitive jazz gathering live at the National Arts Festival. Jazz has always been an essential part of the National Arts Festival and this year, the festival guarantees to be a big drawcard for audiences who have missed the live experience of jazz as a result of Covid-19. The programme is packed with a strong line-up of younger jazz artists and, although the headlines are filled with young South African jazz artists, excellent musicians from Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Romania, Britain and Spain will be collaborating with them for this…

“Facing reality means facing up to mistakes and failures.” – Ronald Heifetz. There is no doubt that Durban is at a crossroads. How the city balances the precarious municipal politics while simultaneously responding to the urgent development needs that stem from the riots and the recent flood damage will determine the success of its response. KZN is a region that has not only suffered years of infrastructure neglect but is also becoming more exposed to natural threats. The Ecological Threat Register has found that there’s been a dramatic global increase in droughts, floods and fires, and that countries with the most natural disasters are the least peaceful. This is in line with the global observations and predictions of climate change impacts in the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere.…

Ukraine looked close to losing the key eastern city of Severodonetsk to Russian forces but was boosted yesterday by the US decision to send more advanced rocket systems to help with its defence. “The Russians control 70% of Severodonetsk,” Lugansk region governor Sergiy Gaiday announced on Telegram, adding that Ukrainian forces were withdrawing to prepared positions. “If in two or three days, the Russians take control of Severodonetsk, they will install artillery and mortars and will bombard more intensely Lysychansk,” the city across the river, which Gaiday said remained held by Kyiv. One of the industrial hubs on Russia’s path to taking the eastern Lugansk region, Severodonetsk has become a target of massive Russian firepower since the failed attempt to capture Kyiv. But in a boost for the outgunned Ukrainian…

BERLIN: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called on Turkey to exercise restraint towards Greece as tensions between the two countries have flared, a German government spokesperson said yesterday. “Invading Greek airspace and flying over Greek islands is … against the spirit of the alliance,” the spokesperson said. Turkey and Greece, Nato allies, have long been at odds over a issues such as maritime boundaries, their continental shelves and airspace, and relations with ethnically split Cyprus. Germany was committed to resolving the questions, the spokesperson said. | Reuters…

SWALLOWS FC produced an impressive second-half display to come from a goal down and beat Cape Town All Stars 2-1 at Lucas Moripe Stadium yesterday for their first win of the play-offs. Eswatini international Justice Figareido deservedly gave the visitors the lead five minutes before half-time after exerting a great deal of pressure throughout the half. All Stars left-back David Matlala, who missed out on the first game of the play-offs, justified his inclusion in the starting XI as he picked out Figareido at the back post before the winger scored with a diving header. Strydom Wambi found the equaliser for the Dube Birds, showing composure with many bodies around him to place his effort wide of the goalkeeper in the 68th minute for his first goal of the season.…

SO yes, that was me at 1.16am yesterday throwing my fist in the air, shouting ‘Yes!’ and waking my girlfriend and the dogs as Rafael Nadal cracked a backhand winner down the line past Novak Djokovic to win the 59th match of their epic rivalry. I’d missed the first set on account of being at a pub quiz where, ironically, my team and I were asked to list 10 French Open men’s champions, got one wrong and lost out on first place (bloody Jimmy Connors didn’t win in 1974, in case you’re wondering). I’m not even a Rafa fan - been a ‘Fed guy’ since 2001 - but with all that’s happened with him physically in the last 18 months, the kind of mental fortitude he displayed in winning the…

Rapper Cassper Nyovest has been the victim of serious card fraud after someone allegedly cloned his bank card. The Artist of the Decade revealed on Twitter he recently became aware someone had been having a ball with his money. He explained he didn’t know how much was stolen as it was some time before he noticed the activity on his account. “Someone cloned one of my @FNBSA cards and they have been having a ball with my money. It took me a while to notice so I don't know how much they really stole,” he wrote on Twitter. The fact that Nyovest took a while to notice the irregular transactions had some Twitter users wishing they were rich enough to not notice that someone was stealing their money. @princepoetry_za said…

A POLICE officer who admitted to arresting a pastor for violating a protection order, that he did not bother to ascertain existed, has cost the taxpayer. Benjamin Maganyele, a pastor in Soshanguve, spent three days in cells after his arrest in April 2018. He was arrested on allegations that he violated a protection order issued to his ex-wife. But, he knew nothing about this protection order. He sued the Minister of Police at the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, on the basis that police arrested him without confirming the existence of the protection order. Maganyele also gave evidence that he was arrested without a warrant of arrest, despite the fact that the piece of legislation he was accused of contravening stipulated that it must be obtained. This legislation is the…

THE assassination of Colonel Saayad Khodae, a member of Unit 840, has all the hall marks of a Mossad killing. The silent war of death and destruction between Iran and Israel continues unabated. According to intelligence sources, Mossad hit three Iranian nuclear sites from July 2020 to June 202, and cyber attacked other nuclear related sites as well, as recently as September 2021. Mossad has agents embedded in Iran’s security establishment. In the past decades, a number of Iran’s prominent nuclear scientists have been killed. In late January 2018, in the dead of night, 12 men broke into a storage facility in the industrial district 30 km from the capital Tehran, and raided 32 safes containing classified material in Farsi regarding Iran’s nuclear programme. Twenty-seven locks were melted that contained…

Every day in my 80-plus years on this planet I have seen more and more that human beings are their own worst enemies. We are all born with bad genes, and even before we can walk we show bad behaviour which increases with every step we take. Demands of all sorts are becoming normal, fed by parents and advertising. And worst of all, human beings are never satisfied with what they have, and advertising is making sure of this. All this is quite true, but still mild compared with the much bigger problems. Too many people are walking this earth in need of food and comfort. This has not prompted the elite right at the top to say, ‘Stop, it cannot carry on like this, without consequences’. No, instead they…

THE past week was the first time in a long time that a sense of post-lockdown normality touched my sensibilities deeply. All across Gauteng, sports administrators and PR companies have started oiling the wheels with in-person events, announcements and parades celebrating the return of sport back into our lives proper. They had reporters from The Star and our sister papers in the Cape and KZN travelling the length and breadth of their respective regions. But it wasn’t just that movement that has heralded the change. It is images such as seeing Rafa Nadal beating Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros; Mamelodi Sundown parading their triumph in the streets of Pretoria with a domestic treble; and Liverpool doing the same after their cup double, even if it is also delightful to tease…

JUNE is known as strike season. This year, there appears to be a more vitriolic approach to wage negotiations. In the public service, there is distrust of the ANC government. The trade union movement has been hurt by the government. In particular, the breach of the past three-year wage agreement and the restrictive negative bargaining currently. The SA Revenue Service has been badly affected. The civil service is threatening “a mother of all strikes”. In the private sector, we see negative strikes, particularly in the mining industry. Often the impasse between management and union is so great to begin with that the negativity is not conducive to constructive bargaining. In some instances, we see management is paid enormous sums in salaries and incentives yet the company says it cannot afford…

When a state of disaster was declared in South Africa in 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, a hard lockdown was instituted and schools were shut. This was followed by varying periods of lockdowns, school closure and rotational timetables to maintain physical distancing across different grades. Administrative data show that children in South Africa missed at least three-quarters of a year of school in the past two school years. This reduced their opportunities to learn and allowed more time to forget what they had learnt. To measure the effect of time out of school on learning, we analysed the test performance of almost a quarter of a million learners at the end of 2021, comparing them to performance in 2019. We found that the time out of school left…

Khartoum: Hundreds of Sudanese protesters yesterday demanded the dismissal of the UN mission chief, who is working to resolve a political crisis sparked by last year’s military coup. The protests, outside the mission’s headquarters in Khartoum, criticised efforts by Volker Perthes, who heads the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission Sudan.The rallies come as the UN Security Council mulled over extending the mission’s mandate beyond June 3. Meanwhile, military officials from Sudan’s ruling council met UN and AU officials to discuss talks among Sudanese factions next week. | AFP…

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka has relaxed import restrictions imposed on 369 items in March and April this year, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. Previously, those who wanted to import any of the 369 items had to obtain an import licence, and the decision to restrict the import was taken to reduce foreign currency spending on overseas products. Sri Lanka’s central bank this week announced that it will ensure importers to have access to adequate foreign exchange through the banking sector to import essential items. The country has been facing crippling foreign currency shortages this year. | Xinhua…

BAFANA Bafana coach Hugo Broos says he expects a fearless performance from his charges in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Morocco given the experience they’ve gained in recent matches. Bafana will miss out on the Fifa World Cup in Qatar in November after failing to make passage to the Africa play-offs having lost out on the top spot in Group G to Ghana in the qualifiers. However, Broos is banking on that dubious loss to the Black Stars and 5-0 thrashing from World Champions France to have toughen up his relatively inexperienced group for the continental qualifiers. “I said it ahead of the World Cup qualifiers that if we don’t qualify that should still be a great experience for the young players,” Broos said during his press briefing…