Innholdsfortegnelse for 2023-12-18 i Star

Award-winning actress Thuso Mbedu is ending the year with a bang. The Woman King star has recently been cast in a new HBO series alongside CODA actress Emilia Jones and Spotlight actor Mark Ruffalo. The untitled project from popular writer and producer Brad Ingelsby will see Mbedu playing Aleah, a sergeant detective recruited for a special task force. Jones will play Maeve and Ruffalo has been cast as Tom, an FBI agent. According to online reports, the series is based on an original idea from Ingelsby, and tells the story of an FBI agent who leads a task force to put an end to a string of drug-house robberies led by an unsuspecting family man. The series is set in the working-class suburbs outside Philadelphia in the US. Taking to…

THE South African Legal Practice Council’s attempt to have a candidate attorney’s name struck from the roll – for misconduct – was unsuccessful at the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) while the finalisation of the attorney’s disciplinary inquiry is still pending. The matter was dismissed and struck from the court roll due to it being moot. The disciplinary inquiry against attorney Lebohang Mokhele had established prima facie evidence of trust fund shortages in Mokhele’s trust account following complaints from the public. The investigations by the Legal Practice Council (LPC) so far have established alleged serious misconduct and evidence of a trust shortage in at least two matters. Further investigations continue. Mokhele has been suspended from legal practice, and the LPC sought from the Free State Division of the High Court,…

IT IS unbelievable and unspeakable that corruption in Zimbabwe is out of control. President Emmerson Mnangagwa has caused corruption to enter the borders of South Africa where South African immigration officers are letting in illegal Zimbabweans with as little as R200. This is how the corruption in Zimbabwe is extending and encroaching on neighbouring countries. Zimbabwe’s senior government officials are also masterminding corruption and the net is extending even to the ministers in the Zimbabwean government. Many Zimbabweans have turned to illegally crossing the border, often through the crocodile-infested Limpopo River, to South Africa. To seek jobs to send money home to their families, or goods to smuggle back. Corruption is a cancer in Zimbabwe and has created abject poverty and eroded the economy. The horrific economy of Zimbabwe brewed…

THE ANC has been able to secure a victory in every national election the country has held since 1994 due to its reputation of having fought against minority rule and the apartheid regime. There is no doubt that South Africans have been mandating the ANC to govern based on its Struggle credentials rather than its ability to deliver on its promise to bring about a “better life”. However, the ANC has failed dismally to remodel itself from being a broader liberation movement to a modern political formation. The party is living in the past. It seemingly is still hoping to restore and keep its historical cold-war era ties with “like-minded” organisations or countries. We are seeing the party cosying up to Russia and Hamas. The ANC is a resistance movement…

A man who has been by the side of his partner for 26 years, without them ever being married, turned to the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, for an order declaring that he and his partner, who had meanwhile died, were in a universal partnership. The man, only identified in the judgment as LL, was forced to obtain legal clarity regarding his relationship status to the woman only identified as EH. This was because the woman’s daughter, who is the executor of her estate, refused to acknowledge that he is entitled to half of her assets. The court concluded that over the years, LL and the deceased had built up financial assets together, which included several properties. LL also stood by his partner up until her death. A high court…

SINGING along to the jingles of “swingle bells” has become a great way to embrace the Christmas season and everything else that it has to offer. In the countdown to the eagerly awaited day that sees many travel thousands of kilometres to be with their loved ones, activities ahead of the day have been something to marvel at. For a special evening, Independent Media invited its readers to an extravagant Christmas concert starring the always-enthusiastic Jonathan Roxmouth and the Johannesburg Big Band. Under the direction of Adam Howard, the 19-piece Johannesburg Big Band put on a majestic performance of swinging Christmas favourites called Swingle Bells. The evening was filled with the sights and sounds of authentic family entertainment, including new takes on beloved holiday classics such as Frosty the Snowman,…

Near-record rain levels in north Queensland have caused “life-threatening” flooding, Australian authorities said yesterday, forcing the closure of Cairns airport. Emergency services said major flooding had particularly hit the northeastern city of Cairns, a tourist hub and gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. The region’s rivers were already saturated after a tropical cyclone battered the region this week, submerging highways and uprooting trees. Amid the wild weather, a 10-year-old girl was in critical condition after being hit by lightning in south Queensland on Saturday. Meteorologist Laura Boekel said yesterday that some areas of Queensland had seen more than 600mm of rain in the previous 24 hours. An additional 500mm could fall over the next 24-hour period, she warned. Queensland Premier Steven Miles warned that a weather emergency “was playing out”.…

LONDON: Britain has started removing components supplied by a unit of China-backed Nari Technology Co, Ltd from the electricity transmission network over cybersecurity fears, the Financial Times reported yesterday. The decision came in April after the utility sought advice from the London-based National Cyber Security Centre, the newspaper quoted a Whitehall official as saying. It was unclear whether the components remained in the electricity transmission network, the report said. NR Electric UK, the National Grid and the Chinese Embassy in London did not immediately respond to requests for comment.…

WASHINGTON: Girls are more than twice as likely to contract HIV than their male counterparts, a Unicef analysis suggests. The agency says nearly 98 000 adolescent girls were infected with HIV in 2022 alone. The data suggests gender inequality, limited access to health care and a dearth of educational programmes put girls at particular risk for HIV worldwide. The analysis found “tremendous gains” in HIV prevention and treatment, but notes 71% of new infections among those aged 10-19 are among girls. In sub-Saharan Africa, with the largest proportion of children and adolescents with HIV, prevalence among girls and young women is triple that of males. Eastern and southern Africa have the most babies born with HIV.…

Netball South Africa (NSA) closed the year with the news that Australian-born Norma Plummer will step down as coach of the national team. Plummer was reappointed in November last year, eight months before South Africa would become Netball World Cup hosts for the first time in July and August. It was a bright move by NSA to recruit the vastly experienced Plummer after she enjoyed tremendous success in her previous stint. She steered the Proteas to fourth place at the 2019 World Cup in Liverpool, England. Sadly, on home soil at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, the Proteas finished a disappointing sixth even though the target was a podium finish. The Proteas finished the year in fifth place on the world rankings. South African netball was in the international…

The most brutal year in living memory comes to an end soon. Catastrophic events raged out of control as nation upon nation made preparations to intensify war as an instrument of expansion and military and political dominance in every hemisphere encompassing all our continents. The conflict in Gaza is undoubtedly the most inhuman conflict in recorded human history. It is an act of insanity when self-defence is allowed to commit slaughter on such a horrendous scale. Our failure to stem the carnage is unconscionably irresponsible. Anger and despair have enveloped the world and the hatred and division that afflicts and divides humanity is increasing by the hour. When uncritical assent is given to certain countries to commit genocide under the guise of proportional retaliation, then the law of savagery becomes…

THE recent launch of the Multi Party Charter (MPC) by the DA and other small political parties has been presented as a promising strategy to defeat the ANC. However, it is just a temporary, Band-Aid solution to a much bigger problem that the DA needs to address. The DA has long been seen as a white-dominated party with vested interests. Its efforts to diversify its leadership and appeal to black voters have failed, as seen in the departure of prominent figures like Mmusi Maimane and Herman Mashaba. It has also lost its conservative white voter base to the Freedom Front Plus. The MPC’s aim is to rally political parties in pushing for a decisive victory over the ANC, but this is unlikely to succeed, given South Africa’s polarised electorate. The…

Cabinet in Zimbabwe has approved a proposal for the country’s water treatment plant in the border town of Beitbridge to sell water to the South African town of Musina in Limpopo, which has often experienced water supply challenges. The two towns are divided by the land border between South Africa and Zimbabwe and are home to one of Africa’s busiest ports of entry, which is also used as the gateway from South Africa to the African continent. A statement presented at a post-Cabinet press briefing held on Tuesday by Zimbabwe’s Minister of Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting, Dr Jenfan Muswere, highlighted that treated water will be channelled to the town of Musina. “Cabinet approved the amendment to the agreement between South Africa and Zimbabwe on the supply of treated water from…

THE City of Tshwane has implemented an aggressive credit control approach in its quest to recoup the billions of rand it is owed by defaulting customers. With effect from Thursday, the City has blocked the electricity prepaid meters of customers whose accounts are in arrears. This effectively means that, if a customer whose account is in arrears attempts to purchase electricity, they will not get the units; instead, all that money will be channelled towards the outstanding debt. Previously, the City used to take 60% of the money for the purchase of electricity, but it became clear that this lenient approach did not jolt customers to keep their accounts up to-date. “Section 4.6 of the City’s credit control policy allows for 60% or 100% blocking of the prepaid meter until…

Seven years after buying the National First Division status of Vasco da Gama, Stellenbosch FC secured their first major title in South Africa’s top flight. On Saturday, Stellenbosch, owned by South African billionaire businessman Johann Rupert, won the Carling Knockout championship, defeating TS Galaxy on penalties in the final at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. It was a brave campaign by the “Maroons” because since the start of their campaign, all their matches were away from home. However, they went on to win the title, their first after spending five years in the Premiership. The next target must be to win the Premiership, and their form of the past two months suggests it is not a too far-fetched ambition. Going into Saturday’s final, the club had a tremendous run…

Ukraine said yesterday that it had repelled two Russian missile and 20 drone attacks overnight, as Moscow reported downing 33 drones fired from Ukraine. “The Russian occupying forces attacked with the Iskander-K cruise missile, the Kh-59 guided air missile ... as well as 20 Shahed-type strike drones,” the Ukrainian air force said in a statement. Ukraine forces shot down the drones and the Kh-59 missile, while the “Iskander-K cruise missile did not reach its goal”, the air force said. It said the missiles were launched from Crimea and the occupied Kherson region, without saying if there were any victims or damage. Russia in turn said that it had foiled 33 drone attacks in three border regions with Ukraine. The Russian defence ministry said in a statement that its air defence…

NAIROBI: Kenya said yesterday it strongly disassociated itself from an anti-Kinshasa alliance that was launched in Nairobi on Friday and would investigate, after the Democratic Republic of Congo recalled its ambassador in protest. The so-called Congo River Alliance includes Congolese politicians and groups including the M23 rebels, who have seized territory in eastern Congo, and Corneille Nangaa, a former electoral commission chief. In response to the development, Congo has recalled its ambassadors to Kenya and Tanzania for consultations. Congo is due to hold presidential and legislative elections on Wednesday.…

FOR the next few weeks the Emirates Lions have the opportunity to put their feet up, unbuckle their belts, digest a hearty festive season feast, take a nap passed out on the couch, the Boxing Day Test playing in the background with drool crusting on their cheeks after they completed 2023 on a truly positive note. Four consecutive victories in a row, the latest a 35-13 EPCR Challenge Cup bonus-point win over the Newcastle Falcons, placed an upbeat punctuation on their December, with a hopeful outlook for next year glinting in their eyes. The Jobugers collected nine of the 10 points they could essay in the two recent Challenge Cup matches. When they resume the tournament next month against Montpellier away and the Ospreys at home, they will do so…

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola blasted his team after their careless defending and a needless late-game penalty cost them a much-needed victory in a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace on Saturday, saying they deserved the result. “It’s not bad luck, it’s deserved,” an angry Guardiola said after the game. “We give away two points. When you give away this penalty, you deserve it. “You see the chances we created and conceded, it’s quite similar to all this season – but we are not able to close the games. That is the feeling.” City have looked uncharacteristically vulnerable after a run of six games with only one win. Jack Grealish and Rico Lewis scored in the first half at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, but Jean-Philippe Mateta pulled one back for…

It’s been a weird year for South Africa hip-hop. We lost arguably the greatest local rapper of all time, AKA, to a tragic shooting, Blxckie unexpectedly slowed down after a furious 2023, and 43-year-old K.O somehow seemed to be the most visible act. In the midst of all of this, Maglera Doe Boy has been the surprise star of the show in his relentless pursuit of the top spot. Following a scorching 2022 in which he was lauded for having arguably the best verse of the year with his guest appearance on MashBeatz’s Never Ride, Maglera continued right where he left off. Some of the highlights include his memorable feature on Cassper Nyovest’s hit single 018, Flvme’s Keep Going, and his recent collaboration with Priddy Ugly on the impressively catchy…

THE ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has said the future of former president Jacob Zuma in the party will be decided by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC). The party, which had been hoping he would lead its campaign in the province for the elections next year, was stunned on Saturday after Zuma announced that he will not be voting for the ANC and instead associated himself with a new party called Umkhonto We Sizwe (MK) Party. Zuma said he was disillusioned with the ANC and would not vote for it but said he is not leaving the party. The leaders of the MK Party told a broadcast channel that they have engaged Zuma and he has indicated that he was willing to stand as a presidential candidate, but added that those…

DEPRESSION and the increase in financial stress have led to an increase in suicides, especially over the festive season. This is according to the SA Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag) and clinical psychologists. They were responding to a study titled, “Look after your mental health during the holidays”, by Discovery which revealed that there is an increase in suicides over the festive period. The study found that in recent years there was an 11% increase in suicides in December and a 9% increase in January. The study said 33% of South Africans experienced depression since Covid-19 in 2020. “Changes in social activities and the possible influence of the festive season may increase the risk of suicide. This is thought to be especially among those living in less urban areas and…

Not just the Palestinians, Israelis and Americans but the entire world, every country, state, nation, religion, mosque, church, synagogue and temple have collectively and individually lost the war in Palestine. Crocodile tears rolling down faces that show less real life than animated artificial intelligence dummies and less intelligence than lifeless Barbie dolls, repeated unhygienic handshakes between hypocritical heads of state, all for nought, have again proved, not too surprisingly, that it’s not such a great achievement to have been born a human. And it might no longer be that painful to seek a peaceful bed underground. Sticks and stones might hurt, even permanently maim, but treachery will surely kill all of us. To have been betrayed by the greater core of pseudo- humanity in this prime example of the past…

THE R11 million investment injected into livestock farming in the City of Tshwane will go a long way in supporting farmers in beef production in Rust de Winter, located in the north-east of the municipality. Environment and Agriculture Management MMC Ziyanda Zwane said the City’s environment and agriculture management department had intervened by developing business plans and soliciting funding at the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development. At least 15 livestock farmers in Rust de Winter in ward 99 are set to benefit from the investment, which would also cover the construction of 15 cattle-handling facilities. Zwane said: “Furthermore, two construction companies benefited from this project, while 40 job opportunities were created during the construction phase.” The project, he said, would also ensure effective beef cattle-handling practices by…

In late November, annoyed South Africans took to social media to rightly criticise President Cyril Ramaphosa’s trip to rural Jozini, KwaZulu-Natal for the launching of a tap. While the President’s spin doctors tried to fix the fallout, citizens were not fooled. Many of those who commented pointed out the obvious. A country like South Africa should not be celebrating a community getting something as basic as a tap in their own home, let alone a communal one close to their homes, as was the occasion of Ramaphosa’s visit. As though that was not embarrassing enough, Ramaphosa only sprinkled a few drops on his hands and did not drink water from the same tap the community of Jozini is now expected to drink from, gratefully and happily. Citizens on social media…

Six communist guerrillas and a soldier were killed in a clash yesterday, officials said, as the Philippine government prepared to restart peace talks to end one of the world’s longest-running Maoist insurgencies. Government troops exchanged fire with New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas near the town of Balayan, about 68km south of the capital Manila, the Philippine Army said. The clash came three weeks after the government and the rebels agreed to resume negotiations aimed at ending the near 55-year insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives. The rebellion grew out of the global communist movement and found fertile soil for recruitment among the Philippines’ rural poor. The NPA boasted about 26 000 fighters at its peak in the 1980s, a number the military says has now dwindled to less than…

POLLS opened in a Chadian referendum on a new constitution yesterday, with the vote seen as a key step towards elections and the return of civilian rule promised, but postponed, by the ruling military junta. A large section of the opposition and civil society in the central African country are calling for a boycott. They argue the plebiscite is designed to pave the way for the election of the current transitional president, General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, and the continuation of a “dynasty” begun by his late father 33 years ago following a coup. The “yes” camp seems assured of victory after a well-financed campaign by the ruling junta against a divided opposition which has faced arrest, intimidation and threats for more than a year. The capital, N’Djamena, has been…

SEOUL: South Korea came under the grip of the season’s coldest weather yesterday, with the morning lows plummeting to -12.4ºC in Seoul, the state weather agency said. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) predicted temperatures will drop further this morning, with lows in the capital at between -18ºC and -3ºC. The weather agency said the Daegwallyeong district in Gangwon province saw the temperature drop to morning lows of -16.8ºC with a sensible temperature of nearly -29.7ºC yesterday. Flights were cancelled on the resort island of Jeju yesterday amid the cold wave. As of 3.10pm, mountainous areas in Jeju had up to 22.6cm of snow.…

SEOUL: North Korea fired at least one ballistic missile yesterday, Seoul’s military said, as the US and South Korea warned any nuclear attack would lead to the end of Pyongyang’s regime. “North Korea fires unidentified ballistic missile towards the East Sea,” Seoul’s joint chiefs of staff said, referring to the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan. The test comes as Seoul and Washington warned Pyongyang that any nuclear attack on the US and South Korea would result in the end of the North Korean regime. The two allies held their second session of the Nuclear Consultative Group in Washington on Friday, where they discussed nuclear deter-rence in the event of conflict.…

Louis Oosthuizen completed back-to-back wins on the DP World Tour with a two-shot victory at the Mauritius Open yesterday, overcoming early jitters to card a final round 69 at the new La Reserve Golf Club, a course he helped to design. The South African claimed the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek last week for his first tournament success in five years, and he repeated the feat six days later with a 17 under par score, two ahead of England’s Laurie Canter (68, 15 under par). Oosthuizen started his final round with a one-shot lead but bogeys on the fourth and fifth holes meant he was two over for the round early on. But he regained his rhythm and managed six birdies, including on the par-five last hole, to finish…

Free State Cheetahs: 32 Tries: M van der Merwe, G van der Merwe, Maartens, Jasper; Conversions: Pienaar (3); Penalties: Pienaar (2) Sharks: 29 Tries: Etzebeth, Venter, Williams, Mapimpi; Conversions: Bosch (3); Penalties: Bosch (1) The Cheetahs produced a display of guts and glory to outlast the Sharks in Bloemfontein yesterday in the most enthralling of contests. It was a massive statement from a Cheetahs team perennially treated as the poor relations in South African rugby, and their win shows that they belong at the top table. At the same time, the Sharks have taken a depressing step backward in their journey under John Plumtree and they continue to be winless away from home this season in both the URC and the Challenge Cup. Most worrying for…

TS Galaxy head coach Sead Ramovic expressed immense pride in his side’s Carling Knockout Cup journey, despite losing in the final to Stellenbosch. The Rockets relinquished a first-half lead given to them by striker Lehlohonolo Mojela and were eventually edged by Stellies on penalties. The Mpumalanga-based outfit was left distraught and destitute at the Moses Mabhida Stadium as bodies fell to the ground after Stellenbosh midfielder Darrel Matsheke converted the decisive penalty. However, despite their heartbreaking loss, Ramovic applauded the efforts of his players while speaking to the media after the match. Galaxy beat Mamelodi Sundowns, Sekhukhune United and AmaZulu on their way to the final of the competition. He said that although the results did not go their way on the day, their entire tournament was a remarkable story.…