Star 2023-12-19

The 2023 festive season got off to a sad start as news broke of multi-award- winning artist Bulelwa “Zahara” Mkutukana’s death. The singer and songwriter, who was well known for her unmatched vocals and guitar talent, died on December 11, leaving her family, fans and industry friends devastated. Her family confirmed her death on her social media platforms, but have not disclosed the cause. “It is with heavy hearts and the deepest sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved daughter, sister, and friend, Zahara. “A life so beautifully lived deserves to be beautifully remembered. May we remember Zahara not with sorrow, but with stories of healing, joy, kindness, and inspiration she brought to us through her life and her music,” a part of their announcement read. The Afrosoul…

Grammy award-winning DJ and producer Nkosinathi “Black Coffee” Maphumulo has had quite the year, cementing his position among the musical greats of the world. Placing focus on his career, the public even forgot about his divorce drama from actress and fashion designer Enhle Mbali. In October, he made history when he played a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden, the biggest show of his illustrious career. The history-making set once again put South African dance music on the map, elevating the DJ’s global status. Not so long ago, he also showcased how big his footprint is when he was invited to give a guest lecture at Harvard Business College in Boston in the US. He was also among the honourees for this year’s British GQ Men of the Year…

SOUTH African comedian Trevor Noah is returning to host the Grammy Awards again next year. The former Daily Show presenter, 39, confirmed he will be back at the helm of the annual ceremony – which honours excellence in music – for the fourth year in a row and he’s looking forward to having “a lot of fun”. Confirming the news on his What Now? With Trevor Noah podcast, he said: “I think it’s also important to acknowledge something. I’m hosting the Grammys. I’m excited about that! It’s a lot of fun. “I enjoy the Grammys because I get to watch the show in person and then just experience and comment on it in person while it’s happening.” SZA leads this year’s Grammy nominations with nine nods, followed by Phoebe Bridgers,…

Matthew Perry had similar amounts of ketamine in his system as a patient under general anaesthetic when he died, his autopsy revealed. The 54-year-old actor was found dead in his hot tub on October 28, and on Friday, his death was ruled an accident and found to be caused by the “acute effects” of the drug, with contributing factors cited as drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine, a drug used to treat opioid addiction. The medical examiner noted the former Friends star had been receiving ketamine infusion therapy as a depression treatment, but the last session was a week and a half before his death and the substance only stays in the system for three to four hours. The toxicology report found 3 540 ng/ml of…

Jamie Oliver: Together (S1) BBC Lifestyle, DStv channel 119 at 9pm Renowned chef Jamie Oliver shares a step-by-step guide to preparing delicious food for celebrating missed moments and creating memories with loved ones. Tonight, Jamie creates a super-relaxed menu and cooks up a dynamite Mexican taco night of slow-cooked pork belly with red cabbage slaw, followed by a chocolate semifreddo decked with brittle. Chicago Med (S8) M-Net, DStv channel 101 at 8pm Halstead and Cuevas struggle to diagnose a patient with a rare disorder. CFD and Med staff work to free a paranoid father trapped in the MRI suite and Tanaka-Reed gets an ego check. All Rise (S3) 1Magic, DStv channel 103 at 9pm The lawyers, judges, clerks and police working at the an LA County courthouse undergo a series…

Leader of the Xiluva political party, Bongani Baloyi, is urging Gauteng residents and travellers to disobey instructions from the newly-formed Gauteng crime-prevention wardens (CPWs), if members of the unit are not backed up by the police. Speaking to IOL, Baloyi insisted that the group were not sufficiently trained to operate independently, without the backing of other law enforcement agencies, such as the SAPS. Baloyi said: “They cannot work by themselves, as they have been doing in some parts of the province. “They are randomly stopping and search people, pretending to be police officers. “They must never operate independently, they must operate within the supervision of the police,” he added. “These are people who have been trained for three months. “They don’t understand and appreciate the law to the extent that…