Innholdsfortegnelse for 2023-12-21 i Star

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was grief-stricken when he appeared before his nation on television. He said he and the nation were devastated when they heard of the “unbearable tragedy” that the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) killed three of its own people. What a noble, compassionate man he was. Even though the hostages were carrying a white flag and spoke Hebrew, the Israeli soldiers mistook them for Hamas militants and gunned them down mercilessly. It was part of the Israeli strategy of indiscriminate bombardment and shelling of schools, hospitals and mosques, in the belief that Hamas was operating from those places and using the civilian population as human shields. Israel has not provided evidence that this is the modus operandi of Hamas. Anger is growing in Israel. The people are…

The world is wondering and cannot fathom why Zimbabwe – a country richly endowed with natural resources which include renewables such as land, forest, water, wildlife and sunshine, and non-renewables such oil, gas and minerals – is being abandoned by its citizens who have swamped other foreign countries such as South Africa, Zambia and Botswana in search of better living standards and working conditions. Since the Zanu-PF government took power in 1980, they have dismally failed to sustain the high standards that existed pre-independence era, let alone improve the standards. The Zanu-PF political party has shown its cruelty to opposition members through persecution, torturing, abducting, and murdering in cold blood, so that this nasty and arrogant political party, led by the careless, clueless and corrupt President Emmerson Mnangagwa, remains in…

SEKUNJALO Investment Holdings and its group of companies are preparing to go to the Constitutional Court (Concourt) in a bid to keep their companies’ bank accounts open after receiving two unfavourable judgments this week. The Group is in the process of filing an urgent application to the Concourt for leave to appeal a judgment handed down by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) on December 18 in Nedbank vs Sekunjalo, which overturned an interim interdict ruling in favour of Sekunjalo granted in March 2022. Equality Court Judge Mokgoatji Dolamo had ruled that there had been a prima facie case of discrimination by Nedbank against Sekunjalo, a black-owned conglomerate, in closing their accounts. The order prohibited Nedbank from terminating the bank accounts held by Sekunjalo Chairman Dr Iqbal Survé and 42…

Musical chairs, a game of elimination involving players, chairs, and music, has taken a different meaning in the South African political spectrum. It is also referred to as floor crossing, when one Member of Parliament (or council) leaves his or her political party to join another party. Former president Jacob Zuma has caused a political storm with the uMkhonto we Sizwe MK party saga, playing the game of musical chairs and floor crossing with finesse. On Saturday, Zuma denounced the ANC and pledged to vote for the new party. During a media briefing, Zuma called on South Africans to vote for the new party, saying that it would be a betrayal to vote for the ANC, which no longer represented the people. In just about every corner of South Africa…

Mexico City: Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has said that his government plans to challenge a law recently approved by the US state of Texas that allows authorities to arrest migrants suspected of illegally crossing the border. Texas governor Greg Abbott aims to rouse support with his anti-immigrant stance as he pursues the vice- presidential nomination of the Republican Party. The new law criminalises illegal entry or re-entry into the state by classifying it as a state crime. The Mexican government estimates that more than 40 million Mexicans live in the US. | IANS…

Bangkok: Thailand has stopped issuing new gun licences for a year, the interior ministry said yesterday, after a series of shootings. The change comes into effect immediately, the ministry said, and follows debate in the kingdom about firearms control following deadly gun incidents. A 14-year-old boy opened fire in a Bangkok shopping mall in October, killing three people, and an ex-policeman armed with a legally owned handgun and knife murdered 36 people at a nursery a year earlier. Thailand has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the region with 10 million firearms in circulation. | AFP…

The Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation has been accused of failing to develop and pay artists, art adjudicators and artists’ organisations for their work. This comes after scores of affected artists face a blue festive season because they are yet to be paid or have their projects funded by the provincial department following an aid and grant funding request in February this year. Sources close to the situation said the payment delays – communicated in close circles – involve ordinary artists and some of the country’s leading personalities, who want to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the matter. Scores of artists and service providers who were contracted to the department have not been paid. According to Showbiz Scope, board members of the Gauteng Arts and…

Israel has been both a Jewish and a democratic state since 1948, and it will remain so forever. In spite of the hostility surrounding it, Israel is a liberal democracy. All citizens enjoy the same rights and obligations. They all have political parties, members in the Knesset, and judges on the Supreme Court. All citizens go to the same hospitals as doctors, nurses and patients. Israeli Arabs are over-represented in its universities. Arabs in Gaza are under the brutal control of Hamas. Almost all Palestinian Authority Arabs are administered by the PA. They are not Israelis, nor are they under Israeli law. There is some security co-operation between the PA and Israel, as per the Oslo accords. Israel does not “occupy” its sovereign territory under international law. The PA and…

THE year 2023 was one helluva year. Rolling blackouts cursed our every move, water security was threatened in larger parts of Gauteng, while the cost of living sky-rocketed. In the public domain, our leaders were seemingly more concerned with personal enrichment, while it was revealed that our major banks have been conspiring against us in manipulating the rand. The Americans have seemingly lost the plot, the British want to ship those they deem less than desirable to Rwanda, while hate, bigotry and intolerance define our day-to-day reality. Our women remain under siege, living lives with despicable men where going for a jog could end in being raped and murdered, while violence lives on the doorstep of many of our countrymen. A bunch of okes in the Cape are playing silly…

TRADE union Solidarity said it will take legal action against Gold One Mine in Springs following the hostage drama earlier this month during which hundreds of miners were held underground for several days. Solidarity said it will hold the management of the Gold One mine accountable for the hostage drama that lasted approximately five days at this mine. Following legal consultation, court documents were prepared with which Solidarity will address the mine’s lack of action to prevent or defuse the situation, the union said. “Gold One’s failure to guarantee employee safety is highlighted in the documents. Among other things, this is because vigorous and earlier action was not taken against criminal elements within other unions. In fact, the criminals are still at large,” Advocate Paul Mardon. Deputy General Secretary:…

Amid mounting pressure on Israel from Western allies to rein back its campaign against Hamas, Israeli President Isaac Herzog held the line. “We intend to take over the entire Gaza Strip and change the course of history,” he said this week. Herzog said the current conflict was a clash of “a set of civilisational values” and cast the Palestinian militant group, which carried out the brutal October 7 attack on southern Israel, as a “force of evil”. Before the outbreak of war, Herzog was widely seen as more dovish and reasonable in the eyes of the DC foreign policy establishment than Israel’s polarising right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But since the attack, he and many other Israeli officials have taken a hard line, scoffing at global criticism of Israel’s bombardment…

Colombo: The World Bank said yesterday that it had released $250 million (about R4.6 billion) to support bankrupt Sri Lanka’s tough economic reforms following last year’s financial crisis. Sri Lanka defaulted on its $46 billion external debt in April 2022 after running out of foreign exchange with civil unrest ousting then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The World Bank said it had released the second and final tranche of a total $500m package “considering the continued satisfactory progress made by the government with the reform programme”. | AFP…

And now for Kaizer Chiefs! Richards Bay must be echoing those sentiments after already bagging four points from the two other Soweto giants. Richards Bay have had a poor first half of the season, bagging only 10 points from a possible 42, which sees them languishing in 15th position on the Premiership table. But Kaitano Tembo’s men have had moments to savour. They beat and drew with Soweto giants Moroka Swallows and Orlando Pirates respectively so far. Both results were celebrated by the club in their quest to dig themselves out of the relegation quagmire they find themselves in once again. Tembo’s men will visit Kaizer Chiefs at the FNB Stadium on Saturday (3.30pm kick-off), in the penultimate round of league matches before the break. Richards Bay will be…

The Premier Soccer League’s perpetual sabotage of the country’s national football team, Bafana Bafana, has reached unprecedented levels. The South African Football Association (Safa) had contacted the PSL some time ago to request that they end their 2023 DStv Premiership fixtures before Christmas, possibly around December 23. This would allow Bafana Bafana adequate time to prepare for the Africa Cup of Nations, which starts on January 13 in the Ivory Coast. The PSL have not responded, and Safa CEO Lydia Monyepao said that national team coach Hugo Broos has repeatedly asked about the outcome. Over the years, it has been customary for Safa to request the early release of players for Bafana duty. But almost without fail, the request has fallen on deaf ears. Clubs are required by Fifa, football’s…

TRANSPORT Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga has once again urged motorists and road users to be safe on the roads as she led yet another festive season Road Safety Awareness Campaign. The minister’s message comes just when Arrive Alive confirmed an incident in which a truck driver reportedly fell unconscious after choking from inhaling smoke after cooking with a gas stove while driving on the N3. Reports indicate that the driver was rescued by community members who removed him from the truck. It is reported that the driver is currently in a critical condition following carbon monoxide poisoning. Yesterday, the minister took the safety campaign to Heidelberg’s Weighbridge on the N3 near Johannesburg, where she urged road users to heed caution on the country’s roads as carnages continue to increase. This comes…

Drivers have been advised to make a commitment to never use their phones while driving as thousands of people continue to depart for their vacation destinations. The CEO of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, advises handing your phone to your “co-pilot” so they may answer texts, choose the music or do any other work that will keep you from driving safely. “Driving is a mentally demanding task. Drivers need to divide their attention between operating vehicle controls, looking out for hazards, changing traffic patterns as well as scanning the area for suspicious individuals. If you add distracted driving to these myriad obstacles, your risk is increased as much as it would if you were driving after drinking.” Herbert further shares statistics that give insights into the dangers of texting and driving and…

There is so much wrong with Mohamed Saeed’s horribly one-sided letter that I would need pages to refute his ludicrous claims. I will therefore hone in on the one thing missing from his letter that negates everything else he has to say: any mention of Hamas. David Teeger’s message of support of the IDF wasn’t uttered in a vacuum. It was said at the Absa Jewish Achiever Awards that took place some two weeks after Hamas terrorists broke through the Gazan border and proceeded to rape, torture, dismember and kill 1 200 Israelis and kidnap a further 200-plus in what was both the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust and one of the most depraved attacks against civilians in modern history. If Mr Saeed truly cares for Palestinians, he…

THE City of Tshwane’s schedules for refuse removal are set to continue as normal during the festive season, including on public holidays. However, refuse collection services will not be rendered on Christmas Day. “Those whose refuse collection falls on December 25 should not take out their refuse bins on that day. Household waste collection scheduled for collection on Monday, December 25 will be collected on Sunday, December 24 and collection will follow the schedule from Tuesday, December 26,” the City said. The City’s landfills and garden waste sites will be fully operational during this festive season except for Christmas Day. The municipality has also informed customers about the temporary closure of non-essential services from December 27 until next year on January 1. Most importantly, customers ought to take note…

South African actress, DJ and producer Roxy Louw has been announced as an ambassador for the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation. Louw, who has made a name for herself in the music industry, was officially announced as an ambassador for the foundation last weekend. Louw says she is delighted to have become an ambassador for an incredibly important foundation. “I can’t express how thrilled and honoured I am to become an ambassador for the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation,” Louw said. “This role holds immense significance for me. It not only acknowledges my music and surf career, but also my deep commitment to making a positive impact on our world. “My passion for raising awareness about environmental issues, particularly plastic pollution, aligns perfectly with the foundation’s mission. I’m excited about…

Democracy is not just systems and procedures that look good but it is the improved experience of people on the ground. For this reason, while democracy in countries like South Africa looks nice and systems are in place, the democratic experience is one of dissatisfaction among the growing number of people on the ground. This is our reaction to a recently-released study of voter perceptions conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) on behalf of the Electoral Commission of South Africa as well as the Institut Public de Sondage d’Opinion Secteur-IPSOS South Africa survey on the state of democracy across the world. The latter is global and the former is national, but both convey the same message. This is the experience of poor service delivery, struggling economy, rising socio-economic…

New Delhi: At least 10 people were killed in floods after intense rainfall in southern India, reports said yesterday, weeks after a cyclone triggered intense flooding in the same areas. Hundreds are stranded in the state of Tamil Nadu as water submerged roads, with the airforce dropping 10 tons of emergency supplies to those stranded. Footage showed entire areas underwater, with rescue teams using boats. Officials said at least 10 people had died and 12 600 were forced to flee to safer areas. The heavy rains come just two weeks after at least eight people were killed by Cyclone Michaung. | AFP…

Warsaw: Poland’s pro-EU government yesterday launched a reform of state media and sacked their management, with public broadcasts interrupted and right-wing MPS staging a sit-in to protest the changes. The shake-up comes a week after Prime Minister Donald Tusk took power after eight years of rule by the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party. State-owned media under the PiS were accused of biased reporting, transmitting government propaganda and launching verbal attacks on the opposition. The ministry said the reforms were a bid to restore media “impartiality”. | AFP…