Innholdsfortegnelse for 2024-01-04 i Star

We humans are always optimistic even at the worst of times. It’s this resilient spirit in us that has helped us overcome adversity and become the most successful species on earth. The old year has just gone by. It was a terrible year. We breathed a huge sigh of relief when we were at last free of the Covid pandemic and looked forward to 2023. We thought it would be a better year. But 2023 wasn’t any better. Natural disasters, wars, crime and road accidents took their toll on the human race. If it wasn’t droughts and famine, it was floods. Although sceptics scoff at the idea of climate change, a clear pattern has been emerging. Rising temperatures scorched the earth, followed by wildfires and then devastating floods. As if…

The last person to vote for any political party in this country used to be me, until I arrived at the realisation that most of the political parties lack an important basic tenet – empathy. About 21 000 lives have been needlessly squashed in Gaza and the West Bank. This seems to have eluded the intelligence and moralities of the parties that care only for themselves. I am, however, aware that the ANC is at the forefront of having recognised the atrocities of genocide by Israel. and has taken steps to be vociferous about the issue, unlike many other parties that did not encourage a call for a ceasefire. When South Africa was assisting the Allied forces to fight the Nazis during World War II, the ANC of that time…

MORE than 500 former City of Tshwane contract workers have vowed to approach the Labour Court seeking to review the latest SA Local Government Bargaining Council’s ruling that there was no basis to hire them permanently. Workers have been fighting to be reinstated with permanent positions since their 12-month contracts were terminated in October 2020, after they were employed at the metro in 2019. In a bid for permanent posts, workers have previously marched to Tshwane House and have also approached the Bargaining Council. At the council, they argued that they had been dismissed unfairly by the City. On February 28, 2022, the council ruled in their favour, ordering the City to take them back as permanent employees. Council commissioner Joseph Mphaphuli at the time ordered the municipality to pay…

POLICE in Mpumalanga are urgently seeking assistance in locating the families of two abducted children as their suspected abductors – Grace Gumbo, 26, and Mercy Tsoko, 28 – make their second court appearance. A third abducted child, a 4-month-old baby girl, was also found with them, as well as an 8-month-old. Details of the case came to light after vigilant community members tipped off the police about the two suspects masquerading as caregivers in Ogies. The pair were due to appear in the Kriel Magistrate’s Court in Mpumalanga yesterday. The court hearing followed their arrest on New Year’s Day, with their first appearance on Tuesday resulting in a postponement for further investigation. Mpumalanga police spokesperson Selvy Mohlala said: “Police got a tip-off from community members about the two women, who…

THE National Department of Health said the outbreak of cholera in neighbouring countries has led to the government intensifying screening efforts at South African’s borders. One of these countries experiencing a cholera outbreak is Zimbabwe, which declared a state of emergency in November. Health spokesperson Foster Mohale said the department was working together with the Border Management Authority among other stakeholders in an effort to stop the spread of cholera into the country. “We have intensified health screening services and health education at the land ports of entry to mitigate against the cross border transmission of the disease,” he said. The department urged all travellers returning from cholera-endemic areas including Zimbabwe to be vigilant of cholera symptoms and co-operate with health officials, and be transparent. “All suspected cholera patients will…

As we head for the most crucial general election in our history, it becomes a moral obligation on all of us to cast our vote which will decide the fate of our beleaguered nation. The stench of corruption is so pungent that it has toxified the political atmosphere in the country. Accountability requires that those who have been unmasked must be permanently banned from entering the political arena. The acrid smoke of brazen corruption has enveloped our entire land in a deadly haze, under a fog of deception, that has emasculated our hard-worn democracy. The ANC was once vibrant and it made a real contribution to the birth of democracy more than 25 years ago. Today, time and circumstances have changed. Any political party that refuses to adapt will suffer…

TWO suspects are due in the Soshanguve Magistrate’s Court today in relation to the New Year’s Eve mass killings that rocked the township’s Block P. The police announced on Tuesday that the duo, aged 30 and 33, were arrested in connection with the shooting and would be charged with murder. The four people who were fatally shot included 14-year-old Vuyolethu Ziwele, Phomolo Malakapatlo, 28, Constable Mpho Kgobotlo, 29 and Thandi Dlamini, 33. According to a witness, the suspects were armed with rifles and wore black bulletproof vests. Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said according to an internal police report, 80 empty rifle cartridges were found at the scene, as well as 19 cartridges from a 9mm firearm. Nevhuhulwi said the bodies were found on the street moments after…

We’re hoping that our tourist season will extend well into April 2024, boosting the economy and leading up to the busy Easter period, known for its tourism and the delights of the Western Cape. With the weak rand and fantastic weather, we expect tourism to become a growing industry and a valuable source of foreign currency. Tourism also feeds into dozens of other industries, relying on the diverse skills our country has to offer. When considering which industries are poised for growth in 2024, we should acknowledge the studies conducted by various tertiary institutions and provincial chambers of commerce across South Africa. One industry on a major growth path is, as we all know, the security industry. Due to factors like unemployment and poverty, we expect to see significant expansion…

South Africa’s 55 all out on the first day of the second Test at Newlands yesterday was not only the lowest total against India in Tests but was also South Africa’s eighth-lowest total in the format. It is also their worst innings total since readmission in 1992. The first day saw 75.1 overs bowled, while the batters from both teams managed only 270 runs and the game is already into the third innings of the match. Proteas fightback On the stroke of tea, Nandre Burger inspired a brilliant fightback from the Proteas pace attack with India on 72-1, with only Kagiso Rabada hitting his straps with the new ball, having claimed Yashasvi Jaiswal’s wicket in the third over of India’s first innings. Initially, Burger endured a tough first spell…

Senegal captain and talisman Sadio Mané will lead the charge for the defending champions at Afcon 2023 in Ivory Coast, where the continental showpiece kicks off next weekend, and will be joined by a plethora of stars. Here, we look at all those match-winners. Hakim Ziyech Morocco After Morocco’s stunning fourth-place finish at the Fifa World Cup in December 2022 – when the Atlas Lions became the first African nation to reach a semi-final at the global showpiece – they will be the most dangerous opposition at Afcon this year. In Ziyech, Morocco have a trump card who plays as a rightwinger or an attacking midfielder. During his time at Ajax Amsterdam, Chelsea and Galatasaray he made a massive impact in the Uefa Champions League and has been named…

Reality TV personality Faith Nketsi dropped some truth bombs on X recently, giving us a glimpse into her thoughts on relationships, marriage, and the not-so-rosy side of social media. In the aftermath of announcing her divorce from husband, Nzuzo Njilo, last year, she has been keeping it real Taking to X, @_faith_nketsi shared her feelings about men and didn’t hold back on sharing her encounters with married men trying to make a move. In a recent post, she touched on the harsh reality behind seemingly perfect couples showcased on social media. She wrote: “Agh I hate men. Imagine scrolling through IG (Instagram) and seeing a couple that is serving ‘goals’ and then checking ur dm and realising he has been at it since 2019 till now. Agh I hate y’all…

SOUTH African football fans are in danger of missing out on Bafana Bafana’s 2023 Africa Cup of Nations campaign after MultiChoice announced yesterday that it would not be broadcasting the tournament, which starts next weekend. With the African showpiece set to take centre stage in Ivory Coast, Multi- Choice released a statement confirming that SuperSport would not televise the tournament on South African screens after a failure to secure the broadcast rights. “SuperSport Channel will not broadcast the Africa Cup of Nations 2023 scheduled for January 13 to February 11, 2024, because the channel has not secured the rights to broadcast the tournament,” the statement read. “However, Afcon 2023 games will be available through our partner broadcast stations on Free to Air (FTA) channels. “MultiChoice Africa remains committed to ensuring…

THE uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party has vowed to end load shedding and reduce fuel costs when it takes over the government from the ANC after the elections. This emerged at a meeting between former president Jacob Zuma and the leader of African Democratic Change (ADeC) Visvin Reddy. The long meeting at Zuma’s homestead in Nkandla ran from Tuesday night until yesterday morning. In a series of videos shared by Reddy, the two leaders discussed key issues, which included the crippling load shedding and high fuel costs that have both threatened to collapse the country’s economy. Zuma said the MK party would prioritise ending load shedding, adding that there would never be load shedding. The country was not supposed to be having load shedding since he stopped it by bringing in…

Sadly and tragically, Dr Mbongeni Ngema was killed in a vehicle accident in the Eastern Cape while returning from the funeral of an associate. What devastating news! It put a damper on the festive season. The Verulam-born genius was a world-renowned and highly-acclaimed playwright, producer and multitalented artistic persona who made his indelible mark locally, nationally and internationally, achieving various awards and bringing honour and glory to Mzansi. RIP Madlokovu. You may no longer be with us physically but your distinguished and unrivalled achievements will prevail for posterity, notably Sarafina, starring Leleti Khumalo (Mntungwa) and Whoopi Goldberg, with the Struggle song that there will be freedom tomorrow, among others such as Asinamali. Thanks for blessing us with your God-given gifts. May the dear Lord, in His mercy and grace, grant…

The fact that the ANC is, in desperation, taking Israel to the International Court of Justice on the charge of genocide is to bluff the world into believing that we are this loving, caring, compassionate and sympathetic nation. Also, to show our gratitude for the hard-done-by Palestinians for fighting with us “in the trenches” during apartheid, although I can’t find any evidence of this. A South Africa fighting for the rights of the underprivileged, the destitute and those who have nothing. Wow! Marvellous stuff, despite the fact that millions of South Africans are starving, living in shocking conditions of abject poverty, with no chance of ever finding employment. Cities and towns that have become slums through incompetence and massive corruption. A crime situation that far surpasses any war setting with…

The rain that soaked most parts of the country in the past few weeks has seen a much-needed uptick in national water levels. This is according to the state of reservoirs report issued by the Department of Water and Sanitation. The water stored in the country’s reservoirs increased to 89.8% this week, from last week’s 86.2%, it said. But this was down from 94.3% recorded during the same period last year. It said most of the provinces had an increase in water volumes this week, with the exception of Gauteng and the Western Cape, which had a decline of 0.4% and 1.2% respectively. Despite downpours in Gauteng, the province’s water levels decreased to 85.9% this week, from 86.3% last week. This is a significant drop compared with the same period…

Mbongeni Ngema, a South African playwright who decried the injustices of white-rule apartheid while celebrating black culture and resilience in works including the Broadway hit Sarafina! that later became a film starring Whoopi Goldberg, died on December 27 following a car accident. He was 68. Ngema was riding in a car involved in a head-on collision in the Eastern Cape, according to a family statement. He died at a hospital in Mbizana. The struggles of the apartheid era – endemic poverty, repression and political marginalisation – were the core of Ngema’s stage productions, which reached audiences across the world and made Ngema among the leading artistic voices challenging white- minority rule. His Tony-nominated musical Sarafina! (1987) was inspired by deadly clashes that began in Soweto in 1976 over orders for…

THE embattled National Student Aid Financial Scheme (NSFAS) is still attempting to finalise the payments of outstanding 2023 allowances for 20 000 students. NSFAS is aiming to complete the direct payment to students from various higher learning institutions by January 15. However, students have expressed their lack of confidence in this target. The entity has faced much criticism over its mandate including from Parliament as it was marred by IT challenges. NSFAS spokesperson Ishmail Mnisi said the board members had an extraordinary meeting on December 31 to consider reports from the entity’s management to discuss the final disbursement of the 2023 allowance and the formation of the rapid response team in preparation for the new academic year, among other matters. “The NSFAS confirm that there are 20 000 allowances which…

Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro has admitted to the difficulties of managing his squad’s rich depth with half of the season gone. The Spanish-born coach has guided the Buccaneers to a disappointing fifth place in the Premiership standings having played 16 league games already, with his side all but out of the title race. Following on from a successful 2022/23 campaign, in which Pirates lifted two major cups, Riveiro sought to bolster his squad for the current season and added several new faces to his group, a decision that hasn’t quite worked out. The arrival of players like midfielder Patrick Maswanganyi from SuperSport United and goalkeeper Melusi Buthelezi from TS Galaxy has seen minutes taken away from the likes of Richard Ofori, as well as last year’s Footballer of…

Banyana Banyana stars Hildah Magaia and Sinoxolo Cesane secured big moves to Mexican side Mazatlan FC in the Liga BBVA Femenil. The wingers, who are part of coach Desiree Ellis’ plans to qualify for the Paris Olympics in June, have become the third and fourth South Africans playing in the league that is one of the fastest-growing women’s leagues in the world. Fellow forward Jermaine Seoposenwe plays for FC Monterey, while Banyana captain Thembi Kgatlana recently joined defending league champions Tigres UANL. Magaia and Cesane are reportedly set to earn a significant salary hike at Mazatlan, which was established in 2020. Seoposenwe, who was the first Banyana player to explore the North American nation, revealed her main reason for joining her current club while speaking to the SABC last year.…

IT IS unlikely that Antonio van Wyk would be aware of Gary George’s seminal work Winning is a Habit. But the 21-year-old Stellenbosch FC attacker speaks like someone who has read and totally bought into the ways of Vincent Lombardi, the man generally considered American football’s greatest coach. Still a peripheral player at Stellies, Van Wyk nevertheless utters phrases that you’d expect from seasoned campaigners and his outlook on football matters belies his age. He was in his element describing what it means and fells like to be a trophy winner and how that can only be something that he gets accustomed to and wants more of. “To win a major trophy so early in my career is a great feeling,” he said in reference to the club’s recent Carling…