Thursday, January 24 2019

News

Mosque murder: Taking a stand against extremism

A second Ethiopian critic of extremism has been murdered in Johannesburg in less than a year

By Graeme Hosken and Naledi Shange

4 min read

News

Malema hops on Bosasa bandwagon to hoist EFF virtue flag

He claims his party has not been implicated in recent corruption scandals – despite evidence to the contrary

By Zimasa Matiwane

4 min read

Ideas

Our gadget-verskrik minister needs to fix schools before buying iPads

When kids still drown in pit latrines, and classrooms are filled with 100 pupils, hi-tech gadgets are not a priority

Jonathan Jansen

Columnist

4 min read

News

Say bye to imports and hello to local is lekker

Multimillion-rand black-owned textile firm launched in Durban to reverse culture of cheap imports

Bongani Mthethwa

Journalist

4 min read

News

AG spends millions forcing depts to pay audit fees

It has been forced to resort to litigation to recover fees from government departments, entities and municipalities

Mpumzi Zuzile

Journalist

2 min read

News

Mommy can’t talk right now, sweetie. Mommy’s on holiday

Experts say momcations should be factored into monthly planners as much as golf days for fathers

Nivashni Nair

Journalist

3 min read

News

May mayday! UCT boffins home in on month that points to more droughts

Extreme droughts are going to become more common, and climate change is making things worse, say scientists

Dave Chambers

Cape Town bureau chief

3 min read

News

After era of turmoil, new UCT law dean vows to steady ship

Prof Danwood Chirwa steps in after the former dean left under a cloud

Tanya Farber

Journalist

3 min read

News

‘Disappointing’: Parents drop charge against suspected Sandton paedophile

Only one charge of sexual assault remains after parents of second child opt not to continue with criminal case

Shain Germaner

Journalist

2 min read

Ideas

A joy to be holding: Marie Kondo is wrong, we love our clutter

Her minimalist manifesto has gone global, but the tidying-up guru's strict methods aren't for everyone

By Lydia Slater

6 min read

Ideas

‘New-age’ dads deserve a hiding for being such duds

Sorry men, occasionally ‘babysitting’ your children does not make you a hands-on parent

By Michael Hogan

7 min read

Ideas

It’s like a super-power: The upside to ADHD in adulthood

Everyday life can be a constant battle, but it's not all bad news - we have the ability to hyper-focus

By Nick Varley

6 min read

Eskom pension fund chief quits

The Eskom Pension and Provident Fund (EPPF) chief executive and principal officer, Nopasika Lila, has resigned. This came after " thorough introspection", EPPF board of trustees chairperson Mantuka Maisela said on Tuesday. Lila joined the fund in December 2010 as chief financial officer. "Lila has served the organisation and our members with professionalism and diligence. Lila became EPPF chief executive and principal on April 1 last year and her last day at the office will be on March 31," said Maisela. According to the EPPF’s website, Lila is an independent nonexecutive director of enX Group and Nampak. She previously worked at, among others, Old Mutual and the Public Investment Corporation. "Apart from being an effective communicator and trainer, she speaks and writes Mandarin with relative ease.” Eskom CEO Phakamani Hadebe made a desperate plea on January 14 for higher Eskom tariffs over the next three years and for more money from the government.

City must help with rat problem: Food Lover’s

Food Lover's Market, which made headlines after a rat was filmed tearing into a salad at its Diepkloof store, has suggested the City of Johannesburg should also take responsibility for the incident. "We and our franchisees have for years been fighting an ongoing battle to combat the presence of rodents around our stores and the premises they occupy. We have also employed outside pest control agencies … " spokesperson Nigel Meintjes said. "However, we feel it is important to note that the area surrounding both stores in question – Diepkloof in particular – is in a disgusting state. This area has acted as an informal dumping site for years without any remedial action being taken by the city. It would assist our cause greatly if the municipality were to clean up the area as the lack of rubbish removal most certainly acts as a fertile breeding ground for rodents and the like … “The city shut down another of their outlets in Soweto last week.

SA businessman dies in Moz custody

SA maritime businessman Andre Hanekom has died in Mozambique, his daughter Amanda Hanekom said on Wednesday. "My dad died early this morning in mysterious circumstances in the hospital in Pemba. His court case was going to be next week and he would have won, " she said on Facebook. Hanekom's wife, Francis, has said he was arrested in August on trumped-up terrorism charges. Hanekom, 62, who owned a slipway and maritime logistics company in the country, was arrested by police, one of whom shot him in the arm and stomach. They initially claimed they were holding him for his own safety after rescuing him from kidnappers linked to the Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jama extremist group. However, in October he appeared in court, with authorities claiming Hanekom — fondly known as Baba Mzungu (white father) among locals — was linked to the organisation.

NPA to ‘drop’ charges against Duduzane Zuma

The National Prosecuting Authority is expected to provisionally withdraw corruption charges against former president Jacob Zuma’s son Duduzane in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Thursday. Duduzane Zuma’s lawyers have declined to comment until the court process is finalised on Thursday morning. NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane Aldo said the state would comment only after Thursday’s court proceedings. Business Day understands that the NPA sent a letter to Zuma’s lawyers on Tuesday, notifying them of the provisional withdrawal of the charges. The exact reason for that withdrawal is not known, but follows the NPA’s decision to provisionally withdraw charges against Gupta family members and associates late in 2018, in connection with the alleged Estina Dairy Project scam. Zuma was charged in July 2018 with corruption, alternatively conspiracy to commit corruption, relating to an alleged R600m bribe offer made to former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas in 2015 by a Gupta brother, in Zuma’s presence.

Ramaphosa signs ‘transparent’ party funding bill

President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed into law a bill to regulate public and private funding of political parties ahead of the May elections with the fight against corruption a key issue. The political funding bill, signed on Monday, repeals a 1997 act and obligates parties to disclose all donations received to the Independent Electoral Commission. The legislation is intended to enhance transparency and accountability in the political and electoral system. "The act will help the commission to monitor compliance and may request any person to disclose any relevant information or produce, in whatever form, any relevant books, records, reports and any other documents it may deem necessary," the presidency said.

Students get another shot at financial aid

Students whose financial aid applications were unsuccessful can appeal to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). "There are unfortunately some students who have been unsuccessful, based on information that we received from credit bureaus regarding their household income. Should a student want to dispute this outcome because of changes to the household income or Sassa status, they may lodge an appeal by providing the necessary documentation to NSFAS,” said scheme spokesperson Kagisho Mamabolo. Students can lodge appeals by downloading a form from the scheme’s website or by submitting their appeals directly to NSFAS offices. Appeals would be considered only if: There is a "material" change in combined household income; A student lost a bursary/sponsor in the 2018 academic cycle; A student failed to meet academic criteria while he/she had a satisfactory academic track record; If more than one student from the same household is concurrently enrolled at a tertiary institution.

NO REGRETS Riot police detain a demonstrator during a protest against fare hikes for city buses in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Image: Reuters/Amanda Perobelli

Lifestyle

Today's cryptic crossword

It's time to put your brain to work

1 min read

Lifestyle

Today's quick crossword

How fast can you get it done?

1 min read

World

Zim dragged under as the ‘Crocodile’ devours his opponents

After vowing to restore his country's fortunes, Emmerson Mnangagwa is only adding to its suffering

By Con Coughlin

4 min read

World

Tech companies wake up to our desperate need for sleep

Sleep and tech are fast becoming inseparable bedfellows, but, beware, there are a lot of false claims out there

By Matthew Field and James Cook

6 min read

World

Blooming madness: The day Cameron committed the UK to chaos

Six years ago, the former prime minister announced the referendum that would change British politics forever

By Philip Johnston

5 min read

World

Change of heart: Think again about that daily aspirin

It's long been widely accepted as a heart drug, but scientists warn there is a risk of bleeding side-effects

By Henry Bodkin

2 min read

US Democrats plug Buttigieg for president

Pete Buttigieg, the Democratic mayor of South Bend, Indiana, launched an underdog 2020 bid for the White House on Wednesday, aiming to stand out as the first openly gay nominee of a major US political party. Buttigieg, 37, a two-term mayor of the Rust Belt city of about 100,000 people, has argued the party needs new leadership that can appeal to the working-class voters who deserted Democrats in favor of Republican Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential race. ‘My generation is the generation that experienced school shootings beginning when I was in high school, the generation that fought in the post-9/11 wars, the first generation to have to deal with the reality of climate change, and the first generation not to be better off than our parents materially — if nothing changes,’ Buttigieg said. — Reuters

Plenty of chilly willies at play in Paris

It might seem like a cruel joke on one of the coldest nights of the year, but French naturists are in the pink over the success of a Paris play the audience had to strip to see. Undeterred by the chilling name of the venue, the Palace of Ice, nudists shed their winter woolies to watch the farce sending up those who object to their lifestyle. ‘There is no better way of laughing than to laugh in the nude,’ said Cedric Amato, the head of a Paris nudist group, who braved a forecast of snow to attend. Naturists have been pushing to make their lifestyle more mainstream in Paris, with stand-up comedy nights, naked museum visits and a dedicated nudist zone in the city’s biggest park. — AFP

Proof that you can’t take the poo out of poop

A French public health watchdog issued a warning on Wednesday about the risks of several chemicals found in disposable nappies, particularly artificial perfumes, leading the government to demand that manufacturers withdraw them from their products. The chemicals identified in the study include two artificial perfumes as well as other complex aromatic products that are refined from oil, and potentially dangerous dioxins. The French government gave nappy manufacturers 15 days to remove the products identified by the watchdog. An average baby in France wears 3,800 to 4,800 nappies, with the potentially hazardous chemicals found even in products marketed as environmentally friendly. — AFP

Elvis Presley, king of the Aussie outback

Once a year Parkes, a sleepy mining town in rural Australia, explodes into colour and song — a veritable Graceland in the outback hosting a five-day extravaganza to celebrate ‘the King’. Die-hard fans don their polyester jumpsuits, thick black wigs and gold-coloured necklaces for the southern hemisphere’s biggest tribute to the superstar. This year’s Parkes Elvis Festival generated Aus$13m (R128m) for the local economy as more than 27,000 people visited. A regular fixture is a rugby game featuring teams of Elvis lookalikes all wearing copies of his trademark white jumpsuit. Other small towns have started their own events such as the Abba Festival in nearby Trundle and the Bob Marley Festival in Kandos. — AFP

Cyber crackdown gets serious in China

China’s cyber watchdog said on Wednesday it had deleted more than seven million pieces of online information as well as 9,382 mobile apps, and it criticised tech giant Tencent’s news app for spreading ‘vulgar and low-brow information’. It said the action was part of a cleanup of unacceptable and harmful information that started this month, adding that it had also shut down 733 websites. The regulator also criticised Huaban, a photo-sharing social network, as having ‘serious ecosystem problems’. Control of the internet has tightened under President Xi Jinping as the ruling Communist Party seeks to crack down on dissent in the booming social media landscape. — Reuters

How to follow your fish from bait to plate

With a scan of their smartphones, consumers can now track the journey of their fish meal to ensure it’s a legal, ethical and sustainable product. OpenSC, a global digital platform developed in Australia, allows users to scan QR codes with a smartphone camera to see where the product came from, when and how it was produced and follow its journey along the supply chain. Launched by the World Wildlife Fund and investment firm BCG Digital Ventures, it uses blockchain technology that records information such as the movement of the product and details of its storage. This makes available accurate information on supply chains, enabling consumers to seek sustainable, ethical and fair products from companies, its developers said. — Reuters