Table of contents for 2021-12-17 in DFA News

Sandi Kwon Hoo sandi.kwonhoo@inl.co.za BOTH the ANC and opposition parties have denied any involvement in the fracas that unfolded at Phokwane Local Municipality, where the ruling party and opposition benches accused each other of instigating their members to storm into the chambers on December 13. Matters turned sour when the ANC wanted to extend the contract of the acting municipal manager, Busiswe Mgaguli, while opposition councillors called for the immediate termination of her employment. In court papers, Mgaguli denies knowing the affiliations of the perpetrators, where she later referred to them as “members of the public”. “It was not clear what motivated the eruption of the chaos that was instigated by a few members and abated by members of the public in attendance. The Speaker attempted to resolve the matter…

Kedibone Modise kedibone.modise@inl.co.za THE holiday season is finally upon us and we’ve compiled a list of top South African movies to binge on while you unwind at home with family and friends or on vacation. I Am All Girls Written by Wayne Fitzjohn and Marcell Greef, “I Am All Girls” garnered heaps of praises for its captivating storyline. “I Am All Girls” features the crème de la crème of the South African television and film industry, the likes of Deon Lotz, Hlubi Mboya, Erica Wessels, Masasa Mbangeni, Israel Matseke Zulu, Mothusi Magano and Mampho Brescia. Directed by Donovan Marsh, this thriller is centred around a relentless detective who discovers she has more in common with a killer than she first thought, after discovering their target is the perpetrators running a…

Gerry Cupido geraldine.cupido@inl.co.za Christmas gift shopping for the people you love should be fun but there’s always that one person that will leave you stumped. Most of the time that person tends to be a guy. Women are fairly easy to shop for. From expensive jewellery to budget-friendly bath-time treats, one has so many choices. While a fab designer tie for hubby or a pack of boxers for grandpa might be fine, one can only buy so many ties, boxers or socks. Of course there’s always the gift voucher option but so impersonal and let’s be honest, that’s taking the easiest and laziest way out. Here are a few gift ideas for you so that can easily buy the ideal Christmas present for just about any man. The gift of…

Reuters By Deena Beasley THE OMICRON coronavirus variant has been detected in 77 countries since it was first identified three weeks ago, fuelling concerns that its large number of mutations will help it spread faster and evade protection provided by Covid-19 vaccines or prior infection. Scientists await answers to these important questions: IS IT MORE CONTAGIOUS? The fast-spreading Delta variant remains dominant worldwide, and it is unclear whether Omicron is inherently more contagious than its predecessor, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a brief issued on Sunday. Early data suggests that the new variant is spreading faster than previous versions of the virus. In South Africa, the UK and Denmark, the number of new Omicron infections has been doubling every two days - "an alarming rate of growth," according…

Lance Fredericks IT’S FUNNY how things that are completely unrelated are sometimes actually closely related. A most obscure key can unlock a door in the mind holding memories you hadn’t entertained in years, even decades. On Wednesday morning I was making myself a sandwich and suddenly my mind was flooded, completely overwhelmed with some very specific childhood memories. It would be around this time of the year, sort of mid-December when we, the children, would start anticipating our year-end trip to the river resort just outside the city. The sheer amount and variety of fun things we did at the resort would colour our conversations during the entire first term back at school. I tried to figure out why the simple act of making a sandwich would bring on such…

Eshlin Vedan THERE is no doubt that AmaZulu’s current form will be very embarrassing to coach Benni McCarthy. He is a proud coach with big ambitions. Usuthu are currently on a run of seven consecutive draws. They have drawn 12 games so far this season which is the most for any side in the South African top-flight. They are unlikely to be given an easy time in their upcoming clash against resurgent Marumo Gallants at the Peter Mokaba Stadium today (5.15pm kick-off). The Limpopo-based side started the season in poor form but their results have improved since the appointment of Dan Malesela as coach. Gallants are unbeaten in their last five league games, having won three in the process. Despite their draws this season, the one positive that AmaZulu can…

Staff Reporter LEICESTER City boss Brendan Rodgers says the only reason the Premier League games are still continuing is because of broadcasting deals. With Covid-19 wreaking havoc at clubs in the league, recording a record 42 cases earlier in the week, Rodgers and his Foxes wanted their match against Tottenham last night postponed. Spurs apparently also wanted the match to be postponed because of Covid-19 infections, but their request was denied. And with Burnley and Watford’s match on Wednesday being postponed, Rodgers doesn’t think the league can choose their matches any longer. Asked if the league’s TV deals had anything to do with the decision, Rodgers says: “I’m pretty sure that’s the case, yes. “In terms of players, managers and coaches, we all want to play the games. But ultimately the…

Benida Phillips benida.phillips@inl.co.za THE NORTHERN Cape Theatre should polish the creative talent in the Province and place it on a pedestal for the world to see. These were the encouraging words from the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, to local artists during the official opening and handover of the Northern Cape Theatre in Kimberley on Wednesday. Mthethwa said that although the Covid-19 restrictions have resulted in a halt on cultural activities and gatherings, the handover is a sign that things are about to change. “This handover is intended to offer a glimmer of hope in these challenging times and provides the faith that the tide is turning and better times are on the horizon,” the minister said. He added that his department has also ensured that artists…

Sebastien Ash AFP GERMANY vowed this week to “defend itself” against radicalised anti-vaccination groups after police launched raids in response to death threats against a top politician backing decisive measures to fight the pandemic. Police and special forces staged an operation in Saxony after an anti-vaccine group targeted the region’s state premier, who has vocally supported national measures against the unvaccinated in one of the areas of the country with the lowest inoculation rates. Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who took office last week, said Germany would “not allow a tiny minority of uninhibited extremists to try to impose its will on the whole of society”. The security forces earlier launched the operation in the eastern city of Dresden following threats from an anti-vaccine group against state premier Michael Kretschmer. “Statements from certain…

Lutho Pasiya lutho.pasiya@inl.co.za Sick of roasting a huge, traditional bird with stuffing and all the trimmings for Christmas or the holidays? Try these roast turkey alternatives! Beef wellington Beef wellington (if made correctly) is sure to knock everyone’s socks off. Sure it is a bit fancy, and some might even say over the top, but if that sounds like your kind of meal, then there is no other recipe to follow than Gordon Ramsay’s. This recipe is quite advanced, so if you are new to cooking, you will appreciate watching videos and doing a little studying before giving this one a go. Intimidating or not, this elaborate recipe will create incredibly delicious results. Roast chicken When it comes to easy and familiar, roast chicken is an appealing choice as…

The Washington Post A NASA spacecraft became the first to "touch the sun", scientists announced this week - a long-awaited milestone and a potential giant leap in understanding the sun's influence on the solar system. The Parker Solar Probe successfully flew through the sun's corona, or upper atmosphere, in April to sample particles and its magnetic fields, according to research published in the journal Physical Review Letters. The findings were also announced on Tuesday at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in New Orleans. "For centuries, humanity has only been able to observe this atmosphere from afar," Nicola Fox, director of Nasa's heliophysics division, said at a news conference. "Now . . . we have finally arrived. Humanity has touched the sun." The spacecraft, launched three years ago in an…

Marchelle Abrahams marchelle.abrahams@inl.co.za Whenever we visit the toy store, the first thing I do is explain the lay of the land to my youngest. She’s old enough to understand the value of money and why, sometimes, she can’t always get the toy she wants. But on the rare occasion, I find myself giving in to her melodramatic pleas and end up walking out defeated. As a parent, you don’t always want to be the bad guy when it comes to denying your child something they’ve wanted for so long, especially when they’ve innocently added it to their Christmas wish list in the hopes that Father Christmas will make it happen because they’ve been a good child this year. Some of us don’t have the financial means to afford that R2K…

Cricket SA’s Transformation Ombudsman, Adv. Dumisa Ntsebeza found that Mark Boucher’s explanation for calling former national teammate Paul Adams ‘brown shit’ lacked sensitivity and understanding of South Africa’s racist history. The findings were published in the Social Justice and Nation Building report, which was made public on Wednesday. Adams had provided deeply painful testimony when he appeared before the SJN in July, pointing out that he was the victim of a racist song, sung about him by teammates including Boucher. The current Proteas head coach, who did not appear at the SJN, provided a written submission in which he unreservedly apologised for his actions. However Boucher’s response was strongly criticised in the SJN report. Addressing the Boucher incident alongside a racist message posted to a WhatsApp group by former South…

Vernon Pillay vernon.pillay@inl.co.za BUSINESS REPORT WE’VE all been there… it’s mid-January, your bank account is empty after the holiday festivities, and you have no idea how you’ll make it to pay day. In a recent Sanlam survey, 54% of South Africans admitted they were not able to make their money stretch to the end of the month. With December pay cheques arriving earlier than usual for many employees and all the additional festive season expenses, it’s no wonder the first month of the year has been dubbed ‘JanuWorry’. Farzana Botha, Segment Solutions Manager at Sanlam Savings, says its especially important for South Africans to budget this time of the year. “Your pay cheque needs to last for 6 weeks as opposed to the normal 4-5 weeks every other month, and will…

Sandi Kwon Hoo sandi.kwonhoo@inl.co.za OFFICIALS at Phokwane Local Municipality will apply for an urgent interdict against opposition councillors and an ANC councillor after they voted in an acting municipal manager, following a scuffle where punches were thrown during a council meeting on December 13. The application is expected to be heard in the Northern Cape High Court on December 20, where opposition parties have indicated that they will oppose the matter. It now appears as if there are two acting municipal managers (MM) at Phokwane Municipality after the corporate services director, Mpho Mojaki, was issued with a letter of appointment to start as the acting MM from December 14. This follows after the majority of councillors, including the EFF, DA, FF+, the Forum 4 Service Delivery and the Phokwane Service…

Mihlali Baleka in Johannesburg Mamelodi Sundowns can be forgiven for being complacent once or twice in the league. This is the view of co-coach Rulani Mokwena who believes that his charges have been pushing themselves and that’s why they can afford to slip up. After the 16th round of matches in the Premiership, Sundowns remain the team to beat. They are top of the pile with 40 points, thanks to an unbeaten streak that has yielded 12 wins and four draws since the start of the season in August. That streak, moreover, has all the makings of a championship winning team as they’ve only conceded five goals, albeit scoring a whopping 28. They are also 15 points ahead of second-placed rivals Kaizer Chiefs in the standings. Sundowns are a team…

Mihlali Baleka IT’S PROBABLY easy to look at Kaizer Chiefs’ barren run in 2021 and conclude “how the mighty has fallen”. But a thorough research, inspection and analysis will tell you that this year was actually good for the Naturena-based outfit. Of course, do not hear me wrong. The success of a football club is gauged by the number of titles they’ve won over a certain period, and that Amakhosi haven’t won a trophy in six years doesn’t align with their famous tag of ‘Cup Kings’. Perhaps this year was a gentle reminder of what they stand for as the biggest footballing institution in the country. That they couldn’t finish in the Premiership’s top three after a late sneak into the top eight was disappointing from their perspective. But those…

JOHANNESBURG – Cricket South Africa’s transformation ombudsman, Adv. Dumisa Ntsebeza found that the appointments of Graeme Smith as Director of Cricket, and Mark Boucher as the Proteas men’s team’s head coach were irregular. Those findings were contained in the final report of the Social Justice and Nation Building project which was released publicly by CSA on Wednesday. The report, which runs to 235 pages, states that in the appointment of Smith, in December 2019, CSA’s former chief executive, Thabang Moroe, acted beyond the powers granted to him according to CSA’s HR Manual – which outlines the manner in which appointments must be made. Smith provided the SJN with a written affidavit, which included a timeline outlining when he was first approached for the position in July 2019 by then CSA…

Reuters Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes team dropped plans to appeal the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix outcome yesterday and congratulated Max Verstappen as Formula One world champion. Red Bull’s Verstappen, 24, seized the title after overtaking seven-times world champion Hamilton on the last lap of the race amid uproar over how a late safety car period was conducted. The Dutch driver was due to collect his trophy at a gala awards ceremony in Paris last night. Mercedes welcomed the governing FIA’s decision, announced on Wednesday, to analyse what happened at Yas Marina and bring clarity for the future. “We will hold the FIA accountable for this process and we hereby withdraw our appeal,” the team said. Mercedes had announced their intention to appeal after two post-race protests were dismissed. The deadline was…