WEEKLY SA Mirror 16th ED

WIN A CHANCE FASHION: WORKING TO CREATE BERMUDA FROM HOME? YOUR OWN SHOTS IN 5TAX BENEFITS 11BRANDY 10VOGUE page page page Friday 3 September 2021 D E Q L www.weeklysamirror.news MIRRORWEEKLY SA Insight to connect the dots... ULTIMATUM • Midvaal council stops illegal housing development on its land • Demolishes 54 homes on land-grab site • Stranded clients demand refunds of betweeen R350 000 and R415 000 2 5see page & PHOTO: Mohau Mofokeng WOMEN WHO KILLED FOR LOVE... 3see page

2 WEEKLY SA MIRROR NEWS Friday 3 September 2021 KNOCKED DOWN: Nkahiseng Moloi pictured next to the rubble that remained after a house was demolished by the Midvaal municipality. . . Photo: Mohau Mofokeng COUNCIL ACTS AGAINST ‘LAND-GRAB’ DEVELOPER INVASION: Demolishes 54 houses illegally built on its land By Thuli Zungu Those who said they wanted someone to in- DISHEARTENING: A heap of rubble was all that was left after council graders razed down The MidVaal Local Municipality has demol- tervene and stop the Midvaal municipality from an illegally built house.in Elandsfontein, Midvaal. Photo: Mohau Mofokeng ished nearly sixty houses that have been il- demolishing their houses, spoke on condition of legally built by a construction company that anonymity. Residents said securing a meeting with the Lynda Parsonson of the Midvaal Develop- had constantly flouted municipal by-laws by owner had proven futile. He recently sent his ment and Planning department, said the munici- selling houses and land to consumers in an “We are scared and we don’t know what lawyers to address them and resolve their prob- pality had over the past two years informed and area that is not suitable for development. will happen to us after you have left,” they said lems but these lawyers had no answers to their warned home buyers about the illegal housing after the sales agent showed face. grievances. development on a farm in Elandsfontein by The municipality is at loggerheads with the Ntha Property Developers. She said they had company, Ntha Properties over five pieces of All the residents in the area are pensioners Dikeledi Maruping said she also cancelled requested the company to cease the construc- land where the building construction company and those who had been retrenched and who had her contract in June this year after being in- tion and comply with the necessary town plan- has illegally sold and built houses to unsuspect- used their pension pay-outs to build homes for formed that the houses were going to be demol- ning and development processes but they failed ing clients. themselves. ished by the municipality but she still had not to do so. received her refund of R53 000 she had paid in After ignoring several warnings by the One pensioner said he paid R285 000 to November last year. No land had been allocated “Due to the noncompliance, illegality and council to stop the operation, the municipality have his house built. The area does not have to her at the time of cancellation, she said. risk associated with this development the mu- recently obtained a court order and demolished water supplies and one of the pensioners said nicipality followed the due legal processes and 54 houses at Plot 116 in Elandsfontein in a bid he stored his water in a zozo tank and has also The Weekly SA Mirror team was this week successfully obtained a court order to demolish to stop the company from continuing with its installed two solar panels so he could have elec- stopped from conducting interviews by the sales the housing structures on site. operations. tricity. The whole plot does not have water and agents who accused us of trespassing and told electricity supplies. us we needed permission from Kabelo Rangaka The houses were demolished on July 27 this Weekly SA Mirror visited the area this week who owns the construction company. year by the municipality in conjunction with the and interviewing residents proved to be a mis- Homebuyers who have been conned into Sheriff of the Court, said Parsonson . sion hard to accomplish. Instead most of them buying the illegal houses and land are those They also threatened to beat our photogra- peeped through the windows when we asked for situated at plots 106, 107, 108, 109 and 116. pher Mohau Mofokeng, when he tried to seek She said the company refused to follow due interviews. Some said they were too scared to clarity on the houses that were being demol- processes that ensured the safety of the occupi- talk to the media. Nkahiseng Moloi, 40, recently cancelled her ished. Construction company owner, Kabelo ers, availability of infrastructure and confirma- contract after it emerged that the houses were Rangaka has continuously ignored our tele- tion of structural suitability of the buildings for Others told us that one of their neighbours built illegally and would soon be demolished by phone calls for comment. He also ignored our occupation by the municipality . who was their spokesperson, was recently killed the council. Moloi said she felt more aggrieved email and text messages. by anonymous people. when told she can only get her refund after 60 (See Page 5) days even though the contract does not have this waiting period clause after cancellation.

Friday 3 September 2021 NEWS 3WEEKLY SA MIRROR LOCKDOWN CURFEW TURNS SEX WORKERS OFF QUICKIE: Ladies of the night forced to drop prices amid dwindling clients By Ali Mphaki She says they’ve been forced to start thinking NIGHT CALL: A sex worker at work in the dark alleys Sex work, like most other industries, has out of the box, and in some instances had to adopt flopped thanks to the ravages of the Covid-19 a “eat now pay later” method - but only to “select MONEY OR THE JAB CONUNDRUM pandemic. Face to face with lustful but broke loyal clients” – just to make ends meet. customers, nothing could rouse the ire of Jozi’s The “No Jab No Mjolo” campaign has Limpopo health MEC Phophi Ramathuba ladies of the night than the adjusted Level 3 With time not on their side, another member not been universally welcomed by sex who has defended her department’s latest curfew of 10pm to 4am which have been ex- of the sorority who gave her name as Candice, workers in Jozi, who feel it will bring further campaign slogan to ramp up vaccination tended to October 15. They say it is eating on said the lack of business has left them between a complications to their trade. among citizens 18 and older. their time of “jabbing” with their clients. rock and hard plate as they are also struggling to pay for their accommodation. “All we want is money, not vaccination Last week, the department unveiled the Theirs was a whole night’s job, but due to passports from our clients’. campaign on social media, including the Covid restrictions sex workers say they are forced “In some instances we are forced to sleep catchy phrase “mjolo [dating] slaps better to settle for the proverbial “quickie’ - as clients with the landlords to compensate for our lack of “We have to decide whether we are cops when protected”. have to withdraw early to their homes before the payment,’ she says dabbing a tear. or ladies of the night,” barked out one Cindy. curfew. “No condom, no sex. No vaccine But even with their challenges, most inter- “Just imagine having to ask every client certificate, no dating,” read the post. Competition has also become stiff, what with viewed said they had no other alternative but to if they’ve vaccinated or not, it is just not “fresh stock” having arrived from all over since continue with their time tested trade. practical for our kind of work,’ added a Health Minister Joe Phaahla has also last month’s looting frenzy in various parts of the teenager called Busilicious. Interestingly confirmed last Friday that the matter of country, shrieks Bubbles Makhoba (not her real The recent relaxation of the liquor ban has though, most of the sex workers Weekly SA mandatory vaccines has been raised for name), a veteran of Nugget Street. also seen a mild boom in their business, they say, Mirror spoke to said while they had been official consideration even though many do not see it as a silver bullet vaccinated, it would not be a prerequisite The increase in numbers have also seen a to their woes. for their clients. “An unvaccinated client On June 11 the government published price drop, in line with the economic laws of sup- flushed with money would be a highly a new Consolidated Direction on ply and demand. ‘We are now forced to start our work early, difficult proposition to reject,” they say. Occupational Health and Safety Measures before it gets dark, and some of our high paying in certain workplaces which requires that “It’s a simple Math,” says Bubbles. “Our clients operate under the cover of darkness as “Ours is basically a hand to mouth job, every employer must undertake a risk numbers have increased and with less time on they would not want to be seen which is a prob- and it’s going to be difficult to practice the assessment. the streets it means less rounds and less rounds lem,” added a curvaceous Lindy Smith swiveling no jab no sex thing since every cent counts,” means less revenue,” she adds. Her “partner in her hips. She said most of their day clients were This assessment should take into crime” Yvodia Mmeli, 33, while mindful of the either broke or wanted credit, which was not good ‘It is even difficult to apply the ‘one account the operational requirements of devastating impact of the coronavirus, say never for business. metre plus” rule in our industry,” the say. the workplace and whether it intends to has business been so limp like in the past more make vaccination mandatory. than 350 days of Covid restrictions. Her parting shot was: The street workers were responding to “Do you also want one… and stop asking too many questions,” before disappearing in a smoke filled bar. ILL-FATED: Julia Cossa convicted for nearly killing her boy- REGRETFUL: Molly Thwesha abused her kids for the love of SPURNED: Diana Shopha convicted for murder and attempt- friend. Photo: Boitumelo Tshehle her boyfriend. Photo: Boitumelo Tshehle ed murder. Photo: Boitumelo Tshehle HELL HATH NO FURY LIKE A WOMAN SCORNED DOUBLE JEOPARDY: Jailed women describe trauma of freedom lost for the sake of unrequited love By Boitumelo Tshehle Thwesha was arrested in 2019 for abusing her Julia Cossa spoke of her relief, but also of the taking the upper hand, men continue to be males A North West woman used the money that the children, who she neglected to chase after the love years of trauma she endured. She was arrested who continue to kill women. government gave her to feed her children to pay that landed her in prison. “He is enjoying life (out- for attempted murder. She said her case will help bail her boyfriend who had stabbed her in the side) and I am deprived of being a mother because countless victims who suffered the same fate as her. “So, we have to continue to advocate for a dif- stomach while she was eight months pregnant. of love that did not work out for me,” she said. Her ferent understanding by males on how to relate Worse, the rusted knife penetrated the foetus, boyfriend, she says, was abusive but she thought “A man cannot be trusted. There are men who with females because, in most instances, it is be- causing a bruise on the arm of the unborn baby. maybe if she could give him a child he would deserve to be married and others that don’t, but cause of the vulnerability of the women that they change. She hooked up with him while with her what I can say is, be independent. Never expect a end up killing their husbands, because they depend As the country wrapped up women’s month two children from a previous relationship. man to do anything for you,” she said. But, for a on their husbands. Most of the resources belong to highlighting the welfare of women on 31 August, 34-year-old Diane Shopha, it was just a miscarriage males. Molly Thwesha (39) explains why she ended up “Little did I know that I was signing my ticket of justice. “I was arrested for the crime I did not in jail. She was one of the women who spoke out to prison,” she said. Molly said she was deprived commit. The house burnt after a heated argument, “When males decide to ill-treat females, then about their ordeal when Correctional Services Dep- the opportunity to become a mother to her three I went out for help and when we returned, a person they find themselves at the end of the day with the uty Minister Nkosi Phathekile Holomisa visited the children because of her love for a man. Holomisa’s was dead and I was the only explanation for the only resort being to kill them, thinking that by kill- local prison in Mahikeng in North West on Tuesday visit was to inspect the state of correctional centres death,” she said. Holomisa said men still continue ing them, the problem will go away, but it does not and whether they were kept in good conditions. to kill women. “I would not say the women are now go away because you end up losing your liberty, staying in a cell,” the Deputy Minister said.

4 WEEKLY SA MIRROR NEWS Friday 3 September 2021 MIRROR Briefs DEPT WITHDRAWS SOCIAL SECURITY GREEN PAPER The Department of Social Development has withdrawn its Green Paper on comprehensive social security and retirement reform, saying some of its proposals have been misrepresented resulting in considerable concern on its part. This follows recent critical media reports that slammed the department’s Green Paper intended to overhaul the country’s social security and retirement industry as well as the grant systems to include the much wider groups of people. In a statement this week, the department it was aware of the widespread commentary on key recommendations entailed in the report. “Some of the technical aspects of the proposal were not well-understood,” it said. It withdrew the paper so it could provide further clarity. The report proposes a mandatory pension and insurance fund for workers, urging for employees and employers to contribute up to 12% of their earnings into a state-run national social security fund. The department was expected to release the paper once the issues in the report were clarified and addressed. – Isaac Moledi RICKETY: The unsteady structure that has been home to poverty-stricken Letsoalo family in Bokgaga village near Lenyenye, Limpopo. CORRUPTION ACCUSED Photo: Supplied ORDERED TO REPAY R2,4M MAYOR SECURES NEW HOME A former deputy-director at the Kutama- FOR DESTITUTE FAMILY Sinthumule Correctional Facility has been ordered to repay proceeds from corrupt payments RELIEF: Local building contractor steps in after plea for help totalling R2 million following his conviction. By Frank Maponya fall. A tent in which they were temporarily housed During a sod-turning ceremony on Wednesday, Clement Raphalalani, 57, appeared in the A Limpopo mayor has made a timely interven- which was also damaged by a storm. Mangena committed to restoring the dignity of the Giyani Specialised Commercial Crimes Court tion to get a destitute family a decent house. family, adding he would do everything in his power last week for the incidents that took place between Greater Tzaneen mayor Maripe Mangena Mom Rahab Letsoalo said she had been living to ensure that those in desperate need got the re- 2017 and 2018. In his capacity as a procurement helped bring a smile to Letsoalo family of six, in fear of the worst since the storm damaged their quired help. officer at the facility, Raphalalani was found consisting of the mother, her three children huts early this year. guilty of having connived with three companies and two grandchildren, who had been living in “As Mme Letsoalo has explained, they are six that were awarded tenders to supply different squalor after their mud houses had collapsed “For the past eight months since the mud in number and how they have been living in the items to the facility at inflated prices. following heavy rains earlier this year. houses had collapsed, I had not been able to catch house is just abhorable. And we can’t even explain a sleep because I had a responsibility to protect my it,” said the mayor. “We are excited that today The companies were identified as Clemenson This was the third time that councillor Maripe children and grandchildren. But I’m now grateful henceforth we are going to put something that will Carrier, Pengson, Manufacturing, and Vhalenda Mangena, mayor of the Greater Tzaneen Munici- that God has answered our prayers and soon we restore the dignity of the family,” he said. Zwashu Trading Enterprise. The accused were pality, has intervened to find shelter for destitute will be living in a decent house,” she said. ordered to pay back the money as follows: families in recent weeks. The mayor further called on the business com- Raphalalani (R569 500), Clemenson Carrier Letsoalo, whose husband died several years munity to come forward and assist the needy. “I (R369 380), Pengson Manufacturing (R1m), When Mampe heard about the family’s plight ago, survives on a meagre R700 a month which would like to make a clarion call to many more Vhalenda Zwashu Trading Enterprise (R450 in Bokgaga village’s Dipatjeng Section near Le- from her job at Kwanda, a local labour intensive other businesspeople who have got muscles to 000). The total amount to be paid back is R2 388 nyenye, Mangena contacted Meopeng Trading, a project for local people in the area. None of her make a contribution to the lives of our people,” he 880. – Frank Maponya local construction company, which has promised grandchildren received government’s social grants. continued. Mangena handed over a new house to a to complete the house in eight weeks. The family needy family in Mopye and also conducted a sod- DR MASEKO PASSES AWAY DAYS lost three mud houses during January’s heavy rain- Mangena has promised to engage officials of turning ceremony for the construction of another AFTER WIFE’S COVID DEATH the department of social development to ensure that new house in Fobeni village recently. the family received food parcels, over and above Swaziland’s president of the Traditional securing social grants for the grandchildren. Healers Organisation, Dr Nhlavana Maseko, has passed away, his family announced on Wednesday. ALL SET FOR MAAPE TO Maseko was preparing for the burial of his second TAKE OVER PREMIERSHIP wife, when the family members were shocked to find him dead at his home at KaMashiyazimile, By Boitumelo Tshehle CHANGE: North according to a Times of Swaziland report. ANC veteran and businessman Bushy Maape West ANC hails move as is expected to be nominated as the new premier beginning of a new era Dr Maseko’s daughter, Bakhombisile, of the North West next Tuesday. Maape was ap- confirmed the demise of her father who died pointed by the ANC’s interim provincial com- others and I have agreed to make myself avail- shortly after hearing news of the death of his mittee two weeks after showing former premier able,” he said. second wife, Noyililo Nomsa Kubheka Maseko Job Mokgoro a door. ANC’s interim provincial committee Hlomani Chauke confirmed the occasion. “It is a celebra- Last year, Maseko laid to rest his eldest Maape, who used to be Mokgoro’s advisor tion, but, not a celebration only, but a response of daughter, Phephisile Temangcamane, who also during the fifth administration, was sworn in on the ANC to continue in its deployment to find fine passed on due to a COVID-19-related illness. Wednesday as a member of the legislature. His ap- and very clear leadership that will come and help According to the family, details about Dr pointment came days after he had to wait on the the government to deliver services to our people,” Maseko’s burial would be provided in due course sidelines as Mokgoro refused to resign both as pre- he said. He said the exercise was not just for show as on Saturday the family had prepared to bury mier and member of the legislature. of support, but to confirm that the ANC was com- NEW BROOM: North West premier-elect Dr Maseko’s wife (Noyililo). – WSAM Reporter mitted to deliver service to its people. Bushy Maape ready to take the reins A week later, after meeting with president of MAYOR RESIGNS, SWORN IN the country Cyril Ramaphosa, Mokgoro gave way ELSEWHERE AS COUNCILLOR to Maape by handing in both his resignation letters on two consecutive days. Maape said this after he The recent resignation of the executive mayor was sworn in: “I have been called to serve and I am of the Capricorn District Municipality has sparked not called to serve alone, I am called to serve with rumours that he is headed to the Polokwane municipality in the same capacity. Speculation grew on when John Mpe, the former Capricorn District Municipality mayor, was sworn in as a councillor of the Polokwane municipality on Wednesday. Mpe, an ANC chairperson of the Peter Mokaba region, took many people by surprise when he announced his resignation from CDM on Tuesday after a five-year tenure. The position of mayor at Polokwane municipality was left vacant after the appointment of Thembi Nkadimeng as deputy minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs. Nkadimeng was elevated to the position during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet reshuffle last month. The Seshego Business Forum and Voice of the Masses slammed the rumoured move. – Frank Maponya

Friday 3 September 2021 CONSUMER & LEGAL MATTERS 5WEEKLY SA MIRROR Consumer Eye AWARD-WINNING CONSUMER EDITOR LOOKS 060 936 2673 INTO YOUR COMPLAINTS PROS AND CONS WHAT NOT TO CLAIM FOR OF WORKING FROM Currently, the limitation placed on the employ- purposes of employment and nothing else. HOME DURING ee in order to benefit from working at home is • ​The second limitation is that no home office LOCKDOWN no real incentive at all for most of them. deduction will be allowed other than the portion of rent or bond interest relative to SPEND: More money spent on data bundles The limitations are found in Section 23 of the the percentage the floor space of the home Act and more specifically sub sections (b) and office bears to the whole building; (m). • t​he cost of repairs specific to that home of- fice portion; and • No deduction shall be allowed for domestic, • ​wear and tear (depreciation) allowance on private or non-trade/employment related office equipment. expenses. • The employee would also not be subject to • The first restriction means that the home a fringe benefit tax as the home office and office must only be used by that employee equipment would not be used for any pri- and nobody else and it can only be used for vate purposes. By Thuli Zungu bought extra furniture. “If I could, I would claim WORKING from home since the pronounce- these expenses from SARS.” WHAT TO CLAIM FOR ment of the lockdown restrictions by govern- ment, has become a nightmare and has brought Andre Kruger, a director at Flaxman Attorneys, • More than half of the work performed • The pro-rata portion of the monthly rent (or misery to most employees who were now spend- said since the Covid-19 pandemic there has been a must be from their home office or part of interest on the mortgage bond), rates and ing more money to perform their duties. significant increase in expenditure incurred by em- the home dedicated as a home office. taxes, electricity, cleaning and the depre- ployees as they were forced to work from home to ciation of the office equipment. While many employees thought working from prevent the spread of the virus in the workplace. • The employee will not be taxed on the re- home could help them save on their transport imbursement as this is regarded as an ex- • All the other expenses listed cannot be costs, they had now established that the move had He said employees were able to claim tax de- pense incurred on behalf of the employer claimed by the employee. However, these increased their budgets and inconvinienced their ductions for home office expenditure provided that and not as income. expenses can be claimed by the employer lifestyles with no assistance from their employers. they met the requirements of Section 11(a) of the as expenses incurred in the production of Income tax Act. • The cost of repairs specific to that home of- the employer’s income. A number of employees interviewed by Con- fice portion; and wear and tear (deprecia- sumer Eye said they spent more money on food, According to the Act, home office expenditure tion) allowance on office equipment. • The employee can be reimbursed for the data bundles and electricity since they had been included expenses such as phone costs, data, of- expenses by the employer. working from home than ever before. Some said fice equipment and stationery, cleaning fees, rent • The portion of rent or bond interest, rela- they had converted a room into a work office to of premises, interest on bonds, cost of repairs to tive to the percentage the floor space of the • All the other expenses listed cannot be ensure they delivered their work on time without a premises; desk; chair; computer; software pro- home office bears to the whole building. claimed by the employee. However, these the employer contributing any office equipment grammes; software licences; internet connection; expenses can be claimed by the employer except a laptop. printer/scanner/copier,and other expenses in con- • Only set-up costs that can be claimed are as expenses incurred in the production of nection with the wear and tear of the premises. the improvements directly related to the the employer’s income. Ntombhenhle Mazibuko, 56, of Florida Lake actual portion of the building occupied in Roodepoort, said at first, she thought she would This means that employees who shared a work and used solely as a home office and for • The employee can be reimbursed for the save more on petrol, but that money now was spent area with family members or employees working nothing else. expenses by the employer. on food, electricity and telephone calls as her em- from their dining room, would not qualify for the ployer did not contribute to her bill after her cell tax deduction. In terms of the Act, an employee This was at a significant cost to an already •​ losses and expenses actually incurred in the phone allowance of R450 had been exhausted. can claim a tax deduction for expenses incurred in suffering society, said Kruger. “This is a very sad year of assessment in the production of the in- working from home if the employee worked from and depressing situation as employees are work- come but not expenses of a capital nature; and “I end up using my own money to perform my home for at least six months of a tax year. ing from home, not out of choice, but in order to work as my employer is not willing to top it up prevent themselves and their family from contract- •​ expenditure actually incurred on repairs to the even after my salary was reduced,” she said. After Kruger said it had recently been suggested that ing and spreading the coronavirus without added property occupied for purposes of that trade her salary was reduced, her life had been like a liv- the Minister of Finance should, at least for the du- remuneration.” and machinery and other utensils used by the ing hell. Sydney Mahlangu, 50, of Mofolo South, ration of the lockdown, allow home office employ- person for purposes of his/her trade. Soweto, whose wife was retrenched when her em- ees to claim the reasonable setup costs and regular Kruger said to be eligible to claim home office “Whereas employment is included in the defi- ployer downsized operations due to the negative expenses that they incurred while having to work expenses against remuneration, Section 11 of the impact of Covid-19 pandemic, said he had never from home. Income Tax Act stated that only a person carrying nition of “trade” in the Act, all the expenses men- spent so much money on food and electricity. on a “trade” shall be allowed to claim the follow- tioned above would be deductible thereby reducing He said these employees were law abiding ing deductions from the income derived from such the employee’s taxable income which would, no The father of three said he was also forced to citizens, heeding the call of, and working with, the trade: doubt, result in a refund from SARS,” said Kruger. convert one of his rooms into an office and had government to prevent deaths and increasing the capacity of the country’s under-resourced hospi- tals. By Thuli Zungu COUNCIL WARNS DEVELOPERS The company owners are listed as Kabelo HOME seekers could lose hundreds of thou- SELLING ILLEGAL SITES Rangaka and his wife Anele, according to Marup- sands of rands if they bought properties on ing. They were selling the houses from R350 000 land that has been declared unsuitable for de- ESTATE: Stands illegally advertised as selling for to R418 000. Both Maruping and Moloi said they velopment by the Midvaal Municipality. between R350 000 and R418 000 now regret the decision to buy the land they may never occupy. Those who have already bought property on FLAGGED: Dubious Ntha Properties allegedly selling properties on unsuitable land the site in Elandsfontein faced the risk of not se- “I’m paying R3000 for rent and repaying the curing transfer documents after purchasing houses same amount for the loan,” said Maruping. Ko- which were allegedly sold illegally as the devel- rae said the municipality had also not received or oper, Ntha Properties did not follow the required approved any application for development of an- legal formal processes. other area - the Golf View Estate project in Walk- erville where the same developers were intending The warning was issued by the municipality to sell stands and houses. following claims that those who bought properties on such sites may not obtain title deeds. Consumer “There are no adequate municipal services to Eye has established that the land in question was support that development.” The developers were not suitable for development until such time as the currently advertising the sale of stands and houses required legal planning processes had been com- for the envisioned Golf View Estate development plied with. from R350 000 to R418 000 and requesting buy- ers for a down payment of R150,000. Kagiso Korae, Communications Officer at Midvaal Local Municipality, said the residential Korae said people who had bought land or development by Ntha Properties in Elandsfontein houses in these areas would not be able to obtain was still considered an illegal development by the title deeds for their properties. “There is no supply municipality. Early last month the Midvaal Mu- of municipal water, electricity is connected fraud- nicipality demolished 54 houses that Ntha Prop- ulently, there are no access routes and no proper erties had constructed. They further removed 24 sanitation,” said Korae. foundations and building materials from the site. He advised consumers to refrain from pur- This followed complaints by Dikeledi Marup- chasing stands or houses from such developers. ing of Kibler Park and Nkahiseng Moloi Ver- “The development is illegal, and it is the com- eeniging who are battling to get their refund total- munity who will suffer the consequences,” Korae ling R91 000 which they had paid for pieces of said. land in the area. The two home buyers said they followed Ntha Properties on their Facebook ac- Attempts to get comments from Rangaka count and decided to buy land from them towards were futile. He did not respond to e-mails sent to the end of 2019. him by Consumer Eye. He also ignored our tel- ephone calls and instead sent and SMS stating that he would call later but never did.

6 WEEKLY SA MIRROR SKILLS DEVELOPMENT Friday 3 September 2021 IKUSASA SKILLS DEVELOPMENT CAREER GUIDE WE HELP TRIO QUESTING TO TRAIN TERTIARY STUDENTS TO GAIN WORK SKILLS PARTNERSHIPS: Three cousins’ motor repair venture receives timely boost from government THREE COUSINS: Bongani Shoba, Abraham Maselwa and Dalisu Shoba. Photo: Mohau Mofokeng the cousins have struck an education and training several Gauteng-based technical and vocational edu- partnership. cation and training (TVET) colleges, from which the By Thuli Zungu company has been placed on the Seta’s now service company receives interns for on-the-job training. Two months ago Weekly SA Mirror published an provider’s database. “The first preference will be the youths who are article about three cousins who had established already studying engineering, and we would then take As their business grew, the cousins moved from a thriving motor vehicle repair venture through Shoba added they are waiting for the discretion- the youngsters who are loitering in the streets,” Shoba the small yard of their Meadowlands, Soweto home to which they were also nurturing aspirant mechan- ary grant window to open in October so they could said, adding that they have also clinched a contract to a disused coal yard, near their house, before relocat- ics. apply for funding and start training several youths provide mechanical repairs to government vehicles. ing to their current base, also in Meadowlands, which whom they have identified for an apprenticeship pro- is adjacent to the vandalised Meadowlands Men’s The good news, according to one of the three gramme. Shoba says they would also be taking some Shoba says Wesbank Auto, a financial services Hostel. men, Bongani Shoba (50), is that their company, JBL of their youthful employees whom they had mentored provider, had won a government tender and had later Engineers, has since registered with the Manufactur- informally over the past ten years to acquire South approached him to help in servicing Government ve- Shoba says he has been sharing the enlightening ing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Educa- African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) accredited hicles, most of which are South African Police Ser- information Weekly SA Mirror had shared with him tion and Training Authority (MERSETA) and their artisanship qualifications at the Makwakwa Artisan vice vehicles. in June, and that their buddies had taken heed of the Training Centre in Alberton, Ekurhuleni, with which advice. He advises other small business owners to “After our story was published miracles hap- seek information that could enrich them and improve pened,” Shoba said, adding that their client base had their various ventures. increased, and they were also expecting business from the local community health care facilities. Shoba says “Weekly SA Mirror was an eye opener to us, it is for this reason that they will need to take a cer- much as we know of the existence of the Seta’s we tain number of interns. Shoba said the JBL Engineer- did not know how much more they could empower ing has signed a memorandum of understanding with businesses,” said a grateful Shoba. MZANSI MUSIC LEGEND SEEKS TO NURTURE FUTURE GREATS THROUGH INNOVATIVE SKILLS UNEARTH: The music project seeks to connect like- minded creatives through masterclasses and exhibitions... IN TUNE: Muso Sipho Mabuse calls for ambition By Thuli Zungu ers, and social innovators, she says. a 25-minute drum solo at an event after a power himself and find other ways to stay relevant, includ- Talented South African youngsters have been of- By shining a spotlight on creative icons like outage prevented the band from performing. “That ing often interacting with young creatives so he can fered an opportunity to launch themself to the particular solo earned me the nickname, ‘Hotstix’,” figure out how the music industry has evolved. world through the “My Community Cooks” Pro- “Hotstix” Mabuse, the project encourages young he said. ject, which was launched in June. South Africans to showcase their talents and reach “It’s important to be open to learning new things for the extraordinary, she says. Mabuse, whose career spans more than five dec- all the time. I would love to sit down with the crea- Last week Vuma’s “My Community Cooks” ades, says artists who want to create a lasting career tors of Amapiano music and learn more about this initiative, in partnership with the Soweto Wine and “We seek to connect like-minded creatives in the industry need to be ambitious. “They need to genre, maybe ask them why they felt they should Food Lifestyle Festival, Soweto Theatre and Native through a series of live performances, masterclasses make sacrifices, and dedicate their time and energy call it ‘Amapiano’, especially considering that I Rebels allowed 30 of Soweto’s most gifted crea- and exhibitions. It’s time to shine a light and show- to mastering their craft,” Mabuse said, adding that can’t hear the piano in the music,” Mabuse said. tives, including dancers, actors, photographers and case our talent to the world,” Williams said. The ini- his ambition is what had driven him to excel in his fine arts practitioners, to share their stories, knowl- tiative is expected see the “My Community Cooks” craft. “I would practice for hours on end to hone my Driven by a dream to better himself, Mabuse edge, and experiences through an intimate master- project putting the Panstula music genre and chore- skills, and it paid off,” he said. returned to high school when he was 60. class with one of South Africa’s music greats, Sipho ography on the global map, taking Soweto Street art “Hotstix” Mabuse. to the world, Williams said. Mabuse believes young creatives need to focus He advises young aspiring creatives to adopt on breaking the mould. “South Africa is probably the same mindset and enter the industry to share Mabuse said the programme was launched in Williams says the goal is for the “My Commu- the only country that can produce such a wide vari- their unique story, improve themselves, and leave June to help nurture South Africa’s creative talent, nity Cooks” project to continue across all of South ety of music genres,” Mabuse said. “But, sometimes a legacy, and not to become artists, just for the sake says Mabuse. Lianne Williams, Head of Marketing Africa’s communities to nurture and support crea- we narrow our ability to develop and grow our crea- of being famous. at Vuma says My Community Cooks is aimed at de- tive talent in the country and play a part in the eco- tivity.” veloping skills and creating employment opportuni- nomic recovery of the entertainment sector. “It’s important for artists to remain grounded ties that empower the community. Using “Amapiano”, which is a hybrid genre of and not go into the industry for fame because no Mabuse shared his experience in the industry deep house and lounge music as an example, Ma- matter what’s happening today, you could find your- The programme, created by Vuma, South Af- concerning how he earned the nickname “Hotstix”, buse said everyone seems to be following this new self in a very different position tomorrow. This in- rica’s leading fibre provider, in partnership with the and advice for aspiring artists. “The purpose of this music trend, instead of drawing inspiration from dustry is unpredictable. It makes you famous today Soweto Wine & Lifestyle festival, Native Rebels initiative is to amplify the visibility of undiscovered this and other musical styles to create new genres and flushes you out tomorrow,” Mabuse said. and The Soweto Theatre, is open to Soweto’s finest talent and to expose them to South African icons,” that are just as exciting. musicians, photographers, designers, artists, danc- Mabuse said. Interested wishing to showcase their myriad The “Burn Out” hit maker said he owes his dec- talents on the My Community Cooks project plat- On his nickname, Mabuse said, because he was ades in the music industry to his ability to reinvent form are invited to submit their work by visiting the used to practising on his own, he was able to play project website at, www.mycommunitycooks.co.za.

Friday 3 September 2021 ENTERTAINMENT 7WEEKLY SA MIRROR MAHOTELLA QUEENS LEGEND’S LAST HEAVENLY WALTZ GONE YONDER: LEGEND: Mbadu and lifetime group Nobesuthu Mbadu, members performed alongside Quincy Jones, Mahotella Queens Ray Charles and Michael Jackson legend By Gugu Sibiya They’ve been honoured with citizenships knew she was going, so she chose to come back to be without the girls. I can’t single one thing, but I Nobesuthu Mbadu (76) of the legendary Maho- of New Orleans in the USA and Paris in France. her house. have so many good memories with her. I was the tella Queens trio, who passed away on Monday Among luminaries they had the privilege to per- first one to get sick and retire in 2013, but she and night at Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital, in form with are Quincy Jones, Sammy Davies Jnr, “We go back a long way. She was 19 years Hilda were there for me. Soweto, Johannesburg, had been ill for a while. Michael Jackson and Ray Charles. old and I was 20 when we all started Queens with Mahlathini. There was a time when we were not I thank God for our buying houses in Vosloorus. Mbadu’s grave illness had led to her retirement Adding her voice to that of grieving fans world- getting paid or when we were harassed by apartheid We are sisters, indeed, that’s why it really hurts” in 2017. Things got worse early this year as she be- wide, Amanda Nkosi said she was grief-stricken policemen. “Our passion and love for the craft and she says, her voice betraying the depth of an- came a regular in hospital and doctors’ rooms. She over Mbadu’s passing. The talented, young singer each other, kept us going. I don’t know where I’d guished emotion. is said to have succumbed to kidney complications. and fellow Queen who accepted the baton from her mentor, said she was lucky to have known her. Sis Nobesuthu, as she was affectionately known, was one part of a trio known as the Queens, “What I loved about umam Nobesuthu was short for Mahotella Queens, together with Hilda her warm, loving and welcoming personality. I’ve Tloubatla and Mildred Manxola. They joined Si- known her since 2013, but it felt like forever. From mon Mahlathini Nkabinde to form one of the most the day they recruited me until now, she was a popular and tenacious outfit of the 70s. mother to me. They toured all over the country and continent, “She asked me to swap places with her. I was building a large, loyal fan base, especially around to sing soprano as she took my place at alto. She the mines and townships. Even the late Zambian was very patient training me to adapt my range un- president Kenneth Kaunda was rumoured to be one til I reached my potential. By the time she retired in of their greatest fans. 2017, she had taught me everything I needed to be a proud Queen. Through their record company Gallo, they made a breakthrough tour to Europe three decades “During our travels overseas, if there was a ago. Their act blew the audience away, creating a need, I used to share the room with her. I really demand for their unique African sounds that man- got to know her and loved all the stories since the aged to woo Americans too. They soon became an group’s inception. That’s where I discovered that essential act on overseas stages, which turned them she’s a free spirit. She was so hilarious I would into the globe-trotters. laugh myself sick. As funny as she was, she re- mained extremely shy in public. TENACIOUS: Nobesuthu Mbadu “I’ll miss her generosity, enjoyment of life, the shopaholic she was, her style and beautiful clothes. I will cherish my first fanny pack be- cause she bought it for me. It reminds me of how she loved them, she’d bought all colours under the sun. Who could forget that smile,” she says, finally allowing the tears to flow. Original Queen member, Hilda Tloubatla is just as distraught. “Things started going south for Nobesuthu, healthwise in 2017. One minute she was complaining about her leg and arthritis wreaking havoc with her body. Then it was dia- betes rearing its ugly self and finally hyperten- sion. That’s when she hung her mic, which was extremely painful to me. “Nobesuthu’s passing just brings back the pain of the passing of all other band members and retirement due to ill-health. We were a fam- ily, loved and respected each other. Nobesuthu, Mildred and myself are friends and sisters. We didn’t give up after all that, and, in 1987, we picked ourselves up and carried on as the Queens. “In all this pain, I know Nobesuthu is at peace. I’ll miss her voice on stage and the way she was. We thank God for her life and ours. May her soul rest in peace,” said the drained singer. An incosolable Mildred Manxola said her passing was still hard to swallow. “I know she was sick, she’s been in and out of hospital but letting go is not easy. Her niece took her home to Chesterville in Durban, but even there she was sick. I think she

8 WEEKLY SA MIRROR OPINION/ANALYSIS Friday 3 September 2021 Comment UNSCRUPULOUS DEVELOPERS PREY MALLS STIFLE ON DESPERATE HOME SEEKERS TOWNSHIP ECONOMIC Early this year, the Government warned that DEVELOPMENT criminal syndicates were brazenly taking ad- vantage of the moratorium on evictions dur- By Ido Lekota ABERRATION: They enced a drop in their profitability. ing lockdown to sell vacant plots illegally. This In response to the recently released shocking fail to create meaningful A further study by the Bureau found that small warning came after authorities around Gaut- unemployment statistics, business experts have jobs, except drive large eng noticed a surge in the number of informal proposed the development of entrepreneurship capital outflows from black businesses were negatively affected by the open- settlements sprouting in the province since the and SMME’s as part of the solution to the rath- areas… ing of Jabulani Mall in Soweto. It found that 60% outbreak of Covid-19. er dire situation. of spaza shop owners reported a decrease in their It is an undeniable fact that these malls do tick business turnover, while general dealers reported a No sooner than the warning had been sounded In support of this proposition, there was a story the right boxes because they bring a variety of large 70% decrease during the same period. by government than the same alarm was raised by in a weekly newspaper about a young Soweto en- retailers under one roof, therefore providing con- the Johannesburg City Council, about the grow- trepreneur Refiloe Rantekoa (30), who successfully venience and choice. They also do create jobs for The two studies accentuate the destructive ef- ing trend by unscrupulous syndicates to prey on runs a bakery and employs 30 people – with a plan locals as security guards, shop assistants etc. fect of shopping malls in black townships, where desperate home seekers. The council warned that to expand his business to other townships.Reading local businesses are not big nor capitalised enough the scams were being run by a very organised syn- the story conjured the struggles Rantekoa and many There is also the argument that the mushroom- to compete with more established national retailers dicate. In one instance, the municipality had been other upcoming entrepreneurs face competing ing of informal trader stalls outside malls are the and multi-national mall tenants. alerted about conmen selling stands at Slovo Park against retail giants like Pick and Pay and Shoprite, direct result of business overflows from the malls, for R1 000 to R1 500 on a vacant land, to occu- which have in-house bakeries and are ensconced in and therefore a positive spin-off from the model. Of significance, as government and the various pants from Lawley, south of Johannesburg, as well the various shopping malls dotted across Soweto This, however, does not take into cognisance the stakeholders explore way of addressing the rather as from Tembisa and Ivory Park in Ekurhuleni. and various other townships nationwide. cost/benefit effect of this phenomenon. For exam- bleak economic situation the country finds itself in, ple, the fact that the growing informal business out- they should take into cognisance the message car- This week, Weekly SA Mirror investigated Fortunately, most probably because of his low side the malls is at the expense of real jobs being ried in the two studies. complaints from a group of home owners who overhead costs, thanks to his business location, lost due to the closing down of local small busi- bought land or newly built houses on sites unsuit- Rantekoa can meet the retail giants toe-to- toe of- nesses. In fact, research-based evidence does ne- In doing so, they must also ponder on how they able for development and with no proper infra- fering his community freshly baked bread at a com- gates the whole notion that malls are of benefit to can turn around the current situation, wherein suc- structure in the Midvaal, south of Johannesburg. petitive price. The unfortunate reality is that, in this the local economies. cessful young entrepreneurs like Ranteko remain regard, Rantekoa is actually an oddity of success. an aberration. To this end, it is important that the Once again, the latest incident is testimony of For example, a 2008 a study conducted by government should recognise the dissonance be- a growing problem inundating local authorities This is because the economic development UNISA Market Research Bureau showed that the tween its policy to support small businesses for across Gauteng as syndicates take advantage of model our government has adopted for townships income generated in the malls does not flow back purposes of employment and the unintended con- prevailing culture of impunity in our society. In negates the possibility of places like Soweto be- into the township economy, but ends up in the bank sequence of its township economic model, which this case, a syndicate is brazenly operating their coming economically sustainable communities, accounts of the national retailers and their share- seemingly lack of grasp of the damage the malls nefarious business while flaunting armed hench- where locals enjoy qualitative livelihoods but- holders. are causing to small businesses, and, invariably the men to scare off prying eyes. tressed by their entrepreneurial endeavours. It is a much-needed boost of local entrepreneurship. model that ironically promotes the encroachment This, the study concluded, undermines the “cir- For its part, the Midvaal Local Municipality and establishment of massive shopping malls in cular flow of money” economic model so pivotal Again, it also vital for the government to under- has warned it would brook no invasions on land townships as symbols of economic development in the creation of economically sustainable com- stand that township malls may be recording higher under its jurisdiction and promised to demolish and prosperity, an aberration since it essentially munities. The study also challenged the claim that trading densities (sales turnover per rentable square illegal structures in the area. It has warned home- entraps locals into a perpetual cycle of essentially business overflows from the malls benefit local metre), and therefore contributing immensely to seekers of the risk of losing their hard-earned being consumers while the wealthy being spirited businesses. the fiscus in the form of taxes – but this is ironically money to unscrupulous developers. out of the townships. because they are profiting from displaced expendi- Focusing on Soshanguve, the research found ture that should otherwise be spent to the benefit But, despite warnings by the Midvaal Local that businesses in the area “bore scars inflicted by and growth of local small businesses. Municipality that no land should be sold on these a mall that opened in the area”. Business owners sites, situated in Elandsfontein and Walkerville, a interviewed reported a decrease in their business Essentially, the government must develop a black-owned company, Ntha Properties, has bra- activity during the first six-month period after the new policy cognisant of the fact that townships, zenly gone ahead to sell land and houses there – opening of the mall. as the ilk of Ranteko have shown elsewhere, are regardless - at prices between R350 000 and R418 full of self-made entrepreneurs, who, with the right 000. According to the municipality, these sites The study further found that 75% of business support, are more capable of creating strong town- have not been serviced for water supply and, still, located less than 1km form the mall (15min walk- ship economies on their own. there are no access routes or proper sanitation. ing distance) reported a decline in their profits And, worse, the illegally built homes have elec- while 36.8% of those located between 4 and 5km As the UNISA study has aptly shown, this tricity supply through illegal connections, which (approximately 1 hour walk) from the mall experi- should be a policy driven by a vision that sees poses a serious danger to these families. “malls as resemblance of economic prosperity, but (in reality) an invisible social burden to unsuspect- Attempts to reach the developer have been un- ing communities and local businesses they relent- successful. In the meantime, the developer is go- lessly suffocate”. ing about their illegal business of building more homes – with brazen self-assurance and despite This because they actually are symbols of a lo- a strong warning by the council, that those who cal economy underpinned by excessive consump- purchased land or houses on these sites would not tion and large capital outflows, which are unlikely be able to obtain title deeds or transfer documents. to create meaningful jobs. Needless to say, such acts of impunity must be Ido Lekota is an independent socio-political com- condemned in the strongest terms. mentator. Yet, these acts will not stop, just as long as there are no consequences in the end. Until the law prevails with a firm hand and with due haste to show that such acts of impunity will not be tol- erated, the anarchy will continue. Yet, again, the law can only do so if complemented by a similar firmness on the part of the local authorities, who often seem to be rather blasé about such transgres- sions. That said, it is edifying that, in this case, MidVaal authorities have displayed a no-nonsense attitude, demolishing 54 homes already built in a welcome show of force. We commend the municipality for the firm- ness while, at the same, saddened by the plight and insecure future of the families who forked lifesavings to attain a much-needed roof over their heads – only to be duped in the end. v 060 936 2673 [email protected] PEARL RANTSEKENG.................... Editor MOLEFI MIKA ..................Deputy Editor THULI ZUNGU ................ Associate Editor GUGU SIBIYA ................. Lifestyle Editor Weekly SA Mirror is published by Weekly SA Mirror Pty Ltd. Correspondence to be directed to: Postnet Suite 230, Private Bag X 9, Melville 2109. Website: www.weeklysamirror.news Contact: 060 936 2673 Letters to be sent to: [email protected] Weekly SA Mirror commits to truthful, accu- rate, fair, balanced reporting. The publication is in the process of submitting its application to join the Press Council.

Friday 3 September 2021 OPINION/ANALYSIS 9WEEKLY SA MIRROR By Thuli Zungu SHALO MBATHA DIGGINGS ON Call her a bookworm or an earthworm but in Sha- MBATHA WOMEN’S RIGHT lo Mbatha there is no hole too deep for her to dig. She has dug out explosive stories, dead bodies as THE WOMAN • Being the only wife was a foreign concept and today’s well as the 800-year-old Zulu history- and she has ZULU WARRIOR idea of cheating was interpreted differently. The wife was not stopped. allowed to have a lover, so long as she kept it secret, HISTORIAN: Former journo, now hence the word ishende (a married woman’s secret lover). By documenting Zulu history, Mbatha is defend- lecturer, ventures into where eagles dare in ing and honouring the heritage of the Zulu nation. It her quest to decolonise education • But if it was found out, her husband was blamed because is the first time that a female Zulu royal historian has she would not have it in her to ‘cheat’ if her husband written about the fascinating and brilliant military PENSIVE: Author Shalo Mbatha looking to the future satisfied her sexually. So, in essence, it was the husband’s achievements of King Shaka and about the Zulu em- fault that she went astray. pire. “In so doing I want to ensure that the rich Zulu history of the nation lives on forever,” says the rac- • From time immemorial the ilobolo, was accepted, onteur. Her most recent exploits have led her to the regardless of the number of cattle goats or whatever gift gates of the University of Zululand where she is com- the bridegroom deemed fit—it was not set. The British set pleting her PhD in Zulu Feminism. She also teaches the minimum number of cattle at fifteen. undergraduate and postgraduate students in the De- partment of History, she says. She published her first • In some cases, wedding ceremonies were completed book in isiZulu called uZulu: Umlando Nobuqhawe posthumously, where a close relative on the side of the BukaZulu four years ago and published her second deceased would stand in place of the late partner on book this year in English called Zulu Empire Decolo- the wedding day. This type of marriage however, was nised. not to be consummated. It was, however, not expected that the ilobolo process would be completed during the Mbatha says her work compels the readers to initial negotiation stage. The rest of the wedding stages question widely accepted historical facts gleaned continued and the logic was to leave room for regular from oral sources. Questions like: Was the Zulu de- communication between the two families. For instance, feat of the British at Isandlwana in 1879 that sent years later, the bride’s family would remind the in-laws shock waves throughout the world actually a reli- about outstanding ilobolo cattle. gious war? Are the Zulu responsible for bringing to an end the French House of Bonaparte in the same • This was also a way of enquiring about how the marriage war? All these questions are answered in her books, was progressing. If the whole process was completed, she says. the in-laws would be suspicious and think that the groom wanted to conclude the process in its entirety so that Mbatha says she began writing the book after her he didn’t have to see his in-laws ever again. Hence, the seven-year-old son asked about the glaring socioeco- saying: “umfazi akaqedwa” (the marriage process is never nomic differences across the racial spectrum in South completed). Africa in 1994 when they returned from exile. “I had to go back to the beginning of apartheid, but he had • Divorce as it exists today was unheard-of. If the marriage more questions about why black South Africans were was considered irreparable, the woman could move dominated by white people,” she says. back home provided her ilobolo would be returned to the bridegroom. Both parties were then free to remarry. But She said she needed to give him a proper re- if there were no more cattle, she had to continue living sponse, so she decided to do research. Little did she at her husband’s homestead; if there were children, she know that it would take her 20 years to research, would raise them and continue behaving like a wife except verify, collate and publish the mesmerising historical sleeping with her husband. accounts of the Zulu culture and heritage. “I went to every corner or should I say, I surmounted many • Furthermore, a married woman was allowed to leave her mountains, crossed streams and rivers of the king- husband to marry another without acrimony by simply dom and I was pleasantly surprised by the warmth returning her husband’s ilobolo cattle. If there were of the people I interviewed. Even though they fed me children, each child would be compensated for by the too much meat. The deeper I dug, the more amazing new husband in the form of cattle. This was known as things I found about the Zulu people. So basically, the (ukukhipha umfazi endodeni yakhe). book is an answer to my son,” she says. • Post-menopausal women were allowed not to share a Mbatha would later weave 800 years of history bed with their husband. They could return to their homes into an overarching picture of the great Zulu king’s to grow old among their own people. This act was not social structure and belief system, anchored in the interpreted as divorce but as retiring from marriage. royal lineage – his fascinating war tactics and life be- Hence, when the wife or wives grew older, they were in fore land dispossession by European colonisers. A the forefront of acquiring younger wives for their husband globetrotter, Mbatha has travelled to many parts of as they prepared to retire from their married life and its the world such as Australia, Europe, the US, Canada nocturnal demands. but watching the flag in South Sudan being hoisted high up on their independence day, is the highlight of • If after a year passed, she was still not expecting a her travels in Africa, she says. baby, her female in-laws would conspire with her to find someone else to make her pregnant. They did this to Born and bred in Dube, Soweto, Johannesburg, protect the husband’s fragile ego, hence the Zulu saying said her parents abhorred apartheid and its inferior that the mother is the only one who knows the identity of a education she was shipped to school outside the child. For instance, when a baby cries a lot for no apparent South African and actively participated in the Student reason, the mother calms the baby by loudly invoking the uprising in 16 June 1976, she says. This led her to child’s praise name linked to its father. But in the event escape to exile when her parents were arrested and that the child did not belong to the husband, the mother tortured, she says. was encouraged to go to a private place to calm the baby down. The truth is that it was a code for her to invoke the She lived in a number of African countries such ‘real’ ancestors of the child. The real ancestors would as Zimbabwe, where she obtained her British “A invariably calm the baby down. Levels”. Mbatha says she got her tertiary qualifica- tions in Australia and when she returned from exile, • The final female rite of passage ceremony was called she joined Technikon SA as a lecturer at the Centre ukukhwabula which was a celebration upon reaching for Lifelong Learning. She also amassed a number menopause. This ceremony made suitable women qualify of post graduate qualifications thereafter. “Thereaf- to sit in the king’s council, because according to King ter, I decided to branch off into journalism, because Shaka, they were no longer influenced by the fluctuations I did not see the true reflection of a changing South of unreliable hormonal emotions. Africa in the media,” she says. Mbatha broke a num- ber of stories, but those that stand out was about a company distributed perforated condoms, with more than 5 million of those distributed on Durban trains, she says “I broke the story about an asparagus farm in the Free State where workers were paid as little as R2,80 a month.” she says. When the farm was closed down by the government, the farmer attempted to sue me for R12 Million but later withdrew the defama- tion case against her.” “But my most dramatic story was when I found the remains of Andrew Zondo, who had been sen- tenced to death by Ambassador Toby Leon’s father, Justice Ramon Leon, in 1985 for bombing Amanzim- toti Shopping Centre as part of the ANC armed strug- gle.” Like most areas of Mbatha’s life story, the jour- nalism chapter eventually drew to a close in 2005. “I needed time out from the gruelling media schedule, and joined various government depart- ments as a communications and marketing special- ist,” she says. The late His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu wrote the Foreword for the book, which Mbatha regards as a true blessing. Im- pressed by her thorough research and how she cap- tured the history of the Zulu nation, the king once told Mbatha that she is like her great-great grandfather, Manyosi Mbatha who once defended King Shaka and his troops during the first Ndwandwe War. She worked for City Press and Saturday Star be- fore writing for Independent Media’s Sunday Tribune and Sunday Independent.

10 WEEKLY SA MIRROR FASHION & BEAUTY Friday 3 September 2021 SPRING HAS OFFICIALLY SPRUNG! SARTORIALL: Put a Spring into your step by wearing right retro classics for Spring/Summer ’21 By Mpumi Brown being almost over the top in its soft-hued summery- BOLD PRINT: Pajama dressing. Photograph: Acielle / Style du Monde Spring is here! It is about ness. Nothing screams spring summer like a pair BERMUDA SHORTS:From left: Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Casablanca, Ermenegildo Zegna, Études, Dsquared2, that time to turn your of Bermuda shorts! These have also appeared on MSGM, Rick Owens, Dior, Etro. winter closet from dark runways. However, 2021 displayed the shorts in a and grey to vibrant, live- different finesse and soft hues that make you feel ly and fruity. There are summer. a few styles, fabrics and colours men and women ​At Casablanca, MSGM and Zegna, shorts were should consider for this tailored in shades of sea foam, lilac and candy floss, Spring/Summer. while at Dolce & Gabbana and Gucci patterns pre- PRINT: The shift away from edgier, streetwear vailed. The key to wearing your own Bermudas this influences sees a renewed interest and desire for summer is to pick a pair that finish just above the femininity, bringing a wave of pretty florals, deli- knee and to make a statement with your footwear. cate beauty and artistic design. From water colour Some white running trainers worn with tube socks, washes to expressive and creative print, artistic for instance, or a pair of this season’s strongest dad/ techniques, give fabric prints a new lease of life for mom sandals. the new season. Today we cast our fashionista hawk eye at ​The styling note: “In my opinion your Bermu- Sardinha Clothing, which first opened its doors in das will work best with a tucked-in oversized tee – December 2020, but currently nestles at Hyde Park something logo-heavy and hypey from Balenciaga Corner until end of September, a boutique dedicat- or Vetements would work well – and then subvert ed to print and providing unique, classy, limited- the agro mood with a pair of T-bar loafers on your edition items. feet. You’ll look like a monster truck with stabilis- In interview with Weekly SA Mirror, Sardinha ers – in a good way.” Clothing founder Bernice talks about the difficulty in finding the stylish and print items in Johannes- COLOUR: As stated by Pantone, the colours burg, that are similar to boutique stores in Cape for the year 2021 include luminating yellow and Town but offered at a reasonable price. ultimate grey, senior market editor at NET-A-POR- She says Sardinha offers single-style items that TER, who adds that: “Everything from sunshine will ensure no one is wearing the same attire as yellow to citrus orange and hot pink will prevail you! The edgy store offers one-stop shopping for for spring.” summer, from costumes to vibrant free-flowing or tight-fitting dresses. SILK: The fabric of the season has come up She adds that the common trend this year for in, not one, but two ways! The classic fabric has both men and women is untailored, flow-fitting become retro as streetwear has made them more items, with most menswear designers like Gucci stylish by wrapping silk scarves snugly around the and Hermès having designed an array of ultra-wide head. Some guys styled their scarves in different trousers. There are multiple key essential styles of ways: looped around the waist, draped over their wide trousers, including chic or sporty tracksuit- shoulders, or even as a mask. styled. Those people with shorter legs who are used to retro wide-legged trousers should opt rather for Pajama dressing is the second silk trend. Street something more flowing in construction, and which stylers have adopted the liquid silk printed set. “Pa- doesn’t accentuate the hips. While the taller, longer, jama dressing” is a recurring trend on the women’s leggier types can opt for something closer to a slim runways. But thanks to brands like Dior Men, Cas- wide fit. ablanca, and Bluemarble, the silky, flowery sets are Bernice’s wear includes Bermuda shorts, which now available to everyone. have started making more of an appearance on the world’s runways of late. But for SS21, the look Some might call it elevated loungewear, but really comes into its own, with the general mood others are simply excited to wear a bold, colourful print from head to toe. The secret to looking like you are in the correct season this month is as simple as just getting one of these trends in your closet, and the most important of all is print, print, print, print and even more print! Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18.

Friday 3 September 2021 FOOD AND WINE 11WEEKLY SA MIRROR THE SEARCH FOR NEW ELIXIR OF SA BRANDY NEW ERA: New competition will afford three lucky winners the dream opportunity to craft their own brandy APPRECIATION: The art of discerning brandy By Len Maseko On August 30, the foundation launched a cam- The Foundation’s director, Christelle Reade- proposal and marketing strategy; and, Year in and year in South African brandy wins paign - called “Think Outside the Barrel” – to ig- Jahn, said: “From the very beginnings over 300 • Submit your comprehensive proposal by email awards and sometimes even trouncing its more nite the imagination of innovators and creators to years ago right up to its status as world champion, celebrated French counterpart – Cognac – in in- come up with innovative ideas that will re-invigor- South African brandy has been sustained by evo- to [email protected] on or before Oc- ternational competitions. ate local brandy and give it the spunk. lution and innovation. The South African Brandy tober 20th, 2021. Innovation Challenge seeks to harness that DNA in • To qualify for entry, the brandy needs to adhere Yet, the conundrum is that local brandy, cel- To this end, the foundation has launched a new plotting its success into the future. to the Liquor Products Act definition of Pot- ebrated as one of the finest in the world, its success competition to encourage innovative South Afri- still/Cape brandy, Vintage brandy or blended has not been similarly emulated at home turf by the cans to rise to the challenge, which will culminate “We are looking for creative out-of-the-barrel brandy. sales, however. in them launching their own brandy brand and win thinkers, brandy blending enthusiasts and those “The South African Brandy Innovation Chal- a share of R90 000. with a game-changing business idea that encapsu- lenge can be the opportunity of a lifetime for bud- Hence, the South African Brandy Foundation lates the character of premium South African Bran- ding entrepreneurs looking for a way to realise an has launched a new drive to look for the elixir for Three lucky entrants will be handed the op- dy to share the spirit with the country.” idea they’ve been sitting on, hoping to find the re- the genre – and push for a game-changing phenom- portunity to craft their own brandy brand with the The requirements are: sources,” says Christelle. “For us, it’s a chance to enon that will inject a new lease of life to the prod- support and mentorship of industry stalwarts. In • Create their own innovative brandy brand and contribute to re-invigorating the category and show uct, while also leading it to a new pathway to a taste addition, they will receive R30 000 as well as be the enthusiasm with which South Africans enjoy a of the future. assisted in launching their products into the local produce a business plan that includes a launch truly home-grown and excellent spirit.” consumer market. BARISTA BLACK LAUNCHES WITH JAMES BOND SWAG AND GRANDEUR EXPRESSION: Winemaking team describes the wine as the expression of luxury By Len Maseko celebrations, the Barista team saw this coincidence as timely The wine label Barista has be- inspiration. come synonymous with Pinotage They then sought to create and, by extension, with the coffee- a wine that emulate’s 007’s em- UNCORKED: Pieter “Bubbles” styled version of South Africa’s bodiment of luxury and swagger, Ferreira to conduct bubbly signature grape. culminating in the birth of 2019 course for sparkling wine Notably, Barista winemaker Barista Black. The team says lovers Bertus Fourie is credited with they have “reimagined the mar- crafting the first coffee-styled ver- riage between the purity of the SA’S FIRST BUBBLY sion of Pinotage when he was still Pinotage fruit, those unmistakable ACADEMY LAUNCHED at Diemersfontein winery, an es- yet subtle coffee aromas, and the tate whose mention conjures that opulence of French oak, to create INTEREST: First of three-level course to be association. a wine that not only carries the conducted in major centres from this month Thanks to Professor Izak richness of its past, but also the vi- Perold for inventing Pinotage by brance of its future”. crossing two grapes – Pinot Noir The 2019 Barista Black’s and Cinsaut – to create it a cen- grapes are predominantly sourced tury ago. from a 20-year-old bush vine vine- As Pinotage approaches a cen- yard in the Swartland, fermented tenary, the Barista winemaking in stainless tanks, and the wine team has been moved “to conceive then matured for 18 months with a wine and bottling regal enough 20% of the wine aged in first-fill By Len Maseko to match the richness of the Pino- French barrique. South African bubbly lovers will now be derstanding wine with bubbles in it. Each tage legacy, while also shining a Tasting notes: plums and red able to learn more about their favour- year we have managed to improve the under- light on its potential to be the Af- currants. The palate has a juicy ite wine and the etiquette accompanying standing of how to evaluate sparkling wine rican cultivar of the next century.” fruit core with velvety tannins and it. This year being the 50th Anniversary with the emphasis on Cap Classique”. For good measure, this oak complexity. The finish is long, year of the local bubbly, the Cap Clas- inspired the team to produce the smooth and pleasantly dry. Ap- sique Producers Association announced The Cap Classique Academy is commit- newly launched Barista Black, proximate retail price: R150. the birth of the Cap Classique Academy ted to teaching, training and sharing the love which it describes as on Wednesday. of South Africa’s bottle-fermented bubbly in three levels of learning that will be facilitated the luxury expres- 2021 ABSA TOP 10 PINOTAGE The brainchild of Pieter ‘Bubbles’ Fer- by the Cape Wine Academy. sion of Pinotage “in reira, chair of the Cap Classique Associa- the most timeless of • Beeslaar Pinotage 2018​​ tion, the education initiative will tap into the Heidi Duminy, principal of the Cape fashions”. Noting • Beyerskloof Diesel Pinotage 2018 growing interest and curiosity shown in the Wine Academy, says: “Pieter’s vision for a similarities between • Diemersdal The Journal Pinotage 2019 genre by bubbly tipplers across the country. series of courses that specialises in the art, the world’s most • Flagstone Writer’s Block Pinotage 2018​ science and appreciation of Cap Classique celebrated secret • Francois van Niekerk Pinotage 2019 Ferreira says: “There is so much to learn has been taking shape over quite some time agent James Bond’s • Stellenbosch 1679 Pinotage 2019​ about the intricacies of tasting Cap Clas- and aligns perfectly with the Cape Wine 100-year birth- • Môreson Widow Maker 2018​ sique and discerning the diverse styles that Academy’s vision to further the education day milestone and • Neethlingshof Estate Pinotage 2020 have emerged since 1971 when the first Cap and training of South African wine”. the imminence of • Stellenrust Cornerstone Pinotage 2019​ Classique was produced. “This experience Pinotage’s centenary • La Cave Pinotage, 2018 made me aware of the gap that exists in un- The first of the three levels will be launched later this month and will be offered in all major centres nationally. The second module will follow next year.

12 WEEKLY SA MIRROR MOTORING Friday 3 September 2021 TYOYAORTAISGR MOTORING:Briefs ZOOMS IN MUNICH HERE WE COME LIMITED EDITION: Bringing The first Munich Motor Show will begin this motorsport technology and design September with a press day on September 6 and directly to the world of the road car doors opening to the public the following day. BOLD: The new Toyota GR Yaris The Munich Motor Show, which replaces the traditional Frankfurt Motor Show this year, By Ali Mphaki AMBIENCE: Interior of the GR Yaris will be built around the Summit area, a typical The isiZulu wedding song Shanyelan’amabala zingane motor show space with new products and unveil- nangu’makot’ezongena would be appropriate to welcome ings. We already know that Audi, BMW, Cupra, the new Toyota GR Yaris. But after serious mental gear Dacia, Ford, Hyundai, Mercedes, MINI, Pole- changes, it is the popular Isencane le’ngane which wins star, Porsche, Renault, Rolls-Royce, Smart and the day by capturing the real essence of the newcomer. Volkswagen will be in attendance, though only a handful of these car makers have announced Even from the picture, you can see this is no ordinary what they will be showing. Notably, Stellantis Yaris. Unique in design with a three-door body, ladies and brands including Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroen and gentlemen this is one car whose appeal cuts across ‘fickle” Fiat won’t be attending the show. brand loyalties. OPEL ROCKS 15-YEAR-OLDS Noticeably small, light with a weight of 1,280kg, it is damn fast completing the mandatory 0 – 100 km/h sprint in a Opel has revealed the Rocks-e – the brand’s blistering 5.5 seconds. fun take on mobility that can be driven by peo- ple as young as 15. It’s essentially Opel’s ver- To achieve this seemingly impossible feat, the GR Yaris sion of the Citroen Ami – a quirky electric two- is powered by a three-cylinder 1.6l petrol turbo that fires seater designed to act as an affordable and safer 198kW and 360Nm to both axles. Yes, you guessed cor- alternative to a scooter but without the costs of rect because since this vehicle is for “perfectionists”, it only a passenger car. comes with a six-speed manual transmission. Just 2.41m long and 1.39m wide, it can It is special in that it is a rally car designed from the be driven by 15-year-olds legally in Germany, ground up, benefiting from the design and engineering skills since it isn’t classed as a ‘car’ there but as a of Toyota Gazoo Racing and Tommi Mäkinen Racing, Toyo- ‘light motor vehicle’. Opel also says that ‘near- ta’s partner in the World Rally Championship. ly any driver can afford it’ and that the monthly leasing cost will be similar to the cost of a tick- First unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2020, the all- et for public transport. wheel drive car debuts in Mzansi in a choice of two mod- els: the GR Yaris priced at R606,600 and the GR Yaris Rally PRETTY AS PINK WRANGLER R715,600. USA-The 2021 Jeep Wrangler can now With only 400 units for the local market (Toyota has only be pretty in pink, thanks to a new paint-color manufactured about 25 000 units for worldwide distribution), option called Tuscadero. The automaker an- it is a race against time for serious petro heads to snap one nounced the addition of Tuscadero to the 2021 of these highly exceptional pocket rockets from showrooms. Wrangler color palette Thursday. It’s available on all Wrangler models as an option. The name But as the Biblical injunction implores, many are called is a reference to the character Pinky Tuscadero but only a few are chosen. on the 1970s sitcom “Happy Days.” Prices include a three-year/100,000km warranty and Tuscadero is one in a series of limited-run nine-services/90,000m service plan Jeep colors. The automaker announced Gecko Green last month for the Wrangler and Gladi- WHAT THE CRITICS SAY: REAR: Small window but dual pipes ator, and Chief Blue and Nacho prior to that. Like Tuscadero, all of these 2021-model-year • The GR Yaris is superb – the best Toyota we’ve ever colors have had limited ordering windows. driven – BBC Top Gear. Last year, the automaker also began negotia- tions with the City of Toledo, Ohio, for a cus- • Dynamite comes in small packages, and no car tomization center near the factory where the expresses this adage better than the new Toyota Wrangler and Gladiator are built. GR Yaris- Business Day. FANCY FOOTWORK FOR NISSAN Z • A pure performance car – IOL • 2021 Most anticipated car – News24 Your eyes aren’t deceiving you; those are in fact driving shoes dressed in a Nissan Z look FORD CAPRI THE CAR YOU ALWAYS and feel. A collaborative effort between Nissan PROMISED YOURSELF and Japan’s Negroni lifestyle brand, the driver- focused fancy footwear is being offered as the FASTBACK COUPE: Once referred to as the European Mustang Nissan Z release looms near. Said to include the help of Nissan’s chief product specialist, Hiro- By Ali Mphaki Cortina as it was intended as the European equiva- the European market in 1994. While Ford marketed shi Tamura, these could end up being a serious lent of the Ford Mustang, it could be both a com- the car as “Ford Capri – The Car You Always Prom- collectable. If you’ve never heard of Negroni Long before the advent of the panty dropper muter and a weekend warrior. ised Yourself”, the British magazine Car described (not to be confused with the Italian cocktail), Golf GTi used to roam the fastback coupe Ford Worldwide the Capri went on to be highly suc- the Capri as a “Cortina in drag”. the brand’s roots go all the way back to the late Capri, somewhat referred to as the baby Mus- cessful for Ford, selling nearly 1.9 million units in ‘60s, when Hikichi Hatsuyoshi established a tang. Built by the Ford Motor Company between its lifetime.Although the Capri was not officially re- Colleague Nkhomo Morero owned one during humble shoe factory in Japan. 1968 and 1986, it was no April Fools’ joke when it placed, the second-generation Probe was effectively his halcyon days in the 80s, and as far as his experi- debuted in South Africa to a welcoming audience its replacement after the later car’s introduction to ence with his Capri goes, it was all worth the trouble HONDA FIT REPLACES JAZZ in April 1970. and he had to sell it when his bachelor days reached Combining sexy Italian design and with its their sell-by- date. ”It had presence and I liked it’s Gone is the Honda Jazz and in comes the rear-wheel-drive, its 2+2 coupe shape was an im- great handling,” he remembers. Honda Fit. Two petrol engines have been as- mediate hit endearing itself more especially with signed to the Fit range, one of which does duty the young at heart. Although a fastback coupé, Ford wanted the Ca- as part of a hybrid drivetrain that’s vastly updat- The South African models initially used the pri Mk I to be affordable for a broad spectrum of po- ed from the previous Jazz’s petrol-electric hy- Kent 1.6 engine and the V4 2.0 version of the Es- tential buyers. To help achieve that, it was available brid system. Interestingly, no manual gearboxes sex. although a Pinto straight-four 2.0 L replaced with a variety of engines. Before Ford’s “European are available; all derivatives employ a continu- it in some markets in 1971 The i.6-motor churned Mustang”, the name “Capri” was used on a few ously variable automatic transmission (CVT), a modest 62kW at 5000 revs per minute. Using other cars. It was used on quite a few Ford models, with a fixed-gear configuration in the hybrid the mechanical components from the Mk2 Ford FASTBACK COUPE: The jaw dropping Ford Capri since the 1950s, the first of which was the 1950 Lin- version. The Comfort, Elegance and Executive coln Cosmopolitan Capri. Later it was used on the derivatives are all powered by a 1.5-litre petrol 1952 Lincoln Capri.-additional reporting Wikepidia engine that produces peak outputs of 89kW and 145Nm of torque. As a brand-building exercise, Honda SA is also offering a Fit Hybrid that combines a 1.5-litre petrol motor with a battery and electric motor to produce combined outputs of 80kW and 253Nm of torque. The hybrid’s claimed fuel consumption figure is just 3.7L/100km. With the hybrid system, most of the fuel con- sumption benefits are reaped in town when the electric motor can do most of the propulsion work.

Friday 3 September 2021 PERSONAL FINANCE/BUSINESS 13WEEKLY SA MIRROR CLIENTS URGED TO CANCEL BANK ACCOUNTS AFTER SETTLING THEIR DEBTS UPDATE: Ensure finances are in order OMBUDSMAN: Reana Steyn is the go to woman for challenges in the banking sector. By Isaac Moledi vided the account in question is not in debit/owing or credit. Many of us may not know that it is our duty as custom- Should this be the case, the account holder will be required ers of a financial institution or a homeowner to formally to settle the outstanding balance prior to the account being inform our respective financial institutions if - after set- closed,” said Steyn. tling our account or bond repayment with that institu- tion - to cancel those accounts in order that the accounts Bank customers in most cases forget to inform their do not continue to incur further debts or interest. debtors that they had closed or switched accounts to other institutions. This would result in their debtors continuing to The Ombudsman for Banking Services (OBS) Reana pass debit orders to the closed account. This will result in Steyn says her office has seen an increase in the number of the debit orders being returned unpaid, attracting returned bank customers or customers of other financial services in- unpaid debit order fees. This in turn results in the account dustry institutions approaching her office to complain about being overdrawn. incurring debts in their accounts even after the initial debt with the respective institution had been settled. According to Steyn, it remains the duty of bank custom- ers to ensure their financial affairs are in order by continu- “The OBS would like to remind consumers that while ously updating their information with their debtors every the bond may be settled, until it is formally cancelled, it will time they change accounts, especially where debit orders remain active. Insurance policies that were debited on the are debited from the account. bond will continue to be debited together with other fees and charges relating to the administration of keeping the bond “The Code of Banking Practice, and now the Conduct account active for as long as the bond is not cancelled,” Standard for Banks, also places a duty on the banks to treat Steyn said. customers fairly. In terms of the Code of Banking Practice, banks are required to treat an account as dormant if it is For a bond to be cancelled, bank customers are advised not in use for a period ranging from three to six months. to provide the bank with a written instruction to cancel it. In such a situation, banks are required to try and contact With regards to the insurance policies debited on the ac- the account holder. If no response is received, the account count, bank customers are also advised to cancel the poli- should be closed. cies with their insurers or to request that the premiums be deducted from another account instead of the initial bond The Conduct Standard for Banks requires that the bank account in the event that the client has changed his or her informs account holders of the effects and the implications account. of having a dormant account instead of closing it.” Similarly, if you have moved or switched your bank- Steyn said it was unfortunate that what her office had ing account to another institution, there is also a process to noticed was that, some banks have acted contrary to the be followed. “The bank customer relationship is based on Payment Association of South Africa (PASA) rules which a mandate, and it is the bank’s duty to act on the lawful states: the User (including a bank) must remove the pay- instruction provided by the customer. ment instruction if a debit order returns unpaid on two con- secutive occasions. In such situations, she says the OBS had Therefore, if the account holder instructs the bank to been successfully able to recommend to the banks to write close the account, the bank must act on that instruction pro- off the returned unpaid debit order fees more than the PASA Rules provision. ATM FRAUDSTERS PREYING ON UNSUSPECTING AND DESPERATE BANK CUSTOMERS TRICK: Customers are being tricked By Isaac Moledi banking also prove to be challenging for some NOT SO CLOSE: People are advised not to ask strangers for help at ATMs South Africa’s banking customers are cur- people as it may be the first time that they transact rently facing some of the most devastating ex- with their banks in this manner,” says Steyn. have found the bank liable for the complainant’s or confidential banking information. Anyone periences of their lives with fraudsters taking loss. trying to do this over the phone is probably advantage of the current volatile situation for According to her, fraud continued to pose a trying to scam you; their benefit. real threat to the financial well being of our so- She advised bank customers to ensure that - Always be sceptical even if your Caller ID ciety. “Banking customers continue to be tricked they contacted their banks or the beneficiary bank gives the name of a bank, or some other com- According to the Ombudsman for Banking into divulging personal information such as inter- to verify the authenticity of the recipient of the pany or organisation , it could be a trick; Services (OBS), the country is in the middle of net banking credentials as well as card informa- funds before making any payment. She particu- - Don’t click on links or icons in unsolicited one of the most trying times with tensions boil- tion. This enables fraudsters to conduct fraudulent larly warned those making payments to recipients emails; don’t reply to these emails. Delete ing over as a result of many circumstances that transactions where cards do not have to be pre- with no proven record to be vigilant. them immediately; included Covid- 19 pandemic, high rocketing cost sented.” - Check that you are on the secure banking of living, unemployment and violent acts and the “The level of desperation that fraudsters are website before entering any personal informa- destruction of bank properties that are disrupting In her 2021 mid-year statistics, Steyn said the showing is alarming,” said Steyn who added that tion; their lives. In addition to all the other challenges, OBS had to date opened more than 4 000 formal the fraudsters were motivated and acting brazenly. - Check your bank statement regularly and re- fraudsters are more motivated than ever before to cases with current account complaints being the port suspicious entries immediately to your utilise these opportunities for their benefit. category with the highest number of complaints. Steyn offered bank customers the following bank; “Fraud and fees and charges are the two main sub- tips: - Never accept assistance from a stranger at an “We need to be calm and extra vigilant dur- categories that were complained about.” - Never divulge any personal information to ATM; ing these trying times,” said OBS Ombudsman, - If your card is jammed at the ATM do not Reana Steyn. Tender scams were also becoming increas- another person over the phone, even if they leave the ATM but immediately contact your ingly popular. In one of the worst cases dealt by assure you they are from your bank; bank to report the incident. She says with many banks announcing dis- her office, Steyn said her office has dealt with a - Report any suspicious activity to your bank’s ruptions to their services and with some branches customer who paid more than R96 000 to a fraud- fraud hotline immediately; particularly in malls having been closed as a re- ster who had convinced the customer that they - Always remember that a legitimate business sult of the recent looting and destructions of some had supplied water pumps. will never ask for your personal, sensitive ATMs - forcing a lot of people to shift to online transaction - this has also seen an increase in fraud “Unfortunately, by the time the matter was re- with scammers taking advantage of the despera- ported to the bank by the customer (and a block tion currently gripping the country. was placed on the fraudster’s account), the fraud- ster had already depleted the funds,” Steyn said. “The move to online transactions and mobile An investigation conducted by her office found no evidence of wrongdoing by the bank which would

14 WEEKLY SA MIRROR SPORT Friday 3 September 2021 ANACONDA By Pule Mkhine “Hopefully everything will soon be back to GOBBLES MILES AT While many professional boxers are current- normal in the country and globally. We had al- ly struggling to earn a living by not securing ready signed a contract to challenge for the IBF THE GYM fights because of the devastating blow of the glory before the lockdown happened last year Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, former world March. I am optimistic though that things will be NOT SLOWING DOWN: Five times boxing and national champion Bukiwe “ Anaconda” back to normal soon and that we fighters will be champion Nonina now a fitness trainer Nonina, seems to be an exception. back in the ring,” Anaconda says with a tinge of hope. MAMA ACTION: Boxing champ Anaconda (left) in action during pre-lockdown days Arguably the country’s most successful fe- male boxer, Nonina has carved herself a niche by The 31 year-old pugilist who was born in becoming a fitness trainer at a gym called We Dutywa in the Eastern Cape but hails from Khu- Box in Randburg in Johannesburg. ma in Orkney, North West, took the fistic scene and Mzansi by storm and became a sensation She does this to keep herself in good shape as in 2011 when she campaigned in the paid ranks a result of the scarcity of staging of tournaments whilst still at high school. However, she lost her due to the biting fangs of the ongoing pandemic. pro debut match to Lisbeth Sovhaga on a sixth- round stoppage in Polokwane. “The lockdown is making it impossible for boxers to pursue their careers by depriving them But her quest for success in the ring persisted. of earning a living. I’ve decided to train the public Anaconda went on to lift the then vacant SA at the gym in order to keep myself fit and make championship belt the following year, thus be- some money to put food on the table for my fam- coming the darling of her school and peers. ily,” says Nonina. Nonina, who is feared and admired by many foes for unleashing powerful right hooks and “ From what I get at my workplace, I’m able quick jabs, made an unprecedented five success- to at least to provide myself and family. There are ful defenses of his national championship belt be- no fights at the moment . I currently feel for those fore relinquishing it in 2016 to set her sights on boxers who are starving and whose careers have the WBF world glory. Her impressive local feat been stifled by the lockdown.” has never been achieved by any female boxer in the country. She is throwing straight from the shoulder, The lanky fighting queen - her nickname is saying she hopes that her busy training schedule derived from a large American snake that crushes will get her in good shape ahead of her forthcom- other animals before eating them - won her maid- ing International Boxing Federation (IBF) chal- en WBF crown in 2017 by beating Germany’s lenge next year. Alesia “Tigress” Graf by a unanimous points de- cision in their vacant title at Oliver Tambo Sports Centre in the Western Cape. She put her WBU crown on the line success- fully by outpointing Ellen Simwaka from Malawi on points at the YMCA Hall in Orlando in 2018. The last time that Anaconda put her WBU belt on the line was in 2019 when she outpointed Flora Machela of Tanzania at Portuguese Hall. So it remains to be seen if Nonina’s itness task will stand her in good stead. Anaconda, whose manager Makhosi Ngqoza passed on in 2019, won the SA Woman Boxer of the Year award at the Boxing SA awards two years in row. FOOTBALL ANALYSTS NEED UNDERSTANDING Dumile Mateza TOUCHLINE OF FORMATIONSMONEY’SWORTH: The question is do we get a return on MUSINGS investment from football “experts” who grace our TV screens Do we as television and radio audiences get mer Orlando Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer. He manent form which does not alter from time to FRUSTRATED: Former Orlando Pirates coach our money’s worth with the football analysis is not the first coach make these points, that in time as tactics do. Similarly, the system adopted Josep Zinnbauer bemoaned lack of basic doled out by the personalities who grace as South Africa there is a lack of basic development does not depend on the special characteristics of from our players television screens thrust on us as football ana- from a young age, a player is not able to key ele- soccer in any country. The formation known as lysts. ments in football that should have been part of 4-2-4 is now almost as much in use in Hungary this development from a young age. These same and the whole of Europe as it is in Brazil and The most important aspect of analysis is un- sentiments were expressed by several overseas Latin America in general. derstanding and a thorough knowledge of the coaches who coached in South Africa coaches systems, formations and tactics used in football. like Carlos Queiroz wh went pn to coach at Real The system is the arrangement of forces in The question is do we, get our money’s worth Madrid and Phillipe Troussier who went to coach the area of play. In soccer the line-up is much from our erstwhile football analysts who grace Japan, Qatar and Morocco. The system of play more flexible than say the volleyball which the our screens, week in and week out. may be defined as the arrangement of forces, i.e. position of the player is defined by the rules. In The team formation adopted in the field with a soccer the formation give the impression of be- Soccer strategy requires a wide range of view to accomplishing tasks which have been set ing somewhat fixed only at kick-off. Later each knowledge. It embraces almost all the factors in advance and determined in general. player attempts to fulfil the tasks set by the sys- likely to influence overall team performance. tem of play the team has adopted. Needless to These factors however, are not all equally impor- We would like to emphasize what these du- say, the job of each individual player cannot be tant, neither in form nor in content. Some are of ties are which are set in advance and defined in laid down in detail by any system of play. importance only occasionally whereas others are general. It goes without saying that the system of of a permanent character and play a major role play alone is not enough to ensure the final objec- The wide variety of differences in individual in any game. The selection of the most suitable tive of the game, all it can do is to help in achiev- styles, the balance of forces as well as the unlim- players to compose an efficient team and condi- ing that purpose. The system of play cannot be ited possibilities offered by the time and space tioning to ensure maximum stamina are major relied on to deal with unexpected situations aris- make it possible to describe fully what a player considerations for certain periods only. On the ing during a game. This falls into another sphere is expected to do. All that the team formation other hand study and detailed analysis of the of strategy: that of tactics. So the system is only and system of play can do is to give a general team formation, system of play and individual a frame which offers unlimited possibilities for direction; one player for example is required to abilities of future opponents is a permanent con- the application of a wide variety of tactical ideas. act as a defender while another is entrusted with sideration as is the establishment of the system An analyst on top of his game would be able to an attacking role. This in my view is what makes of play the coach’s own side. There are continual tell the viewers whether the teams in question, a football analyst and not this convoluted con- duties, but the method of application varies ac- have maintained the same formation throughout centration on the personality of a player that we cording to each particular occasion. the match. Does the introduction of a replace- have to put up with. ment during the course of the match, changed the Strategy also includes various external fac- formation or system of play. NB: Some of the information for this arti- tors the ability of the players and the material cle was gleaned and adapted from a Book titled at hand and so on, things like growth environ- The system of play is in fact a relatively per- Soccer, its original Hungarian title was ‘LAB- ment, diet and nutrition. The words of the for- DARUSGAS’ by Arpad Csanadi of Hungary.

Friday 3 September 2021 SPORT 15WEEKLY SA MIRROR SPORTS: Briefs KEAGAN TO His first touch in a Kaizer Chiefs shirt against Ma- MAKE THINGS melodi Sundowns yielded a goal for Khama Billiat and TOYOTA POWERS PARALYMPICS DOUBLE DOLLY in Keagan Dolly’s first Amakhosi league start against FOR CHIEFS Baroka he walked away with the man of the match Toyota South Africa has reiterated that honours. it would reward all podium finishers at the FORCEFUL: Talented midfielder has the Olympic and Paralympic Games with mone- knack to turn a game around The early signs for the Chiefs creative midfielder tary prizes. Athletes who win gold medals will have been very encouraging, and while he’s happy with be awarded a R100 000 cash incentive, while CREATIVE: Chiefs new midfielder Keagan Dolly taking it one game at a time the strides he is making, he is trusting the “process” and those who bag silver and bronze receive cash not rushing to get ahead of himself. prizes of R50 000 and R25 000 – respectively. “Based on our first half performance (against Baroka), In a statement the company said they were any one of us could have got the man of the match award. immensely proud of Ntando Mahlangu, An- When a team performs well, the individuals always stand runé Weyers and Louzanne Coetzee for their out. Luckily tonight, it was me,” Dolly said after Chiefs’ valiant heroics at the Paralympic Games To- 2-1 first victory over Baroka in their first DStv Premier- kyo 2020 over the weekend. The South Afri- ship home match of the season at FNB Stadium. can trio pulled out all the stops to bag two gold medals and a silver in their respective sporting “With me starting my first match, I feel good, espe- categories. Para-cyclist Pieter du Preez added cially as the team got the three points. We played well and the fourth gold when he dominated from start we created opportunities. It always feels good to be in- to finish on Tuesday. Toyota believes that in- volved. Most importantly, we won the match. It felt good vesting in athletes helps to ensure that sport is being out there with the boys on the field. strategically positioned to play its part in both entertainment arena and to facilitate social co- What stood out for me is that all the stuff we do on hesion. training, especially the passing, movement and creating chances, that came out. That always makes you feel good CAS REJECTS LALIGA APPEAL as a person, as well as getting on the ball. So, I’m feeling much better,” Dolly said as he gradually eases his way Soccer clubs in Spain’s LaLiga have been back to full physical and match fitness after four months forced to release international players for Sep- without football since his departure from French Ligue 1 tember’s South American World Cup quali- side Montpellier. fiers after a decision by the Court of Arbitra- tion for Sport (CAS) on Sunday. LaLiga had He has brought maturity, experience and skill to Am- appealed against global soccer governing body akhosi’s midfield, as well as a greater attacking threat, but FIFA’s extension to the international window Dolly cautions he is not in a rush and is still working on for World Cup qualifiers by two days because hitting his stride. it meant players participating in the matches would be unable to turn out for their clubs “I’m taking it each step at a time. I’m not in a hurry when Spain’s domestic fixtures resume on to be at the top. It’s a process for me and that goes for Sept. 11. FIFA welcomed the decision by CAS, the team as well. We are focused on what we set out to it said in a statement. World soccerâ s govern- achieve throughout the season. It’s only the second game. ing body announced earlier this month that fix- There are a lot of positives we can take from this game tures missed in March due to the COVID-19 and also a lot we need to work on. With each game we will pandemic would be played in September and just get better,” Dolly said. October, and increased the CONMEBOL inter- national window by two days until Sept. 10. While proud of his early personal exploits in an Am- akhosi shirt, most satisfying for him is the gradual im- It cited extensive travel and player safety provement in the team’s understanding and performance. as the reasons for the extension. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla and Atletico Madrid were “For me individually it’s just to keep on growing and all due to play league fixtures 24 hours later contribute to the team’s success. That is my aim, just to and on Thursday LaLiga said it had held a help where I can and to keep getting better, getting more meeting with all concerned teams, who agreed match fit and gaining match sharpness. In time that will not to release their players for international come,” Dolly said in conclusion. duty. LaLiga criticised the CAS ruling in a statement, calling FIFA’s decision a “plain dec- With Chiefs now off to an enforced break due to the laration of intent to intervene in autonomous international round of fixtures, Dolly has more time to national leagues”. The league also responded regain his physical fitness, before gearing up to support by shifting fixtures for the corresponding Chiefs as they face his old Mamelodi club Sundowns weekend, moving Real Madrid-Celta Vigo again in quick succession in the DStv Premiership away and Espanyol-Atletico Madrid from Saturday on September 12.-kaiserchiefs.com Sept. 11 to Sunday Sept. 12 and requesting for Sevilla-Barcelona and Villarreal-Alaves, both BAFANA EARN FIRST POINT set for Sept. 11, to be postponed. The fixture ON ROAD TO QATAR change allows players involved in the World Cup qualifiers to play for their clubs but causes STALEMATE: First outing under new technical team shows some promise more disruption to the teams, who are all due ZIMBABWE (0) 0 –SOUTH AFRICA-(0) 0 to play in the Champions League the following Tuesday and Wednesday. By Ali Mphaki EXPERIENCED: Brownen Williams liams some anxious moment before he parried If the journey of a thousand miles starts the Bafana captain it for a corner. It could be argued that class MARGEMAN NOW A SWALLOW parried to safety by Zimbabwean keeper Tal- is permanent and form impermanent, which with the first step, the valuable point earned bert Shumba for a corner kick, Bafana were perhaps explains why Broos kept an out of The 23-year-old has not featured for the away by Bafana Bafana in their game against absent especially in the third half of the field sorts Percy Tau in the game, with the talisman defending DStv Premiership champions this Zimbabwe this afternoon, might just be the for the better part of the first half. rising to the occasion late in the game when he season and has now made the switch to the first boost in their quest to qualify for the 2022 Bafana’s Luther Singh on the right wing forced a save from Shumba in the 76th minute. Dube Birds in search of regular game time. FIFA World Cup Qatar. was unable to stretch The Warriors’ defence But, if truth be told, Tau had minimal pres- and make those penetrating moves so as to ence in the game, no wonder his replacement Margeman will also link with Jody Feb- On their first date under new coach Hugo free striker Evidence Makgopa. But the hard- by Sipho Mbule later in the game. ruary and Keletso Makgalwa who have also Broos, Bafana Bafana should be relieved not working Makgopa did manage to scare the joined Swallows on loan from the Brazilians to have forfeited all three points by holding a opposition eight minutes from a corner kick, With Singh replaced by Victor Letsoalo for the 2021/2022 campaign. The midfielder stubborn Zimbabwe to a goalless draw at the but could not connect his header well and went in the 73rd minute and the inclusion of Bon- only notched up three appearances in Sun- National Sports Stadium in Harare. Some of wild. With the two teams going on a break gokuhle Hlongwane, there was a semblance of downs’ title-winning campaign last season, the takeaways from this game definitely in- goalless, the second half started with Zimba- unity of purpose among the Bafana players as with only one of those appearances coming clude the chronic poor finishing characteristic bwe seemingly assuming the front seat, keep- they took the game to The Warriors. from the start. as well as the unproductive tactic of keeping ing Bafana’s defence and goalkeeper captain possession without purpose. Bronwen Williams extra busy. Making a determined run on the right LEADERSHIP BOARD TAKES SHAPE Zim’s Khama Billiat was a perpetual thorn flank Hlongwane sent a powerful low shot that Bar a blistering shot from Teboho Mokoe- on the side of the Bafana defence, with his pow- was cleared off the line to break the deadlock. The Vodacom Bulls, Lions and DHL West- na out of the 18-area, which was desperately erful strike around the hour-mark giving Wil- ern Province scored impressive wins in the SA With all the challenges associated with the Rugby U20 Cup last weekend and by doing so, Covid pandemic resulting in the unavailabil- moved into the top three positions on the log. ity of certain players for national duty, Bafana can take courage that, given the circumstanc- The Pretoria side beat the Toyota Free es, they did not end up on the losing side. State 56-8 on Friday, and the Lions outscored the Cell C Sharks 27-15 in nearby Johannes- More is expected of Bafana when they burg, and on Saturday, DHL WP had too much host Ghana back home at the FNB stadium on firepower for Eastern Province, winning 63-0 Monday, 6pm. in Despatch. The Bulls are at the top of the standings with 12 points, but have played three ZIMBABWE: Shumba, Chimwewe, Mu- times already, while the Lions (10) and WP (7) netsi, Lunga, Bhasera, Kamusoko, Mudimu, have a game in hand. The Leopards (7 points), Billiat, Musona, Mahachi (T. Rusike 58), Kad- who had a bye, are fourth on the log. There wer (Dzukumanja 58). will be more jostling for play-off position this week, with WP hosting the Bulls on Friday and BAFANA: Williams, Morena, Xulu, the Leopards taking on EP in Potchefstroom De Reuck, Mobbie, Links (Hlongwane 46), the same day. The Lions will travel to Bloem- Mokoena, Mvala, Singh (Letsoalo 73), Mak- fontein to play Free State on Saturday, while gopa, Tau (Mbule 78). the Cell C Sharks have their first bye.

MIRROR SPORTWEEKLY SA Insight to connect the dots... NO AIRTIME AT MTN8 SEMI FINALS CONNECTIVITY: SECOND-LEG GAMES PROMISE HIGH-SPEED ACTION AND BUNDLE OF GOALS... Lindokuhle Mtshali, Golden Arrows attacking midfielder, and Gaston Sirino of Sundowns By Ali Mphaki connectivity towards the goalposts. teaches us anything, but it will be worthwhile scoresheet clean with some of his breathtak- A draw in a tournament sponsored by a cell- High-masted Mamelodi Sundowns had a for Sundowns to remember that Arrows won ing saves under constant pressure from the phone operator could be likened to the harm- the MTN8 way back in 2009. marauding City forwards. Swallows have also less act of sharing data. This notwithstanding scare after conceding early and had to come won the MTN8 previously in 2012/3, and more “a draw is like kissing your sister”, the famous back from behind to snatch a 1-all draw late in Arrows as well, should not lose sight of the than ever want to repeat the feat. words of a former colleague back from a match their game against Lamontville Golden Arrows fact that this is one trophy that has continued which ended in a stalemate. at the Sugar Ray Xulu stadium in Clermont, to elude the boys from Mamelodi, and they With everything equal, all four teams will Saturday. Playing under rainy and windy desperately want to see it in their cupboard. surely need a super-fast access to the goalposts But there will be no love lost – after a conditions this is one game Arrows will curse using multiple broadband of strategies to en- month of international roaming – when the themselves for having allowed their weak “sig- With their bulk connectivity of players, sure their passage to the final. four MTN8 semi-finalists once more lock horns nal” in goalkeeper Sifiso Mulungwana fluff- Sundowns showed great “mentality and spir- for the coveted R15-million Boss-bites on offer ing a seemingly tame cross which was easily it” against Arrows, and there will be no let off And with such tantalizing football com- come end of September. tapped home by Sundowns’ Serbian striker to when they meet again in Pretoria. ing our way, scores of fans, still barred from end the game in a stalemate. the stands due to Covid-19 restrictions, will, No doubt the two MTN8 semi-finals games In another semi- final a dogged and deter- however, have to continue to chat on their played last weekend had high capacity, featur- “We could have been 2-nil up in the first mined Cape Town City were unlucky not to cellphones using the newly introduced and af- ing some of the best players in the DStv Pre- half,” moans Arrows coach Lehlohonolo pluck the feathers of Swallows FC when their fordable #wegotu data bundles, before once miership, but with both game ending in draws, Seema, even though he was happy with how game ended in a goalless draw at the Athlone more converging around their television sets to the detailed balance showed a glaring lack of his charges kept shape when Sundowns were stadium, Sunday. watch their favourite teams in action. pressing them high. History, we are told, never Swallows should thank their lucky gods Wafa wafa! as well as keeper Virgil Vries who kept the