WEEKLY SA Ed1

EXCITOINUG NREWBBREGAINNNINDG INSIDE INSIDE FABULOUS NEWPAPER AWARD-WINNING FASHION CLASSICS CONSUMER COLUMNIST THULI ZUNGU - Mpumi Brown Friday 21 May 2021 D E Q L www.weeklysamirror.news MIRRORWEEKLY SA Insight to connect the dots... SQUATTERS 2 4pages & SINOVAWDEETO POLICE BARRACKS

2 WEEKLY SA MIRROR NEWS Friday 21 May 2021 DEPRESSING: The deplorable state of the SAPS barracks in Soweto. CRIME AND GRIME ROCK POLICE LIVING QUARTERS By Vusi Xaba BUILDINGS IN STATE OF DISREPAIR: POLICE Dozens of homeless people have taken over the Dozens of Illegal occupants take over SAPS major SAPS living quarters in Soweto. The Protea Glen apartment blocks under their noses RESPONSE 93 cops officially known to be residents of the building now find themselves sharing the facil- ever. vehicles parked in the barracks have also become The SAPS in Gauteng is aware of ity with more than 400 unknown people. ‘It would be some of the SAPS members a common feature. Fears abound that unless the the prevalence of illegal occupation of situation is attended to urgently, a disaster may be police barracks and hence the roll out Meant to accommodate close to 500 mem- are renting out the apartments and pocketing the in the offing. of a project plan led by the SAPS Legal bers of the force, the once immaculate triple story money.’ Services department in the province building in the suburb of Protea, a stone throw What is of concern is that people on SAPS working closely with State Attorneys from the Soweto SAPS headquarters, is in a di- “We definitely not safe here,” said a worried premises illegally pose a risk to the police offic- where illegal occupants are evicted lapidated state and had deteriorated into a den of cop speaking on condition of anonymity. ers. through legal processes. iniquity and grime.. Come Fridays until Sunday nights, she add- The situation at the Protea barracks is symp- Only active members employed by the The rot, according to SAPS members living ed, the quarters are turned into a cacophony of tomatic of a disturbing trend in South Africa SAPS qualify, and can therefore apply to live in the barracks, started “shortly” after the advent sounds with music blaring non-stop from differ- which has seen the illegal occupation or hijack- in police barracks. of democracy in 1994, when maintenance of the ent stereos. ing of buildings, many of which lack basic neces- building was surprisingly “halted”. Previously sities such as water, lights or proper sanitation. The SAPS has a mandatory record entrance to the barracks was controlled; These “How are we supposed to have proper rest in Shockingly is that most of these hijacked build- keeping system, while routine inspections days it’s a free for all with people coming in and such circumstances and still be fit the following ings have become a hub of criminal activity, and are the responsibility of the local police out as they please. day for our highly demanding job,” she asked. police buildings have not been spared either. station, in this case Moroka SAPS. The building is falling apart, with the roof Theft of clothing from the washing line as The problem is widespread and not only con- The barracks in reference can house 435 missing in places and broken windows all round, well as break-ins into private SAPS members’ fined to Soweto, with the SAPS head honchos in people but at this stage the occupancy is at a result of the building being engulfed by fire on KwaZulu-Natal for example warning of this mal- 93 owing to the conditions of some of the two recent occasions. AT A GLANCE feasance as far back as 2018. accommodation. A visitor is greeted by heaps of uncollected • Close to 400 illegal occupants live there; Then acting provincial commissioner Lieu- The planned maintenance of state rubbish, with paper wrappers strewn all over as • Some of the SAPS members stay in the tenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi is on record buildings is a responsibility vested with you enter the premises. Apparently, there has that before the SAPS can clean up illegally occu- the national Department of Public Works been no proper refuse collection for years. It takes quarters illegally pied buildings in our communities “we must first and Infrastructure, which is the relevant courage to visit the communal toilets. • The quarters have no proper sanitation, start with our very own buildings”. department to respond on issues of cost and budget in relation to maintenance of state Water leaks and broken taps are the order of lights; A total of 115 people were arrested for tres- buildings. the day. Apart from scores of children who were • Maintenance of building not done for passing when a clean-up operation was conduct- playing around the facility. ed at the living quarters at Durban Central Police years; station, among those arrested being police offic- WSAM was able to establish that some of the • Various state departments blame each ers who should not be living there. inhabitants are relatives of the members of the police, some are family members of retired SAPS other for the mess. staff who were left there when former employees went on pension, and others brought in by friends with no attachment to the police service whatso-

Friday 21 May 2021 CONSUMER & LEGAL MATTERS 3WEEKLY SA MIRROR CELLPHONE CROOKS GOING NOWHERE FAST SCAM MODUS OPERANDI: Phones collected ON SWIM from various MTN stores without producing green bar-coded identity documents or SWAP conducting biometric tests ONE-TIME-PIN By Thuli Zungu shame them as their are still investigated for the Sharon Gumede ACCESS: Criminals alleged fraud get hold of confidential An internal investigation has been THIS IS HOW GUMEDE personal ID information launched against three MTN em- “When an employee commits fraud or a crime WAS SCAMMED: ployees who are accused of Iden- you report it instead of being an accomplice,” Gu- Identity or subscription fraud has become tity theft and bought four cellular mede said. Sending a complaint to MTN’s fraud • Banks, will never ask you for your An MTN a threat impacting network operators and phones worth approximately R100 department has not helped as they kept requesting consultant initiates an online application customers around the world, as criminals 000 at the expense of its client. one and the same documents they requested when using their log in details. constantly work to find new ways to beat she lodged an online complaint. fraud prevention systems. Sharon Gumede, 38, of Midrand, said she got • The consultant loads the alleged a rude awakening at on January 25 this year when The three employees bought a Sumsang gal- applicant’s details which include a copy of Jacqui O’Sullivan, Executive for Corpo- MTN debited R2500 from her bank account with- axy S20, worth R20 000 plus G4 sim, a Sumsang a fraudulent Identity Document, fraudulent rate Affairs at MTN SA said at MTN, they out obtaining authorisation from her. She is also note 20, ultra which costs R27 000 and a Samsung payslip with exaggerated salary. aim to protect customers from fraudulent accusing MTN fraud department of being compla- S20 FE at R20 000 between December and Janu- transactions that often originate elsewhere, cent as they have not investigated her complaint ary. • They use the clients correct banking often through identity theft. after providing them with the names of the em- details to debit the monthly installment. ployees who defrauded her. “It’s been four months “Each one initiated a separate account using She said ID theft is often just the start since I lodged a formal complaint, but no one has the same fraudulent payslip, ID document, but my • These documents could be shared of the fraud, with a criminal getting hold bothered to respond to it,” she said. correct banking detail and my mother’s Durban to other consultants to initiate online of sufficient personal information from an postal address while I have been staying for years contracts, in this case it was shared by Identity Document to initiate the fraudulent She said what boggles the mind is that these in Midrand,” she said. three consultants. activity. three employees have allegedly defrauded three more consumers in the same mode of operation Gumede said she doesn’t know how her par- • They then tip their cahoots to collect the “We have, however, observed the decline and all the contracts are initiated at the Mall of ticulars were compromised because she does not phone from a chosen branch which could in the frequency of these scams and fraud, Africa. Gumede said the phones are then collected have an account at MTN. She was also compelled be in any province, one was KZN though noting at times that there has been an uptick from various MTN stores without producing a to close her bank account from which the unau- Gumede resides in Gauteng. in this type of fraud particularly during the green bar-coded identity document or conducting thorised debit orders were docked. festive season. “she said. a biomatrix test. • The branch does not do a biometric test “This has not only affected my credit record, to check legitimacy of the client collecting On occasion, when MTN observe an up- The thieves bought an Apple’s flagship iphone but has caused me sleepless nights as MTN has the device. tick in these types of scams, they immedi- 12 costing a whooping R45 000 just two days after not bothered to respond to a number of emails I ately and proactively warn all customers to it hit the shelves on the 18th December last year, have sent to their fraud department,” said a disil- • The device is collected by mere be aware of the new scam, she said. Gumede said. lusioned Gumede. They refused to give her docu- presentation of a photocopy of an ID, ments that were used to open a fraud contract, contrary to their requirements that O’Sullivan said in some incidents, a She said the fraudsters started to steal from making it difficult for her to open a fraud case at customers need to produce a bar-coded criminal, claiming to be an MTN call cen- their MTN on December 9 and got comfortable the police station for investigation. green Identity document. tre agent, requests the customer’s security with it as they proceeded to damage her credit re- details under the pretence that they were cord without impunity as MTN failed to smell this Her misery ended a week ago after Weekly SA • When the consumer calls MTN’s fraud blocking the processing of a SIM swap re- rot as it continued happening below their nose. Mirror stepped in. department after noticing an unauthorised quest that was being made on the subscrib- debit order going to MTN the consultant er’s number without their knowledge or au- The cell phones were collected from the Mall MTN COMMENT will refuse to log a fraud case and refer the thorisation. of Africa, Tembisa Mall and at Phoenix Mall in Jacqui O’Sullivan, Executive for Corporate Af- client to a branch near them. Durban by merely producing an uncertified copy fairs at MTN SA, said Gumede was a victim of The scammers then use the customer’s of an ID bearing her particulars and a fraudulent Identity theft. She said MTN is conducting an in- • A biometric test of the complainant is done responses, which they obtained during the photo of the person receiving them. ternal investigation to establish whether their em- and their profile pops up bearing their call, to perform an actual fraudulent SIM ployees may have been involved and if so, crimi- correct photo as kept by the Department swap, she said. Gumede said though MTN has rolled out in- nal charges and internal disciplinary procedure of Home Affairs with no MTN contract. store biometrics as an additional layer of security will be instated. MTN has previously communicated to to stop criminal activity, these employees were a • Upon manually pinning the consumer’s customers that it would not contact custom- step ahead. This is our policy and approach taken against ID then a fraudulent contract/s will show ers from its call centre to block the process- any employee found to be involved in such fraud. including the fake documents. ing of a SIM swap request. “If a biometric test was done, the official dis- When asked whether Gumede had no right to get pensing the phones would have noticed that their copies of her stone Identity she said she has the • The branch will also refuse to log a fraud “We have also previously urged all our fingerprints do not match with the ID copy they right. “It is correct that our customer has the right case and refer the consumer back to the customers not to respond to unsolicited calls produced and information kept at Home Affairs,” to view the requested documents and we have branch where the fraud was committed, and requests for their security details from she said. asked our Fraud and Customer Relations team to (the Mall of Africa in this case) an unknown number,”O’Sullivan said. share documents with the customer. We apologise More annoying is that when she reported the that this was not shared upon initial request.” • The consumer is denied to have copies of MTN has for the past two years been fraudulent activity to the Boulders MTN branch documents used in opening the account rolling out in-store biometrics as an addi- they refused to log the fraud, but referred to the “It should be noted that when applying for a which bears the photo of the fraudster. tional layer of security to further halt such Mall of Africa store branch near her. At the contract it is not a statutory requirement that the criminal activity. branch I was made to do a biometric test and her applicant’s ID be certified. Our investigation re- • When contacting MTN’s contract profile came up with no contract on their side, but veals that the fraudster, through identity theft, pro- department, they are able to see who She said MTN has also introduced se- after pinning in her ID three contracts popped up duced a fake ID document during the application - initiated the fraudulent accounts, and cure (One Time Passwords) OTP access to with the particulars of all three consultants who hence the application was successful,” O’Sullivan could even disclose their names but systems whereby users who are affected initiated these contracts, she said. said. wShe said MTN’s biometric system was in- nothing is done about it. then have a clear tracking and audit log. troduced as an additional layer of security and it They too, refused to log a fraud report on her is not necessarily mandatory when performing a • The consumer is left helpless in this case, “Our monitoring systems give us a view file, but referred her to the Mall of Africa where new application. Gumede could not open a fraud case at of all related Sim Swap activities and MTN the fraudulent activity occurred. “Clearly no one the Police Station and her complaint has only processes SIM swap requests between wants these fraudulent activities to end, sadly I Though Gumede’s finger prints could be suc- been ignored for four months. 07:00 to 20:00. This is due to our focus on was left powerless and hopeless as MTN careless cessfully read, O’Sullivan said there are instances further tightening security measures to about the interest of their consumers”, she said. in which fingerprints cannot be captured such • Biometric flaws avoid SIM swap fraud” she said. Interestingly, the consultant who assisted her at as with the elderly or those who have old burn • There are instances in which fingerprints their contract department was happy to volunteer wounds on their hands. the names of the three miscreants and went fur- cannot be captured such as with the ther to disclose that she was the third victim of this In some instances, people who suffer with elderly or those who have old burn wounds fraud, she said. diabetes and are required to perform daily finger on their hands. prick tests to manage their condition cannot have • In some instances, people who suffer with Describing their modus operandi, Gumede their fingerprints accurately captured, she said. In diabetes and are required to perform daily was told that the employees initiant an online ac- these instances, our team would record the inabil- finger prick tests to manage their condition count using fake documents, then sent their ca- ity to accurately capture the biometric data as an as they cannot have their fingerprints hoots to the store to collect the device at a chosen exception and then proceed with the application. accurately captured. branch. • In these instances, MTN would record “As part of our investigation into this matter the inability to accurately capture the “Clearly this is an inside job,”she said Gu- we will reach out to the store for details on the biometric data as an exception and then mede gave the names of these employees, but recorded exception that occurred in this instance, proceed with the application. Weekly SA Mirror is not at liberty to name and she said.

4 WEEKLY SA MIRROR NEWS Friday 21 May 2021 “OUR LIVING QUARTERS ARE NOT FIT FOR HUMAN BEINGS” STENCH: Occupants of the police barracks say garbage has not been collected for the past 11 years… WeeklySAmirror senior journalist Thuli Zungu inspects the damage to Beauty Hlongwane says she has been living in the quarters illegally since 2017. the roof at a police apartment block. By Thuli Zungu One of the occupants, Beauty Hlongwane, alised that most of the police here stay with their and conducted interviews without any hassle. said she had been living there since 2017, and families,” he said, smiling, before his girlfriend Rats, people and garbage co-exist in- no one had questioned them up to now, as no one opened the door for him. NO CONTROL, NOBODY CARES. side several blocks of police living seemed bothered. Another occupant, Alex Ndou (not his real quarters at the Protea Glen police On the third floor, a young man who did not station in Soweto. Hlongwane showed the WeeklySAmirror want to reveal his name, said his policeman father name) said the residents had written several Somewhere inside one of the team around, to assess the extent of squalor at the left him there when he retired from the SAPS five letters to senior officials since 2010, com- blocks, the daughter of a police woman is taking barracks. She volunteered to guide the team de- years ago. care of her child and her three minor siblings who spite having no authority to do so. plaining about the state of the quarters, but no one live there illegally – along with scores of other “I’m not the only one,” he said showing the had bothered to listen to their grievances. families, who have moved into the quarters with- “It’s like staying in the rural areas; there are team other rooms occupied by children of retired out the consent of the station commander. no lights in the corridors and outside the build- and deceased police officers. “I can’t wait to retire and go back home to ings,” Hlongwane said, pointing at the damaged Limpopo,” said a 56-year-old man, pointing at a The barracks are dilapidated, unkempt and electricity lights. Outside, the team encountered a boy carry- heap of rubbish nestling on the roof of a lower have no lights and sanitation facilities. Some of ing a bucket of water he had fetched from another floor. the buildings are in such a state disrepair that they She took the team to several half-empty section of the living quarters, since the block oc- are hardly fit for human habitation. rooms with beds only, yet, strangely, their occu- cupied by his family had no running water. He He said stinking garbage overflowing from pants were nowhere in sight. said the sewerage system had not been working the waste bins had not been collected since 2010, Yet it is clear that most of the squatters have since 2010. even though their finance department continued moved into the decrepit quarters just to have a A police reservist, who said he had been stay- to deduct their levies for the maintenance of the roof over their heads. ing there for a month, told WeeklySAmirror she By the way, no one asked the WeeklySAmir- place. Ndou said they were told that the mainte- moved into one of the rooms with his girlfriend. row team to identify itself when we arrived. The nance contract with Johannesburg City Munici- team just drove in, walked around, took pictures pality’s Pikitup waste management service had “I fetched my girlfriend from home when I re- ended some time back, but had not been renewed. “We have to burn garbage. Those who have cars sometimes carry litter and dump it at nearby dumping places,” he said. “This is why this place (the barracks) looks like a dumping place,” he said. Two blocks de- stroyed by fire between 2002 and 2014, were yet to be renovated. He said January this year the residents were greeted by a notice on the walls, warning them to vacate the premises by the end of June. “We also don’t know whether they will con- tinue debiting the levies or if they’ll ever refund the money debited from our pay without provid- ing any service”. EYESORE: Families occupying the police apartments adjacent to Protea Police Station have complained to no avail about the health UNKEMPT: Unsightly undergrowth outside hazard presented by the piling rubbish, apparently lying uncollected for the past decade. the police apartment block.

Friday 21 May 2021 LIFE UNDER LOCKDOWN 5WEEKLY SA MIRROR THE PANDEMIC RUINED OUR BUSINESSES - FUNERAL UNDERTAKERS Eugene Skosana, general manager of Ledwaba Funeral Parlour in Atteridgeville, Pretoria By Monk Nkomo FINANCIAL STRAIN: Scores of burial companies recording huge financial losses. While the country re- society members have had policies lapse Another owner of a funeral parlour in Preto- mained optimistic about after losing jobs as economic crisis caused by containing the spread of pandemic forces companies to shut down… ria, who declined to disclose his name, said the the second phase of the pandemic almost plunged his business into bank- dreaded Coronavirus who had departed from these shores. country mainly due to the collapse of a large num- ruptcy. disease, several funeral In Atteridgeville, Pretoria a prominent couple ber of companies which resulted in many of their undertakers in Pretoria clients defaulting on their monthly premiums. “We almost folded because most our clients and North West were who have been in this business for almost 40 years, could no longer afford the monthly premiums. still reeling from the negative financial effects lost their lives due to the dreaded disease. Elias “At some stage we could not reach our targets Business was down and we could not get help caused by the pandemic. Ledwaba, who was chairman of Ledwaba Funer- after suffering huge losses. We even had to retrench from the government. At least things are getting The economic misery resulting in massive job al Parlour, passed away on September 28 and his staff”, said Skosana. Management, he added, was better but it is tough.” Besides the severe trading losses world-wide, has also dealt a deadly blow to wife, Mahlogonolo Ledwaba, who was her deputy, also striving to assure their clients that the com- conditions, the pandemic had also brought some several funeral undertakers. died on October 12. pany was in safe hands and would continue serving positives in the way they should be running their Those interviewed in the Pretoria and North the same way as their grandparents. Most of their business. Mphahlele said they had now learnt a lot West areas lamented the economic losses suffered Although this was a blow to their children, they clients had doubts about the future of the business about the handling of deceased people especially especially during the lockdown period since March have vowed to continue with their legacy. after their grandparents died. when it related to health issues. last year. The financial strain was caused by mem- bers who had lost their jobs through retrenchments The couple’s nephew, Eugene Skosana, who “We want to assure our customers that its busi- “It has also helped our communities to under- while others became victims of unemployment af- is general manager of the company, said : “Their ness as usual and things are getting back to normal stand that they can bury their loved ones during the ter their companies folded when the Covid 19 pan- passing on has greatly affected the business and the after the easing down of the lockdown regulations.” week instead of waiting to bury them at the week- demic took its toll. lockdown did not make things any easier.But we end. This has also removed a lot of pressure from “ Membership of a number of my clients have will strive to keep their legacy and serve our clients Both Mphahlele and Skosana however, were funeral undertakers who used to serve and bury the lapsed after they failed to pay their monthly pre- to the best of our ability”. optimistic that the country’s economy would re- deceased in crowded cemeteries where there was miums,” said Ratau Mphahlele, CEO of Baroka cover and their businesses would return to making no room for decency with most families finding Funerals in North West. He also confirmed that the lockdown had finan- profits although the pandemic had resulted in their themselves in the midst of around five to six burials Besides the financial hardships suffered so far, cially drained most of the funeral services in the around them. the pandemic has also claimed the lives of those who were in the business of laying to rest those “At least since the introduction of lockdown regulations, families were now opting to mostly bury during the week.” Although trading condi- tions were tough, the funeral undertakers promised their clients that they would do their utmost to save their businesses from dying. HOMESCHOOLING CULTURE SHOCK FOR PARENTS HOW I OVERCAME HOMESCHOOLING THE PARENT: How journalist and mom Bongi BLUES LONG BEFORE LOCKDOWN Sithole copes with juggling house chores with helping her Grade 1 daughter with her studies… THE PUPIL: Matric student Minenhle Monoametsi Its been an overwhelming year of covid-19, as done. In between, we had compulsory PE and describes how she coped with three years of homeschooling… parents were forced to adjust to new methods dance classes to keep the home activities fun. of ensuring that children are still getting val- Home- schooling is a rather strange thing to ex- you were struggling and help you with your weak ue for their money spent on school fees, the Homeschooling isn’t easy, sometimes class- perience. It comes with a lot of freedom as well points. Well this method may sound better because kids are learning and not being delayed by a es would begin midday and finish off late after- as responsibilities. There is a lot of time manage- you are receiving guidance and help, it had a fatal pandemic no one has answers to its end. This noon, simply because my daughter would sleep ment skills that you need to learn and a lot of flaw. People, since it’s a facility were anyone can meant as a parent juggle your whole life, be a in at first, there was no sense of urgency when discipline to learn as well. When I was learning I enrol and you had school mates. In facilities like this teacher, be a mom and be a full time worker mom played the role of the teacher. made sure that I focused on subjects that I strug- people were not forced to do any school work as it all at once. gled with the most. For example I would place is a facility, not a school. So many children played However the joys of it came with the digital most of my attention towards subjects like maths with their freedom and didn’t complete all the tasks Parents find themselves in an unusual posi- skills my daughter acquired from school, log- and science because I knew that those were the that they were given. Often times kids would not tion during the Covid-19 crisis and subsequent ging in for school work and getting her work subjects that I was struggling with the most and be responsible and mess around with their freedom. school closures. They’re no longer just check- done wasn’t always a headache. Being the mod- least attention towards subjects like Life Orien- Nevertheless this is a great option for someone that ing homework is done, they’re facilitating their ern age mom , has its perks children are tech tation because they were relatively easy subjects. is looking for some academic attention and has the children’s learning at home on a daily basis. smart and even smarter than us parents. Often discipline to work whilst faced with distractions. For many that means combining working from when I assisted, she would get upset and say Home- schooling has helped me identify the home with supervising online lessons and grap- ‘you disturbing me, subjects that I did badly in and subject that I did After this I had finally decided to enrol in a pling with their children’s concentration span. great in. In order to make sure that I had done a regular school with teachers, school children, and I know how to do my work’ that simply decent amount of work I would always wake up at homework. This was a dramatic change but consid- I recall this very experience with mixed translated as back off. If anything I learned to a set time and finish with my school work at a set ering that I have already been to a regular school emotions, as a grade 1 parent, before the pan- push her harder and reward her with a treat, It time, sure it was difficult but it is all about disci- before I managed to adjust easily. With, this came demic last year homeschooling was my first made learning fun. Sometimes motivate her pline. It got especially challenging when I would with a lot of academic competition, pressure and thought of what I considered would be best for with a longer break, once she completed the read the textbook and not understand concept. Well work. The seriousness of this type of school actu- my little girl because I love to be a very present task. l learned that teaching a child from home concepts in content subjects like English and Life ally helped me to excel and end up achieving a spot mom and would have the time to monitor her requires a lot of patience and less shouting. Science were not difficult at all but I found myself in the top 5. Although I still struggle with Maths and growth whilst I work from my comfort zone. struggling even more in subjects like Maths and Science I am actually finding myself getting better. However that option flew out the window when Gradually the nightmare thoughts of self- Science. After that I had shifted to a home-school Out of all these options I recommend attending a the corona virus pandemic forced the world to a teaching a child fell off, in the beginning it was facility. This is the same as normal home – school- regular school. Is provides learner with the needed stand still and parents had no choice but to edu- complex, juggling my work time with her school ing but in this case you actually go to a centre and academic stress, and it also provides the right type cate their own. time. Hats off to every parent who kept their you are provided with facilitators to guide you if of pressure in order for you to excel. cool, during remote schooling and working. A normal day which entailed waking up ear- ly for school drop offs, go home to work and in If anything we have a clear vision of what the afternoon pick up child, now meant wake up, learning options work for our kids. prepare to teach a child, try catch up with work whilst sharing one laptop to get all activities We can see a rise in homeschooling in the future, it will personally be more favorable for me when she is out of her foundation phase and playtime phase.

6 WEEKLY SA MIRROR MOTORING Friday 21 May 2021 Electric cars spark charged- up debate ALI MPHAKI’S EVs: Mixed emotions GARAGE on new way of travel the current business model of the car industry MADE IN S AFRICA to a halt causing the loss of millions of jobs. C-CLASS DEBUTS By Ali Mphaki Toyoda further charges that Japan for instance Global warming, like data, seems destined would “run out of electricity” in the summer if BENEATH THE HOOD: Fifth generation to be the last frontiers of our lives. But un- all cars were running on electric power. Consid- like data, the climate change conundrum is ering South Africa’s electricity challenges, all model with nine-speed auto transmission inescapably pervasive and general consensus indications are that the option of an EV is going is that we need an approach with GPS like to be a hard sell. By Ali Mphaki it comes to the diesel variants, the C220d churns accuracy to navigate the pressing climatic So, what’ s new with the fifth generation Mer- out 147kW/440Nm for a 0-100km/h dash of 7.3 potholes that lie ahead. With our electricity tariffs recently up by cedes-Benz C-Class? Well, the new C-Class just seconds. The C300d at 195kW/550Nm romps to 17 percent, there is general apprehension that got a bit more of an aggressive expression with 100km/h in 5.7 seconds and its top speed like the A look into the rearview mirror to check once EV charging is included this could see shorter front and rear overhangs. For both pas- C300 is electronically limited to 250km/h. where did we detour to reach the edge of the household bills rising exponentially. But while senger comfort and luggage space the wheelbase precipice is not going to be much helpful either, we busy with our electricity blues, globally the has been stretched by 25mm to 2,865mm. Word is out that in the not too distant future the as damage is already done. The indictment sale of EVs seem to be gaining unprecedented C-Class range will see an addition of the C300e against the motor industry regards carbon emis- ground. In 2020 total plug-in car registrations in Overall nose-to-tail length has increased by plug-in hybrid with same engine in the C300 but sions is thick, and prima facie an unwinnable the European Union, three EFTA countries and 65mm, with Mercedes-Benz saying this was a big- with a 25.4kWh battery that powers a 95kW/440Nm case even in the court of public opinion. Esti- the UK passed the one million mark for the first gest update ever with nearly 50 percent or over 6 electric motor. We told in electric mode it offers up mates say the transport sector contributes about time ever, totaling 1, 364,813 units up 143,85 500 components being changed. Gone is the six to 100km of driving. Inside, the ambience is what 20 percent of global carbon emissions, with from 2020 cylinder engines with the new range boasting four- one has come to expect from a new Mercedes Benz, Green activists further hazarding that there’s cylinder petrol and diesel motors all of which are with numerous features “stolen’ from the current S- been a slow to virtually standstill progress in The new Renault Zoe seems to be a favour- boosted by a 48-volt mild hybrid system. Class. the quest to decarbonizing mobility globally, ite among EV buyers in the region, registering with emissions actually increasing in many the highest sold units in 2020 with 100, 815 What is also remarkable is that both the new Electrogimmicks like voice assistant, augment- countries. units registered followed closely by the Tesla C180 and C200 now share the same turbocharged ed video, smart home functionality on the standard Model 3 (85,713 units) and the new Volkswa- 1.5-litre petrol engine albeit in different states of 9.5 inches touchscreen all conspire to make for a Whereas the conversion from combustion gen ID 3 with 56 118 units close on its heels. tune. The C180 produces 125kW/200Nm and Mer- top class infotainment system. Those lucky enough engines to electric vehicles was supposed to be The top selling plug-in hybrid in 2020 was the cedes-Benz says will hit the 100km/h in 8.6 sec- to have sampled the new offering however, were a smooth gear changing experience, grinding Mercedes-Benz A250e followed by the Mitsub- onds. The C200 makes 150kW/250Nm and takes quick to bemoan that it is not as quick as some four- noises can already be heard from the top ech- ishi Outlander. the 0-100km/h sprint in 8.6 seconds. You might be cylinder rivals and has a small boot. But apart from elons in the motor industry, who caution that wondering what’s beneath the hood of the flagship nitpicking, the new C-Class continues to provide a converting entirely to EVs (electric vehicles) As of November 2020, the plug-in light C300, and this is where you find a turbocharged classy design inside and out for a small waBenzi. could cost hundreds of billions of dollars and commercial vehicle segment has been led by 2.0-litre motor that delivers 190kW and 400Nm. make cars unaffordable for average people. A the Renault Kangoo ZE, with 57 858 all-electric And wait for it, the fifth generation C-Class is quick glance at the prices for fully electric mod- vans sold in Europe since 2010. If numbers are Mercedes-Benz would like all to know that being manufactured right here in South Africa at els will confirm that buyers will have to dig at anything to go by, it is clear the path to a greener the C300 covers 100km/h in a swooshing 6.0-sec- Mercedes-Benz’s East London plant. least R10 000 more to buy than a gas powered way of travel has started in earnest, albeit at a onds while top speed is limited to 250km/h. When equivalent. snail’s pace. And as for us in the Mother Conti- Final pricing is expected closer to the launch in nent, or as Kenyan professor Patrick Lumumba the third quarter of the year. Toyota President Akio Toyoda hazards a often asks if Africans are children of a lesser serious reflection on the haste in banning gaso- God, we look set to be the last to join the Green line-powered cars, warning that this could bring bandwagon. Our consolation, perhaps, lies in the Afri- kaans proverb agter os kom ook in die kraal. The last cow will also make it to the kraal. LATEST BMW X4 - RIDDLE WRAPPED IN CONUNDRUM BMW X4 MODEL: Controversial shape leaks. A quick glance at the sales will reveal that retained albeit with a more eye catching spin many rivals are consuming a lot of dust from the X models. By Ali Mphaki In a quirky twist of fate, the X riddle now At cruising level, the X4 knifes through the air confronts the highly competitive Sports Utility In a world which suffers a relative deficit in with a smidge of wind noise. To solve for X remains one of the most Vehicle, SUV, segment, sending the various man- attention span, it is perhaps instructive that it only fundamental principles in the hair ufacturers competing in the class screeching back took four years for BMW to restyle the original Three modes for driving, sport, comfort and splitting study of Mathematics. Many to the drawing boards as they attempt to thwart X4 (first released in 2014 to 2018), crafting a eco pro, gives options for your preference and a rash individual in their attempt to the seemingly runaway BMW X model range. noticeably sleeker and smoothly elegant jelly- style. But in eco pro mode the X4 can show master the subject, which some boast- It’s become apparent that whilst BMW with its beaned shaped offering than the first generation. frugal drinking habits with BMW projecting a fully refer to as a language, happen to find the X models is accelerating its appeal to a wider Beauty is inarguably in the eye of the beholder, 7.8L/100km as its throat gauge. perennial X equation akin to a cul de sac, which market range, putting pedal to metal, so to speak, but from whichever way you look at it the X4 ultimately see them crash out of a Math class. the opposition’s dilemma is already showing oil makes an emphatic fashion statement. As a typical BMW it is difficult to fault the X4 except for its divisive styling looks, expen- In its latest offering, gone is that image which sive extra options and it being less practical than made the X4 to look simply as a smaller carica- an X3. ture of its mkhuluwe, the macho X6. Whilst some manufacturers have tried to copy the distinctly What goes for it is its great handling, impres- X6 styling in their SUV, Sports Utility Vehicle, sive interior quality and great infotainment. offerings, the latest X4 seem have refined the seemingly controversial styling concept of comb- ing the roofline of a traditional two-door coupe with room for back passengers while adding a boot too. As a way to engage us in a paralysis of analy- sis, BMW refers to the X4 as a Sports Activity Coupe. The reason given is that the X4 is de- signed to be less about practical considerations as opposed to being more fun to drive than a nor- mal SUV. We had the X4, 2-litre, turbocharged, petrol-powered XDrive2.Oi for test and can attest that its all-wheel-drive is highly commendable and gives the vehicle tremendous grip which in- stills dollops of driver confidence. Standing proudly in size 19 shoes, the new X4 now 800mm longer and 40mm wider packs a highly responsive punch aided by an eight speed auto under the hood. Pedal shifters on the steering wheel bring an interesting proposition to the mix. The 135 KW and 290Nm four-cylinder power plant gives and yields in typical BMW fashion.

Friday 21 May 2021 CONSUMER & LEGAL MATTERS 7WEEKLY SA MIRROR Consumer Eye AWARD-WINNING CONSUMER EDITOR LOOKS INTO YOUR COMPLAINTS Thuli Zungu / 3:[email protected] / v 082 600 8264 In case you missed your consumer champion, I’m now with your new publication, SA weekly rights when we buy defective goods, rights when banks make mistakes, rights when government Mirror where I’ll be championing your course. Consumer Eye aims to help resolve any consumer officials try to bully us, rights when a dealer makes you sign onesided contract, and rights when complaints, educate you about your rights and duties. We will also expose any unfair business you have been unfairly. In line with the Consumer Protection Act, Consumer Eye will provide practice which is brought to our attention. Consumer Eye has no intention to tarnish any business, improved standard of consumer information and promote responsible consumer behaviour. We but to ensure that you are treated as a valued customer. As we all know, all of us have rights- will give you tips on how to steer clear of any trouble. whether you are dealing with smooth talking salesmen, heartless government officials, poker- Consumer Eye will help you know the difference between simply having rights and actually faced airline personnel, a money hungry second car dealer or simply the owner of a spaza shop knowing them. This will prepare you to deal with an increasingly tough,uncaring and often who has just sold you stale bread. In fact most of us have more rights than we realise. We have dishonest world. This is why Consumer Eye is here for you. The pensioners and vulnerable OBS tips on how to protect South African citizens are now yourself from a vishing scam: targeted by online fraudsters. • Be aware. Banks, will never ask you for OMBUDSMAN FOR THE BANKING SERVICE (OBS) your personal, sensitive, or confidential Fraudsters are extremely sophisticated and convincing con-artists and it banking information (Pin, OTP, Password). will be foolish to think that you will immediately see through the scam Anyone who does this over the phone is a fraudster; Years ago, the most common scam Reana Steyn the Banking Ombudsman to share his card number to a “facilitate an online was the phishing emails. This has and it will be foolish to think that you will imme- payment” and Zwide obliged. The caller then re- Do not give in to pressure. If someone been overtaken by vishing scams -the diately see through the scam unless you are 100% quested him to confirm the three-digit CVV num- tries to coerce or pressurize you into fraudulent phone calls. clued up on these scams,” said Steyn. ber, PIN for online transactions, which is found on giving them sensitive information hang Few months ago, the Ombuds- the back of his bank card. up and immediately contact your bank’s man for the Banking Service (OBS) received and “Pensioners act on investment advice from their fraud department to report the incident. recorded more than 640 new fraud complaints de- banker.” Steyn said Yvonne Ndlovo* a 90-year-old “At this point, Zwide became suspicious, hung Especially if the prompt is of an urgent spite the daily warnings about these scams. Sadly, pensioner, received a call from a fraudster who up the call, and immediately contacted his bank’s nature; the banks are unable to fully protect consumers said they were calling from her bank’s fraud de- fraud department to report the incident,” Steyn said. from falling prey to the tactics the fraudsters use partment. To ease her mind, the fraudster who also • Stay calm and do not panic. These to obtain confidential information such as banking knew her e-mail address and these few seemingly She said despite numerous warnings regard- criminals frequently play on unsuspecting details, card information and one-time-pins (OTPs) unimportant facts provided her with his landline ing this from the banks, the South African Banking consumer’s emotions. Keep a cool head said Reana Steyn the Banking Ombudsman. number and a reference number for the call. Risk Information (SABRIC), through various me- and hang up the phone. Call your bank, dia platforms and interviews by the OBS, they con- credit card company, or wherever the She said banks are continuously evolving their The fraudster convinced her into investing in tinue to receive complaints on a daily basis from caller claimed to be from immediately and products, services and systems to try and stay ahead a product called Luno and then persuaded Ndlovu consumers’ who were deceived into providing the verify whether there is a real problem. of fraudsters since there is an increase in banking to buy Bitcoins. Since she was convinced that she confidential banking information to fraudsters. fraud. Steyn said this is achieved through the de- was talking to a bank agent, she provided her ID • Always be sceptical. Even if your Caller velopment and introduction of world-class security number and proof of residence- documents that “What is very clear from these cases is that ID gives the name of a bank, or some other systems and technologies which will aim to protect are required to register an account at Luno. When anyone and everyone can be a target. However, the company or organisation, it could be a consumers from becoming potential fraud victims. the fraud was discovered, R50 000 was transferred devastation caused by these scams to elderly citi- trick; “Pensioners are tricked more than once,” Steyn from her bank account to a Luno account and con- zens and pensioners, the most vulnerable members said. verted into Bitcoin. Unfortunately, no recovery was of society, is beyond heart-breaking,” said Steyn. If you lose cellphone connectivity for some possible, Steyn said. Upon investigation it tran- time for no apparent reason, receive an SMS Banking Ombudsman Complaints spired that she had given the fraudsters remote ac- She said in many of these cases, it is not possi- for a Sim swap or a number port you did not Department cess to her computer. As such, her online banking ble to recover money which has disappeared result- request, contact your bank and then your details were compromised when she logged onto ing in an already vulnerable group of people left network service provider immediately. Xolani Bhengu* a 69-year-old pensioner re- her online banking profile. “Social engineering without any recourse. Steyn said this often leads ceived a call from a fraudster who claimed that they fraud knows no boundaries,” Steyn said. During to destitution. While this fraud may be crippling LETTERCS onsumer Eye were from his bank. He was advised that the bank lockdown last year, Mandla Zwide 45, was unable to a person who is working, at least, they have an was in the process of stopping unlawful transac- to go to the shops to pay a clothing account. As a re- opportunity to rebuild their savings. OBS had a Dear Consumer Eye, recently I packed my tions that was made from his account. The fraudster sult, his account fell into arrears. He later received case where an elderly person’s entire pension was car at a parking lot at Jabulani Mall, there requested the OTP that the bank sent to him and a call from someone claiming to be a representative fraudulently stolen and there is no way, or time, for are no signs exanorating the mall owners from he gave it them, said Steyn. Subsequently, R10 000 of the clothing store and offered to assist him with an 80-year-old pensioner to make up the loss, said theft of, or damages to my car. When returning was stolen from his account. He later complained to settling his arrears through an online payment. The Steyn. from shopping to the packing spot, my car was the OBS, and in this instance, despite being 100% caller knew his name, account number, and the fact gone and there were no broken glasses on the at fault for the loss, the bank considered him a vul- that his account was in arrears. He was convinced “Covid 19 Pandemic, is the game changer and ground. I do not have an insurance to claim nerable consumer. As a gesture of goodwill, the and co-operated, said Steyn. The caller asked him a major global disrupter,” she said. Steyn said sta- from and it also did not have a tracking device. bank gave him a full refund and educated him about tistics show that in many markets around the world, Though it was a 15 years old Toyota Corolla it the various types of fraud, Steyn said. consumers are prioritizing their health and safety was still in good condition as i have serviced it over their need to conduct physical transaction, be every time it has clocked 15 0000 kilometers. I The bank further assisted him to download the it purchasing groceries or transacting at their bank. think the Mall owners should be held liable for bank’s app on his phone to improve the security This trend has been replicated in the South Afri- my loss. Thandolwethu Majozi, Zola-Soweto. measures in place and to prevent this type of inci- can market to a large extent. “With the exponential dent, she said. rise in online transactions as opposed to in-branch Dear Thandolwethu, Consumer Eye vis- transactions, vishing scams have become one of the ited Jabulani Mall and discovered that there is “Months later, he received another call from preferred methods for fraudsters to steal bank cus- a signage which states that you packed your a fraudster and was persuaded into processing a tomer’s money. It must be pointed out that these car at your own. Section 51 of the consumer transaction of R26 500 from his banking app, in- individuals are very believable and are so convinc- protection act states that the owners of the mall stead, he reported the matter to the bank and his ing that consumers are lulled into a false sense of will not be liable to pay the cost of replacing profile was blocked,” said Steyn. A month later he validity (that the request is legitimate) which then your vehicle unless they were grossly negligent received a third call from a fraudster and again dis- leads to the fraud taking place,” says Steyn. in that they did not have security such as sur- closed his banking details resulting in R5 500 being veillance cameras or guards in spite of many stolen from his account.While the bank declined She said unless the money is stolen at the bank incidents of theft. Consumer Eye advice you to refund the R26 500, through the OBS’s inves- or lost through the fault of an employee or a techno- to report the matter to Jabulani police station tigation, it was discovered that the last transaction logical glitch at the bank, it is ultimately up to con- which is opposite the Mall. If you are not in- should not have been successful as his profile was sumers to do all they can to protect themselves by sured as you stated in your complaint, submit supposed to be blocked and the bank agreed to re- staying informed about banking scams. The OBS a claim to the management of the Mall, with fund the full amount of the last fraudulent transac- urges consumers not to share personal details to the proof of the value of your Toyota Corolla. tion which is R5 500, Steyn said. “Fraudsters are anyone over the telephone or cellpone call. If you feel that the mall was grossly negligent, extremely sophisticated and convincing con-artists you can lodge a claim in court for damages, but “If in doubt, go to or call your nearest branch first need to get a notice from the Consumer and speak to a consultant who will clarify the re- tribunal. (Additional information sourced from quest for you if it is legitimate, she said. a booklet -Know your consumer right by Ad- vocate Neville Melvin)

8 WEEKLY SA MIRROR OPINION/ANALYSIS Friday 21 May 2021 Comment WHAT WE STAND FOR The rural expanse of the Free State cuts a charming backdrop against the autumn sunset. Picture by Len Maseko Today we launch the Weekly SA New World anti-TB drive Mirror, a brand-new online newspaper whose mission is to SURVEY REVEALS NEW SPECTRE: lished South Africa TB prevalence survey reported add to the diversity of media The results showed that of every 10 people with that 57% of patients diagnosed with TB in 2018 ownership in this country, con- TB who were surveyed, six were not detected were asymptomatic and had abnormal chest x-ray. tribute to the shaping of the country’s young democracy, and give voice to the millions of Tools like this digital chest X-ray can help stop South Africans still entangled in the shackles that. Instead of needing a referral from a medical of poverty and hopelessness. doctor, anyone can come to this container to be screened for TB. We believe there is a place for a news- paper like ours, that primarily seeks to min- by the standard method of screening, but were So how would that process of having an X- ister to the concerns of the majority of the identified by the digital chest X-ray alone... ray work? population in this country rather than swim in the direction of the general tide of prime We all know that we are living in unusual times. Professor Deliwe Rene Phetlhu Anyone who comes to the container will have news. We now have what is called a ‘new normal’. A That means people remain sick, they do not their information noted down, and an enrolled normal that requires all of us need to wear a nurse will open a file for them. You will then be Our mission is also to shine the mirror mask, to keep a distance of 1,5m between each start treatment which would make them non-infec- given a special gown and a private place to put it to the powers: that be: to reflect on the pro- other and to keep washing our hands so that we tious to others, and they may become part of that on. You will then need to stand very still in front of gress made so far in redressing the historical can help prevent the spread of COVID-19. aircraft crashing into the sea every day that I spoke the X-ray machine while the radiographer takes a imbalances of the past, recognising that our about earlier. picture of your chest. society is much different today from the one As well as new challenges, we have very old before the advent of our democracy in 1994. challenges too – the oldest being Tuberculosis South Africa identifies a gap between the num- Computer software then helps the radiographer (TB), to which the month of March is dedicated ber of newly notified TB clients and the estimated to interpret the results of the X-ray. If your X-ray Indeed, millions of lives have changed throughout the world every year, and remains burden. That led to the development and imple- is normal, no further testing is required. You do not since then as government’s spending priori- South Africa’s leading cause of death from infec- mentation of the “finding the missing patients” have TB. If your X-ray is abnormal however, you ties focused on addressing the inequalities of tious disease. strategy which aims to diagnose and link into care will be asked to provide a sputum sample for fur- the past over the years – yet the challenges patients who would ordinarily be missed in the pri- ther testing, and then sent your results a few days to turn the tide in the war against rampant Of serious concern is that South Africa is one of mary health care setting or/and those who are high later. This process will take approximately 10 min- poverty still abound. the eight countries that contribute two thirds of the risk but are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, utes. global TB burden. The World Health Organization and thus do not seek care early. The recently pub- Millions are jobless against an ominous estimates that 58 000 people died of TB in South The machine uses a small amount of radiation backdrop of moral decay in our society, the Africa in 2019. That is, about 160 people a day. to take the picture and this means that you cannot spectre of corruption in the private and pub- It is the equivalent of an aircraft crashing into the come back frequently or every month to do the test lic sector, dilapidated public infrastructure, sea every single day. Our ‘new normal’ therefore but in six months unless you feel sick. porous borders, crime and grime, and the needs to include a response to these old challenges. parlous state of the public health system and We know that people are sometimes afraid to black education. Nearby you will see a container. It houses one be tested for TB because they are worried about of our new responses to TB – a digital chest X- people will say. I would like to encourage you to Still, millions of black people are still ray technology. This is the result of partnerships remember that there should be no stigma associated subjected to insufferable living conditions – between the national and KwaZulu-Natal depart- with having TB. Anyone can get TB. Former Presi- denied basic resources that include running ments of health, international donors, through the dent Nelson Mandela was a TB survivor. Prince water, housing, health care and education Global Fund to Fight HIV, TB and Malaria and Nhlanganiso Zulu is a TB survivor. Do not let fear – rights proudly enshrined in the country’s NGO, TB HIV Care. Let me tell you why this is keep you from being healthy. Let me remind you of Constitution. Worse, hundreds of black chil- such a powerful tool. the symptoms of TB – weight loss, coughing, night dren still attend classes under the sun; cross sweats and fever. bridgeless rivers to go to school; walk kilo- In February this year, our Minister of Health, metres to school daily; some schools have no Dr Zweli Mkhize, announced the results of the Na- If you have one of these symptoms, or have latrines; running water; and no electricity. tional TB Prevalence Survey, the aim of which was been in contact with someone who has TB, please to find out how many people in South Africa have do get checked for TB. Take advantage of the ser- As if that was enough, the Covid-19 pan- TB. To screen everyone who participated in the vices that are available to you. As we all start living demic has introduced a hugely unwieldy and survey, the researchers used the standard symptom our ‘new normal’, we need to make changes in how unprecedented dynamic to the mounting screen as well as digital chest X-rays. The results we do things and how we think about things. challenges facing this country – casting the showed that of every 10 people with TB who were ailing South African economy to an indeter- found by the survey, 6 were not detected by the Although TB is an old challenge, I would like minate future. standard method of screening, but were detected by to ask you all to start thinking about it in a new way the digital chest X-ray alone. – as something that can affect any one of us, but That said, we want our readers to hold also, as something we can beat. If we take care of us to the highest standards of journalism. To We are, therefore, very hopeful that this tech- our health, and if we, like all of these partners gath- that extent, we commit ourselves to adhere to nology can help us to find more people who have ered here today, all work together we can end TB. the Press Codes at all times. Where we have TB. We need to find more people with TB because dropped the ball, we will readily admit so, the WHO calculates we missed 154 000 people We hope that the community with take up this and expect our readers to reserve the hardest with TB in 2019. The WHO estimates that 58 000 service and help in early TB detection which in turn of brickbats for any lapses. people died of TB in South Africa in 2019. will reduce severe disease, death as well as preven- tion of the spread of infection. On our part, we commit to perform our duty to the best of our ability. As we do so, • P​ rof Phetlhu is a TB program manager we will continue to derive inspiration from at the TBHIV Care organization. This is her Henry Grunwald’s enduring quote, that: abridged speech delivered at a function to “Journalism can never be silent: that is its launch the new TB digital-X ray technology in greatest virtue and its greatest fault. KwaZulu-Natal. It must speak, and speak immediately, while the echoes of wonder, the claims of tri- umph and the signs of horror are still in the air.” As we ponder Grunwald’s words, we turn – for further inspiration – to the lyrics of Michael Jackson’s song The Man In the Mirror: I’m gonna make a change For once in my life It’s gonna feel real good Gonna make a difference Gonna make it right As I, turn up the collar My favourite winter coat This wind is blowing my mind I see the kids in the streets With not enough to eat Who am I to be blind? Pretending not to see their needs A summer disregard, a broken bottle top And a one-man soul They follow each other on the wind ya’ know ‘Cause they got nowhere to go That’s why I want you to know I’m starting with the man in the mirror I’m asking him to change his ways And no message could have been any clearer If you want to make the world a better place Take a look at yourself, and then make a change…

Friday 21 May 2021 OPINION/ANALYSIS 9WEEKLY SA MIRROR “INTENATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT MUST PROBE POLICE IMPLICATED IN SYSTEMATIC VIOLENCE AGAINST US BLACKS” ARMS OF LAW: Spouses are widowed, children grow up FLASHBACK: Slain rugby player Lindani Myeni and wife Lindsay without parents and relatives suffer unimaginable pain. Photo: Facebook/Lindsay Myeni By Monk Nkomo non-discrimination. • Law enforcement officers, in carrying out BLACK people in the United States of America are targeted, surveilled, their duty, should apply non-violent means be- brutalized, maimed and killed by law fore resorting to the use of force and firearms. enforcement officers with impunity ’’They may use force and firearms only if other because being black was itself crimi- means remain ineffective or without any prom- nalized and devalued. These systematic killings, ise of achieving the intended result.’’ maiming and targeting of black people amounted • Whenever the lawful use of force and firearms to crimes against humanity that should be investi- was unavoidable, law enforcement officers gated and prosecuted under international law. should exercise restraint in such use and act in proportion to the seriousness of the offence and This is one of the findings contained in a re- the legitimate objective to be achieved. port of the International Commission of Inquiry • Police officers must also minimize damage and on systematic racist police violence against peo- injury, respect and preserve human life and ple of African descent in the United States. The ensure that assistance and medical aid are ren- 12 commissioners who conducted the inquiry dered to any injured or affected persons at the included two from South Africa – Prof Rashida earliest possible moment. Manjoo and Mr. Xolani Maxwell Boqwana. Bo- qwana is the chief executive of the Thabo Mbeki ‘’The Commissioners note the lack of inde- pendent and impartial review of police killings CONTROVERSY: Human rights have called for US police to exercise restraint when ar- resting suspects. Mr. Xolani Maxwell Boqwana who posed no threat of death or serious bodily victims of racist police were killed, their families Prof. Rashida Manjoor Foundation while Manjoo is a professor in the harm to others. and communities remained devastated. They also including the absence of judicial review of pros- Department of Public Law, University of Cape found that within the cases they had examined, a ecutors’ virtually unfettered discretion. The Com- Town. The commission found that there had been The commissioners have called on the In- disproportionate use of excessive force by police missioners further note that the failure to remedy a long-standing scourge of white supremacy and ternational Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague led to the deaths of 43 black people in the cases police misconduct amounts to condoning repeat- racial capitalism, as well as slavery and its legacy to open an immediate investigation to prosecute they had examined. “The Commissioners find an ed instances of brutality that ultimately culminate in the US in which two systems of law existed: the police officers implicated in these systematic alarming and national pattern of disproportion- in use of deadly force. The Commissioners find one for white people and another for people of killings. The commission was established in the ate use of deadly force not only by firearms but the police defence of qualified immunity amounts African descent. Cases selected for the hearings wake of the public execution of George Floyd also by Tasers against people of African descent.’’ to condoning brutal police violence against per- involved “the egregious and unjustified killing or after millions of people saw him tortured and There was also a pattern of unlawful and exces- sons of African descent and creates a culture of maiming of individuals of African descent in the choked to death by police officer Derek Chauvin. sive force employed against people of African impunity whereby offenders are not held account- US,” the commission said. They included the kill- Chauvin has since been convicted of murder in descent by chokeholds and compression asphyxi- able and families are left without redress.’’ ing of unarmed individuals who posed no threat connection with Floyd’s death. ation, by kneeling or standing on the victim, by of death or serious bodily harm; the killing of in- handcuffing the victim face down and by apply- The Commissioners recommended that the dividuals fleeing the police who posed no serious ”Massive protests against police violence to- ing pressure to the victim’s head and neck. US Congress should establish a commission to threat to the officers they were fleeing from; the wards people of African descent erupted through- examine enslavement and racial discrimination in use of or threat to use physical or psychological out the US and around the world’’. The families ‘’ Many black people are killed in broad the colonies and the US from 1619 to the present intimidation to extract confessions as well as the of Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Michael Brown and daylight to intimidate communities and because and recommend appropriate remedies. maiming of individuals fleeing the police and or Philando Castle joined 600 rights groups and peti- officers don’t fear accountability .Spouses are tioned the United Nations Human Rights Council widowed, children grow up without parents and ‘’ The Commissioners also recommend that (HRC) to appoint a UN Commission of Inquiry to relatives suffer unimaginable pain. Generations the US executive and legislative branches ac- investigate systematic racist police violence and of black families are traumatized. Black people knowledge that the transatlantic trade in Africans, attendant human rights violations against people often suffer post-traumatic stress disorder and enslavement, colonization and colonialism were of African descent in the US. After succumbing other forms of inter-generational psychological Crimes against Humanity and are among the to enormous pressure by the US and its allies, and emotional trauma from witnessing racist po- major sources and manifestations of racism, ra- the HRC instead directed the Office of the High lice violence. cial discrimination, Afrophobia, xenophobia and Commissioner of Human Rights to prepare a re- related intolerance. ‘’Past injustices and crimes port on these human violations. ‘’Distrustful of police, black people refrain against people of African descent in the US must from calling the police’’. Commissioners also be addressed with reparatory justice’’. The report, which was recently released, was found evidence of an alarming pattern of destruc- • In the same month the commission released its then launched by the International Association tion, loss and manipulation of evidence, coverups, of Democratic Lawyers, National Conference of obstruction of justice and collusion between vari- damning report in April, South Africans had Black Lawyers and National Lawyers Guild. The ous arms of law enforcement in connection with been shocked by the killing of KwaZulu-Natal- public hearings were held from January 18 to Feb- the unjustified killings of unarmed persons of Af- born former rugby player Lindani Myeni at the ruary 6, 2021. The commissioners found that after rican descent. ‘’Police officers and their unions, hands of Honolulu police on the US island state prosecutors, coroners and independent medical of Hawaii. STATISTICS OF US • Since George Floyd’s death last May while in Minneapolis police custody, 181 Black examiners were accomplices in the service of im- His lawyer has been quoted as saying Honolulu people in the U.S. have been killed by the police, according to data from research group punity. The Commissioners also found that there police treated him “like an animal” when they POLICE KILLINGS Mapping Police Violence published in April 20 this year. was a troubling pattern of creating false narratives shot and killed the 29-year-old four times with- and smear campaigns directed at victims and their out following police protocol. KwaZulu-Natal •​ Of the 181 deaths, the highest number of killings occurred in Florida, with 19 victims, families. The Commissioners established that premier Sihle Zikalala has called on the US au- followed by California, where there were 17, and Texas and Georgia, which each there was a prima facie case of crimes against hu- thorities to investigate the circumstances sur- recorded 13. manity against racist police officers. They called rounding the player’s death. Myeni was mar- for an end to impunity and for accountability of ried to US citizen, Lindsay, with whom they •​ Of the police killings documented in 2020, traffic stops were listed as the initial police police officials resorting to racist violence and un- had two children and lived in Hawaii encounter in121 deaths. justified force before independent civilian review boards and in criminal and civil proceedings of • ​Of the 966 police killings reported since May 25, 2020 (up to mid-April), the database the justice system in the US. shows that Black people account for 18.7 percent. Recommendations of the inquiry, included •​ Police killings of white victims made up 37 percent of the total deaths. White Americans that: are 76.3 percent of the population and blacks13 percent, according to the Census • The Executive Branch of the US Government Bureau. should create an effective and robust system of •​ Since the beginning of 2021 (up to mid-April), 319 people have been killed by police, combating institutionalized racism within all according to data from Mapping Police Violence. law enforcement agencies. The system must be monitored by an independently elected body, •​ Numbers gathered between 2013 and 2020 indicate that Black people are three times in consultation with civil society organizations more likely to be killed by police than white people. committed to principles of civil liberties and •​In 47 of the 50 largest U.S. cities, police killed Black people at higher rates than white people. In Chicago, police killed Black people at a rate 22 times more than that for white people, based on killings per 100,000 population. Source: Newsweek.com

10 WEEKLY SA MIRROR FASHION Friday 21 May 2021 ON THE RISE THTEHE WANT TO SEE MORE? FOLLOW DESIGNERS CLCALASSSSIICCSS US ON @WEEKLYSAMIRROR THE OVER-SIZED JACKET The Over-Sized Jacket By Mpumelelo Zungu Photo by Mariela Naplatanova-VOGUE With Autumn/Winter knocking on our door, trend analyst predict what needs to be in your closet this Au- tumn/Winter to not only keep warm but also stay styl- ish. Having a staple item in your closet is the beauty of fashion, buying the classic items will keep your closet timeless and chic. This principle of the classics has been in trend since its creation. However due to the increase of Fast Fashion, unique fashion designers there has been an increase in changing the silhouette of the coat jacket.. From a cropped coat, deconstructed coat that trended in 2019/2020 the current coat jacket trend is its size. This year 2021 AutumnWinter trend does not only focus on BIGGER IS BETTER but it also focuses on the colour of the coat itself. Staying neutral is the element in ensuring that the piece maintains the classic feel. Multiple designers in the likes of PRADA, Richard Quinn, FENDI, Paco Rabbane, Rick Owens, Balenciaga showcase their Mens and Women’s Coats as a state- ment piece for this winter. South African enterprises in trend with international designers include Mr. Price, Foschini, Truworths and more By Mpumelelo Zungu THE TRENDS Thread yourselves into the rise of a new dawn THE QUICK LIST OF EXPECTED AUTUMN/ with 28 year old, Mpumelelo Dhlamini owner and de- WINTER 2021 TRENDS INCLUDE: signer of EZOKHETHO . A graduate from the Villioti Fashion Institute in 2017,, Dhlamini By Mpumelelo Zungu 2020/2021 since 2010, but it is back with a twist. joins a growing list of fashion designers who are bent on taking Colour Blocking is sticking to complimentary Fringe has got longer than normal tones in the same sphere. the fashion world by storm and has been seen on the runway for this with his brand EZOKETHO, season,Alongside fringe the classic coat has The two trending styles since the hit of Cov- a brand he started whilst come with an unexpected twist as its current id-19 is “The Biker” and the “Undressed” Style working as an intern at a trend is the maxi coat and bigger, unique more that features the zeitgeist of 2020/2021 of half leading retail store in 2018. shoulders. The conventional coat / trench coat dressed - zoom meeting coats has led to an in- EZOKHETHO, he explains, has also made a comeback. spiration of multiple collections with only a top is a brand that is created to and a sexy set of underwear. This style is also as- celebrate Africans and the Colour blocking has made another comeback sociated with the Body Suit. stories that we carry. we use fabric as a medium to convey a distinct African narrative . EZOKHETHO has been featured on multiple publi- cations such as Oak Maga- zine, The Throne, True Love , Gaschette, Bona. It is no secret that high end luxury brands by Afri- cans is rare and with a brand “by African people that can celebrate the luxury of our continent” through the “rich- ness of our stories, cultures and heritage” Ezokhetho is on the rise. His current collection ti- tled “Batho Pele” - meaning “People First” inspired by the people in Mpumelelo’s life, features 2021 Spring/Sum- mer trends unseen on South African soil. Dhlamini also mentioned that he is hard a work design- ing a new collection which he says will be mind blowing.

Friday 21 May 2021 FOOD AND WINE 11WEEKLY SA MIRROR Wine-ly NEW VENUE CHARMS PATRONS WITH BREEZY Yours WINE EXPERIENCE WINE NOTES: Visitors to the farm are pampered with a prime selection of boutique wines accompanied by sumptuous food platters By Len Maseko Modjadji Mphandela savours a glass of Shiraz Anew joint has sprung onto the wine 10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT scene – on the outskirts of Joburg south, increasing leisure options for WINE NOTES wine lovers with a preference for se- rene hangouts nestling off the beaten • The venue is open for daily tastings seven path. days a week, from 11am to 6pm weekdays, and from 11am till late Fridays, Saturdays Wine Notes is the name of Joburg’s newest and Sundays; wine experience emporium and lies on a farm situ- ated a mere 25 minutes from the Joburg central • Bespoke tastings for groups and individuals business district, and approximately 16 kilometres may be booked in advance. Other than that, south of the city on the Johannesburg-Vereeniging patrons are free to walk in whenever it suits road. them for personalized tastings, which are conducted by wine stewards; 0wned by Joburg entrepreneur Mpho Mo- simane, Wine Notes offers a wholesome wine • Average cost of white bottle of wine is R180 experience that includes bespoke wine tastings, and red wine R250. Spirits, beer and ciders food-and-wine pairing sessions for individuals also served. Standard wine tasting (glass and groups amid a tranquil countryside setting. each from two different wines) costs R70 The place opened its doors to the public in March a person; lifestyle tasting (glass each from this year after Mosimane secured the farm through three different wines) costs R120 a person; a lease agreement with the owner of the farm, who and premium tasting (selection of five now lives in New Zealand. premium wines) charged at R180 a person; Previously, the property has operated as the • Light lunch costs between R100 and R150; Art Farm and patronized for many years by artists platters priced at between R200 and R250; who engaged in activities such as painting, sculpt- Mpho Mosimane owner of Wine Notes • The venue offers practical experience for ing, writing, reading against the backdrop of mu- trainee wine stewards; sic in the quiet surrounds of the Midvaal. • The Cape Fine & Rare Wine Auction, previously called Nederburg Auction, will take place at the Rupert Museum on Saturday May 22. • It serves a platform to expose young chefs to Explaining what inspired to create the pro- expose their talents by creating their own lip- ject, Mosimane said he had noticed that there was The event, which attracts ‘The Who’s Who’ of South African wine industry and overseas smacking recipes for visitors on a rotational a scarcity of hospitality venues offering a Cape collectors, offers exclusive vintages from local producers much coveted because of their basis; winelands experience in Joburg, hence he took the rarity and finesse. gap to initiate the concept to provide local wine • Plans are afoot to start a weekend craft drinkers with a unique showcase. • Johannesburg Culinary and Pastry School will host a dinner for foodies dubbed “Eat market to showcase crafts like condiments With Us - Chef’s Table” in the city on May 22. and also invite clothing designers to exhibit The tasting format is that wine lovers visiting their wear; the farm will have the options from whatever pop- The school’s chefs create dining settings where diners “can meet new people, share ular Cape winelands areas that catches their fancy. stories and laughs while enjoying a fine dining experience inspired by cultures locally • New additions like a cigar bar and an Work is under to convert what was equestrian and internationally”. The dinner costs R500 a person. The school is situated on 85 additional restaurant are in the pipeline; and stalls small hubs representing the five regions of Commissioner Street, Marshalltown. the Cape winelands areas like Paarl, Franschhoek, • It offers a picnic setting for families and Stellenbosch, Constantia, Walker Bay and Con- • The Hartebeespoort-based Incedo Distillery will host a Gin & Rum tasting, which groups; and stantia. include of its premises, on Saturday May 22. • Fun wine blending sessions can be arranged “Our primary aim is to introduce South Afri- Visitors will be offered tasting options involving both spirits with chocolate and a variety for groups or companies as a team-building cans to the best of local wines; we have a tasting of gin and rum cocktails. Tasting packages range between R60 and R180, all happening exercise. menu to this regard,” Mosimane said. between 11am and 5pm. The distillery is situated on Plot 91, Rietfontein. EVENTS People tend to say for instance they don’t like • A fun day for women’s only, spiced up with spirits and other genres, will take place at Chardonnay, yet they are not aware that there are Sorex Estate in Centurion on Saturday May 22. so many Chardonnay wines from different ar- eas with a variety of soils and micro climates out The day will kick off with 5km fun run, ending with a party themed “Women’s Wine and there. And, better still, there are different styles of Gin Run”. Tickets cost R200. The event starts at 8am and ends at 6pm. Chardonnay wines. “So that’s the level of sophistication we will be exposing some of our patrons who visit our place and want to know more about wine. There will also be wine and chocolate pair- ings, and the chocolate will be produced one lady right here on the farm,” said Mosimane. Matome Mbatha, Wines of South Africa mar- keting manager for Africa, said it was important that the wine industry supported places like Wine Notes which promote wine culture to make them sustainable. “Mpho has vast experience in exporting wines to Nigeria, besides having hosted wine events over many years. He therefore deserves support,” Mbatha said. • The address is Wine Village @ The Art Farm, Plot 56, Kliprivier Road, Alw- ynspoort, Eikenhof, R550. For more info, contact Mpho 083 222 2327 or through email address [email protected].

12 WEEKLY SA MIRROR ENTERTAINMENT Friday 21 May 2021 Be moved and impressed by a life of this siren EVERY WOMAN: Her exit from the poverty -stricken village lands her to the Warsaw ghettoes. By Gugu Sibiya eller, feisty, dreamer and adventurous soul. She does not allow the restrictive cultural norms on Writer : Martin Sherman women of the early 20th century, confine her. Director: Malcolm Purkey After all the insurmountable obstacles, her de- Rose the Jewish woman, is the latest intriguing termination and tenacity, triumphs. She still finds theatrical marvel to grace the Market theatre, love in the arms of three husbands and a hippy in Newtown, Johannesburg. lover. Unfortunately on stage for a short season You can’t help but be moved and impressed at the Barney Simon theatre, Rose premiered on by a remarkable life of this Jewish siren. Exciting April 23, and ended its run on May 16. It forms or tragic, hers is a full and well lived life journey! part of the 45th anniversary celebration of the Market’s existence. ROSE Rooted in Russia where Rose was born in IS EVERY WOMAN 1920, the drama follows her one woman tour-de- forces. It takes her to the world. Her exit from the Nominated for an Olivier when it first poverty -stricken village lands her to the Warsaw premiered and first staged at the ghettoes. Cottesloe auditorium at the Royal National Theatre in 1999. Life gets trickier as she exists against the PERFORMANCES:​ backdrop of war with its atrocities and suffering. • Age 12 Her next port of call is a ship called The Exodus. • Tuesday – Sunday • Bookings Still in search of greener pastures, Rose goes • Anthony Ezeoke 011 832 1641 ext 203/ to the boardwalks of Atlantic City. Barely settled 083 246 4950. she takes to the Arizona canyons. Now a master at moving about, its no surprise when she immerses herself in salsa-flavoured nights in Miami Beach. Portrayed by Camilla Waldman, Rose is every woman. A survivor, displaced refugee, brave trav- ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE ACTION THRILLER OF AN ASSASSIN: Forced to reclaim a violent past Film: Nobody an “auditor” – euphemism for an assassin employed Catch friends Isabel Nascimento and Laura Vieira on S2, Monday-Friday at 1.30pm. Director: Ilya Naishuller by intelligence agencies to kill people who were con- Reviewer: Sonke Sibiya sidered untouchable or too difficult to arrest. SIDE BY SIDE IN THE BATTLE (additional reporting by Victor Mecoamere) FOR DIGNTY AND RESPECT “We all die. Some sooner than others.” This much he tells each of the bad people he en- This is one line that stands out in the newly-re- counters, before he eliminates them. By Gugu Sibiya in orphanages. leased Derek Kolstad action thriller, Nobody, in Side by Side is a fascinating yet infuriating Defiant of the law that prohibits relation- which multitalented Bob Odenkirk magnificently All hell proverbially breaks loose when Mansell tele-novella. I bet it will serve as an eye-open- plays a lethal assassin who is desperately seeking comes to an innocent teenage girl’s rescue. This after er for our children who are skeptical of the ships across colour, they become friends. The to lead a peaceful family life, to repair his disin- several roughnecks had boarded and terrorised a bus extent of the evil that was apartheid. two girls met on their wedding day. tegrating marriage and regain some respect from on which Mansell is also a regular passenger, who his contemptuous son, who is oblivious of his fa- had been courteously riding back home, at that in- It should also demonstrate just how much Laura’s arranged marriage to Edgar Viei- ther’s violent past. opportune time. When he realises what the ruffians’ suffering our people have endured at the ra makes her feel uneasy but like women of intent doing, Mansell’s malevolent past catches up hands of white people. her time, she’s forced into this liaison. But he is forcefully yanked back to his violent with him and transforms into the men’s worst night- past in a fight to the death with a shameless cess- mare. A common apartheid thread running Ze’ Maria Isabel’s fiancé stands her up at pit on two legs with absolutely no finesse known as through that of oppression, is the trampling the alter. She was unaware that he had been Yulian, a Russian gangster masquerading as an age- But, unbeknown to Mansell, one of the assail- on of human rights, culture and land pos- arrested for his activism and practicing capo- less singing and dancing gigolo, but is essentially a ants is Yulian’s younger brother, Teddy, portrayed session. In Brazil men were flogged while in era (martial arts). jelly-legged caricature. by Aleksandr Pal. Then Teddy dies. Yulian gets mad South Africa they were beaten to a pulp on a and smells blood. daily basis. In Brazil the practice of capoera This drives an angry Isabel into the arms Odenkirk’s character, Hutch Mansell, hankers so (martial arts) and dancing salsa was banned of Laura’s brother, Albertinho who impreg- much for the quiet life that he endures the humdrum And so begins the real violent action. with the dance also seen as immoral. nates her. A scandal he and his family hide. routine of working for his father in law Eddie Wil- The stunt and fight choreography is also a work liams’ metalwork factory. Ironside, who plays Eddie, A Brazilian story in 1903 it centres around Disowned by her family for divorcing Ed- has portrayed hardened men in action shows includ- of art. From the initially awkward first few fight two exceptional women, Isabel Nascimento gar, Laura leaves town. ing Walker Texas Ranger, and Total Recall, does not scenes, the action continues to grow; and, from there, and Laura Vieira. do or say much in Nobody, but his huge presence is as his combat skills are seemingly awakened by each Six years later she returns to a town that enough to provide a perfect foil for Odenkirk. Es- encounter he has with his enemies, almost as if he is Isabel is the daughter of Afonso, a barber still ostracizes divorced women. Standing by pecially when he mediates in intermittent scuffles shaking off the rust with each punch he throws, until and a former slave. She’s black, from the hill- her ideals has left her poor. When an oppor- between Mansell and his insolent brother in law, he becomes a force to be reckoned with. based ghetto - the Morrow. Densely populated tunity cropped up to dance salsa in France, Charlie Williams, ably played by Billy MacLellan. it reeks of abject poverty. Isabel grabs it with both hands. Six years later The action sequences are also similar to another she triumphantly returns to Brazil a wealthy Mansell’s life turns upside-down one night af- action genre favourite, the adrenaline pumping ac- Laura is a privileged society lady and an international star. ter a tense, near-death encounter with two amateur tion offering, John Wick. educated daughter of senator Alberto Assun- burglars during which Mansell’s cocky teenage son, cao and baroness Constancia. She abhors the Reunited, the friends return to a still di- Blake (Gage Munroe) successfully tackles one of Unsurprisingly, the same team that choreo- status quo. Side by Side exposes the hard- vided, discriminatory, patriarchal country. the invaders; and all Mansell was supposed to have graphed that movie, also worked on Nobody. While ships of a legally denied education which is By 1909 it had been 31 years since the country done was to clobber the other thug with a golf club, there is a lot of violence, there are also bags full of why Isabel is self taught. Job reservation bred became independent but nothing much had but he had successfully restrained the urge to reprise guffaws. unemployment of blacks except for those few changed. his violent past; to young Blake’s dismay and added labourers. Survival depends on hustling. contempt. So, in a nutshell, Nobody is also a combina- Watch as they battle stereotypes, oppres- tion of Adam Sandler’s slapstick, You Don’t Mess Arrests and rape by masters was rife. sive cultural norms and life in Brazi then. In the aftermath of the attack, Mansell learns With The Zohan, Macaulay Culkin’s comedy, Home Children born from these unions were placed Independent, smart, regal, proud, feisty and from his toddler daughter, Sammy – who is coinci- Alone, and Liam Neeson’s fast-paced thriller, Taken decades ahead of their circumstances, Isabel dentally the only person in his household who ap- Because – much as there is violence galore – one and Laura are living their dream - challenges preciates Mansell – that, added to the handful of cash cannot stop laughing, throughout, especially when and all. and his watch, the miscreants had also pilfered his Mansell’s black brother, Harry Mansell (rapper daughter’s “kitty cat” bracelet. He then goes after RZA) and the main character’s elderly father and re- them, with the same wrath that he used to muster as tired FBI agent, David, enter the fray. Why should you should go see this movie? Be- cause you would have already fallen in love with Nobody by the time Hutch Mansell says, “We all die. Some sooner than others.”

Friday 21 May 2021 PERSONAL FINANCE/BUSINESS 13WEEKLY SA MIRROR BEWARE OF DOS AND DON’TS OF USING THE SECOND BOND TO CONSOLIDATE YOUR DEBTS MONEY market CAUTIONARY though popular among indebted individuals, must ing this facility correctly is having a strong repay- NOTE: The key to be carefully considered. He believes this option is ment plan in place, advisors say. By Isaac Moledi using this facility only open to people who have built up equity on Do you have many unpaid bills lying unopened correctly is having a their home loans. Manyike believes, however, that “long-term strong repayment plan… funds should never be used to cover short-term on your desk? Are you finding it difficult and wor- Equity regarding a home loan is the difference debts”. This is because if a plan is not made to pay rying trying to pay off all your debt? Have all your The benefits are: between the amount owed on a home and the actual off a debt in as short a time as possible, a short-term bills piled up until you find it quite difficult to pay • All debts are settled by the financial institution value of the home. For example, if you owe R1 000 loan (say a five-year car loan) could be integrated them off using your monthly income? 000 on a home loan, but the home’s value has risen into a bond and paid off in the term outstanding into a single account. to R1 500 000, the extra R500 000 is equity that can on the bond. For example, the car could then be If the answer is yes to most or all of these ques- • The overall debt is reduced, as interest on in be accessed if you refinance your bond. The most paid off in 15 years, making it more expensive than tions and many others, maybe this is the right time obvious benefit is that home loan rates (presently through a traditional loan. to think of consolidating your debts using a second dividual accounts no longer accrues. This can about 7.25%) are usually significantly lower than bond. mean significant savings as some accounts at- personal, car, and other loans rates. This means that He believes that homeowners consolidating tract 21% interest or more on arrears. savings are made when the original loans are paid debt on bonds gain significantly only when the Old Mutual statistics conducted during the • A single payment, instead of many, makes mon- off, and benefits for settling before the due date are home-loan term does not change, and the money Covid pandemic show that at least 33% of South ey management simpler. calculated. saved on other instalments is paid into the bond. Africans are struggling to meet payments on credit • Closing accounts as they are combined means This shortens the life of the bond and reduces in- cards and shop accounts; 37% of those interviewed no further debts are created. Financial advisors say some homeowners terest payments on the home loan. The downside, say they are behind on everyday household bills. A major negative impact of this method for choose to consolidate their debt by withdrawing however, is that the value of a home, particularly In addition to overspending, at least 35% of home consumers, Manyike says, is that debt consolida- a lump sum from their refinanced home loan, set- when demand is low, can also depreciate, and if a owners have applied for a payment holiday on tion could release some disposable income to the tling their accounts, and leaving the repayment of second bond is taken out, this could lead to a situ- their bonds because of the Covid pandemic. consumer so he or she can continue to spend. This the now-larger home loan as their main monthly ation of negative equity. In other words, you owe can rapidly lead to further indebtedness. expense. more than the house is worth on the market. John Manyike, head of financial education at He says making debt consolidation work means Old Mutual Limited, believes that consolidating becoming financially disciplined and strictly keep- In a recently quoted example, settling a R 67 Costs of applying for bond refinancing with a debt enables hard-pressed consumers to cope with ing to the budget. He says most financial institu- 000 debt drawn from a loan, credit card, and retail second bond. Remember, debt consolidation us- these demands. It helps because all identified debts tions will ordinarily oconsider assisting with debt account will result in about R 530 being added to ing a second bond means that you are using your can be combined into a single account. consolidation loans. a bond payment, instead of the R 1 800 required if house as collateral, so if you fail to pay the refi- The first port of call, of course, should be the usual monthly payments were made. The key to us- nanced bond, you may, in addition to the debts you bank where the consumer is a customer, since the are owing, also lose your home. Usually, the finan- bank would have a financial picture of the consum- cial institution involved will insist that the home er’s day-to-day financial dealings and their credit- be revalued. In this process, an applicant’s credit worthiness. history and affordability for the additional finance Using a second bond to consolidate debt, al- will be reviewed. If you are applying for a second bond, the funds will be payable after the bond is registered at the Deeds Office, which could take up to six weeks. Costs included in the refinancing deal will be for the registration of a second bond, VAT, and a Deeds Office levy. For example, registering a loan of R1 000 000 for the second bond would be approximately R29 778, which needs to considered against the benefit of re-financing. Why Retirement Annuities are attractive FACTORS TO CONSIDER option for peace-of-mind pension life BEFORE RETIREMENT By Isaac Moledi CRITICAL CHOICE: Important to create split Are you about to retire? Many of us do not between basic living expenses and luxury or nice-to-have know that retirement planning is essential Annuity, what is it and who should have an an- and should be part of financial planning nuity? What is the difference between an annu- siderations when choosing an annuity. There tion of one or more products rather than just that begins when you start working and ity and a living annuity? Annuities are financial are many things to consider when finding an one? accumulating assets. However, financial products that retirees ‘buy’ with the money they annuity that suits your needs. John Manyike, • What if your circumstances were to change? advisors believe that it is ideal that all have saved in their pension, provident or retire- head of financial education at Old Mutual be- It is not a given that your health, lifestyle, your financial planning involves a qualified ment annuity funds (RA) to give them a steady lieves that as a person approaches retirement, marital and financial status will remain the financial planner. income over time. there are some questions to ask yourself, or same throughout retirement. If it changes, will Factors to consider, before retirement your fund members. These include: the solution still be relevant? planning, are: Annuities are created and sold by financial • What sort of life expectancy might you have • Having a retirement budget institutions that invest your lump sum premium in retirement? It pays here to think about how Life annuities and Living annuities You must know your current income and so you can be paid a monthly income during re- long your parents and grandparents lived, Manyike describes life annuities as those tirement, based on the type of annuity you have how good your health is and about health fac- expenditure so that you know what you purchased or your specific income stipulations. tors that might affect your lifespan. that are essentially a guarantee to pay a certain need for retirement and where costs can • How much starting pension will you get for a monthly (pension) amount for the rest of your be cut before retirement. Financial advisors believe that retirement given amount of capital? (See the difference life. There are different types of life annuities • Identify your investment and saving annuities in South Africa are attractive savings between life annuities and living annuities be- that provide different levels of future increases in strategy mechanisms because they offer substantial tax low) the monthly pension amount. Decide whether you are an aggressive or benefits. You can invest up to 27.5% of your an- • The underlying costs of the various products? conservative investor and when to invest nual taxable incomes (up to R350 000 annually) • Is the annuity provider reputable with a solid As a rule, the higher the annual increase you aggressively and move to a conservative on a tax-deductible basis. The advantage is that track record in annuities? select, the lower the starting pension amount you approach when retirement approaches even if you have a company pension or provident • What are your monthly living expenses? How will get. The options are: while investing within your limits. fund, you can still invest in an RA. For example, are these split between basic living expenses • A Level annuity: where the monthly pension • Plan for the years you have in hand if a company plan contribution is only 15%, you and luxury or nice-to-have costs? How does before you reach retirement age can invest the balance of 12.5% in an RA without the pension amount compare to your living does not change and does not increase in line This planning will help define how attracting tax. expenses? with inflation or investment returns. much money you need to retire and • What sort of increase in a monthly pension • A Fixed escalation annuity: where pensions help determine strategies for achieving Other befits include: can you expect in future, and how does this increase every year at a predetermined rate investment growth. • No income tax or capital gain tax is charged match up to inflation? that is not linked to inflation or investment • Income sources after retirement • Will you continue to receive an income for the performance. For example, your pension and potential on investment returns within an RA. rest of your life or is there a risk of running • An Inflation-linked annuity: where the pen- additional resources to cope with • Funds in an RA do not form part of an estate, out of money? sion increases annually in line with official unexpected expenses Retirement life can • Is your spouse (and any other financial de- inflation. bring in unforeseeable expenses in your so after a holder’s death, they are not liable for pendants e.g., a child with a disability) cov- • With-profit annuity: Your monthly income life, and you need to make sure that you estate duty or executor fees. ered by the product if you die? will increase at an annual rate decided by the are prepared for it. • On retirement, investors can withdraw up • Is it more important to you to have control insurance company that provides the annuity • Reducing debt to one-third of the value of the retirement over the investment and income or to have a and is based on various factors, including in- It is advisable to not have any pending annuity(s) of which the first R500 000 of the guaranteed income for life? vestment returns. loans or unpaid debts as you near total withdrawal is tax-free. • Do you have other capital outside of the re- The life annuities can also have an option that pro- retirement as the consequences of having Experts say to get the best benefit possible tirement fund that could be invested in com- vides a spouse with a pension if the holder dies. to pay major debts on a reduced income from an RA, you should: plementary solutions for a more holistic solu- could be catastrophic. • Open an RA as soon as you can. The younger tion? Living annuities you are, the longer the RA will work for you, • Would it be beneficial to consider a combina- A living annuity on the other hand enables you also choose where the annuity is invested. If the and the better the retirement benefit. markets perform poorly, your total investment • Ideally, committing yourself to an RA pay- to decide on the level of income you would like amount can decrease, and your income along with ment should be undertaken when you start to receive every year and can be between 2.5% it. The pension will be paid for as long as there is your first job. and 17.5% of the total investment value. You can money remaining in the investment; if the invest- • Premiums should be increased whenever you ment is depleted, your income will stop. get an increase and at least annually so that the investment keeps pace with inflation. Con-

14 WEEKLY SA MIRROR SPORT Friday 21 May 2021 COVID-19 A Molefi Mika Football Association) – to speak with one voice to DISTRACTION convince the government to approve the initiative. TOUCHLINE BUT BETTER MUSINGS Agreeing to play in a bio-bubble certainly SPORTING DAYS achieved commendable results such that the idea BECKON AHEAD Games except for three cancellations. was later copied by other sporting codes in the The First World War between 1914 and 1918 country. AFRICA RISING: Great expectations that Motsepe will bring new life to ‘sleepy’ CAF caused the cancellation of the 1916 Olympics; the As the phrase goes, the rest is history. The Second World War of 1939-1945 put paid to the new norm, regrettably, is that we now watch our By Molefi Mika cause of the health devastation the Covid-19 pan- Olympics billed for the years 1940 and 1944. sports, in particular soccer, beamed on TV from demic has wreaked venues where crowds are currently not allowed. I SALUTE you dear reader in our very first Clearly, the prospect of watching the Olym- However, it must be mentioned that the sterling sports column as we ponder daily about whether The Olympics, without doubt the world’s pics with few if no spectators at all is also likely job by the NSL in partnership with Safa has these trying times caused by the deadly Covid-19 largest multi-sport festival, suffered their first to affect TV viewing numbers worldwide, this helped to lower the anxiety and stress levels that virus will ever end. postponement in 2020 after nearly 77 years since considering that crowds at stadiums help to build have besieged us in the past months. 1944. The Olympics have since been rescheduled and create electric atmosphere that makes athletes At the moment a sport like soccer, which at for Tokyo, Japan, this year. to perform with some added exuberance. It’s an Hopefully, without much waiting, we will times is also referred to as the “Sport of Billions”, open secret that this is one of the main reasons also be telling the world that crowds are about to is at a different place. Things worldwide are sadly But the hosting country has since announced why companies jostle for a slot in such events in be invited back to our stadiums, just like in other different from what they used to be in the past. a ban on international spectators due to fears and a bid to offer sponsorships worth millions of dol- parts of Europe, provided safety measures or pro- risks of widespread virus transmission. The ban lars. tocols are given priority in the best interest of our Practically speaking, lately it does not even is in keeping with the World Health Organisation athletes. sound right to call football a “Sport of Billions”. (WHO) health protocols, bearing in mind that the On the home-front, it can’t be viewed as a The reason is that while the game used to attract games tend to attract huge crowds. sin to compliment the National Soccer League Still on football, congratulations to Mamelodi millions of spectators as well as to generate bil- (NSL) hierarchy – the custodians of the more than Sundowns president, Dr Patrice Motsepe. Since lions of dollars through ticket sales and spon- History reminds us that ever since the stag- billion-rand sponsored Premier Soccer League Motsepe was voted president of CAF (Confedera- sorships, today it is currently and largely played ing of the “Modern Summer Olympics” in 1896, (PSL) in its efforts to keep the home fires burning tion of African Football unopposed recently, there before empty stands at stadiums. And all this be- there had never been a postponement of these the during these trying times, so to speak. is much optimism about the future prospects for the continental football as he prepares to steer the Much against doubts, the NSL committed it- game to greater heights. self to returning football action to our stadiums, mindful of the risk of possibly aggravating the Good news, indeed, if we consider that, like spread of the pandemic, by organising football Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia, South Africa was a action around August in 2020. This, therefore, founding member of CAF since 1957, but was required that the PSL bosses and their counter- later booted out of the fold because of its apart- parts in the mother-body – Safa (South African heid policies under the National Party rule. The country was later reinstated in 1992 at the time when the apartheid minority government was be- ginning to earnestly engage with the liberation movements for a democratic dispensation. Motsepe, a billionaire and a man who always strike one as a person of his word, no doubt has the potential of bringing change to the ever sleepy CAF organisation. In him we have a leader capable of demon- strating to the world why Africa is regarded as one of the main sources of great soccer stars in the world, a feat that should have been consistently prioritised by the former CAF leaders all with the help of massive TV coverage. TeamTHE MIRROR: Meet our team of experienced and young journalists who have VUSI XABA DUDU NJOKO ALI MPHAKI THULI ZUNGU VICTOR MECOAMERE GUGU SIBIYA responded to the challenge of producing a new paper to add to the - Senior News - Editorial - News/Motoring - Associate Editor - Stakeholder - Lifestyle/ diversity of media shaping our democracy. They are supported Writer Co-ordinator Editor Relations/Special Entertainment by an equally dedicated team of digital, advertising and market- Projects Editor Editor ing specialists - all geared to serve you THE READER to the best of their ability. For our part, we have been drawn together by our common passion for journalism and its allied fields of endeavour. JOIN us in our exciting journey! 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Friday 21 May 2021 SPORT 15WEEKLY SA MIRROR ANOTHER KZN TEAM FOR THE PSL GLADAFRICA CHAMPIONSHIP: Royal AM or Richards Bay to join elite league By Masoja Cele Township football tournaments attract multitudes in Soweto during weekends. Picture by Mohau Mofokeng Guaranteed, KwaZulu Natal will have a pool of four teams representing the province in the DStv Football-starved spectators Premiership after the completion of 2020/21 throng kasie amateur games GladAfrica Championship season. AmaZulu, Lamontville Golden Arrows, and Maritzburg BAN ON FOOTBALL CROWDS: in its coverage of the people’s game. Football is United are currently the DStv Premiership rep- Covid-19 protocols take the back seat a game of pent up emotions and lofty opinions, resentatives in the KZN province. but few can demur that the absence of fans has By Ali Mphaki Many are called had a debilitating effect on the sport.The jury is The fierce battle at the top in the GladAfrica But as a blind spot, the ban unwittingly ex- still out but some commentators already posit Championship is between Royal AM and Rich- The Vuvuzelas may be out of tune and that the resultant “culture shock” was more tell- ards Bay, both from KwaZulu Natal. Also in the the Makarapa hats speckled with posed in high definition the glaring inequalities ing on those teams who habitually play in front mix are long time title contenders Sekhukhune cobwebs. Standing idle in the out- in society; most significantly by dividing soccer of capacity crowds than their counterparts who United from Limpopo and the Mpumalanga- side but all fired up for minor repairs fans into two halves (excuse the pun); the haves week in play in stadia with traditionally less based TS Sporting. Barring a mishap, Royal AM are rust infested braziers, while the who could afford to pay the exorbitant premi- bums on the seats. or Richards Bay would be crowned GladAfrica empty gas cylinders gather dust in the corner ums and the have nots, those who cannot afford, champions, or worse both would qualify to par- and in need of a refill. let alone own a TV set. At best, Babize Bonke Coach potato ticipate in the play-offs berth. conjures the Biblical injunction: “Many are Inadvertently, the absence of fans has also This somewhat sums up the humdrum ex- called, but a few are chosen”. At worst, Babize The GladAfrica Championship would con- istence of soccer fans and vendors alike as they Bonke is hollow as it can never be “universal” been a boon for coaches, some of whom hav- clude its gruelling season in the next two weeks. navigate their lives in the new dismal normal, ing been spared the wrath of the fickle and vio- To be precise, the second tier league last matches a tad more than a year lence prone fans when things go awry for their will be played on the weekend of May, 23, 2021. since spectators were team. For the coach potato, however, it is well With two rounds of games to complete the sea- red carded from the and good to watch a game on TV, what with the son, Royal AM are on the summit of the GladA- stands ostensibly as a benefit of slow motion, seeing different angles, frica Championship. They have amassed 47 precautionary measure points from 28 matches. for the spread of Cov- listening to expert though sometimes id-19. trite commentary etc. But minus the fans Royal’s next encounter is against the Univer- on the stands, the TV experience is piece sity of Pretoria away and they close the curtain The ban on fans, meal, almost surreal. Fact is, there is with a tricky home tie against Cape Town All though coincidental, nothing to beat the feeling of being there. Stars. This should pose a danger for Royal as All was but fortuitous foot- Stars are fighting for their lives at the bottom of work which scored a Though they may be barred from the table. In terms of form guide, Royal have ac- spectacular windfall watching their elite heroes in stadiums, it cumulated crucial points home and away, a spell for a TV pay channel is obvious by attending township games they’ve been enjoying since the appointment of with the “sole” rights to in droves the fans are missing the cheer- coach Paradise Moeketsi, after Floyd Mogale beam live games across ing, booing, and singing which goes was shown the door for poor results. to homes and shacks with being at the games. of football starved and Breathing heavily behind Royal is Richards locked-down soccer But with South Africa’s latest Cov- Bay who trail the leaders with two points. The fans. id-19 figures taking the total number Rich Boyz are second with 45 points from 28 of infections since the coronavirus out- games. The Mhlathuze-based outfit suffered two If the mental turmoil break past the 1.6 million mark, the re- defeats in succession. Firstly, it was a 1-0 loss of being barred from the turn to the stadiums might just not hap- against TS Sporting and a 2-1 defeat at home at stadiums was a new pen anytime soon. the hands of JDR Stars. The two defeats impact- emotion for the fans, the ed negatively on the ambition of the Bay team. “Babize Bonke” tag line Health experts further warn that in Before the downfall Rich Boyz were comfortably was a master stroke for the current situation it would be a wrong perched on top with four points ahead of Royal. the DStv pay channel, signal to allow spectators back and more For their two outstanding ties, Bay travel away which also happens to vigilance is needed. In the mean-time to Jomo Cosmos on Saturday. be the headline sponsor spectators must endure watching the for the PSL. elite league on TV replaced with stadium Then they will wrap up the season with a seats outfitted with fake fan cutouts. The home match against Steenberg United. The out- Working like a ghost stadiums are a clear indication that come of these games could be crucial to their charm, the slogan pre- something fundamental has changed in promotion provided Royal doesn’t slip along the cipitated a frenzy which the world. way. Earlier pace-setters Sekhukhune United saw soccer fans scur- are third on the table with 44 points from 28 rying to have their pay The fans, like players waiting for a matches. channel accounts up- VAR decision, will unfortunately have to dated, so as to be able to exercise some patience until the powers They are three points behind Royal and trail enjoy access to live soc- that be give an all-clear signal to return the Rich Boyz with two points. Mathematically, cer matches via satellite to the stands. Theirs is merely to heed Sekhukhune are still in the mix for promotion. in the comfort of their the Babize Bonke call to congregate be- Should they win their two remaining games homes. A win-win situ- fore their TV sets while hoping that soon against Polokwane City and JDR Stars, they will ation, if you like. they will return to the stands. One day. end the season on 50 points. However, the two fixtures are so tricky especially the JDR Stars # Preceding the “Super Weekend” game. will be the much-awaited Nedbank qualifier between Mamelodi Sundown JDR are pushing for a spot in the play-offs against Orlando Pirates penciled for the berth. The Hammer Boys are no push-over, they Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, on are radical when faced with tough opposition. April 15 Polokwane City are safe in the middle of the ta- ble. Another dark horse for the title race is TS Sporting. The 2020/21 GladAfrica Championship is so intense that it could go to the wire to be deter- mined in the final game of the campaign. It’s un- like last season where the previous winner High- lands Park won the league with an 18 points lead with six matches to play. There is anxiety at the bottom of the table with teams like Cape Town All Stars, Steenberg United and Cape Town Spurs scramble for safety. Come end of the campaign one of the three teams will bite the dust and join fellow strug- glers Bizana Pondo Chiefs. The struggle to sur- vive the axe is so tense but in the end some will have to face the ignominy of relegation.

MIRROR SPORTWEEKLY SA Insight to connect the dots... MOTORING BAN ON FOOTBALL TOUCHLINE with CROWDS MUSINGS: 10ALI MPHAKI COVID-19 PROTOCOLS 14with p MOLEFI 11TAKE THE p MIKA BACK SEAT p GHOST TERRACES Fans yearn for return to grandstands CROWDS SHRUG PANDEMIC TO FLOCK TO 15see page TOWNSHIP AMATEUR FOOTBALL GAMES ACTION: Township football tournaments feature top players like Rooi Mahamutsa (right) from the elite leagues, attract multitudes in Soweto during weekends. Pictures by Mohau Mofokeng