WEEKLY SA Mirror 62nd ED

CHILD BRIDES RR DOWNS EXCHANGED SET TO PIP FOR FOOD CHIEFS 8page see backpage Friday 12 August 2022 D E Q L www.weeklysamirror.news MIRRORWEEKLY SA Insight to connect the dots... DARK HAND OF ‘ZAMA ZAMA’ POLICE ELEMENTS Mining house points accusing finger 2see page at corrupt cops

2 WEEKLY SA MIRROR NEWS Friday 12 August 2022 CORRUPT LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AIDING ILLEGAL MINERS IN SA - CLAIM DAMAGE: Illegal mining gangs also TASK TEAMS caused damage to Eskom electricity TO COMBAT substations ILLEGAL MINING By Monk Nkomo tion and environmental damages. They also to 5 illicit gold traders; there is corruption In an effort to combat illegal mining at its Corruption within the South African Po- caused underground fires which led to total within the local SAPS, the criminal justice operations, Harmony Mine, together with the police lice Services, bribing of certain prosecut- shutdown of a mine. These uncontrolled fires system and prosecuting authorities were be- launched a number of initiatives including Operation ing authorities as well as the inefficient and may lead to methane gas explosions’’. ing bribed. Sentences relating to illegal min- ‘’Pappa G’’ which resulted in the arrest of nine laxed justice system are some of the chal- ers do not act as a deterrent to illegal miners. Gold syndicate leaders and the confiscation of 26 lenges faced by mining companies which The report also highlighted the increas- Some illegal miners are only charged with vehicles valued at R30 million. The mine authorities have been besieged by a marauding gang ing incidents of extortion which have been trespassing and released after paying a fine. also approached the Free State provincial of illegal miners who have been accused of reported to the relevant authorities. Some illegal miners released on bail never Commissioner of Police on July 1, 2019 to establish raping and robbing women and children return to court.’’ a multi-disciplinary and integrated task team with in several parts of the country. New forms of extortion included demand- other external role players. Following the escalation ing payment from onsite contractors to allow The report said illegal miners had a huge of a string of crimes in the Lejweleputswa district These claims are contained in a damning illegal miners to continue working without social impact on local communities. Their , ‘’Operation Knock-Out’’ was launched to fights report compiled by Harmony Gold Mining interruption, demanding that a percentage of illegal operations led to human trafficking, various crimes that included murder, attempted Company which revealed that illegal min- the contract be subcontracted to local com- child labour and forced labour. They were murder, robberies, fraud, money laundering, illegal ing led to human trafficking, child labour and panies. They also demanded 70 percent local also involved in selling jobs, a move which immigration, possession of illegal firearms and forced labour. Illegal mining gangs were also employment from both Harmony Gold com- was directly linked to illegal mining and theft. directly involved with violent crimes that in- pany and contractors and threatened to stop formed part of the syndicates’ modus oper- cluded rape, assault, corruption, illegal fire- operations if they were not employed. andi of getting members into risk areas for An action plan was drafted and approved by arms, intimidation , theft and housebreaking the sole purpose of illegal gold trade. the police commissioner to address operational in the local communities. These gangs also want the mining houses hotspots, intelligence of smelt houses and to provide particulars of closed or redundant Since 2007 a total 1406 employees and movement of illegal miners. A number of police Harmony Gold Mine which was founded mines to pressurize the Regulator – (DMRE) 650 contractors in the Welkom area lost their were deployed and Harmony provided offices with by Dr. Patrice Motsepe who is also Chairman Small Scale and artisanal miners draft policy jobs for aiding and abetting illegal miners. infrastructure at Harmony Steyn 2 Shaft. During this of the Board of Directors, has called for the for the company, to allocate those shafts to This action had an approximate impact on operation, information was received about the king reinstatement of the South African Police them. between 10280 and 20 560 people in the pins involved in the illicit gold trade. This resulted Services’ specialised units to assist in the community. in crime being reduced by almost 30 percent in fight against the illicit gold trade in South According to the report, kidnappings Welkom, Virginia, Henneman and Odendalsrus. Africa. were also on the increase especially in The impact of illegal mining, according Welkom, Klerksdorp, Orkney, Stilfontein, to the report, was huge. Damages caused by Another operation, called ‘’ Clean Sweep’’ was This week, Police Minister Bheki Cele Hartebeesfontein and Carletonville areas. illegal miners resulted in stoppages which launched and this led to a vital breakthrough with said the allegations of police corruption and Suspects in this regard explore all options had a major impact on daily production be- the arrest of two illegal miners at Tshepong on Level inadequate service delivery at stations would to illegally obtain money from these kidnap- cause one stoppage could cost a single mine 57 West Crosscut where valuable information was be probed at a provincial level and acted on. pings which included cash withdrawals at about R9,5 million a day in cost production. seized together with several names and contact The Minister also acknowledged the com- ATMs and ransom payments. Armed gangs ‘’ Due to illegal mining, Harmony’s security numbers of employees at Harmony Gold Mine. The munity’s call for the South African Defence were also kidnapping rival miners and forc- costs increased by more than 30 percent year investigation resulted in the dismissal of 16 mine Force (SANDF) to be deployed. ing them to work in slave-like conditions. ‘’ on year. Criminal gang activities also threat- employees and eight contractors. A total 15 mine Employees are also targeted. The previous ened the lives of employees and community employees resigned. Several other employees faced These illegal miners, who have no regard quarter reflected ten employees falling vic- members due to territorial fighting. Over 400 disciplinary cases. for their own safety and the safety of others, tim.’’ violent incidents have been reported from also targeted the country’s main infrastruc- 2013 to date.’’ The report said illegal min- There was also Operation ‘’ KOSH Task Team’’ ture such as pump stations and Eskom sub- Although arrests were made, the risk fac- ing also threatened sustainable investors in which included Klerksdorp, Orkney, Stilfontein and stations. They also caused damage to critical tor for kidnappings within the industry may the mining sector which could result in mine Hartebeesfontein. This team, which included police equipment, electricity and water supplies, air become alarming once criminal syndicates closures and job losses. and mining security personnel and did not operate and ventilation supplies. explore such avenues with a more direct fo- in informal and local towns , also made several cus to impact business. Between 2007 and 2020, a total 16 590 breakthroughs in combatting illegal mining. They ’’ They also attacked mining security illegal miners were arrested in the Welkom arrested scores of illegal miners and recovered personnel with high calibre rifles in large Harmony Gold Mine said they experi- area and 1163 illegal miners were injured and various valuable items including stolen copper groups on a daily basis, caused water pollu- enced serious challenges in their fight against 641 were found dead. cables, firearms and ammunition. illegal mining.’’ There are no dedicated SAPS units or task teams to address level 3

Friday 12 August 2022 NEWS 3WEEKLY SA MIRROR HAMBA KAHLE BRA KEITH “MAJAZANA” KUNENE The business and soccer fraternity came in droves to attend the burial of departed former National Soccer League, NSL, executive committee chairperson Keith Kunene in Johannesburg on Friday morning. Kunene, whose cause of death was not disclosed, died on Tuesday. He was buried at the Fourways Cemetery. PICS by SIPHO MALUKA Khulu with his wife Ester Sibiya with Bridgette Radebe Lukhona Mdluli,Tswelo Motladi and Cleola Kunene Jazzman Mahlakgane with Trott Moloto Temba Mvusi with Kuhlekonke Kunene (Son to the deceased) Muzi Kunene,Tango Ncetezo and Kemi Motladi Maggie Mareletse,Lerato Mafoko with Nosisi Gcabashe Surviving KuNene Brothers,Mduduzi,Menzi & Zanosi

4 WEEKLY SA MIRROR NEWS Friday 12 August 2022 TROUBLED DENEL FINALLY PAYS EMPLOYEES’ SALARIES BAILOUT: Surplus medical aid funds provide problems. “The company itself needs to be restruc- lifeline to cash-strapped parastatal… tured. And so the new restructuring plan supported by us as the board and the shareholder will create By Isaac Moledi repair and overhual (MRO) facility for numerous a self-sustaining business with a significant order loojee focused on a streamlined and sustainable Troubled state-owned arms manufacturer Denel critical equipment systems, Denel enables much of pipeline. Part of that plan is the sale of some of the company with the ability to significantly grow its says it has finally paid R318 million in outstand- the SANDF’s combat capability. company’s assets,” Serobe said. order pipeline and access new revenue streams. Ac- ing salaries owed to employees after gaining ac- knowledging the credibility issue that Denel faces, cess to funds raised from the surplus of the com- Outlining how Denel was able to access mon- She believed that the action would address the he said he aimed to rebuild the company’s reputa- pany’s (Denel) Medical Benefit Trust (DMBT). ies accrued through DMBT to pay outstanding sala- legacy debt and introduce liquidity into the com- tion and capabilities. ries, Serobe said throughout the years, the assets of pany. This would also immediately improve profit- Gloria Serobe, board chair of the cash-strapped DMBT always exceeded the actual valued liabili- ability, enable the company to retain and appoint “If the turnaround of the business is successful, state-owned arms manufacturing group, confirmed ties by huge amounts. She said it made no sense skills and leadership, some of whom were lost in there is potential to grow the order book to R30 bil- during a media briefing yesterday that all outstand- why Denel was designed as such - that even though the process. Trade union Solidarity – which had at- lion in the next three to five years,” he said. ing salaries owed to employees have now been it was a sponsor company of the DMBT - had no tached Denel’s bank account and already auctioned fully paid – ending a saga that has dragging since access to this large surplus which, she said stood some of its movable property in order to pay some Saloojee said the rationalised Denel would fo- May 2020. at R1.472 by April 2022. The trust was established Denel staff – said it would release the arrangement cus on its proven capabilities in the fields of guided in 2002 in order to meet Denel’s medical benefits and repay the auction’s proceeds. weapons, land defence systems, aircraft engineer- “Denel went through a massive liquidity cri- owed to employees. ing and maintenance and the delivery of complex sis in the last two to three years. At long last, all Solidarity’s Derek Mans was quoted as saying: integrated systems for the security and cyber en- outstanding salaries owed to employees have now “The exercise to start unlocking this surplus “We don’t think we would have been here if we vironments. been fully paid. Payment plans are in place for pay- took as long as two years,” said Serobe, adding, didn’t fight for it. There was a point at which it was as-you-earn (tax) as well as the pension fund,” Se- “Fast forward to 28 July, R992 million became that not clear if the surplus would be used for the unpaid According to Saloojee, Denel showed some robe said. surplus which could be transferred and attributed salary bill.” signs of decline in 2016/17 through a combination to Denel after this elaborate exercise.” An amount of state capture, together with weaknesses in man- She said her board had not been proud of the of R318 million was paid out towards the outstand- In March, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin agement, leadership, project execution and contract chaos and not being able to meet these obligations. ing salaries, whilst payment plans have been put Gordhan allocated Denel R3 billion to cover inter- management. Revenue fell from a peak of R8.2 bil- “As a chairman of the board, I need to apologise in place for tax and pension contributions that still est payments on the group’s escalating debt, but lion in R2015/16 to under R2 billion in 2021/22. profusely for the stress and the anxieties caused to need to be paid over to the SA Revenue Service this amount could not be used to pay staff salaries. – Additional reports by defenceWeb. the employees and their families,” she said. (SARS) and the pension fund. The government has been recapitalised Denel to the tune of R1,8 billion in 2019/20 and R576 mil- Denel is – and has been – the custodian of key Although the R992 million came as a boost for lion in 2020/21, and extended its R5,9 billion guar- strategic capabilities of the SANDF. As an original the ailing state-owned entity (SOE), Serobe said anteed debt facility. equipment manufacturer (OEM) and maintenance, this amount would not “answer” all of Denel’s Meanwhile, the cash-strapped company an- nounced the details of its strategy to stabilise and grow the state-owned ailing group. Outlining a comprehensive strategy for the Group during the media briefing, chief restructuring officer Riaz Sa- ‘DRUG RELIEF STATSSA’S FOR PROSTATE CONSTRAINTS PUT ‘DATA QUALITY AT RISK’ CANCER PATIENTS’ RESOURCES: Data specialist firm warns that StatsSA’s limited resources would to deterioration EFFICACY: more susceptible to the treatment. of quality of national data… Steroid Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of betamethasone By Isaac Moledi commercial data sets that use the mid-year popula- found to protect cancer deaths among men in the US. While radia- The deteriorating data quality and planning at tion data as a benchmark. Consequently, the qual- normal prostate cells tion therapy is important to control the growth of StatsSA is caused by the country’s limited re- ity and reliability of available demographic data from injury induced prostate cancer, it presents a significant risk of in- sources, data quality insurer Spatial Data Ser- will again deteriorate.” According to him, the data’s by radiation therapy… creasing unwanted side effects, including injury vices Africa SDSA) has said. value is not much beyond political speech writing. to normal tissues. It only confirms already known trends in migration KENTUCKY,US – A new study published Reacting to mid-year population estimates re- and age and gender in the South African population. by University of Kentucky Markey Cancer “New therapies aimed at protecting against leased by the national statistical service of SA (Stats- Centre researchers suggests that the common normal tissue injury while also increasing radia- SA) recently, SDSA director Burgert Gildenhuys, Gildenhuys says the 2022 MYPE report does not steroid betamethasone could be used to reduce tion therapy effectiveness are urgently needed,” says although Statistics South Africa continues to do include inputs from the census conducted in 2022, as unwanted side effects of radiation treatments Chaiswing said. “The development of such ap- exemplary work, limited resources constrain their the census data will only be released in 2023, and for prostate cancer. proaches would have a major impact on prostate work, and this would lead to the deterioration of its these will be built into the 2024 estimates. He pre- cancer control and the quality of life of patients.” data quality. dicts there will be no mid-year population estimates The research was published in the Interna- report next year. tional Journal of Molecular Sciences June 8. The team screened around 700 Food and The StatsSA’s 2022 Mid-Year Population Esti- Drug Administration-approved drugs for proper- mates (MPYE) report, released about a week ago, “In a rapidly developing country, it is not ac- The lab study led by Luksana Chaiswing, as- ties including protecting non-cancer cells against shows the country’s population to be 60,6 million ceptable to have detailed population censuses more sistant professor in the UK College of Medicine’s radiation therapy induced cytotoxicity, killing as of June 2022. It also indicates an improvement in than a decade apart,” says Gildenhuys. Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, prostate cancer cells and increasing hydrogen life expectancy at birth by around 10 months to 62.8 is the first to demonstrate that betamethasone pro- peroxide levels in both cancer and non-cancer years compared to 2021. In its mission statement, Stats SA’s vision is to tects normal prostate cells from injury induced by cells. improve lives through data ecosystems and trans- radiation therapy, while making the cancer cells The StatsSA’s MPYE offers key indices and form the production, coordination and use of statis- Betamethasone, a corticosteroid that is ap- estimates regarding births, deaths and migratory tics through optimisation, partnerships and innova- proved for treatment of inflammation and cancer movements in the country, as well as key estimates tion. of the hematopoietic system, was one of the top by age, sex and geographical data that assist in plan- five drugs with all of the desired properties. ning for and addressing the needs of the population. “At Spatial Data Services Africa, we maintain detailed data at a local and detailed level to over- Betamethasone increases hydrogen peroxide Gildenhuys says although his organisation come the mentioned deficiencies to the best of our levels, which activates a protective protein called welcomes the release of what “was usually a very ability. Fortunately, open-source data is becoming “RelB” in normal, non-cancerous prostate cells. valuable dataset, one would typically expect data more accessible through technological advance- systems and releases to evolve and improve.” He ment, but ground-truthing can only occur by relating “The outcome of this project could lead to believes that releasing the mid-year estimates only to good benchmarks from the official custodian data a new anticancer regimen that improves the ef- at provincial, and not at the municipal level, is a step in a country. The unfortunate result is that the dete- ficacy of radiation therapy by sensitising tumour backwards for StatsSA. rioration of data quality affects the integrity of plan- tissue to radiation while simultaneously protect- ning and decision-making across a country’s entire ing normal tissue from radiation-induced side “The lack of local detail will adversely affect all spectrum,” says Gildenhuys. effects, which could lead to improved quality of life for cancer survivors,” Chaiswing said. – NEWSWISE

Friday 12 August 2022 ENTERTAINMENT 5WEEKLY SA MIRROR MASKANDI MUSIC RUNS THROUGH SHELEMBE’S VEINS WUNDERKID: Bad-ass Maskandi proponent Sigqoko Sentsimbi SOLO: He is just not another maskandi singer, but sensation-in-the-making… By Gugu Sibiya laugh. After what happened, I lamented hap- traditional dance competitions where music, For as long as Nkoso Shelembe can remem- pier times, hence Kwaze Kwamnandi. It’s about dance and food is the order of the day. ber, he has always been surrounded by the hanging out with guys back at home in Ixopo. infectious melodies of maskandi music at his We’d play music, dance, braai and drink to the “All of this happens against the backdrop of rural homestead in Ixopo in Kwa-Zulu. lively strumming of guitars. After his Shemeni- courtships and budding romances that often lead inspired music, which differs from Ukugiya to marriage. That’s why I always look forward “Maskandi is sacred to us as it carries the style of Abafana Bamkonka, he’s opted to go by to going home whenever I can, especially during voices and cultural moves of our forefathers,’’ his praise singing name of Sigqoko Sentsimbi. A the festive season” reveals Sigqoko, lost in his Shelembe beams with earnest pride. “It’s a con- name his peers around Ifafa, Entakama, in Ixopo nostalgic reverie. nection that’s difficult to comprehend unless are familiar with. “It’s already popular, it works you’re rooted in it and it runs in your veins. So for my brand-new solo career. Brightening up, he adds “I’m so grateful when I gravitated towards a group called Abafa- and excited that people love the singles. Most of na Bamkoka, nobody was surprised. Ingoma is a “I grew up with ukugiya. When you do them relate with Bazali Bami because we’ve all way of life in our part of the world. We released your thing, both the boys and girls go crazy and been affected one way or another by Covid-19. a couple of albums until june, before Covid-19 give you a name, complete with praise poetry. Through their comments and words of encour- struck in 2020. agement, you can tell they are happy for me. The Maskandi singer is They view, like and download the music, which “One day, my uncle Mbuzeni Mkhize, living proof that you can is great. So far, I haven’t stumbled on any chal- who’s a big deal and well-known maskandi take the man out of his lenges. My prayer is to hook up with a record artist, walked in on me while I was listening company. to songs I’d just written. He loved them and village, but never his suggested I drop singles while working on my rootedness to it. “Nothing’s changed except that I’m also solo offering. working on my solo project. I’ll also continue His music echoes his working with Abafana Bamkonka. We’ll always “A few sleepless night later, I was sold. I proud roots, and, for a have each other’s back. I’m still going to par- was clear about one thing that I’m not leaving man who drinks water take in the annual December imidlalo or games Abafana Bamkonka. The opportunity came from uFafa stream before where sixteen groups from Entakama area com- sooner than I’d anticipated,” recalls Shelembe. it connects to Umkhomazi pete against each other. During the pandemic, Shelembe lost of River, never will his Sigqoko, who’s employed at Kusasa Lethu several family members, something that left creative well run dry… in Carletonville, says he’s doing music because him reeling from pain and shock. “I lost my that’s his passion. “I’m not driven by despera- grandmother in March 2020, my mom in Janu- It’s the bread and butter we grew up singing and tion to make a quick buck. I’m putting my all ary 2021, and my brother on February 2021. celebrating with. “In our area, we still do the into my music to make Ixopo proud of me. We were still shattered when my father also things our fathers used to do, like cultural get- died in April of the same year. togethers. We host umdlalo or ingoma, that’s “I know that if my music is good, it’ll reach places I never dreamt it could, thereby putting “As an artist my only outlet was document- me at the top. I truly believe in my talent, and I ing these events and express my emotions really love maskandi,” Sigqoko bursts out. through music. We needed to heal but genera- tions need to know what happened during the The Maskandi singer is proof that you can dark days of the pandemic. We lost people in big take the man out of his village, but never suc- numbers, but not always from the Corona virus. ceed to sever his rootedness to it. His music ech- oes his roots, and, for a man who drinks water “I dropped Bazali Bami, a single on loss of from uFafa stream before it connects to Umk- lives we incurred as a people. In life, we cry and homazi River, never will his creative well run dry .

6 WEEKLY SA MIRROR SKILLS DEVELOPMENT Friday 12 August 2022 IKUSASA SKILLS DEVELOPMENT CAREER GUIDE GOVT’S THREE-YEAR JOBS SCHEME TARGETS 10 OOO YOUTHS By WSAM Skills Reporter STIMULUS: Unemployed young graduates to Labour Centre of the Department of Employment A government initiative to address high unem- be recruited from today to assist Home Affairs in and Labour. The acquisition process will ascribe to ployment among the country’s youth kicks off the digitisation of the public records… the following guiding principles, including fair and today, with the drive to recruit the first 2 000 of transparent process; inclusive of Persons With Dis- the 10 000 jobless young graduates earmarked Information Technology; Document, Information schedule: abilities (PWDs); for the Department of Home Affairs’ project to and Records Management, obtained from Institu- • Phase One – will see recruitment of the first in- digitise millions of archived civic records. tions of Higher Learning (universities, universities Motsoaledi said the initiative was not an in- of technologies, TVETs). take of 2 000. The adverts will start from today, ternship programme but rather an endeavour to ad- Announcing the start of the programme yester- with this group scheduled to start on November dress youth unemployment, and would comprise a day, Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said The project will be effective from November 1 2022. 60 percent intake of young women and 40 percent the initiative was part of President Cyril Ramapho- 2022 to October 2025. Successful youth will be • Phase Two – will see a further recruitment of young men. sa’s Presidential Employment Stimulus announced paid a stipend ranging from R5 000 for an entry- 4 000, and the adverts placed during October during the State of the Nation Address in February level to R9 500 for technical support-level posi- 2022, for the January 2023 intake. “Parallel to the process of youth acquisition, this year. tions, while those drafted for managerial-level po- • Phase Three – will see a further and last re- the Department is also preparing the workstations sitions will receive R14 250. They will be required cruitment of 4 000, with adverts to be placed and sourcing tools required to ensure that they are During his national address, Ramaphosa had to sign a three-year contract linked to the duration during December 2022 and January 2023. able to start digitising records in December 2022,” said that the 10 000 unemployed young graduates of the project. They will start duty in April 2023. the Minister said. would be recruited “for the digitisation of its Civic Youth can register and apply online through paper records, enhancing their skills and contribut- Motsoaledi said the department would be part- the Dept of Home Affairs and Dept of Employ- “Quite often, South Africans complain bitterly ing to the modernisation of citizens services”. nering with relevant stakeholders to facilitate train- ment and Labour websites. Those that don’t not about the delays they experience when they ap- ing of these recruits to enhance their employability have access to the internet can visit their closest ply for Unabridged Birth Certificates, Unabridged The project would involve the digitisation of and/or allow them to leverage on entrepreneurial Marriage Certificates, Amendments and Rectifica- more than 350 million Civic paper records relating opportunities beyond the project. tion of their biographic details. to birth, marriages, deaths and amendments dating back to 1895, stored in the nine provinces – the The recruitment drive will be conducted in col- “This is because to finalise all these applica- bulk of which were in Gauteng, North West and the laboration with the Department of Employment tions, Home Affairs officials have to manually Western Cape. and Labour. The rollout will follow the following search for original documents among these 350 million manual records. Obviously such a tedious The Minister said the first phase of the three- process will take a long time, which people may not year programme will involve the recruitment of 2 be aware of. This leads to frustration when people 000 unemployed, young graduates during the first have to make several visits to Home Affairs,” he phase, followed by a second batch of 4 000 and the said. last group of 4 000. Once the records are digitised, the documents These unemployed youth should be qualified in be available at a click of a button and applications would be finalised instantly.

Friday 12 August 2022 PERSONAL FINANCE/BUSINESS 7WEEKLY SA MIRROR By Isaac Moledi GENDER groups to be formed, which can lead to forging of The influencing role of women in our lives can PARITY STILL life-long friendships or allies at the workplace.” take many forms. Mentorship and general rep- resentation of women in the workplace, for ex- FAVOURS In the tourism and hospitality industry, whose ample, is shown to have positive effects on the MEN bread and butter issue is care, comfort and a guest’s overall performance of companies and teams of happiness, men are seen still dominating executive staff across genders. Even more so when women EQUITY: Diversity and equity policy will ensure and managerial roles across the board. According mentor, support and uplift one another. women representation in companies to a Cape Town-based Redisson Blu Hotel Water- front, reports have shown that on a global level, A study on successful female leaders in the Keletso Mpisane, Head of MiWay Blink Aisha Pandor, SweepSouth CEO women make up nearly 70% of the workforce in Harvard Business Review shows that women with hospitality and tourism industry, yet less than 40% an inner circle of successful female friends are ior women who have ‘walked the path’ before and “This community should be founded on ab- of these jobs are at a managerial level. more likely to land executive positions and receive women who can relate to the mindset and challeng- solute trust, empathy and solidarity. There should higher pay. es of the current generation of workforce. be enough opportunities created for peer-to-peer The company believes that hospitality busi- nesses may have a willingness to promote diversity, In honour and in celebration of this Women’s though the pace is often slow. “But one industry Month this year, how can we ensure that women player has made significant in-roads. At Redisson in South Africa are heard and are uplifted by other Blu Hotel Waterfront, Cape Town, more than 90% women for the benefit of organisations and society of the management team is female, with each being as a whole? a leader, mentor and friend to other women within teams,” the company says. We all are aware that across a range of sectors in this country, there is a gender parity in favour Velma Corcoran, Airbnb regional lead, Mid- of males, meaning women of all races are under- dle East and Africa, says in South Africa, Airbnb represented. is continuing to invest in empowering women to become tourism entrepreneurs and last year an- This parity is particularly prevalent in the sci- nounced a new three-year commitment to address ence, technology, engineering and mathematics barriers to entry in the industry and to help rebuild sectors (STEM), including the financial and ac- a more inclusive and resilient domestic tourism counting sectors. Vanashree Govender, media re- economy. lations and communications manager at Huawei South Africa, says women are incredibly under- “With the rising cost of living the economic represented in the technology space. benefits of hosting are proving more important than ever and we are committed to unlocking economic According to a 2021 study by Deloitte, for ex- opportunities for women across South Africa, par- ample, female representation at global technology ticularly in rural and township communities,” says firms sits at around 33%. That number shrinks to Corcoran. around 25% when you focus on technical roles. Perhaps even more concerning, however, is the fact Speaking of mentorship of young women, Head that almost half of women working in technology of MiWay Blink, Keletso Mpisane says : “Leader- drop out, compared with 20% in other industries. ship is a skill set honed over time. The key is not to be too lax and not to be too stern. In many cases, What this reflects, according to Govender, is a they show their knack for leading at an early age.” need for female graduates to be nurtured from the undergraduate stage. Young women who are ex- Most domestic workers perform one primary posed to practical work experiences that foster their role, such as cleaning, but a report by SweepSouth growth might be less likely to feel supported and shows that the more roles a domestic worker takes capable enough to pursue their career ambitions. on, the greater her earning capacity is. “Childcare, for example, pays more than cleaning. Families can “I believe that the status quo must be chal- ask domestic workers about what would better their lenged,” argues Govender. “This doesn’t just mean skill set. companies in the technology sector changing their cultures, but also working hard to foster and nur- It may be a driver’s licence, so one could spon- ture female talent. sor lessons or it could be sending her on a course Mentorship is absolutely key to that. in childcare or first-aid,” says SweepSouth CEO, Aisha Pandor. ‘’With the support of other women who have built successful careers in the tech space, up-and According to her, “domestic workers live lives coming ICT workers are more likely to thrive.” Di- far more challenging than we could ever imagine, versity, equity and inclusion policy in companies and helping your domestic worker to start acquir- can and should be the starting point for women rep- ing the skills needed to improve her life reinforces resentation in companies. the message that none of us are in this alone.” Zoho for Startups’ Global Head, Kuppulaksh- She believes that women have been the driv- mi Krishnamoorthy says : ‘’Is it not a question of ing force of the upliftment of other women and will the cultural-integrity of an organisation if women likely continue to be each other’s biggest champi- employees don’t feel included, feel to be deserving ons as inclusion across sectors grows. of opportunities and growth and feel to be listened to’?” “As a result, we should acknowledge the im- portance of all the women in the workplace and According to Krishnamoorthy, teams realising their role in passing the baton. Sometimes, a small that women need to be heard is a necessary first act of recognition could be all the encouragement step. “To ensure there’s equity in the workplace, another woman needs to push through a difficult one can begin with creating a community of sen- moment, changing her perspective from wanting to give up to feeling buoyed to try again,” says Pan- dor. GOVT URGED By WSAM Business Reporter dumping duties to quell food price increases. The TO SUSPEND Government need not only temporarily sus- gazetted notice particularly noted fears regarding IMPORT DUTIES pend anti-dumping duties on bone-in chicken the impact that additional anti-dumping duties TO SAFEGUARD to alleviate supply shortages and rising food would have on the price of chicken as one of the LOCAL FOOD costs. more affordable protein sources for poor and vul- nerable families. SECURITY The authorities must also urgently consider suspending all import duties to manage “the tsu- “This decision does constitute a win in the SUSPEND: The food industry welcomes nami” of price hikes being experienced around the short-term which will help to secure supply at a decision to suspend anti dumping duties on world. This is the warning from leading import- critical time for consumers. This said, the local bone-in chicken export business, Hume International. poultry industry is still being protected by puni- tive and overly zealous import duties on bone-in “The food industry has welcomed govern- chicken, so all that this announcement means is ment’s decision to suspend anti-dumping duties that imports will trickle in rather than stopping on bone-in chicken for 12 months to alleviate sup- altogether. ply shortages and rising food costs. However, offi- cials also urgently need to consider suspending all “The only action right now that will result in import duties on the vital protein and not just anti a meaningful drop in the price of poultry meat is dumping duties to manage ‘the tsunami’ of price the complete suspension of all import duties on hikes being experienced around the world,” Hume bone-in chicken in their totality. International Managing Director, Fred Hume said. ‘’We would strongly urge government to con- The company’s cautious warning follows a re- sider the difficult global environment, and take cent decision by the Department of Trade, Indus- concrete action to protect cash-strapped consum- try and Competition to temporarily suspend anti ers at shopping tills.” The proposed anti-dumping duties target countries that include Brazil, Den- mark, Ireland, Poland and Spain, which are still subject to import duties of between 62% and 82%. Meanwhile, National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC) figures show that South Africa imported about 116,089 tons of chicken in the first quarter of this year, demonstrating the local mar- ket’s dependence on imports to meet demand. “South Africa already does not produce enough chicken to meet local needs and given the soaring base costs of chicken from foreign pro- ducers, we believe that the risk of so-called preda- tory pricing is exceptionally low. ‘’We would therefore recommend government heeds industry calls to suspend all import duties and even value-added tax to safeguard local food supply chains and food security,” says Hume.

8 WEEKLY SA MIRROR OPINION/ANALYSIS Friday 12 August 2022 Comment EVIL IS POWERLESS WHEN CHILD MARRIAGES THE GOOD ARE UNAFRAID ON THE RISE IN HORN It is unfortunate that, while President Cyril OF AFRICA Ramaphosa and his administration are doing their utmost to address the myriad challenges FAMINE: Poverty- GUARDIAN: Jamila Rashid works for the Ken- frame, cases of FGM in SNNP region increased facing our country, law enforcement agencies stricken families yan Government as a Children’s officer, and is by 27 percent. Due to the impact of the drought, must be allowed to remain infested with bad marrying off girls to responsible for many cases referred to her by dowries of cash, food and livestock were de- apples. secure dowries to help police or child protection specialist agencies creasing, meaning families might consider mar- feed the rest of the like UNICEF. PHOTO: UNICEF rying off even more girls. The crisis was also This sentiment is invoked by growing family… driving girls out of school and leaving them more driving people from their homes, including evidence that corrupt elements within the law vulnerable to domestic violence and a lifetime of community and social workers who were sup- enforcement agencies, are compromising the By WSAM Correspondent poverty. The figures we have do not capture the porting families to protect girls from child mar- security of the nation and not less the stability NAIROBI, KENYA – Girls as young as 12 were magnitude of the problem: large swathes of the riage and FGM; of such strategic industry as mining. being forced into child marriage and female gen- Horn of Africa have no specialist facilities where • In an assessment in Somaliland in January, al- ital mutilation (FGM) rising at “alarming rates” cases can be reported. This is a children’s crisis, and most a quarter of people interviewed reported A report coming from Harmony Gold in the Horn of Africa, as the most severe drought we urgently need more funding to scale up our re- a rise in gender-based violence (GBV) due to Mine contains sufficient warning about this in forty years pushes families to the edge. sponse in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia – not only drought, including child marriage, domestic creeping monster, alleging that corruption to save lives in the short-term but to protect them in violence, and sexual violence, with increases within the SA Police Service and prosecut- This warning is contained in a recent commu- the long-term.” of more than 50 per cent in some locations. ing authorities is aiding anarchy at the mine nique from the United Nations Children’s Fund Another assessment of humanitarian needs in dumps, perpetrated by illegal mining kingpins (UNICEF), an agency of the United Nations re- In one heart-rending case, 13-year-old Enat, Puntland in February found that child marriage and their bands of militias. Such revelations, sponsible for providing humanitarian and develop- from Dassenech woreda (district), Ethiopia, was accounted for 59 percent of cases reported to coming from a key player in the troubled in- mental aid to children worldwide. forced to leave school and marry a stranger to help service providers, many of which also involved dustry, should not be taken lightly – instead be her family cope with the impact of the drought. FGM; cause for great concern. In the regions of Ethiopia worst affected by • In Kenya, girls were also facing greater risks of the drought, child marriage has on average more “They had nothing left to feed us; It was the child marriage and FGM. A total of 14 of the 23 In their recent report outlining how Har- than doubled in the space of one year, according to only solution,” says Enat. “With my in-laws’ wed- counties affected by drought were already FGM mony is fighting against illegal mining, the UNICEF analysis. ding gift, a few cattle, they were able to buy maize hotspots, with prevalence rates up to 98 percent. mining company alleges corrupt elements and sorghum to feed the rest of my brothers and Girls in these areas were now in danger of being within the criminal justice system were being “The number of children at risk of dropping out sisters.” cut at younger ages, as families prepare them bribed by leaders of these marauding gang of of school across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, due for marriage. There were also reports of girls illegal miners. This is shocking, indeed. to the impact of the crisis, has tripled within three UNICEF, with the support of the local authori- living in border regions being taken to neigh- months – leaving vast numbers of adolescent girls ties, has set up school clubs to raise awareness bouring countries to undergo FGM, or being More disturbing, especially, in the wake at greater danger of a number of child protection about early marriage and sexual and reproductive married to older men in neighbouring countries, of the ongoing backlash from communities risks, including undergoing FGM and being forced health (puberty, sexually transmitted diseases, men- where rates of FGM might be higher; on the West Rand following the gang rape into marriage,” says the UNICEF report. struation, etc.) • Across the region, women and girls in drought- of girls at a mine dump outside Krugersdorp affected areas are having to walk longer dis- two weeks ago. While we condemn the rising Across the Horn of Africa, families were re- Data on child marriage and FGM was limited, tances to access water and other basic resourc- spectre of vigilantism following a reign of ter- ported to be facing desperate choices to survive as due to a lack of reporting and services in the region. es, leaving them vulnerable to sexual violence. ror conducted by illegal miners, mostly for- drought, driven by climate change, dries up water UNICEF’s analysis of available government data In Kenya, women and girls were walking more eign nationals, the authorities must appreciate sources and kills livestock, and the domino effect and humanitarian assessments found: than three times longer than before, up to 30 km the communities’ plea for police protection of the war in Ukraine exacerbates spiralling food • Across the Horn of Africa region, increas- in some locations, according to analysis by the have been falling on deaf ears for far too long. and fuel prices. Kenya Red Cross; and ing numbers of girls were in danger of leav- • Across the Horn of Africa, four rainy seasons That notwithstanding, we still commend More than 1,8 million children were in desper- ing school as the crisis deepens, putting them have failed in the space of two years, with fore- the police for the great work in moving swiftly ate need of treatment for life-threatening severe at higher risk of child marriage and FGM. The casts suggesting a fifth rainy season from Octo- to track down some of the suspects involved acute malnutrition in the region, with 213,000 peo- number of children at risk of dropping out of ber to December is also likely to fail. in the ghastly incident. Hopefully, this will go ple now judged to be at risk of famine in Somalia, school in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia due Meanwhile, accelerating the crisis was the war a long to repairing the tarnished image of the according to the Famine Early Warning Network to the impact of the drought had tripled in the in Ukraine. Somalia alone once imported 92 percent police and restore some confidence in their ca- (FEWN). space of three months – from 1,1 million to an of its wheat from Russia and Ukraine, but supply pacity to protect communities in the area. estimated 3,3 million children; lines had now been blocked, UNICEF says, adding The FEWN had noticed a growing numbers of • In Ethiopia, according to local government that skyrocketing food prices also meant families Needless to say, it is a great shame that the parents or caregivers marrying off girls to secure sources, child marriage had increased by an av- cannot afford to buy basic staples. image of the police has been allowed to suffer dowries to help support the rest of the family, “to erage of 119 per cent across regions worst-hit The UN agency was working to expand life- such serious damage. Of course, not to tar all have one less mouth to feed,” or in an attempt to by the drought – Somali; Oromia; and South- saving child protection and GBV services to re- the police officers with the same brush, there help the bride enter a better-off household. ern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region spond to the growing protection needs among are still men and women of great honour in (SNNP) – between January and April 2021 and vulnerable women and children across the Horn of the SAPS. To them, we doff our hats. South “We are seeing alarming rates of child marriage the same period in 2022. Within the same time Africa. Africa needs them, and none whatsoever the and FGM across the Horn of Africa – with some “This includes running community-based pro- bad apples that have compromised the integ- destitute families arranging to marry off girls as grammes to reduce the risks of violence, exploi- rity of the SAPS. young as twelve to men more than five times their tation, abuse and child marriage, and providing age,” says Andy Brooks, UNICEF’s Regional Child services to help women and children recover after We are encouraged Police Minister Bheki Protection Advisor for Eastern and Southern Africa. violence,” says the agency. Cele has taken the perturbing allegations of UNICEF was calling for services to address police corruption seriously, promising to insti- “Child marriage and FGM end childhoods – child protection and GBV to be urgently scaled up, tute a probe at a provincial level. We urge the including through permanent services and mobile SAPS top brass to take heed of Ronald Rea- teams to reach the most vulnerable. However, its gan’s words: “Evil is powerless if the good are appeal for the Horn of Africa drought was being unafraid.”” funded by less than a third donations. Similarly, the long arm of the law must not buckle under the weight of grave chal- lenges facing our besieged nation; neither should they stand by idly as the sovereignty our country is assailed with impunity, as hap- pening now. v 060 936 2673 [email protected] Weekly SA Mirror is published by Weekly SA Mirror Pty Ltd. Correspondence to be directed to: PostNet Suite 230, Private Bag X 9, Melville 2109. Website: www.weeklysamirror.news Contact: 060 936 2673 Letters to be sent to: [email protected] MIRRORWEEKLY SA Insight to connect the dots... Weekly SA Mirror subscribes to the Press Code of Ethics and Conduct for South Af- rican Print and Online Media. As a sub- scriber publication and member of the Press Council of SA, the publication is thus subject to the Press Code and to the jurisdiction of the PCSA’s complaints pro- cedures.

Friday 12 August 2022 OPINION/ANALYSIS 9WEEKLY SA MIRROR CHANGE YOUR check if you are one or know someone in your im- when they take a stand, they find it easy to identify VIBRATIONS TO mediate circle and whom you can assist to change a team of people who could assist them to deal with RADIATE POSITIVE their vibration – are denial, blaming and excuses. whatever challenge they may be facing. ENERGY The VDP’s are mostly people who live their Personally, I have been broken in so many lives in denial. You hear it in their language, see it ways; however, no matter how deep the challenge AURA: Choice as general demeanour and gauge this in how they is, as well as the associated pain, I have always determines critical deal with issues. Their true colours emerge when taken a stand; and – like an affirmation – my stand outcomes in your they are confronted with a big or small change in has always been simple, “This thing am facing is life... their lives. In my work with organisations and indi- not going to obliterate me, because I have so much viduals, globally, I usually say I can walk the cor- to offer, and so much to do for people, globally.” By Billy Selekane ridors of any organisations and observe how people move, talk and interact with each other and I can I took a stand, long ago, to remain steadfast in Here is the truth about our bodies. Our bodies might find yourself justifying being around them pinpoint the level of VD’s in such an environment. my gift and the belief that no pain is permanent. I are just a tent which is housing our souls and with words like, “we grew up together” and so on. am not a superhuman, however each one of us has our soul’s maturity and accountability is re- But, you know that such draining people are not Typically, in South Africa – after 28 years of the internal resources to always bounce back from flected in our vibrations and we may have expe- good for your energy. black majority democratic rule – when things fall adversity, and it is a choice that each of us has; to rienced our own and other people’s vibrations, apart – as it happens, most of the times – what is either take a stand or to stay in denial, to play the without even knowing that we are able to do so; It is always a matter of choice; and, in the final the common VDP thread in the speeches of the so blame game and give all kinds of excuses. and that, uncannily, we do so, all the time. analysis, it always takes your humility to learn as to called Leaders, “Apartheid, this” and “Apartheid, which space – either the VDP space or VIP space – that”. In terms of co-creating a solution, we all don’t Let me give you an example: There are peo- will eventually determine your personal vibration. immediately have the answers to the challenges ple who, whenever they enter a space, they uplift And, undeniably, when you actively change your I am not, for a minute, minimising what the facing us. However, when you build a team around the environment, meaning that they carry a surge vibration, then your life will change significantly. draconian system of Apartheid has done to our you of like-minded people – especially a team of of positive energy, which suddenly uplifts every- The three attributes of the VDP’s – which you can people. However, I believe that our government is VIPs – you create a wolf pack. Wolves hunt in packs one else. I call such people the “VIPs”, “Very In- full of VDP’s. I am yet to see and hear someone re- and when they are on a hunt, they are unstoppable. spirational People”. And, then there are those peo- ally saying, point blank, “Guys, we need to accept I have had many Coaches and Mentors through the ple who come into a room and, suddenly, there is that we have and are messing up; so, let’s change years and each one of them comes for a specific pe- a massive drop in energy and vibration; these are our ways.” riod to assist with a specific challenge and then they called the “VDPs”, “Very Draining People”. move on. Some of the VIP’s we read or hear about, Regarding VDPs and excuses, I always say to daily, have a team whose sole purpose is to assist I can almost sense you laughing, because there people, “You are either an impactful person or you them in navigating life and business, and they also are VDP’s around us, so you know who they are. are someone who is full of excuses regarding why draw specific energies from each other, and some Sometimes, the VDPs are your best friend, and you your life is not moving towards a desired direction. of these top achievers are tennis star Serena Wil- In the business world, we say, “You are either mak- liams, golf great Tiger Woods and our own soccer ing money or excuses; and, this is because you can- legend, Benni McCarthy not do both at the same time.” These are what in the special forces world are Now, making excuses finds its roots and base called tier one operators and yet they have coach- from the blame game. Once you have mastered the es and mentors because they know the value of a VDP’s blame game, excuses become the bullets coach and mentor. you would use to reinforce your stance of inepti- tude and shaky status in life. So, my team has always come through for me; and, as such, the journey continues. You cannot live Now, let’s look at the attributes of the Very In- your life by chance, hoping that some miracle will spirational People, the VIPs. These are the people happen. If this is your type of mindset, well, I’ve who are aspirational, are always ready to take an got news for you. No miracle is coming to solve unshakeable stand and are always willing to co- your issues. Instead, you must wake up and make create a solution. things happen. And, no matter what you are going through in life, know this truth: we are all born in- These are the people almost all of us aspire to tentional. emulate, the ones whose shining attainments and colourful life stories we read and or hear about, When we have learned about intentionality and daily. Yet, like us, such people have the same 24 then raised our vibration to reach the level of a VIP, hours and are not getting in more of the time, but serendipity and providence begins to move; and, exactly what is given to all of us, equally. almost as if by some miracles, all the right things start to fall into place. When a VIP is faced with a challenge, he or she does not run around, in denial, blaming or mak- All you need to do is to change your vibration, ing excuses; but such a driven person simply takes to drastically change your life. And it is never too a stand, confronts the challenge head-on and deals late. This is your appointed time. Make it happen. with it, once and for all. Now, before it’s too late. Mind you, VIPs are not superhuman. However, By Ali Mphaki CANDIDATE’S party lines,” writes Macharia Gaitho, a leading On one hand he’s got a zol. On the other hyena HYENA-JEWELS columnist with Kenya’s Daily Nation newspaper. balls and dog meat. If you thought that was SOLUTION TO odd enough, wait for it … Wajackoyah says he has never smoked mari- KENYAN ILLS juana, but would be the first person to do so in He also got snakes, occasionally twirling celebration if Kenya legalised it. around him, which he wants to farm. This is UNCONVENTIONAL: Law professor to export what’s in the election bag of George Wajackoyah, hyena balls and dreams of lighting up his zol in the “There is nothing wrong with smoking it once a street child in Kenya and a grave digger presidential palace should he win elections when it is legalised and the regulatory bodies have in the UK, who is among the four candidates vy- approved for it to be smoked,” he says. ing for the top job in the country, that of being QUIRKY; Former gravedigger Professor George Wajackoyah of Roots Party president. Reuters report that the colouful Wajackoyah, social media, and excited many youth. “He has captured the imagination of angry, also a well-known figure from Nairobi’s club From latest results its obvious Wajackoyah “I’ve created a new tribe, known as the ganja disaffected youth in both urban and rural Kenya, scene, has prompted speculation that he is backed won’t win the tightly-contested election, what cutting across all the regular ethnic, regional and by a bigger campaign to try to peel away some with veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga and tribe,” he said, explaining his popularity. of the youth vote - a prospect he airily dismisses. deputy president William Ruti said to be neck- and-neck at the polls. Many candidates have offered him cash for support, he said, but he has turned them all down. The East Africa’s wealthiest country held its Instead, he said he dreams of lighting up in the elections on Tuesday, August 9. president’s office. Though like most countries Kenya suffers “We shall go to state house and smoke it from voter apathy – estimates put the voter-turn- around to remove the colonial impurities,” out at 60 percent down from 80 percent in the last 62-year-old Wajackoyah said in his wood-pan- election – Wajackoyah’s bid for the presidency elled office, sporting a du-rag bandanna and lis- has caught the imagination of younger voters. tening to a Hare Krishna prayer. To show he is not part of the Kenyan estab- The other points on his manifesto, veer from lishment he accuses of rampant corruption, Prof federalising government and renegotiating the Wajackoyah tends to wear a tracksuit, T-shirt and country’s debts with China, to hanging the corrupt headscarf rather than a smart suit. Reports say and throwing out Chinese nationals. “We’ve come he also often gestures with his fingers as if he is in with the ganja solution,” he said. smoking marijuana and drives crowds into a fren- zy as he dances to reggae songs. By his latest count, Wajackoyah said he has picked up 14 law degrees and certificates from Prof Wajackoyah says if he wins he will pass England, where fled as a refugee, the United laws to regulate the farming and production of States, where he met his wife, and back in Kenya marijuana for industrial and medical use, to help where he runs a law firm specialising in migra- solve two of Kenya’s biggest problems - unem- tion... ployment and a ballooning national debt. His rallies consist of him arriving at markets He claims it could earn Kenya more than nine unannounced, popping his head through the sun- trillion shillings ($76bn; £64bn) annually, and the roof of his car to blaring reggae music, and mak- government would “never have to borrow a single ing his pitch to startled onlookers. coin” again. Last Wednesday, with six days to go until the “Western countries have legalised bhang election, around 30 km north of the capital Nai- [marijuana]; why shouldn’t we?” he adds. Wa- robi, a smiling crowd of around 400 quickly gath- jackoyah promises to wipe out Kenya’s debt of ered, waving smart phones and jostling for selfies. roughly $70 billion by establishing a medical can- nabis industry and exporting animal parts to Chi- His views, however, have been condemned na, including hyena testicles, which Wajackoyah by Kenya’s Catholic Church, which says that drug says the Chinese consider a delicacy. abuse among youth would worsen if marijuana was legalised. Though some have dismissed his campaign as outrageous, it has made him a talking point on But for a first time contender with no heli- copters, painted cars, no money for his campaign, Wajackoyah did the unthinkable. “I don’t even have a single poster,” he said.

10 WEEKLY SA MIRROR ENTERTAINMENT Friday 12 August 2022 URBAN SPACES THROUGH MAUTLOA’S MYSTIC PRISM The morning of August 6 saw the opening of, Urban Soundscapes: Crafting Spaces of Belonging – an exhibition by erstwhile Rorke’s Drift Art and Craft Centre alumni, Kagi- so Pat Mautloa, at the University of Johannesburg Art Gallery in Auckland Park. After a more than two-year pandemic-induced hiatus, fellow artists, academics and guests descended on the modern grounds of an institution ranked among the Top 10 universities on the African continent. AWE-STRUCK: Artist Pat Mautloa pictured with curator Boitumelo Tlhloaele and senior art specialist Makgati Molebatsi. CHEERS: Acclaimed artist Pat Mautloa toasts with University of Johannesburg’s Art BOND: The Mautloa family came out in full force to support artist dad Pat Mautloa and artist Gallery curator, Thabo Seshoka, celebrate the opening of the artist’s exhibition at mom, Bongi Dhlomo (third from left) at the University of Johannesburg. the varsity. PHOTOS AND TEXT: JACOB MAWELA

Friday 12 August 2022 HEALTH 11WEEKLY SA MIRROR MOSQUITOES: There are more than 3 500 higher microbial diver- of mosquitoes, only some of sity […] are less attrac- WHY DO which bite people. And it is tive to mosquitoes and THEY only female mosquitoes that may therefore receive bite — they need blood as a fewer bites.”Our skin ALWAYS source of protein for their microbiota is influenced BITE ME eggs. by our genetics, age, and immune system, ONSLAUGHT: As the mosquitoes feast To get it, they pierce the something we cannot re- on their chosen targets, others escape skin of their chosen host us- ally do much about. But unscathed — but why? This report looks at ing their needle-like proboscis the products you use to what attracts mosquitoes, why they target — resulting in a bite that may clean and moisturise it certain people, and how to try and stop them itch, swell, and even cause se- can also have an effect, from biting if you are one of the unlucky ones. rious disease. In many coun- so perhaps avoid the an- tries, a mosquito bite is more tibacterial soaps if you than just an annoyance. From want to try and keep the bugs from biting. the malaria parasite transmitted by the Anopheles Volatile compounds species to the viruses that cause yellow fever and These useful microbes also affect the chemi- dengue, mosquitoes are responsible for the trans- cals we give off. Human sweat, for example, is mission of many of our greatest killers. completely odorless until bacteria get to work on it. All these skin bacteria convert compounds Even if you live somewhere where a bite car- in our sweat and sebum into volatile compounds, ries no risk of disease, the high-pitched whine of a some of which attract and some of which repel mosquito is an unwelcome noise. mosquitoes. And, according to the above study, some skin The itching and swelling from a bite can last microbiota appears to give off compounds that for several days. Scratching the itch may lead to make people less attractive to mosquitoes and thus infection and, for a very few people, an allergic re- function as an in-built defense system. action that could result in anaphylactic shock. Unfortunately, we have not yet worked out how Why me? to manipulate the skin microbiota to harness these beneficial effects, but the study authors believe How often have you come home from an even- their findings may give some pointers. ing barbecue or camping trip covered in mosquito “The discovery of the connection between bites to find that others on the same outing have not skin microbial populations and attractiveness to been bitten at all? What is it that makes mosquitoes mosquitoes may lead to the development of new feast on some people while, apparently, ignoring mosquito attractants and personalized methods for others? protection against vectors of malaria and other in- fectious diseases,” they note. Dr. Jagdish Khubchandani, professor of public In sebum, one study suggests that two saturated health at New Mexico State University, told Medi- fatty aldehydesTrusted Source — decanal and un- cal News Today that: decanal — are odorants that attract mosquitos. Se- bum composition and long-chain aldehyde levels “The reasons for mosquitoes being attracted vary between people. Could this be another reason to humans have been discussed in a few studies. for selective biting? These studies have discussed body odour, body Blood group colour, skin temperature and texture, microbes liv- More than one studyTrusted Source has inves- ing on the skin, pregnancy status, carbon dioxide tigated whether blood group has any effect on how exhaled by humans, alcohol, and diet type. Overall, likely you are to get bitten. It is good news for those the studies suggest that pregnant women, people with blood group A — mosquitoes seem to find this with high body temperature and sweat, diverse skin less attravctive — but not so good for blood group microbe presence, and those with darker skin could O. be more susceptible.” People with this blood group were viewed as a tasty meal by almost twice as many mosquitoes as But the answer is not straightforward — chem- landed on those with group A. icals that attract some mosquito species have been There is, however, some compensation for shown to repel others. And people produce thou- those with blood group O. If the mosquito that bites sands of different chemicals, so working out which you is carrying the malaria parasite, O group peo- ones are affecting mosquitoes’ behavior is far from ple are far less likelyTrusted Source to get severe easy. malaria than people with other blood groups. CARBON DIOXIDE Is it untrue that some don’t get bitten? Another theory is that everyone gets bitten, but Humans, along with almost all other animals, some people just fail to notice the bites because give off carbon dioxide (CO2), heat, and moisture they do not react to them. as a result of cellular respiration. And these are If there is no itching or swelling, perhaps they what initially draw the mosquitoes in. just assume they have not been bitten. Dr. Khubchandani agreed that there might be Female mosquitoes detect CO2, as well as something to this theory: “Anyone can be bitten by other human skin odorantsTrusted Source, using a mosquito, but our reactions may differ. This in highly sensitive nerve cells called cpA neurons. part is dependent on the type of mosquito bite/ spe- cies, our immune system and our personality and One study suggests that three different disease- behaviour — whether we brush it off, or take the carrying mosquito species are activated and at- bite seriously.” tracted by CO2. But everyone exhales CO2, so this cannot explain why mosquitoes bite some people more than others. Another studyTrusted Source suggests that the higher the CO2 output the greater the attraction. “Individuals with a greater body mass do appear to be more attractive to mosquitoes and midges, which may relate to other characteristics such as increased surface area and CO2 output,” its authors write. So could maintaining a healthy body mass help deter the biters? It remains unclear. Lactic acid AVOIDING BITES Several studies have identified lactic acid as So, if you are one of those people that mos- another chemical that mosquitoes are drawn to- quitoes love to feast on, scientists still cannot tell wards. As early as 1968, one study found that lactic you exactly why. Perhaps you give off more CO2, acid attracted female yellow fever mosquitoes. heat, or lactic acid, are blood group O, or have the “wrong” type of bacteria in your microbiome. Another called it a signature human odorant for mosquitoes. But do not just accept your fate. There are measures we can take to help stop mosquitoes from We produce lactic acid when we exercise, so biting us. the best advice is to wash with soap soon after ex- ercising. Then dry off thoroughly before you head One measure might be to wear light-coloured back out of doors. clothes, as some studies suggest that mosquitoes Skin bacteria are attracted to dark colours. Light greens and blues may be best — as early as 1902, a study suggested We are covered in millions of bacteria — the that orange and yellow seem to repel the insects. skin microbiotaTrusted Source — which are vital for keeping our skin healthyTrusted Source. But Use an insect repellent on the skin — natural does the composition of your skin microbiota de- ones, such as citronella, lemongrass, and mint, can termine whether we are likely to get bitten or not? be effective if a person does not fancy covering themselves in DEET. One studyTrusted Source investigated this with Anopheles gambiae, a malaria-carrying species. Perhaps avoid beer — one small study found First they tested the skin microbiota of 48 men be- that people who had drunk beer were much more fore using glass beads that had been rolled on the attractive to mosquitoes. men’s feet as bait in mosquito traps. If you have a garden, make sure it is free of They found that nine of the men were highly standing water that mosquitoes can breed in. attractive to mosquitoes, seven were poorly attrac- tive, with the rest somewhere in-between. Also check out your garden planting — strong- ly scented plants such as basil, lavender, lemon And was the microbiota having an effect? Ap- thyme, and marigolds may smell good to us, but parently so. The greater the number of bacteria on mosquitoes will keep away from them. the feet, the more attractive they were to the mos- quitoes. And if all else fails, sit near someone who is even more of a bug magnet than you! But, the study concluded, “[i]ndividuals with a * This article was first published in the US- based Medical News Today

12 WEEKLY SA MIRROR FOOD AND WINE Friday 12 August 2022 COASTAL: Seasalter from SEASALTER: Groote Post Vineyards WINE OF PIC: The Little Hedonist THE OCEAN SALINITY: Much-awaited new vintage of the award-winning brand to be released next week By Len Maseko well-received by consumers and critics alike, with wine. Consumers just love the brand, and we are Of the telepathic moment, Pentz recalls: “I im- Spare of thought for Groote Post winery owner the limited-edition maiden vintage as well as sub- looking forward to having a Seasalter summertime mediately loved the name Seasalter as it was so Nick Pentz for feeling rather like a highly ex- sequent ones chalking up immediate success. Nota- when everyone is out and about celebrating.” It all reminiscent of Groote Post overlooking the icy At- pectant mom waiting to deliver nowadays. bly, the last four vintages scooped several awards, happened with Nick Pentz and the sea. lantic Ocean. I knew straight away that Seasalter, including an FNB Sauvignon Blanc SA Top 10 in as a name, would find its way into the world of Thanks to the burden of responsibility that goes 2019, a gold medal at the Michelangelo Interna- As a wine, Seasalter has its origins in circum- Groote Post in years to come, not being sure at that with the release of a new vintage - one eagerly tional Wine & Spirits Awards in 2020, another gold stances bearing the hallmarks of a little epiphany stage in what guise it would be.” awaited by unsuspecting consumer palates by vir- medal at the Concours Mondial du Sauvignon in for Pentz. It was back in 2014, while on one of his tue of its stepping into the proverbial shoes of its 2021, and the Sauvignon Blanc Trophy at the Old wine marketing trips to the United King, that the And, so the wine-without-name was later chris- highly successful forerunners. Just weeks away its Mutual Trophy Wine Show in 2021. Groote Post owner visited the tiny mediaeval vil- tened Seasalter – all for its overtly saline charac- release, the 2022 Seasalter Sauvignon Blanc comes lage of Seasalter, which had been a centre for salt teristic, including features that added to the wine’s highly regarded already by Pentz and winemaker No doubt, the new edition has big shoes to fill. production during the Iron Age, and experienced mystique. Luke Wentzel, who have declared it a winner long But Pentz and Wentzel believe they have a winner something . before its test before the court of public opinion. on their hands again – one equal or greater to the Wentzel concurs: “The ocean has a definite im- challenge. Taking up the story, Wentzel says: “It was one pact: the icy Atlantic and the invigorating salty sea Yet, there is no denying the excitement and sus- of those evenings when Nick [Pentz and I were re- mist. That and our soils have been exposed to the pense ahead of the looming milestone among the “September is the much-awaited month when laxing over some wine, and the idea for the Sea- ocean for millions of years. That is definitely the West Coast winery staff is apt, given the months of we release our new vintage Seasalter,” says Peter salter was born. This was in 2014. The first was biggest contributor to the salinity in the wine”. hard toil and dedication towards ensuring the new Pentz, Groote Post communications manager. “We made in 2015. The end product was very good and vintage lives up to the standard set by the earlier are equally excited about Seasalter the brand, and we decided to bottle the wine, but then without a Today, Seasalter is Groote Post’s highly ac- vintages. the new vintage. It is such a beautiful wine, and our name. Nick went over to the UK and ended up in claimed flagship Sauvignon Blanc with a dash of winemaker, Lukas has outdone himself again this a small village called Seasalter. And bang there it oak and Semillon. Adding for a small percentage Since its inception in 2015, Seasalter has been year with the quality and lovely minerality of the was, a name for the wine. Just perfect”. of Semillon “just adds minerality and guts to the wine,” Wentzel says. EVENTS TROPHY WINES UP FOR and collaboration between local wineries and the region’s business and personal goals. TASTING leading restaurants. The event will begin with a guided tour through our Happening on August 24, Dine Durbanville has been Boschendal Norval Art Gallery, starting at 10am and ends The Trophy Wine Show is hosting a one-night-only tast- themed as a celebration of excellence and is to be staged 2pm. ing of the 2022 award-winning wines selected at this as a degustation experience. The tasting menu will be pre- A panel of speakers includes community activist, foodie year’s competition, after three days of blind tastings, in sented at the stunning hilltop location of Loch Lynne wine and laughing yoga practitioner Kimon Bisongo, Ncumisa Cape Town. The venue for the tasting is The Westin Cape estate. Mkabile, Natasha Liesner, Rukaya Mansoor and Boschen- Town, Old Harbour. Tickets cost R345 a person. Up for This calendar highlight has become an important lifestyle dal’s award-winning female winemakers Danielle Coetsee tasting are the country’s 152 iconic wines produced by A- showcase for varieties that excel in Durbanville, from its and Andiswa Mapheleba. list of wineries, and chosen by world-class wine judges legendary Sauvignon Blanc to its Pinotage and Cabernet Tickets cost R280 per person (include a welcome glass of from the US, France, England and South Africa. Sauvignon. Teaming up for the evening of August 24 are Boschendal Cap Classique and a light lunch). The evening starts from 17:00 to 21:00. Additionally, visi- Diemersdal and its restaurant, The Farm Eatery at Die- tors can order the wines on the night via online wine re- mersdal; Klein Roosboom and its Jéan Restaurant; and CASALINGA BEER FEST tailer Port2Port, with delivery to your door. Groot Phesantekraal Wines and its restaurant. Beer lovers are expected to flock to the Casalinga Beer Highlights will be the Investec Trophy for Best White The Dine Durbanville evening is priced at R970pp and Festival, which takes takes place in Muldersdrift, on the (Paul Cluver Chardonnay 2020) and Best Red Wines of includes the meal and wines. West Rand on September 17. Show (Glen Carlou Collection Red Blend 2019), the In- Bookings must be made online via The Farm Eatery at The event, which will be held between 12noon and 10pm, ternational Judges’ trophy winner (Oldenburg Chardon- Diemersdal’s Dineplan link, http://thefarmeatery.co.za/ will be hosted by Casalinga Italian Restaurant together nay 2021) and The Discovery of the Show (best value with sponsors Windhoek Brewery and Klipdrift . wine), the MAN Skaapveld Syrah 2020. P N P FEST IN DURBAN Tickets cost R250 per person, and available via Ticketpro. he Pick n Pay Wine and Food Festival heads for Durban WINEX BACK IN TOWN on September 3, taking place at Chris Saunders Park in SHIRAZ DINNER WineX, South Africa’s longest-running and most innova- Umhlanga. The Cradle Boutique Hotel is to host a celebration of tive wine event, will be back at the Sandton Convention Taste wine and bubbly from more than 20 estates, plus Cederberg Shiraz on August 21 with a wine pairing lunch Centre in Johannesburg on October 26 to 28. delicacies in the Pick n Pay Food Lane, amid live music, introduced by renowned Cederberg winemaker David Long the single biggest wine industry magnet, serving to courtesy of local artists. Nieuwoudt. attract new consumers and transforming the Gauteng wine Tickets cost R250 from Webtickets, include a tasting glass The hotel’s Chef Tyrow Powers has devised a special scene, WineX has permission to host at least 3 000 wine and 20 tokens. menu for the occasion, which includes an option of a lovers in a single indoor space. There will be an outdoor garden picnic, and a picnic bas- game drive.Cradle Boutique Hotel is a unique ecotourism The show organisers are expecting the usual massive ket available for purchase. destination and the only hotel in the world situated on an crowds to attend the three-day event, following a two-year Children under 18 enter free but must be accompanied by active paleoanthropological site. It is situated in the heart break imposed by Covid-19 pandemic. a parent/guardian at all times. of the Cradle of Humankind, which was listed by UN- So diarise for your first chance in three years to meet up ESCO as a World Heritage Site. with Gauteng’s many thousands of wine enthusiasts at the BOSCHENDAL’S WOMEN’S The cost is R850 a person and tickets can be booked on relaunch of South Africa’s premier wine event. DAY Webtickets. Guests have the option to stay when the lunch has ended DINE DURBANVILLE Tomorrow, Boschendal will host a wine-themed day called and go on a game drive at 3,30pm, which includes canapés The Durbanville Wine Valley’s popular wine-and-dine Women’s Month Celebration at its Franschhoek farm. and a selection of gin cocktails. event returns in August with an illustrious new line-up Boschendal will celebrate women working towards their The cost is R550 a person.

Friday 12 August 2022 MOTORING 13WEEKLY SA MIRROR MOTORING:Briefs TOYOTA ALL-ELECTRIC DRIVERS CHOICE: The Chery Tiggo 4 Pro is proving an SUV’S WORLDWIDE instant sensation among SA motorists RECALL THE CHERY Toyota is recalling 2,700 newly launched, ON TOP! all-electric SUVs worldwide because of a risk their wheels could come off. The world’s NEWCOMER: Less than a year in the MECHANICAL WARRANTY: Chery boasts a1-million- largest automaker by sales submitted the re- market it is winning friends at breakneck kilometre mechanical warranty in their vehicles call of the bZ4X models to Japan’s transpor- speed tation ministry. COMPETITIVE; With its unmatched level of sophistication has sold Of the vehicles concerned by the recall, 689 units in July about 2,200 were earmarked for Europe, 260 for the United States, 10 for Canada and 110 By Motoring Reporter In July, the Tiggo 4 Pro range represented 689 is why we have put so much effort into creating our for Japan, the company said. South Africa has a new Top 10 passenger vehicle units of the total 1 262 units sold. This ranks it in 1-million-kilometre mechanical warranty and our brand – Chery! the top five best-selling SUVs in its segment. In total best-in-class list of luxury and safety specifications in “After low-mileage use, all of the hub volume, it is followed by the Tiggo 7 Pro (372 units) every Tiggo Pro,” says Botes. bolts on the wheel can loosen to the point Chery South Africa has officially reported its sales and the flagship Tiggo 8 Pro (201 units). Both these where the wheel can detach from the vehicle. numbers to naamsa, the automotive business council, luxury SUVs now rank first in their respective seg- Botes explains that Chery has extended its sup- If a wheel detaches from the vehicle while for the first time in July 2022. This is a mere eight ments, based on sales. port of South African customers to also include previ- driving, it could result in a loss of vehicle months after it introduced its first SUV – the Chery ous Chery owners. control, increasing the risk of a crash,” Toyo- Tiggo 4 Pro – in the local market. “Chery’s sales performance is a tribute to our ta said in a statement on Thursday. dealer network, which has been our greatest ambas- Chery South Africa launched a special Legacy According to naamsa, Chery’s sales of 1 262 new sador and which has been exemplary in its treatment Customer Campaign in April this year. It has since VOLKSWAGEN SOLD OUT Tiggo Pro models in July make it the eighth most pop- of our Chery customers,” says Jay Jay Botes, National actively invited customers who purchased a vehicle ON BATTERY-ELECTRIC ular passenger vehicle brand in the country. Sales Manager of Chery South Africa. from an importer before Chery entered the market to VEHICLES join the Chery family and have their vehicles safely Chery entered the new vehicle market in late No- According to Botes, all of Chery’s sales were and comprehensively serviced at their local Chery German carmaker Volkswagen has “sold vember 2021 with the Tiggo 4 Pro range. This model made through the dealer network and not as bulk sales dealer. out” of battery-electric vehicles in the United range remains the most popular in the Chery line-up to fleet or rental companies. This means that the total States and Europe, meaning new customers thanks to its highly competitive entry price and un- sales figure is a perfect representation of Chery’s ac- “We look forward to welcoming more people to will have to wait until 2023 to get one. matched level of specifications. ceptance by South African motorists. the Chery brand as our network of dealers grows fur- ther and as we introduce more models to the Chery VW Group CEO Herbert Diess told the The Chery Tiggo 8 Pro joined the line-up in late “We realise that South Africans are under signifi- range,” says Botes. Chery currently has 60 dealers Financial Times that the company’s brands - February 2022, and the newest addition, the Tiggo 7 cant economic pressure and that they need the best and it will soon announce new dealers and expand to which include Volkswagen, Porsche, Škoda Pro, only landed on showroom floors in May 2022. possible value for money when buying a vehicle. That neighbouring countries in Africa. and Audi - had a backlog of 300,000 orders for EVs in western Europe alone. “We have very high order books and… order intake on electric vehicles,” Diess told the FT. “We are basically sold out on electric vehicles in Europe and in the United States. And in China, it’s really picking up,” he added. Volkswagen delivered 99,000 EVs worldwide in the first quarter of 2022, ac- cording to a report in the Financial Times. SALES OF SUPERCARS SOAR IN LONDON’S RICHEST AREAS Rich drivers in London are splashing out on supercars more than ever before, new figures show. Ferrari, McLaren and Lamborghini top the list of the most popular supercars bought in the UK capital, with Bugatti and Koenig- segg finishing off the stylish top five. Westminster, and Kensington and Chel- sea — two London boroughs known for the luxurious, wealthy enclaves of Mayfair and Holland Park — had the most supercars. Of the top-10 UK areas for supercars, only two are outside south-east England: East Cheshire, known for a collection of vil- lages that is home to a number of footballers from the Liverpool and Manchester clubs; and Birmingham, the country’s second larg- est city. Accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young, which compiled the data, said there were more than 18,000 supercars on British roads. DRIVING IN BANGLADESH NOT FOR FAINT-HEARTED A statistic by the world life expectancy based on information from 183 countries puts Bangladesh on 106th position for having the most road accident related deaths. Zimbabwe tops the list for having the most unsafe roads with a fatality rate of 61.90% while the safest roads are in Swe- den. Sweden reported only 2.31% of road accident related deaths. In the first eight months of 2021, a total of 3,502 people were killed and 3,479 sus- tained injuries in 3,701 road accidents. The figures came out in a report by the Bangladesh Police. Last year, 4,198 accidents claimed 3,918 lives. In 2019, at least 4,138 lost their lives in 4,147 accidents, and 2,635 people were killed and 1,920 others were injured in 2,629 road crashes in 2018, according to police re- ports. Besides, deaths from road accidents are the seventh top cause of death for Bangla- deshis. The WB report also added that 15-64-year-olds make up 67% of road crash fatalities and injuries.

14 WEEKLY SA MIRROR SPORT Friday 12 August 2022 By Pule Mokhine MAKHATHINI TAP As the ages of many retired boxers roll by, there TAPPING YOUNG is no shadow of doubt that many look back with nostalgia at their accomplishment in the sport TALENT of the fisticuffs OCTOGENARIAN: The flesh may be weak But for one Elijah “Tap Tap” Makhathini, this but the heart and spirit is willing feeling is much more intense as he will soon turn a new leaf by belonging to a select league of oc- SHOWING HIS ITS DONE; Elijah “Tap Tap” Makhathini wowing the crowd with his skills at FLASHBACK; Elijah “Tap Tap” Makhathini togenarians. Arguably the most colorful boxer of his gym named after him in Eshowe,KZN in action during his heydays the past era, Makhathini will reach a milestone by of the local fighters from our gym being staged turning 80 glorious years in October. in Durban. weight champion – a crown he successfully de- here in my area in honor of my legacy as part of In 1975, Makhathini’s popularity in boxing fended twice in 1977. my birthday celebration,” said Makhathini who And despite the ripe age that has seen many hung up his gloves in 1981. of his peers having now gone the way of all flesh, grew when he outclassed outboxed and outfoxed With an impressive professional record of 47 Makhathini who ruled the ring with a great deal of the former world champion former welterweight wins (22 by knockout), 13 defeats and two draws, His son Cebisile concurs that the event will be admiration during the dark days of apartheid in the and middleweight kingpin Emille Griffiths from who can ever doubt that he was one of the coun- a fitting tribute to one of the country’s great fighter 1970s, still looks very strong and sharp despite his the US Virgin Islands at Rand Stadium. try’s ever finest boxing great? Among some of the that became the first-ever multiracial champion. advanced years on earth. accomplished fighters that he fought include lo- The following year - that marked the year of cals Maxwell Malinga and Daniel Maphanya, and “My dad has done a lot for boxing as a prized The first-ever black national champion, the the Soweto uprising - saw Makhathini knockout Bruce McIntyre from Argentina. fighter. It will be great to honor him with a tourna- legendary Makhathini currently in charge of an Victor Ntloko in three rounds to win the SA black ment dedicated to him while he is still alive,” he amateur team together with his son Cebisile in middleweight title in Stanger in KwaZulu Natal. And Mzansi’s first multiracial champion har- said. Eshowe in KwaZulu Natal where they are based. bors the hope of celebrating his 80th birthday in By knocking out Jan Kies in three rounds at style. There is no doubt that Makhathini has really “I am turning 80 in October and thank God for Rand Stadium in the same year, Makhathini be- made his mark as an accomplished boxer as his the life and giving me the strength and wisdom to came South Africa’s first undisputed SA middle- “I want to see a big tournament featuring some legacy still needs to be celebrated. still be involved in boxing. Together with my son Cebisile, we are running a club of about 10 ama- teurs from Eshowe whom we are guiding. Most of my fighters are schoolboys from the local area and who knows, some of them might become future champions one of these days,” says Makhathini whose club called Tap Tap Boxing Club, is named after him. Unlike many ex-combatants that have fallen on hard times, Makhathini who retired from fight- ing in 1980, has spent his investment wisely. He currently owns a supermarket, bottle store and a farm in his area. But it is his passion for the sport of the fisti- cuffs that is keeping him on his proverbial toes as he goes to the gym daily to fine-tune himself and nurture the boys there. “I feel I have served the sport of boxing well during my time as a professional fighter and would like to reward myself by producing champs in the near future. Reaching the age of 80 will come as a blessing to me as many of the boxers my age group during my fighting days, have since passed on”. “Tap Tap”, who was awarded Order Ikhaman- ga in Silver in 2007 by former President Thabo Mbeki, also finds time by which to work in the hills of rural KwaZulu Natal to give impoverished a glimmer of hope. He became a household name and earned the moniker “Tap Tap” in 1974 when he fought and beat Brazil’s Juarez de Lima in the first multi-ra- cial tournament at Rand Stadium. Before then - three years earlier to be precise - the unassuming fighter who was one the coun- try’s best middleweights, had beaten his first in- ternational opponent Curtis Cokes, the former world champion from the US at Curries Fountain TSETSEFLY conquering team will remain with me forever. We MEJE: A STAR also won the 1996 Caf Super Cup when we beat EVEN IN HIS Algerian team Kabylie 1-0 in Cape Town. I will TWILIGHT YEARS always be indebted to Pirates for all the opportuni- ties they afforded me during my football career. It IZINJA ZEGAME: The former Swallows and Tshabalala told me that I was still young and was an honour to play alongside players like Ed- Bucs player continues to shine for his legend skinny and the club decided to loan me to Com- ward ‘’Magents’’Motale, Mark ‘’Feeeesh’’Fish, team every weekend puter Stars. And that was the end of my football Gavin ‘’Stability’ ’Lane, John’’Dungi’’Moeti, Wil- stint with the Birds’’. lie Okpara, Helman ‘’Ncane’’ Mkhalele, Brandon ‘’Sgcebezana’’Silent just to mention a few. I still ‘’After the lapse of my loan spell at Stars, I have the medals and they are my souvenirs’’. Hon- joined Zola Real Young Stars in the OK-League estly, I retired a happy man in 1997 after a brief In 1991 we played and beat Bucs 5-4 after penal- spell with Witbank Aces. Today, I still play for Iz- ties in the last 16 of the Bob Save Cup. Then the inja Ze Game legends. It is a keep fit exercise rather late Ghosts official Sikhumbuzo Mthembu came than stay at home doing nothing. knocking at my door. ‘’ Weekly SA Mirror can’t complete this inter- He told me he had been assigned by the club view before you explain to us about your nickname chairman Dr. Irvin Khoza to negotiate for my ser- ‘’Tsetse-Fly’’. ‘’ I was dubbed Tsetse-Fly by a vices. Meadowlands Mighty Greens supporters long be- fore I turned a professional player. And the name That is when I joined the Orlando East team’’. has stuck with me ever since. But, I am comfortable ‘’Interestingly, my debut for Pirates was Soweto with the name’’ concluded Meje. derby against Amaswaiswai in a league match at By Masoja Cele The former tricky winger invited me for trials Ellis Park Stadium and won the man of the match Recruited by dribbling wizard Joel ‘’Ace’’ at Swallows. You know, playing for a big team like accolade. Mnini for Moroka Swallows FC was an honour the Birds was every youngster’s dream and I agreed for former Izinyoni Ezibomvu Ngenkani and to the offer. On my arrival at the Dube Birds I met ‘’My other highlight at Pirates was when Orlando Pirates nimble footed player Norman great true legends of the game the likes of Freder- we won the 1995 Africa Champions League. ‘’Tsetse-Fly’’Meje. ick ‘’Congo’’Malebane, Thomas ‘’Who’s Fooling We beat Asec Mimosas 1-0 with Jerry ‘’Legs of Who’’Hlongwane, Sam ‘’Happy Cow’’ Mnkomo, Thunder’’Sikhosana’s goal away from home. When a legend like Mnini recruits you for his Andries ‘’Chaka-Chaka’’Mpondo, Aubrey ‘’The Even though I never played in the final but the team, you have got to be someone special. How- Beast’’Seboko the list is endless. It was a bit scary, experience and the feeling of being part of that ever, Meje is one of those South African footballers I mean I used to hero-worship these football stars, who never fulfil their potential to the fullest. today they are my teammates’’. It was during a festive season tournament that ‘’My debut match was a league match against was played at Jabulani sports ground - I was play- the tough Durban City at Kings Park Stadium in ing for Meadowlands Mighty Greens – when Mnini Durban. The encounter finished at 0-0. approached me after the final whistle to tell me how he was impressed with my football prowess. But soon after the arrival of new coach Stanley ‘’Screamer’’Tshabalala, I was always on the bench.

Friday 12 August 2022 SPORT 15WEEKLY SA MIRROR SPORTS: Briefs BUCS FACE A WOUNDED CHIPPA UNITED CAF NEW CLUB SUPER LEAGUE ANNOUNCED SPANISH GUITAR: New Orlando Pirates Tanzania - Caf launched a new club Super League coach begin to feel the concept on Wednesday which they claim will usher in heat after midweek a new era of prosperity for football on the continent, draw but final details over its structure and funding have yet to be confirmed. By Masoja Cele The plan will see 24 as yet unnamed clubs from Orlando Pirates have to start showing some booed during the latter parts of Swallows FC BLANKS; Is Pirates new striker from 16 countries compete in the pan-African competition consistency if their new coach wants to have game with fans calling for his replacement. Cameroon Bienvenu Eva Nga better that is targeted to start in August 2023, and which has some peace of mind. been described by Caf president Patrice Motsepe as Why is Kwame Peprah, the Pirates sensa- than Kwame Peprah, ask fans the “most fundamental intervention to the significant Kicking off their 2022/23 campaign in a stop tional striker, been warming the bench, begs the ment, as always, Chippa looks set to be a force to improvement of the quality of football in Africa”. The and start fashion - a hard-fought win followed by question. With Pirates hosting Chippa United at be reckoned with this season. competition will have $100million in prize money a draw - is not what the Ghost expects from a the Orlando stadium on Sunday, nothing short of with $11.6m for the winner. One of the spin-offs will team now coached by Spaniard Jose Riveiro who a victory will appease the fans. Chippa chairman Siviwe Mpengesi appoint- be a solidarity fund that will see each of the 54 mem- came highly recommended by the Pirates head ed former player Daine Klate as head coach of ber associations of Caf receive $1m per year towards honchos. Against the “Chilli Boys” the Soweto team the Qqeberha based side. Klate who was the men- football development. “The African Super League come against a side that has enlisted the services tor of Chillie Boys reserve team replaced another represents the very best on the continent and we have Judging from their midweek draw against of no less than 15 players for the current season. ex-player Kurt Lentjies who was shown the door seen a big appetite from investors to be involved in Stellenbosch FC it is obvious Riveiro has much early last month. this project,” Motsepe said in a news conference at on his hands to turn his charges into a formida- The list of the new arrivals includes former the organisation’s General Assembly in Arusha. ble outfit. His strike force are still lacking behind Bucs defender Justice Chabalala, goalkeeper Against SuperSport the Eastern Cape team in terms of turning attacks into goals, with the Sipho Chaine from Royal AM, former Cape played more attacking football. “The intention is for kick-off in August 2023, and combination of Namibian Deon Hotto and new Town All Stars midfielder Brooklyn Poggenpoel, over the next few months there will be a process of arrival Bienvenu Eva Nga’s combination still to Abdi Banda from Tanzania, Namibian interna- The likes of Mathiane, Siphelele Luthuli and engagement with various stakeholders yield results. tional Elmo Kambindu, former Golden Arrows the Zimbabwean Ronald Pfumbidzai posed prob- captain Matome Mathiane to name a few. lems for Matsatsantsa defence. Last season Bucs HAMILTON THINKING OF Nga may have scored the solitary goal against beat Chippa 3-1 away and played to a 0-0 draw in EXTENDING CAREER BEYOND Swallows FC last Sunday, but did not endear The above mentioned players brought in the corresponding fixture at home. 2023 himself to the fans when he went on to miss sev- a different dimension to the Chillie Boys side. eral gilt-edged changes. Should there be no interference from manage- It will be interesting to witness how Klate Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has said will fare against his former employers on Sun- he could continue in formula One beyond the finish of Against Stellies’ Nga looked totally lost but day. But more importantly is whether the Pirates his current contract with Mercedes. surprisingly kept on the field until the final whis- players will be able to dance to the music being tle. This notwithstanding the fact that he was strung from their coach’s Spanish guitar. The 37-year-old Briton won six drivers world championshios in seven years between 2014-2020 ‘BOKS TO followng a maiden title success with McLaren in MAKE IT 2008. But he was denied a record-breaking eighth ti- TWO IN A tle last year by Max Verstappen in a dramatic battle for the Championship that went all the way to the fin- ROW ish of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Prix. SPECIAL GROUND: Some TRY: Kurt-Lee But the wow campaign has so far seen Hamilton of our best results against All Arendse on his left well behind the Red Bull’s Verstapen, who now Blacks were recorded at the way to scoring appears firmly on course to retain his title. Hamilton’s Emirates Airline Park for ‘Boks in the current contract wil keep him with Mercedes until eighth minute. next year and, with the pprospect of a record-breaking eighth title in his sights, he told Vanity fair magazine By Rugby Correspondent De Jager added: “The big word against the All in the match. “Duane is ready for selection so he he was “still on the mission”. Springbok lock Lood de Jager expected New Blacks is intensity. When we face other, both teams will be considered for this weekend’s match,” said Zealand to be even more desperate than last give everything they have, so for us it is important Davids. R.I.P. BRA KEITH KUNENE week’s opening Castle Lager Rugby Champion- to take a hard look at ourselves and to improve ship clash in Nelspruit when the sides cross paths where we can so we can deliver the best perfor- “Faf and Kurt-Lee both suffered concussion and The Premier Soccer League (PSL) is mourning the for the second time on Saturday in Johannes- mance possible.” will be subject to standard return to play protocols.” sad passing of Mr Keith Kunene, who served for nu- burg. Responding to what Vermeulen could bring to the merous years as the Chairman of the National Soccer Davids expanded on this saying: “We are squad should he be named in the team for Satur- League Disciplinary Committee. ‘Majazana’, as he De Jager and Springbok assistant coach Deon pleased in general with how we executed our set day’s encounter at Emirates Airline Park, Davids was popularly known, is remembered for his judi- Davids, however, said the focus in the Bok camp pieces in the last match, but we set high standards said: cious hand. Later, he was asked to serve as the Chair- was on ramping up their performance after having for ourselves, and we always look critically at our man of the NSL Executive Committee in 1991/1992 a “critical review” of their 26-10 victory against the performance and how we can improve. “Duane is a quality player on and off the field specifically because of his reputation for fairness. All Blacks at the Mbombela Stadium last weekend and his knowledge and experience means a lot for as they look to step up their performance. “We lost two lineouts out of 16, and given our the team. It is great knowing that we can fall back “We express our sincere condolences to the high standards we want to be better this weekend.” on a player of his calibre in such a big match. It’s Kunene Family. Your loss is indeed our loss. Together “The All Blacks are a proud team and New Zea- fantastic for the team.” with you, we will miss the “Gentle Giant. When I land is a proud rugby nation, so we expect them to Davids added: “The coaches had a realistic and think about Bra Keith, I think of pedigree. He was one be more desperate than at the Mbombela Stadium,” critical review of our last performance, zoning in After kicking off the Castle Lager Rugby Cham- of a kind. It is hardly surprising that the various fra- said De Jager. on what we did well and where we can improve, so pionship in front of a passionate capacity crowd last ternities of our society are expressing the additive and hopefully we can make a step-up in terms of those week in Nelspruit, De Jager hoped to Boks would present manner in which he impacted their organisa- “They will enter the match with the mindset that areas this week.” be in for another special encounter at Emirates Air- tions”, said the chairman of the PSL, Dr Irvin Khoza. they want to return to No 1 in the world. line Park this weekend. The PSL will observe a moment of silence ahead of Davids revealed that Duane Vermeulen is back this week’s DStv Premiership fixtures in his honour. “Our focus, however, is on what we can do bet- in contention for selection following the comple- “That is a special ground for the Springboks ter. But that said, they will come at us with every- tion of his rehabilitation from a knee injury, while as some of our best results were at that stadium, so SA TAIL SHINES IN FIRST TEST thing they have, and we are expecting another mas- Kurt-Lee Arendse (wing) and Faf de Klerk (scrum- we’ll go out there and give our best and hopefully WARM-UP sive battle this weekend.” half) have been ruled out of the match as they face our supporters will come out and watch,” said De a return to play protocol after suffering concussion Jager. South Africa were indebted to their lower-order bats- men as the tourists made 433 against England Lions n Wednesday, a warm-up game ahead of next week’s first test. No 8 Khaya Zondo made 86, No 9 Kyle Vereeynne hit62 with Marco Jansen, coming in at 10, adding 54 in the tour match at Canterbury. At stumps on the second day, England Lions were 379 for three, still trailing by 154 runs. England and South Africa meet in the first test at Lord’s from next Wednesday SERENA EMOTIONAL AFTER CRUSHING DEFEAT Serena Williams was pictured wiping away tears fol- lowing an emotional defeat at the Canadian Open on Wednesday. The tennis ace, who announced her retirement plans in an interview with British Vogue, was sadly defeated by 2020 Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4. Despite the loss, Ser- ena received a standing ovation from the crowd and was clearly moved by the reaction as she struggled to disguise her emotions. Speaking in a post-match interview to the Tennis Channel, Serena admitted that it has been “a pretty interesting 24 hours,” following her bombshell news. “It’s just been so memorable,” she told the outlet. “Like I said in my article, I’m terrible at goodbyes, but… goodbye, Toronto!

MIRROR SPORTWEEKLY SA Insight to connect the dots... FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH; ‘Downs Neo Maema and Chiefs’ Mduduzi Shabalala expected to take up the gudles for their respective teams ‘DOWNS By Ali Mphaki up too much of today. TO PROVE Kaizer Chiefs owe their legion of Noticeable even in the eyes of WHO’S fans big time. For a club used to CHIEF bagging silverware, it is almost their foes is a freshness about the treasonous the club has not won Chiefs squad and players look set to GRUDGE GAME: CRISIS OF CONFIDENCE AT any new trophies in recent times. fit the bill. Everyone has gone up a AMAKHOSI STUMBLING BLOCK gear and there is competition in every The Amakhosi fans may have position. come to the painful realization the Chiefs gladiators of today look radi- With their speed, creativity and cally different to those who stalked an improved finishing of their attack- the football jungle in the days of Ace ers, Chiefs are not going t be pusho- Ntsoelengoe, Teenage Dladla, Doctor vers this season. Khumalo, Jabu Pule etc The blitzkrieg pace of new-sign- What they cannot fathom is why ee Ashley du Preez, and dazzling ar- the current crop of players cannot de- ray of passes from both Billiat and fend, are unable to score, and simply Dolly, is enough ammo to torment reek of complacency. any defense. But with Sundowns looking to successfully defend their Not in dispute is that the Chiefs DStv Premiership title, fans can look of Khama Billiat, Keagan Dolly, and forward to a scintillating display of co will need to play better to con- football. vince the Amakhosi faithful that they have what it takes to compete. Downs new signings Ronwen Williams and Sipho Mbule made Uneasy lies Arthur “10111” their debut in the opening of the Zwane the Chiefs head coach, on 2023/24 Premier Soccer League sea- whose tiny shoulders rests the un- son as they edged past Cape Town enviable task of waking the sleeping City 2 – 0 on Friday evening in their Amakhosi giant. He faces the urgent first league game of the season but and vexing questions about how to even in these early day, their inten- reboot the team, keep players dreams tions were made clear they mean alive and turn fans’ permanent business frowns into smiles. A consummate player himself in his days, Zwane Bafana Bafana international seem to have read the script for what goalie, Williams was officially an- is expected but it is up to his players nounced as a Brazilian player last not to tear it up. - if results of their month, while 24-year old Mbule midweek game is anything to go by. made the move to Chloorkop in June as the Champions look to success- As he prepares his charges to fully defend their DStv Premiership face Mamelodi Sundowns on Satur- title. day, and advice to Zwane, which we believe he is affeur with, is that in Bar a draw, it will be a painful football you don’t let yesterday take blow that come final whistle it is the Amakhosi that will lay clawed to pieces