Indholdsfortegnelse for 2025-12-06 i Saturday Star

“Rage bait” will be Oxford University Press’s 2025 Word of the Year. Defined as online content designed to provoke anger and drive engagement, it's a sign of our digital culture. Two words, one cultural mood, and a whole lot of scrolling fatigue. And before you roll your eyes, Oxford swears it isn’t rage-baiting us with the choice. As someone who spends their fair share of time online, I really felt this. Over the past few years, we’ve all learned to spot content designed to annoy us, whether it’s a “modern dating rules” thread meant to stir up arguments, a fake political hot take, or another video comparing milk tart to crème brûlée just to get people talking. That’s not just a trend; it’s a reflection of our online experience. But…

It’s that time of the year again, the season of twinkly lights, Mariah Carey resurfacing like it’s her annual national service, and of course, corny Christmas movies that melt our hearts. And listen, The Jingle Bell Heist fits right into that tradition. It’s the kind of film you curl up with on the couch, pretending it’s snowing outside even though it’s 32oC, you’re sweating through your pyjamas, and the only “cold front” is the one Eskom forgot to schedule. But hey, hot cocoa in hand, fan blasting, we move. From the opening scenes, the film serves warm, festive energy that feels oddly comforting. And because no Christmas flick is complete without a bit of crime, think Wet Bandits in Home Alone and, hello, or the Grinch with the sticky fingers,…

Loyiso Masuku has defeated incumbent Dada Morero to become ANC regional chairperson in Johannesburg, but Morero will remain the city’s Executive Mayor. Masuku’s victory, confirmed yesterday at the ANC’s 16th Regional Elective Conference, at the Cedarwoods Hotel in Sandton with 184 votes to Morero’s 149. This makes her the first woman to lead the region and signals a new era for the party in the economic hub. Morero has held the mayoral chain since August 2022 and the regional chairperson position for the past three years. His loss in the internal party election sparked speculation over whether he would complete his mayoral term, which runs until the next local government elections in November 2026. Re-elected Regional Secretary Sasabona Manganye confirmed that Morero will continue in his role. Another source close…

Police in Gauteng have launched a murder investigation after a 52-year-old taxi association official was shot and killed in Woodmead, Sandton, on Thursday night, Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo said. Masondo said the incident occurred at around 10.30 pm when the man and another male companion were in a parking lot in Woodmead. They were approached by two men armed with automatic rifles, who opened fire. The taxi official was declared dead at the scene. The second man’s condition was not disclosed. According to Masondo, police suspect the killing is linked to ongoing tensions between rival taxi associations in Alexandra. He appealed to anyone with information that could assist the investigation or lead to the arrest of the suspects to contact their nearest police station or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.…

While the Bloemfontein High Court has set a new date for Thabo Bester and his co-accused's pre-trial hearing, it appears Bester is joining Dr Nandipha Magudumana in fighting the circumstances around his return to South Africa. Bester, allegedly assisted by Magudumana escaped from the Mangaung Correctional facility in May 2022. The pair's escape was stopped in April 2023, and they were brought back to South Africa to face charges. Since then, Magudumana has been locked in a legal battle, fighting her arrival back to South Africa. During his court appearance on Friday, Bester informed the court that he wanted to access certain documents from the Presidency and Crime Intelligence as well as the cellphone records of International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola, to prepare for his trial. For this, he has…

BAD drivers won’t be able to hide, some might have their licences scrapped and others compelled to undergo “rehab” when a slew of traffic changes come into effect next year. Traffic authorities say that under the new system, any infringements against a motorist’s name will be entered into an online traffic offences register, where drivers can check their own records. Law enforcement officers will also have instant access to the system during roadside stops. Collen Msibi from the Department of Transport says it’s just one of many initiatives aimed at improving safety on the country’s roads. “It’s basically a register if you want to see the history of your traffic fines. It doesn’t mean that certain people will make it to the list and others won’t, everybody will be on…

Greta Palmer was sitting on her hotel balcony in Hampi, India, when she heard a commotion upstairs. Her friends had been eating breakfast when a troop of monkeys materialized. They blocked the exit and engaged in X-rated acts, much to her travel companions’ horror. Palmer was laughing at the animals’ antics and her friends’ shrieks when she discovered she wasn’t alone. “I slowly turned my head around and I see six monkeys in my hotel room, ransacking my room,” said Palmer, chief marketing and communications officer at Best Friends Animal Society, who spent several weeks in India last month. Before absconding with her apples and bananas, the bonnet macaques dumped sugar packets from the coffee station all over the floor and suitcases. One chucked Palmer’s retainer across the room. Another…

Growing up, Cyprial dreamed of being a lawyer. Instead, he now spends his days underground, swinging a pickaxe against rock in a pitch-black illegal mine that snakes for kilometres beneath South Africa’s coal heartland. The rumbling of wheelbarrows echoed down the narrow tunnels where he and dozens of other men had been mining since dawn. Some chipped away at the rock face, their dim headlamps barely piercing the darkness. Others pushed loads of up to 100 kilogrammes at full speed through the tunnels and up a steep hill to trucks waiting to deliver the coal to informal sellers in the nearby town of Ermelo. Only a few tree trunks propped up the slab of stone forming the roof of the entrance to the mine, a hole in the slope of…

The bride walked out of the locker room and onto the pool deck wearing a tutu over her swim trunks and white water shoes. She kissed the groom – who also wore swim trunks – before the couple held hands to descend the stairs into lukewarm water. They would exit the indoor pool as husband and wife. Three years earlier, Marlene Parsons, 78, and Edward La Rue Sr., 83, met in the same pool during water aerobics classes when they playfully splashed each other. Both their spouses had recently died, and neither one had an interest in remarrying – a condition they agreed upon when they started dating. But things change when you fall in love. This month, they got married in the shallow end of an Illinois pool, where…

A wave of foreign imitations and alternative styles has prompted Oman to take tough action to preserve its unique national dress, threatening thousands of dollars in fines for men who wear the wrong sort of dishdasha. Dishdashas, the long, elegant robes that are a hallmark of the Gulf sultanate, have fallen prey to rising hemlines and elaborate embroidery, with some wearers also going for multicoloured designs. The ministry of commerce and industry said the dishdasha’s design is based on “certain criteria”, stipulating it should be made mostly out of cotton with embroidery only on the collar, front slit and cuffs. “The fabric must be a single colour,” a ministry official told the media, adding that white or neutral colours were preferred. A person or manufacturer caught violating the dress code…

Car insurance platform MoneySuperMarket has trawled through more than 200 million UK vehicle safety inspection records, giving a glimpse at the faults most likely to trip up everyday motorists. The data comes from the UK’s DVSA MOT database, covering more than 3 200 models from major global brands. While the study is UK-based, the issues highlighted are universal - tyres, brakes and basic maintenance items remain the weak points across almost every brand. What fails most often? Three faults dominate the failure list across all makes and models: Parking brake inefficiency. Tyres worn below the legal 1.6mm tread depth. Windshield washers are not supplying enough fluid. These aren’t complex failures or hidden mechanical bugs. They’re basic, often overlooked issues that only get attention once a car is up on the…

In the aftermath of what many considered a successful G20, the first on African soil, and the subdued Tuesday handover ceremonies, held quietly far from the glare of the media, the US responded. Washington’s reply was swift, voiced through the mouth and pen of US President Donald Trump, who declared that South Africa “will not receive an invitation” to the 2026 G20 Summit in Florida, a statement that reverberated far beyond Washington. On its surface, it is provocative – beneath it, a test of global order, forcing a reckoning between multilateral norms and unilateral prerogatives, between what the G20 was designed to be and the reality that raw power sometimes imposes. At first glance, this appears as a clash of personalities. But beyond the headlines, the dispute exposes a deeper…

Your retirement investments are not static. They need to be reviewed from time to time in accordance with an overall retirement plan, and there will be times in your life when changes will need to be made. It is prudent to reduce investment risk as you get older, especially once you have retired. However, it is also widely agreed among investment experts that, to generate enough income for what may be a long retirement, you may need to maintain a relatively substantial portion of higher-risk investments all the way through. Investment risk is the probability of your investment not performing as expected, typically through market volatility. When you have time on your side, volatility, which is a short-term risk, should not be a concern; in fact, it is necessary to…

If you have worked in the UK and are eligible to claim a state pension, now is the time to act. Big changes are coming. UK expats who once worked in Britain face a closing window of opportunity to secure affordable access to the state pension. The UK government has announced that from April 2026, voluntary National Insurance contributions for those living abroad will rise sharply, and eligibility rules will tighten. At present, anyone who has lived and worked in the UK for at least three years can voluntarily pay £182 (around R4 000) per year to add extra qualifying years to their pension record. This has allowed many South Africans who previously worked in Britain to build up enough years to receive a pension when they retire. But from…

A relentless Australia seized a 44-run lead over England in the day-night second Ashes Test in Brisbane yesterday, with aggressive opener Jake Weatherald and Steve Smith leading the charge. By stumps, the hosts had not only reeled in England’s first-innings 334 but raced clear, ending a draining day two on 378-6 in front of a large, boisterous crowd at a humid Gabba. A decent lead is shaping as pivotal, with the pitch likely to deteriorate in the coming days. The hosts are 1-0 up in the series after beating England in Perth inside two days. “That was a crucial last hour there for us. To get to the end of play six down gives us a bit of time in the morning in that day session,” said Marnus Labuschagne, who…

Former Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane has weighed in on the positives and challenges teams will face when they use the upcoming AFCON in Morocco to gauge their readiness for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. The biggest football event on the continent – AFCON – is set to get underway in Morocco from December 21 to January 18, with 24 nations competing for the coveted crown of African football. But of the lot, seven – Morocco, South Africa, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Senegal and Ivory Coast – will be hoping to hit two birds with one stone by using the tournament as preparation. These seven teams will be eager to go all the way at AFCON – win the crown – and use that success as motivation and…

Foreign residents living in Saudi Arabia say that restrictions on the sale of alcohol have been further relaxed, just days after non-diplomats were first able to buy booze in the conservative kingdom. Non-Muslim foreign residents earning at least 50 000 riyals a month (R227 175) are now able to purchase drinks at the country’s sole alcohol shop in Riyadh, according to six people who spoke to AFP. Late last month, premium visa-holders were able to buy booze in Riyadh, marking the first time residents who were not foreign diplomats were able to purchase alcohol at the shop in the capital's diplomatic quarter. And then the rules were quietly eased again. In recent days, individuals said they provided their residency documents to staff at the shop, who then checked their salary…

Not long ago, after-work drinks were a regular ritual. Many millennials started their careers with 5pm debriefs over cheap wine, midweek specials, and last-minute plans for “just one drink” that usually turned into three. Sociologists even called millennials the most drinking generation, the cohort that kept the alcohol industry buzzing well into the 2010s. If you’ve tried to wrangle a Gen Z friend into after-work drinks lately, you’ve probably heard some version of: “Can we make it a walk instead?” or “I’ve got Pilates at six”. It’s not personal. It’s cultural. Happy hour, once the sacred decompression window for millennials, is being rewritten by a generation that treats wellness the way previous generations treated nightlife: as a social currency, a lifestyle flex, and sometimes, a lifeline. Forget cocktails; 2025 is…

Suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has handed the Madlanga Judicial Commission of inquiry an envelope he says contains details of alleged wrongdoing and crimes allegedly committed by members of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT). In his evidence, Mchunu told the commission, chaired by retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, investigating allegations of criminality, political interference, and corruption in the criminal justice system, that the “brown envelope” he handed contains details of the PKTT’s alleged crimes. “I appeal favourably to the commission to listen to those people that I submitted, the eight names, so that the commission can know and determine whether my assessment was actually correct as to be part of what would have influenced me to write the directive,” he said. After disclosing the allegations against PKTT members,…

The Department of Home Affairs has announced extended operating hours across selected offices ahead of the festive season, in a bid to ease pressure on services and help South Africans secure essential documents before year-end travel. From December 8 to 19, 2025, and again from January 5 to 16, 2026, Home Affairs offices equipped to process Smart ID Cards and passports will operate two hours longer each day, closing at 6pm instead of 4pm. The department says the extension is part of its broader mission to improve accessibility and restore dignity in its services. “As part of our continued commitment to delivering dignity for all, the Department of Home Affairs is extending operating hours, by an additional two hours daily for applications and collections of enabling documents,” said Minister of…

The latest CPJ data shows that 122 journalists and media workers were killed in 2025, down slightly from 126 the previous year, with the Israel-Gaza war behind 43% of fatalities. The latest data from the Committee to Protect Journalists shows that 122 journalists and media workers were killed in 2025, down slightly from 126 the previous year, with the Israel-Gaza war behind 43% of fatalities. By far the biggest cause of death was the war in Gaza, with 52 workers killed and two others missing this year. Yemen has also been a major cause of death for members of the press, with 32 dead and four missing. In total, over the past 20 years, 1,766 journalists and media workers have died reporting from the front lines of some of the…

As three-year-old Warona fights for her life in hospital months after she was brutally raped and left for dead on a shack's rooftop, frustration in her community is boiling over. Residents say they still do not understand why key evidence is outstanding, why the case has faced repeated delays since September. They question why it falls on them to demand answers during a time when the country is observing 16 Days of Activism for no violence against Women and Children. Their anger intensified this week when multiple community organisations and residents marched to the SAPS Gauteng Provincial Head Office in Johannesburg, calling for urgent action in the case. The 28-year-old suspect is accused of raping and stabbing the child, and slitting her throat. Following the brutal assault, he allegedly abandoned…

A Virginia state-run liquor store was ransacked by a masked bandit on Friday evening, authorities said, leaving a trail of broken spirit bottles strewn across the shop floor. The heist began when the raccoon wiggled in through the ceiling of the Ashland store location of the Virginia ABC chain sometime between when the store closed Friday night and early Saturday morning, said Carol Mawyer, a Virginia ABC spokesperson. The raccoon triggered a motion sensor. That alerted the security company, which notified the store manager. Since no humans were in the store, the manager left it alone until he came in to open up shop in the morning around 10 a.m., Mawyer said. The furry burglar smashed 14 bottles of liquor totaling less than $250, Mawyer said. Because the raccoon was…

Sick young ants release a smell to tell worker ants to destroy them to protect the colony from infection, scientists said Tuesday, adding that queens do not seem to commit this act of self-sacrifice. Many animals conceal illness for social reasons. For example, sick humans are known to risk infecting others so they can still go to the office - or the pub. Ant colonies, however, act as one “super-organism” which works to ensure the survival of all, similar to how infected cells in our bodies send out a “find-me and eat-me” signal, according to an Austria-led team of scientists. Ant nests are a “perfect place for a disease outbreak to occur because there are thousands of ants crawling over each other,” Erika Dawson, a behavioural ecologist at the Institute…

Johannesburg is set to host South Africa’s ultimate street dance showdown as the Red Bull Mzansi Crew Battle National Final returns tomorrow at Constitution Hill. The event promises a celebration of rhythm, culture, and dance excellence, with crews from across the country competing for the 2025 crown. Following regional qualifiers in Pretoria, Johannesburg, and Durban, along with standout online entries, eight crews have earned their place on the national stage. Their styles range from Amapiano and Pantsula to Sbujwa, showcasing the raw creativity, identity, and movement that define South Africa’s dance scene. The crews competing for the 2025 title are: • Crazy Destroyers – Pretoria Winners • Team Dona – Pretoria Runner-Up • Game Changers – Johannesburg Winners • Legend Dancers – Durban Winners • Untouchable Entertainment – 2024 Champions…

Every two months, Claudia Ncutinamagara, a 39-year-old Burundian living in one of the world’s largest refugee camps, receives four kilograms of cereals, a kilogram of lentils and just over a liter of vegetable oil to feed her family of four. The rations are so meagre that she struggles to breastfeed her youngest, an infant boy. Ncutinamagara is among the 240 000 refugees at the UN’s Kakuma camp in remote northern Kenya who’ve seen the aid they rely on to survive slashed this year – leaving tens of thousands of children out of school, plunging as many or more into malnutrition and depriving hospitals of life-saving medicine. Ten months after US President Donald Trump began dismantling the US foreign aid system – and other Western countries including the UK, Germany and…

Shortly after Amanda McCowen’s divorce, she met her ex-husband’s new girlfriend. She couldn’t stand her. “We had a very rocky start,” McCowen said of Angela Maples, the woman her ex would later marry. In fact, the two women could barely be in the same room. And yet, about 10 years after they first met, McCowen did something she never could have anticipated: She donated a kidney to Maples. “She saved my life,” said Maples, who lives in Granbury, Texas. Maples’s health struggles began after a trip to Hawaii in 2022. “I just wasn’t feeling right,” said Maples, 43, explaining that she was fatigued. After bloodwork, she received a terrifying call from her doctor. Her kidneys were shutting down, her doctor told her. She was in renal failure. Maples rushed to…

A baby Jesus has been stolen from a Christmas nativity scene in Brussels which sparked an online furore over its faceless depictions of Christianity’s holy family. In portraying Jesus, Mary and Joseph with patchwork cloth lacking facial features, artist Victoria-Maria Geyer said she hoped to craft an inclusive version of the Christmas tradition which left “free rein for everyone’s imagination”. Yet, despite the local ecclesiastical authorities approving the scene, the installation in central Brussels has come under fire online since opening on Friday, with right-wing Belgian politician Georges-Louis Bouchez even comparing the figures to “zombies”. As debate swirled on social media, the baby Jesus, represented by his fabric head, disappeared from the Christmas cot on Saturday, prompting the authorities to replace the son of God and tighten security. A petition…

VSL Manufacturing has officially opened its new R750 million manufacturing facility in Struandale, positioned alongside the Isuzu Motors South Africa (IMSAf) assembly plant. The investment marks a significant boost for South Africa’s automotive value chain, the Eastern Cape’s industrial base, and the country’s efforts to grow black-owned manufacturing businesses. The launch is the culmination of a long rebuild for a company that rose from the liquidation of Stateline Pressed Metal in Komani in 2018. The closure left 123 people out of work, but two retrenched employees – Vuyo Skweyiya and Deon van Zyl - decided to revive the operation. With funding from ABSA, they acquired the defunct company’s equipment and launched VSL Manufacturing. Today, it’s a 51% African female-owned company. The turning point came in 2021 when IMSAf appointed VSL…

When I first moved to New York, I walked into my new dentist’s office and genuinely wondered whether I’d accidentally wandered into a Victoria’s Secret audition. The waiting room was full of stunning young women. Eventually I learned the dentist shared space with a modeling agency. You couldn’t tell who was getting veneers and who was getting a contract until you were halfway down the hallway. Jeffrey Epstein’s life operated on the same architectural principle: two businesses shoved into one building, one involving underaged girls, the other involving powerful political figures, including some tied to the Israeli government. Not exactly whitening trays and catwalks, but equally disorienting. Epstein’s whole operation was like a perverted crossover episode of Law and Order meets House of Cards. The salacious half got all the…

Recently, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) a national crisis. The statistics are devastating: three women are killed by an intimate partner every day in South Africa, and a quarter of women have reported experiencing physical or sexual abuse, according to the South African Medical Research Council. As we mark 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, new data from Statistics South Africa reveals 60 000 sexual offence incidents involving 44 000 victims between April last year and March this year. Only 56.3% were reported to police. About a sixth of reported incidents involved a spouse or intimate partner. And some people were abused more than once. Psychological abuse is equally insidious. Almost a sixth of those affected experience it daily, yet only 26.6% report it to…

One topic that continues to dominate in social circles is the medical aid industry. Most people, and even service providers in the industry, are constantly complaining about funds running out long before year-end. The top-end medical aid costs are only for the very wealthy, and most families can only afford the most basic plans. In this context, it is important to consider the role of the CMS (Council for Medical Schemes). One of the main objectives of the CMS is: “Serve beneficiaries of medical schemes and the public in general by reviewing and approving changes to contributions paid by members and benefits offered by schemes. The programme analyses and approves all scheme rules to ensure consistency with the MSA (Medical Schemes Act). This ensures that the beneficiaries have access to…

Proteas in-form top-order batter Matthew Breetzke told Indian reporters yesterday that India’s impressive record in Vizag is irrelevant as the visitors chase an ODI series triumph in Visakhapatnam today. India and South Africa are deadlocked in the One-Day series, with both teams having won one match each in the three-match showdown, with the decider set to take place in Vizag at 10am today. India have lost only two One-Day Internationals in Vizag in the past two decades and have turned Visakhapatnam into a fortress over the years. However, it is important to note that they have yet to play South Africa in ODIs at the venue. Regardless, Proteas batter Breetzke believes India’s record at the ground will play no part whatsoever in their upcoming clash. “I didn’t know about (their…

Unbeaten log leaders Cape Town were made to sweat before booking their place in the senior final of the Spar National Netball Championships with a pulsating 57-51 semifinal victory over Dr Kenneth Kaunda in Ekurhuleni yesterday afternoon. They will take on Johannesburg in today’s final, after the defending champions survived an even bigger scare, narrowly prevailing 46-45 over Mangaung in the second semifinal at Dr EG Jansen High School. Dr Kenneth Kaunda and Mangaung only secured their semifinal spots with victories in rain-postponed matches early yesterday with the extra exertion eventually taking its toll late in the afternoon contests. Cape Town goal attack Nicholé Breedt said her side’s come-from-behind victory over Mangaung on Thursday had prepared them for the tough semifinal encounter. “I think we proved yesterday that we can…

Cup finals don’t simply unfold – they are seized, shaped, and sometimes stolen by individuals bold enough to command the moment. As Orlando Pirates and Marumo Gallants collide with silverware at stake, all signs point to a battle that will be decided by a handful of players whose form and flair have illuminated this tournament. For Pirates, Oswin Appollis has evolved into the club’s most lethal weapon off the bench. The winger carries an infectious energy, always darting at defenders, always asking questions. His goal against Chippa United showcased his sharp instincts, while the assist versus Durban City underlined a growing maturity in decision-making. With four goals and six assists across competitions, Appollis has quietly shifted from a squad option to a genuine game influencer – the kind who can…

IN HIS upcoming action thriller, Shelter, The Transporter star Jason Statham is once again cast in his familiar role as a hero saving a young woman. The trailer for the action movie Shelter, directed by Ric Roman Waugh (Angel Has Fallen, Greenland), has been released. The film opens on the big screen next month, with Bill Nighy, Naomi Ackie, Daniel Mays and Bodhi Rae Breathnach joining Statham. While fans are enthusiastic about his involvement, some are expressing fatigue with the repetitive theme of him fighting people to rescue a girl. The trailer sets the tone with an introduction to assassin Michael Mason when a man explains that what he knows about him, “Mason isn’t just an assassin, he’s a precision instrument. He was one of the first elite operatives.” It…

Bafana Bafana will be out for revenge when they face Mexico at the 2026 Fifa World Cup opening match, having drawn 1–1 with them in the opening match of the 2010 tournament on home soil. Returning to the global stage for the first time since hosting in 2010 - more than 15 years ago - South Africa have been drawn in Group A alongside Mexico, South Korea, and the winners of a March play-off between Denmark, the Czech Republic, North Macedonia, and the Republic of Ireland. Bafana will be based in Mexico for the group stage, setting the scene for both a homecoming and the renewal of an old rivalry. Coach Hugo Broos last featured at a World Cup as a player in 1986. Mexico and South Korea are expected…

THE Department of Health has been compelled to act against ‘xenophobic’ vigilantes after the Gauteng High Court ruled that blocking access to public health facilities is illegal. Judge Wilson on Thursday found that the blockades violated both legal and constitutional rights to healthcare. He warned that xenophobia is not just a social problem but a direct threat to democracy and human rights. “Xenophobia is one of the greatest threats to democracy and human rights we presently face. Leaving aside that it feeds on the most toxic of human instincts: the hatred of the other… the problem with xenophobia is its misdirection. If we can blame foreigners, we need not look to ourselves for the solutions to the poverty and inequality that scar our society,” he said. The judgment came after…

Acting Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia has revealed that over the past decade, more than 21 million criminal cases were opened in South Africa, with 13.2 million of these closed without resolution. He disclosed this in a parliamentary reply to a question posed by Build One South Africa (BOSA) leader Dr Mmusi Maimane, who asked: “For each of the past 10 financial years, what total number of criminal dockets have been opened, solved, officially closed without resolution in each province, and how many are still open and under investigation by the South African Police Service?” Cachalia explained that the figures for cases still under investigation for each financial year include dockets carried over from previous years and should not be aggregated to calculate a cumulative total. “For example, the total…

Athena was a sloth who lived at the National Zoo in Washington, and, according to the zoo, was a much beloved creature who had showed that sloths need not be slothful. Instead, she had been spirited and rambunctious, the zoo said Monday in reporting her death. The seeming absence of slothfulness in this sloth seemed to raise the old question from Shakespeare: What’s in a name? Athena had been in deteriorating health and died Nov. 13, aged 7, at the zoo hospital while being kept overnight for observation. No precise cause of death was given. “We miss her dearly,” the zoo said. Although not cited by the zoo, one of her distinctions was perhaps her service as a reminder of a well-known listing of human faults and failings. Athena was…

The Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra is set to embark on a national tour titled Voices of Home, aiming to reconnect South Africans with their cultural and musical identity. The tour will take place in three major cities: Johannesburg on December 10 and 11, Durban on December 13, and Cape Town on December 16. The orchestra says the tour forms part of its broader mission to make orchestral music accessible across the country. CEO and Artistic Director Bongani Tembe said the theme Voices of Home was inspired by the growing global recognition of South African artistic excellence and the strong cultural voice emerging from the continent. What inspired the theme “Voices of Home” for this national tour? The theme Voices of Home was inspired by the growing global recognition of South…

As South Africa bids farewell to a momentous 2025, there's yet another reason for the nation to celebrate. With popular expressions like "yoh", "haibo" and "lekker" making it into the mainstream, the country's accent has been hailed as the second sexiest accent in the world, according to a recent ranking by World of Statistics. This accolade underscores the nation's rich linguistic diversity and cultural heritage that gives rise to a myriad of accents, all distinct and enchanting in their own right. The ranking pits South Africa's captivating accent against an impressive array of global contenders, showcasing how perceptions of "attractive" speech can shift dramatically from one region to another. While South Africa is categorised as a native English-speaking nation, the complexity of its linguistic landscape means that no single accent…

In one of the largest African ancient-DNA studies to date, geneticists from Uppsala University, Sweden, and an archaeologist from the University of Johannesburg, South Africa, analysed the DNA of 28 people who lived in southern Africa between 1200 and just a few hundred years ago. It contributes further evidence that southern African hunter-gatherers were the earliest known human group with a unique Homo sapiensgenetic ancestry tracing back to about 300 000 years ago. They found 490 modern human or Homo sapiens specific genetic variants in the ancient southern African hunter-gatherers. Amongst these, immune-system related genes and genes related to kidney function were prevalent. Three variants – not specific to all humans, but to the ancient southern Africans – were also located in genes associated with UV-light protection, skin-diseases, and/or skin-pigmentation.…

Sure, vomiting is allowed. Discouraged but allowed, according to the bylaws of this ultramarathon. Fifty kilometres of running and several thousand calories of greasy fast food are required for the event, so yes, you can be forgiven for puking. But Pepto-Bismol, Alka-Seltzer, Pepcid, Mylanta or any other medicinal stomach aids – banned. Otherwise, the rules of the first-ever Taco Bell DC 50k were pretty simple, organisers Phil Hargis, 54, and Mike Wardian, 51, explained to the hundreds of participants shivering in below-freezing temperatures outside a Taco Bell in Old Town Alexandria on Saturday morning. Each participant must run to nine Taco Bells scattered across Alexandria, Arlington, and the District. At each location, they must purchase and eat an item off the menu. Drinks don’t count. Per the rules, by…

South Africans haven’t exactly embraced Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) with the enthusiasm that proponents predicted when manufacturers were spending billions of dollars on research and development and telling us that it was the only way forward before the world imploded. The reality is that almost all manufacturers have dialled down their expectations of when to put ICE engines out to pasture and, in the process, brought back some kind of normality to the world of motoring. What we have seen, though, is that buyers are seeing hybrid cars as a real alternative. They provide decent consumption, there’s no range anxiety, and you don’t have to rely on second or third-party infrastructure to keep you mobile. One such option we recently had on test was the Chery Tiggo Cross HEV that…

JMC or Jiangling Motors Corporation have officially returned to the South African market after a few years’ absence and aim to ruffle the feathers of the bakkie market. JMC announced earlier this year that they would be coming, and they have now revealed their line-up, which will include a workhorse single-cab and two double-cabs. The vehicles will be imported under the Salvador Caetano Auto South Africa banner, who also have the GAC brand in its portfolio, and they intend to open 40 dealerships by 2026. With Ford owning a 32% stake in JMC, the company is leveraging their partnership in terms of power plants and engineering. Ford’s Territory, sold here, is the result of that partnership, too. The three-bakkie range includes the single-cab JMC Carrying Plus, Vigus Double-Cab and the…

When former Ekurhuleni city manager Dr Imogen Mashazi sat down at the Madlanga Commission, South Africans were entitled to expect the steady hand of a veteran public servant. Instead, we watched a spectacle. Lipstick applied mid-session. Faces pulled at the evidence leader. Soft laughter under her breath. Eyes fixed on her phone while senior counsel tried to question her. When pressed for answers, she leaned on stock phrases: “I take your point.” “No comment.” “I’ll talk to my lawyers.” At one point, she told the commission she would rather submit answers in writing because appearing again might cause her to “get a stroke”. It may have been theatre for some – the memes were flying on social media – but it exposed a culture in public administration that treats accountability…

As South Africa marks the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), our conversations often centre on bruises, broken bones, and emotional scars. Yet, there is another form of abuse that rarely makes headlines but quietly erodes lives; financial abuse. Financial abuse is not simply about disagreements over budgeting or a partner being “bad with money.” It is a deliberate, manipulative strategy designed to strip someone of independence, dignity, and the ability to leave a harmful situation. It is the scaffolding upon which other forms of abuse are built. Scrolling through social media recently, I came across a post from a young woman in Cape Town who bravely shared her experience. She wrote: “I thought I was just being supported when he asked me to quit my job. He…

Earlier this year, the Labour Court found that a restraint of trade was unenforceable due to the dismissal of the employee. This decision was taken on appeal to the Labour Appeal Court (LAC). The judgment provides important guidance for employers seeking to enforce restraints following dismissals and clarifies the scope of the Labour Court’s jurisdiction in related matters. Background Backsports (Pty) Ltd, a company in the internet communications and technology sector, employed an employee as a senior stream lead for 10 months until his dismissal for misconduct on October 16, 2024. His employment contract contained a restraint of trade clause which, among other things, prohibited him from competing with Backsports or any of its subsidiaries, and from soliciting employees, for a period of 12 months from the termination date of…

Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan will take a one-stroke lead into the weekend of the Nedbank Golf Challenge in honour of Gary Player, with Christiaan Bezuidenhout leading the South African challenge just three strokes behind. Reitan signed for a 69 on yesterday, a round that proved more of a battle compared with his opening 63, leaving him on 12 under par overall. “I’m pretty happy. I struggled with the approach shots, but my short game saved me a few times,” said Reitan. His nearest challenger is Frenchman Adrien Saddier, whose round elicited comments of “outrageous” from the commentators on more than one occasion as he produced sublime bunker shots on his way to a 67 and a total of 11 under par. Bezuidenhout fired a 65 to lead the South…

All the talk before the Proteas Women’s first match of the home summer may have been about former captain Dane van Nierkerk’s return to international cricket after a four-year spell in the international wilderness, but Laura Wolvaardt reminded everyone who really is in charge now. Wolvaardt showed off all her class with a record-breaking 115 not out that powered her team to a best-ever 220/2, and eventual 105-run victory over a helpless Ireland team in the first T20I at Newlands yesterday. It’s been 1014 days since Wolvaardt last graced the picturesque ground at the foot of Table Mountain when she valiantly tried to push the Proteas over the line in their first-ever T20 World Cup final. Since then, she and the Proteas, have featured in two further World Cup finals…

Liverpool travel to Leeds this weekend with mounting questions over whether Arne Slot can halt the slide, while in-form Aston Villa take aim at Premier League leaders Arsenal. Slot’s defending champions are showing an alarming vulnerability at the back, with the poor form of captain Virgil van Dijk a growing cause for concern. It is a different story for watertight Arsenal, but the Gunners face a tricky trip to Unai Emery’s Villa. Here are three talking points ahead of the action this weekend. Van Dijk errors mount Mohamed Salah’s faltering form has been a major talking point during Liverpool’s dramatic collapse, but Virgil van Dijk is now also firmly in the firing line. The club’s success in tying down two of their modern greats on new contracts in April was…

The Covid-19 pandemic has tilted the scales of travel preferences in favour of staycations – a chance to explore local attractions while avoiding the hassles associated with international travel. For many South Africans, December is synonymous with family vacations, often leading to festive gatherings in eMakaya (hometown) or indulging in local escapes. Staycations present the perfect opportunity to enjoy memorable experiences without straying far from home. They foster exploration within our own communities, promoting local businesses and enabling meaningful connections with the surroundings. Whether you’re setting off on a day trip to a family-friendly attraction or embarking on a weekend getaway to a nearby dorpie, there's plenty to do this festive season. If you’re looking for family-friendly fun this holiday, here’s our guide to top attractions across Johannesburg, Durban, and…