Inner City Gazette

UJ centre to unearth new ways of working

Johannesburg - The newly launched University of Johannesburg (UJ) Centre for Applied Data Science (CADS) aims to bring together computer and domain scientists to promote data-intensive teaching.

UJ College of Business and Economics’ School of Consumer Intelligence and Information Systems director Professor Mercy Mpinganjira said the centre, collaborating with the Toulouse Business School, will focus on infusing science study by promoting institution-wide and outreach activities.

“The centre is a multidisciplinary space in which departments and disciplines work together, including on agricultural research, transport, supply chain management and marketing research,” she said.

UJ vice-chancellor Professor Tshilidzi Marwala said data is the bedrock of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

“It is already changing how we work, live and communicate and is reshaping governments, education, healthcare, industries and commerce. Ability to use and analyse

data will be one of the biggest drivers of businesses in the future. The centre aims to provide evidencebased insights to unearth new ways of working as industries, organisations, communities and societies,” he said.

The recent virtual launch of the CADS formed part of the institution’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Day conference. Researchers involved with data science research on post-harvest agriculture, marketing, smart mobility and learning at the new centre provided insights into the research.

Professor Fawole Olaniyi highlighted that application of data science in post-harvest agriculture is being used to investigate the complex value chain in which a lot of the commodities are lost.

“The world produces enough food to feed 1.5 times its population, but 850 million people face hunger. If we prevent food waste we would be able to feed everyone and minimised losses would provide economic benefit, enable the industry to expand and ensure that food is provided to the vulnerable,” he said.

He added that this can only be done by improving value chains. “Agricultural value chains involve many stakeholders and generate lots of information, and the research focuses on making sense of the information. The centre has a post-doctoral candidate who is doing research on applying machine learning for identification, classification and sorting of fresh commodities.”

Transport economist Professor Rose Luke said her team’s work linked closely into what Olaniyi was working on, as they were working on transport and ensuring that the right products get to the right markets.

“We are looking at mobility challenges. The City of Joburg does not have adequate public transport and needs to look at ways to optimise what is currently present in the environment and use existing resources better,” she said.

Luke added that congestion, accidents, disruptions owing to loadshedding, urban sprawl, long travel times and high costs of transport are common mobility challenges and add more capacity through in-

frastructure runs into funding and other challenges.

“We need to look at smart mobility solutions to leverage what is present and what we can do to resolve some of these challenges. The idea is to ensure that everyone’s individual mobility needs are looked after and to make smarter use of what we have to reduce congestion and develop faster, more sustainable transport solutions,” Luke said.

Dr Joash Mageto who works with Luke said research questions based on this are generally about how smart mobility can be defined and what infrastructure, technologies and logistics are required for smart mobility in a city like Joburg.

“The aim is to develop a framework for mobility, environmental, social and economic benefits, potential challenges and also how solutions would be adopted. We found that government cannot participate in an effective way to provide transport as a service but should help create smart mobility solutions by providing proper regulations and infrastructure to support a smart mobility ecosystem,” he said.

Professor Mercy Mpinganjira

“Congestion, accidents, disruptions owing to load-shedding, urban sprawl, long travel times and high costs of transport are common mobility challenges and add more capacity through infrastructure runs into funding and other challenges.”

Basics vital in preventing cyber-attacks

Tech Reporter

At Boston we are immensely proud of our students and graduates that go out there and DO. You know that Nike payoff line? Just do it? Well we believe in that payoff line from the point of view that you cannot just sit back and wait for work or relationship or life success to fall in your lap. You have to make things happen! And Mr Thabang Kevin Khatide is one of our grads who is in the process of making things happen!

So what drove Thabang to try out his hand in this career with a difference?

“After finishing high school at Pretoria Boys High, I knew I wanted to take a very different trajectory than most. I didn’t see myself going straight into the university; I decided to launch myself into the deep end in the world of entrepreneurship and business. I went on to attend many seminars and embarked on a personal development journey, and soon enough, acquired a key mentor who’s guided me into starting my own business after much ideation.”

Thabang continues explaining why he added in some tertiary studies: “For the sake of appeasement of my mom! I decided to complete a short course at Boston City Campus, Lynnwood. The course was in The Principles of Management which had a plethora of ideal entrepreneurial elements.”

Above and beyond that, he stays in studies and “I occasionally take short online courses as well”.

“I have a number of things going on in my life varying from my personal career to managing my business and company Velatswi which is a one of a kind city scooter touring company. I thoroughly enjoy spending my days knowing that I am working on a business that can transform many lives in the long run, and simultaneously the process and journey has allowed me to be stretched and challenged as an individual in various ways.” We all know that entrepreneurial ventures are difficult, what is the most difficult aspect for Thabang? “I least enjoy rejection but work through and around it nonetheless. “

Thabang explains what he does during an average day: “On my end the day would start off with an intense gym session followed by a shower and nutritional breakfast. After all that, it’s back to chipping off the daily tasks set out for the week from the Sunday prior to the week start.”

We asked Thabang if someone was thinking of following in his tracks, what would he recommend? He responded that they would need three important qualities: Efficient time management, Resilience, Grounded character. And how would he describe an entrepreneurial job such as his? “Doing what I do requires someone who’s not only committed to their hustle but has the necessary discipline to fulfil all necessary duties and responsibilities across the board”. He does also believe in training and says, “Training and experience go hand in hand. You’ll

need the training to excel when an opportunity opens up to gain the necessary experience.” While Thabang believes in training as discussed above, he also feels that personal development should be a priority. “Personally, I believe we live in a high opportunity world. A world where paper is no longer the prerequisite to get “paper”. I believe each person needs to qualify themselves in whatever they are passionate about and go about it the best way they deem fit to excel in said field. A starting point most ignore is most certainly personal development and really learning how to come into yourself and honing in on who you want to be in a few years’ time”. He has faced challenges such as starting and running a business in the height of the National Lockdown.

To grade 11s and 12s he advises: “Know what you want and start paving the way on how you will get there, because nowadays we have many parents coaxing their children into career paths and degrees the kids are either not interested in or passionate about. The world has changed. There is a way for everyone to make it without always reverting to the traditional means. On tertiary studies he doesn’t adhere to the formal and strict discipline of all school leavers getting a degree, but he adds, “In due time I will probably enrol in some more short courses to add to my skillset and knowledge base. I’m always interested in attaining key information that I can immediately put to use vs it being assessed, marked, and only after some years have passed will I now fully be able to apply it all.” Would he continue his studies t Boston? “My first experience of Boston in an official setting was with the new Lynnwood branch in Pretoria and it had been nothing short of great. The staff was always on par with their friendly and inviting energy and mainly their helpfulness with their students”.

Cybercriminals are determined to get into the business, steal data, take control and make as much money as possible.

Senior vice-president and evangelist at KnowBe4 Africa, Anna Collard says protection of the business, resources and people relies on everyone understanding the basics and knowing how to apply them.

“The organisation must have the right levels of security technology, policy and processes. There also has to be the right levels of training and understanding to back up the security technology. Companies still do not pay enough attention to the vulnerability that is always open to attack, quick to make mistakes and can accidentally leave the digital door wide open,” Collard says.

Getting to basics means teaching people about the risks, and testing their knowledge to ensure they understand the threats and how to avoid them. This approach is a proven way of ensuring that people get the basic foundations they need to stay security alert and prepared.

Another method that has proven invaluable is the Fogg Behavior model, developed by the founder of the Stanford Behavior Design Lab, BJ Fogg. It suggests that three elements have to be present to ensure that specific behaviour occurs, motivation, ability and prompts. This suggests that security training should

be implemented along smart behavioural change motivations to ensure that lessons directly influence behaviour.

“The problem is that people are busy and stressed at work, so they often ignore the training or see it as an interruption. They also are more likely to make mistakes by clicking on links, or falling for phishing emails if they are tired and distracted. This means security awareness training has to be cultivated properly. It has to be simple to understand and accessible to users,” Collard says.

To ensure that training is more engaging companies need to reinforce the foundational elements of security risk. This means reminding them that they are as much at risk as the business, phishing and hacking are not the exclusive remit of the organisation, and can have long-term personal and professional repercussions for individuals.

Deloitte found that 91% of cyberattacks start with a phishing email, and how a successful attack can bring the business to its knees.

“The basics are also centred around the human firewall in protecting the business, the impact of an attack on the company’s reputation and compliance, the risk of personal loss and fraud and shared responsibility of ensuring that security should be everyone’s priority,” Collard adds.

Thabang Khatide

KnowBe4 evangelist Anna Collard

Designation: Mr South Africa Top 30 Semi Finalist 2022 / Entrepreneur / Profession Model

Jewel City shortlisted in UN investment awards

The development has also been shortlisted for the UN-PRI Emerging Markets Initiative of the Year award as one of the five highest-scoring qualifying entries in the awards’ other four categories.

Johannesburg - Divercity Urban Property Group’s Jewel City Precinct in central Johannesburg has been shortlisted in the Real-world Impact of the Year category of the 2022 United Nations Principles of Responsible Investment (UN-PRI) Awards.

The development has also been shortlisted for the UN-PRI Emerging Markets Initiative of the Year award as one of the five highestscoring qualifying entries in the awards’ other four categories.

The announcement came after Jewel City was named the winner of two South African Property Owners Association (Sapoa) 2022 Property Development Awards for Innovate Excellence - Best Residential Development and the overall Transformation Award.

Divercity CEO Carel Kleynhans said: “We are delighted that Jewel City has received such esteemed recognition. These honours are significant because they are indepen-

dent third-party validation of our thesis that developing affordable quality residential precincts in amenity-rich central locations is a powerful means of positive impact that delivers solid commercial returns.”

Jewel City spans six city blocks of urban amenities in the Joburg inner-city. Divercity invests in these areas to offer essential social amenities such as childcare, education, healthcare, sport facilities, public recreational spaces and retail.

The UN-PRI Real-world Impact of the Year award is given to a signatory who has sought to align its investments with global goals across its portfolio or for given asset classes or an investment product, with an approach that is an example of investing with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or more broadly investing for sustainability impact.

The winner of each UN-PRI Awards category will be announced on 1 December in Barcelona, Spain.

Scammers target jobseekers

City Power said it would never give their staff members’ personal cellphone numbers for jobs or tenders, and it does not use @Gmail or @Workmail

Healthy lifestyle programme for residents

Ntombifuthi Nkosi

City of Joburg officials recently hosted aerobics sessions as part of a healthy lifestyle programme in partnership with local gym instructors from in regions E and A.

Residents have been encouraged to absorb sufficient vitamin D by engaging in outdoor aerobic exercises.

One of the organisers from Region E, Portia Msimang said the goal is to ensure that the community maintains a healthy lifestyle.

“There are several benefits to being physically active, including a

lower risk of getting heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Perhaps you want to reduce weight, decrease your blood pressure, avoid depression or just look better. One that really pertains to me is feeling the brain fog that comes with age; exercise affects the brain in ways that safeguard memory and cognitive abilities,” Msimang said.

About 100 people participated in the outdoor aerobics sessions at Alexandra Stadium (Region E) and Safari Park (Region A).

Katlego Tshabalala was one of the participants and expressed her excitement after the session.

“My muscles feel wonderful, my brain feels amazing, and I feel great in general; I am certainly going to attend these sessions on a regular basis because, as the saying goes, health is wealth,” she added.

Mandla Mahlangu, the Assistant Director for Sport and Recreation in Region A, said the aerobic sessions might boost energy, enhance one’s attitude and promote an overall sense of wellbeing.

“All those endorphins work their way through your body. When you wake up you may be lethargic and sad. After the sessions you have a whole different day,” he said.

Johannesburg - City Power has warned job-seekers of a fake message in which job-seekers are invited to interviews.

City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said the message is fake and should be ignored.

“City Power advertised for the post of electrician and the applications closed on 21 September this year. We are yet to go through the applications and contact the shortlisted applicants,” Mangena said.

The fake message invited unsuspecting job-seekers to interviews at City Power offices on October 10 and asks the applicants to contact someone called Mr Nkambule

on a cell number 076 413 8012. “Do not call him,” Mangena said. City Power added that it would never give their staff members’ personal cellphone numbers for jobs or tenders, and it does not use @Gmail or @Workmail.

“We advise those who have already applied for the electrician job to ignore this fake message and wait for an email or call from City Power’s human resources department if you are shortlisted,” Mangena said.

For queries on any message or phone call concerning this City Power advises job-seekers to contact staff on telephone numbers 011 490 7343 / 7687 / 7099.

Some of the residents who attended the aerobics event

Part of the Jewel City precinct in the Joburg inner-city

City Power’s Isaac Mangena

Joburg youths shine in global AI contest

Their AI project, City Surveillance System, made the shortlist alongside projects from Germany, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Moldova, China, Poland, Portugal, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and the US

Johannesburg - Three teenage girls have competed against thousands of others in a global artificial intelligence (AI) programming festival, and won the event’s country recognition category, each earning about R9 000 and a certificate of global excellence.

They are participants in the SciBono Discovery Centre’s AI for Youth programme, run in partnership with Intel South Africa and Dell Technologies.

The learners at Waverley Girls’ high school Makoma Motloutsi, Unathi Morake and Nomazulu Shwabane won the country recognition award in the Intel AI Global Impact Festival that drew more than 1 000 entries from around the world. Their AI project, City Surveillance System, made the shortlist alongside projects from Germany, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Moldova, China, Poland, Portugal, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and the US.

South Africa country lead at Intel Nitesh Doolabh said: “The South African Intel AI for Youth programme is not yet a year old and the fact that students are competing with others whose programmes are established is a remarkable achieve-

ment, and speaks volumes about the ability, quality and competence of the South African learners and their instructors. They are flying the South African flag high in programming, innovation and digital intelligence.”

The three girls address community safety in their award-winning AI project. Their City Surveillance System has the potential to increase rates of arrest and give the justice system the evidence it needs to secure convictions. The system uses object, body and face recognition software, and an alert system that notifies police of crimes while they are being committed. Its recording mechanism gives security personnel and prosecutors the evidence to convict criminals.

The Intel AI Global Impact Festival convenes established and emerging programmers from around the world to create technology with the potential to improve the lives of all people, everywhere.

“Artificial intelligence is a technology superpower that emerging technologists can use to build solutions that enrich our lives,” Doolabh said.

ICT manager at Sci-Bono, Zelda Fynn said: “The Sci-Bono Discovery Centre refuses to let South Af-

rican learners be excluded from the dynamic and exciting world of artificial intelligence development.”

The Intel AI for Youth programme is putting young Gautengers ahead of the AI learning curve and is delivering exceptional results, such as this win at the Intel AI Global Impact Festival.

The Intel AI for Youth programme at Sci-Bono is delivered in partnership with the Gauteng Department of Education as a pilot project at Waverley Girls’ high school, Emdeni secondary school in Soweto and the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre clubhouse, with potential for a national rollout.

The programme gets 13- to 19-year-olds familiar with the technology that is impacting life and defining the future of the world and the global economy. Learners are trained in the world of AI, and also given free rein to programme, trial and introduce applications and programmes of their own innovation.

“It’s a matter of seeking national investment to roll the project out across South Africa to benefit more young people, and to swell the ranks of South Africa’s skilled, experienced and enthusiastic young AI professionals,” Fynn said.

Car guard killer jailed

Johannesburg - The Johannesburg magistrate’s court has sentenced a man who killed a car guard in the inner-city in August 2018 to 10 years imprisonment.

The man, Philani Mkhulisa, 30, was found guilty of killing car guard Xolani Meswana. Magistrate Hombakazi Twele also found him not fit to possess a firearm.

Hombakazi said while Mkhulisa was a first time offender he had committed a serious crime for which the court had to deter others from committing similar offences.

“The deceased died a painful and unnecessary death. There was no reason for killing him. Killing a person for mere possessions is not right; you alleged that he stole the laptops. The life of a person is more important than possessions. There are ways in which the accused could have dealt with the victim if he thought that he had stolen items from his car,” Twele said.

On August 7 in 2018 Mkhulisa assaulted Meswana in the Joburg inner city.

Mkhulisa had parked his car and went to a restaurant with his girlfriend. When he returned he found it broken into and his laptop and ID missing. He then accused Meswana of breaking into his car and assaulted him. He hit him with his hands and went on to tramp on him with his feet. Meswana was certified dead on the scene.

During trial, the state relied mainly on testimony from Samuel Diseko, a car guard who was with Meswana on the day of the killing.

Diseko detailed how Mkhulisa attacked Meswana after realising that his car had been broken into. The court found his evidence credible and consistent, even with the injuries described in the post mortem report. Diseko, who lived on the streets of Joburg, also died, of natural causes, on August 14.

Minister suggests school language policy change

Johannesburg - Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has said her department needs to change the language policy at schools to make education accessible to all.

Motshekga said government schools should be accessible to all to deal with correcting the past.

“There are schools in communities which were predominantly a certain language but if you are going to allow those communities to continue to admit children on the basis of language, you are blocking other children who have moved into those areas,” Motshekga said.

She denied that such would be taking power away from school governing bodies.

“Those are government schools; we do not go to private schools and change their policies. Those are government schools to which every South African child has the right to access. So it is not anybody’s private school, ” she said.

Man killed in suspected gang shootout

Westbury - One person was shot and killed and another wounded in a shootout in Westbury last Tuesday morning.

Police said the shootout between groups of men is suspected to be related to gang violence. Witnesses said the victims were standing outside a shop when four suspects jumped out of a car and fired several shots at them, leading to a shootout and one of the men fatally wounded.

Gauteng police spokesperson Mavela Masondo said police recovered two unlicensed firearms and more than 70 rounds of ammunition.

“Police received information about a shootout between groups of men in Westbury. Upon arrival at the scene police found two men with gunshot wounds. Both victims were taken to the nearest medical care centre, where one was declared dead on arrival,” Masondo said.

Sci-Bono, ICT manager Zelda Fynn

Minister Angie Motshekga

Tech platform drives access to quality healthcare

regulations, which limited the ability of individuals to access medical facilities

Own Correspondent

A new health-tech platform that connects users to verified nursing professionals, to provide homebased healthcare in real-time has been launched.

Co-founded in partnership between the head of the UCT Tech4Good Lab, Dr Sumarie Roodt and veteran nursing professional Sister Catherine Williams, the platform called Noosi promotes provision of high-quality and compassionate care for users, who can use the platform to access an extensive array of at-home healthcare services. These include counselling, chronic disease care, mental and psychiatric care, with patients able to crossreference their healthcare needs against a list of nearby professionals registered on the platform.

Police hunt for Shoprite robbers

Johannesburg - Police are requesting community assistance with information that may lead to the arrest of suspects wanted for the Shoprite business robbery.

Police spokesperson Captain Xoli Mbele said on 3 October a security guard at the entrance of Shoprite Mini Brixton High Street was opening for staff members when he saw a man who was dressed like a security guard wanting to get inside.

“He blocked him and told him that the shop is not yet opened. The suspect pointed a firearm at the security guard and forced him with two staff members to the parcel counter and took their cellphones. The suspect was joined by four accomplices and they took an undisclosed amount of money and fled the scene. Anyone with information can contact Sergeant Steven Maboko of Johannesburg Central Trio Detectives on 072 705 1021 or contact the nearest police station,” he said.

He added that community members are encouraged to report any criminal activities to the nearest police station or contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111; or via the My SAPS app.

Digitally-enabled home-based healthcare has emerged as a popular alternative to patients seeking care, due in part to Covid-19 pandemic regulations, which limited the ability of individuals to access medical facilities, and drove the uptake of telemedicine solutions.

Roodt says Noosi is founded upon a desire to reinvigorate the South African healthcare system.

“We believe that by leveraging a ‘tech4good’ approach this can be achieved in a way that empowers hard-working nurses with improved employment opportunities, while affording patients affordable and accessible healthcare,” she says.

Roodt adds that this has garnered the company several inquests from potential investors, which culminated in Noosi receiving an undisclosed pre-seed investment from

Anton Musgrave, partner at Futureworld International, and Vanessa September, CEO of the Constitution Hill Trust, earlier this year.

On this Musgrave says: “The Noosi vision is one that has exponential growth potential, particularly as healthcare has become a prominent global issue. We have seen tremendous growth in initiatives that prioritise the wellbeing of the public, and the home-based healthcare market is case-in-point.”

The investment into Noosi also comes as Africa’s health-tech industry has recorded impressive growth over the past few years.

In 2020 more than 40 health-tech startups on the continent received series-A funding. This trend is expected to continue, as governments across the continent recommit themselves to achiev-

ing health-based outcomes laid out in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the African Union’s Agenda 2063 roadmap.

September says: “Across the globe communities are recognising that to realise one’s right to good health, we must develop interventions that are patient-centric and approaches that ensure that healthcare services are in tune with patient needs. When hearing about this initiative, its aim to empower both healthcare workers and those in need of care, and the fact that it was driven by an all-women team, I was very keen to add my support in the form of an investment.”

Noosi will expand across several provinces in South Africa over the new year, with global ambitions in the medium to long-term.

Residents take charge of ward development

Residents of Region F in wards 58, 59, 60, 61 and 123 recently converged at the Brixton Multipurpose Centre for a community-based planning workshop.

The workshop helps the municipality to understand community issues and service delivery backlogs.

This year, the City of Joburg is using a combined approach for effective participation by applying the Asset-Based Community-Driven Development (ABCD) methodology, and various planning tools.

The ABCD recognises that communities have their own assets, aspirations and capabilities. The community can look at what is good in their ward, use asset mapping, mobilise and put assets to work to build their community.

The city started using the ABCD approach in 2019, but that was halt-

ed by Covid-19. It then undertook online participation. When Covid-19 regulations were relaxed in February 2022, the city had hybrid meetings.

This month, the ABCD approach has been restarted with face to face sessions.

The proceedings started with a plenary session chaired by Councillor Alex Christians, the chairperson of the Housing Sub-Mayoral Committee in the City of Joburg. Following the session wards were separated into commissions to deliberate on issues in their communities. Each ward session was chaired by a facilitator from the city’s Community Participation Unit assisted by Citizen Relationship and Urban Management (CRUM) and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA).

Kureish Isaacs, deputy director for Public Participation in the City of

Joburg, who was one of the facilitators, said: “These sessions allow the residents to identity priority projects using approaches such as identifying opportunities, strengths and other methods. The city has planned 39 sessions over eight Saturdays in October and November 2022. Communities are able to manage their own development and will do so when given the opportunity.”

A resident in Crosby’s Ward 58, Zahida Osman said she hopes the three Capex priorities will be looked at by the city and action taken.

Another resident said the session was more targeted, and the groups were able to drill down into what is needed to start fixing the ward. He said previously they had an infinite list of requests, which the city could not address. Now they have three projects affecting the ward, which

they can motivate for the city to pay attention to.

Residents presented ideas on what they can do with minimal assistance from the city. These include food gardens and block watchers to secure city infrastructure.

Concerns were raised regarding city buildings which have become slums in Mayfair, parks that need to be upgraded and secured, while some city buildings have become white elephants and old age homes need maintenance.

Each ward identified three priority capex projects; quick turnaround projects communities can do with minimal assistance from the city and private sector or business; and community-driven project programmes communities and wards can do for themselves.

The three priority projects will be submitted for inclusion in the 2023/24 financial year.

Professional nurse partners help with mental health and psychiatric care

Digitally-enabled home-based healthcare has emerged as a popular alternative to patients seeking care, due in part to Covid-19 pandemic

Dudu Lushaba

Part of the community session in Brixton

Astonishing family tale for patrons

Bongani Maseko

Joburg Theatre has announced presentation of August Wilson’s Fences play, under the stewardship of artistic director James Ngcobo.

Theatre presents The Lesson

Lusanda Zokufa

The Market Theatre presents a new version of Eugène Ionesco’s The Lesson by Greg Homann, starring theatre veterans Graham Hopkins and Fiona Ramsay alongside newcomer Lihle Ngubo.

This thrilling new version of the gripping play is based on a translation by Donald Watson.

It is a darkly entertaining theatre production about enforcing power by using knowledge and culture as a weapon.

Set in a small university town, an eager 18-yearold student arrives at the professor’s home for a lesson. The action begins in a naturalistic way but shifts into a stylistic and visual feast, as more surreal and absurd events take hold. What starts as a farcical interaction between the two becomes something more sinister.

The production stars two of South Africa’s most seasoned thespians, Graham Hopkins and Fiona Ramsay, who just concluded a celebrated run of Hansard at the Theatre on the Square. Joining this formidable duo is rising star Lihle Ngubo, who makes her debut on the Market Theatre stage.

The original one-act play sits as a canonic piece of French playwriting by Romanian-French playwright Eugène Ionesco, one of the founding fathers of the theatre of the absurd.

This play has been translated into dozens of languages, and its message is no less relevant today than when it was first performed in the

aftermath of the Second World War.

This new version by multi-awardwinning theatre maker, Greg Homann, has been updated to connect more directly with a South African audience. The broad structure of the play remains the same, as does the dramatic arc but the language and politics of the work has been shifted to focus on the complexity of a post-colonial education in a contemporary setting.

“I am interested in how the legacy of a colonial education system impacts students today. The national cry to decolonise education, and especially the Rhodes Must Fall Movement, have highlighted the complexity of teaching and learning in a South African university. The Lesson is a theatrical way to represent and explore that politics.” said Greg Homann.

Working with Homann as assistant director is the highly creative Nana Pooe.

“After two years of being restricted to work on our theatre craft due to Covid-19, I feel honoured to be working alongside Greg Homann on this production. Not only is the timing perfect but the politics which arise in The Lesson, and the themes in it, are closest to my heart, systems of oppression, social order and education, among others,” Pooe says.

Homann moved to the United Kingdom shortly before the pandemic and returns to direct this adaptation of the original play.

“Relocating to the UK in 2019 was with the intention of continuing to create work and opportunities that were centred around being South African. I saw the move as a way to challenge how I explore my identity and theatre work beyond the space and home that was so familiar to me. The pandemic has made that challenge greater, and as tough as it has been, it has in some positive ways fed my creativity in aspects that I could never have imagined. I am now more excited than ever to be back in Johannesburg to work on The Lesson at The Market Theatre with a brilliant cast and team,” Homann says.

The comicdrama’s contemporary resonances are clear; it captures the headiness and absolute power of oppressive and toxic patriarchal forms of knowledge production on unsuspecting innocents.

For more information on the play visit the site http:// www.markettheatre.co.za.

African American playwright, Wilson, is best known for his astonishing plays like Fences, Piano Lesson, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and The Pittsburgh Cycle, which chronicles the experiences and heritage of the African-American community in the 20th century. He won a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award for Fences and earned a second Pulitzer Prize for Piano Lesson Fences is a 1985 play, set in the 1950s. It is the sixth in Wilson’s ten-part Pittsburgh Cycle Fences explores the evolving AfricanAmerican experience and examines race relations, among other themes.

At the height of the Civil Rights Movement Wilson penned the most astonishing stories. He weaved intricate narratives that told the stories of dreamers and dreams deferred.

Ngcobo has started the task of

Playwright and actor John Kani

curating the spaces, he ushers the storytelling through this linkage of the narrative from the diaspora, with Fences as part of Black History Month.

This work will feature world renowned Dr John Kani. He will be leading some of the finest talents in Joburg on the Nelson Mandela stage. The cast will be the supporting company that will help the audience gain access to this emotional tale about a family.

Fences will be directed by American playwright Ricardo Khan an acclaimed director on international stages. He co-founded the Tony Award winning Crossroads Theatre Company of New Jersey. Fences is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French Inc.

Joburg Theatre will welcome patrons in the New Year with this production to outline the pinnacle success of the 60 years of connecting stars in the City of Gold.

The Lesson features theatre veterans Graham Hopkins and Fiona Ramsay, together with newcomer Lihle Ngubo

The broad structure of the play remains the same, as does the dramatic arc but the language and politics of the work has been shifted to focus on the complexity of a postcolonial education

SABC to stream World Cup matches

All the live match presentations will include a live studio build-up with match previews and the latest team and player news, presented by SABC Sport anchors and top analysts, both on TV and radio.

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has announced acquisition to broadcast the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023.

The FIFA World Cup in Qatar this year is set to take place from 20 November to 18 December 2022, with the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand next year taking place between 20 July and 20 August.

In a statement the SABC said the SABC sport channel will be the primary broadcast platform for the live presentation of the

matches, with SABC 1, SABC 2 and SABC 3 also carrying the games live simultaneously. Audiences will also be able to enjoy the live action from the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in the language of their choice on SABC radio stations, it said.

All the live match presentations will include a live studio build-up with match previews and the latest team and player news, presented by SABC Sport anchors and top analysts, both on TV and radio.

As part of their “always-on” digital strategy, all the latest news, score updates, log table, streaming services and live match commentary will be available on the SABC Sport digital platforms, ensuring that the au-

diences do not miss a single minute of the World Cup.

SABC group chief executive officer Madoda Mxakwe said acquisition of the World Cup Qatar 2022 has always been their strategic decision.

“The FIFA World Cup creates various marketing opportunities for SABC Sport and other sub-brands, and we will optimally use this event to create a sense of euphoria for South Africans everywhere. We are committed to ensure that we provide our audiences with renewed sense of excitement and provide the matches to the audiences with nobarrier to entry through television, radio and digital broadcast,” Mxakwe said.

SABC group CEO Madoda Mxakwe

Sports Reporter