Inner City Gazette

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Grade R -11 Metropolitan College 170 Pritchard Street Tel – 011 402 9502

Est 2009 Issue 18 - 2021

Tel : 011 616 1523 Inner-City Gazette

Email : info@inner-city-gazette.co.za @ICG_Sales

15 - 22 July 2021

Website : www.inner-city-gazette.co.za 072 824 3014

Inner City Gazette

Partnership to improve youth employment

Corporate leader Khethiwe Nkuna

Johannesburg - The Accenture Africa organisation has announced a partnership with Global Opportunity Youth Network (GOYN) that aims to address youth unemployment.

Accenture Africa corporate citizenship and inclusion leader Khethiwe Nkuna says South Africa has 7.2 million unemployed people, a majority being youths.

“We see a huge need to solve global unemployment, and also address challenges SA youths face. Our Market Intelligence Report revealed that there has been activity and investment, particularly in Gauteng and Western Cape, but not much in KZN which hosts over 50% of unemployed youth. We have piloted in KZN with a focus on eThekwini,” Nkuna says.

According to Accenture many organisations offer training or job opportunities without looking holistically at the individual and addressing challenges related to their local context.

To ensure that solutions address challenges encountered by youth in their communities GOYN hosts a Youth Advisory Group (YAG), a platform for youth ambassadors from different organisations and communities to align on key challenges and potential solutions. Outcomes from these discussions are then shared with stakeholders to ensure that the youth voice is considered in creation of initiatives and solutions.

Founded by the Aspen Institute’s Forum for Community Solutions and co-led by Youth Build International,

Accenture, Catholic Relief Services, Global Development Incubator and Prudential, the GOYN approach to address youth unemployment is being implemented in South Africa, Kenya, Brazil, Colombia, India, and recently started in Mexico and Senegal.

In South Africa the project started in November 2019 as a 10-year initiative run by Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator and the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), in conjunction with Accenture and Youth Build International, a global project with support from both local and global funders.

Accenture says the aim is to scale the initiative to national level. GOYN has partnered with Harambee and NYDA as part of the Presidential Youth Em-

ployment Intervention to be part of a national multi-stakeholder network called SA Youth.

SA Youth is a free national network to ensure that all learning, earning and support opportunities are visible to all youths in South Africa. They can join the network free through a zero-rated mobi-site, sayouth.mobi and employers and partners looking for engaged, entry level talent can register and load opportunities on the SA Youth Partner Network at partners sayouth.org.za.

Nkuna adds that SA faces fragmentation and duplication of services due to lack of or weak partnerships.

“Rather than just being funders, we plug the gaps, enable a growing economy and society that works, powered by the potential of youths,” she says.

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Inner-city Gazette

News

15 - 22 July 2021

Inside a cybercrook’s mind Life

is hard

–

but it’s also fun and challenging!

wellness helps us not only cope with the

helps us thrive. every day your

Overall challenges, but

Boston Media House has a few tips to make wellness day – mental physical and academic!

Like with any other project, (wellness is a self-project), steps and tips must be practical, easy convenient and doable! Don’t take on anything that you know from the outset won’t happen.

1. Start your day with a glass of water Coffee’s great too, so if you need your morning cuppa, make it your reward for your glass of water.

Hydrating first thing in the morning helps to aid digestion, enhance skin health and boost your energy.

2. Whenever you can, take the stairs.

What we mean here is increase your steps and your physical activity every chance you get. Steps also strengthen and tone your legs and core while you’re at it!

3. When you are dishing up, make half your plate veggies Veggies provide essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients important for health and longevity. And, because they’re rich in fibre, they help to aid digestion and keep you feeling full longer.

5. Use basic household ingredients for cleaning that are nontoxic – lemon juice, vinegar and bicarb. And sunlight soap!

6. If you are eating yoghurt, choose the non-sugared non-flavoured real stuff (ok – I wouldn’t do this one either but I had to try).

7. Stand up every 30 minutes while working – set a reminder on your phone. Even better do 20 star jumps. You will be out of breath but this is good for body and mind, concentration included.

8. Go out there and get your vitamin D. We find the best way to do this and combine a few tips in one, is walk around the bock, with a friend. This way you get to exercise, socialise, take a break and get your Vit D in!

9. Get a leafy house pet – we mean a plant 😊 -at your desk, research even shows they improve mood, creativity and problem solving!

10. work hard, be kind, reach out to your friends.

11. Switch your mindset to positivity - smile!

12. Join or create a study group.

These give support, assistance and friendships. 13. Get enough sleep. Most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep each night.

14. Practice gratitude each day— Get a notebook that will be your gratitude journal and write one thing in it every day as you wake up – before you drink your glass of water.

And remember: 1. Develop a sense of yourself – set goals 2. Accept yourself fully 3. Give yourself permission to want

Tech Reporter

T

here are many kinds of cyber-criminals, but a majority are in it for the money that comes with offering their tools or services, selling stolen data, extortion like ransomware or plain fraud.

Senior content strategist at KnowBe4 Africa, Anna Collard says it is critical to understand how cyber criminals operate, the tools they use and approaches to embed robust security within the organisation.

“With ransomware going rampant and victim organisations paying up to millions of US dollars to the extortionists, this is going to get worse. The US government has declared ransomware a national cybersecurity challenge; and that there will be serious implications for anyone attacking their infrastructure.

This may lead more criminals to shift towards emerging economies in Africa, where we do not have the capacities to stop them,” Collard says.

Social engineering or people-hacking is a popular way to distribute ransomware, predominately by tricking people into falling for their phishing scams.

Collard says password spraying is another technique.

“The actor selects a common password, like the organisation’s name, followed by the year, and tries it against every user in the organisation. They scrape names of employees from LinkedIn, and using this information try the possible password against the list of names.

Then it keeps on cycling until it hits a winning entry,” says Collard.

She adds that this level of attack shows how important it is to undertake consistent employee training and security skills development.

“No matter how secure your perimeter is, how much money is spent on security systems, one poor password can open the doors to the threat actors,” she says.

Multi-factor authentication and training are invaluable in the office, and even more critical as people work from home and other locations. Employees may migrate to coffee shops for power

KnowBe4 vice-president Anna Collard

and Wi-Fi during load-shedding. Public Wi-Fi is wide open and home networks with poor passwords or out-dated software are open doors.

“It is also important to make sure employees use a VPN, though it is not guaranteed protection. With home routers being vulnerable due to people not configuring them correctly or updating them, it might be worthwhile sending pre-configured routers and firewalls to employees’ homes, especially for those who access highly confidential information,” Collard says.

Another challenge is keeping up with vulnerabilities and patch management, a complicated task in bigger environments.

“Make sure passwords are secure, not stored in diaries or on open platforms like Slack or Google Hangouts, that they understand how to identify social engineering attacks and keep security hygiene at the forefront of all communication. People need to have the skills to protect themselves and the organisation,” Collard says.

Threat actors are organised and well paid for their pursuit of vulnerabilities, simple mistakes and human error.

Organisations have to engage in robust cyber monitoring and detection systems, have clear safety policies, consistent training and security boundaries.

15 - 22 July 2021

Inner-city Gazette

3

News

Ombudsman resolves service delivery issues Johannesburg - The City of Joburg Ombudsman’s office has advised residents that they can get assistance in resolving service delivery issues with the metropolitan council.

In a statement the Ombudsman’s office says it encourages accountability and good governance; improves relations between municipalities and residents; provides an impartial voice and reduces litigation costs. “The office ensures that complaints relating to the City of Joburg are resolved through investigation. However action is only taken if all official channels have been exhausted and the dispute remains unresolved.”

The Ombudsman’s office, now situated in Braamfontein, was established in October 2014 through the Ombudsman bylaw. It opened in July 2015, based at Wildsview in Houghton. Since then it has registered 4 443 complaints.

The Ombudsman is accountable to council subject to bylaw provisions.

Ombudsman Advocate Siduduzo Gumede said they provide impartial and confidential assistance in resolving disputes.

He explained that they investigate complaints where there are allegations of residents having suffered in-

justice; contravention of rights to efficient service; adherence to principles of fairness and administrative justice, human rights; and seek appropriate redress.

“We develop awareness of human rights among the residents; assist in preserving and promoting compliance with all resolutions, policies and by-laws governing the municipality.

We also provide for the reporting on the possibility of amending the processes or policies of the municipality, and to make recommendations to the city manager to enhance implementation of human rights; undertake studies and report to the mayor and the city manager on human rights matters,” Gumede said.

The Ombudsman may investigate contravention of the Code of Conduct for municipal staff members; failure to comply with the Municipal Systems Act; maladministration to the prejudice of the public; abuse of power; improper conduct in municipality affairs; and action or omission resulting in unlawful or improper prejudice.

The Ombudsman however may not investigate legislative decisions by the Council and alleged irregular conduct of a councillor; a matter with le-

gal or arbitration proceedings having begun or about to or likely to begin, to which the Council is or likely to be a party. Also included are matters relating to prosecution of alleged offenders; and a dispute which must be handled within the labour laws; issues about the Council’s financial affairs audit; and where available internal remedies have not been exhausted; unless the Ombudsman considers that refusal to act would result in injustice to the complainant.

Gumede said complaints must first be sent to the regional office, so that they may address the issue if it is not resolved.

“The issue may be about an electricity bill, so the resident must get to the revenue department and report the matter. If it is not resolved then it may be reported to the Ombudsman’s office,” he said.

CSIR notes decrease in Covid-19 infections Johannesburg - On Monday the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) researchers said evidence suggests that new Covid-19 infections have been dropping steadily over the past week in Gauteng province.

The nation’s economic hub is also the most populous province, making it the perfect place for the highly transmissible Delta Covid-19 variant to spread.

In recent weeks the Gauteng active caseload rose alarmingly, at one point breaching 100 000 active cases.

CSIR senior researcher Dr Ridhwaan Suliman said they have observed a decrease of 13% week-on-week in new infections.

“It is promising that Gauteng has surpassed the peak of infections,” he said.

He however added that it does not mean that the danger has passed, with Gauteng still adding around 10 000 positive results to its active caseload daily.

“We need to understand that the case incidents rate is still incredibly high at 65 new cases per

CSIR researcher Dr Ridhwaan Suliman

100 000 population per day, so the risk is still high,” Dr Suliman said.

He added that concern is that other provinces seem to be in the same trajectory as Gauteng.

He pointed out that there are complaints boxes with forms to be filled at regional offices.

“Fill the form and place it in the box and investigation will be conducted by qualified lawyers,” Gumede said.

He added that they have at least two ambassadors in all the city’s regions.

“The ambassadors programme was launched recently, and the personnel explain the duties of the office to the public. Those who cannot read or write will also be assisted in completing complaints forms,” he said.

Advocate Siduduzo Gumede

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News

Inner-city Gazette

15 - 22 July 2021

Gauteng agency highlights African trade role

GGDA group CEO Mosa Tshabalala

Johannesburg - The Gauteng Growth and Development Agency (GGDA) says the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) will create one of the largest trade areas in the world, connecting 55 African countries with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of $3.4 trillion.

The agency says AfCFTA has the potential to lift 30 million people out of extreme poverty, but achieving full potential will depend on policy reforms and trade facilitation measures.

“Successful implementation will be key, including careful monitoring of impacts on all workers, women and

men, skilled and unskilled across all countries and sectors.”

The agency adds that AfCFTA can boost Africa’s income by $450 billion by 2035, a gain of 7%, while adding $76 billion to the income of the rest of the world.

“It has created the possibility of lifting 30 million Africans out of extreme poverty and boosting the incomes of nearly 68 million who live on less than $5.50 a day. Under AfCFTA, extreme poverty would decline across Africa, with the biggest improvements in countries with high poverty rates. Full implementation of AfCFTA will see red tape cut and customs procedures simplified,” says the GGDA. According to the Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the AfCFTA has the potential to boost intraAfrican trade by 52.3% by eliminating import duties, and drive $292 billion of the $450 billion in potential income gains.

As the global economy is in turmoil due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the

vast AfCFTA regional market will enable African countries to diversify their exports, accelerate growth, and attract foreign direct investment.

The GGDA is developing and implementing the AfCFTA Gauteng roadmap that will assist Gauteng companies to increase trade and expand operations into the rest of the continent.

At a recent webinar on unlocking Africa’s possibilities through AfCFTA, GGDA group CEO Mosa Tshabalala said over the last six years Gauteng exported goods and services worth R6 trillion to the African region.

“The GGDA identifies and facilitates trade between South Africa and African countries. The agency looks for opportunities to leverage off each other’s common sectors and needs. A great example of this is the automotive sector in Ghana working together with the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zones,” she added.

Another example is the expanding cocoa industry in Ghana, which has created 800 000 jobs in that country and makes up 21% of the cocoa market share of West Africa. It exports 10% of its chocolate to Gauteng, and this is expected to grow.

The GGDA facilitated collaboration between Ghanaian cocoa manufacturers and South African companies that were at the end of the processing chain.

The finished product was then sold by the South African market to the rest of the world.

The GGDA added that it plans to identify infrastructure opportunities between the African countries and Gauteng companies, strengthen their role and train them to be export ready.

The woman wearing police items

Woman impersonates cops Johannesburg - JMPD officers recently arrested a woman who was found wearing police items for allegedly impersonating a police officer in Von Wielligh Street.

JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla said officers asked to see her police appointment card but she did not have any. “She said she had the SAPS logo embroidered at a shop in Carletonville, but does not know where those who did that are now,” Fihla said.

He added that she had a pending case, and should have appeared in court the previous day; and had previously been arrested for shoplifting; and also suspected that she could be mentally disturbed,” Fihla added.

Police spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo said she has been charged with impersonating a police officer.

15 - 22 July 2021

Inner-city Gazette

Campaign to rescue SMMEs Johannesburg - Financial services company Finfind says debt, lack of cash reserves, outdated financials and inability to operate has forced 42,7% of small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) to close.

Nedbank has announced the launch of initiatives to help SMMEs boost their operations, where they can win a share of R1million. It said 100 owners stand to win R10 000 each when they open a Nedbank Startup Bundle, in a competition between 12 July and 15 October 2021.

Nedbank’s head of marketing Sandrine Prinsloo says this is to empower small businesses; whether they are starting off, established or looking to innovate.

“These owners will need a banking partner who understands their challenges and responds with flexible solutions to meet their needs. Our value-added services for owners include MoneyTracker, which lets them

track their finances on the Nedbank Money app and online banking. The Essential Guide for Small-business Owners features information needed when embarking on a new business journey and can be downloaded for free on nedbank.co.za. Furthermore, SimplyBiz offers a free digital platform for all entrepreneurs to tap into a community of business trailblazers to network, share real advice, get access to practical guides, downloadable templates, discounts, ongoing learning and advertising,” Prinsloo adds.

Small businesses can open a Startup Bundle via the Nedbank Money app or Nedbank.co.za/small-businessservices to have access to banking, additional services and funding.

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5

IEC launches online registration Johannesburg - The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has launched an online registration system for voters to register ahead of the local government elections.

The elections have been scheduled for late October this year, though a potential postponement is subject to a

Head of marketing Sandrine Prinsloo

special commission of inquiry.

IEC spokesperson Kate Bapela says the online process is user-friendly.

“It’s an easy process; go to www.registertovoteelections.org.za and click ‘register to vote now’ and enter details and a one-time pin will be sent to a user’s cellphone number,” she says.

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Inner-city Gazette

15 - 22 July 2021

15 - 22 July 2021

Inner-city Gazette

The Arts

7

SAMRO collects royalties from digital platforms ‘The licensing agreements will benefit members with social media platforms Facebook, TikTok as well as video streaming platform Netflix.’

Busi Nyandeni

T

Gordon Splash

Coping with Covid-19 lockdown as an artist

Johannesburg - Nigerian artist Gordon Splash says the with the Covid-19 lockdown it has not been easy in the entertainment industry.

“We would get booked to perform at least three times a week, but now we don’t get any bookings. I am also an events manager and planner, and pay bills from hosting events and performing. It is easier to produce music here than in Nigeria as facilities are more accessible,” he says.

He adds that after releasing his My kind of girl, Ebelebe and Nwa baby singles in 2019 and 2020, he is set to release a two track EP by the end of July 2021. The songs include Omaricha featuring Da Silva and Ifeoma featuring Superstar ME. “Despite Covid-19, God is helping me chase my dreams; and artists must not depend on music alone as this has been an eye opener,” he says.

Instagram: @gordonenyi; Facebook page: Gordon Splash; Twitter:gordon88615118

Ivan Domiciano and Monike Cristina in Don Quixote Pas de Deux Pic: Lauge Sorensen

Joburg Ballet presents Solo Flight

Di Sparks

J

oburg Ballet’s production of Evolve, postponed to 2022, is replaced by a new programme, Solo Flight, at the Joburg Theatre for six performances from 12 to 15 August 2021.

Joburg Ballet artistic director Iain MacDonald says Solo Flight reflects current circumstances.

“It will showcase the depth of talent in Joburg Ballet in an hour-long programme tailored for the times that will enchant audiences,” Nasser said.

Solo Flight will include highlights from The Flames of Paris, Raymonda, Le Corsaire, Swan Lake, La Bayadère,

Paquita, Giselle and Don Quixote.

Also in the line-up are two iconic ballet duets, Le Spectre de la Rose and Flower Festival at Genzano. There will also be newly choreographed solo for male dancer by Mario Gaglione and an appearance by two of ballet’s most irresistible siblings, Cinderella’s Ugly Sisters.

Solo Flight will be followed by a season of the full-length Nutcracker at the Joburg Theatre in October.

Those with tickets for the cancelled Evolve will be contacted to arrange either cancellation or transfer of their bookings to Solo Flight. For queries email michael@joburgtheatre.com.

he Southern Africa Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) says following licensing agreements it is collecting royalties on behalf of its members from digital platforms Facebook, Netflix and TikTok. SAMRO chairperson, Nicholas Maweni says this is a major step towards adapting its licensing and royalty payments to the technological landscape.

“The licensing agreements will benefit members with social media platforms Facebook, TikTok as well as video streaming subscription platform Netflix. We are collecting royalties on behalf of members for all copyright-protected content that features on the platforms,” he says.

Maweni adds that before the conclusion of the deals platforms such as Facebook prohibited the use of copyright-protected content on their networks.

“This deal is going to enrich these platforms through the use of highquality content produced by our

SAMRO chairperson Nicholas Maweni

members, while broadening the scope and usage of member content; which will result in enhanced revenue for our members. It is essential that as SAMRO we license all music users and ensure that we deliver maximum value to our members,” he says.

Maweni adds that the technological evolution is a welcome development as it creates new avenues through which the public can experience creative works, at the same time opening up new opportunities for their members.

“We deal with the Facebook, Netflix and TikTok platforms following an existing arrangement with the Google search engine. The SAMRO board is committed to administering music rights on behalf of music composers, authors, and publishers,” Maweni adds.

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Banyana official succumbs to Covid-19 Following a meeting between SAFA, women’s league’s sponsor Hollywoodbets and SABC, a decision was taken to suspend the Super League games.

Sports Reporter

T

he South African Football Association (SAFA) has announced the death of Banyana Banyana kit manager, Aletta Ngidi, who succumbed to Covid-19 complications on Tuesday morning.

The association said Ngidi had been ill for the past weeks.

SAFA CEO Advocate Tebogo Motlanthe said: “We have lost a dedicated servant of the game.

She was supposed to be part of the delegation of Banyana to travel to Netherlands two weeks ago for a friendly match in Zwolle. That trip was called off after some players

and officials tested positive. We are devastated and send our heartfelt condolences to her family, colleagues and friends. May her soul rest in peace.’’

Banyana coach Desire Ellis said she is devastated by the passing away of Ngidi.

“There were no dull moments in her presence. She led the singing in the bus and dressing room, and there was always lots of vibe when she was around. This is a massive loss,” Ellis said.

Meanwhile following a meeting between SAFA, women’s league’s sponsor Hollywoodbets and SABC, a decision was taken to suspend

the Hollywoodbets Super League games.

That came from recommendations from SAFA chief medical officer Dr Thulani Ngwenya who is also the compliance officer.

Issues considered included the daily increases in Covid-19 cases; players in this league testing positive, and the difficulty in containing the new Delta variant which is much more infectious.

SABC manager for sport Gary Rathbone said the broadcaster is aligned with the government regulations and the need to take all necessary steps to restrict the transmission of the Covid-19 virus.

“We need to take all steps necessary to ensure the players and everyone involved in the broadcast thereof remain safe during this challenging period. We fully support the decision to suspend the league,” Rathbone said.

Hollywoodbets commercial manager Sandisiwe Bhengu said they support putting the safety of the players, coaching staff and all stakeholders first.

“Hollywoodbets will continue with efforts to grow this league and uplift the participants in the sport,” she said.

The league matches will resume on the weekend of 7 August 2021.

Late Banyana kit manager Aletta Ngidi