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Inner-City Gazette

Issue 43 - 2019

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31 October - 7 November 2019

Website : www.inner-city-gazette.com

072 824 3014

Inner City Gazette

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Regional bank expects over US$40 billion deal at investment forum

About $38.7 billion investments were pledged at last year’s conference, with 10 percent of it having been concluded

Development Bank of Southern Africa’s Patrick McGee

Johannesburg - The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) expects over 60 deals to be clinched at the 2019 Africa Investment Forum to be held on November 11-13 in Johannesburg. The DBSA’s Lead Investment relations officer Patrick McGee said they have been holding road shows in various parts of Africa to identify the 60 projects from 30 countries to be presented at the forum. “We are optimistic that we will be accelerating the transformation of the African continent. We are looking at over US$40 billion investment. We are looking at how we can speed up transactions and synergize

working with multinational development world,” said McGee. The Africa Investment Forum is a co-guarantee and co-financing platform to raise capital and accelerate investment to transform Africa’s economic, agricultural and industrial sectors. McGee said that about 38.7 billion dollars’ investments were pledged at last year’s conference, with 10 percent of it having been concluded. Last week, pan-African business services company Mara Group launched a smartphone manufacturing plant in Durban. That was after the group pledged to invest $100 million in South Af-

rica at the investment forum last year, which was also held in Johannesburg. “We have gathered enough projects from different sectors like energy, infrastructure and others. We expect more deals this year,” McGee said. Head of structured finance at Gauteng Infrastructure Financing Agency, Nathaniel Munetsi said SA faces increasing fiscal pressure at all levels of the government. “The government is looking forward to working with the private sector to address the infrastructural gap, create jobs and grow the country’s economy,” Munetsi said.

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31 October - 7 November 2019

For further information contact Boston on 011 551 2000 Email: info@boston.co.za Visit www.boston.co.za, or Facebook

Let’s

speak about the unspeakable

suicide awareness and mental health According to the World Health Organisation close to 800 000 people die due to suicide every year. Suicide is not about wanting to die; it is about wanting to end one’s unbearable pain of despair, anxiety or depression. It’s about not being able to see a way out of a situation. “The people around us are valuable, life is precious, and we must try to do everything in our power to stop people from making negative and irreversible decisions,” says Nonhlanhla Dube of Boston City Campus & Business College. People need to feel valued and loved. We can make a difference, showing them, “I believe in you,” - giving a person a sense of hope, that there is always a plan b, no matter how bad a situation may seem at the time. We can’t promise people everything will work out the way they want it to – but we can show them that there is another possibility, and we can try help someone in pain. Nonhlanhla gives a few tips on how you can help them: Pay close attention If someone mentions that they are dealing with depression or suicidal thoughts – do not dismiss it as something they can handle on their own. Talking about their feelings means they are asking for help – even if they aren’t explicitly saying “Help me.” Talk Don’t sweep difficult subjects under the rug.

If you are concerned that

someone is considering suicide, openly ask them about it and talk about their feelings. Listen Sometimes a person who is thinking terrible thoughts just needs a friend to be a sounding board to express their fears, anger and despair.

Nonhlanhla Dube Face it head-on After you listen to them, ask them openly: “Are you thinking about suicide/ harming yourself?” Let them know you are there for them and that they are not alone. “Keep in mind that while you can offer support, you can’t heal them. When you give advice, it should be to seek professional help from someone trained in this aspect of counselling. Never hide it If someone needs help, you have a responsibility to help them. Don’t agree to confidentiality. We all want to be there for our friends when they need us, but what should we do if they open up to us about their mental health struggles? Laura, 17, shares her tips.

Assess whether you are mentally stable enough to support them Listen to them Ask what they would like from you Talk to an adult Check up on them Nonhlanhla continues saying she understands that we all are dealing with our own issues. “It’s okay if you can’t always be there for your friends. We all have our own life challenges and if you are currently struggling with your mental health, anxiety or a huge workload – it’s completely understandable that you cannot be drained by those of a friend as well. However, “don’t simply ignore them” she says. “Alert a family member or college lecturer to take up the issue. Contact professional organisations to assist such as Lifeline (011715 2000) or SADAG (South African Depression and Anxiety Group) on 0800 567 567 (Suicide Crisis Line) or 011 234 4837 (Mental Health Line).” “Look for warning signs and report on them if you feel things are out of the ordinary”. These include: Withdrawal Depression, tearfulness, no appetite Reliance on alcohol or even caffeine drinks to get through the day Friend not taking calls, not responding to messages, missing class/assessments or exams Mentioning key words that include selfharm, failure or fear of disappointing parents etc “While suicide is often a taboo subject, we need to bring it into the open to help heal those in need. Being aware of warning signs can help us take the necessary action wherever we can. Remember, you need support during this difficult time too. Do your best by providing the necessary support, by being there, and referring to professional help when you feel that’s the best option,” concludes Nonhlanhla.

Instagram is ‘banning special effects on the platform

Instagram clamps down on special effects Johannesburg - In the age of social media, manipulating your selfie with the help of online filters has never been easier; be it adding a cute pair of cat ears, or virtually plumping up your lips or trimming down the size of your nose. But Instagram is now clamping down on special effects that mimic the results of cosmetic surgery. Spark AR, the augmented reality platform behind the filters, took to Facebook recently to announce that it is removing all effects associated with plastic surgery from the Instagram Effect Gallery. It said it was also postponing the approval of new effects that ere associated with plastic surgery until further notice. The social media platform’s public policy manager Emma Collins said: they want Spark AR effects to be a positive experience. “We are re-evaluating our existing

policies as they relate to wellbeing,” Collins said. The move is the latest step taken by Instagram in a bid to safeguard the wellbeing and mental health of its users, in the face of concern about the potentially negative consequences of being exposed to certain content on social media. Last month, the platform unveiled new guidelines regarding diet and cosmetic surgery-related content, including a new rule stating that social media posts promoting the use of certain weight-loss products or cosmetic procedures with either a promo code or price will be hidden from users under the age of 18. “We want Instagram to be a positive place for everyone that uses the platform, and this policy is part of our on-going work to reduce the pressure that some people can sometimes feel as a result of social media,” Collins said. AFP

31 October - 7 November 2019

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Killer rapist jailed a thousand years “He was arrogant throughout court proceedings and went as far as claiming they were spoilt for choice with regards to the victims they targeted”

Benoni - The South duty police ofGauteng High ficer on January Court, sitting at 7 last year. The the Benoni magofficer and his istrate’s court on partner were on Wednesday handed their way home down a 1 258 years when they were jail sentence to a accosted by Ma33-year-old serial suku and another rapist; one of the man. The officer country’s heaviest was shot in the sentences so far. stomach. They Bongani Masuku then raped the was got total of officer’s partner. 20 life terms and Van Veenendaal an additional 758 said: “For eight years for charges years he was a including murder, predator. Fathers rape, kidnapping, couldn’t protect house robbery, robfamilies Bongani Masuku Pic: Supplied their bery and assault. and daughters Judge Carla van Veenendaal did from being raped, while mothers not order for the sentences to run couldn’t live in safety,” she said. concurrently. Van Veenendaal said though Masuku’s eight-year reign of ter- Masuku pleaded guilty to all ror between 2010 and last year the charges, he was “arrogant was in the Pretoria townships of throughout court proceedings and Soshanguve, Loate, Mabopane went as far as claiming that they and Klipgat, where he and his were spoilt for choice with regards gang targeted young women, rob- to the victims they targeted”. bing and raping them. Their victims were aged between The gang also committed house 14 and 27. They would point a robberies, robbing and raping their firearm at a victim, forcing them to victims. enter their vehicle and driving out He faced 35 counts of rape and a to a secluded area where the gang count of murder for killing an off- would take turns in raping them.

Some of the women taxi operators who attended the event.

Govt hosts taxi women seminar Johannesburg - At a provincial government seminar for women in the minibus taxi industry in Braamfontein on Monday, Public Transport and Roads Infrastructure MEC Jacob Mamabolo said women in the sector can only be empowered through transforming the business. Women taxi operators had called for creation of a platform to help them engage with government on issues affecting them in the sector. Mamabolo said the meeting came on the back of the Provincial Taxi Summit, which made resolutions to transform the taxi industry, which faces problems that include violence and patriarchal tendencies.

“Work to help corporatise the taxi industry would be fruitless if women, a majority of whom enter the sector as widows, are left out. Women should lead in changing the behaviour of drivers they employ, as this would help reduce road fatalities. Provincial government, stakeholders including the taxi industry, will hold an important Road Safety Seminar in November as part of seeking measures to combat deaths that occur on our roads,” he said. He invited the women in the taxi industry to work together with the provincial government in seeking solutions to combat road accidents.

“Many accidents could be avoided through change in driver behaviour. The taxi industry, which transports 70 percent of passengers in our province, should lead in the campaign for road safety. An intervention from women operators could give us a lasting solution,” Mamabolo said. The event was part of the department’s Transport Month programme, which seeks to promote Gauteng as the city region of smart mobility. As part of this plan the department prioritises road safety, decongesting the road network, depolluting the roads and finding smart technologies to improve transport.

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31 October - 7 November 2019

Court declares intimidation law invalid Warning on The key issue was whether the section was unconstitutional because it unjustifiably criminalises expression that is protected by the Constitution Zoë Postman

he Constitutional Court has declared section 1(1) (b) of the Intimidation Act of 1982 unconstitutional and invalid because it unjustifiably limited the right to freedom of expression. In a unanimous judgment, read by Justice Leona Theron on Tuesday last week, the Constitutional Court declared Section 1(1)(b) of the Intimidation Act of 1982 unconstitutional and invalid because it unjustifiably limited the right to freedom of expression. The section of the Act states that persons will be guilty of an offence if they act in a manner or utter words that have the effect, or might reasonably be expected to have the effect, that another person fears for their own safety, the safety of their property or that of a third party. The court said the key issue was whether the section was unconstitutional because it unjustifiably criminalises expression that is protected by the Constitution. The court said that the section of the Act was too broad because it relied solely on the experience of fear by another person. “For example, the act of handing out fliers advocating for expropriation of land without compensation in a libertarian suburb could, all things considered, lead to a charge of intimidation. This is because such an activity would, in all likelihood, be fear-causing,” read the court judgment. The court said such an infringement on freedom of expression and the political rights that come with it could never be justified. The case arose from an incident when General Alfred Moyo, an ac-

General Alfred Moyo

tivist in Makause informal settlement east of Johannesburg, was arrested for what the police deemed to be threatening and violent conduct towards them. Moyo’s battle started in 2012, when he was involved in planning a march against police brutality at Primrose police station in Germiston. The march was organised to show solidarity with the victims of the Marikana Massacre and to raise issues about poor policing. Days before the scheduled date of the march, the police and representatives of the organisers held a meeting at the station. According to the police, Moyo told them that “there will be bloodshed”, that he would make sure that they were removed from the station, and charged towards the police, pointing fingers at them. Moyo denied saying or doing anything with the intention to create fear, threaten or intimidate the po-

lice. But the police, claiming they feared for their lives, arrested Moyo and charged him with intimidation under Section 1(1)(b) of the Intimidation Act. The application to have a section of the Act struck down was heard in the Constitutional Court in February 2019. Moyo was represented by the Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI) and the Centre for Applied Legal Studies (CALS). Stuart Wilson, the advocate from SERI, argued in the Constitutional Court that the wording of the Act was too broad and infringed on the right to freedom of expression. He argued that even if no fear was created, an accused person could be convicted under the Act if the speech or conduct had the potential to create fear. The State disagreed with SERI’s interpretation, arguing that a mere allegation of fear would not lead to a conviction. The State argued that the trial court would consider the consequences of the alleged act of intimidation and decide if there were reasonable grounds for fear or not. Moyo said the judgment was a victory not only for himself, but for the organisers of the protest and the community at large. The judgment applies retrospectively to any pending matter involving a charge under the Act that has not been finalised on appeal. “This case has been going on for seven years so I’m very relieved that it is finally over. I am one of the fortunate ones because we managed to challenge the unconstitutionality of the act before I was sentenced, but others are still victims of apartheid laws; and are currently sitting in jail,” said Moyo. GroundUp.

crypto scams

Johannesburg - Criminals are increasingly technically proficient, and are exploiting the benefits of cryptocurrencies, and virtual currency-related crime is on the rise in South Africa. Hackers are using peoples’ phones to mine cryptocurrencies according to cybersecurity experts, and various South African authorities including the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) have started reviewing the impact of the crypto sector on consumers and the impact on personal financial security. The fluctuating price of the world’s most prominent digital currency has not deterred South Africans a massive 2 800 percent increase in trades from South Africa. Overall, the number of trades across Africa has grown by 64 percent when comparing the same time period. While the majority of cryptocurrency trades are safe, in recent years, the sector has not proved completely immune to scams and fraudulent transactions. With the cryptocurrency industry still fairly new, scammers prey on users who lack the appropriate awareness in this space. Co-founder and CEO of Paxful, Ray Youssef says: “Bitcoin is secure but sometimes the way we use it is unsafe. We have to treat bitcoin like cash, and protect personal information and passwords the same way we do when we use an ATM or shop online. Once your bitcoin is in the hands of hackers and scammers, it is irreversible, so to have the necessary safeguards in place is critical.” Youssef adds: “For more people all over the world, P2P finance is their only hope for financial inclu-

Paxful CEO Ray Youssef

sion and empowerment. While it’s not possible to completely eliminate the risk of crypto fraud and theft, by taking a few simple precautions you can substantially reduce your chances of becoming a victim by following Paxful’s top tips for safe trading.” These tips are: * Protect your identity; personal information can be used to impersonate your identity online, PINs, phone numbers, email addresses, passwords, etc. Always keep this information safe. Two Factor Authentication (2FA) adds another layer of protection. After entering passwords or transaction details, the system sends a verification code to your device, such as your mobile phone, to ensure that you are aware of key activity on your account. * Use an escrow service; you may not know everybody personally that you engage with when trading. For this reason, when you transact on a bitcoin marketplace, an escrow service holds your bitcoin until the buyer/seller terms have been met. * Watch out for bitcoin scams; this is a broad umbrella term for all kinds of scams that take place in the crypto space. They include fake bitcoin exchanges, bitcoin investment scams and blackmail emails. ITOnline

The helicopter lies in the street soon after the crash

Chopper crashes onto the street Own Correspondent A helicopter carrying three occupants crashed onto a road in Pretoria last Friday afternoon. Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Brenda Muridili said the Robinson R44 helicopter was on an advanced training flight. “On board were the pilot, an instructor and a

civil aviation official,” Muridili said. ER24 spokesperson Russel Meiring said the crash happened on Marija Street in Sinoville. “All three men escaped serious injury and declined transportation to a nearby hospital,” Meiring said. The accident is being investigated by the South African Civil Aviation Authority.

31 October - 7 November 2019

Inner-city Gazette

Life jail for nyaope man who killed his dad Johannesburg - The Gauteng High Court has sentenced a man to life in prison plus more years for murdering his father. Last Tuesday it emerged that Brutus Mhlanga killed his father because he was fed up by him reprimanding him for smoking nyaope. The father was shot dead and his wife wounded in December 2017. Mhlanga conspired with Caswell Ntsheula, Hloniphani Ntombela and Patrick Ziqubu to kill his father in August 2017. Mhlanga offered his father’s car to his co-accused and promised them R150 000 after getting his inheritance. On December 11 Ntsheula, Ntombela, Ziqubu and a fifth suspect only known as Thando, went to Mhlanga’s parents’ house in Katlehong armed with a gun and a knife. Nt-

sheula and Thando shot and stabbed Mhlanga’s father, Shiviti Mhlanga, killing him. They also shot Mhlanga’s mother, Cokweni Mhlanga, but she survived. The men fled the scene in the deceased’s Toyota Hilux. On Tuesday, Judge Seun Moshidi sentenced the men to life imprisonment and multiple years for conspiracy to commit murder, murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, illegal possession of firearm and ammunition, and attempted murder. Ntsheula was sentenced to life imprisonment plus 45 years, Ntombela to life plus 51 years, Ziqubu to life plus 63 years and Mhlanga to life plus 51 years. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said they were ar-

The vehicle that was involved in the fatal accident

rested after police received information that Ntsheula had a firearm without a licence. “Searching Ntsheula’s home, police found one round of ammunition. When police asked where the firearm was, he told them that Ntombela had it. Police then went to Ntombela’s home but no firearm was found. He informed them that he had another house. Upon arrival at that place police found the Toyota Hilux parked in the driveway. They found that it had been reported stolen and that the owner had been killed. Ntombela was surprised as he was not expecting the vehicle to have been reported stolen, as it was a ‘down payment’ for the murder,” Mjonondwane said. When asked about the vehicle’s keys, Ntombela directed the police

Pic: Netcare 911

Car crashes into shack, kills man sleeping inside Soweto - A man was killed on Sunday morning after a car crashed into his shack while he was sleeping, Netcare paramedics said. Netcare paramedics spokesperson Shawn Herbst said the incident happened on Impala Road in the direction of Protea Glen in Soweto.

“Paramedics responded to the incident and reports from the scene indicated that the driver of a light motor vehicle lost control, resulting in the vehicle leaving the road and crashing through an informal settlement. The car went on to plough through a shack in which a man was

sleeping,” Herbst said. He added that the paramedics assessed the scene, they found that the man who had been sleeping had sustained fatal injuries; and he declared dead on scene. Authorities arrived on scene and were investigating the incident, Herbst said.

officers to Ziqubu’s home where a firearm was found. When police asked them where the vehicle came from, the men directed them to Mhlanga’s home, where they found a murder scene. Mhlanga’s mother was taken to hospital because she had a gunshot wound to her chest. Police said Mhlanga had his father killed because he was fed up with being reprimanded for smoking nyaope and using other substances. Ntombela was arrested on December 12, 2017, and the other three men the following day. “The NPA commends the work by the officers to solve this senseless crime, as well as the commitment and dedication displayed by the prosecutor in securing a successful prosecution,” Mjonondwane said.

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NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane

Inner-city Gazette

31 October - 7 November 2019

Inner-city Gazette

Expo works present ‘strong sense of yearning’ Lakin Morgan-Baatjies

n exhibition of landscapes by the 10 selected artists from the joint MTN and UJ Emerging Artist Development Programme, opened on 22 October at the UJ Gallery in Auckland Park. The exhibition, Conversing the Land, was curated by Annali Dempsey (UJ) and Katlego Lefine (MTN). Final year Wits fine arts student Siyabonga Mahlaba was announced winner of the Emerging Artist Development Programme. Mahlaba, working in the medium of photography, impressed the judging panel with his digital diptych, re-formed I & II, two monochrome images projecting an eerie ambience representing the disparities between the buildings of two congregations of the Dutch Reformed Church in his hometown Bethlehem. In Mahlaba’s rendition the building of the white congregation emerges structurally superior to that of the black congregation. In actual fact the latter became a safety thread “due to poor construction and had to be demolished and rebuilt,” Mahlaba says. In his exploration of the ways ideologies inform architecture Mahlaba comments in Reformed I & II on “how Christianity is at odds with itself; how racism is both perpetuated and condemned in its name”.

Curator Annali Dempsey

He lists Santu Mofokeng, David Goldblatt, Ernest Cole and Sabelo Mlangeni as photographers whose work he turns for inspiration. “Mahlaba succeeded in presenting faceless churchgoers against the physical decline of places of worship in a most ephemeral and haunting way alluding to the disparity between racism and religion, but also with the hope of reconstruction,” said Dempsey. Lefine observed that “the artwork expresses a personal account of something sacred, communal and specific to a certain location in the landscape”. The Emerging Artist Development Programme invited artists through public advertising to sub-

mit an artwork in response to, or in conversation with, modern and contemporary South African landscapes, thereby offering a platform to showcase their talent and interpretation of contemporary South African land issues. The works of 10 artists were selected from the entries; apart from Mahlaba also Neil Badenhorst, Lebo Magolego, Setlamorago Mashilo, Tebogo Moche, Michelle Monareng, Nico Ras, Shayna Rosendorff, Selwyn Steyn and Devlin Tim. The work produced by the 10 artists, with a focus on digital media, only one painting and one piece of sculpture centred on the impact from an ecological perspective left by humans on the land, as well as an examining of identity and the inner landscape. “Most of the works present a strong sense of memory and yearning,” Dempsey added. As winner Mahlaba earned R30 000 in prize money and the other nine artists received R3 000 each. The judging panel of this second Emerging Artist Development consisted of Katlego Lefine and Annali Dempsey, the two curators, Ingha Mago and Jordan Hance, two of the three mentees, Rika Nortje, project manager of the Conversing the Land project and Mia van Schalkwyk, UJ Art Gallery assistant. Conversing the Land is at the UJ Gallery until 27 November 2019.

The Arts

Singer releases 18-tack ‘healing process’ album ‘Each song was a moment for me because there’s so much I hadn’t said and dealt with; to myself and by myself’ Sabelo Mkhabela

hree years since the release of her acclaimed debut album Amazulu, Amanda Black returns with her full-length project; an 18-track album titled Power, kicking off with a fitting spoken word piece by Kush Mahleka. The music provides both electronic sounds and actual instruments. It will sound even bigger when interpreted by a band live. Power sounds both mature and youthful, and Amanda’s voice still fills up your headphones, and her songwriting is sharper and even more personal than on Amazulu. “I wanted to get back the power I felt was taken from me, so for me the album was a healing process. There are songs where I was able to say what I hadn’t been able to do during the past few years. Each and every song was a moment for me because there’s so much I hadn’t said and dealt with; to myself and by myself. The songs

Musician Amanda Black

took me somewhere and had me tapping into emotions I’d buried underneath. I had to become vulnerable and open up to myself, and it helped me get on the path of actually healing.” Power is the first project Amanda Black has released since departing from Ambitiouz Entertainment, the label that released her debut album in 2016. Without the financial muscle of a label, a reasonable number of artists who leave labels often perish as resources to make world class art are hard to come by. It’s not the case with Power. The album sounds like money, and has a long shelf life. OkayAfrica

Banyana prepare to face Japan ‘After the loss against Botswana Banyana players will want to prove a point that it was a fluke’ Sports Reporter

anyana Banyana captain Janine van Wyk has urged her team to put up a strong fight in their friendly against Japan, to be played on November 10 in Fukuoka. Banyana hope to recover from missing the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games with a test match against the Japanese team, Nadeshiko, at Kitakyushu Stadium. Van Wyk, who plays for Denmark side Fortuna Hjorring, also warned her team mates against complacency, having seen Canada lose 4-0 in an international friendly at the same venue early in October. “It is fantastic that we get inter-

national friendly matches against quality opponents like Japan, and I think it is going to be a tough encounter. They recently beat Canada 4-0, so it is a huge task ahead of us. We have not been in camp for a while, so that is a challenge but everyone is going to be excited to come together and play some games,” van Wyk said. She added that after the loss against Botswana Banyana players will want to prove a point that it was a fluke. “Hopefully, against a strong opponent like Japan, we will come up with a good result to give us confidence boost as the national team, and know that we are still a quality team that will put up a

fight against any major team.” Van Wyk said the women’s game in South Africa has enjoyed a massive leap since they last met the 2011 World Cup winners at the London 2012 Olympic Games which ended in a goalless draw. “I think both teams have changed a lot. However, I think Japan is very well organised and would probably keep their style. But what sets us back is that we haven’t played in a while since our game against Botswana, and since the World Cup we haven’t played a top-end team, and Japan will really be a test for us. We need to be cautious, but I think it will be a good test for both teams,” van Wyk said.

Banyana Captain Janine van Wyk