Sowetan April 08 2020

owetan 13

Lockdown Day

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Zondo yet to meet Zuma doctor page 6

In the know on the move R5.70 (Eswatini, Bots 5.20 incl tax) Wednesday April 8, 2020 www.sowetanlive.co.za

‘Break the rules and...’

If you’re a minister...

Get invited to see the president

If you’re Joe Citizen...

Get a beating of your life pages 2 & 3 Sipho Monaiwa who was allegedly insulted, beaten and tortured by police for four hours for watching a police patrol from inside his yard.

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Monaiwa says he was dragged from his home

By Promise Marupeng and Isaac Mahlangu

A Soweto man was punched, slapped and sjamboked allegedly by police and soldiers for watching them while on patrol on Monday evening.

Sipho Monaiwa, 33, from Protea South claims he was attacked for watching police and the army patrol on his street from inside his yard with his gates locked.

When the family went to the Protea Glen police station to lay a complaint yesterday they were turned back and allegedly told by police that they were in fact breaking the lockdown regulations by not being home.

Monaiwa’s face and body were still bruised and swollen, allegedly from the beating he received from the police as they drove around Soweto with him for four hours.

Yesterday, Monaiwa was treated at a local clinic for his injuries. He said he was dragged to the state vehicle in front of his helpless wife and toddler before he was taken away for further beating.

“The gate was locked and we were sitting put at home when we suddenly saw blue lights flashing [outside] and got out to see what was happening,” he said.

Monaiwa said a long convoy of police and army vehicles was patrolling in their street in the evening.

“As the vehicles approached my yard an officer swore at me and said I must get back inside the house,” he said.

Monaiwa said he “politely” told the officer that he had done nothing wrong as he was inside his yard.

He said two officers, a male

Soweto resident Sipho Monaiwa says he was dragged from his home in Protea South by patrolling police officers and soldiers and beaten up.

‘Cops, soldiers beat me up for 4 hours’ and a female, got out of their vehicles, approached his gate and demanded that he open it.

After he refused, he said they jumped over and attacked him and his wife who had retreated into the house.

“The male officer began slapping me while the female threw my furniture around,” Monaiwa He said he was pulled outside by his pants and his wife was ordered to open the gate.

When outside two more police officers joined in with fists, while an army person sjamboked him.

“I was forced into the back of the van and tortured for over four hours.”

Monaiwa said the police took him away from home after 9pm and drove around with him while beating him until one soldier told them to stop.

Sipho Monaiwa

“I don’t even know where I was but I was in pain the whole time. They dropped me home around 2am like nothing happened and gave me R160, that they had taken from the top of my fridge.

“I have suffered injuries on both my ears and eyes. Doctors say I may lose my hearing.”

Monaiwa’s wife, Lydia, said police officers at the Protea

Glen police station refused to open a case for them yesterday morning telling them to stay in their home as the country is in a lockdown.

“They threatened to lock us up. We feel very violated; we demand justice from these bullies,” she said.

Sontaga Seisa, the spokesperson of the independent police investigative directorate (Ipid) said an investigator has already been assigned to Monaiwa’s case and would soon be in touch with the family.

The directorate is already investigating dozens of cases of police abuse, brutality including murder and several arrests of officers have already been made so far. ● Report police and army misconduct at 0800 333 177 and 0800 222 091 respectively.

■ See page 15

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Words of Faith “In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,” says the Lord Almighty.

Haggai 2:6,7 NIV

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Push people home to save them – Cele ‘We will make them listen’

By Mandla Khoza

Police minister Bheki Cele has called on the police and soldiers to “push” people who are found galavanting on the streets and drinking alcohol back into their homes.

Speaking in Mbalenhle in Secunda, Mpumalanga, yesterday, Cele said he was informed that the people of Mbalenhle were not listening or adhering to the regulations because they hold parties drinking alcohol.

Accompanied by his deputy Cassel Mathale, national police commissioner Khehla Sitole and premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane, Cele said in Mpumalanga 1,295 people have been arrested for break-

ing lockdown regulations.

“Mpumalanga you are facing several challenges, you are not only neighbouring several provinces, but you also have international borders.

“This means you have to be vigilant more than other provinces. Some of the people you receive might be from other countries that are more af-

Police minister Bheki Cele

fected,” Cele said.

“You need to do all the measures provided, quarantine people, check people, don’t let them galavant, and this township has got a tendency of not listening that’s why we are here.”

“When people don’t want to listen we must make them listen, keep the law... This thing of thinking it is only the forces that must behave extra should come to an end... You have no reason to galavant here... when they galavant you push them to their houses. If they don’t listen you push them because we are not playing here.”

He said Spain has lost 800 people in 24 hours and SA can’t allow that to happen here.

“It’s not happening to them because they are fools, so we need to be not very kind to people that don’t listen because they are danger to themselves and danger to others.

So, the duty here is to protect the people who don’t want to protect themselves and if they don’t protect themselves, we push them to protect them.”

He labelled people who don’t adhere to the lockdown regulations as “brutal”, not the police or soldiers. “These people are brutal here, they galavant, go out; that is brutal because you go out and bring the virus to the house.

“Here 1,295 people have been arrested which means they don’t listen... we should be all doing right because of the benefit of humankind.”

He said 17,000 members of the police and the SA Defence Force have been deployed to Mpumalanga. Cele alslo went to Emalahleni. Mtshweni-Tsipane said the province was happy most people are adhering to the lockdown regulations and those who don’t listen will face the police.

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Ramaphosa summons Ndabeni-Abrahams

By Qaanitah Hunter

Former higher education deputy minister Mduduzi Manana claims communications minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams was picking up masks and protective gear from his home before she sat down for lunch.

In a statement issued yesterday after public outrage over a picture showing Manana and Ndabeni-Abrahms having lunch and drinks on Sunday, Manana said the minister was picking up a donation from his foundation. He said it was irresponsible for him to have posted the picture without the required context “creating the impression that it was a social lunch”.

He said he apologised for the impression created that Ndabeni-Abrahams was there for a social visit.

“On April 5 2020, I received a call from the minister of communications and digital technologies, Ms Stella NdabeniAbrahams, who informed me that she is visiting a site in the Fourways area where a number of students are working on the Covid-19 digital services.

“The minister relayed to me that the students are in need of personal protective equipment [PPE] such as masks, gloves and hand sanitisers which my foundation has been handing over to marginalised communities. I then asked the minister to pass by my private residence and collect the material which she gladly did,” Manana said in his statement posted on Instagram.

It is unclear which student programme Manana is referring to and why the minister physically fetched protective gear herself.

“On her arrival, my family was having lunch and I courteously invited her to join us. She then collected the material and headed to her next assignment. She took the first batch for the Fourways students and indicated that the next visit will be tomorrow [April 8] at the Menlyn site which our team will be delivering.”

The controversy over the visit prompted President Cyril Ramaphosa to summon her to a meeting.

“I have seen the picture of minister Ndabeni-Abrahams sitting at a luncheon with a number of friends and other people, I have asked her to come and see me.

ANC NEC member Mduduzi Manana, centre, hosting Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, right in black, for lunch at his Johannesburg home on Sunday.

Manana apologises after lockdown visit outrage “So, she is going to come and see me and I am going to have a discussion with her about the impact of visuals like those on what we are trying to do,” Ramaphosa said yesterday.

Manana posted the picture on Instagram on Sunday.

“It was great to host a former colleague and dear sister Cde Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams on her way back from executing critical and essential services required for the effective functioning of our country during the nationwide lockdown,” he captioned the now-deleted post.

Ramaphosa said: “We are trying to instil a clear message to all our people that social distance is important. Let us stay at home. Let us not be going around with visitations. And if you have to, it must be work-related.”

Councillor bust for travel permits Misconduct caught out at police checkpoint

By Yoliswa Sobuwa

An Eastern Cape ward councillor has been released on warning after it was discovered that he has been unlawfully dishing out travel permits.

This came into light on Monday when police who were stationed at one of the checkpoints in Matatiele found out that a number of permits have been signed by one councillor.

Municipal spokesperson Olwethu Gwanya said the municipality has since decided that there will no longer be permits issued by councillors.

“There were so many permits issued by one councillor and this was discovered at the checkpoint around Matatiele. The municipality is now conducting an internal investigation on this matter. It has also been decided that only the police stations will issue travel permits.”

A councillor who wanted to remain anonymous said a ward councillor who was given 50 permits made duplicates and people are now walking freely.

“These councillors are taking advantage of the vulnerable people instead of helping government to curb Covid-19 by reducing the number of people travelling from their villages to town or those who wanted to travel outside Matatiele. They saw the lockdown as a business venture for them,” he said.

Councillor Nomasomi Mshuqwana said ward councillors were each given 50 travel permits forms. “The permits were to help a person in case they wanted to visit a doctor or if there was something they wanted to do in town. We have different checkpoints where police are stationed and it was discovered that a number of permits were signed by one ward councillor,” Mshuqwana said.

Eastern Cape police spokesperson Brig Tembinkosi Kinana said police were doing their own investigations into the matter.

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‘Nurses scared for their safety’ Shortage of protective equipment creates anxiety

By Penwell Dlamini

Work has become a serious risk for health workers in various parts of the country as they have to handle patients without all the required protective equipment.

As Nehawu was scheduled to bring its matter on the safety of its members before the Labour Court yesterday, health workers revealed to Sowetan the difficulty they face working without all the required personal protective equipment (PPE).

One nurse who works in the casualty ward of a hospital in Mpumalanga said health workers were faced with serious shortages of equipment.

His ward has been receiving about 30 patients a day which is lower than numbers before the lockdown.

Patients coming to the facility have different conditions such as heart problems, high blood pressure, injuries and many wanting to be tested for the coronavirus.

The nurse said under normal circumstances, workers in the ward have to wear aprons, put on gloves and depending on the condition of the patient, also have to put on face masks.

“With the lockdown and the coronvirus outbreak, we are supposed to have gowns to cover the whole body. We have to put these on as the virus can survive on clothes. The gowns are important because when I finish work I go straight home, I could infect my family. We are supposed to have long gloves and masks.”

He said they only have gloves, a surgical mask, an apron and sanitisers.

“Even with the masks that we have, we are trying our best to control their use because we are running out.

“When we first raised the issue with management they told us it is expensive to get full protective gear for us. You have to understand, there is a ward dedicated to patients with corona symptoms. Even the nurses that work at the ward wear the same protective equipment that we wear.”

His worst fear is going home.

“Before I get inside my home, I take off my shoes, get inside and take off all my clothes. I have a separate bin where I throw all my uniforms and seal it. I then take a bath before I have any interaction with my girlfriend and my three-year-old son. I am so scared. Today I will be taking

A nurse in the isolation unit at Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town. / GA L LO I M AG E S /MISHA JORDAAN

my son elsewhere because I cannot risk his life here with me.

“My girlfriend works as a cashier at a local supermarket. If I were to infect her, how many people will she pass the virus on to at her work?”

Another nurse at a clinic in Northern Cape told Sowetan that an official from the national health department came to their facility and was informed of the dire shortages of PPE but nothing came of it.

“What we are using now is surgical gloves. We are supposed to use those only for surgical procedures. But now we have

to use them for protection. We just have one box,” she said.

She said nurses had no masks, gloves and gowns to protect them in case a patient showed symptoms. Fortunately no patient has required isolation so far.

“How am I supposed to risk my life without having protective equipment? I am a breadwinner with three children and a grandchild. I cannot risk my life like that,” she said.

She said she also ensures that she puts away her uniform and baths before having any contact with her family.

Sipho Mabuse reworks his 1980s megahit Burn Out in the studio. /VELI NHLAPO

Hotstix Burns Out virus Music icon remixes 1980s smash hit with new lyrics

By Patience Bambalele

Legendary singer Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse has decided to put a coronavirus twist on his most famous hit song Burn Out to encourage the public to take the pandemic seriously.

Mabuse, who has been keeping busy in his studio during the national lockdown, has re-recorded his 1987 hit song and added Covid-19 lyrics to spread the message to South Africans. The new version of Burn Out will be dropped tomorrow on all digital platforms. “I have used Burn Out because I knew it is a song that people will easily relate to. I have seen in the past two weeks famous songs getting adjusted to suit the pandemic that the world is facing at the moment. My version of Burn Out encourages the country to take coronavirus seriously because it is real.

“I am further encouraging people to

stay safe and healthy by sanitising and washing their hands. If we all stick together, we can get through this. Practice social distancing and remember, we are all in this together.”

Mabuse said he has embraced staying at home during the lockdown because it gives him a chance to do some of the things he enjoys most, like gardening.

The original Burn Out song became one of the first major crossover hits in South Africa during the early 1980s, and the album sold more than 500,000 copies. Over the years, the song has been remixed by various artists including Timothy Moloi.

Meanwhile, another famous hit song that has added a coronavirus twist is a charity song composed by late pop star Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, titled We Are the World.

The song was recorded by USA for Africa in 1985 and was produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian.

The single sold more than 10-million copies worldwide. The new version of the song was released on March 24.

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‘I’m using lockdown to compose’ Idols winner Luyolo also exercises at home but flunked guitar lessons

By Patience Bambalele

Idols SA winner Luyolo Yiba has accepted that it might take longer before his debut album is released due to the coronavirus lockdown.

Yiba, who was announced the winner of Idols SA in November, was supposed to be in studio cooking his first album.

The singer from King William’s Town in the Eastern Cape said he was not angry at the situation and the delay. He believes that the lockdown will help him compose more songs.

“I was supposed to be in the studio recording the album. Everything is on hold until everything normalises. But I am not angry because this is for our health and our safety as the country.

“I decided not to go home in the Eastern Cape because I felt I will be bored. I have been enjoying the lockdown [in Gauteng] because I am a person who loves his space.

I wrote some songs and have been exercising a lot.”

Yiba, who is known for his song My Love for You, said one of the adventures he tried during the lockdown was learning to play guitar, which did not go well.

“I realised that a guitar is complicated

Luyolo Yiba is the winner of ‘Idols SA’ Season 15. / V E L I N H L A P O

and people who master it actually have talent. I have concluded it is not for me.

“But this lockdown has given me a chance to pause and see if I’m still on the right track when it comes to my goals. I have been doing a lot of thinking and readjustments.”

Speaking about his love song which he wrote three years ago, Yiba said: “My Love for You is inspired by the love that I saw from my parents growing up, the love that they shared with us as their kids and the

‘‘

I was supposed to be in the studio recording the album

love that you experience from friends.”

You can keep yourself entertained at home with Yiba’s music, which is available on Africori website. Also, enjoy Gallo Music’s lockdown selection for today. ●

Top 5 Idols SA favourites My Love for You by Luyolo Yiba Angsajoli by Thami Holy Ghost by King B Lovey Sweetey by Lungisa Xhamela Thembalami by Nosipho

6 News

By Emmanuel Tjiya

Vinolia “V-Mash” Mashego’s father Collins Mashego says his late daughter was like a beacon of hope.

The 79-year-old who was the star of 1980s TV show Lapologa told Sowetan from his home in Mamelodi, east of Pretoria, that he will remember his first-born daughter as an unapologetically loudmouthed superstar.

“She was a livewire, she operated like Eskom, if the electricity goes out life comes to a standstill,” Collins said. “That’s how I will remember her. She liked to face all her challenges.

If she didn’t know something she made it her life’s work to find out. She would go to great lengths [to find out].”

Collins said of all his three children, Vinolia was the one that took after him. He knew as soon as she joined 1990s youth show Jam Alley that Vinolia would become a superstar.

“When she was younger, I used to tease them that no one will ever be like me. But she took it to heart, she said, ‘I want to beat that man’,” Collins recalled. “I will remember her as one of my children who once challenged me

Wednesday April 8 2020 Sowetan

‘Loud-mouthed’ star V-Mash took after me Dad Collins relives fond memories

streets”. “She met friends that introduced her to the wrong things in life. She became a victim of that,” Collins said.

“But in life if you want to try something you go ahead, not knowing it will ruin your life in the future.

“It was heartbreaking for me because she was my heart and main engine. She was my first born, it was the first time I became a father and she became my pride. So we would pray a lot that she gets her life back on track. But we told ourselves that God was teaching others through her.”

Collins said the public gave his daughter a second chance, especially in the last year.

Vinolia was cast in SABC 2 telenovela Giyani: Land of Blood opposite Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Ndivhuwo Mutsila and Candy “Tsa Mandebele” Mokwena.

The last time he saw Vinolia was in early February and she

was excitedly telling them about her new Moja Love TV show Bheka Sik’bambile.

“She visited us and told us that if we don’t see her coming to visit us often it’s because she was busy with a show on Moja Love,” Collins said. She was telling us that sometimes they would fetch her without making an appointment. She was telling me how they were treating her like a star again and booking hotels for her.

“People loved her so much that they gave her a second chance. But it was short-lived, unfortunately. But she died having made us proud that she had repented.”

Vinolia is survived by her 20-year-old son Oratile, who was raised by her parents.

She was found dead in her home in Mamelodi on Monday morning. It is believed that she died of natural causes in her sleep. Collins said his daughter suffered from asthma, but it was not life-threatening. He added that they had come to terms with the manner in which she died – even though it was peculiar.

“Her asthma was very controlled. She didn’t even have an inhaler. She would only have trouble sometimes.

“My wife is very Christian and she has advised everyone to accept God’s will in the manner she died. We mustn’t question God’s wishes. We are not going to say ‘why me?’”

Vinolia will be buried on Friday at Hatherley Cemetery in Pretoria. There will be no funeral service as the family plans to abide by the lockdown regulations, which prohibit gatherings of more than 50 people.

Man stabs woman to death, tries suicide

tioned to us [that he owed] her.

So, we don’t know anything about this.”

Capt Mavela Masondo said the suspect was arrested on the day of the incident and was expected to appear in court soon.

According to a community member, Montsi was accompanied by her 14-year-old son, but the suspect sent him to a spaza shop in the area before the attack.

Montsi’s husband, Lefa Montsi, 40, said he felt his heart sink to his stomach when he saw his wife’s lifeless body lying on the couch.

“We were together for 18 years and had been married since 2015. I cannot understand what could have led to this guy [allegedly] killing my wife,” he said.

He said he was aware of the debt owed to his wife by the suspect since January.

and succeeded. She surpassed me because she was more popular and loved. People loved me, but she took it to another level.

“They initially gave her a script [on Jam Alley] but she refused and said, ‘I want to do what my father used to do’.

She blew them away and surpassed expectations. She was a natural and people quickly noticed that. Her career exploded.”

Collins said unfortunately for his daughter fame was also a monster and she found herself on a downward spiral. He referred to that period after Vinolia left Jam Alley as “her time on the

Vinolia Mashego’s son Oratile, with his grandfather Collins Mashego, holds up a picture of his mom and the Jam Alley star. / THULANI MBELE

Mom went to collect debt from her ‘killer’

By Tankiso Makhetha

A man accused of stabbing to death a 36-year-old woman who had come to collect her money, allegedly tried to kill himself after the incident.

The 40-year-old man, who cannot be named as he is yet to be formally charged, is fighting for his life in an unnamed hospital under police guard.

He allegedly stabbed Nkgala Montsi in Sebokeng, Vaal, on Monday after she visited him to collect an undisclosed amount of money he owed her.

The suspect’s brother yes-

terday said that his brother attempted to take his own life after the murder.

“The house had blood everywhere, we even had to take out the couch on which the lady had been seated when the attack happened,” he said.

He said when the family walked into the house, they found an iron hanging by its cord from the ceiling.

“The police told us that he had to be taken to hospital because he ingested a sanitiser or poison or something like that.

That’s why he is in ICU right now. We are not sure but we think he wanted to kill himself. When the police arrived on the scene he challenged them to shoot him in the head and refused to allow them into the house,” he said.

The suspect is said to have called Montsi to his mother’s house, which is in the same vicinity as the woman’s marital home, with the intention of paying the money he owed her. But things took a violent turn when he allegedly stabbed her numerous times.

“He first invited our mother to his house. He then left her there and went to her [the mother’s] house instead, where the incident happened.

“He called this lady knowing there was nobody there. So, we don’t know what happened between them.”

He said that his brother and the deceased knew each other since they were children because they lived and grew up in the same area. “He was a quiet guy and never men-

Zondo still to meet Zuma’s doc Inquiry still intends for him to appear

By Karyn Maughan

It’s been nearly three months since deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo “reluctantly” agreed to meet with former president Jacob Zuma’s military doctor about the “very serious” medical condition Zuma claims left him unable to testify at the inquiry into state capture.

But, the inquiry has now confirmed, Zondo has not taken up that offer “as yet”.

Dr Zakes Motene, pictured, the SA Military Health Services doctor who heads up the team providing medical care to Zuma, reportedly provided Zuma with the “sick note” that the Pietermaritzburg high court refused to accept as evidence that he was too sick to attend his corruption trial.

Motene was also named by Zuma loyalist Gayton McKenzie, in his self-published book Kill Zuma By Any Means Necessary, as the doctor who travelled with the then president to Russia in 2014, so he could receive treatment for “poisoning”. The National Prosecuting Authority elected not to prosecute Zuma’s former wife Nompumelelo Ntuli-Zuma over that alleged poisoning, largely on the basis that there was no medical evidence Zuma had, in fact, been poisoned.

Judge Dhaya Pillay was unconvinced by the sick note, allegedly signed by Motene, that Zuma’s lawyers used to explain his absence from court on February 4. Under the heading “medical condition”, Motene had stated: “medical condition”. The note also contained the term “layman’s diagnosis” – a term Pillay said she found “puzzling”.

Pillay issued a suspended arrest warrant for Zuma. Given Zuma’s reluctance to provide further information about his health, on the basis that it is a matter of national security, it’s unlikely he will agree to any further disclosures.

Zondo inquiry spokesperson Rev Mbuyiseni Stemela said, “The deputy chief justice has also not taken a decision not to have such a meeting,” saying “the commission still intends to have Mr Zuma appear before it in due course”.

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Wednesday April 8 2020 Sowetan

Mpianzis demand millions Lawyers slap the state with lawsuit for Enoch’s drowning in school trip

By Yoliswa Sobuwa

The lawyers representing Enoch Mpianzi’s family have slapped the minister of basic education Angie Motshekga, Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi and head of department Edward Mosuwe with a R15m lawsuit.

Enoch, a 13-year-old grade 8 pupil at Parktown Boys’ High School, drowned earlier this year during a school camp at Nyati Bush lodge in North West.

The Mpianzi family lawyer, Ian Levitt, said he has sent a letter of demand to Motshekga, Lesufi, Mosuwe and Parktown Boys’ High School.

“Each plaintiff is being sued for R5m, these amounts will change once the experts have concluded their reports with regard to the details of stress suffered by Enoch’s different family members. We could not issue a letter of demand without an amount,” Levitt said.

He said the letter of demand also contained the summary of the tragedy that took place

at Nyati Bush lodge. “We are instituting action on behalf of the family who had undergone a lot of stress and suffering after they lost their child on a school trip,” Levitt said.

The letter comes a month after the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) received an inquest docket regarding Enoch’s death.

A forensic report commissioned by the department of education and released by Lesufi on March 4 pointed to negligence and extreme recklessness on the part of Nyati Bush and River Break Lodge, teachers who had accompanied the school children to the camp and the school itself.

Enoch went missing on a Wednesday during a water activity at the lodge.

He was part of a school excursion with a group of grade 8 pupils.

It is suspected that he drowned after a makeshift raft he and other boys were using on the Crocodile River overturned.

His body was found on a

Enoch Mpianzi’s mother Anto Mpianzi is emotional during her son’s memorial service at Parktown Boys’ High School on January 28. / S U N D A Y T I M E S

King calls for Bapedi to be united

letter of demand.

He however said the department had received a request for a report by the NPA. “We are finalising to process their request accordingly.”

Department of basic education spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said the head of legal department said they didn’t receive anything from the lawyers before the lockdown.

Pupils test positive for STIs Study conducted on schoolgirls

Faction rejects offer

By Prega Govender

By Peter Ramothwala

Bapedi king Victor Thulare III Sekhukhune, who was recently announced as the rightful leader of the nation, has called for unity among his people.

President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a recognition certificate of King Thulare III of the Bapedi kingdom on March 25.

Thulare III said the decision has finally restored the kingship to its rightful heir.

“This action by the president of the Republic of South Africa has finally restored... the dignity of the nation. We commit to work together with everybody who is committed to the unity, peace and stability in rebuilding this nation which was ravaged by divisions for more than four years,” the king said.

Thulare III called on Bapedi to work together for the prosperity of the nation and SA. Thulare III was involved in a protracted legal wrangle with his uncle, the then acting king Kenneth Kgagudi Sekhukhune. The matter ended up in the Constitutional Court.

However, the other faction refuses to be under his rule.

Sekhukhune spokesperson Samson Phakwago said they

Friday and it emerged that teachers had not been aware that he was missing.

Gauteng education spokesperson Steve Mabona said they had not received any

Bapedi paramount king Victor Thulare III / S U P P L I E D will not accept Thulare III because he was not recommended by the royal council.

“We have since written to President Ramaphosa to reverse his decision because it is only the royal council that can appoint a suitable candidate for the kingship as per our custom. What we demand from the president is the evidence to show to us as to where the royal council meeting to appoint Thulare III and the minutes was held,” he said.

“At least President Ramaphosa should have referred the matter to the House of Traditional Leadership because they understand the kingship and how the family tree works. Sekhukhune will always be recognised by the Bapedi nation as the rightful king without the courts or president who seem to be taking sides.”

Seven percent of schoolgirls who participated in a study to gauge the effectiveness of the department of basic education’s Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) programme tested positive for sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Researchers from MEASURE Evaluation at the University of North Carolina in the US, tracked the incidence of the herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) in 3,606 grade 8 girls from five education districts in Mpumalanga and KwaZuluNatal in 2016. They did so again in 2018.

The team examined whether the department’s Scripted Lesson Plans (SLPs), used by pupils during life orientation classes, would result in an increase or decrease in the incidence of HSV-2, which causes genital herpes.

The lesson plans, part of the sexuality education programme, refer to teacher guides and pupil workbooks being piloted at 1,500 schools in five provinces.

According to the department, the purpose of the CSE programme is to address sexual abuse, HIV infections, pupil

pregnancy, bullying and peer pressure, and help pupils make the correct decisions and stay in school until they complete grade 12.

Trained nurses collected biomarkers or dried blood spots from the girls in 2016 and 2018. The study involved 1,618 girls from Bohlabela and Gert Sibande in Mpumalanga, and 1,988 from King Cetshwayo, Pinetown and Umlazi in KwaZulu-Natal.

A survey conducted by the

Young people are having sex... like it or not same research organisation in 2017, involving the same girls, found they had “a low knowledge of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs)”.

A key finding of the survey was that the percentage of sexually active girls participating in the study from KZN, who were using the lesson plans, increased from 11% in 2016 to 15% in 2017. In Mpumalanga, the figure increased from 10% to 17%.

A senior departmental official confirmed the study to the Progressive Student Move-

ment (PSM) at a meeting on March 9.

Commenting on the results of the study to the PSM, the official said: “Young people are having sex. They are, whether you like it or not. What we are encouraging them to do through this process [the CSE programme] is to say the best thing to do is not to have sex.”

However, one of the country’s leading experts in child protection, Shaheda Omar, said despite the 7% incidence in HSV-2 among the participants, the department’s sexuality lessons “have proven to be valuable and effective”.

Omar, the clinical director at the Teddy Bear Foundation, said: “Obviously, the first prize should have been a zero-percent infection rate, but one can’t say that the CSE programme is not effective.

“There’s no turning back; we have got to continue with the sex education.”

Thuthukile Mbatha, a researcher at health NPO Section27, said while a 7% infection rate may seem low, 252 pupils were infected.

David de Korte, national president of the South African Principals’ Association, representing 3,000 heads of schools, said proper information on sex and relationships was the only defence schools could offer children against being sexually abused or manipulated.

Page 9 — 8 April 2020 — Sowetan

10 Motoring

Wednesday April 8 2020 Sowetan

Motoring Sowetan

Wednesday April 8 2020

Total figure for new cars sold in 2020 could decrease by over 100,000 units

BRENWIN NAIDU

@NBrenwin

N

ew car sales are expected to plummet by as much as 80% in April. So said Chris de Kock, CEO of vehicle financier WesBank, in an exclusive interview with Sowetan Motoring this week.

According to past figures from the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of SA (Naamsa), a total of 36,794 new vehicle sales were recorded in April 2019.

While hopeful that signs of recovery could be seen from May, de Kock expressed the effects of Covid-19 are forecast to negatively impact overall new car sales by as much as 20% this year. That could translate into a decrease of 107,325 units. In 2019, a total of 536,626 new vehicle sales had been reported.

In February, before the pandemic escalated to its current scale and when the company released its annual prediction, it foretold that 518,000 vehicles would be sold this year.

“If we do emerge from lockdown as planned, I do not see people looking to buy,” referring to the national intervention measure currently in effect since March 27, set to lift on April 16.

“That would leave a week [for vehicle purchases] and April might have 20% of the usual figure, government is not going to purchase and car rental agencies have de-fleeted en masse.”

He expressed concern for dealerships that would be hard hit. “They have no income, only their workshops are open for essential services. You cannot buy a car now, there is not a large amount of stock in systems and plants have been shut.”

Naamsa reported that 33,545 new vehi-

Downward sales spiral continues

cles were sold locally in March. This represents a decrease versus the same month in 2019, where 47,718 units were recorded.

It described in a statement that current challenges faced by the automotive industry across the globe are unprecedented, acknowledging however that our country “was already in a recession before Covid-19 had any significant impact” and that the recent downgrade to sub-investment status

by ratings agencies Moody’s and Fitch had exacerbated the situation.

Although the association noted that “the worst is yet to come for the manufacturing sector,” it praised the Reserve Bank’s move to cut the benchmark interest rate last month.

Naamsa said it would engage in discussions about ideas to assist government in reducing the impact of the coronavirus.

Meanwhile, De Kock advised that cus-

tomers in a position to honour their monthly car instalments, should continue doing so.

Last week we approached the vehicle finance divisions of the big four banks, including WesBank, which detailed relief measures to customers whose earnings may be impacted during this time. Although he emphasised that the concessions were to be viewed as “cashflow relief” rather than “financial relief”.

“Some have referred to payment extensions as ‘payment holidays’, First Rand has not, because it could give customers the wrong impression.

“Those who are concerned, those who are struggling, reach out, this will not affect your credit records,” he said, noting that assistance plans are only for individuals who were already in good standing.

Drawing a parallel between the current market situation and the economic crisis of 2008, De Kock observed that institutions lent differently in comparison to now.

“There is talk to say this is a V-type impact: it went down fast but it could rise fast, but there are many views.”

He believed that the majority of WesBank customers would still be able to service repayments, adding that stricter lending criteria mandated by the National Credit Act of 2007 ensured “a customer base with stronger affordability”.

At the time of publication, he said 13,397 individuals had submitted requests for relief and that the biggest impact had been seen among customers in the self-employed category.

Sowetan Wednesday April 8 2020

Motoring 11

LONG-TERM INTRODUCTION/FEATURE

Straight outta Uitenhage GTI: the most coveted motoring acronym in SA?

By BRENWIN NAIDU

I

n the nearly six years of serving the publications owned by this fine company, one has had the privilege of inducting and bidding farewell to a decent number of long-term test candidates.

Never have the circumstances been as peculiar as they were when this latest subject for extended companionship arrived. On March 24, hours before a national lockdown, it took residence. Well, after this scribe duly replicated his signature several times over on the reams of accompanying documentation.

Over the next 12 months you can read about the ups, downs, costs and quirks are of living with the most powerful Polo money can buy, on these pages and in sister titles Sunday Times Lifestyle Motoring, as well as the TimesLIVE website.

Since Volkswagen and its Uitenhage plant is among local manufacturers affected by the shutdown, that makes our Polo one of the last to have sneaked off the production line.

When we took delivery of the vehicle it had a smidgen over 1,000km on the odometer.

It has since gained about 350km, dispatched over all manner of journalistic (and grocery-procuring) duties. The first mission behind the wheel of the GTI was to a ministerial briefing in Tshwane on March 27. Then last week, April 2, we went to witness minister of transport Fikile Mbalula as he sprayed disinfectant over minibuses at Bree Street taxi rank in Johannesburg, following his regulatory indecisions. He was Sunday Times’ latest Mampara of the Week.

The South African market is known for its GTI appetite. In the Golf range, for example, the GTI and its potent R sibling have long

accounted for more sales volumes than its regular counterparts. The Polo GTI has a basic sticker price of R398,400. A six-speed DSG transmission is the default pairing with its two-litre, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine (147kW and 320Nm).

Naturally, our specimen has some options fitted. First up is a set of Brescia 18-inch alloys (R6,000) wrapped in Bridgestone Turanza T001 rubber (215/40R18). Not what we would have ordered, frankly, because the standard 17-inch Milton Keynes variety have

a less fussy design and higher profile rubber which makes more sense on our roads.

Then again, seeing how many Polo and Golf examples there are with aftermarket-fitted, up-sized wheels and tyres, perhaps the larger rollers will make our experience more authentic. Hopefully no potholes formed against us shall prosper.

Our car wears Reef Blue Metallic paint, a no-cost option. Yes, the pictures you see here are illustrative — before you cry fake news. Be assured it will be treated to a personalised

Another kind of rally

Pictures: Justin Lee

By BRENWIN NAIDU

Our motoring scope extends far beyond sculpted hunks of metal, rubber, plastic and glass. What meaning would any of it have if it were not for people? What follows is not a story about cars per se …

Before the shockwaves of Covid-19 had reached our tip of the continent, we were invited to join the Mpumalanga leg of the Rally to Read initiative, which seeks to promote literacy in underprivileged schools across the country.

Founded in 1998, it is the flagship programme of the READ Educational Trust, spearheaded by now retired McCarthy Motor Holdings CEO Brand Pretorius.

Automaker Ford has thrown its weight behind the campaign almost since inception, celebrating a 21-year association with the outreach in 2020.

“Equal opportunity and universal access to good quality education is one of the most effective tools by which economically and socially marginalised communities can lift themselves out of poverty and participate fully in society,” Pretorius said. “This year

photography session before the next update.

Next up: optional leather upholstery (R9,950); sunroof (R11,900); park distance control (R3,350); dual-zone climate control (R3,950); LED headlamps (R13,200) and rather curiously, the smoker’s package with lighter and ashtray (R300).

Luckily, ambitions to contravene cigarette bans of any kind were extinguished when my habit was kicked nearly two years ago. Still, maybe there would be some cool factor in purchasing that accessory many GTI drivers view as a must-have: a vaporiser replete with confectionery-flavoured fluid. Just kidding.

Fresh air is just fine for me.

Besides, you need to take a deep breath before quoting the as-tested price of this Bsegment athlete: R447,050. But there is another way to view this. Given that it employs the same basic hardware as its pricier, larger sibling, the outgoing Golf 7.5 GTI, some would label it a budget-friendlier alternative. The descriptor is used loosely in these austere times, of course.

Driving the promotion of literacy alone, Ford assisted us with an incredibly generous R1m donation.”

A release by the manufacturer explained: “In South Africa, the most recent Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) found that 78% of Grade 4 learners cannot read with comprehension.”

Rally to Read aims to remedy this, one school at a time. The brand details the approach as follows: “Rallies take place in six school districts, across five provinces.

Schools selected for support are provided with books, and specially constructed ‘box libraries’ to protect the books, during the initial Rally weekend.

“Then each of the schools is supported for a period of three years with teacher training and classroom support visits by READ field

staff. The ‘box library’ stock is supplemented each new Rally year with more advanced reading material.”

On this occasion, the Rally to Read squad toured to Hazyview area. The first stop for our convoy was Majika Primary School.

Whoever you are, it was impossible not to be moved by the lively cheering, waves and smiles on young faces. As our row of Rangers entered the schoolyard, trumpeting from the choir added to the festivity. Then we joined the assembly to hear about how the social responsibility effort had improved lives.

Forget speeches from departmental representatives — adults have a knack for enjoying the sound of their own voices. The point of Rally to Read was demonstrated no better than by a grade three pupil who read to us

from the main stage. His articulate, confident manner was proof that mastering the ability to read brings rewards further than the practical benefit of merely deciphering words.

It also means an enhanced self-esteem, a step towards believing that any achievement is within the realm of possibility.

This an ideal perfectly embodied by a magnificent plaque erected at our next stop, Mgwenyane Primary School in Kabokweni.

You see, one of the celebrated alumni from this humble place of learning is business mogul and philanthropist Robert Gumede.

He continues to invest in Mgwenyane and other schools in the region through the Robert Gumede Family Keni Foundation (RGFKF), formed in 2010.

It is undeniable that SA faces myriad issues, social, political and economic, as we continue to feel the brunt of former legacies and current leadership decisions. Efforts such as Rally to Read must continue, because, as the folks at Ford said to us: “Ultimately it is our responsibility as adults, and our collective duty as civil society to provide for all of our children.”

It is really as simple as that — no matter where you sit on any of the issues that might divide us at times.

12 Entertainment

Wednesday April 8 2020 Sowetan

Your

Your Stars

Tv Guide

What kind of day will tomorrow be? To find out what the stars say, read the forecast given for your birth sign

14:00 till late

Aries March 21 — April 21

SABC1

This is a good day to focus on financial needs, especially anything to do with the wealth of others or how you share things with others. Yes, this includes debt.

14:00 15:00 15:30 16:30 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30

Khumbul'ekhaya Degrassi YO.TV Ispani Siswati/Ndebele News Mi Kasi Su Kasi Skeem Saam Xhosa/Zulu News NFVF Youth Films : Two Sides of...

20:00 Generations: The Legacy 20:30 Uzalo 21:00 Khumbul'ekhaya 22:00 Perfection

Taurus April 21 — May 21 The Moon is opposite your sign today (it's in the sign that is opposite Taurus), which means you have to go more than halfway when dealing with others. Be accommodating and helpful.

Gemini May 21 — June 22 Do something today to feel more organized and more on top of your game. Clean your glove compartment or the back seat of your car. Tidy your bedroom floor. Get rid of suspicious food in your fridge.

SABC2

Cancer June 22 — July 23

14:00 15:00 15:30 15:45 16:00 16:30 17:00

Magnum Akili and Me Yo.TV Mini - Yo TV Land YO.TV Ilitha Lethu Disney Cookabout Hectic Nine-9 Dragon Ball Z Kai The Final Chapter 17:30 Venda/Tsonga News 18:00 7de Laan 18:30 Nuus 19:00 Fokus 19:30 The Riviera 20:00 Sesotho/Setswana News 20:30 Ngula Ya Vutivi/Zwa Maramani 20:56 Live Lotto Draw 21:00 Muvhango 21:30 Lithapo 22:00 Health Talk

This is a playful, fun-loving day! Enjoy schmoozing with others. Sports events and kids' activities will be great choices.

Leo July 23 — Aug 24 Home, family and your personal world are your focus today.

Cocoon at home among familiar surroundings and enjoy some relaxation -- if you can.

Virgo Aug 24 — Sep 23 You need to talk to someone today because there is something you need to get off your chest. (This isn't easy if you want to keep your shirt on.)

Libra Sep 23 — Oct 23 If shopping today, you might fall into "shopping therapy" mode because you tend to identify with things. Be careful.

For your own sake, keep your receipts -- and the box.

Scorpio Oct 23 — Nov 23

SABC3

14:30 Special Assignment 15:00 Battle Of The Versus

Today the Moon is in your sign, which gives you a little more luck than everyone else. However, it also makes you excitable and more emotional. Easy does it.

Sagittarius Nov 23 — Dec 22

SOWETO TV 14:00 16:00 17:00 17:30 18:00

Kasi Vibes Kasi Vibes Babize Bonke Ultimate Sistas Hair Jury Soweto Business Line

12`3`~4`5`6`7 ~`~`~~`~`~`~` 8````````~9`` ~`~`~~`~`~`~` 0`-`=``~q``w` ~~`~`~~~`~~`~ ~e````````r`~ ~`~~`~~~`~`~~ t`y``~u``i`o` `~`~`~`~~`~`~ p``~[```````` `~`~`~`~~`~`~ ]``````~\````

A conversation with a female acquaintance will be important to you today. This is a good time to share your hopes and dreams for the future with someone to get his or her feedback.

Birthdate of:

Pisces Feb 20 — Mar 21 Do something different today!

Shake things up a little. Take a short trip and explore your surroundings. Talk to people from different backgrounds and other cultures.

14:00 The Wild 14:30 Peppa Pig 14:35 Care Bears: Unlock the Magic 15:00 Barbie: Dreamtopia 15:15 Littlest Pet Shop: A World Of Our Own 15:30 Supa Strikas 15:55 Power Rangers: Ninja Steel 16:20 Judge Judy 16:45 Days Of Our Lives 17:30 Bittersoet 18:30 news - COVID-19 Update 19:00 Rhythm City 19:30 Scandal!

20:00 e.tv News 20:30 Chicago Fire 21:25 e-Insert 21:30 Imbewu: The Seed 22:00 Kingdom

mosimanem@sowetan.co.za

Aquarius Jan 21 — Feb 20

Aquarius Jan 21 — Feb 20

etv

Crossword 3149

You will prefer to work alone or behind the scenes today.

However, if you can do this outside, you will be happiest because what you like best overhead is sky.

Personal details about your private life seem to be made public today. People notice you, and they're talking about you!

Be aware of this.

16:00 Hectic On 3 16:30 Judge Faith Jenkins Court Show 17:00 Afternoon Express 18:00 Top Chef Junior 19:00 Isidingo: The Need 19:30 Ready For Love 20:30 At The Table 21:00 News 21:30 Narcos 22:30 High Rollers

Kristen Stewart (Actress)

What toWatch Muvhango Susan (Maumela Mahuwa) says the hardest prayer she’s ever had to say in her life. James attempts to take Lesedi from Meiki. Vhangani and Mpfareni learn that they are not on the same financial page.

SABC2: 21:00

18:30 News 19:00 Women Arise with Power 19:30 The She Word 20:00 Apostle Simon Mokoena 20:30 News And Views 21:00 Your Late Mate 21:30 Studmuffinz 22:00 Apostle Mohlala

Mzansi Magic

14:00 Forget About It

ACROSS 1 Smallest and farthest known planet from the sun (5) 5 Discriminators against people on ground of age (7) 8 Celestial body orbiting around a planet or star (9) 9 Office of the Chief Engineer (3) 10 Organised and systematic thoughts or actions (7) 13 A cosmic snowball of frozen gases that orbit the sun (5) 15 The sun together with the celestial bodies that revolve around it (5,6) 17 Past tense of swear (5) 19 Taint (7) 22 Weep over (3) 23 The many celestial bodies that move around the sun (9) 24 Physical violence 7) 25 Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (5)

15:30 Lokshin Bioskop: Skhoti Boy 17:00 The Talk 18:00 Our Perfect Wedding 19:00 The River 19:30 Gomora 20:00 Madame & Mercy 20:30 Isibaya 21:00 The Queen 21:30 The Republic 22:30 The Doctors

DOWN 2 Contract renting land or building to another (5) 3 By the skin of one’s _ (5) 4 First sign of the zodiac (5) 5 A device with springs for muscular exercise (9)) 6 _ in a teacup (5) 7 Fragrance (5) 11 Also (3) 12 Usually; typically (2,7) 14 Earth Systematic Missions (3) 15 Female adult pig (3) 16 Earth Venture Instruments (3) 17 Scour (5) 18 Open to view (5) 19 Shabby (5) 20 Myth: who was turned to stone while crying over her slain children (5) 21 Sideways movement (5)

Yesterday’s solutions ACROSS 1 Uranus 5 Fecund 8 Jaguar 9 A being 11 Edge 12 Priced 13 Edison 16 Cooler 19 Talent 21 Cede 23 Apathy 25 Nearby 26 Stacks 27 Hiking DOWN 2 Reader 3 Nautical 4 Shredder 5 Flag 6 CME 7 Nuncio 10 Bead 12 PSC 13 Entrench 14 Idle talk 15 Nit 17 Output 18 Each 20 Nubbin 22 Eyes 24 TIC

YOU BORN TODAY You are energetic and passionate! You love to socialize and party, nevertheless, you have lots of common sense. This is your time of harvest! Yay! Now you will begin to reap the benefits of your efforts of the past decade. You deserve this time of success. Expect to enjoy an increased influence and leadership in your relationships. Yes!

Pantsula

Dennis Quaid (Actor)

Isaac Hempstead (Actor)

Tomorrow’s Weather Pretoria 13-22

Sifiso Yalo

Johannesburg 11-18

Nelspruit 15-21

Phone: 082 162 www.weathersa.co.za | @SAWeatherservice

Polokwane 14-21

Mafikeng 14-22

Bloemfontein 10-22

Kimberley 12-27

Cape Town 11-20

East London 16-24

Durban 16-23

Sowetan Wednesday April 8 2020

Entertainment 13

Online teaching will widen gap of rich and poor Socioeconomic injustice must end

Malaika Mahlatsi Over the past few days, there have been ongoing debates about whether or not higher learning institutions should migrate to online learning and teaching in response to Covid-19. This debate is necessary.

The reality of the situation is that being forced to enter into a national lockdown has had significant consequences across all learning institutions. Everything had to stop abruptly, right in the middle of an academic term.

Students are particularly concerned about what the implications of an extended lockdown period would mean – and justifiably so.

An extension to the 21 days lockdown will have very real consequences not just for higher education, but for education in general. For one thing, if there is no proper alignment between basic and higher education in terms of the progression of students, then we have a problem on our hands. If first year students can’t be progressed into second year, that means there is no possible way to accommodate matriculants in higher education. This would have a ripple effect not only on the entire education chain, but on the economy as well. And the economy, battered on all sides by low growth, rising levels of unemployment and now a global pandemic that has haemorrhaged the little production activity that our country was having, is in no position to survive this kind of potential catastrophe.

As a result of these and other considerations, and in the interest of not wanting to waste an academic year, several higher learning institutions have been trying to insist on migrating to online learning and teaching.

The University of the Witwaterstand, where I am registered as a master’s student in the faculty of science, has been committed to finding ways to ensure teaching and learning continue. We have been subjected to endless e-mails on a daily basis, communicating how the university is finding ways to ensure the academic project continues.

On the surface, this appears progressive, but in reality, it is a move that if employed by all learning institutions, would have devastating consequences for students, particularly those from a working class background.

For one thing, not every student has access to the learning equipment required to migrate online. Wits University and others who want to insist on continuing with the academic project do not appreciate the socioeconomic realities confronting our country, at the heart of which is structural inequalities that are laid bare in our spatial and economic constructs. Not all students have laptops or even smartphones that will enable them to learn from home. And even if this barrier was removed, which Wits is

Only those with resources to have uninterrupted access to the internet will be richly rewarded from studying online while the rest will be left behind. / 1 2 3 R F

trying to do by availing laptops to students in need of them, not all students are equipped with an understanding of how to navigate online learning. Some of these students are first year students from quintile 1 and 2 schools in remote rural areas and poor townships, they had not yet had adequate training in computers. What do we do with these learners?

But beyond the question of access to learning equipment and ability to use it, there is also the reality that not all students live in environments conducive for learning.

Thousands live in overcrowded homes and communities, under conditions of economic lack.

The reason we have universities where students can live on campus is precisely to ensure that they can have a conducive learning environment, which is crucial to academic success. The absence of this will have disastrous consequences for poor students in particular.

What migrating to online this haphazardly will do is deepen the problematic inequalities that already define the higher education terrain in SA. Middle class and rich students will be able to excel while the poor will be left behind. This will take us 10 steps backwards in our quest to level the playing fields for all students, something which is fundamental if we are to truly transform both our higher education sector and society in general. While we all want to salvage the academic year, while we all recognise the importance of continuing with the academic project, we must appreciate that under these conditions this is not possible or just.

The government and universities must find a solution to this crisis, but one that doesn’t leave behind children of the poor. The SA Union of Students has already suggested an alternative – the realignment of our educational calendar to that of the northern hemisphere, which would see us start our academic year in September. It’s a solution worth exploring. It’s a solution that ensures no student is left behind. Any solution that doesn’t do this should not be considered, because it sets parameters for epistemic and socioeconomic injustice which we must never normalise.

Virus proves health insecurity is threat to all

By Francois Vreÿ and Hussein Solomon

The international response to Covid-19 as a health security threat stimulated an international response that commenced with drastic, but localised, actions in China, but responses rapidly manifested in more extreme measures in the rest of the world.

Amidst international efforts imposing extraordinary national and international movement restrictions and a rush to find a medical cure, two questions arise.

First, how does Covid-19 as a health security threat feature within the global security debate and second, how to explain the harsh responses that one observes.

Security theorists made rapid strides in shifting the concept of security from a state-centred focus that prioritises governments and states backed by security institutions to one that accentuates people as main beneficiaries. This drive for an extended security discourse aims to stress individual security as the ultimate outcome of responses to threats and vulnerabilities in previously neglected security sectors.

The latter sectors refer to among others, social, economic, environmental, health and climate security that support safe and secure livelihoods for all.

In similar vein, the UN’s influential 1994 Human Development Report identifies and describes the range of sectors that underpin a more secure human environment.

The report flags health security and how all countries are exposed to risks associated with illnesses and low quality healthcare with an emphasis on respiratory diseases that even in 1994, unwittingly alluded to pandemics such as Covid-19.

Hough sets health threats to security within the global context and offers arguments one can relate to the Covid-19 pandemic.

He stressed influenza and pneumonia viruses as the most significant communicable global health threat with disease and ill health a prominent cause of death in the world.

Placing health threats within increased travel and migration trends, global trade patterns, displaced persons, global market forces and

cultural globalisation, he argues that these trends collectively expose societies to distant health threats as well as rapid spread and contraction risks.

In the case of the Covid-19 pandemic, the UN and World Health Organisation (WHO) as well as world leaders have already verbally stated the severity of the threat and that normal rules no longer apply or are insufficient.

This represents a major development in a debate where threats to health are rarely labelled as existential, remains hotly debated and tend to draw attention and resources only if, and when, set as a national security threat.

Here, the conundrum is the wide powers that rulers invoke to respond with speed and sufficient resources to prevent or contain and counter. The extraordinary responses too often infringe on democratic and human rights principles and misuse must be countered to facilitate a speedy and often difficult or delayed return to normal politics and rules in democratic societies.

Covid-19 has drawn an unprecedented international response through speech acts from leaders that emphasise the danger it holds for ordinary citizens, the existential implications for many as a life-and-death matter and potential economic and social collapse at global and national levels.

Speech acts also highlight that combating Covid-19 requires responses beyond normal politics, are directed at whole societies and demonstrate how world leaders connect Covid-19 to extraordinary restrictive policy measures, and plead for acceptance and responses (and for the moment little resistance) from their constituencies. Covid-19 rapidly elevated health security as a human, national and global security threat.

■ Prof Francois Vreÿ (PhD, Stellenbosch University) is a National Research Foundation (NRF) C1-rated researcher in humanities/social sciences.

■ Professor Hussein Solomon is senior professor in the Department of Political Studies and Governance, University of the Free State, a visiting professor at Japan’s Osaka University and a senior research associate of the Jerusalem-based think tank Research on Islam and Muslims in Africa (RIMA).

Normal rules no longer apply or are insufficient

Wednesday April 8 2020 Sowetan

14 Opinion Your SMS views

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Elderly artists unappreciated V-Mash passing is sad indeed but also an opportunity to reflect on the state of elderly artists in the country. It took the late Boikie Mohlamme and David Phetoe to fight for Vinolia Mashego’s’s royalties at SABC. Many of elderly

artists who too contributed to the country’s heritage are forgotten and only get media attention when they die. In South Africa, the wisdom of elderly people is unappreciated and therefore unutilised to advance humanity. – Jerry Tsie

President deal with murderers President Cyril Ramaphosa SA is the murder capital of the African continent. How many more people should be raped and murdered before you act . Bring back the death penalty. Thank you. – Norman Matsebula, Soweto

Greed renders ANC useless The ANC in Mopani region is dysfunctional because of divisions and greed. The entire ANC is divided and self-eliminating but Mopani region takes the trophy because the movement of Mandela is leaderless – Anon

Easter remarks irk Christians Correspondent N Matsebula (April 6) is out of order. The less said about his remarks the better. This fellow appears to be an atheist. He must leave fellow Christians to observe this holy week accordingly.

– Mary Mashaba, Mamelodi

Sowetan Says

President, call minister to order Perhaps more frequently than some of her peers in cabinet, communications minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams has faced several accusations of abusing power.

This week as millions of South Africans are at home, adhering to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s stringent lockdown regulations, Ndabeni-Abrahams was photographed having lunch at the home of friend and former deputy minister Mduduzi Manana.

When posting the picture on his Instagram account, Manana captioned it: “It was great to host a former colleague and dear sister Cde Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams (minister of communications and digital technologies) on her way back from executing critical and essential services required for the effective functioning of our country during the nationwide lockdown.”

As expected, the post sparked outrage on social media, with many rightfully asking why a cabinet minister would not be subjected to the same social rules that all of have to adhere to.

In a statement yesterday Manana claimed that NdabeniAbrahams had stopped by to fetch protective gear for the fight against Covid-19. Frankly, not only does this explanation lack credibility, it appears to be a calculated back track contradicting the boastful caption under which the picture was posted. Ramaphosa has asked to discuss the matter with Ndabeni-Abrahams.

Whatever the minister’s response, the incident reveals two important things. The first is that despite Ramaphosa’s and health minister Zweli Mkhize’s efforts to fight Covid-19, their message is not being respected by the very people meant to help them push it.

Second, that the lunch meeting was photographed and then posted on social media reveals the extent to which people like Manana and Ndabeni-Abrahams believe the rules of the country do not apply to them.

Their proximity to power had given them a false sense of superiority, deeply anchored in arrogance.

This is why Ramaphosa must act to hold her accountable for her action and to demonstrate that the rules set must be obeyed for all, without exception.

It is the only way to protect the credibility of these regulations to all South Africans.

Letters SA has done well against Covid-19

Letters to the editor Sowetan, PO Box 6663, Johannesburg, 2000 E-mail letters@sowetan.co.za Fax 011-340-9637

In the bigger picture, countries in Asia have been generally more effective than some Western countries, especially in Europe and the US, in combating the coronavirus.

In fact, it has been painful to watch the US President Donald Trump trying to get a grip on his country’s efforts with his reality TV-style briefings.

He is literally stumbling into solutions and has been completely overshadowed by the capable mayor of New York.

Reality TV is clearly worlds apart from the real world where you have to deal with real facts and real solutions.

Compared to many other countries, SA has performed very well so far, in

respect of the number of infections and deaths under the very capable and decisive leadership of President Cyril Ramaphosa. However, it is still too early to become complacent.

Minister of health Dr Zweli Mkhize expresses scepticism about the number of infections in SA, because of the low testing levels.

There are also ominous signs that a prolonged clampdown can lead to civil unrest, given the huge strain put on the poor and vulnerable in our unequal society. It also places additional strain on an economy under siege. It is developing into a balancing act.

The next 10 days will provide more clarity on the road ahead – tough decisions may have to be made weighing up different scenarios.

President Ramaphosa’s consultative leadership style and inclusive approach instill confidence.

Dawie Jacobs, Sterrewag

Alcohol not responsible for our high crime rate

President Ramaphosa revives Madiba spirit

Madam editor, I am very curious to know from whom did you get this ridiculous information that the excessive consumption of alcohol is responsible for our high crime rate.

It must be the joke of the century that excessive alcohol usage is the cause of hijackings, murder, rape, burglaries, etc. There is not much difference between alcohol use before and after 1994. The high crime rate is due to illegal immigrants and corrupt police.

Philip Wessels, Edenvale

As the government intensifies the battle against Covid-19 case, the regions are witnessing the supply of water to the rural areas, as we have also seen in the Sekhukhune district.

We have seen the commencement of testing of Covid -19 across the country.

These are positive efforts of fighting the virus from spreading across our lovely country. Mr President, you have kept your promise to give us hope. In you we see the Madiba spirit coming alive.

Elias Mampane, Limpopo

The jobless face even more tough challenges to survive, Mr President This is in reference to the so-called the plight of informal traders, who have since called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to extend social grants to them for “relief ”.

There’s a certain class of population in the country I call “the employable working class/age”. Yet this category is idle and nobody says anything about it.

People are unemployed because of various reasons, and most remain unemployed until they qualify for oldage pension. These people never worked in their lives, they just survive.

My point is, therefore, what about this excluded population? They are mothers and fathers, they also have children to feed and take to school.

Does anybody understand the stress and anxiety of this marginalised population group?

They are also faced with the same problem of lack of food, and these socalled relief programmes don’t even reach the majority of them.

The sad part is that most people regard these population group as lazy.

And instead of raising their problems most of them keep quiet and resort to accepting their fate.

My humble question to our president is: what is your plan about the plight of these marginalised people?

It is true that local government should be taking care of them, but the truth is, at local government level if you are not the favourite of the elite, you shall eat dust till you die.

Martha Mphelo, Mamelodi West

Sowetan Wednesday April 8 2020

Opinion 15

Law enforcement seems thrilled by extreme force on the streets Lockdown is necessary to curb Covid-19 but policing reminiscent of apartheid approach is not what SA needs

Mbuyiselo Botha Gender Imbizo

In a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19, countries the world over have resorted to measures many have accused of being draconian.

Given the severity and brutality of the laws of Draco, 7th century BC Athenian legislator, the comparison may be unfounded.

According to Draco, death penalty should be give even also for stealing a cabbage.

However, there is a case to be made about the extremity of some of the regulations enforcing the lockdown in SA, and how the individuals nominated to enforce them execute their duties.

Last month, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown. The army was deployed to support the police to enforce it, nothing peculiar since “legitimate” (in most cases democratic) states have for centuries used public police and the military as its main instruments for maintaining law and order.

I believe there is a lot of interest in the actual measures rather than a thorough critique of how

individuals enforce these laws. By individuals, I am alluding to the gun-carrying badge carriers on the ground.

There is nothing wrong with the measures in and of themselves, particularly as the intentions are to keep the virus from spreading. However, there is a great deal to be said about the enforcement.

In a lot of instances, law enforcement officers seem to be thrilled by the licence to use physical force rather

than to protect citizens and this is concerning.

In his essay sociologist Max Weber claims that the state is the “only human Gemeinschaft [community] which lays claim to the monopoly on the legitimated use of physical force. However, this monopoly is limited to a certain geographical area, and in fact this … is one of the things that defines a state”.

In other words, legitimate states have the monopoly and

exclusive right to use, threaten, or authorise physical force against its residents. According to Weber “successful” states were judged on their ability to institute order, particularly using violence.

At first glance, it seems logical that state apparatus should be centralised, but how then do we hold accountable those individuals that misuse this privilege?

The impunity in which some law enforcement officers have enforced some of the regulations highlights the state’s misuse of its monopoly on violence.

South African police officers and soldiers have been accused of abusing citizens in the name of maintaining law and order during the declared national lockdown. / A L O N S K U Y

Some of the content shared on social media shows that some rough individuals in uniform with no sense of right or wrong, shielded by their badges that allow them to use physical force in the name of law and order.

Anticipating some push back from citizens, Ramaphosa publicly called on law enforcement officers to refrain from a “skop ’n donner”’ approach, which means roughing up someone.

However, according to reports, so far eight people have died as a consequence of law enforcement actions during the lockdown. At the time of reporting, this statistic was higher than the seven people who had died as a result of Covid-19 at the time.

Some of the incidents went viral on social media, and as a person who has lived through apartheid watching some law enforcement officers implement their tasks, more so in townships, it is gut-wrenching.

It would be amiss of me to compare a crime against humanity to what we are experiencing now, but the disregard for human dignity, people being assaulted at first sight, almost with no questions asked, I say there are striking similarities.

Our government has shown it is sensitive to some of our pleas during this time and relaxed restrictions when necessary. I would like to plead with the government to ensure that its officials stick within the boundaries of law and order enforcement. It cannot be that citizens fear the Covid-19 pandemic and our soldiers when the latter have taken an oath to protect us.

In the way the government swiftly moved to curb the spread of the virus, the same decisiveness is needed in dealing with law enforcement officers who misuse their power during lockdown.

People who choose suicide often do so under pressure I have ruminated on the topic of suicide for years, and particularly the last months as I recounted my own experiences of contemplating life. Before the announcement of the South African woman in quarantine in Kenya who killed herself, I anticipated that many Jamil F. Khan would choose to end their lives amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

While we are rightfully concerned with the death toll attributable to viral infections, we should also consider how we perceive death and its causes. Like most people who were raised to internalise religious doctrine, I understood suicide to be a sin against God for which the eternal punishment of hellfire is suitable.

I understood people who die by suicide to be selfish and weak for refusing to live and leaving their loved ones behind in pain. As I was introduced to the world, I realised that this understanding is a

symptom of the cruelty we have normalised as a society. It is said that nobody dies of natural causes under white supremacist, heteropatriarchal capitalism. We die from the constant demands for our labour and the abuse we endure in trying to resist those demands.

I have written in my book Khamr: The Makings of a Waterslams that “suicide is a complex entanglement of subversive, radical self-care and submission to society. We choose ourselves in the moment we decide to end lives of suffering and constant provocation”.

“As [queer] people, we make ourselves unavailable for the constant disrespect and slow dying inflicted on us through sustained forms of gentle violence that leave us questioning our own sanity. We take back a power that we have been barred from exercising: the power over our bodies.”

Surely, this rings true under the

conditions we currently find ourselves in and that for some, staying just isn’t enough. We must recognise that those who choose death have sent a bold and damning message to us that says this world we have created is not enough. Every bodily reflex that pulls us towards survival and the shame of over-utilising free will was not enough for the person who died by suicide.

When we look at the world we have created, can we honestly disagree?

I am keenly aware of the potential for my words to be construed as an encouragement of suicide and it simply is not. It is a call to reflect upon how the society we have created as a global community is wholly unconducive to life. It is also a demand for retributive justice for the memories of those who were brave enough to choose death in spite of the shame they were

shackled to. I am aware that for some, these words will pierce painfully, and that many people who have since died by suicide might not have wanted to die... but that they could find no other choice.

There will be many suicides during this time, and they too must be attributed to the death toll of this pandemic. They must be counted amongst the people we failed to provide care, security and help for when they needed us most.

I, too, have contemplated my own death many times under a system of domination which still seeks to annihilate me. For now, I have found reasons to live, but for those who can’t, suicide is just another way in which people die. ● The South African Depression and Anxiety Group is available to help people in distress 24hr on 0800 21 22 23.

■ Khan is an author and PhD critical diversity studies candidate

16 Consumer News

Wednesday April 8 2020 Sowetan

Client finally gets help after a 7-year wait Treating customers fairly and resolving their complaints should be a priority instead of frustrating and causing them to seek an alternative from dispute resolution agents.

It took Renasa Insurance Company Limited seven months to resolve a client’s complaint. This was after Mfundo Zungu, 25, had approached Consumer Line after exhausting the insurance company’s internal procedures.

If it was not for the intervention of the ombudsman for the short-term insurance (Osti), Zungu would be sitting with an instalment to repay and a challenge to raise R180,000 in order to replace an engine of a car that was damaged in an accident in July.

His worries are now over, thanks to the intervention of the ombudsman. Zungu’s complaint was referred to the ombudsman after Renasa failed to honour his claim following a Consumer Line intervention in December.

Judy Green, a claim manager at Renasa Insurance, agreed to settle Zungu’s claim last Friday. The insurance company will now include the cost of repairing his car, Green said.

“Renasa have agreed with Osti to include the cost of the engine into the claim,” she said. Green said Renasa will uplift Zungu’s old engine as a salvage.

“Please request from your client the receipt for the engine replacement and ad-

Thuli Zungu Consumer Line Tel: (011) 280-5312. E-mail: zungut@sowetan.co.za or write to PO Box 6663, Johannesburg, 2000

vise the location of the damaged engine,” she said. In November, Zungu accused Renasa of unfair business practice and bullying him.

Zungu, from Bryanston in Johannesburg, was angry Renasa had asked him to lodge a claim with his broker or Mercedes-Benz because the car still had a warranty which would expire next month. Apart from that, Renasa did not fully investigate his claim or the scene of crash but it told him that the oil from his car had been leaking for quite a long time and suffering from a manufacturer’s defect, he said.

Zungu was driving to work on July 15 when he heard a load thump coming from his car. He did not know whether the noise came from a pothole or he had hit something. He proceeded but when he was about to reach his place of employment all lights from the dashboard turned on and he heard a funny sound as if the car was struggling to shift gears He said he had just taken his MercedesBenz A250 Sport A/T for its regular service and did not expect any shortcomings

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loud bang I heard before it lost its power and eventually stopped.”

He said after completing a claim form he was questioned and guided on how to answer questions which he found Mercedes-Benz A250 Sport similar intimidating to that of Mfundo Zungu. and bullied to lodge a claim with Mercedes-Benz or his broker instead. after the month-old service.

“A few days after the interrogation, I He stopped to examine what was going on but could not detect anything. “But sur- was required to provide a trip report since my car is fitted with a Matrix tracker,” prisingly the car could not start,’’ he said.

He said he informed Renasa about the Zungu said.

He said just over a month later, Renasa incident but claimed no one from the insurance company showed up for an hour repudiated his claim on the grounds that to assist him. In the presence of his father, he drove the car with an oil leak for a long Sandile, they then called VAG specs cen- time after the accident.

Zungu said Renasa did not bother to vitre who immediately came to his assissit the scene of the accident or get a report tance, he said.

“When VAG started towing the car from VAG. Consumer Line sent queries to away we noticed that there was puddle of Renasa about Zungu’s complaint and an oil on the road which was where the car email from the insurance company said its had been stationary while waiting for as- complaints' section needed more time to investigate the matter. sistance,” he said.

We then referred Zungu’s complaint to He said he noticed the second puddle of oil on the same spot. “Clearly, the leakage Osti which successfully intervened. was caused by the object that caused the ■ Thuli Zungu is not related to Mfundo

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Sport 17

Sowetan Wednesday April 8 2020

IBF postpones annual convention to 2021

While waiting for

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Hotz welcomes decision

By Bongani Magasela

Well-travelled veteran boxing referee and judge Neville Hotz has welcomed the postponement of the IBF’s annual convention due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It was to take place in California, US, in May. Hotz, 67, is the New York-based sanctioning boxing body’s representative in Africa.

Hotz said all IBF licensees were informed about the postponement by president Darryl Peoples.

Hotz, Deon Dwarte and Pumeza Zinakile had already booked flights to California. It was to be Hotz’s 19th attendance at the gathering he described as an appropriate plat-

form to network. “But life is more precious. We’ve got to save lives. We will get over this and start over again,” said Hotz, who has been involved in boxing since 1997.

Peoples wrote: “All doctors, nurses, healthcare workers and first responders who figuratively step into the ring each day to battle the Covid-19 are champions now.

“We are extremely grateful to all [of them] who figuratively step into the ring each day to battle this virus.

“As we navigate the novel coronavirus globally, be assured that the health and wellbeing of all the members of the boxing community are our priorities.

“We have been closely monitoring the situation with Covid-19 and how it would impact our upcoming convention

next month.

“At this time, we have decided to reschedule our 37th annual convention to May 4-8, 2021, at The Westin in Long Beach, California.

“We know that many made all the necessary arrangements to attend the convention and were looking forward to it, as we were.

“With the rapid spread of the pandemic globally we felt the best decision was to reschedule the convention.”

Meanwhile, IBO president Edward Levine, whose Florida-based, US, boxing body is represented here by Kevin Lerena (cruiserweight), Gideon Buthelezi (junior bantamweight) and Nkosinathi Joyi (mini flyweight), announced that its offices in Florida have also been closed due to the pandemic.

NOTICE OF SET DOWN BE PLEASED TO TAKE NOTICE THAT the above matter is set-down for an Application to strike out on 28 MAY 2020 or soon thereafter as the matter may be heard.

SIGNED AT PRETORIA ON THIS 6th DAY OF APRIL 2020.

MOTHLE JOOMA SABDIA INCORPORATED ATTORNEYS FOR DEFENDANT DUNCAN MANOR GROUND FLOOR, EAST WING CNR JAN SHOBA & BROOKS STREETS BROOKLYN, PRETORIA TEL: (012) 362 3137 E-MAIL: happyc@mjs-inc.co.za nickeym@mjs-inc.co.za Ref: MR T MOTHLE/MR H CHAUKE/nm/TAM4708 TO: The Registrar of the High Court PRETORIA, 581 Tel: (012) 362 31372 02LQX0

IBF representative in Africa Neville Hotz. / S U P P L I E D

Athletes warned against doping

. e v o m e h t n o , w o n k In the

Substances cheats will be bust – Wada London – Athletes are fooling themselves if they think they can use the chaos caused globally by the coronavirus pandemic to cheat, World AntiDoping Agency (Wada) president Witold Banka has said.

The Pole said physical testing might be virtually at a standstill but Wada and national anti-doping agencies possessed other weapons they can deploy in the fight against doping.

Canada and Russia have gone public in saying they have suspended their testing programmes while the British anti-doping body has significantly reduced its testing.

“Covid-19 is not a space for the athletes to cheat,” Banka said. “They should not feel it is a time for cheating. Otherwise, the anti-doping agencies will use their weapons to catch them.”

The 35-year-old former Polish sports minister, who only took up his post on January 1, said he hoped it would not take long once the pandemic was over to return testing to its “full power”.

In the meantime Wada would rely on other means to keep tabs on athletes.

“Testing is not our only weapon and we have some strong ones,” Banka said.

“There is the athlete biological passport, there is long-term analysis of samples, there is intelligence.

“The biological passport is a useful tool for the profile of the athletes. Also they are still obliged to tell us of their whereabouts even if we cannot go and test them.”

Banka is mindful however that on a global basis, combating the coronavirus is the number one priority.

“Anti-doping is not as important as people’s lives.”

The former international 400 metres runner said he had been in regular contact with leading sports bodies including the International Olympic Committee and the National Anti-Doping Organizations to discuss the current situation.

“We issued guidelines for them that cover a number of areas that may be affected by Covid-19.” – AFP

18 Sport

Wednesday April 8 2020 Sowetan

Safpu wants dialogue on salary cuts Players union wants PSL to explain why players must get lesser salaries NOTICE OF CLOSING DATE EXTENSION POP 12-2020 - JPC HEREBY INVITES INTERESTED PARTIES TO SUBMIT PROPOSALS FOR THE INCLUSION OF SERVICE PROVIDERS FOR THE PANEL OF PROFESSIONALS (POP12/2020) TO SUPPLY AND DELIVER I.T. INFRASTRUCTURE (HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE) FOR A PERIOD OF THREE (03) YEARS, AS AND WHEN REQUIRED PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CLOSING DATE FOR THE ABOVE MENTIONED TENDERS IS HEREBY EXTENDED FROM 17 APRIL 2020 TO 08 MAY 2020 AT 10H30 AM (TELKOM TIME), JPC OFFICES. THE EXTENSION IS NECESSITATED BY A DIRECTIVE DATED 25 MARCH 2020 ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL TREASURY UNDER THE HEADING “CORRESPONDENCE REGARDING PROCUREMENT DATES DURING THE NATIONAL LOCKDOWN’’.

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By Neville Khoza

The South African Football Players’ Union (Safpu) has not officially been given any proposal on player salaries by the PSL, but the union is open to discussion.

Possibilities of salary cuts for players are possible due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with Bloemfontein Celtic owner Max Tshabalala revealing this week that his businesses were in distress.

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We must be able to show them why they must take a pay cut

Bloemfontein Celtic players are facing the possibility of reduced wages while other PSL players are uncertain about their contracts. / L E E WA R R E N /GA L LO I M AG E S

Safpu president Thulaganyo Gaoshubelwe said they have a cordial relationship with the PSL top brass. “We are ready to engage with the league and we have spoken to them last week already. We are left with three months and the question is what is going to happen in these three months of players’

contracts?

“We need to sit down and have a mature discussion. We are open to discussions to understand when these clubs’ bosses say I am struggling and I’m not able to pay salaries.

“Ok, why are you struggling? What is the cause of your income stream because we don’t know that? So there are quite a number of things that we need to talk about.

For us to arrive at a decision we really need to have those serious discussions and that’s very important.”

With other teams in Europe having forced their players to take a salary cut already, Gaoshubelwe says that there is no need in South Africa to cut and paste what others have done.

“If I’m in Europe I can be able to survive three months without a salary.

What they are getting there is enough,” Gaoshubelwe continued.

“But the question is, are we getting enough here?

Is it something that can last us longer? How is it going to impact on our plans and our financial commitment? We cannot just cut and paste.

If we are saying to the players that they must take a salary cut we must be able to show them why they must take a salary cut and be able to demonstrate to them and say our bank balance has been badly affected.”

Sport 19

Sowetan Wednesday April 8 2020

By Nkareng Matshe

They were humbled in the CAF Champions League quarterfinal by Al-Ahly, and have been on the back-foot for most of this campaign in the Absa Premiership.

Yet Pitso Mosimane reckons Mamelodi Sundowns have improved when compared to last term, where they humiliated the same Ahly, the Egyptian giants, and went on to defend the league title.

“We’ve made strides this season, we are better than last year,” Mosimane maintained, even as his team have not occupied top spot this season and trail leaders Kaizer Chiefs by four points, albeit with a match in hand.

“We have already won a cup (Telkom Knockout). We made the semifinals of the MTN8.

We are in the semis of the Nedbank Cup. We are second on the log, four points behind.

You may say we have regressed because last year we made the semifinals of the Champions League. But I look at how we played in the group stages. We went through unbeaten, for the first time. We qualified (for the quarterfinals) with two games to spare.”

Mosimane believes Sundowns fell short against Ahly, whom they hammered 5-1 on aggregate in the last eight last year, because of “two terrible mistakes” in the first leg in Cairo, to lose 0-2 and then drew 1-1 in the home leg.

“We didn’t have the right type of personnel to fight in Cairo. The Champions League is not like the local league. It’s

Pitso sings Sundowns’ praises despite setbacks Team out of CAF, on backfoot in PSL heavy and physical. There’s no flowing football there. You’re playing in a compressed space.

You have to contend with time-wasting and questionable refereeing decisions.

“You don’t win because you’re good. You have to be physical and intelligent. We didn’t have that in the first leg against Ahly,” he said.

He is confident that once normality is restored after the coronavirus-induced indefinite break, Sundowns would give Chiefs a decent run in the battle to annex the championship.

“We had the right momentum (before the break). At one point the gap was big, 13 points or something like that, but we managed to bring it down to four points. We had a big game (against Orlando Pirates) before the games were stopped.

“We have to make sure that we win our games because Chiefs also have tough games looming. They have to face (Bidvest) Wits. I heard Thulani Hlatshwayo saying they (Wits) also want to win it. So it’s going to be tough for everyone.”

Sibusiso Vilakazi of Sundowns shields the ball from Ahmed Fathi of Al Ahly during their 2019/20 CAF Champions League quarterfinal match in Pretoria on March 7. / G A V I N B A R K E R / B A C K P A G E P I X

Leaner focuses on Ajax after completing degree ‘Balancing studies, football was hard’

By Sihle Ndebele

Budding Ajax Cape Town goalkeeper Renald Leaner is now ready to fight for his place in Urban Warriors’ starting XI. / S U P P L I E D

After the University of the Western Cape (UWC) conferred a bachelor’s degree in education, natural science and mathematics on Renald Leaner last week, budding Ajax Cape Town goalkeeper now aims to make even greater strides in his football career.

Leaner, 22, is yet to make his senior Ajax debut. Now that his schedule is cleared up a bit, the lad from Elsies River in the Mother City has shifted focus to progressing even further in football.

“To be honest, everything I do now [after completing his four-year degree] is all about football. My wish now is to take my football to another level,” Leaner told Sowetan.

“I had too many commitments while I was studying, that’s why I haven’t made my senior debut yet. But I’m positive that now I’ll make it because I’m done with my edu-

cation.”

After the cancellation of the graduation ceremony, that was scheduled for last Friday due to the coronavirus pandemic, Leaner and his fellow UWC students received their qualification certificates via emails.

The abandonment of the graduation event left the Urban Warrior a bit disheartened as he had spent money preparing for the special day.

“I am not sad, but disappointed because I was looking forward to the graduation ceremony; I even bought my clothes and shoes a long time ago,” Leaner said.

Leaner also explained why he decided to study a course related to maths and science, which are two educational dis-

I was thinking about life after football

ciplines many fear as difficult.

“The reason why I did maths and science is because I don’t like to study and memorise words,” stated Leaner, who looks up to Bayern Munich and Germany keeper Manuel Neuer.

“I’ve always loved challenges, so maths and science are subjects where you get challenged and where you have to work out things on your own and there is not a lot of reading involve.”

The promising shot-stopper, who had also been playing for UWC in the Varsity Football, admitted it wasn’t easy balancing school and football.

“For me, it was very difficult to study and play football. I had to manage my time perfectly to fit both in.

“Luckily, I made time for both. I was also thinking about my future after football, that’s why I studied,” Leaner said.

Ajax promoted Leaner two years ago, having joined the GladAfrica Championship leaders at the age of 16 from local amateur side Central AFC.

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Sport Sowetan

Wednesday April 8 2020 Sowetan

Shitolo is proof patience pays ‘Bafana call-up a blessing’

By Gomolemo Motshwane

Former Comrades Marathon winner Claude Moshiywa wants the race moved. / TEBOGO LETSIE

Runner’s plea

Ex-champ calls for Comrades to be postponed No update yet from organisers

By Neville Khoza

Former Comrades Marathon champion Claude Moshiywa has pleaded with the organisers to postpone the event as he feels it won’t be ideal to go ahead with the race on June 14.

Following the cancellation of qualifying races due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it is becoming increasingly unlikely that the popular ultra marathon will go ahead on the set date.

The Comrades Marathon organisers had previously promised to put an end to the uncertainty by April 17. But Moshiywa, who won the marathon in 2013, said it would only be fair for runners if the race was postponed.

“I think they can postpone the marathon to help everyone.

In terms of training, there is nothing we can do, if you don’t have a spinning bike and a treadmill in your house the only way to prepare for the race is to do some exercises around your yard,” Moshiywa said. .

“It is not easy [training in your yard. I have been trying... sometimes you get tempted to just go out of the house, but because President Cyril Ramaphosa has said we have to stay at home, you can’t do that. It is quite awkward.”

About possible postponement, which would require an Athletics SA (ASA) sanction, the Comrades Marathon Association board (CMA) is of the view that the race cannot be staged later than October 4 owing to climatic conditions, failing which the event will have to be cancelled.

CMA chairperson Cheryl Winn said they were not in a position to comment on anything at this stage.

But the 45-year-old Moshiywa added that it won’t be fair for those who are still looking to qualify should the race go ahead as planned.

“The one good thing they can do is to postpone the marathon because most of the people lost their qualifying races in March and April and we only have the last one on May 1 [Wally Hayward Marathon] which has since been postponed. There is no way they can go ahead with the June 14 date,” Moshiywa continued.

“I would prefer the end of September or October because then you will have other races where people can still qualify and continue with the training.”

The challenge with staging the taxing 90km race in spring or summer could be high temperatures, hence some on social media yesterday openly called for the CMA to can the race. But with registrations costing R600 per person, it’s unclear if CMA would refund entrants should the event be canned.

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I would prefer the race to be moved to end of September or October

Versatile Golden Arrows defender Gladwin Shitolo is proof that good things indeed come to those who wait.

When he joined Orlando Pirates six years ago from Jomo Cosmos he would have thought that would be one step closer to achieving his dream of playing for Bafana Bafana.

However, things didn’t work out that way and he has had numerous loan spells at other teams. Shitolo has been loaned out to Platinum Stars, Chippa United and Arrows. At Arrows alone, he has had three loan spells.

Shitolo, though, never despaired and at age 30 has finally earned a call-up to the national team.

“To be honest I was so emotional when I found out about the call-up because it’s something I had prayed about for very long,” Shitolo said.

“I wouldn’t say I was surprised because I was expecting it could happen at any time. When it happened I was thankful to the almighty God.” Shitolo’s Bafana debut has since been delayed due to the suspension of sporting activities because of the coronavirus. The only other time he has received a call-up was for the Cosafa Cup in 2013, but he never featured.

With 25 appearances in all competitions, Shitolo has been crucial for coach Steve Komphela and has only missed two games. The devout Christian can play both centre-back and defensive midfielder positions.

Despite his progress, the lad from Giyani, Limpopo, still wants to improve his Gladwin game Shitolo. / even furGERHARD ther.

DURAAN “I still / B A C Kfeel that PAG E P I X there is room for improvement.

There were some performances that I was not very happy about this season but clearly it means the coach (Ntseki) saw something good in me that can be useful in the team.”

About tarining by himself at his Durban home, shitolo said: “It is tough but we will emerge from this [lockdown] stronger.”