SundayTimes April 19 2020

APRIL 19 2020

●

LAAITIE LOCKDOWN

SA’S WISE GUY

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

Oh boy, says new mom Karlien van Jaarsveld Page 8

How Salim Abdool Karim is outsmarting the virus Insight

Urban lawfare defeats soldiers Page 6

R26.00 INC. VAT

●

www.sundaytimes.co.za

BOTSWANA P15.00

●

LESOTHO R15.00

●

SWAZILAND R15.00

●

ZAMBIA K38.50

Hunger stalks SA

FINANCIALLY STRONG AND HERE FOR YOU 02Ąě 7, 8Ą72, 7, Ċ,02Ąě 7, ě7 2Č

At Old Mutual we have weathered many storms over the past 175 years, and our

Çź

Çź

Çź

times.

Çź

around us, our response to the Covid-19 pandemic aims to support our stakeholders to

Çź Çź

CUSTOMERS • ǟ

Çź Çź

• Ā ǟ ǟ

• ǟ

Çź

customers • Ā ǟ ǟ Ą ǟ

! " Ą# $ % & ' ( ) ! • * ǟ

Çź

• Ā ǟ )

Çź ) Çź

ǟ • + ǟ ǟ

)

$ % ' Ą Ā ǟ

COMMUNITIES • ǟ

Ä„ Çź Çź Çź ÄŒ

• ǟ Ą!"

# Çź

• $ ǟ Ą!

%ĀĀ'(

• ) Çź ÄŒ * + ÄŒ Ä€ , Çź Ä€ Çź # Çź

Çź Çź

• Ą ǟ -

. / Solidarity Fund • Ā ǟ -

-

%Ä€ ( $ 01 Çź

) )

EMPLOYEES • ǟ

Çź

• Ā ǟ ě

Çź Çź

•

Çź

advisers who rely on commission • Ą ǟ

Āě!

Çź

Çź !

Çź

• Ā ǟ

WE’RE HERE FOR YOU WHEREVER YOU ARE

CONNECT WITH US: •

Ĺš

• ÄŒ ! " ! # ÄŠ Çź & '

(

' (

& ( ř (* ě,* ě - ( Old Mutual and Cell C networks. • . ǟ

Č /

www.oldmutual.co.za •

• 0 ( ÄŒ & 0 1 " • 2( & 3 ( 4 (

Old Mutual

* * 5 & Çź & *

( 4

175 YEARS OF DOING GREAT THINGS Old Mutual is a Licensed Financial Services Provider

Č

You don’t need to leave your home to reach Old Mutual, we’re right here at the end of your mobile or laptop. Use our digital solutions and reach us anytime for service on the channel you prefer. You can view your portfolio, update and manage personal Ç Ç‰É˝ĆƒČˆČ˘É° ĆƒČśÇ ĆšÇ‰ČśÇ‰ËŽĆşČˆĆƒÉ¨ČˆÇ‰É° ĆƒČśÇ ČśÉ ĘĽ Ę°É Ę? ĆşĆƒČś ĆƒČ˘É°É Č´ĆƒČ&#x;lj Ćƒ ÇšĘ?ČśÇ‰É¨ĆƒČ˘ ĆşČ˘ĆƒČˆČ´ ĆƒČśÇ ĆƒĆşĆşÇ‰É°É° É É˝ČƒÇ‰É¨ services without visiting a branch.

LAAITIE LOCKDOWN

SA’S WISE GUY

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

Oh boy, says new mom Karlien van Jaarsveld Page 8

How Salim Abdool Karim is outsmarting the virus Insight

Urban lawfare defeats soldiers Page 6

01620

APRIL 19 2020

●

R26.00 INC. VAT

9 770039 533008 ●

www.sundaytimes.co.za

BOTSWANA P15.00

●

LESOTHO R15.00

●

SWAZILAND R15.00

●

ZAMBIA K38.50

Hunger stalks SA

BIG ST STORY

Public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan.

Moment of truth looms for SAA at cabinet meeting Tomorrow is likely to be D-day for SAA as public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan reports to the cabinet on the future of the airline.

This week, the government rejected a request from the carrier’s business rescue practitioners for at least R7.7bn in new funding.

Meanwhile, the practitioners — Les Matuson and Siviwe Dongwana — have explained to unions the process for full termination of the airline’s 4,700 employees at the end of the month.

The government has to choose between injecting capital into a lossmaking business or pulling funding completely, which could mean lenders calling in R16.4bn in governmentguaranteed debt.

SAA has placed all staff on compulsory annual leave during the Covid-19 lockdown and the airline’s insolvency means they may get no severance pay if the company is shut down.

In a proposal to unions recommending the termination of all staff on April 30 due to operational requirements, Matuson and Dongwana said asset disposals could also cover severance packages, but many of these would take between six and 12 months to conclude.

Business Times

INSIDE Web fuels boom in home-brewing Page 3

GETTING READY Hungry children offer up a little prayer for food. They are among millions going hungry as a result of the national lockdown, which is keeping breadwinners out of work. The children above were being given a meal this week by the Prince Albert Community Trust, in the Western Cape, which provides food for them during the lockdown at the Path Out of Poverty centre. Picture: Esa Alexander

● Millions face hunger as lockdown crimps incomes

● Proposed increases to social grants could be in the

and leaves families increasingly exposed. They include 1-million domestic workers, nearly 90,000 wastepickers, 3.5-million elderly and 12-million children

pipeline, with Ramaphosa and his cabinet under pressure to devise a bold stimulus plan to revitalise an economy flattened by three weeks of lockdown

Thousands of hospital beds being prepared Page 4

‘COVID CABAL’ Conspiracy theorists slurp the Kool-Aid Lifestyle

2

April 19 2020 - SUNDAY TIMES

Sunday Times

News Hunger

Free access to Covid-19 news

While all the news stories and information relating to Covid-19 will remain freely available on our digital platforms — TimesLIVE, TimesSelect and SundayTimes.co.za — exclusive features such as columns and major interviews will be behind a paywall, available to subscribers and registered users. You can also access our content through the Sunday Times e-edition. — The Editor

Close to a month ago, the Sunday Times made all content related to the Covid-19 pandemic free on its digital platforms as a way of contributing to public awareness about the threat and how to curb its spread. We are committed to giving our readers credible and informative coverage through our print and digital platforms.

Millions hungry as work dries up Yesterday the presidential co-ordinating council, which includes ministers, mayors and premiers, “agreed that measures be put in place to ensure that more cash should be put in the hands of households to induce economic activity in the medium term”. Proposals will be tabled at the cabinet meeting.

Business Unity SA chair Sipho Pityana, who also attended the Nedlac meeting, warned against temporary adjustments to

By SUNDAY TIMES REPORTERS social grants: “Our fiscal constraints notwithstanding, we have to apply our ● As the government grapples with finalis- minds as to the adequacy of our social secuing a plan to feed a growing number of des- rity arrangements and consider what else perately hungry people amid the Covid-19 we need to do to mitigate the impact of that. national lockdown, shelters say they are see“Bear in mind that we have limited fiscal ing starving people who have not eaten for space. When we adopt policies, even as inup to a week. terim arrangements, we must also worry A crucial cabinet meeting tomorrow will about their sustainability. If they are shortconsider proposals to provide relief to save term we must worry about what happens millions from hunger — including a tempo- when we no longer continue with them. Are rary increase in social grants and inyou sowing the seeds of discontent? troduction of a basic income grant.

Sustainability becomes a big factor This comes amid growing in thinking about these things. calls for President Cyril RamaWe mustn’t try and solve probphosa to announce a bold stimlems with a short-term view, ulus package for SA. The matter these are long-term issues,” was discussed at the National Pityana said.

Economic Development and The Pietermaritzburg EcoLabour Council (Nedlac) on Frinomic Justice and Dignity Group, day, when civil society urged a nongovernmental organisation Lindiwe Zulu Ramaphosa to consider topping (NGO) that conducts research in up social grants and introducing a poor communities, called SA’s basic income grant for the unemfood situation an “immediate criployed. At the meeting, organised sis”. business said about 3-million “We projected there would jobs are at risk. be big problems in terms of Social development minisfood in poor communities. But ter Lindiwe Zulu told the Sunthe clamouring for food parcels day Times the government is and food unrest happened even working on various options to exquicker than we predicted,” said tend the safety net and offer relief the group’s head, Mervyn AbraSipho Pityana to citizens who are not registered hams. as beneficiaries.

“We should try to get food The proposals include increasing the parcels out because there is an immediate child support grant of R445 to between R600 crisis, but it’s not the most efficient way. It’s a and R700 and topping up the pension grant logistical nightmare. Government’s criteria for the elderly by an extra R500, up from for those who qualify for these food parcels R1,860. No figure has so far been attached to is not working. How do you tell citizen A you the basic income grant proposal. can’t get, but citizen B, you qualify, when The proposal is that the government ex- both of them are starving?” pands the net to reach more people in the inSouth African Food Sovereignty Camformal economy, including street vendors paign co-founder Vishwas Satgar said their and gardeners. estimates were that the number of “food“If you look at the social grants — the child stressed people” had doubled from last year grant is below the poverty line … which to 30-million. means we must increase that. And then you This includes 4-million people in the inhave the social grant that is for the elderly, formal sector who cannot work and 18-milwe have to look at increasing those. lion people on social grants who do not earn “What we want to do is use the systems enough to buy increasingly expensive food. that we have and upscale them. But the chalThe organisation represents small-scale lenge is developing systems that are quick in farmers, farm workers and food NGOs. reaching the people,” said the minister.

“There are 1-million domestic workers

The Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA) is a statutory body established in terms of the Skills Development Act (1998) as amended; to advance skills levels in the energy and water services sector, in accordance with the National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS) III.

-

Race, Gender Qualifications Contact address & Telephone number(s) Experience, Skills and competencies Other Board / Sub-Committee membership - Names and contact details of at least two referees

The EWSETA Accounting Authority, hereby invites applications for suitably qualified independent members, to serve as members on the Audit and Risk Committee for the remainder of the current Accounting Authority’s term that ends until 31 March 2025.

• Certified copy of South African ID • Certified copies of qualifications • Audit & Risk Committee membership in other entities

Applicants should possess experience, knowledge, skills and competencies in the following disciplines:

Applications that do not include any of the information listed above may be subject to disqualification. All applications and queries must be directed to Company Secretary, on the following contact details:

• Application of corporate governance and ethics • The Public Finance and Management Act • Financial management • Audit and risk management • IT Governance Applications must include the following information: • A 1-page motivation for the appointment as an independent member to the Audit and Risk Committee • Applicant’s comprehensive Curriculum Vitae reflecting the following info: - ID Number,

Tel: 011 274 4700, Email address: aanominations@ewseta.org.za Closing Date for all applications is 28 April 2020 at 16:30 p.m.

Any application received after the closing date and time will not be considered.

14

24

31

38

47

21

21

26

29

33

20

43

47

45

Lotto Plus 1 09

18

19

Lotto Plus 2 04

15

16

No school lunch

Senior Mongrels gang member Leon ‘Poppie’ Meyer prepares the soup which he hands out to the community outside his home in the working-class suburb of Steenberg in Cape Town. Picture: Esa Alexander

COVID-19 cases in SA Stats at April 18 2020

Deaths

Confirmed cases Weekly case breakdown Week 1

3

0 3 4

Week 2

Mar 8-14

Week 3 Mar 15-21

Week 4

Mar 22-28

Week 5

Mar 29-Apr 4

Week 6 Apr 5-11

Week 7

Imtiaz Sooliman

5 2

2 + 36 3 8 cases 202 2 4 0 +cases + 947 1 1 8 7 cases 398 1 5 8 5 +cases 418 2 0 2 8 +cases

Mar 1-7

3

Apr 12-18

0 3 4

Recoveries

9 0 3

Confirmed cases, breakdown by province LIMPOPO

MPUMALANGA

2 6

2 5

+ 0 cases

+ 1,006 cases

+ 5 cases

NORTH WEST

2 4 + 5 cases

NORTHERN CAPE

1

The clamouring for food parcels and food unrest happened even quicker than we predicted

1

1

0 0

WESTERN CAPE

8

6 0 4

EASTERN CAPE

3 6

+ 186 cases

2 7 0

+ 290 cases

and nearly 90,000 waste-pickers who don’t have money to buy food. There are 3.5-million elderly people and 12-million children whose grants are not enough to buy food.

“For a household of four to secure the basic food staples requires them to receive at least R2,500. In most cases this is not happening.”

Satgar said women, especially mothers, are at the forefront of the hunger crisis, with many going without so their children can eat. He said the government’s Solidarity

UNALLOCATED

+ 201 cases

Fund — which on Friday began rolling out food parcels to 250,000 families — is a good initiative, but it is not working to get food to those most in need.

Satgar called for the military to establish field kitchens and for the police and army to help distribute food.

“They are there in the communities. They see people who are starving. If this does not happen we risk a massive spread of the looting of grocery stores. Government must urgently create a citizen’s basic income grant

10 High/Low High/Low

Cape Town

14/19

0 1

KWAZULU-NATAL

3 2

Graphic: Nolo Moima Source: News Reports/Department of Health

1425/2029 1425/2029 1351/1956 1248/1951 1434/2034 1414/2020 1420/2024 1344/1946 1430/2034 1348/1953 1346/1952 1353/1947

1

+ 288 cases

+ 6 cases

Head of a Pietermaritzburg NGO

0212/0817 0210/0816 0131/0745 0127/0739 0217/0820 0157/0806 0203/0811 0121/0733 0217/0823 0128/0743 0127/0742 0126/0729

GAUTENG

FREE STATE

6

+ 0 cases

Mervyn Abrahams

Correspondence will be limited to shortlisted candidates only.

Find us on:

08

week. The other had not had food in three days.”

At house C19 in Nsimbini informal settlement, on the outskirts of Chesterville, Durban, Thabisile Langa, 27, is counting down the days until she receives her grant payment. All she has left in the house to feed herself, her child and her four sisters is a half-full 5kg bag of rice.

It has to sustain them for 11 days.

“The children don’t have enough food,” said Langa, who until the lockdown had been able to provide for the family with piecemeal domestic work.

“They need to eat in the morning, afternoon and in the evening, but there is not enough food.”

Nothemba Mandla, of Extension 7 in Diepsloot, Johannesburg, has queued for a food parcel every day since Tuesday, each time only to be told that supplies have run out. “We are going to starve, and I don’t know what I will do,” the 55-year-old said, leaning against a wall in the shade, a stone’s throw from the food distribution point.

In Steenberg, Cape Town, mother of four Lee-Anne Jacobs was one of dozens of residents queueing at a soup kitchen set up by senior Mongrels gang member Leon “Poppie” Meyer on Thursday evening. She said her family now eats only twice a day.

Children go without school lunch and families eke out the last of their supplies

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS OF INDEPENDENT MEMBERS TO SERVE ON EWSETA AUDIT AND RISK COMMITTEE

Lotto

9

14/27

18/28 19 15/25 12/24

12/22

21/34

9/32 Springbok

15

14/29

10

10

12/26

17

16/28

20/27

12/27

11/25

15/30

* * * ** * *

17/28

If you have a story you would like us to investigate or report, send an e-mail with your contact details to newstipoff@sundaytimes.co.za

Write to PO Box 1742, Saxonwold, 2132 SMS 33971 or e-mail stletters@sundaytimes.co.za or tellus@sundaytimes.co.za

EDITORIAL

19/26 24

20

HOW TO CONTACT US TIPOFFS

LETTERS

11/26

32

16/34

20

15

17/24

9

14/25

13/26

21

to assist people in buying food.”

National Shelter Movement executive head Dr Zubeda Dangor said hunger and food insecurity are dire. The movement is an umbrella organisation for 80 shelters housing more than 1,000 abused mothers and their children across SA. “A big concern from the lockdown is the number of mothers coming to the shelter with their children who are starving.

“On Friday two mothers came to the Soweto shelters. One had not eaten for a

26

PO Box 1742, Saxonwold, 2132 e-mail: suntimes@sundaytimes.co.za Tel: Jhb (011) 280 5155; CT: (021) 488 1777; Dbn: (031) 250 8500 www.sundaytimes.co.za

ADVERTISING e-mails: gewerse@arena.africa Tel: Jhb (011) 280 3204; CT (021) 488 1700; Dbn (031) 250 8563 www.arenaadroom.co.za

“I really don’t know how we are going to make it. In this community real hunger would mean death, that’s the way I see it, people will die of hunger,” said Jacobs.

University of Johannesburg public relations student Rebecca Mmola, 20, has a small bag of mealie meal left.

“When that is finished I am in trouble,” she said.

Her mother died last year and her brother supports her family, but since the lockdown began he has been unable to work.

“I am going to ask my neighbours. Or if I can go to fetch the food parcels, I will try that.

I have to do something,” she said.

Paula Proudlock, a senior legal researcher at the University of Cape Town’s Children’s Institute, said SA’s 10-million children who benefit from school feeding schemes are now all at home.

“The meal they received daily … was often the only meal for many. There are 13-million children receiving child support grants, but many of the caregivers, who supplement the grant with informal employment, cannot work because of the regulations.

“On top of this, households that receive any type of a social grant cannot qualify for the government’s food parcel system. That’s because there are not enough food parcels to go around.”

On Friday, Gift of the Givers began distributing 100,000 food parcels from its warehouses in Cape Town, with Johannesburg and Durban to follow.

“Hunger is a greater challenge than Covid-19,” said its head, Imtiaz Sooliman.

The R350 parcels, containing food donations from corporations, will be supplied through feeding centres around the country.

Breadline Africa is providing about 15,000 hot meals every week to hungry children in informal settlements. In some places, they are escorted by private security because of desperate people stealing the food off the back of trucks.

“We tried food parcels, but these are open to abuse,” said director Marion Wagner.

Grabbing eggs Thousands of people in Cape Town’s working-class areas lined up this week in front of pots of food prepared by neighbours, NGOs, religious organisations and even gangsters.

Earlier in the week, food shops were looted in suburbs including Manenberg and Mitchells Plain. One video shows people running towards the tills, looking for cash, while others grab eggs.

Senior Mongrels gang member Meyer, who has been providing the community with food, said: “I felt I needed to do it first so I could inspire the other gang bosses to do the same. We can take it further and get together and expand it.

“This will make the people think twice about going and robbing spaza shops and convenience stores.” — Sibongakonke Shoba, Sthembile Cele, Suthentira Govender, Graeme Hosken, Alex Patrick, Paul Ash, Lwandile Bhengu, Jeff Wicks, Nivashni Nair, Claire Keeton, Aron Hyman and Belinda Pheto

COPYRIGHT The copyright in all material in this newspaper and its supplements is expressly reserved.

ACCURACY If you spot mistakes in our stories, please point them out to us so that we can fix them.

Phone (011) 280 3253 or e-mail readers@sundaytimes.co.za

SUBSCRIPTIONS CALL CENTRE e-mail: feedback@arena.africa For any subs queries or problems, call 0860 5252 00 or go to www.timeslive.co.za

Sunday Times subscribes to the South African Press Code that prescribes news that is truthful, accurate, fair and balanced. If we don’t live up to the Code please contact the Press Ombudsman at: 011 484 3612/8 Fax: 011 4843619 Website: presscouncil.org.za

3

SUNDAY TIMES - April 19 2020

News

Mampoer can be a monster Adrie Vermeulen of the South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence fears home-brewed alcohol can be more dangerous than store-bought drink. “There are many concerns with drinking this as the alcohol per volume cannot be controlled and could be a lot higher than other forms of alcoholic beverages.”

Covid-19: Alcohol

SA googles it to beat the booze ban Search engine brings relief as drinkers turn to home brewing

By SUTHENTIRA GOVENDER

● When President Cyril Ramaphosa extended the lockdown, South African tipplers turned to their fruit bowls and grocery cupboards to concoct their own alcohol.

The two-week extension has given rise to a new movement of home brewers, who are making pineapple beer, apple cider alcohol and even dabbling in a bit of wine-making.

Google SA reported that searches for “alcohol ban South Africa” spiked 500% as the national lockdown entered week two.

High levels of search interest were also seen for the terms “how to get alcohol” and “homemade alcohol”.

The Free State, North West, Mpumalanga

and Limpopo all showed high levels of search interest for “homemade alcohol”.

Related search queries for “homemade alcohol” included “homemade beer recipes South Africa”, “can homemade pineapple beer make you drunk”, “homemade gin”, “homemade alcoholic pineapple beer” and “how to make alcohol at home fast”.

Desperate for an alcoholic fix, Gautenger Colleen Foyn turned to the search engine and started making beer from pineapples.

“I also found a recipe for making my own wine, and I’m going to give it bash too. This is not illegal and I’m not making it in bulk or to sell to anyone. Who knows, if the wine works out I may be able to start my own little business after lockdown,” Foyn said.

“I would never have attempted to brew myself if I could just buy wine when I wanted to. I could do without it, but perhaps I’m just being a brat because government said I couldn’t have alcohol.”

Foyn is not alone in her home brewing.

Scores of South Africans are concocting their own blends in the absence of their

Sunday Times

State keeps booze ban in place to curb lager louts

By PHILANI NOMBEMBE

Colleen Foyn shows off her home-brewed alcohol. Picture: Supplied

favourite drinks, with many sharing recipes on social media platforms like Twitter.

One home brewer, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisal, told the Sunday Times he started making pineapple beer because he needed an alternative.

“Firstly, in the absence of alcohol, those of us who partake in the inebriating liquids need alternatives to help us hold a nerve or two in this extended lockdown period. So this establishes the need to drink,” he said.

“Pineapples are easily accessible where I’m from and the ingredients to turn innocent pineapple juice to treacherous liquid are inside every home.”

The process involves fermenting pineapple pulp in a container with sugar, water and yeast for about a week.

“The amount of time to craft a perfectly

smooth product is relatively short and the fermentation process can be controlled and assessed for quality brew,” the man said.

Another said he was also making homemade alcohol and had no plans to stop.

“I’m not going to stop. I’m also making an apple cider for when the pineapple beer runs out. It’s not illegal. Show me the law that says I cannot make it for personal consumption.”

Home-brewed beer is not illegal in SA provided it is made only for personal consumption and not to be sold for profit.

National police spokesperson Brig Vish Naidoo said the Disaster Management Act “did not necessarily” prohibit the making and consumption of home-brewed alcohol.

“This is governed by the Liquor Act,” he said. But he added that he didn’t know exactly “what the act says on this”.

was proof that for now we’re better off without alcohol. ● South Africans wanting to buy alcohol The looting of liquor stores had more to during the lockdown are their own worst en- do with criminality than dependence, he emies, according to the national coronavirus said. “Being an alcoholic or being dependent command council. on alcohol is quite a rare condition. It only afReplying on Friday to the Gauteng Liquor fects about 10% of heavy drinkers.”

Forum’s request for a relaxation of the sales Matzopoulos said some of those calling ban, the state attorney said the council had for the resumption of alcohol sales claimed considered the fact that drink caused violent to be concerned about suffering alcoholics. crime, road accidents and medical problems “This is misleading because alcoholics that filled emergency rooms and hospitals. comprise a very small minority of the drinkThe liquor forum rejected the state ing population,” he said. “If they do attorney’s arguments yesterday but need alcohol as part of a withdrawsaid it would not go to court to al strategy then this could be dischallenge the ban because the pensed on medical advice.” lockdown was due to end on Psychiatrist Lize Weich, a April 30 in any case. specialist in substance abuse, But forum attorney Eric said the reliance of South Mabuza demanded to know by Africans on alcohol, “perhaps Thursday about an extension to more than most would care to adthe lockdown. “Our clients remit”, was highlighted by a Richard Matzopoulos serve the right to approach the fivefold spike in local Google court on an urgent basis withsearches related to the alcohol out any further written notification,” he said. ban and how to make booze at home.

Sibani Mngadi, spokesperson for the for She encouraged people to use the opporSouth African Liquor Brand owners Associa- tunity to cut their drinking. “Alcohol use … tion, made a fresh plea for an end to the ban adversely affects the immune system, causon wine exports. ing greater vulnerability to respiratory and “Exporting wines, spirits and ready-to- viral infections,” she said. drink products to countries that are inde“There is the added benefit of cost savings pendently allowing alcohol trade has no ef- in the difficult economic times ahead.” fect at all on SA’s national response to the But Dr Keith Scott of the South African outbreak, but has led to R650m in lost sales Drug Policy Initiative said the prohibition on revenue,” he said. the sale of alcohol and tobacco should be reProf Richard Matzopoulos, co-director of versed. “It discriminates against the poor, the South African Medical Research Coun- puts the health of the mentally ill and cil’s burden of disease research unit, said the marginalised at risk and gifts crime syndidrop in crime in three weeks of lockdown cates and gangs another source of income.”

Soapie vacuum looms as filming grinds to a halt

By LEONIE WAGNER

● The Queen’s reign as DStv’s highest-rated soapie could be over.

Connie Ferguson, who runs Ferguson Films with her husband, Shona, told the Sunday Times: “We will not be able to deliver that content by the end of May. There’s so much going on behind the scenes. We are thinking about how we’re going to survive as a company, but not only that, we are thinking how are we going to help our people.”

Last week Ferguson Films sent cast and crew of the drama series a memo outlining measures the company would take in view of the extension of the national lockdown.

Shona and Connie Ferguson

The Fergusons had planned to extend filming by four weeks to complete the fourth season. However, the contracts of the cast and crew expire at the end of May and with the uncertainty, no renewals can be done.

Dineo Langa, who plays Kea in The Queen, said even though she had additional income from voiceover work she’d still feel the pinch if there was a salary cut.

“It’s bittersweet — you understand that it’s imperative but at the same time everything you’re committed to financially looks you in the face with a very grim look.”

Shona, who is executive producer, said staff would receive their full salaries for April, and there were ongoing discussions with Mzansi Magic.

“We don’t have further episodes to deliver or broadcast post the first week of May. There’s still a lot of uncertainty, as no-one can predict when we’ll be able to resume work.”

Yolisa Phahle, CEO of general entertainment at MultiChoice, said the group had set aside R80m to ensure the cast and crew of all its current productions were paid their full salaries for March and April.

But she declined to try to predict what would happen if the lockdown was further extended.

“We believe this to be critical for the industry and in our view, simply the right thing to do,” Phahle said.

The Queen is the Fergusons’ only series in production.

They’ve also produced other television shows such as The Imposter, Igazi, The Throne, Rockville, Unmarried and Kings of Joburg.

For actress Thembsie Matu, who gets paid per call, this means no work, no pay.

“I have no income at all. At the moment I’m not getting paid — my last call was in March,” she said. e.tv MD Marlon Davids said viewers could continue watching soapies such as Scandal!, Rhythm City and Imbewu on the free-to-air channel. Asked if this would still be the case if the lockdown was extended further, Davids said: “This will depend on the duration of a further extended period. We have adequate local programming for the current lockdown period.”

In March, when the lockdown was first announced, Nandipha Pantsi, publicist for Generations: The Legacy, said there were enough episodes of the popular local series to air, and cast and crew would be paid their normal salaries.

Herman Chalupsky, a Covid-19 survivor, was among the first 20 people who tested positive in SA after a skiing trip to Italy. He has since tested negative. Picture: Sandile Ndlovu

Back in the swim after a scary few weeks

By LWANDILE BHENGU and SUTHENTIRA GOVENDER

● Fear. Anxiety. Panic.

That’s what some of the South Africans who have recovered from Covid-19 experienced after testing positive.

Pregnant mother Morgan Brink, who tested positive after a cruise, said she had been sick with worry each time she coughed.

She carried the burden of worrying about the risk to her unborn child and her family for two anxiety-ridden weeks until her second negative test this week, after which she received the all clear.

Brink was 20 weeks pregnant when she got the devastating news that she had contracted the virus. She and her husband were tested after they took their three-year-old son to the doctor for tonsillitis. Both toddler and husband tested negative.

“I had a good cry,” she said.

The family was aboard the MSC Orchestra, which set sail from Durban for Mozambique on March 16, returning four days later.

Brink said she developed a slight cough on the ship, which got worse once she got her results at the beginning of April.

“My cough got really bad. At night my lungs would close up and I would really struggle to talk and breathe. But it only lasted a couple of days then it cleared up,” she said.

The family went into immediate 14-day isolation at their home in Roodepoort, Gauteng, after testing.

Brink, who is now 22 weeks pregnant, said the baby is in good health. “I still have a slight cough and a few headaches but other than that I feel much better,” she said.

For a Durban father of two, the experience of moving from self-isolating in his home to a hospital after testing positive was sobering.

The man, who was one of the group of 10 who travelled to Italy and returned to SA on March 1, stayed in an isolation ward in Addington Hospital for more than two weeks. He did not want to be named.

He said he had been “emotionally strong” through his experience because he had nearly recovered from his dry cough by the time

he tested positive.

The man and his friends launched an unsuccessful legal challenge to allow the department to release them from hospital to recover at their homes. They were only released after a double negative test.

“I’m not fearful about reinfection, as is appears the likelihood is very slim. I am remaining vigilant as I feel it is the right thing to do to reduce infection, both from a personal perspective and for greater society.”

Former champion canoeist Herman Chalupsky and four friends found watching the news unbearable as they anxiously waited to be cleared of Covid-19.

On March 9, Chalupsky and his friends Garth Loudon, Russell Hampson, Howard Schwegmann and Richard Philips went into isolation at a farmhouse in the KwaZulu midlands after returning from a skiing trip to Italy. While in isolation the group tested positive for the virus.

Chalupsky said the hardest part was dealing with the anxiety and seeing the devastation the pandemic caused.

“In the beginning it was very nice. We thought we’re going to get another twoweek holiday. But we soon realised after three days it wasn’t … for us, the symptoms weren’t that [severe] but your mind keeps telling you it’s a bad disease, and you’re looking at CNN and you see all these people dying everywhere in Italy and in Wuhan, so the panic sets in.”

He received the green light from his doctor following the two-week quarantine, and now spends his days canoeing in his pool.

KwaZulu-Natal south coast car dealer Johan Kinsey-Ahlers, who travelled to Germany for business, said receiving the news that he had tested positive for Covid-19 and had possibly unwittingly infected others was a huge blow. Relief came when his family and other contacts tested negative.

“Whilst I had heard from family and friends that there was an unexpected and unwarranted negative backlash from some sectors of our community, I purposely chose to rather focus on the flood of positive messages of support from so many others.”

4

April 19 2020 - SUNDAY TIMES

Sunday Times

News Covid-19: Healthcare

Robodoc in virus wards Quinton the robot has proved a welcome addition to intensive-care specialists at Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town. He does “virtual” ward rounds, checking on Covid-19 patients. This enables doctors to do monitoring from a safe distance, even from home

Set for mass quarantine as peak nears

7,356

Thousands of hospital beds being prepared for deluge of patients

PLANNED NUMBER

of beds in field hospitals to be built or adapted around the country

By JEFF WICKS

● As SA braces for an onslaught of Covid-19 infections, the state is moving to establish 1,644 emergency field hospitals and quarantine sites to shield a health-care system short of critical-care beds and ventilators.

A total of 2,000 beds for quarantine patients are being installed at the Nasrec centre in Johannesburg — which is being retrofitted to accommodate patients — and three acute facilities under construction in the Western Cape.

Gauteng and the Western Cape appear to be furthest along, but provincial health departments in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape said plans were being drawn up, ushering in the next stage of the fight against the pandemic as lockdown restrictions are eased.

According to a report tabled by the health department before parliament’s health portfolio committee last week, plans are under way to have a national capacity of 7,356 field hospital beds by the time infections peak — which the ministerial advisory committee forecasts will be between July and September, at an anticipated 78,000 infections.

By Friday, 2,783 people had tested positive and 50 had died in SA due to the virus.

1,644 THE NUMBER

of facilities expected to be readied

3,318 TOTAL NUMBER

of critical-care beds in the country

Gauteng health MEC Dr Bandile Masuku visits Hall 10 of the Johannesburg Expo Centre at Nasrec as it is readied to accommodate Covid-19 patients. Picture: ER Lombard/Gallo Images

Some field hospitals will be built from the ground up, but others will involve adapting buildings to accommodate the sick.

Public health and infectious disease experts hope field hospitals will help cover the chink in the health-care system’s armour — a dire shortage of critical-care beds and ventilators.

The public and private health-care sec-

tors currently have a combined capacity of 3,318 critical-care beds and 3,216 ventilators.

The report says the upper bound peak demand for critical-care beds is forecast at 14,767, and the lowest at 4,100.

Primary health-care specialist Prof Mosa Moshabela said field hospitals are pivotal in keeping patients away from hospitals and

maintaining the ICU network’s frail capacity.

“The advantage of field hospitals is that not only do they aid in overflow, but also with infection control,” he said.

On Tuesday, Gauteng health MEC Dr Bandile Masuku unveiled the first phase of the Nasrec facility with 500 beds.

Gauteng premier David Makhura said the province was also putting up new perma-

nent wards in Kopanong, Jubilee, Chris Hani Baragwanath and Dr George Mukhari hospitals to add 800 beds to the system. Some hospitals have been dedicated to treating Covid-19 patients.

In the Eastern Cape, premier Oscar Mabuyane said marquees will be erected for field hospitals.

Western Cape government spokesperson

WASH — AND CLAP — HANDS

‘Red tape’ frustrates would-be helpers

By SIPOKAZI FOKAZI

● More than 450 foreign-trained medical professionals say red tape is preventing them joining SA’s coronavirus fight.

Writing in the South African Medical Journal, two foreign medical graduates said they had heard from 458 counterparts who are “currently in SA, and are either unemployed or working in nonmedical roles. Almost all are willing to serve during the Covid-19 outbreak.”

They say the Health Professions Council of SA (HPCSA) can take up to two years to register them, a claim the council has denied.

At the same time, senior medics at the University of Cape Town have raised concerns about the “unethical practice” of First World nations recruiting doctors from poorer nations.

In a letter to the journal, they criticised moves by the UK and US to expedite visa applications so foreign health workers could join the coronavirus workforce.

“We call on governments and professional medical associations in both high-income countries and low-income countries to ensure that as they address the current global need for health workers, their strategies should promote equity and specifically not undermine the already understaffed and fragile health systems,” said UCT ear, nose and throat specialist Johan Fagan and four colleagues.

UCT’s head of global surgery, Salome Maswime, told the Sunday Times: “Rather than poaching from one another, there is an urgent need to increase training of health workers in all categories.”

In their letter about HPCSA red tape, doctors Jehane le Grange and Jacques Jeppe said that “trying to expand SA’s health-care capacity while simultaneously contending with a loss of health-care staff due to Covid19 could pose a significant challenge to a sys-

tem already under strain”.

They added: “SA international medical graduates could potentially assist. The integration of these doctors has long been problematic for the HPCSA and the national department of health … Policy aimed at bridging their integration has yet to be implemented.”

Le Grange told the Sunday Times a significant number foreign-trained doctors were registered only with other international medical councils, “therefore they are limited with regards to their ability to practise in any medical capacity in SA”.

HPCSA registration could take up to two years, forcing doctors to work in nonmedical roles or as medical sales reps — or to register with medical councils elsewhere that had simpler registration processes, he said.

“Given the current situation, I do think that some compromise would be called for in terms of registration, perhaps a limited or temporary registration, thereby allowing international graduates to play a role.”

HPCSA spokesperson Priscilla Sekhonyana said that since the lockdown began the council’s turnaround time for registrations had been reduced from 10 working days to 72 hours. She said the regulatory body would, however, “not waive requirements for registration”.

But to speed things up, Sekhonyana said, the council no longer insisted on original application forms and accepted applications submitted by e-mail.

“Applicants will be granted a temporary registration for the duration of the lockdown, but will be required to submit originals of documents if they want their registration to be made permanent or continue beyond the period of the lockdown.”

Health department spokesperson Popo Maja said allowing unregistered doctors to assist during the Covid-19 outbreak could put lives in jeopardy. “No country in the world takes such a risk,” he said.

THE NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE A TOOL TO CLOSE THE WAGE GAP AND TO OVERCOME POVERTY

Mark van der Heever said two acute treatment facilities will be constructed in the Cape Town metro and one in a rural area.

The report before parliament said field hospitals will triage Covid-19 patients, sending the critical to ICU while isolating and treating the mildly or moderately affected.

Public health-care specialist Dr Kerrin Begg said: “We don’t want to get to the worst-case scenario. While we buy some time before the curve peaks, a lot of things are happening behind the scenes to get these field hospitals up.”

She and Moshabela emphasised the importance of slowing the spread of the virus, thereby reducing the number of ICU patients at one time.

Dr Lydia Cairncross, chair of the advocacy group People’s Health Movement, and a doctor in the public sector, said the process will be fraught.

“We will need spaces for isolation but the issue of what happens to people who test positive is really critical to the way the stigma of this pandemic is managed,” she said.

People need to be tested willingly, she said, and not be concerned about where they will go if they test positive.

“We don’t want to create a stigma where you test positive, you’re parachuted out of the community to some faraway place and kept in isolation.

“Community care centres rather than quarantine facilities is what we are talking about,” she said.

Other provinces, and the national health department, did not respond to questions.

National Health Service workers applaud outside Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London during the Clap for our Carers campaign in Britain. Picture: Reuters

Out of retirement to join the battle

By SIPOKAZI FOKAZI

Baronice Andrews

● After working as a nurse for more than 30 years — the last 14 at a hospital in Saudi Arabia — Baronice Andrews decided to retire in her native Cape Town.

But just as the mother of two arrived home in Kuils River last month, the Covid-19 lockdown was announced.

Now she is preparing to rejoin the health service following a plea to retired medical professionals from health minister Zweli Mkhize.

In new regulations gazetted last week, Mkhize said additional health staff, including those with special skills, community service

workers and expanded public works programme personnel, should be recruited in strategic areas.

The regulations say the recruitment process must be shortened to a week, with the condition that an appointment may be set aside depending on suitability checks.

Mkhize said health authorities must identify their needs and medical professionals must be available for deployment where they are needed.

Andrews, a midwife who previously worked at maternity and obstetrics units in Cape Town and nursed patients infected by Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers) at Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh National Hospital, said

the outbreak of Covid-19 would “give me another opportunity to serve my country”.

“I don’t take this virus outbreak lightly because I’ve dealt with a similar situation during the Mers outbreak five years ago.

“It’s a tough call for me as I planned to spend all my time with my family, but there are sacrifices to be made and for me there is no better time to make such sacrifices than now.”

Health department spokesperson Popo Maja said the response to Mkhize’s plea to retired health workers had been impressive.

Maja said the volunteer medics were likely to start work “when the situation becomes dire”.

IS YOUR EMPLOYER PAYING YOU THE NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE? If you are not paid the national minimum wage of R20.76 per hour • R18.68 per hour for farm and forestry workers • R15.57 per hour for domestic workers • R11.42 per hour for workers under the Expanded Public Works Programme then dial the FREE IMPIMPA HOTLINE.

FREE IMPIMPA HOTLINE: *134*305# DIAL THE FREE IMPIMPA HOTLINE AND FOLLOW THE PROMPTS

DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT AND LABOUR, WORKING FOR YOU

SUNDAY TIMES - April 19 2020

Education Plan for reopening of schools released

By PREGA GOVENDER

● Changing seating plans so that pupils’ chairs are at least 1.5m apart and a ban on the sharing of desks are among the measures the department of basic education is proposing when schools reopen.

Teachers and pupils will also be strongly discouraged from hugging, shaking hands or having any other “direct contact” with others.

The proposals, designed to comply with the department of health’s directive on physical distancing, are contained in the basic education department’s “draft post Covid-19 lockdown recovery plan”, which was discussed with teacher unions and governing body associations this week.

“These may be the most challenging conditions for provincial education departments to implement as our classrooms are not always able to accommodate the requirements in terms of social distancing,” the document states.

It says that provincial education departments “will have to apply their minds to what would be the best arrangement”.

In the document, the department poses the question on how social distancing is going to be implemented in classrooms.

It paints two scenarios, which include a 1m social distance being acceptable if it is applied with strict precautionary measures such as temperature checking, face masks, gloves and sanitisers.

The other scenario is that if the 1.5m social distance is nonnegotiable, additional classrooms will be required.

This could mean using underutilised spaces in schools and at other schools and community centres, as well as procuring mobile classrooms and “operating schools in shifts”.

Teacher unions and governing body David de Korte associations this week expressed concern over the issue of social distancing at schools.

Basil Manuel, executive director of the National Professional Teachers Organisation of SA, questioned how social distancing will work, especially at overcrowded schools.

“We have already expressed serious concerns to the department about how are we going to manage social distancing,” he said, adding that he believes it “is not going to happen”.

Matakanye Matakanye, general secretary of the National Association of School Governing Bodies, said he had raised the issue of social distancing very strongly at this week’s meeting.

“We are saying that parents and governing body members must be trained to observe, monitor and supervise learners at schools to ensure they comply with social distancing,” Matakanye said.

He said parents could, for example, observe whether pupils were keeping a safe distance from each other when visiting the toilets at school.

“There may be social distancing in the classroom because the teacher is there, but what happens when the child goes to play outside or visit the toilet?”

David de Korte, national president of the South African Principals’ Association, representing 3,000 heads of schools, said: “The reality is that social distancing is going to be almost impossible in most of our schools.”

He said the association had decided that large gatherings such as school assemblies will not take place for the foreseeable future.

“We are proposing that every single classroom has hand sanitisers and that learners sanitise when they enter the school premises and classrooms,” he said, adding that teachers will wipe down desks with cleaning agents.

In a bid to address the issue of social distancing, the department of basic education is proposing that schools reopen on a phased basis, with matrics and grade 7s starting on May 6 if the lockdown is lifted on April 30. They will be followed by grades 11 and 6 (May 20); grades 10 and 5 (June 3); grades 9 and 4 (June 17); grades 8 and 3 (July 1); grades 2 and 1 (July 8) and grade R (July 15).

In Numbers

12.4m THE NUMBER

of pupils attending public schools last year

407,000 THE NUMBER

of teachers at public schools last year

5

6

April 19 2020 - SUNDAY TIMES

Sunday Times

News Covid-19: Army

Soldiers of shame “We hang our heads in shame that we have lost a person … and we will not at any point defend what happened.”— Defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, referring to the death of Collin Khosa in Alexandra, allegedly at the hands of soldiers

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

Masked, gloved and armed soldiers patrol the streets of Diepsloot, north of Johannesburg, where people are said to be ignoring many of the lockdown measures put in place to help slow infection rates in the Covid-19 pandemic. Pictures: Thapelo Morebudi

By JEFF WICKS

● Morgan Maluleke wears a wry smile as soldiers snake down a cramped and nameless road in Diepsloot, barking orders at crowds of jeering people.

“When they are here the streets are empty, but when they leave our lives continue like normal,” he says as the platoon moves on.

South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers deployed to townships and informal settlements across SA face the impossible task of enforcing social distancing — often herding people homeward.

In Diepsloot’s Extension 13 — a maze of corrugated-iron homes — army patrols send people scuttling into alleyways and hidden paths, only to flood back onto the streets when the column moves on.

“They are like amagundwane (rats). You stomp your boot and they run away, but 10 seconds later they are back,” a visibly exasperated policewoman says.

“When their neighbours and their relatives start to die … maybe then they will listen,” she snaps, before rapping on a fence to send a distant crowd running.

A rumbling chorus of diesel engines from brown armoured cars had announced the arrival of the army on Thursday morning, the sound sending hawkers running.

Under the shade of an awning, a bucket overflowing with mopani worms had been abandoned, its owner likely outside without a permit.

“We know it’s not good to be outside, but it happens. There is no other way in Diepsloot,” says Maluleke, now confidently hanging his arms over his fence with the amasosha (soldiers) out of sight.

The military’s heavy hand in townships since the start of the lockdown has been exposed in videos of forced physical training, the shooting of a dog and, last weekend, the death of Collin Khosa in Alexandra.

A group of soldiers and police officers are accused of beating Khosa to death in his garden on Good Friday.

His family this week sent a legal letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa, demanding financial compensation.

In it they claim Khosa was assaulted for allegedly drinking alcohol outside his home.

“They poured beer on top of his head and

They’re like amagundwane (rats).

You stomp your boot and they run away, but 10 seconds later they are back Policewoman patrolling in Diepsloot

On a Diepsloot street, soldiers approach people who are demonstrating a loose interpretation of social distancing.

Police officers search a spaza shop in Diepsloot, confiscating cigarettes and cigarette papers.

on his body; one member of the SANDF held his hand behind his back, while the other choked him; slammed him against the cement wall; hit him with the butt of the ma-

Soldiers engage with civilians on the need for social distancing during the lockdown.

chine gun; kicked, slapped him, punched him on his face and on his stomach and ribs; and slammed him against the steel gate,” the letter says.

Police arrest two men who refused to adhere to the rules of the lockdown in Diepsloot Extension 12.

This week, defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula apologised, saying the SANDF hung its head in shame.

She said the law would take its course, re-

ferring to independent investigations by the police, military police and the SANDF ombudsman. No soldiers have been suspended in connection with Khosa’s death.

The office of the SANDF ombudsman said 15 complaints against soldiers have been received, all of which are under investigation.

They include the death of Khosa.

News of his death has filtered through to Diepsloot, Maluleke says.

“When the army comes people run. We know they kill people outside. But in here we don’t take chances. We just run.”

A spokesperson for the SANDF, Capt Thabo Sello, said their mission bordered on the impossible as lockdown rules are being ignored.

“We move into one area and people all move into their homes, but as soon as we leave, they just come back. It is the most frustrating part of this mission,” said Sello.

“We are in the third week and people don’t take this disease seriously and they are going to get sick.”

In the front yard of another shack, a policeman’s boot reduces a piece of plywood, the board of traditional African game morabaraba, to splinters over the protests of its owner.

“I thought we could do this in the yard,” he pleads, only to be fobbed off by soldiers and police officers who then retreat to the road.

As the soldiers regroup after the patrol, three men have been arrested, each marched on by a soldier holding their belts.

Two had been sitting close to one another and refused to move, and the third was caught with 2l of traditional Zulu beer, which was quickly tipped out onto the dusty street.

While the army tries to keep people indoors, the inevitable flood of desperate people has the roadways crowded.

Gertrude Monisi had waited outside the food distribution station in Diepsloot’s Peach Street for nearly 12 hours — among hundreds of her neighbours — before a soldier gently helped her to her feet, ushering her home with nothing.

“I am so sad … my family is waiting for me to come back and they don’t know that I couldn’t get any food,” she says.

Monisi stoops in respect in front the balaclava-clad trooper, who rests his hands on a rifle slung across his chest.

“It is good that the army is here and this man was nice to me because he could see I was tired. They must stay in Diepsloot,” she says.

Wildlife reclaiming their land as humans get out the way

By ORRIN SINGH

● The nationwide lockdown has allowed animals in game reserves and national parks across SA to take back what is rightfully theirs — the land.

Sightings of the elusive Cape leopard, the endangered African wild dog and lion prides soaking up rays of sunlight on the tarmac — something tourists would fork out thousands of rands to see — have become an almost daily occurrence for those at the frontline of conservation.

Experts say wildlife has been left to roam vast plains and plateaus in peace — a sight that is being relished by people enjoying virtual safari tours on their televisions, phones and computers.

Richard Penn Sawers, park conservation manager at Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park in KwaZulu-Natal, said the feeling inside the park was surreal.

“When fortunate enough to be alone in

A pride of lions soak up the sun on the tarmac just outside Orpen rest camp at Kruger National Park.. Picture: Richard Sowry

the park away from any interferences one can only imagine what the Zululand bush felt like 200 years ago.

“The animals are much more relaxed and don’t run away when approached by a vehicle or person on foot. It’s a surreal feeling of isolation and being alone.”

Johan Joubert, head of wildlife at

Shamwari Private Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape, said that since the lockdown began a quietness has fallen over the reserve, something that has not been experienced since it opened in 1990.

“It all seems so clear — the birds calling, the roar of a lion — it’s louder than ever before. Even large numbers of kudu can be

seen browsing through vygies and acacias — a rare sight.”

However, tight lockdown regulations limiting the number of rangers that can be deployed to various areas is making the work of rangers, veterinarians and antipoaching units more risky.

Penn Sawers said a field ranger had been

seriously injured by an elephant at Hluhluwe-iMfolozi last week. “The staff member was in the company of a colleague who managed to chase the elephant away, which certainly saved the ranger’s life.”

He said the ranger was stabilised and airlifted to hospital in Richards Bay, where he is now making good progress.

Joubert said he too had found himself in a tense situation. “A few days ago I had to attend to an injured buffalo cow. As the herd was relaxed I managed to sedate her with a dart gun on my own. Once down, I drove closer, got out of my vehicle and started to attend to her wounds.”

Joubert said that under normal circumstances his colleagues would assist and take care of other animals around him.

“As the rest of the herd were also interested in the activities, they quietly came closer.

[It was] an awkward situation to be with a sleeping buffalo, her excited calf running around and about 30 buffalo between me and my vehicle,” he said.

Field ranger Mike Fabricius at the Grootbos Private Nature Reserve in the Western Cape said: “One of the special encounters the team have [had] during lockdown is an African wild cat mother and her kittens. This species is seldom seen in the region and very elusive.”

SUNDAY TIMES - April 19 2020

Politics

John Steenhuisen Picture: Veli Nhlapo

Lockdown statement: DA leader grilled Party brass unhappy at ‘opposition to extension’

By S’THEMBILE CELE and APHIWE DEKLERK

● DA top brass have grilled interim leader John Steenhuisen over his “clumsy” messaging suggesting that the official opposition party opposed extending the Covid-19 lockdown.

The Sunday Times has learnt that Steenhuisen faced a barrage of questions from the party’s federal executive (fedex) over the statement he issued shortly after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the extension of the lockdown last Thursday. Those who questioned Steenhuisen felt that the DA had failed to read the mood in the country by expressing opposition to Ramaphosa's announcement.

This was the same criticism levelled against former leader Mmusi Maimane just before he left the party, as some DA leaders, including Steenhuisen, accused him of having focused too much on bashing Ramaphosa’s ANC. DA insiders said that during a meeting of the fedex last Saturday, Steenhuisen apparently conceded that the statement’s headline — “A lockdown extension will create an economic disaster” — was not well phrased. Steenhuisen told the Sunday Times he stood by the statement.

Members of the fedex are said to have raised concerns that the statement suggested that rescuing the economy was more of a priority than preserving lives.

A fedex member told the Sunday Times that “unhappiness” about the statement had been articulated, in particular the headline, “which became the focal point”.

“In all fairness, he did say it was unfortunate.

There was a recognition that it was not the right call at that time. We do have an institutional culture of responding instantly to announcements by the president, which did not serve us well in this instance,” the member said.

A member of the DA’s shadow cabinet said they were briefed about the meeting with Steenhuisen but it was never made explicit that the party was no longer 100% in support of the lockdown.

“It was a completely wrong call to make and fedex, from what I can tell, expressed itself … the problem is that he has surrounded himself with his campaign team,” said the DA insider, referring to Steenhuisen’s bid for the top job of the party.

Some in the party say the response to the Covid19 crisis has been incorrectly guided by Steenhuisen’s political team, who want to keep his momentum going in the run-up to the federal congress, originally set for June.

The party has now taken a provisional decision to host the congress in October. Steenhuisen, Gauteng leader John Moodey and KwaZulu-Natal MPL Mbali Ntuli have all raised their hands for the top job.

Several DA MPs also cautioned that aggressive opposition to the government’s plan — in instances where it was not necessary to take that position — would lead to the party’s detriment at the polls next year. The party haemorrhaged around 400,000 votes during last year’s general election.

Steenhuisen told the Sunday Times the position articulated in the statement had been vindicated.

“The statement went through the DA workstream on lockdown as well as the shadow cabinet like all other Covid-19-related communication — it was not a unilateral decision but reached after consultation and consensus. The approach in the statement talking about lives and livelihoods and ‘backlash’ has since been vindicated in the mainstream realisation that we need to protect our citizens’ lives from the twin threat of the spread of the virus and grinding economic depression,” Steenhuisen said.

He also disputed claims that his strategy was being penned by his campaign team.

“I suspended my campaign for the leadership at the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis and publicly announced this,” he said.

“I have been working only with the extended shadow cabinet, the shadow cabinet subcommittee on Covid-19, the national management committee and the federal executive. Your assertion around the campaign team, which has not met, is not founded in fact.”

7

8

Sunday Times

April 19 2020 - SUNDAY TIMES

News Covid-19: Hunger

Human error caused crash Transport minister Fikile Mbalula said on Friday the investigation into the Qolweni bus crash, in which the driver was among those killed, showed human error was to blame. He said the vehicle’s registration had expired but no mechanical defects or failures were found. A case of culpable homicide has been opened

Village in mourning fears starvation Father of six fears he may have to use seed to feed children

By MPUMZI ZUZILE

● Malibongwe Magusheni and his family are down to one meal a day and have only enough mealie meal for two days.

His job as a woodcutter has been constrained by the lockdown and he has nine mouths to feed: himself, his six children and two nephews.

Magusheni’s wife, Nomelikhaya, died last month. She was among the 25 dead in the Qolweni bus crash on March 2. The bus, carrying mostly pensioners and social-grant recipients, was travelling from Cebe on the Eastern Cape Wild Coast to Butterworth, 58km away.

If Magusheni’s mealie meal runs out, he will need to grind the seeds he hoped to

plant later in the year. “I can’t have my children starve,” he said in his remote Centane village.

Their plight has been made worse by the lockdown. The provincial department of social development said it could not deliver food to the village because its workers had no protective equipment or clothing.

But the department’s Gcobani Maswana held out hope. The protective gear had “just arrived”, he said, and food parcels would be delivered by Tuesday.

However, Magusheni cannot get forms signed that would entitle him to child support. “The forms need to be signed by the school principal,” he said, and the schools are closed. “Last month we didn’t receive our grants. This month-end again we are not going to receive it.”

He hopes the schools will open soon, but not just to get his forms signed. “Then the children can at least get something to eat.”

Magusheni told the Sunday Times that the last time he saw a government official was at the mass funeral for the bus-crash victims.

The official had brought food parcels that

We only feed him maize porridge and mashed potatoes. The others only eat once a day. I just can’t wait for schools to reopen so they can eat there Ntombekhaya Komani, left

have long since run out.

Villagers regard the danger of being infected by the virus as not as great as the shortage of food. Vuyolwethu Mba, 32, whose mother died in the bus crash, said: “We just do not know where, when and how we going to get our next meal.”

She said her mother had been the one who put food on the family table.

“We cannot even access my two young brothers’ child-support grants,” Mba said.

Her brothers are seven and 11 years old. As she spoke, tears ran down her face.

Ntombekhaya Komani, 32, also of Cen-

tane village, is another who has been thrust into the role of family caregiver after her mother died in the crash. She now looks after four younger siblings, who are between the ages of eight and 14.

She said the food she had for the five of them would not last beyond a week.

Their child support grants have also been stopped. All they have to exist on is a grant for her 16-month-old son.

“We only feed him maize porridge and mashed potatoes. The others only eat once a day. I just can’t wait for schools to reopen so they can eat there,” Komani said.

She said she had been told to make an application for child support when schools reopen.

Councillors and community leaders are worried about what will happen if scores of families don’t get food promised by the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) or from the department of social development.

Chief Phathuxolo Tyali, a local traditional leader, said that with many people losing incomes during the lockdown, communities

were becoming increasingly desperate as food begins to run out.

Tyali called on the government to help families start their own gardens.

The department’s Maswana said Sassa had set aside R45m for food parcels and R5m from the department of social development.

“We have also applied for more funding from the provincial treasury, and are waiting for a response,” he said.

Sassa spokesperson Luzuko Qina said people with no income would receive food parcels. Sassa would screen applicants to “identify those most in need of assistance”.

Sassa has processed applications for benefits from a crash disaster fund for all 25 families who had lost loved ones.

Qina said Sassa was committed to providing food parcels for three months and would extend this to six months subject to a social worker’s assessment. ● Transport minister Fikile Mbalula said an investigation had found “human error” to have caused the crash, in which the driver also died. The bus had no mechanical defects but did have an expired licence disc.

Combating virus to make a living

By ALEX PATRICK

● They’re a cohort of 50,000 workers who want to move from being coronavirus victims to coronavirus fighters.

Waste-pickers, cleaners, and ride-hailing service drivers in Johannesburg, whose incomes have dried up during the nationwide lockdown, are being trained in new ways of making a living so they can get back to work.

The project is the brainchild of businessmen Brad Fisher and Andile Ramaphosa, son of President Cyril Ramaphosa, who own SDI (Supplier Development Initiatives), a company that introduces micro-suppliers to larger companies.

With their new programme, SDI Force, they are gathering donations for personal protective equipment (PPE) and clothing to enable the micro-suppliers to do their bit to combat the virus and earn a living in the process.

Already involved are cleaning company Sweepsouth, ride-hailing service Bolt, waste recycling company Wastepreneurs, brand activators Tradeways, logistics company Loadit, survey and data capturing company Aweh and appliance service company Easyfix, which together represent about 50,000 workers in Johannesburg. The plan is to roll out the system in other cities.

Said Fisher: “The idea is to repurpose these people so they can work. An example is the Bolt drivers: one of the complaints from essential workers like lab technicians and nurses is that they have trouble getting to work because of restrictions on public transport. Each Bolt car has now been fitted with screens so passengers can travel without worrying about catching the virus. The

drivers also know how to sanitise cars between travels, so they are now able to work.

“And the ‘Sweep Stars’, the ladies who work at Sweepsouth who usually clean homes, will be trained to sanitise offices” in the face of domestic contracts drying up.

Ronald Sibeko works at Loadit, which connects drivers who own trucks with those needing their services. The lockdown almost wiped out his income.

“I have a big family to look out for. My brother died so I look after his six children, then I have three of my own children and my wife to worry about. So now, with no work, I was facing big trouble,” said Sibeko.

Work is slow, but after he received training from SDI Force in how to safely deliver food, he helps deliver tons of food parcels.

“Many people I used to work with are out of jobs, people come crying to me because they have no food — and they can work. I try help them with what I’ve got, but it’s not enough.”

Waste-picker Godfrey Phakedi, a manager at the Wastepreneurs co-operative, said they plan to retrain their workers to clean taxi ranks and other public spaces.

“They are used to carrying 100kg on their backs. A backpack with industrial spray will be light work. More than that, they are hardworking, they get up early and work late, they are reliable and they are willing to do the work. This is how we can use our resources, let these people work,” he said.

Fisher said that while the informal workers are retraining, their immediate need is for food. R1.6m in donations has been spent on food parcels for the waste-pickers and other destitute families.

Zuzu Mbatha and his Momba Foundation, which works with waste-pickers organised

Brad Fisher hands out food at Innesfree Park in Sandton as part of the SDI Force initiative he and partner Andile Ramaphosa are running to help get workers, especially from SMMEs, back to work as quickly and as safely as possible. Picture: Sebabatso Mosamo

by Wastepreneurs, has been distributing the parcels to the 6,000 informal recyclers.

“When we began giving food parcels to the waste-pickers, we did so with the help of nurses provided by the city. Each person was screened for the virus. Some did not even know the country was in lockdown — never

● Only a foolish man gets in the way of an expectant mother and her birthing plan.

But some new and expectant moms have been forced to be flexible during lockdown.

Rapper-turned-entrepreneur Siyabonga “Slikour” Metane and his wife, Melissa, welcomed their baby girl Shaka Khensani Metane on March 23, three days before the lockdown began.

“In terms of the actual birthing process, that really changed significantly because we had intended for our families to be there — both our mothers and our kids,” Melissa said.

“We wanted all of them to be there to welcome Shaka, but unfortunately because of Covid-19 they couldn’t. The hospital had already amended the rules and was stricter.

The father was only allowed to be there during the birthing process. Then he had to leave and the visiting hours had also been cut short — he was only allowed one hour of visiting and family wasn’t allowed at all.

“It was really stressful and emotionally taxing to be left alone for those hours after the birth. However, we understood why the hospital had to be so strict. It was for my baby’s wellbeing, and mine and everyone else in the hospital.”

For actress Gabisile Tshabalala, who is due to give birth in the next few weeks, the fact that her family will not to be with her as she had planned has made her nervous.

“At the moment, I don’t know if my hus-

band will be allowed to be in the labour room with me or if I’m going to be alone. It has instilled fear in me.

“But I have been feeding myself with the word of God and trying to shut out every other thing,” she said.

Melissa and Tshabalala said they understood how privileged they were to have been able to buy the necessary items for themselves and their babies.

Melissa said she was more concerned about the mothers who did not have basic resources during this critical time in their lives.

Musician Busisiwe “Cici” Twala, who is about to become a mom for the first time, said it was stressful to add Covid-19 to the long list of worries as a new mother. The fact that her family can only offer “cyber support” troubles her the most.

“Pregnancy on its own causes so much anxiety, now in addition to that we have to add Covid-19 stress,” she said.

“This is our first baby and none of us really know what we are doing! Covid-19 has robbed me of a special moment that I wanted to share with my family.

“Especially because we all thought I would never have children and now I am having one, and it’s really hard for me not to have them around.”

Singer Karlien van Jaarsveld, however, has embraced the quality time she has had with her son since his birth on April 1.

“It has been absolutely amazing. Our boy is beautiful. It is a quiet, isolated time for us.

many of whom are single mothers — are receiving between R150 and R400 a week from a fund the company established to support them, but this is not nearly enough.

“We’ve had amazing support from customers who have contributed to the fund, and around 40% of the customers are still

paying cleaners despite them not being at work. The Michael and Susan Dell Foundation have also donated R6m for the fund,” she said.

“But donations [of PPE] would allow these women to get back to work with no risk of spreading or catching the virus.”

Stranded at sea — and on land

Fear and joy all a part of giving birth in lockdown

By CHRIZELDA KEKANA

mind facing coronavirus. With the money donated we have been able to give over 6,800 food parcels in three weeks. That’s good work, but we need to get people working again.”

Sweepsouth CEO Aisha Pandor said the 3,000 cleaners on the company’s books —

By BOBBY JORDAN

Karlien van Jaarsveld with her new baby. Picture: Instagram

Family visits are amazing, but this situation is something we will never be able to experience again. I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she said.

“I have not been anxious one day since the pandemic started. I asked my doctor for a permit so that my mom could come over and help out with my kids.

“I love this lockdown, though not what brought it about. I love having so much time with the people that are most important to me.

“We tend to give the best part of who we are to other people, and our families get what is left. This is an opportunity for change that we will never have again, I am excited for people to see God in this time, and really get to know Him.” She said she was “praying for the people who are not privileged”, adding: “It is my sincere hope that everyone who is able will help at least one other person in this time.”

● If you’re twitchy after 24 days of lockdown, spare a thought for Donovan van Vuuren, who this week passed 80 days aboard a ship off India.

Van Vuuren is the only South African aboard a sea construction vessel that is unable to dock because of the lockdown in India. “India is shut, so if we could get off there is nowhere to go — no domestic flights,” Van Vuuren said via WhatsApp. The 48-year-old technician from Mossel Bay and his crewmates are marooned in the Bay of Bengal about 22km from shore.

Van Vuuren’s seven-week shift was extended when his Italian replacement was unable to travel and relieve him.

By the time of the next crew change, India was in lockdown and the vessel was unable to dock.

“On the one hand I want to go home, but on the other side I am glad I am on the boat because with the current oil price and travel restrictions I do not know when I will be able to come back to work,” Van Vuuren said.

Work is continuing on the ship, where he controls equipment that inspects and surveys underwater pipelines.

Van Vuuren is concerned about quarantine should he be allowed to leave the vessel.

“We do not know if we have to stay 14 days in India in quarantine and then another 14 days in SA with no salary.”

He spends his time working or keeping fit in the onboard gym. “What I miss the most is a glass of red wine and a braai. I stopped playing Candy Crush because I do not have any more sweets with me and the screen

Donovan van Vuuren

2,000-3,000 THE NUMBER

of South Africans still stuck abroad

83

THE NUMBER of days aboard a construction ship for Donovan van Vuuren

started looking tasty.”

Van Vuuren is one of several hundred South Africans stuck on ships.

About 2,000 South Africans are trapped on land, many communicating on a Facebook page called Home Away From Home.

The page was set up by Darren Bergman, the DA spokesperson on international relations, who is trying to help the stranded citizens. “Each territory has a different story,” Bergman said. “These are unprecedented times. It’s like World War 1 all over again except now you don’t have an enemy except for the disease.”

Stranded South Africans include: ● Teachers in the Far East; ● A deaf person in Melbourne, Australia; ● Several people in North Africa running out of chronic medication; and ● A group in the Ivory Coast who spent their last cash on a repatriation flight that never took off.

The department of international relations & co-operation did not respond to written questions from the Sunday Times.

However, in a memo to the Ivory Coast group last week, the department said it was doing its best. “The government … has empathy for all the concerns that you have raised and … is trying to assist all South African citizens ... especially those stranded at the airports, having challenges with accommodation, the elderly and the sick,” said consular services director Wynnett Makwabe.

The transport ministry said yesterday 13,783 people had been evacuated and repatriated through SA airports this month. Of those, 10,904 foreigners had been repatriated and 2,879 South Africans evacuated.

SUPPORTING OUR CUSTOMERS ÄŠÄ„ Ĺ™

A message from Iain Williamson, Interim CEO of Old Mutual Our world has changed overnight! In times like these we can easily be overtaken by the fear, anxiety and panic that currently surrounds us. What we all need right now is some stability, security and hope. Over the last few weeks, I have been greatly inspired by the efforts of South Africans from all walks of life who have banded together to support government’s

more. To paraphrase President Ramaphosa, “we dare not fail!�

It is with this sentiment in mind that the 30,000 plus passionate and dedicated people that make up Old Mutual’s workforce have pledged their ongoing service to all Old Mutual customers. To all of you, we say: We Are Here For You!

SUPPORT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

• Our advisors are ready to address any concerns you have currently and help you stick to

A message from Garth Napier, MD of Old Mutual Insure

• Our Customer Service Teams are still here to give you the attention you may need during

ǟ • We can reassure you that there are no exclusions on any of your Old Mutual life or funeral policies regarding Covid-19 and we will honour all valid claims;

this time; and • We have made it easier than ever to get in touch with us digitally, via our website (www.oldmutual.co.za), or e-mail (service@oldmutual.com), as well as through the

It is a well-established fact that as catalysts of economic growth and job creation, entrepreneurs are vital in any economy. We strongly believe that supporting small businesses will ultimately enable the inclusive and shared growth as well as sustainable prosperity we all wish for our country.

In these challenging times, we understand that many entrepreneurs and small business owners will need support to tide them over and sustain their livelihoods. This is why we at Old

Old Mutual App which you can download to your mobile device.

Throughout our 175-year history, we have weathered many storms together, and

! Çź

Stay calm. Stay focused. Stay invested!

We are here for you!

Mutual Insure have decided to set aside R40 million to assist qualifying small businesses in the short-term insurance value chain to remain solvent during Covid-19.

These interest-free loans will be administered in partnership with Old Mutual’s Masisizane

WE ARE HERE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES

Fund, which has been actively and successfully supporting entrepreneurs for nearly 13 years.

Further provisional funding worth R10 million will be extended to business partners and microenterprises who supply or service Old Mutual Insure. We are also accelerating our payment process to ensure outstanding payments are settled quickly and that scheduled payments

A message from Khanyi Chaba, Head of Responsible Business at Old Mutual

are released earlier.

We encourage all who can support small businesses to play their part and contribute to the multiplier effect. Every small business carries the hopes and dreams of many more.

We are here for you!

As a large and responsible business, we have an ongoing role to play in creating shared value and building a better and more inclusive society, while driving our business growth. Ä›

Çź

Çź Ĺš

WE ARE HERE IN SOLIDARITY!

communities we serve are under pressure, we believe we need to respond with accelerated

A message from Andrew McPherson, Head of Balance Sheet Management at Old Mutual

positive impact in the communities in which we operate. These initiatives include:

agility and intensify our efforts to provide relief.

During the current challenging times we are working across the Old Mutual Group with our partners in government, business, civil society and elsewhere, by joining forces to make a

• Ą

Çź Çź

ǟ ǟ Covid-19; • supporting national drives to provide R5 million worth of personal protective equipment

Č

Çź awareness and getting onto the offensive with a purpose is being realised. Now fully recovered, he plays a key role in managing the Solidarity Response Fund, which aims to galvanise everyone around a single goal – supporting those who are most impacted by the pandemic. “I know that we are living through very stressful times and there is a lot of fear and anxiety in South Africa and the rest of the world.

I have learnt that the majority of us need not be scared of the virus and that panicking is the worst thing that we can do. We should fear facilitating the spread of the virus, and we should lead our

!

OMBDS 04.2020 C1497 4325826

It is now up to us – individually – to take responsibility for the welfare of our society. Now more than ever, ourselves, the private sector, business and government need to come together to win this battle.

I am very proud that Old Mutual has been appointed as the administrator of the Solidarity Response Fund. Through the Solidarity Response Fund, every South African has an opportunity to make a meaningful difference to our vulnerable communities, the poor, the sick and the elderly. The Fund aims to support our healthcare systems by acquiring adequate medical and testing equipment. It also focuses on humanitarian relief efforts where needed and campaigns to mobilise our country to pull together and take swift action to reduce the spread of Covid-19.

It truly lies in our hands – collectively – to slow down the rate of infections and to ease the burden on our resources and our economy. By focusing our efforts on the greater good we can build a better future. We are here for you!�

(PPE) such as face masks, gloves and hand sanitiser to essential service workers; • pledging more than R50 million towards community health, education and food security initiatives through partnerships with the Department of Basic Education and the Department of Social Development; • providing R300 million relief to Old Mutual’s short-term insurance customers, which includes facilities such as premium holidays, reduced premiums and leniency on missed debt repayments to help customers during this period; • The Old Mutual executive team has taken salary cuts for the remainder of this year and will donate the proceeds directly to the Solidarity Response Fund; • Çź ÄŒ Ä„

ÄŒ Ä€ " # Çź Programme, which encourages employees to give generously, and • providing secure premises in Pinelands, Cape Town, for a Covid-19 testing centre in partnership with Lancet Laboratories.

We’re privileged and honoured to be able to continue supporting those who have always supported us.

We are here for you!

175 YEARS OF DOING GREAT THINGS Find out more at www.oldmutual.co.za Old Mutual is a Licensed Financial Services Provider

Page 9 - 19 April 2020 - SUNDAY TIMES

NAME SURNAME is dialing back in to call..

NAME SURNAME

NAME SURNAME

Page 10 - 19 April 2020 - SUNDAY TIMES

ST APRIL 19 2020

www.sundaytimes.co.za

Insight

A threatened way of life Covid-19 is the least of the Karoo’s worries Page 15

Beyond our borders Kenya’s corona crisis Page 13

THEY CALL HIM ‘SLIM’ Epidemiologist and director of the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research, professor Salim Abdool Karim, chairs the government’s Covid-19 ministerial advisory committee. Picture: Sandile Ndlovu

This is not his first pandemic, but this time Salim Abdool Karim — one of the government’s chief advisers on the coronavirus — is giving counsel to leaders who respect science, writes Zimasa Matiwane

T

Outsmarting corona wo decades ago, professor Salim Abdool Karim and his former PhD supervisor, Jerry Coovadia, were summoned to a Hilton Hotel suite filled with health officials, among them Zweli Mkhize. There they were branded traitors, accused of being disloyal and told to “shut up and listen” by a beet-faced Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, the minister of health at the time.

Their crime: using their scientific and political activist credentials to stem the infectious spread of Aids denialism advocated by then-president Thabo Mbeki and Tshabalala-Msimang by shaming them at a global gathering of scientists and policymakers — the International Aids Conference in Durban in July 2000.

Coovadia, who had co-chaired the conference, and Abdool Karim, who was the scientific programme chair, had succeeded in their mission to counter the government position, reinforced by a moving speech by 11-year-old Aids activist Nkosi Johnson and closing remarks from former president Nelson Mandela.

‘This crisis is teaching us about what it means to an entire nation to have strong, enlightened leadership’

Mkhize, who is now health minister and facing a pandemic of his own, was a local government representative in the room on the day. His support would have been with the two men facing the minister’s wrath, men with whom he had common roots at what was then the University of Natal medical school.

It was under Coovadia’s eye that he and Abdool Karim had cut their teeth on virology and immunology, as much as they did on discussing social democracy and apartheid. Abdool Karim, who is known worldwide by his nickname, “Slim”, given to him during his medical school days, has lived up to the reputation associated with the Afrikaans word for clever.

That Abdool Karim knows his stuff in the world of epidemiology and fighting viruses is beyond dispute. His career spans three decades, with experience gained at Columbia and Harvard universities, the South African Medical Research Council, UNAids, the World Health Organisation and now the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in SA (Caprisa).

Last year he was inducted into the fellowship of the Royal Society, the prestigious science academy that counts among its fellows Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking. ➜

GET CASH BACK AND FREE MEMBER BENEFITS If you as the policy premium payer are claim-free for five consecutive years, you’ll get your fifth year’s premiums back in CASH*.

MEMBER BENEFITS* In the event of retrenchment, the policy premium payer receives a six-month premium holiday

A FREE basic funeral valued at R11 000, which includes the funeral arrangements, a specified coffin and hearse A R2 500 immediate cash payment for initial expenses FREE transport of the deceased within the borders of South Africa

You get ALL this on top of your full policy pay-out – it’s all 100% FREE* to AVBOB members.

SMS ‘CASH’ to 30776 for FREE, and we’ll call you. *Terms and conditions apply. Free funeral benefits only apply if AVBOB Funeral Service conducts the funeral.

AVBOB is an authorised financial services provider. AVBOB is a level 2 B-BBEE contributor. FSP 20656. www.AVBOB.co.za Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.

AVB-SUT-191127

PLUS FREE funeral benefits* provided by AVBOB Funeral Service

12

April 19 2020 - SUNDAY TIMES

Sunday Times

Insight Profile

March

The day South African scientist Gita Ramjee died of Covid-19 related complications in Durban. Professor Salim Abdool Karim recruited her to do HIV research while he was president of the South African Medical Research Council, and she succeeded him as head of HIV research there. He said Ramjee was “an outstanding scientist, a scholar of note. She will be remembered as the person in South Africa who made an enormous contribution to HIV control, especially for women”

31

Work starts at 6am and ends after midnight

A colossus in his field Salim Abdool Karim has made seminal contributions to HIV prevention and treatment globally.

His clinical research showed that antiretrovirals prevent sexually transmitted HIV infection and genital herpes in women.

He is an inventor of patents used in HIV vaccine candidates and antibodybased passive immunisation strategies.

His TB-HIV treatment studies have shaped international guidelines on the clinical management of coinfected patients.

He chairs the UNAids Scientific Expert Panel, the World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) HIV Strategic Advisory Committee and serves on the WHO TB-HIV Task Force.

He sits on the boards of several journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet Global Health, Lancet HIV and mBio. He is a member of the US National Academy of Medicine, the American Academy of Microbiology, the African Academy of Science, the Academy of Science of SA and the Royal Society of SA. Among his many awards he is a recipient of the World Academy of Sciences’ prize in medical science and the African Union’s Kwame Nkrumah scientific award, the most prestigious scientific award in Africa. — Source: The Royal Society

➜ From Page 11

This vast experience, coupled with a friendship that has spanned their professional careers, prompted Mkhize to ask Abdool Karim to lead SA’s response to the pandemic.

As chair of the Covid-19 ministerial advisory committee, Abdool Karim leads a team of 50 scientists tasked with advising the government on strategies to combat the spread of the disease.

He says South Africans should regard themselves as fortunate to have an enlightened political leadership that is not afraid to confront the novel coronavirus or to prepare for the “inevitable Covid-19 peak”, which he said is yet to come.

“I have seen how this crisis, in the form of a little virus that comes from a seafood market, is teaching us about what it means to an entire nation to have strong, enlightened leadership. I watched the two biggest disasters — in the way this has been dealt with in the US and UK — and I thank God I am in SA. “We have good leaders who know what they need to do and are not scared to do it, instead of downplaying, denying it, like the Mbeki approach,” he told the Sunday Times from a safe distance in his Caprisa office on Thursday.

Abdool Karim is a towering presence, intimidating even from a distance, but his smile is disarming and he has the singular ability to relate as much to an auditorium full of the best scientific minds in the world as to an ordinary person.

As global statistics of confirmed cases dipped on the wrong side of 2-million and edged towards a death toll of 150,000, Abdool Karim explained that a government’s approach to science is critical in responding to a pandemic.

“Mbeki changed everything. For a country that was trying to grapple with HIV, working under Mbeki’s government was very much like how they have to work with [US President Donald] Trump right now.

“You have somebody who does not understand science but thinks he does and thinks he is correct, and when you try to point out the abnormality in their viewpoint, it is viewed as if you are challenging authority when you are just trying to help the authority to be correct. It is not a political issue but a scientific one.

“Trying to address HIV under Mbeki and Covid-19 under [President Cyril] Ramaphosa is like night and day. Ramaphosa has been proactive, he is thinking ahead of the problem, he collects a lot of information and he assimilates information from many sources, and he is considering how he wants to move forward.

He does not waste time,” said Abdool Karim.

Time, he said, is something that has temporarily lost meaning as he and the team work night and day — analysing data, formulating solutions, combing through research and consulting international counterparts — to advise the government on how to fight the virus.

“Many of the people on the committee are leading scientists, people that I know very well, and I thought it would be an honour to serve but I am not sure, if I knew how much the work would be, that I would have said yes.

“The work starts at about 6am and finishes at about 1am. There are things to do all the time.”

The work comes in the form of questions from the health ministry that need urgent answers. The scientists’ turnaround period is 24 hours.

He has broken the committee into small groups.

“When he [Mkhize] gives us questions, we put a small team together to go and do all the investigation, because so little is known about the virus. They will write a report and, based on that report, we will then have a discussion and submit the advice.

“We do high-level and detailed questions. Answers have led to things like community screening, a systematic approach of lifting the lockdown, but we

DISMAL DENIALISM Working on HIV/Aids under Mbeki’s government was what it must be like to work with Donald Trump now, says Salim Abdool Karim. Picture: Sandile Ndlovu

are very clear that we are advisory. The politicians rely on us for advice but they don’t have to take it,” he said.

The team’s goal and mandate is to ensure that the government is provided with the most scientifically accurate and up-to-date information available so that the minister and the president can make decisions

‘I watched the two biggest disasters — in the way this has been dealt with in the US and UK — and I thank God I am in SA’ that are informed by science.

The groups meet individually — sometimes three meetings in one day. The last meeting the committee had with the minister and provincial health MECs was on Wednesday night and lasted about four hours.

On Thursday, SA recorded its biggest rise in the number of deaths since the outbreak, to take the toll to 48. The number of confirmed cases increased by 99 to 2,605. However, Abdool Karim said he believes that the lockdown has contained the virus.

“We want those few thousand infections we are seeing to become a dead end,” he said.

“Community transmissions are at a low level. The

lockdown bought South Africa important time but the way forward will be determined by community transmission.

“A high number will mean a longer lockdown, a low one will mean easing of the lockdown can be considered.

“As soon as we lift the lockdown [transmissions] will go up, but we will be prepared,” he said.

Preparation for the peak period of the virus included creating space for makeshift hospitals to avoid collapsing the existing infrastructure.

“I shared a picture with the president of Central Park in New York being converted into a field hospital, because they had to keep the hospital clear. You protect the hospital because the system will collapse.

“Sites are being selected — in Durban we looked at several sites. The final choice was the International Conference Centre and the exhibition centre, to not overburden hospitals when we get to the peak. What we told the minister and the president is that it is inevitable that we are going to have a severe epidemic; no-one else has avoided it.”

It’s a topic that is hotly debated in the Abdool Karim household. His wife, professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim, one of the world’s leading Aids researchers, is also among the team assembled by Mkhize to advise the government.

Their three children are public health lawyer Safura, medical journalist Aisha, and Wasim, who is studying computer science.

“My son, Wasim, published a paper on the gene sequence of the virus. He did one of the first studies in January; he is a computer science student at UCT. My

young daughter is a journalist at Bhekisisa, a health publication, and she has written dozens of articles — sometimes we do interviews 10 minutes apart on television — while my eldest daughter is a lawyer. She does health law so she is writing articles on law and Covid, and in fact she has helped me draft the affidavit on why the ban on alcohol should not be lifted.”

‘The first thing we do, when we get a question, we look at what the Chinese have said’ One of Abdool Karim’s strengths is that he can call on experts and friends such as the head of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), George Gao, and US infectious diseases control specialist Dr Anthony Fauci to help him in the South African government’s fight against Covid-19.

He and his team regularly call Gao and his counterparts for information.

“We use a lot of their published articles; they have information that almost nobody has. The first thing we do when we get a question, we look at what the Chinese have said. I call him, I e-mail him. Whatever we want he is assisting. The minister also arranged a

meeting with the CDC in China. It took four hours and they went through what they did wrong, what they did right, so that we are better prepared.”

Abdool Karim said that, based on international experience and research, the team’s advice to the government is not to end the lockdown abruptly.

“Don’t tell people it is ending today, that everybody must go to work tomorrow.

“That is trouble. That will spread the virus and undo all the work. It should be done in a systematic way and they should consider, if it is ending at the end of the month, how do they start and how do they get to that date?”

Scientists are catching up with the virus, conducting clinical trials for vaccines and treatment, but there is still no conclusive evidence that reinfection does not lead to getting sick again.

“We know everyone, based on China, develops antibodies. What we don’t know is whether antibodies protect you from getting sick or infected,” said Abdool Karim.

“Early information suggests patients who had Covid don’t get sick again. We think you have it [again] but it does not cause infection.”

It also seems that those infected for a second time “are not infecting others, from what we can gather”.

Abdool Karim is optimistic that treatment is likely to come before a vaccine, but a vaccine is more critical because it will protect everyone, while treatment is an individual approach.

For now, he urged people to stay at home when they can and be cautious when they are out. This way, the chances of contracting the virus are slim.

NOW IS THE TIME FOR US TO COME TOGETHER AND UNITE, APART This is an unprecedented moment in South Africa’s history. Lockdown is in full effect, businesses have been temporarily closed, and we’re all adjusting to this new normal for as long as it may take.

But what does life in lockdown look like? Well, that’s up to you.

Show us how you’re getting through, and what lockdown means to you, by submitting video clips, images, voice notes, or anything else that captures the essence of this extraordinary event, to:

WHATSAPP

UNITED A P A R T

+27 (63) 521-8618

EMAIL

UNITEDAPARTSA@ARENA.AFRICA

Each day, we will choose our favourite submissions to be featured as a daily snapshot of lockdown life and share them to our social channels under #UnitedApartSA and #LoveChange, and one submission per day will receive a prize worth R700. Then, when all this is over, our favourite submission will receive a prize valued at R5,000, and we will use all the content we have collected to create a documentary, so the world can see our story.

#LoveChange #UnitedApartSA

13

SUNDAY TIMES - April 19 2020

Insight African voices

Making connections Nairobi-based author Kiprop Kimutai was awarded the 2018 Gerald Kraak award for his short story, The Man At The Bridge.

“A bridge connects two different spaces. In this story it is a metaphor for the man who needs to be in a different space where he is more comfortable with himself, but it is going to complicate and maybe even endanger his life,” said Kimutai

Sunday Times

In the first of a series by writers from around Africa tracking the mental drift of the coronavirus, Kenyan author Kiprop Kimutai reflects on how the virus attacks the essence of humanity — our social nature

Illustration: Keith Tamkei

Finding meaning in the chaos

I

n my dream, the three sisters in the sky began to dance and were joined by the rest of the stars.

When they descended, we realised that they were spaceships that had always kept watch. They poured healing incense on the world and we clapped as children sang. This dream is in a series of many that I have had ever since I began to work from home. Each dream, surprisingly, reminds me about kinship.

The Kenyan government has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew (7pm to 5am) and nights are now quiet, absent of any commotion other than odd, brief sounds, such as a door closing or scree sliding off a roof. Strange because Nairobi nights have always been loud. Clubs and churches, which operated close to residential areas, would rock their music till morning. In the central business district, food vendors would sell coffee, boiled eggs and mandazi [fried bread] to passers-by, long after midnight. Marikiti Market, which sources vegetables from across the country to feed Nairobi, would open as early as 4am and be thronged by market women eager to choose the freshest kale, cabbages or tomatoes to sell at their stalls. Now, only those working in essential services, such as health care, are allowed to be outside at night. On the day the curfew was imposed, the police whipped and teargassed those who were not yet home by 7pm, an act of cruelty that the president called out and apologised for.

We are free to move during the day. But the usual hustle and

bustle is gone. Matatu [taxis] and buses can only carry half the passengers they carried before, restaurants only do takeaway and bars are closed. Those who can afford to be indoors, and these being employees with regular salaries and the option of working from home, stay home. You can cut the anxiety with a knife. We know the virus lurks everywhere — on the onions you select at the stall, on the surface of the door you push in, in every exhalation from each person you pass by as you walk.

I chat with my friends endlessly in order not to be lonely. We complain about internet access, endless trips to the fridge due to boredom and how we delayed to stock good office chairs in our homes. A friend suggested that the pandemic could be a possible blessing in disguise, a chance for us to reinvent our lives, and I reminded him that it couldn’t be a blessing for those already sick, for those caring for the sick and for those already dead. Still, I understood his need to make meaning from the chaos and to derive from that meaning a sense of faith. My reprieve has been trying out new recipes. I made chapatti for the first time, following a recipe from YouTube. I shared pictures with friends and they marvelled, telling me how delicious my chapatti looked even though they were not round.

I feel powerless. There is an onslaught of information and very little capacity to act on the information, other than to stay indoors and wash my hands. The government was slow at the beginning. International flights kept on even as coronavirus ravaged through China and Italy. Passengers would be cleared and asked to self-quarantine, and of course some misbehaved.

The day the curfew was imposed, the police whipped and teargassed those not home by 7pm

A deputy governor from Kilifi county flew in from Germany and mixed with his constituency. A priest from Italy went to Siaya county and oversaw a funeral, then later tested positive for Covid-19. On Twitter, there was a claim that a lady isolated at a government facility snuck out to drink and party. A section of nurses based at a government facility catering to Covid-19 patients had to go on strike, stating that they were inadequately trained.

Restrictions came hard and fast. It began with the indefinite closing of schools, the suspension of international flights and now we cannot travel outside Nairobi or walk outside without a face mask.

When I do my groceries, I eavesdrop. A lady said that if Italy, which looks like Karen (a posh residency in Nairobi) could be overwhelmed then what about Kenya?

Another woman jokingly said that the only remedy was to learn not to breathe, because the virus lingered in the air like an aerosol and you could never be sure of the air you were inhaling. I tell myself that I am safe in my house. The outside world may be contaminated but my bed, sofa, utensils, curtains are clean. I keep a sanitiser at the door to use whenever I walk in, and I take off clothes I used when walking outside and wash them immediately.

Since I cannot travel, I keep calling my siblings and parents who are upcountry and we comfort each other and share tips on keeping safe. There is good rain in Iten where they live and they are able to grow their own vegetables. They feel blessed to be able to stay within the farm for weeks on end.

Kenya was founded not on the will of its citizens but on the basis of colonial exploitation. When the colonialists left, ethnicised elites took over and kept on with the wanton plunder. The test we have now is to define for ourselves what a country should mean to us, and how it should care for us. We now know how essential it is for public services to be available for each person. Before, the rich and the middle class could push aside the need for these facilities. If there were no roads, they bought themselves fourwheel-drives. If there was no water supply, they drilled boreholes. When electricity was intermittent, they invested in generators. Now, safety means each one of us being able to access water and soap to wash our hands.

The debilitating thing about coronavirus is that it attacks what is fundamentally human, our desire to be with other people. Now that has been defined dangerous and as social creatures we find the need to social distance unnatural. Still, we are reminded how much the action, or inaction, of one person affects so many other people. This is the power that each human being has, and from now on, caring and minding over each other has to be central in our communities, in our politics and in our international conversations. Perhaps what I saw as stars and spaceships in my dream was just us, filled with light, watching over each other, knowing that life is fragile and needs protection.

I feel powerless.

There is an onslaught of information and very little capacity to act on [it]

✼ Kimutai is a Kenyan writer whose short fiction has appeared in many

prestigious literary publications around the world. He was a finalist for the 2018 Gerald Kraak Award, which focuses on social justice in literature

More insights from Africa’s most perceptive authors Visit timesselect.co.za every day this week for free-to-read reflections by leading writers on the crisis that connects us all, written exclusively for the Sunday Times

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Ayobámi Adébáyo

Shubnum Khan

Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu

Mandla Langa

Novuyo Rosa Tshuma

Lagos-based writer Adébáyo studied with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Margaret Atwood.

Her debut novel, Stay With Me, won the 2019 9mobile prize for literature and was long-listed for the International Dylan Thomas Prize. She diarises the changing face of travel and our shifting perceptions of far and near. “Still the illusion of distance persists — uneroded by technology that has enabled us to shrink thousands of miles to a negligible point and in defiance of experience — until what was over there arrives here.”

Khan is a Durban-based artist and author whose debut novel, Onion Tears — about the lives of three generations of Indian Muslim women in SA — was shortlisted for the Penguin Prize for African Writing and the University of Johannesburg Debut Fiction Prize. She writes of how lockdown has warped our sense of space, time and reality. “Sometimes I still imagine I can hear it. An echo of the old world reaching out like a phantom limb.”

Ndlovu, born in Zimbabwe and based in Johannesburg, has master’s degrees in African studies and film and a PhD from Stanford University. Her debut novel, The Theory of Flight, won the 2019 Sunday Times Barry Ronge Fiction Prize. She writes of the unknowability of the time we are in and its ability to expand our knowledge. “The virus is in the process of teaching us a very different way of seeing and experiencing our place in the world. We are being humbled.”

Langa is one of SA’s most respected authors. In 2007 he was awarded the National Order of Ikhamanga for literary, journalistic and cultural achievements.

Among his many works is Dare Not Linger: The Presidential Years, the second volume of Nelson Mandela’s autobiography. He writes movingly of what the coronavirus pandemic has revealed about society, evoking hope as well as heartache. “There’s an isiZulu proverb, okungapheli kuyahlola, which, slightly paraphrased, means that this, too, will come to an end.”

Tshuma is a Bulawayo-born writer whose 2019 novel, House of Stone, won global acclaim. The New York Times said: “Tshuma’s brilliant layering of competing images and metaphors is one of the many marvels of this wise and demanding novel … a remarkable feat … ambitious and ingenious.” She writes about being far from home in the US, where she was a visiting assistant professor at the Iowa writers’ workshop when the world was locked down.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2020 WINNERS Thank you for your contribution to radio excellence.

View the full list of winners at www.radioawards.co.za

Page 14 - 19 April 2020 - SUNDAY TIMES

15

SUNDAY TIMES - April 19 2020

Stay at home industry “Every sewing machine in Prince Albert is being used to make masks,” says dollmaker Brita Nathan, who is making cloth masks from a heap of fabric scraps donated for this purpose — Picture: Esa Alexander

Insight Survival in the Karoo

Sunday Times

Lives in the Karoo are not yet being threatened by Covid-19, but livelihoods are in great danger on two fronts, writes Claire Keeton

T

he cracked veld of the Karoo bursts into green where the road from Prince Albert reaches farmer Pieter Olivier’s orchards.

He has lost nearly half of these orchards to drought over the past five years.

“I’m much more worried about the drought than coronavirus at this stage,” says the sunburnt Olivier, putting down coffee and rusks and sitting 2m away.

The farm dam is nearly empty and the rainfall last year was about a fifth of what it used to be.

In the central Karoo, which had not a single Covid-19 case by Friday, the drought is a more immediate threat than the virus, said sheep and fruit farmers who are doing what they can to feed SA. The drought has pushed them to the brink. Now lockdown is pushing up their costs, particularly transport, and drying up their cash flows.

“We are all in this little boat together. If we do not have each other’s backs, nobody else will,” says 47-year-old Olivier.

Temporary workers are planting onion seed while kids play hopscotch on the road.

Permanent staff could choose to lock down on the farm or in their homes in Prince Albert. Four families have stayed, says Bernita Konstabel, whose husband works in the apricot orchards while she manages staff relations.

The dirt road that crosses parched riverbeds ends 20km further on the Weltevrede fig farm, in the shadow of the Swartberg mountains. Workers are harvesting the last of the summer’s ripe figs, which are sold around the country.

A sixth-generation farmer, Liezl de Klerk says she and her family could have “locked out” the world to stay safe, but that would not have been the right thing to do.

“We are on one of the most remote farms, at a dead end. If we wanted to, we could be locked inside safely at home, but this is the time to be brave,” says De Klerk.

“Any decision we make impacts a lot of people. We have 100 seasonal workers and 30 permanent staff, who are in lockdown with us.”

Growing up on a farm once owned by her great-great-great-grandfather, De Klerk is comforted by their resilience over the centuries.

“In 1918 with the Spanish flu, they must have thought: how are we going to make it?

But here we are 100 years later. This is not the first, and not the last,” she says of the global crisis.

Tourists stream to Weltevrede, as they do to many places in Prince Albert. Local and international travellers contribute to its income but the guest cottages are empty now, except for one occupied by a US couple.

They got married on the farm and came

Children start with a prayer before they are fed by the Prince Albert Community Trust, which gives them two meals a day during the lockdown. Pictures: Esa Alexander

The killer drought is still here.

And now the virus looms back for their anniversary, choosing to stay on when the lockdown was announced.

In another part of Prince Albert, past some olive plantations, is a sheep farm that is less secluded but seems more deserted in the late afternoon. A silky, big Alsatian called Wolf announces our arrival to farmer Joseph Steyn.

More coffee and rusks, then Steyn strides to the barn where nearly ten bales of wool and mohair are gathering dust.

“The auctions were cancelled, we can’t

deliver it and the price has dropped by about a third,” says the farmer with a Clint Eastwood stare into the distance.

He cannot sell or export the wool during the pandemic but his staff, locked down on the farm, still need their wages and supplies, which he brings in from town.

It’s precarious farming in the Karoo, where each of his sheep needs about 70ha to graze, compared with regions where one hectare per sheep is enough. The situation is aggravated during the drought by predators

made even hungrier.

On a board in Steyn’s barn are photos of sheep mauled and killed by jackals and caracals that have destroyed more than a third of his livestock.

Jaco Samper, who has a farm near Beaufort West, shows us a lamb with a stump for a tail. He puts lambs inside a pen after dark, but that is not always enough. His bouncy dachshund Bella is no Anatolian sheepdog guarding its flock.

About 20km out of Beaufort West this

ST

EVERY FUNERAL

IS DIFFERENT But they all start with a call.

0861 28 26 21 Farmer Jaco Samper has more on his mind than the virus. He needs to protect his flocks from predators and the drought.

‘W

Out on the empty road

hat are you scared of?” I ask truck driver Joseph Rhakalane, wondering if truck attacks are worse on the emptier highways under lockdown.

“The virus. The virus is a risk to me on the roads,” says Rhakalane, shifting from one foot to the other in his slip slops and faded cobalt hoodie.

He fears taking Covid-19 home to his wife and three children in Bloemfontein but he is still driving, while many drivers are no longer on the roads.

His cab has no family photos or flags. Only a bottle of hand sanitiser on the seat.

Truck drivers are unseen heroes on the frontlines, transporting farmers’ crops into cities at risk to their own health.

Martin Mthembu, who lives in his truck for up to three months at a time, is hoping to get a mask when he drops off his load from Aliwal North in Cape Town. He doesn’t have protective gear yet.

“Johannesburg is the danger zone for the virus,” he says, hoping

he is not sent there. The trips are faster with fewer cars and accidents on the roads under lockdown, even with the roadblocks.

Beaufort West has two.

Sitoto Mbuyiseli digs around to find his mask while describing the struggle to get food and showers on the road. “There is no hot food. The KFC is closed,” he says.

Beaufort West truck stop manager Frik Meiring, who runs it for Samuels Oil, says more truck stops are likely to close this month.

“Our sales are down by almost 60% and it is not worthwhile to keep them open for 24 hours,” he says.

“The ladies are still here but they are more hidden from the police,” he says of the sex workers who hang out there.

The Trucking Wellness Programme health centre across the road will open only for emergencies, he says.

Unlike most South Africans, truckers cannot stay at home because they provide an essential service.

“I usually take alcohol,” says Mbuyiseli, “but now I’m transporting food.” — Claire Keeton

Standard call rates apply.

FSP 20656. www.AVBOB.co.za AVB-FNSUT-190715

Karoo farm, like many, depends on boreholes for irrigation.

“The drought is the biggest problem still for farmers in the Karoo,” says his neighbour Dean Gous, chair of Agri Central Karoo.

The Central Karoo’s average annual rainfall has dropped from a high of 405mm in 2012 to last year’s low of 88mm, he says.

The lockdown will hit game farms when their hunting season starts in May, he says.

The game farmers need income from the venison and also the hunters to cull t herds.

Even more vulnerable in the lockdown are the children and families in the town who depend on wages and school feeding programmes for survival.

“We are two adults and a child, and we do not have food,” says Sandra Louw, whose job at Essop wholesaler is on hold. They live in the dusty settlement of Site Two, behind the big truck stop.

The main road of Beaufort West was nearly deserted this week. Most shops were closed and behind grills, the five churches silent and guesthouses were shut.

The absence during the school holidays and Easter of tourists in Beaufort West, which is on the N1 highway, and in the hamlet of Prince Albert, threatens to ruin some residents.

Samper’s wife Riana says Donkin Deli, their restaurant and butchery, has lost nearly 100% of its income.

The Lazy Lizard, a restaurant/bakery in Prince Albert, has a permit to supply fresh produce.

“We take the old people soups, granola and rusks, and they still need them during lockdown,” says Caryn Pastrana, who started the Lizard with her husband Juan.

“We see more of the locals now,” says Pastrana, from behind a shweshwe mask.

On the counter a humidifier puffs out a teatree-and-lemon-verbena scent into a space filled by two long tables.

Medicinal plants like rue (for sore throats) from the local nursery, homemade bread, ginger, spinach, apples and other fresh vegetables and fruit are on display, alongside the latest collection of the locally sewn masks.

Dollmaker Brita Nathan is making cloth masks from a heap of material scraps donated for the purpose. Turning 50 yesterday, Nathan was also making a pineapple “beer” to celebrate.

The community effort to make masks is one sign of how Prince Albert residents have united to deal with the lockdown. Even in the nearest big town, Beaufort West, 131km away, there are none to be found.

The people of Prince Albert also support breakfasts and lunches every day for about 200 children, who line up barefoot waiting for their lunch boxes or cleaned margarine bakkies to be filled.

“There is a sense of community and being there for one another,” says Gay van Hasselt, who donates milk from Gay’s Dairy.

“If we look at this coronavirus as the Third World War, it’s like the Second World War where people are coming together.”

Uncertainty and being vulnerable to nature — features of the global pandemic — are also a way of life for Karoo farmers, who may be better adapted to Covid-19, if it reaches them.

“The virus is the same as the drought. We can’t plan ahead,” says Steyn, pausing. “We don’t know when it will begin here, and we don’t know when it will end.”

16

April 19 2020 - SUNDAY TIMES

Sunday Times

Opinion

ESTABLISHED 1906

Government’s sure hand followed by too many false steps

M

ore than three weeks into the government-imposed lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, South Africans will be looking back on this period with mixed feelings. And they will have plenty of questions as we move into what many hope will be the last stage of a total lockdown. We have been encouraged by the speed at which the government leapt into action, introducing one of the strictest lockdown regimes in the world. We were told it was good for us, and we accepted that.

We are proud that President Cyril Ramaphosa and his team have been praised for their grasp of the enormity of the problems facing SA in this period. They seem aligned with the prevailing scientific analysis of the Covid-19 problem, which is a welcome change from the era of former president Thabo Mbeki, whose late-night surfing on the internet put him at odds with the medical community and led to thousands of needless deaths.

But enough praise now, because life moves on and resting on one’s laurels has to be resisted. South Africans are looking on with growing dismay at the government’s actions, or lack of them, as the novelty of lockdown wears thin and hard questions surface.

We’ve had quite enough of police minister Bheki Cele barking orders at the public; in short, we’re getting a bit tired of the iron fist. A bit tired of cops beating up people trying to buy a cigarette, or getting a bit of fresh air. This was always going to be the easy part.

But now for the more nuanced, difficult and complex chapter of the lockdown saga.

In common with other societies, South Africans may be forgiven for thinking they were scared into thinking a catastrophe of biblical proportions was about to befall us, and this may still materialise. For now, though, the number of deaths have fallen short of what the scientific models predicted.

Leaving aside the enforced teetotalling and nonsmoking the regulations have enforced, South Africans not employed in the formal sector and who live in overcrowded conditions in townships and informal settlements are understandably anxious about their futures and putting bread on the table for their families.

They will be wondering what has become of the second phase of the lockdown, namely the assistance they were promised while they can’t go to work. And it is here that the government’s efforts are falling drastically short. Once again we are observing a government that seems incapable of executing complex tasks, although how difficult is it to hand out a food parcel? Private charities, church groups and generous South Africans have taken up a lot of the slack caused by the government’s inaction. But the hand that gives appears conspicuously less able, or exercised, than the hand that wields the pen to draw up more regulations or the hand that holds the baton or the rifle.

It is not only with food parcels that the government is failing. Informal food traders have been given permission to trade, but only when they have a permit, which appears to impose unnecessary red tape on a simple process. Other businesses will be opened gradually, but the distinction between essential and nonessential escapes most of us.

The hoops one has to jump through to get a food parcel from the South African Social Security Agency are breathtaking. Nor will people take much comfort from reports of ANC-controlled entities using food parcels to bribe supporters and punish adversaries.

On the macro level, too, the government’s much-awaited plan to revive the economy appears to have stalled, but maybe we will see some progress on that front this week.

The government must be aware that patience is not infinite. The lockdown was designed to create a window to allow the government to put in place measures to cope with Covid-19 in such a way that it does not overwhelm our fragile health system.

The government’s actions have created a reservoir of goodwill. But its actions are being closely watched now. Our leaders dare not fail at this crucial stage in the war to roll back Covid-19, and return to normality. Or whatever version of a “new normal” awaits us.

The government must be aware that patience is not infinite

Liquor issue requires sober reflection

T

he Gauteng Liquor Forum, representing 20,000 small and medium liquor traders, has threatened to take the government to the Constitutional Court to have the regulation totally banning the sale of alcohol lifted. On Friday, President Cyril Ramaphosa responded to the forum in a terse letter, telling it that alcohol is not an essential good, and that selling it would impact negatively on SA’s battle against the coronavirus pandemic. Alcohol, he said, is also responsible for an increase in crime and is a major cause of medical emergencies.

It will be interesting, if this case does end up in the Constitutional Court, to see how the justices rule. Those who argue for a continuation of the ban on alcohol sales, especially medical experts, point to the reduction in hospital emergencies fuelled by alcohol-induced fights and vehicle accidents. The World Health Organisation has also weighed in, reminding people that excessive alcohol consumption could weaken their immune system and render them more vulnerable to Covid-19. But instead of advocating a total ban, the world body has urged governments to limit alcohol consumption.

And here is the crux: is the South African government justified in enforcing a total ban on the sale of alcohol, rather than limitations on its sale and use during the lockdown?

In an industry submission to the national command council, the South African Liquor Brand Owners Association, the Beer Association of SA and wine producers under the VinPro umbrella warn that the total ban has increased trade in illicit products by criminal elements, and will negatively impact SA economically, with a GDP loss of R7.6bn and 40,000 jobs in jeopardy. The associated tax loss is calculated at R5.7bn.

The industry has proposed restricted trading hours, and off-site sale and consumption.

We agree with those who contend that the lockdown is about fighting Covid-19 rather than substance abuse, but the government has a right to be concerned, especially about how to police those liquor outlets that may not abide by regulations and social distancing protocols if the ban is relaxed — let alone an almost certain increase in drunk driving and violent behaviour. The highest court in the land might have to decide what is best.

Sunday Times

LOOKING BACK FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES 50 YEARS AGO

Two of the United Party’s most senior parliamentarians yesterday paid tribute to the role that the Press — and especially the Sunday Times — has played in keeping alight the fires of opposition in the South African political scene. Mr. Marais Steyn, Transvaal leader of the United Party and M.P. for Yeoville, praised the “fearless courage” shown by the independent newspapers of South Africa in standing by their beliefs. This, he said, had been “an inspiration to independent South Africans”. Senator J.L. Horak, general secretary of the United Party, said the Sunday Times particularly had stood by the United Party during its grimmest days in Opposition. — April 26 1970 FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES 25 YEARS AGO

The latest government AIDS survey is expected to show that two out of 25 South Africans are HIV positive, medical sources say. The Department of Health has calculated that between 850,000 and 1-million South Africans are infected, with the number increasing by over 100 a day. The infection rate in Kwazulu Natal is almost three times that of the rest of the country, according to preview figures obtained by the Sunday Times this week.

Until March this year, Kwazulu Natal recorded 3,129 cases of people already ill with AIDS — almost double its figure for the same period in 1994. The number of people infected with HIV in Kwazulu Natal could now be as high as 15 to 19 percent. — April 23 1995

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Turn social distancing into distance learning for good Professor Harry Sewlall’s letter, “What was a chore is now a learning life raft” (April 12), prompts me to ask: isn’t it about time all universities became distance learning institutions?

The lockdown is a timely interruption to the mindless devastation that a minority of students are causing to our institutions of higher learning. Many of the students’ complaints are rooted in justifiable grounds for grievances, but the extent to which they go to have their concerns heard is unacceptable. No sane person can support the burning, destruction and pillaging of buildings and learning spaces, not to mention the assaults on innocent people — rather than resorting to the proper channels of communication available to them.

One wonders whether the bad behaviour of some of our parliamentarians has its roots in the “protest” actions so common in universities these days. The majority of students who want to get on with work are denied this right through the actions of a few.

When I studied for my BA and BEd through Unisa in the mid-1980s, I was a full-time educator. There was no Google or the computers as we know them today. We worked with typewriters, but somehow we got our work done. We used to look forward to our occasional vacation meetings with lecturers and studiously followed instructions, knowing full well that failure meant the wastage of valuable funds. There was no National Student Financial Aid Scheme to bail us out.

We worked with study guides that came to us by post, and we had to visit the university library for references. When I sat for my master’s in 2000, we were lucky to have access to the university’s computer facilities, though it took me a long time to get the hang of the intricacies, like the mouse/mice/mouses. This had to be done after our teaching sessions, but we persevered.

So the study guides mentioned by professor Sewlall resonate strongly with me. They were an invaluable source of guidance, in the absence of lecturers.

You may well ask: “But what happens to lecturers, student accommodation, funding for fees, food and transport, as well as empty hostel facilities, if we follow your idea?”

My short answer is that the higher education brains trust can get down to some serious brainstorming to work out the logistics to get our country back on track with regard to serious tertiary education. We have wasted enough time and resources trying to pacify and mollify students who are bent on killing time and having fun (not all, admittedly).

Peru Naidu, Ballito

Not buying the Ramaphosa hype South Africans never cease to amaze me.

We are very skilled at finding a scapegoat every time we have to account and deny our reality for far-fetched fantasies.

How else do you explain the praise for President Cyril Ramaphosa, who suddenly has become the best leader in the world?

SA has been downgraded to junk status.

This means Ramaphosa, the billionaire businessman, has failed at the very thing he was elected for, which was to revive the economy and stabilise it.

How unfortunate that Ramaphosa and his subjects in the media and business sector use a tragedy like the coronavirus for PR purposes. Shame on you!

Also, Ramaphosa was not the first leader to order a lockdown. US President Donald Trump was severely criticised by the same subjects, as usual the soft target, for closing air travel to and from the US. Actually, almost all nations on Earth are in lockdown.

So I do not understand this hullabaloo over Ramaphosa’s actions when he has done what everyone is doing. Where was this strong leadership and the hostile police and army when black women were dying in their numbers and gangsters ruling in Cape Town?

The question the commentators fail to answer is what will the poor eat during the lockdown? Should the poor fear the virus more than dying from hunger? Let us not forget that China is the second-biggest economy in the world, unemployment is lower, corruption is dealt with decisively and there are no Guptas that can or have captured that state.

In addition to all this, those who claimed there was a Christian crisis of lawlessness are still searching for pastors or prophets to blame, even though churches closed without a protest. It’s the best the critics can do when there are no

juicy scandals about pastors. Rather, they imagine such scandals and search for scapegoats even during a crisis.

Khotso KD Moleko, Mangaung

Fan mail for ex-post office CEO The Sunday Times missed out on a chance last week to have a former South African Post Office CEO’s writing of a brilliant article exposed to extra eyes by not putting it in the main body as many readers don’t even open the LifeStyle section.

This is the first time I really, truly noticed Mark Barnes, an extremely talented muse who mixed social, political, serious and comedic views into one engrossing article that I read over and over.

I also told all and sundry about this financial guru’s “exposed” talent.

Hopefully the powers at the Sunday Times will make him a “regular”.

Theo Roelofsz, Marble Hall

More Sue the Great please I’ve always enjoyed reading Sue de Groot’s columns, but her Easter offering, “This is a crisis that bugs bunny”, has to be one of her wittiest yet. In future I’m going to find it hard not to smile whenever I hear Warren Buffett’s name “mispronounced”!

Please give De Groot more space in the Sunday Times — maybe reduce the celebrity page by 30%-50%.

Linda Curling, Cape Town Write to PO Box 1742, Saxonwold 2132; SMS 33662; e-mail: tellus@sundaytimes.co.za; Fax: 011 280 5150 All mail should be accompanied by a street address and daytime telephone number. The Editor reserves the right to cut letters

We’re all being bullied — Cyril too — by a virtuous trio

I

n Woody Allen’s 1971 movie Bananas, he joins a rebel group led by then can’t I buy a bottle of wine to drink, still locked down, when I shop the charismatic and thoughtful Esposito in the Latin American tomorrow? I didn’t hear Ramaphosa saying he was going on a drive to republic of San Marcos. When they take the capital, Esposito stop smoking and drinking when he announced a state of disaster last changes. Power has gone to his head and he strides out to the top of month. He said it was to stop the spread of Covid-19 infections. Does he the stairs of the national assembly to address the cheering crowd below. feel no burden of proof?

“I am your new president,” he announces. “From this day on, the Instead we have capricious and sanctimonious ministers infantilising official language of San Marcos will be Swedish. Silence! In addition to the rest of us with orders which have absolutely nothing to do with that, all citizens will be required to change their underwear every halfhalting the spread of the virus. In fact, the chief adviser to the hour. Underwear will be worn on the outside, so we can check.” government on this epidemic, Prof Salim Abdool Karim, was at pains on I was reminded of completely arbitrary rules and total power by the television last Sunday, sitting next to the health minister, Zweli Mkhize, way President Cyril Ramaphosa and his cabinet are handling the to say that nothing we can do will stop the virus spreading. In Asia they coronavirus lockdown. At first it seemed reasonable, but the plot is being smoke like chimneys yet China, South Korea and Taiwan have come lost. Police and soldiers behave with impunity and the rules change through Covid-19 intact.

PET E R constantly. Today you cannot transport alcohol. The week before you I don’t know whose dad smoked himself to death or whose drunken B RUCE could transport it for export. Add Prohibition rules and the lockdown is uncle behaved unspeakably when people weren’t looking. But cabinet rapidly losing the only thing that keeps it together — its legitimacy. ministers are supposed to be adults. Why, for crying out loud, must That’s because Ramaphosa cannot balance the health and economic Woolworths stop selling cooked chicken? What about processed sides of the dilemma he is in. And in the face of his indecision (a cabinet meeting on meats? Or biltong. Hurry, hurry, more loopholes.

Wednesday failed to decide anything) the rats are out to play. Much, but not all, of it I’ve watched more than one video of Bheki “Mad Hatter” Cele barking at queues revolves around the lockdown bans on the sale of cigarettes and alcohol. outside shopping centres and separating people to the right distance while his entire With the rest of the world in lockdown, these bans are unique. They are the work, entourage right behind him bunches together like giggling wedding guests waiting for primarily, of three ministers — Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma who we know has a thing about the bride’s garter. smoking and drinking, Bheki Cele, who prefers policing a country where no-one can I support the lockdown, but we are taking it to extremes. There’s already a price being move, and Ebrahim Patel, who loathes big business anyway. paid in illicit distilling and brewing. What is being lost here is the fact that the economy As the lockdown hardens (nothing this week loosened it) and testing (we are assured pays for the health service. There is no binary choice to make, simply a balance to find. but can’t see) “ramps up”, Ramaphosa is nowhere to be seen. He is being bossed by the Even in the UK, where alcohol remains on sale, domestic abuse cases have doubled, as trio. By now we should have a clear map to exit the lockdown, a clear plan to boost and to they have in SA. But the thing in common is the lockdown, not the drink. open, in whatever reasonable way we can afford, the economy, and clear explanations of We have a huge crisis on our hands and inventing spurious ways to keep companies why citizens are being subject to the equivalent of Prohibition on alcohol and cigarettes. and the economy shut while we wait until September for the virus to peak is obscene.

Oh yes, people behave and drive badly when they drink and hospitals are much Almost 2-million people will lose their jobs. People are starving. My village is feeding a quieter now. I get the empty hospital now we are locked down. But the government says thousand people a day because the government can’t. the lockdown so far means the virus will only peak in September, five months away. Why So whose future are we stealing here? The president should wake the bloody hell up.

COMMENT THIS: WRITE TELLUS@SUNDAYTIMES.CO.ZA OR AT 33971 COMMENT ONON THIS: WRITE TOTO TELLUS@SUNDAYTIMES.CO.ZA ORSMS SMSUS US AT 33971WWW.SUNDAYTIMES.CO.ZA WWW.SUNDAYTIMES.CO.ZA

17

SUNDAY TIMES - April 19 2020

Sunday Times

WISDOM FROM THE AG ES Happiness is the highest form of health DALAI LAMA, spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism (1935-)

Let’s hope a kinder, gentler world awaits, without the extremes of the past century

Q&A

A

s Covid-19 continues its murderous offensive across the minister Margaret Thatcher ruled the roost in the US and Britain. globe, governments — in a desperate attempt to mitigate Neoliberalism seemed to hold sway right across the globe. its destruction — are having to take steps that at times “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: ‘I’m seem to infringe on people’s freedoms. The line between from the government, and I’m here to help,’” Reagan once said. what is private and what is public is becoming blurred. With Thatcher chimed in: “There’s no such thing as society.” Such business activity at a standstill, government has become the only comments sound a bit off the wall now, but they didn’t seem so at show in town. the time. It was the kernel of the gospel.

Big brother, or the nanny state that so many warned against for Reagan and Thatcher pushed the envelope to such an extent so many years, is now marching to the rescue. That phone in your that their left-wing successors — Democrat Bill Clinton in the US pocket could be the sentinel that alerts authorities to your every and Labour’s Tony Blair in the UK — had to tack to the right to win move. Protest against such encroachment, if any, has been less power. Gordon Brown, a Labour chancellor, stunned financial than muted. markets when, on assuming office, he announced that he was BA RN EY Nobody can state for sure what kind of a world will emerge ceding more powers to the Bank if England. Even Labour, it after Covid-19 has taken its toll. Some have wagered predictions, M T HOM BOT H I seemed, couldn’t resist the delights of Thatcherism. but most seem self-serving. They all agree, however, that the past But Thatcher and Reagan not only forced a reorientation of is history. We ain’t going back there. What seems destined to politics, they also, by escalating the arms race, lit the fuse that change is the type of economic policies that have been followed thus far. ultimately led to the implosion of the Soviet Union. Perestroika and glasnost were The way economies and/or resources are managed by governments has been Mikhail Gorbachev’s attempt to reform the system by introducing a semblance of the main distinguishing factor between capitalism and communism — the dividing market forces. He argued, as the Soviet Union was foundering, that capitalism was line between East and West — though communism lost its lustre with the collapse not the sole preserve of Western democracies. of the Soviet Union.

Some of its admirers have argued that capitalism is fundamentally about In an attempt to curb the spread of the virus, democratic governments have freedom — freedom of people and the unhindered movement of goods and services. ventured into hitherto uncharted territory with increased surveillance of ordinary China, however, has debunked such a theory. It has shown that free markets can citizens, imposing stringent regulations that infringe on their freedoms, telling exist quite nicely side by side with an oppressive system. And the country looks on them what to do and what not to do, and in some instances deploying the army in course to overtake the US as the biggest economy on Earth, with its jackboot still peacetime. And because of the suspension of normal economic activity, firmly on the collective neck of its populace. governments have had to step in to bail out private companies and save jobs. Even There was hope that capitalism’s near-fatal encounter a decade ago would lead fervent free-marketeers seem to have turned a blind eye to this. to some welcome reforms. Instead the bankers feasted on taxpayers’ money, In the US, reputed totem of the free-enterprise system, trillions of dollars from awarding themselves huge bonuses. It was business as usual. This time may be government coffers have gone to assist not only ordinary people and small different, however. This virus could be the great leveller. Society may have no businesses, but big corporations too. Most of the recipients of this government option but to change. largesse would swear they’re dead against socialism or communism. The handout Communism has long been comatose, even in SA. If it was still alive and kicking, is obviously a repeat of what happened a decade ago when governments, foremost the SACP would readily stand for election and not continue to be a pathetic among them the US administration, stepped in to save capitalism from itself. appendage of the ruling party. As the debacle at SAA shows, it is not a government’s This is quite a turn up for the books as far as the US is concerned. Government job to run an airline, or banks or mines. Its mandate is to create a safe and secure there is almost regarded as a necessary evil, especially by conservatives. Naked environment in which its citizens can thrive. hatred of the government or its programmes is an article of faith. Sometimes it Hopefully the world will ultimately reject the extremes on both sides and settle almost seems as though the only sure way to be elected to any government position for something kinder and more compassionate in the middle. People in the main is to argue forcefully for the destruction of the institution of government. The are not interested in ideology for its own sake. They just want a peaceful and attitude reached its apogee in the ’80s when president Ronald Reagan and prime equitable world for themselves and their children.

The government should take a more active role in the Covid-hit economy The Reserve Bank ought to step in to rescue those South African companies deemed too big to fail — and there might even be a BEE dividend in it

WRITE TO HOGARTH@SUNDAYTIMES.CO.ZA

There’s more space in premier class

The Western Cape High Court made an interim ruling on Friday that the City of Cape Town must allow residents whose homes they demolished to rebuild them. Before the ruling Chris Barron asked MALUSI BOOI, mayoral committee member for human settlements ...

You’ve been accused of demolishing structures in defiance of the justice minister’s call to suspend such actions during the lockdown.

I’ve not demolished any structure that is occupied.

Secondly, these are people who are trying to invade land.

We have a court order from last year for anyone not to invade that land, not to erect anything on that land, because it is earmarked for future development.

Structures that were demolished by our anti-land invasion unit, assisted by law enforcement, were unoccupied. They were not staying there.

They were evicted in the Khayelitsha area and then decided to go and invade that land.

Who evicted them?

They were claiming they were backyarders. But because they were unable to pay rent they were evicted. Not by the city but by private landowners.

What they did subsequently was to decide they must go and invade city land. I acted on this and instructed that they must not occupy that land. I sympathise with their plight. The people who are at fault are the landlords, who are prohibited from evicting any person.

Have you taken any action?

No, I can only take action if they report them. I said to them they must tell us who has evicted them, but they have not done that.

Instead they ran to court.

D

oes Ugandan leader Yoweri “M7” Museveni have a secret admirer in high places down in the Kingdom of KwaZulu? After M7’s workout video became an international hit, the premier of the kingdom, Sihle Zikalala, released his own #StayFitAtHome video showing off his exercise routine. But unlike Museveni, who did his push-ups safely in his office, Zikalala is seen trying to tone his six-pack outdoors, in what looks like a public park.

Some of his Twitter followers saw a problem. “We are told to stay at home but look, Sihle is outside,” one commented.

But the premier was unfazed, albeit somewhat out of breath. “Stay home. I’m at home,” he retorted. May striving for cardiovascular fitness be the only M7 example that Zikalala tries to emulate.

ROFL is also good exercise

A

s is the pattern in any dictatorship, Zikalala’s lackeys felt obliged to follow his lead and recorded their own workout regimes. First it was the MEC of economic development, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, whose routine owed much to the dance moves of those #ZumaMustFall gogos.

Then it was Sipho Hlomuka, MEC of co-operative governance & traditional affairs, who resembled a flashily dressed wannabe hip-hop artist who could not make it past the rehearsal stages of SA’s Got Talent.

Well, he did in fact meet the mayor

A

Joburg motorist had traffic officials in stitches when he gave them what he thought was a perfect excuse for being on the road without a permit. “I’m going to a meeting with the mayor,” he said with a straight face.

Asked if he could identify mayor Geoff Makhubo, he retorted: “Of course I know Geoff.” He was then arrested on the spot because it was the Joburg mayor himself who had stopped the motorist.

Waking up to ugly reality

R

emember Maite Nkoana-Mashabane? Believe it or not she’s our minister of women, children and people with disabilities. The sleepy minister had planned to hold an open video meeting on the effects on Covid-19 on vulnerable citizens. However, some of the 400 people who logged in to the virtual meeting started posting pornographic images, forcing Nkoana-Mashabane to abruptly call it off.

Old Hog is surprised the minister was awake long enough to notice the hack.

Yet another lockdown cat video

C

Why don’t they want to tell you?

I don’t know. But they accepted that they invaded the land because they were being evicted elsewhere. Lockdown regulations are very clear that no-one can evict somebody.

By ISAAH MHLANGA, MZUKISI QOBO and WANDILE SIHLOBO

● Extraordinary times require extraordinary actions.

These were the words of Christine Lagarde, the president of the European Central Bank (ECB) a month ago when the bank took a major decision to embark on a new wave of bond purchases meant to counter severe risks to the eurozone as a result of Covid-19.

The ECB announced that it will buy up to à750bn (R15-trillion) in government and corporate bonds and other assets, to inject much-needed cash into the financial markets and shore up the real economy.

Financial markets and companies across the world are coming under severe pressure, and corporate failures are inevitable in this climate. Governments are undertaking extraordinary measures to minimise both the death of people and the collapse of economies. If governments fail to act swiftly and in a big way, the real economy will, in all likelihood, be the channel for financial, social and even political instability.

As governments take actions to address the immediate health challenges, central banks have drawn on their toolboxes to keep the financial system resilient and to allow banks to increase their lending capacity so that businesses and households are cushioned.

Like other global central banks, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has swiftly responded and cut interest rates by a cumulative 225 basis points year to date and released about R550bn worth of liquidity through the reduction of regulatory requirements for the banking sector. This is exactly what a central bank is supposed to do in times of crisis.

But the SARB can do more, should financial or credit markets malfunction in a way that stops the flow of liquidity to companies and individuals, where it is most needed. The SARB can take, within its current legal framework, an even bolder step, to play an activist role if systemically important companies collapse.

There is a sense already that some blue-chip firms in SA could be facing significant liquidity challenges.

Examples include Edcon and Sasol. There are more — some of which were in a bad shape long before the onset of Covid-19 — that have signalled that they will cut either their staff complement or salaries. Their collapse could spell trouble for households and businesses they have supplier relationships with.

No-one is certain about the duration and severity of the crisis. If the impact on the real economy is devastating, it could threaten financial stability. Many companies that are systemically important and deeply interlocked with various other sectors of the economy, including small and medium enterprises, might soon collapse.

Constructing new economic foundations will be

HOGARTH

So why aren’t you adhering to the lockdown regulations?

We’re not dealing with eviction.

We’re dealing with invasion, which is a totally different issue.

African Bank was effectively bailed out by the government in 2014 when the Reserve Bank took a 50% stake in the failed lender. Picture: Dean Hutton/Bloomberg via Getty Images

costlier than acting to prevent collapse.

As was the case during the Great Depression, the political pendulum will likely shift to populist nationalism, with a yearning for charismatic leaders who promise quick fixes. Along with economic structures, the existing unstable social equilibrium and the political arrangement may wither away. The resurgence of right-wing politics in the US and Europe happened on the back of the global financial crisis.

An economic depression in our time caused by a rupture in the real economy could ignite a fire in the financial system, creating similar financial instability effects to those we saw in advanced industrial economies in the wake of the 2008 crisis.

Since SA did not have a banking crisis in 2008 to learn from, what policy tools should the government explore to avert a real-economy crisis?

There is a compelling rationale that the government, through the National Treasury, the Reserve Bank and development finance institutions, should intervene to rescue systemically important companies when the time calls for it.

Failure to intervene could worsen the already battered state of the economy, increase the possibility for financial instability, and risk social instability that might be very hard to reverse. This would be on top of the very high social and economic costs that households are sustaining.

To fail to act boldly in extraordinary times is to court the curse of economic depression, unemployment and social instability on a large scale.

During the global financial crisis of 2008, many US industrial sectors, especially the auto sector, were on their knees until bailed out by the government.

Bailing out major companies is not uncharted terrain for SA. The government, through the Reserve Bank, bailed out African Bank and took a 50% stake.

In the case of large corporations, the government

can purchase corporate bonds in the secondary market, with half of the bonds made convertible to shareholding to allow the government to share in the upside.

Various other conditions could be introduced to allow for corporate restructuring or to achieve a legitimate social purpose in the form of meeting transformation targets at board and management levels, something many JSE-listed companies lack.

For every bailout, companies should be expected to reciprocate. Such reciprocity could be written into the terms of bailouts.

A government exit mechanism would also need to be built into the bailout process, with the resale of shares aimed at diversifying the capital ownership structure of JSE-listed firms.

Such a bailout facility should only be made available to those companies that are deemed to be systemically important, and whose collapse could create a deadly domino effect on the financial sector and the whole economy.

Given that this crisis will likely result in corporate defaults with potential financial stability consequences, the Reserve Bank, working with the National Treasury and development finance institutions, should play an active role. Such an activist role is appropriate in the era of radical uncertainty we are in.

Acting boldly in exceptional circumstances would also place the Reserve Bank in a much stronger position to defend its operational independence in normal times. This would allow the Bank to stave off dangerous calls for it to act recklessly when circumstances do not demand it. ✼ Mhlanga is chief economist at Alexander Forbes, Qobo is head (designate) of Wits School of Governance and Sihlobo is chief economist at the Agriculture Business Chamber (Agbiz)

What about video evidence?

Facebook or social media evidence that you have seen, it’s very clear that those people were not there.

Are you’re saying it’s a fake video?

I’m not saying it’s a fake video.

I’m saying those people erected those sites on that day.

It shows that the structures being demolished were fairly solid.

Remember, in the informal areas there are people who do “shack farming”.

They go onto a piece of land and erect a structure with an intention to rent it out.

There’s an act that says if someone has lived in a site for more than 72 hours you cannot evict or remove them.

That’s why we act on the same day. Because I will not allow shack farming to happen in the City of Cape Town, because poor people are being exploited who are vulnerable to that exercise.

At least they had a roof over their heads. Now they don’t?

I don’t believe that. I know for a fact those people were not there before we demolished the structures.

What about affidavits submitted to court by people who say they were living there since last year?

There are two sides to a story.

You’re peddling a narrative not supported by the facts.

Gwede Mantashe

itizens have responded positively to the National Doctor’s advice to wear face masks in public to prevent the spread of Covid-19. With the shortage of masks globally, some citizens have been making their own out of cloth.

Our ministers have also followed Zweli Mkhize’s advice, appearing at media conferences wearing face protection. But one caused a social media storm with his choice of mask. Uncle Gweezy, aka the Tiger, showed up in a mask made from what looked like tiger print. The beast has woken! Grrrrr.

The numbers tell a story

W

elcome Witbooi, a self-confessed retired general of the 28s gang, shot to fame this week as the official spokesperson of all gangsters in the country. According to Witbooi, the hardcore criminals held a meeting, with all provinces represented, at which a decision was taken to suspend all illegal activities during lockdown. “It was a national decision that all gang leaders and all gangs that are currently operating in various communities have to cease all forms of activities during the lockdown — this includes the sale of drugs,” he told SAfm news. Perhaps the police could suspend their harassment of poor citizens and instead pay a visit to Witbooi. A copy of the gang summit attendance register could solve our crime problem post lockdown.

MAMPARA OF THE WEEK

Donald Trump No cure yet for this germ

A

fter he blocked US funding of the World Health Organisation — in the middle of a global pandemic — it was inconceivable that Agent Orange could plunge to an even lower level of Mamparahood. But that’s exactly what President Donald Trump did.

After accusing the WHO of being “China-centric” in a bid to shift the blame for his own mishandling of the crisis in the US, the Tangerine Tyrant achieved Mampara Legend status on Friday by egging on right-wing protests against anti-coronavirus restrictions in some states.

“LIBERATE MICHIGAN!” and “LIBERATE MINNESOTA!” he ranted in all-caps mode. With an election due in November, you might think Trump would prefer to keep his supporters healthy enough to vote.

18

Sunday Times

April 19 2020 - SUNDAY TIMES

Opinion

QUOTE OF THE WE E K “You need people on the ground that are looking for fires. If we see one, we can prevent it. If we get there too late, then we have to put out a raging fire.”

Prof SALIM ABDOOL KARIM, chair of SA’s Covid-19 ministerial advisory committee, presenting strategy to combat the pandemic, including the possibility of extending the lockdown

Our new army of democracy needs to take off the jackboots of the old order

T

he streets were dead silent. Even the stray Now I am not suggesting that they would not dogs that usually roamed the have been “radicalised” had it not been for this neighbourhood looking for rubbish bins incident. But it clearly contributed. to overturn for food saw fit to stay away The 1980s were a dangerous period for that night. township folk, especially for those who were in It was way past midnight and we were on foot. their teens and were male.

We were returning from a night vigil.

One afternoon, returning from school, we As we were about to reach the intersection that witnessed another pupil being assaulted by served as a boundary between our township’s soldiers because he had seen his friend walking on Sections B and D, we were startled by a blinding the other side of the street and shouted his name light that suddenly exploded in front of us. This to grab his attention. The friend’s name was was quickly followed by the unmistakable sound Mandla and the soldiers, who were not proficient ST H EM B I SO of rifles being cocked. in the local language, thought the pupil shouted M SOM I “On the floor, on the floor,” somebody was the anti-apartheid struggle cry “Amandla”. shouting. Before we could even kneel, we were We live in a country that is vastly different from being kicked and punched. what prevailed in the 1980s. Over the past 26 Where were we going this late in the night? Where were our years, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has really weapons? Who was our ringleader? These were just some of the worked hard to be accepted by all sections of our society. questions we were asked as the beatings continued.

It is viewed with pride by most, and not as the aggressor that was This went on for about 10 minutes, even though it felt like an its predecessor during the bad old days. eternity at the time. Eventually the soldiers realised that all we were The South African Defence Force (SADF) that used to wreak armed with, and carried by only two of us eight boys, were a New havoc in neighbouring countries, bombing villages and sponsoring Testament and a hymn book. rebel armies in Angola and Mozambique, transformed into an They were going to let us go, they said, but not without first SANDF that does all in its power to save lives in flooded villages of teaching us a lesson about the dangers of venturing into the streets Mozambique. at night.

Just a year ago, South Africans were raving about the country’s With R1 and R4 rifles pointed menacingly at us, we were forced to armed forces following their impressive display at President Cyril do frog jumps, push-ups, jumping jacks and other military exercises. Ramaphosa’s inauguration ceremony.

The sadistic soldiers completed our humiliation by forcing us into But the shameful behaviour of some of our soldiers during the a slapping contest. Cruel. current Covid-19 outbreak crisis could undermine all the credibility By the end of that year, three of the eight had skipped the borders that the army has gained in the eyes of the population over the past and joined the armed struggle. Two more were to join them a year three decades. later.

Last weekend’s killing of Collins Khosa, the 40-year-old

Alexandra township resident who was allegedly assaulted by soldiers for drinking alcohol, highlights the urgent need for the government to halt the human-rights abuses and assaults that are being committed in its name.

Since the start of the lockdown period there have been daily reports — largely from townships, informal settlements and other black working-class areas — of soldiers and the police assaulting residents who find themselves on the wrong side of the state regulations and law.

Some, like Titus Mametse, also of Alexandra, did not have to do anything wrong to find himself a victim of the law enforcers.

According to the Sowetan, Mametse was returning from buying groceries when he was shot at.

While defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula did well to express regret and apologise for Khosa’s death at the hands of her soldiers, she needs to go a step further and demand that army generals take stern action against those in the ranks who abuse their power.

Clearly the right noises that have been made by those in authority, including the president, are not getting through to the minds of some of the soldiers on the ground.

Swift and firm action needs to be taken to show the wayward soldiers such brutality is not tolerated in our constitutional order.

Indeed it is wrong for citizens not to obey the law and stay at home, but that does not give the soldiers and the police the right to become a law unto themselves.

If these excesses are allowed to continue unchecked, a new wave of resentment will begin to grow in our working-class communities against the soldiers, and against the authorities in general.

It may not result in some skipping the country to take up arms again, but it will erode the state’s credibility in the eyes of its citizens and, in the long run, it will undermine the government’s ability to govern.

Six mistakes that Ramaphosa must correct to save his presidency He must not forget the poor in a rush to embrace middle class

By IMRAAN BUCCUS

● History shows that the reputation of politicians is often made, or broken, in a crisis. So far, Cyril Ramaphosa is having a good crisis as far as the middle classes — black and white — are concerned. His support from them has been rapturous.

This is understandable. Thabo Mbeki’s denialism in the HIV/Aids crisis resulted in social catastrophe. In contrast to Mbeki, Ramaphosa has a competent minister of health in Zweli Mkhize and is taking advice from the best medical scientists. Ramaphosa’s scientifically based response to the Covid-19 pandemic is a welcome change from Mbeki’s paranoid nationalism, and also from the empty bombast of right-wing demagogues like Donald Trump, Jair Bolsonaro and Boris Johnson.

And it’s not difficult to see why people are in raptures about Ramaphosa after years of Jacob Zuma’s kleptocracy. We all shudder to think how Zuma would have mishandled this crisis.

However, Ramaphosa is making six serious mistakes: Mass testing: While the state moved fast to implement a shutdown, it did not start well with testing large numbers. It seems now to be rolling out testing at sufficient speed and scale.

International experience shows that an effective response to Covid-19 requires social isolation and mass testing. We have got this only half right.

Centralising information: To combat fake news and conspiracy, science depends on free and open discussion. If medical professionals are not encouraged to participate in a free and open debate, we risk making mistakes, and not being able to speedily rectify them. This may be why there has not been enough open debate about our failures to implement testing at speed and scale.

Poor focus on economic impact: The state has operated as if the health and the economic questions can be dealt with separately. This is not

President Cyril Ramaphosa needs to keep the poor and the political Left in mind during the nationwide lockdown. Picture: ER Lombard/ Gallo Images via Getty Images

the case. With mass unemployment and millions without adequate nutrition, access to decent housing and sanitation, and worsening public health care, the economic crisis had health implications before Covid-19. The damage that the shutdown will do to the economy is going to make the crisis in public health worse in the months and years to come.

The measures to mitigate the huge economic costs are inadequate. Economic thinking in the ANC is dominated by neoliberals, who are reluctant to increase social spending. Our leading economists — people of the stature of Duma Gqubule and Vishnu Padayachee — have warned about this. But the hawks in the Treasury won’t bend. The result will be mass immiseration that will lead to declining public health and escalating social instability, fertile ground for dangerous forms of populism in and outside the ANC. Iron fist: Ramaphosa has ceded too much power to the authoritarians in his cabinet. Putting the army on the streets was an error. The army, along

with the police and private security companies, have frequently been abusive, and lives have been lost.

The middle classes are generally treated with respect by those enforcing the lockdown but poor and working-class people have been subject to abuses. In Durban and Cape Town this has included unlawful and violent evictions.

As many commentators have noted, when states impose authoritarian measures in a crisis they often retain them long after it has passed.

Ramaphosa runs another risk. As recent statements from trade unions and social movements show, there is desperation and anger in poor and working-class communities.

Every time one of the police, the army or private security abuses a member of the public, the social contract that legitimises the authority of the state is undermined. The way the lockdown is being policed is damaging the legitimacy of the state.

The intersection of routine brutality in the policing of the lockdown with a devastating

economic crisis could result in social unrest.

Sidelining social and trade movements: Ramaphosa has failed to include popular organisations in planning the state’s response to the lockdown. Business, and in particular finance capital, is gushing about its new relationship with the government and its inclusion in decisionmaking. But social movements and trade unions, in an angry tone, indicate that they are not included. This will compromise the effectiveness of the government’s engagement with the poor and the working class, undermine the legitimacy of the measures taken and deepen the alienation of those most at risk from Covid-19 and from the escalating economic crisis.

Ideological contradictions: Ramaphosa has not resolved the political contradiction on which his presidency rests. He came to office with the support of two constituencies. One was big business and the few neoliberals in the ANC, people like Tito Mboweni and Trevor Manuel. The other was the Left in the ANC, notably the SACP and Cosatu. The neoliberals and the Left opposed Zuma’s kleptocracy. Both saw Ramaphosa as a viable alternative.

Ramaphosa will not hold the presidency if the Left in the ANC turns against him. However, the violence against poor and working-class people in the lockdown risks turning the Left’s constituency against Ramaphosa.

Mboweni and many on the Right outside the ANC enthusiastically back the prospect of a bailout by the International Monetary Fund. This is something that the Left in the ANC could never accept. It would end autonomy over economic and policy questions, and enforce austerity that would devastate the poor and working class.

Ramaphosa’s inability to satisfy the neoliberals and the Left puts him at risk of losing the Left, and the presidency.

We are right to be relieved that we are not led by Mbeki or Zuma in this crisis, and to note that Ramaphosa is superior to Johnson, Bolsonaro and Trump. But we also need to confront Ramaphosa’s failures honestly and seriously, and discuss alternatives openly and rigorously. ✼ Buccus is senior research associate at ASRI, research

fellow in the School of Social Sciences at UKZN and academic director of a university study abroad programme on political transformation

Global unity can outmanoeuvre this deadly virus

B

oth the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting economic crisis are global problems, and they require global co-operation and solidarity. In other words, sharing of information and experience is vital.

That’s the big advantage of humans over viruses. A coronavirus in China and a coronavirus in the US cannot CART E R swap tips on how to infect S E L E KA humans. But China can teach the US valuable lessons about the virus and how to deal with it. What an Italian doctor discovers in Milan in the early morning might well save lives in Tehran by evening.

When the UK government hesitates between several policies, it can get advice from the South Koreans, who faced a similar dilemma a month ago. But for this to happen, we need an indomitable spirit of global co-operation, co-ordination and, most important, trust.

Facing a massive battle of life and death, countries should be willing to share information openly and humbly seek advice. They should be able to trust science and data and the insights they receive.

Furthermore, we should as a global collective pull together in one gigantic effort to produce and distribute medical equipment, notably ventilators, hazmat suits and testing kits — instead of every country trying to do it locally and hoarding whatever equipment it lays its hands on. A global effort could greatly accelerate production and make sure life-saving equipment is distributed more fairly.

As when countries repurpose and nationalise key industries during a war, the human war against the coronavirus may demand that we humanise crucial production lines. A rich country with fewer cases of the virus should be willing to send crucial life-saving equipment to a poorer country with many cases.

There could also be a global effort to pool medical personnel. Countries that are less affected could send medical teams to the hardest-hit regions, both to help them and to gain valuable lessons and practical experience.

Global co-operation is also badly needed on the economic front. Given the global nature of the economy and of supply chains that have been greatly affected by the necessary lockdowns, if each government does its own thing in disregard of the others, the result will be chaos. A global plan is urgently needed to provide economic stimulus to the African economies that are already on the back foot.

There is also a need to reach a global agreement on international travel.

Suspending all international travel for months will cause tremendous hardship and will imperil the war against the virus. Countries need to facilitate at least a trickle of essential travellers such as medical personnel and scientists.

Unfortunately, at the moment countries are hardly doing any of these things. A paralysis has gripped the international community. One would have expected to see a virtual meeting of global leaders, with the World Health Organisation and the UN at the centre of it, for this pandemic has the potential to imperil global security and regional peace. If leadership is not provided at this critical moment, this pandemic’s legacy will poison international relations for years to come.

Africa, which by and large has poorly resourced healthcare facilities and the burden of viral diseases, will be hardest hit by this new and deadly pathogen.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, the chair of the AU, needs to be commended for his leadership for the virtual meeting of the AU bureau of heads of state and government he convened recently to discuss the continent’s response to the pandemic.

It is hoped that the AU, through such meetings, has given a sense of direction to the continent by developing a strategy to match the scale of this pandemic, thereby mobilising the resources to ensure Africa is not left at its mercy.

We must hope that the pandemic will help humankind realise the acute danger posed by global disunity. The best way in this instance is to choose the path of global solidarity, which will afford us the possibility to triumph not only against the coronavirus, but against all future epidemics.

Africa, which has poorly resourced health-care facilities, will be hardest hit

✼ Seleka is a veteran South African diplomat

Universities can use this Covid-19 moment to reinvent the way they teach

H

igher education is under unprecedented quality, with varying degrees of oversight pressure. Not only is the academic exercised by the government and professional teaching project being overhauled and bodies. To counter this competition universities moved online in the face of the Covid-19 have emphasised the campus experience, longoutbreak, the financial model supporting public standing academic traditions and access to welluniversities has never been more threatened. known and respected academics and researchers In the immediate future we will see funds who enhance the learning experience for students. channelled towards the health sector and to Universities are ranked on the quality and support those hit by reduced income during the scope of their educational offerings and research lockdown; in the long term, financial aid will be output. And graduates with degrees from wellneeded for an already ailing economy that will be known universities supposedly have an easier playing catch-up long after the lockdown and the route into industry. In short, universities live on YLVA RODNYpandemic itself have ended. their reputations.

GUM E DE In addition, higher education institutions will Overall, knowledge is becoming ever-more most likely face pushback from students and difficult to package as a saleable commodity as parents heavily burdened by tuition fees and general living costs. more and more information, and even whole course and degree Questions will be asked as to what they are getting for their hardpackages, become available online. earned cash as teaching is conducted online and students no longer The Covid-19 outbreak has put increased focus on online and sohave the same access to lecturing staff and campus facilities and called blended learning opportunities — tuition and lectures services. conducted both online and through face-to-face lectures and Universities have for some time come under pressure from tutoring sessions on campus. These blended learning options are newer, cheaper online institutions offering qualifications of varying neither new nor ad hoc, and are already in place and have been

tested by most institutions.

What is new is the scale of these programmes. Overnight, universities around the world have had to adapt all course content to the online environment and get all lecturers up to speed on new teaching technologies and methodologies and how best to adapt content to online platforms. More than anything, assessments and exams are in question, and universities have to think through how these can be conducted in ways that ensure ethics and adherence to assessment rules and regulations.

By moving some teaching online, universities can provide more cost-efficient education. The change poses questions around whether on-campus teaching is more costly than other forms, and if cost overheads can be reduced and campus facilities repurposed. A reduced student population on campus will provide universities with opportunities to rethink how they use their facilities and to prioritise the practical and laboratory work that is more difficult to move online.

The idea of more flexible structuring of time and options for onand off-campus learning might also make better sense for students who cannot afford a daily commute to campus.

The opportunity exists to provide more flexible learning paths for students and an augmented learning experience by accessing

several modes of teaching, whether online or offline, at their own pace and in their own time. If degrees can be obtained online for free, universities must make sure that what they offer is access to the best teachers and researchers and that such individuals are equipped to engage with students through the blended learning opportunities created.

Blended learning requires that teams of lecturers, content developers and people with technical expertise be formed around degrees and within disciplines to take the project forward. This as the model in which a single lecturer stands in front of a class becomes less common. This way, knowledge-sharing can take place throughout the university and between disciplines, contributing to interdisciplinarity and fostering collaborative skills.

This provides for a new way of looking at degrees and of enhancing learning for students. The university experience is one of feeling connected to a world of ideas, excellence and expertise. This is where traditional universities have a competitive advantage. The opportunity is here to not only recreate this experience online but to augment it, and to do so in ways that are truly accessible. ✼ Ylva Rodny-Gumede is head of the international office and a professor in the School of Communication at the University of Johannesburg

19

SUNDAY TIMES - April 19 2020

Opinion

Sunday Times

Rural homesteaders lose out as Ingonyama Trust money goes to a bloated bureaucracy

The impact of Covid-19 on the already dire unemployment situation in SA is going to be devastating. Until the lockdown lifts, business and the government must work to keep the economy on ‘life support’. Picture: Freddy Mavunda © Business Day

Flatten the recession curve as well as the medical one In about 2007 the Ingonyama Trust began charging people rent on land they had traditionally owned. The money is supposed to be used for community development. Picture: Thembinkosi Dwayisa

Trust required by law to spend 90% of its income on KwaZulu’s people

By JANET BELLAMY and NOKWANDA SIHLALI

● The Ingonyama Trust has once again failed to adhere to the legal mandate it was given by the act of parliament that created it in 1994.

Its February presentation to parliament’s portfolio committee on agriculture, land reform & rural development should have indicated its current efforts to provide benefit to the communities and entities it is responsible to — all of which are specified in the KwaZulu-Natal Ingonyama Trust Act. Instead, the 2019/2020 budget presentation once more exposed the gaps in delivery that have long been raised anecdotally by those who feel short-changed.

The act clearly mandates that the Ingonyama Trust and the trust land be administered for the benefit and welfare of specified communities.

The Ingonyama Trust financial regulations provide that “an amount not exceeding 10% of the trust income may be utilised for the operational costs of the accounting authority … including ordinary administrative costs”.

That means 90% of its income should be spent on its beneficiaries — ordinary people living in KwaZulu-Natal.

In the early days, the trust’s financial reports show adherence to the regulations. In its 2005/2006 financial presentation, payments to communities and traditional authorities were recorded at more than R12m. At the time it stated: “It is trust policy that where income accruing to the trust is from an identifiable traditional authority area then that money must be earmarked for that particular community less the 10% retained in terms of finance regulation 10(2).”

But, in about 2007, the board introduced a policy that required residents living on trust land (land they already own under customary law) to enter into 40-year leases with the board — with rental obligations. This

Unplugged

by BBK ● When one looks at and listens to Bandile Masuku, an impressive impression of the man is imprinted.

Level-headed, caring, soft-spoken and a decent human being.

Those are the kind of character traits that should embody the persona of a member of the executive committee for health.

But when a video of pregnant women sprawled on the floor of an overcrowded ward at the Mamelodi Hospital went viral on social media, that image changed.

It exposed something that goes against the grain of one of the core principles espoused

by Batho Pele, which is treating citizens with courtesy and consideration.

To have overcrowding in a hospital ward during a time that government is

has generated significant income for the Ingonyama Trust and much controversy and unhappiness on the ground.

The rentals are the subject of litigation that is scheduled to resume in the Pietermaritzburg high court when the Covid19 restrictions have been lifted. The challenge — being brought by the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution, the Rural Women’s Movement and seven informal land-rights holders — relates to whether the leases the residents have been made to sign comply with the constitutional right to security of tenure and laws such as the Public Finance Management Act. The trust’s website states that lease rentals are collected by the Ingonyama Trust board and “allocated to that particular traditional council for development purposes”. However, there is little evidence that this is being done.

The February presentation shows little actual spending on traditional councils or beneficiaries.

Alarmingly, recent financial records show vast increases in spending on “land tenure management and planning”. This cost line was just under R1.67m in 2018 and jumped to almost R20.5m a year later. The latest performance and financial report presented to the portfolio committee shows a further significant increase — this time more than R113m is budgeted for “land tenure management and planning”. This is in addition to more than R52m allocated for “administration” for the period.

In the second quarter the board spent just R2.4m on traditional councils or beneficiaries out of its allocated budget of just under R21m for “traditional council/community support”. Spending on educational awards and bursaries for the period was reflected as zero. This is a shift from the past when educational grants were made.

On several occasions previously — and again in the February presentation — underexpenditure on this has been explained away by the board as being “due to no significant requests for disbursement of funds from community beneficiaries”. This was argued as far back as 2007, when the board said it was concerned about the slow uptake of funds and was “investigating alternate methods for the release of funds”.

The portfolio committee has repeatedly

asked why the release of funds to communities should be demand-driven. It has consistently asked the board for details of its support for the beneficiaries of the trust, as required by the act, to no avail.

The board has, however, encouraged traditional councils to create entities it is calling “community development trusts” and to present business plans for these.

Training in this regard was to have been provided to the traditional councils, but in the 2019/2020 cycle this training is reported as zero.

An amount of R4.6m was reported to have been spent on just two community workshops. No details of these workshops were provided in response to questions from MPs during the February presentation.

In October 2019, portfolio committee chair Mandla Mandela told the board to submit a five-year report for the period 2014–2019, detailing what monies had been ploughed back into communities and to each traditional council. He noted that only 10% of the board’s income is meant to be spent on administration and 90% is meant to be distributed to beneficiaries.

No such report was tabled at the portfolio committee meeting in February, nor was any explanation given for why this did not happen.

The committee chair has again asked the board chair to present a report detailing community outreach projects that have provided support to beneficiaries over the past five years. This is due to be presented at a portfolio committee meeting scheduled for May 12.

The Ingonyama Trust is legally required to administer trust land for the benefit and welfare of beneficiaries and communities identified in its founding act. The trust and its board have repeatedly failed to show that they are complying with this clear mandate.

Not only are they extracting rents from structurally vulnerable customary landrights holders, but those legally questionable rentals appear to be bolstering a bloated bureaucracy that is being run in direct defiance of its mandate — so far without consequence. ✼ Bellamy is a senior researcher consultant and

Sihlali a land researcher at the Land and Accountability Research Centre at the University of Cape Town

Organised business is coming up with proposals to tackle economic revival

By SIPHO MILA PITYANA

● Organised business is developing a series of urgent proposals to help reshape the South African economy after the Covid-19 pandemic — with the health and wellbeing of our people the no 1 priority.

Representatives from various organisations — including Business Unity SA, Business Leadership SA, the Minerals Council SA, Agriculture SA, the Black Business Council, the Banking Association of SA and the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry — have come together under the umbrella of Business for SA (B4SA) to ensure we play a central part in making this happen.

Teams of economists and analysts have done some intensive work looking at where the economy is most vulnerable as a result of its inherent structural deficiencies, the global economic downturn and the impact of Covid-19 on people and businesses.

One of the key findings is the doubleedged sword of the national lockdown.

On the one hand, the lockdown will dramatically deepen the economic recession that SA was already experiencing before Covid-19 reached our shores. Businesses were under extreme pressure before the lockdown, and the situation now is beyond dire.

Millions of jobs are at stake: those that are heavily dependent on exports, for example, such as platinum, gold, diamonds, iron ore, manganese ore, coal, vehicles, machinery, steel and fruit.

In addition, the lockdown itself has had a massive impact on sectors such as accommodation, transport, finance and insurance — not to mention the millions of people in the informal economy.

All the research at our disposal shows that the stronger the “medical containment” approach, the safer South Africans will be, and the lower the death toll. There is a dramatic difference

between countries that have acted swiftly to bring about medical containment and those that have not.

We no doubt will have to keep it that way for as long as is sustainable and necessary.

As our economists put it: “Containment measures steepen the recession curve but flatten the infection curve.”

In other words, the lockdown may be slowly strangling the economy, but it is saving lives and should assist in the medium to long term with the revival of the economy.

Given that the government has opted for such a strict lockdown to keep people safe, with the accompanying impact on the economy, we have also had to focus on what steps should be taken to keep the economy on life support during the lockdown — and then successfully resuscitate it postpandemic.

But just how deep is the economic hole we are in?

We were effectively already in ICU before Covid-19 bit, but we have moved swiftly to critical care.

The impact on jobs is going to be devastating. In the formal sector, for example, we predict that unemployment could increase from preCovid-19 levels of 29% to up to 47% in the worst-case scenario — and even in the best-case scenario, up to 33% of South Africans could be without work once the pandemic has blown over.

A similar situation applies in the informal sector, where joblessness could increase from 29% to up to 44% in the worst-case scenario.

Alongside this, there can be no doubt that the government is going to have to borrow itself out of the situation — and, given our global credit ratings (which are as bleak as the economic outlook) government debt is going to be significantly increased, placing an additional burden on the state’s ability to raise the economy again.

All of which raises the question: how can we best get out of this situation?

B4SA is fine-tuning urgent policy proposals in support of government efforts to mitigate the damage and hold the South African economy together as best as is humanly possible.

These are built around five fundamentals:

You’re out of order, Comrade MEC Masuku championing a campaign of social distancing, when the country and the world grapple the coronavirus pandemic crisis, must have cast the virus as a mosquito in a nudist camp.

The video landed in the hands of the eNCA journalist Zikhona Tshona. She contacted Masuku, the Gauteng health MEC, to solicit a response.

When he was informed of the inhumane conditions, the mask of care fell off Masuku’s face.

What followed was a horror show as Masuku mindlessly displayed disdain of the very people he and his department should be treating with deference.

In the exchange with Tshona, Masuku lost his marbles. He arrogantly argued something to the effect that whoever took the video should have gone home after

He presides over a public health system littered with ... illtreatment of patients delivering their baby. And this is a polite paraphrase.

Can you spell cold?

Can you spell callous?

Can you spell uncouth?

It boggles the mind why Masuku felt it fit for purpose to give the initial response.

He presides over a provincial public health system littered with sickening examples of

ill-treatment of patients.

You would have thought that Masuku’s intuition should have been that of circumspection.

Mind you, this is the same institution where not long ago — last May to be specific — a 76-year-old woman, Martha Marais, was found tied to a bench in the waiting area.

Images of her wailing are still haunting as her daughter demanded answers from the authorities.

Yet, when confronted with an even bigger misdeed from the same facility, Masuku instinctively let loose a volley of verbal diarrhoea.

When the short distance between his brain and his mouth reconnected and Masuku saw the folly of his ways, he trotted on the tiring, well-beaten, predictable path.

He turned around to offer an apology.

Hopefully, one of these days these young, hip and happening comrades from whose dictionaries the word principled appears to have been omitted will realise that this tried and tired trick has lost its elasticity, not to mention its authenticity.

Can you spell fake humility?

It is true that man is erratic by nature and to err is human.

In the same vein, it is poor form for people in power to make a monumental mess, apologise and expect life to continue while they trample on the lives of others.

They don’t seem to learn from the mistakes of others.

It is like this gang is on an unthinking enthusiastic warfare to outdo the blunder of the other.

From travelling to Geneva (nèe Switzerland).

● Interventions have to quickly target immediate pain points. That means, first and foremost, supporting the healthcare sector, which is at the frontline of providing care to the nation. It also means supporting workers and businesses to ensure their financial stability: emergency assistance has to be provided (grants in particular) and there has to be short-term compensation to ensure corporate liquidity and stability in the banking system. ● Interventions have to be high impact. Those with the highest returns must be prioritised, preferably in the sectors that are the most vulnerable to job losses and/or business failure, along with those that contribute the most to job creation and growth. ● During the lockdown, interventions need to be focused on the supply side of the economy — but once the lockdown is lifted, the focus will need to shift to the demand side, to stimulate recovery and growth. ● Where possible, interventions should be easily implementable — for example, requiring no change in legislation, or using existing mechanisms, and be interventions where confidence can be built that “things are working”. ● We should not lose our long-term focus. Interventions should be temporary and must have time limits, to avoid negative long-term effects or a situation where measures are difficult to reverse.

One thing that comes through starkly from the research is that the most lasting and damaging impact on the economy is likely to come from the lack of business confidence, which will result in a reduction in business investment.

Boosting business confidence and consumer confidence will therefore play a crucial role in getting out of the current economic situation. So while we’re flattening the medical curve, we have to be equally focused on flattening the “recession curve”.

Otherwise we may come out of this exercise alive but with an economy — the very thing that is needed to keep us alive beyond Covid-19 — that is itself beyond rescue.

✼ Pityana is the president of Business Unity

SA

From suffering severe hunger pangs so much so that you drive to Fourways to have lunch with a friend, flagrantly flouting lockdown regulations in the process.

From leaking lockdown extension, denying doing so and still seeing reason to open a case in a Sandton cop shop.

This bunch is special.

But I guess hosting a press conference on the road to celebrate a reduction of fatalities during the Easter period, when there was almost no one on the road, which is why you have a presser on the road, means our colourful characters can have their cake and eat it.

The blue-lights effect has an adverse impact on these souls and makes this lot toxic. It leaves one gobsmacked by the gimmicks of the governing when dealing with the governed.

And so it is that with that act of irrationality, Masuku has made himself a graduate of the Qedani Masuku university of to hell with you, I am the health MEC. What an impression.

ST APRIL 19 2020

www.sundaytimes.co.za

Sport

THIS DAY IN HISTORY 1

1980: Gerrie Coetzee takes on American Mike Koranicki, who is riding high after stopping Kallie Knoetze — Coetzee’s main local rival — a few months earlier. But Coetzee, coming off his points loss to John Tate for the vacant World Boxing Association title at Loftus Versfeld, brings him down to earth, knocking him out in the first round at the Rand Stadium.

1996: The Proteas win the Sharjah Cup ODI triangular in the United Arab Emirates , beating India by 38 runs in the final. Opener Gary Kirsten scored an unbeaten 115 and spinner Pat Symcox, coming in as a pinch-hitter, hammered 61 from just 49 balls to guide SA to 287/5. Pakistan were the third team in the tournament.

BBK Unplugged You’re out of order, Comrade MEC Page 19

THIS DAY IN HISTORY 2 1998: The Proteas trounce Sri Lanka by five wickets in an ODI triangular match in Bloemfontein after bowling them out for 105. Shaun Pollock took three wickets and Roger Telemachus and Jacques Kallis two each. Kallis top-scored with 39 in the reply, with SA reaching the target in the 27th over.

1999: Joseph Chebet of Kenya takes the men’s title in 2:09:52 at the 103rd edition of the Boston Marathon. Fatuma Roba of Ethiopia won the women’ s race in 2:23:25 2006: Makhaya Ntini, pictured, takes 10 wickets as the Proteas beat New Zealand by 128 runs in the first Test at Centurion.

Ntini took 5/51 and Dale Steyn 5/47 to bowl out New Zealand for 120 in their second innings. Ntini finished with 10/145 for the match.

Sascoc saga deepens Boardroom battles in federations push organisation to brink

Memory lane Kaizer Chiefs won the African Cup Winners Cup, also known as the Mandela Cup, by beating Angola’s Interclube at Ellis Park on December 1 2001 via Patrick Mabedi's 90th-minute penalty. The first leg was a 1-1 draw in Luanda where Chiefs' Zimbabwean midfielder Petros Jukulile had opened the scoring before Esengo levelled matters for Interclube.

Chiefs dedicated their victory to the late former president Nelson Mandela.

By DAVID ISAACSON isaacsond@sundaytimes.co.za

● National federations that make up the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) will have to move quickly to quell the boardroom battles that erupted within the umbrella body this week.

That is the view of sports bosses who spoke to the Sunday Times.

The Sascoc executive voted on Wednesday to suspend Barry Hendricks as acting president pending an arbitration following a claim he had acted in an unethical manner.

Before the board members had finished the teleconference meeting, Hendricks was sending emails claiming, among other things, the board was improperly constituted and calling for it to be dissolved.

He sent off more on Friday afternoon, accusing the board of being dishonest with him and its members about how his suspension had unfolded. Hendricks also rejected his suspension and called for acting CEO Ravi Govender to be suspended.

“It’s a mess,” said one senior sports administrator, a view that many others shared.

They are mystified at how Sascoc, which seemed to be lifting its game after a ministerial inquiry uncovered governance failings, quickly descended into new controversies.

They had made the constitutional changes that would have allowed an early election to proceed on March 28, as demanded by sports minister Nathi Mthethwa.

For him a new board would signify a new Sascoc worthy of government support, cru-

Picture: Gallo Images

The SA Gymnastics Federation has suggested all disqualified candidates be allowed to stand cially financially. Sascoc has been creaking under cash constraints and that in turn is hurting Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

But in February Tennis SA (TSA) board member Ntambi Ravele accused president Gavin Crookes, and Hendricks, of blocking her nomination for the Sascoc presidency.

They had had a conversation in which Hendricks had said the two possible TSA candidates, Ravele and Riad Davids, didn’t have a chance.

Crookes reflected this in an email to TSA board members when asking them if they wanted to endorse Ravele.

They voted not to support Ravele, but they did give Davids the thumbs up to stand for ordinary Sascoc board member.

Ravele complained to the minister, who referred the matter to Sascoc, which asked for a legal opinion.

Advocate Elizabeth Baloyi-Mere was critical of Crookes and Hendricks, and found Ravele had a case to take to arbitration.

Not everyone agrees with the advocate.

For example, some feel Crookes was merely being honest with his board when informing them of his conversation with Hendricks.

They say if Crookes wanted to block Ravele, why did he disclose it? On the same basis, why did the TSA board back Davids?

TSA is looking into the matter separately.

The advocate’s opinion isn’t bolstered by the fact that she seemingly refers to a version of the National Sport and Recreation Act that was in effect before Sascoc was created in 2004.

Several officials who spoke to the Sunday Times on condition of anonymity — including some who don’t support Hendricks — feel the Ravele issue has been blown out of proportion and is being used as a political weapon. Another curious element, they say, is why Mthethwa wrote to the International Olympic Committee asking them to intervene.

“Was that a vote of no-confidence in Sascoc? Why did he suggest a link between Hendricks and another issue where some candidates were disqualified from standing?” asked one official.

Govender said Sascoc was engaging the minister on that letter.

Sports bosses agree the election, delayed initially by lockdown, needs to happen soon, though the appeal process by disqualified candidates is continuing.

The SA Gymnastics Federation has suggested all disqualified candidates be allowed to stand. If that can expedite a ballot to end this madness, maybe it’s a good idea.

EPL clubs commit to finish season ● The English Premier League remains hopeful that the season can be resumed on the week beginning June 8, though that is dependent on government advice.

That was the over-riding message from the latest video-conference involving the 20 clubs who all remain committed to finishing the topflight season.

In addition, clubs have been told that the 2020-21 season must start by the first week of September at the latest.

The deadline puts huge pressure on the Premier League to eventually make a deci-

sion over the completion of this season and means, effectively, that they cannot resume playing any later than July.

The clubs discussed the issue of how players will return to training, with one plan being for them to initially work in pairs for an hour at the training ground having got changed in their cars to minimise the contact.

Clubs are expected to be told they will have three weeks from when the government gives the go-ahead for them to be allowed to train to playing matches which will be behind closed doors. — © The Daily Telegraph, London

SA Rugby ponders world leadership

Comrades runners still hopeful

By DAVID ISAACSON

By LIAM DEL CARME

● SA Rugby is yet to decide who they will back in the David vs Goliath arm wrestle for control of World Rugby.

Electronic ballots to be cast this month will decide if incumbent chairperson Bill Beaumont will prevail over his challenger Agustin Pichot with the result expected to be announced on May 12.

SA Rugby’s 12-member board is yet to convene to discuss the matter, but they will be under pressure from their Sanzaar alliance partners to throw their weight behind Argentine Pichot, who is campaigning on a ticket to disrupt the world order.

Introduce a global season SA Rugby’s World Rugby council members Mark Alexander, Jurie Roux and Vanessa Doble are yet to be mandated, but they will be aware that Europe has monopolised the chair in rugby’s highest office since elections were introduced in 1996.

Welshman Vernon Pugh became the International Rugby Board’s first elected chairperson, followed by Irishman Syd Millar (2003-2007), France’s Bernard Lapasset (2008-2016) and Beaumont from 2016. SA’s Silas Nkanunu was vice-president during Millar’s stint, and Oregan Hoskins did the same under Lapasset.

Some of the content in Pichot’s manifesto

Argentinian Agustin Pichot, left, and Britain’s Bill Beaumont are vying for the leadership of World Rugby. Picture: Getty Images

that will most likely resonate with SA Rugby include his intentions to introduce a global season which will facilitate greater alignment between the hemispheres.

They may also find Pichot’s objective of overhauling World Rugby’s governance structures appealing. It seeks to redress the imbalance that sees Europe hold 22 of the 51 votes on the members’ council.

World Rugby’s council elects its chairperson and vice-chairperson with 28 council members having 1-3 votes depending on their historical seniority.

The federations with three votes are Australia, Argentina, England, France, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Scotland, SA and Wales.

Japan holds two votes as do the six regional entities Asia Rugby, Oceania Rugby, Rugby Africa, Rugby Europe, Rugby North America and Sudamérica Rugby. The members with one vote are Canada, Georgia, Fiji,

Romania, Samoa, Uruguay and the US. A more equitable split will also help bridge the divide between the so called tier one and tier two nations.

Though Pichot is up against it, one former insider familiar with the machinations of World Rugby isn’t ruling out a surprise, saying: “The game needs another revolution like it had in 1996 (when the game went professional).

“Pichot can deliver it because he is a maverick. If he can get some of rugby’s new equity stakeholders like CVC Capital partners on board, who knows what’s possible.”

The two candidates cannot be more contrasting. Beaumont, a former England and British and Irish Lions lock and captain [to SA in 1980], is seen as a traditionalist and part of the old order.

He has France’s Bernard Laporte, running as vice-chairperson, in his camp.

● The postponement of the 2020 edition of the Comrades Marathon, scheduled for June 14, came as no surprise on Friday.

No new date has been given, which was equally expected given the existing uncertainty around Covid-19.

But if it’s going to happen this year, it will have to be before October 4, Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) chairperson Cheryl Winn wrote in a newsletter recently.

The 2013 edition, held on June 2, was hit by warm winds and temperatures hitting 30 degrees Celsius.

The medical tent treated more people for dehydration and exhaustion that year than they had in the past.

A summer Comrades could risk carnage.

For the moment Comrades hopefuls can still dream they’ll line up in Pietermaritzburg for the 95th edition.

But there are no guarantees.

“We will all be guided by how the Covid19 pandemic is controlled in the country,” said Athletics SA (ASA) president Aleck Skhosana.

The announcement on the postponement was issued by ASA, signalling an end to the public squabble that had erupted over the race last month.

The CMA said in March, just after President Cyril Ramaphosa had announced the first measures against the coronavirus, that it would make a call on April 17.

Sport minister Nathi Mthethwa had slammed CMA for not cancelling it outright, but ASA handled the matter tactfully, letting the minister save face while giving the Comrades a chance of seeing tar in 2020.

Newsmaker One focus, one aim: rebuild SA, says Capitec’s Gerrie Fourie

When the chips are down Which shares are your best bet?

Page 2

Page 4

Arthur Goldstuck Online gaming business explodes worldwide

Gugu Sidaki It’s time to have those difficult money conversations

Page 3

Page 4

Sunday Times

www.businesslive.co.za | APRIL 19 2020

Business Times

Now where’s the beef, Cyril?

Cabinet meeting tomorrow will reveal whether government ready for key decisions

By HILARY JOFFE ● Tomorrow’s cabinet meeting is expected to be a key test of whether the government is at last poised to make some key decisions, mapping out an economic and fiscal response to the ever-deeper crisis Covid-19 is driving SA’s economy into.

The meeting comes as President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration, which has elicited high praise for its swift and decisive handling of the health crisis, is facing growing criticism for its failure to put in place a coherent plan to deal with the potentially catastrophic economic fallout of the crisis — and position the economy to revive.

A special cabinet meeting on Wednesday had been expected to come up with an economic recovery plan but ended with no decisions being made; the cabinet’s five clusters were asked by the president to produce a consolidated set of priorities for an economic plan to be discussed tomorrow.

The meeting came after finance minister Tito Mboweni gave a somewhat chaotic telephonic media briefing on Tuesday at which he said he would have to table a revised budget and that the government would have to take steps to support the real economy and raise long-run growth. But he offered little that was new, promising that the cabinet would make announcements.

The sluggish pace of the government’s economic and fiscal policy response is in sharp contrast to that of the Reserve Bank, which on Tuesday cut interest rates by a further 100 basis points to a record low of 4.25%, and which has rapidly intervened to bring stability to financial markets and tweak banking regulations to position banks to support customers during the crisis.

On Thursday the presidency hosted a colloquium of leading economists at which former National Treasury budget office head Michael Sachs — now adjunct professor at Wits University — called for unprecedented fiscal, financial and monetary action. He urged the government to use the public sector balance sheet to decisively reverse the massive economic shock caused by the virus, which would have particularly severe effects on poor households.

Political analyst Nic Borain said Ramaphosa’s style was to consult, and the history of ideological divides in the ruling party means that nothing was simple, but while the government had taken time “we do need to hear early this week the details of a stimulus package for the economy and a support package that will get money to the very poorest households on the edge of food stress”.

Wits University economist Lumkile Mondi also cited divisions in the cabinet, saying a “war of position” had delayed decisions on an urgent economic stimulus package.

However, insiders said the government’s own deep dysfunction was a particular obstacle to Ramaphosa’s efforts to devise and implement a package of measures to tackle the economic and social crisis. “Government is broken,” said one senior official.

Three weeks into the lockdown, the government has yet to make a decision on proposals to increase all social grants by R500 a month temporarily, even though business, labour and community representatives at Nedlac unanimously endorsed such a move.

There has also been no decision on proposals for a credit guarantee or “funding for lending” scheme which would enable the banks to bridge companies that risk liquidation and layoffs through the crisis and help them start up again.

This is even though comprehensive plans for such a scheme, along the lines implemented by 51 other countries, were drawn up weeks ago by Intellidex chair Stuart Theobald and the Banking Association SA, and have been discussed by the banks, their regulator and the Treasury. Also on the table is a “social impact bond” that the government could use to raise funds to stimulate the economy.

There is also as yet no coherent plan or set of criteria for the gradual relaxation of the

MAKING A POINT US President Donald Trump, flanked by vice-president Mike Pence, takes questions from journalists after announcing his administration’s guidelines to open America up again.

Picture: Mandel Ngan/AFP

We do need to hear this week the details of a stimulus package Nic Borain Political analyst

lockdown, which is now widely expected to take some months, even though Ramaphosa spoke last week of a return to operation of certain sectors under strictly controlled conditions. Business and the department of trade & industry have done extensive work on how this might be done and further discussions between business, labour and the government are expected this week on a transparent and clear set of criteria for the reopening of particular sectors, or of businesses within particular regions where the risks of transmitting the virus could be controlled.

A Nedlac meeting on Friday, chaired by Ramaphosa, was marked by agreement and collaboration between business, labour and community organisations on the need for a far-reaching social security package, as well as the need to tackle the dysfunction in the Unemployment Insurance Fund which has prevented the R40bn that is available to fund workers during the crisis through the new and improved Temporary Employee/Employer Relief Scheme reaching workers.

Hospitality sector faces insurance blow

By BOBBY JORDAN ● One of SA’s biggest insurance companies has scrapped cover for infectious disease claims in the hospitality industry as from April 24, prompting protests from some affected clients.

HIC Underwriting Managers, which underwrites commercial, industrial and hospitality insurance products, has amended its policy conditions due to the impact of Covid19.

The hospitality industry clients, in this instance, refers to restaurants, B&Bs, hotels, game lodges and other such businesses.

In a memo to clients it said the decision was prompted by engagement with international reinsurance partners after the World Health Organisation declared a pandemic.

“We have been engaged with our … partners to obtain clarity on the extent to which our reinsurance cover may or may not respond to this event,” said the memo sent out

late last month.

“We have now received confirmation that they will no longer provide reinsurance cover for the infectious disease extension on the business interruption sections of our hospitality policy wordings.

“Accordingly, we regret to inform you that … we hereby give you 30 days of notice of our intention to delete the notifiable disease extension under the business interruption section,” HIC said.

It is unclear how many South African businesses are affected by HIC’s decision, which comes at the worst possible time for the local hospitality sector. It also comes part-way through clients’ current term of insurance, prompting outrage from some of those affected.

“I am not sure if this is even legal, but it is certainly morally reprehensible,” one told

Business Times this week. “After all, what is insurance there for? There are probably many establishments who, like us, pay huge sums of money to cover ourselves for various scenarios and are now in the same boat. I am going to fight this tooth and nail.”

Concerns over insurance cover for Covid-19 have made international headlines, including in the UK where the head of the Financial Conduct Authority last week cautioned insurers to comply with the regulator’s guidelines.

HIC referred queries to its risk carrier, Guardrisk, which confirmed it is no longer able to provide cover for pandemic-related business interruption insurance.

“Like all insurers, Guardrisk is heavily reliant on its reinsurance panel of local and international reinsurers,” the company said.

“Essentially, the cover offered by our rein-

‘I’m not sure if this is even legal, but it is morally reprehensible’

surers determines the cover that we can extend to policyholders. Our international reinsurers have indicated they will not renew reinsurance for pandemic-related business interruption cover and therefore Guardrisk will not be able to provide this cover.

“Our response in this regard is in line with that of other leading South African insurers.”

Guardrisk said cover remains in place “subject to the conditions of the endorsement issued with regards to future cover, and the latter applies only to a handful of policies underwritten by Guardrisk”.

However, another affected client, a restaurant in Cape Town with almost 100 staff, said HIC has to date given no undertaking that it would pay out claims already submitted.

“They have said they are not prepared to give any undertaking and to date no money has been paid out,” the owner said.

When the lockdown stops, power cuts will start again

By GRAEME HOSKEN ● SA is hurtling towards new power cuts, due to hit the country in May. This is despite Eskom conducting maintenance on its ageing power stations during a decline in demand in the lockdown.

Energy analysts said that while the current decline in demand greatly helped Eskom, it had allowed for only low-level and routine repairs.

Lockdowns in countries that make boilers, turbines and controls systems — essential for power plants — mean Eskom has battled to secure vital components especially for its Medupi and Kusile power plants. Bottlenecks at ports have added to the delays.

The global lockdowns have also prevented Eskom from bringing in specialised engineers to work on the equipment.

Eskom’s power generation head, Bheki Nxumalo, told the Sunday Times that power cuts were “most likely to resume not long after the national lockdown is lifted during May” and continue until August 2021.

In December, Eskom implemented stage 6 power cuts. According to energy analysts, every hour of every stage of power cuts costs the economy between R50m and R100m.

Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha said the maintenance that had been done would not make a huge difference to supply.

“It’s not the deep-cycle maintenance that needs to take place. The maintenance needed is the kind where massive boiler and turbine components are replaced, especially at Kusile and Medupi power stations.

“That cannot happen because the borders are shut and supplies and specialists, who are behind the design and manufacturing of these parts, cannot be brought into the country.”

He said that “in reality there are power stations which are badly damaged and will need deep repair interventions and will not suddenly be able to meet demand”.

“The major [obstacle] to fully generate power lies with the new power stations which were built.”

He said with plans to lift the lockdown in phases, it was possible that power cuts might occur within weeks of the lockdown being lifted.

“With heavy industry and mines expected to come online rapidly, the demand for power will be immense.”

He said recent maintenance had helped reduce the risk of power cuts but that these could not be ruled out.

“It’s going to be a tough balancing act.”

The expected power demand has led to the government adjusting strict Covid-19 regulations to unclog the ports where the critical components for power stations have arrived.

The minister of trade & industry, Ebrahim Patel, said improvements were being made to ease the flow of imported supplies for critical services.

“Covid-19 regulations have been amended to ensure that imports, which were getting clogged up at ports, are cleared quickly,” he said.

Nxumalo said the drop in electricity de-

mand allowed Eskom to perform urgent, short-term maintenance.

He said deep maintenance would continue as planned after the lockdown. The deep maintenance would continue until August 2021.

“Load-shedding is most likely to resume not long after the national lockdown is lifted during May. “That’s because Eskom expects demand for electricity to rise to more or less the same

READ ONLINE Mall talks under way Arthur Goldstuck My Brilliant Career ● ● ●

www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/business/

levels it was at before the lockdown,” said Nxumalo.

“Only when the design defects at the Medupi and Kusile power stations have been corrected are we most likely to see the end of load-shedding.

“We are in the process of placing contracts and ordering and importing major components required for the services, and bringing in the required skills from outside SA, which include specialists required to work on turbine and boiler components, which are manufactured overseas.”

He said Eskom was calculating what the country’s power demand would be after lockdown.

Nxumalo said it was prudent to go back to conducting maintenance as directed by the original equipment manufacturers (OEMS).

“Eskom will strictly adhere to OEMS recommendations and conduct maintenance, something we have not always done in the past.”

University of Johannesburg energy economist Professor Johane Dikgang said

the planned power cuts would occur at the worst possible time.

“Load-shedding will exacerbate the country’s already precarious economic situation,” he said.

“Businesses have already been wiped out.

This will be the kiss of death for those who have barely managed to survive the lockdown.”

Energy analyst Clyde Mallinson said the state of SA’s power grid should, like Covid19, have been declared a national disaster.

Before the Covid-19 lockdown, Eskom was battling to maintain its coal fleet at 55% capacity, he said.

“When the fleet was at 55% capacity we were at stage 2 load-shedding. Economic power modelling shows that for every hour of every stage of load-shedding the economy loses between R50m and R100m.

“With stage 2 load-shedding for a day, the economy loses between R2bn and R4bn. If the load-shedding rises beyond that now we will be in an even more dire situation than before the lockdown.”

2

Sunday Times

Business The Big Read

In Numbers

Livelihoods and lives on the table Urgent talks on saving both as industry, government meet

By HILARY JOFFE ● As SA embarks on the second phase of its 35-day lockdown, industries and economists are counting the mounting cost to the real economy — and looking at how much of it could and should be safely reopened, during and after the lockdown.

The numbers highlight, too, how urgent is the need to put policies in place to prevent even strong companies from failing during the shutdown, and to save livelihoods at the same time as saving lives.

The presidency should have data on how bad the impact of a long lockdown would be — it surveyed sectors, asking them to estimate how many firms would shut and jobs be lost in the scenarios that the lockdown lasts three weeks, five weeks or eight weeks.

It also asked what proportion of the workforce could work safely and/or remotely and what safeguards could be put in place.

But though business and the government have been in extensive talks in recent weeks over a sectoral approach to lifting the lockdown, there is little sign of a coherent overall approach by the government.

And though everyone agrees saving lives is the priority, a variety of indicators suggest how catastrophic the socioeconomic impact of a prolonged shutdown would be.

Fuel sales are down 80% because nobody is travelling. Electricity demand is down by a third. An index of the transactions going through the banking system was already down in March and will fall more steeply in April. Companies and households might have managed to survive for the first three weeks of economic paralysis, but many may not make it through the next round.

Nor is the economy going to go back to anything like normal in two weeks’ time.

With latest models showing the current lockdown could simply push the peak of SA’s Covid-19 infections out to September, chances are that economic activity will have to be constrained in some form for at least the next 3-6 months.

The impact on an economy that was already in recession will keep multiplying — especially in a global economy that the International Monetary Fund now expects will shrink by 3% this year.

“Downside risks still dominate as weakness begets more weakness,” Absa economist Peter Worthington said in a report this week. Since the lockdown extension, he and others have revised their forecasts sharply downwards, with SA’s economy expected to contract by more than 6% this year, and possibly closer to 10%.

Surveys of firms small and large make it amply clear that the longer it lasts the higher the cost will be to companies and to jobs.

Most vulnerable are the small and medium enterprises that account for an estimated 6.6-million jobs. In a Sasfin survey of 1,000 small and medium businesses, 53% said they would likely have to retrench staff soon; a further 7% have already started retrenching.

Only about 60% said they could survive a 21-day lockdown; almost 30% said they could not survive another month if the lockdown were extended. Within three months as many as three-quarters could go bust.

Larger employers are more robust, but the cost of longer shutdowns is also being counted in sectors that are SA’s largest export earners, and among its largest formal sector employers.

Mining, which directly accounts for about a third of SA’s exports and about 450,000 jobs (and half of all Transnet’s business), is one of the few sectors where there has been some production, in coal mines supplying Eskom and some other open-cast mining.

About 30% of production has continued in the first phase of the lockdown.

Even so, the Minerals Council estimated that SA’s annual mining production would be 5% lower this year if mining operations had resumed after 21 days, and 15% lower if

10

April 19 2020 — BUSINESS TIMES

%

Naamsa’s estimate — under the current extended lockdown — of the proportion of the industry’s workforce that is likely to be retrenched

Fuel sales are down 80% but new lockdown regulations allow fuel refineries to operate at full capacity. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi

the lockdown were prolonged, putting at risk 10% of the workforce — 45,000 direct jobs.

That excludes jobs in the industries that supply the mines, which would also be at risk. The mining industry has been in talks with mineral & energy resources minister Gwede Mantashe and with organised labour over the past couple of weeks on how it can ramp up production, during and after the lockdown, with rigorous safeguards and testing in place.

Those talks have succeeded — as reflected in Thursday’s government announcement

Downside risks still dominate as weakness begets more weakness Peter Worthington Absa economist

on new lockdown extension rules.

Mantashe announced a “risk-based approach” that will allow mining operations, at a reduced capacity of 50%, during the lockdown and at increasing capacity thereafter, subject to companies providing rigorous screening and testing, and quarantine for employees who test positive, as well as safe transport for employees.

Mantashe noted in Thursday’s press conference that all mines have extensive medical testing procedures for workers who return from leave, so they simply have to add Covid-19 testing to that.

The new regulations also allow fuel refineries to operate at full capacity, along with “refineries, smelters, plants and furnaces”, Mantashe said. The details are not yet clear but it does seem that significant parts of SA’s resource-based industries might be able to open up gradually.

Less lucky are the motor manufacturers, who have also been having bilateral talks with the government and have yet to secure a re-opening of the industry, under stringent conditions. The industry, which directly and indirectly employs 467,000 people, is SA’s largest export earner after mining, exporting about 64% of its production.

What impact has COVID-19 had on your business?

Have you retrenched any staff since COVID-19 started?

62%

53%

Big impact and threat to the existence of my business

33%

No, but likely soon

%

%

Manageable impact at this stage

4%

Already closed my business

40%

1%

No, and I don’t think I will need to

No impact

7% Yes

sme.africa and Sasfin asked over 1,000 SMEs, from a wide diversity of industries and well represented across the provinces, to give us a look into their current business reality.

71% of these SMEs have an annual turnover below R5m and 76% have 10 employees or fewer.

Graphic: Ruby-Gay Martin Source: sme.africa and SasfinBrought

Says Michael Mabasa, CEO of vehiclemakers’ association Naamsa: “We want to ensure we can honour as many of our export orders as possible to ensure we can remain competitive.”

Naamsa estimates that under the current extended lockdown up to 10% of the industry’s workforce is likely to be retrenched —

and up to 10% of the SMEs in the industry will close.

The new regulations add hardware stores and trades such as plumbing to the essential services list, along with financial services call centres. The huge franchise sector, though, has been unlucky in its plea for a partial reopening.

Good sea legs needed to navigate our choppy markets

By NICK WILSON ● A sea of red one day, a field of green on another — navigating your course in SA’s markets during the time of Covid-19 is not for the faint-hearted.

SA has experienced stock market crashes before — for example Black Monday in October 1987 saw the JSE plummet more than 20% in a single day, but never has there been as much volatility as there is now.

“This is the most volatile market I’ve ever seen in my career and I was there for Black Monday in October 1987. We are seeing record moves in either direction, where the all share index is going up or down 3% on a daily basis,” says veteran stockbroker Gary Cahn, who is a portfolio manager at Cratos Asset Management.

Cahn says that for short-term day and swing traders, this kind of volatility can be attractive, but warns that there are risks too.

“While the volatility does give one opportunities, it is difficult to make the right moves when it comes to trading on a consistent basis.”

He believes if one takes a long-term view, of three to five years, there are great opportunities both locally and offshore, and as it is difficult to time the market he recommends investing in increments spread over the next few months.

Lukman Otunuga, senior research analyst at FXTM, says global equity markets remain at the “mercy of the coronavirus pandemic despite unprecedented measures enforced

by central banks and handsome fiscal packages from governments”.

Globally, he says, video-streaming providers such as Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime may prove popular with households during the lockdown.

“Netflix stock has already appreciated over 30% since the start of 2020 and this positive performance could be mirrored across the industry if the lockdown continues. The same holds true for e-commerce businesses as consumers buy and sell products online. One just needs to look at Amazon stocks, which have appreciated almost 25% year to date.”

If you are taking a long-term view there are also opportunities for investors locally and asset managers say certain sectors are expected to be quite resilient. These include food manufacturers and grocery and pharmaceutical retailers.

Yet even these companies, which continue to trade during the lockdown, face risk.

For example, some Checkers and Dis-Chem stores and a bread-making facility owned by Tiger Brands have had to close due to staff infections.

Hannes van den Berg, portfolio manager at Ninety One, says that in spite of the chaos in the markets at the moment a part of him believes that “in two years’ time it will be business as usual”.

“There is a certain part of me that thinks two years out, it will be business as usual because in the midst of 9/11 [the US terror attacks on September 11 2001] we all said we

WARNING

READERS ARE ADVISED TO CAREFULLY SCRUTINISE ADVERTISEMENTS OFFERING INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The Sunday Times cannot vouch for the claims made by advertisers

A certain part of me believes that in two years’ time it will be business as usual Hannes van den Berg Portfolio manager at Ninety One

A Tiger Brands factory in Polokwane, Limpopo. Even businesses still trading face risks through staff infections. Picture: Alaister Russell

would never get on a plane again because it’s too risky and we were all fearing terrorism, but we all got back on planes.”

He expects the same to be true of the world post-Covid-19 and that even sectors that are expected to suffer in the short to medium term, such as travel, tourism and restaurants, will recover in time because “over time humans tend to forget”.

He says that for now those sectors of the JSE linked to food delivery — grocers and home delivery industries — will benefit.

The same applies to the JSE’s insurance sector, which could experience a surge in business after the pandemic.

“I think people will be more inclined to take out salary insurance or some kind of disease insurance in case something like this happens again, to mitigate the risk of losing your income.”

He also expects companies like Naspers, through its investment in Chinese internet

All share index Daily close 50000

Close:

49,134.65

48000 46000 44000 42000 40000 38000 23 March 2020

1 April

Graphic: Ruby-Gay Martin Source: Investing.com

17

giant Tencent, to benefit, with the gaming industry expected to experience a boost.

“With everyone sitting at home, game time has increased.”

Health-care stocks such as Netcare and Mediclinic will structurally be in a good position over time, but private hospitals may suffer in the short to medium term because they are involved in a lot of Covid-19 work at the expense of elective surgery.

There could also be more government spending allocated to the public health sector in the future in preparation for any more health pandemics.

“This might steal market share from private health care,” says Van den Berg.

He also expects the mining sector to offer potential for investors in the future.

The government said on Thursday that the mining industry would begin to resume operations.

“If we can keep on exporting some of

these commodities it’s good for our country’s current account,” says Van den Berg. “I am wondering how much of getting our economy back up and running is needed for negotiations with external funders like the World Bank and the IMF [International Monetary Fund]. It’s easier to borrow when you know your economy is up and running.”

He says a few South African-listed miners have recently paid healthy dividends to their shareholders and have strong balance sheets, which will also stand them in good stead.

When it comes to investing, Van den Berg says Ninety One stress-tests each of the companies in which it holds shares.

“If they can survive three months of no revenue, or very little revenue, those are the companies you would like to have exposure to.”

David Shapiro, deputy chair of Sasfin Securities, says grocers such as Pick n Pay, Shoprite and Spar are better placed than other retailers in the current market.

He says pharmaceutical retailers like Clicks and Dis-Chem are also in a better position than others, but “again they’re not selling beauty products because they can’t, so they’re not making full margin”.

Shapiro says the gold price has been “very strong” and it is one area that “looks OK and is holding up”. This could mean gold miners would find themselves in a more attractive position than their peers.

He says mobile operators such as Vodacom and MTN could be well placed and should see a massive increase in data use.

BUSINESS TIMES — April 19 2020

In Numbers

$113,000

Business News

What 86 South African players earned last year, according to esportsearnings.com

3

Sunday Times

SAA: the fine art of flying really low Staff placed on annual leave as lame carrier ensures they get paid

By NICK WILSON ● SAA’s business rescue practitioners have their work cut out plotting a new course for the embattled airline as they face yet another funding crisis.

Tomorrow’s cabinet meeting will hopefully provide a clearer picture of what is envisaged for SAA. On Wednesday night the cabinet issued a statement saying it had directed public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan to prepare a report on SAA for discussion at its meeting on Monday. This follows the government’s rejection of a request from the business rescue practitioners for a minimum R7.7bn in funding.

Rescue practitioners Les Matuson and Siviwe Dongwana are also involved in a retrenchment process with staff at the airline.

Contacted for comment about the latest developments, Dongwana said on Thursday: “The business rescue process is continuing, as is the section 189, which could offer employees a better outcome than what a liquidation would. I am committed to fighting to rescue a business where I believe there is a business.”

The government’s choice is either to inject capital into a loss-making business or pull funding completely and risk lenders calling in the substantial governmentguaranteed debt. According to the National

Treasury, in terms of the 2020 budget, the government has over the medium term “allocated R16.4bn to settle guaranteed debt and interest” at SAA. The question now is whether there is any hope of SAA surviving, even in a different form.

Adrian Saville, CEO and founder of Cannon Asset Managers, said the outlook is bleak. Unless SAA can find a way to “turn itself cash-flow positive, or demonstrate a compelling strategic positioning, it’s hard to see a business case”, he said.

Saville said if there is an argument to be made that SAA is a strategic investment for the country, then “one would expect it to behave strategically”, which it hasn’t. He says one of the best strategic opportunities would have been SA’s relative industrial competitiveness compared to the rest of Africa.

Yet, from 2007 to 2019, SAA’s travelling passengers decreased from 8-million annually to 6-million, while over the same period Ethiopian Airlines increased its 2-million passengers to 12-million.

“Here are operators in the exact same industry, presented with very similar environments, and one operator has really seized the opportunity and the other has taken its losses deeper into the red.”

Referring to SAA’s most recent bailout in the form of a R3.5bn loan in February from the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), Saville said that “in the space of two months this money is gone”.

Asked to comment this week about the latest developments at SAA, DBSA deputy chair Mark Swilling declined.

Wayne McCurrie, portfolio manager at FNB, said you can’t keep SAA running if it is

making losses every year, because that means the debt just keeps getting bigger.

“It’s not an industry you want to invest more capital in — whether you’re a government or a private investor.”

But Linden Birns, MD of Plane Talking, a consultancy to the air transport industry, said there is an argument for saving SAA or replacing it with an airline of similar capabilities. “Whether we like it or not, SAA is pivotal to the entire air transport system in this country.”

Birns said infrastructure providers such as the Airports Company SA, the Air Traffic & Navigation Services, the South African Weather Service and regulators such as the Civil Aviation Authority all derive a large portion of their revenues from user and passenger charges — making them co-dependent service providers.

“If you remove the SAA block from the Jenga tower, you are putting a large question mark over the viability of all those other institutions that are required for the entire air transport system to function.”

Aviation economist Joachim Vermooten said there are still options available. SAA will have to look at further downscaling of its envisaged flight network and may have to sell SAA Technical and Mango to raise money, retrench staff and “operate a very small-scale business model”. Another way out would be a planned closure of SAA. “You could franchise the name and branding to another international airline that has the capacity to operate and have a contract for five or 10 years, which can be renewed, which is how SA originally started long-range aviation. The government in the late 1920s and early ’30s provided subsidies

A taste for life in spite of Covid

to [UK-based] Imperial Airways’ operation from London to Cape Town. It only had provisos that some of the staff had to be South Africans. This would take us right back to where we started.”

Meanwhile, SAA has placed all staff on compulsory annual leave as it tries to ensure they receive salaries at the end of April.

The airline’s business rescue practitioners said on Friday that, like other employers, SAA is not obliged to pay salaries if employees cannot provide the service for which they are employed, but it wants to “provide an income to employees during lockdown”.

Making staff take annual leave ensures that they will receive some if not all of their salary, depending on whether they have used all their leave.

In terms of common law, employers do not have to pay employees if they can’t perform their duties.

In a letter to staff from the airline dated April 1, SAA advises employees about the “possibility of being placed on unpaid leave in the event of their annual leave balances to their credit [being] depleted during the lockdown”.

SAA says in the letter that while it intends

to access the Unemployment Insurance Fund’s Covid-19 relief fund to “cushion the salary implications of unpaid leave where it materialises”, it also encourages its employees to “make necessary arrangements with their financial service providers in respect of the imminent implications of unpaid leave on their April salaries”.

The South African Cabin Crew Association chief negotiator and PR, Feroze Kader, said: “This was a unilateral decision made by SAA. We object to the entire process the airline has followed. All the unions at SAA should have been consulted.”

Gaming thrives in lockdown

By ARTHUR GOLDSTUCK

By NICK WILSON ● The year 2020 was meant to be a celebratory one for franchisee Keith Fourie with his Silver Cloud Spur in Port Elizabeth turning 35, but instead his business is fighting for survival.

For Fourie, the Covid-19 pandemic couldn’t have come at a worse time as he had just found his feet again after surviving emergency heart surgery and colon cancer three years ago. Looking back, he tells how in 2017 he faced down armed robbers who held up his restaurant. The ordeal brought on chest pains which led to hospitalisation and the discovery that he needed a quadruple bypass operation.

The robbery turned out to be a blessing in disguise because without it Fourie may have never learnt that he urgently needed a heart operation. But then, just two weeks after surgery, he found out he had colon cancer.

After treatment, Fourie had a new lease on life and every reason to believe the worst was behind him — until the pandemic spread around the world.

“I’m in the clear as far as cancer is concerned and my heart beats like a teenager.

I’ve been given, by default — by an armed robbery — some extra time. And just as we’ve found our feet and I’m back at the helm and getting ourselves organised, along comes Covid-19 and here we are.”

The fallout from the coronavirus pandemic and the resultant lockdown is now threatening his livelihood and the jobs of 125 employees working at his two restaurants in the city.

Fourie, who opened his first restaurant in 1985 before launching a second one, Carolina Spur at Greenacres Shopping Centre, 10 years later, is one of thousands of business owners in SA facing an uncertain future, with the lockdown extended until the end of April and them having no idea of how long it will take for the economy to recover after it is lifted. For businesses like his, which work on a high-turnover, low-margin basis, every day they’re not operating pushes them closer to the edge.

Fourie paid the salaries of his staff for March and has made use of the government’s special Covid Unemployment Insurance Fund payments to help cover salaries for April, with him paying the shortfall.

“We are hoping that with the help of everyone being closed we can flatten the [infection] curve and be up and running sooner rather than later without risking lives.”

SAA has placed its staff on compulsory leave in an effort to find money to pay them this month. Picture: Moeletsi Mabe

Keith Fourie at one of his two Port Elizabeth franchises.

Picture: Brian Witbooi/The Herald

He says that every month he keeps his two Spur outlets closed he loses a minimum of R500,000.

“That is what it costs, [the minimum] to remain closed. The other invariable costs [such as rent and rates] continue coming.”

Fourie says the parent company, JSE-listed Spur Corporation, has been of great assistance to franchisees during this period, zerorating any trade from the stores from the middle of March. This means restaurants have not had to pay royalties (5% of turnover) or marketing fees (4% of turnover) during this period.

“I also have a loan with them and I’ve asked Spur to freeze it and give me a holiday period on the loan and they’ve agreed.

“They’ve been incredible and it’s clear we are in this boat together.”

It’s my absolute responsibility to protect them and every staff member as best I can Keith Fourie

Fourie has also found landlords and suppliers helpful and understanding.

“We need to survive. Right now from the largest of companies, [landlord] Growthpoint Properties, to the smallest of traders, my local butcher, they’ve all said, Keith, when we’re ready we will rebuild this. The sentiment has been incredible at this stage but the reality of what’s coming can’t be discounted either.”

Fourie’s Spurs are part of the fabric of Port Elizabeth’s social life, with generations of the coastal city’s teenagers having worked there as waiters over the years. They’ve also helped with sponsorships for the annual Iron Man competition, as well as Grey High School’s rugby side.

“I’m not going down without a fight. I’m going to try my level best to save every job,” Fourie says. “I’ve got ladies who have worked for me for 35 years. I’ve got guys who have worked for me for 28 years and operators who have worked for me for 15 years. It’s my absolute responsibility to protect them and every staff member as best I can.”

The Franchise Association of SA (Fasa) has called on the government to include takeout and fast food under essential services, saying that prior to the lockdown the industry had already taken steps to augment their preparation procedures in order to deliver contactless food orders.

Fasa also says that according to the Sanlam Franchise Survey conducted in 2019, the franchise industry in SA contributes about R734bn to the economy.

● Three of the world’s leading computer brands have unveiled new machines in the middle of a global lockdown — all focused on gaming.

In the same breath, a games company last week became the most valuable stock on the Polish bourse, overtaking the country’s biggest bank. In SA, the “e-sports” sector is exploding as sponsorship and prize money soar.

Even before the Covid-19 crisis, gaming had overtaken both the music industry and the cinema box office in overall revenue globally. In 2019, according to Nielsenowned market research firm Superdata, the industry was worth $120bn (about R2.2-trillion). It predicted a slow 2020, with 4% growth, but that was before Covid-19 hit, sending the world into social isolation. Now, most gaming companies are reporting a surge in activity and their shares are defying crashing stock markets.

Chinese giant Tencent, which owns 40% of Fortnite creator Epic Games and is partowned by Naspers, is trading comfortably above its January 1 level after a brief dip in mid-March. Nasdaq-listed Activision Blizzard, maker of gamer favourites like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, along with mobile hits like Candy Crush, has been appearing on share analysts’ recommendations.

The most dramatic performance, however, has come from Polish games maker CD Projekt, which saw its market capitalisation reach more than $8bn this week. It is the developer behind Witcher, a wildly popular franchise that was recently turned into a Netflix series.

Gaming is moving rapidly from niche pursuit to mainstream pastime. “Now we are all gamers,” was the apt summing up by Ivan Besskyi, who handles technical public relations for PCs and gaming in Eastern Europe, the Middle East & Africa for Asus, one of the world’s leading makers of gaming hardware.

He was speaking during the virtual launch of the company’s latest gaming machines, including a format-bending device called the Zephyrus Duo 15, a laptop that features a main screen and a second screen that folds up from behind the keyboard.

As with rivals Lenovo and Dell Technologies, which launched their next-generation gaming computers at the same time, Asus is positioning itself as a technology leader, even if it does not lead in sales. When gamers are shopping around for new equipment, the brand wants to be top of mind.

The industry last year recorded sales of more than 16-million gaming desktops, 7.8million monitors and 19.9-million gaming laptops across all brands. Led by Dell’s Alienware and Inspiron sub-brands, it is an area of aggressive competition.

“Nowadays most people associate themselves with gaming and they play games on different platforms, on mobile, consoles and PCs,” says Besskyi.

In the same way, he says, specialist gam-

Samantha Wright, a full-time professional ‘shoutcaster’, gives games commentary.

SA’s top player, Aran Groesbeek, 21, is on the US-based e-sports team Cloud 9.

ing laptops are powerful machines and workstations that can be used for working in different applications such as software development, movie or video creation. “These machines now can fulfil almost any task. So these two audiences, creators and gamers, overlap a lot.”

In the process, the gender balance between male and female gamers has evened out, with Asus statistics showing a split of around 54%-46%. It helps that gaming is increasingly viewed as a legitimate career — the winner of last year’s Fortnite World Cup took home a bigger purse than the Wimbledon tennis champion. In 2019, the winners in each of the five major e-sports tournaments walked away with more than the total prize pool of the Tour de France.

Richard Tyler Blevins, who goes by the name Ninja in the gaming world, has earned more than $17m in total from gaming. He makes about $500,000 a month from subscribers to his channel on the game-streaming platform Twitch. This epitomises the transition from competing for prize money to competing for viewers.

“It varies from country to country based on gaming events and sponsorship opportunities,” says Hayleigh Chamberlain, a South African technology reviewer who attracts more than 2-million views a month to her Hayls World channel on YouTube. The channel is her full-time job, earning a good living for herself and her channel manager, and she is increasingly venturing into gaming.

“Essentially, when a creator gains enough

traction with an audience based on their gameplay and commentary, not only will brands seek them out for paid sponsorship, but the ad revenue from hundreds of thousands of views also racks up over time and becomes a full-time living for some.”

While streaming offers a steady income, gaming tournaments offer the biggest prizes, audiences — and sponsorships. Last year, according to gaming community portal Green Man Gaming, e-sports attracted 443-million viewers worldwide.

According to esportsearnings.com, 86 South African players earned a total of $113,000 last year. The country’s top player, Aran Groesbeek, 21, better known as Sonic, made $11,600 for his exploits in the game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. He plays for US-based team Cloud 9, which features players from SA and North America.

SA’s most successful teams are professional operations and are run like businesses. Bravado Gaming, for example, is sponsored by Dell Technologies, and competes globally.

Andreas Hadjipaschali, CEO of Bravado, says it is not only about the players.

“The stars of Bravado are the players, the teams and the management who work tirelessly every day to aid the growth of esports,” he says. “Whether it be competing, teaching, communicating, managing or logistics — we’re all in this together, regardless of the role or position you have in Bravado.”

Sponsorship, he says, is essential. “Esports is a very expensive industry. The costs involved in media production, local and international travel, activations and events can be overwhelming.”

For Chris Buchanan, client solutions director of Dell Technologies SA, “gaming is a vibrant part of the PC market”.

“Gaming is a mainstream part of many consumers’ lives. The gaming market has formed an astute buyer who wants quality … they want good systems that can manage multiple tasks well. This desire for higherend machines is obvious in the growth categories of the PC market.”

Tramayne Monaghan, head of innovation at Tencent Africa, is heading the African rollout of a wildly popular online game, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. The mobile edition dominated global app revenues from gamers last month, taking in $232m.

Says Monaghan: “The growth of gaming in SA will be largely led by mobile. The phones that many potential gamers and e-sports players already own are a cost-effective [alternative] to a gaming console or PC.” He says Tencent Africa tries to cut costs for gamers by keeping data requirements for its app to a minimum.

“Casters”, or “shoutcasters”, provide live commentary of games and represent another new niche career within gaming.

Samantha Wright, SA’s first woman professional shoutcaster, warns that it is not an easy career path.

“It isn’t impossible, but like any entertainment job, it really isn’t an easy ride.”

4

Sunday Times

Business Newsmaker

In Numbers

8

One focus, one aim: rebuild SA The whole of society must work together after corona crisis

By CHRIS BARRON ● Gerrie Fourie, CEO of Capitec, says every cabinet minister, political party, business, trade union and civil society organisation needs more than ever before to have “one objective, and that is, how do we grow the economy and rebuild SA?” “If everybody has one objective then we can really do things. That’s what we’ve done at Capitec.”

SA’s most successful bank, which started from scratch 20 years ago, this week reported a 19% increase in headline earnings for the year ending February to R6.28bn, and 2.5-million new clients.

“Good results, but they’re history given what is happening now,” says Fourie.

He concedes that getting everyone behind the same objective won’t be as easy as it was for the four founders of Capitec.

“No, but that’s leadership. That’s President Ramaphosa’s job.”

He is full of praise for the president’s “decisive leadership” in the coronavirus crisis.

But the question everyone is asking is whether it will continue post Covid-19.

“It has to. Given the scale of the economic crisis, you need to make a lot of bold calls.

Such as supporting SAA or the small business sector, which I believe is much more important.”

Public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan rejected a request for R10bn more to fund the South African Airways business rescue process, but Fourie is not convinced the cabinet will accept this.

“Let’s wait and see,” he says.

Hours later, at its meeting on Wednesday, instead of approving Gordhan’s decision, the cabinet instructed him to prepare an updated report for discussion at its next meeting.

Fourie shares the confidence of other business leaders that the collaboration between business and the government during the coronavirus crisis will last.

Given the scale of the economic crisis, he says, “it has to”.

Giving an idea of the scale, he says that when 1,000 out of the 5,000 small businesses that are clients of Capitec were interviewed, 73% said they would not survive a three-month lockdown and 27% said they would not survive a one-month lockdown.

Everyone knows how serious this is.

The question is on the ‘how’. What do we do, given our limited resources?

Gerrie Fourie

The banking industry has begun a twophase campaign to save the SMME sector from collapse.

Phase one has been focusing on payment breaks and rescheduling debt.

Now the industry is working with the government and the South African Reserve Bank on phase two, to give them working capital to pay suppliers and wages so they can start producing again.

“That’s where a lot of the focus of all the banks is right now. To say, how do we work together to help these businesses? Because we all understand that we need the SMME market to be healthy again, to grow the economy and create jobs.

“Everyone knows how serious this is. The question is on the ‘how’. What do we do, given our limited resources?”

Flexible, agile and digital Fourie says he believes the crisis “is going to change business in its totality, where you thought you’re never going to do something and suddenly you’re doing it”.

In nine days Capitec turned 100 of its 850 branches into call centres operating from home and offering clients the same services they got from a branch.

He says the winners after the crisis will be the banks and businesses that are most flexible, agile and digital.

Fourie and three other executives from the liquor industry started Capitec as a micro lender in 2000. They got a banking licence within a year and moved to become a fully fledged bank.

It was profitable from day one but for eight years the share price, hovering between R3 and R7, barely reflected this.

Gerrie Fourie, CEO of Capitec, says government-business collaboration ‘has to’ last.

Picture: Alaister Russell

“Our biggest challenge was the perception of unsecured lending and getting the market to understand we’re building a fully fledged bank,” says Fourie, a BCom and MBA graduate of Stellenbosch University.

“Only in the last seven years have people

begun to understand the Capitec business model and that we offer what any other bank does.”

When he became CEO in 2014, the share price was about R180. He thought it would “probably” reach about R300 in the next five

%

April 19 2020 — BUSINESS TIMES

Of Capitec’s clients are borrowers

years. It reached R1,373 in March this year before collapsing to R539, reflecting market fears about the coronavirus pandemic.

He says this didn’t worry him.

“In exco and management meetings we have never talked share price. Only fundamentals, process and what we need to do for the clients.”

Today it has 14-million clients, of whom only 1.2-million, or 8%, are borrowers, the rest being transactional clients and savers.

Capitec grew its retail loan book by 17% to R62bn during the year. Credit impairment charges for bad debts rose 14% to R5.6bn but effective recovery pushed its net credit impairment charge down 2% to R4.3bn. So in spite of the worsening economy, its writeoffs for bad debt declined.

It has 6.7-million clients on digital, more than any other South African bank.

Fourie says rather than worrying about the share price “the message always was don’t focus on the output, focus on the input, because it’s the input that creates the output”.

Its share price surge happened in the context of a Moody’s downgrade, the collapse of African Bank and the 2018 Viceroy saga, which was “scary not so much because of the share price [which plunged 25%] but because they were attacking our integrity and the principles on which we’d built the business”.

The Viceroy short seller had won a lot of credibility for its report on Steinhoff, “so we were terrified of being seen in the same light”.

He was able to manage the crisis swiftly and effectively.

“Because we know our business and our fundamentals and measure every single thing, it was quite easy to bring out the stats and what the true picture was.”

As for the crisis the whole country is facing right now, “short term it’s going to be stormy because of the effects of the coronavirus on the economy”, he says.

If the lockdown continues much beyond April,•“let’s say to August”, it will have a devastating effect on the economy.

“How many people will lose their jobs, how many companies will close down? It’s around those questions we’re going to need to manoeuvre.”

Money

Secure signatures for lockdown

W

How to sign important legal documents while sheltering in place

By NEESA MOODLEY As the Covid-19 lockdown continues into its fourth week, you may need to sign legal documents to keep your personal finances on track. You can sign some electronically, but there are different types of electronic signatures and you need to choose the right one for your protection.

Yaniv Kleitman, a director at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, says when a form of electronic signature has not specifically been agreed to, there can be uncertainty as to its validity.

In a recent South African case, Global & Local Investment Advisors was taken to court by its client, Nickolaus Fouché, after the company released more than R800,000 of his funds in response to fraudulent e-mails.

The written mandate between Fouché and Global & Local Investment Advisors stipulated that instructions must be sent by fax or e-mail with Fouché’s signature.

However, his Gmail account was hacked, and three e-mails were sent to the investment firm with instructions to transfer specified amounts to other accounts. None of the e-mails had attachments and each ended with “regards, Nick” or “thanks, Nick”.

Fouché requested that his funds be reinstated on the basis that the instructions were not from him. The company argued that “regards, Nick” or “thanks, Nick” constituted an electronic signature.

However, the Supreme Court of Appeal found the e-mails were not signed, as to sign is to “affix one’s name to a writing or instrument, for the purpose of authenticating or executing it, or to give it effect as one’s act”.

Electronic signature options Maeson Maherry, chief solutions officer at IT security solutions firm LAWtrust, says there are three acceptable electronic signatures you can use for business and legal purposes. ● A basic electronic signature or click-tosign.

“This is a simple, albeit low-assurance electronic signature where you click on a link in an e-mail and go through to a signing portal where you then type your name to complete the signing action,” says Maherry.

“The assurance of this signature depends

It’s time to have those difficult conversations

As family finances are upended by the coronavirus crisis, you may need to sign legal documents electronically. Picture: 123RF.com

on the reliability of the e-mail system and its security,” he says. Most companies currently use this system if you are required to sign or acknowledge documents online, but it is the least secure because there is no way to prove who completed the signing action. ● A secure electronic signature or digital signature.

Maherry says a secure digital signature has become global best practice as you verify your identity with an accredited signature provider, then typically visit a web portal to view a document needing your signature. “You authenticate yourself via your username and a one-time password that is SMSed to you to ensure that only you can apply the signature.

“Your verified name and a time stamp are encrypted into the document, which is also protected from further changes.” ● An advanced electronic signature (AES).

This is like the secure digital signature but with the additional requirement that it has been vetted by one of two South African accredited Trust Centres — LAWtrust or the

South African Post Office — during a face-toface identity-proofing process.

You would need to have done this before the lockdown. Maherry says LAWtrust is not currently signing up new clients for this service.

Mandatory for legal documents Carla Collett, a senior associate at Webber Wentzel, says an AES is mandatory when your signature is required by law.

“Public bodies in South Africa can also issue and file documents in electronic form.

While physical access to our courts is currently restricted, new proceedings may be instituted electronically,” she says.

Ridwaan Boda, head of technology, media and telecommunications at ENS, says if your signature is required by law but the law does not specify the type of signature, you need to use an AES. He says certain agreements may not be validly concluded electronically, such as an agreement for the sale of immovable property, long-term leases of land exceeding

20 years, a will, and bills of exchange such as cheques.

Your options during lockdown Maherry says since you cannot sign up for a new AES during the lockdown, most businesses are opting for a secure digital signature where your identity can be proved via an app or a quick video call. Your signature is secured through strong authentication, which protects you and has an independent time stamp that seals all the evidence into the document.

“Signed documents can simply be verified automatically by opening them in the free Adobe Reader, which supports the standard, and [this] visually assures you of the authenticity of the document and the signer,” he says.

When you use Adobe, a pop-up window helps you to verify a digital signature with information about the date and time the document was signed, the full names of the signer, the certificate information, its issuer and the expiry date.

e’re all reading more will make the biggest difference in your new than usual. And, based reality. on everyone’s social The lockdown is teaching us one of the media posts, baking biggest personal finance lessons — that we more than ever. I made can do with very little, if we really have to. bread and vetkoek for Suddenly, an investment property or an the first time and they turned out really well. extra car in the garage seems more like a But while we’re all becoming more burden than a luxury. domesticated, we’re also having to confront We only need the basics to get by, some of our worst nightmares, brought by particularly in tough times — food, a roof Covid-19 and the subsequent lockdown. over our heads, medication for when we’re Many businesses have had to shut and ill, and our loved ones. This time should be many more will do so. With closures come an opportunity for all of us to do some the casualties — you and I, among others. much-needed financial spring-cleaning.

I think of all the goods and services that my family and I have had to forgo recently: Look into payment holidays and debt dry-cleaning, shoe repairs, hair restructuring styling, car washing, swimming According to a 2018 Dave Ramsey lessons for the children — the list study, “Money, Marriage and is endless.

Communication”, there is a These services were the positive correlation between a bread and butter of the people couple’s level of indebtedness and offering them, people who still how much they fight. need to feed their families and In precarious times such as pay the bills. And even those these, you’d do well to get your who are still lucky enough to debt under control. earn an income don’t have job Financial institutions such as security — a scary reality. banks and insurance providers Gugu Sidaki Money conversations are are offering premium holidays, some of the most difficult to breaks on debt repayments and have under normal circumstances. What, funding to individuals negatively affected by then, when we’re facing what feels like the lockdown.

Armageddon?

If you can negotiate more favourable A 2018 Ameriprise study, “Couples and terms on your debt, do so. Use any payment Money”, found that at least a third of break to clear as much debt as possible. surveyed couples in the US clashed about Certain conditions may apply, so do your money at least once a month. It would be homework and make sure you understand safe to assume similar, if not higher, the implications before getting into any numbers for couples in SA. arrangements.

But life as we know it has changed and there is no better time than now to have Be honest serious conversations about money with our We’re all worried about the future and it’s partners, and families in general.

OK to admit that to yourself and your partner. Talk about your fears and help each Rework your budget other work through them. One comforting If you and your partner share financial factor is that the whole world is in it responsibilities, revisit that arrangement to together. see what the impact of a pay cut or job loss If you find your situation too would be on your household. overwhelming, seek help — there are many If you haven’t yet, draw up your budget professionals who can assist you with your accurately and have frank discussions about finances. It would be even better to consult what you can and cannot afford. Do you one with your partner. know what your partner earns? Is the split The Ameriprise study found that 40% of in financial responsibilities fair? Are either US couples who disagree about money say of you able to carry more financial that an adviser helped them make financial responsibilities, if necessary? decisions that may otherwise have caused tension in the relationship.

Make lifestyle changes If you need to find a qualified adviser, Once you’ve understood how much money visit the Financial Planning Institute of there is and where it’s been going, you can Southern Africa’s website — fpi.co.za. make the necessary changes to your ✼ Sidaki, a certified financial planner, is director and lifestyle. Re-evaluating your wants and wealth manager at Wealth Creed needs and allocating money accordingly

5

BUSINESS TIMES — April 19 2020

Grace brings fame, fortune to Monaco April 19 1956 – Grace Patricia Kelly, 26, Hollywood star, marries Rainier Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand Grimaldi, 32, Prince Rainier III of Monaco. Honouring the Napoleonic Code of Monaco and the laws of the Catholic Church, two ceremonies seal the union. A 16-minute civil ceremony took place in the Palace Throne Room of Monaco on April 18. A reception, attended by 3,000 Monégasques, was

capped with the reciting of the 142 official titles that she acquired (counterparts of her husband’s) – most notably Her Serene Highness, the Princess of Monaco. The religious ceremony on the 19th is held at Monaco’s Saint Nicholas Cathedral, before Bishop Gilles Barthe. It is estimated to have been watched by over 30-million viewers on live TV. Her wedding dress, a gift from MGM, was worked on for six weeks by three dozen seamstresses. The 700 guests

Puzzles

include Aristotle Onassis, Cary Grant, Ava Gardner, David Niven, Aga Khan III and Gloria Guinness. The royals leave that night for a seven-week Mediterranean cruise on his yacht, Deo Juvante II. Oscar-winning (“The Country Girl”, 1954) Grace Kelly brings both fame and fortune to Monaco.

She helps place the little European monarchy back on the world map, in times when its gambling havens overlooking the Mediterranean coast are crippled with losses.

Quick Crossword

Sunday Times

Cryptic Crossword DOWN 2 Luminous (7) 3 Lock of hair (5) 4 Beginner (6) 5 Etiquette (7) 6 Cutlery item (5) 7 Calm (6) 8 Fable (4) 14 Shoe mender (7) 16 Accomplish (7) 17 Correction fluid (4-2) 18 Pierce, impale (6) 19 Sprint (4) 20 Spiral-horned antelope (5) 22 Assignments (5)

ACROSS 1 Bureau (7, 4) 9 Cabin (5) 10 Success (7) 11 Traditional (7) 12 Cattle farm (5) 13 Ascertain (6) 15 Repercussions (6) 19 Star in Cygnus (5) 21 Tomato sauce (7) 23 Superficial (7) 24 Root vegetable (5) 25 Coiffeur (11)

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

BRAINTEST ANSWERS

1. Paul Adams 2. “Les Misérables” 3. C) Aquarius 4. Will Smith 5. Japan 6. Cult leaders 7. Mr McGregor 8. R Kelly 9. Denominator 10. John Smit 11. Minecraft 12. B) Sexism in film 13. B) Finland 14. D) Green 15. B) Ottoman 16. Margaret Atwood 17. Journey 18. C) Stomach rumbling 19. Admiral Karl Doenitz 20. Petrol

2-Speed Crossword CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS 1 Risky experience coming by river (9) 8 Lack of order in army canteen (4) 9 I’m to resolve dispute without delay (9) 10 Jewel seen in shop alcove (4) 13 Penny put down for material (5) 15 Is mop curried regularly when dirty? (6) 16 Thought it would return in time (6) 17 Locked room with very large instruments (6) 19 Consented to a sin (6) 20 Soft part of fruit damaged shelf (5) 21 Gradually move to the border (4) 24 Disclosure of commercial aim (9) 25 Is familiar, we hear, with wine’s bouquet (4) 26 Cohort officer in counter engagement (9) DOWN 2 Pantomime character made to perform (4) 3 Flat in Stevenage (4) 4 Pudding is something unimportant (6) 5 Engage services of alien

Bridge

Camouflage Opening lead — jack of clubs.

Part of the skill in declarer play consists of giving as little information as possible to the defenders about your hand. For example, take this deal where South is in four spades.

First let’s have him play the hand incorrectly. He wins the club lead with the king and cashes the ace, discarding a diamond. He then plays four rounds of trump and finesses the jack of hearts,

Codeword

during wet weather (6) 6 Couple involved in deeds mix-up hadn’t a hope (9) 7 Daughter in seaplane crash at coastal pavement (9) 11 Villain sees crimes upset social worker (9) 12 Express regret for new sepia logo (9) 13 Demonstration in prison, initially, on top of building (5) 14 Money essential for baker (5) 18 Winter vehicle left in grass (6) 19 Foolish person first to give support (6) 22 Person taking advantage of devious ruse (4) 23 Two parties for flyer once (4) COFFEE-TIME ACROSS 1 Exciting experience (9) 8 Army canteen (4) 9 Adjacent (9) 10 Birthstone for October (4) 13 Checked pattern material (5) 15 Adulterated (6) 16 Belief (6) 17 Large stringed instruments (6) 19 Assented (to) (6) 20 Body tissue (5) 21 Fringe, boundary (4)

24 Access (9) 25 Bouquet of a wine (4) 26 Roman army officer (9) DOWN 2 Judi Dench’s title (4) 3 All square (4) 4 Anything of little importance (6) 5 Continue to have (6) 6 Abandoned hope (9) 7 Level space (9) 11 Malefactor (9) 12 Acknowledge a fault (9) 13 Alcohol strength (5) 14 Bread mixture (5) 18 Fun snow vehicle (6) 19 Aid (6) 22 Consumer (4) 23 Long-extinct bird (4) LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

ACROSS 8 Plane to Nepal, for instance? (7) 10 All the best English port taken by revolutionary (7) 11 Holding back of plate, wash dirt off — in this? (9) 12 French painter returning midmorning? (5) 13 Rubbish queen for King Edward, say (5) 14 Drop in business after Christmas time (7) 17 Hanger-on in class doomed, for failing to grasp minimum of workings (5, 2, 8) 19 Player reacts when beaten by striker’s header (7) 21 Room to eat a Muslim burger, say? (5) 24 Curry scoffed by Mick or Mark (5) 26 Party piece not bad after fourth of sherries (9) 27 Night light women switched on (3, 4) 28 Vision of ugliness viewed by me, reportedly? (7)

DOWN 1 Criminal gang has it (6) 2 Voice ready to break bursting aloft (8) 3 Opener once in abstract game (10) 4 Tie with netting, marked green (5, 4) 5 Steering apparatus in hard wood (4) 6 Old Germanic character in outer parts of Burundi, small country (6) 7 Castle geared toward getting lock (8) 9 Baby power, by the sound of it? (4) 15 Boot, one going on one foot: some earth on top (10) 16 Kids on holiday before April or May, say? (9) 17 After period of time, man is giving punishment (8) 18 Sweet loaf, one with lemonade? (8) 20 Cast dumbfounded (6) 22 Bank perhaps fine not opening? (6) 23 Red spots in green cabbage coming up (4)

25 Scrap the first thirteen letters (4)

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

Elimination losing to the king. East doesn’t have to be a genius to know that he should now cash the ace of diamonds to hold South to 11 tricks.

At this point, East can count that declarer has seven trump tricks, the A-K of clubs and the three heart tricks visible in dummy for a total of 12 tricks. It becomes obvious to East that if he doesn’t cash the diamond ace, it will go down the drain.

Now let’s go back and have South play his cards a bit less revealingly. He wins the club in dummy and leads a spade to the ace. (There is no good reason to take an immediate discard on the ace of clubs, which would reveal that South started with only one club.)

Declarer next leads the three of hearts to the queen. He does not extract trumps first, which would disclose his trump holding. Also, he does not lead the jack of hearts. He allows each defender to think that the other might have the jack and that dummy’s hearts might therefore not be solid.

East wins the heart queen with the king but does not know that he must now cash the ace of diamonds or lose it.

From East’s point of view, West might have the intermediate hearts, so East may return a spade or a club.

It is true that on this deal only 30 points are at stake, but there’s no harm in perfecting your technique for those times when it really matters.

HOW TO PLAY Each of the clues eliminates two words from the list of 37. Find the words that match the clues, cross them off the list and you’ll be left with one word. You can confirm the accuracy of your answer next week. (a) Equidistant in the gym! (b) Two words with secret (c) Period of employment (d) Two going with march (e) A telling youngster (f) Two with flying (g) Metropolitan mail? (h) Two for bowling (i) Close-cutting attack (j) Two synonyms (k) Literary work borrowed! (l) Two anagrams (m) Unpretentious meal? (n) Two joining with search (o) Stop driving here! (p) Two suggesting wheel (q) Gets the lot! (r) Two linked with black

1. Top 2. Cog 3. Jet 4. Boy 5. Pie 6. Bid 7. Leg 8. Past 9. Leap 10. Spin 11. Bars 12. Life 13. Book 14. Light 15. Alley 16. Space 17. Breeze 18. Hatter 19. Humble

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

20. Agents 21. Forced 22. Charge 23. Zephyr 24. Threat 25. Barrow 26. Working 27. Capital 28. Bayonet 29. Library 30. Parking 31. Highest 32. Crumpet 33. Letters 34. Parties 35. Parallel 36. Dutchman 37. Messenger

April 19 in History

The remaining word is “Loads ”.

●

(a) 1-15 (b) 8-27 (c) 2-35 (d) 9-28 (e) 20-16 (f) 10-29 (g) 3-30 (h) 4-25 (i) 26-17 (j) 5-33 (k) 21-31 (l) 11-18 (m) 22-19 (n) 23-36 (o) 12-37 (p) 24-7 (q) 13-34 (r) 6-32

1877 — Ole Evinrude, US inventor of the first outboard (boat) motor for practical commercial use, is born Ole Andreassen Aaslundeie in Gjøvik, Norway.

1893 — The Oscar Wilde play “A Woman of No Importance” opens at the Haymarket Theatre in London.

1927 — Mae West is sentenced to 10 days in prison, charged with “obscenity and corrupting the morals of youth” for writing (under the name Jane Mast), directing and performing in the Broadway production “Sex”. Before the show was raided in February 1927, about 325,000 people had come through the turnstiles since it opened on April 26 1926.

1968 — Ralph S Plaisted, insurance salesman turned Arctic explorer, reaches the North Pole by snowmobile with Walt Pederson, Gerry Pitzl and Jean-Luc Bombardier. This is the first confirmed surface conquest of the North Pole.

1968 — King Mswati III of Eswatini (since April 25 1986), is born Makhosetive in Manzini.

1971 — The Soviet Union launches Salyut 1, the world’s first space station, into orbit.

1971 — Sierra Leone becomes a republic and Siaka Stevens the president.

1973 — George Gregan, Australian rugby player and coach, is born in Lusaka, Zambia.

1975 — India’s first satellite, Aryabhata, is launched from Kapustin Yar, Russia.

1987 — “The Simpsons” first appears as a series of shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show, starting with “Good Night”. After three seasons, the sketch is developed into a half-hour prime-time show.

1987 — Maria Sharapova, Russian tennis player, is born in Nyagan. She has been living in the US since 1994 and is one of 10 women to hold the career Grand Slam (Australian Open 2008, French Open 2012 and 2014, Wimbledon 2004, US Open 2006).

1993 — The 51-day siege of the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, ends as fire destroys the structure after federal agents began smashing their way in. Of the 85 people in the compound when the siege started on February 28, 76 (including leader David Koresh and 18 children under the age of 10) die in the fire or by gunshot wound from fellow Davidians.

1995 — Oklahoma City, US: At 9.02am a large car bomb explodes at the Alfred P Murrah Federal Building, killing 168 people and injuring over 600. The victims (aged three months to 73 years) include three pregnant women and 19 babies and children, many in the building’s daycare centre. Timothy McVeigh, 26, planned the attack in revenge for (among others) the 1993 Waco siege. He is executed on June 11 2001.

Codeword has only one clue — the three letters that are printed in it.

Where the same numbers appear on the grid, fill in the known letters, then work out the remainder. Dotted lines indicate hyphens or linked words. Find the words that appear in the blue, yellow and pink blocks.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

1S, 2L, 3I, 4R, 5P, 6E, 7A, 8C, 9G, 10V, 11Y, 12N, 13T, 14M, 15O, 16X, 17H, 18D, 19U, 20W. Blue: SMILERS Yellow: DERELICTS Pink: GEYSERS

est m

BRAINtest

1. Which South African cricketer was known by the nickname “Gogga”?

2. The songs “Master of the House”, “I Dreamed a Dream” and “Castle on a Cloud” are all from which musical?

3. Which star sign is celebrated between the January 21 and February 20? A) Libra, B) Gemini, C) Aquarius, D) Capricorn 4. Which actor plays a character and a younger version of the same character in the 2019 action film “Gemini Man”?

5. Which country consists of several islands including Honshu, Hokkaido and Shikoku?

6. What links the following individuals: David Koresh, Jim Jones and Marshall Applewhite?

7. In Beatrix Potter’s book “The Tales of Peter Rabbit”, what is the name of the farmer?

8. Which controversial R&B artist

Samurai Sudoku

by Trivia Tom

has had hits with “Ignition”, “Bump & Grind” and “I Believe I can Fly”?

9. If the top part of a fraction is known as the numerator, by what name is the bottom part known?

10. Who captained South Africa when the Springboks won the 2007 Rugby World Cup? 11. What computer game involves characters building, crafting and mining different objects? It has sold over 176-million copies by 2019 and is the bestselling PC game of all time. It was sold to Microsoft for $2.5-billion in 2014.

12. What is one testing with the Bechdel test? A) Dyslexia, B) Sexism in film, C) Sobriety, D) Slipperiness 13. Which country is known to the locals as “Suomi”? A) Spain, B) Finland, C) Sweden, D) Greece 14. What colour is the semiprecious gemstone peridot? A) Red, B) Blue, C) White, D) Green

15. Suleyman the Magnificent ruled over which empire? A) Persian, B) Ottoman, C) Mongolian, D) Babylonian 16. Name the author of “The Handmaid’s Tale”, “The Blind Assassin” and the 2019 bestselling novel “Testaments”.

17. Which American rock band has had hits with “Open Arms”, “Anyway You Want It” and “Don’t Stop Believin’ ”?

18. What is the common term for the medical condition borborygmus? A) Sneeze, B) Shin splints, C) Stomach rumbling, D) Hangover 19. Who did Hitler nominate as his successor before committing suicide in April 1945?

20. What English word is “Benzin” in German, Russian, Italian, Arabic, Polish, Swedish and many northern and eastern European languages?

Answers on this page

Solution on Page 6

6

April 19 2020 — BUSINESS TIMES

Sunday Times

DIRECTOR: TRADE AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION SERVICES REF. NO. DIR-TRADE APRIL 2020 Salary Package: R1 057,326 p.a. (All-inclusive salary package to be structured in accordance with the rules of SMS) (Level 13)

DIRECTOR: SECTOR DEVELOPMENT REF. NO. DIR-SECTOR DEV APRIL 2020 Salary Package: R1 057,326 p.a. (All-inclusive salary package to be structured in accordance with the rules of SMS) (Level 13) Requirements: • An appropriate Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Economics/Business Management/Economics at NQF level 7 as recognized by SAQA PLUS a minimum of five years’ experience at middle management level and in developing sector strategies, experience and knowledge of global, provincial and national economic issues and their implications for the provincial sectoral economy is also required • A valid driver’s licence • Experience in developing industrial operations will serve as an added advantage.

Competencies needed: • Thorough knowledge of the National Industrial Policy; National and Provincial legislations and regulations; policy development and analysis • Knowledge and understanding of the regulatory framework for the Public Service e.g. Public Service Act, PFMA, Public Service Regulations, Labour Relations Act, Occupational Health and Safety Act, Basic Conditions of Employment Act, Skills Development Act • Understanding of government’s medium term strategic framework and monitoring framework of government • Ability to communicate at all levels: Provincial Departments, Senior Management, Private Sector Organizations, Media, and the General Public • An ability to adapt to a dynamic work environment Service delivery (Batho Pele) and prescripts relevant to industrial economic development • Knowledge and insight of the KZN Provincial Growth and Development Plan (PGDP), National Development Plan, Industrial Development Strategy, Integrated Policy Action Plan (IPAP 2), New Growth Path (NGP), Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Act (BBBEE), Provincial Growth and Development Strategy • Candidates should demonstrate excellent skills in: Strategic management, research, project management, policy analysis and development, analytic thinking, interpersonal relations, language proficiency, verbal & written communication, conflict management, presentation skills, report writing, strategic planning, Evaluation and Monitoring skills, facilitation skills, basic driving, planning & organising skills • Ability to interact with people at all levels is a pre-requisite.

TENDER NO: RFB/MW/193/2019-20 : SUPPLY, INSTALLATION AND COMMISSIONING OF BIOMETRIC SYSTEMS AT BRITS AND VAALKOP WTP VAALKOP WTP COMPULSORY BRIEFING DATE: RESCHEDULED FROM THE 21 April 2020 TO 15 MAY 2020 DUE TO NATIONWIDE LOCK DOWN.

Key performance areas: • Manage the implementation of strategies to support the growth of priority sectors in KZN Province (such as Tooling and Foundry; Chemicals; Business Process Outsourcing; Creative Industries; Furniture, Forestry, Wood and Wood Products • Facilitate the sanctioning of feasibility studies and research on all priority sectors • Coordinate the development of bankable business plan for priority sectors and facilitate its implementation in line with timeframes and deliverables • Manage and facilitate the establishment of priority sector structures • Manage and develop strategies to optimize the business environment of identified priority sectors of the province • Manage and facilitate the production of a capable industrial development labour force through sector focused skills development and economic empowerment • Manage human and financial resources of the Unit.

CLOSING DATE: 30 MAY 2020 @12:00 THE ABOVE-MENTIONED TENDER CLOSING DATE HAS BEEN EXTENDED FROM THE 04 MAY 2020 TO 30 MAY 2020, THE EXTENSION IS ONLY FOR BIDDERS WHO ATTENDED THE COMPULSORY TENDER BRIEFING MEETING HELD ON THE 25 OF MARCH 2020 @ MAGALIES WATER BRITS LAB.

DIRECTOR: MONITORING AND EVALUATION REF. NO. DIR-M & E APRIL 2020 Salary Package: R1 057,326 p.a. (All-inclusive salary package to be structured in accordance with the rules of SMS) (Level 13)

INVITATION TO TENDER Foskor (Pty) Ltd, Phalaborwa Division, invites potential Vendors to participate in the tender process for the tender listed below: Site Meeting Tender NonDate Closing Refundable Tender Fee (Compulsory) Date

Tender No

Description

T044/20

Preference will be Primary given to suppliers R2 000.00 Drilling of with a favourable Blast Holes BEE rating

BBBEE

13 May 2020

Requirements: • An appropriate Bachelors’ Degree in Public Policy/ Public Administration/Business Management or related field at (NQF level 7) as recognized by SAQA coupled with a minimum of five years’ relevant experience at a middle management level in monitoring and evaluation environment • A valid driver’s licence.

Contact Person

Competencies needed: • Advanced knowledge of the government wide policy framework for the monitoring and evaluation system, framework for managing programme performance information and national frameworks on strategic and annual performance plans • Knowledge and experience in social science research methods • Broad understanding of the public sector environment • Understanding of government’s medium term strategic framework • Knowledge of the National Development Plan and the Provincial Growth and Development Plan • Broad knowledge and experience on strategic planning, programme and project management • Conceptual knowledge of comparative and competitive advantage, research methodologies, sustainability and partnership development • Rigorous understanding of the KZN economy, regional and local economic development, stakeholder management • Sound knowledge and understanding of the regulatory framework for the Public Service e.g.

Public Service Act, PFMA, Treasury Regulations, Public Service Regulations, Labour Relations Act, Occupational Health and Safety Act, Basic Conditions of Employment Act, Skills Development Act, Service Delivery Frameworks, policies and strategies • Candidate should demonstrate excellent skills in: Monitoring and evaluation MPAT standards, tools and methods, monitoring and evaluation tools; quantitative and qualitative research methods, analysis and report writing; good communication, facilitation and time management, good interpersonal skills • Presentation skills • Conflict management, coordination, quality control, good human relations and management skills • Ability to work independently, as part of a team and manage multiple tasks.

01 June masegom@foskor.co.za 2020

The non-refundable tender fee as indicated, must be paid before tender documents are made available.

Vendors who wish to submit an Expression of Interest for this tender may do so via e-mail to the responsible Procurement contact person as indicated, no later than Friday, 08th May 2020. Your Expression of Interest must include your company name, a contact person and cell phone number. On receipt of this information the banking details will be made available and only when proof of payment has

Âż

Foskor reserves the right to reject or accept any requests received and has the right to withdraw any of the above at its own discretion.

Foskor is committed to supporting transformation in South Africa by partnering with BEE entities and will give preference to BBBEE companies. Empowerment initiatives and BEE structures will play Âż

Key performance areas: • Coordinate and facilitate the monitoring and evaluation of Departmental programmes and projects as well as Public Entities • Manage performance information and reporting in the Department • Manage and provide guidance in evaluating Departmental policies, strategies and priorities • Coordinate the development and implementation of policies • Manage human, financial resources and assets of the Sub-Directorate.

Requirements: • An appropriate Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Economics, Business Economics, Trade Economics or Development studies at (NQF level 7) as recognised by SAQA • A minimum of five years’ experience at middle management level • Minimum of 5 years’ practical work experience in the area of trade and investment promotion • Experience and knowledge of global, provincial and national trade and investment issues and their implications for the provincial economy is also required • A valid driver’s licence.

Competencies needed: • Thorough knowledge of the National Industrial Policy Framework, National Trade and Investment policies and key government initiatives in the area of trade & investment • Knowledge and understanding of the regulatory framework for the Public Service e.g. Public Service Act, PFMA, Treasury Regulations, Public Service Regulations, Labour Relations Act, Occupational Health and Safety Act, Basic Conditions of Employment Act, Skills Development Act, Service Delivery Frameworks • Knowledge of the National Development Plan and the Provincial Growth and Development Plan, Industrial Development Strategy, Integrated Policy Action Plan (IPAP 2, New Growth Path (NGP), Provincial Growth and Development Strategy • Candidates should demonstrate excellent skills in: Strategic management, research, project management, policy analysis and development, analytic thinking, interpersonal relations, language proficiency, verbal & written communication, computer literacy, conflict management, presentation skills, report writing, strategic planning, planning & organising skills • Ability to interact with people at all levels is a pre-requisite.

Key performance areas: • Facilitate the structuring of trade and logistics institutional formations to promote economic growth and transformation • Facilitate Trade and Investment related capacity building and empowerment initiatives • Facilitate the promotion of foreign direct investment into the province, support and facilitate industry business retention and expansion measures and initiatives • Manage and facilitate improved co-ordination between government and private sector entities involved in trade and logistics • Formulate, develop and implement strategies to stimulate the province as a trade and logistics gateway to Africa/World including identification of high impact projects • Manage human, financial and asset resources of the Sub-Directorate.

DIRECTOR: SECURITY AND AUXILIARY SERVICES REF. NO. DIR-SECURITY APRIL 2020 Salary Package: R1 057,326 p.a. (All-inclusive salary package to be structured in accordance with the rules of SMS) (Level 13) Requirements: • A relevant and recognized Degree or B.Tech in Security Management or related fields • A minimum of 5 years’ working experience at middle management level within the security management or related field • A valid driver’s licence.

Competencies needed: • Sound knowledge of MISS, MPSS and hierarchy and management structure of the Department • Good coordination, organizational and planning, communication (written and spoken), contract management, interpersonal relations, conflict management and resolution, security management, report writing and organisational skills • Ability to work long hours voluntarily, gather and analyse information, develop and apply policies, work independently and in a team, lead multidisciplinary team, work under extreme pressure, organize and plan under pressure, collect and interpret information and reports.

Key performance areas: Security, Facilities and Management: • Ensure physical security appraisals is conducted • Consult with SAPS in compliance with the MPSS • Conduct security threat and risk assessment (TRA) as per the MISS and MPSS • Ensure implementation and compliance with departmental Security Policy • Implement the MISS Policy framework • Develop, review, implement the security policy and access control directives • Conduct security training and awareness for all security officials • Registry: controlling incoming and outgoing mail and parcels; administering the photocopy lease contracts and the expenditure of photocopies made; providing messenger services • Cleaning: ensuring that high level standard of cleanliness and hygiene is maintained at all times • Maintenance: reporting major maintenance services to the landlord and attend to minor repairs; monitoring the loading and off-loading of goods • Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) services: monitoring the implementation of OHS Act policy requirements • Property management: ensuring that suitable accommodation is provided to the Edtea; participating in the procurement of office space for the Edtea • Fleet Management: ensuring that suitable and efficient fleet management is provided to the department.

DIRECTOR: HRM REF. NO. DIR: HRM APRIL 2020 Salary Package: R1 057,326 p.a. (All-inclusive salary package to be structured in accordance with the rules of SMS) (Level 13) Requirements: • A Degree in Human Resources Management • A minimum of 3 - 5 years’ experience at middle management level in Human Resources Management field • A valid driver’s licence.

Competencies needed: • PFMA • LRA • Knowledge of DPSA SMS competency assessment tools • Knowledge of the Constitution, Public Service Regulations and the Public Service Code of Conduct • Public Service Act • Knowledge of Service Delivery (Batho Pele) • Ability to communicate at all levels • Candidates should demonstrate excellent skills in: language proficiency • conflict management • presentation skills, project management, time management, work under pressure, flexibility to work long hours, interpersonal relations skills, coordination.

Key performance areas: • Oversee the formulation and the customisation of policies related to strategic HRM services • Provide strategic direction and leadership on the HRM functions within the department • Oversee the development and facilitation of strategic HRM plan for the department • Represent the department on HRM related forums • Manage resources of the HRM department • Provide training to the Executive Management on HRM issues (e.g. EPMDS, Labour relations issues, etc.) • Provide HR Planning Info Management System Services • Ensure effective promotion of sound Labour Relations in the Department • Ensure effective promotion of sound Organisational Development • Ensure effective promotion of sound Employee Health & Wellness Programme and strategies • Ensure effective promotion of sound performance management for the department • Manage, develop and performance manage own team • Financial resources management.

In terms of the Departmental Employment Equity targets and Employment Equity Plan, Females and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Only the posts of Director: Sector Development, Director: Trade & Investment Promotion Services and Director: Monitoring & Evaluation are being re-advertised, candidates who applied previously may re-apply.

Warrior Talent invites candidates with relevant experience to submit their applications to: lumka@warriortalent.co.za or telephone 011 058 0030.

All materials and communications will be held in absolute confidence.

CLOSING DATE: 25 APRIL 2020.

Correspondence will be limited to short-listed candidates. If you have not been contacted within one month after the closing date, please consider your application as unsuccessful. www.thecandocompany.co.za 48307KZN

Earn points and rewards with the DISCRETIONARY GRANT 1st FUNDING WINDOW 2020/2021 The Safety and Security Sector Education and Training Authority (SASSETA) has previously invited all private sector employers, public and private training institutions including public TVET colleges, Community Education and Training Colleges (CET), CBO’s, NGO’s, Cooperatives and Trade Unions registered and operating in the Safety and Security Sector to submit applications for Discretionary Grants for the 1st funding window for 2020/2021 financial year as advertised on the 22nd March 2020.

Please note that due to the COVID-19 Lockdown, the closing date has been extended to 1st June 2020 at 12 noon.

JOIN THE FUNDA SONKE LOYALTY PROGRAMME ... at www.nalibali.mobi and earn points! Take part in our monthly literacy challenges that will earn you these points. They can be turned into rewards like books, airtime and prizes. Join today and earn rewards while inspiring others! And its free!

NAL'IBALI ON SOCIAL MEDIA Join the conversation on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and Twitter for inspirational reading-forenjoyment tips, updates and competitions. Visit our YouTube channel for useful reading club tips.

NAL'IBALI ON RADIO Tune in to Nal’ibali on SABC’s public radio stations and enjoy children’s stories in all 11 official languages.

NAL'IBALI SUPPLEMENTS Get your bilingual reading-for-enjoyment newspaper supplement in the Sowetan, Sunday Times Express, the Daily Dispatch and The Herald. For more information, past editions and language combinations, visit www.nalibali.org Brought to you in partnership with Arena Holdings, the 16-page supplement is packed with literacy activities, reading advice and reading club tips to help make reading and storytelling a part of children’s everyday lives. And its handy “cut-out-and-keep� design, allows children to collect stories and develop mini libraries of their own.

When to get your supplement:

30 April

14 May

FIND US ONLINE Visit nalibali.org or nalibali.mobi for a growing collection of FREE children’s stories, literacy tips and downloadable tip sheets in a range of South African languages.

28 May

Get your Nal’ibali supplement fortnightly on a Thursday in English and isiXhosa in The Herald (term time only).

www.nalibali.mobi

Visit www.nalibali.org for the Nal’ibali radio schedule.

Please refer to the SASSETA website for the detailed adverts, application forms and other related information per www.sasseta.org.za.

For queries and assistance with completing the forms during the lockdown, please send an e-mail to DG@sasseta.org.za.

Nal’ibali is here to motivate and support you. Contact us by calling our call centre on 02 11 80 40 80, or in any of these ways:

Ĺ? Äž Ĺ˝ Ĺ?žĂĹ?Ĺ?ŜĂ ŽŜ

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

21 August | Sandton Convention Centre T h e 16 t h A n n ua l S u n d a y T i m es G e n N ex t s h owca se , co n fe re n ce a n d a wa rd s w i l l h i g h l i g h t :

t r i bes w h o a re u n i ted by a co m m o n i n te res t te n s i o n s i n soc i e t y ove r w h i c h b ra n d s a n d

co n s u m e rs d i sc uss s h o r t m ed i u m a n d l o n g te r m s t ra teg i es

t r e n d s t h a t i n f l ue n ce co n s u m e r m i n d se ts I n 2 0 2 0, we a re b r i n g i n g yo u t h t r i bes , te n s i o n s a n d t re n d s to t h e fo refro n t of o u r resea rc h , co n te n t a n d s h owca se .

To showcase: HoylandC@arena.africa Book your ticket: RowleyL@arena.africa To adver tise: MontanariD@arena.africa Purchase the research repor t: Bonolo.Molale@hdiyouth.com

w w w. s u n d a y t i m e s g e n n ex t . c o . z a OUR PARTNERS

Page 7 - 19 April 2020 - BUSINESS TIMES

"It has been said before: We have nothing to fear, but fear itself.

We are not a frightened nation. Ĺš

Çź Çź Çź by overcoming the odds.

It is that time again.

This is a time of extraordinary need, and therefore a time of extraordinary action to meet that need.

The Solidarity Fund is rising to this challenge.

Please contribute in any way you can."

--- President Cyril Ramaphosa

The Solidarity Fund was founded to help a united South Africa face the challenge of COVID-19 – today and into the future.

Although we're independent, we work closely with Government and Business, co-ordinating our efforts to achieve the most meaningful impact.

The Solidarity Fund has already acquired R1 billion in personal protective equipment to protect

ÄŒ Çź Çź Ĺ™ !"# Ä› % & Çź R120 million worth of food and is working with social partners to deliver this to 250 000 families facing hunger during the lockdown. In addition, we have made available R250 million for mass Çź# Ä€ ( Çź & ÄŒ & % &) * #

Any assistance, large or small, will make a difference.

TBWA\HUNT\LASCARIS 924659

Go to www.solidarityfund.co.za to play your part.

Page 8 - 19 April 2020 - BUSINESS TIMES

LifeStyle

Sunday Times

19.04.2020

Nal'ibali 21-Day Story Challenge Nal'ibali challenges you to read or share a story for 15 minutes or more with your family each day.

Make your pledge at www.nalibali.org and post pictures of your story-sharing sessions online.

Tag @NalibaliSA and use the hashtag #21DayStoryChallenge.

Achieved:

Day 1

Date:

Story title:

Day 2

Date:

Story title:

Day 3

Date:

Story title:

Achieved:

Day 4

Date:

Story title:

Achieved:

Day 5

Date:

Story title:

Achieved:

Day 6

Date:

Story title:

Achieved:

Day 7

Date:

Story title:

Achieved:

Day 8

Date:

Story title:

Achieved:

Day 9

Date:

Story title:

Achieved:

Day 10

Date:

Story title:

Achieved:

Day 11

Date:

Story title:

Achieved:

Day 12

Date:

Story title:

Achieved:

Day 13

Date:

Story title:

Achieved:

Day 14

Date:

Story title:

Achieved:

Day 15

Date:

Story title:

Achieved:

Day 16

Date:

Story title:

Achieved:

Day 17

Date:

Story title:

Achieved:

Day 18

Date:

Story title:

Achieved:

Day 19

Date:

Story title:

Achieved:

Day 20

Date:

Story title:

Achieved:

Day 21

Date:

Story title:

Achieved:

Achieved:

Contact us by calling our call centre on 02 11 80 40 80, or in any of these ways:

Here’s how: Colour in the star when you have shared your story!

Complete one week and you could win a book hamper; complete three weeks and you could win a mini-library!

To enter, send a photograph of your calendar and story sessions to info@nalibali.org

Editor’s Note Sunday Times Inside

T

10

FOOD

Play dough

21

BOOKS

14

4

More time to read

TRAVEL

DATING

When we go again

Beware of the wolf

LifeStyle Editor: Andrea Nagel Books: Jennifer Platt Fashion: Sharon Becker Beauty: Nokubonga Thusi Food: Hilary Biller

Home: Leana Schoeman Motoring: Thomas Falkiner; Brenwin Naidu Travel: Elizabeth Sleith Digital: Toni Jaye Singer Designers: Gila Wilensky, Vernice Shaw, Peta Scop Design intern: Siphu Gqwetha Proofreader: Helen Smith Admin & invoices: Thabile Mokone ThabileM@arena.co.za Publisher: Aspasia Karras Advertising: Bela Stander, Business Manager Sunday Times Lifestyle +27 11 280 3154, +27 72 843 8608.

E-mail: standerb@tisoblackstar.co.za Cover: Gila Wilensky & Siphu Gqwetha Write to: lifestyle@sundaytimes.co.za

‘M

Andrea Nagel

his lockdown experience has taught me a few new things about myself. A friend tells me that, since lockdown, she’s discovered a compulsion to clean her kitchen with a toothpick. I’ve identified in myself an entirely different preoccupation. If I look closely, though, there are faintly discernable overlaps. She’s obsessed with picking at entrenched muck with a hopelessly ineffectual tool. I can’t stop being appalled by Donald Trump. Call it a morbid fascination, call it a weird guilty pleasure, but watching Trump bumble his way through this crisis is a remarkably absorbing pastime.

It would be entertainingly funny if it weren’t so damn serious. He’s making it up as he goes along, attacking or blaming others for his incompetence or, when he gets caught out in lies, threatening reporters, opponents and his own people alike should any of them step out of line. Dr Anthony Fauci has to seriously watch his step or Potus will “#FireFauci” as he threatened this week in a tweet. Where would the US be then? Trump also ordered a halt in World Health Organisation funding this week, accusing the WHO of having “failed in its basic duty” of stopping the coronavirus’s spread from China. But the most alarming thing about watching the “Trump Show” is its indictment of the people who voted him in. How gullible are they?

Or perhaps it’s we who are the morons, the hapless fools who believe what we read in the liberal press? But then, people will believe almost anything if it aligns with what they believe already. The traction gained by conspiracy theories, the subject of our feature story this week, proves this. In discussion about the story, my colleague Patrick Bulger said: “I always think it’s overlooked that apart from anything else about them, conspiracy theories buttress prejudices and serve a particular ideology, and it’s the conspiracy theorists’s ability to tap into a prejudice and exploit it that enables him to subliminally reinforce bigotry by way of a fanciful story.” Or as writer Jasper Fforde put it: “Feedback loops, echo chambers, circular reinforcement.

All could play a part in escalating the utterly imaginary to the level of reality, sometimes with fatal consequences.”

So have your way with us, Illuminati — just make it quick before Trump does.

A lesson from the corona: We ain’t as smart as we think

ay you live in interesting times.” So goes the English saying apocryphally ascribed to the Chinese. And, oh boy, are we living in interesting times or what! Until the past few days, I’d never thought I’d fantasise about the “normality” of performing the heroic feat of driving on the M1 between Smit and Rissik Street without dying. I’ve even found myself longing to be blocked by a taxi with a burly driver screaming expletives at me.

Forcibly removed from their daily routines, the chattering classes have immersed themselves in social media with a previously unheard-of fervour.

Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp, in particular, have morphed into a global online Debating Olympics instead of the customary whining about the price of avocados at Woolies. In the decade and a bit I’ve been participating, I have not experienced such feverish number crunching, graphs and trend analysis.

Until about three weeks ago, I wasn’t aware that BA graduates in sociology harboured such incisive and in-depth knowledge of epidemiology and virology. The pipe-smoking former resident of Mahlamba Ndlopfu must be ecstatic at the upsurge in interest at his favourite hobby.

I have observed a fascinating byproduct of this wonderful orgy of intellectual engagement. It stems from the unusually high volume of

conspiracy theories and fake news relating to 5G technology, Chinese government attempts to take over the world, Bill Gates in cahoots with Trevor Noah about a New World Order and all manner of bat-crazy ideas.

Not to be left behind, I heard that the Reverend Kenneth Meshoe was quoted saying the Chinese Covid-19 test kits are contaminated with the virus itself in the wake of his positive test. As a result, I don’t think I have ever observed as many social media users calling each other morons, imbeciles, retards, cretins and other terms of endearment for intellectual limitation as I have witnessed in the past fortnight. In the midst of this name-calling festival someone punctuated a point they were making by quoting me in one of my previous columns. Apparently, I once wrote: “Human intelligence is nothing more than a vicious, unsubstantiated rumour.” That certainly sounds like something I’d write.

One thing I most certainly remember writing is that human beings are mostly blind to their own stupidity. Being aware of all this, it is therefore baffling that I am constantly guilty of calling out others’ stupidity. I am just as idiotic as everyone else about one thing or another.

I am reminded of one of my favourite legends involving the erstwhile emperor of Rome, Marcus Aurelius. The legend goes that he employed a servant whose sole purpose was to wait until someone 3

LifeStyle

NDUMISO NGCOBO COLUMNIST

Human intelligence is nothing more than a vicious, unsubstantiated rumour. That certainly sounds like something I’d write.

19•04•2020

bowed down to him or showered him with praise. The servant would then whisper in his ear: “You’re only a man. Only a man.”

I cannot afford a servant to remind me daily that I’m a halfwit but I need the reminders. This is why I grabbed pad and pencil and compiled a list of examples of how much of a nitwit I am.

My inner Aurelius servant reminded me that in my 48 years of life, I still have not managed to spell some common words. You can’t go around calling people stupid when you can’t spell “rhythm”, “renaissance” or “bourgeois” without the help of Spellchecker.

And when I try to spell “Libya” freehand, I always almost spell a female anatomical part. Comrade Brother Leader would be unimpressed. My inner Aurelius servant also reminded me that my knowledge of the geography of my own continent is on life support at

Sunday Times

Tembisa Hospital. Until recently, I would have bet the children’s education fund that Cameroon is officially a West African nation.

With this column I challenge you, dear reader, to participate in this challenge to remind yourself of your own blind spots and why you need to stop taking your strong opinions so seriously. Let’s call it the #AureliusServant Challenge.

After my own exercise I found myself in the middle of yet another heated debate about the appropriateness of shutting down liquor outlets to combat the spread of the coronavirus. This is when my inner Aurelius servant whispered to me: “No one should take seriously the opinions of a man who spills ice cubes from the ice dispenser and then kicks them under the fridge.”

I immediately logged off, retired to my lounge to sip on some homemade pineapple wine like a true South African drunk.

TING ONLINE DA

COVID LOVE: HUNTING IN CAPTIVITY

4/5

Online dating is the only virtual game drive in town for singles during lockdown, writes Nia Magoulianiti-McGregor

I

Illustrations: 123rf.com

f you said: “It’s a jungle out there”, most singles, until recently, would nod and agree. Sure, sometimes its laws were confusing. Distinguishing a hyena prowling for a quick kill from a wolf who mates for life wasn’t for amateurs and hardly anybody always knew who was the hunted and who the hunter.

But now that we’re in a zoo with us singles languishing in our solitary cages waiting for our weekly Woolies delivery, many have decided not to take this new lay of the land lying down. Because even as we contemplate doomsday, singles are relentlessly optimistic about turning their Isolationship into a Situationship. And who knows, after “this” is all over, even a Relationship.

Cape Town therapist May Cotterell says in this uncertain time of social distancing, many are feeling a longing to connect.

“Increasingly, single people are turning online,” she says. “For some, it could be a way of alleviating boredom and seeking comfort, for others, an attempt to mitigate a feeling of exclusion or even existential loneliness.”

Still, whether looking for comfort or true love or just a way of distracting themselves from the increasingly appealing idea of day drinking, it seems singles, who have learnt to navigate traps like ghosting*, orbiting*, and even breadcrumbing* view lockdown as just another bump on their game drive.

According to global numbers, the length of Tinder users’ conversations has increased by 10%-30% since the virus first put out a

spindly tentacle, and engagement on Bumble is up 21%.

Of course, dating apps are tricky enough at the best of times, what with the world being full of men who gun down perfectly good grammar just to watch it die. “But,” says Cotterell, “these strange times may have added an impetus to finding a partner and for some, stress is a libido enhancer.”

Joburg-based psychotherapist, author and relationship coach Hanlie Raath says love in this time is about “abandoning games. It’s about getting to the raw essence of humanity and discovering the fundamental values of another person while you’re in survival mode. People are focused on mortality so it’s forcing us to relate on a deeper level.”

Unfortunately, one man’s “raw essence of humanity” is another man’s raw. Where once you received invitations to candle-lit dinners, now, armed with your phone number, your new-found boo will attempt to woo you with countless memes and videos, which have somehow become a social currency.

Keeping up is exhausting. But also, because social distancing is such a new concept, many potential soulmates will inevitably stumble out the gate. A friend was sent a meme from a hitherto polite suitor: “Day 284 without sex. Went jogging in flip flops just to remember the sound.”

(Thud*. *That’s the sound of him being released back into the wild.)

“Some men request naked selfies after three messages,” says another friend, “but I was almost more weirded out by the guy who chatted to me on Zoom while performing his entire gym routine.”

But these are the occupational hazards and should have no bearing on being “out there” while locked up.

If you’re a woman looking for a man who bears no passing resemblance to a toad, is healthy, intelligent and solvent, you have to up your game.

I read somewhere that before your first video call date you should “curate” your space. So, say you’re an artist, ensure your landscapes are visible in the background.

Your date then gets some nonverbal clues to who you are behind the mask. You’d think a push-up bra would be nonverbal clue enough, but no. A (male) serial dater swears that in this time of prohibition keeping your lockdown liquor stash in view is more than enough to keep him interested and you can skip the rest of the curating steps.

Dressing up for an online date is awkward. Obviously stilettos are a bit extreme considering you’re sitting in your own lounge and you don’t want him to think you’re a hooker, but rocking up on

‘Technological advances mean we can stay connected while being physically distant. But this may backfire if we send out nudies to all our Tinder matches’

WhatsApp video in a scrunchy and Crocs is sending the wrong signals about your enthusiasm levels.

Inevitably, as lockdown extends, your new online ranger will start making noises about virtual gratification, perhaps even a self-drive safari. Now it gets tricky. There’s lighting to consider. There are angles to worry about. Worse, he’ll concern himself with no such subtleties.

As Raath says: “Technological advances mean we can stay connected while being physically distant. But this may backfire if we send out nudies to all our self-isolating Tinder matches. We risk revealing too much too soon.”

While this may all suck, singles should remember that every cloud has a silver lining and an online boyfriend may well outperform the real deal. There’ll be no fights about aircon settings. No Brazilian waxes. No Tiger King instead of another Offspring binge. Forgot to wear deodorant?

Don’t feel inclined to do the dishes? So what?!

Remember, if you play your cards right, you can meet, greet, have a virtual drink with, pick a fight and break up with someone without ever getting out of your tracksuit pants.

Hunting in captivity may just go viral. * Ghosting: Abruptly ceasing all contact. * Orbiting: No direct communication but maintains a social media presence. * Breadcrumbing: Providing just enough engagement to keep you interested.

Keeping romance alive while you work on not perishing

D

ue to extenuating circumstances, love is definitely not in the air. If anything it’s trapped in a house with its love, dreaming about all the other loves that it used to see scampering around on the streets. Whether you’re in a relationship or as single as a black sheep in a vegan restaurant, love in a time of lockdown is tricky.

So how does one keep the flame of their love life alive while maintaining a coronafree distance? Here are some ideas:

FOR SINGLES Singles are the lifeblood of any wellfunctioning society. Without them condom sales would plummet, overpriced liquor bottles designed to impress the eye but not the stomach would crater, obscure restaurants that always have those few patrons that come in every week with a different partner would be replaced by Turn

‘N Tenders. This will be the hardest time for you, my kings and queens. There’s a good chance you’ll develop a squeamish relationship with the internet. But before you finish your data, why not try a virtual date?

In normal times boomers would hear this and complain about how the youth don’t know how to socialise but, when viewed through a more modern lens, this could be the perfect way to line up your prospects for the day we’re allowed outside.

The idea is pretty simple. Since we’re allowed to buy food and candles, pop out to the store, purchase something tasty, a few rose petals and some candles. Get dressed up, do a bit of petal-based interior 4

LifeStyle

decorating, light up those candles and video-call your potential bae. Hopefully you have her favourite wine on hand, otherwise fill your own glass with Oros.

Voila! You now have a date.

The effort will be appreciated and you’ll have something to do with your Saturday night. If you want to get cute with it, you can even invite her onto Houseparty and play trivia as part of the festivities. The beauty of this is that you can also rinse and repeat 3-4 times a week and spend less money than you would on an actual date in the real world.

FOR COUPLES By now being stuck between four walls with one another is starting to feel claustrophobic. Your partner’s annoying

19•04•2020

Sunday Times

habits are being magnified by the fact that they’ve been wearing sweatpants for five days. This is your chance to not let your love vanish under the weight of an unpacked dishwasher. As with the singles, create the outside at home. Dress up, put on cologne, lay out a carpet in the garden and enjoy the moonlight. You’re in the fortunate position of being able to consummate your date if you play your cards right.

Alternatively, set up sexy little games to play. For example, learn some basic Spanish and when the kids go to bed, play the role of a mysterious Spanish baron who’s in the country to sample some of the local delights. Swap sexual favours for chores or mow the lawn in skimpy shorts under the pseudonym “Javier”.

The point is that we have a unique opportunity to connect in some unusual ways and as the saying goes “variety is the spice of life”. Yolisa Mkele

HEALTH

BOXING, BUT NOT SMART

If you have to take up an exercise regimen, don’t take it up with a boxing champ, writes Stephen Haw

I

can already hear his voice in my head and I’m not even fully awake yet. “Steve, I’m watching you Steve … Don’t give up on yourself … Steve. I’m watching you.”

The voice belongs to Isaac Chilemba.

He’s my trainer and a light-heavyweight world boxing champion, so I try to listen to him as best I can.

Today is not a good day. My WhatsApp face-time session should have started already but I can’t seem to find oneof my shoes and I’ve got to clean the gym mat because the dog’s been pissing on it in retaliation for not being walked. And then there’s the insistent ring of my phone with Isaac’s face on it.

It’s so much better in the gym. Sure, I have to deal with the frightening prospect of Isaac coming for me in the flesh, but I can wear protective gear and, although I haven’t managed to tame him, I’ve learnt a few tricks when it comes to running down the clock. At around the two-minute mark, I often feint a couple of technical questions on the finer points of throwing a particular kind of jab.

“So Isaac, tell me, if I throw the jab from below the eye line, and hold my glove like this, down at my side, does that work? I mean, it’ll be effective, but it’s not going to be very hard, is it?”

“No, Steve.”

As I say, I haven’t managed to tame him completely, but sometimes I do manage to slow him down for just long enough to snatch a few gasps of oxygen.

“The clock’s running, Steve.”

And if that doesn’t work, I try to make him laugh. Which is a lot easier than you might think, partly because I’m so useless.

He once told me (after a session) that, “There are three kinds of clients: those who are naturally talented; those who, if they work very hard, for a long time, can be trained to look a bit like boxers; and the untrainables. You, Steve, are in the second category.”

I knew then that he was not without kindness, though I suspect he’d only said that because he knew the truth would break me even more than he already had.

Now, my only defence seems to be a bad WiFi connection, though it’s not

“No, Steve. Remember, good boxers don’t need water; bad boxers don’t deserve it.”

Next I try the old-age counter. “Isaac, you forget how old I am. At my age, you should be offering me some kind of pensioner’s discount. Yes?” That should put him on the back foot.

“No, Steve. Age is just a number.”

Lastly, I appeal to his sense of common humanity. “Isaac … surely as a trainer, you need to be able to assess your client. You need to be able to see whether he’s on death’s door or not? It’s not a good look, you know … body bags?”

And then the sucker punch: “Dead clients don’t pay.”

“I can see you Steve. Don’t give up on yourself. Push Steve, I can see you.”

And that is really the problem. He can, more clearly than ever. Out here on the patio, there are no distractions. All the stuff I couldn’t get away with in the gym, I still can’t. And all the stuff I could, I now can’t.

There is, simply, no place to hide.

“I see you, Steve.”

Light-heavyweight world boxing champ Isaac Chilemba. Picture: Supplied

quite as bad as I make out.

“Sorry Isaac, you’re breaking up … Did you say ‘Take a break?’”

“No, Steve. I said ‘burpees’, three sets of 25.”

Maybe, it’s just the buffering but humour doesn’t work like it used to. And if you want proof, look no further that the burpee itself.

I mean, what maniacal entity even dreamed up such a cruelty?

Could the same god who invented beer

have invented burpees? It’s amazing where the mind goes between burpee 19 and burpee 24. Sometimes I find myself thinking about sex, but that just seems kind of wrong — especially with the pissed-off dog on the sidelines giving me the side-eye.

Wait a moment … I’ve just lost reception.

Oh no. He’s back. “Steve. I can see you. Don’t give up on yourself Steve.”

I try the oldest trick in the book. “I need water.”

I’M WATCHING YOU STEVE’S BEST BOXING MATCHES OF ALL TIME TO WATCH ON YOUTUBE The Thriller in Manila The third and final boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, of which Ali said: “It’s the closest I’ve ever come to death.”

The Brawl in Montreal Sugar Ray Leonard vs Roberto Duran (first meeting). A hard-fought, back-and-forth contest that went the full 15 rounds.

The Sound and the Fury Evander Holyfield vs Mike Tyson. Achieved notoriety as one of the most bizarre fights in boxing history after Tyson bit off part of Holyfield’s ear.

Arturo Gatti against Micky Ward Round 9 is known as the round of the century.

Diego Corrales vs Jose Luis Castillo Corrales won the fight in the 10th round after being knocked down twice in the round.

Boxing basics to make you feel like a badass THE STANCE Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.

If you’re right-handed, take one step back with your right foot. Left-handers, do the opposite. Line up the front toe with the rear heel. Turn lead shoulder to opponent or bag.

Bend knees slightly and use hips for power when throwing a punch.

ARMS UP To protect your face, tuck chin and place gloves up to cheekbones.

BREATH Inhale to prepare for a punch. Exhale fast through your mouth with a closed jaw as you throw. This should sound like a hiss.

In a real match, you could risk breaking your jaw if your mouth is open and you take a hit to the chin. The purpose of this sharp exhale is to engage the core and connect the punch to your body. Breath helps with both timing and power.

PUNCHES The jab: Extend front arm straight out as you step forward with front foot. Pull glove back

to your face as fast as possible to reset.

Referred to as “1”, it’s the quickest punch using the least energy.

The cross: Step front foot forward as you rotate at the hips, pivot rear foot forward, and extend rear arm straight out. Don’t cock arm back. Keep weight evenly distributed through both legs. Pull fist back to face as quickly as possible to reset. Referred to as “2”, it’s the power punch, since you can throw your whole body into it.

The hook: Lift front elbow to be parallel with the floor, like you’re stirring a pot.

Pivot on front foot to turn knee and roll hip over for more power. Rotate everything at the same time to connect. Keep arm at a 90degree bend and don’t extend through the punch. Repeat on the opposite side for rear hook. The hook — lead is “3” and rear is “4” — is a short-range punch, so always keep opposite hand up to your face to guard.

The uppercut: On your lead side, drop shoulder (like a side crunch) and load legs by bending at the knees slightly. Keep the arm bent and throw a punch from the ground up as you turn your hip and pivot your foot.

Don’t curl the arm. The power won’t come 5

LifeStyle

from biceps; it comes from the legs. Pull fist back to your face as quickly as possible to reset. Like the hook, the uppercut — lead is “5”, rear is “6” — is a short-range shot, so don’t reach for it and end up with your knuckles in the air. Keep the opposite fist at your face for protection.

DEFENCE Slip: Start in boxing stance with fists up to guard. If opponent throws towards your right side, rotate from waist to left, drop left shoulder, bend knees, and crunch to left to slip outside the line of your opponent’s shot. Repeat on right side if opponent throws to left. This puts you in a position to counter as you rise back up to starting stance.

Duck: Start in boxing stance. As opponent throws a shot (like a hook), send hips back and bend knees (like a squat), Book a clinic then shift body weight from one leg appointment to the other and rise back up.

Unlike slipping, you’re ducking under the shot and rising up on the other side to throw a counter. greatest.com

19•04•2020

Sunday Times

Protect yourself and your family with this season’s flu vaccination.

Now available at over 400 stores nationwide.

3-strain flu vaccine cash price

Flu vaccination rmacies nationwide at Clicks Clinics & Pha

Call 0860 254 257 or visit clicks.co.za/fighttheflu for more info

6/7

MYSTERIOUS FORCES,

MYTHS AND MADNESS

GRAPHIC: GILA WILENSKY

6

LifeStyle

19•04•2020

Sunday Times

As the coronavirus spreads around the world, so too does fake news and misinformation. Why do so many people refuse to engage with evidence?

P

TEXT: MONIQUE VERDUYN

erhaps it was when Woody Harrelson linked 5G networks to the coronavirus pandemic.

Or it might have been the creepy man from Cape Town with an earbud up his nose who claimed in a viral video that Covid-19 test kits are contaminated. Possibly the final straw was Jesus versus Satan: The Origins of Coronavirus, a book that appeared briefly on Amazon before mercifully being taken down for violating content guidelines. Whatever. Something inside me broke. Why do people believe such ghastly ideas as the pharmaceutical industry intentionally spreading diseases, vaccines causing illness rather than preventing them, 9/11 being initiated by banking, corporate and military interests for the purpose of creating a new world order, and that we have been lied to even about the shape of our planet?

For conspiracists, nothing happens by accident, nothing is as it seems, and everything is connected. There is no room for coincidence and everywhere are sinister and powerful forces fighting for control of … what exactly? They believe themselves to possess hidden knowledge of how the world “really” operates, while everyone else has been hoodwinked.

Why people believe in conspiracy theories According to research, the overly suspicious refuse evidence to satisfy three psychological motives: 1. The epistemic motive — the desire for certainty and explanation.

2. The existential motive — they tend to be anxious and insecure and therefore seek control over what happens.

3. The social motive — whether due to self-love or self-hate, conspiracy theorists are often narcissists who need to feel good about themselves and to know more than others who do not recognise their greatness.

Some conspiracy theories are ridiculous, like the one that claimed Hillary Clinton ran a child sex ring at the basement of a pizzeria in Washington DC, or David Icke’s argument that flesh-eating, shapeshifting reptilian humanoids — many of whom are Jewish — live among us, with only one cold-blooded objective, to enslave all of humanity (yes, really). But some are more sophisticated and have the power to seduce the sceptical and credulous alike.

Where it began They would be gobsmacked to know it, but at the centre of two centuries of conspiracy theories are the unfortunate Illuminati, a group founded by university professor Adam Weishaupt in 1776 in Bavaria, and as its name suggests, dedicated purely to enlightenment and the concepts of free thought, liberalism and republicanism. No surprise then that it was quickly disbanded by the Germany government of the time.

But the idea of the society was picked up by conspiracy theorists who believed the Illuminati had survived their suppression and become the masterminds behind the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror.

This idea flared up again in the early 20th century when right-wing thinkers started to propagate the idea that the Illuminati were on the up. Among the more

7

LifeStyle

pernicious products was the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a fraudulent document that served as a pretext and rationale for anti-Semitism in the early 20th century. It fuelled the belief that Jews and Freemasons were planning to disrupt Christian civilisation and erect a world state under their joint rule.

Conspiracy theories are speculative and specifically go against the official version of events or the received wisdom of the time.

Although the Protocols were proved to be fake, when people believe that evil forces are at work, the lack of evidence for the theory is evidence in itself.

When conspiracists become dangerous It’s rather fun to imagine the typical conspiracy theorist as a sad single guy who lives in his parents’ basement and spends all his time on Reddit, but the vaccine resistance movement — responsible for effectively reversing decades of progress in disease prevention — is just one example of how dangerous conspiracy theories can become when they gain popularity and no longer exist on the fringe. In 2019 the World Health Organization named “vaccine hesitancy” one of the top 10 threats to global health.

Like other conspiracy movements, the antivaxxer faction has rubbed shoulders with the far right. Studies show that vaccine scepticism is a strong predictor for populist — read hard-right — politics in Europe. Right-wing media outlets have seized the opportunity to gain sympathy from the anti-vax movement, pushing even more extreme conspiracy theories under the guise of vaccine scepticism. White supremacist website Red Ice, for example, has churned out over 100 articles and radio clips bashing vaccines in recent years.

And so to the coronavirus. In addition to the Covid-19 disease, the novel coronavirus has also caused an outbreak of conspiracy theories, not only on social media but in mainstream outlets too. Among them, the belief that 5G is somehow linked to the coronavirus pandemic has spread unlike any other. It all began with a GP in Belgium.

The newspaper, Het Laatste Nieuws, under the header “Link met coronavirus?” published an interview with Dr Kris Van Kerckhoven, who pointed out that since 2019 a number of 5G cell towers had been built around Wuhan.

“I have not done a fact check,” the good doctor cautioned, “but there may be a link with current events”. And thus was the fire sparked. The story was taken off the news site — but it was too late.

Claims by conspiracy theorists and celebrities linking 5G to the coronavirus pandemic have led to petrol bomb attacks on phone masts in the UK, rebuttals from the British government and a torrent of Facebook posts from the creepy Cape Town guy.

Full Fact, an independent fact-checking charity in the UK, has stated that there is no evidence linking the new coronavirus to 5G, nor that 5G is harmful to humans. The next generation of wireless network technology, following on from 4G, like 3G and 2G before it, 5G mobile data is transmitted over radio waves. These radio waves are non-ionising, meaning they don’t damage the DNA inside cells.

According to the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, which sets guidelines on the output of mobile masts, there isn’t a single scientifically substantiated adverse health

19•04•2020

effect that can be attributed to a normal 5G installation.

But it hasn’t stopped there. There’s a theory that there are no outbreaks at all and that it’s all a hoax to cover up the installation of 5G. According to the Pew Research Centre in the US, 29% of Americans believe the coronavirus was created in a lab. Politico recently reported that some supporters of Donald Trump see a threat bigger than the spread of a highly contagious novel coronavirus: they believe the virus is a “deep-state” (read Illuminati) plot to oust him.

In the US, Bill Gates trended on social media sites, with many claiming that the Microsoft co-founder is behind the creation of coronavirus. On March 31 he reached third spot on South Africa’s Twitter trends, with thousands of people claiming Africa should not accept a vaccination for Covid19 from Gates, even though no vaccination is currently available. Such is the power of fake news, that a fake message claiming to be from a French doctor travelled swiftly from Facebook to Twitter, and from France to the US to South Africa. Gates has perennially been the target of conspiracy theories about the spread of diseases, the implication being that he somehow starts viruses so he can sell vaccinations. Every one of these theories has been debunked, but the speed with which each new one spreads online through echo chambers reinforces just how uncontrollably disinformation travels across countries, communities and internet platforms.

Will it ever end?

Facebook and other social media sites are working to fight the spread of false news but debunking myths is problematic.

Reducing the influence of misinformation is a difficult and complex challenge. Unless great care is taken, you can inadvertently reinforce the very myths you seek to correct. According to The Debunking Handbook, created by cognitive scientists Stephan Lewandowsky and John Cook, to avoid these “backfire effects”, the best approach is to focus on the facts only.

Fortunately, there are some simple ways to verify information. According to The Conspiracy Theory Handbook, also by Lewandowsky and Cook, there are four questions worth asking before deeming something as true or false: 1. Do I recognise the news organisation that posted the story?

2. Does the information in the post seem believable?

3. Is the post written in a style that I expect from a professional news organisation?

4. Is the post politically motivated?

When people feel like they have lost control of a situation, their conspiracist tendencies increase. But the opposite also applies. When people feel empowered, say Lewandowsky and Cook, they are more resilient. They stress that it’s better to inoculate people pre-emptively against conspiracy theories rather than trying to go in afterwards and undo the damage.

If your goal is to convince conspiracy theorists, then an empathetic approach is necessary just to have a genuine dialogue.

But it’s always tough to convince people to change their minds. It’s not enough to try to stamp out the poor-quality information, Cook says. You have to put good information in its place. But if you’ve ever tried, you’ll know that you run the risk of being labelled a member of the secret cabal of alien lizard people who run the world.

When people lose control, conspiracist tendencies increase

Sunday Times

REWARDS & Y T L A Y O L

NOT JUST A BULGE IN YOUR POCKET

L

123RF.COM

Standard Bank and Momentum step up to the plate and deliver true relief to customers when they really need it, writes Yolisa Mkele

et’s do a little experiment. Pull out a couple of your loyalty cards and tally up how much value they’ve actually added to your life. How much did it cost to accumulate enough points to reach platinum status? How unnecessarily portly is your wallet all so that you can respond “yes” when the person behind the till says “do you have a xxxx card?”

The unspoken truth about loyalty cards and the programmes they represent is that a lot of them are more of a cumbersome inconvenience than the

plastic they’re printed on. That, however, is not true of all of them. There are some whose aim seems to be to provide real value to their customers. Loyalty schemes that instead of ensnaring people in a morass of jargon and points technicalities are actually just designed to reward those who sign up.

Not all of them are the devil, though.

If you get the right array of benefits, like you do with Standard Bank’s UCount and Momentum’s Multiply loyalty programmes, everything can be peachy keen.

One of the things that makes loyalty cards as comfortable as an unreachable itch is the sign-up process. Oftentimes you need to use extra cards, activation codes and a vial of blood with each transaction, all so you can get 38 cents back on your last purchase. Both Standard Bank and Momentum have deliciously easy sign-up procedures and once done, they only really require a card to use.

It’s rare that large corporations take an interest in actually providing value to our lives. Anecdotal evidence suggests that they’re far more interested in being the

stereotypical business villains that we see in movies and documentaries.

Standard Bank UCount and Momentum Multiply are different.

Instead of just throwing a bunch of meaningless “rewards” at its customer base, they seem genuinely interested in providing benefits that can be used to alleviate the increasing economic stress we all seem to be finding ourselves under these days —all while being convenient.

Wow, we may just have to start adjusting some of our stereotypes about banks.

POINTS YOU CAN COUNT ON Just when you felt loyalty cards were a lot of hokum, Standard Bank comes up with UCount — a rewards system that really allows customers to save money

H Get up to 20%* back in Rewards Points when shopping for your grocery essentials.

You choose what to buy, now Choose Your Own Rewards with UCount Rewards.

Visit standardbank.co.za/ucount to choose your Rewards category.

*Terms and conditions apply.

Standard Bank is an authorised financial services and registered credit provider (NCRCP15).

The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited (Reg. No. 1962/000738/06).

8

LifeStyle

19•04•2020

ere is the thing about loyalty cards, they can be cumbersome.

Accumulating too many of them will make your wallet look like a rotund leather hamster and also leave you having to do quadratic equations just to try and figure out what your points situation is. Then, once you’ve figured out the nuclear physics that is points accrual, it turns out that the rewards are not even all that great.

Spending thousands of rands ends up entitling you to a free stick of gum and a Coke. The whole thing can make you wonder what the point of it all is and leave you wanting to ignore the whole thing all together.

Mercifully, Standard Bank’s UCount rewards system doesn’t fall into that category. With coronavirus already having an adverse effect on consumers’ ability to spend money, Standard Bank’s UCount rewards system is well poised to do exactly what one needs from a loyalty card: save you money.

“We know based on surveys that Retail POS [point of sale] is about to decrease between 10% to 30% in the next few months. As a result we will see decreased consumer spending , but we also know some customers will see reduced income. To assist customers with cash flow, we have reduced the minimum amount customers can now redeem into their PureSave accounts to 2,000 Rewards Points (R200). This will help members to have some cash to be able to buy those essential items,” said Tracey Clark from Standard Bank.

In order to further assist people through this trying time, UCount members can also get their essential items when they redeem their Rewards Sunday Times

Points for Checkers, Shoprite and Woolworths vouchers on the UCount Rewards online Mall and still redeem their rewards points at Makro for essential items. Furthermore, until June 15, customers will be able to qualify for top-tier rewards without spending the usual R20,000 required to qualify. What is even better is you don’t need a physical rewards card to start earning points.

So how does UCount work? Well, it’s actually pretty simple, you do it all online so there is no need to worry about social distancing. Then once you are verified, you’re good to go. From there the question becomes, what’s in it for you, and fortunately creating fiscal breathing room is what this programme was made to do. For example, how often have many of us got to the petrol station late in the month and had to make some tactical decisions based on the amount of petrol you needed versus the amount of money you had? Well, UCount allows its users to earn up to R5 per litre back in reward points when refuelling at Caltex. That kind of money can make all the difference. Members also get rewarded for every transaction and get bonus value if they decide to do their shopping at places like Checkers, Checkers Hyper, Woolworths and Pick n Pay. It seems that instead of just throwing a bunch of meaningless “rewards” at its customer base, Standard Bank UCount is genuinely interested in providing benefits that can be used to alleviate the increasing economic stress we all find ourselves under these days, especially during this pandemic. All that while being convenient. Wow, we may just have to start adjusting some of our stereotypes about banks. — Yolisa Mkele

REWARDS & Y T L A Y O L

MULTIPLY THE TREASURES WITH MOMENTUM

Thanks to an extensive network of partnerships, being a part of the Momentum Multiply rewards programme gives you access to a plethora of treasures. For example, you can get discounted plane tickets, gym memberships, movie tickets, hotel accommodation, health products, Apple and Samsung devices and even golf gear. In short, the programme is smile inducingly comprehensive. And signing up for all this goodness is simple and can be done using WiFi and a few of your Momentum details.

In a lot of ways, picking the right loyalty rewards plan is like Tinder. There are heaps of objectively bad choices out there. Then there are some that look good but after swiping right and signing up you discover that it was all just clever camera angles and a few well-worded phrases. Every now and then, however, one finds a Prince Charming, a rose among a thicket of barbed wire. The success story that everyone touts. Momentum Multiply is that heartthrob. Light on fuss and heavy on rewards, it is perfectly suited for people trying to make better choices and save money while doing so. — Yolisa Mkele

Extensive partnerships give Momentum Multiply members endless choices

W

hat are the two things you’re most likely to be worried about when you check your pockets?

For most people it’s their phone and their wallet. Oddly enough, they’re also the two things whose innards are filled with the most useless stuff.

Take your wallet, for instance, how many cards do you have in there? How many of them can be used in lieu of real money or help you conjure a stack of crisp Mandelaz when you visit an ATM? Finally, how many of them need you to rack up points so that you can save R20 off your purchase of R2,000 or more?

Loyalty cards and the programmes they represent are as ubiquitous as sugar. Everyone seems to have one and they’re all allegedly spectacular. Like sugar, however, not all loyalty

123RF.COM

reward programmes are the same. Some have all the nutritional value of a half a glass of syrup, while others can be as beneficial as a bowl of freshly sliced fruit. Momentum Multiply fits firmly in the sliced fruit section.

Take their HealthReturns, for example.

Members using their HealthReturns can earn up to R3,000 a month per family to help pay for day-to-day health-care costs and are able

to claim back their health activity tracking device. Depending on your Multiply status, you can become eligible for a cashback bonus of up to 30% of your car and home insurance premiums every year, even if you claim.

You can also get up to 60% off your monthly Momentum Myriad life insurance premiums and your rewards do not just extend to Momentum products.

Rewards that keep coming, no matter what.

Get more money with Momentum Multiply when you shop for essentials in store or online.

Join Momentum Multiply now.

Get up to 12% in cashbacks on your whole basket PLUS an extra 3% during lockdown

Up to 15% off

Up to 12% in discounts or cashbacks on vouchers *in store only

SMS SUNDAY to 40717, visit multiply.co.za or speak to an accredited Momentum financial adviser.

Up to 15% in discounts or cashbacks on vouchers

To qualify you need a Momentum product. Extra 3% cashbacks valid until 30 April. Cashbacks exclude medication, gift cards and legislated products.

Momentum Multiply (Pty) Ltd is part of Momentum Metropolitan Holdings Limited. Reg. No. 1971/006353/07 E & OE. Terms and conditions apply. Visit multiply.co.za for full details.

9

LifeStyle

19•04•2020

Sunday Times

PICTURES: CHRISTOPH HOFFMAN

10/11

Martian men

Oh for a day by the seaside

CHILD’S PLAY

Life in lockdown means time to have fun and discover the joy of making food. Here is a trio of ideas to share with the young ones from Hilary Biller.

OH FOR A DAY BY THE SEASIDE MAKES 8

Dreams can come true, it just needs a little imagination …

What you need 1 bowl, 1 metal spoon, paper cups, baking tray, rolling pin 1 packet green jelly crystals 200ml boiling water 2-3 drops of blue colouring 3 sweet biscuits, crumbled 8 jelly babies 8 mini paper umbrellas Dissolve jelly crystals in the boiling water, stirring with a metal spoon. Add a little drop of food colouring at a time to make the jelly the aquamarine colour of the sea. Stir before adding the next drop.

Take 16 white paper cups, double them up to make 8 and spread out on a baking tray.

Divide the jelly between the 8 paper cups and allow to set in the fridge.

Break up the biscuits into pieces and place in a plastic bag. Use a rolling pin to crush to the texture of sea sand.

When the jellies are set, remove from the fridge. Sprinkle over a little of the biscuit crumbs to make the sand. Add 1-2 jelly babies and push an open umbrella into the jelly for some shade. Enjoy your day on the beach.

MARTIAN MEN MAKES 1 DOZEN

Create your own creatures from Mars using a gingerbread cutter and easy homemade biscuit recipe, some glacé icing and sweets.

You can replace the sweets with currants, raisins and sultanas or sliced dried fruit.

What you need Gingerbread cutters, baking tray and baking paper, bowl and sieve for icing, green food colouring, teaspoon, liquorice allsorts, jelly babies or jelly beans OR raisins and dried fruit pieces.

Biscuit dough 125g butter or margarine, softened but not melted 100g (½ cup) caster sugar 1 large egg 435ml (1 ¾ cups) flour Decoration 250ml (1 cup) icing sugar, sifted 30ml (2 tbsp) hot water Green colouring Sweets of choice For the biscuits combine the butter, caster sugar and egg in a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth.

Sift in the flour and use a wooden spoon to bring the dough together. Lightly flour the counter surface and knead the dough by hand until smooth. Place in a plastic bag and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Remove the 10

LifeStyle | Food & Drink

dough and cut it in half.

Roll out the dough between two pieces of greaseproof paper. When it’s 4mm-5mm thick use the gingerbread cutter to cut out figures and gently lift them onto a greased baking tray. Depending on the size of the tray you will have to bake 2-3 times for 15 minutes each batch.

Any extra dough can be rolled out and shaped into biscuits and baked around the figures.

Make the icing by placing the icing sugar in a bowl and adding the hot water a teaspoon at a time. Add a drop or two of colouring and mix well until you have an icing that can be spread but is not too runny.

Remove the figures from the oven when golden brown and gently use an egg lifter to lift them to a cooling rack to cool.

In the meantime cut the sweets or dried fruit into different shapes. Using a teaspoon, spread the icing on the biscuits, taking care around the edges.

Press sweets or dried fruit into icing and allow to set completely.

ZEBRA SARMIES MAKES 8 RECTANGLES

For a quick snack on safari …

What you need Bread board, a knife to spread, bread knife and serving platter 8 slices of day-old white, brown or wholewheat bread

19•04•2020

Sunday Times

Softened butter or margarine Marmite/ Fray Bentos or hazelnut/chocolate spread To serve, optional Cocktails tomatoes, baby carrots and baby cucumbers Butter three slices of bread and spread with your chosen spread, ensuring you spread right to the edge to give a zebra effect.

Place the slices one on top of the other.

Top with a fourth slice of unbuttered bread.

Set aside and prepare the other 4 slices in the same way. Ask a parent or guardian to assist with cutting off the crusts on all sides.

Then cut the bread in half and half again to make 8 stripey sandwiches .

SATISFY THE CRAVINGS

While you’re sequestered at home, look further afield for recipes that are best in class for taste and enjoyment

DALGONA COFFEE

BY HILARY BILLER PICTURES: CHRISTOPH HOFFMAN

MAKES 4

The upside-down cappuccino has social media in a froth. Said to have its origins in India, Pakistan and Macau, it has been nicknamed dalgona because of the similarity of the caramel-coloured mousse to a South Korean confection of the same name. If you’ve run out of coffee beans, this could just be your fix — it’s seriously delicious.

60ml (4 tbsp) instant coffee powder 60ml (4 tbsp) sugar 60ml (4 tbsp) boiling water Milk, either hot or cold, amount will depend on the size of the glass Ice, if using In a bowl combine the coffee powder, sugar and boiling water. Using a stick blender with whisk attachment or electric whisk, beat until it has become foamy, trebled in volume and is a beautiful caramel colour.

Pour chosen temperature of milk to fill 2/3 of a glass. If milk is cold, add some ice cubes for an iced coffee. Spoon the coffee mousse over the milk to fill the glass

Place the chicken pieces in a dish. Sprinkle over the vinegar, add the ginger and toss through the portions.

Season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes.

Sprinkle over cornflour to coat the chicken.

Half fill a deep pan with enough oil to cover the chicken pieces, and heat until piping hot.

When a cube of bread browns in seconds, the oil is hot enough.

Using tongs, lower half the chicken pieces into the oil and fry 5 minutes per side. Remove and place on paper towels to cool and drain.

Repeat with the second batch of chicken then return the first batch to the hot oil and fry for a further 5 minutes until golden brown.

While the chicken is cooking for the second time, prepare the sauce in a small pot. Soften the garlic in the sesame oil before adding the remaining ingredients.

Stirring, bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.

Place the chicken pieces in a serving dish.

Pour over the sauce and, using your fingers, mix to coat the chicken in the sauce. Sprinkle over the crushed peanuts or sesame seeds and serve with beer and a large pile of serviettes.

CHIMAEK TWICE-FRIED KOREAN CHICKEN SERVES 4-6

"Chimaek" is a South Korean word for fried chicken. This recipe takes fried chicken to another level of deliciousness. Think crispy fried chicken coated in a sweet and spicy sauce sprinkled with sesame seeds or crushed peanuts. Make double the amount as it is moreish. The finishing touch, an essential to wash down the meal, is a cold beer.

8 - 12 portions of chicken 30ml (2 tbsp) rice vinegar 2cm piece of fresh ginger, finely grated

Salt and freshly ground black pepper Cornflour oil for deep frying Sauce 15ml-30ml (1-2 tbsp) crushed garlic Splash of sesame oil (or use sunflower oil) 45ml (3 tbsp) tomato ketchup 30ml (2 tbsp) chilli paste (you can reduce

On TV

5ml (1 tsp) ready-made mustard 5ml (1 tsp) Worcestershire sauce 1 small onion, finely grated 1 clove garlic, minced 2.5ml (½ tsp) salt 2.5ml (½ tsp) pepper 450g coarsely ground beef mince Bacon Jam: 450g thick cut bacon, cut into 2cm pieces 2 extra-large sweet onions, quartered and thickly sliced 125ml (½ cup) brown sugar 80ml (¹/3 cup) strong brewed coffee 15ml (1 tbsp) balsamic vinegar To assemble: Burger buns Butter Iceberg lettuce Tomato slices Cheese slices, optional

WINE, DINE & STEIN A new wine and food show featuring Durbanville Wine Valley in the Cape

W

e know celebrity chef Rick Stein through his generous helpings of cookbooks, TV shows and, for some, the opportunity to dine in his restaurants. Now it’s the turn of his sons, Jack, an accomplished chef and author who also oversees the kitchens of the restaurant empire, and wine fundi Charlie, who too works in the family business, who have taken to the screens with a 13-part wine and food series filmed in the picturesque Durbanville Valley.

Featuring a dozen farms, we get to see the boys meet the owners and winemakers, do a lot of wine tasting and share the food and get involved in the cooking of the venues’ favourite recipes. And if that’s not enough, the duo add some adventure with extra activities like paragliding, firing a canon, wheelbarrow racing and quadbiking. It’s all fun and a great lockdown distraction.

Chef Jack Stein shares a burger recipe from the series.

the quantity for a milder version) 60ml (¼ cup) runny honey or golden syrup 60ml (¼cup) brown sugar 30ml (2 tbsp) soya sauce To serve 20ml (4tsp) sesame seeds OR 45ml (3 tbsp) crushed roasted peanuts

HILLCREST WINE FARM BURGER WITH BACON JAM Makes 2- 3 depending on the thickness of patties

Burger patty: Splash of oil 1 egg 11

LifeStyle | Food & Drink

Lightly oil a griddle pan and heat to medium.

Whisk egg in a bowl and add the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, onion, garlic, salt and pepper.

Crumble in minced beef and using your hands or a fork gently mix together. (Handle the meat as little as possible as the more you work it, the tougher it gets).

Gently shape mixture into patties about 2cm thick.

Make the bacon jam by frying the bacon over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently until the bacon is cooked but still quite chewy. A few crispy bits are OK. 19•04•2020

Sunday Times

Using a slotted spoon remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Pour out all but about one tablespoon of the bacon fat.

Add the onions to the pan and cook for about 8-10 minutes then reduce to low heat.

Add the sugar and stir. Continue to cook until the onions have caramelised (about 20 minutes). Add the coffee, ½ cup of water and bacon and increase the heat to medium.

Continue to cook, stirring about every five minutes, until the onions are thick and jamlike (about 30 minutes).

Remove from heat and stir through the balsamic vinegar. Taste for seasoning and add salt if necessary.

Place burgers on the griddle and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes per side. (Don’t press or prick patties, nor turn frequently as the juices will be lost).

Lightly toast the burger bun and spread with butter. Add a couple of leaves of fresh iceberg lettuce and slices of tomato.

Top with a beef patty and cheese if using.

Spoon over a big dollop of bacon jam.

Tip: Leftover jam can be bottled and refrigerated for up to a week. To re-use, simply bring back to room temperature before serving. (There will be little spots of white fat when you take it out of the fridge but as it comes to room temperature they will disappear.)

The 13-part series starts tonight on People°s Weather channel (DStv 180) at 6pm. See this recipe being made in the Wine, Dine and Stein series, episode 4.

T ON TIMEOU

Dear Aviation . .

W Sunday Times

TRAVEL

WIN

Y

PICTURE:

ENTER TO

A PINCH OF PRETTY

es, you have been at home for way too long now (with still a while to go). Double yes: the world has gone weird. But no, our printers haven’t had a breakdown under lockdown and your eyes aren’t deceiving you either. This wonderful spot of oddity is a real place — the photographer took second place in the 2019 International Landscape Photographer of the Year competition.

The scene is to be found on a tiny island in the central Caribbean, about 100km from Venezuela. Along with its neighbours, Curaçao and Aruba, it’s part of what are commonly known as the “ABC” islands. A bit more weirdness: all three of them are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. A and C are autonomous, and B is a “special municipality”.

All three attract their fair share of tourists, thanks especially to their inclusion in the itineraries of several cruise companies, though B is the smallest at 290km² and the sleepiest in terms of visitor attractions.

Its waters are in fact a marine national park, so the island is catnip for scuba-divers and snorkellers. Most day-trippers plonk themselves on a lovely beach, try out the unique cuisine (with Caribbean, Dutch and Spanish influences), visit the 1837 lighthouse, or mooch around the donkey sanctuary. The hilly national park in the northern part of the island lures hikers, mountain bikers and twitchers.

A

ELIZABETH SLEITH

But it’s visitors to the south who get to behold this vision of white pyramids and pink waters — a pretty perk of the island’s booming salt industry. The US-based Cargill Corporation’s solar salt facility is one of the largest in the Caribbean, covering almost 42km², or about 13% of the island.

Each pyramid of salt, at this point stacked and ready for export, is about 15m high, containing about 10,000t of 99.6% pure salt — the end result of a process that essentially involves pumping seawater into shallow ponds and waiting for it to evaporate. Altogether the process takes about 10 to 12 months, depending on factors such as temperature, wind, and precipitation.

The pink water happens in the late stages of the process, and is actually caused by micro-organisms — halophilic bacteria — that thrive in the high salinity. This is the very same organism that makes a flamingo’s wings pink. Famed for their love of salty snacks, flamingoes flock to the island.

The pans are also home to a flamingo sanctuary, though the creatures can be seen all around the island. They are so integral to its identity, in fact, that the airport is called Flamingo International. All round, pretty in pink. ● To stand a chance of winning R500, tell us the name of the island.

E-mail travelquiz@sundaytimes.co.za before noon on Tuesday April 21. Last week’s winner is Warda Dollie. The correct answer was St Peter’s Square.

THERE’S A FOREST IN YOUR KITCHEN AND AN ICE CAVE IN YOUR BED

new trend in landscape photography is emerging under lockdown — with shooters using macro lenses, ordinary household items and tiny figurines to create Insta-outdoor scenes.

The pioneer seems to have been California-based travel blogger Erin Sullivan (@erinoutdoors), who started by posting a canoe on a lake, as seen from a distance through a snowy crevice. Her caption reads: “Today I went for a snowy paddle in an ice cave with a couple of new friends.”

In truth, it was a tiny toy on a bed, spied through a carefully draped sheet.

With an avalanche of positive reaction, Sullivan started a series — #ErinsGreatIndoors — more instalments of which have included a hike through a canyon (made with stacked

pancakes) and a walk in “Broccoli Forest” (pictured). Sullivan then called on others to attempt their own fake outdoor scenes and to share them under the hashtag #ourgreatindoors.

Sullivan wrote: “Your inner artist can thrive given any restriction. Follow your curiosity.”

Several other contributors are now doing delightful things too, including Stevin Tuchiwsky (@stevint), with shots of mountain climbers and deep-sea divers.

Another recent post shows three tiny human figures placed in individual pieces of Fruit Loops cereal. Shot directly from above, they look like three friends floating on tubes in a pool (@nowherenelson). Another is a beach scene, complete with a (cocktail) umbrella (@phil.the.frame). — Elizabeth Sleith

EDITOR: ELIZABETH SLEITH CONTACT TEL 011 280 5117 DESIGNER VERNICE SHAW PROOFREADER HELEN SMITH PUBLISHER ASPASIA KARRAS HEAD OF ADVERTISING SALES BELA STANDER 011 280 3154, E-MAIL STANDERB@ARENA.AFRICA SUBSCRIBER HOTLINE 0860 52 52 00

12

LifeStyle | Travel

19•04•2020

Sunday Times

A

HERE KITTY, KITTY …

luxury pet hotel in the UK is doing its bit in the fight against Covid-19 by offering free stays to cats whose owners get sick.

Hotel Cat, in Sway, Hampshire, is normally a five-star getaway for pets whose owners are on holiday. But the current drop in travel means their usually busy business is on “paws”.

The owners said on their Facebook page, “If you know anyone who has to be hospitalised or is too ill to care for their cat we will collect it and look after it free of charge until they are back on their feet.”

The gesture has inspired delight around the world. One commentator (from Sweden) writes: “This has put tears in my eyes and shows there is humanity in the chaos.”

ith much of the world under some form of lockdown, and all but a handful of countries imposing strict restrictions on overseas arrivals, things have never been more silent for the aviation industry.

The travel analyst OAG, which tracks the number of available seats for every country and airline on the planet, says global air capacity has fallen to 37.8million seats — a 65% fall since the start of January.

No region has been spared, but it is Western Europe that has been hardest hit.

In the week commencing January 20, 18.6million seats were offered on flights to and from its airports. Now that’s fallen by 87% to less than 2.5-million.

Dozens of airlines have grounded their entire fleets, including Ryanair, EasyJet, Turkish Airlines, Avianca, Thai AirAsia and Siberia Airlines. Others are offering just a few departures. IndiGo’s weekly capacity has fallen from 1.8-million to 632, and Emirates has cut seats from 1.5-million to 5,664. Even British Airways, which has sought to keep a fair chunk of its long-haul routes open, has reduced overall capacity from 1.1-million to 96,507.

US and Chinese airlines continue to serve domestic routes with considerable frequency, but remove them from the equation and the picture looks even more remarkable. The US “big four” airlines, for example (American, United, Delta and Southwest) now account for 26% of global air traffic, up from 15% in January.

Southwest, whose main focus is domestic flying, has become the world’s biggest airline. Wizz Air, which is valiantly keeping Eastern Europe connected, comes in at number eight (just ahead of Air China).

A slowdown like this is completely unprecedented, and images from aviation tracking website FlightRadar24 reveal how the skies have been emptied.

The pictures on the right show the skies over Europe, both at the same time of day (noon) taken a month apart. The top picture was taken on March 14; the bottom this week, on April 14.

YOU’RE GROUNDED

Oliver Smith take a closer look at the emptying of the skies March 14 2020

The situation in SA In compliance with the rules under the national state of disaster, Fly Safair, Kulula and Mango airlines suspended all their flights from March 27 and plan on resuming flights once the lockdown is lifted.

South African Airways (SAA) likewise suspended all its domestic flights, but had already scaled back capacity in response to the low demand for air travel because of Covid-19. On March 17, it said in a statement that “in the light of the substantial fall in demand for air travel”, it had cancelled 162 flights between March 17 and 31. That was 38 international flights and 124 regional flights.

After the government imposed restrictions on the entry of citizens from high-risk countries, including those where SAA operates (the US, the UK and Germany), the airline on March 20 suspended all its intercontinental and African regional flights until May 31.

However, the airline has experienced increased demand for cargo flights to transport essential goods throughout the lockdown period.

SAA also agreed to provide charter flights to repatriate foreign nationals stuck in SA to their home countries. So far, it has flown German, Brazilian, Belgian and Canadian citizens home.

April 14 2020

Well, there is an upside …

Environmentalists have got their wish. A 65% cut in air capacity (from 106.7-million seats to 37.8-million) translates to a global daily reduction of about 2-million tons of CO².

When all those people last year were vowing not to fly, they had no idea how simple it would be. — © Telegraph Media Group Limited [2020],

So which airlines are still flying?

As outlined above, BA and others do still have planes in the sky — though the

D

number is diminishing. British Airways is ploughing on with a worldwide service, albeit mainly from London Heathrow, and with a reduced frequency. KLM is maintaining several of its links between Britain and Amsterdam. The closure of airports in the United Arab Emirates has largely limited the capacity of Emirates and Etihad to take off, but their regional competitor Qatar Airways is still in the air. Scottish carrier Loganair is carrying on with select business in and out of its hub Glasgow, and Wizz Air is shuttling back and forth to various runways in eastern Europe.

additional reporting by Sanet Oberholzer

© Flightradar24.com

MORE PEOPLE ARE BOOKING CRUISES NOW THAN BEFORE COVID-19

espite the ways in which Covid-19 has rocked the cruise industry — with passengers stranded on ships and worldwide sailings now cancelled for the foreseeable future — bookings for next year are on the up.

In the past month and a half there has been a 40% increase in reservations made for 2021 compared with 2019, according to CruiseCompete.com, an online cruise marketplace.

The Los Angeles Times quoted the company’s president, Heidi M Allison, as saying only 11% of those bookings were from people whose 2020 trips had been cancelled, indicating a surge in new interest.

According to Adam Coulter, UK managing editor of Cruise Critic, a recent online poll of 4,400 travellers had found 75% of them would cruise “as much as” or “even more” once they’re able to again. “It’s a testament to the popularity among cruisers and highlights just how keen many are to get back

Online marketplace says reservations are up 40% compared to this time last year onboard,” Coulter said.

James Hill, an agent for GoCruise and Travel, says they too, after a month of dealing with refunds and rebookings, have begun to see the green shoots of recovery.

“Over the weekend and into this week a clutch of new enquiries has come in,” he says.

“People with special celebrations in 2021 — wedding anniversaries and significant birthdays — are aware that demand for the small and river cruise ships may be high next year and want to secure their booking now.”

Tom Wolber, chief executive of Crystal Cruises, puts the situation into perspective.

“More than 30 million people cruise every year and absolutely love it, so the cruise industry will come back from this. The cruise industry has weathered storms before and we 13

LifeStyle | Travel

have a strong track record of adapting and responding to world events around us.

“There will be additional Covid-19 protocols for voyages when they commence. We will conduct illness screenings for all passengers who have travelled from any destinations listed on the Centres for Disease Control (CDC) ‘Coronavirus Disease Information for Travel’ within 14 days of embarkation.”

When travel bans might lift to enable new sailings remains unclear. The US issued a no-sail order, which effectively ends cruising within its waters until at least mid-July, unless Washington intervenes or the CDC itself rescinds or modifies the ruling.

Cruise writer Dave Monk said, “Of course, this would not prevent cruises resuming in

19•04•2020

Sunday Times

other parts of the world, particularly the Mediterranean, so the focus will now switch to Europe and how soon restrictions can be lifted to allow river and ocean cruises to start again, even in small ways at first. ” Ross Volk, managing director for MSC Cruises South Africa, says the global fleet is set to resume sailing on May 29. This is, of course, dependent on the development of the pandemic.

In accordance with the SA state of disaster, MSC ended its local cruise season — sailing from Durban to the islands of Mozambique — in late March. The season was set to end this month.

Volk said MSC was currently planning to go ahead with its 2020/2021 season, starting in November. “However, that is dependent on the relaxing of the state of disaster, the opening of ports, as well as consulting with all of the stakeholders, particularly the department of health,” he said — © Telegraph Media Group Limited [2020] & Elizabeth Sleith

RD MOOD BOA

3

#whenwe travelagain

1

6

With lockdown extended, the Lifestyle team are busy living rich travel lives — in their minds — with fantastical plots for epic adventures when it’s over. Here are some of our wildest-dream escapes ...

4 7 5

14/15

2

1. LISBON Jennifer Platt, Books editor

I went into the deepest Netflix hole with a show called Somebody Feed Phil. It tracks Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal as he travels and eats all the things. Before the show, Copenhagen was top of my list, then Phil went to Lisbon. It has most of what you want when you visit other cities — trams like San Francisco, a statue of Jesus like Rio, fountains like Rome. It also has quite a few culinary magicians — gelato, pizza and sausages with sauerkraut sold on the streets. Never mind all the bakeries where you can eat as many pastéis de nata as your heart desires.

2. FINLAND

Pictures: 2 kakslautten.fi; 6 wallpaperaccess.com;7 thesouthafrican.com; and 123rf.com

Sanet Oberholzer, Features writer

My travel fantasy involves my partner and me snuggled up in snow-clad Finish Lapland with views of the Northern Lights. Top of the accommodation bucket list is Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, whose glass igloos call to me.

Sheltered in a forest, the glass domes have their own shower and toilet and can be booked throughout the Northern Lights season from the end of August to the end of April each year.

When you’re not admiring the swirls of yellow, green and blue at night, you can steam up in a smoke sauna or go ice dipping in water that’s clean enough to drink. You can also visit Santa’s house; go crosscountry skiing or embark on a husky, reindeer or snowmobile safari. As far as winter wonderlands go, this one leaves me starry eyed. See kakslauttanen.fi.

3. MEXICO Elizabeth Sleith, Travel editor

Frida Kahlo started it. A teenage infatuation with the artist segued into a décor obsession with Talavera tiles and cobaltblue walls, and Mexico is still the queen of my wish list. I’d spend days exploring Mexico City, from La Casa Azul, where Frida was born, to the Unesco-listed city

9

8

centre, with its myriad reminders of its Aztec origins and Spanish colonial architecture.

Then I’d head for the little towns. Merida with its bright buildings and a cathedral built from Mayan bricks; Oxaca, the unofficial foodie capital; and Tulum, a hippie seaside town with Mayan ruins nearby. As for wide open spaces, Mexico has 67 national parks — so wherever the wind takes me. Though it sounds like US tourist hell, I must stop in Cancun to see the Underwater Museum — 500 sculptures slowly succumbing to nature on the sea bed.

In weeks of wandering (weeks, I tell you!), I’d taste all the mezcal, cheer on the luchadores and stuff suitcases with all the garish textiles I could manage. Just before my exit, timed for November, I’d celebrate everyone’s return to the land of the living on the nation’s most flamboyant holiday: the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).

4. THE GRAND CANYON Andrea Nagel, Lifestyle editor

For years, I’ve travelled the world with my friends. I’ve seen the balconies of designer hotels, wandered the streets of European towns and spied the ocean through cocktail glasses — all with a touch of envy.

Instagram’s a bitch! Now we’re all stuck in the same movie — Lockdown: The Sequel.

My end-of-lockdown fantasy doesn’t feature any of the places in those pictures.

When I get out of pokey what I want to do most is walk — away from stuff-filled shops and traffic-clogged streets. I want to be in my own head, walking in my own direction, just one foot in front of the other, not conscious of anything but the wonder in front of my eyes. I want to lose contact with time, space and direction, the conceits of commerce and status and hierarchy. I want to be alone, damn it, walking the Bright Angel Trail on the remote North Rim of the Grand Canyon across a tapestry of ridges running high above deep valleys and the rushing Colorado River. It will be a walk towards the song of my own heart.

Frida Kahlo. Picture: © Nickolas Muray Photo Archives

14

LifeStyle | Travel

5. PARIS

8. SKOPELOS

Nokubonga Thusi, Beauty editor

Hilary Biller, Food editor

I have never been and it’s always been a dream. I was due to go there this year but … that’s off. I even have a Pinterest board full of the landmarks I would love to visit, such as the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Grand Palais and Pont Alexandre III. It also holds mood boards of the outfits I would wear (cue classic tourist-issue red Parisian beret), the skincare products I would buy and the food I would eat. Who wouldn't want pain au chocolat, croissants and the best macaroons of your life with a coffee from a quaint café to be your first post-lockdown memory?

Thirty years ago my husband and I hopscotched through a trio of islands — Skiathos, Skopelos and Alonissos in the Aegean sea. I yearn to go back — especially to Skopelos.

Hopefully the strains of Abba (Mamma Mia! was filmed there 16 years ago) have gone quiet. I promise I'm NOT doing the Mamma Mia! tour. Instead, it’s the undulating rocky coastline of the island that makes getting to the port tricky— and probably why the island has not become as over-touristed as the others.

Of course, the pull is that warm, aquamarine sea, those white buildings and the promise of exploring by scooter or on foot. Here the tavernas offer the freshest ingredients, like freshly caught calamari, simply prepared over a fire with a splash of olive oil, fresh lemon, lots of garlic and salt and pepper and salads without lettuce.

Breakfast is the thickest sheep-milk yoghurt drizzled with honey and sprinkled with nuts.

6. THE US Sarah Buitendach, Wanted editor

I’d be going on the holiday I did have booked for the end of April: a road trip in the States.

We’d be driving from New Orleans to Memphis, Nashville and then the Smoky Mountains. It’s my dream excursion — the food of Nolo, the jazz, the blues, the rock ’n roll, Graceland, weird little towns on the Mississippi Delta and Dollywood. Oh Dollywood! Anyhow, if British Airways finally get back to me with my voucher for travel at a later date, perhaps I’ll still get to jump in an old Mustang and speed down the interstate.

7. THREE SISTERS Stephen Haw, Lifestyle content editor

I’m going to persuade my brother and his son to join me on a motorbike trip into the heart of the Karoo. We’ll leave in September and spend a night in Three Sisters. It’s the perfect mythical gateway for a journey into what still matters, what still stands in a land boiled down to bare essentials.

We’ll drink beer (lots of it), eat the best lamb chops in the world and conspire with them to ride all the roads that seem to go nowhere but never do. There’ll be hard days, for sure, but there’ll be others when the road will stretch out before us like one big expanse of forever.

There will be nights, too, when we sit around huge fires telling stories and watching our laughter unravel into the night like sparks. The three of them, the three of us ... what could go wrong?

19•04•2020

Sunday Times

9. MONTENEGRO Yolisa Mkele, Features writer

Confinement has made me want to see the interesting parts of the world, the bits you only ever hear about in global sports competitions, like Montenegro.

Tucked away in the Balkans, this Eastern European gem looks like a fun place to go for those who are interested in something off the beaten path. It is relatively cheap, prettier than Beyoncé mucking about with baby oil and more unique than going to NYC. It may sound like a dicey proposition for those of us with deliciously high melanin levels, but according to some folks on Tripadvisor, people are more likely to be curious than overtly racist. Basically you may be better off there than you would be in parts of SA. If you’re not convinced, that’s fine. I don’t need to get to Podgorica and bump into a whole bunch of South Africans who would end up snitching when they met a bunch of Montenegrins who thought, for some reason, that I was Nelson Mandela’s favourite grandson.

ILLUSTRATION: © PIET GROBLER

T

WE’LL MEET AGAIN, MAGOEBASKLOOF

here’s this thing about certain places. Before you’ve ever set foot there, sometimes as you first hear about them, they possess a strange charm. It’s like you’re familiar with the landscape even though you have no idea where it is on the map.

Shortly after booking accommodation for a family road trip in late 2018, I happened to casually mention to my friend, art dealer and collector Warren Siebrits, that one of the stops on the way would be in Magoebaskloof. He lit up immediately and told me how, 25 years before, his father had accidentally taken him there on the way back from the Kruger Park. “The area’s remarkable spiritual quality stayed with me,” he recounted. “I went back with my girlfriend, Lunetta, in 1999, and we’ve returned there at least 15 times since.”

Hearing how a wrong turn had led to a lifelong connection reminded me that some of my most memorable travelling experiences started out on a whim. Fresh out of school, I spent years country hopping and soon learnt that to get to the best destinations all you need is a hunch. Maybe it’s something in the name or the image it conjures up, but these special places are already part of you, lying deep within your subconscious, waiting to finally meet you face to face.

When I eventually did roll into Magoebaskloof, carefully navigating the dirt road that took us to the gates of Glenogle Farm, it wasn’t quite like I’d imagined, but was certainly unlike anywhere I’d been before. A blackened forest, dark, shady and full of adventurous opportunities for our five-year-old boy, surrounded our cottage on this rambling, secluded estate. A path led down to a gorgeous dam where water lilies and reeds rustled as unseen shadows rippled the water around them. It was mysterious and enticing, unknown and familiar. Warren’s description made perfect sense: “Our very own Twin Peaks experience.”

Earlier this year I returned to Glenogle for a fashion shoot, where we used its enigmatic backdrop to paint a somewhat prescient portrait of

SHARON ARMSTRONG

Do you have a funny story about your travels? Send 600 words to travelmag@sundaytimes.co.za and include a recent photo of yourself.

100

Oh, Snap!

Yasmin Broderick from Cape Town sent us this photo taken in Cappadocia, Turkey.

Here, she looks over the unusual landscape of Pigeon Valley, so named because of the small pigeon dwellings that are carved into the rockfaces.

isolation. Then, as luck (coincidence/fortune/destiny) would have it, I travelled all the way back up there with my husband a few days later, on my birthday, to attend a wedding at Minas Art Café.

Now the way I’ve described this forested mountain town might make you think it’s all goth and gloom. But it’s not. It’s way more surprising, less obvious than that. And this became clear when lunching at the lovely Mountain Café. There was singing to mark my special day and, through this, I discovered that another diner was also celebrating. Turns out Marloe Scott Wilson and I were born on the same day.

Known as The Pink Lady in the ’80s, a popular singer with hair to match her name, Marloe now lives in neighbouring Haenertsburg, where she paints, rescues animals and grows an organic garden. She was warm and welcoming, and is, apparently, always ready to burst into song.

She let me in on her best local spots — for fresh rye bread, for lamb curry, for cheese-and-garlic focaccia.

Our wedding weekend was wonderful.

We stayed at the stately Magoebaskloof Hotel, entranced by the spectacular views over the valley and witnessed vows being exchanged in a pine forest before dancing the night away under the stars.

I had my list in my hand as we drove back home, silently promising to check each item off when I returned. Soon.

We passed The Ranch Resort where, the day before, 122 South Africans had been repatriated from Wuhan, China. That night a state of disaster was declared. Then lockdown. Now, a month later, I’m thankful that my last outing was to such an astonishing, atypical part of the country and comforted by the knowledge that it’s waiting for me.

Like it always has been.

... roughly the number of activities that everyone’s favourite outdoorsman, Bear Grylls, has endorsed as part of an initiative called ”The Great Indoors“, meant to help children — and their parents — survive lockdown.

Famed for presenting a number of wilderness television shows, Grylls — whose real name is Edward Michael Grylls OBE — is also the chief ambassador for the global Scout

Want R500? Send your picture (at least 500KB) with a brief description of what’s happening in the photo, plus the full names of the people pictured and where they’re from, to ohsnap@sundaytimes.co.za.

15

LifeStyle | Travel

19•04•2020

movement, which aims to boost young people by fostering a sense of camaraderie, determination and ultimately Sunday Times

achievement through outdoor challenges.

Acknowledging that, for kids, even a week indoors ”can be as tough as a week in the mountains”, Grylls is now encouraging children to dive into the UK Scouts website — with its raft of free activities, games and craft ideas to “keep them challenged, learning, and happy” (scouts.org.uk/thegreat-indoors).

The activities are divided into age groups and include things like making a collage out of leaves; making a a pinhole camera; and building a tiny raft out of twigs (then testing it in a bowl of water).

PICTURE: ©BEARGRYLLS ADVENTURE.COM

How to:

DIY SPA BATH After this your bathroom will be your new favourite at-home destination Ambience is everything: The difference between an everyday bath and spa bathing is the mood. Create an environment that is conducive to relaxation. Stimulate all your senses — pop in your favourite tunes, burn fragranced candles and prepare a glass of wine or cup of tea. Make sure that you have everything you need — books, facial tools, headphones and so on — close at hand.

Use a hand scrub: Give your hands a little extra attention, especially after all that handwashing and sanitising you’ve been doing. Mix half a cup of sugar (brown sugar has a more granular texture than white), 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 10-15 drops of an essential oil of your choice, or lemon juice. Massage the mixture onto hands in gentle circular motions while in the bath, and rinse off with warm water.

BEAUTY NEWS

Stuck at home with nothing but your phone and half your sanity? Use our guide to healthy habits and relaxing routines for a happier lockdown.

TEXT: NOKUBONGA THUSI; PICTURES: GETTY IMAGES /ROSDIANA CIARAVOLO

16/17

DO YOU HAVE TECH SKIN? Are you spending a little extra screen time on your devices for those Zoom meetings, family video calls or bingeing on the latest IG Live content? We know the feeling.

Sadly, as much as whiling away the time during lockdown this way is a plus, the effect it’s having on your skin is not.

The LED screens on our devices emit a high-energy visible light (HEV), or blue light, which not only disrupts your body’s ability to make the sleep-inducing hormone, melatonin, but also the skin’s ability to regenerate properly overnight.

This leads to premature signs of ageing and sleep deprivation.

“As we are constantly exposed to light, all the frequencies of light have the potential to damage skin, so we have to protect daily,” says Dr Bradley Wagemaker, medical director at Lamelle Research Laboratories. That’s why it is important to religiously apply moisturisers with antioxidant, SPF formulas and light filters that will protect skin from blue light damage. Other practical things to enforce are reducing your screen time throughout the day and activating your night mode, which you can set the time period for, so that your phone screen light dims from a bright cool light to a warmer yellow light and reminds you to take a break or sleep.

5 GET FIT APPS & SITES Gyms are closed and the beginnings of a

summer body that you hoped would kick in are slowly fading. Don’t give up on your goals, stay active — even at home — with these fitness apps, Instagram accounts and websites to follow.

1

Yoga with Adrienne: Need to realign your energies and improve your muscle flexibility? Tune in to the YouTube account, Yoga with Adrienne, to warrior salute, downward dog and child’s pose your way to wellbeing.

Tone and Sculpt: Looking to chisel out strong, firm limbs, lose centimetres and gain some muscles? Then following the Tone and Sculpt Instagram account should be on your to-do list.

Packed with at-home workouts for different fitness levels and equipment resources – whether you have a few dumbbells or just your body weight – hello bikini bod @toneandsculpt Viva Gym: Missing your local gym?

Why not follow them online? Follow this Instagram account for daily workouts or check out the curated Les Mills workouts YouTube playlist full of high-intensity interval and strength training to keep you going. @vivagymsa Sudor: Eyeing the fitness levels of your favourite fitness influencer on social media? Well Sudor, a new IOS App, allows you to train with local and international trainers in a pinch. With the likes of local fitness expert Mapule Ndhlovu (@queenfitnass) go global with your at-home gym routine for just R150p/m with a free trial.

2 3 4

5

Mama Well UK: Expectant mamas, new mothers or now stay-at-home moms need not feel like getting a great workout is impossible. Follow @mamawelluk for quick, body weight gym sessions that are kind to your bump or busy schedule.

4 BEST MENTAL HEALTH APPS Depression and anxiety are serious issues that are spiking, worldwide, at the moment.

Keep a sane head on your shoulders with these mental health apps.

1 2 3

Smiling Mind – A free app that doesn’t have that annoying problem of in-app purchases. Smiling Mind offers meditation sessions for dealing with anxiety and getting a good night’s rest.

Calm – Keep calm and meditate with the Calm App that will help you practise mindfulness and stillness if your world is feeling a little shaky.

Moodpath — Whether you are feeling newly overwhelmed or bridging the gap between therapy sessions, Moodpath helps you journal your emotions and gives helpful plans of action to implement in your life.

Colorfy: Indulge in some colour therapy with this app that allows you to create colour-by-numbers imagery and help you decompress for a few minutes — or hours. Who says colouring in is just for children?

4

5 of the best:

1. Payot Blue Techni Liss Weekend Peeling Mask 25g R145 dischem.co.za 2. Dermalogica Phyto Nature Firming Serum 40ml R2,599 dermalogica.co.za 3.Nimue Sun-C Environmental Shield SPF 50 50ml R690 4. SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic 30ml R2,385 dermastore.co.za 5. Uriage Age Protect MultiAction Eye Contour 15ml R625

TECH-PROTECT

16

LifeStyle | Fashion

19•04•2020

Sunday Times

Create a natural mask: This twoingredient mask with lactic acid and vitamin C will hydrate, soften and brighten skin. Mix 2 tablespoons of plain yoghurt (double cream will have a creamier texture) with 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice.

Apply mixture to the face using a clean flat foundation brush for an even spread and leave on until the mask dries. Rinse off with warm water.

All about the motion: Changing the texture of the products you use can greatly improve the quality of your bath experience. Swap out body wash gels for bath oils or scrubs that will give a different feel on the skin. Make sure to massage products in with long, circular motions to fully enjoy every texture.

Make your own bath salts: Enjoy a soak in homemade bath salts that will fill the room with an aromatic scent and ease tired muscles. Take any small glass jar and fill it, about two-thirds full, with coarse salt.

Shave a few pieces of a scented soap bar, enough to fill about a third, and add to the jar. If you have essential oils, like lavender or lemongrass, add about 10 drops to the mixture. Screw on the lid, shake up to mix and sprinkle into your tub.

BOOST IMMUNITY Put your body into fighting mode with these easy, homemade “potions” built to boost defences Lemon water: Not only is this a simple immune booster but adding fresh lemon, with the rind still on, to warm water also helps alkalinise the body. Having the body in an alkaline state is crucial to maintaining balance in the body’s functions. When the body is more acidic, the immune system becomes compromised and an easy target for bacteria and diseases that cannot thrive in an alkaline state.

Vit C Heat: Create a spicy, antioxidantpacked and comforting drink. Use about a cup of orange juice, or half a cup to make a concentrated shot, as a base. Add a few sprinkles of cayenne pepper (according to your tolerance) and a few sprinkles of turmeric to your preference. The cayenne helps relieve pain and digestive issues; turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties.

Flu fighter: If you’re good at taking tequila shots, this immune-boosting shot is no biggie. Fill a shot glass or squeeze 25ml of lemon juice into a glass. In a separate glass, crush a small piece of fresh ginger and add a squeeze of honey and a few sprinkles of cinnamon to make a slightly paste-like texture. Ingest the ginger-honey-cinnamon mixture and chase with the lemon juice.

Sunday Times HOME

CABIN FEVER On KolKol farm in the mountains outside Cape Town, | Rudi and Karen Oosthuyse have built a contemporary cabin that combines smart design with meticulous attention to detail Text: Robyn Alexander Styling: Sven Alberding Photographs: Warren Heath/ Bureaux

Designed and built by Rudi and Karen Oosthuyse, pictured with their five-month-old daughter Liela, the pod appears to ‘float’ gently above the surrounding landscape. All around, the fascinating forms of the plants that make up part of the worldrenowned Cape floral kingdom can be seen.

18/19

The KolKol pod appears to ‘float’ above the landscape and has been designed to blend into its environment, with wooden exterior cladding and decking softening the lines of the concrete shell. The rear wall, pictured far right, features more wood, in the form of chunky, rough-hewn panels, and the front opens up to the wooden deck and the views of the Van der Stel pass via wood and glass sliding doors. The front of the pod features a large wooden deck that includes space for an outdoor shower and a sunken wood-fired hot tub.

S

ometimes, small is beautiful.

From the first glimpse of this “pod”, recently built on KolKol farm in the Overberg, one’s interest is instantly piqued. Its arresting part-linear, partrounded shape provokes an immediate aesthetic thrill, and once you get up close to the structure, the feeling that you’re dealing with something special intensifies.

On one level, this small dwelling is simply a holiday cabin — created and built so that city folk can come to the farm to relax and reconnect with themselves, with nature and with one another. But the pod is a cabin taken very much to the next level in terms of design.

For a start, there’s the way it is situated in the landscape, seemingly hovering above it, yet also at one with the slope of the mountainside. “We carefully considered where to place them,” says KolKol owner and pod designer Rudi Oosthuyse, with what I soon realise is his usual level of quiet understatement. You need only spend an hour with this innovative thinker to understand that when Rudi modestly says “carefully considered” he actually means, “I spent more than a decade getting to know all this land and then looked with the utmost care at precisely where this structure should be situated, taking into account the views, the movements of the sun, the prevailing winds and the impact on the indigenous fynbos plants that surround it.”

Then there’s the actual design of the pod, which Rudi — along with his wife, Karen — also dreamed up pretty much in its entirety. They had built a first set of “more conventional mountain cabins” says Rudi, when they first started developing accommodation options in 2005. These are located on one of the higher slopes some distance above the site where the pod has been erected. But, he adds, “I’ve always had this sort of shape in my head. So when the time came to build this, I drew it all, and then got an architect to make detailed plans for council approval.”

From the outside, the pod is almost a rigidly rectangular box, except that the roof and floor are connected to the structure’s side walls via a gentle curve. The “box” shape was cast, from reinforced concrete, on site by Rudi and his team. “We got an engineer to help us with planning the reinforcements that were necessary throughout,” he says.

The severe rectangular lines are softened by the curves, as well as by the fact that the

exterior of the concrete shell is entirely clad in rough-hewn, dark-stained timber. This softening effect is further enhanced by the use of thick wooden panels to form the rear wall, in combination with large sliding glass and wood doors at the front. The latter allow for the views to be panoramic even when the pod is entirely closed to the elements, but can also be pushed away completely in front of the main living area and bedroombathroom areas.

This is a compact structure: the pod features an indoor space nominally divided into two sections — for living and for sleeping — by a large central fireplace with an integrated copper chimney. The living-area side of this fireplace is open, and the back of it faces the bedroom, with a glass panel that adds a dimension of space-enhancing transparency to the interior, while also allowing guests to go to sleep in the colder months with the glowing embers of a warm fire comfortingly visible through the glass.

The wooden front deck of the pod runs along its entire length — you can access it from the living space as well as from the bedroom-bathroom area — and constitutes a seamless extension of the interior spaces

The pod uses materials and textures in ways that make for a seamless feel across the indoors and the exterior deck. The cast concrete of the ceilings is complemented by wood in various grains, stains and textures, and set off by the bold plushness of the velvet occasional chair.

Between the living and bedroom areas is a small desk made by Wood Fusion Works (woodfusionworks.co.za), which also functions as a wood storage unit for the indoor fireplace.

The latter serves as a semi-transparent room divider that separates the living area from the bedroom and bathroom.

The kitchen is tucked into the back corner of the pod and features plenty of prep space, courtesy of the simple open kitchen units made on site by Rudi and his team.

The subway tiling has been taken all the way up the wall and partially into the curve, which makes the space feel bigger.

The rough-hewn, handmade feel of the pod is especially evident when doing the washing up with a view through the wooden-framed window.

Rudi and his team made the built-in bed and created the simple varnished tree stumps that are used as bedside tables. A chunky wooden shelf doubles as storage and the housing for the bedside light switches.

18

LifeStyle | Home

19•04•2020

Sunday Times

Wood cladding runs up the bathroom wall through the curve that links it to the ceiling, adding a tactile and natural feeling to the space. Rudi and his team made the wooden vanity shelf and put together the basin mixer and ingenious bath spout on site, using basic plumbing supplies and taps.

The living area is orientated around the large central fireplace, which features a sleek copper-clad chimney.

when the weather allows. Outside the bedroom-bathroom is an outdoor shower, while an all-weather couch is positioned nearby for exterior lounging.

Then there is a sunken wood-fired hot tub and, beyond that, an outdoor dining table, which is in turn adjacent to the interior living and dining area — as well as to the deck’s built-in outdoor cooking zone at the end. It all works together beautifully as an almost seamless and very pleasing open-plan space.

The pod has a unique aesthetic — part rough-hewn and natural, part linear and

contemporary, part luxuriously comfortable — and it embodies the Oosthuyses’ spirit of innovation, as well as their meticulous attention to every detail. The casting of the concrete that was to be left bare, for example, involved carefully preparing wooden casting panels from which the concrete picked up textures that add softening surface interest.

All the wood used was sourced locally from old plantings of alien gum trees that were being removed by other farmers in the area.

And many of the fixtures and furnishings — such as the solid wooden tables — were either 19

LifeStyle | Home

created by local artisans or in situ, which was the case with many of the bathroom fixtures, including the unique basin and bath spouts.

In terms of the interior decoration — very much Karen’s milieu — the pods have been given a casually luxe look, with lots of warm colours and textures setting off the concrete and wood of the finishes.

The laid-back feel is completed with textured woven lampshades, contemporary shapes for the chairs and couches, and a few judicious nods to the indigenous flora of the surrounding landscape in the form of the 19•04•2020

Sunday Times

fabrics chosen for scatter cushions.

Special additional elements include an indoor pizza oven as well as the latest iteration of KolKol’s well-known wood-fired hot tubs.

Also designed and made by Rudi, the tubs feature water heated via a stainless-steel, wood-fired stove that fits neatly into one corner. Along with the many innovations and thoughtful details that characterise the pod, it is finishing touches such as these that make this small abode unique. kolkol.co.za

Tzi Ma as the older PinJui and Christine Ko as his daughter Angela in ‘Tigertail’, an immigrant story of delicacy and depth from Alan Yang, the writer of such oddball hits as ‘Parks and Recreation’.

Pictures: Supplied

THE AMERICA OF OUR DREAMS

A

20/21

Immigrant story’s strength is in its universality and detail, writes Tymon Smith

lan Yang is known as the writer and Pin-Jui’s boss offers him a life in the US in producer of offbeat sitcoms like Parks exchange for making an honest woman out of and Recreation and Aziz Ansari’s his daughter, the lonely young man with the comedy drama Master of None. Fans of overactive imagination has to make a difficult the latter will remember an episode in choice. which Yang and Ansari examined the We know what he decided early on as the poignant stories of their parents — story is told through flashback as we watch the first-generation Asian immigrants much older Pin-Jui, recently widowed and who left their lives in Taiwan and India living in the US, nostalgically looking back on for a better life in the US. what could have been, now faced with difficult For his feature film debut, Yang has questions from his American extended that exploration with a story daughter. inspired by his father’s journey from It’s an immigrant story like Taiwan to the US that treads some others but perhaps that’s part of the well-trodden territory with a fresh point. Every story of the sacrifices perspective. made in pursuit of the proffered It’s the story of a young man named riches of the American Dream is Pin-Jui, raised in the oppressive similar but has unique contours and environment of the post-World War 2 highlights. Yang’s strength is in Taiwan countryside, where his lonely paying attention to the details that life with his grandmother makes him a Hong-Chi Lee make his father’s story different child with a somewhat overactive plays Pin-Jui while also managing to zero in on its imagination. He has few friends universal elements. except for Yuan, a girl he meets in the fields.

Is the America in which Yang and his As Pin-Jui grows up and enters the mundane generation were raised worth the trouble and world of factory work, he and Yuan begin to fall sacrifice his father paid to get there? It’s a in love, bonding over their appreciation of thorny question. There aren’t any definite American music and a shared impish aversion answers but this slight, moving and touching to rules and authority that sees them enjoy film leaves enough space for contemplation of themselves as best they can by dine-andthese themes without letting them override the dashing at expensive restaurants and dreaming bittersweet human drama of anxiety and regret of American-style freedoms. at its heart.

It looks as if the poor but happy youngsters will marry and realise their dreams, but when ‘Tigertail’ is available on Netflix

I

The ultimate island getaway

f only there was a desert island to get away to in a time of lockdown. Well, there is, and for 5,000 Nook miles, it’s yours. Animal Crossing: New Horizon was always going to be a big hit. It’s the fifth in the series of a beloved franchise and the online communities were abuzz for months before its release, though no-one expected it would become the fastest-selling Switch game ever in Japan and the UK. It unwittingly cracked the perfect timing of a global pandemic when playing games indoors is encouraged and people want to roam free on their own island.

The premise: you want to escape the city and so you sign up for an island getaway package from Tom Nook, a business raccoon. He and his assistants whisk you away to your island where you work off your debt by fishing, shaking trees for sticks and fruit, collecting

weeds and helping to pitch tents. Time passes in real time, with seasons linked to your hemisphere, allowing you to slow down and get lost in the simple act of running around and digging up fossils. As the game progresses you explore more and craft your surroundings; buy a house, build a museum, interact with ghosts and create a community.

You can visit other islanders in your area or go to your friends’ islands and hang out together in close virtual proximity. Kids are creating in-game birthday parties, people are going on dates and one couple got married with their friends virtually in attendance when the virus cancelled their realworld plans.

We’ve never needed an oasis escape like we do now. This game provides it. Sylvia McKeown

‘Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ is available for download on Nintendo Switch 20

LifeStyle

19•04•2020

ONE MAN AND HIS THEROPOD

W

hat happens after the Covid19 lockdown ends? The apocalyptic Cassandras seem to think we’ll all be living in a dog-eat-dog world. Cooler heads believe the world will certainly be changed in significant ways as far as economics and sociology are concerned.

Both sides tend to look to the past to find ways of navigating the future, but how far back should we go? To before the internet, social media, Amazon and Apple, or further still to some agrarian pre-Industrial Revolution Utopia?

What if we could turn the clock back to the very beginning and reset everything from the dawn of humanity — hopefully in a more idealistic manner than the cynical, violent vision of that era provided in the opening of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 A Space Odyssey.

Well, have no fear because, as we look around for the reset button and figure out a way to re-programme the whole damn business, Dexter’s Laboratory and Samurai Jack creator Genndy Tartakovsky presents his short, sharp and brutal animated series

Sunday Times

Primal — a gory, elegantly simple, poignant and not-for-kids imagining of what human life at the beginning of everything may have been and could return to now on some levels.

Easily consumed in just under two hours, the five-part series is a masterful exercise in demonstrating the power of images, music and ambient sound to tell an effective and bloody tale of life in the primitive TRex, giant snake, flying devil bat and velociraptor-infested landscape of the land before time.

Our heroes are Spear — a big chunk of caveman named after his Stone Age weapon, who’s left on his own after a tragedy, and Fang, his curmudgeonly Tyrannosaurus rex companion, also orphaned under tragic circumstances.

The odd pair are thrown together by similar diets and circumstances and left to navigate their way through an increasingly frightening and lifethreatening series of predator encounters in which they learn to put aside their differences and develop a mutually beneficial, if somewhat prickly, bromance.

Tartakovsky’s thick-lined drawing style and sparse backgrounds combine with his particular talent for conveying action through the smart use of basic principles to create something that’s thrilling and brutal but also allows occasional pauses to laugh at the expense of its perplexed adventurers or for empathetic reflection of the big questions facing them.

As their relationship develops over the course of their close-shave encounters with hungry monsters roaming the plains, Tartakovsky’s characters — with their emotive visual quirks and in spite of their silence — draw you in and make you care and root for them wholeheartedly.

In a world populated with digital noise and misspelled opinions, that’s no small feat.

Don’t be misled — nobody wants to return to a world full of carnivorous monsters, where staying alive is the order of every day — but it’s nice to think that if we had to, there’d still be some basic humanity left in us somewhere that might ensure that we wouldn’t all turn into bone-wielding psychopaths. Tymon Smith ’Primal’ is available on Showmax

Book Bites All available as e-books

STARING INTO THE

HEART OF

DARKNESS

Wayfinding ★★★★★ Michael Bond, Picador One of the most terrifying and alienating experiences is being lost, though for most of us it is a rare occurrence. Bond explores how people catalogue their surroundings, making both unconscious and deliberate decisions, to find their way, even if they have never been in that place before. This fascinating book pulls the reader in as it examines how our wayfinding skills are impacted by how we raise children, how we exist in society, and how our brains develop.

Bond further addresses why wayfinding matters to both our mental health and old age. An excellent read. Tiah Beautement

Deft storytelling and journalism take us through the orchestrated violence perpetrated on women in war zones, writes Busang Senne

T

his is a story — stranger and crueller than fiction — that crosses oceans, borders, cultures and generations to weave the scattered histories of women devastated by war, erased in cultural artefacts and stripped from memory like a stain.

Our Bodies, Their Battlefield archives the darkly complex stories of women who have been at the forefront of liberation struggles, conflicts, insurgencies and war zones for centuries, used as pawns in games of geopolitical chess that fracture entire populations, with the repercussions seeping into communities for decades.

The collection of accounts gives testimony to the atrocities against women in modern warfare. It is not an easy read, it simply cannot be, but it is important nonetheless.

There is focus on how the re-traumatisation and stigma can be as scarring as human rights violations themselves. Lamb makes you stare deep inside the heart of darkness, deliberately seeking the small slivers of light through the ways these women have shaped the discourse of gender equality, women’s rights and international criminal law through their experiences.

Rape as an engineered mechanism of war is as old as conflict itself. But Lamb urges us to re-examine this relationship through the struggle to name and place sexual violence in conflict as a crime against humanity as severe as torture and terrorism. The struggle to recognise these heinous injustices for what they are reflects the deep prejudices against women since time immemorial.

Lamb’s deft storytelling and journalism — shrewd and illuminating — take us through the orchestrated horror that binds women from Bosnia to Rwanda, Congo to

M

y year as a publisher started on a heady high. At the end of January, I signed a joint venture with NB, South Africa’s largest trade publisher, in what can only be described as the opportunity of a lifetime. My imprint, Melinda Ferguson Books, was born. My career felt like it was on a new track. My dream of honing my business, fully supported by a company that shared my independent, creative vision, had just got real.

I commissioned 12 brilliant and exciting books for 2020. In late February, surrounded by some of SA’s finest writers, we toasted our new venture on the rooftop of the Media 24 building in Heerengracht, Cape Town, surrounded by the sublime views of Table Mountain, the ocean, Lion’s Head. It felt like I’d arrived.

Less than a month later, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that SA was in a state of disaster due to Covid-19. Overnight I watched my world evaporate. I was devastated. I stayed in bed for two days.

On March 24, three days before the lockdown, I went to my Melinda Ferguson Books WhatsApp authors group. (Yes, I know that does sound somewhat co-dependent — a publisher who chitty chats with her writers.)

We bemoaned our new state of uselessness — printers, book shops, distributing warehouses

@ms_tiahmarie

Our Bodies, Their Battlefield: What War Does to Women

★★★★★

Christina Lamb, HarperCollins, R370

Bangladesh, the Yazidi women terrorised by Islamic State to the schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram, their existence used against them to execute methodological terror that destabilises, dehumanises and displaces.

The veteran foreign correspondent doesn’t open the wounds of survivors and recount their horror for fun, but interviews community leaders, gender-based violence

Jacket Notes MELINDA FERGUSON

were all to lock down. Basically the entire book industry was put on hold. It felt like we’d all been killed overnight. In a casual comment, my rockstar author, Pumla Dineo Gqola, typed: “Maybe one day we should all write a book about corona.”

It felt like I’d got zapped. Three lines later I gave the group of 17 a seven-day deadline.

“Who’s in?” I typed. The entire group said: “Me”.

21

LifeStyle | Travel

researchers and human rights lawyers to explore the process of recourse, justice and rehabilitation for women whose bodies were used against them to divide along ethnic, cultural, religious and racial identities.

She trudges across the globe to raise the consciousness of policymakers, judicial systems and historians to the egregious impunity of trigger-happy men and the absence of corrective justice for the world’s forgotten women.

The research is rigorous, the rage is raw and righteous and when Lamb pulls you into a sunken place, she makes sure to show the humanity beneath what has happened to these women: women who have lost so much, too much, but deserve their names to be written into the commemorative fabric of history.

Available as an audio book and an e-book.

I’m not quite sure how it happened. It’s a well-known fact that authors are not the most compliant of God’s creatures. Seven days of insane intensity followed. They bitched, they moaned, they screamed. I am ashamed to admit I became a fascist. I whipped, I cursed, I controlled. The sevenday deadline, with all of us now under lockdown, somehow worked. I believe the intensity of a world falling apart around us inspired us to rage against time and a virus.

Exactly one week later all 17 stories were in. My fascist approach had worked. I hardly slept. I edited, I structured, I sent copy back, I re-edited, simultaneously briefing a cover.

The team at NB went on high alert. A hurricane called Melinda had landed. Teams worked together to approve budgets, contracts, sales and marketing. A book was birthed with very few complications but plenty of labour pains.

Three days later Lockdown: The Corona Chronicles was ready for e-conversion. On Sunday April 5, the book went live on Amazon. All 17 of us simultaneously invaded social media. Within hours it catapulted to No 1 in new releases (globally). It’s been tagged as “the fastest book, written by 17 authors in 7 days”. It’s been corona crazy.

Lockdown: The Corona Chronicles edited by Ferguson is available only as an e-book.

19•04•2020

Sunday Times

Postscript ★★ Cecelia Ahern, HarperCollins This is the sequel to the bestselling PS I Love You, but sometimes things just need to be left alone. No matter the pleas from the readers and no matter the story the writer has in her head, just say no. It waters down the poignant love story of Holly and Gerry. It takes place several years later after Gerry dies (that book was published 15 years ago!), and Holly is reluctantly drawn into the PS I Love You Club. Each dying person asks her to help them leave something behind for their loved ones, like Gerry did with the letters. It’s sentimental fluff. Jennifer Platt @Jenniferdplatt

The Confession ★★★ Jessie Burton, Picador Rose Simmons is desperate to find her mother, Elise Morceau, who disappeared soon after she was born. Her only clue leads to a once-famous writer, Constance Holden, who had an affair with Elise decades ago. She now lives as a recluse. Rose cons her way into Constance’s home and life, hoping for a trace of Elise among the books and furniture. Burton sketches her characters and their lives in fine detail and evokes a deep sense of longing and loneliness. The Confession is a slow, leisurely read and a powerful depiction of both motherhood and the absence of maternal influence. Sophisticated yet relatable, the characters and their stories will linger long after you’ve finished the book. Anna Stroud @annawriter_

Television

Sunday Times Page 22 April 19, 2020

SUNDAY April 19

Generations: The Legacy | 20:30 Uzalo | 21:00 One Day Leaders | 22:00 Mzansi Insider | 23:00 Yilungelo Lakho

SABC1

SABC2

05:00 Geleza Nathi | 06:00 Teenagers on a Mission | 07:00 Siyakholwa | 07:30 Bonisinani | 08:00 Imvelo | 08:30 Gospel Avenue | 09:30 Skeem Saam (omnibus) | 12:00 Uzalo (omnibus) | 14:30 Soccer repeats. Matches TBC | 17:30 Gospel Unplugged | 18:00 Break Da Beat | 19:00 News | 19:30 FILM: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) (13) Sci-fi action adventure | 21:30 The Agent | 22:30 Loxion Lyric | 23:30 Selimathunzi

05:00 Go Jetters | 05:30 Thabang Thabong | 06:00 Morning Live | 08:00 Doc McStuffins | 08:30 Nina and the Neurons | 09:00 Raising Babies | 09:30 Ladies Club | 10:00 Authentiek | 10:30 Focus | 11:00 7de Laan | 11:30 Muvhango | 12:00 Uzalo | 12:30 Generations | 13:00 Skeem Saam | 13:30 Lithapo | 14:00 Magnum PI | 15:00 Sid the Science Kid | 15:30 YoTV | 16:00 Cave Quest | 16:30 Hectic Nine-9 | 17:00 Naruto | 17:30 News | 18:00 7de Laan | 18:30 Nuus | 19:00 Beter Assie Bure | 20:00 News | 20:30 Triple Threat | 21:00 Muvhango | 21:30 Bone of My Bones | 22:00 Prison Wives | 23:00 Naurto | 23:30 Full View

SABC2

05:00 Raven the Little Rascal | 06:00 Numtums | 07:00 Morning Live | 08:30 7de Laan (omnibus) | 11:00 Simcha | 11:30 Oh My God | 12:30 Sport on 2 | 13:30 Countdown to Tokyo | 14:00 The Cube | 15:00 The A-Team | 16:00 Issues of Faith | 17:00 Gospel Superfest Holiday | 18:00 Nuus | 18:15 News | 18:30 Red Cake — Not the Cooking Show | 19:00 The Cube | 20:00 Speak Out | 20:30 RSVP: Dare to Change | 21:00 Titans | 22:00 Supernatural | 22:30 Hosanna | 23:30 Full View

SABC3

05:00 Hectic on 3 (two episodes) | 06:00 Covid 19 Grade 11 Mathematics | 07:00 Expresso | 09:00 The Profit | 10:00 Judge Faith Jenkins | 10:30 7de Laan | 11:00 Isidingo | 11:30 Generations: The Legacy | 12:00 Airwolf | 13:00 On Point | 14:30 The Table | 15:00 Ready for This | 16:00 Hectic on 3 | 16:30 Judge Faith Jenkins | 17:00 Afternoon Express | 18:00 The Profit | 19:00 Isidingo | 19:30 The Fashion Hero | 20:30 The Hostess with Lorna Maseko | 21:00 News @ 21:00 | 21:30 El Chapo | 22:30 High Rollers | 23:30 News

SABC3

e.tv

05:00 Special Assignment | 05:30 Psalted (double bill) | 06:30 An Nur | 07:00 Sadhana | 07:30 Chuck’s Choice | 08:00 Www.ExFrontiers | 08:30 Massive Monster Mayhem 09:00 Terrific Trucks | 09:30 Isidingo (omnibus) | 12:00 Top Billing | 13:00 The Table | 13:30 Funny You Should Ask (double bill) | 14:30 FILM: Veere Di Wedding (2018) (16) Comedy | 17:30 Mela | 18:30 Animal Babies | 19:30 Spirit | 20:30 Joyride | 21:00 News @ 21:00 | 21:30 FILM: How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003) (13) Romantic comedy | 23:30 Koze Kuse

05:00 Just for Laughs Gags | 05:30 Judge Judy | 06:00 The Morning Show | 08:00 Morning News Today | 08:30 Tanto Amor: So Much Love | 09:30 Days of Our Lives | 10:30 Gebroke Harte | 11:30 Rhythm City | 12:00 Scandal! | 12:30 Imbewu: The Seed | 13:00 News Day | 14:00 The Wild | 14:30 Peppa Pig | 14:35 Care Bears: Unlock the Magic | 15:00 Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu | 15:30 Spirit Riding Free | 15:55 Trolls | 16:20 Judge Judy | 16:45 Days of Our Lives | 17:30 Bittersoet | 18:30 e.tv News - Covid19 update | 19:00 Rhythm City | 19:30 Scandal! | 20:00 eNews | 20:30 Chicago Fire | 21:30 Imbewu: The Seed | 22:00 The Fixer | 23:00 The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

e.tv

05:00 Just for Laughs Gags | 05:30 Joseph Prince: New Creation Church TV | 06:00 I Am Soul Precious | 06:30 Die Wiel Draai | 07:00 Care Bears: Unlock the Magic | 07:25 Elena of Avalor | 07:55 Trolls | 08:25 Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu | 09:00 Rhythm City (omnibus) | 11:00 Checkpoint | 11:30 Films and Stars | 12:10 FILM: Despicable Me 2 (2013) (PG) Animation | 14:10 FILM: Men in Black II (2002) (PG) Sci-fi action adventure comedy | 16:00 Impact | 18:00 Family Feud USA | 19:00 eNews | 19:30 Black-ish | 20:00 FILM: Shanghai Noon (2000) (13) Action adventure comedy | 22:20 eKasi: Our Stories | 23:20 FILM: Storage Locker 181 (2016) (13) Thriller

M-Net

06:00 The Kelly Clarkson Show | 06:50 MasterChef Australia | 08:00 Young Sheldon | 08:30 Chicago Fire | 09:30 Chicago Med | 10:30 This Is Us | 11:25 The Kelly Clarkson Show | 12:25 MasterChef Australia | 13:35 Station 19 | 14:25 Grey’s Anatomy | 15:20 NCIS | 16:15 The Goldbergs | 16:45 The Kelly Clarkson Show | 18:00 MasterChef Australia | 19:00 The Bachelor South Africa | 20:10 Still Breathing | 21:10 Madam Secretary | 22:05 The Outsider | 23:15 The Late Late Show with James Corden

M-Net

06:00 American Housewife | 06:30 The Unicorn | 07:00 Splitting Up Together | 07:30 Young Sheldon | 08:00 9-1-1 | 09:00 American Idol (double bill) | 13:00 FILM: Show Dogs (2018) (PG) Family comedy adventure | 14:30 Maya the Bee | 14:50 The Bachelor South Africa | 16:00 Extreme Africa | 17:00 MasterChef Junior USA | 18:00 Survivor | 19:00 Carte Blanche | 20:05 FILM: X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019) (13) Comic-based action | 21:55 Last week Tonight with John Oliver | 22:30 Still Breathing 23:30 FILM: Shoplifters (2018) (PG) Japanese drama

FRIDAY April 24 SABC1

06:00 Kids News and Current Affairs | 06:30 Jabu’s Jungle | 07:00 YoTV | 08:00 Generations: The Legacy | 08:30 Muvhango | 09:00 Uzalo | 09:30 Skeem Saam | 10:00 Nomzamo | 10:30 Big Up | 11:00 Throwback Thursday | 11:30 Live Amp | 12:00 Imizwilili | 13:00 Lunch Time News | 13:30 Mam Sakhile’s Story House | 14:00 The Chatroom | 14:30 Teenagers on a Mission | 15:00 Sportbuzz | 15:30 YoTV Live | 16:30 Restyle My Style | 17:90 My Nights | 17:28 Reflections of Faith | 17:30 News | 18:00 Lip Sync Battle | 18:30 Skeem Saam | 19:00 News | 19:30 Live Amp | 20:00 Generations: The Legacy | 20:30 Uzalo | 21:00 FILM: TBC | 23:00 Mzansi Insider

MONDAY April 20 SABC1

06:00 Kids News and Current Affairs | 06:30 New Ben 10 | 07:00 YoTV | 08:00 Generations: The Legacy | 08:30 Muvhango | 09:00 Uzalo | 09:30 Skeem Saam | 10:00 Nomzamo | 10:30 Daily Thetha | 11:30 The Real Goboza | 12:00 Yilungelo Lakho | 13:00 Mi Kasi Su Kasi | 13:30 Mam Sakhile’s Story House | 14:00 Music Variety | 15:00 Degrassi | 15:30 YoTV Live | 16:30 The Chatroom | 17:00 Zaziwa | 17:28 Aum | 17:30 News | 18:00 My First | 18:30 Skeem Saam | 19:00 News | 19:30 Sgudi' Snaysi | 20:00 Generations: The Legacy | 20:30 Uzalo | 21:00 20 Years Of Loxion Kulca | 22:00 Soccerzone | 23:00 Making Moves

SABC2

05:00 Go Jetters | 05:30 Thabang Thabong | 06:00 Morning Live | 08:00 Doc McStuffins | 08:30 Nina and the Neurons | 09:00 Raising Babies | 09:30 Koskaskenades | 10:00 Musiek Roulette | 11:00 7de Laan | 11:30 Muvhango | 12:00 Uzalo | 12:30 Generations | 13:00 Skeem Saam | 13:30 Lithapo | 14:00 Magnum PI | 15:00 Sid the Science Kid | 15:30 YoTV | 16:00 Against All Odds | 16:30 Hectic Nine-9 | 17:00 Naruto | 17:30 News | 18:00 7de Laan | 18:30 Nuus | 19:00 Soul’d Out Sessions | 19:30 #Karektas | 20:00 News | 20:30 Visionaries | 21:00 Muvhango | 21:30 Mopheme | 22:00 Mmampodi | 22:30 Boxing magazine show | 23:30 Naruto

SABC2

05:00 Go Jetters | 05:30 Thabang Thabong | 05:57 Motheo | 06:00 Morning Live | 08:00 Doc McStuffins | 08:30 Nina and the Neurons | 09:00 Raising Babies | 09:30 Going Strong | 10:00 Voetspore | 11:00 7de Laan | 11:30 Muvhango | 12:00 Uzalo | 12:30 Generations | 13:00 Skeem Saam | 13:30 Ga Re Dumele | 14:00 Magnum PI | 15:00 Dinopaws | 15:30 YoTV | 16:00 Epic Hangout | 16:30 Hectic 9-Nine | 17:00 Naruto | 17:30 News | 18:00 7de Laan | 18:30 Nuus | 19:00 Voetspore | 20:00 Nuus | 20:15 News | 20:30 Leihlo La Sechaba | 21:00 Muvhango | 21:30 Lithapo | 22:00 FILM: The Mask of Zorro (1998) (PG) Action adventure comedy | 23:30 Full View

SABC3

05:00 Xcellerate | 05:30 I am a Work of Art | 06:00 Covid 19 Grade 11 English | 07:00 Expresso | 09:00 The Profit | 10:00 Judge Faith Jenkins | 10:30 7de Laan | 11:00 Isidingo | 11:30 Generations: The Legacy | 12:00 Magnum PI | 13:00 On Point 14:30 Truth Be Told | 15:00 Rat Race | 16:00 Hectic on 3 | 16:30 Judge Faith Jenkins | 17:00 Afternoon Express | 18:00 The Profit | 19:00 Isidingo | 19:30 The Longest Date | 20:30 Unfiltered | 21:00 News @ 21:00 | 21:30 MotherFatherSon | 22:30 High Rollers | 23:30 News

e.tv

05:00 Cool Catz Legacy | 05:30 Judge Judy | 06:00 The Morning Show | 08:00 The Morning News | 08:30 Tanto Amor: So Much Love | 09:30 Days of Our Lives | 10:30 Gebroke Harte | 11:30 Rhythm City | 12:00 Scandal! | 12:30 Imbewu: The Seed | 13:00 eNews | 14:00 The Wild | 14:30 Peppa Pig | 14:35 Care Bears: Unlock the Magic | 15:00 PJ Masks | 15:15 Wissper | 15:30 Transformers | 15:55 AI Football GGO | 16:20 Judge Judy | 16:45 Days of Our Lives | 17:30 Bittersoet | 18:30 e.tv News - Covid-19 update | 19:00 Rhythm City | 19:30 Scandal! | 20:00 eNews | 20:30 Chicago Fire | 21:30 Imbewu: The Seed | 22:00 Queen Sugar | 23:00 The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

M-Net

06:00 The Kelly Clarkson Show | 07:00 MasterChef Australia | 08:00 American Housewife | 08:30 Extreme Africa | 09:25 Survivor | 10:20 The Bachelor South Africa | 11:20 The Kelly Clarkson Show | 12:25 MasterChef Australia | 13:35 MasterChef Junior USA | 14:30 Carte Blanche | 15:25 The Code | 16:20 The Goldbergs | 16:50 The Kelly Clarkson Show | 17:50 MasterChef Australia | 19:00 Station 19 | 20:00 Grey’s Anatomy | 21:00 Little Fires Everywhere | 22:05 Westworld | 23:10 The Late Late Show with James Corden

TUESDAY April 21 SABC1

06:00 Kids News and Current Affairs | 06:30 Wild Soccer Bunch | 07:00 YoTV | 08:00 Generations: The Legacy | 08:30 Muvhango | 09:00 Uzalo | 09:30 Skeem Saam | 10:00 Nomazmo | 10:30 Daily Thetha | 11:30 Instapreneurs | 12:00 Against All Odds | 13:00 Lunch Time News | 13:30 Mam Sakhile’s Story House | 14:00 Break Da Beat | 15:00 Degrassi | 15:30 YoTV Live | 16:30 Yilungelo Lakho | 17:28 Izwi La Bantu | 17:30 News | 18:00 Nyan Nyan | 18:30 Skeem Saam | 19:00 News | 19:30 Selimathunzi | 20:00 Generations | 20:30 Uzalo | 21:00 Cutting Edge | 22:00 Nyan Nyan | 22:30 The Chatroom

SABC2

05:00 Go Jetters | 05:30 Thabang Thabong | 06:00 Morning Live | 08:00 Doc McStuffins | 08:30 Nina and the Neurons | 09:00 Raising Babies | 09:30 Ke Zaka | 10:00 Meeulanders | 11:00 7de Laan | 11:30 Muvhango | 12:00 Uzalo | 12:30 Generations | 13:00 Skeem Saam | 13:30 Ga Re Dumele | 14:00 Magnum PI | 15:00 Dinopaws | 15:30 YoTV | 16:00 Epic Hangout | 16:30 Hectic Nine-9 | 17:00 Naruto | 17:30 News | 18:00 7de Laan | 18:30 Nuus | 19:00 Dekatv | 19:30 Melody | 20:00 Nuus | 20:30 Nhlalala Ya Rixaka | 21:00 Muvhango | 21:30 Lithapo | 22:00 Gospel Superfest Holiday | 23:00 Naruto | 23:30 Full View

SABC3

05:00 Yum.Me | 05:30 Www.ExFrontiers | 06:00 Covid 19 Grade 11 Mathematics | 07:00 Expresso | 09:00 The Profit | 10:00 Judge Faith Jenkins | 10:30 7de Laan | 11:00 Isidingo | 11:30 Generations: The Legacy | 12:00 The ATeam | 13:00 On Point | 14:30 Unfiltered | 15:00 Rat Race | 16:00 Hectic on 3 | 16:30 Judge Faith Jenkins | 17:00 Afternoon Express | 18:00 The Profit | 19:00 Isidingo | 19:30 Tropica Island of Treasure | 20:30 Special Assignment | 21:00 News | 21:30 MotherFatherSon | 22:30 News

e.tv

05:00 Die Wiel Draai | 05:30 Judge Judy | 06:00 The Morning Show | 08:00 The Morning News | 08:30 Tanto Amor: So Much Love | 09:30 Days of Our Lives | 10:30 Gebroke Harte | 11:30 Rhythm City | 12:00 Scandal! | 12:30 Imbewu: The Seed | 13:00 eNews | 14:00 The Wild | 14:30 Peppa Pig | 14:35 Care Bears: Unlock the Magic | 15:00 Elena of Avalor | 15:30 Dreamworks Dragons | 15:55 Pokémon | 16:30 Judge Judy | 16:45 Days of Our Lives | 17:30 Bittersoet | 18:30 e.tv News - Covid-19 update | 19:00 Rhythm City | 19:30 Scandal! | 20:00 eNews | 20:30 Chicago Fire | 21:02 Powerball (insert) | 21:30 Imbewu: The Seed | 22:00 Checkpoint | 22:30 Forensic Files | 23:00 The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

M-Net

06:00 The Kelly Clarkson Show | 06:50 MasterChef Australia | 08:00 The Unicorn | 08:30 Supernanny USA | 09:30 Madam Secretary | 10:25 Splitting Up Together | 10:55 Young Sheldon | 11:20 The Kelly Clarkson Show | 12:20 MasterChef Australia | 13:30 American Idol | 15:30 NCIS | 16:30 The Goldbergs | 17:00 The Kelly Clarkson Show | 18:00 MasterChef Australia | 19:00 Chicago

Chill with Migo in ’Smallfoot’ on M-Net, Saturday at 3.25pm. ’X-Men: Dark Phoenix’ (below) is on M-Net tonight at 8.05pm.

Fire | 20:00 Chicago Med | 21:00 Chicago PD | 22:00 Shameless | 23:05 The Late Late Show with James Corden

WEDNESDAY April 22 SABC1

06:00 Kids News and Current Affairs | 06:30 Marco Polo | 07:00 YoTV | 08:00 Generations: The Legacy | 08:30 Muvhango | 09:00 Uzalo | 09:30 Skeem Saam | 10:00 Nomzamo | 10:30 Daily Thetha | 11:30 Gospel Unplugged | 12:00 The Chatroom | 12:30 iDentity | 13:00 Lunch Time News | 13:30 Mam Sakhile’s Story House | 14:00 Khumbul'ekhaya | 15:00 Degrassi | 15:30 YoTV Live | 16:30 Ispani | 17:28 Listen for a Moment | 17:30 News | 18:00 Mi Kasi Su Kasi | 18:30 Skeem Saam | 19:00 News | 19:30 NFVF Films: Iiskhalo | 20:00 Generations | 20:30 Uzalo | 21:00 Khumbul'ekhaya | 22:00 Sport @ 10

SABC3

05:00 Massive Monster Mayhem | 05:30 Terrific Trucks | 06:00 Covid 19 Grade 11 Physical Science | 07:00 Expresso | 09:00 The Profit | 10:00 Judge Faith Jenkins | 10:30 7de Laan | 11:00 Isidingo | 11:30 Generations: The Legacy | 12:00 Miami Vice | 13:00 On Point | 14:30 The Hostess with Lorna Maseko | 15:00 Ready for This | 16:00 Hectic on 3 | 16:30 Judge Faith Jenkins | 17:00 Afternoon Express | 18:00 The Profit | 19:00 Isidingo | 19:30 Christina Milian Turned Up | 20:30 Truth Be Told | 21:00 News @ 21:00 | 22:00 FILM: Oscar Pistorius: Blade Runner Killer (2017) (PG) Drama | 23:30 News

e.tv

05:00 Life by Design | 05:30 Judge Judy | 06:00 The Morning Show 08:00 The Morning News | 08:30 Tanto Amor: So Much Love | 09:30 Days of Our Lives | 10:30 Gebroke Harte | 11:30 Rhythm City | 12:00 Scandal! | 12:30 Imbewu: The Seed | 13:00 News Day | 14:00 The Wild | 14:30 FILM: The Book of Life (2014) (PG) Animation | 16:20 Just for Laughs: Gags | 15:55 Judge Judy | 16:45 Days of Our Lives | 17:30 Bittersoet | 18:30 e.tv News - Covid-19 update | 19:00 Rhythm City | 19:30 Scandal! | 20:00 eNews | 20:30 Chicago Fire | 21:00 Powerball (insert) | 21:30 Imbewu: The Seed | 22:00 FILM: The Accidental Spy (2001) (13) Action crime comedy | 23:50 The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

SABC2

M-Net

SABC3

SABC1

05:00 GoJetters | 05:30 Thabang Thabong | 06:00 Morning Live | 08:00 Doc McStuffins | 08:30 Nina and the Neurons | 09:00 Raising Babies | 09:30 Stories Untold | 10:00 Health Talk | 11:00 7de Laan | 11:30 Muvhango | 12:00 Uzalo | 12:30 Generations | 13:00 Skeem Saam | 13:30 Lithapo | 14:00 Magnum PI | 15:00 Sid the Science Kid | 15:30 YoTV | 16:00 Disney Cookabout | 16:30 Hectic Nine-9 | 17:00 Naruto | 17:30 News | 18:00 7de Laan | 18:30 Nuus | 19:00 Fokus | 19:30 The Riviera | 20:00 News | 20:30 Ngula Ya Vutivi/Zwa Maramani | 20:56 Live Lotto draw | 21:00 Muvhango | 21:30 Lithapo | 22:00 Health Talk | 23:00 Naruto | 23:30 Full View 05:00 48 Hours | 05:30 Restyle My Style | 06:00 Covid 19 Grade 11 Physical Science | 07:00 Expresso | 09:00 The Profit | 10:00 Judge Faith Jenkins | 10:30 7de Laan | 11:00 Isidingo | 11:30 Generations: The Legacy | 12:00 Knight Rider | 13:00 On Point | 14:30 Special Assignment | 15:00 Rat Race | 16:00 Hectic on 3 | 16:30 Judge Faith Jenkins | 17:00 Afternoon Express | 18:00 The Profit | 19:00 Isidingo | 19:30 Ready for Love | 20:30 The Hostess with Lorna Maseko | 21:00 News @ 21:00 | 21:30 NCIS | 22:30 High Rollers | 23:30 News

06:00 The Kelly Clarkson Show | 07:00 MasterChef Australia | 08:00 American Housewife | 08:30 American Dynasties: The Bush Years | 09:30 9-1-1 | 10:30 Carte Blanche | 11:30 The Kelly Clarkson Show | 12:30 MasterChef Australia | 13:30 Chicago Fire | 14:30 Chicago Med | 15:20 NCIS | 16:15 The Goldbergs | 16:45 The Kelly Clarkson Show | 18:00 MasterChef Australia | 19:00 American Idol | 21:00 This Is Us | 22:00 Sunnyside | 22:30 The Detour | 23:00 The Late Late Show with James Corden

SATURDAY April 25 09:00 Imizwilili | 10:00 Mzansi Insider | 11:00 Generations: The Legacy (omnibus) | 13:30 Countdown to Tokyo | 14:00 Soccer repeats. Matches TBC | 17:30 Roots | 18:00 Gospel and Inspiration Music Concert | 19:00 News | 19:30 The Real Goboza | 20:00 FILM: Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B (2014) (PG) Biographical music drama | 22:30 My World | 23:30 Selimathunzi

SABC2

08:30 Muvhango (omnibus) | 11:00 Lithapo (omnibus) | 12:30 Relate | 13:00 Life Begins After Coffee | 13:30 Dijo Le Bophelo | 14:00 SA Inc. | 14:30 Trendz | 15:00 The A-Team | 16:00 FILM: Bleach the Movie: Hell Verse (2010) (PG) Animation | 18:00 Nuus | 18:15 News | 18:30 FILM: My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006) (13) Sci-fi romantic comedy | 20:30 Supernatural | 20:56 Live Lotto Draw | 21:00 Supernatural | 21:30 JHB International Comedy Fest | 23:00 Game Plan | 23:30 Full View

e.tv

05:00 Cool Catz Legacy | 05:30 Judge Judy | 06:00 The Morning Show | 08:00 The Morning News | 08:30 Tanto Amor: So Much Love | 09:30 Days of Our Lives | 10:30 Gebroke Harte | 11:30 Rhythm City | 12:00 Scandal! | 12:30 Imbewu: The Seed | 13:00 News Day | 14:00 The Wild | 14:30 Peppa Pig | 14:35 Care Bears: Unlock the Magic | 15:00 Barbie Dreamtopia | 15:15 The Littlest Pet Shop | 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 e.tv News - Covid-19 update | 19:00 Rhythm City | 19:30 Scandal! | 20:00 eNews | 20:30 Chicago Fire | 21:30 Imbewu: The Seed | 22:00 Kingdom | 23:10 The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

SABC3

08:00 Xcellerate | 08:30 I Am a Work of Art | 09:00 48 Hours | 09:30 Judge Faith Jenkins (omnibus) | | 12:00 The Longest Date | 13:00 Ready for Love | 14:00 The Fashion Hero | 15:00 Mela | 16:00 Nomfundo Xaluva | 17:00 Christina Milian Turned Up | 18:00 Top Billing | 19:00 The Launch | 20:00 Tropika Island of Treasure | 21:00 News | 21:30 FILM: The Big Short (2015) (16) Comedy drama | 23:30 News

M-Net

06:00 The Kelly Clarkson Show | 07:00 MasterChef Australia | 08:00 Splitting Up Together | 08:30 Station 19 | 09:30 Grey’s Anatomy | 10:30 Supernanny USA | 11:25 The Kelly Clarkson Show | 12:25 MasterChef Oz | 13:35 American Idol | 15:30 NCIS | 16:30 The Goldbergs | 17:00 The Kelly Clarkson Show | 18:00 MasterChef Australia | 19:00 American Dynasties: The Bush Years | 20:00 9-1-1 | 21:00 Prodigal Son | 22:00 Evil | 23:00 The Late Late Show with James Corden

THURSDAY April 23

08:30 Scandal! (omnibus) | 10:20 Imbewu: The Seed (omnibus) | 12:30 The Culture | 13:00 Xplosion | 14:15 FILM: The Book of Life (2014) (PG) Animation | 16:10 FILM: Minions (2015) (PG) Animation | 18:00 Fear Factor | 19:00 eNews | 19:30 Marlon | 20:00 FILM: Men in Black 3 (2012) (PG) Sci-fi comedy drama | 22:10 FILM: This Means War (2012) (13) Romantic action comedy

M-Net

SABC1

06:00 Kids News and Current Affairs | 06:30 Marco Polo | 07:00 YoTV | 08:00 Generations: The Legacy | 08:30 Muvhango | 09:00 Uzalo | 09:30 Skeem Saam | 10:00 Nomzamo | 10:30 Daily Thetha | 11:30 Lip Sync Battle | 12:00 Sport @ 10 | 13:00 Lunch Time News | 13:30 Mam Sakhile’s Story House | 14:00 Selimathunzi | 14:30 Teenagers on a Mission | 15:00 Degrassi | 15:30 YoTV Live | 16:30 Ispani | 17:28 Journeys of Inspiration | 17:30 News | 18:00 Instapreneurs | 18:30 Skeem Saam | 19:00 News | 19:30 Throwback Thursday | 20:00

22

e.tv

LifeStyle

19•04•2020

Sunday Times

06:00 The Goldbergs (omnibus) | 08:00 Supernanny USA | 08:55 MasterChef Junior USA | 09:50 The Bachelor South Africa | 11:00 American Dynasties: The Bush Years | 12:00 Madam Secretary | 13:00 This Is Us | 13:55 Survivor | 15:00 Heidi | 15:25 FILM: Smallfoot (2018) (PG) Animation | 17:00 American Housewife | 17:30 The Unicorn | 18:00 Modern Family | 18:30 Young Sheldon | 19:00 American Idol | 21:00 Nancy Drew | 22:00 American Horror Story | 23:00 Sunnyside | 23:30 The Detour

The elegance of typos

23/24

P

There’s an accidental poetry that writes itself the moment your attention wanders, says Paige Nick

enicillin, Post-it Notes, Teflon, cornflakes. All invented by accident. There have been unimportant things invented by accident too, like the slinky, silly putty and popsicles. For me, some typos also fall into the category of important accidents.

I’ve been writing professionally for almost 30 years, and I still couldn’t come up with anything as profound as some typos.

There are whole websites dedicated to Autocorrect Poetry, that beautiful accidental tacking together of the wrong words, resulting in finger-slip sonnets, handbag haikus and pocket prose.

It falls in the same category as what I like to think of as “people who don’t speak English speak it the best”. There’s something magical about the kind of syntax created by people who don’t have access to all the right words in all the right orders. I once overheard a foreigner who was window shopping explaining to a friend in broken English that she was going to “shop with her eyes”.

And so often autocorrect does us a favour, making otherwise dull sentences more poetic, giving new meaning to soaping lists. “Buy beard” is more entertaining than “buy bread” every day of the week.

Sure, typos aren’t always that elegant.

Like when they’re/their/there illustrating ignorance. But even then, maybe they’re/their/there doing us a favour — helping us manage expectations of the sender’s capabilities.

By Linda Shaw THIRUSHA REDDY September 25 1979, PMB, 10h10 Sun sign: Libra Moon sign: Scorpio Rising sign: Sagittarius There are so many demons in your head, you’re wondering where to find the light.

Accept the situation you’re in. You’re going through a time of transformation, and not all of it is in your control. From early next year, you’ll have a different set of expectations — and much happier results than you anticipated. For now, you’ll need to develop your strengths and find ways to love your own company. Use the extra time to explore your spiritual beliefs. You’re more powerful than you realise and with the right training, you could become the kind of healer who makes a real difference.

Fortunately, you have a wonderful way of viewing your world, always expecting the best outcome — and usually getting it. You’re wondering what to do with the rest of your life, but that’s an impossible question to answer. Start with now, and your dreams for the next few months.

Want your chart read?

E-mail linda@hixnet.co.za

Illustrations: 123rf.com

Then again, you can’t always blame a typo on the typist. For one there’s dyslexia, commonly thrust on some of the smartest people you’ll ever meet. There’s also our brains we have to contend with. You can re-read your own writing a gazillion times and you may still never pick up all the errors.

Not because you’re dim. Well, maybe because you’re/your/yore dim, but also because you wrote it, which means you’re familiar with the landscape of your own words.

There’s a perfectly correct version of it living somewhere in your brain and that version competes with the IRL version on the page. Our remarkable brains fill in what’s missing or

incorrect, and tell us it’s right. It’s a case of not being able to see the words for the trees.

Psychologist Tom Stafford, who studies typos at the University of Sheffield, says to catch the errors of your ways, you have to make your work as unfamiliar as possible. Some writers change the font or the colour of the type before they go in with a red pen.

Others print it out, then edit by hand. Another great writer I know reads her manuscripts out loud.

A famous copywriter once told me to read my work backwards.

Anything you can do to change how your writing looks will help make it less

‘Buy beard’ is more entertaining than ‘buy bread’ every day of the week

familiar to your brain when you’re doing final checks/cheques/Czechs.

Even the pros are known to miss their own typos. You can catch them in just about every newspaper, even the New York Times, and they hire people whose/who’s only job is to line edit. The Bible has at least one. A blogger in Canada picked up a missing apostrophe. So even the guy who invented language (and errors) couldn’t pick up His own mistakes.

Content marketing specialist Shira Stieglitz ran A/B tests on Google ads and landing pages and discovered that typos and grammatical errors ultimately cost you 12% more. Ads with typos get 70% fewer clicks. After all, we’re hardwired to mistrust anything with an error in it.

Would you rather hire a plumber who wants to fix your pipes or fist your pipes?

Fewer clicks result in higher per-click costs, and gets your listing lowered in the search ranks too/two/to. And typos on landing pages reduce the time people spend on your page by 8%.

Further proof came in the tests they ran in countries where people don’t speak English as a first language, where the typos made very little difference to the click through/threw rates.

Interestingly, some smart companies even go as far as to buy common search words as well as their company name or some of their products in their popularly misspelt forms, so that they don’t lose out on any incorrect searches. So if you search for Coka Cola, you might still get where you’re wanting to go.

That’s typos for you, sometimes good, sometimes bad, often poetick/poëtic.

Unless you’re the team behind the Marin 1 Space Probe, which crashed due to a misplaced hyphen, and famously became one of the most expensive typos ever.

ARIES Mar 21 - April 19 It’s a memorable time for you – with the world looking on, and everyone passing comments. Pay no attention. The point is, they’re looking – which means you’re interesting enough to warrant attention. Thursday’s new moon is demanding new beginnings, while sending intriguing opportunities. Focus on the magic you can create. You’ll be amazed.

CANCER June 21 - Jul 22 Denial is an expensive state: denial about problems at work or misery in love; denial about the fact that you’ve managed to over-obligate your time and are exhausted. Instead of doing your famous disappearing act, how about facing the issues? You’ll be helped as soon as you take the first step. Thursday brings a new moon – and new beginnings.

LIBRA Sep 23 - Oct 22 If you’re going to waste all this wonderful new energy arguing with yourself, you’d better be prepared for the consequences. Which are that nothing will change – and you’ll still be grumpy. So enough of that. Yes, sure, decisions are difficult.

So don’t make any. Instead, just act.

Do something. Anything. Once you move, you’ll be directed. Thursday’s new moon will start the ball rolling.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20 Having trouble sleeping?

Take some time for yourself. No-one is impressed by longer hours at half the pace — so build up your reserves. Your love life could be a source of inspiration too — as long as you watch your mouth.

There’s a tendency to say cruel things, and then forget all about them. But the wounded parties don’t forget. So be kind. It’s a winner.

TAURUS Apr 20 - May 20 Troubles at home confuse you as old emotional traumas come for a second look. Just bear in mind that you’re being absurdly oversensitive – and make allowances.

Meanwhile, you’re still in the market for some real financial luck, so keep your ears open for new opportunities. And no hesitation allowed. If you charge forth with courage, you’ll soon have lots of support.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 22 The pace picks up as a surge of optimism washes over you. There’s even a new understanding of the value of patience as you order your life into a different time and space. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for investors, prepare your speeches now. Others are in the mood to listen. You can get your way now.

Make sure you know what you want – in detail.

SCORPIO Oct 23 - Nov 21 Long-standing conditions at home are slowly changing, as you begin to learn something about self-sacrifice. Still, it won’t be long before you realise the changes are for the better. Use your remarkable social skills to help the others through the rough patches. You don’t want to be left with lingering guilt after you’ve moved on. And yes, you will be moving on – sooner or later.

Use the new moon to make new plans.

AQUARIUS Jan 20 - Feb 18 If there was ever a time to hone your strengths, this is it. And the greatest strength of all is your ability to communicate. If you don’t believe that, enrol in a presentation or public-speaking course – and find out. But don’t miss the opportunity. The only snag for you is about the clash between artistic integrity and financial reward. So get some advice on that one. But don’t let it slow you down.

GEMINI May 21 - June 20 This is definitely not the time to stalk off in an independent huff. You’ll need your friends and family now – however much they may be annoying you.

Fortunately you’re at your diplomatic best, so you’ll handle the odd uneasy moment with aplomb. Otherwise, great changes are happening in your social life. It’s almost time to make some important decisions. Be kind to the ones you’re leaving behind.

VIRGO Aug 23 - Sep 22 Not only are you surviving the most intense transformation of your life, but you’re emerging stronger and much more in touch with your true self. Now is the perfect time to invest in yourself. Pay close attention to anyone who’s interested in your talents and expertise. It’s a perfect time to begin planting seeds for your new and exciting future. Trust yourself to make the right moves.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22 - Dec 21 There’s a sudden shift — so dramatic you can actually feel it — as your efforts start to pay off. Opportunities and adventures come at you out of the blue. And that’s not all. Thursday’s new moon brings a wild flirtation with someone you meet through friends. In fact, what are you waiting for?

Something exciting is happening. This minute.

PISCES Feb 19 - Mar 20 That relationship that seems to have become a contest of wills needs special attention. Use Thursday’s new moon to maximise your charms and tilt the scales in your favour. There’ll be some money coming in too, so beware of a tendency to overspend. And for now, refuse offers to handle other people’s money. You know you’ll just dash off and spend it.

UNITED A P A R T NOW IS THE TIME FOR US TO COME TOGETHER AND UNITE, APART This is an unprecedented moment in South Africa’s history. Lockdown is in full effect, businesses have been temporarily closed, and we’re all adjusting to this new normal for as long as it may take.

But what does life in lockdown look like? Well, that’s up to you.

Show us how you’re getting through, and what lockdown means to you, by submitting video clips, images, voice notes, or anything else that captures the essence of this extraordinary event, to:

WHATSAPP

+27 (63) 521-8618

EMAIL

UNITEDAPARTSA@ARENA.AFRICA

Each day, we will choose our favourite submissions to be featured as a daily snapshot of lockdown life and share them to our social channels under #UnitedApartSA and #LoveChange, and one submission per day will receive a prize worth R700. Then, when all this is over, our favourite submission will receive a prize valued at R5,000, and we will use all the content we have collected to create a documentary, so the world can see our story.

#LoveChange #UnitedApartSA

19 APRIL 2020

SA

Neighbourhood

10

PROPERTY & LIFESTYLE

I’ll take two!

A perfectly positioned Parkview Ridge property with natural light, magnificent garden, two cascading pools, and sweeping views across the city all the way to the Magaliesberg, page 22

2-5

DELIVERIES IN YOUR CITY

yourneighbourhood.co.za

10

PROPERTY FOCUS: INVESTMENTS

12

Connecting homeowners with great communities

PROPERTY & LOCKDOWN

2

GOOD-TO-KNOW GUIDE

19 APRIL 2020

Neighbourhood

Ed’s exclusive FROM ME TO YOU

Normal is as normal does

L

ockdown. I’ll say it again: Lockdown. How many times have you said or heard the word and wanted to hurl something at the wall? Or wanted to shove another mouthful of slightly stale cherry Madeira cake into your mouth, put your pyjamas on, and get back into bed?

me for this attack, nay, onslaught on my personal and professional domain.

And while I would never find joy in others’ sorrows, I do find some solace in knowing that I’m not alone. That in households all across South Africa, everyone is struggling to come to terms with what is being asked of them.

As a freelancer who operates from home, has two kids and a husband, I should be used to sharing my space, no? No. Nothing could have prepared

My wonderful colleague Marana summed it up beautifully. “We’re all going through trauma and need to be kinder to ourselves and to each other.”

Operating in your hood:

I don’t want to be preachy. And I don’t want to tell anyone what to do. But when I start feeling down in the dumps, I remember those words. And then I hug my kids. And life is good again.

Chin up, my fellow South Africans.

We’ll get through this. One day at a time.

Joburg

Mbewu | mbewu.co.za Tuckbox | 084 486 3822 | tuckbox.co.za

Jackson's Real Food Market | 011 463 1598 | jacksonsrealfoodmarket.co.za Faithful To Nature | faithful-to-nature.co.za

Knock knock, nom nom

These brands and businesses are delivering to your door during lockdown WORDS: EMILY SHAW

IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK

A

s lockdown stretches into another two weeks while we flatten the curve, it’s imperative that we all keep inside at home – avoiding even the shops if we can. Luckily, we have a bunch of intrepid delivery options for our essentials, all of which maintain the advised hygiene protocol to keep us safe but equipped.

niche, pasture-raised beef, lamb or chicken you’re after, there are plenty of willing suppliers. Jackson’s Real Food Market will deliver your order to you, booked through WhatsApp or, alternatively, will offer a personal shopping service where you’ll order, an employee will collect the groceries, and meet you at your parking spot where they will deliver – no touching required.

Farm fresh Desperate to keep your eggs free range and your vegetables seasonal? Mbewu has you covered with a variety of combination boxes delivered from the market to your door. Affordable and offering a wide variety of box fillers including greenery, snacks and eggs, Mbewu is an easy way to support local during lockdown while keeping up your organic lifestyle.

Deli to Door Are you even on lockdown if you don’t have a snack strategy? Tuckbox will deliver a delightful selection of sophisticated snacks to keep you munching through isolation. Think bonbons, assorted nuts, biscotti and fruit strips coated in yoghurt, among mouthwatering others.

Tuckbox also have a “no-touch” delivery policy and provide a step-by-step guide on their website to how they manage hygiene. Even better, R50 of each delivery over R800 goes to the Solidarity Fund to keep our economy afloat.

Meat musts Even global lockdown can’t extinguish a South African’s braai flames and if it’s

PUBLISHED BY TIMES MEDIA PROPERTY PUBLISHING

Tree-huggers

Coffee not the same without your collagen powder? Or perhaps you’re baking your own vegan bread and need to get hold of some potato starch – whatever it is that ranks high on the pure, natural and wholesome scale, is available for delivery on Faithful to Nature.

While the ecommerce store is only selling the essentials here, you may find a few supplements and ingredients that you can’t at a regular supermarket.

Normal delivery times apply and to make the deal sweeter, for every order made in April, Faithful to Nature will donate a meal to FoodForward SA. How’s that for feel-good shopping?

All together now Want a few things from a few different shops but would rather someone else do the gathering for you? One Cart is a clever little app that does just that. From hot-cross buns at Woolworths to glutenfree bread at Jackson’s, sushi from Food Lover’s and Sinutab from Clicks, you’ll get it all together, within two hours.

EDITORIAL TEAM:

ADVERTISING SALES:

Group Editor: Carla Redelinghuys carla@yourneighbourhood.co.za Senior Sub-Editor: Marana Brand Designers: Anja Bramley & Samantha Durand Visit yourneighbourhood.co.za

Call us for advertising opportunities on 087 828 0423 Production (Editorial & Property Advertising): Joanne le Roux jhb@yourneighbourhood.co.za Production (Editorial & Property Advertising): Lucea Goosen capetown@yourneighbourhood.co.za Online coordinator: Chantelle Balsdon chantelle@augmentcreative.com

19 APRIL 2020

Neighbourhood

Operating in your hood:

GOOD-TO-KNOW GUIDE

3

Cape Town and surrounds

Frankie Fenner Meat Merchants | ffmm.co.za Schoon | schoon.co.za

Abalobi | abalobi.info UCook | 021 447 4424 | ucook.co.za

win

Open-door policy We’ve all had to make changes to the way we do things – food suppliers probably more than most. Lucky for us, we can still get our fix of artisan breads, ethical meat, organic produce and fresh fish WORDS: KIT HEATHCOCK

IMAGES: SUPPLIED

L

ockdown has been tough for everyone, but there’s inspiration and hope in how many of our artisan food producers and suppliers have responded to its challenges. Resilient, agile and determined to protect their teams and their suppliers, and to keep their clients in fresh, delicious food, they have created innovative ways to deliver safely during lockdown and keep their commitment to quality alive.

,

Frankie Fenner Meat Merchants

Abalobi

Once FFMM received their essential business licence their shops reopened to trade during lockdown but they’ve also had to adapt. “We’ve streamlined our offering and we’ve ramped up home deliveries. We’re working incredibly hard to maintain our ability to turn an order around within a day or two,” says Andy Fenner.

As well as their grass-fed, free-range meat, they offer fun collaborations like their Friday “Burger Box at home” which includes rolls, sauces, toppings and the famous patties, and an Easter hamper including Hot X Buns sourced from Vadas bakery. FFMM delivers in Woodstock, Palmyra and Gardens.

Restaurant-supported small-scale fisher programme Abalobi was already piloting a scheme to sell direct to the public just before lockdown. This was via a pick-up point at a Frankie Fenner store. For lockdown they quickly set up a home-delivery protocol and the Abalobi Marketplace app adapted to supply Cape Town homes with fresh fish caught the previous day.

This is safeguarding the livelihoods of the fishing communities that Abalobi is designed to sustain. “A fisherman can’t afford to go out and fish unless he has a basic income covering his fuel,” says project director Serge Raemaekers.

“This urban home-delivery system isn’t the same as selling to restaurants, but covers that basic income. It’s also helping food security by allowing fishers to take the initiative in their own communities, for example in Lambert’s Bay they’re doing local home deliveries heavily subsidised to the elderly and vulnerable.”

“The entire thing has been a constant emotional and ethical debate, questioning my decisions almost daily. Being allowed to trade and actually doing so in a responsible way are two different things. Our aim is to stay open but also to keep my team and customers safe.”

On what happens next, Andy says, “Who knows how the world will look after all of this. People have realised that they can shop online and still get a great product. They’re also buying meat differently, for example ordering half a lamb, portioned and freezing it. We’ve always encouraged this nose to tail approach but it’s also super cost-effective.”

“I would like to say how brave my team is.

They’re working tirelessly and their efforts inspire me. We’re all going through this together.

The support we’ve received is worth so much and it means more to us than anyone realises.”

Register on the Abalobi Marketplace app. You’ll be notified of each catch and can order for safe, sanitised, next-day delivery. The whole fish come cleaned and gutted with instructions on how to fillet them. Plus pantry items like pickled fish, sea salt, sour figs and more.

SCHOON While SCHOON’s cafes immediately closed, their Stellenbosch Manufactory was able to continue baking. “As long as we have a platform we’ll be committed to two things: putting real bread onto the table and providing work,” says Fritz Schoon.

They had created their own home-delivery app in 2016, dormant until now but ready to go. They reacted quickly, also partnering with Kauai@Home, Buy Fresh, Wild Peacock (in their new food boxes sold through Yuppiechef ), Pumpkin Patch Foods and Uber Eats, to distribute their bread.

“Our SCHOON mobile app is super user friendly.

Order today (Cape Town & Winelands) and two days later a highly sanitised, masked and gloved-up driver will deliver all your freshly baked goodies to your door,” says Fritz.

You can order breads and pastries, freshly baked as well as frozen. “The frozen option is so much fun, it literally feels like you’ve just baked a proper loaf of bread or a batch of croissants at home.” They also sell sourdough starter, Gideon Milling flours, Usana eggs, and other pantry goodies via the app.

“For now we see it as a lifeline but convenience is becoming a key component of retail business.

This lockdown makes it hard to judge the feasibility and we’re learning as we go, but there’s little doubt that the SCHOON online ordering app will become an integral part of our business. The response has been overwhelming.”

“I don’t know if deliveries will continue after lockdown or if we’ll revert to pick-up points,” says Serge, “but sale to public is here to stay.

People are engaging with the story and it’s a win-win situation, building awareness of the plight of small-scale fishing communities, and a more diversified marketplace for the fishers.”

UCook UCook’s meal kit service delivering weekly boxes of ingredients and recipe cards from a selection of 12 dishes each week, saw an increase in interested new customers over lockdown but are prioritising existing customers and implementing even more stringent health and safety protocols.

“We’ve limited the number of orders we can fulfil because we won’t compromise on this promise,” says David Torr, CEO. “We’re immensely grateful for the opportunity to continue supporting our suppliers and local farmers. We realised very quickly that a lot of their revenue streams have stopped since the restaurant industry has been shut down, so we’re strategising how we can support them, and partnering with initiatives that are already tackling problems in South Africa’s food system.

We’re also in the process of testing other food delivery solutions.” One of these trials has been a Farmers Market box in collaboration with Oranjezicht City Farm Market who isn’t allowed to trade during lockdown and are working hard to find ways to support their farmers and traders and get essential produce to their customers.

“Our small-scale food system of dedicated suppliers, growers and artisan producers has taken years to grow to its current level of diversity and quality. If we want to preserve the fabulous array of choice, specialist products, organic produce, ethical products and more that makes our local food scene so rich and enjoyable, it’s essential that we support these and businesses like them.”

4

GOOD-TO-KNOW GUIDE

Operating in your hood:

19 APRIL 2020

Neighbourhood

Pretoria

Grazer | 061 585 7646 | grazer.store Flava & Co | 082 496 4208 | flavaand.co

Braeside Butchery | 011 788 3613 | shop.braesidebutchery.co.za We Are Food | 083 779 5612 | wearefood.co.za

Never been better Grocery deliveries with a difference – four dedicated foodie businesses that bring top-quality meals and ingredients to your door WORDS: KIT HEATHCOCK

IMAGES: SUPPLIED

O

ne of the silver linings of lockdown has to be the convenience of online grocery shopping. We no longer worry about missing a delivery, after all, we’re always at home! And with so many innovative specialist food businesses gearing up to keep us safe and supplied with healthy nourishment delivered to our doors, there’s no shortage of health and tasty choices.

Grazer The idea for Grazer started when co-founder Ziona Smith was looking into diets to assist with her diabetes.

Eating as healthily as possible, she and Christo van Huyssteen developed the idea for Grazer this year and were set to launch for online deliveries on 31 March, coincidentally perfectly timed to serve the Pretoria area during lockdown.

GRAZER

“Grazing ‘clean’ was quite challenging,” says Ziona, “sparking the idea to help everyone else to get hold of the cleanest, all natural foods, free from artificial preservatives, colourants, flavourants, hormones, MSG and GMOs. Besides, our business model is based on empowering the local community – by sourcing most of our

products straight from selected local farmers we know we can trust, ensuring the highest quality with a low carbon footprint and competitive prices.”

Shop for individual fresh vegetables and fruits, eggs, meat and dairy, as well as pantry items, cakes and treats, freshly baked breads and more. “Our most popular products so far include our wide variety of artisanal breads and cheeses, our freshly roasted small batch coffee, and 100% raw honey,” says Ziona.

Free next business day delivery anywhere in Pretoria for orders over R500.

Flava & Co Delivering meal kits and ready-made frozen meals in Pretoria and Joburg, Flava & Co is a female-owned and operated company. Jeanie Erickson and Dee Gullan are at the helm, both passionate foodies who enjoy sourcing interesting and exciting natural produce.

“We offer our customers the freedom of choice, they can order as many or as few meals as they like. We don’t have a minimum order nor do we lock customers into a subscription. Our meals are incredibly tasty, full of flava, as we like to say, but also nutritious,” says Dee. Customers find the meal kits enjoyable and easy to cook besides being delicious.

The Flava & Co menu includes plantbased and vegan meals, and changes monthly for the meal kits, while the frozen meal menu remains constant but is added to regularly. New for lockdown is a care package for the elderly, and they have dropped the minimum spend to R600 to qualify for free delivery. “We’ve seen an increase in orders over lockdown. It seems that the lockdown has shifted people’s idea of what they can buy online. And that getting your food delivered to you is actually really simple and a lot cheaper.”

Order before 10am on Saturday for delivery on Tuesday.

ethical practices, Braeside Butchery commits to doing the choosing for you so that you get beef, lamb, chicken and pork that has a feelgood factor as well as tasting good.

Their tag is Know your Butcher and Caroline McCann and team welcome customers into their Joburg store, happy to chat about the best cuts and cooking methods.

Their online store delivers to Joburg and Pretoria. For lockdown in addition to their extensive choice of free-range meats and biltong, you can order organic vegetable boxes, eggs and dairy – both cow’s and goat’s milk and cheeses. Plus there are tempting sourdough loaves, croissants and pain au chocolat.

We Are Food Marvellous food for your freezer is from this family-run, female strong, proudly South African business.

Their kitchen is in Durban, cooking and freshly freezing each dish to lock in flavour and nutrients, and their ingredients are sourced for quality, sustainable and ethical principles from carefully chosen small farms in the KZN Midlands. They have just updated their Pretoria delivery radius to include most of the city.

“We’ve experienced an increase in demand from customers who don’t want to go grocery shopping during this time, so they’d prefer to arrange to get food delivered,” says director Amy Weare, “and, of course, many people who may be looking for a little variety or are bored of their own cooking.”

There’s a hugely varied menu including family bakes, curries and stews, vegetarian and vegan as well as low carb. If you have trouble choosing or want to send as a gift, the chef’s choice value pack rounds up 22 popular dishes.

“Right now customers are looking for comfort food that tastes like home-cooking, we can’t make enough beef lasagne and melanzane bakes,” says Amy.

Braeside Butchery FLAVA AND CO

Free-range, grass-fed meat from dedicated farmers selected for their

Order two business days ahead for Monday or Wednesday delivery.

19 APRIL 2020

Neighbourhood

Operating in your hood:

GOOD-TO-KNOW GUIDE

5

Durban

Expanda Sign | expandasign.co.za Stretch Pilates | stretchpilates.co.za

Baynesfield Living | 084 551 0762 The Fat Frog Kitchen | fatfrogkitchen.co.za

Circus Circus Cafe | circuscircus.co.za

STRETCH PILATES

CIRCUR CIRCUS CAFE

EXPANDA SIGN

THE FAT FROG KITCHEN

STRETCH PILATES

Keep on keeping on Survival is uppermost in most businesses’ minds, particularly small ones and one-man bands.

How are people managing to stay afloat?

WORDS: ANNE SCHAUFFER

T

here’s little doubt that those who were first off the mark when it came to deliveries and services had a head start. But like anything, the thrill and relief of a delivery soon fades if the service isn’t good, the quality of goods is so-so, the delivery team isn’t kitted up hygienically, and a host of other criteria aren’t met.

Those who are delivering or providing a service have had to move up a notch because competition is ramping up – fast. This is the new now, and in this weird world you need to be better.

Veggies must be fresh from the farm, not exhausted off a shelf. Packaging must be creative, and you need to do it faster.

Essential services The definition of “essential services” is inevitably constantly changing. More and more people are finding innovative ways to convert their businesses into online or personal delivery, while the range of available goods and services out there is increasing by the day.

As everybody knows, many big brand stores were very soon unable to deliver within a week, even two. But others like Umhlanga Spar quickly took up

the slack, employed teams, and added the personalised aspect. Sitting on the Berea some 20km away, a delivery from them is same day or the next.

There are businesses working off their strengths and reinventing themselves. They’re also looking after their staff. One such example is Don Bailey. He is Expanda Sign, his wife Tanya, Uzwelo. Together they have a staff complement of over 300.

“How could we all survive this?” asks Tanya. They soon realised they were in a good position. “We have our own CMT (cut, make & trim), weaving and printing – with incredible seamstresses.

Instead of banners, flags and bags, we now make top-quality masks.”

The staff are employed and they’re providing an efficient, effective service.

How to float your boat Technology is everything, and whether your Zoom conference is boosting morale among colleagues, is a tool for a high-powered meeting, or the sanity of a 5pm book club, it has become the new norm. Diego Baldi teaches yoga to a wide range and level of devotees – including prospective yoga

IMAGES: SUPPLIED

teachers – from his Inner Wellness studio in Musgrave Road (and a few other venues). Now he has a calendar of days, times and types of yoga, and everybody dials into Zoom. The first week was free, thereafter by donation – but he won’t turn away anybody because they can’t afford it.

six drop-off points from Hilton to Morningside, everybody pays on line, and on Wednesdays and Thursdays, everybody on the WhatsApp group is notified to collect their (bulging) vegetable box of farm-fresh veg for the princely sum of R200! Cheaper than growing them yourself.

And it’s also about safeguarding the future. Jenna and Stefan van der Merwe of Stretch Pilates in Durban North run both their Pilates and biokinetics classes on Zoom now, and offer private classes too. But it’s more than that. “We have a loyal client base, but whether it’s fear of technology or affordability, some don’t or can’t join in. We want to retain those clients, and we want to keep them active, so when they’re able to return, they come here.” So, Jenna puts out comprehensive emails with exercises and photographs – great service, and future proofing their business.

Then meet Claire Allan and Jenny Clarke, owners of Fat Frog in Lilian Ngoyi Road, a popular restaurant and coffee shop that now exclusively sell frozen meals, but with a changing weekly menu of six dishes and the delivery option once a week for a small charge.

Fifty percent of the voucher will go to the waiters and kitchen staff of that venue, those who aren’t earning much; the rest goes to that cafe.” In addition, it’ll get their clientele returning to their favourite Circus Circus to use their voucher, once lockdown is freed up.

A creative future?

The gift that keeps on giving Vouchers (often appealingly discounted) are assisting many small businesses through this silent period – pay now, use it later. And it’s working for everything from hairdressers to beauty salons to restaurants.

Support local, live healthy Vendors and businesses are changing, but so, too, are the public. We want to support small, wholesome businesses.

Michel and Desiree Pito are Baynesfield Living, a small-scale boutique veggie farming operation. Today, they have

But it can also work slightly differently.

Sati Sonitis, one of the franchise directors of Circus Circus Café, put this message out on social media, “Buy a voucher, specify which cafe, and we’ll issue the voucher for that venue.

Artist Kay Smart runs drawing classes.

She’s established a WhatsApp group and sets participants a task every day. Students who do it, photograph their drawing and it’s enjoyed by all.

It’s not a money spinner, but for Kay it keeps her “clients” motivated and connected – and although it’s not her focus, she will undoubtedly stay front of mind for when lockdown unlocks.

ESSENTIAL SERVICES… DELIVERING • • •

Mitchell Park Pharmacy Col Tempo Italian deli and ready-meals Glenwood Bakery: buy there, or they deliver fresh bread daily. Now selling fruit and vegetables too.

Biggest Independent Property Developer and Property Specialist in KZN Specialising in: Leisure and Hotels | Medical | Residential | Commercial

AFRICA RISING (Pty) Ltd is one of the leading property development, marketing and project management companies in KwaZulu Natal. We have over 1.2 Billion rand on our books for current and future developments.

In addition to development, marketing and project management we also assist in the legal side of the whole project process, which can be daunting to some lacking knowledge in this area.

ZIMBALI SUITES

THE MADISON MEDICAL SUITES

THE MADISON RESIDENTIAL

THE MARINA RESIDENTIAL

Located along one of the most prestigious parts of KZN’s breathtaking Dolphin Coast, these suites offer an idyllic escape from the city.

Directly Opposite Umhlanga Gateway Hospital (BUSA MED).

Situated in the heart of the Umhlanga Ridge Town Centre.

Located in Umhlanga New Town Centre, Gateway.

15 executive medical suites to chose from, these are Lifestyle Medical Suites that come with owner access to an outdoor swimming pool, gym and sauna.

Surround yourself with world-class shopping, a range of culinary experiences, entertainment options and of course, the glorious Umhlanga coastline, right on your doorstep.

Luxury Apartments with access to large indoor swimming pool, gym Units have fully fitted BIC and granite Kitchens, Smeg Ovens, extractors and Hob. Some units have sea views.

Last 10 Units available

1 bedroom, 1 bathroom R 1 300 000

Combining the luxury of living in an exclusive serviced suite with all the offerings of a fivestar hotel and integrated coastal resort.

3 x 1 bedrooms R 2 300 000 each 2 x 2 bedrooms R 4 500 000 each

Prices starting from R 2 300 000

2 Bedroom, 2 Bathrooms R 2 450 000 (Duplex) 3 Bedroom, 2 Bathrooms R 3 950 000 3 Bedroom, 3 Bathrooms R 3 650 000

2 bedroom, 2 bathrooms R 2 350 000 3 bedroom, 3 bathrooms R 4 700 000

AFRICA RISING GROUP Biggest Independent Property Developer and Property Specialist in KZN Also Specialising in: • • • • •

Property syndication Property swaps Conflict Resolution and mediation Project origination Property instalment sales

• Property financing • Project management

PARK AVENUE

QUEENSBURGH 611619 OLD MAIN ROAD

SIBAYA SITE

THE GRAND CENTRAL OFFICE SPACE

HOTEL MARINA

Situated in the heart of the vibrant Umhlanga New Town Centre Park Avenue.

Located in Northdene which is a suburb of Queensburgh approximately 20km West of Durban in the Greater Durban Metropolitan Area.

The property fronts onto Main Road which is a main thoroughfare linking Malvern, Queensburgh and Pinetown and also provides main access to and from the M7 freeway.

An opportunity for people to buy land at a central location as it falls between Ballito and Umhlanga.

This ground floor shop is ideally locality next to Gateway’s Theatre of Shopping and European Square.

Umhlanga Town Centre (Gateway)

This 9063 m2 property (The Sterling) has proposed plans for 100 room Hotel, 50 - 2 bedroom apartments, super car showroom, 500 seater conference centre or theatre, shops and restaurants.

The site comes with: 2 secure parking bays, zoned mixed use 1 for any commercial business, flooring - carpets & tiles, kitchen, air-conditioned, burglar armed, built in cupboards and 2 toilets.

The hotel has 63 rooms, a conference centre, restaurant, swimming pool, fully fitted kitchen, refrigeration room, a large dining area, a huge private lounge & bar, a spa, cigar lounge as well as interactive lounges.

Park Avenue is set to become one of the most sought after developments due to both its location and offering.

Residents have access to a swimming pool and gym.

Units have fully fitted BIC and granite Kitchens 2 Bedrooms, 2 bathrooms R 1 850 000.00 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms R 3 295 000.00

This fully fenced, 22 300m2 property has 5 building structures on site and a swimming pool. The ideal space for a hospital, school, church or religious organisation.

Selling price R 55 million

Selling price R 6.5 million

A four star property with five star facilities.

Price P.O.A

Selling price R 14 500 000

CONTACT US TODAY! CRYSTAL

031 566 1230 | africarising@vodamail.co.za | www.africarisinggroup.co.za

No Transfer Duty Payable

Conveniently located with easy access to

Backup power (Generators)

N2 & N3 Highway

Fibre connectivity

M13 Freeway

Double perimetre walls with electric fence

Religious facilities

CCTV surveillance

Hospital & Emergency Services

Biometric access control

24-Hour security guard

Schools & Universities

Wireless beams & alarms around the premises

8 Kings Avenue, Westville

kingsford.co.za

Malls

Smart-ready homes

Gym & sports facilities

My Estate Life App

19 APRIL 2020

Neighbourhood

Peace of mind

NO SHRIVELLING

NEWS & LIFESTYLE

9

While South Africans are trying to adapt to braaiing without a beer, the Fidelity ADT team are hard at work looking after your nearest and dearest, making sure they’re safe and secure WORDS: SUPPLIED

IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK

P

resident Cyril Ramaphosa and his colleagues have very aptly called on all of us to play a role wherever we are. “We need to look after each other and we need to work with Government and other agencies who are deployed across the country to limit Covid-19 infections,” says Charnel Hattingh, national marketing and communications manager, Fidelity ADT.

and fire department on your phone, so you can access them immediately if and when needed.”

“In the same way that business owners should unite, we believe that communities that stand together can be safer. There are community safety networks and neighbourhood watches throughout South Africa; make contact with your local watch as soon as possible,” she concludes.

SEE FOR YOURSELF Fidelity ADT During lockdown: 086 100 0374 or COVID19@fidelity-services.com adt.co.za

One area that needs attention first, she says, is businesses who have had to close their doors for extended periods of time. “Companies and small businesses need to make sure their property and their assets are properly protected and that their security systems are working, with the backup of a reputable armed response company. As far as possible, invest in additional security measures such as perimeter detection systems (like outside beams) to strengthen the measures you have in place.

“Working with other retailers and companies in your immediate vicinity and pooling security resources are also valuable ways of creating a safer area. Speak to your fellow business owners about how you can help each other,” says Charnel.

Residential and personal safety is perhaps one of the topics that will be weighing most on people’s minds, she adds. Charnel also recommends the formation of suburb or street WhatsApp groups, which can be useful to share information about local residents who are elderly or otherwise find it difficult to fend for themselves.

Expansion joint sealant

the Den Braven difference!

“As far as your residential property is concerned, we recommend following a layered approach to safety. Start from the outside and work your way in to evaluate which measures are in place. From the boundary, make sure that there’s nothing that could help a burglar get into the property easily.

Also trim back any low-hanging tree branches that could be used to gain entry. Keep an eye out for anything that could be used as a weapon, or to gain entry to the home.

No bubbling Inside & outside use Paintable

“Then head indoors and do a similar check. Look at the state of hinges and locks on windows, gates and doors. Also pay attention to the burglar bars,” says Charnel. She recommends keeping the most important local security and emergency contact details on hand.

Save the numbers for your security company, the local neighbourhood watch, the police

Flexi-time

Hybriflex-540 is the ultimate concrete jointing solution

H

ybriflex-540 has been specifically developed for expansion joints because it doesn’t shrink and shrivel when it has cured (set). It has excellent jointing capabilities to a range of substrates such as concrete, natural stone, asbestos, wood, enamelled surfaces, steel and aluminium. It’s ideal for both internal and external DIY jobs.

There’s no bubbling, which can happen with other similar sealants, and it has a permanent elasticity, under all climatic conditions.

right joint dimensions for the sealant to be applied, and to avoid three-sided adhesion.

Watch how to use backing cord as a bond breaker and fill a gap on a brick step on the Den Braven Sealants South Africa Facebook page. Visit our website for further technical information.

Tel: 011 792 3830 SEE FOR YOURSELF

Hybriflex-540 can be painted after 24 hours with most water-based paints. Den Braven’s range of polyethylene (foam) backing cords – diameters from 6mm to 30mm – can be used with Hybriflex-540, as a bond breaker in concrete joints. A bond breaker creates the

Available from hardware stores.

Contact us for further product and technical assistance. sales@denbraven.co.za www.denbraven.co.za

Den Braven Sealants 011 792 3830 Facebook: @DenBravenSealants denbraven.co.za Coolead 18513

10

PROPERTY NEWS

19 APRIL 2020

Neighbourhood

Property focus

ONE ON WHITELEY, JOBURG

THE CEDAR, CAPE TOWN

Rise above the rest

Today’s most sought-after investment propositions include penthouse properties, hotel apartments, and 12J hospitality fund developments

MUNYAKA LIFESTYLE ESTATE, MIDRAND

WORDS: DEBBIE HATHWAY IMAGES: SUPPLIED & SHUTTERSTOCK

W

ealthy business executives commuting between Joburg and Cape Town have their pick of accommodation options. Those who choose a penthouse for a short-term stay in a top hotel may be indulging their desire for a spacious yet exclusive living environment, making a statement about status, or both. It’s about lifestyle, luxury and convenience, too.

From an investment perspective, the penthouse offering in apartment-hotel (aparthotel) developments affords investors classy accommodation with a lower margin of risk, increased security and low maintenance. The lockup-and-go rooftop space holds obvious appeal and commensurate value for upmarket buyers.

ELLIPSE, WATERFALL CITY

“Beyond the view, exclusivity, convenience and security, all add to the appeal of being a penthouse owner,” says Horizon Capital Residential MD David Sedgwick. “Most purchasers are frequent travellers and are looking for a home that’s secure, future-proof and worry-free.”

Green urban spaces Mixed-use precincts continue to be a major focus for developers looking to create modern spaces that offer a range of benefits to those who want to live, work and play in the same area.

The Amdec Group takes inspiration from the likes of Hong Kong, Sydney, London and New York. Its “lifestyle meets real estate” projects include Melrose Arch (and One on Whiteley within this mixed-use precinct), as well as the Yacht Club and Harbour Arch on Cape Town’s foreshore.

Only a handful of the 241 apartments at the recently completed One on Whiteley are still up for sale. One-, two- and three-bedroom units start from R2,5m. “One of the challenges to developers is to create green urban spaces and less concrete jungle,” says Amdec Group MD Nicholas Stopforth.

“We’re constantly striving for unique solutions for green spaces within our developments. We look to trends around urban gardening initiatives and rooftop gardens and we create parks for dog walking and simply enjoying the

19 APRIL 2020

Neighbourhood

benefits of being in nature. There are also many health benefits associated with living in mixed-use developments.

You can walk to everything you need – to work, restaurants and even the gym.”

5AW BEMEiS Named after Section 12J of the Income Tax Act, the hospitality fund concept was introduced by Government in 2009. In 2012, Treasury made an amendment to incentivise South African taxpayers to invest in SMEs or micro-enterprises in the local economy. An investor who participates is afforded an immediate tax relief of up to 45% in the year in which the investment is made.

“Section 12J has been the fastest growing alternative asset class in SA over the past few years,” says Jeff Miller, CEO and co-founder of Grovest Corporate Advisory, the largest administrator of 12J funds in the market and a pioneer, having launched the first fund in 2014.

“It’s being recognised as a favourable financial option for smaller businesses not able to secure attractive bank financing,” Miller says. “The number of funds in the market cater to varying investor risk profiles and appetites. However, more and more we’re seeing the 180+ funds in the market seeking new and innovative ways to attract investors.

“We’re all navigating uncharted territory. As much as we try and maintain business as normal, we know no industry will escape a direct or knock-on effect of Covid-19. Now, more than ever, we should be taking a long-term view – and looking locally. Section 12J requires that investors take a five-year outlook. Any investment exited under five years

is liable for a recoupment of the tax benefit.” Among the key industries to consider when investigating the right 12J investment, Miller says, hospitality has been a strong performer thanks to its significant job creation (a key criteria for Treasury), having a strong asset underpin and strong cash flows.

“By far one of the hardest hit industries now is tourism and hospitality, but we believe they’ll be the most resilient in fighting back when people become eager to travel again and reinstate the many cancelled and postponed trips.”

According to Flyt Property Investment, the 12J sector has attracted investment worth more than R6bn to date. Its 12J fund offers investors excellent returns in the high-growth hospitality industry. This fund, in partnership with a leading 12J specialist, invests in strategically located hospitality properties with a focus on sectional-title serviced apartments and student accommodation.

Aparthotels in Flyt Property Investment’s portfolio are located in Cape Town and Stellenbosch.

Benefits include medium to long stay, kitchen amenities, flexible checkin and check-out hours, generous living space and dining facilities.

Flyt Property Investment sees the 12J incentive as an opportunity to participate in the Government’s policy of job creation while providing investors with attractive returns and a viable exit strategy. For every R1m invested, 4.1 jobs are created.

PROPERTY NEWS

11

Migration Review published in conjunction with AfrAsia Bank.

FROM THE INSIDE “Hotel residences refer to apartments or villas that can be purchased in existing hotels. They essentially allow owners to live in a hotel permanently and enjoy the same services as regular guests, like room service, dining, cleaning and so on,” says Andrew Amoils, wealth analyst for New World Wealth.

The increasing popularity of this offering can be attributed to facilities being maintained regardless of whether owners are present or travelling; access to abovementioned services as well as facilities such as a pool, spa, entertainment, restaurants and bars; good security; and a large reception area for meetings.

“Unsurprisingly, hotel residences sell at a premium compared with normal apartments,” says Amoils.

South African examples include Cape Royale and Taj Residences in Cape Town as well as The Michelangelo, Raphael Suites and The Houghton in Joburg.

“Horizon Capital Residential’s two penthouse apartments in The Aster, in Oranjezicht, Cape Town, were the fastest to sell and both went to foreign buyers. Following the success of The Aster, the company recently launched The Cedar on the adjacent property. This development includes three penthouse apartments offering expansive living and private roof decks, pools and a jacuzzi.”

David Sedgwick, MD, Horizon Capital Residential “Penthouses in the Balwin Properties portfolio have sold fastest at Munyaka in Waterfall, Joburg. The two ultra-luxurious penthouses that were priced at R30m each, have both been sold. Of the other four penthouses originally available, only two remain, at R9m and R10m each.”

Jason Heywood, property executive, Balwin Properties “Mdluli Safari Lodge Limited is the first and only Section 12J inside the Kruger National Park. The development of the lodge was funded through a breakthrough 12J structure – each investor receives a 12J tax deduction, dividends year one through 10, capital repayment in tranches years six through 10, plus an annual package of free bed nights each year for 10 years. The project is a partnership with the Mdluli community, which enjoys direct financial and indirect socio-economic benefit from each guest’s stay.

There are limited investment options remaining, from R500,000, and the capital has been fully underwritten.

“The other fund to consider is Pepperclub Invest. The underlying asset is the Pepperclub Hotel, which occupies prime real estate in the heart of Cape Town’s business district. Investors into this fund get a management-backed performance guarantee each year for the first five years of shareholding, with an average yield of 7.6% over five years. The fund offers shares with zero cash outlay for anyone with a taxable income of R1m. Investors are also offered a guaranteed buy-back after five years and receive six complementary room nights at the hotel for each year of their shareholding.

Investments start from R1m, with full financing available.”

Jeff Miller, CEO and cofounder, Grovest Corporate Advisory “Penthouses offer exclusivity to investors. It’s about easy living – maintenance-free, secure, fibre-ready accommodation. Security is a big thing. Once you close the lift door of your penthouse, you don’t have to worry. You can’t buy that.

Tim Kloeck, MD, Tricolt

)NSEK QERIDEMCER Originally a New York phenomenon, the hotel residence trend has started to catch on in other major cities and holiday hotspots around the world, according to the New World Wealth 2019 Global Wealth

ELLIPSE, WATERFALL CITY

We’re all navigating uncharted territory. No industry will escape a direct or knock-on effect of Covid-19. Now, more than ever, we should be taking a long-term view – and looking locally.

JEFF MILLER, CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, GROVEST CORPORATE ADVISORY

MDLULI SAFARI LODGE LIMITED, KRUGER NATIONAL PARK

Balwin_Lifestyle - Type S Uber Penthouse

RENDER OF A PENTHOUSE IN MUNYAKA BY BALWIN PROPERTIES

THE CEDAR, CAPE TOWN

12

PROPERTY NEWS

19 APRIL 2020

Neighbourhood

Moving home: now what?

Trafalgar Properties MD Andrew Schaefer says landlords must know their options during lockdown

A

ccording to the regulations of the national state of disaster, tenants who were due to move at the end of March must remain in place until after the lockdown, which was due to end on 16 April but has been extended for another two weeks.

Tenants should also ensure that their new home has been properly cleaned and sanitised before moving in.

New tenants will not be required to pay rent to the new landlord until they can take occupation, because these circumstances are beyond their control. The landlord or agent will not be able to let the property to someone else during lockdown, even if it’s empty.

MARLON SHEVELEW

If they haven’t done so already, the best advice for landlords or agents with tenants currently in place who were supposed to move out by 1 April, is to offer them a one-month extension on their lease to remain in place during lockdown. They will be liable for rent for that month.

Property and Covid-19

It would be best if this agreement were drawn up by a professional rental agent. It should contain a provision that the deposit is to be reinstated, perhaps in instalments, by a certain date, and that the landlord will be able to take legal action if the tenant reneges on this arrangement.

Alternatively, a landlord may decide to give good tenants a “payment holiday” during the lockdown or even for the following couple of months, especially if the landlord has been given a similar indulgence by their bank on their bond instalments. However, they should be cautious and ensure a written agreement is in place that enables them to withdraw the indulgence under certain circumstances.

The unpaid rent is to be reinstated before the end of the lease and landlords should be able to take legal action if the tenant reneges on this special arrangement.

Landlords must know their options if tenants lose their income because of the lockdown or the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

When it comes to tenants who had been given notice to move because they were already defaulting on their rent, landlords may now be obliged to let them stay on at least until the end of lockdown.

We suggest that, should they qualify, tenants who have previously always paid their rent in full and on time can be asked to sign a waiver for their deposit to be used as rent for a certain time instead of it having to be held in trust.

However, if they again don’t pay rent, it’s important that the landlord or agent keep reporting this to the credit bureaux and continue to follow the correct legal procedures so that the eviction process can begin promptly after the state of disaster is lifted.

Marlon Shevelew, director of law firm Marlon Shevelew and Associates, shares his insight on the legal rights of landlords and tenants

M

any people won’t be able to earn an income during lockdown. The first question is whether the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting measures qualify before the law as a force majeure or a vis major event.

tenants cannot pay or because he doesn’t earn an income.

4. Some banks are offering relief programmes for property owners.

Struggling landlords should consider such offers, but they’re not necessarily a given.

Vis major (an “act of God”) is a legal term referring to an uncontrollable superior power or event. A related legal term is casus fortuitus. To qualify as either vis major or casus fortuitus, an event must be uncontrollable and unforeseen, resulting in complete or partial release from obligations.

Covid-19 and the lockdown do indeed qualify as vis major events.

Tenants

Landlords 1. A landlord will likely not be entitled to compel tenants to pay full rental if the lockdown has forced those tenants to close shop.

2. A landlord cannot refuse to pay levies – there’s no way Covid-19 impacts on ownership that will release the landlord from their obligations.

3. A landlord cannot pay reduced levies or mortgage payments because his

1. Only if there’s a direct effect on the beneficial occupation, the tenant is entitled to a remission of rental.

Indirect effects do not qualify.

2. A tenant who cannot pay rent because of income loss owing to Covid-19 is still liable to pay, as the effect is not direct enough. If, for example, a self-employed person cannot earn an income, the effect is indirect and therefore that tenant has to fulfil their lease obligations.

3. Only if the tenant’s beneficial use of the property is directly affected by force majeure are they entitled to remission. For example, a commercial tenant who cannot use a property for the purpose for which it was let, will be entitled to remission of rental for the period of the lockdown.

The nationwide lockdown is enacted in terms of the Disaster Management Act. The regulations published under this act also impact the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants.

Commercial tenants who are now forced to curtail their trading hours experience a direct impact on the beneficial use and enjoyment of the property. Such a tenant is entitled to pay a reduced rental. If, however, the tenant merely is struggling because business is bad in general but has not been impacted directly, the landlord will be justified in refusing to accept a reduced rental. This was the situation before the lockdown, and will be the situation once the lockdown comes to an end.

The lockdown has the effect that many obligations cannot be fulfilled, for example: 1. A tenant will not be able to vacate property during the lockdown.

2. Landlords will not be able to give occupation to new tenants.

3. Estate agents will not be able to attend to incoming and outgoing inspections.

ANDREW SCHAEFER

Steyn City’s exclusive new

R E S O R T- S T Y L E A PA RT M E N T S

Steyn City has launched a sensational range of exclusive luxury apartments with features such as double glazed windows, air-conditioning, Siemens appliances, and much more. Residents can enjoy access to world-class facilities that include resort pools, an 18 hole Nicklaus Design golf course, an award_QVVQVO KT]JPW][M IV MY]M[\ZQIV KMV\ZM ÅVM LQVQVO ZM[\I]ZIV\[ IVL KI[]IT MI\MZQM[ KWV^MVQMVKM ZM\IQT KPQTLZMV¼[ XTIa VWLM[ W]\LWWZ OaU[ \MVVQ[ KW]Z\[ I XMLM[\ZQIV JW]TM^IZL _Q\P SQTWUM\ZM[ WN Z]VVQVO IVL KaKTQVO \ZIKS[ XZQ^I\M [KPWWTQVO IVL UWZM ZMI[WV[ \W UISM \PQ[ LM[\QVI\QWV your world.

R2.7m Fully furnished 3 bedroom show apartment

Call: 010 597 1040 sales@steyncity.co.za Mark: 082 559 2989 Leanne: 072 078 9562 steyncity.co.za

K I D S & T E E N S W O N D E R L A N D | P R I VAT E S C H O O L | S E C U R I T Y | S P O R T & R E C R E AT I O N L E G E N D A R Y G O L F | H O S P I TA L I T Y & R E TA I L | L E I S U R E | E Q U E S T R I A N | C I T Y L I V I N G C O M M E R C I A L | I N N O VAT I V E I N F R A S T R U C T U R E | R E T I R E M E N T | C O N S E R VAT I O N

16

MARKETPLACE

19 APRIL 2020

Neighbourhood

PAGES

MARKETPLACE

What’s ON SHOW this weekend?

16-42

- Get the full list at stneighbourhood.co.za

Area Guide A

Hyde Park

Amorosa

34

Atholl

26

17, 18, 19, 20, 31

I

B

Rosebank

17

S

Illovo

17, 27, 32

Sandhurst

31

Inanda

26

Sandown

20, 31, 33, 35

Saxonwold

19, 21, 27

K

Bantry Bay, Cape Town

18

Bedfordview

38

Kenton on Sea, Eastern Cape 18

Sedgefield

18

Birdhaven

20

Killarney

20, 27, 37

Sunninghill

37

Blairgowrie

31

Knysna

18

Bramley

33

Broadacres

37

Linden

37

Bryanston

17, 18, 19, 30, 31, 33

Lonehill

37

Bryanston East

30

Buccleuch

35

26

Craighall Park

23, 37

Craigavon

35

Cape Town

18

Dunkeld

21

Dunkeld West

22

24

Melrose North

20

Waterfall

41, 42

Morningside

18, 19, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37

Weltevreden Park

34

Woodmead

33

35

Norscott

35

Northcliff

32

Norwood

24, 25, 33

O

E Eagle Canyon Golf Estate

38

W

N

D

24

Thornhill Estate

Victoria 38

Noordhang

De Waterkant Village,

The Gardens

V

M Marais Steyn Park

C Craighall

T

L

Oaklands

25, 33

Orchards

24

P

34

F

Parkhurst

17, 23, 32 31

Fairland

34

Parkmore

Fellside

25

Parkmore Gardens

Florida Park

34

Parktown Parktown North

G

17, 22

Gallo Manor

29

Parkview

22

Glenhazel

38

Parkwood

22

Houghton

27, 36

Randpark Ridge

34

Houghton Estate

20

Riverclub

19, 28, 31

Hurlingham

31

Rivonia

28

R

H

Agency Guide Balwin Properties

41 - 42

Jawitz Properties

36 - 38

Russell Fisher Properties

32 - 33

Blue Living Properties

20

John Livanos Estates

17

Sotheby's International Realty

39 - 40

Fine & Country - Sandton

31

Pam Golding Properties

21 - 30

Hamilton's Property Portfolio

18 - 19

Re/MAX International Property Group - Masters

34 - 35

BE A BETTER AGENT AND SELL MORE HOUSES

with Property Professional

Aign up for the newsletter and get involved on Facebook Sign up via propertyprofessional.co.za

Get balanced analyses of market and industry trends

Read and watch practical advice and useful how-tos

Be part of an industry community and increase your network

PROPERTY

PROFESSIONAL THE SOUTH AFRICAN PROPERTY INDUSTRY PORTAL

Neighbourhood

17

stneighbourhood.co.za | 19 APRIL 2020

SALES

16 B 4th Avenue, Parkhurst, 2193

RENTALS

011 447 1220

DEVELOPMENTS

info@jle.co.za

PROFESSIONALS IN PROPERTY

www.jle.co.za

JOHN LIVANOS

E S T A T E S PARKTOWN NORTH R6 500 000 NEW RELEASE! VIEW ONLINE OR BY APPOINTMENT POST LOCKDOWN

WEB REF: 1031 Architect Ian Gandini’s expression of modern functionality. Double volume spaces, numerous internal courtyards and numerous stack doors creates abundant sunlight and perfectly merges indoor and outdoor spaces. Modernism in large open-plan entertainment spaces, with optimal flow. 3 Bedrooms, Study, plus Cottage, Pool, 3 Garages all set on a manageable 930 sq metre stand.

JOHN 083 230 2444 BRYANSTON UPPER R6 MILLION VIEW ONLINE OR BY APPOINTMENT POST LOCKDOWN WEB REF: 1028 The immaculate presentation of this truly special home will impress the most fastidious buyer, coupled with excellent finishes, perfect use of space and embellished by subtle and calm hues throughout.

Generous Living spaces only delineated by purpose, creating a feeling of grand living whilst retaining a homely feel. Lounge, Dining, Kitchen, Family room and enormous Patio all become part of the outdoors when 2 walls essentially fold-away to include the sunny deck and Pool area. Upstairs offers 4 sizeable en-suite Bedrooms, with the option of the 4’th doubling as a self-contained Cottage or work-from-home (with separate Entrance). Double garage with direct access, additional Parking, Staff accommodation and a host of modern conveniences makes for harmonious, secure living.

JOHN 083 230 2444

PARKHURST – FROM R3 600 000 VIEW ONLINE OR BY APPOINTMENT POST LOCKDOWN WEB REF 1022 This immaculate north facing home offers all you want from a Parkhurst retreat. A welcoming Entrance hall sets the tone of the home. Large north facing Living spaces flow beautifully to the Patio and glass-enclosed Pool. The renovated Kitchen is central to all living and makes a bold statement. The elevation and corner stand enhances the feeling of openness.

3 Bedrooms and 2 Bathrooms (mes). The master suite with ample closet space also boasts a newly renovated bathroom. Three garages and additional Parking, Cottage, Staff accommodation.

JOHN 083 230 2444

ILLOVO BEAUMONT SQUARE R1 550 000 NEW RELEASE VIEW ONLINE OR BY APPOINTMENT POST LOCKDOWN WEB REF: 1032 This middle floor unit offers 2 bedrooms and a family bathroom. The semi open-plan kitchen has tons of storage, while the lounge/dining flows to a patio with a lovely treed view. Quiet location, yet a minute to Sandton CBD. Great investment.

JOHN 083 230 2444

HYDE PARK R3 700 000 NO TRANSFER DUTY VIEW ONLINE OR BY APPOINTMENT POST LOCKDOWN WEB REF: 949 / 889 An exciting unit with private garden opening onto the stunning pool area. Open-plan Lounge/Dining, kitchen with Smeg appliances and separate pantry. Stack doors onto Patio. 2 En-Suite Bedrooms. Contemporary architecture in a small and secure complex in prestigious Hyde Park. Gym, full generator, 2 basement parkings and elevator access.

24 hour guards and camera surveillance in place.

KELLY 083 446 4444

ROSEBANK- PARK CENTRAL – R2 350 000 & R3 390 000 NO TRANSFER DUTY VIEW ONLINE OR BY APPOINTMENT POST LOCKDOWN WEB REF 976 1502 - Ideal Duplex 1 Bedroom Yuppie pad, New York loft-style on the 15TH Floor @ R2 350 000 1108 – Private sky garden, 1 Bedroom unit on 11th floor@ R3 390 000 Both units are north facing, overlook a manicured, Park which is secured at night but residents still have access to. Full en-suite bathroom, Kitchens with integrated SMEG appliances & fully airconditioned. Basement Parking, and Basement Storage.

Short term letting options permissible. Walking distance to Rosebank Mall and Gautrain station. JOHN 083 230 2444

18

Neighbourhood

stneighbourhood.co.za | 19 APRIL 2020

H P

BANTRY BAY, Cape Town

A R

O

asking R17.995 m

Web ref: RL2328

M P

E

I

R T

L

Y

Business

DE WATERKANT, Cape Town

asking R5.995 m

Web ref: RL1684

APARTMENT. Enjoy an exemplary designed open floor plan living experience with floor to ceiling double glazed windows to maximize the views of the ocean. Finished with a state of the art, fully integrated kitchen with Gaggenau appliances and imported marble tops and high-end Italian finishes, Shoim privacy glass, Luandi hingeless doors, underfloor heating, A/C and full automation-ready. 2 Bedroom suites with bespoke walk-in cupboards.2 parkings, storeroom. Perfect lock up and go residence by the ocean.

For further information contact Agents Devon Tame: 083 576 1961 or Colleen Tame: 083 288 0889.

APARTMENT. The Ultimate City Slicker - set in the heart of De Waterkant close to the restaurants and shops. Superb, spacious corner apartment with 270-degree views, centrally located, provides ease of access to all the city has to offer.

Large bedrooms and spacious open plan living onto large covered balcony with views of Table Mountain. 2 Beds, 2 baths, 2 covered parkings, separate scullery.

SIMOLA, Knysna, Garden Route

KENTON – ON – SEA, Eastern Cape

asking R22.995 m (VAT incl)

Web ref: RL1854

For further information contact Agents Devon Tame: 083 576 1961 or Colleen Tame: 083 288 0889.

asking R12.5 m

Web ref: RL2347

ESTATE. With panoramic views over the Knysna River, this majestic home seamlessly blends its internal and external living spaces through walls of glass and wide stacking doors. Internal gardens and private retreats are strategically placed throughout the home creating intimate spaces whilst remaining true to modern open concept living. 5 Over-sized bedrooms, 4 baths, gourmet kitchen, entertainerʼs covered patio with stunning views and large landscaped garden. Designer pool flowing beneath the house boasting a retractable bridge. Incl furniture and fittings.

For further information contact Agent Simon: 082 338 0747.

BOUTIQUE GUEST HOUSE. The Quarter Deck - cradled in the heart of Kenton-on-Sea. Designed by the acclaimed Architectural Practice of Pollos Purdon, including all furniture. Comprising of 4 elegantly furnished, luxury and modern selfcontained units, these units can be interlinked to form one large comfortable unit. Upstairs 2 family suites, each with 2 bedrooms per suite, open plan living spaces, spacious decks with splash pools and built-in braais. Downstairs 2 open-plan studios.

Breathtaking views of the Kariega River mouth! A one-of-a-kind unique business opportunity!

For further information contact Agents Lana: 076 927 7787 or Vivienne: 083 455 4701.

COLA BEACH, Sedgefield, Garden Route

MORNINGSIDE, Johannesburg

asking R8 m

Web ref: RL2376

RENTAL R32 k / month

Web ref: RL2409

HOUSE. North facing, designer dream home! Magnificent setting with sea views to Gericke's point, Sedgefield's iconic landmark. Carved into the sand dune, and set on 3 levels with its own internal lift. Open-plan receptions, modern kitchen, entertainerʼs patio with cocktail bar and pool area, fire pit. 3 Indulgent bedroom suites, main with majestic views and wrap-around veranda. 4 bathrooms. Garaging for 4, additional storage, cellar, low maintenance, irrigated garden, water storage tanks.

For further information contact Sole Agents Dale: 084 774 0004 or Ian: 074 749 4876.

ESTATE. Set in a quite Georgian Estate within a secure complex with 24hour security, this recently renovated, 3 bedroomed, double storey cluster is a win in the middle of Sandton. The estate is well landscaped with lush communal gardens. Perfect location, all amenities nearby, shopping centres, all good schools, restaurants, Sandton CBD and health facilities within easy reach. Walk to Shul, BHH Sandton Synagogue Centre and surrounding restaurants and hotels. A beautiful home at an affordable unfurnished rental!

For further information contact Agent Nontando: 083 657 7270.

HYDE PARK, Johannesburg

BRYANSTON, Johannesburg

RENTAL R20 k / month

Web ref: RL2298

RENTAL R17 k / month

Web ref: RL2390

APARTMENT. Exquisite, spacious apartment for executives is available immediately for rental in Hyde Park. 3 Double bedroom suites, 3.5 bathrooms. Well-appointed kitchen with space for 2 appliances and double door fridge. Open plan receptions opening to a private patio with built-in braai. Private splash pool and access to the complex garden. 5 Mins to Sandton, 10 Min to Rosebank, walking distance to Hyde Park Mall. This is a must-see!

For further information contact Agent Senzo: 073 039 1943.

APARTMENT. Executive, contemporary, lock-up-and-go! Well positioned in "The Hub" Bryanston and conveniently located near excellent amenities and all office parks, this fully-furnished upmarket unit includes two secure basement parking bays, elevator access and storeroom. Entrance leading to tiled lounge / dining room leading to balcony, open-plan kitchen.

2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom. Features include: Fibre avail, airconditioned, Elevator from the basement to all floors, exceptional security, pool with recreation area.

For further information contact Agent Sakhile: 063 553 1897.

how to scan a QR code? iphone: point your camera at the code image, click on popup.

SCAN ME

android: open QR scanner app, scan code image, click on popup. no app yet? download one in the Google Play Store.

www.hamiltons.co.za

Neighbourhood

T

stneighbourhood.co.za | 19 APRIL 2020

O

N

’

19

S

P O R T F O L I O

Unusual BRYANSTON, Johannesburg

asking R15.95 m

Web ref: RL2097

BRYANSTON, Johannesburg

from R5.98 m

ARTIST IMPRESSION

Web ref: RL2334

HOUSE. Set on an elevated view-site of manicured grounds in a popular gated security enclosure in Bryanston East, this magnificent contemporary farmhouse home offers in excess of 1000m² under roof, on 4000m². Sheer quality with absolute attention to detail.

Double volume entrance, spacious receptions, entertainer's covered patio overlooking rim-flow pool (heated) and rolling lawns. Social kitchen with adjoining working kitchen and kid's playroom. A total of 5 double bedroom suites, study and pyjama lounge. Features include French oak flooring, exposed trusses, fire-pit, ducted cool breeze cooling system, heat pumps, borehole, lux staffing for 2 and garaging for 4. Dedicated guard house.

For further information contact Sole Agents Regan: 082 320 6464 or Jen: 081 713 7395.

OFF PLAN DEVELOPMENT. 155 WILTON. Offering 4 exclusive contemporary clusters. These homes bring together ele-

BRYANSTON, Johannesburg

BRYANSTON, Johannesburg

asking R5.95 m

ments of modern, industrial and classic appeal. Designed for luxurious entertaining and open plan family living. Located in the much sought after boomed and guarded Hamilton Village enclosure in Bryanston. Options of layouts with personal choice finish selection. Stands from 902m² – 912m². Home designs of 310m², 336m² and 375+m² under roof.

For further information contact Sole Agents Alison 082 923 6501 or Peter: 083 257 2374.

Web ref: RL2144 HOUSE. A wonderful family home in a sought after boomed and guarded road. 3 spacious and interleading reception rooms all flow to the oversized entertainer's patio overlooking the well-established acre garden and pool. Gourmet eat-in kitchen, 4 sunny double bedrooms, main bedroom en-suite with dressing room, 3.5 bathrooms, study, garaging for 2, staff accommodation. Excellent position and subdivision potential.

For further information contact Agent Pauline: 082 573 6322.

HYDE PARK, Johannesburg

asking R8.9 m

from R3.99 m

Web ref: RL2268 ESTATE. Set in a secure and guarded estate, within walking distance to St Stithians and all amenities, this modernised home offers quality accommodation with a lock-up-and-go lifestyle. Entrance leading to spacious receptions, incl. lounge with a spectacular view over Sandton. Entertainer's patio with built-in braai, irrigated, manicured gardens and pool. Open-plan chef's kitchen. 3 Double bedrooms (mes), 2.5 bathrooms. Domestic accommodation and garaging for 2 cars. Features incl. excellent security, solar geyser, inverter battery back-up, water storage tanks, ufh, low levies. Asking R4.25m For further information contact Agent Christie: 082 676 4699.

SAXONWOLD, Johannesburg

Web ref: RL2289

from R7.75 m

Web ref: RL1837

ESTATE. Stylish, impeccable and desirable. Meticulous attention to detail. Double volume entrance hall, formal lounge, formal dining room. The heart of the home is the stunning kitchen with feature Paul Bocuse stove with gas hob, open plan informal dining and TV lounge with Saey Fenix wood burning fireplace. Marvellous indoor / outdoor interplay. Delightful pool area with timber deck and leafy surrounds. Upstairs are 3 exceptional bedroom suites, pyjama lounge and perfect study. Tight security throughout. Separate apartment - very lettable to cover the levy. Staff accommodation. Central and convenient.

For further information contact Agent Meg Dyker: 082 568 0863.

HOUSE. Sheer perfection! A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own this simply beautiful property - lovingly restored and extended, with the best of finishes. Elegant receptions retain original Oregon floors and beams, flowing easily to the new, spacious family room and gourmet's kitchen (with wood burner) and lead to covered patio with an integrated braai and pizza oven, overlooking paved terrace with fountain, lush garden and pool. 3 Spacious bedroom suites upstairs, cosy pyjama lounge. Dual staff accommodation - easily converted to guest cottage - a double carport plus secure guest parking.

For further information contact Agent Dee: 083 458 3660 or Darrell: 072 227 0992.

MORNINGSIDE, Johannesburg

RIVERCLUB, Johannesburg

asking R6.95 m

Web ref: RL2316 ESTATE. Set in a secure estate within a boomed 24 hour guarded enclave, this stunning home boasts fresh modern fittings and finishes of the highest quality, great flow filled with light. Double volumed entrance leading to open plan receptions, wellappointed kitchen, covered patio overlooking manicured garden. 4 Spacious bedrooms, mes. Pyjama lounge / study. Dbl garage with storage / workshop. Staff suite.

For further information contact Agents Viv 082 467 6902 or Peter 083 257 2374.

asking R4.99 m

Web ref: RL2329 HOUSE. An exceptional ultra-secure immaculate family home located within a boomed enclave & offering spacious receptions which spill out to entertainer's patio overlooking pool, court & established garden. 3 Bedrooms (sumptuous main with walk in dressing & doors to garden), 2 bathrooms (mes). Eat-in kitchen. Private cottage with kitchenette & en-suite bathroom plus staff accommodation. Garaging for 3 cars plus plenty of secure off-street parking. Enjoy the peaceful lifestyle within this gated community set within a stone's throw from Sandton.

For further information contact Agent Darrell: 072 227 0992.

how to scan a QR code? iphone: point your camera at the code image, click on popup.

SCAN ME

android: open QR scanner app, scan code image, click on popup. no app yet? download one in the Google Play Store.

www.hamiltons.co.za

20

Neighbourhood

stneighbourhood.co.za | 19 APRIL 2020

:LQJÀHOG $YHQXH www.blueliving.co.za

,I \RX DUH ORRNLQJ IRU D KRXVH ZH ZLOO ¿QG \RX D KRPH

Houghton Estate R10.5 million

Melrose North R2.5 million

Gracious double storey home in Houghton Estate

Excellent 2 Bed Garden Apartment

1HVWOHG PDMHVWLFDOO\ RQ Pð RI PDJQL¿FHQW JDUGHQV WHQQLV FRXUW FRXUW\DUGV URVH JDUGHQV HWF 7KH )DQWDVWLF ORFDWLRQ FORVH WR 0HOURVH $UFK WKH 0 3ODQHW )LWQHVV HQ QRUWK IDFLQJ GRXEOH VWRUH\ KRXVH FRPSULVHV RI EHGV ZLWK EDWKV RSWLRQ IRU HDV\ FRQYHUVLRQ IRU D EDWKURRP HQ VXLWH URXWH WR 6DQGWRQ DQG 5RVHEDQN 1RUWK IDFLQJ Pð GXSOH[ JDUGHQ XQLW $OO EHGURRPV DUH VSDFLRXV ZLWK 2UHJRQ SLQH ÀRRULQJ ORWV RI FXSERDUGV DQG RI WKH EHGURRPV OHDG RXW RQWR DQ HQFORVHG LW¶V SHW IULHQGO\ WRR 'RZQVWDLUV RSHQ SODQ WLOHG ORXQJH DQG GLQLQJ URRP YHUDQGDK IXUQLVKHG ZLWK VOLGHUV 'RZQVWDLUV WKH OLYLQJ DUHDV DUH YHU\ HOHJDQW 7KHUH LV DQ LQYLWLQJ HQWUDQFH KDOO JXHVW RSHQLQJ RQWR D FRYHUHG SDWLR DQG EUDDL DUHD DQG VPDOO ZDOOHG SULYDWH FORDNURRP PDLQ ORXQJH ZLWK ¿UHSODFH D GLQLQJ URRP RI JUDQG SURSRUWLRQ ERWK OHDGLQJ RXW RQWR D FRYHUHG SDWLR QG JDUGHQ /RYHO\ NLWFKHQ DQG D VHUYHU WR WKH OLYLQJ DUHDV *XHVW FORDNURRP IDPLO\ ORXQJH ODUJH NLWFKHQ VFXOOHU\ SDQWU\ RSHQLQJ RXW RQWR D EDFN FRXUW\DUG 'RXEOH VWD URRPV JDUDJHV ORWV RI SDYHG EDFN JDUGHQ 8SVWDLUV EHGV ERWK HQ VXLWH FDUSRUWV H[FHOOHQW KUV R VWUHHW SDUNLQJ WKH PRVW JORULRXV EHGURRPHG IXOO\ ¿WWHG FRWWDJH ZLWK RZQ ZDOOHG JDUGHQ DQG DFFHVV Web Ref 107709568 VHFXULW\ :DON WR WKH -DPHV DQG (WKHO *UD\ 3DUN Web Ref 108418215

Stay indoors and take care!

Birdhaven R2.2 million

Sandown R2.25 million A great opportunity to buy a large apartment

North facing 3 bed, 2 bath unit. 109m²

Pð JURXQG ÀRRU XQLW ZLWK D KXJH SDWLR RYHUORRNLQJ WKH FRPSOH[ JDUGHQV EHGV DQG EDWKV PDLQ HQ VXLWH 7KH GLQLQJ URRP ZKLFK RSHQV WKURXJK GRXEOH GRRUV LQWR D JUDFLRXV ORXQJH ZLWK ORWV RI OLJKW 6HSDUDWH NLWFKHQ ZLWK LWV RZQ GRRU OHDGLQJ RXWVLGH 3DUTXHW ÀRRULQJ XQGHU FDUSHWV KLJK FHLOLQJ &RPSOH[ VZLPPLQJ SRRO DQG JDUGHQV &DUSRUWV DQG YLVLWRUV SDUNLQJ 7KLV DSDUWPHQW LV FORVH SUR[LPLW\ WR $WKROO 6DQGWRQ DQG WKH 0 7KLV LV D IDQWDVWLF SXUFKDVH Web Ref 108244315

$ VRXJKW DIWHU FRPSOH[ LQ D IDQWDVWLF VXEXUE 5HQRYDWHG WUHQG\ OLJKW DQG EULJKW EHGV ZLWK EDWKV WKH PDLQ HQ VXLWH $Q RSHQ SODQ FRQWHPSRUDU\ NLWFKHQ GLQLQJ ORXQJH DUHD 2SHQLQJ RQWR WKH EDOFRQLHV RQH FORVHG DQG RQH RSHQ 7KH FORVHG RQH LV LGHDO IRU D VXQURRP RU VWXG\ 7KLV DSDUWPHQW FRPHV ZLWK D VWD URRP DQG SDUNLQJ &ORVH WR :DQGHUHUV &OXE 3ODQHW )LWQHVV %LUGKDYHQ VKRSV 5RVHEDQN WKH *DXWUDLQ DQG HDV\ DFFHVV WR WKH 0 DQG H[FHOOHQW VFKRROV 7KLV ZLOO VHOO TXLFNO\ Web Ref 108198484

RENTALS JoAnne 084 200 1703

Killarney R1.85 million Fabulous 2 bed apartment on the ridge

Pð QRUWK IDFLQJ FRPSOHWHO\ UHQRYDWHG DSDUWPHQW EHGV EDWKV PHV /DUJH ORXQJH GLQLQJ URRP ZLWK KLJK FHLOLQJV JOHDPLQJ SDUTXHW ÀRRULQJ ORWV RI OLJKW DQG RSHQLQJ RXW RQWR DQ HQFORVHG EDOFRQ\ 6W\OLVK FRQWHPSRUDU\ NLWFKHQ ZLWK URRP IRU DSSOLDQFHV 7DQGHP SDUNLQJ IRU FDUV 6WD URRP ([FHOOHQW KU VHFXULW\ FRPSOH[ JDUGHQ DQG FORVH SUR[LPLW\ WR WKH .LOODUQH\ 0DOO WKH 0 2SWLRQ WR SXUFKDVH IXOO\ IXUQLVKHG Web Ref 108508578

INANDA: )XUQLVKHG EHGURRPV EDWKURRPV FKLF FRWWDJH SULYDWH LQ ERRPHG URDG 5 Web Ref 107926460 BIRDHAVEN: EHGURRPV ODUJH VPDOOHU UHIXUELVKHG DSDUWPHQW SDUNLQJ 5 8QIXUQLVKHG Web Ref 108404675 MELROSE: )XUQLVKHG SULYDWH JDUGHQ FRWWDJH ODUJH JDUGHQ EHGURRP HQ VXLWH 5 Web Ref 108416105 SANDTON: )XUQLVKHG EHGV EDWKV ZLWK SDUNLQJ ED\V Hyde Park LQ KHDUW RI 6DQGWRQ DQG &%' 5 Web Ref 107093115 R1.649 million ILLOVO: 5HQRYDWHG GXSOH[ DSDUWPHQW EHGV EDWKV Fabulous north facing unit SULYDWH EDOFRQ\ JUHDW ORFDWLRQ 5 Web Ref 108527561 +LJKO\ VRXJKW DIWHU DSDUWPHQW LQ 'LMRQ +\GH 3DUN 1RUWK HYDE PARK: %UDQG QHZ JDUGHQ DSDUWPHQW EHGV EDWKV IDFLQJ ZLWK JRRG VL]HG EDOFRQ\ VW IORRU EHGURRPV DQG FRYHUHG SDWLR SUH SDLG HOHFWULFLW\ 5 Web Ref 108452735 EDWKURRPV RSHQ SODQ ORXQJH DQG GLQLQJ URRP VHSDUDWH MELROSE ESTATE: 6SOLW OHYHO EHG EDWK PRGHUQ DSDUWPHQW IXOO\ ILWWHG NLWFKHQ 7KH DSDUWPHQW DOVR KDV D EUDDL DUHD WRS OHYHO HQWHUWDLQPHQW DUHD 5 Web Ref 106514318 SDUNLQJV &RPSOH[ SRRO DQG JDUGHQ YLVLWRUV SDUNLQJV DQG BIRDHAVEN: 6SDFLRXV EHG EDWK DSDUWPHQW ZLWK EDOFRQLHV H[FHOOHQW KRXU VHFXULW\ &HQWUDOO\ ORFDWHG HQ URXWH WR +\GH LQ VHFXUH ZHOO PDLQWDLQHG EXLOGLQJ 5 Web Ref 106040093 3DUN DQG 6DQGWRQ 7KLV LV D JUHDW SXUFKDVH Web Ref 108074194

Neighbourhood

stneighbourhood.co.za | 19 APRIL 2020

21

NH OYRDT EH CPLAIRF KF O F F I C E Office: 011 011380 4760000 1125 Office: pamgolding.co.za/northcliff pamgolding.co.za/johannesburg-north

NEW RELEASE

Dunkeld / R9 million

Ref# HP1464195

Bedrooms 4 / Bathrooms 3 / Land Size: Approx 2400m². Discover the splendours of 'Temenos'. Wrapped in lush landscaped gardens this distinctive Cape Provençal style family home offers a lifetime of comfort and tranquil living. The double-volume feature entrance leads to classic inter-leading living and dining spaces and a well-fitted feature study. The spacious family room, perfect for relaxation, opens onto the large covered patio for days of alfresco dining and entertaining, overlooking rolling lawns and swimming pool. Country-style granite kitchen. Gracious main bedroom with dressing room and en suite bathroom. 2 Further spacious bedrooms and family bathroom plus private garden guest bedroom en suite. Staff accommodation. Double garage.

Kimberly Dods 082 601 2099 / Carol Truter 082 466 1045

Saxonwold / R7.8 million

Ref# HP1476757

Bedrooms 4 / Bathrooms 4.5 / Land size: Approx 2025m² A super family home and cottage in a beautiful quiet tree-lined road. Enjoy gatherings full of fun in the idyllic garden, on the flood-lit tennis court and in the sparkling pool. A fresh family home in an excellent position in a quiet tree-lined road. Open-plan living and dining spaces have easy garden access. The spacious eat-in kitchen is perfect for entertaining and afternoons of child work and play. 4 Bedrooms (3 with en suite bathrooms). Private Cottage. Staff accommodation. Double garage and secure parking. A family home for everyone.

Kimberly Dods 082 601 2099 / Carol Truter 082 466 1045

Saxonwold / R11 million

Ref# HP1477155

Dunkeld / R7.9 million

Ref# HP1472352

Bedrooms 5 / Bathrooms 4 / Land size: Approx. 1991m². Luxury and ambiance shine in this impressive family home boasting a tailor-made open-plan design with timeless elegant interiors. Living and dining spaces all open onto the perfect wraparound patio overlooking the lush garden and pool area. The chic country kitchen opens onto a pretty courtyard. Study and gym or work-from-home office. Sumptuous main bedroom en suite. 3 Further bedrooms (1 en suite). Spacious upstairs guest suite with lounge area and balcony. Double garage plus 3 undercover parkings. Staff accommodation. A super family home in a class of its own.

Bedrooms 4 / Bathrooms 3 / Land Size: 2979m². Proud understated elegance and lush rolling lawns in soughtafter Dunkeld. A gorgeous family home that will set your heart aflutter. A striking design with beautiful proportions, character features and rolling lawns. Providing a relaxed and comfortable lifestyle for the whole family. Living & dining rooms lead onto the entertainment patio and overlook the lush idyllic garden and swimming pool – an adventure paradise. Main bedroom en suite with private study/dressing room. 3 Further bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Double staff accommodation. Double garage and ample secure parking.

Kimberly Dods 082 601 2099 / Carol Truter 082 466 1045

Kimberly Dods 082 601 2099 / Carol Truter 082 466 1045 /PamGoldingProperties

pamgolding.co.za

@PamGoldingGroup

22

Neighbourhood

stneighbourhood.co.za | 19 APRIL 2020

H Y D E PA R K O F F I C E Office: 011 380 0000 pamgolding.co.za/johannesburg-north

Parkview / R14 million

Ref# HP1462443

Bedrooms 4 / Bathrooms 5 / This unique home set high against the Parkview Ridge exudes a sense of serenity and light and has to be seen! With its beautiful garden and complete with two cascading swimming pools, this home offers the most spectacular views all across the city and all the way to the Magaliesberg. It is seldom that a unique property such as this comes onto the market.

Jonathan Tannous 082 578 0826 / Lynne Baker 082 493 1006

Parkwood / From R5.95 million

Dunkeld West / R8 million

Ref# HP1456962

Ref# HP1476664

Bedrooms 5 / Bathrooms 3 / Offers from R5.95 million. Elegant double-storey family home. Luxurious reception rooms flow to dream covered patio overlooking spacious garden and lap pool. Gourmet kitchen. Well preserved and maintained Teak wooden flooring from the staircase to the generous family bedrooms and modern bathrooms. Double tandem garage. Double staff accommodation. Excellent security.

Bedrooms 5 / Bathrooms 4.5 / The "Magnificent Four". Splendid cluster home set in the most exclusive enclave between Hyde Park and Rosebank Mall, Waterford resembles all the sensibility of contemporary living. Design excellence with superior finishes. Guarded entrance and fully secured perimeter walls. Imported hi-end kitchen appliances, underfloor heating throughout, low voltage LED lighting. Low-maintenance indigenous garden with irrigation system.

Jonathan Tannous 082 578 0826 / Lynne Baker 082 493 1006

Jonathan Tannous 082 578 0826 / Lynne Baker 082 493 1006

Parkwood / R3.95 million

Parkview / From R3.5 million

Ref# HP1479146

Ref# HP1465285

Bedrooms 3 / Bathrooms 2 / Home for all seasons. Modernised to blend the contemporary with the historic. The open -plan living rooms and bedrooms retain their character with pressed steel ceilings and original strip flooring, whilst the kitchen and breakfast area are flooded in natural light. A home theatre, landscaped garden and pool and garaging for 4 cars add value.

Bedrooms 3 / Bathrooms 2 / Offers from R3.5 million. An immaculate family home. Bright and sunny

Jonathan Tannous 082 578 0826 / Lynne Baker 082 493 1006

Jonathan Tannous 082 578 0826 / Lynne Baker 082 493 1006

Parkview / R3.45 million

reception rooms all open to wraparound low-maintenance garden with sparkling pool and great climbing trees for the kids. Eat-in kitchen with walk-in pantry. Generous and bright family bedrooms – MES and family bathroom. Staff accommodation. Egoli gas. Great security.

Parktown North / From R4.45 million

Ref# HP1475279

Ref# HP1464014

Bedrooms 4 / Bathrooms 3 /Absolutely characterful family home with many charming features - lead glass windows, pressed ceilings, wood fireplaces and wood-strip flooring. Walking distance to Jan Cilliers, Parkview Junior, Senior and Parktown Girls High. A classic verandah beckons all to enter the open-plan reception rooms and generous bedrooms.

Stunning loft bedroom with views of the large garden and sparkling pool. Spacious studio / work room. Endless potential.

Staff accommodation. Municipal gas connection available. Secure off-street parking for 6 vehicles.

Bedrooms 3 / Bathrooms 3 / Offers from R4.45 million. Built in the early 1900s. Classic and beautifully renovated and maintained. Oregon woodwork, pressed ceilings, double-volume sash windows, antique fireplaces and more. Fantastic flow with elegant light-filled reception rooms. Modern eat-in kitchen. Large study / WFH office. Generous family bedrooms – all en suite. Magical wraparound garden with plunge pool, Koi pond and water-feature. Staff. Great security.

Double carport and ample off-street parking

Jonathan Tannous 082 578 0826 / Lynne Baker 082 493 1006

Jonathan Tannous 082 578 0826 / Lynne Baker 082 493 1006 /PamGoldingProperties

pamgolding.co.za

@PamGoldingGroup

Neighbourhood

stneighbourhood.co.za | 19 APRIL 2020

23

NH OYRDT EH CPLAIRF KF O F F I C E Office: 011 011380 4760000 1125 Office: pamgolding.co.za/northcliff pamgolding.co.za/johannesburg-north

Parkhurst / R6.65 million

Ref# HP1471361

Parkhurst / R4.499 million

Ref# HP1190065

Bedrooms 4 / Bathrooms 4 / Renovated and designed with love, this home ticks all the boxes. Along with Bedrooms 2 / Bathrooms 2 / This gorgeous home is finished to the highest standard with solid wood flooring

all the luxurious accommodation in the main home, there is a separate 1 bedroom cottage, as well as large throughout and a sleek ceasarstone kitchen. The living areas and bedrooms are spacious with excellent staff accommodation. Top-notch security, garaging for 2 cars and off-street for 6 vehicles. What more could proportions. The loft-style flatlet achieves a rental of R7 800 per month. Parking for 3 vehicles off-street. you ask for.

Alex Dicks 082 878 3083 / Tarynn McMillan 072 173 1959

Parkhurst / R4.35 million

Alex Dicks 082 878 3083 / Tarynn McMillan 072 173 1959

Ref#HP1457631

Parkhurst / R3.95 million

Ref# HP1461412

Bedrooms 3 / Bathrooms 2 / This stunning home offers seamless indoor and outdoor living! No expense has Bedrooms 5 / Bathrooms 2 / Sun-drenched, bright and fresh. This double-storey family home features a

been spared on the updated high-gloss kitchen and modern bedrooms and bathrooms. Tiled throughout, skylight roof allowing light and sunlight into the home. This home features 3 receptions downstairs and all low-maintenance garden and a separate guest suite make this the ideal home for a young family or the accommodation is upstairs. An added bonus is that selected areas have underfloor heating. executive couple.

Alex Dicks 082 878 3083 / Tarynn McMillan 072 173 1959

Parkhurst / R2.95 million

Alex Dicks 082 878 3083 / Tarynn McMillan 072 173 1959

Ref# HP1479362

Parkhurst / R2.799 million

Ref# HP1455040

Bedrooms 3 / Bathrooms 2 / This warm, inviting home is in the heart of Parkhurst and would suit a young Bedrooms 3 / Bathrooms 2 / This inviting family home with its large lawn and covered patio is perfect for a

family or couple who love to entertain. The open-plan living areas flow onto the sparkling pool, and the young couple as a first home, or for a young family looking for a spacious garden and property in Parkhurst. kitchen is modern and spacious, with views of the back garden. The bedrooms are very spacious, with the With light-filled interiors, open-plan living areas and a separate bedroom wing, this house is a must-see. main having an adjoining private lounge / study and walk-in closet.

Alex Dicks 082 878 3083 / Tarynn McMillan 072 173 1959

Craighall Park / R3.75 million

Alex Dicks 082 878 3083 / Tarynn McMillan 072 173 1959

Ref#HP1463725

Craighall Park / R2.799 million

Ref# HP1468262

Bedrooms 4 / Bathrooms 2 / No matter the market, it is still always about location, and this home has it in Bedrooms 3 / Bathrooms 2 / Gorgeous character features and well proportioned rooms flow throughout

abundance. This lovely property is within walking distance of prestigious schools, shops and parks. All the this lovely home, all set in a landscaped garden. Perfect for the family starting out, or down sizing. bedrooms are light and spacious and MES includes a private study. Double carport with additional off-road Viewing is a must. secure parking for 6 vehicles. Good security.

Alex Dicks 082 878 3083 / Tarynn McMillan 072 173 1959

Alex Dicks 082 878 3083 / Tarynn McMillan 072 173 1959 /PamGoldingProperties

pamgolding.co.za

@PamGoldingGroup

24

Neighbourhood

stneighbourhood.co.za | 19 APRIL 2020

H YNDOERPTAHRCKL IOF FF FOI CF EF I C E Office: 011 380 0000 Office: 011 476 1125 pamgolding.co.za/johannesburg-northpamgolding.co.za/northcliff

Norwood / R2.55 million

Ref# HP1481152

Bedrooms 4 / Bathrooms 3 / Situated in the most prestigious position behind a guarded boom boasting a synergistic balance of space and light, living areas are treated to unobstructed views through sliding glass walls to the entertainers' covered patio and sparkling pool perfect for indoor/outdoor living. The well-located eat-in, granite-surfaced kitchen is perfectly placed for easy entertaining. The cherry on the top is the fully self-contained, income-producing cottage or work-from-home facility. Garaging for 2 cars. Enjoy the seclusion and security behind the high walls. (In need of some tender loving care.)

Brenda Courtney 083 649 9017

2 UNITS LEFT

Ref# HP1479139

The Gardens / Orchards / R1.599 million

Bedrooms 2 / Bathrooms 2 (main ens) / An ideal lock-up-and-go lifestyle. In mint condition, this multi-apartment has a tasteful layout with separate lounge, dining room: granite-surfaced kitchen. Lounge flows effortlessly on to private patio.

There’s also a clever storage space beneath the dining room and staircase. The northern view overlooks a canopy of green trees and blue skies. 24-Hour access-controlled guarding, perimeter (complex) electric fencing. 1 Covered and 1 open parking, 2 swimming pools and clubhouse in complex; exclusive park area for kids.

Brenda Courtney 083 649 9017

Victoria / Norwood / R1.25 million

Ref# HP1481061

Bedrooms 2 / Bathroom 1 /New Release! Calling all investors, young professionals and small families alike – snatch this perfect lock-up and go secluded sanctuary up before it’s too late. Offering 2 sun-kissed bedrooms, modern bathroom, open-plan lounge/dining on to a covered patio flowing effortlessly out on to generous sized, private garden. Featuring a modern granite kitchen, wood-framed windows and laminated floors. Clubhouse & Pool in complex. 1 Covered parking plus visitors parking too. Close to amenities and religious houses. Seller wants to see offers.

Brenda Courtney 083 649 9017

Orchards / R780 000

Victoria / Norwood / R1.175 million

Ref# HP1481088

Bedrooms 2 / Bathroom 1 / Calling all upwardly mobile singles and couples. This spacious garden apartment in sought -after complex offers 2 sunny bedrooms, renovated bathroom and the easy-flow kitchen flowing on to open-plan lounge/ dining room spilling out seamlessly on to covered patio and private garden for entertaining. Wood-framed windows, a combo of laminated and tiled floors add to its appeal. 1 Covered parking plus visitors parking. Pool and clubhouse as well as external laundry in complex. Close to all amenities, Synagogue and Mosque. Seller wants to see offers.

Brenda Courtney 083 649 9017

Ref# HP1481094

The Gardens / Orchards / R695 000

Ref# HP1481320

Bedrooms 2 / Bathrooms 2.5 / Take advantage of this incredible opportunity. This duplex townhouse offers spacious, north-facing receptions flowing on to a pretty, private garden. Covered parking for 2 cars.

In need of some tender loving care, this unit offers an unrivalled opportunity to bring out your inner interior

Bedroom 1 /Bathroom 1 / Calling all investors and singles and students alike. Safe and secure behind high walls, this cute and cosy, split-level studio apartment is waiting for you. Comprised of 1 bedroom with open floor plan to reception area, 1 modern bathroom with bath, shower (over bath), loo and basin. The eat-in, open-plan kitchen has been tastefully renovated. The complex enjoys 24-hour, boomed security, its own park and 2 pools. Plus 1 Underground parking. Close to all amenities and religious houses with easy access to highways.

Brenda Courtney 083 649 9017

Brenda Courtney 083 649 9017 /PamGoldingProperties

pamgolding.co.za

@PamGoldingGroup

Neighbourhood

stneighbourhood.co.za | 19 APRIL 2020

25

NH OYRDT EH CPLAIRF KF O F F I C E Office: 011 011380 4760000 1125 Office: pamgolding.co.za/northcliff pamgolding.co.za/johannesburg-north

Oaklands / R7.6 million

Ref# HP1433208

Bedrooms 4 / Bathrooms 2.5 / An authentically unique home filled with awe-inspiring character of a bygone era, perfectly balanced with all the conveniences and comfort of modern living, set on a panhandle stand of 2207m² of enchanted garden with wall. All receptions flow out seamlessly onto the wraparound, farmstyle patio overlooking the magnificent, verdant garden and pool setting. Many hours will be spent sipping cocktails on the patio watching the beautiful sunsets. The cherry on top: boost your lifestyle by enjoying a passive income from the exclusive studio cottage. External buildings include laundry, 2 staff rooms and bathroom. Garaging includes parking for 3 cars and off-road for approx 9 cars.

Brenda Courtney 083 649 9017

2 UNITS LEFT

Oaklands / R6.25 million

Ref# HP1476979

Bedrooms 4 / Bathrooms 3.5 / Double-story in design and a testament to elegance and sophistication, with unobstructed views through sliding glass walls to the patio, pool and Zen-like garden. The residence boasts a perfect synergy of space and light in a curtain-free zone, with a profusion of skylights, atriums and water-features. Spacious, sun-drenched bedrooms add's flow on to terrace framed by cantilever like beams. An entertainer’s paradise all-year round. Plus, external studio, garaging for 3 cars and 2 secure parkings, double en suite staff accommodation and storeroom.

Brenda Courtney 083 649 9017

Norwood / R3.399 million

Ref# HP1472793

Bedrooms 2 / Bathrooms 2 /This “redeemed to perfection” home is filled with awe-inspiring character of a bygone era.

Pressed ceilings and original Oregon pine floors create the focal point. Set in a verdant garden paradise on a rare 715m² stand. Enjoy sipping sundowners on the wraparound entertainers' covered patio with spectacular views of treetops, blue skies and golf course. This home offers an equally unique lifestyle. Income-producing cottage/work-from-home facility.

Brenda Courtney 083 649 9017

Norwood / R3.25 million

Ref# HP1462636

Bedrooms 3 / Bathrooms 3 / Receptions 3 / Prepare to fall in love with this extravagant home, ideal for the discerning buyer. Words fail to describe this truly exciting, masterpiece of single-storey, classical architectural excellence. An immaculate and sophisticated home boasting a myriad of features. Sip sundowners sitting on the patio whilst overlooking the inviting pool. Plus external double automated garaging, staff suite and storeroom.

Brenda Courtney 083 649 9017

Fellside/Norwood / R2.85 million

Ref# HP1475151

Fellside / Norwood / From R2.1 million

Ref# HP1462479

Bedrooms 3 / Bathrooms 3 / A rare find. Situated on 793m in a quiet boomed enclave, in the heart of a warm and friendly milieu. This is where this lovingly restored home is located – influenced by a range of colours and textures, successfully blending a modern and old world! The fabulous eat-in kitchen is perfect for the entertainer. The sunny family room gravitates onto the patio overlooking a sun-kissed pool. Front garden is pretty as a picture. The cherry on the top is the guest suite/work-from-home facility. Plus staff room; 3 lock-up covered parkings.

Bedrooms 3 / Bathrooms 2 / Not a cent to be spent. For the shrewd buyer – this 'turnkey' home is inspired by a cohesive blend of architectural styles, boasting a myriad of unique and distinctive finishes. The array of colours and textures add to its aesthetic appeal. Open-plan receptions flow out effortlessly onto expansive patio with the Zen-like waterfeature overlooking manicured garden and pool. Plus, fully self-contained cottage and automated garaging for 2. 24-Hour boomed enclave. Asking R2.495 million.

Brenda Courtney 083 649 9017

Brenda Courtney 083 649 9017

2

/PamGoldingProperties

pamgolding.co.za

@PamGoldingGroup

26

Neighbourhood

stneighbourhood.co.za | 19 APRIL 2020

MYI D R APNAD F FF IFCI EC E H DE R KO O Office: Office: 011 011380 7020000 2033 pamgolding.co.za/johannesburg-north pamgolding.co.za/midrand

Craighall / R6.9 million

Ref# HP1474112

Bedrooms 3 / Bathrooms 3.5 / Immaculate Architect design 3 bedroom (all en-suite) home on a secure panhandle in Craighall, with convenient access to Hyde Park, Sandton and points North. Virtual Walkthrough:

John Ansell / 083 468 5353

Atholl / R9.5 million

Ref# HP1437308

Atholl / R8.5 million

Ref# HP1469529

Bedrooms 4 / Bathrooms 4 / Spacious Georgian cluster. This well-designed home offers contemporary living in an

Bedrooms 4 / Bathrooms 4.5 / Combining seclusion with a well-connected location, this stylish cluster is situated

idyllic position. The impressive entrance hall leads to a spacious formal lounge, dining room, family/TV room, pub room, study and sizeable enclosed patio. The upper level features 4 en suite bedrooms which all lead to private terraces, overlooking a manicured garden and swimming pool. Exceptional double staff accommodation, 5 garages, and a generator are just some of the high specifications on offer. 24 Hours Guarded complex of just 5 units. Tennis court and clubhouse.

within a small, exclusive 24hr guarded complex. The gracious rooms boast high ceilings, large windows, sliding doors and fine detailing. Well-appointed kitchen. A private study. Plantation shutters. Interior sauna. 4 Spacious bedroom suites access various balconies and the 3 reception rooms lead to an expansive terrace, braai area and plunge pool – perfect for al fresco dining on balmy summer evenings. 3 Garages. Staff. 2 Storage rooms. Advanced security system.

Peter Gowans / 083 254 0370

Peter Gowans / 083 254 0370

Inanda / R6.9 million

Ref# HP1480503

Atholl / R8.9 million

Ref# HP1478275

Bedrooms 4 / Bathrooms 4.5 / This well-maintained home offers 4 reception rooms with easy access to the pool, whilst 4 spacious bedroom suites offer ideal accommodation for family and guests. This property boasts a study, a wine cellar, and staff flatlet.

Bedrooms 7 / Bathrooms 7 / This Entertainers' dream home set behind a majestic entrance with guard house offers space and comfort for the growing family including space for extended family or an ideal Airbnb, utilising the 2 bedroom cottage plus and additional flatlet. The garden boasts 2 swimming pools, one of which is heated. Extra features include Skylights, Jacuzzi & Sauna, Gym Room, Tennis Court. Borehole &

Peter Gowans / 083 254 0370

Peter Gowans / 083 254 0370 /PamGoldingProperties

pamgolding.co.za

@PamGoldingGroup

Neighbourhood

stneighbourhood.co.za | 19 APRIL 2020

27

H Y D E PA R K O F F I C E Office: 011 380 0000 pamgolding.co.za/johannesburg-north

Houghton / R7.9 million

Ref# HP1475082

Bedrooms 6 / Bathrooms 4 / Stand size: 2434m2. Superb family home with large luxury cottage. Grand entertaining, beautiful living. All reception areas open to enormous patio. Modern gourmet kitchen includes convection steam oven, gas stove. Study / homework area. Large treed garden. Air conditioners. sparkling pool. generator, guard house, staff accommodation, 3 garages. A home with everything your heart desires. Close to top schools.

Pravin Gopaldas 082 552 7800 / Marula Proto 082 570 2975

Houghton / R7.75 million

Ref# HP1235729

Houghton / R2.399 million

Ref# HP1470196

Bedrooms 4 / Bathrooms 4.5 / Private cluster home, beautifully maintained, sun-drenched; the ultimate in comfortable living and entertaining. 3 Bedrooms en suite upstairs, 1 bedroom suite downstairs. Study , plus separate work-from-home office with separate entrance. Egoli gas, pool & staff.

Bedrooms 2 / Bathrooms 2 / Tastefully decorated with elegant and modern finishes, comfort and the lifestyle is the answer whilst you sip cocktails looking at the sunset or meditate before sunrise on your private upper deck. Great security with all the amenities like gym, laundry, large pool and pool deck and so much more.

Pravin Gopaldas 082 552 7800 / Marula Proto 082 570 2975

Pravin Gopaldas 082 552 7800 / Marula Proto 082 570 2975

Illovo / R1.075 million

Ref# HP1474425

Saxonwold / Killarney / R1.375 million

Ref# HP1476186

Bedroom 1 / Bathroom 1 / The apartment is a clean, blank canvas, ready for you to decide what finishes would complete your safe and stylish home. It will also provide you with a quiet retreat to sleep deeply and well, and a stunning space to entertain those who are important to you.

Bedrooms 2 / Bathroom 1 / Suitable for a single or couple, the apartment is perfect for anyone working in either the northern suburbs, or studying at any of the excellent tertiary institutions in the northern suburbs and northern city limits.

Kayte Denham 083 743 4752

Kayte Denham 083 743 4752

Killarney / R2.1 million

Ref# HP1478769

Killarney / R2.7 million

Ref# HP1481358

Bedrooms 2 / Bathrooms 2 / The apartment is perfectly north-facing, with high ceilings, generous rooms and thick walls. Aching for someone to invest in it and revitalise its healthy bones, it is bathed in light and has excellent movement of air, offers a huge space for a great kitchen (or a third bedroom), and is blessed with expansive views of the pool and garden.

Bedrooms 2 / Bathrooms 1.5 / A truly stunning apartment at an excellent price, ready and waiting for someone who loves Old Johannesburg, values huge rooms and oak floors and admires the bold beauty of the art deco style.

Kayte Denham 083 743 4752

Kayte Denham 083 743 4752 /PamGoldingProperties

pamgolding.co.za

@PamGoldingGroup

28

Neighbourhood

stneighbourhood.co.za | 19 APRIL 2020

H Y D E PA R K O F F I C E Office: 011 380 0000 pamgolding.co.za/johannesburg-north

Rivonia / R3.75 million

Ref# HP1479757

Bedrooms 6 / Bathrooms 4 / Elegant home perfectly configured for family living with luxurious 2 bedroom garden cottage with open-plan living room and kitchen. This tastefully renovated home with classic facade, has premium quality finishes; an elegant, very spacious interior and extensive covered patio. It is set in a 2000m2 garden with mature trees and pool giving plentiful space to relax, play and entertain. Staff; double garage (extra length). Good security.

Pat Dempster 083 601 2475 / Wendy Goodenough 082 654 0911

2 UNITS LEFT

Rivonia / R4.2 million

Ref# HP1432634

Bedrooms 4 / Bathrooms 3 / A contemporary home with style, quality and space in quiet boomed position. The crisp modern interior has generous open-plan design with an easy flow from the indoor entertaining spaces, including cosy pub, to extensive patio, pool and garden. Kitchen has separate utility area and is open-plan to family area. WFH/rumpus room with separate entrance. Staff plus wooden garden cabin with toilet. State-of-the-art security systems.

Pat Dempster 083 601 2475 / Wendy Goodenough 082 654 0911

Rivonia / R4.7 million

Ref# HP1480350

Rivonia / R4.995 million

Ref# HP1457940

Bedrooms 7 / Bathrooms 4 / A tasteful and meticulous custom renovation of this beautifully appointed home elevates family living to a whole new level of luxury and sophistication, offering every conceivable comfort and convenience imaginable. The amazing and large open-plan living areas with “state-of-the-art� kitchen, flows easily to an extensive indoor/outdoor entertaining room with stacking doors to a lovely garden with gazebo and pool. Spacious 2-roomed garden cottage. Double staff accommodation. Double garage.

Bedrooms 5 / Bathrooms 4.5 / The perfect family retreat ideal for secluded relaxation or lavish entertaining. A magnificent traditional home of generous proportions set in a beautiful lush and mature garden. This stylish home has a selection of internal and external entertaining options as well as easy family living in mind. Staff accommodation with kitchen. This versatile property is perfectly positioned with easy access to shops, restaurants, transport and esteemed schools.

Pat Dempster 083 601 2475 / Wendy Goodenough 082 654 0911

Pat Dempster 083 601 2475 / Wendy Goodenough 082 654 0911

River Club / R6.19 million

Ref# HP1474526 Bedrooms 3 / Bathrooms 2.5 / Elegant cluster with double-volume spacious rooms and mahogany and granite finishes in very sought-after estate. Great flow from living areas to undercover entertainment area, garden and pool.

Large separate work-from-home study, 3 generous-size bedrooms, double garage and staff accommodation.

River Club / R9.995 million

Anne Fouche 076 752 5159 / Lin Oosthuizen 082 572 5314

Lin Oosthuizen 082 572 5314 / Anne Fouche 076 752 5159

Ref# HP1480903 Bedrooms 3 / Bathrooms 3.5 / Creatively designed home where natural elements feature. Double-volume entrance hall and koi pond welcome you into the open-plan reception areas that include an entertainer's bar, living room, TV room and dining room, all of which lead out onto the wonderful Massaranduba wooden desk, garden and pool. Separate study/ gym room. Three large en suite bedrooms with a charming large master, staff flatlet and double garage. Security estate.

/PamGoldingProperties

pamgolding.co.za

@PamGoldingGroup

Neighbourhood

stneighbourhood.co.za | 19 APRIL 2020

29

H Y D E PA R K O F F I C E Office: 011 380 0000 pamgolding.co.za/johannesburg-north

Morningside / R3.9 million

Ref# HP1462064

Morningside / R3.99 million

Ref# HP1470310

Bedrooms 3 / Bathrooms 2.5 / Gorgeous cluster set well within this guarded complex. 3 Bedrooms, 3 reception rooms and fabulous-size kitchen - light and bright throughout. Undercover terrace leading to beautiful garden and pool. Stunning, secluded home all on one level. Double garaging, ample parking for guests, staff accommodation.

Bedrooms 3 / Bathrooms 2.5 / Beautiful finishes with 3 reception rooms opening to garden, undercover terrace with built-in braai, pool, deck & water-feature. Positioned well within this 24-hour secure complex.

3 fabulous-size air-conditioned bedrooms all opening onto their own private balconies. Main suite with walk-in closet area, en suite with its own outside area as well. Double garage with direct access. Staff accommodation.

Lara Nathan 082 787 8706

Lara Nathan 082 787 8706

Gallo Manor / R2.95 million

Ref# HP1465370

Gallo Manor / R2.95 million

Ref# HP1466304

Bedrooms 4 / Bathrooms 2.5 / Lovely partially renovated (kitchen, floors, bathrooms) double-storey house on a large stand within a secure, boomed suburb. Walking distance to Chabad. A hop away from the highway.

Bedrooms 3 / Bathrooms 3.5 / Beautiful house, all bedrooms en suite PLUS a 1 bedroom cottage attached to the main house. Landscaped garden bordering the golf course. Walking distance to Chabad. Live the life in this gem.

Andelle Aylward 072 187 6922

Andelle Aylward 072 187 6922

Gallo Manor / R2.695 million

Ref# HP1477834

Gallo Manor / R2.65 million

Ref# HP1474375

Bedrooms 3 / Bathrooms 2.5 / Lovely family home with separate cottage within a boomed suburb situated in a quiet street waiting for YOU. Walk to the shops, easy access to the highway. Contact me for walk-through video.

Bedrooms 4 / Bathrooms 2 / Space and position. Main 4 bedroom house with 2 bedroom cottage, excellent security and a generator. Excellent value. Contact me for walk-through video.

Andelle Aylward 072 187 6922

Andelle Aylward 072 187 6922 /PamGoldingProperties

pamgolding.co.za

@PamGoldingGroup

30

Neighbourhood

stneighbourhood.co.za | 19 APRIL 2020

H Y D E PA R K O F F I C E Office: 011 380 0000 pamgolding.co.za/johannesburg-north

Bryanston East / R6.85 million

Ref# HP1457199

Bedrooms 5 / Bathrooms 4 / Spacious family home offering farm-style living in quiet, boomed road within convenient reach of Rivonia and Sandton CBD, numerous schools and shopping centres. Set on ±4900m² with pool, tennis court and borehole. Alternatively, a great opportunity for developer as rezoning into 4 stands already approved.

Win Doody-Pestell 083 309 0770 / Jean Bekink 082 413 7117

Bryanston / Offers from R3.5 million

Ref# HP1454667

Bedrooms 3 / Bathrooms 3.5 / Light, bright, modern cluster. This beautiful very well-maintained cluster home is perfectly situated within a security estate. Open-plan living, with lounge, and dining room opening onto a well-sized covered patio overlooking the neat garden. Caesarstone Chef’s kitchen with gas hob and scullery.

Pyjama lounge / study area opening onto sunny balcony. Double garage and staff accommodation complete this immaculate family home.

Dominic Courtney 083 626 6355 / Natalie Dempster 082 221 3671

Bryanston / Offers from R3.995 million

Ref# HP1443936

Bedrooms 3 / Bathrooms 2.5 / Spectacular Sandton views – one of a kind. Enjoy the sunset and panoramic view of the Sandton Skyline from the elevated spacious formal lounge. Downstairs offers a neat almost new eat-in high-gloss and Caesarstone kitchen with scullery, which leads to the family room and opening up to the covered patio with views over the tranquil, manicured garden and sparkling pool. Seller asking R4.250 million.

Dominic Courtney 083 626 6355 / Natalie Dempster 082 221 3671

Bryanston / R4.650 million Ref# HP1479937 Bedrooms 3 / Bathrooms 2.5 / Almost everything that one could ask for. 3 Sun-drenched inter-flowing reception areas with feature gas fireplace, air conditioner and private garden area all flowing covered patio, sparkling pool with fountain and landscaped garden. The separate wood and granite eat-in kitchen includes loads of cupboards, double oven and scullery. Upstairs includes 3 bedrooms, 2 fully renovated bathrooms (mes), easy access to balconies with some vistas and a quaint landing area. This lovely home is ideal for all those starting off or slowing down and includes triple garaging and loads of off-street parking.

Bedrooms 3 / Bathrooms 2.5 / This ever-popular and exclusive secure estate offers you the perfect starting off or slowing down forever home. 3 Spacious reception areas, which flow onto a covered patio with built-in grill, Jacuzzi and petite landscaped garden. The granite and wood eat-in kitchen includes a scullery and under-counter oven. 3 Upstairs bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms and easy access to the balcony. This lovely home is complete with double garaging with drive-through, staff accommodation and storeroom.

Bryanston / R4.3 miilion

Dominic Courtney 083 626 6355 / Natalie Dempster 082 221 3671

Dominic Courtney 083 626 6355 / Natalie Dempster 082 221 3671 /PamGoldingProperties

pamgolding.co.za

@PamGoldingGroup

Ref# HP1477923

Neighbourhood

stneighbourhood.co.za | 19 APRIL 2020

31

YOUR DRE AM HOME I S

O N E C L I C K AWAY

Now is the time to browse the hundreds of properties we have for sale in Bryanston, Blairgowrie, Hyde Park, Hurlingham, Morningside, Parkmore, Riverclub, Sandhurst, Sandown and other areas. Our team of agents are available to offer you remote assistance in the purchase of your dream home.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW OUR AVAILABLE PROPERTIES

For more information please contact us: Fine & Country Sandton +27 (0)11 234 6545 sandton@fineandcountrysa.co.za

32

Neighbourhood

stneighbourhood.co.za | 19 APRIL 2020

ILLOVO

HOUSE

Mid R5Ms. Fabulous 3 bedroom designer cluster style simplex home on approx. 1377m².

Secure position in the 24 hour guarded & boomed controlled avenues in the heart of sought after Illovo. Ideal for those starting out or slowing down. 3 Bedrooms en suite, study, 3 spacious reception rooms and bar room open on to covered patio with stunning pool & established garden. Open plan eat in kitchen with centre island, Italian gas oven and electric hob.Double garages plus carport. Includes mood lighting and beautiful wooden windows and doors throughout.

web ref 422

Denise Farber 082 558 5154

ILLOVO

TOWNHOUSE

ILLOVO

APARTMENT

R2.899M. Pretty as a picture and ready for

R1.499M. Cat Friendly. North facing with

a new owner to make their own- Elton Hill.

green garden view - move right in, perfect to

206m2 North facing triplex in an exclusive

renovate and innovate. 2 Bedroom, 1 bathroom

position- one of only six units. Enclosed

apartment with a view of gorgeous green

renovated kitchen featuring granite tops,

gardens. This 1st floor unit is ready for a new

double oven, pantry, space for 2 appliances and

owner. Open terrace facing lush green gardens.

scullery. Downstairs dining room leads out to

Floors are tiled and carpets over parquet.

patio and pretty private garden- listen to the

Entrance hall to lounge/dining area, enclosed

birds sing whilst sipping sundowners. 2nd Level

renovated kitchen. 2 Bedrooms, 1 bathroom

has TV room/ play room, whilst the 3rd level features 3 well proportioned bedrooms and 2

and guest cloakroom. 1 Basement parking, solar

bathrooms. Main en-suite with dressing room.

geysers, onsite caretaker, municipal gas and fibre are additional features.

Denise Farber 082 558 5154

web ref 131

Vicki Hammon 083 308 9253

ILLOVO

APARTMENT

web ref 608

Vicki Hammon 083 308 9253

HOUSE

PARKHURST

R2.15M. Pet Friendly - Serene, secure and

R2.4M/R2.5M/R2.6M. Charming north facing

surrounded by gorgeous gardens. Tastefully

home with loads of character. This lovingly

renovated north facing 2 bedroom and 2

cared for 2 bedroom home features pressed

bathroom apartment. Exquisite parquet

steel ceilings, oregon strip flooring, and a

flooring. Enclosed kitchen with granite tops,

gorgeous stained glass front door. Study or

open terrace flowing out to lush landscaped

3rd bedroom. Cook up some tasty meals in

gardens. Generous open plan lounge/dining

the splendid kitchen equipped with gas stove,

leading out to terrace. Parking for 2 small cars

plenty of room for all your appliances. Entertain

- secure 24hr guarded complex. The building

on the covered patio and cool off in the

is pet friendly with permission from body

sparkling pool. Separate one bedroom cottage

corporate. Convenient for work and play.

with private entrance and garage- great income

Move right into this perfect gem.

producing opportunity.

Vicki Hammon 083 308 9253

HOUSE

web ref 249

web ref 351

Joy Srubisky 082 466 2606

NORTHCIFF R3.999M Delightful views. Welcoming entrance hall leading into lounge with gas fire place - opening onto enclosed patio/balcony.

Family room overlooking garden. Semi open plan dining room, kitchen with scullery and large pantry. Study. Air-conditioning throughout the house. 4/5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms plus guest cloakroom. 2 Of the bedrooms have own large balcony. Ideal for teenage pad/potential rental income. Entertainment area around the sun kissed pool plus sauna. Additional 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom cottage plus staff accommodation. Double garage with extra parking space.

web ref 843

Orit Bogolubov 072 236 3415

MARLBOROUGH GATE, HYDE LANE, HYDE PARK, JOHANNESBURG

× TEL: 011 646 6871 × WWW.RUSSELLFISHER.CO.ZA

Neighbourhood

stneighbourhood.co.za | 19 APRIL 2020

OAKLANDS

33

HOUSE

R7.999M. Captivating family home- with furniture and oriental rugs included in the sale.

Double-storey delight - with beautiful garden views, ideal for entertaining. Featured coniferlined driveway welcomes you to this one of a kind 4 bedroom property with a versatile configuration that allows for up to 2 fully equipped cottages. Double volume windows and skylights create a feeling of space and contribute to the abundance of natural light.

Gourmet eat-in kitchen with breakfast bar and open plan reception rooms lead out to large undercover patio.

RFP Agents of the Year Units Sold 2019 Brett Hirschowitz 082 828 0099 Beverley Nathan 083 623 0272

BRAMLEY

web ref 931

NORWOOD

HOUSE

R1.699M. For the buyer who enjoys large

HOUSE

R2.3M. Everything you need to live- happily ever after. Renovated low-maintenance family home offers practical cluster-style living without the hassle of a pool. Perfectly proportioned, open-plan living space with modern eat-in kitchen, study/playroom/4th bedroom and ample natural sunlight streaming in. Gleaming parquet flooring throughout and 3 spacious bedrooms- master suite with walk-in dressing room and bathroom. Extras include staff suite/ work-fromhome,lock up garage, back and front gardensas well as a patio with built-in braai.

Live, travel and enjoy a hassle-free future. Just unpack and move right in.

scale entertaining. Entrance hall leading to separate lounge and dining room, comfortable family room plus study. Wood fitted kitchen with eating area. 3 Good sized bedrooms and 2 bathrooms (mes with dressing room). Double garage plus staff accommodation, park-like garden with loads of offstreet parking. Thatch lapa and entertainment area leading to secluded covered pool for fun in the sun. Fully walled and secure with motorised gate. Close to schools, shops, bus routes and highways.

web ref 354

Vivienne Levin 082 886 2842

WOODMEAD

RFP Agents of the Year Units Sold 2019 Beverley Nathan 083 623 0272 Brett Hirschowitz 082 828 0099

SANDOWN

HOUSE

Asking R3.649M. Clean lines - light and bright.

Just divine for entertaining and living in style.

A tranquil haven offering tropical garden and amazing covered patio with built-in server and braai, overlooking sun-kissed pool. Entrance hall with indoor garden. 3 Separate living rooms, chefs kitchen with granite finishes and walk-in pantry plus breakfast room. 4 North-facing bedrooms, study/5th bedroom, 2 bathrooms (mes), guest cloakroom. Double automated garages, visitors parking and excellent staff accommodation. Alarm system, electric fence, access controlled neighbourhood.

web ref 138

HOUSE

R2.799M. Serious seller inviting offers.

Absolutely gorgeous family home. If you are looking for style and comfort this home is for you. 3 Immaculate, spacious reception rooms lead onto the perfect entertainer’s patio. 4 Good size bedrooms, 2 bathrooms plus guest cloakroom. Chefs kitchen, scullery and pantry.

Magnificent gardens surround the house - all of this plus a beautiful self-contained cottage, 4 garages and staff accommodation. Within easy access to the N1 North and South, Sandton CBD and first class medical facilities.

RFP Agents of the Year Rand Value 2019 Amanda Calder 082 776 8691 Les Sternberg 073 216 9400

BRYANSTON

web ref 888

Irene Kosviner 083 863 3904

MORNINGSIDE

HOUSE

R3.8M. This family home offers 3 reception

From R3.999M. Inviting all offers. Do you

rooms with fitted bar and fireplace - spilling

have a flair for theunusual? Architects dream

onto covered patio with jacuzzi and beautiful

home on 1 953m2 with features galore. This

pool in treed garden with boma and firepit.

unique home has been designed with panache.

Kitchen has granite tops, gas hob plus

3 Expansive double volume receptions, 5

HOUSE

bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. Large garden and

separate scullery and laundry. 3 Bedrooms,

sparkling pool.Huge Chef’s kitchen and scullery

2 bathrooms (mes) and study which can be

with buffet style island, pyjama lounge or study

used as 4th bedroom. Staff accommodation

area. Office/work from home. Double domestic

and double garage. Income producing open

accommodation, storeroom and double garage.

plan 1 bedroom cottage (60m²) with access

Set in the heart of Morningside in a quiet

to covered private patio overlooking pool and

secure street. Close to schools, shops and all

garden - can be used as AirBnB.

conveniences.

Margie Saunders 082 772 8574 Cobus Reyneke 082 851 5881

web ref 661

Ashton Bradley 083 692 6442

Irene Kosviner 083 863 3904

web ref 362

Ashton Bradley 083 692 6442

MARLBOROUGH GATE, HYDE LANE, HYDE PARK, JOHANNESBURG

× TEL: 011 646 6871 × WWW.RUSSELLFISHER.CO.ZA

web ref 272

34

Neighbourhood

stneighbourhood.co.za | 19 APRIL 2020

FLORIDA PARK RIVER CLUB BRYANSTON: MILL HILL

R1 390 300 000 000 RIVER AMOROSA R2 CLUB Offers from R2,998M BRYANSTON

R1 000 R1500 190 Offers from R2,189M

ON S HOW

STUNNING, NEWLY RENOVATED 3 BED CLUSTER; STAFF & D/G & BOREHOLE BONUS This stunning cluster has just been renovated & proudly boasts a brand new modern kitchen, tiles & new flooring! This

Charming Spacious Ever Boomed area of Mill Hill ! Tranquil Retreat/Country Feel; Haven offamily Tree’s;room immaculate&property offers thePopular following: 3 spacious beds, 2 full baths, separate guest toilet. Extremely spacious & separate lounge. story. Dbl Lounge/Diner; automated garage & parking for about 15 cars.Patio; Borehole electric Pool; automated front gate.

Abundant BirdlifeDbl 3 Recept’s; O/Plan Kitchen; Scullery; Pvt &Garden; Mezzanine Level R2400 for rates, taxes, water, lights, garden services and levies. All inclusive.

One amount to ease the admin - side of things.

Lounge/Studio/Office; Perfect Work from Home.

Clubhouse & Pool; Excellent Security; 24hr Guard; PLUS !… https://www.remax-masters.co.za/property/for-sale/south-africa/gauteng/roodepoort/fl orida-park/3-bedroom-houseViews.Asking R3,098M Neg. ON SHOW 2pm – 4:30pm West Peter Place; Right Main Road; Left Norman

ON SHOW

for-sale-in-florida-park-3213766/

Amanda Goddard 071 4622 280 4300 Averil Slome 082 900 RE/MAX Master Masters011 011463 7953199 1032 RE/MAX

SECURE TOWNHOUSE

Web ref : BRYN-7346

A MUSTRENOVATED SEE IN AMOROSA! 3 BED CLUSTER; 3 GARAGES !

”Move in & Live” Duplex situated in secure complex. Offers a lot for the price & is well located. O/P kitchen with granite tops, 2 +/-230m on +/-space 540m-2’s; Generator; 24 hr Guarded Lifestyle Call now topatio viewwith this lovely the garden ample cupboard 3 appliances.

Light/ bright living areasEstate. lead to covered built-inhome; braai landscape overlooking large lush green garden.

3 spacious beds with laminate flooring, main bed is en-suite.

Conveniently situated in Gas closeStove); proximity to your taste; Cosy yet spacious; Room to extend/add a pool; O/plan Lounge/Diner Kitchen; (Smeg Walktoinmultiple Pantry; schools, plentiful shopping, medical(Auto) facilities, are nearby.

Large Ent. Patio; Zozo for storage; Pet restaurants & Child Friendly Estate Kiddies playground; Tennis court & Pool; Near Shops/

ON SHOW

https://www.remax-masters.co.za/property/for-sale/south-africa/gauteng/roodepoort/amorosa/3-bedroom-house-for-sale-in-amoGood schools; Asking R2,389M Neg. What more could you want ? rosa-3175961/

Wesley 072 569 Yolandi 082 084 8626 Averil Slome 0826654 900 |4622 RE/MAX 011463 7953199 1032 RE/MAX Masters Master 011

Web ref : BRYN-7504

HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER

Charming 3 bed simplex set in established, well managed complex in boomed road. Large, north facing lounge / dining area with bay window out to pretty indigenous and treed private garden. Renovated kitchen with gas hob leading out to drying courtyard. 3 carpeted bedrooms and 2 renovated bathrooms. Lovely common gardens and complex pool area. Pets with permission. Offers from R2.3 million. ON SHOW 2PM – 5PM. Follow REMAX MASTERS pointer boards from corner Coleraine Drive & Panners Lane.

1 bed simplex in secure, well run complex. Large lounge and dining room with bay window opening out to

Peta Wales 082 780 5450 RE/MAX Masters 011 463 3199

Peta Wales 082 780 5450 RE/MAX Masters 011 463 3199

BRYANSTON RANDPARKRIDGE

SANDTON

patio and private garden.

North facing bedroom, bathroom and well fitted kitchen.

Ideal for young Asking R3,280M MELVILLE Asking R2 350 000 R2 550 Neg 000 undercover EAGLE CANYON GOLF ESTATE R3 380 000 couple or as a downsizer or as an investment. Drying courtyard. Automated garage and ample visitors parking. Pet friendly complex with pool. Situated in boomed Panners Lane minutes from Sandton CBD. ON SHOW 2PM – 5PM. Follow REMAX MASTERS pointer boards from corner Coleraine Drive & Panners Lane

ASKING R3 599 000 FAIRFIELD ESTATE FOURWAYS

R2 320 000

VBA

UPMARKET FREEHOLD CLUSTER IMMACULATE 3 BED CLUSTER Very well maintained/managed full title complex. O/P spacious Lounge/Dining room (airy/high ceilings), entrance with pivot door, kitchen has

scullery, walk in pantry, breakfast bar, eye level oven & gas hob complete with extractor. 3 Club. well appointed sized beds, 2solidly stunningbuilt baths home (main ennessuite Central to Brescia/British International/Bryandale Schools/Country This well loved, nd has large tub & dblLifestyle vanity). Upstairs is a O/pen spacious Plan loft study/2 lounge, to top this off covered patio with built in & braai overlooking tles in ashower, Child corner & PetSpa Friendly Estate; Lounge/Diner; Kitchen/Breakfast Counter Scullery. very private & established garden, dbl auto garages leading into the house. Impeccably maintained home complimented with blinds, laminate flooring Upstairs: Rumpus Room/Work from Home/Granny Flat; Lounge; Covered Patio; manicured lawn; Solar heated & tiling throughout...This complex basically just sells itself, its going to go fast.

24 hr guards with access control, Don’t delay! https://www.remax.co.za/property/for-sale/south-africa/gauteng/randburg/randpark-ridge/3-bedroom-house-for-sale-in-randparkRock Pool/Water feature; Luxury Staff Q’s; Extra Length D/G; Low Levy; Well run Estate; Worth viewing.

FREE-STANDING CLUSTER HOME IN POPULAR ESTATE A TOUCH OF CLASS!

Spacious Morrocan style cluster home. Offering 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, private garden and a double garage. With the added Stylishly refurbished contemporary home featuring spacious open plan living leading to entertainers kitchen benefi t of no complex levies. with sliders to patio overlooking low maintenance garden with braai area. 3 Good sized bedrooms, main upstairs https://www.remax-masters.co.za/property/for-sale/south-africa/gauteng/roodepoort/eagle-canyon-golf-estate/3-bedroom-house-for-sale-in-eagle-canyon-golf-estate-3168779/ with en suite bathroom and roof top views over Melville. Guest/staff room, double garage, excellent security.

ridge-3200877/

Averil 9009401 4622 David Slome Grant 082 455 RE/MAX RE/MAX Master Masters011 011463 7953199 1032

FAIRLAND MELVILLE

Web ref : BRYN-7503

Lorraine 083 290 1861 / Muffy 083 290 1219 James Carr 082 859 6956 RE/MAX Masters Master 011 RE/MAX 011463 7953199 1032

R1 590 R2 800 000 000 neg RANDPARKRIDGE AUCKLAND PARK

ON SHOW

R2 200 380 000

ON SHOW

BEAUTIFUL CAPE DUTCH STYLED CLUSTER IN STRATHAVON A HOME TO GROW INTO Set in the oasis of tranquility just outside the raging sea of the hustle and bustle of the Sandton CBD. If you are the person who is driven by passion and insatiable ambition, then this is where you live. Designed as the cultural transition from the art and farming of the Cape to executive business life in the Metropolis. Unless you are dull... you have to come and look. Boomed off section of Strathavon, Dbl garage: entrance; pool; luscious gardens.

ON SHOW 2PM – 5PM. Follow pointers from Grayston Drive into Linden road.

Situated on 1016m2 of land and perfectly set right in the middle of Fairfield Estate- no boundaries or busy roads to contend with, and within walking distance to the Junior College. 3 North facing bedrooms all with carpets and BIC’s, with 2 bathrooms. MES. The lounge/dining area leads onto covered patio overlooking landscaped and irrigated garden. Double automated garages, staff accommodation PLANS TO BUILD UP AVAILABLE. ON SHOW 1PM – 4:30PM. Follow Greselda REMAX MASTERS pointer boards from Uranium/Granite Road.

Alan Davidson 082 393 0455 RE/MAX 011 463 3199 ONMasters S HOW

Greselda Smith 083 260 1663 RE/MAX 011 463 3199 ONMasters SH OW

FABULOUS DUPLEX IMMACULATEBREATHTAKING CONDITION NO PLACE LIKE HOME - YOURS THIS ONE’S FOR THEIN ENTERTAINER! VIEWS! 3THERE’S CHARACTER FAMILY FRIENDLY HOME FOREVER! receps, 4 beds / 2½ baths. Lounge/family/dining/bar/fireplace. Kitchen granite tops/gas hob/extractor fan/eye level oven/3 under-counter appliancEntrance to Dining room, Lounge & Study/TV Room. Spacious Kitchen. Lounge leads out to Patio & beautiful garden. DownMAGALIESSIG R2 700 000 es/breakfast BRYANSTON : MILL HILL Offers fromarea.

R2,850M fridge. Main bed/Pajama lounge/Dressing room/En-suite Established garden/pool/entertainment Bonus: sep offi ce/ stairs Guest Loo. 3 Double Bedrooms & 2entertaining, full Bathrooms.

Main bedroom en-suite & plenty of cupboards - leads to Perfect for the upUpstairs & coming executive who loves featuring expansivewith outdoor areas surrounding the sunsplashed Featuringnook/Dbl wrap around “stoep”, wooden floors, pressed steelbath. ceilings & combustion fireplace. Lounge, open plan enclosed patio.

Staff Double Garage with spacenorth for workshop.

Not aoverlooking cent to be spent. pool, a cool cellar for loo. the wine enthusiast, spacious facing lounge the Melville Koppies and beyond, upstairs https://www.remax-masters.co.za/property/for-sale/south-africa/gauteng/randburg/fairland/3-bedroom-townhouse-forfamily room/studio/work from home with an even better view to the Magaliesburg! 4 Bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, (2 en suite), sale-in-fairland-3165161/

double garage, good staff accommodation. Priced to go! ON SHOW 2pm – 5pm Directions: 10a 9th Street, Melville

flatlet. Dbl auto garage/Carport/Ample off the road parking. Excellent security/Alarm system/Electric Fence/Auto gate/Security bars/doors. Internet room/kitchen, bedrooms, 2 bathrooms + lettable cottage. garden withsong/ fidining bre ready.

Centrally situated,3friendly community/award winning(mes), schools/parks/amenities.

You willSet love in thislush homeplayground the moment you see it - bird watching sunsets pool, /driftingdouble off to sleep tranquilly.

ACT NOW! IT’S YOURS sunsplashed garage + extra parking.

ON SHOW 2pm – 5pm Directions: 17 Walton Ave https://www.remax-masters.co.za/property/for-sale/south-africa/gauteng/randburg/randpark-ridge/4-bedroom-house-for-sale-in-randparkridge-3185872/

Jeni Webber 078 250 Lorraine 083 290 1861 7505 / Muffy 083 290 1219 RE/MAX Master Masters011 011463 7953199 1032 RE/MAX

Michele Lorraine082 083554 2905936 1861 / Muffy 083 290 1219 RE/MAX 011463 7953199 1032 RE/MAX Masters Master 011

WELTEVREDEN PARK MORNINGSIDE/BENMORE

R1 299 745 000 STRATHAVON Asking R2

ASKING R3 990 000

IMPORTANT NOTICE

ON SHOW ON S HOW PERFECT STARTUP Villa Bienvenidous.

3 sunny bedrooms, all with laminate floors, and built in cupboards. Main bedroom opens to pool, FAMILY HOME CLOSE TO PRIMARY SCHOOL LARGE SPACE-LARGE VALUE

Walk to WPPS!! for youngMES. children andappointed entertaining!!

Tiled lounge with fiisland replace,fitted door with to private petplenty friendlyof garden.

Diningspace, room, dressing roomIdeal 2 bathroom Well kitchen with small a hob, cupboard Tangible value!

3 bed / 2 bath entertainment simplex apartment walking distance shopping centre. located in a very secure with direct access to enclosed patio(138 withsqm) skylight & built-in braai.toKitchen - space forWonderfully dble fridge, sep laundry/scullery. double door fridge and The dining room and spacious lounge has ahouse. feature fireplace doors out Dbl for 3 appliances.

3 Smeg beds, 2dishwasher. bath,hall study/4th bed.

Dbl garage (auto) with direct access into Staff accomm.

Sparkling pool. andsink, small complex with pool.

Entrance that leads into creatively oriented layout with O/P living area’s which leadsand out onto large Spanish security bars throughout.

Generator to stay.

Pikitup R377.20 Electricity ±style, R1535.34 Water & Sanitation ±garages.

R1178.24 to the swimming pool area. Separate laundry, staff accommodation and double hollywood stylethe LOWtoLEVIES. covered patio with braai facility.

This apartment has the space, the location, the and most importantly brilliant value make https://www.remax-masters.co.za/property/for-sale/south-africa/gauteng/roodepoort/weltevreden-park/4-bedroom-house-forit theSHOW best buy without a doubt.

Make haste or faceREMAX disappointment.

ONpointer SHOW 2pm – 5pm Follow Direction from Grayston drive into ON 1PM – 4.30PM. Follow Greselda MASTERS boards from Lesley/Petroy Road. sale-in-weltevreden-park-3148563/

Stan road or from Benmore road into Pam road.

Greselda 083 260 1663 Jenny VanSmith Niekerk 082 818 4242 Alan Davidson 082 393 0455 RE/MAX Masters 011 463 3199 RE/MAX Masters 011 795 1032 Master 011 463 3199

IN LIGHT OF PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA’S CALL FOR NATIONAL LOCKDOWN WE AT RE/MAX MASTERS ARE MAKING USE OF OUR ONLINE SYSTEMS MORE THAN EVER TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF OUR STAFF AND CLIENTELE.

ON SHOW WE AIM TO UPKEEP THE STANDARD OF ON SH OW SERVICE BY DIGITIZING ALL INTERACTIONS AND CONTINUING TO OPERATE REMOTELY. 3 BED CLUSTER: STAFF & D/G WE ARE OFFERING FREE DESKTOP Charming & Spacious Ever Popular Boomed area of Mill Hill ! Tranquil Retreat/Country Feel; Haven of Tree’s; BEAUTIFUL CAPE DUTCH STYLED CLUSTER IN STRATHAVON EVALUATIONS AND WILL BE REACHABLE, AS Abundant Birdlife, 3 Recept’s, Lounge/Diner, O/Plan Kitchen, Scullery, Patio, Pvt Garden; Pool, Mezzanine Level Set in the oasis of tranquility just outside the raging sea of the hustle and bustleFOR of the ANY Sandton CBD. If you areRELATED the person who ALWAYS PROPERTY Lounge/Studio/Office, Perfect ambition, Work from Home. & Pool, Excellent Security, 24hr Guard, PLUS! … is driven by passion and insatiable then this isClubhouse where you live.

Designed as the cultural transition from the art and ASSISTANCE. Views.

Asking R2,998m.

ON SHOW 2PM – 4.30PM. West Peter Place, Right Main Road, Left Norman farming of the Cape to executive business life in the Metropolis. Unless you are dull...you have to come and look. Boomed off section of Strathavon, Dbl garage: entrance; pool; luscious gardens.

Follow pointers Grayston Drive into Linden road.IN KEEPING YOUfrom AND YOUR LOVED ONES

Averial Slome 082 082 393 9000455 4622 Alan Davidson RE/MAX Masters011 011463 4633199 3199 RE/MAX Masters

OUR THOUGHTS.

Neighbourhood

SANDOWN RIVER CLUB MILL HILL BRYANSTON:

35

stneighbourhood.co.za | 19 APRIL 2020

R1 390 450 000 000 RIVER BUCCLEUCH R2 CLUB Offers from R2,998M BRYANSTON

R1 000 R1 750 190 Offers from R2,189M

ON S HOW

DUPLEX IN QUIETSTAFF SECURE 3 BED CLUSTER; & PANHANDLE D/G Upstairs: 2 Bed, 2 baths. Downstairs: O/P kitchen/lounge/dining room. Secluded green garden. 2 tandem parking bays,

VERY WELL MAINTAINED 3 BEDNEAT RENOVATED CLUSTER;33BEDROOM GARAGESHOUSE !

Charming & Spacious Ever Popular Boomed area of MilltoHill ! Tranquil Retreat/Country Haven Tree’s; swimming pool, 24 hr security.

Within easy walking distance, Grayston primary, Sandown High,Feel; Shops, Virginof Active Gym, Gautrain, Sandton & easy access to Grayston on/off Abundant BirdlifeCBD 3 Recept’s; Lounge/Diner; O/Planramps.

Kitchen; Scullery; Patio; Pvt Garden; Pool; Mezzanine Level https://www.remax-masters.co.za/property/for-sale/south-africa/gauteng/sandton/sandown/2-bedroom-house-for-saleLounge/Studio/Office; Perfect Work from Home. Clubhouse & Pool; Excellent Security; 24hr Guard; PLUS ! … in-sandown-3204618/ Views.Asking R3,098M Neg. ON SHOW 2pm – 4:30pm West Peter Place; Right Main Road; Left Norman

Consisting of 3 beds, 2.5 baths (mes) & 4 reception areas. Lounge opens onto a covered patio facing a sparkling pool. TV room 2 2 +/-230m on +/-opens 540monto ’s; Generator; 24 hr Guarded Lifestylewith Estate.

Call now to view lovely home; landscape theplenty garden into the bar area garden. The kitchen is spacious a scullery & space forthis 2 appliances/dbl door fridge, of breakfast nook.

Staff & separate toilet with a standing shower. garage, parking/extra tocupboard your taste;space& Cosy yet spacious; Room toquarters extend/add a pool; O/plan Lounge/Diner Kitchen;Dbl (Smeg Gas caravan Stove); Walk in Pantry; parking space forZozo 4 cars. alarmed & linked local security company.

Electric fence &Tennis trellis-doors Large Ent. Patio; forFully storage; (Auto) Pet & to Child Friendly Estate Kiddies playground; court &throughout.

Pool; Near Shops/ https://www.remax-masters.co.za/property/for-sale/south-africa/gauteng/sandton/buccleuch/3-bedroom-house-for-saleGood schools; Asking R2,389M Neg. What more could you want ? in-buccleuch-3079635/

ArnoldSlome Berger 082 445 1068 Averil 082 900 4622 RE/MAX Master Masters011 011463 4633199 3199 RE/MAX

Cevana Madeira 232 4487 Averil Slome 082078 900 4622 RE/MAX 011463 4633199 3199 RE/MAX Masters Master 011

ON SHOW

SECURE TOWNHOUSE

Web ref : BRYN-7346

ON SHOW

Web ref : BRYN-7504

HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER

Charming 3 bed simplex set in established, well managed complex in boomed road. Large, north facing lounge / dining area with bay window out to pretty indigenous and treed private garden. Renovated kitchen with gas hob leading out to drying courtyard. 3 carpeted bedrooms and 2 renovated bathrooms. Lovely common gardens and complex pool area. Pets with permission. Offers from R2.3 million. ON SHOW 2PM – 5PM. Follow REMAX MASTERS pointer boards from corner Coleraine Drive & Panners Lane.

1 bed simplex in secure, well run complex. Large lounge and dining room with bay window opening out to

Peta Wales 082 780 5450 RE/MAX Masters 011 463 3199

Peta Wales 082 780 5450 RE/MAX Masters 011 463 3199

BRYANSTON MORNINGSIDE

SANDTON

patio and private garden. North facing bedroom, bathroom and well fitted kitchen.

Ideal for young Asking R3,280M MELVILLE Asking R2 350 000 R8 500 Neg 000 undercover CRAIGAVON R2 300 000 couple or as a downsizer or as an investment. Drying courtyard. Automated garage and ample visitors parking. Pet friendly complex with pool. Situated in boomed Panners Lane minutes from Sandton CBD. ON SHOW 2PM – 5PM. Follow REMAX MASTERS pointer boards from corner Coleraine Drive & Panners Lane

ASKING R3 599 000 FAIRFIELD ESTATE FOURWAYS

R2 320 000

VBA

ULTIMATE FAMILY HOME POSITIONED A BOOMED ENCLAVE NOW FOR OF SOMETHING IMMACULATE 3 BED CLUSTER A TOUCH CLASS! COMPLETELY DIFFERENT Upstairs: Large bed with en suite bath & TV lounge, plus study or enclosed entertainment area which leads out to a large sunny patio with beautiful O/P living, 4 recep, luxurious patio, pool & garden. TV, lounge & fireplace. Open kitchen & lounge with a breakfast table & scullery. Study

Central to Brescia/British International/Bryandale Schools/Country Club.with This well loved, solidly home with en-suite toilet. 4 beds all en-suite.

Main bed overlooks garden, huge walk in closet en-suite bath. Extra – offibuilt ce/guest suit nesor tles a Child & Pet4Friendly Lifestyle Estate; O/pen Kitchen/Breakfast Counter & Scullery. staff in quarters en-suite. garages, solar geysers, Generator.

Full Plan alarmLounge/Diner; system, CCTV, inverters inside house, Industrial Wi-Fi, borehole for irrigation, sprinkler system, air cons, Gas fireplace, electric patio awning, 24/7 security boomed area. Land 2023m2, Floor 505m2.

Upstairs: Rumpus Room/Work from Home/Granny Flat; Lounge; Covered Patio;offmanicured lawn; Solar heated https://www.remax-masters.co.za/property/for-sale/south-africa/gauteng/sandton/morningside/4-bedroom-house-for-sale-inRock Pool/Water feature; Luxury Staff Q’s; Extra Length D/G; Low Levy; Well run Estate; Worth viewing.

Stylishly refurbished home featuring spacious plan living to entertainers kitchen views.

Downstairs: 2 en suitecontemporary beds with the larger bed opening with French doors open onto garden.

Gourmetleading country style kitchen is beautifully finished with & space for 3 appliances/dbl door fridge. Dining roomwith is large enough for a310-seater doors leading the side witha separate sliders scullery to patio overlooking low maintenance garden braai area.

Good table sized& French bedrooms, maintoupstairs of the property. The spacious lounge with wood burning fireplace leads out to entertainer’s patio overlooking established garden. Dbl auto garage & with en suite bathroom and roof top views over Melville. Guest/staff room, double garage, excellent security. extra visitors parking. Situated in a small pet friendly complex with only 10 units. https://www.remax-masters.co.za/property/for-sale/south-africa/gauteng/sandton/craigavon/3-bedroom-house-for-sale-in-craigavon-3109466/

Averil 082082 900728 4622 OxanaSlome Wizman 8855 RE/MAX RE/MAX Master Masters011 011463 4633199 3199

LorraineSun 083083 290679 1861 / Muffy 083 290 1219 Debbie 4182 RE/MAX Masters Master 011 RE/MAX 011463 4633199 3199

morningside-3237297/

MORNINGSIDE MELVILLE

Web ref : BRYN-7503

R11 499 R2 800 000 000 neg NORSCOT AUCKLAND PARK

ON SHOW

R2 200 850 000

ON SHOW

BEAUTIFUL CAPE DUTCH STYLED CLUSTER IN STRATHAVON A HOME TO GROW INTO Set in the oasis of tranquility just outside the raging sea of the hustle and bustle of the Sandton CBD. If you are the person who is driven by passion and insatiable ambition, then this is where you live. Designed as the cultural transition from the art and farming of the Cape to executive business life in the Metropolis. Unless you are dull... you have to come and look. Boomed off section of Strathavon, Dbl garage: entrance; pool; luscious gardens.

ON SHOW 2PM – 5PM. Follow pointers from Grayston Drive into Linden road.

Situated on 1016m2 of land and perfectly set right in the middle of Fairfield Estate- no boundaries or busy roads to contend with, and within walking distance to the Junior College. 3 North facing bedrooms all with carpets and BIC’s, with 2 bathrooms. MES. The lounge/dining area leads onto covered patio overlooking landscaped and irrigated garden. Double automated garages, staff accommodation PLANS TO BUILD UP AVAILABLE. ON SHOW 1PM – 4:30PM. Follow Greselda REMAX MASTERS pointer boards from Uranium/Granite Road.

Alan Davidson 082 393 0455 RE/MAX 011 463 3199 ONMasters S HOW

Greselda Smith 083 260 1663 RE/MAX 011 463 3199 ONMasters SH OW

GRAND OPULENCE UP & GO PENTHOUSE FAMILY LIVINGFAMILY AT IT’S FRIENDLY BEST THIS ONE’S FOR THELOCK ENTERTAINER! BREATHTAKING VIEWS! CHARACTER HOMEmature trees, pool & trampoline. 3 beds, 661m2 luxury 3/4 bed dbl volume. 360° spectacular views. Main level: Walk into large dbl volume entrance hall/ dining700 area, folding doors Modernised with light bright colours.

Set onHILL 1500m2 of spacious garden with large Offers MAGALIESSIG R2 000 BRYANSTON : &MILL fromLounge, R2,850M leading around balcony.

4th bed located on the main level. featuring Beautiful living room/outdoor TV room.areas Largesurrounding kitchen with the stunning finishes, Large main wrap with dressing fullwooden bath. 3 baths (2 en-suite).

O/P kitchen, to lounge fireplace. with fireplace, play area, Perfectto forwrap the up & coming executive who loves entertaining, expansive sunsplashed Featuring aroundroom “stoep”, floors, pressed steel ceilingsleading & combustion opendining plan pantry. Upstairs: O/P living area with 3 grand beds - all en suite, opening to 2nd wrap around balcony. 5 basement parking’s, 4x4m pool, a cool24hr cellar for the services, wine enthusiast, spacious north facing loungepool. overlooking Melville Koppies and beyond, upstairs storeroom. concierge gym, meeting rooms & large communal Situated the close to the N1 Sandton CBD. family room/studio/work from home with an even better view to the Magaliesburg! 4 Bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, (2 enat-forsuite), https://www.remax-masters.co.za/property/for-sale/south-africa/gauteng/sandton/morningside/4-bedroom-apartment-fl sale-in-morningside-3243006/ double garage, good staff accommodation. Priced to go! ON SHOW 2pm – 5pm Directions: 10a 9th Street, Melville

room & gorgeous enclosed patio with built in braai. Studio, Staff accommodation double garage. dining room/kitchen, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (mes), + lettable cottage.& Set in lush playground garden with https://www.remax-masters.co.za/property/for-sale/south-africa/gauteng/sandton/norscot/3-bedroom-house-for-sale-insunsplashed pool, double garage + extra parking. ON SHOW 2pm – 5pm Directions: 17 Walton Ave norscot-3161711/

Alan Davidson 0821861 393/ 0455 Lorraine 083 290 Muffy 083 290 1219 RE/MAX Master Masters011 011463 4633199 3199 RE/MAX

Greselda Smith 083 260 1663 083 290 1219 Lorraine 083 290 1861 / Muffy RE/MAX 011463 4633199 3199 RE/MAX Masters Master 011

NOORDHANG MORNINGSIDE/BENMORE

R1 250 Asking R2 299 000 STRATHAVON

ASKING R3 990 000

IMPORTANT NOTICE IN LIGHT OF PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA’S CALL FOR NATIONAL LOCKDOWN WE AT RE/MAX MASTERS ARE MAKING USE OF OUR ONLINE SYSTEMS MORE THAN EVER TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF OUR STAFF AND CLIENTELE.

ON SHOW ON S HOW PERFECT STARTUP Villa Bienvenidous.

3 sunnyVALUE bedrooms, all with laminate floors, and built in cupboards. Main bedroom opens to pool, UNBEATABLE LARGE SPACE-LARGE VALUE

ON SHOW WE AIM TO UPKEEP THE STANDARD OF ON SH OW SERVICE BY DIGITIZING ALL INTERACTIONS AND CONTINUING TO OPERATE REMOTELY. 3 BED CLUSTER: STAFF & D/G WE ARE OFFERING FREE DESKTOP Charming & Spacious Ever Popular Boomed area of Mill Hill ! Tranquil Retreat/Country Feel; Haven of Tree’s; BEAUTIFUL CAPE DUTCH STYLED CLUSTER IN STRATHAVON EVALUATIONS AND WILL BE REACHABLE, AS

Greselda Smith 083 260 1663 Tim 903 3965 &393 James 082 903 3975 Alan082 Davidson 082 0455 RE/MAX Masters 011 463 3199 RE/MAX Masters 011 463 3199 Master 011 463 3199

Averial Slome 082 082 393 9000455 4622 Alan Davidson RE/MAX Masters011 011463 4633199 3199 RE/MAX Masters

This unit has a covered entrance, reception,kitchen loungewith & dining granite kitchen, patio with large dressing room 2 bathroom MES.spacious Well appointed smallroom, island fittedtop with a hob,entertainer’s plenty of cupboard space, Tangible value!

3 bed /braai, 2 batheasy simplex (138beds, sqm)2walking distance to&shopping centre. Wonderfully located in amaintenance very secure louvre roof & built-in careapartment yard, 3 tiled full baths (MES), dbl auto-garage.

Spacious main bed, double door fridge and Smeg dishwasher.

The dining room and spacious has a feature fireplace doors out and small with pool.

Entrance hall that leads into oriented layoutlounge with O/P living area’s&which leadsand out onto large free yard, complex great covered patio for friends & family, fi brecreatively connected, & upmarket medical, shopping entertainment amenities to the swimming pool area.

Separate laundry, staffspace, accommodation and double hollywood stylethe garages.

LOWtoLEVIES. covered patio with facility.

ThisR1,250 apartment has the the location, the style, and most importantly brilliant value make nearby.

Looking atbraai offers around 000!!! https://www.remax-masters.co.za/property/for-sale/south-africa/gauteng/randburg/noordhang/3-bedroom-house-forit theSHOW best buy without a doubt.

Make haste or faceREMAX disappointment.

ONpointer SHOW 2pm – 5pm Follow Direction from Grayston drive into ON 1PM – 4.30PM. Follow Greselda MASTERS boards from Lesley/Petroy Road. sale-in-noordhang-3223658/ Stan road or from Benmore road into Pam road.

Abundant Birdlife, 3 Recept’s, Lounge/Diner, O/Plan Kitchen, Scullery, Patio, Pvt Garden; Pool, Mezzanine Level Set in the oasis of tranquility just outside the raging sea of the hustle and bustleFOR of the ANY Sandton CBD. If you areRELATED the person who ALWAYS PROPERTY Lounge/Studio/Office, Perfect ambition, Work from Home. & Pool, Excellent Security, 24hr Guard, PLUS! … is driven by passion and insatiable then this isClubhouse where you live.

Designed as the cultural transition from the art and ASSISTANCE. Views.

Asking R2,998m.

ON SHOW 2PM – 4.30PM. West Peter Place, Right Main Road, Left Norman farming of the Cape to executive business life in the Metropolis. Unless you are dull...you have to come and look. Boomed off section of Strathavon, Dbl garage: entrance; pool; luscious gardens.

Follow pointers Grayston Drive into Linden road.IN KEEPING YOUfrom AND YOUR LOVED ONES OUR THOUGHTS.

36

Neighbourhood

stneighbourhood.co.za | 19 APRIL 2020

G N

I L L

W O N

E S

1, 2 & 3 BEDROOM LUXURY APARTMENTS FROM R 1 585 000 The Paramount is designed to be a cut above the rest. Providing owners, residents & guests with a hotel-styled living environment. The Paramount is situated in the heart of Houghton. Construction has commenced and is well underway.

Features • Executive Facilities • • • • •

• Features

Lounge Bar & Executive Chill Areas Guest Bathroom in every unit Executive Transport Service Essential Continuity of Service Generator

• Hotel Styled Services • • • • •

• • Selective Double Glazing • Roof Gardens (with Gas Braai, Prep-bowl & storage space) • Undercover Parking & Double Elevators

• State of the Art Security

Concierge Services On Demand Laundry & Cleaning Service Fibre to the Home Super Fast Free Communal Wifi

• • • • •

24 Hour Guarding Camera Monitoring & Armed Response Electrified Fencing Boom Gate Access

BENJAMIN PEIN 083 453 4156 theparamount@jawitz.co.za

• Optional Extras Available • • • • •

Choice of addition finishes Home Automation (By Advantage Air) Interior Designer (By Toposcope) Fibre supplied by Huge Networks

• Unit Sizes •

• 59m²- 165m²

WEB REF ND17

Neighbourhood

stneighbourhood.co.za | 19 APRIL 2020

REAL LIFE

37

Real Estate.

Johannesburg North & Sandton 011 880 3550 | jawitz.co.za

FOR SALE

FOR SALE

BROADACRES | R 7 Million

LINDEN | R 4.45 Million

7STLMWXMGEXIH HSYFPI WXSVI] JSV XLI IEW] PMZMRK ERH WTEGI PSZMRK JEQMP] )RXVERGI LEPP ¾S[MRK MRXS HMRMRK LEPP JSVQEP PSYRKI TV room, guest cloakroom, kitchen with breakfast area, integrated fridge, gas stove and walk-in pantry, cellar. Guest suite with separate entrance, 4 bedrooms, all en-suite with dressing rooms, opening onto large balconies.

3 garages, tennis court and swimming pool. Electric fence and intercom.

Eunice Williams: 083 595 6111 | Web Ref: RL6026

8LMW XEWXIJYPP] VIRSZEXIH FIHVSSQ 0MRHIR *EVQLSYWI [MPP ETTIEP XS JEQMPMIW ERH I\IGYXMZIW [MXL MXW QEKRM½GIRX QM\XYVI of old world charm with a modern twist. Entrance, modern open plan kitchen, scullery, dining room, open plan lounge [MXL ½VITPEGI 7XYH] K]Q PMFVEV] ERH E JEQMP] VSSQ 1EWXIV FIHVSSQ [MXL [EPO XLVSYKL HVIWWMRK VSSQ ERH HIPY\I IR suite bathroom. 2 Additional bedrooms. One full bathroom. Stacking doors lead to a spacious covered patio with built in braai overlooking a lush garden. Swimming pool. Borehole. Double Hollywood carport and off street parking. Store room and tool shed. Colleen Tappin: 082 659 8013 | Web Ref: RL63335

FOR SALE

FOR SALE

CRAIGHALL PARK | R 3.825 Million

SUNNINGHILL | R 1.995 MILLION

This spacious 5 bedroom all (en-suite) family home is securely situated down a panhandle. Serious seller says “bring me an offer”. Ideal for the extended family, gran, adult children or WFH. The main house has 3 sizeable bedrooms all en-suite.

Open plan living room, dining room and eat in kitchen with separate scullery. Cottage section; lounge and dining room with access to main house kitchen. Upstairs, 2 large bedrooms en-suite. Upstairs main has balcony and tree top views.

Entertainment patio, swimming pool, double carport and ample off street parking.

Lorraine Hurdus: 072 803 0516 | Web Ref: RL59213

Calling all those do it yourself enthusiasts. 3 bed 2 bath home that requires a bit of tender loving care and perhaps some maintenance to make this the perfect family home. Large land and wrap around garden. Double volume garage and extra parking carports. Swimming pool, domestic quarters and extra storage space for all those little extras.

Shegen Nareen: 071 332 7953 | Web Ref: RL63874

FOR SALE

FOR SALE

MORNINGSIDE | R 1.750 MILLION

MORNINGSIDE | R 1.6 Million

Capitalise on today. Don’t miss this great investment opportunity! Must see apartment with great returns in the centre of Morningside: 3 bed, 2 bath garden apartment with kitchen, open plan dining room and lounge, leading onto undercover patio and small easily maintained garden. Close to Morningside Shopping Centre, with its trendy restaurants, Redhill School, and Gautrain bus route. Perfect.

Anne Daffey: 082 336 6285 | Bridget Coetsee: 083 607 4641 | Web Ref: RL63625

It’s Your Move! Fantastic Value! 2 generous Bedroom, 2 Bathroom apartment in highly sought after complex in Morningside.

Open plan living space leading to entertainers patio .Modern kitchen with space for three appliances .2 parking bays.24/7 Professional Security. Sparkling Pool in complex. Easy access to Sandton CBD and Gautrain. Prime Position with shops, gyms, highways and all amenities virtually on your doorstep! Invest / Lock Up and Go! A no brainer!

Sandra Luntz: 083 679 1247 | Web Ref: RL63850

FOR SALE

FOR SALE

KILLARNEY | R 1.350 Million

LONEHILL | R 1.299 Million

The perfect place for those starting up or slowing down. Well located in a good block near to Killarney Park. This 2 bed 2 bath unit faces north. Interleading lounge and dining room lead to a quiet north balcony.The apartment is light and bright.

There is one garage parking. Perfectly located for highway access, malls, places of worship, schools, universities, clinics and hospitals. Highly motivated sellers.

Jenny Berkenfeld: 083 254 3381 | Web Ref: RL62369

Priced to sell today and pet friendly. Stunning lock up and go town house in a secure access controlled Lonehill estate.

Modern and light open plan living area to patio and garden. 2 spacious sun drenched rooms master with en-suite. The complex has a tennis courts and a swimming pool and clubhouse.

Ashe Thaver: 078 460 7011 | Web Ref: RL57202

Preferred Home Loan partner

Sales | Rentals | Property Management

Proud supporter of

38

Neighbourhood

stneighbourhood.co.za | 19 APRIL 2020

REAL LIFE

Real Estate.

Bedfordview 011 622 1820 | jawitz.co.za

FOR SALE

BEDFORDVIEW | R 7.5 Million 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms the main bathroom has 2 showers, one indoor, one outdoor with skylight. Modern kitchen is open onto the family room lending for easy family living. Separate open plan dining room, lounge with separate bar area. All weather patio has glass stack doors opening onto garden and pool. Separate 2 bedroom cottage or staff accommodation with lounge, bathroom and kitchen. 4 garages and extra visitors parking.

Sofie Collaro: 084 999 1996 | Web Ref: RL62019

FOR SALE

FOR SALE

THORNHILL ESTATE | R 3.250 Million

BEDFORDVIEW | R 3.2 Million

This home is meticulously maintained and features all rooms that overlook the north facing “stoep” (patio) for the entire length of the house; which in turn looks onto the solar-heated, safety-covered, salt water pool, manicured garden & exceptional, bespoke deck and living area. Double garage leads to separate scullery.

Michael Levy: 083 616 0039 | Web Ref: RL64292

A beech wood, granite top kitchen, with space for all your appliances. Stairway features a skylight leading upstairs to 3 WYRR] FIHVSSQW FEXLVSSQW [MXL UYEPMX] ½RMWLIW E WXYH] RSSO EVIE ERH FEPGSR] % JYPP HSQIWXMG UYEVXIVW WXSVIVSSQ and 2 garages. Top security with a 24 guard.

Veronica Patoulas: 082 893 7883 | Web Ref: RL63704

FOR SALE

FOR SALE

GLENHAZEL | INVITING BUYERS FROM R 2.999 Million

NORWOOD | Inviting buyers from R 2.199 Million

%WOMRK 1SVI 7XYRRMRK ½RMWLIW GSQTPMQIRX XLMW FIHVSSQ LSQI [MXL PEZMWL VIGITXMSR VSSQW PIEHMRK SYX SRXS HIWMKRIV covered entertainer’s patio. Beautiful pool setting as well as Kiddies paradise play area. 2 Luxurious bathrooms main en suite. Gourmet eat in kitchen. Excellent staff accommodation could be converted to cottage. 2 lock up garages. Off street parking. Fort Knox security.

Joel Harris: 082 926 0287 (National Sales Consultant of the Year) Laureen Shalpid: 083 789 0229 | Web Ref: RL63865

Asking More. 3 Bedrooms, 2 modern Bathrooms (mes), very spacious lounge and dining room opening onto lovely patio and garden. Stunning modern kitchen with amazing separate breakfast room, great outbuildings with cottage potential, lap pool, walled, off street parking, great location and genuine seller.

Joel Harris: 082 926 0287 (National Sales Consultant of the Year) Laureen Shalpid: 083 789 0229 | RL58857

FOR SALE

FOR SALE

GLENHAZEL | Inviting buyers from R 1.299 Million

MARAIS STEYN PARK | R 990 000

Asking More. Great Value in the sought after Complex of Trevanne. The large covered Balcony will be an entertainers HIPMKLX FIHVSSQ ETEVXQIRX LEW E [IPP ½XXIH OMXGLIR [MXL KVERMXI XSTW ERH E HSYFPI SZIR FEXLVSSQW 1IW STIR plan lounge and dining room, a laundry and storage, Staff accommodation, 2 underground parking’s a beautiful communal pool and gardens plus 24/7 Security. Joel Harris: 082 926 0287 (National Sales Consultant of the Year) Laureen Shalpid: 083 789 0229 | RL56995

8LMW ½VWX ¾SSV ETEVXQIRX MW JSYRH [MXLMR XLI TSTYPEV GSQTPI\ ±7SQIVWF]²´ 'SRWMWXMRK SJ FIHVSSQW ERH QSHIVR JYPP bathroom, kitchen and open plan living area. The Balcony is on the larger side.Two covered Carports and PET FRIENDLY for one cat only.

Deena Pitum: 079 502 2961 | Web Ref: RL60548

Preferred Home Loan partner

Sales | Rentals | Property Management

Proud supporter of

Neighbourhood

stneighbourhood.co.za | 19 APRIL 2020

39

We have gone

VIRTUAL and made life easier for you...

To view all our Properties and Virtual Tours please scan this QR Code

Please contact our Agents should you wish any further information on any of our properties

for Rentals Scan Me

for Developments Scan Me

40

Neighbourhood

stneighbourhood.co.za | 19 APRIL 2020

Technology can build anything.

Except trust.

• 22 000 brokers in 72 countries. • $108 Billion annual turnover for 2017.

Join the most respected name in Real Estate.

Contact Ruth Kaplan 011 886 8070 in confidence.

sothebysrealty.co.za

Neighbourhood

stneighbourhood.co.za | 19 APRIL 2020

41

42

stneighbourhood.co.za | 19 APRIL 2020

Neighbourhood