Nation prepares for Easter celebrations; covid or no covid - Scrolla.Africa

Monday 29 March
                                               2021, 0145

Real News. Scrolla.Africa

Nation prepares for Easter celebrations;
covid or no covid
Kamogelo Muvhenzhe

Churches and millions of congregants want to celebrate this
Easter Weekend as if there was no Covid-19 pandemic.

Over 1.5 million South Africans contracted the coronavirus over
the past year but just 52 648 died.

It could have been worse.

It is exactly this sense of thankfulness that is expected to drive
millions of congregants to church to praise and worship.

This week, more than 170 churches are preparing a court
challenge against the government, demanding it allow bigger
gatherings of worshippers during the Easter weekend.

At the moment gatherings of up to 50% of maximum capacity
of mass halls are allowed and just 250 outdoors.

During Easter last year the country was at level 5 lockdown, no
travel between provinces was allowed and many churches had
to cancel their Easter services.

The decision saved many lives.

Now there are fears that large gatherings in churches, events,
festivities and interprovincial travelling could trigger a third
wave.

Hundreds of thousands of people will be travelling to their
respective rural provinces from big cities using public transport.

The same people will be gathering at their respective places of
worship to celebrate Easter, a move the government says might
put a lot of lives in danger.

Advocate Nadene Badenhorst of Freedom of Religion South
Africa (FOR SA) said they will continue to do whatever is
necessary to make sure that religious rights, including the right
to meet collectively with other congregants are respected.

April is traditionally an important month in the religious
calendar of both Christians who celebrate Easter and Muslims
who observe Ramadan.

"We will continue to talk with the government whether
through the courts or engagement to make sure that religious
rights are respected and protected," Badenhorst said.

South African Council of Churches Chairperson in Limpopo,
Reverend Awedani Nemawukhwe, said until the President
announces any change in levels they are ready to host church
services.

“We know large gatherings expose people to the virus
unnecessarily and we have cut our cluster gatherings to
individual congregations,” he said.

“We would love to have more than 250 people in gatherings
but we understand that whatever level we are put on it is not a
punishment but a preventative measure.”

The Zion Christian Church, one of the largest churches in Africa
cancelled their Easter pilgrimage last year and have not said
anything about holding their annual conference this year.

Picture source: Twitter

Firefighters watch helplessly as house
burns down
Dalphine Tagwireyi

The erratic water services in Ermelo,
Mpumalanga make life tough for residents - but
the dry hose pipes have taken the problem to a
different level.

Residents watched helplessly as a house burnt down.

Fortunately there were no human casualties, but the family’s
four pets died in the flames and the house is now merely a
smouldering heap of ashes.

The residents would not speak to Scrolla.Africa but it appears
that a pot of oil left on the stove was the cause of the fire.

The Msukaligwa Fire and Rescue Services team responded
swiftly to the call, however, after using all the water in the fire

truck they could not access water. The town had been without
water since Tuesday.

Jaco Johnstone, Chief Fire Officer at Msukaligwa Local
Municipality, said swift reaction means nothing if there isn’t
any water.

“The lack of water renders the fire engine and fire-fighters
helpless,” he said.

Leila Botha told Scrolla.Africa that the fire services, including
SAPS, were on the scene and watched the fire spreading.

“Every month we are billed for water that we don’t have. The
deterioration of service delivery is appalling,” she said.

“If it was me, I would have sued the service provider.”

Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, David Mahlobo
launched the Greater Breyten Water Supply Scheme in
Warburton on Tuesday.

The project is part of the Msukaligwa Regional Bulk Supply
Scheme, scheduled for completion in 2024. It includes Breyten,
Chrissiesmeer, Lothair and Warburton.

Picture source: Hepworth

Farmers and taxis make MEC drive his
Beemer on broken road
Kabelo Tlhabanelo

              Farmers and taxi associations teamed together
              and made sure the Free State Transport MEC
              Sam Mashinini didn’t duck out of facing their
daily nightmare.

They invited the MEC, Sam Mashinini to drive on the very R26
that goes through Ficksburg - and made him do it in his black
BMW X3.

That was on 11 March - and already the road is being repaired!

Ficksburg Taxi Association chairman Sefatsa Selane told
Scrolla.Africa they knew the MEC would be seeing them and
they made sure he would travel on that road.

“He asked us if we wanted to break his car, and we said yes!”
said Selane.

“We put our political beliefs aside when we met with farmers.
The road has been destroying our taxis and their trucks,” he
said.

Selane said they were happy to see road graders immediately
on the same day getting rid of the bad road.

Farmer and Sechaba sa Ficksburg Forum spokesman Friedl Von
Maltitz said they would not let the MEC travel in the police
vehicle.

Clips of the incident made rounds on social media with videos
showing braais taking place in the middle of the road.

“We made him travel on that road and we got them to do their
job. The community has realised that we can work together,”
said Von Maltitz.

Taxi driver Sello Mosiuoa said there was no violence and they
started the gathering with prayers.

“I am glad that the MEC had a little taste of what we go through
day in and day out.”

The department’s spokeswoman Hillary Mophethe said:
“Contractors New Ideas and Land Breeze will be paid R850,000
each for repairing the potholes on the R26.”

Proud polygamist: It takes a strong man
to keep many wives happy
Doreen Mokgolo

Being in a polygamous marriage is not always a walk in the
park.

This is according to 64-year-old polygamist Fanyane
Hlongwane.

“You are forced to deal with different personalities. It takes a
level-headed man to keep all the wives happy,” he said.

Hlongwane, a traditional healer from Stinkwater, Tshwane, is
married to four wives. He has 28 children, 40 grandchildren,
and he has also separated from six wives in his lifetime.

He said polygamous marriages fall apart when the wives are in
conflict.

“The cracks in any marriage start showing when there is
favouritism,” he said.

“They all want your attention and it should be given in the
agreed terms.”

He said, financially, the husband has to be open with all of
them.

“They must know how much you have for the month so that
you can all draw up a budget, “ he said.

He said both his grandfathers had three wives, while his father
was married to two.

“My uncles married more than one wife. If a man can love and
financially support big families then they should commit to a
polygamous setting,” he said.

At the age of 21, Hlongwane married his sweetheart, but she
comes from a polygamous family and it was easy for him to
marry a second wife at 23.

He said he never cheated on his wives and they are always
aware of his plans.

“If they are against me marrying a certain woman, I respect
their wish and move on,” he said.

He works hard to ensure that his wives and children don’t go to
bed on an empty stomach. Even though two of his wives are
working they are not allowed to provide for his children.

He said he built homes in the same area for his wives and he
spends three days at a time with each wife to keep them
satisfied.

“We go for regular medical tests which include HIV,” he said.

“I love all wives equally. We have been a big, happy family for
35 years.”

Picture source: Hepworth

Young fashion star shares his secrets
Lwazi Nongauza

South African fashion designer, Sicelo Mabuza
has revealed the secret behind his rich heritage
designs.

In an interview with Scrolla.Africa, Mabuza revealed how he
merged his passion for fashion design with business and the
African identity expression.

“I am the proud product of many African cultures,” he
explained.

“Since childhood, I always knew that I would choose a career
that would reflect my background and passions. I guess that
childhood vision led me into fashion.”

The University of Johannesburg and Wits graduate emphasises
the importance of complementing African fashion with western
marketing methods.

“It is important to remember that we are in business. To
compete with big global brands we needed to create
commercially viable designs,” he said.

“That can only be achieved through planning and intensive
research, which we did for more than two years before we got
into business.”

Through social media, Mabuza has been able to elevate his
brand.

He has dressed celebrities like Mbongeni Ngema, Bernard
Parker, Kwesta and Dr Musa Mthombeni.

‘’I would like to believe that I am just a vessel for reclaiming
African pride and identity,” he said.

“My only long-term plan is to create a platform for all emerging
fashion designers, musicians, filmmakers and all other artists to
work together.”

He said with his business partners he was already doing that
through the Newtown Junction Homegrown Shandis store.

The multi-talented entrepreneur is now imparting his skills to a
number of college students in Gauteng and Mpumalanga.

Picture source: ShowBizScope

Dr. Thomas Chauke and Sho Madjozi go
down memory lane with Shahumba
music video
Sizwe Sibiya

Limpopo favourite Sho Madjozi and living music
legend Dr. Thomas Chauke have created a storm
with the “Shahumba” music video.

The music video, released by Madjozi earlier this month, tells
the stories of how the two artists who happen to be from the
same province started making music.

The 69-year-old Dr Chauke has made a huge impact on the
African traditional music scene. His strides were rewarded with
an Honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree in African languages
from the University of Venda.

Madjozi, who has said she looks up to him, saw it fitting that
the Saselamani village music veteran plays the lTsonga strings
in the 3:39 minute-long masterpiece from Madjozi's What A
Life album released late last year.

“Shahumba is about our journeys, as two musicians from rural
Limpopo who have been able to achieve our dreams despite
the challenges," said Madjozi who has taken the Xitsonga
authentic sounds abroad, just as 16-time SAMA Award winner
Dr Chauke has done.

From its opening, the video shows how a father connects with
his daughter through music.

And further into the video, Madjozi is seen sharing the stage
with Dr. Chauke.

The video director Wolf ends the colourful music video with
clips of the John Cena hit maker doing the traditional Xibelani
dance.

With this song, Madjozi has proved she's not a one-hit-wonder
and Dr Chauke has proved he’s still got his magic touch, turning
every song he touches into a hit.

Picture source: Instagram

Reader laments the broken-down state
of a historic monument
Andile Ntingi

                In a letter to Scrolla.Africa, reader, Andile Ntingi
                describes a visit to the Intaba kaNdoda
                monument - and paints a painful picture.

The monument, situated between the towns of Dimbaza and
Keiskammahoek (Qoboqobo) in the Eastern Cape is also the
burial site of Chief Maqoma (1798-1873), the amaXhosa warrior
chief who fought British colonialism.

As I approached the monument, writes Ntingi, I had
goosebumps. The scenery and natural landscape en route is
majestic and beautiful.

To my disappointment, I found the monument neglected and in
ruins. The place looks like it has been deliberately desecrated.

There is cow dung everywhere, fresh and old.

I left the monument wondering what kind of people would
neglect such a historical/heritage site.

Did Lennox Sebe, onetime-ruler of Ciskei homeland, care more
about his Xhosa heritage than the current rulers who claim an
Africanist orientation?

Sebe built the monument on the peak of Intaba kaNdoda and
was instrumental in bringing the remains of Chief Maqoma
from Robben Island to be buried next to the monument in
1978.

You can tell that the monument was once kept in an
immaculate condition. But what I saw was an eyesore and
made me angry. Given its beauty and historical significance, in
good hands, the monument could be a tourist magnet.

The monument is 25 minutes from Bhisho, the provincial
capital, and just over an hour from East London, where there is
an airport.

If the Eastern Cape government is unable to look after the
monument and other heritage sites, the logical thing to do is to
partner with private sector players to manage the sites on its
behalf.

Intaba kaNdoda holds valuable history that can be sold to
tourists, benefitting local communities with employment and
revenue for small businesses.

The mountain was a hideout of retreating amaXhosa forces led
by Maqoma following his defeat at the Battle of Amalinde in
1819 by forces led by Ndlambe.

The area subsequently became a battlefield in a series of wars
between amaXhosa and the British during the War of the Axe
(1846-1847), the War of Mlanjeni (1850-1853) and the War of
Nchayechibi (1877-1878).

The Eastern Cape government must come up with a plan to
restore the monument.

Andile Ntingi is the founder of GetBiz. He holds an honours
degree in economics from Rhodes University.

Suez blockage costs R6 billion per hour
Arthur Greene

On Tuesday, a gust of wind blew the Ever Given,
one of the largest container ships on earth, off
course, and it became wedged across the width
of the narrow Suez Canal - bringing one of the busiest shipping
routes to a complete standstill.

The 193km canal in Egypt connects the Red Sea with the
Meditterrenean, providing the shortest link between Asia and
Europe and handles 12% of all the world’s shipping.

More than 300 ships carrying billions of rands worth of goods
are currently stuck on either side of the blockage. Some vessels
have been rerouted around Africa.

Foreign investigators believe it could take weeks to unwedge
the 400m vessel, as every one of its 20,000 containers may
need to be removed by a handful of cranes.

Lloyd’s List estimates that the Ever Given’s blockage of the
canal is costing $400 million (R6 billion) per hour.

The London-based shipping news journal also estimated the
value of cargo goods passing through the canal every day at
$5.1 billion (R77 billion) travelling west and $4.6 billion (R69
billion) travelling east.

On Saturday 14 tugboats pulled and pushed the Ever Given at
high tide in an attempt to dislodge it.

General Osama Rabie, chairman of the Suez Canal Authority
reported that despite complications caused by high winds and
strong tides, the tugboats managed to move the ship “30
degrees from left and right.”

Twitter footage shows the tugboats honking their horns in
celebration of this small victory.

Picture source: @NASASpaceflight

Bafana Bafana fail to qualify for AFCON
Dylan Bettencourt

                Heartbreak for the nation of South Africa as their
                national team fails to qualify for the African Cup
                of Nations for the first time since 2017.

Molefi Ntseki and his men only needed to avoid defeat in order
to qualify for Africa’s most prestigious competition but a 2-0
defeat at the hands of Sudan sent the South Africans packing.

Goals by Saifeldin Bakhit and Mohammed Abdel-Rahman were
enough to hand South Africa a shock defeat.

Bafana Bafana looked in good shape after matchday four in
group C, after achieving three wins out of four. One win in their
last two encounters would have seen the nation qualify for
back-to-back AFCON competitions, but a draw against Ghana
and a loss to Sudan meant South Africa would suffer the
disappointment of not qualifying for the competition.

South Africa, who are ranked 13th in the African nation
rankings, were favourites to beat Sudan on the final matchday,
given that their opponents on the night are currently ranked
34th.

Looking forward, head coach Ntseki will be under fire for failing
to get his team to the AFCON. Ntseki who took over from Stuart
Baxter in 2019 has managed Bafana Bafana on nine occasions,
only winning four matches with three loses and two draws. The
biggest downfall for the coach is his side has conceded a total
of 11 goals during his nine games in charge.

The entire nation will be heartbroken and disappointed that
their country will not be making an appearance at a
competition they last won back in 1996.

Picture source: @BafanaBafana

At stake: The Rainbow Cup
Lucky Mdluli

Speaking about the way the Sharks destroyed the Bulls on
Friday, Naas Botha said it was a pity that fans weren’t taking
the warm-up matches for the Rainbow Cup seriously.

“They say it is just a warm-up tournament and that’s a pity. A
rugby match is a rugby match,” he said.

Well, yes. Of course, Botha is right. You can’t tell a rugby player
that he must slow down. A try is a try, no matter what is at
stake.

So, Botha is right. He usually is.

Until you throw the Jake White-factor into the mix.

White sends his charges onto the field with a blistering win-at-
all-costs message and that is what the players do. They give it
everything they’ve got.

But on a strategic level, White almost always outsmarts
opposing coaches.

Commentators agree that the Sharks scrum was rampant. But
were they up against the best the Bulls had to offer?

In the Currie Cup, the Bulls front row consisted of Gqoboka,
Nyakane and Grobbelaar. In Saturday’s match it was Gqoboka,
Erasmus, Van der Merwe. The Bulls’ loose forwards in the final

was dynamite: Louw, Vermeulen and Van Staden. On Saturday
it was Gouws, Carr, Agaba.

White, a coach who wins tournaments, almost certainly doesn’t
say, “A rugby match is a rugby match.” He almost certainly
thinks, “What’s at stake?”

And the answer is, the Rainbow Cup is at stake.

All the teams in the tournament should respect the Sharks’
great win (it was, after all, a 47-12 victory with seven tries to
two) but if they don’t wonder if the best Bulls side was on the
field, they’ll be playing straight into Jake White’s wily hands.

Picture source:@TheSharksZA