Zuma's love life, like his political career, is a shambles

Tuesday 16 March
                                               2021, 0145

Real News. Scrolla.Africa

Zuma’s love life, like his political career,
is a shambles
Lungani Zungu

Proud polygamist Jacob Zuma was once a happily married man
- but just like his political life, his love life is on the rocks.

During his time as president between 2009 and 2018, he took
different wives to different public events.

He would be seen holding hands with his first wife Sizakele
Khumalo, or perhaps Nompumelelo Ntuli.

On other days, he would stroll with Thobeka Madiba or the
media-shy Bongekile Ngema.

Nompumelelo Ntuli, known as MaNtuli, tied the knot with
Zuma in 2008. But in 2015, MaNtuli was thrown out of Zuma's

Nkandla homestead after allegations that she tried to poison
him, a claim which she denied.

Last year Thobeka Madiba took him to the Durban Magistrate’s
Court for maintenance. The matter was resolved out of court
and the pair are still legally married, but their relationship is in
the doldrums.

Madiba, who used to rush to Zuma's defence when he faced
any revolt, is nowhere to be seen amid his legal woes that could
land him in jail.

Like MaNtuli, she was ejected from the Nkandla homestead
after it was reported that Zuma accused her of taking his sim
cards containing sensitive information.

She vanished from the public eye after this dramatic episode.

In 2018, Zuma's secret affair with a 25-year-old KZN woman
Nonkanyiso Conco was thrust into the public spotlight after she
fell pregnant. Zuma is said to have paid lobola for her, and then
she became his fiancée.

This led to her being included in the much-loved Real
Housewives of Durban series on 1 Magic.

The show flourished but her relationship with Zuma crumbled
and he ejected her from the plush Zimbali house which he
rented for her.

Zuma is left with his first and last wives, MaKhumalo and
MaNgema.

Last week, the Pietermaritzburg High Court ordered the former
president to pay a monthly maintenance of R95,000 to his ex-
wife.

Due to a Constitutional Court ruling, the ex-president and his
soon to be ex-wife cannot be named. This is after the first lady
filed an urgent maintenance application pending the
finalisation of their divorce. She wanted R170,000, but the
court reduced the amount to R145,000.

Germany, France and Italy ditch Oxford
AstraZeneca vaccine
Arthur Greene

              Europe’s three largest countries - Germany,
              France and Italy - are among several who have
              suspended rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine
because of reports of blood clots being caused by the jab.

As international opinion continues to gain pace against the
vaccine, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has appealed for
calm, reminding governments that there is no evidence yet that
the jab had caused blood clots in some people who received it.

Denmark and Norway reported last week that a number of
people who had received their first dose of AstraZeneca jab
reported incidents of bleeding, blood clots and a low count of
blood platelets.

Blood clots can cause blocking of the blood supply to an organ,
which is potentially life threatening because it can affect
oxygen levels to the lungs and cause lung damage.

In the days following these reports, Ireland and the Netherlands
announced that they would cease administering the vaccine
until it was confirmed to be safe.

The leaders of France and Italy have also explained their
decision as a precautionary measure.

Emmanuel Macron, the French president, said the call was
made “out of precaution … in the hope we can resume quickly
if the EMA [European Medicines Agency] gives the green light”
at a meeting scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Italy’s medicines authority, Aifa, said it was also
suspending inoculations as a “precautionary and temporary
measure” before the EMA decision.

Many experts have criticised these governments’ decision,
arguing that it will ultimately be more deadly to withhold the
vaccine, and that there is no proven link between the
AstraZeneca jab and instances of blood clotting.

David Spiegelhalter, chair of the Winton Centre for Risk and
Evidence Communication at Cambridge, has argued that there
has not actually been an abnormal increase in cases of blood
clots in Europe.

Spiegelhalter wrote in The Guardian, “in the current
circumstances we need to think slow as well as fast, and resist
drawing causal links between events where none may exist.”

South Africa halted its rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine on 8
February for an unrelated reason - because of its low efficacy
rate at preventing transmission of the virus.
Picture Source: @AJENews

Principal forces child into a pit toilet to
find cell phone
Zukile Majova

An 11-year-old boy, who was forced by his school
principal to get into a pit to recover the
principal's cell phone, is due to go through
trauma counselling this week.

The principal of the Luthuthu Junior Secondary School in
Ncembu village near Ugie, Eastern Cape seemed to have gone
crazy when he dropped his phone into the pit toilet.

First, he ordered older pupils to empty some of the human
waste from the toilet with buckets. Then he ordered a grade six
boy to strip naked before the boy was lowered into the toilet
with a rope under his armpits.

The principal had promised the boy a reward of R200 if he
recovered the phone from the pool of human waste, but
refused to pay when the boy could not find the phone.

There are fears that the boy, who lives with his grandmother,
may have been picked on because he has no parents.

Khula Community Development Project that advocates for
children's rights in the Eastern Cape has organised counselling
for the boy who is now the laughing stock at the school and is
afraid to go to the loo.

Activist Petros Majola who leads the NGO said the community
is demanding the immediate removal of this principal from the
list of educators, as he failed in his duty of being a surrogate
parent to this child.

“We believe that this boy was introduced to the worst form of
abuse as enshrined in the Constitution,” said Majola.

“We call on the South African Council for Educators to remove
him from the register of Employees of the Department with
immediate effect.”

Parents and the School Governing Body fear a relocation of the
child to another school would amount to secondary
victimisation of the child.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga previously said some
3,800 schools in the country are still using pit latrines.

Cops face murder charges for death of
Mthokozisi Ntumba
Everson Luhanga

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has
confirmed that four police officers have been arrested in
connection with the murder of Mthokozisi Ntumba, 35, who
was killed during the Wits University student protest last week
Wednesday.

In a media statement released by the IPID, national
spokeswoman Ndileka Cola confirmed that the four police
officers are from the Public Order Policing Unit.

“The officers will appear at the Johannesburg Magistrate's
Court on Wednesday. They are facing charges of murder, three
charges of attempted murder and defeating the ends of
justice,” read the statement.

Scrolla.Africa spoke to family spokesperson Sthembiso Jwara,
who said the family welcomes the arrest.

“Arresting them is just one step. We would love to see a speedy
trial and see a conviction of the men who killed my cousin,” he
said.

Sthembiso said it is difficult, as the family have to deal with
many procedural issues while they are still in mourning.

“Mthokozisi’s wife is not coping at all. She is distraught about
her husband’s untimely passing,” he said.

Sthembiso confirmed that Mthokozisi will be buried on
Saturday in Bergville, a small town in the foothills of the
Drakensberg Mountains in KwaZulu-Natal.

“We hope that by Saturday we will have the postmortem
results so that we can take his body to its final resting place at
home.”

Mthokozisi was shot and killed, allegedly by police, during the
Wits students protests in central Joburg. Students are
demanding that the university allow students with historic debt
to register.

The father of four had come out of the local clinic when the
officers driving an inyala jumped out of their vehicle and shot at
him.

Tebogo Sedibe, the doctor who tried to resuscitate Mthokozisi,
said the man had three bullet wounds and a big hole in his
chest.

The Mystery of Magufuli continues as
Tanzanian man is arrested for claiming
president is sick with Covid-19
Arthur Greene

             A man in Tanzania has been arrested for
             suggesting publicly that President John Magufuli
             is sick with Covid-19, even though the Covid-
denying leader has not been spotted in public for over two
weeks.

Police arrested the man, who remains unidentified, for
suggesting that Magafuli was seriously ill in the Kinondoni area
of Dar es Salaam, Regional Police Commissioner for Kinondoni
Ramadhani Kingai said at a press conference on Saturday,
according to The Associated Press.

“There are a lot more who have been spreading false
statements,” Kingai said. “We will arrest them all.”

However, Magafuli has an extensive history of denying and
ignoring Covid-19’s impact on Tanzania, so would likely see his
own contraction of the virus as cause for embarrassment.

He suggested in late January that prayers, steam inhalation or
herbal remedies were better than “dangerous” foreign
vaccines.

Magufuli's government has also consistently avoided
mentioning the virus, and even went to the length of dragging a
visibly sick minister out of his hospital bed to publicly display his
good health.

Several other Tanzanian government officials have reportedly
contracted Covid-19, while Zanzibar’s first vice president, Seif
Sharif Hamad, reportedly died of it. However, the Tanzanian
government never announced Hamad’s cause of death, leading
to this speculation.

The president’s absence is entirely out of the ordinary, as he is
known for making frequent public speeches and appearing on
state television several times a week.

Reports emerged last Wednesday that he is critically ill in a
hospital in Kenya after contracting coronavirus.

Opposition leader Tundu Lissu told the BBC that the 61-year-old
president suffered a cardiac arrest and flew to a hospital in
Nairobi for urgent treatment.

Anybody for dinner? We’re having fried
locusts!
Elmon Tshikhudo

The recent floods in Limpopo have caused havoc,
but for some rural communities it is a blessing in
disguise.

The rains have brought huge swarms of locusts - a bountiful
source of proteins - and money!

On any given day, groups of women head into the nearby
bushes in search of the tasty insects, filling their bags and
returning with enough for themselves and their relatives.

Rendani Madadzhe of Sibasa, Thohoyandou, an unemployed
mother of two kids, said her kids have not gone to bed without
a proper meal and she is making a killing selling the locusts.

“From the little we get from children's grants we are only able
to buy the basic necessities like mielie meal and soap. Meat is a
luxury we can’t afford,” she said.

She said they use torches and on a good evening they can fill up
to five kilos which is enough to feed her family and the rest she
sells.

Locusts have been a staple food in most rural communities in
Limpopo but have disappeared since urbanisation.

They are easy to prepare as they can be dried, smoked or fried.

Dorothy Makhesa of Vhufuli, a single mother of four children,
said they have been eating locusts for almost a month now.

"On a good day I harvest around 2kg. They are tasty and
healthy and they don’t have fat," she said.

Dietician Sirah Dubois said locusts swarm in huge numbers and
can travel great distances and cause considerable damage to
crops.

"However, in many African, Middle Eastern and Asian countries,
locusts are considered a delicacy and eaten in abundance,” said
Dubios.

“Locusts are an excellent source of protein and contain a
variety of fatty acids and minerals. Locusts are an important
food source in many countries."

Killer got off too lightly - family
Doreen Mokgolo

Family members and victims feel that bouncer
Jabu Radebe got off too lightly after he was
sentenced to 15 and seven years in the Springs
Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

On 4 September last year, Radebe who was a caretaker at a
foreign-owned spaza opened fire on a group of residents who
were allegedly looting shops in the area. Radebe shot and killed
Pule Khanyi and Desmond Ngomani.

Pule’s mother, Basetsana Khanyi said she expected a harsher
sentence.

“He will one day walk out of prison and carry on with his life
while my son is dead,” she said.

Thandi Mahlangu has three bullets lodged in her right leg and
has lost the use of her legs.

“I am forced to live with this pain for the rest of my life while he
still has functioning legs,” she said.

Thandi said the three victims weren’t part of the looters.

“The deceased was visiting his aunt, I was coming from work
while Desmond was walking home,” she said.

“He continued shooting in my direction even when I was telling
him I was not part of the group. I called out his name twice,”
she said.

During her judgement, Magistrate Khensani MoilaMoila said
Radebe didn’t show any remorse.

“He failed to send representatives to apologise on his behalf or
financially help with the burial as per the African custom,” she
said.

“After the shooting he collected 19 cartridges from the scene
before handing himself over to the police. This shows he was
trying to tamper with the evidence,” she said.

Meet Mzansi’s luckiest woman
Kabelo Tlhabanelo

What are the odds of winning more than one out of 10
competitions you enter? Not very high.

But Belinah Mathakhoe from Welkom in the Free State takes
winning eight out of 10 competitions in her stride!

She’s been winning competitions since 1995, and she says there
is no secret.

“I just have a Lady Luck who looks out for me,” she said.

The biggest prize she has ever won was R100,000 cash from
Yambu Legal Services in March 2013 and a Kia Picanto from
Cosmetic Connections in 2017.

She enters every competition with the smile of a winner who
rarely goes a whole year without a win. The latest win was in
February where she won R1,000 with Spar Squillos Juice and
Walton Stationery.

Belinah, who lives with her husband, Sechaba, and their three
boys, Lerotholi, Naledi and Prince, said that she suffered during
lockdown.

“Most magazines and newspapers were not available and I
couldn’t play,” she said.

“I enjoy entering competitions at stores and I have been
winning a lot.”

Belinah insists she has no secret.

“I’m just lucky. I always win.”

Belinah has won a wish competition with Spar and she chose to
have 40 pairs of school shoes that she donated to her school.

“I’m from a rural area and I chose to give the shoes to pupils of
Tsholo High School in Phahameng, Phuthaditjhaba,” she said.

“Entering competitions is in my blood. I love doing it.”

A man who dresses as the Joker is
running for governor in Japan, and
actually wants to win
Arthur Greene

               A Japanese man running for office has set the
               internet ablaze because he campaigns whilst
               dressing as the Joker, Batman’s archnemesis. The
results are predictably ridiculous, and a little cringe-worthy.

Yusuke Kawai, who is in the race to become Chiba Prefecture
governor, uploaded a video announcing his candidacy on
Youtube alongside a rap song, titled “It’s Show Time” (don’t
look it up, it’s terrible).

The 40-year-old man currently occupies the not-so-villainous
role of heading an event planning and temporary employment
agency in Chiba.

Unlike his day job, however, the party to which he belongs does
have an outlandish name: “the Party to Make All of Chiba a
Land of Dreams and Magic.” Sounds less villainous than idiotic
to us.

Kawai’s 2019 halloween costume of white face paint, slicked
back hair and a maroon suit resembles Joaquin Phoenix’s
infamous rendition of the character in the film, Joker.

However, hilariously, he can’t actually call himself “The Joker”
for copyright reasons, so he has to refer to himself in a much
more appropriate way, as “a joker,” according to Sora News 24.

Explaining the reason behind his make-up, he told Tokyo
Sports, “Since the clown is kind of a dark hero, I had this
impression that I could get the support of the masses.”

Influenced by films (but apparently not by a sense of
originality), he has outlined some of his plans for the small
town, which includes renaming Narita Airport as Disney Sky,
and making ‘Let It Go’ from Disney’s Frozen Chiba’s theme
song, Kotaku reported.

“Why so serious?” So the unhinged villain’s catchphrase goes.
Well, in that vein, we ask Mr. Kawai, “Why so stupid?”

Picture source: Youtube

Incredible run chase gives Proteas
Women a series win in India
Timmy T Maranda

The Momentum Proteas clinched the ODI series
win over India with a match to spare and
recorded a third consecutive series win on
Sunday at Lucknow, India.

They pulled off an incredible seven wicket win with eight balls
remaining to take a 3-1 lead after the fourth ODI in a country
known to be a difficult world tour destination.

India batting first posted the highest total of the series with
266/4, with Tumi Sekhukhune getting two wickets while
Shabnim Ismail became the first SA women player to claim 150
career ODI wickets.

But then a brilliant run chase saw the Momentum Proteas seal
the victory when Lizelle Lee and stand-in captain Laura
Wolvaardt set up a great platform for Lara Goodall and Mignon
du Preez to score the victory.

Goodall was superb with the bat scoring her half-century, the
second of her career, off just 60 balls. Du Preez recorded her
first 50 in India to steer SA to their highest successful chase.

Goodall finished unbeaten with 59 runs and Lee top scored
with 69 runs, followed by du Preez with 61.

“It shows we’re on the right track. We came here with a point
to prove after the defeat to India two years ago. To win 4-1 in
India is a statement to the rest of the world," Goodall told the
CSA media centre.

"We are gunning for the World Cup and our main goal is to play
more games. We take a lot of confidence from this series win."

India and South Africa play the fifth match in what is now a
dead rubber on Wednesday at Lucknow.

Picture source: @OfficialCSA

Amakhosi and Sundowns looking good
in CAF Champions League
Menzi Magubane

Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns are back on their CAF
Champions League duties on Tuesday night after focusing on
domestic engagements last week.

On Sunday, Amakhosi jetted to Angola to take on Petro de
Luanda in the second leg tie.

This Group C encounter will be held at Estadio 11 de November
at 6pm. Chiefs defeated the Angolans 2-0 when these sides met
in their first leg two weeks ago at FNB Stadium and they are
tied in second in Group C.

Another win for Amakhosi on Tuesday could leave them
needing only one more win to qualify for the knockout stages.
After Tuesday's game, Chiefs will be left with two games to
play: away at Horoya and at home against group leaders Wydad
Casablanca.

Chiefs will go to Tuesday's match with the hope of continuing
with their recent good run of results in Angola. They earlier
overcame Primeiro De Agosto 1-0 in Angola to progress to the
group stages.

In the 18-man squad that travelled on Sunday, goalkeeper
Itumeleng Khune was a notable absentee as he continued with
his time off from the club following the tragic death of his
sister.

Meanwhile, Sundowns are doing the hosting on Tuesday at
6pm against DR Congo giants TP Mazembe at Loftus Stadium in
Tshwane.

Downs are on top of Group B with a full nine points after three
matches.

When they defeated Mazembe 2-1 on their home turf they
became the first team to do so in this competition since 2009.
At home, the 2016 Champions League holders will be looking to
stretch their unbeaten run to 25 games in all competitions this
season.

A win on Tuesday will guarantee them a place in the knockout
stages.

Picture source: @kaizerchiefs

Arsenal secure North London bragging
rights with 2-1 victory over Tottenham
Dylan Bettencourt

The Gunners started strongly in their encounter
with Tottenham only to see Erik Lamela score an
audacious ‘rabona’ against the run of play which
gave Jose Mourinho’s side the lead with their first attack of the
game.

Mikel Arteta’s side continued forcing the play and got their
breakthrough by way of on-loan midfielder Martin Ødegaard
minutes before the half-time break.

French striker Alexandre Lacazette gave the Gunners the lead
after scoring a penalty after Davinson Sánchez needlessly
brought Lacazette down after he had already sliced his
opportunity.

After a second yellow card, Lamela left the pitch but despite
being a man down, Spurs pushed on and striker Harry Kane had
a goal disallowed for being offside.

This win for Arteta was his first against Jose Mourinho, as either
player or manager. The Spaniard will surely be delighted with
finally getting the better of the highly decorated manager.

Spurs’ five-game winning streak has come to an end and they
remain seventh in the Premier League standings, six points off a
top four spot. Arsenal stay 10th despite the victory but are now
only four points behind Mourinho’s men.

Both teams are back in action this coming weekend with the
Gunners facing in-form West Ham and Spurs coming up against
Aston Villa. Both teams must win to boost their chances of
playing in Europe next season.

Picture Source: @Football.London

Benzema back to help Real Madrid past
last sixteen
Menzi Magubane

             On Tuesday night, Real Madrid will seek to avoid
             the repeated embarrassment of being eliminated
             in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League, as
they have done in the previous two seasons.

Tuesday they welcome Italian outfit Atalanta at Estadio Alfredo
di Stefano in Spain at 10pm. The 13-time Champions League
winners failed to get past the last 16 in their last two campaigns
when they were knocked out by Ajax Amsterdam and
Manchester City.

Already this season the last 16 stages have seen two European
giants eat humble pie. Juventus and Barcelona were knocked
out and Los Blancos don’t want to be next.

The slender 1-0 lead they picked up in Italy in February could
come in handy for Zinedine Zidane's men.

Real welcomes back their star striker Karim Benzema who was
absent in the first leg due to injury. His strike partner Vinicius
Junior has spoken highly of the French man.

"Karim is incredible. I've been a fan of his since I was playing in
Brazil and watching his games," said Vinicius.

"He's the best striker right now. Playing with Karim is good for
me. It's like having an idol constantly with me. I make a lot of
assists for him and he makes a lot of assists for me."

The other Champions League match on Tuesday will see
Manchester City host Borussia M'gladbach at Etihad Stadium at
10pm. City have a comfortable 2-0 lead from the first leg which
was played in Germany.

Picture source: @madridxtra