09 May 2024

/ The Wrap /

Hi there 🙋🏽‍♀️

If you think you've got it bad, spare a thought for Joburg. The City of Gold is embroiled in not one but two scandals this week: one over a whopping unpaid electricity bill and another over an inquiry into the devastating Usindiso fire.

We also unpack the DA's "flag burning" election ad that has gotten everyone talking and discuss why online retailers Shein and Temu are in the government's firing line.

So, let's dive into your weekly update of empowering and easy-to-understand news, brought to you by Verashni Pillay and the explain.co.za team. 😄

Format:

🔊 Voice note by Verashni 

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OUR TAKE: Tintswalo: Good government in action or blind luck?

During his State of the Nation Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa introduced a fictional character named Tintswalo, who was born in 1994, at the dawn of democracy. The President shared how Tintswalo benefited from government policies and assistance at every step of her journey, which helped her lift herself out of poverty. 

However, the question remains: is President Cyril's Tintswalo a product of mere luck?

There are some truths to Ramaphosa's bragging. Tintswalo's life in a democratic era meant access to better healthcare, education, and social services, thanks to governmental efforts to combat poverty and inequality. Compared to the apartheid era, there have been significant improvements, with more South Africans accessing essential services like electricity and water.

However, Tintswalo's reality is marked by steep challenges. South Africa remains one of the most unequal nations on earth, plagued by high unemployment and widespread poverty. Her generation contends with a 70% unemployment risk and a 50% likelihood of living below the poverty line. Critics like DA leader John Steenhuisen argue that the ANC's unfulfilled promises have jeopardised her future.

These issues are exacerbated by state capture, corruption, and economic stagnation, which have undermined trust in institutions and impeded access to basic needs.

Yet, Tintswalo's generation enjoys freedoms unknown during apartheid—voting rights, freedom of speech, and access to information. These empower her to participate in shaping South Africa's future and to hold leaders accountable.

So, how do we fix this for all the real Tintswalos out there? We need substantial investment in education, healthcare, and economic development, alongside a commitment to governance that fulfils its promises and tackles the root causes of inequality.

Tintswalo's story forms the basis of a new series of the current affairs show The Big Debate, starting this month. Each episode will examine South Africa's thirty years of democracy - its successes and shortcomings. /explain/ is partnered with The Big Debate to cover the series as it unpacks these issues. Stay tuned for more.

THE BIG STORY: The DA sets its election campaign alight

The DA has come under fire 🤭 for its latest election advertisement. In the 32-second ad, the SA flag is seen burning as a voiceover says for the first time in 30 years, the ANC will lose its majority. 

Then, in a dramatic turn (it's all very dramatic), we're told the ANC would do anything to stay in power. We're asked to "imagine" a coalition between the ANC, the "violent EFF and the Zuma Faction", where corruption will run rampant, and life will worsen. The burning is then reversed and the ad shouts at us to unite to rescue SA by voting DA.

It's giving Mad Max and Swart Gevaar.

Naturally, the country is divided over it all. 

Flag burning hasn't been illegal in SA since 1994. But it's not exactly tasteful.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, Sports, Art and Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa, and former public protector Thuli Madonsela have called the DA out. Madonsela said that while she understood the ad's intention, "there could have been other metaphoric symbols to communicate the message."

Kodwa said on Tuesday he was "considering further steps to take" against the ad in his capacity as a government minister, which is dodgy in itself...

Acclaimed political journalist Qaanitah Hunter wrote it was disingenuous to say the ANC "will do anything to stay in power".

"The ANC has been voted out in Johannesburg, Tshwane, and dozens of other municipalities, and the party has accepted defeat. Forming a coalition government if a party does not have a majority is typical of democracy. It does not have a sinister motive."

It's not the first time the DA has done something dramatic to get SA talking. Earlier this year, it sent a letter to the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken and the EU for aid in "helping to shape the integrity of the upcoming elections".

Whatever the outcome of this latest DA-led shenanigan, South Africans are talking, and in the lead-up to an election of this magnitude, that's the most important thing. So, thanks, DA?

Forty researchers from around the world have recently signed the "New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness," which basically says that animals might be way more conscious than we thought. We're talking fish, reptiles, crustaceans and even insects! 

For years, animal sentience has been in doubt, but the research that has come out in the last decade or so shows that more and more species are redefining what we humans define as sentience or consciousness. 

For example, a 2022 study found that bumblebees have been observed rolling wooden balls around in a way that's surprisingly similar to how humans play. According to the study, this behaviour doesn't serve any apparent function, and they're not rehearsing a skill they use for foraging or mating. Instead, bees roll the balls repeatedly, but not in the same way each time, showing a sense of creativity and experimentation. And the best part? They do it more often when feeling relaxed and happy, indicating that it's a genuinely enjoyable experience for them.

Another creature that we're starting to better understand is the octopus. A 2021 study has shown that octopuses avoid pain and value pain relief. Of course, we know octopuses are smart. We watched My Octopus Teacher during lockdown!

This declaration is a big deal. It could change the way we treat animals in all sorts of areas, from conservation to agriculture to our own backyards. So, next time you see a bee buzzing around or an octopus squirming in its tank, just remember—they might be more than just creatures—they might be conscious beings.

On 31 August 2023, South Africans woke up to the news of a deadly blaze in a hijacked building in Marshalltown. The death toll would rise to over 70, including 12 children. 😱 The tragedy, now dubbed the Usindiso Building Fire, was one of the deadliest fires ever in the COJ.

Now, the Commission of Inquiry into the fire, led by Judge Sisi Khampepe, has handed in the first part of its report, finding the COJ and its entity, The Johannesburg Property Company (JPC), partly responsible for the tragedy, with its CEO Helen Botes called out in particular. Khampepe noted that city officials knew about the terrible state of the building and did nothing. 

Resident Sithembiso Lawrence Mdlalose confessed to starting the fire to dispose of the body of someone he had murdered on the orders of a Tanzanian drug lord. He was arrested in January 2024 and is charged with 76 counts of murder, 86 counts of attempted murder and a charge of arson. 

Another building resident, Omari Hanya, testified that firefighters arrived on the scene 45 minutes late. “When they got there, they did not even have water,” he said. EMS spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said in December 2023 that out of the city’s 30 fire engines, only 15 are in working order. According to some reports, the real number of working fire engines could be even lower than that.  

While this is only the first part of the commission’s findings, some of the recommendations so far include:

🔷 Demolishing the building,
🔷 Erecting a memorial plaque to honour the victims,
🔷 Disciplinary action for accounting officers of four city entities: JPC, City Power, Joburg Water and Pikitup.

The Commission resumes in July, and the final report is expected at the end of August.

Suffice it to say that heads need to roll, and the City of Johannesburg needs to be decisive about recapturing hijacked buildings and ensuring residents have access to decent housing and services.

Ever dreamed of discovering lost treasure stashed away by some long-forgotten pirate captain? Well, even if you did, it turns out that finders are not always keepers. This past week, the South African government won a landmark case against a salvage company which had recovered R750 million in silver bars in the Indian Ocean. 

The silver came from the shipwreck of the SS Tilawa, a cargo ship that sailed from India to Durban in 1942 but was sunk by a Japanese submarine on the way. The treasure, which had been purchased by the South African government at the time, was lost to the ocean depths - along with poor 281 souls on board. It was one of India’s greatest maritime disasters. 

In 2017, Argentum Exploration, financed by UK hedge fund manager Paul Marshall, managed to raise the silver from the wreckage, which had sunk to a depth of 2.5 kilometres below the surface of the ocean, not far from the Seychelles. They took it to England, where they tried to claim the reward under maritime law for recovering what they believed to be British property. But this past week, the UK Supreme Court found for South Africa. In fact, the salvagers aren’t even due a finders fee. Ouch! 

Why, you ask? While salvagers are entitled to compensation for found treasure (or even wreckage) under international maritime law, our government successfully claimed immunity as the silver was not being transported for commercial purposes. 

However, the judgement also noted that the two parties had reached a secret agreement before it was handed down. 🤔

While this was a bitter blow to the expedition’s funders, this treasure was only found due to recent technological advances. This means that previously inaccessible parts of the ocean are now open to human exploration. Who knows what other lost treasures lie out in the ocean depths, awaiting discovery?

What happens when you don't pay your electricity bill? You get cut off, of course, left to contemplate your delinquency in the dark. Now apply that potential fate to the WHOLE of the COJ, who owe Eskom a staggering R1 billion.

But cutting off an entire city, especially one that powers the SA economy, would have devastating consequences. Eskom has thus taken the matter to court first—the hearing is set for 4 June. 

The city usually runs up a monthly tab of between R1-2bn but started defaulting in October 2023. It's now running behind by a month, leaving Eskom to shoulder the shortfall, which it says it cannot afford.

"Eskom is not a bank and does not have the financial means to bankroll the CoJ electricity debt of more than R1 billion," the utility said in court papers, adding it has had to borrow money at exorbitant interest rates to cover the gap. 

The whole thing kinda stinks when you consider that COJ sells the electricity it buys from Eskom to us residents at a hefty 60% markup. 😰

But wait, there's more! Come 1 July, properties in Johannesburg face a proposed 18.64% average electricity increase for the 2023/24 financial year. 

Meanwhile, a financial report handed to the Johannesburg council in February, covering the months of July to October 2023, shows that City Power was bleeding up to R1 billion a month in revenue thanks to illegal electricity connections and an inability to collect everything it was owed, News24 reported. 

Here's an idea, COJ: collect the money that you're owed instead of putting more pressure on those who actually pay. 🙄

R150 for a wig? R50 for a trendy top? South African shoppers are all about those online bargains from places like Shein and Temu, but it's not all kosher.

The Minister of Trade and Industry, Ebrahim Patel, says these international online marketplaces are skirting tax and customs rules, hurting our local retailers in the process. He's on a mission to make them comply. 

According to a report by the Sunday Times, Patel said these platforms have not been adhering to regulations, creating an unfair advantage in the market.

Interestingly, this all comes as American e-commerce superpower Amazon finally enters the South African market. 

Echoing Patel, the CEO of local online retail giant Takealot, Fred Zietsman, pointed out in a recent 702 interview that while third-party sellers on Takealot must pay import duties and taxes, newer players often disregard these regulations to import products cheaply. 

There are also the issues of exploitative labour practices and environmental concerns associated with dumping excessive amounts of clothing onto the African continent.

So, maybe it's time to think twice about where our money goes. Supporting local businesses, opting for sustainable options like thrifting, and understanding the practices behind our favourite brands can be our way of making a difference. Let's shop smarter, not just cheaper. 💪

Rescue efforts in George, Western Cape, continue following the collapse of a multi-storey construction site on 6 May. Just after 2 PM on Monday, the five-storey building under construction on Victoria Street fell apart thanks to structural failures, trapping workers under tons of rubble. The tragedy has claimed eight lives, while many more remain unaccounted for.

As of the early hours of Wednesday, rescue teams have extracted 36 individuals from the debris, including those who died. Seventy-five construction workers were on-site at the time of the collapse, according to George Municipality spokesperson Chantel Edwards, meaning 39 people are still missing.

An extensive rescue operation involving over 200 emergency services personnel is now underway. Among the responders are specialists from Search and Rescue South Africa, including a surgeon. 

The five-storey building was part of a development project promising two-bedroom apartments, with an occupancy date of 1 August.

In the wake of the collapse, scrutiny has shifted to the project's history and involved parties. Liatel Developments, the contracting firm overseeing the construction, has committed to full cooperation with authorities as investigations into the collapse commence. Meanwhile, the Western Cape government has enlisted engineering firm V3 to conduct an independent inquiry into the incident. 

The collapse has prompted an outpouring of community support with public efforts underway to aid emergency services personnel involved in the rescue mission, plus donations of drinking water, food, and safety equipment. 💛

The Met Gala is an annual fundraising gala for New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. Depending on how you look at it, it’s either an obscene display of wealth or a fantastic celebration of art and fashion. Either way, it brings out the who's who of the US celebrity world under the direction of iconic Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. 

This year's theme was “The Garden of Time”, based on a 1962 short story of the same name.  One of our faves here at explain, Tyla, made her Met Gala debut and indeed bloomed with this fantastic Balmain look. She took “like sand through the hourglass” quite literally and, as the kids say, ate!

Zendaya (pictured above), who co-chaired this year’s Met Gala with artist Jennifer Lopez, rapper Bad Bunny, and Thor actor Chris Hemsworth, wore not one but two looks by John Galliano that blew us away. 

Sarah Jessica Parker (forever our Carrie Bradshaw) looked regal in the Richard Quinn Birdcage dress, while Lana Del Rey looked quite ethereal in her Alexander McQueen gown, referencing McQueen’s 2006 Widows of Culloden Collection and the ending of the aforementioned short story. 

Doja Cat, real name Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini, raised eyebrows when she wore what can only be described as a wet t-shirt maxi dress by The Vetements. Earlier, as she left the Mark Hotel, the rapper struck a pose wearing nothing but a white towel draped across her body and one wrapped around her hair, paired with acrylic platform pumps and a dazzling diamond necklace.

Beyonce, Rihanna, Blake Lively, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, and other A-listers who reportedly had conflicting schedules were noticeably absent from this year's gala. Of course, this being 2024, fake AI images of Perry, Rihanna and Dua Lipa made the rounds on Twitter. 👀 Check out our site for pics.

That’s it from us at The Wrap, a product of explain.co.za – simple news summaries for busy people.

The Wrap is sponsored by explain’s agency division. We specialise in content marketing for purpose-driven organisations, often with a pan-African reach. Mail info@explain.co.za for a quote. 

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Till next time, goodbye from the team. ✌️