Saturday Star - April 12, 2025

In this issue

April 12, 2025

Bulls stand strong as the last SA team in URC

THE Bulls are well aware that they face a “big task” against Edinburgh this afternoon, but are confident that they have the team to clinch victory in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals.

2 mins

Soweto boy in ICU after buying snacks from tuckshop

THE Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Velenkosini Hlabisa, has called for reinforced health and safety compliance at spaza shops after an eight-year-old boy was hospitalised after allegedly consuming snacks from a local tuckshop in Mapetla, Soweto.

2 mins

FLOOD ALARM AS SA BATTLES RELENTLESS RAINS

Residents urged to evacuate immediately

2 mins

Speaking off-the -cuff can be dangerous

I'VE been trying to be a good Catholic this Easter time and I’ve been going to church on Sundays.

3 mins

Muneeb Hermans: Blending Cape heritage with traditional jazz

FROM blowing his trumpet in the Klopse to blending that vibrant street culture into a distinctive jazz sound, Muneeb Hermans, 30, from Hanover Park, has turned tradition into triumph — now set to headline his own project at the prestigious Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF).

2 mins

Camilla shares secret of royal romance

BRITAIN’S Queen Camilla, the wife of King Charles III, has shared her secret to a successful twenty-year marriage.

1 min

Malinga on winning African Female Actor of the Year

DELI Malinga, a celebrated actress, proudly shares her experiences as the newly crowned African Female Actor of the Year, an accolade bestowed at the Women in Media Awards.

2 mins

A fiery declaration of self-love ignites SA‘s lingerie scene

PREPARE to have your perceptions of power and beauty redefined. Local lingerie brand KAAL, helmed by the multi-talented model, actress, and DJ Roxy Louw, has just unleashed its groundbreaking “ICONIC” campaign, and it’s sending seismic waves of self-love and empowerment across the nation.

3 mins

SA maintains Israel genocide case despite US retaliation

SOUTH Africa will not back down on its application in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) alleging genocide in Palestine against the Israeli government and the withdrawal of financial assistance to the country by US President Donald Trump's administration.

1 min

JMPD launches initiative to curb drunk driving

AS THE Easter long weekend approaches, the City of Johannesburg's Public Safety Department is taking proactive steps to ensure the safety of travelers.

2 mins

IFP affirms support for Budget

WHILE it accepted the Budget and reaffirmed its commitment in government, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) said it will meet with the Democratic Alliance (DA) on Sunday, as part of its ongoing engagements to foster cooperation and consensus in the national interest.

1 min

Pay child maintenance or face credit rating damage

THE Department of Justice and Constitutional Development is forging ahead with its planned move to crack down on those who fail to pay child maintenance by listing them with credit bureaus.

2 mins

Court increases unlawful arrest payout to R50 000 for deceased woman

A NORTH West woman, who was unlawfully arrested and detained, must be compensated to the tune of RSO 000 by the Minister of Police after the Supreme Court of Appeal increased her compensation amount this week.

2 mins

Love for Mother Earth and humanity

INTERNATIONAL Mother Earth Day, on 22 April, is a global call for action to protect the earth’s resources — bearing in mind that the future prosperity and the peaceful co-existence of people will greatly depend on access to, and conservation of, natural resources.

2 mins

Reviving African storytelling in nature

A SOUTH African film initiative is reshaping the narrative of wildlife storytelling in Africa by empowering people who never had a chance to tell their stories from a local perspective.

4 mins

Success isn't about the summit, it's about the journey

RAYMOND Ledwaba described himself as a bit of an imposter in the author world.

4 mins

Ghana's Sulemana reveals Okocha as his footballing hero

WHILE Southampton's defeat against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend has all but confirmed their Premier League fate, the season hasn't been without its bright spots.

3 mins

Titanic: Digital resurrection

APRIL 14 marks the 113th anniversary of the R.M.S. Titanic’s sinking - an event that has fuelled global fascination for more than a century.

2 mins

Born to be wild: AJ Venter heads towards the Irish seas yet again

EVERY few weeks (or pretty much as often as possible) I try to profile South Africans that are doing extraordinary things right here and abroad.

2 mins

Professionals urge ANC to ‘get its house in order’ or face electoral defeat

PROFESSIONALS have warned the ANC to urgently address some of its pressing challenges or risk being wiped out as an electoral force.

2 mins

African parliaments show mixed success in representing citizens

BY THE end of this year, 42 African countries will have held national elections in the previous 24 months. But do these elections produce parliaments that accurately reflect the societies they serve? Aside from studies of women in Africa’s legislatures, there is surprisingly little information about this important issue.

4 mins

Mbeki's AIDS policies echo in Kennedy's anti-vaccine stance

THERE'S historical precedent for how Robert F Kennedy Jr is handling his ascension to high office in the US. It’s an episode that didn’t end well.

5 mins

81 years, one birthday card: a friendship of two pensioners

IN 1944, a middle school girl gave her friend a card for her 14th birthday. When the girl’s birthday came around, the friend sent the same card back to her.

3 mins

Pillars of volunteering

THERE'S a debate raging at the moment about what constitutes volunteering and whether certain organisations or causes should be ranked higher than others.

2 mins

Celebrating excellence at 2025 DHL lifesaving championships

ST BENEDICT’S College Aquatic Centre in Germiston played host to a memorable gathering of lifesaving athletes from across the country, as DHL Lifesaving South Africa hosted the 2025 Pool Inter-Provincial Championships.

2 mins

School rugby and head injuries explained

THE rugby season is kicking off in schools across South Africa and players, parents, coaches and referees are preparing for exciting, yet physically demanding matches. In many sports, injuries are an unfortunate, common occurrence. Rugby, inherently a contact sport, also carries the inevitable tisk of head injuries, ranging from minor concussions to severe Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs).

3 mins

Building growth with ESOPs

EMPLOYEE Share Ownership Plans (ESOPs) are a powerful way for businesses to engage staff, boost retention and meet BEE objectives.

2 mins

'Corporate catfishing' emerges in US

CORPORATE catfishing is when employers, in a bid to attract top talent, make false or misleading claims about their working culture in job ads or interviews — and it’s becoming a big issue in the US recruitment landscape.

3 mins

Mental health strategies to ride out uncertain times

WHETHER you're trying to enter the job market, choosing to make a career change or caught in a wave of corporate retrenchments, unemployment is a reality that many of us will likely face at some point in our working lives.

3 mins

The R6O billion class action against banks

IMAGINE standing on the lawn of a home you poured your blood, sweat, and savings into, watching as it’s repossessed by the bank. Now imagine discovering that the very same house, cornerstone of yout life, has been sold by that bank for as little as R100. For some South African homeowners, this isn’t a distant nightmare but a cold, harsh reality that has sparked a battle in the courts.

2 mins

How Al is transforming fraud prevention in banking

BANKS are increasingly making use of technologies in a bid to thwart criminals. With a need to balance fulfilling customers’ desires for instant gratification in terms of having items delivered ASAP with the extra time it takes them to verify transactions, new solutions such as artificial intelligence (Al) are increasingly coming to the fore.

3 mins

RUN ON NUMBERS

Understanding the economic challenges facing SA and the USA

4 mins

How quickly can markets recover from a crash?

LAST week, in reaction to the US government's extraordinary imposition of tariffs on goods coming into America from almost every country in the world (including islands inhabited only by penguins), stock markets understandably tanked. By the time you read this, they may have recovered somewhat or dropped further.

4 mins

Pension Funds Adjudicator rules again sperm donor’s children in death benefit case

SPERM does not make a father, and being a biological parent does not automatically grant parental rights, according to a ruling by the Pension Funds Adjudicator, Muvhango Lukhaimane.

2 mins

How the Master’s Office is digitising trust registration

THE Master’s Office has faced significant criticism in the media over the past few years due to frustrations with service delivery issues. As a 350-year-old institution, with its first trust recorded in 1833, the Master’s Office is under increasing pressure to adapt to societal changes and a growing client base while managing its manual systems.

3 mins

Heart-pounding thrills to zen-like chill: family adventures for every dynamic

IN TODAY'S fast-paced world, where balancing work commitments, school schedules, and daily responsibilities can seem overwhelming, it’s easy for family time to slip away.

2 mins

South Africa emerges as the go-to spot for wellness travel

WELLNESS travel is no longer just a trend; it’s a lifestyle. Globally, travellers are seeking destinations that offer rejuvenation, relaxation, and connection to nature, and South Africa is quickly emerging as a leading hotspot for luxury wellness tourism.

2 mins

The ultimate honeymoon escape list

A HONEYMOON marks a pivotal celebration in a couple’s matrimonial journey, offering a unique opportunity to step away from the chaos of wedding planning and bask in each other's company.

3 mins

The longest off-road journey

IT WAS hard, brutally so, but after five days, a group of intrepid motoring enthusiasts had written the Nissan Navara Warrior into the Guinness Book of World Records in a brand new South African bakkie.

3 mins

French automaker giant sets sights on SA market growth

CITROEN is looking to expand its footprint in South Africa and in so doing hoping to get more bums on seats in the iconic French marque.

2 mins

More than a Prado in Prada: a new player in luxury 4x4 space

LIKE a burly tri-athlete in a tuxedo, the new Lexus GX aims to combine genuine off-road capability with the kind of luxury and sophistication that you'd expect from the Japanese pre-mium brand.

4 mins

Glenrose targeting a new 1OK record in Gqeberha

THE cap covers the head as it always does. It wouldn’t be her without it. Whereas in the past it used to seem more as a way to hide herself from the media glare, such has been Glenrose Xaba’s growth in confidence that the cap has kind of become her trademark accessory.

3 mins

Jozi Cup inspiring the next generation Lions and Proteas cricketers

ON Thursday, Lions Cricket launched the 2025 edition of the Jozi Cup, a community-based competition, at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.

1 min

Griquaas, Pumas set the SA Cup pace as race hots up for Currie Cup spots

THE unbeaten duo of the Pumas and Griquas have been dominating the SA Cup, but a chasing pack are desperate to secure a place in the top four to ensure qualification for the Currie Cup Premier Division.

2 mins

Amajita name Afcon squad with Chiefs, Pirates starlets leading the line

THE next generation of South African football talent will be tested on the continental stage later this month as Amajita head to Egypt for the 2025 U20 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), with Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates youngsters at the heart of Raymond Mdaka’s squad.

2 mins

Can Ferrari's new parts help them get ahead of the rest of the pack?

FERRARI’S new signing Lewis Hamilton says fans should not expect anything magical from the Prancing Horse this season.

1 min

From Simbine to Manyonga and Geldenhuys, SA athletes take aim at Botswana Grand Prix

WHILE all eyes will be on Akani Simbine’s duel with Ferdinand Omanyala in the 100m in Botswana Grand Prix today, two South African women will be hoping to take the next big step in their careers.

2 mins

Coetzé leads the way as swimmers qualify for world championships

Two more swimmers achieved world championships qualifying marks on the second day of action at the SA National Swimming Championships in Gqeberha, joining the star of the opening night, Pieter Coetzé, on the team to Singapore later this year.

2 mins

The prospect of a dream all-South African Champions League final has set pulses racing

SOUTH African football is on the brink of continental history as Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates navigate separate paths in the CAF Champions League semi-final round.

1 min

Lions in control post Day Two of the Four-Day Series final

THE Lions remained in control of the proceedings when stumps were called on Day Two of the Cricket South Africa Four-Day Series Final at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg yesterday.

1 min

Zwane reflects on AmaZulu's growth and missed opportunities for top-three finish

AMAZULU head coach Arthur Zwane believes his side has made meaning-ful progress this season—but admits missed opportunities have cost them a spot in the Betway Premiership’s top three.

2 mins

Roos shines as Springbok Women’s Sevens qualify for SVNS playoffs in Los Angeles

THE Springbok Women’s Sevens booked their place at the SVNS Series playoff tournament in Los Angeles next month following three excellent wins in the group stages of the final qualifier in Krakow, Poland.

2 mins

Lions, Stormers with plenty to do as SA franchises gear up for crucial URC playoff push

THERE is still an outside chance for all four South African franchises to reach the playoffs of the United Rugby Championship (URC) when the tournament hits the business end next weekend.

3 mins

Football entities - especially Safa - must support our clubs and national teams

SOUTH African football is on the rise right now. And that’s why all stakeholders - especially the motherbody - should preserve and aid every moment.

3 mins

Mbokazi can become the next big thing in SA football, says Pirates' captain Tapelo Xoki

MBEKEZELI Mbokazi is one of the emerging youngsters in the top-flight right now, and if he continues to work hard, he could become one of the best defenders.

2 mins

Bulls must take a chance even in knockout rugby, says White

THE term 'knockout rugby' is usually interpreted as a team adopting a more conservative approach when it's a playoff match.

3 mins

Chiefs - Sundowns clash is more than just a game; it is a clash of ambitions

TOMORROW'S Nedbank Cup semi-final between Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs at Loftus Versfeld is more than just a game; it is a clash of ambitions.

2 mins

Royal AM saga: everyone loses, but the biggest casualty is the PSL

THE Royal AM saga has been a bruising chapter in South African football — a mix of mismanagement, financial scandal, and embarrassing headlines.

2 mins

Mbokazi can become the next big thing in SA football, says Pirates’ captain Tapelo Xoki

MBEKEZELI Mbokazi is one of the emerging youngsters in the top-flight tight now, and if he continues to work hard, he could become one of the best defenders.

2 mins

Injury opens Springboks door: Roos and Hanekom compete for Wiese’s No 8 spot

THE revelation that incumbent Springbok No 8 Jasper Wiese is likely out for some of the 2025 international season is unfortunate, but the silver lining is that Rassie Erasmus has a good opportunity to examine the pecking order in the position.

2 mins

Read all stories from Saturday Star

Saturday Star Newspaper Description:

The Saturday Star is an indispensable weekend read. It includes hard news from across the country, the best weekend sports coverage, great features, travel, and entertainment news. The paper is a perfect read for a time-pressed, spoilt-for-choice weekend reader. The Saturday Star remains the best-selling Saturday paper in the country. The first section comprises local news, international news, local and international celebrity gossip. The second section starts with Canvas Life. Opinion and analysis, business, property, media and marketing and letters make up the balance of the second section, with great sport coverage on the back pages. For those concerned about money the best advice for your financial future can be found in Personal Finance. There are also a number of supplements in the Saturday Star: Travel, 48 Hours, Property Guide and School Sport.