The Saturday Star (South Africa) back issues from July 2009:
A good time to find bargains.(Travel)
Jul 04, 2009 ... Now is a good time to look for travel bargains because everyone is trying to drum up business during the economic downturn. Many destinations, hotels, |resorts and private game reserves are offering special rates to entice visitors - and, of course, to keep themselves and their ...
twitching; IN THE WILDS OF Uganda.(Travel)
Jul 04, 2009 ... Bird-watching is the fastest growing interest in the world. According to the US Fish and Wildlife service, there are 50 million people in America who consider themselves to be twitchers. Research in Britain shows the same trend there, with millions of people scanning the skies, ...
Take a royal tour of Rajasthan.(Travel)
Jul 04, 2009 ... Imaginative Traveller has announced that National Geographic Traveller magazine has included the Amongst the Maharajas tour in its 50 Tours of a Lifetime. The tour combines Rajasthan's highlights with an opportunity to get off the beaten track and experience many rural ...
snow time; IN ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH.(Travel)
Jul 04, 2009 ... Sandwiched within the heart of South Africa is the tiny landlocked kingdom of Lesotho that can be accessed from the Free State, KZN and the Eastern Cape through no fewer than 13 border posts. And yet surprisingly few consider it a holiday destination, despite its convenient ...
Single mums seek break.(Travel)
Jul 04, 2009 ... I had to laugh at this comment written by a single mother: "I'm not on the hunt for another husband. What I do want is a list of resorts (here and further abroad) that cater to the single parent, where my children and I will be made to feel welcome. "Isn't there a travel agent ...
Radio survey shows decline in audiences; However, listeners have increased the time they spend listening.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... BYLINE: Staff reporter Despite significant declines in radio listening, the latest release of the SA Advertising Foundation Radio Audience Measure Survey (RAMS) is not all bad news. The June 2009 survey reveals that many radio stations have managed to buck the ...
OR Tambo carousels give us run-around.(Travel)
Jul 04, 2009 ... I arrived at OR Tambo International Airport soon after midnight on June 24 from London. First, the one carousel stopped for "technical reasons". Then we went, as instructed, to the next carousel, which kindly delivered two pieces of luggage |before it was also stopped for ...
Paying fliers don't deserve bumping.(Travel)
Jul 04, 2009 ... I read the various letters regarding airline overbooking and "bumping" booked passengers off flights in the May 30 edition. I cannot accept the "explanation" [read excuse] given by Stephen Forbes of BA on how or why some get priority. If a person has booked and paid for ...
Explore a feast /for the senses.(Travel)
Jul 04, 2009 ... India is a feast for the senses, where the air is heavy with the scent of jasmine and dancers trail frenetic melodies in colourful silk saris. In India's cities, slum living competes with the cacophony of endless traffic and myriad other textures, colours and movements. ...
New Beemer seven simply magnificent; Hi-tech bells and whistles make this sedan superb, writes Brendan Seery.(Entertainment)
Jul 04, 2009 ... The first time I saw the side cameras on a new BMW Seven Series, I was not impressed. Mounted at the side of the car, in front, they allow you to see accurately what lurks out of sight under the sleek, long bonnet. Just the sort of thing the fatcats who buy this type of car would love, I ...
A ROUTE OF CULINARY DELIGHTS.(Entertainment)
Jul 04, 2009 ... Tell me, white dove, where will I find the Olive Tree. If you recognise the first line of this song (by limpid-voiced Seekers singer Judith Durham), you must be at least my age. Well, after 40 years, I have finally found The Olive Tree. It's in Knysna. If you're headed there for ...
Watch out for the snake in the grass.(Entertainment)
Jul 04, 2009 ... Joburg is home to about 30 species of snake, most of them harmless. The only common venomous snake in the greater Joburg area is the rinkhals. "In the past few years, rinkhals measuring 1.5m in length have been found in gardens in Glen Austin and Alexandra," says snake expert ...
frost survivors.(Entertainment)
Jul 04, 2009 ... This week, night temperatures in parts of the East Rand and Vereeniging areas dropped down to minus 4OC and tender plants were |devastated by black frost. The only way to avoid losing your tropical plants to a bout of black frost is to avoid planting them in the first place ....
Safety tips when calling for help.(Entertainment)
Jul 04, 2009 ... Breaking down can be a frightening and dangerous experience for the motorist and anyone attempting to help. The Automobile Association (AA) offers a few safety tips: l Calling for help: never try to stop other cars by standing in the roadway. If you have a cellphone, ...
Strawberry friands.(Entertainment)
Jul 04, 2009 ... A friand is a light tea cake similar to a sponge cake and usually contains ground almonds. Makes 10- to 12 6 egg whites 5ml vanilla essence 225g icing sugar 150g ground almonds 75g flour 150g butter, melted ...
Dazzled by Malealea's beauty.(Travel)
Jul 04, 2009 ... Ashley believes passionately in the country and its people, organising a half-day outing along the scenic Makhaleng Valley Trail between Roma and Ramabanta, with a side excursion up the challenging Maluti Mountain Road, where we're greeted warmly by local |villagers. At ...
ARIES.(Entertainment)
Jul 04, 2009 ... Mar 21-Apr 21: (086 7133 501) Today: Resist the urge to push your luck too far because this is a term in which you may get into trouble. The point is that you must not run any risk that could prejudice that which you have already accomplished. You really must take care. ...
Techno hubs to offer free access to the internet.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... BYLINE: Sameer Naik People living in townships will soon be able to access the internet for free - thanks to the City of Johannesburg's plan to set up technology hubs in Joburg's disadvantaged areas. The techno hubs, which form part of the Joburg Broadband Project, ...
An orchid to Jupiter for doing Jacko ad at lightning-quick speed.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... Advertising agencies generally move at glacial speed - though they'll tell you otherwise - when it comes to getting out work which is related to events happening around us. Not surprising, because creatives are generally not news people. There were two exceptions this past ...
Stoner flick or gangsta drama?(Entertainment)
Jul 04, 2009 ... An ungainly hybrid of stoner comedy and gangsta drama, Next Day Air is Pulp Fiction by way of Half Baked. Centred on a cocaine-filled carton that goes missing thanks to a fully baked delivery man (Donald Faison), the film jack-rabbits between characters and time frames to little ...
WHITE-KNUCkLE THriller.(Entertainment)
Jul 04, 2009 ... It's a Nicolas Cage movie, so, admit it, you're expecting crazy. You have no idea. The star's latest, Knowing, starts off mildly ridiculous, ascends to the full-blown ludicrous and finally sails boldly off the edge of the absolutely preposterous. Throughout it all, Cage's grim ...
Gugu's role in isidingo; Zuma's daughter will take on Barker Haines, writes Nelson Dlamini.(Entertainment)
Jul 04, 2009 ... Her father is South Africa's newest president, her mother is Home Affairs Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. Yet Gugu, as 24-year-old Gugulethu Zuma, is known, has her feet firmly on the ground. For example, when asked what it is like having the most prominent, influential and ...
back with a moosa bang; First-time dad wants to help comedy grow up, writes Candice Bailey.(Entertainment)
Jul 04, 2009 ... When you meet comedians, you might be forgiven for expecting them to always focus on the lighter side of life. Forget about this with Riaad Moosa. This funnyman is seriously serious about comedy. Talking about the South African comedy industry, Moosa put on a ...
Tenth year for popular Safrea network.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... BYLINE: Staff reporter This year 2009 marks the 10th anniversary of Safrea - the media professionals' forum for freelance media specialists in southern Africa. So just how far has Safrea come in the last decade? What started out as a small group of journalists and ...
Celeb legal action over tell-all book on ice.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... BYLINE: Kashiefa Ajam Just days before the launch of tabloid journalist Yolanda Barnard's tell-all book, a group of celebrities - who earned themselves mentions in the book - threatened her with legal action. But it remains to be seen whether the threat will be acted ...
While it's all too much for Joost, stripper makes her debut at Teazers.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... BYLINE: Kashiefa Ajam Marilize van Emmenis is probably one of the reasons why former rugby star Joost van der Westhuizen ended up in hospital this week. And while Van der Westhuizen continues to try to clear his name, the name of the stripper who filmed him allegedly snorting ...
fuelling sa to unity.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... This campaign, for fuel giant BP, was one of the more memorable soccer-related executions done around the Fifa Confederations Cup, which finished last weekend. Tapping into the spirit of sports-mad South Africa, it aimed to use soccer as a platform to help unite the nation. ...
A little hope can go a long way in Aids battle; Positive move encourages 12-year-old to start taking his ARV medication.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... Hope*, aged 12, came to Phatisma Khanya in 2007 after he had lost his mother to HIV/Aids. He was virtually an orphan, since his father was not involved in his son's life. When I first saw him, he had already been diagnosed as HIV-positive. My earliest memory of him was the day ...
DA to monitor Sheryl Cwele investigation.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... BYLINE: Fiona Gounden The Democratic Alliance is not going to let the Sheryl Cwele matter rest until proper investigations are completed. She may have been cleared of charges relating to the misuse of municipal resources after her communications with Tessa Beetge, the ...
Why worry so much about what other people are wearing?(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... After reading a newspaper report concerning French President Nicholas Sarkozy's ranting about burka-wearing by many Muslim women, I have never felt more lucky to live in this wonderful rainbow country of ours. It is bigoted statements like Sarkozy's which highlight the ...
Eskom HIKE issimply shocking.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... It is only in South Africa that a government parastatal can hike tariffs by a 31.1 percent. To say that the recent electricity tariff hike is unjustifiable is an understatement. It is ludicrous, given that we are in a recession. Our economy has been shedding jobs since last ...
Fighting for a town that's dying; Promises, promises, but nothing gets done, so Sannieshof residents declare open war on poor service delivery.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... BYLINE: Janet Smith They're not in the least half-hearted about it. In fact, the people of Sannieshof and its neighbours Agisanang and Pelindaba are so worn out from what they insist on calling the kakpratery, the political bull, that they now laugh off death threats, arrests ...
Pop go the lights, on go the LEDs.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... It was the coldest, windiest, darkest day of the year so far. I sat by my computer cradling my coffee cup with my fingers, hoping to unstiffen them enough to start work ... SPRANG! The computer went pop and the lights went out. Outside the power cables had blown right ...
No cure in sight for doctors' disillusionment; Impossible workloads, long hours, low pay, patients dying - 'it's the government's fault'.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... BYLINE: Sameer Naik Samuel Johnson* is yet to obtain his health practice number, but the 25-year-old intern at Africa's largest hospital has already experienced first-hand the effects of working long hours, day after day. This week at Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital ...
Lessons in compassion.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... The protracted public sector doctors' strike appears to be finally over - and not a moment too soon for the millions of South Africans who depend on their services. And that, unfortunately, is how far too many of us in this country have seen this whole sorry debacle. We have ...
All for one and one for all.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... The new cellphone regulations for prepaid clients are, like most other laws in this country and others, well intentioned. If properly observed, they should make the use of prepaid cellphones in criminal activities almost impossible. The blacklisting of cellphones was an ...
In the game of nation-building, sport can kick-start a country's pride.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... There were two anxious dogs in our house on Sunday afternoon. Stupid they may be, but they instinctively know "walkies" is around 4.30 on a Sunday. So, when nothing was happening then, they upped the tempo of their whining. In the lounge, there was a lot of screaming as Family ...
Nappy fire peril at Helen Joseph; Concern about store room with chemicals.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... BYLINE: Candice Bailey Staff at Helen Joseph Hospital have been ignoring a fire hazard warning, putting hundreds of patients at risk by stocking highly flammable adult nappies in a storeroom with various chemicals. Emergency services workers have warned the hospital ...
Talks aim to cement India-SA trade links.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... South African businesses will be encouraged to look to India for their imports and exports at a conference later this month. Entitled "Building partnerships when the chips are down", the conference, organised by the Indian consulate and the Confederation of Indian Industry, aims ...
Out in the cold; Refugees looked ready to ice up in the freezing conditions.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... BYLINE: Thabiso Thakali As the mercury dropped to its lowest this week, the Zimbabwean refugees living outside the Central Methodist Church in Joburg were huddled, some covered in plastic, blowing hot air on their hands in a hopeless bid to stay warm. They had hung ...
Estate agents throw in towel.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... BYLINE: Neil Tytherleigh The downturn in South Africa's property industry has seen the number of estate agents plummet 40 percent this year. And estate agents who are still practising are finding it harder to survive in the market as a result of tight economic ...
A very badweek for thesegiants ofSA football; Stresses show in the lifestyles, fast living and bling of the country's celebrity soccer superstars.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... BYLINE: Janet Smith It's been a miserable week for footballers, even though it began so well for Bafana Bafana legend Phil Masinga. He turned 40 on Sunday, but by Wednesday, Sowetan's lead story would probably have all but dimmed that shine. In repeating the ...
King David slay the giants.(Sports)
Jul 04, 2009 ... There are only 200 boys at King David School in Victory Park, and as a Jewish private school, Hebrew studies and the Jewish culture and religion are obviously the priority. That doesn't mean, however, that they don't take rugby seriously and the results of their 2009 first team ...
South Africa to send strong team to Maccabi Games.(Sports)
Jul 04, 2009 ... A team of 250 athletes and administrators will be leaving for Israel next week to participate in the Maccabi Games - the four-yearly meeting of Jewish sportsmen and women from around the world. The tradition was started in 1932, before the founding of the state of Israel, as a ...
Lion cubs show their mettle; Lions under-18s finish unbeaten at Academy week.(Sports)
Jul 04, 2009 ... BYLINE: Theo Garrun The Golden Lions were one of just three sides to come through the under-18 Academy Rugby Week unbeaten after their win over Eastern Province on Thursday. The other two undefeated teams were the Blue Bulls and the Valke Silver (Valke A) team. ...
Pre-paid Sim card regulation lauded by service providers.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... BYLINE: Sameer Naik Street vendors and consumers in and around Joburg are wishing cellphone operators the best of luck in their attempts to implement the new Act which came into effect this week. The Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of ...
Branco forces Donaire to vacate title.(Sports)
Jul 04, 2009 ... South African promoter Branco Milenkovic has scored yet another moral victory over top American promoter and nemesis Bob Arum by forcing Arum's charge, Nonito Donaire of Philippines, to vacate the IBF flyweight title. Arum announced that Donaire was abdicating the flyweight throne just ...
Groenewaldset for stiff challenge.(Sports)
Jul 04, 2009 ... Gauteng's Craig Groenewald will lead the SA intellectually impaired swim team at the Global Games in the Czech Republic, from July 4-14. Groenewald, a two-time Paralympian and holder of five world records, won six medals at last year's Global Games, will face stiff competition ...
Rugby's junior structures are a lesson for football.(Sports)
Jul 04, 2009 ... It's rugby youth week time. The Coca-Cola Grant Khomo Under-16 interprovincial festival kicks off in Riversdal in the SWD region on Monday, and it will be followed by the Under-18 Coca-Cola Craven Week in East London next week. They follow on the Under-18 Academy Week which was ...
Zuma uses old phone to stay in touch.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... BYLINE: SIBUSISO NGALWA President Jacob Zuma has yet to fly commercial, as he promised to do before the elections. But he still has his old cellphone, says his spokesman, Zizi Kodwa. "I've seen him answer the phone ... his number has not changed. The fact that people ...
Lategan backs Lovett to beat Oosthuizen in four.(Sports)
Jul 04, 2009 ... BYLINE: BOXING REPORTER RONNIE Lategan is what fight buffs generally describe as a "warhorse", or rather, a fighter who takes on the best but seldom comes out on top. Yet if nothing else, Lategan is an exceptionally brave and honest pugilist and the former South ...
Hanging out in the beer tent as the credit crunch hits the July.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... Wowee, how the credit crunch and SABC's diabolical financial state has affected my Vodacom July. Normally there are at least three or four fantastic invites to fabulous tents. Generally the media are flown down by one or other PR company intent on promoting their brand. We are ...
Bafana and the us surprise the kaiser; German maestro believes African side can qualify for 2010 semifinals.(Sports)
Jul 04, 2009 ... BYLINE: Fifa.com AS A MEMBER of Fifa's executive committee, Franz Beckenbauer spent several days in South Africa at the business end of the Confederations Cup, taking in the two semifinals and the third-place play-off. The Bayern Munich president spoke about his ...
In all my career, I never saw an accident like this.(Sports)
Jul 04, 2009 ... IT HAS left a nasty taste, hasn't it? I didn't see the incident from the side of the Loftus pitch but the TV evidence looked clear to me. The player in green looked like he had felt for the eyes of the player in red and was applying pressure. Isn't that gouging? It looked ...
the CENTRE SPREAD; Olivier hopes to replicate his Super 14 form when he starts for the Boks today.(Sports)
Jul 04, 2009 ... BYLINE: Jacques van der Westhuyzen FOR MANY Wynand Olivier was the best South African inside centre in this year's Super 14. In fact, he was very close to topping the list of the best centres from all 14 teams. But walking into the Springbok team for the series ...
Rain or shine, Greyville is the place to be today; It's fun and fashion as July fever sweeps the country.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... BYLINE: BARBARA COLE and David Thiselton YOU CAN bet your money on it: the odds are in favour of rain for today's Vodacom Durban July - but this will not dampen spirits. Thousands of racegoers will still flock into Durban for Africa's R3 million premier race. ...
Showing off a priority for some.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... BYLINE: THANDIWE MTHETHWA THE NATIONAL Consumer Forum has poured cold water on the Vodacom Durban July spirit a bit, warning consumers not to spend money unnecessarily on one-day events, but rather to use the money to cover their debts. Forum spokesman Sbusiso ...
Reckless drivers heading for end of the road.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... BYLINE: Caiphus Kgosana Reckless drivers will lose their licences when the new demerit system comes into full effect next year, while learner licence tests are to be computerised around the country to root out fraud. Transport Minister S'bu Ndebele announced yesterday ...
Health dept not worried as swine flu cases increase; Most infections will be very mild, official says.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... BYLINE: Candice Bailey and Thabiso Thakali South Africa can expect a spike in the number of reported swine flu cases in the next few months - but health authorities are not concerned about the spread. The country currently has 13 cases of swine flu, six of which have ...
YOUR WEEKEND WEATHER.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... GAUTENG: Fine and cold. Expected UVB index: Low. MPUMALANGA: Cold on the highveld, otherwise partly cloudy and cool, becoming cloudy in the east by late evening. LIMPOPO: Partly cloudy and cool, but cold in places on the highveld and escarpment with early ...
Government planning separate department for military veterans.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... BYLINE: SIBUSISO NGALWA The government is planning to set up a separate department for military veterans, and sustain the peacekeeping missions in the face of financial strains and recession. Defence and Military Veterans Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has pleaded for more ...
Former MPs face eviction as hotel bills mount.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... BYLINE: CARIEN DU PLESSIS FORMER MPs and their dependants, who are illegally occupying parliamentary houses, will be evicted to make room for new parliamentarians who have been lodging at hotels at taxpayers' expense since May. House chairman Ben Skosana told the ...
Address error tips off drug-bust cops.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... Police have seized R12 million worth of heroin, smuggled in from Iran, at OR Tambo International Airport following routine investigations. Officials confirmed that 24kg of heroin, smuggled in unspecified spare parts, was confiscated yesterday. National SAPS crime ...
Government there to serve all the people, says Zuma.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... BYLINE: CARIEN DU PLESSIS PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma has again stressed the need to separate party and state, adding that there is "nothing untoward" with the ANC developing policy to be implemented by the state. He also stressed that the government was there to serve the ...
The way Michael made us feel.(News)
Jul 04, 2009 ... BYLINE: Nadia Moore and Neil Tytherleigh South Africa has finally got its chance to join the world in grieving for the King of Pop. Hundreds of Michael Jackson fans thronged Nelson Mandela Square yesterday in a tribute to the late music icon. Moonwalking, ...