Government notes ConCourt judgement

The South African government, via its twitter feed, said President Jacob Zuma had noted the Constitutional Court judgement handed down on Thursday.

It also said that President Zuma would respect the judgement, which reaffirms the powers of the Constitutional Court, as the final arbiter on matters of the country’s constitution.

The South African government said the President would reflect on the judgement and its implications on the state of the South African government.

President Zuma was ordered to repay a reasonable amount of the money spent on the security upgrades at his Nkandla homestead, with particular mention being made of money spent on the non-security items.

The National Treasury will determine just how much the President must pay.

J.Cole to perform in SA in June

J. Cole is headed to Mzansi in June. Brought to you by Castle Lite; The rapper is expected to perform one night only at the Ticketpro Dome on 18 June 2016.

Castle Lite has identified itself as a brand that celebrates music, making local and international musicians as part of the Castle Lite experience. Marketing Manager of Castle Lite, Vaughan Croeser says the brand is excited to be bringing the American rap artist to South Africa.

Tickets for the concert are expected to be available from 31 March via www.castlelite.co.za ; with General access at R250 and Golden Circle at R490.

#SuperRugby Preview: Lions vs Crusaders

The Lions face a stern examination when they take on the tournament’s most successful side, the Crusaders, in Johannesburg on Friday.

Under the guidance of head coach Johan Ackermann, the Lions have, once again, impressed in 2016 and will look to build on the fine start to their campaign in which they have won three of their four matches played so far.

The Crusaders have a similar record and will be aiming to finish off their tour to South Africa with back-to-back victories after they beat the Sharks last weekend.

That triumph in Durban was a significant one as it ended the Sharks’ unbeaten run in the competition and the seven-time champions will be brimming with confidence as they enter the Lions’ den.

Both these sides have impressed with ball in hand this season and it’s no surprise that they are amongst the leading teams in several of the tournament’s attacking statistics.

The Crusaders have scored the third most tries (16) while the Lions have just one less five-pointer. The men from Christchurch are also third highest for clean breaks (60) with the Lions in seventh place in that department with 43.

The Lions are third highest for metres gained (2118) while the Crusaders (1993) are in seventh position. Ackermann’s charges are also fourth highest for defenders beaten with 115 while the Crusaders are surprisingly low in that facet of play, languishing in 15th spot with just 72 defenders beaten.

Both are also amongst the frontrunners for offloads with the Crusaders second on 58 and the Lions fifth with 52.

But where the Crusaders have an advantage is in the scrum, where they are topping the charts with a 97 percent success rate compared to the Lions’ 84 percent.

The Crusaders are also the tournament’s most successful team at the rucks with a 96 percent success rate although the Lions are not far off in that category with 95 percent.

The last time these team met: The Crusaders proved too strong when these sides met in Christchurch last year, claiming a 34-6 bonus-point victory. Former All Blacks fly-half Dan Carter, who was playing at inside centre, finished with a 14-point haul after kicking four conversions and two penalties. The Crusaders’ five-pointers came via a penalty try and further touchdowns from Andy Ellis, Kieron Fonotia and Kieran Read. For the Lions Elton Jantjies kicked two penalties.

Players to watch: Lions outside centre Lionel Mapoe has caught the eye with several impressive performances and although it’s still early in the season he has already put his hand up for Springbok selection. Mapoe’s direct running style has caused plenty of headaches for opposing defenders and he is also solid in the tackle and doesn’t shy from his defensive duties.

Crusaders fly-half Richie Mo’unga has stepped up to the plate with several impressive performances but he will be under pressure after a poor goal-kicking display in which he missed three penalties and a conversion. The Crusaders’ head coach Todd Blackadder has dismissed that showing as an off day for the 21-year-old, who will be keen to make up with another fine all-round performance.

Team news: Lions fly-half Elton Jantjies is bracketed with Marnitz Boshoff as their playmaker as the former hopes to return from a wrist injury suffered against the Cheetahs. Ackermann has also bracketed locks Andries Ferreira and Lourens Erasmus while Warwick Tecklenburg returns on the flank.

Blackadder has made four changes to his run-on side. Wyatt Crockett comes in at loosehead prop, rotating with Joe Moody who will take a spot on the bench. Luke Romano and Scott Barrett are the starting locks, with Sam Whitelock in the reserves. Jimmy Tupou and Jordan Taufua have also rotated, with Tupou starting at six this week and Taufua preparing to make an impact off the bench.

Form: Both these sides have won three out of four matches so far this season. The Lions kicked off with away victories over the Sunwolves and Chiefs before suffering their only defeat against the Highlanders in Dunedin. They bounced back with a 39-22 triumph at home over the Cheetahs in Round Four.

The Crusaders lost their opener in Christchurch against the Chiefs but returned to the victory trail in style by beating the Blues and Kings at home before they got the better of the Sharks in Durban last week.

Prediction: There should be plenty of fireworks as both these sides employ attacking game-plans and don’t be surprised if this is a high scoring affair. Home ground advantage will swing it in the Lions’ favour though. Lions to win by three points.

Previous results:

2015: Crusaders won 34-6 in Christchurch
2014: Crusaders won 28-7 in Johannesburg
2012: Crusaders won 23-13 in Johannesburg
2010: Crusaders won 46-19 in Christchurch
2009: Crusaders won 32-20 in Johannesburg
2008: Crusaders won 31-6 in Christchurch

The Teams:

Lions: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Howard Mnisi, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies/Marnitz Boshoff, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Warren Whiteley (c), 7 Warwick Tecklenburg, 6 Jaco Kriel, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Andries Ferreira/Lourens Erasmus, 3 Julian Redelinghuys, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Dylan Smith
Replacements: 16 Armand van der Merwe, 17 Corne Fourie, 18 Ruan Dreyer, 19 Ruan Ackermann, 20 Cyle Brink, 21 Dillon Smit, 22 Jaco van der Walt, 23 Rohan Janse van Rensburg

Crusaders: 15 David Havili, 14 Johnny McNicholl, 13 Kieron Fonotia, 12 Ryan Crotty, 11 Nemani Nadolo, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Andy Ellis, 8 Kieran Read (c), 7 Matt Todd, 6 Jimmy Tupou, 5 Scott Barrett, 4 Luke Romano, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Wyatt Crockett
Replacements: 16 Ben Funnell, 17 Joe Moody, 18 Mike Alaalatoa, 19 Sam Whitelock, 20 Jordan Taufua, 21 Mitchell Drummond, 22 Ben Volavola, 23 Sean Wainui

Date: Friday, April 1
Venue: Emirates Airlines Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 19:00 local (17:00 GMT)
Referee: Stuart Berry
Assistant Referees: Craig Joubert, AJ Jacobs
TMO: Johan Greeff

By David Skippers

Is breakfast really the most important meal of the day?

Most would agree that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The NHS insists that research shows that people who eat breakfast are slimmer because they tend to eat less over the course of the day, and in particular, snack less. Experts have previously warned that missing breakfast is a sure fire way to make people raid the snack drawer and pile on the pounds. Yet it seems there isn’t conclusive evidence to back such claims.



Research conducted by the Bath Breakfast Project at the University of Bath in the U.K. examined breakfast consumption or morning fasting and used assessments of energy balance and health in an obese population. They found that neither obese people who eat breakfast, nor those who miss it, lost weight.



These are similar findings to the group’s earlier study of lean people, who were found to have consumed in excess of 500 calories more a day on average if they ate breakfast.



“Despite strong public belief regarding the role of regular breakfast in human health, most evidence linking the omission of breakfast with negative health outcomes is based on cross-sectional associations and prospective cohort studies,” wrote the authors.



Scientists add the evidence fits in with what others have been finding recently.



“Randomised controlled trials in free-living adults have begun to question the causal nature of these links between breakfast habits, components of energy balance, and health,” they said.



The link between missing breakfast and overeating later is further contradicted by another randomised controlled trial of 283 people that found no difference in weight gain between those who ate breakfast and those who did not.



The breakfast issue is part of the ongoing debate around fasting, and researchers conclude that eating in the morning is a personal choice.

If you are not hungry, and especially if you are overweight, then don’t eat out of some notion that breakfast is essential. Breakfast is of course important for children, athletes, and for people who need to perform at their top capacity.

The research was first published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

MTN BushFire official launch

A decade of music. A decade of celebration. A decade of bringing your fire.

MTN Bushfire is turning ten and we are celebrating with an amazing line-up of regional and international artists, along with the multitude of arts and cultural activities that make up the annual MTN Bushfire experience.

MTN Bushfire 2016, May 27th- 29th, is the culmination of ten incredible years of passion, dedication and commitment to the music, arts, and culture of Southern Africa and beyond.

Festival Founder and Director Jiggs Thorne has this to say on the 10th anniversary edition of MTN Bushfire, “Bushfire has illuminated and inspired over the last ten years and in the process has become a celebrated African festival.

This year’s stellar line-up includes Ghana’s sizzling-hot artist Blitz the Ambassador, Mali’s Songhoy Blues, South African super-groups Mafikizolo and Beatenburg as well as multi-award winning rapper AKA, Zimbabwe’s legendary Oliver Mtukudzi, and Swaziland’s own Bholoja.

In addition to welcoming these and a host of other acts from over 17 countries, MTN Bushfire is also excited to welcome thousands of music fans from around the world to enjoy the full offering of arts and cultural activities that make up what CNN named as one of the “7 African music festivals you really have to see”,  and most recently the festival named as BBC’s Top African Festival.

Whilst MTN Bushfire is well-known for its diverse and exciting musical line-up, the festival has also always been acknowledged as a holistic experience that includes the arts, food, culture and family-centric activities.

From the KIDZONE, an adventurous space for young fire starters to ignite their budding flames with a family friendly program, and The MTN Bushfire Handcraft & Design Marketplace, an experiential space where creative curiosity is inspired and revived, to the MTN Bushfire Global Food Village that presents a tantalizing diversity of tastes, MTN Bushfire is a cultural immersion like no other.

MTN Bushfire also offers an array of camping opportunities including the luxury camping option; Glamping is the ultimate travel experience that pairs outdoor adventure with modern creature comforts. VIP Camping is in the official MTN Bushfire 2016 VIP campsite operated by The Bandwagon.

All tickets and camping for MTN Bushfire 2016 are available online only – with no physical ticket outlets open this year. With MTN Bushfire 2015 tickets selling out completely before the festival gates even opened, fans are encouraged to book early on www.bush-fire.com .

10 Years of #BRINGYOURFIRE
MTN Bushfire is also proud to celebrate 10 years of #BRINGYOURFIRE – the inspired call to action that encourages proactive and individual contributions to social change.

Your Fire is your ENERGY, your DRIVE, your OPINIONS and your PASSIONS.

This personal and collective commitment to social change has been supported by MTN Bushfire through a number of incredible initiatives over the years, partnering with two prolific Swazi organisations, and in turn resulting in over a million Emalangeni donated to these two beneficiaries – growing local business and empowering community social development.

In fact, during the event on the 16th, MTN Bushfire presented cheques to the beneficiares, with Young Heroes receiving 80 thousand Emalangen, Gone Rural Bomake receiving 162 thousand Emalangeni. These donations bring the cumulative donation for Young heroes to over 1.1 million Emalangeni, and Gone Rural receiving over Four Hundred thousand emalangeni,

The many achievements of MTN Bushfire have even been acknowledged by Swazi Prime Minister, Rt Hon Prime Minister, Dr B.Sibusiso Dlamini, “It is a festival of great quality and diversity – a creatively designed and assembled event that, through knowledgeable, skilful and visionary entrepreneurship has created a unique blend of music, theatre, poetry, dance, art and handcraft exhibits among many other forms of human expression.”

Whilst accolades such as these are obviously important, what matters the most to MTN Bushfire is what our visitors have to say about their MTN Bushfire experiences. We therefore invite everyone and anyone who has attended an MTN Bushfire over the last ten years to share your experiences via #WeAre10 on all of our social media platforms.

As we head closer to our 10th anniversary event, MTN Bushfire will stage a 10-day countdown ahead of the festival, with each day highlighting a specific pillar and focus of MTN Bushfire’s commitment to igniting social change our philosphy of BRING YOUR FIRE.

Lets get talking and growing the passion – join us in this exciting build up and share your MTN Bushfire or Bring Your Fire experiences via #WeAre10 and be part of the MTN Bushfire celebrations!

For full line up and ticketing information, please visit www.bush-fire.com or www.facebook.com/MTNBushfire @bushfirefest

Jamie's Italian restaurant comes to Johannesburg

Justin Divaris, Stephen Gersowsky and Symeon Yiallouris will soon be launching Jamie’s Italian restaurant in Melrose Arch.

A partnership between Jamie Oliver and his Italian mentor, Chef Gennaro Contaldo, Jamie’s Italian has won thousands of fans all over the world for its delicious and affordable food, friendly service and buzzing atmosphere.

The menu is full of rustic, Italian-inspired dishes with a Jamie twist, including bowls of beautiful pasta that’s made fresh on site every day.

Explaining the approach to his restaurants, Jamie says: “I’ve always been a huge fan of Italy – I love the passion of its people, the simplicity of their cooking, the incredible produce and the big flavours. I never fail to get excited about it.

There’s nothing Italians love more than cooking an incredible meal and sitting down with the whole family to enjoy it, no matter how rich or poor they may be. And that’s what we’re all about – making good food accessible and affordable for everyone.”

The contract for the Melrose Arch premises has been concluded with a view to open doors in the latter part of the year and further locations are being explored across South Africa, with news to share soon.

Built to showcase Jamie’s belief in good quality, honest, innovative and properly sourced food, all of the produce used will be sustainable with very high welfare standards.

Go Country confirmed for 2016 Rand Show

Go Country, a whip-cracking SA Cowboys country extravaganza packed with feats of horsemanship, mounted archery, cowboy song and games, will be featuring at this year’s Rand Show.

Kruger Snyman of Victory Horsemanship will perform feats of horsemanship and trick riding like horse riding while standing up. The riders from Pretoria Mounted Archery will show off their archery skills as they take aim while riding.

Dian Steyn will entertain the crowds with his whip tricks, and will hold whip-cracking competitions for audience members. The SA Cowboys will do cowboy games, often riding without saddle or bridle, controlling their mounts with just a touch.

There will also be pony rides for young and old, and displays by the gentle animals involved in kids horse therapy.

On the musical side, Armand the Singing Cowboy will sing country music favourites both on stage and on horseback.

Junior John Jackson and the Jackson Boots Linedancers will get everyone’s feet tapping, and country musician Mari Minnaar will entertain the crowds with country rock and Afrikaans country numbers.

How to enjoy the Easter weekend without blowing the budget

With pricey family gatherings and Easter weekend shopping on the cards, it’s important that we continue to make wise financial decisions …

This is according to Justin Taylor, Head of Operations at Wonga SA who says that consumers can make their hard earned rand go further by following these useful money tips:

1. Take note of your spending

It is important that consumers keep track of their expenses and understand where their money is going.

It may sound like a truism, but the first thing recommended to shoppers is to draw up a budget. A basic budget is simply a way to think about all the things you may need to buy. After adding up these costs, shoppers will get a quick indication as to whether they have enough cash to cover all your expenses.

Obligatory expenditures, such as rent, cannot be avoided, but consumers should make an effort to avoid spending on frivolous items, dining-out or on expensive and unnecessary entertainment, if it doesn’t fit your budget.

2. Avoid further credit

Where possible, pay for groceries and holiday accommodation with cash. While buying on managed credit is a good way to manage your cash flow, consumers are warned to use credit wisely and never to overspend.

Being unable to repay your debt will only result in a negative credit rating. A bad credit rating could also prevent consumers from getting a larger loan, such as a car- or home loan, in the future.

3. Compare prices

To get the best deal possible, always compare prices. There is a variety of ways to check and compare prices using the internet.

Use websites like Airbnb.com to check for the best prices on accommodation or visitGuzzle.co.za to get the lowest prices on luxury foods such as chocolates and Easter eggs. When it comes to saving money, the internet is the consumer’s ‘best friend’.

If you don’t have internet at home or access from your phone, make comparisons between various major retail outlets by going from store to store.

4. Think long term

Think of your long-term financial goals to motivate you to spend wisely. While it’s tempting, shoppers should opt not to spend their entire salary, or go into debt over the Easter weekend.

We need to be thinking about our financial needs in the future. Important financial goals like saving for a deposit on a first house, the arrival of a newborn, or your child’s tertiary education should be a first priority.

It’s equally important that parents don’t buckle under the effects of ‘pester power’. Parents shouldn’t compromise their financial well-being to keep up with the expectations or pressures associated with a costly happy holiday.

5. Be cautious when purchasing online

While shopping online can save money, it’s important that consumers remain cautious when making online purchases. It’s also important that shoppers update their online security settings and keep their personal information safe. When making an online transaction, shoppers need to be vigilant each and every time they shop by using only secure websites.

“The Easter weekend comes with a lot of excitement. It’s a great time for friends and family to reconnect. However, with the holidays our expenses often tend to soar as we spoil ourselves and our loved ones. It’s important that consumers make wise financial decisions that won’t leave them financially strained,” concludes Taylor.

Sacking Wenger may not be Arsenals wisest decision

If not for Arsene Wenger and the sacrifices he’s made, it’s hard to imagine where Arsenal would be today. The stature, the reputation or even the identity Arsenal have as a club among all other European giants is all down to the Frenchman’s contributions. Compare the club’s state prior to Wenger’s appointment and the state thereafter, and you’ll get an idea. The most one can say of what Wenger has done to Arsenal is that he has transformed the north London club into one of world soccer’s biggest, most richest brands that has an identity not powered merely by the trophies they’ve won but the kind of soccer they play. It’s been quite a journey from a compact Highbury to the Emirates Stadium that speaks a lot of what the club is at present – powerful and rich. It is “The Arsenal.”

For anyone who has ever been privileged enough to pay a visit to the home of the Arsenal, the deafening silence there tells the truth about a club that has constantly underachieved for more than a decade. And among that silence, particularly over the past two to three years, are the shrill voices pleading for Arsene Wenger to be kicked out of the club. “Arsene, thanks for the memories, but it’s time to say goodbye” is a famous line in Islington these days among the Arsenal faithful, and rightly so to some extent because of the repetitive nature of Wenger’s failures at the club.



To some extent, the fans are right in demanding for Arsene Wenger to be sacked. They have every right to raise their voices regardless of whom are they being raised against, but, it may well be that the fairyland they keep dreaming of post Wenger’s departure could be a disaster in disguise. Just take a look at what has happened at Manchester United with a change of manager. When Alex Ferguson left, there wasn’t one person who could see the Red Devils finishing in seventh the next season. David Moyes didn’t do much wrong. It was just that the pressure of the expectations of the world’s biggest club that got to him, and he simply crumbled under the pressure. He never got to terms with what Manchester United as a club was all about and failed miserably. Louis Van Gaal’s case is no different.

SEE MORE: Schedule of Arsenal games on US TV and live streaming

Any person aware enough of the roots of the modern Arsenal knows the consequences that could follow if Arsene Wenger’s philosophies and ideals – the foundation stones of Arsenal as it is today – are tampered with. Mind, not anyone and everyone can realize what Arsenal Football Club is about. Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola were both of the Wenger league, but with both of them being appointed elsewhere that means there isn’t an ideal candidate on the market to replace Wenger. Truth be told, any manager in the world is an apparent ersatz when tried to replace the Frenchman. The fact that Arsenal under Wenger have never finished below the top four regardless of how poor a side they’ve played tell us how tough it will be to replace Wenger.

Just imagine if a possible replacement such as Diego Simeone, with his more defensive-minded tactics, manages Arsenal to an eighth place finish in the league? Not only will that harm the club on the financial front but it could also mean that the club loses its identity both on and off the pitch. It’s this identity that makes Arsenal one of Europe’s top guns.

The bottom line here is that Arsenal need to stick with Wenger for the time being until they can find someone exactly of his ilk, someone like Joachim Low for example. Yes, the Arsenal manager is past his best, but even a disappointing Arsenal under Wenger is better than what most of his friends could do at the club. That’s how good Wenger is. The choice is Arsenal’s. Don’t regret telling Wenger to step down.



© World Soccer Talk

Rethink safety... National Home Security month

Private security has become as South African as braai and biltong. According to the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (Psira), South Africans spent just less than R70-billion with security companies in 2013.

And paying for protection against crime came, according to the Institute for Security Studies, a close second to putting food on the table.

“Security is the second basic need after food,” the Institute for Security Studies policing researcher Johan Burger told a newspaper last July. “Those that can afford it, even if it is difficult in the current financial times, will still hang on to private security. It’s not much use if you have everything else but you don’t feel safe.”

Yet despite this, South Africans aren’t nearly as safety-conscious as they most likely believe they are.

While South Africans are highly security conscious – so much so that we rank fourth-highest in the world in terms of average spend after Guatemala, India and Honduras, according to Africa Check – we lag far behind the global curve on home safety.

How many South Africans have invested in fire security, or first aid training? Outside of TV series, do people know what to do in the event of a heart attack or stroke?

South Africans are so focused on securing their persons and property against attack, that it’s easy to forget about overall safety in the home.

That is why we are launching National Home Security Month in June. Imported from the United Kingdom where it has been successfully trialled since 2013, National Home Security Month is aimed at creating awareness around the importance of home security.

While it might seem akin to selling oil to Saudi Arabia, when we look at South African homes and what security products homeowners are buying or investing in, it is clear that there is a need for guidance on the right products and solutions.

National Health Security Month will meet that need by providing South Africans with impartial, independent information, advice and guidance on home security and safety.

When it comes to security, many security-conscious South Africans are not well versed on the different options available, the importance of different security elements, or quality levels and how they differ, and often end up buying the incorrect product for the application, or being duped by unethical service providers.