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Sunday, June 8, 2025

R50m WesBank legal battle: Two decades of car purchase dispute

A former senior government official's R50 million legal battle with WesBank over an alleged fraudulent car deal enters its 20th year, with the Constitutional Court set to make a final ruling. The case, involving a 2004 Nissan X-Trail purchase, highlights questions about consumer protection and banking practices in South Africa.

The Star News
Don Makatile|Published

Slaying the Dragon: One man’s battle against opioid addiction

Soon he is no longer able to live without Oxy and goes through two years of hell trying to wean himself off the drug, an on-and-off pendulum of trying to quit.

The Star News
Don Makatile|Published

Former government official hauls bank giant to court over alleged fraud

A former senior government official who purchased a vehicle through a scheme financed by Wesbank is taking his legal tussle with the bank to the highest court in the land to find relief in a case he alleges was fraudulent from the date of the initial transaction in November 2004.

The Star News
Don Makatile|Published

The Sweetest Taboo

I started reading the book but found myself going back to the Swazi story a few times.

The Star News
Don Makatile|Published

Top achiever: taxman’s loss is big real estate win

As agent of the year for 2023 in his neck of the woods, he achieved over R100 million sales turnover in property value over 12 months.

The Star News
Don Makatile|Published

Life Lessons

Alan Knott-Craig – the son, not the father – has a knack for these things. He writes an internal email meant for staff in 2008. It goes viral and ends up as a book!

The Star News
Don Makatile|Published

Interior designer Ngoasheng has a ‘Sheeq’ touch

Mosima Mpho Ngoasheng runs Sheeqliving Interiors, a name that derives from ‘chic’. It is not exactly rocket science that she is passionate about fashion, a fact she readily owns up to.

The Star News
Don Makatile|Published

Illegal mining sparks ire of Kagiso residents

This coming week the community will march to the local municipality offices to demand action against the open cast mines and the resulting zama-zama operations

Sunday Independent News
Don Makatile|Published

‘I don’t need drugs to be high; dance is my opium’

Celebrated dance teacher Nomsa Manaka has come full circle, in almost all areas of her life, thanks to her craft.

The Star News
Don Makatile|Published

Banking giant frustrates township business, threatens to close accounts

It is not unusual for banks to assist their model clients by either increasing the repayment term or reducing the amount involved

Sunday Independent News
Don Makatile|Published

Ping-pong battle over water board members continues

Mchunu argues that it was well within his ambit to fire the five Board members, replacing them with his own

Sunday Independent News
Don Makatile|Published

A gift from my father: how a childhood passion to ease pain turned into a fulfilling career

Vuyiswa Poppie Bolani-Matlanyane tells a fascinating story about how she started her business, Maphodi Massage Therapy.

Saturday Star News
Don Makatile|Published

LOOK: An artist is born, not made

His father’s ID is the canvas of a lot of his work. It suits his style as he studied lithograph.

Saturday Star News
Don Makatile|Published

BPS signs off pilot and will roll out nationally over the next few months

At a time when South African authorities are smarting after the embarrassment of the Thabo Bester prison escape and subsequent rearrest in Tanzania, there is new excitement bubbling in Botswana about a new e-technology integrated software management system for their entire justice cluster

Sunday Independent Analysis
Don Makatile|Published

SA artist finds Zürich market challenges, suits her fine

Her website shows her oeuvre inclusive of paintings, photos and textile works.

Saturday Star News
Don Makatile|Published

LOOK: Art inspired by the hand of God - Zimbabwean artist Keith Zenda taking the world by storm

Today, people all over the world are falling over themselves queuing to buy his artwork.

Saturday Star News
Don Makatile|Published

Supermarket chain’s township deal leaves bitter taste in the mouth

Pick n Pay made money, the township entrepreneurs lost money through this deal that was punted as the biggest thing ever to happen to the township economy by the supermarket chain.

The Star News
Don Makatile|Published

Livid axed government official returns to work after court victory

A highly decorated government official with vast experience in media and communications who was dismissed last year from his high-grossing position has been vindicated by the courts.

The Star News
Don Makatile|Published

Cricket captain scores a double century with Alexandra learners

Realogile High School is a no-fee school and many of the learners come from impoverished backgrounds where a pair of takkies, even hand-me-downs, is a luxury.

Sunday Independent News
Don Makatile|Published

Rolling blackouts put spotlight on municipalities

More often than not, the municipalities fall far short of expectations and fail to deliver, inviting the ire of residents who swiftly take to the streets in service delivery protests that often turn violent

Sunday Independent News
Don Makatile|Published

Dead man walking struggles to provide for family

But he speaks to us, in the flesh, and tells the tale of how a system error at Home Affairs declaring him dead has wrecked his life. According to Home Affairs records, Letlhage died in 2009.

Sunday Independent News
Don Makatile|Published

Golf is not a sport, it is business

Golf for business has, in the past, been described as a six-hour sales meeting.

Sunday Independent News
Don Makatile|Published

Retail turnaround kingpin and Shoprite founder Whitey Basson could bring the lights back to power utility Eskom

The story of the birth of Shoprite and Checkers and subsequent acquisitions along the way is one of the modules at business schools.

Sunday Independent
Don Makatile|Published

Black billboard business demands share of billions

The BBOA cites racism as chiefly the reason they are being kicked to the kerb of this money-spinning business, which has traditionally been lily-white. Just recently, the Competition Commission Tribunal slapped one of the giant white companies with an R1, 8million fine after the company had admitted to price fixing in the culmination of an investigation launched by the Commission in 2011.

Sunday Independent News
Don Makatile|Published

Women must believe in the power of their voices - says celebrity author

Men will always pay lip service to concepts. Take the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence that ended yesterday. Men have talked their voices hoarse about what needs to be done but it will take a woman to get down to doing what needs to be done!

Sunday Independent
Don Makatile|Published