Not so fast, fashion industry!:

Phupho Gumede recognises the responsibility of the sector to address ethical and environmental concerns

– The Mail & Guardian

Total football, total sportswashing:

Another international football tournament, another dose of sportswashing. This time it’s in the name. The TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations kicked its first ball in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, last Saturday, the start of a month-long battle for the continent’s most glamorous prize.

The French petro giant — formerly called Total — has been a longtime sponsor of the event. Like any of its oil-rich ilk, it invariably attracts its share of bad press and criticism through any given year. But there’s a sense that this time is different.

For one, after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar the football populace is more attuned to the idea of “sportswashing” — cleaning one’s image through professional sport. For another, the company would welcome some positive headlines after a slew of negative ones in recent months.

The East Africa Crude Oil pipeline was sold as an ambitious infrastructure project that would benefit people from western Uganda to eastern Tanzania. Civil groups and residents in the area say it has been anything but. Human Rights Watch’s aptly titled Our Trust is Broken report details how thousands of residents have been stripped of land and livelihood. Environmental groups have since seen their own concerns rejected at the East African Court of Justice, but remain vocal in their calls for the company to be boycotted. 

In October, a criminal complaint of manslaughter was filed in France against Total by survivors and family members of victims of the 2021 attack in Capo Delgado, Mozambique, near the company’s natural gas project. They accuse the company of failing to take the measures necessary to protect subcontractors and of wilfully failing to assist people in danger. TotalEnergies has denied all accusations. (Amid the headlines, it’s tragic that journalist Alex Perry’s work, which found that about 1 200 civilians probably perished in the attack, is usually treated as little more than a footnote).

Perfect weather for football then.

It’s not hard to understand why sportswashing is so effective. Organised sport unites humanity like no other activity. In the 90 minutes of a football match, or between the ropes of a boxing bout, we come together as a collective to share the experience. 

One-and-a-half billion people watched Lionel Messi lift the World Cup in Doha in 2022. Any avid football fan would tell you it felt like destiny fulfilled, that we were watching God’s plan manifest live on television. How do you cling to enmity after that?

The portmanteau “sportswashing” — coined for Azerbaijan’s hosting of the 2015 European Games — has only come into vogue in recent years, but its underpinning principles are nothing new. Hitler hosted the world in Berlin for the 1936 Olympics. Historians often remember it as a backfired tactic, with Jesse Owens claiming four gold medals to give the middle finger to Aryan sensibilities.

But the most well-known — and most successful given its eminence in history — is 1974’s Rumble in the Jungle. Kleptocrat Mobutu Sese Seko stuffed the pockets of parasitic boxing promoters to host the fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in then Zaire. Ali danced on the ropes, striking a left hook and then a right to send Foreman to the floor and himself into immortality. 

Today, sportswashing accusations can be flung across codes and continents, from F1 destinations to football club owners. The finger is most often pointed at resource-rich Middle Eastern countries, leaving the lingering suggestion that elements of racism taint this line of thinking. For any truth there might be in that critique there is also little question about the blatant nature of the strategies on display.

Saudi Arabia has risen as the king of this domain. Faced with a future that depends less on oil supplies, the kingdom has been forced to diversify — of which tourism is a major part. Travel agents struggle to persuade holiday-goers to make a trip to a land best known for assassinating journalists and stuffing them in suitcases and for its deplorable women’s rights records. Enter sport, the great unifier.

Obscene amounts have been spent to secure the best fights boxing can offer. Football has had some of its biggest stars plucked from its biggest leagues and taken to a competition that has as many viewers as Saudi Arabia has rivers.Twenty-five of those players — Sadio Mané, Kalidou Koulibaly and Riyad Mahrez among them — return to Africa this month. They are unlikely to feel the same intensity of scrutiny that they do in their day jobs. But we can never forget, sportswashing is not just a new word in our lexicon. It’s a malicious, Machiavellian tool that is being increasingly used and honed in the games we love. It is equally dangerous in the hands of a morally corrupt prince or French multinational.

– The Mail & Guardian

The A to Z of cars coming to South Africa in 2024:

As we start this year’s motoring calendar, manufacturers around the world are revving their engines, ready to unveil their latest masterpieces. We take a look at what’s due to arrive on our shores. 

Audi 

Audi South Africa is expected to launch a range of vehicles this year. They include the refreshed A3, S3, Q7, Q8 and Q8 E-tron models, probably in the final quarter of the year. 

In addition, we can expect the Black Edition variants of the A3, S3, A5, S5, Q2, Q3, Q5 and SQ5. 

The Q2, out in the third quarter, is earmarked to get infotainment upgrades and a TDI engine.

BMW 

After making its global debut early last year, the eighth generation of the BMW 5 Series is expected to arrive on local dealership floors in the next few months. The new X2 is set to arrive a few months after the launch of the 5.

Citroen

On the Citroen side, South Africans can look forward to the all-new C3 Aircross launching in the second quarter of the year, while in the third quarter, the French manufacturer is looking to expand its C3 range as it aims to appeal to a wider spectrum of customers.

Fiat 

Fiat SA is expected to introduce its all-new Fiat 500 toward the end of the year. 

The model is slated to have exciting fresh features and improvements over the outgoing model, including a retro-modern appeal.

Ford 

Ford looks set to have a busy year ahead as it transitions to electronically assisted powertrain options. 

The brand will launch its Ranger Wildtrak plug-in hybrid model this year. It will pack a 2.3-litre EcoBoost turbocharged petrol engine that works in tandem with an electric motor as well as have a rechargeable battery, good for a 45km EV range.

The manufacturer also plans to introduce the newest generation of the Tourneo and Transit. The former is a seven-seater family van and the latter a business support vehicle. 

Other new vehicles we can look forward to include the Territory mid-size SUV, the Ranger Platinum, the Ranger Tremor and the Mustang GT Fastback.

GWM 

Expected to launch this year, the Chinese carmaker GWM plans to introduce the Tank 300 and Tank 500 off-road-capable SUVs, both of which have  impressive features for off-road fun. 

The brand will also bring out the P-Series hybrid model, which will go head-to-head with the likes of the Ford Ranger Wildtrak PHEV.

Honda 

At the time of writing, Honda SA couldn’t confirm information on the specific models it is launching locally this year. We’ll keep our eyes on the wires, though.

Hyundai 

Hyundai SA anticipates launching the updated i20 and Tucson this year, as well as the all-new Santa Fe SUV in the second half of the year.

Isuzu 

Isuzu South Africa plans to introduce its stylish D-Max X-Rider variant, with vast improvements, which look set to make it a popular model in the range. 

Jeep 

Expected to launch in the second quarter of the year are the new Jeep Wrangler and the refreshed Gladiator models. While the current models are impressive, the new ones promise to bring something even better to the table.

Kia 

Kia is expected to bring out several updated varieties of its existing model range. As a starter, the Korean marque will introduce its refreshed Picanto, Seltos and Sorentos. 

However, Kia SA doesn’t make mention of exactly when they are planning to bring out these vehicles locally.

Mazda

Mazda is slated to introduce the updated CX-5 and CX-3 models, as well as the Takumi version of the CX-60, which is due to make its debut in Mzansi next month.

Mercedes-Benz 

We can expect the German auto manufacturer to bring out a plethora of new and refreshed vehicles throughout the year.

These include the GLC Coupé, its AMG counterparts, the C63 S E Performance, GT S E Performance 4-door, GT S E Performance Coupé and the new E-Class variants.

As for the refreshed models, we can look forward to the face-lifted GLE SUV and Coupé, including their formidable AMG counterparts, the GLA, GLB and GLS. 

The local arm of the carmaker says it’s also hoping to launch the new G-Class this year.

Mini 

It seems like a rather relaxed year for the folks at Mini. The brand is due to bring out the new and bigger Countryman, as well as the all-new Mini hatch range, including the SE JCW, in the second quarter of the year.

Opel 

The folks at Opel have an eventful year ahead and South Africans can look forward to the makeover of the Corsa, which is earmarked to launch locally in the next couple of months. 

The model promises to be an improvement on the old one as it brings with it a host of advancements as well as a hybridised unit, if things go according to plan.

Peugeot

Towards the middle of the year, Peugeot is slated to introduce its updated 2008 compact SUV, which will be sold in three variants: Active, Allure and GT. 

The updated Peugeot 2008 is the second vehicle after the 508 to have the brand’s distinctive lighting design, which consists of three vertical light claws incorporated into the bumper inserts.

Porsche

German carmaker Porsche will introduce the new Panamera in the first quarter of the year. 

The local range will include the traditional Panamera, the all-wheel-drive Panamera 4 and the eco-friendly Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid.

The latter will introduce the brand’s new Turbo badging and add its Active Ride Suspension.

Renault

While last year was somewhat relaxed for Renault SA, this year promises to be a busy one for the local arm of the Boulogne-Billancourt-based carmaker. 

In the second quarter of the year, the brand will introduce the all-new Triber and Kiger models.

Despite its late arrival to the local market in 2022, Renault is set to give the Clio supermini and Captur significant refreshes. The brand will probably launch its new Duster, starting with the 4×4 version, towards the end of the year.

Other products the manufacturer is likely to launch include the Trafic, Arkana and Kangoo. 

When asked about the Oroch, Renault said it didn’t have plans to launch the pickup here, due to “unfavourable economic market factors”, in particular the drop in the exchange rate.

Subaru

Subaru says that it will not launch any new products because its portfolio is relatively new.  We will have to wait for next year for additions to the range.

Suzuki Auto 

Suzuki Auto SA couldn’t confirm any new products for this year at the time of writing.

Toyota 

While we expect the Toyota Group to launch a range of new products locally in the coming year, the manufacturer confirmed that it would announce its plans at its 2024 State of the Motor Industry event, details for which are TBC.

Volvo 

As it pushes towards a sustainable future, the Swedish carmaker will launch its new EX30 and EX90 models this year. 

These will form part of the brand’s ambitious strategy, which aims for fully electric vehicles to make up half of its sales by next year.

– The Mail & Guardian

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