Latest news with #R246
The South African
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The South African
Would you pay R246 million for this Marlene Dumas painting
In a proudly South Africa moment, Cape Town-born Marlene Dumas set a new auction record, becoming the most expensive living female artist after her 1997 painting Miss January sold for $13.6 million (R246 million) at Christie's this week. The artwork, a last-minute consignment from the Rubell Family Collection, had been estimated between $12 million and $18 million, with a third-party guarantee in place. Marlene Dumas's Miss January (1997) sold for $13.6 million, including fees. Image: Christie's Bidding opened at $9 million and quickly escalated, with the hammer coming down at $11.5 million (before fees), prompting applause in the saleroom. With fees, the final price reached $13.6 million. The winning bid came from an anonymous telephone buyer. The painting is a towering oil-on-canvas piece measuring approximately 9 feet tall (281.9cm x 101.6cm) and revisits themes deeply personal to Marlene Dumas, who has lived in the Netherlands since the late 1970s. It draws inspiration from Miss World , the first known drawing she created at age 10, and connects to her earlier works such as the 1988 Misinterpreted – widely seen as a self-portrait – and her 1992 survey exhibition Miss Interpreted at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. This sale surpasses the previous record for a living female artist, held by Jenny Saville, whose Propped (1992) fetched £9.5 million ($12.4 million) at Sotheby's London in 2018. Before this auction, Dumas's highest price was $6.33 million, achieved in 2008 for The Visitor (1995) at Sotheby's London. While her market has remained steady, only a handful of her works have crossed the $1 million mark in recent years. Between 2022 and 2024, 15 Dumas works were sold at auction, but only five exceeded $1 million, and just two surpassed their high estimates. The sale was also notable due to the rarity of deaccessions from the Rubell Family Collection, one of the most prominent in the world. According to past statements, the Rubells have sold fewer than 20 pieces out of more than 5 000 collected over five decades. Miss January was previously displayed at their private museum in Miami during Art Basel in December. Dumas's historic result reaffirms her global significance and places her firmly at the top of the contemporary art market. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The South African
SA-born Marlene Dumas smashes record for living female artist with R246m painting
Home » SA-born Marlene Dumas smashes record for living female artist with R246m painting Cape Town-born Marlene Dumas has set a new auction record, becoming the most expensive living female artist. Image: Wikimedia Commons Cape Town-born Marlene Dumas has set a new auction record, becoming the most expensive living female artist after her 1997 painting Miss January sold for $13.6 million (R246 million) at Christie's on Wednesday night. The artwork, a last-minute consignment from the Rubell Family Collection, had been estimated between $12 million and $18 million, with a third-party guarantee in place. Marlene Dumas's Miss January (1997) sold for $13.6 million, including fees. Image: Christie's Bidding opened at $9 million and quickly escalated, with the hammer coming down at $11.5 million (before fees), prompting applause in the saleroom. With fees, the final price reached $13.6 million. The winning bid came from an anonymous telephone buyer. The large-scale portrait revisits themes deeply personal to Dumas, now 71. It draws inspiration from Miss World , the first known drawing she created at age 10, and connects to her earlier works such as the 1988 Misinterpreted – widely seen as a self-portrait – and her 1992 survey exhibition Miss Interpreted at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. This sale surpasses the previous record for a living female artist, held by Jenny Saville, whose Propped (1992) fetched £9.5 million ($12.4 million) at Sotheby's London in 2018. Before this auction, Dumas's highest price was $6.33 million, achieved in 2008 for The Visitor (1995) at Sotheby's London. While her market has remained steady, only a handful of her works have crossed the $1 million mark in recent years. Between 2022 and 2024, 15 Dumas works were sold at auction, but only five exceeded $1 million, and just two surpassed their high estimates. The sale was also notable due to the rarity of deaccessions from the Rubell Family Collection, one of the most prominent in the world. According to past statements, the Rubells have sold fewer than 20 pieces out of more than 5 000 collected over five decades. Miss January was previously displayed at their private museum in Miami during Art Basel in December. Dumas's historic result reaffirms her global significance and places her firmly at the top of the contemporary art market. Title Low Est. High Est. Price W/Fees Sale date Love your Neighbor $5,500,000 $7,500,000 $5,879,500 Nov '23 After the Kiss $2,427,184 $3,640,776 $3,719,660 Oct '23 Snow White in the Wrong Story $3,500,000 $4,500,000 $3,781,000 Nov '22 Cathedral $2,847,159 $3,623,657 $4,057,202 Feb '20 Magdalena (Underwear and Bedtime Stories) $3,000,000 $4,000,000 $3,615,000 Nov '17 De gele vingers van de kunstenaar [The yellow fingers of the artist] $2,200,000 $2,800,000 $3,615,000 Nov '17 Colorfields $2,500,000 $3,500,000 $4,170,000 May '17 Red Head $2,000,000 $3,000,000 $3,250,000 May '16 The visitor $1,594,260 $2,391,391 $6,331,706 Jul '08 The Teacher (Sub a) $651,283 $837,365 $3,349,460 Feb '05 Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news. Follow us on Facebook for the latest breaking news, polls - and more!
IOL News
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- IOL News
All-new Suzuki Dzire sedan arrives with ultra-keen pricing
The new Dzire is available as a GA and GL+ (shown). Image: Supplied There's an all-new Suzuki Dzire in town and this time it bears no resemblance whatsoever to the Swift, at least on the outside. What it does have in common with its hatch sibling is aggressive pricing, with the entry-level 1.2 GA starting at R224,900 and the 1.2 GL+ priced at R246,900 in manual guise and R266,900 as an auto. At that level it comfortably undercuts the soon-to-be-replaced Honda Amaze (R253,600 to R292,400) and Hyundai Grand i10 Sedan (R279,900 to R309,900). Measuring a shade under four metres in length, the Dzire is based on the latest evolution of Suzuki's 'Heartect' platform and boasts a unique exterior design with a wide grille and horizontal headlights. Boot space is listed at 378 litres. The base GA rolls on uncovered 14-inch steel wheels while the GL+ gains 15-inch alloys. As per the Swift, power comes from the new Z12E 1.2-litre, three-cylinder normally aspirated petrol engine, which produces 60kW and 112Nm. The new Suzuki Dzire boasts 378 litres of boot space. Image: Supplied Paired with a five-speed manual or CVT gearbox, Suzuki claims combined fuel consumption as low as 4.4 litres per 100km. The Dzire's interior carries through the basic architecture of the latest Swift, but comes with a beige colour scheme. This is popular in the vehicle's home country of India, but won't be well received by local buyers. Safety features on both models include six standard airbags, as well as ABS brakes and ESP stability control. The Dzire has also received a five-star Global NCAP rating for adult protection and four stars for child protection. The cabin has a beige and black colour scheme. Image: Supplied Standard comfort features on the base version include digitally-operated air conditioning, electric windows, central locking, height adjustable driver's seat, rear parking sensors, hill hold and USB ports, with a Type A and C combo in the rear. The GL+ gains a 7.0-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, reverse camera, cruise control, multi-function steering wheel and front type-A USB port. Customers can choose from the following seven exterior colours: Gallant Red Pearl Metallic, Alluring Blue Pearl Metallic, Bluish Black Pearl, Nutmeg Brown Pearl Metallic, Arctic White Pearl, Splendid Silver Pearl Metallic and Magma Gray Metallic. The new Dzire models come with a five-year or 200,000km warrant as well as a four-year/60,000km service plan, according to Duoporta. Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel IOL
The Citizen
07-05-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Zondo questions Zuma's release from prison on medical parole
Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in July 2021 for defying a Constitutional Court order to appear at the Zondo Commission. Former chief justice Raymond Zondo has questioned former president Jacob Zuma's release from prison on medical parole after defying a Constitutional Court order in 2021. Zondo delivered the keynote address on Tuesday, the second day of the 15th Commonwealth Regional Conference for heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Africa. The four-day event is taking place in Cape Town. Zuma jailed Zuma, who was sentenced to 15 months in July 2021 for defying a Constitutional Court order to appear at the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into allegations of state capture, was released on medical parole in September 2021 by former correctional services commissioner Arthur Fraser. The former president served just two months of the sentence. Zondo chaired the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture from 2018 to 2022. WATCH Raymond Zondo speaking about Jacob Zuma's jail term Former Chief Justice Raymond Zondo has questioned the release of former President Jacob Zuma, commending the judiciary for initially imprisoning him and handing down the Nkandla judgment Zondo stated that the judiciary rightfully declared Zuma's release unlawful, following… — News Live SA (@newslivesa) May 6, 2025 ALSO READ: WATCH: Zondo question Zuma's release from prison on medical parole Judiciary commended During his address, Zondo commended the judiciary for initially imprisoning Zuma and handing down the Nkandla judgment. 'I've already mentioned the SIU (Special Investigating Unit), but I think I deserve to mention the Judiciary, because it is the Judiciary that issued the Nkandla judgment that, in the view of many, turned the tide,' Zondo said. Nkandla Zuma paid back R7.8 Million – a portion of the tax money spent on installing non-security features at his Nkandla homestead in rural KwaZulu-Natal – seven years after renovations first started. The saga began with renovations estimated at R60 million at Nkandla. However, inflated pricing quickly ballooned this figure to R246 million, as later discovered by former public protector Thuli Madonsela. ALSO READ: Court rules Zuma's medical parole was unlawful, orders his return to prison By the time the Nkandla renovations were completed, project costs had skyrocketed, and close to R100 million was spent on a chicken run, cattle kraal, Calvert, visitors' centre, swimming pool and amphitheatre. Presidents not spared Zondo said even presidents are not spared from accountability. 'It is the judiciary that sent out a very good message that, whether you are president or a former president, if you have done wrong, we will send you to jail. It is the Judiciary that make sure that when some irregularities were done to release a former president from prison, which is the Judiciary which declared that that release was unlawful. 'But it was the executive which wanted us to believe that coincidentally, when he came back, there was this plan that certain prisoners should be released, and he just fitted into that plan. Some of us did not believe that,' Zondo said. Zuma parole The matter Zondo referred to relates to the case in which the Constitutional Court dismissed the Correctional Services Department's appeal against the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) ruling that Zuma's medical parole was unlawful in July 2023. In November 2022, the SCA dismissed with costs Zuma's appeal against the setting aside of his medical parole by the Pretoria High Court. Zuma and the Department of Correctional Services had appealed the high court's ruling in December 2021, which set aside Fraser's decision to grant him medical parole. Go back to jail The SCA basically ordered Zuma to go back to prison. The former president reported to the Estcourt Correctional Services facility in August 2023 following a decision on his incarceration. ALSO READ: 'Need for Zuma to make more submissions about prison sentence bizarre' – Manyi National Commissioner of Correctional Services Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale said Zuma was admitted into the facility and underwent processing. Zuma remission However, Zuma was released two hours later after he became eligible for remission. Thobakgale at the time said the process of remission was to avoid overcrowding of prisons and factored in the category of crimes committed and time already served in facilities. The then Minister of Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola, said President Cyril Ramaphosa had remitted prisoners across the country and had not given Zuma special treatment. 'It is not a specific decision about former president Jacob Zuma, it is about all the offenders across the country. 9,488 inmates will be released into correctional supervision. Zuma will benefit from this. 'This 'special remissions' process was started the same day as the announcement of Zuma benefiting from it. He would also fall under the first 'category' of those released.' Ramaphosa satisfied Lamola said Ramaphosa was satisfied with the decision. 'The first issue the president is concerned about is respect for the rule of law. The president believes the rule of law has been served in this matter,' Lamola said. NOW READ: Zuma's lawyers argue for acquittal due to lengthy delays in the arms deal case [VIDEO]
