Tabla de contenidos para 2021-11-18 en Cape Times

EDWARD WEST edward.west@inl.co.za TONGAAT Hulett plans a rights offer, partially underwritten by shareholder and strategic partner Magister Investments to up to R2 billion, to put the sugar and property group on a sustainable trajectory through its turnaround process. However, the proposal to issue shares for cash did not appear to be met favourably by shareholders, and the share price fell a whopping 23.7 percent to R7.40 by late yesterday afternoon. The share price is still low, considering it traded at around R65 three years ago, prior to governance and accounting irregularities that forced new management to implement a turnaround process at the group. The amount of equity capital to be raised and the pricing of the rights offer was yet to be determined, but was expected to allow…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za STUDENTS have been left outraged by what they called “anti-poor” National Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) proposed funding guidelines for 2022 that suggest decreasing the accommodation allowance and upping the pass rate to 75%. The student financial aid scheme further proposed that where a student has changed his or her qualification and the remaining credits are not sufficient to complete the different qualification, the student will no longer receive financial aid. NSFAS presented the draft document “NSFAS Eligibility Criteria and Conditions for Financial Aid Policy Standard” on Monday to the South African Union of Students (SAUS) and student representative councils from across the country. Under the category of university allowances, the guidelines state that accommodation managed and catered for by a university will be capped at R33 000…

Sithandiwe Velaphi sithandiwe.velaphi@inl.co.za | SEE PICTURE PAGE 2 AFTER some night shifts as a petrol attendant, Siphenkosi Nqoro would rush to take a quick bath and go straight to the University of Fort Hare’s East London campus for law classes. He would then realise after classes that his next night shift was calling, and would quickly go home to collect his work uniform. Juggling being a full-time employee at Mdantsane’s NU 1 Shell garage and also being a full-time student was not easy for Nqoro, 29. But through determination to fulfil his dream, he did it seamlessly. On Friday Nqoro, from Qonce, graduated with his LLB. He has been working at Shell since 2015. “After passing my matric, I realised that I needed to work first because the financial…

Chad Williams chad.Williams@africannewsagency.com DR ELLEN Moila was working full time as a doctor when she found that many people in Polokwane were forced to travel to neighbouring Gauteng for aesthetic and anti-ageing treatments. A married mother of two boys running a household while holding down a demanding job, Moila did not think she would have any energy left to establish, let alone run, an aesthetic clinic, but nevertheless she started doing intensive research into the industry. She subsequently studied for and obtained a diploma in aesthetics with the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine, which equipped her with knowledge to open the first female and black-owned aesthetic clinic in Polokwane. “I have always been passionate about looking good, feeling good, and portraying overall confidence. That is one of the reasons why…

OWN CORRESPONDENT The National Prosecuting Authority says a man, 26, who is facing a murder charge after body parts of a woman were discovered in his fridge, will spend more nights behind bars after the matter was postponed. NPA Gauteng spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane, said the accused, Flavio Hlabangwane, would return to court on November 21 to apply for legal representation from Legal Aid South Africa, after he appeared in the Protea Magistrate’s Court in Soweto on Monday. The human body parts were discovered in a back room in Protea Glen by a young woman who was visiting a man whom she had met on Facebook. After the grim discovery, the woman screamed, alerting the community. A skull discovered in Westonaria Road on Tuesday may also be linked to the…

Ben Levitas | Oranjezicht WITH President Cyril Ramaphosa, leader of Africa’s worst carbon polluter, failing to attend the COP26 Conference in Glasgow, joining the likes of President Xi of China, the world’s worst carbon emitter and President Jair Bolsonaro, South America’s worst carbon polluter, the conference was set up to fail. Unsurprisingly two other recalcitrant autocrats from Russia and Iran, both big carbon polluters, also failed to show up. South Africa yet again disgraced itself by aligning itself with the worst offenders. The world’s biggest CO2 emitters are China at 14.1 billion tons, the US at 5.7 billion, India at 3.4 billion, the EU at 3.3 billion, Indonesia at 1.8 billion, Russia at 1.6 billion and Brazil at 1.5 billion. Iran is the 9th worst emitter. Greta Thunberg summed the…

Q. Muller | Lansdowne THE sacking of prominent British academic, Professor David Miller of the department of political sociology at Bristol University in the UK because of his pro-humanity stance in relation to continuous Zionist attacks on Palestinians is to be condemned by all free-speech-loving people everywhere. That an institution of its stature and standing would even consider muzzling free speech, much less firing a colleague and proponent thereof, is indicative of an inability and unwillingness to uphold the sacred tenets of open debate and tolerance of the views of others. If anything, this has proven to be another sorry episode in the ongoing saga of Zionist influence, and by extension, interference in the global politico-academia space. An acclaimed political scientist, Professor Miller could not, and would not be silent…

Staff writer STONY Point Nature Reserve has become one of the latest daily experiences broadcast by the award-winning WildEarth channel. The reserve is home to one of the largest successful breeding colonies of African penguins in the world with roughly 3 600 African penguins. Located in the quaint coastal town of Betty’s Bay in the Overberg, the reserve offers the public the chance to see the wonderful flightless birds up close. Penguins are active throughout the year with nesting season in February to April, hatching and rearing of young until October and moulting from November to January. Dr Razeena Omar, CapeNature CEO, said she was thrilled about bringing the public to nature. “Partnering with WildEarth, putting people at the centre of Stony Point in the comfort of their homes,…

Nomonde Zondi nomonde.zondi@inl.co.za THE monument to commemorate the arrival of the 1860 indentured Indians was complete and by the same time next year it would have been built. KwaZulu-Natal Arts, Culture, Sport and Recreation MEC Hlengiwe Mavimbela made the announcement on Tuesday at the commemoration of the 161st anniversary of the arrival of indentured workers in South Africa. In commemorating the arrival of indentured workers on November 16, 1860, the department and the 1860 Heritage Centre, an agency museum of the department, marked the occasion with a landing ceremony and prayer. “We are pleased that the consultative engagements with stakeholders to finalise the design of the monument to commemorate the arrival of the 1860 indentured Indians is complete, as announced by Premier Sihle Zikalala. “Despite the challenges caused by Covid-19,…

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: if you’re being offered a deal on a car that seems too good to be true, it probably is. Unfortunately, many cash-strapped South Africans are being lured into scams by the promise of saving big money on their next car – and they’re ending up out of pocket and without any wheels. Right now, we’re seeing many fake ads and websites for vehicle auction houses and car dealerships, who claim to be selling cars at unbeatable prices. And here’s the thing: it all looks legitimate. They’ve got pictures of the vehicles, complete with mileage and specs, and smiling salespeople just waiting for your call. The kicker? These cars are going for up to R100 000 less than normal prices,…

IN 2016 the UN General Assembly passed a non-binding resolution that declared internet access a “human right”. As part of our commitment to connect everyone to the digital economy, in the last three years alone we invested more than R1 billion extending mobile networks to provide coverage to more people in suburban and remote areas in the Western Cape. Even though our 3G and 4G mobile networks have a population coverage of 99.5% and 97.6% respectively across the province, more work still needs to be done. The key question is how we work collaboratively to ensure that more people are part of the internet revolution. Covid-19 with its associated lockdowns showed clearly just how critical internet connectivity is. Mobile network providers across the globe saw a huge increase in data…

Ten people were found dead in an overcrowded ship carrying migrants off the coast of Libya. They were believed to have suffocated, Doctors Without Borders charity has said. The charity said its Geo Barents rescue ship had picked up 99 survivors earlier on Tuesday. It described them as “10 avoidable deaths… 10 persons who died from suffocation after 13 hours adrift at sea”. “The deadly central #Med route. How can we accept this in 2021?” Tens of thousands of people seek to enter Europe each year via the central Mediterranean, leaving from Libya and Tunisia and heading most often for Italy. The route is deadly – 1 236 people have died in the central Mediterranean so far this year, compared with 858 in the same period of 2020, according to…

Warsaw: Poland’s defence minister yesterday warned that the crisis on the Belarusian border could last for months, saying migrants had been “attacking the Polish border” again during the night. Poland on Tuesday fired tear gas and deployed water cannon against rock-throwing migrants trying to cross over in an escalation of a months-long stand-off on the EU’s eastern border. Thousands of migrants, mainly from the Middle East, are camped out on the border in what the West says is a crisis engineered by Belarus to divide the EU and hit back against sanctions, charges Minsk has denied. Nine police officers were injured in the clashes on Tuesday.…

Massachusetts: Scientists have identified the world’s second HIV patient whose body defeated the deadly virus without the use of antiretroviral drugs or treatment. According to the scientists, the untreated patient, also known as Esperanza Patient, who had been living with HIV for the last eight years, had not received any regular treatment for the virus. The team of scientists led by Xu Yu, a member of the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, found that the patient has no “intact HIV genomes found in more than 1.19 billion blood cells and 500 million tissue cells sequenced”.The team published its findings in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.…

THE IOC said on Tuesday that no athlete should be excluded from competition on the grounds of a perceived unfair advantage due to their gender as it released a new framework on transgender inclusion. The governing body, however, added that it was not in a position to issue regulations that define eligibility criteria for every sport, leaving it up to federations to determine if an athlete was at a disproportionate advantage. “The framework is not legally binding. “What we are offering to all the international federations is our expertise and a dialogue, rather than jumping to a conclusion,” said IOC director of the athletes’ department Keveh Mehrabi. “This is a process that we have to go through with each federation on a case-by-case basis and see what is…

Mickey Arthur was yesterday appointed as the head of cricket at English county Derbyshire. Arthur, 53, leaves his position as coach of Sri Lanka who he led at the recent T20 World Cup. “Mickey is one of the most highly-regarded coaches in world cricket and this is a key appointment for the club ahead of an important winter period,” Derbyshire chairman Ian Morgan said. “Throughout this recruitment process, Mickey has understood our heritage as a county, but also matched our ambition with a desire to make a positive impact at Derbyshire. “We want to move forward from last season. “We’ve got a talented group of players and with a new Head of Cricket bringing a fresh approach, it is an exciting time for our members and supporters.” Arthur said: “This…

ALL but one of the 10 countries that have advanced to the last stage of Africa’s World Cup qualifiers will have another matter on their immediate agenda before determining who plays at the 2022 finals in Qatar. Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal and Tunisia are all on course to qualify for Qatar but compete at the Africa Cup of Nations finals in January before switching focus back to World Cup qualification in March. Only the Democratic Republic of Congo are through to the last round of Africa’s World Cup preliminaries despite having flopped in the Afcon qualifiers this year. The Congolese hired veteran coach Hector Cuper to stage a recovery and won their World Cup group to reach the playoffs. In March, the 10 teams will be…

MANCHESTER United’s wage bill rocketed by 23% during the period in which they re-signed Cristiano Ronaldo, the club’s latest set of financial results showed yesterday. Figures for the first quarter of the 2021/22 financial year show a rise of £16.6 million (about R347.214 million) in “employee benefit expenses” compared with the corresponding period of the previous year. The total amount spent on salaries during the quarter ended September 30, when the club re-signed Ronaldo and also brought in Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho, was £88.5 million. This rise was offset by £17.4 million brought in through player sales, principally Dan James’ move to Leeds, although the club did also earn a sell-on fee from Romelu Lukaku’s transfer from Inter Milan to Chelsea. Total revenue increased by 16.1% to £126.5 million,…

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za MTN SOUTH Africa yesterday an- nounced the R6.4 billion sale of 5 709 towers to Lagos-based IHS Towers, one of the world’s largest providers of telecommunications infrastructure. As part of the sale and leaseback transaction IHS Towers will provide Power-as-a-Service to MTN SA at about 12 800 sites across South Africa, including the acquired 5 709 sites. The deal makes IHS Towers, which is 29 percent owned by the MTN Group, South Africa’s biggest independent tower operator. Chief executive Sam Darwish said IHS Towers was committed to using its expertise to provide South Africans with “cutting-edge power services” where necessary. “I am exceptionally proud to an- nounce IHS’s creation of the largest independent tower operator in South Africa, which represents the start of a new…

Mayibongwe Maqhina and Lisa Isaacs ESKOM board chairperson Malegapuru Makgoba said the power utility desperately wanted to reduce and bring load shedding to an end. “It is not an impossible task, but we are faced with plants that have been deteriorating over the past 15 years,” Makgoba said. He made the statement when responding to MPs who repeatedly asked in a meeting of the public enterprises portfolio committee when the load shedding would end. Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan noted that Eskom had not substantially improved the energy availability factor, which sat at about 65%. “That is also part of the challenge,” he said. Eskom chief executive Andre de Ruyter said the solution to load shedding was to accelerate the immediate procurement of additional capacity of energy supply to…

Tarryn-Leigh Solomons tarryn-Leigh.Solomons@inl.co.za BASIC Education deputy minister Dr Reginah Mhaule says 36 000 babies were delivered by girls between 10 and 19 years old in the first quarter of this year. She revealed this when addressing the National Council of Provinces yesterday, during a debate on teenage pregnancy. Mhaule said nearly 130 000 babies were delivered in 2019. Figures for the first quarter of this year show that 36 000 babies have been birthed by girls aged between 10 and 19 years. She said there was a need to strengthen collaboration between organisations, civil societies and religious organisations to fight the scourge. Deputy Police Minister Cassel Mathale said it had become clear that more needed to be done to address teenage pregnancy and gender-based violence. “We need to work…

Staff writer THE Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has launched its new operating model to reposition South Africa in the global market and ensure growth and sustainability. As a revised strategy, the model also seeks to address customer needs and facilitate trade on the continent. During his 2021 medium-term budget policy statement last week, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana brought up the government’s announcement of the corporatisation of TNPA as an independent subsidiary of Transnet and appointed an interim board. Godongwana said Transnet Freight Rail will allow third-party access to the freight rail network by the end of 2022. TNPA’s managing executives were appointed as part of the new structure. Among the goals is to improve terminal oversight, to enable a competitive environment for port users; and addressing backlog and chronic…

Ingredients Method 500g spaghetti 600g ostrich steak, cut into 1cm thick strips 45ml oil 1 onion, sliced 1 red pepper, sliced 3 carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips 120g green beans, sliced in half 8-10 spring onions, sliced 1 packet ROYCO® Sweet and Sour Sauce 415g 40g cashew nuts, roasted and roughly chopped 30ml coriander or flat leaf parsley Cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions. Brown the ostrich strips in batches in a little hot oil, and set aside. Fry the onions in a little more oil until soft. Add the red peppers, carrots, green beans and spring onions. Stir fry for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ostrich strips. Allow to heat through then add the ROYCO® Sweet and Sour Sauce, bringing it to a simmer. Add the…

Stephen McBride | Grassy Park IT IS now November 17 and schools have finished their planning for 2022 and the Department of Basic Education (DBE) has still not provided a framework for what is happening next year. This year we were informed on the cusp of the June and November examinations what the format of the paper should be. After we had set up the papers, we had handed out revision worksheets to the learners. Not to mention my Grade 12 learners of this year wrote their first full-scale exam in September within two weeks to correct their errors. Yes they should get regular revision but they only applied themselves and you can see their potential in exam pressure situations. So DBE, tell us the plans for…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za IT’S been 32 years since Umkhonto we Sizwe commander Anton Fransch was killed in the ‘Battle of Athlone’ where he fought apartheid police in a gunfight alone for seven hours, and still none of the officers involved in the attack have applied for amnesty, the Apartheid Era Victims’ Family Group (AVFG) said. Fransch, who was only 20 at the time, stood his ground against a reported 40 police officers and soldiers, who surrounded the Church Street home he was in and continuously fired shots his way. Refusing to surrender, he kept them at bay until he was eventually killed on November 17, 1989, when they tossed a grenade through a window. Several family members of anti-apartheid martyrs, Lukhanyo Calata (Fort Calata) and Cassiem Khan (Imam Abdullah Haron),…

Staff writer BIG metros could play a key role in facilitating transitions to sustainable farming due to the powerful demand for food generated by large urban populations. This is the view of Florian Kroll, a food systems researcher and PhD candidate with the Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies, at the University of the Western Cape, who is also associated with the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security (CoE-FS). Kroll argues that agroecology, a philosophy of a sustainable farming practice that reimagines the relationship between humans and the environment, faces an uphill struggle in South Africa because of an ambiguous food governance environment. In his paper, Kroll outlined several food governance hurdles to improved adoption of agroecology in cities like Cape Town and Johannesburg. These included a complex…

THE collapse in various coalition talks among political parties reveals a sad state of affairs that has been characterised by arrogance, being power hungry and a tired approach that flies in the face of voters’ wishes. Voters gave the parties a clear mandate to co-govern during the recent local government elections. That there was no outright winner in 66 councils is an indication that voters are fast moving away from the dominant party system and believe that their councils will be best run by multiple parties. You cannot blame them for obvious reasons, one being that it’s becoming difficult to trust a single political party to govern. What has transpired in the coalition talks has been a display of big egos, selfishness and parties interested in acquiring power. We have…

The European Commission yesterday proposed a revamp of EU rules on waste shipments to make it harder for member states to offload their trash in poorer countries. The proposed legislation, which needs approval from EU countries and the European parliament, is part of Brussels’ plan to reduce pollution and ensure materials like plastic, textiles and metals are reused and recycled, rather than thrown away. “The goal is to make the EU take a greater responsibility for the waste it produces. That’s not the case today and that’s what needs to change,” said EU environment policy chief Virginijus Sinkevicius. The EU exported around 33 million tonnes of waste last year, around half of which went to poorer non-Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries with weaker waste management rules than in…

KAMPALA: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday condemned the suicide attacks in the Ugandan capital that killed six people, including three suicide bombers. “I strongly condemn today’s despicable terrorist attacks in Uganda. I offer my condolences to the families of the victims and wish a full recovery to those injured,” Guterres tweeted. “All people involved in the commission of these attacks must be swiftly brought to justice,” he added. The twin blasts on Tuesday morning at a check point of a police station and on a street with government offices also injured 33 people.…

SANTIAGO: Chile’s Senate declined on Tuesday to impeach President Sebastian Pinera over a business deal revealed in the Pandora Papers leaks, refusing to go along with the lower chamber of Congress in opening proceedings against him. The vote was 24 in favour of impeachment, 18 against and one abstention. Those voting to charge the billionaire president with corruption needed at least 29 votes to pass the measure. “The defence has disproven each one of the facts that are presented as causes of this impeachment,” said Senator Francisco Chahuan of Pinera’s centre-right National Renewal party.…

ZAAHIER ADAMS zaahier.adams@inl.co.za ERIC Tinkler is hoping his Cape Town City players return from a couple of days off mentally refreshed for their plum Premiership clash against champions Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday. Tinkler was forced to endure an abject display from City in their previous game against AmaZulu when the Citizens went down 2-0 at Moses Mabhida Stadium. It was City’s second consecutive defeat at Durban’s former 2010 World Cup venue after an agonising MTN8 final penalty-shootout loss to Sundowns there just a week earlier. The former Bafana Bafana midfielder believes his players were flat against AmaZulu due to the mental toll of the MTN8 final loss, but now wants them to get back on the saddle. “Obviously, we were very disappointed with the performance and result against AmaZulu. “We…

AUSTRALIA’S 1999 Rugby World Cup-winning captain John Eales says his country hosting the tournament in 2027 for a third occasion will also be beneficial for the United States, Russia and others interested in organising the event for the first time. Speaking in Paris to launch a players committee for the competition held in France in two years’ time, which also includes the likes of former Wales captain Gareth Thomas as well as ex-Les Bleus centres Philippe Sella and Yannick Jauzion, Eales pointed out the example of Japan. They failed with an attempt to host the 2011 event before reaching the quarter-finals on home soil two years ago. “They didn't win it that time and won the rights for 2019 and did a fantastic job,” 51-year-old Eales said on…

ENGLAND manager Gareth Southgate says there should be no complications with his negotiations over a new contract. Southgate’s side booked their place at next year’s World Cup in Qatar with a 10-0 thrashing of San Marino on Monday. Reports over recent weeks suggested Southgate is set to sign an extension to his current contract with the Football Association, which runs out at the end of the World Cup. Southgate had refused to be drawn on the situation while England were focused on securing their qualification. But after their biggest ever victory in a competitive fixture, he admitted he sees no reason why his reign will not be extended until at least Euro 2024. “When you work with staff like I work with and with a group of players who are…

Eshlin Vedan eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za ORLANDO Pirates have received a boost ahead of their trip to Golden Arrows at the Princess Magogo Stadium on Saturday with important players Thembinkosi Lorch, Zakhele Lepasa and Innocent Maela reportedly having returned to training with the squad. A source confirmed to Independent Media that the trio resumed training. It is not known whether the players will be returning to action however. “The guys are back and fully training with the whole squad. “It’s good news because you know that we have been struggling with injuries and the results have not been going well for us,” said the source. “Unfortunately, for us, it happened in the early stage of the season. “It’s good that they are back and because the team has not been doing good. We…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za CONSUMER prices are set to inch higher in November, driven up by rising fuel prices as headline inflation remained elevated for the sixth consecutive month in October. Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) yesterday said the annual consumer price inflation was 5 percent in October, unchanged from the September reading. On a monthly basis, consumer prices went up 0.2 percent, the same pace as in the prior month and matching market forecasts. StatsSA’s chief director for price statistics, Patrick Kelly, said the upward pressure came mainly from transport, food and non-alcoholic beverages, housing and utilities, primarily electricity and other fuels. “Food and non-alcoholic beverages increased by 6.1 percent year-on-year, housing and utilities increased by 4 percent,” Kelly said. “Transport increased by 10.9 percent year-on-year,…

Paris Hilton is now a stepmother. The 40-year-old heiress married Carter Reum on November 11 and the businessman’s spokesperson has confirmed he has a nine-year-old daughter, although he doesn’t have a “traditional” relationship with her. Reum’s spokesperson told the New York Post newspaper’s Page Six column: “The people who this story matters to have known about it for 10 years. Carter supports this child. “While he does not have a traditional father-daughter relationship with her, he has provided for her since she was born, and will continue to do so. “From the beginning of Paris and Carter’s relationship, he was upfront with her about the matter. “They are looking forward to starting their own family together.” The outlet reported the youngster’s mother is former Secrets of Aspen star Laura Bellizzi,…

Tarryn-Leigh Solomons tarryn-Leigh.Solomons@iinl.co.za THE Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has recovered R23.4 million in unlawfully claimed Covid-19 temporary employer/employee relief scheme (Ters) benefits. A total of 303 matters have been finalised, with 80 criminal matters having been referred for prosecution. Since the implementation of the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) Ters, the SIU has had its hands full with probes linked to fraudulent claims. To date, 11 people have been arrested in relation to irregular processes. SIU head advocate Andy Mothibi yesterday appeared before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) on the work done in the probes. In August last year, Minister of Employment and Labour Thulas Nxesi referred allegations relating to irregularities on the UIF to the SIU. Nxesi requested that the SIU review the auditor-general’s report on findings relating…

Lisa Isaacs lisa.isaacs@inl.co.za DESCRIBED as a “rehab from hell” by residents, police are investigating murder and assault at an illegal Ruyterwacht rehabilitation centre where “patients” were allegedly hit with nails in their feet, sprayed with sanitiser and set alight. The shocking allegations emerged after police visited the Synergy Rehabilitation and Upliftment Centre on Tuesday in connection with the case of missing 35-year-old Igshaan Philander of Tafelsig. Philander had been reported missing by his family at the Elsies River police station that day. According to reports, he was admitted to a rehabilitation centre in the Ruyterwacht area, and when the family enquired about him he could not be found, said police spokesperson Frederick van Wyk. “The investigating officer then went to the rehabilitation centre in Louis Botha Street, Ruyterwacht, where he…

Staff writer THE National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has noted a sharp increase in influenza-like illness (ILI) and hospitalised cases of pneumonia in the first week of this month. In a statement, the NICD said it had recorded a steady increase in the number of influenza cases from the week starting August 23, with a sharp increase in the week starting November 1, from ILI and pneumonia surveillance sentinel sites. “In addition, private laboratories have reported an increase in influenza case detections and the NICD, a division of the National Health Laboratory Service, has received reports of clusters of influenza cases in schools and workplaces,” the NICD said. Influenza A(H3N2), influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and influenza B are seasonal influenza virus strains that are common in human populations. Influenza…

Mfezeko Bunu | Khayelitsha FORMER apartheid president FW de Klerk, passed away last week leaving behind a terrible legacy. As a leading member of the old National Party (NP), De Klerk was privy to all the dastardly decisions reached upon by the divisive NP. A lot of leading black politicians, to some extent white politicians, lost their lives at the hands of the NP. Some of these leaders were killed on foreign lands with parcel bombs, some are buried in unmarked graves, some have lost some of their limbs like father Michael Lapsley who received a deadly disguised parcel bomb that sadly left him scarred for life. Last year De Klerk refused to acknowledge that apartheid was a despicable crime against humanity. Expressing one's sincere…

Sonny Myerson | Cape Town THE ANC is a political party in decline. In a few years, it will probably cease to exist. One of the reasons for the demise of the ANC is the fact that it speaks with a forked tongue. Take, for example, its attitude toward Israel. It has been pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel. But when it needs Israel’s help, it does so very quietly. Recently, a dam in the North West Province, the Setumo Dam, had become toxic. All the fish had died, birds departed as well as tourists, and of course you could not drink the water. So no prizes if you guessed that Israel was the country South Africa turned to. The Israeli company BlueGreen took on this huge project and today…

Chevon Booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za CIVIL activist and crime whistle-blower Colin Arendse said he hasn’t ruled out taking legal action against the State after he was incorrectly referred to as holding a police officer rank of “Colonel” in the ruling by the Safety and Security Bargaining Council (SSSBC). He has alleged this to be one of the “serious flaws” of the arbitration ruling which upheld the former SAPS head of detectives Jeremy Vearey’s dismissal earlier this week. Vearey has indicated that he will head to the labour court to dispute the decision made by arbitrator Imthiaz Sirkhot. Arendse said: “My response for now is to correct a gross material error of fact by the arbitrator, who incorrectly refers to me as a police colonel in his ruling. I do not know what…

Xolile Bhengu xolile.bhengu@inl.co.za AFRICA could produce up to 5 million vehicles, instead of the current 1 million it produces every year. So said Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel, adding that it could be achieved through a reduction in the import of cars. He was speaking at the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) at the Durban International Convention Centre this week. “We can also achieve this by collapsing internal tariffs between African countries that are a barrier to reaching the goal. “We feel that Ghana and Nigeria have potential and could enable us to reach this goal,” said Patel. Legislative red tape was discussed, including 250 standards that have to be adhered to in Africa for the automotive sector to reach international standards. Sectors including the automotive industry, agro…

Such graduates are critical to a nation’s success EVERY year on November 12, the Association of African Universities (AAU) invites higher education institutions across the continent to celebrate Africa Universities Day. The theme for 2021 is “Building Technology Based Resilient Universities, Now!” The AAU states that this theme is “inspired by the fact that 19 months after Covid-19 was declared a public pandemic, most African universities seem to still be in a predicament about how to move towards a sustainable process of technology-supported teaching, learning, research, collaboration and administrative operations”. One could add to this the important aspect of scholarship development on the continent, which faces both challenges and unique opportunities. Generally, African nations under-invest significantly in research and development, South Africa included. Of concern is the decrease in government…

SYDNEY: Two young women scaled a huge coal handling machine shortly before dawn yesterday, disrupting operations at the world’s largest coal port for several hours to protest what they say is Australia’s lack of action on climate change. “My name is Hannah, and I am here abseiled off the world’s largest coal port,” 21-year-old Hannah Doole declared on a live-streamed video as she hovered high over massive piles of coal bound for export. “I’m here with my friend Zianna, and we’re stopping this coal terminal from loading all coal into ships and stopping all coal trains.” Since officials met in Glasgow, Scotland, earlier this month to plot the planet’s path away from fossil fuels, Australia, the world’s second-biggest coal exporter, has showed little sign of changing course. Prime Minister Scott…

Lebanon’s central bank governor said yesterday that he had ordered an audit of transactions and investments that had been the focus of media reports, saying this had shown no public funds were used to pay fees and commissions to a company owned by his brother. In a statement, governor Riad Salameh said he had asked a renowned firm to carry out the audit. The statement did not name the firm. Salameh, governor for nearly three decades, has faced increased scrutiny of his tenure since the financial system collapsed two years ago, plunging Lebanon into what the World Bank has called one of the world’s sharpest-ever depressions. Salameh said the audit would be shared with judicial authorities and other persons if relevant. He is being investigated by authorities in three European…

PHNOM PENH: Cambodia has released 26 political, environmental and youth activists facing charges of incitement against the government, which human rights groups said was a positive step but that many more remained incarcerated. Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia for 36 years, is facing calls to improve his administration’s human rights record ahead of an Asia Europe summit that it hosts this month. A justice ministry spokesperson denied any international pressure. “This is a normal court procedure, the court didn’t pay attention to whether you are activists or not,” Chin Malin said.…

SAUDI Arabian Formula One Grand Prix organisers say they can be proud of their record on construction safety and worker rights as they rush to ready the new Jeddah street circuit for a looming December debut. Neighbouring Qatar, which hosts F1 for the first time this weekend, has been accused of exploiting migrant workers ahead of the 2022 soccer World Cup, with international concern over building site fatalities. Saudi GP chief executive Martin Whitaker said his circuit put some 10000 workers through a safety induction programme, but recognised questions would be asked. “I think we’ve had just under eight million man hours put into the circuit so far and we haven’t had a major incident,” the Briton told Reuters. “We’re monitored regularly by Formula One. Formula One sent their own…

MIKE GREENAWAY mike.greenaway@inl.co.za THE rugby world has not stopped talking about the 2019 World Cup final as the countdown intensifies to Saturday’s big match between South Africa and England, but that monumental day has not been under the microscope in the Springbok camp. Duane Vermeulen, who was the Man of the Match in that epic win for the Boks, says the team has moved on and is more interested in the England of 2021 than the 2019 vintage. “It has been talked about only a bit,” the veteran No 8 said from London. “It has been more about how England have changed since then. So there has not been too much discussion about that actual game, it is not a big motivator for us ... “We have to stay in…

AUSTRALIA batter Usman Khawaja reacted to his selection in the 2021-22 Ashes squad, saying that he has nothing to prove to anyone. He added that his main focus will be on doing his best for the team on the field. Khawaja was recalled for the upcoming Ashes after making his last Test appearance during the 2019 series at Headingley. “I’ve been on both sides of the spectrum: I’ve been in the Australian team, I’ve been dropped, I’ve had contracts, I haven’t had contracts. I guess when you’re a bit younger you hold onto those things more tightly. I’ve got nothing to prove to anyone – not to myself, not to anyone else. I’m going out there to do the best I can for any team I’m in,” Khawaja was quoted…

NETHERLANDS captain Virgil van Dijk says his country’s World Cup qualification was deserved despite an anxious last two qualifying matches before eventually booking their place at next year’s tournament in Qatar. The Dutch, who missed out on the 2018 finals in Russia, ensured top place in Group G with a 2-0 win over Norway in Rotterdam on Tuesday to finish ahead of Turkey. But they had let slip a chance in Montenegro at the weekend to earn early qualification and were anxious as they faced Norway, who needed victory to usurp them in the standings. It was not until the last six minutes that the Dutch made sure with goals from Steve Bergwijn and Memphis Depay. “It was deserved. I don't think we gave anything away, nothing at all,” insisted…

THE past two European champions could have to play against each other in a playoff for a place at next year’s World Cup as a consequence of failing to secure automatic qualification this week. Both Italy, who won the continental title in July, and Portugal, who were winners of Euro 2016, will be on tenterhooks as they await the outcome of the draw for the March playoffs for the 12 European countries who remain in contention for three places at the World Cup. They are the teams who finished runners-up in their group, plus two more who qualified by virtue of being the best two Nations League group winners who did not finish in the top two of the Qatar 2022 preliminaries. Italy’s failure to win in Northern Ireland on…

FORMER KwaZulu-Natal cricket coach Graham Ford will step down as Ireland men’s head coach with immediate effect, Cricket Ireland announced yesterday. Ford was appointed in 2017 for the role on a three-year deal initially, which was extended by another three in 2019. He will see out his contractual notice period which will end mid-December. “The last four years have been very special for me ‒ I have enjoyed many happy days with a cricket squad made up of very special people. I have also enjoyed watching club cricket and experiencing the passion and club loyalty of many fine cricketing people,” said Ford. “When compared with the other ICC full member nations, Cricket Ireland has faced many handicaps and challenges. Despite this, on several occasions the team has competed impressively with…