Tabla de contenidos para 2023-08-14 en Cape Times

International Energy Agency forecasts global oil demand may reach an all-time high FUEL PRICES in South Africa could increase dramatically over the next month, possibly pushing consumer inflation back above the upper limit of the target range, as the global demand for oil is expected to reach an all-time high. This comes as the International Energy Agency (IEA) on Friday revised upwards its forecast for global oil demand growth in 2023, which could also potentially push prices even higher. In its August report, the IEA said demand was “scaling record highs” on the back of a sharp reduction by oil producing countries such as Saudi Arabia and Russia. The IEA said the world oil demand hit a record 103 million barrels per day in June, and August could see yet…

FORESTRY, Fisheries and Environment Minister Barbara Creecy has paid tribute to two senior environmental officials who died in separate incidents at the weekend. Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment’s director of climate change mitigation policy, regulation and planning Mushudu Owen Mundalamo passed away on Saturday after a short illness. Creecy said he was a key member of the government’s climate change team and had recently been promoted into a position where he was playing an important role in the development of policy and regulations, and contributing to planning, to mitigate the devastating effects of climate change being felt across the country, and the world. Kobus de Wet, a senior manager in the SANParks Environmental Crime Investigative Unit (ECI) based at Groenkloof in Pretoria was stormed and…

ONCE again the ANC leadership has proved to be utterly spineless in granting this consummate delinquent (Zuma) remission from returning to prison. For years, he milked the State and contrived with the Guptas to steal millions but was never brought to trial. What kind of legal system do we have in this sorry excuse for a country? One ministry after another has failed, leading to chaos. The ANC has performed abysmally and must be replaced after the next general election. Pity that couldn’t take place sooner.…

Climate-related disasters such as drought pose significant threats to the agricultural sector in South Africa, which plays a critical role in the country’s socio-economic well-being. As a nation prone to droughts, it is crucial to evaluate our readiness for such disasters. However, the occurrence of floods has become a major aspect of concern, due to current conditions. The 2022/23 agricultural season began with above-average rainfall, typical of a La Niña phase in the summer rainfall region. In many regions, heavy downpours have caused destructive floods, leading to the declaration of a national state of disaster by the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs. These events often cause us to overlook other potential disasters like drought. The government has previously allocated millions of rands in response to disaster-droughts such as…

The transportation of farmworkers has yet again come under the spotlight after a 24-year-old was crushed to death under a trailer in Citrusdal. According to reports, the farmworker was on the trailer attached to a tractor travelling on a tarred road, when the driver swerved to avoid a pothole last Tuesday. The worker then fell off and his head got caught under the trailer wheel, killing him instantly. Police spokesperson, Joseph Swartbooi, said the circumstances leading to the incident were under investigation. “Citrusdal police attended a complaint on August 8. “When they arrived at a nearby farm they found the body of the man who (had) sustained fatal injuries. “The victim was declared dead on the scene. “Reports suggested that the victim fell off a trailer hooked onto a tractor.…

Enhanced security measures are imperative at popular tourist destinations to prevent the tragic loss of foreign visitors’ lives in South Africa. This threat has the potential to severely damage the country’s vital tourism industry. A recent violent taxi strike in Cape Town resulted in the death of a well-regarded British doctor. Dr Kar Teoh, a consultant trauma and orthopaedic surgeon at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, was travelling with his family when the incident occurred. Allegedly, Dr Teoh took a wrong turn from Cape Town International Airport into the Nyanga township amid the turmoil of the taxi strike. Suspects reportedly approached his vehicle and shot him dead on Ntlangano Crescent. Similarly, last year, a German tourist named Jorg Schnarr, aged 67, was shot and killed while driving on the Numbi…

China yesterday condemned a brief US visit by Taiwan Vice President William Lai, saying he was a separatist and “troublemaker through and through” and Beijing would take strong steps to protect its sovereignty, drawing a rebuke from Taipei. Lai, front-runner to be Taiwan’s next president at elections in January, arrived in New York late on Saturday for what is officially a transit on his way to Paraguay for the inauguration of its president. China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has repeatedly denounced Lai’s trip, which includes another stopover in San Francisco on Wednesday on his way back to Taipei. In a statement issued shortly after Lai landed in New York on a scheduled flight from Taipei, China’s foreign ministry said it opposed any form of visit…

The death toll from the Maui wildfires in Hawaii reached 93, according to the Maui County website, making it the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century, with the total likely to rise as cadaver dogs sift through the ruins of Lahaina. The scale of the damage came into sharper focus four days after a fast-moving blaze leveled the historic resort town, obliterating buildings and melting cars. The cost to rebuild Lahaina was estimated at $5.5 billion (R104bn), according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema), with more than 2 200 structures damaged or destroyed and more than 850 hectares burned. Hawaii Governor Josh Green warned at a press conference on Saturday afternoon that the death toll would continue to increase as more victims were discovered. Dogs trained…

Vatican City: The number of migrants dying in the Mediterranean was an “open wound” for humanity, Pope Francis said yesterday after a week marked by a string of deadly shipwrecks. The 86-year-old pontiff offered his prayers for the 41 people reported missing on Wednesday by four survivors brought to safety on the Italian island of Lampedusa. He recalled “with pain and shame” UN figures showing more than 2 000 migrants had lost their lives in the Mediterranean Sea since the start of the year. “It is an open wound in our humanity,” he told pilgrims. “I offer encouragement to the politicians and diplomats who are seeking to heal it.” He also hailed “the commitment of all those who work to prevent shipwrecks and rescue sailors”. Francis regularly urges better…

CAIRO: Explosions were heard in the vicinity of the Syrian capital Damascus early yesterday, state media said, adding that the cause was not known. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said the explosions hit and damaged warehouses storing rockets belonging to Iran-aligned groups. It said there were no confirmed deaths or injuries. Iran has been a major backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during the country’s 12-year conflict. Iran’s proxy militias, including the Lebanese group Hezbollah and pro-Tehran Iraqi groups, hold sway in swathes of eastern, southern and northern Syria. Israel has for years carried out attacks against what it has described as Iran-linked targets. | Reuters…

Scotland reckon their fitness could give them a real crack at World Cup glory next month after they stormed back against France for a second successive week and came agonisingly close to winning away in St Etienne on Saturday Their 30-27 loss at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard saw Scotland come from 27-10 down, scoring three unanswered tries in the last 20 minutes and losing the game only after conceding a late penalty. It came seven days after they had been 21-3 down at half-time at Murrayfield in the first of their two World Cup warm-up games against the French but, despite being down to 14 men, came back to win 25-21. “We can take loads of confidence,” said captain Jamie Ritchie. “I don’t know many teams in the world that can…

Women’s World Cup semi-finalists Spain might be defined by technique and a mesmerising passing game, but the player who gives them that precious something different is Salma Paralluelo. The 19-year-old took Spain to this stage of the World Cup for the first time with her brilliant winner against the Netherlands in the quarter-finals. The Barcelona ace, who was once a promising athlete before concentrating on football, struck on the counter-attack in extra-time after coming off the bench. A starter in every round before that, she also played a big part in the 5-1 demolition of Switzerland in the last-16 with her deliveries from the left wing, two of which led to goals for Aitana Bonmati. With Alexia Putellas still recovering full fitness following a serious knee injury, midfielder Bonmati has…

SOUTH Africa will aim to put its best foot forward in a bid to convince the BRICS member states that the country is open for business, thus hoping to attract investment into the infrastructure and manufacturing sectors. This comes as the country hosts the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg next week where government leaders, State-owned companies and private sector businesses from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) will discuss partnerships for mutually accelerated growth. In preparation, the BRICS Business Council has held a number of stakeholder engagements with working groups from the South African Chapter. Co-chairperson of the Infrastructure Working Group Zodwa Mbele on Friday said they wanted to share knowledge with BRICS member countries and industry experts to see how South Africa can benefit. The BRICS Infrastructure…

ALMOST every month there is something new in the social media archives to talk about. And recently, it’s water burgers. Contrary to what the name might suggest, these burgers are not some exaggerated diet version of the popular comfort food. Water burgers are regular burgers with their patties cooked, or rather boiled, in water instead of on a grill or seared in oil. The trend started on TikTok and migrated to Instagram, where Joshua Godfrey (@JoshandMomma) tried it and sent the internet into a frenzy. While this method for cooking meat is nothing new, using it for hamburgers might feel like they are coming out improperly. And if you read through the comments below the video, it is apparent that this is a very controversial topic. Critics argue that the…

A WOMEN’s rights activist organisation in the Northern Cape has called for the release of 27 activists who were arrested during protest action in Concordia, Namaqualand, on Women’s Day. The activists, affiliated to WoMin African Alliance, were arrested on charges of public violence while protesting against a company they accuse of extracting copper from their land without their consent. Lead co-ordinator of the WoMin African Alliance, Alexandria Hotz, said the community had been subjected to unfair action by the police. “Women led their community in a peaceful blockade of the entrance to Copper 360, a mining company which is illegally extracting copper from their land without their consent. “For this, they faced men behind police shields, armed with stun grenades, rubber bullets and pepper spray. “As punishment for undertaking a…

Ombud’s office records 134% increase in cases IN MOST complaints that the Ombudsman for Banking Services (OBS) received concerning the closure of customers’ bank accounts, complainants alleged that their accounts were closed without providing them with any notice or reasons for the closures. The OBS received a total of 227 complaints from bank customers about their accounts being closed from 2022 to date. There was also a 134% increase in cases from 67 in 2022 to 160 cases in 2023 to date. “In most of the complaints received by the OBS, the complainants alleged that their banks closed their accounts without providing them any notice or without providing the reasons for the closure. Some of the complainants who were provided with the reasons questioned the validity of the reasons given,”…

I AM so flipping mad at this whole taxi-thing I can kill a snake with my bare hands. I am so concerned about Eunice, Ethel and many, many others who live in Khayelitsha and elsewhere. I met Ethel three weeks ago in Edgemead, standing in the street and weeping bitterly. She was in great distress (I know the difference between fake and real) . They had not eaten for three days and the children were drinking water. The one wanted to commit suicide. We sat in the car for a long time and she shared her many troubles with me. She said : “I pray to God but He is not helping me.” I answered: “But He did ! I am here.” Oh, how I would have loved…

ALMOST every day, South Africans wake up to a constant barrage of news detailing the dire state of our economy, persistent corruption, and the ever-escalating wave of crime. But everyone agrees on one thing – the common denominator in all these crises is the ANC. It therefore boggles the mind that anyone would suggest that the DA should enter into a grand coalition with the ANC after the 2024 elections. The ANC has long betrayed the promise of our young democracy, through irresponsible and reckless (governing) of our beautiful country. Entering into a coalition with the ANC is like throwing a lifeline to a sinking ship. Of late, opinion pages have been filled with puff pieces, especially from the so-called learned commentarial, who are advocating for some sort of grand…

AFTER being classified as a “prohibited person” on his alleged fraudulent visa, a Canadian/British citizen has approached the court to have this status lifted so he may travel in and out of South Africa. The Western Cape High Court last week set aside the decision of the director-general of Home Affairs, which denied Robert Arthur’s application for a retired person’s visa. Arthur, who had made an application for permanent residence in South Africa, was flagged as a “prohibited person” after he submitted an application to the Department of Home Affairs and it was discovered that he had been issued with a fraudulent temporary retired person’s visa in May 2017. According to the judgment, Arthur, who also holds Canadian and British citizenship, had been living in South Africa on the…

About 73 million people globally are facing hunger THE usual suspects of the drivers of global food insecurity as told ad nauseam by the international gatekeeper socio-economic and health organisations, are conflict, climate change and pandemics such as the coronavirus one. The latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (Sofi) report published jointly by five United Nations specialised agencies, for instance shows that in 2022 about 735 million people globally were facing hunger – 122 million more than in 2019 before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Now tobacco farming as a driver of food insecurity and a threat to nutrition, especially in low and middle-income countries, is joining the above inglorious cohort of actors – that must be a new one on an unsuspecting global general…

West Africa’s regional bloc kept up its search yesterday for diplomatic ways to overturn last month’s coup in Niger, while retaining the threat of military intervention amid a crisis that has sucked in global superpowers. The Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) said that it aimed to send a parliamentary committee to meet the coup leaders, who have imprisoned Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum and dissolved the elected government, in the seventh coup in West and Central Africa in three years. While the Ecowas parliament made no firm decisions, it set up a committee that plans to meet Nigerian President Bola Tinubu. Tinubu holds the bloc’s revolving chairmanship. Parliament wants to get his permission to go to Niger, its spokesperson said. The coup leaders, headed by General Abdourahamane Tiani, have…

Ecuador transferred a powerful gang leader, accused of threatening a presidential candidate before he was slain, to a maximum security prison via a massive military and police operation, officials said. At dawn, around 4 000 heavily armed agents entered Prison 8 in Guayaquil in south-western Ecuador, where the head of the powerful Los Choneros criminal group, Jose Adolfo Macias, alias “Fito,” has been held since 2011. Images shared by security forces showed a bearded man in his underwear, with his hands on his head in some shots and lying on the floor with his arms tied in others. Ecuadoran President Guillermo Lasso announced on social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, that Fito had been transferred to La Roca, a 150-person maximum security prison that is part of…

TOKYO: Japanese authorities yesterday warned residents in much of the country to prepare for a strong, slow-moving typhoon set to hit during the peak summer travel week. Typhoon Lan is on course to make landfall tomorrow on Japan’s main island of Honshu, bringing heavy rain and violent gusts, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. Some areas may see as much as 50cm of rain in 24 hours to 6am on Tuesday, followed by more rain as the typhoon churns across the nation, the agency said. “The slow speed of the typhoon could mean that its impact may last for a long time,” Shuichi Tachihara, chief forecaster at the agency, told a media briefing. | AFP…

Washington: The Miss Universe Organisation has cut ties with its Indonesia franchise, it announced days after allegations of sexual harassment, and will cancel an upcoming Malaysia edition. In the complaint, more than a half dozen women said all 30 finalists for Miss Universe Indonesia were unexpectedly asked to strip for a supposed body check for scars and cellulite two days before the pageant’s crowning ceremony in Jakarta. Their lawyer said Tuesday that five of the women had their pictures taken. “In light of what we have learned took place at Miss Universe Indonesia, it has become clear that this franchise has not lived up to our brand standards.” | AFP…

Kaizer Chiefs (1)2 Du Preez 36, Castillo 90+4 Cape Town City (1)1 Van Heerden 23 Edson Castillo etched his name into the Kaizer Chiefs supporters’ hearts with a stoppage time winner for the mighty Amakhosi over Cape Town City in a rousing MTN8 quarter-final at Athlone Stadium yesterday. With the game deadlocked at 1-1 in the 94th minute, the Venezuelan forward found himself unmarked at the back post to deliver the strike that killed off the gallant City outfit. What local football may lack in quality at times, it certainly makes up for in high drama, excitement and passion. And that’s exactly what these teams delivered yesterday. The conditions were perfect for flowing football, maybe not so the cut-up turf, but both teams delivered high-octane entertainment in this end-to-end MTN8…

Minister of Electricity Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has left it to the system operator to decide whether the City of Johannesburg will be exempted from load shedding during the crucial BRICS Summit next week. Heads of State of BRICS nations, government ministers and private business executives will descend on Johannesburg from Tuesday to attend the first in-person, three-day summit since the outbreak of Covid-19. The summit comes as power utility Eskom is implementing daily power cuts of two hours at a time to protect the national grid from collapsing due to “long-standing insufficient energy generation capacity” amid rising demand. The government usually requests the Eskom system operator to exempt the country from load shedding on special occasions, and it was expected this would be the case to avoid a possible embarrassment…

South Africa is facing a concerning trend as office workers spend an average of 17 hours a day sitting or lying down. This sedentary lifestyle has been linked to physical and mental health issues, with only high volumes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity offering protection against its harmful effects. A study conducted in 2021 involving 794 577 participants found a significant increase in the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cardiovascular disease mortality among people with predominantly sedentary lifestyles compared to those who were least sedentary. Gary Arenson, a physiotherapist and founder of Ergotherapy, a company specialising in ergonomic office furniture, warns that this sedentary lifestyle, combined with improper sitting posture, can have detrimental effects on health and back alignment. What are the sedentary activities that consume the average South African’s…

THE Cabinet has approved the draft National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Amendment Bill for submission to Parliament, which will provide for the establishment of the Investigating Directorate (ID) as a permanent entity within the NPA. The ID, which was set up in 2019 for a period of five years, deals with serious, high profile or complex corruption cases and offences arising from the State Capture Commission. Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, announced the approval of the submission of the draft bill on Thursday. “The bill amends the NPA Act, 1998 (Act 32 of 1998) to provide for the establishment of the Investigating Directorate as a permanent entity within the NPA and to also strengthen its investigative powers,” Ntshavheni said. In October 2022, President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his implementation plan…

THE City and the SA National Taxi Council’s (Santaco) agreement to halt the taxi strike seems not to have been as successful as thought, as taxis continued to be impounded at the weekend, further straining a “sour” relationship. The parties also have different interpretations of what they agreed upon, with safety Mayco member JP Smith taking to social media at the weekend to correct “inaccurate statements” over the agreement. This as the 14-day taxi task team was expected to meet today to discuss the “new regulations” and a new chapter on how minibus taxis would operate in the province. Smith said he had heard Santaco claiming that the agreement that brought about the end of the taxi strike last week was based on a reduction of the list of requirements…

I SAW a programme on TV the other night which shocked me. It showed young girls being taken from their parents to a circumcision school. Apparently one child has already died. I thought female circumcision was banned in South Africa? It is not called female gender mutilation for nothing. These poor young girls have no say, and are left badly scarred both physically and mentally for the rest of their lives. One cannot understand that in this day and age why parents especially the mothers who may have had it done to themselves allow this for their daughters? But in the programme the parents looked quite complicit in this, allowing their daughters to be taken to these schools. Surely the government must step in to stop this horrid…

WE ARE all filled with jubilation and are elated that the taxi strike is over. Each sector of our community – haves and have nots. Thank you to all for bringing an end to the strike action which had a most negative effect on the poorest of poor. The local BP was abuzz with activity. Pump attendants were back at work and parents bought lunch goodies while their children gleefully chose nourishing refreshments. The roads were abuzz with traffic, and taxi drivers were equally happy that the strike was over. We lament the losses.…

A STELLENBOSCH ward councillor has bemoaned alleged corrupt cops in the region, after seven police officers were arrested for allegedly failing to book in money they confiscated from suspects during a drug bust. Police spokesperson, Joseph Swartbooi, said a complainant had sent his two brothers to make a deposit at a local bank last Wednesday, when they were apprehended by the police officers who returned with them to a premises in Kayamandi. A search of the premises was conducted and the brothers were arrested on a charge of dealing in drugs. However, the seven officers have since been charged for failing to declare and register the money they allegedly also confiscated during the raid. “The commander of the police members who executed the arrest received information that the money the…

FORMER Heathfield High School principal Wesley Neumann has for the first time, after failing to have his dismissal overturned, spoken out about the alleged “personal vendetta” against him, and his refusal to surrender in his struggle to get his job back. Now he has approached the Labour Court. As Neumann’s legal battle against the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) continues, he has pinned his hopes on the court to set aside former head of department Brian Schreuder’s second contract extension. Schreuder instituted the disciplinary proceedings against Neumann, who was found guilty of insubordination and misconduct for allegedly going against his directives to have children back at school at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. During this process, the Public Service Commission probed a complaint into the second two-year…

I RECENTLY attended the 14th International Interdisciplinary Conference that was held in Nairobi, Kenya, from June 26 to 30. The conference was held under the general conference theme: “The Global West, North, East and Africa.” The theme was centred around increasing concern on how the Global West and North have influenced Africa over the years, and the recent rise of Asian giants such as China and India in contesting the monopoly of the traditional powers. This conference sought to bring new research that has been conducted on the African continent, covering many themes. My paper was titled: “We want agri-preneurship, but where’s the land? The issue of land as an enabler for agri-preneurship for female agri-preneurs in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa.” It was influenced by viewing agri-preneurship…

A Russian warship fired warning shots with automatic weapons yesterday on a Palau-flagged dry cargo ship in the south-western Black Sea as it made its way towards Ukraine, the Russian defence ministry said. Russia last month scuppered a UN-brokered grain deal that ensured Ukraine could get its agricultural produce to market via the Black Sea and Moscow cautioned that it would deem all ships heading to Ukrainian waters to be potentially carrying weapons. Russia said in a statement that its Vasily Bykov patrol ship had fired automatic weapons on the Sukru Okan vessel after the latter’s captain failed to respond to a request to halt for an inspection. The Sukru Okan was making its way towards the Ukrainian port of Izmail, the defence ministry said. Refinitiv shipping data showed the…

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s ruling coalition thwarted a challenge by an opposition alliance in state elections, official results showed yesterday, with analysts saying the win would buy him time to consolidate power in the largely Islamic south-east Asian nation. Saturday’s vote in six states had been the toughest political challenge yet to Anwar, who was appointed prime minister in November last year to head a unity government after an indecisive general election. The election of state assembly members does not affect Anwar’s current two-thirds majority in parliament. | AFP…

Quetta: Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) militants yesterday attacked a convoy carrying Chinese engineers to the Beijing-financed Gwadar Port in Pakistan’s south-west, the group said. “BLA Majeed Brigade today targeted a convoy of Chinese engineers in Gwadar. The attack is still ongoing,” the separatist group said. Security sources confirmed an attack on a convoy carrying Chinese engineers. In the past, various Baloch separatist groups have claimed attacks on projects linked to the massive China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project, with thousands of security personnel deployed to counter threats against Beijing’s interests. | AFP…

DUBAI: A US-led naval coalition in the Gulf has warned ships in the region to stay away from Iranian waters to avoid possible seizure, the US Navy said. The warning shows tensions remain high in and around the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran seized tankers in late April and early May, while Washington and Tehran finalise a deal to free five US citizens detained in Iran and the US allows $6 billion in Iranian funds held in South Korea to be unfrozen. “The International Maritime Security Construct is notifying regional mariners of appropriate precautions to minimise the risk of seizure based on current regional tensions,” said Commander Timothy Hawkins. | Reuters…

RULANI Mokwena is human after all! Such has been the Mamelodi Sundowns’ coach’s rise to the top of South African coaching circles that he has quickly become associated with perfection and success. This, after all, is a coach who fraternises with the likes of Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola and other top football technicians and tacticians the world over. He has been nicknamed the South African Mourinho, remember? That’s a massive compliment given the Portuguese Jose Mourinho’s incredible achievements as a coach. And the moniker fits. Mokwena is, lest you were not aware, yet to lose a Premiership match since taking sole charge of Sundowns midway through last season, having helped the Brazilians set all kinds of league records. This is a coach who took the club to their first CAF…