Tabla de contenidos para 2023-11-07 en Cape Times

DIS-CHEM has pledged R12 million, R1m for every point scored in the Rugby World Cup (RWC) final match, to be directed towards tackling South African challenges. The retail pharmacy’s CEO Rui Morais was so inspired by the sentiment change in South Africa following Saturday’s Springbok RWC victory, that he penned a letter to Springbok captain Siya Kolisi and his team. The letter celebrated the big shift in sentiment brought about by the Springbok’s momentous fourth RWC win. Dis-Chem said that as a national brand committed to doing national good, it would commit to fund one sustainable and measurable project, per month, at R1m, over 12 months. “Each project, which will be identified with input from Dis-Chem staff, will address relevant concerns. This corporate pledge is separate from the support…

Robert Gumede appears to have swayed Tongaat’s business rescue prectitioners to make him the preferred bidder TERRIS Consortium, fronted by Mpu- malanga businessman, Robert Gu- mede, may have swayed Tongaat Hulett’s business rescue practitioners to emerge as the preferred bidder for the troubled South African agro-processing firm’s assets on account of financial backing from the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) under questionable circumstances. Business rescue practitioners in Tongaat Hulett, with a net debt of R7.6 billion and currently under business rescue, has over the past months confirmed Kagera, a Tanzanian outfit as the preferred bidder. It also emerged this month that RGS, a Mozambican outfit had also been enlisted as a second preferred bidder. Now, Gumede’s Terris Consortium, which has previously complained that Kagera had been wrongly picked as…

INVESTORS are most interested in investing in Disney stock, despite ongoing strikes at the mass media company, according to an in-depth analysis of TikTok and Instagram posts. New research revealed that Disney was the most talked about stock on social media as the entertainment giant had the highest number of videos published and viewed, and the most hashtags used across TikTok and Instagram. The findings come from a new study by online trading provider City Index, which analysed every company in the S&P 500 based on how much content on their stocks and shares had been created and viewed on TikTok and Instagram. City Index is an award-winning, multi-asset financial services provider with 40 years’ experience in supporting clients, providing instant and secure access to global markets. The new study…

A strategic partnership agreement recently came into force between the National Research Foundation (NRF) and the National Nuclear Regulator’s (NNR) Centre of Excellence for Nuclear Safety and Security (CNSS) with the aim to advance nuclear safety and security through critical skills development investment in the sector. The programme aims to develop joint collaborative research programmes at national and international levels; co-fund bursaries for Master’s and PhD students from disadvantaged backgrounds; and enable the development of innovative solutions to address challenges in nuclear safety and security within the nuclear energy sector. “This partnership provides an overarching framework to support research opportunities for researchers, academics and regulators to find solutions to nuclear safety and security challenges facing the country. To support this, the NRF will contribute more than its funding and granting…

ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa says that in spite of the country’s austerity approach, it is essential to recruit more police. Ramaphosa, speaking at the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union’s (Popcru’s) 10th National Congress in Durban yesterday, said the country had limited resources but could not compromise on front line services. Popcru president Zizamele Cebek-hulu had earlier criticised the government for its austerity approach and for being desensitised and not listening to police concerns over lack of resources and manpower to fight crime. “We have already seen the severe effects of this crisis and spending cuts on our members, who serve at the front line against crime but continuously struggle to make ends meet, and are forced to return home to shacks. “Our members protect and serve our country…

AN EYE specialist who wanted to get out of his maintenance obligations towards his estranged wife was blocked in this move by the court, which found that an inheritance is not a reason to stop paying maintenance as ordered by a court. The ophthalmologist turned to the Eastern Cape High Court, sitting in East London, asking for an order that he may stop paying maintenance to his wife pending their divorce, as she had inherited R1.7 million from her deceased mother. His wife – a housewife – earlier obtained a judgment against him that he had to pay her R10 000 a month and that he had to contribute R50 000 towards her legal costs in their pending divorce. He also had to maintain their children. The R10 00…

AT LEAST 190 people died in informal settlement fires in Cape Town last year while hundreds more were displaced. Similar figures are evident throughout the country, as densification increases the risk of fire spreading through informal settlements and in backyards where structures are erected using flammable materials, said Professor Richard Walls, head of the Fire Engineering Research Unit at Stellenbosch University. “After large fires, many entrepreneurs emerge with quick-fix solutions marketed to politicians to help protect communities. However, what scientific basis is there for evaluating fire safety solutions for informal settlements, and what can be done to protect them?” asked Walls. In response to the dearth of scientific solutions, Stellenbosch University and the provincial government have joined forces to develop a world-first Fire Engineering Guideline for Informal Settlements. The work,…

THE UCT Children’s Institute has described the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) delivered by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana last week as short-sighted and continuing on the path of austerity budgets at a time when increased social spending was urgently needed. It said the Treasury's rigid adherence to fiscal consolidation, when livelihoods and the social fabric of the country were threatened, showed callous disregard for human rights. “Provincial social development departments will have to fund the public sector wage settlement, cutting into budgets for essential welfare services (such as NPOs) that are already under-funded. Subsidies for children attending early learning programmes will remain static for a fifth year, and funding for maintenance of early childhood development (ECD) centres has been cut by R50 million,” it said. The Institute believes that…

The Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has been granted a freezing order by the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, for property and money valued at R29 million belonging to “a syndicate that stole” from Eskom. The order was granted on Thursday, NPA Gauteng regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said. “The restraint order is to freeze properties and cash worth R29 million belonging to a syndicate that stole from Eskom. Mothelli Ben Theletsane, who has since died, was employed at Eskom on a contract basis and worked in a pre-paid environment, supporting Eskom's pre-paid vending system,” Mahanjana said. “He (Theletsane) operated as a supervisor in his role and therefore he obtained intimate knowledge of the operations of the machines. “He also acquired technical expertise on the ins and…

As the nation gears up for the festive season, it is imperative that law enforcement heightens its vigilance to safeguard citizens from falling victim to crime. During the Christmas period, criminal activities, including burglaries, robberies, hijackings, ATM bombings and cash-in-transit heists, tend to surge across the country. According to research conducted by Clearview Fencing, a private security company, the cities most plagued by housebreakings are Durban, Pietermaritzburg and Rustenberg. Following closely are Pretoria, Vereeniging, Gqeberha, Johannesburg, East London, Polokwane and Nelspruit. Based on data from the international organisation Statista, Clearview Fencing has rated South Africa as the most perilous country on the continent, with Pretoria taking the lead, followed by Durban, Johannesburg, Gqeberha and Cape Town. It is evident that the lack of safety poses a significant deterrent to tourists.…

MOSCOW: Police detained 201 people after mass anti-Semitic unrest took place at Makhachkala Airport in Russia’s predominately Muslim region of Dagestan, the news service of the Russian Interior Ministry said on Sunday. In late October, a crowd stormed a ramp at the airport after the landing of a passenger plane from Tel Aviv. The rioters were allegedly looking for Israeli citizens on board the aircraft amid the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Police officers arrived at the scene to stop the protesters. As a result of the clashes, over 20 people were injured.…

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis yesterday skipped reading a prepared speech for a meeting with European rabbis, telling them he was not feeling well, and the Vatican said he was suffering from a slight cold but would go ahead with his other engagements for the day. “I welcome you and thank you for this visit, which greatly pleases me,” he told the Conference of European Rabbis. “I am not well and because of this I prefer not to read the speech,” he said. Francis appeared short of breath as he greeted the rabbis at the start of the meeting. The cancellation of his speech set off a brief health scare for the pontiff, 86. Francis is missing part of one lung, removed when he was a young man in his native…

Kaizer Chiefs’ interim coach Cavin Johnson can focus his Soweto derby preparations around five key points, which should equip the team to produce a solid performance, starting with Cape Town Spurs tomorrow, writes Herman Gibbs. 1. No chief up front The team needs a leader up front, one that will trouble opposition defenders and free up fellow attackers to exploit weaknesses in the opposition defence. The strikers in the squad, however, have not inspired confidence. After the club’s wise men recruited Jasond González in August, he was destined to play a key role. After a couple of months, the Colombian has failed to make an impact. Perhaps Ranga Chivaviro can be given the task of leading the attack. He knows his way around the striking zone, as he proved during…

RENERGEN, owner and operator of South Africa’s first liquid natural gas and helium onshore production project, saw its share price fall more than 5% yesterday following the announcement on Friday that its CEO is moving temporarily to the US to oversee the Nasdaq initial public offering (IPO). The share price closed 8.13% lower at R13.10 on the JSE yesterday, down from R14.26 on Friday, from R18 three months ago and from R27.50 a year ago. The company recently had to release additional information on its operations after it faced online criticism, most notably from shareholder activist Albie Cilliers, who questioned the sustainability of the project and the transparency of the company. The company said that capital to unlock the funding for Phase 2 of the project, to significantly expand helium…

REDEFINE Properties raised its dividend only 1.9% to 43.80 cents for the year to August 31, but its management believes there is cause for optimism that the property cycle has bottomed. They believe 2024 will be a turning point when interest rates begin to ease. Although the environment was uncertain, the group forecast financial 2024 distributable income to be between 48c and 52c a share. CEO Andrew König said in an online presentation, however, the reason for the flat forecast was due to the prediction of interest rates only declining towards the end of 2024, outside their 2024 financial year. He said the group would by then have “taken the pain” of the high interest rate environment, and would benefit more from lower interest rates through a “multiplier…

EXEMPLAR Reitail, the listed property fund focused on rural and town- ship retail, declared an interim dividend of 64.272 cents per share for the six months to August 31, 6.47% lower than the same period a year before. Exemplar’s 26 retail assets have a combined gross lettable area (GLA) of 414 420 square metres. Revenue increased 16.75% to R581.52 million. Portfolio GLA in- creased to 414 420 square metres from 407 942 square metres with the opening of the final phase of Edendale Mall after a rebuild. Growth in rental and recovery income was partially due to the recently added KwaBhaca Mall, Bizana Walk and Mamelodi Square, as well as the opening of the third and final phase of Edendale Mall. On a like-for-like basis…

As cases of expired, sub-standard food circulating in townships and schools pile up, and as mainly children fall sick and die, more voices have joined the chorus for tighter regulations on foreign operations in communities. Among them has been that of the Congress of Traditional Leaders of SA (Contralesa), who, after being called on to comment, at the weekend said there needed to be closer monitoring of operations run mostly by foreign shopkeepers. Contralesa president Kgosi Lameck Mokoena said there was an urgent need for both health inspectors and law enforcement to act decisively if the scourge was to end. “They must increase inspection and monitoring of the outlets, found mainly in townships, to address this worrying incident of children falling ill after consuming food items purchased from unregistered spaza…

1kg of lamb or blade beef 2 onions, peeled and finely chopped 4 tbs oil 3 whole chillies 4 all spice (pimento) 1 cinnamon stick 1 tbs freshly ground black or white pepper Salt to taste 2-3 tbs sugar 1kg of peeled and cubed pumpkin In a large pot, heat the oil and add the onions, cinnamon stick, all spice and chillies and fry till golden brown, next add the meat, browning the meat on all sides, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper and braise for 5 minutes. Add a cup of hot water and simmer meat on medium heat, until water has dissolved, repeat this process until you test the meat and it’s tender. Add the cubed pumpkin and sugar and braise on medium heat until the pumpkin is…

A JOHANNESBURG businessman accused of short-paying his staff has been ordered by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) to pay just over R81 000 to his 21 employees. The decision will benefit casual workers affiliated with the Casual Workers Advice Office (CWAO) and Simunye Workers' Forum (SWF), who won their case against employer, Jan Breeweg, owner of Zanthe Fresh, a farm situated on the West Rand in Johannesburg. According to CWAO and SWF, Breeweg refused to pay workers the legal minimum wage since June 2023 and said they had received a “slave wage” from the farm owner who supplied fresh produce to large chain stores. CWAO organiser, Joshua Hlungwani, said the short-paid workers were involved in planting, harvesting, deliveries, and work in the cold room. “The Johannesburg…

THE ongoing war in the Middle East is spilling over onto every continent on the globe be it via protests, or actual violence. There has been a sharp increase in antisemitism, and islamophobia alike. Two weeks ago, a six-year old Muslim American-Palestinian boy was killed in Chicago. The victim was stabbed 26 times by his landlord, a 71-year-old man in Illinois. Also, the Dagestani airport debacle. The online space is especially toxic, but the owners of the internet are loving it because chaos generates income. Social media, although useful at times, is adding to the furore by facilitating biassed content in an attempt to influence public perception. This is especially true when we look at Israel’s hand in the online space. A number of Tik Tokkers, and influences have come…

London: A British Sikh, who was summoned to serve as a juror at a crown court, has said that a security guard did not let him in due to his kirpan – a religious dagger which has to be carried at all times by baptised Sikhs. Jatinder Singh said he felt “embarrassed and discriminated against” after he was prevented from taking part in jury service at the Birmingham Crown Court recently, the BBC reported. Singh, the president at Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Smethwick and secretary general of the Sikh Council UK, said this was the second time he was called for the jury service. His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service apologised.…

Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi has begun a hunger strike in her Iranian prison in protest at limits on medical care for her and other inmates, as well as the obligation for women to wear the hijab in the Islamic republic, her family said yesterday. Veteran rights activist Mohammadi, 51, currently held in Tehran’s Evin prison, was awarded the Nobel prize in October “for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran”. “Narges Mohammadi, today, through a message from Evin Prison, has informed her family that she started a hunger strike several hours ago. We are concerned about Narges Mohammadi’s physical condition and health,” her family said in a statement. Mohammadi is refusing under any circumstances to wear a hijab, the head covering which has been obligatory for…

Separatist rebels killed around 20 people, including women and children, yesterday in an attack on a village in one of Cameroon’s restive anglophone regions, security and local officials said. The overnight attack occurred in Egbekaw village, western Cameroon, scene of deadly clashes between rebels and government forces for seven years. “The attack left around 20 dead, men, women and children, and 10 seriously injured people are in hospital,” a senior regional administrative official said on condition of anonymity. A security forces official and an official from a governmental body also confirmed the attack and provisional toll. Cameroon’s primarily English- speaking Northwest and Southwest regions have been gripped by conflict since separatists declared independence in 2017.…

KATHMANDU: A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck Nepal yesterday, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre said,three days after 153 people were killed in the country’s worst quake since 2015. Yesterday’s earthquake had its epicentre in Ramidanda, Jajarkot district, the same place as Friday’s quake, but there were no reports of injuries or damage so far, the National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Centre said. A second 4.5 tremor with its epicentre at Paink, near Ramidanda, struck nine minutes after the first one. At least 153 people died and more than 339 were injured in Friday’s 6.4 magnitude quake in the Jajarkot region.…

The Proteas have reached astonishing highs during this World Cup, but have also seen that euphoria tempered by some truly abject and embarrassing displays, the most recent a mauling at the hands of India. In the space of a week, South Africa saw a team go from a 190-run victory to a 243-run defeat, as they were handed a humbling at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday, just three days after decimating the 2015 and 2019 runners-up New Zealand in Pune. The defeat was a reminder of the nature of this particular South African team – a team with extreme highs and distressing lows. From smashing a record-breaking 428 to sinking to 83 all out, the Proteas have produced a mixed bag of performances in one tournament. “To be fair,…

Australia star Steve Smith said the decision to let the team play Afghanistan in a crunch World Cup match was “above my pay grade” as Cricket Australia (CA) faced accusations of double-standards. Earlier this year, CA scrapped a three-match ODI series against Afghanistan on the grounds the Taliban, who regained power in 2021, had placed fresh limits on education and work opportunities for Afghan women and girls, including female cricketers. In the run-up to today’s high-stakes match in Mumbai, Afghanistan fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq took to social media to suggest there was an element of hypocrisy in CA abandoning the one-day games but going ahead with a World Cup match where it had something to lose. “Refusing to play the bilateral series, now it will be interesting to see cricket Australia…

GENDER parity in the boards of JSE-listed companies remains an elusive concept overall as men continue to dominate the largest number of higher positions in relation to women. The Status of Gender on JSE-listed boards report revealed that there were 897 male non-executive directors on JSE-listed boards compared to 480 women non-executive directors, with board chairs being 83% male and 17% female. In terms of JSE-listed company CEOs, 226 were men compared to only 18 women, and the ratio of chief financial officers was 164 males to 45 females. The report, which was released yesterday, suggested there has been an improvement in gender representation metrics on these boards, but there remained a lot that needs to be done. Now in its sixth year, the report was compiled from information publicly…

DIVERSIFIED chemicals solutions group, AECI, said it recorded strong results for the nine months to September 30 due to increases in mining explosives sales in Southern Africa, central Africa and Asia Pacific, a weaker exchange rate and new contracts. Revenue and earnings before interest and tax (Ebit) were up compared with the prior period after solid growth in AECI Mining, the group said in a trading update yesterday. There was improved profitability following the fulfilments of new contracts in Asia Pacific and the Rest of Africa. Revenue in AECI Agri Health and AECI Water was higher than the prior period due to higher selling prices and moderately higher sales volumes. However, the lag in cost recovery affected margins, and this was expected to correct in the last quarter of this…

AUDITOR-GENERAL Tsakani Maluleke has named and shamed 17 municipalities that failed to submit their annual statements for auditing purposes at the end of August. Municipalities are required by the Public Audit Act to submit their financial statements for auditing at least three months after the end of the financial year in June. In her letter to National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, Maluleke detailed the delays in the submission of separate and consolidated financial statements of local government. “This serves as notification to you of the failure by specified auditees listed in annexure A to submit annual financial statements for auditing the 2022/23 audit cycle in terms of section 133 of the Municipal Finance Management Act 56 of 2003,” she said. Maluleke also said the legislated due date for the submission…

Dirco asked to act on ambassador ISRAELI ambassador to South Africa Eliav Belotserkovsky could find himself in hot water after the Cabinet directed the Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco) to take necessary measures within the diplomatic protocols to deal with his “conduct” . This comes as South Africa became the latest country to recall its diplomats in Tel Aviv as the death toll from Israeli strikes in Gaza now exceeds 10 000. Citing the “refusal of the Israeli government to respect international law and its continued undermining of the United Nations resolutions”, South Africa joined countries Colombia, Türkiye, Bahrain, Honduras, Bolivia and Chad who have taken similar diplomatic moves in the past week in protest against Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip. Dirco spokesperson Clayson Monyela said logistic…

A ROTTWEILER dog who bit a Maltese poodle sparked a legal tussle between the owners of the dogs, with the poodle’s owner eventually obtaining a protection order against the bigger dog’s master. Under the protection order, obtained under the Protection from Harassment Act, Grant Horner may not intimidate or harass Gary Baranov, his wife or their four children. Horner may also not enter the estate where Baranov lives in uMhlanga, with his rottweiler dog. Horner turned to the KwaZulu-Natal High Court, sitting in Pietermaritzburg, where he appealed the confirmation of the protection order by the magistrate, who also issued the interim protection order. Horner told the court that what Baranov claimed he had done, most certainly did not warrant a protection order. Baranov and Horner’s brother live in the Driftwood…

ACCUSED murderer Zukisa Tshabile will remain in custody until next year when he is expected back in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court after abandoning his bail application. Tshabile is accused of murdering activist Loyiso Nkohla and faces 17 other charges of attempted murder. The matter was remanded until February 15, 2024 after Tshabile appeared for bail information at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Slain Se’skhona People’s Movement leader Nkohla was shot and killed at a satellite police station near the Philippi railway station in April. Three others were wounded in the incident. In a statement, Nkohla’s widow, Nyameka Mabandla, said she was shocked to hear that her husband’s killer had been implicated in previous crimes after the information was submitted in court during bail application. “I listened with shock that the accused…

SEOUL: South Korea, Japan and the US have agreed to establish a high-level consultative group to block North Korea’s alleged cyberactivities and jointly address global cyberchallenges, the South Korean presidential office said yesterday. “The main content of the agreement is the joint development of measures to block cyberactivity used as a key source of financing for weapons engineering, such as nuclear arms and weapons of mass destruction, conducted by North Korea, as well as strengthening the joint response to global cyberthreats between the three countries. The three countries agreed to establish a high-level mechanism and hold regular quarterly meetings,” the presidential office said.…

Conakry, Guinea: At least nine people were killed during a weekend jailbreak in Guinea that saw armed commandos briefly pluck ex-dictator Moussa Dadis Camara from prison, officials said yesterday. Heavily armed men burst into the prison in the capital Conakry early on Saturday, taking Camara and two other former officials who were on trial alongside him over a 2009 massacre during his presidency. It was unclear whether Camara had escaped of his own free will in the raid, which the army described as an attempt to “sabotage” government reforms. Later on Saturday, the army and Camara’s lawyer said he had been recaptured and was back behind bars, without providing details.…

CHINA’S President Xi Jinping told Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese yesterday their two countries stood to become “trusting partners” and were on the “correct path of improving and developing relations”, state broadcaster CCTV said. The two leaders met in Beijing during a four-day state visit by Albanese to China. This was a high-water mark in their nations’ ties following years of tensions that cut billions of dollars in trade. China and Australia, Xi said yesterday, “have no historical grievances or disputes and no fundamental conflict of interests, and can totally become mutually trusting and mutually successful partners”. Xi told Albanese that Beijing hoped to “fully develop the potential of the China-Australia free trade agreement and open up cooperation in new fields including climate change and the green economy. “Through both…