Table of contents for 2022-01-04 in Cape Times

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za THE defence team for Vusi “Khekhe” Mathibela, the man dubbed Mamelodi’s Number 1 Tsotsi by Police Minister Bheki Cele, is expected to pull out all the stops on April 11 to try to prove he was not involved in the murder of billionaire businessman Wandile Bozwana. This year will mark the seventh year since Bozwana and his business partner Mpho Baloyi were gunned down at the Garsfontein off ramp on the N1 highway in October 2015. Bozwana died shortly afterwards in hospital, but Baloyi survived the ordeal. Mathibela and his co-accused, Matamela Robert Mutapa, Bonginkosi Khumalo and Sipho Hudla all along denied any knowledge of the killing. While no one had witnessed the incident, the prosecution mostly relied on circumstantial evidence. These include cellphone records placing some…

Sihle Mavuso and Loyiso Sidimba THE urgent application to stop Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo from handing over the first of the three batches of the state capture inquiry reports to President Cyril Ramaphosa has been adjourned by the South Gauteng High Court until today. Yesterday lobby group, Democracy in Action (DIA), which is chaired by businessman Thabo Mtsweni, launched an urgent court action to stop Zondo, who is chairperson of the commission of inquiry into state capture, from handing over the first instalment of the report to Ramaphosa. The lobby group opted for the judicial route, following a letter it sent to the commission just before Christmas, raising objections to Ramaphosa receiving the report, alleging he has been implicated. Apparently, the commission did not respond to the letter…

Mark Kleinschmidt | RONDEBOSCH THE destruction of the Parliamentary Precinct refers. It is tragic, and appalling, that this has been allowed to happen. Whether an accident, or wanton vandalism, the result remains the same. According to media reports, the Hawks have arrested a man in connection with the fire. If found guilty, this man must pay the maximum penalty. In real terms, there is no penalty in place for this heinous crime. Apart from the actual value of the property and structures destroyed, the destruction of one of the key symbols of the country’s democracy cannot be ignored. Other reports suggest the sprinkler system may have been “tampered” with, or was faulty. If “tampered” with, then the arrested man, if convicted, would surely be responsible for that? However,…

REV. Mark.H. Stephenson | CAPE TOWN MOST of the tributes surrounding the life and legacy of the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu point to the loss of a moral compass. What does this mean? We carry three takeaways that guide and help us process a way forward to meet the future without Desmond Tutu. The first takeaway is the pattern of his life. Desmond Tutu was a prophet, preacher, pastor, politician, peacemaker, poverty reliever, pugilist, psalmist, a presence, and an acted parable of transformation. He was bold in his prophecies, mediating as a priest, guiding as a pastor, disturbing as a politician, respected as a peacemaker, trusted as a poverty reliever, defensive as a pugilist, artistic as a psalmist, purple in his presence, and true to the…

Koert Meyer It's that time of the year again. New Year resolutions are flying around thick and fast. Needless to say, only to be broken soon after being made. But what about political parties, churches, mosques, synagogues, temples and wherever else human beings form organised groups? All these entities play critical roles in our lives. Shouldn't they also bind themselves to New Year resolutions, especially now that our country is once again on its knees? Soon after the start of the Second World War, many countries were faced with which side to join. If ever our country was divided right down the middle, it was when faced with the moral decision to either help to defeat or resist the mighty evil force of Nazism. Our parliament failed dismally…

Riyadh: Yemeni rebels have seized an Emirati-flagged vessel in the Red Sea, the insurgents and a Saudi-led coalition said yesterday, giving contrasting explanations for the latest escalation in a seven-year war. The coalition, fighting in support of Yemen’s internationally recognised government, said the vessel was carrying medical supplies but the rebels said they seized “a military cargo ship with military equipment”. The coalition has been fighting for nearly seven years in support of Yemen’s government against the Iran-backed Huthis, in a conflict that has displaced millions and created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, according to the UN. “The militia must promptly release the ship, or the coalition forces will undertake all necessary measures and procedures to handle this violation, including the use of force if necessary,” coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki…

SAO PAULO: Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was hospitalised yesterday with an intestinal blockage and may need to undergo surgery in the latest complication from a 2018 stabbing. Bolsonaro said he started feeling unwell on Sunday after lunch. “More tests will be conducted for a potential surgery on an internal obstruction in the abdominal region,” Bolsonaro posted on Twitter, with a photo of himself giving a thumbs-up in his hospital bed. It was his second hospitalisation since he was stabbed in 2018. Vila Nova Star hospital said he was in a “stable condition”.…

The US-led coalition against the Islamic State group in Iraq yesterday shot down two armed drones targeting a compound at Baghdad airport hosting its personnel, a coalition official said. The incident, which was not claimed by any group, came two years after a US drone strike near the airport killed Iran’s revered General Qassem Soleimani and his Iraqi lieutenant. “Two fixed-wing suicide drones, or improvised cruise missiles, attempted to attack Baghdad Airport this morning at approximately 4.30am” (3.30 time), the official said. A counter-rocket, artillery and mortar, or C-RAM, system “at the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Centre engaged them and they were shot down without incident,” added the source, speaking on condition of anonymity. The BDSC compound houses “a very small number of coalition troops who are not in a…

KIGALI: Rwanda is one of only seven African countries that have achieved the World Health Organization’s (WHO) target of vaccinating 40% of their populations against Covid-19 by the end of December, the global health agency has said. WHO put forward the goal at the start of 2021, but only about 9% of people on the continent have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 so far. According to Rwanda’s health ministry, as of December 31, 7.6 million of the population aged 12 and above had received at least one dose of the vaccine, while over 5.3 million had received two doses and 111 681 have received booster shots, Xinhua reported.…

Herman Gibbs With the second half of the PSL's season due to start in a few weeks, Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams has urged players to work hard at their clubs so as to be in good shape for the international matches when they come around. The next Fifa window will be late March. CAF have scheduled the 2022 World Cup final qualifying round for that slot with 10 teams playing for the five slots allocated to the continent for the showpiece event in Qatar in November. The outcome of Safa's appeal to Fifa is still unknown. Last December, Fifa dismissed the appeal to replay the match against Ghana, but the national association appealed that verdict. It is unlikely that Fifa will change its initial decision, and Safa will be…

Bang Showbiz Chrissy Teigen has sprouted new hairs after undergoing an eyebrow transplant. The 36-year-old model recently took to Instagram to enthuse about the procedure, which involves transplanting hair from the “back of your head” to the brows to create a fuller look, after years of overplucking the facial feature as a teen. Teigen wrote: “I never wear make-up if I can avoid it, so I was so excited for this eyebrow transplant surgery where they take hairs from the back of your head!” And she has now updated her 36.4 million followers on the progress in a clip showing off the new hairs that have sprouted. She captioned the video: “welcome, new brow hairs!” Many fans commented on how glowing the brunette beauty’s skin was looking, with Hollywood actress…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za A LIMPOPO taxi owner who was allegedly conned when he bought a minibus – not knowing that the vehicle still belonged to the bank – successfully turned to the court when, under duress, he had to surrender his newly-bought vehicle. Koketso Tlou Mantikwe was busy transporting commuters in Polokwane when a tracer, appointed by Absa Bank, suddenly stopped him and demanded the vehicle back. The tracer told Mantikwe that the Toyota HiAce belonged to the bank and not to him. Mantikwe, who had paid R310 000 for his taxi and had the registration papers to prove it, tried to explain that he was the legal owner of the vehicle. He was, however, told by the tracing agent that he was, in all probability, conned as the…

Chevon Booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za THE TOWN of Piketberg is reeling in shock after a police officer allegedly shot and killed his girlfriend in front of her son and family earlier this week. This comes just days after another gender-based violence attack where a 10-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a 29-year-old man. Natasha Booise, 35, who would have celebrated her birthday today, was allegedly killed at about 7pm by her off-duty police officer lover in Piketberg Main Road on Sunday. The man handed himself over to police shortly after the incident and is expected to appear in the Piketberg Magistrate’s Court today on a charge of murder. The matter is being investigated by Ipid, said spokesperson Grace Langa. Booise was declared dead on the scene and her body was transported to…

Farouk Araie | BENONI The latest road rage incident in Limpopo, where two people lost their lives, clearly illustrates how intolerant we are. Road rage is on the increase on our roads, leading to obnoxious behaviour and deaths as a result of anger. Anger can be very quick, powerful and reactive and can make us do things we typically wouldn’t do. There is nothing inherently wrong with anger as an emotion, but nowhere is anger less helpful, more common and potentially more dangerous than when we are behind the wheel of a car. Road rage impacts everybody on the road. Anger and the illusion of control are a dangerous combination. Diffused responsibility, emotional arousal and sensory overload can cause a normal, safe driver to get involved in a road rage…

Odwa Mkentane odwa.mkentane@inl.co.za ANOTHER death of an initiate in the Eastern Cape has been recorded, this time in the Chris Hani District Municipality, bringing the total number of deaths to 12 in the region this initiation season. Six deaths were reported at the Emalahleni Local Municipality, four in Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality, and two in Sakhisizwe Local Municipality. Last month, the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) said at least 27 boys had died in the province so far. Chris Hani District Municipality Council speaker Jongumzi Cengani said the district municipality has strengthened support to the district Initiation Forum and they are “hard at work”, working with “all relevant structures”. “The teams are busy across the district monitoring initiation schools, adherence to health protocols and ensuring intervention of…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za SUPPORTIVE listening and allowing vaccine-hesitant patients to express their fears and concerns while being respectful and patient, provided them space to think about their decisions. This is according to research published in the SA Medical Journal on Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy, anti-vaxxers and supporting healthcare workers to navigate the unvaccinated. Authors Jackie Hoare of UCT and the University of Plymouth and Marc Mendelson and Louise Frenkel of UCT found that understanding individuals’ reasons for their reluctance to be vaccinated against Covid-19 is useful, but a more helpful approach may be to identify the psychological processes that characterise and distinguish vaccine-hesitant individuals from anti-vaxxers. “Our experience of anti-vaxxers admitted to Covid-19 wards at Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH), as well as the anti-vaccine protest staged outside the hospital on August…

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s choice of Pretoria Judge Narandran “Jody” Kollapen as our next Constitutional Court judge is a brilliant choice for our fiercely independent judiciary. There is a sad but common misconception in our society that time and energy contributed to others is time and energy lost. Rare is the individual with the proper perspective to recognise that we may give without losing and that it is often in giving that we gain. Judge Kollapen is such an individual. His carefully reasoned and beautifully crafted opinions are models of the art of judging. His opinions will continue to inspire legions of jurists to follow in his way. Many know him for his fairness, judicial restraint, and eloquent and influential opinions. The nation should always be grateful for his integrity and…

Five Syrian soldiers were killed and 20 wounded when the Islamic State (IS) militants targeted their bus in eastern Syria overnight on Sunday, state news agency Sana reported yesterday. The IS missile attack targeted the military bus near an oil station in the Syrian desert region between Homs and Deir al-Zour provinces in eastern Syria, said Sana, citing a military source. It further charged that the IS militants had repeatedly carried out such attacks from the area that is controlled by the US forces in the al-Tanf region. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the Syrian government forces sent military back-up and dozens of soldiers to the desert region the previous day. Since 2019, a total of 1 625 government forces and allied fighters have been killed by…

LONDON: Prince Andrew’s struggle to have the sex abuse civil lawsuit filed against him by an alleged Jeffrey Epstein victim thrown out continues, as a New York court yesterday unsealed a confidential 2009 deal between the late tycoon and Virginia Giuffre (née Roberts). The defence team of the Duke of York believe the agreement the accuser struck with the convicted paedophile could shield him from a public trial. In December, judges had ordered the unsealing of the settlement by January 3 unless there was “good cause” for it to remain secret. Epstein’s estate had earlier agreed to let the Duke of York review the agreement, but court approval was required. Prince Andrew’s lawyer, Andrew Brettler, has claimed the deal gives “a general release of all claims against him and…

AMSTERDAM: Over two dozen people were arrested in Amsterdam during a protest against Covid-19 restrictions; and four law enforcement officers were injured, the Dutch police said. Thousands of Dutch protesters, unhappy with the new Covid-19 lockdown, on Sunday defied a ban on gatherings and demonstrated in Museum Square, despite an order from Mayor Femke Halsema who declared the area off-limits to the public. The Dutch police said “a total of 30 suspects were arrested” for public order violations, assault and weapon possession. Four police officers were injured in clashes with the demonstrators.…

SEOUL: South Korean President Moon Jae-in vowed yesterday to use his last months in office to press for a diplomatic breakthrough with North Korea, despite public silence from Pyongyang over his attempts for a declaration of peace between the two sides. “The government will pursue normalisation of inter-Korean relations and an irreversible path to peace until the end,” Moon said in his New Year’s address. “I hope efforts for dialogue will continue in the next administration too.” In his own address on New Year’s Eve, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made no mention of Moon’s calls for a declaration officially ending the 1950-1953 Korean War.…

Droves of armoured vehicles are patrolling the streets of Limbe in Cameroon's conflict-torn South West Region ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations starting on Sunday that separatist militants have vowed to disrupt. Cameroon is hosting the tournament in six cities, but security is potentially most at threat in Limbe, a city on the tropical Atlantic coast whose surrounding region has been rocked by armed attacks since war broke out in 2017. The conflict, in which armed groups are trying to form a breakaway state called Ambazonia, has killed at least 3 000 people and forced nearly one million to flee. Violence has worsened this year as separatists increase their use of improvised explosives. "My fear ... is that the recent phenomenon of bomb blasts which have been happening in…

IANS The online dating community is not far behind in terms of ringing in the New Year, and they have some exciting things in the works. QuackQuack, which just passed the 15 million user mark in India, ran a short poll among 50 000 of its users to map the preparations of newly formed couples and discovered some fascinating statistics. The poll brought out some interesting dating trends ahead of the New Year, the key takeaways are summarised below: When ‘We’ Meet 75% of men and 56% of women are really eager to meet their partner/match in the New Year. The remaining 25% of men and 44% of women would prefer to continue virtual dating/video calling because they were concerned about the new Covid-19 pandemic variant Omicron. From…

Chevon Booysen Chevon.booysen@inl.co.za THE DEPARTMENT of Fisheries, Forestry and the Environment’s (DFFE) recently reopened the Online Application System for the Fishing Rights Allocation Process (FRAP) for registered users and current applicants, will close later this month. The reopening of the system on December 28 last year, does not apply to new applicants and will close at midnight on January 28, DFFE said. However, Saldanha Bay Westcoast Black Business Alliance (BBA) spokesperson Sammy Claassen said the department was ill-prepared for the process and that a month extension was not sufficient. He said this disadvantaged small-scale fishers who did not have access to online resources. “The public participation consultation process was rushed and inadequate and we are of the opinion that the department and ministry lack knowledge and expertise to deal sufficiently…

Chevon Booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za JUST HOURS after the fire at Parliament seemed to have been tamed, a sudden flare-up in the late afternoon saw emergency services responding to the scene again after firefighting staff were withdrawn yesterday morning. Last night officials said the wind was getting steadily stronger and had ignited the smouldering wood inside the roof void space, parts of which were not accessible for dousing or dampening. Firefighters aimed to contain the blaze above the fourth and fifth floors. City Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said: “The fire at Parliament has flared up. The void beneath the roof sheeting of the National Assembly (was) on fire.” Six firefighting appliances, as well as the hydraulic platform from the Roeland Street fire station, and 34 firefighters, responded to the…

Barbie Sandler | CONSTANTIA LOVELY story of the four little cubs born to the cheetah mom at the Congo wildlife ranch. It is amazing, the people who do conservation in our country. Well done to them. However, it wasn’t clear in the article if once the cubs are removed from the mom at two weeks, if she gets to see them again? One understands in the wild the mortality rate is high, but just a few questions I have for management. Perhaps they can be answered. If the cubs are taken away from the mother does she grieve for them? She has just been through a pregnancy, has breast-fed and suddenly her babies are gone? How do the babies learn the way of the wild if taken…

Staff writer THE Independent Allocation of Vaccines Group (IAVG) has issued a set of recommendations to make the allocation of Covid-19 vaccines more equitable and effective in a push to meet a 70% global Covid-19 immunisation coverage goal by mid-2022. The group was established a year ago to validate and assess vaccine allocations recommended by the World Health Organization and Gavi Alliance Joint Allocation Taskforce (JAT) of Covax. “Since then, much has changed. Covax was envisioned to be the world’s primary distributor of Covid-19 vaccines, with IAVG serving as an independent referee for needs-based allocations. But rich nations largely sidestepped Covax, hoarding doses for their own populations and cutting deals directly with low-and middle-income countries. This has made subsequent allocation decisions even more challenging,” IAVG said. The group said they…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za THE family of little Enkosi Nkolisa who went missing in Crossroads and was later found knocked down by a car along the R300 highway, has laid their child to rest. However it remains a mystery who the man was who allegedly claimed to be the two year old’s father and disappeared with him. Enkosi went missing on December 16 at about 5pm wearing a yellow top and blue denim pants. He was last seen by a neighbour in the Lloyd Informal Settlement. The following day a toddler’s body was found on the road, but Enkosi’s family were not aware of the incident and continued a frantic search for him throughout the weekend. They identified the body on December 22 and the toddler was buried on Thursday. When…

Take up Graça Machel’s challenge to make a difference like the late Arch People often ask me nowadays what are the best and worst things about adopting New Year resolutions and sharing them with others. A simple answer is “other people in my life”. These people are the best thing because so many pray for me and my family, and take the trouble to write and express support. They have the sense to read between the lines of regular reports throughout the year with details on progress registered. That way, I maintain a strong circle of loving accountability partners to help me attain my yearly milestones. Yes, last year has flown by. It seems like only yesterday that we each had adopted New Year resolutions – and deftly found…

SERIOUS questions have to be asked about the current administration’s commitment to safeguarding important government institutions after a fire broke out at the National Assembly on Sunday. Speaking in a press briefing, Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille announced that the police’s protection services had arrested a suspect in connection with the incident. While it is reassuring that the police have made a swift arrest, we sincerely hope that they have enough evidence that will lead to the successful prosecution of the suspect. This incident has contributed to the trust deficit that members of the public have in the government’s ability to protect its citizens, its infrastructure and its strategic buildings. People no longer trust the State to keep them safe from harm, and the destruction of parliament…

POLICE in northern Niger have seized more than 200kg of cocaine worth around $8.7 million (about R138m)that was being transported in the local mayor’s official truck, two police sources said yesterday. The mayor and his driver, who were in the vehicle at the time, were arrested with 199 bricks of cocaine at a checkpoint on the road heading north out of the desert trading hub of Agadez on Sunday, the sources said. Niger’s Central Office for the Repression of Illicit Drug Trafficking confirmed that there had been a record seizure of more than 200kg of cocaine in Agadez, but did not give details. West Africa, most often a transit route for illegal drugs on the way from South America to Europe, has registered a series of record busts in recent…

THE resignation of Sudan’s prime minister leaves the military in full command and threatens a return to the repressive policies of the ousted regime of strongman Omar al-Bashir, analysts say. After months of street protests and violent crackdowns that have claimed at least 57 lives, observers fear more bloodshed ahead after premier Abdalla Hamdok stepped down late on Sunday. In his farewell address, Hamdok said he had tried to prevent Sudan “from sliding toward disaster” but that it was now at a “dangerous crossroads threatening its very survival”. “Hamdok’s resignation has left the military in sole command of the country,” said Magdi al-Gizouli of think tank the Rift Valley Institute. “Protesters will take to the streets again and will be left to face more violence.” Since its independence from Britain…

PORT-AU-PRINCE: A failed attempt to assassinate the prime minister of Haiti, Ariel Henry, took place on Sunday at a church in the city of Gonaives during a mass dedicated to the 218th anniversary of the country’s independence, the VTV broadcaster reported. The report said armed people opened fire at the prime minister. At least one person was killed and several others wounded. Henry was not injured. Local gangs had warned the prime minister against attending any events in Gonaives. Following the failed assassination attempt, the authorities cancelled all other events dedicated to the anniversary of independence.…

Australia’s cricketing chiefs said yesterday they were assisting a police investigation into shock allegations that an under-19 cricketer was sexually assaulted while on tour in India and Sri Lanka in the 1980s. Cricket Australia said it supported ex-Australian under-19 player Jamie Mitchell, who claims he was raped on the tour by a team official. “We applaud the courage of Jamie Mitchell in speaking out,” the governing body said. Mitchell said he was sexually assaulted in Colombo on the last night of the tour in 1985. The team official named denied wrongdoing and no charges have been laid.…

A demoralised England have vowed to salvage some pride when their shambolic and Covid-hit Ashes tour resumes in the fourth Test at Sydney tomorrow. Joe Root's men face another difficult clash against a rampant Australia, who crushed them by an innings and 14 runs inside three days in the third Test at Melbourne to retain the Ashes with an unassailable 3-0 lead. It followed heavy defeats in Brisbane and Adelaide, where batting collapses, poor fielding and questionable selections cost the tourists dearly. They are facing a 5-0 whitewash, although rain forecast for Sydney could come to England's rescue. Veteran seamer Jimmy Anderson admitted that "the lads are pretty flat at the minute, if I'm being brutally honest". "It can be difficult, especially for guys experiencing the Ashes for the first…