Sommaire pour 2024-03-12 de Cape Times

Commission grants intervention rights to Sasol, Astron Energy and Numsa THE MERGED entity between Vitol Emerald Bidco and South Africa’s biggest filling station operator, Engen, will affect production and supply of refined petroleum products from local refineries, the Competition Commission said at a hearing of the Competition Tribunal yesterday. The Competition Tribunal is holding hearings into Vitol’s acquisition of Engen this week after granting intervention rights to Sasol South Africa, Astron Energy South Africa and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa). Yesterday, the Competition Commission said in its presentation to the hearing that it had “found evidence that the merger was likely to result in the foreclosure of local production, due to the loss of a significant customer” who is Engen. The commission wants the merger between…

THE Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) has cited objections raised relating to the gazetting of the Legal Sector Code (LSC) as the cause for the delay in having the Code with its amendments gazetted. This comes as the Black Business Council (BBC) has thrown its weight behind the black legal groups which have hauled minister Ebrahim Patel to court for delaying the gazetting of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) LSC since 2021. Patel has been taken to the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria by the Black Conveyancers Association (BCA), the Black Lawyers Association (BLA), the National Association of Democratic Lawyers (NADEL) and the Pan African Bar Association of South Africa (PABASA) in which they want the court to declare Patel’s failure to gazette the LSC as unlawful. BBC…

THE Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF) is back with a bang and set to ignite stages and connect music lovers in May. This year’s festival re-emerges on May 3 and 4 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) to deliver a musical experience that has been sorely missed. Four reimagined stages will welcome artists and festivalgoers for Africa’s premier jazz celebration. Formerly known as Kippies, Moses Molelekwa, and Rosies, these stages now bear the names of Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald respectively, add a new outside stage Topaz, and the scene is set for a sparkling showcase of both seasoned maestros and rising stars from across the globe. Lindsay Rhoda, head of Talent at CTIJF said: “We have worked hard over the past few months to compile a programme that…

Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said the Greater Lanseria master plan had been developed by a multidisciplinary team as the first phase of the smart city President Cyril Ramaphosa envisaged five years ago. Kubayi said significant investment was still required for bulk infrastructure in the area. She said the City of Joburg has invested about R29 million of the Urban Settlements Development Grant towards the Lanseria wastewater treatment works and the Lanseria sewer outfall. “The City of Johannesburg has processed the necessary approvals for urban planning as required for planned development. This component is also registered under the water and sanitation project pipeline of Infrastructure South Africa (ISA),” she said. “While this has been achieved, ISA reported that the human settlements component was not approved due to the lack of…

On Friday, the world observed International Women’s Day (IWD), the annual ritual of assessing the progress towards gender equality in the manifold socio-economic sectors especially in the workplace, the boardroom, health policy and practice, income disparity and pay gaps, political representation, gender-responsive budgeting, agriculture and more recently even in climate, ESG (environmental, social and governance) and renewable energy cohorts. The fact that we indulge in this perennial soul-searching playbook suggests that the gender equality ecosystem remains a work in progress, albeit patronisingly slow in any meaningful transformative impact. The reality for billions of women is that in societies across the world, including the West, shaking off patriarchy rooted in the very beginning of human existence as symbolised by the Abrahamic faith traditions and subsequently nurtured by over two millennia…

US, Canadian, French and Caribbean envoys were meeting yesterday in Jamaica to address the spiraling instability in Haiti, where gang violence has crippled the capital and forced foreign diplomats to evacuate over the weekend. Armed groups, which already control much of Port-au-Prince as well as roads leading to the rest of the country, have unleashed havoc in recent days as they try to oust Prime Minister Ariel Henry. In power since the 2021 assassination of president Jovenel Moise, Henry had been visiting Kenya, in search of support for a UN-backed security support mission, when the latest burst of violence broke out. Unable to return to Haiti last week, he instead landed in the US territory of Puerto Rico, where he remained yesterday, according to a US official. The Caricom…

CATHERINE, Britain’s Princess of Wales, issued an apology on social media yesterday for “any confusion” caused by an edited photograph which had been issued by her office Kensington Palace the previous day. Several leading news organisations including Reuters withdrew the picture of Kate, 42, posing with her three children after post-publication analysis showed it did not meet their editorial standards. Reuters picture editors said part of the sleeve of Kate’s daughter’s cardigan did not line up properly, suggesting the image had been altered. “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” the message on X said, signed with a “C”. Kensington Palace said the photo had been taken by her husband, heir to the throne Prince William, last week. It was the first official photograph of Kate…

NEW YORK: Adults who use marijuana daily are 25% more likely to have a heart attack than those who don’t use it, according to research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. The study also found a 42% increased likelihood of stroke. The findings were based on data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2016 through to 2020 from 434 104 US residents, ages 18 to 74. Of the participants, 4% were daily cannabis users and 7% used it about five days a month. The study found that cardiovascular risks were still present for those who used cannabis less often – a 3% increased risk for heart attack compared with non-users. | The Washington Post…

Hong Kong: Bitcoin hit a fresh record above $71 000 (about R1.3 million) yesterday as demand for the cryptocurrency picks up amid optimism that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates this year. The unit hit a peak of $71 432 in afternoon Asian business, according to Bloomberg data, meaning it has advanced almost 70% this year. The rally was helped by news that Britain’s Financial Conduct Authority had said it would allow the creation of crypto-related securities. That comes after US authorities gave the green light this year to exchange-traded funds pegged to bitcoin’s spot price, persuading some mainstream investors to add the unit to their portfolio. | AFP…

Percy Tau, one of South Africa’s favourite players, was a notable omission from the Bafana Bafana squad named on Monday, but fans will be pleased with the call-up for the exciting Orlando Pirates central midfielder Patrick ‘Tito’ Maswanganyi. Tau was hopelessly off-colour at the recent Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast and his exclusion is not unexpected because the squad will be playing friendlies rather than competitive matches. Coach Hugo Broos has decided to let him stay with Al Ahly in Egypt and enjoy a break from the international scene. Instead, Broos has named 10 new players, including three uncapped players, in his 23-man squad for the upcoming international friendlies later this month. The 58th world-ranked Bafana will face Andorra (ranked 164th) at the 19 May 1956 Stadium in…

FAIRTREE, a relatively young asset management firm based in Bellville, Western Cape, has outperformed the major players in South Africa’s investment industry to win the coveted South African Manager of the Year trophy at the annual Raging Bull Awards gala dinner, held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on Monday. The event recognised outstanding performance to the end of 2023 by unit trust fund managers in selecting investments for their portfolios, taking into account consistency and aversion to risk. The Manager of the Year awards are based on the risk-adjusted performance of a manager’s suite of quali- fying unit trust funds, as determined by the PlexCrown Fund Ratings system, over a five-year period. The runners-up in the South African Manager of the Year race were last year’s winner, PSG…

Strength training is a type of physical exercise that involves using weights to build muscle strength, endurance and power. It is an essential component of any fitness routine, offering a wide range of benefits. Here are some of the top advantages of incorporating strength training into your workout regimen. One of the most obvious benefits is the ability to build muscle mass. This not only helps improve your overall strength and endurance, but also boosts your metabolism, making it easier to maintain a healthy weight. Strength training has been shown to increase bone density, reducing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures later in life. By putting stress on your bones through resistance exercises, you can strengthen them and improve their overall health. Whether you’re an athlete looking to improve your…

A MEMBER of the ANC and the SACP has been left in limbo after the ANC provincial executive committee (PEC) in the Western Cape made an about-turn on her deployment to the provincial legislature. Pamela Harris, who serves as an additional member in the SACP PEC, was earmarked to fill the position left vacant by former ANC MPL Mesuli Kama, who resigned last month. Harris, who has resigned from her employment to take up the seat as an MPL, was apparently next in line to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term until the May 29 elections. It would be the second time Harris misses out on taking an MPL post. She was also dubbed as most likely when she was next on the candidate list to replace…

ANC senior provincial member Andile Lili believes the party’s “step-aside rule”, which was imposed in his case until last week, was used to block him from being nominated to serve as a public representative after the May 29 elections. Lili was asked to “step aside” from party or government activities or face suspension after being criminally charged. The Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court acquitted Lili on common assault charges in December while he escaped jail time when he paid a R6 000 fine in the Bellville Regional Court following his conviction on a count of incitement to murder, assault and violating the Gatherings Act for utterances made about seven years ago during a protest. ANC provincial secretary Neville Delport wrote to Lili on Friday to inform him of the decision. “Please be…

The first wife of the late King Goodwill Zwelithini, Queen Sibongile Dlamini-Zulu, has lost her Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) bid to be declared the only lawful wife of the late king. The queen turned to the SCA to appeal the Pietermaritzburg High Court judgment that dismissed her application to have 50% of the estate of the Zulu King set aside for her. The aftermath of the death of King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu Zulu (the late Isilo) was marred by litigation between members of the Zulu royal family. This appeal is a sequel to one of these legal disputes. Queen Sibongile had sought a declaratory order stating that she was married to the late Isilo in terms of civil law, in community of property and profit and loss, and that…

A married couple from the Democratic Republic of Congo are no longer listed as “prohibited persons” after they were victorious in their bid at the Western Cape High Court. The couple were accused of having obtained visas fraudulently after applying for temporary asylum seeker and work permits in 2016. That year in April, the wife had applied for the permit which authorised her to work in South Africa. She then obtained employment and thereafter obtained a work visa through an agent recommended by work colleagues. According to court documents, her employer at the time questioned the legitimacy of the permit as the date of issue reflected 2015 but after a verification process, the Department of Home Affairs “reported that the work visa was not issued by it and was a…

THE Department of Justice and Constitutional Development was unable to pay R48 million to service providers, making it the main culprit in terms of national government departments failing to comply with timely payments. While the Justice department should be ensuring that everyone abides by legal provisions, they had 4 554 late invoices, the Public Service Commission (PSC) said in expressing its disappointment. According to the PSC, Public Works and Infrastructure owed R8.4m and the National Department of Health owed R8.2m. Commissioner Anele Gxoyiya brief- ed the media yesterday on the quarterly Pulse of the Public Service bulletin. Twenty-three departments were un- able to comply with timeous payment of invoices amounting to R1 billion. “What is of great concern, out of 40 national departments, only 17 fully complied with the requirement…

Recently, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga announced the schedule for the election of school governing bodies (SGBs), which is to take place from March 1 to 31. However, it is worrying that a lack of parental participation, particularly in township and rural communities, has hampered this crucial process. Parental participation in the election of SGBs is not merely a box-ticking exercise, but a fundamental aspect of ensuring quality education for our children. These governing bodies serve as a bridge between the school, the community and the government, and make decisions that directly affect the learning environment and educational outcomes. The absence of parental involvement in SGB elections poses a significant threat to improving education in underprivileged government schools. Education spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga has rightly warned that if parents fail to…

President Emmanuel Macron yesterday faced criticism from French medical workers and the Catholic Church over a draft bill his government plans to present to parliament in May that would allow assisted dying for certain terminally-ill patients. The centrist leader announced the plan to submit the bill in newspaper interviews published on Sunday, insisting there would be “strict conditions” on allowing people to self-administer a lethal substance, or call on a relative or medical worker if they are incapable. The move comes after France’s parliament last week enshrined the right to abortion in the constitution, a widely-popular move championed by the president and a world first. “There are cases we can’t humanly accept,” Macron told Catholic newspaper La Croix and left-wing Liberation, saying the “brotherly” law “looks death in the face”.…

STOCKHOLM: Greta Thunberg and dozens of other environmental campaigners blocked the main entrances to Sweden’s parliament yesterday in a sit-down protest against the effects of climate change and what they said was political inaction. Thunberg said they were protesting “against the ongoing destruction of our life-supporting systems and of people already being killed as a result of the climate crisis. That needs to come to an end. We have had enough”, she said, accusing politicians of inaction in the face of global warming. “We are staying here for now,” she added. Last year Thunberg was detained by police or removed from protests in Sweden, Norway and Germany. A British court last month acquitted her of charges of a public order offence. | Reuters…

WELLINGTON: At least 50 people were hurt when a Boeing 787 operated by LATAM Airlines LTM.SN dropped abruptly mid-flight from Sydney to Auckland yesterday, according to the airline and a New Zealand health service organisation that treated the injured. The aircraft landed at Auckland airport as scheduled yesterday afternoon, according to FlightAware. One person was in a serious condition while the rest suffered injuries, said a spokesperson for Hato Hone St John, which treated about 50 people at the airport. The cause of the change of trajectory could not be ascertained. Experts say most plane accidents are caused by many factors that need to be investigated. | Reuters…

When a 17-year-old Jonathan Bird struck an undefeated 143 not out for South Africa Under-19 to seal a Youth ODI series victory over their English counterparts in Gosforth back in 2018, the Bishops prodigy had everyone earmarking him as the next Graeme Smith. Bird was indeed tall and left-handed but possibly a touch more elegant at the crease. The excitement grew even further when Bird starred on his List A debut for Western Province with a maiden century several months later. Unfortunately, for Bird, he has not been able to maintain the momentum on a consistent basis. The talent and potential are still there, but he has not been able to produce the numbers that gets everyone to sit up and take notice and hence missed out on being signed…

IT HAS BECOME very difficult to distinguish an authentic product from a fake product. Fake goods manufacturers have become so advanced that consumers are fooled into buying a product assuming they are buying an original version. In South Africa, this has resulted in people dying from eating expired goods sourced from traders who presented them to the market as authentic products. Authorities have attempted to curb this challenge; however, their efforts have failed. Now, there’s a tech solution to the fake goods challenge. As the world is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the barcode, the organisation GS1 that brought us the barcode was in South Africa to launch what it’s called Verified by GS1. Essentially, GS1 (non-profit entity) has brought the barcode and QR code together to assist consumers with…

Transporters say that there are still major delays at the Port of Durban in spite of interventions by Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA). TNPA said that the huge influx of trucks into the Port of Durban has led the authority to announce a R233 million investment to rehabilitate roads at the port. Chris Moodley, director of freight company KZN Customs Clearing and Forwarding, said they had been engaging with the Transnet Port Terminals for a long time now on the issues that they faced. “Management promised to make changes but failed dismally to improve their services. It’s always the same excuse – equipment challenges. “What happened to the R47 billion bail-out plan approved in December? Where are these parts and new equipment three months down the line?” he questioned.…

Electoral body taken to task over not providing ‘sufficient details’ THE Electoral Commission (IEC) says investigations into the leaking of the ANC and uMkhonto weSizwe’s (MKP) candidate lists identified the workstation used to generate and store the reports. “Later, the said reports were deleted from the workstation. Earlier yesterday the workstation was secured and imaged in the presence of the staff member whose credentials were used to generate the reports. “A forensic analysis of the computer is currently underway,” said IEC Chief Electoral Office Sy Mamabolo. He was speaking during a media briefing yesterday following concerns about how the party lists made it to the public after they were submitted Friday. The Information Regulator is taking the IEC to task over not providing “sufficient details” to…

AFTER spending about a year and a half of his life sentence behind bars, the name of a Pretoria businessman who shot dead two members of the so-called Concerned Tshwane Residents group, has been cleared. The Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, on appeal found that Muhamed Sajid Khan acted in self defence when he fired two shots, killing Mamelodi businessman and activist Kabelo Matlala and bystander Avela Mbewu on February 1, 2020. The court, in overturning his conviction and sentence, ordered Khan’s immediate release. On the day of the incident, members of the organisation went to one of Khan's properties in Luttig Street, Pretoria West, to verify whether he was the registered owner of the property. Khan said he had fired shots that day in self-defence but in June 2022, Judge…

Israel was checking yesterday if Hamas’s second-highest military leader died in an air strike, media said, as talks stumbled to secure a ceasefire in the Gaza war to coincide with the Muslim holy month of Ramadaan. If his death is confirmed, Marwan Issa would be the highest-ranking official from the Islamist militant movement taken out by Israel in the more than 5-month war that has pulverised the Palestinian enclave and killed thousands. Israeli Army Radio said Israel had bombed the Al-Nusseirat camp in central Gaza on Saturday night, where it had intelligence about the location of Issa, second-in-command of Hamas’s military wing, the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades. The attack killed five people, the report said. Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Israel was checking if the fatalities included Issa. Neither the…

YESTERDAY, 56 of the world’s largest countries and smallest islands, across six oceans, stood united to celebrate the shared values for Commonwealth Day. Commonwealth Day is traditionally celebrated on the second Monday in March. The theme for this year’s Commonwealth Day and the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is ‘One Resilient Common Future: Transforming our Common Wealth’. More than 56 nations will celebrate the occasion throughout this week, with representatives attending an event at the Commonwealth Secretariat’s headquarters in London. This year was especially significant as the modern Commonwealth will celebrate its 75th anniversary in April. At a Commonwealth prime ministers’ meeting in London on April 26, 1949, the London Declaration said that republics and other independent countries could be equal members of the Commonwealth. King Charles III said…

SION: Helicopters were combing an area near the Matterhorn Mountain in Switzerland yesterday to find a missing skier after five other members of the party were found dead after “catastrophic” conditions. The cross-country skiers, five of them members of the same family from the Valais canton, went missing around Tête Blanche Mountain on Saturday on the Zermatt-Arolla path. Authorities have not given the cause of death for the five but described “catastrophic” conditions with avalanches, snow storms and extreme temperatures. But the search party had to turn back late on Saturday within 500m of the missing group’s last reported altitude due to storms and heavy snowfall. | Reuters…

LISBON: Portugal’s centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD) won Sunday’s general election by a slim margin and is preparing to govern without an outright majority after the far-right Chega party warned of instability if it is not included in government. With 99.1% of the vote counted, the AD won 79 seats in the 230-seat legislature, followed by the Socialists with 76 seats, prompting them to concede defeat. Chega came third, quadrupling its parliamentary representation to 48 MPs on a clean governance and anti-immigration platform. Chega voters said the country was in a bad way and they wanted changes in housing, education and healthcare. | Reuters…

Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez said his team’s injury woes are no excuse ahead of the clash with Napoli in the Champions League tonight. The Catalans are aiming to reach the quarter-finals of the competition they last won in 2015, with the tie level at 1-1 after the first leg in Italy. Xavi is missing three key midfielders in Pedri, Gavi and Frenkie de Jong, as well as Ferran Torres and Alejandro Balde. However, the coach said his team could not use that as mitigation for failure and demanded a “magic night” at the club’s temporary Olympic Stadium home on the city’s Montjuic hill. “It’s the moment to be able to reach the quarter-finals, for four years we haven’t got to the last eight of the Champions League, I see it…

SuperSport United are expected to be excited at the prospect of ending rivals Mamelodi Sundowns DStv Premiership invincibility. The Brazilians and Matsatsantsa will collide at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium tonight (7.30pm) in another instalment of the Tshwane derby. Sundowns, as expected, have run through most teams put in front of them in the Premiership on their way to opening up a 12-point gap at the top of the standings. Coach Rulani Mokwena has seen his team win 14 of the 17 matches they’ve played so far with the other three ending in draws. However, Mokwena will remember that their next opponents are one of just two teams that beat Sundowns last season, a slip-up they’ll be eager to avoid. SuperSport United veteran and captain Onismor Bhasera spoke ahead of their…