Índice para 2022-03-23 em Cape Times

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za THE GOVERNMENT has called for calm and dispelled fears of possible food shortages in the country due to supply constraints as a result of Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine. Minister of Agriculture Thoko Dididza yesterday said there was no need to panic over the possibility of an impending food crisis as prices also continue to escalate. Didiza last week met with food processors, leaders in the fruit and grains industry, agricultural trading groups, and farmer associations to discuss availability of food supplies and farming inputs amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The engagement evaluated the availability of the food supplies and farming input supplies for the coming months. Didiza said that South Africa had sufficient supplies for the foreseeable future after benefiting from good harvests, and has already imported…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za STOR-AGE, South Africa’s largest self storage property fund, has acquired a four-property portfolio in England, its third acquisition there in 12 months, for £59 million (R1.16 billion) as part of a joint venture with the Moorfield Group. The portfolio, comprising modern, purpose-built properties in the south of England and the West Midlands, will add significant financial and operational scale to Stor-Age’s UK operations, Storage King, a statement said yesterday. Stor-Age chief executive Gavin Lucas said they made a strategic entry into the UK self-storage market a little more than four years ago, in November 2017. “Since then, we’ve seen Storage King deliver not only superb operating results year after year, but we have also seen it grow significantly, from 13 properties to 30, with a…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za CHILDREN in the Western Cape feel they are being failed, following shocking statistics of hunger that persists in their homes. This, as 13% of children in the province are living in households reporting insufficient food; 21% of them living in households reporting that meals were skipped due to insufficient funds or resources for food; and 74% of the children skipping meals for five or more days in a month before remuneration. The figures emerged from a provincial legislature question by ANC MPL Ntombezanele Gladys Bakubaku-Vos to Social Development MEC Sharna Fernandez about the prevalence of child hunger and food poverty in the province. “We are concerned; this has a devastating impact on children. “They need balanced nutrition for their well-being,” said Molo Songololo director Patric Solomons. “We…

Ingredients Method Glug olive oil 1 onion, sliced 1 packet (4) large leeks, sliced 1 tsp (5ml) mustard seeds, black or yellow 1 tsp (5ml) cumin seeds ½ tsp (3ml) ground coriander ½ tsp (3ml) ground cumin 1 packet (300g) baby spinach (or Swiss chard) 1 cup (250ml) frozen peas 2 cans (400g each) coconut milk 4-6 eggs ½ packet (10g) each dill and coriander, chopped Sesame seeds, for serving (optional) Yoghurt, for serving (optional) Heat oil in a pan and sauté onion and leeks until softened. Add spices and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in spinach, peas and coconut milk and simmer for 3-5 minutes to infuse and reduce. Create indents in the mixture and gently break eggs into the “nests”. Cover and simmer for 6-8 minutes for…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za NEWLY formed union Universities Alliance South Africa has welcomed what it described as a stance on Covid-19 vaccination by UCT’s Council as “free of force or coercion”. Council chairperson Babalwa Ngonyama announced that it had resolved that all members of the UCT community should declare their vaccination status on a voluntary basis. The council met recently to deliberate on a vaccine mandate policy after concluding a public participation process. It received recommendations from a vaccine mandate panel set up last year to drive a public consultation process and make representations that would help the institution to make the right decision. If a mandatory vaccination policy was adopted, it would have come into effect on April 1. “Council’s in-principle support for a vaccine mandate policy remains, but any…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za FOR 85-year-old Gertie Bottoman from Gugulethu, choosing a house instead of money as a form of restitution means leaving a tangible legacy for her family. Bottoman is among the 108 District Six land claimants who are expected to finally return home in about two weeks’ time after more than two decades of waiting. This is part of phase three of the District Six Development Project. Construction of the remaining 954 units will be carried out in two major phases to be completed in 2025. “I believe a house is a better investment. Not only will my children benefit but my great grandchildren. “Being removed was painful. “No one wanted to leave. We were happy here with our families. “It was a peaceful community. I’m happy to…

We hope for, but probably won’t get, the scrutinising Parliament we deserve In the current state of advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s impeachment politics as public protector, I belong to the smallest, saddest, most pessimistic faction. I’m a denialist. With almost a year to go before she finishes her seven-year term of office, I’m still shaking my head in disbelief – not a useful political act. I don’t accept this near mystical, emotionally charged path she is walking to an impeachment, largely defined by scathing court judgments that invalidated her most politically explosive reports. She claims her investigations into the Estina dairy farm scam, SA Reserve Bank, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s CR17 campaign, and the so-called SA Revenue Service (Sars) rogue unit – among others – were driven by a genuine desire to…

Washington must stop escalating tensions if it wishes to normalise ties with Moscow, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said yesterday. “They need to stop their escalation, both verbally and in terms of pumping the Kiev regime with weapons,” Ryabkov said, adding that the US must also stop threatening Russia, according to Russian media reports. “In the meantime, we are seeing a downward trend in relations,” said Ryabkov, who faults the US for the state of ties. “We regret this. However, this doesn’t have any effect on our determination to work towards achieving the goals of the special military operation and adapt to the circumstances resulting from US sanctions,” he said. The Kremlin also said it would like the ongoing negotiations with Kyiv aimed at ending Russia’s military action in…

IN AN unprecedented and extremely rare surgery in India, doctors at a Mumbai hospital removed cucumber-sized stones from a 70-year-old man’s right knee and made him mobile again. The patient – Laxmikant Madhekar, a labourer from Amravati – had been suffering from severe pain in the right knee for a year, preceded by swellings for the past decade or so. “It affected his overall mobility, difficulties in walking, climbing stairs, or even getting up after sitting,” said S.L. Raheja Hospital, Mahim’s consultant orthopedic and joint replacement surgeon Dr Siddharth M Shah. After the patient was admitted to the hospital, Shah conducted tests, diagnosed the problem as an extremely rare condition called “Multiple Giant Synovial Chondromatosis” of the knee joint, and prepared a suitable treatment plan for Madhekar. He explained that…

MADRID: Three Spanish truckers unions yesterday dismissed a government aid package and joined a one-week strike against rising fuel prices that is likely to aggravate a shortage of food products in supermarkets across the country. The three truckers unions opted to join the strike after they decided a E500 million (roughly R8 billion) government support package offered on Monday was vague and not enough to compensate for the soaring price of diesel. High energy costs have compounded general price increases, threatening to slow the post-pandemic economic recovery and generating social discontent in many countries.…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za RISING oil prices are expected to exert pressure on prices after all types of oil rose for the fourth consecutive day yesterday as the EU countries considered banning Russian oil imports in response to the war in Ukraine. The price of Brent crude oil climbed 3.7 percent to above $119.31 (R1 783) a barrel early yesterday before softening to $114.22 a barrel. The move followed a 7 percent jump on Monday as the potential for more supply disruptions weighed on the volatile markets. European foreign ministers yesterday were debating whether to join the US in sanctioning Russian oil, with some countries, including Germany, arguing that the bloc was too dependent on Russian energy. Oil prices were also pushed higher by reports that Houthi rebels…

Independent Media Investigations Unit Following a series of investigations, Independent Media can finally reveal who was involved and where Gosiame Sithole, the mother of the ‘Tembisa 10’ delivered her decuplets. Sithole, 49, made global headlines in June last year when the Pretoria News broke the story of her pregnancy. The story was at first welcomed for the celebration it should have been but was swiftly thereafter decried as “fake news”, prompting Independent Media to launch several investigations into the saga. Part of the investigations involved private investigators working independently of each other, Independent Media’s investigative unit of journalists and highly placed sources with intimate knowledge on the matter. Following several leads, multiple sources led Independent Media to obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Kazeem Okanlomo who is believed to have been involved…

Mayibongwe Maqhina mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa last night announced government’s intention to lift the National State of Disaster as soon as public comment on the health regulations published by the Minister of Health had been completed, adding that with these changes, almost all restrictions on social and economic activity would be lifted. He stressed that the end of the National State of Disaster did not mean the end of the pandemic. Two years after the restrictions were first announced, Ramaphosa said he country was now at a watershed moment. He said South Africa was now ready to enter a new phase in the management of the pandemic. “After four waves of infection, fewer people are becoming severely ill and requiring hospitalisation. There are far fewer deaths than before,” he…

Zama Ngcoya zama.ngcoya@inl.co.za E-HAILING drivers have called on the government to regulate the industry, complaining about exploitation and unfair working conditions. The drivers came out in their numbers as they embarked on day one of a three-day national strike. Drivers brought traffic to a standstill in the Pretoria CBD yesterday, marching to the Department of Trade and Industry and Union Buildings, and in Durban’s Central Business District drivers handed over a memorandum of grievances at the City Hall. Sabelo Dube, spokesperson for the South African E-Hailing Association (SAEHA) said: “We are here to call on the government to regulate the E-hailing industry. There are a whole lot of things that are happening that just don’t make sense, such as that commissions are high, drivers have to work long hours to…

A few days ago the world was shocked by Saudi Arabia’s killing of 81 people, many from different nationalities, all on one day. Never before had they dispatched so many in one go. The strange thing is that few local newspapers carried it as a major news item, and sadly those that did had it tucked away in a paragraph or two somewhere in the middle pages. We are still not sure what their crimes were. Top of the list must have been drug-related ones, terrorism, and of course apostasy. Just recently this same Middle Eastern country had one of its most vocal citizens against its dictatorial regime not only killed, but dismembered, his body slaughtered like that of an animal, and on top of it, in their embassy in…

LVIV: Ukraine appealed to Russia yesterday to allow humanitarian supplies into Mariupol and let desperate civilians out of the besieged city, which President Volodymyr Zelensky said had been devastated by Russian bombardment. Officials in Mariupol say the port city on the Sea of Azov, which had a peacetime population of 400 000, has no food, medicine, power or running water. Mariupol’s plight highlights what an international aid official in Ukraine said was the breakdown of the country’s humanitarian system. “There is nothing left there,” Zelensky said of Mariupol in a video address to the Italian parliament. As he was speaking, the city council said Russian forces had dropped two large bombs on Mariupol but gave no details of casualties or damage. Reporters could not independently verify the report. Russia did…

SYDNEY: Shane Warne’s life is being turned into a new miniseries. The cricket legend died suddenly aged 52 earlier this month while on holiday in Thailand, and now his life and career is set to be dramatised for an upcoming TV show. Australia’s Nine Entertainment Co is in the early stages of landing a production company, with the programme expected to air in 2023. The broadcaster’s head of drama, Andy Ryan said: “Warnie’s life was so full of drama, like the man himself. “This miniseries will be larger than life – entertaining, confronting, thought-provoking. We want to explore what made Warnie so special, and why he had such a powerful effect on people. “He was a sporting legend, a national treasure, international kind of icon, but he was also a…

YANGON: Tropical storm Asani has crossed Myanmar’s delta region starting from Haiggyikyun, an island at the mouth of the Pathein River, the state weather department said yesterday. “Some 4 600 people were evacuated,” said U Win Shwe, deputy director-general of the disaster management department under the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement. The storm was expected continue to move towards south Rakhine coasts, said the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology. It forecast heavy rain, maximum sustained winds of 72km/h and wave heights of about 3-4m in the next 24 hours along the coast.…

Belfast: Northern Ireland’s terror threat level has been lowered to “substantial” from “severe” for the first time in 12 years, the UK government announced yesterday. The move by the domestic intelligence agency MI5 follows “significant progress” the province has made towards peace, Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said. “It is a testament to the ongoing commitment to protecting the peace process and tackling Northern Ireland-related terrorism, and the tremendous efforts of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and MI5,” he added. Northern Ireland was plagued by sectarian violence over British rule from the late 1960s into the 1990s.…

FRANCE have been receiving deserved plaudits for winning the Six Nations at the weekend, but honestly, I wasn’t that impressed by Fabien Galthie’s team. Yes, it was a wonderful effort to claim their first title since 2010 and grand slam in 12 years. Beating IrelandA is always noteworthy, and Wales are always tough in Cardiff. Watching Les Bleus overcome England at the Stade de France last Saturday, though, left me unconvinced about whether captain Antoine Dupont and his team can really challenge the Springboks, the No 1-ranked team in the world at the moment. Eddie Jones’ English outfit are quite some way off the pace at the moment, with the Australian coach trying to bring in some fresh faces and elements in a rebuilding job before the 2023 World Cup.…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za ATTACQ, known for the success of its Waterfall City precinct, lifted distri- butable income 34.1 percent to 28.2 cents a share for the six months to December 31, putting it on track to meet its full-year guidance. The interim distributable income excluded profit earned from the sale of residential units of 9.35c. Management forecast distributable income of between 46c and 48.1c a share for the year ending June 30, 2022, barring any unforeseen circumstances, much in line with the 2021 result. The growth in the past six months was mainly driven by the dividend from its investment in central and eastern Europe (CEE) focused MAS Real Estate (MAS) of R46.1 million. Chief financial officer Raj Nana said in a telephone interview that there…

Mayibongwe Maqhina mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za TRANSPORT Minister Fikile Mbalula said yesterday a forensic investigation was underway to determine who the 3 000 ghost workers were who were found drawing salaries at the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa). Mbalula could not confirm if the ghost employees uncovered by an internal campaign called Operation Ziveze (meaning show yourself) were part of Prasa’s current staff complement. “I can't confirm that the 3 000 are part of the 17 000 employees as more detailed verification of who got paid to which bank account is being undertaken. “The forensic work, which is in its second phase, would determine that, including how this grand scam has been implemented at Prasa,” he said. He made the statement while briefing the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa), following the…

Chevon Booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za MURDERER and rapist, Revticken Muller, described as a “skilled, devious, cunning liar” will spend his life behind bars after he was sentenced in the George Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Muller, convicted for the rape and murder of 37-year-old Bianca Matroos, received a life imprisonment term for the murder of the George mother, while a further 10 year sentence was imposed for rape. The sentences will run concurrently. The Western Cape High Court last month found him guilty of murdering Matroos after a night out at Nitro nightclub and leaving her body among concrete blocks at the George Riding Club on the morning of November 15, 2019. National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said the successful conviction and sentence came after an intense investigation by SAPS members, who followed…

Chevon Booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za OFF the back of a five-day air travel suspension and a subsequent landing gear incident, the EFF has demanded the permanent grounding of Comair flights, citing a “security threat” to its passengers. In a statement, the EFF said Comair posed a safety and security threat to passengers. This also comes after a British Airways aircraft had technical issues while landing in Cape Town at the weekend, resulting in a 15-minute delay in the flight’s landing. “The situation has now reached a level where it constitutes a security threat as passengers on British Airways reported that their flight between Gqeberha and Cape Town failed to land after four attempts. “This essentially means that this airline was allowed to resume its operations without adequate checks and compliance to technical…

THE South African Civil Aviation Authority’s (SACAA) soft spot for Comair poses a serious threat to the safety of the country’s skies. So does the regulatory body’s lacklustre attitude to passenger safety. In recent weeks, SACAA has allowed Comair to get away with very little accountability. Comair is a company that operates two domestic airlines – British Airways and Kulula. Over the past few weeks, Comair-operated airlines almost caused two air crashes, in Gqeberha and Cape Town. This was due to technical failures stemming from maintenance issues. In February, a BA flight from East London to Joburg was forced to make an emergency landing due to “faulty landing gear”. The incident threatened the lives of 111 people on board. Earlier this month, a Cape Town-bound Kulula flight from Lanseria airport…

WUZHOU: Rescuers combed heavily forested mountain slopes yesterday, using shovels and torches in their hunt for victims and flight recorders from a China Eastern Airlines jet that crashed with 132 people on board. Over 2 000 people have been sent to the site as part of rescue efforts. Soldiers, firefighters and police marched to the crash site, a patch of about 1km2 in a location hemmed in by mountains on three sides, after excavators cleared a path, state television said. It added that the search for the recorders, or “black boxes”, of the Boeing 737-800 involved in China’s first crash of a commercial jetliner since 2010, would be carried out in grid-by-grid fashion, probably through the night. Flight MU5735 was headed on Monday for the port city of Guangzhou from…

Uganda’s government must stop using illegal detention centres as a weapon against dissidents and close the facilities, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said yesterday in a report documenting the prevalence of torture at the clandestine sites. The report featured interviews with 51 people, including 34 former detainees and eyewitnesses to abductions, who described a litany of abuse at the hands of police, army officials and Uganda’s domestic intelligence agency, the Internal Security Organisation (ISO), between April 2019 and November 2021. The crackdown reached fever pitch during the two months leading up to and following Uganda’s January 2021 general elections, which saw government critics, opposition politicians and protesters unlawfully detained and forcibly “disappeared”. In many cases, the whereabouts of those detained remain unknown, HRW said, more than a year after the re-election…

LONDON: Britain said yesterday it would pay compensation to postal workers who were wrongly convicted of fraud in one of England’s biggest ever miscarriages of justices. Hundreds of Post Office workers were prosecuted between 2000 and 2014 after a software glitch in the Post Office’s IT system Horizon resulted in shortfalls in accounts. In December 2019, the Post Office agreed to settle claims made by 555 sub-postmasters, but many found the amount paid was outweighed by their legal fees. The government said it would launch a new government compensation scheme for those who were the first to take legal action against the Post Office.…

Dili (East Timor): Nobel laureate Jose Ramos-Horta has taken a dominant lead in East Timor’s presidential election held over the weekend but failed to secure a majority, officials said, leaving Southeast Asia’s youngest country on course for a second round of voting. The 72-year-old revolutionary hero won 46.58% of the vote against 22.16% for incumbent president and former guerrilla fighter Francisco “Lu-Olo” Guterres, a preliminary ballot count showed Monday. With all votes counted, they must now be verified and validated by the country’s election commission before the final results are announced.…