Índice para 2023-06-30 em Cape Times

from page 1 on the basis of marital status and sexual orientation. Parliament now has 24 months to change the law. This comes after the parents of two children, who were never married, sought legal intervention when the mother wanted to emigrate to Australia with her husband. The biological father opposed the relocation, with a claim for primary care of the children with him and his wife in South Africa. The mother argued that they were being prejudiced in that they had to follow a different process than married parents or parents going through a divorce, and that this “is an obstacle in the way of never-married parents and their children”. High Court Acting Judge F Bezuidenhout said in his 2022 judgment: “The even harsher reality about stories of this…

THREE former Matzikama Municipality officials have been ordered to jointly pay back R400 000 for colluding with Duneco CC, a company operated by Nicolaas Jacobus Klazen, to award a personal protective equipment (PPE) contract in 2020. The order was made by Special Tribunal Judge Johannes Daffue yesterday, following an investigation by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) into Aldrich Hendricks, Isak Edward Jenner and Jafta Booysen. The ANC on the West Coast said that it felt blindsided by the lack of transparency from the DA, with ANC regional spokesperson, Tshepiso Segaecho, saying that when they raised questions about the matter in a council meeting yesterday, they were ignored. “This matter has not been brought to us. The Speaker bluntly ignored the council when questions were raised. “It looks…

A FARMWORKER activist organisation has welcomed the Western Cape Labour Court ruling to refer a matter back to the CCMA for a worker to be reinstated after an unfair dismissal. The Labour Court ruled earlier this week that the matter concerning farmworker Claudine van Wyk, who worked on Paarl wine farm Leeuwenkuil Family Vineyards (W&E Dreyer Boerdery), be heard afresh by a new arbitrator. This, after Van Wyk was fired for speaking and showing her payslip to to a Swedish magazine on the working conditions in South Africa. The arbitrator found her dismissal to be procedurally and substantively fair, however, the Labour Court found the commissioner committed a gross irregularity in the conduct of proceedings. Women on Farms project co- director Carmen Louw said the matter placed the spotlight on…

Decima Eben Venter Loot.co.za (R209) Penguin A mountain of flesh she is, this Decima, as she lies. She summons her strength to rise, all four feet on sand and shale. Puffs twirl and settle as her toes find their place. Three on each foot. Decima stands. In the veld of the Eastern Cape a writer imagines her: Decima – a magnificent black rhinoceros cow. Mother to Tandeka, herself plumped up with calf, Decima and her crash of rhinos await the birth of the new baby. Decima still recalls how she became an orphan many seasons ago, and tension mounts with the passing of each full moon. Conjuring up the life of Decima, is Eben. How do you write about this animal as a sentient being? he wants to find out.…

In a world where kindness is a choice that we all have, why do so many suffer under the weight of unkindness? Words, outward behaviour, and violations where the intentions are not to build but rather to degrade, humiliate and to disempower. Channing September faced several layers of unkindness in his lifetime and They called me moffie is his release from the shackles that the derogatory label placed on his mind, heart, and overall wellbeing. An excerpt from They called me moffie. “Looking back, I often tried to convince myself that he worked away from home, as that narrative helped me to cope with the reality of him not being present. Years later, he remarried, and the little attention we got from him declined even more. “During one of my…

THIS year marks the 60th anniversary of the formation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now known as the AU. The OAU did not come into existence out of the blue. It was because of the Struggle the African people waged against the powerful colonial masters. The blood of thousands of African people was shed. They suffered all forms of pain, degradation and humiliation at the hands of people who presented themselves as civilised. African people were left with no choice but to fight back. Where would they get weapons to fight the heavily-armed, heartless and ruthless “civilised” people? First, they tried to reason and negotiated with the colonisers. Second, they went to the West, but unfortunately, this was where their tormentors came from. There were three powerful countries…

French police yesterday fired tear gas at protesters who were staging a march outside Paris to remember a teen killed at point-blank range by an officer earlier in the week. Some protesters began throwing projectiles at police outside the main local administration building in the Paris suburb of Nanterre, and security forces then dispersed the protest by firing tear gas. About 6 200 people were present at the protest, police said. France yesterday ordered the mobilisation of tens of thousands of police to prevent a further escalation of violence after two nights of clashes over the killing. Cars and bins were torched in parts of the country, while some 150 people were arrested nationwide following clashes and unrest that included a tramway’s carriages being set alight in a Paris suburb.…

The extreme heat wave that has baked much of southern US continues to spread to other regions of the country, with over 55 million people now under heat alerts. The heat wave has scorched Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, among other southern parts over the past week, setting all-time records. The heat dome was producing “dangerous heat and humidity in Texas and spread into the lower Mississippi River Valley”, according to the US National Weather Service. San Angelo in West Texas registered 45.5°C twice in June, the highest recorded there. The border town of Del Rio hit 46°C for the first time. The heat wave is continuing to bake Texas, and will expand in the coming days across much of the southern Plains, the Deep South, the Lower Mississippi Valley and…

LONDON: The UK said it backed an expanded UN Security Council, including a permanent spot for Africa, to reflect the current and future state of the world. The UK is a permanent member of the Security Council with China, France, Russia and the US, and sits with 10 non-permanent members elected by the UN general assembly for two-year terms. Developing nations have long complained about not having a say on the council, where the five permanent members wield veto power. The UK said that the overhaul also needed to be extended to the World Trade Organization to reflect the digital economy, and international financial institutions to address climate finance. | Daily Trust…

LOS ANGELES: Kim Kardashian doubts any of her sisters Kourtney, 44, Khloe, 39, Kylie, 25, or Kendall, 27, would have “survived” a Paris robbery as she did, adding that “it would f*** them up for life”. The reality star, 42, was held at gunpoint at a hotel in the French capital in October 2016 and had $10 million in jewellery stolen. Her mom, Kris Jenner, 67, praised her daughter for how she “handled” it. After the robbery, Kim hired bodyguards around the clock and said she no longer keeps jewellery or money in her house. | Bang Showbiz…

PROTEAS fast bowler Sisanda Magala is bringing valuable IPL experience into the one-day international squad that has gathered in Durban for a skills camp in preparation of the Australia series and 50-over World Cup. Following the Australia series in August and September, will be the ODI World Cup in India where 10 nations will lock horns in an attempt to win the prestigious trophy. One of the Proteas squad members in camp in Durban is Magala who is fresh from the IPL, where his team, the Chennai Super Kings won the title for a record-equalling fifth time. Magala gained valuable experience from playing in the IPL despite only featuring in two games before a troublesome webbing on his bowling hand split during his second appearance of the tournament. What makes…

THE SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) says it is assessing several complaints related to Nicole Barlow’s tweet, in which she said “we failed to do a Chris Hani on him”, in reference to Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe. The tweet related to a story about how Mantashe had missed an event to sign a memorandum of understanding with European leaders, in relation to a just energy transition deal. Mantashe reportedly attended a Cosatu meeting in Boksburg. He said his refusal to sign the memorandum had ruffled feathers, with some even calling for his “murder or killing”, but he would not be made to sign a document he did not understand. Barlow maintained the comment was not racist nor inciting violence. “That the general public was offended and that…

Young father speaks of hardships, stress of raising a child WHETHER becoming a parent at 15, 17 or 19, from first-hand experience, they would not recommend teenage pregnancy or parenthood to anyone. South Africa recorded 132 280 deliveries for girls aged 10-19 from March 2022 until April this year. Of all the teenage girls who fell pregnant, about a third stayed in school during their pregnancy and returned following childbirth, with the highest return rate among those in Grade 12, the provincial Department of Social Development said. The Cape Times spoke to three young people from across the province, both male and female, who became parents at different ages - 15, 17 and 19 - on the impact it has had on their lives. “My girlfriend failed her matric year…

THE National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) has accused its suspended Western Cape regional secretary of going behind its back to obtain an order against the union in an alleged irregular manner. This is after the CCMA ruled on Monday that the union had to reinstate Vuyo Lufele, and that the precautionary suspension against him was invalid and unfair. CCMA Commissioner, Jacques Buitendag, also ruled that Lufele had to report for duty on July 3. According to the award, Lufele sought relief at the CCMA after being suspended in September for raising concerns about the National Manufacturing Workers’ Investment Trust. In a letter seen by the ‘Cape Times’, signed by Numsa general-secretary Irvin Jim to Lufele, the union has now demanded that he consent to a rescission of the…

Identity Nora Roberts Loot.co.za (R245) Piatkus Former army brat Morgan Albright has finally planted roots in a friendly neighbourhood near Baltimore. Her friend and room-mate Nina helps her make the mortgage payments, as does Morgan’s job as a bartender. But Morgan’s life is turned upside down when she returns from work one day to find Nina dead on the floor. This was no random attack. Nina was murdered by a man Morgan had let into their lives. The man Morgan thought was Luke is actually a cold-hearted con artist named Gavin who targets women, steals their assets and identity, and then commits his ultimate goal: murder. Morgan is devastated by Nina’s death but the nightmare is just beginning. It wasn’t Nina but Morgan who was Gavin’s intended target, Nina was…

Magic - Desiree Ellis, From Salt River To The 2023 World Cup Luke Alfred Loot.co.za (R245) Pan Macmillan Desiree Ellis has been associated with Banyana Banyana, the South African women’s national football team, for 30 years – initially making her mark as a player (1993-2002), before moving to coaching. Using the experience of 32 caps, including captaining the team when South Africa won the inaugural Cosafa Women’s Cup in 2002, she went on to become the most successful women’s coach in South Africa. After a stint as assistant coach to Vera Pauw, Ellis was officially appointed head coach in 2018 and continued adding to her outstanding CV. A high point came in 2022, when she coached Banyana Banyana to the Wafcon title in Morocco. The win also earned the team…

The Hollywoodbets Durban July, internationally acknowledged as Africa’s greatest horseracing event, has stood the test of time. The July Handicap, as the race was first known, made its debut on Saturday, July 17, 1897, at the Greyville Racecourse in Durban. Since then, it has been run without interruption every year, even during the world wars. The race was first run for a stake of 500 sovereigns. Today, the stake is R5m. By this time, 126 years later, the economic implications of the Durban July are nothing short of remarkable. In tomorrow’s race day, a capacity crowd of up to 48 000 people, will flock through Greyville’s gates. The event will inject about R65 million into the eThekwini Municipality’s economy. Apart from the direct spend of R65m, it will also be…

Myanmar anti-coup fighters briefly seized several border outposts after junta-aligned militia defected and joined the rebels, sparking days of heavy clashes, state media said yesterday. Fighting has ravaged swathes of the country since the military’s 2021 putsch, with some established ethnic rebel groups training and fighting alongside newer People’s Defence Forces (PDF) against the junta. Rugged Kayah state on the border with Thailand has become a resistance hotspot, hosting thousands of democracy protesters turned PDF fighters. Five border posts in the state manned by Border Guard Force (BGF) troops had come under “massive attacks” from anti-coup fighters between 13-19 June, state media said. Border Guard Forces are made up of former ethnic rebels now working with the military in exchange for local autonomy and lucrative business rights. They are often…

JEDDAH: Saudi authorities were investigating yesterday after an assailant and a security guard were killed in an exchange of gunfire outside the US consulate in Jeddah, the gateway city for the massive hajj pilgrimage taking place in Mecca. The gunman and a Nepalese security guard both died after the exchange of fire outside the consulate on Wednesday evening, officials said. The shooting coincided with the final day of the hajj at nearby Mecca. More than 1.6 million foreign pilgrims arriving on planes and boats have streamed through coastal Jeddah en route to the rituals. The gunman’s nationality has not been revealed. US officials said no Americans were hurt and that the consulate had been secured. | AFP…

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka began a five-day bank holiday yesterday to allow the crisis-hit nation to restructure $42 billion(about R790bn) in domestic debt, reports said. The island nation is facing its worst economic crisis since it won independence from Britain in 1948. There are fears that the restructuring plan could lead to volatility in financial markets. President Ranil Wickremesinghe has reassured the public that the restructuring would “not lead to a collapse of the banking system”. Wickremesinghe’s office had said his cabinet had approved a restructuring proposal by the country’s central bank that will be submitted to parliament. | IANS…

London: A panel of British MPs yesterday accused supporters of former prime minister Boris Johnson in parliament of waging a campaign of abuse and contempt against his “Partygate” investigators. Eight Johnson loyalists, including former ministers Jacob Rees-Mogg, Nadine Dorries and Priti Patel, were named and shamed in a special report by the privileges committee. The same committee had already found Johnson guilty of intentionally misleading the House of Commons in his denials that parties had taken place in 10 Downing Street during Covid-19 lockdowns. The committee, which has a majority of MPs from Johnson’s Conservative party, ruled that the campaign of “improper pressure” imperilled the ability of members to investigate wrongdoing by their colleagues. “This … pressure did not affect the conduct or outcome of our inquiry,” the report said.…

from page 1 I would have waited because I feel I’m not ready to be a father. He is here now, he is a blessing.” The impact of being pregnant at 15 years old still haunts a Plettenberg Bay woman who is now 33 years old. “It was devastating. The moment I found out I was pregnant, it felt like my thoughts were stuck in four corners. I couldn’t stop thinking about how I would tell my parents. How would I be able to provide? I was still a child. At some stage I had to go to school with morning sickness. “I failed my Grade 10 because of that. I kept falling asleep at school, when children looked at me funny, then I felt down the whole day. “Me…

While Parliament acknowledged the significance of legislative reforms suggested by the Zondo Commission, the legislative mandate was vested in the institution after following prescribed processes. This was according to National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, who yesterday addressed the media following Wednesday’s meeting with Chief Justice Raymond Zondo. She said they appreciated the recommendations made to improve oversight and avoid state capture in the future. “In this regard, work is under way to address these recommendations, and the Rules Committee has already considered them and made conclusive decisions on some of them,” she said. Parliament met Justice Zondo after he made remarks last week at the Human Sciences Research Council’s colloquium, where he said he doubted whether the institution could prevent another round of state capture. Mapisa-Nqakula said Parliament has taken…

IN A MOVING tribute to a selfless Bredasdorp community worker, local documentary, Dorpie, follows Lana O'Neill as she establishes a safe house in the town plagued by poverty, addiction and sexual violence against women. Having held its Cape Town premiere to a sold-out audience at the Encounters International Film Festival at the Labia Theatre last night, the documentary offers a tribute to O'Neill's compassion, while highlighting important structural inequalities. “Dorpie is a harsh reality of what is happening, not just in Bredasdorp, but South Africa as a whole. It aims to educate and empower,” said O'Neill, 55. Fondly known as “Aunt Lana”, O'Neill said she used tough love to change the lives of those in need. “I am here to help the vulnerable and the poor. People must just come…

A Worcester animal welfare organisation has been shut following an outbreak of distemper at the facility. The closure of Leo’s Foundation also follows animal cruelty complaints lodged by the public. Breede Valley Municipality spokesperson, Chad Malgas, said the decision to close Leo’s Foundation was taken on the recommendation of the Animal Protection Association. “No animals are currently kept at the facility. The facility will be cleaned and disinfected before it is put back into use,” said Malgas. The allegations of animal cruelty included claims of shortages of food and water for animals, the animals being kept in poor conditions, as well as the keeping of tortoises without a permit. The manager of the facility is reported to have won a tender from the municipality to manage the facility. A lawyer…

If you are a fan of young adult fantasy, and got a chance to pick up Namina Forna’s The Gilded Ones, the first book of her series, I recommend you try Tanya Junghans’s Dreamer: The Activation of Makeba. Like the former, the book draws in a young, strong black character, with a storyline that looks into identity, myths, elements, and figures from different African cultures to add a twist to well-loved fantasy tropes. Junghans’s debut novel follows a young girl’s journey to finding her place in a world of dreams, star-travelling light beings and her struggle to honour her true identity as a child of mixed heritage. Tanya Junghans is a South African writer now based in Switzerland. Her new book delivers a riveting genre-bending tale that draws from science…

Recognising this is one area that the governing ANC seems to be getting right This week over 2.01 billion Muslims worldwide and some 2 million co-religionists in South Africa are celebrating Eid-ul-Adha (the Festival of Sacrifice) which signals the end of the Hajj (the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Makkah in Saudi Arabia). More importantly, it symbolises the willingness of the Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim) to sacrifice his son, Ishmael, when God ordered him to do so in a dream as an act of obedience. As a reward to his resolute faith, God instead sent a lamb to be sacrificed. No doubt the traditional message of Eid Mubarak (Blessed Festival) will echo all over, including from President Cyril Ramaphosa and other dignitaries. While race understandably still dominates the South African psyche, it…

The UK government said it would challenge a court ruling issued yesterday that blocks its plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, a set-back to its controversial bid to cut migrant numbers. Three Court of Appeal judges ruled that Rwanda could not be considered a safe third country, after a challenge to the policy by 10 migrants and a charity supporting asylum seekers. The ruling was welcomed by human rights groups but sparked an indignant response in Kigali, which insisted it met UN standards for the treatment of refugees. UK prime minister Rishi Sunak said he respected the court but “fundamentally” disagreed with the judges’ conclusions. “I strongly believe the Rwandan government has provided the assurances necessary to ensure there is no real risk that asylum-seekers relocated under the Rwanda…

China’s top diplomat said yesterday that a new foreign relations law would help counter “bullying” from abroad after Beijing approved legislation it said would enhance its powers to counter sanctions. The US has imposed sanctions on a lengthy list of Chinese companies and individuals, accusing them of complicity in human rights abuses that Beijing has strenuously denied. The sanctions – particularly those restricting access to critical technology needed for semiconductors –have hit some Chinese firms hard, forcing them to slash jobs and freeze expansion plans. China’s top legislature passed the Law on Foreign Relations this week that defines the main principles and positions of Beijing’s international diplomacy and will come into effect on July 1. The law “clearly shows our opposition to hegemony, power politics ... and bullying”, China’s…

New Delhi: Aspartame, one of the most commonly used artificial sweeteners, is soon likely to be declared as a cancer causing agent by the World Health Organization (WHO). The findings were “the first fundamental step to understand carcinogenicity,” it said. Food and beverage makers have defended their use of aspartame. But a 2022 observational study from France including 100 000 adults showed that people who consumed larger amounts of artificial sweeteners had a slightly higher cancer risk. Indian health experts say that the use of non-sugar sweeteners in moderation may not cause harm in people with diabetes. | IANS…

LONDON: Water bills in the UK could rise by 40% by 2030 as water companies seek to offset the costs of fighting the sewage pollution crisis in the country. Water UK, which represents the country’s water companies, has said that UK residents will face rising bills as water companies invest £10 billion in a new scheme to modernise sewage systems. Most water companies are asking the regulator to approve tariff increases of 25% between 2025 and 2030, the report said. Tariff increases are to be announced in 2024, with annual water bills rising from an average of £450 (R10 663) to £680 in parts of the country. | Sputnik…

RUNAWAY leader and defending double world champion Max Verstappen bids to become the most successful driver in Austrian Grand Prix history this weekend as Red Bull plan a poignant ‘century’ celebration on home ground. The 25-year-old Dutchman, who leads this year’s title race by 69 points ahead of teammate Sergio Perez, shares the record of three Austrian wins with four-time world champion Alain Prost. Another win at the Red Bull Ring circuit would take him to four and be his seventh in nine races this year as well as the team’s 101st as they return to Austria for the first time since the death of owner Dietrich Mateschitz last October. “It’s going to be a bit special this time,” said team boss Christian Horner amid celebrations of the team’s 100th…