Índice para 2023-08-23 em Cape Times

In the relentless battle against inflation, it seems like we’re all feeling the weight of the struggle. And it’s important to acknowledge the hardships faced by our domestic workers who selflessly dedicate themselves to caring for our homes, gardens, children and elderly parents, often at the expense of their own families. According to Luke Kannemeyer, managing director of SweepSouth, the current financial crisis has devastating implications for South Africa’s domestic workers, 94% of whom are women, and four out of five are sole breadwinners supporting four or more dependants. Their wages are failing to keep pace with the soaring expenses, leaving them in a precarious financial situation. And they are still being severely underpaid. It wasn’t so long ago when Tweeps were outraged over a job advertisement looking for a…

THE recent appointment of a primary school principal as a DA proportional representation (PR) councillor has caused outrage among opposition parties in the Prince Albert Municipality. Neville Classen, who is the principal at Merweville Primary School, was appointed last month, following the death of the previous Klaarstroom community PR councillor, Stoffel Botes. Marius Hanse of the ANC in the Central Karoo said they had raised concern with the municipality following Classen’s appointment. “Instead of replacing the late councillor with a person from the community, the DA replaced him with a school principal working in Merweville and residing in Prince Albert. “There are DA members in the community who were on the PR list. Yet the DA chooses to employ someone who is already employed in the provincial education department. “Another…

Need to create more financial inclusion in terms of global transactions, says envoy THE BRICS countries will use the summit taking place in Johannesburg to bolster trade in their local currencies to gain greater independence from the dollar, rather than launching a common currency. This is according to South Africa’s BRICS sherpa Anil Sooklal who spoke on the sidelines of the summit yesterday, saying: “The currency is being discussed but let me correct: It’s not about a BRICS currency. It is too early to talk about a BRICS currency.” “What we are talking about is creating more financial inclusion in terms of global financial transactions, global financial trade and how we conduct our payment,” he added. He said Brazil, India, Russia, China and South Africa will discuss “deepening interaction among…

RAISING awareness of organ donation has inspired Stellenbosch University (SU) students in their mission of growing non-profit organisation Save7, which now has three additional branches at tertiary campuses across the country. The NPO, founded by third-year medical student Jonty Wright, 20, is being driven by SU medical students, who are harnessing the power of algorithms and artificial intelligence to share the message that every South African has the potential to save seven lives by donating their kidneys, heart, lungs, liver and pancreas after they die. Wright said he founded Save7 after meeting patients in hospital who were desperately awaiting organs. “We’ve loved seeing how students and other South Africans have got on board with sharing the news about organ donation. But we’ve got a lot more work to do to…

A GROUP of Mandalay and Montclair residents braved the wet weather yesterday to march over a job-seeker database they alleged has been manipulated and flawed. The disgruntled residents marched to the sub-council 12 office where a memorandum of demands was submitted. The demands included a call for mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis to investigate the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) job placement process. According to the residents, for the past five years, Mandalay and Montclair were excluded from the programme. They also complained about the lack of transparency and information given to residents and alleged distortion of information. Activist and community police forum deputy Lelethu Kashe said in other communities people were being hired and were aware about how the programme worked. “We decided to march because we have been sending emails…

150 years of Unisa – reflecting on what it means to be a woman in South Africa In August 1956 South African women from multiple cultures and walks of life marched in unison to challenge patriarchy and to affirm their humanity. Their legacy is visible in the gender equality policies that we have and the relative positioning of women in the country. However, as we take time to pause and reflect on what it means to be a woman in South Africa in 2023, we unfortunately have to acknowledge that the road is still long. This pause can be discouraging as it brings to the fore some of the continuing challenges that South African women face. We are still contending with unrelenting GBV and multiple exclusions with regards to economic,…

Eighteen suspected migrants were found dead yesterday in a Greece forest fire near the Turkish border as scores of firefighters battled to contain the second deadly wave of blazes to hit the country in a month. Fire department spokesperson Yiannis Artopios said the victims were found north of the city of Alexandroupoli. As no local residents had been reported missing, “the possibility that they are people who entered our country illegally is under investigation,” Artopios said in a televised address. The area is a frequent entry point for irregular migrants. The latest deaths pushed the overall toll from this week’s fires to 20, after another suspected migrant was found dead in the area on Monday. An elderly shepherd had also been found dead north of Athens on Monday. Flames continued…

Hundreds of Indian airline pilots plan to form an association to challenge flying duty regulations they say cause fatigue and jeopardise safety after an IndiGo pilot collapsed and died before his flight. Former pilots have raised concerns that airlines, though operating within regulatory frameworks, are stretching them to the brink as air travel booms in India. The sudden death last week of an IndiGo pilot heightened those worries although India’s biggest airline says he had a 27-hour break before duty and was in good health. Captain Shakti Lumba, a retired vice-president at IndiGo, has garnered the support of hundreds of pilots who plan to join a group of 600 to raise awareness and lodge concerns over fatigue with authorities and airlines. Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said in March that the…

Moscow: Eight members of a tour group exploring underground tunnels in Moscow’s sewer system at the weekend have been found dead after getting caught off guard by flash flooding, local media said. The victims, who were touring an underground river known as the Neglinka, were believed to have become trapped when a downpour caused water levels to rise. The tour guide and seven members of his party drowned. Several tour operators offer trips into the vast tunnels of the capital’s sewer system, some of which were constructed during the 19th century. The legality of such trips is disputed, and investigators said they had launched a criminal case into an “illegal excursion”. | AFP…

Tehran: Iran unveiled yesterday its latest domestically built drone that can fly at a higher altitude and for longer, with enhanced weapons capabilities, state media reported. The Mohajer-10 drone was introduced at a ceremony in Tehran attended by President Ebrahim Raisi. The new drone is an upgraded version of the Mohajer-6, which US officials have accused Iran of selling to Russia for use in the Ukraine war, an accusation Tehran denies. Western governments have expanded sanctions on Iran over the alleged arms sales. The new drone can fly for up to 24 hours at an altitude of 7 000m and with an operational range of 2 000km. It can travel at up to 210km/h. | AFP…

South African women’s cricket entered a new frontier yesterday with the launch of the Cricket South Africa (CSA) Professional Domestic Women’s League at Freedom Park in Tshwane. The Women’s League will comprise two main tournaments; the CSA Women’s One Day Cup and CSA Women’s T20 Challenge. The new structure has been set up with the help of the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture’s investment of R15 million over three years. “This league is a symbol of progress, breaking down stereotypes, and the challenging of preconceived notions about women’s roles in sports. It represents a shift in mindset, where talent, dedication, and passion take precedence over gender,” said Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Zizi Kodwa. Significant changes have been implemented to the women’s structure with the number of permanent…

STALWART Springbok wing Makazole Mapimpi admits he was disappointed at the pre-World Cup squad conjecture that he was to be axed for younger players. As it turned out, the 33-year-old veteran of 38 Tests was retained, as was Cheslin Kolbe, plus youngsters Kurt-Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie. Mapimpi, the scorer of 23 tries in those 38 Tests, spoke to the media yesterday ahead of Friday’s match against the All Blacks in London. “I don’t want to lie, it’s hard to deal with the negative reports from the media,” Mapimpi said. “But these things happen in sport. We have fans and they want to read about us and reporters are entitled to write whatever they want in the newspapers and on social media. “I think what’s important for me is to…

Brandon Petersen’s recent performances in the league are the epitome of Bob Wilson’s sentiments that ‘goalies have the loneliest job in football’. Wilson, a British football legend, has a four-minute film with the New York Times titled The Lonely Goalkeeper, which touches on themes of competition, fear and self-belief. The performances of Kaizer Chiefs’ goalkeeper Petersen might as well be a replay of the film on the former Arsenal star. Petersen’s butterfingers allowed Chiefs to lose their second league game 2-1 to Mamelodi Sundowns as he failed to save Neo Maema’s timid shot, the ball slipping past him into the net. As if that wasn’t enough, Petersen conceded an own goal – after the ball came off the upright and accidentally hit his hand and rolled into the back of…

Mamelodi Sundowns have flown out of the blocks this season and will next turn their attention to a frail Richards Bay FC. The Brazilians travel to the King Zwelithini Stadium today where they’ll clash with the Natal Rich Boyz in a match set for 5pm. Sundowns’ latest victory over the Chippa United on Saturday saw them collect 12 out of a possible 12 points from their opening four Premiership fixtures of the season. It also saw the Tshwane-based outfit retain their 100% record in all competitions, having also dispatched Moroka Swallows FC in the MTN8 quarter-finals. Rulani Mokwena has also put together the longest run a Sundowns coach has started their tenure without defeat in the PSL with 24 outings undefeated. With Richards Bay comes the familiarity of former SuperSport…

You can never separate musicians from a flashy lifestyle. You can go to all parts of the world, there will always be a musician with expensive jewellery. In America, many rappers such as Jay-Z and P Diddy are known for owning luxurious jewellery pieces. In South Africa, we all know Cassper Nyovest’s obsession with Rolex watches and heavy jewellery pieces. And in Nigeria, Davido recently got one of the most luxurious pendants ever. Designed by Local Kettle Brothers jewellery specialist team Cole, Emmanuel and Ethan, the masterpiece was carefully made. This was done with a handful of hand-selected diamonds. It boasts an hourglass enclosed with diamond dust instead of sand. It is reported that the musician paid £500 000 (about R12 million) for the pendant. The 350-carat diamond pendant…

THE SIX men who pleaded guilty to murdering Department of Health whistle-blower Babita Deokaran have been sentenced to a combined 95 years imprisonment, on the eve of the second anniversary of her death. Phakamani Vincent Hadebe, Mhlangano Phinda Ndlovu, Sanele Mbhele, Siphakanyiswa Dladla, Zitha Radebe, and Siphiwe Mazibuko were sentenced in the Gauteng High Court in Joburg yesterday. Hawks spokesperson, Katlego Mogale, said Hadebe and Mbhele were sentenced to 22 years imprisonment on charges of murder, while Radebe and Mazibuko were sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for murder. Dladla was sentenced to eight years for murder and seven years imprisonment on charges of possession of a firearm and ammunition, and Ndlovu was sentenced to six years imprisonment for murder. The DA’s Gauteng health spokesperson, Jack Bloom, wanted the sentenced men…

3 egg whites, at room temperature ¼ tsp cream of tartar ¾ cup castor sugar 1 tsp vanilla essence 4 tbsp Nestlé Cocoa Powder ½ cup cream 1 cup chopped Nestlé Aero Dark Chocolate Preheat the oven to 90°C and line a large baking tray with baking paper. Divide 3 eggs and pour the egg white to a bowl. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until frothy. Add the cream of tartar. Gradually add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat until the egg whites are stiff and shiny, the sugar is properly incorporated and the mixture makes stiff peaks. Add the vanilla essence and sieve in Nestlé Cocoa Powder, then beat on low-speed until incorporated. Spoon the meringue mixture into a piping…

The Minibus Taxi Task Team (MBTTT) is expected to have the final input over revised terms of reference in their agreement, signed by the end of this week. It has also agreed on a three-day imbizo to separate critical points for immediate discussion from longer-term issues to be addressed. This was the latest development that came out of a meeting yesterday from the task team, comprising representatives from the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco), the City and the Western Cape Mobility Department. In a joint statement, the task team said it had reconvened to address issues concerning the minibus taxi industry. “It is in this spirit, with open minds and hearts, that we got back to work, prioritising the interests of commuters. “We deliberated on a revision of the…

METRORAIL Western Cape regional manager, Richard Walker, is the latest official to be shown the door by the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa). It has come to light that Walker was dismissed on June 1. Walker is not new to making headlines, after allegations including mismanagement previously surfaced against him. Early in 2020, Prasa announced that Walker was placed on paid leave amid “multiple challenges and lapses”. It claimed the decision was aimed at stabilising the region and improving performance, with train services in the province the “most troubled” of all the regions. Regional engineering manager, Raymond Maseko, stepped in the position and has been the acting regional head for the past two years. Prasa’s spokesperson, Andiswa Makanda, confirmed the parastatal’s decision. “Mr Richard Walker was dismissed by the…

The President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, paid a State Visit to President Cyril Ramaphosa in the midst of the 15th BRICS Summit where issues such as the expansion of the bloc, the New Development Bank, and food security will be discussed. These are crucial issues for developing countries, and Xi’s fifth visit to the continent. South Africa is the country to which President Xi Jinping has made the most state visits. This underpins China’s commitment to assist Africa’s economy, which was devastated by the Covid-19 pandemic. The two countries enjoy a unique brotherly friendship, and this was underpinned by a call between the two Presidents in June, with Xi saying his country is ready to work with South Africa to elevate bilateral relations, practise true multilateralism…

The AU said yesterday that it had suspended coup-hit Niger until civilian rule is restored and announced it would assess the implications of any armed intervention in the Sahel nation. The West African regional bloc Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) has threatened to use force to reinstate Niger’s elected president, Mohamed Bazoum. The Peace and Security Council “requests the AU Commission to under- take an assessment of the economic, social and security implications of deploying a standby force in Niger and report back to Council,” the bloc said. Army officers toppled Bazoum on July 26, prompting Ecowas to approve the activation of a “standby force to restore constitutional order” in Niamey. The bloc has said it is ready to intervene as a last resort but is continuing to…

WASHINGTON: Former US president Donald Trump said that he would turn himself in tomorrow to the authorities in Atlanta for the Georgia election interference case. Trump and 18 others were indicted on August 14 over alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state of Georgia. Trump was charged with 13 counts, including violating the state’s racketeering act, soliciting a public officer to violate their oath, conspiring to impersonate a public officer, conspiring to commit forgery in the first degree, and conspiring to file false documents. In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “This is in strict co-ordination with Crooked (US President) Joe Biden’s DOJ (Department of Justice). It is all about election interference!” Trump is facing separate federal charges for mishandling classified documents…

Nîmes: A 10-year-old boy has been shot dead in suspected drugs-related violence in the southern French town of Nîmes, the authorities said yesterday, with Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin mourning an “immense tragedy”. The boy was travelling in a car with his uncle through the Pissevin area of the city when they were targeted on Monday evening. Local prosecutor Cecile Gensac said yesterday that the victim’s family “was not associated in acts of a criminal nature”. Police believe the shooting was a case of mistaken identity, with the vehicle resembling a car used in a separate drive-by shooting at the weekend. The four gunmen are on the run. | AFP…

HOUSTON: Tropical Storm Harold was yesterday barrelling toward the southern tip of Texas where it threatened damaging winds and heavy rain that could cause flash flooding and structural damage. The storm, located 245km east-south-east of Port Mansfield, Texas, was packing 72km/h winds, the National Hurricane Center said. The storm was expected to move inland over south Texas and produce 7-12cm of rain, the centre said. A a tropical storm warning has been issued for 1.3 million people in Deep South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley. The storm could cause flooding and power and communications outages, the service said. | Reuters…

Cape Town City FC will welcome back influential defender Taariq Fielies for their crucial DStv Premiership clash against Sekhukhune United at Athlone Stadium tonight (kick-off 7.30pm). After a promising start to the season that saw City claim maximum points in their opening two league matches, the Citizens have since been knocked out of the MTN8 followed by a first league defeat to SuperSport United last Friday. Fielies’ return to the City squad will therefore be a major boost in a bid to help Eric Tinkler’s team return to winning ways. Equally, the 31-year-old centre-back will be eager to get back out on the park after a disruptive start to the season. The Bafana Bafana defender was City’s “best defender” - according to Tinkler - last season but was required to…

Both the Proteas and Australia’s focus will be squarely on the One-Day International leg of this incoming tour with the World Cup in India fast approaching. This situation has, therefore, opened the door for a host of exciting young players to be given a run in the three-match T20 International series to be held at Kingsmead starting next week. Independent Media’s Zaahier Adams runs the rule over five rookies to keep a close eye on. Dewald Brevis (SA) All eyes will undoubtedly be on the 20-year-old Titans wunderkind as he finally gets an opportunity to showcase his immense potential on the international stage. Proteas white-ball coach Rob Walter has indicated that Brevis will be utilised in the middle-order due to his ability to counter high-quality spin. Equally, he will…

AmaZulu coach Pablo Franco Martin has admitted to finding himself in an unfamiliar territory as his team continues to fire blanks this season. Usuthu’s latest 0-0 draw against KwaZulu-Natal rivals Richards Bay FC at the weekend meant they have now gone 270 minutes without scoring. Martin’s boys had raised optimism levels around the club after their first two games, with two competitive showings against Royal AM and SuperSport United but a lacklustre display against Richards Bay has raised concerns. AmaZulu, in their own backyard, failed to dominate a struggling Richards Bay and were restricted to just a single shot on target, an occurrence that has left a bad taste in Franco’s mouth. The former Getafe coach has revealed that AmaZulu’s lack of a goal threat is a conundrum he has…

Former Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Avril Phali has backed coach Jose Riveiro’s decision to rotate his keepers for the last two matches. Pirates began their Caf Champions League campaign at the weekend when they beat Djabal Club d’Iconi 1-0 in the first leg of their preliminary round tie in Comoros. Riveiro stuck to his pre-match decision that he would tweak his starting Xl, making eight changes to the team that drew 1-1 with Chippa United in the Premiership last week. The changes included between the sticks, as Richard Ofori replaced Sipho Chaine, who had played each of the four domestic matches since the start of the season. So, with domestic and continental football being a different kettle of fish, was Ofori’s selection based on experience or to rest Chaine? Phali, who…

NATIONAL Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, says she has no authority to intervene in calls for the recusal of embattled chairperson of the Section 194 inquiry into Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold officer, Richard Dyantyi, following a letter by advocate Winston Erasmus. The letter, crafted by Ward Brink Attorneys on behalf of Erasmus, calls for action against Dyantyi due to alleged perceived bias against Mkhwebane. This is as Mkhwebane was suspended by Ramaphosa in June 2022. Among others, Erasmus is demanding Mapisa-Nqakula: “Suspend the continuation of the s194 committee. Determine whether Dyantyi’s reasonable apprehension of bias has contaminated the s194 committee and provide for the lawful termination of the s194 committee due to Dyantyi’s participation.” In the letter, Erasmus contends that Dyantyi's involvement in the inquiry “offended Mkhwebane’s right to a…

PEOPLE’S Republic of China President Xi Jingping believes that the China-South Africa comprehensive strategic partnership has entered a golden age, as mutual political trust between the two countries continued to deepen, and mutually beneficial. He said practical cooperation in various fields yielded fruitful results. Xi met with President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Union Buildings yesterday as part of his state visit to the country ahead of the 15th BRICS Summit. He said China was willing to work with South Africa to push China-South Africa comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level. At a new historical starting point, Xi said, carrying forward friendship, deepening cooperation and strengthening coordination were the common aspiration of the two countries and the task entrusted by the times. The key to the good relations between China…

FORMER CEO of Pepkor Holdings Ltd, Pieter Erasmus, was unsuccessful in his application to scrap a decision by the commissioner of the SA Revenue Service (Sars), that he was involved in alleged tax avoidance. The matter, which was instead scrapped from the Western Cape High Court roll, detailed how Erasmus was party to an alleged impermissible tax avoidance arrangement, in terms of the Income Tax Act. He was found to be consequently liable for about R300 million. Erasmus was a director and shareholder of Pepkor and numerous other companies. These included Treemo (Pty) Ltd, and a beneficiary of the Black River View Trust, and the Trust in turn was also a shareholder in Treemo. According to the judgment, on March 25, 2015, Treemo’s directors approved a capital distribution to…

AS YOU read this, the multibillion rand business district of Sandton is under lock and key. Almost 50 world leaders are in the country attending the much-anticipated 15th BRICS Summit, where talks are aimed at strengthening the trade bloc. Security has been beefed up; Police Minister Bheki Cele is on record saying the country was not leaving anything to chance. Critics have gone as far as saying South Africa was hiding the dirt such as gender-based violence and crime away from the BRICS delegates. On Facebook, a user went as far as saying the event should have been held in Soweto or Alexandra to show the world the “real South African story”. But this is the BRICS Summit, and it is a big deal and shop window, not an opportunity…

Thai property mogul Srettha Thavisin was elected prime minister after a decisive win in a parliamentary vote yesterday as his party’s fugitive figurehead Thaksin Shinawatra made a historic homecoming after years in exile and was taken straight to jail. The victory by 60-year-old Srettha paves the way for a new coalition government, ending weeks of uncertainty and stalemate in parliament after an election 100 days ago that threatened to weaken the political clout of the country’s powerful military. Srettha, who was thrust into the spotlight just a few months ago by the populist heavyweight Pheu Thai, won the support from two thirds of parliament in a vote that followed hours of hysteria in Thailand over the long-awaited return of Thaksin from self-imposed exile. “I will perform my duties to the…

Rescuers in Pakistan pulled two of seven children to safety after they became stranded with their teacher in a cable car over a high ravine yesterday, but a helicopter rescue operation was called off as night fell, media and a security source said. Flood lights were installed and a ground-based rescue operation was continuing more than 12 hours after their cable car snagged, a security source said. The source added that cable crossing experts had been sent by the military to the area, a remote location north of Islamabad, and would try to rescue the children one by one by transerring them one by one on a small platform along the cable. Local residents said community members from surrounding areas who had experience rescuing people this way had also arrived.…

LOS ANGELES: Elon Musk thinks there are “no great social networks”. The 52-year-old businessman acquired X, formerly known as Twitter, for $44 billion in 2022, but admits that the company still has a lot of work to do. The billionaire, who is also the CEO of Tesla, said: “If you’re a journalist who wants more freedom to write and a higher income, then publish directly on this platform!” Linda Yaccarino, the managing director of the site, said: “X will be the platform that can deliver, well …everything.” | Bang Showbiz…

THE HAGUE: A former militia leader from the Central African Republic yesterday told judges at the International Criminal Court that he played no part in any of the violent attacks on Muslim civilians in 2013 and 2014 that prosecutors want to charge him with. Prosecutors have said that Maxime Jeoffroy Eli Mokom Gawaka, a former national co-ordinator of so-called anti-balaka militias, played a key role in a plan to violently target the Muslim civilian population of the Central African Republic (CAR) in 2013 and 2014. Prosecutors say the anti-balaka killed hundreds of Muslim civilians and forced thousands to leave their homes. | Reuters…

Arsenal’s bench celebrated Monday’s 1-0 win at Crystal Palace as if it was the Premier League title decider despite only being the second week of the season as their side hung on to take the points despite a second-half red card for Takehiro Tomiyasu. The Japan defender fell foul of a stricter interpretation of time-wasting rules this season, getting booked for dallying at a throw-in on the hour mark and then being sent off for a pull of Jordan Ayew’s shirt in the 67th minute. “It shows how much we want it,” Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta said of the celebrations. “When you see the players on the bench … they have to come and help the team. They were magnificent and they changed the dynamic of the game. I say…