Sommaire pour 2022-06-27 de Cape Times

EFF PRESIDENT Julius Malema has blasted both President Cyril Ramaphosa and Chief Justice Raymond Zondo’s state capture report, saying it must be “flushed down the toilet” as it was not worth the paper it was written on. He also accused Ramaphosa of taking bribes from white business people. Malema was addressing scores of party supporters on the 67th anniversary of the Freedom Charter at Freedom Square in Kliptown, Soweto, yesterday. Taking a swipe at Justice Zondo’s probe into state capture, Malema called it gossip more than a report. “Zondo was not addressing state capture … He just came in to fight every black man taking business from white people.” The commission was to uncover the relationship between Zuma and the Guptas, but instead investigated black businessmen, Malema said. “We are…

WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has concurred with the advice of the International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee regarding the multi-country monkeypox outbreak and, at present, does not determine that the event constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). In a statement on Saturday, the WHO said a meeting of the IHR Emergency Committee regarding the multi-country monkeypox outbreak was held last Thursday. Convening an IHR Emergency Committee signals an escalation of the level of alert for States Parties to the IHR and the international public health community, and it represents a call for intensified public health actions in response to the outbreak. Members of and advisers to the Emergency Committee were convened in person and by teleconference and an election for officers of the committee was…

Healthcare giant Afrocentric Group has allegedly captured the government-funded medical aid schemes through officials who gave its subsidiaries unfettered powers to adjudicate and irregularly award multimillion-rand tenders to their sister companies. According to official documents, insiders and other industry sources, the alleged capture, which started with a dodgy R600 million multivitamins contract issued by the Government Employees Medical Aid Scheme (Gems) in December last year, has now moved to the police medical aid scheme, Polmed. At the centre of the alleged capture are Afrocentric subsidiaries Activo Health, a pharmaceutical company, Medscheme, an operational and management services provider, Pharmacy Direct, which distributes medication, and Script Pharm. Cape Times sister paper the Pretoria News can today reveal that Activo Health was also irregularly awarded a R350m contract to supply multivitamins by…

IT was a bittersweet day for Nyanga residents who said farewell to their station commander, Brigadier Vuyisile Ncatha, at the weekend, as he leaves for a new position in Nelson Mandela Bay. Marimba beats and dances could be seen and heard on Saturday at the farewell event where residents including the Community Policing Forum (CPF) spoke highly of Ncatha’s sterling work which sought to improve murder figures in the community. Ncatha has been promoted from brigadier to major general and is leaving to be a district commissioner in Nelson Mandela Bay. CPF secretary Dumisani Qwebe said Ncatha had an open door policy and they were hoping the next leader will do the same. “When we first heard that Brigadier Ncatha has been promoted we were heartbroken but also not surprised…

How government ​handles the Zondo inquiry fndings will test the integrity of our system JUDICIAL commissions and public inquiries are costly but an essential checks and balances of last resort in a vibrant democracy, albeit after-the-fact to uncover a particular situation and where appropriate to seek recourse and potential redress in law for the state, citizen and taxpayer. The usual checks and balances normally come from government departments, specialist cross-party parliamentary committees, an independent judiciary, an anti-corruption agency, a free press and citizen activism. When it comes to allegations of state capture, fraud and corruption in the public sector including organs of state on an industrial scale, then they assume an importance that goes to the very survival of our democracy. In this respect, South Africa is no exception but…

While the decision to drop the use of masks indoors would come as a major relief to many in the country, caution should still be exercised if we don’t want to see our new freedoms being short-lived. Last week, Health Minister Joe Phaahla scrapped some of country’s last remaining Covid-19 regulations, ending the mask mandate, limitations on gatherings and checks on travellers coming into the country. Phaahla’s announcement was well received by event organisers, the tourism sector, sporting organisers and members of the general public. After all, it has been two years of living under the state of disaster that limited individual freedoms. However, as a country we need to take heed of the warning issued by scientists that if we become complacent public health measures may need to be…

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has blamed “mafia” people traffickers for a violent and fatal border incursion on the Moroccan border with the Spanish north African enclave of Melilla on Friday, which left at least 18 migrants dead and scores of Spanish and Moroccan officers injured. “It was an attack on the territorial integrity of our country,” Sanchez said in Madrid on Saturday. Moroccan rights activists have demanded an investigation into the deaths of the migrants. The deadly drama on the doors of the EU took place at dawn when about 2 000 migrants approached the Moroccan border with the tiny territory. More than 500 managed to enter a border control area after cutting a fence with shears, Melilla authorities said in a statement. Moroccan officials said 13 migrants had…

Harare: Doctors and nurses across Zimbabwe returned to work at the weekend after a week-long wage strike despite their demands not being met. The associations of the doctors and nurses said that it had noted with “great concern... attempts by some authorities to threaten and victimise the workers”. “Asking for a living wage should never be viewed as a crime,” they said. With the government delaying in further wage negotiations, the workers decided to temporarily halt the strike on compassionate grounds. They gave government 14 days to address their demands. |…

Quito: Ecuador’s president has accused indigenous protesters of attempting a coup. Nearly two weeks into demonstrations that have left six people dead and dozens injured, thousands of protesters, angry at rising fuel prices, threw rocks and Molotov cocktails and shot off fireworks near the congress building in Quito on Friday. Security forces repelled them with tear gas. “The real intention of these violent people is to stage a coup,” President Guillermo Lasso said. An estimated 14 000 protesters are taking part in a nationwide show of discontent against rising hardship in an economy dealt a serious blow by the coronavirus pandemic.…

Rome: Had movie stars Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck hopped on an electric scooter rather than a Vespa in the film Roman Holiday, their spin around the Eternal City might have ended in tears. The number of crashes involving the two-wheelers, and free-wheeling tourists has prompted Rome authorities to impose some order on a booming rental market by restricting operators and the use of the scooters to adults, who must provide formal ID. The havoc came to a head earlier this month when two US tourists attempted a drive down the 18th century Spanish Steps, causing damage amounting to more than €25 000 (about R417 200). |…

The Minister of Police has been ordered to pay a woman who was unlawfully arrested and detained R120 000 in damages and cumulative interest on the amount. Avril Diljan was arrested on September 18, 2015, after police had responded to a malicious damage to property complaint in Eldorado Park. According to information, “Peace officers constables Ntombela and Tsile were on patrol duty when they received a call from the Community Service Centre (CSC) informing them that Diljan had thrown stones and rubbish on her neighbour’s carport from her first floor window. “The officers were unanimous in their view that an offence of malicious damage to property had been committed by the appellant. As a result, they immediately arrested and subsequently detained her in the holding cells at the Eldorado police…

THE ANC was facing a number of daunting challenges that required resolve and leadership to address them, Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister David Mahlobo said yesterday. Addressing the 67th anniversary of the Freedom Charter in Alice, Mahlobo said rampant corruption was one of the big issues the movement should be able to address without any fear, favour or prejudice. “We must be able to address the issue of hollowing of state institutions. We must also be able to address the issue of state capture,” he said. Mahlobo, who is also head of the ANC’s peace and stability subcommittee, said the ANC should address the issue of a lack of economic growth. “Our economy has stagnated over time and a number of young men and women are not at work. The…

1.5 tablespoons avocado oil 22 ml 1 medium yellow onion chopped 1 inch ginger chopped, 12 grams 3-4 large garlic cloves chopped 1/2 jalapeño seeded and chopped 2 tablespoons red curry paste 2 cups diced butternut squash 320 grams, diced 1/4 cup split red lentils 55 grams 3/4 teaspoon coriander powder 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 2 teaspoons brown sugar 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste 1 cup water 3/4 of can coconut milk you may use the whole can too 1 lime juice of Dhanya to serve Heat oil in a pan on stove-top on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, ginger, garlic and jalapeño. Sauté for 3 minutes until the onions soften. Add curry paste and stir, followed by squash and…

STRINGENT decisions made by the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board relating to Tsogo Sun Gaming’s casino operating licences and its Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) framework, have been declared unlawful and invalid. This comes after the Supreme Court of Appeal upheld an appeal application by the Caledon, Garden Route and Mykonos casinos, which fall under the Tsogo Sun group in the Western Cape, arguing that new conditions imposed by the board were done “in blanket fashion” instead of doing individual assessments that would apply to each licensee. The conditions required the appellants to “achieve an overall rating of Level 4 in terms of the Tourism Scorecard” and to submit related documentation to the Board. The conditions imposed by the Board required the appellants to achieve and maintain a Level…

THE Tulbagh community in the Cape Winelands has urged police to leave no stone unturned after a bloody weekend in which four people were killed in a mass shooting that is suspected to be linked to the taxi industry. At 9pm on Saturday unknown gunmen, who are yet to be arrested, approached a group of nine people, six men and three women, who were socialising at a residence in Jooste Street Tulbach and opened fire. The victims, who were killed in a hail of bullets, were four men aged 30, 32, 33, 37 and another person who was admitted to a medical facility with wounds. Police have since offered a R100 000 reward for information that could lead to the arrest of the gunmen and initiated a 72-hour activation plan…

PRESIDENT Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum in virtual format on Wednesday and set out four crucial choices to confront global challenges. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended and addressed the opening ceremony. About 1 000 economic and trade ministers, envoys to China and representatives from the business community were present. Xi said the world wascurrently facing various binary options: Peace or war? Progress or regression? Openness or isolation? Co-operation or confrontation? In his view, the trend of globalisation was inexorable and despite the current turbulence would not be reversed. “Despite changes in an evolving global environment, the historical trend of openness and development will not reverse course, and our…

Prince Charles has told Commonwealth leaders that the choice to become a republic or abandon the queen as head of state was theirs alone, and expressed “personal sorrow” at Britain’s legacy of slavery. The British heir to the throne addressed the opening of a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kigali as host nation Rwanda faced scrutiny over its rights record and a much-criticised migrant deal with the UK. Charles is representing Queen Elizabeth II as the 54-nation club of mostly former British colonies grapples with questions over its future relevance and modern profile. Republican movements are taking root in a number of Commonwealth nations and some are seeking reparations for colonial-era injustices like slavery. Charles acknowledged the change underfoot and said the Commonwealth – which represents one-third of…

Oslo’s Pride march was called off on Saturday after “terrorist” shootings in the centre of the normally tranquil Norwegian capital killed two people and wounded 21 others. Police arrested a suspect, a 42-year-old Norwegian man of Iranian descent, shortly after the shooting started around 1am in three locations in central Oslo, including at a gay bar. Organisers of the Pride march that was due to take place in the afternoon said they were calling it off. “All events linked to Oslo Pride have been cancelled” following “clear” recommendations by the police, the organisers wrote on Facebook. “We do not yet know the reasons for this terrible act, but to all the homosexuals who now are afraid and are in mourning, I say we are all with you,” Prime Minister Jonas…

LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s leadership suffered a fresh blow at the weekend with the resignation of his party chairperson after the Conservatives lost two symbolically important parliamentary seats in elections. Oliver Dowden, chairperson of the ruling Conservative Party, resigned on Friday after his party was defeated in two special parliamentary elections, saying pointedly “somebody must take responsibility”. “We cannot carry on with business as usual,” he penned in a letter to the prime minister. His resignation came after Conservatives lost seats to the opposition Labour Party and Liberal Democrats in areas of the country where the defeats will rattle the Tories and renew questions about Johnson’s leadership. Johnson, pictured, who was in Rwanda for a Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, told reporters at a news conference: “We’ve got…

BERLIN: Some 4 000 people marched in Munich on Saturday calling on leaders of the Group of Seven countries to take action to fight poverty, climate change, world hunger and end dependence on Russian fossil fuels. Leaders of the US, Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Canada and Japan met yesterday for a three-day summit at Schloss Elmau in the Bavarian mountains, aiming to increase pressure on Russia whose actions in Ukraine have created food and energy shortages. Protesters demanded the G7 allocate more funds for crisis prevention, civil conflict management and economic development. |…

THE South African Health Products and Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) has registered a new “sweet-tasting” combination antiretroviral treatment for infants and young children with HIV. The treatment comes in granules that can be sprinkled on soft food or dissolved in milk or water. It does not require refrigeration. The “4-in-1" formulation, approved by SAHPRA, with the trade name Quadrimune has been developed by the non-profit entity, Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), and Cipla. Unlike the traditional protease inhibitor-containing paediatric ARV formulations, the new treatment combines the antiretrovirals abacavir, lamivudine, lopinavir and ritonavir in a novel manner of administering it to children and infants. SAHPRA has also registered dolutegravir dispersible tablets for children with HIV by Macleods (Trade names - Syromak 10 ODT and Kovasyp 10 ODT) and Mylan (trade names…

FREEDOM to abort one’s own “child” has now been mostly banned in the US: Absolutely the step in the right direction! Can’t allow people killing innocent foetuses. Bad enough that gun laws allow near-unborn babies to own bazookas,water pistols and titanium military tanks. To add to the rocket-launchers exported to Israel and other adopted areas abroad. No! Abortion to add to the carnage in Palestine, Syria, Yemen,Africa? No! Most inhuman. Sick enough to attempt to sink Hiroshima,Nagasaki and try to make them become neighbourly with undersea kingdoms like Atlantis. Enough is enough! What did the poor unborn baby do to be terminated? Compared to all those born-babies in Iraq? Babies who have just lost their homes to Zionist- driven “settlers” in Palestine? No. no! The thousands of millions…

The US Supreme Court’s ruling overturning a constitutional right to abortion has sent fear among LGBTQ people after the release of the decision set out potential targets: Supreme Court cases legalising same-sex intimacy and marriage. Justice Clarence Thomas, agreeing with the majority that US states could ban abortion, called on the Supreme Court to re-examine cases allowing LGBTQ rights as well as the right to contraception. “In future cases, we should reconsider all of this court’s substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence and Obergefell,” Thomas said in his concurring opinion. “We have a duty to ‘correct the error’ established in those precedents.” The 2015 Obergefell decision guaranteed same-sex couples the right to marriage; the 2003 Lawrence decision overturned a Texas law which made gay sex criminal, and the 1965…

Russian forces have established full control over the Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk, Russia’s Interfax new agency cited the defence ministry as saying. Ukrainian officials said their troops had withdrawn from the city after a prolonged battle and they were regrouping in neighbouring Lysychansk to gain a tactical advantage. In an interview in Kyiv, Kyrylo Budanov said Ukrainian forces would continue their defence of the front from Lysychansk in eastern Ukraine and that it was no longer possible to hold the line in Sievierodonetsk. “Russia is using the tactic ... it used in Mariupol: wiping the city from the face of the earth. Given the conditions, holding the defence in the ruins and open fields is no longer possible,” Budanov, head of the Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of…

Jakarta: Indonesian police arrested six people on charges of blasphemy over a bar chain’s free alcohol promotion for patrons named Mohammed, officials said at the weekend, in a case that has sparked outrage in the Muslim-majority country. In a now-deleted social media post, the Holywings bar had offered a free bottle of gin for men named Mohammed and women named Maria – a popular name for Mary in the Bible – every Thursday if they presented their ID cards. Those arrested could face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty. Holywings issued a public apology, claiming the management was unaware of the promotion. |…

Manila: A US navy destroyer sunk during World War II has been found nearly 7 000 metres below sea level off the Philippines, making it the world’s deepest shipwreck ever located, an American exploration team said. The USS Samuel B Roberts nicknamed “Sammy B” sank during a battle off the island of Samar on October 25, 1944, as US forces fought to liberate the Philippines – then a US colony. The Battle of Leyte saw intense fighting between US and Japanese forces. According to US Navy records, Sammy B had a crew of the 224 of which 89 died, perishing from wounds and shark attacks. |…

The retirement of stalwarts Anya Shrubsole and Katherine Brunt, and seamer Emily Arlott testing Covid-positive, has forced the England women’s squad for the one-off Test against the Proteas into a reshuffle, with an uncapped player promoted from the reserve list. The Test will be played from today at the County Ground in Taunton. Uncapped pace bowler Issy Wong has been promoted from the reserve list and into the 13-player squad for the four-day clash, and is in contention to claim a spot left vacant by the recently retired duo of Shrubsole and Brunt. Wong is among a group of players that could earn a Test debut, with fellow seamers Freya Davies and Lauren Bell, batter Emma Lamb and all-rounder Alice Davidson-Richards all having a chance of earning a first cap…