Sommaire pour 2022-07-05 de Cape Times

THE UNIVERSITY of Pretoria does not have space to accommodate all 30 religious affiliations present at the institution as a result of the lack of space on its campuses. The university was responding to an uproar over the closure of the Muslim prayer room by academics and students on its campuses. The Muslim Students Association at the university said it was saddened that the prayer facility, known as Jamaat Khana, and located at the Prinshof Campus, would be taken away. The student group said the decision to close the prayer room followed countless negotiations between its student representatives and the university. “The university did not provide alternatives that were feasible, thus they are now evicting us from the Jamaat Khana. We are reviewing all options with stakeholders from across the…

A QUALIFIED teacher who became one of the most wanted and allegedly most dangerous criminals in the Western Cape. This is how police described Yanga Nyalara, known as Bara, who is now behind bars. Heavily armed police officers gathered at the Cape Town Magistrate's Court yesterday as Nyalara made a brief appearance, wearing a black puffy jacket, with Police Minister Bheki Cele and provincial police Commissioner Thembisile Patekile in attendance. Some officers in uniform were inside the court, while others were stationed outside. The 30-year-old ex teacher is facing 31 charges including 18 murders, Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA) offences, attempted murders, illegal possession of a firearm, illegal possession of ammunition and possession of drugs. Among the murder cases is the Site B, Khayelitsha May 2021 mass shooting spree,…

MOPPING up operations continue in Grabouw as the community rebuilds following the devastating fire which left 206 people displaced. The fire which razed the Elgin Fruit Juices plant on Friday and spread to a transport service depot and neighbouring informal settlement, destroyed approximately 50 informal structures. Humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers responded to the affected community with relief efforts yesterday after initial assessments were done in the area. Gift of the Givers project manager, Ali Sablay, said the organisation together with the municipality and other partners joined hands in efforts to bring much needed aid relief. “They have been very appreciative of our support. We have been providing the affected victims with hot meals. Yesterday, we delivered our full humanitarian package in terms of food parcels, blankets, mattresses, baby…

THE Buffalo City Municipality says it concluded its visits to taverns and shebeens in the Scenery Park area yesterday where it noted various compliance issues at the establishments. The visits were a follow-up to weekend raids by police also targeting various areas in Buffalo City, including Scenery Park. Eight taverns were visited and various compliance issues were observed. “All the taverns had a valid license trading certificate, with only one not having a copy on the premises and this resulted in an on site fine issued. “Other transgressions that were picked up were related to the non-validity of the fire extinguisher, unapproved structural arrangements, small and singular exit and entry points and non-compliance in the kitchens. “There was also an alarming number of patrons in most of the establishments,” the…

Fortune Charumbira of Zimbabwe was overwhelmingly elected at the just-concluded Pan-African Parliament (PAP) Ordinary Session of the Fifth Parliament held in Midrand. Charumbira, who was nominated to contest for presidency of the PAP Bureau by his Southern Africa Caucus, received 161 votes out of 203 votes cast, with 31 members abstaining from voting while 11 spoilt papers were recorded. He takes over from Roger Nkodo Dang from Cameroon. In his acceptance speech, Charumbira committed to ensuring the full participation of African citizens in the economic development and integration of the continent. Since its establishment in 2004, the parliament has continuously supported the effective implementation of the policies and objectives of the AU in member states through its linkage with national legislatures. “I am a president for everyone regardless of how…

A UN-appointed mission to Libya said yesterday there are “probable mass graves” yet to be investigated, possibly as many as 100, in a town where hundreds of bodies have already been found, and it urged Tripoli to keep searching. The report to be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council this week details how a militia run by seven brothers executed and imprisoned hundreds of people between 2016 and 2020, sometimes keeping them in tiny oven-like structures called “the boxes” which were set alight during interrogations. The evidence of kidnappings, murder and torture in Tarhouna, uncovered by an independent Fact-Finding Mission, represents one of the most egregious examples of rights abuses in the turbulent period since Muammar Gaddafi’s ousting in 2011. Among the victims were the disabled as well as…

LONDON: Singer Adele gave a fan VIP access to her concert, in exchange for borrowing their Pride flag. The 34-year-old star draped herself in a rainbow flag at her concert at British Summer Time in Hyde Park, London at the weekend. Dean William, a teacher from Essex said: “I arrived with my general admission ticket at about 6pm and went straight to the toilet … As I left, a woman approached my friend and I and said she saw I was wearing a pride flag, and that @Adele needed one for her performance. She asked if she could borrow mine so … of course I said yes! Then we were whisked away into the Diamond VIP section.” | Bang Showbiz…

CANAZEI: Helicopter crews and drones searched yesterday for around 15 people missing in the Italian Alps after part of a mountain glacier collapsed, killing at least six people and injuring eight. Much of Italy has been baking in an early-summer heatwave and experts said Sunday’s disaster was linked to climate change. The avalanche took place on the Marmolada, which at more than 3 300m is the highest peak in the Dolomites, a range in the eastern Italian Alps. Four victims were identified yesterday, three of them Italian, including two alpine guides, and another from the Czech Republic, news agency AGI reported, citing rescuers. | Reuters…

Jerusalem: The family of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh said yesterday they were “incredulous” after the US reported it was not possible to determine whose gun fired the bullet which killed her. The condemnation came after Israel said that its experts rather than American ones examined the bullet that killed Abu Akleh on May 11 while she was covering an Israeli army operation in the north of the occupied West Bank. The US said she was likely killed by gunfire from Israeli positions, but that there was no reason to believe her death was intentional. A senior Palestinian Authority official condemned attempts to “conceal the truth” over the killing. | AFP…

Caf president Patrice Motsepe confirmed on Sunday the launch of the Caf Super League set to take place, with R1.6billion prize money on the line. Motsepe revealed Caf’s plans to launch the tournament this year, with the first match to kick off in 2023. “The decision has now been taken to implement the Caf Super League. It will start in August 2023 and we will launch it during Caf’s 44th Ordinary Assembly in Tanzania on August 10,” Caf said in a statement. “We have been inundated with investors and sponsors, who are anxious to partner with us on the Caf Super League. “It has huge potential to significantly uplift African football and to make it even more powerful.” Motsepe shared his excitement about this never-before-seen tournament on African shores, and…

LEGAL experts maintain that employers who have chosen to implement vaccine mandates should not be deterred or dissuaded amid debates around the future of these policies, as Covid-19 restriction levels have eased and society returns to life before the virus. This comes as a Gauteng woman formerly employed as a senior inventory controller at Baroque Medical won a case at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) against the company who retrenched her a year ago for not taking the Covid-19 vaccine. Senior commissioner Richard Byrne held that the dismissal was substantively unfair and awarded the employee, Kgomotso Tshatshu, the maximum compensation, a year’s pay amounting to R279 600. “When one considers the Equality Clause (section 9 of the Constitution), freedom and security of the person (section 12…

A COMBINATION of weather events and emissions from industry were probably responsible for the sulphurous smell experienced over parts of Gauteng and North West last month, according to a government task team. The task team is comprised of environmental and air quality officials from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) and the provincial departments in Mpumalanga, Gauteng, North West and the Free State. The task team’s interim internal report, handed to DFFE Minister Barbara Creecy, states the sulphur smell may have emanated from industry operations in the Secunda and Mpumalanga regions and as a result of unusual air circulation patterns that saw the smell being blown over Gauteng and parts of the North West between June 5 and 12. “The task team’s investigations are ongoing to determine…

ANXIETY, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, aggression, substance abuse, and conduct and attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorders are the most commonly reported mental health concerns for children during their primary school years. High rates of bullying are also common, particularly for boys. This is according to the 16th issue of the South African Child Gauge, titled Children’s mental health: A catalyst for development. The South African Child Gauge is published by the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Children’s Institute (CI). Its partners are the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) South Africa, the Department of Science and Innovation – National Research Foundation Centre for Excellence in Human Development, the University of the Witwatersrand, the Standard Bank Tutuwa Community Foundation and the LEGO Foundation. The report found that while primary schools can be a…

THE absence of President Cyril Ramaphosa when the country is undergoing its darkest hour of stage 6 load shedding does not inspire confidence in the government’s ability to manage the power crisis. Due to industrial action by Eskom employees who are demanding, among others, a 12% salary increase, the country has been subjected to rolling blackouts that have led to stages 4 and 6 load shedding. The impact of the power cuts will be devastating to an ailing economy that is under pressure due to rising unemployment, ever-increasing food and petrol prices and rising interest rates. What is particularly worrying to observe is the silence of Ramaphosa and his ministers responsible for Eskom when the country is going through its worst energy crisis. Even during the so-called “nine wasted years”,…

Ukrainian forces were taking up new defensive lines in the east yesterday, preparing for a hard new phase in the war as President Vladimir Putin proclaimed Russia’s victory in the months-long battle of Luhansk. Russia’s capture of the city of Lysychansk on Sunday brought an end to one of the biggest battles in Europe for generations, which saw Moscow bring the full might of its ground forces to bear on a small pocket of the front line for two months. The battle completes Russia’s conquest of Luhansk province, one of two regions it has demanded Ukraine cede to separatists in the Donbas region. Putin congratulated Russian forces on their “victories in the Luhansk direction”. Those who participated in the combat should “absolutely rest and recover their military preparedness”, while other…

The EU is planning a deal with Namibia to support the country’s nascent green hydrogen sector and boost its own imports of the fuel, EU and Namibian officials said, as the bloc works to reduce its dependence on Russian energy. Hydrogen has long been touted as a less emissions-heavy alternative to fossil fuels, but while it has seen some uptake in the EU, chiefly in heavy industry and transportation, high costs and a lack of infrastructure have limited consumption, and the fuel covers just 2% of the bloc’s energy needs. Most EU consumption is of so-called “grey” or “blue” hydrogen produced using gas, which drives up costs and related emissions. That has made easier access to green hydrogen, made using renewable energy, a priority. The EU’s energy strategy in May…

Vatican City: Pope Francis has rebuffed suggestions he may be preparing to resign, saying in an interview published yesterday that rumours he was suffering from a serious illness were “court gossip”. Pressed on whether he might emulate his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who was the first pope since the middle ages to resign, the Argentine said, “for the moment, no”. But he repeated his position that he might resign someday if failing health made it impossible for him to run the church. Asked when that might be, the 85-year old said: “We don’t know. God will say.” Francis said he had suffered a “small fracture” in his knee, which was treated with laser and magnet therapy. The knee pain forced him to indefinitely postpone a July trip to Africa. He denied…

Cairo: Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority announced yesterday an all-time revenue record, earning $7 billion (about R114bn) during the last fiscal year following a series of toll hikes for vessels transiting the vital waterway. Between July 2021 and June 2022, Egypt’s fiscal year, 1.32 billion tons of cargo were shipped through the canal, Suez Canal Authority chief Osama Rabie said. The income is over a fifth higher than the previous fiscal year’s $5.8bn in transit fees, and the highest figure ever recorded. “Global crises have proven the importance of the Suez Canal to ensuring the sustainability of global supply chains,” Rabie said yesterday. | AFP…

The Tour de France gets back underway today after a successful three days in Denmark with a series of testing stages that will shape the destiny of the 2022 yellow jersey. Here, we look at five things worth watching out for in the next seven days. Van der Poel's yellow jersey bid With three hilly stages, two mountain days and the treacherous cobbles, attack-minded Mathieu van der Poel of Alpecin will be straining at the leash to once more claim the overall leader's yellow jersey after a fine run in 2021. He can probably not do it in the mountains, but the one-day specialist sits just 20 seconds off Wout van Aert's lead and may even go for the gun between Dunkirk and Calais today. Cobbles could shake up pecking…

HERMANUS police were attacked by residents as they tried to intervene when three people were being burnt to death after they were accused of theft, assault and terrorizing their community. The three men were killed in the vigilante attack on Saturday. Police spokesperson FC Van Wyk said they were investigating three counts of murder. “Hermanus Police attended a complaint on Saturday at about 1.55pm. Upon arrival at an open field near to Marikana in Zwelihle they saw a crowd. Upon inspection they noticed three victims who sustained serious burn wounds. "When police tried to intervene, the crowd attacked them, with members responding to control the crowd. The unknown victims were declared deceased on the scene by the medical personnel. “The unknown suspects are yet to be arrested,” said Van Wyk.…

1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped celery 1/4 cup butter, cubed 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2 tsp sugar 1 tsp salt 1 tsp dried basil 1/2 tsp pepper 4 cups chicken broth 1 pack frozen green peas 4 cups cubed cooked chicken Dumplings: 2 cups biscuit/baking mix 2 teaspoons dried basil 2/3 cup 2% milk Preheat oven to 180°C. In a large saucepan, sauté onion and celery in butter until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in flour, sugar, salt, basil and pepper until blended. Gradually add broth; bring to a boil. Cook and stir 1 minute or until thickened; reduce heat. Add peas and cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in chicken. Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. For dumplings, in…

HIGHER Education, Science and Innovation Minister Dr Blade Nzimande congratulated two young Wits University researchers for taking leading roles in the Atlas experiment collaboration of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN). Dr Edward Nkadimeng was appointed by the management of the Tile Calorimeter Group of the Atlas experiment at CERN to lead the team for the Low Voltage Power Supply project. Nkadimeng leads a community of physicists and engineers from the US and Europe. This international team will be delivering on critical electronics for the upgrade of the Tile Calorimeter of the Atlas detector. Ryan Mckenzie, a Wits PhD student, has been chosen to undertake the roles of deputy run-coordinator and then run-coordinator of the Atlas Hadronic Tile calorimeter. “The appointment of these young researchers comes as the world…

LEGAL Aid South Africa has scrapped more than 100 posts due to budget cuts in 2021-22 financial year. This was revealed by Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola when responding to parliamentary questions form IFP Themba Msimang. Msimang said the justice and correctional services portfolio committee was recently informed of the dire situation faced by Legal Aid South Africa due to budgetary constraints. He asked Lamola to furnish him with a detailed breakdown of the total number of vacancies that currently exist at Legal Aid South Africa. In his written reply, Lamola said Legal Aid South Africa had a total of 221 vacancies out of 2669 budget positions as at March 31. He said the number of vacancies was dropped to 176 out of 2 699 budgeted posts as…

New code of practice aims to eliminate all forms of harassment HERE is something that will come as little surprise: workplace bullying and harassment are rising. Somewhere in a workplace, a bully is making getting up on Mondays harder for his or her co-workers. Their toxic behaviour is humiliating, reductive, and – inconceivably, to those who have not been in that situation – it is an experience that provokes its victims, rather than its perpetrators, to feel guilt, anger, remorse and shame. And as gross and upsetting false accusations of mistakes persist, things can worsen. It is having someone steal credit for your work, having professional performance belittled or diminished in front of peers, being subjected to the silent treatment, and being the subject of unfair gossip or assaults on…

The chief suspect in a Copenhagen mall shooting was yesterday remanded into a psychiatric care facility, one day after three people, including two teenagers, were shot dead. “The court remands the 22-year-old in a closed psychiatric ward,” Copenhagen police said, following a two-hour hearing involving the suspect. The suspected perpetrator of the attack, which took place late on Sunday afternoon, would be kept in custody for at least 24 days, which can then be extended, according to police. The young man was brought before a judge at midday at the Copenhagen district court yesterday. Wearing a blue T-shirt, he listened as the indictment for murder was read out, before the hearing continued behind closed doors. According to public broadcaster DR, citing several unnamed sources, the suspected gunman had tried to…

Spanish police said yesterday they had seized six underwater drones capable of transporting large quantities of drugs from Morocco to Spain and broken up a gang suspected of manufacturing them. Officers seized six of the so-called “drone submarines” and arrested eight people in raids in Barcelona and the provinces of Malaga and Cadiz. Police said it was the first time they had seized such devices. They believe the gang made underwater drones “capable of bearing big loads” for use by other criminal organisations. The drones had up to 12 motors each and a range of 30km. That is easily enough to manage an underwater crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar separating Spain from Morocco which measures just 15km. Three of the drones were due to be delivered to a…

BEIJING: Chinese search and rescue officials yesterday pulled 12 bodies from waters southwest of Hong Kong after an engineering vessel snapped in two as tropical storm Chaba passed through, state television said. Maritime authorities were stepping up efforts to identify the bodies, suspected to have drowned, after they were retrieved about 50 nautical miles from where the stricken ship sank. Four of its crew were rescued by yesterday. The sunken vessel, “Fujing 001”, with a crew of 30, was at an anti-typhoon anchorage inear Yangjiang in Guangdong when its anchor chain snapped. Chaba, China’s first typhoon of the year, has weakened to a tropical depression. | Reuters…

Sydney: Floods triggered by heavy rainfall across Australia’s south-east coast since last week have once again inundated Sydney and large parts of the New South Wales (NSW) state, triggering the evacuation of thousands. NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet urged residents in affected areas to follow emergency instructions. He said the NSW SES have received 1 593 requests for assistance overnight yesterday, while SES workers performed 83 flood rescues. Across NSW and in Sydney, there were 70 evacuation orders in place affecting more than 32 000 people. Seven emergency evacuation centres were established in the worst-hit areas. | IANS…

In the main curtain raiser on the opening day of the Craven Week at Rondebosch Boys’ High School, the Western Province XV scored a comprehensive 65-7 win over a hapless Boland side. The home team who led 34-0 at the interval outscored the visitors 10 tries to one, which was indicative of their superiority. It also underlined the strength of schoolboy rugby in the Cape The Province XV were vastly superior in all facets of the game, but it was the dominance of their forwards which laid the foundation for their stellar performance. They were on top in the set pieces, while their loose trio spearheaded by No 8 Hugo Horn were collectively quicker to the breakdown to secure a surfeit of second-phase possession. A feature of their play was…