Sommaire pour 2023-03-14 de Cape Times

from page 1 of the union’s members and ordinary South Africans. “We want the employer to come to the table; we don’t want the 3% that they arrogantly gave us. We want 10%, but are open to reasonable negotiations. “We need an improvement of living conditions and proper compensation. Our members work hard. Their lives need to be improved. “Other issues relate to the exploitation of community health care workers,” he said. Labour law expert, Michael Bagraim, said the members needed the authorities to come to the table and speak to them. “I don’t understand why the (Labour) minister is quiet on this issue. South Africa has legislation, there’s also the CCMA that can deal with this, bring them both to the table as both parties trust the CCMA. “It’s…

ALL eyes will be on retired Professor Daya Reddy as he takes the reins as UCT’s interim vice-chancellor (VC) amid ongoing student protest action. Reddy is expected to serve in the role for about six months from today. This after the VC position became vacant on March 3 when Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng left office, following months of a messy battle with Council, which led to Phakeng being placed on leave and an early exit settlement agreement. Deputy vice-chancellor for Research and Internationalisation, Professor Sue Harrison, had been appointed to act as the vice-chancellor. Reddy served on three occasions as an acting deputy vice-chancellor and three terms on the university’s Council as a member elected by the senate. According to UCT Council chairperson Babalwa Ngonyama, the decision to appoint Reddy was…

AS A result of challenges including transport costs and load shedding expected to persist or worsen in 2023, the estimated predictions for local citrus exports show only moderate growth or a decrease when compared with last year. Ahead of the Southern African 2023 citrus export season kicking off next month, citrus-growing varietal focus groups presented their predicted export volumes for the upcoming season at the Citrus Marketing Forum held last week. “The 2023 export season comes after an extremely tough year for growers, which resulted in 5.7 million cartons less being packed for export in 2022 (164.8m cartons in total), than what was predicted at the start of the season as well as only one in five growers making a positive return,” Citrus Growers’ Association chief executive Justin Chadwick said.…

The family of Sihle Mbanyana, 32, from the Samora Machel area, is still trying to come to terms with his death after he was allegedly murdered by his girlfriend in the home they shared. Mbanyana is believed to have been stabbed during a fight with her over money on March 4. Mbanyana’s aunt, Nobuntu Mbanyana, said that the family was still in shock following the death of the breadwinner in his home. “His mother is heartbroken; every time she hears his name she breaks down because he was her everything. No mother wants to bury her child. Sihle was the eldest and he took care of his siblings.” The aunt described the relationship between Mbanyana and his girlfriend as “toxic”. “He was kind and peaceful, with a beautiful smile. We…

Government silence is met with public silence and a growing sense of resignation Amid the various threats faced by our beleaguered country, there is one many people seem oblivious to but which has the potential to speedily and decisively send us over the precipice: civil society’s attitude of accepting rampant corruption, crime, and economic degradation as if it is something inevitable and unavoidable. The culture needs to be urgently exposed and addressed. And higher education institutions have a definite role to play in preventing its destructive potential. References to a “culture of acceptance” most often conjure up a positive connotation, especially in our South African context with its unfortunate history of “non-acceptance”, prejudice, and discrimination. The term usually refers to an attitude of embracing a diversity of views, backgrounds, and…

Cyclone Freddy, packing powerful winds and torrential rain, killed at least 70 people in Malawi and Mozambique on its return to southern Africa’s mainland, authorities said yesterday. More than 60 bodies were found during the day in southern Malawi where heavy downpours triggered flooding, according to the Red Cross. “Sixty-six people have died in Malawi, 93 injured and 16 people are missing due to Tropical Cyclone Freddy,” tweeted the humanitarian organisation, which is helping with search and rescue operations. Four more died in neighbouring Mozambique, local authorities said. An assessment of the damage was still underway, with the Mozambique National Institute for Disaster Management (INGD) saying the fallout from the storm’s second landfall in the country was worse than expected. “The number of affected people was above the forecast,” INGD…

Fierce fighting is raging for control of the centre of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, the longest-running and bloodiest battle of Moscow’s invasion, Russian and Ukrainian forces said yesterday. Ukraine said Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, which has claimed to be leading Moscow’s charge for the industrial city, was pushing forward in the city that has been the epicentre of fighting for months. Analysts are divided over the strategic significance of Bakhmut as a military prize but the city has gained important political stature, with both sides pouring significant resources into the fight. Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin also acknowledged that his forces were coming up against determined resistance as they sought to wrest control of the city’s centre. Ukraine has said its strategy with the defence of Bakhmut is to degrade…

LONDON: Britain’s BBC reinstated its highest-paid presenter Gary Lineker yesterday after a move to take the sports host off air over his criticism of the government sparked a near mutiny at the public broadcaster. The corporation was forced to axe much of its sports coverage over the weekend after presenters, pundits and commentators refused to work in a show of solidarity with Lineker, who had criticised the government’s immigration policy. The decision to suspend Lineker led to accusations from staff, opposition politicians and commentators that the politically neutral BBC had bowed to pressure from the government. It also renewed the focus on the chairperson of the corporation, Richard Sharp, who failed to previously declare that he had facilitated a loan for former prime minister Boris Johnson before he was appointed…

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia has executed a Jordanian man who activists say was tortured before he signed a document confessing to smuggling narcotics, in what his sister had called an “unfair trial”. Hussein Abo al-Kheir, a driver in his late 50s, was put to death in the northwest province of Tabuk. Saudi Arabia has carried out 11 executions in the past two weeks. Rights group Amnesty International identified Abo al-Kheir as a father of eight and said his family had not been notified before the execution. He was arrested in 2014 while crossing into Saudi Arabia, where he worked as a driver. Rights group Reprieve said he did not have access to a lawyer. | AFP…

Rassie Erasmus and the Springboks should do everything in their power to convince Welsh refereeing legend Nigel Owens to join their camp in preparation for the Rugby World Cup in France later this year. Erasmus last week revealed that he’s been in contact with Owens about joining the Bok camp with the process still ongoing. The Springboks, though, look set to get the green light for this appointment as Erasmus places a high value on getting the best help for the national team ahead of defending their world title. Owens appeared in four World Cup tournaments as a referee from 2007 to 2019 and officiated in the final in the 2015 edition. Few teams in world rugby can say that they’ve had problems with him over the years and that’s…

Simone Inzaghi is in the firing line as his Inter Milan side travel to Porto trying to make the last eight of the Champions League and turn around a depressing tide of bad results away from home. Friday's 2-1 defeat at relegation-threatened Spezia was the latest poor effort away from the San Siro and left Inter 18 points behind champions-elect Napoli. Inzaghi and his team were booed and insulted by the Inter fans present at the Stadio Picco, who had to watch the son of AC Milan icon Paolo Maldini slot home the opening goal. Inter have only held on to second place in Italy's top flight thanks to Lazio failing to win at Bologna on Saturday, but their bid to qualify for next season's Champions League is being damaged…

AYO Technology Solutions’ (AYO) partnership with British Telecom South Africa (BTSA), and their different interpretations of the agreement between them in 2017, fell under the spotlight on the third day of the Public Investment Corporations’ (PIC) legal action against AYO yesterday. The PIC, the state-owned asset manager that invests mainly the Government Employee Pension Scheme funds, is attempting through the Western Cape High Court to recover about R4.3 billion it invested for a 29% stake in AYO, as part of a private placement prior to AYO listing on the JSE in December 2017. The PIC led the evidence about the BTSA relationship through most of yesterday, about the transfer of customers and shareholdings between the parties, as it sought to prove that AYO had overstated its relationship with BTSA, thereby…

SENTIMENT in the building construction sector is expected to stay depressed for a prolonged period of time as it remained firmly in the contractionary territory in the first quarter of 2023. The FNB/BER Building Confidence Index released yesterday remained stagnant at 33 points in the first quarter of this year due to the negative prevailing economic climate. According to the FNB, this means that almost 70% of respondents were dissatisfied with prevailing business conditions. However, FNB said the downbeat building sentiment belied a noticeable improvement in activity this quarter. Regarding the sub-sectors, quantity surveyors declined by 2 points, main contractors by 3 points, hardware re- tailers by 4 points, architects by 8 points, and building material manufacturers 14 points, while sub-contractors increased by 27…

from page 1 because most of them are members of Nehawu. Some of them stayed away from work because of the strike but not because they were intimidated,” said Nkomo. Last week President Cyril Ramaphosa warned that those who did not work would not be paid. “Workers in the country have the right to freedom of association and the right to strike. But that right is not absolute, because there are certain workers who are in essential service, particularly workers in the police service, workers who perform intricate services in the health sector – doctors and nurses – whose absence and participation in the strike put lives of people in danger,” he said.…

THE curtain-raiser to the much-anticipated Public Investment Corporation (PIC) vs JSE-listed AYO Technology Solutions (AYO) court case last week contained explosive testimony from the PIC’s first witness, Victor Seanie, who was dismissed for dishonesty over the AYO deal in 2019. In his testimony, Seanie alluded to the PIC’s lawyers as “corrupt” and doing the bidding of “dictator” Dr Dan Matjila, the PIC’s then CEO and chief investment officer. The PIC is taking AYO to court to reclaim its investment of R4.3 billion in what can be described as a case of “buyer’s remorse” and “regret”. This has raised the question whether or not an investor can change its mind simply because it no longer wants to be in bed with its chosen companion, and ask for its money back. If…

Protestors disrupt services at home affairs, labour department, and WCED offices PROTESTERS affiliated with the ongoing National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) strike apparently posed as parents to gain access to the Western Cape Education (WCED) head office before disrupting services yesterday. The WCED was among a number of government offices affected by the strike in the Western Cape, including the closing of the Cape Town Home Affairs office, and the Labour Department offices. While the strike appeared to be gaining momentum in the province, Nehawu suffered another blow when the Labour Court upheld an interdict by the Department of Public Service and Administration against the union. The strike has brought some health facilities, especially in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal to a grinding halt, with the union…

NKASHI: Race for the Okavango is a groundbreaking feature documentary film in Setswana that inspires Africans to take pride in sharing more of their important stories about climate change, nature and culture preservation, in their own language. The documentary premiered in Gaborone’s New Capitol Cinema Riverwalk on Thursday where Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Eric Masisi was joined by his wife Neo Masisi in attendance. The National Geographic Society Impact Story Lab, in close collaboration with a team of filmmakers from Botswana, and other artists saw the project, which celebrates local culture, community building and ecosystem education, come to fruition. The Okavango Basin spans three countries; Angola, Namibia and Botswana and is made up of the rivers that feed into the Okavango Delta. Okavango Delta, based in northern Botswana, is one of…

Struggle stalwart Dullah Omar was remembered as a gallant freedom fighter who dedicated his life to the country yesterday on the 19th anniversary of his passing. Omar died of a heart attack on March 13, 2004, at the age of 69, after suffering ill health for many years. An activist lawyer for many years, in 1990 he was elected to the ANC’s regional executive in the Western Cape, and in July 1991 to the ANC's national executive. There he became a member of the party’s constitutional committee, and part of the negotiating team at the DF Malan talks in February 1991. In 1994, he became the first minister of justice and in 1999 he was appointed minister of transport. Omar’s widow Farida, with whom he shares three children, two sons…

The dawn of democracy raised hope for many previously disadvantaged South Africans. However, the status quo we see today is contrary to what was anticipated. People believed doors of opportunity were going to open to alleviate the burden for many households that lived below the poverty line. What we see today is huge youth unemployment, and this has become our biggest threat and challenge. According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (by Statistics South Africa) for the first quarter of 2022, the graduate unemployment rate was relatively low in South Africa compared with those of other educational levels, while youth unemployment continues to be a burden, irrespective of educational attainment, and is seemingly a dangerous threat to democracy. Covid-19 made matters worse, weighing down the levels of employment opportunities even…

Pope Francis marked 10 years as head of the Roman Catholic Church yesterday, celebrating mass with cardinals in the chapel of the Vatican’s Santa Marta Hotel where he has lived since his election. The Argentina-born Francis, 86, became the first Latin American pontiff on March 13, 2013, succeeding Benedict XVI who had become the first pope in six centuries to resign. “It seems like yesterday,” he said in a podcast by Vatican News broadcast yesterday. “Time flies. When you gather up today, it is already tomorrow.” When it was recorded at his residence on Sunday, he asked, “What’s a podcast?” according to Vatican News reporter Salvatore Cernuzio. When it was explained to him, he said, “Nice. Let’s do it.” Former cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio has sought to project simplicity into…

The death toll in Türkiye from last month’s major earthquakes has risen to 48 448, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said yesterday, as authorities rush to set up container cities to house those left homeless by the disaster. The combined death toll including those killed in Syria has climbed to more than 54 000. Soylu said the toll in Türkiye included 6 660 foreign nationals, mostly Syrians, and authorities were still trying to identify 1 615 victims. The quake and powerful tremors injured more than 115 000 in Türkiye and left millions sheltering in tents or seeking to move to other cities. Soylu said the government planned to set up 115 585 containers for families in 239 sites in the affected region. Already 23 sites had been established…

LONDON: Thousands of junior doctors in Britain walked out yesterday in a three-day strike that will disrupt patient care, as they protest over pay they say can work out at less per hour than a barista. The strike is the latest involving staff at Britain’s state-funded National Health Service (NHS), following walkouts by nurses, paramedics and other workers demanding a pay rise. The NHS said it would prioritise emergency care during the strike, which could come at the cost of routine appointments, surgeries and even some urgent cancer treatments. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is under pressure to help end walkouts by health workers. | Reuters…

NAIROBI: Rwandan President Paul Kagame yesterday said there were discussions about “resolving” the fate of Paul Rusesabagina, who was portrayed as a hero in the Hollywood film Hotel Rwanda and is serving a 25-year sentence in Rwanda on terrorism charges. Rusesabagina was sentenced in September 2021 over his ties to an organisation opposed to Kagame’s rule. He denied all the charges and refused to take part in the trial. Washington has designated him as “wrongly detained”. Rusesabagina has US permanent residency rights. Kagame said his country would not be bullied over Rusesabagina, but suggested that there was room for compromise. | Reuters…

The Currie Cup started with a bang this past weekend, which saw three teams score convincing wins away against tough opposition and only one home side claiming a victory. The competition is set to go up a notch this weekend, starting with two action-packed clashes in Mbombela and Pretoria, respectively. Reigning champions the Pumas are set to welcome the Lions for a catfight at Mbombela Stadium. After thrashing the Bulls away from home, winning 63-15, Jimmy Stonehouse’s team, will be looking to kick on from that performance. Being in front of their home crowd for the first time will only motivate the team more. And playing their natural brand of rugby - with big forwards and a backline full of running - it will be a tough ask for…

SOUTH African stocks traded lower for the fifth consecutive day yesterday, weighed down by choppy global risk sentiment and domestic weak economic outcomes triggered by intensified load shedding. The JSE All Share Index fell by 1.7% to more than a two-month low of 75 126 points, the fifth consecutive session of losses in line with major bourses. Contagion fears in the financial sector remain after US authorities stepped in to cap the fallout from the sudden collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), while traders reduced bets that the Federal Reserve will take a less aggressive monetary path. SVB is the largest US bank to have failed in over a decade. Its collapse added to worries that the already tighter lending environment and the upwards interest rate cycle could cause…

Former ActionSA Gauteng chairperson Bongani Baloyi has described party leader Herman Mashaba as exhibiting a dictatorial approach in the running of the organisation. Baloyi said he had resigned after a breakdown in trust between him and Mashaba. The two held opposing views on a number of issues, including the empowerment of provincial structures and regional leaders. Tensions had become so bad between Baloyi and Mashaba that the two leaders’ campaigns in Gauteng would clash with each other. Insiders told The Star that ActionSA had not had its elective conference, hence the party was still run centrally through its senate. Some saw the centralisation of power in the party as a form of dictatorship. Baloyi told members of the media at a press briefing held in Sandton on Monday that he…

COUNCIL, sitting in Tshwane to elect a speaker, was for the better part of yesterday preoccupied with a legal wrangle between axed ActionSA councillor Nkele Molapo and her party. Molapo launched legal action against ActionSA, with the view to being reinstated as a councillor. This, after her membership was terminated by ActionSA’s senate on Sunday. City manager Johann Mettler, who presided over the sitting, had to adjourn proceedings for hours owing to legal correspondence he had received from Molapo’s attorneys, who disputed her expulsion. After five hours Mettler reconvened the meeting, saying he had received legal advice that the meeting should proceed. He was also advised that Molapo should not be part of it because her membership had been terminated. Earlier, ANC councillor Tlangi Mogale said: “I think we need…

1kg chicken pieces 4 tbs oil 2 tbs butter 2 cloves 1 stick cinnamon 2 green cardamom pods ½ tsp cumin seeds 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 tsp freshly grated ginger 6 cloves garlic, grated 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 tbs ground coriander 1 tsp ground cumin/jeera 2 tsp roasted/leaf masala ½ - 1 tsp chilli powder 2 medium tomatoes, puréed ½ tsp garam masala 1 handful chopped coriander 1 cup coconut milk Heat the oil and butter in a large non-stick pot. Add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom pods and cumin seeds and fry for about 20 seconds until aromatic. Add the onion and cook for about 10 minutes until light brown, stirring often. Add drops of water if necessary. Stir in the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring…

THE estate of a deceased person to whom Eskom owed about R116 000 in overpaid electricity accounts has applied for the winding-up of the power utility for failing to pay. The executor of the estate of Christopher Kingsley turned to the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, after Eskom simply did not pay the money back. It asked for the winding-up of Eskom in terms of the Companies Act. Acting Judge Stefan Maritz was told that Eskom, despite numerous demands for payment, failed to comply. According to the executor, Eskom is thus “deemed unable to pay its debts”. The court was told that Kingsley held two electricity accounts with Eskom. On the one he had a credit balance of slightly more than R10 400 and on the other a credit balance of…

KARPOWERSHIP SA has expressed disappointment at the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) decision to deny one of its applications for environmental authorisation (EA). Karpowership SA proposed to locate three powership projects at the ports of Richards Bay, Ngqura and Saldanha to generate electricity from natural gas that would be sent through transmission lines to substations linked to the national grid. In terms of its decision for the Port of Ngqura, DFFE said the application for EA was refused on March 7. The application for the second project was withdrawn by the Environmental Assessment Practitioner (EAP), and the third application was suspended pending the outcome of an investigation into the environmental processes. Karpowerships SA said: “We remain fully prepared to work alongside the DFFE and relevant authorities…

THE failure of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health to interdict striking workers is a political move that prioritises the needs of the ANC above those of poor patients desperate for medical care. The national strike organised by the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) started last week and has been marred by incidents of violence, intimidation, the blocking of access to health facilities and widespread disruptions. Nehawu is demanding a 10% wage increase, a R2 500 housing allowance and a bursary scheme for members’ child- ren. However, the government is offering a 4% pay hike and the two parties are no closer to breaking the stalemate. We believe government employees deserve the 10% increase they are demanding. It must be noted that public servants did not receive any…

US President Joe Biden declared the US banking system “safe” and vowed stiffer bank regulation, after US regulators were forced to step in with a series of emergency measures after the Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank collapse, threatening to trigger a broader crisis. “Americans can have confidence that the banking system is safe. Your deposits will be there when you need them,” Biden said. The managers of the banks will be fired, Biden noted, and investors will lose money. “They knowingly took a risk, and when the risk didn’t pay off, his adjusters lose their money. That’s how capitalism works,” he said. Biden also promised new regulation after the biggest US bank failure since the 2008 financial crisis. Some of the Dodd Frank law passed after that crisis to…

MOSCOW: The Kremlin said yesterday that the award of an Oscar to a documentary about jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny showed “a certain element of politicisation” by Hollywood. Navalny, which won the Academy Award for best feature documentary, shows the Kremlin critic recovering in Germany from being poisoned with a nerve agent in Siberia in 2020, and working with the investigative news outlet Bellingcat to unmask those responsible. In the film, Navalny pinned responsibility for the poisoning episode on a team of agents from the state security service. Russia denied this. | Reuters…

Ciudad Juárez: Hundreds of people tried to storm the US-Mexico border at the weekend, after a rumour that migrants would be allowed to cross into the US. A large crowd of mainly Venezuelans began to gather near the entrance of a bridge connecting Mexico’s Ciudad Juarez to El Paso, Texas in the southern US. The Biden administration has been hoping to stem the record tide of migrants and asylum seekers undertaking often dangerous journeys organised by human smugglers to get to the US. In January, the White House proposed expanding a rule to allow border guards to turn away more would-be migrants if they arrive by land. | AFP…

TUNIS: Tunisia yesterday inaugurated a new parliament largely stripped of its powers, after a vote that saw a paltry turnout amid boycotts following President Kais Saied’s July 2021 power grab. The new assembly, elected in two rounds in December and January that saw a voter turnout of just over 11%, held its first session at the legislature’s traditional home in Bardo, a suburb of the capital Tunis. Under the new constitution, it is almost impossible for parliament to hold the government to account, and the president cannot be impeached under any circumstances. Ten MPs will be needed to propose bills, and those put forward by the president will be given priority. | AFP…

Marcel Koller, whose job is hanging by a thread at Al Ahly, has predicted that Mamelodi Sundowns will win this season’s Caf Champions League. After the 10-time Champions League winners suffered a comprehensive 5-2 defeat at Loftus on Saturday, Al Ahly’s fate is now in the hands of Sundowns, who head the Group B with 10 points. In second place is Al Hilal who are on nine points. The Sudanese club need a minimum of two more points to join Sundowns in the knock-out stage. “Yes, Sundowns with this coach and this team, can go all the way in this season’s tournament," said Koller. “They have a very good team. The coach prepared them very well and they earned the victory. I think if they focus and keep their concentration,…