Sommaire pour 2023-05-29 de Cape Times

SINCE the invasion of Ukraine, more than 1 000 companies have voluntarily curtailed operations in Russia to some degree – beyond the minimum legally required by international sanctions. More than 500 companies have sus- pended their business in Russia, and 523 have withdrawn completely.An additional 152 are “scaling back”, 177 are “buying time”, and for 227 companies it is “business as usual”, according to a database kept by Yale University. Dr Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Lester Crown Professor in Management Practice, and his team of research fellows and students at the Yale Chief Executive Leadership Institute update the database to reflect new company announcements in as close to real-time as possible. Over the past 15 months, the cor- porate response to Russia’s war in Ukraine has seen 330 American companies announcing…

PARENTS in the Cape Winelands have told the Department of Basic Education to go back to the drawing board and engage them on its proposed amendments to its Laws Amendment Bill. This as the portfolio committee on basic education hosted public hearings on the bill in Wolseley at the weekend. The committee noted that with the majority of parents rejecting the bill, an emphasis was put on children remaining the responsibility of their parents. Among the key amendments to the bill include criminalising parents who do not ensure their children are in school; allowing schools to sell alcohol outside of school hours; holding school governing bodies more accountable for the disclosure of financial interests, including those related to spouses and family members; and prohibiting educators from conducting business with the…

THE three-member independent panel probing claims that the Russian vessel known as “Lady R” left with arms after docking in Simon’s Town in December has six weeks to complete its investigation. This comes after US Ambassador Reuben Brigety announced he had evidence that South Africa had sold arms and ammunition to Russia when the Lady R docked. Yesterday, Ramaphosa announced that the panel would comprise Judge Phineas Mojapelo as chairperson, advocate Leah Gcabashe and Enver Surty. Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the panel would finalise its investigation within six weeks of its appointment and would be expected to submit its report to the president within two weeks of concluding its work. “The panel may request an extension of this time frame should it be necessary,” Magwenya said. This…

ADDED to the inconvenience of load shedding, a home security client said a “kink” in the company’s system was causing sleepless nights as he received emergency-related calls from their control room. The Fidelity ADT client, who asked that his name be withheld to prevent victimisation, said the calls from the company happened during every outage, when his alarm’s panic button tripped. “ADT calls me every time there is load shedding to say my panic button has been activated, and they want to know if they should send an armed response vehicle. “However, my panic button is not activated; it is to do with load shedding and a kink in their system, but instead of fixing it, they inflict it on me as a client. “This is especially bad in the…

IN ACCEPTING the Jaap du Rand-Denise Ackerman Award for Unity, Reconciliation and Justice at the Andrew Murray Prize Fund awards at the weekend, Artscape chief executive Marlene le Roux reflected on the work of those who came before her. Le Roux was among six award recipients of the Andrew Murray Prize Fund. Author Martin Laubscher won in the category Theological Books in Afrikaans; Retief Muller’s book, The Scots Afrikaners: Identity Politics and Intertwined Religious Cultures won the Andrew Murray-Desmond Tutu Prize for General Christian Publications in an Official Language of South Africa; the Desmond Tutu-Gerritt Brand Prize for Debut Work in an Official Language of South Africa went to An-Mari do Carmo; the Andrew Murray Fak Award for Christian Music went to Johan Vorster for Kerslied; and Professor Johan Buitendag,…

A tuck shop owner was expected to make his first court appearance this week on charges that he shot and killed a teenager and wounded another. The tuck shop owner had reportedly been involved in an altercation with the two teenagers in Parkwood, before firing shots at the duo. Police spokesperson, Malcolm Pojie, said Grassy Park SAPS were investigating cases of murder and attempted murder. “Grassy Park police are probing a murder and an attempted murder case following a shooting incident that claimed the life of a 16-year-old boy and injured a 14-year-old boy in Heath Road, Grassy Park, at about 7.40pm. “Preliminary information reveals that the owner of a tuck shop had an argument with the victims … shots were fired. “The 16-year-old succumbed to a gunshot wound to…

IS THIS the best way the ANC can honour Oliver Reginald Tambo for all the sacrifices he made for 30 years in exile? If that is so, it is the funniest way of honouring a person and needs to go in Guinness World Records. This is a leader of the ANC who missed a lot in life. He was the first and only president of the ANC in exile as the president. If there is anyone who says there is a president of the ANC who worked more than Tambo, I am prepared to listen. He made the ANC respected worldwide and was allowed to address gatherings where the racist apartheid regime was not. It was the ANC under his leadership that popularised the lesser-known Nelson Mandela, who was in…

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India’s new parliament building yesterday, a modern complex which is part of his Hindu nationalist government’s grand plan to give a makeover to the British colonial-era architecture in the nation’s capital. The inauguration, and the ongoing revamp of the heart of New Delhi based on Indian culture, traditions, and symbols, comes a year before parliamentary elections in which Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will pitch its strong Hindu nationalist credentials, and its performance in office over the past decade, to seek a third term. Early in the morning, Modi held traditional prayers outside the complex in a ceremony that was also attended by top cabinet ministers. He then lit a traditional lamp inside parliament. Later, the prime minister entered parliament to loud cheers from guests,…

Saudi Arabia and the US yesterday called for the extension of a ceasefire deal that has brought some let-up in a six-week war between military factions, but little humanitarian relief for civilians in Sudan. Clashes could be heard in the capital, Khartoum, yesterday residents said. Human rights monitors reported deadly fighting in El Fashir, one of the principal cities in the western region of Darfur. The conflict between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that erupted on April 15 has left the capital reeling from heavy battles, lawlessness and a collapse in services, driving more than 1.3 million people from their homes. Violence has flared in several parts of Darfur, with hundreds of deaths in El Geneina near the border with Chad, with the attacks blamed on…

KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy yesterday praised his country’s air defence forces after the capital Kyiv saw the largest drone attack since the beginning of the Russian invasion. Ukraine said the overnight attack was “the most important” of the invasion, with more than 40 out of 54 drones targeting the capital. It was the 14th drone attack on the Ukrainian capital this month. The Kyiv military administration said that “more than 40 Russian drones were destroyed”. Two people were killed and three others wounded as debris of the downed drones fell in several districts. | AFP…

New Delhi: SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has said that the huge Starship vehicle will be ready to fly again in two months. SpaceX also released a video recapping the first flight of starship. On April 20, the first flight test of SpaceX’s fully integrated Starship and Super Heavy rocket, built to take humanity to the Moon, Mars and beyond, lifted off successfully. However, it exploded and failed to reach orbit. The rocket launch had come under the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) scanner for reportedly spreading plumes of potentially hazardous debris endangering human lives as well as the habitats of animals. Before Starship’s next launch, it would need the regulator’s clean chit that the rocket will not affect public safety. Environmental groups also sued the FAA for failing to…

Cape Town Spurs relied on their “bomb squad” to make the desired impact as they claimed a 1-0 win over Casric Stars in their PSL promotion-relegation playoff match in Mpumalanga yesterday. Minutes after coach Shaun Bartlett made three substitutions in quick succession, Spurs scored the eventual match-winner. After the match, Bartlett said the fresh legs off the bench made the desired impact. “This result is massive in terms of making a winning start to the playoffs because if you lose you are straight away on the back foot,” said Bartlett. “We were hoping for a second and third goal, but their defence held out. “This was a massive shift away from home by our team. I admired their fighting spirit and that allowed us to keep a lead intact. “The…

The Springboks’ preparations for the Rugby Championship will ramp up a level today when a second alignment camp in Durban gets underway and concludes on Wednesday. Coach Jacques Nienaber conducted a small camp in Durban a fortnight ago with just 15 players but this time the numbers will be swelled by eight players who have finished their commitments in Japan plus, of course, a host of Stormers from the weekend’s United Rugby Championship final. “This first camp was invaluable in getting the coaches and players on the same page in terms of our structures and systems, and this camp will give us another opportunity to get the players into the swing of things before our Pretoria training camp in June,” Nienaber said. The Boks are about five weeks away from…

The police are investigating a case of extortion against three ANC MPs after their legate allegedly approached suspended Public Protector advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s husband and demanded a R600 000 bribe in order to “manipulate or make” her Section 194 inquiry “go away”. Mkhwebane’s husband, Mandla Skosana, opened a case of extortion against ANC Chief Whip Pemmy Majodina, Richard Dyantyi, who chairs the parliamentary inquiry against the suspended public prosecutor, and Tina Joemat-Pettersson, who chairs the portfolio committee on police services, last week. Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe yesterday confirmed that Skosana opened the case of extortion at the OR Tambo police station at the airport, and it was transferred to the provincial detectives on Thursday. In his statement to police, seen by Cape Times’ sister paper, the Sunday Independent,…

ASSISTED wheelchair athlete and internationally recognised disability rights activist Chaeli Mycroft is gearing-up to take on her biggest challenge yet – seven Comrades Marathon distances over seven days. Mycroft will be taking on the journey across South Africa with her running partner, Mark “Muddy” Ferreira, for a good cause. Known collectively as Team Beastie, they will run seven Comrades ultra-marathon distances (87km) in seven days starting on June 5. They hope to raise R1 million to build custom-made wheelchairs for assisted runners – empowering 10 more adaptive teams to get out on the road to prove that running is for everyone; as well as supporting the running costs of Chaeli Cottage Preschool for one year. The team will run six circuits of 87km in Bloemfontein on June 5 until…

MORE charges were expected to be added against captured fugitive, Ukiliho Kayishema Fulgence, who will stay behind bars until Friday after the State was granted more time to investigate since his arrest last Thursday. Fulgence, who pretended to be a Burundian national with the name Fulgence Dende-Minana, has been charged with two counts of fraud and three counts of transgression of the Immigration Act. After being on the run since 2001, the 61-year-old was arrested on Thursday at a grape farm in Paarl on an Interpol Red Notice issued by the UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (UN IRMCT). He was wanted by the IRMCT in connection with orchestrating the killing of 2 000 Tutsi refugees – women, men, children, and elderly – at the Nyange Catholic Church…

AS THE search continues for a suspect who raped a 16-year-old girl while she was on her way to school on Lower Crossroads, Philippi East, a resident has called on the community to come forward with information, alleging that the man could still be in the area. Police spokesperson Andrè Traut said the Mitchells Plain Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit complied an identikit of the suspected rapist. “On May 8, 2023, at around 7.30am, a 16-year-old victim was attacked by the suspect in Lower Crossroads in Philippi East and raped while she was on her way to school. “The suspect is an unknown male in his late twenties or early thirties, approximately 1.6m tall, and he spoke Xhosa. “He has a tattoo of a cross on his…

THE office of the public protector’s delay in releasing to the public the much-anticipated report on the Phala Phala farm scandal creates unnecessary suspicion of interference. It’s now almost 12 months since African Transformation Movement (ATM) leader Vuyolwethu Zungula turned to the public protector, asking Busisiwe Mkhwebane to investigate President Cyril Ramaphosa for possible breach of the Executive Members Ethics Act. This was after former State Security Agency director Arthur Fraser lodged a criminal complaint against Ramaphosa in connection with the theft of dollars amounting to millions of rand at his Phala Phala game farm in 2020. We now know that Sars has no record of the foreign currency being declared. The animals that were allegedly bought with the dollars are still at the farm. The ATM’s main concern though…

US President Joe Biden and Republican leader Kevin McCarthy announced a deal at the weekend to raise the debt ceiling, dragging the US back from the precipice of default with only a few days to spare. Congress will vote on the deal to extend the government’s borrowing authority on Wednesday, just shy of the June 5 “X-date” when the Treasury estimates the government will no longer be able to pay its bills, plunging the economy into turmoil. Biden said that the deal was “good news for the American people, because it prevents what could have been a catastrophic default and would have led to an economic recession, retirement accounts devastated, and millions of jobs lost”. McCarthy, who spoke with Biden on Saturday to close the deal, said there was still…

LONDON: Two Just Stop Oil protesters were charged with aggravated trespass after they briefly brought Saturday’s Rugby Premiership final at Twickenham stadium in London to a halt by hurling orange powder on the pitch during the match. Samuel Johnson, 40, from Suffolk in south-east England and Patrick Hart, 37, from Bristol were charged after taking to the pitch to throw orange powder around, police said yesterday. Just Stop Oil, which also disrupted the world snooker championship in April and the British Formula One Grand Prix last July, said the duo’s demand was to halt new licences for oil, gas and coal projects in Britain. | Reuters…

Los Angeles: At least three people were killed and five others wounded in a shoot-out at a biker rally on Saturday in the US state of New Mexico, local media reported. The shooting occurred as about 20 000 bikers took part in an annual Memorial Day motorcycle rally in Red River, a small town near the ski destination of Taos. “The shooters have all been apprehended,” police said. A law enforcement officer had referred to the incident over central dispatch as “a rolling shoot-out – between Banditos (Motorcycle Club) and someone else.” The shooting prompted the mayor of Taos to implement a curfew and ban the sale of alcohol. | AFP…

ABUJA: Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday defended his record on the economy and the outcome of a disputed presidential election, saying he was leaving a legacy of credible and fair votes, a day before he hands over to his successor. Buhari came to office in 2015 promising to reboot the economy and end corruption and insecurity, but many Nigerians say these issues have worsened. Incoming President Bola Tinubu’s victory is being challenged by his two closest opposition rivals. Buhari, 80, said Tinubu, was the best candidate to emerge from the election. | Reuters…

Double world champion Max Verstappen led a soggy and slippery Monaco Grand Prix from start to finish yesterday to stretch his Formula One lead to 39 points and earn Red Bull a sixth win in as many races this season. In a race livened up by a downpour after a processional 51 laps in dry conditions, Spaniard Fernando Alonso finished second for Aston Martin but a massive 27.9 seconds behind at the chequered flag. Frenchman Esteban Ocon completed the podium in third place for Renault-owned Alpine, their first of the season, with Mercedes’ seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton fourth and taking a bonus point for fastest lap. “That was a real Monaco,” Verstappen said after a 78-lap race that lasted an hour and 48 minutes. “It was incredibly slippery and…

The move is effective from August 1, making her the first female CEO of listed SA insurance group JEANETTE Christina Marais has been appointed as the new Group CEO of Momentum Metropolitan Holdings and Momentum Metropolitan Life. The move makes her the first woman CEO of a large, listed life insurance and asset management group in South Africa – a positive move for gender parity. Only seven of the top 100 Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed companies are led by woman CEOs, indicating minimal progress in balancing gender representation at senior management and executive positions, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) South Africa’s 2022 executive directors report. And while only 5% of companies listed on Africa’s 24 stock exchanges have a woman as CEO, those that do have a woman CEO outperform financially by…

STELLENBOSCH University’s (SU) highly-anticipated extraordinary Convocation meeting was expected to be held on Thursday, with two motions against executive members. An invitation letter, seen by the Cape Times, was sent to all Convocation members informing them that they could attend either in person or virtually. The letter explained that the Convocation comprised SU’s rector, the vice-rectors, chief operating officer, full-time academic staff and former full-time academic staff who have left on account of retirement. “The purpose of the meeting is to discuss two motions that were received from members of the Convocation dated May 2, 2023 and May 16, respectively,” the letter read. The urgent request for an extraordinary meeting of the Convocation, with intentions for a vote of no-confidence against SU’s Convocation executive committee, was issued on May 2.…

WITH plans to enter a fourth round of negotiations next month set in motion, Eskom was not likely to stick to its final offer of a 5.25% increase for employees, as unions forced its hand, rejecting all offers. This is according to a labour expert, as Eskom and its three recognised trade unions – the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) and Solidarity, concluded the third round of salary talks on Thursday, again reaching a deadlock. The first and second rounds took place on April 19 to 21 and on May 8 to 10. NUM and Numsa opened the negotiations with a request for a 15% pay hike while Solidarity asked for 10.1%. Eskom responded with a 3.75% offer which was later increased to…

AFTER a successful three-week season, the 13th Shakespeare Schools Festival held its final show at the weekend in front of a capacity house at the Homecoming Centre in District Six. This year’s festival, directed by Blythe Stuart-Linger, MCd by festival alumnus Tumelo Mohoto and managed by a small crew of nine, saw its longest straight run since inception in 2009. It saw 38 schools and 82 teachers participate with more than 1 000 learners between ages 6-18 onstage over the three-week period. The finale night showcased Westlake Primary, Curro Hermanus Independent School and Bay Primary in their very own innovative 30-minute versions of Richard lll, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and As ‘WE’ Like It. Overall festival audience attendance topped the 3 000-mark and saw several sold-out performances. “The festival is…

ARBITRATION proceedings were nearing finalisation for former Heathfield High principal, Wesley Neumann, after the matter was concluded for closing arguments last week. The Special Action Committee (SAC), an organisation supporting Neumann and who contested his sacking, said they looked forward to the matter being dealt with by next month. SAC member, Colleen Titus, said they wanted to see justice prevail. “The Special Action Committee is preparing for any eventuality concerning the outcome. “Given the unprecedented period in the history of the world and the novelty of Covid-19, and the unknown nature of the virus during the first wave in 2020, coupled with vast differences in resources and challenges from school to school. “We will support Mr Neumann to take this matter on review to the Labour Court if circumstances require…

Globally, 12 billion working days are lost in productivity every year to depression, anxiety ANOTHER unintended consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic, combined with the fallout from the Ukraine conflict with its devastating impact on food and fuel supplies and rising prices, the fragile recovery of the global economy towards pre-pandemic normality which has led to a worldwide cost-of-living crisis, is the sharp rise in mental health cases, especially for anxiety, depression and suicide. In the first year of the pandemic, the global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25%, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). All countries irrespective of economic status, wealth or quality of health-care ecosystems, are affected. We all know a family member, relative, neighbour or friend who is afflicted by a faceless illness,…

Turks voted yesterday in a presidential run-off that could see Tayyip Erdogan extend his rule into a third decade and persist with Türkiye’s increasingly authoritarian path, muscular foreign policy and unorthodox economic governance. Yesterday, Erdogan was leading his presidential challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu with 56.4% support, based to initial results with 35.8% of the ballot boxes opened. Erdogan, 69, defied opinion polls and came out ahead with an almost five-point lead over Kilicdaroglu in the first round on May 14. But he fell just short of the 50% needed to avoid a runoff, in a race with profound consequences for Türkiye itself and global geopolitics. His unexpectedly strong showing amid a deep cost-of living crisis, and a win in parliamentary elections for a coalition of his conservative Islamist-rooted AK Party (AKP),…

French medical bodies yesterday called on authorities to punish researcher Didier Raoult for “the largest ‘unauthorised’ clinical trial ever seen” into the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat Covid-19. Raoult, the former head of a research hospital, IHU Mediterrannee, and his subordinates engaged in “systematic prescription of medications as varied as hydroxychloroquine, zinc, ivermectin and azithromycin to patients with Covid-19... without a solid pharmacological basis and lacking any proof of their effectiveness,” a group of 16 research bodies wrote on the daily Le Monde’s website. The drugs continued to be prescribed “for more than a year after their ineffectiveness had been absolutely demonstrated,” they added. Endorsement from respected tropical disease specialist Raoult had helped push hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug, into the public’s consciousness in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic,…

Islamabad: Pakistan’s ruling parties have rejected former prime minister Imran Khan’s offer for talks, stating that talks were held with politicians not “terrorists”. Khan’s PTI party appointed a negotiating team to hold talks with the government, for developing consensus on a date for general elections, amid a massive crackdown. This launched after the party leaders and workers allegedly vandalised and set afire state and army properties in the wake of Khan’s arrest on May 9. Supreme leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Nawaz Sharif said: “There will be no talks with a group of terrorists and saboteurs.” | IANS…

TEHRAN: Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said arrived in Tehran yesterday for a two-day visit expected to focus on regional diplomatic and security issues, two days after Muscat mediated a prisoner swop between Iran and Belgium. Oman has long been an interlocutor for the West with Iran. Last week, Oman helped secure the release of a Belgian aid worker, who was arrested in 2022 and sentenced to 40 years in prison and 74 lashes on charges including spying, in exchange for an Iranian diplomat sentenced to 20 years over a failed bomb plot in France. Haitham was to meet Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to discuss Tehran’s strained ties with Egypt. | Reuters…

It is not all doom and gloom for the Stormers after their heart-breaking United Rugby Championship final loss to Munster on Saturday in front of a sold-out Cape Town Stadium. Despite going down 19-14 against their fired-up Irish visitors, enough good things happened over the season for the Cape side to be optimistic about their future in the competition. Munster defended for all their worth, nullifying the Stormers’ potent attack and in doing so, secured a first title in over a decade in the competition. Although the loss left a hollow feeling that will probably be there for months, Stormers coach John Dobson and his assistants can be very pleased with the squad depth they built. This season, in the absence of guys like Deon Fourie, Evan Roos, Leolin Zas,…

Leicester were relegated from the Premier League just seven years after a spectacular title triumph as Everton prolonged their 69-year stay in the English top flight by beating Bournemouth 1-0 yesterday. Leeds United will also return to the Championship after three seasons in the Premier League as their relegation was confirmed by a 4-1 defeat to Tottenham. Abdoulaye Doucoure was Everton's hero as the French midfielder smashed home from the edge of the box on 57 minutes to spark jubilant celebrations around Goodison Park. In contrast, Leicester were crestfallen as they went down, despite their 2-1 win over West Ham. Everton began the afternoon in control of their own fate but put a raucous support of 40 000 fans at Goodison Park through the mill before securing survival. Scoring goals…