Sommaire pour 2021-05-20 de Cape Times

EDWARD WEST edward.west@inl.co.za THE NATIONAL Treasury did not support the Pension Funds Amendment Bill that aims to allow workers who were in financial distress to access their pension savings through loans, Treasury’s tax and financial sector policy head, Ismail Momoniat, said yesterday. This was even though workers were going through a period of severe financial distress caused by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic because of salary cuts, retrenchments, and illness and death in families, trade union Cosatu told Parliament’s standing committee on finance yesterday. Momoniat told the committee that the aim of retirement reform was to encourage savings and reduce poverty, because South Africa had a very low savings rate, and the household savings that did take place were mostly contractual through the deduction of pension fund contributions from…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za SOUTH African consumers could soon be forking out more for goods as businesses pass on price increases after the annual rate of inflation in April rose to its highest level in 14 months. Data from Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) yesterday showed that the annual rate of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose to 4.4 percent last month, up from 3.2 percent in March. This CPI reading was the highest inflation rate since February last year. Inflation was pushed up by the rising prices of food and transport because of the uptick in economic activity. Transport inflation jumped to 10.6 percent in April as petrol prices reached their highest level on record, with the price of inland 95 octane petrol rising by R1 to…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za MINISTER of Trade, Industry and Competition Ebrahim Patel said yesterday that the government had mobilised at least R240 million from the private sector to support initiatives for localisation of jobs. The department has announced an industrial policy shift to create a more inward-looking and locally-based productive economy focused on manufacturing to boost job creation. Patel said the funding would be used to support the recruitment of technical experts such as industrial engineers, project managers and supply chain specialists who will help identify and implement localisation initiatives. In the Policy Statement on Localisation for Jobs and Industrial Growth, Patel said localisation was aimed at creating sustainable jobs and building the economic base. This policy statement argues that localisation would increase the country’s competitiveness, fast-track economic reforms, develop…

Viwe Ndongeni-Ntlebi viwe.ndongeni@inl.co.za While nutritional support for cancer patients focuses on avoiding malnutrition, some foods are allies, and some are to be avoided. Spokesperson for The Association for Dietetics in South Africa Faaizah Laher advises. Foods to avoid during cancer treatment and recovery: Avoid or limit alcohol. Avoid or limit highly refined, highly processed foods. Limit foods high in sugar, including sweets, cakes and sugary drinks. Limit foods that are high in salt. Limit foods that are high in animal fats. Avoid or limit cured meats such as bacon, ham and sausages. Focus instead on: Eating lots of fresh vegetables and fruits every day. Enjoying lean animal protein such as chicken breast and fish. Including more plant-based foods high in protein such as beans, lentils, peas, chickpeas, quinoa and…

From page 1 SABC’s group executive for corporate affairs and marketing Gugu Ntuli said the auction was temporarily suspended. She said the application was brought on the basis of an alleged breach of the “State-Owned Enterprises’ Non-Core Property Disposal Policy, and Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Guidelines of 2008”. “The lateness of the application prevented the SABC from responding and the judge did not believe the corporation would be unnecessarily inconvenienced by a short interlude, thus allowing it an opportunity to respond,” said Ntuli. Ntuli said it was imperative to note that the interdict was an interim order, allowing the SABC an opportunity to state its case by June 2. “The SABC will demonstrate that the relevant policy finds no application to the SABC and would have the interim order…

Siyabonga Mkhwanazi siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has entered the fray on the polyandry debate after his department was criticised by some of the parties in Parliament. The ACDP said yesterday it will engage with the process on the green paper regarding marriage statute in the country. Al-Jamah slammed polyandry, saying it was against the Constitution. But Motsoaledi yesterday said this was the time for all the parties to debate the issue without resorting to a war of words. “Honourable House chair, it was with a deep sense of disappointment that the envisaged national dialogues turned into a war of words and cynicism about one and only one of the issues that were raised in the ministerial dialogues. The issue of polyandry, which like all others which I…

Chevon Booysen Chevon.booysen@inl.co.za ACCUSED serial killer Brian Mudyiwayana, from Zimbabwe, will return to the court this morning as his murder trial continues in the Swellendam Magistrate’s Court. Mudyiwayana was arrested in 2019 following a two-year search for the murderer of Lungelwa Dangatye, a 47-year-old teacher from Da Gamaskop, Mossel Bay, in the Southern Cape. Since then he has been linked to at least four other murders after an investigation led detectives to murders in Wolseley, Worcester, Swellendam and De Doorns. National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said the trial started yesterday. “The trial against Mudyiwayana started at the circuit sitting at the Swellendam Magistrate’s Court. The accused pleaded not guilty to all the charges except the one of being in South Africa illegally. The matter was rolled over to (this)…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za THE CASH-strapped SABC was stopped in its tracks from auctioning its Rocklands property, in Sea Point, to the highest bidder because this move was in conflict with the government’s mandate to redress spatial segregation. This was according to the Human Settlements Department and the Housing Development Agency (HDA), after securing a court interdict against the auction, which was to take place yesterday. The public broadcaster issued notices of termination of lease agreements for its non-core properties in December, and that it would sell these at a public auction. However, a date was not given until last month. But just hours before the auction, the department and the HDA secured an interdict, saying this made it difficult for the people to access well-located and affordable housing opportunities.…

Staff writer LEARNERS from schools across the province have joined the UN in its call to have the speed limit around schools and in residential areas reduced to 30km/h. The call is part of the UN’s 6th Global Road Safety Week, from May 17 to 23, under the theme “Streets for Life” with a call for a 30km/h speed limit to be the norm for cities, towns and villages worldwide. Yesterday, learners and teachers from Ummangaliso, Sobambisana, Ntwasahlobo, and Sakumlandela primary schools, and Usasazo High School– alongside officials from the provincial government’s Road Safety Management (RSM) Directorate and activists of Childsafe SA – took part in a picket in Bongiso Drive and Mew Street in Khayelitsha. Learners, teachers and RSM officials also picketed at Mooi-Uitsig Primary School in Ceres.…

Siphokazi Vuso siphokazi.vuso@inl.co.za LEGENDARY Newlands stadium ice-cream vendor Moegamat “Boeta” Cassiem was honoured at a special event for his 55 years of service by the Western Province Cricket Association (WPCA) yesterday. Cassiem, 67, began selling ice cream as a teenager in the ’70s, a trade which he says made it possible for him to put his children through school. WPCA brand, sponsorship and media manager David Brooke said there was no better ambassador for Newlands than Cassiem. “We’ve had great players that have played on this ground and have done a lot of good things on the field, but off the field there’s no more recognisable person than Boeta Cassiem,” he said. Cassiem’s quirky personality, enthusiasm and positive energy has won many hearts and provided joy to fans and players…

NEARLY two centuries ago, at the height of Napoleon’s power in Europe, Austrian politician Klemens von Metternich famously said: “When Paris sneezes, Europe catches a cold.” To reflect the US’s 20th century economic muscle, the expression became, when America sneezes, the world catches a cold. Today, the US retains its seat at the head table of power, alongside China and other Asian nations and European nations, but the single most menacing contagion in the global village is the unresolved geopolitical and human rights crisis in the Middle East. Unlike the response to the coronavirus, there’s been no mad scramble for a vaccine. The world’s collective failure to treat the underlying causes – Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian land and systemic undermining of the rights of Palestinians – has created a…

Navy rescuers retrieved 22 bodies from the sea yesterday and searched for 65 people still missing after a major cyclone slammed India, adding to the country’s woes as it suffered a record number of Covid-19 deaths. Cyclone Tauktae was the latest in what experts say is a growing number of ever-bigger storms in the Arabian Sea because of climate change warming its waters. The defence ministry said yesterday that navy ships had rescued more than 600 people after waves up to 8m high hammered offshore oil installations. But 22 bodies were recovered, taking the overall toll from the cyclone to at least 55. Planes and helicopters were still searching for 65 workers missing from one of several support vessels that slipped its moorings in the storm and sank. MK Jha,…

Istanbul: Turkey rejected as “absolutely unacceptable” accusations by the US that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made “anti-Semitic” remarks in his criticism of Israeli strikes in Gaza, his top press aide said Wednesday. The latest tensions could further sour the relationship between two Nato allies Turkey and the US. Erdogan, whose political roots are in Islamism, has championed the Palestinian cause during his 18-year rule. He has accused Israel of “terrorism” against the Palestinians.…

Jakarta: Indonesia’s navy said that an operation to retrieve parts of a submarine that sunk with 53 people on board last month has been able to pull up two life rafts from the bottom of the sea. The German-made KRI Nanggala-402 lost contact during a torpedo firing exercise on April 21. An international search team involving Singapore, Australia and Malaysia found the submarine four days later, sunken and broken into three at a depth of more than 800 metres north of Bali, DPA reported. Indonesian navy second fleet commander Rear Admiral Iwan Isnurwanto said yesterday that each of the life rafts weighed 700 kilograms.…

Honiara: A man has discovered over 100 unexploded bombs on his property in the Solomon Islands. The incident occurred when the man, who wished to remain anonymous, decided to dig a hole for a new septic system. After having dug several metres his shovel hit something metallic. A few seconds later he realised the renovation works could have ended in tragedy as he stumbled on WWII-era bombs. The ordnances turned out to be 105mm shells reportedly used by US troops. ​Police said the bombs were transported to a safe place and work is under way to defuse them.…

HERMAN GIBBS Kaizer Chiefs assistant coach Dillon Sheppard has urged his players to be alert to early scoring opportunities against hosts Simba SC in the return leg of their Caf Champions League quarter-final tie at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Saturday. Sheppard reasoned that because of his team's 4-0 aggregate advantage after the first leg at FNB Stadium, Simba will be hell-bent on scoring an early goal to spark a miraculous comeback, much like they did 42 years ago. In a social media post on Tuesday, Caf reported that Simba overcame incredible odds in the past. In 1979 they staged a miraculous comeback after losing 4-0 at home in the first leg of a Champions League first-round match against Zambia's Mufulira Wanderers. In the return leg,…

THE Sharks have had mixed news on the injury front, with by far the worst of it being a serious knee injury to Sikhumbuzo Notshe that will make him an unlikely contender for the Springboks in their series against the touring British and Irish Lions. While Notshe wasn’t expected to make the starting line-up for the Test series — he rivals incumbent Duane Vermeulen at No 8 — he would have hoped to make the greater Springbok squad. However, he injured a knee cap playing against the Bulls last week and according to a statement from the Sharks, he has “undergone surgery and will be out for a few months”. The Lions arrive in South Africa in about six weeks time, putting Notshe in a race against time to…

The IOC reassured an anxious Japan yesterday that the Tokyo Olympics would be safe for athletes as well as the host community, amid mounting opposition to the Games and fears it will fuel a spike in Covid-19 cases. Speaking in Tokyo alongside senior Japanese officials, IOC chief Thomas Bach said he believed more than 80% of residents of the Olympic Village would be vaccinated or booked for vaccination ahead of the Games set to start on July 23. He rejected growing calls to cancel the global sporting showpiece, already delayed once due to the pandemic, saying that other sporting events had proved the Olympics could go ahead with strong Covid precautions. Bach's comments came as Japan kept up its battle on a fourth wave of infections, although a slow vaccination…

INVESTEC Property Fund (IPF) declared a 47.71 cents per share final dividend in the six months to March 31, bringing the full year dividend to 92.23c per share and reflecting a 95 percent of distributable earnings payout ratio. Distributable earnings fell 33.8 percent year-on-year to 97.08c per share, but the gearing was at 38.3 percent at year-end, allowing IPF to continue paying out dividends throughout the pandemic and leaving it well position- ed for future growth, a statement from the group said yesterday. Joint chief executive Andrew Wooler (pictured) said the South African portfolio weathered a greater Covid-19 impact. Europe, however, saw logistics demand and structural changes accelerate through the pandemic, underpinning the fund’s stability through the downturn. Delivery on strategy through the global uncertainty and…

DUAL-listed Resource Generation announced the passing of non-executive director, Konji Sebati. Chairperson Lula- mile Xate said Sebati had a distinguished career and lived a very full life. “Konji was an affable person who contributed tremendously to the board of Resource Generation since her appointment in 2015. We will sorely miss her.” Sebati was a medical practitioner specialising in rural child health, held senior positions with Roche and Pfizer in the US and was appointed South African ambassador to Switzerland in 2004 and ambassador to France in 2008. Sebati also sat on the board of the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) and headed the Innovative Pharmaceutical Association of South Africa. MMV chief executive, David Reddy, said Sebati’s legacy would live on through the many projects that she helped to nurture. “We…

Athandile Siyo athandile.siyo@inl.co.za THE Artscape Theatre Centre celebrated its 50th birthday yesterday in grand style, with a jam-packed day of events and performances attended by current and former employees. The iconic Cape Town facility opened in 1971 as the Nico Malan theatre. Yesterday’s celebrations focused on the transition of the arts and Artscape in particular, as it changed through the decades of apartheid exclusivity, fledgling transition at the dawn of democracy in 1994, its eventual name change in 2000 through to a theatre transformed today. A long-service award ceremony was preceded by a moment of silence for employees and their loved ones who had succumbed to Covid-19. Attendees enjoyed performances featuring Artscape’s associated companies and local artists such as Zinzi Nogavu, Gary Naidoo and Lui V. Ebenezer Fortuin, who has…

Staff writer A KHAYELITSHA business owner has expressed disappointment after only three of the 11 “persons of interest” appeared in court following the murders of 13 people in Site B at the weekend. The Site B business owner, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of victimisation, said the community was already tense, and that the release of the eight people would make things worse. “Pictures of those arrested circulated on social media and I could recognise most of them,” he said, claiming those he recognised had allegedly “come to collect from us. It is sad that they have been released”. “I had hoped that they would be charged and remain in jail,” the business owner said, further claiming they were allegedly “terrorising the community”. Andile Valishiya, Dominic Isaacs and…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za THE South Africa Tobacco Transformation Alliance (Satta) is calling for an evidence-based approach for the future of the cigarette and tobacco industry, that would strengthen it economically, instead of a punitive approach. This comes as the National Department of Health recently conducted stakeholder consultations for an updated Socio-Economic Impact Assessment System (Seias), in respect of the draft Control of Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Bill of 2018. If passed into law, the Bill will repeal the Tobacco Products Control Act 83 of 1993 in its entirety. Among other things, the bill seeks to provide for control over smoking, to regulate the sale and advertising of tobacco products and electronic delivery systems, to regulate the packaging and appearance of tobacco products and electronic delivery systems, and to…

Staff writer Two cold fronts are expected to move in over the Western Cape from today, resulting in rainy and windy conditions. The SA Weather Service (Saws) said a cold front was set to move in over the south-western Cape today, spreading over the eastern parts of the province, the southern parts of the Northern Cape and the western parts of the Eastern Cape. “Strong winds of 50-70km/h may be experienced over the southern high ground of the Northern Cape, the interior of the Western Cape and the interior of the Eastern Cape which may result in difficult driving conditions.” A secondary cold front will make landfall tomorrow, bringing rain and light snowfall to the Western Cape. Cold conditions will start to invade the central parts of the country…

Loyiso Sidimba loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za SOUTH Africa’s ambassador to Japan and former head of the ANC presidency, Smuts Ngonyama, will square off with the family of late Bosasa chief executive Gavin Watson over the payment of nearly R7 million in dividends. Watson’s nephew and executor of the controversial businessman’s estate, Jared Watson, is heading to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) today to challenge a South Gauteng High Court ruling that ordered him (Jared Watson) to immediately take whatever steps necessary to restore the shares of Ngonyama’s company Thunder Cats Investments 92. The shares are in mining firm Ntsimbentle Holdings and were substituted for ordinary shares by Gavin Watson to Bosasa Youth Development Centres, which is under liquidation. The South Gauteng High Court ordered Jared Watson to pay all dividends earned and…

Rodney Mazinter | Camps Bay Abbey Makoe’s descent into rewriting history has reached a nadir of distortions and inaccuracies (Cape Times/Pretoria News/The Mercury May 18). His wilful twisting of history and presenting the resultant farrago as fact speaks of the anti-Semitic, bigoted outlook he glosses over in his letter. All his assertions to the contrary, Palestinian refugees came about in 1948 largely as a result of the surrounding five Arab countries insisting that all Arabs leave the emerging Israel, returning when the Jews had been “driven into the sea”. A corresponding number of Jewish refugees who, simultaneously, had been expelled from Arab countries, instead of being used as political pawns, were quickly absorbed into, and settled in Israel, which has not at any stage of their citizenship victimised…

Melbourne: Asian energy officials yesterday disputed the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) call for no new oil, natural gas and coal investments for the world to be able to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, viewing that approach as too narrow. The IEA, which has previously championed the oil and gas industry, this week outlined a path to net-zero emissions that suggested stopping new investments in oil, gas and coal supply, retiring coal-fired plants in advanced economies by 2030, and banning sales of new internal combustion engine cars by 2035. Energy companies in Australia, the biggest carbon emitter per capita among the world’s richest nations, and officials in Japan and the Philippines said there were many ways to get to net zero, even as the IEA said its pathway was…

Ndukwe Ekekwe was furious when he heard how much compensation a judicial panel had awarded him after finding that members of an elite Nigerian police unit tortured him in custody following a raid on his phone accessories shop – 7 500 000 naira (about R253 000). The night after his arrest, he said, officers took him back to the store and pushed him from a second floor balcony, leaving him paralysed from the waist down and struggling to make ends meet. “I sold my land, all my property, my goods!” he shouted. During the hearings, the officer who led the operation disputed Ekekwe’s account of the balcony incident, saying he jumped while trying to escape. After the months-long process concluded on May 11, a friend pushed Ekekwe’s wheelchair out of…

Nairobi: President Uhuru Kenyatta yesterday appointed judge Martha Karambu Koome as Kenya’s first woman chief justice, making her the first woman to head any of the three branches of government. Koome, 61, a calm but staunch women’s rights crusader, takes over the judiciary ahead of next year’s general elections and would likely play a decisive role in adjudicating any eventual election disputes. She inherits a Supreme Court that in September 2017 annulled the presidential election results in a historic ruling under her predecessor, David Maraga, that strained its relationship with the executive. The University of London-trained appeals court judge was seen as an unlikely candidate in a list of 10 including the lawyer who represented Kenyatta in the 2017 case. Kenyatta gazetted her appointment hours after parliament okayed her nomination,…

Phnom Penh: At least 11 Cambodian villagers have died after drinking toxic home-brewed rice wine, a health official said yesterday, amid a government ban on alcohol sales imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19. The victims drank the hooch at a funeral in their village on May 10, head of the health department in Kandal province told AFP. Since then 11 people have died and another was rushed to a hospital in Phnom Penh in a critical condition yesterday, he said. The victims were tested negative for Covid-19, but tests showed high levels of methanol, said Kouy Bunthouen.…

MIHLALI BALEKA and ZAAHIER ADAMS GOLDEN Arrows’ lack of experience during crunch time has let them down. If it was not for that, they would probably still be in the title race especially after their commanding outing against TS Galaxy. The KwaZulu-Natal club had dropped 10 points in their last four matches prior to their impressive victory at Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium yesterday. Abafana Bes'thende scored three unanswered goals from Michael Gumede, Pule Mmodi and Ntsako Makhubela to set day and night between them and Galaxy as they remained third on the Premiership standings with 46 points. Their points tally though is not enough to guarantee them a top-three finish as fourth-placed Orlando Pirates are three points behind with two games in hand. But coach Mandla Ncikazi will be…

Eshlin Vedan Fans who missed out on Tuesday’s DStv Premiership fixtures did not miss out on any goals as Moroka Swallows and Stellenbosch as well as Baroka FC and Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila both played out to 0-0 stalemates. But the results did have a significant impact on the relegation battle. The only game which ended up producing goals, and an entertaining finish, was Bloemfontein Celtic’s come from behind 2-1 win over Chippa United. Though they are not yet mathematically confirmed to go down, it is safe to say that last-placed Black Leopards, who are currently six points adrift of nearest rivals Chippa United, will be relegated. Lidoda Duvha have hardly put up a fight this season and it’s hard to see their form dramatically improving in their final three games.…

Ashfak Mohamed EVEN a giant like Walt Steenkamp – all 2.03m and 121kg of him – gets scared sometimes. And when it’s something beyond your control, like an irregular heartbeat, the situation becomes almost overwhelming. For the genial 25-year-old Bulls lock, who hails from Rustenburg in North West and made his name at the Cheetahs, contracting Covid-19 late last year resulted in his heart being affected – so much so that he had just 40% heart function when he had to go undergo a heart ablation procedure. That entailed a process of scarring tissue in the heart to block abnormal electrical signals, and is used to restore a normal heart rhythm. Steenkamp had developed a heart arrhythmia, where the organ was beating too fast. “According to the doctor, I had…

Sandile Mchunu sandile.mchunu@inl.co.za NINETY One plc yesterday reported its first full-year results after unbundling from Investec in March last year and reported a record performance from its assets under management (AuM), which rose by 27 percent to £130.9 billion (R2.6 trillion) supported by positive market movements. The group also benefited from the market recovery following the initial downward market impact at the start of the financial year as market and foreign exchange impact added £27.7bn in the year to end March compared to a loss of £14bn to AuM last year. This performance was offset by net outflows of £200 million compared with net inflows of £6bn reported last year. Chief executive Hendrik du Toit paid tribute to their clients for their support during the challenging year…

Viwe Ndongeni-Ntlebi viwe.ndongeni@inl.co.za There are many ways to achieve optimum health and some of the ways to obtain that lifestyle may leave you scratching your head. Here are some strange but healthy tips to make you more healthier. Skip energy drinks when you’re tired According to Time Magazine, energy drinks contain up to five times more caffeine than coffee, but the boost they provide is fleeting and comes with unpleasant side effects like nervousness, irritability, and a rapid heartbeat, says Amy Goodson, dietician for Texas Health Ben Hogan Sports Medicine. Plus, energy drinks often contain high levels of taurine, a central nervous system stimulant, and at least 50g grams of sugar per can (that’s 13 teaspoons). The sweet stuff causes your blood sugar levels to spike, only to crash…

Odwa Mkentane odwa.mkentane@inl.co.za OUTGOING chief of the SANDF General Solly Shoke has embarked on a nationwide visit to various military units to bid members farewell and afford the incoming chief an opportunity to meet them. Incoming chief Lieutenant-General Rudzani Maphwanya’s appointment is effective from June 1. Shoke said during his time he was not happy with the budget allocated to the SANDF. “I would like to say that our soldiers have done exceptionally well, given the circumstances we find ourselves operating under. “I had to thank them because they are not doing it for themselves but for the people and they make a lot of sacrifices in the execution of the task, therefore it is appropriate for me to acknowledge the good that they do,” he said. On the SANDF’s…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za THERE were mixed reactions from teachers’ unions following the suspension of contact sport at schools to curb outbreaks of Covid-19 yesterday. The Department of Basic Education (DBE) said yesterday that the education minister took a decision to suspend all contact sport in schools. The decision was made during a virtual meeting following school sports Covid-19 outbreaks in Gauteng and the general rise of cases in communities across the country. “Non-contact sport training in school can continue, provided all social distancing, hygiene and safety measures are observed and that there is no physical contact during training,” the DBE said. The move to suspend contact sport with immediate effect was welcomed by the National Teachers Union (Natu). “If the learners are going to be in contact during sports, that…

Kailene Pillay kailene.pillay@inl.co.za Former Eskom CEO Matshela Koko told the state capture commission that Eskom was willing to pay more for coal but when Optimum Coal Mine was informed, it ‘kicked them in their face’. Koko explained yestrerday that Optimum initially wanted to increase prices to R285 per tonne for coal, but the Eskom board had already approved a price increase of up to R296 per tonne. He said Optimum Coal Mine then demanded a higher price and when it was rejected, it filed for business rescue. Koko returned to testify at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture yesterday. He told the commission that Optimum Coal Mine acted in "bad faith". Koko said that Optimum Coal Mine already owed R2 billion in penalties for numerous late deliveries and other…

Bongani Nkosi bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za THE Labour Appeal Court has placed the blame on unions for events that led to three black nursing professionals being paid less than their white colleague at the Tshwane University of Technology. Acting Judge Kate Savage, with Judge Philip Coppin and acting Judge Daisy Molefe concurring, has set aside a 2019 judgment that found that differentiation in the salaries of the four constituted unfair discrimination based on social origin. Constituting social origin in this case were the institutions that Paul Maraba, Lydia Khwinana and Matilda Legwale worked for before becoming TUT employees in 2008. The three black professionals originally worked for the Soshanguve-based Technikon Northern Gauteng and Technikon North West in Ga-Rankuwa. Sarina Kloppers, the white colleague who was paid more than the black trio, originally worked…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za ON the day of Eid al-Fitr, as millions of Muslims locally and internationally celebrated the end of the holy month of Ramadaan, the ANC lost stalwart Yousuf “Joe” Pahad. Pahad died on Friday, weeks after contracting Covid-19. Remembering Pahad, former ANC Western Cape spokesperson, Dennis Cruywagen, said: “At the time when we were just getting our political activity together in the province, rebuilding the organisation, the Western Cape Traders’ Association, led by Yousuf, played a mammoth role. “If memory serves me correctly, it had at least 20 000 members throughout the Western Cape. It was an organisation of ordinary business people who did not sit in high-powered boardrooms but their boardrooms were their shops and cafes all over the Cape Flats and they made a stand.” To…

WINTER in South Africa is probably the season most feared by the less fortunate who are bracing to, once again, face life-threatening dangers, among them the flooding of their homes, and fires. Year in and year out, our news pages are populated by harrowing images of the homeless and those in informal settlements with no roof over their heads and not knowing where their next meal will come from. Four people were killed during the Southern Cape storms in the Western Cape recently, with many farmworkers evacuated from their homes. This marked the beginning of what could be a long winter for millions of vulnerable South Africans. Even more disheartening is that we have yet to hear of any plans by Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu on how the government…

Five Palestinians, including a local journalist, were killed on Wednesday in a fresh round of Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip that have been going on for 10 days, medics said. The journalist was identified as Yousef Abu Hussein, who works for al-Aqsa Radio, the Gaza-based radio station run by Hamas. Israeli fighter jets directly struck an apartment in northern Gaza city and allegedly killed him. Three other Palestinians were reportedly killed in a predawn Israeli airstrike on another apartment in Gaza city. Eyewitnesses and security sources said one woman was killed during an airstrike on an apartment in the Remal neighborhood in western Gaza city, adding eight others were injured in separate airstrikes in Gaza. Israeli fighter jets and artillery carried out dozens of strikes on buildings, apartments and…

Activists in Denmark are planning a protest in solidarity with Syrian refugees after Denmark revoked residence status for more than 200 Syrians, the BBC reported yesterday. The British broadcaster said that, last month, Denmark became the first European country to revoke residence status, arguing that Syria’s capital Damascus and neighbouring regions are safe. Authorities in Copenhagen faced condemnation from European Union lawmakers, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and human rights groups regarding the decision, the BBC added in its report. Speaking to the BBC, 19-year-old Sara said Danish authorities notified her family in February that her parents and younger siblings could no longer stay. “All my life is here. How can I go back to Syria now?” she said. Sara speaks fluent Danish and is due to sit for her…

Abidjan: Twenty-two people have been jailed for trafficking children to work on Ivory Coast’s lucrative cocoa plantations, police said. Five received jail terms of 20 years, while the other 17 were given five years, the deputy director of the criminal police, Luc Zaka, told AFP. The convictions by the tribunal in Soubre, in the heart of Ivory Coast’s cocoa-growing region in the west of the former French colony, resulted from a swoop this month. The two-day operation was the fifth of its kind carried out since 2009, involving around 100 members of the security forces as well as forestry officials. They rounded up 68 children, Zaka said.…

BEIRUT: Caretaker Lebanese foreign minister Charbel Wehbe submitted his resignation letter to President Michel Aoun yesterday after the backlash over his comments about Gulf Arab states, a statement by Lebanon’s presidency said. The Lebanese minister said his resignation decision came to avoid the exploitation of what he has said in offending Lebanon and the Lebanese. During an interview on Al-Hurra TV channel on Tuesday, Wehbe blamed the Gulf states for the rise of the extremist Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. His comments were met with heavy criticism by the Lebanese and Gulf officials and nationals.…