Sommaire pour 2021-10-20 de Cape Times

Lutho Pasiya lutho.pasiya@inl.co.za Nothing says springtime in South Africa like the burst of colourful flowers that appear just as the weather warms. What you may not know is that many of these beautiful creations can be used to top off your favourite dishes and drinks as well. As garden party season arrives, surprise your guests with their favourite edible flowers on their plate or drink, instead of in a vase. There is a whole world of edible flowers to open your taste buds. Just like herbs, there are many brilliant flowers to explore. Edible flowers are a beautiful way to elevate any meal. They add a layer of artistry and dimension to dishes, plus a sweet, spicy, or floral flavour. It may be trendy, but it’s nothing new. For centuries,…

Loyiso Sidimba loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za THERE is a “fundamental error” in suspended ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule’s charge sheet and his legal team is expected to file a formal objection to the charges in relation to the R255 million asbestos roof eradication project awarded during his tenure as Free State premier. Magashule and his co-accused in the fraud and money laundering case appeared briefly in court yesterday. The indictment details the charges,including using his influence when he was premier to secure more than R1.1 million in payments from late businessman Igo Mpambani, who was gunned down in 2017. Magashule is accused of instructing Mpambani and his company, Diamond Hill Trading 71, to make payments totalling over R1.1m between June 2015 and January 2016. Prosecutors state that Magashule should be found guilty of…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za DISGRACED former Mitchells Plain police sergeant David Steenkamp who preyed on detained inmates is expected to know his fate next week. His sentencing yesterday was delayed due to outstanding reports. He had been found guilty on one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. He was expected to be sentenced at the Mitchells Plain Regional Court yesterday but National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said the sentencing did not go ahead as expected due to the correctional officers’ report and the probation officers report that were not ready. This led to a postponement of the matter to November 5. According to Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) spokesperson Grace Langa, in September 2016 Steenkamp was accused of raping an inmate who was detained at the Mitchell’s…

Don Oliver | Cape Town THE letter from Julian Cooke (Cape Times, October 18) superbly articulates what Cape Town needs: well-planned change on a massive scale, not more of the same. I call on the Cape Times to throw its considerable weight behind this proposal by persuading all parties that this is the best, in fact the only, way forward. If the DA leads the way, it can be assured of my vote which is not the case now. If a collaboration is formed, even better. But the Cape Times must accept it has a responsibility to the people and future of Cape Town and step up to the plate.…

Brett Anderson | Somerset West MORE and more South Africans are searching for an alternative to the failed policies of the ANC, so when opposition parties spend more time opposing each other than providing the electorate with viable alternatives, one has to wonder what kind of game they are playing. It certainly can’t be a good move to break down other opposition parties. And yet that’s the only thing Minister de Lille’s party seems to be doing; constantly ignoring the failures of the national government they are a part of, all the while attacking the only viable alternative with a proven track record of governance and delivery. Opposition parties which spend their time opposing the opposition aren’t good.…

Kevin Meineke | Hout Bay THE so-called war veterans of the ANC, MK and APLA have been prominent on TV this week, making demands and protesting about their plight. Assuming that the South African bush war ended 31 years ago in 1990 and that the liberation armies did not use child soldiers, something they would deny, the surviving veterans must be at least 50 years old now. The images of most of the veterans seen on TV, did not look to be 50 plus years old. On the contrary, many looked to be about 30 years old. The number of females claiming to be veterans was surprising. Did the liberation forces really use females as part of their armed resistance? May I be so bold as to suggest…

Chevon Booysen Chevon.booysen@inl.co.za “STATIC electricity build-up” coupled with “human error when excess graphite was added to (material)” are suspected to be the cause of the deadly Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM) explosion in 2018 which claimed the lives of eight workers. This emerged when independent investigator and chemical engineer Roderick Keyser, who conducted an investigation into the explosion, testified before the public inquiry into the incident, which resumed yesterday. Nico Samuels, 41, team leader Stevon Isaacs, 51, operators Mxolisi Sigadla, 40, Bradley Tandy, 19, Jamie Haydricks, 24, Jason Hartzenberg, 22, Triston David, 22, and Thandolwethu Mankayi, 27, were killed in the incident in Somerset West. Keyser said the investigation was conducted along the lines of a “risk-based methodology” which explored and analysed friction, heat and impact. Speaking to the possibility that…

ONE of the main reasons for us all to vote in these elections is that most politicians everywhere seeking re-election are among the chief architects of South Africa’s political, economic, and social calamity. They must be removed from power. They are arsonists posing as fire-fighters, not that you would know it from the false election promises reported in the media, which suggest they had more than risen to the occasion of representing the interests of the people in the last five years in office and will continue to do so if re-elected. Our local government is in shambles. More and more people say so: not just the independent candidates, but the disgruntled party members exposing factionalism, not just residents inconvenienced by constant electricity blackouts and astronomical municipal bills, but…

China jailed 20 people for corruption over their role in the deadly collapse of a quarantine hotel last year, prompting online outrage yesterday over poor building standards in the country. Twenty-nine people died and 50 were injured when the Xinjia Hotel in Quanzhou city caved in last March. At the time, the 66-room hotel was housing dozens of people who had been ordered to quarantine there. An official probe later found three floors had been illegally added to the originally four-storey structure, and safety auditors had collaborated with the hotel’s owner to create false reports about the building. Hotel proprietor Yang Jinqiang has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for causing a serious accident, forging official documents and offering bribes, a Quanzhou court said. Twelve other people received jail…

LOS ANGELES: Sylvester Stallone has finished filming his final scenes in the ‘Expendables’ franchise. The 75-year-old Hollywood legend took to Instagram to confirm he is exiting the movie series after he wrapped on the fourth film. He wrote: “‘Expendables’ finale for me. Today is my last day of filming … Heading home. So they go (sic)”. Stallone said in a video: “I just finished a very successful stunt and it’s time to be moving on. “I’m enjoying it, but it’s always bittersweet when something you’ve been attached to I guess since 12 years. I’m ready to pass the baton on to Jason (Statham) and his capable hands.” Stallone signed off the clip by admitting he was “getting ready to accept the next challenge”. The Expendables 4 will include regular franchise…

Colombo: An Indian fishing trawler has sunk after allegedly ramming a Sri Lankan navy vessel that was driving out poachers from the island nation’s prawn-rich waters, officials said yesterday. The two countries are separated by the narrow Palk Strait known for its jumbo prawns, with Sri Lankan fishermen long accusing their Indian neighbours of poaching in their territory. The incident took place late Monday, with rescuers still searching yesterday for one of the trawler’s missing crew members, the navy said in a statement. Two other fishermen from the boat were rescued, it said.…

PORT-AU-PRINCE: A gang that kidnapped 17 foreign missionaries in Haiti is demanding $1 million (about R14.6m) for the release of each abductee, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday, citing a Haitian official. Earlier this week, the Christian Aid Ministries organisation confirmed the abduction of 17 of its employees – 16 US nationals and one Canadian – in Haiti. White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said the FBI was involved in efforts to rescue the missionaries. “The FBI is part of a co-ordinated US government effort to get the US citizens involved to safety. Due to operational considerations, we’re not going into too much detail on that.”…

from page 1 decision, including the electronic record, this (or the records of the Presidency) will confirm that the report was already transmitted in the late afternoon or early evening. It is, with respect, impossible for the SIU to have considered the submissions or evidence. Impossibility aside, demonstrably the SIU did not give it due regard, as some of its findings in the Referral Letter and Report have no regard to that evidence. “This evinces that the SIU had already reached conclusions and findings against me: no matter what further evidence or submissions it received, it was not going to alter its report,” Mkhize’s affidavit averred. Mkhize further contended that had his submissions and evidence been taken into account by the SIU, the organisation would have come to a different…

Ntombi Nkosi ntombi.nkosi@inl.co.za Thirteen military veterans accused of holding Cabinet ministers hostage have been granted R500 bail each. A total of 53 military vets stand accused of holding the ministers against their will. Magistrate Bheki Ntshingila made the ruling yesterday and postponed the matter to February 1. The 13 are facing schedule one offences. Yesterday state prosecutor Sanet Jacobson indicated that they were now looking at 27 charges. According to Jacobson, the profiles of the accused had been submitted, but that only addressed 13 people. No pending convictions had been verified. In her submissions, Jacobson also delved into how the accused were associated with the incident. “In terms of association and court participations, I can’t inform the court … that accused number one was the one who shouted at the…

Siphokazi Vuso and Chevon Booysen THE Hawks say they provided what they believed to be complete investigations to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in relation to embattled Eastern Cape and provincial chairperson Oscar Mabuyane. This emerged after the NPA said investigations into the matter were still ongoing, while the Hawks had indicated that the probe had been completed and referred to the NPA for a decision. Mabuyane found himself under fire after Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane made damning findings in her report, that he irregularly benefited from a R1.1 million tender for the memorial service of Struggle icon Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. Mkhwebane ordered the Hawks to investigate allegations that Mabuyane received up to R450 000 in relation to the tender. The money is alleged to have been used to renovate his…

Farouk Cassim | Cope BUSINESS Report on October 14 carried an article by Siphelele Dludla which bemoaned the fact that municipal challenges were adding to our economic woes. In its latest report, the Bureau of Economic Research stated that “local economic development and better municipal service delivery were vital if South Africa wanted to broaden economic participation and reverse its unemployment trend.” One of the problems stemmed from high vacancy rates in key areas of delivery. I agree with Helena Fourie of the Bureau that there is substantial spending on the operational side and low levels of capital spending. There is also excessive spending on contracted services and high levels of irregular spending. Since 2006 the national government has been providing municipalities with its Neighbourhood Development Partnership Grant…

Bill Harding | Noordhoek THE Proteas’ farcical warm-up game against Afghanistan was revealing. Opening the innings, Temba Bavuma took 39 balls to score 31 runs, a strike rate of just 79. That is not good enough in T20. He hit just two boundaries. Pushing and prodding in a 20-over game is going to throttle the team’s batting performance when there are prodigious hitters lower down the order who will have little time at the crease. Even though appointed captain, he just doesn’t belong in T20 and should rather play in the 50-over game or five-day Test cricket.…

Chevon Booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za ATHLONE school, Silverlea Primary, is beaming with pride after smashing the competition in the virtual Growsmart Educational Programme, walking away with several awards - despite it being their first year participating. Four of the pupils placed in first to fourth positions in the Literacy Competition category and school principal, Sharon Coetzee, said the achievement spoke to their teamwork ethos. Winning pupil Sadiyah Padayachee took first place in the Literacy category while, Luca Alexander took second place, Lyndell Morkel placed third and Milani Kamva secured fourth place. “As a school community it meant that we strive towwards our motto ‘not for ourselves alone’. Teamwork is an integral part of the school. I believe if everyone does their part it leads to the successes we experienced this year. The…

Siphokazi Vuso siphokazi.vuso@inl.co.za FEARFUL Freedom Park informal settlement residents in Ottery have appealed for help from animal welfare organisations, saying a number of dogs and cats are infested with ticks. The Cape of Good Hope SPCA issued an alert to animal owners to ensure their animal companions’ tick and flea management is up to date as they have seen a significant increase in tick fever-related cases and deaths. Resident, Chantel Hendricks, said they were scared for their children. “We have a dog here at home and he has a lot of ticks. He walks around the house and lies on the ground. I have a baby here and in the morning I found a tick on the baby’s bed. “The whole of Freedom Park is festered with ticks, and we…

THE e-toll system in Gauteng will go down in history as one of the greatest financial disasters by a South African government. Similarly, the refusal by motorists to service their e-toll bills, ultimately signalling the death of the system, has set the bar with regards to civil disobedience in the democratic dispensation. The SA National Roads Agency (Sanral) last week reported that the revenue from e-tolls dropped by 31.5% in the financial year ending March 2021, largely due to the pandemic and lockdown. It said the revenue from e-tolls decreased by R207m, down from R452m in 2019/20. Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula said the government was determined to finalise the matter before the end of the year – possibly next month when Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana delivers the medium-term budget policy…

More than 700 000 people have been affected by flooding in South Sudan, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said yesterday, blaming climate change for the worst floods in some parts of the country in nearly 60 years. “The country is on the front line of the climate emergency, where the people are the collateral damage of a battle they did not pick,” Arafat Jamal, UNHCR representative in South Sudan, told a UN briefing in Geneva via video link from the capital, Juba. Jamal said 700 000 had been affected so far and the number was rising. He had no death toll from the flooding. Heavy rains in recent weeks had swept away homes and inundated farmlands, forcing families and livestock to seek safety on higher ground, Jamal said.…

Newly released anti-coup protesters in Myanmar were reunited with their families outside a Yangon prison yesterday in tearful scenes on the second day of a junta amnesty as international pressure mounts on the regime. The Southeast Asian country has been in chaos since a coup in February, with more than 1 100 civilians killed in a bloody crackdown on dissent and more than 8 000 arrested, according to a local monitoring group. On Monday, the military said it would free more than 5 000 people to mark the three-day Buddhist Thadingyut festival, sending anxious families rushing to prisons, joyful at the prospect of reunions after months apart. “I’ve missed you so much,” a mother wept over her newly released son, as he cradled his young child. “I’m…

Kabul: One of the most senior figures in Afghanistan’s Taliban government has hailed the sacrifices of suicide bombers at a meeting with families of the “martyrs” in Kabul. Interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, listed as a terrorist by the US with a $10 million (R145.6m) bounty on his head, met the relatives on Monday at a hotel in the capital. Yesterday, pro-Taliban social media accounts and local media published images of the minister praying and embracing men. “Haqqani praised the jihad and sacrifice of the martyrs and mujahideen”, calling them the “heroes of Islam and the country”, Afghan state broadcaster RTA reported.…

Santiago: Thousands of Chileans marched in downtown Santiago and other major cities in Chile to mark the second anniversary of the start of social unrest that shocked investors and political elites in the South American nation. Most people protested peacefully on Monday, while some set barricades on fire, broke traffic lights and forced subway stations to close, according to TV images. A fast-food restaurant was ransacked in downtown Santiago. Social tensions are running high as one of Latin America’s richest nations nears the first round of presidential elections on November 21.…

Viwe Ndongeni-Ntlebi viwe.ndongeni@inl.co.za Media personality Bonang Matheba has found herself a new man. In recent years, Matheba has been quiet about her dating life and has often had to clap back at rumours. But now it seems she is smitten and sharing it. Taking to Twitter on Sunday, the media personality spoke of how she was in love with her boyfriend. “I love this boy. Finna give him some babies,” she wrote. When fans asked who she was dating, Matheba said, “Last time I shared, ya’ll spammed his IG! Then! Pain.” Think she is just teasing on the new love? No, the star confirmed that she was in a relationship during her Instagram Live on her 34th birthday, saying she was not looking to unveil her boyfriend’s identity. “Yes I…

Odwa Mkentane odwa.mkentane@inl.co.za THE provincial Community Policing Forum (CPF) has hailed a breakthrough by the FBI into romance scams that saw victims conned out of more than R100 million. Eight suspects aged 33 to 52 were arrested for internet scams, money laundering and international wide-scale financial fraud in Cape Town. The operation was initiated based on mutual legal assistance from US central authorities approved by South Africa. The suspects are also alleged to have ties to a transnational organised crime syndicate originating abroad. Hawks spokesperson Katlego Mogale said the FBI estimated that more than 100 victims lost over R100 million in romance scams from 2011 to date. Mogale said the suspects assumed fake names and trolled dating sites for their victims. “It is alleged that these suspects allegedly preyed…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za THE South African Navy has yet again broken new ground with the appointment of Captain Berlinah Madonsela as the first female SAS Saldanha commanding officer. This training base in Saldanha Bay on the West Coast is the biggest training unit in the SA Navy. Madonsela, who was born and raised in Mbombela, Mpumalanga said when a member of her church informed her about the South African National Defence Force she jumped at the opportunity. “She had been listening to the radio when an announcement was made about recruitment and they needed people with science and maths. “My first choice was the Air Force but after my interview with the panel they suggested I change and make the Navy my first choice because they believed I would do…

Ayanda Mdluli and Thabo Makwakwa A massive clash of the titans is looming between former Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and President Cyril Ramaphosa over the Digital Vibes scandalwith Mkhize accusing both the SIU and Ramaphosa of coming to a predetermined conclusion regarding his alleged involvement with the embattled government contractor. In court papers filed on Friday, October 15, at the North Gauteng High Court, Mkhize is seeking relief and has asked the court to review and set aside findings and recommendations made by the SIU against him. He has also sought to declare the conduct of the SIU unlawful and unconstitutional. This comes after the SIU investigated alleged irregularities in a tender contract awarded by the national Department of Health to Digital Vibes.…

Ingredients Method 1 whole beef fillet, skinned and trimmed 4 packets of green asparagus Olive oil Salt and pepper Dijon mustard 4 packets of salad cress 1 small tub creamed horseradish 200ml full-fat cream For the asparagus Blanch asparagus in boiling salted water till bright green. Remove and refresh in ice water. Set aside. For the horseradish Chantilly Whip cream till stiff, fold in creamed horseradish and season to taste. For the fillet Season and coat with olive oil. Sear on all sides in hot pan. Roast at 180°C for 12 minutes. Remove and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Brush entire fillet with mustard and slice thinly. Wrap around cooked asparagus, top with horseradish Chantilly and garnish with watercress. |…

Staff writer TO commemorate 100 years of the harrowing, Bulhoek Massacre of 1921, where 193 worshippers were shot dead for refusing to leave their mountain of prayer, eNtabelanga near Komani, now Queenstown, in Eastern Cape, Nguvu ya Mbegu...eNtabelanga is set to enthral local audiences at Theatre Arts in Observatory. The South African State Theatre in association with Mud&Fire Parables will be presenting Nguvu ya Mbegu...eNtabelanga from October 21 to 23. The multilingual theatre production performed in isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, SeTswana, and Swahili, strongly draws its aesthetic from African storytelling traditions, incorporating dance, song, and ensemble work. Some performances will be accompanied by post-production conversations, exhibition, and virtual talks. Originally created by students at the Centre for Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies under the direction of Mandla Mbothwe at UCT,…

THE Constitution of 1996 outlines a comprehensive path for co-operative governance in South Africa. Chapter 7 of the Constitution awards municipalities the necessary powers, authorities, and responsibilities to manage the local affairs of their respective communities. Importantly, it provides for co-operative governance in South Africa by mandating national and provincial governments to oversee, monitor and support municipalities. This includes specific instructions for the provincial government to take over the affairs of local government if the latter fails to manage its affairs or cannot meet its financial obligations. In South Africa, co-operative governance means that the three spheres of government work closely together to provide citizens with complete services in a timely manner. The approach rests on the understanding that implementing policies requires close collaboration between the three spheres of government,…

Strasbourg: Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki accused the EU of “blackmail” yesterday in a public clash with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen over his country’s rejection of parts of EU law. The ferocious row, played out in the European Parliament, underlined the seriousness of the issue, which both Brussels and Warsaw say threatens the cohesion of the 27-nation bloc. Von der Leyen, speaking just before and after Morawiecki took the podium, warned that her commission – tasked as guardian of the EU treaties – “will act” to rein in Poland. She said a controversial October 7 ruling by Poland’s Consitutional Court challenging the primacy of EU law was an attempt “to take an axe to the European treaties by undermining their legitimacy”. “Undermining any of these essential pillars…

ROME: The executive director for the UN World Food Programme, David Beasley, yesterday called on Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk to sponsor the organisation’s efforts to fight global famine. Musk has surpassed Amazon founder Jeff Bezos as the world’s richest person. “Elon Musk, you made $6 billion just yesterday – the exact $ we need to avert catastrophe! Please help!” Beasley wrote on Twitter. Since taking over as the world’s richest man, Musk has reinforced philanthropic initiatives, but Forbes estimates he has donated less than 1% of his wealth to charity.…

Leaks from moored tankers, underwater pipelines and wastewater systems are turning the Syrian coast into a major environmental hot spot, according to a report released yesterday. The study by Dutch peace-building organisation PAX analysed public and commercial satellite imagery to assess the damage caused to the waters off the port of Baniyas. The report listed “direct attacks on and degradation of energy infrastructure, lack of maintenance, and failing environmental governance” as the main sources of pollution from conflict zones. Pollution along much of the Mediterranean was already bad but had been made worse off Syria by a decade of conflict. The leaks and wastewater discharges caused by conflict are damaging the future of a country where the war has already killed half a million people and displaced around half of…

ADDIS ABABA: The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Africa reached 8 437 361 cases as of yesterday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said. The Africa CDC, the specialised health-care agency of the AU, said the death toll from the pandemic across the continent stands at 215 760. About 7 811 400 patients across the continent have recovered from the disease so far, according to the agency. South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia and Ethiopia are among the countries with the most cases in the continent. South Africa has recorded the most Covid-19 cases in Africa, with 2 916 803 cases.…