Inhaltsverzeichnis für 2023-02-22 in Cape Times

THE SOUTH African currency and stock market remained under pressure yesterday as investors continued to push up their forecasts for higher US interest rates while the ongoing power crisis has deteriorated the outlook for South Africa’s economy. The rand yesterday lost as much as 10 cents from the previous close, falling to R18.24 against the US dollar, close to its lowest since early November 2022. Investors are worried that the US Federal Reserve could have to stay on its hawkish path for longer after a string of economic data releases revealed a resilience in the US economy. The dollar is also likely to streng- then further as investors price-in the renewed hawkishness of the Federal Reserve as the likelihood of the central bank pausing on interest rate increases after…

THE Section 194 committee has taken offence to the letter Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane wrote to chairperson Qubudile Dyantyi, in which she says she wants her demands to be met by Friday. The letter was a sequel to a Dyantyi’s correspondence, which allegedly contained “distortions, untruths and serious insults to Public Protector and her legal team”. The letter came against the backdrop of the non-payment of Mkhwebane’s legal team by the Public Protector South Africa and her not giving instruction to her team to consult with a witness, Bianca Mvuyana. In her 14-page letter, Mkhwebane said Dyantyi’s correspondence contains “disturbingly offensive material”. Mkhwebane demanded that her legal representatives address the issues raised in her letter and any additional issues, and that Dyantyi unconditionally withdraw the “offensive” letter. She also demanded…

MEDI Response director in Kwazulu-Natal (KZN) Paul Herbst who passed away shortly after his return from a rescue mission in Türkiye, has been described as a dedicated leader in the field of emergency medical services. Herbst was among rescue teams providing medical assistance in the earthquake-hit country. The cause of his death has not been divulged. KZN VIP Ambulance said his death was a major loss to the emergency medical services and his absence would be deeply felt by all who knew him. “His passion for helping others was evident in the work that he did every day, and he was known for his unwavering commitment to providing care to those in need. “The loss of Paul is a tremendous blow to the community, and his absence will be deeply…

The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has given the go-ahead for 23 farm residents, former workers on a Paarl farm who have lived there since 1995, to be evicted from the Rein Hill Estate. The SCA had set aside an order and upheld an appeal received from the Land Claims Court (LCC). The order required the occupiers to vacate the property on or before August 31, 2023 while Drakenstein Municipality was ordered to ensure suitable emergency housing was provided to the affected residents. The appeal centred around the question of whether eight families who were living on private property ought to be evicted on account of conduct that brought about an irretrievable breakdown in the relationship between the occupiers and the appellants, the Rein Hill Trust. Following an unprotected strike…

THE leader in yesterday’s Pretoria News (Cape Times, Mercury) says it all. The time has come for the government to put in more resources to improve the state of the foundation phase of education. How sad we have a country with the majority of learners not able to read with meaning. Having just been to Australia my grandchildren of 4, 6 and 8 are all reading fairly fluently. The oldest now a total bookworm reading Harry Potter and Roald Dahl. Now I know they are reading in their home language which of course makes it easier but when I saw the system of teaching it is so superior to what we have here in South Africa. I know we have 12 official languages and I’m not sure how many unofficial…

A 6.4-magnitude earthquake has rocked Türkiye’s southern province of Hatay and northern Syria, killing six people and sparking fresh panic after a massive February 6 tremor left nearly 45 000 dead in both countries. The Afad disaster response agency reported the deaths, as well as nearly 300 hospitalisations, while in Syria the White Helmets aid group said at least 150 people were injured in the Aleppo region. The quake hit the Turkish town of Defne on Monday and was strongly felt by reporters in the nearby city of Antakya. It was also felt in Lebanon and Cyprus. Türkiye’s disaster management agency said on Twitter that a 5.8-magnitude quake followed three minutes later, with its epicentre in the Samandag district of Hatay province. The agency recorded two more tremors with magnitudes…

Madagascar’s government yesterday suspended schools and transport in the path of tropical cyclone Freddy, which was likely to make landfall in the south-east of the country by evening. The cyclone was expected to hit Mananjary district, about 270km from the capital, Antananarivo, with winds of nearly 155km/h, Madagascar’s meteorological services said. Heavy rains and waves of over 26 feet are expected near the impact zone, the International Federation of the Red Cross said on Twitter, issuing a red alert for the area. All traffic in cyclone Freddy’s projected path was suspended overnight to today, the country’s ministry of transport and meteorology said. The ministry of education said it had suspended classes in at least 10 regions. Cyclone Freddy is expected to make landfall nearly a month after storm Cheneso battered…

Canberra: Stronger El Nino events in the future could cause irreversible melting of ice shelves and sheets in Antarctica, Australian research warned yesterday. El Nino is the warmer phase of the El Nino Southern Oscillation (Enso) that occurs over the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean, and with the colder phase, La Nina, influences weather around globally. The new study, published by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, demonstrated that the variability of Enso reduces warming near the surface of the ocean but accelerates warming of deeper waters. The study said this could have broad implic-ations for the global climate. | IANS…

LONDON: Britain is facing a shortage of tomatoes after supplies to supermarkets including market leader Tesco and No 2 Sainsbury’s were hit by disrupted harvests in southern Europe and north Africa. Grocers said the situation was worsened by less winter production in greenhouses in the UK and the Netherlands due to high energy costs. Though largely self-sufficient in the summer, Britain typically imports 95% of its tomatoes and 90% of lettuces from December to March, according to the British Retail Consortium. Earlier this month, Morocco barred exports of tomatoes, onions and potatoes to west Africa to reduce domestic prices and protect exports to Europe. | Reuters…

Kelvin van der Linde is a name that is synonymous with motorsport in South Africa, and he is now he is looking to cement his name in an electric vehicle. Van der Linde will be racing with Cupra at the Formula E Cape Town ePrix this Saturday, having made his debut in the sport after Robin Frijns sustained a hand injury in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia last month. Both the team and Frijns decided that the Dutchman would sit out of the race in the Mother City to recover. This then teed up an almost perfect script for the confirmation that Van der Linde would be racing at home. Although he is no stranger to racing in South Africa, the race in Cape Town is bound to give him a range…

THE second day in office for new Mobility MEC Ricardo Mackenzie turned out to be fruitful as it was announced that the planned “stay away” by the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) would not proceed. Mackenzie was sworn in on Monday at the provincial legislature during a critical time, as the taxi industry planned to strike today. Mackenzie and Premier Alan Winde met with Santaco leadership and other stakeholders yesterday to discuss their grievances, and the stay away was withdrawn. “Following the meeting that was held between the executive of Santaco Western Cape and the provincial leadership, the Santaco executive committee has elected to call off the provincial stay away that was scheduled for Wednesday due to the progress made in the meeting. We hereby notify all operators, drivers…

THE costly energy crisis, alarming unemployment, especially among the youth, poverty and the rising cost of living are expected to top the agenda when Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana delivers his 2023 Budget in the Cape Town City Hall this afternoon. Godongwana delivers this year’s Budget speech with much anticipation on how much the government will allocate to address the power crisis, which has now been declared a national state of disaster. He will also have to spell out how the government intends to address the looming crisis of graduates having to turn to social grants due to little to no job opportunities. Overstretched households will watch his speech with the hope of much-needed relief in light of the rising cost of living. Economist Joseph Busha said the elephant in the…

A Hopefield farmer will have to wait to hear if he can legally disconnect basic services to residents who live on his farm, after he appealed the decision of the Hopefield Magistrate’s Court which prohibited him from doing so. Farm owner Francois Turner launched the appeal application at the Western Cape High Court recently, where judgment was reserved after arguments were heard from the parties. The Cape Times previously reported that Turner was accused of harassing the family who live on a portion of land on his farm, following a failed bid to evict the family. Turner had also cut the water and electricity supply to homes on the farm, which he was ordered not to do by the courts. Turner allegedly ignored the order and would not return the…

AS Western Cape police battle with soaring gang-related crimes, including murders and kidnappings, they are arresting their own among the perpetrators. In the third quarter, which covered the period October 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022, three police officers were nabbed for their alleged involvement in kidnappings, while two others were arrested before this period and dismissed. “In one of the cases during this third quarter, a police officer and other suspects were arrested in connection with kidnapping after the victim was forced to withdraw money. “We have made it clear we will not tolerate any form of criminality within our police service,” said Western Cape police commissioner Thembisile Patekile. Last week, a police constable stationed at the Nyanga family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit appeared in the…

Africa is battling poverty, food and nutrition insecurity and rapidly rising levels of lifestyle diseases. South Africa is not exempt from these challenges. Could this be a direct result of the food choices we have made in the past few decades and are still making? In times gone by, our food systems were diverse, but over the decades, South Africa has moved away from its ancient food wealth to embrace commercial crops introduced into the country. As agricultural practices scaled up, most indigenous food crops were driven into internal "exile". The world has over 300 000 plant species, about 10% of which are thought to be edible. However, only 7 000 species have been cultivated or collected as food, and a mere 20 species provide 90% of the world's food…

Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday delivered a nuclear warning to the West over Ukraine, suspending a landmark nuclear arms control treaty, announcing new strategic systems had been put on combat duty and warning that Moscow could resume nuclear tests. Speaking nearly a year to the day since ordering an invasion that has triggered the biggest confrontation with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile crisis, Putin said Russia would achieve its war aims and accused the West of trying to destroy Russia. “The elites of the West do not hide their purpose. But they also cannot fail to realise that it is impossible to defeat Russia on the battlefield,” a defiant Putin told his country’s political and military elite. Cautioning the US that it was stoking the war into a…

The EU said yesterday it would increase its investments in Kenya by hundreds of millions of dollars, looking to bolster ties in the face of competition from China. The deals will unlock “untapped potential to be uncovered and exploited,” the EU ambassador to Kenya, Henriette Geiger, said at the start of a two-day business forum in the Kenyan capital Nairobi. The agreements include a $200 million (roughly R3.6bn) pledge by the European Investment Bank to help the Trade and Development Bank, run by several African states, support companies in eastern and southern Africa affected by the war in Ukraine. Africa has become a diplomatic battleground between Russia and the West since the invasion of Ukraine, with the EU also taking steps to counter China’s Belt and Road initiative to fund…

ADEN: Saudi Arabia will deposit $1 billion (about R18bn) in Yemen’s central bank based in the southern port city of Aden to help the war-ravaged Arab country weather cash and financial hardships, a government official said yesterday. The move aims “to help the government in confronting the sharp collapse of the national currency and reduce the suffering of the Yemeni people as a result of the rocketing prices of basic commodities,” the official said. In Aden, the Yemeni riyal is now traded in the black market at 1 225 for one dollar, the lowest exchange rate since the beginning of the military conflict between the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels. | Xinhua…

LONDON: Dame Helen Mirren found playing Golda Meir similar to her role as Queen Elizabeth I. The Oscar-winning actress stars as the former Israeli prime minister in Golda, and compared the politician to the Tudor monarch, whom she portrayed in the 2005 TV miniseries Elizabeth I. “It was a bit like playing Elizabeth I of England, in the sense of her commitment to her country and to her nation. She achieved it without being the sort of power-mad dictator character,” said Mirren, 77. “She was very maternal.” The movie is set during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, when Syria and Egypt attacked Israel. | Bang Showbiz…

THE restoration of the buildings that were gutted by a fire in Parliament in January 2022 can be done within 24 months, Secretary to Parliament Xolile George said yesterday. George said Parliament had finalised discussions and an agreement with a state-owned development finance institution to act as an implementation agent for restoring the damaged buildings. “We are therefore pleased to announce today that Parliament and the Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA) Limited, through its Infrastructure Delivery Division, have agreed to collaborate in tandem with other stakeholders, such as the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure and the Treasury, in respect of the implementation of the project.” He said the DBSA was the most suitable entity, given its expertise and experience in providing infrastructure management services. The New Assembly, Old…

OF the list of over 200 hospitals the National Department of Health (NDoH) asked Eskom to exempt from power cuts, only 76 have been excluded. Deputy health minister, Dr Sibongiseni Maxwell Dhlomo yesterday briefed the National Council of Provinces on mitigating the negative impact of load shedding in the provision of healthcare services. In light of the negative impacts of load shedding at health facilities, hospitals and clinics, Eskom and the NDoH have been engaged since September 22 last year. “The Department has provided Eskom with a list of 213 hospitals to be considered for possible exclusion. About 67% of these are supplied by municipalities whilst about 33% are supplied by Eskom. “Of the 213 hospitals, 76 have been exempted - 26 directly supplied by Eskom and 50 by municipalities,”…

THE Fish Hoek Community Police Forum (CPF) has raised concerns over the reinstatement of a local police sergeant who was seen on video allegedly assaulting a man with a baton in August last year. Joel Gaffley, 28, was attacked outside his house in Emerald Crescent, after apparently calling the police to report a missing person. An eyewitness claimed an altercation had broken out between Gaffley and the police. In the video that was circulated on social media, one officer is seen beating Gaffley with a baton while another was holding him down. Gaffley was arrested and charged with assault following the incident. The police sergeant was suspended and the matter reported to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) for investigation. Fish Hoek CPF chairperson Jonathan Mills said the community has…

SOUTH Africa has a very high crime rate – a fact confirmed by MacroTrends – with the rate of intentional homicides as of 2020 sitting at 33.46 incidents per 100 000 people. The research platform further put South Africa as the country with the 9th highest rate of intentional homicide in the world. The reasons given were income inequality and the police service being unable to keep the peace. A popular travellers website almost went as far as to discourage tourists from visiting the country, while nonetheless giving tips on how to stay safe in South Africa. Delivering his maiden State of the Province Address on Monday, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said he wanted guns registered for use to be monitored via tracking devices. Vehicle licence registrations, if Lesufi has…

Three UN peacekeepers were killed and five seriously injured yesterday when their convoy struck a roadside bomb in central Mali, the UN mission said. “A Minusma Force convoy hit an Improvised Explosive Device #IED today,” it said in a tweet that gave a preliminary toll. The mission gave no immediate word about the casualties’ nationalities. An impoverished state lying in the heart of West Africa’s Sahel, Mali is struggling with an 11-year-old jihadist insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes Minusma, the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali, was created in 2013. With more than 13 500 military personnel and police, it is one of the biggest but also deadliest UN peacekeeping missions, suffering a high toll especially to IEDs. In…

London: A global grouping of 25 Anglican churches – the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA) – says it no longer recognises Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby as its leader following the decision to allow the blessing of same-sex couples in England. Conservative churches within the global communion, the third largest in the world with 85 million members, are at loggerheads with the more liberal Church of England leadership, threatening a split. The Church of England’s governing General Synod endorsed the proposal by a wide margin earlier this month to let priests offer blessings to same-sex couples, after hours of acrimonious debate across two days. | AFP…

MOSCOW: Russia said yesterday that three astronauts left stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) by a leak on their return capsule last year would land back on Earth in a Soyuz MS-23 replacement capsule in September. Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin and US astronaut Francisco Rubio, who had been due to end their mission in March, were left stuck in space after the cooling system of their Soyuz MS-22 capsule started leaking two months ago. The Soyuz MS-23 replacement capsule will launch on February 24. Authorities said it would dock with the ISS on February 26. | Reuters…

LONDON: Scottish finance minister Kate Forbes yesterday became the latest candidate hoping to replace Nicola Sturgeon as the country’s first minister, but her stance on gay marriage upset some in her party. Forbes, a 32-year-old Christian belonging to the governing Scottish National Party (SNP), was elected to parliament in 2016 and took office as finance secretary just four years later. Sturgeon’s announcement has jeopardised the SNP’s fight for independence as the Westminster government has blocked its attempts to hold a second vote after a 2014 referendum saw Scotland vote 55% to 45% to remain part of the UK. The contest will pit her against health minister Humza Yousaf and former minister Ash Regan. Forbes said she would have voted against same-sex marriage, which was legalised in Scotland in 2014. Forbes…

Orlando Pirates’ newest arrival, Makhehlene Makhaula, has expressed his emotional state ahead of potentially his first-ever Soweto derby at the weekend. The Buccaneers are hard at work as they prepare for their 177th meeting against arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs, set to take place at the FNB Stadium on Saturday. The 33-year-old – who recently captained AmaZulu in their first Cup final in 13 years – has admitted that he is currently fighting off feelings of anxiety, but is raring to go if called upon in front of what is expected to be a capacity crowd. “Obviously I’m a bit nervous because I’ve never played in front of 98 000 people, but I’m looking forward to it and I’m working each and every day at training. “It will be up to the…