Inhaltsverzeichnis für 2023-07-19 in Cape Times

She may not have won the competition but representing South Africa at the 14th edition of Miss Supranational was a win on its own. Ayanda Thabethe participated in the Miss Supranational finals at Strzelecki Park Amphitheatre in Nowy Sacz, Poland, on July 14. She made the Top 24, was named Miss Congeniality and placed in the Top 5 of #suprachat 2023. The Pietermaritzburg-born star looked incredible in all her outfits. From the prelims to the finals, she slayed all her looks. Our favourites: The water gown Drawing inspiration from the South African waters, the turquoise gown she wore at the prelims looked elegant and classy. “Ayanda feels spiritually connected to water, so we knew we needed to draw inspiration from water as it was so close to her heart,”…

WITH dreams of becoming a paramedic, 8-year-old Exzevia, who is being treated for leukaemia, and his brother Guidance, 6, recently had the chance to be honorary members of the Netcare 911 flight crew for a day. The emergency medical services provider teamed up with the Reach For A Dream Foundation to surprise the brothers from Philippi. The family has not had an easy time in recent months, as Exzevia is undergoing regular treatment and Guidance is a matching bone marrow donor for the transplant. “We really enjoyed it,” said the boys’ mother, Susan Sibanda. “When the ambulance came to pick us up from home it was already exciting for the boys, and it really came as a surprise when one of the Netcare 911 crew announced we are going to…

Marginalised communities worldwide have some crucial questions they need answered As the world grapples with shifting power dynamics, the ascent of countries like China and Russia at the forefront of the so-called “new world order” raises crucial questions for marginalised communities worldwide. In Africa, parts of Asia and the Americas, people who have endured centuries of pain and suffering yearn not only for change but also for transformative justice. Political gimmicks aside, these individuals find themselves trapped at the lower end of the global hierarchy in terms of politics, social and economic order. Built on the backs of former subalterns and uncivilised societies, the current order perpetuates a cycle of oppression and inequality. Marginalised communities continue to suffer the consequences of historical and present injustices, including colonialism’s exploitation and cultural…

The EU is seeking to transport more Ukrainian grains via road and rail to help make up for Russia’s withdrawal from a UN-backed Black Sea exports deal, the bloc’s leaders and officials said. Yesterday, Russia struck Ukrainian grain ports, a day after Moscow withdrew from a deal that allowed Ukrainian grain blocked by the Russia- Ukraine conflict to be exported safely. “It means that hundreds of thousand of people around the world will be deprived of basic food,” said the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, on the sidelines of the bloc’s summit with Latin America and the Caribbean. “They are using hunger as a weapon. This is one of the worst things that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin could have done.” A senior EU official said separately the bloc was supporting…

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s contested plan to make it easier to send asylum seekers to Rwanda is set to become law after the government defeated attempts by parliament’s upper house to make changes to the legislation. The plan to deport asylum seekers has been criticised by opposition politicians, lawyers and civil rights groups as inhumane, cruel and ineffective. UN human rights chief Volker Turk said yesterday the bill’s passage raised “serious legal concerns” and sets “a worrying precedent” that other countries may follow. However, deportation flights to Rwanda will still hinge on a ruling by the Supreme Court on their legality later this year. The new legislation is at the heart of the government’s pledge to stop asylum seekers from making the dangerous crossing from France to the southern…

LONDON: The proportion of Britons who say Brexit was a mistake hit a new record high this month, a survey from pollsters YouGov showed yesterday. With few economic benefits to show for the June 2016 vote to leave the EU, 57% of Britons said the decision to leave in 2016 was the wrong one, compared with 32% who thought it was correct. More than half, 55%, said they would vote to remain in the EU, against 31% who said they would stay out, if the referendum were to be held again. British business investment has barely grown since mid-2016, in contrast with other advanced economies. | Reuters…

Washington: Former US president Donald Trump said yesterday he had received a letter from prosecutors suggesting he was likely to be criminally indicted over the January 6 riot at the US Capitol. “Deranged Jack Smith, the prosecutor with Joe Biden’s DOJ, sent a letter ... stating that I am a target of the January 6 Grand Jury investigation,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. He said he was given “a very short four days” to report to a grand jury, “which almost always means an arrest and indictment.” | AFP…

Former Banyana Banyana coach Joseph Mkhonza will be rooting for the team at the World Cup, but he feels the absence of a professional women’s league in South Africa and lack of preparation could magnify the side’s shortcomings at the tournament. Mkhonza is widely regarded as one of the cornerstones for Banyana’s success, having been the first coach to guide the team to an international tournament, the London Olympics in 2012. That feat is regarded as the foundation that inspired the teams to the Rio Games in 2016, 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations triumph and two World Cups – in 2019 and this year in Australia and New Zealand. Despite taking pride in Banyana’s growth over the years, Mkhonza is not naïve, though, thinking that his fellow South Africans…

Golf’s biggest stars will be brought together at the Open Championship this week as the foundations of an uneasy truce between the traditional tours and breakaway LIV series are still being built. In a shock announcement last month, the PGA and DP World Tours announced plans to merge with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), which had bankrolled huge signing bonuses and prize money for players to jump ship to LIV. But details on how the deal will work remain unknown, even for the world’s leading players who stayed loyal to the PGA Tour. “They keep saying it’s a player-run organisation (but) we don’t really have the information that we need,” said world No 1 Scottie Scheffler at last week’s Scottish Open. Without a concrete deal, the best of the…

Johnny Sexton's slap on the wrist for the abuse of match officials sets a dangerous precedent in international rugby. After he was found to have hurled abuse at South African referee Jaco Peyper and his assistants Karl Dickson, Christophe Ridley and Tom Foley, he was only handed a three-match ban, making him eligible for Ireland's Rugby World Cup. He will only miss their warm-up matches that he probably would not have participated in as his workload has been managed ahead of the competition. What makes this punishment so mind-blowing, is that Sexton confronted the officials after a match - the Champions Cup final in Dublin - and did not do it via social media or in a 60-minute video. He did this on the pitch while Peyper and his assistants…

The administrator of the Western Province Rugby Football Union (WPRFU) is working on realigning the under-fire union's constitution to be on par with that of SA Rugby and World Rugby ahead of a special general council meeting to elect a new president and executive. The union is currently without a president and executive after being put under administration by SA rugby's governing body back in October 2021. SA Rugby stepped in then as the professional arm of the WPRFU was on the brink of bankruptcy due to mounting debt. An offer from an equity partner to acquire a controlling stake in the company is currently before the financial committee of SA Rugby before the executive council will make a recommendation to the WPRFU clubs on the deal. The WP…

LET’S face it, there’s just something about TikTok that brings out the hilarity in everyone. It transcends geographical boundaries and taps into a cosmic intersection of shared experiences. A TikTok post by Taylor Drayton, as shared by the funny reaction queen Christal Luster, has struck a chord with many of us. Drayton’s original post said: “What ‘unserious’ generational curse are you breaking?” He said he threw away “stained Tupperware, and we open one box of cereal at a time”. I can’t help but laugh at this because I’m sure our mothers would have a heart attack if they read his comment. But most of us can all nod our heads in agreement with that one. Plus, opening more than one box of cereal would be practically begging for a beat-down…

PAROW residents raised concern last night for their children’s safety, as they attended a community dialogue held just two days before the release of child killer Norman Afzal Simons. The dialogue was hosted by the Department of Correctional Services at the Parow Civic Centre. It was the second community meeting held, after one in Mitchells Plain at the weekend. Parow ward councillor Franchesca Walker asked about the type of rehabilitation Simons the “station strangler” underwent. “We were not consulted, I found out from the media. It was unfair for us to accept the decision, hence this meeting. “As the community we need answers because on the other parolees we were not consulted,” she said. Resident Eugene Pietersen said they were weary of Simons. “We can’t go back, but what does…

1kg lamb trotters 2 tbs ginger and garlic paste 4 cinnamon sticks 3 sprigs fresh curry leaves 3 tsp salt ½ cup olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 tsp cumin seeds 2 tbs curry powder 2 x 410g cans butter beans in tomato sauce fresh coriander for garnishing Fill a deep saucepan with water and add the lamb trotters, ginger and garlic paste, 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 sprigs curry leaves and 2 tsp salt. The trotters must be completely covered with water. Bring to the boil and cook for about 2 hours or until the trotters are soft. Top up with water if necessary while it cooks. Once the trotters are lovely and soft, remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a…

Police and the parents of missing Bot River bank teller, Zhandre Jacobs, have confirmed that he is still missing, dismissing claims that he may have been arrested in Italy. The father of one, who worked at a bank in Kleinmond, has been missing since June 9, 2021. He went to work that day and never returned. Only his car was found later that same day in the parking area of the Palmiet caravan park, with all his belongings, including his wallet and ID. However, despite an extensive search, he was never found. Last week, media reports surfaced that the 32-year-old had allegedly been arrested with a friend in Italy. Police yesterday dismissed the claims, saying he was still missing. “Kindly be advised that Zhandre Jacobs is still missing, and the…

PHILIPPI shack dwellers and backyarders have decried their living conditions due to a “lack of service delivery” and housing developments in the area. This was after scores of residents from Brown’s Farm marched to the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements office and the Cape Town Civic Centre on Monday. Community activist Thanduxolo Xokoza said the last time residents received decent services was more than 15 years ago. “They started a housing development about a year or two ago and we were happy with that, but it suddenly stopped. They cited many reasons, including that the money has been diverted to another project. “We have more than 20 informal settlements under Brown’s Farm, and they keep growing and this makes it impossible to manage the area, which has also become…

A FEW years ago, one would never have thought one would hear a minister of health boldly and confidently stating that there was a possibility of ending the HIV epidemic. Dr Joe Phaahla, the Minister of Health, made this brave statement at the recently ended 11th South African Aids Conference held in Durban. While the minister made this remark, he is equally aware of the challenging road ahead for such a picture-perfect status to be attained. The aids conference is an important event, and beyond just being another mere talk shop, the conference has, over the years, even before the pre-Covid-19 period, always been a critical platform where various voices in the public and private sectors, and funders, are huddled up to honestly converse about the various challenges caused largely…

A US soldier crossed the inter-Korean border into North Korea and was believed to be in North Korea custody, a US official said yesterday, creating a fresh crisis for Washington in its dealings with the nuclear-armed state. The UN Command that oversees the demilitarised zone area at the border earlier yesterday identified the individual as a US national who had crossed into North Korea without authorisation while on a tour. It said the person was likely in custody. He had been due to face disciplinary action by the US military, two US officials said. South Korea’s Dong-a Ilbo daily, citing South Korea’s army, identified the person as Travis King, a US army soldier with the rank of private second class. The newspaper later deleted the name. The crossing comes at…

ISLAMABAD: A suicide bombing near a paramilitary force vehicle wounded several people in the north-western Pakistani city of Peshawar yesterday, police said, while a separate “martyr” was also killed. Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan, a newly founded jihadist group, claimed responsibility for the attack. The explosion was a suicide attack that hit a vehicle of the paramilitary Frontier Corps in Peshawar, police said. Pakistan’s army said it was concerned that militants had found safe havens in Afghanistan and threatened to take an “effective response” two days after 12 of its soldiers died in two attacks. Islamist militants aim to overthrow the Pakistani government. | Reuters…

Seoul: The South Korean Welfare Ministry said yesterday that nearly 12% of more than 2 100 undocumented, or “ghost” babies nationwide were confirmed to have died. The ministry said its probe found that 249 out of the 2 123 babies who were born between 2015 and 2022 but not registered with the government had died. A total of 1 025 babies were confirmed to be alive, while 814 cases were under police investigation. The police have referred seven cases of dead “ghost” babies to prosecutors, suspecting foul play. The ministry said it would conduct a regular probe into undocumented babies. | IANS…

LONDON: King Charles marked 400 years since William Shakespeare’s plays were published in collective form yesterday, bringing actors and directors together to celebrate his love for the bard and a book hailed as one of the most important in English literature. It was to Shakespeare who Charles turned in his first speech as king, the day after his mother Queen Elizabeth died, quoting from Hamlet to round off his tribute to her devotion and duty: “May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.” At a gathering hosted by Charles and his wife Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle, to celebrate the first Folio, actors performed extracts from Julius Caesar and The Tempest. Britain’s theatres will hope to benefit from the king’s long-standing support for the arts. Charles’s interest in Shakespeare…

Ange Postecoglou was left enthused yesterday by Tottenham Hotspur’s willingness to embrace a high-octane style despite his Spurs coaching reign starting with a 3-2 pre-season friendly defeat to West Ham United in Perth. Much like Postecoglou’s previous teams, Tottenham played aggressively at a rain-sodden Perth Stadium. But their late rally was thwarted by Gianluca Scamacca’s strike in the 78th minute. In a taste of what’s ahead under Postecoglou, Spurs constantly pressed forward with their defenders given latitude to roam up and down the touchline. “I’m trying to provide a structure and security to encourage them to release that fear and play that football,” Postecoglou said. “That’s the team we want to be. There will be missteps along the way. “We’ve got to be all in and for the most part…

THE absence of youth participation at the main table of the BRICS summit was detrimental to members of the bloc, especially the smallest member, South Africa, delegates were told at the organisation’s youth summit in Durban yesterday. The summit, hosted by the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), is one of the events taking place in the build-up to next month’s 15th BRICS summit that will see the heads of state of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa gather in Gauteng. Delivering the keynote address, Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, said young people from the BRICS countries had a duty to share their knowledge on innovation and play their part in transforming the world. “As BRICS youth leaders, you have…

Volunteers do charitable work in communities INSPIRED by global icon Nelson Mandela’s words “it’s in your hands”, millions of people around the world dedicated 67 minutes of their time preparing warm bowls of soup, volunteering at animal shelters and planting trees among other activities in honour of Madiba’s legacy. In November 2009, the UN General Assembly adopted a unanimous resolution in recognition of the former South African president’s contribution to the culture of peace and freedom. The General Assembly declared July 18, Mandela’s birthday, Nelson Mandela International Day. The day marks Mandela’s life and is used as a global call to action for people to recognise their individual power to make an imprint and change the world. The theme of International Nelson Mandela Day for the year 2023 was: “The…

FEMALES have a higher incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STI) than males nationally, with the exception of Limpopo and the Western Cape, where infection in males was 15% and 18% higher respectively. This is according to a recent study published in the SA Medical Journal (SAMJ), titled “Evaluation of the national clinical sentinel surveillance system for sexually transmitted infections in South Africa: Analysis of provincial and district-level data”. Researchers sought to evaluate the STI clinical sentinel surveillance system (STI CSSS) in South Africa to describe the incidence of STI syndromes in males and females over 15. The STI syndromes included male urethritis, vaginal discharge, genital ulcer, genital warts, lower abdominal pain in females and an umbrella data element termed “other STIs”. The STI CSSS operates at 270 public facilities in…

THE GOOD Party has turned to the Electoral Court hoping it will compel the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) to postpone the much-anticipated George by-elections that were expected to start today. Political parties were set to go head-to-head in by-elections today and tomorrow in three crucial wards – 16, 20 and 27, which became vacant in April. GOOD filed an urgent application on Monday, also wanting the court to order that the IEC investigate allegations of fraud after it accused the DA of rigging votes by re-registering voters. The IEC and the DA were among eight respondents in the papers. In an affidavit seen by the Cape Times, GOOD secretary-general Brett Herron said on July 17 he inspected the voters roll in respect of ward 16, as directed by the…

DUBBED one of the Western Cape’s most feared and dangerous suspected hitmen, Masimdumise Hlotywa was killed during a shoot-out with the police in Lwandle, Strand, at the weekend. The 29-year-old, with a reputation for being “trigger-happy”, was on the police’s wanted list for his alleged reign of terror in the area between February last year and March this year. According to police spokesperson Malcolm Pojie, the suspect was wanted and positively linked to at least 10 cases in which 12 people were killed. Pojie said the shoot-out with Hlotywa occurred at about 11pm during an integrated take-down operation comprising members of the provincial detectives’ serious and violent crimes investigations unit, supported by various members attached to specialised units. “The members followed up on information about the suspect’s whereabouts and traced…

The world should get ready to face increasingly intense heatwaves, the UN warned yesterday, as countries across the Northern Hemisphere reeled from soaring temperatures. Health authorities have sounded the alarm from North America to Europe and Asia, urging people to stay hydrated and shelter from the burning sun, in a stark reminder of the effects of global warming. John Nairn, a senior extreme heat advisor at the UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO), warned the health risk was growing rapidly, amid burgeoning urbanisation, higher temperature extremes and ageing populations. He said the recently-declared El Nino – a warming climate pattern that occurs every two to seven years – “is only expected to amplify the occurrence and intensity of extreme heat events”. But regardless of El Nino, Nairn pointed out that the…

Israelis yesterday marched on highways and blocked army headquarters in Tel Aviv in the run-up to a parliament vote on the government’s judicial reform agenda that protesters say would “dismantle democracy”. The proposals have divided the nation and triggered one of the biggest protest movements in Israel’s history since being unveiled in January by the hard-right government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Weekly rallies have drawn tens of thousands of protesters aiming to prevent what they believe could open the way to a more authoritarian government. Crowds gathered yesterday in Tel Aviv after organisers had called for a “national day of resistance” ahead of a planned vote by MPs on a key clause later this month. Thousands of demonstrators marched on highways and bridges, and blocked roads as well as…

Paris: A major exhibition dedicated to the Titanic opened in Paris yesterday, with many of the objects on display brought up from the ship’s wreck by a French deep-sea explorer who died in a submersible disaster last month. Henri-Paul Nargeolet was one of five people on board the Titan tourist sub when it lost contact with the surface after plunging down to visit the wreck in mid-June. Rescuers in the North Atlantic found evidence that the vessel had imploded underwater, killing all on board. Nargeolet participated in six of eight exploration missions to the wreck between 1987 and 2010, which brought back more than 5 000 objects to the surface. | AFP…

London: The head of McDonald’s in the UK apologised after reported allegations of sexual misconduct, racism and bullying by staff at the fast-food giant. More than 100 former and current workers of the US company had made the allegations, the state broadcaster said. This was after McDonald’s signed a legally binding agreement with Britain’s Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), pledging to protect staff from sexual harassment. McDonald’s UK chief executive officer Alistair Macrow said that “all proven breaches of our code of conduct will be met with the most severe measures we can legally impose”, including dismissal. | AFP…

David Warner is set to open in the fourth Ashes Test against England, Australia captain Pat Cummins said yesterday but spinner Todd Murphy could be squeezed out to accommodate both all-rounders, Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Green. Warner’s place looked uncertain after his double failure in the third Test at Headingley where the opener managed a total of five runs and fell to Stuart Broad in both innings. “Josh (Hazlewood) will come in for Scott Boland and the top order will stay the same,” Cummins, whose team are 2-1 ahead in the five-match series, said at Old Trafford. “Davey didn’t have his best game last week at Headingley, but prior to that, he has looked really good. He has had three 50-run (opening) partnerships, which can be rare over in England.”…

The way RG Snyman pulled Malcolm Marx’s jersey after he scored the Springboks’ opening try against the All Blacks was exactly the sort of spark that the visitors needed in Auckland. The South Africans had endured a lacklustre first half at Mount Smart Stadium, with the tight-five not able to match the fire of the Loftus performance against the Wallabies a week earlier. While it was understandable that captain-on-the-day Eben Etzebeth wasn’t firing on all cylinders following the death of his father, Lood de Jager wasn’t his energetic self either, and they lagged behind the efforts of Jean Kleyn and Marvin Orie in Pretoria. The 30-year-old, who plays in Japan, was dependable as a ball-carrier and tackler, but did produce his usual high work-rate in broken play, while the Boks…

The Mother City made the cut to host one of the Sevens tournaments of the revamped World Rugby Sevens Series with New Zealand's Hamilton getting the boot. Rugby's international governing body revealed the host cities for the SVNS, as the series will be known, yesterday confirming that Madrid in Spain will host the Grand Final. What is probably most exciting about the new format, is that any of the top eight teams over the season can still win the series in May 2024. Dubai, Cape Town, Perth, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Singapore kept their spots along with Madrid, meaning Toulouse and Twickenham lost their hosting rights along with Hamilton. Sydney was swapped for Perth, Down Under. Cape Town will host in December (9-10) as Dubai kept its status…