Inhaltsverzeichnis für 2023-10-02 in Cape Times

It announces that it is eyeing four African markets: Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal and SA STELLANTIS, hard on the heels of a massive investment plan in the Eastern Cape, has announced that it will through its Auto24.africa platform, also begin making further inroads into South Africa’s used car market. Auto24.africa said this week it plans to enter four new African markets: Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa. The expansion, according to the company, positions the platform to become the continent’s number one multi-brand retailer for used cars. But it will face much competition in the local market, where online companies such as WeBuyCars and AutoTrader have been making big inroads into what was once a market traditionally held mainly by physical car dealerships. For instance, WeBuyCars, which is owned by…

‘QUEEN of the Seas’, executive officer Lieutenant Commander Gillian Hector, was laid to rest during an emotional funeral ceremony held in Fish Hoek on Saturday. Hector, coxswain Master Warrant Officer William Mathipa and coxswain under training Warrant Officer class one Mokwapa Mojela died during a vertical transfer (VERTREP) exercise on September 20. The activity involves a helicopter where members practise hoisting personnel or cargo from the deck of the submarine and vice versa. The exercise was done as they were en route to the Table Bay harbour where the Mini Navy Festival was to be held at the V&A Waterfront. Hector’s training officer, Gert van Staden, said being a cadet, “they worked harder than most school pupils”. “They volunteered their time to come here and it’s stuff that they go…

THE price of diesel is expected to increase for the fourth consecutive month on Wednesday, while petrol and illuminating paraffin prices will increase for the third consecutive month, according to the Automobile Association (AA). Diesel is expected to increase by about R1.60/litre, while petrol is expected to increase by between 75c/l and 80c/l, depending on the grade. Illuminating paraffin is expected to rise by more R1.50/l. As was the case with the previous increases, these latest significant adjustments are attributed to rising “international oil prices”, the AA said, adding that these increases will hit all consumers hard, at a time when most South Africans are feeling extreme financial pressure. “It remains concerning, however, that in the face of these increases, the government remains silent on its plans, if there are…

WATER and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu has blamed poor management and leadership for not prioritising budgets for maintenance and operation of water infrastructure. Mchunu said poor billing and revenue collection were leading to deterioration of infrastructure. “Non-adherence to standard operating processes for drinking water treatment and wastewater treatment is caused by municipalities failing to hire the necessary staff with the correct skills and qualifications,” he said. Mchunu was responding to parliamentary questions from EFF MP Rebecca Mohlala, who asked him about the reasons that measures have proven ineffective in holding municipalities accountable for their negligence. Mohlala also enquired about steps Mchunu was taking to address the systemic failures that allow municipalities to disregard their obligations. In his response, Mchunu said rapid rural-urban migration coupled with housing development resulted in increased…

A 30-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the murder and possible rape of a female police officer whose body was found in Mfuleni yesterday. Police spokesperson Novela Potelwa said the Western Cape police force was reeling in shock. “The 29-year-old policewoman who was attached to Samora Machel SAPS had allegedly been out with a friend visiting acquaintances in the area when the incident occurred. “Mfuleni police were alerted to an unknown body that was discovered in Malgas Camp, Extension 4, Mfuleni, in the early hours of Sunday morning. “Upon arrival they initiated an investigation. It was in that process that it was ascertained the deceased person was an SAPS member. “A 30-year-old suspect was subsequently arrested by Mfuleni police. Further investigations about the circumstances that led to her…

THE United Nations General Assembly debates can be likened to an annual reunion of well-rehearsed soap box speeches by heads of state. At the recently concluded 78th General Assembly, it was no different as world leaders eloquently focused their debates on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The catchphrase used when speaking about the SDGs is, “Leave no one behind.” I had copies of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Children’s Charter on my bedroom wall while I was in high school. This was the first thing I saw when I woke up in the morning in between the posters of celebrities. As a teenager, I was witnessing our country’s transition from apartheid to democracy. A few…

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), listed as a terror group by Türkiye and its Western allies, claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in the Turkish capital of Ankara yesterday that injured two people. “A sacrificial action was carried out against the Turkish Interior Ministry by our Immortal Brigade,” the PKK told the ANF news agency, which is close to the Kurdish movement. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday that “terrorists” will never achieve their aims, hours after the blast near the parliament in Ankara injured two police officers. The powerful explosion outside the interior ministry, followed by large flames, was heard for several kilometres from the site of the attack. The targeted district is home to several other ministries and the Turkish parliament, which reopened in the afternoon with…

A deadly brain disease that claimed the life of a 62-year-old man in the US has been linked to Covid-19, according to a case report. The man was admitted to Mount Sinai Queens Hospital Center, with rapidly progressive dementia along with difficulty walking and myoclonus, revealed a paper published in the American Journal of Case Reports. Two months before presenting to the hospital, he had developed diffuse bradykinesia, drooling, and dementia. He had difficulty walking. He was still highly functioning in terms of work until he was found at home on the floor after a fall, unable to walk and confabulating, with intermittent brief rapid involuntary jerks involving one limb at a time, suggestive of myoclonic jerks. On admission, he was found to be Covid-19 positive, but asymptomatic aside from…

ABU DHABI: Major oil and gas company chiefs held discussions with heavy industry bosses yesterday in the United Arab Emirates in an effort to agree a firm commitment to reduce carbon emissions ahead of a UN climate summit from November 30 to December 12. The gathering brought together CEOs from more than 50 companies from the oil and gas sector, the supply side, and the aluminium, steel and cement industries, the energy demand side. The meeting was attended by US Climate Envoy John Kerry and tackled issues such as commercialising hydrogen, scaling up carbon capture technologies and increasing renewable energy. | Reuters…

SAN FRANCISCO: Elon Musk wants X to become a hub for more citizen journalism. The billionaire recently filmed a lengthy video of the “border crisis” in the US and posted it on X. Musk, 52, wrote online: “I hope people around the world engage in citizen journalism, so we know what’s truly happening and we get real-time, on-the-ground coverage!” Musk, who has more than 150 million followers on X, wrote: “Please encourage more citizen journalism! You can do live video easily from your phone. More on-the-ground reporting from regular citizens will change the world.” Earlier this year, Musk launched his rebrand of X, announcing that he was changing the company’s name from Twitter. Following that, Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of X, revealed their long-term ambitions for the platform. “X will…

England head into the defence of their World Cup title short of ODI practice but unconcerned as they will approach the 50-overs format in the same way they have Tests and T20s - with total commitment to attack and confidence in success. While there might be tactical tweaks and the presence of a "rock" in the shape of Dawid Malan gives a semblance of stability, "Bazball" will still be in the air and captain Jos Buttler and coach Matthew Mott will give the team absolute licence to attack. Mott also brings World Cup-winning experience from his time in Australia and overseeing England's World T20 triumph last year. Nothing is ever likely to match the drama of England's 2019 final victory over New Zealand but in Ben Stokes, who came out…

Jurgen Klopp blasted the "crazy decisions" that led to nine-man Liverpool's 2-1 defeat against Tottenham as referees' chiefs admitted the Reds were denied a legitimate goal in Saturday's dramatic clash. Klopp's side had Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota sent off in north London, while Liverpool forward Luis Diaz had a goal wrongly disallowed by VAR. Refereeing body PGMOL issued a statement less than an hour after the final whistle conceding Diaz's first-half goal should have stood. "PGMOL acknowledge a significant human error occurred during the first half of Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool," the statement read. "The goal by Luis Diaz was disallowed for offside by the on-field team of match officials. This was a clear and obvious factual error and should have resulted in the goal being awarded through VAR…

SOUTH African households and the corporate sector are expected to remain reluctant to take on more credit towards the end of the year as the cost of borrowing is still elevated due to stubbornly high interest rates and weak economic activity. Data from the SA Reserve Bank (SARB) on Friday showed that private sector credit extension (PSCE) only advanced by 4.38% year-on-year, compared with a 5.87% increase in July. This was below market forecasts of a 5% rise, and was the weakest PSCE data in more than a year. However, it marked the 26th straight month of growth in the private sector, although it was the lowest since February 2022. According to the SARB, the performance of the subcategories was mixed, but most of the drag came from the bills…

TWO MORE actively managed ex- change traded funds (AMETFs) listed on the JSE on Friday, adding a further set of globally recognised options to the bourse’s portfolio. This marks the first AMETF listings for both Sygnia Itrix alongside specialist global listed real estate investment manager Reitway Global. AMETFs are collective investment schemes that are traded on the market whereby the investment manager uses an actively managed investment strategy to produce a return for the investor rather than utilising a passive investment strategy. The AMETF from Sygnia is their first issuance of its kind in the market and will predominantly invest in global technology equity securities and assets in liquid form. A minimum of 5 000 000 securities will be listed by Sygnia with an issue price of R10…

AUDITORS from Deloitte have given the thumbs-up for South African forestry and wood milling investment company York Timbers’ status as a sound going concern entity despite looming facility breaches with Absa and the Land Bank. This after the company reported an earnings and revenue slump for the full year to end-June. Revenue decreased by 9% to R1.6 billion while adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation were lower by R161 million. Cash generated from operations also halved to R128m after a 12% decline in the value of biological assets to R2.5bn. York Timbers this year reported a loss of R313m, largely hammered by rising costs as a result of intensified load shedding and increased prices from external log suppliers. York’s strategy to increase the clear-fell age…

THE national Department of Health has funded nearly 2 000 additional posts for medical doctors this year compared to last year. This was revealed by Health Minister Joe Phaahla when responding to questions from National Freedom Front MP Munzoor Shaik Emam about updates on medical graduates who have completed community service but remain unemployed. Shaik Emam said Phaahla previously indicated that he was in talks with the Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana for funding to employ the medical graduates. “To date, from January 2023 a total of 3 974 posts of medical doctors were advertised and filled as compared with 2 053 medical doctors posts of the previous year (2022) for the same periods of employment. “This means that an additional 1 921 posts for medical doctors were funded to…

Face disciplinary proceedings over alleged misappropriation of trust fund money ONE of two attorneys suspended from practising as they face disciplinary proceedings over allegedly misappropriating more than R2 million from a trust fund intends challenging the judgment. The South African Legal Practice Council (LPC) sought from the Free State High Court, Bloemfontein, to have the two attorneys – Izak Steenkamp and Rehan Coetzee – suspended from practising at another firm while investigations were under way against them. Before the court-ordered suspension, both were practising attorneys and enrolled as such in the records of the LPC. Steenkamp was admitted as an attorney in September 2002, and Coetzee in September 1999. The Free State High court judgment read: “They initially practised under the name and style of Steenkamp, De Villiers and Coetzee.…

Public Works and Infrastructure Deputy Minister Bernice Swarts has issued a stern warning to contractors over shoddy workmanship when patching potholes. Swarts was speaking at an imbizo held at the Maquassi Hills Local Municipality under the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality as one of the district development model (DDM) champions deployed in the district. Swarts commenced the imbizo in the district with the cleaning of neighbourhoods at Kgakala township in Leeudoringstad, responding to road maintenance programmes. She raised concerns with contractors about their handling of road maintenance programmes, especially pothole patching and the compliance standards, including their preference for cold asphalt. Questions were raised on guarantees on the durability of the materials and the equipment used in road patching. “The government is spending a lot of money fixing potholes. We…

THE EFF says it is all systems go for the planned multi-party provincial shutdown against taxi impoundments, harassment of commuters and service delivery in the province today. While South African National Taxi Association (Santaco) said it would be business as usual, the ANC yesterday withdrew its support, saying it was opposed to any form of shutdown. The shutdown follows violent taxi strikes by operators and associations over the impounding of taxis in August. EFF provincial spokesperson Wandile Kasibe said they would hand over a memorandum calling for the release of all impounded taxis and the immediate removal of City mayco Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith. “We are calling for the immediate release of all unjustly impounded mini-bus taxis, for the City to issue all taxi operating permits speedily…

AHEAD of World Teachers Day this week, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has acknowledged the education system was experiencing severe challenges of backlogs in infrastructure development, overcrowding and shortage of other educational resources with teachers bearing the brunt. According to the department, 2 871 schools have been provided with sanitation facilities through the Safe programme and 511 schools are at various stages of implementation, with plans to provide them with sanitation facilities by the end of March next year. “The department has developed detailed tracking tools, and monitoring is taking place daily to ensure that implementing agents deliver as expected. We are doing all that we can to ensure that we provide a conducive environment for teaching and learning in all our schools. “We are very cognisant of the…

US seething at SA’s ‘neutrality’ in refusing to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine THE spectre of Cosatu welcoming South Africa hosting the US Government’s African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Summit in Johannesburg on 2-4 November must be warming to the cockles of Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s heart. “We support the government’s efforts to extend South Africa’s membership in AGOA, host the Summit in Johannesburg in November and enhance the scope of products covered to further incentivise our economic and industrial development. “AGOA has had a positive impact upon not only South Africa but Africa as a whole. It provides reduced tariff access for large volumes of South African goods to the US market, currently the world’s largest economy. Our mining, manufacturing and in particular auto-manufacturing, clothing, jewellery and…

At least 13 people were killed in a fire in a Spanish nightclub yesterday morning, authorities said, with fears the toll could still rise as rescue workers sift through the debris. The fire appears to have broken out in a building housing the “Teatre” and “Fonda Milagros” clubs in the city of Murcia in southeastern Spain in the early morning hours. “The fire spread from the upper parts of the two clubs, the Teatra disco and the Fonda Milagros disco … which originally were in the same building,” said Diego Seral, spokesperson for the national police. Authorities do not yet know where exactly the fire started. Police have established a list of 15 people missing after the blaze, but Seral said it was not yet final and could contain names…

NEW YORK: A UN mission arrived in Nagorno-Karabakh yesterday, as a mass exodus of ethnic Armenians from the region continued following a lightning Azerbaijani military offensive last month. The mission, led by a senior UN aid official, is the global body’s first access to the region in about 30 years. Armenia has asked the World Court to order Azerbaijan to withdraw all its troops from civilian establishments in Nagorno-Karabakh and give the UN access. The World Court, formally known as the International Court of Justice, in February ordered Azerbaijan to ensure free movement through an area known as the Lachin corridor. | AFP…

LAGOS: Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday proposed a temporary minimum wage hike and more cheap gas-powered public transport to help offset the impact of his economic reforms as labour unions threatened a national strike. Speaking in a national broadcast to mark Nigeria’s 63rd independence day anniversary, Tinubu’s announcement came after he ended a long-standing fuel subsidy that cost the government billions of dollars a year and also liberalised the naira. Officials say the reforms were needed to revive the economy and investors have applauded them, but Nigerians are struggling with a tripling of fuel prices and inflation now at 25%. | AFP…

South Africa take on New Zealand in their final warm-up match ahead of the World Cup today at the Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvanathapuram where the pace attack will have much-needed time on the park ahead of Saturday’s clash against Sri Lanka. It is a crucial warm-up match against the Black Caps, as South Africa will have an opportunity to tighten up their game plans. On the batting front, the Proteas have looked sound throughout the year with captain Temba Bavuma, Heinrich Klaasen and Aiden Markram scoring big hundreds. Quinton de Kock at the top of the order has looked good, particularly in the Australia series. David Miller also had a fantastic start to the summer with a couple of half-centuries against Australia, meaning the team’s batting unit is on song…

A bronze medal for the men’s half marathon team at the inaugural World Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia, capped a good day on the road for Team South Africa with a few athletes clocking personal best times in their respective races and one running a national record. National half marathon champion Thabang Mosiako led the way with a personal best time of 59:52 to finish sixth overall in a very competitive race, that saw Kenyans occupy all three podium places. Elroy Gelant also ran a PB of 60:56 for a 13th-place finish while the grand old man of SA road running, the indefatigable Stephen Mokoka, showed there is still some speed in those old legs. Running in his eight world half marathon championship race and toeing the start line…

Rocks 323/4 Malan 171, Peterson 121; Pretorius 2/71, Jansen 1/61 Dragons 327/7 Prince 166, Senokwane 31; Viljoen 4/71, Von Berg 2/47 Dragons win by three wickets A mouthwatering fixture between the Rocks and the Dragons did not disappoint in Potchefstroom yesterday. The significance of the fixture was quickly seen as Keegan Petersen and Pieter Malan put on a show at the JB Marks Oval. The pair combined for a mammoth 233-run partnership after the early wickets of Janneman Malan (duck) and Clyde Fortuin (19) at the top of the order. Petersen (121) looked more of the batter that took South Africa by storm a few seasons back. He was driving on the up and playing his shots with ease after taking time to get himself in. At the other end,…

Cape Town Spurs’ position is now truly perilous but their under-siege coach Shaun Bartlett remains the eternal optimist and declared: “There are 23 matches to go and a victory on Wednesday (against SuperSport United at Athlone Stadium) could make a lot of difference”. “I’m not someone to just throw in the towel,” said Bartlett after Saturday’s 3-1 DStv Premiership loss to cross-town rivals Cape Town City at DHL Stadium. “In my whole life, I’ve always persevered. I’ve always had my back against the wall. “Nobody gave me a chance. So, I’m always going to try my utmost best. That is my character. “Where I come from, that is what they taught me to be in this position. I’ve got a very thick skin. I’ve got broad shoulders. “That’s why I’m…

THE rail industry is looking to go full steam ahead with reforms steered by the National Logistics Crisis Committee (NLCC) and the implementation of the National Rail Policy (NRP) to course Transnet through its dark channels amid the resignation of top executives. Transnet over the weekend reshuffled its executive with the appointment of Michelle Phillips, chief executive of Transnet Pipelines, as acting group CEO and Hlengiwe Makhathini will act as group chief financial officer to replace Portia Derby and Nonkululeko Dlamini respectively. This comes barely a month after Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan asserted that Transnet would be tabling a turnaround strategy amid the industry's call for the resignation of the executive team by the Chambers of Commerce and the Minerals Council of South Africa. The head of communications at…

SABLE EXPLORATION intends to raise R52.2 million from a fully underwritten rights offer being undertaken at a R1 per share pricing to bankroll its exploration and other mining projects. The company’s board has already approved the rights offer. Sable, which has thin trading volumes on the JSE, has various vanadium and iron ore prospecting rights and reported a headline loss of 143.34 cents in the year to end-February 2023. The company, however, is progressing with its other mining projects as it seeks capital for its exploration and planned mining programmes. In September, Sable entered into an agreement with PBNJ Trading and Consulting for a R17m loan pending conclusion of its rights issue. PBNJ, which has “undertaken to follow its rights for R31.2m”, has underwritten the rights issue for…

THE St George's Cathedral says it has been inundated with complaints over a pride flag that has been flying at the church premises since the mid-1990s, standing in solidarity with the LGBTQI+ community. Numerous calls have been made to the cathedral office, with the callers expressing outrage that the flag was “integrated with a place of worship”, the church said. In a shocking turn of events, a group of young people stormed the premises and took down the flag last week. While the cathedral verger was able to take back the flag with the help of the public, Warden on behalf of Cathedral Council, Nolundi Luwaya said the incident was regrettable. “As the Cathedral Council, we are disappointed in the manner in which these young people chose to express their…

FOUR more people were shot dead in Gugulethu at the weekend, bringing the number of people killed in two shootings to eight in just five days in the area. Three men and a woman were killed in a hail of bullets at about 11pm at NY5 on Saturday. Police spokesperson Andrè Traut said provincial serious violent crimes (SVC) detectives initiated a murder investigation. According to Traut, the identities of those killed were yet to be released. “Police reports indicate that two vehicles were parked on the side of the road in NY 5 in Gugulethu when a number of suspects were dropped a few metres from the two vehicles by another vehicle. The suspects approached the two vehicles and started firing numerous shots at the two parked vehicles. After shooting,…

AHEAD of the start of school holidays in the province, residents have been urged to consider their travel plans carefully as several roads were still closed, have only limited lane access, or stop-go arrangements are in place following the severe storms. There is a stop-go arrangement on the N1 in De Doorns, which will be in place for at least three months. The N2 is closed outside Botriver, the R43 is closed in the direction towards Villiersdorp, the Hemel and Aarde road is closed towards Hermanus, and the R321 is closed from Molteno Road in the direction of Villiersdorp. Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning MEC Anton Bredell said: “It is the start of the school holidays in the Western Cape, and we are asking people to consider their…

THE Nyanga Community Policing Forum (CPF) has condemned the disruption of service delivery in the area after a refuse collection crew was confronted by alleged extortionists last week. According to the City, the crew was working in Fenqe Street in Nyanga when they were approached by eight armed men who demanded a “protection fee” for the workers to have safe passage through the area, and robbed one staff member of his phone on Thursday. The City’s Urban Waste Management Directorate said that it plans to re-engage with SAPS and the City’s Safety and Security Directorate to request their urgent assistance in dealing with the growing trend of extortion. “This follows a similar incident in Philippi East recently which led to a temporary suspension of services in the area. “We call…

recent weather-related tragedies have reminded South Africans, and indeed the rest of the world, how ill-prepared our cities are to deal with disasters largely driven by climate change. If it’s not floods claiming the lives of 6 000 people, with hundreds more still missing and at least 43 000 internally displaced in Libya, it is the raging wildfires that have led to deaths of people and animals, destroying livelihoods across the globe, including Europe, North America and Australia. Making matters worse is that these tragedies could have been avoided had the world acted sooner, instead of simply ignoring the early warning signs. Take for example the recent Cape Town floods where four children died after being electrocuted at Klipfontein Mission Station, and another similar incident where four people…

The US Congress passed an 11th-hour funding bill at the weekend to keep federal agencies running for another 45 days and avert a costly government shutdown, although the deal left out aid to war-torn Ukraine requested by President Joe Biden. Three hours before the midnight deadline, the Senate voted to keep the lights on through mid-November with a resolution that had advanced earlier from the House of Representatives in a day of high-stakes brinkmanship on Capitol Hill. The last-ditch “continuing resolution” was pitched by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as millions of public workers looked set to be sent home unpaid, upending government functions from military operations to food aid to federal policymaking. “Tonight, bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate voted to keep the government open, preventing an unnecessary crisis…

Hundreds of thousands of people held an opposition rally in Warsaw yesterday, two weeks ahead of an election that the liberal Civic Platform (PO) says may decide Poland’s future in the EU and its democratic standing. Opinion polls suggest the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) government could win the vote but may struggle to form a majority amid discontent among some over rising living costs and concern over an erosion of democratic checks and balances. Warsaw city authorities said about a million people attended in the capital’s biggest rally on record. Public broadcaster TVP, which independent media observers say has become a government mouthpiece under PiS rule, quoted police saying about 100 000 people had joined. Online news channel onet.pl said that according to its calculations some 600…

JERUSALEM: A rubber boat washed up on a beach in Israel yesterday with no one on board, only what appeared to be the belongings of would-be migrants. Israeli authorities said they found the dinghy along the Mediterranean coast near the city of Netanya with nothing but a messy pile of personal items, food, water and travel documents, including three from Somalia. Police said they were searching for signs of survivors. According to the UN International Organization for Migration, more than 187 000 people crossed the Mediterranean so far this year, and the group has recorded 2 093 deaths along the central Mediterranean route. | Reuters…

NEW YORK: A new World Health Organization analysis suggests cholera is surging worldwide, with the number of cholera cases doubling from 2021 to 2022. The statistics show rising cholera rates and larger outbreaks around the globe, with 44 countries reporting cholera cases in 2022. The largest outbreaks, all exceeding 10 000 documented or suspected cases, took place in Afghanistan, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Nigeria, Somalia and Syria. Overall, the WHO tallied 472 697 cases worldwide last year, compared with 223 370 the previous year. In 2022, 2 349 people died of cholera, the WHO reported. | The Washington Post…

DESPITE achieving a result that was never really in doubt by qualifying for the group stages of the CAF Champions League, Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena was adamant that nothing should ever be taken for granted. Having smashed Burundian side Bumamura FC 4-0 in the first leg of their preliminary tie, it was taken as a foregone conclusion that the Brazilians would once again make the group stages. And they did so with a 2-0 second leg win at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday for a 6-0 aggregate victory. “The teams led by Hlompho (Kekana), Alje (Shut) and Rama (Ramahlwe Mphahlele - all former Sundowns captains), they are all fantastic groups that need a lot of praise and recognition for putting the club up there with the bare minimum…