Inhaltsverzeichnis für 2024-10-02 in Cape Times

South Africa’s partnership between the government and the private sector, with phase two launched last night, has set itself the “stretch goal” of adding a million new jobs to the economy through adding 3% to gross domestic product (GDP) growth by 2025. The initial partnership was established in June last year to tackle the electricity supply crisis, the severe challenges in freight rail and port operations, and crime and corruption. These areas were identified as the most immediate obstacles to faster growth and job creation and resolving them was set to enable economic growth. Some 140 companies, with those listed being worth R11 trillion, representing 136 million employees are represented through the partnership. Addressing an audience of business leaders last night, President Cyril Ramaphosa, said: “If we can achieve, as…

Enos Banda has been appointed as new CEO for Enertrag South Africa, the local operation of the renewable energy, collector-grid, battery and green-hydrogen solutions company. Banda’s appointment is a significant step for the German-headquartered Enertrag AG as it moves towards implementation of its substantial renewable-development pipeline in South Africa. “I am excited to step into the role of CEO at Enertrag South Africa during a period of rapid transformation and notable grid challenges in the energy sector,” said Banda. He described the company’s goals a aimed at driving “meaningful change by leveraging Enertrag’s global innovations”. Banda has been involved in the development of the South African grid. “I believe now, more than ever, global innovation, local expertise and collaboration are key to achieving a successful energy transition,” he explained. Banda…

THE fate of the Government of National Unity (GNU) is being scrutinised amid tension between the main coalition partners with the DA threatening the ANC that it will leave the coalition over the ousting of Cilliers Brink as City of Tshwane mayor. DA federal chairperson Helen Zille accused the ANC of placing the GNU’s future in jeopardy by instituting a motion to remove the DA-led coalition in the country’s capital. ANC deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane, speaking on the sidelines of a meeting with the Communist Party of Vietnam, responded saying Zille must vent her frustration with the coalition through the correct channels. “So, there has to be consistency because we're not cry babies when a decision is taken against us or people opt to collaborate, we don't have an issue.…

THE Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) has imposed an unprecedented total of R943 million in administrative penalties on 32 persons during the 2023-24 financial year. The penalties reflected a significant escalation from the previous year’s R100 m penalties, which totalled R100m levied against 44 individuals. The figures surfaced from the FSCA’s integrated report, presented in Parliament, highlighting the authority's commitment to stringent enforcement of compliance with the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services (FAIS) Act. Among the most notable penalties was a staggering R475m imposed on Markus Jooste, the former CEO of Steinhoff International. FSCA commissioner Unathi Kamlana praised the authority's strengthened oversight mechanisms, which facilitated the registration of 483 new investigations and the finalisation of 418 cases in the reporting period. The regulatory body also suspended the licences of 1…

A 25-year-old woman appeared in the Goodwood Magistrate’s court yesterday on charges of perjury and defeating the course of justice after she allegedly made a false police report about an armed robbery. Police spokesperson Frederick van Wyk said according to the complainant’s report at Goodwood SAPS on Saturday, she was at a shopping mall in Voortrekker Road, Goodwood, the day before when she was approached by an unknown man. “He allegedly pointed a firearm at her and stole R24 000 cash and her work laptop, valued at R25 000,” Van Wyk said. On Monday, Goodwood police interviewed the complainant. “During the interview they followed up on leads and clues and got suspicious of the complainant’s account of the facts. As the interview progressed the complainant came up with the…

The Israeli army said its troops were locked in fierce clashes in Lebanon after launching a ground offensive yesterday, escalating the conflict after a week of air strikes that killed hundreds. The ground assault came as Israel targeted south Beirut, Damascus and Gaza, despite international calls for restraint to avoid a regional conflagration. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned the fight was far from over, even after a massive strike on Beirut killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Friday. His death dealt a heavy blow to the Iran-backed group. The Israeli military said its forces, backed by air strikes and artillery, carried out “targeted ground raids” on Hezbollah positions in settlements along the border. It said the targets posed an “immediate threat” to northern Israeli communities, and warned Lebanese civilians…

Tokyo led most markets higher yesterday as a weaker yen boosted exporters and helped traders recover some of their hefty losses in the previous day’s rout. With Hong Kong and mainland Chinese bourses closed for a holiday after thundering higher over the past week on a raft of economic stimulus out of Beijing, focus was on Japan following the wipe-out fanned by a strong yen. The currency soared after Japan’s Shigeru Ishiba, who has backed the central bank’s interest rate hikes, won a vote Friday to lead the country’s ruling party. Yesterday, the Nikkei climbed almost 2%, paring some of Monday’s nearly 5% drop, as the yen pulled back against the dollar and gave beaten-down exporters some much needed relief. Data showing Japanese business confidence remained positive in the third…

Capitec lifted headline earnings per share by 36% to R6.4 billion in the six months to August 31 as the leading retail bank in the country in terms of customer numbers continued to draw new business from its digital, product diversification and client-centric solutions. The digital bank, now with 23 million customers, saw net transaction and commission income increase 19% to R6.9bn in an economy that barely grew. Value-added services and Capitec Connect revenue grew by a strong 79% to R2bn. Return on shareholder equity increased to 29% from 24% at the same time a year ago. The interim dividend was raised 36% to R20.85. Old Mutual Wealth Private Client research analyst Tasneem Samodien said personal banking led the way for Capitec, with strong headline earnings growth (48%) driven by…

TymeBank has reached 10 million customers – less than six years after launching in 2019, a significant milestone for the bank, and it is also entering Indonesia, said its CEO Karl Westvig. Westvig took over the reins as CEO of TymeBank, the first digital bank in Africa to reach profitability, yesterday (Oct 1). The bank has almost R7 billion in deposits, which it said makes it the fastest-growing bank in South Africa, based on customer deposits for 2024. Through a distribution partnership with Pick n Pay, Boxer, and TFG stores, TymeBank has over 1 000 kiosks and 15 000 retail points across the country. Retail Capital, a division of TymeBank, is a largest SME funder. Earlier this month life assurer and financial services group Sanlam restructured its portfolio in African…

THE Western Cape High Court has declared that 11 fishermen who went missing at sea are presumed dead. This is after their families and Sea Harvest’s Viking Fishing Division filed an application for an order to declare the deaths. The fishermen are presumed to have drowned on May 18 when the hake deep-sea trawl vessel, MFV Lepanto sank about 350m into the ocean, off the coast of Hout Bay. Nine people survived after being rescued on the fateful day. According to court papers, at the time of their disappearance, the missing crew were employed by Viking in terms of temporary employment contracts. “Viking brought the application to assist the missing crew's families to obtain a final order from this Court presuming the missing crew dead so that death certificates can…

THERE will no longer be a way out for some sexual perpetrators in claiming that they believed the victim consented to the act, as the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, declared sections of the law, which previously provided this loophole, unconstitutional. The court found sections of the Sexual Offences Act, as amended, to be invalid. This is to the extent that the Act does not criminalise sexual violence where the perpetrator wrongly and unreasonably believed that the complainant consented to the conduct in question. This judgment followed a challenge by the Embrace Project, the Centre for Applied Legal Studies and a rape survivor to what they called problematic definitions of consent and rape in the amended Act. They said the definition made it difficult for rape victims to get justice as…

South Africa will experience more snow storms like the recent storm that affected parts of KwaZulu-Natal, leaving hundreds of motorists stranded and resulting in one death. This is according to senior SA Weather Service forecaster Puseletso Mofokeng, who was speaking yesterday during a briefing on weather predictions and analysis together with senior Disaster Risk Reduction manager Rudzani Malala and lead scientist of long-range prediction Christien Engelbrecht. Mofokeng said snow storms should be expected in the coming years. “Perhaps not this year, but sometime in the future… perhaps next year and many other years to come. The good thing is that we are using impact-based forecasting, which considers both the vulnerability as well as the impact.” He said the last two snow events had been identified in time and appropriate warnings…

In scary-enough circumstances, stability can be one of the most appealing words in politics. When a municipality has had years of political and economic chaos, as Tshwane has, who does not want life to be more stable? More consistency in the provision of public services, in people’s incomes, in the behaviour of political parties in the coalition governments – things taken for granted in calmer times – becomes something which voters yearn for and which ambitious politicians promise each time they justify sponsoring a vote of no-confidence. So far, ANC’s leadership has carried out a long and sometimes ruthless exercise in creating and offering stability: for the party after the turmoil under successive regional and provincial leaders, for the municipality after the collapsing governance of the successive ANC and the…

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 21 people in Gaza yesterday, local medics said and fighting ramped up as the Israeli military said it had been targeting command centres used by its Islamist militant foe Hamas. Palestinian health officials said at least 13 people, including women and children, were killed in two Israeli strikes on two houses in Nuseirat, one of the enclave’s eight historic refugee camps. Another strike on a school sheltering displaced Palestinian families in the Tuffah suburb of Gaza City killed at least seven people, medics added. Another Palestinian was killed by a drone strike on a tent for displaced people in northeastern Rafah city in southern Gaza, according to witnesses. The Israeli military said the air strike targeted Hamas militants operating from a command centre embedded in…

NATO’s new chief Mark Rutte yesterday downplayed fears over the impact of a potential Donald Trump victory in upcoming US elections and pledged to keep backing Ukraine, as he assumed leadership of the world’s most powerful military alliance. The former Dutch prime minister steps into the role at a pivotal moment, as Russia presses its war in Ukraine and China flexes its growing might – and just weeks before voters in the US head to the polls. Rutte on Tuesday took over the alliance from Norway’s Jen Stoltenberg, who has guided Nato through one of its most tumultuous decades. The outcome of the November 5 vote is set to be the straight-talking 57-year-old’s first major test – and will shape his initial four-year term at the helm. On the campaign…

As THE ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 looms on the horizon, all eyes are set on Group A, where a mix of legacy and ambition promises to make it the most competitive edition yet. The group stands as a battleground featuring five of the top eight teams in the Women’s T20I Team Rankings, each vying to secure a coveted semi-final spot. Australia Reigning supreme, Australia enter the fray as the top-ranked side with an impressive track record. Aiming for their fourth consecutive ICC Women’s T20 World Cup victory, they bring a formidable reputation, having claimed victory in their last 20 ICC global matches. Under the new leadership of Alyssa Healy, Australia are ready to maintain their stronghold. Healy, a vital asset with 440 T20I runs in the past 12…

LEGAL experts say that the uMkhonto weSizwe Party’s (MKP) threats of legal action against the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), after it decided to proceed with next week’s judicial interviews without Dr John Hlophe, have a slim chance of success. Last week, the high court interdicted the MKP’s parliamentary leader Hlophe, who was formerly a judge and impeached for gross misconduct, from participating in upcoming JSC processes, saying the JSC would continue to function in his absence. On Monday the MKP wrote to the JSC chairperson, Chief Justice Mandisa Maya, with an urgent request to postpone the interviews, stating that the JSC would not be properly constituted without Hlophe. Justice Maya sent a letter to the MKP yesterday, saying the JSC had met urgently to consider the party’s request and had…

Use public land for public good, authorities urged THE City remains unmoved by calls to halt a public auction where 44 vacant and improved sites across Cape Town including a stand-out triple-lot sale in Constantia will go under the hammer, despite public outcry. The auction comes amid calls to withdraw the sales until a lasting solution for equitable land distribution in Cape Town is formulated. The Civic Association of Rondebosch East (Care) said they were “deeply concerned” by the auctioning off of the prime properties – with opening bids for a Constantia site starting at between R1.5 million and R3m. Mayco member for economic growth, James Vos, confirmed the auction would go ahead today with a listing of various City-owned properties for sale and lease. Vos said the properties were…

POLICE top brass have expressed confidence in their investigative work stating that arrests were imminent as one person has been taken for questioning while they were looking for other known persons in connection with the Lusikisiki massacre where 18 people were murdered. National police commissioner Fannie Masemola provided an update on the status of their investigation yesterday following a visit to the grieving families and a community engagement. Ngobozana village in the Eastern Cape was left reeling after seventeen family members were gunned down on Saturday while sleeping at two homesteads as they prepared for a traditional ceremony. One of the six injured died in hospital on Sunday. Masemola was joined by Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, his deputies and provincial government officials including Premier Oscar Mabuyane who assured the public…

The recent arrest at OR Tambo International Airport of a 21-year-old woman, who had swallowed bullets filled with drugs, upon her arrival from São Paulo, Brazil, serves as a glaring warning about the dangers facing young people today. This incident is more than just an isolated case; it highlights a growing trend of South African youth being drawn into transnational drug syndicates. As a society, we must recognise the urgent need to empower our youth, providing them with avenues to resist the temptations of crime and avoid becoming easy prey for criminal organisations. One of the primary factors making young people vulnerable to such exploitation is the socio-economic environment they navigate. With high unemployment rates and limited opportunities, many young people find themselves in desperate situations, leading them to make…

Microsoft yesterday doubled down on deploying artificial intelligence (AI) to consumers, releasing an updated version of its Copilot chatbot that can hold voice conversations and interpret images. Executive vice-president and CEO of Microsoft AI Mustafa Suleyman was a former leader at AI pioneer Google DeepMind, and was poached by Microsoft in March to head up its consumer AI division. Microsoft was an early mover in releasing generative AI technology to everyday users, largely using the models from its $13 billion partnership with OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT. It has since been caught by Google and soon Apple, which are using the global smartphone market to get their AI tools to consumers. Microsoft said Copilot’s voice feature allows a more intuitive way to interact, offering four voice options for brainstorming, quick…

Tunis: Tunisian politician Ayachi Zammel, a candidate in the North African country’s October 6 presidential election, has been sentenced to 12 years in jail, his lawyer said yesterday. “The court in Tunis sentenced Ayachi Zammel to 12 years in prison in four cases” related to voter endorsements, lawyer Abdessater Messoudi said. The front-runner is incumbent President Kais Saied, who was elected in 2019 and later dissolved parliament. Last week, a Jendouba court handed down a six-month jail sentence to Zammel for “falsification of documents”, adding to a 20-month term. | AFP…

India Women 144-7 Richa Ghosh 36, Deepti Sharma 35, Ayabonga Khaka 5-25, Annerie Dercksen 1-3 South Africa Women 116-6 Laura Wolvaardt 29, Chloe Tryon 24, Asha Sobhana 2-21, Deepti Sharma 1-2 India Women won by 28 runs The Proteas Women suffered a worrying defeat to their India counterparts in their second and final warm-up match at the ICC Academy in Dubai yesterday, marking a second consecutive loss in the lead-up to the highly anticipated ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, set to commence tomorrow in the UAE. The fading fortunes of the Proteas Women have highlighted a growing concern regarding their batting. Throughout the year, the team has been heavily reliant on a select trio in the top order – Laura Wolvaardt, Tazmin Brits, and Marizane Kapp. The batting order’s apparent…