Inhaltsverzeichnis für 2025-04-16 in Cape Times

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has recently announced pivotal changes that are set to affect the fuel prices across the nation in the upcoming financial years. The regulator has sanctioned a fuel price increase proxy of 5.23 cents per litre (c/ℓ) for the 2025/26 financial year, which will be followed by a further increase of 3.80 c/ℓ in the 2026/27 financial year. This increase primarily addresses the costs associated with transporting fuel from Durban to Johannesburg. The Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources will ultimately determine the implementation of these increases, which are expected to allow Transnet to achieve a substantial increase in allowable revenue. Forecasts indicate an 8.73% rise from R7.21 billion in the 2024/25 financial year to R7.84bn in 2025/26. Furthermore, allowable revenue is…

The looming strike of more than 20 000 workers at Transnet has raised concern of industry players about the potential impact it could have on the South African economy and the logistics sector. This comes as discontent is brewing among the members of the United National Transport Union (UNTU) after they declared a deadlock in talks for the 2025/2026 financial year on Monday, rejecting Transnet’s latest wage offer of 6%. In stark contrast, the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) has accepted the wage offer, revealing a split within the workforce. UNTU said they found management’s approach to the conciliation process deeply regrettable, especially given the serious socio-economic consequences that industrial action may carry. The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration will issue a certificate of non-resolution, legally…

The stage was set for the highly anticipated Africa CEO Forum 2025 during a media briefing on Tuesday, as Amir Ben Yahmed, President of the Africa CEO Forum, unveiled the theme for this year’s conference. Scheduled to take place in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, from May 12 to 13, the event aims to gather an assembly of 2 000 CEOs, investors, and public sector leaders hailing from over 75 countries. “In a challenging global economic backdrop marked by rising protectionism, reduced development aid and high debt-serving costs, the Forum will tackle the prospect of a ‘New Deal’ to strengthen the relationship between governments and businesses in Africa,” Yahmed said. “It’s an agenda that reflects the urgent need for innovative approaches to development based on strong governance, incentive-based industrial policies, and reinforced…

The world's leading maker of electric vehicle batteries, Chinese firm CATL, posted a 32.9% jump in first quarter profit, even as demand for electric vehicles slows. The firm produces more than a third of all electric vehicle (EV) batteries sold worldwide, cooperating with major brands including Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volkswagen. Founded in 2011 in the eastern Chinese city of Ningde, Contemporary Amperex Technology, Limited (CATL) was initially propelled to success by rapid growth in the domestic market. Net profit in the first quarter was up 32.9% year-on-year to 13.96 billion yuan (R36bn), according to a statement CATL released on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. During the same period, CATL's sales rose by 6.2% year-on-year to 84.7 billion yuan, the filing showed. CATL has been aided by strong financial support from…

The Durban Business Confidence Index (DBCI) reported a notable decline in business confidence, falling from 60.74 in the fourth quarter of 2024 to 56.32 in the first quarter of 2025. This 7% quarter-on-quarter dip marked the second consecutive drop for the index, instigating renewed calls for proactive measures to bolster the local economy. Despite these figures, the overall sentiment among businesspeople remained buoyant, suggesting previous interventions to rehabilitate the city are having a positive impact. The DBCI, which is compiled by the Nzimande Macroeconomics Research Unit at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, serves as a barometer of the business climate, reflecting the sentiment of entrepreneurs and investors about their day-to-day operations. Although the latest figures indicated a decline, the index remained well above the neutral zone of 50 points. On a…

THE Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC) has set its sights on recouping the funds the party lost through the fraud committed by its former president Luthando Mbinda. The 64-year-old was this week convicted on a charge of fraud in excess of R900 000. The Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Bellville found him not guilty on money laundering charges. Charges against two accomplices were withdrawn on January 22. Hawks spokesperson, Zinzi Hani said the conviction comes after Mbinda handed himself over to the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team in Bellville on April 9, 2021. “It was reported that on 13 March 2019, Mbinda went to First National Bank (FNB) to open two accounts in the name of LR Mbinda trading as Azania 2019. Mr Mbinda then requested…

Attracting attention on the newswires is the welcome appointment of Mcebisi Jonas to smooth the waters between the US and South Africa. Unlike so many in political leadership, this gent has enormous credibility and should be the clear front-runner for the presidency when that time comes. He is eminently suited to this tough task that will give him wide exposure to the niceties of international relations. Attracting enormous attention in Dockland during her two-day stay last week was Cunard’s magnificent Queen Anne, the latest of the Cunard cruise ship quartet. Although Cunard forms part of the Carnival Group, the Queens seem to engender special interest, despite similarities between the three smaller Queens and some other ships within the group. Passengers in these magnificent vessels will be conscious of the…

Makhanda’s Archbishop, Nkosinathi Ngesi, has demanded urgent action from police as no arrests have been made three years after the rape and murder of three-year-old Mbali Koba in Alicedale. His call also comes as another woman was murdered last month, allegedly at the hands of her boyfriend. Ngesi, who is also a leader of the Concerned Makhanda Residents Group, questioned how police could not find the child’s rapist and murderer in the tiny town of Alicedale, with less than 10 000 residents about 52 kilometres away from Makhanda. “Mbali was found dead at her home in the early hours of September 5, 2022. Three suspects were arrested but nine months later, the investigation was withdrawn due to insufficient evidence.” According to the residents group, the community held two protest marches…

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi has highlighted the importance of mental development in the ongoing progress of young striker Wandile Duba, following the forward’s crucial contribution in the Nedbank Cup semifinal. Duba was on target as Chiefs came from behind to beat Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld on Sunday, earning a place in the final and keeping alive hopes of ending a nine-year trophy drought. Teboho Mokoena had given Sundowns the lead before Duba responded with the equaliser, and Ashley du Preez netted a late winner to seal the victory. The win sets up a high-stakes Soweto Derby final against Orlando Pirates on May 10 at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. A week earlier, there will be another derby, this time in the League. It also reignites optimism among…

The Sharks must stop Edinburgh by any means necessary to complete a clean sweep in their so-called “Biltong Series” against the South African sides. Over the last two weekends, the Scottish club ,with their SA flavour, ended the campaigns of the Bulls and Lions in the EPCR Challenge Cup with wins at the Hive Stadium. They’ve won two of the three clashes against the SA franchises, and now the Durbanites stand between them and a 3-0 feat. They have made their home ground a fortress against the South Africans this season. It’s a different competition, the United Rugby Championship (URC) but Edinburgh will have the same objectives when they face a Springbok-laden Sharks on Friday evening (8.35pm kick-off) in the Scottish capital. How they’ve dealt with the Bulls, who also…

MTN is the only publicly invested group in South Africa with a significant investment in Iran MTN chairman Mcebisi Jonas' appointment as the new Special Envoy to the US has been construed by some as possibly the worst move for South Africa, and his past comments of US President Donald Trump being a “racist, homophobe” and “rightwinger” is only half the problem. Jonas' appointment comes after former South Africa's Ambassador to the US, Ebrahim Rassool, was recently expelled from the country after criticizing President Donald Trump in public. MTN is the only publicly invested group in South Africa with a significant investment in Iran, holding a 49% stake in the Irancell telecom operator, the second-largest mobile network operator in that country, which is 49% owned by MTN and 51% by…

US President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” announcement of sweeping new tariffs on imports from more than 180 countries will be remembered as a man-made economic tsunami. Many are already comparing it to President Herbert Hoover’s 1930 Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, which slashed global trade by 66% in five years and deepened the Great Depression. Trump’s tariffs – most of which have been abruptly paused for 90 days – have rattled financial markets, prompting analysts to warn that the United States could enter a recession in 2025. The global implications can hardly be underestimated. As the world’s largest economy, the US has an outsize impact on other countries’ exports and growth. Adding to the uncertainty is Trump’s erratic approach to policymaking, which is nurturing doubts about the US dollar’s viability as a…

What is the South African Renewable Enery Masterplan? It is an industrial strategy that sets out how South Africa can set up a new manufacturing industry in renewable energy and battery storage value chains. The masterplan was developed by the government, some sections of organised labour, a non-profit organisation advocating for renewable energy, and representatives of the renewable energy industries. It sets out a framework to produce renewable technologies locally. These include solar photovoltaic panels, wind turbines and batteries. The masterplan has been drawn up so that it aligns with South Africa’s existing national target of adding 3–5 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity each year to 2030. This is a scale that can support the development of local manufacturing hubs. (One gigawatt can supply electricity to about 700 000 average…

With rising global temperatures and associated impacts on countries and communities, numerous countries around the world have committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, South Africa included. This is being done to limit temperature increases and reach net zero emissions by mid-century. If a transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient, green economy is to be effective and importantly just, countries will need to employ effective systems to track progress and retrogressions. In February this year, the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC), World Resources Institute and the Initiative for Climate Action Transparency hosted a workshop on Tracking Just Transitions attended by monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) practitioners from around the world, particularly Africa, Central and South America and Asia. It was clear from the workshop that many developing countries around the world are grappling…

Inkosi Albert Luthuli’s daughter-in-law yesterday provided details of the Struggle icon's state in 1967 when he had been brought to Stanger Hospital with a gash to his head. Wilhelmina May Luthuli, 77, said she was 20 years old when she saw her husband's father lying in a room with a deep head injury, which was not bandaged. For decades the original inquest had maintained that Luthuli, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, died after being hit by a goods train on July 21, 1967, in Stanger, on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal, but his family has said that he was murdered by the Apartheid State. Wilhelmina May Luthuli yesterday gave testimony at the National Prosecuting Authority-led inquest into the death of Luthuli in Stanger. The hearings started at the Pietermaritzburg High…

POLICE remained on high alert last night at the Walter Sisulu University (WSU) in Mthatha, Eastern Cape following a day of tensions sparked by the shooting and killing of a person during a student protest yesterday. Two students were wounded when a residence manager allegedly opened fire in the direction of the group who were protesting over accommodation related issues. The manager and his family were rescued by Mthatha Public Order Policing, according to Eastern Cape police spokesperson Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana. “At about 7am on Tuesday morning, the students went to confront the residence manager, who lives on campus with his family,” said Gantana. It is alleged the residence manager then shot two male students; one died at the scene, and the other was taken to hospital for medical care.…

The music industry has long been a notoriously male-dominated space, often sidelining the contributions and leadership of women. However, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF) - Africa's biggest and most legendary jazz event - is boldly challenging this stereotype by being powered exclusively by women. As it embarks on its 22nd year, the festival stands not merely as a musical event but as a movement and a powerful statement of women's prowess within the industry. Under the dynamic leadership of Shaakirah Adams and her formidable team, the festival is not just maintaining its legacy but actively evolving it. This revolutionary all-female leadership is rewriting the rules in a space traditionally ruled by men, ushering in a new era that champions creativity and resilience. The CTIJF has consistently attracted incredible…

The Joshlin Smith trial took a dramatic turn yesterday when key accused Jacquen ‘Boeta’ Appollis told the court that parts of his confession were fabricated. The court is currently engaged in a trial-within-a-trial to determine whether the confessions made by the accused were given voluntarily. Appollis told the court that he had been approached by a coloured male officer who instructed him to say that he, Smith, and Van Rhyn had taken Joshlin to Maka Lima and sold her for R20 000. He claimed the officer told him someone would later arrive to take his statement and that he must repeat the same version. He testified that while being recorded by Lieutenant-Colonel Adrian Pretorius, he began to fabricate elements of the story to make it more believable. He included vivid…

The Stormers won’t have to contend with Ireland duo Bundee Aki and Mack Hansen when they face Connacht at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday (4pm kick-off), which will bring a sigh of relief to their defence. After a two-week break, during which they could work on their tackling after conceding six tries against fellow Irish side Ulster, the inaugural United Rugby Championship (URC) winners know just how crucial this duel is as they approach the playoffs. They are one point off the top eight and a playoff spot in 10th position on 35 points, behind Cardiff and Edinburgh, who are both on 36. And with four games left, every single one becomes a must-win, starting with Saturday’s showdown in Cape Town. Centre Aki and winger Hansen are the central…

Kaizer Chiefs gave it their all for nearly 90 minutes of their Nedbank Cup semi-final against Mamelodi Sundowns in Pretoria on Sunday evening. But with the score at 1-1 at a packed Loftus Versfeld, it was almost inevitable that the Brazilians would find a way to get the winner, whether it was in stoppage time, or getting through the penalty shoot-out. That is the Sundowns way. They are serial winners, kings of South African football, and well on their way to adding a second star on their jersey in the CAF Champions League, where they will face Al Ahly in the semi-final first leg in Pretoria on Saturday. In contrast, Chiefs – despite being the most popular club in South African football – are ridiculed on the social media streets…

The South African Reserve Bank (Sarb) has warned that the possibility for further rate cuts in emerging economies was now very limited as major central banks across the world were set to adopt a cautious approach on monetary policy amid heightened inflation risks. This comes as the US decision to impose hefty import tariffs on more than 75 countries shook the markets last week, plunging the global economy to a brink of a potential recession as fears of spiking inflation rose. Sarb Governor Lesetja Kganyago on Tueday said economic fault lines, stemming from policy shifts and heightened trade tensions, have emerged, adding to pre-existing geopolitical tensions. Kganyago said these shocks presented new risks to both growth and inflation, and have rendered the global economic outlook more difficult to predict. “Today…

South African businesses now face a crucial compliance challenge after the Department of Employment and Labour on Tuesday gazetted two sets of Employment Equity (EE) Regulations effective January 1, 2025. The Department of Employment and Labour said in a statement, "The publication of these EE Regulations represents a pivotal step toward advancing transformation and inclusivity in the South African labour market. Employers are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the new regulatory framework to ensure compliance and alignment with employment equity objectives." The regulations mandate designated employers to meet sector-specific equity targets by 2030, with hefty fines for non-compliance. Non-compliance carries penalties of up to R1.5 million or 2% of annual turnover. Over 200 employers have already faced Labour Court for prior violations. The published regulations include: 1. General Administrative Regulations:…

Britain's energy regulator is expected to confirm major reforms to grid connections to boost investment in clean energy and infrastructure projects on Tuesday, the government said. Under the existing system, "zombie" projects can hold up the queue for connections, leaving promising businesses waiting up to 15 years to be connected, it said. Zombie projects are speculative plans that may not be viable because they do not have for example land rights or financing but they still hold a place in the connection queue. The changes expected to be confirmed by Ofgem will see industries of the future, from data centres and AI to wind and solar projects, fast-tracked for connection. The new regime, drafted by the National Energy System Operator in partnership with the industry, could help unlock up to…

There’s a silver lining for South African real estate investors, despite the turbulence in the global markets. This was according to Ian Anderson, head of listed property and portfolio manager at Merchant West Investments and the compiler of the SA REIT Association’s monthly Chart Book, the local REIT sector is in significantly better shape today than it was five years ago. Anderson draws a stark contrast between the present and the sharp downturn the sector experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic. “The current turmoil in global financial markets comes almost exactly five years after the last major drawdown for South Africa’s listed property sector, when the South African economy was shuttered at the start of the pandemic. Between March 2017 and March 2020, South African REITs, on average, lost more than…

This Easter season, elevate your festive celebrations with a treat that is sure to dazzle both family and friends — a marbled chocolate bark adorned with delightful Choco Lux Easter eggs. This dessert is not only visually stunning but also brimming with irresistible flavours. Let’s dive into a step-by-step guide that promises a sensational chocolate experience. Ingredients: 300g-320g dark chocolate (50–70% cocoa); roughly chopped 80g-100g white chocolate; chopped 1 tsp. (5ml) coconut oil (optional; for a glossy finish) 1 cup (250ml) mixed whole and broken Choco Lux Easter Eggs (Used here: Choco Lux Crazies Mini/Giant/Mallow Speckled Eggs and Vanilla Funfetti Egg) Method: 1. Line a baking tray with greaseproof baking paper. 2. Melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water, stirring occasionally.…

WHILE police dismissed accusations that the investigation into the rape of Cwecwe in Matatiele started only six months after the incident attracted the attention of the nation, they confirmed no suspect has been identified to date. The 7-year-old was raped, allegedly at Bergview College premises, a private school. Addressing the police portfolio committee yesterday, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu said the investigation started as soon as the case was reported in October 2024. “What we can say about the investigation is that it was not started after the activism of the public,” Mchunu said. “To say it took six months for SAPS is to dangerously exaggerate what happened. It can only serve to escalate distance between SAPS and the people and the community they are serving,” he said. National police commissioner…

Arsenal face Real Madrid tonight with one foot already in the Champions League semi-finals but with the added pressure of knowing their entire season hinges on the result at the Bernabeu. Mikel Arteta's men last week demolished the defending champions 3-0 in the first leg of their quarter-final in London and are favourites to reach the last four of Europe's top club competition for only the third time. But all their eggs are now in one basket as they seek to end their trophy drought, with leaders Liverpool almost out of sight in the Premier League. Arsenal, who have never been crowned European champions, have become used to battling for the English league title - narrowly losing out to Manchester City in the past two seasons. This year it has…

Simone Inzaghi on Tuesday urged his Inter Milan team to end a San Siro hoodoo against Bayern Munich and reach the semi-finals of the Uefa Champions League. Inter lead Bayern 2-1 ahead of Wednesday's decisive second leg in Milan after becoming the first team to beat the German giants in Munich in Europe's elite club competition since 2021. But Bayern have won all three of their previous Champions League matches against Inter at the San Siro, and Inzaghi said that his team need to forget the aggregate score and focus on replicating last week's dogged and clinical display at the Allianz Arena. "There's a lot of pride with these boys and with the club for how the season is coming along," Inzaghi said. "We can't think about the result (in…