Tabla de contenidos para 2021-07-26 en Cape Times

Tarryn-Leigh Solomons tarryn-leigh.solomons@inl.co.za FOLLOWING the announcement by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) that it would approach the courts to request a postponement of the October 27 local government elections, two political analysts shared their opposing views. The IEC on Friday said it would adopt the recommendation of retired deputy chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke that it would not be safe to hold the local government elections in October in the wake of the increasing number of Covid-19 infections and deaths. Spokesperson Kate Bapela, however, said she could not confirm exactly when the electoral commission would approach the courts. “At the moment, we are unable to provide a firm date. The IEC has made an undertaking to provide feedback on a regular basis to South Africans,” she said. University of…

Sihle Mavuso sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za AS the two factions fighting over the estate of the late King Goodwill Zwelithini, and ultimately the throne, continue to file their last affidavits before oral arguments in court, Queen Sibongile and her two daughters have fired a salvo at Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, saying he has no legal standing in issues of the monarchy. Dlamini-Zulu’s salvo is contained in a response to Buthelezi before the Pietermaritzburg High Court where the queen is fighting to inherit 50% of the estate of the late king on the basis that, as his first wife, they were married in community of property and in a civil rites marriage. Princess Ntandoyenkosi and Princess Ntombizosuthu Duma-Zulu who, separately, allege that the will of the king cannot stand as they have evidence that some…

Staff writer IN SOME relief to the unemployed and struggling businesses, the Social Relief of Distress Grant will be reinstated while the UIF will facilitate payments as quickly as possible to support workers who have not received an income. The Social Relief of Distress Grant will provide a monthly payment of R350 until the end of March next year. It is expected to be expanded to the number of people eligible by allowing unemployed caregivers who currently receive a child support grant to apply. This emerged when President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation last night, announcing that the country will be placed on adjusted alert level 3 with immediate effect. This means that: Non-essential establishments such as restaurants, taverns, bars and fitness centres may be opened. These establishments, however, will…

IN RESPONSE to the Cape Times article, “Environmental activists welcome seven-day pre-directive issued to City”, July 23. The City of Cape Town has received the pre-directive issued by the Western Cape Government’s Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning regarding the pollution at Zeekoevlei and confirms that the health of waterways is of top priority for the City. Over the past two weeks, City officials have been working tirelessly, including through the night, to minimise the environmental impact of sewer overflow into Zeekoevlei, part of the False Bay Nature Reserve. The spill is the result of infrastructure damage due to illegal dumping into the sewer system, significant stormwater ingress and the damaged manholes. A further contributing factor was the malfunction of a screw pump at the inlet works. The spill…

Charles Thomas | Claremont THE decision by the University of Cape Town to start an online high school next year raises more questions than answers. As a university, UCT’s mission is higher or tertiary education. Why does it want to play in the secondary education field? What next? Would it consider at some stage providing primary education as well? UCT is answerable to the minister of higher education. Will it now have to report to the minister of basic education as well? This sounds like a money-making venture. UCT will be charging R2 095 a month. So we are talking about privatisation of education. UCT is competing with the Curros of this world, and like Curro, is commoditising education for profit. Who will be able to afford UCT’s…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za IN A BID to address overcrowding in schools, the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has delivered 45 mobile classrooms to schools with space constraints. As schools are set to reopen today, concerns have been shared in the education sector that the 1m physical distancing requirement was not possible at many primary schools across the country owing to overcrowded classrooms, and there were personal protective equipment (PPE) supply issues. At a briefing on Saturday over schools’ preparedness, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said that following consultative sessions it had been agreed for schools to reopen and to work within the Covid-19 health protocol, which includes physical distancing. All schools are reopening today and the rotational schooling at all primary schools is expected to end on August 2. In…

Relief that ‘enemy within’ failed to stoke full-scale civil war PERHAPS South Africans can get some consolation from the fact that the looting and riots that dogged KwaZulu-Natal and pockets of Gauteng two weeks ago which claimed at least 337 lives are not unique to them or the country. That is of little comfort to the relatives of those who perished, those whose businesses were looted and torched; and for those who as a result have lost their jobs and had their livelihoods disrupted. Lest government propagandists or their detractors are too complacent for their own convenience, the latest Global Peace Index (GPI) 2021, published by the Sydney-based Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) and which covers 99.7% of the world’s population, conjures up a sobering scenario. Civil unrest and…

The claim by former Proteas spin bowler Paul Adams that he was called “brown s***” must be investigated and the guilty party permanently banned from cricket. This is an affront to human rights, the UN high commissioner for human rights, Navi Pillay, said at a panel discussion on racism in sport. These deplorable acts of bigotry and prejudice have no place in the 21st century. It is time to kick bigotry out of cricket now. Zero tolerance on racial discrimination and racism must be adopted and ruthlessly implemented. Any transgressor must be banned from participating in sports, either as a player or as a spectator. South Africa still confronts a great racial divide and there is an urgent need to close that tragic gap as quickly as possible. It grieves…

The Biden administration has already spent at least $2 billion (R29.6bn) to halt construction of the southern border wall, despite the ongoing migrant crisis, a report by Republicans on a Senate subcommittee revealed. A report published last week by the minority staff of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee’s Government Operations and Border Management Subcommittee found that efforts to halt or cancel wall construction projects at the Defense Department have cost between $1.8bn and $2bn since President Joe Biden’s inauguration, and the administration is spending about $3 million every day to continue the freeze. And the vast part of that money is used to “guard steel, concrete, and other materials in the desert”. “It is absolutely absurd that Americans are paying contractors to guard metal gates that President Biden…

NEW YORK: US pizza chain Domino’s has announced it was providing “free pizzas for life” to Indian weightlifter Chanu Mirabai after she expressed her desire to eat pizza after winning the silver medal in the 49kg weightlifting category. After having been on a strict diet during the training, she was asked what she would like to eat after winning the medal. Mirabai said: “I will go and have a pizza. It has been a long time since I ate it.” Domino’s India tweeted: “We couldn’t be happier to treat you to free Domino’s pizza for life” – and delivered a pizza to the Olympic medallist’s home. | Sputnik…

ROME: A retest by Italian and Dutch researchers of pre-pandemic blood samples was found to have Covid-19-linked antibody IgM. The retest, carried out by researchers from the VisMederi laboratory at the University of Siena and the Erasmus University of Rotterdam, found that the oldest sample with IgM dated back to September 2019, from Italy’s north-eastern region of Veneto. The samples retested were collected from volunteers in Italy who participated in a lung cancer screening trial before the pandemic started. The study indicated that the virus could have circulated in Italy weeks before it was identified in China. | Xinhua…

Athens: A young endangered monk seal who became the mascot of a Greek island in a marine protected area after surviving a cyclone and endearing himself to locals has been killed, sparking an uproar. Kostis, who was named after the fisherman who saved him as Cyclone Zorbas lashed the Aegean Sea in 2018, was “deliberately killed” off the coast of Alonissos island, the MOm NGO for the protection of the Mediterranean monk seal said. The island is part of the Alonissos and Northern Sporades marine park, Greece’s first such park where sea life is protected by law. The NGO had taken Kostis under its wing after his rescue. | AFP…

Ashfak Mohamed ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za SHE had just smashed the Olympic record in the 100m breaststroke, but Tatjana Schoenmaker was not getting carried away with her performance and medal prospects at the Tokyo Olympics yesterday. The 24-year-old from Pretoria produced the race of her life to set a new Olympic mark of 1:04.82, which eclipsed American Lilly King’s previous standard by 0.11 seconds, to win her heat and advance to the semi-finals, which took place at 3.56am today, with the final tomorrow at 4.17am. The 200m competition kicks off on Wednesday, with Schoenmaker’s heat at 12.45pm, with the semi-finals on Thursday (4.54am-5.01am), and the final on Friday (3.41am). In fact, Schoenmaker was so reluctant to talk up her chances of grabbing a medal in the 100m that she said she just wants…

Thobile Mazibuko thobile.mazibuko@inl.co.za American skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans and Patta, an Amsterdam streetwear brand, has joined forces to drop another collection for the cool kids. The Vault by Vans x Patta collection titled “Mean Eyed Cats”, originated as a token of appreciation of Patta’s connection with Beams in Japan, is back with another range. First introduced in 2015, the “Mean Eyed Cats” makes a huge comeback, representing timeless Vans silhouettes such as the Old Skool and Sk8-Hi. The sneaker is executed in true Patta fashion with detailing on the taping and upper part of the shoe. It has the Patta script logo on the upper and comes with custom Patta branded laces. Part of the range is a three-piece series of graphic T-shirts and a collaborative pair of…

Zaahier Adams zaahier.adams@inl.co.za PROTEAS coach Mark Boucher will not “give a knee-jerk response” to the allegations being levelled against him as revealed at Cricket South Africa’s Social Justice and Nation Building hearings last week. Boucher’s former Proteas teammate Paul Adams claimed last week that he was racially abused during his international career, with former teammates, including Boucher, allegedly call him “brown s***”. This occurred during a song saved for post-match celebrations. “I respect the sensitivity around this and I am not going to give a knee-jerk response,” Boucher said after the Proteas completed a 3-0 series win over Ireland in Belfast. “I will go back home, assess the information that’s available to me and I will reply respectfully and appropriately according to the allegations. I need to get home and…

Chevon Booysen and Odwa Mkentane TWO-YEAR-old Zahier Muller is the sole survivor of a fire that ravaged a Tafelsig Wendy house, which claimed the lives of five people at the weekend. Obin Van Wyk, 49, Rosetta Arendse, 64, Franklin Peters, 18, Stephanie Muller, eight, and Rabia Muller, six, were killed in the fire that broke out in a Wendy house, in Buffelshoek Street. Fire and rescue service spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said the victims were declared dead on the scene and one boy was treated for burn wounds. “The City’s fire and rescue service was called at 4.08am and was told that children were trapped inside a burning structure. “When crews from Mitchells Plain fire station arrived at the scene in Buffelshoek Street, they found a Wendy house engulfed in flames.…

Ian Neilson | Deputy Mayor THE Independent Group continues to grossly distort a story about the credit ratings agency Moody’s downgrade of all metros in South Africa. Multiple reports have omitted a crucial fact for readers – that this was a blanket downgrade of all metros as a sector, and not a targeting of the City of Cape Town based on specific measures. The individual metros had been placed on review for further downgrades if needed. Moody’s indicates that the ratings downgrade of the South African local government sector is due to poor revenue collection, which may well be the case in other metros, but is in direct contradiction to the agency’s recent June 2021 lauding of Cape Town’s unmatched 98.9% revenue collection rate. The high collection rate…

Ilse Haas | Bothasig SOME people these days prefer not to read the newspapers, or watch the news on TV. All people are tired of Zuma – who still pretends to be not guilty of any wrongdoings. The twisted phrases out of the Constitution, most of the people know nothing about. Tired of politicians talking about “job creation”. The meaningless talking about job creation without any practical solutions. As we all know, the 25+ years of freedom has hit the wrong buttons. Freedom has a different meaning to different people. Freedom requires discipline. Freedom comes with a price tag, it does not mean, free grants, free land and free housing. But there is a solution to create jobs. Here the government can prove its worth of existence. The…

Staff writer THE Western Cape is on track to reach one million vaccinations this week. The provincial health department said at the weekend that its vaccination programme was now in its ninth week, and the weekly target of 150 000 vaccinations had been exceeded for the second week in a row. “As at Friday, for the week, 158 539 vaccinations were administered as part of the national programme, bringing the total number of people in the province having received at least one dose of the two-dose Pfizer vaccine, or the one-dose J&J vaccine for the health workers and educators, to 960 594,” the department said. “Last week … the teams managed to make up the deficit by exceeding 150 000 vaccinations for the week, with…

Odwa Mkentane odwa.mkentane@inl.co.za MFULENI residents have been left stunned by the discovery of a decapitated body in the Covid informal settlement at the weekend. The victim, and another body alongside it with stab wounds, are believed to be from another area, as locals said they don’t know the victims. Covid informal settlement community members said the two unknown bodies were found dumped in an open field on Saturday morning. Police spokesperson Andrè Traut said arrests are yet to be made. “At around 4.20pm the decapitated body of an unknown male was found at Old Faure Mfuleni. “The circumstances surrounding the murder are being investigated,” said Traut. Community leader Nonzwakazi Mngcitha has urged police to make a swift arrest. “Murdered people are being dumped in our area by outsiders so that…

IN THE wake of civil unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, experts have weighed in on the factors of poverty, unemployment and inequality and how so many people were able to mobilise and loot shops and destroy infrastructure. As these issues are repeatedly discussed, it would be easy to become desensitised or lack empathy when it comes to the plight of millions of South Africans. More attention needs to be paid to this triple threat that not only affects the poorest of the poor but all citizens. To ignore the socio-economic factors, to show a lack of empathy and understanding of the challenges faced by many, will only allow the seeds of division to be sowed. In the wake of tribalism, racism and destruction, a deeper understanding is needed of the…

Hundreds of protesters rallied in the Tunisian capital and other cities yesterday demanding that the government step down after a spike in Covid-19 cases has aggravated the country’s economic troubles. In Tunis, police used pepper spray against protesters who threw stones and shouted slogans demanding that Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi quit and parliament be dissolved. Witnesses said rallies numbering several hundred also gathered in the cities of Gafsa, Sidi Bouzid, Monastir and Nabeul. Demonstrators in Sousse tried to storm the local headquarters of the biggest party in parliament, the moderate Islamist Ennahda. In Touzeur, protesters set fire to the Ennahda headquarters. The protests raise pressure on a fragile government that is enmeshed in a political struggle with President Kais Saied, who is trying to avert a looming fiscal crisis amid…

China’s commercial hub Shanghai and neighbouring coastal regions cancelled all flights, slowed or suspended subway trains and shuttered businesses as Typhoon In-fa made landfall yesterday, bringing flooding and felling about 1 000 trees. The typhoon landed in the Putuo district of the city of Zhoushan, a major port in the east coast province of Zhejiang, state broadcaster CCTV said, citing the China Meteorological Administration. The storm hit as central China was still reeling from record flooding that killed at least 63, cut off power and forced the relocation of more than 1 million people. After flooding 6km of roads in Zhoushan with seawater and felling about 1 000 trees in Shanghai yesterday afternoon, the typhoon was due to make a second landfall on the coast between Zhejiang’s Jiaxing city and…

Papeete: French President Emmanuel Macron faced pressure to apologise for the devastating impact of decades of nuclear testing as he kicked off his first official trip to French Polynesia. During his four-day visit, Macron plans to address the legacy of nuclear testing from 1966 to 1996 as France developed atomic weapons, as well as discuss the South Pacific territory’s strategic role and the existential risk of rising seas posed by global warming. Residents in the sprawling archipelago of more than 100 islands located midway between Mexico and Australia are hoping Macron apologises and confirms compensation for radiation victims. Macron will be “encouraging several concrete steps” regarding the legacy of nuclear tests, with the opening up of state archives and individual compensation, a French official said. French officials denied any cover-up…

OSLO: An “unusually large meteor” briefly lit up southern Norway yesterday, creating a spectacular sound and light display as it rumbled across the sky, and a bit of it may have hit Earth, possibly not far from the capital, Oslo, experts said. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. Video circulating on social media shows at least one bright flash lighting up a marina at Holmestrand, south of Oslo. Preliminary data suggested a meteorite may have hit Earth in a large wooded area, called Finnemarka, just 60km west of Oslo, the Norwegian meteor network said. The meteor travelled at 15-20km a second and lit up the night sky for about five to six seconds. | Reuters…

HERMAN GIBBS herman.gibbs@gmail.com France’s over-age players swung the game dramatically in their team’s favour yesterday when they spearheaded a 4-3 win over the South Africa Under-23 side in the Toyko Olympics Group football at the Saitama Stadium, Japan. France’s captain Andre-Pierre Gignac, the side’s lone striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation, scored a hat-trick. Thauvin was at the heart of France’s gallant fightback in the dying stages when Teji Savanier snatched the dramatic matchwinner in injury-time. It was heartbreak for SA who, right until the end, appeared to have done enough to secure their first win in Tokyo after leading for most of the way, but France staged a come-from-behind victory with two goals in four minutes at the death. It was a devastating result for the South Africans after a…

Wynona Louw wynona.louw@inl.co.za Springbok loosehead prop Ox Nche says the front row’s substitution at half-time in their 22-17 defeat to the British & Irish Lions in the first Test of the Series wasn’t pre-planned. When Bok coach Jacques Nienaber named his side to tackle the Lions in the Series-opener at Cape Town Stadium, the front row was the standout selection. While most would have expected Frans Malherbe and Steven Kitshoff to fill the starting prop roles, Trevor Nyakane and Nche got the nod with Bongi Mbonambi starting at hooker. The trio produced an excellent first-half display against a tough Lions scrum, however, the entire front row was replaced during the half-time break. Nche, playing in only his third Test, was the standout Bok on the day. Apart from his strong…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za South Africa’s stunted economy has received a much-needed boost as the government announced the easing of lockdown restrictions, the ramping up of Covid-19 vaccinations and the reinstatement of social support grants. President Cyril Ramaphosa last night announced that the government had decided to place the country on alert level 3 from adjusted alert level 4. This as the country has officially passed the peak of the third wave of Covid-19 infections. Ramaphosa said the overall decline of new cases meant that it was possible to gradually ease some of the restrictions on gatherings, movement and the sale of alcohol. South Africa recorded a total of 9 718 new Covid-19 cases and 287 deaths, with Gauteng still leading the pack followed closely by the Western Cape. The…

From page 1 were affected by the violence. Government will set aside dedicated funds for this purpose and we will soon announce a mechanism for these businesses to apply for support. “We will also be reprioritising funding for SMMEs affected by the pandemic through a once-off business survival funding mechanism,” he said. There was a need to provide even further relief to help businesses to recover despite the Ters scheme providing crucial support for many sectors that have been unable to operate, he said. “We are therefore expanding the employment tax incentive for a period of four months to include any employee earning below R6 500 and to increase the incentive amount by up to R750 per month. “This will encourage employers to hire and retain employees, especially those in…

Kailene Pillay and Ntombi Nkosi PUBLIC Protector advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane wants the Constitutional Court to rescind its decision regarding her investigation into the CR17-Bosasa funding. The highest court in the land found that her report contained many errors in law, but Mkhwebane has argued in her latest court bid that the court relied on an old version of the executive code of ethics. “The application centres on the patently erroneous finding that the Public Protector, advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane, ‘changed’ the Executive Code of Ethics, replacing the word ‘wilfully’ with ‘deliberately or inadvertently’. This finding was pivotal to the decision to dismiss the appeal,” a statement from her office read yesterday. The case is regarding Mkhwebane’s findings that President Cyril Ramaphosa misled Parliament about a R500 000 donation from controversial company…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za | SEE PICTURE PAGE 3 THE army and a high law enforcement presence is expected along the highly contested minibus taxi route, the B97 road between Bellville and Paarl, as it officially closes today. Over the past two weeks, about 24 people have been shot dead, 29 others wounded, and thousands of commuters forced to walk long kilometres to work, due to the ongoing Congress of Democratic Taxi Associations (Codeta) and Cape Taxi Amalgamated Association (Cata) impasse over the route. Despite Transport MEC Daylin Mitchell and Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula’s interventions, negotiations have failed, resulting in the decision to close the B97 for two months, starting today. An arbitration of the dispute is also set to be heard from today until July 29. Police spokesperson Novela…

MOHAMED SAEED | Pietermaritzburg SOUTH Africans are still recovering from the shock and horror of the inhumaneness between fellow South Africans and the destruction of property, lives and livelihoods. I join conscience-driven citizens in condemning the loss of human life and belongings and the rising racial tensions. I pray that the law enforcement agencies will arrest all those who violated the law in all its forms and hold offenders accountable for their crimes. Regrettably, some individuals and politicians are digging up existing barriers by using inflammatory language to stimulate more hate between human beings. They want fellow human beings to turn on each other for reasons best known to themselves. As citizens of this beautiful country, we must not fall into the trap of these unscrupulous personalities. Instead,…

Correio da Frota | The Wynberg Hotel IN ATTEMPTING to understand the events of the past few weeks I am uncertain as to how to categorise the opposing forces. Have we been watching Team Loot & Takealot versus Team Shopping Malls Forever, the Have-Nots versus the Haves, or Jacob's Gang and his lesser lieutenants versus the Cyril Loyalists? It is hard to say, so forgive me if the depth of my analysis is pitifully shallow. Given our national concerns about sanitation, perhaps we can call the past week or so our very own Battle of Waterloo, with Jacob Napoleon on the one side, and the avuncular Cyril, Duke of Wellington, on the other. I have the greatest admiration for the individuals who gave of their time to mop…

Lynn Harding | Noordhoek I RECEIVED this bit of information which I think will be appreciated by all who are struggling to come to terms with what has recently happened in our country and why we seem to be teetering on the edge of a precipice with regard to the people who are running it. It’s a comparison between the recently appointed Secretary of Defence in Joe Biden’s US government, and our own ANC Minister of Defence Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula. Both hold the same position but look at the similarities – or not. Lloyd James Austin, US Secretary of Defence has 40-plus years in the military, Mapisa-Nqakula has none (that’s right – not one). Highest position in the military before becoming the defence secretary, Austin was a four-star…

Siphokazi Vuso siphokazi.vuso@inl.co.za A TRAUMATISED Mitchells Plain widow will relive the funeral of her late husband for a second time today after she was alerted by funeral service provider Avbob, three hours after his burial on Friday, that they had buried the wrong body. Patiswa Mhlauli has accused Avbob of denying the family time to see the body of her late husband, Thamsanqa, before his burial. “During the funeral arrangements, I insisted that the family should see the body before burial and they said I shouldn’t worry, that would happen. “On the day of the funeral, when a family member went to the undertaker to request to see the body, they refused. They did not give us that opportunity to see the body before burial,” she said. Mhlauli said after…

THANDISIZWE MGUDLWA PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa would do well to integrate all intellectuals – black and white – in the rebuilding of the country. The problem of not using experts from a diverse political, social and economic spectrum is a challenge across mostly the developing world and at times this can also be found in highly advanced democracies. Reasons would vary from one country to the next. Post-colonial Africa is also guilty for the marginalisation of its intellectuals, especially those who are not supporters of the governing former liberation movement. For whatever reason, the suppression and marginalisation of black intellectuals in post-colonial Africa by black governments has hardly been identified as one of the factors why the continent remains the poorest in the world, even though it is the richest…

More than 22 000 Afghan families have fled from their homes to escape fighting in the former Taliban bastion of Kandahar, officials said yesterday, as authorities arrested four suspected insurgents over this week’s rocket attack on Kabul. Since early May, violence has surged across several provinces including in Kandahar after the insurgents launched a sweeping offensive just days after the US-led foreign forces began their final withdrawal. The Taliban’s deadly assault has seen the insurgents capture scores of districts, border crossings and encircle several provincial capitals. “The fighting has displaced 22 000 families in the past one month in Kandahar,” said Dost Mohammad Daryab, head of the provincial refugee department. Yesterday, fighting continued on the outskirts of Kandahar city. “The negligence of some security forces, especially the police, has made…

BRITISH Home Secretary Priti Patel is being partly blamed by her cabinet colleagues for empty supermarket shelves across Britain due to her UK immigration policies. The post-Brexit arrangements set by Patel’s Home Office left hauliers, suppliers and other staffers from the food chains struggling to get the necessary permission to work in the UK. Industry insiders said that warehouses have been operating with 80% staff capacity due to strict visa rules. Government sources have denied that Patel had been targeted by the cabinet. A Downing Street spokesperson said the government had announced measures to help tackle the truck driver shortage. The country has also been hit by a so-called “pingdemic” wave as many food industry workers went into-self isolation over contact with Covid-19-positive people. The British Retail Consortium has called…

ROME: Mass protests against so-called green passes took place all across Italy this weekend. Several thousand people took to the streets in Rome and in Turin, as well as in many other cities, to denounce the government’s measures. Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi said that starting from August 6, people will be allowed into cafes, gyms and open-air shows only if they have a green pass proving that they have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, have tested negative for the virus in the past 48 hours or have just recovered from the infection. Those who oppose the measure insist that it violates the country’s constitution. | Sputnik…

Mogadishu: Somalia has postponed elections that were due to start yesterday after months of delays in the deeply unstable country, officials said. Indirect parliamentary and presidential polls were to open on July 25 with four days of voting for the upper house by state delegates. The election cycle was to end with a presidential poll on October 10. An electoral commission member said the delay was because federal regions were neither able to submit candidates’ lists in time, nor to form local committees to cast the ballots. Last week, the country’s Al-Shabaab jihadists warned politicians against taking part in the elections. | AFP…

Wynona Louw wynona.louw@inl.co.za Pumas (10) 23 Tries: Penalty try, Westeraadt, Fouche; Penalties: Labuschagne, Marais Western Province (16) 37 Tries: T Leyds (2), De Wet, Roos; Conversions: Swiel (4); Penalties: Swiel (3) Western Province got back to winning ways with a convincing 37-23 bonus point Currie Cup win against the Pumas in Nelspruit yesterday. Province have won just two of their five matches to date and suffered back-to-back defeats to Griquas in Cape Town and the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein in their last two Currie Cup encounters. In the build-up to the clash, WP forwards coach Rito Hlungwani raised their exit play and attack as two big work-ons following the trip to Bloem, and while it was a closely-fought encounter in the first half yesterday, they did…