Sommaire pour 2021-05-12 de Cape Times

EDWARD WEST edward.west@inl.co.za THE DIFFERENCES between the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) executive and senior staff in a department that manages its unlisted investments, Isibaya Fund, was a “management matter” that was “being attended to internally”, a PIC spokesperson said yesterday. Senior employees at Isibaya berated the executives of the continent’s biggest asset manager for failing to renew a mandate with its biggest client, the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF), and for general mismanagement, reports citing a letter seen by Bloomberg News said yesterday. The spokesperson said the PIC continued to invest on behalf of the GEPF. The Isibaya Fund was founded in 1995 and manages unlisted commercially viable African projects that have a strong transformation and development impact. According to the PIC’s 2020 report, Isibaya’s total unlisted investments, including unlisted…

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za TORONTO and JSE-listed Eastern Platinum (Eastplats) yesterday reported the first full month of production following the revamp of its small-scale platinum group metals (PGM) circuit known as Circuit D. Eastplats president and chief execu- tive Diana Hu said yesterday that Circuit D’s first full month of production was an important breakthrough for the company. “It not only created a new revenue stream in addition to the company’s chrome production, but will also assist and accelerate the recommissioning of the PGM Main Circuit, which is expected to add a further 600 to 800 tons of PGM concentrates per month from September, a significant boost to the company’s operation and revenue growth,” Hu said. Eastplats, which sells concentrate to Impala Platinum, said it had dispatched 199.8 dry tons of…

MODEL Gigi Hadid says her daughter is her “muse”. The 26-year-old model enjoyed her first Mother’s Day since she and partner Zayn Malik welcomed baby Khai into the world in September and she admitted she feels “so lucky” to be a parent to the girl. Marking Mother’s Day on Sunday, Gigi shared three new photos of her and her daughter – one out of focus of them in matching beige outfits, a second of the blonde beauty pushing the tot’s pram and a third of them cuddling together in bed – on Instagram and wrote: “The rumours are true: my best friend, purpose, muse, greatest pride & joy. “I feel so lucky and inspired being your mama, my Khai!! An old soul full of sunshine, you light up everyone’s days!…

Odwa Mkentane odwa.mkentane@inl.co.za THE Dorothy Zihlangu Transitional Home in Langa is back to providing a safe haven and second chance at life for vulnerable women and children. NPO Ilitha Labantu reopened the centre yesterday which was established in 1998 and was closed for about six months for renovations. It is a six-bedroom house with 12 beds, has three bathrooms, a kitchen, dining room and a big lounge area. Ilitha Labantu spokesperson Siyabulela Mandisa Monakali said the national lockdown has shown just how many women and children are being abused by their partners and parents. “We provide training that is best suited to them. Everyone receives a specialised assessment and we link them to the work we are doing in our offices. “There is a programme called Building Bridges, where we…

Staff writer CRIMINALLY charged ANC member of provincial legislature Danville Smith has stepped aside, says the ANC in the Western Cape. Smith appeared at the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on April 9 and was released on warning. He is due to return to court on May 19. In a statement yesterday, the ANC in the province said it supported the party’s national executive committee (NEC) on the step-aside resolution, including its terms and conditions. “We urge those members who believe that they are affected to step aside. Already a member of the legislature, Danville Smith, has taken this route. We encourage others who find themselves in similar situations to follow his lead. We will follow a thorough process in implementing the step-aside policy,” said the ANC. The party said…

INGREDIENTS Cream cheese buttercream icing Method 1 cup buttermilk 1tsp vinegar 1 cup sugar 1¼ cups of cake flour 1/3 cup of oil 1 tbs of cocoa powder ¾ bottle of Moir’s crimson pink food colouring ½tsp baking powder ¾tsp bicarb ¼tsp salt 250g butter 4 cups of icing sugar 2tsp vanilla essence 1tbs of lemon juice Preheat oven to 170ºC without fan. Add vinegar to buttermilk, stir and let it stand for about 5 minutes. Mix sugar and oil, add the buttermilk and mix until sugar is dissolved as much as possible. Add dry ingredients in two parts and mix until smooth. Finally, add the food colouring until a rich red colour is achieved. Recipe can be used for cupcakes, mini cakes and cakes. For the icing, cream butter until…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za THE family of slain Lambert’s Bay mother Liezel Toontjies are struggling to come to terms with her murder. Toontjies, 36, was stabbed to death by her boyfriend on Mother’s Day during a domestic dispute, police said. “The suspect (in his thirties) is expected to appear in court for murder,” police confirmed. The family yesterday spoke about how they were feeling. “It is very tough for us, we are still not functioning properly but we have to carry on,” family spokesperson Esmaralda van Rheenen said. “All the prayer and support is carrying us through. Her parents are very old, so her father is just quiet and her mother is taking it day by day.” Toontjies leaves behind her children, who are between one and 16 years old. Her…

Zanele Mvana zanele.mvana@inl.co.za TWO Gugulethu families are preparing to meet after a 15-year-old boy stabbed and wounded a 12-year-old in the hand during an altercation over a soccer ball. Social workers are also going to intervene. The victim’s mother, Teresa Ngamlana, said she was in disbelief when her son’s left hand was stabbed. “The boys were playing soccer together as they always do. The 15-year-old demanded that my son give him his soccer ball. When he refused, he went home and returned with a sharp object and stabbed my son. My son told me that he (the other boy) wanted to stab him in the neck but he used his hand to shield his face and that’s when his hand got injured,” she said. Ngamlana said she had previously warned…

Okuhle Hlati okuhle.hlati@inl.co.za BUS passenger safety remains compromised, as security measures to tackle attacks are yet to be implemented. This comes while the working committee has been hailed for developing “proactive security measures” to tackle attacks on Golden Arrow Bus Service (Gabs) passengers. Since the start of the year, until April, 93 armed robberies took place on buses – 25 of which were recorded last month. A total of 224 robberies were recorded last year, and the bus service suffered R102 million in damages. The standing committee on transport and public works was briefed by the committee, comprising the City, Gabs and the provincial Department of Transport and Public Works yesterday. Transport and Public Works official Faizel Williams said while MyCiti and Dial-a-Ride suffered damages due to service delivery protest…

PRINCE MANGOSUTHU BUTHELEZI | MP and Traditional Prime Minister to the Zulu monarch and Zulu nation I NOTE from a letter by Mr Mfezeko Bunu (Cape Times, May 6) that he is “perplexed” about my title of traditional Prime Minister to the Zulu Monarch and Nation. Allow me to assist. He is right that this position does not match the Western “English” definition of a prime minister. But that does not disqualify the position. Under colonial rule, the British reduced AmaKhosi to “tribal chiefs” and the king to a “paramount chief”. That does not change their factual existence. Mr Bunu’s opinion, that I shouldn’t be “given” the title of traditional prime minister because it “suggests that all the Zulu-speaking people support the principles that (I) stand for”, is based…

At least nine pupils and a teacher were killed and 18 people were injured yesterday in a school shooting in the Russian city of Kazan, 805km east of Moscow, the head of the Republic of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, said. He said the shooter, whom he called a “terrorist” was detained. The gunman had a weapon registered in his name and “no accomplices”. Video footage shared on social media showed students hurling themselves from third-floor windows to escape the gunfire. Two children died jumping from the windows. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a plane with medics, psychologists and equipment to be dispatched to Kazan to assist the victims. Putin has also instructed the head of Russia’s National Guard to “urgently” draft new regulation on what kind of weapons can be owned…

The UN voiced alarm yesterday at reports of sexual violence in detention and disproportionate use of force against protesters in Algeria, calling for investigations into all alleged abuses. The UN human rights office said it had received numerous reports of abuses in Algeria since mass demonstrations by the Hirak pro-democracy movement resumed in February. “We are increasingly concerned about the situation in Algeria where the rights to freedom of opinion and expression, peaceful assembly and participation in public affairs continue to be under attack,” spokesperson Rupert Colville told reporters in Geneva. “Over the past two months, activists, human rights defenders, students, journalists, bloggers and ordinary citizens peacefully expressing dissent have continued to face criminal prosecution,” he said. The Hirak protest movement was sparked in February 2019 over president Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s…

ATHENS: Three thieves strangled a mother in front of her 11-month-old child yesterday after breaking into her home in an Athens suburb and tying up her husband, police said. The thieves made off with money and jewellery after killing the 20-year-old woman, who was born in Greece but had a British passport, the police said. Her husband, a 33-year-old pilot, survived. The thieves also killed the family’s dog and left it hanging on the fence of the house in the suburb of Glyka Nera, the police added. Greeks are used to gangland killings but the strangling of the woman in front of her child prompted shocked headlines.…

Foreigners climbed Mount Everest for the first time since Nepal’s government reopened the mountain after it was shut last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, despite recent coronavirus cases at its base camp. Thirty-eight climbers including 10 Bahraini and two British mountaineers climbed the world’s highest mountain yesterday. It comes as a few climbers were evacuated from the Everest base camp in April with symptoms of Covid-19. Nepal closed the mountain in March last year due to the pandemic, but reopened for this year’s climbing season starting in April, issuing a record of 408 permits granting access to the 8 848.86m peak.…

The Premier League has welcomed the British government’s announcement on the easing of lockdown restrictions amid the Covid-19 pandemic, and chief executive Richard Masters said on Monday it is their priority to have full stadiums next season. The government said in February that under the third stage of its four-stage “roadmap”, stadiums would – if all conditions are met – from May 17 be allowed to hold up to 50% of their capacity, or 4 000 people, whichever is lower. A special provision will be made for large outdoor, seated venues, so that they can open their doors to up to 10 000 people or 25% of the capacity, whichever is lower. Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed on Monday the roadmap would progress as planned. “It’ll be brilliant to see…

ESHLIN VEDAN and MIHLALI BALEKA RICHARD Mbulu’s 37th-minute goal consigned AmaZulu to their first defeat since February as Usuthu fell to a 1-0 loss against Baroka FC at King Zwelithini Stadium yesterday. The result has effectively cleared the path for Mamelodi Sundowns to stroll towards another Premiership title. Bakgaga’s goal came against the run of play with Evidence Makgopa first producing a dummy before finding Mbulu, who cut in from inside and fired in a shot which sailed beyond AmaZulu goalkeeper Veli Mothwa. AmaZulu were fortunate to not have conceded a second goal, as a long ball ended up finding Makgopa on the stroke of halftime before the forward’s shot hit the post. The result virtually kills off whatever slim hopes Benni McCarthy’s troops had of winning the championship…

Sandile Mchunu sandile.mchunu@inl.co.za NUTRITIONAL Holdings yesterday warned its shareholders that it had entered into negotiations regarding additional global contracts, which might have a material effect on the price of the company’s shares. The warning comes after the investment holding company concluded two contracts worth more than R2 billion with over- seas companies. Nutritional Holdings has interests in the manufacture, marketing and distribution of staple dry foods, cannabis infusions, oils, extracts and related edibles. Nutritional Holdings con- cluded a R1.26bn three-year contract with GIH Distributors for the supply of Immune Booster to Germany. It will supply 50 000 units a month to GIH. This will increase to 200 000 units a month in the third year. The contract started at the beginning of January. The group also concluded…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za SINCE the onset of the pandemic, every milestone and celebration has been extra special for nurses who work with patients infected with the Covid-19 virus – and then they go home to the reality of it. So said a Groote Schuur operational manager in the respiratory intensive care unit (ICU), as nurses across the globe are today commemorated under the banner “Nurses: A voice to lead – A vision for future health care”. International Nurses Day is celebrated globally every May 12, on the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth. Remaining resolute and committed to saving lives, even in the face of Covid-19, nurse Thouwaybah Phillips reflected on adapting to challenging work environments. “Working in a Covid-19 ICU since the first wave has been one challenge after another,…

Chevon Booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za THE DA Western Cape’s grand plan to procure its own vaccines appears to have come to a grinding halt, with opposition parties saying the idea was politically opportunistic from the start. This came to light following a parliamentary question from ANC MPL Cameron Dugmore to premier Alan Winde. Dugmore asked Winde about the progress made by the province for the procurement of the vaccine. In his response, Winde said: “No costs have been incurred thus far for the procurement of vaccines.” Winde also spoke about the vaccine from the National Health Department. “According to the National Department of Health, the national vaccine procurement programme will see a total of 46 million vaccines procured for the country, of which approximately 4.7 million will be allocated for…

Staff Reporter UNEXPECTED clues about human evolution and health from reconstructing the oral microbiomes of Neanderthals, primates and humans have been discovered in new study by a multidisciplinary international research team, including UCT biological anthropologist Associate Professor Victoria Gibbon. Titled “The evolution and changing ecology of the African hominid oral microbiome”, they investigated the evolutionary history of the hominid oral microbiome by analysing fossilised dental plaque of humans and Neanderthals spanning the past 100 000 years and comparing it to those of wild chimpanzees, gorillas and howler monkeys. Despite oral microbiome differences, researchers identified 10 core bacterial types maintained within the human lineage for over 40 million years. The team discovered a high degree of similarity between Neanderthals and humans, including an apparent Homo-specific acquisition of starch digestion capability…

Lisa Isaacs lisa.isaacs@inl.co.za AS PUBLIC hearings kicked off in the province for a proposed amendment to the Western Cape constitution, the DA yesterday refuted allegations that it was attempting to block the establishment of an environmental commissioner. ANC MPL Cameron Dugmore said Clause 72(1) of the Western Cape constitution, adopted in 1997 by the legislature and then certified by the Constitutional Court, states that the environmental commissioner must monitor urban and rural development which may impact on the environment, and investigate complaints in respect of environmental administration, among other things. Dugmore said the DA-led provincial government was proposing to remove the environmental commissioner in its entirety from the provincial constitution. “It is clear that the DA has been lobbied by a small cabal of developers who are their historic funders…

Athandile Siyo athandile.siyo@inl.co.za MORE supporters of embattled Heathfield High School principal Wesley Neumann picketed in the CBD yesterday, demanding that charges against him be dropped. The group included parents, pupils, the School Governing Body (SGB) and advocacy groups, who demonstrated at the education department’s offices in Lower Loop Street. Western Cape Education Department (WCED) spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said a memorandum was accepted by chief director for districts Alan Meyer, as the head of department, Brent Walters, was not available. “The charges that have been brought against Mr Neumann are currently being contemplated in a hearing where he is being given a fair opportunity to answer them. The legal process must be allowed to continue unhindered by any party,” Hammond said. Neumann is facing charges relating to misconduct after he…

NIGERIAN President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the US to move its military headquarters overseeing Africa to the continent, from Germany. This is to better tackle growing armed violence in the region. The Conversation Africa’s Wale Fatade asked peace and security expert Kester Onor about the implications of this request. What do you think of President Buhari’s request that the US should move its Africa Command headquarters to the continent? The request that the US should relocate Africom headquarters to Africa contradicts the previous position taken by most African heads of governments when it was created. Africom was formed in 2007. It was formed as a structure devoted to Africa (excluding Egypt) as part of US national security strategy. It became operational in 2008. African policymakers, scholars and media resisted…

THE Department of Justice and Correctional Services’ decision to quietly release on parole two members of the notorious right-wing group, Boeremag, is an insult to South Africans, especially the families of political prisoners languishing in jail for decades after being arrested for having taken part in the Struggle against apartheid. And the fact that Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola’s decision has been shrouded in secrecy adds insult to injury. Independent Media reported this week that Kobus Pretorius and his father, Dr Lets Pretorius, were quietly released on parole last year after serving seven years of their 20-year jail terms. They and others were found guilty of preparing a home-made bomb that was to be placed to injure or kill then-president Nelson Mandela in 2002, while he was…

PETROL stations along the US East Coast are starting to run out of fuel as North America’s biggest petroleum pipeline fights to recover from a cyberattack that has paralysed it for days. From Virginia to Florida and Alabama, fuel stations are reporting that they’ve sold out of petrol as supplies in the region dwindle and panic buying sets in. The White House said it was aware of shortages in the southeast and was trying to alleviate the problem. Four days into the crisis, Colonial Pipeline Co has managed only to operate a small segment of the pipeline manually as a stopgap measure and doesn’t expect to be able to substantially restore service before the weekend. The risk is that by that point drivers or airlines may already be suffering severe…

WASHINGTON: Joe Biden has chosen Rahm Emanuel, former mayor of Chicago and chief of staff to Barack Obama, as US ambassador to Japan, the Financial Times reported yesterday. There had been speculation that Emanuel would become envoy to China, but that job is expected to go to former top US diplomat Nick Burns, the report said, citing multiple sources familiar with the Biden team’s discussions. Ambassador to Japan is one of Washington’s most important diplomatic postings and Tokyo one of its most important allies.…

JUBA: South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has reconstituted the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) as part of the 2018 revitalised peace agreement. In a presidential decree broadcast on national television on Monday evening, Kiir appointed 550 representatives from all the parties to the 2018 peace deal. The creation of a new legislative body was part of an agreement signed in September 2018 between Kiir and then-Vice-President Riek Machar, now the first Vice-President in the unity government. Under the peace deal, the Council of States was to be expanded to include 100 members, up from 50 . But President Kiir is yet to reconstitute the Council of States.…

BRASILIA: Illegal gold miners inside the Yanomami reservation in northern Brazil on Monday opened fire with automatic weapons on an indigenous community that has opposed their entry by river, a Yanomami leader said. The Yanomami responded with bows and arrows and shotguns wounding four of the attackers during the 30-minute clash on Monday morning, Dario Kopenawa, head of the Yanomami’s Hutukara Association said yesterday. One indigenous person was grazed in the skirmish, he said in a report to the government’s indigenous affairs agency Funai…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za THE RAND BROKE below the key psychological mark of R14 to the dollar yesterday to touch R13.96, buoyed by positive sentiment as manufacturing output rose more than expected. This was the second consecutive day this week that the rand dipped below R14 to the greenback, after briefly hitting R13.99 on Monday, driven by the surge in commodity prices. By 5pm, the rand was bid at R14 against the dollar, 0.01 percent higher from the previous day’s fix at the same time. Citadel Global director Bianca Botes said the rand was testing a sustainable move below R14 to the dollar, boosted by a strong risk appetite, a weaker dollar and robust commodity prices. “Commodity-driven currencies, such as the rand, continue to enjoy benefits over the dollar, as…

From page 1 In the end, the provincial government paid R64.6m for the property. “The reason for the lower second evaluation is that the company made an error in assuming that the land was not zoned for industrial purposes. “As such, it valued the land at R200 per square metre rather than the market price of R600-R700 per square metre. The provincial government therefore paid a fair market price for the land in question. “While roughly 5.5 hectares is located on a flood plain, the majority of the land is suitable for housing development,” she said. She slammed Herron for continuing to “pursue the issue with no merit”. Human Settlements Department spokesperson Marcellino Martin said in April 2018 the City approached the department to acquire the property as its procurement…

Kennedy Mudzuli kennedy.mudzuli@inl.co.za GOITSEMANG TLHABYE goitsemang.tlhabye@inl.co.za NELSON Mandela’s great-grandson Mayibuye Mandela has called on Police Minister Bheki Cele to train and rein in SAPS members who are “terrorising and bullying” people in rural villages. He was allegedly assaulted by police on May 8 while going back home after visiting the Mqhekezweni Great Place heritage site, where the former president grew up. Mandela said he was making his way home with three other people at around 8pm when they were stopped by the police officers who asked to search the car they were in. Mandela said they initially complied with the officers’ instructions and allowed them to search, but were taken aback when the officers said they should lie down on the ground to be searched. “When they started asking for…

Siphokazi Vuso siphokazi.vuso@inl.co.za THE City and provincial government along with the Housing Development Agency have been hauled before the Office of the Public Protector over a multi-million rand “dodgy” land deal, to build houses for Dunoon residents. This comes after Good party secretary-general Brett Herron lodged a complaint with the public protector over the deal, which cost nearly R65 million. The 17-hectare portion of Racing Park Industrial West land was unsuitable for housing as it was a wetland, said Herron. It was bought three years ago on an urgent basis ‑– but to date no construction has taken place. Herron claimed the land was bought at a grossly inflated price. He said that it had overflowed the area’s borders and spilled on to Transnet freight rail land. The City…

Athandile Siyo athandile.siyo@inl.co.za TWO local trail runners, Christiaan Greyling and AJ Calitz, broke the Guinness World Record for the greatest vertical distance on foot, on Table Mountain’s Platteklip Gorge. The pair beat the previous record of 13 ascents in 24 hours by completing a gruelling 14 ascents in 20 hours, with 19 376 metres climbed just before midnight yesterday. Greyling is a 36-year-old coach and engineering consultant. Calitz is a 37-year-old attorney. The duo said they wanted to challenge themselves by doing something “amazing” for others while raising awareness for Edunova, a non-profit company focusing on the use of technology in disadvantaged schools throughout South Africa. Greyling has won the Ultra-Trail Cape Town 100, Skyrun 100, Otter Trail 42, Table Mountain Challenge, UTD62 and Azores 42km, and ranks in the…

Athandile Siyo athandile.siyo@inl.co.za SHUKUSHUKUMA residents in Site C, Khayelitsha, have accused the City of collapsing service delivery in black communities. This as residents yesterday protested against sewage spills that seep into their houses, claiming it was caused by the blockage of a nearby canal. They allege the blockage is due to refuse not being regularly removed. Community activist Khaya Kama said they alerted the City several times to a nearby dumping site that has caused the canal blockage. “When it rains, the rubbish flows into that canal and it has caused this blockage. The sewage spill goes into people’s homes. We have about 50 residents that have left their homes due to this because their homes are covered in filth, they can’t even walk outside. “The sad part is that…

Portia Jordan NURSES are an unstoppable and an incredible workforce in the health-care environment. According to the database of the SA Nursing Council, there are about 400 000 nurses in South Africa, making nursing an integral and crucial part of our economy. The Bureau of Labour Statistics in the US expects nursing job growth of 12% through 2028, much faster then the average occupation. Nurses are the heroes of our health-care system, caring for both sick and healthy individuals across the world. The global Covid-19 pandemic has shown the world the important role that nurses play in keeping people healthy across the lifespan. As our country combats the pandemic, it has been proven that nurses play a critical role in keeping the health-care system functioning and well managed.…

A 13-STOREY residential block in the Gaza Strip collapsed last night after being hit by an Israeli air strike, witnesses said. Video footage showed three plumes of thick, black smoke rising from the tower, its upper storeys still intact as they fell. The tower houses an office used by the political leadership of Gaza’s Islamist rulers, Hamas. Electricity in the area around the building went out, and residents were using flashlights. Shortly after the attack, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad group said they would respond by firing rockets at Tel Aviv. Air raid sirens and explosions were heard around the city and Channel 12 television said there had been a direct rocket hit on a building in the suburb of Holon. Israel halted all flights from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion…

The EU’s Brexit negotiator warned Britain yesterday to fully apply the terms of its exit from the bloc, in particular on fishing and Northern Ireland, or risk losing credibility on the global stage. “A signature is important, it reflects on the confidence the UK must continue to deserve by upholding its commitments,” Michel Barnier told journalists in the Europresse association. “Which is not what it’s doing in Northern Ireland today, and which it is not doing with fishermen,” he said. He urged London to respect the Brexit terms on these two crucial issues “precisely as they were written in the two agreements of October 2019 and December 2020”. Tensions over fishing flared last week when French boats massed at the Channel Island of Jersey, claiming they were being denied licences…

ROME: Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has been readmitted to hospital, a source close to his Forza Italia party said yesterday. It will be the third time since March and the fourth this year that the 84-year-old billionaire and media tycoon has been admitted to hospital. His latest admission to the San Raffaele hospital in Milan is related to the after-effects of Covid-19, which Berlusconi contracted in September. Berlusconi, who had open heart surgery in 2016, was released from the same hospital on May 1. He is facing trial in the latest instalment of his long-running “bunga bunga” sex scandal, but hearings have been repeatedly postponed due to his health. Berlusconi has dominated public life in Italy since the 1980s. In January, he was admitted to a hospital…

BANGKOK: A court in Thailand has granted bail to two leaders of anti-government protests who have spent weeks in pre-trial detention on charges of insulting the country’s powerful king, their lawyer said. Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak, 22, and Chaiamorn “Ammy” Kaewwiboonpan, 32, were granted bail yesterday on condition they remain in Thailand and refrain from activities that create unrest, their lawyer Krisadang Nutcharat said. The pair have been denied bail several times on charges related to protests last year, calling for reform of the monarchy and the resignation of the prime minister, who first came to power in a coup.…

Timing is everything in life and in cricket and while the heavens may not be aligned right now with Hashim Amla still scoring double centuries in the English County Championship and preparing to turn out for Western Province in the new domestic structure next season, I can't help but feel the Mighty# may just be the man to fix the Proteas' batting woes. There is no hiding from the fact that South Africa's batting has been on a downward spiral, particularly in Test cricket, for a number of years now. Current Proteas coach Mark Boucher raved about Jacques Kallis' contribution to the national team during his short stint as the batting consultant and there was almost a national outcry when Kallis recently joined the England set up. I have no…

MIHLALI BALEKA Hugo Broos, the new Bafana Bafana coach, says he wants his team to win matches, while at the same time being pleasing on the eye. It’s been more than two decades since Bafana won the Africa Cup of Nations. Their form has declined since then as the closest they came to winning the title was in the last edition after reaching the quarter-finals in Egypt under coach Stuart Baxter. They’ve failed to qualify for the 2022 showpiece – thanks to a defeat by Sudan in the last qualifier in Group C. That failure cost coach Molefi Ntseki his job as he was sacked at the end of March. Enter Broos. The 69-year-old was not the primary candidate for the hot seat as Safa wanted either Carlos Queiroz…

Wynona Louw Stormers assistant coach Norman Laker says he is happy with the defensive effort the team put up in their 20-16 Rainbow Cup SA defeat to the Bulls at the weekend. Their first two matches were ones that the hosts could have taken at Cape Town Stadium, their new home, but ill-discipline against the Sharks and a few mistakes and rock-solid defence from the Bulls in their second encounter meant that he Stormers took back-to-back losses, something that’s far from ideal given the fact that they only have four games left in the domestic leg of the competition. It was always going to be extremely tough to maintain any kind of competitiveness and defensive potency being down to 13 men, as the Stormers were at one stage during the…