Sommaire pour 2021-09-01 de Cape Times

EDWARD WEST edward.west@inl.co.za AVENG has made a sizeable turnaround in the year to June 30, its first full-year profit in seven years, on the back of strong operational performances from Australasia-focused McConnell Dowell, specialising mining services group Moolmans and Trident Steel. Headline earnings came to R751 million, or 2 cents per share, compared to a headline loss of R950m, or a loss of 4c a share, in the prior year. Revenue increased 23 percent to R25.7 billion from R20.9bn. Net operating earnings rose to R536m from a R532m loss in June 2020. “Despite the uncertainty and volatility created by health and economic crises, the group continues to build resilience and has been buoyed by its strategy of diversification, improving operational performance and the firm commitment of leadership…

Kailene Pillay kailene.pillay@inl.co.za The Presidency has confirmed that Khusela Diko will return to government duty after the disciplinary process over her failure to disclose her interests was completed. Diko will not return as President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson but will be deployed in another position. She is currently on maternity leave after giving birth to her late husband Madzikane II Thandisizwe Diko’s son recently. In a statement yesterday, the Presidency said it had completed a disciplinary process against Diko “for her failure to disclose her interests in certain companies as required by public service regulations on the disclosure of financial interests”. Diko had been served with a written warning for this offence, it stated. “The action taken by the Presidency management was in compliance with a recommendation by the Special Investigating…

Tarryn-Leigh Solomons tarryn-leigh.solomons@iinl.co.za THE National Prosecuting Authority has refused to be drawn into the saga involving the medical examination of former President Jacob Zuma, saying the matter will be dealt with in court. But the Jacob Zuma Foundation, through its spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi, said yesterday if Zuma had refused it was his constitutional right to do so. Zuma has been in hospital after he was admitted last month following his incarceration at Estcourt prison. But political analyst Zakhele Ndlovu said the NPA was entitled to want to have access to Zuma’s medical records. It emerged yesterday that Zuma had refused to be medically examined by the NPA’s medical team. Zuma, who is serving a 15-month sentence for contempt of court, was hospitalised days after his arrest. NPA spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga…

Mayibongwe Maqhina mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za THE chairperson of the board of Eskom yesterday threw the entity’s “staff” under the bus after it submitted documents to Parliament on the eve of a meeting that was cancelled yesterday. Eskom was meant to submit documents to the standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) last Thursday, but only did so with a 127-page presentation on Monday without the board’s approval. The document was received by the Department of Public Enterprises on Monday after it was sent on Friday night – something that annoyed the MPs. Yesterday’s meeting was a sequel to another held a few months ago on Eskom’s expansion, 2019/20 annual report and investigations report by the Special Investigative Unit (SIU). Embarrassed, Malegapuru Makgoba put the blame squarely at the door of the “staff”. Makgoba…

staff Writer HIGH school pupils will be provided with valuable motor boat handling skills and an official qualification thanks to the donation of a rescue craft donated to the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) by a family who lost their son, along with two other teenagers at sea. Named “Sean Day” in honour of the significant contribution South African born USA-based Day, chairman emeritus of the Teekay Corporation, the 4.7m Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) – donated by the NSRI to the Lawhill Maritime Educational Trust (LMET) – has made to high-school based maritime education in South Africa. It was unveiled by the international maritime leader’s godson, Sebastian Hamsher, while Day’s wife Ginny and two of his daughters, attended the naming ceremony via Zoom. The NSRI-donated RIB is the…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za A TEACHER who was temporarily employed at Ikamvalethu Secondary School in Langa has lost a non-payment of salary dispute against the Western Cape Education Department (WCED). Ebrahim Solomon claimed he was employed by the school principal with the understanding that his salary would be paid by the department at the rate he earned in the past, when he was permanently employed. However, the WCED disputed that Solomon was ever employed by them, saying he was employed by the school governing body (SGB) on a fixed-term contract between February and…

Chevon Booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za A NAVY officer, accused of raping a civilian, has yet to face the music before his commanders. The man, who cannot be named, appeared in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning, where he was granted bail of R2 000 – a decision his alleged victim said was “shocking”. National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said the man faces two counts of rape. “The court set bail with strict conditions, which include that he hand in his firearm, not go into the Diep River and Plumstead areas, and not have further contact with the complainant. Please note that we are not naming the accused at this stage,” said Ntabazalila. The matter has been postponed to October 13 for further investigation. Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk confirmed the…

IT IS no secret – Ramaphosa has accelerated efforts to consolidate his power. The Cabinet reshuffle of August 5 was indicative of a president trying to tie all loose ends within his executive. However, consolidating power does not come without its own perils. On the one hand, it invites increased contestation – for Ramaphosa, this has meant several lawsuits brought against him by his political opponents. On the other, it divides one’s attention – it becomes difficult for a president to follow through on some of his presidential promises. The politics of consolidating power should not obscure us from assessing whether Ramaphosa, thus far, has delivered on his presidential promises. On June 20, 2019, during the third State of the Nation Address, Ramaphosa made some important promises which warrant closer…

KABUL: Celebratory gunfire resounded across Kabul yesterday as Taliban fighters took control of the airport before dawn, following the withdrawal of the last US troops, marking the end of a 20-year war that left the Islamist militia stronger than it was in 2001. Shaky video footage distributed by the Taliban showed fighters entering the airport after the last US troops flew out on a C-17 aircraft a minute before midnight, ending a hasty and humiliating exit for Washington and its Nato allies. “It is a historical day and a historical moment,” Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told a news conference at the airport after the departure. “We are proud of these moments, that we liberated our country from a great power.” America’s longest war took the lives of nearly 2 500…

SEOUL: The leader of Samsung, Lee Jae-yong, should get back to managing the firm despite a five-year ban on his return to work, South Korean Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum has told the Financial Times. In January, Lee was sentenced to two-and-a-half-years in prison for bribing former president Park Geun-hye, to succeed his father as Samsung chief. Samsung has called for Lee’s release so that he could concentrate on leading the conglomerate – the world’s biggest producer of computer chips, smartphones and electronic displays.…

Six members of an Islamist militant group were sentenced to death yesterday by a court in Bangladesh for the brutal killing of two gay rights campaigners five years ago. Xulhaz Mannan, 35, the editor of Bangladesh’s first magazine for gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people, and actor Mahbub Rabbi Tonoy, 25, were hacked to death in Mannan’s apartment in the capital Dhaka in April 2016 in an attack claimed by Ansar Al Islam, the regional arm of al-Qaeda. The killings were part of a series of attacks on atheist bloggers, academics and other minorities that shocked the nation of 170 million and led many to go into hiding or flee abroad. Of the eight defendants in the case, six were found guilty of murder and sentenced to death, public…

MOSCOW: BBC journalist Sarah Rainsford left Russia yesterday after Moscow abruptly refused to extend her permission to work in a tit-for-tat row with Britain over the treatment of foreign media. Russian authorities earlier this month told Rainsford, one of the British broadcaster’s two English-language Moscow correspondents, to leave the country in retaliation for what it called London’s discrimination against Russian journalists working in Britain. Russian authorities accused London of mistreating a Russian journalist working for the state TASS news agency in London who they said was forced to leave in 2019 after his visa was not extended.…

Siddhi Jain Getting back to your fitness routine after a brush with Covid-19 can be hard, but experts say that starting slow with adequate nutrition is the key to crack post-Covid fitness. Whether that's building up from yogic breathing exercises and a slow jog, or stocking up on Vitamin C, these tips are bound to help. Ankit Jha, Founder, Doctor's Choice, and an avid fitness practitioner, suggests: Practising yoga every day heals Covid distress The immune system must need to be strong to fight any form of the disease, be it Covid or lethal cancer. Yoga has been a natural healer for ages dating back to ancient times until the present day. Practising yoga and Pranayama self-heals the Covid-distressed body to the extent of strengthening all the internal parts of…

Siyabonga Mkhwanazi siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za HEALTH Minister Joe Phaahla wants law enforcement agencies to get to the bottom of the murder of Babita Deokaran, a senior official in the Gauteng department of health. Deokaran, a key witness in the probe by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) into personal protective equipment corruption, was shot dead last week. Phaahla, who was taking part in a debate in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) yesterday on the roll-out of vaccines, said law enforcement should not be deterred by Deokaran’s murder and needed to investigate PPE corruption, and other cases of graft. He said the SIU had investigated a number of cases emanating from the national Department of Health, and cases in provinces. Phaahla said those behind the murder of Deokaran had to be punished. “The…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za THE City is exploring its legal options after an employee at one its contractors, Matdoc Projects, which operates the safe space site Paint City in Bellville, allegedly raped one of the facility’s house mothers. Paint City is a site housing refugees and homeless people. The City said the alleged incident had been reported to the police, and allegedly took place at the perpetrator’s house, not the facility. Matdoc yesterday told the Cape Times they were seeking legal advice and could not comment. “We were advised not to speak to anyone on these matters until we had consulted our lawyers,” said Matdoc’s Oriol Christians. The City said it was first alerted to the incident by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) earlier this month. “The City immediately…

Chevon Booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za IT REMAINS unclear what has happened to several Swartland Municipality traffic officers who face a disciplinary process for allegedly assaulting a civilian after the man apparently picked a fight with them at a roadblock. The incident was recorded on a cellphone and went viral…

Lisa Isaacs lisa.isaacs@inl.co.za JUDGMENT has been reserved in the application for leave to appeal after hundreds of Oak Valley farmworkers were interdicted from protesting against what they said were “old apartheid” wage policies and practices. The Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (Seri) yesterday appeared before the Constitutional Court on behalf of the Commercial, Stevedoring, Agricultural & Allied Workers Union (CSAAWU) and 173 employees, to challenge what they described as an “overbroad” interdict that prohibited CSAAWU, striking workers, and unknown persons from protesting at Oak Valley Estates in Grabouw. CSAAWU began a protected strike in May 2019 to demand an increase in salary from R15 to R18 an hour, an end…

A deeply embedded apartheid mentality could again be pulling the strings of government The issue of journalists and social media commentators arrested for their tweets is an outright attack on freedom of speech and that of the rights media have to report/opine/comment on issues of the day – in whichever country this occurs. Whether it is Turkey, which has the highest recorded number of jailed media commentators in the world, or South Africa, where we are once again beginning to experience a suppression of voices. It was a feature of the hated and brutal apartheid regime that it regarded the black masses of South Africa as “slow thinkers”, lacking the ability to think for themselves and come to their own decisions; that they were easily swayed and misled by “instigators…

The Lebanese flour millers’ association yesterday said fuel shortages were threatening bread production and mills would gradually stop working after supplies ran out. Lebanon’s financial meltdown has translated into crippling fuel shortages that have paralysed many aspects of daily life. The state power generator has barely supplied any electricity, leaving Lebanese households and businesses increasingly reliant on private generators powered by fuel oil, which in turn is in short supply. “The association is calling out to all concerned officials to work quickly before it is too late, fuel oil supply for all the mills has run out and they may stop working gradually starting today,” a statement from the association said. Despite efforts, alongside the economy and trade ministry, to communicate concerns to several officials, “no positive results have been…

WINDHOEK: President Hage Geingob has conferred a hero’s funeral on late Swapo deputy secretary-general Marco Hausiku. Hausiku died on Friday at the age of 67 due to post-Covid-19 complications. A media statement issued by the Presidency noted that the widow and the family accepted the honour after the head of state’s first visit to the late Hausiku’s house in Windhoek. “The passing of Cde Marco Hausiku is devastating. The fact that he died on Heroes Day is not a coincidence,” Geingob said. Hausiku served as a leading freedom fighter for the independence of Namibia, was the deputy secretary-general of Swapo and minister of foreign affairs from 2004 to 2010. He was also the deputy prime minister from 2010 to 2014 and Swapo Party School Rector since 2016. He leaves behind…

MEXICO CITY: An explosion ripped through a sugar mill in Veracruz in eastern Mexico, killing one person and injuring another, the state’s civil protection authority said yesterday. “At 4.40pm on Monday, an explosion was recorded at La Gloria sugar refinery in Ursulo Galvan municipality,” it tweeted. The state’s public security secretary said that the blast apparently took place in the factory’s alcohol distillery. Security forces have cordoned off the factory. Officials from the state and municipal civil protection units, the fire department and the state chief prosecutor’s office arrived at the scene.…

ATHENS: Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has replaced his public order and tourism ministers and created a new civil protection post following sharp criticism of the government’s response to a spate of summer wildfires. More than a quarter of a million hectares of pine forests were destroyed last month by blazes that burned for several days. Mitsotakis replaced Public Order Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis with Takis Theodorikakos, a political analyst and former interior minister. He switched Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias, who oversaw Greece’s successful containment of the first wave of Covid19 infections, to the tourism post.…

Stuart Hess stuart.hess@inl.co.za DALE Steyn can now provide his full attention to fishing, surfing, walking the dogs and the odd bit of cooking. Cricket is no longer a priority. His retirement from the sport, made via social media and using lyrics from his favourite band, Counting Crows, brings the curtain down on a career of one of the game’s greatest fast bowlers. The numbers tell one story – his Test strike-rate of 42.3 is the best for anyone who has taken over 300 wickets – but there are several others about Steyn, who never took his talents for granted and was respected, admired and loved by teammates and rivals. He had retired from the Test format in August 2019, but still held out hope of playing for the Proteas at…

Stuart Hess stuart.hess@inl.co.za SOUTH Africa may have the spin weaponry to take advantage of conditions in Sri Lanka, but that doesn’t mean the fast bowlers can park off and put their feet up. The Proteas may talk about being creative, but leaving the bowling all up to the spinners would be a little too funky. In Tabraiz Shamsi, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj and Bjorn Fortuin, captain Temba Bavuma does have the necessary spin arsenal at his disposal. And despite missing Lungi Ngidi, he is not short on fast-bowling options either. Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje have been in excellent form across formats this year, and there is solid back-up for them from Lutho Sipamla, Lizaad Williams and Beuran Hendricks. What they all need to do is acclimatise to conditions ...…

From page 1 “I want to apologise. I will do my best to ensure this never happens again. “I am actually angry that we have not been able to meet the deadline that was given to us so long ago,” he said. I am not proud of it. I don’t know where it went wrong but I am sorry that it happened.” His remarks came hot on the heels of bruising criticism that Scopa launched at the power utility amid a strong view not to continue with the meeting “compromising us”. Hlengwa said they had been chasing the documents for the entire weekend only to arrive at 12.55pm on Monday. “It seems here we need to toe the line of the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) and Eskom. That is…

Ntombi Nkosi ntombi.nkosi@inl.co.za The ANC has been left shocked and saddened by the death of former Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans’ Association (MKMVA) leader Kebby Maphatsoe yesterday. The ANC chief whip in Parliament Pemmy Majodina paid tribute to Maphatsoe, saying the caucus had been robbed of a dedicated fighter. This came as tributes from other formations poured in after the death of the former deputy minister of Defence and Military Veterans. The ANC said it received the news of the passing of its Member of Parliament with shock and sadness. “Death has robbed the liberation movement of one of its most courageous and fearless cadres. The ANC will miss the constructive role he was playing in the efforts of the ANC to forge unity among former MK (Umkhonto we Sizwe)…

Tshiamo Moleele CLIMATE change is having a devastating impact on the African continent. A recent report coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) found that it is contributing to a surge in food insecurity, and threatening the health and safety of populations and socio-economic development. It has never been more critical to explore climate change - but from an African perspective. This concept was at the heart of the 34th ACCESS Habitable Planet Workshop designed to introduce university students to the emerging discipline of Earth System Sciences. While facilitators did not provide a definitive answer for an African perspective on climate change, they empowered participants with the knowledge required to start discussions around the isssue. As future African science leaders, participants were made aware that climate change involves…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za A SOSHANGUVE man’s Sunday morning outing with a friend to fetch his shoe, which was being repaired, ended with him being shot after he was mistaken by the police for a hijacker. Octavious Rabothaba needed the shoe because he was going for a job interview the next day. He subsequently instituted a damages claim against the police for the injuries he suffered. He told the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, that he was walking home on April 22, 2018, in Soshanguve Block W when all hell broke loose. He heard shots being fired and ran to take cover. The SAPS, in mistaking him for one of the men who had hijacked a car in Winterveldt that morning, claimed that he tried to evade arrest. According to the…

Odwa Mkentane odwa.mkentane@inl.co.za A WOMAN who was shot, allegedly for life policy money she knew nothing about will finally be buried along with her mother tomorrow - almost two months after their murders. The burial plans have been marred by controversy over the life policy that Linda Nobakathana’s family said she knew nothing about. Her family alleged her former colleague unlawfully took out the policy for Nobakathana, and she was killed for its payout. Her mother, Thabile, who was also shot and killed, was not supposed to be present at the time of the shooting, the family said. The incident happened on July 13 at 44 Block, Gximfisa Street…

REPORTS that President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Khusela Diko, has been reinstated by the Presidency on a “warning” for her alleged role in the fraudulent awarding of personal protective equipment (PPE) contracts leave much to be desired. Diko has been on special leave since last year after Independent Media exposed a scandal involving the awarding of R2 billion worth of contracts by the Gauteng Department of Health under former MEC Dr Bandile Masuku. Some of the service providers delivered sub-standard PPE, thus risking the lives of health-care workers. Masuku and at least one senior official were fired for their roles in the scandal. Following a public outcry after it emerged that Diko was a close friend of Masuku and his wife, Loyiso, the Presidency placed her on special leave with…

Louisiana and Mississippi took stock yesterday of the disaster inflicted by Hurricane Ida as receding floodwaters began to reveal the full extent of the damage along the US Gulf Coast – and the death toll rose to four. New Orleans was still mostly without power nearly two days after Ida slammed into the Louisiana coast as a Category 4 storm, exactly 16 years after devastating Hurricane Katrina – which killed more than 1 800 people – made landfall. “Full damage assessment could take several days, as many areas are currently inaccessible,” power provider Entergy said yesterday. Four deaths have been confirmed as crews began fanning out in boats and off-road vehicles to search for communities cut off by the giant storm. A man was also missing after apparently being killed…

Kenya has hailed its efforts to crack down on poaching as it released the results of the country’s first national wildlife census, calling the survey a vital weapon in its conservation battle. According to the census released late Monday, the country has a total of 36 280 elephants, a 12% jump from the figures recorded in 2014, when poaching activity was at its highest. “Efforts to increase penalties on crimes related to threatened species appear to be bearing fruits,” the report, which counted 30 species of animals and covered nearly 59% of Kenya’s land mass, said. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) warned in March that poaching and habitat destruction, particularly due to land conversion for agriculture, was devastating elephant numbers across Africa. The population of African savanna…

SYDNEY: New research on rising sea levels and global warming published in the Nature Climate Change predicted that extreme sea levels may become 100 times more frequent by the end of the century. For Australia, a country where most people live near the coast, the effects could be devastating. University of Melbourne’s Dr Ebru Kirezci, co-author of the study and an ocean engineering researcher, said countries in the southern hemisphere would bear the brunt. “Most of the eastern, southern and southwestern coastlines of Australia will be impacted with almost an annual frequency of these extreme sea levels by 2100,” he said.…

RIYADH: Saudi state TV reported yesterday that a bomb-laden drone hit an airport in south-western Saudi Arabia. Eight people were wounded. A civilian plane is said to have been damaged as well. This is the second such strike on Abha Airport over the past 24 hours. The earlier attack caused no casualties. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the incident. Over the past several months, Saudi territory has been the target of multiple attacks by Houthi rebels from neighbouring Yemen, where an internal conflict between government forces and rebels continues to rage on.…

Herman Gibbs herman.gibbs@africannewsagency.com AFTER Monday’s press conference, Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos declared media interviews off-limits until the team arrive in Zimbabwe for Friday afternoon’s 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifier at the National Sports Stadium in Harare. It will be Broos’ first game in charge of the national team, who last played in a Fifa World Cup in 2010 when South Africa hosted the global showpiece. Since then, Bafana Bafana have failed to qualify for the 2014 and 2018 tournaments. The trip to Zimbabwe marks the start of Bafana Bafana’s Qatar 2022 campaign. The next stop will be a home clash on Monday against African giants Ghana, before back-to-back encounters against Ethiopia in October. Broos has made it clear that he has not been mandated to qualify for Qatar, but…

NOW that the British & Irish Lions tour and Tokyo Olympics are over, and Cricket South Africa continues to grapple with its racist past, the focus is squarely on the beautiful game again. The local Premiership and English Premier League may be on a short break due to the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, but it has come just at the right time for everyone to catch their breath after one of the craziest silly seasons yet. It is the movement of 11-time Ballon d’Or winners Lionel Messi (6) and Cristiano Ronaldo (5) that has simply blown everyone away. Messi’s departure from Barcelona after 21 years is undoubtedly the culmination of an era at the Nou Camp. Xavi and Andres Iniesta, along with Ronaldinho, may be imprinted in Barca’s folklore, but…