Sommaire pour 2022-07-12 de Cape Times

CAPITAL & Regional’s Walthamstow residential development has been sold to Long Harbour for £21.65 million (R438.12m), so that construction of the development can commence. Capital & Regional, the UK convenience and community-focused shopping centre real estate investment trust (Reit) with a secondary listing on the JSE, yesterday said the sale of the residential development project at its 17&Central community shopping centre in Walthamstow, London, to specialist residential developer Long Harbour, had been concluded. The deal was in line with its strategy to create value from its portfolio through reconfiguring or repurposing underutilised space for other uses, which also help to drive footfall and operational performance. Capital & Regional plans to use most of the proceeds to reduce its loan facility within The Mall Limited Partnership. Its share price rose…

GOLD FIELDS said yesterday it plans to increase its dividend policy and will apply to list on the Toronto Stock Exchange in an effort to sweeten shareholders’ sentiments around its Yamana Gold acquisition. The JSE and New York-listed miner said it was planning to increase its dividend payout policy to between 30 and 45 percent of normalised profit, an increase compared to its standing policy of between 24 to 35 percent. Gold Fields’ share price on the JSE nevertheless fell by 0.82 percent to close at R157.25 yesterday following the announcement. Yamana Gold operates gold, silver, and copper mines in Canada, Chile, Brazil, and Argentina. In May, Gold Fields said it planned to acquire Yamana in a deal valued at about R10 billion and shareholders expressed…

STELLENBOSCH University (SU) has cited “complexities” as the reason its Central Disciplinary Committee (CDC) has yet to determine the outcome of suspended Theuns du Toit’s hearing. Du Toit was filmed urinating on the belongings of a fellow student, Babalo Ndwayana. SU spokesperson Martin Viljoen said the committee indicated that due to the complexity of the matter and the amount of evidence to be considered, they were not able to provide an outcome as of yet. “They will take time to consider the evidence. A date for when this process will be completed is not available yet. The CDC is an independent and objective, but closed committee of experts in line with the Disciplinary Code for Students of SU. Neither the composition nor the confidential internal proceedings are open to outside…

THE Western Cape Government has lost a hospital security tender dispute in the Western Cape High Court with costs. Three security personnel companies, including Sechaba Protection Services, took the health and finance departments, as well as the provincial government’s acting director for supply chain management to court, arguing that they were not awarded services despite being suited to service provincial facilities. In 2019 Sechaba Protection Services obtained an interim interdict in order for the company to continue its services at 17 hospitals, until its application for the allocation process to be reconsidered was heard. The company claimed it was successful in a 2017 transversal tender meant to cover several different provincial government departments. However, despite being successful, Sechaba was not allocated any hospitals. The Western Cape Treasury had argued in…

THE Citrus Growers’ Association of South Africa (CGA) says new “politically motivated” European Union regulations could see R654 million of South Africa’s citrus produce being destroyed. CGA Special Envoy for Market Access and EU Matters, Deon Joubert, said yesterday the EU Standing Committee on Plant, Animal, Food and Feed (SCOPAFF) published drastic new regulations in June, requiring the cold treatment for oranges heading to the region as a means to address False Coddling Moth (FCM) interceptions from Southern African orange exports. Despite objections from a number of countries, the new regulations were published in the Official Journal of the European Union on June 21 this year, stating that these "shall apply from July 14, 2022”. The regulations require that imports of citrus fruit must undergo specified mandatory cold treatment processes…

THE Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) is being urged to urgently intervene amid a spike in abalone and crayfish poaching in Western Cape coastal communities. Responding to a parliamentary question from the DA recently, Police Minster Bheki Cele revealed that almost half a million abalone and crayfish have been poached in the Overstrand region. He said 441 847 abalone, 15 089 crayfish tails and 8 301 whole crayfish have been confiscated during police operations in Gansbaai, Hangklip, Pringle Bay, Hawston, Kleinmond and Hermanus over the past five years. DA committee member for DEFF, Dave Bryant, said the statistics only scratched the surface of the real numbers of poached abalone and crayfish. “The DEFF is not doing enough to manage and monitor the poaching of these two species, and…

RESIDENTS of the Backstage informal settlement in Khayelitsha are living in fear, saying they had received threats that their houses would be torched if they did not move from the site on which they were living. This as a housing project earmarked for the land they were occupying had to be halted, allegedly due to their refusal to move. However, a resident who requested not to be named for safety reasons, alleged that their occupation had little to do with the halting of the project, and it was in fact due to a power struggle among those who wanted to take charge of the project. He said they refused to move to unserviced land. The resident further alleged that former ward councillor Andile Lili wanted to take over the housing…

CONVICTED fraudsters, Samson Olatunji Abdul and Adedayo Quadri, were handed hefty jail terms recently in the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court. Hawks spokesperson, Philani Nkwalase, said the pair were sentenced on Friday after defrauding conveyancing law firms of about R7.8 million in 2019. “They pleaded guilty to all charges in January 2021 and Abdul was sentenced to 12 years direct imprisonment while Quadri received seven years direct imprisonment for theft, fraud and money laundering. “Their co-accused Siphesihle Sithole, whose account was allegedly used in the commission of the crimes, is due to appear in court on July 18. The trio were arrested in 2019 for siphoning money from DM5 Complaining System, Yaron Waks Attorneys and Omphile Construction.” Shortly after his sentencing Abdul was charged for fraud and money laundering…

DRASTIC steps should be taken to crack down on the proliferation of illegal firearms in the country as they are contributing to gun-related crime. While the country was still mourning the mysterious deaths of 21 young people at Enyobeni Tavern in East London two weeks ago, more patrons were killed in two drinking spots, in Soweto and Pietermaritzburg, at the weekend. Unlike the Enyobeni tragedy, the innocent victims of the latest incidents had their lives snatched from them by brazen gunmen who have no respect for human life. In Orlando East, Soweto, 15 people lost their lives at Emazulwini tavern following a mass shooting on Sunday morning. At Samkelisiwe tavern in KwaNxamalala, Sweetwaters, in Pietermaritzburg, the gunmen shot and killed four patrons on Saturday night. In both shootings several people…

Russian weapons pounding Ukraine’s second largest city Kharkiv killed at least three people yesterday, authorities said, while rescuers pulled survivors from the rubble of an earlier strike on an apartment block that killed 19 people in another city. The artillery, multiple rocket launcher and tank attack on Kharkiv also injured 31 people, including two children, regional governor Oleh Synehubov said. The Ukrainian president’s office said residential areas had been hit. In the city of Chasiv Yar, further south, rescuers made voice contact with two people in the wreckage of a five-storey apartment building hit by a rocket on Saturday, and emergency services pulled a man from under the concrete debris, where up to two dozen people were trapped. The attack on Chasiv Yar was part of Russia’s push to capture…

SAN FRANCISCO: Elon Musk yesterday mocked Twitter Inc’s threat to sue him following his move to abandon the $44 billion (about R750bn) takeover deal, saying the social media firm would need to disclose more information on bots and spam accounts. The Tesla Inc chief made public his intention to ditch the offer on Friday because Twitter had breached multiple provisions of the merger agreement. Twitter is planning to sue Musk and force him to complete the acquisition. Legal experts say the social media company has a strong legal case against Musk, but could opt for a renegotiation or settlement instead of a long court fight. | Reuters…

Madrid: An American and two Spaniards were gored yesterday during a danger-filled fifth bull run of Spain’s famed running of the bulls through the cobblestoned streets of Pamplona. The bulls broke into separate groups, and one of them trailed behind the rest, making the course extra unpredictable for runners. Several daredevils slipped or tripped while the bulls charged down the narrow streets of the bull run route. One bull repeatedly tossed a runner in the air. A 29-year-old Spaniard was gored in the knee and two other men were gored inside the northern city’s bullring at the end of the run, the regional government of Navarra said. | AFP…

LONDON: British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has entered the race to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister This takes the number of candidates to 11. Truss, who has held ministerial jobs in a number of government departments, said she would slash taxes and maintain a tough line with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Johnson was forced out last week after his government imploded over a series of scandals. The contest is for the leadership of the ruling Conservative Party, with the winner becoming prime minister. The aim is to find a successor by September. | Reuters…

NEW “politically motivated” EU regulations could see R654 million of South African citrus destroyed, the Citrus Growers Association of South Africa (CGA) said yesterday. Deon Joubert, CGA special envoy for Market Access and EU Matters, said last month the EU’s standing committee on plant, animal food and feed published what he called drastic and arguably misinformed new regulations requiring the cold treatment for oranges heading to the EU, as a means to address false codling moth interceptions from Southern African orange exports. Joubert said if enforced this month, these new regulations could result in millions of cartons of citrus headed for the EU being destroyed. “Despite objections from a number of countries, including European markets that import South African oranges, these new regulations were published in the Official Journal…

ORION Minerals’s share price surged nearly 5 percent yesterday, after it announced excellent results from the recently completed in-fill drilling at its Prieska copper-zinc project in the Northern Cape. The shares traded at 23 cents intra-day on the JSE after the group said it had received highly encouraging initial assay results from an in-fill drilling programme designed to upgrade the existing shallow inferred resource, in the +105-level crown pillar area at its project. According to the group, 14 in-fill holes were completed for 917.87 metres of drilling, designed to upgrade the existing inferred supergene resource of 630 000 tons at 2.2 percent copper and 1.8 percent zinc to the higher-confidence indicated category, as part of ongoing feasibility studies on the early production strategy. “Final…

ANOTHER plan to end load shedding is in the pipeline, with Eskom saying the government was giving “serious consideration” to its inputs on how to tackle the power cuts which have had devastating impact on the country’s ailing economy. “We have also consulted with a number of stakeholders and energy experts both locally and internationally. Those inputs have also been communicated with the government to deal with a number of areas we believe could accelerate the relief of generation capacity,” said under-fire chief executive André de Ruyter. He also said that they were in close discussions with Daniel Mminele working in the presidency on the response to the COP26 funding. “At this stage I am not at liberty to disclose the amount or timing, this is still subject to negotiations…

SUSPENDED Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane participated in yesterday’s parliamentary process into her fitness to hold office in protest over major constitutional violations. This is according to her legal representative advocate Dali Mpofu SC, who said the Constitution has been serially violated because there was a lot of zeal and making sure the inquiry got to where it was by “hook or crook”. “We are here to participate in this process. Our participation is, however, under protest because of major constitutional violations, but we are here and we are going to participate nevertheless because we represent a law-abiding citizen and the public protector,” he said. Mpofu made his opening remarks at the start of the inquiry hearings that are until August 3. The hearings are held two years after DA chief…

The Cosatu-affiliated Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (Sactwu) has settled its wage dispute in the footwear sector. The dispute was settled after three rounds of wage negotiations and a dispute meeting, Sactwu general secretary Andre Kriel said yesterday. The new wage increase of 6.8% for Sactwu’s footwear sector members will be backdated to July 1, 2022. “The signature processes for the written wage agreement for this new footwear sector wage settlement were completed on July 5, 2022. This new collective agreement for the footwear sector is effective from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023,” Kriel said. The new collective agreement was successfully concluded under the dispute processes and procedures of the National Bargaining Council of the Leather Industry of South Africa, with employers represented by the Southern…

AMID high levels of crime and limited after-school activities at many public schools, 29 local women continue to open their homes and offer a safe space to school children. The five-year-old community-led initiative Afternoon Angels is supported by NGO Ikamva Labantu; it creates safe places for children to play, do homework and get a nutritious meal. Located within the children’s own communities, the home-based sanctuaries – run by selfless “mamas” – aim to lessen the risk of the children venturing into harm’s way. “In the community there’s a lot of rape, child abuse, drugs, alcohol and early pregnancy – this is the reason I look after the needs of the children,” said Thembisa Panziso, who runs an after-school club in Khayelitsha. “This programme helps to teach them that crime doesn’t…

A GAUTENG educator who was accused of racism has won a case brought against her at the Education Labour Relations Council. The arbitration ruled yesterday that Anneke Smith, who had since been fired from her job as an educator at a Pretoria school, was falsely accused of racism, suspended and unfairly dismissed in September 2021. The arbitration also ruled that Smith receive 10-month compensation and she may return to the school in her position as a teacher at Hoerskool Montana in Pretoria North on August 1. Speaking to Pretoria News yesterday, Solidarity, representing Smith, accused Gauteng MEC for Education Panyaza Lesufi of personally rejecting her application to appeal. Solidarity spokesperson Anlia Archer said: “During the hearing, it was also found that the charges against her, as well as the procedure…

Even the promulgation of the National Health Act regulations has hit a snag LIKE the rest of the world, South Africa continues to grapple with Covid-19 and how to adequately respond to the pandemic. Although the rates of hospitalisations and deaths during the fifth wave have been much lower than in previous waves, the government continues to encourage citizens to get vaccinated to mitigate the effects of future waves. For some time now, the question on the minds of many has been whether to vaccinate or not. Even though Covid-19 vaccination coverage is progressively expanding across the country, the number of vaccinated people remains way below the government’s target (70%) by this period. Of South Africa’s population of about 60 million people, only 31% (just below 19 million)…

Sri Lanka’s embattled president was flown to an airbase near the main international airport yesterday, officials said, raising speculation he will flee into exile abroad. Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the presidential palace in Colombo under naval protection on Saturday, shortly before tens of thousands of protesters overran the compound. Hours later, the parliamentary speaker announced Rajapaksa would resign tomorrow to allow a “peaceful transition of power”. The 73-year-old leader had taken refuge at a navy facility, a top defence official said, before being brought to the Katunayake airbase – which shares a perimeter fence with the country’s main Bandaranaike International airport. “He and his entourage were flown back to Colombo in two Bell 412 choppers,” he added. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s office said Rajapaksa had officially informed him of his…

The global population is projected to reach 8 billion on November 15, with India projected to surpass China as the most populous country in 2023, the UN said yesterday on World Population Day. “It is a reminder of our shared responsibility to care for our planet and to reflect on where we still fall short of our commitments to one another,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The growth rate is at its slowest since 1950, having fallen under 1% in 2020, according to the World Population Prospects 2022. The world’s population could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050 and peak at around 10.4 billion during the 2080s.Countries in sub-Saharan Africa are expected to contribute more than half of the increase up to 2050, said…

Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron was under pressure yesterday to explain his past support for taxi app Uber while he was economy minister, following media revelations that have been seized on by critics. According to investigations by media, Macron held several undeclared meetings with Uber executives while minister from 2014-2016. Le Monde newspaper also alleged that Uber struck a secret “deal” with Macron on regulation of the company’s services at a time when it was upending the traditional taxi market. Opposition MPs on the left and far right slammed the president, a former investment banker The “secret deal” entailed Macron promising to help Uber work around legislation introduced in 2014 which sought to regulate new app-based taxi hailing services. Le Monde described Macron as “almost a partner” for Uber over…

AHMEDABAD: Labourers masquerading as cricket players, clever camera angles and fake team names were all part of an elaborate hoax cricket league in western India shown on YouTube that was used to draw money from gamblers in Russia, police said yesterday. Fashioned along the lines of the Indian Premier League, a group of men in the western Indian state of Gujarat hired a field, set up cameras and asked local labourers to dress up in team uniforms and play cricket. This was then streamed on YouTube to unsuspecting betting operations in Russia, who bet on match outcomes, police said. Betting on cricket is illegal in India. | Reuters…

Former Springbok coach, Allister Coetzee, has taken an important step in redeeming his coaching career after guiding Namibia to their seventh consecutive Rugby World Cup. Namibia qualified for the World Cup by comprehensively beating Kenya 36-0 on Sunday in Aix-en-Provence, France, to win the Rugby Africa Cup. Coetzee and Namibia’s reward is a place in Pool A with hosts France, New Zealand, Italy and Uruguay at the tournament in September next year. Flank Wian Conradie scored a hat-trick of tries and captain Johan Deysel the other in the final of the African qualifying tournament, played at the Stade Maurice David in the south of France. Flyhalf Cliven Loubser added four penalties and a conversion, with substitute PW Steenkamp adding another conversion to deny Kenya a first ever qualification. |…

There are many awkward questions that the Proteas’ selectors will mull over the next week building up to the ODI series against England next week. A couple of warm-up matches against the England Lions team - effectively England ‘A’ - may help clear some of the clouds, but the big conundrum is, of course, what to do with golden boys when they have lost their Midas touch. In the case of the Proteas, Aiden Markram is, of course, the elephant in the room. His last ODI innings was a three-ball duck against Bangladesh at SuperSport Park back in March that thankfully closed off a miserable 2021/22 international season. But with captain Temba Bavuma ruled out of the England tour due to an injured elbow, the door has once again been…

THE RAND yesterday breached the psychological R17-mark to the US dollar for the first time in 22 months on fears of a global recession as the markets brace for another hawkish US Federal Reserve’s stance on interest rates. The domestic currency had weakened by more than 1 percent to R17.08 by 4pm yesterday after opening trade at the JSE at R16.92 to the greenback at 9am, also pressured by the dollar strength following Friday’s strong US jobs data. This was the weakest the rand has been since September 2020 after demand spiked following the easing of Covid-19 restrictions. Unemployment in the US remained unchanged at 3.6 percent in spite of the world’s largest economy adding another 372 000 jobs in June. This has left a confusing picture…

THE HUMAN, social and economic impact of the July 2021 unrest have been significant in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). Adding to the complexity has been the April 2022 floods in the province which exacerbated the challenges of repairing infrastructure and getting KZN fully operational. And then there has been the rise of the so-called “construction mafia” that has seen a criminal element holding construction sites to ransom and demanding builders use only their people to cover a portion of the local procurement requirement. It hardly comes as a surprise then that recovery has been slow, with individuals, local companies and multinationals opting not to rebuild their damaged properties in Durban. Furthermore, it has become more expensive over the past 12 months to put up new buildings in the province. This can be…

NATIONAL Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has stuck to her guns on why she rejected the DA’s request to set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate President Cyril Ramaphosa over possible constitutional breaches regarding the Phala Phala farmgate scandal in the Waterberg, Limpopo. Parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said that their media statement, released over the weekend, was enough. “The Speaker is firmly applying the rules of the National Assembly without fear, favour or prejudice, and guarding the constitutional powers, processes, and framework within which Parliament is obligated to discharge its functions,” Mothapo said yesterday. Mothapo was reacting to DA leader John Steenhuisen’s public outcry over the Speaker’s rejection of their request. Steenhuisen said Mapisa-Nqakula was ignoring recommendations by the Zondo Commission report on State Capture. “This act is quite frankly…

2 skinless & boneless chicken breasts ½ tsp each salt & pepper, to season 2 tbsp honey 1 tbsp yellow mustard 4 slices mozzarella cheese 12 slices smoked ham 1 sheet (400g) store-bought puff pastry, thawed 1 egg, beaten Preheat oven to 180°C & line O2 Bake Non-Stick Cookie Pan Large, with baking paper. Butterfly both chicken breasts. In a bowl, combine salt, pepper, honey & mustard & stir to mix. Brush chicken with honey mustard, then add two slices cheese onto each chicken breast & fold chicken, enclosing cheese. Tuck narrow ends of chicken breasts under thicker ends to form ball. Brush with more honey mustard before wrapping chicken with ham to secure. On a lightly floured surface roll out puff pastry & divide into two squares. Place wrapped…

A LARGE number of HIV negative women are unscreened and untreated for Human Papillomavirus (HPV), some strains of which cause cervical cancer. This is according to findings published in a South African Medical Research Journal article, “Phase I of the DiaVACCS screening trial: Study design, methods, population demographics and baseline results”. According to the World Health Organization, cervical cancer is entirely curable if diagnosed and treated early. However “while this type of cancer is one of the most preventable, poor access to prevention, screening and treatment contributes to 90% of deaths”. The study was conducted by the Vaccine and Cervical Cancer Screen (VACCS) consortium, a multidisciplinary group of South African researchers focusing on clinical research aimed at implementable strategies that can improve cervical cancer control. The researchers included academics from…

FIREFIGHTERS were forced to withdraw after being attacked while attending a fire which claimed the life of a 5-year-old in KTC, Gugulethu at the weekend. The firefighters came under attack from KTC residents after they arrived at the scene on Saturday evening. City Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said the fire engine’s windscreen was damaged and the crew had to withdraw and drive to the Nyanga police station to report the incident. “Fire Control received the call at 19:52 on Saturday. The first arriving appliance, from Ottery, was on scene at 20:09. “The crew ran out a fog jet to extinguish the fire when community members told them to leave,” said Carelse. KTC community activist Nosiseko Adams condemned the attack on the firefighters. “Look, I understand the frustration…

TRADE unions in Ashton have claimed victory for an operation extension at Langeberg and Ashton Foods (LAF), saying 7 500 jobs will be sustained for another year. Retrenchment proceedings loomed for those working at the largest canning factory in Africa, after Tiger Consumer Brands Ltd said it could not find a buyer. Trade Union Federation Cosatu provincial secretary, Malvern de Bruyn, said unions managed to negotiate with Tiger Brands to keep the canning plant open for 12 months. He said the time will be used to secure a buyer, and to transform the company. “This great victory of the unions has secured the nearly 7 500 jobs linked to the value chains in the area, to remain and not be lost through the closure. We want to thank the national…

AS THE rain continues to fall, the housing backlog in the Western Cape stands at nearly 600 000. Shamefully, the DA is more interested in servicing plots for more informal settlements in the province than building integrated human settlements. Annually, the number of houses built in the Western Cape and the City of Cape Town, in particular, as opposed to the euphemism of “housing opportunities”, has dropped significantly. Infrastructure is the new name for building houses in the Western Cape, and according to its MEC, Tertuis Simmers, there are only two projects in the pipeline in the Western Cape based on the Conradie Park model. The Conradie Park model, now touted as a DA success, was actually an ANC initiative when the ANC was governing the Western Cape. The Conradie…

Family and friends of Japan’s assassinated former prime minister Shinzo Abe paid their respects yesterday at a wake in Tokyo as Washington’s top diplomat hailed the ex-premier as a “man of vision”. Japan’s ruling coalition declared victory in a sombre election held on Sunday, just two days after Abe was gunned down on the campaign trail. Abe’s body was moved from his family home to the Zojoji temple yesterday where his wake was held ahead of today’s private funeral. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a previously unscheduled trip to Japan while travelling in Asia to offer Washington’s condolences. He handed Prime Minister Fumio Kishida letters from US President Joe Biden for Abe’s family. Abe “did more than anyone to elevate the relationship between the US and Japan”, Blinken…

Thales, Qualcomm and Ericsson unveiled yesterday a plan to allow smartphones to communicate directly with satellites, a “space-based network” they hope will bring connectivity to the entire globe. The three firms envisage launching hundreds of satellites with 5G capabilities to bring coverage to “extreme geographies or remote areas across seas”. The plan would potentially cut out the base stations and antennas that current mobile networks need to send and receive data. But the idea is still in its early stages. The firms said they had carried out “multiple studies and simulations” and would now explore possible uses of the technology. “The result could effectively mean that a future 5G smartphone could use 5G connectivity anywhere on Earth,” they said. They also suggested space-based networks could be used as back-up…

TEL AVIV: Israeli Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman said yesterday he hoped a regional visit by US President Joe Biden this week will lead to a common Middle East market that includes Saudi Arabia. Biden arrives in Israel tomorrow and continues to Saudi Arabia on Friday. The White House has said the visit’s aims include “expanding regional economic and security co-operation”. Israel normalised relations with four Arab countries under a 2020 US diplomatic drive that received Riyadh’s blessing. But Saudi Arabia has stopped short of recognising Israel in the absence of a resolution to Palestinian statehood goals. | Reuters…

SHANGHAI: China’s police say they have arrested suspects and frozen funds in connection with the disappearance of deposits from a number of banks in Henan province. A number of banks in Henan froze millions of deposits in April, leaving firms unable to pay workers and individuals locked out of savings, prompting protests over the weekend. Henan police said the suspects were able to control a number of banks via a group company. They used third-party financial product platforms and a firm they had set up to gather deposits and sell other financial products. They then made fictitious loans as a way to illegally transfer the funds, police said. | Reuters…

There has been a lot said about the Springboks’ historic loss to Wales at the weekend. If you’ve heard a bit of what the South African coaches have been saying following the Bloemfontein disappointment, you would have no doubt got the message: It was experimental and they have learned a lot about the players who did duty in the new-look side. Nothing wrong there (with ringing the changes, that is). It’s the year before a World Cup and if a player is in the Bok brains trust’s plans for the showpiece in France, they have to get game time somewhere before then. It’s unlikely that such chances will be taken against New Zealand when they touch down in South Africa for two Rugby Championship meetings in August. One thing that…

Ineos Grenadiers leader Geraint Thomas hailed his rival Tadej Pogacar as a 'level above' the rest yesterday, but swore to fight until the bitter end for at least a spot on the Tour de France podium. The 2018 champion Thomas trails Pogacar by 1 minute, 15 seconds in the overall standings after nine days that, on paper at least, favoured the Welshman. But on his 12th Tour de France, the 36-year-old spoke yestersay of all that can happen on the long road to Paris, where the winner's podium remains an ambition rather than a pipe dream. "I want to leave here with no regrets, I want to try everything for me or someone from the team to win," Thomas said at his team hotel on the Tour de France rest…