Sommaire pour 2023-01-18 de Cape Times

ANOTHER questionable senior appointment at the Kannaland Municipality has raised concerns. This time opposition parties are up in arms following the recent appointment of Petrus Roodtman who has served time in prison for rape. Roodtman was arrested for the rape of a 25-year-old woman and has been previously found guilty of submitting fraudulent travel claims during his tenure at the Eden District Municipality, according to reports. He was released a few years ago and has emerged as among new senior officials recently appointed at the municipality. Roodtman is believed to have been appointed as the Town Coordinator for Calitzdorp. DA Constituency Head in Kannaland Eleanor Bouw-Spies expressed their concerns and disapproval of the appointment. “We do not condone any form of violence and believe that our public officials should be…

ESKOM and Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan have until Friday to disclose government plans to end load shedding, and not to increase the price of electricity. This follows a letter of demand by civil society organisations, unions and opposition parties, who are bracing for a possible legal showdown against Eskom. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana told international media in Davos, Switzerland, that the government had a plan to end load shedding within the next 12 to18 months. “Eventually, in the next 12-18 months, we will be able to say load shedding is a thing of the past. That is the target,” Godongwana told Reuters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF). But the organisations are adamant that the government should disclose urgent interventions to end the power cuts.…

A LEADING law firm has to pay R5.5 million to a client after she lost the amount when she thought she was transferring the money to the firm for a house she had purchased but had, in fact, fallen prey to cybercriminals. Judith Harwarden was under the impression that the email she had received was from Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs Inc (ENS Attorneys) and that the bank account belonged to the firm. Only later did she discover that it was a fraudulent message from cybercriminals who purported to be from the firm. She turned to the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, in a bid to get her money back. The R5.5m she had transferred was the outstanding amount after she had purchased a house for R6m. Before that, she had paid R500…

Newly appointed foreign minister continues long-standing tradition The newly appointed Foreign Minister of China, Qin Gang, spent a week in Africa that marked a continuation of the long-standing tradition of every foreign minister starting the year with a visit to Africa, since 1991. Qin, who until recently was an ambassador to the US, made his first official overseas trip in his new role by visiting Ethiopia, Gabon, Angola, Benin, and Egypt last week. While in Egypt, Qin met the secretary-general of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, in an effort to cement the thawing relations between China and Arab nations. When in Ethiopia, Qin held bilateral talks with Moussa Faki Mahamat, the chairperson of the African Union Commission, as part of strengthening relations with our continent and promoting multilateralism. When announcing…

London: A British Metropolitan Police officer who admitted being a serial rapist was fired yesterday, as the government called on forces across the country to root out the criminal and corrupt in their ranks. David Carrick’s guilty plea to 24 counts of rape against 12 women and a string of other sex offences over two decades has caused widespread shock, undermining public faith in the police. London Commissioner Mark Rowley, brought in four months ago to lead the clean-up, said investigations were underway into about 800 officers over 1 000 sexual and domestic abuse claims. Many jobs will be lost as part of the process, he said. |…

Berlin: Chancellor Olaf Scholz picked Boris Pistorius to be Germany’s new defence minister yesterday, saying he is the “right person” to steer the armed forces through an era of momentous change. The appointment follows the resignation of Christine Lambrecht at a crucial time for the ministry, with Germany under intense pressure to send battle tanks to Ukraine. Pistorius, 62, is a member of Scholz’s Social Democrats and interior minister of Lower Saxony state. Scholz insisted Pistorius was the right man for the job at a time when Germany is looking to overhaul and revive its armed forces in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. |…

Israeli soldiers shot and “neutralised” a Palestinian who opened fire on them in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli army said yesterday. It would not say whether the attacker was killed. The Palestinian Health Ministry said the man died of his wounds and that his body was being held by the Israeli military. Palestinian officials told Reuters the man was a Palestinian security officer in the West Bank. “The assailant fired at the soldiers, who responded with live fire and neutralised him,” the Israeli military said, adding that no soldiers were wounded. Before the incident yesterday, 13 Palestinians had been killed in raids since the start of this year, including four teenagers, according to Palestinian officials. On Monday, Israeli troops killed a 14-year-old Palestinian boy during a raid on the…

Kaizer Chiefs need to find a solution on Saturday for the threat posed by Mamelodi Sundowns duo Neo Maema and Sipho Mbule, who made a big impression as substitutes in the team’s 1-0 win in the Tshwane derby at Loftus on Monday. Attacking midfielder Maema was the team’s hero after he scored the only goal of the match. He unleashed a rasping drive from just inside the penalty area after SuperSport United failed the clear their lines adequately. The parting shot gave the defence no chance as the ball flew into the roof of the net. Maema’s play has come on in leaps and bounds since he joined Sundowns from Bloemfontein Celtic. He took some time to settle down, but in recent weeks has established himself as one of the…

THE FORMER mayor of Mkhondo Local Municipality, Vusi Motha, has been arrested in connection with possession of an unlicensed firearm, which police hope to link to the murder of Councillor Sibonelo Ntshangase and his two comrades, Sandile Khumalo and Sizwe Mbingo. Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said Motha was arrested along with Willington Sangweni late on Monday, following the establishment of a national task team to deal with the murders that took place at Longhomes Township in Piet Retief at the weekend. Motha faces charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition while Sangweni faces charges of fraud, contravention of the Firearms Control Act, and the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority Act. “The team worked tirelessly until they made a breakthrough after receiving information on the whereabouts of…

Members of anti-immigrant group Operation Dudula protested at the Metro North district offices yesterday where long lines of parents queued to try and register their children for the 2023 school year. The group handed over a list of demands to district staff who engaged with the small contingent yesterday morning, ahead of schools reopening today. Operation Dudula representative, Lulamile Bavuma, said that thousands of pupils still needed placement. “(Parents) are coming from various areas to be placed on a waiting list or to be placed because up to now the department has not come back to them with their applications. We are here to… do all we can to assist them in getting into the education system. It is their democratic right and it must be prioritised,” said Bavuma. Among…

AFTER agreeing to scrap the R300 “registration fee” for hostel admission, struggling parents of pupils at no-fee Bastiaanse Secondary School, in Leeu Gamka, said the school governing body had done an about-turn and were demanding the fee be paid for pupils to be placed. The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) confirmed that schools may not charge fees such as a registration fee, a deposit, re-admission or pre-admission testing fees, or any other fees at the time of application. Yesterday, Central Karoo community activist Ernest Beyers said he was “livid” with the school, as parents were already struggling. “I intend on handing in a complaint against the school for going against a decision of the WCED. The school and its governing body is intimidating our parents to still pay compulsory fees…

RENOWNED African musician, songwriter and storyteller Latozi “Madosini” Mphahleni died late last year. The cultural and indigenous music activist, who laughed as often as she played, was loved by everyone she met. She has left behind a rich legacy of Xhosa music, heritage and history. She also taught and nurtured a new generation of bow players, reinvigorating an art that was dying. The iconic South African Xhosa bow performer was born on December 25, 1943, in a village called Mqhekezweni near Mthatha in the Eastern Cape. Home to the Xhosa people, the region is rich in cultural heritage and history. Madosini (mother of the Dosini clan), as she was more commonly known, used indigenous music to promote her Xhosa heritage. She mastered instruments like the uhadi (gourd resonated bow), the…

Paris: Scientists say they have successfully used a laser beam to guide lightning for the first time, hoping the technique will help protect against deadly bolts. Lightning strikes between 40 to 120 times a second worldwide, killing more than 4 000 people. The main protection is the lightning rod, which was conceived by American polymath Benjamin Franklin in 1749. Scientists have been working to use the same idea but replace the metal pole with a sophisticated and precise laser. In a study published in Nature Photonics, they describe using a laser beam – shot from the top of a Swiss mountain – to guide a lightning bolt for more than 50m. |…

The number of billionaires should be reduced by half by 2030 through higher taxes and other policies to make the world more equal, Oxfam said as global elites meet in Davos. The aid group made its plea as the Swiss Alpine village hosts political leaders, CEOs and celebrities for the week-long World Economic Forum (WEF) that started on Monday. In a report, “Survival of the Richest”, Oxfam said billionaires had doubled their wealth over the past decade, with the wealthiest one percent gaining 74 times more than the bottom 50%. The very wealthy have grown richer amid the cost-of-living crisis sparked by Covid-19 and soaring food and energy prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the report said. Since 2020, billionaire wealth has surged by $2.7 billion (about R46bn) a day…

A dozen people with links to a French far-right group went on trial yesterday, accused of plotting to assassinate President Emmanuel Macron and commit a string of other attacks. Prosecutors say the 13 members of the group, Les Barjols, conspired to engineer a coup, which involved a plan for an attack on Macron during a public appearance in 2018. Citing evidence collected online, from telephone conversations and meetings, they say the suspects also planned to kill migrants, and attack mosques. None of the plots allegedly prepared by the 11 men and two women aged between 26 and 66 ever came to anything. This caused prosecutors to downgrade some of the initial charges over the course of their four-year investigation. The main remaining accusation is a charge of conspiring to…

THE LGBTQI+ community has been left outraged after the suspects accused of assaulting and humiliating a transgender woman were released on bail in the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court. A video of the incident has been shared widely on social media, showing three women stripping Thabiso “Sis Tee” Motaung naked and beating her in full view of spectators. The matter was reported to the police and the suspects were arrested after the incident, before appearing in the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court on Friday. Two were released on R1 500 bail while another suspect, who is a minor, was released into the care of her guardian. Police spokesperson Malcolm Pojie said: “We can confirm that three women aged 17, 22 and 23 appeared in the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court on Friday,…

THE 98.42% matric pass rate for the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) private schools comes as no surprise, according to academics and education experts. The IEB results released today show a pass rate slightly higher than last year’s 98.39%. All of the IEB National Senior Certificate (NSC) candidates who passed achieved good enough grades to proceed to tertiary education at one of the three levels. About 89.32% of the cohort achieved entry to degree study, compared to 89.2% in 2021. At least 7.52% qualified for entry to diploma study, compared to 7.82% in 2021, and 1.57% compared to 1.37% in 2021 achieved entry for study at a higher certificate level. The assessment body saw 12 580 full-time candidates and 945 part-time candidates at 232 exam centres write the IEB NSC exams…

1 onion 2 crushed garlic cloves Olive oil 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp turmeric 1½ tsp curry powder 1 tsp garam masala 300g red split lentils 700ml veg stock ½ can coconut milk 1 tbs tomato purée Peas Spinach (optional) In a large pan, sautée the onion and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add all the spices and tomato purée and fry off for a couple of minutes. Rinse the lentils and add them to the pan, followed by the coconut milk and stock (add about half stock first, then judge by eye and keep adding as you need). Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover with a lid and cook on low heat for about 30 minutes, checking every 10…

WHILE there was a decrease in the number of people who lost their lives on South African roads over the festive season, 1 451 recorded deaths remains a concern. Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula released the 2022/23 preliminary festive season statistics yesterday at the Grasmere toll Plaza in Gauteng where he announced a 13.9% reduction in deaths compared with the previous period. The statistics come following the tragic gas tanker explosion in Boksburg, which claimed 40 lives and left many others seriously injured. The only province to record an increase, Gauteng, had 290 deaths – a 5.5% increase. KwaZulu-Natal recorded a decrease from 275 to 240 deaths followed by Eastern Cape, down from 210 to 205 and Limpopo down from 226 to 17. The number of deaths in the Western Cape…

Lagos: Braving stressful waits, red tape and repeated visits, Nigerians are rushing to pick up their voting cards for next month’s presidential election. Three main candidates are vying to replace President Muhammadu Buhari. Nearly 10 million new voters have been registered for the February 25 ballot, of whom 84% are young people aged under 34 – a key block of ballots. For the first time since the end of military dictatorship in 1999, a third party candidate is challenging the dominance of the ruling All Progressives Congress and main opposition People’s Democratic Party. |…

MOSCOW: Japan will chair the G7 multilateral platform this year. The summit will be held in the city of Hiroshima from May 19-21. The group of seven largest economies includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US. A meeting of the G7 foreign ministers is scheduled to take place in Karuizawa – a resort in the Japanese prefecture of Nagano – from April 16-18. The G7 finance ministers and heads of central banks will meet in the city of Niigata from May 11-13. The G7 ministers for climate, energy and environment will meet in the city of Sapporo from April 15-16. |…

Nepali hospital staff began the grim task of handing over bodies to grieving families yesterday after a plane with 72 people on board crashed, the country’s worst aviation disaster in three decades. The Yeti Airlines flight with 68 passengers and four crew plummeted into a steep gorge, smashed into pieces and burst into flames as it approached the central city of Pokhara on Sunday. All those on board, who included six children as well as 15 foreigners, are believed to have died. Rescuers have been working almost around the clock extracting human remains from the 300m-deep gorge strewn with twisted plane seats and chunks of fuselage and wing. A senior official said the hope of finding anyone alive was “nil”. “We retrieved one body last night. But it was three…

ROME: Gina Lollobrigida, who has died at the age of 95, shot to fame in the 1950s as a sultry Mediterranean sex symbol, then became a photographer and sculptor after stepping away from the movie world. At the height of her fame in the 1950s and 1960s, Lollobrigida, who was known simply as “La Lollo”, was an internationally recognised epitome of Italian post-war cinema, rivalled only by Sophia Loren. Tempestuous and impulsive by nature, she made headlines again in 2006, when, at age 79, she announced that she would marry a man 34 years her junior. She later called off the wedding, blaming the media for spoiling it. In 2013, when she was 85, an auction of her jewellery by Sotheby’s in Geneva fetched $4.9 million. The proceeds went to…