Sommaire pour 2023-08-11 de Cape Times

CAPITAL & Regional, the UK convenience and community focused shopping centre real estate investment trust (Reit) that yesterday reported strong interim results, plans a £25 million (R603.5m) open offer to help fund an acquisition. The open offer, similar in many respects to a rights issue, will part-fund the planned acquisition of The Gyle Shopping Centre in Edinburgh, Scotland, for £40m. Growthpoint Properties, which is also listed on the JSE and which holds a 62.7% stake in Capital & Regional, has fully underwritten the offer using debt facilities. Capital & Regional CEO Lawrence Hutchings said their focus on value-orientated, non-discretionary and needs-based retail and services had driven a period of robust operational performance, against an uncertain and inflationary economic backdrop. “Our footfall recovery, rent collection, occupancy and leasing metrics continue…

THE Public Service Commission (PSC) is aiming to complete a two-phased investigation into senior management service personnel without qualifications by the end of December. This was revealed by PSC chairperson Professor Somadoda Fikeni in his response in writing to a request from DA MP Mimmy Gondwe. In April, Public Service and Administration Minister Noxolo Kiviet revealed in a response to parliamentary questions that in terms of Persal records there were 1874 senior managers who had no qualifications for the positions they occupied as at March. Kiviet said according to the 2016 directive on minimum requirements for appointment of SMS members, directors and chief directors should have an undergraduate qualification on NQF Level 7. Deputy director-generals and heads of departments should have an undergraduate qualification and a postgraduate qualification on NQF…

THE British High Commission in South Africa says it is supporting the family of the doctor who was shot dead after taking a wrong turn from Cape Town International Airport into Nyanga township, during violent taxi strike protests this week. His vehicle was allegedly approached by a number of suspects, who shot him in Ntlangano Crescent. The 40-year-old Briton has been identified as Kar Teoh, a consultant trauma and orthopaedic surgeon at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow. Teoh was travelling with his wife and two-year-old son at the time of the incident. A British High Commission spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in South Africa and are in contact with the local authorities.” Police spokesperson Malcolm Pojie said the incident was under…

Hiding in the open - Living sensitively Niki Saks I have chosen to communicate my story in my own casual style as if having a conversation with a friend. So here we are, my friend. This is my story of how I struggled with mental health. Why Hiding In The Open, you may ask? For as long as I can remember, I have felt as if I was hiding in the open. I always believed that to be relevant, I needed to be anything besides who I actually was. A successful businessperson. A perfect mother. A flawless model. A something else. I thought I’d have to have all my sh!t together to be okay. I was hiding everything by being brave on the outside in…

Failure to pay constitutes non-compliance, resulting in disqualification THE Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) is a constitutional body mandated to administer elections and declare results as part of our constitutional democracy. And yet, to some who are opposed to the proposed R100 000 deposit fee increase gazetted on August 3, it is doing something many might regard as less than democratic: demanding political parties pay R300 000 deposit to contest the national elections and all regional polls, and independent candidates to pay R20 000 to contest the national election and R15 000 for a provincial legislature. Contesting a provincial election will cost a political party R45 000 a province. The public has until August 27 to comment on the regulations as the IEC…

Tunisia and Libya yesterday announced they had agreed to share responsibility for providing shelter for hundreds of migrants stranded at their border, many of them for over a month. The migrants, primarily from sub-Saharan African countries, had been driven to the desert area of Ras Jedir by Tunisian authorities and left there to fend for themselves, according to witnesses, rights groups and UN agencies. Aid groups said three groups of about 300 migrants in total remain stranded there. A spokesperson for Tunisia’s interior ministry, Faker Bouzghaya, said during a joint meeting with Libyan authorities in Tunis that “we have agreed to share the groups of migrants who are at the border”. “Tunisia will take charge of a group of 76 men, 42 women and eight children,” Bouzghaya said. He said…

The assassination of Ecuadorean presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio shocked the South American country, where rising drug-related violence is a major concern for voters, leading some of his rivals to suspend campaigning. Villavicencio, a vocal critic of corruption and organised crime, was killed yesterday during an evening campaign event in northern Quito. A suspect later died of injuries sustained in a shoot-out and six others have so far been arrested, the attorney-general’s office said. Nine people, including a candidate for the legislature and two police officers, were injured, it added. President Guillermo Lasso said after midnight the killing was clearly an attempt to sabotage the election, but that voting would go ahead as planned on August 20, albeit amid a national state of emergency with the military mobilized to guarantee security.…

LONDON: British discount retailer Wilko said it had fallen into administration yesterday, a form of creditor protection that puts its 12 000 jobs in danger. The family owned retailer, facing a cash squeeze after a downturn in trading, had failed to secure emergency investment. “We left no stone unturned when it came to preserving this incredible business but must concede that with regret, we’ve no choice but to take the difficult decision to enter into administration,” Wilko chief executive Mark Jackson said. Administrator PwC did not have an immediate comment. Wilko sells everything from hardware goods to cleaning products. | Reuters…

Bangkok: Thailand’s Pheu Thai party inched closer to forming a government and clearing the kingdom’s political logjam yesterday, announcing another party had joined its coalition, nearly three months after elections. The kingdom has been politically deadlocked after the reformist Move Forward Party (MFP), which won the most seats in the May polls, was unable to get its leader approved as prime minister by parliament. Pheu Thai, the party associated with exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra and which finished second, has taken the lead in trying to form a coalition, with MFP dropping out. Several parties opted out of any government that included MFP. | AFP…

As a teenager, Fuka Nagano was inspired by Japan’s Fifa Women’s World Cup triumph in 2011, and the Liverpool midfielder said she and her teammates fully believed that this year’s Nadeshiko will be able to match that feat. After the early exits of the US, Germany and Norway, Japan are the last former winners remaining in the tournament going into their quarter-final against Sweden at Eden Park today (kick-off 9.30am). The 2011 triumph captured the hearts of a nation still coming to terms with the tragedy of the Fukushima earthquake and tsunami that killed more than 18 000 people along the north-east coast. “I was 13-years-old or so,” Nagano recalled yesterday. “Back then, I saw how the Nadeshiko played, and that really empowered me ... that’s what I remember about…

A Strand mother and a number of good Samaritans are racing against the clock to make a young woman’s dream to study internationally come true, but their efforts have hit a wall with a “lost” postal package. Kristen Mayer’s mother Henra said they were anxiously trying to locate an important parcel with original documentation for Kristen’s European passport application, with just days to spare. Kristen, 17, has been accepted at The HAN University of Applied Sciences in Nijmegen, Netherlands, and is expected to jet off on August 20 if all papers and documentation to be submitted are in order. However, concerted efforts to locate the parcel with original documentation – sent from Kristen’s father in Italy to South Africa – have proven fruitless, the family said. She will be studying…

THE South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) and the local government including the City and province have agreed to use the next 14 days to work towards the release of the vehicles that were "wrongly impounded". This is according to Santaco provincial chairperson Mandla Hermanus who confirmed late last night that minibus taxis will be fully operational from today. This follows days of violence, with five deaths reportedly linked to the strike and more than 100 criminal cases investigated by police. Hermanus said their decision was after painstaking deliberations and immense pressure on all parties involved. “I am pleased to announce that as part of the resolution reached between the Taxi Industry and the Government, there is an agreement that the next 14 days will be utilised to work towards…

DELFT residents are reeling in shock after three men were killed and two others injured when gunmen opened fire at a residence in Eendrag Crescent. Police said detectives are investigating the deaths of the three men, aged between 28 and 36, and the attempted murder of two others on Wednesday. Police spokesperson Andrè Traut said at about 8:25pm, three unknown gunmen opened fire at the victims at a residence in Voorburg before fleeing the scene empty-handed. “While the suspects are being sought, detectives are looking at all possibilities to determine a motive for the attack,” he said. Delft crime activist, Farida Ryklief, said residents were afraid due to regular incidents of violence. “The state of the community is very tense, people are scared because this is a regular occurrence. We…

POPULAR entertainment establishment, Ayepyep Lifestyle Cape Town has blown the lid on the alleged extortion that has led to the closure of the business, citing safety concerns. In a statement, addressed to the police, to President Cyril Ramaphosa as well as to political leaders, the owners of the establishment detailed failed attempts to seek intervention from authorities following alleged threats by a suspected underworld boss and gang leader. “Ayepyep Lifestyle Cape Town is under the threat (from) an alleged gang leader, who is currently exerting force in an illegal manner in order to not only gain a stake in the business but to take over the control of the business. We are currently operating under siege (from) someone that has proved time and time again that he is above…

Impossible Skies Life with my brother, the artist Walter Meyer Frans Meyer Loot (R275) Melinda Ferguson Books For as long as I can remember I have been a fan of Walter Meyer. His sensitively portrayed and highly evocative landscapes, quintessentially South African are almost immediately identifiable as his. Meyer was a complex man who lived for his art and creating scenes inspired by his never-ending love of open spaces and the stillness and peace of nature, the place where his soul could rest, often at odds with the raging demons within. Frans, Walter’s beloved brother, offers an honest and often emotional account – here were two brothers who lived up to the phrase of brotherly love in the most intense way, and if anyone knew Walter, it was Frans. They…

It’s that time again – the Springboks are getting set for a Rugby World Cup. Four years ago seems like just yesterday, when South Africa travelled to Japan for what became arguably their most memorable World Cup triumph. Siya Kolisi and his team went down in the opening match against the All Blacks in Yokohama, but went on to become the first team to claim the Webb Ellis Cup despite losing a pool game. It has been a topsy-turvy time since then, with Covid-19 disrupting the international rugby programme that saw the Boks missing out on the entire 2020 Test season. They then had to go into one of their biggest series, against the British and Irish Lions in 2021, having not played since the 2019 World Cup. But Kolisi’s…

The Russian central bank said it would no longer purchase foreign currency on the domestic market from yesterday, as it sought to prop up the ruble, which is at its lowest level against the dollar since March 2022. “The Bank of Russia has decided that, from August 10 through December 31, it will not buy foreign currency in the domestic market,” the central bank said in a statement. “This decision is aimed at reducing volatility in the financial markets,” it said. With the announcement, the bank is setting aside its budget rule, under which Russia buys or sells foreign currency stored in its National Wealth Fund to compensate for fluctuations in revenues from oil and gas exports. The move comes after the ruble fell sharply in recent weeks, prompting fears…

KAMPALA: Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni yesterday denounced the World Bank’s decision to suspend new funding in response to a harsh anti-LGBTQ law and vowed to find alternative sources of credit. The country would have to revise its budget to absorb the move’s potential impact, a junior finance minister said. The World Bank said on Tuesday that the law, which imposes the death penalty for certain same-sex acts, contradicted its values and that it would pause new funding until it could test measures to prevent discrimination in projects it finances. The anti-LGBTQ law, enacted in May, has drawn widespread criticism. | Reuters…

GURUGRAM: More than 3 000 poor Muslims have fled a business hub outside New Delhi this month, fearing for their lives after Hindu-Muslim clashes and sporadic attacks targeting them, residents, police and a community group said. Shops and shacks owned or run by Muslims and their houses in two large slum areas were padlocked when Reuters visited them more than a week after seven people were killed in clashes in Nuh and Gurugram districts in Haryana state, adjoining the Indian capital. Stone-throwing, arson and vandalisation of two shrines in the slum districts forced hundreds of Muslim families to abandon their houses and seek shelter at a train station. | Reuters…

Nairobi: Ethiopia’s restive Amhara region was largely “calm” yesterday, local residents said, after the federal government announced it had driven back militia fighters following days of fierce clashes. The government said it had imposed curfews in six major cities hit by the unrest in the northern region, including the capital Bahir Dar and the holy city of Lalibela. The State of Emergency General Directorate announced the move after declaring that the armed forces had “freed” the cities from local fighters it described as bandits. “Today it’s extremely quiet in the city, no-one is moving,” said one Bahir Dar resident. | AFP…

IN ORDER to keep Glencore Smelters in Rustenburg open and protect thousands of jobs, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) will be marching to the Rustenburg municipality today to demand that the district not charge the company a surcharge over and above the approved electricity tariff by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa). The union said yesterday that Eskom was making an application to Nersa for a negotiated pricing agreement (NPA) for Glencore. “The municipality wishes to charge Glencore an additional surcharge, which is a fee over and above the cost of the Nersa electricity tariff,” it said. The surcharge is defined as a charge in excess of the municipal base tariff that a municipality may impose on fees for municipalities provided for, by or…

LISTED diversified investment group, African Equity Empowerment Investments (AEEI), a Sekunjalo Investment Holdings subsidiary, is no longer a shareholder in ICT group AYO Technology Solutions (AYO) following an unbundling that was initiated in March 2023. The unbundling of AYO was finalised at the end of July by way of a pro rata distribution in specie in the ratio of 1 AYO share for every 2.89 AEEI shares. AEEI had held a 49.36% stake in AYO. AEEI CEO Valentine Dzvova said: “AEEI is very pleased that AYO has reached a settlement with its significant shareholder, the Public Investment Corporation, in an agreement that will see the parties working towards the ICT group rebuilding its shareholder value. “We wish AYO well for the future in which we know, it has a…

STANDARD Bank will now keep open 30 of the Sekunjalo Group of companies accounts, including Independent Media, following a Constitutional Court challenge by the group. This as pressure has been mounting on the bank to reconsider its decision to issue a notice to the companies informing them that their accounts would be closed by August 21, following a judgment by the Competition Appeal Court (CAC) in the bank’s favour. Before this, the bank was ordered to keep the company’s accounts running prior to a final judgment. The interim judgment, which was granted in September last year, was due to come to an end in March this year, but was extended by six months. In a statement yesterday, the Sekunjalo Group confirmed Standard Bank would keep the accounts of 30 of…

Tell us about your professional journey and how you became a recruitment manager at MSF I started my career after finalising my BTech in Human Resources. I worked as a salesperson in a jewellery shop and landed a sales administrator position at a small IT hardware firm. I would work at the Jewellery shop on weekends, and during the week, at a hardware firm. I was exhausted. But I was young and hungry for success, so I maximised every opportunity. I then got an internship at EOH recruitment solutions in 2012. That’s where my love for recruitment began. I worked there for about three years, then moved to management consulting firms. I then worked for an IT company where I was now doing internal recruitment; I worked for those…

CONCERN over food scarcity is growing following a serious disruption in retail supply chains due to the taxi strike, which has seen delivery trucks burned, stoned and looted, along with shopping centres. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has announced that safety escort services would also be extended to food delivery trucks in communities in line with available resources. Khayelitsha Development Forum (KDF) chairperson Ndithini Tyhido said there was a bread scarcity and other food items, with the additional fear that petrol would also soon run out in the area. “The strike has immensely impacted our communities and we fear if it’s prolonged it can even lead to riots and further looting because of poverty. Shopping centres are closed and shops that are still in operation there is no bread and shelves are…

That one patient Ellen De Visser Loot.co.za (R313) Fourth Estate For every doctor there is that one patient whose story touches them in a way they didn't expect, changing their entire outlook on life. This inspiring and deeply moving book is the story of those patients. Every weekend, in Holland’s most popular newspaper, De Volkskrant, renowned science-journalist Ellen de Visser asks a different medical professional to tell her about “that one patient”; the patient who changed everything for them. Every day, in every country, thousands of patients share their stories with their doctors: stories they may never have told anyone else; stories that are heartbreaking, sometimes funny, and – just occasionally – unforgettable. To be able to do their job to the best of their abilities, medical experts use their…

WITH the geopolitical crisis taking a turn for the worse recently and the world economy showing signs of a downward trend, it is becoming evident that the countries of the Global South will be negatively affected. There is growing pressure for sanctions against China in the computer chip industry and over the One-China Policy. In South Africa there is growing concern that the US will cancel the forthcoming African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) Forum in retaliation for its position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. How will China respond to these events in the context of President Xi Jinping’s launch of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013 and, following his 2015 interview in the Wall Street Journal? In the interview the leader of China committed to build more…

At least 36 people have died after runaway fires, fanned by winds from a faraway hurricane, devastated much of the resort city Lahaina on Hawaii’s Maui island, Maui County officials said. Several neighbourhoods were burnt to the ground as the western side of the island was nearly cut off, with only one highway open and thousands to evacuate. Some people fled into the sea to escape the smoke and flames. “We just had the worst disaster I’ve ever seen. All of Lahaina is burnt to a crisp. It’s like an apocalypse,” said resident Mason Jarvi, who escaped from the city. Jarvi showed pictures he took of the destruction along the Lahaina waterfront. He also showed blisters on his thigh that he said he suffered when riding through flames on his…

Niger’s junta named a new government overnight, forcing its agenda before a summit yesterday of regional leaders who have demanded that they end their military takeover. West African heads of state meeting in Nigeria aim to agree on a plan of action for Niger, where coup leaders have refused to stand down despite the bloc’s threat that it could use force to restore democracy. Since the July 26 power grab shocked the region, the defiant junta has rebuffed diplomatic overtures and ignored an August 6 deadline from the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) to reinstate ousted president Mohamed Bazoum. Mahamane Roufai Laouali, cited as “Secretary General of the Government”, read out 21 names on state television without specifying any further plans. Three coup leaders were named ministers of…

LONDON: Former British prime minister Gordon Brown yesterday called for the Taliban government’s treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan to be declared a crime against humanity. Brown, the UN special envoy on global education, denounced the Taliban authorities for “systematic brutalisation” of women and called for the International Criminal Court to investigate. “I think the evidence is absolutely overwhelming,” Brown, who was in office from 2007-10, told BBC radio. “Complete discrimination against women, banned from university, banned from schools, banned from public places, banned from any activities where they’re walking on their own. “Required to wear a particular dress – not even just the normal dress of a Muslim but very particular requirements on dress – and all those being prosecuted, including the leader of the NGOs, who are…

Seoul: North Koreans must prioritise safeguarding propaganda portraits of their leaders, the country’s official newspaper said, as a tropical storm made landfall on the Korean peninsula yesterday. Tropical Storm Khanun, which battered Japan before taking a circuitous route towards the Korean peninsula, is set to move into North Korea early today after spreading heavy rains across the South. Natural disasters tend to have a greater impact on the isolated and impoverished North due to its weak infrastructure, while deforestation has left it vulnerable to flooding. But Pyongyang’s Rodong Sinmun said focus should be on “ensuring the safety of” portraits of its leaders. | AFP…