Sommaire pour 2023-08-31 de Cape Times

MANY municipalities are not budgeting, transacting, and reporting directly in and from their core financial systems. Instead, they prepare their budgets and reports on an excel spreadsheet and then import the spreadsheets into the system, with this manipulation of data leading to unauthorised, irregular, fruitless, and wasteful (UIFW) expenditure. This is according to the National Treasury’s local government revenue and expenditure report for the fourth quarter, as well as the cumulative results of the 2022/23 financial year. This fourth quarter publication covers 257 municipalities’ financial information and conditional grants information. The report was prepared using figures from Municipal Standard Chart of Account (MSCOA) data strings. The MSCOA regulations were promulgated on April 22, 2014, and prescribe the uniform recording and classification of municipal budget and financial information at a transaction…

Fuming opposition parties hint at litigation SOUTH African Reserve Bank (SARB) governor Lesetja Kganyago could soon find himself having to defend the bank’s investigation into the foreign currency stolen from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in February 2020 before the courts, after opposition parties accused him of being involved in a cover-up. Kganyago, along with some of the SARB’s top brass, appeared before the standing committee on finance to face questions over their report, which cleared Ramaphosa of any breach of exchange control regulations over the $580 000 (about R10.8m at today’s rates) concealed in couches on the farm. The EFF and UDM accused the SARB of narrowing the probe and excluding money laundering in order to clear Ramaphosa when it focused on contravention of exchange control regulations.…

The Rural and Farmworkers’ Development Organisation has slammed the Matzikama municipality for failing to act on the water crisis that has left Vredendal residents and farmers with no water for the past nine days. This, after the municipality revealed that the water shortage was the result of the poor infrastructure. Director of the organisation, Billy Claasen, blamed poor municipal administration. “This is a management problem or shall I say mistake of the Matzikama municipal administration and equally large overview mistake of the sleepy Matzikama council. “It is a shame that something is only being done now. Here all the council members have fulfilled their role to lead. They should all be fired.” Acting Matzikama municipal manager, Lionel Phillips, said the municipality was “fully committed” to fixing the situation as soon…

THE Tafelsig community says it took a viral video and effort from an opposition party to finally get the City to fix their street lights after three months. “We logged and logged (complaints) over 25 times. People here are poor, they don’t have phones, they had to make a way but no one came. “Having no street lights caused havoc in our community because they started selling drugs here, there was shooting, people were getting robbed when they went to the clinic to work, the bus stop or school early in the morning. You hear screaming but you can’t see a thing. We as the poor feel we are not being recognised by the City. It took us going to (GOOD Party secretary-general) Brett Herron and making a viral video…

The book Human Rights, Religious Freedom, and Spirituality: Perspectives from the Dharmic and Indigenous Cultures’s singular achievement lies in its contributors’ ability to present various aspects of human rights, religious freedom and spirituality and to shed light cogently on the nuances that are often missed. This is an extraordinary group of renowned authors. Represented are all the Dharmic traditions – Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhi – and the traditions of several indigenous groups. Two eminent scholars I have long known and admired for their stellar accomplishments have edited the path-breaking compilation. I have enjoyed working on several projects with Professor Yashwant Pathak and Dr Adit Adityanjee and I can attest to the high quality of their scholarship. Pathak, associate dean at the college of pharmacy at a prestigious US university,…

Hurricane Idalia yesterday slammed into the Big Bend region of Florida, where millions of residents had evacuated or hunkered down in anticipation of a dangerous surge of tidal water, but the storm’s power ebbed as it headed toward Georgia. Drawing strength from the Gulf of Mexico’s warm waters, Idalia unleashed destructive winds and torrential downpours that were forecast to cause coastal flooding up to 5m deep along the state’s Gulf Coast. Idalia came ashore at Keaton Beach, a town of 13 000 people in Taylor County, in the centre of the Big Bend region, where the state’s northern panhandle curves into the Florida Peninsula. The storm’s most dangerous feature would be a powerful surge of wind-driven surf that is expected to flood low-lying areas along the coast, officials said. Surge…

The trial had begun in Iran of the lawyer of Mahsa Amini, the young Iranian Kurd whose death last September triggered a widespread protest movement, a media report said yesterday. Saleh Nikbakht is charged with “propaganda against the system”, the daily Etemad reported. The first hearing “was on Tuesday and he was notified of the charge of propaganda activity against the regime for having spoken to foreign and local media, concerning the Mahsa Amini affair in particular”, it said. Amini, 22, died in custody after she was arrested for allegedly violating the Islamic republic’s strict dress rules for women. Nikbakht’s lawyer urged his acquittal, saying that he “only criticised the running of the country by the authorities”. In September last year, Nikbakht indicated that the Amini family had filed a…

Ottawa: A First Nation has found 79 suspected child grave sites and 14 potential infant grave sites at a former residential school in Saskatchewan, Canada, reports said. The report said that English River First Nation chief Jenny Wolverine called on the federal and provincial governments to provide resources for the search effort. English River started searching the site of the former Beauval Indian Residential School in August 2021, using ground-penetrating radar,the report said. In 2013, a former dormitory supervisor at Beauval Indian Residential School was convicted for assaulting young boys between 1959 and 1967. The site is the latest of several being searched. | IANS…

An unbeaten 92 from Australia captain Mitchell Marsh proved to be the difference as the visitors breezed past an inexperienced Proteas team in the first T20 International at Kingsmead in Durban last night. It was business as usual for Reeza Hendricks as he looked positive upfront but chasing a mammoth 227 runs to win, he needed a lot of assistance from the other batters for South Africa to have a chance. Hendricks struck a crisp 56 off 43 balls, and throughout the innings, the right-hander timed the ball to perfection, while his batting partners struggled at the opposite end. Back in the T20I side for the first time since relinquishing the captaincy, Temba Bavuma was knocked over by Marcus Stoinis for a duck in the first over of the run-chase,…

UNIVERSITY of Fort Hare (UFH) vice-chancellor Professor Sakhela Buhlungu and management have been accused of conducting illegal cyber surveillance and investigations against council members. This was heard in Parliament yesterday where the National Assembly committee on higher education was briefed by universities on their state of governance and administration related matters. According to Buhlungu in response to safety issues, about 18 staff members, not all of them senior or executive staff members, were part of a special protection programme. “The university works closely with the State Security Agency and Crime Intelligence. A process is under way to establish a Community Policing Forum at both the Alice and East-London campuses. A R32 million DHET-funded project is under way to install an Integrated Electronic Security System (IESS) across three campuses, including CCTV…

Cop killer Luyanda Fuzile has been sentenced to an effective 25 years behind bars after he convinced the court that he did not pull the trigger of the gun that killed a police officer and injured another, but was convicted of the crimes through common purpose. Fuzile and four co-accused faced a slew of charges including murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and kidnapping after the murder of Sergeant Nametso Molema, who was stationed at Table View SAPS, and the wounding of his colleague, Malibongwe Mnani, in November 2021. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) provincial spokesperson Eric Ntabazalla said Fuzile was sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment for Molema’s murder, 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances, five for kidnapping, five for attempted murder, 15 years for illegal possession of a firearm and…

INFORMAL settlement residents in the Swellendam area marched to the local municipality protesting over the lack of delivery of basic services, including sanitation and electricity tariffs. The peaceful demonstration held yesterday saw a high law enforcement presence after destructive protest action about two weeks ago. Businesses were looted, infrastructure damaged and the municipality’s main building was also set alight. A memorandum of demands was handed to mayor Francois du Rand, calling for the municipality to amend the withdrawal of the Indigent Policy, remedy issues of public participation and bring back the 50 and 20 free electricity units for residents. “Swellendam Municipality must uphold the rule of law, not only when it suits it, but also where citizens are affected. We demand with immediate effect that Swellendam Municipality removes the unregulated…

FORMER Joburg mayor Dr Mpho Phalatse’s resignation as DA councillor barely comes as a surprise to critics of the party who feel vindicated in their argument that space for black leaders in the official opposition party has become limited if not non-existent. Perhaps the writing has been on the wall for quite some time, after Phalatse suffered a bruising defeat to incumbent party leader John Steenhuisen during the DA federal congress. But that’s not where everything started going pear-shaped for Phalatse in the DA. Losing the mayoral chain through a motion of no confidence was the beginning of the end. Reports of a fallout with some senior party leaders, including Helen Zille, over their refusal for her to seek the support of parties the DA sees as enemy number 1…

China and Britain made tentative steps to repair relations yesterday, with Beijing promising better ties if both showed “mutual respect” and London saying it wants to keep lines of communication open, including between the countries’ leaders. Foreign minister James Cleverly is the first senior British minister in five years to visit China, a trip he hopes will reset ties between the two countries after years of tension over security, investment and human rights. The foreign secretary has argued it would be a mistake to isolate the world’s second-largest economy or tackle climate change without its input, however, some Conservative MPs say that the minister’s trip looks like an expression of British weakness. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi welcomed Cleverly and said both countries should move forward, rather than retreating, particularly…

DAKAR: Thousands of Bangladeshi protesters marched yesterday demanding information on hundreds of people they say security forces have abducted during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s nearly 15 years in power. Opposition supporters of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its allies joined families of those missing to mark the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, many with black gags over their mouths. The government denies the allegations of disappearances and extrajudicial killings, saying some of those reported missing drowned in the Mediterranean while trying to reach Europe. | AFP…

KYIV: Ukraine drones struck targets in at least six regions deep in Russia yesterday, including an airfield where they destroyed military transport planes, in one of the broadest volleys yet of Kyiv’s campaign to turn the tables on Moscow. Russian officials described attacks on targets in the Pskov, Bryansk, Kaluga, Orlov, Ryazan and Moscow regions. The Russian foreign ministry said the attacks would “not go unpunished” and the drones could not have reached so far into Russian territory without Western help. In Pskov, in northern Russia, a huge fire erupted at a military airfield that garrisons elite paratroopers. At least four giant Il-76 transport planes were damaged. | Reuters…

Raphael Varane has been ruled out for “a few weeks” as Manchester United’s injury issues pile up ahead of their Premier League trip to Arsenal. Erik ten Hag’s side head to north London on Sunday without several players for their final match before the international break. Luke Shaw and Mason Mount are currently out of action, while new signing Rasmus Hojlund has yet to make his debut due to a back complaint. Tyrell Malacia, Amad Diallo, Kobbie Mainoo and Tom Heaton have missed the start of the campaign and now experienced French defender Varane faces a spell on the sidelines. “Raphael Varane will be missing from the team when Manchester United face Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday due to injury,” the club said in a statement yesterday. “The…

The spirit of Napoleon Bonaparte is clearly with the Springboks as they undergo a training camp on the island of his birth, Corsica, before they head to the French mainland to defend the Webb Ellis Cup early next month. Napoleon conquered much of the known world in the first half of the 19th century and the Boks will have to do something similar to bag a successive World Cup title, given the merciless draw they face. There are no short cuts to the semi-finals for the Boks and they will have to defeat the likes of Ireland, New Zealand and France en route to the business end of the play-offs. That is why coach Jacques Nienaber said from the Mediterranean island yesterday that his team will be on a knock-out…

15ml butter 50g sliced leeks 250g button mushrooms, sliced 5ml minced garlic 5ml thyme leaves 2.5ml chopped rosemary 45ml sherry 15ml flour 15ml mustard 375ml vegetable stock 250ml sour cream Salt and pepper 250g egg noodles 15ml butter Grated Parmesan, to serve 20ml chopped parsley, to serve Melt the butter in a deep saucepan. Add the leeks and mushrooms. Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes to soften the leeks and brown the mushrooms. Add the garlic, thyme and rosemary and cook for a minute. Add the sherry and allow to simmer until most of the liquid has reduced. Stir in the flour, then add the mustard and vegetable stock. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the sour cream and simmer again for 10 to 15 minutes until the sauce…

THE Greater Tygerberg Partnership (GTP) and mosaic artist Kerry Atherstone from Bit-by-Bit Mosaic have embarked on a mission to transform Bellville into a cleaner, safer and more vibrant place for residents. The GTP announced the completion of the first phase of their groundbreaking mosaic installation project in May. A total of 13 mesmerising mosaic tiles now adorn the streets of Bellville, setting the stage for the eagerly anticipated second phase, scheduled to commence in September. At the heart of these captivating artworks lies a celebration of journeys and the incredible diversity that defines Bellville. Drawing inspiration from the rich tapestry of nationalities that call Bellville home, each mosaic tile showcases a national flower representing the heritage of different communities. GTP project manager Monique Muller said: “This mosaic installation is more…

THE “killing machine” found in the possession of Mthobisi Prince Mncube during his arrest in 2015 has finally been linked to that which was used in the shooting of Senzo Meyiwa a year before. Mncube, the third accused on trial in the Meyiwa murder, represented by advocate Charles Mnisi, was arrested in 2015 in relation to taxi violence in Cleveland, Joburg. The link was made by police ballistics expert Lieutenant-Colonel Christian Mangena, a forensic analyst and crime scene reconstruction specialist whose evidence led to the conviction of Paralympian Oscar Pistorius in 2017. He has over 29 years of experience and over 5 000 examinations under his belt. He told the court yesterday that the bullet that hit Meyiwa “perforated his body and hit the half-opened door behind him”. Mangena said…

It would give the country more political clout to help it achieve its ambitions Ethiopia’s access to the coast has occupied the minds of the country’s rulers since time immemorial. This is because being landlocked undermines Ethiopia’s ability to grow its economy, develop its military (navy force) and exert influence across the Horn of Africa. We see the preoccupation in the history of Ethiopia and Eritrea. In 1952, Eritrea, a coastal country, was controversially federated into Ethiopia. Failure to maintain the annexation led to Eritrean independence in 1993 and Ethiopia became a landlocked country once again. This was a major blow for the new administration that had taken over political power in 1991. For the new government this translated into some limitations on their economic and political goals for the…

Rebel officers in the oil-rich central African state of Gabon announced yesterday that they had seized power following disputed elections in which President Ali Bongo Ondimba, in power since 2009, had been declared victor. Bongo, 64, whose family has ruled Gabon for over 55 years, was placed under house arrest and one of his sons was arrested for treason, the coup leaders said. A worried-looking Bongo, in a video from an unidentified location, appealed to “all friends that we have all over the world … to make noise”. In a dramatic pre-dawn address, a group of officers declared “all the institutions of the republic” had been dissolved, the election results cancelled and the borders closed. “Today, the country is going through a serious institutional, political, economic and social crisis,” according…

EU regulators have recommended authorising an updated Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech which targets the dominant XBB.1.5 variant of Omicron, putting it on track to become the third adapted shot by the two companies to be approved in the bloc. The vaccine, dubbed Comirnaty, is to be used for preventing Covid-19 in adults and children with a dosage dependent on previous vaccinations. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said yesterday that its human medicines committee (CHMP) had recommended the updated vaccine for children six months through four years of age as part or all of the primary three-dose vaccination series, depending on how many prior doses they had received. It could be a single dose for those with a history of completion of a Covid-19 primary vaccination…

Paris: President Emmanuel Macron met leaders of all of France’s political parties yesterday, including his most bitter rivals, outside Paris in a bid to break the deadlock of a hung Parliament. Deprived of an absolute majority in the National Assembly lower house since last year’s parliamentary elections, Macron said he wanted a “frank, honest and direct discussion” aimed at “acting together” for the benefit of voters. In a letter inviting party bosses from the hard left to far-right, Macron vowed to work together on writing new laws and “if need be” organising referendums -- a rare political tool that has previously backfired. | AFP…

YENAGOA: Nigerian police raided an alleged gay wedding, which is illegal in the country, in the southern city of Warri in Delta state, and arrested 67 people, authorities said. A tip-off about the ceremony came during police interrogation at the weekend of a male cross-dresser who was dressed as a female, Delta police said yesterday. The statement didn’t say when the raid took place. Police said those arrested would be charged soon in court. Investigations revealed that a drunk guest, who was arrested during the raid, was allegedly raped by a suspect who is now at large, police said. | Reuters…