Sommaire pour 2024-02-14 de Cape Times

In celebration of Valentine’s Day, whether you have a hot date with your partner or a fun Galentine’s night out with friends, the fashion experts at Boohoo have got you covered. “Whoever you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day with this year, the occasion provides the perfect opportunity to dress up confidently and stylishly,” a Boohoo spokesperson said. The experts at the internationally renowned fashion retailers analysed Google data to reveal the hottest fashion trends that you can follow to look and feel your best on the most romantic day of the year. Make a statement in hearts “To steal the show, wear an oversized heart print dress that complements your personal style or step outside of your comfort zone on this special night,” they said. The experts explained that this look is…

Health Minister Joe Phaahla said yesterday that he was working with Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to find a solution for the recruitment of unemployed medical doctors to positions that were not budgeted for. Speaking during the debate on the State of the Nation Address (Sona), Phaahla said they were doing everything to retain as many doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and other professionals in the public health system. “I am therefore happy to announce that working with the minister of finance we have a solution to address the current challenge of doctors who want to stay in the public service but could not be offered funded posts. “The details of how we are going to fund the posts will come out from Minister Godongwana’s Budget speech next Wednesday,” he said. Phaahla also…

Court orders FIC to hand over information on banking institutions’ Risk Management and Compliance Programmes IN A MAJOR victory for the Sekunjalo Group in its fight with South African banks, the Equality Court sitting in the Western Cape High Court has ordered the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) to hand over information on various banking institutions’ Risk Management and Compliance Programmes which determined their decisions to close the group’s bank accounts, as well as documents pertaining to EOH Holdings, Tongaat Hulett and others. Judge Daniel Thulare ordered that Absa Ltd, First Rand Bank Ltd, Investec Bank Ltd, Nedbank Limited and Standard Bank of South Africa Limited issue their programmes within 20 days. The banks were ordered to issue all reports of suspicious and unusual transactions made to the FIC by accounting…

THIRTY years of corrupt, ruinous rule has transformed a once-functioning country into a failed state. Consequently, as the country heads for the general elections, the priority of millions of disgruntled voters is to bring about change. The details of the necessary changes are spelt out by the key opposition parties. But what they also need to spell out is their stance on two global narratives that promise to nullify the virtuous change voters seek and subvert freedom. Voters need to demand that the political party of their choice rejects the World Health Organization’s (WHO) global accord on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. By accepting the WHO agenda, a country’s individual sovereignty to determine its own health policies would be rescinded. But that is just the beginning. Once beholden to the…

BRIAN Pittman’s letter “ Money killing my love for Test cricket” in Monday’s edition, refers. My sentiments too Mr. Pittman. The present fiasco of 20/20 cricket. Loud music, dancing, swaying crowds, drinks in hand, most not seeming to care two hoots about the game at all, makes me very sad. To call it cricket is an insult. I watched one game. Enough. The players come from different countries, including SA, making up teams that do not truly represent any area. Their sole purpose at the crease seems to be to slash every ball as hard as they can to make a four or a six. No skill shown. It made me remember the good old days. Sitting in the members’ stand at Newlands watching two teams, one representing my…

Fifty-eight athletes hoping to run this year’s Comrades Marathon have had their entries quashed after they were found to have cheated. In a statement, the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) said subsequent to the running of the 2023 race, it identified 58 athletes whose entry to the 2024 marathon were rejected after they violated CMA race rules. “The entries of 16 athletes have been rejected after it was discovered that they had asked another athlete to run their 2023 qualifying marathon on their behalf. Three athletes were found to have run the qualifying marathon, used by another entrant, to enter the 2023 event and 27 runners lied about their qualifying times when they either didn’t run or finish the marathon or ran slower than the qualifying time,” the CMA said. Furthermore,…

OH LORD, help me to keep my mouth shut until I know what I am talking about. This famous daily prayer rings true when it comes to President Cyril Ramaphosa and Electricity Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa and the load-shedding conundrum. Ramokgopa, considered one of the “smart heads” within the ANC, was touted as the man to combat load shedding head-on when he was appointed to the then new portfolio by Ramaphosa a year ago. Delivering the State of the Nation Address last Thursday night, Ramaphosa promised that load shedding would soon be a thing of the past. It is the same hymn, and same book he has been singing from since he announced the creation of the Cabinet portfolio for an electricity minister. During the Sona, he told the nation…

The Democratic-led US Senate yesterday passed a $95.34 billion (about R1.7 trillion) aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, though it faced an uncertain path ahead in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. The lawmakers approved the measure in a 70-29 vote that exceeded the chamber’s 60-vote threshold for passage and sent the legislation on to the House. Twenty-two Republicans joined most Democrats to support the bill. “It’s certainly been years, perhaps decades, since the Senate has passed a bill that so greatly impacts not just our national security, not just the security of our allies, but the security of western democracy,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said. Ukraine leadership sees the funding as crucial as it continues to repel Russian attacks and tries to keep its battered economy going as…

Amman: Jordanian King Abdullah II recently took part in a humanitarian aid drop into war-torn Gaza, according to state TV footage showing him aboard an air force C-130 transport plane. The king was helping soldiers drop a crate said to contain humanitarian and medical aid bound for the Jordanian field hospital in northern Gaza, in a joint operation with the Netherlands. US President Joe Biden has thanked Jordan for providing humanitarian aid, during a White House meeting on Monday where the king appealed for a full ceasefire to end the war in Gaza. Amman has delivered almost 720 tons of humanitarian aid by air drops since war broke out on October 7. | AFP…

ISTANBUL: A landslide yesterday trapped at least nine workers at a gold mine in eastern Türkiye, officials said, adding that search-and-rescue efforts were underway. Images from the scene showed the landslide sweeping across a valley where the workers were believed to have been based at the time. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said there was no news from nine of the mine’s 667 employees, adding that 400 rescuers had been urgently dispatched to the scene. Türkiye is prone to deadly landslides and has suffered a string of mining accidents in recent decades. | AFP…

Stormers coach John Dobson’s voice may have been a bit creaky yesterday, but he was upbeat about a “nice boost in resources” ahead of Saturday’s United Rugby Championship clash against the Sharks in Durban. Despite seeing his team go on a five-match winning streak across all competitions before their nearly month-long break, they will have some serious conundrums to solve at Kings Park (5.05pm kick-off). The first revolves around the selection of the matchday 23. Springboks Manie Libbok, Damian Willemse and Deon Fourie are still out of the mix because of resting protocols – although Fourie is already back in training “because he didn’t want to stay at home” – but Bok tighthead Frans Malherbe is back in full training, although the Stormers must still decide what role he will…

Every cricketer will tell you that the second season is the hardest. Every little flaw that was previously unknown has been identified and analysed. Mistakes are also not forgiven so easily. And that’s why Graeme Smith feels that what the SA20 has achieved in its second edition is even bigger than its successful maiden sojourn last year. “By all accounts, this season we’ve grown and for us I think the season was a success,” Smith said in a post-tournament wrap yesterday. “There were a lot of questions building into season 2 about whether we could recreate or get stronger and I think we’ve done that. “The cricket was outstanding to watch. All the cricket stats improved dramatically. “The numbers are up commercially, broadcast viewership numbers are up. The feedback we’ve…

THOUGH it is generally accepted that Mamelodi Sundowns are unmatched in the domestic league when it comes to strength in depth, coach Rulani Mokwena has barely had to illustrate that advantage. The young coach has been consistent in his choice of his starting XI despite the Brazilians competing on many fronts. And why should he not be, given the club’s success with an established team? After all, do they not say if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it? It cannot be described as broken, but there is a high likelihood that Mokwena could be forced to call on the peripheral players this weekend as the DStv Premiership season resumes after a month-long Africa Cup of Nations-induced break. The defending champions host Orlando Pirates on Saturday night in the pick of…

Seeing African authenticity on the international runway is probably one of the best fashion moments. Proudly South African brand Zazi Clothing Factory made Mzansi proud as they showcased at New York Fashion Week. Owned by Onwaba Simanye Sishuta, the brand showcased a stunning collection of luxurious Umbhaco (Xhosa traditional attire). Some of the dresses were giving classic queen vibes but in Umbhaco. South African actress Lusanda Mbane, ambassador of the brand, led the pack on the runway. She strutted her stuff in the exquisite Umbhaco dress paired with a thick beaded necklace and a doek. She captivated even more when she started doing umxhentso (a Xhosa traditional dance). “We brought Zazi to the world … and we did it our way, the African way, the Zazi way. Take a…

THE UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) assistant high commissioner for protection has appealed to South Africa to uphold and preserve an asylum system for refugees and asylum-seekers. This week, Ruven Menikdiwela concluded a five-day visit to South Africa, following a visit to Beit Bridge in Limpopo, one of the busiest ports of entry between South Africa and Zimbabwe. She met the commissioner of the border management authority, Dr Mike Masiapato, and his team. Menikdiwela assured them of UNHCR’s readiness to support their efforts to manage their borders in a way that took into consideration the specific needs and rights of people seeking asylum. South Africa hosts about 154 000 refugees and asylum-seekers, representing 0.2 % of the country’s population of 60.6 million people. While acknowledging the country’s concerns about…

AS CLASSES commenced for the 2024 academic year at universities across the Western Cape, institutions were grappling with large numbers of students applying for residence with little accommodation available. At Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) hundreds of students in dire need of accommodation have been sleeping on the floor at District six and Mowbray campus halls for weeks. Chaotic scenes were seen at the Bellville Campus, where security chased away alleged stranded students from emergency accommodation. However, the university’s spokesperson Lauren Kansley refuted claims that these were stranded students. “These are not students, they are people who applied and do not have a space to study. So they have been rejected for study because of dismal academic results or disciplinary issues,” said Kansley. A prospective student from the Eastern…

I REPLY to Monday’s letter by “Silly Point” to the editor regarding the Proteas Cricket team in New Zealand. I think that there are some things that he is missing. If you read the fabled Aesop’s story of the “Silly Cricket and the Miserly Ant” then the comparison is obvious. The recent T20 cricket has indeed become silly (3-4 sixes in 1 over etc), but they were miserly and lived at the wrong time. Graeme Smith must be making millions out of this T20 series and so will the organisers of all future such events. I have, like “Silly Point”, given up the thought of ever watching five or even three-day Test cricket as I am afraid that it is just a dying breed. I cannot believe that I will…

THE greatest hazard threatening the MyCiTi bus rapid transit is coastal flooding, due to the geographical location of the current network. This is according to a paper published in the Journal of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering, where UCT researchers quantified the volume of transport infrastructure at risk of weather-related hazards in the city and estimated the direct economic value. Dr Tanya Lane-Visser and Professor Marianne Vanderschuren, from the UCT Centre of Transport Studies in the Department of Civil Engineering, conducted the analysis, which found that the city's transport infrastructure is valued at R20 billion and is at risk due to coastal flooding and fires. A geographic information system (GIS) based analysis was done to calculate the quantum of transport and socio-economic infrastructure at risk. The results of…

THE government of South Africa uses a tendering system to procure goods and services. This procurement system is seen as one of the mechanisms to empower the disadvantaged members of the society. The system was also introduced to welcome new participants in the mainstream economy, particularly the marginalised black people, as it was difficult for new players to participate in government procurement. The tendering system has had many unintended consequences. It has contributed to poor delivery of public services and in some instances resulted in people (service providers, procurement officials) being killed. In light of this, the critically important question we ought to be asking ourselves is whether we still need tendering system, with its many deleterious consequences? Is there no way in which public institutions can be better capacitated…

Israel faced growing international pressure yesterday to agree to a ceasefire with Hamas, as it prepared for an incursion into the crowded southern Gaza city of Rafah where more than a million Palestinians are trapped. CIA Director William Burns met Mossad chief David Barnea in Cairo yesterday for a new round of talks on a Qatari-brokered ceasefire proposal, which would temporarily halt fighting in exchange for Hamas freeing hostages. The two intelligence chiefs were joined in Cairo by the Qatari prime minister and Egyptian officials, Egypt’s Al-Qahera News reported -- two countries in the middle of mediation efforts as ceasefire proposals bounce back and forth between the two sides. The meeting came after the US and the UN warned Israel against carrying out a ground offensive into Rafah without a…

A Pakistan politician declared the winner of a provincial assembly seat in last week’s election says he will cede to a rival because he believes the result was rigged. There have been widespread allegations of vote-rigging and result manipulation after authorities switched off the country’s mobile phone network on election day and the count took more than 24 hours. Independent candidates loyal to jailed former prime minister Imran Khan took the most seats in Thursday’s National Assembly polls, preventing the army-backed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) from securing a ruling majority. They also did better than expected in simultaneous elections for the country’s four provincial assemblies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab. Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, the head of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party in financial capital Karachi, won a seat in…

KYIV: Russian forces are buying Starlink satellite internet terminals through “third countries” to use on the battlefield, Ukraine’s military spy agency said yesterday. The Elon Musk-owned service has been vital to Kyiv’s battlefield communications, but Ukrainian officials said Russian forces are also increasingly relying on the technology. The defence ministry’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) said that Russian forces were buying the terminals through unspecified third countries. It released an audio intercept of two Russian soldiers discussing buying units from Arab providers for about 200 000 roubles (about R41 000) each. Starlink said it does not do business with Russia or operate on Russian territory. | Reuters…

Yerevan: Arch-foes Armenia and Azerbaijan yesterday accused each other of opening fire on their volatile border, with Yerevan saying Azerbaijani forces killed four soldiers. Yerevan and Baku have fought two wars – in 2020 and in the 1990s – over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, which Azerbaijan recaptured in an offensive last year. Azerbaijan’s border guards said this was a “riposte” to a “provocation” by Armenian troops that Baku said had injured one Azerbaijani soldier. Azerbaijan’s defence ministry said Armenian troops had opened fire twice late Monday on Kokhanabi village. Armenia denied the claim “as not aligning with reality”. | AFP…

Carlos Alcaraz will have the chance to win the Olympic title at Roland Garros this year, as well as the French Open crown and while he will be gunning for both, the Spaniard said if forced to choose he would pick the Paris Games gold. The Olympics will take place in July, a month after the year’s second Grand Slam on the same clay courts in the French capital. “For me, it’s a dream to bring a medal to my country and winning gold is one of the greatest things that can happen to you in the world of sport,” Alcaraz said in Buenos Aires, where he will defend his title this week. “This year, if you gave me a choice, I’d say that I will keep the Olympic gold,…

Proteas coach Shukri Conrad has shown his hand early on in the second Test against New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton, although his batters are once again doing their best to stifle his plans. And then there was some wretched bad luck. The Proteas ended the first day struggling to climb to 220 for six, while all-rounder Rachin Ravindra continued to bolster New Zealand with 3-33. Against his gut feeling, Conrad opted for the rather conservative route for the first Test in Mount Maunganui where only one spinner was picked and a traditional batting opening pair of captain Neil Brand and Eddie Moore was trialled. In Hamilton, Conrad ripped up the prep book. Moore has been given the axe and will most likely never play Test cricket again, to…

WERE THE PRESIDENT’S energy utterances all part of a plan to appease investors? The State of the Nation Address (Sona) delivered by President Cyril Ramaphosa was an oration highlighting 30 years of the ANC government’s low hanging fruits of successes. The president tried hard to paint a rosy, highly successful administration picture to the nation. To top it up, his speech writers creatively invented a fictional character called Tintswalo, who was crafted out of thin air to try and illustrate the 30 years of attempted success under the leadership of the glorious ANC movement. Unfortunately Tintswalo was not well received by the public and social media. Everyone lashed out with heavy criticism over the claim of Tinstwalo’s rags to riches success story, which would have made sense if it was…

Farming associations have welcomed the announcement by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development that the avian flu outbreak has been contained. This comes after the outbreak of the flu severely impacted the industry last year, resulting in the culling or death of over 100 000 chickens. The department added that the avian flu vaccine has been registered but it will not be rolled out unless there is another outbreak of the flu. South African Poultry Association CEO Izaak Breitenbach said the last cases were in November last year. “This is certainly good news for farmers, but now we need to vaccinate our flocks to prevent a disaster like 2023 from happening again. Farmers need to apply to vaccinate, and to qualify to vaccinate the farmers must adhere…

Opposition parties pulled no punches when they debated President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) yesterday, while ANC MPs sang the party’s praises and listed the achievements of the government over the past 30 years. This year’s debate took place in the absence of the EFF after the party staged a boycott when its leader, Julius Malema, and another five MPs lost a court bid to have their suspensions suspended for disrupting last year’s Sona. Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Mondli Gungubele described the Sona debate as a blissful address in the absence of “rowdy neighbours”. The debate went smoothly as MPs largely adhered to the rules, except for DA MP Michael Bagraim, who was ejected for showing the middle finger to ANC MPL Cameron Dugmore, and his…

TWENTY years ago, beloved Archbishop Denis Hurley died at the age of 90. Sadly, we see that many people who have made our world better in big and small ways have vanished before we were ready to let them go. It was once said that “genius is so fine and rare”. Hurley was a rarity and a fine specimen of human eloquence who inspired us all. His death was a loss for all humanity. We have lost a colossal mind and a wonderful spirit. He was an inspirational personality whose influence transcended international boundaries. He explained religious matters with graciousness. Many of us were impacted by his voice, life and legacy. The local and global acclaim that followed his death was a vindication of his immense stature as a scholar…

THE police have failed to properly investigate the ongoing attacks on Intercape buses and it must now investigate each of the crimes reported to it to enable effective prosecution. This is according to a judgment issued by the Eastern Cape High Court, sitting in Makhanda, which made it clear that the SAPS and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) – known as the Hawks – has failed to investigate and prevent the crimes as instances of national priority offences. The court declared that in relation to the 165 instances of intimidation and violence perpetrated against Intercape’s buses, drivers and passengers and the cases Intercape has opened, that the police failed to investigate and prevent the crimes. Intercape turned to the court in a bid to force the SAPS and…

Lobby group Equal Education (EE) is not backing down in their efforts to see collaboration schools being scrapped in the Western Cape. EE spokesperson Jay-Dee Cyster said they appeared before the Western Cape High Court yesterday seeking leave to appeal a July 2023 judgment over the Provincial Schools Education Amendment Act matter. SA Democratic Teachers’ Union and EE, represented by the Equal Education Law Centre, argued that the system conflicted with national legislation and the Constitution. They wanted parts of the act overturned. “We are essentially asking the judge to determine whether a different judge would have found differently … (we are) asking the court whether they think there are grounds for an appeal in the Supreme Court of Appeal. “The court will let us know in a week’s time…

State of the Nation Address: the playback of the ANC is a surreal one-track mind narrative THERE is something Daliesque about President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2024 State of the Nation address (Sona) last Thursday, as if his speech writer had captured its essence straight from the playbook of the Spanish surrealist art eccentric. At least Salvador Dali can claim fame to additional artistic alternativist periods other than Surrealism such as Cubism, Dada and Modern art. In contrast, the playbook of Ramaphosa and his governing ANC is a surreal “one-track mind” narrative bordering on a curious and seemingly desperate diet that encapsulates the nostalgic backstory of the liberation movement in its century-old struggle against colonialism and apartheid towards freedom leading up to the historic inaugural democratic vote in 1994 that propelled the…

Indian security forces fired tear gas yesterday to stop thousands of farmers demanding minimum crop prices from marching on the capital New Delhi after talks with the government failed. Local broadcasters showed thick clouds of tear gas fired to disperse protesters near Ambala, about 200km north of the capital, with police also dropping canisters from the air by drones. Police have set up a blockade of metal spikes, cement, and steel barricades on highways from three surrounding states leading to New Delhi. “Maximum numbers have been deployed,” said Ranjay Atrishya, assistant commissioner of Delhi Police. Public gatherings of more than five people have been banned in the city. Farmers in India have political heft due to their sheer numbers, and the threat of renewed protests comes ahead of national elections…

Armed men killed four people, including two policemen, and kidnapped at least 40 others in an attack on Kaura Namoda, in Nigeria’s northwest Zamfara state, police and residents said yesterday. Africa’s largest economy is grappling with a multifaceted security crisis, including kidnappings for ransom in the northwest, which has reached alarming proportions. Police confirmed the attack and said reinforcements had been deployed to the Kasuwar Daji district of the town where the incident took place. Residents, including some of the victims, spoke about their ordeal, which began with an attack on the local police station. “They took more than 40 women and children, including some elderly men,” said Hussaini Mohammed, who managed to escape. Gangs of heavily armed men have wreaked havoc across Nigeria’s northwest in the past three years.…

BRUSSELS: Operations at the port of Antwerp, one of Europe’s biggest container ports, were impacted yesterday as hundreds of farmers on tractors blocked the roads around the port to demand better pay and working conditions, officials said. The protest follows similar action by angry farmers in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and beyond, as farmers also demand looser environmental rules and better protection against cheap imports. “No freight can be delivered or picked up, as trucks are halted, while employees are only being allowed in after a long wait,” said Stephan van Fraechem, the director of the association of port companies Alfaport Voka. | Reuters…

Tehran: The websites of Iran’s parliament and its affiliated news agency went down yesterday after they were targeted by hackers, state media reported. “The websites of the parliament and Khane Mellat news agency have been hacked and become unavailable since this morning due to cyberattacks,” the official IRNA news agency reported. The cyberattack was claimed by a hacking group called “Uprising till Overthrow”, affiliated with exiled opposition group the People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran, which Iran considers a terrorist organisation. The group said it hacked 600 servers affiliated with Iran’s parliament. | AFP…

Kylian Mbappe sat out Paris St Germain’s Ligue 1 game at the weekend, but their top scorer is set to return for the Champions League last-16 tie with Real Sociedad, manager Luis Enrique said yesterday. Mbappe, who has scored 30 goals in 29 games this season, was an unused substitute in Saturday’s 3-1 win over Lille, a precaution taken after he took a knock to his ankle three days previously in another 3-1 win, over Brest in the Coup de France. The French forward has played the full 90 minutes in all six Champions League games this season for PSG and that doesn’t look like changing when they host the Spanish side in tonight’s first leg. “When a team has a player like Kylian Mbappe, of course we know that…

It WAS a refreshed John Plumtree that faced the media yesterday after a month’s leave tending to family business in New Zealand and he is defiant that all is not lost for the Sharks in the United Rugby Championship. The Sharks host the Stormers on Saturday at Kings Park and the big Kiwi believes this game can see his team begin a long climb up the ladder. “We have nine games to go in the URC and we feel like we can still climb the ladder and qualify (for the quarter-finals),” Plumtree said. “The big issue has been an inability to pick our strongest team but we will get that right fairly soon (when the Springboks finish their mandatory stand-down period). Bongi (Mbonambi) is our number one hooker and he…