Sommaire pour 2024-08-13 de Cape Times

Emira Property Fund has invested €55.5 million (R1.1bn) in the Luxembourg-headquartered Polish property developer and investor DL Invest Group. Emira has acquired a 25% initial stake in DL Invest Group, which has a gross asset value (GAV) of about €730m and a net asset value (NAV) prior to Emira’s investment of some €278m. Emira’s equity interest has a face value of €101.5m. Emira, which currently has properties in SA and the US has also secured an option to acquire a further interest for €45.5m. If exercised, this second tranche will result in Emira holding 45% of DL Invest Group. This initial shareholding will increase Emira’s international investments to 32% of its portfolio – with 19% in the US and 13% in Poland –while 68% remains in SA, further strengthening its…

Stem cell therapy has emerged as a groundbreaking field in medical science, offering hope for treating a range of diseases and even advancing techniques like 3D bioprinting of human tissues and organs. In South Africa, stem cell transplants are currently the only effective treatment for blood cancers. However, despite the critical need, only 0.04% of South Africans are registered as stem cell donors, and someone is diagnosed with blood cancer every 72 minutes. “Stem cell therapy represents a significant advancement in medicine, but many people still have misconceptions about what stem cells are, how they are matched, and how transplants work. “It’s crucial to address these issues to overcome the stigma associated with stem cell use,” said Theo Gerdener, the Medical Director at DKMS Africa. A big problem with stem…

Maluleke flags threats and intimidation towards auditors for scrutinising finances at public institutions Auditor-general Tsakani Maluleke has credited the actions taken by accounting officers in government as being central to the recovery of financial losses totalling R1.29 billion in the 2022/23 financial year. Accounting officers have also prevented financial losses to the tune of R560 million during the same period. At least R700m in financial loss was in the process of being recovered in the national and provincial governments. Maluleke made the statement when she briefed the Press Gallery Association on the powers her office has to take remedial action and issue a “certificate of death” when an accounting officer or authority fails to comply with her remedial action. Her office was given the powers in 2019 after it emerged…

July 2024 saw record-breaking rainfall in the south-western parts of South Africa, following a slow start to the winter rainfall season. An analysis of rainfall data from the SA Weather Service’s (Saws) stations reveals that the Cape Town City (Oranjezicht) station recorded 317.6mm of rain in July this year, far exceeding the long-term average of 128mm for this month. “This notable total not only exceeded the historical average, but is also the highest monthly rainfall recorded for July since comprehensive records began in 1960. In contrast, the previous year saw only 81.8mm of rain in July, highlighting the major difference in rainfall between these two years,” Saws said. The Cape Town International Airport station recorded the highest monthly rainfall total since the station’s inception in July 1956, exceeding three times…

News articles should do more than inform, they should inspire empathy and action WITNESSING the news about the devastating flooding in black informal settlements located in Cape Town’s low-lying areas, I felt a familiar sense of despair. Listening to the affected individuals narrate their struggles in these terrible conditions, it struck me that the way these disasters are portrayed in the news seems like the same narrative repeated across multiple communities facing similar issues. These problems are rarely properly contextualised, with news reports often failing to make connections between climate change, big industry, and their impact on vulnerable communities. The repetitive, decontextualised storytelling makes even me, as an activist, feel helpless and inept when confronted with the insurmountable injustices that economically poor communities face daily. Reflecting on this problem, I…

International pressure mounted yesterday for a ceasefire in Gaza, with Britain, France and Germany issuing a joint plea for an end to fighting between Israel and Hamas with “no further delay”. The call came a day after Palestinian group Hamas – whose October 7 attack on Israel triggered the war – urged mediators to implement a truce plan presented by US President Joe Biden instead of holding more talks. “The fighting must end now, and all hostages still detained by Hamas must be released,” French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a joint statement. “The people of Gaza need urgent and unfettered delivery and distribution of aid,” it said. “There can be no further delay.” International mediators invited Israel and Hamas…

Esther Nalukwago, a 42-year-old mother of twins, fled half-dressed in panic when a torrent of rotting garbage engulfed her home in Kampala’s northern district of Kiteezi. The disaster claimed the lives of at least 23 people, including children. “I saw one side of my room collapsing. I dashed out half-naked,” said yesterday. “When I was out of the house, shaking out of fear and panic, the surrounding houses were covered by an avalanche of black soil and shortly after people were wailing.” Scores of rescuers clad in scant protective gear searched through the fetid landslide, believed to have been caused by recent heavy rainfall. The death toll rose to 23 yesterday, with the authorities saying previously that the victims included five children. Unfazed by the stench and oblivious to…

The Hague: The International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Karim Khan said yesterday that he is “actively monitoring” tensions in Venezuela over the result of the country’s presidential election. Khan also said his office had received “multiple reports of instances of violence and other allegations” following the July 28 presidential election. Long-time socialist leader Nicolas Maduro was declared the winner of a new term but opposition leaders say their candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, was cheated of victory. Protests since the vote have left at least 24 people dead while 2 200 people have been arrested, according to rights groups.…

LONDON: British police said they arrested a man after a stabbing in London’s Leicester Square, which left an 11-year-old girl needing hospital treatment and a 34-year-old woman with minor injuries. The police said the incident in the central London square, which is popular with tourists, was not being treated as terror-related. Britain’s police forces remain on high alert after days of riots, which were triggered by false online posts wrongly identifying the suspected killer of three girls in northern England as an Islamist migrant. There were no other outstanding suspects, police said.…

The Springboks are paying special attention to their breakdown play on defence this week to limit the amount of penalties they are giving away, especially after making tackles. Assistant coach Duane Vermeulen, who described his role as the link between the players and coaches on game day, said even after their comprehensive win over the Wallabies last weekend, there are things they have to fix before the second Test on Saturday. The Boks will take on Australia in Perth looking to make it a clean sweep in their first two games of the 2024 Rugby Championship. They produced a commanding display in Brisbane on Saturday to win 33-7, but some parts of their game still need sharpening ahead of the duel at the Optus Stadium. There was no real update…

Shares in Super Group plunged nearly 13% after it said yesterday that its annual headline earnings per share (heps) could fall as much as 30% amid a challenging trade environment. By 4.30pm its shares were12.66% lower at R25.80. In a trading statement and operational update, it said a review by management of the year-end financial results for the 12 months ended June 30, 2024 had indicated that projected heps would decline by between 20% to 30% to between 334.2 cents and 382c per share. This as earnings per share were likely to fall between 94% and 104% (19.2c to 28.9c per share). Projected revenue was expected to rise between 0% to 10% – beween R62 billion and R68.2bn – while operating profit was expected to decline by…

Picking up from the final line of my previous Tech Tides Africa column, “Beware of lazy oversimplifications regarding origin stories, the framing of social impact, and the who or what drives economic progress”, I’ve been reflecting on a recurring debate within Africa’s tech start-up ecosystem. Some have drawn comparisons between impact investing and foreign aid, raising concerns about their effectiveness and unintended consequences. In my experience over the past couple of years, this debate often involves well-intentioned, multidisciplinary industry stakeholders earnestly discussing how to better support innovative tech entrepreneurs. The aim is to harness technology to build businesses that deliver outsized performance in terms of both commercial success, and social impact (ideally in that order, for more hard-nosed capitalist-types). Critics worldwide argue that impact investing, much like foreign aid frequently…

Tacos, the quintessential Mexican street food, have taken the world by storm with their delicious simplicity and incredible versatility. A taco, at its core, is a traditional Mexican dish consisting of a tortilla, typically filled with a variety of ingredients. These can range from seasoned meats to fresh vegetables, all garnished with an array of toppings. Whether you prefer the classic street taco with its soft corn tortilla or the crispy crunch of a hard-shell taco, there is a version of this dish to satisfy every palate. Below, recipe developer and photographer Caitlin Prettyman has shared her crispy poblano chicken tacos with avocado-jalapeño salsa recipe. Crispy poblano chicken tacos with avocado-jalapeño salsa Serves 6 Ingredients For the chicken tacos 1kg boneless skinless chicken thighs Cooking spray 2 tbs olive oil…

Ingredients 1 cup Amarula Original Cream Liqueur 2 slices white bread 1 onion, finely chopped 500g beef mince 1 tbsp mild curry powder 1 tsp each salt and pepper, to season 1 tbsp fruit chutney, plus more for serving ½ cup plain yoghurt 1 egg 2 dried bay leaves, optional Method Lightly grease a square 25 cm baking dish with non-stick spray and preheat your oven to 180°C. For the mince: Add the bread into a dish and pour ½ a cup of Amarula Original Cream Liqueur over the bread. Set the bread aside to absorb, about 5 minutes. Place a medium-sized oiled pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, beef mince, curry powder, salt and pepper. Sauté for 5-6 minutes. Squeeze the Amarula out of the soaked bread before…

Amid the surge of kidnappings in South Africa, police say they are winning the war. Despite this, SAPS National Commissioner General Fannie Masemola revealed that some kingpins are operating outside the country. Masemola also said there was a relationship between kidnapping and drugs and vowed to arrest the perpetrators. Kidnappings, human trafficking and drug offences are currently on the rise. Masemola told anti-crime activist Yusuf Abramjee on Sunday that law enforcement officers were busy with kidnapping investigations. “Unfortunately, some of the kingpins are not in the country, they are within Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries. “We have engaged through Interpol, our neighbouring countries where these people are with a view to get them back. “We asked our counterparts to assist us with the paperwork. But in the country,…

DISEASE outbreak and pandemic unpreparedness is the bane of creaking global health systems irrespective of their economic status. The ‘once-in-a-century’ Covid-19 pandemic which hit the world in March 2020, brutally exposed the inadequacies of public and private health systems, although in a twisted way it unleashed human ingenuity in developing a vaccine in a record one year, instead of the normal decade or so gestation of bringing a major drug to the market. Vaccine deniers and sceptics apart, ideological hubris, bureaucratic complacency and policy drag are not options. South Africa, for instance, is amid a wave of community transmission of mpox following its reporting to the World Health Organization (WHO) a few days ago of 20 confirmed cases between 8 May and 2 July 2024, including three deaths (with a…

Russian forces have reduced the number of guided bomb attacks on border settlements in Ukraine’s north-eastern Kharkiv region, the local governor said yesterday, while Moscow troops struggle to repel Ukraine’s cross-border assault in the Kursk region. Ukraine’s top commander said yesterday that Kyiv controlled around 1 000km² of Russia’s Kursk region, his first public comments since Ukraine launched its biggest cross-border attack in almost 30 months of full-scale war. With Russia still struggling to repel the incursion seven days after it began, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy published a video clip of Oleksandr Syrskyi, the head of his armed forces, delivering a report on the fighting. “We continue to conduct an offensive operation in the Kursk region. Currently, we control about 1 000km² of the territory of the Russian Federation,” he said.…

Penteli: Thousands of people fled their homes around Athens yesterday as strong winds fanned a wall of wildfire flames closer to the Greek capital. A 30km-long frontline of fires, more than 25m high in places, was moving towards Athens, the ERT public broadcaster reported. Nearly 700 firefighters and more than 30 aircraft battled the blazes that had advanced into the city’s outer suburbs near Mount Pentelikon. The authorities opened the Olympic stadium in northern Athens and other stadiums to house those fleeing. Three major hospitals have been placed on standby. One firefighter suffered serious burns, another was hospitalised and 13 other people were treated for respiratory problems, the fire brigade said. |…

Dhaka: Bangladeshi police resumed patrols of the capital Dhaka yesterday, ending a week-long strike following the abrupt ousting of autocratic ex-premier Sheikh Hasina. Officers vanished from the streets of the megacity of 20 million people last week after Hasina’s resignation and flight abroad. The police were loathed for spearheading a lethal crackdown on the weeks of protests that forced her departure, with 42 officers among the more than 450 people killed. They vowed not to resume work until their safety on duty was guaranteed, but they agreed to return after talks with the new interim government, helmed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.…

WASHINGTON: Elon Musk was due to interview Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on the X social media network yesterday in an event that could inject more surprises into the turbulent November 5 US presidential election. Trump’s Democratic rival, Vice-President Kamala Harris, has erased his lead in opinion polls and energised Democratic voters with a series of high-energy rallies. The interview will be hosted live using Trump’s official X account. His account, @realDonaldTrump, was restored a month into Musk’s X ownership after being suspended by the previous owners following the January 6, 2021, attack on Congress by his supporters.…

Atletico Madrid have signed Argentine forward Julian Alvarez from Premier League side Manchester City on a six-year contract, the La Liga club said yesterday. Financial details about the transfer were not disclosed by either club, but British media reported that the deal was worth around €75 million (about R1.495bn) plus €20m (R399m) in potential add-ons. “I say goodbye to this wonderful club with many emotions. They were two very special years. “During this time, I grew and learned a lot as a player and as a person,” Alvarez wrote on Instagram yesterday. “I will always be very proud to have been part of this family. Manchester City will always have a special place in my heart. “I wish you every success in the future and will continue to support the…

Municipal managers and directors of companies responsible for polluting water could be in for a surprise should the Department of Water and Sanitation have its way in tightening the legislation dealing with water pollution. If the department succeeds in its attempt to introduce these amendments, municipal managers and directors of companies could be slapped with personal orders should their institutions be on the wrong side of the law. Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina disclosed this when responding to parliamentary questions from MK Party MP Thembinkosi Siboniso Mjadu, who asked about the steps her department has taken to tackle the challenges of water pollution and inadequate sanitation facilities in rural areas. Majodina said water pollution may be from instances where the polluter cannot be pinpointed and it was normally…

The impact of floods on women’s health is devastating, new research has found, and the lack of clean running water and inadequate sanitation, also contaminated during flooding, make using the toilet a daunting task and increase the risk of contracting water-borne diseases like cholera and other viral and bacterial infections. A study by Palesa Base, a research assistant at UCTs African Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI), has uncovered the plight of women in Khayelitsha during floods. The study is part of her Honours research in environmental and geographical science, and was made possible by working with the Informal Settlement Network and the Community Organisation Resource Centre, two non-profit organisations. “I’ve sat pensive a few times this week thinking (about) just how much those women who participated in this research study…

WITH two contempt of court orders against him and a stint in jail for not adhering to a court order issued six years ago to stop bad-mouthing the Liberty Group and some of its employees, a man has now earned himself a third contempt order, coupled with a year in jail if he did not desist. The Liberty Group once again turned to the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, as it said Bob Mano will simply not refrain from sending hundreds of emails to hundreds of recipients, in which he is making defamatory remarks about them. Some include excessively vulgar language and suggestions regarding family members of some Liberty executives. The court interdicted Mano in 2018 to stop these emails and remarks. Yet, Mano has forged on. He earlier received a…

A DISGRACED high school teacher had failed in his attempts to pay R5 000 in exchange for the silence of learners he kissed and made sexual comments towards. Ryan Andrews, employed at the Elsies River High School at the time, resorted to pleading guilty and was fired after the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) imposed the sanction of dismissal. It was further ordered the ruling be shared with the South African Council for Educators (Sace) to revoke his teaching certificate and with the Department of Social Development for his name to be listed on the register of sexual offenders, as he was found unsuitable to again work with children. The award document states that the incident against two former learners, who are now 18 and 20 years old, happened in…

The 2024 Paris Olympics have come to a close, and as the dust settles, we must take a moment to congratulate and celebrate the incredible achievements of the athletes who represented South Africa on the world stage. With six medals to their name – one gold, three silver, and two bronze –Team South Africa has made us proud, not only by doubling their medal tally from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics but by proving that our nation belongs among the world’s sporting elite. Some might argue that six medals are not a lot in the grand scheme of things, especially when compared to powerhouse nations like the US or China. However, it is important to remember that at the Olympic Games, only the best of the best compete. For South Africa,…

The leader of a Kenyan starvation sect went on trial for manslaughter yesterday over the deaths of more than 400 of his followers in one of the world’s worst cult-related tragedies. Self-proclaimed pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and dozens of other suspects pleaded not guilty in January to multiple counts of manslaughter, one of several cases against them over what is known as the “Shakahola Forest Massacre”. Mackenzie appeared in a magistrate’s court in the Indian Ocean port city of Mombasa along with 93 other suspects, prosecutors and court officials said. “There has never been a manslaughter case like this in Kenya,” prosecutor Alexander Jami Yamina said, adding that they will be charged under a Kenyan law dealing with suicide pacts. “This is going to be a very unique manslaughter case.”…

Mumbai: India’s opposition Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi has called on the chief markets regulator to resign after US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research claimed past investments compromised an investigation into the Adani Group. The sprawling conglomerate, saw $150 billion wiped from its market value last year after a bombshell report by Hindenburg accused it of “brazen” corporate fraud. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) was asked to investigate the allegations. However, Hindenburg has now accused Sebi chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch of having investments in offshore funds that a senior Adani family member also allegedly used. Gandhi said the securities regulator had been “gravely compromised”. |…

Nairobi: Aviation staff at Kenya’s main international airport will go on strike from next week over a contested investment proposal from an Indian conglomerate, their union said yesterday. About 10 000 members of the Kenya Aviation Workers Union will walk out from August 19, its secretary general Moss Ndiema said. The dispute centres on plans by the Kenyan government to enter into an investment agreement with India’s Adani Group to expand, modernise and operate Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. “We are opposed to the Adani deal which we think has not followed the due process of the law,” said Ndiema.…