Table of contents for 2022-06-22 in Cape Times

From page 1 But the Presidency said it had not received any copy of the final report from the commission. It said the commission had stated that the electronic report would be submitted to the president on the evening of June 19, but this did not happen. “In the morning of the 20th of June, President Ramaphosa and Chief Justice Zondo held a brief telephone call in which the Chief Justice offered reassurance on the delivery of the report and discussed the co-ordination for the handover ceremony. The commission’s team had informed the Presidency that the report will be finalised after the sitting of the Judicial Service Commission on Monday 20 June, but not in time for the promised handover at 18h00 on the same day. No handover of the…

THE home affairs portfolio committee has decided to organise a workshop to consider matters related to the Electoral Amendment Bill, which provides for independent candidates to stand for elections in the National Assembly and provincial legislatures. This came after the committee was briefed on some of the bill’s terms and clauses by the parliamentary legal services, state law advisor and the Independent Electoral Commission. The clauses related to, among other things, the definition of “region” to be sufficiently clear as compared to a province, redefining the party liaison committees and independent candidates not being required to be ordinarily resident in the region in which they are registered to stand in an election. The MPs were also briefed on whether there should be signature requirements for independents as compared to none…

THE “Farmgate” saga has taken yet another twist, with the government vehemently denying its Namibian counterpart’s claims that it snubbed the neighbouring country’s request to share information about the suspects involved in the theft of millions of US dollars from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm two years ago. The Namibian government repeatedly said it approached the Ministry of Justice of South Africa to confirm whether or not a crime was registered, but received no response. The Namibians said they obtained a preservation order to seize the assets, including properties and vehicles of the alleged criminals believed to be behind the theft, but that fell through after South Africa did not respond. However, in a detailed statement released yesterday the Justice Ministry outlined the process to follow for serving requests…

INEQUALITY is a favourite word bandied about by the ANC, with the blame squarely laid on certain sections of the population. But a latest media report refers to exorbitant pay packages for CEOs in charge of SOEs and other government departments. A number of them earn more than the president. One word immediately comes to mind: Disgusting. Do these so-called top 10 sleep at night when they consider the parlous state of the nation and that millions of their fellows go to bed on empty stomachs – that’s if they have beds and roofs over their heads? And most of them are unemployed. As things stand, the situation is worsening by the day. Had the SOEs and departments been flourishing entities and making big profits one could almost excuse their…

After speaking out about his suspension following allegations into a sexual misconduct probe in disgraced Community Safety MEC Albert Fritz’s office, former Western Cape Government (WCG) employee Lazola Ndubela said new allegations of “financial misconduct” have also not been clarified. Ndubela this week spoke up for the first time about not having been given a chance to respond to allegations made against him in the wake of a sexual misconduct investigation – launched initially against axed Fritz. The department has since revealed that further investigations led it to “additional allegations of fraudulent conduct relating to the misuse of government property and/or resources”. “I was informed of the allegations of financial misconduct but even with the new allegations against me, nobody had told me what the allegations were related to. It…

FOR almost two weeks, the Mzamomhle local clinic in Browns Farm, Philippi, has been closed after two suspects pretending to be patients robbed security guards at gunpoint and attempted to take medication. The residents were advised to alternatively use Phumlani Clinic in Lower Crossroads and the Weltevreden Valley Clinic located about a 3.9km walk away from Mzamomhle. It was not the first time the clinic had been targeted, according to Browns Farm community activist Nontyatyambo Ntanzi. “Last year, people’s phones were robbed while in the queue but this time around the incident was dramatic and everyone was left shocked by what happened. The suspects wanted to take medication. That is why they held the security guards at gunpoint and took their cellphones. They wanted to get inside the facility and…

It has been nearly a year since the violent riots and looting that broke out in KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng on July 12, 2021, which cost the South African economy about R50 billion and resulted in 340 lives being lost. Since then, communities and businesses have focused on recovering from the damage caused, with the SA Human Rights Commission also launching a probe into the unrest. The final report released following the investigation recommended that the Cabinet drive a national response plan that includes bringing those responsible for planning and instigating the violence to book. While the investigation is ongoing, UPL has also spared no expense, spending significant amounts of money on its clean-up, remediation and rehabilitation efforts to mitigate the impact of a chemical spill that resulted from…

Russia threatened yesterday to punish Lithuania with measures that would have a “serious negative impact” for blocking some shipments by rail to Moscow’s Baltic Sea enclave Kaliningrad, the latest dispute over sanctions imposed over the war in Ukraine. On the ground in eastern Ukraine, Russia’s separatist proxies said they were advancing towards Kyiv’s main battlefield bastion. A Ukrainian official described a lull in fighting there as the “calm before the storm”. US Attorney General Merrick Garland was expected to become the latest international dignitary to visit Ukraine, where a Justice Department official said Garland would discuss efforts to prosecute war crimes. European countries, faced with the prospect that war and sanctions could lead Moscow to cut gas deliveries next winter, were searching for ways to protect their economies and keep…

New Delhi: The grandson of India’s independence leader, Mahatma Gandhi, has dropped out of the race to become president after his name was proposed by an alliance of opposition parties. Gopalkrishna Gandhi, 77, said he had declined the request of the 17-party alliance to be their nominee for the largely ceremonial role. “I see that the opposition’s candidate should be one who will generate a national consensus,” Gandhi said. The Indian head of state acts on the advice of the government. The paternal grandson of India’s freedom movement icon is a vocal critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist policies. | AFP…

Yangon: The trial of ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi will be moved to a prison compound in the military-built capital Naypyidaw, a source said yesterday. The Nobel laureate, 77, was detained by the military when it ousted her government last year and faces a raft of charges that could see her jailed for more than 150 years. She has since been confined to an undisclosed location in Naypyidaw. Suu Kyi’s lawyers have been banned from speaking to the media and journalists barred from her trial. She has already been convicted of corruption, incitement against the military and breaching Covid rules, with a court sentencing her so far to 11 years in jail. | AFP…

HONG KONG: A desperate developer in China’s softening property market is coming up with a novel promotion to attract buyers, recently offering to take wheat and garlic as down payments. An advertisement of Henan-based Central China Real Estate that had “swop wheat for house” in the title, says buyers can use the crop, priced at 2 yuan per catty, a Chinese unit of mass equal to 500g, to offset as much as 160 000 yuan (R383 900) of down payment. A company sales agent said the promotion, aimed mainly at farmers in the region, would end on July 10. Property developers are scrambling to boost sales after a nosedive in transactions. | Reuters…

From page 1 “We have been monitoring the epidemic working with the NICD and the current epidemiological analysis points to lower infection rates and that the country has exited the recent 5th wave,” he said. Stellenbosch University epidemiologist Dr Jo Barnes said: “It’s high time for a proper review for all the regulations and changes that have been made in the last two years to find out exactly scientifically what had worked and what did not, as well as what was cost-effective and what wasn’t. So that we can know in future what to do in similar situations. “Also so that we can change what we need to change now on a scientific basis. At the moment the people who make the decisions do not account why they make…

The ANC in Joburg has called on the party’s top leadership in Gauteng under David Makhura to exert pressure on President Cyril Ramaphosa and his Cabinet to scrap e-tolls and attend to rising food prices in the country. The region, led by chairperson Dada Morero, says such a move would result in the ANC regaining control of the City of Joburg and an increase in party membership which has been dwindling over the years. Now, Morero and his supporters are hoping the Gauteng ANC will adopt their resolutions at its provincial elective conference, possibly this week. Yesterday, Gauteng ANC secretary Jacob Khawe said his region would announce its state of readiness for the conference today. However, it is unclear whether the conference will take place after a court application was…

MORE than two billion Muslims across the world follow the teachings, guidance and way of life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Muslims believe Prophet Muhammad was sent as a mercy onto humankind and whose message was that of peace, love, compassion, service to humanity and a guiding light that all Muslims would follow. Moreover, to love the Prophet is part of a Muslim’s faith. To this end, Muslims will not accept the use of derogatory words against the most high-ranking Prophet of Islam. Irresponsible remarks have no place in the public spaces of any country as such comments could fuel extremism and tension and undermine co-existence. The principle of zero tolerance applies to the religious deities, sacred beliefs of believers and divine personalities and texts of all faiths and religions. Allowing…

COSATU is mulling the option of engaging their lawyers to investigate the possibility of instituting civil claims on behalf of the farmworkers after yet another accident involving 35 workers when the truck they were being transported in overturned. The vehicle was travelling on the R45 between Klapmuts and Simondium near Groot Simonsvlei, transporting workers who are employed on different farms in the surrounding areas. According to ER24 spokesperson Russel Meiring, their teams and the provincial Metro EMS arrived at the site where they found numerous farmworkers seated and some walking along the roadside. “Medics assessed the patients and found that one man had serious injuries while 34 others had minor to moderate injuries. “Fortunately, no fatalities were found.” Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said an accident report was opened.…

THE National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) at Unisa has asked for space to conduct its investigation after its branch secretary was arrested for conspiracy to commit a crime. Yesterday, the union announced it would be launching an internal probe looking into statements allegedly made by branch secretary Thembani Baloyi during its ongoing protest action that landed him in hot water with the SA Human Rights Commission. The SAHRC reported that it opened an investigation into a leaked audio recording, in which the Unisa principal and vice-chancellor Puleng LenkaBula and other women staff members were threatened with molestation and violence. The commission said it initiated the probe after an article published in a national newspaper, which reported Baloyi made lewd and derogatory remarks against the vice-chancellor and women…

Leaders from the 54 Commonwealth countries gather in Rwanda under tight security this week for a long overdue but controversial summit that was twice postponed by Covid. Flags, from the tiny Pacific island of Tuvalu to South Asian giant India, are flying at the airport and the palm tree-lined road leading to the city and the Kigali Convention Centre, where the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) takes place on Friday and Saturday. Some $4.7 million has been spent sprucing up the capital, with President Paul Kagame keen to portray “the country of a thousand hills” in the best possible light. But the event, which was supposed to have been held in June 2020, takes place amid outrage at Britain’s migrants settlement deal with Rwanda, and questions about the host…

Two members of Israel’s outgoing coalition government vowed yesterday to prevent a comeback by ex-prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, their fellow right winger, as the country braced for a fifth election in three years with polling predicting no clear winner. Sapped by infighting that ended his razor-thin parliamentary majority, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Monday announced he would move to dissolve the Knesset, with Foreign Minister Yair Lapid assuming top office in a caretaker capacity. A preliminary vote on that motion is set for today. The prospect of an election as early as October delighted Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving leader who was toppled a year ago after Bennett mustered a rare coalition of hard-right, liberal and Arab politicians. Surveys have given Netanyahu’s Likud around 30 of parliament’s 120 seats, which would make…

KYIV: Actor and humanitarian envoy Ben Stiller met in Ukraine with refugees and officials including President Volodymyr Zelenskiy this week as part of his visit to the region on World Refugee Day. “It’s a great honour for me,” Stiller told Zelenskiy during a meeting in Kyiv. “It’s really wonderful. You’re my hero.” Stiller, a goodwill ambassador for the UN refugee agency, marvelled to fellow actor Zelenskiy, who played Ukraine’s president on TV before becoming the country’s real-life leader, about “the way that you’ve rallied the country, the world. You quit a great acting career for this”. Zelenskiy replied: “Not so great as you!” Stiller had earlier visited Ukrainian refugees in Poland, which has taken in more than 1 million Ukrainians who were forced to flee their homes because of…

Houston: Nearly 5 000 delegates attending the 2022 Texas Republican Convention have overwhelmingly passed a resolution rejecting the results of the 2020 US presidential election, according to a statement. The statement on the Republican Party of Texas’s website said: “We reject the certified results of the 2020 presidential election, and we hold that acting President Joseph Robinette Biden jr was not legitimately elected by the people of the US.” Meanwhile, the newly adopted Texas Republicans’ 2022 platform, outlined in a 40-page document, also called on the US to leave the UN. | IANS…

AS STATE Capture commission chairperson and Chief Justice Raymond Zondo is expected to hand over his last report to President Cyril Ramaphosa this evening, the Presidency has dismissed claims that Ramaphosa interfered with the judiciary and the work of the commission. This comes after yet another delay in the release of the final part of the report. It was expected to be released on Monday afternoon but the commission made an about turn following a discussion between Ramaphosa and Justice Zondo. The report is now expected to be issued today. Labelling the latest move “patently factional and suspicious”, the EFF slammed the delay, saying the move gave credence to the claims that the report was being altered to cast doubt on former State Security Agency director general Arthur…

I REFER to the article “Schools battle with safety, drug abuse” (Cape Times, June 17). What a dismal state SA has reached when places of education are subject to theft, vandalism and gangsterism, and that security guards are required to patrol and guard schools. It is even more depressing to read the Education Department “cannot provide security guards at all schools”, which should not be necessary in the first place. I understand this because education budgets should be geared toward providing education, not security. Surely, though, in such sad and desperate times, the authorities need to start thinking out of the box. Why should there be a need for private security guards? Why are military personnel not brought in to guard state educational buildings? They are already paid for…

THE Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has spent nearly R1 million in the process of removing former Heathfield High School principal Wesley Neumann, with costs of Neumann’s appeal still being tallied. The department has revealed that the disciplinary hearing alone was R739 368. Neumann was dismissed after he refused to reopen the school amid the Covid-19 infection peak in 2020. In a provincial legislature written question, ANC spokesperson on education Khalid Sayed asked MEC David Maynier the total expenditure on the disciplinary hearing and appeal, saying the expenditure raised eyebrows about the department’s priorities. In a written response, Maynier said: “I did not arrive at the decision. The previous (MEC) of education did. “A summary of the decision was provided to the media and public on May…

Among other things, democracy is based on debate THE EFF needs to distinguish between parliamentary and extra-parliamentary politics. Democracy and disruption are not synonymous, but rather antonymous. There is no freeway and leeway for the EFF, but rather rules that are applicable to everyone in Parliament. Just like in any game or sport there are rules. A player knows they must abide by the rules. Once you get started, it is not about agreeing with the rules, but playing according to them. That is not the time and place to challenge the rules. One gets into the game and on to the field knowing there are rules. In sporting codes, like soccer, players and fans do not agree with all the rules, but they cannot be changed during the game.…

Tens of thousands of workers walked out on the first day of Britain’s biggest rail strike in 30 years yesterday with passengers facing further chaos as both the unions and government vowed to stick to their guns in a row over pay. Some of the more than 40 000 rail staff gathered at picket lines, causing major disruption across the network and leaving major stations deserted. The London Underground metro was also mostly closed due to a separate strike. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, under pressure to do more to help Britons facing the toughest economic hit in decades, said the strike would harm businesses recovering from Covid-19. Unions have said the rail strikes could mark the start of a “summer of discontent” with teachers, medics, waste disposal workers and even…

Burkina Faso’s ruling junta is creating two military zones in the north and east, reputed havens for jihadists, where “human presence is forbidden”, the army said late yesterday. The decision was taken at a defence council convened yesterday by junta leader Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba to discuss the country’s “worrying security situation”. “The council decided to create two zones of military interest in the East and (northern) Sahel regions,” the head of domestic operations, Lieutenant Colonel Yves Didier Bamouni, said. He said the aim was to make it easier to combat “the terrorist hydra”. The areas are in the northern Soum province bordering Mali, and the protected natural reserves between Pama and the “W” National Park in the east. All human activity and human presence will be banned in…

LOS ANGELES: Former Tesla Inc employees have filed a lawsuit against the US electric car company alleging its decision to carry out a “mass layoff” violated federal law as the company did not provide advance notice of the job cuts. The lawsuit was lodged in Texas by two workers terminated from Tesla’s gigafactory plant in Nevada, in June, along with 500 others. Tesla failed to adhere to federal laws on mass layoffs that require a 60-day notification period. They are seeking class action status. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, had said he had a “super bad feeling” about the economy forcing Tesla to cut staff by 10%. He downplayed the suit as “trivial”. | Reuters…

MALE: Police in the Maldives used tear gas and pepper spray to control a crowd of people who disrupted a yoga event organised by the Indian High Commission in the capital Male yesterday, an organiser said. The crowd stormed a stadium where more than 150 people were taking part in an event celebrating International Day of Yoga. Earlier, the protesters brandished placards proclaiming that yoga was against the tenets of Islam, the state religion in the Maldives. Police responded with anti-riot measures and later used pepper spray and tear gas to control the crowd, Superintendent of Police Fathmath Nashwa said. Six people were arrested.| Reuters…