Weekend Argus Saturday Saturday, August 8, 2020

PROHIBITION Spike in booze bootlegging Winde calls for ban on sale of alcohol to be lifted SHEREE BEGA AND SAMEER NAIK BRENDAN MAGAAR African News Agency (ANA) DESPERATE boozers are paying up to 10 times more for their favourite tipple. As the demand for alcohol rises, illicit dealers continue to thrive and government loses billions of rands. Premier Alan Winde added his voice to the growing chorus for the ban on the sale of alcohol to be lifted. “A blunt, blanket ban is not viable, but intelligent plans that tackle the root cause of the problem can make a difference. Our provincial data points to this. When the domestic sale of alcohol was suspended during the lockdown, and then again recently, the number of trauma cases dropped immediately,” he said.…

INEQUALITY Coronavirus reveals SA’s ‘green apartheid’ IT TOOK the new coronavirus to reveal a green apartheid lurking in South Africa’s cities as parks shut, lockdown kept millions home and only the lucky few had a garden for sanctuary. Satellite imagery shows this inequality blighted almost every city, with poorer, mainly black residents living with less greenery and left with fewer options to stay safe from the deadly virus through social distancing. “Every human should have a right to green space,” said Zander Venter, a spatial ecologist at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, lead author of the Green Apartheid study published in Landscape and Urban planning. “Not having this is a violation of human rights that started with colonialism and apartheid, and the government today has failed to redress this…

INVESTIGATION SA moves to recover R400m ALEXANDER WINNING SOUTH African investigators are seeking to recover more than R400million from German software firm SAP for two government contracts they allege were entered into unlawfully, court documents seen by Reuters show. Although the amount of money sought is small for a company with a market value of about €162billion, the move by the authorities is another headache for SAP, which in 2018 admitted to misconduct over deals with South African state firms during former president Jacob Zuma’s tenure. SAP had said it was reviewing all its public sector deals in South Africa dating back to 2010, but it has not publicly flagged wrongdoing over the agreements in 2015 and 2016 with the Department of Water and Sanitation. Investigators say those contracts should…

SERVICE App keeps mountain users safe SHANICE NAIDOO shanice.naidoo@inl.co.za DAVID RITCHIE African News Agency (ANA) A free WhatsApp-based service is being used to keep thousands of hikers, runners, bikers and cyclists safe following continued attacks on mountains around the Cape. Hikers remain a target for criminals, and now it’s hoped the technology will sound the alarm bells and send in the cavalry. SafetyMountain Tracking tracks hikers and other mountain users on their adventures, giving them access to assistance in cases of emergency, like an injury, sudden illness, rockfalls, getting lost and falling victim to crime. The service is manned by volunteer trackers, many of whom are search and rescue volunteers and are already connected to all relevant emergency services. These volunteers immediately spring into action as soon as a user…

EDUCATION Code of conduct to be reviewed by Sacs Task team set up to probe discrimination allegations CHELSEA GEACH chelsea.geach@inl.co.za SOUTH African College High (Sacs) has committed to review its code of conduct after a group of former pupils made allegations of discrimination. The group, called the Sacs Anti-Discrimination Collective, criticised the school governing body (SGB) for failing to develop clear policies to deal with instances of racism, homophobia and religious discrimination. The collective pointed out that the code of conduct does not prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Chairperson of the Sacs SGB, Dr Kerrin Begg, acknowledged the shortcomings of the school’s code of conduct. Pupils have the right not to be bullied, mocked or discriminated against…Dr Kerrin Begg Sacs school governing body chairperson “We are currently…

COMMUNICATIONS ‘Internet Censorship Bill’ looms Media watchdogs on high alert SAM SPILLER sam.spiller@inl.co.za LEGAL experts and media watchdogs have raised red flags after the Film and Publication Board (FPB) published draft regulations for the Film and Publications Amendment Act (FPAA). The draft regulations were published on July 3 and are open for public comment until August 17. The draft regulations require that all user-generated content be filed with the board for classification, for a prescribed fee. Alternatively, social media platforms and content distributors would apply to self-classify or abide by a recognised foreign classification system, though not without continued oversight by the board. This has implications for freedom of expression, exchange of informationJanet MacKenzie Legal expert This means that major website distributors operating in South Africa, including the likes of…