Table of contents for 2024-03-25 in Cape Times

THIS SHOULD be an obvious concept for all, yet on a daily basis we witness, as Cosatu, workers denied their most basic human and labour rights by employers. If we are to advance as a society, then we need to ensure all South Africans, including workers, and in particular our most vulnerable, enjoy their full constitutional rights. Cosatu was formed not only to improve the working conditions of workers, but also the lives of the working class. We were created by workers not only to defeat apartheid and to replace it with a non-racial, non-sexist constitutional democracy, but also to ensure that the workplace was transformed from where black workers were treated little better than slaves to one where workers could enjoy a rewarding career that would lift their families…

CRITICALLY acclaimed pianist, composer, and producer, Bokani Dyer’s new Radio Sechaba project sets the mood for an uplifting and thought provoking Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF). In a departure from his previous work, Dyer will be bringing a seven-piece ensemble, Radio Sechaba, to the CTIJF in May which in his own words, is less geared to a concert hall or a jazz club but more easily translatable on a bigger stage and outdoor experience. The project draws inspiration from Nina Simone’s famous quote: “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times”, which Dyer has interpreted in Radio Sechaba through his exploration of “what makes a nation in the current moment in South Africa”. The fact the multiaward-winning artist has created a new project around nation building, unity…

Parliament has appointed Deputy Speaker Lechesa Tsenoli as Acting Speaker after Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula took special leave following an investigation into allegations of corruption. The Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, is today expected to set a date to hear Mapisa-Nqakula's application in which she has sought to interdict her pending arrest related to the allegations. The controversy surrounding the allegations is becoming a public relations disaster for the ANC as it campaigns ahead of the May 29 elections. Mapisa-Nqakula is accused of receiving bribes amounting to R2.3 million from a service provider in the Department of Defence when she was then minister of defence. Her home was searched by the Hawks on behalf of the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Investigating Directorate (ID) last Tuesday. Through her office, Mapisa-Nqakula has declared her innocence…

Judge slaps Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu with adverse special costs THE Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) suffered a major court blow when its case collapsed at the Western Cape High Court after it emerged that a senior official had misrepresented himself in litigation proceedings on behalf of the department. DWS was rapped over the knuckles in litigation against an independent power producer (IPP) at Clanwilliam Dam when it emerged that the department’s chief of engineering services, Aloious Chaminuka, lied about his authority to institute legal proceedings against the power producer. DWS Minister Senzo Mchunu’s attempt to seize Clackson Power’s operations at the dam failed in court when Acting Judge DC Joubert said “proceedings were not properly authorised” due to Chaminuka’s “false testimony”. Consequently, Judge Joubert issued an…

FOR a millennia-old disease that is preventable and curable, tuberculosis (TB) continues to rear its pernicious head and prevails as one of the world’s top infectious killers, claiming 1.3 million lives in 2022 (including 167,000 people with HIV). This despite global efforts to combat the spread of the resilient mycobacterium that causes the disease, and affects over 10.6 million people annually, including 5.8 million men, 3.5 million women and 1.3 million children. As the world marked World Tuberculosis Day yesterday, the perennial stocktaking of the progress towards eradicating the disease shows that any competition in bragging rights over resilience, staying power and ending TB is an exercise in futility. While global efforts to combat TB have saved an estimated 75 million lives since the year 2000, according to the World…

THE newly appointed Stellenbosch University (SU) Convocation executive committee has taken office after four candidates were disqualified during the elections. Nine candidates were running for the executive committee positions, which could only be filled by five elected representatives. The procedure allows that nominated members may campaign through their personal social media platforms after the nominations have been published and during the elections, until the elections have been concluded. However, candidates who use the SU logo, brand, database or mailing list will be disqualified as candidates. According to the university, a complaint of non-compliance with the procedure with specific reference to the use of the SU trademark was registered with the office of the registrar, Dr Ronel Retief, on Wednesday afternoon. Retief said the complaint was considered in accordance and in…

LAST Saturday I was privileged to attend the Last Night Of The Proms, presented by the Rotary Club of Wynberg in our really lovely old City Hall. To get to the secure parking on the Parade, we had to pass by the Castle, and what a shock it was to see the mess and all the informal settlers that have set up camp there on both sides of the road. I realise that informal settlers are always going to present a problem, with no easy solutions in sight, but to have allowed it to escalate to the current size right outside what should be a popular tourist attraction is completely unacceptable and needs to be urgently addressed. Just before we reached the Castle, we drove past the now disused Good…

OUR high-octane politics and political scene resemble a John le Carré thriller; a multibillionaire commits suicide on a lonely stretch of coastline; a prominent business figure with close ties to the establishment dies in a mysterious bridge crash; the Speaker of Parliament unexpectedly takes leave from her duties under a cloud of uncertainty; while whistle-blowers are brazenly murdered. From the corridors of political power to the boardrooms of multibillion-rand private and public institutions, a multitude of names in our lawless country have lost public favour over the past two decades. Many currently sitting on various power thrones – and who are the subject of serious crime investigations and who have the tenacity and temerity to brazenly commit perjury and lie under oath – are treated as celebrities and their distorted…

Millions of South Africans will head to the polls in May in a historic election that will for the first time see the use of three ballot papers. This will be a new and different experience for many South Africans and the onus is on the Electoral Commission of South Africa to ensure it is a user-friendly experience for voters. The three ballot system lies in the Electoral Amendment Act (EAA), which was signed into law in April last year to amend the 1998 Electoral Act, allowing independent candidates to contest provincial and national elections in terms of a Constitutional Court judgment in June 2020. The judgment ruled that the Electoral Act was unconstitutional as candidates could only contest elections by way of membership of a political party. The crucial…

The head of the International Monetary Fund yesterday called on China to implement “a comprehensive package of pro-market reforms” to boost a sluggish economy beset by a housing market crisis, low domestic demand and persistently high youth unemployment. Chinese policymakers have so far resisted calls to juice the economy through massive government stimulus, instead stressing the need to pivot towards “high-quality” growth. Speaking at the China Development Forum in Beijing yesterday, IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva said the “transition from high rates to high quality of growth is the right fork in the road to take and China is determined to do so”. The Bulgarian economist warned that “this transformation would not be easy”, but argued that “with a comprehensive package of pro-market reforms, China could grow considerably faster than…

Mogadishu: Somalia’s intelligence agency said 16 suspects had been arrested over a deadly attack on a popular hotel in the capital Mogadishu 10 days ago. Three people were killed after Al-Shabaab jihadists stormed the SYL hotel near the highly fortified presidential palace compound on March 14, leading to a siege of more than 13 hours. Security forces also killed five assailants in a gun battle, police said after announcing the situation had been brought under control. Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency said five members of Somali security agencies, responsible for the checkpoints the assailants passed through, were among those arrested. | AFP…

Colombo: McDonald’s stores across Sri Lanka shut yesterday after the US fast-food giant launched a legal battle with its local franchise holder over allegations of poor hygiene, court officials said. The Commercial High Court of Colombo ordered the closures until April 4, after the parent company accused the local franchise holder of failing to meet international hygiene standards. Lawyers for McDonald’s told the court that they had terminated a franchise agreement with local company Abans last week. Notices were seen outside McDonald’s outlets yesterday saying they were “closed” and there was no indication if or when they may reopen. | AFP…

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis at the last minute skipped reading his homily during a Palm Sunday Mass for tens of thousands of people in St Peter’s Square but continued presiding at the service, read his noon prayer and was driven around the crowd in a popemobile. The pope, 87, has been suffering from bronchitis and influenza, and has delegated an aide to read his addresses for him, but yesterday his prepared text was not read at all. Cardinals, priests and bishops took part in the service. | Reuters…

A 1-0 loss to Brazil on Saturday did not dampen England coach Gareth Southgate’s spirits as he assessed a few newcomers to his team with an eye on who will make his Euro 2024 squad. An injury-hit Brazil side won the game thanks to their 17-year-old striker Endrick, who scored in the 80th minute after coming on as a substitute. It was an even game, the England manager suggested in a media conference, as he made changes to his side with the coming European Championship in Germany in mind. “I’m not down on the performance of the team,” the 53-year-old said. “The difference in the end was one moment, really ... a couple of mistakes decided the game. “There were lots of very good performances,” Southgate added to Channel 4.…

CROP FARMING in Lesotho has waned drastically, though household vegetable gardening continues unabated. The winter of 1964 is on record as one when Lesotho witnessed the heaviest snow. The summer season that followed that winter had a bumper harvest of wheat. At least in my village, the harvest lasted more than two seasons. The land tenure system allowed the right to use land allocated on a permanent and hereditary basis, on condition of continuous use of such a piece of land. Nominally, six acres was the average allocation per parcel of land and three such parcels were avail- able to each household. A household could access greater acreage through share-cropping. The household with cattle had the advantage of access to share-cropping. In this way, land was not often fallow and…

BEAUTY comes at a price and Pearl Thusi is reaping what she sowed by not doing proper research. The media personality got fulani braids with thick wooden beads, and she may be questioning her choice. While she loves her new hairstyle, she is concerned that she cannot do anything without the braids making a sound. She said in an Instagram video: “I do not have any regrets about this hair, none. But tell me, why do I sound like a walking music instrument?” Her followers were onto something when they said she must go to the studio and see if she can’t cook a song with her new braids. “Need to go to (the) studio and make you shake them,” said local rapper Maglera Doe Boy. Some women, like Pamela…

From page 1 who fled the concert hall and made their way to the Bryansk region, about 340km south-west of Moscow. “They tried to hide and moved towards Ukraine, where, according to preliminary data, a window was prepared for them on the Ukrainian side to cross the state border,” Putin said. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said the gunmen had contacts in Ukraine and were captured near the border. The suspects have been brought to Moscow and may appear in court later in the day, according to local news agencies. Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, triggering a major European war after eight years of conflict in eastern Ukraine between Ukrainian forces on one side and pro-Russian Ukrainians and Russian proxies on the other. Ukrainian President…

The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and the TB Accountability Consortium say government has failed in its responsibility to prioritise TB and was not taking enough action on TB service deliverables. Marking World TB Day yesterday, the organisations said they were concerned about the lack of progress with the roll-out of TB services across the country and called on the government to fully capacitate the country’s National TB programme to lead and coordinate the implementation of its national TB strategies and guidelines. The organisations have jointly called on the national government to declare TB a national health emergency. TAC chairperson Sibongile Tshabalala said: “As the country marks 30 years of democracy, access to TB services is actually a realisation of the right to health enshrined in the Constitution and in the…

STELLENBOSCH University scientists are developing a mobile application that will be able to distinguish a cough caused by tuberculosis (TB) from non-TB-related coughs. The innovation will be used as a screening tool to determine which patients require further testing, fast-tracking the TB diagnosis process. The cutting-edge project, called Cough Audio Triage for TB (Cage-TB), is conducted by researchers in the Clinical Mycobacteriology and Epidemiology (Clime) Group at Stellenbosch University’s Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, along with partners in Europe and Africa. “Mobile-based cough audio classification represents a potential holy grail for triage testing, with no specimens collected, negligible cost, and inexpensive smartphones have high-quality microphones and computational power to analyse audio on-device,” said Clime’s Professor Grant Theron, the lead investigator on the project. “The Cage-TB app represents a…

MEMBERS of the Hondeklipbaai community in the Northern Cape have decried the “heavy-handed” approach used by the army and police to confiscate fish from local fishers. On March 15 and 16, the community said a fisheries compliance officer from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) brought in the army and police who confiscated fish from people and stopped them from fishing. According to the department, however, several vessels inspected on the Hondeklipbaai slipway had exceeded their daily catch limit and the excess fish were confiscated and fines issued. The department said when members of the public protested, SAPS requested support from the SANDF. In a letter to Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister Barbara Creecy, Carisa Soudens, ward committee member and chairperson of the Elwandle Women’s Co-operative, said:…

THE recent findings regarding Matric pupils’ poor spelling, reading, comprehension, and paragraph-writing skills, lack of reading culture, and poor general knowledge of current affairs have been attributed to young people reading text fragments on their cellphones instead of longer-form content. Although the widespread adoption of smartphones has changed how we engage with media (written and otherwise), it does miss the nuance of the problem. Reading off a phone or other screen does not inherently lend itself to crimped reading; the content available to young people, like the rest of us, is chosen deliberately by the reader. Smartphone usage is not bound to disappear; instead of lamenting the changing nature of reading, we must focus on the available content to young people. Essentially, it is not about how you read but…

SAPS need training in use of non-lethal weapons and de-escalating conflict situations WHEN South Africa became a constitutional democracy in 1994, it inherited, inter alia, the SA Police Force, commonly known as the SA Police (SAP), one of the most powerful instruments of oppression of the former apartheid government. In principle, the SAP was expected to maintain law and order. In practice, however, the police symbolised an evil that constantly undermined and brutalised the majority of citizens in defence of the apartheid state. Opposition to the unjust laws of apartheid was routinely met with unimaginable force and violence. Most were subjected to extreme violence and unfair treatment by police under the pretence of maintaining law and order. With the advent of democracy in South Africa in 1994, the SAP was…

Israeli forces besieged two more Gaza hospitals yesterday, pinning down medical teams under heavy gunfire, the Palestinian Red Crescent said, and Israel said it had captured 480 militants in continued clashes at Gaza’s main Al Shifa hospital. Israeli forces say hospitals in the Palestinian enclave where war has been raging for over five months have frequently been used as strongholds of Hamas militants harbouring bases and weapons. Hamas and medical staff deny this. The Palestinian Red Crescent said one of its staff was killed when Israeli tanks suddenly pushed back into areas around Al-Amal and Nasser hospitals in the southern city of Khan Younis, amid heavy bombardment and gunfire. Israeli armoured forces sealed off Al-Amal Hospital and carried out extensive bulldozing operations in its vicinity, the Red Crescent said in…

Rescuers in boats and aircraft raced against the clock yesterday to help isolated people in Brazil’s mountainous southeast after storms and heavy rains killed at least 20 people. With more rain predicted yesterday, the deluge pounded the states of Rio de Janeiro and Espirito Santo, where authorities described a chaotic situation due to flooding. The death toll rose there from four to 12 yesterday as rescuers advanced. The most affected municipality is Mimoso do Sul, a town of almost 25 000 in the south of Espirito Santo, where at least 10 people died in floods, though officials fear the toll may rise. State Governor Renato Casagrande described the situation as “chaotic”, saying it has not been possible to assess the damage in some of the more isolated areas, with fears…

KYIV: The Ukrainian military said it hit two large Russian landing ships in attacks on the annexed Crimean peninsula early yesterday, as well as a communications centre and other infrastructure used by the Russian navy in the Black Sea. The statement did not say how it hit the targets, but a Moscow-installed official in the region reported a major Ukrainian air attack and said air defences had shot down more than 10 missiles over the Crimean port of Sevastopol. Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russian-installed governor of Sevastopol, said transport infrastructure including passenger boats was partially damaged. Three passenger buses, 13 school buses and one trolley bus were among the vehicles hit. | Reuters…

DAKAR: Voting was under way in Senegal yesterday in a delayed presidential election many hope will bring change after a turbulent political period that triggered violent anti-government protests and boosted support for the opposition. At stake is the potential end of a regime that has pushed investor-friendly policies but failed to alleviate economic hardship in one of coup-prone West Africa’s more stable democracies. Nineteen contenders are vying to replace President Macky Sall, stepping down after a second term marred by unrest over the prosecution of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko and concerns he wanted to extend his mandate past the constitutional limit. | Reuters…

While the Springbok Women “seemed rusty at times”, coach Louis Koen lauded his team for their fighting spirit in a second-half comeback to beat Spain 15-13 in Valladolid on Saturday. The Women Boks were 13-5 down at one stage, but kept their hopes of a win alive with a penalty try with 10 minutes left to make it 13-12, and then left wing Jakkie Cilliers slotted a penalty with three minutes to go, for a 15-13 lead. The Spaniards had a last-gasp chance to snatch victory, but missed a penalty. The forwards dominated the physical exchanges, with the likes of No 5 lock Vainah Ubisi and blindside flank Sinazo Mcatshulwa charging forward with ball in hand, while the back three of Cilliers, fullback Chuma Qawe and right wing Macaela…

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos is expected to have a throbbing headache surrounding his attacking line as his side prepare to test themselves against Algeria tomorrow. Broos will lead his team against a rebuilding Desert Foxes at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algeria (11pm kick-off, SA time), and will look to hand out numerous opportunities once more as Bafana aim to build on their Africa Cup of Nations success. The Belgian recently affirmed his commitment to the South African cause as the so-called big hitters in the continent came calling for his signature. His confidence in the work he has done in the rejuvenation of Bafana, which saw them finish third at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, has given him the impetus to embed prospects in…

The ADAGE high risk, high rewards aptly describe the African market. And pace setting South African companies that bet their risk on markets to the north of our boarders are reaping their rewards. While the majority have been successful, there is a caution to this experience – which is that not all South African companies that ventured into the continent have had a rosy experience. Some have had to abandon their respective markets with bloodied noses. Business extortion, civil strife and low intensity conflict are characteristic of some of these markets. Africa is not for the faint-hearted so goes a popular refrain. Just how an entity mitigates these challenges ultimately determines its success as can be seen by some of the more successful companies trading in this market. After all,…

From page 1 in the number of people diagnosed with TB each year since 2007 where the figure was 644 000 compared to 280 000 in 2022. TB related deaths are falling, but at a much slower rate, he said. “As we remain steadfast in our quest to end TB, we must reflect on prevalent challenges that still remain in our TB response efforts, which call for joint and collective actions. We still have a high number of missing TB clients, we have a high detection gap among men owing to limited customized services, we have a lot of men dying from TB, we have a sub-optimal treatment success rate of around 75% for drug susceptible TB and around 60% for drug-resistant TB, the dual burden of HIV and TB…

Gqeberha businessman Neal Ah-Tow, 58, has returned home after about a month in captivity following his kidnapping. His return comes about a week after the release of Sonam Gajjar, the wife of another local businessman. Ah-Tow was kidnapped outside his fishery in Crichton Street in Sidwell, Gqeberha, on March 1. It is alleged that on the morning of the incident at about 7am, five armed men accosted him as he was about to open the store. He was shoved into a silver Chevrolet Cruze vehicle which sped off. Eastern Cape Hawks spokesperson Yolisa Mgolodela said he was allegedly released on Friday but was not in good condition. “It is alleged that the victim was released on Friday at 9.30pm. He was brought by a person from Marikina in Despatch. According…

EDUCATION experts, the national association of school governing bodies and a teachers’ union have called for the Department of Education to have better monitoring and policies in place to put a stop to teacher misconduct cases. This comes after a recent round-table discussion by the South African Council for Educators (SACE) regarding an increase in the number of reported misconduct cases against teachers. SACE CEO Ella Makgalane said the body had noted an increase in misconduct cases. “Top of the list is corporal punishment, and second is sexual misconduct cases.” Makgalane said they were developing programmes in order for educators to understand the implications of teacher misconduct. “Teachers should not retaliate when struck by pupils but rather follow correct protocol to address the situation. “We are doing our part as…

A Laingsburg police officer who spent the weekend behind bars is expected to appear in the Worcester Magistrate’s Court on corruption charges. The sergeant, attached to the detective services, was arrested on Friday after an investigation found that he had allegedly solicited a bribe from a taxi driver in order for him not to be arrested on December 5 last year. The officer had found that the driver’s vehicle details were circulated in a fraud case in Gauteng. According to police spokesperson Wesley Twigg, the officer requested that the taxi driver pay him R2 500. “This was after the vehicle he was driving was circulated in a fraud case in Midrand. He negotiated with the driver and R1 000 in cash was handed over to the sergeant. When they…

I'M WRITING to draw attention to the really brilliant article in Wednesday’s paper, written by Hugo Kruger, who has an MSc in Civil Nuclear Engineering. It should be the headline on the front page. I've read previous articles written by Mr Kruger, all eminently readable, but Wednesday’s one stands out. If John Steenhuisen, or one of his deputies in the DA, don't snap up this young man and make him the Shadow Minister of Energy, they will be missing out on a fantastic opportunity to strengthen the opposition. He has all the answers to Eskom’s problems, and he, together with Dan Marokane, would sort out our electricity problems and get rid of the interfering old crooks in government who are deliberately sabotaging any efforts to fix Eskom, for their own…

WATER, or rather the mismanagement thereof, has escalated to such levels that it has made news headlines daily over the past weeks. Burst pipes gushing potable water into the streets across the City of Johannesburg and raw sewage running down the streets of Munsieville, Krugersdorp and many others across the country, have become the norm. One of the symptoms of failure to manage and govern in an informed manner is the current sewage crisis. One of many dysfunctional wastewater treatment works is the Percy Stewart wastewater treatment works in Mogale City, which has been polluting the Blougat Spruit and Blougat River, flowing through the Unesco Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site. The sewage-contaminated river disappears under the surface and into the water table, threatening the dolomitic karst system with sinkholes…

More than 130 schoolchildren kidnapped by gunmen in northwestern Nigeria earlier this month were released unharmed yesterday, officials and the army said. The mass abduction in Kuriga, Kaduna state on March 7 was one of the biggest attacks on a school in years and sparked a national outcry over insecurity. The army said the hostages were freed in the early hours during a rescue operation. Spokesperson Major General Edward Buba shared photos of children wearing dust-coated uniforms in buses. “The rescued hostages totalling 137 comprise 76 females and 61 males. They were rescued in Zamfara State and would be handed over to the Kaduna State Government,” he said. Teachers and residents previously said about 280 pupils between the ages of 8 and 15 were kidnapped when armed criminals known in…

Malawi’s president appealed for $200 million (about R3.8 billion) in food aid this weekend, saying millions faced starvation due to a drought linked to the El Niño weather phenomenon. President Lazarus Chakwera declared at the weekend a state of natural disaster in 23 of the 28 districts following an assessment of damage to farmland. Neighbouring Zambia declared a national disaster in late February after drought devastated its agricultural sector. Major growing areas in Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe received only 80% of average rainfall during the southern hemisphere summer from mid-November to February, according to the UN. Chakwera said nearly two million farming households had been affected and 44.3% of national crop land had suffered damage. El Niño is typically associated with increased heat worldwide, as well as drought…

Brussels: One person was killed and another seriously wounded in separate shootings in Brussels overnight, police said yesterday, as officials grapple with a surge in drug-related crimes in the city. Gunfire was heard in the Laeken district in the north of the Belgian capital, where one person was found dead, police said. A few hours later, another person was wounded in a shooting near the city centre and remained in “critical condition” in hospital. Around half a dozen shootings thought to be linked to drug trafficking, one fatal, have taken place since February in Brussels, where the use of crack cocaine has become increasingly prevalent. | AFP…

ATHLONE: Simon Harris became Ireland’s prime minister in waiting yesterday after nominations closed for the leadership of the governing Fine Gael party with no other candidate publicly declaring their intention to succeed Leo Varadkar. Harris, a 37-year-old minister known for helping steer the country’s initial response to Covid-19, was declared the new leader of the centre-right party. He will then be voted in as Ireland’s youngest prime minister when Parliament next sits on April 9, thanks to support from Fine Gael’s coalition partners. Harris will have a year to save the coalition from defeat at parliamentary elections. Polls for the last three years have put Sinn Fein, a left-wing party that backs unification with Northern Ireland, a British province, as the favourite to head the next government. Varadkar resigned last…

The 17th edition of the Indian Premier League got under way last Friday, and it hasn’t taken long for the world’s biggest T20 tournament to catch fire. And at the centre of it was big-hitting South African Heinrich Klaasen who carried on from where he left off in the SA20 competition. Klaasen lived up to his reputation as one of the world’s best T20 batters with his knock of 63 off 29 balls for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, which included eight sixes at a strike rate of 217. But it was in vain as the Sunrisers went down by four wickets to the Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday. Needing 64 runs to win with 20 balls remaining, KKR would have been quietly confident about their chances…