Indice dei contenuti per 2021-08-20 in Cape Times

Toyota will cut global vehicle production by 40 percent in September as global microchip shortages constrain chip supply to automakers, news outlets reported yesterday. Japan’s biggest automaker said it planned to reduce worldwide output by 540 000 vehicles, more than the initially anticipated 360 000, Japan’s national news agency Kyodo reported. The motor company announced in a statement that production at all but one of 28 lines at its 14 domestic plants would be paused for weeks between late August and mid-September. The global automotive industry slashed production due to a shortage of semiconductors, which are critical for the production of a variety of electronic devices. The crunch stems from the spread of Covid-19 in Southeast Asia, a key microchip production hub. |…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za THE RAND FELL to a near six-month low and breached the R15 level in the face of a stronger dollar yesterday after the US government indicated that it was preparing to ease stimulus to the economy. The US Federal Open Market Committee has stated that there is a likelihood of the Fed starting the taper of their bond purchases to the back end of this year. The Fed’s expected reduction of the central bank’s emergency monthly purchases of $120 billion (about R1.82 trillion) of US Treasury bonds and mortgage-backed securities immediately triggered a risk-off sentiment. The rand was trading 1.03 percent lower at R15.03 to the greenback by 4pm, its lowest level since early March, as the dollar gained strength on the prospect of…

Siphokazi Vuso siphokazi.vuso@inl.co.za POLICE are still searching for a driver of a BMW, after a horrific accident claimed the life of passenger Kaylyene Damonze in Bakoven. The 24-year-old sustained severe injuries and was declared dead on the scene by medical personnel. Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi said Camps Bay police opened a case of culpable homicide after the driver of a BMW lost control of his vehicle on Saturday, at about 10.30pm, and drove into a rock on Victoria Road, Bakoven, near Oudekraal. “Subsequently, an occupant, who was with the driver, sustained fatal injuries and was declared deceased by medical personnel on the scene. “The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation,” Swartbooi said. No one has been arrested as yet and the investigation continues, he said yesterday. It is…

Siyabonga Mkhwanazi and Mayibongwe Maqhina Opposition parties have expressed dissatisfaction with the election of Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula as Speaker, saying it was a blow to Parliament. Analysts also warned that such an election could be challenged if other parties had grounds based on the allegations levelled against her. Lawyer Ulrich Roux said for Mapisa-Nqakula to be chosen as Speaker, she must be a fit and proper person. UDM leader Bantu Holomisa has lodged a complaint with the joint standing committee on defence to probe Mapisa-Nqakula for allegedly receiving a bribe from a contract while she was minister of defence. The committee is investigating this. In her address, Mapisa-Nqakula said she wanted to protect the integrity of Parliament, and work with other political parties. “I extend a hand of cooperation to each…

Nolwethu Jubase, Ross Shackleton and John Measey EVERY year, the South African government spends approximately R2 billion to control invasive alien plant species that are intentionally or unintentionally introduced into new areas by humans, and have a variety of social, ecological and economic impacts. It’s not easy to manage and control invasive alien plant species, and efforts to do so are often higher than the benefits of introducing them. We cannot just rely on state-operated, large-scale control initiatives such as the Working for Water Programme launched by the government in 1995. Given the link between people and the introduction and spread of invasive species, we need to involve and engage the broader public. We should also look at the efforts of volunteers who contribute to detection and removal of these…

Thembile Ndabeni AUGUST 19 marks the 20th anniversary of the death of one of the outstanding sons of South Africa and Africa, Donald Woods. The Black Consciousness Movement’s philosophy, unlike the ANC’s charterist stance, was not broadly inclusive. Though there were Indians within the movement, they were treated with scepticism, hence whites were not accommodated at all. However, in 1976, at the height of the Struggle, there came a white man who became close to Steve Bantu Biko. This man was Donald Woods. He never showed any signs of being a spy as white people would be treated with scepticism. He was the editor of the Daily Dispatch newspaper. Woods became Biko’s close friend and automatically closer to the cause waged by Black Consciousness Movement (BCM). To Biko’s dismay,…

MICHAEL BAGRAIM | Highlands Estate YOUR Tuesday edition’s “Marikana widows beg Ramaphosa for compassion” refers. As we commemorate the 9th Anniversary of the Marikana massacre, I can’t help thinking why the trade union movement is still so supportive of the governing party. In essence right from the top of the governing party we see complicity and unfortunately in the aftermath absolute silence. I’ve been involved in labour disputes for over 35 years and I’ve never seen fit to ever call for violent intervention. The descendants of those that were massacred in Marikana should look to the trade unions for proper support and demand from the unions to all make statements that they are distancing themselves from the governing party.…

Chevon Booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za THE arbitration case for fired top cop Jeremy Vearey ground to a halt this week following a Covid-related matter. The Bargaining Council matter, being heard at the Cullinan Hotel, has been postponed to next month after police closed their case. Vearey, represented by advocate Johann Nortje and Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru), is believed to still be in a place of safety, while a parallel matter is before the Western Cape High Court relating to security being reinstated to the former top cop who is expected to testify in high-profile underworld cases. Vearey was dismissed from his position as Western Cape head of detectives earlier this year on the grounds of misconduct for “disrespectful” posts he made on social media which brought the SAPS “into…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za THERE was a 50% increase in allegations of corruption in the City last year compared with the previous year, claims Corruption Watch’s latest report. But the City said it had no record of having received any allegations from Corruption Watch. On Wednesday, the non-profit organisation released its “South Africa Needs Clean Hands” report on local government corruption – including irregularities in procurement processes, abuse of power, bribery and fraud. The highest number of allegations of corruption in local government – a record number of 857 – were received last year. There was a 50% increase in cases stemming from the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State and KwaZulu- Natal compared with the previous year. The City of Johannesburg tops the list of municipalities most implicated in…

Reviewer: Orielle Berry A Long Letter to My Daughter Marita van der Vyver Loot.co.za (R284) Tafelberg MARITA van der Vyver is a prolific writer of novels, children’s books and recipe books and it was inevitable that during her long and illustrious life, she would pen an autobiography in one form or another. As she writes because there were “still things I need to say before it is too late” and, prompted in part because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the book came about. Addressed to her daughter Mia, the acclaimed writer’s story of her life speaks to her child to reveal how (and why) she grew up; and reveals many family stories that Mia may be wanting to know or, should know – either now or later: defining key moments in…

| OWN Correspondent SUSPECTS Lesley Pearse Loot.co.za (R230) PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE WELCOME to Willow Close, where everyone is a suspect. On the day Nina and Conrad Best move into their new home in picture-perfect Willow Close, a body is discovered. Hurrying inside with their belongings, they see horrified neighbours gather around the police cordon. One of the residents has been attacked and killed in the woods. When police start to interview the residents of the Close, they soon discover every neighbour harbours their own secrets, because everyone on the Close is far from what they seem. Nina and Conrad thought they'd found their dream home but have they moved into a nightmare? Welcome to Willow Close where you’ll fit right in.…

THE upcoming 2021/22 DStv Premiership season promises to be one of the most interesting and different in recent memory. Bloemfontein Celtic, one of the most well supported teams with a rich history, will no longer be a part of the Premiership. While Celtic could never match the so-called “bigger teams”, their supporters always added much-needed glitz and glamour to the league. Phunya Sele-Sele were definitely one of the best, if not the best, supported teams outside the “big three” (Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs). It would not be surprising to see them resurface as a semi-professional team in the near future, but it’s hard to see them back in the top flight any time soon. Meanwhile, Kaizer Chiefs have no excuses not to win major silverware this season.…

Clashes between herders and fishermen in northern Cameroon have killed at least 32 people this month, with 19 villages torched, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said yesterday. Some 11 000 people fled to Chad and a further 7 300 were displaced in Cameroon’s far north after fighting broke out on August 10 between Choa Arab herders and Mousgoum fishermen and farmers, the UNHCR said. Officials described the fighting as Cameroon’s worst ethnic violence in years. The herders were angry because their livestock were falling into holes dug by fishermen to capture fish in pools of receding floodwaters, according to a local official. The refugees in Chad were in urgent need of shelter, the UNHCR said, with many sleeping under trees. “(UNHCR) calls on the governments concerned to do…

STOKHOLM: The grave of prominent Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme at the Adolf Fredrik cemetery in Stockholm has been vandalised. Anonymous culprits have attached tape and sprayed nail polish on the tombstone and cut down a tree right next to the grave. The Church Council has previously applied to the Data Inspectorate for camera surveillance in the cemetery, but was refused on the grounds that only certain times of the day could be approved. The case has now been appealed to the administrative court. “It’s awful,” church council chairperson Anders Jörle told national broadcaster SVT. He described the act as “woeful defilement”, adding that a police report had been filed. According to him, the family are saddened by the desecration. Olof Palme was a Swedish politician and statesman who served…

Singapore: A Singapore YouTube star was charged yesterday with offering teenage boys cash for sexual services, after facing misconduct allegations on social media. Dee Kosh gained popularity for his shows, which are often him chatting to the camera or friends and was also well known as a DJ at a radio station. But last year social media users accused the 32-year-old of asking them for sexual favours and to send nude pictures in messages. Some posted screenshots. The YouTuber, Darryl Ian Koshy, faced seven charges when he appeared in court. He allegedly offered boys aged 15 to 17 money in exchange for sexual favours.…

Jerusalem: Israel yesterday announced the removal of decades-old restrictions facing gay men seeking to donate blood, following similar moves by Britain and the US. “The prohibition on gay men donating blood was a relic of a stereotype that belongs in the past,” Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz, himself a gay man, said. The clause prohibiting receiving blood from a man who had sexual relations with another man will be cancelled and questionnaires will instead include a new clause prohibiting donations from people who “had high-risk sexual relations with a new partner or multiple partners” for three months.…

Zaahier Adams zaahier.adams@inl.co.za CAPE Town City have been handed a major boost with new signing Nathan Fasika being registered in time for their DStv Premiership season opener against SuperSport United tomorrow. Fasika, an imposing Congolese international defender, missed City’s MTN8 quarter-final victory over AmaZulu last weekend due to his paperwork not yet being finalised. But the 22-year-old, signed from Saint-Éloi Lupopo for close to R700 000, is now ready to make his Citizens debut. It will be interesting to see where Fasika fits into the line-up after Abbubaker Mobara and Taariq Fielies were outstanding as a central partnership in Durban. Mobara was named Player of the Match for his efforts. “We have his (Fasika) work permit,” City coach Eric Tinkler confirmed. “All of that is good. It is making…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za VACCINE registration is officially open to all adults, with the announcement that those aged 18 to 34 will be eligible to register and get vaccinated from today onwards. The announcement has been welcomed by Premier Alan Winde, who said the province had the capacity to accommodate increased demand. “I welcome, with excitement, the announcement today that residents in the 18- to 34-year-old age cohort (or 18+) will be eligible to register and get vaccinated from tomorrow onwards. “This now means that all adult residents living in the Western Cape will have access to the lifesaving and job-creating vaccines,” Winde said. He said there had been a decrease in vaccine uptake across the country, attributed to vaccine hesitancy and the need to improve access to vulnerable and remote…

Chevon Booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za THE STATE will oppose the bail application for 38-year-old Nkosiphethile Magula, accused of raping and assaulting his girlfriend after an altercation at their home in George. Magula appeared in the Thembalethu Magistrate’s Court yesterday. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said the accused faces two charges of rape, and two charges of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm. “His case has been postponed to August 26 for a bail application. “The State will oppose bail,” said Ntabazalila. Magula’s girlfriend has since been moved to a place of safety after being hospitalised due to her injuries following the rape and assault. Police spokesperson Malcolm Pojie said the incident occurred on August 16 at the couple’s home. “Preliminary investigation reveals that the couple had an argument…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za WHAT started as a ballpoint pen drawing hobby for a Nyanga artist more than two decades ago is now putting him on the map as he is understood to be the first black artist to win the Vuleka 2021 Art Competition since its inception in 1963. Themba Mkhangeli, a 27-year-old self-taught artist, made history earlier this month by winning first prize for his piece Ubuhle Bendalo (The Beauty Nature), a portrait of a teenage girl with vitiligo skin condition. Mkhangeli didn’t stop there as he also scooped an award at the Vukawanele Design Competition. Vuleka, meaning “open”, was established by Art.b Gallery, making it the oldest continuous art competition in South Africa. It is a competition initiative of the Arts Association in Bellville. From humble beginnings in…

Gilad Stern | Cape Town THE Afghan turmoil has possibly affected the memory of Letter to the Editor writer, Farouk Araie (Cape Times, Tuesday), who remarks on the death of US strategic advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski who “died on Friday at the age of 89”. Brzezinski did indeed die on a Friday, but it was a Friday in May, 2017. The writer was out by four and a bit years. But that’s not the biggest factual error in the letter. Has the writer simply forgotten the human rights atrocities the Taliban visited upon Afghans, particularly women? Or is he purposely blind to facts, as he lionises the Taliban? The Taliban is an appalling organisation, visiting suffering and agony upon millions of captive subjects. Your readers can fact-check that for…

Kevin Meineke | HOUT BAY I REFER to the item: “One in 10 women suffer from this syndrome” Cape Times August 16. The article claims that 10% of women suffer from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and that one of the results of this is that the female concerned is commonly overweight. There is conflicting evidence in this regard and there are schools of thought in the medical world that the opposite is true, in that obesity develops first and that PCOS is a result of such. Diet and stress have also been linked to PCOS. Why is the medical world so parochial or intolerant of different views within its own discipline that are not deemed mainstream? Patient health should come first!…

Samaoen Osman | Crawford THE US was defeated and humiliated in Afghanistan. The hypocritical and self-righteous Western corporate media is in overdrive hysteria against Sharia (law) and the Taliban takeover of Kabul and Afghanistan. Those who argue that history is cyclical must feel validated at this moment as the chaos in Kabul – resulting from fleeing foreigners and their collaborators – was almost identical to the chaos in Saigon (later Ho Chi Minh City) in 1975. It is important, then, that we insist on this depiction, that of defeat, not tactical withdrawal, for the latter will still allow the spin doctors to sustain the illusion that military intervention, regime change and so on remains an option in the hands of Washington. The former, however, helps us appreciate this…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za IN A case where a white senior magistrate has been fighting for 12 years to obtain justice, a judge now says there is definitely space for competent white appointments. Judge Joseph Raulinga, sitting in the Equality Court at the high court in Pretoria, said while transformation was still paramount to a diverse society, it was also evident that the country must continue to appoint white people to the judicial office. “We cannot rule out the interest of non-designated groups out of the equation at the outset. Since the dawn of democracy, more black people have been appointed to the judicial office. “This resulted in the black community gaining more confidence in the judiciary. Consequently, the white community will continue to have confidence in the judiciary when they…

FOR many years the upper West Coast of South Africa was referred to as the Diamond Coast and was a flourishing hive of diamond mining operations, with De Beers being the prominent operator. When in 2009 these operations were being drastically scaled down, the region rapidly lost its lustre and started decaying. | Julian Richfield FLIGHT OF THE DIAMOND SMUGGLERS: A Tale of Pigeons, Obsession and Greed Along Coastal South Africa Matthew Gavin Frank Loot.co.za (R 185) ICON BOOKS Once vibrant towns and village such as Port Nolloth, Alexander Bay and Kleinzee rapidly became shells of their former selves. This area is the setting for a rather unusual and wonderful new book, Flight of the Diamond Smugglers: A Tale of Pigeons, Obsession and Greed Along Coastal South Africa by American…

| OWN Correspondent SOUL SISTERS Lesley Lokko Loot.co.za (R245) Macmillan A RICH, intergenerational tale of love, race, power and secrets which centres on the lifelong friendship between two women – Scottish Jen McFadden and South African-born uKwemisa Mashabane, known to her friends as Kemi. Since childhood, Jen and Kemi have lived like sisters in the McFadden family home in Edinburgh, brought together by a shared family history which stretches back generations. Kemi was educated in Britain alongside Jen and the girls could not be closer; nor could they be more different in the paths they take in life. But the ties that bind them are strong and complicated, and a dark family secret exists in their joint history. Solam Matsunyane is from South Africa’s black political elite. Handsome, charismatic,…

Pardoning former president Jacob Zuma may offer the best solution SOUTH AFRICA stands at a crossroads as the Jacob Zuma factor remains a living reality, if not a horror movie. The recent unrest in KZN and Gauteng has put South Africa in a precarious condition, as such, the economic freedom so many are yearning for has further been delayed by a few who caused absolute mayhem that has affected the majority of the people in our country. We are faced with political and economic instability, and possibly another wave of violent destruction and violent action that could re-emerge if the courts find him guilty in the cases he faces. On the unrest, Zuma’s defiance of the Zondo Commission by walking out and not returning would prove to be costly, not…

Brazil’s intensive gold extraction threatens over 6.2 million hectares of national reserves in Amazonia, a study, conducted by Instituto Escolhas, a Sao Paulo-based non-governmental organisation promoting sustainable development, found. “Over the last five years, the devastation of Amazonia forests increased five times solely due to mining activities,” Larissa Rodrigues, a project manager with Instituto Escolhas, said. In 2020, Brazil exported 110.6 tons of gold to about 20 countries, with 17.2% of the gold mined and exported illegally. Illicit mining is one of principal causes of deforestation in Amazonia, which lost 850 000ha, according to official data. On August 4, Brazil’s Congress passed a law on appropriation of Amazon lands, occupied by businesses, opening the areas, inhabited by indigenous people, for mining and other extractive activities. The move was…

Maria Herrera’s life fell apart when first two and then another two of her sons disappeared. Now she dedicates her life to the search for them – and thousands more missing in violence-wracked Mexico. Jesus Salvador, then 24, and Raul Trujillo, 19, vanished in August 2008 after going to trade gold in Guerrero, a state plagued by cartel turf wars. Two years later Gustavo, 28, and Luis Armando, 25, went missing in Veracruz, another hotspot for criminal gangs working with corrupt police. Both had helped with the search for their brothers while criss-crossing the country for their work as part of the family’s gold trading business. Asking too many questions can be deadly in Mexico and one theory is that corrupt cops got rid of the pair after they realised…

Havana: A Cuban court has revoked the conditional release of leading dissident Jose Daniel Ferrer, ordering him to see out the remaining four years of a prison sentence, an ally said yesterday. Ferrer was one of a number of well-known dissidents arrested on July 11 during unprecedented anti-government protests in 40 towns and cities across the island nation. The subsequent government crackdown left one dead, dozens injured and hundreds arrested. Ferrer had been on conditional release since February, when he was due to start a sentence of four years and six months for having attacked a fellow dissident.…

KARLSRUHE: A German high court said Beate Zschaepe, a member of a neo-Nazi group that targeted ethnic Turks and other minorities in a seven-year killing spree, could remain in prison for the rest of her life because of the gravity of her crimes. The Federal Court of Justice said it had rejected her appeal against her conviction on 10 counts of murder, ruling that her crimes were of such gravity that she could be held in prison for longer than the standard life sentence of 15 years. There can be no further appeal. The exact duration of her sentence will be decided during her imprisonment.…

MIHLALI BALEKA mihlali.baleka@inl.co.za INDEED, the winds of change are blowing at Bafana Bafana! This was evident after coach Hugo Broos selected a relatively youthful squad for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe and Ghana next month. Often players have been recycled at the national team, with some not selected on merit or form, but on popularity or experience. This was almost a “safe card” by coaches who perhaps knew their jobs were on the line. Belgian Broos is instead determined on rebuilding the team and giving youngsters a chance. After all, that had worked for him when Cameroon won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2017. Broos won’t have to stress about the continental showpiece next year, given that his predecessor Molefi Ntseki had failed to inspire the team…

ZAAHIER ADAMS zaahier.adams@inl.co.za LAST season Mamelodi Sundowns won the DStv Premiership for the fourth consecutive time. Despite a mid-season blip in late April that saw the Brazilians being held by both KwaZulu-Natal teams AmaZulu and Golden Arrows, which sandwiched a defeat to Kaizer Chiefs, Sundowns still eased to the championship with a 13-point cushion. They’ve lifted the Premiership trophy six times out of the last eight seasons. Last season they scored eight more goals than anybody else and conceded the same number fewer. Their goal difference of 35 was 20 goals superior to their nearest rivals and tonight’s season-opening opponents AmaZulu (5pm kick-off). Can the yellow and blue machine’s dominance even be stopped then? “I think our rivals are much stronger. Chiefs are stronger, Pirates are stronger. Swallows are much…

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za GOLD Fields said yesterday that it plans to acquire additional assets as profit during the half-year ended in June doubled to $387 million (R5.9 billion) from $156m on a combination of the strong bullion prices and extra production. Gold Fields, whose South Deep mine in Westonaria has the world’s third-biggest gold reserves, expects annual production to reach 2.7 million ounces by 2024 before contracting as some of the mines reach the end of their lives. Newly appointed chief executive Chris Griffith said additional gold resources would come from existing assets and regions around where the company currently operates. Griffith said Gold Fields, which has previously invested in junior exploration firms, was also actively looking for assets around its Cerro Corona mine in Peru. “We…

Staff writer The Film and Publication Board (FPB) has welcomed the sentencing of Dale Mackintosh to an effective five years behind bars for the possession of child pornography. The FPB worked closely with law enforcement on the case, conducting an analysis of the images found in his possession. The Oudtshoorn Regional Court on Wednesday sentenced him to seven years’ imprisonment, of which two years are suspended. At least 200 images were found in his possession, and were confirmed to be Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). “This sentencing, after many hours of diligent work by our Child Protection Officers in close relationship with our colleagues in law enforcement, is warmly welcomed,” said interim chief executive officer of the FPB Nomvuyiso Batyi. “In our pursuit of eradicating the scourge of Child Sexual…

Samkelo Mtshali samkelo.thulasizwe@inl.co.za ISMAIL Haffejee and his sister Sarah Bibi Lall have described how their brother’s death in police detention in August 1977 snuffed out all the happiness from their home, leading to their mother dying a broken-hearted woman as she pursued justice for her son. The two are the only surviving siblings of the late Dr Hoosen Haffejee, who died in police detention on August 3, 1977, after he was arrested by Security Branch members including Lieutenant James Taylor and Captain Petrus du Toit on August 1, 1977. Hoosen was found in cell number 2 of the Brighton Beach police station hanging from his trousers from a grille door 400mm from the ground. Police claimed he had committed suicide, an assertion supported by a 1978 inquest into his death…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za AS child rights activists continue to express outrage at the shocking statistics that more than 23 000 Gauteng teenagers had fallen pregnant over the past year, it has emerged that the Western Cape recorded more than 11 000 teenage pregnancies – 325 of these involving girls aged 10 to 14. Among those aged 15-19, the figure is up from 10 773 to 11 342 and among the 10-14 age band, the figure increased from 314 to 325 pregnancies recorded over the last 12 months. Provincial officials have linked the increase to gender-based violence, barriers in accessing contraception, which included stock-outs at local clinics because of the pandemic, and a need for more sex education. The Western Cape Department of Education (WCED) said there were 547 cases of…

WHEN foreign policy is based on lies, hubris of superiority and blatant contradictions, no matter how hard political leaders try to deflect reality, the truth will come out. Consequences, especially unintended ones, have resulted in a graveyard of foreign policy failures – Eden in Egypt, Khrushchev in Cuba, De Gaulle in Algeria, Brezhnev in Afghanistan, Bush in Iraq, Obama in Syria – the list is endless. Foreign policy is explicitly amoral because it is based on national self- interest, electoral calculations and the arithmetic of body bags. It remains heavily tinged with a colonialist mindset, giving short thrift to notions of “a just war” and “the greater good”. The debacle unfolding in Afghanistan as the militant Taliban forces, given a free pass by US and British capitulation, appeasement and intelligence…

I HAVE been writing for years and years about the need for sex education in all our schools. The latest stats in the paper show that 23 000 pupils were pregnant last year, which is a disgrace. Obviously the education department has been doing nothing. I know a lot of parents baulked at having classes in their schools and one has to wonder why? Do they think their children are not going to have sex? Well the figures show the answer to that. The sad part as well is between the ages of 10 and 14 there were 934 babies born. Good grief. These are still little girls. Where have we gone so wrong? There needs to be far more family planning and abortion clinics as patently this cannot carry…

EDWARD HECTOR | CAPE TOWN IT’S shocking to still come across an article such as “Sassa’s office plan not fit for purpose” by Okuhle Hlati, in last Friday’s Cape Times. The poor and vulnerable deserve better than to stand in long queues waiting to be serviced by state departments and when we think that Home Affairs has started to get their act together we now see these types of articles relating to Sassa. This country has no shortage of property professionals and in many respects we are up there with the best in the world, and have bodies such as the SA Property Owners Association and the SA Facilities Management Association with expertise that can solve these types of problems in a heartbeat. Sassa has no business…

Rapula Moatshe rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za THE highly contested nomination process for the ANC councillor in Ward 15 in Nellmapius near Pretoria took a violent turn on Wednesday night when a branch member was shot dead, allegedly by his disgruntled comrades. Two more people were wounded and one of them – a branch secretary – was hospitalised following the shooting incident. It was said the shooting took place away from the voting station, but at the time when public voting was under way. ANC regional secretary Eugene “Bonzo” Modise said that those shot at were returning from overseeing voting at the station when they were ambushed by gunmen on Solomon Mahlangu Drive. He labelled the alleged perpetrators “hooligans” who had associated themselves with “those who have interest in becoming councillors”. “When they realised…

| OWN Correspondent It’s The Answers For Me Khaya Dlanga Loot.co.za (R215) PICADOR AFRICA WITH three bestselling books, Khaya Dlanga is one of South Africa’s favourite authors. His ability to write candidly and authentically about himself and his world has resonated with readers from all walks of life. In March last year Dlanga found himself bereaved, alone and facing an indefinite lockdown as a result of Covid-19. Like most of us, he turned to social media to maintain some human connection, and his followers came through and kept him going. It’s The Answers For Me is the result of Dlanga’s ongoing Q&A interactions with his followers on Instagram. It’s evidence of the genuine communities that are formed on social media: intensely human, at times strange and shocking, sometimes touching…

Among the most powerful and disturbing testimonies at the Social Justice and Nation Building Project (SJN) hearings was that of former Proteas cricketer Paul Adams, who revealed that he was racially discriminated against by former South African teammates, including the current coach Mark Boucher. “I was called brown s*** when I was playing. It often used to be a song when we won a game and we were in fines meetings. They would sing, ‘brown s*** in the ring, tra la la la laa’,” Adams said. Adams said he continued to take it because he was a racial minority in the team and it was a means of acceptance and survival. “They wouldn’t call a white player, ‘white s***’, or anything like that, it was ‘brown s***’.” Adams said it…

KABUL: Several people were killed yesterday in the Afghan city of Asadabad when Taliban fighters fired on people waving the national flag at an Independence Day rally, a witness said, a day after three people were killed in a similar protest. The protests by people waving the Afghan flag, in some cases after tearing down white Taliban flags according to media, are the first signs of popular opposition to the Taliban since their stunning advance across the country and capture of the capital Kabul on Sunday. It was unclear if the casualties in Asadabad resulted from the firing or from the stampede that it triggered, witness Mohammed Salim said from the eastern city, the capital of Kunar province. “Hundreds of people came out on the streets,” Salim said. “At first…

LONDON: Daniel Radcliffe has admitted he’s a bad driver and hates getting behind the wheel “in real life”. The Harry Potter actor has admitted while he’d love to be part of the ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise and has his license, he doesn’t actually enjoy hitting the road. Appearing on Conan Obrien’s ‘Needs A Friend’ podcast, he said: “I would love to be in a movie like that but in the instance of (Fast & Furious), if I could have a non-driving part, that would be great. Driving on camera is maybe the part of my job that I hate the most.”…

Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny yesterday told Russians to take part in a tactical voting campaign at next month’s parliamentary elections to try to dent the ruling United Russia party’s political dominance. The campaign, which asks people to vote for specific candidates judged to have the best chance of defeating the United Russia candidate in any given area, is one of the last levers Navalny and his allies have after a crackdown this summer outlawed his movement as “extremist”. His own allies are banned from taking part, and United Russia, which supports President Vladimir Putin, is expected to win the September 17-19 election despite a prolonged slump in its own popularity. Navalny hopes to reduce United Russia’s margin of victory however, and to cause it potential embarrassment in places like…

Port-au-Prince: The number of people who have died as a result of the earthquake in Haiti has risen to 2,189, the AP news agency reported, citing the country’s civil protection agency. According to the previous estimation, the death toll stood at 1 941 people. A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Haiti on Saturday. Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced that he would declare a state of emergency in the country and urged for solidarity in the face of the disaster. A number of countries have already expressed their readiness to provide Haiti with humanitarian aid.…

Stuart Hess stuart.hess@inl.co.za KAGISO Rabada will step into the world of talent management, setting up his own agency to assist artists and athletes. Rabada, 26, has collaborated with sports management firm, Forwardzone, to create KGR Sports and Entertainment. The likes of Roger Federer, and his company Team8 and Lebron James with KlutchSports, have been involved in similar ventures. “Being a direct collaborator in my own commercial opportunities, partnerships and branding is incredibly important to me - something which has now become real in KGR Sports and Entertainment,” Rabada said in a statement yesterday. “This will also be true for every athlete and artist represented by KGR - enhanced and empowered by a team of commercial and creative experts.” The agency will assist clients in sourcing marketing opportunities and growing their…

Eshlin Vedan eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za ROYAL AM goalkeeper coach Postnet Omony has confirmed that the club plans to integrate the players from the acquired Bloemfontein Celtic alongside their top performers from last season as they prepare for their tricky opening day Premiership clash against Swallows FC at Dobsonville Stadium on Sunday. The controversial Durban-based club suddenly find themselves in the top flight after having acquired the PSL status of the now defunct Celtic. Royal AM lost their court case which they had hoped would see them being crowned as winners of last season’s GladAfrica Championship, ahead of Sekhukhune United. During the week, Celtic players were informed by their now former boss Max Tshabalala that they needed to get to Durban and meet their new boss Shauwn Mkhize. It is uncertain how much…