Indice dei contenuti per 2022-05-03 in Cape Times

The developmental state must play a leading role to regulate banks, retirement funds and insurance companies in shaping and strengthening the structure and output of the economy, said Dr Dennis George while addressing the Public Service and Commercial Union of SA, arguing that the country needs a developmental state not a welfare one, to prosper. Under the banner “Racist Banks Must Fall” at a stirring rally in the City of Tshwane, on Worker’s Day, former Federation of Unions of SAsecretary-general, George, addressed members of the Public Service and Commercial Union of SA, painting a desperate picture of the country’s economic landscape. He questioned the role of the banks in building future economic prosperity for the country. May Day, also called Workers’ Day or International Workers’ Day, remembers the historic struggles…

THE battle over a parking bay at an upmarket multi-million flat complex in Cape Town’s sought-after Bantry Bay has ended up in court. In this matter, two flat owners were at odds over parking bay number 19. The owners of unit 7 at the sectional title scheme, Florentia, turned to the Western Cape High Court insisting the parking bay was theirs. The owner of unit 11, however, insisted it was hers. Guido Schrange and Mave Samoon, the owners of unit 7 – the applicants – said when they purchased the unit for nearly R13 million, they made it clear there would be no deal without parking. The estate agent made it clear that parking bay 19 belonged to unit no 7. Meanwhile, the owner of 11, Xandra Bolliger, who…

FOUR black rhinos that have reached maturity were translocated to the Bona- manzi Game Reserve in northern KwaZulu-Natal in an effort to preserve the genetics of the Weenen and Ithala Black Rhino population. The rhinoceros bulls were moved from Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife’s Weenen Nature Reserve and Ithala Game Reserve through funding by the Black Rhino Range Expansion Project. The operation was carried out by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Heligistix and Wildlife ACT. The bulls were specifically selected for the relocation in accordance with thorough assessment criteria. Having reached maturity, the animals were relocated to preserve the genetics of the Weenen and Ithala Black Rhino population as well as to prevent conflict between the bulls. “Weenen has a very specific Black Rhino breeding programme,” said Weenen Reserve’s conservation manager, Frik Lemmer. “These…

A MAN who paraded as a police officer only to rob people has been stoned and burnt to death in Mfuleni. It is alleged that the 30-year-old had on occasion worn a fake police uniform and proceeded to stop and search people on weekends, taking their cellphones and money. He was caught by a group of men in the early hours of Saturday morning while allegedly in possession of stolen items. According to residents, the suspect drove his own car, and the police uniform he would wear had no tag. Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi said Mfuleni police were investigating murder. “The circumstances surrounding the death of a 30-year-old male in New Beginning, Mfuleni, in the early hours of Saturday are under investigation. “Mfuleni police were called to the crime scene…

Attention to gender has never been more urgent THE hype is monotonous, the claims disingenuous! They merely reinforce the power of patriarchy. The reality for billions of women is that progress towards their empowerment, equality in the workplace and emancipation in society is criminally slow and neglected. The metrics of shame on the treatment of roughly half the world’s 7.98 billion population could not be overstated. A spate of recent reports on the state of gender inequality and injustice in the workplace, economy, finance and business attests to that. These include the Gender Balance Index 2022 launched at the April Spring Meetings of the World Bank/International Monetary Fund Group by OMFIF which “measures, accelerates and certifies gender and intersectional equality in the workplace”, and ‘Breaking the Bias: How gender equality…

THE booing of President Cyril Ramaphosa at the national May Day rally in Rustenburg is further proof that Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) is no longer a formidable and influential voice of the working class. On Sunday, Ramaphosa was forced to abandon the national May Day rally, organised by Cosatu in Rustenburg, after angry Sibanye-Stillwater workers disrupted the proceedings and refused to allow him to speak. The National Union of Mineworkers and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union – the two biggest unions in the mining sector in South Africa – have demanded a pay increase of R1 000 a month over the next three years. However, Sibanye chief executive Neal Froneman said the company would not be revising its final offer, as it could…

One person was pulled out alive yesterday from the rubble of a building that collapsed three days ago in central China, state-run television said, with hopes of finding more survivors fading fast. The commercial building in Changsha city, Hunan province – which housed apartments, a hotel and a cinema – caved in on Friday, sparking a massive rescue effort with hundreds of emergency responders. State-run CCTV showed images of a person wrapped in a thick white blanket being carried on a stretcher, with yesterday’s recovery taking the total number of people found up to eight in three days. Rescue workers in blue uniforms rushed the man to hospital with television channels providing no information on his condition. At least 15 people identified by authorities are still trapped in the rubble…

Manila: Philippine presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos jr continues to lead the race just a week before the May 9 election, according to a survey yesterday. A national survey by Pulse Asia conducted with 2 400 people, aged 18 and above, said that the son of late President Ferdinand Marcos “remains the choice for president” by 56% of likely voters. It said that Marcos jr registered “majority voting figures in most geographic areas (54% to 6%) and all economic classes (56% to 57%)”. Trailing Marcos jr in the second place is incumbent Vice-President Maria Leonor Robredo, with 23%. | Reuters…

SYDNEY: Qantas Airways is to fly non-stop from Sydney to London after ordering 12 special Airbus jets. The airline will charge higher fares in a multi-billion dollar bet that fliers will pay a premium to save four hours. The flights will be launched in late 2025 and will use A350-1000 aircraft specially configured with extra premium seating and reduced overall capacity to ferry up to 238 passengers on a 20-hour trip. The planes will carry passengers in four classes and will have 100 fewer seats than British Airways and Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd use on their A350-1000s. The carrier will dedicate more than 40% of seating to premium classes. | Reuters…

THE FINANCIAL Intelligence Centre (FIC) says the closing of bank accounts should be a last resort but the banks rush to close accounts instead, which makes it difficult for the FIC to do its work. During a presentation to the National Assembly committee on finance (SCoF), earlier this year, the FIC laid out how rushing to close clients’ banking accounts was a premature step. Neither did the agency accept a bank’s explanation that closure was done as a last resort. The FIC said it informed the banks that it did not appreciate the process of closing a customer’s account because it would not then be able to freeze funds once an account was closed and the money removed. The FIC, whose mandate is to watch out for signs of money…

From page 1 they are really under a lot of pressure. There have been attacks on workers’ conditions, benefits and wages, and the people that are leading the attacks are President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ANC administration that he leads,” she said. Political analyst, Professor Sipho Seepe said the booing of Ramaphosa spoke to the sense of “alienation” felt by workers and communities. “There are two levels to make sense of this. One is at the political level and the other at government level. “At a political level this indicates a disconnect among members of the alliance. Cosatu failed to see this coming, which suggests its disconnect with its own constituency. “At the same time, workers are saying they are gatvol with Ramaphosa, his administration and the ANC.…

ANTI-apartheid activist and history scholar Koert Meyer has died at the age of 75. Meyer was a regular Cape Times contributor, passionate about history and a strong advocate for the continued abolition of the death penalty. His work concerning his views about how far the country had come and where it was headed was published mostly on Mondays. He died in his sleep in his Welgelegen home on Saturday morning. In his last opinion piece, published in April, he wrote: “One certainty about our human species is that we will always have disparate views about everything under the sun, especially contentious issues. Unfortunately these will definitely continue to divide and even destroy humankind.” Meyer leaves a daughter, Leila, 28, and his widow, Fahema. Fahema said they were coping, but…

THE hostile reception President Cyril Ramaphosa received when addressing workers and Cosatu supporters during Workers Day celebrations in Rustenburg on Sunday could mean the centre "was no longer holding". “We are starting to see cracks within the alliance. We will remember that the downfall of President Mbeki started with the booing in KZN and Zuma faced the same thing in the Free State,” said Director at the School of Public Leadership at Stellenbosch University, Professor Zwelinzima Ndevu. “This could mean that the centre is no longer holding. The situation also demonstrates that workers can no longer settle for empty promises. They want accountability and action to be taken by those in charge and given a responsibility to rule. “This embarrassing moment happened in a province and area where Ramaphosa is…

THE multi-award-winning cast and creative team of Athol Fugard’s acclaimed play, Blood Knot, will be back at the Baxter Theatre for a limited season this month. Following its sold-out success at The Market Theatre, the play will run from May 11-28 at 7.30pm, with Saturday matinees at 2.30pm. The cast and creative team are led by James Ngcobo, who directs Mncedisi Shabangu and Francois Jacobs in the production which recently received five Naledi Theatre nominations, including Best Director, Lead Performance in a Play, Production, Lighting and Sound Design. The winners will be announced on May 16. Blood Knot, Fugard’s timeless classic, tackles themes of brotherhood and hope, and first premiered in 1961. Set in the suburb of Korsten in Port Elizabeth – a place packed with people who are desperately…

THE Special Investigating Unit’s (SIU) probe into allegations of maladministration and corruption over the approval and allocation of housing in the DA-run Overstrand Municipality is under way with officials conducting interviews. President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a proclamation last December authorising the special unit to look into the municipality following reports of maladministration over the approval, allocation or payment of housing subsidies, and allocation of sites or constructed houses. Overstrand Mayor Annelie Rabie said: “The SIU started with physical interviews of members of the public and municipal officials on April 17.” Rabie expressed her and the Council’s support for the investigation by the SIU. ANC leader of the opposition in the Western Cape, Cameron Dugmore, said it was long overdue. He had called for a probe after residents had apparently approached…

“AFRICA must unite!” So echoed reggae music across the world. This was a slogan or motto of one of the authentic sons of Africa, Kwame Nkrumah. Bob Marley, with the Redemption Song, put on a stamp, “How long shall they kill our prophets while we stand aside and look?” April 27, 2022, marked what would have been the 50th anniversary of not only the first president of Ghana but a visionary, a son, and an authentic voice of Africa. Imperialists had and still have an agenda to rip off Africa. Nkrumah was not only his country’s liberator, he believed his country was not free until the entire Africa (ukhaya-khulu) was free. “The independence of Ghana is meaningless unless it is linked-up with the total liberation of the African continent.” That…

Western officials have largely lost hope that the Iran nuclear deal can be resurrected, sources familiar with the matter said, forcing them to weigh how to limit Iran’s atomic programme even as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has divided the big powers. While they have not completely given up on the pact, under which Iran restrained its nuclear programme in return for relief from economic sanctions, there is a growing belief it may be beyond salvation. “They are not yanking the IV out of the patient’s arm ... but I sense little expectation that there is a positive way forward,” said one source, who like others quoted spoke on condition of anonymity because of the issue’s sensitivity. Four Western diplomats echoed the sentiment that the deal – which Iran struck with…

A blistering heat wave has scorched wheat fields in India, reducing yields in the second-biggest grower and damping expectations for exports that the world is relying on to alleviate a global shortage. Temperatures soared in March to the highest ever for the month on record going back to 1901, shrivelling India’s wheat crop. That’s spurring estimates that yields have slumped 10% to 50% this season, according to farmers and local government officials. This could be a serious blow to global wheat supplies after Russia’s war in Ukraine upended trade flows out of the critical Black Sea breadbasket region, prompting warnings of food shortages. Importing nations are looking to India for supplies, with the first shipment being prepared for top buyer Egypt. Lower production would jeopardise India’s ability to make up…

LOS ANGELES: Streaming platform Netflix says it has decided to stop work on Meghan Markle’s family series Pearl as it reviewed animated content. Dropping several projects, including Markle’s, was part of strategic decisions on production of animated series, the company said. Archewell Productions, the company formed by Markle and her husband, Britain’s Prince Harry, said last year that she would be an executive producer of Pearl, a series centred on the adventures of a 12-year-old girl who is inspired by influential women from history. The decision comes after Netflix reported a loss of 200 000 subscribers in the first quarter, falling well short of its forecast of adding 2.5 million. Netflix said it would continue to work on projects with Archewell, including the previously announced documentary series Heart of Invictus.…

JERUSALEM: Israel denounced Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov yesterday for suggesting that Adolf Hitler had Jewish origins, accusing him of spreading anti-Semitism and belittling the Holocaust. “Such lies are intended to accuse the Jews themselves of the most horrific crimes in history that were committed against them,” Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said. Lapid said to claim Hitler was of Jewish descent was like saying Jews had killed themselves, and accusing Jews of being anti-Semites was “the basest level of racism”. There has been some speculation that one of Hitler’s grandfathers might have been Jewish. | Reuters…

OUAGADOUGOU: Burkina Faso’s government has launched a judicial investigation into a flood at a zinc mine that left eight workers trapped, with rescue efforts entering a third week, it said. Canada-based Trevali Mining Corp suspended operations at its Perkoa mine on April 16, when heavy rain caused flash floods and left eight workers missing underground. Search-and-rescue efforts are ongoing, it said yesterday. Burkina Faso Prime Minister Albert Ouedraogo said that managers of the mine had been banned from leaving the country while investigations were under way into the cause of the accident. | Reuters…

THERE have been various reports in the media that Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe has fired a board member of the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) for being unsuitable to serve on the board. The person concerned is Peter Becker of the anti-nuclear activist group Koeberg Alert Alliance, an anti-nuclear body that is opposed to nuclear power. There is no doubt that Mantashe’s actions in this regard are correct. Most of the reports in various media have been rather sympathetic to Becker, but have undoubtedly misinterpreted the situation. They have said that the NNR board should have a representative of the general public. That is quite correct, but they have incorrectly interpreted the “representation” concept. But let us now digress for a moment. In various countries there is…

From page 1 Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter said at the time that spending on diesel was not ideal as diesel-powered gas generators were important in producing enough power to meet peak demand in the evenings. In the last financial year, the entity spent under R7bn on its diesel plants and R3.5bn on diesel used by independent power plants between April 2021 and March 2022. Meanwhile, Gordhan said the business rescue for airline Mango and the acquisition of a strategic equity partner for SAA were at advanced stages. Responding to parliamentary questions from ANC MP Carol Phiri, he said the department had transferred the last tranche of R399m from the total of R819m allocated to the airline for restructuring purposes. “The last tranche was transferred on 28 March 2022 on…

Power utility Eskom has spent more than R1.3 billion just to keep the lights on during the first three months of the year. This is according to Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan when responding to parliamentary questions from Freedom Front Plus MP Wynand Boshoff. Boshoff wrote to Gordhan to inquire about the diesel that has been used in the generation of electricity at Eskom since January and the total price that the utility paid for the diesel. In his written reply, Gordhan said Eskom utilised 110 141 069 litres of diesel for the generation of electricity at two of its open cycle gas turbine stations from January 1 to March 24. “The total cost of the amount above is R1 385.9 million,” he said. The revelation comes as Eskom will…

AS THE world marked World Veterinary Day, held annually on the last Saturday of April, the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and its partners have continued to support the development of new technologies and innovations and the commercialisation of new products and services, to improve the condition of farm animals and better manage animal health risks. Through its Bio-economy Strategy, the DSI supports the improvement of conditions for animals in agriculture and has a number of initiatives to reduce animal health risks. Among these, the Animal Health Cluster of the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), an entity of the DSI, is working to provide new vaccines and diagnostics for animal diseases. The cluster aims to revitalise veterinary pharmaceutical manufacturing, thereby reducing South Africa's dependence on imports. Diseases such as bluetongue,…

THE WESTERN Cape High Court has found that no justification existed for a 30-day psychiatric evaluation referral for accused Parliament arsonist, Zandile Christmas Mafe. The court found that such a referral was “substantively and procedurally flawed, which resulted in a gross irregularity” and has accordingly been set aside. Acting judge Raadiyah Wathen-Falken said Mafe’s counsel should have been granted the opportunity to present their evidence to challenge the district surgeon’s assessment – in which Mafe was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia – which could have been presented at the bail hearing. Judge Wathen-Falken said this course “would have best informed the magistrate in his decisions as to bail and any potential orders in terms of the Criminal Procedures Act (CPA)”. “The evidence on record demonstrates to this court that the magistrate…

Recently, some tennis players from Russia were prevented by Britain from taking part in Wimbledon 2022. Very quickly, many tennis players condemned the hypocrisy as innocent citizens who had no qualms with Britain were being punished for nothing but being Russian citizens. Israel has been occupying Palestinian land for nearly a century, and yet, no condemnation or victimisation of their citizens. Many commentators clearly saw the moral dilemma if innocent citizens are to be punished for the actions of their government that they have nothing to do with. Similarly, when Russia was removed from the SWIFT system for interbank transactions, many South African farmers suffered great losses as some of their produce were already on the way to Russia per ship, and there was no way they could get payment…

Efforts to evacuate more civilians from the devastated Ukrainian port city of Mariupol ran into delays yesterday and hundreds of people remained trapped in the Azovstal steel works, the last stronghold of resistance to the Russian siege. It was not clear what was causing the hold-up although a city official said earlier that Russian forces had resumed shelling the plant after a convoy of buses had left. The plight of civilians trapped in Mariupol, which endured weeks of bombardment before Russian forces captured most of it, has been a focus of humanitarian concern. Thousands are believed to have been killed and those still stuck in the besieged Azovstal complex, whose network of bunkers and tunnels has provided shelter, were running out of water, food and medicine. Towns in eastern Ukraine…

Hundreds of migrants crossed the Channel from France to Britain in small boats at the weekend, the UK Ministry of Defence said yesterday, following an 11-day hiatus in the arrivals. The resumption of journeys, halted due to strong winds and choppy seas, comes weeks after Britain announced contentious proposals to send those who cross the Channel thousands of kilometres away to Rwanda. The plans have come as the number of migrants has risen dramatically. The arrival of 254 people mean nearly 7 000 have reached the UK so far this year, more than three times the number recorded by this time last year. More migrants were seen being brought into the port of Dover yesterday, aboard lifeboats and Border Force vessels after being picked up in the Channel. The journeys,…

Addis Ababa: Ethiopian police using tear gas briefly clashed with young Muslims in Addis Ababa yesterday during prayers to mark the end of Ramadaan, reports said. The incident occurred outside the international stadium in the heart of the capital, where prayers were scheduled to celebrate the Eid al-Fitr holiday at the end of the Muslim holy month. Unable to gain access because the stadium was full, some worshippers began to pray outside in Meskel Square. The Addis Ababa High Council of Islamic Affairs said that the cause of the confrontation was unclear. A policeman fired tear gas at the crowd but “it was unintentional” | AFP…

Brussels: The EU accused Apple yesterday of blocking rivals from its popular “tap-as-you-go” iPhone payment system, opening a fresh battlefront between the US tech giant and Brussels. The European Commission, the bloc’s competition watchdog, charged the iPhone maker with preventing competitors trying to enter the contact-less market “from accessing the necessary hardware and software ... to the benefit of its own solution, Apple Pay”. The battle comes as tech giants eye personal finance as a new moneymaker, with Google, Amazon and Facebook owner Meta also seeking ways to replace credit cards or the need of carrying a wallet. | AFP…