Indice dei contenuti per 2022-06-02 in Cape Times

From page 1 make significantly more progress. “We are committed to work with families, legal representatives of some of the families and with other critical stakeholders. This is not something the NPA does on its own,” she said. “We are acting with an incredible sense of urgency. We know time is not on our side. “We move towards building more sustainable capacity in the NPA to deal with TRC and other complex crimes,” Batohi added. During the meeting, the NPA came in for criticism for not communicating with families of the victims with claims that Haron’s family heard from the media about the reopening of an inquest into his death. Some MPs even said the NPA should prosecute even if it has weak evidence so that families can see that…

ASSAULT charges brought against EFF member Floyd Shivambu by Netwerk24 photographer Adrian de Kock have been dropped at the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court. National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson in the Western Cape, Eric Ntabazalila, said yesterday that the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court cleared Shivambu of a charge of common assault, following his successful application for the court not to prosecute him at the close of the State’s case. “The magistrate, Lindiwe Gura, rejected the complainant’s and witnesses’ evidence as contradictory. She also said that the complainant was contradictory to his medical evidence. “She added that one of the witnesses even tailored his evidence to suit the State’s case.” Shivambu was charged following an incident at the parliamentary precinct on March 20, 2018. De Kock told the court that he had taken…

NOMBEKO Mfenyana from Harare, Khayelitsha who has been living in a dilapidated house for more than 10 years, has made a plea for materials to rebuild her house. Unemployed for more than seven years, Mfenyana, 58, lost her grandchild in April last year due to the cold. She has been seeking assistance but with no luck. “I have been living here for over 10 years and nothing seems to improve – instead it’s getting worse day by day. “I have been unemployed for many years and that hurts me because I have to ask for assistance from other people. “While other people pray that it rains, I pray that it does not rain because once it starts, I just cry because I know the pain I will go through during…

KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa at large could be on the brink of food riots with the alarming rise in the price of staple items. The latest food basket released by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group (PMBEJD) this week showed a notable increase in the prices of essentials such as flour, cooking oil and other important items. This comes as June fuel price increases kicked in yesterday. Despite the extension of the reduction of the General Fuel Levy of R1.50, the price of different grades of petrol (93 and 95 unleaded) increased by R2.43 a litre and R2.33 a litre respectively, and all grades of diesel increased by between R1.07 and R1.10 a litre. The advocacy group and an economist said the Russia/Ukraine conflict had a massive impact on…

An inclusive beacon of hope for the development, appreciation of all African languages THE Afrikaans Language Museum and Monument (ATM) has existed for longer in democratic South Africa than it did under apartheid. Although it has for many years been wholly different to its early youth, ignorance about and misunderstandings over the ATM abound, even among some of its supporters. The public response to the news that Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, expects of it a change of focus has again brought this to light. It often seems that people forget the denotation of the word “Afrikaans”, namely of, concerning, belonging to Africa, according to the Dictionary of the Afrikaans Language (the WAT). In itself, the name Afrikaans is therefore an inclusive recognition of, and tribute to,…

China has insisted it has “no intention to compete” for influence in the South Pacific as Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Australian counterpart Penny Wong again jetted around the region Wednesday on duelling diplomatic charm offensives. In a statement distributed by the Chinese embassy in Canberra, Beijing said it “does not seek exclusive rights” in the region and “we have no intention to compete with others”. The claim comes as Wang nears the end of a contentious 10-day visit to Pacific Island nations that has seen China pitch a radically increased role in regional security, much to the concern of the US and Australia. “China respects Australia’s historical and traditional ties in the region and there is enough space in the vast Pacific Ocean for China, Australia and all…

WASHINGTON: South Korean boy band BTS, a fund-raising juggernaut for US social justice causes, met with President Joe Biden at the White House this week to discuss hate crimes targeting Asians. The K-pop stars called for a halt to crimes targeting Asian Americans. The meeting came as Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander month in May drew to a close following a sharp upswing in hate crimes against the community in the past year. Attacks against people of Asian descent have escalated as some politicians and pundits have encouraged Americans to blame China for Covid-19. The White House said one goal was to “discuss the importance of diversity and inclusion and BTS’s platform as youth ambassadors who spread a message of hope and positivity across the world”. In 2020, BTS…

Oaxaca: At least 33 people remained missing and 11 were confirmed dead yesterday after Hurricane Agatha swept through Mexico, local officials said. The storm was the strongest to hit Mexico’s Pacific coast in May since record keeping began in 1949, according to the US National Hurricane Center. It triggered heavy rains and deadly flooding after making landfall on Monday. Two people aged 18 and 21 died when part of a hill collapsed in the community of Santa Catarina Xanaguia, according to the civil protection office. Another woman died and her son was injured in a landslide in Llano del Chillar. | AFP…

THE family of Struggle icon Imam Abdullah Haron believe they are one step closer to knowing the truth about the way he died in police detention on September 27, 1969, after the announcement of the reopening of an inquest into his death. However, they criticised the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for dragging its feet, and for them only learning about the news through social media yesterday, which they called “disrespectful”. On behalf of the family, Fatiema Haron-Masoet, daughter of the late Imam, said: “While we welcome this decision, we do however question whether it isn’t too little too late? Sadly, that is the case for our mother who passed on September 29, 2019, exactly 50 years to the day of our father’s burial. “Disappointingly, persons, who were also not present…

THE SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) in the Western Cape says it is deeply concerned by numerous reports of abuse of teachers and non-teaching staff by pupils from various schools in the province. Several teachers have reported that they were grappling with a spike in rude pupils who threaten and intimidate them, and even attack them and other pupils. A teacher who spoke on the basis of anonymity said bullying, fighting, swearing, lying, theft and ill-discipline were the order of the day in their classrooms. “On a daily basis we as teachers experience this kind of behaviour at our school, no respect for teachers and fellow learners that want to learn. “Parents don’t know what to do with the situation, and ask us as teachers to do what we prefer…

Magic828 launched their dynamic new line-up that kicked off yesterday. The new line-up includes experienced radio talent Graeme White, Adrian Larger, Megan Edwards and Seano Loots. As part of their growth strategy, Magic828 have brought on board senior business executive Amit Makan and digital strategist Viasen Soobramoney, who will assist the station with their commercial and audience imperatives. Makan said: “Magic828 is a special brand with an extremely loyal audience. Our exciting new line-up is guaranteed to make waves and help position the station for growth. We are committed to providing our audiences with high-quality content and programming but also creating value for advertisers and commercial partners.” Soobramoney said Magic828 had all the right ingredients for a successful and popular multimedia business. Station manager Graeme White said: “The excitement within…

THE tourism sector needs to brace for yet another devastating blow as Comair suspended all British Airways and kulula.com flights on Tuesday. The flights are operated by Comair under a licence agreement. British Airways and kulula.com ticket sales were also suspended with immediate effect pending the successful securing of additional funding. The company’s business rescue practitioners (BRPS) said efforts to raise necessary capital were in progress. “We deeply regret the inconvenience this suspension will cause our customers. We did everything we could to avoid it. Comair, the BRPs and the lenders are working all out to get the funding in place so that we can resume our normal flight schedule as soon as possible,” said Comair chief executive, Glenn Orsmond. Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu expressed concern over the matter. She…

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has agreed to release two Rwandan soldiers detained amid soaring tensions between the two neighbours, Angolan President Joao Lourenco said this week. The announcement came after Lourenco held talks with DRC President Felix Tshisekedi. “At the request of his Angolan counterpart, (Tshisekedi) agreed to release two Rwandan soldiers recently captured on DRC territory,” Lourenco’s office said. “This step is intended to help reduce the tension in the relationship between the two countries”. Lourenco later held a video conference with Rwandan leader Paul Kagame, Luanda said. Following separate interactions with Lourenco, the Rwandan and DRC leaders reached “an understanding” to meet face-to-face in Luanda, at a date to be announced. A diplomatic feud between Kigali and Kinshasa has escalated in recent days with both sides…

Celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee will be on a truly royal scale, featuring millions of partici- pants around Britain and climaxing in a TV spectacle expected to be watched by a billion people worldwide. The four days of festivities start today to commemorate the 70-year reign of Britain’s longest-ruling monarch. Around 1 500 soldiers, 400 army musicians and 250 horses will take part in the “Trooping the Colour” parade today. About 200 soldiers from the Coldstream Guards will line The Mall, leading from Trafalgar Square to Buckingham Palace in London. At noon today, 42-gun salutes will be fired across the country to mark the queen’s “official birthday” on June 11. Selected Royal Navy ships at sea will also fire their guns, along with the Grand Battery in Gibraltar…

Jerusalem: Israeli Defence Force (IDF) troops shot dead a Palestinian woman after she approached a soldier with a knife in the southern West Bank, the army said yesterday, with Palestinian officials pronouncing her dead. The army said the “attempted stabbing” took place near Al Aroub camp, north of the city of Hebron. “An assailant armed with a knife advanced toward an IDF soldier who was conducting routine security activity on Route 60. The soldiers responded with live fire,” the army said. “No IDF injuries were reported.” The Palestinian health ministry said the woman died from a bullet to her torso, identifying her as Ghofran Warasnah, 31. | AFP…

The Hague: An international police operation has stopped a mobile phone scam bug dubbed FluBot that spread “like wildfire” via text messages, the EU’s police agency Europol said yesterday. Hackers would steal bank and other secure details from infected Android phones using the bug, which would then send text messages to other phones in the user’s contact list and pass on the malware like a flu virus. Dutch police in May disrupted the malware’s infrastructure following an investigation by 11 countries including the US, Australia and several European nations, it said. Police were still trying to identify the culprits behind the scam. | AFP…

BAFANA Bafana coach Hugo Broos is frustrated following a failed attempt to meet with local coaches. The national team mentor believes that a meeting with the local tacticians could help in ironing out flaws which not only exist in the DStv Premiership but which also extend to the men’s national team. “I always have time to meet the coaches and have tried. It’s not my fault that we haven’t met. “Every time I am refused the opportunity to meet with the coaches. What can I do?” said the Belgian. Broos pointed out that flaws with the league may have led to problems that his squad faces ahead of their upcoming 2023 African Cup of Nations qualifier against Morocco in Rabat next week. Three players with injury issues at the…

OPPOSITION parties have criticised the DA for being slow to act on a report that found Western Cape deputy speaker Beverley Schäfer guilty of fruitless and wasteful expenditure. The findings followed allegations that Schäfer refused to downgrade her luxury state-funded BMW after a six-month stint as MEC ended. An investigation into the matter found that the use of the BMW X5 by Schäfer for the period July 1 to December 6, 2019, resulted in fruitless and wasteful expenditure amounting to R158 297.86, according to the report. It is said that Schäfer was not permitted to use the BMW X5 as an official vehicle beyond June 30, 2019, as its value constituted more than 40% of the annual remuneration package of the deputy speaker. However she continued to make use of…

IN A HISTORIC moment for the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal (UKZN), the women’s volleyball team won gold at the National Volleyball South Africa Club Championships 2022. UKZN team coach Marci Harold was overjoyed at the win and commended the team members for making history. “They are all exceptional players who challenged each other to be the very best they can be, that’s why the gold was possible. They put in lots of hard work, and were pushed physically and their skill levels enhanced.” Harold said the secret of their success was believing in themselves and trusting their teammates. Team captain and UKZN alumnus Reyanka Kisten said the teammates and coaching staff had become her family. “I’ve played for UKZN Volleyball Club from 2017, and I can finally say that 2022…

Plettenberg Bay Tourism is thrilled to have been nominated, for the 13th year, as Africa’s leading beach destination in the World Travel Awards. Every year the World Travel Awards cover the globe with a series of regional gala ceremonies staged to celebrate the achievements and strengths of the travel industry within each key geographical region. The town of Plettenberg Bay, located on the Garden Route, had its first win of the awards in 2020. It also boasts six international Blue Flag beaches, as well as two international Blue Flag status boats and is a recognised Mission Blue Hope Spot. Bitou Municipality spokesperson Andile Namntu said the nomination was a great reward for the people of Plettenberg Bay. “To us, our beaches are our unique selling points to attract tourists from…

Exactly what is the Dutch role in a country that is still battling from colonial repercussions, I ask myself as a Dutch government representative. We carry a burdened past here, one that brought the East India Company (VOC) to these shores in 1652 and enslaved thousands of people. How should I relate to this? One answer comes from a Cape- tonian movie-maker: “You need to shut up and listen, and do not come to me with your white guilt. The implications of the slavery past are for us to deal and grapple with. They are not yours. We do not need you to tell us how to process. We do not need your interpretations. “However, you need to be present in the room. Not to talk or to debate, not…

Russian forces yesterday pressed closer to the centre of an industrial city in a drive to grab a swathe of eastern Ukraine, while the US said it would supply advanced rockets to Kyiv to help push Moscow to negotiate an end to the war. Ukraine’s general staff said Russian forces, now 98 days into their invasion, pounded infrastructure in eastern and southern regions, including the city of Sievierodonetsk, which they entered on May 27 and is the main focus of their ground offensive in the eastern Donbas region. Provincial governor Serhiy Gaidai said a Russian airstrike hit the Azot chemical factory in Sievierodonetsk this week, blowing up a tank of toxic nitric acid and releasing a plume of pink smoke. US President Joe Biden said yesterday Washington would supply precision…

LOS ANGELES: Bill Cosby’s civil trial on allegations that he assaulted a woman when she was a teenager in the mid-1970s began yesterday in Santa Monica, California. The woman, Judy Huth, sued Cosby, 84, in 2014, alleging that the former actor and comedian brought her to the Playboy Mansion and forced her to perform a sex act in 1974, when she was 15. She is seeking unspecified damages for sexual battery and emotional distress. Cosby’s attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, said: “We are confident that the evidence will discredit the plaintiff’s 50-year-old allegation.” | Reuters…

CHENGDU: Four people have been confirmed dead and 14 injured after an earthquake jolted the city of Ya’an in southwest China’s Sichuan Province yesterday, officials said. A 6.1-magnitude earthquake rattled Lushan County of Ya’an in Sichuan and had an epicentre of 17km. It was followed by a 4.5-magnitude quake in Baoxing County and the city of Ya’an. The four people who died were hit by falling rocks. The injured have been sent to hospital. Officials said that the 6.1-magnitude earthquake of Lushan was an aftershock of a 7.0-magnitude earthquake that hit the county in 2013. | Xinhua…

LONDON: Britain aims to send a first group of asylum seekers to Rwanda in two weeks’ time as part of a policy which the government says is designed to break people-smuggling networks and stem the flow of migrants across the Channel. In April, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government announced the plan that drew criticism from within and outside Johnson’s Conservative Party as well as from many charities. The Home Office said that an initial group of migrants have started to receive letters telling them they are being sent to Rwanda to “rebuild their lives in safety”. It did not say how many asylum seekers would be on the first flight to Rwanda. | Reuters…